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FADE IN ON: A VIDEO GAME ON A COMPUTER SCREEN The game is in progress. As a sick coughing sound is heard. CUT TO: THIS KID lying in bed, coughing. Pale, one sick cookie. Maybe he's seven or eight or nine. He holds a remote in one hand, presses it, and the video game moves a little bit. Then he's hit by another spasm of coughing, puts the remote down. His room is monochromatic, greys and blues, mildly high-tech. We're in the present day and this is a middle class house, somewhere in the suburbs. CUT TO: The Kid's MOTHER as she enters, goes to him, fluffs his pillows, kisses him, and briefly feels his forehead. She's worried, it doesn't show. During this MOTHER You feeling any better? THE KID A little bit. MOTHER Guess what. THE KID What? MOTHER Your grandfather's here. THE KID (not overjoyed) Mom, can't you tell him that I'm sick? MOTHER You are sick, that's why he's here. THE KID He'll pinch my cheek. I hate that. MOTHER Maybe he won't. 2. The Kid shoots her an "I'm sure" look, as we CUT TO: THE KID'S GRANDFATHER bursting into the room. Kind of rumpled. But the eyes are bright. He has a wrapped package tucked under one arm as be immediately goes to The Kid, pinches his cheek. GRANDFATHER Hey! How's the sickie? Heh? The Kid gives his Mother an "I told you so" look. The Mother ignores it, beats a retreat. MOTHER I think I'll leave you two pals. And she is gone. There's an uncomfortable silence, then... GRANDFATHER I brought you a special present. THE KID What is it? GRANDFATHER Open it up. The Kid does. He does his best to smile. THE KID A book? GRANDFATHER That's right. When I was your age, television was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today, I'm gonna read it to you. THE KID Has it got any sports in it? CUT TO: THE GRANDFATHER Suddenly passionate. 3. GRANDFATHER Are you kidding? Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles. CUT TO: THE TWO OF THEM as the Grandfather sits in a chair by the bed. THE KID (manages a shrug) It doesn't sound too bad. I'll try and stay awake. GRANDFATHER Oh. Well, thank you very much. It's very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming. All right. (Book open now, be begins to read.) The Princess Bride, by S. Morgenstern. Chapter One. Buttercup was raised on a small farm in the country of Florin. DISSOLVE TO: The story he's reading about, as the monochromatic look of the bedroom is replaced by the dazzling color of the English countryside. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) Her favorite pastimes were riding her horse and tormenting the farm boy that worked there. His name was Westley, but she never called him that. (to the kid) Isn't that a wonderful beginning? THE KID (off-screen doing his best) Yeah. It's really good. GRANDFATHER (off-screen reading) Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Westley around. CUT TO: 4. BUTTERCUPS FARM - DAY BUTTERCUP is standing, holding the reins of her horse, while in the background, WESTLEY, in the stable doorway, looks at her. Buttercup is in her late teens; doesn't care much about clothes and she hates brushing her long hair, so she isn't as attractive as she might be, but she's still probably the most beautiful woman in the world. BUTTERCUP Farm boy. Polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning. WESTLEY (quietly, watching her) As you wish. Westley is perhaps half a dozen years older than Buttercup. And maybe as handsome as she is beautiful. He gazes at her as she walks away. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) "As you wish" was all he ever said to her. DISSOLVE TO: WESTLEY, outside, chopping wood. Buttercup drops two large buckets near him. BUTTERCUP Farm Boy. Fill these with water -- (a beat) --please. WESTLEY As you wish. She leaves; his eyes stay on her. She stops, turns -- he manages to look away as now her eyes stay on him. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying, "As you wish," what he meant was, "I love you." DISSOLVE TO: 5. BUTTERCUP IN THE KITCHEN - DUSK Westley enters with an armload of firewood. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back. BUTTERCUP (pointing to a pitcher that she could reach herself) Farm Boy, fetch me that pitcher. He gets it, hands it to her; they are standing very close to each other gazing into each other's eyes. WESTLEY As you wish. Now he turns, moves outside. DISSOLVE TO: WESTLEY AND BUTTERCUP, outside his tiny hovel in the red glow of sunset. They are locked in a passionate kiss. THE KID (off-screen) -hold it, hold it- CUT TO: THE KID'S ROOM THE KID What is this? Are you trying to trick me? -- Where's the sports? -- Is this a kissing book? GRANDFATHER -- wait, just wait -- THE KID -- well, when does it get good? GRANDFATHER Keep your shirt on. Let me read. (reading again) Westley had no money for marriage. So he packed his few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea. CUT TO: 6. WESTLEY AND BUTTERCUP They stand near the gate to the farm, locked in an embrace. GRANDFATHER (off-screen reading) It was a very emotional time for Buttercup -- THE KID (off-screen groaning) I don't be-leeve this. BUTTERCUP I fear I'll never see you again. WESTLEY Of course you will. BUTTERCUP But what if something happens to you? WESTLEY Hear this now: I will come for you. BUTTERCUP But how can you be sure? WESTLEY This is true love. You think this happens every day? He smiles at her, she smiles too, throws her arms so tightly around him. They kiss. Then as Westley walks away, Buttercup watches him go. GRANDFATHER (off-screen reading) Westley didn't reach his destination. His ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who never left captives alive. When Buttercup got the news that Westley was murdered -- THE KID (off-screen, perking up a little) -- murdered by pirates is good -- CUT TO: CLOSE UP: Buttercup, staring out the window of her room. 7. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) She went into her room and shut the door. And for days, she neither slept nor ate. BUTTERCUP (no emotion at all in her voice) I will never love again. HOLD ON HER FACE, perfect and perfectly sad. DISSOLVE TO: FLORIN CASTLE - DAY The main courtyard of Florin replete with townspeople, livestock, and a bustling marketplace. GRANDFATHER (off-screen reading) Five years later, the main square of Florin City was filled as never before to hear the announcement of the great Prince Humperdinck's bride-to be. CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK, a man of incredible power and bearing, standing in his royal robes on a castle balcony. Three others standing behind him: an OLD COUPLE with crowns, the aging KING AND QUEEN, and a dark bearded man who seems the Prince's match in strength: this is COUNT RUGEN. HUMPERDINCK (raises his hands, starts to speak) My people ... a month from now, our country will have its 500th anniversary. On that sundown, I shall marry a lady who was once a commoner like yourselves -- (pause) -- but perhaps you will not find her common now. Would you like to meet her? And the answering YESSSS booms like summer thunder. CUT TO: 8. A giant staircase leading to the CROWD and as a FIGURE just begins to become visible, CUT TO: THE CROWD, as they see the figure. (We haven't yet.) And if there is such a thing as collective action, then this crowd, collectively, holds its breath. CUT TO: THE STAIRCASE, as the figure appears in the archway. It is Buttercup. And she resplendent. HUMPERDINCK My people ... the Princess Buttercup!! She descends the stairs and starts to move amongst the people. CUT TO: THE CROWD, and they do a very strange thing: with no instruction at all, they suddenly go to their knees. Great waves of people kneeling and -- CUT TO: BUTTERCUP, terribly moved. She stands immobile among her subjects, blinking back tears. HOLD on her beauty for a moment. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) Buttercup's emptiness consumed her. Although the law of the land gave Humperdinck the right to choose his bride, she did not love him. CUT TO: WOODLANDS -- and Buttercup, barreling along, controlling her horse easily. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) Despite Humperdinck's reassurance that she would grow to love him, the only joy she found was in her daily ride. CUT TO: 9. A WOODED GLEN - CLOSE TO SUNDOWN Lovely, quiet, deserted. Buttercup suddenly reins in. VOICE A word, my lady? CUT TO: THREE MEN, standing close together in the path. Beyond them can be seen the waters of Florin Channel. The three men are not your everyday commuter types. Standing in front is a tiny man with the most angelic face. He is Sicilian and his name is VIZZINI. Beside him is a Spaniard, erect and taut as a blade of steel. His name is INIGO MONTOYA. Beside him is a giant. His name is FEZZIK. VIZZINI We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby? BUTTERCUP There is nothing nearby; not for miles. VIZZINI Then there will be no one to hear you scream- He nods to the giant, Fezzik, who merely reaches over, touches a nerve on Buttercup's neck, and the start of a scream is all she manages --unconsciousness comes that fast. As she starts to fall -- CUT TO: A TINY ISOLATED SPOT AT THE EDGE OF FLORIN CHANNEL A sailboat is moored. It's dusk now, shadows are long. Inigo, the Spaniard, busies himself getting the boat ready. CUT TO: The giant Fezzik carries Buttercup, unconscious, on board. Vizzini rips some tiny pieces of fabric from an army jacket and tucks them along the saddle of Buttercup's horse. There is about the entire operation a sense of tremendous skill and precision. INIGO What is that you're ripping? 10. VIZZINI (not stopping or turning) It's fabric from the uniform of an Army officer of Guilder. FEZZIK Who's Guilder? VIZZINI (pointing straight out) The country across the sea. The sworn enemy of Florin. (slaps the horse's rump) Go! The horse takes off. They start for the boat. VIZZINI Once the horse reaches the castle, the fabric will make the Prince suspect the Guilderians have abducted his love. When he finds her body dead on the Guilder frontier, his suspicions will be totally confirmed. FEZZIK You never said anything about killing anyone. Vizzini hops onto the boat. VIZZINI I've hired you to help me start a war. That's a prestigious line of work with a long and glorious tradition. FEZZIK I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl. VIZZINI (whirling on Fezzik) Am I going mad or did the word "think" escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass. INIGO I agree with Fezzik. CUT TO: 11. CLOSE UP: Vizzini, in a fury. VIZZINI (We only thought he was in a fury --now he's really getting mad) Oh. The sot has spoken. What happens to her is not truly your concern -- I will kill her -- (louder) And remember this -- never forget this -- CUT TO: INIGO AND FEZZIK, as Vizzini advances on them. Nothing shows on Inigo's face, but FEZZIK is panicked by Vizzini. VIZZINI (to Inigo) -- when I found you, you were so slobbering drunk you couldn't buy brandy -- (now to Fezzik, who retreats as much as he can while Vizzini advances) -- and you -- friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless -- Do you want me to send you back to where you were, unemployed in Greenland? Vizzini glares at him, then turns, leaves them. During this, Inigo has gone close to FEZZIK, who is very distressed at the insults he's just received. As Inigo casts off. INIGO (softly) That Vizzini, he can fuss. (a slight emphasis on the last word) FEZZIK (looking at Inigo) ... fuss ... fuss ... (Suddenly, he's got it again, emphasis on the last word.) I think he likes to scream at us. 12. INIGO Probably he means no harm. FEZZIK He's really very short on charm. INIGO (proudly) Oh, you've a great gift for rhyme. FEZZIK Yes, some of the time. (he starts to smile) VIZZINI (whirling on them) Enough of that. As they sail off, we hear their voices as the boat recedes. INIGO FEZZIK, are there rocks ahead? FEZZIK If there are, we'll all be dead. VIZZINI No more rhymes now, I mean it. FEZZIK Anybody want a peanut? As Vizzini screams we: DISSOLVE TO: THE SAILBOAT RACING ACROSS THE DARK WATERS Inigo is at the helm, FEZZIK stands near the body of the princess, whose eyelids flutter slightly -- or do they? Vizzini sits motionless. The waves are higher, there are only occasional flashes of moon slanting down between clouds. VIZZINI (to Inigo) We'll reach the Cliffs by dawn. Inigo nods, glances back. VIZZINI Why are you doing that? 13. INIGO Making sure nobody's following us. VIZZINI That would be inconceivable. BUTTERCUP Despite what you think, you will be caught. And when you are, the Prince will see you all hanged. Vizzini turns a cold eye on the Princess. VIZZINI Of all the necks on this boat, Highness, the one you should be worrying about is your own. Inigo keeps staring behind them. VIZZINI Stop doing that. We can all relax, it's almost over- INIGO You're sure nobody's following us? VIZZINI As I told you, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways, inconceivable. No one in Guilder knows what we've done. And no one in Florin could have gotten here so fast. Out of curiosity, why do you ask? INIGO No reason. It's only, I just happened to look behind us, and something is there. VIZZINI What? And suddenly the three whirl, stare back and as they do -- CUT TO: THE DARKNESS BEHIND THEM It's hard to see; the moon is behind clouds now. But the wind whistles. And the waves pound. 14. And suddenly it's all gone ominous. CUT TO: INIGO, FEZZIK, AND VIZZINI squinting back, trying desperately to see. At this moment, they are all holding their breaths. CUT TO: THE DARKNESS BEHIND THEM And there's still nothing to be seen. It's still ominous. Only now it's eerie too. Then -- The moon slips through and -- Inigo was right -- something is very much there. A sailboat. Black. With a great billowing sail. Black. It's a good distance behind them, but it's coming like hell, closing the gap. CUT TO: INIGO, FEZZIK, AND VIZZINI staring at the other boat. VIZZINI (explaining with as much logic as he can muster) Probably some local fisherman out for a pleasure cruise at night through eel-infested waters. And now as a sound comes from their boat they turn as we CUT TO: BUTTERCUP, diving into the water, starting to swim away. CUT TO: THE BOAT and Vizzini screaming. VIZZINI Go in, get after her! INIGO I don't swim. 15. FEZZIK (to the unasked question) I only dog paddle. VIZZINI Veer left. Left. Left! CUT TO: BUTTERCUP still close to the boat, switching from a crawl to a silent breast stroke. The wind dies and as it does, something new is heard. A not-too-distant high-pitched shrieking sound. Buttercup stops suddenly, treads water. CUT TO: THE BOAT VIZZINI Do you know what that sound is, Highness? Those are the Shrieking Eels -- if you doubt me, just wait. They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP, treading water, still not far from the boat. The shrieking sounds are getting louder and more terrifying. Buttercup stays silent. CUT TO: THE BOAT VIZZINI If you swim back now, I promise, no harm will come to you. I doubt you will get such an offer from the Eels. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP, and she's a gutsy girl. The shrieking sound is louder still, but she doesn't make a sound. Behind her now, something dark and gigantic slithers past. She's scared, sure, petrified, who wouldn't be, but she makes no reply -- -- and now a SHRIEKING EEL has zeroed in on her -- 16. -- and now she sees it, a short distance away, circling, starting to close -- -- and Buttercup is frozen, trying not to make a movement of any kind -- -- and the Eel slithers closer, closer -- -- and Buttercup knows it now, there's nothing she can do, it's over, all over -- -- and now the Eel opens its mouth wide, and it's never made such a noise, and as its great jaws are about to clamp down -- GRANDFATHER (off-screen) She doesn't get eaten by the Eels at this time. And the second we hear him: CUT TO: THE SICK KID'S ROOM The Kid looks the same, pale and weak, but maybe he's gripping the sheets a little too tightly with his hands. THE KID What? GRANDFATHER The Eel doesn't get her. I'm explaining to you because you looked nervous. THE KID Well, I wasn't nervous. His Grandfather says nothing, just waits. THE KID Well, maybe I was a little bit concerned. But that's not the same thing. GRANDFATHER Because I can stop now if you want. THE KID No. You could read a little bit more ... if you want. 17. He grips the sheets again, as the Grandfather picks up the book. GRANDFATHER (reading) "Do you know what that sound is, Highness?" CUT TO: VIZZINI We're back in the boat. VIZZINI Those are the Shrieking Eels. THE KID (off-screen) We're past that, Grandpa. CUT TO: THE SICK KID'S ROOM THE KID You read it already. GRANDFATHER Oh. Oh my goodness, I did. I'm sorry. Beg your pardon. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP treading water. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) All right, all right, let's see. Uh, she was in the water, the Eel was coming after her. She was frightened. The Eel started to charge her. And then - And we're back where we were at the last moment we saw her, Buttercup frozen, the Shrieking Eel, jaws wide, about to clamp down as we CUT TO: 18. A GIANT ARM pounding the Eel unconscious in one move, then easily lifting Buttercup. PULL BACK TO REVEAL The boat and FEZZIK, Buttercup being deposited on the deck. VIZZINI Put her down. Just put her down. CUT TO: INIGO pointing behind them. INIGO I think he's getting closer. Vizzini, tying Buttercup's hands. VIZZINI He's no concern of ours. Sail on! (to Buttercup) I suppose you think you're brave, don't you? BUTTERCUP (staring deep at him) Only compared to some. DISSOLVE TO: The boat at dawn, being followed closely by the black sailboat, which we can see for the first time is being sailed by a MAN IN BLACK, and his boat almost seems to be flying. INIGO Look! He's right on top of us. I wonder if he is using the same wind we are using. VIZZINI Whoever he is, he's too late -- (pointing ahead of them) -- see? (big) The Cliffs of Insanity. 19. And once he's said the name-- CUT TO: THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY - DAWN They rise straight up, sheer from the water, impossibly high. CUT TO: THE TWO SAILBOATS in a wild race for the Cliffs and the Man In Black is closing faster than ever, but not fast enough, the lead was too great to overcome, and as Inigo sails with great precision straight at the Cliffs CUT TO: THE BOAT being pursued. VIZZINI Hurry up. Move the thing! Um ... that other thing. Move it! (staring back now) We're safe -- only FEZZIK is strong enough to go up our way -- he'll have to sail around for hours 'til he finds a harbor. There is much activity going on, all of it swift, expert, economical. FEZZIK reaches up along the Cliff face, grabs a jutting rock, reaches behind it. Suddenly there is a thick rope in his hands. He drops back to the boat, gives the rope a freeing swing and CUT TO: THE CLIFFS The rope goes all the way to the top. CUT TO: INIGO hurrying to FEZZIK. He straps a harness to him, then lifts Buttercup and Vizzini in the harness. Finally, he himself gets in the harness. All three are strapped to FEZZIK like papooses. 20. And he starts to ascend the rope, carrying them all along with him as he goes. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK, sailing in toward the Cliffs of Insanity, watching as FEZZIK rises swiftly through the first moments of dawn. CUT TO: THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS - LOOKING DOWN FEZZIK'S GROUP is only faintly visible far below. This is the first time we've gotten the real vertigo feeling and it's a gasper. CUT TO: FEZZIK CLIMBING ON. Buttercup is almost out of her mind with fear. CUT TO: THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE CLIFFS FEZZIK is moving right along; however high they are, he's already over a third of the way done. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK leaping from his ship to the rope, starting to climb. He's impossibly far behind, but the way he goes you'd think he didn't know that because he is flying up the rope, hand over hand like lightning. CUT TO: VIZZINI AND THE OTHERS INIGO (looking down) He's climbing the rope. And he's gaining on us. VIZZINI Inconceivable! He prods FEZZIK, who nods, increases his pace. CUT TO: 21. THE MAN IN BLACK roaring up the rope, and CUT TO: LONG SHOT - THE CLIFFS -- and the Man In Black is cutting deeply into FEZZIK's lead. CUT TO: VIZZINI AND THE OTHERS VIZZINI (shrieking) Faster! FEZZIK I thought I was going faster. VIZZINI You were supposed to be this colossus. You were this great, legendary thing. And yet he gains. FEZZIK Well, I'm carrying three people. And he's got only himself. VIZZINI (cutting through) -- I do not accept excuses. (shaking his head) I'm just going to have to find myself a new giant, that's all. FEZZIK (hurt) Don't say that, Vizzini. Please. And his arms begin moving much more slowly. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK His arms still work as before. If anything, he has speeded up. FEZZIK's lead is smaller and smaller CUT TO: 22. THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS Maybe a hundred feet for FEZZIK to go. Maybe more. CUT TO: VIZZINI AND THE OTHERS, and it's getting too close now. VIZZINI Did I make it clear that your job is at stake? CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK less than a hundred feet behind them. And gaining. CUT TO: THE CLIFF TOP AS FEZZIK MAKES IT! Vizzini leaps off and takes out a knife, begins to cut the rope which is tied around a great rock while Inigo helps the Princess to her feet and FEZZIK just stands around, waiting for someone to tell him to do something. Nearby are some stone ruins. Once they might have been a fort, now the kind of resemble Stonehenge. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK feet from the top now, maybe less -- maybe only 50 -- and his pace is as dazzling as before, and CUT TO: VIZZINI cutting through the last of the rope and CUT TO: THE ROPE slithering across the ground and out of sight toward the Channel, like some great serpent at last going home. CUT TO: FEZZIK standing with Inigo and Buttercup by the cliff edge. 23. FEZZIK (to Inigo -- impressed) He has very good arms. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK hanging suspended hundreds of feet in the air, holding to the jagged rocks, desperately trying to cling to life. CUT TO: VIZZINI stunned, turning to the others, looking down. VIZZINI He didn't fall? Inconceivable!! INIGO (whirling on Vizzini) You keep using that word -- I do not think it means what you think it means. (looks down again) My God! He's climbing. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK and so he is. Very slowly, he is picking his way upwards, sometimes a foot at a time, sometimes an inch. CUT TO: The group at the top, staring down. VIZZINI Whoever he is, he's obviously seen us with the Princess, and must therefore die. (to Fezzik) You, carry her. (to Inigo) We'll head straight for the Guilder frontier. Catch up when he's dead. If he falls, fine. If not, the sword. Inigo nods. 24. INIGO I want to duel him left-handed. VIZZINI You know what a hurry we're in. INIGO Well, it's the only way I can be satisfied. If I use my right -- tch -- over too quickly. VIZZINI (turns abruptly, starts off-screen) Oh, have it your way. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK still creeping his way upward. CUT TO: FEZZIK who goes to Inigo. FEZZIK You be careful. (gravely) -- people in masks cannot be trusted. VIZZINI (calling out) I'm waiting! FEZZIK nods, hurries after Vizzini. CUT TO: INIGO He watches them depart, then turns, peers down over the Cliffs. He watches a moment, then paces, shaking his hands loose. He practices a few of his honed fencing skills. He is a taut and nervous fellow, and has never been one for waiting around. CUT TO: 25. THE MAN IN BLACK climbing on. He must be six inches closer to the top than when last we saw him. Inigo is watching. CUT TO: INIGO walking away. Finally he goes back to cliff edge, starts to talk. It's instant death if the Man In Black falls, but neither gives that possibility much credence. This is our two heroes meeting. They don't know it yet; but that's what it is. INIGO (hollering down) Hello there. The Man In Black glances up, kind of grunts. INIGO Slow going? MAN IN BLACK Look, I don't mean to be rude, but this is not as easy as it looks. So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't distract me. INIGO Sorry. MAN IN BLACK Thank you. Inigo steps away, draws his sword, loosens up with a few perfect thrusts. Then resheathes and looks eagerly over the edge again. INIGO I do not suppose you could speed things up? MAN IN BLACK (with some beat) If you're in such a hurry, you could lower a rope, or a tree branch, or find something useful to do. 26. INIGO I could do that. In fact, I've got some rope up here. But I do not think that you will accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you. MAN IN BLACK That does put a damper on our relationship. He finds another bold a few inches higher. INIGO But I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top. MAN IN BLACK That's very comforting. But I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. INIGO I hate waiting. I could give you my word as a Spaniard. MAN IN BLACK No good. I've known too many Spaniards. And he just hangs there in space, resting, gathering his strength. INIGO You don't know any way you'll trust me? MAN IN BLACK Nothing comes to mind. And on these words, CAMERA ZOOMS into a CLOSE UP on Inigo. He raises his right hand high, his eyes blaze, and his voice takes on a tone we have not heard before. INIGO I swear on the soul of my father, Domingo Montoya, you will reach the top alive. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK. There is a pause. Then, quietly: 27. MAN IN BLACK Throw me the rope. CUT TO: INIGO He dashes to the giant rock the rope was originally tied to. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK as his grip loosens a moment, trying to cling to the side of the cliff. CUT TO: INIGO now with a small coil of rope, hurries back to the edge and hurls it over -- CUT TO: THE ROPE It hangs close to the Man In Black. He releases the rocks, grabs the rope, hangs helplessly in space a moment, then looks up at Inigo and -- CUT TO: INIGO straining, forcing his body away from the cliff edge and -- CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK rising through the early morning light, slowly, steadily, and as the cliff top at last comes within reach -- CUT TO: INIGO watching as the Man In Black crawls to safety, then looks to Inigo. MAN IN BLACK (pulling his sword) Thank you. 28. INIGO We'll wait until you're ready. MAN IN BLACK Again. Thank you. The Man In Black sits to rest on the boulder that once held the rope. He tugs off his leather boots and is amazed to see several large rocks tumble out. The Man In Black wears gloves. Inigo stares at them. INIGO I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand? He glances up -- the question clearly baffles him. MAN IN BLACK Do you always begin conversations this way? INIGO My father was slaughtered by a sixfingered man. He was a great swordmaker, my father. And when the six-fingered man appeared and requested a special sword, my father took the job. He slaved a year before he was done. He hands his sword to the Man In Black. MAN IN BLACK (fondling it-impressed) I have never seen its equal. CUT TO: CLOSE UP - INIGO Even now, this still brings pain. INIGO The six-fingered man returned and demanded it, but at one-tenth his promised price. My father refused. Without a word, the six-fingered man slashed him through the heart. I loved my father, so, naturally, challenged his murderer to a duel ... I failed ... (MORE) 29. INIGO (CONT'D) the six-fingered man did leave me alive with the six-fingered sword, but he gave me these. He touches his scars. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK looking up at Inigo. MAN IN BLACK How old were you? INIGO I was eleven years old. When I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of fencing. So the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the sixfingered man and say, "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." MAN IN BLACK You've done nothing but study swordplay? INIGO More pursuit than study lately. You see, I cannot find him. It's been twenty years now. I am starting to lose confidence. I just work for Vizzini to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in revenge. MAN IN BLACK (handing back the great sword, starting to rise) Well, I certainly hope you find him, someday. INIGO You are ready, then? MAN IN BLACK Whether I am or not, you've been more than fair. 30. INIGO You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you. MAN IN BLACK (walking away a few paces, unsheathing his sword) You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die. INIGO Begin! And on that word -- CUT TO: THE TWO OF THEM And what we are starting now is one of the two greatest sword fights in modern movies (the other one happens later on), and right from the beginning it looks different. Because they aren't close to each other -- none of the swordscrossing "en garde" garbage. No, what we have here is two men, two athletes, and they look to be too faraway to damage each other, but each time one makes even the tiniest feint, the other counters, and there is silence, and as they start to circle -- CUT TO: THE SIX-FINGERED SWORD feinting here, feinting there and -- CUT TO: THE TWO MEN finished teasing, begin to duel in earnest. Their swords cross, then again, again, and the sound comes so fast it's almost continual. Inigo presses on, the Man In Black retreating up a rocky incline. INIGO (thrilled) You're using Bonetti's defense against me, ah? 31. MAN IN BLACK I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain -- INIGO Naturally, you must expect me to attack with Capo Ferro. And he shifts his style now. MAN IN BLACK (coping as best he can) -- naturally -- (suddenly shifting again) --but I find Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro, don't you? The Man In Black is now perched at the edge of the elevated castle ruin. No where to go, he jumps to the sand. Inigo stares down at him. INIGO Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa- And now, with the grace of an Olympian, Inigo flies off the perch, somersaults clean over the Man In Black's head, and lands facing his opponent. INIGO -- which I have. The two men are almost flying across the rocky terrain, never losing balance, never coming close to stumbling; the battle rages with incredible finesse, first one and then the other gaining the advantage, and by now, it's clear that this isn't just two athletes going at it, it's a lot more that that. This is two legendary swashbucklers and they're in their prime, it's Burt Lancaster in "The Crimson Pirate" battling Errol Flynn in "Robin Hood" and then, incredibly, the action begins going even faster than before as we CUT TO: INIGO And behind him now, drawing closer all the time, is the deadly edge of the Cliffs of Insanity. Inigo fights and ducks and feints and slashes and it all works, but not for long, as gradually the Man In Black keeps the advantage, keeps forcing Inigo back, closer and closer to death. 32. INIGO (happy as a clam) You are wonderful! MAN IN BLACK Thank you -- I've worked hard to become so. The Cliff edge is very close now. Inigo is continually being forced toward it. INIGO I admit it -- you are better than I am. MAN IN BLACK Then why are you smiling? Inches from defeat, Inigo is, in fact, all smiles. INIGO Because I know something you don't know. MAN IN BLACK And what is that? INIGO I am not left-handed. And he throws the six-fingered sword into his right hand and immediately, the tide of battle turns. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK stunned, doing everything be can to keep Inigo by the Cliff edge. But no use. Slowly at first, he begins to retreat. Now faster, Inigo is in control and the Man In Black is desperate. CUT TO: INIGO and the six-fingered sword is all but invisible now, as he increases his attack, then suddenly switches styles again. CUT TO: 33. A ROCKY STAIRCASE leading to a turret-shaped plateau, and the Man In Black is retreating like mad up the steps and he can't stop Inigo -- nothing can stop Inigo -- and in a frenzy, the Man In Black makes every feint, tries every thrust, lets go with all he has left. But he fails. Everything fails. He tries one or two final desperate moves but they are nothing. MAN IN BLACK You're amazing! INIGO I ought to be after twenty years. And now the Man In Black is smashed into a stone pillar, pinned there under the six fingered sword. MAN IN BLACK (hollering it out) There's something I ought to tell you. INIGO Tell me. MAN IN BLACK I am not left-handed either. And now he changes hands, and at last, the battle is fully joined. CUT TO: INIGO And to his amazement, he is being forced back down the steps. He tries one style, another, but it all comes down to the same thing -- the Man In Black seems to be in control. And before Inigo knows it, the six-fingered sword is knocked clear out of his hand. Inigo retreats, dives from the stairs to a moss-covered bar suspended over the archway. He swings out, lands, and scrambles to his sword and we CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK who watches Inigo, then casually tosses his sword to the landing where it sticks in perfectly. Then the Man In Black copies INIGO. Not copies exactly, improves. 34. He dives to the bar, swings completely over it like a circus performer and dismounts with a backflip. CUT TO: INIGO staring in awe. INIGO Who are you?! MAN IN BLACK No one of consequence. INIGO I must know. MAN IN BLACK Get used to disappointment. INIGO Okay. CUT TO: INIGO moving like lightning, and he thrusts forward, slashes, darts back, all in almost a single movement and -- CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK Dodging, blocking, and again he thrusts forward, faster even than before, and again he slashes but -- CUT TO: INIGO And there is never a move anyone makes he doesn't remember, and this time he blocks the slash, slashes out himself with the sixfingered sword. On it goes, back and forth across the rocky terrain, Inigo's feet moving with the grace and speed of a great improvisational dancer. CUT TO: 35. THE SIX-FINGERED SWORD as it is knocked free, arching up into the air, and -- CUT TO: INIGO catching it again. And something terrible is written behind his eyes: he has given his all, done everything man can do, tried every style, made every maneuver, but it wasn't enough, and on his face for all to see is the realization that he, Inigo Montoya of Spain, is going to lose. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK moving in for the end now, blocking everything, muzzling everything and CUT TO: THE SIX-FINGERED SWORD sent flying from Inigo's grip. He stands helpless only a moment. Then be drops to his knees, bows his head, shuts his eyes. INIGO Kill me quickly. MAN IN BLACK I would as soon destroy a stained glass window as an artist like yourself. However, since I can't have you following me either -- And he dunks Inigo's head with his heavy sword handle. Inigo pitches forward unconscious. MAN IN BLACK Please understand, I hold you in the highest respect. He grabs his scabbard and takes off after the Princess and we CUT TO: CLOSE UP: VIZZINI VIZZINI Inconceivable! 36. PULL BACK TO REVEAL Vizzini, staring down from a narrow mountain path, as far below the Man In Black can be seen running. FEZZIK, carrying the Princess, stands alongside. It's a little later in the morning. VIZZINI Give her to me. (grabs Buttercup starts off) Catch up with us quickly. FEZZIK (starting to panic) What do I do? VIZZINI Finish him, finish him. Your way. FEZZIK Oh, good, my way. Thank you, Vizzini. (little pause) Which way is my way? CUT TO: A COUPLE OF ROCKS Nothing gigantic. Vizzini points to them. There is a large boulder nearby. VIZZINI Pick up one of those rocks, get behind the boulder, and in a few minutes, the Man in Black will come running around the bend. The minute his head is in view, hit it with the rock! As Vizzini and Buttercup hurry away. FEZZIK (little frown; softly) My way's not very sportsmanlike. He grabs one of the rocks and plods behind the boulder and we -- DISSOLVE TO: 37. THE MAN IN BLACK racing up the mountain trail. Ahead is a bend in the trail. He sees it, slows. Then he stops, listening. Satisfied by the silence, he starts forward again and as he rounds the bend -- a rock flies INTO FRAME, shattering on a boulder inches in front of him. CUT TO: FEZZIK He moves into the mountain path. He has picked up another rock and holds it lightly. FEZZIK I did that on purpose. I don't have to miss. MAN IN BLACK I believe you -- So what happens now? FEZZIK We face each other as God intended. Sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone. MAN IN BLACK You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people? FEZZIK (gently) I could kill you now. He gets set to throw, but the Man In Black shakes his head, takes off his sword and scabbard, begins the approach toward the Giant. MAN IN BLACK Frankly, I think the odds are slightly in your favor at hand fighting. FEZZIK It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise. 38. He flips the rock away. CUT TO: THE MOUNTAIN PATH AND THE TWO MEN The Man In Black is not now and has never been a shrimp. But it's like he wasn't even there, FEZZIK towers over him so much. There is a moment's pause, and then the Man In Black dives at FEZZIK's chest, slams him several tremendous blows in the stomach, twists his arm severely, slips skillfully into a beautifully applied bear hug, and in general makes any number of terrific wrestling moves. FEZZIK just stands there, kind of taking in the scenery. Finally the Man In Black pushes himself away, stares up at the Giant. MAN IN BLACK Look are you just fiddling around with me or what? FEZZIK I just want you to feel you're doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed. They get set to begin again. Then suddenly -- CUT TO: FEZZIK as he jumps forward with stunning speed for anyone his size and reaches for the Man In Black who drops to his knees, spins loose, and slips between the Giant's legs. FEZZIK You're quick. MAN IN BLACK And a good thing too. FEZZIK (getting set for another onslaught) Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid, or something like that? 39. MAN IN BLACK Oh no. It's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future. FEZZIK considers this a moment, then attacks, and if he moved quickly last time, this time he is blinding and as the Man In Black slips down to avoid the charge, FEZZIK moves right with him, only instead of twisting free and jumping to his feet, this time the Man In Black jumps for FEZZIK's back and in a moment he is riding him, and his arms have FEZZIK's throat, locked across FEZZIK's windpipe, one in front, one behind. The Man In Black begins to squeeze. Tighter. FEZZIK (standing, talking as he does so) I just figured out why you give me so much trouble. CUT TO: FEZZIK as he charges toward a huge rock that lines the path, and just as he reaches it he spins his giant body so that the entire weight of the charge is taken by the Man In Black. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK And the power of the charge is terrible, the pain enormous, but he clings to his grip at FEZZIK's windpipe. MAN IN BLACK (his arms never leave Fezzik's throat) Why is that, do you think? FEZZIK (his voice just beginning to get a little strained) Well, I haven't fought just one person for so long. I've been specializing in groups. Battling gangs for local charities, that kind of thing. CUT TO: 40. ANOTHER HUGE ROCK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PATH Again FEZZIK charges, slower this time, but still a charge, and again he spins and creams the Man In Black against the rough boulder. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK And the punishment is terrible, and for a moment it seems as if he is going to let go of Fezzik's windpipe and crumble, but he doesn't, he holds on. MAN IN BLACK Why should that make such a difference? FEZZIK Well ... (And now his voice is definitely growing weaker) ... you see, you use different moves when you're fighting half a dozen people than when you only have to be worried about one. Again FEZZIK slams the Man In Black against a boulder, only this time his power has diminished and Fezzik starts to slowly collapse. CUT TO: FEZZIK and there isn't much breath coming. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK holding his grip as FEZZIK tries to stand, halfway makes it, but there is no air. Back to his knees he falls, holds there for a moment, and pitches down to all fours. The Man In Black increases the pressure. FEZZIK tries to crawl. But there is just no air. No air. FEZZIK goes to earth and lies still. CUT TO: FEZZIK as the Man In Black turns him over, puts his ear to FEZZIK's heart. It beats. The Man In Black stands. 41. MAN IN BLACK I don't envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But, in the meantime, rest well ... and dream of large women. And he nimbly scoops up his sword with his foot, catches it and as he dashes off up along the mountain path -- CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK as he slips his boot into a foot print in the sand. Count Rugen mounted, watches. Behind him, half a dozen armed WARRIORS, also mounted. A GREAT WHITE HORSE waits riderless in front. Humperdinck is all over the rocky ground, and maybe he isn't the best hunter in the world. Then again, maybe he is. Because, as he begins to put his feet into strange positions, we realize that what he is doing is miming the fencers. HUMPERDINCK There was a mighty duel -- it ranged all over. They were both masters. RUGEN Who won? How did it end? HUMPERDINCK (looking down in the position where Inigo fell unconscious) The loser ran off alone. (points in the direction Vizzini and FEZZIK took) The winner followed those footprints toward Guilder! RUGEN Shall we track them both? HUMPERDINCK The loser is nothing. -- Only the Princess matters -- (to the armed warriors) -- clearly this was all planned by warriors of Guilder. We must be ready for whatever lies ahead. 42. RUGEN Could this be a trap? HUMPERDINCK (vaulting onto his horse) I always think everything could be a trap -- Which is why I'm still alive. And he gallops off -- CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK cresting the peak of the mountain. CUT TO: CLOSE-UP ON a knife pointed at a throat -- PULL BACK TO REVEAL Vizzini munching on an apple, holding the knife to Buttercup's throat. She is blindfolded. A PICNIC SPREAD is laid out. A tablecloth, two goblets and between them, a small leather wine container. And some cheese and a couple of apples. The picnic is set on a lovely spot, high on the edge of a mountain path with a view all the way back to the sea. The Man In Black comes running around the path, sees Vizzini, slows. The two men study each other. Then -- VIZZINI So, it is down to you. And it is down to me. The Man In Black nods and comes nearer -- VIZZINI If you wish her dead, by all means keep moving forward. And he pushes his long knife harder against Buttercup's unprotected throat. MAN IN BLACK Let me explain- VIZZINI -- there's nothing to explain. You're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen. 43. MAN IN BLACK Perhaps an arrangement can be reached. VIZZINI There will be no arrangement -- (deliberate) -- and you're killing her! CUT TO: BUTTERCUP'S THROAT as Vizzini jabs with his long knife. Buttercup gasps against the pain. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK stopping fast. MAN IN BLACK But if there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse. VIZZINI I'm afraid so -- I can't compete with you physically. And you're no match for my brains. MAN IN BLACK You're that smart? VIZZINI Let me put it this way: have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? MAN IN BLACK Yes. VIZZINI Morons. MAN IN BLACK Really? In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits. VIZZINI For the Princess? The Man In Black nods. 44. VIZZINI To the death? Another nod. VIZZINI I accept. MAN IN BLACK Good. Then pour the wine. As Vizzini fills the goblets with the dark red liquid, the Man In Black pulls a small packet from his clothing, handing it to Vizzini. MAN IN BLACK Inhale this, but do not touch. VIZZINI (doing it) I smell nothing. MAN IN BLACK (taking the packet back) What you do not smell is called iocane powder. It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is among the more deadlier poisons known to man. VIZZINI Hmm. CUT TO: VIZZINI watching excitedly as the Man In Black takes the goblets, turns his back. A moment later, he turns again, faces Vizzini, drops the iocane packet. It is now empty. The Man In Black rotates the goblets in a little shell game maneuver then puts one glass in front of Vizzini, the other in front of himself. MAN IN BLACK All right: where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right and who is dead. 45. VIZZINI But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet, or his enemy's? He studies the Man In Black now. VIZZINI Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I'm not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. MAN IN BLACK (And now there's a trace of nervousness beginning) You've made your decision then7 VIZZINI Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows. And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. MAN IN BLACK Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. VIZZINI Wait till I get going! Where was I? MAN IN BLACK Australia. VIZZINI Yes -- Australia, and you must have suspected I would have known the powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. 46. MAN IN BLACK (very nervous) You're just stalling now. VIZZINI (cackling) You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? (stares at the Man in Black) You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong. So, you could have put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard which means you must have studied. And in studying, you must have learned that man is mortal so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. As Vizzini's pleasure has been growing throughout, the Man In Black's has been fast disappearing. MAN IN BLACK You're trying to trick me into giving away something -- it won't work -- VIZZINI (triumphant) It has worked -- you've given everything away -- I know where the poison is. MAN IN BLACK (fool's courage) Then make your choice. VIZZINI I will. And I choose -- And suddenly he stops, points at something behind the Man In Black. VIZZINI -- what in the world can that be? CUT TO: 47. THE MAN IN BLACK turning around, looking. MAN IN BLACK What? Where? I don't see anything. CUT TO: VIZZINI busily switching the goblets while the Man In Black has his head turned. VIZZINI Oh, well, I-I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. The Man In Black turns to face him again. Vizzini starts to laugh. MAN IN BLACK What's so funny? VIZZINI I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink -- me from my glass, and you from yours. And he picks up his goblet. The Man In Black picks up the one in front of him. As they both start to drink, Vizzini hesitates a moment. Then, allowing the Man In Black to drink first, he swallows his wine. MAN IN BLACK You guessed wrong. VIZZINI (roaring with laughter) You only think I guessed wrong -- (louder now) -- that's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned. You fool. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK There's nothing he can say. He just sits there. CUT TO: 48. VIZZINI watching him. VIZZINI You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia." But only slightly less well known is this: "Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line." He laughs and roars and cackles and whoops and is in all ways quite cheery until he falls over dead. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK stepping past the corpse, taking the blindfold and bindings off Buttercup, who notices Vizzini lying dead. The Man In Black pulls her to her feet. BUTTERCUP Who are you? MAN IN BLACK I am no one to be trifled with, that is all you ever need know. He starts to lead her off the mountain path into untraveled terrain. BUTTERCUP (a final glance back toward Vizzini) To think -- all that time it was your cup that was poisoned. MAN IN BLACK They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder. And with that, he takes off, dragging her behind him. CUT TO: 49. A MOUNTAIN PATH It's where FEZZIK fought the Man in Black. CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL the Prince, kneeling, inspecting every grain of misplaced sand. The others wait behind him. HUMPERDINCK Someone has beaten a giant! (roaring) There will be great suffering in Guilder if she dies. He leaps onto his horse and they charge off. CUT TO: A WILD STRETCH OF TERRAIN The Man In Black comes running into view, still dragging Buttercup, who sometimes stumbles, but he keeps forcing her along. Finally, when she is close to exhaustion, he lets go of her. MAN IN BLACK (his voice harsh now, carrying the promise of violence) Catch your breath. BUTTERCUP If you'll release me ... whatever you ask for ransom ... you'll get it, I promise you... MAN IN BLACK And what is that worth, the promise of a woman? You're very funny, Highness. BUTTERCUP I was giving you a chance. No matter where you take me ... there's no greater hunter than Prince Humperdinck. He could track a falcon on a cloudy day. He can find you MAN IN BLACK You think your dearest love will save you? 50. BUTTERCUP I never said he was my dearest love. And yes, he will save me. That I know. MAN IN BLACK You admit to me you do not love your fiance? BUTTERCUP He knows I do not love him. MAN IN BLACK "Are not capable of love" is what you mean. BUTTERCUP I have loved more deeply than a killer like yourself could ever dream. And the Man In Black cocks back a fist. Buttercup flinches, but does not retreat. MAN IN BLACK That was a warning, Highness. The next time, my hand flies on its own. For where I come from, there are penalties when a woman lies. CUT TO: VIZZINI'S BODY The picnic is spread as before. CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL the Prince kneeling by the body as the others ride up. The Prince grabs the empty poison packet, hands it to Rugen, after first sniffing it himself. HUMPERDINCK Iocane. I'd bet my life on it. (gestures to the trail ahead) And there are the Princess's footprints. She is alive ... or was, an hour ago. If she is otherwise when I find her, I shall be very put out. And as he vaults onto his horse and the all charge off -- CUT TO: 51. BUTTERCUP being spun INTO CAMERA view, falling heavily as the Man In Black releases her. We are at the edge of an almost sheer ravine. The drop is sharp and severe. Below, the ravine floor is flat, but getting there would not be half the fun. MAN IN BLACK Rest, Highness. BUTTERCUP (stares at him) I know who you are -- your cruelty reveals everything. The Man In Black says nothing. BUTTERCUP You're the Dread Pirate Roberts; admit it. MAN IN BLACK (bowing) With pride. What can I do for you? BUTTERCUP You can die slowly cut into a thousand pieces. MAN IN BLACK Hardly complimentary, Your Highness. Why loose your venom on me? CLOSE UP - BUTTERCUP, quietly now. BUTTERCUP You killed my love. CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK watching her closely. MAN IN BLACK It's possible; I kill a lot of people. Who was this love of yours? Another Prince, like this one, ugly, rich, and scabby? 52. BUTTERCUP No. A farm boy. Poor. Poor and perfect, with eyes like the sea after a storm. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP And probably, if she did not hate Roberts so, there would be tears. BUTTERCUP On the high seas, your ship attacked, and the Dread Pirate Roberts never takes prisoners. MAN IN BLACK (explaining as a teacher might) I can't afford to make exceptions. Once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and then it's nothing but work, work, work, all the time. BUTTERCUP You mock my pain! MAN IN BLACK Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. I remember this farm boy of yours, I think. This would be, what, five years ago? Buttercup nods. MAN IN BLACK Does it bother you to hear? BUTTERCUP Nothing you can say will upset me. MAN IN BLACK He died well, that should please you. No bribe attempts or blubbering. He simply said, "Please. Please, I need to live." It was the "please" that caught my memory. (MORE) 53. MAN IN BLACK (CONT'D) I asked him what was so important for him. "True love," he replied. And then he spoke of a girl of surpassing beauty and faithfulness. I can only assume he meant you. You should bless me for destroying him before he found out what you really are. BUTTERCUP And what am I? MAN IN BLACK Faithfulness he talked of, madam. Your enduring faithfulness. Now, tell me truly. When you found out he was gone, did you get engaged to your prince that same hour, or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead? BUTTERCUP You mocked me once, never do it again -- I died that day! The Man In Black is about to reply as they stand there on the edge of the sheer ravine. But then something catches his attention and as he stares at it briefly, CUT TO: HIS P.O.V.: The dust cloud caused by Humperdinck's HORSES is rising up into the sky. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP and while his attention is on the dust cloud, rising high, she pushes him with all the strength she has. BUTTERCUP You can die too, for all I care!! CUT TO: THE MAN IN BLACK teetering on the ravine edge, for a moment, then he begins to fall. Down goes the Man In Black. 54. Down, down, rolling, spinning, crashing always down toward the flat rock floor of the ravine. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP staring transfixed at what she has wrought. There is a long pause. She stands there, alone, as from far below the words come to her, drifting on the wind -- MAN IN BLACK ... as ... you ... wish... BUTTERCUP Oh, my sweet Westley; what have I done? And without a second thought or consideration of the dangers, she starts into the ravine. A moment later, she too is falling, spinning and twisting, crashing and torn, cartwheeling down toward what is left of her beloved. CUT TO: THE DUST CLOUD rising. PULL BACK TO REVEAL Prince Humperdinck and the others reining in at the spot where Buttercup promised ransom in exchange for her freedom. The Prince shakes his head. HUMPERDINCK Disappeared. He must have seen us closing in, which might account for his panicking in error. Unless I'm wrong, and I am never wrong, they are headed dead into the fire swamp. CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN The mere mention of the Fire Swamp makes him pale. CUT TO: 55. THE RAVINE FLOOR TWO BODIES lie a few feet apart, not moving. It is, of course, Buttercup and Westley. They might be corpses. After a time, Westley slowly forces his body into motion and as he does, CUT TO: BUTTERCUP bruised and torn, as Westley crawls slowly toward her. WESTLEY Can you move at all? BUTTERCUP (weakly stretching out an arm toward him) Move? You're alive. If you want, I can fly. WESTLEY I told you, "I would always come for you." Why didn't you wait for me? BUTTERCUP Well ... you were dead. WESTLEY Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while. BUTTERCUP I will never doubt again. WESTLEY There will never be a need. And now, they begin to kiss; it's a tender kiss, tender and loving and gentle and -- THE KID (off-screen) Oh no. No, please. CUT TO: THE KID'S BEDROOM GRANDFATHER What is it? What's the matter? 56. THE KID They're kissing again, do we have to hear the kissing part? GRANDFATHER Someday, you may not mind so much. THE KID Skip on to the Fire Swamp -- that sounded good. GRANDFATHER Oh. You're sick, I'll humor you. (he picks up the book again) So now, where were we here? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ah. Oh. Okay. Westley and Buttercup raced along the ravine floor. CUT TO: WESTLEY AND BUTTERCUP racing along the ravine floor. Westley glances up. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK AND HIS MEN perched on top of the cliff, looking down at Westley and Buttercup. CUT TO: WESTLEY WESTLEY Ha. Your pig fiance is too late. A few more steps and we'll be safe in the Fire Swamp. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP and Westley has tried to say it with Chevalier-like nonchalance, but she ain't buying. BUTTERCUP We'll never survive. WESTLEY Nonsense -- you're only saying that because no one ever has. 57. As they race off, leaving Humperdinck and his men stranded, defeated. CUT TO: THE FIRE SWAMP And it really doesn't look any worse than any other moist, sulphurous, infernal horror you might run across. Great trees block the sun. CUT TO: WESTLEY AND BUTTERCUP Buttercup is clearly panicked and maybe Westley is too, but he moves jauntily along, sword in hand. WESTLEY It's not that bad. I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely. THE GIANT TREES, thick and black-green, look ominous as hell and they shield all but intermittent stripes of sun. A GIANT SPURT OF FLAME leaps up, preceded by a slight popping sound, and this particular spurt of flame misses Westley, but Buttercup is suddenly onfire; at least the lower half of her is and -- CUT TO: WESTLEY instantly forcing Buttercup to sit, gathering her flaming hem in his hands, doing his best to suffocate the fire. This isn't all that easy and it causes him a bit of grief, but he does his best to sound as jaunty as before. WESTLEY Well now, that was an adventure. He examines where the flames burst over her. WESTLEY Singed a bit, were you? BUTTERCUP (She wasn't and she shakes her head "no") You? 58. He was, and he shakes his head "no." As he pulls her to her feet -- CUT TO: THE SWAMP FLOOR -- and as there's another popping sound, CUT TO: WESTLEY GRABBING BUTTERCUP pulling her aside to safety as another great spun of flame suddenly shoots up. WESTLEY Well, one thing I will say. The Fire Swamp certainly does keep you on your toes. Buttercup is frozen with fear. He takes her hand, gently leads her forward as we- CUT TO: THE TWO OF THEM moving slowly along through a particularly dangerous part of the Fire Swamp. It's later now, the sun slants down at a slightly different angle. WESTLEY (happily) This will all soon be but a happy memory because Roberts' ship "Revenge" is anchored at the far end. And I, as you know, am Roberts. BUTTERCUP But how is that possible, since he's been marauding twenty years and you only left me five years ago? WESTLEY I myself am often surprised at life's little quirks. 59. There is again a popping sound, then a huge spurt of flame. Westley simply picks up Buttercup as they walk along, moves her out of danger, puts her back down, goes right on talking without missing a beat. WESTLEY You see, what I told you before about saying "please" was true. It intrigued Roberts, as did my descriptions of your beauty. CUT TO: SOME HIDEOUS VINES -- they look like they could be flesh eating. Westley takes his sword, slices a path for them to follow. The vines groan as they fall. He's been chatting away the entire time. WESTLEY Finally, Roberts decided something. He said, "All right, Westley, I've never had a valet. You can try it for tonight. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Three years he said that. "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a fine time for me. I was learning to fence, to fight, anything anyone would teach me. And Roberts and I eventually became friends. And then it happened. BUTTERCUP What? -- go on -- Westley picks her up, carrying her across some swamp water that is bridged by a narrow, rickety tree branch. WESTLEY Well, Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin and told me his secret. "I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts," he said. "My name is Ryan. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Roberts, either. (MORE) 60. WESTLEY (CONT'D) His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired fifteen years and living like a king in Patagonia." Then he explained the name was the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley. The two of them have by now crossed the pond. WESTLEY So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew and he stayed aboard for awhile as first mate, all the time calling me Roberts. Once the crew believed, he left the ship and I have been Roberts ever since. Except, now that we're together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone else. Is everything clear to you? Buttercup, perplexed, is about to reply but the ground she steps on gives way -- it's Lightning Sand -- a great patch of it, and it has her -- a cloud of powder rises and she sinks into the stuff crying Westley's name but then she is gone as we -- CUT TO: WESTLEY WHIRLING slashing at a U-shaped vine, hacks it in half -- it's still connected to the tree. Then be grabs it, drops his sword, and, clutching the other end of the vine, he dives into the lightning sand and there is another cloud of white powder, but it settles quickly. Now nothing can be seen. Nothing at all. Just the lightning sand, lovely and lethal. HOLD ON THE LIGHTNING SAND -- THEN -- An odd panting sound is heard now. The panting sound is suddenly very loud. And then a giant R.0.U.S. darts into view. The R.0.U.S. -- a Rodent of Unusual Size -- is probably no more than eighty pounds of bone and power. It sniffs around a bit then, as quickly as it has come, it goes. CUT TO: 61. THE LIGHTNING SAND as Westley, lungs long past the bursting point, explodes out; he has Buttercup across his shoulders and as he pulls to the edge of the lightning sand pit, using the vine -- CUT TO: CLOSE-UP - BUTTERCUP Her face is caked with the white powder. It is in her eyes, her ears, hair, mouth. She's still probably beautiful, but you have to look awfully hard to see it. As Westley continues to pull them to safety -- CUT TO: THE R.0.U.S. high above them; it watches -- CUT TO: BUTTERCUP placed against a tree. Westley is cleaning the lightning sand from her face. He hesitates, glances around and CUT TO: THE R.0.U.S. on a much lower branch now. It stares down at Westley. Westley stares back up at the beast. Buttercup is oblivious. Her eyes flutter. He continues to work on her as -- BUTTERCUP We'll never succeed -- we may as well die here. WESTLEY No. No. We have already succeeded. He glances back again. Now THERE ARE TWO R.0.U.S.'s. The have climbed into a nearby tree, stare hungrily down. CUT TO: WESTLEY, picking her up. He puts an arm around her, starts to walk with her as he encouragingly goes on talking. 62. WESTLEY I mean, what are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp? One, the flame spurts. No problem. There's a popping sound preceding each, we can avoid that. Two, the Lightning Sand. But you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too. BUTTERCUP Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s? WESTLEY Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist... And as he says that, a R.0.U.S. comes flying at him from offscreen. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP screaming and -- Westley, pinned under the attacking R.0.U.S., trying to fend it off. Can't. The thing's teeth sink deep into his arm. He howls. Westley drives a fist into the beast's face, rolling it off. He reaches for his sword just a few feet away, but the R.0.U.S. is back atop him. It's a fierce battle, and just when we think Westley can't possibly win, he flips the ugly rodent clear. Westley scrambles for his sword. The R.0.U.S. stampedes on, changing its target, heading right for -- Buttercup, and she's scared to death and -- BUTTERCUP Westley! Westley abandons his sword, reaching for the rodent, grabbing only a tail, wrestling with it. Buttercup grabs a small branch, and using it as a club, beats the skull of the thing, doing pretty well, but the beast manages to snag her hem with its razor teeth, and she's pulled to the ground, and CUT TO: 63. WESTLEY jumping onto its back, and the R.0.U.S. is all over him now, sinking needle teeth into Westley's shoulder. CUT TO: WESTLEY with death close at hand, as a popping sound starts. He tries one desperate move, rolls into the sound -- CUT TO: A FLAME SPURT shooting skyward and -- CUT TO: WESTLEY with the R.0.U.S. pinned under him, and as the beast bursts into flame, it lets go and Westley rolls safely free, grabs his sword and exhaustedly stabs the R.0.U.S., which is trying to put itself out. The R.0.U.S. collapses dead. Westley stands motionless, exhausted. The danger has passed. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP relieved. DISSOLVE TO: THE FAR EDGE OF THE FIRE SWAMP Beyond, a beach. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP AND WESTLEY BUTTERCUP (almost in disbelief) We did it. WESTLEY Now, was that so terrible? 64. And from somewhere they summon strength, pick up their pace, and as they reach the edge of the Fire Swamp -- CUT TO: SOMETHING WE HADN'T EXPECTED: Humperdinck on his horse, Rugen beside him. THREE WARRIORS, armed and ready, are mounted in formation behind. Buttercup and Westley are at the edge of the Fire Swamp, about to leave it. They stop. Buttercup looks beyond exhaustion. Westley looks worse. HUMPERDINCK Surrender! It's dusk. Behind Humperdinck are the waters of the bay. CUT TO: WESTLEY AND BUTTERCUP staring out at the others. WESTLEY You mean you wish to surrender to me? Very well, I accept. HUMPERDINCK I give you full marks for bravery --don't make yourself a fool. WESTLEY Ah, but how will you capture us? We know the secrets of the Fire Swamp. We can live there quite happily for some time. So, whenever you feel like dying, feel free to visit. HUMPERDINCK I tell you once again -- surrender! WESTLEY It will not happen! CUT TO: BUTTERCUP looking from one to the other; then something else catches her eye and we -- CUT TO: 65. AN ARMED WARRIOR in shadow, with a loaded crossbow aimed at Westley's heart. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP looking the other way -- CUT TO: ANOTHER WARRIOR crossbow aimed at Westley. HUMPERDINCK (roaring) For the last time -- SURRENDER! WESTLEY (roaring right back, bigger) DEATH FIRST!! CUT TO: BUTTERCUP frantically staring around, and now CUT TO: A THIRD WARRIOR crossbow stretched, ready to shoot; this one is hidden in a tree blocking any escape Westley might try. BUTTERCUP Will you promise not to hurt him? CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK whirling to face her. HUMPERDINCK What was that? CUT TO: WESTLEY whirling to face her. 66. WESTLEY What was that? CUT TO: BUTTERCUP talking to them both. BUTTERCUP If we surrender, and I return with you, will you promise not to hurt this man? HUMPERDINCK May I live a thousand years and never hunt again. BUTTERCUP (looks at Westley) He is a sailor on the pirate ship "Revenge." Promise to return him to his ship. HUMPERDINCK I swear it will be done. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP AND WESTLEY staring deep into each other's eyes. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK AND RUGEN HUMPERDINCK (whispering) Once we're out of sight, take him back to Florin and throw him in the Pit of Despair. RUGEN (almost a smile) I swear it will be done. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP AND WESTLEY BUTTERCUP I thought you were dead once, and it almost destroyed me. I could not bear it if you died again, not when I could save you. 67. Westley is dazed. Silent. Buttercup tries to speak again, can't, and is swooped off her feet onto Humperdinck's horse, and off they go. CUT TO: WESTLEY staring after her. Rugen watches as his warriors bring Westley to him. The Count has a heavy sword and he holds it in his hand. RUGEN Come, sir. We must get you to your ship. WESTLEY We are men of action. Lies do not become us. RUGEN Well spoken, sir -- Westley is looking at him. RUGEN -- what is it? WESTLEY You have six fingers on your right hand -- someone was looking for you -- Count Rugen clubs Westley hard across the skull. Westley starts to fall --the screen goes black. FADE IN ON: THE PIT OF DESPAIR Dank and chill, underground and windowless, lit by flickering torches. Frightening. Westley lies in the center of the cage, chained and helpless. CUT TO: SOMETHING REALLY FRIGHTENING: A BLOODLESS-LOOKING ALBINO Dead pale, he silently enters the pit, carrying a tray of food and medication. He puts it down. WESTLEY Where am I? 68. ALBINO (he only whispers) The Pit of Despair. He begins tending Westley's wounds. Westley winces. ALBINO (garbled) Don't even think -- (A hack, sputter, cough - now his voice seems normal again) -- don't even think about trying to escape. The chains are far too thick. And don't dream of being rescued either. The only way in is secret. And only the Prince, the Count, and I know how to get in and out. WESTLEY Then I'm here till I die? ALBINO (working away) Till they kill you. Yeah. WESTLEY Then why bother curing me? ALBINO The Prince and the Count always insist on everyone being healthy before they're broken. WESTLEY So it's to be torture. The albino nods. WESTLEY I can cope with torture. The albino shakes his head. WESTLEY You don't believe me? ALBINO You survived the Fire Swamp. You must be very brave... (little pause) ... but nobody withstands The Machine. 69. He studies Westley, whose face is almost sad. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP and her face is sad. Pallid, perhaps ill. She wanders down a corridor in Florin Castle. As she moves unseeing past an intersecting corridor: CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK AND COUNT RUGEN watching her. HUMPERDINCK She's been like that ever since the Fire Swamp. (looks at Rugen) It's my father's failing health that's upsetting her. RUGEN (unbelieving) Of course. As they move on-- CUT TO: FLORIN CASTLE - NIGHT CAMERA HOLDS ON IT while we hear the Grandfather's voice reading. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) The King died that very night, and before the following dawn, Buttercup and Humperdinck were married. CUT TO: MAIN SQUARE OF FLORIN CASTLE And if we thought it was packed before, we didn't know how many more could fit in this courtyard. Humperdinck, Rugen and the Queen stand high on the balcony. 70. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) And at noon, she met her subjects again. This time as their Queen. HUMPERDINCK My father's final words were... THE KID (off-screen) -- hold it. Hold it, Grandpa. And the scene FREEZES, Humperdinck caught in mid-sentence. CUT TO: THE KID'S ROOM The Kid is half sitting now, not strong yet, but clearly stronger than when we first saw him. THE KID You read that wrong. She doesn't marry Humperdinck, she marries Westley. I'm just sure of it. After all that Westley did for her, if she does not marry him, it wouldn't be fair. GRANDFATHER Well, who says life is fair? Where is that written? Life isn't always fair. THE KID I'm telling you you're messing up the story, now get it right! GRANDFATHER Do you want me to go on with this? THE KID Yes. GRANDFATHER All right, then. No more interruptions. (starts to read again) ... at noon, she met her subjects again. This time as their Queen. And on these words-- CUT TO: 71. PRINCE HUMPERDINCK HUMPERDINCK My father's final words were "love her as I loved her, and there will be joy." I present to you your Queen. Queen Buttercup. And on his words-- CUT TO: THE CROWD and it's gigantic. CUT TO: THE ARCHWAY we saw before, as Buttercup emerges. CUT TO: THE CROWD suddenly going to its knees, wave after wave of silent KNEELING PEOPLE. All of them down. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP touched as before, but then she seems stunned as we CUT TO: THE CROWD SOMEONE IS BOOING! The BOOING gets louder as an ANCIENT WOMAN approaches Buttercup through the crowd, BOOING every step of the way. BUTTERCUP Why do you do this? ANCIENT BOOER Because you had love in your hands, and you gave it up. BUTTERCUP (distraught) But they would have killed Westley if I hadn't done it. 72. ANCIENT BOOER Your true love lives and you marry another -- (to the crowd) -- True love saved her in the Fire Swamp, and she treated it like garbage. And that's what she is, the Queen of Refuse! So, bow down to her if you want. Bow to her. Bow to the Queen of Slime, the Queen of Filth, the Queen of Putrescence. Boo! Boo! Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! She advances on Buttercup now, who is more and more panicked. CLOSE-UP - THE ANCIENT BOOER Louder and louder and LOUDER she shrieks vituperation at Buttercup, reaching out her old hands toward Buttercup's throat, and Buttercup is as frightened now as Dorothy was when the Witch went after her in "The Wizard of Oz", and suddenly, CUT TO: BUTTERCUP coming out of her nightmare, alone in her castle bedroom. As she frantically grabs a robe and starts to run. GRANDFATHER (off-screen, still reading) It was ten days till the wedding. The King still lived, but Buttercup's nightmares were growing steadily worse. THE KID (off-screen) See? Didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck? GRANDFATHER (off-screen) -- yes, you're very smart. Shut-Up. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP bursting into the Prince's chambers. Count Rugen stands nearby. 73. BUTTERCUP It comes to this: I love Westley. I always have. I know now I always will. If you tell me I must marry you in ten days, please believe I will be dead by morning. CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK Just stunned. Finally, softly, he begins to talk. HUMPERDINCK I could never cause you grief; consider our wedding off. (to Rugen) You returned this Westley to his ship? RUGEN Yes. HUMPERDINCK Then we will simply alert him. (to Buttercup now) Beloved, are you certain he still wants you? After all, it was you who did the leaving in the Fire Swamp. Not to mention that pirates are not known to be men of their words. BUTTERCUP My Westley will always come for me. HUMPERDINCK I suggest a deal. You write four copies of a letter. I'll send my four fastest ships. One in each direction. The Dread Pirate Roberts is always close to Florin this time of year. We'll run up the white flag and deliver your message. If Westley wants you, bless you both. If not ... please consider me as an alternative to suicide. Are we agreed? And she nods -- CUT TO: 74. A VERY THICK GROVE OF TREES The trees are unusual in one respect: all of them are extraordinarily heavily knotted. PULL BACK TO REVEAL Humperdinck and Rugen, walking into the grove of trees. RUGEN Your Princess is really a winning creature. A trifle simple, perhaps, but her appeal is undeniable. HUMPERDINCK Oh, I know. The people are quite taken with her. It's odd, but when I hired Vizzini to have her murdered on our engagement day, I thought that was clever. But it's going to be so much more moving when I strangle her on our wedding night. Once Guilder is blamed, the nation will be truly outraged. They'll demand we go to war. They are deeper into the grove now. Rugen is searching around. RUGEN Now, where is that secret knot? It's impossible to find. (Finding the knot on the tree he hits it, and it opens, revealing a staircase leading underground.) Are you coming down into the Pit? Westley's got his strength back. I am starting him on The Machine tonight. HUMPERDINCK Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work. But, I've got my country's five hundredth anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, My wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped. 75. RUGEN Get some rest -- if you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything. Rugen smiles and hurries down the stairs as the tree slides back perfectly into place. CUT TO: AN ENORMOUS THING We can't tell quite what it is or what it does, but somehow it is unsettling. PULL BACK TO REVEAL Count Rugen, dragging Westley up alongside the thing -- Levers and wheels and wires, you name it, it's there. RUGEN Beautiful, isn't it? The Albino starts attaching suction cups to Westley. RUGEN It took me half a lifetime to invent it. I'm sure you've discovered my deep and abiding interest in pain. At present I'm writing the definitive work on the subject. So I want you to be totally honest with me on how The Machine makes you feel. CUT TO: A DIAL with numbers ranging from a low of "1" to a high of "50." Rugen goes to it. RUGEN This being our first try, I'll use the lowest setting. And he turns the dial to "1". CUT TO: 76. WESTLEY He has suction cups on his head now, on his temple, on his heart, his hands and feet. He says nothing, keeps control of himself CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN fiddling with his Machine a moment more. And then he opens the flood gate, water pours down the chute, turning the wheel, which in turn really gets The Machine going. CUT TO: WESTLEY and he's lying on the table, and he's only flesh and the chains are metal and thick, but such is his desperation it almost seems he might break them. A terrible sound comes from his throat, an incessant gasping. It keeps on coming as we finally CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN He switches off The Machine, picks up a large notebook and pen, sits in a chair. The NOISE of The Machine subsides. Rugen opens the book to a blank page. RUGEN As you know, the concept of the suction pump is centuries old. Well, really, that's all this is. Except that instead of sucking water, I'm sucking life. I've just sucked one year of your life away. I might one day go as high as five, but I really don't know what that would do to you. So, let's just start with what we have. What did this do to you? Tell me. And remember, this is for posterity, so be honest -- how do you feel? AND NOW, AT LAST: CUT TO: 77. WESTLEY in anguish so deep it is dizzying. Helpless, he cries. Count Rugen watches the tears, then starts to write. RUGEN Interesting. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK in his quarters, swamped. Piles of papers are strewn all over. Now YELLIN, a pale, shifty, quick-eyed man appears in the doorway. HUMPERDINCK Yellin. YELLIN (bows, then kneels) Sire. HUMPERDINCK As Chief Enforcer of all Florin, I trust you with this secret: killers from Guilder are infiltrating the Thieves' Forest and plan to murder my bride on our wedding night. YELLIN My spy network has heard no such news. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP entering. BUTTERCUP Any word from Westley? CUT TO: THE PRINCE AND YELLIN turning to her in the doorway. HUMPERDINCK Too soon, my angel. Patience. 78. BUTTERCUP He will come for me. HUMPERDINCK Of course. As she glides out-- HUMPERDINCK She will not be murdered. On the day of the wedding, I want the Thieves' Forest emptied and every inhabitant arrested. YELLIN Many of the thieves will resist. My regular enforcers will be inadequate. HUMPERDINCK Form a Brute Squad then. I want the Thieves' Forest emptied before I wed. YELLIN It won't be easy, Sire. HUMPERDINCK (alone, exhausted) Try ruling the world sometime. CUT TO: THE THIEVES' FOREST - DAY A lot of hollering is going on. The THIEVES are being rounded up by the BRUTE SQUAD, a large group of large men. Yellin stands on a wagon in the midst of all the scuffling. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) The day of the wedding arrived. The Brute Squad had their hands full carrying out Humperdinck's orders. YELLIN (to an unpleasantlooking assistant) Is everybody out? ASSISTANT BRUTE Almost. There's a Spaniard giving us some trouble. 79. YELLIN Well, you give him some trouble. Move! And his wagon starts, and as it does, CUT TO: INIGO drunk as a skunk, sprawled in front of a hovel, a bottle of brandy in one hand, the six-fingered sword in the other. He looks dreadful. Unshaven, puffy-eyed, gaunt. But the way he brandishes the great sword in front of him would give anyone cause for worry. INIGO I am waiting for you, Vizzini. You told me to go back to the beginning. So I have. This is where I am, and this is where I'll stay. I will not be moved. He takes a long pull from his brandy bottle. He stops as the Assistant Brute comes into view. ASSISTANT BRUTE Ho there. INIGO I do not budge. Keep your "Ho there." He waves his sword dangerously. ASSISTANT BRUTE But the Prince gave orders -- INIGO -- So did Vizzini -- when a job went wrong, you went back to the beginning. And this is where we got the job. So it's the beginning, and I'm staying till Vizzini comes. ASSISTANT BRUTE (gesturing off-screen) You! Brute! Come here. INIGO -- I -- am -- waiting -- for -- Vizzini -- 80. VOICE (off-screen) You surely are a meanie. INIGO feels a hand on his back. A huge hand. He compares it to his own smaller hand. FEZZIK Hello. INIGO It's you. FEZZIK True! And as the Assistant Brute is just about to club Inigo's brains out, FEZZIK lets fly with a stupendous punch. The Assistant Brute takes the full force of the blow right in the chops. It's like he was shot from a cannon as he careens backwards out of sight across the street. There is a pause. Then a crunching sound, as he clearly has come in contact with something hard and immobile. FEZZIK puts Inigo down. FEZZIK You don't look so good. (after Inigo blasts air in protest) You don't smell so good either. INIGO Perhaps not. I feel fine. FEZZIK Yeah? And so FEZZIK puts Inigo down. That's when Inigo faints, and as he does, CUT TO: AN EMPTY ALEHOUSE IN THE THIEVES' QUARTER Inigo sits slumped in a chair, while FEZZIK spoons him some stew. 81. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) FEZZIK and Inigo were reunited. And as FEZZIK nursed his inebriated friend back to health, he told Inigo of Vizzini's death and the existence of Count Rugen, the sixfingered man. Considering Inigo's lifelong search, he handled the news surprisingly well. And he faints again into his stew. CUT TO: TWO LARGE TUBS one filled with steaming water, the other with water clearly of an icy nature. Without a word FEZZIK stuffs Inigo's head into the icy water, then, after a reasonable amount of time, pulls him out, ducks him into the steaming stuff, and, a short time after that, puts him back in the cold again, then back in the hot -- GRANDFATHER (off-screen) Fezzik took great care in reviving Inigo. INIGO (up and going) That's enough. That's enough! Where is this Rugen so I may kill him? FEZZIK He's with the Prince in the Castle. But the castle gate is guarded by thirty men. INIGO How many could you handle? FEZZIK I don't think more than ten. INIGO (doing the math on his fingers) That leaves twenty for me. At my best, I could never defeat that many. (he sinks sadly down) I need Vizzini to plan. I have no gift for strategy. 82. FEZZIK But Vizzini's dead. CUT TO: THE TWO OF THEM Silent and bereft. Then a wild look hits Inigo. INIGO No -- not Vizzini -- I need the Man in Black -- FEZZIK -- what? -- INIGO -- look, he bested you with strength, your greatness. He bested me with steel. He must have outthought Vizzini, and a man who can do that can plan my castle's onslaught any day. Let's go -- FEZZIK -- where? INIGO To find the Man in Black, obviously. FEZZIK But you don't know where he is. INIGO (he is possessed by demons now) Don't bother me with trifles; after twenty years, at last, my father's soul will be at peace. CUT TO: CLOSE UP - INIGO INIGO (big) There will be blood tonight!! CUT TO: 83. PRINCE HUMPERDINCK'S CHAMBERS -- strewn with maps, etc. Yellin enters, and kneels. HUMPERDINCK (sharpening his dagger) Rise and report. YELLIN The Thieves' Forest is emptied. Thirty men guard the castle gate. HUMPERDINCK Double it. My Princess must be safe. YELLIN The gate has but one key, and I carry that. He shows the key, dangling from a chain around his neck. Just at that moment, Buttercup enters. HUMPERDINCK Ah! My dulcet darling. Tonight we marry. Tomorrow morning, your men will escort us to Florin Channel where every ship in my armada waits to accompany us on our honeymoon. BUTTERCUP Every ship but your four fastest, you mean. The Prince looks at her blankly for a moment. BUTTERCUP Every ship but the four you sent. HUMPERDINCK Yes. Yes, of course. Naturally, not those four. YELLIN (bows, exits) Your Majesties. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP staring at Humperdinck. 84. BUTTERCUP You never sent the ships. Don't bother lying. It doesn't matter. Westley will come for me anyway. HUMPERDINCK (sharply) You're a silly girl. BUTTERCUP Yes, I am a silly girl, for not having seen sooner that you were nothing but a coward with a heart full of fear. HUMPERDINCK (close to erupting; speaks very distinctly) I-would-not-say-such things-if- Iwere-you- BUTTERCUP Why not? You can't hurt me. Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track that. Not with a thousand bloodhounds. And you cannot break it. Not with a thousand swords. And when I say you are a coward, that is only because you are the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK jumping at her, yanking her by the hair, starting to pull her along, out of control, his words indistinct. HUMPERDINCK IWOULDNOTSAYSUCHTHINGSIFIWEREYOU! CUT TO: A CORRIDOR OF THE CASTLE as the Prince throws open the door to Buttercup's room, slams it shut, locks it, breaks into a wild run and -- CUT TO: 85. WESTLEY IN THE MACHINE but it's not on. Count Rugen is adding more notes to his book. He looks up as the Prince suddenly comes down the steps, raging. HUMPERDINCK (at Westley) You truly love each other, and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance, no matter what the storybooks say. And so I think no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will. And with that he whirls, turns on The Machine, grabs the lever and -- CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN calling out -- RUGEN Not to fifty!!! But it's too late as we -- CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK shoving the lever all the way up and CUT TO: WESTLEY'S FACE And there has never been such pain. The pain grows and grows and with it now, something else has started THE DEATH SCREAM. As The Death Scream starts to rise -- CUT TO: OUTSIDE THE PIT OF DESPAIR as the SOUND moves along, LOUDER AND LOUDER, and -- CUT TO: 86. YELLIN AND HIS SIXTY BRUTES and they bear it, and a few of the Brutes turn to each other in fear, and as the scream builds -- CUT TO: BUTTERCUP IN HER ROOM and she hears the SOUND, doesn't know what it is, but her arms involuntarily go around her body to try to control the trembling, and the scream, still builds and -- CUT TO: ESTABLISHING SHOT ACROSS THE RIVER There are many PEOPLE --it is the day of the country's 500th Anniversary -- but all the People stop as the sound hits them. A few CHILDREN pale, bolt toward their PARENTS and -- CUT TO: INIGO AND FEZZIK trying to make their way through the jammed marketplace, which suddenly quiets as the fading sound comes through. INIGO (instantly) FEZZIK, FEZZIK, listen, do you hear? -- That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when Rugen slaughtered my father. The Man in Black makes it now. FEZZIK The Man in Black? INIGO His true love is marrying another tonight, so who else has cause for Ultimate Suffering? (trying to push through) Excuse me -- It's too crowded. INIGO -- pardon me, it's important -- No one budges and the sound is fading faster. 87. INIGO -- Fezzik, please -- FEZZIK (gigantic and roaring) Everybody ... MOVE!! And the Crowd begins to fall away, and he and Inigo start to track the FADING SOUND. INIGO Thank you. CUT TO: A GROVE OF TREES NEAR THE PIT OF DESPAIR The Albino appears wheeling a barrow. Inigo's sword pushes at his chest. INIGO Where is the Man in Black? The Albino shakes his head, says nothing. INIGO You get there from this grove, yes? Silence. INIGO Fezzik, jog his memory. And Fezzik crunches the Albino on the top of the head as if he had a hammer and was driving in a nail. The Albino drops without a sound. FEZZIK (upset) I'm sorry, Inigo. I didn't mean to jog him so hard. Inigo? CUT TO: INIGO He kneels, the sword held tight between his hands. Eyes closed, he faces the grove of trees, starts to talk, his voice low and strange. 88. INIGO Father, I have failed you for twenty years. Now our misery can end. Somewhere ... somewhere close by is a man who can help us. I cannot find him alone. I need you. I need you to guide my sword. Please. And now he rises, eyes still closed. INIGO Guide my sword. CUT TO: THE GROVE OF TREES as Inigo, eyes shut tight, walks forward, the great sword held in his hands. Fezzik, frightened, follows close behind. CUT TO: THE SECRET KNOT that reveals the staircase. CUT TO: INIGO walking blind through the grove of trees. He moves to the Secret Knot, hesitates, then moves past it. Then Inigo stops. For a long moment he stands frozen. Suddenly he whirls, eyes still closed, and the sword strikes home dead center into a knot and -- Nothing. He has failed. In utter despair he collapses against the tree. Against a knot in the tree. Against THE KNOT in the tree. It slides away, revealing the staircase. FEZZIK and Inigo look at each other, then start down. CUT TO: WESTLEY dead by The Machine. FEZZIK leans over him, listening for a heartbeat. Then he looks at Inigo, shakes his head. 89. FEZZIK He's dead. Inigo is in despair. For a moment, he just sags. INIGO (barely able to speak) It just is not fair. THE KID (off-screen) -- Grandpa, Grandpa -- wait -- CUT TO: THE KID'S ROOM He is terribly excited and looks stronger than we've yet seen him. THE KID -- wait -- what did FEZZIK mean, "He's dead?" I mean he didn't mean dead. The Grandfather says nothing, just sits there. THE KID Westley's only faking, right? GRANDFATHER You want me to read this or not? CUT TO: THE KID: CLOSE UP THE KID Who gets Humperdinck? GRANDFATHER I don't understand. THE KID Who kills Prince Humperdinck? At the end, somebody's got to do it. Is it Inigo? Who? GRANDFATHER Nobody. Nobody kills him. He lives. 90. THE KID You mean he wins? Jesus, Grandpa! What did you read me this thing for? And he desperately fights for control. GRANDFATHER You know, you've been very sick and you're taking this story very seriously. I think we better stop now. He closes the book and starts to get up. THE KID (shaking his head) No! I'm okay. I'm okay. (gestures toward the chair) -- sit down. All right? GRANDFATHER Okay. (sitting and opening the book again) All right, now, let's see. Where were we? Oh yes. In the Pit of Despair. CUT TO: INIGO, IN DESPAIR We're back in the Pit, the same shot as before. For a moment, he just sags. INIGO Well, we Montoyas have never taken defeat easily. Come along, Fezzik. Bring the body. FEZZIK The body? INIGO (not stopping) Have you any money? FEZZIK I have a little. INIGO I just hope it's enough to buy a miracle, that's all. 91. As Fezzik takes the corpse, follows Inigo up the stairs -- CUT TO: A HOVEL - DUSK Inigo, FEZZIK, Westley approach the door. They knock. From inside the hovel a little man's voice is heard. If Mel Brooks' Year Old Man was really old, he'd resemble this guy. LITTLE OLD GUY (off-screen) Go away! Inigo pounds again. MIRACLE MAX (opening a small window in the door) What? What? INIGO Are you the Miracle Max who worked for the King all those years? MIRACLE MAX The King's stinking son fired me. And thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it? We're closed! He shuts the window. They rap on the door. MIRACLE MAX (opening the window) Beat it or I'll call the Brute Squad. FEZZIK I'm on the Brute Squad. MIRACLE MAX (looking at the Giant) You are the Brute Squad. INIGO We need a miracle. It's very important. 92. MIRACLE MAX Look, I'm retired. And besides, why would you want someone the King's stinking son fired? I might kill whoever you wanted me to miracle. INIGO He's already dead. MIRACLE MAX (for the first time, interested) He is, eh? I'll take a look. Bring him in. He unlocks the door and lets them in. CUT TO: INIGO AND FEZZIK hurrying inside. FEZZIK carries Westley who is just starting to stiffen up a little. He lays Westley down across a bench by the fireplace, picks Westley's arm up and lets it drop limp. MIRACLE MAX I've seen worse. He studies Westley a moment, checking here, checking there. INIGO Sir. Sir. MIRACLE MAX Hah? INIGO We're really in a terrible rush. MIRACLE MAX (He takes nothing from nobody) Don't rush me, sonny. You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles. You got money? INIGO Sixty-five. MIRACLE MAX Sheesh! I never worked for so little, except once, and that was a very noble cause. 93. INIGO This is noble, sir. (pointing to Westley, remorseful) His wife is crippled. His children are on the brink of starvation. MIRACLE MAX Are you a rotten liar. INIGO I need him to help avenge my father, murdered these twenty years. MIRACLE MAX Your first story was better. (looking around) Where's that bellows? (spots it) He probably owes you money, huh? Well, I'll ask him. He goes to get a huge bellows. INIGO (stupefied) He's dead. He can't talk. MIRACLE MAX Look who knows so much. Well, it just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Please open his mouth. Inigo does. Max inserts the bellows in Westley's mouth and starts to pump. MIRACLE MAX Now, mostly dead is slightly alive. Now, all dead...well, with all dead, there's usually only one thing that you can do. INIGO What's that? He stops pumping. MIRACLE MAX Go through his clothes and look for loose change. 94. He starts pumping again. MIRACLE MAX (to Westley) Hey! Hello in there. Hey! What's so important? What you got here that's worth living for? And he presses lightly on Westley's chest. WESTLEY ... tr ... oooo .... luv... Everybody stares at Westley lying there on the bench. INIGO True love. You heard him. You could not ask for a more noble cause than that. MIRACLE MAX Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world. Except for a nice MLT, a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They're so perky, I love that. But that's not what he said. He distinctly said "to blave." And, as we all know, "to blave" means "to bluff." So you're probably playing cards, and he cheated A WOMAN'S VOICE -- Liar -- LIAR-LI-A-A-AR -- VALERIE, an ancient fury, storms out of a back room and toward MIRACLE MAX -- get back, witch -- VALERIE I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that anymore. MIRACLE MAX You never had it so good. 95. VALERIE "True love." He said, "true love," Max. My God -- MIRACLE MAX (retreating) Don't say another word, Valerie. VALERIE (turning to Inigo and Fezzik) He's afraid. Ever since Prince Humperdinck fired him, his confidence is shattered. MIRACLE MAX Why'd you say that name -- you promised me that you would never say that name -- VALERIE (pursuing him now) What, Humperdinck? Humperdinck. Humperdinck. Ooo-ooo, Humperdinck MIRACLE MAX (holding his hands over his ears) I'm not listening. VALERIE A life expiring and you don't have the decency to say why you won't help -- MIRACLE MAX Nobody's hearing nothing! VALERIE Humperdinck. Humperdinck! Humperdinck! INIGO -- But this is Buttercup's true love -- If you heal him, he will stop Humperdinck's wedding. VALERIE Humperdinck. Humperdinck -- MIRACLE MAX (to Valerie) Shut up -- (now to Inigo) Wait. Wait. I make him better, Humperdinck suffers? 96. INIGO Humiliations galore! MIRACLE MAX That is a noble cause. Give me the sixty-five, I'm on the job. And as Valerie shrieks excitedly we CUT TO: THIS LUMP It is somewhat smaller than a tennis ball. PULL BACK TO REVEAL MAX AND VALERIE, exhausted, looking at the lump with beautific pleasure, as Valerie, cooking utensil in hand, covers the thing with what looks like chocolate. Inigo and FEZZIK stare at the thing too, but more dubiously. INIGO (a little appalled) That's a miracle pill? Max nods. VALERIE (finishing) The chocolate coating makes it go down easier. But you have to wait fifteen minutes for full potency. And you shouldn't go swimming after, for at least, what? MIRACLE MAX An hour. VALERIE Yeah, an hour. MIRACLE MAX A good hour. Yeah. Inigo accepts the pill as FEZZIK takes Westley, who is stiff as a board now. INIGO (heading out the door, Fezzik close behind) Thank you for everything. MIRACLE MAX Okay. 97. VALERIE (waving after them) Bye-bye, boys. MIRACLE MAX Have fun storming the castle. VALERIE (to Max) Think it'll work? MIRACLE MAX It would take a miracle. Bye! VALERIE Bye. And as they wave, trying to look happy we -- CUT TO: FEZZIK, INIGO, AND WESTLEY on the top of the outer wall of the castle. They look down to the front gate of the castle. The sixty Brutes are visible. FEZZIK is thunderstruck by how many Brutes there are. Upset, he turns to Inigo, who is concentrating unsuccessfully, trying to prop Westley against the wall. FEZZIK Inigo -- there's more than thirty -- INIGO (absolutely unfazed) What's the difference? (indicating the half- dead Westley) We've got him. Help me here. We'll have to force feed him. FEZZIK Has it been fifteen minutes? INIGO We can't wait -- the wedding's in half an hour and we must strike in the hustle and the bustle beforehand. During this, FEZZIK, using all his strength, has managed to get Westley into a right angled sitting position, while Inigo brings out the miracle pill. 98. INIGO Tilt his head back. Open his mouth. FEZZIK (following orders) How long do we have to wait before we know if the miracle works? CUT TO: INIGO Pill in hand, he drops it into Westley's mouth. INIGO Your guess is as good as mine -- WESTLEY (frantic) I'll beat you both apart. I'll take you both together. FEZZIK Guess not very long. Inigo and FEZZIK react. Westley is the only one not amazed. WESTLEY Why won't my arms move? He sits there, immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy. FEZZIK You've been mostly dead all day. INIGO We had Miracle Max make a pill to bring you back. WESTLEY Who are you? -- Are we enemies? Why am I on this wall? -- Where's Buttercup? -- INIGO Let me explain -- (pauses very briefly) -- No, there is too much. Let me sum up. (MORE) 99. INIGO (CONT'D) Buttercup is marrying Humperdinck in a little less than half an hour, so all we have to do is get in, break up the wedding, steal the Princess, make our escape after I kill Count Rugen. WESTLEY That doesn't leave much time for dilly dallying. He is watching his fingers, one of which twitches now. FEZZIK You've just wiggled your finger. That's wonderful. WESTLEY I've always been a quick healer. (to Inigo) What are our liabilities? INIGO There is but one working castle gate. Fezzik helps Inigo raise Westley just high enough so he can see for himself. INIGO And it is guarded by sixty men. WESTLEY And our assets? INIGO Your brains, Fezzik's strength, my steel. CUT TO: WESTLEY absolutely stunned. WESTLEY That's it? Impossible. If I had a month to plan, maybe I could come up with something. But this... He shakes his head from side to side. CUT TO: 100. INIGO AND FEZZIK FEZZIK (trying to be cheery) You just shook your head -- that doesn't make you happy? WESTLEY My brains, his steel, and your strength against sixty men, and you think a little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy? I mean, if we only had a wheelbarrow, that would be something. INIGO Where did we put that wheelbarrow the Albino had? FEZZIK Over the Albino, I think. WESTLEY Well, why didn't you list that among our assets in the first place? What I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak. INIGO There we cannot help you. FEZZIK (pulling one out) Will this do? INIGO (to Fezzik-- surprised) Where did you get that? FEZZIK At Miracle Max's. It fit so nice, he said I could keep it. WESTLEY All right, all right. Come on, help me up. Inigo and Fezzik do. WESTLEY Now, I'll need a sword eventually. 101. INIGO Why? You can't even lift one. WESTLEY True, but that's hardly common knowledge, is it? (And his bead tilts limply back. Fezzik sets it up right for him) Thank you. Now, there may be problems once we're inside. INIGO I'll say -- how do I find the Count? -- Once I do, how do I find you again? -- Once I find you again, how do we escape? -- FEZZIK (sharply) Don't pester him, he's had a hard day. INIGO (nods) Right, right, sorry. CUT TO: A SHOT OF THE THREE OF THEM IN PROFILE They move along the wall in silence for a time. Then these words come to us on the wind -- FEZZIK Inigo. INIGO What? FEZZIK I hope we win... CUT TO: BUTTERCUP in her bridal gown, and she's incredible. It's not just her beauty; there's a tranquillity about her now. PULL BACK TO REVEAL The Prince, fastening a pearl necklace around her. 102. HUMPERDINCK You don't seem excited, my little muffin. BUTTERCUP Should I be? HUMPERDINCK Brides often are, I'm told. BUTTERCUP (gently, confidently) I do not marry tonight. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP and she couldn't seem more serene. BUTTERCUP My Westley will save me. CUT TO: HER WESTLEY looking down on the gate with Inigo and Fezzik. CUT TO: THE MAIN GATE OF THE CASTLE -- and Yellin, standing there, flanked by his sixty Brutes. CUT TO: WESTLEY AND INIGO AND FEZZIK looking out at the enemy. This is it. Inigo and FEZZIK shake hands. Westley can't even do that, but after a bit of rocking back and forth, he manages to get enough momentum to catapult his arm over and onto his friend's. CUT TO: AN ABSOLUTELY GEM-LIKE LITTLE CHAPEL PULL BACK TO REVEAL The most intelligent looking, the most impressive appearing CLERGYMAN imaginable. 103. Buttercup and Humperdinck kneel before the Clergyman. Behind them sit the mumbling old KING AND QUEEN. Standing in the back is Count Rugen. FOUR GUARDS are in position flanking the chapel door. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN (clears his throat, begins to speak) Mawidge...mawidge is what bwings us togewer today... He has an impediment that would stop a clock. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement, that dweam wiffim a dweam... And now, from outside the castle, there begins to come a commotion. And then-- YELLIN (off-screen) Stand your ground, men. Stand your ground. CUT TO: THE BRUTES AND YELLIN by the gate, for it is indeed they who are making the commotion, frightened, pointing. YELLIN Stand your ground. CUT TO: THEIR P.O.V.: And it is a bit unnerving -- a GIANT seems to be floating toward them out of the darkness, a Giant in a strange cloak, and with a voice that would crumble walls. FEZZIK (deep and booming) I AM THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS. THERE WILL BE NO SURVIVORS. CUT TO: 104. FEZZIK and he seems to be floating because he's standing in the wheelbarrow, as Inigo, hidden behind him, busts a gut by pushing it and supporting Westley. INIGO Now? WESTLEY Not yet. CUT TO: THE GIANT FLOATING CLOSER FEZZIK MY MEN ARE HERE, AND I AM HERE, BUT SOON YOU WILL NOT BE HERE CUT TO: YELLIN keeping the Brutes in position, or trying to, shouting orders, instructions and as yet the Brutes hold. Now -- CUT TO: INIGO AND WESTLEY Inigo struggles bravely under their combined weight -- INIGO Now? WESTLEY Light him. CUT TO: THE BRUTES as the Giant bursts suddenly, happily into flames. FEZZIK (roaring) THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS TAKES NO SURVIVORS. ALL YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES ARE ABOUT TO COME TRUE. CUT TO: THE CHAPEL, where The Impressive Clergyman plows on. 105. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN ... Ven wuv, twoo wuv, wiw fowwow you fowever.. CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK, turning quickly, giving a sharp nod to Count Rugen, who immediately takes off out of the chapel with the Four Guards as we CUT TO: FEZZIK, flaming and scary as hell. FEZZIK THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS IS HERE FOR YOUR SOULS! CUT TO: YELLIN as suddenly the Brutes just scream and take off in wild panic -- YELLIN Stay where you are. I said stay where you are! CUT TO: INSIDE THE CHAPEL IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN ... so tweasuwe your vruv.. HUMPERDINCK Skip to the end. IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN Have you the wing? As Humperdinck whips out the ring, the screams are very loud outside. BUTTERCUP Here comes my Westley now. CUT TO: Fezzik, as he pulls off the holocaust cloak. WESTLEY FEZZIK, the portcullis. 106. And FEZZIK rushes forward, grabbing the portcullis, which is indeed closing quickly. FEZZIK grabs the gate: and swings the tonnage back upward. Yellin just watches in fear. CUT TO: THE CHAPEL as Humperdinck shoves the ring on Buttercup's finger HUMPERDINCK Your Westley is dead. Buttercup only smiles, shakes her head. HUMPERDINCK I killed him myself. BUTTERCUP (never more serene) Then why is there fear behind your eyes? CUT TO: PRINCE HUMPERDINCK And she's right. It's there. CUT TO: YELLIN pressed against the main gate. Westley, Inigo, and FEZZIK close in. WESTLEY Give us the gate key. YELLIN (every ounce of honesty he's got) I have no gate key. INIGO Fezzik, tear his arms off. FEZZIK steps toward him. 107. YELLIN Oh, you mean this gate key. And he whips it out, hands it to Fezzik. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK AND BUTTERCUP AND THE IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN And do you, Pwincess Buwwercwup... HUMPERDINCK Man and wife -- say man and wife... IMPRESSIVE CLERGYMAN Man and wife. HUMPERDINCK (whirling to the King and Queen) Escort the bride to the Honeymoon Suite -- I'll be there shortly. And as he dashes off -- CUT TO: BUTTERCUP standing there. Dazed. BUTTERCUP He didn't come. CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN AND HIS FOUR WARRIORS racing through the castle, and as they reach a complex intersection of several corridors, Rugen stops, incredulous, as we CUT TO: WESTLEY, INIGO, AND FEZZIK moving toward them. Actually Fezzik is dragging Westley, who is, in turn, dragging Yellin's sword like a stiff dog leash --Westley simply hasn't the strength to raise it. CUT TO: 108. COUNT RUGEN as the confrontation is about to start. RUGEN Kill the dark one and the giant, but leave the third for questioning. And as his Warriors attack -- Inigo goes wild, and maybe the Warrior's are good, maybe they're even better than that -- but they never get a chance to show it because this is something now, this is Inigo gone mad and the six-fingered sword has never flashed faster and the FOURTH WARRIOR is dead before the FIRST ONE has even hit the floor. There is a pause. Then -- INIGO (to Rugen, evenly and soft) Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN For a moment he just stands there, sword in hand. Then he does a most unexpected thing. He turns and runs the hell away. CUT TO: INIGO momentarily surprised, then taking off after him, leaving Westley and Fezzik to exchange curious looks and Rugen, running through a half-open heavy wooden door, shutting it and locking it just as Inigo throws himself against it. He tries again. No kind of chance. INIGO (calling out) Fezzik, I need you -- CUT TO: FEZZIK WITH WESTLEY who is still unable to walk under his own power. He calls back -- 109. FEZZIK (indicating Westley) I can't leave him alone. CUT TO: INIGO desperately pounding at the heavy door. INIGO He's getting away from me, Fezzik. Please. FEZZIK! CUT TO: FEZZIK AND WESTLEY FEZZIK (to Westley) I'll be right back. And he props Westley up against a large suit of armor and takes off toward the intersection where Inigo's voice came from -- CUT TO: INIGO still hammering the door. Fezzik approaches, gestures for him to stop, and with one mighty swipe of his mighty hands the door crumbles INIGO Thank you -- And Inigo flies through as Fezzik heads back to Westley. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP WALKING WITH THE KING AND QUEEN The Queen, more sprightly, is several paces ahead. KING (can hardly be understood) Strange wedding. QUEEN Yes. A very strange wedding. Come along. 110. Buttercup gently stops the King and places a kiss on his forehead. He's very surprised and pleased. KING What was that for? BUTTERCUP Because you've always been so kind to me. And I won't be seeing you again since I'm killing myself once we reach the Honeymoon Suite. KING (smiling away --his hearing isn't what it once was) Won't that be nice? (calling out to the Queen) She kissed me... And on those words -- CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN And he's running, dashing through corridors and as he glances back -- CUT TO: INIGO behind him, coming like a streak and -- CUT TO: THE INTERSECTION with the large suit of armor, and Fezzik gaping, staring at all those choices, trying to piece together the puzzle of the missing Westley. CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN flashing out of one room, down a staircase, picking up his pace. He pulls out a deadly looking dagger, with a sharp point and a triangular shaped blade, and sprints on and -- CUT TO: 111. INIGO closing the gap, closer, closer and he's down the stairs and heading into a dining hall and -- CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN throwing the dagger -- CUT TO: INIGO trying like hell to get out of the way, but no, and it sticks deep into his stomach, and he hurtles back helplessly against the wall of the room, his eyes glazed, blood coming from his wound. The room is going white on him. INIGO ... Sorry, Father ... I tried ... I tried... CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN looking across the room at Inigo. He stares at Inigo's face, and then touches his own cheeks, as memory comes. RUGEN You must be that little Spanish brat I taught a lesson to all those years ago. It's simply incredible. Have you been chasing me your whole life only to fail now? I think that's the worst thing I ever heard. How marvelous. Inigo sinks. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP shutting the door of the Honeymoon Suite, crossing quietly to the far wall where she sits at a table, opens a jeweled box, and takes out a very deadly looking dagger. She seems very much at peace as she touches the knife to her bosom. 112. WESTLEY There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. And Buttercup whirls as we -- CUT TO: WESTLEY lying on the bed. Yellin's sword is beside him. His voice sounds just fine, but he does not move. Buttercup leaps to the bed, covering him with kisses. Westley is helpless. BUTTERCUP Oh, Westley, darling. (more kisses) Westley, why won't you hold me? WESTLEY (gently) Gently. BUTTERCUP At a time like this that's all you can think to say? "Gently?" WESTLEY (not so gently) Gently!! And she lets go, thumping his head against the headboard and CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN looking very much surprised. RUGEN Good heavens. Are you still trying to win? PULL BACK TO REVEAL Inigo, struggling feebly, pulling the dagger from his stomach. Holding the wound with his left hand. Rugen is pushing off from the table, sword in hand, moving in to kill Inigo. 113. RUGEN You've got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance. It's going to get you into trouble some day. Inigo watches the Count approach, and the Count flicks his sword at Inigo's heart, and there's not much Inigo can do, just kind of vaguely parry the thrust with the six-fingered sword and Count Rugen's blade sinks deeply into Inigo's left shoulder. Inigo doesn't seem to feel it, his other agonies are so much worse. CUT TO: THE COUNT stepping back, going for the heart again. CUT TO: INIGO And as this blow comes he's trying to use the wall for support in forcing himself to his feet, and it's not a roaring success of an attempt, but he does at least make some progress, and again he manages to parry the thrust, as this time Rugen's sword runs through his right arm. Again, Inigo doesn't seem to mind, doesn't even feel it. CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN stepping back forj ust a moment, watching as Inigo continues to inch his way to his feet and then, just before the Count is about to strike again, Inigo manages a little flick of his own and Rugen hadn't expected it, and he jumps back, makes a little involuntary cry of surprise and CUT TO: INIGO slowly pushing away from the wall. INIGO (all but audible) Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father; prepare to die. CUT TO: 114. COUNT RUGEN suddenly going into a fierce attack, striking with great power and precision for he is a master swordsman, and he forces Inigo easily back, drives him easily into the wall. But he does not penetrate Inigo's defense. None of the Count's blows get home. As the Count steps back a moment -- CUT TO: INIGO pushing slowly off from the wall again. INIGO (a little louder) Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. CUT TO: THE COUNT And again he attacks, slashing with wondrous skill. But none of his blows get through and, slowly, Inigo, again moves forward. INIGO (a little louder still) Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. RUGEN Stop saying that! CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN retreating more quickly around the table. Inigo drives for the Count's left shoulder now, thrusts home where the Count had gotten him. Then another move and his blade enters the Count's right shoulder, the same spot Inigo was wounded. INIGO (all he's got) HELLO! MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA. YOU KILLED MY FATHER. PREPARE TO DIE. 115. RUGEN No -- INIGO -- offer me money -- And now the six-fingered sword strikes and there is a slash bleeding along one of Rugen's cheeks. RUGEN -- yes -- INIGO -- power too -- promise me that -- The great sword flashes again, and now there is a parallel slash bleeding on Rugen's other cheek. RUGEN -- all that I have and more please -- INIGO -- offer me everything I ask for -- RUGEN -- anything you want -- INIGO (roaring) I WANT MY FATHER BACK, YOU SON- OFA-BITCH! And on that -- CUT TO: INIGO and almost too fast for the eye to follow, the sword strikes one final time and -- CUT TO: COUNT RUGEN crying out in fear and panic as the sword hits home dead center and -- CUT TO: 116. INIGO AND RUGEN the sword clear through the Count. They are almost frozen like that for a moment. Then Inigo withdraws his sword and as the Count pitches down -- CUT TO: RUGEN lying dead. His skin is ashen and the blood still pours from the parallel cuts on his cheeks and his eyes are bulging wide, full of fear. CUT TO: INIGO staring at Rugen. And now Inigo does something we have never seen him do before: he smiles. HOLD FOR JUST A MOMENT on Inigo smiling, then -- CUT TO: INSIDE THE HONEYMOON SUITE WESTLEY lies as before, not a muscle has moved, his head is still on the headboard, Yellin's sword at his side. Buttercup is alongside the bed; her eyes never leave his face. BUTTERCUP Oh, Westley, will you ever forgive me? WESTLEY What hideous sin have you committed lately? BUTTERCUP I got married. I didn't want to. It all happened so fast. WESTLEY It never happened. BUTTERCUP What? WESTLEY It never happened. 117. BUTTERCUP But it did. I was there. This old man said, "Man and wife." WESTLEY Did you say, "I do"? BUTTERCUP Well, no, we sort of skipped that part. WESTLEY Then you're not married -- if you didn't say it, you didn't do it (a pause) -- wouldn't you agree, Your Highness? CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK entering the room, staring at them. He pulls out his sword. HUMPERDINCK A technicality that will shortly be remedied. But first things first. To the death. WESTLEY No. (a little pause) To the pain. HUMPERDINCK (about to charge, stops short) I don't think I'm quite familiar with that phrase. WESTLEY I'll explain. And I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you wart-hog-faced buffoon. HUMPERDINCK That may be the first time in my life a man has dared insult me. CUT TO: 118. WESTLEY lying there comfortably, his words quiet at first. WESTLEY It won't be the last. To the pain means the first thing you lose will be your feet, below the ankles, then your hands at the wrists, next your nose. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK gripping his sword, watching. HUMPERDINCK -- and then my tongue, I suppose. I killed you too quickly the last time, a mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight. WESTLEY I wasn't finished -- the next thing you lose will be your left eye, followed by your right -- HUMPERDINCK (takes step forward) -- and then my ears, I understand. Let's get on with it CUT TO: CLOSE UP: WESTLEY HUGE WESTLEY Wrong! Your ears you keep, and I'll tell you why -- CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK And now he stops, and the look that was in his eyes at the wedding, that look of fear, is starting to return. WESTLEY -- so that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish -- every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God, what is that thing?" will echo in your perfect ears. (MORE) 119. WESTLEY (CONT'D) That is what "to the pain" means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever. CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK doing his best to hide the fear that keeps building inside him. HUMPERDINCK I think you're bluffing -- CUT TO: WESTLEY lying there, staring at him. WESTLEY It's possible, pig -- I might be bluffing -- it's conceivable, you miserable vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand -- then again, perhaps I have the strength after all. And now, slowly, Westley begins to move. His body turns, his feet go to the floor, he starts to stand -- CUT TO: HUMPERDINCK staring, eyes wide. CUT TO: WESTLEY And now he is standing, sword in fighting position. WESTLEY (slow and determined) DROP-YOUR-SWORD. CUT TO: 120. PRINCE HUMPERDINCK and he's so panicked he doesn't know whether to pee or wind his watch. He throws his sword to the floor. WESTLEY (to Humperdinck) Have a seat. CUT TO: WESTLEY speaking to Buttercup as Humperdinck sits. WESTLEY Tie him up. Make it as tight as you like. And as she sets to work -- CUT TO: INIGO entering, looking around. INIGO Where's Fezzik? WESTLEY I thought he was with you. INIGO No. WESTLEY In that case -- his balance betrays him. INIGO (to Buttercup) Help him. BUTTERCUP Why does Westley need helping? INIGO Because he has no strength -- CUT TO: 121. HUMPERDINCK and now be starts wrestling mightily with his bonds. HUMPERDINCK I knew it! I knew you were bluffing! I knew he was bluffing. INIGO (staring at the Prince) Shall I dispatch him for you? WESTLEY (considers this, then) Thank you, but no -- whatever happens to us, I want him to live a long life alone with his cowardice. FEZZIK (off-screen) Inigo! Inigo, where are you? They look at each other, then move to the balcony, and CUT TO: FEZZIK leading FOUR GREAT WHITE HORSES. He glances up, sees them on the balcony. FEZZIK Ah, there you are. Inigo, I saw the Prince's stables, and there they were, four white horses. And I thought, there are four of us, if we ever find the lad -- hello, lad -- so I took them with me, in case we ever bumped into each other. (considers things a moment) I guess we just did. CUT TO: INIGO AND WESTLEY AND BUTTERCUP looking down at FEZZIK. INIGO FEZZIK, you did something right. 122. FEZZIK Don't worry -- I won't let it go to my head. And as he holds out his great arms-- CUT TO: SOMETHING UNEXPECTED AND VERY LOVELY: Buttercup floating through the air. What's happening, of course, is that she's jumping from the balcony so Fezzik can catch her. But her fall is in slow motion so you might think she was flying. Westley and Inigo, watching as FEZZIK catches Buttercup. INIGO You know, it's very strange -- I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life. WESTLEY (as Inigo gets him ready for his jump) Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts. Now from that -- CUT TO: THE FOUR GLORIOUS WHITE HORSES WITH THEIR FOUR RIDERS triumphantly racing through the night -- CUT TO: BUTTERCUP AND WESTLEY and at last their trials are done. They stop. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) They rode to freedom. And as dawn arose, Westley and Buttercup knew they were safe. A wave of love swept over them. And as they reached for each other... 123. As Buttercup and Westley begin their ultimate kiss -- CUT TO: THE KID'S BEDROOM The Grandfather stops reading. THE KID What? What? GRANDFATHER No, it's kissing again. You don't want to hear it. THE KID I don't mind so much. He gestures for his Grandfather to read. GRANDFATHER Okay. CUT TO: BUTTERCUP AND WESTLEY locked in a deep, pure and passionate kiss. GRANDFATHER (off-screen) Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The end. CUT TO: THE KID'S ROOM The Grandfather snaps the book closed. GRANDFATHER Now I think you ought to go to sleep. THE KID Okay. GRANDFATHER (standing, readying to leave) Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. So long. 124. THE KID Grandpa? The Old Man stops, turns. THE KID Maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow. GRANDFATHER (a beat) As you wish... And his smile is enough. As The Grandfather steps out the door, tipping his hat-- FINAL FADE OUT. THE END.

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Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL # > 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) by Roselyne Bosch. Revised draft, September 23, 1991. 15 Minutes (2001) by John Herzfeld. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clark. Revised draft, 12/14/65. 48 Hrs. (1982) by Roger Spottiswoode and Walter Hill & Larry Gross and Steven E. De Souza. 8 mm (1999) by Andrew Kevin Walker. First draft, 5/06/97. 84C MoPic (1989) by Patrick Sheane Duncan. Shooting draft. THE NINTH GATE (1999) by Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn and Enrique Urbizu. Based on a novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Ten Things I Hate About You (1999) by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith. Based on 'Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. Revision November 12, 1997. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell. # >

A > Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) by Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac, Jim Carrey. Adaptation. (2002) by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean. Affliction (1997) by Paul Schrader. Based on a novel by Russell Banks. Shooting draft. Agnes Of God (1985) by John Pielmeier. Based on the play by John Pielmeier. Air Force One (1997) by Andrew Marlow. Airplane! (1980) transcript by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker. Transcript. Ali (2001) by Stephen J. Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson and Eric Roth & Michael Mann. Story by Gregory Allen Howard. Alien (1979) by Walter Hill and David Giler. Based on screenplay by Dan O'Bannon. Revised final. June, 1978. Alien 3 (1992) by Walter Hill/David Giler. Final draft. Revised Jan.16, 1991 - April 10, 1991. Alien 3 (1992) by William Gibson. Revised first draft screenplay, from a story by David Giler and Walter Hill. Alien Nation (1988) by Rochne O'Bannon. Rewrite by James Cameron. October 1987. Alien: Resurrection (1997) by Joss Wedon. Final Script. Aliens (1986) by James Cameron. First draft. May 28, 1985. All About Eve (1950) by Joseph Mankiewicz. All the King's Men (1949) by Robert Rossen. Based on a novel by Robert Penn Warren. SHOOTING DRAFT, 1949. All the President's Men (1976) by William Goldman. Based on the novel by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Pre-rehearsal version March, 1975. Almost Famous (2000) by Cameron Crowe. Final Script. December, 1998. Amadeus (1984) by Peter Shaffer. Based on the play by Peter Shaffer. American Beauty (1999) by Alan Ball. American History X (1998) by David McKenna. Draft script. February 6, 1997. American Hustle (2013) by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell. American Outlaws (2001) by Roderick Taylor and John Rogers. American Pie (1999) by Adam Herz. Production draft, white revision: 7/7/98. American Psycho (2000) by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Fourth Draft, November 1998. American Werewolf in London, An (1981) by John Landis. An American Tragedy (1931) by S. M. Eisenstein, G. V. Alexandrov and Ivor Montagu. Based on the Novel by Theodore Dreiser. Unproduced first draft screenplay, circa September 1930. Analyze That (2002) transcript by Peter Steinfeld and Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. Transcript Analyze That (2002) by Peter Steinfeld and Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. June 2002 Draft Analyze This (1999) by Peter Tolan and Harold Ramis and Kenneth Lonergan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. July 1998 Draft Annie Hall (1977) by Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman. Draft script. "Oscar". Apocalypse Now (1975) by John Milius, Francis Coppola. Apocalypse Now (1979) transcript by John Milius, Francis Coppola. Transcript. Apocalypse Now (1979) by Francis Ford Coppola. Original screenplay by John Milius. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". December 3, 1975. Apollo 13 (1995) by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert. Based on the book "Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13" by Jim Lovell. Transcript. Arctic Blue (1993) by Ross LaManna. Armageddon (1998) by Robert Roy Pool. Army of Darkness (1993) by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi. Shooting Script, January 3, 1991. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) transcript by Ian Watson and Brian Aldiss. The Complete Dialogue. Assassins (1995) by Brian Helgeland, based on a screenplay by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Draft script. March 30, 1995. At First Sight (1999) by Steve Levitt. Draft script. Atomic Submarine (1959) by Orville H. Hampton. Revised draft, 5/15/59. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) by Mike Myers. Final draft, 5/24/96. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Avatar (2009) by James Cameron. Unproduced script. L'Avventura (1960) by Michelangelo Antonioni, Elio Bartolini, Tonino Guerra. Translated from Italian by Louis Brigante. The Abyss (1989) by James Cameron. Director's Revision. August 2, 1988. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) by Earl Mac Rauch. Shooting script, March 30, 1983. The African Queen (1951) by James Agee, John Huston and Peter Viertel. Based on a novel by C.S. Forester. Shooting draft. The Age of Innocence (1993) transcript by Jay Cocks. Transcript. Based on the novel by Edith Wharton. The American President (1995) by Aaron Sorkin. The Anniversary Party (2001) by Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The Apartment (1960) by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond The Avengers (1998) by Don Macpherson. June 21, 1995 A >

< B > Back To The Future (1985) transcript by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. Transcript. Back to the Future (1985) by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. FIRST DRAFT 24 February 81 Back to the Future Part II (1989) by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. REVISED DRAFT 19 DECEMBER 1988 Back to the Future Part III (1990) by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. REVISED DRAFT 19 DECEMBER 1988 Backdraft (1991) by Gregory Widen. Shooting draft. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) by Don McGuire and Millard Kaufman. Based on the story "Bad Day At Hondo" by Howard Breslin. Shooting draft. Badlands (1973) by Terence Malick. Final Version: Dialogue and Continuity. Bamboozled (2000) by Spike Lee. Barry Lyndon (1975) by Stanley Kubrick. Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. February 18, 1973. Barton Fink (1991) by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Winner PALME D'OR, Cannes 1991. Basic Instinct (1992) by Joe Eszterhas. Draft script Basquiat (1997) by Julian Schnabel. Batman & Robin (1997) by Akiva Goldsman. Batman (1989) by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren. Based on the Character created by Bob Kane. Fifth draft, October 6, 1988. Batman Begins (2005) by David S. Goyer Batman Returns (1992) by Daniel Waters and Wesley Strick. Final draft, August 1, 1991. Beach, The (2000) by John Hodge. Based on the Novel by Alex Garland. 15 June 1998. Bean (1997) by Richard Curtis and Robin Driscoll. Beavis And Butt-Head Do America (1996) by Mike Judge and Joe Stillman Being John Malkovich (1999) by Charlie Kaufman. Draft script. Being There (1979) by Jerzy Kosinski and Robert C. Jones. From the novel by Jerzy Kosinski. Draft script. January 10, 1979. Being There (1979) by Jerzy Kosinski and Robert C. Jones. From the novel by Jerzy Kosinski. Draft script. December 16, 1978. Big Lebowski, The (1998) by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Birdman (2014) by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo. Story by Gregory Allen Howard. Birds, The (1963) by Evan Hunter. Based on the novel "Birds" by Daphne Du Maurier. FINAL DRAFT 2nd Revision March 2, 1962. Birthday Girl (2001) by Jez Butterworth Black Rain (1989) by Craig Bolotin & Warren Lewis. Draft script. November 1987. Blade (1998) by David S. Goyer. Blade II (2002) by David S. Goyer. Blade Runner (1982) by Hampton Fancher. Based on the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Draft script. July 24, 1980. Blade Runner (1982) by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Based on the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Final script. February 23, 1981. Blade Runner (1982) transcript by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Based on the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Final script. February 23, 1981. Transcript by Brian Silverman. Blade: Trinity (2004) by David S. Goyer. Blair Witch Project, The (1999) by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. This Transcript was taken from the early Sundance Film Fest version of the movie. Blast from the Past (1999) by Bill Kelly and Hugh Wilson. Blood Simple (1984) by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Blow (2001) by David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes. Blue Velvet (1986) by David Lynch. Final script. Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993) by Roger Hedden. Based on a play by Roger Hedden. Shooting draft. Body Snatcher, The (1945) by Philip MacDonald. Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Body of Evidence (1993) by Brad Mirman. Second draft. Boiler Room (2000) by Ben Younger Bones (2001) by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) by David Newman & Robert Benton. Boogie Nights (1997) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Final draft. Bottle Rocket (1996) by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Bound (1996) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Draft script. Bound (1996) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. 1st draft. September 28, 1994. Bourne Identity (2002) by Tony Gilroy. Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum. Paris Draft, 9/20/00. Braveheart (1995) by Randall Wallace. Final draft. Brazil (1985) by Terry Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown. Final script. Breakfast Club, The (1985) by John Hughes. Bridges of Madison County, The (1995) by Richard LaGravenese. Based on novel by Robert James Waller. First draft, March 24, 1994. Bringing Out the Dead (1999) by Paul Schrader. From the novel by Joseph Connelly. First draft (11/7/97). Broadcast News (1987) by James L. Brooks. Draft script. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1992) by Joss Whedon. Bull Durham (1988) by Ron Shelton. Final script. Butterfly Effect, The (2004) by J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress. The Bachelor Party (1957) by Paddy Chayefsky. The Battle of Algiers (1965) by Gillo Pontecorvo, Franco Solinas. The Big Blue (1988) by Luc Besson, Bob Garland, Marylin Golden. Final script. AKA Le grand bleu (1988) The Bodyguard (1992) by Lawrence Kasdan. Clean Shooting Draft February 1992 < B >

< D > Dark City (1998) by Alex Proyas. Revised draft (early rewrite) May 9, 1994. Dark Star (1974) by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon. Dave (1993) by Gary Ross. Days of Heaven (1978) by Terrence Malick. Draft script, 6/2/76. Dead Poets Society (1989) by Tom Schulman. Final script. Deep Rising (1998) by Steven Sommers & Robert Mark Kamen. Revised Draft, Jan. 1st, 1996. Deer Hunter, The (1978) by Deric Washburn. Detroit Rock City (1999) Carl V. Dupre. Devil and Daniel Webster, The (1941) by Dan Totheroh and Stephen Vincent Benet. Die Hard (1988) by Jeb Stuart. Revisions by Steven E. DeSouza. Based on the novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp. Do the Right Thing (1989) by Spike Lee. Second Draft. March 1, 1988; Brooklyn, N.Y. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Frank Pierson. Final Draft. Donnie Darko (2001) by Richard Kelly. Shooting script. Double Indemnity (1944) by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel "Double Indemnity In Three Of A Kind" by James M. Cain. Dragonslayer (1981) by Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins. Shooting draft. Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) by Lona Williams. Duck Soup (1933) by Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar and Grover Jones. Second draft script (January 18, 1933). Dumb and Dumber (1994) by Peter Farrelly, Bennett Yellin, Bob Farrelly. Final script, 11-19-93. Dune (1984) by David Lynch. Seventh draft, December 9, 1983. The Day The Clown Cried (1972) by Joan O'Brien and Charles Denton. The Doors (1991) by Randall Jahnson and Oliver Stone. Shooting draft, 1991. < D >

< C > Casino (1995) by Nicholas Pileggi. Draft script. Based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi. Cast Away (2000) by William Broyles. Third draft, March 13, 1998. Cat People (1982) by DeWitt Bodeen. Cell, The (2000) by Mark Protosevich. Charade (1963) by Peter Stone. Draft script, 1 October 1962. Chasing Amy (1997) by Kevin Smith. Draft script. Chasing Sleep (2000) by Michael Walker. Cherry Falls (2000) by Ken Selden. First draft, February 14, 1998. Chinatown (1974) by Robert Towne. Third draft. October 9, 1973. Cider House Rules, The (1999) by John Irving. Based on the his novel. Production Draft. Citizen Kane (1941) by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. Final script. Clerks (1994) by Kevin Smith. Contact (1997) by Menno Meyjes, Ann Druyan & Carl Sagan, Michael Goldenberg, Jim V. Hart. Rewrite by Michael Goldenberg. Based on the Novel by Carl Sagan. September 8, 1995. Cool Hand Luke (1967) by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce. Shooting draft. Copycat (1995) by Frank Pierson. Participating writers: Ann Biderman, Jay Presson Allen. Third draft. Cross of Iron (1977) by Sam Peckinpah Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) by Wang Hui Ling, James Schamus, Tsai Kuo Jung. Based on the novel by Wang Du Lu. Crow: Salvation, The (2000) by Chip Johannessen. Based on the comic book series by James O'Barr. Cruel Intentions (1999) by Roger Kumble. Based on the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Choderlos De Laclos. February 10, 1998. Curse, The (1999) by Jacqueline Garry. The Corruptor (1999) by Robert Pucci The Crow by Davis Schow, based on a screenplay by John Shirley. Based on the comic book created, drawn, and written by James O'Barr. September 14, 1992. The Crow - City Of Angels (1996) by David S. Goyer. Based on comic book series and comic strip by James O'Barr. The Crying Game (1992) by Neil Jordan. < C >

< E > E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) by Melissa Mathison. Commentary by Richard Michaels. EDTV (1999) by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel. Sixth Rewrite, July 16,1997. Ed Wood (1994) by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Based on the book by Rudolph Grey. First draft. November 20, 1992. El Mariachi (1992) by Robert Rodriguez. Shooting script. Election (1999) by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novels by Tom Perotta. Third Draft, July 22,1997. Enemy of the State (1998) by David Marconi and Aaron Sorkin. February 10, 1997 English Patient, The (1996) by Anthony Minghella. Based on the Novel by Michael Ondaatje. Revised Draft. 28th August, 1995. Entrapment (1999) by Ronald Bass. First Draft. December 2, 1996. Erik the Viking (1989) by Terry Jones. Erin Brockovich (2000) by Susannah Grant, revised by Richard LaGravenese. Inspired by a true story. Shooting draft, 03/22/99. Escape From New York (1981) by John Carpenter and Nick Castle. Escape from L.A. (1996) by John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Kurt Russell. Draft script. Event Horizon (1997) by Philip Eisner. Shooting draft Excess Baggage (1997) by Max D. Adams. Exorcist, The (1973) by William Peter Blatty. Based on his own novel. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) by Stanley Kubrick & Frederic Raphael. This script is dated 08.04.96. < E >

< F > Face/Off (1997) by Mike Werb & Michael Colleary. First Draft. Face/Off (1997) by Mike Werb & Michael Colleary. Production Draft. Revised 9/10/96. Faculty, The (1998) by Kevin Williamson. Transcript. Family Man, The (2000) by David Diamond and David Weissman. Fantastic Four (2005) by Mark Frost and Michael France. Based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Shooting Script. Fargo (1996) by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. Final script. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) by Cameron Crowe. Fatal Instinct (1993) by David O'Malley. Shooting draft. Father of the Bride (1991) transcript by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) by Terry Gilliam & Toy Grisoni. Feast (2005) by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston. Revised Draft, 5/3/2004. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) by John Hughes. Shooting script, July 24, 1985. Few Good Men, A (1992) by Aaron Sorkin. Revised third draft. July 15, 1991. Fifth Element, The (1997) by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. August 1995 Draft. Fight Club (1999) by Jim Uhls. Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Shooting Script. April 18, 1998 Final Destination (2000) by James Wong and Glen Morgan. Early draft. January 15, 1999. Five Easy Pieces (1970) by Carole Eastman. Fletch (1985) by Andrew Bergman. Based on novel by Gregory McDonald. Final Draft. Fly, The (1986) transcript by Charles Edward Pogue and David Cronenberg. Based on the Story by George Langelaan. Transcript. Four Feathers, The (2002) by Michael Schiffer, revised by Hossein Amini. Based on the book by A. E. W. Mason. 3rd Draft. Four Rooms (1995) by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino. Foxcatcher (2014) by E Max Frye and Dan Futterman. Frances (1982) by Eric Bergren, Christopher De Vore and Nicholas Kazan. Frankenstein (1994) by Steph Lady & James V. Hart. Revised draft by Frank Darabont. From the novel by Mary W. Shelley. 2nd revised draft, February 8, 1993 Frequency (2000) by Toby Emmerich. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) by Quentin Tarantino. Story by Robert Kurtzman. Draft script. Fugitive, The (1993) by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy. Draft script. Full Metal Jacket (1987) by Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford. Based on the novel "The Short Timers" by Gustav Hasford. The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) by Steve Kloves. Final draft, November 4, 1988. The French Connection (1971) by Ernest Tidyman and William Friedkin. Rev. April 26, 1971 < F >

< G > G.I. Jane (1997) by David Twohy. First draft, August 6, 1995. Galaxy Quest (1999) by David Howard, Robert Gordon. Final draft, 5/04/99. Gandhi (1982) by John Briley. Gangs of New York (2002) by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, Kenneth Lonergan. 3rd Draft (1993). Gattaca (1997) by Andrew M. Niccol. Draft script. Get Shorty (1995) by Scott Frank. Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. Ghost (1990) by Bruce Joel Rubin. Shooting draft. Ghost Ship (2002) by Mark Hanlon. First draft. Ghost World (2001) by Daniel Clowes (based upon his comic book) and Terry Zwigoff Ghost and the Darkness, The (1996) by William Goldman Gladiator (2000) transcript by David Franzoni, revised by John Logan. Transcript. Gladiator (2000) by David Franzoni, revised by John Logan. Second draft. October 22, 1998. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) by David Mamet. Gods and Monsters (1998) by Bill Condon. Based on the novel "Father of Frankenstein" by Christopher Bram. Shooting draft. May 30, 1997. Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) by Scott Rosenberg. 4/6/99. Good Will Hunting (1997) by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Draft script. Graduate, The (1967) by Buck Henry. Final draft, March 29, 1967. Grand Hotel (1932) by William A. Drake. Based on the play "Menschen im Hotel" by Vicki Baum. Shooting draft. Grapes of Wrath, The (1940) by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the Novel "The Grapes Of Wrath" By John Steinbeck. Great Train Robbery, The (1903) by Edwin S. Porter. Story by Scott Marble. Green Mile, The (1999) Screenplay by Frank Darabont. From the novel by Stephen King. First Draft, 11/4/97. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) First Draft: Tom Jankiewicz. Revised Draft: D.V. deVincentis & S.K. Boatman & John Cusack. May 4, 1994. The Game (1997) by John Brancato and Michael Ferris and Larry Gross and Andrew Kevin Walker. Draft script. 2/8/96. The Game (1997) by John Brancato & Michael Ferris. Early draft. October 19, 1995. The Godfather (1974) by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Third draft. The Godfather: Part II (1974) by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Second draft. September 24, 1973 The Goonies (1985) by Chris Columbus. The Grifters (1990) by Donald E. Westlake. Based on the novel by Jim Thompson. Second Draft. March 1989. < G >

< H > Hackers (1995) by Rafael Moreu. Halloween (1978) by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Final script. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) by Woody Allen. Hannibal (2001) by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Production draft, February 9, 2000. Happiness (1998) by Todd Solondz. Hard Rain (1998) by Graham Yost. 1998 SHOOTING DRAFT Hardcore (1979) by Paul Schrader. Shooting draft. Harold and Maude (1971) by Colin Higgins. 5/29/70 Harvey (1950) by Mary Chase. Based on the play by Mary Chase. Shooting Script, AUGUST 8, 1950. Haunting, The (1999) by David Self. Based on the Novel by Shirley Jackson. Initial Shooting Script, 11/10/98. Revisions by Michael Tolkin. Heathers (1989) by Daniel Waters. Final shooting script. February 8, 1988. Heavenly Creatures (1995) by Frances Walsh and Peter Jackson. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) by Peter Atkins. Original Story by Clive Barker. 2nd. Draft, November 1, 1987. Hellboy (2004) by Guillermo del Toro. Production draft, 6/14/03. Hellraiser (1987) by Clive Barker. Based on his novel "The Hellbound Heart". Final script, 7/28/86 High Fidelity (2000) by D.V. De Vincentis, Steve Pink, & John Cusack. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby. London Draft, 9/11/98. His Girl Friday (1940) by Charles Lederer. Based on the play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. 1939, Shooting draft. Hollow Man (2000) by Andrew W. Marlowe. Revised Draft, 6/26/98. Horse Whisperer, The (1998) by Eric Roth. Based on the Novel by Nicholas Evans. Second Draft, 1/21/97. House of 1000 Corpses (2003) by Rob Zombie. Revised 3-31-00. House on Haunted Hill (1999) by Dick Beebe. Adapted from the screenplay by Robb White. Production Draft: 13 Jan 1999. Hudson Hawk (1991) by Steven E. de Souza. Revisions by Daniel Waters. Based on an original idea by Bruce Willis & Robert Kraft. Production script, June 14, 1990. Hustler, The (1961) by Sidney Carroll and Robert Rossen. Based on novel by Walter Tevis. < H >

< I > I Am Sam (2001) by Kristine Johnson & Jessie Nelson. Shooting draft, 2001. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) transcript by Kevin Williamson. Transcript. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) by Trey Callaway. Based on characters created by Lois Duncan. Published edition, 1998. I Walked with a Zombie (1943) by Curt Siodmak and Ardel Wray. Based on the novel "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte and Scientific Information from Articles by Inez Wallace. I'll Do Anything (1994) by James L. Brooks. Shooting draft Ice Storm, The (1997) by James Schamus. Based on the novel by Rick Moody. First Draft Revised January 5, 1996. Independence Day (1996) by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) by Jeff Boam. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) by Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz. Inherent Vice (2014) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Based on the book by Thomas Pynchon. FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT, August 7, 2013 Innerspace (1987) by Chip Proser. First Draft, May 20, 1984. Insider, The (1999) by Eric Roth & Michael Mann. Final draft. 11/5/99. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) by Anne Rice. Based on the her novel. Isle of the Dead (1945) by Ardel Wray & Josef Mischel. It Happened One Night (1934) by Robert Riskin. Based on a story by Samuel Hopkins Adams. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Philip Van Doren Stern (based on the his story "The Greatest Gift"), Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett and Frank Capra, Jo Swerling, Michael Wilson. Final Script. < I >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < J > JFK (1991) by Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar. Based on the books by Jim Garrison "On the Trail of the Assasins" and Jim Marrs "Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy". Final script. Jackie Brown (1997) by Quentin Tarantino. Based on the novel "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard. Final Draft March 1, 1997. Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Bruce Joel Rubin. Jason X (2001) by Todd Famer. Jaws (1975) by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on novel by Peter Benchley. Final Draft Screenplay. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) by Kevin Smith Jazz Singer, The (1927) by Alfred A. Cohn. Jerry Maguire (1996) by Cameron Crowe. Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) by John Patrick Shanley. Revised draft, 08/25/89. John Q (2002) by James Kearns. Joker (2019) by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver. 13 April 2018 Jurassic Park (1993) by David Koepp. Based upon the novel by Michael Crichton and on adaption by Michael Crichton and Malia Scotch Marmo. Final draft, December 11, 1992. Jurassic Park III (2001) by Peter Buchman, revisions by Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor and John August. The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) by Arthur Mann and Lawrence Taylor. Draft script < J >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < K > Kafka (1991) by Lem Dobbs. Final script. Kalifornia (1993) by Tim Metcalfe. Based on a story by Stephen Levy and Tim Metcalfe. Shooting draft. Kate & Leopold (2001) by James Mangold and Steven Rogers. Based on a story by Steven Rogers. Kids (1995) by Harmony Korine. Kids (1995) transcript by Harmony Korine. Transcript. Kill Bill (2003) by Quentin Tarantino. Draft script. Killing Zoe (1994) by Roger Avary. King of Comedy (1983) by Paul D. Zimmerman. December 15, 1976 draft. Klute (1971) by Andy and Dave Lewis. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) by Robert Benton. Based on the novel by Avery Corman. Revised Third Draft. July 14, 1978. Kundun (1997) by Melissa Mathison. 16 October 1992. < K >

< L > L.A. Confidential (1997) by Brian Helgeland. Based on the novel by James Ellroy. Draft script. November 16, 1995. Ladykillers, The (2004) by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Based on the 1955 movie "The Ladykillers" by William Rose. Last Samurai, The (2003) by John Logan, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. Last Temptation of Christ (1988) by Paul Schrader. Based on a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. Last of the Mohicans, The (1992) by Michael Mann and Christopher Crowe. Based on the Novel by James Fenimore Cooper. Leaving Las Vegas (1995) by Mike Figgis. Based on the novel by John O�Brian. Shooting script, September 1994. Leon (1994) by Luc Besson. Version 1 Script. Leopard Man, The (1943) by Ardel Wray and Edward Dein. From the Novel "Black Alibi" by Cornell Woolrich. Lethal Weapon (1997) by Shane Black. Leviathan (1989) by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Revised Draft, September 8, 1987 Life As A House (2001) by Mark Andrus Limey, The (1999) by Lem Dobbs. Production draft, 08/03/98. Little Nicky (2000) by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler & Steven Brill. Living in Oblivion (1995) by Tom DiCillo. Shooting draft, 1995. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998) by Guy Ritchie. Final script. Logan's Run (1976) by David Zelag Goodman. Revised : April 30, 1975. Lone Star (1996) by John Sayles. Lord of Illusions (1995) by Clive Barker. Lost Boys, The (1987) by Jeffrey Boam. Revised draft. Lost Highway (1997) by David Lynch and Barry Gifford. Draft script. 21 June 1995. Lost Souls (2000) by Pierce Gardner. Lost Weekend, The (1945) by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. Based on a novel by Charles R. Jackson. Lost in America (1985) by Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson. Lost in Space (1998) by Akiva Goldsman. Based on the television series by Irwin Allen. Final script. Love & Basketball (2000) by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The Lion in Winter (1968) by James Goldman. 11 October 19XX revised draft < L >

< M > Life of Brian (1979) by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin. M*A*S*H (1970) by Ring Lardner, Jr. From the Novel by Richard Hooker. Final script, February 26, 1969. MEMENTO (2000) by Christopher Nolan. Based on a short story by Jonathan Nolan. Shooting Script. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) by Terry Hayes, George Miller, Brian Hannant. April 13, 1981. Made (2001) by Jon Favreau. Made for Each Other (1939) by Rose Franken and Jo Swerling. Humorous Situations by Frank Ryan. Shooting draft. Magnolia (1999) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Shooting draft, 11/10/98. Majestic, The (2001) by Michael Sloane. Revised draft, October 14, 1997. Major League (1989) by David S. Ward. Shooting draft. Malcolm X (1992) by James Baldwin, Arnold Perl and Spike Lee. Based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Fourth draft (1991). Man Who Wasn't There, The (2001) by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen. Man in the Iron Mask, The (1998) by Randall Wallace. Based on novels by Alexandre Dumas pere. First draft, September 18, 1995. Man on the Moon (1999) by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Manhunter (1986) by Michael Mann. Based on the novell by Thomas Harris. Second draft, July 20, 1984. Mask, The (1994) by Mark Verheiden. Final draft. Matrix: Reloaded (2003) by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Early draft, April 8, 1999. Mean Streets (1973) by Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin, Ethan Edwards. Meet Joe Black (1998) by Bo Goldman. Melvin and Howard (1980) by Bo Goldman. Revised first draft. February 1, 1979. Men In Black (1997) by Ed Solomon. Based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham. Final script. Metro (1997) by Randy Feldman. Shooting draft. Midnight Cowboy (1969) by Waldo Salt. Based on a novel by James Leo Herlihy. Draft: 2/2/68. Midnight Run (1988) by George Gallo. Shooting draft. Miller's Crossing (1990) by Joel and Ethan Coen. Mimic (1997) by Matt Greenberg & Guillermo del Toro. June 19th 1996. Minority Report (2002) by Jon Cohen. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick. Early draft, Aug 15th 1997. Minority Report (2002) by Scott Frank. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick. Revised draft, May 16, 2001. Misery (1990) by William Goldman. Based on the Novel by Stephen King. Mission: Impossible (1996) by Robert Towne. Final shooting script, 16th August 1995. Mission: Impossible II (2000) by Robert Towne. Revised. 12/4/99. Mobsters (1991) by Michael Mahern and Nicholas Kazan. Based on a story by Michael Mahern. Shooting draft. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) by Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Marty Feldman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Angus James, Terry Jones, David Lipscomb, Michael Palin. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin. Final draft, 20.3.74. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin. Transcribed by Jason R. Heimbaugh. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) by Robert Riskin. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) by Sidney Buchman. Story by Lewis R. Foster. Mrs Brown (1997) by Jeremy Brock Mulholland Dr. (2001) by David Lynch. 1/5/1999. Mumford (1999) by Lawrence Kasdan. Shooting draft. Mummy, The (1999) by Lloyd Fonvielle. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) by Ronald Bass. First Draft Screenplay. My oWN PrivaTe idAHo (1991) by Gus Van Sant. Revised draft, April 1989. Mystery Men (1999) by Neil Cuthbert. Based on the Dark Horse comic created by Bob Burden. Revised June 6, 1997. The Matrix (1999) transcript by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Transcripted by Tim Staley. The Matrix (1999) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Draft script. June 3, 1997. The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc (2000) by Andrew Birkin and Luc Besson. < M >

< N > Nashville (1975) by Joan Tewksbury. June 8, 1974. Natural Born Killers (1994) by Quentin Tarantino. Draft script. Natural Born Killers (1994) by Quentin Tarantino, David Veloz, Richard Rutowski, and Oliver Stone. Draft five, May 11,1993. Network (1976) by Paddy Chayefsky. Revised, January 14, 1976. Never Been Kissed (1999) by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein. 6/26/98 revision. Next Friday (2000) by Ice Cube. Night at the Roxbury, A (1998) by Steve Koren, Will Ferrell & Chris Kattan . First Draft, June 2, 1997. Nightcrawler (2014) by Dan Gilroy. Nightmare Before Christmas, The (1993) by Caroline Thompson. First Draft, August 5, 1991. Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984) by Wes Craven. Ninth Gate, The (1999) by Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn and Enrique Urbizu. Based on a novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Final draft. Nixon (1995) by Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson and Oliver Stone Nothing But a Man (1964) by Michael Roemer and Robert Young. Notting Hill (1999) by Richard Curtis. Nurse Betty (2000) by John C. Richards & James Flamberg Shooting Script, 3/9/99. < N >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < O > Omega Man, The (1971) by John William Corrington. Based on the novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson. Draft script, 7/18/70. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) by Lawrence Hauben. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey. One Good Turn (1930) by ? Only You (1994) by Diane Drake. Out Of Sight (1998) by Scott Frank, production draft. From the novel by Elmore Leonard. < O >

< P > Panic Room (2002) by David Koepp. February 23, 2000. Passenger 57 (1992) by David Loughery . Revised draft, October 8 1991. Patriot, The (2000) by Robert Rodat. Draft script. March 26, 1999. Pearl Harbor (2001) by Randall Wallace. Early Draft. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) by Jerry Leichtling and Arlene Sarner. Pet Sematary (1989) by Stephen King. Based on the Novel by Stephen King. Philadelphia (1993) by Ron Nyswaner. Draft, September 21, 1992. Phone Booth (2002) by Larry Cohen. Pi (1998) by Darren Aranofsky. Shooting Script, September, 1996. Piano, The (1993) by Jane Campion. 4th draft 1991. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. First draft, September 1, 2002. Pitch Black (2000) by David Twohy. Based on material by Ken and Jim Wheat. Revised First Draft, 3/3/98. Planet of the Apes (1968) by Michael Wilson. Based on novel "La Planete des singes" by Pierre Boulle. Shooting script, May 5, 1967. Planet of the Apes (2001) by William Broyles Jr. and Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal. Based on novel by Pierre Boulle. Plastic Man, The (2003) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Early draft. March 17, 1995. Platoon (1986) by Oliver Stone. Final script. Pleasantville (1998) by Gary Ross. Shooting script. Point Break (1991) by James Cameron & Kathryn Bigelow. From the Screenplay by W. Peter Iliff. Draft script. Predator (1987) by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Final script, January 30, 1987. Pretty Woman (1990) by Jonathan Lawton, Stephen Metcalfe. Draft script. Princess Bride, The (1987) by William Goldman. Based on his novell. Shooting Draft. Producers (1968) by Mel Brooks. March, 1967. Psycho (1960) by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch. Revised December 1, 1959. Pulp Fiction (1994) by Quentin Tarantino. Final script, May 1993. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) by Paul Thomas Anderson. The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006) transcript by Steve Conrad. Transcript < P >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < Q > Quills (2000) undated, unspecified draft script by Doug Wright Quiz Show (1994) revised draft script june 19, 1991 by Paul Attanasio The Queen (2006) Original Screenplay by Peter Morgan < Q >

< R > RKO 281 (1999) by John Logan. May 1,1997. Rabid (1977) by David Cronenberg. Shooting draft, 1977. Raging Bull (1980) by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by Lawrence Kasdan. Revised third draft, August 1979. Raising Arizona (1987) by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. Rambling Rose (1991) by Calder Willingham based upon his book. Rapture (1991) by Michael Tolkin. Real Genius (1985) by Neal Israel, Pat Proft, Peter Torokvei. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) by Stewart Stern. Red Planet (2000) by Chuck Pfarrer and Jonathan Lemkin. Reindeer Games (2000) by Ehren Kruger. Relic, The (1997) by Amy Holden Jones. Based on the book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Early draft, March 16, 1995. Requiem for a Dream (2000) transcript Dialogue Transcript (screenplay by Darren Aronofsky & Hubert Selby, Jr.) Requiem for a Dream (2000) by Darren Aronofsky & Hubert Selby, Jr. Reservoir Dogs (1992) by Quentin Tarantino. Shooting script. October 22, 1990. Return to Me (2000) by Bonnie Hunt and Donald Lake. Ride the High Country (1962) by N.B. Stone Jr. with Robert Creighton Williams and Sam Peckinpah. Shooting draft. Ringu (1998) by Takahashi Hiroshi. Based upon the novel "Ringu" by Suzuki Kouji. Adapted / Translated by J Lopez. Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves (1991) by Pen Densham, John Watson. Transcript. Rock, The (1996) by Jonathan Hensleigh. Revised 10/10/95. Rocky (1976) by Sylvester Stallone. Final draft, 1/7/76. Romeo + Juliet (1996) transcript by William Shakespeare. Adapted for the screen by Craig Pearce and Baz Luhrmann. Transcript. Romeo + Juliet (1996) by William Shakespeare. Adapted for the screen by Craig Pearce and Baz Luhrmann. Final shooting script. October 6, 1995. Ronin (1998) by J.D. Zeik. Draft script. May 20, 1997. Runaway Bride (1999) by Sarah Parriott & Josann McGibbon. Rush Hour (1998) by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna. Rush Hour 2 (2001) by Jeff Nathanson. Rushmore (1998) by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Final script, May 12, 1997 < R >

< S > Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003) by Charlie Kaufman. S1m0ne (2002) by Andrew Niccol. SCREAM (1996) by Kevin Williamson. Rewrite, July 31, 1995. SCREAM 2 (1997) by Kevin Williamson. Draft script. SHINING (1980) by Diane Johnson, Stanley Kubrick. Based on the novel by Stephen King. Post Production Script. July, 1980. SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957) by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman. Saint, The (1997) by Jonathan Hensleigh. Based on characters by Leslie Charteris. Early draft, February 8, 1995. Salt of the Earth (1954) by Michael Wilson. Final script. Salton Sea, The (2002) by Tony Gayton. Saving Private Ryan (1998) by Robert Roday. Draft script. Scarlet Letter, The (1926) by Frances Marion. Based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Scary Movie 2 (2001) by Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Alyson Fouse, Greg Grabianski, Dave Polsky, Michael Anthony Snowden, Craig Wayans. Scary movie (2000) by Shawn Wayans & Marlon Wayans. Schindler's List (1993) by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally. First Revision, March, 1990. Scream 3 (2000) by Ehren Kruger. Draft script, May 2, 1999. Se7en(1995) by Andrew Kevin Walker. Draft script, 8/8/94. Searchers, The (1956) by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May. Sense and Sensibility (1995) by Emma Thompson. Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen. Serial Mom (1994) by John Waters. Second Draft: July 22, 1992. Seven Days to Live (2000) by Dirk Ahner. 2nd draft, May, 1999. Seventh Seal, The (1958) by Ingmar Bergman. Seventh Victim, The (1943) by Charles O'Neal and DeWitt Bodeen. Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) by Steven Soderbergh. Fourth draft. 29 july 1988. Shakespeare in Love (1998) by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Shampoo (1975) by Robert Towne and Warren Beatty. Shine (1996) by Scott Hicks and Jan Sardi. Sideways (2004) by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett. May 29, 2003 Siege (1998) by Lawrence Wright, Menno Meyjes and Edward Zwick. Story by Lawrence Wright. 1998 SHOOTING DRAFT Signs (2002) by M. Night Shyamalan. Silence of the Lambs (1991) by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Final script. Silver Bullet (1985) by Stephen King. Based on his story "Cycle of the Werewolf". Final script. Silverado (1985) by Lawrence Kasdan and Mark Kasdan. Production draft. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron. May 10, 1992. Sleepy Hollow (1999) Screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and Tom Stoppard. Based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. Shooting Draft. 9/29/98. Sling Blade (1996) by Billy Bob Thornton. Shooting Draft. Smoke (1995) by Paul Auster. Final script. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) by James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer and Alan Mandel. Story by Hal Needham and Robert L. Levy. Early draft. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) by Ron Bass and Scott Hicks. Based on the novel by David Guterson. Final script. May 4, 1998. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) by Robbie Fox. Shooting draft. Solaris (2002) by Steven Soderbergh. Based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem. October 4, 2001 draft. Soldier (1998) by David Webb Peoples. Some Like It Hot (1959) by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. November 12, 1958. Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) by Howard Franklin and Danilo Bach and David Seltzer. Revisions by Danilo Bach. Revised December 4, 1986. Sounder (1972) by Lonne Elder III. From the novel by William H. Armstrong. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999) by Trey Parker, Matt Stone & Pam Brady. Eighth Draft, January 21, 1999. Spaceballs (1987) by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan. Transcript. Spanglish (2004) by James L. Brooks. Shooting draft. Formatted by Alex Raynor :) Spare Me (1992) by Christopher Grimm and Matthew Harrison. Sphere (1998) by Paul Attanasio. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton. Shooting script. Spider-Man (2002) by David Koepp. Based on comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Spider-Man (2002) by Barry Cohen and Ted Newson and James Cameron. Based on the comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Early draft, 8/4/1993. Stagecoach (1939) by Dudley Nichols and Ben Hecht. Based on the story "Stage To Lordsburg" by Ernest Haycox. Shooting draft. Stalag 17 (1953) by Billy Wilder and Edwin Blum. Based on a play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski. Shooting draft. Star Wars (1977) aka Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope by George Lucas. Revised Fourth Draft, January 15, 1976. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) by George Lucas. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) by George Lucas. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) by George Lucas Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. From a story by George Lucas. Final draft. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. From the novel by George Lucas. Second draft - December 19, 1982. Starman (1984) by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon with Dean Riesner (uncredited). Draft script. Starship Troopers (1997) by Edward Neumeier. Based on the novel by Robert Heinlein. State and Main (2000) by David Mamet. Stepmom (1998) by Ronald Bass and Gigi Levangie. Second Revised Draft. Sting, The (1973) by David S. Ward. Second Draft Screenplay. Strange Days (1995) By James Cameron and Jay Cocks. Final Draft, August 11, 1993. Sugar & Spice (2001) by Mandy Nelson. Sunset Blvd. (1950) by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman, Jr. March 21,1949. Superman (1978) by Tom Mankiewicz. DRAFT: 4/6/77 SHOOTING Superman (1978) by David Newman, Leslie Newman and Robert Benton. Original Screenplay By Mario Puzo. July, 1976 Sweet Hereafter, The (1997) By Atom Egoyan. Based on the novel by Russell Banks. Final revised draft, October, 1996. Swingers (1996) by Jon Favreau. Third draft, December 13, 1994. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Frank Darabont. Based upon the story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King. The Sixth Sense (1999) by M. Night Shyamalan. The Straight Story (1999) by Mary Sweeney and John Roach The Swimmer(1968) by Eleanor Perry. < S >

< T > THX 1138 (1971) by George Lucas and Walter Murch. Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) by Anthony Minghella. Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Final script. 1st November 1999. Taxi Driver (1976) by Paul Schrader. Terminator (1984) by James Cameron. Fourth Draft, April 20, 1983. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) by James Cameron, William Wisher. Revised final shooting script. The Truman Show (1998) by Andrew Niccol. Shooting Script. Thelma & Louise (1991) by Callie Khouri. Final shooting script. June 5, 1990. There's Something About Mary (1998) by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly. Final shooting script, October 21, 1997. They (2002) by Brendan Hood. Thin Man, The (1934) by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett. Thing Called Love, The (1993) by Carol Heikkinen. Second Draft, May 1992. Thing, The (1982) by Bill Lancaster. From the story "Who Goes There" by Don A. Stuart. Second draft, March 4, 1981. Thir13en Ghosts (2001) by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio Thirteen Days (2000) by David Self, Ernest R. May�& Philip D. Zelikow (book "The Kennedy Tapes - Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis".) Three Kings (1999) by by David O. Russell. Draft Date: 6/22/98. Time Machine, The (1960) by David Duncan. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells. Draft revised thru 6-25-59. Time Machine, The (2002) by John Logan. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells. Draft script, February 22, 2000. Titanic (1997) by James Cameron. To Sleep With Anger (1990) by Charles Burnett. Second Draft, January, 1989. Tomb Raider (2001) by Brent V. Friedman. First Draft, 7/17/98. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) by Bruce Feirstein. Top Gun (1986) by Chip Proser. Revised draft, April 4, 1985. Total Recall (1990) by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon and Gary Goldman. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" Final script, August 22, 1989. Toy Story (1995) by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow. Final draft, November 1995. Traffic (2000) by Stephen Gaghan. Training Day (2001) by David Ayer. REVISED DRAFT, August 18, 1999. Trainspotting (1996) by John Hodge. Based on the Novel by Irvine Welsh. Tremors (1990) by S. S. Wilson & Brent Maddock. 6/21/88. Tron (1982) by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Fourth Draft Screenplay by Charlie Haas. April 6, 1981 True Believer (1989) by Wesley Strick. Shooting draft. True Lies (1994) by James Cameron. True Romance (1993) by Quentin Tarantino. August 1992 early draft. Twelve Monkeys (1995) by David Webb Peoples and Janet Peoples. Production Draft, June 27, 1994. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) by David Lynch and Bob Engels. Shooting Draft, August 8, 1991. < T >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < U > The Usual Suspects (1995) by Christopher McQuarrie, 5/25/94. U-Turn (1997) by John Ridley, revised by Richard Rutowski & Oliver Stone. Based on the book by John Ridley. Final script. Unbreakable (2000) by M. Night Shyamalan. october.eighth.ninety-nine Under Fire (1983) by Clayton Frohman and Ron Shelton. Story by Clayton Frohman. Shooting draft. Unforgiven (1992) by David Webb Peoples. Production draft. April 23, 1984. < U >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < V > V for Vendetta (2005) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore. Verdict, The (1982) by David Mamet. Based on novel by Barry Reed. Vertigo (1958) by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor. Based on the novel "d'Entre les Morts" by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. Draft 9-12-1957. Very Bad Things (1998) by Peter Berg. Draft script, 9/2/97. Viridiana (1961) by Luis Bunuel (in collaboration with Julio Alejandro). Translated by Piergiuseppe Bozzetti. Virtuosity (1995) by Eric Bernt. Third rewrite, August 24, 1994 < V >

< W > Wag the Dog (1997) by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet. Based on the book "American Hero" by Larry Beinhart Second draft, 10/14/96. Wall Street (1987) by Stanley Weiser & Oliver Stone. Third draft, 4/23/87. What Lies Beneath (2000) by Clark Gregg. June 14, 1999. When Harry Met Sally... (1989) transcript by Nora Ephron. Transcripted by Yours Truly, Wing Poon, Kristen Kelly. Re-formatted by Alex Raynor. When a Stranger Calls (1979) by Steve Feke and Fred Walton. Shooting draft. Whiplash (2014) by Damien Chazelle. White Angel (1993) by Genevieve Jolliffe and Chris Jones. White Squall (1996) by Todd Robinson. Revised First Draft, October 31, 1994. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on the novel by Gary K. Wolf "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?". Third draft, September 2, 1986. Wild Bunch, The (1969) by Sam Peckinpah. Wild Things (1998) by Stephen Peters, revised by Kem Nunn. Final script. January 21, 1997. Wild at Heart (1990) by David Lynch. Based on the book by Barry Gifford. Withnail and I (1987) transcript by Bruce Robinson. Witness (1985) by William Kelley, Earl W. Wallace. Revised draft, April 23, 1984. Wizard of Oz, The (1939) by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allen Woolf. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum. Last revised March 15, 1939. Wonder Boys (2000) by Steven Kloves. Based on the novel by Michael Chabon. Revises draft, January 21, 1999. World Is Not Enough, The (1999) by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. < W >

Screenplays, movie scripts and transcripts organized alphabetically: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PDF ALL < X > THE X-MEN (2000) by Ed Solomon. Final script. February 24, 1999. X Files, The (1998) by Chris Carter. Production draft, 6/30/97. < X >

< Y > You've Got Mail (1998) by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron. Based on the novel "The Shop Around The Corner" by Nikolaus Laszlo. 2nd Final White revised, February 2, 1998. < Y >

< Z Zodiac (2007) by Jamie Vanderbilt. Based on the books "Zodiac" and "Zodiac Unmasked" by Robert Graysmith. FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT Zulu Dawn (1979) by Cy Endfield, Anthony Story. < Z

13 Ghosts by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio 16 Blocks by Richard Wenk One Eight Seven by Scott Yagemann 25th Hour by David Benioff 2001 Maniacs by Chris Kobin & Tim Sullivan 2010 The Odyssey Continues by Peter Hyams (based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke) 3 Kings by David O. Russell (story by John Ridley) 40 Year Old Virgin by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell Eight Legged Freaks (Originally Titled Arac Attack) by Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem 8 Mile (aka Untitled Detroit Project) by Scott Silver Above the Law by Steven Pressfield & Ronald Shusett & Andrew Davis Absolute Power by William Goldman (based on the book by David Baldacci) Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman The Addams Family by Larry Wilson and Caroline Thompson (rewrite by Paul Rudnick based on the characters by Charles Addams) An Affair to Remember by Alfred Hayes After School Special by David H. Steinberg After the Truth (Nichts als die Wahrheit) by Christopher & Kathleen Riley Alfie by Elaine Pope & Charles Shyer (based on the screenplay by Bill Naughton based on the play by Bill Naughton) American Splendor by Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman An Officer and a Gentleman by Douglas Day Stewart Anatomy of a Murder by Wendell Mayes Angel Eyes by Gerald DiPego Any Given Sunday by Jamie Williams & Richard Wiener, John Logan, Daniel Pyne Apache Drums by David Chandler Arac Attack (Released as Eight Legged Freaks) by Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem Armageddon by Robert Roy Pool & Jonathan Hensleigh Asylum (Batman Vs Superman) by Andrew Kevin Walker (revised by Akiva Goldsman) Awakenings by Steven Zaillian (based on the book by Oliver Sacks) Bad Boys by Michael Barrie & Jim Mulholland and Doug Richardson Bad Lieutenant by Abel Ferrara & Zo Lund Barbershop by Mark Brown & Don D Scott Batman Begins by David Goyer Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Beauty Shop by Kate Lanier Being Human by Bill Forsyth Beneath the Planet of the Apes by Paul Dehn The Big Easy by Jack Baran & Jim McBride (Original screenplay by Daniel Petrie, Jr. The Big Sleep by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman (from the novel by Raymond Chandler) The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier, Evan Hunter Blood Relations The Sun Wars (filmed as The Hills Have Eyes) by Wes Craven Blood Work by Brian Helgeland (based on the novel by Michael Connelly) The Blues Brothers by John Landis & Dan Aykroyd Body Heat by Lawrence Kasdan The Bodyguard by Lawrence Kasdan Bonfire of the Vanities by Michael Cristofer, Based on the novel by Tom Wolfe Born on the Fourth of July (part 1) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) Born on the Fourth of July (part 1) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) Born on the Fourth of July (part 2) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) Born on the Fourth of July (part 2) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) The Bourne Supremacy by Tony Gilroy and Brian Helgeland (based on the novel by Robert Ludlum) Boy Who Never Slept by Solomon Rothman Break by Oliver Stone Breakdown by Jonathan Mostow Brick by Rian Johnson Broken Arrow By� Graham Yost Call Northside 777 (part 1) by Jay Dratler Call Northside 777 (part 2) by Jay Dratler Capote by Dan Futterman (based on the book Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke) Casablanca by Julius Epstien, Philip Epstien, & Howard Koch Catwoman by John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris & John Rogers Cellular by Larry Cohen, revised by Chris Morgan, revised by J. Mackye Gruber & Eric Bress Charlie's Angels by Ed Soloman & John August, with revisions by Zak Penn The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (formerly The Hundred Year Winter) by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (revised by Andrew Adamson) based on the book The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis) City of Joy by Gerald Brach and Roland Joffe Based on the book by Dominique LaPierre A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick Close Encounters of The Third Kind (part 1) by Steven Spielberg Close Encounters of The Third Kind (part 2) by Steven Spielberg Clue (part 1) by Jonathan Lynn Clue (part 2) by Jonathan Lynn Cobb by Ron Shelton Based on material by Al Stump Collateral by Stuart Beattie, revised by Frank Darabont, revised by Michael Mann Collateral Damage by Ronald Roose Commando by Richard Tuggle Committed (filmed as Crazylove) by Carol Watson Confessions of a Dangerous Mind by Charlie Kaufman Confidence by Doug Jung The Contest by Judith Berg & Sandra Berg Cortes by Nicholas Kazan Courage Under Fire by Patrick Sheane Duncan Cradle to the Grave by John O'Brian & Channing Gibson Crash by Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco Crazylove (was Committed) by Carol Watson Crime Spree by Brad Mirman The Crow: 2037 A New World of Gods and Monster by Rob Zombie The Crying Game by Neil Jordan Custody by Eric Stuyvesant Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake Death to Smoochy by Marty Kaplan Deceptions by Richard Taylor Duel by Richard Matheson The Devil's Advocate by Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy (based on the novel by Andrew Neiderman) Diamond Dead by Brian Cooper Diamond Dead by Brian Cooper Diamond Dead by Brian Cooper Die Hard 2 by Doug Richardson revisions by Steven E. de Souza The Distinguished Gentleman by Adam Resnick Doom by Christpher Cleveland A Dry White Season by Euzhan Palcy Based on the novel by Andre Brink Edward Ford by Lem Dobbs Eight Legged Freaks (Originally Titled Arac Attack) by Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem Elizabethtown by Cameron Crowe Encrypt by Richard Taylor Equilibrium by Kurt Wimmer Equilibrium by Kurt Wimmer Escape from the Planet of the Apes (release title) The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) part 1 by Paul Dehn Escape from the Planet of the Apes (release title) The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) part 2 by Paul Dehn Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Charlie Kaufman Executive Decision by Jim Thomas & John Thomas F by Howard A. Rodman Fallen by Nicholas Kazan Far From Heaven by Todd Haynes The Flintstones by Steven E. DeSouza Fortune Cookie by Rob Thomas Freaked by Tim Burns, Tom Sterns & Alex Winter Freddy vs. Jason by Damian Shannon & Mark J. Swift Freddy vs. Jason by Damian Shannon & Mark J. Swift From Here To Eternity by Daniel Taradash (based on the novel by James Jones) From Here To Eternity by Daniel Taradash (based on the novel by James Jones) The Fugitive by David N. Twohy Fun With Dick and Jane Part 1 by Mordecai Richler Fun With Dick and Jane Part 2 by Mordecai Richler Game 6 by Don DeLillo Get Carter by David Mckenna Get Rich or Die Trying (aka Untitled 50 Cent Project) by Terence Winter The Getaway by Walter Hill Giant by Fred Guidol & Ivan Moffat (based on the novel by Edna Ferber) Girl With a Pearl Earring by Olivia Hetreed Glory Road by David Callaham, Revisions by Wesley Strick Go To Hell by Michael J. Heagle & Raymond P. Whalen The Godfather III by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola The Gods of Comedy by Bill Steinkellner & Cheri Steinkellner Good Fellas by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese Good Night, and Good Luck by George Clooney & Grant Heslov A Goofy Movie by Jymn Magon The Goonies by Chris Columbus Gothika by Sebastian Gutierrez Halloween: Resurrection by Larry Brand & Steve Hood Hard to Kill by Steven Pressfield & Ronald Shusett & Steven Seagal Hardware by Richard Stanley, revised by Michael Fallon Hardware by Richard Stanley, revised by Michael Fallon Heat by Michael Mann Heist by David Mamet Hellraiser: Bloodline by Peter Atkins Hellraiser: Hellseeker by Carl Dupre Hellraiser: Hellseeker by Carl Dupre & Tim Day Hellraiser: Deader by Neal Marshall Stevens & Tim Day Hellraiser: Deader by Neal Marshall Stevens & Tim Day The Hills Have Eyes (was Blood Relations The Sun Wars) by Wes Craven The Hitcher by Eric Red Holes by Richard Kelly (based upon the novel by Louis Sachar Hook (part 1) by Jim Hart (story by Jim Hart & Nick Castle based on characters created by Sir James M. Barrie) Hook (part 2) by Jim Hart (story by Jim Hart & Nick Castle based on characters created by Sir James M. Barrie) Horror Inc. by Michael J. Heagle & Raymond P. Whalen Hotel Rwanda by Keir Pearson & Terry George Hudson Hawk by Steven de Souza, Revisions by Dan Waters, Story by Bruce Willis & Robert Kraft Human Nature by Charlie Kaufman The Hundred Year Winter (filmed as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (revised by Andrew Adamson) based on the book The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis) The Hudsucker Proxy by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen and Sam Raimi Hustle & Flow by Craig Brewer I, Robot by Hillary Seitz The Imitation Game (2014) by Graham Moore (undated, unspecified draft script, based on "Alan Turing: The Enigma" by Andrew Hodges) In The Heat of the Night by Stirling Silliphant In The Mouth of Madness by Michael De Luca Indiana Jones and the Raiders Of The Lost Ark by Lawrence Kasdan Innerspace by Jeffrey Boam Inside Man by Russel Gewirtz Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, based on the novel by Anne Rice Inventing the Abbotts by Ken Hixon The Island by Caspian Tredwell-Owen The Island of Dr. Moreau by Richard Stanley & Michael Herr, based on the novel by H. G. Wells The Island of Dr. Moreau by Richard Stanley & Michael Herr, based on the novel by H. G. Wells Italian Job by Donna Powers & Wayne Powers The Jacket by Massy Tadjedin (based on a previous screenplay by Marc Rocco) Jade by Joe Eszterhas Jeepers Creepers 2 by Victor Salva Jimmy and Judy by Randall K. Rubin & Jon Schroder Karate Kid by Robert Mark Kamen Katie's Choice by Deborah Amelon Kids by Harmony Korine Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy by Norm Hiscock, Bruce McCulloch, Kevi McDonald, Mark McKinney & Scott Thompson Killing Charlie Kaufman by Rick Cunningham Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (You'll Never Die In This Town Again) by Shane Black Kiss of the Spider Woman by Leonard Schrader Labyrinth by Laura Phillips & Terry Jones Land of the Dead by George A. Romero Last Action Hero by Zak Penn and Adam Leff, current draft by Shane Black and David Arnott, doctored by William Goldman Last Action Hero (first draft) by Zak Penn and Adam Leff The Last Bachelor by Pablo Fenjves The Last Boy Scout by Shane Black The Last Samurai by John Logan, revised by Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz The Last Samurai by John Logan, revised by Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz Legally Blonde by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith Lethal Weapon II by Jeffrey Boam story by Shane Black and Warren Murphy Lethal Weapon 4 by Channing Gibson, Story by Jonathan Lemkin and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, Based on characters created by Shane Black Liar, Liar by Tom Shadyac and Mike Binder Liberty Street (filmed as Life on Liberty Street) by Deborah Jones License to Drive by Neil Tolkin Life on Liberty Street (was Liberty Street) by Deborah Jones The Life of David Gale by Charles Randolph The Lion King by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts Little Black Book by Melissa Carter Lost in Translation by Sophia Coppola Luna by Matt Corman & Chris Ord Malibu's Most Wanted by Fax Bahr, Adam Small, Jamie Kennedy & Nick Swardson The Maltese Falcon by John Huston (from the novel by Dashiell Hammett) Man on Fire by Brian Helgeland, based on the novel by A.J. Quinnell Man Trouble by Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce) The Man Who Knew Too Much by John Michael Hayes The Manchurian Candidate by Dean Georgaris (based on the novel by Richard Condon and screenplay by George Axelrod) revised by Daniel Pyne Mandingo by Norman Wexler Maria Full of Grace (Maria/Screenplay) by Joshua Marston Matchstick Men by Nick Griffin & Ted Griffin (Based on the book by Eric Garcia) The Matrix by Andy & Larry Wachowski Maverick by William Goldman Mean Girls by Tina Fey (based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman) Memphis Belle by Monte Merrick Miami Vice by Michael Mann (based on Miami Vice created by Anthony Yerkovich) Midnight Express by Billy Hayes, William Hoffer & Oliver Stone Mighty Joe Young by Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner Million Dollar Baby by Paul Haggis (based on the short story by F.X.Toole) Monster's Ball by Milo Addica & Will Rokos Mr. And Mrs. Smith by Simon Kinberg Mr. Holland's Opus by Patrick Sheane Duncan Munich by Tony Kushner & Eric Roth (based on the book Vengence by George Jonas) Munich by Tony Kushner & Eric Roth (based on the book Vengence by George Jonas) Natural Born Killers by Quentin Tarantino Near Dark by Kathryn Bigelow & Eric Red New York Minute by Emily Fox (revisions by Mark Steilen) Newsies by Bob Tzudiker & Noni White, rewrite by David Fallon & Tom Rickman Nichts als die Wahrheit (After the Truth) by Christopher & Kathleen Riley Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors by Wes Craven & Bruce Wagner Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare by Rachel Talalay & Michael De Luca North By Northwest by Ernest Lehman Now or Never by John Kamps Ocean's Eleven by Ted Griffin (based on a screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer and a story by George Clayton Johnson & Jack Golden Russell) An Officer and a Gentleman by Douglas Day Stewart Office Space by Mike Judge On Air by Rob Thomas The Omen by David Seltzer One Eight Seven by Scott Yagemann Only Angels Have Wings by Jules Furthman Out of Sight by Scott Frank & Elmore Lenord Outbreak by Lawrence Dworet & Robert Roy Pool The Pacifier by Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant Paradox by Bob Gale Paths of Glory by Stanley Kubrick & Jim Thompson The Perfect Neighbor (was The Perfect Stranger) by Richard Dana Smith The Perfect Stranger (filmed as The Perfect Neighbor) by Richard Dana Smith A Perfect World by John Lee Hancock Planet of the Apes part 1 by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes part 2 by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes part 3 by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes by Charles Eastman Planet of the Apes part 1 by Michael Wilson Planet of the Apes part 2 by Michael Wilson Planet of the Men part 1 by Pierre Boulle Planet of the Men part 2 by Pierre Boulle Planet of the Apes Revisited part 1 (became Beneath the Planet of the Apes) by Paul Dehn Planet of the Apes Revisited part 2 (became Beneath the Planet of the Apes) by Paul Dehn Beneath the Planet of the Apes by Paul Dehn The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 1 by Paul Dehn The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 2 by Paul Dehn Escape from the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Paul Dehn Escape from the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Paul Dehn Conquest of the Planet of the Apes by Paul Dehn Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Return to the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Adam Rifkin Return to the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Adam Rifkin Planetfall by Michael J. Heagle Poltergeist by Steven Spielberg The Poseidon Adventure by Stirling Silliphant The Poseidon Adventure by Stirling Silliphant Possession by David Henry Hwang (based on the book by A. S. Byatt) The Postman by Brian Helgeland & Eric Roth, novel by David Brin The Power of One by Robert Mark Kamen Based on the novel by Bryce Courtenay Prime Directive (filmed as Transformers) by John Rogers (revisions by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) The Private Life of Sherlock Homes by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond The Punisher by Jonathan Hensleigh, Revised by Michael Tolkin The Punisher by Mark Robert Kamen Queen of the Damned by Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni, Based on the novel by Anne Rice Quills by Doug Wright Quiz Show by Paul Attanasio Rear Window by John Michael Hayes Red Planet by Chuck Pfarrer & Jonathan Lemkin Rent by Stephen Chbosky (current revisions by Chris Columbus) (based on the stage musical by Jonathan Larson) Rent by Stephen Chbosky (current revisions by Chris Columbus) (based on the stage musical by Jonathan Larson) The Replacements by Vince McKewin (revised by Mark Steven Johnson & Gwen Lurie) Return to the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Adam Rifkin Return to the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Adam Rifkin The Ringer by Ricky Blitt Robin Hood, The Prince of Thieves by Pen Densham & John Watson Robocop by Edward Neumeier & Michael Miner Rock & Rule by Peter Sauder & John Halfpenny Rough Diamonds (filmed as Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough) by Andy Hurst & Ross Helford The Royal Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson The Rules of Attraction by Roger Avery Saboteur by Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Viertel & Joan Harrison Save the Last Dance by Duane G. Adler, revisions by Toni-Ann Johnson, revisions by Cheryl Edwards A Scanner Darkly by Charlie Kaufman adapted from A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick Scarface by Oliver Stone The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 1 by Paul Dehn The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 2 by Paul Dehn Secret Window by David Koepp (based on the novella by Stephen King) Shadow of the Vampire by Steven Katz Sideways by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor (based on the novel by Rex Pickett) Slackers by David H. Steinberg Slash by Stephen Francis and Gus Silber Slay the Dreamer by Mark Lane & Donald Freed Sleepaway Camp III by Fritz Goron Snatch by Guy Richie Something Borrowed (filmed as The Wedding Date) by Dana Fox Something's Gotta Give by Nancy Meyers Space Cowboys By Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner Spanglish by James L. Brooks Spartan by David Mamet Speed by Graham Yost Special by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio The Spirit of St. Louis by Billy Wilder & Wendell Mayes Star Trek 10: Nemesis by John Logan Stay by David Benioff Stir of Echos by David Koepp (based on the novel by Richard Matheson Strangers on a Train by Raymond Chandler & Czenzi Ormonde Stuart Little 2 by Bruce Joel Rubin revised by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel SuperFights by Keith Strandburg Superman by J.J. Abrams Suspect Zero by Zak Penn (with revisions by Billy Ray) Sweet November by Kurt Voelker (based on the screenplay by Herman Raucher) revised by Becky Johnson Swordfish by Skip Woods Syriana by Stephen Gaghan (based on the book See No Evil by Robert Baer) Taking Lives by Jon Bokenkamp (based on the novel by Michael Pye) previous revisions by Nicholas Kazan, H. Seitz, David Ayer Tarzan's Secret Treasure by Myles Connolly & Paul Gangelin Thief by Michael Mann The Thin Red Line by Terrence Malick (based on the novel by James Jones) The Thing by Bill Lancaster (From the story Who Goes There by Don A. Stuart) Thir13en Ghosts by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio Thirteen Ghosts by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio This Boy's Life by Robert Getchell based on the book by Tobias Wolff Three Days of the Condor by Lorenzo Semple & David Rayfiel Three Kings by David O. Russell (story by John Ridley) Three Men and a Baby by Jim Cruickshank, James Orr, and Coline Serreau The Three Musketeers by David Loughery Thunderheart by John Fusco Ticker by Paul B. Margolis Timeline by George Nolfi (based on the novel by Michael Crichton) Timeline by George Nolfi (based on the novel by Michael Crichton) Tin Cup by John Norville and Ron Shelton Tin Men by Barry Levinson Tombstone by Kevin Jarre Training Day by David Ayer Transformers (Prime Directive) by John Rogers (revisions by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) The Treasure Of Sierra Madre by Robert Rossen from the novel by B. Traven Tripping Forward by Chris Fogleman and Marcus Nash Troy by Michael Tabb Troy by David Benioff True Crime by Stephen Schiff based on the novel by Andrew Klavan True Romance by Quentin Tarantino Twins by William Osborne & William Davies Revisions by Timothy Harris & Hersehel Weingrod and William Goldman Untitled 50 Cent Project (filmed as Get Rich Or Die Trying) by Terence Winter Vagrant by Charlie Vargas Vikings by Michael Traeger Virtuosity by Eric Bernt Waking up the Day by Mark Lee Walk The Line by Gill Dennis & James Mangold A Walk to Remember by Karen Janszen Warm Springs by Margaret Nagle Warriors by Walter Hill (From the novel by Sol Yurick) The Wedding Crashers by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher The Wedding Date (was Something Borrowed) by Dana Fox When Harry Met Sally by Nora Ephron Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough (was Rough Diamonds) by Andy Hurst & Ross Helford Wild, Wild West by S.S. Wilson & Brent Mattock and Jeffery Price & Peter S. Seaman, Story by Jim Thomas and John Thomas Wish List by C. David Stephens The Witches of Eastwick by Michael Cristofer (based on the book by John Updike) X-Men By Ed Solomon & Christopher McQuarrie X-men 2 by David Hayter (story by Bryan Singer and David Hayter) Current revisions by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris X2 by David Hayter (story by Bryan Singer and David Hayter) Current revisions by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris You'll Never Die In This Town Again (Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang) by Shane Black Zapper by Jim Strain

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) by Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac, Jim Carrey. Adaptation. (2002) by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean. Affliction (1997) by Paul Schrader. Based on a novel by Russell Banks. Shooting draft. Agnes Of God (1985) by John Pielmeier. Based on the play by John Pielmeier. Air Force One (1997) by Andrew Marlow. Airplane! (1980) transcript by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker. Transcript. Ali (2001) by Stephen J. Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson and Eric Roth & Michael Mann. Story by Gregory Allen Howard. Alien (1979) by Walter Hill and David Giler. Based on screenplay by Dan O'Bannon. Revised final. June, 1978. Alien 3 (1992) by Walter Hill/David Giler. Final draft. Revised Jan.16, 1991 - April 10, 1991. Alien 3 (1992) by William Gibson. Revised first draft screenplay, from a story by David Giler and Walter Hill. Alien Nation (1988) by Rochne O'Bannon. Rewrite by James Cameron. October 1987. Alien: Resurrection (1997) by Joss Wedon. Final Script. Aliens (1986) by James Cameron. First draft. May 28, 1985. All About Eve (1950) by Joseph Mankiewicz. All the King's Men (1949) by Robert Rossen. Based on a novel by Robert Penn Warren. SHOOTING DRAFT, 1949. All the President's Men (1976) by William Goldman. Based on the novel by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Pre-rehearsal version March, 1975. Almost Famous (2000) by Cameron Crowe. Final Script. December, 1998. Amadeus (1984) by Peter Shaffer. Based on the play by Peter Shaffer. American Beauty (1999) by Alan Ball. American History X (1998) by David McKenna. Draft script. February 6, 1997. American Hustle (2013) by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell. American Outlaws (2001) by Roderick Taylor and John Rogers. American Pie (1999) by Adam Herz. Production draft, white revision: 7/7/98. American Psycho (2000) by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Fourth Draft, November 1998. American Werewolf in London, An (1981) by John Landis. An American Tragedy (1931) by S. M. Eisenstein, G. V. Alexandrov and Ivor Montagu. Based on the Novel by Theodore Dreiser. Unproduced first draft screenplay, circa September 1930. Analyze That (2002) transcript by Peter Steinfeld and Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. Transcript Analyze That (2002) by Peter Steinfeld and Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. June 2002 Draft Analyze This (1999) by Peter Tolan and Harold Ramis and Kenneth Lonergan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. July 1998 Draft Annie Hall (1977) by Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman. Draft script. "Oscar". Apocalypse Now (1975) by John Milius, Francis Coppola. Apocalypse Now (1979) transcript by John Milius, Francis Coppola. Transcript. Apocalypse Now (1979) by Francis Ford Coppola. Original screenplay by John Milius. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". December 3, 1975. Apollo 13 (1995) by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert. Based on the book "Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13" by Jim Lovell. Transcript. Arctic Blue (1993) by Ross LaManna. Armageddon (1998) by Robert Roy Pool. Army of Darkness (1993) by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi. Shooting Script, January 3, 1991. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) transcript by Ian Watson and Brian Aldiss. The Complete Dialogue. Assassins (1995) by Brian Helgeland, based on a screenplay by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Draft script. March 30, 1995. At First Sight (1999) by Steve Levitt. Draft script. Atomic Submarine (1959) by Orville H. Hampton. Revised draft, 5/15/59. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) by Mike Myers. Final draft, 5/24/96. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Avatar (2009) by James Cameron. Unproduced script. Back To The Future (1985) transcript by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. Transcript. Back to the Future (1985) by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. FIRST DRAFT 24 February 81 Back to the Future Part II (1989) by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. REVISED DRAFT 19 DECEMBER 1988 Back to the Future Part III (1990) by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. REVISED DRAFT 19 DECEMBER 1988 Backdraft (1991) by Gregory Widen. Shooting draft. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) by Don McGuire and Millard Kaufman. Based on the story "Bad Day At Hondo" by Howard Breslin. Shooting draft. Badlands (1973) by Terence Malick. Final Version: Dialogue and Continuity. Bamboozled (2000) by Spike Lee. Barry Lyndon (1975) by Stanley Kubrick. Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. February 18, 1973. Barton Fink (1991) by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Winner PALME D'OR, Cannes 1991. Basic Instinct (1992) by Joe Eszterhas. Draft script Basquiat (1997) by Julian Schnabel. Batman & Robin (1997) by Akiva Goldsman. Batman (1989) by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren. Based on the Character created by Bob Kane. Fifth draft, October 6, 1988. Batman Begins (2005) by David S. Goyer Batman Returns (1992) by Daniel Waters and Wesley Strick. Final draft, August 1, 1991. Beach, The (2000) by John Hodge. Based on the Novel by Alex Garland. 15 June 1998. Bean (1997) by Richard Curtis and Robin Driscoll. Beavis And Butt-Head Do America (1996) by Mike Judge and Joe Stillman Being John Malkovich (1999) by Charlie Kaufman. Draft script. Being There (1979) by Jerzy Kosinski and Robert C. Jones. From the novel by Jerzy Kosinski. Draft script. January 10, 1979. Being There (1979) by Jerzy Kosinski and Robert C. Jones. From the novel by Jerzy Kosinski. Draft script. December 16, 1978. Big Lebowski, The (1998) by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Birdman (2014) by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo. Story by Gregory Allen Howard. Birds, The (1963) by Evan Hunter. Based on the novel "Birds" by Daphne Du Maurier. FINAL DRAFT 2nd Revision March 2, 1962. Birthday Girl (2001) by Jez Butterworth Black Rain (1989) by Craig Bolotin & Warren Lewis. Draft script. November 1987. Blade (1998) by David S. Goyer. Blade II (2002) by David S. Goyer. Blade Runner (1982) by Hampton Fancher. Based on the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Draft script. July 24, 1980. Blade Runner (1982) by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Based on the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Final script. February 23, 1981. Blade Runner (1982) transcript by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Based on the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Final script. February 23, 1981. Transcript by Brian Silverman. Blade: Trinity (2004) by David S. Goyer. Blair Witch Project, The (1999) by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. This Transcript was taken from the early Sundance Film Fest version of the movie. Blast from the Past (1999) by Bill Kelly and Hugh Wilson. Blood Simple (1984) by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Blow (2001) by David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes. Blue Velvet (1986) by David Lynch. Final script. Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993) by Roger Hedden. Based on a play by Roger Hedden. Shooting draft. Body Snatcher, The (1945) by Philip MacDonald. Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Body of Evidence (1993) by Brad Mirman. Second draft. Boiler Room (2000) by Ben Younger Bones (2001) by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) by David Newman & Robert Benton. Boogie Nights (1997) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Final draft. Bottle Rocket (1996) by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Bound (1996) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Draft script. Bound (1996) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. 1st draft. September 28, 1994. Bourne Identity (2002) by Tony Gilroy. Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum. Paris Draft, 9/20/00. Braveheart (1995) by Randall Wallace. Final draft. Brazil (1985) by Terry Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown. Final script. Breakfast Club, The (1985) by John Hughes. Bridges of Madison County, The (1995) by Richard LaGravenese. Based on novel by Robert James Waller. First draft, March 24, 1994. Bringing Out the Dead (1999) by Paul Schrader. From the novel by Joseph Connelly. First draft (11/7/97). Broadcast News (1987) by James L. Brooks. Draft script. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1992) by Joss Whedon. Bull Durham (1988) by Ron Shelton. Final script. Butterfly Effect, The (2004) by J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress. Casino (1995) by Nicholas Pileggi. Draft script. Based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi. Cast Away (2000) by William Broyles. Third draft, March 13, 1998. Cat People (1982) by DeWitt Bodeen. Cell, The (2000) by Mark Protosevich. Charade (1963) by Peter Stone. Draft script, 1 October 1962. Chasing Amy (1997) by Kevin Smith. Draft script. Chasing Sleep (2000) by Michael Walker. Cherry Falls (2000) by Ken Selden. First draft, February 14, 1998. Chinatown (1974) by Robert Towne. Third draft. October 9, 1973. Cider House Rules, The (1999) by John Irving. Based on the his novel. Production Draft. Citizen Kane (1941) by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. Final script. Clerks (1994) by Kevin Smith. Contact (1997) by Menno Meyjes, Ann Druyan & Carl Sagan, Michael Goldenberg, Jim V. Hart. Rewrite by Michael Goldenberg. Based on the Novel by Carl Sagan. September 8, 1995. Cool Hand Luke (1967) by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce. Shooting draft. Copycat (1995) by Frank Pierson. Participating writers: Ann Biderman, Jay Presson Allen. Third draft. Cross of Iron (1977) by Sam Peckinpah Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) by Wang Hui Ling, James Schamus, Tsai Kuo Jung. Based on the novel by Wang Du Lu. Crow: Salvation, The (2000) by Chip Johannessen. Based on the comic book series by James O'Barr. Cruel Intentions (1999) by Roger Kumble. Based on the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Choderlos De Laclos. February 10, 1998. Curse, The (1999) by Jacqueline Garry. Dark City (1998) by Alex Proyas. Revised draft (early rewrite) May 9, 1994. Dark Star (1974) by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon. Dave (1993) by Gary Ross. Days of Heaven (1978) by Terrence Malick. Draft script, 6/2/76. Dead Poets Society (1989) by Tom Schulman. Final script. Deep Rising (1998) by Steven Sommers & Robert Mark Kamen. Revised Draft, Jan. 1st, 1996. Deer Hunter, The (1978) by Deric Washburn. Detroit Rock City (1999) Carl V. Dupre. Devil and Daniel Webster, The (1941) by Dan Totheroh and Stephen Vincent Benet. Die Hard (1988) by Jeb Stuart. Revisions by Steven E. DeSouza. Based on the novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp. Do the Right Thing (1989) by Spike Lee. Second Draft. March 1, 1988; Brooklyn, N.Y. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Frank Pierson. Final Draft. Donnie Darko (2001) by Richard Kelly. Shooting script. Double Indemnity (1944) by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel "Double Indemnity In Three Of A Kind" by James M. Cain. Dragonslayer (1981) by Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins. Shooting draft. Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) by Lona Williams. Duck Soup (1933) by Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar and Grover Jones. Second draft script (January 18, 1933). Dumb and Dumber (1994) by Peter Farrelly, Bennett Yellin, Bob Farrelly. Final script, 11-19-93. Dune (1984) by David Lynch. Seventh draft, December 9, 1983. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) by Melissa Mathison. Commentary by Richard Michaels. EDTV (1999) by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel. Sixth Rewrite, July 16,1997. Ed Wood (1994) by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Based on the book by Rudolph Grey. First draft. November 20, 1992. El Mariachi (1992) by Robert Rodriguez. Shooting script. Election (1999) by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novels by Tom Perotta. Third Draft, July 22,1997. Enemy of the State (1998) by David Marconi and Aaron Sorkin. February 10, 1997 English Patient, The (1996) by Anthony Minghella. Based on the Novel by Michael Ondaatje. Revised Draft. 28th August, 1995. Entrapment (1999) by Ronald Bass. First Draft. December 2, 1996. Erik the Viking (1989) by Terry Jones. Erin Brockovich (2000) by Susannah Grant, revised by Richard LaGravenese. Inspired by a true story. Shooting draft, 03/22/99. Escape From New York (1981) by John Carpenter and Nick Castle. Escape from L.A. (1996) by John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Kurt Russell. Draft script. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003) by Charlie Kaufman. Event Horizon (1997) by Philip Eisner. Shooting draft Excess Baggage (1997) by Max D. Adams. Exorcist, The (1973) by William Peter Blatty. Based on his own novel. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) by Stanley Kubrick & Frederic Raphael. This script is dated 08.04.96. Face/Off (1997) by Mike Werb & Michael Colleary. First Draft. Face/Off (1997) by Mike Werb & Michael Colleary. Production Draft. Revised 9/10/96. Faculty, The (1998) by Kevin Williamson. Transcript. Family Man, The (2000) by David Diamond and David Weissman. Fantastic Four (2005) by Mark Frost and Michael France. Based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Shooting Script. Fargo (1996) by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. Final script. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) by Cameron Crowe. Fatal Instinct (1993) by David O'Malley. Shooting draft. Father of the Bride (1991) transcript by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) by Terry Gilliam & Toy Grisoni. Feast (2005) by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston. Revised Draft, 5/3/2004. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) by John Hughes. Shooting script, July 24, 1985. Few Good Men, A (1992) by Aaron Sorkin. Revised third draft. July 15, 1991. Fifth Element, The (1997) by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. August 1995 Draft. Fight Club (1999) by Jim Uhls. Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Shooting Script. April 18, 1998 Final Destination (2000) by James Wong and Glen Morgan. Early draft. January 15, 1999. Five Easy Pieces (1970) by Carole Eastman. Fletch (1985) by Andrew Bergman. Based on novel by Gregory McDonald. Final Draft. Fly, The (1986) transcript by Charles Edward Pogue and David Cronenberg. Based on the Story by George Langelaan. Transcript. Four Feathers, The (2002) by Michael Schiffer, revised by Hossein Amini. Based on the book by A. E. W. Mason. 3rd Draft. Four Rooms (1995) by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino. Foxcatcher (2014) by E Max Frye and Dan Futterman. Frances (1982) by Eric Bergren, Christopher De Vore and Nicholas Kazan. Frankenstein (1994) by Steph Lady & James V. Hart. Revised draft by Frank Darabont. From the novel by Mary W. Shelley. 2nd revised draft, February 8, 1993 Frequency (2000) by Toby Emmerich. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) by Quentin Tarantino. Story by Robert Kurtzman. Draft script. Fugitive, The (1993) by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy. Draft script. Full Metal Jacket (1987) by Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford. Based on the novel "The Short Timers" by Gustav Hasford. G.I. Jane (1997) by David Twohy. First draft, August 6, 1995. Galaxy Quest (1999) by David Howard, Robert Gordon. Final draft, 5/04/99. Gandhi (1982) by John Briley. Gangs of New York (2002) by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, Kenneth Lonergan. 3rd Draft (1993). Gattaca (1997) by Andrew M. Niccol. Draft script. Get Shorty (1995) by Scott Frank. Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. Ghost (1990) by Bruce Joel Rubin. Shooting draft. Ghost Ship (2002) by Mark Hanlon. First draft. Ghost World (2001) by Daniel Clowes (based upon his comic book) and Terry Zwigoff Ghost and the Darkness, The (1996) by William Goldman Gladiator (2000) transcript by David Franzoni, revised by John Logan. Transcript. Gladiator (2000) by David Franzoni, revised by John Logan. Second draft. October 22, 1998. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) by David Mamet. Gods and Monsters (1998) by Bill Condon. Based on the novel "Father of Frankenstein" by Christopher Bram. Shooting draft. May 30, 1997. Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) by Scott Rosenberg. 4/6/99. Good Will Hunting (1997) by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Draft script. Graduate, The (1967) by Buck Henry. Final draft, March 29, 1967. Grand Hotel (1932) by William A. Drake. Based on the play "Menschen im Hotel" by Vicki Baum. Shooting draft. Grapes of Wrath, The (1940) by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the Novel "The Grapes Of Wrath" By John Steinbeck. Great Train Robbery, The (1903) by Edwin S. Porter. Story by Scott Marble. Green Mile, The (1999) Screenplay by Frank Darabont. From the novel by Stephen King. First Draft, 11/4/97. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) First Draft: Tom Jankiewicz. Revised Draft: D.V. deVincentis & S.K. Boatman & John Cusack. May 4, 1994. Hackers (1995) by Rafael Moreu. Halloween (1978) by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Final script. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) by Woody Allen. Hannibal (2001) by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Production draft, February 9, 2000. Happiness (1998) by Todd Solondz. Hard Rain (1998) by Graham Yost. 1998 SHOOTING DRAFT Hardcore (1979) by Paul Schrader. Shooting draft. Harold and Maude (1971) by Colin Higgins. 5/29/70 Harvey (1950) by Mary Chase. Based on the play by Mary Chase. Shooting Script, AUGUST 8, 1950. Haunting, The (1999) by David Self. Based on the Novel by Shirley Jackson. Initial Shooting Script, 11/10/98. Revisions by Michael Tolkin. Heathers (1989) by Daniel Waters. Final shooting script. February 8, 1988. Heavenly Creatures (1995) by Frances Walsh and Peter Jackson. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) by Peter Atkins. Original Story by Clive Barker. 2nd. Draft, November 1, 1987. Hellboy (2004) by Guillermo del Toro. Production draft, 6/14/03. Hellraiser (1987) by Clive Barker. Based on his novel "The Hellbound Heart". Final script, 7/28/86 High Fidelity (2000) by D.V. De Vincentis, Steve Pink, & John Cusack. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby. London Draft, 9/11/98. His Girl Friday (1940) by Charles Lederer. Based on the play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. 1939, Shooting draft. Hollow Man (2000) by Andrew W. Marlowe. Revised Draft, 6/26/98. Horse Whisperer, The (1998) by Eric Roth. Based on the Novel by Nicholas Evans. Second Draft, 1/21/97. House of 1000 Corpses (2003) by Rob Zombie. Revised 3-31-00. House on Haunted Hill (1999) by Dick Beebe. Adapted from the screenplay by Robb White. Production Draft: 13 Jan 1999. Hudson Hawk (1991) by Steven E. de Souza. Revisions by Daniel Waters. Based on an original idea by Bruce Willis & Robert Kraft. Production script, June 14, 1990. Hustler, The (1961) by Sidney Carroll and Robert Rossen. Based on novel by Walter Tevis. I Am Sam (2001) by Kristine Johnson & Jessie Nelson. Shooting draft, 2001. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) transcript by Kevin Williamson. Transcript. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) by Trey Callaway. Based on characters created by Lois Duncan. Published edition, 1998. I Walked with a Zombie (1943) by Curt Siodmak and Ardel Wray. Based on the novel "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte and Scientific Information from Articles by Inez Wallace. I'll Do Anything (1994) by James L. Brooks. Shooting draft Ice Storm, The (1997) by James Schamus. Based on the novel by Rick Moody. First Draft Revised January 5, 1996. Independence Day (1996) by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) by Jeff Boam. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) by Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz. Inherent Vice (2014) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Based on the book by Thomas Pynchon. FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT, August 7, 2013 Innerspace (1987) by Chip Proser. First Draft, May 20, 1984. Insider, The (1999) by Eric Roth & Michael Mann. Final draft. 11/5/99. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) by Anne Rice. Based on the her novel. Isle of the Dead (1945) by Ardel Wray & Josef Mischel. It Happened One Night (1934) by Robert Riskin. Based on a story by Samuel Hopkins Adams. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Philip Van Doren Stern (based on the his story "The Greatest Gift"), Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett and Frank Capra, Jo Swerling, Michael Wilson. Final Script. JFK (1991) by Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar. Based on the books by Jim Garrison "On the Trail of the Assasins" and Jim Marrs "Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy". Final script. Jackie Brown (1997) by Quentin Tarantino. Based on the novel "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard. Final Draft March 1, 1997. Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Bruce Joel Rubin. Jason X (2001) by Todd Famer. Jaws (1975) by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on novel by Peter Benchley. Final Draft Screenplay. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) by Kevin Smith Jazz Singer, The (1927) by Alfred A. Cohn. Jerry Maguire (1996) by Cameron Crowe. Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) by John Patrick Shanley. Revised draft, 08/25/89. John Q (2002) by James Kearns. Joker (2019) by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver. 13 April 2018 Jurassic Park (1993) by David Koepp. Based upon the novel by Michael Crichton and on adaption by Michael Crichton and Malia Scotch Marmo. Final draft, December 11, 1992. Jurassic Park III (2001) by Peter Buchman, revisions by Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor and John August. Kafka (1991) by Lem Dobbs. Final script. Kalifornia (1993) by Tim Metcalfe. Based on a story by Stephen Levy and Tim Metcalfe. Shooting draft. Kate & Leopold (2001) by James Mangold and Steven Rogers. Based on a story by Steven Rogers. Kids (1995) by Harmony Korine. Kids (1995) transcript by Harmony Korine. Transcript. Kill Bill (2003) by Quentin Tarantino. Draft script. Killing Zoe (1994) by Roger Avary. King of Comedy (1983) by Paul D. Zimmerman. December 15, 1976 draft. Klute (1971) by Andy and Dave Lewis. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) by Robert Benton. Based on the novel by Avery Corman. Revised Third Draft. July 14, 1978. Kundun (1997) by Melissa Mathison. 16 October 1992. L'Avventura (1960) by Michelangelo Antonioni, Elio Bartolini, Tonino Guerra. Translated from Italian by Louis Brigante. L.A. Confidential (1997) by Brian Helgeland. Based on the novel by James Ellroy. Draft script. November 16, 1995. Ladykillers, The (2004) by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Based on the 1955 movie "The Ladykillers" by William Rose. Last Samurai, The (2003) by John Logan, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. Last Temptation of Christ (1988) by Paul Schrader. Based on a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. Last of the Mohicans, The (1992) by Michael Mann and Christopher Crowe. Based on the Novel by James Fenimore Cooper. Leaving Las Vegas (1995) by Mike Figgis. Based on the novel by John O�Brian. Shooting script, September 1994. Leon (1994) by Luc Besson. Version 1 Script. Leopard Man, The (1943) by Ardel Wray and Edward Dein. From the Novel "Black Alibi" by Cornell Woolrich. Lethal Weapon (1997) by Shane Black. Leviathan (1989) by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Revised Draft, September 8, 1987 Life As A House (2001) by Mark Andrus Life of Brian (1979) by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin. Limey, The (1999) by Lem Dobbs. Production draft, 08/03/98. Little Nicky (2000) by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler & Steven Brill. Living in Oblivion (1995) by Tom DiCillo. Shooting draft, 1995. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998) by Guy Ritchie. Final script. Logan's Run (1976) by David Zelag Goodman. Revised : April 30, 1975. Lone Star (1996) by John Sayles. Lord of Illusions (1995) by Clive Barker. Lost Boys, The (1987) by Jeffrey Boam. Revised draft. Lost Highway (1997) by David Lynch and Barry Gifford. Draft script. 21 June 1995. Lost Souls (2000) by Pierce Gardner. Lost Weekend, The (1945) by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. Based on a novel by Charles R. Jackson. Lost in America (1985) by Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson. Lost in Space (1998) by Akiva Goldsman. Based on the television series by Irwin Allen. Final script. Love & Basketball (2000) by Gina Prince-Bythewood. M*A*S*H (1970) by Ring Lardner, Jr. From the Novel by Richard Hooker. Final script, February 26, 1969. MEMENTO (2000) by Christopher Nolan. Based on a short story by Jonathan Nolan. Shooting Script. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) by Terry Hayes, George Miller, Brian Hannant. April 13, 1981. Made (2001) by Jon Favreau. Made for Each Other (1939) by Rose Franken and Jo Swerling. Humorous Situations by Frank Ryan. Shooting draft. Magnolia (1999) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Shooting draft, 11/10/98. Majestic, The (2001) by Michael Sloane. Revised draft, October 14, 1997. Major League (1989) by David S. Ward. Shooting draft. Malcolm X (1992) by James Baldwin, Arnold Perl and Spike Lee. Based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Fourth draft (1991). Man Who Wasn't There, The (2001) by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen. Man in the Iron Mask, The (1998) by Randall Wallace. Based on novels by Alexandre Dumas pere. First draft, September 18, 1995. Man on the Moon (1999) by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Manhunter (1986) by Michael Mann. Based on the novell by Thomas Harris. Second draft, July 20, 1984. Mask, The (1994) by Mark Verheiden. Final draft. Matrix: Reloaded (2003) by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Early draft, April 8, 1999. Mean Streets (1973) by Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin, Ethan Edwards. Meet Joe Black (1998) by Bo Goldman. Melvin and Howard (1980) by Bo Goldman. Revised first draft. February 1, 1979. Men In Black (1997) by Ed Solomon. Based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham. Final script. Metro (1997) by Randy Feldman. Shooting draft. Midnight Cowboy (1969) by Waldo Salt. Based on a novel by James Leo Herlihy. Draft: 2/2/68. Midnight Run (1988) by George Gallo. Shooting draft. Miller's Crossing (1990) by Joel and Ethan Coen. Mimic (1997) by Matt Greenberg & Guillermo del Toro. June 19th 1996. Minority Report (2002) by Jon Cohen. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick. Early draft, Aug 15th 1997. Minority Report (2002) by Scott Frank. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick. Revised draft, May 16, 2001. Misery (1990) by William Goldman. Based on the Novel by Stephen King. Mission: Impossible (1996) by Robert Towne. Final shooting script, 16th August 1995. Mission: Impossible II (2000) by Robert Towne. Revised. 12/4/99. Mobsters (1991) by Michael Mahern and Nicholas Kazan. Based on a story by Michael Mahern. Shooting draft. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) by Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Marty Feldman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Angus James, Terry Jones, David Lipscomb, Michael Palin. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin. Final draft, 20.3.74. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin. Transcribed by Jason R. Heimbaugh. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) by Robert Riskin. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) by Sidney Buchman. Story by Lewis R. Foster. Mrs Brown (1997) by Jeremy Brock Mulholland Dr. (2001) by David Lynch. 1/5/1999. Mumford (1999) by Lawrence Kasdan. Shooting draft. Mummy, The (1999) by Lloyd Fonvielle. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) by Ronald Bass. First Draft Screenplay. My oWN PrivaTe idAHo (1991) by Gus Van Sant. Revised draft, April 1989. Mystery Men (1999) by Neil Cuthbert. Based on the Dark Horse comic created by Bob Burden. Revised June 6, 1997. Nashville (1975) by Joan Tewksbury. June 8, 1974. Natural Born Killers (1994) by Quentin Tarantino. Draft script. Natural Born Killers (1994) by Quentin Tarantino, David Veloz, Richard Rutowski, and Oliver Stone. Draft five, May 11,1993. Network (1976) by Paddy Chayefsky. Revised, January 14, 1976. Never Been Kissed (1999) by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein. 6/26/98 revision. Next Friday (2000) by Ice Cube. Night at the Roxbury, A (1998) by Steve Koren, Will Ferrell & Chris Kattan . First Draft, June 2, 1997. Nightcrawler (2014) by Dan Gilroy. Nightmare Before Christmas, The (1993) by Caroline Thompson. First Draft, August 5, 1991. Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984) by Wes Craven. Ninth Gate, The (1999) by Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn and Enrique Urbizu. Based on a novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Final draft. Nixon (1995) by Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson and Oliver Stone Nothing But a Man (1964) by Michael Roemer and Robert Young. Notting Hill (1999) by Richard Curtis. Nurse Betty (2000) by John C. Richards & James Flamberg Shooting Script, 3/9/99. Omega Man, The (1971) by John William Corrington. Based on the novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson. Draft script, 7/18/70. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) by Lawrence Hauben. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey. One Good Turn (1930) by ? Only You (1994) by Diane Drake. Out Of Sight (1998) by Scott Frank, production draft. From the novel by Elmore Leonard. Panic Room (2002) by David Koepp. February 23, 2000. Passenger 57 (1992) by David Loughery . Revised draft, October 8 1991. Patriot, The (2000) by Robert Rodat. Draft script. March 26, 1999. Pearl Harbor (2001) by Randall Wallace. Early Draft. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) by Jerry Leichtling and Arlene Sarner. Pet Sematary (1989) by Stephen King. Based on the Novel by Stephen King. Philadelphia (1993) by Ron Nyswaner. Draft, September 21, 1992. Phone Booth (2002) by Larry Cohen. Pi (1998) by Darren Aranofsky. Shooting Script, September, 1996. Piano, The (1993) by Jane Campion. 4th draft 1991. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. First draft, September 1, 2002. Pitch Black (2000) by David Twohy. Based on material by Ken and Jim Wheat. Revised First Draft, 3/3/98. Planet of the Apes (1968) by Michael Wilson. Based on novel "La Planete des singes" by Pierre Boulle. Shooting script, May 5, 1967. Planet of the Apes (2001) by William Broyles Jr. and Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal. Based on novel by Pierre Boulle. Plastic Man, The (2003) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Early draft. March 17, 1995. Platoon (1986) by Oliver Stone. Final script. Pleasantville (1998) by Gary Ross. Shooting script. Point Break (1991) by James Cameron & Kathryn Bigelow. From the Screenplay by W. Peter Iliff. Draft script. Predator (1987) by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Final script, January 30, 1987. Pretty Woman (1990) by Jonathan Lawton, Stephen Metcalfe. Draft script. Princess Bride, The (1987) by William Goldman. Based on his novell. Shooting Draft. Producers (1968) by Mel Brooks. March, 1967. Psycho (1960) by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch. Revised December 1, 1959. Pulp Fiction (1994) by Quentin Tarantino. Final script, May 1993. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Quills (2000) undated, unspecified draft script by Doug Wright Quiz Show (1994) revised draft script june 19, 1991 by Paul Attanasio RKO 281 (1999) by John Logan. May 1,1997. Rabid (1977) by David Cronenberg. Shooting draft, 1977. Raging Bull (1980) by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by Lawrence Kasdan. Revised third draft, August 1979. Raising Arizona (1987) by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. Rambling Rose (1991) by Calder Willingham based upon his book. Rapture (1991) by Michael Tolkin. Real Genius (1985) by Neal Israel, Pat Proft, Peter Torokvei. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) by Stewart Stern. Red Planet (2000) by Chuck Pfarrer and Jonathan Lemkin. Reindeer Games (2000) by Ehren Kruger. Relic, The (1997) by Amy Holden Jones. Based on the book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Early draft, March 16, 1995. Requiem for a Dream (2000) transcript Dialogue Transcript (screenplay by Darren Aronofsky & Hubert Selby, Jr.) Requiem for a Dream (2000) by Darren Aronofsky & Hubert Selby, Jr. Reservoir Dogs (1992) by Quentin Tarantino. Shooting script. October 22, 1990. Return to Me (2000) by Bonnie Hunt and Donald Lake. Ride the High Country (1962) by N.B. Stone Jr. with Robert Creighton Williams and Sam Peckinpah. Shooting draft. Ringu (1998) by Takahashi Hiroshi. Based upon the novel "Ringu" by Suzuki Kouji. Adapted / Translated by J Lopez. Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves (1991) by Pen Densham, John Watson. Transcript. Rock, The (1996) by Jonathan Hensleigh. Revised 10/10/95. Rocky (1976) by Sylvester Stallone. Final draft, 1/7/76. Romeo + Juliet (1996) transcript by William Shakespeare. Adapted for the screen by Craig Pearce and Baz Luhrmann. Transcript. Romeo + Juliet (1996) by William Shakespeare. Adapted for the screen by Craig Pearce and Baz Luhrmann. Final shooting script. October 6, 1995. Ronin (1998) by J.D. Zeik. Draft script. May 20, 1997. Runaway Bride (1999) by Sarah Parriott & Josann McGibbon. Rush Hour (1998) by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna. Rush Hour 2 (2001) by Jeff Nathanson. Rushmore (1998) by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Final script, May 12, 1997 S1m0ne (2002) by Andrew Niccol. SCREAM (1996) by Kevin Williamson. Rewrite, July 31, 1995. SCREAM 2 (1997) by Kevin Williamson. Draft script. SHINING (1980) by Diane Johnson, Stanley Kubrick. Based on the novel by Stephen King. Post Production Script. July, 1980. SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957) by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman. Saint, The (1997) by Jonathan Hensleigh. Based on characters by Leslie Charteris. Early draft, February 8, 1995. Salt of the Earth (1954) by Michael Wilson. Final script. Salton Sea, The (2002) by Tony Gayton. Saving Private Ryan (1998) by Robert Roday. Draft script. Scarlet Letter, The (1926) by Frances Marion. Based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Scary Movie 2 (2001) by Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Alyson Fouse, Greg Grabianski, Dave Polsky, Michael Anthony Snowden, Craig Wayans. Scary movie (2000) by Shawn Wayans & Marlon Wayans. Schindler's List (1993) by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally. First Revision, March, 1990. Scream 3 (2000) by Ehren Kruger. Draft script, May 2, 1999. Se7en(1995) by Andrew Kevin Walker. Draft script, 8/8/94. Searchers, The (1956) by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May. Sense and Sensibility (1995) by Emma Thompson. Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen. Serial Mom (1994) by John Waters. Second Draft: July 22, 1992. Seven Days to Live (2000) by Dirk Ahner. 2nd draft, May, 1999. Seventh Seal, The (1958) by Ingmar Bergman. Seventh Victim, The (1943) by Charles O'Neal and DeWitt Bodeen. Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) by Steven Soderbergh. Fourth draft. 29 july 1988. Shakespeare in Love (1998) by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Shampoo (1975) by Robert Towne and Warren Beatty. Shine (1996) by Scott Hicks and Jan Sardi. Sideways (2004) by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett. May 29, 2003 Siege (1998) by Lawrence Wright, Menno Meyjes and Edward Zwick. Story by Lawrence Wright. 1998 SHOOTING DRAFT Signs (2002) by M. Night Shyamalan. Silence of the Lambs (1991) by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Final script. Silver Bullet (1985) by Stephen King. Based on his story "Cycle of the Werewolf". Final script. Silverado (1985) by Lawrence Kasdan and Mark Kasdan. Production draft. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron. May 10, 1992. Sleepy Hollow (1999) Screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and Tom Stoppard. Based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. Shooting Draft. 9/29/98. Sling Blade (1996) by Billy Bob Thornton. Shooting Draft. Smoke (1995) by Paul Auster. Final script. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) by James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer and Alan Mandel. Story by Hal Needham and Robert L. Levy. Early draft. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) by Ron Bass and Scott Hicks. Based on the novel by David Guterson. Final script. May 4, 1998. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) by Robbie Fox. Shooting draft. Solaris (2002) by Steven Soderbergh. Based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem. October 4, 2001 draft. Soldier (1998) by David Webb Peoples. Some Like It Hot (1959) by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. November 12, 1958. Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) by Howard Franklin and Danilo Bach and David Seltzer. Revisions by Danilo Bach. Revised December 4, 1986. Sounder (1972) by Lonne Elder III. From the novel by William H. Armstrong. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999) by Trey Parker, Matt Stone & Pam Brady. Eighth Draft, January 21, 1999. Spaceballs (1987) by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan. Transcript. Spanglish (2004) by James L. Brooks. Shooting draft. Formatted by Alex Raynor :) Spare Me (1992) by Christopher Grimm and Matthew Harrison. Sphere (1998) by Paul Attanasio. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton. Shooting script. Spider-Man (2002) by David Koepp. Based on comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Spider-Man (2002) by Barry Cohen and Ted Newson and James Cameron. Based on the comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Early draft, 8/4/1993. Stagecoach (1939) by Dudley Nichols and Ben Hecht. Based on the story "Stage To Lordsburg" by Ernest Haycox. Shooting draft. Stalag 17 (1953) by Billy Wilder and Edwin Blum. Based on a play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski. Shooting draft. Star Wars (1977) aka Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope by George Lucas. Revised Fourth Draft, January 15, 1976. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) by George Lucas. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) by George Lucas. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) by George Lucas Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. From a story by George Lucas. Final draft. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. From the novel by George Lucas. Second draft - December 19, 1982. Starman (1984) by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon with Dean Riesner (uncredited). Draft script. Starship Troopers (1997) by Edward Neumeier. Based on the novel by Robert Heinlein. State and Main (2000) by David Mamet. Stepmom (1998) by Ronald Bass and Gigi Levangie. Second Revised Draft. Sting, The (1973) by David S. Ward. Second Draft Screenplay. Strange Days (1995) By James Cameron and Jay Cocks. Final Draft, August 11, 1993. Sugar & Spice (2001) by Mandy Nelson. Sunset Blvd. (1950) by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman, Jr. March 21,1949. Superman (1978) by Tom Mankiewicz. DRAFT: 4/6/77 SHOOTING Superman (1978) by David Newman, Leslie Newman and Robert Benton. Original Screenplay By Mario Puzo. July, 1976 Sweet Hereafter, The (1997) By Atom Egoyan. Based on the novel by Russell Banks. Final revised draft, October, 1996. Swingers (1996) by Jon Favreau. Third draft, December 13, 1994. THE X-MEN (2000) by Ed Solomon. Final script. February 24, 1999. THX 1138 (1971) by George Lucas and Walter Murch. Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) by Anthony Minghella. Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Final script. 1st November 1999. Taxi Driver (1976) by Paul Schrader. Terminator (1984) by James Cameron. Fourth Draft, April 20, 1983. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) by James Cameron, William Wisher. Revised final shooting script. The Abyss (1989) by James Cameron. Director's Revision. August 2, 1988. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) by Earl Mac Rauch. Shooting script, March 30, 1983. The African Queen (1951) by James Agee, John Huston and Peter Viertel. Based on a novel by C.S. Forester. Shooting draft. The Age of Innocence (1993) transcript by Jay Cocks. Transcript. Based on the novel by Edith Wharton. The American President (1995) by Aaron Sorkin. The Anniversary Party (2001) by Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The Apartment (1960) by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond The Avengers (1998) by Don Macpherson. June 21, 1995 The Bachelor Party (1957) by Paddy Chayefsky. The Battle of Algiers (1965) by Gillo Pontecorvo, Franco Solinas. The Big Blue (1988) by Luc Besson, Bob Garland, Marylin Golden. Final script. AKA Le grand bleu (1988) The Bodyguard (1992) by Lawrence Kasdan. Clean Shooting Draft February 1992 The Corruptor (1999) by Robert Pucci The Crow by Davis Schow, based on a screenplay by John Shirley. Based on the comic book created, drawn, and written by James O'Barr. September 14, 1992. The Crow - City Of Angels (1996) by David S. Goyer. Based on comic book series and comic strip by James O'Barr. The Crying Game (1992) by Neil Jordan. The Day The Clown Cried (1972) by Joan O'Brien and Charles Denton. The Doors (1991) by Randall Jahnson and Oliver Stone. Shooting draft, 1991. The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) by Steve Kloves. Final draft, November 4, 1988. The French Connection (1971) by Ernest Tidyman and William Friedkin. Rev. April 26, 1971 The Game (1997) by John Brancato and Michael Ferris and Larry Gross and Andrew Kevin Walker. Draft script. 2/8/96. The Game (1997) by John Brancato & Michael Ferris. Early draft. October 19, 1995. The Godfather (1974) by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Third draft. The Godfather: Part II (1974) by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Second draft. September 24, 1973 The Goonies (1985) by Chris Columbus. The Grifters (1990) by Donald E. Westlake. Based on the novel by Jim Thompson. Second Draft. March 1989. The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) by Arthur Mann and Lawrence Taylor. Draft script The Lion in Winter (1968) by James Goldman. 11 October 19XX revised draft The Matrix (1999) transcript by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Transcripted by Tim Staley. The Matrix (1999) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Draft script. June 3, 1997. The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc (2000) by Andrew Birkin and Luc Besson. The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006) transcript by Steve Conrad. Transcript The Queen (2006) Original Screenplay by Peter Morgan The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Frank Darabont. Based upon the story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King. The Sixth Sense (1999) by M. Night Shyamalan. The Straight Story (1999) by Mary Sweeney and John Roach The Swimmer(1968) by Eleanor Perry. The Truman Show (1998) by Andrew Niccol. Shooting Script. The Usual Suspects (1995) by Christopher McQuarrie, 5/25/94. Thelma & Louise (1991) by Callie Khouri. Final shooting script. June 5, 1990. There's Something About Mary (1998) by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly. Final shooting script, October 21, 1997. They (2002) by Brendan Hood. Thin Man, The (1934) by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett. Thing Called Love, The (1993) by Carol Heikkinen. Second Draft, May 1992. Thing, The (1982) by Bill Lancaster. From the story "Who Goes There" by Don A. Stuart. Second draft, March 4, 1981. Thir13en Ghosts (2001) by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio Thirteen Days (2000) by David Self, Ernest R. May�& Philip D. Zelikow (book "The Kennedy Tapes - Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis".) Three Kings (1999) by by David O. Russell. Draft Date: 6/22/98. Time Machine, The (1960) by David Duncan. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells. Draft revised thru 6-25-59. Time Machine, The (2002) by John Logan. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells. Draft script, February 22, 2000. Titanic (1997) by James Cameron. To Sleep With Anger (1990) by Charles Burnett. Second Draft, January, 1989. Tomb Raider (2001) by Brent V. Friedman. First Draft, 7/17/98. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) by Bruce Feirstein. Top Gun (1986) by Chip Proser. Revised draft, April 4, 1985. Total Recall (1990) by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon and Gary Goldman. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" Final script, August 22, 1989. Toy Story (1995) by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow. Final draft, November 1995. Traffic (2000) by Stephen Gaghan. Training Day (2001) by David Ayer. REVISED DRAFT, August 18, 1999. Trainspotting (1996) by John Hodge. Based on the Novel by Irvine Welsh. Tremors (1990) by S. S. Wilson & Brent Maddock. 6/21/88. Tron (1982) by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Fourth Draft Screenplay by Charlie Haas. April 6, 1981 True Believer (1989) by Wesley Strick. Shooting draft. True Lies (1994) by James Cameron. True Romance (1993) by Quentin Tarantino. August 1992 early draft. Twelve Monkeys (1995) by David Webb Peoples and Janet Peoples. Production Draft, June 27, 1994. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) by David Lynch and Bob Engels. Shooting Draft, August 8, 1991. U-Turn (1997) by John Ridley, revised by Richard Rutowski & Oliver Stone. Based on the book by John Ridley. Final script. Unbreakable (2000) by M. Night Shyamalan. october.eighth.ninety-nine Under Fire (1983) by Clayton Frohman and Ron Shelton. Story by Clayton Frohman. Shooting draft. Unforgiven (1992) by David Webb Peoples. Production draft. April 23, 1984. V for Vendetta (2005) by Larry and Andy Wachowski. Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore. Verdict, The (1982) by David Mamet. Based on novel by Barry Reed. Vertigo (1958) by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor. Based on the novel "d'Entre les Morts" by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. Draft 9-12-1957. Very Bad Things (1998) by Peter Berg. Draft script, 9/2/97. Viridiana (1961) by Luis Bunuel (in collaboration with Julio Alejandro). Translated by Piergiuseppe Bozzetti. Virtuosity (1995) by Eric Bernt. Third rewrite, August 24, 1994 Wag the Dog (1997) by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet. Based on the book "American Hero" by Larry Beinhart Second draft, 10/14/96. Wall Street (1987) by Stanley Weiser & Oliver Stone. Third draft, 4/23/87. What Lies Beneath (2000) by Clark Gregg. June 14, 1999. When Harry Met Sally... (1989) transcript by Nora Ephron. Transcripted by Yours Truly, Wing Poon, Kristen Kelly. Re-formatted by Alex Raynor. When a Stranger Calls (1979) by Steve Feke and Fred Walton. Shooting draft. Whiplash (2014) by Damien Chazelle. White Angel (1993) by Genevieve Jolliffe and Chris Jones. White Squall (1996) by Todd Robinson. Revised First Draft, October 31, 1994. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on the novel by Gary K. Wolf "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?". Third draft, September 2, 1986. Wild Bunch, The (1969) by Sam Peckinpah. Wild Things (1998) by Stephen Peters, revised by Kem Nunn. Final script. January 21, 1997. Wild at Heart (1990) by David Lynch. Based on the book by Barry Gifford. Withnail and I (1987) transcript by Bruce Robinson. Witness (1985) by William Kelley, Earl W. Wallace. Revised draft, April 23, 1984. Wizard of Oz, The (1939) by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allen Woolf. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum. Last revised March 15, 1939. Wonder Boys (2000) by Steven Kloves. Based on the novel by Michael Chabon. Revises draft, January 21, 1999. World Is Not Enough, The (1999) by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. X Files, The (1998) by Chris Carter. Production draft, 6/30/97. You've Got Mail (1998) by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron. Based on the novel "The Shop Around The Corner" by Nikolaus Laszlo. 2nd Final White revised, February 2, 1998. Zodiac (2007) by Jamie Vanderbilt. Based on the books "Zodiac" and "Zodiac Unmasked" by Robert Graysmith. FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT Zulu Dawn (1979) by Cy Endfield, Anthony Story. 13 Ghosts by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio 16 Blocks by Richard Wenk One Eight Seven by Scott Yagemann 25th Hour by David Benioff 2001 Maniacs by Chris Kobin & Tim Sullivan 2010 The Odyssey Continues by Peter Hyams (based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke) 3 Kings by David O. Russell (story by John Ridley) 40 Year Old Virgin by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell Eight Legged Freaks (Originally Titled Arac Attack) by Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem 8 Mile (aka Untitled Detroit Project) by Scott Silver Above the Law by Steven Pressfield & Ronald Shusett & Andrew Davis Absolute Power by William Goldman (based on the book by David Baldacci) Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman The Addams Family by Larry Wilson and Caroline Thompson (rewrite by Paul Rudnick based on the characters by Charles Addams) An Affair to Remember by Alfred Hayes After School Special by David H. Steinberg After the Truth (Nichts als die Wahrheit) by Christopher & Kathleen Riley Alfie by Elaine Pope & Charles Shyer (based on the screenplay by Bill Naughton based on the play by Bill Naughton) American Splendor by Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman An Officer and a Gentleman by Douglas Day Stewart Anatomy of a Murder by Wendell Mayes Angel Eyes by Gerald DiPego Any Given Sunday by Jamie Williams & Richard Wiener, John Logan, Daniel Pyne Apache Drums by David Chandler Arac Attack (Released as Eight Legged Freaks) by Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem Armageddon by Robert Roy Pool & Jonathan Hensleigh Asylum (Batman Vs Superman) by Andrew Kevin Walker (revised by Akiva Goldsman) Awakenings by Steven Zaillian (based on the book by Oliver Sacks) Bad Boys by Michael Barrie & Jim Mulholland and Doug Richardson Bad Lieutenant by Abel Ferrara & Zo Lund Barbershop by Mark Brown & Don D Scott Batman Begins by David Goyer Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Beauty Shop by Kate Lanier Being Human by Bill Forsyth Beneath the Planet of the Apes by Paul Dehn The Big Easy by Jack Baran & Jim McBride (Original screenplay by Daniel Petrie, Jr. The Big Sleep by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman (from the novel by Raymond Chandler) The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier, Evan Hunter Blood Relations The Sun Wars (filmed as The Hills Have Eyes) by Wes Craven Blood Work by Brian Helgeland (based on the novel by Michael Connelly) The Blues Brothers by John Landis & Dan Aykroyd Body Heat by Lawrence Kasdan The Bodyguard by Lawrence Kasdan Bonfire of the Vanities by Michael Cristofer, Based on the novel by Tom Wolfe Born on the Fourth of July (part 1) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) Born on the Fourth of July (part 1) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) Born on the Fourth of July (part 2) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) Born on the Fourth of July (part 2) by Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (based on the book my Ron Kovic) The Bourne Supremacy by Tony Gilroy and Brian Helgeland (based on the novel by Robert Ludlum) Boy Who Never Slept by Solomon Rothman Break by Oliver Stone Breakdown by Jonathan Mostow Brick by Rian Johnson Broken Arrow By� Graham Yost Call Northside 777 (part 1) by Jay Dratler Call Northside 777 (part 2) by Jay Dratler Capote by Dan Futterman (based on the book Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke) Casablanca by Julius Epstien, Philip Epstien, & Howard Koch Catwoman by John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris & John Rogers Cellular by Larry Cohen, revised by Chris Morgan, revised by J. Mackye Gruber & Eric Bress Charlie's Angels by Ed Soloman & John August, with revisions by Zak Penn The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (formerly The Hundred Year Winter) by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (revised by Andrew Adamson) based on the book The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis) City of Joy by Gerald Brach and Roland Joffe Based on the book by Dominique LaPierre A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick Close Encounters of The Third Kind (part 1) by Steven Spielberg Close Encounters of The Third Kind (part 2) by Steven Spielberg Clue (part 1) by Jonathan Lynn Clue (part 2) by Jonathan Lynn Cobb by Ron Shelton Based on material by Al Stump Collateral by Stuart Beattie, revised by Frank Darabont, revised by Michael Mann Collateral Damage by Ronald Roose Commando by Richard Tuggle Committed (filmed as Crazylove) by Carol Watson Confessions of a Dangerous Mind by Charlie Kaufman Confidence by Doug Jung The Contest by Judith Berg & Sandra Berg Cortes by Nicholas Kazan Courage Under Fire by Patrick Sheane Duncan Cradle to the Grave by John O'Brian & Channing Gibson Crash by Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco Crazylove (was Committed) by Carol Watson Crime Spree by Brad Mirman The Crow: 2037 A New World of Gods and Monster by Rob Zombie The Crying Game by Neil Jordan Custody by Eric Stuyvesant Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake Death to Smoochy by Marty Kaplan Deceptions by Richard Taylor Duel by Richard Matheson The Devil's Advocate by Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy (based on the novel by Andrew Neiderman) Diamond Dead by Brian Cooper Diamond Dead by Brian Cooper Diamond Dead by Brian Cooper Die Hard 2 by Doug Richardson revisions by Steven E. de Souza The Distinguished Gentleman by Adam Resnick Doom by Christpher Cleveland A Dry White Season by Euzhan Palcy Based on the novel by Andre Brink Edward Ford by Lem Dobbs Eight Legged Freaks (Originally Titled Arac Attack) by Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem Elizabethtown by Cameron Crowe Encrypt by Richard Taylor Equilibrium by Kurt Wimmer Equilibrium by Kurt Wimmer Escape from the Planet of the Apes (release title) The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) part 1 by Paul Dehn Escape from the Planet of the Apes (release title) The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) part 2 by Paul Dehn Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Charlie Kaufman Executive Decision by Jim Thomas & John Thomas F by Howard A. Rodman Fallen by Nicholas Kazan Far From Heaven by Todd Haynes The Flintstones by Steven E. DeSouza Fortune Cookie by Rob Thomas Freaked by Tim Burns, Tom Sterns & Alex Winter Freddy vs. Jason by Damian Shannon & Mark J. Swift Freddy vs. Jason by Damian Shannon & Mark J. Swift From Here To Eternity by Daniel Taradash (based on the novel by James Jones) From Here To Eternity by Daniel Taradash (based on the novel by James Jones) The Fugitive by David N. Twohy Fun With Dick and Jane Part 1 by Mordecai Richler Fun With Dick and Jane Part 2 by Mordecai Richler Game 6 by Don DeLillo Get Carter by David Mckenna Get Rich or Die Trying (aka Untitled 50 Cent Project) by Terence Winter The Getaway by Walter Hill Giant by Fred Guidol & Ivan Moffat (based on the novel by Edna Ferber) Girl With a Pearl Earring by Olivia Hetreed Glory Road by David Callaham, Revisions by Wesley Strick Go To Hell by Michael J. Heagle & Raymond P. Whalen The Godfather III by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola The Gods of Comedy by Bill Steinkellner & Cheri Steinkellner Good Fellas by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese Good Night, and Good Luck by George Clooney & Grant Heslov A Goofy Movie by Jymn Magon The Goonies by Chris Columbus Gothika by Sebastian Gutierrez Halloween: Resurrection by Larry Brand & Steve Hood Hard to Kill by Steven Pressfield & Ronald Shusett & Steven Seagal Hardware by Richard Stanley, revised by Michael Fallon Hardware by Richard Stanley, revised by Michael Fallon Heat by Michael Mann Heist by David Mamet Hellraiser: Bloodline by Peter Atkins Hellraiser: Hellseeker by Carl Dupre Hellraiser: Hellseeker by Carl Dupre & Tim Day Hellraiser: Deader by Neal Marshall Stevens & Tim Day Hellraiser: Deader by Neal Marshall Stevens & Tim Day The Hills Have Eyes (was Blood Relations The Sun Wars) by Wes Craven The Hitcher by Eric Red Holes by Richard Kelly (based upon the novel by Louis Sachar Hook (part 1) by Jim Hart (story by Jim Hart & Nick Castle based on characters created by Sir James M. Barrie) Hook (part 2) by Jim Hart (story by Jim Hart & Nick Castle based on characters created by Sir James M. Barrie) Horror Inc. by Michael J. Heagle & Raymond P. Whalen Hotel Rwanda by Keir Pearson & Terry George Hudson Hawk by Steven de Souza, Revisions by Dan Waters, Story by Bruce Willis & Robert Kraft Human Nature by Charlie Kaufman The Hundred Year Winter (filmed as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (revised by Andrew Adamson) based on the book The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis) The Hudsucker Proxy by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen and Sam Raimi Hustle & Flow by Craig Brewer I, Robot by Hillary Seitz The Imitation Game (2014) by Graham Moore (undated, unspecified draft script, based on "Alan Turing: The Enigma" by Andrew Hodges) In The Heat of the Night by Stirling Silliphant In The Mouth of Madness by Michael De Luca Indiana Jones and the Raiders Of The Lost Ark by Lawrence Kasdan Innerspace by Jeffrey Boam Inside Man by Russel Gewirtz Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, based on the novel by Anne Rice Inventing the Abbotts by Ken Hixon The Island by Caspian Tredwell-Owen The Island of Dr. Moreau by Richard Stanley & Michael Herr, based on the novel by H. G. Wells The Island of Dr. Moreau by Richard Stanley & Michael Herr, based on the novel by H. G. Wells Italian Job by Donna Powers & Wayne Powers The Jacket by Massy Tadjedin (based on a previous screenplay by Marc Rocco) Jade by Joe Eszterhas Jeepers Creepers 2 by Victor Salva Jimmy and Judy by Randall K. Rubin & Jon Schroder Karate Kid by Robert Mark Kamen Katie's Choice by Deborah Amelon Kids by Harmony Korine Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy by Norm Hiscock, Bruce McCulloch, Kevi McDonald, Mark McKinney & Scott Thompson Killing Charlie Kaufman by Rick Cunningham Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (You'll Never Die In This Town Again) by Shane Black Kiss of the Spider Woman by Leonard Schrader Labyrinth by Laura Phillips & Terry Jones Land of the Dead by George A. Romero Last Action Hero by Zak Penn and Adam Leff, current draft by Shane Black and David Arnott, doctored by William Goldman Last Action Hero (first draft) by Zak Penn and Adam Leff The Last Bachelor by Pablo Fenjves The Last Boy Scout by Shane Black The Last Samurai by John Logan, revised by Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz The Last Samurai by John Logan, revised by Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz Legally Blonde by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith Lethal Weapon II by Jeffrey Boam story by Shane Black and Warren Murphy Lethal Weapon 4 by Channing Gibson, Story by Jonathan Lemkin and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, Based on characters created by Shane Black Liar, Liar by Tom Shadyac and Mike Binder Liberty Street (filmed as Life on Liberty Street) by Deborah Jones License to Drive by Neil Tolkin Life on Liberty Street (was Liberty Street) by Deborah Jones The Life of David Gale by Charles Randolph The Lion King by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts Little Black Book by Melissa Carter Lost in Translation by Sophia Coppola Luna by Matt Corman & Chris Ord Malibu's Most Wanted by Fax Bahr, Adam Small, Jamie Kennedy & Nick Swardson The Maltese Falcon by John Huston (from the novel by Dashiell Hammett) Man on Fire by Brian Helgeland, based on the novel by A.J. Quinnell Man Trouble by Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce) The Man Who Knew Too Much by John Michael Hayes The Manchurian Candidate by Dean Georgaris (based on the novel by Richard Condon and screenplay by George Axelrod) revised by Daniel Pyne Mandingo by Norman Wexler Maria Full of Grace (Maria/Screenplay) by Joshua Marston Matchstick Men by Nick Griffin & Ted Griffin (Based on the book by Eric Garcia) The Matrix by Andy & Larry Wachowski Maverick by William Goldman Mean Girls by Tina Fey (based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman) Memphis Belle by Monte Merrick Miami Vice by Michael Mann (based on Miami Vice created by Anthony Yerkovich) Midnight Express by Billy Hayes, William Hoffer & Oliver Stone Mighty Joe Young by Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner Million Dollar Baby by Paul Haggis (based on the short story by F.X.Toole) Monster's Ball by Milo Addica & Will Rokos Mr. And Mrs. Smith by Simon Kinberg Mr. Holland's Opus by Patrick Sheane Duncan Munich by Tony Kushner & Eric Roth (based on the book Vengence by George Jonas) Munich by Tony Kushner & Eric Roth (based on the book Vengence by George Jonas) Natural Born Killers by Quentin Tarantino Near Dark by Kathryn Bigelow & Eric Red New York Minute by Emily Fox (revisions by Mark Steilen) Newsies by Bob Tzudiker & Noni White, rewrite by David Fallon & Tom Rickman Nichts als die Wahrheit (After the Truth) by Christopher & Kathleen Riley Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors by Wes Craven & Bruce Wagner Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare by Rachel Talalay & Michael De Luca North By Northwest by Ernest Lehman Now or Never by John Kamps Ocean's Eleven by Ted Griffin (based on a screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer and a story by George Clayton Johnson & Jack Golden Russell) An Officer and a Gentleman by Douglas Day Stewart Office Space by Mike Judge On Air by Rob Thomas The Omen by David Seltzer One Eight Seven by Scott Yagemann Only Angels Have Wings by Jules Furthman Out of Sight by Scott Frank & Elmore Lenord Outbreak by Lawrence Dworet & Robert Roy Pool The Pacifier by Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant Paradox by Bob Gale Paths of Glory by Stanley Kubrick & Jim Thompson The Perfect Neighbor (was The Perfect Stranger) by Richard Dana Smith The Perfect Stranger (filmed as The Perfect Neighbor) by Richard Dana Smith A Perfect World by John Lee Hancock Planet of the Apes part 1 by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes part 2 by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes part 3 by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes by Charles Eastman Planet of the Apes part 1 by Michael Wilson Planet of the Apes part 2 by Michael Wilson Planet of the Men part 1 by Pierre Boulle Planet of the Men part 2 by Pierre Boulle Planet of the Apes Revisited part 1 (became Beneath the Planet of the Apes) by Paul Dehn Planet of the Apes Revisited part 2 (became Beneath the Planet of the Apes) by Paul Dehn Beneath the Planet of the Apes by Paul Dehn The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 1 by Paul Dehn The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 2 by Paul Dehn Escape from the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Paul Dehn Escape from the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Paul Dehn Conquest of the Planet of the Apes by Paul Dehn Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Battle for the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Paul Dehn and John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington Return to the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Adam Rifkin Return to the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Adam Rifkin Planetfall by Michael J. Heagle Poltergeist by Steven Spielberg The Poseidon Adventure by Stirling Silliphant The Poseidon Adventure by Stirling Silliphant Possession by David Henry Hwang (based on the book by A. S. Byatt) The Postman by Brian Helgeland & Eric Roth, novel by David Brin The Power of One by Robert Mark Kamen Based on the novel by Bryce Courtenay Prime Directive (filmed as Transformers) by John Rogers (revisions by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) The Private Life of Sherlock Homes by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond The Punisher by Jonathan Hensleigh, Revised by Michael Tolkin The Punisher by Mark Robert Kamen Queen of the Damned by Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni, Based on the novel by Anne Rice Quills by Doug Wright Quiz Show by Paul Attanasio Rear Window by John Michael Hayes Red Planet by Chuck Pfarrer & Jonathan Lemkin Rent by Stephen Chbosky (current revisions by Chris Columbus) (based on the stage musical by Jonathan Larson) Rent by Stephen Chbosky (current revisions by Chris Columbus) (based on the stage musical by Jonathan Larson) The Replacements by Vince McKewin (revised by Mark Steven Johnson & Gwen Lurie) Return to the Planet of the Apes part 1 by Adam Rifkin Return to the Planet of the Apes part 2 by Adam Rifkin The Ringer by Ricky Blitt Robin Hood, The Prince of Thieves by Pen Densham & John Watson Robocop by Edward Neumeier & Michael Miner Rock & Rule by Peter Sauder & John Halfpenny Rough Diamonds (filmed as Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough) by Andy Hurst & Ross Helford The Royal Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson The Rules of Attraction by Roger Avery Saboteur by Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Viertel & Joan Harrison Save the Last Dance by Duane G. Adler, revisions by Toni-Ann Johnson, revisions by Cheryl Edwards A Scanner Darkly by Charlie Kaufman adapted from A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick Scarface by Oliver Stone The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 1 by Paul Dehn The Secret of the Planet of the Apes (working title) Escape from the Planet of the Apes) (release title) part 2 by Paul Dehn Secret Window by David Koepp (based on the novella by Stephen King) Shadow of the Vampire by Steven Katz Sideways by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor (based on the novel by Rex Pickett) Slackers by David H. Steinberg Slash by Stephen Francis and Gus Silber Slay the Dreamer by Mark Lane & Donald Freed Sleepaway Camp III by Fritz Goron Snatch by Guy Richie Something Borrowed (filmed as The Wedding Date) by Dana Fox Something's Gotta Give by Nancy Meyers Space Cowboys By Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner Spanglish by James L. Brooks Spartan by David Mamet Speed by Graham Yost Special by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio The Spirit of St. Louis by Billy Wilder & Wendell Mayes Star Trek 10: Nemesis by John Logan Stay by David Benioff Stir of Echos by David Koepp (based on the novel by Richard Matheson Strangers on a Train by Raymond Chandler & Czenzi Ormonde Stuart Little 2 by Bruce Joel Rubin revised by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel SuperFights by Keith Strandburg Superman by J.J. Abrams Suspect Zero by Zak Penn (with revisions by Billy Ray) Sweet November by Kurt Voelker (based on the screenplay by Herman Raucher) revised by Becky Johnson Swordfish by Skip Woods Syriana by Stephen Gaghan (based on the book See No Evil by Robert Baer) Taking Lives by Jon Bokenkamp (based on the novel by Michael Pye) previous revisions by Nicholas Kazan, H. Seitz, David Ayer Tarzan's Secret Treasure by Myles Connolly & Paul Gangelin Thief by Michael Mann The Thin Red Line by Terrence Malick (based on the novel by James Jones) The Thing by Bill Lancaster (From the story Who Goes There by Don A. Stuart) Thir13en Ghosts by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio Thirteen Ghosts by Neal Marshall Stevens (based on the screenplay by Robb White) revised by Richard D'Ovidio This Boy's Life by Robert Getchell based on the book by Tobias Wolff Three Days of the Condor by Lorenzo Semple & David Rayfiel Three Kings by David O. Russell (story by John Ridley) Three Men and a Baby by Jim Cruickshank, James Orr, and Coline Serreau The Three Musketeers by David Loughery Thunderheart by John Fusco Ticker by Paul B. Margolis Timeline by George Nolfi (based on the novel by Michael Crichton) Timeline by George Nolfi (based on the novel by Michael Crichton) Tin Cup by John Norville and Ron Shelton Tin Men by Barry Levinson Tombstone by Kevin Jarre Training Day by David Ayer Transformers (Prime Directive) by John Rogers (revisions by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) The Treasure Of Sierra Madre by Robert Rossen from the novel by B. Traven Tripping Forward by Chris Fogleman and Marcus Nash Troy by Michael Tabb Troy by David Benioff True Crime by Stephen Schiff based on the novel by Andrew Klavan True Romance by Quentin Tarantino Twins by William Osborne & William Davies Revisions by Timothy Harris & Hersehel Weingrod and William Goldman Untitled 50 Cent Project (filmed as Get Rich Or Die Trying) by Terence Winter Vagrant by Charlie Vargas Vikings by Michael Traeger Virtuosity by Eric Bernt Waking up the Day by Mark Lee Walk The Line by Gill Dennis & James Mangold A Walk to Remember by Karen Janszen Warm Springs by Margaret Nagle Warriors by Walter Hill (From the novel by Sol Yurick) The Wedding Crashers by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher The Wedding Date (was Something Borrowed) by Dana Fox When Harry Met Sally by Nora Ephron Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough (was Rough Diamonds) by Andy Hurst & Ross Helford Wild, Wild West by S.S. Wilson & Brent Mattock and Jeffery Price & Peter S. Seaman, Story by Jim Thomas and John Thomas Wish List by C. David Stephens The Witches of Eastwick by Michael Cristofer (based on the book by John Updike) X-Men By Ed Solomon & Christopher McQuarrie X-men 2 by David Hayter (story by Bryan Singer and David Hayter) Current revisions by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris X2 by David Hayter (story by Bryan Singer and David Hayter) Current revisions by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris You'll Never Die In This Town Again (Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang) by Shane Black Zapper by Jim Strain

Adaptation. (2002) by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean. A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

Whiplash (2014) by Damien Chazelle. A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

Joker (2019) by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver. 13 April 2018 In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY JOKER AN ORIGIN Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver 13 April 2018 This story takes place in its own universe. It has no connection to any of the DC films that have come before it. We see it as a classic Warner Bros. movie. Gritty, intimate and oddly funny, the characters live in the real world and the stakes are personal. Although it is never mentioned in the film, this story takes place in the past. Let's call it 1981. It's a troubled time. The crime rate in Gotham is at record highs. A garbage strike has crippled the city for the past six weeks. And the divide between the "haves" and the "have- nots" is palpable. Dreams are beyond reach, slipping into delusions. OVER BLACK: HEAR LAUGHTER. The sound of a man totally cracking up. FADE IN: 1 INT. DEPT. OF HEALTH, OFFICE - MORNING 1 CLOSE ON JOKER (30's), tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. He's trying to get it under control. His greasy, black hair is matted down. He's wearing an old, faded red hooded zip-up sweatshirt, a threadbare gray scarf, thin from years of use, hangs loosely around his neck. WE NOTICE TWO FADED OLD SCARS cut at the corners of his mouth. Almost forming a smile. He's sitting across from an overworked SOCIAL WORKER (50's), African American. Her office is cramped and run-down in a cramped and run-down building. Stacks of folders piled high in front of her. She just sits behind her desk, waiting for his laughing fit to end, she's been through this before. Finally it subsides. Joker takes a deep breath, pauses to see if it's over. Beat. JOKER --is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there? Despite the laughter, there's real pain in his eyes. Something broken in him. Looks like he hasn't slept in days. SOCIAL WORKER It's certainly tense. People are upset, they're struggling. Looking for work. The garbage strike seems like it's been going on forever. These are tough times. (then) How 'bout you. How's the job? Still enjoying it? JOKER Yeah, I mean, it's different each day, so I really like that. I don't think I could ever work in an office. Behind a desk. (MORE) 2. JOKER (CONT'D) (beat) No offense. She smiles. Writes something down. Looks at the clock, she's running late for her next appointment. SOCIAL WORKER Have you been keeping up with your journal? JOKER Everyday. SOCIAL WORKER Great. Did you bring it with you? Beat. JOKER (dodging the subject) I'm sorry. Did I bring what? SOCIAL WORKER (impatient; she doesn't have time for this) Arthur, last time I asked you to bring your journal with you. For these appointments. Do you have it? JOKER Yes ma'am. Beat. SOCIAL WORKER Can I see it? He reluctantly reaches into his bag. Pulls out a weathered notebook. Slides it across to her-- JOKER I've been using it as a journal, but also a joke diary. Funny thoughts or, or observations-- Did I tell you I'm pursuing a career in stand-up comedy? She's half-listening as she flips through his journal. SOCIAL WORKER No. You didn't. JOKER I think I did. 3. She doesn't respond, keeps flipping through his journal-- SOCIAL WORKER Oh yeah. Because of what your mother said,-- about your purpose. "To bring laughter and joy to the world," right? JOKER Right. ANGLE ON JOURNAL, pages and pages of notes, all in neat, angry-looking handwriting. Also, cut out photos from hardcore pornographic magazines and some crude handmade drawings. A flash of anger crosses Joker's face. We see him picking at his right eyebrow, almost obsessively. Trying to stay calm. His eyebrow is actually half-gone. Something he does a lot. JOKER I didn't realize you wanted to read it. The social worker gives him a look, then reads something in the pages that gives her pause. SOCIAL WORKER (reading out loud) "I just hope my death makes more sense than my life." She looks up at Joker. He just stares back. Lets it hang out there for a beat. Then he laughs a little, even though he doesn't think it's funny-- JOKER Yeah. I mean, that's just-- SOCIAL WORKER Does my reading it upset you? He leans in. JOKER No. I just,-- some of it's personal. You know? SOCIAL WORKER I understand. I just want to make sure you're keeping up with it. She slides his journal back to him. He holds it in his lap. 4. SOCIAL WORKER What about your mom? How's she feeling? JOKER She has good days. But mostly bad. It's been a big help having me there. She really needs me. SOCIAL WORKER Seems like she's been sick a lot since you got home. JOKER (nods) Yeah, it's good I'm there. When I was in the hospital, after my last episode-- she was having trouble getting over there to visit. She looks back up at the clock, she needs to get to her next appointment. SOCIAL WORKER All right. So, I'll see you again, two weeks from today? He nods. But keeps sitting there for a moment. She stands up, trying to signal it's time for him to leave-- SOCIAL WORKER Is there something else I can help you with, Arthur? My next appointment is waiting. He just keeps sitting there. JOKER Yeah, I was wondering if you could ask the doctor to increase the dosage on my medications? Nothing seems to make a difference. SOCIAL WORKER (looking over his record) Do you know which ones you'd like increased? Shakes his head, no. SOCIAL WORKER Have you been sleeping? 5. JOKER (lying) Some. She glances at his file again. SOCIAL WORKER Arthur, you're on seven different medications. Surely they must be doing something. He finally stands up. Zips up his faded red sweatshirt. Looks at her-- JOKER I just don't wanna feel so bad anymore. CUT TO BLACK: TITLE: JOKER 2 EXT. GOTHAM SQUARE, MIDTOWN - KENNY'S MUSIC SHOP - DAY 2 GOTHAM SQUARE IS CLOGGED WITH TRAFFIC. Non-stop honking horns, pedestrians crowding the sidewalk. Huge billboards, giant movie marquees, garbage bags piled high everywhere. Underneath it all we hear a TINKLING PIANO playing something bouncy and fast-paced. FROM ACROSS THE BUSY CITY STREET, we see Joker. He's dressed as a sad-faced HOBO CLOWN. This is his job. Dressed in tattered clothes, dark five o'clock shadow painted on his face, big bulbous red nose, his mouth's outlined in white, turned down at the corners. He's holding up a sign in front of Kenny's Music Shop that reads, "EVERYTHING MUST GO!" A banner above the store reads, "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!" Behind him, an OLD MAN plays a piano on the street. Both of them there to draw attention to the big sale going on in the store. Joker's doing a little Charlie Chaplin like waddle to the music. Most people walk right past, ignoring him. A few bump into him by mistake. JOKER SEES A GROUP OF FIVE BOYS, no more than 15-years-old, walking toward him. He moves out of their way. They crack up laughing when they see him. Start making fun of him. 6. Joker ignores them, tries to do his job the best he can while maintaining some dignity. Keeps dancing and holding up the sign. One of the kids knocks the sign out of Joker's hands-- KID #1 Suck my dick, clown. The kids laugh. Joker doesn't say anything. Just bends over to pick up the sign-- Another kid kicks him in the ass-- KID #2 Whoops. Joker falls face first onto the sidewalk. Oddly, the old man playing the piano picks up the pace of the music-- The kids crack up. One of the boys grabs Joker's sign and takes off running across the street-- The other kids follow, weaving through traffic-- Joker gets up and gives chase. He needs his sign back. He almost gets hit by a taxi, spinning out of the way just in time-- Spinning right into another taxi that stops just short of hitting him. Joker keeps running through traffic. People stare. A clown barreling down the street has got to be a joke-- 3 EXT. CORNER, SIDE STREET - GOTHAM SQUARE - CONTINUOUS 3 The five boys are booking it down the crowded street laughing and whooping it up. At the last second they take a sharp right turn down a cross street-- Joker almost overshoots the corner, slip-sliding in his big red shoes-- He rights himself and heads down after them-- Sees them running up ahead-- WHAP! Out of nowhere Joker gets hit in the face! He falls to the ground. One of the kids was hiding between parked cars and hit Joker with the "EVERYTHING MUST GO!" sign, splintering it in two-- 7. The other kids turn back and walk up to Joker down on the ground. Joker reaches out, still trying to save the sign-- THE KIDS START KICKING AND BEATING THE SHIT out of Joker. It's brutal and vicious. Nobody on the street stops to help. CLOSE ON JOKER'S HOBO CLOWN FACE, down on the ground. Sweat running down his face, smearing his make-up. He doesn't even look like he's in pain. He just takes the beating. That stupid frown painted on his face. 4 INT. CITY BUS (PULLING OUT) - HEADING DOWNTOWN - DUSK 4 Joker, makes his way toward the back of the crowded bus, now walking with a slight limp, but keeping his head held high. His make-up's washed off, costume and props all shoved into a big shopping bag slung over his shoulder. Some white grease- paint still smudged on the sides of his face. He finds an empty seat in the back of the bus. Sees a sad- eyed FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL, face puffy from crying, sitting on her knees looking back at him. Her mother's facing forward, but even from behind you can tell she's angry. Joker sees the sad-eyed girl staring straight back at him. He doesn't know where to look, feeling self-conscious and small. He gets back into "character" smiling like a clown and covers his face with his hands-- Starts playing the peek-a-boo game with her. The girl stares back at him for a moment then giggles-- WOMAN ON BUS (turns back to Joker; already annoyed) Can you please stop bothering my kid? JOKER I wasn't bothering her, I was-- WOMAN ON BUS (interrupts) Just stop. AND SUDDENLY JOKER STARTS TO LAUGH. LOUD. He covers his mouth trying to hide it-- Shakes his head, laughter pausing for a moment, but then it comes on stronger. His eyes are sad. It actually looks like the laughter causes him pain. 8. People on the bus are staring. The girl looks like she's going to cry again. WOMAN ON BUS You think that's funny? Joker shakes his head no, but he can't stop laughing. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small card. Hands it to the woman. CLOSE ON THE CARD, it reads: "Forgive my laughter. I have a condition (more on back)" She turns the card over and there is a bunch of information in small writing-- "It's a medical condition causing sudden, frequent, uncontrollable laughter that doesn't match how you feel. It can happen in people with a brain injury or certain neurological conditions." She doesn't read it (but if you freeze frame the movie you could). She just shakes her head annoyed and throws the card on the ground. Joker laughs harder. Tears running down his face. Not wanting to attract any more attention to himself, he pulls up his red hood, and uses his threadbare scarf to cover his mouth, trying to muffle the laughter. He looks out at the city passing him by. 5 EXT. LOWER EAST SIDE, STREETS - GOTHAM - EVENING 5 The bus pulls away, sun almost gone. Joker heads slowly down the litter-covered streets. Garbage is piled along the sidewalks, the air thick with smog creates a haze over everything. The streets are crowded with the poor, the elderly and disenfranchised. Women with children in busted strollers. Homeless people sleeping on subway grates. Stray dogs. His is one of the few white faces. Joker makes his way into a run-down drug store, behind him two drunks fight on the corner, beating the shit out of each other. Joker, and nobody else for that matter, pays them any attention. No one here gives a shit. 9. 6 INT. LOBBY, APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING 6 A shabby lobby in a building that was once probably pretty nice, but now it's a dump. Joker checks his mailbox. He's holding a small white (prescription) bag in his hand. The mailbox is empty. 7 INT. ELEVATOR, APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS 7 Joker steps onto the wheezing elevator, harsh fluorescent lights, graffiti on the walls. As the door closes, he hears-- SOPHIE (OS) Wait!! He puts his foot out with some panache to stop the closing door-- He's a romantic at heart. Ding. And SOPHIE DUMOND (late 20's), tired eyes, hands filled with grocery bags, steps onto the elevator with GIGI, her 5-year- old daughter. SOPHIE Thank you. (realizing) Of course it's you,-- everyone else in this building is just so fucking rude. Joker nods "thanks." Holds his breath, hoping he doesn't start to laugh. Floors dinging as the elevator rises. Joker sees GiGi licking the dirty smudged elevator handrail behind her mom. SOPHIE How's your mom doing? He takes a deep breath, he's uncomfortable talking to her, holds up the white prescription bag. JOKER It's day to day. I'm doing everything I can to get her back on her feet. (re: pharmacy bag) Picked up her medicine. Gonna make her some dinner. 10. SOPHIE (smiles; being polite) She's lucky she has you-- Joker smiles thanks, can't help but glance at GiGi licking the rail. Sophie finally notices. She wants to grab her but can't with her hands full. Tries to kick her away-- SOPHIE Jesus. Don't do that, GiGi! How many times have I told you that? (to Joker) This building is so awful, isn't it? Joker just nods... he doesn't know what to say, but clearly wants to continue this conversation with Sophie. The doors open. They all step off. SOPHIE Okay. Well, tell your mom I said hello. And Sophie and GiGi walk down the hall-- the opposite way of Joker. He just stands there for a beat. Heart beating fast. JOKER (calls out after her) Hey Sophie-- She turns around. JOKER I'll tell my mom you said hello. She smiles as in "yeah, that's what I said." 8 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, FRONT DOOR - EVENING 8 Old apartment, worn carpet. Nothing's new inside but it's fairly neat and well-kept. Joker closes the door behind him, leans his back against it and swoons. Hears a deep purring sound. He looks down and sees an OLD ORANGE CAT, rubbing up against his leg. Then-- 11. MOM (OS) (shattering the moment, calls out) Happy?! Did you check the mail before you came up? JOKER Yes, Ma. Nothing. No letter. MOM (OS) You sure you looked? Sometimes I don't know where your head is. Joker glances back down and sees the cat is gone. JOKER Yes I'm sure. And my head's right here. I'm gonna make you some dinner, okay? QUICK CUTS: JOKER TEARS OPEN THE PRESCRIPTION BAG... A FLURRY OF PILL BOTTLES TUMBLE OUT ONTO THE COUNTER. SEE HIS NAME, "ARTHUR FLECK" ON THE ORANGE PILL BOTTLES, AND GLIMPSE THE GENERIC DRUG NAMES, TEMAZEPAM... PERPHENAZINE... AHENELZINE... AMITRIPTYLINE... BENZEDRINE... DIAZEPAM... MEPROBAMATE... TAKES OUT ONE PILL FROM EACH THE TEMAZEPAM AND MEPROBAMATE BOTTLES. TWO PILLS BEING CRUSHED UP TO POWDER. SPRINKLES THE POWDER ON TOP OF A TV DINNER. SWALLOWS A HANDFUL OF PILLS FROM THE OTHER BOTTLES. LOOKS DOWN AND SMILES AT THE ORANGE CAT LOOKING UP AT HIM FROM THE COUNTER. 9 INT. MOM'S BEDROOM, APARTMENT - NIGHT 9 Joker brings the food to his mother, PENNY (70's), lying in her bed. The TV is on, playing the local news. Joker sets the food down in front of his mother. He covers the pain from his beating the best he can-- His mother doesn't seem to notice anyway. MOM He must not be getting my letters. 12. Joker sits down on a chair next to the bed. JOKER He's a busy man. MOM Too busy for me? I worked for that family for 12 years. He always had a smile for me. Least he could do is write back. JOKER Ma, eat. You need to eat. MOM You need to eat. Look how skinny you are. Before Joker can say anything, his mother points to the news on the TV-- MOM All day long it's more bad news. That's all there is. JOKER Maybe you shouldn't watch so much television. MOM (ignoring) He's the only hope for Gotham. He'll make a great mayor. Everybody says so. JOKER (playful) Everybody who? Who do you talk to? MOM Well everybody on the news. JOKER Stop it. He's not even gonna run. Why would Thomas Wayne want to be mayor? He can do more good as a businessman. MOM Because he cares about this city. And everyone in it-- that's why I can't believe he hasn't written me back. 13. JOKER He will. Now eat some dinner. He feeds her a bite of the food. JOKER How you feeling today? MOM I don't know. It always hits me worse at night, you notice that? He shakes his head. JOKER (teasing) Maybe it's the moon. Maybe you're a werewolf? HE HOWLS SOFTLY like a wolf. She laughs. MOM It's not funny. Joker watches her as he cuts up some more of her food. MOM Anyway, I wrote a new letter today. A better one. I want you to hand deliver it to him. JOKER What? Why? MOM Cause maybe the mailman is throwing them away. We should have tipped him at Christmas time. JOKER Who tips their mailman? MOM Some people do. Rich people do. Joker sighs, resigned. JOKER Okay. I can try his office. Tomorrow. 14. MOM Thank you. (she pats the bed) Come sit. It's almost on. Joker gets into bed with her. CLOSE ON TELEVISION, intro to "LIVE WITH MURRAY FRANKLIN!", and we HEAR THE ANNOUNCER over clips of comedy bits, stars and Murray Franklin himself-- ANNOUNCER (ON TV) It's Live with Murray Franklin! Tonight Murray welcomes, Sandra Winger, comedian Skip Byron and the piano stylings of Yeldon & Chantel! As always, Don Ellis and his Jazz Orchestra. And now, without any further ado-- Murray Franklin! Joker and his mom watch from bed, this is a ritual of theirs. 10 INT. LIVING ROOM, MOM'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 10 Late night. Joker's mom is dead asleep. Joker is alone in the living room, which doubles as his bedroom. He can't ever sleep. He opens his worn notebook. Flips to a page titled "Jokes" and starts writing-- CLOSE ON WORDS, as he slowly writes: "The worst part about having a mental illness is..." ANGLE ON JOKER, pausing, thinking it over for a moment. Then he laughs to himself when he comes up with something. CLOSE ON WORDS, coming faster now, "...that people still expect you to behave as if you don't." CUT TO: 11 EXT. WAYNE TOWER, STREET - MIDTOWN - MORNING 11 Joker's looking up at the intimidating steel and glass tower, he looks so small, holding his mom's letter in his hand. Bustle of professionals coming in and out of the company's corporate headquarters, Joker looks out of place. He heads inside through the giant glass doors. 15. 12 INT. RECEPTION, WAYNE ENTERPRISES - 25TH FLOOR - MORNING 12 Joker steps off an elevator and walks up to the white marble reception desk as if he belongs there-- JOKER Hello. I have a personal letter for Mr. Thomas Wayne. RECEPTIONIST Okay. You can leave it with me. JOKER It's kind of important. I need to make sure he gets it himself. RECEPTIONIST Oh, in that case, I'll buzz you right in. Joker goes to enter-- RECEPTIONIST I'm kidding. Leave it here. He laughs along with her, even though she's not laughing. JOKER Oh. Right-- well, my mom used to work for the Wayne family-- for 12 years. She was their housekeeper. A couple other business people are now waiting behind Joker, there for meetings. RECEPTIONIST That's great. But you can leave it with me or you can leave with the letter. Those are your options. Now please step aside. JOKER Mr. Wayne knows her. Can you maybe at least call back to him? Tell him that I'm here. RECEPTIONIST Thomas Wayne is away on business. Joker is getting frustrated. JOKER Okay. Well, can I have your name? So I know who I left it with. 16. Now Joker sees a GROUP OF MEN walking behind the glass that separates the reception area from the back offices. Amongst the group, he catches a glimpse of THOMAS WAYNE (60's), deep tan, hair dyed so black it's almost blue. JOKER Wait. He's right there. (goes up to the glass, shouts) Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne. He starts banging on the glass... but the group keeps moving. Not noticing him. RECEPTIONIST Sir. Please stop. Sir!! Joker keeps banging on the glass. 13 EXT. WAYNE TOWER, FRONT ENTRANCE - MORNING 13 The glass doors swing open and Joker is forcibly thrown onto the street. TWO LARGE SECURITY GUARDS stand over him. He is still holding the letter. He makes as if he's going to leave peacefully, then at the last minute, TAKES ANOTHER RUN AT THE DOOR-- The two guards stiff arm him. CUT TO: 14 INT. HA-HA'S TALENT BOOKING, LOCKER ROOM - DAY 14 The cramped locker room of a small talent booking agency. This is where Joker works. They "rent out" talent for parties and events. Clowns, magicians, male strippers. Joker takes off his shirt, grimaces in pain as he moves. His body's bruised from the beating he took chasing after his sign. RANDALL (OS) You okay? He turns. RANDALL (mid 50's), a big bear of a know-it-all, standing there. He's a party clown as well. He's half-dressed in his clown suit. 17. RANDALL I heard about the beat down you took. Fucking savages. JOKER It was just a bunch of kids. I should have left it alone. Randall opens his locker-- RANDALL It's crazy out there. And it's only getting worse. JOKER (nods) My mother says that the people nowadays lack empathy. RANDALL What's empathy? JOKER It means like "feeling for other people." RANDALL Like sympathy? JOKER Kind of. But different. Randall comes over, hands Joker a brown paper bag-- Joker looks inside. It's a GUN, a .38 snub-nose revolver. Joker looks up at him, confused-- RANDALL Take it. I got a few. You gotta protect yourself out there, buddy. Too many wackos. As Joker stares at it-- RANDALL (lowers his voice) It's a .38 snub-nose. Gets the job done if you ever need to use it. Usually pulling it out is enough. JOKER I, I don't have the money for this, Randall. 18. RANDALL Don't sweat it. You can pay me some other time. You're my boy. That lands with Joker, he smiles to himself. RANDALL (as he walks away) But you didn't get it from me, okay? Joker nods. Puts the brown paper bag in his locker. Slowly starts to get dressed-- his eyes darting toward the bag as he does. Another clown, GARY (30's), a dwarf, pops his head into the locker room. GARY Arthur,-- Hoyt wants to see you in his office. JOKER What for? GARY No clue. 15 INT. FRONT OFFICE, HA-HA'S TALENT BOOKING - DAY 15 Joker still half-dressed, walks into the cramped office. His boss, HOYT VAUGHN (60's) sits behind a metal desk. The office is a complete mess, newspapers and files litter the desk. A giant ashtray filled with cigarette butts. A calendar of booking hangs on the wall. A scribbled, jumbled mess. JOKER Hey Hoyt. Gary said you wanted to see me? HOYT (without even looking up) How's the comedy career? Are you a famous stand-up yet? JOKER Not quite. Haven't even performed yet. Just been working my material. This business is all about fine- tuning. Now Hoyt looks up. Takes a drag from his cigarette. 19. HOYT Right. Joker goes to sit down-- HOYT Don't sit. This will be quick. Joker stops in his tracks. HOYT Look, I like you, Arthur. A lot of the guys here, they think you're a freak. But I like you. I don't even know why I like you. I mean, you don't say much. (beat) It's probably that stupid laugh. It gets me every time. Kills me. Unsure how to respond, Joker just nods. HOYT But I got another complaint. And it's starting to piss me off. Joker takes a deep breath, maybe picks at his eyebrow. HOYT Kenny's Music. Sunday. The guy said you disappeared. Never even returned his sign. JOKER No. I got jumped. I told you about that. HOYT For a sign? Bullshit. It makes no sense, just give him his sign back. He's going out of business for god's-- BANG! Out of nowhere, Joker slams his head into the wall. Head-butting it hard. HOYT (taken aback) Hey! BANG! BANG! He does it two more times. Breaking the plaster on the wall-- 20. HOYT What the fuck, Arthur?! JOKER (voice tightens) I don't have his sign. And Joker just stares at Hoyt, some blood forming on his forehead-- CUT TO: 16 EXT. BACK ALLEY, OUTSIDE HA-HA'S - AMUSEMENT MILE - DAY 16 WE'RE AT THE FAR END OF AN ALLEY, about halfway down, catch a glimpse of Joker still half-dressed on the other side of a dumpster. From this vantage, all we can see is him furiously KICKING and STOMPING on something... or somebody. We don't hear anything. And we can't make out what it is that he's so violently beating down. It could be a cat... a cardboard box... a homeless person... We don't know. Joker just continues unleashing his rage-- 17 INT. CITY BUS (MOVING) - DUSK 17 Joker at the end of his work day, sitting in his spot toward the back of the bus. Across the aisle from him, he's innocently watching a young couple, playfully teasing each other. 18 EXT. GOTHAM, LOWER EAST SIDE - EVENING 18 Joker heading back home down the litter-covered streets like he does every night. Garbage still piled along the sidewalks, air still thick with smog. He's carrying the paper bag that Randall gave him. 19 INT. LOBBY, APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING 19 Joker checks his mailbox. Empty. 21. 20 INT. ELEVATOR, APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS 20 Joker is on the elevator, as the door closes, he sticks his foot out to stop it. The door limps back open. Ding. He looks to see if anybody, if Sophie, is coming. He waits. Hoping. The door starts to close on him again-- Right before it does, he stops it with his foot again. Ding. 21 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - NIGHT 21 JOKER'S GIVING HIS MOM A BATH, being careful with her as he shampoos her hair. MOM --so what did he say when you gave him the letter? JOKER They wouldn't let me see him. (lying) But they promised me it would get to him. MOM It's good they promised. He only works with the best. We should hear something soon. He fills an empty plastic container with some bath water. JOKER Look up. She tilts her head back and he rinses her hair with the water from the container... JOKER Why are these letters so important to you, Ma? What do you think he's gonna do? MOM He's gonna help us. JOKER Help us how? 22. MOM Get us out of here, take me away from this place and these-- these awful people. JOKER You worked for him over 30 years ago. What makes you think he would help you? She looks at him with conviction. MOM Because Thomas Wayne is a good man. If he knew how I was living, if he saw this place, it would make him sick. I can't explain it to you any better than that. Joker nods. Annoyed, but not worth the argument. He stands up to get her a towel. JOKER I don't want you worrying about money. Everyone's been telling me they think my stand-up is ready for the big clubs. It's just a matter of time before I get a break. She steps into the towel. He's helping dry her off. MOM Happy, what makes you think you could do that? JOKER What do you mean? MOM I mean, don't you have to be funny to be a comedian? Beat. 22 INT. MOM'S BEDROOM, APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT 22 Joker's mom is out cold in her bedroom, a half-eaten plate of food is next to her on the bed. 23. 23 INT. LIVING ROOM, MOM'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 23 Joker sits on the couch. The TV is on, but the sound is off. He holds the .38 SNUB-NOSE REVOLVER Randall gave him in his hand. He's never held a gun before, looks uncomfortable with it, the weight of it in his hand... He points it at the TV, hand trembling a bit... Points it at the cat... Points it at his head. Looks closely at the grip. The barrel. The cylinder. Now he casually pulls the trigger-- BLAMMMMMMM! He jumps up off the couch. What the fuck!? He looks around in a panic. His hands shaking. He shot a hole in the wall. MOM (OS) (awoken by the shot) HAPPY!? What was that? JOKER What?! He quickly turns up the TV volume. REALLY LOUD. Shoves the still smoking gun under the couch cushions. MOM (OS) THAT NOISE! DID YOU HEAR THAT NOISE? He's inspecting the hole in the wall. Shouts back over the TV noise-- JOKER I'M WATCHING AN OLD WAR MOVIE. MOM (OS) TURN IT DOWN! He heads for his mother's bedroom. 24 INT. MOM'S BEDROOM, DOORWAY - CONTINUOUS 24 Joker looks in on his mom in her dark bedroom, can make out the outline of her body sitting up. MOM It's so loud. 24. JOKER I know. The Americans are really giving it to the Japs. He walks over to her in the darkness. Kisses her on the forehead. JOKER (softly) I'm sorry. I'll turn it down. 25 INT. KITCHEN, MOM'S APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT 25 Joker is writing in his journal. He speaks softly to himself as he writes... JOKER Why didn't Randall tell me the gun was loaded? He's my friend. With my luck, I could have killed someone. (beat) I could have killed myself. CLOSE ON THE LAST LINE, he crosses out "could"... Writes... "should". JOKER (still to himself) I should have killed myself. CLOSE ON JOKER as he crosses out something again... JOKER (louder to himself) I should kill myself. Beat. 26 EXT. STREET, LOWER EAST SIDE - MORNING 26 HANDHELD POV, see the run-down building where Joker lives from across the street. REVEAL, Joker is watching his own building on the far side of a parked truck. Red hood pulled up, covering his head. He waits. Watches. Now we see Sophie exiting the building with her daughter GiGi. Sophie's dressed more conservatively than when we previously met her. 25. Joker starts following them. 27 EXT. PUBLIC SCHOOL - MORNING 27 Sophie drops GiGi off at school. Joker's still watching. Following. 28 EXT. ELEVATED SUBWAY PLATFORM - MORNING 28 Sophie waits on the platform. Lights a cigarette. We see Joker, hidden behind a steel support beam-- watching her from a distance. 29 INT. SUBWAY (MOVING) - MORNING 29 Joker stands at the window between two subway cars. Just watching Sophie as she reads a book in the next car. The train comes to a stop and she exits. Joker exits as well. 30 EXT. STREET, UPPER EAST SIDE - MORNING 30 Nicer part of Gotham. Joker follows Sophie from a distance, watches as she walks into Gotham First National Bank. Sees her say hello to the guard. This is where she works. Joker just watches and waits. 31 INT. GOTHAM FIRST NATIONAL - LATER 31 A large, mid-level bank. Sophie is one of THREE BANK TELLERS working behind the plexiglass windows. Joker pulls the hood back off his head, takes a deep breath before he walks up to her window. She is looking down, counting her drawer. Takes another deep breath. Then-- JOKER Hello. I'd like to open an account. She looks up. SOPHIE (surprised) Hey, what are you doing up here? 26. JOKER Oh, hi. That's weird. (pausing to see if he's gonna laugh; he's good) I didn't know you worked at a bank. SOPHIE Pretty glamorous, right? Not getting the sarcasm, Joker nods. Looks around. JOKER Very glamorous. Look at this place. She laughs. He stands there awkwardly for a moment looking around to see what she's laughing about. Realizes she thought he was making a joke. Beat. JOKER I'm a comedian. I do stand-up comedy. SOPHIE Really? I had no idea. JOKER Yeah. You know, I'm always making funny observations. Always on the look out for my next bit-- so it makes sense. SOPHIE Right. Anyway, is there something I could help you with? Beat. JOKER I said hi to my mom. SOPHIE Excuse me? JOKER Last week. You said to say hi to my mom. I did. Made her day. They are interrupted by the BRANCH MANAGER (50's), white, heavy-set, who has come up behind Sophie-- 27. BRANCH MANAGER Everything okay here? He puts his heavy hand on Sophie's shoulder. She practically shudders from his touch. SOPHIE Everything is fine Mr. Slotnick. Now he leans down and whispers something in her ear-- Joker just watches through the glass. SOPHIE (shakes her head; to her manager) No. He's not. He's interested in opening an account. BRANCH MANAGER (to Joker) Great. You just need to fill out a form. They are back there-- against the wall. As the manager talks, Sophie makes wide eyes at Joker, like "I almost got in trouble." JOKER (covering; trying to act cool) Okay. Thank you, sir. And thank you as well, Miss. Joker walks back to the wall by the forms. He fumbles around for a minute, clearly not there to open an account. He begins filling out a form. Then-- JOKER (shouts out, to no one in particular) YOU KNOW WHAT?! I FORGOT MY ID! I'LL BE BACK. THANK YOU. He walks out of the bank. Head in the clouds. 32 INT. GOTHAM COMEDY CLUB, CHINATOWN - NIGHT 32 Joker sitting in the middle of a dark, crowded comedy club. People on dates. Groups of friends. All here to watch the stand-up. He sits at a small table by himself, watching the act on stage. 28. The comic on stage is killing it. The whole room is laughing and applauding. Everyone except Joker. He's watching. Studying. Diligently jotting down notes in his notebook. 33 EXT. GOTHAM COMEDY CLUB, STREET - CHINATOWN - NIGHT 33 People are piling out of the club, onto the narrow street, jumble of lit-up signs, most glowing yellow or red. Joker walks out alone, carrying his notebook. He sees a FLYER taped to the entrance of the club. CLOSE ON THE FLYER, "Open mic night. Thursdays. 10pm." He rips the flyer off the wall. 34 INT. HA-HA'S TALENT BOOKING, LOCKER ROOM - DAY 34 Joker is working on his "Mr. Jingles" clown look, using the small mirror in his locker. Behind him a couple of other clowns are eating their lunch at a small table, not paying Joker any attention. Joker pauses half-finished, and stares at himself for a beat. He starts to examine the two small scars on the corners of his mouth, we really notice how they form a smile. Joker hooks the corners of his mouth down with his index fingers, turning his smile into a frown-- He lets go and his smile returns. Does it again, up and down, up and down, his face a living comedy/tragedy mask. And then he pulls his fingers wider, stretching his smile into a grotesque parody, pulling his mouth so wide tears come to his eyes-- AND WE HEAR JOKER SINGING "If You're Happy and You Know It" at his next gig. JOKER (PRE-LAP) (singing) --if you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you're happy and you know it clap your hands. 29. 35 INT. GOTHAM GENERAL - CHILDREN'S WARD - EVENING 35 Joker is performing for a ward full of sick children, wearing an oversized white lab coat over his "Mr. Jingles" clown costume. A few nurses and doctors watch as well. His white clown face, mouth outlined in black and filled in with red, his green wig frizzy and worn out. Joker plays a UKULELE along with the song. JOKER If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet. Joker and the kids stomp and sing along. JOKER If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet. (stomp, stomp) If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you're happy and you know it stomp your feet. As the song winds down, the KIDS and NURSES clap. Joker takes an exaggerated and ridiculous bow-- And as he does, his .38 SNUB-NOSE REVOLVER slips out of his pants and slides across the floor. Everyone stops. Looks at the gun on the floor. 36 INT. LOBBY, GOTHAM GENERAL - LATER 36 Joker is on a payphone in the lobby of the hospital. He's in his street clothes, wig in his hand, clown-face still painted on. JOKER (into phone) Hoyt, let me explain. HOYT (OVER PHONE) Oh, this'll be good. Please tell me why you brought a gun into a sick kid's ward? JOKER (into phone) It was, it was a prop gun. It's part of my act now. 30. HOYT (OVER PHONE) Bullshit. Jingles would never carry a fucking gun. Besides, Randall told me you tried to buy a .38 off him last week. Joker's taken aback that Randall would do that to him. JOKER (into phone) Randall told you that? HOYT (OVER PHONE) He was with me when the call came in. You're a fuck up, Arthur. And a liar. You're fired. JOKER (into phone) Hoyt-- HOYT (OVER PHONE) Say it, Arthur. (beat) Let me hear you say it. JOKER (into phone) Say what? HOYT (OVER PHONE) I'm a fuck up and I'm fired. Joker picks at his eyebrow. JOKER (into phone; low) --I'm a fuck up and I'm fired. HOYT (OVER PHONE) Louder. JOKER (into phone; louder) I'm a fuck up and I'm fired. HOYT (OVER PHONE) Yes. You are. Click. He hears Hoyt hang up. Beat. 31. 37 INT. SUBWAY (MOVING) - NIGHT 37 JOKER SITS ON THE SUBWAY CONTEMPLATING WHAT JUST WENT DOWN, face still painted, his bag on the seat next to him, along with his wig. There's only one other person on the subway car, a YOUNG WOMAN (30's) sitting at the far end-- reading a book. The train comes to a stop and THREE WALL STREET GUYS enter. They are being loud and obnoxious, clearly drunk. One of them is eating some french fries out of a greasy McDonald's bag. He flops down on the bench across from the girl and checks her out. The other two guys start getting into it with each other-- WALL STREET #1 --I'm telling you, she wanted my number. We should have just stayed. The train starts moving again... WALL STREET #2 You're dreaming, man. She wasn't interested-- at all. WALL STREET #1 Are you nuts? Did you see how close we were dancing!? She was in love, bro. He starts dancing a bit with himself, mimicking what he remembers. Wall Street #2 takes a swig from the brown bag he is carrying. WALL STREET #2 She couldn't wait to get away from you. Joker is watching them closely, impressed by their confidence and easy-going camaraderie. WALL STREET #1 (to the third guy) Ryan, am I crazy? Tell him what you saw. But the third Wall Street guy isn't paying his friends any attention. He has his eyes set on the young woman sitting across from him, reading her book. WALL STREET #3 (to the girl) Hey. You want some french fries? 32. He holds out his McDonald's bag and shakes it to get her attention. The other two share a look. Joker watches from his seat. WALL STREET #3 Hello? I'm talking to you. You want some fries? She looks up and shakes her head, polite smile. YOUNG WOMAN No thank you. The other two guys crack up at this apparent blow-off. The third Wall Street guy shakes his head, embarrassed, and starts softly flinging fries at the young woman. WALL STREET #3 You sure? They're really good. She just buries her face deeper in her book-- WALL STREET #2 Don't ignore him. He's being nice to you. One of the french fries lands in her hair. She looks down toward Joker, looking to see if he's going to do something or say something-- Joker just sits there nervous. Not sure what to do, or even if he wants to do anything at all. AND HE JUST BURSTS OUT LAUGHING. He covers his mouth with his hand as they continue to harass the woman. They all look over-- What the fuck is this clown laughing at? WALL STREET #1 Something funny, asshole? With their attention diverted, the young woman rushes out through the door between subway cars, glancing back at Joker before she goes-- WALL STREET #3 (shouts after her) BITCH! Joker laughs even harder through his hand. The Wall Street guys turn to him sitting by himself at the end of the car-- 33. Joker sees them staring. Looks down at the ground, hand still covering his mouth, face turning red. Subway swaying, lights flickering on and off. Beat. One of the guys heads down the car toward Joker, starts singing "Send in the Clowns" as he approaches-- WALL STREET #1 (singing) Isn't it rich? Are we a pair? Me here, at last on the ground You in mid-air Send in the clowns. The others crack up and follow after him. The guy plops down next to Joker, puts his arm around his shoulder as he sings-- JOKER (shakes his head, stifling the laughter) Please. Don't. WALL STREET #1 (continues singing to him) Isn't it bliss? Don't you approve? One who keeps tearing around, One who can't move. Joker starts to get up-- The lead guy pulls him back down. WALL STREET #1 Where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns. As he finishes the song, Joker's laughing fit is coming to an end. One of the other guys sits down on the other side of him. He's now sandwiched in between them-- WALL STREET #2 So tell us, buddy. What's so fucking funny? JOKER Nothing. I have a condition-- Joker reaches into his bag to get one of his "Forgive my laughter" cards, the third guy sees him reaching and tries to grab the bag from him--- Joker pulls on it-- 34. JOKER No. It's just my stuff. I don't have anything. The guy rips the bag from his hand-- WALL STREET #3 I'll tell you what you have, asshole. Joker gets up from between them to go grab his bag back. The two guys are cracking up. WALL STREET #3 You want it back? Here-- Joker reaches out to grab the bag-- And the guy tosses it over his head to one of his friends. Keeping it away from Joker. Three guys in suits tossing a bag around, playing 'monkey in the middle' with a clown. THE LIGHTS ON THE TRAIN SEEM TO GLOW BRIGHTER AND WE HEAR the drum roll opening to BOBBY SHORT singing "Send in the Clowns" Live at the Caf� Carlyle. Joker keeps trying to catch his bag until suddenly-- WHAP! Out of nowhere one of the guys punches him hard in the face. Joker goes down as if in slow motion. Blood coming from his nose. He tries to get up, but his feet slip from under him and he falls back down-- WALL STREET #1 Stay down you freak. And the third Wall Street guy starts kicking him-- The others join in. Surrounding Joker on the ground, kicking him deliberately, sadistically, and the music swells-- BLAM! SUDDENLY THE LIGHTS GO BACK DIM, and one of the guys stops kicking and falls back dead. Blood splattering on the subway wall behind him-- And we HEAR Bobby Short sing out, picking up from where the Wall Street Guy left off-- 35. BOBBY SHORT (SINGING) Just when I'd stopped opening doors Finally knowin' the one that I wanted was yours BLAM! BLAM! Wall Street #2 goes down-- Revealing Joker on the ground, opening his eyes to see what he did, smoking gun in his hand-- BOBBY SHORT (SINGING) Making my entrance again with my usual flair Sure of my lines No one is there The third guy takes off running for the doors that separate the cars. Joker starts after him, but then stops... turns back to grab his bag and his wig, his hands shaking from the adrenaline. The train is coming to a stop. BOBBY SHORT (SINGING) Don't you love farce? My fault I fear... Joker picks up his bag between the two dead bodies, blood everywhere... The subway doors wheeze open and Joker steps halfway off the train, waiting to see if the third Wall Street guy gets off in the car ahead of him. Joker sees him run off-- 38 EXT. SUBWAY PLATFORM - CONTINUOUS 38 The platform is empty, the Wall Street guy is running toward the stairs-- Joker follows-- Behind them, the train pulls away-- BOBBY SHORT (SINGING) I thought that you'd want what I want. Sorry, my dear. The guy makes his way to the stairs, unaware that Joker is behind him-- BLAM! 36. The third guy falls, tumbling down the stairs. Joker walks over to the body and empties the chamber-- BLAM! BLAM! BOBBY SHORT (SINGING) But where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns Don't bother they're here. And as "Send in the Clowns" ends, Joker fires the last shot-- BLAM! He's got nothing left. 39 EXT. STREET, ROBINSON SQUARE PARK - NIGHT 39 Joker hauls ass out of the subway and makes a mad dash across a busy street, horns honking-- Running as fast as he can past piles of garbage, he takes a sharp turn high-tailing into a small, run-down needle park, disappearing into the darkness. 40 INT. PUBLIC BATHROOM, ROBINSON SQUARE PARK - NIGHT 40 Joker runs into the bathroom, locks the door behind him and SUDDENLY EVERYTHING HITS HIM ALL AT ONCE-- He throws up into the dirty toilet, puking his guts out-- He finishes, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. And pulls the gun out of his waist, looking around for someplace to throw it out. Under the sink he sees a rusted, metal grate hanging off the wall covering some pipes. Before he bends down, Joker catches his reflection in the smudged mirror. Sees himself holding the gun in his hand-- Beat. He raises the gun to his head and pulls the trigger-- Click. It's empty. He gets down on his knees, sweat dripping off his face, pulls the grate away from the wall. And tosses the gun away inside. Moves the grate back in place. Joker stands back up and turns on the faucets. Rinses out his mouth. Looks at his smudged reflection as he starts washing the clown make-up off his sweaty face-- 37. JOKER Hi. Do you like to laugh? Water dripping, white grease paint running off his face-- JOKER Remember how I told you that I'm a stand-up comedian? (again) Hi. How are you? Beat. 41 INT. APARTMENT BUILDING, LOBBY - LATER 41 Joker enters his building with great urgency. No time for the elevator, he takes the stairs. Two at a time. He races up the stairwell. 42 INT. HALLWAY, APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS 42 When he gets to his floor, instead of making a left toward his apartment-- He makes a right, toward Sophie's. He stops at her door. Out of breath. Knocks. He hears footsteps. Quickly pulls the folded-up flyer out of his pocket. The peephole in the door goes dark and then light again. He hears locks unlocking. Sophie opens the door halfway-- Joker looks down at his feet-- JOKER Hi. Do you like to laugh? SOPHIE What? JOKER (continuing without taking a breath) Remember the other day when I told you about my stand-up comedy. Well, I'm doing a set next Thursday and I'm inviting a bunch of my friends and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come and check it out. 38. He reaches out to give Sophie the flyer, she opens the door wider-- He notices her face, sees her eyes are red. JOKER Were you crying? Why are you crying? Beat. SOPHIE I had a bad day. JOKER I'm sorry. I, I didn't-- SOPHIE It's okay. How would you know. JOKER What happened? SOPHIE I got fired. From the bank. Joker takes a deep breath and smiles without realizing it, hoping he doesn't start to laugh. JOKER What for? SOPHIE Because,-- I don't know. It doesn't fucking matter. I don't know what I'm gonna do. And she starts crying again. Joker doesn't move. Just stands in the doorway awkward. JOKER (finally) Okay. Well, all the info is right there on the flyer. He starts to walk away, then turns back to her-- JOKER You know they say laughter is the best medicine. Sophie wipes her eyes and manages a smile. SOPHIE Is that what they say? 39. Joker just nods yes and walks back toward his mother's apartment. 43 INT. DEPT. OF HEALTH, OFFICE - MORNING 43 JOKER SITS ACROSS from the same Social Worker from the opening scene. Same depressing office. She stares at him for a beat, clearly annoyed. SOCIAL WORKER We spoke about this last time, Arthur. You're supposed to bring your journal with you. JOKER Well I didn't think you were going to read it. SOCIAL WORKER You said it didn't bother you. JOKER I lied. Everything bothers me. SOCIAL WORKER What about it bothered you? JOKER It's personal. It's my private thoughts. Plus it contains original comedy material that I don't feel comfortable handing over to you. She looks at him and shakes her head. Not in the mood to deal with this. SOCIAL WORKER Arthur, I have some bad news for you. He looks up, intrigued. SOCIAL WORKER They've cut our funding. We're closing down our offices next week. He looks around, just noticing some MOVING BOXES stacked against the wall. JOKER So where will we be meeting? 40. SOCIAL WORKER We won't be. The city's cut funding across the board. Social services is part of that. Joker nods, not hating the idea. JOKER Okay. SOCIAL WORKER They don't give a shit about people like you, Arthur. You don't have a voice and they don't really care what happens to you or to us for that matter. He sits there for a moment. And then it dawns on him-- JOKER How am I gonna get my medication? Beat. 44 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN - MORNING 44 CLOSE ON A COUPLE OF PILLS, as they get crushed up. CLOSE ON THE RESIDUE, as it's sprinkled on top of a bowl of oatmeal. MOM (OS) Happy! Come in here. Thomas Wayne is on TV. Joker takes a couple of pills for himself. Looks inside. Not many left. He looks over at the orange cat sitting on the counter, purring loudly, watching him. MOM (OS) Quick! Come. 45 INT. MOM'S BEDROOM, APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 45 Joker walks in carrying her breakfast. She waves him over to her bed. MOM They're interviewing him about those horrible murders on the subway last week. 41. JOKER Why are they talking to him? His mother shushes him. Joker sits on the end of the bed next to her. It's one of those "Good Morning, Gotham" shows. THOMAS WAYNE (ON TV) --as you know, Jerry, all three of them worked at Wayne Investments, and they were the best of the best. Solid young men. A small smirk registers on Joker's face when photos of the THREE WALL STREET GUYS come up on the screen. THOMAS WAYNE (ON TV) And while I didn't know them personally, like all Wayne employees, past and present, they were family. Joker's mom perks up at that-- MOM You hear that! I told you. We're family. ANGLE ON TELEVISION, footage of GRAFFITI around the city. "KILL THE RICH" spray painted on a storefront. "F CK WALL STREET" written on a subway wall. "RESIST" scrawled across a billboard. "GOOD MORNING" HOST (ON TV) There now seems to be a groundswell of anti-rich sentiment in the city. It's almost as if our less fortunate residents have taken the side of the killer. THOMAS WAYNE (ON TV) Yes and it's a shame. It's one of the reasons I'm considering a run for mayor. Gotham has lost its way. "GOOD MORNING" HOST (ON TV) Are you announcing your candidacy? THOMAS WAYNE (ON TV) (smiles) No comment. We hear his mother gasp, excited. 42. "GOOD MORNING" HOST (ON TV) What about the eyewitness report of the suspect being a man in clown make-up or a clown mask-- Care to comment on that? Joker leans in, intrigued. The camera zooms in closer to Thomas Wayne on the screen... THOMAS WAYNE (ON TV) It makes total sense to me. What kind of coward would do something that cold-blooded? Someone who hides behind a mask. Someone who's envious of those more fortunate than themselves, yet too scared to show their own face. (to camera) And until that jealousy ends, those of us who've made a good life for ourselves will always look at those who haven't as nothing but clowns. CUT TO: 46 INT. COMEDY CLUB, BACKSTAGE HALLWAY - NIGHT 46 JOKER'S POV, slowly walking down the hall -- as if in slow motion -- toward a curtain at the end, spotlight bleeding through, other wannabe comics looking at him as he passes-- CLOSE ON JOKER, eyeing the others, sweat beading on his forehead-- He gets to the curtain, the light, pulls his worn joke- notebook out of his back pocket. Glancing into the room he sees it's a pretty good crowd. Sees Sophie taking a seat in the back. Wheeling back into the dark hallway, he catches his breath in the shadows-- And starts BANGING HIS HEAD BACK against the wall-- He hears the EMCEE from the stage. EMCEE (OS) This next comic describes himself as a lifelong Gotham resident who from a young age was always told that "his purpose in life was to bring joy and laughter into this cold, dark world." Ummm. Okay. 43. He hears the crowd laugh. EMCEE (OS) Please help me welcome Arthur Fleck! There is a smattering of applause. CUT TO: JOKER STEPPING ON STAGE, out under the spotlight, lifts the microphone in front of his mouth, the light so bright he can't see faces in the dark audience, his hand trembling holding onto his worn notebook-- He takes a deep breath, looks out at the dark crowd, and opens his mouth. And starts to laugh. His eyes go wide. God no, not now. A terrified look comes to his face under the laughter. He just keeps laughing. The crowd is just staring back at him. Finally he composes himself-- JOKER (trying to stop himself from laughing) -- good evening, hello. (deep breath; trying to stop laughing) Good to be here. (keeps cracking up) I, I hated school as a kid. But my mother would always say,-- (bad imitation of his mom, still laughing) "You should enjoy it. One day you'll have to work for a living." (laughs) "No I won't, Ma. I'm gonna be a comedian!" Dead silence. Except for Joker, who's still cracking up. CUT TO: 47 EXT. COMEDY CLUB, CHINATOWN STREET - NIGHT 47 Joker and Sophie walking out of the club after the show, the audience trickles out around them. Nobody looking in Joker's direction, nobody says anything to him, maybe one or two even cracking up at him behind his back. Garbage bags crowding the narrow street, lit up by the bright signs. 44. Joker and Sophie walk a ways without saying a word. Awkward silence. Then-- JOKER So, did you laugh? Really couldn't see much from up there. Sophie pauses, doesn't know what to say. She lights up a cigarette. SOPHIE (trying to be nice) Of course. Yeah. You couldn't hear anything? JOKER All I heard was my heart pounding. SOPHIE It was good. I really needed to get out of my apartment so, thanks. (beat) What happened to the rest of your friends? JOKER What friends? SOPHIE Didn't you say some of your friends were coming? JOKER (he forgot; recovers) Yeah, I decided not to invite them. As a performer sometimes you want to see how a "real" crowd reacts. People who don't already love me, or, or have a notion of who I am, you know? SOPHIE (nodding) Yeah. I get that. Joker smiles at the connection. They walk past a newsstand-- a wall of Chinese language newspapers mixed with local papers and tabloids, screaming headlines about the three Wall Street Guys gunned down on the train. Joker stops and stares at the headlines-- 45. CLOSE ON HEADLINES, "Subway Vigilante"... "Yuppie Slaughter" "Killer Clown On The Loose?"... SOPHIE (OS) (re: the headlines) You believe that shit? JOKER Yeah,-- I don't know how something like that happens. SOPHIE Please. I'll bet you five bucks those rich assholes deserved it. He turns to her. JOKER You think? SOPHIE Look at their faces. Those smug smiles. I've seen that look. Fuck them. Sophie flicks her cigarette away and starts walking. SOPHIE The guy who did it is a hero. Three less pricks in Gotham City. Woo- hoo! Only a million more to go. Joker watches her walk for a beat. JOKER (calls out to her) Hey. You want to get some coffee? Sophie turns around and smiles. She looks great, even in front of the mounds of garbage bags that line the sidewalk. AN AMBULANCE SCREAMS BY, SIRENS BLARING as Sophie says something that Joker doesn't hear. She keeps walking. Joker chases after her and trips over a TIN GARBAGE CAN LID-- CLANG. CLANG. He falls down flat on his face. Sophie turns and bursts out laughing. She can't help but laugh. It's the first time she's laughed all night. 46. 48 INT. SZECHUAN ACE RESTAURANT, TABLE - NIGHT 48 Table covered with plates of half-eaten Chinese food. Joker and Sophie sitting across from each other, middle of conversation. Crowded room, brightly lit, looks more like a casino. Almost everybody eating there is Chinese. It's loud. SOPHIE --I'm telling you, it's across the board. Wall Street, the banks, politicians. They've been making a killing for years. Fuck them. Joker takes a moment to think about what she said. JOKER I don't know. SOPHIE What don't you know? JOKER Not all of them are awful. Take someone like Thomas Wayne for example. He's a hero. SOPHIE Oh c'mon, he's the worst! Joker is taken aback-- JOKER Sophie, he's the only one who can save this city. SOPHIE You can't be serious!? He's a complete narcissist. Brags about his money. Meanwhile, the rest of us can barely make rent. Or feed our kids. Joker nods. Thinking about it. Then-- JOKER What happened? SOPHIE With what? 47. JOKER With your job. At the bank? SOPHIE (suddenly uncomfortable) Oh. Yeah, I was, um,-- JOKER We don't have to talk about it. Beat. SOPHIE Have you ever been fired before? Joker thinks it over for a moment. JOKER Every time. SOPHIE And have you ever wanted to torch the place? JOKER (thinks it over again) Every time. Sophie smiles. SOPHIE Right. And this was like the first good job I had in like, years. Not waitressing or anything like that. It was 9-5. I had benefits. You know what that means when you have a kid? Joker just looks at her, he doesn't really know what that means. He just smiles. SOPHIE But from the very first day, the manager guy starts smiling at me, whispering in my ear, touching me, trying to get me to sleep with him-- JOKER (interrupting) Did you do it? Did you go to bed with him? 48. SOPHIE Fuck no. The guy's a fucking pig. So finally I complained to his boss, and they fired me... And now, now I don't know what to do with myself. JOKER Right. Wait, what do you mean? SOPHIE I finally felt good. Like I had a future. A purpose. And now I don't even know how I'm gonna pay my rent. AND JOKER STARTS LAUGHING. He puts a hand over his mouth trying to cover it, but he can't stop cracking up-- It's unsettling and disturbing for Sophie. People eating, waiters in red vests, busboys, all look over and stare at him. A few laugh. Joker turns away embarrassed, he looks out the plate-glass window, face turning red from laughing so hard-- AS HE LOOKS OUT, HE SEES A GROUP OF ROWDY KIDS walking down the street. One of them glances back before he turns the corner-- HE'S WEARING A CLOWN MASK THAT LOOKS JUST JOKER'S CLOWN FACE. And then he's gone. The group disappears around the corner-- Joker can't believe his eyes, still laughing-- He turns to Sophie who didn't see them. Just sits there awkwardly waiting for it to stop. Finally, it subsides-- JOKER (catching his breath) I'm sorry. I have this thing-- SOPHIE I know. Awkward beat. SOPHIE How did you get it? JOKER I don't know. I read you can get it from a brain injury or, or a lesion in there. My mom said I was born this way. Born laughing. 49. SOPHIE Is that why she calls you Happy? JOKER Kind of. That actually started when I was a kid. The other kids made fun of me, called me Happy-- but not in a good way. I got so sick of it, one day when I was about ten, I, I,-- He smiles. SOPHIE What? JOKER I took a razor and cut this smile onto my face. (she's taken aback as he points to the scars) Sort of like "You want happy? Here, how's this for happy?" He looks down, still smiling. She just watches him for a beat. SOPHIE You okay? JOKER I've been thinking about this night my whole life. They just sit there for a beat. Quiet. 49 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 49 Joker opening the door to his mother's apartment, holding a doggie bag in his hand, sees the flickering blue light of the TV on in the living room, hears the end of "LIVE WITH MURRAY FRANKLIN!" He locks the locks, drawing the security chain high on the door. TURNS TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF HIS MOTHER PASSED OUT in the living room, the cat jumping up next to her on the chair. Joker watches for a beat as Murray does his signature sign off, the one he's been doing for years-- 50. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) (looking into camera) Good night! And always remember,-- That's life. JOKER (quietly) "That's life." He hears Don Ellis and his Jazz Orchestra playing the show's closing song-- the instrumental version of Frank Sinatra's "That's Life". As the music continues, Joker puts his face up against his mom's nose, to see if she's breathing or if she's dead. He feels her breath against his cheek. Now he picks his mother up in his arms and carries her into her bedroom to the music, almost as if he's dancing with her as he leaves the room... We stay behind. "That's Life" still playing from TV. He comes back into the living room and turns off the TV. Takes off his jacket and throws it on the couch. Notices something sticking out of his jacket pocket. He pulls it out. It's the envelope he was supposed to deliver to Thomas Wayne. He stares at it for a beat. And then-- Quietly rips it open, starts to read the letter: CLOSE ON WORDS, "Dearest Thomas, I don't know where else to turn..." "Need your help..." "You have a son. We have a son. His name is Arthur." Stops reading, stays on-- "You have a son." JOKER STARING DOWN AT THE LETTER, reading those words over and over again -- "You have a son." CUT TO: 51. 50 INT. MOM'S BEDROOM, APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING 50 JOKER'S SITTING IN A CHAIR in his mother's room watching her sleep. He has clearly been up all night. Still wearing the same clothes. He's holding her letter in his hand as the sun is just starting to rise outside the windows, light just beginning to crack the gloom. THE ORANGE CAT SITS AT HIS FEET staring up at him, won't take her eyes off of him. Joker impatiently sits there for another moment waiting for his mother to wake up, then suddenly-- SHRIEKS OUT AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS like a teapot, kicking his back on the chair like an excited toddler-- His mother wakes with a start, looking around half asleep and confused-- Joker turns and sees the cat run out of the room-- MOM --what, what time is it? He doesn't answer. MOM What happened? Did you hurt yourself again? Joker holds her letter up in his hand. JOKER What is this? How come you never told me? MOM Is, is that my letter? Is that my letter, Happy? JOKER How could you not tell me, Ma? MOM You told me you dropped it off. You have no right opening my mail. Who do you think you are? JOKER (raising his voice; excited) (MORE) 52. JOKER (CONT'D) Apparently I'm Thomas Wayne's son! How could you keep that from me? His mother slowly getting up out of bed. MOM Stop yelling at me, you're gonna kill me, give me a heart attack! She goes into the bathroom. JOKER (shouts after her) I'm not yelling! I'm just, excited. How can any of this be real!? How can Thomas Wayne be my father? MOM (OS) (shouts back from behind the door) I'm not talking to you until you calm down. Joker sits for a minute then gets up and goes to her bathroom door. Talks to his mother from the behind the closed door. JOKER (lowers his voice; trying to sound calm) Okay. How's this, Mom? Better? Will you please talk to me? Joker leans in closer to the door. Leaning against it with just his head-- JOKER Please. MOM (OS) He is an extraordinary man, Arthur. We had a connection. I was so beautiful then. We were in love. Joker just leans there, listening. He closes his eyes, it's all too much. MOM (OS) His wife could see it. She was jealous from the moment I started working there. She fired me before I even knew I was pregnant with you. (hear her crying now) (MORE) 53. MOM (OS) (CONT'D) And, I never told him or anybody because, well, you can imagine what people would say about Thomas and me, and, and what they would say about you. JOKER (eyes still closed, head leaning against the door) What would they say, Ma? MOM (OS) That I was a whore, and Thomas Wayne was a fornicator, and that you're a little, unwanted bastard. AND THE BATHROOM DOOR SUDDENLY SWINGS OPEN, and Joker falls face first into the bathroom-- Just missing his mother, crashing down onto the floor-- CUT TO: 51 EXT. BOARDWALK, AMUSEMENT MILE - MORNING 51 Joker heads down the boardwalk toward Ha-Ha's, a bounce in his step. Looming behind him like the skeletons of monsters, a sprawling rickety-looking wooden roller coaster and the gigantic steel Wonder Wheel in the amusement park by the ocean. Sound of waves crashing, seagulls squawking. 52 INT. HA-HA'S TALENT BOOKING, LOCKER ROOM - MORNING 52 Joker walks into the locker room, sees Randall half-dressed for work, red nose, big pants, big shoes, no wig yet, sitting with Gary, TWO OTHER CLOWNS AND A MAGICIAN around the small table, shooting the shit, drinking coffee. They nod hello at Joker or give him a perfunctory wave, most of his co-workers think he's a freak. GARY Hey Art, I heard what happened-- I'm sorry man. RANDALL Yeah, Hoyt did you wrong, buddy. Doesn't seem fair. 54. Joker looks hard at Randall for a moment, just slowly nods, and continues on to his locker. He starts to clean it out, stuffing all of his clown gear into an old brown paper shopping bag. Hears them talking about him behind his back, about why he got fired, laughing at him-- HA-HA CLOWN #1 (OS) Did you really bring a gun to the kid's hospital, Artie? What the fuck would you do that for? Joker doesn't answer them, just continues emptying his locker, a bag of balloons, a magic wand, some trick flowers-- HA-HA CLOWN #2 No, I heard he pulled it out and waved it around like a cowboy. His co-workers crack up. Joker answers the guy without looking back-- JOKER It was a prop gun. And I didn't pull it out, it fell out. MAGICIAN So is that part of your new act? If your singing doesn't do the trick, you just gonna shoot yourself? More laughter. HA-HA CLOWN #2 I thought Jingles was a lover not a fighter. Joker turns and looks at all of them, nods at Randall-- JOKER Why don't you ask Randall about it? It was his idea. GARY (to Randall) Since when do you use a prop gun? RANDALL What? I don't. Stop talking outta your ass, Art! (to the guys) (MORE) 55. RANDALL (CONT'D) I think all his stupid laughing musta scrambled his brain or something. The guys laugh and keep jawing. Joker doesn't say anything. Just finishes packing his bag and closes his locker door-- 53 EXT. HA-HA'S, BACK ALLEY - AMUSEMENT MILE BOARDWALK - MORNING 53 Joker exits the back door holding onto his brown shopping bag under his arm, starts down the alley. Behind him, Randall hustles out and chases down the alley after him, still half-dressed for work. RANDALL (calling out) Art! Hold up,-- As he catches up with Joker his red nose falls off, but he's so out of breath he doesn't realize he lost it-- RANDALL What the fuck was that about? Beat. JOKER What? RANDALL Why would you say that? That, that it was my idea. Joker just looks back at Randall. Sees his red Styrofoam nose bouncing down the alley behind him. JOKER ... RANDALL You don't get it, do you, buddy, that shit that went down on the subway, that's no joke. They got clown sketches on the front of every fucking paper. It's just a matter of time before the cops come around. Beat. JOKER I don't know anything about it. 56. RANDALL (leans in close; lowers his voice) Art, you know you're my boy. I'm not gonna say shit. I just hope you got rid of that gun. That can't come back on me, okay? JOKER Randall, I didn't shoot anybody. That wasn't me. And I don't have time for this, I got somebody real important I gotta go see. Joker turns to go-- RANDALL You know they're sellin' masks. JOKER (turning back around) What? RANDALL They're selling masks of your clown face,-- based off the description I guess. It's like a thing now. JOKER What are you talking about? RANDALL There's a lot of people in this city who are happy you did what you did. If you did it. JOKER Randall. Your nose. RANDALL What? Randall touches his face. Realizes his nose is not there. Joker points to Randall's clown nose tumbling back down the alley. And Randall hustles after it, chasing after his red nose blowing skipping away in the wind-- 54 INT. METRO TRAIN (MOVING) - COUNTRYSIDE, OUTSIDE GOTHAM - 54 NEXT AFTERNOON CLOSE ON NEW "KILLER CLOWN" SKETCH ON FRONT PAGE OF THAT DAY'S TABLOID, a more detailed drawing. 57. HEADLINE, "KILLER CLOWN STILL ON THE LOOSE!" SUB-HEAD, "'Kill the Rich' -- A New Movement?" ANGLE ON JOKER LOOKING DOWN AT HIS NOTEBOOK, STARING AT A PHOTOGRAPH OF THOMAS WAYNE RIPPED OUT FROM A MAGAZINE, taped to a page. He glances at his distorted reflection in the window, takes his hand and parts his hair to the side, more like Thomas Wayne's hair. Maybe there is a resemblance. WIDER ANGLE, train is packed with wealthy white businessmen and a couple businesswomen heading home after work, many of them reading the same tabloid. The "Killer Clown" sketch of Joker's clown face dots the train. No empty seats -- except the one next to Joker. 55 INT. TAXI CAB (MOVING), COUNTRYSIDE - AFTERNOON 55 JOKER IN THE BACK OF A TAXI STARING OUT AT THE COUNTRYSIDE, at the trees and green grass and blue sky and open spaces whizzing by. The sun is getting low, bathing everything in a golden light. He doesn't see garbage anywhere. 56 EXT. WAYNE MANOR, FRONT LAWN - MAGIC HOUR 56 Joker walking along an intimidating wrought iron fence, surrounding the estate like prison bars, the brown paper shopping bag stuffed under his arm. The big house set up a small hill, evergreens dot the lush grounds. As he walks around looking for the front entrance, Joker catches a glimpse of an innocent looking EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BOY tracking him from behind the trees, hiding as he follows. Joker stops. He sees the boy stop behind a tree. Joker continues walking until he gets to the front gate. He digs into his bag and pulls out the magic wand-- He holds it up for the boy to see. The boy steps out from behind a tree to get a closer look. Joker puts the brown bag down on the ground, looks over the wand, pretending like he's trying to figure out what it does. He waves the wand over the front gate lock to "try and see" if it will open-- It doesn't. 58. The little boy walks down toward the fence, face like an angel. Joker waits until he gets closer and then reaches his hand through the fence and hands the kid his magic wand so he can try and figure out what it does-- The boy takes the wand and it goes limp in his hand before he can wave it-- He laughs, surprised. He hands it back to Joker. The boys sees Joker's face up close, staring at his scarred smile-- Joker straightens the wand back out, and reaches in through the fence again so the kid can give it another try. AND AGAIN THE MAGIC WAND DROOPS IN THE BOY'S HAND. He laughs and gives it back to Joker-- Joker examines the wand as if its "broken", stiffens it one last time, crouches down lower, and... Ta-da! A bouquet of flowers bursts out the end of the wand-- Joker smiles and hands him the wand bouquet of flowers-- The little boy takes the flowers. Keeps staring at Joker, at the scars around his mouth. Now, he reaches his hand out through the fence and touches Joker's face, tracing his finger around the edges of Joker's mouth, over his scarred smile-- Joker closes his eyes -- embarrassed -- but it feels good to him, nobody ever touches him besides his mother. He starts to smile, when a man's voice shatters the moment-- ALFRED (OS) (shouting; slight English accent) Bruce! What are you doing? Get away from that man. The little boy pulls his hand back. Turns and runs away-- Joker looks up and sees a balding, tired-looking, ALFRED PENNYWORTH (50's) bounding down the hill toward them. Joker stands back up. 59. ALFRED (still shouting) What are you doing? Who are you? Little Bruce runs behind Alfred, hiding behind his legs. JOKER My name's Arthur. I'm here to see Mr. Wayne-- ALFRED (interrupting) You shouldn't be talking to his son. Why did you give him those flowers? Alfred takes the flower-wand away from the kid-- JOKER I, I was just trying to make him laugh. He hands it back to Joker. ALFRED Well it's not funny. Do I need to call the police? JOKER No, please. My mother's name is Penny Fleck. She used to work here, years ago. Can you tell Mr. Wayne that I need to see him? ALFRED (color drains from his face; beat) You're her son? JOKER Did you know her? Alfred doesn't say anything. Joker puts his face right up against the bars, whispers so the boy can't hear him-- JOKER You don't need to cover for them. I'm sure Mrs. Wayne was very upset when she found out. 60. ALFRED There was nothing to find out about. Your mother was, was delusional. She was a sick woman. JOKER No. No, just let me speak to Mr. Wayne. Now Alfred leans in closer to Joker, almost looks like he feels some pity for him-- ALFRED Please just go, before you make a fool of yourself. Beat. JOKER (blurts out) Thomas Wayne is my father-- Alfred looks at Joker, and can't help but crack up laughing at him. AND JOKER REACHES THROUGH THE BARS AND GRABS HIM. Pulls him in close, trying to choke him, still holding the wand of flowers in one hand-- AS HE CHOKES ALFRED, Joker sees little Bruce, wide-eyed in the shadows, looking out at him in horror. Joker stops. Lets go of Alfred... Takes off running back down the street away from Wayne Manor, magic wand in hand, leaving the rest of his clown gear behind. CUT TO: 57 EXT. LOWER EAST SIDE, STREETS - NIGHT 57 JOKER'S BACK IN HIS PART OF TOWN, garbage everywhere here. The neighborhood at night is alive. Loud kids on the street corners... A drunk seemingly fights no one... Hookers working the street... He hears a wailing siren... As Joker turns the corner, he sees AN AMBULANCE PARKED in front of his building. Lights flashing. Hit with a sense of dread, he runs toward the building-- 61. 58 EXT. STREET, APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT 58 A SMALL CROWD OF GAWKERS have gathered around watching the drama unfold. Shouting and laughing, loud dance music blaring out an open window, feels like an impromptu block party. Joker runs up, sees his mother being wheeled down the front steps unconscious on a stretcher, AN EMT holding an oxygen bag on her face. TWO DETECTIVES IN PLAIN SUITS following behind them. It's a chaotic scene. FROM ABOVE, Joker pushing through the crowd, rushes to his mother's side. We don't hear what he says to the paramedics over the music and the crowd, just see them nod okay and Joker follow after them into the back of the ambulance-- 59 INT. CITY AMBULANCE, BACK (PARKED) - NIGHT 59 Joker looking out the back doors as they start to shut close-- CATCHES A GLIMPSE OF SOPHIE, coming out of the building. He stares at her through the small back door window. Casually waves at her, trying to connect with her-- Joker sees the two detectives approaching Sophie as the ambulance pulls away. Speeding away down the street, siren wailing-- CUT TO: 60 INT. CITY HOSPITAL, EMERGENCY TREATMENT ROOM - NIGHT 60 Joker's standing near the doorway of a large overcrowded treatment room. Watching a sleep-deprived ER RESIDENT (late 20's), and an EMERGENCY NURSE start to intubate his mother. He hears shouts and cries of pain from around the crowded room. Joker turns away when he sees them insert a thin endotracheal tube into her mouth and down through her larynx. It makes him gag-- 61 EXT. CITY HOSPITAL, ER - NIGHT 61 Joker sits on a bench outside the bustling emergency room. He's getting some fresh air, but he picked a weird spot to do it. He watches the sick and dying being rushed through the glass doors. Opening and closing. This happens in the background throughout the scene. 62. The two detectives walk up to Joker, interrupting him watching the doors. Gotham police detectives, GARRITY (50's), grey hair, and BURKE (30's), his partner. DET. GARRITY Mr. Fleck, sorry to bother you, I'm Detective Garrity, this is my partner Detective Burke. Joker looks up at them. Doesn't say anything. DET. GARRITY We had a few questions for you, but you weren't home. So we spoke to your mother. JOKER You did this to her? DET. GARRITY What? No. We just asked her some questions and she started getting hysterical-- hyperventilating, trouble speaking-- then she collapsed. Hit her head pretty hard. JOKER They told me she had a stroke. Beat. DET. GARRITY Sorry to hear that. AND JOKER BURSTS OUT LAUGHING, he can't stop it. The detectives are taken aback. They don't know what to make of him laughing. They share a look. DET. BURKE (confused) I'm lost. Is something funny? JOKER (laughter choking up in his throat) No I,-- I have a, a-- Tears rolling down his face, he takes out one of his cards and hands it to Det. Burke. Burke glances over the card, a skeptical look on his face. 63. DET. BURKE Okay. But we have some questions for you. DET. GARRITY About those subway killings from a few weeks ago. Joker pauses for a moment, his laughter subsiding. He holds his breath. JOKER I don't know anything about that. DET. GARRITY We have an eyewitness who described a white male, about 6 feet tall, in clown make up. Or a clown mask. Spoke to your boss at Ha-Ha's, Mr. Vaughn, and he said you were on a job the day of the shooting. Joker's still holding his breath, he nods yes. DET. GARRITY (just continues) He also said you got fired that day,-- For bringing a gun into the children's hospital. And Joker cracks up again, his laughter coming back harder-- He covers his mouth with his hand, shaking his head no, his face now turning red. DET. GARRITY You weren't fired? Joker catches his breath as the intensity of his laughter starts to wane, petering out. JOKER Not for having a gun. That was prop gun. Part of my act. Joker's laughter finally stops for good. DET. BURKE So why were you fired? JOKER They said I wasn't funny. The detectives share another look. 64. Joker stands up. JOKER Now, if you don't mind, I have to go back and look after my mother. Detective Burke steps close to him, holds up the card that Joker handed him-- DET. BURKE Hey lemme ask you a question? This condition of yours,-- Is this real or is this like some sorta clown thing? JOKER Clown thing? DET. BURKE I mean, is it part of your act? JOKER What do you think? And Joker walks away-- heads for the sliding glass doors. Only the motion detector doesn't engage-- AND HE SLAMS RIGHT INTO THE GLASS DOOR. HARD. He bounces back. 62 INT. HALLWAY, NURSE'S STATION - CITY HOSPITAL - NIGHT 62 Joker walking down the hallway, ER flooded with the poor and uninsured. Overwhelmed doctors and nurses trying their best to keep up. He stops at the busy nurse's station, and stands there for a moment, trying to get a nurse's attention-- JOKER Excuse me, I was wondering how I could check my mother out of here? One of the nurses at the desk looks up at him, seems slightly annoyed. ER NURSE What's your mother's name? JOKER Penny Fleck. I'd like to take her home. 65. The sleep-deprived ER RESIDENT who was working on his mother overhears Joker, comes over to talk to him with a clipboard in his hand. Joker recognizes him-- ER RESIDENT Mr. Fleck, your mother had a stroke. It's very serious. You can't "check her out." She's gonna be here for at least a week. JOKER She's not gonna wanna stay that long. She doesn't like hospitals. Or doctors. ER RESIDENT I'm sorry to hear that. But she can't just leave. JOKER I don't like hospitals either. Beat. The resident just nods okay. Looks down at his clipboard-- ER RESIDENT Listen, I wanted to talk you about something we noticed in her tox report. We found heavy traces of multiple medications in her system. JOKER Okay. Thanks. He turns to go, but the resident continues-- ER RESIDENT One of them's perphenazine. It's a powerful anti-psychotic. If she was taking that regularly and then suddenly stopped, the withdrawal could have contributed to her stroke. Did you notice any symptoms? JOKER Symptoms? ER RESIDENT Withdrawal symptoms. Nausea... anxiety... hallucinations. Joker shakes his head, no. 66. ER RESIDENT Do you know how long she's been taking it? Joker shakes his head no again, leans in closer to the resident-- JOKER Can you tell me what those symptoms are again? CUT TO: 63 INT. PATIENT BAY, EMERGENCY TREATMENT ROOM - NIGHT 63 CLOSE ON TV, Murray Franklin is in the middle of doing his monologue. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) So I told my youngest son, Tommy, remember he's the 'not so bright' one,-- (laughter) I told him that the garbage strike is still going on. And he says, and I'm not kidding, Tommy says, "So where are we gonna get all our garbage from?" Murray Franklin cracks up at his own joke. Studio audience laughs. JOKER LAUGHS, LYING IN BED NEXT TO HIS UNCONSCIOUS MOTHER in the large overcrowded treatment room. Blue curtain dividers separate the bays. He's watching the show on a TV bolted high on the wall. He glances over at his mother, laughing over the sounds of her labored breath, the pain and suffering of those around him. He looks back up at the television. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) And finally, in a world where everyone thinks they could do my job, we got this videotape from the Gotham Comedy Club. Here's a guy who thinks if you just keep laughing, it'll somehow make you funny. Check out this joker. 67. EXTREME CLOSE ON TV, GRAINY VIDEO OF JOKER'S STAND-UP PERFORMANCE. Joker on stage smiling behind the microphone, under the harsh spotlight. Joker watching himself on TV, his jaw drops-- JOKER (ON TV) (trying to stop himself from laughing) -- good evening, hello. (deep breath; trying to stop laughing) Good to be here. (keeps cracking up) I, I hated school as a kid. But my mother would always say,-- (bad imitation of his mom, still laughing) "You should enjoy it. One day you'll have to work for a living." (laughs) "No I won't, Ma. I'm gonna be a comedian!" Back to Murray Franklin shaking his head, trying not to laugh. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) You should have listened to your mother. The studio audience erupts into laughter. ANGLE ON JOKER, watching Murray Franklin make fun of him on TV. He gets up and starts walking toward the TV set as if in a trance. Unsure if this is really happening. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) One more, Bernie. Let's see one more. I love this guy. The tape continues of Joker at the comedy club. JOKER (ON TV) It's funny, when I was a little boy and told people I wanted to be a comedian, everyone laughed at me. (opens his arms like a big shot) Well no one is laughing now. Dead silence. Nobody is laughing. Not even him. CUT BACK CLOSE ON MURRAY FRANKLIN, just shaking his head. 68. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) You can say that again, pal! Murray cracks up and the studio audience laughs along with him. CLOSE ON JOKER, looking up at the television, hearing them all laughing at him. Beat. JUMP CUT: Joker is dragging a chair to the television set. In a rage, he gets up on the chair and tries to pull the TV out of the wall, as the show continues to play-- But the set is firmly secured to the wall, and Joker pulls so hard the chair flips from underneath him and he goes flying up the air, crashing down hard onto the floor. 64 INT. CAFETERIA, CITY HOSPITAL - EARLY MORNING 64 Joker walks with a plastic tray of food. Some runny eggs and a coffee. He keeps his head down so no one can see his face. There are a few DOCTORS AND NURSES sitting and chatting at one table. A group of ORDERLIES are sitting together at another table. He goes and sits down in the far corner, far away from everyone else. Sees a tabloid newspaper left on the table, and picks it up to read so he doesn't seem so alone. ANGLE ON FRONT PAGE HEADLINE, "Thomas Wayne Announces Run", over a full-page campaign-style photograph of Thomas Wayne waving to a crowd standing next to his wife, MARTHA (50's), a severe looking, well-preserved former model, and little Bruce Wayne standing in front of them. Photo catches Bruce looking into camera, eyes wide, scared by the crowd. SUB-HEADLINE READS, "Protest Planned at Wayne Hall Opening Tonight" Joker stares at the family photo. CLOSE ON BRUCE WAYNE IN PHOTO, Joker's fingers ripping his picture out of the front page. YOUNG DOCTOR (OS) -- I'm sorry to bother you, but can you settle an argument for us? 69. CLOSE ON JOKER LOOKING UP, interrupted from ripping out the picture. One YOUNG DOCTOR and TWO NURSES are standing around him. We stay with Joker, don't see their faces. Just their bodies, all dressed in green scrubs, uniforms. JOKER Excuse me? YOUNG DOCTOR (OS) You were the guy on Murray Franklin last night, right? He hears the nurses giggle. JOKER No, sorry. Wasn't me. NURSE #1 (OS) Of course it was you. You were the comedian. YOUNG DOCTOR (OS) Except you weren't funny. You didn't tell any jokes. He hears the nurses giggle again. STAY CLOSE ON JOKER, getting upset. He just shakes his head. JOKER I don't know what you're talking about. YOUNG DOCTOR (OS) No. It was definitely you, buddy. You're the guy who couldn't stop laughing. Murray killed you. More laughter. Joker looks up at them. JOKER If I were you, I'd walk away from this table before I strangle all three of you with that fucking stethoscope hanging from your neck. Beat. 65 EXT. CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS, WAYNE HALL - UPTOWN - DUSK 65 Joker crosses a busy street heading to the Center for Performing Arts. Light falling. Storm clouds gathering. 70. Joker stops when he sees-- A CROWD OF PROTESTERS SCREAMING AND SHOUTING IN FRONT OF WAYNE HALL, behind steel barricades. Many wearing Joker's "clown face" mask... A few wave homemade signs, "CLOWN FOR MAYOR"... "KILL THE RICH"... "MR. WAYNE, AM I A CLOWN?" A LINE OF POLICEMEN AND SECURITY GUARDS stand between the crowd and the lit-up white marble building. Joker watches the protest for a moment, then continues across the street. It starts to rain. 66 EXT. WAYNE HALL, FRONT ENTRANCE - EVENING 66 A FIGHT BREAKS OUT between a "clown" masked protester and two cops. The crowd goes crazy, pushing through the barricades toward the building in the driving rain. The police and Wayne Hall Security fight to keep them out-- Amidst all the chaos, we glimpse Joker slipping into the building unnoticed-- 67 INT. LOBBY, WAYNE HALL - EVENING 67 Joker walks through the massive multi-level lobby. It's completely empty since the performance has already begun and whatever security was available is outside helping the police deal with the protesters. He looks up in awe at the crystal chandeliers... The shiny, marble floor beneath his feet. He's never seen anything this opulent in his entire life. 68 INT. BACK OF THEATER, WAYNE HALL - EVENING 68 JOKER MAKING HIS WAY THROUGH THE DARK SHADOWS ALONG THE BACK WALL OF THE AUDITORIUM, looking for Thomas Wayne in the sold- out black-tie audience-- He catches bits of Chaplin's MODERN TIMES projected on a screen behind the Gotham Philharmonic playing the silent movie's score... the Tramp roller skating blindfolded on a date with the Gamin (Paulette Goddard) in a department store. He continues moving along the wall from aisle-to-aisle looking for Thomas Wayne... The audience laughs as the Tramp skates blindfolded, skirting along the edge of a balcony with no rail, orchestra playing the bouncy score. Joker can't find Thomas Wayne in the dark-- 71. He moves to the top of the next aisle, pausing to watch more of the film. Suddenly somebody bumps into Joker-- He looks up and sees it's one of Thomas Wayne's TWO SECURITY GUARDS, escorting Thomas Wayne out of the auditorium-- Joker turns and watches them lead him out. Behind Joker on screen, the Tramp is rescued by the girl before he falls off the edge, orchestra swelling-- 69 INT. LOBBY, WAYNE HALL - CONTINUOUS 69 Joker peeks his head out of the auditorium, sees Thomas Wayne heading into the men's room, his two security guards waiting by the door, still hear the orchestra playing the score-- Joker glances back into the auditorium-- Sees a lobby broom and upright dustpan tucked in the back corner-- 70 INT. HALLWAY, MEN'S ROOM - WAYNE HALL - SECONDS LATER 70 Joker's sweeping up the hallway with his head down, hear the orchestra playing the melancholy "Smile" from the film's score. He sweeps along to the music like Emmett Kelly's famous hobo clown... Sweeping around the two security guards' feet... Annoyed, they move a bit away from the bathroom door... And don't give Joker a second look as he heads inside... 71 INT. MEN'S ROOM, WAYNE HALL - CONTINUOUS 71 Joker sweeps his way into the cavernous, black & white tiled bathroom, ornate gold fixtures. It's empty save for Thomas Wayne peeing at the far end of a long line of urinals. Joker takes a deep breath, and walks down the line of urinals right up next to Thomas Wayne-- He stands there for a beat while Thomas urinates, lobby broom and upright dustpan in hand-- THOMAS WAYNE (glances over; annoyed) Can I help you, pal? JOKER What? Yeah. No I, I-- 72. THOMAS WAYNE (interrupting) You need to get in here or something? Thomas Wayne finishes and zips his fly back up. Joker is not sure what to say to him, just says-- JOKER Dad. It's me. Beat. But Thomas Wayne doesn't hear him, he was flushing the urinal. He walks toward the sink. THOMAS WAYNE Excuse me? Joker follows after him. JOKER My name is Arthur. I'm Penny's son. (beat) I know you didn't know about me, and I don't want anything from you. Well... maybe a hug. And Joker smiles, it's all very emotional for him. Thomas looks over at him like he's fucking crazy. THOMAS WAYNE Jesus? You're the guy who came by my house yesterday. Joker nods, relieved he finally broke through. JOKER Yes. But they wouldn't let me in, wouldn't let me see you. So I came here. I have so many questions. Thomas Wayne just laughs to himself and turns on the gold faucets at one of the sinks. THOMAS WAYNE Look pal, I'm not your father. What's wrong with you? JOKER How do you know? Thomas Wayne just keeps washing his hands, doesn't even look over at Joker. 73. THOMAS WAYNE Cause you were adopted. And I never fucked your mother. What do you want from me, money? JOKER No. What? I wasn't adopted. Thomas starts drying his hands. THOMAS WAYNE She never told you? Your mother adopted you before she even started working for us. She was arrested when you were four years old and committed to Arkham State Hospital. She's batshit crazy. Joker starts to smile, feels a laugh coming on. JOKER No. No, I don't believe that. Thomas finishes drying his hands. Turns to Joker, his tone way more serious now. THOMAS WAYNE I don't really give a shit what you believe. (steps in closer) But if you ever come to my house again, if you ever talk to my son again, if I ever even hear about you again, I'll-- AND JOKER CRACKS UP LAUGHING, interrupting his threat. Laughing right in his face-- THOMAS WAYNE Are you laughing at me? Joker's laughing so hard he can't answer. THOMAS SHOVES JOKER HARD UP AGAINST THE TILED WALL, gripping his neck with one hand. Joker just cracks up louder, he drops the dustpan and broom-- THOMAS WAYNE (shouting) You think this is funny? Thomas Wayne's security guards bang open the door, rushing into the bathroom when they hear the shouting-- 74. They stop when they see Thomas has Joker jacked up against the wall. JOKER (tries shaking his head no; still laughing and choking) No, no I have a con-- THOMAS WAYNE (interrupting; raising his voice) Is this a fucking joke to you? AND THOMAS WAYNE PUNCHES JOKER STRAIGHT IN THE FACE with his free hand, blood spraying from his nose-- 72 EXT. WAYNE HALL, FRONT ENTRANCE - PLAZA - NIGHT 72 The two security guards roughly throw Joker out of the hall, right in front of the drenched crowd of screaming protesters, TV cameras and photographers now on hand, bulbs flashing-- Joker knowing how to take a fall, plays it up in front of this audience for all it's worth, tumbling end-over-end out onto the plaza in the rain-- He rolls to his feet with a bit of panache and brushes himself off like it was nothing. The protesters go crazy, cheering and applauding his act-- And Joker takes a deep dramatic bow. Wet hair. Bloody nose. He turns and sees the security guards coming back out-- Joker takes off running through the plaza in the downpour, running out of the Center for Performing Arts. Turns down a side street almost slipping-- And keeps running even though nobody's chasing after him. We HEAR the familiar beats of THE SUGARHILL GANG'S "Apache" as Joker just keeps running and running. 73 INT. APARTMENT BUILDING, HALLWAY - NIGHT 73 Joker knocking on Sophie's apartment door, "Apache" blaring inside. He's soaking wet, clothes clinging to his body. There's no answer. 75. He knocks again. Hard to hear anything over the loud music. Now he tries the door. It's unlocked. 74 INT. SOPHIE'S APARTMENT, FRONT HALL - CONTINUOUS 74 Joker walks into Sophie's apartment, "Apache" thumping, lights dim. JOKER Sophie? WALKS INTO THE DARK LIVING ROOM, catches a glimpse of Sophie, naked riding on top of SOME GUY on the couch-- The guy sees Joker standing in the shadows and jumps. Sophie turns and sees Joker as well. She screams-- 75 INT. HALLWAY, APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT 75 Joker rushing for his mother's apartment. Behind him, the guy comes out half naked into the hallway, zipping up his pants, screaming at Joker-- Joker doesn't look back, doesn't hear the guy yelling at him-- Quickly opens the door to his mother's apartment and hurries inside. 76 EXT. ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL - MORNING 76 A GRAY, BEHEMOTH STATE HOSPITAL looming over the city block. Metal screens cover steel-framed windows. Joker crosses the street toward the building, eyes weary, he hasn't slept in days. HE SEES TWO GOTHAM CITY COPS AND A PARAMEDIC rolling a gurney into the entrance... a naked, sunburned man screaming his head off is handcuffed to the stretcher underneath a white sheet. Joker follows them inside. 77 INT. ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL - ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE - MORNING 77 Joker sits waiting in a cramped office, looking out a plexiglass window that overlooks the crowded hallway-- 76. A constant din of people moving about, talking and shouting. Patients handcuffed to the armrests of their wheelchairs, lying on stretchers, heads covered with pillowcase turbans or forearms to block out the harsh fluorescent lights. His gaze is interrupted by a CLERK (40's), ID clipped to his shirt, who's lugging an old heavy file storage box. He drops the box down on his messy desk with a thud. CLERK Sorry for the wait. All our records that are 10 years or older are stored in the basement. You're talking over 30 years ago,-- I had to do some serious digging. Joker nods thanks. CLERK Like I said, if it's in here, I'm still gonna need a release from her. The clerk opens the file box. Starts digging though it. Joker stares out the plexiglass window that faces the hallway-- JOKER Can I ask you a question? How does someone wind up in here? Have all these people committed crimes? CLERK (going through the files) Some have. Some are just crazy and pose a danger to themselves or others. Some just got nowhere else to go. Beat. JOKER (nods; looks down) Yeah, I know how that is. Sometimes I don't know what to do, y'know, I don't think I can take any more of this. The clerk is half listening as he scans the paper work. CLERK Yeah, I can't take much more of this shit either. (MORE) 77. CLERK (CONT'D) Now they talking about more layoffs, man, we're understaffed as it is. I don't know what I'm gonna do. Joker looks up at the guy, thinking he's made a connection. JOKER Last time I ended up taking it out on some,-- people. Bad shit. I thought it would bother me but, it really hasn't. For the first time, the clerk looks at him-- CLERK What's that? JOKER It's just so hard to try and be happy all the time, y'know, when everything's going to shit all around you. CLERK (taken aback; beat) Listen, I'm just an administrative assistant, like a clerk. I file paperwork, fill out forms. I don't really know what to tell you, but maybe you should see someone-- they have programs, like city services. JOKER (backtracking) Yeah. They cut those. Anyway, I was just talking to talk. The clerk just nods. Finally finds what he was looking for. CLERK (surprised) Here it is,-- Fleck. Penny Fleck. He pulls out an old file, bulging with yellowing records. Moves the box to the floor and sits down at his desk. JOKER (saying it out loud for himself to hear) So she was a patient here. The guy opens the file. Yellowing pages of her records-- 78. CLERK (nods, skim-reading) Uh-huh. Diagnosed by Dr. Benjamin Stoner... The patient suffers from delusional psychosis and narcissistic personality disorder... Found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child-- The clerk stops reading out loud, eyes going wide as he skims further ahead. Joker just looks at the guy, waiting to see what he's gonna say. JOKER What? CLERK You said she's your mother? Joker just nods. CLERK (closes the file) I'm sorry, I can't. Like I said, I can't release this without the proper forms. I could get in trouble. (closes the file; beat) Besides, it's pretty bad. CLOSE ON JOKER, he shakes his head and smiles to himself. JOKER I can handle bad. I've been on a pretty bad run myself. The clerk puts the file down on his desk-- CLERK I can't help you. If you want these records you have to get your mom to sign a patient disclosure form. I can have someone mail you one. Joker just sits there, thinking it all over for a moment. Then snatches the file off the clerk's desk-- The clerk grabs it as well. They play tug-of-war with the file, it's awkward and goes on way too long. Finally, Joker shoves the guy hard and pulls the file away-- 79. He takes off running out of the office with it. The clerk watches for a beat, but does nothing. 78 INT. HALLWAY, ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL - MORNING 78 Joker running down the hallway, files in his hands. Frantic. Unaware he is not being chased. Turns a corner and runs down another long hallway. Gets to a stairwell door and runs in. 79 INT. STAIRWELL, ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS 79 Bounding down the steps. He stops at a landing below. Looks up, sees no one is chasing after him-- ANGLE ON JOKER, catching his breath. He opens the file, flipping through the records, finds the page the clerk was reading. As he reads it over for himself, he HEARS his mother being interviewed for her psychiatric assessment, over 30 years ago. MOM (VO) He's not adopted-- he's Thomas Wayne's son. I work for him, I told you, I clean his house. He's always smiling at me. CUT TO: 80 INT. EMERGENCY INTERVIEW ROOM, ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL - DAY 80 (FLASHBACK) Penny Fleck (late 20's) is sitting across the table from DR. BENJAMIN STONER (50's), in a dreary small interview room, windows covered with security screens. Penny takes a drag off a cigarette, her face is beaten to shit, nose battered, lip busted up. Dr. Stoner is going over Penny's thick file, the same file Joker's holding in his hands. DR. STONER We went over this, Penny. You adopted him. We have all the paperwork right here. Penny doesn't say anything, just smiles like she's in on a big secret. And exhales smoke. 80. Dr. Stoner keeps going through the file, pulls out black & white forensic photographs of three-year-old Joker's body-- DR. STONER You also stood by as one of your boyfriends repeatedly abused your adopted son. And battered you. Penny looks at Dr. Stoner like he's crazy. MOM He didn't do anything to me. Or to my boy. Can I go now, I don't like hospitals. Dr. Stoner lays out the photographs in front of Penny-- Penny keeps smoking her cigarette, glances down at the photos, we catch glimpses of various bruises on parts of Joker's body... A filthy crib... A rope tied to the radiator... CUT BACK TO: Joker looking over the same black & white photographs, still HEARS his mother-- MOM (V0) I never heard him crying. Not once. He's always been such a happy little boy. DR. STONER (VO) Penny, your son was found tied to a radiator in your filthy apartment, malnourished, with multiple bruises across his body and severe trauma to his head. Joker looks up from the file when he hears/reads this, turns and looks at Penny's reaction-- HE'S NOW IN THE INTERVIEW ROOM WITH THEM, living what he's reading on the page. He sees his mother lean forward in her chair, glaring at Dr. Stoner-- MOM That's not true. My apartment wasn't filthy. I keep a clean house. Joker just stares at his mother. Dr. Stoner looks at Penny, not sure how to respond to that. 81. DR. STONER (beat) And what do you have to say about your son? ANGLE ON PENNY, thinking it over, taking a drag off her cigarette. MOM I'm just glad I got to know him. Joker just keeps staring at her as she exhales-- JOKER BACK IN THE STAIRWELL LOOKS UP FROM THE FILE, looks like maybe there's cigarette smoke drifting in front of his face-- CUT TO: 81 EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND, STREET - AFTERNOON 81 Joker walking fast toward the playground. Sees Sophie talking with some other moms, as GiGi and a few kids play on the monkey bars. Sophie walks toward him, still disturbed about last night-- SOPHIE What the hell was that? You can't just walk into my apartment like that. He is taken aback by her anger-- JOKER No, wait,-- Sophie, we can get through this, that's why I'm here. SOPHIE What are you talking about? What do you think this is? JOKER I don't know. I mean I've never been with a woman "like that," but, this feels like a beginning to me. SOPHIE Arthur, I was just being nice to you. I felt sorry for you. I have a boyfriend. 82. JOKER You what? What? What kind of woman are you? Who does that? Some of the other mothers turn toward them-- SOPHIE You need to leave. I'm not having this conversation with you. JOKER (shouts) Why not? GiGi runs up to Sophie's side to see what's going on, to see if her mother's okay. SOPHIE (turns to her daughter) Go back with your friends, honey. Mommy's having a grown up talk. Before GiGi leaves Joker looks down at her-- JOKER No. Don't listen to her GiGi, you need to hear this. Your mother's a bad person. She's a whore, she's seeing two men at once. You can't trust her,-- She'll break your fucking heart. Joker turns to go, behind him GiGi starts to cry. He's close to tears himself. Sophie takes off after him, and reaches out and grabs him-- Joker spins quickly around to face her, looks like he might even hit her-- JOKER How come nothing ever comes easy for me? And Sophie slaps him hard across the face-- Then turns and walks away. CLOSE ON JOKER, he begins to laugh-- CUT TO: 83. 82 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 82 Joker manically pacing around the living room, banging the side of his head with his hand, muttering to himself, almost like he's having a conversation with himself, taking part in some story in his head, in the background the 11:00 News is playing on the television. Footage of a protest in front of Wayne Tower... Protesters in "Joker" clown masks... Hear the NEWS ANCHOR's bombastic voice over, "The anger and resentment that's been building up for weeks now, seems close to exploding. Protestors today, many dressed as clowns, took to the streets in front of Wayne Tower in one of many planned demonstrations." Joker stops when he hears this, turns to the flickering screen-- ANGLE ON TELEVISION, protesters in the middle of a massive crowd outside a Wayne Tower. "CLOWN" PROTESTER #1 (ON TV) You'll see what's gonna happen at City Hall next Thursday. We're gonna-- Joker sits down on the couch eyes, leaning forward to make sure he's seeing what he's seeing-- "CLOWN" PROTESTER #2 (ON TV) (interrupts; screaming into camera) [Beep] the rich, [beep] the media, [beep] the blacks, [beep] the whites, [beep] everybody. They all [beeped] us, that's what this is [beeping] about! CLOSE ON JOKER, doesn't even blink, it's like he's watching himself on television. CUT TO: 83 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - MORNING 83 Sun peeking through the windows. PHONE RINGING. Joker opening his eyes. His orange cat is sitting on his chest, staring at him. Joker finally got some sleep. He lies there for a beat. Phone still ringing, until the machine picks up the call. 84. SHOW BOOKER (ON MACHINE) This message is for Arthur Fleck. My name is Shirley Woods, I work on the Murray Franklin show. Joker sits up, the cat jumps off his chest. He can't believe what he's hearing. He gets up off the couch as the woman continues to leave a message on the machine-- SHOW BOOKER (ON MACHINE) I don't know if you're aware, but Murray played a clip of your stand- up on the show recently and we've gotten an amazing-- Joker picks up the phone-- JOKER (into phone; skeptical) Who is this? SHOW BOOKER (OVER PHONE) Hi, this is Shirley Woods from Murray Franklin Live. Is this Arthur? Beat. JOKER (into phone) Yes. Joker looks down at the cat purring at his feet, and kicks it away. SHOW BOOKER (OVER PHONE) Hi Arthur. Well, as I was saying-- we've gotten a lot of calls about your clip, amazing responses. And, Murray asked if I would reach out to see if you would come on as his guest. Can we set up a day? PUSH IN ON JOKER'S FACE, as it sinks in. JOKER (into phone) Murray wants me to come on the show? SHOW BOOKER (OVER PHONE) Yes. Isn't that great? He'd love to talk to you, maybe do some of your act. Does that sound good to you? 85. As the PUSH IN ON JOKER finishes. Hold. 84 INT. CITY HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL ROOM (SHARED) - MORNING 84 JOKER WALKS INTO HIS MOTHER'S SHARED HOSPITAL ROOM, passing an elderly wheezing woman in the bed closest to the door. Sees his mom in her bed by the window. He pulls the blue curtain separating the beds, giving him and his mother some privacy. Sits down on the edge of her bed. She smiles when she sees him. Still fairly incapacitated. He leans down close to her. Speaks softly, but filled with rage-- JOKER Ma, remember how you used to tell me that God gave me this laugh for a reason. That I had a purpose. To bring laughter and joy into this fucked up world,-- She looks at him confused. JOKER HA! It wasn't God, it was you or, or one of your boyfriends,-- how could you let that happen? What kind of woman are you? What kind of mother are you? She looks away. JOKER What's my real name? Her whole body is shaking, overwhelmed with emotion. JOKER C'mon, Ma, I know I was adopted. What's my name? Who am I really? She looks back him, struggles to speak-- MOM H-h-happ-- JOKER (interrupting, snaps at her) (MORE) 86. JOKER (CONT'D) Happy?! I'm not happy. I haven't been happy for one minute of my entire fucking life. He reaches behind her, grabs one of her pillows-- JOKER But you know what's funny? You know what really makes me laugh? Leans down closer, face-to-face with her-- JOKER I used to think my life was nothing but a tragedy, but now, now I realize it's all just a fucking comedy. 85 INT. BLUE CURTAIN, HOSPITAL ROOM (SHARED) - CONTINUOUS 85 Other side of the blue divider curtain. We see Joker's feet shifting a little. SLOWLY WE PULL OUT, backing out of the room. Leaving behind whatever Joker's doing to his mother on the other side of the curtain. And we HEAR applause... 86 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 86 JOKER'S STUDYING VHS TAPES OF "MURRAY FRANKLIN LIVE!", studio audience applauding Murray... He jots down notes in his worn notebook... Watches the guests come out... how they cross the stage... how they greet Murray... how they sit down... if they cross their legs or not... studying how he should act, how to be a person like other people. His cat sits on top of the TV watching him the whole time, never taking her eyes off him. JUMP CUT: Practicing. Joker walks across the living room like he's on the show, smiling, waving to the "audience"... He mimes shaking Murray's hand... Mimes unbuttoning his jacket and sits down. He smiles and pulls out his worn notebook from his pocket-- JOKER You wanna hear a joke, Murray? He "waits" for Murray to answer. Then Joker nods okay and opens his notebook-- 87. JOKER (reading) Knock-knock. His cat still watching him, now at his feet. Joker crosses and uncrosses his legs... Looks uncomfortable. He glances down at his cat. It's as if he can hear the cat talking to him. JOKER (nods; frustrated) Yeah, I don't know if I should cross or uncross 'em. Both feel completely unnatural. Joker gets up off the couch and walks back across the living room. Waves to the "audience"... Mimes shaking Murray's hand... Mimes unbuttoning his coat and sits down... Crosses his legs. JOKER Thanks for having me on, Murray. I can't tell you how much this means to me, it's been a life long dream. I have a joke for you-- Joker stands back up. Looks down at the cat again. JOKER You're right. You're right, uncrossed is better. Joker sits back down... Doesn't cross his legs this time. CUT TO: 87 EXT. POTTER'S FIELD CEMETERY - DUSK 87 WIDE SHOT, a lone figure in a vast sea of mass graves, grey headstones. This is where they bury the poor and the unclaimed dead. Joker stands by his mother's grave. His head bowed, face in his hands, his body convulsing. He's dressed in an ill- fitting faded rust colored suit, almost shiny from all the wear. Behind him in the distance, the TWO DETECTIVES stand by their parked car on the cemetery roadway. Sun dying in the sky. 88. CLOSE ON JOKER'S FACE BURIED IN HIS HANDS, see he's laughing-- impossible to tell if he's laughing because of his condition or laughing for real. 88 EXT. ROADWAY, POTTER'S FIELD CEMETERY - DUSK 88 Joker walking away from his mother's grave, goes to the two detectives -- GARRITY and BURKE -- waiting for him by their unmarked car. His face is still red, tears in his eyes from laughing. JOKER (wiping his eyes; restrained anger) You shouldn't be here. It's not right. DET. GARRITY We just came to pay our respects. Sorry about your mother. DET. BURKE Yeah, it's too bad. Joker just stares at the two detectives. Awkward beat. DET. BURKE Where is everybody? JOKER It's always been just me and her. Joker pauses for a moment, then starts to walk away. DET. BURKE (calls out) We saw you on Murray Franklin. Joker turns back to them. JOKER You saw that? DET. GARRITY Yeah. Heard you were on, so we got a videotape. DET. BURKE I just couldn't tell if you were actually trying to be funny or not. 89. JOKER Yeah, well I guess you didn't get the joke. DET. GARRITY Listen, we need to clear a few things up, we spoke to the hospital administrator-- JOKER (interrupting) Which hospital? DET. BURKE The Children's Hospital. (reminding) The night you were fired. He said it didn't look like a prop gun, it was heavy, like a real one. We have some more questions for you. JOKER I just buried my mother. The detectives share a look. Garrity pulls out a card. Hands it to Joker. DET. GARRITY We can do it tomorrow. But you need to come down to the precinct-- first thing in the morning. JOKER (looks down, reading the card) Right. Thanks for coming. DET. BURKE Of course. Joker looks back up. JOKER That was a joke. We hear applause followed by the familiar opening riff to ELTON JOHN'S "Bennie & the Jets". 89 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - NEXT AFTERNOON 89 JOKER'S LEANING OVER THE BATHROOM SINK, water running. He's wearing rust colored pants and a white "beater" T-shirt. 90. A "Joker" clown mask hangs off the dirty mirror by its elastic band. "Bennie & the Jets" blaring from a transistor radio turned all the way up. Joker lifts his head up. He's dyed his hair green like his old "Mr. Jingles" clown wig-- but he's missed spots. Some of his hair is still its original color, sticking out all helter- skelter. JUMP CUT: Now he's smearing white grease-paint all over his face. He's dancing along to the music, gyrating and thrusting his hips to the beat, as he glances at the mask hanging from the mirror, trying to copy how it looks... A copy of a copy of himself. He barely hears someone banging on the front door over the loud music-- Doesn't answer. Joker just keeps putting on his make-up, dancing provocatively to the music. More banging on the front door. Joker casually opens the medicine cabinet. Finds some old rusty scissors and turns the radio off-- 90 INT. FRONT DOOR, MOM'S APARTMENT - AFTERNOON 90 Joker unlocks the locks, keeping the security chain latched, and cracks open the door,-- Sees Randall. Looks down, and sees Gary next to him. Undoes the chain and opens the door for them-- Randall and Gary get a look at Joker's face, his dyed green hair still wet, streaking white grease-paint smeared over part of his face-- GARY (re: his look) Hey Arthur, how's it going? You get a new gig? Joker shakes his head no, steps aside so they can come in, palming the scissors in his hand-- RANDALL You must be goin' down to that rally at City Hall. Right? I hear it's gonna be nuts. 91. JOKER Is that today? Randall looks at him and laughs-- RANDALL Yeah. What's with the clown-face then? Joker shuts the door behind them. Locks the chain-lock. JOKER My mom died. RANDALL (nodding) Yeah we heard. That's why we're here. Figured you might wanna go out, get a drink or something? Joker doesn't answer. Awkward beat. GARY We don't wanna bother you. Randall just thought we should come and pay our respects. RANDALL Yeah, we're family. We gotta stick together. Joker stares at Randall. JOKER (beat) It's not a good time. I'm in the middle of something here. GARY Of course. No problem. Another time. Gary turns to go. Randall pauses for a moment, has something else to say before he leaves-- RANDALL Yeah. Another time, then. Oh hey,-- one other thing-- He takes a step closer to Joker-- 92. RANDALL Listen, the cops have been poking around the shop, they're talking to all the clowns about those subway murders and-- GARY (interrupting) They didn't talk to me. RANDALL (snaps at Gary) That's because the suspect was a regular-sized person. If it was a fucking midget you'd be in jail right now. (turns back to Joker) Anyway, Hoyt said they were looking for me, and, and I just wanna see what you said. You know, make sure our stories line up, bein' that you're my boy and-- AND JOKER STABS THE SCISSORS AS DEEP AS HE CAN into Randall's neck. Blood spurts. Randall screams. Gary stumbles back in shock-- GARY (screaming) What the fuck what the fuck WHAT THE FUCK-- Joker pulls them out and jams them into Randall's eye before he can react. The sound is sickening. Gary's screaming in the background-- Randall blindly fights back, screaming in pain, flailing his arms, his own blood blinding him-- Joker grabs Randall by the head -- all of his pent up rage and frustration pouring out of him -- AND SLAMS HIS HEAD AGAINST THE WALL. AGAIN. And AGAIN. And AGAIN. Joker lets go of Randall's head, and Randall drops to the ground. Joker leans back against the wall, out of breath, kind of slides down the wall to the floor-- Sees Gary huddled in the corner, trembling with fear-- 93. JOKER (catching his breath) I'm gonna be on TV tonight. Can you believe it? Gary doesn't answer. Doesn't move-- JOKER It's okay, Gary. You can go. Gary backs away toward the door. Joker sits there for a moment, breathing heavy, wipes Randall's blood off his face-- GARY (OS) Hey, Art? Joker turns, sees Gary at the front door. He points up high to the chain-lock. He can't reach it. Joker just shakes his head to himself and gets up to unlock the door. He walks past Gary who's still trembling almost too afraid to look up at him. Joker leans over him and undoes the chain, opens the door. Gary bolts, running down the hallway as fast as he can-- CUT TO: 91 INT. MOM'S BEDROOM, APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON 91 (Over the following, we don't see Joker's face. We don't reveal his finished "look" just yet.) CLOSE PICKING UP HIS NOTEBOOK, fanning through the pages-- Pausing at the BLACK & WHITE RIPPED PHOTO OF BRUCE WAYNE for a moment. Continues, stopping at the same entry from the opening scene-- CLOSE ON WORDS, "I just hope my death make more sense than my life." 92 INT. LIVING ROOM, MOM'S APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON 92 CLOSE ON TAKING RANDALL'S WALLET OUT OF HIS BLOOD SOAKED PANTS, pocketing all the cash. CLOSE ON BUTT OF A GUN STICKING OUT OF RANDALL'S WAISTBAND, glimpse Joker's hand reaching for it-- 94. 93 INT. KITCHEN, MOM'S APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON 93 JOKER'S P.O.V. FINISHING WRITING A NOTE, "On Murray Franklin Tonight -- Please Watch!" CLOSE ON STUFFING THE NOTE AND ALL OF RANDALL'S MONEY into an envelope-- TURNING ENVELOPE OVER, WRITING "SOPHIE" on the front. 94 INT. LIVING ROOM WINDOW, MOM'S APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON 94 CLOSE ON THE ORANGE CAT AT THE WINDOW, and maybe if we're looking close enough we notice something strange... the cat has no reflection. ANGLE OVER JOKER'S SHOULDER OPENING THE WINDOW, shooing the cat out onto the fire escape, out into the dying day-- JOKER (OS) Go on. Go. You're free. CLOSE ON THE CAT LOOKING BACK AT JOKER FOR A LONG MOMENT, before scampering off out into the world, leaving him behind for good. As he closes the window we almost catch Joker's reflection in the glass-- 95 INT. HALLWAY, APARTMENT BUILDING - LATE AFTERNOON 95 FOLLOWING BEHIND JOKER, walking down the hallway as if in slow motion, heading for Sophie's apartment. His dyed green hair now slicked back. He's wearing the ill-fitting rust colored suit he wore to his mother's funeral. STILL FROM BEHIND, he lays the envelope in front of Sophie's door, then pulls something else out of his pocket -- his body obscuring what it is -- puts it down by her door and leaves. As he walks away down the hallway, we see what else Joker left behind-- HIS WAND OF FLOWERS, at Sophie's door. Hold. 95. 96 INT. ELEVATOR, HALLWAY - LATE AFTERNOON 96 FROM BEHIND JOKER STEPPING ONTO THE ELEVATOR, TURNING TO FACE US AS THE DOOR STARTS TO CLOSE, FINALLY REVEALING HIS LOOK-- Green hair slicked back like one of the Wall Street assholes he killed... White grease paint smeared over his face... red nose painted on... dark blue peaks over and under his eyes... his mother's red lipstick crudely outlining his broken smile... Under the harsh flickering fluorescent lights, he looks like an insane version of his mask. The door closes on his new face. Ding. 97 EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - LATE AFTERNOON 97 Joker steps out of his building into the setting sun, just as Garrity and Burke are getting out of their unmarked Ford LTD Crown Vic-- DET. GARRITY Hey Arthur, where you going? DET. BURKE Yeah, thought you were coming down to the station this morning. And Joker takes off running-- Garrity gives chase on foot as Burke hurries back into the car-- 98 EXT. 174TH STREET, TWO LANES - CONTINUOUS 98 Joker darts out from his block into the avenue, sprints across the busy, two-lane street without looking-- Running right in front of an oncoming YELLOW CAB on the far side of the street-- BAM! The cab hits him and Joker goes crashing into the windshield. Bounces up and over the car. Landing hard on the pavement-- The car directly behind the cab skids to a stop just before running over Joker's face. Swerving into the other lane and CRASHING INTO an oncoming truck. Cars on both sides of the street skidding trying to stop-- Crashing. It's chaos. 96. Joker pops back up from getting hit. He's in pain. But not dead. Garrity has drawn his service revolver as he makes his way through the pile up. And Burke, now blocked because of the crash has jumped out of his car-- Joker takes off running, limping down the street toward an entrance for the elevated train-- 99 EXT. ELEVATED TRAIN STATION, STEPS - CONTINUOUS 99 Joker hustling up the stairs, dripping sweat, his white grease-paint running down his face. He gets to the top of the stairs, looks back and catches a glimpse of Garrity and Burke at the bottom-- 100 EXT. PLATFORM, ELEVATED TRAIN STATION - CONTINUOUS 100 Joker makes his way down the crowded platform, the passengers starting to file on a waiting Lexington Ave/Pelham Express Train heading downtown. The train's packed with protesters heading to the rally at City Hall. Many carrying signs... most of them in "Joker" masks... a few painted up to look like the "Joker" mask. Joker fits in with all of them. He looks through the crowd of clowns and sees the two cops getting to the top of the stairs, looking up and down the platform for him. Pulling out their badges on chains from around their necks. Identifying themselves as cops. Joker's willing the doors to close. But they don't. The two detectives run onto the train just as the doors are finally closing-- 101 INT. LEXINGTON AVE/PELHAM EXPRESS (MOVING) - CONTINUOUS 101 Joker moves through the loud train pushing through the rowdy protesters-- Into the next car, all of them packed. AS THE TRAIN GOES UNDERGROUND, the lights flicker on and off-- car GOING BLACK FOR A FEW SECONDS as the train turns and dips and speeds down the tracks. Joker glances back at Burke and Garrity pulling out their badges on chains around their necks. Smith & Wesson service revolvers by their sides. Shouting at the crowd, identifying themselves as cops. 97. Joker hears some on the train shouting back in anger at the police, keeps moving... past clown-faced protestors carrying signs, "RESIST"... "AM I A CLOWN?"... "SAVE A CITY, KILL A YUPPIE"... The two cops push through the car, scanning all the "clown" faces... So many look like Joker. They just shove protesters out of the way, shouting at them all the while. A few more voices rising up in protest-- Joker feels Burke and Garrity behind him getting closer. In the flickering light sees a DRUNK GUY (20's) wearing a 'Joker' mask and pulls it right off his face-- The drunk guy turns ready to fight. He throws a punch at Joker, and Joker steps out of the way-- The guy pummels someone else-- A FIGHT BREAKS OUT, spilling down the car. Joker slips the clown mask over his clown face-- AND JUST STANDS THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHAOS, at home with the chaos all around him-- Garrity and Burke spot Joker's rust colored suit in the middle of the unruly mob-- Burke pulls his gun-- BURKE (shouting) EVERYBODY DOWN, GOTHAM PD! The crowd doesn't drop to the ground. They just keep fighting with each other-- Burke sees Joker just standing there. Keeps yelling for the crowd to get down, get down, but they don't listen to him-- He starts shoving protestors down, out of the way-- and AND THEN THE MOB TURNS ON HIM AND GARRITY, starts closing in around them-- Garrity and Burke are pointing their guns at the crowd, yelling panicked for them to back off, back off, and one idiot reaches for Garrity's gun-- Bang. 98. Burke fires into the crowd, as the train pulls into the station-- A protestor falls dead. The other clowns on the train go crazy, starting to riot. Glimpse Joker walking away calmly out of the chaos. Taking off the mask and dropping it at his side as he steps off the train, disappearing onto the crowded platform. CUT TO: 102 EXT. WGCTV STUDIOS, FRANKLIN THEATER - MIDTOWN - EVENING 102 An excited line of ticket holders waiting to get in to "Live with Murray Franklin!" The poster marquee box near the door reads: "TONIGHT'S GUESTS. Lance Reynolds. Dr. Sally Friedman. And Special Guest." They swing open the doors and start to let the audience inside... 103 EXT. BACKSTAGE DOOR, FRANKLIN THEATER - SIDE STREET - EVENING 103 Random fans and autograph hounds hanging out by the backstage door, waiting for the night's guests to arrive... 104 INT. STUDIO 4B, STAGE - FRANKLIN THEATER - EVENING 104 Studio audience filing into the studio, being seated in the wide bleachers along one wall. Three TV monitors hang from the ceiling, facing the audience. Three studio cameras on the floor, black cables strewn everywhere. The set for "LIVE WITH MURRAY FRANKLIN!" is dark... but we can still make out his desk... guest chairs... Don Ellis and his Jazz Orchestra's band stand... big blue curtain. 105 INT. HALLWAY, FRANKLIN THEATER - EVENING 105 The host of the show, MURRAY FRANKLIN (60's), usually quick with a bemused grin but right now in a sour mood, walks fast down the hall toward the drab dressing rooms with his old- school producer, GENE UFLAND (60's), who's holding the show's rundown rolled up in his hand. GENE UFLAND --You gotta see this nut for yourself, Murray. I don't think we can put him on. With the rioting out there. 99. MURRAY FRANKLIN (annoyed) Jesus, Gene, I don't have time for this. Cindy's been breaking my balls all day. GENE UFLAND She's still mad at you about that thing? MURRAY FRANKLIN Three marriages, you'd think I'da fuckin' learned something. (then) What do I gotta see? I already know he's a nut. That's why we're putting him on, it's a goof. A young BLONDE INTERN walks by in the opposite direction. She nervously smiles to them and keeps walking. Both men turn and check out her ass. Murray winks at Gene. GENE UFLAND (just shakes his head, and smiles) I'm telling you, you gotta see him, Murray. I think it's too risky, the show's too big. It's worth too much to blow it on this,-- this freak. 106 INT. DRESSING ROOM, FRANKLIN THEATER - CONTINUOUS 106 Joker's sitting on a small couch in the cramped dressing room, watching the local news on a TV that's mounted up on the wall, live shots from the subway station where Burke shot the protestor, footage of the City Hall rally, clashes with police. He's cleaned himself up as best he could... white grease- paint smeared more evenly over his face, green dyed hair slicked back in place. Red lips redone. Murray and his producer Gene open the dressing room door without knocking-- Joker gets up off the couch and goes to shake Murray's hand. Murray pauses when he sees Joker's face. JOKER (shakes Murray's hand; effusive) Murray, I can't believe this is real, that I'm really here. 100. GENE UFLAND It's Mr. Franklin kid, show some respect. MURRAY FRANKLIN Oh shut up, Gene. (to Joker) Murray is fine. I prefer it in fact. Thanks for coming on the show. JOKER Are you kidding? Thank you for the opportunity. I've been watching you forever. My mother never missed a show. Murray nods not listening, he's heard this before. MURRAY FRANKLIN So what's with the face? Are you part of the protests? JOKER No, I don't believe in any of that. I don't believe in anything. I just thought it would be good for my act. GENE UFLAND (upset) Your act? Didn't you hear that a kid got killed on the subway and two cops who were almost beat to death? You didn't hear about the dozens of protestors and police injured in the riots? Joker looks like he's about to bust out laughing. All of that news is playing out on the TV above their heads. He takes a deep breath. Swallows the laugh. Beat. JOKER No. I hadn't heard. Gene and Murray share a look. GENE UFLAND --the audience is gonna go crazy if you put him on. It was okay maybe for a bit, but not a whole segment. 101. Murray thinks about it for a beat. MURRAY FRANKLIN I like it. It's timely. It's edgy. It's, it's dangerous. The best comedy is all those things put together. (done) We're gonna go with it. Gene rubs his temples, he doesn't like this, but Murray is the boss. JOKER Thank you Murray. MURRAY FRANKLIN (flashes his bemused smile; condescending) Couple rules though,-- No cussing, no off-color material, we do a clean show, okay? You'll be on after Dr. Sally. Someone will come and get you. Good? Joker nods good. Smiles back at Murray. Murray and Gene turn to go, exchanging smirks with each other as they walk out, making light of Joker who we see behind them still standing there. JOKER Hey Murray,-- one small thing? When you bring me out, can you introduce me as "The Joker"? Murray and Gene look back at him GENE UFLAND What? You don't want to use your real name? JOKER Honestly, I don't even know what my real name is. Joker smiles, the guys can't tell if he's kidding or not. JOKER Besides, that's what you called me on the show, Murray. A joker. Remember? 102. MURRAY FRANKLIN (to Gene; trying not to crack up) Did I? GENE UFLAND I have no idea. MURRAY FRANKLIN (turns back to Joker) Well, if you say so, kid. Joker it is. Murray starts to laugh at Joker as he closes the dressing room door, shutting it right in his face. CUT TO: 107 INT. BACKSTAGE, BEHIND CURTAIN - STUDIO 4B - NIGHT 107 JOKER'S BACKSTAGE AT THE EDGE OF THE BLUE CURTAIN, trying to watch the show through a slim gap. Behind him there's a monitor on a cart playing the live feed. He moves the curtain aside to get a better look-- Glimpses Murray laughing, finishing up talking to noted sex therapist DR. SALLY FRIEDMAN (60's). MURRAY FRANKLIN (to Dr. Sally) You gotta see our next guest for yourself. Will you stick around? Maybe you can help, I'm pretty sure he could use a doctor. The audience laughs. DR. SALLY FRIEDMAN Oh. Does he have sexual problems? MURRAY FRANKLIN He looks like he's got a lot of problems. Another big laugh. MURRAY FRANKLIN (turns, looks into camera) It's been a crazy few days here in Gotham, and, I think maybe things are about to get crazy around here too. Don't go anywhere folks. We'll be right back. 103. APPLAUSE SIGN LIGHTS UP. Everyone claps. Joker keeps watching Murray through the slim gap at the end of the curtain. Hears the floor director shout, "And we're out. Back in three." Joker adjusts the waist of his pants under his jacket. Takes a deep breath. 108 INT. DIRECTOR'S BOOTH, STUDIO 4B - NIGHT 108 Perched one story above the studio. There's a long console where the DIRECTOR sits in front of a gooseneck microphone, looking over a double-bank of monitors. Sitting next to him are the ASSOCIATE PRODUCER who times the show, and the TECHNICAL DIRECTOR who operates the board. The monitor showing the live feed is playing a commercial. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Back in 30 seconds. DIRECTOR Okay, cue the clip. We'll come to it straight out of break. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Five... Four... Three... DIRECTOR Roll clip. Put up the show graphic. ON THE SHOW MONITOR, video of Joker's original stand-up performance comes up with the show's graphic in the lower right of the screen. 109 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 109 ON THE SET, Murray watches the clip on the monitor above his desk, can't help but laugh. Sees the FLOOR DIRECTOR counting him down silently with her fingers... Three... Two... points to Camera One. MURRAY FRANKLIN (looking into camera) O-kay, you may have seen that clip of our next guest when we first played it two weeks ago. Now before he comes out, I just want to say that we're all heartbroken here and sensitive to what's going on in the city tonight. But, this is how he wanted to come on the show. So let me introduce-- The Joker. 104. BEHIND THE BLUE CURTAIN, Joker gathers himself, ready for his moment. Doesn't hear his introduction or see a STAGEHAND pull open the curtain for him to go out-- ON SET, THE CURTAIN'S OPEN, Don Ellis and his Jazz Orchestra are playing Joker on. He doesn't come out. Murray looks over to the empty space in the curtain. The audience laughs. BEHIND THE CURTAIN, Joker sees the stagehand motioning for him to go out on stage. Joker starts out, pausing when he takes a step into the bright lights. The stagehand doesn't see him stop, and drops the curtain back on Joker before the audience can really see his face-- Tangling Joker up in the curtain. The audience keeps laughing thinking it's part of his act. The band keeps playing him on. Joker untangles himself from the curtain and the audience gets a good look at him. Some continue laughing. A few boo. Most don't know what to make of him. Joker walks across the stage, forgetting to wave like he practiced. He trips over the riser surrounding the set when he goes to shake Murray's hand. Almost falls on him. Murray tries not to crack up. The audience laughs. Thinks it's part of Joker's act. Joker reaches out to hug Dr. Sally as she goes in for a handshake. Another awkward moment. More laughs. Joker finally sits down next to Murray. Crosses and uncrosses his legs. Can't get comfortable. MURRAY FRANKLIN So, ahhh, thanks for coming on the show. But I gotta tell ya, with what happened at City Hall today, I'm sure many of our viewers here in the studio, and at home, might find this look of yours in poor taste. Joker's not listening to Murray. He's mesmerized by all the lights shining on him... all the eyes on him... he doesn't answer Murray. Nervous laughter from the audience. 105. MURRAY FRANKLIN (tries again) Can you tell us why you're dressed like this? AND JOKER STARTS TO LAUGH. Not embarrassed of it anymore. He goes with it. Giving in to it, enjoying the laughter. MURRAY FRANKLIN (can't help but smile at Joker's laughing) Okay. But I'm not sure how any of this is funny. A lot of those protesters are going with this look. City seems to be full of clowns these days. JOKER (just nods, still laughing) Yeah. Isn't it great? Joker just keeps cracking up. Audience still isn't sure what to make of him. There's some awkward laughter. 110 INT. DIRECTOR'S BOOTH, STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 110 Nobody's laughing in the booth. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR (looks to the director) This guy's got nothing. DIRECTOR (hits the producer's talk button; into the mic) Gene, what the hell? You wanna kill this? 111 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - CONTINUOUS 111 Murray glances over at his producer Gene Ufland, who's sitting off-camera on a director's chair by a monitor. Gene shrugs at him. MURRAY FRANKLIN (smiles; trying to save the interview) So when we talked earlier, you mentioned that you aren't political. That this look isn't a political statement. 106. JOKER (between laughs) That's right. I'm not political, Murray. I'm, I'm, I'm just trying to make people laugh. MURRAY FRANKLIN (beat; smiles) How's that goin' for ya? Have you been working on any new material? Do you want to tell us a joke? The audience claps, egging Joker on to tell a joke. Joker looks over at Murray -- his laughing fit finally subsiding -- and reaches into his jacket pocket and-- Pulls out his worn notebook, catching his breath. Looks through it to find a new joke. MURRAY FRANKLIN You brought a joke book? The audience laughs. Joker smiles, opens the page to Bruce Wayne's photo, pauses for a moment then turns the page. Finds a joke-- JOKER (reading) Okay. Here's one. Knock knock. MURRAY FRANKLIN Oh god, a knock-knock joke? And you need to read it? JOKER (nods, reads it again) I want to get it right. Knock knock. Murray makes a face like, "Okay, I'll go along with this." MURRAY FRANKLIN Who's there? JOKER (looks up from his notebook) It's the police, ma'am. Your son has been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead. Beat. 107. 112 INT. DIRECTOR'S BOOTH, STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 112 The associate producer tries not to laugh, but she can't help it. The director looks over at her like she's lost her mind. DIRECTOR (shakes his head) Okay, ready Camera Two. Take Two. Ready Three. Three. ON THE MONITORS, some of the audience cracks up. Joker smiles at the response. Murray Franklin shakes his head, smirking at the joke despite himself. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON MONITORS) So, Arthur, you told me backstage that your-- Joker leans over interrupting Murray, whispers something to him. 113 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 113 Murray nods as Joker whispers. MURRAY FRANKLIN (bemused smile; patronizing) Right. Sorry. I mean Joker-- you told me backstage that your mother's a big fan of the show, that she never misses it. Joker puts the notebook back in his pocket. Crosses his legs, starting to get a bit more comfortable. JOKER That's right, Murray. But she's dead now. The audience laughs. MURRAY FRANKLIN (goes along with the "joke") Hold on. Your mother's dead? JOKER Yeah. She is. Murray's not sure if this is part of his act. 108. MURRAY FRANKLIN Okay. What about your father? Does he watch the show? Laughter from the crowd. JOKER I don't know who my father is, Murray. Turns out I was adopted and sexually assaulted by my mother's boyfriend. A few in the audience groan. A couple even laugh. Still think it's just Joker's edgy, off-kilter sense of humor. Don Ellis plays "wha-wha-wha-whuuuuh" on his trumpet from the band stand. DR. SALLY FRIEDMAN Ahhhh! No, no,-- You can not joke about that. MURRAY FRANKLIN (shakes his head; irritated) Yeah, that's not funny, that's not the kind of humor we do on this show. Murray glances over at Gene in the wings. He gives him the "wrap it up" sign. JOKER (just keeps going, on a roll) Sorry. It's been a rough few months, Murray. I mean, after my mother died, the police came to question me at her funeral. Who does that? MURRAY FRANKLIN (too easy) Oh really? Were you a suspect? The audience laughs. JOKER Very funny, Murray. No, they came because I killed those three Wall Street guys. Beat. 109. Studio audience can't tell if he's joking or not. Murray can't either. MURRAY FRANKLIN (looks at him confused) Okay. I'm waiting for the punchline. JOKER There is no punchline. It's not a joke. 114 INT. DIRECTOR'S BOOTH, STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 114 The director stares at the monitor. DIRECTOR Did he just confess to killing the Wall Street Three? TECHNICAL DIRECTOR (horrified) Yeah. I think he did. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER (turns to the director, nods) He definitely did. DIRECTOR Jesus Christ. (hits the camera talk button, into mic) Camera Three, get in close. ANGLE ON MONITOR, Camera Three zooming in close on Joker's face. 115 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - CONTINUOUS 115 Gene Ufland is now standing up from his chair. Motions for Murray to kill the interview. Murray shakes his head to himself. This is a big "get," it could be great television. MURRAY FRANKLIN (turns back to Joker; with gravitas) You're serious, aren't you? You're telling us you killed those three boys on the subway. Why should we believe you? 110. JOKER (shrugs) I got nothing left to lose, Murray. Nothing can hurt me anymore. This is my fate, it was always my fate. My life is nothing but a comedy. 116 INT. SOPHIE'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 116 Sophie's sitting on her couch watching this interview play out on TV. GiGi's asleep next to her. The open envelope and the money are lying on the coffee table. No sign of the flowers anywhere. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) Let me get this straight, you think killing those young men is funny? JOKER (ON TV) Yeah. But comedy is subjective, isn't that what they say? Besides, the way I see it, what happened was a good thing. All of you, Gotham, the system that knows so much, you decide, you decide what's right and wrong. What's real or what's made up. The same way you decide what's funny or not. Sophie edges forward on the couch, can almost see a hint of agreement on her face. 117 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 117 Back on set, we can tell by the way Murray's now interviewing Joker, talking to him slower, more thoughtfully, that he thinks this is gonna get him an Emmy... Maybe even a Peabody. MURRAY FRANKLIN (beat) Okay, I think I understand. You did it to start a movement, to become a symbol. JOKER C'mon, Murray, do I look like the kind of clown who could start a movement? I killed those guys because they were awful. Everybody's awful these days. It's enough to make anyone crazy. 111. MURRAY FRANKLIN So that's it, you're crazy. That's your defense for killing three young men? Because they were mean to you? JOKER No. They couldn't carry a tune to save their lives. Some audible groans from the audience. JOKER Why is everyone so upset about these guys? Because Thomas Wayne went and cried about them on TV? MURRAY FRANKLIN You have a problem with Thomas Wayne, too? JOKER Yeah. I do. Everything comes so easy for him. MURRAY FRANKLIN And what's wrong with that? JOKER Have you seen what it's like out there, Murray? Do you ever actually leave the studio? Everybody just yells and screams at each other. Nobody's civil anymore. Nobody thinks what it's like to be the other guy. You think men like Thomas Wayne, men at ease, ever think what it's like to be a guy like me? To be anybody but themselves. (shaking his head, voice rising) They don't. They think we'll all just sit there and take it like good little boys. That we won't werewolf and go wild. Well, this is for all of you out there. Joker "howls at the moon." It's fucking weird. 112. 118 INT. STATION SQUAD ROOM - 7TH PRECINCT - CONTINUOUS 118 OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES JUMPING INTO ACTION, rushing past a small portable black & white television sitting on one of the desks, hear one of them shout-- POLICE LIEUTENANT (OS) That asshole just confessed to killing those Wall Street guys on fucking live TV! ANGLE ON THE LITTLE TV, TIGHT TWO-SHOT OF JOKER looking at Murray. MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV) (shakes his head) So much self-pity, Arthur. You sound like you're making excuses for killing three young men. Not everybody's awful. 119 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS 119 Back on set. Joker looks straight at Murray. JOKER You're awful, Murray. There is no more laughter. The audience is watching this exchange with full attention. MURRAY FRANKLIN Me? How am I awful? JOKER Playing my video, inviting me on the show,-- You just wanted to make fun of me. Well it's easy to laugh at Frankenstein on a crowded beach, isn't it? You're just like the rest of them, Murray. Everything comes too easy for you. MURRAY FRANKLIN (on the spot; defensive) You don't know the first thing about me, pal. Look what happened because of what you did, Arthur, what it led to. There are riots out there. Two policemen are in critical condition, someone was killed today. 113. Joker nods in agreement, yeah, it's because of what he did. JOKER How about another joke, Murray? What do you get when you cross a mentally-ill loner with a system that abandons him and treats him like trash? Murray pauses for a minute, not really listening to Joker, suddenly realizing the seriousness of the situation. He starts to turn to camera-- JOKER (pulls Randall's gun) I'll tell you what you get. You get what you fucking deserve,-- And as Murray Franklin turns back to him, JOKER SHOOTS THE SIDE OF MURRAY'S HEAD OFF-- Blood splatters all over the back of the set. Some spraying in Joker's face. AUDIENCE SCREAMS! Dr. Sally dives for the floor. 120 INT. SOPHIE'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 120 Sophie screams and jumps to her feet horrified! Waking up GiGi who starts to cry when she sees what's on television-- ON THE TELEVISION, Joker gets up and walks right up to the camera. Blood sprayed over his white painted face. Hear the studio audience still screaming, bedlam all around him. JOKER (ON TV) (looks straight into camera; screams Murray's signature sign off) GOOD NIGHT AND ALWAYS REMEMBER,-- THAT'S LIFE! And as Joker waves goodbye to the home audience, a black & white "INDIAN-HEAD TEST PATTERN" cuts off the show-- "PLEASE STAND BY" HERB ALPERT'S "Spanish Flea" plays underneath. Beat. 114. 121 INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - CONTINUOUS 121 BACK LIVE IN THE STUDIO, JOKER'S TACKLED BY TWO SECURITY GUARDS AND SOME STAGEHANDS, still hear screams of terror from the audience around him. HIS FACE HITS THE SHINY FLOOR AS IF IN SLOW MOTION-- And we HEAR the soft and familiar opening to FERRANTE & TEICHER's piano version of "Send in the Clowns". CUT TO: 122 INT. GOTHAM SQUAD CAR (MOVING), GOTHAM STREETS - NIGHT 122 JOKER GAZING OUT THE WINDOW, at all the violence and madness in the city. We only see it in the reflection of the glass... the fires burning... the mob crowding the streets. Joker's handcuffed in the back of the squad car moving slowly through the rioting, sirens wailing, red lights flashing, blood still splattered on his face. STAY ON JOKER'S FACE AS HE HEARS THE POLICE RADIO CRACKLING, reports of rioters in "Joker" masks setting fires, breaking windows, looting stores. The images reflected in the window start to speed up as the officer driving weaves faster through the chaos. POLICE OFFICER #1 (OS) Look what you caused, you freak, the whole city's on fire because of you. AND JOKER BANGS HIS HEAD HARD AGAINST THE STEEL MESH CAGE-- BAM. POLICE OFFICER #2 (OS) Keep it up, asshole. Watch what happens when we get to the station. HE BANGS HIS HEAD AGAIN. BAM. BAM. Some blood is forming on his forehead-- POLICE OFFICER #1 (OS) (glancing at Joker in the back seat, shouting) -- Calm the fuck down, you're not going anywhere! And when the cop driving turns back, catch a glimpse of someone or something running out into the street in front of the speeding squad car-- 115. CLOSE ON JOKER AS THE SQUAD CAR SWERVES OUT OF THE WAY, Joker banging up against the door-- CRAAAASSSHHHHHH!!!! The squad car hits a parked car hard and flips over, sliding across the street on its roof-- 123 EXT. SQUAD CAR (SLIDING), STREET - CONTINUOUS 123 SPARKS FLY UNTIL FINALLY THE UPSIDE DOWN SQUAD CAR COMES TO A STOP. Smoke rising from the wreck. Ferrante & Teicher's piano only version of "Send in the Clowns" still playing... Both police officers in the front seat are either unconscious or dead. We see movement in the back seat, hard to tell what's going on inside. Suddenly the back door kicks open-- And Joker falls out of the car, landing hard on the street, one hand free, handcuffs dangling from his other hand. Hear sirens in the distance-- JOKER LEANS BACK AGAINST THE CAR, his face bloody, his body broken from the crash. Sitting there amongst the wreckage, can still see and hear the chaos, the fires burning all around him. He reaches for a jagged shard of broken glass-- And pauses for moment catching his breath, hand holding the jagged glass resting on his lap, wailing sirens getting closer, looks like he's about to cut his wrists-- 124 EXT. MOVIE THEATER, STREET - UPTOWN - CONTINUOUS 124 A WELL-HEELED CROWD LETTING OUT OF A MOVIE THEATER, the violence has even reached up here, the nice part of town... Sirens wailing, gangs of punks wearing "Joker" masks running past, breaking car windows, fires burning... Catch a glimpse of the lit up marquee listing the films playing, "Blow Out" and "Zorro the Gay Blade". Hear "Send in the Clowns" still playing... FROM BEHIND SEE A SILHOUETTED COUPLE AND THEIR KID hurry down the dark side of the street, ducking into an alley to avoid the chaos-- Catch a glimpse of a punk in a "Joker" mask following after them pulling a gun-- 116. 125 EXT. SQUAD CAR (UPSIDE DOWN), STREET - CONTINUOUS 125 Joker lifts the jagged shard of glass, handcuff swinging... Passes by his wrist... And starts cutting into the slit on one corner of his mouth, making his smile longer and wider. Blood pouring down his face, onto his hand... Joker tearing into the other side of his mouth, jagged glass ripping into his flesh, spurting blood, handcuff swinging-- Sirens on top of him, red lights flashing over his face-- ANGLE ON JOKER LIT UP RED, done cutting his smile, letting go of the jagged bloody shard... Leans his head back against the squad car, and closes his eyes, covered in his own blood. He's finished. Now he is the Joker. 126 EXT. ALLEY, MOVIE THEATER - CONTINUOUS 126 FROM BEHIND, FAMILY IN THE SHADOWS sees the guy's eyes go wide behind the mask, pointing his gun, music swelling-- PUNK (shouting) You still think we're all fucking clowns? And the punk shoots the man. Reaches out and grabs something off the woman's neck before he shoots her as well. Both fall to the ground dead. Revealing their young son standing behind them-- CLOSE ON EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BRUCE WAYNE, closing his eyes as blood sprays across his face. He opens his eyes and looks up scared at the man in the "Joker" mask who killed his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. "Send in the Clowns" ends. CUT TO BLACK. A long beat. HEAR LAUGHTER. The sound of a man totally cracking up. FADE IN: 127 INT. ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL, INTERVIEW ROOM - MORNING 127 CLOSE ON JOKER, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. He's enjoying it, not trying to get it under control. 117. His head's been shaved. He looks medicated or maybe even lobotomized. Wearing white institutional clothes. HIS NEW SMILE IS ALL STITCHED UP, cut deep up the corners of his mouth. Forming a longer, "happier" smile. He's sitting across from an overworked HOSPITAL DOCTOR (50's), African American woman. Somehow it's the exact same room Joker imagined his mother was in some 30 years ago. The room and the doctor also look vaguely similar to the social worker and her office in the opening scene. The doctor just sits there, waiting for him to stop laughing. A weathered notebook is on the table in front of him. Finally, Joker stops himself. HOSPITAL DOCTOR What's so funny? He takes a deep breath, his eyes are glazed over. His voice is scratchy, like he doesn't use it much. JOKER -- just thinking of this joke. HOSPITAL DOCTOR Do you want to tell it to me? Beat. JOKER No. HOSPITAL DOCTOR Because you don't think I'll get it? JOKER Because it's personal, it's between me and him. Beat. HOSPITAL DOCTOR Okay. Is the medication working? How's your sleeping? JOKER (nods yes) ... HOSPITAL DOCTOR How are you feeling? 118. JOKER Good. Everything's good now. HOSPITAL DOCTOR Have you been writing in your journal? Joker slowly nods. HOSPITAL DOCTOR Great. I want to make sure you're keeping up with it. JOKER (beat) Yeah. HOSPITAL DOCTOR Have you written about your episode? About what happened? JOKER How I remember it. HOSPITAL DOCTOR (re: the journal) Can I see? Joker slides his journal across to her. She picks it up and flips through the pages-- ANGLE ON JOURNAL, blank page after blank page, there's nothing inside of it. The doctor looks up at him confused. ANGLE ON JOKER, a smile creeping across his face. And we HEAR the groovy organ opening to FRANK SINATRA's anthem "That's Life"... Beat. 128 INT. HALLWAY, ARKHAM STATE HOSPITAL - MORNING 128 From behind, see Joker shuffling down the hallway past all the other mental patients, an orderly by his side. Sinatra starts singing. And Joker does a slide step to the music like he can hear it too... into a skip... and another slide step into a spin... Dancing down the hallway into the sunset... IRIS OUT: 119. "That's Life" keeps playing over credits.

by Steve Conrad. Transcript A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional endeavor. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY Time to get up, man. -All right, Dad. -Come on. Should be here soon. -I think I should make a list. -What do mean? -For your birthday gifts? -Yeah. You know you're only getting a couple of things, right? Yeah, I know. Just to look at and study so I can choose better. Okay, well, that's smart. Yeah, make a list. Can you spell everything you're thinking of? -I think so. -All right. That's good. -How you doing in here, man? -Okay. Can we go to the park today, after? No, I gotta go to Oakland. Well, maybe, we'll see. Give me a kiss. I'll talk to you later. Excuse me. Oh, excuse me... ...when is somebody gonna clean this off? And the Y? The Y. We talked about this. It's an I in "happiness." There's no Y in "happiness." It's an l. I'm Chris Gardner. I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. And I made up my mind as a young kid... ...that when I had children... ...my children were gonna know who their father was. This is part of my life story. This part is called "Riding the Bus. " What's that? It's a time machine, isn't it? Seems like a time machine. That seems like a time machine. It's a time machine. Take me with you. This machine... ...this machine on my lap-- This guy, he has a time machine. He travels in the past with this machine and.... --it is not a time machine. It's a portable bone-density scanner. A medical device I sell for a living. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss it with you. -I appreciate it. -We just don't need it, Chris. It's unnecessary and expensive. -Well, maybe next-- -Thank you. It gave a slightly denser picture than an x-ray for twice the money. -Hey. -Hey, baby. -What happened? -No, nothing. Look, I can't get Christopher today. Oh, no, you don't, Chris. I'm back on at 7. I know. I have got to go to Oakland. So I gotta get Christopher home, feed him, bathe him... ...get him in bed, and be back here by 7? -Yes. -And we got the tax-bill notice today. -What are you gonna do about that? -Look, this is what we gotta do. You see that car? The one with the pretty yellow shoe on it? That's mine. There's no parking near hospitals. That's what happens when you're always in a rush. Thanks anyway. Very much. -Maybe next quarter. -It's possible. I needed to sell at least two scanners a month for rent and daycare. I'd have to sell one more... ...to pay off all of those tickets under my windshield wiper. The problem is... ...I haven't sold any for a while. Since when do you not like macaroni and cheese? Since birth? -What's that? -What? -What is this? -It's a gift for Christopher. -From who? -Cynthia from work. It's for adults. Chris can't use it. She didn't know. What are you supposed to do with it? Make every side the same color. Did you pay the taxes? No, I'm gonna have to file an extension. -You already filed an extension. -Yeah, well, I gotta file another one. That's-- It's $650. I'll have it in the next month. That means interest, right? -And a penalty? -Yeah, a little bit. Look, why don't you let me do this? All right, just relax. Okay? -Come here. Calm down. -I have to go back to work. Let's get ready for bed. Hey, put your plate in the sink. A few days ago I was presented with a report I'd asked for... ...a comprehensive audit, if you will, of our economic condition. You won't like it. I didn't like it. But we have to face the truth... ...and then go to work to turn things around. And make no mistake about it, we can turn them around. The federal budget is out of control. And we face runaway deficits of almost $80 billion... ...for this budget year that ends September 30th. That deficit is larger than the entire federal budget in 1 957. And so is the almost $80 billion... ... we will pay in interest this year on the national debt. Twenty years ago, in 1 960... ...our federal government payroll was less than $ 1 3 billion. Today it is 75 billion. During these 20 years, our population has only increased by 23. 3 percent.... Man, I got two questions for you: What do you do? And how do you do it? -I'm a stockbroker. -Stockbroker. Oh, goodness. Had to go to college to be a stockbroker, huh? You don't have to. Have to be good with numbers and good with people. -That's it. -Hey, you take care. I'll let you hang on to my car for the weekend. -But I need it back for Monday. -Feed the meter. I still remember that moment. They all looked so damn happy to me. Why couldn't I look like that? I'm gonna try to get home by 6. I'm gonna stop by a brokerage firm after work. -For what? -I wanna see about a job there. Yeah? What job? You know, when l-- When I was a kid, I could go through a math book in a week. So I'm gonna go see about what job they got down there. What job? Stockbroker. -Stockbroker? -Yeah. Not an astronaut? Don't talk to me like that, Linda. I'm gonna go down and see about this, and I'm gonna do it during the day. You should probably do your sales calls. I don't need you to tell me about my sales calls, Linda. I got three of them before the damn office is even open. Do you remember that rent is due next week? Probably not. We're already two months behind. Next week we'll owe three months. I've been pulling double shifts for four months now, Chris. Just sell what's in your contract. Get us out of that business. Linda, that is what I am trying to do. This is what I'm trying to do for my family... ...for you and for Christopher. What's the matter with you? Linda. Linda. This part of my life is called "Being Stupid. " Can I ask you a favor, miss? Do you mind if I leave this here with you just for five minutes? I have a meeting in there and I don't wanna carry that... ...Iooking smalltime. Here is a dollar and I'll give you more money when I come back out. Okay? It's not valuable. You can't sell it anywhere. I can't even sell it, and it's my job. All right? -Chris? Tim Brophy, Resources. -Yes. How are you? -Come with me. -Yes, sir. Let me see if I can find you an application for our internship. I'm afraid that's all we can do for you. See, this is a satellite office. Jay Twistle in the main office, he oversees Witter Resources. I mean, I'm-- You know, I'm just this office. As you can see, we got a hell of lot of applications here, so.... Normally I have a resume sheet, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. -We.... -Thank you very much. I need to go. I'll bring this back. -Thank you. -Okay. Trusting a hippie girl with my scanner. Why did I do that? Excuse me. Excuse me. Like I said, this part of my life is called "Being Stupid. " Hey!. Hey!. Hey!. Don't move!. Don't move!. Stay--!. Stop!. Stop!. Don't move!. Stop this--!. Stop the train! Stop! Stop! The program took just 20 people every six months. One got the job. There were three blank lines after "high school" to list more education. I didn't need that many lines. T ry and sleep. It's late. It's a puzzle measuring just 3 inches by 3 inches on each side... ...made up of multiple colors that you twist and turn... ...and try to get to a solid color on each side. This little cube is the gift sensation of 1 98 1. Don't expect to solve it easily. Although we did encounter one math professor at USF... ... who took just 30 minutes on his. This is as far as I've gotten on mine. As you can see, I still have a long way to go. This is Jim Finnerty reporting for KJSF in Richmond. Hey, wake up. Eat. -Bye, Mom. -Bye, baby. -Come back without that, please. -Oh, yeah, I'm going to. So go ahead, say goodbye to it, because I'm coming back without it. Goodbye and good riddance. You ain't had to add the "good riddance" part. Bye, Mom. Bye. It's written as P-P-Y, but it's supposed to be an I in "happiness." -ls it an adjective? -No, actually it's a noun. But it's not spelled right. -ls "fuck" spelled right? -Yeah, that's spelled right. But that's not part of the motto, so you're not supposed to learn that. That's an adult word to show anger and other things. -But just don't use that one, okay? -Okay. What's that say on the back of your bag? My nickname. We pick nicknames. -Oh, yeah? What's it say? -"Hot Rod." -Did you have a nickname? -Yep. -What? -"Ten-Gallon Head." -What's that? -I grew up in Louisiana, near Texas. Everybody wears cowboy hats. And a ten-gallon's a big hat. I was smart back then, so they called me Ten-Gallon Head. -Hoss wears that hat. -Hoss? Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza. -How do you know Bonanza? -We watch it at Mrs. Chu's. -You watch Bonanza at daycare? -Yeah. When? When do you watch it? -After snack? After your nap? -After Love Boat. I made my list for my birthday. -Yeah, what'd you put on there? -A basketball or an ant farm. -He says he's been watching TV. -Oh, little TV for history. -Love Boat? -For history. Navy. That's not the Navy. I mean, he could watch television at home. We're paying you $1 50 a month. If he's gonna be sitting around... ...watching TV all day, we're taking him out of here. Go pay more at other daycare if you don't like Navy TV. You late pay anyway. You complain. I complain. Can you at least put the dog upstairs in your room or something? Bye. I was waiting for Witter Resource head Jay Twistle... ...whose name sounded so delightful, like he'd give me a job and a hug. I just had to show him I was good with numbers and good with people. -Morning, Mr. Twistle. -Good morning. -Mr. Twistle, Chris Gardner. -Hi. I wanted to drop this off personally and make your acquaintance. I thought I'd catch you on the way in. I'd love the opportunity to discuss... ...what may seem like weaknesses on my application. We'll start with this, and we'll call you if we wanna sit down. -Yes, sir. You have a great day. -You too. Hey, yeah, how you doing? This is Chris Gardner calling for Dr. Delsey. Yeah, I'm running a little late for a sales call. I was wondering if-- Yeah, Osteo National. Right. We can still--? Half an hour? Yes. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you, thank you. Hey! Hey! Hey! This part of my life... -Wait! -...this part here... ...it's called "Running. " Hey! Hey! Wait! Hey! Wait! That was my stolen machine. Unless she was with a guy who sold them too. Which was unlikely... ...because I was the only one selling them in the Bay Area. I spent our entire life savings on these things. It was such a revolutionary machine. -Can you feel it, baby? -Oh, yeah. You got me doing all the work. What I didn't know is that doctors and hospitals... ...would consider them unnecessary luxuries. I even asked the landlord to take a picture. So if I lost one, it was like losing a month's groceries. Hey, hey! Wait! Wait! Hey, get back here! Hey, man, l-- -Who's he? -He's that guy.... -Did you forget? -Forget what? You're not supposed to have any of those. -Yeah, I know. -You have two now. Hey. Hey, Mom. One, two, three! -That's a basketball! -Hey, hey. What do you mean? You don't know that that's a basketball. This could be an ant farm. This could be a microscope or anything. -No, it's not. -There, there. All right, come on. Open him up. Open him up. -That paper's a little heavy, huh? -Yeah, but I got it. You should've seen me out there today. Somebody stole a scanner. I had to run the old girl down-- Whatever. -What? -Whatever, Chris. What the hell you got attitude about? -"Whatever" what? -Every day's got some damn story. Hey, Roy. Roy! Can you beat your little rug when nobody's out here? There's dust and shit all over. -I'm trying to keep a clean house. -Hey, wait a second. Look, Linda, relax. We're gonna come out of this. Everything is gonna be fine, all right? You said that before, when I got pregnant. "lt'll be fine." -So you don't trust me now? -Whatever. I don't care. -Taxi! -Mr. Twistle. -Yeah, hi. -Hi. Chris Gardner. Yeah, hi. Listen. What can I do for you? I submitted an application for the intern program about a month ago... ...and I would just love to sit with you briefly-- Listen, I'm going to Noe Valley, Chris. -Take care of yourself. -Mr. Twistle. Actually, I'm on my way to Noe Valley also. How about we share a ride? -All right, get in. -All right. So when I was in the Navy, I worked for a doctor... ...who loved to play golf, hours every day... ...and I would actually perform medical procedures... ...when he'd leave me in the office. So I'm used to being in a position where I have to make decisions and.... Mr. Twistle, listen. This is a very important-- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This thing's impossible. -I can do it. -No, you can't. No one can. -That's bullshit. -No, I'm pretty sure I can do it. -No, you can't. -Let me see it. Give it here. Oh, yeah. Oh, wow, you really messed it up. Sorry. It looks like it works around a swivel, so the center pieces never move. So if it's yellow in the center, that's the yellow side. If it's red in the center, that's the red side. -Okay. -So.... You can slow down. Listen, we can drive around all day. I don't believe you can do this. -Yeah, I can. -No, you can't. -Yes, I can. -No, you can't. I'm telling you, no one can. See? That's all I ever do. You almost have this side. Holy cow. -You almost had that one. -I'm gonna get it. Look at that. You're almost there. -1 7.1 0. -This is me. Good job. -Goodbye. -Yeah. I'll see you soon. Where are you going, sir? Excuse me, sir. Where are you going, please? Two-- A couple of blocks. -Just flip around. -Okay. Hey! Stop it! Hey! -Where are you going? Come here! -No! -No, no, no! -You asshole, give me my money! -Give me my money. -Please stop. -Please, please, please! -Son of a bitch. Please! He should've paid you! -Come here! -I'm sorry. -I'm so sorry. -I'll kick your ass! -I'm sorry! -ldiot. I'll get you! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you! Hey! Stop it, you son of a bitch! Stop him! Stop him! The doors are closing. Please stand clear of the doors. No! No! No! No! -Hello? -Hey, yeah. Sorry I couldn't make it home on time. -Chris, I missed my shift. -Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that. Look, I'm on my way right now. Are you all right with Christopher? I'm leaving. Chris, I'm leaving. -What? -Did you hear what I said? I have my things together, and I'm taking our son... ...and we're gonna leave now. I'm gonna put the phone down. -Linda, wait a minute. Hold it, hold-- -I'm going to leave. We are leaving. It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson... ...the Declaration of Independence... ...and the part about our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking: How did he know to put the "pursuit" part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue. And maybe we can actually never have it... ...no matter what. How did he know that? Linda. Linda. -Hello? -Chris. -Who is this? -Jay Twistle. -Hey. -Dean Witter. Yeah, of course. How are you? I'm fine. Listen, do you still wanna come in and talk? Yes, sir. Absolutely. I'll tell you what. Come on by day after tomorrow, in the morning. We're interviewing for the internships. You got a pen and paper? Yes. Yes, I do. -Hold on one second. -All right. Hello? -Chris? -Go ahead. I have one. Write this number down so you can call my secretary, Janice. -She can give you all the specifics. -Yep. -Okay, 41 5. -41 5. -864. -864. -0256. -0256. -Yeah, extension 4796. -4796. -Right. Call her tomorrow. -Yes, sir. 41 5-864-0256. -Okay, buddy. -All right, yes. -Thank you very much. -We'll see you soon. -Chris. -Hey. Did you--? Have you seen Linda and Christopher? -No. You catch the game last night? -No, no. You didn't see that, 1 1 8, 1 --? Excuse me, did Linda and Christopher come in here? -No, I haven't see them. -1 1 9-1 20. Double overtime. Moons hits a three-pointer at 1 7 seconds left. Wayne, Wayne, Wayne. Can't talk to you about numbers right now. -What's your problem with numbers? -864-2.... -And you owe me money. -Yeah. You owe me $1 4. I'm gonna get that to you. I need my money. I need my money. Fourteen's a number. Hey, don't you ever take my son away from me again. -You hear me? -Leave me alone! Don't take my son away from me again. Do you understand what I'm saying to you? Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you. Do you hear me? -Do you wanna leave? -Yeah. -You wanna leave? -Yes, I want to leave! Get the hell out of here, then, Linda. Get the hell out of here. Christopher's staying with me. You're the one that dragged us down. You hear me? -You are so weak. -No. I am not happy anymore. -I'm just not happy! -Then go get happy, Linda! Just go get happy. But Christopher's living with me. -Stop! -Did you hear what I said? Christopher's living with me! Hey. Come on, let's go. -How you doing, Mrs. Chu? -Hi. -Where's Mom? -Look, just get your stuff. But she told me she was coming to pick me up today. Yeah, I know. I talked to Mom earlier. Everything's fine, okay? Where do I sleep tonight? Let me ask you something. Are you happy? -Yeah. -All right. Because I'm happy. And if you're happy and I'm happy, then that's a good thing, right? -Yeah. -All right. You're sleeping with me. You're staying at home, where you belong, all right? Christopher. Hey, listen. I need the rent. I can't wait anymore. Yeah, I'm good for that, Charlie. I'm gonna get it. Why don't you go two blocks over at the Mission lnn motel? It's half what you pay here. Listen, Chris. I need you out of here in the morning. The hell am I supposed to be out of here tomorrow? I got painters coming in. -All right, look. I need more time. -No. All right, I'll paint it myself. All right, but I just-- I gotta have some more time-- I got my son up in here. All right. One week. And you paint it. Chris Gardner? Yeah. What happened? -Payable to the City of San Francisco. -Does it have to be the full amount? You gotta pay each parking ticket, otherwise, you're staying. This is all I got. You verify at 9:30 tomorrow morning. -What? -You gotta stay until this thing clears. No. No, I can't spend the night here. -I have to pick up my son. -You verify at 9:30 tomorrow. Sir, I have a job interview at Dean Witter at 1 0:1 5 tomorrow morning. -I cannot stay-- -9:30 tomorrow morning. What am I supposed to do with my son? -ls there anyone else who can--? -I take care of him. Maybe we can go and have Social Services pick him up. All right. Can I have my phone call, please? -Hello. -Hey. What do you want? You gotta get Christopher from daycare. I can't. Just keep him for the night and I'm-- And-- Just one night. What happened? I'll pick him up from daycare tomorrow. I'm gonna go right-- You can just-- You can drop him off and I'll pick him up. -No. -Come on, Linda. -Why you doing that? -No, I wanna take him to the park. To Golden Gate after daycare tomorrow. -How is he? -He's fine. All right, just-- All right, take him to the park... ...and bring him back, all right? All right, just bring me my son back. Okay? Linda? I'll bring him back around 6. All right, all right. Thank you. Bye. I'm okay? Excuse me. Excuse me. Yes, I did. Mr. Gardner. This way. It'll be right this way. What is the word on that one? Chris Gardner. Chris Gardner. How are you? Good morning. Chris Gardner. Chris Gardner. Good to see you again. Chris Gardner. Pleasure. I've been sitting there for the last half-hour... ...trying to come up with a story... ...that would explain my being here dressed like this. And I wanted to come up with a story that would demonstrate qualities... ...that I'm sure you all admire here, like earnestness or diligence. And I couldn't think of anything. So the truth is... ...I was arrested for failure to pay parking tickets. Parking tickets? And I ran all the way here from the Polk Station, the police station. What were you doing before you were arrested? I was painting my apartment. Is it dry now? I hope so. Jay says you're pretty determined. He's been waiting outside the front of the building... ...with some 40-pound gizmo for over a month. -He said you're smart. -Well, I like to think so. -And you want to learn this business? -Yes, sir, I wanna learn. Have you already started learning on your own? Absolutely. -Jay? -Yes, sir. How many times have you seen Chris? I don't know. One too many, apparently. -Was he ever dressed like this? -No. No. Jacket and tie. First in your class in school? -High school? -Yes, sir. -How many in the class? -Twelve. It was a small town. -I'll say. -But I was also first in my radar class... ...in the Navy, and that was a class of 20. Can I say something? I'm the type of person... ...if you ask me a question, and I don't know the answer... ...I'm gonna tell you that I don't know. But I bet you what. I know how to find the answer, and I will find the answer. Is that fair enough? Chris. What would you say if a guy walked in for an interview... ...without a shirt on... ...and I hired him? What would you say? He must've had on some really nice pants. Chris, I don't know how you did it dressed as a garbage man... -...but you pulled it off. -Thank you, Mr. Twistle. Hey, now you can call me Jay. We'll talk to you soon. All right, so I'll let you know, Jay. "You'll let me know, Jay"? What do you mean? Yeah, I'll give you a call tomorrow sometime-- What are you talking--? You hounded me for this. -You stood here-- -Listen, there's no salary. -No. -I was not aware of that. My circumstances have changed some... -...and I need to be certain that I'll be-- -All right. Okay. Tonight. I swear I will fill your spot. I promise. If you back out, you know what I'll look like to the partners? Yes, an ass-- A-hole. Yeah, an ass A-hole, all the way. You are a piece of work. Tonight. There was no salary. Not even a reasonable promise of a job. One intern was hired at the end of the program from a pool of 20. And if you weren't that guy... ...you couldn't even apply the six months' training... ... to another brokerage. The only resource I would have for six months... ... would be my six scanners, which I could still try to sell. If I sold them all, maybe we might get by. -I got him. I got him. -He's asleep. All right. Okay, baby. I got it. I'm going to New York. My sister's boyfriend... ...opened a restaurant, and they may have a job for me there. So I'm going to New York, Chris. Christopher's staying with me. I'm his mom, you know? He should be with his mom. I should have him, right? You know you can't take care of him. What are you gonna do for money? I had an interview at Dean Witter for an internship... ...and I got it. So I'm gonna stand out in my program. Salesman to intern's backwards. No, it's not. I gotta go. Tell him I love him, okay? And.... I know you'll take care of him, Chris. I know that. -Dean Witter. -Yes, hi. Yes, I'd like to leave a message for Mr. Jay Twistle. -Your name? -Yeah, my name is Chris Gardner. The message is: Thank you very much for inviting me into the program. I really appreciate it and I'd be very pleased to accept your invitation. Is that all? Yes, that's it. -Okay. -Thank you. Bye. -Be careful with that. -What? Be care-- Go ahead. -Are we there? -Yep. -Hey, you know what today is? -Yeah. -What? -Saturday. -You know what Saturday is, right? -Yeah. -What? -Basketball. -You wanna go play some basketball? -Okay. All right, then we're gonna go sell a bone-density scanner. -How about that? Wanna do that? -No. Hey, Dad. I'm going pro. I'm going pro. Okay. Yeah, I don't know, you know. You'll probably be about as good as I was. That's kind of the way it works, you know. I was below average. You know, so you'll probably ultimately rank... ...somewhere around there, you know, so... ...I really-- You'll excel at a lot of things, just not this. I don't want you shooting this ball all day and night. -All right? -All right. Okay. All right, go ahead. Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... ...you can't do something. Not even me. -All right? -All right. You got a dream... ...you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves... ...they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period. Let's go. Dad, why did we move to a motel? I told you. Because I'm getting a better job. -You gotta trust me, all right? -I trust you. All right, here. Come on, come on. Keep up. Dad, when's Mom coming back? Dad, when's Mom coming back? I don't know, Christopher. Dad, listen to this. One day, a man was drowning in the water. And a boat came by and said, "Do you need any help?" He said, "No, thank you. God will save me." Then another boat came by. Said, "Do you need any help?" And he said, "No, thank you. God will save me." Then he drowned, and he went to heaven. And he said, "God, why didn't you save me?" And God said, "l sent you two big boats, you dummy." Do you like it? Yeah, that's very funny, man. Give me your hand. -Thank you very much, sir. -Yes, sir. -You got the bill of sale here. -Yes. All the information you'll need. Thank you very much for your business. Thank you. One hundred, 200, ...7, 8, 9, 1 0. Thank you. -Hey, you want one of those? -No, it's okay. Come on, you can have one. Which one? -You like that one? How much? -Twenty-five cents. This part of my life is called "Internship. " The 1 200 building is Medley lndustrial and Sanko Oil. The building across the street is Lee-Ray Shipping. In a couple weeks, you'll get call sheets... ...with the phone numbers of employees... ...from every Fortune 500 company in the financial district. You will be pooling from 60 Fortune companies. You will mainly be cold-calling potential clients. But if you have to have lunch with them, have breakfast with them... ...even baby-sit for them, do whatever it takes to familiarize them... ...with our packages. We need you to match their needs and goals... ...to one of our many financial plans. In essence, you reel them in... ...we'll cook the fish. Some of you are here because you know somebody. Some of you are here because you think you're somebody. There's one guy in here who's gonna be somebody. That person's gonna be the guy... ...who can turn this into this. Eight hundred thousand in commission dollars. You, you, help me hand these out. This is going to be your bible. You'll eat with it. -You'll drink with it. -It was simple. X number of calls equals X number of prospects. X number of prospects equals X number of customers. X number of customers equals X number of dollars... -...in the company's pocket. -Your board exam. Last year, we had an intern score a 96.4 percent on the written exam. He wasn't chosen. It's not a simple pass/fail. It's an evaluation tool we use to separate applicants. Be safe, score a hundred. Okay, let's take a break. Be back in 1 0. -Hey, Mr. Frohm. Chris. -Hi. -Chris, how are you? -I'm good. How you doing? -Fine, thank you for asking. -First day in there. It was exciting. You're not quitting on us yet, are you? No, sir. Ten-minute break. Pop out, get a quick bite and then back in there for board prep. Oh, man, I remember mine. And ours were only an hour, not three like yours. We didn't do world markets, didn't bother with taxes... ...and it was still a pain in the ass. Funny what you remember. There was a beautiful girl in that class. I can't remember her name, but her face was so-- I've seen an old friend of mine. Do you mind? -No, go ahead. -Good talking to you, sir. Hey, asshole. Are you all right, asshole? Are you okay? What were you thinking? What are you doing? I could've killed you. I'm trying to cross the street. -Well, you're all right? -Yeah, yeah. -Where's my shoe? -What? -You knocked off my shoe! -I don't know where your shoe is. -Where's my damn shoe? -I don't know. Hey. -Did you see it? I lost my shoe. -No, I'm sorry. Hey. Hey, where are you going? -We should wait for the police. -I gotta go to work. Hey, you just got hit by a car. Go to the hospital. I'm in a competitive internship at Dean Witter. Hey, man, you're missing a shoe. Oh, yeah, thanks. Thank you. Dad. -You don't have a shoe. -Yeah, I know. -Wanna know what happened? -Yeah. I got hit by a car. -You got hit by a car? -Yep. -Where? -Just right by the office. -No, where in your body? -Like, the back of my legs. -Hey, goodbye, Mrs. Chu. -Goodbye. -Where you on the street? - Yeah, I was running in the street. Don't do that. You can get hurt. Yeah, thanks. I'll remember that next time. And here I was again. -Show up early. -While qualified persons... ...qualified persons are interested in investing and have money to invest. -Now, Chris. -Yes, sir. Would you get me some coffee, please? Favors for Frakesh, our office manager. All day. My name is Chris Gardner calling for Mr. Michael Anderson. Yes, sir, we're having a lunch actually this Thursday. Okay, next time. All right, I'm gonna hold you to that. Okay, yes, thank you. Who wants to get me a doughnut? -Chris? -Yes, sir. Feeling underrated and unappreciated. Hello, Mr. Ronald Fryer. Good morning to you, sir. My name is Chris Gardner. I'm calling from Dean Witter. Yes, I have some very, very valuable information on what's called a tax-- Okay, thank you, sir. Then catch the bus by 4 to the place where they can't spell "happiness. " Then the cross-town. The 22 home. -Hey, Chris! -Hey. Hi, Ralph. -I'm waiting. -All right, I got that for you, Ralph. I'm gonna get that for you. Whoever brought in the most money after six months was usually hired. Hello, Chris Gardner calling for Mr. Walter Hobb. We were all working our way up call sheets to sign clients. -From the bottom to the top. -Yes, sir. -From the doorman to the CEO. -Okay. They'd stay till 7, but I had Christopher. I had to do in six hours what they do in nine. Good afternoon, my name is Chris Gardner. I'm calling from Dean Witter. In order not to waste any time... ...I wasn't hanging up the phone in between calls. Okay, thank you very much. I realized that by not hanging up the phone... ...I gained another eight minutes a day. Why, good morning to you, my name is Chris Gardner. -I'm calling from Dean Witter. -I wasn't drinking water... ...so I didn't' waste any time in the bathroom. Yes, I'd love to have the opportunity-- Okay, no problem at all, sir. Thank you very much. But even doing all this... ...after two months, I still didn't have time to work my way up a sheet. We're feeling really confident about that one as well. Walter Ribbon's office. Yes, hello, my name is Chris Gardner. I'm calling for Mr. Walter Ribbon. -Concerning? -Yes, ma'am. I'm calling from Dean Witter. Just a moment. -Hello? -Mr. Ribbon. Hello, sir. My name's Chris Gardner. I'm calling from Dean Witter. -Yeah, Chris. -Yes, Mr. Ribbon... ...I would love to have the opportunity to discuss some of our products. I'm certain that I could be of some assistance to you. Can you be here in 20 minutes? -Twenty minutes. Absolutely. -Just had someone cancel. I can give you a few minutes before the 49ers. -Monday Night Football, buddy. -Yes, sir. Thank you very much. -See you soon. -Bye-bye. Excuse me. Thank you. -Chris, what's up? -Hey, Mr. Frakesh. Hey, do you have five minutes? I got a green light from Walter Ribbon-- I'm supposed to present commodities to Bromer. Could you move my car? That'd really help me out. It's on Samson, half block, silver Caprice. Just move it to the other side. They're street sweeping. There's spaces. Hang on to these. I have backups in my desk. And you have to jimmy that. -Jimmy what? -You have to jimmy the key. And the other doors don't unlock. You have to jimmy it. Come on, I'm jimmying it. Oh, no! Come on. -Here's the file, Mr. Ribbon. -Thank you. -Thanks a lot. -Oh, yeah, thanks. Great idea. No, no, no! Rachel, get Ristuccia on the phone for me, please. -Hi. -Hi. I'm Chris Gardner. I have an appointment with Mr. Ribbon. Oh, you just missed him. Thank you. -What's that? -Just filling out a check... ...paying some bills... ...and a parking ticket. We don't have a car anymore. Yep, I know. I'm gonna need to take you with me this weekend. A couple of doctors' offices. -On sales calls, okay? -Okay. Then, possibly, we'll go to the football game. -Really? -Possibly. -All right? -All right. Come on, finish up. -Are you sure? -Possibly. Really? -Are you bringing it to the game? -Yeah, I don't wanna leave it. And maybe we're going to the game. -Where are we going now? -To see someone about my job. I don't understand. -You don't understand what? -Are we going to the game? I said possibly we're going to the game. -You know what "possibly" means? -Like probably. No, "probably" means there's a good chance that we're going. "Possibly" means we might, we might not. -What does "probably" mean? -lt means we have a good chance. And what does "possibly" mean? -I know what it means. -What does it mean? It means that we're not going to the game. -How did you get so smart? -Because you're smart. -Are we there? -Yeah. -Mr. Ribbon. -Yes? How are you, sir? Chris Gardner. Dean Witter. -Oh, hi. Hi. -This is my son, Christopher. -Hi. -Hey, Christopher. -What are you doing up here? -I came to apologize... -...for missing our appointment. -You didn't need to come up. We were in the neighborhood visiting a very close friend... ...and I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for your time. -I know you probably waited for me. -Little bit. I want you to know that I do not take that for granted. Oh, come on. What's that? Oh, it's an Osteo National bone-density scanner. A company I bought into prior to going to work at Witter. -I have a meeting after the game. -You're going to the game? -Yeah. -Possibly. -Possibly. -We're going too. I'm taking my son, Tim. My 1 2-year-old. We were just leaving. Tim! Listen, we'll get out of your way. Again, thank you very much, and I'm sorry about the other day. And I hope that we can reschedule for later. -You got it. -Thank you very much. You take care. Here, come on. -Say bye-bye, Chris. -Bye. Bye, Christopher. Hey, you guys wanna come with us? -What--? To Candlestick? -We're going now. Come with us. -Where are your seats? -We've-- We're upper deck. We got a box. Come on. -You wanna sit in the box? -No. It's not actually a box. It's, you know, a private section. It's more comfortable. You wanna go? -Okay. -Okay, kids in the back. Hey, why don't you just put that in your car? -Yeah, okay. Sure, sure. -We don't have a car. -Oh, my-- -What happened? I think I got stung by a bee. -You all right? -Oh, yeah. Goodness. I'm fine. -You're not allergic or anything? -No, no, no. -Where'd he get you? -Just right at the back of my head. -Are you okay? -Yeah, I'm fine, Christopher. -Does it hurt? -Christopher, I'm fine. -Let me see. -Christopher, sit back. Sit back. Thomas Jefferson mentions happiness a couple times... ...in the Declaration of Independence. May seem like a strange word to be in that document... ...but he was sort of.... He was an artist. He called the English "the disturbers of our harmony. " And I remember standing there that day... ... thinking about the disturbers of mine. Questions I had: Whether all this was good. Whether I'd make it. And Walter Ribbon and his Pacific Bell pension money... ... which was millions. Yeah! It was a way to another place. Wow, this is.... This is the way to watch a football game here. -Thank you very much for this, really. -Hey, it's my pleasure, Chris. And, Mr. Ribbon, I also wanna thank you for giving me the opportunity... ...to discuss the asset management capabilities of Dean Witter... ...which we believe to be far superior... ...to anything you got going over at Morgan Stanley. Really, I think you're gonna be blown away. Point blank, Dean Witter needs to be managing your retirement portfolio. You know, I didn't have any notion that you were new there. I like you, but there's not a chance I'm gonna let you direct our fund. That's just not gonna happen anytime soon, buddy. So, you know, come on, relax. Let's play the game. Go, go, go! Yes! Yes! Yeah! -Here you go. -All right. I've had a few ideas already, absolutely. -Chris, I'll talk to you later. -I'm gonna give you a call. Nice to meet you, Chris. Give me a call. Yes, absolutely. Thank you. -Bye. -Bye, Christopher. After four months, we had sold all our scanners. It seemed we were making it. What's the... -...fastest animal in the world? -Jackrabbit. It seemed we were doing good. Till one day... ...that day... ...that letter brought me back to earth. This part of my life is called "Paying Taxes. " If you didn't pay them... ... the government could stick their hands into your bank account... ...and take your money. Dad. No warning. Nothing. It can't be too late. That's my money. How is somebody just gonna just take my money? I was-- I was-- Listen, l-- That's all the money that I have. You cannot go into my bank acc-- No-- It was the 25th of September. I remember that day. Because that's the day that I found out... ...there was only 21 dollars and 33 cents left in my bank account. I was broke. -Dressed yet? -No. Chris! Chris! Don't jerk me around, okay, Chris? I'm not jerking you around, Ralph, all right? I'm gonna get it. -I need that money now, not later. -When I get it, you get it, Ralph. Now! Hey, what's happening, man? Wayne, I need to get that $1 4 from you. I thought I didn't owe you that now. -What? Why? -Why what? Why would you think you don't owe me my money? I helped you move. You drove me two blocks, Wayne. That's 200 yards. It's been four months, Wayne. I need my money. I need my money. I need my money right now. -I don't have it, man. I'm sorry. -Go get my money. -Wayne, get my mo-- -I really don't, man. It's $1 4. It's my $1 4! Go get my money! -All of this for $1 4. -Get my money, Wayne. Dad, look at me! Dad. -Should I go? -Sure, man. Why not? -Stay here. -Dad, look. -No, no. Stay right here. -Dad. Did you hear what I said? Did you hear me? -Dad, where you going? -Hey, what did I say? Dad! Dad, wait! Dad! -Dad. -I gotta-- I gotta get back to the '60s, man. That's what I wanna do. When I was younger. I wanna see Jimi Hendrix do that guitar on fire. Bring back my time machine! Bring my time machine back! -Dad, where are we going? -Just be quiet. Go get your things. Go. -Chris? -Yes. Dr. Telm can't get back to meet you. I'm sorry. Where are we going now? Gotta-- We gotta see somebody else. I'm tired. I know. Doesn't seem to be functioning right now. -I have to go now, Chris. -No, no, no. Just give me a second. I'm sure I'm gonna be able to figure it out. Chris. Chris, just come back when it's working. -No, no. I have to fix it now. -No. Look, I'll still be putting money in the office, then, all right? I really have to go, Chris. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it. I'll see you soon. Why are our things here? Dad. -Let's go. Come on. -Where? -Just out of here. -Why? -We can't stay here tonight. -Yes, we can. Open the door! -Did you hear what I said? Let's go. -Open the door! Hey, did you hear what I said? Stop it. Stop it. Come on. Come on. Wayne! Wayne! Wayne! Get up. Stand up. Come on. Where are we going? -Dad, where are we going? -I don't know. It's not a time machine. Dad. It's not a time machine. The guy said it was a time machine. It's not a time machine. He was wrong. -What guy? -The guy. He was at the park. He said it was a time machine. Yes, it is. No, it's not. -lt is. -No, it's not. All we gotta do is push this black button right here. Wanna push it? Okay. Come on. Come on, man. Right here. Wait a minute. Where you wanna go? I don't know. Some place from before. You gotta close your eyes. You close your eyes. I wanna see. All right, come on. We'll push it together. You gotta close your eyes. Close your eyes. It takes a few seconds. Oh, my goodness. Open, open, open! -What is it? -Dinosaurs. -Where? -You don't see all these dinosaurs? Look around. Look at all these dinosaurs. -Can you see them? -Yeah. Wait. Come on, come on. -Wait, watch out. -What is it? Don't step in the fire. We're cavemen. We need this fire, because there's no electricity... ...and it's cold out here, okay? -Watch out! -Whoa! Oh, my good-- A T. rex. Get your stuff. Get your stuff. Get it. -We gotta find someplace safe. -Like what? We need a cave. A cave? -We gotta find a cave. Come on. -Okay. Come on, come on. Watch your back! Look out. Here it is. Here's a cave. Come on. Right here, right here. Go, go, go. Go ahead. Get in. Hurry, hurry, hurry. -Are we safe? -Yeah, I think so. Hey. -How you doing, Jay? -I'm doing good. How are you getting along? -Good. I'm good. -You doing good? -How you doing? -I'm doing great. Where you going? I-- Sacramento. Because I'm trying to move a couple guys from-- They're at PacBell, and I'm trying to bring them over-- Get them over to us. So they got me going out there golfing. Awesome. Hey, let them win a round. Deborah, someone's asking for you. -Where? -He's outside. Please come with me. Hi. -Can I ask you a question? -Sure. We need a room. Just until I can fix this and sell it. -There's just some glass work. -Let me stop you right there. -I wish I could help you-- -This is my son, Christopher. -He's 5 years old. -Hi, baby. -We need some place to stay. -Okay, and I would love to help you... ...but we don't take men here. It's only women and children. He can stay here, but you have to find someplace else to go. We gotta stay together. We got-- We're-- -Okay, listen. -You gotta have some place-- Try Glide Memorial. The building books up at 5. So you hurry up. There's a line. -And where is it? Come on. -Ellis and Jones. Hey, everybody. We have four spots left, and that's all. -Man. -Hey, come on, man. -Come on. -Come on, what? -Hey, that's my spot. -Back off. Come on, don't do this to me. Don't-- Dad! Stop it! Break it up! Break it up! Stop! Stop! Get out of the line, both of you. Both of you. I was here first. They told me that we had to be on time. I got here on time. I was in line. I came from work, I got my son. I was here on time. We were here on time! He sliced in front of him in line. -Who did? -He did. Come on, come on, Rodney. Come on. Let's go. Get out of line. That's it. No more. -What's your favorite color? -Green. Green? -What do you like that's green? -Trees. Trees. What else? Holly. -Holly. What's holly? -The Christmas stuff. Christmas stuff. What's that? I guess they want us to go to sleep. Here you go. We gotta make sure Captain America's warm in there. Can you breathe? -You're good? -Yeah. -I gotta go work on the scanner-- -Don't go. No, no, no. I'm gonna be right outside the door. All right? I'm just gonna be right there. I'll leave the door open a little bit. And I'll be able to hear you if you call me. I wanna go home. But that's why I gotta work on the scanner. All right? I'm gonna go out there. I'm gonna leave the door open. I'll be right up the stairs. I'll be able to hear you if you call me. -All right? -All right. You gotta trust me, okay? You gotta trust me. I trust you. I trust you. I trust you. -I can't hear you. -I trust you. I trust you. Give me a kiss. -I'll just be a little while, okay? -All right. -I'll be right here. -Okay. -Can you still hear me? -Yeah. -Can you hear me? -Yeah. -Do you trust me? -Yeah. -Yeah. -Like that? -Yeah, put that.... -Then you go like that. -ls that okay? -I don't know. What do you think? Good. Let's go. Get your stuff. -Hey, why don't you leave it? -We can't. We're gonna have a different room later. Go. Hey, Chris. -Hey, good morning, Mr. Frakesh. -What's up? Work trip. Your wife, Martha, works at PacBell also, correct? -Yes, she does. -And you guys are both... ...Iooking to retire at the same time? We'd like to retire and maintain our lifestyle... ...without paying a lot of taxes. So basically, you want nobody's hands in your pockets but your own? Are you familiar with tax-free municipal...? I learned to finish my work quickly. I had to finish quickly. To get in line at Glide by 5. Come on. Come on. Hold that bus! Hold the bus! My Captain America! Dad! Dad! Dad! Stop it! Shut up! Shut up! -Why don't you let the lady in? -Hey, back up. -Hey, man, that's not cool. -Back up! Back up! Come on. Dad, we need to get it! The important thing about that freedom train... ...is it's got to climb mountains. We all have to deal with mountains. You know, mountains that go way up high. And mountains that go deep and low. -Amen, preacher! -Yes. We know what those mountains are, here at Glide. We sing about them. Lord, don't move that mountain Give me strength to climb it Please don't move That stumbling block But lead me, Lord, around it My burdens, they get so heavy Seems hard to bear But I won't give up No, no Because you promised me You'd meet me at the altar of prayer -Lord don't move that mountain -Please don't move that mountain But give me strength to climb it When's your test? T omorrow. Are you ready? Of course. Thank you, sir. -Hey. How you doing? -Hey. So did you finish the whole thing, or you have to go somewhere...? I have to go somewhere. -But I finished the whole thing too. -Oh, good. -You? -Yeah. -How'd you feel about the graphs? -Easy. I struggled with the essay question on the back. What did you write? -Essay question? -Yeah, on the back. Hey, Chris. -Hey. Jeff, right? 49ers game. -Yeah. -Yeah, you were gonna give me a call? -I never actually got your number. Here's my number. Call me, okay? Yes, sir. Absolutely. Thank you very much. Chris, you got five bucks? I left my wallet upstairs. Let me run up and grab that for you, Mr. Frohm. No, I gotta be at CAL Bank at 4, and I'm late. -I'll pay you back, honest. -Five is good? Five is lovely. Thank you. Thank you. That's it. That's the room quota. There's no more space. You gotta head out. That's it for today. Come back tomorrow. All the rooms are full. It's completely full. That's it. Just keep heading out. Come back tomorrow. You like it? Twenty. One, two, three, four. Now, here's your bulb, and there's your ferrite core inductor. -How much? -Eight dollars. -What's that? -It's to repair the light. Can I see it? Yeah, sure. Just don't break it. Unless you wanna sleep in a room with me for the rest of your life. I don't mind. Yeah, you will. Why don't you get some sleep, okay? Okay. -Warm enough? -Yeah. All right. Did Mom leave because of me? -What? -Did Mom leave because of me? Don't-- Don't even think something like that. Mom left because of Mom. And you didn't have anything to do with that, okay? Okay. You're a good papa. All right, go to sleep. -I love you. -I love you too. So far, so good, Chris. -lt works. -Thank you very much. Two hundred and fifty dollars. Four more weeks of oxygen. One hundred, 20, 40, 60, 80, 200. Twenty, 30, 40, 50. -Anything else? -No, sir. Thank you. Thank you. -You ready? -Yep. -Are we going to the church place? -No. Where are we going, then? -Probably stay at a hotel. -A hotel? Just for the night. We can go back to the cave if you like. No, thank you. -Ever? -I hope not. Why not? Well, because some things are fun the first time you do them... ...and then not so much the next. -Like the bus? -Yeah, like the bus. I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, should I? Sometimes when we're moving at night... ...we pass houses with lights and people. Sometimes you can hear them laugh. The next day, after work... ... we just went to the beach. Far away from anything. Everything. Just Christopher and me. -Did you see me? -Yeah. Far away from buses and noise... ...and a constant disappointment in my ten-gallon head... ...and myself. -Chris, thank you very much. -Well, thank you, Dean. -Take care. -You made all the right moves. Thanks, Chris. Because when I was young... ...and I'd get an A on a history test or whatever... ...I'd get this good feeling about all the things that I could be. And then I never became any of them. -Hey, Chris. -Hey. -How you doing, Jay? -I'm doing fine. Rumor has it you signed 31 accounts for us from Pacific Bell. Yeah, yeah. Met some guys at a ball game, got some cards. I've been working. I guess. So one more day. Getting nervous? -No, I'm okay. -Yeah? Listen, whatever happens... ...you've done a fantastic job, Chris. I mean that. Take care of yourself. Yes, Mr. Johnson. Chris Gardner, Dean Witter. Yes, sir. Just calling to thank you very much... ...for your support at last month's seminar. Yes, sir. Absolutely. Yes, sir. No, sir, that's it. Thank you very much. Bye-bye. Chris. Come. -Hi, Chris. -Mr. Frohm, good to see you. -Nice shirt. -Thank you, sir. -Chris. -Hey, Jay. -Chris. -Chris, sit down, please. I thought I'd wear a shirt today. You know, being the last day and all. Well, thank you. Thank you. We appreciate that. But... ...wear one tomorrow though, okay? Because tomorrow's going to be your first day... ...if you'd like to work here as a broker. Would you like that, Chris? Yes, sir. Good. We couldn't be happier. So welcome. -Was it as easy as it looked? -No, sir. No, sir, it wasn't. -Good luck, Chris. -Thank you. Thank you. Oh, Chris. I almost forgot. Thank you. This part of my life... ...this little part... ...is called "Happiness. " Christopher. Christopher. Come here. So how many... ...planets are there? -Seven. -Seven? Nine. Who's the king of the jungle? -Gorilla. -The gorilla? The gorilla? No. Lion. Oh, yeah. Lion, lion, lion. Hey, Dad, listen to this. Knock, knock. -Who's there? -Shelby. Shelby who? Shelby coming around the mountain When she comes -Knock knock. -Who's there? -Nobody. -Nobody who? Nobody who? Now, that's funny. I like that one.

Analyze This (1999) by Peter Tolan and Harold Ramis and Kenneth Lonergan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. July 1998 Draft A comedy about a psychiatrist whose number one-patient is an insecure mob boss. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY Analyze This (1999) movie script (PDF) at sfy.ru also at dailyscript.com (PDF) ANALYZE THIS Screenplay by PETER TOLAN and HAROLD RAMIS and KENNETH LONERGAN Story by KENNETH LONERGAN and PETER TOLAN July 1998 Draft 1 CREDITS BEGIN OVER BLACK. 1 DOMINIC MANETTA a man in his 70s, narrates nostalgically OVER a MONTAGE of related news photos. MANETTA (V.O.) 1957 was a big year. The Russians put that Sputnik into outer space, the Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field, 'that guy' shot Frank Costello in the head, and missed, and the Gallo brothers whacked Albert Anastasia in that barber shop in the Park Sheraton Hotel. It was total chaos. With Anastasia gone, Vito Genovese figures he's king shit, but Carlo Gambino and 'Joe Bananas' both want to be boss of all bosses. So they call a meeting -- a big meeting. 2 EXT. UPSTATE NEW YORK - DAY 2 CREDITS CONTINUE. In FADED 16mm documentary-style, we see a country road winding through rolling hills. At the top of the hill, a black '57 Cadillac appears and sweeps through the peaceful landscape. MANETTA (V.O.) It was the first time the whole commission was ever gonna meet face to face. Bosses and wiseguys were comin' in from all over the country, and all the New York families, too -- maybe sixty bosses, the whole wiseguy world -- all headin' toward this little town upstate to figure out what's what. 3 EXT. ROADSIDE - DAY 3 A sign reads, "Entering Apalachin - pop. 342." The black Cadillac speeds past the sign, then another black Caddy, then a black Lincoln, then another Caddy, a Lincoln, etc. MANETTA (V.O.) Your father and me, we were goin' up with Tommy D., Fat Tommy. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 2. 3 CONTINUED: 3 MANETTA (V.O.CONT'D) He was running the family at the time. Anyway, I don't know what anybody was thinking, but some asshole thought it would be a good idea to have this meeting at Joe Babara's farm in the country where nobody would notice. 4 EXT. RURAL GAS STATION - DAY 4 A local state police deputy is gassing up his motorcycle when the parade of shiny black cars rolls by. He looks up and scratches his head at the unusual sight. MANETTA (V.O.) Turns out the local cops were watching Joe Babara like a hawk. So now you got about fifty Caddies and Lincolns pullin' into Apalachin and some deputy sheriff with cow shit on his shoes notices all the traffic and calls the Feds. 5 EXT. JOE BABARA'S ESTATE - DAY 5 The Caddies and Lincolns are all parked around a rambling country manor. Bosses and wiseguys are meeting and greeting each other on the big front porch. One WISEGUY is trying to shoo a cow away from his car. WISEGUY You wanna be a ribeye? Get away from the fuckin' car. 6 EXT. WOODS - SAME TIME 6 Federal agents start moving in quietly, heavily-armed, wearing big FBI arm bands. MANETTA (V.O.) The meeting never even got started. The Feds moved in -- 7 EXT. HOUSE - DAY 7 Agents with weapons drawn charge the house and start breaking down the front door. 3. 8 EXT. BACK OF HOUSE - SAME TIME 8 MANETTA (V.O.) -- and we moved out. Gangsters in shiny suits are squeezing through windows and leaping off balconies. WIDE - WISEGUYS fleeing into the surrounding woods and fields. MANETTA (V.O.) Your papa and me hid in a field with hay or corn, some kinda foliage, I don't know. 9 EXT. FARM FIELD - DAY 9 Two wiseguys in suits crouch in the tall grass. Suddenly they see a John Deere harvester bearing down on them. MANETTA (V.O.) Then along comes this farmer who almost runs us over in a tractor, so your father hauls out his piece, this .44 cannon he used to carry, and hijacks the goddamn tractor. Funniest fuckin' thing I ever saw. 10 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY 10 The farmer goes flying off the harvester and the two wiseguys drive off on it. The farmer looks up to see the John Deere disappear in a swirling cloud of dust that FILLS the SCREEN. END CREDITS. DISSOLVE TO: 11 SWIRLING CLOUD OF CREAM 11 on top of an espresso. PULL BACK as a hand reaches in and runs a lemon rind along the rim of the cup. The espresso is picked up and sipped by MANETTA, the aging boss of a prominent New York crime family. (CONTINUED) 4. 11 CONTINUED: 11 INT. RITZ CLAM BOX - LATE AFTERNOON (PRESENT) The place is nearly empty. Manetta is talking to PAUL VITTI, a dark, intense, intelligent man in his late forties, and a powerful boss in his own right. MANETTA Anyway, Carlo Gambino came out of it capo de tutti capi, and that was the last time the whole commission tried to meet -- until now. VITTI (brooding) I don't know. I don't like it. What do we need a meeting for? Let everybody worry about their own business. They finish eating. MANETTA The '57 meeting was about how we were going to divide up the whole country. This meeting is about how we're gonna survive. You got 'made' guys informing for the Feds; bosses going to jail; everybody's dealing drugs; people are getting whacked without permission. And on top of everything, now we got the Chinese Triads and these crazy Russians to deal with. Everything's changing. We need a leader. Someone with fresh ideas. Someone like you. It's gonna be a new century, Paul. We gotta change with the times. VITTI What are we gonna get, a fuckin' web site? MANETTA You remember what else happened in 1957, Paul? VITTI Yeah, I remember. MANETTA When your father died, I promised him I'd always look out for you. Come to the meeting. (CONTINUED) 5. 11 CONTINUED: (2) 11 They get up to leave. Vitti drops some money on the table. Bodyguards follow them to the door. The waiters and the owner bow to them as they pass. They are almost out the door when Vitti hesitates. VITTI Wait a second. I'm just gonna grab a toothpick. The instant he steps back inside, Manetta and his bodyguard are struck by an incredible VOLLEY of GUNFIRE, which BLOWS OUT all the GLASS in the DOOR and WINDOWS. Vitti's bodyguard, JELLY, grabs him and throws him behind the counter, shielding him with his body. Outside, the shooting has stopped and curious bystanders are looking in the broken windows. Vitti's eyes well up with tears. CUT TO: 12 KLEENEX 12 being pulled out of a box. CAROLINE, a woman in her early thirties, dabs at her eyes with the tissue. She's sitting on the couch in -- INT. BEN'S OFFICE - SAME TIME The office is warm, comfortable, and nicely decorated. CAROLINE (weepy) I kept telling him that I needed room to grow and find myself as a person. Not just as a woman but as an independent entity. BEN SOBOL her therapist, seems to be listening intently. CAROLINE I told him I needed to get in touch with my uniqueness, but he couldn't handle that. He said I was driving him away. Do you think I was driving him away, Dr. Sobol? Ben leans forward sympathetically. (CONTINUED) 6. 12 CONTINUED: 12 He's in his mid-forties, has an expressive face and a quick wit, and despite the occasional lapse, he is a gifted and caring psychologist. BEN Things end, Caroline. That's just a part of life. It's how we deal with things ending that's important. CAROLINE I just can't believe it's over between me and Steve. Maybe there's still hope. BEN Well, he did take out a restraining order against you. I have to be honest, that's usually not a good sign. CAROLINE But what should I do? BEN Well, Caroline, I think the first thing you have to do... (voice rising) ... is stop whining about this pathetic loser! You're a tragedy queen! (mocking) 'Steve doesn't respect me. Steve doesn't love me anymore.' Who gives a shit! Get a fucking life! You are, without a doubt, the most boring human being I have ever met! Please, say something interesting before I lapse into a goddamn coma! Caroline looks curiously at Ben, unperturbed. CAROLINE Dr. Sobol? BEN Lost in his fantasy, not really listening. He comes to attention and tries to cover. (CONTINUED) 7. 12 CONTINUED: (2) 12 BEN Yes. Yes. I was just reflecting on your whole -- situation. It's very interesting what you were just saying. I want you to think about it, and I'm going to think about it, so we'll both think about it and we'll continue next week when I get back from my vacation. Caroline bursts into tears again. BEN Or not. CUT TO: 13 INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY 13 Ben rushes upstairs and into his bedroom. His 14-year-old son MICHAEL is in his room putting on a tuxedo. MICHAEL You're late. BEN (changing hurriedly) I know. I couldn't get rid of my last patient. I think she was a tick in a past life. MICHAEL Yeah, what's Caroline's problem? Your boyfriend's gone, he hates your guts, get over it. BEN Michael! What did I tell you? You can't listen to my sessions! It's private stuff. MICHAEL I can't help it. I hear you through the vent in my room. BEN Funny how that happens when you lie on the floor and put your ear up against it. (CONTINUED) 8. 13 CONTINUED: 13 MICHAEL Okay, okay. How's that guy who dreams about shitting trout? BEN (entering, putting on his tux shirt) Fine. He moved up to striped bass. Put on your cummerbund. Boy, have you grown. Did your mother move next door to a nuclear power plant? MICHAEL (struggling with the cummerbund) Why do we have to wear rented clothes to Grandpa's party? This blows. BEN (helping him) We have to dress up because Grandpa can't have a good time unless everyone else is extremely uncomfortable. (looks at Michael and makes a quick decision) Forget the tux. Regular clothes. Ben exits, pulling off the tux shirt. MICHAEL (taking off his tux shirt) Are you ambivalent about Grandpa Isaac? BEN (O.S.) (from his room) Ambivalent? Where do you get that stuff? MICHAEL Mom. BEN (annoyed) She's not supposed to do that, you know. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 9. 13 CONTINUED: (2) 13 BEN (CONT'D) Your mother and I, when we got divorced, we agreed we wouldn't put you in the middle, or use you as a go-between to talk about each other. So just do me a favor and tell your mother to shut her big mouth. (comes back into Michael's room) Did she say anything about me getting married again? I think she could be feeling a little anger about it. MICHAEL Oh, yeah. She really cares. She says you're intimidated by women your own age, and that's why you go for these young babes. BEN (fuming) Okay. Listen, for two seconds, pretend I'm not your father. I'm just some guy, okay? MICHAEL You gonna vent? BEN Yeah. (venting) I hate her! I really hate her! (a beat, then brightly) Okay. Dad again. Let's go. CUT TO: 14 EXT. WAREHOUSE - SAME TIME 14 Paul Vitti gets out of his car and walks to the warehouse with his most trusted soldier, Jelly, a hulking bruiser, and his sidekick JIMMY, a tightly-wound ferret with chips on both shoulders. VITTI So what did you find out? (CONTINUED) 10. 14 CONTINUED: 14 JELLY (as they walk) The word is Primo Sindone must have ordered it, but, uh -- He hesitates. VITTI What? Jelly looks at Jimmy. VITTI What? JELLY (reluctantly) A lot of people think you set him up. VITTI Why the fuck would I want to kill Dominic? He was like a father to me. JELLY So you could be the big boss. Everybody figures you're lookin' to wipe out the competition before the big meeting. VITTI Oh, is that what they figure? JELLY It's alright with me if you did -- VITTI I didn't kill him! I told you that! Don't you hear? CUT TO: 14A INT. WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS ACTION 14A They enter a room where other Vitti family soldiers, EDDIE COKES, TUNA, and JOHNNY BIGS are waiting. In the middle of the room, a young rat named NICKY SHIVERS is tied to a chair under a strong overhead light. When he speaks, we get a hint of mental incompetence. (CONTINUED) 11. 14A CONTINUED: 14A NICKY Please, Mr. Vitti, I told 'em I don't know anything but they don't believe me 'cause that one time I said Little Joe hit Dukey and it turned out he didn't but I didn't know because -- JIMMY (smacks him) Shut the fuck up! Nicky goes suddenly quiet. He watches in terror as Jimmy steps aside and Vitti moves close holding a short length of lead pipe. VITTI Nicky, you know me, right? NICKY Yeah. You're Mr. Vitti. VITTI And you know what I'm gonna do to you if you lie to me, right? NICKY Uh, you're gonna crack me on the head with that pipe? JIMMY (slaps him) It's a rhetorical question, you fuckin' idiot. VITTI I'm only gonna ask you this one time. Who killed Dominic Manetta? NICKY I don't know. VITTI (roars) Don't fuckin' lie to me! NICKY (in tears) Honest to God, I don't know! VITTI You little rat bastard... (CONTINUED) 12. 14A CONTINUED: (2) 14A Vitti winds up to brain him with the pipe. They all wince in anticipation of the blow. But Vitti just freezes there with his arm upraised. Then he drops his arm and seems to sag. VITTI Forget about it. He doesn't know anything. He tosses the pipe aside. VITTI Get him outta here. Jimmy looks at Jelly in surprise. 15 INT. MINIVAN - LATER 15 Ben is driving to the party with Michael. Sitting in stopped traffic, he checks his mirrors anxiously. BEN (to himself, urgently) Look at this. Everybody's nuts. Ooh, I hate walking into that house late. MICHAEL I think you're reacting like this because you're mad we have to go to this party. BEN No. Don't. I'm not going to be analyzed by someone who up until a few years ago believed in Santa. Sorry, but we only have room for one Dr. Sobol in this family. MICHAEL But there's two Dr. Sobols. There's you and Grandpa. BEN (a beat) Can we talk about something else? MICHAEL Are you going to read Grandpa's new book? Mom says you won't because you're... (CONTINUED) 13. 15 CONTINUED: 15 BEN Does your mother talk about anything else or is it just me twenty-four hours a day? Wham! Ben REAR-ENDS the CAR in front of them. BEN That's your mother's fault! Your mother did that! Damn! CUT TO: 16 EXT. EAST 90TH STREET - NIGHT 16 The minivan has rear-ended a black Lincoln Town Car. The trunk has sprung open and Nicky Shivers can be seen in the trunk, bound and gagged, kicking and squirming. Muffled shouts can be heard through the duct tape over his mouth. Jelly and Jimmy jump out of the Lincoln and slam the top of the trunk just as Ben gets out of the minivan to inspect the damage. JIMMY (heading Ben off) What's the matter with you? Are you some kind of moron? BEN I'm sorry. It's totally my fault. Ben looks at the damage. The Lincoln has gotten the worst of it. The rear bumper is hanging off, and Jelly is struggling to latch the trunk. JIMMY Did you see anything? BEN I was talking to my son. I took my eyes off the road -- JIMMY Forget that bullshit. Did you see anything? Jelly steps in to defuse the situation, warning Jimmy off with a look. (CONTINUED) 14. 16 CONTINUED: 16 JELLY That's all right, sir. It's our fault for being in front of you like that. BEN (surprised) Well, I should have been watching. Let me give you my insurance information -- JELLY It's okay. Forget about it. BEN Really? It looks like your whole rear end might be screwed up. Jimmy is reattaching the rear bumper and securing the trunk lid with duct tape. JELLY No, it was like that before. BEN Maybe we should call the police? JELLY (suddenly menacing) Why? Fuck the police. BEN Right! Fuck 'em. HORNS start HONKING behind them. BEN At least take my card. You might look at the damage in the morning and change your mind. Jelly takes the card and reads it. JELLY You're a doctor? BEN Ph.D. Psychologist. JELLY A shrink. You talk to a lotta nuts, huh? Ben hears KICKING from inside the car trunk. (CONTINUED) 15. 16 CONTINUED: (2) 16 JELLY Pings and knocks. Cheap gas. Hey, how do those minivans handle? JIMMY (O.S.) Jelly! Let's go! JELLY Take it easy, Doc. Ben looks totally confused as Jelly hustles back to his car. CUT TO: 17 INT. SOBOL HOME - LIVING ROOM - ISAAC SOBOL 17 Ben's father, at the piano in the spacious, elegant, tastefully-decorated living room, surrounded by adoring guests, playing and singing an exuberant rendition of "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby." Isaac is a silver- haired patrician, overloaded with self-esteem. ISAAC (ending the sing- along) All right, neurotics only! Well, you must have been a beautiful ba-a-by, 'cause baby look at you now, thank God for Prozac, baby look at you now! BEN AND MICHAEL standing off to the side talking to Ben's mother DOROTHY. In the corner is a large advertising display featuring Isaac's smiling picture on the front cover of his new book, Tell Me What You Feel, Tell Me What You Want. BEN What do you mean you're not coming? It's my wedding. DOROTHY We understand it's a special day for you, Benny, but your father and I can't just pick up and leave town every time you decide to get married. (CONTINUED) 16. 17 CONTINUED: 17 BEN Every time? This is a once-in-a- -- twice-in-a-lifetime thing. Isaac joins them. BEN Dad, you're not coming to my wedding? ISAAC We want to be there, but I have three book signings next weekend. I can't piss off these big book stores. If I cancel, they'll stick me down on the bottom shelf. That's how they are. BEN Yeah, that's the word on the street. The self-help book business is full of vindictive pricks. DOROTHY (looking around) Ben! The language. BEN I'm sorry, but I've been alone for eight years, now I've finally met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with and I would really like you to meet her before we get married. You're going to be her family. I think it's better she knows that up front. ISAAC You're really hostile tonight. BEN I'm joking. DOROTHY (jumping in) I think I'll go talk to the mayor. BEN The mayor's here? DOROTHY I can only hope. (CONTINUED) 17. 17 CONTINUED: (2) 17 Dorothy exits. ISAAC What's wrong? BEN Nothing. Everything's fine. ISAAC How's your practice? BEN It's great. Just great. I've got some very interesting patients -- extremely interesting. Fascinating actually. MICHAEL Dad has a patient who dreams he shits trout. BEN Thanks, Mike. ISAAC Excuse us, Michael. Isaac pulls Ben into the foyer. ISAAC Why are you wasting your time out there in the boondocks? New York City is the Mecca of Madness. BEN I'm just not sure I could spend my life dealing with people whose biggest crisis is how to fire the maid. ISAAC It beats a guy with an ass full of flounder. BEN Trout! And don't minimize my practice. ISAAC Why are you getting so defensive? This is about your own feelings of inadequacy. (CONTINUED) 18. 17 CONTINUED: (3) 17 BEN You always turn it back on me. Why do you do that? ISAAC Why do you think I do that? BEN Why do you think I think you do that? Go ahead, now you ask me why I think you think I think you do that. ISAAC Enough. I want you to think about what I said. And when you're ready to talk to me like a normal person, I'll be at the piano with Regis Philbin. (as he crosses away) Rege! REGIS PHILBIN I'm not singing, Isaac! ISAAC Now, ladies and gentlemen, at the piano, Regis Philbin! Applause and laughter from the guests. Ben grabs a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray. BEN (to the waiter) Thomas Wolfe was right. You can't go home again -- because your parents still live there. CUT TO: 18 INT. OLD LION SOCIAL CLUB - NIGHT 18 Vitti's men converse quietly while a soldier sweeps the room for bugs. He gives the "all clear" and SALVATORE MASIELLO, the old consigliere, speaks. MASIELLO The Manetta family is asking a lot of questions. They think we hit Dominic. CARLO MANGANO, the burly underboss of the Vitti family, jumps in. (CONTINUED) 19. 18 CONTINUED: 18 MANGANO Forget Dominic! They were after Paul. (to Vitti) It's a miracle you survived. I thank God. VITTI Yeah, thank God. All I know is if I didn't have some veal stuck in my teeth, I'd be laying there with Dominic. JOHNNY BIGS This is all about the big meeting. Primo Sindone wants to run the whole show. MANGANO Yeah, but Primo's a boss. He knows the rules. He couldn't go after Dominic and Paul unless the other families gave their permission. VITTI (starting to sweat) If they did, we're heading for one big fuckin' war. (having trouble breathing) Talk to Zello and Baldassare. Find out what you can. We got two weeks. If the other New York bosses are against us, I want to know it before I walk into that meeting. He feels a stabbing pain in his chest. MANGANO You all right, Paul? You don't look good. VITTI I'm a little choked up here. I gotta get some air. He walks outside. Jelly follows. Mangano looks quizzically after them. CUT TO: 20. 19 EXT. OUTSIDE THE OLD LION - CONTINUOUS ACTION 19 Vitti is having trouble breathing. JELLY You feel all right? VITTI I feel like shit. This whole thing is like a huge fuckin' headache. JELLY (concerned) You havin' one of those mindgrains? Sweating profusely now, Vitti feels another stabbing chest pain. VITTI Get the car. CUT TO: 20 INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - LATER 20 Vitti is putting on his shirt. He looks considerably better. Jelly is sitting down, tapping his own knee with the little rubber hammer. Nothing moves. DOCTOR SHULMAN, a young cardiology resident, enters. DOCTOR Good news, Mr. Evans. Your heart is just fine. VITTI How could it be fine? I've had like eight heart attacks in the last three weeks. DOCTOR Well, based on everything, I'd say you probably had an anxiety attack. VITTI (a beat) What? DOCTOR An anxiety attack. A panic attack. I can give you some Xanax if it happens again soon -- (CONTINUED) 21. 20 CONTINUED: 20 VITTI (menacing) Look at me. Do I look like a guy who panics? DOCTOR (nervous now) There's nothing -- I mean -- it's a common thing -- VITTI Where did you go to medical school? I had a heart attack, you quack bastard. DOCTOR (very scared now) Well, not according to these -- As Vitti moves toward the Doctor, Jelly instinctively grabs the Doctor from behind and holds him while Vitti wraps the blood pressure cuff around his neck. VITTI (low and deadly, pumping up the cuff with the squeeze-ball) Listen to me, jerk-off. I had a mild heart attack and now it's over. You understand? The Doctor nods vigorously, his eyes bugging out as the pressure around his neck increases. VITTI If anyone asks you, you never saw me, and I was never here. Is that clear? DOCTOR (strangled) Yes. VITTI Good. (to Jelly) Take the chart. Jelly releases the Doctor, grabs all the papers and follows Vitti out the door. CUT TO: 22. 21 EXT. HOSPITAL - MOMENTS LATER 21 Vitti and Jelly come walking out the emergency room exit. Vitti stops. VITTI Jelly, I need you to do something for me as my friend. JELLY Anything. VITTI You have to find me a doctor. JELLY We just came from the doctor. VITTI Not that kind of doctor. I need a head doctor. JELLY You're gonna change your face like Sonny Black? Don't get his nose though, he looks like a pig. VITTI Not a plastic surgeon, ya spoostud. Do I have to spell everything out? JELLY It saves time. VITTI I need you to find me a psychiatrist. JELLY Wow. This is like the Psychic Network or something. I just ran into a psychiatrist. Actually he ran into me. VITTI Is he any good? JELLY Yeah, he seemed like a smart guy. He had a business card and everything -- VITTI He had a card? That's a real fuckin' achievement. (CONTINUED) 23. 21 CONTINUED: 21 JELLY What do you need a shrink for anyway? VITTI It's not for me. It's for a friend. This friend is having some problems, so I'm going to ask the shrink some questions and get some answers for my friend. JELLY Got it. VITTI And nobody can know. If anyone hears I'm talking to a shrink, it could be interpreted the wrong way. You know what I mean? JELLY Of course. Absolutely. (then) Can I ask you one thing? VITTI What? JELLY This friend. Is it me? CUT TO: 22 INT. BEN'S OFFICE - DAY 22 Ben is with a patient, CARL ANDERSON, a high-strung milquetoast in his late forties. BEN Carl, I'm detecting a pattern here. You seem to settle too easily for things. CARL You're right. I do. BEN No, well, there you go. You just did it again. I suggested something and you immediately agreed. (CONTINUED) 24. 22 CONTINUED: 22 CARL You're right. I did. BEN Why do you think you do that? CARL I don't know. BEN Well, sometimes people do it because they fear rejection or disapproval, but you can't let that worry you, Carl. And you can't agree with things just for the sake of agreeing. Stand your ground. Don't let people roll over you. The door opens and Jelly enters. JELLY Dr. Sobol? BEN Excuse me! I'm in a session here. JELLY Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. BEN You're... You're one of the guys I rear-ended the other night. JELLY Bingo. (to Carl) Get outta here. Jelly takes Carl by the elbow and lifts him off the couch. JELLY Upsa-daisy. You got a coat, nutbar? BEN What are you doing? JELLY He's leaving. (CONTINUED) 25. 22 CONTINUED: (2) 22 BEN The hell he is. He's not going anywhere until we're done with his session. Jelly pulls a big roll of bills out of his pocket, removes the rubber band, and peels off a couple of fifties. JELLY (to Carl) I'll give you a hundred bucks to get out of here. Carl looks at the money, then he gives Ben a plaintive look. BEN Don't take it, Carl. Carl looks back to Jelly. JELLY (peeling off another bill) A hundred and fifty. BEN He's not leaving. CARL (trembling) Three hundred. JELLY (pays him) You're not that fuckin' crazy. Carl takes the money, gives Ben the thumbs up and exits. Jelly follows him to the door and waves for someone to come in. BEN Listen, if you're upset about your car, I can understand that. But you don't just barge in here -- Paul Vitti steps into the office. Ben freezes. Jelly crosses to take Vitti's coat. VITTI You know who I am? (CONTINUED) 26. 22 CONTINUED: (3) 22 BEN Yes. VITTI No you don't. BEN Okay. VITTI You've seen my picture in the papers? BEN Yes. And no. Sometimes. Never. VITTI Jelly, wait outside. Jelly exits. Vitti walks around the room, taking everything in. He picks up the phone and listens. Hangs up. VITTI Sit down. BEN Sure. Ben sits quickly on the coffee table. He crushes a box of tissues, then moves them out from under his ass. Vitti picks up a stack of CDS and looks through them. VITTI Tony Bennett, huh? BEN Yeah. He's my favorite. Vitti picks up an autographed baseball bat from Ben's desk. BEN (puts up his hands) Mr. Vitti, I tried to give the guy my insurance information, but he wouldn't take it. Seriously, I tried several times because it was all my please don't kill me. VITTI I was just gonna ask if you liked baseball. (CONTINUED) 27. 22 CONTINUED: (4) 22 BEN Yes. Big Yankee fan. Vitti puts the bat down. BEN Mr. Vitti. Not that it's your fault, but your friend, he interrupted a patient's session and that's -- not good. I think this is a matter for our insurance companies, don't you think? VITTI I don't care about the car. BEN Then what -- ? VITTI A friend of mine is having a problem and he might have to see a shrink, so I'm going to ask you a couple questions. Do we sit? BEN Whatever makes you comfortable. Ben starts for his chair, but Vitti sits in it first. Ben sits on the couch. Vitti adjusts the cuffs of his shirt, and runs a hand down the crease in his slacks. VITTI Okay, the first thing I gotta know about is privacy. You must hear a lot of weird shit in here. How do I know you won't go testifying -- not testifying -- but, you know, talking about it to somebody else. BEN I won't discuss a patient with anyone for any reason, unless I know the patient may be a danger to himself. Like if I'm concerned a patient might kill himself... VITTI Not fuckin' likely -- BEN -- or kill someone else. (CONTINUED) 28. 22 CONTINUED: (5) 22 Ben looks to Vitti for a response. Vitti stares at him for a long, uncomfortable beat. VITTI So who starts? BEN Why don't you tell me why you think you need therapy? VITTI I don't need therapy. I'm helping out my friend. You didn't hear me say that? BEN Right. I'm sorry. VITTI You guys are supposed to be so great when it comes to listening. You can't remember what I said two seconds ago. BEN I'm very sorry. VITTI I have to tell you, Doc, I'm not thrilled with the level of service up to this point. BEN Why don't you tell me about your friend? VITTI He's a powerful guy. Never had a problem dealing with things, you know? Now all of a sudden, he's falling apart. He cries for no reason. He's having trouble sleeping. And then he started having these attacks. You know, can't breathe, dizzy, chest pains -- like you think you're gonna die. BEN Panic attacks. (CONTINUED) 29. 22 CONTINUED: (6) 22 VITTI What's with all you doctors and the fuckin' panic? Did I say panic? BEN Not panic. Dizzy -- breathing -- chest pain attacks. VITTI Right. So the question is, what can he do to make it stop? Ben decides to go for it. BEN I'm going to go out on a limb here. I think your friend is you. VITTI You -- you -- you -- you have a gift, my friend. Go on. BEN Medication could help, but if you really want to get to the bottom of this, you're going to want to get some kind of therapy. VITTI With you? BEN (hedging) With me? Oh, I don't know. I'd have to look at my schedule. I'm very heavily booked right now and I'm going on a short vacation tomorrow. VITTI Where you going? BEN I don't really share that information with... VITTI Where? BEN Miami Beach. (CONTINUED) 30. 22 CONTINUED: (7) 22 VITTI You know, this could be good. Just getting that off my chest, I feel better already. It's like a load is off my shoulders. Thank you. BEN Well, I really didn't do anything -- VITTI You did something. The load? Off. Where is it? Don't know. You're good, Doctor. I'll be in touch. But listen to me. (leaning close, menacing) If I talk to you and it turns me into a fag, I'll kill you. You understand? BEN Could we define 'fag,' because some feelings may come up -- Vitti silences him with a wave of his hand. VITTI I go fag, you die. Got it? BEN Yes. Vitti gives Ben a little pat on the cheek, then turns and exits. Ben is stunned. CUT TO: 23 OMITTED 23 23A EXT. BACK YARD - LATER 23A Ben comes out the back door of the house carrying a couple of suitcases. Michael follows behind him with his bags. They cross to the car in the driveway. BEN I hope you didn't leave any food in your room. I don't want to come home and find a science fair. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/9/98 31. 23A CONTINUED: 23A MICHAEL I didn't. Hey, Dad? One thing though. BEN Yeah? MICHAEL I go fag, you die. BEN Michael! That's it! I am sealing that vent. MICHAEL You are so cool, Dad. Was that really Paul Vitti? BEN (throwing the bags in the car) I didn't ask to see his Mafia decoder ring, but yeah, it was him. And you cannot tell anyone he was here. You understand? MICHAEL Should I take it off the internet? BEN What? MICHAEL I'm kidding! CUT TO: 24 OMITTED 24 24A EXT. MIAMI BEACH - DAY 24A Helicopter SHOT of the hotels fronting the crowded beaches. 24B EXT. HOTEL SWIMMING POOL (MIAMI) - DAY 24B LAURA MacNAMARA, a pretty and charming TV news correspondent, is on the air live, surrounded by her camera crew. Kids are frolicking in the pool, splashing off the water slide behind her. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/9/98 32. 24B CONTINUED: 24B LAURA So judging from the mob scene around the pool here today, I think you'd have to say that there's nothing 'off' about the 'off-season' in Miami Beach this summer. Now, on a personal note, this is my last report for W.V.B.F. I'm getting married to a wonderful man and moving to New York, so if you're up that way, watch for me on the W.P.I.X. news team. Thanks for everything, Miami. (voice catching slightly) For the last time, this is Laura MacNamara, W.V.B.F. news. She pulls a bouquet out from behind her back and tosses it to the camera. LAURA Catch! She smiles for a long beat. PRODUCER We're clear. Laura's smile abruptly disappears. LAURA (to the crew, all business) I'll do the re-asks, then you guys can just shoot the inserts and pack it up. (looks off) Ben! Laura runs to Ben, standing on the sidelines, and embraces him. Michael is there too. LAURA This is him, everyone! This is the guy! BEN (to the crew) Hi, everybody. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/9/98 33. 24B CONTINUED: (2) 24B LAURA (as she hugs him) Oh, I missed you. BEN I missed you too. Michael, say hello. MICHAEL Hi, Laura. LAURA (a little too big) This is Michael? I don't think so. If I remember correctly, Michael was a little boy, and this, this is a great big kid. Hey, you. Tell us what you did with Michael Sobol. Ben and Michael look at each other out of the corners of their eyes. LAURA Okay. Come on. Give me a break. I'm trying. MICHAEL No, it was nice, but I'm fourteen so it wasn't -- you know -- age appropriate. LAURA (smiles appreciatively) Sorry. Just smack me if I do that again. (hugs him) How are you, Michael? MICHAEL Great. There is an awkward silent moment, everyone smiling uncomfortably. BEN Mike, you want to go look at the camera? MICHAEL Why would I want to look at the camera? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/9/98 34. 24B CONTINUED: (3) 24B BEN 'Cause I bet there's all kinds of cool video stuff over there. Why don't you check it out? MICHAEL (gets the hint) Oh, yeah. (to Laura) Is it okay? LAURA Go ahead. If you break something, don't worry. I'm out of here. Michael crosses to the camera crew. LAURA You think he likes me? BEN Michael? He's crazy about you. I am too. They embrace. LAURA You are? And you still really want to get married? BEN Of course. LAURA But what if you get tired of me? I know so many couples that were really happy, then they got married and just completely lost interest in each other. BEN That's not going to be us. LAURA I just don't want to lose the passion. BEN Yes, I'm brimming with passion. I'm up to here with passion. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/9/98 35. 24B CONTINUED: (4) 24B LAURA I want us to be like animals. You know just screaming and sweating and tearing at each other all the time -- BEN The sweating shouldn't be a problem. The tearing sounds painful. The SOUND GUY crosses over. SOUND GUY (embarrassed) Uhh, Laura? You want me to take your mic, or at least turn it off? Laura looks over at the crew. It's obvious that Michael and the crew have heard this whole exchange. LAURA Oh my God. 25 OMITTED 25 & & 25A 25A 25B INT. WALDORF-ASTORIA - HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT 25B A room service cart with the remains of a sumptuous meal is standing in the hall outside one of the rooms. SHEILA (O.S.) Oh my God! Oh, yes. Oh, yes. CUT TO: 26 INT. HOTEL ROOM - SAME TIME 26 Vitti is in bed making love to his mistress, SHEILA, a pretty woman in her late 20s. They're really going at it. SHEILA Oh, yes. Oh, yes. (then) Is everything okay, Paul? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/9/98 35A. 26 CONTINUED: (A1) 26 VITTI What are you talking for? I'm trying to do this here. SHEILA You seem -- distracted. VITTI I got things on my mind. Stop talking. SHEILA Okay, I'm sorry. Just relax, baby. He goes back to lovemaking. SHEILA (after a beat) Were you thinking about your wife? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/21/98 36. 26 CONTINUED: 26 VITTI No, I wasn't thinking about my wife. (a long beat) Now I'm thinking about my wife. Goddamn it, Sheila, why can't you keep your mouth shut! Completely frustrated now, he gets out of bed, leaving her alone and confused. SHEILA (small voice) I'm sorry, Paul. CUT TO: 27 INT. BEN'S MIAMI HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT 27 Ben and Laura are nestled together in bed, asleep. JELLY (O.S.) (whispering) Dr. Sobol. Dr. Sobol. Ben stirs. BEN Mom? Jelly's head pops up on Ben's side of the bed. Ben wakes up and his eyes go wide. Jelly puts a finger to his lips. JELLY Mr. Vitti wants to see you. I have your robe. CUT TO: 28 OMITTED 28 29 UNDERWATER 29 Kelp. Rocks. Bubbles. A mermaid swims INTO VIEW and meets up with another mermaid. They do beautiful back flips under the water. VITTI (O.S.) You no-good little two-bit piece of shit bastard! (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/21/98 37. 29 CONTINUED: 29 We PULL BACK to see the mermaids through the viewing windows of a large tank behind the bar of the -- INT. WIKI WACHI LOUNGE - LITTLE LATER A tacky dive with a tropical motif. Ben, in his robe, is being berated by Vitti. VITTI I got news for you. I'm still fucked up. Whatever you did the other day, it didn't take. You did nothing for me. BEN (indignant) I did nothing? What did you expect? I saw you for five minutes. I don't work miracles, Mr. Vitti. And I'll tell you something else. I don't appreciate it when someone breaks into my hotel room and kidnaps me. I don't go for that. I have a family and a life and a serious practice, and I don't have time for your bullshit! (sheepishly) That got away from me near the end. Vitti stares at Ben. VITTI I couldn't get it up tonight. BEN (stopped cold) You mean sexually? VITTI No, I mean for the big game against Michigan State. Of course sexually! BEN You flew fifteen hundred miles and dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night because you couldn't get an erection? VITTI Doesn't that prove I'm motivated? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/21/98 38. 29 CONTINUED: (1A) 29 BEN You can take a pill for that, you know. (CONTINUED) 39. 29 CONTINUED: (2) 29 VITTI No, that's a cheat. You start with the pills, next thing you know you got implants with pumps. I think a hard-on should be gotten legitimately or not at all. BEN Did you see that embroidered on a pillow somewhere? VITTI Are you gonna help me or not? BEN I don't believe this. All right. Has this happened before? VITTI The dead dick thing? Never. Well, one time. Tonight. And another time. BEN So twice? VITTI Do the math. Two times. (a beat) There was another time. But it was after a big meal, so, you know, that don't count. BEN Listen, being unable to perform three or four times -- VITTI Five. BEN Five times -- it isn't the end of the world. VITTI Maybe not to you -- look at you -- but if I can't get it up, that makes me less of a man and I can't have that. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 40. 29 CONTINUED: (3) 29 VITTI (CONT'D) (moving closer to Ben) In my business I deal with animals. They may seem dumb to an educated guy like you, but make no mistake about it, Doctor, animals are very cunning. And they sense weakness. Right now I'm an injured animal. It's only a matter of time before one of the lions out there catches the scent. Then I'm dead. That's the way it is. If you don't understand that, then you don't understand the life I live and you don't understand me. BEN (nodding) Okay. VITTI I have until the end of the week to get strong or they're gonna eat me up. If they don't kill me in the meantime. BEN What happens next week? VITTI I can't tell you and you don't want to know. BEN It's impossible. I can't do anything that fast. And even if I could, what's my goal here? To make you a happy, well-adjusted gangster? VITTI Look, the other day I saw a commercial on television, some kid playing with a couple of puppies. I cried for 45 minutes. Slap a pair of tits on me, I'm a woman! BEN I'm sorry. I can't help you. VITTI You're turning me down? (CONTINUED) 41. 29 CONTINUED: (4) 29 BEN Mr. Vitti, when I got into family therapy, this was not the family I had in mind. I'm turning you down. VITTI You with your schmucky little office in your schmucky little house out there in Schmuckville -- you're turning me down? What, so you can spend more time listening to housewives piss and moan about how nobody fucks them right? BEN I'd like to go now. VITTI (starts to cry) You see this? This is what I'm talking about! I'm a dead man! Ben turns away and starts for the door. VITTI (through the tears) You call yourself a doctor? You should be ashamed. A real doctor couldn't turn his back on a person who's suffering! BEN (finally) All right. (hands him a handkerchief) What happened with your wife tonight? VITTI (wiping away his tears) I wasn't with my wife. I was with my girlfriend. BEN You have a girlfriend? We could do two months on that alone. VITTI What, you're gonna start moralizing with me now? (CONTINUED) 42. 29 CONTINUED: (5) 29 BEN Okay. Do you have marriage problems? VITTI No. BEN Then why do you have a girlfriend? VITTI I do things with her I can't do with my wife. BEN Why can't you do those things with your wife? VITTI Hey. That's the mouth she kisses my children good night with. What's the matter with you? BEN Okay, okay. Have you been under a lot of stress lately? VITTI You mean like seeing your best friend murdered? Yeah, I got stress. BEN Well, based on what you told me before about your attacks, I'd say that's probably it then. VITTI It's just stress? BEN I doubt if there's anything physically wrong with you. VITTI (brightening, pointing a finger at Ben) You. You. You're very good. BEN There's a lot more to it -- (CONTINUED) 43. 29 CONTINUED: (6) 29 VITTI No, you're right. You're right on the money. I can feel the juices rushing back to my manhood as we speak. BEN Well, I didn't need to know that. VITTI This settles it. You're my shrink. BEN I can't treat you, Mr. Vitti. I don't think you're really ready to open up and deal with -- VITTI Listen to you. The honesty. Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- talks to me like this. I'm ready. Let's do it. BEN You don't hear the word 'no' that often, do you? VITTI I hear it all the time. Only it's more like, 'No, no, please, no!' BEN (relenting) All right. I'm here for two more days. When we get back to New York, I'll treat you exclusively for two weeks. I just need to figure out what to tell my other patients. VITTI You want me to clear your schedule for you? BEN No thanks, I'll handle it. Now can I go? Vitti throws his arms around him and kisses him on both cheeks. A look of concern crosses Ben's face. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/21/98 44. 29 CONTINUED: (7) 29 VITTI Thank you. CUT TO: 29A INT. BEN'S MIAMI HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT 29A Ben enters. Laura is sitting up in bed, pissed off. LAURA What is wrong with you? I woke up, you were gone, no note or anything. I've been going out of my mind, Ben. I walked all over the hotel looking for you. I almost called the police! BEN Okay, listen. I'm going to tell you the truth. I had a serious patient emergency. LAURA You have patients in Florida? BEN Just one. He followed me here from New York. I had to go. LAURA Who is this patient? (CONTINUED) 45. 29A CONTINUED: 29A BEN Paul Vitti! (a beat) Paul Vitti. A long beat. LAURA (worried) Oh, Ben. BEN I know. But don't worry. It's not like he's a real patient. He's got this idea in his head that I'm helping him. It's crazy. LAURA You're not going to treat him. BEN No. LAURA Tell me you're not. BEN I'm not! LAURA That would be too scary. You don't want a person like that in your life, believe me. I've covered the mob down here. I've seen what they can do. BEN Listen, it's been taken care of. I told him I couldn't see him again. He understood and it's over. LAURA You sure? Ben nods. LAURA (tearing up) I was so worried. He hugs her and holds her tightly, feeling like a jerk for lying to her. CUT TO: 46. 30 INT. SEWING ROOM (NEW YORK) - NEXT MORNING 30 Immigrant garment workers cut and sew fabric. 31 INT. OFFICE - CONTINUOUS ACTION 31 This is Sindone headquarters. A few of his trusted guys are in attendance: HANDSOME JACK, POTATOES, and MOONY, his consigliere. MOONY It doesn't figure. We take out Manetta, what does Vitti do? Nothing. Why doesn't he move? PRIMO SINDONE, a vain, pompous Mussolini, is standing on a stool in his underwear, being fitted for a suit by a nervous tailor. SINDONE Fuck him. MOONY I'm telling you, Primo, he's planning something big. The shit is really gonna come down. SINDONE Then let it come down. Vitti's a tough guy but a lot of tough guys got fed to the crabs off Red Hook over the years. (looking down at the tailor) You been down there a long time. Are you measuring my inseam or contemplating a lifestyle change? Sindone nods for the tailor to get out. MOONY Primo? What about Vitti? SINDONE Vitti. Vitti. The whole time we were growing up, he was the smart guy; I was the dope. My father was a nickel-and-dime shitheel; his father had it all. Vito Genovese blew it at Apalachin because he forgot to kill Gambino before the meeting. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 47. 31 CONTINUED: 31 SINDONE (CONT'D) I won't make the same mistake. I want Paul Vitti dead -- now. You two astronauts think you can handle that? Handsome Jack and Potatoes nod their agreement. HANDSOME JACK You got it, Primo. DISSOLVE TO: 32 MAN WITH FISH HANGING FROM HIS MOUTH 32 A killer whale leaps up and takes it from between his teeth. EXT. MIAMI SEAQUARIUM - CONTINUOUS ACTION The audience in the stands applaud as the killer whale splashes back into the water. 32A LAURA AND MICHAEL 32A are clapping. Ben is clearly bored. LAURA (to Ben) Come on. Get into it. BEN I don't understand. They jump out of the water, they splash, they eat fish. It's not a real stretch for a whale. If they did a number from West Side Story, then I'd be into it. LAURA Just stop. (to Michael) We're having fun, right? MICHAEL Well, to be real honest. I'm not having as much fun as it looks like I am. I'm pretending, you know, because we have to bond and everything. (CONTINUED) 48. 32A CONTINUED: 32A Laura looks at Ben. BEN (to Laura) You've got to admire the openness. MICHAEL (a tad too excited) Here comes the whale again! 32B TANK 32B The whale leaps high in the air and crashes back down, sending a wall of water flying into the first few rows. JELLY AND JIMMY walking by the tank, get soaked by the huge wave. JIMMY Fuck me! STANDS Ben looks and sees Jelly beckoning him. BEN (to Laura and Michael) I'm hungry. Yeah, I'm going to get a hot dog. Who wants a hot dog? MICHAEL (rising) I'll go with you. BEN No, I'll go. You're pretending to have a good time. I don't want to spoil that. Be right back. CUT TO: 33 EXT. VOMITORIUM - MOMENTS LATER 33 Ben confronts Jelly and Jimmy, who are soaked to the skin. (CONTINUED) 49. 33 CONTINUED: 33 BEN What is this? Are you guys following me? JIMMY Fuckin' fifteen-hundred dollar suit. You think the whales piss in that water? JELLY No, I think they use the men's room next door at the Burger King. (to Ben) Mr. Vitti wants to see you. BEN Is this a joke? JELLY You're an employee of Mr. Vitti's. That means you're on call twenty- four hours a day just like the rest of us. BEN No, he and I discussed this. I told him I'd see him when I got got back to New York. JELLY Don't be a skavootz. It is what it is. If he needs you sooner, you go. BEN No, I'm not going, and if you bother me again I won't treat him at all. Understand? That's it. End of story. CUT TO: 34 AQUARIUM VIEWING WINDOW 34 Ben plunges into the tank in the middle of a school of sharks. He screams silently underwater and swims desperately for the top. A couple of families watching THROUGH the viewing window laugh and applaud as if it's part of the show. CUT TO: 50. 35 SANDCASTLE 35 An alligator loafer steps down on it. We TILT UP TO a SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY with a shovel and pail. BOY Asshole. After a beat, a ten dollar bill falls where the sandcastle was. The Boy's face instantly brightens. BOY Thanks, mister. EXT. BEACH - DAY The alligator loafer belongs to Jelly. He's walking with Jimmy and other bodyguards who form a loose protective perimeter around Ben and Vitti as they walk along the shore. All the guys are wearing loud Jersey beach outfits. BEN They threw me in the shark tank, Paul. The shark tank! VITTI They were trying to make a point. BEN What, that you're a scary guy? I get it. VITTI You're in a mood, you know that? BEN Yeah, I get that way when a shark tries to chew on my ass. VITTI Okay. Okay. Calm down. BEN I don't want to calm down. My girl friend saw me all wet? I told her I fell into a tank with the manatees. I lied to her last night, now this. I don't like it. VITTI Manatees. That's a funny word. Manatees. (CONTINUED) 51. 35 CONTINUED: 35 BEN I'm glad you're entertained. What's the problem? VITTI Oh, I can tell you really care. BEN Okay. What's going on? VITTI I had an episode. Not an actual panic attack, but I started panicking a little thinking I might have one. Does that seem weird to you? BEN I'm redefining 'weird' on an hourly basis. What were you thinking about when you started feeling anxious? VITTI I don't know. The usual bullshit. Family problems. BEN Which family? (referring to bodyguards) This one? VITTI No, regular family. BEN (stops) I want you to draw a picture of a house. In the sand. VITTI What kind of house? A warehouse? A whorehouse? My house? What house? BEN A house. VITTI Why? BEN I'll tell you after you do it. (CONTINUED) 52. 35 CONTINUED: (2) 35 Vitti bends over and starts drawing in the sand. VITTI This is good. I come to Florida and draw pictures in the sand like a jerkoff. 36 BENCH 36 TINO, a local Miami hitman, is covertly watching Ben and Vitti on the beach. He talks into a cell phone. TINO I don't know what they're doing. He's talking to some guy. Looks like Vitti is drawing something in the sand... What's he drawing? What am I, Superman? I'm a hundred yards away -- I can't see shit... No way, he's got that fat Jelly with him and his partner, Jimmy Boots. We could take him out with a rifle and a scope, but I don't have any of that shit with me. My scope's in the shop... Nah, it's a warranty item... Hey, don't sweat it. You told me to take care of him, I'll take care of him... Okay, I'll call you back. 37 BACK ON BEACH 37 Vitti finishes drawing. VITTI There. You happy? BEN Where are the people? VITTI What people? You told me to draw a house. BEN I know. But usually when people draw a house they draw people. Where are the people who live in your house? (CONTINUED) 53. 37 CONTINUED: 37 VITTI Well, you see, they'd come out and say hello, but the whole family's in the Witness Protection Program. It's very sad. What the fuck you want from me? They start walking. BEN Okay, forget the house. I'm going to say some words, and you say the first thing that comes into your mind. VITTI Good, more games. Shoot. BEN Home -- VITTI -- plate. BEN Mother -- VITTI -- fucker. BEN Father -- VITTI -- forgive me for I have sinned. BEN Wife? VITTI (clears his throat) Love. BEN Son? Vitti looks out to sea. BEN Son? Ben can't see his face, but Vitti's eyes are full of tears. He wipes his eyes. (CONTINUED) 54. 37 CONTINUED: (2) 37 VITTI See this? Again with the crying. Let's get out of here. We're being watched. Don't look. There's Feds on the roof of the hotel. BEN How do you know that? VITTI I'm a criminal. It's my job. CUT TO: 38 EXT. HOTEL ROOF - DAY 38 FBI AGENTS STEADMAN, RICCI, and PROVANO CLICK away with long-lens CAMERAS as they watch from the rooftop. AGENT RICCI Who's the new face? AGENT STEADMAN I don't know. Get somebody down there to see what he drew in the sand. AGENT PROVANO Whoever this guy is, he must be important to the family. AGENT STEADMAN Maybe he's Vitti's new consigliere. Put his picture on the wire and see what you come up with. CUT TO: 39 INT. VITTI'S SUITE - DAY 39 Vitti, Ben and Jelly enter the suite. MARIE, Vitti's wife, and their children, THERESA, 14, ANNA, 10, and ANTHONY, seven, are there. Vitti greets them warmly, suddenly a different man. VITTI Look at this, the whole crew. (kissing Marie) You all right? Good flight? (CONTINUED) 55. 39 CONTINUED: 39 MARIE Yeah, we're fine. We're on our way to the pool. Kids, get your stuff. We'll get out of your way. VITTI That's okay. Marie, this is a friend of mine, Ben Sobol. (as they AD LIB greetings) He's -- from the boat. A fishing boat captain. Cuban refugee. MARIE (shaking his hand) Nice to meet you, Senor Sobol. Ben looks to Vitti, then to Marie. BEN Gracias. VITTI And this is Theresa and Anna -- ANNA Anne. VITTI -- Anna, and the big guy, Anthony. Anthony gives Ben a manly handshake. ANTHONY How you doin'? BEN Nice to meet you. VITTI (noticing Theresa's bikini) Jesus, Theresa, you are not wearing that suit to the pool. THERESA What do you want me to wear, a one-piece? VITTI I want you to wear one of those Arab bathrobes with a veil over your face, is what I want. (CONTINUED) 56. 39 CONTINUED: (2) 39 THERESA Mom! MARIE Don't worry about it, Paul. We'll be back in time for dinner. VITTI Okay, babe. Hey, Anthony. Guess what I got? ANTHONY What? VITTI (holds up some tickets) Marlins and the Braves -- right behind home plate, tonight. ANTHONY You and me? VITTI Of course, you and me. (hugs him) Have fun at the pool. Stay out of the deep end. And don't swim for a couple hours after you eat. ANTHONY Okay, Papa. He kisses his father and exits with the others. VITTI (to Jelly) Send Jimmy down with them. JELLY Already done. Jelly exits. BEN Nice family. Cuban fishing boat captain? VITTI I can't tell Marie you're a shrink. She'd worry, you know. (CONTINUED) 57. 39 CONTINUED: (3) 39 BEN About this? I think she'd be more worried about your career choice. VITTI Just keep going with the therapy. He crosses to the bar, pours himself a drink, and lights a cigarette. BEN You know, normally a patient wouldn't smoke or drink during a session. VITTI (blowing smoke) That's an interesting fact I'll have to remember if I'm ever on 'Jeopardy.' BEN So tell me about your father. VITTI My father. He was a big man in the neighborhood -- very well respected. Everybody loved him, God rest his soul. BEN He passed away? VITTI No, I just like saying 'God rest his soul.' Yeah, he passed away. He died when I was about twelve. BEN How? VITTI Heart attack. Sudden thing. BEN Were you and your father close? VITTI Close? Yeah, you know, pretty close. I guess we weren't getting along that great right then. (CONTINUED) 58. 39 CONTINUED: (4) 39 BEN Why was that? VITTI I was hangin' out in the neighborhood. I had a borghata -- like a kid gang -- hooligan shit, nothin' big. But my father didn't like it. BEN You fought about it? VITTI He slapped the shit out of me. BEN And then? VITTI And then that night he died. BEN How did that feel? VITTI It felt great! How did it feel? (shrugs) I don't know. BEN Well, think about it. Were you angry, were you afraid? Sad? VITTI Yeah, I guess. BEN Any feelings of guilt? VITTI About what? I didn't kill him. BEN I'm just speculating, but maybe in some way you wanted him to die. VITTI Why would I want my father to die? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/24/98 59. 39 CONTINUED: (5) 39 BEN Well, you said you were fighting. You were rebelling against his authority. There may have been some unresolved Oedipal conflict. VITTI English. BEN Oedipus was a Greek king who killed his father and married his mother. VITTI Fuckin' Greeks. BEN It's an instinctual developmental drive. The young boy wants to replace his father so he can totally possess his mother. VITTI Are you saying I wanted to fuck my mother? BEN It's a primal fantasy -- VITTI Have you seen my mother? That is the sickest fucking thing I've ever heard. BEN It's Freud. VITTI Well, then Freud's a sick fuck, and you are too for bringing it up. CUT TO: 39A OMITTED 39A and and 40 40 ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/24/98 60/61. 40A INT. OCEAN VIEW RESTAURANT - NIGHT 40A Laura's family, the MacNamaras, and a few close friends have gathered for the rehearsal dinner. There are three tables in a roped-off section of the restaurant with large floral centerpieces, a small bar in the corner. The MacNamaras, SCOTT and BELINDA, are standing with Laura, Ben, Michael and a couple of other relatives. BELINDA Well, isn't this wonderful, all of us finally getting to spend some time together. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/22/98 62. 40A CONTINUED: 40A SCOTT All set for the big day, Ben? BEN Can't wait, Scott. Can I call you 'Scott?' SCOTT My friends call me 'Captain.' BEN Captain. BELINDA Well, if tomorrow goes as well as the rehearsal, I'd say it's going to be a beautiful wedding. BEN Yes, thanks for going to all this trouble, and I have to thank you and the Captain for something else. SCOTT For what? BEN (pointing to Laura) For this. Everyone "ahhs" as Ben gives Laura a peck on the cheek. Michael makes a face. LAURA (to Ben) Would you like a drink, because I'm definitely having eight or nine. BELINDA (disapproving) Shall we go to the table? As the woman go to their seats, Scott holds Ben back for a private moment. SCOTT Ben, there's a lot I'd like to say to you, but I'm going to skip the big father-in-law speech because I know you've been married before. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/22/98 63. 40A CONTINUED: (2) 40A BEN Technically, it wasn't considered a marriage. It was like the Korean War -- more of a police action. SCOTT I served in Korea, son. I don't think you'd be laughing if you'd seen some of the things I saw. BEN You're right. Sorry. VITTI (O.S.) Senor Sobol! Everyone turns to see Paul and Marie Vitti coming into the room, followed by their kids and a knot of bodyguards. Ben's face falls. He rushes over to intercept them. BEN (sputtering) Mr. Vitti! How are you? Mrs. Vitti! Honey, it's the Vittis! Laura glares at Ben. VITTI (charming) Look at everybody. Everybody's smiling, everybody's happy. Nice. This is Marie, my girls, my boy, then all these guys. BEN Mr. and Mrs. Vitti, this is Laura, my fiancee. VITTI Nice to meet you. LAURA (stunned) Thank you very much. A tense moment. Ben presses on. BEN And this is my son Michael. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/22/98 64. 40A CONTINUED: (3) 40A VITTI Whoa. He's a bruiser. (to Ben) You're sure this is your kid? You're a pound and a half soaking wet. I've had lobsters bigger than you. (to Michael) You ever want a job, you come talk to me, right? MICHAEL Seriously? BEN Michael! SCOTT You're Paul Vitti. The mobster. BEN Mr. MacNamara -- uh -- VITTI Excuse me. Is that polite? Is it? I'm trying to be nice here. Do I walk up to you and go, 'You're whoever you are. The prick'? MARIE Paul! BEN Mr. Vitti, this is Laura's father. VITTI Yeah? Okay, well, sorry. But you should know, there is no mob, and, P.S., I personally have never been convicted of a crime. (to Jelly) We're nine for nine, right? JELLY That's right. Vitti takes an envelope from his jacket pocket and presses it into Laura's hand. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/22/98 65. 40A CONTINUED: (4) 40A VITTI (quietly) I heard about the wedding. Here you go. A little something for the bride and groom. God bless. You should live and be well. LAURA Mr. Vitti, we can't accept this. VITTI Yeah, you can. Now, if you don't mind, I just need to borrow this guy for a couple of minutes, then that's it. I'm out of here. Okay? LAURA Okay. Then you leave us alone, right? VITTI Of course. I wouldn't do anything to screw up your wedding. (to Ben) I gotta talk to you. Come on. (to group) Have a great night, everybody. Nice to meet you. Vitti starts for the door. BEN (to Laura) I've just got to talk to him for a sec. You okay? LAURA I've never been less okay. BEN Great. Ben is yanked away by Jimmy. Marie stands with Laura. MARIE I bet you eat a lot of fish since your fiance's in the business. Laura stares. CUT TO: ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/22/98 66. 40B EXT. TERRACE - FEW MINUTES LATER 40B Vitti, Ben and Jelly step out. VITTI (to Jelly) Watch that door. And don't listen to what we say. JELLY My ears are sealed. VITTI (to Ben) Okay, listen. I had a really weird dream last night. BEN I feel like I'm having one right now. How could you interrupt our party? VITTI You know, you're very rigid about certain things. BEN Just tell me the dream. VITTI Okay. I'm asleep. I hear a baby crying. I go to the refrigerator, I get a bottle of milk, I take it to the baby, but when I go to give it to him, I see that the milk is black. JELLY That's fuckin' weird. VITTI Okay, get out of here! JELLY Sorry. Jelly exits. VITTI (to Ben) What's it mean? And I don't want to hear any more filth about my mother. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/22/98 66A. 40B CONTINUED: 40B BEN I don't know what it means. What does it mean to you? VITTI This is what I'm paying you for? I say something, you say it right back to me? I could get Jelly to do this for nothing. BEN Then get Jelly. Ben starts to walk off the patio and comes face to face with Laura's father, Scott. BEN Mr. MacNamara. Ben exits. Scott MacNamara stares suspiciously at Vitti, wondering about his connection to Ben. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/13/98 67. 40B CONTINUED: (2) 40B VITTI (to Scott) Why don't you look over that way before I have to bust your fuckin' head open? Scott looks away, terrified, as Vitti exits past him. CUT TO: 40C OMITTED 40C & & 40D 40D 40E EXT. HOTEL COURTYARD - DAY 40E The sun shines brightly on the wedding day. Guests are assembling for the ceremony. CUT TO: 41 INT. HOTEL ENTRANCE - MOMENTS LATER 41 Tino, the hitman, arrives and saunters into the hotel. CUT TO: 42 INT. AREA OUTSIDE HOTEL ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 42 Jelly walks up to one of the bodyguards. JELLY I'm gonna get something to eat. You want like a sandwich or somethin'? BODYGUARD Yeah. What kinda sandwich isn't too fattening? JELLY A half a sandwich. BODYGUARD Sounds good. JELLY I'll be back in about twenty minutes. The elevator arrives, Jelly gets in and the doors close behind him. ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/13/98 68/69. 43 ANOTHER ELEVATOR 43 The doors open and the Bodyguard turns to look. TWO SHOTS from a PISTOL with a SILENCER strike him in the chest and he falls to the floor dead. Tino steps out and drags the body to the stairwell. 44 OMITTED 44 44A EXT. HOTEL COURTYARD - LATER 44A The guests are seated, Ben and Michael stand with the justice of the peace as Scott walks Laura down the aisle. The harpist is playing and all's right with the world. Scott shakes Ben's hand. SCOTT (quietly, to Ben) Nod your head and smile. Now, you listen to me, goombah. I know what your game is, and you'd better call it quits, because if you and your paisans do anything to hurt my little girl, I'll kill you. Understand? Nod and smile. Scott crosses away. LAURA (sotto) What was that about? BEN Nothing. Your father thinks I'm in the Mafia. LAURA Oh. BEN Let's get married. CUT TO: 45 INT. VITTI'S HOTEL SUITE - SAME TIME 45 Using a stolen pass key, Tino quietly opens the door and enters. He steps into the living room and hears WATER RUNNING in the bathroom. He stealthily approaches the bathroom door and draws his pistol with a silencer on it from under his jacket. 70. 46 INT. BATHROOM - SAME TIME 46 Vitti stares at his reflection in the mirror, then starts washing his face. In the mirror we can see the door starting to open behind him, and the long barrel of Tino's pistol through the crack. Vitti blindly gropes for a towel and starts drying his face. 47 INT. VITTI'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME 47 Tino is about to shoot when Jelly comes up behind him, throws one strong arm around his neck in a powerful choke-hold, and grabs Tino's gun-hand with his free hand. Vitti hears the sounds of a scuffle, steps out of the bathroom, and sees Jelly struggling with Tino. Tino gets off a couple of wild SHOTS, but Jelly finally shakes the GUN loose from Tino's hand. Vitti picks up the gun and puts it to Tino's head. Tino shuts his eyes and turns away, expecting the shot, but then Vitti's hand starts to shake and he breaks into a cold sweat. Tino opens his eyes, sees Vitti frozen, and starts fighting with renewed strength. Jelly hangs on, looks at Vitti with concern, then wrestles Tino out onto the balcony. CUT TO: 47A EXT. HOTEL COURTYARD - DAY 47A The ceremony is in progress. JUSTICE If any man here knows why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, let him speak now or forever hold his peace. A beat, then a SCREAM is heard from above, then Tino crashes into a buffet table in the b.g. Wedding guests react in horror. CUT TO: 48 OMITTED 48 & & 49 49 ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 71. 50 INT. VITTI'S SUITE - LATER 50 Jimmy and Jelly are hastily throwing clothes into suitcases. Vitti comes out of the bedroom hurriedly buttoning up his shirt. VITTI (urgently, to Jelly) Tell Mikey to take Marie and the kids right to the airport. (to Jimmy) You get the car, bring it around to the back and wait for me. Ben bursts into the room. BEN That's it. I've had it with you! VITTI What happened? BEN What happened? I just saw a man fall seven stories into a platter of poached salmon! That's what happened. VITTI Did he break anything? BEN Yes. Everything! They're still picking the capers out of his forehead. VITTI Hey, people get depressed, they jump. It's a human tragedy, but it's not my fault. BEN You're telling me it was suicide? VITTI (to Jelly) I think he left a note. Jelly, did they find that note? JELLY No, but they will in a minute. BEN Oh, yeah, here it is. (MORE) (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 72. 50 CONTINUED: 50 BEN (CONT'D) (picks up a slip of paper, pretends to read) 'Life is bullshit. I can't fuckin' take it no more. Tino.' VITTI Enough talking. We got to get out of here. The place is crawling with feds. I'm going back to New York and I suggest you do the same. They're probably onto you too now. BEN Onto me? What are you talking about? Being an accessory to murder was not part of our understanding. VITTI Hey, why you busting my balls? I didn't kill him. I can't speak for everyone in the room, but -- (he looks at Jelly) The son-of-a-bitch came after me! It was self-defense. Trust me, Doc. In this one, we're the good guys. Suddenly Laura bursts into the room, still in her wedding dress, but disheveled. BEN Laura! LAURA (distraught, to Vitti) How could you do that? VITTI Great. Another country heard from. (sotto voice to Ben) Get her outta here. BEN Honey, why don't you wait downstairs? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 73. 50 CONTINUED: (2) 50 LAURA Why, they're going to throw me off the balcony, too? (to Vitti) I am thirty -- over thirty years old and all my life I have dreamed of walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress and marrying the man I love. VITTI That's a beautiful dress. LAURA Thank you, but it's not about the dress! We were supposed to get married! VITTI You're upset. LAURA Of course I'm upset! (to Ben) I'm going downstairs to pack, then I'm going to New York and I'm getting married with you or without you. Okay? BEN I'll be right there. (walks her to the door) Everything's going to be all right. I promise. He kisses her and closes the door behind her. BEN Are you happy now? You ruined my life! VITTI What, you think I wanted this? I'm the victim here! I swear, I'm going to kill that son-of-a-bitch! BEN Is that all you know? Do you hear yourself? I knew this would happen. (MORE) (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 74. 50 CONTINUED: (3) 50 BEN (CONT'D) This whole thing has been one big disaster from the minute you walked into my office. We're finished! You hear me? I am no longer your doctor! VITTI Just 'cause of this? BEN Of course because of this! You don't have even the tiniest shred of human decency. All you know is threats and violence and that's all you'll ever know and I can't be around that! Vitti stares at Ben for a long beat. VITTI What do you want me to do? CUT TO: 51 INT. SINDONE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS ACTION 51 Sindone is watching "America's Most Wanted," rooting for the criminals. Moony comes to him looking concerned. SINDONE How come I can't get on this show? This is a good show. MOONY Primo. You got a phone call. It's Paul Vitti. SINDONE (warily) Vitti. (picks up the phone) Hello? INTERCUT Vitti and Sindone. Vitti is on the phone, struggling to contain his rage. Ben watches. VITTI Primo, it's Paul Vitti. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 74A. 51 CONTINUED: 51 SINDONE Yeah, how's it goin'? VITTI Not good. Whoever killed Dominic is shooting at me now and I'm having a lot of feelings about it and I'd like to get some kinda -- BEN Closure. VITTI -- closure on this. Ben nods in encouragement. SINDONE What kind of feelings? VITTI I feel very angry, you know. Very, uh, enraged. Mad. Real mad. Thumbs up from Ben. SINDONE So why you telling me? VITTI Why am I telling you? Like you had nothing to do with it? SINDONE I don't know what you're talking about. VITTI Okay, whatever, I just wanted to tell you how I feel because I know that anger is -- He looks at Ben. BEN A blocked wish -- VITTI -- a blocked wish, and I'm getting my wish unblocked and I'm looking forward to getting some closure -- (MORE) (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 74B. 51 CONTINUED: (2) 51 VITTI (CONT'D) (loses it) -- and if you make one more move on me I swear to God I'll cut your fuckin' balls off and shove 'em up your ass! SINDONE Vaffancul'! Vitti rips the phone cord out of the jack and smashes the phone against the wall. He stands there fuming. Sindone hangs up the phone on his end, worried. SINDONE Get a dictionary and find out what this 'closure' is. If that's what he's hitting us with, I want to know what the hell it is. CUT TO: 51A INT. VITTI'S SUITE - MOMENTS LATER 51A Vitti is still fuming. VITTI Good? BEN Yeah, right up until the shoving the balls. You can't keep doing this! You want to get physical? Take a walk. Get a punching bag. Hit a pillow. Vitti whips out a .9MM AUTOMATIC and EMPTIES the CLIP into a pillow on the couch. VITTI There's your fucking pillow. BEN Feel better now? VITTI Yeah, I do. CUT TO: 52 OMITTED 52 thru thru 57 57 ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 7/20/98 74C. 58 LARGE ITALIANATE FOUNTAIN 58 Cheeky marble cherubs bathe in the soaring jets and bubbling pools of a large rococo fountain. PULL BACK TO: (CONTINUED) 75. 58 CONTINUED: 58 EXT. BEN'S DRIVEWAY - DAY Ben, Laura and Michael are staring up at the elaborate fountain that now fills the back yard. BEN Call the Vatican. Ask them if anything's missing. MICHAEL So cool! JANET Michael, get your bags out of the car, please. MICHAEL It's almost as tall as the house! Michael crosses away. Laura glares at Ben. BEN (reads the card) He felt bad. It's a wedding gift. LAURA Well, we're not married, so I guess we'll have to send it back. BEN Hey, don't blame me. You didn't want to finish the ceremony. LAURA What did you expect? You think that's what I want to remember on our anniversary? 'Gee, honey, let's go look at the wedding video. There's my parents, there's your parents, and there's the guy who plunged to his death.' BEN I just want to marry you. LAURA I'm starting to think that's not going to happen. BEN Come on. Next Saturday. It's all set. I even asked for a room with a low ceiling, just to discourage the jumpers. (CONTINUED) 76. 58 CONTINUED: (2) 58 LAURA And who's going to be there? BEN Us three, a clergyman, and any family members who've completed their crisis counseling. LAURA And no guests without necks. Everybody has to have a neck. BEN We'll do a neck check at the door. They kiss. CUT TO: 59 INT. SOBOL FAMILY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 59 The back door opens and Ben, Laura and Michael enter, struggling with the luggage. They freeze. Sitting in the family room are the three FBI agents: Steadman, Ricci and Provano. AGENT STEADMAN (showing his badge) Doctor Sobol, Mrs. Sobol -- I'm Agent Steadman, Agent Ricci, Agent Provano, Federal Bureau of Investigation, O.C.D. BEN (stunned) Obsessive-compulsive disorder? AGENT PROVANO Organized Crime Division. We need to talk. Laura recognizes Provano from the hotel and glares at him. MICHAEL The FBI! This is better than the fountain! BEN Michael, go to your room. (CONTINUED) 77. 59 CONTINUED: 59 MICHAEL But -- BEN Go! MICHAEL Fine. I can hear better in there anyway. Michael exits. On the coffee table are dozens of pictures of Ben and Paul Vitti taken in Miami and just about everywhere else. BEN (a beat) So. FBI. AGENT STEADMAN Can you explain these photographs, Doctor Sobol? BEN I'm a psychotherapist. Paul Vitti is my patient. LAURA Was your patient. BEN Right. Was. That's what I meant. LAURA But not like a real patient. BEN Right. PROVANO So why did he send you that fountain? BEN That was a gift to celebrate the completion of his therapy. We got our television from an agoraphobic, so it's not that unusual -- you know, maybe you should discuss this with my attorney. LAURA Yeah, maybe you should. (CONTINUED) 78. 59 CONTINUED: (2) 59 AGENT STEADMAN Doctor Sobol, Paul Vitti is an extremely dangerous man. We're talking conspiracy, fraud, extortion, racketeering, grand theft, murder... BEN Well, yeah, but don't forget, the man is a sociopath. You've got to expect that kind of behavior -- Ben looks out the window and does a double take. 60 BEN'S POV 60 Isaac and Dorothy are standing in the yard, gawking at the fountain. 61 BACK IN FAMILY ROOM 61 BEN Excuse me, fellas. My folks are here and I'd like to -- well, die would be my first choice. Can I go out? AGENT RICCI It's your house. LAURA Too bad you didn't remember that when you were breaking in. BEN (as he goes) Honey, maybe the federal agents would like something to drink? Could you see what we have? LAURA (firmly) No. BEN (to the Agents) I tried, guys. Ben exits. CUT TO: 79. 62 EXT. BACK YARD - CONTINUOUS ACTION 62 Ben rushes up to Isaac and Dorothy. BEN Hi! What a surprise. Ben kisses his mother as she stares at the fountain. DOROTHY That certainly makes a statement. It's a little big for the yard, don't you think? BEN What can I tell you, Mom? It looked much smaller in the store. ISAAC Think it'll affect your water pressure? BEN I think it'll affect the tides. What are you doing here? DOROTHY Your father and I are just very concerned about what happened in Florida. ISAAC How was your flight home? Anyone hang themselves in first class. DOROTHY We got in last night, we couldn't sleep a wink. Is Laura inside? BEN Yeah, but she and Michael are spending some time alone, you know, getting to know each other. That's important. I don't want to disturb that dynamic. DOROTHY (a beat) So you're not going to invite us in? BEN (a beat) No. (CONTINUED) 80. 62 CONTINUED: 62 DOROTHY (insulted) Well, I'm going to wait in the car. There's too much spray. Dorothy crosses away. ISAAC All right. What's with you and Paul Vitti? BEN Well, Dad, I'm not at liberty to discuss that. ISAAC He's your patient? Are you joking? Have you thought about what this could do to your reputation? BEN You, know, I always wanted to be great, but then I realized that I might have to settle for just being good enough. Now I've got this guy who's hurting and I'm thinking that if I can help this guy, maybe I can be a little bit great. ISAAC Jesus, Ben, you're the one who's going to be hurting. I want you to stop seeing him. BEN Didn't you read your own book? Instead of trying to run my life, why don't you just close your eyes, take a deep breath, tell me what you feel, tell me what you want. ISAAC (uncomfortable) This is bullshit. BEN You wrote it. (CONTINUED) 81. 62 CONTINUED: (2) 62 ISAAC Okay. (with difficulty) I love you -- and I'm afraid for you -- I want you to be safe -- and I want you to have a good life. BEN (deeply touched) Is that really it? ISAAC That's it. They embrace awkwardly. BEN You know why I became a shrink? Because I grew up with a great one walking around the house. ISAAC I thought you became a shrink because you were sleeping with your psychology professor at Columbia. BEN Yes, and because of you. CUT TO: 63 INT. FAMILY ROOM - MINUTES LATER 63 Ben comes back to Laura and the Agents. BEN Okay, so you were saying? AGENT STEADMAN Let me cut to the chase. Sometime in the next week or so, the heads of every major crime family in the United States are going to meet together somewhere in the New York area. Ben nods, finally understanding Vitti's two week deadline. AGENT PROVANO We think the stage is set for a major bloodbath. Has he mentioned anything about it to you? (CONTINUED) 82. 63 CONTINUED: 63 LAURA A bloodbath? BEN No. If he said anything about a bloodbath, I probably would've remembered it. Bloodbath is one of those words that, you know, stands out in a conversation. AGENT STEADMAN (gathering photos) You could really help us out by supplying information about that meeting. BEN And if I don't? AGENT STEADMAN If you don't, I will personally make your life a living hell. I want you to think about that and call me at this number when you change your mind. BEN You mean if I change my mind. AGENT STEADMAN I mean when. LAURA (tough) Okay. Guess what, fellas? You don't scare me. BEN Laura -- LAURA Sit down! (to the Agents) There's going to be a bloodbath. Oh, yeah. Only it's going to be between you and me. You think you can break into our home and intimidate us? That ain't the way it works here, boys. Whatever he and Paul Vitti talked about is privileged. He doesn't have to tell you a thing. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 83. 63 CONTINUED: (2) 63 LAURA (CONT'D) Tarasoff vs. The University of California. Look it up. Now, if he's done something wrong, take him downtown and book him. Otherwise, I'll ask you very kindly to get the hell out of my house. AGENT STEADMAN We'll be in touch. The Agents exit. BEN (impressed) Laura, that was really -- LAURA (furious) Oh, shut up! Laura storms out of the room in a fury. Ben stands, looking miserable, then we hear Michael's voice from the vent. MICHAEL (V.O.) You are in trouble. CUT TO: 64 INT. OLD LION SOCIAL CLUB - DAY 64 Vitti is conferring with Sal Masiello, his consigliere. MASIELLO Paul, I don't mean this in a disrespectful way. You know I was a good friend to your father and I will always be a good friend to you. But the word is out that you've been talking to a shrink. Is that right? Vitti shoots Jelly a sharp look. Jelly looks away. VITTI What's the point here? (CONTINUED) 84. 64 CONTINUED: 64 MASIELLO This concerns the whole family. Right now, we're the only ones who know about it, but if it gets out on the street -- what then? Who knows what you've been saying in there? VITTI It's none of anybody's business what I say in there. MASIELLO Paul, I beg to differ. If you're doing this to establish some kind of insanity defense later, that's one thing. But everybody's gonna think you're falling apart, and that ain't good. They'll take it as a sign of weakness, and that makes us all vulnerable. Sindone would take over everything. VITTI So what do you want me to do? MASIELLO It's time to end it. VITTI What do you mean, end it? MASIELLO Get rid of this shrink. He knows too much already. VITTI You want me to whack my doctor? MASIELLO If you don't do it, somebody else will. It's the only way. VITTI No. Nobody touches him. You hear me? Anybody lays a finger on him, I'll kill 'em. Is that clear? CUT TO: 85. 64A FLASHBACK - EXT. STREET ON LOWER EAST SIDE - DAY 64A Vitti and Ben are walking down the street. For some reason, Vitti is wearing a hat. BEN I'm going to buy some fruit. You want anything? VITTI No, go ahead. Ben crosses to a sidewalk fruit stand and starts picking out oranges. Vitti leans up against a car waiting for him to finish. SHOTS are FIRED. He runs toward the car. More SHOTS are FIRED. Ben is hit. Vitti pulls out his gun but he fumbles and drops it. The gunmen run off. Ben sinks to the pavement, mortally wounded. Vitti kneels next to him and sobs loudly. He puts his hand to his head, knocking off his hat. VITTI Papa! Papa! 64B INT. BEN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT 64B Ben jerks upright in bed, knocked awake by the nightmare. DISSOLVE TO: 65 HOLY WATER FONT 65 Someone dips their fingers in. INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH - NEXT DAY It's Vitti. He goes down on one knee and genuflects in front of a big crucifix. Ben wiggles his finger in the holy water, just kind of curtsies and waves at Jesus on the cross. VITTI You look lousy. You all right. BEN Listen, Paul, please don't send me any more gifts. VITTI You didn't like the fountain? (CONTINUED) 86. 65 CONTINUED: 65 BEN That's not the point. It's a boundary issue. VITTI Boundary issue? I say if more people gave from the heart, we'd all be better off. Let's see your watch. (as Ben shows his wrist) Piece of junk. You're getting a Rolex. BEN Don't buy me a Rolex. VITTI Who said anything about buying it? They cross to the main aisle of the church. BEN Listen, I really need to talk to you. Ben stops cold. A casket sits in front of the altar. A funeral service is in progress. VITTI Tommy Angels. We grew up together. Worked for a crew out of Jersey City. BEN How did he die? VITTI He was on his way to talk to a federal prosecutor. Got hit by a truck -- twice. BEN Do I need to know that? I'm having nightmares as it is. The funeral procession comes down the aisle. BEN Last night I dreamed we were walking down the street, I stopped to buy some fruit, and they shot me -- like Brando in The Godfather. (CONTINUED) 87. 65 CONTINUED: (2) 65 VITTI Good scene. Was I there? A mourner walks up to Vitti, bows his head in respect and kisses Vitti on both cheeks. Vitti on both cheeks. Vitti gives him a consoling pat on the shoulder, then the man kisses Ben and walks off. BEN You dropped your gun, then you ran over to me and started yelling, 'Papa, Papa!' VITTI I was Fredo. I don't think so. An older woman kisses Vitti's hand, then both his cheeks. Vitti whispers a few words to her, then she kisses Ben's hand and moves on. More old ladies kiss their hands as they walk by. VITTI You're losing it, Doc. You may need therapy yourself. A man comes up to Vitti, kisses him on both cheeks, embraces him with excessive energy, then repeats the whole scene with Ben and exits. Ben looks at Vitti. VITTI Him I don't know. Let's get private. 65A OMITTED 65A & & 65B 65B 66 EXT. CHURCH - MOMENTS LATER 66 Ben and Vitti come out of the cathedral. BEN Don't you see? You called me 'Papa.' It's all about your father. VITTI What're you, nuts? It was your dream. (CONTINUED) 88. 66 CONTINUED: 66 BEN Yes, but that's what your black milk dream was about, too. VITTI Uh-uh. I don't buy it. In my dream, I'm bringing the baby the black milk. BEN Freud believed you're everyone in your dreams. VITTI Yeah, well, that guy I don't need to hear about. I can't even call my mother on the phone after that thing you told me. BEN Let's say you are the baby. What kind of milk did you get from your father? VITTI Could we stop talking about my father? BEN (losing it) That's the whole point! We have to start talking about your father. You know what it's like dealing with you? This is you. (imitating Vitti) You gotta help me, Doc. I'm a mess. I'm in pain. (as himself) Okay, Paul, I can help you. (as Vitti) Fuck you. Nobody helps Paul Vitti. VITTI Very good. Now I'll do you. 'Boo-fuckin'-hoo.' I never said this would be easy. Let's see how you like it. Let's talk about your father. BEN Let's not. (CONTINUED) 89. 66 CONTINUED: (2) 66 VITTI Is he still alive? BEN Yes, he's still alive. VITTI What kind of work does he do? BEN (a beat) That's not important. VITTI You paused. BEN What? VITTI You paused. That means you had a feeling. What does he do? BEN He's a psychiatrist. VITTI Ooh, you're fucked up. Next patient, please. BEN We're running out of time, Paul. Let's not waste it talking about my problems. VITTI Your father's a problem? BEN No! VITTI That's what you just said! You seem upset. BEN I'm not upset! VITTI Hey, I'm good at this. (CONTINUED) 90. 66 CONTINUED: (3) 66 BEN We have three days left. If you want to spend it screwing around, I can't help you. (hailing a taxi) Call me when you're ready to get serious. VITTI Say hello to your father for me! A cab stops at the curb. CUT TO: 66A EXT. CHURCH - SAME TIME 66A Handsome Jack and Potatoes watch from a vantage point in the park nearby. POTATOES We could just pop him right now. HANDSOME JACK In front of a church? What are you, a fuckin' animal? It's a holy place. POTATOES Is the sidewalk holy, too? I mean, where does the holiness end? HANDSOME JACK (thinks) I don't know. Second Avenue? CUT TO: 67 OMITTED 67 & & 68 68 69 DIGITAL SOUND MIXER 69 in the FBI van. A technician works at the computer console. Steadman listens. Through speakers: VITTI (V.O.) You want me to whack my doctor? (CONTINUED) 91. 69 CONTINUED: 69 MASIELLO (V.O.) If you don't do it, somebody else will. It's the only way. VITTI (V.O.) No. Nobody touches him. You hear me? Anybody lays a finger on him, I'll kill 'em. Is that clear? Then the technician plays an altered version. VITTI (V.O.) You want me to whack my doctor? MASIELLO (V.O.) If you don't do it, somebody else will. It's the only way. VITTI (V.O.) (after a beat) I'll kill 'em. CUT TO: 70 INT. LIVING ROOM - SAME TIME 70 Steadman shuts off a tape recorder, having just played the altered tape for a stunned Ben and Laura. A long beat, then Ben looks up at the agents. BEN (quietly) What do you want me to do? CUT TO: 71 INT. JIMMY'S CAR - SAME TIME 71 Jimmy is parked at the corner watching the Sobol house as the three FBI agents leave. CUT TO: 72 EXT. OLD LION SOCIAL CLUB - LATE AFTERNOON 72 Masiello is face to face with Vitti. MASIELLO Paul, he talked to the Feds. (CONTINUED) 92. 72 CONTINUED: 72 VITTI I know this guy. He would never talk to the Feds. Jelly's CELLULAR PHONE RINGS. He steps away and answers it quietly during the following. MASIELLO The FBI was at his house today. JIMMY It's the truth. I saw 'em. MASIELLO You'll see. Next thing is he's gonna call you and ask for a meeting. VITTI Come on. You don't know this guy. Jelly covers the phone and turns to Vitti. JELLY It's Dr. Sobol. He says he needs to see you right away. Vitti nods. CUT TO: 73 EXT. STREET CORNER - NIGHT 73 Ben waits on a deserted corner in Brooklyn. A black Town Car appears and stops to pick him up. The windows are heavily tinted. Ben takes a deep breath, crosses to the car and opens the back door. EXT. JELLY'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION Ben finds Jelly sitting in the back seat next to Vitti. JELLY Sit up front with Jimmy. BEN (anxiously) You want me to sit in front? Paul usually sits in front. (CONTINUED) 93. 73 CONTINUED: 73 JIMMY So this time you'll sit up front. Why you making a federal case? BEN (getting in the car) Federal case? I'm not making a federal case? Let's go. CUT TO: 74 INT. PARETTI'S RESTAURANT (JERSEY CITY) - LATER 74 A waiter pours red wine. Ben is eating out of pure anxiety. Jelly and Jimmy watch him intently. Vitti stares off. BEN (prattling nervously) Wow, this is really good. Delicious. I love Italian food. I've never been to Italy but I'd love to go. I've been to France. And Jamaica. That's nice, but I'm sure it's very different from Italy. A whole different, uh -- (silence) So what's everybody doing this summer? Carlo Mangano comes to the table. Vitti gets up, hugs and fraternal kisses all around, then Mangano sits down with them. VITTI This is Ben. He's a friend of mine. (to Ben) Say hello to Carlo Mangano. MANGANO How you doin'? VITTI (to Ben) Carlo was on my father's crew. He's always been like a -- I don't know -- like a cousin to me. MANGANO I am your cousin. (CONTINUED) 94. 74 CONTINUED: 74 VITTI I know, that's what I'm saying. It's like a family thing. The closeness. MANGANO Anything you need, anything I can do for you, Paul, you know. I'm here for you. VITTI I know. So did you take care of that thing I asked you about? MANGANO Is it all right to talk business in front of your friend? VITTI It's okay. MANGANO Yeah, I took care of it. VITTI How about that other thing? MANGANO I'm waiting for that first thing to come through. I can't move until it does. VITTI Did the guy give you a problem? MANGANO A little. He's a lunatic. CUT TO: 75 INT. FBI VAN - SAME TIME 75 The agents monitor the conversation through the bug Ben is wearing. They shake their heads at the incomprehensible dialogue. VITTI (V.O.) What did he say? MANGANO (V.O.) The usual. (CONTINUED) 95. 75 CONTINUED: 75 VITTI (V.O.) Did you tell him you weren't going for it? MANGANO (V.O.) What was I gonna do? 76 BACK IN PARETTI'S 76 VITTI You always gotta nip that shit in the bud. MANGANO Yeah. But if the first thing is okay, that should fix everything. VITTI Including the second thing. MANGANO Yeah, but -- VITTI Exactly. (to Ben) Don't repeat any of that to anyone. BEN What? The first thing or the second thing? VITTI That's Stevie Beef over there. I gotta go say hello to him for a second. (to Mangano) Come on. Ben watches Vitti and Mangano cross the room, then turns to Jelly and Jimmy. BEN Stevie Beef. Interesting name. When he was younger they probably called him Stevie Veal. (off no response) You guys come here often? JELLY Paretti's has a very special meaning to Paul. (CONTINUED) 96. 76 CONTINUED: 76 JIMMY Yeah, this is where his father got whacked. JELLY Hey! JIMMY What's the big secret? BEN (incredulous) Wait a second. Paul's father was murdered? JIMMY Right at that table. With his whole family there. JELLY Hey, just shut up. BEN Paul, too? He was there? JELLY He don't like to talk about it. Everything is suddenly clear to Ben. He stands up. JIMMY Where you goin'? BEN Bathroom. JELLY I'll go with you. CUT TO: 77 INT. BATHROOM - MOMENT LATER 77 Ben and Jelly enter. BEN I gotta -- you know -- poop. Ben goes into a stall, latches the door and drops his pants. Jelly combs his hair in the mirror. (CONTINUED) 97. 77 CONTINUED: 77 INT. STALL - SAME TIME Ben hastily unbuttons his shirt, revealing a small microphone taped to his chest. He picks at the edge of the tape, takes a deep breath, then rips it off. BEN Ahhhh! JELLY at the urinal, reacts to Ben's cry. JELLY You need more roughage. A bran muffin in the morning would help with that. CUT TO: 78 INT. PARETTI'S - BACK AT TABLE - FEW MINUTES LATER 78 Ben and Jelly rejoin Vitti. Ben starts right in on him. BEN I have to talk to you -- in private. VITTI (to Jelly and Jimmy) Leave us alone. They exit without hesitation. BEN Why didn't you tell me about your father? VITTI What about him? BEN You said he died of a heart attack. VITTI So what's the problem? BEN What's the problem? Your father was murdered! (CONTINUED) 98. 78 CONTINUED: 78 VITTI Heart attack, murdered, what's the difference? He's dead. BEN There's a big difference. Why didn't you tell me? VITTI Because it's private. You think I tell you every little thing? BEN That is not a little thing! VITTI Okay, you want to know? Analyze this. I was twelve years old, the whole family was having dinner together right over there, two guys walked in and shot him dead right in front of us. Okay? BEN And you didn't think this was important enough to tell me? VITTI What am I supposed to do? Spend the rest of my life crying about the past? Forget about it. BEN You know what? I think you want to talk about it. VITTI No, I don't want to talk about it. BEN I think you do. VITTI No, I don't. BEN Then why did you choose this restaurant? VITTI 'Cause I like it, okay? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/25/98 99. 78 CONTINUED: (2) 78 BEN Of all the places we could've gone, why this one? VITTI White clam sauce. The best. BEN No, we're here because you wanted me to know about your father. You're reaching out to me. VITTI I'll reach out to you -- Vitti suddenly reaches over and rips Ben's shirt open. All he sees is a bald patch on Ben's chest where the bug was taped. BEN I think we have some major trust issues here. CUT TO: 78A INT. SINDONE HEADQUARTERS - SAME TIME 78A The cutting room is deserted except for Primo and his men. Sindone is at his desk reading the entertainment section of the New York Times. SINDONE (studying the paper) I'd like to see a movie but there's nothing out there. It's all this shoot-'em-up action bullshit. I get enough of that at work. They all laugh. Moony finishes a call on his cell phone. MOONY That was our friend. He marked your guy at Paretti's. SINDONE Yeah? Then let's make it the last supper. Jack? HANDSOME JACK You got it, Primo. (to Potatoes) Let's go. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/25/98 99A. 78A CONTINUED: 78A SINDONE (as they exit) Hey, Jack. Just for fun, tear out his heart and bring it to me. CUT TO: 79 EXT. STREET - LATER 79 Vitti, Ben and the boys come out of the restaurant and walk to the car. BEN Jimmy, you can have shotgun this time. I don't mind. JIMMY Nah, sit up front. There's more room for your legs. BEN My legs are short, it's fine in the back. JIMMY Get in the front. BEN You know what? It's late. I think I'm just going to call it a night. Why don't I just grab a cab and head on home. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - 6/17/98 100. 79 CONTINUED: 79 JIMMY Get in the car. BEN No really, it's all right. JIMMY (pulls a gun) Get in the fucking car. Ben looks to Vitti for help. VITTI Do what he says. BEN You know, we call this a transference neurosis. It's when the patient starts acting out his problems with his therapist instead of out in the world. It's usually considered a good sign. Not for me, in this case, but -- Jimmy forces him into the back of the car. CUT TO: 79A EXT. PARETTI'S RESTAURANT - MOMENTS LATER 79A The Lincoln makes a U-turn in front of Paretti's and drives off down the street passing Handsome Jack and Potatoes in a car parked at the corner. The car takes off after the Lincoln. CUT TO: 80 INT. FBI VAN - SAME TIME 80 The agents are monitoring the bug, but all they hear is WATER RUNNING and TOILETS FLUSHING. AGENT RICCI What's he doing in there? He's been in the bathroom for half an hour. Ricci and Steadman look at each other. CUT TO: ANALYZE THIS - 6/17/98 101. 81 EXT. PARETTI'S RESTAURANT - MOMENTS LATER 81 The FBI van pulls up and lurches to a stop. CUT TO: 82 INT. PARETTI'S BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER 82 Steadman rushes in, pushes open the stall and sees the microphone and transmitter in the bottom of the toilet bowl. CUT TO: 83 OMITTED 83 & & 84 84 85 EXT. SCRAP YARD - NIGHT (LATER) 85 Jelly's car pulls into a scrap metal yard and parks. They all get out. Jelly hands Vitti a gun. VITTI (to Jimmy and Jelly) Leave us alone. Jelly looks apologetically at Ben. JELLY Sorry, Doc. It's not personal, you know. BEN Don't kid yourself, Jelly. It doesn't get more personal than this. (CONTINUED) 102. 85 CONTINUED: 85 Jelly and Jimmy walk away, leaving Ben alone with Vitti. VITTI You know why I have to do this, don't you? BEN Because you're a paranoid? No, actually you're a reverse paranoid. You think you're out to get everybody. VITTI Don't bullshit me! You betrayed me! You stabbed me in the back. They start shouting at each other. BEN I betrayed you? What are you talking about? Who's got the gun? VITTI You think I'm an idiot? Don't insult my intelligence. You cooperated! You talked to the Feds! BEN They played me a tape! You said you were going to kill me. VITTI Never. I never said that. They glare at each other for a moment. BEN It doesn't matter. I didn't betray you, Paul. Yes, they made me wear a wire, but I took it off, because I think I know how to help you now. VITTI I don't want to know what you think. BEN Yes, you do. VITTI No, I don't! (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/10/98 103. 85 CONTINUED: (2) 85 BEN I think you do. VITTI (puts the gun to Ben's head) It's over! Don't you get it? I took one chance and that's it. BEN Okay. (as Vitti cocks the gun) Can I ask you one last question? VITTI (a beat) What? BEN What did you order? VITTI What? BEN What did you order? VITTI When? BEN That night. What were you eating the night your father got killed? VITTI How the hell do I know? BEN You don't remember? VITTI It was 35 years ago. BEN What did your father have? VITTI I told you! I don't remember. BEN Try. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/10/98 104. 85 CONTINUED: (3) 85 VITTI What's the matter with you? BEN It's a simple question. What was your father eating! VITTI (after a long pause) Penne. BEN Good. And you. VITTI Ravioli. BEN The food was on the table? VITTI They were just serving it. BEN Did you see the guys coming? VITTI One of them. Dressed like a busboy. BEN Did your father see him? VITTI No, but I knew he looked wrong. BEN Why? VITTI His pants. They looked too good for a busboy. BEN He walked over to the table? VITTI I watched him the whole way. BEN Did you say anything? (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/10/98 105. 85 CONTINUED: (4) 85 VITTI My father was so mad at me. BEN And you were mad at him. VITTI I couldn't say anything. BEN And then. VITTI I never saw the second guy. My mother started screaming. BEN And you blame yourself? VITTI I coulda saved him. BEN But you were mad at him. VITTI (starting to hyperventilate) I killed my father. BEN You didn't kill him, Paul. You were angry but you didn't kill him. That's the life he chose. VITTI I never got to say good-bye. BEN Say it now, Paul. Talk to him. What do you want to tell him? VITTI I can't. BEN You have to. Tell him, Paul. VITTI (breaks down) I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. (CONTINUED) ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/10/98 106. 85 CONTINUED: (5) 85 BEN It's okay, Paul. You can let go of it now. Vitti leans back against the car, slumps to the ground and starts sobbing, 35 years of pent-up grief finally finding expression. 86 JELLY AND JIMMY 86 Standing around smoking, waiting for the death shot. JIMMY What's taking so long? I'm ruining my goddamn shoes here. Fuckin' $350 Bruno Maglis. JELLY What's wrong with you? Don't you have any respect? This is a very difficult thing for Paul. JIMMY Shoulda let me do it. I'd be home watchin' E.S.P.N.2 by now. World's strongest man. You should see these guys. 87 VITTI AND BEN 87 Ben is comforting Vitti. BEN You couldn't save him, Paul. He was trying to save you. That's what you fought about. He didn't want this for you, and you don't want it for Anthony. You don't want him to grow up the way you did -- without a father. Vitti just cries louder. 88 JELLY AND JIMMY 88 hearing the crying. JELLY Jesus, the guy's fallin' apart. JIMMY Why doesn't he just pop him? It's embarrassing. ANALYZE THIS - Rev. 6/10/98 106A. 89 BEN AND VITTI 89 Ben tries to comfort Vitti who is still crying. BEN Your father's not dead, Paul. He's alive -- in you. And he's trying to tell you something. (CONTINUED) 107. 89 CONTINUED: 89 Suddenly, there is a GUNSHOT and a BULLET RICOCHETS off the TOP of the CAR. BEN Oh, my God! 90 HANDSOME JACK 90 He OPENS UP with a MAC-10. JELLY AND JIMMY Jimmy goes down, hit in the shoulder. Jelly dives for cover behind a rusted car body. VITTI AND BEN BEN (in a panic) Paul! They're shooting! Vitti continues to sob, oblivious to the GUN BATTLE raging around him. JELLY He FIRES back at Handsome Jack. POTATOES He rakes the Lincoln with a BURST from the ASSAULT RIFLE. JELLY'S CAR All the WINDOWS ARE BLOWN OUT by the GUNFIRE. Ben screams. BEN Paul! For God's sake, shoot somebody! Vitti just sits there on the ground, still sobbing quietly. JELLY He reloads and FIRES again. (CONTINUED) 108. 90 CONTINUED: 90 POTATOES Jelly's last SHOT strikes him right in the chest, and he goes down. HANDSOME JACK He sees Potatoes fall and starts moving out, covering his retreat with another BURST from his MACHINE GUN. JELLY'S CAR Something snaps inside Ben. BEN Goddamn it! He takes the GUN out of Vitti's hand and starts FIRING WILDLY. JELLY He sees Handsome Jack emerge from cover and takes him out with FIVE QUICK SHOTS. HANDSOME JACK He goes down FIRING, dead before he hits the ground. SCRAP YARD It's suddenly quiet. After a long moment, Jimmy rolls over and moans. Jelly goes to him and starts examining his wound. 91 JELLY'S CAR 91 Ben stands up, still holding Vitti's gun. He sees Handsome Jack lying dead on the ground. BEN Oh my God! Did I do that? JELLY No, Doc. That one's mine. You got the Chevy Camaro and the side-by-side refrigerator-freezer. (CONTINUED) 109. 91 CONTINUED: 91 Vitti emerges from behind the car looking red-eyed but composed again and looks at Ben. VITTI Pretty fuckin' ironic, isn't it? You can give me back the gun now, Doctor. Vitti holds out his hand. Ben hesitates for a moment, then hands him the gun. VITTI It's okay. I wasn't really gonna whack you. (off Jelly's skeptical look) All right, maybe I was gonna whack you, but I was real conflicted about it. Progress, right? BEN I don't think I can see you anymore. VITTI Yeah, I figured. BEN This was big tonight. You might feel a little raw for a while. VITTI Yeah. BEN So good luck. It's been -- Vitti nods, they stand there for another moment, then Ben walks off into the night. CUT TO: 92 INT. BEN'S OFFICE - MORNING 92 ELAINE, a fortyish, tired-looking wife and mother sits on the couch across from Ben. Ben looks bored and depressed. ELAINE I want to please him in bed, but whatever I do it seems like it's never enough. Now he wants me to say things when we're making love. (CONTINUED) 110. 92 CONTINUED: 92 BEN What kinds of things does he want you to say, Elaine? ELAINE Well, he wants me to call him 'big boy.' And he's my bucking bronco, and I'm supposed to ride him hard and put him back in the barn wet. Michael's laughter is heard coming through the vent. Ben closes his eyes and sighs deeply. ELAINE Are you all right, Dr. Sobol? BEN Let me suggest something, Elaine. If the man wants you to say things ... damn it, you should get down on all fours and bark like a dog if that's going to get the job done. Break out the wine, baby. Smoke a joint. Do what you have to do, because life is too short. It's just too fucking short. Elaine stares, taken aback, then she smiles. ELAINE Okay. CUT TO: 93 EXT. VITTI'S HOUSE - SEVERAL DAYS LATER 93 Jelly, Jimmy and Iron Mike arrive and walk up to the house. The rest of the crew are standing around on the porch. CUT TO: 94 INT. VITTI'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER 94 Jelly enters and finds Vitti in his undershorts, putting on his tie, looking very strong. JELLY How you feelin', boss? You need anything? (CONTINUED) 111. 94 CONTINUED: 94 VITTI No, I'm great. Never felt better in my life. When this meeting is over they won't know what hit 'em. Jelly gives him the thumbs up and exits. Vitti turns to the TV and starts knotting his tie as a PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMMERCIAL STARTS PLAYING, featuring a father and his son. As Vitti watches the sentimental ad, his eyes fill with tears. CUT TO: 95 EXT. WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL - LITTLE LATER 95 The sun is shining. A beautiful day for a wedding. "HERE COMES THE BRIDE" is heard. 96 INT. WALDORF-ASTORIA BANQUET ROOM - LATER 96 The crowd oohs and aahs as Laura starts down the aisle in her wedding dress. Isaac and Dorothy are standing near the chupah ready to receive her. DOROTHY Is Ben going to step on the glass? ISAAC No. He doesn't want to hurt his foot, so they're going to drop a person on it. DISSOLVE TO: 96A INT. WALDORF-ASTORIA BANQUET ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 96A Laura and Ben stand before a REFORMED RABBI. The family is gathered again. Michael stands just to the side. RABBI We are put on this earth to find a love, a soulmate, someone with whom we can create joy. How glad we are today that Ben and Laura have found each other, and we anticipate and celebrate the years of joy they will share together from this day on. We hear a PSST from somewhere. Ben and Laura don't seem to notice it. (CONTINUED) 112. 96A CONTINUED: 96A RABBI Ben, do you take this woman, Laura, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part, so help you God? Another PSST. Ben looks over and sees Jelly standing behind some flowers to the side of the altar. BEN (hissing) No! RABBI Excuse me? BEN No, not you. I was talking to him. RABBI Who him? BEN It's not important. Yes. RABBI Yes what? BEN Yes to the thing before. To her. That's a yes. Pick it up from there. Jelly moves closer. The guests start to mutter. JELLY (to Ben) Doc, we're going to need to hurry it up here. (to Michael) Hi, kid. LAURA I do not believe this! JELLY (to the Rabbi) Haul ass, buddy. We got a problem. LAURA Who the hell do you think you are? (CONTINUED) 113. 96A CONTINUED: (2) 96A JELLY (to Ben) Ooh, she's feisty. Watch out, Doc. (to the Rabbi) Tick tock, let's go. Hurry up and pronounce them, huh? RABBI By the power vested me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. JELLY Okay. Kiss, kiss -- Ben and Laura kiss. JELLY I'm sorry about this, Mrs. Sobol, but duty calls, you know? LAURA (tearing up) Oh. You're the first person to call me Mrs. Sobol. JELLY Nice, huh? LAURA No. BEN Laura, I'm sorry. It's the job. LAURA Go. Just go. (to Jelly) Have him back here by the salad course or you're in serious trouble. Capiche? JELLY You're a pistol. (to Ben) I like her. Ben kisses Laura, then the organist plays "Here Comes the Bride" as Jelly and Ben hurry down the aisle together. ANGLE ON SCOTT AND BELINDA, ISAAC AND DOROTHY shaking their heads in confusion. CUT TO: 114. 97 OMITTED 97 & & 98 98 99 INT. WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL - RECEPTION AREA 99 Ben comes out of the function room with Jelly. JELLY He's bad, Doc. Worse than I ever seen him. I think his inner child is all fucked up. BEN Have you ever seen an episode like this? JELLY Yes. Once on 'Bonanza,' Hoss Cartwright got bit by a raccoon. He got this fever and he was shaking -- BEN Never mind. CUT TO: 100 OMITTED 100 100A INT. WALDORF GARAGE - MOMENTS LATER 100A Jelly and Ben come out of the hotel into the garage area. JELLY This is serious, Doc. If he doesn't make this meeting, they'll kill him for sure. BEN Can't someone else in the family go for him? Tommy the Tongue? Louie the Lip? What about you? You go? JELLY That would work except for one little detail. I'm a fucking moron. I'm known for it. (a beat) You have to go. BEN Me? You must be a moron. (CONTINUED) 115. 100A CONTINUED: 100A JELLY Hey! Watch that. BEN You just said it yourself. JELLY It's different when I say it. When you say it, it sounds very negative. BEN I'm sorry, Jelly, but I'm not going. I'm not on the payroll anymore, so forget about it. My wife is waiting -- He turns to go back into the hotel. JELLY Doc. Ben feels a gun pressed against his back. BEN You can't shoot me, Jelly. JELLY Correction. Mr. Vitti couldn't shoot you. But here's something about me you should know. I never got married, Doctor Sobol. I don't have a hobby. I never got a dog or a cat. I don't even have a goldfish. I live for one reason only, and that's to serve Mr. Paul Vitti. He's what I'm thinking about when I wake up, and he's what I'm thinking about when I close my eyes to sleep. If he told me to jump off a tall building, not only would I do it, I would hope to survive so I could do it again and again until he told me to stop. This is all I know. This is all I got. So please don't think I won't kill you, because I'd hate for your last thought to be a wrong one. You're going to that meeting. CUT TO: 116. 100B INT. FBI CAR - MOMENTS LATER 100B Parked on 50th Street, Ricci and another agent watch the limo emerge from the Waldorf garage. Ricci signals someone on the radio. 100C FBI HELICOPTER 100C flies INTO VIEW over Park Avenue and starts tracking the limo. 101 EXT. MID-TOWN TUNNEL - DAY 101 The black stretch limo approaches the tunnel entrance. An FBI helicopter zooms INTO VIEW high above. CUT TO: 102 INT. HELICOPTER - SAME TIME 102 Steadman and Provano track the limo from the air as it enters the tunnel. 103 OMITTED 103 104 EXT. TUNNEL EXIT - MOMENTS LATER 104 Fifteen identical limos emerge from the tunnel on the Queens side and start criss-crossing as they leave the toll booths, then head off in different directions. CUT TO: 105 INT. HELICOPTER - SAME TIME 105 Steadman and Provo try to pick Ben's limo out of the pack of identical limos heading up the Long Island Expressway. STEADMAN (desperately) Which one is it? AGENT PROVANO The black one. CUT TO: 117. 105A INT. LIMOUSINE - DAY 105A Ben is in the back with Jelly and Jimmy. One of their crew, IRON MIKE, is driving. Ben is putting on a suit of Jimmy's. He looks very anxious. JIMMY (his shoulder bandaged) Just remember. That's a fuckin' $1200 Valentino suit. You spill anything on it, I'll mess you up good. JELLY Shut up. You're making him nervous. If he gets nervous and fucks up, they'll kill him for sure. (to Ben) Let's go over it again. BEN This is insane. JELLY Mr. Vitti's been detained, apologies all around, blah, blah, blah. Then you say you're the new consigliere, and you're prepared to speak for Mr. Vitti. BEN Then what? JELLY Then you just keep your mouth shut, and hope nobody asks you nothin'. JIMMY Boy, this is some fuckin' plan. JELLY Shut up. (to Ben) If you have to talk, just be vague. Can you do that? BEN I'm a psychologist. Believe me, I can be vague. CUT TO: 118. 106 INT. VITTI'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME 106 Vitti is lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. Marie is stroking his forehead. Then he looks over and sees Anthony sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed, watching him with concern. VITTI Shouldn't you be outside playing or something? ANTHONY No, it's all right. VITTI How long you gonna sit there? ANTHONY (shrugs) How long you gonna lay there? Vitti smiles. VITTI I'm done. CUT TO: 107 EXT. OZONE PARK (QUEENS) - MINUTES LATER 107 The limo pulls into the parking lot of the Tops Limousine Service. Fifty other limos are already parked there. Jelly and Jimmy get out, followed by Ben, now dressed in shiny suit and pinky ring. CUT TO: 108 INT. TOPS LIMO GARAGE - CONTINUOUS ACTION 108 Ben, Jelly, and Jimmy enter a garage the size of a small airplane hangar. The floor has been cleared and long tables set up to form a square in the middle of the room. Wiseguys with shotguns patrol the catwalks above the floor and soldiers are posted at all the doors. BEN (sotto voce) I can't do this. I'm telling you, I cannot do this. JELLY Don't fucking whine! Whining's a dead giveaway. Come on! You're the consigliere, for Chrissake. (CONTINUED) 119. 108 CONTINUED: 108 Around the tables sit forty or fifty of the biggest gangsters in the world. A few captains stand around the perimeter, ready to serve their bosses. BEN These are the bosses? That one looks like my Uncle Max. Jelly steers Ben to an empty seat next to Carlo Mangano. MANGANO (surprised) What's goin' on? Where's Vitti? JELLY On his way. Don't worry. Mangano eyes Ben with contempt. MANGANO What's he doin' here? JELLY He's -- it's okay. Forget about it. MANGANO Forget about it? What the hell is that? Seated directly across the room from Ben is Primo Sindone. He stares hard at Ben, trying to place him, then leans over to Moony, his consigliere. SINDONE Who's the guy with Jelly? MOONY I don't know. Ben looks away nervously. BEN (to Jelly, borderline hysterical) I can't do this. He starts to get up but Jelly pulls him back down. Moony stands up and gets everyone's attention. (CONTINUED) 120. 108 CONTINUED: (2) 108 MOONY All right, gentlemen. I think we better start. We have a big agenda, so for now let's stick to the big issues. And it would help if you identify yourselves when you speak, since we don't all know each other, and we didn't think anybody would be into wearing any fucking name tags. Laughter around the table. Sindone stands up and looks straight at Ben. SINDONE I'm Primo Sindone. They call me Sonny Long. It's good to see so many of the old faces here, and to welcome the new ones from all over the country. I see Frank Zello, and Joe Baldassare, but I'm a little disappointed to see that the head of our other New York family isn't here today. All I see is his man Jelly and some sawed-off little prick nobody knows. Jelly looks at Ben, waiting for him to speak, but Ben just sits, frozen, looking down at his hands. JELLY (stands up, rattled) Yeah, well, the thing is Mr. Vitti has been detained and he sends his apologies for -- being detained -- and he apologizes for his -- detainment. SINDONE Detained? What kind of bullshit is that? What's more important than this? As the host of this meeting, I take his not being here as a sign of disrespect to me and to all these other men, too, who came a long way to be here. JELLY Mr. Vitti meant no disrespect. The thing is, he's not feeling well. He's sick and he -- didn't feel well -- (CONTINUED) 121. 108 CONTINUED: (3) 108 Ben rises and slaps Jelly hard across the face. BEN (quietly) Jelly! We don't ever discuss Mr. Vitti's health outside the family. You know better. Jelly is stunned. The bosses murmur. SINDONE All right, who is this guy and what the fuck is he doing here? BEN In answer to your first question, my name is Ben Sobol -- (off Sindone's look) -- leone. Sobboleone. They call me -- 'The doctor.' As for your second question. I'm here representing Paul Vitti. As his conser -- conghili -- JELLY (prompting) Consigliere -- BEN (slaps him again) Don't you ever correct me again! As his consigliere, I'm intimately involved in all aspects of the family business and I'm prepared to speak for Mr. Vitti on all matters. SINDONE Okay, Doctor, then let's get down to business. Everybody knows there's been this thing between me and Paul Vitti for a long time. BEN Which thing are you talking about? The first thing or the second thing? SINDONE What second thing? I only know one thing. (CONTINUED) 122. 108 CONTINUED: (4) 108 BEN Well, I don't see how we can discuss the first thing without bringing up the second thing. Didn't you talk to the guy? He tugs meaningfully on his earlobe. SINDONE What guy? BEN The guy with the thing. SINDONE What thing? What the fuck are you talking about? BEN How should I know? You brought it up. (gestures helplessly to the others) This is the whole problem. You can't have an intelligent conversation with the man. SINDONE How about if I just break your fuckin' neck? What do you think of that? BEN It's not important what I think. What do you think? SINDONE What do I think? I think it's a good idea! Why would I say it if I didn't think it was good? BEN I don't know. Why would you? SINDONE (frustrated) I wouldn't! That's what I'm saying! BEN Have you always had a problem dealing with your anger? (CONTINUED) 123. 108 CONTINUED: (5) 108 SINDONE What are you talking about? BEN What do you think I'm talking about? SINDONSINDONE (explodes) I don't know what the fuck you're talking about! BEN See, you're angry again. Do you feel you have to get angry to be heard? Sindone turns to a couple of other bosses, FRANK ZELLO and JOE BALDASSARE. SINDONE What's he talking about? ZELLO I don't know. But you do have a tendency to get angry a lot. BALDASSARE I agree, Primo. SINDONE I'm trying to talk about Vitti! Why are we talking about me? BEN Interesting. Do you feel you're not worthy enough to be talked about? SINDONE What does that mean? BEN What do you think it means? SINDONE Fuck you! ZELLO Primo, calm down. (CONTINUED) 124. 108 CONTINUED: (6) 108 SINDONE Calm down? How can I calm down when this prick won't stop with the questions? BEN Could you pass the fruit, please? SINDONE That's it! You're a dead man! Sindone whips out a pistol and points it at Ben, but just as he's about to shoot -- VITTI (O.S.) Primo! All eyes turn. 109 PAUL VITTI 109 He's standing there, staring at Sindone, cool, clear, and unafraid. He looks like a king. The room goes silent. Vitti looks around the table, nods, and crosses to Ben. Jelly gets up to greet him. VITTI (quietly, to Jelly) Wait outside with the car running. Jelly nods and exits. BEN What are you doing here? VITTI Saving your ass. Sit down. I'll take it from here. Ben sits, greatly relieved. VITTI (to the group) I'm Paul Vitti. I'm sorry I was late. Those of you who know me will know I meant no disrespect. If it's all right with you, there's something I'd like to say, then I'll leave you to your business. Ben looks at Vitti and sees a kind of serenity and clarity he's never seen before. (CONTINUED) 125. 109 CONTINUED: 109 VITTI About two and a half weeks ago, somebody killed my friend, Dominic Manetta. He looks straight at Sindone. SINDONE Don't look at me. Everybody knows you whacked him so you could take over everything. VITTI What I really came here to say is that I've come to a very important decision in my life. I want out. A great murmur of surprise sweeps around the room. Ben looks at him proudly. VITTI I'm going away for a while, but I will respect the oath I took the day I was made, and whatever I know about anyone else's business, I take with me to the grave. You have my word. A negative buzz among the bosses. VITTI As for my own organization, I know Carlo Mangano would like to be the new boss. Mangano smiles gratefully. MANGANO Thank you, Paul. VITTI That's why he betrayed Dominic and me to our enemies and sent his own man to kill me in Miami. Mangano is stunned. VITTI But I leave it to my people to deal with that and choose their own boss. And even though it's my right, I won't take revenge, mostly because I'm in a good place mentally and feeling good about me. (CONTINUED) 126. 109 CONTINUED: (2) 109 ZELLO (perplexed) I don't know, Paul. I can see where some people might have a problem with this. VITTI I realize that, so as an extra token of good faith between us, I've taken the liberty of writing down everything I know and putting it in a safe deposit box in case anything happens to me or my family. There's a long tense silence while the other bosses consider all this. Then, finally -- ZELLO I don't know what anybody else thinks, but I say good luck and God bless, Paul. BALDASSARE Good luck, Paul. Salut. They all raise their glasses and toast Vitti. Ben raises his glass to Vitti and drinks. BEN (to Vitti) Well done. Vitti smiles at him and drinks. CUT TO: 110 EXT. PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER 110 Ben and Vitti come out of the building and cross to the car. Jelly is waiting, Iron Mike has the MOTOR RUNNING, and Jimmy is in the front seat with him. VITTI Let's move. Sindone and Mangano come out with guns drawn, flanked by two wise guys. SINDONE Vitti! (CONTINUED) 127. 110 CONTINUED: 110 Vitti and his crew turn and face Sindone and Mangano across the parking lot. VITTI I don't want to do this, Primo. SINDONE You don't want to do this? That's fuckin' rich. What did you think, you could just quit and walk away? You think this is a fuckin' civil service job? What are you, crazy? VITTI Not anymore. (to Mangano) Hey, Carlo, tell me. You gonna stab me in the back like the piece of shit I always knew you were? Mangano stares at him, cold and hard. MANGANO I'm not gonna stab you in the back, Paul. I want to see your face when I do it. VITTI I don't think so. (calls out) Mo-Mo! Mo-Mo stands up from behind a car pointing a shotgun at Mangano and Sindone. VITTI Bigs! Johnny Bigs steps out from behind a shed holding an assault rifle. VITTI Eddie! The back of a van opens to reveal Eddie "Cokes" and Tuna manning a military air-cooled machine gun on a tripod. VITTI It's over, Primo. Now get the fuck outta here. Sindone glares at him, then lowers his gun, turns, and starts to walk back into the building joined by Mangano and the soldiers. (CONTINUED) 128. 110 CONTINUED: (2) 110 Vitti and Ben relax. BEN Good thinking. I was going to bring a machine gun but I don't have one. Of course, we haven't opened the wedding gifts yet. Suddenly, Sindone whirls and FIRES at Vitti. Ben staggers in front of Vitti and takes the bullet in the shoulder. CUT TO: 111 INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS ACTION 111 The assembled bosses hear the sound of GUNFIRE outside. Zello looks at Baldassare. ZELLO Oh, shit. The bosses all jump up and run for the exits. CUT TO: 112 EXT. PARKING LOT - SAME TIME 112 As the GUN BATTLE CONTINUES, Sindone jumps into a car and tries to escape, but Eddie Cokes RIPS his car with the MACHINE GUN, stopping it dead. 113 OMITTED 113 113A GATES 113A An NYPD armored assault vehicle bursts through the gates. Police cruisers and SWAT vans come racing up to the scene, SIRENS SHRIEKING. Then, from out of the sky, the FBI helicopter descends, blaring a warning. AGENT STEADMAN (V.O.) (on a loudspeaker) Drop your weapons and lie facedown on the ground. I repeat. Drop your weapons and lie facedown on the ground. CUT TO: 129. 114 EXT. ALLEY - CONTINUOUS ACTION 114 Bosses and fat capos go running through the alleys and clambering over fences in their silk suits and expensive loafers. 115 EXT. PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS ACTION 115 Agent Ricci, wearing a flak jacket and FBI baseball cap, has Sindone down on the ground with his foot on Primo's neck and a .45 aimed at his head. AGENT RICCI (screaming) Don't move! Don't you fucking move! SINDONE Hey! Take a pill, Robocop. Vitti is tending to Ben who is on the ground leaning against the side of the limo. VITTI (deeply moved) I can't believe it. You took a bullet for me. What doctor ever did that much for a patient? I'll never forget that. BEN Paul -- I tripped. VITTI Yeah. You tripped over your unconscious. DISSOLVE TO: 116 EXT. FEDERAL PRISON - MANY WEEKS LATER 116 It's a beautiful summer day. Convicts are playing basketball and lounging in the yard. CUT TO: 117 INT. PRISON LIBRARY - SAME TIME 117 Ben in a sport coat, and Vitti, in prison whites, are sitting around in a circle with several other convicts. DONNY, a heavyweight con with a shaved head and numerous tattoos is talking. (CONTINUED) 130. 117 CONTINUED: 117 DONNY I don't think my mother really listens when I talk. She never listened. VITTI And how does that make you feel? DONNY It makes me feel angry. VITTI I'll bet you feel hurt, too, don't you? DONNY (suddenly vulnerable) Yes, I do. BEN Paul, what would you say about what Donny's feeling? VITTI Donny, when you're thirsty, you don't go to the wall -- you go to the well. You know what I'm saying? Your mother may never be able to listen to you, but you have friends here who will. Okay? Ben is proud of Vitti's new sensitivity. BEN And be patient, Donny. Most people's problems take months, sometimes years to resolve. DONNY I'm doing twenty-five to life. BEN That should be plenty of time. CUT TO: 118 INT. PRISON CORRIDOR - LATER 118 Ben and Vitti have just left the therapy group. (CONTINUED) 131. 118 CONTINUED: 118 BEN You know they found Primo Sindone dead in a field near LaGuardia. VITTI I heard. (off Ben's look) I had nothing to do with it. There were guys lined up from Canarsie to Atlantic City who wanted to whack that bastard. BEN Okay, just checking. VITTI You know, Doc, I don't think I ever thanked you properly for curing me. BEN We don't say 'cured.' We say you had a 'corrective emotional experience.' VITTI You, you, you're very good. BEN (pointing) No. You. You. CUT TO: 119 OMITTED 119 120 EXT. SOBOL BACK YARD - NIGHT 120 Ben and Laura are dancing in the yard. Paper lanterns are hung here and there. A bottle of champagne sits open on the table. A great TONY BENNETT SONG can be heard playing. BEN Happy? LAURA I just can't get used to it. BEN What? (CONTINUED) 132. 120 CONTINUED: 120 LAURA It's been three weeks since the last time you were kidnapped. I don't know if I can adjust. They kiss as the SONG ENDS. Ben turns and speaks to someone O.S. BEN What do you say, Tony? One more? TONY BENNETT and his trio are set up on the back porch. TONY BENNETT Whatever you want, Dr. Sobol. My friend told me to stay as long as you wanted me. What do you want to hear, Mrs. Sobol? LAURA Your choice, Tony. TONY BENNETT I was hoping you'd say that. (quietly, to trio) 'World on a String,' fellas. Tony sings "I've Got the World on a String" as Ben and Laura continue to dance. The CAMERA PANS UP and we see Michael smiling and shooting video from his bedroom window, then the CAMERA PANS UP TO a starry sky, and we... FADE OUT. THE END

Analyze That (2002) by Peter Steinfeld and Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. June 2002 Draft Mobster Paul Vitti is released into Dr. Ben Sobol's care, where only more chaos ensues. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY Analyze That (2002) movie script (PDF) at sfy.ru also at dailyscript.com (PDF) ANALYZE THAT Screenplay by PETER STEINFELD and HAROLD RAMIS and PETER TOLAN Based on characters created by KENNETH LONERGAN and PETER TOLAN June 2002 Draft FADE IN: INT. DIMLY-LIT BAR - NIGHT Two men, CAESAR and MARTY "DUCKS," stand at the end of the deserted bar, talking quietly, oblivious to the exotic dancer grinding her pelvis on a pole in the middle of the small stage. Body language and charisma tell us that Caesar is the boss, "Ducks" his lieutenant. DUCKS It's Peezee. Gotta be. He hates your fuckin' guts. CAESAR (brooding) I don't know. DUCKS Who else knew about the money? And how did Peezee know they popped Tony Cisco when we didn't even hear about it 'til last night? CAESAR (sighs heavily) I don't know. DUCKS (pressing) What is so hard to understand here? You said yourself Peezee was a mamaluke and you couldn't trust him. Now suddenly you're soft on the guy? CAESAR I just don't think it was him. DUCKS Okay, I'll bite. If not Peezee, then who? CAESAR (slowly rising to his full height) I think it was you, Ducks. Caesar starts to walk away as the bartender, now holding a sawed-off shotgun, moves closer to Ducks. The exotic dancer splits in a hurry through a curtain at the back of the stage. DUCKS (scared) You gotta be kiddin'! Caesar stops at the door where two of his soldiers have 2. appeared, holding AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. DUCKS Caesar, you know me! What kind of fuckin' idiot would I have to be to try that shit with you? CAESAR A dead fuckin' idiot. As he walks out the door, the soldiers OPEN FIRE on Marty "Ducks." Caesar doesn't look back. PULL BACK TO: TV SCREEN The title credits come up on the made-for-cable series we've been watching, "Little Caesar." CLAPPING AND CHEERING from O.S. WIDEN TO: INT. SING SING PRISON - NIGHT Maximum-security prisoners are gathered around watching their favorite show in the rec room. In the front row is PAUL VITTI, former New York crime boss, and a couple of other wiseguys. VITTI Garbage. Change the channel. WISEGUY Okay, Paul. The WISEGUY gets up and starts switching channels on the TV. A couple of CONVICTS in the back start to protest. CONVICT Hey! What're you doin', asshole! Vitti turns and stares at them. They fall silent immediately. CONVICT Sorry, Mr. Vitti. Didn't mean any disrespect. WISEGUY Punks. Vitti turns the page and sees a huge headline in the Post: MOB SHRINK TELLS ALL. He gets up, agitated. 3. VITTI I'm going to bed. Vitti stands up and heads back to his cell. CUT TO: INT. CELL BLOCK - MOMENTS LATER As Vitti approaches his cell, he sees a prison guard standing by. His cellmate, EARL, a giant of a man, comes out of their cell carrying his bedroll and a box containing his other meager possessions. VITTI (suspicious) What's goin' on, Earl? EARL They're transferring me. VITTI Why? EARL (shrugs) Don't know. Thanks for looking out for me, Mr. Vitti. VITTI Yeah. Take it easy. He notices something in the box. VITTI Hey, Earl. Is that my after-shave? EARL (blanches) I'm sorry. I just grabbed stuff -- I didn't know -- VITTI That's okay. Keep it. Go ahead. EARL Thanks. See you around. Earl exits with the guard. Vitti hesitates a moment, then warily steps into his cell. CUT TO: INT. VITTI'S CELL - MIDDLE OF NIGHT The cellblock is quiet. A guard stops outside the darkened cell, looks around to make sure no one is watching, then 4. pulls out a GUN with a SILENCER, reaches through the bars and FIRES REPEATEDLY into Vitti's shadowy form under the blanket. Then he slips away as quietly as he appeared. ON his exit we PAN DOWN TO Vitti, unhurt, curled up under his bunk. CUT TO: INT. MEMORIAL CHAPEL - DAY A deluxe casket flanked by elaborate floral displays and an easel displaying a portrait of the deceased, Dr. Isaac Sobel. Mourners fill the pews, standees at the back, an overflow crowd. BEN SOBEL sits in the front row, staring at the casket with his wife, LAURA, his son, MICHAEL, now a teenager, BEN'S MOTHER, and her friend, DR. JOYCE BROTHERS. At the podium, the RABBI is speaking. RABBI And now I'd like to call on Isaac's son, Dr. Ben Sobel, who would like to say a few words. Ben rises and crosses solemnly to the podium. BEN (addressing audience) It's very difficult for me to talk about my father, because in a sense I'm talking about two men. BEN (CONT'D) One, of course, is the public Isaac Sobel, the eminent psychotherapist and popular author known to millions of readers around the world. Laura, Michael and Ben's Mother listen proudly to the eulogy. BEN The second Isaac Sobel is the private man -- my father -- Dad. And for those of you who knew him well and knew our family -- well, let's face it -- my father was a psychotic, mind- fucking prick. An arrogant, abusive, ego-inflated -- A RINGING CELL PHONE interrupts him. JUMP CUT TO: BEN 5. still seated in the front row, daydreaming. The RINGING CONTINUES as all the mourners and even the Rabbi discreetly check their cell phones. Then Ben realizes it's his, fumbles for the phone in his jacket pocket and answers it. BEN (whispers) Hello? The mourners mutter. CUT TO: INT. PRISON PAY PHONE - SAME TIME VITTI Guess who, you fuck! INTERCUT WITH: INT. CHAPEL Ben turns away from Laura. BEN Paul? (to Laura) I have to, uh, take this. (into phone) This isn't a good time. Vitti is disheveled, his hair messed, his shirt buttoned wrong. VITTI Not a good time? Let me explain something to you. I'm in fucking Hell right now. This is not a good time. BEN (sotto voce) I can't talk right now. My father died! VITTI So what does that have to do with me? BEN Call me later -- VITTI Don't hang up on, Sobel! They're tryin' to kill me! 6. Ben hangs up. CUT BACK TO: VITTI He stands there for a long beat just staring, the DIAL TONE BUZZING in his ear. CUT TO: INT. SING SING - MESS HALL - NEXT DAY Vitti and another WISEGUY pass through the cafeteria line with their trays. Vitti now looks catatonic. WISEGUY #2 Ooh, they got tapioca. I love tapioca. (looks at Vitti) You all right, Paul? Vitti just stares, wild-eyed, actually drooling a little. WISEGUY #2 Can I have your tapioca? A guard, the one who tried to kill him, watches Vitti from his post. Then he nods to someone across the room. COYOTE, a heavily-muscled and tattooed gang member, nods in response. Vitti walks past the table where Coyote is sitting with other tough Hispanic gang members. COYOTE (to Vitti) Hey, Fredo! Or is it Guido? His friends laugh. Vitti stops and stares dumbly at them. COYOTE Just keep walkin', Don Corleone. There is a tense moment, then Vitti bursts out laughing. COYOTE Shut up! Vitti laughs harder, strangely manic. COYOTE I said, shut up, bitch! 7. But Vitti can't stop. He drops his tray of slop, splattering food on the men. Coyote leaps to his feet and pulls a shiv. COYOTE You're a dead man, jefe! Coyote lunges at Vitti with the knife, but Vitti suddenly whirls around, bashes Coyote in the face with his food tray and bursts into song. VITTI (singing, with appropriate dance moves) 'When you're a Jet, You're a Jet all the way, From your first cigarette To your last dyin' day...' Prisoners and guards stare at him like he's nuts. Coyote stabs at him again, but Vitti dodges and smashes him over the head with the tray. VITTI 'When you're a Jet, If the shit hits the fan, You got brothers around, You're a family man...' COYOTE You're a dead man, jefe! Coyote rushes him, but Vitti sidesteps and hits him in the face. Guards move in from all sides. Vitti jumps up on the tabletop to escape them. VITTI (kicking at them, singing) 'I like to be in America, Okay by me in America...' The guards drag him down and cuff his hands behind him, then carry him out stiff as a board. VITTI 'Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night -- ' DISSOLVE TO: EXT. SOBEL HOUSE - LATER A limo pulls up to an old, but well-maintained suburban house, the family gets out and starts walking to the house. 8. CUT TO: EXT. SOBEL HOUSE - FRONT PORCH - MOMENTS LATER The family crosses to the front door. BEN (sighs deeply) I can't believe he's gone. LAURA I can't believe what you said about him. Cold and withholding? You had to tell everybody? MICHAEL Nice. Why didn't you just take a swing at the casket? Ben opens the front door and they go in. CUT TO: INT. FOYER - CONTINUOUS ACTION The family enters the foyer. BEN Okay, I might have strayed from my notes a little. I'm dealing with a lot of stuff here. Grief is a process. Laura notices FBI AGENTS CERRONE and MILLER waiting for them in the living room. Cerrone is an attractive woman in her late twenties, wearing a dangerously-short skirt. Miller is a clean-cut man in his thirties. MILLER Dr. Sobel, I'm Agent Miller, this is Special Agent Cerrone, Federal Bureau of Investigation. We'd just like to ask you a few questions, if we could. LAURA (testy) Can I ask what this is about? We just came from the cemetery. CERRONE We know this is a difficult time for you, Dr. Sobel. Sorry about your father. BEN Thank you, I'm going to miss him 9. terribly. Ben gestures for them to sit. Laura and Michael both look at him doubtfully. BEN I mean -- there were issues -- as, I think, there are with any father and son. He wasn't especially warm -- LAURA Ben -- once today? Enough. BEN No, I'm just saying, in spite of all that -- Agent Cerrone crosses her legs, a move that does not go unnoticed by Ben and Michael. BEN -- he was a great, great legs. (beat) Man. CERRONE Dr. Sobel, you received a call this morning from Paul Vitti? Laura shoots him a look. BEN What makes you think Paul Vitti called me? MILLER Because we monitor and record all his phone calls from Sing Sing. BEN Then yes. He did. LAURA That was him on the phone? BEN Yes. LAURA And you didn't tell me? MICHAEL Wow. Talk about withholding. BEN Michael? 10. LAURA You told her -- (nodding at Agent Cerrone) You told her at the drop of a hat. Agents Cerrone and Miller eye each other. BEN She's with the F.B.I. She needs to know these things. LAURA Oh, I see. And I don't. Why tell Laura? She couldn't possibly handle a phone call. BEN Did I say that? MILLER You folks need a minute? BEN No, we're fine. LAURA If you don't need me anymore, I'll be in the kitchen. (to Agent Cerrone) And two words of advice -- from one professional woman to another -- Pant. Suit. She exits. BEN She's grieving. It's a process. MILLER We understand. (prompting) Vitti? BEN Oh, yes. Paul Vitti and I were involved in some organized crime activity a couple of years ago. I mean, I wasn't involved -- not 'involved' involved -- I was just trying to help him therapeutically, and some people tried to, uh, kill us. No big deal. MILLER Well, shortly after you spoke, he 11. seemed to have some kind of breakdown. BEN What kind of breakdown? MILLER I think you'd better go up there and see for yourself. CUT TO: INT. SING SING INFIRMARY - PSYCH WARD - DAY Vitti huddles in the corner of a bare, white, padded cell, rocking, completely out of his head. VITTI (singing) 'I feel pretty, oh, so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright...' INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - SAME TIME Ben watches through a two-way mirror with the prison psychiatrist, DR. CUTLER. They can hear Vitti through a wall-mounted speaker. DR. CUTLER I'm treating him with Thioridazine, 300 milligrams, T.I.D. That seems to keep him pretty calm. BEN (watching Vitti) That would keep a parade pretty calm. He just keeps singing West Side Story songs? DR. CUTLER 'Tonight,' 'Maria,' the balcony scene. BEN The balcony scene? Both parts? DR. CUTLER Oh, yeah. Get him to do 'Officer Krupke.' It's really good. INT. PADDED CELL Ben and Dr. Cutler enter. Vitti doesn't seem to notice. VITTI (singing) 'Who's the pretty girl in the mirror 12. there? What mirror? Where? Who can that attractive girl be?' BEN Paul, it's me. Ben Sobel. Paul? (beat) Maria? VITTI Tony? BEN (with a look to Dr. Cutler) Oh, boy. (to Vitti) What's going on, Maria? VITTI The rumble -- it's tonight! I have to get out of here. I don't want to die. No, Chino, no! Vitti's jaw suddenly goes slack and he slumps in his seat, staring forward. BEN Paul? Paul? Ben waves a hand in front of Vitti's face. Nothing. DR. CUTLER This is how it's been. He sings for a while, then he goes completely catatonic. BEN (skeptical) Really. Can we take him to an examining room? DR. CUTLER Of course. CUT TO: INT. EXAMINING ROOM - MINUTES LATER Vitti sits inert on the examination table. BEN You already did a neurological work- up? DR. CUTLER Yep. No tumors, no aneurisms, no sign of stroke -- 13. Ben slaps Vitti's face lightly a couple times. BEN Completely catatonic -- He pulls on Vitti's ears and nose. Vitti does not react. BEN Totally gone. Well, I don't think he's smart enough to be faking. Street smart, yes, but we're talking about an I.Q. just north of a bedroom slipper. Ben checks Vitti out of the corner of his eye. No reaction. Then Ben takes a sharp needle from an instrument tray. BEN So if I just stuck him with this needle, he probably wouldn't even respond. DR. CUTLER I don't know. Try it. Ben hesitates for a moment to see if Vitti will crack, then BEN Okay -- He sticks the needle into Vitti's shoulder. VITTI (bursts into song) 'Boy, boy, crazy boy, keep cool, boy! Got a rocket in your pocket, keep cool-y cool boy -- ' CUT TO: INT. SING SING - CONSULTATION ROOM - NEXT DAY Vitti is sitting at a table facing Ben. Dr. Cutler observes from a chair in the corner. BEN Paul, we're going to give you some tests to assess your mental condition. There's no pressure -- just answer as best you can. Do I have your consent to share the results of these tests? VITTI Mommy's mad at me because I made a boom on the rug. 14. BEN I'll take that as a yes. Okay, I'm going to show you ten cards, each containing a picture of an inkblot. I want you to look at each card and tell me what you see. VITTI I see you. I see him. I see a table. BEN Focus, Paul. You haven't seen the card yet. (hands him first card) What does this look like to you? Take your time. Vitti looks at the wrong side of the card. It's all white. VITTI It looks like snow. BEN No, Paul, the other side. Vitti turns it over and makes a face. VITTI A bat. A big bat. Or a weasel. BEN (taking notes) Bat or weasel. All right. VITTI And he's got a little girl -- no, it's a little boy -- in his teeth -- and he's shakin' him and shakin' him 'cause the kid didn't wipe himself good -- and the kid is screaming because the bat-weasel ripped out his throat and the blood is shootin' out of his neck vein. (pointing) That's the blood. Doctor Cutler looks worried. BEN (skeptical) See anything else? VITTI Just the pussy with the teeth. 15. BEN (making more notes) Pussy with teeth. Next card. CUT TO: SHAPES TEST Vitti is literally trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. CUT TO: VITTI AND BEN BEN Now try repeating the numbers backwards. For instance, if I was 1- 2-3, you will say 3-2-1. Okay, 7-3-8. VITTI 3-2-1. BEN Try again. 7-3-8. VITTI Blue. CUT TO: THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST Vitti studies a vague and ambiguous photograph of a man standing beside a bed with a sleeping woman and child on it. BEN Just tell me what you think is going on in this picture. VITTI This is a picture of a guy -- nice, hardworking guy -- comes home and finds out his wife's been screwin' this midget while he was out of town. BEN (appalled, makes a note) Screwing a midget. And how does the story end? VITTI I think he works over the midget for a while, then he blows 'em away. 16. BEN The wife or the midget? VITTI (smirks) Trick question, right? Both of 'em. CUT TO: ANOTHER TEST BEN Okay, Paul. Last test. In this one, I'm going to start a sentence and you complete it any way you want to. Ready? 'I get angry -- ' VITTI Yes. BEN No, you're supposed to complete the sentence. VITTI I did. I said 'yes.' BEN I wasn't asking if you agreed or disagreed; it was more like, 'I get angry when -- ' VITTI -- whenever. BEN Well, that about does it for me. CUT TO: INT. U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE - DAY Ben meets with RICHARD CHAPIN, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. BEN Based on his symptoms and the test results, I'd say brief psychotic disorder -- if it persists, possibly schizophreniform disorder. And Dr. Cutler agrees with my diagnosis. CHAPIN So he's crazy? 17. BEN Dr. Cutler? No, he's annoying, but -- CHAPIN Vitti. BEN Not crazy. At least not permanently. In certain people, continuous exposure to an extremely stressful situation -- soldiers in combat, for instance, disaster victims, a hostage situation, or being locked up in a maximum security prison with someone trying to kill you -- it can produce a temporary psychotic state. CHAPIN How temporary? BEN A day, a week, up to a month -- if the precipitating stressors are removed. CHAPIN (musing) Which means he's not going to get any better while he's still in the can. BEN He could get worse. He could deteriorate to the point where he'd be permanently schizophrenic. CHAPIN Then I'd say he's got a real problem, because he goes before the parole board in four weeks. BEN You think they'll let him out? CHAPIN Oh, yeah, I'm sure they'll want to release a major Mafia figure who's now totally deranged on top of it. BEN (thinks) Well, couldn't you release him to a halfway house or some place where he could get some decent treatment? Based on my earlier work with him, I don't think he's dangerous, and I think he was making a real effort to reform himself. 18. CHAPIN You do, huh? (thinks for a long moment) Okay. Then I'll tell you what. I'm gonna release him into your custody. BEN Mine? Me? No, this is a bad time for me. My father just died -- and I've got this bulging disc in my neck -- and we're redecorating, which is a total nightmare. I can't -- CHAPIN You want to see him killed in prison? BEN No, of course not. CHAPIN Or sent to a facility for the criminally insane. BEN No -- CHAPIN Then he's all yours. I'm going to talk to the Bureau of Prisons and get you certified as a temporary federal institution. BEN (stricken) What? I can't be an institution. CHAPIN (firm) You've got thirty days to get him in shape for his parole hearing. That means sane, sober and gainfully employed. But let me warn you, Doctor. If he fucks up in any way -- if he flees, or if I find out that this whole thing was just a setup so he could get back on the street and return to a life of crime -- I will hold you totally responsible, and I'll see that you are stripped of your license and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Are we clear? BEN (gulp) Yes. We're clear. 19. CHAPIN You still want him? BEN (long beat to decide) Yes. CUT TO: EXT. SING SING - FEW DAYS LATER The gate opens and Ben coaxes Vitti outside. A guard watches them. BEN Okay, Paul -- this way. Vitti comes out carrying an overnight bag, walking like a zombie. Ben leads him over to the car and opens the door for him. Vitti keeps walking, passing the car. BEN This way, Paul. Over here. Here we go. Ben helps Vitti into the car. One of Vitti's legs is still outside. BEN Leg, Paul. Leg up. Ben lifts Vitti's leg into the car and closes the door. CUT TO: INT. CAR - MOMENTS LATER Ben STARTS the CAR and pulls away with Vitti still slumped in his seat. Once out of sight of the prison, Vitti straightens and turns on Ben, suddenly lucid. VITTI (enraged) You fucking son-of-a-bitch! Where the fuck do you get off sticking me with a needle? BEN I knew it! I knew you were faking! You used me to get you out of prison! VITTI Took you long enough. I was singin' West Side Story for three fuckin' days. I'm half a fag already. 20. BEN What are you talking about? VITTI I call you to say somebody's trying to kill me and you hang up on me? BEN I was at the funeral home! VITTI You're my fuckin' doctor! BEN My father died! VITTI Me me me me! He's dead! Get over it. BEN Are you hearing yourself? VITTI (perfunctorily) I'm deeply sorry for your loss. BEN Yeah, I can see how touched you are. VITTI What's the difference? You hated him anyway. BEN I loved my father. I'm feeling a lot of grief right now. VITTI I'm not sensing it, but if you say so. Ben nervously pops a pill and swallows it. VITTI (re: pill) What's that? BEN Decongestant. I'm getting over a cold. All right, what's going on? Who's after you? VITTI I don't know -- take your pick. Could be my old family, or could be the Rigazzis. Ever heard of Lou Rigazzi - - Lou 'The Wrench'? 21. BEN Why "The Wrench"? VITTI Because he twisted a guy's head off once. BEN Off? VITTI Off. Fuckin' Calabrese -- animals. And comin' from me you know that's a big compliment. BEN I'm sure they'd be flattered. So -- VITTI The feds are really putting the pressure on. The families are fighting each other again -- what's left of 'em. It's the fall of the fuckin' Roman Empire. It's World War Three out there. BEN So what does that have to do with you? VITTI They knew I was gettin' out soon and the last thing anybody wants to see is me getting into it on either side. BEN Maybe if you just explain to them -- that you're out of it now, that you're starting a new life -- VITTI Yeah, they'll probably want to throw me a party and give me a gold watch. Trust me -- nobody's lookin' forward to me being out. BEN You are, aren't you? VITTI Me? Oh, yeah, my future looks real fuckin' rosy. Ben can't believe what he's gotten himself into. CUT TO: EXT. SOBEL HOUSE - LATER 22. Ben and Vitti pull into the driveway and get out of the car. BEN Want to grab your stuff? VITTI I'm not gonna be here that long. Jelly's pickin' me up in an hour. BEN Paul! I don't think you understand. You're in my custody. I could get in a lot of trouble if you screw up. VITTI Don't worry about it. I'll call you tomorrow. BEN Oh, no. You want to go back to Sing Sing? Thursday's meatloaf night. I can have you back there in no time. The U.S. Attorney was very clear. You stay with me; therapy every day; you can't leave the area without permission -- VITTI What are you, my father now? BEN And you have to get a job as soon as you're well enough, which is now. So are you coming in with me or do I have to make a phone call? Vitti relents and grabs his stuff from the back seat. VITTI I'm comin'. Some fuckin' life this is gonna be. He follows Ben up the stairs. CUT TO: INT. U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE - LATER Chapin is conferring with another U.S. ATTORNEY, DAVIS, and Agents Miller and Cerrone. CERRONE You really think Vitti is crazy? CHAPIN Yeah, he's about as crazy as I am. 23. Think about it. Locked up, he was absolutely no use to me. But back on the street, Vitti's still powerful enough to pose a threat to both families. It's like throwing gasoline on a fire. DAVIS If we can use Vitti to escalate this war, we might just end up putting them all away. MILLER That's if he goes back to his old life. CHAPIN If? People like Paul Vitti don't change. This guy's been a menace to society since he was twelve years old. Being a criminal is all he knows. Trust me. DAVIS He's gonna head straight for trouble. Then all we have to do is sit back and pick up the pieces. We could get twenty, maybe even thirty indictments next time the grand jury convenes. CHAPIN (smiles) You know, Giuliani started this way. DAVIS You running for mayor? CHAPIN Could happen. Just stick with Vitti. CUT TO: INT. SOBEL HOUSE - LATER Ben and Laura are in the kitchen, cleaning up the dinner dishes. Ben is wearing an apron that says "To Heck with Housework!" and a pair of Playtex rubber gloves. Laura is angrily muscling dishes around. LAURA How could you? How could you bring him here? That -- (shuddering) -- mobster -- in my home -- eating off my dishes. 24. (looking at the plate in her hand, disgusted) Ewww. She scrubs the plate with manic energy. BEN I didn't have a lot of choice. LAURA Oh, there's a law that says you have to bring a gangster home? BEN I told you. He's in my custody. I'm a federal institution. LAURA You should be in an institution. Why couldn't he just go home? BEN His wife and kids aren't here. They're in Ohio. LAURA Ohio! Sure. Everyone gets to be in Ohio except me. BEN His life was threatened and he didn't want to endanger his family. LAURA How thoughtful! What about endangering our family? (worried) I think my teeth are loose. Feel my teeth. BEN Honey, your teeth are fine. I know it's an imposition, but what could I do? I didn't want him here. They - LAURA You didn't want him, I didn't want him, but here he is! She looks up and jumps when she sees Vitti standing there. LAURA (covering, cheerful) Here he is! VITTI Coffee? 25. LAURA What? VITTI Somebody said something about coffee. LAURA That was you. You said you wanted some. VITTI So what's the holdup? LAURA (to Ben) Why don't you make your friend some coffee. I'm going upstairs to take a long bath and hopefully drown. Laura smiles at the two men, then exits. BEN You'll have to forgive her. She's usually a great hostess. VITTI I understand. She's uncomfortable. The whole situation's a little awkward with me bein' here -- but let's face it, Emily fuckin' Post she's not. BEN Emily fuckin' Post. Well, that explains why she rarely used her middle name. VITTI Listen, I got a friend coming over. I didn't want you to be surprised. BEN What kind of friend? Because if it's 'The Wrench,' or 'The Power Drill' or any other kind of tool -- VITTI Not that kind of friend. It's a personal thing. BEN They won't stay late, will they? VITTI (stares at him) Are you really that pussy-whipped? 26. BEN I'm not -- this has nothing to do with Laura. VITTI I heard her busting your balls. BEN We were having a disagreement. A certain amount of conflict is normal in a marriage. VITTI Or? BEN Or what? VITTI Or you're pussy-whipped. BEN Paul -- VITTI Good night, Whippy. BEN (calls after him) Remember, this is only temporary. VITTI Oh, really? I didn't hear you the tenth fuckin' time. He exits. CUT TO: INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER Ben knocks on Michael's door and walks in without waiting to be asked. CUT TO: INT. MICHAEL'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION Michael is sitting up in bed reading. BEN (oblivious) Mike, can we talk for a second? MICHAEL Sure. What? 27. BEN I know the last few weeks have been kind of tough with Grandpa -- dying and everything -- and it might've felt to you like I didn't have time for you or I didn't care about how you feel. MICHAEL No, it didn't. BEN Good. Because I want you to know that you can talk to me about stuff and that I can really listen and understand what you're going through. MICHAEL I do, Dad. BEN And if I seemed a little hard on Grandpa, it's just that your grandfather was a hard man in a lot of ways. He wanted everything done his way and sometimes I just felt like nothing I ever did was good enough. I don't want it to be that way with us. MICHAEL It's not. BEN And you know, at times like this we all might start questioning our own mortality and you might be thinking how devastated you'd be if I died. Right? MICHAEL No. Not really. BEN That's good. Good talk. And I realize it's all a little hectic right now, but this Paul Vitti thing is only temporary, okay? MICHAEL Oh, really? I didn't hear you the tenth fuckin' time. BEN That's not funny. Good night, Michael. 28. MICHAEL Good night, Whippy. Ben exits, shaking his head. The moment he's gone, the rumpled blankets next to Michael shift, and a CUTE, PUNKY 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL emerges from hiding under the comforter. CUTE GIRL I gotta get home. What was that about? MICHAEL I have no idea. Parenting stuff. CUT TO: EXT. SOBEL HOUSE - NIGHT The suburban street is dark and quiet and all the lights are off in the house. WOMAN (V.O.) Ohhhhh! Ohhhhh, Paul! CUT TO: INT. MASTER BEDROOM - SAME TIME The room is dark. We PAN UP the foot of Ben and Laura's bed and find them both wide awake staring straight up at the ceiling, listening. WOMAN (O.S.) Ohhhh, God! Oh, oh, oh, oh! BEN This has to be some kind of record, don't you think? It's been like forty minutes. LAURA How long are you going to let them go on? BEN Let them? How much longer can he go? Another twenty minutes, I'm either breaking it up or calling the Guinness Book of Records. The MOANING shifts into low gear, more guttural and bestial. LAURA Oh, give me a break. She's got to be 29. faking. Nobody sounds like that. BEN (suggestively) That's not entirely true. LAURA Okay, sometimes you do sound like that. The O.S. MOANING kicks up another notch. Laura rolls over and jams her pillow over her ears. Ben growls, exasperated. CUT TO: INT. MICHAEL'S ROOM - SAME TIME Michael's girlfriend is gone. He has his bedroom door open a crack and he's standing there holding a small tape recorder and smiling broadly. WOMAN (O.S.) (high-pitched now) Ah, ah, ah, ah...! CUT TO: EXT. STREET - SAME TIME Agents Cerrone and Miller sit in a sedan with a small, sophisticated-looking microphone trained on the Sobel house just down the street. They hear the high-pitched MOANING. Miller gives Cerrone a look. CERRONE Oh, come on. Nobody sounds like that. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER Ben takes a deep breath and knocks sharply on the guest room door. The heavy MOANING STOPS. After a moment, Vitti appears wearing only a bathrobe. Ben can see the beautiful SHEILA sitting naked on the bed. VITTI What? BEN (indignant) I have a 17-year-old son. VITTI So let him get his own fuckin' girl. 30. BEN Can I talk to you, please? VITTI Actually, I'm right in the middle of someone. Sheila starts to light a cigarette. BEN Miss? Excuse me. There's no smoking in this house. CUT TO: INT. MICHAEL'S ROOM - SAME TIME Michael freezes, about to light a cigarette himself. CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM - MOMENT LATER Ben comes down the stairs with Vitti. BEN What do you think you're doing? VITTI Minding my own fuckin' business, like you should be doin'. BEN Well, it's a little hard with the live sex show going on in the guest room. VITTI I've been in prison for two and a half years. What am I supposed to do? BEN Go to a hotel. VITTI That's what I wanted to do, but you told me I had no choice -- it was either here or Sing Sing. BEN I'm not trying to punish you. These aren't my rules, but I have a responsibility here. Besides, I thought you might like a nice home- cooked meal after being in prison that long. 31. VITTI Yeah, that's what I've been jerkin' off about for eight hundred consecutive nights -- a nice home- cooked meal. (making a jerking motion) Ohhhh, tuna casserole. BEN That girl is not staying here. VITTI I think you're jealous. BEN Oh, yeah, I'm really jealous. VITTI I didn't hear nothin' comin' out of your room. BEN We don't think it's necessary to wake the neighbors every time we have sex. VITTI Hey, if you're really quiet, you might be able to do it without even wakin' up your wife. SHEILA (O.S.) (moaning) Ohhh. Ohhh. Ben looks curiously at Vitti. VITTI I told her if I wasn't back in two minutes to start without me. I gotta go. Vitti heads back upstairs. BEN This is not a good start, Paul. CUT TO: INT. DINING AREA - NEXT MORNING Laura and Ben are hosting a brunch for the out-of-town relatives. Laura offers a basket of bagels to a seated, older woman. 32. LAURA Aunt Ester, I'm so sorry we had to put you up at the hotel. We wanted you here with us, but we had an unexpected house guest. She glares at Ben. AUNT ESTHER (sighs) Your father always had room for us. BEN I'm sorry. (mutters to Laura) Next time I lose a parent, I'll be sure to reserve the guest room. A DOOR SLAMS somewhere, then Sheila storms into the room sobbing, her hair askew, tucking her blouse into her skirt. SHEILA (screaming) Go to hell, Paul! You just go to hell! VITTI (O.S.) Go ahead! Get out of here, you crazy fuckin' whore. Vitti charges into the room, his robe open. From the reactions of everyone in the room, it's clear he's not wearing anything under it. VITTI Go back to turning tricks in Jersey for all I fuckin' care. Sheila exits and slams the front door. Vitti sees everyone staring at him. He closes his robe. VITTI How's it goin'? (sees buffet) Oh, we got food. Good. Vitti heads for the buffet. LAURA (smiling) Ben? BEN (quickly) Paul? 33. Vitti bellies up to the buffet, stepping between an older couple. He eyes the food disdainfully. VITTI Oh, great. Jew food. Who do you have to fuck to get some bacon around here? The woman reacts in horror. VITTI Not you, I'm guessing. BEN (snags Vitti's arm) Why don't we go to my office? I'll make you a plate. CUT TO: INT. BEN'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER Ben and Vitti enter. Vitti still in his robe. VITTI What is it with your relatives? They tend to overreact quite a bit. BEN I know. All you did was flash everybody in the dining room. VITTI So? From the look of 'em, some of those broads haven't seen the old salcicc' in a long time. It's good for them. BEN Well, when the paramedics revive my Aunt Goldie, I'll be sure to ask her. Sit. Vitti starts for Ben's chair. BEN Ah ah ah! He points Vitti to the sofa and takes his own chair. BEN So what are you going to do, Paul? VITTI What do you mean? BEN With your life. 34. VITTI First I'm gonna find out who's tryin' to kill me. I'm a target. Somebody could shoot right through that window -- blow my fuckin' head off. Ben sees that he's in the line of fire, gets up and moves out of the way. BEN Okay, that's a priority. Have you thought about what you're going to do for work? VITTI Yeah. I'm too big for a jockey so I was thinkin' maybe a hairdresser. They'll call me Mr. Paul. BEN Come on. There must be something you like to do. VITTI I like hitting a guy on the head with a baseball bat. BEN Oh, sporting goods. We'll check the want ads tomorrow but don't get your hopes up. Anything else? VITTI Shylocking, bookmaking, unions, the usual -- BEN Who are you? VITTI Who am I? I'm the guy who's paying you $150 an hour to play these stupid fuckin' games. You know who I am. BEN I know that. I mean what are you? VITTI What do you mean, 'What am I?' BEN I just want to know how you see yourself. 35. VITTI You're making me very fuckin' nervous. BEN Just answer the question. What are you? VITTI (shrugs) I'm the boss. BEN Really? The boss of what -- Jelly? You're not the boss of me. So what are you the boss of? VITTI You, you're good. I see what you're doing here. BEN What am I doing, Paul? VITTI You're pissing me off is what you're doing. Look at me. It's starting again, the anxiety. BEN I understand. BEN (CONT'D) You've spent your whole life becoming who you are and now you can't be that anymore -- that's gotta be scary. If you're not Paul Vitti the mob boss, who are you? Vitti is at a loss. BEN Well, let's think. When you were a kid, What did you want to be? VITTI I don't know. Who remembers that stuff? BEN You must've wanted to be something when you were little -- fireman? VITTI No. BEN Baseball player? 36. VITTI No. BEN Astronaut? VITTI No. BEN Al Capone? VITTI Yeah, maybe. What did you want to be? BEN We're not talking about me. VITTI I am. BEN Fine. I wanted to be a philatelist. VITTI You wanted to look up people's assholes all day? BEN No, Paul, I believe you're thinking of a proctologist. I wanted to collect rare and unusual stamps. VITTI You must've been a lot of laughs when you were a kid. Lonely, huh? BEN Oh yeah. Big time. So what did you want to be? VITTI It's stupid. BEN You afraid to tell me? VITTI Yeah, I'm afraid. BEN Then tell me. I'm not here to judge you. 37. VITTI (a beat) Okay. When I was really little -- like seven or eight -- maybe I wanted to be a cowboy. BEN A cowboy. Really? VITTI Yeah. My father gave me a cowboy suit -- you know, the vest, the chaps, the cap guns -- the whole thing. And he used to take me up to my uncle's farm in New Jersey and lead me around on this pony. Yippee-i-o. You happy now? BEN So you watched cowboy movies and TV shows with your father. VITTI Everybody. The whole family. My father loved 'Gunsmoke.' BEN Sheriff Dillon. VITTI (corrects him) Marshal Dillon. BEN Marshal. So who were your favorite cowboys? VITTI This is so fuckin' retarded. BEN Paul! VITTI All right. Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger -- BEN Interesting. They're all good guys. VITTI Yeah, I guess. BEN No, that's important. You didn't want to be the bad guy. You wanted to be the hero. 38. VITTI Yeah, so? BEN So what happened? VITTI I don't know. Nothing happened. BEN So why didn't you become a cowboy? VITTI I lived in East Harlem! I joined a street gang when I was 12 and that was it. BEN Something else happened when you were twelve. VITTI What? BEN (prompting) Something that made you very sad? VITTI The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to L.A. Everybody took it pretty hard. BEN Something else. VITTI We playin' a guessing game here? BEN Paul! Your father was murdered! Right in front of you. Remember? VITTI Do I remember? I think about it every fuckin' day of my life. What's that got to do with it? BEN It's got everything to do with it. He gave you the cowboy suit. With a white hat. He was in the mob, but he wanted you to be a good guy, didn't he? Vitti starts thinking about his father and starts to weep. 39. VITTI Yeah. He did. BEN He didn't want you in the gang life. He only did it himself so you wouldn't have to. He was trying to buy you a better life than his. VITTI (crying harder) He always said he wanted me to go to college. I didn't even finish high school. He really starts sobbing now. BEN Well, Paul, this could be a great opportunity for you. You're right back where you were when you were twelve. You've got some big choices to make. Vitti fights to regain control. VITTI Okay. Okay. That's enough of that shit. BEN It's not shit, Paul. My point is, when you're a child, you think anything is possible. Wouldn't it be great to think like that now? VITTI (retreating back into his cynicism) Yeah, just sprinkle some fuckin' fairy dust on me. BEN I'm just saying you've got to keep an open mind and explore some new possibilities. Try some different things -- maybe you'll connect with one of them. There's a career counselor I work with. I can call him for you. He may be able to help you find a job. VITTI You mean working for somebody? I'm supposed to take orders from some guy who used to get me coffee? (starts sweating and 40. breathing hard) I can't do that. It's not right. It's not me. BEN How do you know unless you try? Suddenly one of the WINDOWS behind Vitti SHATTERS. Ben dives for cover. Silence -- then another RAP on the window. Ben looks out and sees JELLY in the back yard, tossing stones at the window. JELLY (calls out) Hiya, Doc. Sorry about the window. Ben waves him around to the side door. CUT TO: INT. DINING AREA - MOMENTS LATER Jelly is loading up a plate of food from the buffet, talking to the elderly relatives. Laura stares at him. JELLY I love lox and bagels. I dated a Jewish woman once. Actually, she might have been the love of my life, but my mother broke it up. JELLY (CONT'D) She was always hockin' me a chinick about the madels. A wonderful woman, my mother, but she fuckin' hates the Hebes. LAURA Really. (noting mountain of food on his plate) More smoked salmon? Don't be shy. Ben enters. BEN Jelly -- what are you doing here? JELLY Makin' new friends. How's it going, Doc? I brought some clothes for Mr. Vitti. LAURA (indicating the door) Ben? 41. BEN That's great, Jelly. I'd love to catch up with you -- outside. JELLY (rising) You got it. (to Laura) Thanks, Mrs. S. (to others) So long, everybody. Ess gesunterhait. Jelly and Ben exit. CUT TO: EXT. SOBEL HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER Ben and Jelly walk out to the driveway where Jelly's Buick is parked. JELLY So. Long time no see. You look good, Doc. BEN (trying to be pleasant) And you, Jelly -- you look -- (can't find words for how he looks) Did you get a haircut? I thought you were in prison. JELLY It would appear not. BEN How'd you get out? JELLY New trial. The evidence in my first trail was, you know, tainted. Turns out two of the witnesses against me changed their minds -- and the third one, he died after a short illness. BEN What did he have? JELLY Gunshot wound to the head. BEN That's not an illness. 42. JELLY Yeah, but it is short. Vitti, now dressed, comes out of the house and crosses to the car. BEN (to Vitti) Where are you going? VITTI I got stuff to do. BEN What kind of stuff? VITTI (as he gets into the car) Calm down. I'll be back. BEN You can't leave without my permission. VITTI Oh, yeah? Watch me. Drive, Jelly. Jelly STARTS the CAR and slowly backs out of the driveway. Ben runs after the car, talking to Vitti through the open window. BEN That's it, Paul. I forbid you to go. VITTI Stop sweating, Doc. I'll be back. Vitti puts the window up. BEN (shouts anxiously) If you screw this up, Paul -- Paul! The car pulls away. BEN (angrily) Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Ben turns and sees his Aunt Goldie on the porch. AUNT GOLDIE So, the fat one -- he's single? CUT TO: 43. INT. KNIGHTS OF PALERMO SOCIAL CLUB - DAY Soldiers lounge at the bar, keeping a respectful distance from the capos seated at a table in the rear. All eyes turn as the door opens and Vitti enters. SAL MASIELLO, Vitti's old consigliere rises and warmly but warily welcomes Vitti back into the fold. MASIELLO Paulie, great to see you! You're lookin' good, kid. Lookin' very good. Jelly, how are ya? Vitti embraces him and they sit down with the others. MASIELLO So, Paul, we heard you had some trouble while you were away. Some 'mental' problems. VITTI No, I'm okay. It was an act. I had to pretend I was nuts. There were people watching me all the time. MASIELLO Little people? VITTI Doctors. They never woulda let me out if they thought I was normal. MASIELLO So you ain't crazy? VITTI You want to see crazy? Just tell me who's trying to kill me. I'll show you crazy. MASIELLO We're in a war, Paul -- nobody's safe right now. The Rigazzis are walkin' all over us. We got next to nothing coming in, and I don't have to tell you, you don't buy a lot of muscle without money these days. We need you, Paul. The family needs you. VITTI I can't do it, Sal. I'm out of it. MASIELLO Come on, Paulie. Nobody used to do the big jobs like you. Air France-- they're still talkin' about it. 44. VITTI Sal, even if I wanted to -- the feds MASIELLO After your father died, I always treated you like my own son. You know that. VITTI I know. MASIELLO He was a good man. I still miss him. VITTI Yeah, I do too. MASIELLO So you'll think about it. For me, Paulie? VITTI Yeah, okay, I'll think about it. MASIELLO (brightening) Hey, what is this -- a fuckin' funeral here? You just got back from college for Chrissakes. We should be havin' a party for you. (to bartender) Hey, Nino, give everybody a round here. We gotta drink to Paul. VITTI I can't, Sal. I gotta go talk to the boss. MASIELLO I understand. No problem. It's good to have you back, Paul. (embraces him) Don't forget what I said. We're countin' on you. Vitti gives his old friend a pat on the back and exits. CUT TO: EXT. LOPRESTI HOUSE - SAME MORNING Jelly pulls up, Vitti gets out and strides up to the front door of a nice home on Staten Island and RINGS the BELL. CUT TO: 45. INT. ENTRY HALL - CONTINUOUS ACTION The door is opened by EDDIE DEVOL, early thirties, dark and sullen. EDDIE Yeah, what? VITTI 'Yeah, what?' That's how you answer the door? EDDIE You got a problem with that? VITTI Yeah. Vitti punches Eddie in the mouth, sending him sprawling back into the living room. Several other bodyguards are watching television, caught off guard by Vitti's sudden entrance. VITTI Where is she? PATTY (O.S.) (calls out) In the kitchen, Paul. CUT TO: INT. PATTY'S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS ACTION Vitti enters. PATTY LOPRESTI, mid-forties, still sexy even in an apron, is mixing cake batter in a bowl with an electric mixer. PATTY Paul -- what a nice surprise. VITTI How's it goin', Patty? PATTY Good. It's good. Give me a kiss, you. Patty hugs and kisses him, taking the opportunity to pat him down for a weapon or a hidden wire. VITTI Sorry to hear about Carmine. He was a good man. PATTY Yeah. You live with a person twenty- one years, then one day they're 46. pulling his torso out of the river. It's hard. VITTI I'll bet -- especially with all the talk about you being the one who put him there. PATTY That's why I try not to gossip, Paul. It's ugly. Just a sec. (screaming to ceiling) Michelle! Teresa! It's ten-thirty! Stop fucking around and get ready for ballet! (to Vitti) It's hard being a single parent and a career woman. VITTI Yeah, I'm sure you're very busy. PATTY The pressure -- it's awful. For instance, a lot of people think, now that you're out, you're going to try and take the family back from me. But I said, no, Paul would never do that. (smiling) By the way, how are Marie and the kids? Still in Ohio? In Shaker Heights? At 1356 Locust? Vitti explodes, reaches across the counter and grabs her by the shoulders. VITTI (enraged) You even go near them, you crazy bitch -- PATTY (quietly) Don't make me call my guys in. You may need the shit kicked out of you, but not in here. I just mopped. Vitti lets her go. PATTY (smoothing clothes, flushed and a little excited) Wow. Have you been working out? VITTI Yeah, I been workin' out who's trying 47. to kill me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. PATTY It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. Nobody's gonna be safe unless we can end this thing with the Rigazzis. VITTI So then you didn't have nothin' to do with it. PATTY (hurt) Oh, Paul. You actually think I would kill you? All the years we've known each other -- the Christmas parties, the fun times at the beach. It wouldn't be right. I want us to be friends. (smiles demurely) Who knows? Maybe we'll be more than friends. Want to lick my beaters? She holds the beaters out to him. VITTI (declining) Thanks. I gotta see a guy about a business thing. PATTY What kind of business? You know, if you get something going, we would expect some kind of consideration -- a little taste. VITTI No, this is a legitimate business. PATTY (shudders) Oh, Paul. I just got a chill. VITTI I just want to be left alone. Put my life back together -- straight up this time. Put the word out, will ya? Nobody's got nothin' to worry about from me. PATTY Sure, Paul. I understand. He heads for the door. 48. PATTY (calls after him) Don't be a stranger! After Vitti leaves, Eddie enters from the other door. PATTY (turning to Eddie) Watch him like a hawk. If he steps out of line, it would break my heart, but shoot him in the fuckin' head. CUT TO: EXT. PARK AVENUE AUDI DEALERSHIP - LATER Vitti is trying to sell an $80,000 Audi to the MacINERNYS, an upscale middle-aged couple. Vitti opens the trunk. VITTI Look at the size of that trunk. You could fit three people in there. (off their shocked looks) Not people -- suitcases. It's a joke. The MacInernys laugh uncertainly. VITTI So what are you driving now? MR. MacINERNY We have a Lexus. VITTI (nods) It's a fancy Toyota, right? The Japs make good cars, but I ain't that quick to forget Pearl Harbor. The MacInernys look doubtful. CUT TO: INT. MORETTI'S STEAK HOUSE - NIGHT A crowd of well-heeled New Yorkers surround Vitti at the captain's station. Vitti, the new host, greets a prominent sports figure who embraces him like an old friend. VITTI (signals the MAITRE D') Mario, put Mr. Torre at table five. JOEY BOOTS, an old acquaintance of Vitti's, enters with a couple of his cronies. 49. JOEY BOOTS Paul, I heard you were out. VITTI Hey, Joey. JOEY BOOTS All dressed up for dinner, huh? VITTI Yeah. The Maitre D' crosses away and waves at Vitti. MAITRE D' Paul, that table for six is ready. You can send them back. JOEY BOOTS You're working here? VITTI (dying) Nah -- not really. It's like -- I'm on parole, so I just -- I come in, I greet people. Joey and his friends nod condescendingly. JOEY BOOTS Okay. I get it. Nice seein' you, Paul. Don't want to hold you up. You got people to seat. Joey and his guys walk away, they turn back and glance at Vitti, then whisper something in audible to each other and laugh. Vitti burns, humiliated. CUT TO: FLASH PHOTO Vitti poses for a picture with some notables. CUT TO: ANOTHER PHOTO Vitti with some Broadway actors. CUT TO: ANOTHER PH0TO 50. Vitti poses grimly with a BUSINESSMAN and his friends. BUSINESSMAN Thanks, Paul. Appreciate it. Vitti moves to leave. BUSINESSMAN Hey, could you get us a big bottle of Pellegrino and another round of drinks? He slips Vitti a couple of bills. Vitti stares at the money in his hand. BUSINESSMAN And more bread when you get a chance. VITTI You want more bread? He takes a small loaf from the breadbasket on the next table, stuffs it into the Businessman's mouth and walks off. VITTI I'll get your drinks now. CUT TO: INT. IMPERIAL DIAMONDS - DAY Two Hassidim are in the back of a 47th Street jewelry store, sorting through a huge pile of diamonds. Behind the display counter, Vitti stares at the diamonds, breathing hard, starting to perspire. His customers, a thirty-ish YOUNG MAN and his FIANCEE, study the diamond engagement ring on her finger. YOUNG MAN This stone is supposed to be a 'G' color, but it looks kind of yellow, doesn't it? VITTI (distracted) Fluorescent light. Makes everything look yellow. He starts instinctively casing the store. QUICK CUT TO: ARMED SECURITY GUARD BACK TO FIANCEE 51. FIANCEE I thought fluorescent light makes everything look blue? CUT TO: FANTASY - SECURITY GUARD bound and gagged. END FANTASY. BACK TO VITTI VITTI (sweating) What am I -- Edison? I'm telling you, it's a 'G.' He glances at the surveillance cameras. YOUNG MAN Can I look at it with a lens? CUT TO: FANTASY - SPRAY-PAINTING the camera lens and clipping the alarm wires. END FANTASY. BACK TO VITTI VITTI (completely distracted) What? FIANCEE A lens. Do you have a lens? CUT TO: FANTASY - SAFE in the back as it BLOWS UP. END FANTASY. OWNER Ben's cousin, approaches Vitti who is now hyperventilating. 52. OWNER Are you all right? VITTI I'm gonna do us both a big favor. I quit. CUT BACK TO: INT. CAR DEALERSHIP - DAY The MacInernys are trembling. VITTI You want to see the manager? (grabs his crotch) Here's the manager. Now take a hike, you fuckin' deadbeats. The MacInernys rush out of the showroom. VITTI (calls after them) Get a Hyundai! CUT TO: DREAM SEQUENCE - INT. BEN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Vitti is on the sofa. He's wearing a shiny, silk, short- sleeved shirt with the sleeves turned up, tight, black chino pants and short, black, pointy-toed boots. His hair is oiled and coifed like early Frankie Avalon. VITTI (distraught) I can't deal with this shit. My grades suck, I'm gettin' in fights every day, and if I get suspended again my mother's gonna fuckin' kill me -- if the nuns don't kill me first. BEN is listening to Vitti, but dressed as Sigmund Freud. BEN (nodding) Eins, zwei, drei! VITTI What? VITTI'S MOTHER is sitting next to him. 53. VITTI'S MOTHER (elbows him) Sit up straight! Pay attention when the doctor talks to you. This is costing money. Ben (Freud) has a large TAXI METER TICKING away beside him. VITTI Ma? What are you doin' here? BEN (FREUD) (snorts some cocaine) Acht gemacht gehunden nicht. VITTI'S MOTHER I tell him the same thing. Suddenly, the WINDOWS are SHATTERED by GUNFIRE. DOOR BLASTS open, flying off the hinges. Jelly enters, pushed into the room by a gang of thugs, led by Patty LoPresti, Eddie DeVol and his guys, all at least ten-feet-tall and all holding huge guns. VITTI leaps to his feet and reaches for his gun, but instead pulls out a long sword. Confused but desperate, he holds up the sword to menace the intruders, but the sword suddenly goes limp. He tries to make the blade stand up, but it just keeps dropping like a piece of soft rope. Patty, Eddie, and the thugs laugh contemptuously at Vitti, while Jelly looks on with an incredible stream of tears pouring from his eyes. END DREAM SEQUENCE. CUT TO: INT. GUEST ROOM - NEXT DAY Vitti is back in bed in his robe, still asleep. The door opens and Laura enters with an interior decorator who has fabric samples over her arm. LAURA Now in here, I thought we'd get rid of the wallpaper and maybe put in some wainscoting -- She sees Vitti and quickly steers the decorator back outside. 54. LAURA (to decorator) Don't look, don't look. She comes back in, closes the bedroom door and confronts Vitti who is still groggy from his troubling dream. LAURA Do you realize it's almost noon? VITTI Really? Do me a favor, honey -- make me a sandwich. LAURA You want a sandwich? Make it yourself. I'm not afraid of you, Mr. Oh-I'm-A-Great-Big-Mobster Man. I want you out of my house. LAURA (CONT'D) I've had it with the bathrobe and the skulking around and the girlfriend who, I'm sorry, is so obviously faking it's not even funny. Enough! VITTI Coulda had that sandwich made by now. LAURA (tries new tack) Okay. You don't like me and I don't like you. We can at least agree on that, right? VITTI Okay. LAURA I'm going to be honest with you -- I'm a very anxious person -- VITTI Hey! Me, too. LAURA We have so much in common. Anyway, this is not helping me, it's not helping my marriage, and I know Ben really needs some alone time. So I'm asking you -- as a human being -- could you please leave? (off Vitti's look) Yes, I'll make you a sandwich. 55. VITTI Ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, no onion. CUT TO: EXT. SOBEL FRONT PORCH - LATER Jelly comes out the front door with Vitti's suitcases as Ben pulls into the driveway. He gets out of the car holding a small bag from the drugstore and sees Vitti coming out the front door. Ben stops him on the porch. BEN (concerned) Where are you going? VITTI Where am I going? The orphanage found my real parents. They want me back. (to Jelly) Put those in the car. (to Ben) I'm goin' to Jelly's. Jelly carries the luggage to his car parked in the driveway. BEN (to Vitti) The hell you are. You're supposed to be in my custody. We have therapy today. VITTI For what? The more we talk the worse I get. I had that dream again. BEN The one where you're Mussolini? VITTI No, the other one. BEN The limp sword dream? JELLY (at car) I probably shouldn't be listening to this. VITTI So don't! JELLY Sorry. 56. BEN (to Vitti) Do you think this dream might be sexual? VITTI I know what you're thinkin'. The sword is my cock and I can't get it up, but that ain't it. I saw Sheila last night and I had a hard-on you could swing from. BEN (winces) I don't want to know that. VITTI You coulda hung wet towels on it. JELLY (calls out) He's like a racehorse in that area. BEN Okay! I get it. VITTI (to Jelly) Wait in the car! (to Ben) So what does it mean? Ben sits on the wicker divan. BEN Sex can represent a lot of things. In your case I think it's about performance anxiety. Trying to find a job that fits. VITTI Doc -- nothing's gonna fit. That nine-to-five bullshit -- I'll fuckin' kill myself if I have to do that for the rest of my life. You know they take taxes out of your check? What the fuck is that? I'm doomed. I'm gonna end up selling hot dogs on the street. (starts breathing hard and sweating) Look at me. I'm havin' a fuckin' panic attack here. My heart's beatin' like a rabbit. BEN You're hyperventilating. 57. He empties the drugstore bag and hands it to Vitti. BEN Breathe into this. Vitti sits on a wicker chair. VITTI (speaks through bag) This is your fault. BEN Excuse me? VITTI Tellin' me I have to get a job like I'm some fuckin' nobody. It was humiliating! Thanks a lot. BEN (jumps up, in a total rage) Hey, I'm doing the best I can! If you can't appreciate that, or if my best isn't good enough for you, then maybe you should find somebody else to talk to, you selfish prick! Ben breaks down and cries what amounts to one racking sob, then quickly pulls himself together. BEN Sorry. VITTI What the hell was that? BEN I'm fine. I'm grieving. It's a process. Ben takes a pill bottle out of his pocket and pops a couple of pills. VITTI Now what are you takin'? BEN Echinacea and goldenseal. Do you know the TV show 'Little Caesar'? VITTI Yeah, I know it. BEN The producer of that show is a man 58. named Raoul Berman. A mutual friend told him I knew you and Mr. Berman called me this morning. He wants to meet you. VITTI For what? BEN Meet him and find out. CUT TO: EXT. NOGO RESTAURANT - NIGHT Ben and Laura walk up to a trendy Japanese restaurant in Chelsea. Ben is really keyed up. LAURA We finally got him out of the house -- why are we having dinner with him? I mean, how professional is that? BEN This is not social. Paul's meeting a television producer who might have a job for him. He's nervous and wants me here as a buffer. I'm a buffer, that's all. LAURA He's a grown man. I don't see why he needs a chaperone. BEN He doesn't. He needs a buffer. I'm here in buffer capacity only. LAURA Ben, if you say 'buffer' one more time -- Ben pops a couple of pills. LAURA Didn't you just take two of those? BEN No, that was something else. LAURA Well, you better not drink anything. You know what happens. BEN Laura? I'm a doctor? I think I know what I'm doing. 59. Ben opens the door and motions for Laura to enter. BEN (quietly, behind her back) Buffer. CUT TO: INT. FBI CAR - SAME TIME Cerrone and Miller watch the front of the restaurant. MILLER (into radio) They're all inside. We're going to get something to eat. We'll be back before they finish dinner. They drive off. CUT TO: INT. NOGO RESTAURANT - LATER Seated at a table are Ben and Laura, Vitti and Sheila, Jelly, and the producer RAOUL BERMAN and his uptight, downtown GIRLFRIEND. Jelly inspects a piece of raw octopus, while Raoul gushes over a platter of sushi and sashimi. RAOUL I adore this place. Best sushi in town. Have you tried the yellowtail, Paul? Raoul picks up a floppy piece of raw fish with his chopsticks. VITTI (makes a face) No. We gettin' any real food? This is like eatin' fuckin' bait. Raoul chuckles and glances uncomfortably at his girlfriend. Ben laughs loudly to cover the awkward moment. He's suffering from some reaction between the pills and the booze and he's oddly thick-lipped. BEN Bait! That's funny. Honey, did you hear what Paul just said? He said this is like eating bait. LAURA (not amused) I heard him. And I think it was 'effing bait.' 60. VITTI Why you talkin' like that? BEN Like what? VITTI Like a fuckin' retard. BEN (pointing to his lower lip) Oh -- this? I took a couple ibuprofen before we got here -- I shouldn't have had the saki. I'll be fine. It only lasts a couple hours. (to Raoul) Rah-oo. Row. Rowl. I guess you need both lips for that name. You know what I love about Paul? He was born without a filter. He says exactly what he's thinking -- just lays it right out there. He doesn't edit himself. VITTI (quietly) You wanna shut the fuck up? BEN See? He just told me to shut the fuck up. No filter. I love that. (to Raoul) Isn't he great? LAURA (aside to Ben) Too much buffering. Way too much. RAOUL (eyeing Ben oddly) Yes. Paul, I'm such a huge fan of yours -- not a fan, but you know, an admirer. VITTI Don't admire me too much. RAOUL Is there any chance you might be interested in working on 'Little Caesar' as a consultant? Give us technical advice, coach the actors, make sure the dialogue rings true -- 61. BEN Wow. That would be incredible. Did you hear that, Paul? Raoul wants to know if you'd be interested in working on his show as a consultant. You know, give technical advice, coach the actors -- VITTI (quietly to Ben) In two seconds I'm gonna put a fork in your eye. BEN (suddenly cowed) Got it. RAOUL So what do you think, Paul? VITTI Yeah, sure, whatever. RAOUL Fantastic! SHEILA This is so exciting. Mr. Berman, I love your show. Anthony Bella, the guy who plays Nicky Caesar -- I think he grew up in Bensonhurst next door to my cousin's friend's husband. VITTI That's her claim to fame. (to Sheila) I hate to bust your bubble, but he's not from Bensonhurst. He's a professional Italian. He grew up in Connecticut or something like that. SHEILA Well, wherever he's from, I think he's a wonderful actor. JELLY Yeah, I bet he gets a lot of pussy. Laura chokes on her drink. VITTI What's the matter with you? We got women at the table. JELLY You said 'fuckin'.' 62. VITTI That's different. It's colorful. BEN Hey, speaking of colorful -- this peacock walks into a bar -- LAURA Oh, my god. (to a passing waiter, rising her half-empty drink) Could I get another one, please? BEN And one for me. LAURA No. No more for the Buffer. She glares at Ben as the table descends into silence. VITTI (tries a desperate save) So. I see in the paper where Oklahoma! might win the Tony award. Vitti's eyes suddenly go wide. VITTI (shouts) Down!!! He grabs Sheila and pulls her down as GUNFIRE rakes the wall behind them. Everybody else at the table hits the floor. Other diners scream in terror. Jelly pulls a GUN and SHOOTS back. A LONE GUNMAN runs from the restaurant. After a long beat, the frightened patrons start to get up and chatter nervously. BEN'S TABLE Nobody's hurt. Vitti helps Sheila to her feet. BEN (to Vitti) What the hell was that? VITTI I think somebody's got it in for Raoul. 63. Raoul crawls up from behind the table. RAOUL (wide-eyed) Holy fucking shit. (grinning) That was phenomenal! CUT TO: EXT. MIDTOWN STREET - LATER THAT NIGHT Jelly stands in front of an apartment building parking garage. A guy comes walking up the ramp toward him. As he comes nearer, we see that the guy is the Gunman from the restaurant. JELLY Hey, pal -- got a light? The guy stops, pulls out a Zippo and lights it for Jelly. GUNMAN Where's your cigarette? JELLY I'm trying to cut down. The Gunman recognizes Jelly and desperately reaches for the gun in his pocket, but Jelly hauls off and whacks the guy across the back of the head with a sap. As he slumps into Jelly's arms, Vitti steps out of a doorway and Jelly drags the gunman into the garage. CUT TO: INT. SOBEL HOUSE - SAME TIME Ben and Laura are getting ready for bed. LAURA I don't know why you feel you have to save this man. BEN It's my job. He needs me. LAURA So that automatically means you have to help him? You're always doing this -- putting other people's needs ahead of your own, like you're this martyr or saint or something. It's like living with Mother Teresa. 64. BEN Actually, I hear she was tough to live with. Lot of parties, loud music -- lepers. LAURA You don't need this in your life -- especially not now. You really need to be grieving for your father. BEN I am. LAURA Really? I haven't seen it. BEN Well, you know, it's a process. I mean, we had issues -- there's some anger -- but I'll work it out. Laura goes to Ben and embraces him. LAURA It's okay, honey. You can let it go. Ben almost starts to break, but he holds it back. BEN No, I'm -- it's okay. Ben sits heavily on the bed. BEN It's just a confusing time. I became a therapist because he was a therapist, so obviously his approval was very important to me. But is that the only reason I did it? I don't know. And now that he's gone, why do I keep doing it? Is this what I really want? She sits next to him and takes his hand. LAURA I just want you to be happy. She kisses him. BEN Maybe you're right. (kisses her) Maybe it's time I started focusing on me, and, you know, satisfying some of 65. my desires. He looks at her expectantly. LAURA (apologetic) Oh, honey, I just brushed my teeth. BEN No, that's not what I meant. I just need -- (at a loss) I don't know what. She puts her arms around him and holds him. CUT TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - LATER THAT NIGHT Vitti and Jelly stand with the Gunman on the roof of the parking garage, four stories above the ground. The guy's arms are bound. Jelly ties a rope around his ankles. VITTI I'm gonna ask you once nicely. Who you working for? GUNMAN Fuck you. VITTI Fuck me? Fine. Jelly? Jelly shoves the guy to the parapet at the edge of the roof, grabs him by the legs and hangs him over the side of the building. The guy screams. VITTI I'll ask you again. Who you working for? The guy keeps screaming. JELLY He's screamin' too loud. Hold on a second. Jelly swings the guy against the building, hitting his head and dazing him momentarily. JELLY Go ahead. VITTI Who are you working for? 66. GUNMAN Nobody! VITTI Drop him, Jelly. GUNMAN Okay! Okay! Rigazzi! I'm working for Rigazzi! VITTI Pull him back up. Jelly drops the guy. The Gunman plunges three stories and lands heavily in a dumpster full of garbage. VITTI What's the matter with you? JELLY You said drop him. VITTI I said pull him back up. JELLY That's not what I heard. VITTI You heard what you wanted to hear. JELLY Okay, you got me there. CUT TO: EXT. RIGAZZI PLUMBING AND HEATING - NEXT MORNING A "family" business in Jersey. CUT TO: INT. BACK ROOM - NEXT MORNING The light from outside barely penetrates the painted windows of the shabby office. LOU RIGAZZI, aka "Lou the Wrench," the aging boss of the Rigazzi family, sits in the half-light as a couple of his soldiers enter with the battered and hobbling Gunman between them. RIGAZZI What the hell happened to you? 67. GUNMAN Vitti threw me off a roof. RIGAZZI Vitti? You talked to Vitti? What did you say to him? GUNMAN Nothing. I didn't tell him anything. Mr. Rigazzi, can I go -- I think my leg's broken. RIGAZZI That must hurt. Rigazzi pulls out a GUN with a silencer and SHOOTS the Gunman. RIGAZZI I hate to see people in pain. (to soldiers) Get him out of here. SOLDIER What about Vitti? RIGAZZI (musing) He's a hard man to kill. But he's not immortal. Our time will come. CUT TO: EXT. BACK-YARD SWIMMING POOL - DAY A big, family barbecue is going on in a back yard in Queens. Several children are splashing in an over-sized, above-ground swimming pool. Oddly, the children appear to be shouting and laughing but make no sound. At the barbecue, Nicky Caesar is watching his friend MELLO turn Italian sausage on the grill. CAESAR I like mine burnt. MELLO I don't know how you like your sausage? Twenty fuckin' years we been doin' this. So you got the money? The wind shifts and blows the smoke from the barbecue in their faces. 68. CAESAR (coughing, eyes watering) Not all of it. I'm still light about fifteen large. (blinded by smoke) Can we cut? This is ridiculous. RAOUL (O.S.) (shouts) Cut! Can you do something about the fucking smoke? We PULL BACK to reveal the set of "Little Caesar." Assistant directors and production assistants echo the director: "We're cut!" "Reset!" "Effects!" Vitti observes the action sitting in a director's chair, still brooding over the previous night's events. Raoul sits next to him. RAOUL (to Vitti) This is the problem with shooting on location. But it's worth it for the authenticity. VITTI Yeah, this is real authentic. RAOUL (calls out) Tony! Come here a second. (to Vitti) Anthony Bella. He plays Nicky Caesar. VITTI I know who he is. They used to watch the show up at Sing Sing. RAOUL (delighted) Are you shitting me? ANTHONY BELLA joins them. RAOUL Tony, this is Paul Vitti. TONY BELLA (Australian accent) You don't have to tell me who he is. (shakes Paul's hand) It's a pleasure, mate. 69. VITTI (reacting to accent) Mate? I don't believe this! You're an English guy? You ain't even Italian. TONY BELLA Australian-Italian. We got some paisans down under. VITTI Down under what? RAOUL (to Tony Bella) How incredible is this? Paul tells me they watch the show in Sing Sing! TONY BELLA Fantastic! That's so fuckin' great. VITTI I wouldn't wet my pants over it. They watch 'Supermarket Sweep,' too. Raoul laughs hard. VITTI You laugh too much. TONY BELLA So, Paul, you going to join us? Vitti looks around, his future plans now beginning to form. VITTI Yeah. You got a good setup here. TONY BELLA Great. See you later then. He exits. Vitti turns to Raoul. VITTI Coupla things, though. I don't know who makes these decisions, but some of this, it don't look right. RAOUL (concerned) I sensed it myself. Which elements strike you as wrong? VITTI The people mainly. I mean, you got a boss who speaks Australian. What the fuck is that? And I'm guessing your 70. background is -- what? RAOUL The theater, mostly. VITTI Yeah, the theater. So how about if I bring in some guys that I know -- you know, more 'authentic.' RAOUL I would be eternally grateful. Anything else? VITTI (thinks) Yeah. One of those trailers like the stars have. RAOUL (slight hesitation) Done. (shakes his hand) I'll put that in the works right now. He hurries off to talk to his assistant. Jelly comes up to Vitti. JELLY You really gonna do this? VITTI No fuckin' way. I've had it with this job bullshit. A week of this and I'd either shoot myself or shoot Raoul. But it's good cover while I figure out my next move. Call the guys. JELLY You got it. CUT TO: MONTAGE Jelly and Vitti's old crew, MO-MO, BIGS, TUNA, EDDIE COKES, and eight or nine other wiseguys walk en masse into base camp. Vitti's guys go to the front of the lunch line, forcing the crew aside. A big, pop-out trailer labeled "Mr. Vitti," guarded by three of his guys. Tuna brings a lunch tray and knocks on the door. Jelly opens the door and takes the tray. Vitti conferring with Raoul and Tony Bella on the script, 71. ripping out whole sections. Vitti in the makeup trailer getting a haircut and manicure while he smokes a cigar and talks on his cell phone. Vitti with the costumer, approving and nixing various wardrobe choices, while Jelly steals an expensive watch in the b.g. Vitti in a massage chair getting a backrub from a masseuse. A PRODUCTION ASSISTANT approaches him. P.A. (PRODUCTION ASSISTANT) They're ready to start shooting, Mr. Vitti. VITTI Yeah, ten minutes, tell 'em. Eddie Devol, Patty LoPresti's guy, watches Vitti from a safe distance. CUT TO: EXT. SHOPPING MALL - DAY Ben comes out of the market carrying several grocery bags and a small prescription bag. Two Mafia SOLDIERS step up beside him and urge him toward a big stretch LIMO IDLING at the curb. SOLDIER Walk this way. BEN There must be some mistake. I didn't order a limo. SOLDIER Get in the car. CUT TO: INT. KNIGHTS OF PALERMO - LATER Ben enters timorously, still carrying his groceries. Patty LoPresti, Masiello and a couple of other heavyweights are sitting at the table, all except Patti smoking cigars. Ben immediately recognizes their status and grasps the gravity of their mood. BEN (nervous, but trying to keep it light) Hello. I'm Ben Sobel. And you are -- ? 72. The Soldier sits Ben down. The other soldier takes his groceries. Ben looks at Patty, trying to gauge her role. MASIELLO You're the shrink who's taking care of Paul Vitti? BEN Yes, sir. That's right. (to guy with groceries) Could you be careful, because I think they put the eggs on the bottom. He drops the bags heavily onto the bar. MASIELLO So? Is he nuts or what? BEN Who? MASIELLO Paulie. Is he nuts? BEN I can't discuss a patient's case with anyone -- MASIELLO Discuss it. BEN I'd say he's still suffering from chronic anxiety and -- He hesitates. MASIELLO And what. BEN We call it Antisocial Personality Disorder. Sociopathy. MASIELLO Meaning what? BEN (very carefully) Meaning -- he -- fails to conform to societal norms with respect to -- lawful behavior. MASIELLO I'm getting a fuckin' headache here. 73. What are you saying? BEN He's got a -- criminal temperament. MASIELLO (stares at him) He's a criminal? This is news? And for that you need a doctor degree? So what are you doin' with him? BEN Well, I'm trying to at least show him the possibility of change -- PATTY Wrong. You do not want him to change. Ben looks at her, sensing her command of the group. BEN We haven't really been introduced -- MASIELLO This is Mrs. LoPresti. PATTY Patty. BEN Ben Sobel. Ben offers his hand but she ignores it. PATTY Ben, Paul Vitti is important to this family. We don't want to see you turn him into a stromboni. BEN A stromboni? That thing they clean the ice with at hockey games? MASIELLO That's a Zamboni, asshole. Stromboni. PATTY It's a bull with his balls cut off. She reaches under the table and grabs Ben's balls. He winces in pain. BEN (squeezed) No, we don't want to do that. 74. PATTY Not unless you want to be one, too. BEN (in pain) Me? No. I'm very attached to my balls. As you can probably tell. PATTY (lets go) Then do the right thing, understand? BEN (greatly relieved) Yes, I understand completely. May I go now? I have perishables -- He takes his groceries and edges away. CUT TO: INT. "LITTLE CAESAR" SET - DAY Vitti is sitting at a table with Jelly and some of his main guys. From a distance it looks like they're playing cards. Up close it's a different story. VITTI We're gonna need a grapple or a crane with maybe a fifty-foot boom. MO-MO I seen one -- in Bayonne -- but I'll call around. VITTI See what you can come up with. And we're gonna need a city bus. JELLY I got a guy in the Transit Authority. He owes me. Just let me know when. PATTY (O.S.) Paul! Hello! Vitti turns to see Patty, Eddie Devol and his men heading across the set. PATTY I guess everybody's gone Hollywood, huh? VITTI How you doin', Patty. 75. PATTY Jelly -- you're working here, too? JELLY I'm an extra. PATTY An extra what? JELLY A supernumerary. An 'atmosphere.' It ain't bad. You just stand around all day waitin' for them to shoot and they pay you eighty bucks. PATTY Eighty bucks? For standin' around all day? You used to sneeze eighty bucks. How much you make shootin' craps? JELLY Today? About eight hundred maybe. PATTY And how about bookin' bets for the Teamsters and the crew? JELLY Another grand. One of the producers really likes the ponies. PATTY So eighteen hundred bucks. JELLY Plus eighty -- PATTY I know -- extra. They all laugh. An ASSISTANT DIRECTOR approaches the group. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR This is a closed set. We're about to start shooting. EDDIE Yeah? So am I. Eddie grabs the Assistant Director and walks him away. CUT TO: EXT. "LITTLE CAESAR" BASE CAMP - SAME TIME 76. The trucks and trailers are arranged on a parking lot. A car pulls up and Lou Rigazzi gets out with his bodyguards. DRIVER Should I wait here, Mr. Rigazzi? RIGAZZI No, pull the car up your ass and wait there. CUT TO: EXT. SET - SAME TIME Patty takes Vitti's arm and walks with him. PATTY I heard you had some more trouble. VITTI One of Rigazzi's guys took a shot at me. She stops at the extras' makeup table and starts primping in the mirror. PATTY I don't have to tell you, Paul. Alone on the street you don't stand a chance. That's what the family's all about. Since the old days, when the grandfathers first came over. That's not something you just walk away from. VITTI Yeah, I know. When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. PATTY So you want to tell me what's going on here? It looks like you got your whole crew back together. VITTI Nothing's going on. They're actors. PATTY Don't bullshit me, Paul. You're planning something. I'm feeling very left out. VITTI (quietly) Okay. Something big is going down, but you're getting a cut. My hand to God. 77. PATTY You're a good friend, Paul. And I would never think of insisting on this, but I'd feel better if you brought in Eddie and some of my guys to help with the job. VITTI I don't think so. PATTY Then I'll have to insist. VITTI Whatever. Raoul approaches and eyes Patty disdainfully. RAOUL Oh, dear God. First of all, sweetheart, we're not shooting the hooker scene until tomorrow. And the hair -- please, what is that? PATTY Excuse me? VITTI Raoul, this is a friend of mine. Patty LoPresti. Raoul freezes, recognizing the name. RAOUL Mrs. LoPresti -- I am so very, very Raoul wheels on a production assistant who happens to be passing by. RAOUL How dare you not inform me Mrs. LoPresti was on the set. You're fired! (to Patty) Enjoy your visit with us. If there's anything I can do -- PATTY Go fuck yourself. RAOUL Immediately. Raoul moves away quickly. Patty turns back to Vitti. PATTY It's good to have you back, Paul. 78. (kisses Vitti on the cheek) We'll be in touch. She exits. CUT TO: EXT. PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER As Patty and her men walk away down one aisle of trucks and campers, Rigazzi and his men walk down the next aisle heading for the set. They narrowly miss seeing each other. CUT TO: EXT. BASE CAMP - MOMENTS LATER Ben arrives looking for Vitti. He sees Patty approaching and freezes, then quickly ducks behind a nearby truck, shielding his crotch. Patty and her men pass by. Ben waits until they pass, then comes out of hiding and hurries on. CUT TO: EXT. BACK-YARD SET - SAME TIME A mildly-distraught Raoul is huddled with Vitti. RAOUL I mean, tell me -- was she angry? Am I in any danger? VITTI No, you're fine. But you might want to have somebody else start your car the next couple of weeks. RAOUL I'll have Brian do it. He's new. Rigazzi and his men join them. RIGAZZI (to Vitti) Could I talk to you for a second? RAOUL (eyeing Rigazzi) Oh, what is this now, the bus and truck tour of Guys and Dolls? VITTI This is Lou Rigazzi. 79. Raoul freezes. RAOUL (a horrified whisper) 'The Wrench.' RAOUL (CONT'D) (taking Rigazzi's hand) Please, forgive me. I'm on painkillers -- half the time I don't know what I'm saying. Raoul kisses Rigazzi's hand. Rigazzi yanks it away. RIGAZZI Get lost. RAOUL Certainly. (as he exits) Brian! Get my car! RIGAZZI (to Vitti) I need a couple minutes. VITTI (nodding) This way. CUT TO: EXT. CRAFT SERVICES TABLE - MOMENTS LATER Vitti and Rigazzi stand at the table. Rigazzi's soldiers are nearby. RIGAZZI The guy who shot at you -- he was acting on his own. I never gave an order. VITTI Is that right? RIGAZZI And he's been taken care of. There won't be another incident. Unless you're thinkin' of workin' for Patty LoPresti. VITTI Me? No. RIGAZZI Good. Then I got no beef with you. 80. VITTI Thanks. I'll sleep much better. RIGAZZI Because that would not be the way to go. You want to back a winner, which is gonna be me. It only makes sense. You come work for us. I'll treat you right. VITTI I don't think so. RIGAZZI (a beat) Well, so much for sleeping better. Rigazzi smiles and pats Vitti's cheek, then exits with his soldiers. CUT TO: INT. EXTRAS HOLDING TENT - SAME TIME Ben walks in and sees Vitti's guys sitting around. JELLY Hey, Dr. Sobel? BEN Jelly, hi. (recognizing some of the others) Hey! Yo-Yo! JELLY It's Mo-Mo. BEN Right. I was thinking of the cellist. How's it going? MO-MO Goin' good. I did a 'Law and Order' last week, I had a line on 'Sex and the City' -- TUNA I'm up for a recurring on 'NYPD Blue.' BEN That's great. Have you seen Paul? JELLY Yeah, I think he's in his camper. 81. BEN His camper. CUT TO: INT. VITTI'S TRAILER - MOMENTS LATER There's a loud KNOCK on the door and Ben storms in. VITTI (surprised to see him) Hey, Doc. What are you doing here? BEN No, what are you doing here? I came to tell you we have a preliminary meeting with your parole officer and who do I run into? Patty LoPresti. VITTI Patty who? BEN What is this -- a knock-knock joke? Patty-who-kidnapped-me-and-threatened- to-cut-off-my-balls. Stop lying to me, Paul. Your whole gang is here. VITTI Who says I'm lying? I finally get a straight job and start putting my life in order and you come in here and start accusing me! That's how much you trust me? BEN (off balance) It's not that I don't trust you, I just don't -- trust you. Are you lying to me? Because I know you, Paul. You'll say or do anything to get your own way. VITTI This is what's so hard about being an ex-con. You make one little mistake in your life and people never let you forget it. BEN Oh, so now you're the victim? I want the truth. VITTI Wait a second. Say that again. 82. BEN Say what? VITTI 'I want the truth.' Say it -- like you did just now. BEN I want the truth? VITTI No, strong, like before. BEN (forceful) I want the truth! VITTI Yeah, that's good! BEN Paul -- VITTI No, I'm serious. That had power. I believed it. You could be an actor. BEN I'm not an actor -- VITTI Hey, you're as good as most of the bums I see around here. They have this part. You could do it. BEN Actually, I did The Music Man in tenth grade. VITTI Of course. I'm gonna talk to Raoul. BEN About being on the show? I couldn't - - VITTI No, this part you could do. It's perfect. Believe me. CUT TO: EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY (LATER) The camera rolls. 83. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR We're rolling. SOUNDMAN Sound speed. RAOUL (shouts) Action! ON ROOFTOP Jelly and Tony Bella drag Ben kicking and screaming to the edge of the roof and hang him over the edge. On the ground, Raoul and Vitti look up, watching the action. RAOUL (doubtful) Does that screaming sound real to you? VITTI Oh, yeah. That sounds real. CUT TO: INT. BEN'S CAR - LATER Ben drives, pissed off. Vitti chuckles to himself. BEN It's not funny! There was no safety harness or anything. They could have dropped me. VITTI Hey, if you didn't want to do it, why didn't you say something? BEN I know exactly what that was about. You resent the fact that you've been put in my custody, so you passive- aggressively arranged things to make me look like a fool. VITTI Come on -- you were great. BEN (turning on a dime) Really? I was scared at first, but on the second take, I think I found some good stuff. I was able to texture the screaming -- 84. Vitti is laughing. BEN Oh, screw you, Paul. Just screw you. He pops two pills. VITTI What, are you self-medicating again? And don't give that decongestant multi-vitamin bullshit. BEN Don't worry about me. Just worry about what you're going to say to this parole officer. What are you going to say? That you've moved out of my house. That you've got your old gang back together. For what, a high school drop-out reunion? VITTI I'm gonna say that's none of his fuckin' business. BEN It's my business. I want to know. I'm a federal institution. VITTI (checks side- view mirror) You recognize that car? BEN Which car? VITTI The one that's been following us the last mile and a half. Ben jerks his head around to look and sees a black Mercedes behind him. VITTI Lose 'em. BEN What do you mean, 'lose 'em'? Vitti stomps his foot down on Ben's, flooring the accelerator. CUT TO: EXT. HOBOKEN STREET - CONTINUOUS ACTION 85. Ben's car speeds up suddenly. The black Mercedes behind him speeds up, too, as does a third car that has joined the chase. CUT BACK TO: INT. BEN'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION Ben is on the edge of panic. BEN Maybe I should just pull over. It could be the F.B.I. VITTI No, they're two cars back. You gotta be a little more observant, Doc. Turn left. Ben executes a hard, SKIDDING left. The Benz stays right with him. BEN What if we just stop and get out? They're not going to shoot us in broad daylight. VITTI Broad daylight's the best time. You can see better. Take a right. Now! EXT. HOBOKEN STREET - CONTINUOUS ACTION Pedestrians scatter as Ben makes a sudden turn into a bank drive-thru. He over-steers and wipes out an ATM machine, sending up a cloud of bills that flutter down like confetti. INT. CAR BEN Sorry! MERCEDES follows right behind him, then the bystanders run to pick up the cash, blocking the drive-thru, forcing Miller in the FBI car to stop. CUT BACK TO: EXT. HOBOKEN STREET - MOMENTS LATER Two police officers are parked at the curb. They hear a HORN HONKING, and turn just as Ben's car comes flying past them. The cops start to pull out but stop short as the Benz blows 86. by, swerving to avoid hitting them. The cops take off in hot pursuit. CUT TO: INT. BEN'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION BEN (frantic) We can't do this, Paul! We have to stop! This is a lease! GUNFIRE SHATTERS the rear WINDOW of the car. BEN (shouting back at the Mercedes) It's a goddamn lease! VITTI (looks back) Move over. I'll drive. BEN Move over? Where? Vitti puts his left foot on the gas pedal and his left hand on the wheel. VITTI Backseat. Now! Ben tries to launch himself into the backseat but is stopped by his seat belt. BEN Seat belt. He releases the belt, then twists and crawls over the top of the driver's seat into the back, while Vitti slides into the driver's seat. CUT TO: EXT. PARKWAY - MOMENTS LATER Ben's car races past an industrial area with the Mercedes right on its tail. CUT TO: EXT. INDUSTRIAL PARK - MOMENTS LATER Ben's car bounces over some railroad tracks and sails into a warehouse complex on the river with the Mercedes still only a few car lengths behind. 87. CUT TO: INT. BEN'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION Vitti drives down the narrow lane between two big warehouses. VITTI (determined) Hang on. BEN It's gonna get worse? CUT TO: EXT. PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS ACTION Vitti rockets out from between buildings and races through a parking lot toward the river with the Benz on his tail. CUT BACK TO: INT. BEN'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION BEN They're right behind us! (shouts at them) Get away! He starts whipping things out the shattered back window -- a tennis racket, sneakers, an empty Macy's box. CUT TO: INSERT - TENNIS RACKET is crushed under the Mercedes' wheels. CUT BACK TO: INT. BEN'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION Ben picks up the only thing left -- the New York Times. He starts leafing through it. VITTI What the fuck are you doing? BEN I wanted to save the crossword. VITTI Throw it! Bent throws the paper out the window. 88. CUT TO: BENZ DRIVER'S POV The Times hits the windshield and one double-page sticks, totally OBSCURING the driver's VIEW. EXT. PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS ACTION Vitti throws a 180, SKIDDING to a stop just inches from the river's edge. The Benz, with the newspaper covering the windshield, sails past them and right off the embankment. It seems to hang in the air for a long time, then lands with a big splash and starts to sink almost immediately. BEN AND VITTI They jump out of the car and watch the Mercedes disappear under the water. BEN (aghast) You think they'll get out? VITTI Yeah, that's James Bond and the 'Sea Hunt' guy in there, so they got a pretty good shot. They hear POLICE SIRENS APPROACHING. Vitti starts walking away quickly. Ben follows after him. BEN Where're you going? VITTI I gotta take care of something. BEN But your parole officer -- VITTI Send my regrets. BEN I'm warning you. If you leave now -- VITTI So long, Doc. Vitti takes off running, ducking behind the rows of parked cars. 89. BEN (calling after him) That's it! I'm finished! You're on your own now, pal! I'm -- POLICE CARS and the FBI CAR SCREECH into the parking lot and surround Ben. BEN (quietly) -- screwed. CUT TO: EXT. RIVERBANK - LATER Police divers search for the sunken Mercedes in the middle of the channel. On shore, Ben leans against a government car looking tired and distraught while Chapin berates him. CHAPIN Where is he, Dr. Sobel? BEN I wish I knew. CHAPIN Well, considering that he's in your custody, that's not quite the answer I was looking for. He's got something big in the works. You want to tell me what you know? BEN I don't know anything. As far as I can tell, he's making a real effort to go straight. CHAPIN Yeah, that's why I've got two corpses at the bottom of the river. He reaches through the open car window into his briefcase and pulls out a file of photographs. CHAPIN Here. Vitti with Sal Masiello. Vitti with Patty LoPresti. Vitti with Lou Rigazzi. Let me know -- I can order some wallet size for you. I've got more than enough to put him away again without these. Violation of parole, second-degree murder here. When I really start digging, it'll be amazing 90. what I come up with. You have twenty- four hours to find him and deliver him to me. Otherwise you're looking at obstruction of justice, and accessory to felony manslaughter. And trust me, Dr. Sobel, if you don't like me now, you really don't want to see me in court. BEN I'm getting that. Can I go now? He starts for his car. CHAPIN You can't take your car. We're impounding it as evidence. BEN (exasperated) Then can somebody give me a ride home? CHAPIN Yeah, the government runs a limousine service. The number is 1-800-Fuck Off. Chapin walks away. CUT TO: INT. VITTI'S TRAILER - DAY Vitti is hurriedly collecting his stuff, talking to Jelly and a few of his old gang. VITTI I don't have a lot of time. They're probably gonna come lookin' for me, so we'll go over everything later, okay? JELLY Paul, not that I'm questioning, but what do we want with Eddie DeVol? Guy's a fuckin' scumbag. VITTI Look, I'm not happy about it, but if it keeps Patty off my back, so be it. They're meeting us at the club. Let's head out. (as they all get up) Not all at once. I gotta tell you everything? A PRODUCTION ASSISTANT KNOCKS and sticks her head in the door. 91. P.A. Mr. Vitti? Mr. Bella asked if you could meet him in the makeup trailer. VITTI No, I gotta go. P.A. He said it was important. VITTI (annoyed) I'll talk to him tomorrow. He hands the P.A. some money. VITTI Here -- tell him you couldn't find me. Vitti exits. The P.A. looks at the money. CUT TO: EXT. MAKEUP TRAILER - LATER Vitti makes his way past the trailers, heading for his car. As he passes the makeup trailer, the door opens and Tony Bella sticks his head out. TONY BELLA Paul! Excellent! VITTI Can't really talk right now, mate. Headin' out. TONY BELLA Two seconds. Please, Paul. It's really important. Vitti looks pissed. CUT TO: INT. MAKEUP TRAILER - MOMENTS LATER Vitti watches impatiently while the makeup artist touches up Tony Bella. TONY BELLA (script in hand) I'm looking for something to do when my character finds out he's being indicted. I was thinking of punching the wall, but I did that when they killed Uncle Lenny, and I did it again 92. when Franny left me. Oh, and I punched a car, a van actually, when Peezee screwed up the big drug deal. So I'd like to find something different, that doesn't involve, you know, punching anything. VITTI Try kickin' something. Let me know how it works out. Vitti starts for the door. TONY BELLA Wait, Paul. That's interesting. Like what? VITTI (impatient) I don't know. You could kick a guy in the face. TONY BELLA Who? VITTI (irritated) Just some guy! You knock him down, give him a couple quick kicks in the head while he's on the ground. TONY BELLA Why? VITTI Why not? Because he's there and you're pissed off. TONY BELLA You've done that? VITTI Maybe once or twice. Look, I got people waiting. TONY BELLA (thinks about it, decides not) My character wouldn't do that. What else? VITTI (at a loss, getting angrier) I don't know. You could yell real loud? 93. TONY BELLA Yell real loud? That's original. VITTI (pops) Or keep your fuckin' mouth shut! Who gives a shit what you do, for cryin' out loud? Tony Bella likes something about Vitti's inflection. TONY BELLA (imitates him) Who gives a shit what you do, for cryin' out loud? VITTI What are you doin'? TONY BELLA What are you doin'? VITTI (irritated) Okay, you can cut that shit out right now. TONY BELLA Okay, you can cut that shit out right now. VITTI (menacing) Hey, I'm serious, asshole! TONY BELLA Hey, I'm serious, asshole! CUT TO: EXT. MAKEUP TRAILER - MOMENT LATER The door flies open and Tony Bella comes flying out of the trailer backwards, hitting the pavement hard. Vitti charges out of the trailer and storms away. Tony wipes blood from under his nose. TONY BELLA That was good. My character could do that. CUT TO: EXT. SOBEL HOUSE - LATER A cab pulls up to the house, and Ben gets out. 94. He walks up the driveway and sees Jelly's car parked at the back door and a big man in a dark suit and tie wiping the windshield. BEN (irritated) Jelly! Where's Paul? The guy in the suit turns. It's Michael. BEN Michael? What are you doing? MICHAEL Working. BEN (pleasantly surprised) You got a job? That's great. Look how handsome you look in that suit. What's the job? MICHAEL (reluctantly) I'm working for Mr. Vitti. I'm his driver. BEN Oh, no, you're not! MICHAEL You keep telling me to get a job! BEN I meant making sandwiches at the Subway, not driving a getaway car! MICHAEL He's paying me twenty dollars an hour. BEN I don't care if he pays you two hundred an hour, you're not doing it. MICHAEL Dad -- BEN He had no right to ask you without my permission. Where is he? MICHAEL I can't tell you. BEN What do you mean you can't tell me? 95. MICHAEL I promised I'd never repeat anything I heard in the car. I took an oath. BEN You took an oath! Oh, my God! Was there blood involved? MICHAEL Dad, I gave my word. Laura comes out of the house. LAURA Ben? Where've you been? What happened to you? BEN (minimizing) I was in a car chase. There was a little shooting -- not that much really -- then they -- drove into the river. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. LAURA When is this going to end? BEN Tonight, I hope. I just have to find him and -- LAURA Why? A few days ago you weren't even sure you still wanted to be a therapist. Now you're going to risk your life again for that lout. BEN Yeah, but he's an amazing lout, isn't he? I can't quit now. You know that. LAURA (relents) Go. Just don't get shot -- please? BEN I love you. They kiss. Then Ben turns to Michael. BEN All right, where is he? MICHAEL I can't. 96. LAURA (pops) You tell your father right now or I'll give you such a smack it won't even be funny! MICHAEL (surprised) Okay! I dropped him at the club. BEN What club? MICHAEL Little Darling's in Queens. BEN Okay, Mafiaboy, give me your car keys. MICHAEL I'm grounded? BEN No, I'm borrowing your car. He kisses Laura again and takes off. CUT TO: EXT. LITTLE DARLING'S - LATER THAT NIGHT Several limos are parked outside a family-owned nightclub in Queens. Ben pulls up, leaning way back in the driver's seat of Michael's, half-painted, modified '82 Honda Civic with the BUBBLING MUFFLERS. CUT TO: INT. CIVIC - CONTINUOUS ACTION Ben takes out a bottle of pills. He tries to remove the child-safety cap but his hands are shaking so badly he can't do it. Frustrated, he tries to bite the cap off, then gives up and throws the bottle away. CUT TO: EXT. LITTLE DARLING'S - SAME TIME Ben enters the club. A moment later, Cerrone and Miller cruise by in an unmarked car and park at the end of the block. 97. CUT TO: INT. CLUB ENTRANCE - MOMENT LATER Ben enters the nightclub and starts moving through the crowd, looking for Vitti. He pushes through and sees Jelly and a few of the guys watching an exotic dancer, a beautiful young blonde in a skimpy costume, standing on a platform grinding in mock ecstasy. BEN Jelly! JELLY (yelling over music) Hey, Doc. What are you doin' here? BEN Where's Paul? Jelly tucks a few bills into her G-string. She looks at Ben and winks suggestively. JELLY I think she likes you, Doc. Give her a couple of bucks. Ben reluctantly digs in his pocket and holds out a bill to the stripper. BEN Can you break a twenty? The stripper sensuously fingers the top of her G-string, and Ben gingerly sticks the twenty in it. BEN Do I just make my own change? He tentatively reaches for some smaller bills in her G-string but she dances away. BEN (calls to her) A ten and five ones -- when you have the chance. He turns around to talk to Jelly, but he's already gone. Ben finds Jelly at a table with Vitti. BEN Okay, Paul, what's going on? 98. VITTI (keyed up) What are you doing here? BEN I could ask you the same thing. VITTI What's it look like? We're just blowin' off a little steam. What's the big deal? Eddie DeVol enters, flanked by his main guys, AL PACINO and ENORMOUS BOBBY. EDDIE How's it goin', Paulie? You know my guys -- Enormous Bobby and Al Pacino? VITTI (looks at him) Al Pacino? That's your real name? AL PACINO No. People call me that because I look like Al Pacino. (beat) The actor. VITTI Anybody ever call you Carol Burnett? AL PACINO No. Why? VITTI 'Cause you look about as much like Carol Burnett as you look like Al Pacino. Ben laughs. Al Pacino glares at him. BEN I do see a little Pacino there -- around the eyes. EDDIE So we're all here. Let's do it. He heads for the back of the club with his guys. Vitti and Jelly start to follow. BEN (stops Vitti) Let's do what? 99. VITTI You better get out of here. BEN (lays a hand on his arm) I'm not going until you tell me what's going on here. Vitti violently shakes off Ben's hand. VITTI (menacing) Don't make me hurt you. Get the fuck out of here. He walks away leaving Ben frozen. Ben watches as they disappear through a door leading to the back of the club. He starts toward the door. CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Vitti is seated at a big table in the crowded, smoke-filled room. Jelly sits at his side. He's surrounded by his crew, about a half-a-dozen guys, and Patty's man, Eddie DeVol. Several street maps and diagrams are spread out on the table. VITTI Okay, this is big and we only get one shot at it; and there's only about a million ways this fuckin' thing can go bad, so listen up. Vitti pulls a street map to the center of the table and taps a spot downtown. VITTI The Federal Gold Depository in Lower Manhattan. Three times a year a shipment of gold bars goes in a heavily-guarded armored truck from the Depository to the vault at the Federal Reserve to hold for foreign governments that trade in bullion. At three o'clock in the morning -- eight hours from now --we're gonna hijack that truck. CUT TO: INT. LITTLE DARLING'S - SAME TIME Ben enters the back room of the club, looks around, and starts down the stairwell leading to the basement. 100. CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT STAIRWAY - MOMENTS LATER Ben makes his way down the cramped, dimly-lit stairway and approaches the door to the basement room. He raises his hand to knock, then hesitates and stands there for a moment listening to the MUFFLED VOICES inside. Suddenly he is grabbed from behind and slammed up against the door by Enormous Bobby. Bobby slams him against the door a couple of more times, using Ben's head as a doorknocker. The door is opened by someone inside and Enormous Bobby shoves Ben into the room. CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION Ben hits the floor to a chorus of surprised reactions from the guys. Enormous Bobby pulls Ben off the floor by his lapels. EDDIE What the fuck is this? ENORMOUS BOBBY I found this guy listening at the door. BEN (dazed) Hey, guys. How's it going? EDDIE Who is this guy? BEN (not looking at Eddie) Ben Sobel. Sorry, I can't move my head to the right. Boy, I hope that's not permanent. EDDIE Get rid of him. Al Pacino puts his gun to Ben's head. BEN (still dazed) Hi, Carol. AL PACINO You're a dead man, asshole. Let's go. 101. He starts muscling Ben to the door. VITTI What are you doing? EDDIE What do you think? He can make every guy in this room. BEN Oh, I'm not into that, fellas. VITTI Get your fuckin' hands off him! He's with me. EDDIE What, on the job? Vitti hesitates. EDDIE (impatiently) Either he's in, or he's dead. Which is it? BEN I think in is better. VITTI (reluctantly) He's in. He's my responsibility. EDDIE (to Vitti) Okay, no more surprises. And from this moment on, no one leaves my sight. Got it? Now go through it one more time. VITTI Okay -- everybody listen up. BEN Wait! (sits) Okay. Go ahead. CUT TO: EXT. LITTLE DARLING'S - LATER THAT NIGHT Agents Cerrone and Miller watch the front of the club from their car parked across the street. 102. CERRONE (yawns, checks watch) I wonder what it costs to keep that many limos waiting for three-and-a- half hours. THEIR POV A dozen men looking like Vitti and his crew come out of the club and get into the limos. MILLER (O.S.) Everybody stand by. They're leaving. The limos drive off. At the corner, the FBI car pulls out and follows at a discreet distance. CUT TO: EXT. QUEENSBOROUGH BRIDGE - NIGHT The FBI car follows the limos across the bridge into Manhattan. CUT TO: EXT. TIMES SQUARE - LATER The limos pull up at the WWF Restaurant. The FBI car stops up the block. CERRONE (V.O.) (over radio) 312, all units. W.W.F. Restaurant. Times Square. The limo doors open and the passengers get out -- all nondescript nobodies. CUT TO: INT. FBI CAR - SAME TIME Miller watches intently. MILLER Where's Vitti? I don't see Vitti. Cerrone stares with the growing awareness that they've been had. CERRONE Damn it! 103. (grimly, into radio) Call it off. We lost them. CUT TO: INT. MANHATTAN WAREHOUSE - MIDDLE OF NIGHT Vitti's guys are dressed like construction workers as they load their gear into two trucks. Vitti supervises while others work on a New York City bus. Eddie DeVol, Al Pacino and Enormous Bobby stand guard over the whole scene, in case anyone is thinking of defecting. Ben is wearing heavy dungarees and an oversized plaid shirt, struggling to lace his work boots. Jelly approaches him and tosses a bulletproof vest on the table. JELLY Here. See if this'll fit under your shirt. BEN (extremely nervous) I could fit you under my shirt. Don't they have anything smaller? JELLY This ain't Bloomingdale's. Nobody knew you were comin'. You're lucky you're alive, Doc. He glances at Eddie DeVol. BEN (hisses) Nobody's going to be alive when this is over. What kind of plan is this? It's crazy. It's stupid! JELLY Watch it. It may be crazy but it ain't stupid. If you want to stay alive, just keep your mouth shut, do everything I tell you and try not to pee in your pants. (quietly) Can you handle an M-16? He holds up an automatic rifle. BEN You mean shoot it? JELLY No, I mean twirl it like a fuckin' baton. How about an A.K.? 104. He holds up another rifle. BEN (exasperated) Jelly -- JELLY (rummaging through pile) Kalashnikov, MAC-10, Uzi -- stop me if I hit one you like. Ben sees Eddie watching him and gingerly picks up a 9mm handgun. BEN Couldn't I just take this? JELLY Yeah, that's a good one. That gun brings back a lot of fond memories. Use it in good health. Ben puts the gun into the waistband of his dungarees, but it slips through and drops into his pants. BEN (winces) Ooh, cold -- cold. He jams his hand down the front of his pants and starts searching around in there. Eddie and Enormous Bobby stare at him as they walk by. BEN (explaining) My gun -- fell down in my -- He shakes his leg and the gun drops out of his cuff and clatters onto the floor. He smiles weakly and picks it up. Vitti approaches. He looks agitated but under tight control. VITTI (to Jelly) Check the bus. Jelly exits. VITTI (quietly, to Ben) If we can, I'm gonna get you out before the real shit goes down. Just don't flip out on me, okay? 105. BEN You are making a huge mistake. You know that, don't you? VITTI You said it yourself. It's my nature. BEN It's not your nature! You have a choice. VITTI What are you, fucking Jiminy Cricket? I don't know what planet you live on, but here on Earth it's 'might makes right.' Read the papers. The guys with the guns make the rules. BEN (holding up the pistol) So I guess that makes me a real man now. What happened to the white hat, Paul? Your father wasn't wrong. You could be one of the good guys. VITTI Enough. Say one more word about my father and I'll break your fuckin' head. BEN (quietly) Okay. Vitti walks off. CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - SAME TIME Vitti comes in, locks the door and has a full-blown panic attack -- gasping for breath, sweating, whimpering, trying to stifle his panic. Then he sees his tortured face in the mirror and starts pulling himself together. CUT TO: INT. WAREHOUSE - FEW MINUTES LATER The guys are getting into the trucks. Ben keeps letting everybody go in front of him, then starts to back away, but Eddie and Enormous Bobby come up behind him and push him up into the truck. EXT. MANHATTAN WAREHOUSE - NIGHT 106. The big doors open and two trucks roll out carrying Vitti, Ben and the crew. CUT TO: INT. LEAD TRUCK - SAME TIME The guys are sitting on the floor in the back of the truck, lined up along the sides like paratroopers waiting to jump. Ben is sitting next to Jelly and across from Vitti who is just staring intently. CUT TO: EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY - NIGHT The trucks make their way past the aircraft carrier Intrepid heading downtown. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - NIGHT (LATER) Vitti, Ben, and Eddie DeVol stand next to the treads of a giant crane. VITTI (checks his watch) I have five to three. They should start movin' any minute. BEN (looking at his watch) I have three-o-six. VITTI Let's see your watch. Ben slips it off and hands it to him. Vitti smashes it on a rock with the butt of his gun, then tosses it back to Ben. Vitti's RADIO SQUAWKS and the spotter's voice is heard. SPOTTER (V.O.) (filtered) They're moving! Vitti keys his radio twice as a signal and holds up his clenched fist to alert the guys on site with him. CUT TO: EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING - NIGHT A CONVOY of vehicles emerges from the bowels of the building and turns onto the street. In front and back are specially- equipped SUVs, full of heavily-armed federal marshals; an armored truck in the middle carries the gold. 107. CUT TO: EXT. ANOTHER STREET - SAME TIME The convoy RUMBLES past a block-long, high-rise construction site, totally enclosed by a plywood wall around the perimeter. VITTI He can hear the convoy passing outside the wall. SPOTTER He looks down on the convoy from a vantage point on a scaffold high above the street. When the trucks are in the right position, he waves to Vitti on the ground. VITTI sees the signal. VITTI (on walkie) Go! CUT TO: EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS ACTION A forty-foot, flat-bed trailer truck loaded with cement conduit backs across the street and stops, blocking the path of the convoy. The lead SUV HONKS. The truck doesn't move. The CAPTAIN of the marshals gets out and walks up to the truck. The driver has slipped out the other side and disappeared. Suddenly, a huge steel claw drops down from above and closes around the top of the armored truck, its sharp points crunching into the metal sides. Then the truck starts rising off the pavement. A couple of determined marshals jump out of their vehicles, race over and grab onto the bumpers as the armored truck is lifted off the ground. CUT TO: EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - CONTINUOUS ACTION A hundred-foot tower crane lifts the truck straight up. The marshals hang on as long as they can, then prudently let go and drop heavily to the street. Two marshals are still clinging to the truck as it rises to a height of thirty feet, then swings silently over the perimeter fencing. 108. INT. CONSTRUCTION SITE A bank of arc lights is switched on illuminating the site as the truck is lowered to the ground. Heavily-armed gangsters in ski masks surround the truck and herd the driver, the shotgun guard and the frightened marshals into a construction shack, while men with acetylene torches attack the back doors. Vitti pulls down his ski mask and taps Ben. BEN Paul, it's not too late. Don't do this. VITTI Let's go. He strides off to take charge. Ben pulls down his mask and hurries after him, but runs right into a pole. BEN Shit! Ow! He raises his mask and scampers after Vitti rubbing the painful bump on his forehead. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - SAME TIME The marshals run around, frantically searching for a way into the construction site. CUT TO: VITTI Totally in charge, he strides up to the armored truck just as his men finish cutting through the steel plate doors. Vitti yanks the doors open.. Vitti and Ben stare in awe at the exposed contents of the truck -- a fortune in gold bars. VITTI (shouts) Get the ramp! Eddie and his guys run up with a long, narrow track with metal rollers and set it up at the rear of the gold truck. EDDIE (very excited) You know, this might just fuckin' work. 109. BEN You're gonna get in so much trouble. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - SAME TIME The marshals are trying to climb over the construction site wall, but they're stopped by rolls of razor wire and SUPPRESSING FIRE from inside the site. LIEUTENANT They can't get over the wire. CAPTAIN Then knock down the gates! CUT TO: EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE The guys take the heavy bars out of the armored truck and run them quickly along the rolling track into the bus. CUT TO: INT. BUS - SAME TIME Jelly is pulling on the hat and jacket of a transit authority bus driver. The floor boards of the bus have been lifted out and the guys are laying the gold bars in the hollow under the floor. VITTI (pops his head in) Forty bars. That's all we need. BEN How much is that? VITTI $350 an ounce, 16 ounces in a pound, 90 pounds in each bar -- do the math. JELLY (a beat) Actually, gold is measured in troy ounces. 14.6 ounces to the pound. That would be... $18,396,000. BEN Really? JELLY Give or take. He hears a LOUD CRASH and all eyes turn to the gates. 110. BEN Well, so much for not peeing in my pants. Eddie goes off to help transfer the gold. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - SAME TIME The marshals back up one of the SUVs and run it into the gates again. CUT TO: INT. CONSTRUCTION SITE The big, wooden GATES SHUDDER but Vitti's men roll two enormous earthmovers up to reinforce the gates. BEN You know what you said about not flipping out? VITTI Yeah? BEN Sorry. (flipping out) What did I do? What did I do? I had a perfect life, I threw it away. VITTI Don't do this. Vitti drags him off toward the building structure. BEN I can't help it! My life is over! I'm going to jail. Some people can handle prison -- I'm not one of them. I have delicate features. I'm small. I'll be way too popular! VITTI Calm down. BEN I can't calm down! I'm gonna die! Inside the structure, Vitti spins him around and shakes him. VITTI You're not gonna die! 111. BEN I can't breathe! I'm suffocating! VITTI (shaking him) For Chrissake, get hold of yourself! BEN I can't! I'm dying! We're all going to die! Suddenly, he slaps Vitti hard across the face. They both freeze. BEN Did I just hit you? VITTI Yeah. Feel better now? BEN (breaking down) I'm sorry, Paul. I blame myself for this. I wanted to help you. I wanted to be there for you. But I just wasn't good enough. VITTI You were good. It isn't your fault. BEN No, it is. Since my father died -- (starts crying) I've lost my way. I don't know anything anymore. I mean, what's the point? I didn't think it would hit me so hard -- VITTI Would you just shut up about your father! BEN I'm grieving, goddammit! Have a little respect! VITTI He was an asshole -- you said it yourself. What are you grieving for? BEN I'm grieving for myself, you fucking idiot! Ben lets it all go, sobbing for all the years of pain. 112. VITTI (surprised, shrugs) Jeez, I'm sorry. BEN Now I know how you must have felt when your father was killed. Vitti looks at him. BEN (crying more) I mean, it had to be ten times worse for you -- being murdered right in front of you. And you were so young - - VITTI We don't have time for this. BEN (really sobbing) It must've been so painful! VITTI (eyes filling with tears) I'm warning you -- don't do this -- BEN I mean, it's like all his hopes for you died with him. And that's so sad. VITTI (starting to cry) There I go. You happy now? You see what you're doing here? Both men are crying now. BEN Your father really loved you. VITTI I loved him, too. I did. BEN (hugs him) I know. I know. Jelly comes around the corner and sees the two men in a weepy embrace. JELLY Oh, boy. This is bad. 113. Another huge CRASH as the marshals ram the gates again, this time tearing loose one of the big hinges. JELLY Maybe we oughta should go. Vitti, Ben and Jelly run to the bus, but Eddie pulls a gun and stops them. Al and Bobby cover Jelly and the rest of the crew. Vitti backs away slowly. EDDIE Did you really think you were gonna live through this? VITTI I had my hopes. EDDIE Yeah, well, nice work. Mr. Rigazzi will be very grateful. BEN (to Vitti) Rigazzi? I thought he worked for Patti LoPresti. VITTI That's what Patty thought, too. This scumbag's been playin' both sides against the middle. EDDIE There's only one side as far as I'm concerned. Mine. What did you think? I was just gonna stand by and let some fuckin' has-been move back in? So long, Mr. Vitti. He cocks the gun and is about to pull the trigger when Ben suddenly roars and slams him in the head with his gun. Vitti and Jelly quickly cover Al Pacino and Enormous Bobby. BEN (beating the shit out of Eddie) I can't take it anymore! That's what I hate about you fucking sociopaths! You just keep changing the rules to suit yourselves. Well, not this time, you anti-social asshole. You fucked with the wrong shrink! Sitting on Eddie's chest, he presses the gun against Eddie's nose. BEN Don't you read the papers? The guy 114. with the gun makes the rules. VITTI Yeah, what? They shove Eddie, Enormous Bobby and Al Pacino into the back of the armored truck, Vitti gives a signal and the crane lifts it off the ground. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS ACTION The armored truck comes down fast and drops heavily to the street. Federal MARSHALS swarm the truck and find Eddie, Al, and Bobby sprawled in the back. CAPTAIN (screaming) On the floor! Face-down! Now! AL PACINO (to Eddie) Nice goin'. Good plan. ENORMOUS BOBBY What's a sociopath? The marshals handcuff them. Suddenly, the marshals hear AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE coming from the next block. Uniformed SWAT COPS come running from that direction and shout to the marshals. SWAT LEADER They're escaping out the back! Get over there! Move it! The marshals rush toward the sound of the GUNFIRE and disappear around the corner. CUT TO: NEXT BLOCK As the marshals round the corner, they see a police shoot-out in progress. Wiseguys are FIRING AUTOMATIC WEAPONS at cops who are pinned down behind police cruisers. The Captain of the marshals FIRES a warning SHOT in the air. CAPTAIN (on a bullhorn) Freeze! Drop your weapons! 115. The head wiseguy, Anthony Bella, turns in surprise. TONY BELLA What the hell is this? RAOUL (O.S.) (on his own bullhorn) Cut, cut, cut! What the hell's going on? Raoul strides out into the street, furious, still talking through his bullhorn. RAOUL (to the Captain) Who are you? What are you doing in my shot? The Captain and the marshals look around and see that they're on the set of "Little Caesar." CAPTAIN What are you doing on my street? The Captain walks toward Raoul until they are almost face to face, shouting at each other through their BULLHORNS. RAOUL I have a permit! CAPTAIN I don't give a shit about your permit! The ASSISTANT DIRECTOR addresses the TV crew. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR All right, people. Back to one and let's try it again! (into his walkie-talkie) Release the traffic and reset for another take. On the perimeters of the set, the PA's signal the off-duty cops who work the set to release the real traffic they've been holding on the cross streets. A city bus passes behind Raoul and Tony Bella who are still screaming at the Federal Marshal. CUT TO: EXT. 11TH AVENUE - MINUTES LATER In mid-block, SWAT cops step into the street and wave the bus to a halt. 116. CUT TO: INT. BUS - SAME TIME Ben is sitting in the back with Vitti as the helmeted SWAT cops board the bus. BEN (sees them coming) That's it. We're screwed. The cops walk toward the back and confront Ben. LEAD SWAT You! BEN Yes, Officer? LEAD SWAT You're one tough shrink. The cops unmask. It's Mo-Mo, Cokes, and Tuna. They laugh and slap hands with Vitti and Ben. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS ACTION The bus pulls out and joins the flow of traffic heading downtown. CUT TO: INT. BUS - MINUTES LATER All the guys are looking pretty happy with their score. Ben turns to Vitti. BEN Feeling pretty good, huh? VITTI I felt worse. BEN So what now? You go on the run for the rest of your life? Back to Sing Sing? Or you turn up dead in an alley? VITTI Those are my choices? What happened to lying on a beach in Costa Rica for the next twenty years? You can't let me enjoy this for five fuckin' minutes? 117. BEN Five minutes? And then what? VITTI And then what? I'll show you. CUT TO: EXT. RIGAZZI PLUMBING AND HEATING - NEXT MORNING A Rigazzi company van is forced open by a team of FBI agents led by Agent Miller. Stacked inside are forty gold bars. Agent Cerrone comes out of the building with Lou Rigazzi and several associates in handcuffs. U.S. Attorney Chapin makes a statement to the media. CHAPIN Acting on intelligence we developed in the last few days, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. took very aggressive action to recover the stolen gold and bring the perpetrators to justice. I'm happy to tell the people of New York that the streets are safe again. CUT TO: EXT. PATTY'S HOUSE - SAME TIME Vitti knocks on the front door. Patty answers it in her robe. PATTY Hi, Paul. How'd it go? VITTI Not so good. PATTY Yeah, I heard. It's all over the television. I never should've trusted Eddie. But, you know, a woman alone in the world is very vulnerable. VITTI Yeah, I know. PATTY At least I don't have to worry about the Rigazzis no more. Thanks to you. VITTI I told you -- I just want to be left 118. alone. PATTY I know. I'll make sure. How about some breakfast? I could make you some waffles and -- whatever else you want. She adjusts her robe, providing Vitti a quick peek. VITTI Can't do that. Patty smiles and shrugs. PATTY Well, if you ever change your mind -- (kisses him) Good luck, Paul. CUT TO: EXT. EAST RIVER BOARDWALK - LATER MORNING Ben is leaning against the railing gazing at the water when Vitti walks up. BEN Did you see Patti? VITTI Yeah. BEN (ruefully) Did she grab your balls? VITTI What kind of question is that? She's cool. She's just happy to have 'the Wrench' out of the way. BEN Well, I talked to the U.S. Attorney. VITTI Did he grab your balls? BEN No, Paul, he did not grab my balls. He thanked me for tipping him off about the gold. And he said he won't be coming after you if you stay out of trouble. So what do you think? VITTI I'm gonna go to Ohio -- get Marie and the kids -- then we'll probably disappear for awhile -- figure out all 119. this future stuff -- away from all the pressure. BEN Good idea. Change is hard, Paul. But you did the right thing. VITTI Yeah, you, too. You hung in there. That took a lot of guts. BEN Well, I just -- VITTI No, you were like an animal back there. BEN I just vented my displaced aggression VITTI No. I'm telling you. You're a monster. I saw the beast in you. BEN I'm not a beast. I can handle myself if I have to -- VITTI Handle yourself? You were fuckin' John Wayne. BEN Well, I wrestled a bit in high school -- 122 pounds. VITTI Yeah, I could tell. You're good, you. BEN I'm not -- VITTI Paul, I just -- VITTI No. You are good. You got a gift, my friend. Ben gives up. BEN Fine. I have a gift. VITTI So -- happy ending, huh? 120. BEN Well, I think so. Don't you feel better now? VITTI Are you kidding? I feel like shit. All that work for nothing. 20 million bucks. BEN You're grieving -- it's a process. VITTI Take it easy, Doc. BEN You, too, Paul. They embrace. Then Vitti starts to walk away toward Jelly who has been waiting at a respectful distance. Vitti stops and turns. VITTI Hey, Doc! (sings) 'There's a place for us -- ' BEN (sings) 'A time and place for us -- ' JELLY (joins in) 'Hold my hand we're halfway there -- ' ALL TOGETHER 'Hold my hand and I'll take you there. (belting) Somehow, someday, somewhere.' The ORCHESTRA SWELLS as we CRANE UP TO the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan beyond. DISSOLVE TO: FADED 8MM COLOR HOME MOVIE FOOTAGE A little boy in a cowboy suit sitting on a pony as his father leads him around the ring. FADE OUT. THE END

Inherent Vice (2014) by Paul Thomas Anderson. Based on the book by Thomas Pynchon. FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT, August 7, 2013 In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

American Hustle (2013) by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell. A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AMERICAN HUSTLE Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell TITLE CARD: SOME OF THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED OVER BLACK: APRIL 26, 1978, PLAZA HOTEL, NEW YORK 1 FADE IN: 2 INT. PLAZA HOTEL WINDOW NYC - DAY IRVING ROSENFELD, not a small man, gets dressed and meticulously constructs his combover. Camera WRAPS AROUND, see his hands with rings adjust his dark velvet suit, up to his face, serious, concentrated, intense, he is composing himself before a performance. Irving is now dressed, ready, and walks down the hall to another room. 3 SECOND PLAZA HOTEL ROOM Irving composes himself -- looks into cramped surveillance closet, there are FBI Agents -- we only see their hands and arms -- he looks at monitors -- sees a BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE OF ANOTHER ROOM ON MONITOR: MAYOR CARMINE POLITO, swath of salt and pepper hair, cream suit, pinky ring, Rotary Club pin -- ALONG WITH CARL ELWAY, preppie shady businessman. He exhales pressure, turns as CAMERA PANS TO: SYDNEY PROSSER (who will also be known for some time as EDITH GREENSLY), stylish crafty smart. They stare at each other intensely -- they have a deep and emotional relationship. A DOOR BANGS OPEN, and in walks RICHIE DIMASO, Bronx-born. He stands there. RICHIE DIMASO What are you doing, going behind my back? Telling people I'm screwing up this operation? I got you a suite at the fuckin' Plaza Hotel! IRVING ROSENFELD The shittiest suite at the Plaza Hotel. RICHIE DIMASO What?! IRV ROSENFELD The shittiest fuckin' suite. RICHIE DIMASO Based on what--? 2. IRVING ROSENFELD And the food is wrong, and--What is this? You, like, went in my closet or something? EDITH GREENSLY No IRVING ROSENFELD Are you dressing him like you're dressing me now? EDITH GREENSLY (shakes her head) No, what are you thinking? This isn't all about you, you know that. RICHIE DIMASO What, did you try to dress me so I would look like him? EDITH GREENSLY No, you're not dressed like him, all right? RICHIE DIMASO But I do, I look like him. EDITH GREENSLY No, he's in like, velvet. Come on. IRVING ROSENFELD You asked me to show you how this was done, you wanna fuck it up be my guest. EDITH GREENSLY What is your problem? RICHIE DIMASO Hey, look, I never laid a hand on her, all right? Is that what this is about? EDITH GREENSLY (British accent) Well technically, that's not true. RICHIE DIMASO Look, we never had sex ok? I just -- 3. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) What'd I do? I put my hand like this -- Richie reaches out and puts his hand on Irving's face very carefully, not forcefully. Irving swipes it away violently the second it touches his face. IRVING ROSENFELD Don't you fucking touch me. That bothers me -- RICHIE DIMASO Oh it does? IRVING ROSENFELD Oh yeah. RICHIE DIMASO That bothers you? IRVING ROSENFELD Yes. RICHIE DIMASO You know, a lot of shit bothers me too, but I was trying to help you. If I wanted to bother you, if I really wanted to fucking bother you, this is what I'd do. Richie takes his hand and destroys the combover Irving spent so much time creating. Irving just stands there, hair ruined, staring at Richie. IRVING ROSENFELD You shouldn't have done that. Irving just stands there staring at Richie, hair all wild and messed up looking very angry. RICHIE DIMASO How's that? You bothered now? (no answer) Alright, don't make a thing of it. EDITH GREENSLY You shouldn't touch him. He doesn't like that. 4. RICHIE DIMASO Oh my god, fix his hair. Don't make a thing of it. EDITH GREENSLY It takes some time, ok. Edith walks over to Irving who is still standing there in silence with his hair all over the place. She carefully starts helping him put it back together. RICHIE DIMASO Big fucking deal. We got to get in the other room, come on. The mayor's in there. EDITH GREENSLY Yes I know that. RICHIE DIMASO Should we go to the beauty parlor? Is that what we should do? Richie walks over and opens up a briefcase that's sitting on the dresser. Inside are stacks of cash. Edith is still helping Irving put his hair back together. IRVING ROSENFELD How's it look. EDITH GREENSLY You look fine. Richie slams the briefcase shut looking very nervous and intense. RICHIE DIMASO Let's go. CUT TO: 4 STEELY DAN'S "DIRTY WORK" STARTS ON THE SOUNDTRACK AS THEY 4 WALK DOWN THE HALLWAY THREE ACROSS: IRVING, EDITH, RICHIE. RICHIE WITH BRIEFCASE IN HAND. 5 INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE FOYER - DAY 5 SLOW MOTION -- DOUBLE DOORS PUSH OPEN AND Edith ENTERS THE SUITE -- THEY WALK INTO -- 5. 6 INT. PLAZA HOTEL LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 6 DRAMATIC PUSH IN ON: THE DESTINY OF THE STORY MAYOR CARMINE POLITO PINKY RING, ROTARY CLUB PIN STANDS FINISHING STORY TO BUSINESSMAN CARL ELWAY AS IRVING, EDITH, RICHIE WAIT FOR HIM TO FINISH -- THEY ALL SHAKE HANDS AND SIT ON THE COUCH ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER. RICHIE CAREFULLY SETS THE BRIEFCASE DOWN ON THE GROUND NEXT TO HIS FEET. CUT TO THE SCENE AS VIEWED THROUGH A SURVEILLANCE MONITOR. THE DATE AND TIME STAMP VISIBLE. CARMINE POLITO I thought he was going to be here. I do business face to face, person to person. That's just who I am. Richie reaches down and awkwardly slides the briefcase over to Carmine unprompted. LEAVE MONITOR'S POV AND RETURN BACK TO THE SCENE. IRV'S EYES WIDEN AS IN `NO! DON'T DO THAT!' WHILE HE AND RICHIE STARE AT EACH OTHER, EDITH TENSE, CARMINE LOOKS DISTURBED AT THE CASE COMING HIS WAY. HE STANDS ABRUPTLY. CARL ELWAY Whoa, excuse me, excuse me. I'll handle that for the Mayor. RICHIE DIMASO No, it's for the Mayor. It would be a sign of disrespect to the sheik if the mayor didn't take it himself. It's for you Mayor. Carmine looks angry and confused. He looks over to Carl. CARMINE POLITO What are you doing? What-- (to Carl) Carl, what the fuck? What is this? CARL ELWAY No, I'll handle it. I'm gonna take care of-- Everything's good. I got everything under control. (TO RICHIE) That's for me. I handle all that for mayor. CARMINE POLITO What is this? Irving looks over and says nothing. Not surprised at all how badly this is all going. 6. Edith whispers to Richie. EDITH GREENSLY (whispers to Richie) Just stop it, ok RICHIE DIMASO (whispers to Edith) He's gotta take it himself, okay? CARMINE POLITO I don't know what the fuck that is but it's weird you understand? CARL ELWAY Misunderstanding. Misunderstanding. CARMINE POLITO I came here to meet a sheik, that's all I know. I'm very interested in that but he's not here apparently. Carl?! Carmine turns and starts to walk out of the room. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) I'm very interested in meeting the Sheik. You let me know when THAT could happen! Thank you, have a good day. Carmine leaves the room. Irving looks over and shrugs his shoulders. Not surprised at all the way this is going and horrified that Richie has ruined it. CARL ELWAY (leaving) Irving! You better come get him. RICHIE DIMASO (stares at Irv) Go out there and get him right now. CARL ELWAY Help me get him back! RICHIE DIMASO Go get him. He needs to take the fuckin' briefcase, Irving. 7. IRVING ROSENFELD I didn't wanna do it in the first place. This is your show, YOU go get him. RICHIE DIMASO No, you have no choice. You have to go get him. Now, go get him, so he takes the briefcase by himself! That's the whole plan, Irving! Irving stands up angry and gets in Richie's face. IRVING ROSENFELD What were you doing pushing the fucking briefcase, dummy? Huh? RICHIE DIMASO The whole fuckin' thing was falling apart. You know how much I paid for this goddamn hotel that you fucking asked for?! IRVING ROSENFELD Now I gotta go mop up your mess. I'm gonna go fucking mop up your mess! Irving storms out of the hotel suite towards the Elevators to get Carmine. INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE FOYER - DAY Irving paces back and forth as he waits for the elevator. INT. PLAZA HOTEL LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS We push in on the concerned face of Sydney as Richie rambles on to her. RICHIE DIMASO You understand what I'm saying, right? It wasn't working. INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE FOYER - CONTINUOUS Irving continues to pace back and forth in the hall waiting for the elevator. 8. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Did you ever have to find a way to survive and you knew your choices were bad? Irving walks over and hits the elevator button again. IRVING ROSENFELD I learned how to survive when I was a kid. 7 CUT TO: 7 IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) (CONT'D) My father had a glass business. 28 IRV AS KID SMASHES PLATE GLASS WINDOWS OF BRONX STOREFRONTS 28 Drumming up business for his father. EXT. ROSENFELD & SON GLASS REPAIR CO. - DAY 1940'S Young Irving and his Father and Mother standing outside the family's glass repair shop in the Bronx as some tough contractors march up to them. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) I would rather be on the taking side than the getting taken side any day of the week, especially after I saw how my father got taken. I mean, seeing that scarred me for life. EXT. UNDISCLOSED STREET - DAY 1940'S Young Irving runs by a store front as he throws a rock through each window on the store, smashing them all. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) (CONT'D) I took it upon myself to drum up business. I became a different kind of guy than my father. I became a con artist -- from the feet up, for real. CUT TO: THE BRONX: STOREFRONT WITH SMASHED WINDOW. - DAY - PRESENT Irv shakes his head, surveys the damage. 9. IRVING ROSENFELD I was gonna survive no matter what. I still had the glass business and a few dry cleaning stores on the side. 7G INT. IRV'S DINGY OFFICE - DAY 7G Irving paces around his office smoking a cigar and talking on the phone. What looks to be stolen art sits on the floor all around him. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) And I did some art dealing on the side. Stolen or forged art. EXT./INT. POOL PARTY - LONG ISLAND HOUSE - DAY Chicago's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" fades up. Jamming early 70s HOLIDAY party -- LONG ISLAND LADIES IN BIKINIS WITH HUGE HAIR IN FUR COATS SMOKING OUTSIDE THE GLASS ENCLOSED POOL -while inside steamed glass SHINY BIKINI CANDIDATES FOR NOSE JOBS; A FEW OTHERS WHO ARE LARGE, SEVERAL GUYS WHO LOOK MOBBED UP, pale, out of shape, gold chains, in swim trunks, EVEN MORE BURT REYNOLDS TYPE GUYS, slim, hairy, chains. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) So, one January I go to my friends pool party in Long Island. Irving sits holding court with some friends by the pool when he turns and sees Sydney for the first time. PUSH IN ON: Irving. He looks up, they lock eyes across the party. SYD REACHES FOR A SLICE OF FRUIT ON HIGH SET PLATE WHEN IRVING'S HAND GRABS HER ARM -- she turns, taken aback - IRVING ROSENFELD Is that Duke Ellington on your bracelet? She does have on a Duke Ellington charm bracelet. SYDNEY PROSSER As a matter of fact, it is. He died this year, you know. 10. IRVING ROSENFELD I know. I doubt anyone else here knows or cares about it. SYDNEY PROSSER Well I care. He saved my life many times. Irving takes a good look at her, impressed. IRVING ROSENFELD (impressed) Mine too. Which one? SYDNEY PROSSER Jeep's Blues. IRVING ROSENFELD (smiles, warm) Jeep's Blues. Oh yeah. Awkward pause. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You wanna hear it? SYDNEY PROSSER Right now? IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah. SYDNEY PROSSER Sure. CUT TO: PORTABLE RECORD PLAYER PLAYS START OF JEEP'S BLUES as Irving and Sydney nod to it - he watches her foot in her high wedge and her tanned leg rocking as she sits on arm of sofa. IRVING ROSENFELD Who starts a song like that?! SYDNEY PROSSER It's magic. IRVING ROSENFELD Magic. They listen to the record, Edith checks Irving out. 11. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) He wasn't necessarily in good shape, and he had this comb-over that was rather -- elaborate. He had this air about him. And he had this confidence that drew me to him. He was who he was and he didn't care. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Like me, she was a very particular person. Like me, she came from a place where her options were limited -- and she had been someone she didn't want to be in her past. CUT TO -- SYDNEY DANCES IN A SMALL TOWN, OLD FASHIONED STRIP BAR. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) It actually can feel kind of sexy sometimes. There's a boldness in it. But where would that boldness take me? I didn't know. But I was gonna find out. 8 CUT TO: 8 SYDNEY WALKS DOWN A BLEAK INDUSTRIAL STREET. CUT TO -- RECORD STORE WHERE EDITH FLIPS THROUGH ALBUMS OF THE OLD GREATS -- ELLA FITZGERALD, DUKE ELLINGTON, AND MORE OF THE OLD GREATS -- A WORLD OF ELEGANCE, SOPHISTICATION, AND CULTURE A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM WHERE SHE LIVES. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Like me, she learned to survive and reinvent herself. She knew she had to reinvent her life and her identity. And like me, she envisioned a better elegant future for herself. Like me, she knew you had to have a vision. EXT. NY STREET -- DAY Sydney looks at scrap of paper with info in her hand -- looks up at office building address -- enters. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) She came to New York. She envisioned it. (MORE) 12. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) (CONT'D) And just like that, she applied for a job at Cosmopolitan Magazine. 12 INT. COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE OFFICES - DAY 12 Clean bright colors, huge blown up Cosmo covers -- Sydney -- innocent, plain, slacks and blouse, hair back, nervously awaits interview. SHE IS CALLED IN -- NERVOUSLY STANDS, small crumpled scrap of paper in hand, FIXES HER HAIR -- 13 INT. COSMO INTERVIEW OFFICE - CONTINUOUS 13 COSMO INTERVIEWER GIRL Well you're obviously here for a reason. Let's get to it. SYDNEY PROSSER Alright. COSMO INTERVIEWER GIRL Our cover story right now is on cunnilingus. What do you think about that? SYDNEY PROSSER I like it. COSMO INTERVIEWER GIRL Do you have any clerical skills? SYDNEY PROSSER Yes. COSMO INTERVIEWER GIRL Can you type? IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) She was unlike anybody I ever knew. She was smart. She saw through people in situations. And she knew how to live with passion and style. She understood Duke Ellington. 14 COSMO MAGAZINE OFFICES: SYDNEY PUSHES MAIL CART DELIVERS MAIL 14 TO SOPHISTICATED MAGAZINE EDITORS AND EXECUTIVES, SOME TOUGH BIRDS, MOST ELEGANT. 13. 15 CUT TO: Edith WATCHES A COSMO COVER SHOOT -- 15 SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) I was broke, fearless, with nothing to lose -- EXT./INT. POOL PARTY - LONG ISLAND HOUSE - DAY Irv and Sydney dance slowly. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) (CONT'D) -- and my dream, more than anything, was to become anyone else other than who I was. 24 EXT. LONG ISLAND DRY CLEANERS-- DAY 24 Irv holds the door open for Edith as she enters. IRVING ROSENFELD -- I got two in the Bronx and three in Manhattan. (to an employee) Hey, Byron. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) He had a chain of dry cleaning stores. He asked me to come in and upgrade my wardrobe-- he said a lot of nice things got left behind by people and forgotten over the years- - IRVING ROSENFELD I mean you wouldn't believe the shit that people leave behind here. Unbelievable. SYDNEY PROSSER People leave stuff here? IRVING ROSENFELD Oh yeah. They go out for the night, they drink, come here in the morning, put their clothes in and then they forget. They got no idea where they left it. Irving touches a hanging blue sequined dress. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Look at that. Sequined thing. I don't know. Is that nice or not? 14. SYDNEY PROSSER It's beautiful. Irving and Sydney continue to walk through towards the back and enter a fur vault filled with elegant designer clothes. IRVING ROSENFELD I mean, some of it's been here for years. They're not picking it up. Nobody's picking it up. Sydney starts riffling through nice things hanging on the racks. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You like that? SYDNEY PROSSER I love it. IRVING ROSENFELD It's yours. You want it? It's yours. Sydney looks back at Irving in shock. CUT TO: SHE STEPS OUT OF THE DRESSING ROOM IN THE VON FURSTENBERG DRESS - LOOKS FANTASTIC. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You look fantastic! SYDNEY PROSSER Oh my god. I can only dream about these dresses. They're beautiful. SYDNEY PULLS CLASSIC CLOTHES FROM THE ABANDONED RACK: ONE, TWO, THREE. SHE PUTS A JACKET ON HIM THAT HE IS RELUCTANT TO WEAR, PAISLEY SMOKING COAT. LATER: THEY GO INSIDE THE ELECTRIC ROTATING CAROUSEL RACK OF CLEAR PLASTIC COVERED, DRY CLEANED CLOTHES -- STAND INSIDE, ENCHANTED, SMILING AT EACH OTHER, AS THE RACK SWIRLS MAGICALLY AROUND THEM. THEY STARE AT EACH IN LOVE. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) I felt like we had a secret. Just the two of us. You know like that thing where you want to just be with the one person the whole time. 15. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) You feel like the two of you understand something that nobody else gets. I could just tell her everything about myself. And I never had anybody like that in my life before. I felt like finally, I can truly be myself without being ashamed, without being embarrassed. 39 INT. Irv's dingy office - DAY 39 Irv leads Sydney into a small, dingy Manhattan office on an upper floor. SYDNEY PROSSER What is this place? Do you sell art here? IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah, sometimes. This is my office. SYDNEY PROSSER I know it's your office, but, you have these other places. What's this for? Why did you bring me here? IRVING ROSENFELD This getting to be my main business, my growing business. I help get loans for guys that can't get loans. I'm their last resort. SYDNEY PROSSER You're their last resort? Because interest rates are north of 12% and heading to 18%. IRVING ROSENFELD That's right, smarty pants. SYDNEY PROSSER Fucking Jimmy Carter. Fucking Nixon really. And the war and the deficit and all of that shit. IRVING ROSENFELD I love you, you're so smart. You are. SYDNEY PROSSER Thanks kid but how do you get them the money? 16. IRVING ROSENFELD Well -- SYDNEY PROSSER You don't do you? You don't. IRVING ROSENFELD These guys are lousy risks, you know? I can't get them a loan but I get my fee. Five thousand. SYDNEY PROSSER Five thousand? You take five thousand and you don't give them anything? IRVING ROSENFELD These are bad guys, you know? They got bad divorces, gambling habits, embezzling, all that shit, you know what I mean? SYDNEY PROSSER Everybody at the bottom crosses paths eventually in a pool of desperation and you're waiting for them. IRVING ROSENFELD How about `we'? SYDNEY PROSSER We? IRVING ROSENFELD How bout it? Sydney turns and begins walking out the door as Irving chases her out. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Sydney. Sydney I'm sorry that was too much. I went too far. I didn't want to upset you. She continues walking out without looking back and leaves. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Sydney please, I'm sorry! I know it ain't for everybody. The door slams in Irving's face 17. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) (Irving shouts to the closed door) Ah GOD I love getting to know you! INT. IRV'S DINGY OFFICE - DAY IRVING PACES AROUND THE OFFICE UPSET AT HIMSELF. SLOWLY SITS DOWN IN THE DESK CHAIR IN DEFEAT, TAKES OFF HIS GLASSES AND SITS BACK. IRVING ROSENFELD (TO HIMSELF) What I do that for? I fucked it up. I should never tell a woman the truth. She's so smart. She's different. OFF SCREEN THE DOOR OPENS. SHE WALKS RIGHT UP TO IRVING AS HE SITS AT HIS DESK. SHE TOSSES HER COAT TO THE SIDE. IRVING STARES UP HER TENSE -- WHAT WILL SHE DO? SYDNEY PROSSER You said it was nice knowing me. You said it was nice to meet me. IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah. SYDNEY EXTENDS HER HAND TO HIM IN A ROYAL FASHION. SYDNEY PROSSER (British accent) Would you like to meet Lady Edith Greensly? Irving looks stunned as he slowly clasps her extended hand. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) (British accent) I have royal banking connections in London. I'd love to help you with your loan but of course I have to be very selective. IRVING ROSENFELD That was fucking fantastic. SYDNEY PROSSER Thank you. Did you like it? 18. IRVING ROSENFELD I liked it. I didn't think you were coming back. Thank god you came back. SYDNEY PROSSER I wasn't going anywhere. IRVING ROSENFELD I fucking love you. SYDNEY PROSSER You have me. CUT TO: 40 EXT. SUBURBAN STREET 40 ONE OF SYDNEY'S NANNY FRIENDS, REBECCA, walk out of a BUSINESS MAN's (34) house pushing a stroller as the business man comes chasing after them. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) And so Irving and I began our partnership -- in love and commerce. BUSINESSMAN Rebecca, hold on. You're Edith right? SYDNEY PROSSER(V.O.) He told me to tell my friends I had (in British accent) London banking connections BUSINESSMAN I'm Jim. I'm her employer. Listen - - she told me you can get me a line of credit. I know you have banking connections in London, England. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) And after that...say "no" a lot until the guy is hooked. Edith and Rebecca start walking away as the businessman chases after them. 19. BUSINESSMAN Becky tell her! I've never missed a check! EDITH GREENSLY (walking away) NO! SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) It was almost scary how easy it could be to take money from desperate people. CUT TO: 41 INT. IRV'S DINGY OFFICE - DAY 41 Edith extends her hand to greet ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN, 35. Edith is dressed in a more sophisticated high end British fashion. EDITH GREENSLY Lady Edith Greensly, it's so good to see you again. ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN, 35 Lady -- your ladyship -- thank you again. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) These are the roles that we were meant to play. 42 INT. IRV'S DINGY OFFICE - ANOTHER DAY 42 Another desperate businessman sits across from Edith and Irving. SYDNEY PROSSER We're very selective. IRVING ROSENFELD You got a strong application. We'll talk about it. INT. IRV'S DINGY OFFICE - ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MARK. IRVING ROSENFELD I don't take a deal that I can't close. 20. SYDNEY PROSSER You're not being aggressive enough in putting up your assets -- The man looks nervous -- NERVOUS LOAN APPLICANT Have you ever been to Queens? Have you ever been to Great Neck? Everybody knows my dealerships. CONTINUOUS MONTAGE AS THEIR CLOTHING CHANGES FROM DAY TO DAY BUT THE SETTING REMAINS THE SAME AS THEY CON MARK AFTER MARK. A desperate man takes out a BUSINESS CHECK BOOK and writes his check. DESPERATE MAN Five thousand gets me fifty right? ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN Five will get me thirty five. Is that right? ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN, 35 Five grand gets me fifty? INT. IRV'S DINGY OFFICE - ANOTHER DAY Sydney and Irving laugh and celebrate. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) I was doing so much more business with her. I mean it doubled, then it tripled. INT. IRV'S GLASS STORE - DAY Sydney -- hair getting bigger -- goes over the books with a Latino Man who nods and watches her -- Edith counts cash in the register - recounts it -- explains how things can be done better as DRY CLEANING WORKER nods. Irv watches happy. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) And I never met anyone, man or woman, in business who was so careful and precise about everything. Every stylistic detail. 21. INT. BUSINESSMAN OFFICE - DAY Irving and Edith discuss a piece of art they're in the process of selling to a businessman. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) We kept selling art together, too. EDITH GREENSLY It's really a fabulous example of a genre painting, which is really rare for the time. It's a boy and his dog. Non-religious painting. 55. Golden age. Dutch painting. ANOTHER DAY -- A CAR DEALERSHIP OFFICE -- IRV DROPS THE CANVAS BAG REVEALING A VINTAGE PAINTING -- (COLORED ORBS AND LINES) -- TO THE MIDDLE AGED CAR DEALER WHO OWNS THE WAREHOUSE WHO WRITES A CHECK. IRVING ROSENFELD Paul Klee. Bauhaus Movement. 1920s. MIDDLE AGED CAR DEALER Before we go any further, is this legit? IRVING ROSENFELD Let's just say it's missing from Spain and leave it at that. EDITH GREENSLY Don't show any Spanish friends. Irving and Sydney kiss passionately in front of the middle aged car dealer as he tries to hand them his check. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) I mean it just took off. We got an elegant Manhattan office. We called it London Associates for her accent. 44 INT. NEW OFFICE LOBBY - MADISON AVENUE - DAY 44 A JANITOR FINISHES POLISHING SILVER PLATED LARGE LETTERS: LONDON ASSOCIATES to a pale wall as he and Edith sip champagne from flutes and offer one to the worker who toasts with them. 22. IRV DOES HIS TRADEMARK MINIMALIST BADGER DANCE, IN PROFILE, TO QUIET DELIGHT OF SYDNEY. Irv and Edith kiss gently, lovingly, sincerely on the lips -- They walk into their CLASSIC LOOKING, STAID, PRIVATE BANKING OFFICE SUITE. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) When I was around her I felt joy. Fucking joy! And love. That's what I felt. SMASH TO: 46 EXT. PARK AVENUE - SUNNY DAY 46 47 They dance down Park Avenue together. 47 INT. LOBBY OF PIERRE HOTEL - CONTINUOUS Irv and Edith dance through the lobby. 49 THE PIERRE HOTEL CAFE 49 As they dance among mostly older wealthy couples on the small dance floor of the elegant restaurant as a live jazz quartet plays "I've Got Your Number". Camera circles them, putting their foreheads together, very happy. THEY SING TO EACH OTHER quietly as they dance close. 50 INT. ROOM AT PIERRE HOTEL -- NIGHT 50 Irv and Edith make passionate love, we see in pieces -- He gets up, she watches him dress and leave -- 52 INT. IRV'S CADILLAC - NIGHT 52 53 He drives over the Triborough Bridge. 53 IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) As, as far as I could see, people were always conning each other to get what they wanted. We even con ourselves. 23. 54 INT./EXT. IRV'S CADILLAC - NIGHT 54 55 He drives through the suburb of ranch houses and driveways 55 56 and pulls into his driveway of his split-level ranch. Irv 56 gets out of his Cadillac and walks to the front door of his house -- IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) We talk ourselves into things. We sell ourselves things we maybe don't even need or want by dressing them up. We leave out the risk. We leave out the ugly truth. 57 INT. IRV'S HOUSE - NIGHT 57 Irv walks into the decorated ranch house, frosted glass with bird designs, glass tables, walls, black and brown lacquer everywhere. He walks into the house and looks at a picture his son did -- a drawing of the Yankees playing baseball -- that is taped to the refrigerator. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Pay attention to that because we're all conning ourselves in one way or another just to get through life. Irv takes Danny's picture from the fridge and tip toes -- with low sounds now of O.S. TV -- Irv goes to A CLOSED DOOR WITH YANKEE STICKERS on it -- Irv OPENS A BEDROOM DOOR TO REVEAL HIS 5 YEAR OLD SON, DANNY. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) He was married, and he had a son. 58 INT. DANNY'S ROOM - NIGHT 58 DANNY is on the bed, picture books, baseball cards, spread all around him. Irv stands holding the picture. Danny looks over his shoulder. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) He had adopted her son. DANNY DADDY! 24. SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) He was a really good dad and I respected him for that. It was a tough situation for everyone. Irv's face lights up. IRVING ROSENFELD Danny. This is a fantastic picture. What did you do today? DANNY That kid Donovan is being mean to me. IRVING ROSENFELD The big kid? I thought Mommy picked you up so he couldn't bother you. DANNY She was late, and then after we put out the fire, mommy said stay in my room with my baseball cards. Danny reaches across to Irving and takes his glasses off his face and puts them on. IRVING ROSENFELD What fire? DANNY Did you know they make a lamp that has the sun in it? [Irv looks at him] Mommy got the lamp. She made her special drink and the lamp made a fire. Irv looks concerned. 59 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 59 Irv's wife Rosalyn sits up on the bed in a muumuu, half her face is burned. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I put out the fire. The fire is out. IRVING ROSENFELD For the first time in my life I do the right thing. 25. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Oh shut up -- IRVING ROSENFELD I save a young single mother, and her kid. I marry her. I adopt him - - ROSALYN ROSENFELD You fell in love! Don't forget we fell madly in love! IRVING ROSENFELD Yes, I fell in love. My God, I fell in love. Yes. But you know what? I thought you were mysterious like my mother until it turned out that mysterious just meant depressed, hard to reach. I mean, I'm dying here! And you need somebody who's gonna be quiet like you. You're young, you're beautiful. You gotta find somebody else. You gotta go out and get some friends all right? Don't sit inside -- ROSALYN ROSENFELD I don't like going out. You know that I get anxiety when I have to meet people. You know how hard that is. IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah but you can't just stay in the house with the fucking sun lamp. Alright? And I can't-- I mean, look, I can't trust you with it anyway. That fire and everything. I can't trust to leave you with Danny. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I put the fire out Irving! There is no fire! Maybe if you were here more, then there wouldn't have been a fire in the first place. IRVING ROSENFELD Oh, what, there wouldn't have been a fire if I was here? 26. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Just stop with the whole fire thing. God it was a mistake. I'm sure a million people do that all the time. Those sun lamps are dangerous. Shouldn't even have them in the house, really. I bet that happens all the time. This was nothing. IRVING ROSENFELD We're not happy. Alright? Rosalyn just stares there for a moment at Irving saying nothing. ROSALYN ROSENFELD You know that I could take Danny. You know that most of your work is illegal. And you know that if you tried to divorce me, you know that-- I'm not saying that I would, but I'm saying that I could. And I'm saying that that is why I don't like divorce, Irving. Women do that in divorces. Women get the children, and then the fathers never see them. My mother never got divorced. My grandmother never got divorced. There are NO divorces in my family. I am not getting a divorce. IRVING ROSENFELD Come on. What are we doing here? ROSALYN ROSENFELD We fight and we fuck and that's what we do. That's our thing. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) She was the Piccaso of passive aggressive karate. She was better than any con artist I'd ever met including myself. And she had me like nobody had me. Rosalyn sheds her muumuu, to reveal a white leotard. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Irving, come to mama. Come on. 27. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) You might say she was my karma for how I took advantage of people. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Irving, come here. Come on. Get into bed. IRVING ROSENFELD Alright. ROSALYN ROSENFELD 63 Baby, there's such good stuff here. 63 INT. DANNY'S ROOM - NIGHT DANNY SITS PLAYING ON THE BED WITH HIS TOYS. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) I did not want to leave the kid behind. He was my son. She had me. I was her mark. INT. LONDON ASSOCIATES - DAY SLOW PUSH IN FROM WIDE SHOT BEHIND NEW CLIENT/MARK, FROM THE BACK, AS THEY SIT FACING EDITH, TO ONE SIDE, AND IRV, BEHIND THE DESK. CAMERA KEEPS PUSHING IN SLOWLY TOWARD THE BACK OF THE MARK'S HEAD AS HE FACES SYD AND IRV. WE NOW SEE THE MARK: A charismatic, mercurial, wild eyed BUSINESSMAN "MORT PAPIERMAN" in need of a loan. Mort's eyes go from her knees to her eyes -- His eyes meet Sydney's -- he looks soulful, open. She stares at him. Irv notices uncomfortably. He's JEALOUS. IRVING ROSENFELD -- and every deal I take, I close. However, my fee is non refundable, just like my time. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO (filling out paper work) I want to thank you very much Irving for seeing me. Sorry I'm so nervous. Richie reaches for his top button to adjust it. 28. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Am I not buttoned? Edith stares at him and smiles. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) I just gotta say Mr. Rosenfeld, that Lady Edith was very adamant that you were top notch and -- IRVING ROSENFELD That's correct. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO I really need your help. I'm desperate. I've got the Audis for collateral and the two boats, and I forgot to mention that I have a little piece of real estate in Long Island. EDITH GREENSLY No, you didn't mention that. Two lunches and you never mentioned that. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO Oh, I was gonna mention it and then the guy with the hat walked in. EDITH GREENSLY The hat. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO And I forgot totally. It was the second time we had lunch. EDITH GREENSLY You couldn't see his eyes. He had no eyes. It was like, did he make it? MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO (laughing) Do they sell hats like that? Where do they come from? Actually, I went to the store that I thought maybe he bought it there. I was gonna get you one -- EDITH GREENSLY You were going to get me one? 29. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO Like as a memento. Irving decides to interject. IRVING ROSENFELD Two lunches? EDITH GREENSLY Yes. It's two lunches. What's the big deal? IRVING ROSENFELD That's unusual. EDITH GREENSLY I was trying to get him to be more aggressive. On his loan that is. Mort PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO You showed me a whole new side of the city I'd never seen before. EDITH GREENSLY Oh, good. You're welcome. Mort PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO No, thank you. IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah, right. You liked it? Should I take you there? EDITH GREENSLY Yes. IRVING ROSENFELD Should I take you there twice? EDITH GREENSLY Stop. IRVING MOTIONS SYDNEY TO COME CLOSE HE WHISPERS CONFIDENTIALLY TO HER. IRVING ROSENFELD (confidential to Edith) What's going on, you like this guy? EDITH GREENSLY Yes I like this guy. 30. IRVING ROSENFELD Is that messing up your judgement? Don't be stupid. SYDNEY PROSSER No, he's not messing with my judgment. IRVING ROSENFELD Hey, play your part. EDITH GREENSLY Fine. You play your part. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO (holds out cashiers check) Take it to your people in London. Please, take it to them. I got the cashier's check right here. I give you five and you give me fifty right back, right? Please. Please don't reject me. Give a guy a chance. MORT/RICHIE REPEATEDLY TRIES TO HAND IT TO IRV, WHO IS BUSY STARING AT SYDNEY STARING AT MORT. MORT HOLDS THE CHECK IN THE AIR UNCOMFORTABLY AWKWARDLY UNTIL -- almost in slow motion --Edith takes the check -- staring at Mort. IRV STARTS TO LEAVE - MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Zurich? You got an office in Zurich? Paris? I can call Paris? IRVING ROSENFELD If you could excuse me for one second? MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO Yeah, take your time. Do whatever you need to do. Go ahead, take your time. HE HEADS TO THE REAR EXIT WHILE SYD MOVES TO ANOTHER -- IRV OPENS THE DOOR - BAM -- A WARRANT IS HELD UP TO HIS FACE BY STOCKY FBI AGENT SCHMIDT IN A SUIT - HE WALKS IRV BACK INTO THE OFFICE -- AS Edith OPENS A SIDE DOOR -- BANG - FEDERAL AGENT STOCK WALKS HER BACK INTO THE OFFICE WITH A WARRANT. IRVING ROSENFELD You got the wrong office, you're gonna be embarrassed. 31. THE AGENTS START PUTTING EDITH IN CUFFS IMMEDIATELY. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) HEY, HEY, HEY! GO EASY ON HER. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO I may not have you, Irving, but I have her on fraud. Impersonating another individual. IRVING ROSENFELD Fraud?! Fraud? What is that? Identity fraud? AGENTS SCHMIDT AND STOCK IMMEDIATELY START TAKING BOXES OF FILES FROM DRAWERS, IMPOUNDING EVIDENCE. MORT PAPIERMAN/RICHIE DIMASO You may be from England, Edith, but you're not royal and you have no banking connections and that's a felony. How long is that? That's 3- 5 years I think. EDITH GREENSLY (about the handcuffs) Hey! Not so tight! IRVING ROSENFELD Oh really? That's interesting. I don't even know your real name. Richie pulls out a badge and shoves it in Irving's face. RICHIE DIMASO Richie Dimaso, FBI. Nice to meet you. Richie looks at Edith with concern and points at Irving. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) You gotta get away from this guy. Agents take boxes of files out of the office- Irv standing alone in center of room- shell-shocked. 64 INT. FBI HOLDING OFFICES - DAY. 64 SYDNEY IS LED INTO A HOLDING CELL BY AN FBI AGENT. 32. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) He wouldn't let me see her for three days. He even managed to delay a lawyer. INT. FBI HOLDING CELL - DAY Dim cell, lit only from small high barred window, no lights on. Edith looks like she's coming apart -- circles under her eyes, a shadow of her confident self -- pale, scared, hair flat, stringy, unglamourous, pacing, rocking. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) 65 She couldn't handle it. 65 66 INT. FBI HOLDING CELL - NIGHT 66 FLUORESCENT LIGHTS COME ON IN THE CELL -- Edith squints. Cell is unlocked by Richie Dimaso WHO enters with a cup and saucer of tea. He stands near her with the tea. RICHIE DIMASO (to the other side of the two-way mirror) Joe, how come the fluorescents are on? Can we kill that, please? (to Syd) Jesus I put this lamp here for you 'cause I thought it'd be better for you. There's a wire here. They're scared because people hang themselves but I know you're too smart for that. Where's the table and chair? There's no bed here? It's like a fucking asylum. Joe, is everybody off today? Jesus Christ it's scary. Maybe I wanted to scare you. I don't know. Maybe it was my idea. Maybe i'm a little off the beaten path you know? I don't know. You look dehydrated. Here, want to try some tea? Oh yeah, your lips are all chapped. (re: tea) It's herbal. My favorite. Richie bends down to Edith who is sitting on the floor in the corner and hands her the cup and saucer. She lifts the cup but her hand is shaking almost violently as she raises the cup to her lips. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) I know you think -- look at me. Hey. Edith. (MORE) 33. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) I know you think Irv loves you. I know you think you know him -- that he sees the world as a cold, dark place, and he cares about nobody but very few people on his short list: his son, his father, Rosalyn, and you. And you think you're at the top of that list. But what if you're not. What if you're not even on the list at all? He'd be in here right now if he took the check. She thinks about this. She trembles. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) He'd be in here right now if he took the check. But no, you did. God, it's, it's so clear to me. It's so crazy -- it's clear to me, but it's not clear to you. He uses you, Edith, to protect himself. To protect his son and his wife in Long Island. No? Yes. He put a ring on her finger, he adopted her son. They have huge house, they have two cars. What does she do all day? I'll tell you what she does -- she plays with her nails, she watches T.V., and she spends your money, the money that you make. Edith stares at Richie, taking this in. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) I don't like that you're in jail while he's going free. I don't like any of that. I want to help you. All the razzle-dazzle that he does, it's not good. It's not real. It's fake. It's not real. Who you are is who you are, between you and God. You and your soul. That's what matters. That's what counts. That's what I'm about. And that's what I see in you. Tell me you didn't feel it the first time we saw each other. Am I crazy? I don't think so. I'm not supposed to be talking like this, but I don't care, I break the rules. Edith looks at Richie in silence as she thinks about what he's saying. 34. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Okay, Edith? Edith. I want to help you. I like you. (whispers) I like you. (dead serious) I like you. 67 INT. FBI OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, NY - DAY 67 Irv stands alone on the other side of the glass staring at Sydney. Richard Dimaso walks in. RICHIE DIMASO Been in there three days. Hasn't been so good for her. Irv continues to stare at Sydney. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) How does that make you feel her in there? That check was for you, right? But you knew somethin' was off. That's 'cause you're good. You're, like, the best at what you do in the whole country, aren't you? Irv looks at him. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) But you know what? If the country were run by people like you, Irving Rosenfeld we'd be living in Eastern Europe or Guatemala. You ever been in Guatemala? You ever been in jail in Guatemala? You ever try to get a telephone or a permit or anything in Guatemala? That's what this country would be like if we let people, let the liars like you, run this country. IRVING ROSENFELD Who made you god and judge? RICHIE DIMASO My grandmother lived to be ninety- three years old. Never lied in her life. IRVING ROSENFELD Congratulations. 35. RICHIE DIMASO Thank you. I'm proud of that, too. Does that make her not a good person? Is that not something to strive for? IRVING ROSENFELD Why you breaking my balls? Get to the point. RICHIE DIMASO I see something in you, Irving. I get very excited. I think that we have a lot of potential here. Now, look. I came up with the idea. It's all from me. I want to change things. I want to go after white collar crime. Irving, you're very skilled. And I want you to teach me and we can do this. I want four people that do what you do. Fraudulent investments. Fake certificates of deposit. Stolen art, fake art. You get me four people and you're off the hook. IRVING ROSENFELD Four busts and you'll leave us alone? We don't have to testify? RICHIE DIMASO You're good, you're done. Anything you want. But if you run, then your life is over. You'll be hunted, and it's gonna be very difficult for Rosalyn and your kid to live in this country. 68 INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT 68 A NICE UPPER EAST SIDE apartment. Sydney has finally changed her clothing from when she wore the same dress at the holding cell. It is quiet in the apartment - faint street noise from 3rd Avenue below. SYDNEY PROSSER We need to leave. We need to run and we need to do it now. We can go to Estonia or Romania, I don't care, we'll take the cash from the bed and get out of here, alright? We talked about it a hundred times. 36. Irv stares at her and struggles. IRVING ROSENFELD What about Danny? SYDNEY PROSSER What about Danny? IRVING ROSENFELD I adopted him! I gave him my name! I'm not leaving him with Rosalyn, she's unstable! SYDNEY PROSSER That's a manipulation! Rosalyn's will never let you go. She'll use Danny against you because she's too messed up to let you leave. IRVING ROSENFELD I can't leave him. I love him. Alright? He's my son. SYDNEY PROSSER Richie said you would say that. IRVING ROSENFELD Richie? What, the cop? Your on a first name basis with him? SYDNEY PROSSER Yes I am. I'm not even on your list am I? IRVING ROSENFELD What list? SYDNEY PROSSER Your list. Your short list. Your long list. I'm not even on anyone of your fucking lists. I thought you loved me. I thought we had something. IRVING ROSENFELD We do have something. I love you, it's perfect! What are you saying? We're gonna go to Romania? We're gonna take Danny? SYDNEY PROSSER Yes. Yes, that's what I'm saying. You, me, Danny. 37. IRVING ROSENFELD Well you never said that before. SYDNEY PROSSER I'm saying it now. We're us, and we can make it an adventure like we did. We can make it an adventure like we make everything, alright? But we have to go now. We have to leave right now. IRVING ROSENFELD I can't leave Danny. I'll lose custody. SYDNEY PROSSER You have to take me away! We have to leave! (sobbing) What are you saying?! Oh my god. IRVING ROSENFELD What are you doing?! Please! Sydney goes storming out of the room and down the hall of her apartment. Irving follows. SYDNEY PROSSER I can't believe this is happening. IRVING ROSENFELD Don't say I don't love you because that's bullshit! SYDNEY PROSSER (sobbing) This is bullshit. You are bullshit. We are bullshit. She starts sobbing, shaking. IRVING ROSENFELD Please don't do this. SYDNEY PROSSER I just never thought you were conning me. IRVING ROSENFELD I could never con you. I love you. Please don't say this. 38. Irv walks to her and bends down to join her on the floor as she sobs. SYDNEY PROSSER No, I'm done. IRVING ROSENFELD Don't say that. SYDNEY PROSSER (cries) I'm gonna do these four busts, these four cons, to get us out of this. Not just me, but us. And I'm gonna get really close with Richie, the cop, in case we need to use him, if we need another move. IRVING ROSENFELD We don't need another move. We need four busts, and we're done. SYDNEY PROSSER We are going to need another move, trust me. And you're going to be thanking me. (shifts to British accent) The key to people is what they believe and what they want to believe and I want to believe that we were real, and I want to believe that a man could want me. And I'm gonna take all of that heartbreak, and all of that sorrow, and I am going to use it. And I'm going to make Richie think that I want him, and that I like him, and I'm going to be very convincing -- And I'm pissed at you. Sydney reaches over and carefully grabs Irving's face lovingly which quickly turns into a slap as she continues on. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) Because I'm pissed at you! Irving stares at Sydney with confusion. He's never seen her like this before. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) Maybe I do like him -- Maybe I like him a lot. From the feet up right -- baby? Sydney gets up from the couch and storms back to her room. 39. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) Quite your belly aching and come up with something to get us out of this. And you're right -- I'm in no state to deal with this so what's it gonna be, Mister Mastermind? SOUND PRELAP: RICHIE DIMASO (O.S.) 69 An Arab sheik? Why do we need an 69 Arab Sheik? 70 INT. ART MUSEUM - DAY 70 Richie, in sharp lapeled suit, chain on his neck, walks with Irv and Edith and joined by a man who looks like an ARAB SHEIK who they trail. IRVING ROSENFELD How do you think this works, stupid? SYDNEY PROSSER If you could not call him `stupid' which he's isn't, he's smarter than you. Last I checked he's in control here and we work for him now so be nice. Richie stares at Edith elated that she just stuck up for him. He's really enjoying this position of power she's putting him in. IRVING ROSENFELD (stares at her, upset) OK, to set this up and bust a con artist we have to make the honey pot to attract the bees. In order to attract the bees, we need to offer them a wealthy individual who can be taken advantage of, someone special, someone new, someone amazing. Then those guys will want to sell fake bank CDS to THAT guy, take the sheik's money, see? Richie looks at Irving uncertain. SYDNEY PROSSER Only they can't get into his money unless you they know someone, and that someone is us. 40. RICHIE DIMASO Oh that's good. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) So if you want to get somebody like your con artist friend -- Carl Elway -- you get him to want to buy- - IRVING ROSENFELD Keep your voice down. RICHIE DIMASO -- or sell fake art or stolen art or fake certificates of deposit, he needs -- who does he need? -- he needs a rich sheik guy, and there you go -- we can pinch him! IRVING ROSENFELD Right, but I don't tell Elway shit. I wait for him to call me. The art world is a small world -- and one of Elway's acquaintances is clocking us right now. Richie starts to look around. RICHIE DIMASO Where? IRVING ROSENFELD Don't look. Richie looks anyway and sees ELWAY'S ACQUAINTANCE, a man balding, 45 clocking them from the balcony. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You have a good look? RICHIE DIMASO How do you know the Sheik? IRVING ROSENFELD This is my friend Al from Queens. AL FROM QUEENS/SHEIK I do aluminum siding and roofing. Richie stares, impressed. 41. INT. ART MUSEUM - NEXT ROOM - CONTINUOUS Irving, Edith, Richie, and the fake Sheik admire a REMBRANDT painting on the wall. IRVING ROSENFELD I want to show you something. This Rembrandt here? People come from all over the world to see this. RICHIE DIMASO Yeah, he's good. IRVING ROSENFELD It's a fake. RICHIE DIMASO Wait, what're you talking about? That's impossible. IRVING ROSENFELD People believe what they want to believe. Cause the guy who made this was so good that it's real to everybody. Now whose the master -- the painter or the forger? Richie's continues to stare at the REMBRANDT on the wall. RICHIE DIMASO That's a fake? IRVING ROSENFELD That's the way the world works. Not black and white as you say. Extremely grey. ELWAY'S ACQUAINTANCE walks up to Irving and the group and steps into the conversation. ELWAY'S ACQUAINTANCE Irving can I -- IRVING ROSENFELD How many times I gotta tell you. You can't meet the sheik, alright? Edith sees this and steps into the conversation. EDITH GREENSLY Arthur? Hi. Edith. We've met before. 42. EDITH GREENSLY (CONT'D) I wanted to introduce you to Robert Spencer. We're advising the Sheik together. She looks at Richie. Richie offers his hand. RICHIE DIMASO (catching up) Yeah, I'm Robert Spencer, advisor to the sheik. 70A EXT. CHELSEA HOTEL -- ESTABLISHING - DAY 70A 71 INT. OFFICE OF CARL ELWAY - SUCCESSFUL, BUT SHADY - DAY 71 CARL ELWAY, 40, preppie Waspy, very old fashioned with cigarette holder, but something vaguely criminal about him, in his conservative suit, natty white and red striped shirt, and navy blue tie sits with Irving. CARL ELWAY What's this I hear about a god damn Sheik?! Why you leaving me out of this? I gotta hear about it from my friends? IRVING ROSENFELD It ain't for you Carl. CARL ELWAY What do you mean it ain't for me? We gotta do certificates of deposit. I can print as many as you need. IRVING ROSENFELD This is not a one man operation. CARL ELWAY Look, I can get other guys. What are you talking about Irving? IRVING ROSENFELD You're telling me that you can get four guys to sell fake certificates of deposit to my investor within a week? The camera zooms into Irving's shirt collar revealing a tiny microphone. 43. CARL ELWAY Yes I can make that happen. Carl Elway can do what he says he's going to do. IRVING ROSENFELD That's interesting but you know I've got other guys lined up. I've got a meeting with my associates. SUDDENLY CARL ELWAY'S ASSISTANT, OPENS THE DOOR AND ENTERS. Richie Dimaso and Edith ARE STANDING THERE -- MUCH TO IRV'S DISMAY. CARL ELWAY'S ASSISTANT Carl, his associates are here. He's got a meeting he's got to go to. CARL ELWAY No wait. Don't go anywhere. IRVING ROSENFELD I've got to go. Irving gets up to walk out as Richie and Edith stand in the doorway. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Crazy thing about people -- the more you say no, the more they want in on somethin. It is so stupid. Irving looks over at Richie and Edith. IRVING ROSENFELD I'll tell them, don't worry. Hey you know what Carl just told me? He said he could do this whole thing with four guys within a week. CARL ELWAY Or we could do somethin' much bigger! Richie jumps into the conversation. RICHIE DIMASO Something bigger? My guy deals with hundreds of millions of dollars. How much bigger? He walks over to Carl. 44. CARL ELWAY Hundreds of million -- I knew you were holdin' out on me Irving! Hundreds of millions of dollars? Like much bigger. Like I'm talking about we say never the fuck mind the CD's and we could have some complete access to something huge. RICHIE DIMASO Huge? Like what? (introducing himself) Robert Spencer, advisor to the Sheik. CARL ELWAY Carl Elway. Irv stares at Richie with contempt, then turns to Edith, DRESSED TO THE NINES. CARL ELWAY (CONT'D) I want you to think of the most undervalued asset in the state of New Jersey today. The rebuilding of Atlantic City. Richie looks over at Irving and Sydney and mouths the word "WOW". CARL ELWAY (CONT'D) Look, maybe they, maybe they legalized gambling a year ago but nothing's happening. Irving interjects. IRVING ROSENFELD Hey, quit while you're ahead Carl. CARL ELWAY I know the guy. I know the right people who are going to help you out. RICHIE DIMASO Whose the guy? CARL ELWAY The guy is Carmine Polito. RICHIE DIMASO Whose Carmine Polito? 45. 75 INT. FBI OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, NY 75 PUSH IN: STODDARD THORSEN, Richie's FBI supervisor. STODDARD THORSEN (shakes his finger `no') Carmine Polito? Carmine Polito, no. We freeze frame on Stoddard as we HEAR Richie'S VO: AS Richie TALKS WE SEE A SHORT FILM ABOUT Carmine Polito: - PUSH IN: Mayor Polito walks a Camden street waves, shakes hands of WELL-WISHERS RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) My boss Stoddard proceeded to tell me that Carmine Polito was the most quietly powerful person in the state of New Jersey. A lifetime native of the very racially mixed Camden, which had become a ghetto, and where he had been Mayor for ten years. A very beloved guy. A guy who never gave up on his people. His father had emigrated from Italy and had stoked coal. - Frank Sinatras COFFEE SONG, 1940s version, as we see Carmine talk to and dance joyfully with his kids and wife at breakfast. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) A big family guy with five kids. They even adopted some other kid. A black kid from the Boys and Girls Club who'd lost his family. I mean, his household was a joyous place. And his wife Dolly, she was the apple of his eye and the center of the household. I mean everyone loved this guy. - PULL OUT Mayor Polito walks up steps of City Hall as he greets a women and her baby; into his office greeted by a couple of AIDES who show him papers to sign. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) And he had a huge heart. 46. 78 INT. CAMDEN CITY HALL - W.P.A. MURAL ROOM - DAY 78 CARMINE POLITO (giving speech) The W.P.A. employed craftsmen to paint this during the Depression. Why can't we employ people today to do work like this in rebuilding Atlantic City? RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) He worked with all the unions. He was the leader of the State Assembly. And he had just gotten gambling legalized in New Jersey to create jobs. 80 -- FLOOR OF STATE ASSEMBLY -- Carmine huddles with other 80 STATE LEGISLATORS, horsetrading and then poses for a picture with other members of the State Assembly. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) But he couldn't get the funds to rebuild Atlantic City and that was his problem. So with our help, he was about to have his hand in the wrong pocket at the wrong time. And to me that meant corrupt 81 BACK TO: 81 STODDARD THORSEN You said grifters and con artists. We're not going after some politician. This is a bad idea, Richard. RICHIE DIMASO Shhhh. Look, it's really simple. All you need is to put two million in a Chase account -- STODDARD THORSEN What?! RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) -- under the Sheik's name -- STODDARD THORSEN Whose two million?! 47. RICHIE DIMASO Shh, just listen. Two million dollars under the Sheik's name, in a Chase account that we control. Carmine calls up on the telephone -- calls the bank -- and he sees that the Sheik is real and he has a real account. Five days. STODDARD THORSEN I'm not taking two million dollars of the taxpayers' money and putting it anywhere for five days, I don't care if we control it the whole time. Richie as he stares at Stoddard in frustration. RICHIE DIMASO Stoddard, let us do what we need to do to rule out corruption and to get rid of the payoff guys that are ruining this country. That's my dream. Don't smother it, please. STODDARD THORSEN You know Richard, I understand your eagerness. I really do. You know I'm from Michigan, right? Let me tell you a story about me, and my dad, and my brother. We used to go ice fishing every November. Ice Fishing. That's what we lived for. RICHIE DIMASO Holy shit -- STODDARD THORSEN Just listen to me. It's beautiful. You have a little stove. You huddle around, you keep each other warm. You drop a line and you just wait. One year my brother says, "let's go in October." He wants to go ice fishing in October. My dad says, "No, the ice is too thin." My brother says -- I love my brother he says -- 48. RICHIE DIMASO I understand what's happening. You're saying your brother went out on the ice, the ice was too thin, he fell through the ice, he went in the water because he was too eager, and you're saying I'm too eager -- that's what you're saying? STODDARD THORSEN No, that's not what I'm saying. RICHIE DIMASO What are you saying? STODDARD THORSEN We'll finish the ice fishing story another time, young man. For now, no Carmine Polito. Go do your job. Richie looks at him annoyed and upset. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) Stoddard shot the whole thing down. RICHIE DIMASO Boring. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT'D) But Edith was a genius. 83 SEE B-ROLL OF: Edith and Richie walk back into FBI building, 83 84 down corridor; 84 RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT'D) She somehow found this woman who controlled the wire room. A woman I'd never heard of. Way back in a warren buried in the Bureau. This cat lady nobody even talked to. Edith met her in the ladies room and became friends with her. This lady handled all the wires and now, she was working with us. SMASH TO: 85 Edith and Richie enter to find BRENDA, FBI, MATRONLY, OLDER; 85 EDITH carries a basket of exotic teas; 49. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT'D) She was excited to be included in an operation instead of being on the other end of a memo. It was beautiful. Edith goes to hand her the PIMMS CUP and basket of teas. EDITH GREENSLY Brenda, hi! BRENDA MCPHERSON Hi! EDITH GREENSLY You said you liked exotic food, so that's from England. BRENDA MCPHERSON That's from England? EDITH GREENSLY That's right. And I brought you some tea as well. BRENDA MCPHERSON Thank you so much! Nobody ever tells me about these operations, they just say, "Brenda, do the clerical wiring work and don't ask questions." EDITH GREENSLY You need to tell Richie about your cats. He loves them. BRENDA MCPHERSON Oh my cats?! Brenda starts pointing out pictures of all her cats tacked to the walls amidst the wire memos and paperwork. BRENDA MCPHERSON (CONT'D) Well that's Harry -- look at him standing up, isn't that sweet? And that's Wendy. She's a rascal. But Barnaby, that's another story. Barnaby plays the piano! RICHIE DIMASO That's impressive. 50. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT'D) We got her to wire two million dollars into an F.B.I.-controlled account at Chase. It'd be there for five days and if Polito called he'd see that the Sheik was real. 86 HALLWAY OF FBI 86 Edith and Richie laugh excitedly as they walk the hallways. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT'D) By the time Stoddard caught up to us Edith made sure his boss was impressed by my idea. So before he even knew it was happening his boss was calling to congratulate him. PUSH IN ON CHIEF US PROSECUTOR, SPECIAL TASK FORCE, ANTHONY AMADO IN HIS LARGE OFFICE ON THE PHONE WITH STODDARD -- ANTHONY AMADO I'm very impressed. That was very smart. The Sheik with the money in the bank is a fantastic...don't be modest. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) Anthony Amado. He was the U.S. Attorney, and he had a major hard- on to make a name for himself. I mean this guy loved the idea of being famous. And Stoddard had to say it was his own idea or he'd look stupid in front of his boss. INT. STODDARD'S OFFICE -- 89 PUSH IN ON STODDARD -- confused, dismayed. 89 STODDARD THORSEN Thank you, sir, wait, the sheik -- INT. STODDARD'S OFFICE - DAY He hangs up, pissed, confused. 51. STODDARD THORSEN You made me accept praise from my boss who's thanking me for something that never shoulda happened! Something that I didn't approve! RICHIE DIMASO You should be happy. There's imaginative things happening in this office, alright? We're not just working in a box. Richie leaves triumphant. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT'D) We got the two million to put Carmine and the Sheik together. STODDARD THORSEN Punk. 90 INT. CORRIDOR OF FBI -- DAY 90 Laughing Richie and Edith walk briskly on their way out. RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) I liked being on this side of the line. But someone had been left out. 91 INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY 91 IRVING ROSENFELD We succeeded because we stayed small. I got you Carl Elway. He bought stolen art, sold fake bank C.D.'s, that's enough. That's one. I get you three more -- no politicians. Richie and Edith look at him. RICHIE DIMASO You're gonna do this because you got no choice. You work for me. IRVING ROSENFELD Now you keep changing the rules. You're gettin' a little power drunk, Richard. (MORE) 52. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You want to tell him, Edith? You want to wake him up? EDITH GREENSLY Oh no, I said we shouldn't do any of it, Irving. You know I said that. So now I support Richie. He's got vision. Do it heavy or don't do it. IRVING ROSENFELD I mean, he's the one ruining America, not me. RICHIE DIMASO How the hell am I ruining America? IRVING ROSENFELD Because people just got over Watergate and Vietnam, alright? And you're gonna shit all over politicians again? And just because you want to be a big shot and get a promotion. RICHIE DIMASO No I'm thinking big. This is gonna be fantastic. We're doing video surveillance. I'm doing this from the feet up. IRVING ROSENFELD You will never do it properly because you got too much government attitude to be small and sleek. I'm like the fuckin' Vietcong, man. I'm in and I'm out. I was there the whole time -- you don't know it. That's the fucking art of becoming somebody who people can pin their beliefs and their dreams on. And you can't do it. RICHIE DIMASO How about a suite at the Sheraton Hotel? IRVING ROSENFELD For Carmine Polito and rebuilding Atlantic City? RICHIE DIMASO Why not? 53. IRVING ROSENFELD You need a luxury hotel for the Sheik. Come on! RICHIE DIMASO Carmine does back door dealings all the time. We don't have a budget for that Irving! IRVING ROSENFELD You gotta knock the Mayor, the Speaker of the State Assembly -- you gotta knock him off of his fucking feet. He's gotta feel like he's out of his league. What you're offering, this deal, I mean, this is unheard of in the state of New Jersey, maybe even the whole fucking country. A sheik with hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild Atlantic City -- are you fuckin' kidding me? That's gigantic. And the Mayor, he's going to want to see cash, he's going to want to see it in an account, he's going to want to see it right now, and he will check. And that's why this meeting isn't happening, because to get millions, you need millions. Edith listens intently. EDITH GREENSLY (shrugs) We already did it. IRVING ROSENFELD (stunned) What? Irv studies Richie and Edith. EDITH GREENSLY We got the bureau to park 2 million for three days -- we got the account numbers. IRVING ROSENFELD `We' meaning you and him? RICHIE DIMASO Yeah we did it. 54. IRVING ROSENFELD Really? EDITH GREENSLY Yeah, me and that guy. RICHIE DIMASO She showed me. IRVING ROSENFELD You showed him our thing? You did that without me? Are you kidding me? EDITH GREENSLY What are you going to do? IRVING AND RICHIE LOOK AT SYDNEY, UNCERTAIN. IRVING SHAKES HIS HEAD IN DISGUST AND LEAVES. RICHIE STARES AT SYDNEY SWINGING HER LEGS ON THE COUNTER AS SHE SITS. RICHIE DIMASO You playing me? Are we doing this? Or you playing him? It'd be very bad for you if you're playing me. EDITH GREENSLY You're going to have to decide for yourself, kid, I just laid everything out on the table. RICHIE DIMASO This is all very exciting, I never knew life could be like this. You're wild. You know we're taking down a very important politician. Richie stands very close to Edith - between her legs as she sits on the counter. He puts his hands on her hips, pulls her into him. He takes her hand -- puts it on his face, makes her feel his cheek and forehead with her hand. It is intense. She prepares for him to kiss her but he steps back. They are both excited. They stare at each other. The air is thick with tension, Richie exhales and leaves. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) (prelap) (MORE) 55. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) This is agent Richard Dimaso, I'm placing $75,000 into this briefcase for Mayor Carmine Polito to procure casino license and building permits for Atlantic City. BACK TO: 92 INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE - DAY 92 Where the film started -- See RICHIE TALK TO CAMERA IN A CORNER OF THE PLAZA SUITE-- CLOSE ON MONEY COUNTED INTO BRIEFCASE -- SMASH TO: IRVING'S EYES WIDEN AS WE CUT TO: Richie SLIDE THE BRIEFCASE OF CASH, AS SEEN BEFORE, Edith puts her hand on top of Richie's to stop him. IRV'S EYES WIDEN AS IN `NO! DON'T DO THAT!' WHILE HE AND RICHIE STARE AT EACH OTHER. CARMINE LOOKS DISTURBED AT THE CASE COMING HIS WAY. HE STANDS. 93 EXT. PLAZA HOTEL -- DAY 93 Carmine Polito, upset, storms down the street as Irving catches up. IRVING ROSENFELD Mr. Mayor -- Please stop. Listen, I apologize if that prick offended you. I really apologize. Carmine will not turn around -- Irving catches up. CARMINE POLITO Really, I'm all right, thank you. I'm okay. IRVING ROSENFELD No. I'm fucking embarrassed to be associated with that guy at all. Can I just say somethin' to you, please? Don't lose this opportunity to fuckin' Florida -- all right? -- because of some bullshit from that punk advisor with his diploma who could never get into the school that we come from. Don't lose that opportunity. 56. CARMINE POLITO Where you from? IRVING ROSENFELD I'm from the Bronx. Grand Concourse, Hundred and Sixty-fourth Street. THIS REACHES CARMINE. HE AND IRV ARE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH. CARMINE POLITO I got a lot of friends that live up there. I go to Tomaso's on Arthur Avenue. You know Tomasos's? IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah, Tomaso's. CARMINE POLITO The spicy clams. IRVING ROSENFELD Yes. They're always good. CARMINE POLITO Oh, they're to fucking die for, those clams. I haven't been there in a while. I like that place. IRVING ROSENFELD Carmine -- can I call you Carmine? You know, Carmine -- (catches his breath) My fuckin' heart's going from running down the stairs -- I'm not used to running. There's a lotta green grass in that hotel room up there, alright? And all the deals would float through you. You get a serious piece on both ends. You do with that what you will. I live in the real world, I am a family man, I got mouths to feed and everything. But, you know, we just...we gotta grease you directly. No middlemen, no bullshit. It's the Arab way. CARMINE POLITO Yeah, look, I understand. It's a great opportunity. It's just I got a little thrown by going to have a meeting with somebody who ended up not being there, so -- 57. IRVING ROSENFELD Hey, listen, I was thrown as well. CARMINE POLITO I understand. I'll deal with you directly. I don't want any middleman or any of that bullshit. IRVING ROSENFELD Done. CARMINE POLITO I like you. Eye to eye. We can do business together. Irv smiles and nods as they walk back into the hotel together. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) How long do you know this guy? You work with this guy before? IRVING ROSENFELD I gotta work with him. He's the Sheik's man. CARMINE POLITO But I still need to meet the Sheik, okay? IRVING ROSENFELD Done. 94 INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY 94 IRVING ROSENFELD I'm going out to dinner with Carmine and the wives in Camden. RICHIE DIMASO Who? IRVING ROSENFELD Carmine and myself and the wives. RICHIE DIMASO What?! Without me?! 58. IRVING ROSENFELD He doesn't like you, what do you want from me, I got him to come back and take the money and you got him on tape alright? I can't make him like you. I did my job. RICHIE DIMASO Did you tell him you were working with me? That I'm the Sheik's associate?! IRVING ROSENFELD I just fucking told you he doesn't like you. I mean, let him have a night out with a human being for fuck's sake, he's going to jail soon. You're done with him. You got him on tape taking a bribe. RICHIE DIMASO Carmine has got to deal with me, Irving. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) We're gonna use Carmine. We're gonna use Carmine to get other people, that's what we're gonna do. IRVING ROSENFELD What?! Like who?! RICHIE DIMASO Carmine's gonna use the Sheik to pay off people. IRVING ROSENFELD Are you fuckin' nuts? What are you say-- RICHIE DIMASO We're gonna let Carmine show the Sheik Atlantic City, how he's gonna renovate hotels, and see who shows up. Whoever the Sheik pays off for licenses and casinos, that's who we're gonna go after. We're gonna go after all of 'em! IRVING ROSENFELD More politicians? You realize how fuckin' dangerous that is? There's no fucking reasoning with you. (MORE) 59. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Edith and I were so successful for so long because we kept it just small enough. You are takin' us to a very fucking dangerous place, with very serious numbers! RICHIE DIMASO If your that successful, how come you wound up in this room with me? Taking orders from me. EDITH GREENSLY You're taking your wife out to dinner? Your fucking wife? Did I just hear you correctly? IRVING ROSENFELD That's the one thing you heard me say? EDITH GREENSLY I just find it rather shocking that's all. IRVING ROSENFELD I get to handle two wives with one dinner, alright? I take Rosalyn out, she keeps her mouth shut, she sees that my work is legitimate, I get to keep my kid, and I get to keep (pointing at Richie) that fucking wife happy. Both wives happy. INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Sydney sits alone in her apartment, hair in curlers and sparks a joint. 96 INT. RICHIE DIMASO'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 96 Richie sits in his bathroom, his hair in tight curlers, as he eats a chicken wing. RICHIE'S MOTHER (O.S.) Richard! What are you doing? Don't eat in the bathroom, I told you so many times! And Diane brought Napoleons for dessert. Come out of the bathroom and pray! 60. HE OPENS DOOR - REVEALS WHOLESOME LOOKING NICE QUEENS GIRL DRESSED NEATLY AND HOLDING UP A PASTRY BOX-- RICHIE DIMASO Oh my god, what did you do? CUT TO: 97 RICHIE'S MOTHER, ITALIAN, HER HAIR PULLED BACK. 97 RICHIE'S MOTHER Richard, the filter is broken in the fish tank. It's a problem. RICHIE DIMASO See, your job is to do the filter, Mom, mine is to do the gravel. When you don't do the filter right all the fish die. See? RICHIE'S MOTHER I can't get the top on that filter. RICHIE DIMASO I've gone over this a hundred times mom -- CUT TO: RICHIE, HIS GIRLFRIEND, AND MOTHER ALL SIT AT THE TABLE WITH FOOD INFRONT OF THEM AS THEY START TO PRAY. RICHIE'S MOTHER -- and please help Richard to marry Diane so that I may have grandchildren and the Pope may have more followers. And please bless this food that we are about to eat - - THE TELEPHONE RINGS OFF SCREEN. RICHIE GETS UP TO GRAB IT. RICHIE DIMASO Yeah, hello? SMASH TO: EDITH GREENSLY Hi. RICHIE DIMASO Who's this? 61. EDITH GREENSLY It's Edith. RICHIE'S MOTHER (O.S.) Sit down and pray properly! RICHIE DIMASO Are you alright? EDITH GREENSLY Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just alone, you know? Irving's out with Carmine. RICHIE DIMASO That's right, he went out with Carmine and his wife. You must not feel so good about that. RICHIE'S GIRLFRIEND (O.S.) Richard, sit down! EDITH GREENSLY Wait who's there? Who are you with? RICHIE DIMASO Oh, no, it's just people. RICHIE'S GIRLFRIEND (O.S.) People? I'm your fiancée! Richard! EDITH GREENSLY Oh, you've got a fiancée. You're engaged. RICHIE DIMASO Well, I don't know, no fiancée. I don't know. EDITH GREENSLY You don't know if you have a fiancée? RICHIE DIMASO I don't know -- EDITH GREENSLY You don't know? You don't know if you have a fiancée? RICHIE'S MOTHER (O.S.) The fish filter is broken! 62. RICHIE DIMASO I don't. No. EDITH GREENSLY Hmm -- intersting. RICHIE DIMASO Hey, you want to get together? RICHIE'S MOTHER (O.S.) Richard, do something about the fish tank. EDITH GREENSLY Fifty-fourth Street? RICHIE DIMASO OK, fifty-fourth street. EDITH GREENSLY OK. SMASH TO: RICHIE WALKS OVER TO HIS MOTHER, SITS DOWN IN FRONT OF HER. ELLA FITZGERALD'S "IT'S DE-LOVELY" PLAYS. RICHIE DIMASO That's what that phone call's about. Everybody thought, "Oh, Richie DiMaso's gonna stay in the office, pushing papers." That's not gonna happen, Mom. I'm outside in the field. I got people working for me. My ideas. I'm running the show. I'm the quarterback. And I'm not gonna settle for no one, Mom. RICHIE KISSES HER ON THE CHEEK AND EXITS. SMASH TO: 98 Ext. BARON'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT- CAMDEN- NIGHT 98 ELLA CARRIES OVER AS -- SLOW MOTION: Carmine and DOLLY POLITO (big frosted hair) get out of his maroon Lincoln Town car. Irv and Rosalyn Rosenfeld get out of his green Cadillac. SOME LOCALS SHOUT TO THE MAYOR. CUT TO: 63. 99 INT. TABLE AT BARON'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT - CAMDEN - NIGHT 99 Ella continues. Mixture of LOCALS: ITALIANS, POLISH, BLACKS AND PUERTO RICANS -- wave to the mayor from the bar, and tables, as Irv and Rosalyn follow. 100 THEY SIT AT BOOTH -- 100 CARMINE POLITO Rocco, you know like we do. The chicken very thin. You should see the way he does this chicken with the red sauce DOLLY POLITO It's beautiful. CARMINE POLITO Right? With the red sauce, the lemon-- Dolly kisses Carmine as he gives his wife's leg a squeeze and kisses her cheek, then her mouth. Irv and Rosalyn squeeze hands on the table. SHE KNOCKS BACK A GLASS OF RED WINE as a plate of Chicken Picatta is served to the table. DOLLY POLITO It's the Piccata of the gods! She pulls away awkwardly, waiter refills her glass which she throws back right away. Irv looks concerned. They all drink. 101 CUT TO - LATER: Carmine and Irving talk. 101 IRVING ROSENFELD I believe that you should treat people the way that you want to be treated. CARMINE POLITO Right. IRVING ROSENFELD Didn't Jesus say that or something? CARMINE POLITO He may have. 64. IRVING ROSENFELD Also, always take a favor over money. I think Jesus said that as well. CARMINE POLITO (laughing) I don't know if he said the second one but he may have said the first one. CUT TO -- Rosalyn DRUNKENLY LEANS IN TALKING TO Dolly POLITO ROSALYN ROSENFELD (shows her nails) I chip them moving furniture, it's my obsession -- Moving, re- decorating, it makes me feel better like exercise. There's this top coat that you can only get from Switzerland and I don't know what I'm going to do because I'm running out of it but I LOVE the smell of it. DOLLY POLITO I can get that for you, of course. ROSALYN ROSENFELD There's something, the topcoat, (sniffs nails) it's like perfumey but there's also something rotten? I know that sounds crazy, but I can't get enough of it. Dolly laughs. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) No, smell it. It's true. Dolly, historically the best perfumes in the world, they're all laced with something nasty and foul. It's true! She puts it under Irv's nose as he talks to Carmine, he sniffs, closes his eyes, nods without even looking. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Irving loves them. He can't get enough of them. IRVING ROSENFELD I can't get enough. 65. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (hand out to Carmine) Carmine, sweet and sour. Rotten and delicious. She leans across the table and puts them under Carmine's nose. CARMINE POLITO Smells like flowers. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Flowers, but with garbage. CARMINE POLITO You know what that is for me? It's coriander for me. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Irving loves it. He can't get enough. That's what hooks you. He always comes back for it. IRVING ROSENFELD I can't stop. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (confidentially to Dolly) He's gonna say we have to talk business in five, four, three, two, one -- IRVING ROSENFELD (to girls) Dolly, can me and the mayor talk business here? ROSALYN ROSENFELD (falling off her seat) AHH-HA-HAHAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Carmine and Dolly rush to grab Rosalyn; JULIUS, Carmine's steadfast AIDE, BLACK, 40, BIG SIDEBURNS, LOOSENED TIE and white shirtsleeves, BIG SMILE, helps. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) No, don't do that it makes me look more drunk than I am! I'm not this drunk. Irving please don't make me go, I was just starting to have fun! She WOBBLES INTO ARMS OF his WIFE Dolly, she and Carmine help guide Rosalyn out. 66. 102 EXT. WEST 54TH STREET - NIGHT 102 Todd Rundgren's "I Saw the Light" plays somewhere. Edith dressed in tight Halston dress, hair flows huge all round her; walks with Richie, who is waiting in a white gray suit with a white disco collar outside the lapel, chains around his neck. EDITH GREENSLY Didn't your fiance want to come out tonight? RICHIE DIMASO Yeah, no, I don't know. EDITH GREENSLY I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it. I was just teasing you. RICHIE DIMASO Do you ever think, how did I end up here? How did my life become this? You ever think that? And you wonder, am I ever gonna get to a better place or is this it? You ever feel like that? Edith stares, nods yes. EDITH GREENSLY I do. I definitely know that. Edith nods puts a hand on his face. EDITH GREENSLY (CONT'D) I'm sorry we don't have to go dancing. We can go have coffee or talk or something. RICHIE DIMASO No, I need this. Please, I need to go dancing with you. Richie reaches down and squeezes her hand. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Please. 103 Edith smiles. 103 EDITH GREENSLY OK baby, let's go dancing. INT. DISCO - NIGHT 67. Richie and Edith DANCE AND DANCE AND SWEAT to Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" -- dance -- riding a high. Edith EXCUSES HERSELF to go to bathroom -- breaks away through crowd -- leaves Richie on dance floor -- then SUDDENLY BREAKS AWAY -- RUSHES THROUGH THE CROWD -- 104 GETS TO THE LADIES ROOM JUST AS SYDNEY DOES -- HE PUSHES HER 104 FROM BEHIND INTO A STALL -- SHE PUTS HER HANDS ON THE TOP OF THE STALL WALL AS RICHIE RUNS HIS HANDS UP HER LEGS FROM HER ANKLES AND UNDER HER DRESS - SHE LEANS HER ASS BACK INTO IT ARCHES HER BACK -- SUDDENLY RICHIE STOPS, throws himself back against the other stall wall, out of breath. Edith LOOKS OVER HER SHOULDER -- RICHIE DIMASO I really fucking like you. EDITH GREENSLY I like you too. I want to live, alright. For real. No more fake shit. Alright? She get's real close to his face, almost about to kiss. EDITH GREENSLY (CONT'D) We're going to wait until we decide to go for love Richie. For real. That's when we fuck. Not till then, ok? RICHIE DIMASO OK. GIRL OUTSIDE STALL (O.S.) Are you gonna fuck for real or get out of the stall for real? EDITH GREENSLY No more fake shit. RICHIE DIMASO No more fake shit. EDITH GREENSLY No more fake shit! GIRL OUTSIDE STALL Fuck me I gotta piss! The girl outside the stall bangs on the door. 68. She holds his mouth in one hand and leans in and kisses him - they get lost -- EDITH GREENSLY Get out! SHE SHOVES HIM OUT OF THE STALL, LOCKS IT. RICHIE DIMASO (outside stall) I want to be fucking real! RICHIE LAUGHS MANICALLY EXCITED AS HE STANDS AMID MANY WOMEN WHO SHOVE HIM OUT THE DOOR. IN THE STALL SYD SITS EXHILARANTLY AND THROWS HER HEAD BACK LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY - GIDDY. EDITH GREENSLY AHHHHHHH! SMASH TO: 105 INT. BARON'S BACK ROOM - CAMDEN SOCIAL CLUB - NIGHT 105 Irv and Carmine JOYOUSLY SING Tom Jones' "Delilah" WITH a RAUNCHOUSLY HAPPY GROUP OF locals. SMASH TO: INT. BARON'S BACK ROOM- CAMDEN SOCIAL CLUB - NIGHT - LATER Carmine puts down glass of bourbon as he addresses everyone emotionally as he looks at Irving. CARMINE POLITO (to Julius) This guy right here, Irving Rosenfeld? You know what he's gonna do? He's gonna bring the Sheik to Atlantic City, where we can rebuild all those resorts there, put everybody back to work. Irving stares and is moved by this. Tears come to his eyes, he feels bad about it all suddenly. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) He's gonna get this community -- he's gonna get this state -- back on its feet where it belongs. Isn't that right? (MORE) 69. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) He's gonna grow our tax base and create thousands and thousands of jobs for everyone. You understand that? You know what that means? JULIUS To Irving. GIRLS To Irving! Carmine sits down on the couch next to Irving. CARMINE POLITO This guy right here. He's got a big heart. IRVING ROSENFELD (quietly) I'd just hate it if it didn't work out. CARMINE POLITO What do you mean? Of course it's going to work out. Guys like you and me? We dream and we build. We never give up. We never quit. SMASH TO: 106 EGGS, PANCAKES, AND BACON COOK ON A DINER GRIDDLE. 106 107 QUIET -- INT. DINER - MORNING 107 Irv and Carmine eat breakfast. CARMINE POLITO Can I ask you a question. IRVING ROSENFELD Sure. CARMINE POLITO Is the sheik black? Irving looks flummoxed. IRVING ROSENFELD He's an Arab. They look at each other. 70. CARMINE POLITO That's black, isn't it? Irv isn't sure what to say. IRVING ROSENFELD Why you asking? CARMINE POLITO Maybe it's a dumb question, but I was just wondering -- I would like to arrange for the Sheik to see Camden. To see the people of Camden. The people I serve. The people I love. Who are mostly black and Puerto Rican. I really want him to see how good this is going to be for the community, how ready we are for this opportunity, and he can see how far his dollar will go. You know what I mean? What do you think? IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah we can do that. He can see Camden. CARMINE POLITO (relieved) Hey, I got something I wanna give to you. IRVING ROSENFELD For me? CARMINE POLITO I got you a gift. Let's get out of here. The girls are going to kill us I'm sure. CUT TO: 108 EXT. DINER PARKING LOT - MORNING 108 They walk in the morning sun to Carmine's Lincoln where he opens the trunk and they stare at what is inside. IRVING ROSENFELD What is it? 71. CARMINE POLITO It's a microwave. It heats up everything. Pasta, lasagna, meatballs, whatever. IRVING ROSENFELD Really? CARMINE POLITO It's science, yeah. That's how it heats up the food. It's scientific. IRVING ROSENFELD And you specifically bought this science oven for me. CARMINE POLITO (Carmine stares meaningfully at Irv) Yes. A new friend. Irv is touched. He sees it is a sincere gift from Carmine, because Carmine likes him; not cynical in any way. IRVING ROSENFELD Thank you. CARMINE POLITO Don't put metal in it. Come on, let's get out of here. SMASH TO: EXT. FBI BUILDING - DAY RICHIE DIMASO (O.S.) I need a jet at Teeterboro. 109 INT. FBI OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, NY - DAY 109 RICHIE DIMASO I need a jet at Teeterboro for the sheik. STODDARD THORSEN You don't need a jet. Let him walk to the curb at JFK. 72. RICHIE DIMASO Stoddard, that's not how it works. You got to do it from the feet up. STODDARD THORSEN That doesn't mean anything. What's that mean? RICHIE DIMASO It means you gotta be committed! It means you gotta be committed to something in your life, for Christ's sake. I want a jet at Teterboro for the Sheik. It can be a small jet. It doesn't even have to take off, cause I know you're so worried about how much money the Bureau's gonna fucking spend. It can take off and land on the tarmac, okay? STODDARD THORSEN Alright, you can have a jet for an hour, but it takes off and lands at Teterboro. RICHIE DIMASO I got the jet? STODDARD THORSEN You got the jet. RICHIE DIMASO 110 Thank you. 110 Richie goes to walk out of Stoddard's office but stops at the door. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) So tell me the rest of the ice fishing story. STODDARD THORSEN Where was I? RICHIE DIMASO Your father woke you up, it was a blizzard, it was Lake Canoga. Come on! 73. STODDARD THORSEN Okay, well, my brother and I were on the ice and my father came out of the house and I could see him coming. He was holding a lantern, and it was in the blizzard and I knew he was gonna be angry. So I went to intercept my father because I knew if he saw what my brother was doing he was going to kill him. Richie cuts him off. RICHIE DIMASO So you tried to protect your brother, but you couldn't and that's why you feel bad, because you're trying to protect me and you're worried about me. Is that what the story's about? About protection? STODDARD THORSEN No, it's not about protection. RICHIE DIMASO It's not about protection? STODDARD THORSEN No. RICHIE DIMASO Alright, fine. Richie walks out the door. 111 INT. ROSALYN'S KITCHEN - DAY 111 Ros talks to herself carrying tin foil covered tray of lasagna. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (to herself) "Don't put metal in the science oven, don't put metal in the science oven, Rosalyn"...always treats me like a fucking child. I'll do whatever I want. She puts the tin foil lasagna into microwave. After a few moments it sparks, explodes into flames. DANNY RUNS IN. 74. DANNY (runs in) Another fire! ROSALYN ROSENFELD (grabbing a fire extinguisher) No, Danny, not that one! That one's empty! We gotta use the big one! SMASH TO: IRVING ROSENFELD I told you not to put metal in the science oven. Why did you do that for? ROSALYN ROSENFELD Don't make such a big deal. Just get another one. IRVING ROSENFELD I don't want another one. I want the one that Carmine gave me. ROSALYN ROSENFELD "I want the one Carmine gave me!" Carmine, Carmine, why don't you just marry Carmine, get a little gold microwave and put it on a chain around your neck. You want to be more like Carmine? Why don't you build something like he does, instead of all your empty deals that are just like your fucking science oven. You know I read that it takes all of the nutrition out of our food. It's empty, just like your deals. Empty, empty! IRVING ROSENFELD That's bullshit. ROSALYN ROSENFELD It's not bullshit. I read it in an article. Look, by Paul Brodeur. 75. SHE HANDS HIM THE MAGAZINE. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Bring something into this house that's gonna take all the nutrition out of our food and then light our house on fire? Thank God for me. Ros stares defiantly, clicks her nails on the counter. PRE- LAP JET ROAR, IRVING STARES AT ROS and BURNED OVEN and looks at the magazine article. 112 EXT. TEETERBORO AIRPORT TARMAC, NEW JERSEY - DAY 112 JET ROAR LANDING. A small airport. Irv stands alone, staring at Edith and Richie kissing. Richie, in long full length fleece lined suede coat, walks over towards where Carmine stands. CUT TO: 113 IRV AND SYDNEY WALKING ACROSS TARMAC. 113 IRVING ROSENFELD I don't think you should come to Carmine's party tonight. You look beautiful by the way. EDITH GREENSLY Don't look at me. Don't look at my legs, don't look at my hair, don't smell my hair, don't ask me how I am, don't talk to me outside of these roles, 'cause we're done. IRVING ROSENFELD What are you doing? Get under the umbrella. It's just that Carmine wants Rosalyn to come. EDITH GREENSLY I don't care. You weren't listening. I don't care if Rosalyn comes. Just do your job, okay? You're nothing to me until you're everything. I'm not Rosalyn. I'm not gonna put up with that shit. THEY ARRIVE AT Richie as the JET arrives on the tarmac. RICHIE DIMASO Now that's a fucking jet right? 76. IRVING ROSENFELD It's good. RICHIE DIMASO That's the kinda moves you need to make. They walk towards the Jet and walk on leaving Carmine and Edith waiting outside. INT. PRIVATE JET - CONTINUOUS Irv and Richie step aboard to find FBI AGENT PACO HERNANDEZ putting on a regal looking white Arab keffyeh headdress and robe -- he looks noble. TWO AGENTS posing as body guards. RICHIE DIMASO Paco, Richie Dimaso, good to meet you in person [shakes Paco's hand] - this is Irving Rosenfeld. Irv nods to Paco and the other agents. PACO HERNANDEZ Paco Hernandez. Nice to meet you. IRVING ROSENFELD Paco? He's--wait, he's not a real Arab. PACO HERNANDEZ No. I'm Mexican. From Tuscon. IRVING ROSENFELD Wait, where's my guy? Where's Al from Queens? RICHIE DIMASO Who? IRVING ROSENFELD My friend from Queens. Where is he? What are you doing? RICHIE DIMASO I gotta hire an F.B.I. guy. IRVING ROSENFELD What are you-- (to Paco) You speak any Arabic? PACO HERNANDEZ Yeah. Abdullah Ahmed. 77. IRVING ROSENFELD That's it? That's all you got? PACO HERNANDEZ No, I have a couple phrases. Irving isn't sure, looks Paco up and down. IRVING ROSENFELD (to Richie) From the feet up, you motherfucker. What are you doing? (to Paco) Act normal. That's it. Like you can barely understand English. You can't speak it. You say as little as possible. You follow my lead. Alright? PACO HERNANDEZ (to Richie) Who's running this? I thought you were running it. RICHIE DIMASO I am running this but you've gotta listen to him. He's the guy with the vision. IRVING ROSENFELD I've got the vision? You know what vision I had? You just kissing my girl outside. That's what vision I had. RICHIE DIMASO (stares at Irving) I thought you guys broke up. I'm giving you a compliment. PACO HERNANDEZ What's going on? RICHIE DIMASO Don't worry about it. Irving takes a expensive looking ceremonial knife out of his jacket pocket and holds it out to Paco. IRVING ROSENFELD You got a knife. This is for the Mayor. You've got to present it to him. Look me in the eye. This means a lot to you. Right? That knife. PACO HERNANDEZ OK. 78. IRVING ROSENFELD Play it. You present it. "Friendship for life," alright? You gotta feel it. Sacred. Can you do it? PACO HERNANDEZ Right. Sacred. IRVING ROSENFELD You gotta sell it. RICHIE DIMASO Sell it. IRVING ROSENFELD If you believe it's sacred, it's sacred. RICHIE DIMASO Listen to what he's saying. IRVING ROSENFELD Can you do it? RICHIE DIMASO It's the details. That's what makes this guy a genius. IRVING ROSENFELD Again? You compliment me again. What is this, rubbing salt in the wound? Irving stares incredulously. RICHIE DIMASO I'm complimenting you. (to Paco) Any other questions? PACO HERNANDEZ Yeah, I think the name of this operation is offensive. RICHIE DIMASO What? PACO HERNANDEZ Abscam. "Arab Scam?" It's racist. IRVING ROSENFELD Are you fucking kidding? What do you care? You're Mexican. 79. 115 EXT. TETERBORO AIRPORT TARMAC - DAY 115 ELO's "10538 Overture" kicks on. Irv and Richie exit the plane walking slightly behind the "sheik" and his "bodyguards" - the sheik in the front. The Sheik hands the ceremonial knife to Carmine and bows his head -- CARMINE POLITO Hello Sheik, my friend. Welcome. On behalf of the great state of New Jersey I want to welcome you to New Jersey. I know that was redundant. I'm sorry. I'm just very nervous. 116 Carmine takes the knife and looks to the others excitedly. 116 CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) (to "shiek") We have a great party planned for you this evening. 118 INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - NIGHT 118 ROSALYN ROSENFELD (half dressed) But what are you talking about, I can't go? I just did my hair and makeup and everything! IRVING ROSENFELD The Sheik's very particular. It's international cultural protocol. ROSALYN ROSENFELD International protocol? What the fuck are you talking about? PHONE RINGS -- IRVING ROSENFELD Do not answer that! ROSALYN ROSENFELD (answers phone) Hello -- Robert Spencer? I don't know a Robert Spencer. What do you want? IRVING ROSENFELD (takes phone) Give it to me. 80. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Who is that? IRVING ROSENFELD (into the phone) Look, I told you, for God's sake, I told you not to call here. ROSALYN ROSENFELD What is that about? RICHIE DIMASO (on phone) Two more federal agents tonight, OK? Ros leaves the room. IRVING ROSENFELD No way. RICHIE DIMASO Yes. They're bodyguards for the Sheik. IRVING ROSENFELD That's too many people for me to control, no. RICHIE DIMASO Look. I'm in charge here, alright? Just do it. IRVING ROSENFELD Rosalyn, get off the extension! PAN TO: REVEAL ROSALYN IN KITCHEN LISTENING ON THE PHONE. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (hangs up) I'm not on it! But she was on it. She heard. IRVING ROSENFELD Look, don't call here again, alright? Don't call at home. RICHIE DIMASO Alright? 81. IRVING ROSENFELD OK. RICHIE DIMASO Good night. He HANGS UP and walks into the kitchen. Rosalyn looks at him. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Federal agents? IRVING ROSENFELD It's bodyguards for the visiting dignitary, that's all. ROSALYN ROSENFELD What is it, an I.R.S. thing? Like a tax investigation? IRVING ROSENFELD Why you gotta say that? I mean, that's why I can't invite you. It's too complicated. Listen, come on. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Are you in trouble? IRVING ROSENFELD Look, stop being so nosy. Irving opens the fridge which is a mess. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Look at this shit. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I'm only nosy cause you never tell me anything. IRVING ROSENFELD Can we clean up this fridge? I mean, what are you causing trouble for all the time? PHONE RINGS AGAIN. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) DO NOT ANSWER THAT-- ROSALYN ROSENFELD (picks up phone) HEL-LO- Oh, hi, Carmine. We were just talking about you. (MORE) 82. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Irving's being a mean, boring man saying that he doesn't want me to come tonight. CARMINE POLITO (on phone)Tell him he's crazy! ROSALYN ROSENFELD Well, I agree. Want to tell him yourself? IRVING ROSENFELD Gimme the phone, come on. CARMINE POLITO It wouldn't be a party without you! ROSALYN ROSENFELD Can you imagine? Tell him yourself. She hands the phone to a very exasperated, anxious, Irv. IRVING ROSENFELD (into telephone) Hey, Carmie. CARMINE POLITO Irving, you're crazy! Your wife is coming, you kidding me? She's the life of the party! Everybody loves her. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I'm the life of the party! IRVING ROSENFELD (confidential into phone) Look, you know what she's like. She's unpredictable. She's just always -- ROSALYN ROSENFELD Hey, don't talk about me like that! What's Carmine saying? IRVING ROSENFELD I can't hear what he's saying. CARMINE POLITO Listen, Irving, it's very important that she come, you understand? ROSALYN ROSENFELD Carmine loves me. 83. CARMINE POLITO (on phone) This is a really big night for us, you understand? Come on, you gotta bring your wife. And Dolly's got somethin' special for her. Dolly is getting dressed for the party in the background. DOLLY POLITO Tell her I got the nail polish for her. CARMINE POLITO See? Listen! DOLLY POLITO (raising her voice to phone) I got your nail polish for you, sweetie! CARMINE POLITO You see? Somethin' special for you. What is it? Tell me. I mean, (lowers his voice, conspiratorial) What is it, you got a girlfriend coming? Come on, I thought we were friends. You're not gonna tell me you got a girlfriend? This is ridiculous. IRVING ROSENFELD No, it's just Rosalyn's unpredictable. CARMINE POLITO Look, we're gonna handle this like men, you understand? You're bringing your wife. We're gonna have a good time. That's an order from the Mayor. Good-bye. IRVING ROSENFELD (to Rosalyn) Alright, you happy? Go get ready. Irv hangs up and exits the kitchen. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Yes, I am happy. 84. 119 INT. IRV'S CADILLAC - DUSK 119 Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" plays on the soundtrack as Irv drives: tinted glasses, large comb over, blue crushed velvet suit, dark tie -- PAN TO: VISOR MIRROR -- WHERE Rosalyn APPLIES MASCARA -- SMASH TO: 120 EXT. GRAND OLD ATLANTIC CITY HOTEL - NIGHT 120 Elton John continues as Carmine LIGHTS A CIGARETTE in a two- toned GRAY AND BLACK TUXEDO, at the center of a haphazard red carpet situation in front of a has-been beach resort -- large old movie premiere spotlights rotate onto the facade in an assorted CROWD OF LOCALS some dressed up - JULIUS, CARMINE, TITO, MELORA (Carmine's STEADFAST AIDES) son DOMINIC, daughter LUCILLE, wife Dolly, assorted COPS, FIREMEN IN FORMAL UNIFORMS WHITE GLOVES, UNION GUYS in suits, fringe the area. Carmine 's family is dressed up. IRV'S CAR PULLS UP AND A FAT VALET IN RED OPENS DOOR. ROSALYN GETS OUT IN HER WHITE DRESS -- DOLLY HANDS ROSALYN A TINY SHOPPING BAG WITH SWISS NAIL PRODUCTS. ROSALYN OPENS A LITTLE BOTTLE OF NAIL FINISH AND SHRIEKS IN ECSTACY. Greets everyone. LIMO PULLS UP: FLASHBULBS GO OFF -- SUDDENLY THE SPOT LIGHT JAMS WITH GRINDING SOUND, LAMP EXPLODES IN SMOKE -- THROUGH THE SMOKE FROM THE FIRE STEPS: Richie IN A WHITE SUIT, Edith stunning SILVER METALLIC Halston dress, WHITE FUR COAT -- THE SHEIK STEPS OUT OF HIS LIMO, IN A BLACK FORMAL ARAB DRESS, WITH AN ARABIC OR HISPANIC LOOKING FBI AGENT WE SAW ON THE PLANE DRESSED AS HIS BODY GUARD IN BLACK WITH BLACK SUNGLASSES. ACROSS THE RED CARPET -- ROSALYN AND SYDNEY SEE EACH OTHER FOR ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES -- LOCK EYES. ROSALYN HUGS IRV'S ARM -- ROSALYN ROSENFELD (to Edith, glaring) I know who you are. 85. Irv tries to turn Rosalyn away, but she keeps turning back giving Edith the hairy eyeball, as Edith gives it right back. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) I know who that is Irving. Off to the side, Richie steels himself with bump of cocaine before walking inside the old resort, his eyes dilate. 121 INT. LOBBY OF GRAND OLD SEASIDE HOTEL - NIGHT 121 The entourage walks through the ornate lobby as Edith and Rosalyn continue to eyeball each other with Irv uncomfortably in the middle as Carmine ENTHUSIASTICALLY CONTINUES HIS PRESENTATION FOR THE SHEIK. CARMINE POLITO So this is the lobby. Now mind you, a week ago this place was a mess, but what existed was this plasterwork. Look at the detail. This is beautiful. My sons are craftsmen. (to son, Dominic) Please, tell them what you did. DOLLY POLITO Tell them everything you know. The trompe l'oeil. DOMINIC POLITO Birds, sky, clouds, wood. Trompe l'oeil -- "Trick of the eye." CARMINE POLITO We can restore all of this, you see? You save 50 million -- look at me -- fifty million right off the bat -- I waive the law I helped write. It said casino construction must be ground up new, we don't do new. We renovate. DOLLY POLITO We don't do new. We renovate. Carmine leads all of them through the very crowded lobby as he talks. Irving listens intently, moved. 86. 122 INT. DOWNSTAIRS CASINO - CONTINUOUS 122 200 PEOPLE ARE GATHERED around blackjack, roulette, and craps tables, playing and having a good time. CARMINE POLITO We put in some temporary fun -- some gaming tables, some play money for people to have a good time. For charity -- the Boys and Girls Club and some arts programs. Rosalyn walking with Irving, continues to stare daggers at Edith, who stays close to Richie. Carmine, Julius, Melora, CONTINUE TO LEAD EVERYONE INTO 123 INT. THE OCEAN ROOM -- CONTINUOUS 123 Carmine continues to walk -- CARMINE POLITO This is the Ocean Room -- He pushes open double upholstered old doors -- THEY ENTER THE LARGE CROWDED YET INTIMATE BEMELMANS STYLE BAR The bar -- LIKE THE BEMELMANS BAR AT THE CARLYLE HOTEL IN MANHATTAN - IS LARGE YET INTIMATE -- THERE ARE 50 DRESSED UP CITIZENS THERE DRINKING -- AND A CROWDED LONG BAR -- AND ANOTHER SMALLER BAR ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE ROOM --- Carmine pauses to stare at the MEN AT THE FAR BAR -- FIVE MEN IN SUITS, 40 TO 60, SLIGHTLY MOB-LOOKING. AS Irv IS PULLED ASIDE CONFIDENTIALLY BY Carmine -- Richie AND Edith WATCH -- Rosalyn STANDS TO THE SIDE -- Carmine puts his arm around Irv's shoulders -- CARMINE POLITO There are some gentlemen over there at the bar. That's a hundred and thirty years sitting there -- that's how much time's between them. They run the biggest casinos in the United States. We have to work with them. IRVING ROSENFELD Right. 87. CARMINE POLITO The good news is they know how it's done. They get it done. You don't have to worry. Everyone makes their money. IRVING ROSENFELD You mean the Mob? CARMINE POLITO Yes, but they're businessmen, okay? Now, spend as much or as little time with them as you like, but we do have to deal with them. All we've got to do is go say hello. We just gotta say hi, that's all. Edith looks on, calm, as Richie -- WILD EYED WITH COCAINE AND ADRENALINE -- IRVING ROSENFELD Carmine, maybe -- I'm not sure that's such a good idea. We gotta confer before we talk to these guys. RICHIE DIMASO (interrupting, hopped up) Confer? What is there to confer about? They're casino guys. CARMINE POLITO They are businessmen. RICHIE DIMASO We came all this way, Irving. We should be here. What's everybody scared of? There's nothing to be scared of. Richie stares down Irv, Edith pulls Richie back -- Rosalyn is starting to go down a SPIRAL OF DEPRESSION as she looks increasingly uncomfortable. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (re: the mob guys) Those are the guys you're all scared of? Those guys over there? They don't scare me. She glares at Edith and Irv and pivots to walk to the bar. IRVING ROSENFELD Rosalyn! 88. But she's already on her way over to the MAFIA MEN at the bar who GREET HER WARMLY as Irv, Edith, Richie, and Carmine watch. RICHIE DIMASO I love this! Rosalyn walks up to PETE MUSANE, CHARISMATIC, 30 and sits down in between all the Mafia guys.. THE OTHER THREE SALT AND PEPPER MAFIA GUYS LAUGH AND TALK WITH Rosalyn - who gulps a glass of PROSECCO and IS REFILLED BY PETE MUSANE. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Hi. Can I sit here? Carmine whispers to Irv as he watches Rosalyn talk to the Mafia guys. CARMINE POLITO Irving, this is not a good idea. ROSALYN ROSENFELD How you guys doing? Everybody over there is really scared of you guys, you know that? She knocks back the prosecco. She seems relieved. Dolly ushers her kids to the door. DOLLY POLITO Kids, I want you to go up and get some pizza and soda, please. Irving and Edith watch in horror at Rosalyn. EDITH GREENSLY It's a disaster. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I think they have this room all wrong. PETE MUSANE Yeah? What would you do? ROSALYN ROSENFELD I would do it in all black and gold and I would do this bar like a big, warm golden mirror. DICK HELSING Sounds beautiful. 89. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Thank you. Rosalyn's smitten by the mobsters. PETE MUSANE But you expect that from her because she's so beautiful -- ROSALYN ROSENFELD Oh stop. DICK HELSING Gorgeous. PETE MUSANE I love her hair, so I know I'm gonna love how she'd do the room -- He touches the front of her huge Farrah overhang bangs. Richie, Irving, Carmine, and the Sheik walk up to them. RICHIE DIMASO How do you do? PETE MUSANE (to Richie) I'm sorry is she your wife? IRVING ROSENFELD No, she's my wife. She's my wife. CARMINE POLITO Look at these fine gentleman. PETE MUSANE Carmine, there you are. CARMINE POLITO How you doing? Irving takes the glass of prosecco out of Rosalyn's hand and puts it on table. PETE MUSANE AND GUYS Ohhhh, heyyyyy! Come onnn! ROSALYN It's because he's a party pooper. He's so boring. Irving stares fuming at Rosalyn and the guys, he nods and forces a smile good naturedly as they put prosecco glass in his hand. He knows how to fake it. 90. PETE MUSANE You have a very beautiful wife. DICK HELSING, ROSALYN ROSENFELD, OTHER GUYS Salud. THE MADE GUYS LAUGH. SYD ROLLS HER EYES. IRVING, CARMINE STARE WITH TENSION. THEY ALL LAUGH. RICHIE GUIDES SHEIK with ONE BODY GUARD. RICHIE DIMASO May I present Sheik Abdullah, gentlemen, from Abu Dhabi. Sheik, these men are professionals, they run the best casinos in the United States. The Sheik acknowledges them with a nod. Irv is extremely uncomfortable. PETE MUSANE Mr. Sheik, as a sign of our seriousness, Mr. Tallegio came from Miami to meet you tonight. HEAVY PAUSE. CARMINE POLITO Mr. Tallegio? Why didn't you tell me Mr. Tallegio was here? PETE MUSANE He's in the back room. IRVING ROSENFELD It's a sign of disrespect to do business on the first meeting. RICHIE DIMASO That's not true. I don't know what your talking about. (to Musane) He's got it all wrong. DICK HELSING Well, don't leave him back there in the back room waiting. Come on, let's go. Rosalyn reaches to have her glass refilled by Dick Helsing when one of the other guys NUDGES her hip in her tight dress and she drops into Pete Musane's lap. 91. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Hey Irving, I'm going to be having fun. Maybe it will be contagious. Irving turns and heads with dread towards the back door with Carmine, Richie, and the Sheik. Sydney, worried about Rosalyn with Musane, decides to hang back. 125 INT. CASINO BACK ROOM -- NIGHT 125 SLOW PUSH IN ON POWERFUL LOOKING: BALD MAN IN SUNGLASSES, LIGHT GRAY SUIT, DARK TIE -- STANDING BY HIMSELF. CARMINE, RICHIE, SHEIK, IRVING ENTER A HALF FINISHED BACK ROOM. PUSH IN ON IRVING. VICTOR TELLEGIO Carmine! IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Victor Tellegio was from Miami. He was Meyer Lansky's right-hand man. In his prior reputation as an enforcer from twenty years ago, he was known to never bury a body because he felt it sent a stronger message to leave it in the street. FLASH BACK TO: 125A EXT. STREET - NIGHT 125A YOUNGER TELLEGIO WALKS LAUGHING WITH A COLLEAGUE, LETS COLLEAGUE GET AHEAD AND TELLEGIO SUDDENLY PULLS PISTOL, FIRES THREE BULLETS WITH MUZZLE FLASH INTO MAN'S HEAD, MAN GOES TO GROUND, TELLEGIO FIRES ONCE MORE, DROPS CLIP FROM GUN AND SPITS ON BODY, WALKS DIRECTLY TO CAMERA MENACING. NOW BACK TO: IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) This is the guy we now had to deal with. 125B INT. CASINO BACK ROOM - CONTINUOUS 125B RESUME PUSH IN ON TELLEGIO AS A COUPLE OF BUSBOYS SET UP AN IMPROMPTU TABLE AND CHAIRS. Carmine greets him. 92. CARMINE POLITO You sure you don't want to go into the Ocean Bar? It's really, it's beautiful in there. VICTOR TELLEGIO I'm very happy I don't have to go there. I like it here. There's an exit. I'm like a ghost. Nobody knows I'm here. Busboys whip open a white table cloth for the table. Everyone sits down. Tellegio looks at the Sheik, then over to Richie. VICTOR TELLEGIO (CONT'D) Tell him I speak for our friends in Florida. We're very excited. It's been our lifelong dream to build casino resorts on the East Coast. Richie pretends to translate in the Sheik's ear. VICTOR TELLEGIO (CONT'D) You told him that? They didn't want the Jews to make money, they didn't want the Italians to make money, definitely don't want the blacks to make money. After the oil embargo -- the gasoline crisis -- the hijackings, the Olympics, they don't want to see Arabs make money, trust me, not on our soil. You can tell him this in your own way: I've been in the casino business forty years. It's scrutinized more carefully than any other business. Carmine made this legal, but we must be careful or they'll take it away. CARMINE POLITO So, Mister Tellegio, how do you think we should approach this? What do you want to do? VICTOR TELLEGIO If you want to get the gaming license and keep it we have to make our principal investor here, the Sheik, an American citizen. 93. Irving and Richie both look at Victor intensely not sure where this is going. CARMINE POLITO To expedite citizenship -- well, that requires very special treatment. VICTOR TELLEGIO You would know the right people to do that, Carmine. RICHIE DIMASO Carmine knows everybody. IRVING ROSENFELD What are we talking about? CARMINE POLITO U.S. Senators. Congressmen. RICHIE DIMASO Wow, that's fantastic. IRVING ROSENFELD I say stay away from that. That's bad. That's trouble. No, that's not good. RICHIE DIMASO Irving please. IRVING ROSENFELD That's trouble. VICTOR TELLEGIO Who is this guy? (to Irving) What are you, a farmer? Richie and Tellegio both laugh. CARMINE POLITO Mr. Tellegio, I'm sorry, this is Irving. New York businessman. Irving Rosenfeld. VICTOR TELLEGIO Irving, Irving. What's the matter, Irving? What's the problem? IRVING ROSENFELD Nothing. No problem. 94. VICTOR TELLEGIO Don't get your balls in an uproar. Everything's fine, everything's good. It's all good. It's all good. I just hope the other part of this is all good. And real. Because we're real. You know that. You deal with us. We're a real organization. We deal with you, we don't know what we're dealing with. Everyone stares increasingly tense at Tellegio in silence. This could go wrong at any minute. Tellegio looks over to Richie and points to the Sheik. Irving watches in horror as -- VICTOR TALLEGIO Where's he from? RICHIE DIMASO (winging it) Abu Dhabi. VICTOR TELLEGIO Oh, he's from the Emirates. RICHIE DIMASO Yeah. VICTOR TELLEGIO (in subtitled Arabic) (Can I count on you? You gotta be honest about this. Do you understand me? Good means good. No bullshit.) PUSH IN ON IRV AND CARMINE FEELING THIS IMMENSE PRESSURE. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE? VICTOR TELLEGIO (CONT'D) (to Sheik) (Did you hear what I said? Do you want me to repeat it?) Irving looks ill, as does everyone else at the table. VICTOR TELLEGIO (CONT'D) (What do you think now? Tell me. Tell me.) RICHIE DIMASO Uh, I think, I think what he's -- 95. VICTOR TELLEGIO No, let him speak for himself. Sheik swallows hard and looks to Richie. It's a very tense moment for everyone at the table. Tellegio stares. Everyone hangs on this. Irving and Richie share a look -- what is he doing? A DRUNK, AL KOWALSKI, a working man, friend of the Mayor BARRELS INTO INTO THE TABLE, spilling drinks. Tellegio's guys jump in and grab him and start to pull him away. CARMINE POLITO No, I know him. AL KOWALSKI You guys are way too serious for a party!(to Tellegio) Hey, what are you drinking? You got a drink? TELLEGIO GLARES BACK AT THE INTRUSION. CARMINE (to Al) We're in a very serious meeting. (to Tellegio) I apologize. TELLEGIO DOES NOT LOOK AMUSED. AL KALOWSKI I understand, you're in conference. You gotta come with me now. You got a speech to give. Everyone's waiting for you. CARMINE POLITO Al, I'll be right behind you, okay? Trust me. Paco Hernandez/Sheik stands up and reaches over to Tellegio to shake his hand. Irving panics. THE MENACING DEEP BASS INTRO OF "WHITE RABBIT" FADES UP ON THE SOUNDTRACK. SHEIK ABDULLAH (In Arabic) It is great doing business with you. The investment is real. It was a pleasure to meet you. Irving exhales in relief that Paco managed to say anything passable in Arabic. 96. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) What are the odds of an Italian guy from Miami knowing Arabic? But it turns out he's got casino investments in the Mideast and he spent two years learning it to keep the upper hand. Victor leans over to talk to Carmine. VICTOR TELLEGIO Listen to me carefully. If you're real, you put ten million in the bank of our choice in the next two weeks. Carmine nods. VICTOR TELLEGIO (CONT'D) Carmine, listen to me carefully, if you're real, you put ten million in the bank of our choice in the next two weeks or not only will the Sheik feel insulted, but our friends in Florida will feel deeply disrespected and so will I. Irving looks at Victor, who stares back at him. This is bad. AT THE BAR -- "WHITE RABBIT" CONTINUES. ROSALYN CONTINUES TO FLIRT WITH PETE MUSANE -- SYDNEY WATCHES OUT OF CONTROL ROSALYN, STANDS AND WALKS OVER TO HER. EDITH GREENSLY Rosalyn, you need to come with me alright? ROSALYN ROSENFELD I don't need to come with you. EDITH GREENSLY You need to come with me. This needs to stop. Come on. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Oh, you think I should come with you? 97. EDITH GREENSLY Yeah, you need to come with me right now. Rosalyn takes her wrist out of Sydney's grasp. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Why don't you get your fucking hands off me, you fucking whore! PETE MUSANE Hey! ROSALYN ROSENFELD You're a whore. (to everyone) This is my husband's whore! EDITH GREENSLY That's real nice. DOLLY POLITO We're not going to do this in the Ocean Room tonight. Not tonight. Please. ROSALYN ROSENFELD This is my husbands whore! Dolly escorts Edith over to one side of the room away from Rosalyn. DOLLY POLITO You stay over here with me. Everybody just calm down. I don't know what's going on. Pete looks over to Rosalyn. PETE MUSANE You alright? Take it easy. These things happen. Whatever's meant to be will be. Rosalyn smiles at Pete. ROSALYN ROSENFELD That's what I always say. PETE MUSANE You say that? ROSALYN ROSENFELD Yeah. 98. PETE MUSANE See? Kindred spirits. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Whatever's meant to be will be. PETE MUSANE Whatever's meant to be will be. CUT TO: INT. WOMEN'S POWDER ROOM HALLWAY - CASINO ROSALYN STORMS DOWN THE HALL TOWARDS THE BATHROOM AS "WHITE RABBIT" BUILDS TO ITS CLIMAX. 126 INT. WOMEN'S POWDER ROOM - CASINO 126 Rosalyn looks in mirror: sadness, anger, fear. Edith rushes in. EDITH GREENSLY What the hell do you think you're doing? ROSALYN ROSENFELD What the hell do I think I'm doing?! What the fuck do you think you're doing? You really gonna come in here and judge me for flirting with somebody after you've been fucking my husband for how many years?! EDITH GREENSLY You don't have any fucking clue what's going on! Rosalyn holds her hand, with wedding ring to Sydney's face. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I got a ring on my finger. We have a child together. EDITH GREENSLY He doesn't love you Rosalyn he loves me. And you know it and I know it and he knows it. And it might be done now, but it was beautiful and it was real. 99. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Stop. EDITH GREENSLY And we loved each other. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Shut up. Rosalyn starts to tear up. EDITH GREENSLY You scare him, and you manipulate him, and you use your son! ROSALYN ROSENFELD Well, he must like it on some level. He must want it because he keeps coming back for it. It's like that perfume that you love that you can't stop smelling, even when there's something sour in it. You can't get enough of it. But guess what, he's never gonna leave me. He's always going to want me, and I will make you so sorry, Edith. I will make you so sorry for what you've done to my family, mark my words. EDITH GREENSLY That is fucked up! I would never say anything that fucked up to anybody, but you do because you're gross inside, you're so fucked up and gross. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Oh, I'm gross inside? EDITH GREENSLY Yeah. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Maybe you're gross inside, with robbing people and all that shit that you do? Maybe we're both gross inside, that's what Irving loves about us. At least he's consistent with his women. You know, sometimes in life all you have are fucked up, poisonous choices. Rosalyn reaches over, grabs Sydney's face and kisses her. 100. Rosalyn laughs a toxic, tough front dark laugh and walks out. THE BEE GEES "HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART?" STARTS. Sydney looks into the mirror and wipes the lipstick off her lips as Rosalyn storms out of the powder room. SMASH TO: 129 ROSALYN WALKS OUT SHAKY -- SUDDENLY FROM BEHIND A ROW OF 129 WOODEN PAYPHONES A HAND GRABS ROSALYN'S AND PULLS HER BEHIND THEM - ITS PETE MUSANE - THEY STARE AT EACH OTHER - SILENT - INTENSE-- ROSALYN IS SHAKING AND CRYING AS SHE FALLS APART IN HIS ARMS. SYDNEY COMES STORMING OUT OF THE POWDER ROOM AND WALKS RIGHT PAST ROSALYN AND PETE. PUSH IN ON: SYDNEY LOOKING BACK, STOPPED, SEES ROSALYN EMBRACING PETE AS SHE CRIES. SMASH TO: 130 SYDNEY RUNS INTO BACK ROOM, URGENTLY JOINS IRV AND RICHIE AT 130 THE TABLE. EDITH GREENSLY We need to talk! This is serious. SMASH TO: CARMINE AND DOLLY CLIMB THE STAIRS TO THE MAIN BALLROOM FILLED EXCITEDLY WITH OPTIMISM AS THE SONG SWELLS. THEY KISS IN SILHOUETTE INTO A HARD BACKLIGHT. CARMINE CLIMBS REACHES THE STAGE AND THE CROWD ROARS. AL KALOWSKI Ladies and gentlemen, your friend, the working man's friend, my friend, Mayor Carmine Polito! ON STAGE: Carmine TAKES MIC Irving stands off to the side of the stage as his world closes in around him. Pulls his heart pills out of his pocket and takes one. Sydney sees this as she stands nearby with Richie. Irv, Edith, Richie watch near stage, jostled. Rosalyn enters the ball room looking disheveled as she is guided by Pete Musane looks to stage. 101. CARMINE POLITO (on mic) Hello, Camden! Hello, New Jersey! Hello, Atlantic City! [CROWD ROARS] A lot of my friends been out of work [CROWD WHISTLES - BOOS] A lot of good hard working families just wanna WORK AND LIVE. (crowd CHEERS) There's no money nowhere. You gotta be kidding me! -- don't they remember who built this country? [CHEERS] The one thing we can all agree about in the State of New Jersey is that we never, ever give up! Do we? Carmine dominates the crowd and you can see the emotion in his face as he says this. He raises his glass to the crowd. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) Please, raise a glass with me to a new era that begins tonight. From me and my family, we thank you. For all the hard work that you've given us in the community. Look what you've done. This is beautiful! Thank you! Crowd ROARS WILDLY. Irv watches, MOVED AND DESTROYED. DISSOLVE TO: SHOTS OF EMPTY BALL ROOM, TRASHED HALLWAYS, ATLANTIC CITY STREET TO OCEAN -- OCEAN SOUNDS SMASH TO: 132 INT. IRVING'S DRY CLEANERS - EARLY MORNING 132 Irving walks in with his keys, same clothes from night before, as ocean sounds continue, TAKES A GUN FROM THE SAFE, and he stands looking lost and lonely, he turns on the electric dry cleaning rack, where he and SYDNEY STOOD TOGETHER, IN LOVE. He looks heartsick. HE STEPS INSIDE THE SWIRLING ELECTRIC DRY CLEANING RACK OF PLASTIC WRAPPED CLOTHES, AND STANDS ALONE, WHERE SYD USED TO BE, AND IS HEARTBROKEN. EXT. THIRD AVENUE - DAY - CONTINUOUS RICHIE STORMS DOWN THE STREET IN SAME NIGHT CLOTHES. 102. 134 INT. HALLWAY TO SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY 134 BANG BANG BANG -- Richie POUNDS ON SYDNEY'S DOOR -- SYDNEY, HAIR IN CURLERS, ANSWERS THE DOOR. RICHIE DIMASO Can I use your phone? 135 INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT DAY - AS SHE WATCHES -- HE paces 135 intense, phone in hand, SHIRT SLEEVES, a mess. HE DIALS. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) (to Sydney) Last night was insane. I got it all figured out. STODDARD THORSEN (on phone) Stoddard Thorsen. RICHIE DIMASO (into phone) Listen, I need the Sherman Suite at the Plaza Hotel, okay? STODDARD THORSEN (on phone) That's a whole floor of the hotel. RICHIE DIMASO I need a whole floor. I need it for my operation INT. FBI FIELD OFFICE - DAY - CONTINUOUS STODDARD THORSEN (on phone) Stop calling it your operation, Richard. It's not your operation. And I'm not giving you a whole floor of the Plaza Hotel. INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY RICHIE DIMASO I have members of Congress that are gonna come in right now to try to give the Sheik citizenship. They're taking bribes. This is happening right now. That's what's happening right now. 103. INT. FBI FIELD OFFICE - DAY STODDARD THORSEN (on phone) Bribing members of Congress are you out of your fucking mind? INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY RICHIE DIMASO Stoddard. Stoddard! Shut up! Listen! Do you know who Victor Tellegio is? Victor. Tellegio. Works for Meyer Lansky. You know who that is? STODDARD THORSEN I know who Victor Tellegio is. RICHIE DIMASO Resorts International! He wants ten million dollars. I have two weeks! STODDARD THORSEN You're not getting ten million dollars. RICHIE DIMASO (screaming) Just listen to me! You're not listening to me! I have two weeks! I have two weeks to put this thing together and I need you to get me the Sherman Suite at the Plaza Hotel. And your going to fucking do it! STODDARD THORSEN Lower your voice. You don't get to yell at me. Richie SLAMS DOWN THE PHONE. Edith (HAIR IN CURLERS) STARES AT HIM. RICHIE DIMASO Calm me down baby. You gotta calm me down. He handles her hips and neck and waist and ass. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Baby let's do this. Let's do this right now. -- 104. EDITH GREENSLY No, no. RICHIE DIMASO I want to do this. You're fucking skin is glowing baby. Your skin is glowing. EDITH GREENSLY I'm not doing this with you. We're not going to do this unless we do it for real, alright? RICHIE DIMASO I want to do this now! EDITH GREENSLY That's what we agreed on so we're not going to do that alright? Alright? Where are you? You're acting all scary. She grabs him by the head to calm him down. EDITH GREENSLY (CONT'D) Are you here with me? HE TRIES A GENTLER SEDUCTION. RICHIE DIMASO (leans down to her eyes) I love you. I love you. Look at me. (slowly) I'm in love with you. It is real now. I just said it so now's the time. He handles her, nuzzles her neck, starts to turn her on. EDITH GREENSLY (kissing him) You want the truth? You want real? RICHIE DIMASO I'm ready for real. SOMETHING CLICKS INSIDE HER -- SHE DROPS HER BRITISH ACCENT -- SYDNEY PROSSER (DROPS HER BRITISH ACCENT) OK, this is real. Do you hear my voice? This is real. This is real. What you hear is real. 105. Richie steps back quickly and grabs Sydney. RICHIE DIMASO What? SYDNEY PROSSER This is me. RICHIE DIMASO What do you mean? What are you doing an accent? An American accent? EDITH GREENSLY No. There is no English. There's only American. There is no English. Richie looks at her and continues to hold her looking very confused and flustered. RICHIE DIMASO What are you talking about? Stop it. You're Edith. You're Edith Greensly. I checked your records. SYDNEY PROSSER I falsified my records back to birth. I falsified them. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) My name is Sydney Prosser, and I'm from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'm not Edith Greensly. There is no Edith Greensly. Richie steps back. He stares at her darkly. RICHIE DIMASO You're -- freaking -- me -- out. No, you said in the stall that we were going to be real and that we weren't going to fake it. SYDNEY PROSSER I'm being real now. This is who I am. I'm Sydney Prosser. Ok? RICHIE DIMASO So -- why -- did you do an English accent after that? SYDNEY PROSSER I'm sorry I didn't tell you in the stall. (MORE) 106. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) I created Edith because I needed her to survive, okay? But I'm done with that now. I'm so fucking done with that. Like you do what you need to survive, right? You do it. You know, you live with your mom -- you have a fiancée you don't even acknowledge, right? That's what you do. And you curl your hair in little fucking curlers, which is -- No, it's okay, you look good with it, but you know -- you have straight hair, so that's what you do to survive. You do all sorts of things, you know. We all do. RICHIE DIMASO (whispers tensely) Please don't talk about that. I'm confused. I'm confused and -- SYDNEY PROSSER I'm fucking confused too, alright? RICHIE DIMASO -- I think we should fuck, and then we'll feel it and we won't be confused anymore. HE EMBRACES HER -- SYDNEY PROSSER No -- I want to talk. I don't want to fuck. RICHIE DIMASO (embracing her) Yes! Come on. SYDNEY PROSSER NO! I'm not fucking you. I'm not fucking fucking you! RED FACED LIKE HE MAY HIT HER, a vein stands out in his neck. SHE FLINCHES. HE SCREAMS like an animal in confusion and frustration. RICHIE DIMASO AHHH! SUDDENLY SYDNEY GRABS A GLASS PICTURE FRAME FROM A TABLE, SMASHES IT ACROSS RICHIE'S FOREHEAD AND FACE WITH A SHATTERING OF GLASS. 107. Richie in pain holds his cut forehead and eyebrow. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) (in pain and dismay) SHIT! They hear a door open off screen, someone approaches. Irving appears from around the corner of the wall pointing his handgun at Richie. IRVING ROSENFELD Will you please step away from Edith. I'm asking you nicely please step away from Edith right now. RICHIE DIMASO What the fuck -- IRVING ROSENFELD Step away from her. Please. RICHIE DIMASO You mean Sydney? Irving looks over to Sydney very confused. SYDNEY PROSSER I told him. I'm sorry. I just don't give a fuck anymore, I don't give a fuck. I don't fucking care. RICHIE DIMASO Irving has a gun. IRVING ROSENFELD What Richie's gotten us into is worse then jail. I told you last night, don't sit down with those goons. And what? Now what? No one's getting ten million for Tellegio. It's over. RICHIE DIMASO I don't think so. Irving and Sydney stare. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) (slowly) Because when Tellegio finds out what happened, do you think he's gonna go after me? I don't think so. Someone from the Bureau? (MORE) 108. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Think he's gonna go after a politician? He's gonna kill you. Then he's going to go after your son. And Sydney. Richie PICKS UP PHONE AS THEY WATCH -- HE DIALS. INTERCUT: STODDARD THORSEN (on phone) Stoddard Thorsen. RICHIE DIMASO (slowly, intensely) You're going to give me the Sherman Suite. The whole floor. HIS NOSE AND FOREHEAD ARE CUT FROM THE GLASS. STODDARD THORSEN That's a NO. I said no wacko. RICHIE DIMASO And you're going to tell me the point of that FUCKING fishing story. STODDARD THORSEN Not the way you're behaving. RICHIE DIMASO (FUMING) What's the matter with you? Where are you right now? STODDARD THORSEN What does that make a difference? RICHIE DIMASO Just tell me where the fuck you are. STODDARD THORSEN The field office on 61st street. RICHIE DIMASO I'm coming to 61st Street. Right now. STODDARD THORSEN You're going to do what? RICHIE DIMASO To beat -- your ass. 109. STODDARD THORSEN You're going to what? Richie SLAMS the phone down, storms out the apartment. 140 INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY 140 IRVING ROSENFELD You were right. We should have gone away. Irving sits in the corner of the room a disheveled mess. Sydney sits on the bed drinking a Fresca. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) I should have gone away with you. SYDNEY PROSSER We were supposed to do it from the feet up like you always said. That's how we were meant to do it but you didn't do it like that. You didn't do it like that. You played it safe so there was always a danger you were going to end up with Rosalyn in the dead space, floating on some dead spaceship with the furniture and the curtains. And I was your life line out and you were mine and that was ok. IRVING ROSENFELD (Irving stares at her, emotional) I wish I could get you back. He walks across the room and sits down on the bed next to Sydney. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You know I can't do it without you. You know that. Come on. Me, you and Danny. Like we said. SYDNEY PROSSER Like I said. You never said that. I said that. We gotta get over on all these guys. That's what we need to be thinking about right now. Irving takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. 110. IRVING ROSENFELD That's big. That's crazy. Whatever it is, it's got to be the best we've ever done. Sydney nods her head yes, stares intensely at Irving as the camera tilts down to reveal: their hands clasped together. 141 EXT. OLD FEDERAL BUILDING - DOWNTOWN - DAY 141 High ceiling, old office. Close on a tape recorder. AS CAMERA PULLS BACK - SEE STODDARD, BANDAGES ON HIS BRUISED FACE AND A WHITE EYE PATCH ON HIS INJURED EYE, SITTING OPPOSITE PROSECUTOR, AMADO - - the tape recorder and microphone sit on the desk in front of Stoddard as he records a statement for a report. STODDARD THORSEN (SLOW MIDWEST MONOTONE) Agent Dimaso called me late at night on the 21st. I believe that he was intoxicated. He threatened me and I told him this was inappropriate. I told him procedures exist for reasons we must respect. This is the third such call I received from Agent Dimaso. He called me again the night of the 5th and he threatened to kill me. Subsequently he demanded that I allow him to use the Sherman Suite at the Plaza hotel for purposes of bribing members of congress. Camera pull-back reveals: THE CHASTENED Richie SITS LISTENING, IN A SUIT AND TIE. He's in trouble with their boss, the prosecutor. RICHIE DIMASO I am so sorry. STODDARD THORSEN I'm not finished. There's a lot more. Richie gets up and pulls up a chair next to Stoddard. Stoddard flinches and moves away like he's going to get hit again. 111. RICHIE DIMASO I have nothing but the utmost respect for you as my mentor. (he reaches down and turns the tape recorder off) and as my -- STODDARD THORSEN (re: the recorder) What are you doing? RICHIE DIMASO I just want to talk from my heart. I don't want it on record. I want to get vulnerable. STODDARD THORSEN Can I finish? Can I finish my statement? RICHIE DIMASO Of course. I respect you. STODDARD THORSEN I think you do other things besides respect me. SMASH TO: 139 INT. STODDARD'S FIELD OFFICE - FLASHBACK 139 Stoddard paces while on the phone, holds up a finger to Richie to wait, Richie picks up Stoddard's phone -- rips the cord out and smashes Stoddard across the face with the base. Doesn't stop til Stoddard falls to the ground, knocks over desk chair and bookcase behind. BACK TO: INT. OLD FEDERAL BUILDING - DOWN TOWN They stare at each other. RICHIE DIMASO It's just hard for me to control my passion. I'm a very passionate person. (looks to Amado) You're from New York. You understand this. He goes ice fishing in the midwest. STODDARD THORSEN That was told to you in confidence. 112. RICHIE DIMASO He's an ice fishing guy. Look at him. SMASH BACK TO: INT. FBI FIELD OFFICE - DAY - FLASHBACK Where we left off. Stoddard reaches with bloodied hands across -- what is he reaching for? Oh, on a small table, a gun and a clip. RICHIE DIMASO What are you doing pulling out your gun? Stop it. That's not you. STODDARD THORSEN No, it's me. This is me. It's me. RICHIE DIMASO Don't do something that you don't know anything about. Alright? Richie grabs his gun and starts to load it. STODDARD THORSEN DO NOT LOAD THAT GUN. YOU DROP THAT GUN. RICHIE DIMASO I'll show you how it's done. I'm not even going to hit you. He points the gun at Stoddard. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Watch this fucko. CUT TO: INT. OLD FEDERAL BUILDING - DOWNTOWN Richie and Stoddard stare at each other in silence. ANTHONY AMADO So, you want to use the Sherman Suite? The entire floor? Stoddard throws his head back, looks at ceiling in exasperation. 113. STODDARD THORSEN OH GOD. RICHIE DIMASO Yes! At the Plaza Hotel. ANTHONY AMADO What happened to the Mafia? I thought you were -- RICHIE DIMASO This is where they intersect! This is where the two things intersect. The Politicians and the Mafia. Victor Tellegio's people who run resorts international -- ANTHONY AMADO Victor Tellegio showed his face? RICHIE DIMASO Yes. I sat with him. I sat with Victor Tellegio. I hung out with him. We can get him. We can get his whole organization as well as getting any number of congressmen. I mean, that's just peeling the first layer of the onion. ANTHONY AMADO Wow. How you going to do that? RICHIE DIMASO We would get ten million dollars and put it into an account -- STODDARD THORSEN TEN MILLION DOLLARS?! Ten Million dollars? RICHIE DIMASO And that's how we just let them know we're for real. ANTHONY AMADO What does he say he's gonna do for the ten million dollars? How are we trapping him? RICHIE DIMASO He promises to build casinos, handle the skims, do the licencing - - 114. STODDARD THORSEN And you have him on tape saying this. You have that right? No. ANTHONY AMADO (to Richie) I want you to find a safer way to get Victor Tellegio on a wire. No ten million dollars -- that's crazy. STODDARD THORSEN Thank you. Richie looks down, defeated. ANTHONY AMADO Even to entrap Tellegio it's crazy. But you can have the Sherman Suite - - STODDARD THORSEN NO. ANTHONY AMADO --Stoddard, please -- To go and get me some congressmen. Go get some congressmen taking bribes. I want to pinch us some congressmen, ok? You come back to me. I'm proud of you. RICHIE DIMASO Thank you. (then as an afterthought) And Stoddard. 143 INT. CORRIDOR - OLD FEDERAL COURT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS 143 Richie and Stoddard walk down large, echoey Federal building corridor. Stoddard walking ten feet ahead turns and points at Richie. STODDARD THORSEN (shouts bitterly) Good luck keeping your job, by the way, and staying out of jail -- and not being killed by the Mob. But other than that you're doing a great job. Stoddard turns and storms off. 115. RICHIE DIMASO (as Stoddard walks away) What's the end of the ice fishing story? STODDARD THORSEN I'm not telling you the end of the ice fishing story. RICHIE DIMASO I'm going to call your fucking brother and find out from him. STODDARD THORSEN My brother's dead. RICHIE DIMASO That's how it ends. He fell through the fucking ice. STODDARD THORSEN (shouts bitterly) No it's not. He died a different way, many years later. He storms off and leaves Richie staring in the hallway. EXT. PLAZA HOTEL -- DAY Establishing. 145 INT. PLAZA HOTEL - GENERAL SHERMAN SUITE HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 145 Richie walks out of a surveillance room and down the hallway to where Irv and Sydney wait. RICHIE DIMASO Listen I know it's awkward and I just want to say I'm sorry, alright? I think we can stick together and still fulfill our goal. I mean, we got the Sherman Suite. IRVING ROSENFELD You got the whole floor? RICHIE DIMASO We got the whole floor, yeah. EDITH GREENSLY That's good. 116. RICHIE DIMASO Yeah, you ok? SYDNEY PROSSER Yeah. You? Richie gestures to his eye that Sydney smashed with the picture frame. He's got a few little scabs. RICHIE DIMASO It's alright. I got hit a little bit. My eye. It's a little blurry but I got drops at the pharmacy. Richie looks over to Irving. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) Hey, you OK? IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah, I'm good -- Richie looks back over to Sydney RICHIE DIMASO Listen, I'm sorry. SYDNEY PROSSER I'm sorry. RICHIE DIMASO (to Irving) I'm sorry Irving. Irving doesn't know what to say, starts to say something twice, stops, can't think of what to say. Leaves Richie hanging. INT. PLAZA HOTEL - GENERAL SHERMAN SUITE - DAY Richie directs where cameras should be concealed. AGENTS SCHMIDT AND STOCK FOLLOW MAKING NOTES IN PADS. RICHIE DIMASO You can put a camera here. And we get it all on film. You like it? EDITH GREENSLY I do. RICHIE DIMASO (to Schmidt) Give me those flowers. (MORE) 117. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) If we put the flower base here and put a camera in there we can get a clear shot of the couch there where we can put the congressmen. Irving, sitting on the couch, looks kind of disturbed by this. IRVING ROSENFELD That's right. That's the idea. 146 INT. MAYOR CARMINE POLITO'S OFFICE - DAY 146 RICHIE DIMASO (O.S.) And Carmine will go to jail after he delivers us the congressmen soon to be felons. Carmine's aid MELORA answers a ringing phone as Carmine sits at his desk. MELORA Congressman O'Connell is on the phone -- PUSH IN ON CARMINE POLITO I got to take this you guys everyone out please. Dolly Polito, checking the unwatered plants in her husbands office with her coat on, she has just stopped by. Turns and holds up a parched and dying houseplant. DOLLY POLITO This is sad. It's just sad. CARMINE POLITO Dolly please, I gotta take this. DOLLY POLITO Ok, sorry. Everyone out. Go out. CARMINE POLITO (picks up phone) Congressman, how you doing? It's Carmine. Tell me you're gonna be in Trenton this week. We have an amazing investment opportunity I'd like to discuss with you. SMASH TO: 118. INT. PLAZA HOTEL - GENERAL SHERMAN SUITE - DAY Richie on a black and white surveillance camera as he shows the briefcase full of money. RICHIE DIMASO I'm federal agent Richard Dimaso. I've placed seventy-five thousand dollars into this briefcase for Representative John O'Connell of the Ninth District. SMASH TO: 148 EXT. STATE CAPITOL - TRENTON, NEW JERSEY - DAY 148 Carmine shakes hands with REP. JOHN O'CONNELL -- CARMINE POLITO Congressman, thank you for coming by, John -- RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) Representative O'Connell was contacted by Carmine Polito to ask if he could obtain rapid citizenship through an act of Congress for one Sheik Abdullah, investor. They walk up the capitol steps. CARMINE POLITO You wanna talk jobs, investment, construction, if we can expedite a very wealthy man's citizenship -- 149 INT. SHERMAN SUITE, PLAZA HOTEL - NIGHT 149 150 CAMERA PANS TO HOLE IN CORNER and CAMERA LENS -- 150 152 152 RICHIE DIMASO How you doing congressmen? JOHN O'CONNELL I'm excited to be here. CARMINE POLITO This brings the state back. I mean, how long we known each other? (MORE) 119. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) You know what this is gonna do for us? This is huge for the state of New Jersey. It stabilizes our economy. IRVING ROSENFELD Hotels. Restaurants. It's waiting to happen. Carmine sees it, this fucking thing is waiting to happen. CARMINE POLITO The goddamn bankers. Keeping their money on the sidelines. How we supposed to get anything done? JOHN O'CONNELL Bankers only put money in the game when they can reap insane profit. Richie staring, mesmerized by this trap. RICHIE DIMASO The only problem is this citizenship situation. I mean, we got to expedite it as soon as possible. JOHN O'CONNELL Yeah, well I'll tell you, you came to the right place. Everyone looks tense and on edge before. JOHN O'CONNELL (CONT'D) I'll make it happen. CARMINE POLITO Hey, this is going to happen. Richie slides the briefcase in John's direction. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) This is real. You understand? This is real. On my family. On my kids. On my life. On my work. JOHN O'CONNELL I know that, Carmine. You're a good man This hurts Irving to see his friends sincerity. 120. 153 ANOTHER DAY - ON GRAINY MONITOR 153 RICHIE DIMASO (on grainy black and white) I'm federal agent Richard Dimaso. I am placing 75 thousand dollars in this brief case for one Representative Gerald Sanders of the 3rd district. SMASH TO: 154 -HAND SHAKES - REP. SANDERS SITS LOOKING WARILY AT BRIEFCASE 154 REP. SANDERS I don't want to do anything illegal- CARMINE POLITO Please Gerry. Use it as a campaign donation. Whatever you want to do. Richie slides the briefcase to him. 155 ANOTHER DAY 155 RICHIE DIMASO (on grainy monitor) I'm placing g $60,000 into an this brief case for one Congressman Eric Keshoygan of the 4th district -- ERIC KESHOYGAN I'm going to do what I can to help Carmine. Irv watches in pain as he sits with them. SMASH TO: 156 ANOTHER DAY 156 RICHIE DIMASO A $100,000 into this briefcase for two term United States Senator Horton Mitchell of New Jersey. A distinguished silver haired Senator, older. HORTON MITCHELL Atlantic City. All the way down the shore. A mecca by the sea. 121. Richie slides over the briefcase. HORTON MITCHELL (CONT'D) Carmine you're beloved by your people. Your constituency is not even your constituency it's your family. That's what you represent, family. CARMINE POLITO One small thing we do for this man is a huge thing we do for the people of New Jersey. This is what we can leave behind. Irving can't stand how hopeful his friend Carmine is being because Irving knows Carmine is being set up. He gets up -- CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) Irving what are you doing? RICHIE DIMASO Where you going? IRVING ROSENFELD (excusing himself uncomfortably) I just gotta go see a man about a dog. 158 IRVING WALKS DOWN THE HALL VERY DISTORTED. HE GOES INTO THE 158 VIDEO ROOM WHERE STODDARD WATCHES THE SURVEILLANCE MONITORS INTENSELY AS CARMINE CONTINUES TO STAND BEHIND HIS SINCERE PLEDGES. CARMINE POLITO (on grainy monitor) I appreciate this. On my family. On my kids. This needs to happen. It's gotta happen. You've got my word Irving walks out of the room -- 159 INT. HALLWAY OF SHERMAN SUITE, PLAZA -- CONTINUOUS 159 --into another room where Sydney on elegant gold couch, sits alone. Surveillance equipment and room service trays are on the coffee table. 160 INT. ANOTHER ROOM OF SHERMAN SUITE - CONTINUOUS 160 She watches Irving who is pacing anxiously and very wound up. 122. IRVING ROSENFELD (pacing) I want to save us. I want to save Carmine. It's fucking killing me. SYDNEY PROSSER You know the only way to help Carmine is through the Tellegio thing. IRVING ROSENFELD It's dangerous. We gotta get a wire in there. We gotta make him feel safe. SYDNEY PROSSER There's only one thing that can really fuck this up and that's your wife. IRVING ROSENFELD (pacing) Yep. 161 EXT. DANNY'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -- DAY 161 Rosalyn fixes Danny's coat, hands him his lunch and sends him off towards the school's front door -- CLOSE UP: ROSALYN STARES INTO LENS. Emotional, a mixture of sadness and hope. She holds a closed bottle of her favorite nail finish and smells it nostalgically. A BLACK SEDAN PULLS INTO THE FRAME, SHE OPENS THE DOOR AND GETS IN. IT IS PETE MUSANE, TELLEGIO'S MOBSTER SHE FLIRTED WITH AT THE CASINO. 162 INT. PETE MUSANE'S CADILLAC - DAY 162 He gently puts a hand on her knee. She leaves it there for a moment before pushing it away. They stare at each other. 163 INT. MAISON D'LUC - HUNTINGTON, LONG ISLAND - DAY 163 A NICE RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING THE LONG ISLAND SOUND, LIGHT CORAL COLORED TABLECLOTHS; THE PLACE FILLED WITH DAYLIGHT -- ROSALYN AND PETE SIT VERY CLOSE. QUIET. TOGETHER. IN SILENCE. FEW BEATS. CONTENT. 123. PETE MUSANE I don't like your husband. You're no good together. He doesn't appreciate you. Hey, it happens. It happened in my marriage. That's why I went to Miami. Sometimes you just gotta be tough. You gotta stand up and you gotta leave, you know? Rosalyn looks at Pete smitten. PETE MUSANE (CONT'D) Sometimes you gotta let something die to let something live. You're too beautiful to be unhappy. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I know. I mean, I don't want to badmouth my husband, but let me badmouth my husband for a second. He just thinks that he knows everything and he's so full of shit. He's such a liar. He thinks that I'm stupid, but I'm not stupid. I hear him on the phone arguing. He loves Carmine, but he hates that other guy, that curly- headed I.R.S. guy, or whatever who's carting around my husband's ex-lover, that redheaded whore. PETE MUSANE IRS? ROSALYN ROSENFELD Anyway. You can see that it drives him crazy. PETE MUSANE You said IRS. What IRS guy? What are you talking bout? ROSALYN ROSENFELD I hear them on the phone. I think that he's got Irv in some sort of bind or something and he's making him do all of this stuff and so Irv and Carmine right now are at the Plaza Hotel throwing away all this money at like Congress or whatever. They're giving money to congress or something. I don't really know but I overheard it on the phone. 124. Pete's brow furrows - this is serious. PETE MUSANE You know I hate to do this to you but I have to go talk to your husband. My boss is already angry. You stay here I'm going to give you some money for a taxi home. He puts cash in her hands. PETE MUSANE (CONT'D) You stay here. Get yourself some dessert. Finish the bottle of prosecco. I'm sorry. Rosalyn and Pete hold hands as Rosalyn stares into his eyes. Very emotional. PETE MUSANE (CONT'D) You alright? ROSALYN ROSENFELD (open, vulnerable) I don't like change. It's really hard for me. Sometimes I think that I'll die before I change. He kisses her. PETE MUSANE It's gonna be okay. You're gonna come live with me in Miami. Pete gets up and walks. As he does: ROSALYN ROSENFELD 164 Don't hurt him too bad. He's still 164 Danny's father. BACK TO: 165 ROSALYN AT TABLE ALONE, EMOTIONAL, VULNERABLE, HER LIFE IS 165 CHANGING. 166 EXT. PLAZA HOTEL -- DAY 166 Irv and Carmine down sidewalk leaving from The Plaza Hotel -- Pete Musane stands next to an open passenger side door, -- Irv and Carmine do not move, they stare at the open door. 125. PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS "LIVE AND LET DIE" STARTS OMINOUSLY. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 170 Rosalyn in full muumuu, wearing cleaning gloves and holding a 170 vacuum sings to LIVE AND LET DIE while Danny sits on the couch watching her. Very intense. 171 INT. PETE MUSANE'S CADILLAC - "LIVE AND LET DIE" CONTINUOUS 171 Irving and Carmine sit up front with Pete driving and Dick Helsing sits in the back seat looking angry. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - "LIVE AND LET DIE" CONTINUOUS Rosalyn continues to sing and gets more intense as the music picks up. INT. PETE MUSANE'S CADILLAC - "LIVE AND LET DIE" CONTINUOUS Irving looks over to Pete nervously. Unsure of what's going to happen. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - "LIVE AND LET DIE" CONTINUOUS Rosalyn whips her head up and down, dancing manically through the house. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Rosalyn sits on the bed with Danny with clothes all over the place while smoking a cigarette. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Life is ridiculous and I would never say anything bad about your father in front of you but your father is a sick son of a bitch. DANNY Daddy's a sick son of a bitch? ROSALYN ROSENFELD Don't repeat that. But yes. 126. EXT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - NIGHT Irving's Caddy comes screeching up to the house and parks in the driveway. Irv get's out and races inside. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Rosalyn is still sitting on the bed with Danny. IRVING ROSENFELD (O.S.) (shouts) ROSALYN! ROSALYN! Rosalyn looks scared. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) This is a real low in our relationship! You know where I was recently? I was in your boyfriend's fucking car! I saw your nail polish. SMASH TO: INT. PETE MUSANE'S CADILLAC - FLASHBACK IRVING LOOKS DOWN AND SEES THE BOTTLE OF ROSALYN'S NAIL FINISH ON THE CAR SEAT -- HE PICKS IT UP, LOOKS AHEAD THROUGH WINDSHIELD SMELLS IT, WORRIED. Carmine glances over his shoulder anxiously at Dick Helsing in the back seat. PETE MUSANE What's this I hear about your curly haired friend working for the Government? CARMINE POLITO What?! Who said that? IRVING ROSENFELD That's bullshit! PETE MUSANE Your wife. Irving is surprised to hear this. IRVING ROSENFELD That's bullshit. CARMINE POLITO Rosalyn? 127. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS IRVING ROSENFELD (screams) HE PUT A CANVAS BAG OVER MY HEAD! SMASH TO: INT. PETE MUSANE'S CADILLAC - FLASHBACK A WHITE CANVAS BAG GARROTES OVER IRVING'S HEAD, FROM HELSING IN THE BACK SEAT. CARMINE POLITO Hey, what the fuck?! -- PETE MUSANE Shut up. Shut the fuck up. DICK HOLDS A GUN TO THE BACK OF IRVING'S BAGGED HEAD. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS IRVING ROSENFELD ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO KILL ME! ROSALYN What are you talking about?! IRVING ROSENFELD WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? ROSALYN ROSENFELD Get out of here! I'm not doing anything! IRVING ROSENFELD WHY ARE YOU TALKING SO MUCH? YOU'RE GOING TO GET US ALL KILLED! Irving looks down to see Danny sitting there on the bed. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Danny. Come here buddy alright? Go draw a picture or something. Irving ushers Danny out of the room. 128. ROSALYN ROSENFELD You're a real sick son of a bitch for screaming at me like that in front of Danny. IRVING ROSENFELD I'M A SICK SON OF A BITCH? YOU'RE TRYING TO GET ME FUCKING KILLED. OH MY GOD!! YOU DRIVE ME SO FUCKING CRAZY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE BOYFRIEND -- YOUR FUCKING BOYFRIEND WILL KILL ME, HE'LL KILL DANNY, AND HE'LL KILL YOU. ROSALYN ROSENFELD STOP TALKING LIKE THAT! IRVING ROSENFELD He's a mobster alright? That's who you're dealing with. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Alright fine! Yes, I wanted to hurt you but how do you think that I feel all day when you leave me alone all day? And all I've ever wanted is for you to love me. That's all I ever wanted. And stay married and for you to love me. And that's why I'm going to Miami! IRVING ROSENFELD You're NOT going to Miami. ROSALYN ROSENFELD That's why I'm going to Miami with Pete! Irving picks up Rosalyn's clothes from the bed where there is an open suitcase, throws them back in the closet. IRVING ROSENFELD You are NOT going to Miami. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I finally found somebody who loves me just like YOU always wanted. IRVING ROSENFELD Too dangerous. Miami? Not now. Too dangerous. Irv continue to throw clothes back into the closet. 129. ROSALYN ROSENFELD He likes me just the way I am. IRVING ROSENFELD Not now. Everything has to stay normal right now. And you're going to shut your mouth! ROSALYN ROSENFELD You told me that you wanted me to find a nice quiet man! IRVING ROSENFELD Oh and what a DOOZY you picked! ROSALYN ROSENFELD He's the one. IRVING ROSENFELD He's the most dangerous guy ever. ROSALYN ROSENFELD WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IRVING?! I KNOW EVERYBODY THROUGH YOU! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY FOR ME?! Irving reaches for his heart pills but they fall out of his hands and scatter on the floor. He bends down to grab them and almost falls. Rosalyn helps him up. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) Why aren't you taking your heart pills? Irving, what's going on? What kind of trouble are you in?! What's happening? IRVING ROSENFELD (out of breath) I've got a plan. ROSALYN ROSENFELD What's happening? Irving coughs and steps back. Out of breath and very winded. IRVING ROSENFELD I've got a plan. ROSALYN ROSENFELD You've got a plan? When did you get it? 130. IRVING ROSENFELD It really fucking came to me when I was inside of that canvas bag with your boyfriend's hands around my throat. That's when it really came to me. INT. PETE MUSANE'S CADILLAC - FLASHBACK CARMINE POLITO Take it off! Take the bag off his head! Dick pulls the bag off Irving's head, his comb over is all messed up. IRVING GASPS. Pete and Dick LAUGH -- IRVING ROSENFELD We've got two million coming this week! PETE MUSANE What do you think this is? You think this is a fucking down payment plan? Like were Sears of Chevrolet? IRVING ROSENFELD You ask Victor if he wants two million this week. That's real money. Two million. PETE MUSANE Two million? How? IRVING ROSENFELD Wired in. 172 EXT. MADISON AVENUE - FLASHBACK - CONTINUOUS 172 They LAUGH, Irving's hair is all messed up. Pete patches out. Irving and Carmine are a mess, shirts ripped open, no buttons, they look at each other VERY SHAKEN. CARMINE POLITO Is it true? Is it true what he said about your wife? IRVING ROSENFELD It's not fucking true. That's not true. 131. INT. IRV AND ROSALYN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS IRVING ROSENFELD I can save all of us, and we can save money. I can take care of you and Danny. OK? But you gotta close your mouth. Rosalyn looks satisfied and points her finger at Irving. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I knew it. I have always said, Irving, that you are very, very hard to motivate properly. And I knew that Pete was gonna go over there and knock some sense into you. I've been reading this book, Irving. It's by Wayne Dyer, about the power of intention. Irving can't believe what he's hearing right now. Rosalyn, very satisfied, reaches over the bed and grabs a book. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) And my intention in sending Pete over to you was so that you could come up with this plan. So, you're welcome. Irving incredulous, thinks to himself how to respond. Forces himself to say gently -- IRVING ROSENFELD OK. Thank you, Rosalyn. Thank you for the plan. ROSALYN ROSENFELD You're welcome. IRVING ROSENFELD I appreciate that. So, I think that we should be partners on this. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I'm a good partner. Almost better than Edith. You ever think about that? You ever think about how you might have underestimated me? IRVING ROSENFELD So what is our plan? Tell me the plan. What are you gonna do? 132. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I'm going to keep my mouth shut and I'm not going to say anything but what do I do if Pete calls me? What am I supposed to say? IRVING ROSENFELD You gotta stop talking about your government agencies and your I.R.S. and your tax and your conspiracies and all of that. You're gonna say how you were wrong, you were wrong about that. ROSALYN ROSENFELD I'll tell Pete that I was wrong but you know that in real life, I was right for saying all that stuff because then that spurred on the actions that made you come up with this plan. So I will tell Pete. IRVING ROSENFELD (holding his head) OK. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (pointing with cigarette between fingers) The power of intention Irving. The power of intention. Irv is doing everything he can to hold it together. IRVING ROSENFELD OK. You were right. Rosalyn gets up from the bed and walks over to Irving. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) You're so smart. Good job, peaches. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Irving, I've been doing a lot of thinking and -- you need to grow up. And you need to face the facts. And I think that both of us will be a lot happier if we get a divorce. As he listens to words he has been saying himself for months, now spoken as Rosalyn's idea. 133. IRVING ROSENFELD OK. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Just think about it. (kisses him) These things are never easy. Irving starts walking away towards the door. IRVING ROSENFELD Alright. ROSALYN ROSENFELD Irving. Good luck with your plan. EXT. FBI OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, NY - DAY The spare rhythmic intro of Jeff Lynne's "Long Black Road" plays as Richie looks back over his shoulder and walks towards the building with intensity. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Necessity truly is the mother of invention. The F.B.I. was willing to wire the two million dollars if it meant taking down Tellegio and his entire organization. INT. FBI OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, NY Brenda in her office. Amado looking very pleased on the telephone. 178A EXT. LEXINGTON AVENUE - DAY 178A Irving walks with Richie and Sydney up to an office building. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) A mobster like Tellegio would never meet at the Plaza Hotel, but only at the office of his attorney, Alfonse Simone. They walk into mob lawyer Simone's building. 178B INT. LOBBY OF BUILDING - DAY 178B On an old faded directory: 7TH FLOOR: ALFONSE SIMONE #701 134. 178C INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS 178C THEY STAND TENSE IN ELEVATOR NOT SPEAKING. 178D INT. RECEPTION AREA - SIMONE LAW OFFICE - DAY 178D They open door to large, spare reception area of Alfonse Simone's law office. MIDDLE AGED SECRETARY looks up and picks up the phone. 178E INT. HALLWAY OF ALFONSE SIMONE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS 178E NEARBY AT A SMALL TABLE SYDNEY IS FRISKED BY A BLACK MAN IN A SUIT, SHE SUSTAINS EYE CONTACT WITH IRVING AND RICHIE AS THEY ARE ALSO FRISKED BY ANOTHER MAN IN A SUIT ACROSS THE ROOM. -- THE CONTENTS OF SYDNEY'S PURSE ARE EMPTIED AND EXAMINED ALONG WITH HER PURSE. IT IS TENSE. SYDNEY STARES AT A NERVOUS RICHIE; THEIR MICROPHONES HAVE GONE UNDETECTED. "LONG BLACK ROAD" CONTINUES AS CAMERA FOLLOWS THE BACK OF THE THICK NECK OF THE MAN IN THE SUIT AS HE LEADS THEM DOWN A WINDING NARROW OFFICE CORRIDOR. IN ONE SHOT THE DOOR OPENS, JEFF LYNNE'S SONG SHIFTS TO A LIGHTER THAN AIR PIANO BREAK. 178F INT. ALFONSE SIMONE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS 178F ALFONSE SIMONE- 64, BRONX, SEASONED LAWYER. Alfonse Simone rises from behind his desk. A silent secretary sitting at his side in a white dress stares at our heros as Simone steps forward to introduce himself. ALFONSE SIMONE Alfonse Simone. Edith walks up to him to shake hands. He shakes hands with Irving and Richie as well. Man in the suit closes the door behind them. EDITH GREENSLY Edith Greensly. IRVING ROSENFELD Irving Rosenfeld. RICHIE DIMASO Good afternoon. ALFONSE SIMONE Please, be seated. 135. They sit in three chairs facing Simone's desk: Sydney/Edith, Richie, Irving. Simone sits behind his desk, the silent secretary sits just behind him slightly to the side, stares at Edith, Richie, Irving. ALFONSE SIMONE (CONT'D) I appreciate the fact that you all came in person, but the trip was really unnecessary because this whole thing could have been done with a simple wire transfer. As a matter of fact this is the number of our wire right here. Simone slides a small pink piece of paper across the desk to them. Richie stares at the paper, but doesn't touch it. RICHIE DIMASO Where is Mr. Tellegio? ALFONSE SIMONE Mr. Tellegio unfortunately was called out of town on business. RICHIE DIMASO That's not good. We were willing to come here today, in person, to see Mr. Tellegio, as a sign of respect to give two million dollars -- ALFONSE SIMONE I can assure you that I have the power of attorney -- RICHIE DIMASO Excuse me. If you'll let me finish, we are willing to give two million dollars today of the ten. But without Mr. Tellegio here -- IRVING ROSENFELD (to Simone) We can't, we can't make that decision. It's not the right thing. It's not the right time. It's just not good. EDITH GREENSLY (to Irving across Richie) You don't have the authorization to make this kind of choice so don't be hasty, alright? 136. IRVING ROSENFELD I'm not being hasty. It's just, let's be smart about it. This is not how we do business. (to Simone) I'm sorry. I apologize. Richie motions with his hand to Edith that he agrees with Irving. RICHIE DIMASO He's right, we can't. EDITH GREENSLY I think you should hang in there. RICHIE DIMASO For what? The guy's not here. IRVING ROSENFELD He isn't. RICHIE DIMASO That's it. He stands, goes to the door. IRVING ROSENFELD This is a surprise. The Sheik doesn't like surprises. Edith turns in her chair to face them in the doorway. EDITH GREENSLY Don't leave. IRVING ROSENFELD (in doorway with Richie) Edith, this is not your decision to make. EDITH GREENSLY I understand but maybe we can call the Sheik. Let's call the Sheik. IRVING ROSENFELD That's not the plan. That's not the -- Edith locks eyes with Richie. Richie stares at Edith, waves Irving off with his hand. RICHIE DIMASO No, let's -- I'll call the Sheik. (to Simone) Can I use your phone? 137. ALFONSE SIMONE Please do. RICHIE DIMASO (to Alfonse Simone) I don't know if he's in, I'll call the Sheik. But before I do, I'd like to go over specifically what this money will be used for. ALFONSE SIMONE What we will do is we guarantee all proper licenses and construction permits for any hotel casino that plans to open before the end of the year. Richie glances down at Edith and her handbag. PUSH IN ON A TINY MICROPHONE WE NOW SEE CLEVERLY BUILT INTO THE HANDLE OF EDITH'S GUCCI BAG. ALFONSE SIMONE (CONT'D) And we'll throw in the customary privileges and protection. RICHIE DIMASO What if there are obstacles, what will you do? ALFONSE SIMONE Obstacles? We are prepared to overcome any obstacles. RICHIE DIMASO This is a big enterprise. ALFONSE SIMONE If we have to pay somebody off, we'll pay somebody off. If we have to lean on somebody, intimidate somebody, we'll intimidate somebody. We're experienced. This is our business. RICHIE STARES AT SIMONE. RICHIE DIMASO That's powerful stuff. Thank you. IRVING STARES AND SYDNEY LOOKS AT RICHIE. 138. ALFONSE SIMONE And I'll tell you something else. At the end of this we'll teach you how to skim and how to cut it up and make some money on the side. Because we invented skimming. We've been doing it for thirty years. A smile creeps across Richie's face. RICHIE DIMASO Thank you. Thank you for clarifying that. Richie picks up the phone to dial. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) I think that will be OK for the Sheik. INT. BRENDA'S FBI WIRE OFFICE - CONTINUOUS AMADO, STODDARD, BRENDA. ANTHONY AMADO This is the Sheik. RICHIE DIMASO (on phone) Mr. Tellegio is not here. It's just Mr. Alfonse Simone, his lawyer. Are we still ok to wire the money? ALFONSE SIMONE Simone can take the money. What's the number? RICHIE DIMASO 5317AP Amado writes it down and hands it to Brenda to call in. BRENDA The funds have been transferred. ANTHONY AMADO (on phone to Richie) The funds have been transferred. Amado nods: victory. BACK TO: 139. INT. ALFONSE SIMONE'S OFFICE - DAY - CONTINUOUS Richie hangs up. RICHIE DIMASO The money's been wired. ALFONSE SIMONE I think we have a deal. RICHIE DIMASO Yes we do sir. ALFONSE SIMONE Pleasure doing business with you. RICHIE DIMASO Okay, well, thank you very much, Mr. Simone. RICHIE SMILES, SYDNEY LOOKS AT IRVING, WHO LOOKS PREOCCUPIED. PUSH IN ON IRVING. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) The Sheik's very excited. ALFONSE SIMONE I'm sure that we'll be seeing each other. Richie and team start to walk out. RICHIE DIMASO (grinning) Oh I'm sure we'll be seeing each other very soon. You may even get sick of me, like these two. ALFONSE SIMONE I don't think I'll get sick of you. Nice meeting you. Richie, Edith, and Irving walk down the hall after leaving his office. Richie smiles as the opening of Bowie's "The Jean Genie" momentously starts. Edith smiles as she walks down the hall followed by Irving. Richie puts his hand on the door knob to exit the hallway. 178H INT. AMADO'S OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING - DAY 178H THE DOOR OPENS IN A TIMECUT, RICHIE IN SUNGLASSES, HIS JACKET IS OFF, HE BEAMS AND CELEBRATES AND EXHORTS A ROOM FULL OF FBI AGENTS, ADMINISTRATORS, SECRETARIES. 140. THE JEAN GENIE PLAYS ENERGETICALLY AS RICHIE CELEBRATES WITH EVERYONE, LIKE IN A LOCKER ROOM, HIS FIST IN THE AIR. RICHIE DIMASO FINALLY! FINALLY WE GET SOME RESPECT! AMADO SITS IN HIS CHAIR WITH CIGAR IN ONE HAND AND DRINK IN THE OTHER. VERY EXCITED AND LAUGHING AS HE POINTS AT RICHIE. ANTHONY AMADO (shouts through clamor) We're ambitious, that's why! Richie suddenly moves to the reel to reel surveillance tape and quiets the room, the music momentarily stops as we hear Alfonse Simone on the surveillance tape. RICHIE DIMASO Shh, shh, shh! ALFONSE SIMONE (ON SURVEILLANCE TAPE) If we have to pay somebody off, we'll pay somebody off. If we have to lean on somebody, intimidate somebody, we'll intimidate somebody. Richie joyfully lip synchs to the rhythm of Simone's incriminating words on tape. RICHIE DIMASO (in unison with Simone on tape) -- If we have to lean on somebody, intimate somebody, we'll intimidate somebody!! RICHIE THROWS HIS FIST IN THE AIR AND CHEERS, JOINED BY EVERYONE IN THE ROOM. BOWIES "THE JENE GENIE" COMES BACK LOUD. 179 RICHIE TURNS AND TWIRLS A WHITE HAIRED FBI AGENT IN 179 CELEBRATION, LAUGHING WITH JOY. THEN GOES OVER TO A SULKING STODDARD AND HUMPS HIM LIKE AT A FRAT PARTY, LAUGHING WITH EVERYBODY AT STODDARD'S STIFFNESS. STODDARD GETS UP AND RICHIE SMACKS HIS ASS AS HE LEAVES THE ROOM. RICHIE IMITATES STODDARD TO ROARING LAUGHTER -- TWICE. THE MUSIC CRESCENDOS TO AN ABRUPT STOP. 141. 180 EXT. CARMINE POLITO'S CAMDEN NJ CLAPBOARD HOME - DAY 180 Irving's big blue car pulls up to the lens. Irving and Sydney looking a little uneasy. Irving stares at the house. IRVING ROSENFELD I gotta do it. 181 INT. CARMINE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY 181 CARMINE POLITO What do you mean, there's no sheik? What does that mean, "there's no sheik"? What does that mean? Carmine stares at Irving. IRVING ROSENFELD I want to face you like a man because I want to be real now. CARMINE POLITO Who is "they"? Irving looks distressed. He's a wreck. IRVING ROSENFELD It's the Feds. CARMINE POLITO The Feds? IRVING ROSENFELD Yeah. CARMINE POLITO Irving -- I'm a good person IRVING ROSENFELD You are! Carmine stands up and looks around the room, disoriented, his life passing before his eyes. CARMINE POLITO I've been doing this for a long time, for twenty years. Do you think I woulda taken that money if it wasn't the right thing to do? 142. IRVING ROSENFELD Hey look, you're a good person I know that but in all honesty -- CARMINE POLITO (screams) You said that was the only way, Irv. You chased me, remember? IRVING ROSENFELD They fuckin' made me do it. What was I supposed to do? They had Syd in jail. CARMINE POLITO You made me go back to the Plaza to take that money, you piece of shit! I was gone! You fucking prick! CARMINE BEATS IRVING DOWN ON THE COUCH. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) I was gone, I left! DOLLY WALKS IN. DOLLY POLITO Is everything alright? Can I have a word with you? CARMINE POLITO (very upset) No, please, Dolly, just go upstairs. Take the kids and go upstairs! DOLLY POLITO Alright, alright. IRVING ROSENFELD I want to make this right. I came here because I want to make it right. Irving is in tears. Very upset. CARMINE POLITO Look at my face. You tell me that I'm lying to you when I say that everything I do is for the good of the people of New Jersey. Everything I do is for them. Am I lying to you? 143. IRVING ROSENFELD I never had a friend like you before. CARMINE POLITO I used that money for the goddamn casino. IRVING ROSENFELD I got some leverage, alright? I can help you out. CARMINE POLITO This is all shit. It's all bullshit. Carmine picks up the knife the Sheik gave him. CARMINE POLITO (CONT'D) Look at this thing. Look at this. Ceremonial fucking knife. What is this bullshit? Some toy? He drops it on the table. Irving stares at his friend, removes his glasses. IRVING ROSENFELD Carmine, Syd and I got a plan for you. We can help you out. CARMINE POLITO Please get out of my house, Irving. Will you please leave? I'm asking you nicely, please leave. Irving gets up to go and is pushed towards the door by Carmine. Dolly joins Carmine in tears. Carmine's kids stand on the stairs. DOLLY POLITO Get out of our house! IRVING ROSENFELD I don't want to -- (seeing kids) I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. CARMINE POLITO (to kids) This is not our friend! IRVING ROSENFELD Truly, I didn't mean for this to happen. 144. Carmine points to his family. CARMINE POLITO This is what matters to me most and you're crushing it! You're going to take me away from them you fucking son of a bitch? Get the fuck out! 183 Carmine lunges at Irving and punches him in the face. Irving 183 goes down to the ground and his glasses fly off his face. CARMINE kicks him one last time. IRVING ROSENFELD (beaten, bloody on floor) I just want to make it right. CARMINE POLITO Get out of my house. Look what you made me do! IRVING ROSENFELD (stumbling out the door) I'm sorry Carmine, I'm sorry. 184 EXT. CARMINE'S HOUSE - DAY 184 Irving staggers out of the house in an emotional daze, one hand to his heart, falls to sidewalk with bloody nose and broken glasses -- SYDNEY ACROSS THE STREET BURST OUT OF THE CAR. SYDNEY PROSSER Irving! RUNS TO HIM IN HER HIGH HEELS -- HELPS HIM SIT UP ON THE SIDEWALK. SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT'D) Your heart pills. Where are your heart pills? She digs through his pockets, finds the pills, and feeds one to him. Sydney struggles to help Irving to his feet and together, an embattled but surviving couple, they cross the street arm and arm. She opens the door and helps him into the car. IRVING ROSENFELD I've got to lay down. 145. SYDNEY PROSSER Just rest. She gets in and closes the door. 185 INT. IRVING'S CADILLAC - DAY 185 They both slump down on the seat, stare at each other, emotional, humbled. Sydney gently removes Irving's broken glasses. They stare at each other, it is quiet. SYDNEY PROSSER (emotional, quiet) Are you ready? IRVING ROSENFELD Yes. They stare at each other. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) (whispers) I love you. She squeezes his hand, raises it to her lips and kisses it. 206 INT. AMADO'S OFFICE - DAY 206 TILT UP FROM THE FLOOR OF THE OFFICE TO RICHIE, AMADO, AND STODDARD INTENSELY STARING AT THE DOOR FOR A CONFRONTATION, LIKE IN A WESTERN. THE DOOR OPENS AS IRVING AND SYDNEY ENTER AND STARE BACK AT THEM. ANTHONY AMADO Please. Come in. Sit down. They all sit. ANTHONY AMADO (CONT'D) Do you know where our two million dollars is? IRVING ROSENFELD Two million? (Irving pushes his new glasses up the bridge of his nose) It's with Victor Tellegio and Alfonse Simone. ANTHONY AMADO No, actually it's not with Victor Tellegio or Alfonse Simone. 146. Richie stands by the window, stares angrily at Irving. RICHIE DIMASO He fucking knows about it. ANTHONY AMADO It's gone missing. Did you know that? IRVING ROSENFELD Where's it gone? ANTHONY AMADO That's interesting that you said that because while you were on your way over here, we got an anonymous phone call from someone who said that in exchange for immunity for the two of you and a reduced sentence for Carmine Polito we get our two million dollars back. IRVING ROSENFELD That's interesting. That's very interesting. I have no idea. ANTHONY AMADO No idea? IRVING ROSENFELD No idea what you're talking about. Irving looks at Sydney who looks back at him and shakes her head. She doesn't know either. ANTHONY AMADO I got it. I understand how these deals are made. See, someone has leverage. RICHIE DIMASO Anthony, fuck them. It's over. We got them for wire fraud, it's over. (to Irving and Sydney) You're done. You're both done. IRVING ROSENFELD I don't think so. RICHIE DIMASO Oh, you don't think so? 147. IRVING ROSENFELD Richard, think about it, YOU requested the two million. And you gave Brenda the account number. We didn't do any of that. None of it. (turns dramatically to face Richie) How do we know that YOU don't have the money? RICHIE DIMASO (Richie looks from Irving to Sydney) Am I living in a fucking nightmare right now? AMADO AND STODDARD STARE INCRIMINATINGLY AT RICHIE. IRVING ROSENFELD I find this a little offensive. Really, I find this a little offensive and I don't see that you got any sort of solid case against-- RICHIE DIMASO (to Amado and Stoddard) Don't let him get in your heads. Listen to me, we're dealing with a very clever individual. IRVING ROSENFELD Richard, think about it. You got some big arrests. You got U.S. Congressmen. You look good. You're gonna be all over the news. You know what doesn't look good? A story about gross incompetence 205 SMASH TO: 205 FLASHBACK -- RICHIE KICKS OPEN THE DOOR OF LAWYER ALFONSE SIMONE'S OFFICE WITH A WARRANT IN HIS HAND AND TWO AGENTS BEHIND HIM. RICHIE DIMASO I have a warrant for -- Richie looks around disoriented, we cannot see what he sees yet. RICHIE DIMASO (CONT'D) I'm sorry, do I have the wrong office?(checks number on the door) Is this 701? Alfonse Simone? 148. MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) This is 701. -- WE REVEAL THE VOICE BELONGS TO A BLACK ATTORNEY -- TWO BLACK CLIENTS ACROSS FROM HIM -- SEATED AT WHAT PREVIOUSLY APPEARED TO BE THE DESK OF LAWYER ALFONSE SIMONE. BLACK DIVORCE LAWYER My name is Roger Thigpen. I've had this office for 25 years. I'm a divorce attorney. RICHIE IS STUNNED. INT. AMADO'S OFFICE - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT SYDNEY PROSSER You lost two million dollars of taxpayer money because you were confused about the location and the identity of Victor Tellegio's attorney? CUT TO: INT. POOL PARTY - LONG ISLAND HOUSE - DAY - FLASHBACK Where we first saw Irving at the pool party. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) The role of Tellegio's attorney, Alfonse Simone, was played by our friend Ed Malone -- Camera pans from Irving to Ed Malone: IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) the "Cold Cut King of Long Island"-- Ed Malone holds up two packages of cold cuts. Also holding the cold cuts are the two that frisked everyone at Simone's office. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Whose party we were at when Sydney and I first met. Cut to Irving first meeting Sydney. CUT TO: 149. INT. ALFONSE SIMONE'S OFFICE - DAY - FLASHBACK Ed Malone, dressed as Alfonse Simone, steps to camera to shake Richie's hand. ED MALONE Alfonse Simone. CUT TO: INT. ANTHONY AMADO'S OFFICE - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT EDITH GREENSLY People believe what they want to believe Richie. RICHIE DIMASO That's because you conned me! You both fucking conned me. You both got under me. You did! IRVING ROSENFELD Well that doesn't sound so good, either. I mean -- and I don't know what you're talking about, but -- let's just assume you want to go with that story. Really? That's the story you want to go with? That's what you want the New York Times to hear? That you got conned by the very con men who you forced to entrap the members of Congress in the first place. That's what you want to go with? That doesn't sound so good for your whole thing. Richie looks like he's going to be sick. IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D) And how ironic that the most creative minds, the ones who are working hardest to get the economy of New Jersey going, those are the ones that you round up. And why? Because what, they're the easiest to go after? And what about the real bullshit artists? You didn't even come close to the big leagues. Those big guys. The money men. RICHIE DIMASO That's what I was trying to go after. 150. IRVING ROSENFELD I'm sorry to tell you, you got none of 'em. STODDARD THORSEN You know, Richard, I think we may call you as a witness, but otherwise you're done. I think you better go home. Richie disoriented, appeals to Stoddard. RICHIE DIMASO Stoddard -- STODDARD THORSEN Go on home, Richard. ELO's "10538 Overture" reprises on the soundtrack. EXT. FBI OFFICE, FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, NY - DAY Camera tilts down from the Federal Building to find Richie coming down the stairs, emotional. Richie walks wiping his eyes, his innocence and Edith, lost. CUT TO: IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) We took down some very big guys. -REP. SANDERS SWARMED BY PHOTOGRAPHERS WALKING OUT OF BUILDING, ESCORTED BY FBI AGENTS. -REP. SIMMONS ESCORTED OUT OF CITY HALL. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Some of whom were just doing business as usual helping their communities or their states. -REP. KESHOYGAN IS GRABBED AS HE APPROACHES HIS CAR IN A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT WITH A BAG FULL OF GROCERIES. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) But some of them knew they had larceny in their blood-- -REP. O'CONNELL COVERS HIS FACE AS PHOTOGRAPHERS SWARM HIM AS HE'S ARRESTED OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE AS WIFE AND DAUGHTER LOOK ON. 151. CARL ELWAY IS CHELSEA HOTEL OFFICE IN HIS BATHROBE WITH HIS SECRETARY IN TEARS. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) And they even admitted it. GREY HAIRED SENATOR HORTON MITCHELL, wife by his side, denies any wrongdoing and is photographed and humiliated as he then sits with her in a Federal car. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) But in all it was six Congressmen, one United States Senator, and my friend, Carmine Polito. THE DOOR TO CARMINE'S CLAPBOARD HOUSE OPENS, CARMINE STANDS IN THE DOOR, STARES AT THE AGENTS, HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN IN TEARS STAND BEHIND HIM AS HE SERVED A WARRANT. CARMINE IS HANDCUFFED. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) We gave the two million back so Carmine got the reduced sentence. 18 months. The loss of his friendship would haunt me for the rest of my life. CROWDED FEDERAL BUILDING PRESS CONFERENCE - MANY FLASHBULBS AS STODDARD STANDS NEXT TO AMADO WHO MAKES THE ANNOUNCEMENT. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) And when the story was written, Richard Dimaso's name was never mentioned. CAMERA PANS THROUGH CROWD TO FIND RICHIE IN THE WAY BACK, LEANING AGAINST A PILLAR. FADE TO WHITE ON HIS SOBERED FACE. 209 EXT. LONG ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY 209 FADE IN FROM WHITE, PAN DOWN FROM WHITE SKY TO SCHOOLYARD, CHILDREN LEAVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IRVING AND SYDNEY WALK UP TO THE SCHOOL TO PICK UP DANNY. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Syd and I moved in together. And Rosalyn -- ROSALYN IN A NECK BRACE and off white trench coat and sunglasses - 152. ROSALYN ROSENFELD The car is a little dinged up and I'm a little stiff but I don't want to talk about it. Irving stares at Rosalyn. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) She would always be interesting. Rosalyn gets in to a car, revealing Pete Musane in the driver's seat. Irving leans in. PETE MUSANE (to Irving) You know my boss knows you did him a solid. IRVING ROSENFELD Yes I did. He never took a nickle so they can't get him for nothing. I was never going to let that happen. Irving starts to leave -- ROSALYN ROSENFELD Irv. He stops and looks at her. With red lacquered nails Rosalyn places her favorite nail finish in his hand. ROSALYN ROSENFELD (CONT'D) I'm done with this nail finish. Bye for now. I'll see you next weekend. Irving nods. Rosalyn drives off with Pete. Sydney stands with Danny. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) Our conning days were behind us. Irving and Sydney walk hand and hand with Danny down the street. Irv drops the nail finish into a trashcan. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) You can fool yourself for just so long and then your next reinvention better have your damn feet on the ground. 153. 210 INT. ART GALLERY - DAY 210 Irving and Sydney admire a piece of art on the wall. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) We got a loan from a bank and were able to go gallery legitimate. INT. SMALL BANK - DAY Irving and Sydney sit in front of a banker asking for a loan. IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.) The art of survival is a story that never ends. INT. SYDNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY SYDNEY PLACES THE NEEDLE ON THE RECORD PLAYING ON A TURNTABLE: DUKE ELLINGTON'S JEEPS BLUES, begins. SHE STARES ACROSS THE ROOM AT IRVING. IRVING STARES BACK HER. CUT TO BLACK

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Interior: Jack Burden's Desk, The Chronicle, Day Jack Burden is looking over the morning edition of "The Chronicle." He reads the society page. A man enters and leans across his desk. MAN Burden! Jack Burden! The boss wants to see you. He folds his paper, rises, and walks by the presses into Madison's office. Interior: Madison's Office, Day Madison, the city editor, is correcting copy at his desk. MADISON Hey, Jack, ever hear of a fellow called Willie Stark? JACK No. Who'd he shoot? MADISON Oh, county... uh... treasurer, or something like that. JACK What's so special about him? MADISON They say he's an honest man. What I want you to do is to hop into your car... JACK Why, you promised me a vacation. MADISON Well, that can wait. JACK Yeah... but there's a... a girl I know. He opens his newspaper to the society page and shows Madison a photograph of Anne Stanton. MADISON Oh... Well, she can wait too. Jack takes the paper back and looks at it. JACK The question is... can I? MADISON The answer is... get up there. JACK Right. (starts to go) Oh... uh... what did you say his name was? MADISON Who? JACK The fellow's name. MADISON Oh, the... uh... Stark... Willie Stark. Madison goes on with his work. JACK (as he leaves) Willie Stark... DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Kanoma City, Day As Jack Burden's jalopy pulls up before the Kanoma County Courthouse of this back-country, one-street small town. JACK (voice over) I found him in Kanoma City. A typical, hot, dusty, backwoods county seat. He gets out of the car, and notices a crowd of people gathered around a platform in the town square. As he walks over the begins to hear the words that Willie Stark is speaking. WILLIE ...to lie to them in order to line their own dirty pockets with the taxpayers' money. When have the citizens of Kanoma County ever witnessed a campaign like this? Why is the opposition so anxious to defeat me? Why have they used every dirty method known to make sure I'm not elected county treasurer? Well, I'll tell you why... A man in shirt sleeves and suspenders, Tiny Duffy, comes out of the local poolroom, listens for a moment to Willie's speech, and signals to two uniformed men to go over and break up the gathering. Jack Burden stands close to the platform, next to Willie's son, Tom, who waits patiently to distribute handbills. WILLIE ...Because they're afraid of the truth... and the truth is this. They're trying to steal your money. Yeah, I said steal. The county commissioners rejected the bid on the schoolhouse. Why? Well, they'll tell you their reason is the job will be done better. The county commissioners would have you believe that they're interested in public welfare. They're interested in welfare, sure. But it's their own. Let's look at the reason in the light of the facts and the figures. That brick factory is owned by one of the commissioners. That same brick factory uses convict labor. The sheriff and his deputy push through the crowd. SHERIFF Sorry, Willie, you'll have to move on. WILLIE Why? SHERIFF City Ordinance Number One-Oh-Five: more than five people congregating is disturbing the peace. WILLIE (ignores him) If you folks'll be so kind as to read these handbills, my boy will pass them out among you. SHERIFF There's an ordinance against that too. WILLIE (his face grim) Pass 'em out, Tom. The sheriff pushes Tom back, grabbing the handbills out of his hand. Willie jumps down off the platform. WILLIE Let him alone! The sheriff collars Willie, then notices Jack on the platform snapping a picture. SHERIFF (to deputy) Get that camera! Willie, you're under arrest. He takes Willie by the arm and leads him away. The crowd follows them to the courthouse. Tiny Duffy wipes the sweat off his neck and goes back into the poolroom. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Kanoma City Poolroom, Day Two of Duffy's men, Pillsbury and a local commissioner, are playing pool as Jack enters. JACK Where can I find Tiny Duffy? PILLSBURY Right over there, mister. He walks over to Duffy. Some townspeople, who followed him there, gather around him to listen. JACK Uh, they told me I could get my camera back here. DUFFY Who told you that? JACK People. Can I? DUFFY You the reporter that's been snoopin' around town? JACK Are you Tiny Duffy? DUFFY What paper? JACK Chronicle. DUFFY You sure come a long way to stick your nose into other people's business. JACK That's true... Only my boss on the paper can't see it that way. DUFFY It ain't any of his business either. JACK Whose business is it? PILLSBURY Them as is tendin' to it. County commissioners that the voters of Kanoma County elected to tend to their business and not take no buttin' in from nobody. JACK You a commissioner? PILLSBURY Yeah. Name's Pillsbury. Dolph Pillsbury. 2ND COMMISSIONER Me too. I'm a commissioner too. JACK Who isn't a commissioner? DUFFY He's the head man. JACK (to Pillsbury) Then you're in a position to know where -- DUFFY He's in a position to know nothin'. And to say nothin'. JACK I thought you said he was head man? DUFFY (smiling) He uses my head. PILLSBURY (laughing loudly) Oh, Tiny, you're a card... Ain't he a card? Yeah, he's a card... Now, who thought up those city ordinances about arresting someone for making a speech? DUFFY Who's arrested? Nobody's been arrested. (looks toward the door) Hi, Willie. Willie enters, accompanied by the sheriff and his deputy. The others in the room, including Sugar Boy in his bartender's apron, step aside to let him pass through. PILLSBURY Hi, Willie. DUFFY (to Sheriff) Did you apologize to Willie? SHERIFF (mumbles) Yeah, I apologized to Willie. DUFFY Did you give him his handbills back? SHERIFF Yeah, I gave 'em back. DUFFY Give him back his flag and his bag and... (points to Jack) give this man his camera. WILLIE I'm going to be on that same street corner tomorrow, Mr. Duffy. DUFFY You go right ahead, Willie. We all believe in free speech. We got to... it's in the Constitution. WILLIE My boy is out distributing those handbills now. DUFFY It's a free country, Willie. If you can convince the people to vote for you... you go right ahead. WILLIE What did you want to see me about, Mr. Duffy? DUFFY I wanted you to meet a fella came all the way up from the state capital to meet you. A reporter. Wants to write you up... maybe put your picture in the paper. WILLIE (turns to Jack) I'm happy to know you, sir. JACK Burden's my name... Jack Burden. Can we go somewhere where we can talk? DUFFY Now that ain't polite. Don't you want to hear both sides of the story? Jack examines the camera that has just been returned to him. JACK I know your side. (finds the plate missing) What happened to the plate your men took from my camera? DUFFY Must have dropped out. Oh, come on, fellas, let's relax. It's a hot day... Hey, Sugar Boy... SUGAR BOY Yeah? DUFFY Bring some cold beer for the boys. WILLIE None for me, thank you kindly. PILLSBURY Now you know Willie don't drink, Tiny. His wife don't favor drinking. And Willie's the teacher's pet, ain't you, Willie? WILLIE I'll have some orange pop if you don't mind. Duffy roars with laughter. DUFFY Orange pop! All right, Sugar Boy. Bring him some orange pop. SUGAR BOY (stutters) Th-th-the p-p-pop's s-s-sold out. DUFFY Did you hear that, boys? The p-p- pop's s-s-sold out. They all laugh. PILLSBURY Now ain't he a card? WILLIE (his face hard) He stutters, Mr. Duffy, but you... you don't say anything. (to Jack) Let's go, mister. They turn and go out. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Dirt Road, Day Jack is driving Willie home to his farmhouse. They pass a farmer and his family walking by the side of the road. Willie smiles and waves to them. Exterior: Stark Farmhouse, Day As the car pulls into the drive we see Pa Stark in his rocking chair on the porch, and Lucy, who stands at the top of the steps, waiting to welcome Willie. WILLIE (as they go up the steps) This is my wife, Lucy, Mr. Burden. JACK AND LUCY How do you do? WILLIE That's my pa. Jack reaches out to shake his hand. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark Farmhouse, Night Willie finishes chewing his food, pats his mouth with a napkin, and pushes his plate back. WILLIE Now we'll talk. Camera pulls back to include Jack, Lucy, and Pa, all seated around the dinner table. JACK You've been talking for a long time, Mr. Stark. PAPPY Willie's got a lot to say. LUCY You sleepy, Pappy? You want to have a nap? PAPPY No, I want to hear it. Lucy gets up and turns on a light in the kitchen. LUCY I'm worried about Tom. It's getting dark. He should have been home. WILLIE He's a strong boy. Don't worry about him. He can take care of himself. JACK How old is the boy? WILLIE Fifteen. JACK How long have you been married? WILLIE Nine years. Willie grins at Jack's look of surprise. Lucy comes back into the room. LUCY (laughs) He was a neighbor's boy. They were poor folks. Both died. I couldn't have any children, so... He's a good boy. WILLIE Oh, he's the best. I couldn't love him any more if he was my own flesh and blood. JACK (to Lucy) And now you, Mrs. Stark? LUCY Oh, there isn't very much to tell about me. JACK How did you meet? LUCY I was teaching school and one day a pupil walked in. It was Willie. I couldn't have a grown man in the class and Willie wanted to learn so badly... so I married him. JACK Is that the only reason? LUCY (pressing Willie's arm) Except that I loved him. WILLIE Get the coffee, Lucy. She goes back into the kitchen. JACK When did they fire you, Mrs. Stark? LUCY (as she serves the coffee) A couple of weeks ago. I'd been teaching for a long time and nobody ever said I wasn't all right. But I don't care. I don't want to teach in a schoolhouse that they built just so somebody can steal some money. And Willie doesn't want to be Treasurer, either, if he has to associate with those dishonest people. WILLIE (glumly) I'm going to run. They can't keep me from running. JACK If you don't mind the truth, Mr. Stark, you haven't much of a chance. WILLIE I'm going to run. They're not going to kick me around like I was dirt. LUCY I don't care if Willie loses... just so he gets the truth to the people. Isn't that true, Willie? Willie is silent. Jack looks at him. LUCY Isn't it, Willie? WILLIE Hmmm?... Yeah, yeah, sure, that's right. LUCY Well, if you lose you can give a little more time to studying your law books. JACK Oh, you studying law too? WILLIE By myself, at night. PAPPY Willie's a smart boy. WILLIE If I ever find the time I'm going to take a course at the university. The door opens slowly and Tom comes in from the porch. His clothes are torn and his face is dirty and bloody. He still carries some of the handbills. They rise to their feet and cluster around him. LUCY What happened, Tommy boy? What's the matter? TOM (head down, muttering) I gave out the handbills, Pa. WILLIE Speak up. Speak up. LUCY Let him tell it his own way. Go on, Tommy. TOM This time they were waiting for me. They took them away from me. Threw them in the dirt and beat me up. I brought some of them back. WILLIE (pats him on the back) Good boy. Have you eaten yet, Tom? LUCY Let him wash up first. As Tom and Pappy go into the other room, a rock comes crashing through the front window, shattering the glass. Willie, his face filled with anger, throws open the door and stalks out onto the porch. Jack stands at the door, watching Willie shout into the darkness around him. WILLIE I'm going to run... and you're not going to stop me. I'm gonna run even if I don't get a single vote. FADE OUT FADE IN: Interior: Jack Burden's Desk, Day Jack's fingers type out a story, the last line of which reads "an honest man with courage." He pulls the sheet out and hands it to Madison. JACK Here you are... the last of the Willie Stark articles. Now can I go? MADISON Yes. You've earned your vacation. You've been writing these like you really mean them. Jack rises and walks toward the door. JACK I do. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Ferry To Burden's Landing, Day Jack's car is ferried across the bay to the slip of Burden's Landing. JACK (voice over) I hadn't been home in a long time. Only a hundred and thirty miles from Kanoma City. It was separated from the mainland by a body of water. For the first time I wondered if it wasn't separated by more than that. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Mrs. Burden's Home, Day As Jack arrives, Mrs. Burden and her husband, McEvoy, are seated at a lawn table near the boat landing. JACK Hello, Mother. She runs forward to meet him. MRS. BURDEN Floyd, Jack's home. Oh, he looks fine... doesn't he look fine? (to Jack, coquettishly) How do I look, Jackie boy? JACK You look beautiful, Mother. MRS. BURDEN I've got so many things planned for you... parties and... it'll be just like old times. But first, let's have a drink. MCEVOY Can't that wait until this evening? She goes ahead and pours the drinks. MRS. BURDEN Floyd... honey... my son's home. MCEVOY How long do you plan on staying? JACK (coldly) Two or three weeks. If that's all right with you. MRS. BURDEN I'm sure your father would be -- JACK Stepfather, Mother. MRS. BURDEN (reproachfully) Now, Jackie... here we all are. Floyd, Jackie, myself. (raises her glass for a toast) To the best time we've ever had together. JACK Yes, Mother. They drink. Mrs. Burden gulps hers down avidly. Jack looks at her and then at McEvoy. JACK Excuse me... I... He turns and walks back toward the shore. He boards a small motorboat and heads toward a house that can be seen across the water. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Stanton Home (Burden's Landing), Day As the boat approaches the shore. Adam Stanton reaches down and pulls the boat up on land. He throws his arm around Jack, and the two climb the hill toward Judge Stanton, who stands waiting to greet him. JACK Dr. Stanton, I presume. STANTON (laughing) Is my shingle showing? JUDGE Good to see you, boy. Very good. JACK Good to see you, Judge. How have you been? What have you been doing? They walk back together to the patio tables. JUDGE Oh, just sitting here... waiting for all of you to come home. You know, when a man starts to get old his eyes stray and play funny tricks on him. As I watched you in that boat I thought sure I saw a boy of twelve with a fishing rod in his hands. And I was sure the first thing he'd say would be... Jack catches sight of Anne Stanton walking down the path. He runs to meet her. As they embrace, he looks back at the Judge. JACK Do you mind if I kiss your niece, sir? He kisses her, and they turn and walk away. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Tennis Court (Burden's Landing), Day Anne gracefully returns a ball to Jack, then runs to embrace him at the net. Adam, seated near the court, smiles approvingly. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Gulf (Burden's Landing), Morning Jack and Judge Stanton in a rowboat, on their way to do some duck hunting. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Gulf (Burden's Landing), Day Adam is at the wheel of his sailboat, with Jack and Anne behind him. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stanton Living Room (Burden's Landing), Night A party in the Stanton living room. Adam plays the piano. He plays a waltz. Jack and Anne hold each other tightly as they move among the other couples. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Burden Dining Room, Night A formal dinner, attended by Jack and Anne, Mrs. Burden and McEvoy, Judge Stanton and Adam. Mrs. Burden is proposing a toast. MRS. BURDEN To all the good times we've had together at Burden's Landing. And especially to this one. Because my son's home. JACK Thank you, Mother. Thank you very much. MRS. BURDEN Monty, Anne and I have been discussing Jack's career. What do you think he ought to go in for? Shall he be a lawyer, doctor... Jack looks at Anne. ANNE We were just discussing whether you should... JACK (to his mother) I like what I'm doing, Mother. MCEVOY You do very well at it. I read your articles about this fellow... Willie Stark. Very convincing... Too convincing for my tastes. JACK A lot of people like them. MCEVOY A lot of people are fools. Articles like that shouldn't be permitted. They only tend to incite people. JACK What are you afraid of? STANTON I thought they were very good. I was proud of you, Jack. I was particularly interested in Stark's ideas on health and medicine. You know the conditions at the hospital I work in. They're intolerable. I'd like to meet this Willie Stark. He sounds like an honest man. MCEVOY Honest man? This state is full of these log-cabin Abe Lincolns with price tags on them. The louder he yells the higher his price. JACK You think you can buy anything, don't you? MCEVOY Yes, don't you? There is a silence. Then McEvoy turns to the Judge. MCEVOY What do you think, Judge? JUDGE I think this state could stand a few changes. MCEVOY (his face white) Well, I'll tell you what I think -- ANNE (quickly) Oh, please... let's not talk politics. MRS. BURDEN Anne is right. I absolutely forbid any more of it. I know what we need, we need another toast. (to the Judge) You propose it, Monty... you're so good at it. The Judge picks up his glass and stands up. JUDGE To the young people... to Anne, to Jack, to Adam... To what lies before them. To the world they'll make... in spite of the mistakes we've made. MCEVOY (rising) The mistakes you've made, not me. You're all still pretty high and mighty, aren't you? You all think this state needs a change. You don't like the way it's run. Well, who's going to run it? Willie Stark? The Judge? (to Jack) You? You can be bought too. As a matter of fact you have been. And with my money. Jack's answer is to throw his liquor in his stepfather's face. There is a pause. McEvoy wipes the liquor off with his handkerchief. MCEVOY (slowly) That's a waste of good liquor. (looks at Mrs. Burden) Your mother wouldn't approve. Jack turns and leaves the room. MRS. BURDEN Jack... She hurries after him. Exterior: Veranda, Night As Mrs. Burden comes out after Jack. Anne stands in the doorway. MRS. BURDEN Jack... you go back in and apologize. JACK Apologize? I'd rather die. MRS. BURDEN I've got to live with him. JACK Well, I don't. Neither do you. You don't love him, Mother. You never did. MRS. BURDEN Son, don't spoil anything now... He can help you. JACK I can get along without him. You need this house. And the parties. And the cars and the clothes and the lies. I don't. It's the truth, Mother, face it. For once in your life, face it. Mrs. Burden appeals to Anne. MRS. BURDEN Anne, please... please make him understand. Anne says nothing. Mrs. Burden goes back into the house. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stanton Living Room, Night Anne and Jack sit alone in the room, beneath the portrait of the old Governor Stanton. JACK Anne, Burden's Landing is a place on the moon. It isn't real. It doesn't exist. It's me pretending I live on what I earn. It's my mother trying to keep herself young, and drinking herself old doing it. It's you and Adam living in this house as though your father were still alive. It's an old man like the Judge dreaming of the past... Anne, come away with me. ANNE And do what? JACK (rises impatiently) And live in a shack and eat red beans. Anne, what do you want me to do? ANNE Oh, Jack, Jack, you haven't been sure. You've gone from one thing to the other... a year at law school, and now this job as a reporter... JACK Are you afraid I can't make a living? ANNE Oh, no, Jack, it isn't that. I don't care about the money. It... it's just that I... I want you to be something. JACK What is it you want me to be? ANNE I don't know. It's just that I want you to be... to do... something important. Jack looks up at the portrait of Governor Stanton. JACK Like your father. All right. I'll run for governor. (pause) Anne, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said that. ANNE All right, Jack. I'll go away with you. I'll do anything you want me to do. They kiss. JACK Anne, I've wanted you to say that more than anything in the world, and now that you've said it... Anne, I guess you were right. I'm not sure of anything, including myself. I'm not sure I could live up to the... (looks again at the portrait) Anne, wait for me. Please wait for me. ANNE I'll wait for you. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Madison's Office, Day Madison is at his desk as Jack enters. MADISON Hello, Jack. Cut your vacation short, didn't you? JACK Yeah. MADISON By the way, Jack, the fellow you wrote the articles about... uh... Stark. JACK Yeah? MADISON He lost. JACK Well, I guess that's the end of Willie Stark. He turns around and walks off toward his desk. FADE OUT FADE IN: Interior: Stark Farmhouse, Night Lucy and Willie are seated together at the table. Willie has his law books open before him. WILLIE ...Measure of the damages is caused by... LUCY (prompting) A breach... WILLIE A breach... LUCY Of an agreement... WILLIE Of an agreement... LUCY To sell personal property... WILLIE To sell... (slams the book shut) Oh, two years of this. LUCY (leaning over to him) Oh, go on, Willie, go on. He opens the book again. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Willie's Law Office (Kanoma City), Day Willie positions the framed diploma on the wall. The camera pulls back to show Tom and Lucy, looking on. WILLIE Willie Stark... Bachelor of Law... DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Kanoma City Farm, Day Close shot of Willie, talking to a farmer. WILLIE If you'll just let me take your case... DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Farm, Day Willie walks beside a farmer who is plowing his field. WILLIE Really, I'll wait for my fee. Just as long as you want me to. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Willie's Law Office, Night Through the window, on which is printed "Willie Stark: Attorney at Law," we see Willie, alone, pacing back and forth in his office. LUCY'S VOICE Go on, Willie, go on. WILLIE'S VOICE They're not going to kick me around like I was dirt. LUCY'S VOICE If you lose you can give a little more time studying your law books. WILLIE'S VOICE I'm going to be on that same street corner tomorrow, Mr. Duffy! DUFFY'S VOICE By all means. Free speech, free country, Willie. WILLIE'S VOICE That brick factory is owned by a brother-in-law of one of the commissioners. The county commissioners rejected the low bid on the schoolhouse. Willie crumples a piece of paper in his hand and tosses it against the window. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Schoolhouse (Kanoma City), Day A plaque on the school wall reads KANOMA CITY GRAMMAR SCHOOL Interior: Schoolroom, Day Teacher faces her class. The clanging of a fire bell is heard. TEACHER All right, children, this is a fire drill. The children rise and start to march out of the room in double file. TEACHER Remember now, walk quietly. Exterior: Schoolhouse, Day The children's feet, as they climb down the fire escape. Camera pans past children to an iron rod supporting the fire escape. The brick around the rod starts to crumble and it rips loose. The children scream out in fear and agony. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Cemetery, Day The whole town is there. Willie Stark, Lucy, Tom stand modestly in the background. Quiet sobbing is heard as the minister reads from the Bible. When he finishes the prayer, he walks past the line of mourners, shaking their hands. The ceremony is over. As they start to go, a man spots Willie, goes over to him, and lifts Willie's arm in the air. MAN Oh, Lord, I'm punished for voting against an honest man. This sudden action brings response; women begin to cry and people push their way forward to grab Willie by the hand. VOICES OF THE MOURNERS God bless you, Willie. If we had only listened to you, Willie. You were right, Willie. Let me shake your hand, Willie. We should have listened, Willie. You were right all the time. On Willie's face is the realization that something important has happened to him. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark Farmhouse, Night An article is pasted in a scrapbook. It reads: "VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. Recent school tragedy is a potent reminder that a man named Willie Stark..." A hand draws a pencil underneath the name. WILLIE'S VOICE A voice in the wilderness. A man named Willie Stark... Camera pulls back to show Willie at the table busy with his scrapbook. He looks up at Lucy. WILLIE How about that, Lucy, that's me. She looks at him, unsmiling, and sits down to help him clip various articles from other papers. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark Farmhouse, Night A series of clippings are being pasted in the scrapbook. They read: A. SCHOOL VICTIMS SUE COUNTY: STARK FILES DAMAGE SUIT "Will prove graft cause of tragedy," says Attorney Stark. B. CITIZENS COMMITTEE FORMED Draft Stark to lead fight to rid state of graft. C. CITIZENS COMMITTEE DEMANDS STATE-WIDE INVESTIGATION D. Large photograph of Willie. Under it, the caption: RURAL AREAS IN REVOLT DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Madison's Office, The Chronicle, Day The clippings are spread out on Madison's desk. He looks up at Jack. MADISON Get up there. Get up there fast. Your friend, Willie, is hotter than a firecracker. Jack starts toward the door. MADISON Stay there with him. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Harrison's Political Headquarters (State Capital), Day A politician points to a map on the wall. POLITICIAN Look, before this Kanoma City business we had this whole area tied up. Now we're losing to Hickville. Camera pulls back, revealing the candidate, Harrison, Tiny Duffy, and a woman, Sadie Burke. POLITICIAN We must find a way to split that vote. HARRISON Well, all I know is, the way it is now it looks like I'm not going to win. POLITICIAN I know a way... find a dummy. SADIE Find a dummy. (looks at Harrison) That's what we've got. POLITICIAN A guy from the sticks... strong enough to grab some votes and dumb enough not to ask questions. DUFFY If you want to listen to a boy from the sticks, I know just the guy. They crowd around to listen. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark Farmhouse, Day Jack sits at the dinner table, with Willie and Lucy. Tom stands next to Willie. Pappy dozes in his chair. JACK No more politics, eh, Willie? WILLIE No, I worked too hard in my time to get there. I think I'll just go on practicing law and make a little more money. JACK The question I'd like to know is, why all the speeches you're making around the countryside? Willie is about to answer when he hears the sound of approaching cars. WILLIE Wonder who that is? He goes to the window, and we see a big black limousine turning into his drive. He opens the door and waits as Sadie, Duffy, Dolph Pillsbury, and other politicians climb the steps to meet him. DUFFY Brought some people all the way up from the state capital just to meet you. (turns to others) Folks, I want you to meet Willie Stark, the next governor of our state. Willie, Lucy, and Tom beam happily. Jack looks skeptically at Sadie, whose only reaction is to smile, politely. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Country Road, Day Close shot of three posters on a billboard. They read ELECT JOE HARRISON (HAPPY JOE) GOVERNOR FOR GOVERNOR ELECT McMURPHY WILLIE STARK FOR GOVERNOR. The camera pans to the road, where an old Model T comes bouncing along. As it passes we see a poster stuck on its back: WILLIE STARK -- GOVERNOR. Exterior: Railroad Station, Day Willie Stark walks out on the platform at the rear of the train and talks to some of the townspeople who have gathered at the station. WILLIE Folks, if you'll just bear patiently with me for a couple of minutes, I'd like to tell you what this state needs. It needs a balanced tax program. Now I'd like to give you the facts and the figures. Some of the townspeople start to move away. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Train, Day As the train pulls away from the station, Willie turns around to Jack. WILLIE How did it sound, Jack? JACK Fine, Willie, fine. WILLIE (alarmed) Say... I forgot to send a telegram to Lucy... Conductor! Jack and Sadie exchange looks. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Train Club Car, Day Willie, jacket off, works over a speech with Duffy as Pillsbury and Sadie look on. WILLIE Now right here... right here I'd like to add something about last year's taxes... eh? DUFFY I wouldn't add a thing. Just give them the facts. PILLSBURY Yeah... and the figures. DUFFY Great speech. Sadie sips her drink. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Street Corner (Upton), Day Willie stands on a platform, next to an American flag, reading from his prepared speech. WILLIE What this state needs is a balanced tax program. Last year, last year the state claimed to have spent on roads... Sadie turns and walks away, no longer able to listen. Jack follows her toward the hotel. Interior: Hotel Lobby (Upton), Day As Jack and Sadie cross the street, enter the lobby, and sit down next to the front window. We can still see Willie and his small street-corner audience in the background. JACK Do you mind if I sit with you, Sadie? SADIE (shrugs) Stand... sit... JACK Thanks... Tell me, what are you on this merry-go-round for? SADIE I take notes. JACK For whom? SADIE For those who pay me. JACK Which is. SADIE People. JACK Smart people. SADIE Oh, yeah. Anybody that pays me is smart. JACK You don't have to be smart to frame a guy like Willie Stark. SADIE No. No, brother, you don't. JACK (lights a cigarette) It is a frame, isn't it? SADIE Why don't you give me a cigarette? JACK (gives her the pack) To split the vote and win the election for Harrison, huh? SADIE If you know, why do you ask? JACK I just want to make sure. SADIE Yeah. JACK Look, why don't you tell the boys back home to save their money. Willie couldn't steal a vote from... from Abe Lincoln in the Cradle of the Confederacy. SADIE I wish the poor... had enough sense to have somebody give him a good greasing for the beating he's going to get. 'Cause this way all he gets out of it is the ride. (looks at Willie through the window) Hey, those speeches! Ain't they awful? Ain't they just plain awful? Question to you: if somebody told him he was a sucker, do you think he'd quit? Willie has just finished his speech and is on his way over to the hotel. JACK I don't know, Sadie. I really don't know. WILLIE (as he comes into the lobby) Did it sound all right, Mr. Burden? JACK Fine, Willie, fine. WILLIE Thanks. He and Jack go upstairs together. Sadie watches them. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Sadie's Hotel Room (Upton), Night Sadie lies on her bed, listening to Willie in the next room, rehearsing one of his speeches. WILLIE'S VOICE Now, friends, if you will bear patiently with me for a few minutes, I'll give you the figures. What we need is a balanced tax program... JACK'S VOICE No, Willie, no. Sadie pulls off a shoe and hurls it at the wall. SADIE What I need is some sleep. Shut up! Interior: Jack's Hotel Room (Upton), Same Time Willie lies on his bed. Jack finishes shaving in the bathroom as he continues to rehearse him. JACK (shouting back at Sadie) Shut up yourself! (goes to bed, shakes Willie) Listen, Willie, try it on your feet this time. WILLIE Oh, no. Wait a minute. My feet are killing me. Let me stay here, huh? JACK All right... Look, Willie, you tell 'em too much. Just tell 'em you're going to soak the fat boys and forget the rest of the tax stuff. WILLIE (pathetically) That's what I say. JACK But it's the way you say it. Willie, make 'em cry. Make 'em laugh, make 'em mad, even mad at you. Stir 'em up and they'll love it and come back for more. But for heaven's sake don't try and improve their minds. WILLIE (suddenly) A man don't have to be governor. JACK (surprised) What? WILLIE A man don't have to be governor. Pause. JACK Well, they haven't counted up the votes yet. WILLIE (quietly) Oh, I'm going to lose, Mr. Burden. I know that. Don't try and fool me. I'm not going to lie to you. I wanted it. I wanted it so badly I stayed up nights thinking about it. A man wants something so badly he gets mixed up in knowing what he wants. It's something inside of you. I would have made a good governor. Better than those other fellows. There is a knock on the door. JACK Come in. WILLIE (almost to himself) A great governor. Sadie enters. She immediately spots the liquor, and pours herself a drink. SADIE Since you won't let me sleep you might at least give me a drink. WILLIE (muttering) Build them highways... greatest system of highways in the country. JACK (to Sadie) Help yourself. WILLIE I'll build schools. SADIE (to Jack) What's up? JACK Nothing... except Willie here has been saying as how he's not going to be governor. SADIE (directly, to Jack) So you told him. JACK I don't tell anyone anything... I just listen. SADIE (goes to Willie) Who told you? WILLIE Told me what? Told me what? SADIE That you're not going to be governor. WILLIE (getting up) Jack! Told me what?... Told me what? Jack says nothing. Sadie gulps down her drink, bangs the empty glass on the bureau top, and turns to face Willie. SADIE (loudly) All right! That you've been framed, you poor sap. Willie looks at her steadily for a moment. WILLIE (quietly) Framed? SADIE And how! Oh, you decoy, you woodenhead decoy! And you let 'em. You let 'em because you thought you were the little lamb of God. But you know what you are? (she waits for his answer; he has none) Well, you're the goat! You are the sacrificial goat! You are a sap... because you let 'em. JACK Sadie! That's enough. SADIE Enough? He didn't even get anything out of it. Oh, they'd have paid you to take a rap like that, but they didn't have to pay a sap like you. Oh, no, you were so full of yourself and hot air, all you wanted was a chance to stand up on your hind legs and make a speech: my friends, what this state needs is a good five-cent cigar. What this state needs is a -- WILLIE (to Jack) Is it true? SADIE (prayerfully, to the ceiling) He wants to know if it's true. WILLIE Is it true? JACK That's what they tell me. There is a long pause. Willie looks almost as if he is going to cry. Sadie pours out another drink, a stiff one. SADIE (handing it to him) Here. Willie drinks it all. JACK Hey, lay off that. You're not used to it. SADIE (jeeringly) He's not used to a lot of things. Are you, Willie? JACK (angrily) Why don't you lay off of him, Sadie? SADIE (ignores Jack) Are you, Willie? Are you? Are you... are you, are you, are you? She shoves the bottle at him. He takes it and pours himself a drink. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Sadie's Hotel Room (Upton), Morning Willie is snoring on the bed. Sadie's coat is thrown over him. She is in the bathroom, applying lipstick. Jack enters. SADIE Hi. JACK Well, things seem to have quieted down. SADIE (laughs) Yeah, I quieted him down. JACK Yeah. How was he? Noisy? SADIE Oh, he reared some. He's been telling me all the things he's going to do. He's going to do big things, this fella. He's going to be President. He's going to kill people with his bare hands. I quieted him down... Hey! Who's Lucy? JACK His wife. SADIE He talks like she's his mammy... she's going to blow his nose for him. Jack sits on the bed next to Willie. JACK Well, I'll take him from here on in. They're waiting for him at the barbecue. Sadie pulls her coat off Willie and goes to the door. SADIE Yeah, well give me a receipt for the body and I'll be on my way. She leaves. Jack bends over Willie, who continues to snore. JACK Hey, Willie, Willie... come on, wake up, Willie. Come on, Willie. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Fairgrounds (Upton), Day A crowd mills about underneath a banner that reads HEAR WILLIE STARK MAMMOTH BARBECUE -- UPTON FAIRGROUNDS Exterior: Fairgrounds, Day Willie, staggering a bit, hung over, reacts painfully to the staggering height of the Ferris wheel. He leans on Jack for support, and they walk on. Exterior: Fairgrounds, Day Willie takes a seat on the children's swing as Jack goes off to get some coffee. Two little girls stare curiously at him. Willie waves them off. Jack returns with the coffee and pours some whisky in it. Willie tips his hand, forcing him to pour more, then gulps his drink down. Exterior: Bandstand (Upton), Day Duffy, Pillsbury, and the other politicians stand on the platform, waiting for Willie. A band plays march music. Duffy goes over to Sadie, who is standing on the steps of the platform. DUFFY Where is he? SADIE (pointing) There he is. Escorted by Jack, Willie approaches the platform and stumbles up the steps past Sadie. SADIE Whoops! DUFFY (to Jack) Is he drunk? JACK Never touches the stuff. Lucy doesn't favor drinkin'. Duffy follows Willie up on the platform. SADIE (to Jack) How'd you get him here? He was out stiff. JACK Hair of the dog that bit him. SADIE Hair? He must have swallowed the dog. On the platform, Duffy looks uneasily at the bleary-eyed Willie. The band suddenly plays a fanfare, and the chairman steps up to the microphone. CHAIRMAN Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to introduce to you that true man of the people, the next governor of the state... Willie Stark. There is scattered applause as Willie steps forward to speak. WILLIE My friends... He turns his face from side to side, and fumbles in the right side of his coat pocket to fish out his speech. WILLIE My friends... I... He tries to focus on the speech, which he clutches before his eyes with both hands. Then he lifts his head, and looks directly at the people who have come to hear him. As he speaks, the camera focuses on the faces of these people: the farmers, workers, hicks, red-necks who are Willie's audience, Willie's people. WILLIE I have a speech here. It's a speech about what this state needs. There's no need in my telling you what this state needs. You are the state and you know what you need... You over there... look at your pants. Have they got holes in the knees? Listen to your stomach. Did you ever hear it rumble from hunger?... And you, what about your crops? Did they ever rot in the field because the road was so bad you couldn't get them to market?... And you. What about your kids? Are they growing up ignorant as dirt, ignorant as you, 'cause there's no school for them?... No, I'm not going to read you any speech. He throws his speech away. Duffy looks alarmed. WILLIE But I am going to tell you a story. It's a funny story... SADIE (from the steps) Hey! WILLIE'S VOICE ...So get ready to laugh. SADIE What's he up to? JACK Shut up! WILLIE Get ready to bust your sides laughing, 'cause it's sure a funny story. It's about a hick... a hick like you, if you please. Yeah, like you. He grew up on the dirt roads and gully washes of a farm. He knew what it was to get up before dawn and get feed and slop and milk before breakfast... and then set out before sunup and walk six miles to a one-room, slab- sided schoolhouse. Oh, this hick knew what it was to be a hick, all right. He figured if he was going to get anything done, he had to do it himself. So he sat up nights and studied books. He studied law because he thought he might be able to change things some... for himself, and for folks like him. Sugar Boy listens intently, sharing in the anger in Willie's speech. WILLIE No, I'm not going to lie to you. He didn't start off thinking about the hicks and all the wonderful things he was going to do for them. No. No, he started off thinking of number one. But something came to him on the way. How he could do nothing for himself without the help of the people. That's what came to him. And it also came to him, with the powerful force of God's own lightning, back in his home country, when a schoolhouse collapsed because it was built of politics... rotten brick. It killed and mangled a dozen kids. But you know that story. The people were his friends because he fought that rotten brick. And some of the politicians down in the city, they knew that... So they rode up to his house in a big, fine, shiny car and said as how they wanted him to run for governor... Jack, electrified, grips Sadie's arm. JACK Sadie, he's wonderful... wonderful... Duffy fidgets as Willie continues to pace and speak, his face filled with conviction, and with fury. WILLIE ...So they told the hick... and he swallowed it. He looked in his heart and he thought in all humility how he'd like to try and change things. He was just a country boy who thought that even the plainest, poorest man can be governor if his fellow citizens find he's got the stuff for the job. Well, those fellows in the striped pants... they saw the hick and they took him in. He points his finger at Duffy, who is coming over to speak to him. DUFFY (low voice) Willie, what are you trying to do? Willie turns on him, roaring. WILLIE There he is! There's your Judas Iscariot. (he pushes Duffy across the platform) Look at him... lickspittle... nose- wiper. Duffy gestures frantically to the band. DUFFY Play! Play! WILLIE (pushing him again) Look at him! DUFFY Play anything. The band starts to play, adding to the pandemonium. Willie shouts above it. WILLIE Look at him! Joe Harrison's dummy! Look at him! DUFFY That's a lie! WILLIE Look at him! Duffy signals to some of his goons standing near the platform. DUFFY Go get him, boys... go get him. Sugar Boy leaps up on the platform, his pistol drawn and pointed at Duffy's men. Willie throws up his arms to silence the crowd. WILLIE Now, shut up! Shut up, all of you. Now, listen to me, you hicks. Yeah, you're hicks too, and they fooled you a thousand times, just like they fooled me. But this time I'm going to fool somebody. I'm going to stay in this race. I'm on my own and I'm out for blood. The camera moves in close on Willie's face. WILLIE Listen to me, you hicks... DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Willie's Speeches, Day and Night A series of close-ups of Willie's face as he shouts and jeers his message, always accompanied by the loud and frenzied cheers of the crowd. Superimposed over his face is the figure of Jack Burden, at his desk, typing out his stories. WILLIE Listen to me and lift up your eyes and look at God's blessed and unflyblown truth... And this is the truth. You're a hick. And nobody ever helped a hick but a hick himself. Loud cheers and yells. WILLIE All right, listen to me... listen to me. I was the hick they were going to use to split the hick vote. But I'm standing right here now on my hind legs... even a dog can learn to do that. Are you standing on your hind legs? Have you learned to do that much yet? Here it is, here it is, you hicks. Nail up anybody who stands in your way! Nail up Joe Harrison! Nail up McMurphy! And if they don't deliver, give me a hammer and I'll do it myself. DISSOLVE TO: NEWSPAPER HEADLINE There is a photograph of Willie and a headline that reads STARK CHANCES BOOMING Superimposed over the newspaper is a shot of a crowd applauding and yelling for Willie. Interior: Joe Harrison's Campaign Headquarters, Night Duffy, Pillsbury, and other aides stand looking at a poster of Willie. POLITICIAN I want his throat cut, from ear to ear. Exterior: Willie's Campaign Montage Rock crashes through a window, knocking down a poster of Willie. Poster being torn off the side of a building. A man is attacked as he tries to distribute leaflets. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Jack Burden's Desk, The Chronicle, Night Jack is working on a story when Madison comes to his desk. MADISON No use going any further, Jack. We aren't printing them any more. JACK I thought the Chronicle line was -- MADISON Divide and conquer? Stark is getting too big for his britches and the hicks are getting too smart. We're now supporting Harrison. JACK (stands up) How do you square that? MADISON I work here. JACK (putting on his coat) Well, I don't... not any more. MADISON Jack, you fool. JACK If you had any guts you'd print this... MADISON I work here. I take orders. JACK I know. You've got a wife and three kids and your boy goes to Princeton. MADISON You won't find it easy to get another job. JACK I'm too rich to work. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Street Outside State Capitol, Day NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READS HARRISON WINS CLOSE RACE STARK SWEEPS RURAL AREAS CITY VOTE DECIDES ELECTION Superimposed over newspaper is a crowd cheering at Harrison's victory parade. Willie, raincoat thrown over his shoulders, looking grim, and Sadie and Sugar Boy are part of that crowd. They turn away and walk toward a bar. Interior: Bar, Day Jack is already at the bar. Willie, Sadie, and Sugar Boy join him there. JACK We didn't do so good. WILLIE Double bourbon. SADIE (sitting next to Jack) Same for me. WILLIE And a beer. (to Jack) I hear you got fired from the paper. JACK You heard wrong, Willie. I quit. WILLIE (passing the beer back to Sugar Boy) You're smart. 'Cause before I'm through with that mob they're not going to have enough money left to pay the boy that cleans the spittoons. JACK How do you feel, Willie? WILLIE I feel fine, fine. You see, Jack, I learned something. Willie and Sadie exchange looks. JACK Yeah... what? Close shot of Willie. WILLIE How to win. FADE OUT FADE IN: Exterior: Road, Day Jack stands on the side of the road, thumbing a ride. JACK (voice over) I didn't see Willie again until his second campaign... four years later. Interior: Office, Night Jack turns in some copy to a man at a desk. JACK (voice over) I drifted from job to job... Exterior: Street, Day Jack and others in front of an employment agency. JACK (voice over) ...That is, whenever I could find one. Interior: Bar, Night Jack, at the bar, looking haggard and disheveled, picks up a newspaper and turns to find a photograph of Anne. The caption reads STANTONS ARRIVE HOME. JACK (voice over) But always further and further away from Anne, and the life at Burden's Landing. Exterior: Street, Day Camera pans with Jack as he trudges along the street. JACK (voice over) But Willie wasn't drifting. He knew where he was going. We see an insert of a newspaper. It has a caricature of Willie, swinging a sledge hammer. The caption reads STARK ATTACKS ADMINISTRATION CHARGES OLD MACHINE STILL CORRUPT JACK (voice over) He had his foot in the door and he kept right on pushing to get in. He had lost the election but he had won the state... and he knew it... and the people knew it. MONTAGE: WILLIE'S LIFE Writing on a fence: THE PEOPLE'S WILL SHOULD BE THE LAW OF THE STATE... WILLIE STARK Painted on a rock: KNOWLEDGE BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE... WILLIE STARK Lettering on a barn: FREE MEDICINE FOR ALL PEOPLE -- NOT AS A CHARITY BUT AS A RIGHT... WILLIE STARK Poster on a building: MY STUDY IS THE HEART OF THE PEOPLE... WILLIE STARK JACK (voice over) They were all hopping on his bandwagon... even Tiny Duffy. Newspaper caricature: it shows Willie on a bandwagon headed for the state capitol. Everyone is trying to climb aboard. Caption is THEY'RE ALL FOR WILLIE NOW. Huge poster on the side of a building: MY STUDY IS THE HEART OF THE PEOPLE. Camera pans up to photograph of Willie on the poster. JACK (voice over) Yep, Willie came back like he said he would. Interior: Willie's Office, Day Willie is being interviewed by a group of reporters. Sugar Boy lounges nearby, leaning against the wall. WILLIE Do you want to know what my platform is? Here it is: I'm going to soak the fat boys and I'm going to spread it thin. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Circus Grounds, Day We see balloons with inscriptions reading "I'm for Willie," and a large banner stretching overhead, saying FREE CIRCUS TODAY -- COMPLIMENTS OF WILLIE STARK. The crowd moves about, gazing at the clowns, animals, the trapeze act. JACK (voice over) Willie was right -- he'd learned how to win... Exterior: Park, Day A truck loaded with beer kegs pulls into the park. On the back of the truck is a sign: BIG STARK RALLY TODAY -- FREE BEER -- FREE FOOD -- EVERYBODY INVITED. Superimposed over this is the image of dollar bills floating through the air. JACK (voice over) He spent a lot of money doing it... an awful lot of money... I was beginning to wonder where he got it from. Montage: Willie's Second Campaign Hand holding check made payable to Willie Stark Campaign Fund... $7000. Willie's hand reaches out and takes it. Hand holding check payable to cash for $5000. Superimposed is Willie, looking on, and his hand endorsing the back of the check. Another check to the Stark Campaign Fund for $3500. Poster of Willie is superimposed. JACK (voice over) There were rumors throughout the state that Willie was making deals with all kinds of people... strange deals... for Willie Stark. Crowd milling about circus grounds, with Willie's poster superimposed. Fireworks exploding. Crowd cheers. JACK (voice over) The second time out, it wasn't a campaign... it was a slaughter. It was Saturday night in a mining town. Huge poster is affixed to the side of a building. It bears Willie's face, and his slogans. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Hotel (State Capital), Day Crowd stands about as Willie and Jack make their way into the hotel. JACK (voice over) He came back and he took me with him. Interior: Hotel Lobby, Day The lobby is packed as Willie, Jack, Sugar Boy, and Pillsbury enter. Willie makes signals to Duffy to tag along with the entourage. Willie leans over to speak to the room clerk. WILLIE This is Jack Burden, a friend of mine. From now on he's going to live here. Give him anything he wants. The group starts up the stairs, past the officers who are standing guard. Duffy stops to speak to one, pointing his finger at some of his men standing below. DUFFY Let these boys through, officer. WILLIE (to Jack) Duffy works for me now. JACK It looks like everybody works for you. They start up the second flight of stairs. WILLIE No. No, not yet. But I want to keep him around. He reminds me of something I never want to forget. Willie stops and looks around at Duffy's men hurrying up the steps. WILLIE (to Duffy) Come on, come on, come on, come on. Are these the boys? DUFFY These are the boys that can get the boys. WILLIE How many do you think we can get? DUFFY Fifty. WILLIE How much? DUFFY Five dollars a head. WILLIE (to Sugar Boy) What do you think, Sugar? Do they look like good boys? SUGAR BOY T-t-they b-b-better be. WILLIE Get a hundred... All right, go on, all of you. Blow. Blow, blow. You too, Duffy. Go on. Duffy and his men turn and go downstairs. WILLIE (to Jack) Handbill distributors. JACK If they all look like them I'd hate not to take one. WILLIE That's the object. Not like when they beat up my boy Tom. JACK How is Tom? WILLIE Oh, he's fine. He starts college in the fall. JACK Oh. And Lucy? Willie's expression changes. He starts up the stairs. WILLIE Fine... fine. Interior: Willie's Campaign Office In Hotel, Day The place is a beehive of activity, with typists and messengers scurrying about, all supervised by Sadie. SADIE Hey, I need a boy... Where's a boy? (boy runs up) Take that downstairs; they're waiting for it. Right away, on the double. (to typist) Listen, baby, you've got to double- space all of this... he can't read, see. The door opens and Willie, Jack, and Sugar Boy come in. JACK Sadie! SADIE (to typist) And they need four copies. (looks up) Hi, Jack. How are you? WILLIE Sadie is my secretary now. (to messenger, trying to squeeze by) Oh, pardon me. As Willie and Jack walk toward adjoining room, Sadie calls out: SADIE Fix your tie, Willie. Interior: Bedroom Hotel Suite, Day Willie and Jack enter from the office. WILLIE Hey, Sugar. Sugar Boy appears in the doorway. Sadie slips by into the room. WILLIE Keep everybody out of here. I want to talk to Jack and Sadie alone. He walks over to Jack, who leans back on the bed. WILLIE From now on you're working for me. JACK Doing what? WILLIE I don't know. Something will turn up, won't it, Sadie? SADIE Yeah. We need a college man around... for research. WILLIE How much did they pay you on that newspaper? JACK Three hundred dollars a month. WILLIE (laughs) I could buy you cheap, couldn't I? JACK For a bag of salt. WILLIE No. No, I don't play that way. I like you, boy. I always have. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you four hundred dollars a month and traveling expenses. JACK You throw money around like it was money. Willie gets up and walks to the window. WILLIE Money?... I don't need money. People give me things. JACK Why? WILLIE Because they believe in me. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Burden's Landing, Day Willie's car is on the ferry crossing the bay to Burden's Landing. Sugar Boy drives the car off the ferry and up the road toward the house. JACK (voice over) I was going home again. But this time it was different. Now I had a feeling that maybe the waiting was over... for me, and for Anne. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stanton Living Room (Burden's Landing), Night Close shot of Willie standing in front of the fireplace, beneath the portrait of Governor Stanton. WILLIE It's a far cry from where I come from... to this house. Camera pulls back. The room is crowded with people, all of them friends of the Stantons. Anne, Adam, Judge Stanton, Mrs. Burden, and McEvoy are part of the audience sitting around the fireplace. Jack stands next to Willie. WILLIE And standing here under the portrait of one of the greatest governors of this state, talking to you people... well, it's an honor I never thought I'd have. JACK Are there any questions? (looks around) Mr. McEvoy. MCEVOY (smiles) No, I have no questions. JACK Judge? JUDGE A few... but it will hold. STANTON I have a question. WILLIE Shoot. STANTON A lot of people in this state have been saying that you've been making deals... some of them with the very groups that you claim you're against. Is that true? JACK Adam, you know how rumors start... WILLIE Yes. Yes, that's true. I have nothing to hide. I'll make a deal with the devil if it'll help me carry out my program. But believe me, there are no strings attached to those deals. STANTON You're sure about that? WILLIE Doc, Jack here has been telling me how you feel about things... how you'd like to see a new hospital built, a hospital that's the biggest and best that money can buy. You want those things, Doc, because, well, because you're a man who wants to do good. Now, I'd like to ask you a question. STANTON Shoot. The guests laugh good-naturedly. WILLIE Do you know what good comes out of? STANTON You tell me, Mr. Stark. WILLIE Out of bad... that's what good comes out of. Because you can't make it out of anything else. You didn't know that, did you? STANTON No, I didn't... There's another question I'd like to ask you. You say there's only bad to start with and the good must come with the bad. Who's to determine what's good and what's bad?... You? WILLIE Why not? STANTON How? WILLIE Why, that's easy. Just... just make it up as you go along. More laughter. Willie smiles and goes on. WILLIE Folks, there's a time to talk and there's a time to act. I think the time to act is right now. And with your support, I not only will win but I will do all of the things I promised. I need your help. Oh, I need it badly. But I'm not going to beg for it. In the name of this state which we love... in the name of the governor in whose house we meet... I demand it. There is immediate applause. Anne is the first to rush over and shake Willie's hand. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Stanton Home, Night The last of the guests are leaving. Jack and Willie remain with the Judge, Anne, and Adam. WILLIE (to Judge) Well, what do you say, sir? JACK You've got to say yes. With you in the race... JUDGE I'm an old bird... I... WILLIE But a game one. They laugh. WILLIE Look, I'll give you complete power as attorney general. You can do anything you see fit. I'll swing the ax to clear the way for you. Is that a deal? The Judge smiles, then puts out his hand. JUDGE It's a deal. They shake hands. WILLIE Jack, we have to get back to town... a lot to do. (shakes hands with Adam) Dr. Stanton. Jack kisses Anne on the cheek. Anne comes over and shakes Willie's hand. ANNE I'm very glad to have met you. FADE OUT FADE IN: Interior: Hotel Lobby (State Capital), Day People stand before the election return board in the hotel lobby. Camera pulls back, revealing a newspaper picture of Willie, and the headline STARK ELECTED GOVERNOR WILLIE WINS DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Street Outside Willie's Hotel Balcony, Night A crowd stands below Willie's hotel window, chanting together: CROWD We want Willie! We want Willie! A high angle from the balcony shows Anne, Jack, and Adam in the center of the excited crowd, looking expectantly upward. Some of the people around them are carrying torches. Arc lights play over the dome of the state capitol in the background. In response to the chants, Willie appears on the balcony. With him, standing on the balcony, are Tom and Lucy. The crowd erupts into cheers as he steps outside. WILLIE (raises his hands for silence) This is not a time for speechmaking. I should get on my knees and ask God to give me strength to carry out your will. Loud cheers. Adam watches Anne. She applauds. Willie looks down at the crowd and continues his speech. WILLIE This much I swear to you. These things you shall have. I'm going to build a hospital. The biggest that money can buy... and it will belong to you. That any man, woman, or child who is sick or in pain can go through those doors and know that everything will be done for them that man can do. To heal sickness. To ease pain. Free. Not as a charity, but as a right. And it is your right that every child shall have a complete education. That any man who produces anything can take it to market without paying toll. And no poor man's land or farm can be taxed or taken away from him. And it is the right of the people that they will not be deprived of hope... The crowd applauds, and Willie waves. We see Anne, face aglow, turn to Jack. ANNE Does he mean it, Jack? Does he? STANTON (as he walks away) That's his bribe. Anne and Jack watch Adam as he leaves. FADE OUT FADE IN: Montage: Willie Becomes Governor Willie, Sadie, and Jack leaving their old campaign headquarters. Willie, Sadie, Jack, and others going upstairs in the governor's mansion. The ousted politicians are just packing up and leaving. JACK (voice over) What if it was his bribe! He swept the old gang out of office. What if they hollered like stuck pigs? He jammed through bill after bill and the people got what they wanted. Willie yelling at the legislators during a session. WILLIE I demand that this bill be passed. Nobody's going to tell me how to run this state. Road excavation -- a bulldozer clears away dirt. A huge crane maneuvers over a dam site. Men are seen working on the girders of a large power plant. JACK (voice over) He started to build the roads, the schools, the power dams, to change the face of the state from one end to the other... His methods? Shots of uniformed policemen roughing up citizens. Willie and Sugar Boy move in on a man being held by cops. Willie looks on as Jack thumbs through his little black book. JACK (voice over) Politics is a dirty game... and he played it rough and dirty. Willie's little black book was a record of sin and corruption. And me, Jack Burden? I kept the book and added up the accounts. Willie in a nightclub, surrounded by some show girls. A photographer takes a picture of Willie with a girl balanced on his knee. Willie leads a marching band out onto a football field. JACK (voice over) Clown, show-off, playboy, they yelled at him. Building football stadiums. Fiercely proud of his son who played in them. Shot of Tom in football uniform running across the field with the ball. Willie, in the stands, hugs Lucy. WILLIE Oh, look at him go. He's going to be All-American. Willie makes an inspection of the police. He stops to adjust an officer's tie. JACK (voice over) They said he was building up a private army. But he was building, always building... Sign at building excavation reads HERE ON THIS SITE WILL BE ERECTED THE GOVERNOR STARK HOSPITAL -- "TO HEAL SICKNESS. TO EASE PAIN. FREE. NOT AS A CHARITY -- BUT AS A RIGHT"... WILLIE STARK. JACK (voice over) Always playing up to the crowd. Letting them trample on tradition. Well, tradition needed trampling on. A square dance at the governor's mansion. Willie dances with Anne. JACK (voice over) The crowd loved it... Willie loved it... and so did I. FADE OUT FADE IN: Interior: Executive Office Corridor, Day Jack walks down the corridor on the way to Willie's offices. Interior: Willie's Executive Offices, Day As Jack enters from the corridor, Sadie is coming out of Willie's private office. SADIE (through open door) You low-down, no-good redneck... She slams the door hard. We hear Willie laugh. JACK (to secretary) What goes on here? SECRETARY That's what Sadie wants to know. (she shows Jack newspaper containing photograph of Willie at the nightclub) The boss poses for too many pictures. Jack grins, then walks into Sadie's office. SADIE I'll kill him. JACK Why, Sadie, I'm surprised at you. SADIE I'll kill him. She goes to the door to yell to the secretary. SADIE I hate all women. She slams the door again, and returns to her desk. SADIE Was she pretty? Jack shoves the paper at her. She ignores it. SADIE Was she pretty? JACK If I met her on the street I'd never recognize her. SADIE Was she pretty? JACK How should I know? I wasn't looking at her face... Look, if it's going to cause all this grief, why don't you let him go? SADIE Let him go? I'll kill him. I'll drive him out of this state. JACK Just because a guy's sitting with a couple of girls on his knees in public... SADIE Public or private... I know him. How about what happened in Chicago? That girl on skates... and the time you both went to St. Louis... There's a new invention, you know, Photography and newsreels. Willie Stark in a nightclub... Willie Stark with a blonde. JACK You could always bleach your hair. SADIE I could also break every bone in his neck. After all I've done for him... Now he goes two-timing me. JACK He's been two-timing Lucy. So there's another kind of arithmetic for what he's doing to you. SADIE Lucy? (laughs) If she had her way he'd be back in Kanoma City slopping the hogs right now. And he knows it. He knows what she'd do for him. She had her chance. JACK You seem to think Lucy's on her way out, don't you? SADIE He'll ditch her... Give him time. JACK You ought to know. She slaps his face. JACK Hey, you got the wrong guy. I'm not the hero of this piece. The door to Willie's office bursts open and Willie dashes out. WILLIE All right, come on, both of you. Let's go, hurry it up. They go out through the reception room, pick up Sugar Boy, and head down the corridor. WILLIE Come on. Pillsbury put his hand in the pork barrel and got caught. You know, I never did trust that guy. Some newsmen are waiting on the top landing. NEWSMEN Have you heard about Pillsbury? What do you intend to do about Pillsbury? How about it, Governor? Willie pushes by them. WILLIE Later, boys, later. (to Jack) Say, Jack, go back and get the Judge. Let's get him over to my hotel just as soon as you can. They all hurry after Willie as he rushes down the stairs. Interior: Lobby State Capitol, Day Anne is about to go up the stairs when she meets Willie and the others on the way down. ANNE (to Willie) I waited for you. (she sees Sadie) Hello. (back to Willie) You promised we could... uh... discuss my charity project... Children's home? WILLIE Well, I'm very sorry. Something very important came up. You'll call me later, won't you? ANNE Yes, certainly. SADIE We're late. Anne watches as they cross the lobby and exit. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark's Hotel Suite, Night Close shot of Willie, seated, with his feet propped up on a table. Pillsbury stands before him. Jack, Sadie, Duffy, and Sugar Boy are also in the room. WILLIE Look at you, Pillsbury. Fifty years old, gut-sprung, teeth gone, never had a dime. If the Almighty had intended for you to be rich he'd have taken care of that a long time ago. The idea of you being rich... that's plain blasphemy. Ain't that a fact? Pillsbury doesn't answer. WILLIE Answer me! PILLSBURY Yes. WILLIE Louder, man. Don't mumble. Speak up. Say it's a fact, a blasphemous fact. PILLSBURY It's a fact, a blasphemous fact. Sugar Boy laughs loudly. The phone rings and Sadie picks it up. SADIE Yeah?... Oh, I see. (hangs up) Dumond can't come. He says his wife is sick. WILLIE I don't care if she's dying. Sugar, get the car. Get him and bring him over here. Sugar Boy exists. Willie turns back to Pillsbury. WILLIE Now, you know what you're supposed to do, don't you, Pillsbury? You're supposed to stay poor and take orders. Oh, there'll be some sweetening for you from time to time... but Duffy'll take care of that. Don't you go setting yourself up on your own again, do you understand that? PILLSBURY Yes. WILLIE Louder, man. And say, I understand that. PILLSBURY I understand that. WILLIE Give him a pen and some paper, Sadie. There is a knock on the door. WILLIE See who that is, Duffy. Judge Stanton enters. WILLIE Oh, hello, Judge. Sit down. I'll be with you in just a couple of seconds. (back to Pillsbury) Now write what I tell you to write... Dear Governor Stark. I wish to resign as auditor due to ill health, to take effect as soon as you can relieve me. Respectfully yours. (after a pause) Did you sign it? PILLSBURY No. WILLIE (roaring) Well, sign it! Don't put any date on it. I can fill that in when I need it. Pillsbury signs the paper. WILLIE Now bring it to me. Pillsbury moves slowly, so Sadie yanks the paper out of his hand and passes it to Willie. WILLIE Now get out. Pillsbury slinks out of the room. JUDGE The papers have the story. WILLIE Yeah, I know. JUDGE They're talking about impeachment proceedings. WILLIE (rising) Against who? JUDGE This time, Pillsbury. WILLIE I got that "this time," Judge. JUDGE How true is it? WILLIE It's too true. The phone rings. SADIE Yes? (hands phone to Willie) This is it, Willie. Jeff Hopkins on the wire. Willie takes the phone, but puts his hand over the mouthpiece so that he can speak to Jack. WILLIE What have we got on Hopkins, Jack? (as Jack riffles through the black book) Hello, Jeff. About that Pillsbury business... (reads from black book Jack holds out for him) Here's what I want you to do when it comes up in the legislature. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute. You listen to me. (still reading from book) You got a mortgage coming due on that place of yours in about five weeks, haven't you? You'd like to get it renewed, wouldn't you? (pause) All right, Tiny'll talk to you in the morning. He grins and hangs up the phone. WILLIE Get going, Tiny. Duffy leaves. JUDGE You haven't answered my question. Why are you saving Pillsbury's hide? WILLIE I'm not a bit interested in Pillsbury's hide. It's something much more important than that. If the McMurphy boys get the notion they can get away with this, there's no telling where they'll stop. JUDGE (quietly) Or where you will... Pillsbury is guilty. As attorney general of this state, it's my job to prosecute. WILLIE Judge, you talk like Pillsbury was... was human. He isn't. He's a thing. You don't prosecute an adding machine if the spring goes busted and makes a mistake. You fix it. Well, I fixed him. I'm not a bit interested in Pillsbury. It's something much bigger than that. JUDGE (getting up) Yes, it is. JACK He's right, Judge. Can't you see that he's right? JUDGE He's right because you want him to be right. Because you're afraid to admit you've made a mistake. Do it now before it's too late. (to Willie) I'm offering my resignation as attorney general. You'll have it in writing by messenger in the morning... dated. WILLIE (softly) It took you a long time to make up your mind, Judge. A long time. What made you take such a long time? JUDGE I wasn't sure. WILLIE And now you are? The Judge nods. WILLIE I'll tell you what you are. You're scared. You sat in that big easy chair of yours for thirty years and played at being a judge. Then all of a sudden I came along and put a bat in your hand, and I said, go ahead, Judge, start swinging. And you did. And you had a wonderful time. But now you're scared. You don't want to get your hands dirty. You want to pick up the marbles... but you don't want to get your hands dirty. Look at my whole program, Judge. How do you think I put that across? JUDGE I knew how, but I never knew why. He starts to leave. WILLIE You're not by any chance thinking of going over to McMurphy's boys, are you? JUDGE I'm through with politics. WILLIE I'm happy to hear that. (extends his hand) No hard feelings. JUDGE (ignores the hand) Goodbye, Governor. (to Jack) Are you coming with me, Jack? Jack turns away. JUDGE You're making a mistake. He goes. Willie closes the door behind him. WILLIE Do you think he means it when he says he's through with politics, Sadie? SADIE No. No, I don't. WILLIE What about you, Jack? JACK I've known the Judge all my life. He's always meant everything he's said. WILLIE All right. All right. Take it easy. I'll take your word for it. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Willie's Hotel, Night Willie's car draws up to the curb. Sugar Boy hops out to open the door for Willie. Sadie is watching him from a window upstairs in the hotel. Anne is in the back seat; Willie leans down to talk to her. WILLIE Sugar, take Miss Stanton home. (to Anne) When am I going to see you again? She doesn't answer. WILLIE What's the matter, Anne? ANNE Please take me home now, Sugar Boy. WILLIE You've got to understand me. ANNE (turns away) I understand you. It's myself I don't understand. WILLIE Do you think I like sneaking around corners any more than you do? But right now, with the Pillsbury business and with your uncle quitting... If I got a divorce... ANNE Maybe we'd better stop seeing each other. WILLIE No. No, we won't stop seeing each other, will we? ANNE (slowly) No. WILLIE Because you believe in what I tell you. ANNE (puts her hand on his) Because I believe what you tell me. Sadie approaches. SADIE Good evening, Governor Stark. (looks at Anne, but talks to Willie) I thought you might like to know that Judge Stanton kept his promise. (directly to Willie) He gave the story to every paper in town. WILLIE Sugar, meet me at the hotel as soon as you can. FADE OUT FADE IN: NEWSPAPER HEADLINE ATTORNEY GENERAL RESIGNS: STANTON ACCUSES STARK OF QUASHING PILLSBURY GRAFT Interior: State Legislature Assembly Room, Day Duffy stands in the forground, looking in on the uproar and confusion of the assembly. SENATOR These are serious charges that Judge Stanton has given to the press. This legislature is entitled to a complete and full report on the Pillsbury affair. Let the truth be known. 2ND SENATOR Let it come out. 3RD SENATOR I move that we adjourn. 4TH SENATOR I second the motion. CHAIRMAN All those in favor, say aye... Motion carried. The house is adjourned. As Duffy turns and walks away, other senators rise up in their seats in protest. DISSOLVE TO: MONTAGE: PILLSBURY SCANDAL Sign on building reads: CITIZENS COMMITTEE MEETING, Subject: PILLSBURY SCANDAL, 8 P.M. Tonight -- Town Hall. A man pastes a strip across the sign: CANCELED. A man is making a speech to a small group of people. MAN If you let Willie Stark get away with the Pillsbury graft, there's no telling... Thugs break up the meeting. The speaker is beaten up. Jack Burden turns through the pages of the little black book. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark's Hotel Suite, Day Willie is lying on the bed. Jack is seated. Sadie and Sugar Boy stand nearby. JACK But we beat the Pillsbury rap... It's over. WILLIE These things are never over. I'll tell you what I want you to do, Jack. I want you to start a new page in that black book of yours... under then name of Judge Stanton. JACK You're crazy. There's nothing on the Judge. SADIE Why? Because his name is Stanton? WILLIE Ssshhh, easy. JACK What if I won't do it? WILLIE You know, some of this has rubbed off on you. JACK What are you going to do? Have me shot? WILLIE No... no... but I'll have to get myself a new boy. JACK I tell you there's nothing on the Judge. WILLIE Jack, there's something on everybody. Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption. JACK It's a waste of time. WILLIE What's the matter, Jack? Are you afraid you might find something out? Jack stares at him. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Burden's Landing Ferry, Night Jack's car is seen coming across on the ferry. JACK (voice over) I kept saying to myself that Willie was wrong about the Judge. If there was anything left at Burden's Landing, it was honor. I had to believe that. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stanton Living Room, Night Jack and Anne stand together in the living room. JACK Anne, I want to ask you a question. Was the Judge ever broke? Really broke? ANNE Why do you want to know? JACK I don't want to know, but I've got to. ANNE Did he tell you -- JACK Did who tell me? ANNE I don't know. I... how should I know if the Judge was ever broke? She walks away from him. Adam enters, carrying bundles of food and two wine bottles. STANTON Hello... Come on, Anne, take this food and start cooking. I'm hungry. Anne takes the grocery bundles. Jack grabs the wine. JACK Me, I'm on the thirsty side. Bring some glasses, Anne, quick. He joins Adam, who has opened the piano. STANTON (laughing) It's been a long time since I played this thing. What do you say we wake up the ghosts, huh? JACK (calling to Anne) Another glass, Anne, for a ghost. STANTON (starting to play) Remember the last time I played this? You and Anne were dancing? Anne returns with three glasses. Jack grabs her around the waist and whirls her around. JACK Shall we dance? ANNE Let's... let's have a drink first. Adam starts to pour the wine. JACK No, no... keep playing. Anne and I want to hear this, don't we, Anne? (Jack pours the wine) Adam... ghost... and me. STANTON What shall we drink to? JACK To the ghost?... To Adam, to the director of the new medical center. STANTON (bangs the piano keys) Don't you ever stop working for him? ANNE Adam! STANTON I came up here to get away... JACK I'm sorry, Adam. ANNE Well, I'm not. What's wrong with being the director of the new medical center? STANTON Nothing, except that I'm not going to take it. JACK Why? Because your uncle resigned? STANTON That's partly it. There are other things. ANNE What other things? STANTON (looks at her) You too? ANNE Yes, me too. JACK Anne, if Adam doesn't want to discuss it, let's not. STANTON All right, let's discuss it. ANNE But calmly. STANTON Calmly. Go ahead, Jack. Why do you think he wants me? JACK Because you're the best man for the job. STANTON It could have nothing to do with my name being Stanton? JACK It could have. Let's grant that. STANTON That's your answer. JACK No, it's not. If that were the only answer I wouldn't be with him any more. There's another side of it. I've learned something from him. You can't make an omelet without cracking eggs. STANTON Or heads. ANNE But at least a hospital will be built, and the sick will be cared for. STANTON At what price? JACK At any price. STANTON Do you really believe that, Jack? JACK I really believe that Stark wants to do good. You do too. It's a matter of method. Many times out of evil comes good. Well, pain is an evil. As a doctor you should know that. STANTON Pain is an evil; it is not evil. It is not evil in itself. Stark is evil. JACK The people of the state don't think so. STANTON How would they know? The first thing he did was to take over the newspapers and the radio stations. Why be so afraid of criticism? If Stark is interested in doing good, he should also be interested in the truth. I don't see how you can separate the two. No, Stark is not for me. ANNE (upset) No, Stark is not for you. Well, what is for you? Pride. Pride, that's all it is... foolish, stupid pride. All you've ever talked about is what you could do if... if somebody would tear down and build. All right, all right, somebody has, and he's given it to you. But he's not for you. No, he's not for you. She throws down her glass and runs crying from the room. Adam goes after her. STANTON Anne... Anne... Interior: Stanton Hallway and Stairs, Night Anne runs upstairs and Adam follows. The Judge comes out of his room to see what has happened, sees Jack standing at the foot of the stairs, hesitates a moment, and then goes back to his room without speaking. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: County Recorder Room, Day Jack enters and speaks to a clerk, who then directs him to one of the files. He starts to look through the files marked MORTGAGES DEFAULTED. JACK (voice over) Will I find anything, Judge? Will I? I didn't find it all at once. It takes a long time to go through old courthouse records and musty deeds... a very long time. But it wasn't too hard for me. I was well trained in research, especially this kind. He pulls out a file. JACK (voice over) I found what I didn't want to find. He takes the file back to the clerk. JACK Have some photostat copies made of these. I'll be back tomorrow for them. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Jack's Hotel Bedroom, Day Jack is lying on his bed, looking over the documents that relate to the Judge. He looks haggard and worried. There is a knock on the door. Jack doesn't answer; the knock is repeated. JACK Who is it? SADIE'S VOICE It's me, Sadie Burke. JACK Wait a minute. He hides the documents under his pillow. JACK All right, come in. She comes in, sniffs the air. SADIE Phew! Awful lot of smoke. Awful lot of whisky. You sober? JACK Stone. SADIE I'll have one with you. (starts tidying up the room) What are you hiding out for? JACK I'm not. I've been sleeping. SADIE For four days? You've been back in town for four days. JACK Willie knows everything. SADIE Willie's worried about his boy. JACK Willie's boy is worried about Willie's boy. SADIE Well, why don't you put something on the phonograph -- a low-down, mean blues. Play it over and over again until you're sick of it. Then crack it and go back to work. (sits down) I do it all the time. JACK That's not my problem. SADIE No, it isn't your problem. (gets up again) I'll wait for you if you want to powder your nose. Jack goes into the bathroom. JACK I'll be with you in a minute. Sadie wanders around. She goes to the dresser, upon which is a photograph of Anne Stanton. She picks up the picture and places it so she can see it in the mirror and compare it with her own reflection. SADIE Hmmm. Yeah, I can see it. I've got to look in the mirror to be able to see it. Soft, white skin... not like mine. (runs her hand across her cheeks) I had smallpox when I was a kid. Where I lived it seemed nearly all the kids had smallpox... Jack watches her through the open bathroom door. SADIE It leaves your face hard. Then she's got poise. Look at the way she holds her head... at just the right angle. That takes training. That takes years of training... Jack, towel in hand, comes out and stands behind her. He looks at her in the mirror, puzzled. SADIE I see what Willie sees. Willie's got big ideas, Jack. JACK What do you mean? SADIE A girl like that could be a governor's wife. Or even a President's. JACK What are you talking about? SADIE He ditched Lucy, he ditched me, and he'll ditch you. JACK (shaking her) Answer me! SADIE He'll ditch everybody in the whole world because that's what Willie wants. Nobody in the world but him. JACK What are you talking about? SADIE You and your high-tone friends. What do they know? What do they know about anything? Why did you have to mix her in? JACK You're crazy, Sadie. You're out of your mind. SADIE Am I? Well, why don't you go down and ask her. Or ask him. Ask Willie. JACK Shut up! SADIE Go ahead, ask him. JACK Shut up! SADIE Ask him! He slaps her hard. SADIE Ow-oo... oh... oh. She starts to laugh. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Football Field, Day A football team is practicing on the field. Willie watches from the bench. A player kicks the ball and Tom misses it. Jack walks over to Willie. JACK He's off today. WILLIE It's only practice. He'll be all right tomorrow... You been gone a long time, Jack. JACK Yeah. I figured if you needed me you'd yell. WILLIE Why'd you lay around the hotel? JACK Thinking. WILLIE About what? JACK Things. WILLIE What did you find on the Judge? JACK Nothing. WILLIE You sure you didn't find anything on the Judge? JACK Yeah, I'm sure. WILLIE You're going to keep trying, aren't you? JACK If you want me to. WILLIE I want you to. There's something else I want you to do too. JACK What? Bucket boy? Towel slinger? What? WILLIE (looks at him closely) What's eating you, Jack? JACK (avoiding it) What else do you want me to do? WILLIE If you've got something on your mind, boy, spit it out. We've been together too long to play games. JACK What do you want me to do? WILLIE I hear your pal Adam Stanton turned down the job as director of the hospital. That's bad. Especially at a time like this. JACK Oh? How did you hear it? WILLIE Why? What difference does it make? JACK I just wanted to know. WILLIE I heard it around. JACK (insistent) How did you hear he turned it down, Willie? Out on the field the boys have stopped playing and are huddled around the coach. WILLIE I'll be right back, Jack. I want to see what's happening here. He goes over to the group on the field. The coach is talking to Tom. COACH You going to practice the way I tell you. TOM I'm going to do it the way I want to do it. Willie comes up to them. WILLIE Tom, come here. What's going on here? COACH I don't care if he is your son, Governor... No special rules for him. TOM It doesn't make any difference to me either way... whether I play or not. WILLIE Well, it does to me. (to coach) What do you want him to do? COACH To behave himself. Like the rest of the boys. Four times this season he's broken training. He comes on the practice field half potted. WILLIE Tom, you're going to have to obey the rules. Do you hear me? You're going to obey the rules. TOM I put 'em across, don't I? Every Saturday I put 'em across and I can still do it, drunk or sober. That's all you want, isn't it... for me to put 'em across so you can big-shot it around? Isn't that all you want? He walks away. WILLIE Tom! (to coach) He's a little high-strung. (goes after Tom) Tom, come here. Tom! DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Highway, Foggy Day Sign in foreground reads: WILLIE STARK HIGHWAY U.S. 56. A car swerves around a bend and careens down the highway. Tom and his girl friend Helene are in the car. Tom is drinking. HELENE (laughing) Come on, Tommy... let's go faster. Come on... The car goes across a bridge, weaving. Two motorcycle cops parked there start to give chase. Tom's car swerves out of control and crashes through a fence. The two motorcycle cops ride out to the field to the wrecked car. They find Tom and Helene, unconscious. One of the cops picks up the empty bottle and hands it to the other. 2ND COP (looking at Tom) It's the governor's son. He throws the bottle away. DISSOLVE TO: NEWSPAPER HEADLINES GOVERNOR'S SON HURT: GIRL NEAR DEATH IN CRASH Below the headline is a picture of Helene Hale's father. Another picture of Mr. Hale on the front page. Caption reads: GIRL'S FATHER CLAIMS DRUNK DRIVING CAUSE OF WRECK ADMITTANCE TO HOSPITAL DENIED PRESS DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Governor's Mansion, Night Lucy and Mr. Hale walk across the large reception room toward Willie. Jack, Sugar Boy, and Duffy stand around in the background. LUCY Willie, Mr. Hale's here to see you. Willie comes to meet them, a drink in his hand. He is obviously drunk. WILLIE Go on upstairs, Lucy. I have some business I want to talk over with Mr. Hale. HALE What I've got to say anybody can listen to... Where's your boy? WILLIE Now... now, don't get excited. (to Sugar Boy) Get me another drink, Sugar. HALE My daughter may die. WILLIE She's not going to die. She'll get the best medical attention there is. No expense will be spared. HALE Where's your boy? LUCY I'll get him. WILLIE Wait a minute, Lucy. He's asleep. And the doctor said after a good night's sleep he'll be all right. LUCY No, he won't be all right unless you make him all right. I'll get him. She goes. WILLIE Lucy! (to Hale) You care for a drink? HALE No thanks. WILLIE Accidents will happen, you know. HALE Accidents? Your boy was drunk. WILLIE I saw the police report. There... there was nothing about drunkenness on the police report. HALE Whose police and whose report? I say the boy was drunk. And I know it. Tom comes down the stairs, with Lucy. HALE (to Tom) Right here before your father... I want you -- TOM Mr. Hale -- WILLIE Tom, the doctor says you need rest, boy. TOM (turns on him) I don't want you to try to cover up for me. I was wrong... that's all there is to it. WILLIE You don't know what you're talking about. I saw the police report -- TOM I don't care what the police report says. I was driving and I was drunk. It's all my fault. (to Hale) Anything you want to do to me, you can do. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do. WILLIE Nobody has to do anything. Stop worrying. I'll take care of everything. TOM I don't want you to take care of anything. Tom looks ill; he presses his hand to his forehead. WILLIE Tom, go on upstairs and get some rest, boy. Go on... go on... go on. Tom walks slowly toward the stairs. WILLIE Sugar, help him... Mr. Hale, come on over and sit down. You sure you wouldn't care for a drink, Mr. Hale? Hale sits down, shakes his head. WILLIE Hey, Tiny, go home. Go on, out of here... out of here. Go on. Duffy leaves, disgruntled. Willie sits on a coffee table. He pours himself another drink. WILLIE What business did you say you were in? HALE I didn't say. WILLIE What business are you in? HALE Trucking business. WILLIE Trucking business. Trucks run on state roads. If a man in the trucking business had a contract with the state, a big one, that would be pretty good, wouldn't it? (to Jack) Go on, Jack. Tell him what would happen. Jack is silent. WILLIE Go on, tell him. HALE You're trying to bribe me, aren't you? WILLIE No, no. No, I'm not trying to bribe you. I'm... I'm only talking things over with you, that's all. HALE You're pretty good at talking. I remember when you first started talking. A place called Upton. You did a lot of talking then and the things you said made sense, to me and a lot of other people. I believed in you... I followed you... and I fought for you. Well, the words are still good. But you're not. (rises) And I don't believe you ever were. He walks out of the room. WILLIE (after a pause) Sugar, follow him. Keep calling in. Sugar goes, leaving just Jack and Willie. Willie, very drunk, tries to get up but falls against the piano. WILLIE (yells) Lucy!... Lucy! He staggers up the long stairway. Halfway up he tumbles, groaning. Jack helps him to his feet. JACK I'd like Anne to see you now. I'd like Anne to see you now, you drunken sot! (drags him up the stairs) Come on. FADE OUT FADE IN: NEWSPAPER Photograph of Helene Hale on front page. Headline reads: GIRL CRASH VICTIM DIES Under the photograph there is a caption: FATHER MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS AFTER BARING BRIBE OFFER BY GOVERNOR STARK DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Governor's Mansion, Day Willie, Jack, and Sugar Boy are accosted by a group of newsmen as they come down the stairs. NEWSMEN What about the girl's father, Governor? Have you a statement to make? WILLIE All right, all right, gentlemen. I'll give you a statement. This whole thing is a mess of lies. It's a frame. The man that made that statement... have him repeat it to my face. He can't. He vanished. Let me ask you some questions. Where has he gone? Where is he? REPORTER Maybe you could answer those questions too, Governor. Sugar Boy makes a move for the reporter but Willie holds him back. WILLIE I won't dignify that question with an answer. ANOTHER REPORTER One more question, Governor... Where's your son? WILLIE At the football stadium, where he's supposed to be. He's going to play for State University, which this administration is responsible for. He's not hiding from anybody, gentlemen. He'll be out there in full view of seventy thousand cheering fans. (starts down the stairs) One of which will be me. See you, men. He leaves, followed by Jack and Sugar Boy. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Football Field, Day The game is in progress and the stands are packed. But there is no cheering. Instead we hear boos, and shouts for Tom. CROWD VOICES Where's Stark? How about Tommy Stark? Hey, Willie, send your boy in. Exterior: Willie's Box Willie, Jack, Sugar Boy, and Lucy are in one box. Sadie and Duffy sit in the adjoining one. Willie is standing up. The crowd continues to heckle him. WILLIE Why don't they put him in! MAN Come on, Willie... send your boy in. A drunk comes over to his box. DRUNK What's the matter, Willie... is your little boy ashamed to show his face? DUFFY Shut up! Willie signals angrily to the police. WILLIE Get that man out of here! Come on, get him out of here. The man is dragged away. The crowd boos, and Willie gets up and leaves the box, followed by Jack. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stadium Dressing Room, Day Tom is sitting on one of the massage tables with a towel around his shoulders as Willie and Jack come in. The sound of the boos can still be heard. WILLIE They're booing you. TOM (holds his head) Ever since the accident, my head... WILLIE The doctor said it was nothing. TOM Get dizzy... can't see... dizzy... WILLIE You're scared... plain scared. TOM (looks up angrily) Get out of here! WILLIE Atta boy... get mad. Show some spirit. Jack, tell him what his playing means. Go on, tell him. JACK You can never tell about a head injury. Maybe the boy's hurt. WILLIE He's hurt? I'm hurt. It wasn't me that wrapped that car around the tree. It wasn't me that got drunk. But me, I'm takin' the rap. (softer, to Tom) Go on, kid. Get out there and play. Show 'em the kind of stuff a Stark is made of. TOM (coldly) I wouldn't know. Enraged, Willie slaps him. Tom fights back, and Jack has to pull them apart. JACK Tom... cut it out! TOM (breathing heavily) All right, I'll play. Now get out of here. Camera holds on Tom as Jack and Willie leave. He picks up his uniform, stops, then rubs his head. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Football Stadium, Day Tom is on the field. He runs up to the coach. P.A. ANNOUNCER Stark's going in! The boos turn to cheers. The crowd applauds. Willie signals from his box to the coach. He wants Tom sent in. Tom runs out on the field and joins the team. The players are lined up, in position to play. Tom shakes his head, as if trying to clear it. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Football Stadium, Time Lapse The crowd yells excitedly. Tom, looking weary, gets the ball and runs with it downfield. Three players tackle him hard and fall on him. A silence falls over the stadium as he fails to get up with the others. In Willie's box, everyone is standing. LUCY Tommy... Tommy... Tommy! Willie rushes out onto the field and kneels beside Tom as the doctor and stretcher bearers arrive. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Hospital Waiting Room, Night Lucy and Willie are waiting for news about Tom. Sugar Boy comes in with a paper bag and sets it on a table. SUGAR BOY B-b-boss, you gotta eat. You g-g- gotta. Willie motions him away. WILLIE I'm the one that made him play. I sent him in. LUCY Sit down, Willie. Please sit down. WILLIE I sent him in. LUCY What difference does that make now? Jack comes in. WILLIE What goes on? JACK There isn't a plane flying. WILLIE They gotta fly. This is my son. He's got to live. Adam Stanton enters. STANTON I just got a call from Dr. Birnham. The earliest he can possibly get here will be tomorrow morning. WILLIE Isn't there anybody else we can get? JACK I still think Dr. Stanton should operate. STANTON That's up to Governor Stark. He wanted another doctor... a specialist. I sent for one. WILLIE How bad is it really, doctor? STANTON He's unconscious... and paralyzed. Lucy slumps in her chair. WILLIE Has he got a chance? STANTON To live? Yes. WILLIE What do you mean? STANTON Even if the operation's successful -- that is, if he lives -- I think he'll be paralyzed for life. WILLIE You'll do everything you can, won't you? Anything between you and me.. that won't count, will it? It doesn't have to. Look, doc, anything you want in the world you just ask for it and you got it. Go on, doc... ask for it. STANTON (coldly) There are some things, Governor Stark, that even you can't buy. Do you want me to operate, or don't you? LUCY Yes... I want you to operate. (stands up) Please, may I see Tom now? STANTON Yes. They leave together. WILLIE (to Jack) How much does the doc know? JACK About what? WILLIE Oh, you know what I'm talking about. JACK About what? WILLIE About Anne and me. JACK (after a pause) He doesn't know a thing... not a thing. Jack turns and walks away. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Hospital, Night Anne has been waiting outside the hospital. She turns to Jack as he comes out the door. ANNE Jack, how is he? JACK The boy? ANNE Yes. JACK He'll live. ANNE Oh, thank God. How is -- JACK Willie? ANNE He blames himself, doesn't he? JACK (as he walks down the street) He'll find someone else to blame in a few days. ANNE (following him) Oh, I tried to call here at the hospital, but I just... They walk together, along the waterfront. JACK Anne... Anne, why did you do it? ANNE He wasn't like anybody I ever knew before. JACK You mean he wasn't like me. ANNE He wasn't like anybody I ever knew before. I love him, I guess. I guess that's the reason. JACK Everybody loves him. ANNE He wants to marry me. JACK Are you going to? ANNE Not now. It would hurt him. A divorce would hurt his career. JACK His career! ANNE Jack... Jack, what are you going to do? You can't leave him now. He needs you now more than he ever did before. JACK What Willie needs, Willie's got. ANNE You don't know him. You've known him all these years and you don't really know him at all. JACK What about Adam? ANNE Adam? JACK Well, you don't have to worry about him. If Adam finds out it'll be easy to prove a Stanton is no different than anybody else. (gives her the papers on the Judge) Just show him these. Willie was right... a man is conceived in sin and born in corruption. Even Judge Stanton. Show them to him, Anne. Change the picture of the world that Adam has in his head, just like our picture of it has been changed. He grips her by the shoulders. JACK Wipe out everything he's ever believed in. It'll be good for him. There's no God but Willie Stark. I'm his prophet and you're his... (pushes her aside, then feels sorry and walks after her) Oh, Anne... Anne, I'm sorry. I didn't mean... Anne! A policeman comes over. POLICEMAN What's going on here? Jack catches up to Anne. He takes her arm and they start to walk back together. JACK It's all right, officer... we both work for Willie Stark. FADE OUT FADE IN: Exterior: Hospital Site, Day Willie, Anne, Adam, and Jack inspect a construction site. There are newsmen and photographers present. WILLIE (to Adam) Right over there, that's going to be the main building... fifteen stories high, like on the model. Over there, that's the laboratory. Finest technical equipment in the world. STANTON What are you trying to convince me of? I've taken the job. WILLIE Why? STANTON My reasons are my own. Why are you building a hospital? WILLIE To do some good for the people of the state. STANTON And get some votes. WILLIE Oh, there are lots of ways to get votes. STANTON Yes, I know... I won't stand for any interference. WILLIE I won't interfere. I may fire you, but I won't interfere. STANTON If that's a threat, you're wasting your time. You know what I think of your administration. WILLIE Yes, I know. I'll tell you what... You stay on your side of the fence; I'll stay on mine. Is that a deal? They climb up onto the platform, where the newsmen gather around to take pictures. Willie and Adam shake hands. JACK (voice over) Now he had us all... me, Anne, and Adam. Now we all worked for him. FADE OUT FADE IN: Interior: Projection Room, Day Willie, Jack, and Sugar Boy are watching a newsreel, similar in style to the March of Time newsreels. A producer, his assistant, and two policemen are also in the room. NARRATOR'S VOICE And so the eyes of the entire nation are now focused upon Governor Willie Stark, an amazing phenomenon on the American political scene. The whole state is filled with his accomplishments -- each of them, of course, bearing his personal signature, to make sure that no one will ever forget who gave them to the state. MONTAGE: THE NEWSREEL Large plaque on side of the highway: THIS BRIDGE WAS BUILT DURING THE FIRST ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR STARK. A TOLL BRIDGE STOOD HERE FOR FIFTY YEARS... NOW THE PEOPLE TRAVEL FREE Camera pans to shot of the bridge. Plaque over college entrance: STARK COLLEGE... THAT EVERY MAN, WOMAN, OR CHILD, RICH OR POOR, SHALL HAVE AN EDUCATION... WILLIE STARK Shot of library -- lettering reads WILLIE STARK LIBRARY. KNOWLEDGE BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE Shot of bad road running through dry, barren land. NARRATOR'S VOICE This is the way the roads used to be. But there are those who claim that they were adequate for the people's needs, that you don't need a four- or six-lane highway for a horse and buggy. Shot of horse pulling a plow. The empty, untraversed STARK HIGHWAY. NARRATOR'S VOICE When Stark boasts of his great school system, his critics say: you can't go to school and work in the fields at the same time. And they question the benefit of these projects, charging that the need and the poverty of the people is as great as before. Shot of large school. Camera cuts to men working in the field, then to ramshackle barn, and to a farmer walking across his rotted cornfield. NARRATOR'S VOICE Willie Stark has never forgotten the source of his power: the people who supported him. Willie talking to the farmers. NARRATOR'S VOICE He still keeps in touch with these people of the backwoods, making periodic trips to such places as Kanoma City, now famous as his birthplace... Willie's official car and escort speeding through a street. Sign reads: KANOMA CITY, BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIE STARK Shot of Willie having his picture taken with Lucy and Pappy on the porch of the old farm. Willie mending the fence on the farm. Willie feeding the pigs. NARRATOR'S VOICE For those who say that Willie Stark is a man of destiny, there are others who claim that he is a man of evil, a man who cares neither for the people nor the state, but only for his own personal power and ambition. Willie making a speech to a huge crowd of cheering people. Willie inspecting his police force. Willie pounding the desk in the state legislature. NARRATOR'S VOICE Obviously, these ambitions go far beyond the boundaries of the state. Just how far, only time will tell. Meanwhile, he is here... Big close-up of Willie as he delivers a speech. NARRATOR'S VOICE ...and from the looks of things, he is here to stay. Willie Stark: messiah or dictator? The picture goes off and the lights in the room come on. PRODUCER How do you like it, Governor? Willie stands and faces the producer. WILLIE How many theaters will this play in? PRODUCER All over the country. WILLIE Hear that, Jack. All over the country. They start to leave. Willie stops for a moment. WILLIE Oh, there's one thing in there I didn't like too well. That messiah or dictator. PRODUCER That's our point of view, Governor. And that's the way it stands. There is a silence. Willie's face is hard. Then he grins. WILLIE All right, all right, that's the way it stands... as of now. FADE OUT FADE IN: NEWSPAPER HEADLINE STARK BEGINS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN STATEWIDE TOUR STARTS WITH VISIT TO KANOMA CITY DISSOLVE TO: EXTERIOR: STARK FARMHOUSE, DAY Tom and Pappy Stark are seated on the porch. Tom is in a wheelchair. Lucy comes onto the porch as the sound of sirens is heard, and Willie's two cars, motorcycle escort, and the car of reporters turn onto the drive. Tom, upset, flips his cigarette away as the cars stop in front of the porch. Lucy puts her hand on his shoulder to calm him. Then Willie climbs up the steps to greet Lucy. WILLIE Hello, Lucy... How are you making it, Pa?... How are you, Tom? Tom doesn't answer. Lucy offers her cheek to Willie. Sadie, Jack, and Sugar Boy wait at the bottom of the steps, along with the reporters. LUCY I made some refreshments for your friends. I'll get them. SADIE I'll help. LUCY (firmly) No, thank you. Thank you kindly. JACK If you don't mind, Mrs. Stark... the boys have to get back to make the morning editions. (to photographers) Set 'em up on the porch, fellows. We'll take some pictures out here, first. He starts arranging the family for the picture. JACK Mrs. Stark, please... All right, fellows, take one down there, will you please... Shoot it up this way. The cameras click. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Stark Farmhouse, Night Willie is finishing his meal, seated at the table with his family and Jack. Sugar Boy stands behind Willie. Sadie has left the table and is examining the room. WILLIE (on the last bite) You're still a great cook, Lucy. Great cook. (gets up) Well, I guess I better be getting back to town. Nice to have spent the day with the family. (kisses Lucy on the forehead) Goodbye, Lucy. (extends his hand to Tom) Tom. TOM (ignores the gesture) Goodbye. WILLIE Take care of yourself, Pappy. Oh, uh... how do you like the new radio I got you? (walks over to it) You know how it works? You can get police calls on it. Come here, come here... I'll show you. Pappy leans over as Willie demonstrates how it works. WILLIE This one for police calls up here. He turns the dial. POLICE BROADCAST Car sixty-two, proceed to five- eighteen Oak Street. Tom Jones beating his wife again. Pappy laughs delightedly. He reaches out to turn the dial. WILLIE All right, go ahead, go ahead. ANNOUNCER'S VOICE We interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement. This afternoon, the body of Richard Hale, father of the girl who died in the automobile accident involving the governor's son, was found. A medical examination revealed he was beaten to death. Tom starts to wheel toward Willie, but Lucy restrains him. ANNOUNCER'S VOICE The ugly charge of "official murder" has been hurled at the administration by a coalition of Stark's opponents, led by Judge Stanton, lately an outspoken critic of the administration. WILLIE (to Jack) Your friend, the Judge. ANNOUNCER'S VOICE Thus an almost forgotten incident provided the spark that might set off the explosion needed to rock Willie Stark out of power. The latest report is that impeachment proceedings may be instituted... Willie turns off the radio. There is a silence. Then Willie turns to Lucy. WILLIE How long will it take you to pack? I want you to go back to Capital City with me tonight. LUCY Why? WILLIE Because I need you. TOM What for? WILLIE (still speaking to Lucy) I'll explain all of that later. Now, Lucy, do like I say. JACK I'll wait outside. WILLIE You stay right here, Jack. I want you bear witness to what I've got to say. LUCY (indicating Sadie) She can be a witness too. SADIE (starting toward the door) I'm going back to the capital and get hold of Duffy. WILLIE You stay right here, Sadie. SADIE Somebody's got to go back to the capital. I'll go in the other car. WILLIE All right, then tell Duffy not to do anything or say anything until I get there. SADIE Yes, Governor. She leaves. TOM Now he needs us. Now that he's in trouble he needs us, so he can lead us around like monkeys with rings in our noses. So he can say to people, look at me, feel sorry for me... just a family man with a wife and a crippled son... WILLIE (shouts) Shut up! LUCY Willie! TOM Why don't you leave us alone? Tom wheels himself into his own room. Lucy starts to follow. WILLIE Leave him alone. How many scrapes have I gotten him out of? How many girls? LUCY Willie, stop. WILLIE It's not him they're after. It's me. How many halfwitted apes do you think I'm going to have to pay to square this one? What do you think this is going to cost me? LUCY What do you think it cost him? Suddenly Willie turns his face away. WILLIE (in a broken voice) A man builds for his son. That's all he builds for. LUCY Willie! (turns and goes into Tom's room) Tom... Tom. Willie looks up at Jack and Pappy. WILLIE Give me a drink, Jack. Jack hands him a bottle and he takes a slug. WILLIE She'll go. Pappy shakes his head. PAPPY No good, Willie. No good. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Stark Farmhouse, Night Pappy stays behind on the porch as Tom is carried in his wheelchair down the steps and into Willie's car. Lucy follows. The motorcycle escort leads them away from the farm. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Highway, Night As the cars speed to Capital City. Interior: State Legislature, Night There is great excitement in the assembly room. One senator steps forward and addresses the speaker of the house. SENATOR Mr. Speaker, I offer a house resolution. Whereas Willie Stark, governor of this state, has been guilty of incompetence, corruption, and favoritism in office -- yes, and other high crimes -- that he is hereby impeached, and ordered to be tried by the senate. His resolution is met with a mixture of cheers and boos. Exterior: State Capitol, Night A huge crowd is gathered outside. Pillsbury, Sadie, and Duffy, waiting with the crowd, step forward as they see Willie's car approach. Newsmen take pictures as Willie gets out of the car. WILLIE (as he meets Duffy) What's the score? DUFFY They're lined up against you solid. They had a meeting. WILLIE How do you know? Were you there? DUFFY Me? What would I be doing there? WILLIE Selling me out. He starts up the steps of the building. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Willie's Executive Offices, Night WILLIE How many votes have we got? SADIE (going through some files) Eleven. WILLIE We need twenty. DUFFY We might be able to dig up a few more. WILLIE Yeah. Do you know how? DUFFY No. Willie turns to Jack. WILLIE Oh, Jack. Come here. What have you got in your black book about that old friend of yours? JACK Who do you mean? WILLIE You know who I'm talking about... your old friend, the Judge. JACK If and when you need it. WILLIE If and when? I need it right now. He's got four senators wrapped up in his hip pocket. Come on, come on, boy... what have you got? JACK I'm going to give him a break. If he can prove it isn't true, I won't spill it. WILLIE I ought to bust you, Jack. JACK I promised two people I'd do it this way. WILLIE Who are they? JACK Myself... and someone else. It doesn't matter who. I'm going to give him a break. WILLIE All right, give him a break. But if you got the facts, you got the facts. The truth is sufficient... just like it says in the Bible. JACK That's the way it's going to be. WILLIE All right, boy... I'll trust you. Where are you going? JACK (on his way out) I'll be around. Willie turns to go into his private office. SADIE Who else do you think he promised, Willie? Willie shrugs. SADIE You'd be smart... play square with him. You're going to need people like us around. WILLIE (as he shuts his door) Are you sure? DISSOLVE TO: MONTAGE: THE IMPEACHMENT Willie's car speeding down a road. Willie, with Lucy and Tom seated behind him, addressing crowd. Willie speaking from the back of a train to a railroad station audience. JACK (voice over) The chips were down, and Willie knew it. He was fighting for his life. He roared across the state making one speech after another. And all of them added up to the same thing... "It's not me they're after, it's you!" Close-ups of Willie, speaking to the people. JACK (voice over) Willie hollered foul. Willie knew if you hollered long enough, hard enough, and loud enough, people begin to believe you. Just in case they didn't, he organized spontaneous demonstrations. Sign on back of a car: FIGHT WITH WILLIE Crowds carrying signs: WIN WITH WILLIE Willie talking on the telephone. Sadie listens. WILLIE Tell the boys to get the hicks out. Bring 'em in from the sticks, empty the pool halls. Turn 'em out. Turn the yokels out. More men with WIN WITH WILLIE signs. Man directing crowd from top of bus. Other bus loads of people are seen, all of them bearing signs. JACK (voice over) In case anyone hollered back, he organized spontaneous slugging. Willie pulled every trick he ever knew -- and added a few more. Crowd looks on as two uniformed police drag a man away. Willie's car waiting. Two thugs talk things over with a man on his doorstep. Willie discussing matters with a man in his office. Two cops stand with him. Willie and Jack in the car. Sugar Boy drives. It is night. Sugar Boy drives fast, and has to swerve to avoid colliding with a truck. JACK Hey, Sugar! (To Willie) You'll never live to be impeached! WILLIE Boy, I'll live to be President... Jack and Sugar wait in the car as Willie leans out the car window to talk to a senator. He offers the man a piece of paper. WILLIE I've got fourteen senators to vote against impeachment. If I win, you're out of politics. SENATOR (refuses to sign) I'll do whatever the Judge says. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Highway, Night Willie's car, as it races down the highway. JACK (voice over) And always the trail led to one place... Burden's Landing... and the Judge. Exterior: Ferry to Burden's Landing, Night Willie's car coming across on the ferry. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Stanton Home, Night As Willie's car stops and they all get out. WILLIE You sure you don't want me to go in with you? JACK I'm sure. WILLIE Well, hurry it up, boy. We've got places to go. Jack goes into the house alone. DISSOLVE TO: Interior: Judge Stanton's Study, Night Jack and the Judge are seated opposite each other. JACK Judge, I beg you, as a favor to yourself, to me... call up, release your votes. JUDGE I made a mistake once, Jack... when I resigned. It was too easy then, just resigning, pulling out. No, Jack, I've made my choice. I have nothing more to lose. JACK Judge, you know what Stark is capable of. Think it over. I'll leave now. I'll come back tomorrow and we'll talk about it again. You can give me your answer then. The door opens and Willie and Sugar Boy enter. WILLIE I can't wait until tomorrow. I'm a very impatient man. JACK (rising) I told you not to come in here. WILLIE (ignoring him) Is it true, Judge, that you're behind the impeachment proceedings? JUDGE Yes, it's true. Willie takes a seat in an easy chair. WILLIE I wanted to hear you say it with your own silver tongue. JUDGE Well, you've heard it. If that's all you came to hear you could have saved yourself a trip. Willie picks up a decanter off the table. WILLIE Mind if I pour myself a drink? How about you, Judge, will you have one? You better... You're going to need it. Jack and Judge Stanton remain standing, silently watching Willie. WILLIE What'd he say, Jack? JACK You'll get your answer tomorrow. WILLIE Are you kidding? Did you show it to him, or didn't you? JUDGE Show me what? WILLIE That's what I figured. Let's get down to cases, Judge. Do you remember a man with the name of Littlepaugh? The Judge shakes his head. He doesn't. WILLIE Remember the Fortune Electric Company? JUDGE Of course. I was their counsel for over ten years. WILLIE Remember how you got the job? JACK How did you find out? WILLIE (hands the Judge some papers) Do you remember how you got the job? The Judge examines the papers. WILLIE You know, Judge, dirt's a funny thing. Some of it rubs off on everybody. How did you get the job, Judge? Blackmail? JUDGE (to Jack) I swear I never even remembered his name. Isn't that remarkable, Jack? I never even remembered his name. It's all so long ago it's hard for me to realize it ever happened. WILLIE Yeah. But it did. JUDGE Yes, it did. But it's difficult for me to realize it. JACK For me too, Judge. JUDGE Thanks for that much. WILLIE Well, I guess you know what the next move is, don't you? JUDGE Yes, I do. Jack Burden. Willie Stark's hatchet man. JACK (to Willie) I asked you... how did you find out? JUDGE This would never stand at law, not for a minute. It happened over twenty- five years ago, and you could never get any testimony. Everybody is dead. WILLIE Everybody except you, Judge. You're alive. And people think you're a certain kind of man. And you just couldn't bear for people to think otherwise. JUDGE Ever since then I... I've done my duty. I... I'm responsible for many good things. (looks at the papers again) But I also did this. WILLIE Yes, yes, you did. JACK Judge, I beg of you, call and release your votes, for your sake. JUDGE You have tender sensibilities for a hatchet man. (goes to the door) Good night, gentlemen. WILLIE How about my answer? JUDGE You'll have it in the morning. WILLIE I want it tonight. JUDGE In the morning. Good night, gentlemen. There is silence. Then the three men get up to go. The Judge closes the door behind them. Interior: Stanton Hallway, Night As the three men walk to the front door. JACK How did you find out? WILLIE We've got a lot to do. It's getting late, Jack. Let's get back to town. JACK You know we're through, don't you? WILLIE Aw, you don't mean that, boy. The front door opens, and Adam and Anne come in. STANTON What are you doing here? WILLIE It's all right, doc. Just here to discuss some politics with the Judge. STANTON Oh, I see. (starts upstairs) Well, good night. WILLIE Good night. JACK (to Anne) Did you give him -- WILLIE Wait a minute, Jack -- JACK Answer me. Did you give -- A shot is fired. They turn and rush into the Judge's study. They find the Judge face downward in his leather chair. Adam and Jack kneel beside him. Willie, holding on tightly to Anne's arm, stands in the doorway. Jack picks up the Judge's pistol and looks at Adam. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: Stanton Home, Night Jack comes out of the house, followed by Anne and Adam. STANTON Aren't you going back with him? JACK No. STANTON Why not? You belong with him. Jack, how could you have done it? When Anne brought me those papers she told me you promised not to tell Stark until... JACK Yeah. I know. (walks away) Well, I kept my promise. Adam looks unbelievingly at Anne. She looks away. STANTON Anne? Anne? FADE OUT FADE IN: Interior: Jack's Hotel Room (State Capital), Day Jack looks out the window. A portable radio is blaring out the news. ANNOUNCER'S VOICE From all over the state they're streaming in. From the hill country and farms, the lumber camps... by boat, by train, by horse, and on foot. Willie Stark's army. Through Jack's window we see the street blocked with cars and people, all headed for the State Capitol Building. Anne is in the crowd, trying to get across the street. Seeing Jack in the window, she pushes her way across and enters the hotel. He slams the window shut and comes back into the room. ANNOUNCER'S VOICE The state capital is filled with rumors, one of which is that Stark is planning to seize power by force. As commander of the state militia, he has -- Jack turns it off. He goes over to his bed and starts putting clothes into a valise. There is a knock on the door. He ignores it. Another knock. JACK Come in. The door's open. Anne enters. ANNE Jack... JACK What do you want? She starts to cry. He grabs her, pulling her face close to his. JACK (bitterly) No, I want to see you cry. He lets her go and she falls to the bed, sobbing. JACK Stop it! ANNE I called you. All afternoon I've been calling you. JACK I know. I was here. ANNE You've got to tell Adam. You've got to see him. JACK Tell him what? ANNE He knows about me and... JACK About you and Willie? ANNE (nods) I tried to explain to him. I... I tried to explain to him that it wasn't the way he thought it was. JACK How was it, Anne? You tell me. ANNE He hit me, Jack. My own brother... he hit me. JACK Your brother is an old-fashioned man. He believes in his sister's honor. Me, I'm a modern man. (slams clothes into the valise) The twentieth-century type. I run. ANNE (rises) I'm frightened, Jack. JACK For who? Your brother, or Willie? ANNE (quietly) We're through. JACK Who's through with who? ANNE He called me this afternoon. He's going back to Lucy. He said it was better that way. JACK Better for who? Him. ANNE Both of us. JACK Did he tell you that too when he asked you to betray the Judge? At least I walked out on him. ANNE Oh Jack... help me, please, please. Adam's all I've got left now. Oh, Jack, if you ever loved me... JACK If I ever loved you. (pause) I'll go find Adam. He takes up his coat. DISSOLVE TO: EXTERIOR: HOSPITAL SITE, DAY A large billboard. It reads HERE ON THIS SITE WILL BE ERECTED THE GOVERNOR STARK HOSPITAL -- TO HEAL SICKNESS -- TO EASE PAIN -- FREE. NOT AS A CHARITY BUT AS A RIGHT. WILLIE STARK Adam enters, looks at the sign, and walks on. Exterior: Street Near Capitol Building, Day Crowds of people headed toward the building, some with WIN WITH WILLIE signs. A marching band plays music for them. Exterior: Capitol Building, Day Crowd waiting outside the building. Mounted policemen keep them in line. From a large platform, loaded with people, comes the chant "We want Willie, we want Willie." Jack pushes his way through the people and speaks to a policeman standing guard on the Capitol steps. COP Where do you think you're going? (recognizes Jack) Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you. JACK Do you know who Dr. Stanton is? COP Yes sir. JACK Did he try to come through here today? COP Haven't seen him, sir. JACK Well, can you check the other entrances? 2ND COP There's no other entrances today. The other entrances are blocked off. Orders are to take no chances. COP If you care to come inside and wait, Mr. Burden, we can find you a seat. JACK No, thanks. I'll wait out here. If Dr. Stanton shows up, let me know. Pass the word along to the boys, will you? COP Yes sir. Jack turns and looks at the large crowd. A voice from a public address loudspeaker begins to yell out commands to the crowd. LOUDSPEAKER All right now. Everybody... that means everybody... let's let Willie know we're here! All together: WE WANT WILLIE. WE WANT WILLIE. The chant is picked up enthusiastically by the crowd. Interior: State Legislature, Day The speaker is trying to speak over the clamor of the chanting. SPEAKER We will first proceed to take the judgment of the senate on the question of the impeachment of the governor. SENATOR (rising) Mr. Speaker, this is a farce to ask us to vote in the face of the kind of intimidation and pressure that has been exerted here in the past few weeks. Even that crowd outside, yelling on cue, is part of that pressure. CROWD NOISE We want Willie. We want Willie. Willie gets up, and goes to the window. Exterior: State Capitol, Day The crowd, with Jack in the foreground. The crowd suddenly goes wild as they see Willie appear at the window. In the growing darkness he seems only a shadowy figure as he raises his hands to wave to the crowd. We see various shots of people straining to get a little closer to the steps in order to see him better. Willie then turns and goes back into the room. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: State Capitol, Day The crowd again, still waiting. The camera pans upward to a loudspeaker. ANNOUNCER Attention, please. Attention, please. This is a special announcement from Willie Stark to you people out there. He doesn't want any one of you to leave... The camera moves over the faces of the people listening. ANNOUNCER He wants you to stay in front of this state Capitol until the fight is over. If you want Willie Stark to win, stay where you are. They cheer. Camera picks up Jack watching the crowd's reaction, then up to a plaque over the entrance to the Capitol Building. It reads THE PEOPLE'S WILL IS THE LAW OF THIS STATE -- GOVERNOR STARK. ANNOUNCER Do you hear me... stay where you are. Don't go away. Stay where you are. Don't go away. DISSOLVE TO: Exterior: State Capitol, Night Newsmen, photographers stand about, bored. The crowd, every bit as large, is quiet but expectant. Everyone holds still as the announcer's voice is heard again. ANNOUNCER Attention, please. Attention, please. The balloting on the impeachment proceedings against Governor Stark has just ended. This is the result: Willie Stark has won. The crowd explodes. People break through the police barriers. Mounted policemen ride in quickly to prevent a riot. Camera picks up Anne in the crowd, trying to push through. Jack stands on the steps of the Capitol, watching it all. Suddenly Willie appears at the top of the steps, followed by Sugar Boy. Sadie, Duffy, Pillsbury follow close behind. Willie grabs hold of the mike and addresses the suddenly hushed crowd. WILLIE They tried to ruin me. But they are ruined. They tried to ruin me because they did not like what I have done. Do you like what I have done? Loud applause, and cries of "yes." WILLIE Remember, it's not I who have won, but you. Your will is my strength, and your need is my justice, and I shall live in your right and your will. And if any man tries to stop me from fulfilling that right and that will, I'll break him. I'll break him with my bare hands. For I have the strength of many. Having finished, he waves at them all. Then he notices Jack and comes down the steps to greet him. WILLIE Hello, Jack boy, I'm glad you're here. I knew you'd come back. He walks back up the steps, his arm around Jack's shoulders. They start to go into the building that way when Willie sees someone. He smiles and puts out his hand. WILLIE Oh, doctor, I'm very glad to see you. Adam is seen, waiting at the entrance of the building. Before Willie has taken a step Adam fires several shots into him. Willie falls to the ground and Sugar Boy whips out his pistol and fires at Adam. Three policemen with tommy guns open fire, shooting into Adam's already fallen body. Then they turn and point their guns at the mob of people rushing toward Willie, forcing them back. COP Stand back, everybody. Stand back. Sugar Boy kneels beside Willie. Sadie stands against a pillar, looking down on him. SUGAR BOY (nearly crying) D-does it hurt m-much, boss? D-d- does it hurt much? Jack looks up to see Anne struggling through the screaming mob to get to Adam. She looks at Adam for a moment, then turns away. JACK Anne, Anne... Where are you going? She doesn't answer, only walks away. He runs after her and catches hold of her arm. ANNE I don't know. Leave me alone. JACK To do what? ANNE I don't care. JACK No, that's too easy. ANNE I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. JACK I do. ANNE Leave me alone, please. JACK No, no more. ANNE He's dead. JACK We're alive. ANNE My brother's dead. JACK We've got to go on living. ANNE How? JACK So that Adam's death has meaning, so that it wasn't wasted. Anne, our life has to give his death meaning. Don't you see that? Look at those people... He turns her around so that she can see the crowds still struggling to get a look at Willie. JACK Look at them! They still believe in him. And we've got to make them see Willie the way Adam saw him, or there's no meaning in anything... anything. A policeman approaches. POLICEMAN Mr. Burden... the governor's asking for you. You better hurry. He's going fast. JACK (to Anne) Will you wait here? No reply. JACK Will you wait here? She nods her head slowly. Jack walks through the building to the pillar against which Willie has been propped. Sugar Boy is still beside him. He stands behind Sadie and Duffy, looking down at Willie. WILLIE It could have been the whole world, Willie Stark. The whole world... Willie Stark. Why did he do it to me... Willie Stark? Why? His head droops to the side and he dies. FADE OUT THE END

FADE IN: In the darkness, we hear a voice, a woman's voice. Her name is Evey. EVEY (V.O.) "Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of now reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot." Her voice has a strength that is metered by a calmness, a deep centered peace that we can feel. EVEY (V.O.) Those were almost the very first words he spoke to me and, in a way, that is where this story began, four hundred years ago, in a cellar beneath the Houses of Parliament. In the darkness, we find a lantern. Guy Fawkes, a dangerous man who wears a goatee, is struggling with a wheelbarrow stacked with barrels of gunpowder. EVEY (V.O.) In 1605, Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The wheelbarrow bumps over the heavy stone mortar of the cellar floor. From the dark depths, we hear the sound of dogs. EVEY (V.O.) He was caught in the cellars with enough gunpowder to level most of London. Guy sees lanterns coming from both sides. He tries to run as the dogs reach him first. He grabs for his sword as dozens of pole axes pin him against the tunnel's stone wall. EVEY (V.O.) Sometimes I wonder where we would be if he hadn't failed. I wonder if it would have mattered. In the dim pre-dawn light, Guy is led to the gallows. EVEY (V.O.) I suppose the answer is in the rhyme. More than the man, what we must remember is the plot itself. The coarse noose of rope is snugged up to Guy's throat. He looks into the crowd until he finds a face, a woman's face, staring up at him. EVEY (V.O.) For in the plot we find more than just a man, we find the idea of that man, the spirit of that man, and that is what we must never forget. The lever is thrown and the woman looks down, a tear falling down her face. EVEY (V.O.) This, then, is the story of that idea, of that spirit that began with an anarchist's plot four hundred years ago. Guy's body hangs in silhouette, lifeless against a red morning sun. FADE OUT. FADE IN: INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE A young Evey sits on her father's lap, combing her Barbie's hair. EVEY (V.O.) I was born near the end of the millennium, the year 1997. My father used to say that people were so afraid that the world was going to end that they were willing it to happen. Her father sits beside her mother on the living room couch, watching the news. From the look on their faces, the news is bad. EVEY (V.O.) I don't remember much of the century's turn. I don't remember the market crash or the plague or any of the Trafalgar riots. The television flickers with images of heavily armed soldiers fighting in a shelled city. EVEY (V.O.) I've read about them since but I don't recall how any of them impacted my life except for the fear. They would hide it from me, like a secret between them. Little Evey sees her father staring at her mother. They take hold of each other's hand, clasping them tight. EVEY (V.O.) But I could feel it. EXT. CITY STREET It is a new day. People are gathered along the street as if they were waiting for a parade. EVEY (V.O.) Of the chaos that seemed to swallow the beginning of the 21st century, there is one thing I do remember. Evey holds her father's hand. Unable to see what is coming, she can hear it. EVEY (V.O.) Very clearly, I can remember that sound. We hear them, hundreds of marching soldiers. EVEY (V.O.) And I remember those boots, black leather that gleamed bright in the morning sun. I had never seen such boots. All moving in perfect unison. Little Evey hides in the forest of adults, clinging to her father's leg, staring as row after row of boots march by with military precision. EXT. CITY STREET In the midst of a political rally for the emerging new party calling itself Norsefire, we find little Evey now on her father's shoulders. Dascombe, a young man, paces the podium, inciting the crowd. DASCOMBE The time has come, London, to return to a bygone age, an age of tradition, an age of values that have been disparaged and all but forgotten. What this country needs is a leader! A true leader to remind us of that age. A righteous leader with the strength of his moral convictions to do what must be done. I give you that man! I give you our leader! Adam Susan! Adam Susan rises and the crowd cheers. Evey's father looks at her mother and again they clasp hands. EVEY (V.O.) It must have seemed so easy to them. They offered such a simple deal; give up control and we will restore order. INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE Little Evey is asleep in her bedroom. EVEY (V.O.) At first, the arrests were political. Dissidents. Radicals. Liberals. A loud crash of splintering wood wakes her up. EVEY (V.O.) When my parents were younger, they had been activists. They had marched with Labor in the great train strike. The sound of heavy boots swarms through the house. LITTLE EVEY Mommy? Her bedroom door bursts open and a heavily armed soldier scoops her up. She is carried through the dark house which is filled with soldiers. On the floor of the living room, she sees her parents being bound with plastic zip-ties. MOTHER My daughter! Don't take my daughter! FATHER Evey! Evey! LITTLE EVEY Mommy! Daddy! A heavy black hood is pulled over each of her parent's heads as Evey is carried out of the house. EVEY (V.O.) I never saw them again. Overnight, my life, my entire world was erased. INT. BATHROOM A nun with a switch in her crossed arms watches as Evey and several other little girls scrub the floor of a dormitory bathroom. EVEY (V.O.) It was done so quickly and violently, so completely, that it began to seem that it had never even existed. A tear rolls down Little Evey's cheek. EXT. HOUSE A gay man is dragged violently from his Piccadilly home. Outside, he sees his lover being forced to the cobblestones. EVEY (V.O.) The homosexuals were next. What God had started with AIDS had to be finished by man. It was God's work. That's what we were told. He reaches for him as the clubs rise and fall, vicious and bloody. EVEY (V.O.) But once they were gone, there was someone else. Someone different. In another neighborhood, we see the police arresting Pakistanis. EVEY (V.O.) Someone dangerous. In a different area, young black men are packed into a caged van so tightly they are unable to move. EVEY (V.O.) There were those who understood what was happening, who knew it was wrong but who kept silent. A young detective named Finch looks down as the van pulls away. When he looks up, another man in a military uniform whose name is Almond is watching him. EVEY (V.O.) And in the vacuum of that silence, order was imposed. Finch sticks his pipe in his mouth and turns away. EXT. STREET Again, we see the marching boots. EVEY (V.O.) Order that was like those boots, order that required rigorous discipline. Order that is exactly the same, where each single step falls with every step. The order of the many shaped into one. We move through the columns of marching soldiers to a wall where a poster has been plastered up. The poster reads, "Strength Through Purity, Purity Through Faith." EVEY (V.O.) Somehow in my heart, I knew it wouldn't last. As the sound of the marching fades, a shadow falls over the sign. After a moment, we hear the hiss of spray paint. EVEY (V.O.) What they thought they had crushed, the spirit they believed trampled and ground beneath the marching of their boots, rose up, rose as if from a four hundred year old grave, rose to remind us all that day. The shadow sprays a "V" over the poster. FADE OUT. FADE IN: Close on a loudspeaker. There is one on every major street corner. FATE (V.O.) Good evening, London. It's nine o'clock, the fourth of November in the year 2019 and this is the voice of Fate broadcasting on 275 and 285 of the medium wave. Beneath the loudspeaker is a surveillance system labeled, "For your protection." Bubble eyed lenses iris at the end of stalks that move, insect-like, racheting and clicking as they watch a little girl pedal her bicycle. The little girl glances nervously over her shoulder up at the mechanical eyes watching her. FATE (V.O.) People of London, be advised -- EXT. EVEY'S APARTMENT There is a radio on a small makeup table. FATE (V.O.) -- that Braxton and Streathon are quarantine zones as of today. Evey is now a young woman. She slips into a dress that is little more than a nightgown. She tries to adjust it, pulling it down at the hem, pulling it up at the thin shoulder straps, but it is like trying to hide behind a lamppost. FATE (V.O.) It is suggested that these area be avoided for reasons of health and safety. INT. SHADOW GALLERY Another radio in a room that seems to be of another world. FATE (V.O.) Good news following the productivity reports from Herefordshire indicating a possible end to meat rationing starting mid February. A man enters the room as he once entered the world. His body is lean and strong and though we do not see his face, there is a strength in his carriage, a power to his presence. INT. EVEY'S APARTMENT She packs tissue paper into the toes of a pair of high heels that are too big for her. FATE (V.O.) Police raided seventeen homes in the Birmingham area, uncovering what is believed to be a major terrorist ring. INT. SHADOW GALLERY We move over a dressing bureau, past a wig and over a pair of black leather gloves, moving until we find the mask; it is like something from the masquerade ball of another era. It has an exaggerated goatee, harlequin cheeks and a smile, forever fixed, at once be-guiling and be-deviling. FATE (V.O.) Twenty eight people, eight of them women, are currently in detention awaiting trial. INT. EVEY'S APARTMENT Evey coats her lips with a lascivious red. She stares into the mirror, her makeup like a mask over her own face. FATE (V.O.) And that is the face of London tonight. INT. SHADOW GALLERY The man, now fully dressed in cloak, hat, and mask gazes into the mirror. This is V. FATE (V.O.) And this is the voice of Fate signing off and bidding you a pleasant evening. EXT. CITY STREET Close on Evey's high heels, stumbling and awkward as she walks down a dark cobblestoned street. EXT. CITY STREET Close on V's boots walking in the opposite direction so that it seems they are walking towards each other. EVEY (V.O.) I don't know what brought us together that night. I had never been to that part of Westminster but ever since I've known him, I've stopped believing in coincidence. EXT. CITY STREET Evey looks up and sees a man standing mostly in shadow. EVEY Excuse me? Uh... excuse me, Mister? The man turns around. It is not V. EVEY Would you like... uh, would you like to sleep with me? He smiles. EVEY I mean, for money. MAN That is the clumsiest bit of propositioning I've ever heard. EVEY Oh god, I'm sorry. MAN Is this your first time, darling? EVEY Yes, no, I mean for money. But I know what you want and I'll do it. She presses her body to his, using her little girl eyes and her woman's mouth. EVEY Anything you want, mister. Please, I need the money. I know I'm young but I promise I know what I'm doing. MAN No. You don't know what you're doing. He pulls out his wallet and shows her a badge. The sight of it knocks the breath out of her. EVEY Christ, you're a Fingerman. FINGERMAN 1 Give the little lady a prize. FINGERMAN 2 I've got something to give her. Evey turns and there are more Fingermen behind her. FINGERMAN 1 Prostitution is a class H offense. Know what that means? It means that we get to exercise our own judicial discretion -- FINGERMAN 2 And you get to swallow it. The Fingermen laugh. EVEY Oh god, please. It's my first time. Please don't hurt me. FINGERMAN 1 Gosh, fellas, look at those big innocent eyes. What do you think? FINGERMAN 3 Spare the rod, spoil the child. Fingerman 2 laughs hard as he drops his pants. EVEY Oh no! He shoves her face first against a brick wall, lifting her dress to expose her bottom. EVEY Please, don't! FINGERMAN 3 You heard the man, sweetie. This rod's for your own good. Suddenly, they are no longer alone. V "The multiplying villainies of nature do swarm upon him." FINGERMAN 3 What the hell -- V "And fortune, on his damned quarrel, smiling, showed like a rebel's whore." FINGERMAN 1 We're police officers, pal. FINGERMAN 4 We're with the Finger. FINGERMAN 3 So bugger off! V "Disdaining fortune with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution." In the clenched fist of black leather, we see a flash of steel. FINGERMAN 1 He's got a knife! V attacks and at once we know this is no normal human being. A single blow sends the largest of the Fingermen flying backwards. But more than his strength, it is his speed. A gun is cocked but before the hammer falls, a knife is buried in the Fingerman's chest and -- Before the body falls, the knife is gone. It takes a handful of seconds and three bodies lay on the ground. V turns to the last Fingerman who is struggling to pull his pants up. FINGERMAN 3 Jesus Christ! Don't hurt me! V steps forward and he screams, bolting while holding his pants up. V Good evening. EVEY Who -- Who are you? V Me? I imagine all manner of names shall be heaped upon my humble visage but, for now, let us simply say I am the villain. He throws wide his cloak and bows deeply to her. V And you would be? EVEY Evey. V Of course. They hear sirens rushing towards them. In a blink, he scoops her up and dashes into the shadows of a narrow alleyway. EXT. ROOFTOPS Police cars and several ambulances swarm over the area with the dead Fingermen. V watches them from above. EVEY Why did you do that? Why did you... help me? V Why indeed? He takes out an old antique pocket watch. It is almost midnight. V Almost time. EVEY For what? V For the music. EVEY Music? V Yes, music. My music. You see. Evey, I am a performer. EVEY Is that why you're wearing a mask? V We all wear masks. Life creates them and forces us to find the one that fits. Do you know what day it is? EVEY Uh... November fourth. V Not for long. He looks out where, rising above the rooftops, he can see Big Ben. V "Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot." The second hand sweeps into the final minute. V Tell me, Evey, what good is an actor that plays his part to an empty theatre? EVEY I don't know. V Nor do I. That's why you are here. I need you, Evey. I need someone to listen. EVEY To your music? V Yes. Yes, to my music. From his sleeve, he pulls a conductor's wand. V Can you hear it? It's already begun. He begins to lightly tap the wand in the air and, very faintly, we hear it. EVEY I can't hear anything. V At first, you have to listen very carefully... He continues to conduct and we begin to hear the music, violins and horns that seem almost like a whisper or a wind that steadily swells. V Ahh, yes. There it is. Beautiful, is it not? He turns to the parapet, his gestures growing grander as the music rises and we recognize Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. The music mounts a climax and V points the wand at Big Ben as cymbals crash -- Big Ben explodes with such force the world seems to shake, while -- V, smiling, always smiling, points again with another crescendo and -- The statue of justice is blown to smithereens. V nods in appreciation while mustering the music towards it's finale as fireworks begin lighting up the sky. EVEY Oh my... Everywhere across the city, people stand transfixed by the dazzling shimmer of the fireworks until -- A strobing final blitz leaves a single, starry image floating in the smoke filled sky. It is the letter V. EVEY It's beautiful... V Thank you. From every direction, the city screams with the panicked sound of sirens. EXT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING A massive modern building that is the seat of the new government. A long, black car pulls up to the entrance. Adam Susan gets out, wearing a long black trenchcoat over his pajamas. He is the Leader and he looks older, heavier, and meaner. He hurries past the heavily armed guards, barely acknowledging the snap and cock of their Nazi-like salute. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The Leader enters his main chambers and we see the Fate computer system. It is a cerebral cortex for a vast intelligence network. Information can almost be felt coursing through its hard drives. The Leader sits, at once regaining a measure of composure. He takes a deep calming breath and accesses the system. Dozens of monitors fill with images from all across the city, most of them are of the damage caused by V. LEADER Gentlemen, I will hear your reports now. Mr. Heyer, speak for the Eye. Conrad Heyer appears on one of the screens. He is at his desk inside the command center for the Eye, the governmental organization responsible for the visual surveillance systems. CONRAD We have less than two minutes of usable footage, Leader. It took the suspect less than a minute to dispatch the Finger's vice patrol. On an insert screen, we see grainy footage of V rescuing Evey from one of the pole-mounted cameras. CONRAD As you can see, the suspect's reflex speed is extraordinary. As is his strength. As the last body falls, V seems to pause and looks back over his shoulder straight into the camera. LEADER Freeze it! The Leader stares at the smiling face. CONRAD I'm afraid the mask makes retinal identification impossible. LEADER Mr. Etheridge, report for the Ear! Bunny Etheridge appears on another screen. Behind him, huge spooling reels of audiotape wind constantly. ETHERIDGE We were able to triangulate the origin of the fireworks. We also are currently monitoring a lot of phone surveillance indicating a high percentage of conversation concerned with the explosions. All suspect or significant transcripts are being forwarded to Mr. Almond. LEADER Very good. Mr. Finch, speak for the Nose. Finch, no longer the same young man, stands at the site of the fireworks launch. FINCH Thanks to Etheridge, we found the launch for the fireworks. These appear to be individually weighted flares and we have found traces of the same chemicals at both of the detonation sites which leads us to conclude that, despite a level of sophistication, these devices are all home-made with over the counter chemicals, making them impossible to trace. Whoever he is, Leader, he's good. LEADER Thank you for that professional annotation. An intercom opens. LIEUTENANT (V.O.) Leader, Mr. Almond has arrived. LEADER Very good. Gentlemen, keep me informed of any further developments. England prevails. They answer in unison as Almond enters the office. His face is harder but he has the same violent gleam in his eye. The Leader turns in his chair. LEADER Mr. Almond, do you know what this is behind me? ALMOND Uh... the Fate computer system, sir? LEADER No. No sir. It's more than that. This, this computer is a symbol, Mr. Almond. A symbol of the highest attainable goal of mankind. Do you know what that goal is, Mr. Almond? Almond does not. The Leader leaps from his chair while pounding the desk. LEADER Control, Mr. Almond! Control! The world around us is a changing, directionless, amoral morass and it is up to man and man alone to set things right! He moves around the desk at Almond. LEADER Without control, man is nothing more than any other stinking, sweating, brute animal. Control, Mr. Almond. The control that we have painstakingly built up over the last ten years. Now, do you understand what happened last night? ALMOND We... lost control. LEADER Yes, Mr. Almond. Last night someone did the unthinkable. Someone hurt us. It is imperative that we act swiftly and precisely. I want that man found, Mr. Almond. I want his head or, by god, I'll have yours. INT. SHADOW GALLERY Evey is wearing a blindfold and V leads her by her fingertips, guiding her almost as if they were dancing... His fingers slip free of her and she reaches out. EVEY Wait. I've lost you. V No, you haven't. He is behind her and he removes the blindfold, revealing his house to her. EVEY Oh... It is a labyrinth of interconnecting underground tunnels and rooms. The gallery is the main room as it is filled with an amazing collection of human culture. There is art that spans from the renaissance to the painted covers of Eerie comics, literature that ranges from Shakespeare to Spillane, philosophy from Plato to Bukowski, and a vast collection of nonfiction. There are movie posters everywhere and an entire wall is lined with videocassettes. A jukebox stands in front of an enormous vinyl and CD collection of music. EVEY A jukebox? Where did you get it? V I saved it. Like everything here. She punches a button and Billie Holiday begins to sing. EVEY Oh, it's beautiful. I've never heard anything like it. V Of course not. You grew up in their world. Art is created by individuals and there are no individuals in a world where you are told what to think. EVEY This place is amazing. V You're welcome to stay. She stops suddenly and looks at him. The offer is terribly exciting but it is so unlike anything she has ever done that it's almost impossible to imagine. EVEY Stay here... with you? V Yes. If you like. EVEY I... I don't even know your name. V I don't have a name. But you can call me V. EVEY V? V... I like that. And she returns his smile. EXT. JORDAN TOWER The only operating broadcast tower in London; home of the Mouth. INT. RADIO BROADCAST BOOTH Lewis Prothero leans forward and lets his voice pour like syrup over the microphone. PROTHERO Good morning, London. This is the voice of Fate -- Damn. He stops and coughs. PROTHERO Good morning -- ack. Good morning Lond-- Goddammit! Where is my bloody tea?! In the control booth, Roger Dascombe, his hair thinner now, rubs his temple. DASCOMBE Would someone get his lordship his bloody tea? He clicks on the microphone. DASCOMBE Lewis, they want this report on the first hour -- PROTHERO I know. I know. Damned inconvenient this entire affair. Fine. Let's try again. He clears his voice and the red "record" light turns on. PROTHERO Good morning, London. It is 6 am, the fifth of November 2019 and this is the voice of Fate. The new day brings good news and bright prospects from overseas, where negotiations with New China are moving in a positive direction. Last night's scheduled demolition of two deteriorating landmarks went off without a hitch. Dascombe is unable to stop himself from smiling. PROTHERO Spokesman for the Interior ministry said both structures were severely damaged and judged to be a danger to the unsuspecting public. Plans for new landmarks are well underway. Prothero sits back, shaking his head. PROTHERO Do you believe this crap, Dascombe? DASCOMBE It's not our job to believe it, Lewis. Our job is to tell the people -- PROTHERO "Exactly what they tell us." I Know but do you think that people will believe it? DASCOMBE They will if it's you that's telling it to them. Now let's try it again. INT. SHADOW GALLERY V is alone, listening to the first morning broadcast. PROTHERO (V.O.) ... plans for new landmarks are already well underway. He clicks off the radio. Walking down a hall, he stops and peers into Evey's new bedroom. She is fast asleep, looking remarkably at peace. Quietly, he shuts the door. EXT. TRAIN STATION People are hurrying to board a departing train. INT. TRAIN CAR Prothero is staring out his window. PROTHERO "Remember, remember, the fifth of November..." He talks to his bodyguards almost as if talking to himself. PROTHERO Do you suppose that's why he did it? BODYGUARD 1 Sir, who did what, sir? PROTHERO Guy Fawkes. He tried to blow up Parliament. The guards look at each other, confused. PROTHERO Don't they teach history in school anymore? BODYGUARD 1 Sir, we're both straight military, sir. BODYGUARD 2 Sir, yes, sir. I was fighting in Ireland by the time I was sixteen. PROTHERO Yes, of course. My mistake. He turns back to his window. EXT. RAILROAD The train rumbles along, heading for a tunnel. INT. TRAIN CAR Prothero watches the countryside rolling past. PROTHERO I love trains. I remember riding the underground with my father. Shame they shut them all down. Bodyguard 1 looks out the opposite window just as the train enters the tunnel. BODYGUARD 1 What the hell's that! EXT. TRAIN For a flashing instant, we see V in silhouette, cloak swirling around him like dark wings as he jumps from the bridge onto the train. INT. TRAIN CAR Prothero and Bodyguard 2 stare at Bodyguard 1. BODYGUARD 1 I thought I saw a man jumping onto the train. BODYGUARD 2 The train's doing almost seventy. It would break his legs. BODYGUARD 1 You're right, I... It must have been rags. EXT. TRAIN Deep in the tunnel, a dark figure glides across the rooftops. INT. CONDUCTOR'S CAB The conductor hears something on the roof. He peers up just as V swings down, smashing feet first into the cab. INT. TRAIN CAR The brakes suddenly lock, throwing Bodyguard 2 into Prothero. PROTHERO Get off of me! A moment later, the lights are cut off and the entire train is plunged into complete darkness. BODYGUARD 2 What the fuck is going on? BODYGUARD 1 Lock the car doors. PROTHERO I have a lighter... somewhere... BODYGUARD 2 I can't find the lock -- wait. Hey wha-- There is a muffled shriek followed by a sharp snap. BODYGUARD 1 What's happening -- There is another sound, like the leather slap of a boxer pounding a heavy bag, followed by the sound of the heavy bag collapsing onto the floor. PROTHERO I found it! He flicks on the lighter and, in the dim light of its flame, he sees the smiling face. PROTHERO Oh god. V sits casually, arms folded, across from Prothero. The bodyguards lay dead on the floor. PROTHERO Who are you? What do you want? Money? Is that it? V just smiles. PROTHERO Wait, wait. You're, you're the one that blew the Bailey. V nods and Prothero's eyes go wide. PROTHERO You're making a mistake. I'm nobody -- On the floor, he sees the bodyguard's gun. He kills the lighter and dives for it. In the darkness, we hear the struggle. It ends quickly. When the lighter flicks back on, V is holding it and the gun. PROTHERO Oh god, what do you want? V I've come to offer you a choice. Commander Prothero. PROTHERO What -- What did you call me? V Commander Prothero. Prothero's heart begins to pound. V That was your title at Larkhill. You remember Larkhill, don't you, Commander? EXT. LARKHILL RESETTLEMENT CAMP - FLASHBACK A sign reads, "Larkhill Resettlement Camp." V (V.O.) Where they sent the undesirables. A caged truck packed with minorities rolls into the gates which are topped with spools of razor wire. INT. TRAIN CAR Prothero is sweating. PROTHERO I don't know what you're talking about. V Maybe I can help your memory. Let's see. Larkhill opened in the summer of 2009. You were appointed it commander. You wore a uniform in those days. You looked very good in it. INT. LARKHILL - PROTHERO'S OFFICE - FLASHBACK Prothero admires his uniform in the mirror. V (V.O.) You were a man of many responsibilities. You made sure Larkhill made all its quotas, especially the oven quotas even though they required an excessive amount of maintenance. EXT. LARKHILL OVENS - FLASHBACK We see a detail of black and Indian men, shoveling mounds of black ash from a series of furnace like ovens. As the shovels lift, we see blackened bones and burnt skulls. EXT. LARKHILL MAIN YARD - FLASHBACK Prothero saunters through the lines of camp prisoners. V (V.O.) But there was one task you took to with exceptional relish. Remember the medical block, Commander? I believe you called it the funny farm. You were the one that selected the prisoners. You hand picked each one. Prothero steps in front of a woman who remains beautiful despite the suffering she has endured. Prothero smiles. PROTHERO Her. As the guards grab her, we become aware of a man that is staring at Prothero. He is one of the prisoners but we do not see his face. Prothero notices the man. He doesn't like the way the man is staring at him. PROTHERO You. INT. TRAIN CAR Prothero is terrified. PROTHERO You! You're him, aren't you? V nods. PROTHERO Oh my god! What are you going to do? V You gave us a choice, remember, Commander? You said we could cooperate with the doctors or... V cocks the gun. V Hold out your hand. Trembling, Prothero sticks out his hand. V lets the light die for a moment. When he flicks it back on, Prothero is holding a long, metal syringe filled with a murky liquid. PROTHERO Oh no, no! Please I was just doing what I was told! V Of course you were. Now I'm telling you to make a choice. Either you stick that syringe into your neck or -- He presses the gun barrel to Prothero's forehead. V I can kill you right now. Prothero begins to blubber. V Crying doesn't help, Commander. I remember there was a woman who had been screaming for two days. You winked at the doctor and laughed, "All in the name of science." PROTHERO Please, don't make me do this... V It's a difficult choice, isn't it? Certain death versus something that might be... worse. But you never know. There is still a chance. You could survive. Look at me. Now, time's up, Commander. Choose. Anger galvanizes his fear and steadily Prothero lifts the needle towards his neck. PROTHERO I'll see you in hell. He jams the needle in and sinks the plunger. V Yes. I'm quite sure you will. INT. TRAIN Train workers with flashlights hurry through the cars. TRAIN MAN This door's locked! He slams a shoulder against it and the door gives in. TRAIN MAN Holy Christ! Flashlights sweep over the dead bodyguards. The train man hears a strange gurgling rasp and he turns, finding Prothero in his light. TRAIN MAN What happened here? Prothero is foaming at the mouth while a thick mucus bubbles from his nose. His breath comes in tiny rasps. TRAIN MAN Good lord! I need a medic here. Prothero becomes more animate, trying to tell the man something. PROTHERO Fi... Fi... Fi... TRAIN MAN 2 He's trying to say something. PROTHERO Five. TRAIN MAN 1 Five? Where's the goddamn medic? PROTHERO Room five. Suddenly, his body convulses and blood pours out his ears. His body slumps over. TRAIN MAN 2 I think he needs a priest. EXT. TRAIN STATION The station is swarming with police. A stretcher wheels a body in a black plastic bag out from Prothero's car. INT. TRAIN CAR Finch puffs on his pipe, staring at something spray painted on the wall of the train car: a "V" with a circle around it. DOMINIC What do you make of this, Mr. Finch? Dominic, Finch's younger assistant, is holding a flower in his rubber gloved hand. FINCH Hmm. It's a rose. A violet carson, I believe. Strange. DOMINIC Strange? FINCH I didn't think they still existed. SOLDIER Mr. Finch! Sir! Finch turns as a soldier with a radio steps into the car. SOLDIER Sir, they want you at headquarters, sir. FINCH Now? SOLDIER Yes, sir. I'm to transport you immediately. FINCH Send the rose to the lab. Also, scrape a sample of this paint and have it analyzed as well. I'll be back as soon as I can. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The door opens and Finch steps in. LEADER Ah, Mr. Finch. I sent for you because what I have to say cannot be said over a phone or a radio. What I have to say cannot leave these four walls. Do I make myself clear? FINCH Yes, sir. LEADER I believe in a few things, Mr. Finch. I believe in god. I believe in the destiny of the Nordic race. And I believe in fascism. The romans invented fascism. They had a symbol for it; a bundle of twigs bound together. One twig could be broken but a bundle would prevail. That is the heart and soul of fascism. Strength in unity. I tell you these things knowing full well that they make you uncomfortable. FINCH Well, I... LEADER You have in fact expressed your discomfort in several arrest reports, arrests that were, in your opinion, "unnecessary." The fact that you are here, that you are not rotting in a prison cell, is a mark of my respect and admiration for you, for your craft, and for what you have done for this country. Finch looks at the ground. LEADER It is also because I know you, Finch. I know what you are. You're a man like me. A man who understands when they are given a job what must be done. I understand you, Finch, and that is why I can trust you. He moves in close to Finch. LEADER This terrorist knows us, Finch. These attacks are perfectly calculated and they are divisive. He knows what he's doing, Finch. He knows us all too well. FINCH You think he's an insider? LEADER What I think is that this man must be stopped. Stopped at all costs and no one, I repeat, no one is to be placed above suspicion. Do I make myself clear? FINCH Perfectly. LEADER England prevails, Mr. Finch. FINCH England prevails. INT. SHADOW GALLERY Evey, alone in the Shadow Gallery, stares up at the inscription above the crooked staircase. EVEY V, v, v, v, v. V I hear your summons, my lady. And obey. She jumps, V suddenly appearing behind her. EVEY Oh, V, you scared me. She turns back to the carving. EVEY I was reading the inscription. What is it? V A Latin quotation. A motto. "Vi veri veniversum vivus vici." "By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe." She nods. EVEY Yes, I suppose you have. This place is the only universe I have right now. V Does that bother you? EVEY I don't know. I'm so grateful to you -- I just feel I should help you, you know, the way you're helping me. I mean, that's the deal, isn't it? V drifts over to the big old Wurlitzer, fingers scanning the song list. V No deals, Evey. Not unless you want them. She looks up at the inscription as an old blues song begins to play. EVEY I think I do. Part of me wants to stay here forever and never have to face what's going on outside. But that's not right. Is it? That's not taking responsibility. Not conquering my universe. She turns to him. EVEY I want to help you, V. I want to do something. Can we make a deal? V Yes. I think we can make a deal if you like. I think I know a way you could help me very soon indeed. Evey smiles nervously. EVEY Good. That's that, then. The blues song curls in the air around them like a heavy incense. EVEY V, you said that Latin thing was a quote. Who said it? V Nobody you'd have heard of. A German gentleman named Dr. John Faust. He spins her. V He made a deal too. EXT. WESTMINSTER ABBEY - DAY The church doors have opened with the flow of parishioners as the final mass of the day has ended. The tide slowly pours out onto the sidewalk, separating around the clumps of people that conglomerate to network and gossip. Church bells toll in the orange dusk above them. Helen Heyer, a woman whose spite and guile are hidden behind her looks and clothes she drapes them with, charges into the gossipers, her trophy husband in tow, a timid looking man that we recognize as Conrad Heyer. CONRAD Hello, Rosemary. Derek, how -- Helen's head snaps over at the mention of the name. HELEN Derek! She pushes past Conrad, giving Derek Almond an exuberant kiss on both cheeks. HELEN Darling, how are you? Hello, Rosemary. Always behind her husband, Rosemary Almond smiles nervously as she straightens her drab church dress. ROSEMARY Hello. DEREK It's so good to see you. Since this bloody terrorist business, the old man has me literally chained to the office. Helen pouts at him. HELEN Oh, you poor dear. Derek taps the bottom of his cigarette box, drawing one with his lips. DEREK It comes with the job. How are things in the Eye, Conrad? CONRAD Well, we've been working some bugs out of the new Mark IX fiber optic network, actually -- HELEN Oh, Conrad, don't be such a bloody bore. Do tell us about the terrorist, Derek. Is it true he blew up Big Ben and the old Bailey? DEREK I'm afraid so. We're dealing with a pathological psychotic in the most extreme case. We'll catch him though. I promise. Helen rubs her white sable against her body. HELEN Oh, it sounds dreadfully exciting. Aren't you glad you've got such a ruthless, implacable brute for a husband, Rosemary? ROSEMARY Yes, well -- HELEN Believe me, you're lucky. You could be struck with a professional peeping tom like Conrad. England's highest paid voyeur, aren't you darling? CONRAD Helen, I think we'd better -- HELEN Oh yes, of course. We have to get back so the little pervert can watch what the neighbors do after Sunday lunch. He's so exciting. Derek laughs as they climb into their car. HELEN Ciao! DEREK Goodbye, Helen. Conrad. Rosemary waves as it pulls off. ROSEMARY She's a bit hard on him, isn't she? Derek sneers at her. DEREK Until you're half the woman of Helen's sophistication, I'd keep your little mouth shut. He throws the cigarette at her feet. DEREK Really, just look at the way you dress. INT. WESTMINSTER ABBEY From above, a hand sweeps aside the red plush curtain. LILLIMAN Ah, there they go. My happy and contented flock. Spiritually refreshed and ready to face the world again. Bishop Anthony Lilliman is a slender man of pious elegance with a warm, beautiful smile. He turns from the window to his valet, Dennis, as Derek and Rosemary get in their car. LILLIMAN Did you enjoy the sermon today, Dennis? DENNIS Very inspiring, your grace. Though the segue of the forces of Satan among us did strike me as a bit of a curious digression. He whisks a lint brush over the Bishop's robes before putting them away. LILLIMAN Hmm, yes. A trifle purple, I thought. Still, Fate wanted it included and who are we to question the will of the almighty, miserable sinners that we are? A gentle smile spreads across his mouth. LILLIMAN And speaking of sin, I wonder which of the seven deadlies the good lord will see fit to tempt me with today. Dennis finishes with the Bishop's robes and sweeps the closet door shut. DENNIS Perhaps pride, your grace. Lilliman chuckles. LILLIMAN I was thinking of something a little less ethereal. Has the young lady arrived? DENNIS The agency informed me she'll be here directly. However, there was a mixup. It's not one of the usual girls. She's a little older. LILLIMAN Oh dear. Oh dear. Not too old, I trust? DENNIS They promise me she's no more than fifteen. LILLIMAN Fifteen, hmm. The Bishop rubs his cheek, ponderously. LILLIMAN Ah well, if Job could bear his disappointments, I suppose I must have the good grace to bear mine. Show her in when she arrives. DENNIS Yes, your grace. EXT. WESTMINSTER ABBEY - NIGHT A pair of headlights melt through the heavy night's fog as a taxicab pulls into the circle drive. INT. BISHOP'S QUARTERS Dennis peers into the Bishop's living quarters. DENNIS The young lady, your grace. LILLIMAN Oh my! Standing next to Dennis is Evey, wearing a frilly pink summer dress, pigtails and bows and white ruffled socks. LILLIMAN And to think I doubted your loveliness for even an instant. Mea culpa, my child, mea culpa. You are a vision. An angel. Evey smiles awkwardly. EVEY Uh... thank you. EXT. WESTMINSTER ABBEY - NIGHT A shadow begins moving across the manicured grounds borne on the thick mist like a dark phantom. V glides toward the rectory, cloak undulating against the dark, wet wind. INT. BISHOP'S BEDROOM It is extravagantly furnished, somewhere between posh and pimp. The Bishop is sitting very close to Evey on his plush water bed. LILLIMAN Of course, "hate the sin, love the sinner." I always say. Take your dress off, please. Evey stammers, backing up along the bedside. EVEY Listen -- I was kind of hoping -- He paws at her, groping hands pushing the front of her dress down as she backs up against the nightstand. EVEY No -- EXT. MAIN GATE - NIGHT The guards look out into the night, fear suddenly gripping their faces. V emerges demonically through the parting veils of fog, the white smiling mask bobbing eerily up and down as he rushes them. A cigarette drops from the first guard's mouth, red embers exploding when it hits the wet cement. Close as the two guards claw for their arms and the white hot flash of V's knives -- That slice like talons. The two men crumple to the ground, clutching their gaping, gurgling wounds. A whisper. V sprints into the courtyard. INT. BISHOP'S BEDROOM Evey grabs a metal table lamp and swings it down on the Bishop's head. There is a shuddering clank and he collapses to the floor. LILLIMAN You -- You filthy whore! His blood speckles the white bearskin throw rug as the Bishop slowly rises after the retreating Evey. LILLIMAN I'll kill you, you fucking sow. He charges after her but freezes dead in his tracks as V swings around the corner in front of him. LILLIMAN What's this? Who -- V Please allow me to introduce myself... V bows. V I'm a man of wealth and taste. LILLIMAN Dennis? Instantly, the point of one of V's knives is against the Bishop's throat. V presses a finger to his frozen smile. V Shh. It isn't polite to disturb the dead on their journey. Evey watches from around the corner. V A courtesy I'll most respectfully extend to his grace. EVEY V? Lilliman swallows audibly. EVEY V, what are you doing? V Vi veri veniversum vivus vici, Evey. Evey looks down at the knives on his belt, dripping blood. EVEY Oh no. She begins backing to the door. EVEY You can't kill him! V Death has followed his grace the whole of his career. Is it any coincidence it has finally followed him here? EVEY Oh god, V. I can't -- I can't -- V turns back to Lilliman as Evey runs. V Let us pray. EXT. WESTMINSTER ABBEY - NIGHT Evey sprints past the dead guards at the man gate and into the fog. INT. THE EAR A cramped control room that looks like something between a radio and television switching room, though it does not broadcast. It receives. Two operators sit at the main substation as the sounds of lovemaking come over the speakers. The moans are stifled and low, however, as if they were afraid someone was listening. OPERATOR 1 Bloody hell. Doesn't anybody fuck with feeling anymore? Operator 2 does not look at him, scrolling through an intricate city map on his computer. OPERATOR 2 Hey, it's Sunday. Children's hour over at the Abbey. OPERATOR 1 Let's see what that filthy old pervert is up to. Operator 1 punches in some coordinates and the sound over the speakers changes to a garbled fart of noise. Two voices drown beneath a cacophony of classical music. OPERATOR 1 What the -- He tries to dial out the background and suddenly the voices rise clearly above the din. VOICE 1 ... And I saw a black shape against the flames. Oh god. It's you. The man from room five. You've come -- VOICE 2 To collect what's mine. VOICE 1 I beg you! I don't want to die! Please have mercy! The two men look at each other, Operator 1 lunging for a red phone. OPERATOR 1 Get me the Finger. This is an emergency! EXT. BISHOP'S QUARTERS - NIGHT Close on a stain of white vomit and blood on the thick pile of a Persian rug. It is encircled in police chalk. Pull back to reveal the chalk outline where the body of Bishop Lilliman was found. The circled bloodstain floats above the head like the last word balloon of a crude comic strip character. The Bishop's quarters is slowly being picked over by a forensic team from the Nose. A photographer's flash bursts against a painted "V" on the wall near the body outline. At the window, Finch chews on his pipe, staring at a plastic evidence bag that contains a single violet carson rose. DOMINIC No prints yet, sir. Just like Prothero. FINCH I want those tapes from the Ear in my office tonight, Dominic. DOMINIC Yes, sir. They're on top of it. Finch turns to a muscular man named Creedy, second in command at the Finger. FINCH Any word from your superior, Mr. Creedy? CREEDY Mr. Almond doesn't seem to be answering his page, sir. I'm sure he's in the field. FINCH Quite. INT. CONRAD HEYER'S BEDROOM Grunting like an animal, Derek's face is frozen, locked in the rigor of a violent orgasm. After a moment, he collapses beside Helen onto the sweat soaked sheets. HELEN There you go, baby. Now my baby boy can think so much clearer. Can't he? She grabs her cigarette case and her lighter. HELEN You have been thinking, haven't you? She straddles his chest then lights two cigarettes. HELEN I know you have. Ever since this terrorist appeared. He smiles as she puts one of the cigarettes in his mouth. HELEN Oh jesus, that smile. That smile turns me on like nothing else. She whispers in his ear. HELEN Tell me. Tell me what's going on in that ruthless sadistic brain of yours. DEREK Everyone is so worried about the terrorist. Especially Susan. You know why? Because nobody knows what he's going to do. He exhales through his grinding teeth. DEREK If I were him, I know what I'd do. He whispers. DEREK I'd blow that fat bastard to kingdom come. Helen bolts up. HELEN No. You're kidding. DEREK Am I? He smiles, blowing more smoke. DEREK There's an old train line under the New Government Building. It collapsed when they poured the foundation. You could haul in enough TNT to launch our Leader's ass all the way to the moon. Helen's eyes gleam as he laughs. HELEN You're serious, aren't you? He eyes her sucking on the cigarette. DEREK You need to be careful, Helen. Your mouth is going to get you into trouble one day. HELEN Is that the same trouble you love putting in my mouth? DEREK You never know who might be listening. HELEN I know, Derek. You love your country and you love your party, just like you love your wife. He glares at her. HELEN Derek. I'm sorry. I know I can be a bitch. But that's why you're here, isn't it? He smiles again and she presses her body to his. HELEN This is it, isn't it, Derek? What we've been waiting for. At last, you'll be rid of Susan. I'll be rid of Conrad. And we'll be free. Free, won't we? His eyes close as he grinds his hips into hers and we rise, drifting up to the ceiling light fixture -- Where we see a tiny hidden microphone. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE - THE NOSE Finch sits at his desk, staring into the silence of his notepad. He has doodled a little "V" with a circle around it. He looks up as Dominic enters, holding up a portable cassette player. DOMINIC Sorry it took so long. The boys had a devil of a time trying to filter out the background noise. FINCH Background noise? DOMINIC The perpetrator apparently turned on the Bishop's stereo. Subsequently, a great deal of the tape is useless. He hands the player to Finch. FINCH What music did he play? DOMINIC Beethoven. The fifth, I believe. Finch smiles. FINCH Da, da, da, dum. That's code. Morse code. DOMINIC Sir? FINCH For the letter "V". Finch punches "play". Over the small speaker, we sear Evey protesting to V, then run. He stops it. FINCH Anything on the girl yet? DOMINIC No. The agency said somebody claiming to be Lilliman's valet canceled his Sunday appointment. Finch starts it again and this time the tape is very fuzzy. FINCH What is it? DOMINIC 23rd Psalm. We recognize some of the words though muted and crackly. TAPE (V.O.) Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... DOMINIC It goes on like that for a while. Fairly incoherent except we could make out a few words in this part. Transubstantiation. Finch nods, understanding. DOMINIC That miracle business when the wafer transform into the body of Christ. FINCH He made him eat a host. DOMINIC Yes, listen to this part. The tape becomes somewhat clearer as the music rests. TAPE (V.O.) ... And at the moment this enters your mouth it becomes the flesh of the savior? Yes... please... And whatever it is made of now it will become the body of Christ? Yes... yes... They eye each other. TAPE (V.O.) I want you to swallow it. DOMINIC There's a couple of funny human noises... FINCH And then just Beethoven's fifth. He shuts off the tape. FINCH We have got the initial path report back. The host was full of cyanide. Finch picks up the bag with the violet carson. FINCH And do you know what? He rises, sliding into his jacket. FINCH When it reached his abdomen, it was still cyanide. INT. MORGUE Close on the heavy stitching of a "Y" incision sewn into the chest of a corpse. It is one of the Bishop's guards. DELIA Do you have a motive? Finch is standing next to the cadaver gurney with the coroner, Delia Surridge. She is a serious woman, hair wound tight behind her head in a severe bun. DELIA I mean, was anything taken? She fills the dead man's head with cotton and replaces the top of his skull. FINCH Just lives. Pulling at the man's scalp, she stretches it over the replaced skull piece. FINCH I know it's too early for your profile but do you have any initial impressions? DELIA Well... She points at a jagged puncture wound at the base of the man's sternum with a ball point pen. DELIA He's incredibly powerful. This man's sternum was split like dry wood from the base all the way up to the manubrium. Finch peers into the hole. DELIA And he's resourceful. On that table behind you is a breakdown of all the chemicals found in Prothero's blood stream. Finch hefts the pile of computer paper. FINCH Bloody hell. DELIA There were hundreds of different chemicals in him. From trinitrotoluene to estrogen to motor oil. He flips through the document, biting into the wooden end of his pipe. FINCH Perhaps Fate will make something more of all this. I certainly can't. DELIA The Leader finally authorized an uplink for you? He must be getting nervous. FINCH Quite. Government directed terrorism never sews healthy ideas into the public. Oh, that reminds me. Finch pulls the evidence bag from his pocket. FINCH Can you tell us anything about this? Delia's eyes lock onto the violet carson. FINCH We found one in the carriage with Prothero and this one in the Bishop's quarters. A violet carson. He hands it to her. FINCH I heard that strain had died off. Thought a botanist might shed some light on it. Delia? Delia, riveted to the rose, suddenly looks up to him. DELIA Yes -- Yes, of course. FINCH Magic. I'll drop by tomorrow then. He turns, leaving her with the rose. INT. SHADOW GALLERY V relaxes with a book in an overstuffed reading chair, a violet carson rose resting on a table next to him. He begins to read a passage aloud. V "There is more behind and inside of V than any of us had suspected. Not who, but what: what is she?" He places the book down. Thomas Pynchon's "V". V rises, lifting the rose and moving into the darkness of the Shadow Gallery. EXT. EMPTY STREET A small figure moves down the dark wet street, the cobblestones glistening like black scales. The huddled figure arcs across the street in the shadows, avoiding the pools of streetlight. It is Evey, a frightened look on her face. INT. KITTY KAT KELLER A woman in combat boots, fishnets, and a tight fitting soldier's uniform is in the middle of a cheeky number on stage in this smoky burlesque bar. It is a popular place with locals and Fingermen. Peter Creedy squeezes through the crowd, angling for the back of the bar where a number of loud Fingermen are drinking. CREEDY What's all this, then, Harper? I get a radio that a man's down and in need of assistance? HARPER I ain't gone down yet but I sure do need some assistance. Creedy leans in. CREEDY Are you flat broke already? They break up in laughter, led by Creedy who sits next to Harper, pouring himself a drink. LOUT How'd you sneak away, Creedy? Almond off buggering that blonde chippy? HARPER The one with the tits? They all begin to hoot and whistle. CREEDY What I wouldn't give for a piece of that. LOUT She could serve a tray of drinks on those thingies. HARPER I bet you get your chance with her sooner than later, Creedy, with the way Almond's crackin' up. LOUT Bloody bugger's losing his marbles. HARPER Terrorist or no, if that bastard gives me another double shift, I'll stomp his fucking head. Creedy raises his drink. CREEDY Aye. This nonsense has put a serious strain on my drinking. I think I was actually sober today. LOUT I'll drink to that. HARPER We need to get a real man of the people in that director's position. Like Creedy here. Everyone cheers in agreement. CREEDY Well, it's good to know when the shit hits the fan who your real friends are. They salute and drink. INT. ALMOND HOME Derek Almond sits hunched under a desk lamp, pumping the cylinders of his revolver with a wire brush. Rosemary shuffles up to him, her frumpy gown gathered around her. ROSEMARY Derek -- He blows down one of the cylinders, not looking up. DEREK I don't want to hear it, Rosemary. ROSEMARY Derek, please! We can't carry on like this. Derek stares at the gun, rage building. ROSEMARY You don't talk to me. You don't eat with me. You don't have sex -- Derek leaps up, slugging her. Rosemary clatters to the ground in tears. Derek glowering over her. DEREK I don't have to take any crap from you! I have that fat bastard riding me all day. I don't want to listen to you, so shut your fat gob! He leans into her face. DEREK And me not wanting to fuck you is obvious. Take a look at yourself. He sits back in front of the gun, wiping it down. DEREK Get out of my sight. I'm cleaning my gun. INT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S HOME Dr. Surridge sits somberly in the dark, street light filtering in from the open curtains. Her eyes fixed on the violet carson as she slowly turns it over in her hands, fingers tracing the soft petals. After a moment, she stands, letting it fall from her lap. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE - THE NOSE Finch turns as Dominic bursts in. DOMINIC I got it! FINCH A connection? Dominic waves a printout. DOMINIC Larkhill Resettlement Camp. Prothero's and Lilliman's employment records show they both help positions there at similar times. FINCH What about codename V? DOMINIC Most of Larkhill's records were destroyed for security reasons but I did uncover an old standard procedures and operations manual. Dominic smiles. DOMINIC In special case studies, medical research groups used roman numerals to identify test inmates. FINCH Five is the letter V. Brilliant, Dominic. Finch slides in front of his computer. FINCH All we need is Larkhill's employment records. INT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S BEDROOM The covers pulled protectively up around her, Delia rests in a light, uneasy sleep. Suddenly, an eye pops open as she awakens, catching a familiar scent. She slowly sits up and inhales. DELIA Roses. She closes her eyes. DELIA It's you, isn't it? You've come to kill me. From the shadows, V answers. V Yes. Tears begin to streak her face. DELIA Oh thank god. Thank god. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE - THE NOSE Dominic hangs over Finch's shoulder as Larkhill's employment record comes up. Finch's mouth falls open. FINCH Oh my god. Row after row of names scroll by at the end of each bio are the words: deceased, file closed. FINCH Oh bloody hell. The data banks unfurl like a mass grave. DOMINIC He's killed them all? It's not possible. Finch stops, staring at the one name whose file is not closed -- FINCH Oh no. Dr. Delia Surridge. INT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S BEDROOM V floats on the edge of the room's shadows, a dark angel. V Are you afraid? DELIA No, no. I thought I would be, but I'm not. I'm -- She looks at the hovering, smiling mask. DELIA Relieved. She starts to cry again. DELIA Oh god, all these years. All this waiting. And somehow I always knew you'd come back. Delia thinks back. DELIA When I saw you that night -- the night you escaped, you were standing against the flames and you looked straight at me. The mask almost nods. DELIA I knew then that one day you'd come looking for me, that you'd find me. Her voice drops to an almost confessional whisper. DELIA What -- what happened at Larkhill. What we did -- What I did. That terrible knowledge, it's been with me so long. That I could do things like that. Delia rubs the salty tears from her eyes. DELIA For years, I blamed it on the government, on the authority I could never stand up to. But living so long with the knowledge of what I did has made me understand otherwise. I alone was accountable. V watches her. DELIA There is something wrong with us. With all of mankind. With me. Something evil that made me enjoy what I did. Some hideous flaw. Her voice almost trails off. DELIA We deserve to be culled. We deserve it. INT. ALMOND BEDROOM Light sweeps across Rosemary from the opening bedroom door as she sobs softly in bed. Derek enters, holding a bottle of whiskey and his clean gun. She sits up as Derek looms over her. ROSEMARY Derek? What? He lifts the gun into her bruised face. Her eyebrows cringe as he slowly pulls the trigger. DEREK Bang. Click. It is empty. DEREK Don't worry, Rose. I didn't load it. The phone rings. DEREK Not tonight. He grins evilly at her and answers the bedside phone. DEREK Almond. What?! Where? Derek's drunk eyes light up. DEREK Oh god, yes! God, thank you! He slams the phone down, charging out of the room. EXT. KITTY KAT KELLER A gaggle of drunks exit the bar, laughing and singing as they pass a small figure. INT. KITTY KAT KELLER Evey wanders into the bar amidst the lustful screams and cat calls for the line of high stepping, semi-clothed girls on stage. She stares out into the crowd, not sure why she is here when a man approaches her: Creedy. His sloppy smile indicates he has had a few drinks. CREEDY You look lost. She looks blankly at him. CREEDY Can I buy you a drink? EVEY No... I made a mistake. She turns for the door. EVEY I have to find someone. Creedy frowns as his radio crackles. CREEDY Well I didn't like the looks of you anyway -- RADIO (V.O.) All units, all units. Code red. Converge in Plaistow to apprehend codename V. CREEDY Bloody hell! He screams to the Fingermen at the back. CREEDY It's him! We got him! Evey watches as they storm out of the bar, then follows. EXT. CITY STREET The emergency lights blaring, Finch's car squeals around a corner. INT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S BEDROOM V hovers ghostly at Delia's bedside. DELIA It's funny, I was given one of your roses today. I wasn't sure you were the terrorist until I saw it. She manages a smile. DELIA What a strange coincidence. That I should be given it today. V There are no coincidences, Delia. Only the illusion of coincidence. He reaches into his cloak. V I have another rose. This one is for you. He hands it to her. DELIA Then you are going to kill me now? V produces an empty syringe. V I killed you ten minutes ago. While you slept. DELIA Is there any pain? V sits on the bed. V No. No pain. DELIA Thank you. She stares at the mask. DELIA Can I -- Can I see your face again? V slowly pulls off his hat and lifts his mask. Delia stares into his face. DELIA It's beautiful... The rose falls from her hands. INT. HALL V quietly shuts the door as if not to wake her and turns just as -- Derek Almond reaches the top of the stairs. DEREK Don't move an inch, you bloody bastard. He trains his gun. DEREK You didn't hear me arrive, did you? Didn't know we'd rumbled you? He squints. DEREK It's all finished, chummy. All of it. The old man told me it was my head or yours and what do you know. It's yours. The smiling mask stares. DEREK Because you're standing over there with your bloody stupid knives and your fancy karate gimmicks -- Derek pulls back the hammer. DEREK And I've got a gun. He smiles. DEREK Bang. Click. He never loaded it. There is an awkward moment of silence, then V moves -- Cloak opening, filling the hall like a black tidal wave that envelopes Derek. He chokes a scream as V embraces him, slipping a knife above his floating rib. Derek Almond sputters as he claws at V's mask. DEREK Who -- Who are you? V Yes, look. Look and tell me what you see. He rips V's mask off as V thrusts the knife in deeper. Derek's eyes widen in horror as his life pours out the knife wound. DEREK Horrible! God, it's horrible! V jerks his blade free, letting Derek slip to the ground. EXT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S HOME Finch's car bucks up onto the sidewalk. Finch and Dominic tear out of the car and barrel into the house. INT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S HOME At the top of the stairs, they find the dead Derek. Finch rushes past him for the bedroom. FINCH Delia? Inside, he finds her. Her eyes fixed, cold, and dead, a single violet carson in her lap. FINCH Get an ambulance. EXT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S HOME Evey rushes around a corner to see a crime scene bathed in siren light. She pushes up to the police barricade as the M.E.'s load a draped body into their van. EVEY Oh no... V? She tries to angle around to get a better look when a man in a brown overcoat grabs her from behind and drags her into the alley. INT. DELIA SURRIDGE'S BEDROOM From the corner of the room, Finch sits, watching as the M.E.'s wheel out Delia's body. Dominic squeezes past the gurney and crosses toward Finch. DOMINIC I'm sorry, sir. You knew the doctor pretty well? Finch nods. DOMINIC We found this on her bureau, sir. It's Dr. Surridge's journal. It covers her years at Larkhill. It might contain the whole story. Dominic searches for something more to say when Finch does not answer. After a moment, Finch looks at the book in Dominic's hand, then takes it, leafing through the pages. They flip by, a breathy sigh, rising to a cold wind. DELIA (V.O.) May 23rd... INT. LARKHILL MEDICAL RESEARCH BLOCK - DAY - FLASHBACK A younger Dr. Surridge, one by one, administers a series of injections to her research stock. DELIA (V.O.) Prothero has hand picked my subjects. Four dozen of them, none of which will be any use to me if I don't get to work soon. She finishes an injection, Prothero encouraging the next subject. We recognize her as the woman Prothero pointed at. DELIA (V.O.) They're so weak and pathetic I find myself hating them. Delia prepares the next dose, a sour look on her face. DELIA (V.O.) They don't fight or struggle. Just stare at you with weak eyes. PROTHERO Next. INT. LARKHILL OVENS - DAY - FLASHBACK Two inmate orderlies are hefting sacked cadavers from a cart into an incinerator. DELIA (V.O.) June 9th: Of the original four dozen, over 75% are now deceased. Strangely, no clear patterns have emerged as of yet. Another body thuds onto the pile. DELIA (V.O.) Batch 5 seems to have no common discernible effect on any specific group though the men seem slightly more resilient than the women. When it is full, they move to the next door until the cart is empty. DELIA (V.O.) I'm hoping the survivors will provide more answers or my time here will have gone to waste. Red heat suddenly glows from the oven vents as the orderly throws a series of switches. INT. LARKHILL MEDICAL RESEARCH BLOCK - DAY - FLASHBACK Dr. Surridge moves down the drab aseptic hallway accompanied by an armed guard. Roman numerals on the doors to each cell ascend to five. DELIA (V.O.) June 18: And only five left now. Two men and three women. Which tends to contradict my entry on the 9th. She pauses at room five. DELIA (V.O.) The man in room five is a fascinating case. She looks through the small chicken wire glass window in the door. DELIA (V.O.) Physically, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. No cellular anomalies, nothing. In the back, just on the edge of the room's shadow, sits the man in room five, silently staring back. DELIA (V.O.) Batch five, however, seems to have brought on some kind of psychotic breakdown. He's quite insane. Dr. Surridge can't seem to break her stare. DELIA (V.O.) He has this way of looking through you. Reverend Lilliman won't go near him. He claims that it is the devil in room five. I see him cross himself whenever he passes his door. Still, there's something about him... EXT. LARKHILL GARDEN - DAY - FLASHBACK Dr. Surridge slowly moves through the Larkhill garden, an incredible abundance of fruits, vegetables and violet carson roses. DELIA (V.O.) I'm glad Prothero let room five have a go at the gardening project. He is quite proficient. Prothero was reluctant to allow an inmate access to the tool and chemical supply at first but now the fat toad is delighted. The crop has almost doubled. She traces the petals of a rose with her finger. DELIA (V.O.) He also grows roses. Beautiful roses. INT. LARKHILL LOUNGE - NIGHT - FLASHBACK Dr. Surridge and several other Larkhill appointees relax after dinner. DELIA (V.O.) December 24th: I was in the mess. It was about half past ten when we heard the first explosion. A massive explosion shakes the building to its very core, its windows shattering and hooded pendulum lights swinging. EXT. LARKHILL LOUNGE - NIGHT - FLASHBACK Men and women clutch at their throats as they tumble out into the yard. DELIA (V.O.) The ones at the front ran straight into the gas. It was horrible. They drop to the ground, gasping and vomiting. The back door is kicked open, Dr. Surridge following two guards. DELIA (V.O.) A few of us made it out through the rear door. You could hear men screaming everywhere. I hate the sound of men screaming. She looks out, men running, collapsing, dying in a yellow green haze that seems everywhere. DELIA (V.O.) In the center of the camp, everything was on fire. Everyone running in all directions. We had hardly enough time to get our bearings when the ovens exploded. Another explosion wracks the compound. The pillar of flame rises into the black sky, dwarfing the men in the camp. Dr. Surridge sees a gaping hole in the medical block, its insides turned out like an unholy birth. DELIA (V.O.) It was the man in room rive. I couldn't have known. The chemical supplies, grease solvents, ammonia, fertilizer. He'd been making things with them. Close on a soldier, doubled over, hacking up bile. DELIA (V.O.) Mustard gas... A sticky blue fire licks up from a blackened body like a dura flame. DELIA And napalm. Dr. Surridge turns as a silhouette crosses the yard, backlit by a curtain of fire. DELIA (V.O.) And in the yard, I saw him. He had the flames behind him. He was naked. The man stops. DELIA (V.O.) He looked at me... Dr. Surridge seems to wilt under his stare but cannot look away. DELIA (V.O.) As if I were an insect. Oh god. As if I were something mounted on a slide. The flames convulse hypnotically behind him. DELIA (V.O.) He looked at me. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE Finch snaps Dr. Surridge's journal shut. He sits in front of the Leader's desk puffing on his pipe while Susan stares coldly. FINCH That's the last entry until six months later when Dr. Surridge is back in London. There is no mention of the man in room five again. End of story. He tosses the journal on Susan's desk. FINCH Except that it wasn't the end of the story. Finch rises, crossing to the wastebasket. FINCH Between 2009 and 2012, over forty men and women who were previously stationed at Larkhill met with what were believed to be accidental deaths. Eventually, only three remained. He taps his pipe into his hand, pouring the contents into the wastebasket. FINCH The three he'd been saving until last. Finch brushes the ashes from his hands and begins repacking his pipe. FINCH Everyone who worked at Larkhill. Everyone who could have identified him. You see there are two possible motives here. Not one. Susan raises his head. FINCH The first is revenge. He escapes from Larkhill and vows to get even with his tormentors. The whole exercise an elaborate, chilling vendetta. When he finishes repacking the pipe, he replaces it in his mouth. FINCH That's the explanation that I find most reassuring, funnily enough. Because that means he's finished. It's over now. Finch begins relighting his pipe. FINCH The second motive is more sinister. Like I said, everyone who could have identified him is dead. A flame leaps into the air. FINCH What if he's just been clearing the ground? Another burst. FINCH What if he's planning something else? The lighter slips back into his pocket. FINCH You see, the diary we found was in full view. We didn't have to search for it. He left it there. He wanted us to find it. He wanted us to know the story. Or... Finch returns to his chair, letting out a huge cloud. FINCH For all we know, the diary could be a complete and utter fake. Codename V could have written it himself. Finch leans forward. FINCH He's playing games with us. He might never have been at Larkhill at all. Do you see? It could all be another smoke screen, a false trail, another cover story -- LEADER Enough! Susan punches the desk. LEADER Mr. Finch, would you please explain to me the nature of this meeting?! Because I was under the impression that you had some information about the terrorist, codename V! And punches it again until his fist hurts. LEADER No more questions, understand! I want answers! I am not interested in where he grew up, what kind of flowers he likes or his favorite color! Susan's collar chokes his face to an unnatural crimson. LEADER Do I make myself clear? FINCH Yes, Leader. After a moment, Finch stands, Susan hanging on his last word. LEADER Dismissed. England prevails, Mr. Finch. Finch turns, Susan calling after him as he leaves. LEADER Mr. Finch, the girl. Do you have anything on the girl? Finch pauses at the door. FINCH No, Leader. Not yet. INT. CELL Evey stirs as voices drift in from the hall outside her door. MAN Wake up, cow. Three guards are silhouetted in the doorway of a cramped jail cell. Still sluggish from the chloroform, Evey looks down at the coarse slipover she's now wearing. One of the men, Rossiter, crosses toward Evey, swinging a pair of shackles. He grabs Evey, slamming her face down into the hard cot, driving a knee between her shoulder blades. Evey screams. GUARD 1 Tsk. This pathetic whore is the famous Miss Hammond? The shackles bite down on her wrists as they laugh in the hall. EVEY You've made a mistake. Rossiter stands her up, shoving her into the wall. ROSSITER Shut up. EVEY Please. I haven't done anything -- He slides a thick hood over her head. ROSSITER I said shut your hole! INT. INTERROGATION ROOM The hood is lifted from her head. Evey squints hard, awash in a blinding, burning light. A man sits, unmoving, at a desk across from her, a guard at his side, both backlit by a harsh white kliegs. Evey's eyes start to water as she blinks. INTERROGATOR Do you know why you're here. Evey Hammond? EVEY No, please, I didn't do anything. INTERROGATOR Allow me to be more precise. Did you participate in the murder of Dr. Delia Surridge? EVEY No. INTERROGATOR Did you participate in the murder of Derek Almond, director of the Finger? EVEY No, I -- INTERROGATOR Did you participate in the murder of Bishop Anthony Lilliman? EVEY Oh god, I don't -- INTERROGATOR Have you ever participated in a terrorist act against your country? EVEY No -- INTERROGATOR What is the identity of codename V? EVEY I don't know. INTERROGATOR You are a lying cunt. A monitor next to the desk lights up. From the snowy static, an image begins to form. A girl is talking to a man. She is shoving her hips at him, propositioning him. When more men appear from the alley, Evey realizes she is watching herself. EVEY They were going to rape me, kill me -- Rossiter grabs a handful of her hair. ROSSITER Shut up. She swallows hard when she sees V emerge on the screen. The image freezes on his smiling face. INTERROGATOR This board will not tolerate any more of your lies, Miss Hammond. We have over 120 minutes of audio and videotape and 75 pages of testimonials from eye witness that identify you as an accomplice to the terrorist, codename V. The monitor blinks off. INTERROGATOR Do you want to know why you're here? You are formally being brought up on charges of murder on fourteen counts and sedition against your Leader and country which brings an automatic sentence of death. EVEY Please. I didn't do anything. INTERROGATOR Process the prisoner and return her to her cell until she is more cooperative. Rossiter slips the hood back over Evey's head. INT. PROCESSING ROOM Evey cries as a rough hand runs a pair of electric clippers over her head. Huge sheaves of her hair fall to the ground. DISSOLVE TO: INT. CELL Evey lies crumpled on the hard floor, unmoving, as a tray of food is slid through a slot at the bottom of the door. She watches as a rat crosses from a hole in the wall, sniffing the murky rendered gelatin in the wooden bowl. DISSOLVE TO: INT. PROCESSING ROOM Evey hangs limply from a set of manacles as she is washed and deloused by heavy hands. She coughs in the yellow bug powder cloud as it burns her eyes and the red welts on her back. DISSOLVE TO: INT. CELL Evey is curled up on the cot like a dry fetus, now gaunt arms wrapped around her legs. She blinks when she hears something moving in the rat hole. Evey raises her head as something is pushed through the crevice. Tentative fingers search the hole, pulling out a length of toilet paper. Over every inch of it is a delicately scrawled message. We move into the rathole, its edges slowly filling the frame until black. EXT. INTERROGATION ROOM Pull back from a shadow, the outline of the interrogator's silhouette against sharp light coming into frame. EVEY (V.O.) I read her letter. Hid it. Slept. Woke. They questioned me. And I read her letter again. Rossiter is buckling Evey's thin arms and legs into a chair. Her now frail frame can barely hold up the frayed brown slipover. EVEY (V.O.) Over and over... On the table in front of her, there is a large wash basin of water. Rossiter dunks her head into it. EVEY (V.O.) Her name was Valerie. INT. CLASSROOM - DAY - FLASHBACK A teacher reads from her lesson plan in front of rows and rows of uniformed pubescences in this all girl private school. Her voice drones on and on like Muzak. VALERIE (V.O.) I was born in a rainy burg in Nottingham in 1975. I passed my eleven plus and went to girl's grammar. A blonde tomboy sneaks a smile to her curly haired friend next to her. VALERIE (V.O.) I met my first girlfriend at school. Her name was Sara. Her wrists. Her wrists were beautiful. Her hand slides across the desk, fingers tickling the young flesh of Sara's wrist. The teacher's voice slows, dropping octaves, becoming -- INT. BIOLOGY LAB - DAY - FLASHBACK A man's voice. VALERIE (V.O.) I sat in biology class staring at the pickled rabbit fetus while Mr. Herd said it was an adolescent phase that people outgrew. Valerie looks at Sara across the room, her head down in shame. VALERIE (V.O.) Sara did. I didn't. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY - FLASHBACK Two teenage girls stand in front of a middle aged couple. They are holding hands. VALERIE (V.O.) In 1994, I stopped pretending and took a girl called Christine home to meet my parents. The greying woman repeats the sign of the cross over and over, sobbing into a handkerchief. Her husband's face is contorted in disgust. VALERIE (V.O.) A week later I moved to London to go to college and study drama. My mother said I broke her heart. EXT. PARK - DAY - FLASHBACK Two young women cuddle on a park bench under a London summer sky, feeding the pigeons. VALERIE (V.O.) But it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little but it's all we have left in this place... The black haired girl nibbles on the blonde's ear. VALERIE (V.O.) It is the very last inch of us... INT. INTERROGATION ROOM Evey struggles against Rossiter's weight who keeps her head submerged. VALERIE (V.O.) But within that inch we are free. INTERROGATOR Enough. Rossiter wrenches back and Evey sucks hard for air, coughing out water. INTERROGATOR Now Miss Hammond, let us review the facts. Evey stares at him, eyes red, heart pounding in her ears. INTERROGATOR You work for codename V. Codename V killed Delia Surridge and then Derek Almond with your help and that is why you were found outside her home. Evey begins to shake her head, water sluicing off her thin face. INTERROGATOR Isn't that what happened, Miss Hammond? EVEY No. No, that isn't true -- INTERROGATOR Oh dear, Rossiter? Rossiter grabs Evey's neck -- EVEY No, wait! Plunging her head into the bowl. Water fills Evey's nose and ears. VALERIE (V.O.) London. I was happy in London. INT. THEATRE - NIGHT - FLASHBACK The packed house watches as a Prince kneels before a woman's bare foot with a slipper of glass. VALERIE (V.O.) I played Dandini in Cinderella. The woman glances into the dark sea of faces. VALERIE (V.O.) The world was strange and rustling with invisible crowds behind the hot lights and all that breathless glamour. EXT. MEADOW - DAY - FLASHBACK Two women weep in each other's arms, embracing in a perfect knee high meadow. VALERIE (V.O.) Work improved. I got small film roles, then bigger ones. The blonde woman brushes away a tear from the other's cheek. VALERIE (V.O.) In 2006, I starred in "The Salt Flats." That's where I met Ruth. We fell in love. We pull back and see we are on location for a movie and the two women are being filmed. INT. CONDO - NIGHT - FLASHBACK Ruth and Valerie sit on the couch watching television. On the table behind them is a bouquet of violet carson roses. VALERIE (V.O.) Every Valentine's Day she sent me roses and, oh god, we had so much. Those were the best three years of my life. The two women stare at the newscast in tears, the sound of marching coming from the set's speakers. VALERIE (V.O.) In 2010, they came. EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY - FLASHBACK The sound of marching explodes as columns of men in brown uniforms and jack boots fill the streets. VALERIE (V.O.) And after that there were no more roses... INT. INTERROGATION ROOM Rossiter presses his elbow onto Evey's neck, holding her submerged. VALERIE (V.O.) Not for anybody. Rossiter lets Evey up. Her red burnt lungs gulp at the air. VALERIE (V.O.) After the takeover, they started rounding up the gays. They took Ruth while she was out looking for food. Evey blinks hard, black fireworks exploding in her eyes. VALERIE (V.O.) Why are they so frightened of us? She wheezes, on the edge of unconsciousness. VALERIE (V.O.) They burned her face with cigarettes and made her give them my name. She signed a statement saying I'd seduced her. The interrogator's voice melts into a slag heap of sound with the hot, rhythmic pounding in her ears. VALERIE (V.O.) I didn't blame her. God, I loved her but I didn't blame her. Rossiter uncuffs Evey, slipping the black bag over her head. VALERIE (V.O.) But she did. Evey's knees buckle as he forces her to stand. VALERIE (V.O.) She killed herself in her cell. She couldn't live with betraying me, with giving up that last inch. Oh, Ruth. Evey weaves down the hall. Rossiter shoving her from behind. VALERIE (V.O.) They came for me. They shaved off my hair. They held my head down a toilet and told lesbian jokes. They brought me here and pumped me full of chemicals. The cell door swings open. VALERIE (V.O.) I can't feel my tongue. I can't speak. Rossiter yanks the hood from her head and pushes her in. VALERIE (V.O.) It is strange that my life should end in such a terrible place but for three years I had roses and apologized to nobody. The iron door slams shut, lock ringing in the stale air. VALERIE (V.O.) I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish... Evey rolls to her knees. VALERIE (V.O.) Except one. She crawls for the rat hole. VALERIE (V.O.) An inch. It is small and fragile and it's the only thing in the world that's worth having. Her shaking hand pulls the letter from the stone crevice. VALERIE (V.O.) We must never lose it or sell it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. Evey clutches it like a rosary as she begins to cry. VALERIE (V.O.) I don't know who you are but I hope you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and things get better and that one day people have roses again. She holds the note to her face, her tears soaking into the fragile paper. VALERIE (V.O.) I don't know who you are but I love you. I love you. Valerie. Slowly, Evey slips away, succumbing to blackness. EVEY (V.O.) I had come to know every inch of those four walls in that dark hell and they knew every inch of me. Every inch... INT. INTERROGATION ROOM Loud lights blare against Evey's solemn face. EVEY (V.O.) Except one. A typed document sits on a small tray table in front of her. INTERROGATOR "My name is Evey Hammond. On the 5th of November 2019, I was abducted by the terrorist known as codename V and then taken against my will to an unknown location." Rossiter hovers just behind her as the Interrogator reads her confession. INTERROGATOR "Once there, I was systematically brainwashed by means physical and psychological. I was frequently subjected to sexual abuse during this period." Evey's expression is unchanging. INTERROGATOR "Eventually I was terrorized into helping him commit the murders of Derek Almond, Dr. Delia Surridge, and Anthony Lilliman, Bishop of Westminster." Rossiter drops a pen on the table. INTERROGATOR "I, the undersigned, swear that the above statement is genuine and that it was not signed by means of intimidation." The pen slowly rocks to a stop. INTERROGATOR We'd like you to sign that for us, Miss Hammond. Where we've put the little cross. She blinks. EVEY No. INTERROGATOR As you wish. Rossiter begins unbuckling Evey's restraints. INTERROGATOR Escort Miss Hammond back to her cell, Rossiter, where she will wait while you arrange a wet detail of six men. He forces Evey to her feet. INTERROGATOR Then take her out behind the chemical sheds and shoot her. INT. CELL The door opens behind Evey as she rereads Valerie's letter for the last time. ROSSITER It's time, unless you want to change your mind. She holds the tattered piece of toilet paper to her chest. ROSSITER Sign that statement. You could be out inside three years. Perhaps they'd find you a job with the Finger. Evey closes her eyes. EVEY Thank you but I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds. Her last words hang in the air. ROSSITER Then there's nothing left to threaten you with, is there? You are free. He turns and leaves. EVEY What? She listens as his footsteps fade down the hall, the door hanging weirdly open. Evey takes a few tentative steps toward the door and sticks her head out into the empty hall, peering down both ways. Slowly, she emerges from her cell, retracing her path down the hall that her blindfold never allowed her to see. Quietly inching along the wall, Evey peeks around a corner, gasping at the rigid guard standing off to the side. There is something about the man's frozen stare that keeps her from running. Evey straightens and crosses to the guard. It is a mannequin. She touches him, the wheeled platform he is mounted on rolling back against the wall. INT. INTERROGATION ROOM The door creaks open as Evey enters the room where for so long she was questioned and tortured. She crosses to the frozen Interrogator sitting at his desk. Her finger brushes lightly against the plastic hand, then Evey raps a knuckle on his hollow wooden head. Around his neck a small speaker hangs from a cord. Evey drifts uneasily into a back room where a discarded prison guard's uniform hangs on a rack. On a table next to a wig and pair of gloves, the rat looks up at her through the bars of its tiny cage. She moves through another door, the wind suddenly knocked from her chest as she finally sees where her prison was built -- INT. SHADOW GALLERY V steps from the shadows. V Welcome home, Evey. EVEY You... Her mouth hangs open. EVEY You did this... to me. Evey's rail thin figure begins to shake. EVEY You did this to me! She stumbles against the wall, unable to support herself. EVEY You -- You hit me and -- and cut my hair. It was you. It was just you all this time. She doubles over, covering her face as she bursts into tears. EVEY You tortured me. You tortured me -- Evey looks up at him, body shivering as he quietly glides toward her. EVEY Oh god, why? V Because I love you, Evey. Because I wanted to set you free. EVEY Love? A look of horror twists her starved face. EVEY Set me free? Don't you realize? Slender fingers ball into fists. EVEY Don't you realize what you did to me? You nearly drove me mad! Disgust and anger light up her eyes. EVEY I hate you. Her little, wiry body coils tight as she circles him. EVEY I hate you! Set me free? You put me in a prison to set me free?! V You were already in a prison. You've been in a prison all your life. EVEY Shut up! I don't want to hear it. I wasn't in a prison. I was happy! I was happy here -- V Happiness is the most insidious prison of all, Evey. EVEY That's warped! That's evil and it's wrong! What gives you the right to judge? Who are you to say what's not good enough?! V You were born in a prison, Evey. I didn't put you there. I just showed you the bars. You've been in a prison so long, you no longer believe there's an outside world. She wheels away from him, covering her ears, trying to get away from his voice. EVEY Shut up! You're mad! I don't want to hear it! V That's because you're afraid, Evey. You're afraid because you can feel freedom closing in on you. You're afraid because freedom is terrifying. Evey falls, stumbling through the labyrinth of the Shadow Gallery. EVEY I can't feel anything! There's nothing left to feel! Don't you understand? V Don't back away from it, Evey. Part of you understands the truth even as part pretends not to. She collapses, head pounding. V Woman, this is the most important moment in your life. Don't run from it. EVEY I don't know what -- Oh god -- I can't breathe -- V couches next to her. V Good. You're almost there. Go closer. Feel the shape of it. EVEY What are you doing to me? I can't breathe -- V You were in a cell. They offered you a choice between the death of your principles and the death of your body. He cradles her as she hyperventilates, tears streaming down her face. EVEY I feel -- I feel like I'm going to burst. V You said you'd rather die. You faced the fear of your own death and you were calm. Try to feel now what you felt then. EVEY Oh god -- I felt -- The mask hovers over her. EVEY Like an angel -- He squeezes her shuddering body. EVEY Oh god, V, I'm so scared. What's happening to me? V The door of the cage is open, Evey. All that you feel is the wind from outside. Don't be afraid. Gently, he lifts her. V Try to walk. The lift will take us to the roof. EVEY The roof? Outside? He helps her to an open elevator. EVEY I -- I don't want to be blindfolded. V No, Evey. No more blindfolds. The cage in the elevator rattles shut. EXT. ROOF - NIGHT The two figures stand in the door of the roof access, a raging tempest oozing from a split sky. Something draws Evey out into the storm. Slowly, she walks beneath it, the wind and rain pounding against her thin frame. Evey lets the coarse slipover fall to the ground and stares straight up into the storm, naked, the elements soaking into her very being. V moves up behind her. V Do you feel it? EVEY Everything's so -- different. V I know. Five years ago, I too stared beneath a night like this. Naked under a roaring sky. A low rumble of thunder washes over London. V The night is yours, Evey. Seize it. Encircle it within your arms. His words buffet against her with the sheets of rain. V Bury it in your heart up to the hilt. She raises her arms to embrace the raging torrent. V Become transfixed and transfigured -- A jagged bolt of lightning shatters the sky. V Forever. EXT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING Finch gets out of a police car and looks up the black face of the modern building. He sighs and taps his pipe against the heel of his shoe. DASCOMBE Finch! Finch turns to find Dascombe hurrying towards him. DASCOMBE Do you know what this is all about? FINCH No, but I can guess. DASCOMBE What? FINCH "Remember, remember, the fifth of November." DASCOMBE Oh come on. He's long gone. He has to be. He did what he came to do and it's over. Finch chews on his pipe. DASCOMBE Isn't it? FINCH Not for us. He turns and heads into the building. FADE OUT. FADE IN: EXT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING - DAY A dark November sky hangs like a shroud over the building. LEADER (V.O.) A year, gentlemen. INT. COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM The heads of each department are gathered around a table of black granite. Peter Creedy, sitting back out of the lights, is the new head of the Finger. LEADER I have given you almost a year and you have given me nothing. Nothing! He glares at Finch. DASCOMBE Now Adam, there is no one better than Finch and you know it. LEADER Yes, Mr. Dascombe, I do know it. It is that very fact that keeps me awake at night, wondering if perhaps there is a reason that Mr. Finch has failed. FINCH What are you saying? LEADER I'm saying that perhaps I don't know you as well as I thought I did. FINCH Are you asking for my resignation? LEADER No, I am asking for some goddamn results! DASCOMBE It's not Finch's fault, Adam. CONRAD We've all been looking. The man simply disappeared. ETHERIDGE Vanished. DASCOMBE He's gone, Adam. It's over. The Leader trembles like a volcano set to blow. LEADER It's over, is it? He's gone. Vanished, you say? The Leader grabs a large box from the floor and hurls reams of computer printout across the table. LEADER Transcripts recorded over the last thirty days in which the terrorist was talked about or mentioned in a positive context. This is only thirty days! He punches a "play" button and a wall of monitors blink on. It is a recording of a television variety show. A character that is made to look like Adam Susan is giving a speech. A woman is dressed like V except that the only thing she is wearing under her cloak is a garter belt, stockings and high heels. V sneaks up behind Susan and yanks his pants down. Susan is outraged but when he gives chase he trips over his pants. The audience hoots and howls. The Leader kills the tape. LEADER Is this what you consider, "disappeared?" DASCOMBE For god's sake, Adam, it's a stupid variety show. LEADER Mr. Creedy, I want the producers, writers, and actors of that "stupid variety show" arrested and charged with sedition. CREEDY Yes, sir. DASCOMBE You can't be serious -- LEADER Push me, Roger, push me and you'll find out how serious I am. He stares each of them to silence. LEADER This, this V is still out there. I can feel him like a sickness worming its way into the hearts and minds of the public. Something must be done, and done quickly, to exorcise this demon for the very soul of this country is at stake. He pauses. LEADER That is why I am compelled to give each and every one of you notice that if by the fifth of November you are still giving me nothing more than excuses, I will have to revoke your party status and terminate your positions. Everyone is stunned. LEADER Mr. Creedy, I will speak with you in private. The rest of you are dismissed. England prevails. INT. LEADER'S PRIVATE QUARTERS The Leader stands at the window. LEADER Mr. Creedy, as the new head of the Finger, you are the most important member of my cabinet. CREEDY I, uh, appreciate your faith in me. LEADER Your predecessor, Mr. Almond, was a good man, a man who understood what strength in unity meant, a man who, above all, loved his country. I need to know if you are such a man. His eyes bore into him. LEADER Do you love your country, Mr. Creedy? EXT. ALLEYWAY A police car is parked in a dark alley. It is raining and the windows of the car are completely steamed. CREEDY Oh god, yes! He is sweating, his knuckles white as he squeezes the steering wheel, panting. We hear a noise like a very wet kiss and then a woman's voice. HELEN "The most important member of my cabinet." Yes it is, isn't it, dear? Helen lifts her head out of his lap. Her lipstick is smeared about her mouth. CREEDY Oh, don't stop. HELEN I stop when you stop. What did he say next? CREEDY I can't -- She whispers in his ear while playing with his lap. HELEN Come on, Peter, what are you afraid of? Almond used to tell me everything and you're twice the man he was. CREEDY He asked me... if I loved my country. HELEN Oh yes, I can tell you do love your country, almost as much as you love this... She lowers her head into this lap. CREEDY Oh god... HELEN Go on. CREEDY Then he asked me to do something... oh, oh... HELEN What? CREEDY Helen, I can't. I can't tell you. Helen lifts her head. HELEN He told you to frame someone as the terrorist. CREEDY My god?! How did you know that? HELEN I know Adam Susan. Now who was it? CREEDY No way. I can't tell you that. HELEN Yes you can, honey. You can and you will. You have to trust me, love. We're going to help each other. CREEDY Helen, please. HELEN Look at that face. You see? You're just bursting to tell me. Her head drops back down. Creedy moans. HELEN Now who was it? CREEDY It was... Fi... Fi... FINCH! The name seems to orgasm from his mouth. INT. FINCH'S APARTMENT Finch sits alone in his modest apartment, reading a book. The book is Koesterler's, "The Roots of Coincidence." An old CD player is playing music, a Bach piano concerto. INT. SHADOW GALLERY V is playing the exact same concerto on his piano, his gloved fingers gracefully flitting across the keys. Evey enters the gallery. Her hair has grown out but is still short. She projects a kind of strength that comes from a deep inner peace. V coaxes the final delicate notes and lets them softly fade. EVEY That was beautiful. She walks up to him and takes the smiling face in her hands. EVEY I've wanted to do this for a long time. She bends and gently kisses the frozen lips. EVEY Thank you, V. Thank you for everything you've done for me. V You did it all yourself, Evey. I just provided the backdrop but the drama was all your own. EVEY It was a good backdrop. I believed it. I really did. It's still a bit hard for me to accept that it wasn't real. That it was just you. Especially the letter. She takes the letter from her pocket. EVEY It is a beautiful letter, V. Every time I read it I could feel Valerie, almost like she was holding me. I believed in her most of all. I believed that she loved me and I loved her back. She looks down. EVEY I feel a bit foolish telling you this. I know that you must have written it and thought you should have it back. V But I didn't write that letter, Evey. EVEY What? V Come with me. INT. VALERIE'S ROOM It is a shrine. The walls are covered with movie posters and reviews and pictures of an actresses named Valerie Page. We recognize her as the woman chosen for the medical block just before V. Everywhere there are flower boxes filled with blooming roses; violet carsons. EVEY Valerie? V Yes. Valerie Page. She was the woman in room four. EVEY She's beautiful. V She wrote the letter just before she died. I delivered it to you as it was delivered to me. The words you wept over were the same words that transformed me. Evey smiles and bends to smell the roses. EVEY Roses. You grew them for her. V Yes. EVEY They're beautiful. V Evey, do you know what day it is? EVEY Two days before the first day we met. V You remembered. EVEY You're planning something, aren't you, V? V You know me too well now. EVEY What are you going to do? V I'm going to fulfill an old promise. Evey cocks an eyebrow. V I'll show you. INT. UNDERGROUND STAIRWELL Carrying a lantern, V leads Evey down a dark stone staircase. EVEY I've never been here before. V Yes. It is the deepest part of my home. Once you know it, I should think you'll know everything. He pushes a button and a secret passage opens in a heavy stone wall. There is a small narrow series of passageways that he guides her through, leading to another door. Evey steps out into an underground subway station. INT. VICTORIA STATION Parked beside the concrete platform is a beautiful antique train car. EVEY Oh, V, it's lovely. Where on earth did you find it? V In a way, I suppose it really found me. Evey steps into the train car and finds it filled with little packages wrapped in wax paper. EVEY What's in these packages? V Gelignite. She screams and almost drops one. V Careful. EVEY What are you going to do with all of it? V I told you. I'm going to finish what was started four hundred years ago. EVEY Where does this train go? V This is the old Victoria line but it is blocked, blocked somewhere between Whitehall and St. James. EVEY Whitehall... V, that's the New Government Building. V nods. EVEY But the underground has been shut down for years. How are you going to make it run without any power? V I just thought I might ask them to turn it on for me. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The Leader sits bathed in the flickering images of the Fate computer. LEADER Yes, Mr. Creedy? CREEDY Everything's set, sir. No worries. LEADER When? CREEDY Tonight. On one of the screens, a television program has just begun. ANNOUNCER Tonight on Tales from the Bible, a story of treachery and betrayal from the Book of Daniel. We cut from that screen to another screen -- INT. JORDAN TOWER - CONTROL BOOTH The television studio where Roger Dascombe surveys a large bank of monitors filled with the images of typically vapid television entertainment. DASCOMBE All of London's waiting. Ready, two. And here we go -- A player locks on as a recorded program begins. We move in as the logo slashes across the screen: Storm Saxon. ANNOUNCER Tonight, England's greatest hero repels the forces of darkness in a brand new episode. We pull back from the show's opening teaser and find ourselves looking at a small television. INT. JORDAN TOWER In the delivery bay at the back of Jordan tower, five security guards are riveted to the heroic actions of Storm Saxon. HEIDI Oh, Storm. Save me! Save me! STORM You mongrel trash, if you harm her! MONGREL TRASH Look out, de white debil has a laser lugar! Behind them, a shadowy figure in a cloak and tall hat enters the loading bay. GUARD Hey, what the -- ? They all turn and find a smiling V. They go for their weapons. V goes for them. It is brutal and quick, knives slicing in bloody arcs, bodies kicked and thrown with superhuman power. The TV crashes to the ground and we move in at it as Storm Saxon stands triumphant beside his buxom lass. HEIDI Oh Storm, hold me. Hold me tight. We pull back on another television screen inside -- INT. FINCH'S OFFICE Dominic is chewing on a hamburger, engrossed in Storm Saxon. Across the room, Finch is reading the "Roots of Coincidence." FINCH I don't know how you stand that tripe. Dominic answers with a mouthful of cheeseburger. DOMINIC Es gooh. Finch shakes his head, reaching for his pipe. He realizes he is out of tobacco. He slides open the bottom desk drawer and his eyes almost pop out of his head. He stares into the drawer like someone staring at his own tombstone. DOMINIC Finch? Finch, what's wrong? Slowly, he lifts something from the drawer. On his desk, he lays out several knives, a cloak, a hat, and a smiling mask. DOMINIC What the hell? Finch lifts the mask and almost has to laugh. FINCH Don't you see, Dominic? He puts the mask to his face. FINCH I'm V. INT. JORDAN TOWER V emerges from an elevator and immediately attacks several more guards. A surveillance camera watches as V steps over their slumped, broken bodies. INT. CONTROL CENTER The security guard sees V on the monitor coming directly down the hall. GUARD Bloody hell! He grabs the machine gun, aiming it just as V kicks open the door. GUARD Freeze! V stops. At least five guards have trained their weapons on him. He is surrounded. Slowly, he lifts his arms as though surrendering. His cloak opens, revealing enough TNT to level the entire building. In his hand is the plunger detonator. GUARD Fuck all. V nods. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE The door bursts open as Creedy and a group of heavily armed Fingermen muscle in. DOMINIC Creedy? What the hell's going on? CREEDY I'm here to arrest Mr. Finch for acts of treason and terrorism. DOMINIC You can't be serious. CREEDY If I were you, boy, I'd shut my hole unless you want to start explaining why you didn't say nothing about Mr. Finch's secret identity. INT. JORDAN TOWER V follows Roger Dascombe into the main control booth. The door shuts behind them and they are alone. All around them are the laugh tracks and gunshots of the evening's entertainment. V puts his hand into his cloak and pulls out a videotape. He hands it to Dascombe. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE Finch glares at Creedy. FINCH Why don't you just shoot me, Creedy? Wouldn't that make everything a lot simpler? CREEDY Yeah, I suppose it would. Creedy smiles, his finger tightening on the trigger when -- DOMINIC Holy Christ! Creedy, you stupid ape! If Finch is V then tell me who is that? He points at the television where V sits calmly at a desk in front of the "VTV" logo. V Good evening, London. CREEDY Bloody fuckin' hell. V I thought it was time we had a little talk. FINCH He has to be at Jordan tower. Come on! Finch and Dominic rush out of the room. Creedy looks at his confused men. CREEDY Don't just stand there! Follow them! INT. LEADER'S OFFICE V smiles at the horrified Adam Susan. V Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Then I'll begin. The Leader screams, pounding on Fate. LEADER Damn you! Damn you! He hits the intercom. LEADER Lieutenant, ready my transport. I want every armed man within a hundred miles at Jordan tower. Now! We move in at VTV. V Right now, I imagine there are hundreds of soldiers rushing here to kill me because someone does not want us to talk. We pull back in -- INT. LIVING ROOM A family watching television. In the background, two children are squabbling. MOTHER Hush. Turn it up. The husband does. V's voice gets louder as we move towards him. V They are afraid that I am going to say the things that are not supposed to be said. They are afraid that I am going to say the truth. INT. APARTMENT A man sits on his couch, mesmerized by V. V The truth is that there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? If you look about, you witness cruelty, injustice and despotism. But what do you do about it? What can you do? He pops his beer tab and the beer foams over the couch but he doesn't seem to notice. INT. FINCH'S POLICE CAR The car races wildly towards Jordan tower as Finch and Dominic listen to the broadcast on the radio. V (V.O.) You are but a single individual. How can you possible make any difference? Individuals have no power in this modern world. That is what you've been taught because that is what they need you to believe. But it is not true. INT. LEADER'S TRANSPORT The Leader seethes, staring at three television monitors in his limo which are all filled with V. V This is why they are afraid and the reason that I am here; to remind you that it is individuals who always hold the power. The real power. Individuals like me. And individuals like you. INT. KITTY KAT KELLER The bar is almost completely soundless except for the voice of V. People stare at the television as if the moment were somehow suspended in time. V I have come to offer you a deal. If you accept, I will give you a different world. A world without curfews, without soldiers and surveillance systems. A world that is not run by other men but that is run by you. I am offering you a second chance. EXT. JORDAN TOWER The military forces have begun to swarm. V Four hundred years ago, a great citizen made a most significant contribution to our common culture. It was a contribution forged in secrecy and stealth although it is best remembered in noise and bright light. EXT. TELEVISION STORE A crowd has gathered, watching through the window. V To commemorate that glorious night at precisely the stroke of midnight, the edifice of their world will erupt with enough sound and fury to shake the earth. All I ask is that you join me at the gates to watch as the past is erased, the pathway cleared so that together we can start toward a new day. EXT. JORDAN TOWER The Leader climbs out of his limo and is met by one of his captains. LEADER I want this man dead! I want him shot on sight! CAPTAIN Yes, sir. INT. FINCH'S CAR Finch can see the forces gathering outside Jordan tower. V (V.O.) But, you ask, who am I to make such promises? A fair question but hardly necessary as you know me already. To know me any more you need only look to a mirror. Finch catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. INT. CONTROL BOOTH VTV fills every screen. V Truth be told, this wasn't even my idea, was it? If you think back, you'll remember that night, whispering in your lover's arms. I became a part of your plan just as you have now become part of mine. Give me the line of the queen and I'll give you your secret dream. INT. JORDAN TOWER - HALLWAY A heavy battering ram is rushed down the hall, carried by four soldiers. V (V.O.) On the twelfth stroke of the fifth day of the eleventh month, I hope we shall all meet again. EXT. TELEVISION STORE The crowd is much larger. V Until then, I bid you goodnight. Every screen suddenly goes black. The crowd turns to each other, unsure of what to do. INT. CONTROL BOOTH The door explodes open. V is standing alone, almost as if waiting for them. Before he can even move, they shoot. Machine gun fire lights up the room. V's body dances and jerks backward, smashing through an observation window -- Falling to the television stage below. INT. HALL A path is cleared for the Leader. As he heads into the television studio, an armed soldier is heading in the opposite direction. It is impossible to tell because of the dark face plate but it looks like the soldier is smiling. The Leader shoves his way onto the main stage. A group of soldiers is gathered around the body. LEADER Who was it? Who was he? The mask is pried off, revealing the lifeless face of Roger Dascombe. To the Leader, it is an obvious revelation. LEADER Roger Dascombe! Of course. Of course! It makes such perfect sense. CAPTAIN Sir, I think there has been a mistake. LEADER No! There is no mistake! CAPTAIN But sir, there are people that say they saw both the terrorist and Dascombe together -- LEADER Who? Who are these people? They must be detained immediately. Whatever they saw or whatever they think they saw is subordinate to the truth and that truth is that Roger Dascombe is the terrorist and the terrorist is dead! FINCH But I thought I was the terrorist. Finch's voice stops the Leader cold. LEADER Finch, what are you doing here? FINCH Since I'm not in jail and since you have another, even more convenient suspect. I'm guessing the charges have been dropped. LEADER Be careful, Finch. FINCH I am careful, sir. Always. That is why I suggest that a search of this building begin immediately. LEADER The terrorist is dead! FINCH With all due respect, I disagree and I believe that he is presently trying to get out of this building disguised as one of us. LEADER Are you challenging my authority? FINCH No sir, I'm trying to run an investigation -- LEADER I am trying to run a country! When I tell you, Mr. Finch, the terrorist is dead, then the terrorist is dead! If you continue to suggest otherwise then you will leave me no choice but to have you arrested on charges of sedition. Do I make myself clear? He eyes the room. Everyone is silent. LEADER Now, it is imperative for the people of London to know that they are safe, that the terrorist is dead and everything is under control. The Leader storms past Finch who looks at Dascombe and bites down on his pipe. EXT. CITY STREET One of the Ear's black vans has been modified with large speakers wired to the roof. As the van rolls down the street, the speakers drone with a looped message. SPEAKERS The terrorist is dead. No further threat exists. Everything is under control. Out of the back, soldiers hurl leaflets that swirl and flutter in the van's wake. The little girl on the bicycle that we saw earlier stops and picks up one of the leaflets. It has a picture with the body of Roger Dascombe beneath the headline, "The terrorist is dead! London is safe once again!" LITTLE GIRL Bollocks. She crumbles the leaflet and throws it. LITTLE GIRL Bollocks! She gets off her bike and takes something out of the backpack. LITTLE GIRL He's not dead! It's all bollocks! Turning to a nearby wall, she spray paints a large circle around a "V". INT. FINCH'S OFFICE A recording of VTV plays on the small television. V ... if you give me the line of the queen, I'll give you your secret dream. Dominic freezes the image; V stares at them, smiling. FINCH Play it again. DOMINIC Come on, Finch. We've seen it fifty times. I mean, after what they done to you, I don't know why we're even trying to stop him. Finch stares out the window. FINCH I don't know. For twenty seven years, I've been at this job. Twenty seven years, I've done what I've been told to do. Maybe that's all there is to it. I'm just a dumb old dog. A dumb old dog that only knows one trick. DOMINIC That ain't it, Finch. It's more than that. I know you. It's something personal with this one. Finch smiles. FINCH Maybe. And maybe I'm not ready for a revolution. DOMINIC Well, we got less than thirty hours to stop it. FINCH We will. DOMINIC How? FINCH It's on the tape. I know it. I can feel it. He did this for a reason. He needs something. DOMINIC What? FINCH The line of the Queen? DOMINIC But what does that mean? FINCH Maybe it's a line from Shakespeare. Or a book. I don't know. He rewinds and starts the tape. V ... This wasn't even my idea, was it? FINCH But right here. He's talking to someone. Someone specific. Someone who knows what he wants. V If you think back, you'll -- INT. CONRAD'S BEDROOM V continues on a different television. V Remember that night, whispering in your lover's arms. Helen Heyer is lying on her bed, eating chocolates, watching V through calculating eyes. At her feet, we hear a suckling noise that suddenly stops. CONRAD Helen? Helen, why did you want that tape? HELEN Shut up, Conrad. I'm thinking. She shoves her foot back into his mouth and he continues to suck on it and each of her toes. V ... now you've become a part of mine. HELEN How? How did you know that? Conrad moves up her ankle, licking and kissing his way to her knee. CONRAD Know what, my love? V Give me the line of the Queen and I'll give you your secret dream. She freezes the tape. Her eyes light up and she smiles back at him. HELEN All right. You have a deal. Conrad licks along the inside of her thigh until she slaps him. HELEN Oh no! Not you. Conrad. Not yet. Here you can have a chocolate. Open up. Open! She shoves the candy in his mouth. HELEN Good boy. As for the rest of the box, perhaps when you're Leader. She smiles. HELEN Right now I need something else Conrad. I need you to use that pretty little brain for me. You know all about the old underground, don't you? He nods still gagged with the candy. HELEN I need to know everything, understand? Everything. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE There are cameras set in front of the large black leather chair so that the flashing images and data of the Fate computer system can be seen behind the Leader. A makeup artist mattes down the Leader's lipstick. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Ready in five, Leader. The makeup artist adjusts one last hair and scurries off. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR In four, three... He points and the camera's red light goes on. INT. LIVING ROOM The same family, the same squabbling children watching as a "Special Bulletin" interrupts a laugh track. LEADER Good evening London. As Leader of this great country, I felt it imperative to speak with you and to assure you once and for all that the shadow that recently fell across our land has indeed passed. WOMAN Oh, for fuck's sake. EXT. TELEVISION STORE - NIGHT No one is watching. LEADER What we have endured this long year was no accident, no mere coincidence. This was not a simple act of terror conducted by a singular madman. No, this was a test. INT. KITTY KAT KELLER A drunk struggles up onto his bar stool blocking the TV. LEADER It was not me, nor the Party, nor the government that was threatened this year. It was our beliefs. Our faith. I believe that God himself bore witness to our struggle and like Job I believe that we have been vindicated. The drunk raises his glass. DRUNK Remember fifth of November! The bar cheers. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The Leader reaches for his Bible. LEADER How do I know this? Let me read to you where I found the answer, where I so often find the answer. In the Scripture. Revelations. EXT. STREET CORNER - NIGHT The megaphones blast the Leader's voice. LEADER (V.O.) "If any man have an ear, let him hear." INT. FINCH'S OFFICE There are stacks of printout everywhere. LEADER (V.O.) "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword shall be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the Saints." Finch stops reading, listening to the radio. LEADER (V.O.) "And I beheld another beast coming out of the Earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon." INT. SHADOW GALLERY Another radio crackles with the Leader's voice. LEADER (V.O.) "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men." V nods, almost laughing as Evey enters the gallery. LEADER (V.O.) "And he deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those miracles which he had the power to do --" EVEY Oh, V, turn it off, please. V Of course, my dear. He reaches over and changes the frequency. We hear voices, hushed and secret but we recognize them. CREEDY (V.O.) But how does he know? HELEN (V.O.) I don't know. All I know is he does... And I know what he wants. The voices are labored, punctuated by gasps and moans. EVEY What is that, V? V That, Evey, is what I have been waiting for. CREEDY (V.O.) Do you know what I want? I want you just like this... Bent over that black leather chair... We are pulled by the radio into -- INT. CREEDY'S BEDROOM Where we see a tiny microphone hidden in the ceiling light above the bed. Helen moans as we drift down, glimpsing Helen, her arms reaching for the edges of the bed, her back arching up towards Creedy, behind her, smiling. CREEDY What about Conrad? HELEN I told you, I'll handle Conrad and V will take care of Susan. The mob will take care of the guard and then... You can use the Finger to take over. CREEDY Use the Finger? You mean like this? He inserts a finger into her. HELEN Oh... oh... that is vulgar... CREEDY But you like it? HELEN Yes, oh yes, oh you're a pig, Peter... CREEDY That I am, misses. But I'm the pig that's gonna be running this country. That sends a shiver through Helen's body. HELEN Yes and I'm... I'm going to be Eva... Oh Eva... Her eyes close and her fists knot the sheets. HELEN "Don't cry for me Argen... oh Argen... Argen... tina! The word is almost lost in her orgasm. EXT. LONDON The sun rises over London. It is the morning of the fourth. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE Finch looks through the blinds at the morning sun. He has been up all night. He checks his watch: 6:00am. FINCH Eighteen hours. Rubbing the knot in his neck, he turns back to his office which is now buried beneath mounds of paper. Dominic is passed out, sprawled on the couch, and clutching a printout from Spencer's "Fairy Queen." FINCH Dominic! Dominic jumps, immediately searching the printout. FINCH Dominic, go home. DOMINIC But I've still got over three hundred lines from The Fairy Queen. FINCH Forget it. There's no more time. You go home and get some rest. You're going to need it tonight. Dominic lets the papers fall to the floor. DOMINIC He's got us, doesn't he, Finch? FINCH Yes, he does. EXT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING Conrad pulls his car into his reserved space. INT. CAR Helen holds Conrad's chin the way a mother holds a child when she is telling them something important. HELEN Now listen to me, Conrad. This is the most important moment of our lives. Everything I've worked and hoped for comes to this. Susan is a very dangerous man, especially now, that's why I need you, Conrad. I need you to be stronger than him. I need you to be the better man. Understand? Conrad nods. HELEN If you do this Conrad, and you do it right, I'm going to turn you from the little man I married into the man of my dreams. CONRAD Oh, Helen. He embraces her to kiss but she turns her perfectly painted lips. HELEN Not on the lips. Ardently, he kisses her cheek. INT. FINCH'S OFFICE Finch sits alone, palms pressed to his bleary eyes. FINCH Give it up, old man. You're not even sure you want to stop him. With a red pen, he begins absently drawing red circles around any V he sees on any piece of paper. Victims. Vectors. Values. Victory. Words from quotes and lists. Suddenly, he stops. Carefully, as if reaching to touch a butterfly, he slips a single sheet out from the sheaves covering his desk. The paper has a long list: the names of all the Queens of England. He has circled in red the V in Victoria. When it hits him, it hits him like a falling safe. FINCH Christ! That's it! It's got to be it! INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The intercom clicks on. LIEUTENANT (V.O.) Sir, Mr. Heyer is here to see you. Says it's urgent. And he's here with his wife, sir. LEADER His wife? LIEUTENANT (V.O.) Sir, yes, sir -- Wait, you can't go -- The door slaps open. HELEN Leader, I'm terribly sorry but I absolutely must speak with you. The Leader waves the Lieutenant off. HELEN I have something to tell you, something important but -- She glances at Conrad. HELEN I can tell you and only you. In private. The Leader studies her. HELEN It is a matter of national security. EXT. CITY STREET In his car, Finch races to a corner and slams on the brakes. He gets out, staring at a shadow on the ground: a "V" in a circle. The shadow is cast by a sign for Victoria Station, part of the abandoned subway. The gates are chained shut. He fires his pistol into the lock, kicks open the rusting gates, and descends into the underground. INT. LEADER'S PRIVATE QUARTERS The Leader closes the door behind them. LEADER Now what's this all about, Mrs. Heyer? HELEN Please, forgive me. I've been so afraid, afraid to come here to talk to you. I thought he must know. I was terrified he knew but I had to come because I knew you were the only one that can protect me. LEADER Protect you from what? She is unable to go on, seemingly about to burst into tears. LEADER Come now, Mrs. Heyer. He touches her and it is all she needs. She buries her face into his chest. HELEN You won't let him hurt me, will you? LEADER Let who hurt you? HELEN The terrorist. LEADER The terrorist is dead. HELEN Oh, how I wanted to believe it, Leader, but I know it's not true. LEADER How? HELEN Because I know who the terrorist is. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE Conrad is alone with Fate. He glances about nervously, moving closer and closer. His fingers reach out and graze the main keyboard. Taking a deep breath, he turns and begins to type. INT. PRIVATE QUARTERS The Leader takes hold of Helen by her shoulders. LEADER Who? Who is it, woman? HELEN It's Conrad, Leader. Conrad. My husband is the terrorist. LEADER What?! INT. LEADER'S OFFICE Conrad accesses the department of water and power. He finds the correct file and begins rerouting power to a once dead system. INT. V'S TRAIN STATION A hanging light suddenly sizzles to life. V looks up, smiling. INT. LEADER'S PRIVATE QUARTERS The Leader stares hard at Helen. LEADER How do you know? HELEN I saw him, Leader. In the middle of the night. I heard something. I went to the landing and that's when I saw it. She clutches him. HELEN That mask. That hideous smiling mask. LEADER But how did you know it was Heyer? HELEN I know, Leader. I know the way a woman knows. LEADER But you have no proof? HELEN Proof? LEADER Yes, proof? This is an extremely delicate situation, Mrs. Heyer. It has been reported that the terrorist is dead. It would be a catastrophe to arrest a man now without concrete, conclusive proof. Do you have any evidence at all? Tears well up in Helen's eyes as she shakes her head. LEADER But if you're right, if Heyer is indeed the terrorist... His eyes fly wide and he spins away from her, throwing open the door. HELEN Leader! Wait! INT. LEADER'S OFFICE Conrad sits calmly across the room. CONRAD Is everything all right? Helen? LEADER Yes, Mr. Heyer, your wife has done her duty to her country. He turns to Helen. LEADER Don't worry, Mrs. Heyer. You will be taken care of. I will launch an immediate investigation and I promise, you will be the first to know when an arrest will be made. CONRAD Investigation of what? LEADER Subversion, Mr. Heyer. Your wife was privy to the dialogue of subversives. That's all you need to know at this time. Lieutenant! The Lieutenant appears almost instantly. LEADER The Heyers are leaving. I need to see Mr. Creedy at once. Helen looks up at the Leader, a smile hidden near the corners of her perfect red lips. HELEN Thank you, sir. The Leader nods. INT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING Helen and Conrad get out of the elevator, standing beneath the rows of new party flags that line the lobby. HELEN I want you to go straight to your office and wait for me to call. When I do, I want you to come immediately home. Understood? CONRAD Yes, Helen. She embraces him, pressing her body against his. HELEN Oh, Conrad, I'm so proud of you. CONRAD I did it, Helen. I did it, didn't I? HELEN Tonight, Conrad. CONRAD Tonight. HELEN I promise you will never forget tonight. She almost kisses him. HELEN Goodbye, Conrad. Smiling, she pivots on her heel and heads for the door. He reaches for her when -- GUARD Mr. Heyer! Mr. Heyer! The front desk guard rushes towards him. CONRAD Yes? GUARD Sir, this package arrived for you, sir. He hands him a small, brown wrapped box. CONRAD Thank you. He looks back for Helen but she is already gone. INT. SUBWAY A single flashlight beam creeps toward us as Finch searches the detritus of the dead train line. INT. CONRAD'S CAR Sitting at a stoplight, Conrad decides to open the package. Inside is a cassette tape. The light changes and a car behind him honks. He starts forward and inserts the tape. INT. SUBWAY Finch crawls up onto the platform of V's hidden station, staring at the beautiful old train car. INT. CONRAD'S CAR Strangling the steering wheel, Conrad listens to the tape. The speedometer climbs as everything seems to accelerate. TAPE (V.O.) Do you know what I want? I want you just like this... bent over that black leather chair. Helen moans. INT. TRAIN CAR Finch steps inside the car, his flashlight sweeping over the stacks of gelignite. FINCH Oh my god. INT. CONRAD'S CAR A scream builds in Conrad. With tears in his eyes, he stares out the windshield but sees only the images created by the tape. TAPE (V.O.) Use the Finger?... You mean like this?... Oh... That's vulgar... But you like it?... Yes... oh yes. Conrad loses control and the car careens up onto the sidewalk and smashes into a brick wall. Lifting his bloodied forehead, Conrad looks out and sees the ubiquitous poster partially destroyed by the crash: "Strength through purity, purity through faith." INT. TRAIN CAR Finch hears something and jerks back, almost falling out of the car. Aiming his gun, he finds no one. He turns and bolts. As the sound of his footsteps fade, V steps out of the shadows. INT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING The Leader's Lieutenant looks up from his desk and sees Finch rushing towards him. FINCH Is the Leader in? LIEUTENANT Yes, but he's meeting with the Captain of the Guard. FINCH Perfect. LIEUTENANT Mr. Finch, you can't go in -- Finch charges through the doors. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The Leader and his Captain turn. LEADER Mr. Finch? FINCH Leader, I need as many men the Captain can spare and I need them right now. CAPTAIN What for? FINCH To capture codename V. EXT. CONRAD'S HOUSE Creedy opens the trunk of his car. In the phosphorescent glow of the streetlight, the set of knives gleam. He bundles the costume that he tried to planet on Finch into his arms, then slams the trunk. Above, a window blind that was cracked open snaps shut. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The Leader moves towards Finch. FINCH He's underground. The old subway. I know exactly what he's going to do. If we move quickly, we can be there, waiting for him. INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE Conrad waits, hidden inside a bedroom closet. He hears the front door close and his grip tightens around the handle of a long, steel-necked hammer. INT. LEADER'S OFFICE The Leader is steadily convincing himself of something. FINCH Leader, every second we delay... The Leader lifts his hand, silencing Finch. LEADER I'm coming with you. GUARD Sir -- LEADER There will be no discussion -- GUARD But if Mr. Finch is right -- LEADER I am sick to death of this terrorist being everywhere and nowhere! I will judge whether Mr. Finch is right and I will judge it with my own eyes! Do I make myself clear, Captain? CAPTAIN Sir, yes, sir! Finch is suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling that is common to chess players. It is the disturbing sense that you have just done exactly what your opponent wanted. LEADER Is there a problem, Mr. Finch? FINCH No... no sir. LEADER Good. Captain, mobilize your men. CAPTAIN Sir, yes, sir. LEADER We'll find this bloody bastard and we will finish him. INT. SHADOW GALLERY Evey sits in the gallery, reading Pynchon's "V" just as V had done. She suddenly feels V watching her. EVEY V? V Yes. Evey smiles as V steps out of the shadows. EVEY V, what's going to happen? V Change, Evey. That's all. Just change. EVEY Is it going to be violent? V Yes, I suppose it will. INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE Creedy empties a bottom drawer, making room to hide the costume. As he does, the closet door behind him slowly creeps open. INT. SHADOW GALLERY V stands at the jukebox. EVEY But why? Why must is be violent? V Because, Evey, that is the nature of change. She is a temperamental creature that appears in earnest rarely but, when she does, she will wear one of two faces. The first face is the destroyer. It is lamentable but all true change begins with death. INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE A dark figure stands over Creedy. The hammer raises, a slash of silver against the velvety darkness. INT. SHADOW GALLERY V punches a button on the jukebox just as -- INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE The hammer falls with a sickening soft crunch. INT. SHADOW GALLERY The song begins to play; a melancholy song that says goodbye to love. INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE Blood pours down Creedy's snarling face, he snatches one of V's knives as another hammer blow cracks through his collar bone. He screams, lunging at Conrad. INT. SHADOW GALLERY V listens to the song, the smiling eyes somehow knowing. INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE The hammer falls again and again until the metal head is slick with blood and meat. Conrad stumbles back, dropping the hammer. He looks down at the hilt of the knife protruding from his stomach. He yanks it out and holds V's knife which is bright red with his own blood. He collapses to the floor. INT. SHADOW GALLERY The song continues. EVEY What is the other face, V? V The other face? She is the true face of change. The face of the creator. She is the one that remakes the world. Evey? EVEY Yes, V? V May I ask you for a favor? EVEY Of course. V It is a small thing but it would mean a great deal to me. EVEY Tell me. V I've never danced before. I've thought about it many times, here in this room, listening to the music. But I've always been alone. Evey smiles and crosses to him. EVEY It would be my pleasure. He opens his arms and she steps into them. They dance, standing very close, his gloved hand holding tightly to hers, her smile against his. EXT. CITY STREET Dozens of military vehicles swarm around the entrance to Victoria Station while heavily armed men pour through the gates of the underground. INT. SHADOW GALLERY The song ends. V Thank you, Evey. You are an excellent dancer. EVEY All it takes is a little practice. V Alas, I have run out of time. He bows, pressing his frozen lips to her hand. Evey is suddenly nervous. EVEY V? What are you going to do? V Don't you remember? I have a date tonight, Evey. EVEY You're coming back though, aren't you? She seizes hold of his hand. EVEY V, I won't let you leave unless you promise me that you will come back. V Of course, I'll be back. You don't think you can be rid of me now, do you? EVEY Just promise. V I promise. She lets him go. INT. TRAIN STATION Soldiers swarm through the station. Susan stares in shock, outraged by the mere presence of the train. LEADER Mark my words, Mr. Finch, this man is going to become an example so that every man, woman, and child in this country will remember what happens to those who would ever think to stand against the state. He turns to the Captain. LEADER Captain, I need a gas unit down here with enough nerve gas to fill every rat-hole in these tunnels. Suddenly the lights go out. FINCH I don't think that will be necessary. The Leader smiles. LEADER There are over one hundred of the best trained soldiers in this country down here. Let him come. INT. TRAIN TUNNELS Five soldiers creep forward in a tight formation, their flashlights probing every nook and cranny. Behind them, a secret passage opens and V steps out. He is among them with frightful speed, a grinning dervish with blades like metal fangs ripping and rending flesh, slashing bright in the flashlight. Other soldiers rush towards the screams and gunfire but they find only five bodies and warm blood running down the walls. LEADER Captain, what's happening? RADIO (V.O.) No sign sir. Repeat, no sign of him. CAPTAIN They lost him. From the opposite end, there is another series of screams and machine gun fire that lights up the dark tunnel for a moment. Then, nothing. FINCH This... this is a mistake. LEADER Don't tell me you're a coward, Mr. Finch. Back in the tunnels, V drops from above, his cloak a swirling cloud of squid ink that hides him in the darkness. Again, quicksilver knives lash out, drawing fonts of blood. INT. TRAIN STATION Finch can feel the panic that is spreading through the tunnel. FINCH Leader, we have to get out of here! LEADER This was your idea. FINCH It was a mistake. This is what he wants. He knows us, Leader. He knows us too well. We have to get out of here before it's too late -- A voice rings out from hidden speakers, echoing through the tunnels. V (V.O.) Good evening citizens of London. This is the voice of Fate. Your fate... LEADER What trick is this? V (V.O.) Tonight, the face of London is going to change and I am going to offer you the chance to change with her. Your Leader is finished. He will not leave these tunnels alive. The Leader screams to be heard over the resonant voice of V. LEADER This is an outrage! I order you not to listen to this! V (V.O.) At midnight tonight, the Head will be destroyed and a new era will begin. You must now decide if you are going to be a part of that era. Everywhere, terrified soldiers listen to the voice. V (V.O.) You can choose to stay here and die with your Leader or you can choose to be free. The decision is yours and yours alone. LEADER Captain, order all your men to fall back and secure this position! V (V.O.) Some of you have wives. Some of you have families. All of you have lives. Consider each of them as you ask yourself, are they a part of the past, or are they a part of the future? CAPTAIN Fall back. Fall back and secure the central platform. Deep in the tunnel, two soldiers look at each other. Simultaneously, they drop their guns and run. LEADER Any man that disobeys this order will be court marshaled! Groups of solders drop their weapons and disappear into the shadows. LEADER Captain! Captain, where are your men? The station fills with the sound of boots running wildly away. LEADER Goddammit, I will not tolerate this insubordination! I want those deserters shot, Captain. Finch slowly draws back away from the Leader. LEADER Shot on sight! The few men on the platform are soon the only men left. CAPTAIN You! You! Point position. We're getting out of here! Now! A knife sings through the air and buries itself in the Captain's chest. With a tiny rasp, he falls to the ground. The remaining men bolt. LEADER Traitors! You cowards! He grabs for the Captain's machine gun. LEADER I know who you are! I'll see you hang! Every last one of you! "You" echoes down the dark empty throat of the tunnel. The Leader looks around, his flashlight sweeping in big arcs as he realizes that he is alone. LEADER Finch? Finch! Finch, goddammit, you can't leave me! Don't leave me! V You are going to die as you ruled -- The Leader screams, whipping around towards the voice. V Alone. The smile is as cold and as sharp as the knife that flicks from his hand. The Leader raises his gun just when the knife sinks into his shoulder. Howling in pain, he drops the gun. LEADER Damn you! Damn you! V smiles into the spot of his flashlight. LEADER Conrad? Is that you? You're working with Finch, aren't you? And Creedy! You're all in this together! V closes in. LEADER Who are you? V You, most of all, should know, Leader. You created me. Without you, I would never be. More than life, Leader, you gave me purpose. V draws his final blade. V "He that killeth with the sword, shall be killed with the sword." V raises the knife. LEADER Noooo! FINCH Don't move! V and the Leader turn to find Finch aiming a machine gun at V. LEADER Mr. Finch! Oh god, Mr. Finch! FINCH Drop the knife. V does and Susan begins an almost hysterical laugh. LEADER Oh, I knew it, Mr. Finch. I knew you wouldn't desert me. You're a good man, Finch. A damn good man. FINCH No, Mr. Susan. No, I'm not. I'm a man who does his job and does what he's told. For twenty seven years, that's all I've been. He steps toward V, staring into his smiling black eyes. LEADER Careful, Mr. Finch. He's quick as the devil. Finch ignores the Leader. FINCH I've read Delia's diary over and over all year. It sickens me but I am unable to judge her. I am as guilty as she. LEADER Mr. Finch, what are you doing? Shoot him. Kill the bastard, Finch. FINCH I have no excuse. I did what I was told to do. LEADER Finch, I order you to shoot him! Finch! FINCH My job was to find you and catch you. I've done my job. I've done it for the last time. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of it all. He tosses the gun to the Leader. FINCH Kill him yourself if you can. The Leader seethes, his eyes boring into Finch. FINCH Thank you, V. And goodbye. V Goodbye, Mr. Finch. The machine gun burst shatters the quiet concrete silence. Finch falls dead at V's feet. LEADER I warned you, Finch, the penalty for treason is death. He aims the gun at V. LEADER Are you ready to die? V The real question is, are you? The Leader laughs. LEADER Do you really believe you can pick up that knife before I pull this trigger? V No. But I don't have to. Almost casually, V bends down to pick up the knife -- The Leader screams and fires. Bullets knock V back a bit but he continues, grabbing the knife and standing. Eyes widening with disbelief, the Leader fires another blast as V begins walking towards him. The machine gun roars, bullets shredding out through the back of V's cloak as he continues with short deliberate steps until -- The hammer clicks against the pin. The gun is empty. V stands before him. V You see? You cannot kill me. There is no flesh and blood within this cloak to kill. There is only an idea. V smiles. V And ideas are bulletproof. The Leader screams. V drives the knife into his heart, killing him instantly. V stands alone amidst the carnage and seeping pools of red. His body wavers. He takes his hands out from beneath his cloak and reveals his gloves, wet with blood. INT. CONRAD'S HOUSE The front door opens and Helen enters. HELEN Creedy? Creedy, you dumb bastard, you left your car parked in front. She walks up the stairs to the bedroom. HELEN What did I tell you? Creedy. INT. BEDROOM She steps into the room, her sole and heel sinking into the plush carpet soaked with blood. HELEN Oh my god. When she sees Creedy's head mashed open, she covers her mouth. CONRAD Helen... Conrad has propped himself against the bed. HELEN Conrad! What have you done? CONRAD I won, Helen. I did it. I won. I'm the better man. He crawls toward her, slipping on the wet carpet. CONRAD We've been through a bad patch, Helen. But now, he's gone... There's nothing to come between us... He reaches for her foot, his hand gloved with wet red. HELEN Don't touch me! You stupid piece of shit! You've ruined it! I had it all planned perfectly and you've ruined it! She checks her watch; two hours to midnight. HELEN I have to get out of here! I have to get away! Conrad seizes hold of her ankle. CONRAD Helen -- HELEN No! Let go! Now! The look in his eyes frightens her. She tries to kick free of him but he won't let go. Twisting, she reaches for the door but slips on the carpet. HELEN Conrad, damn you! Let me go! CONRAD No, Helen, you're not leaving me... not this time... not ever. He crawls up her body still clutching the bloody knife. HELEN No, please! Oh god, no! Oh god, please help me! Conrad raises the knife. CONRAD No one can help us, Helen. God is dead. The knife falls. INT. SHADOW GALLERY Evey hears V on the spiral staircase. EVEY V? Scarlet footprints trail behind V as he struggles down the stairs. EVEY You came back. He nods and then collapses, rolling down the rest of the stairs. EVEY V! V! Running to him, she falls to his side. His clothes are slick with blood. EVEY Oh god, what happened? V Evey... EVEY You need a doctor. V It's too late for that... EVEY No, don't say that! V Evey, listen to me. I've not long and there are things that must be said. His voice strains beneath the mask. V I have done that which I came to do. Now, it is time for me to rest and with me the past will, at last, find peace. Trembling, Evey holds him. V But the world, the world is not saved... Do not think that, when the fires die and the smoke clears, there is no miracle... there is only a path... upon which they must learn to rule themselves. EVEY Yes, they need you, V. V Not me, Evey, not me. I told you I am the villain. The destroyer... But yes, they will need help... He reaches up and wipes a tear from her cheek. V I kept my promise to you, Evey... Now you must promise me. EVEY What? V Promise me... you will discover the face under this mask... but you will never look beneath it. EVEY I don't understand. V Promise me. Please... EVEY I promise. V Sweet Eve. Wherever I shall go, I shall always love you. EVEY V, you are not going anywhere! V Midnight... Midnight. Eve... Make them remember... EVEY You're not going to die, V! V Let me be there, Evey, when it begins... Please, let me hear the music, one last time... my music... EVEY I won't let you die! V I know you won't... I know... EVEY V! V My love... Ave Atque vale... Holding him as tight as she can, she feels his life drain away, slipping through her arms in the way the last grains of sand pour through the neck of the hourglass. She buries her face beside his and weeps. EXT. CITY STREET An enormous crowd has begun to gather in the streets surrounding the New Government Building. With the crowd, a restlessness swells against each barricade erected by the military. A sergeant stands on an armored car, speaking through a megaphone. SERGEANT Return to your homes! There is nothing to see! The terrorist is dead! RABBLE ROUSER 1 He ain't dead! RABBLE ROUSER 2 He'll be here, just like he said! INT. SHADOW GALLERY Evey huddles against the stair railing, her face tear stained, staring at the lifeless body of V. EVEY (V.O.) I remember... I remember staring at the mask, at that smile. She touches the mask, her fingers finding its edge. EVEY (V.O.) Part of me couldn't believe he was dead and maybe that was why. The smile was still the same. It made me want to tear it off so I could see the face, so I could see that he was dead. Her fingers stop. EVEY (V.O.) But I had promised. V (V.O.) You will discover the face under this mask but you will never look beneath it. EVEY (V.O.) I began to try to imagine his face. Of course, I had long pictured my father behind that smile but I knew in my heart that V was not my father. Evey stares into the eyes, the dark, empty eyes. EVEY (V.O.) Yet every time I pictured another face, any face, something was lost, something important was somehow diminished. V was more than a face. V was V. Her expression changes. EVEY (V.O.) And then, quite suddenly, quite naturally, I realized whose face must be beneath that mask. It was the only face that mattered. EVEY I won't let you die. V (V.O.) I know you won't... I know. A small smile creeps across her face. EXT. CITY STREET Midnight approaches and the crowd feels it. Spilling everywhere, they fill the streets like a flood. INT. TRAIN CAR Evey sets a final violet carson on the chest of V. He is lying on a bed made of gelignite, covered in roses. Touching his mask, she bends over him. EVEY Goodbye, my love. Tenderly, she presses her lips to the smile, her eyes closing, her final tears blinking free. She backs away and V smiles, his lips wet with her kiss, his cheek wet with her tears. EVEY (V.O.) "Ave Atque vale." On the train platform, Evey reaches through the window and starts the train. EVEY (V.O.) I looked it up the next morning. The wheels churn as the train lurches forward. EVEY (V.O.) "Hail and farewell." V (V.O.) "Make them remember..." She watches the train disappear into the tunnel. EVEY They will, my love. They will. EXT. CITY STREET The crowd surges against a barricade when a voice cries out across the city echoing through the megaphone on every corner. EVEY (V.O.) "Remember, remember, the fifth of November!" High above the gathered mass, a masked figure steps out onto a roof parapet. The crowd explodes. INT. SUBWAY The train barrels along, screaming against its rusted rails. EXT. ROOFTOP Dressed as V, Evey stands on the roof's edge, speaking into a microphone. EVEY I have come here tonight to keep a promise. A promise that is over four hundred years old. Tonight I am here to give you your freedom! Again, the crowd bursts into a frenzy. EVEY Since mankind's dawn a handful of oppressors have accepted the responsibility over our lives, responsibility that we should have accepted ourselves. By doing so, they took our power. By doing nothing, we gave it away. The voice booms over the mesmerized crowd. EVEY Tonight, our world will change. Our leaders will be gone and we must choose what comes next. A return to the chains of others or lives of our own. A world of the past or one of the future. She feels the sea of humanity beneath her, almost channeling their energy. EVEY Let us choose carefully, London, and when we do, let us mark well and remember, remember this fifth of November! The crowd screams as one and their scream becomes -- INT. SUBWAY The train hurling like a bullet through a gun barrel. Ahead the tracks end, buried beneath the rubble of the collapsed tunnel. INT. TRAIN CAR Inside the rattling train, V lays in perfect repose. V (V.O.) Let me be there, Evey, when it begins... EXT. ROOFTOPS Hidden and alone, Evey pulls the mask from her face. V (V.O.) Please let me hear the music... one last time... my music. Almost unconsciously, Evey raises her hand and coaxes the first soft notes as he had once done. V (V.O.) At first, you have to listen carefully. The violins of the 1812 overture steadily rise. V (V.O.) Ah, yes. There it is. Beautiful, is it not? Evey smiles, her hand still gently conducting. EVEY Yes, my love. Yes it is. INT. SUBWAY With the clash of cymbals, the train crashes into the wall of rubble. EXT. NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING The entire building opens like a time-lapsed rose blooming with brilliant orange petals of flame. EXT. CITY STREET The crowd is awash in the baptismal glow of erupting flame. EXT. ROOFTOP Evey watches the explosion, a star-burst of flaming debris searing against the night sky like fireworks. EXT. CITY STREET The masses burst through the barricades with a euphoric frenzy. EXT. ROOFTOP The explosion begins to slowly die. EVEY (V.O.) I know that there is only one way to repay him for what he did. She looks down at the mask. EVEY (V.O.) And I know that that way is going to take a lot of hard work. She smiles. EVEY (V.O.) I know this like I know the sun will rise tomorrow and beneath that new sun, our work will begin. The fire fades and Evey turns, cradling the mask, and walks away. FADE OUT.

INT. BLACK SCREEN MORRISON'S VOICE The movie will begin in five moments The mindless voice announced All those unseated will await the next show We filed slowly, languidly into the hall The auditorium was fast and silent As we seated and were darkened The voice continued "The program for this evening is not new You've seen this entertainment Through and through You've seen your birth, your life and death You might recall all the rest Did you have a good world when you died? Enough to base a movie on?" FADE IN: INT. RECORDING STUDIO (LAST SESSION) - LA DEC 1970 - NIGHT A dark silence hovers along the deserted, bunker-like studio. MIKE stands and booms shadow a grand piano... The ENGINEER waits in the booth, lit, alert man, bored, fiddling... ENGINEER Hey Jim, It's your birthday man, whaddaya say we try this another night... Camera moving tentatively along the shadows, discovering the sidelight on a Navy surplus pea jacket thrown on a chair; moving to a candle's orange flutter on pages written with verse... a hand breaking the seal of the bottle of Irish Bushmill's whiskey. VOICE (off) Kill the lights a little more, will ya John? They might drop a bit more... Camera crawling past the FINGERS weaving a new cigarette out of the Marlboro pack. An ashtray full of butts... and an asthmatic horrid cough, filled with phlegm... crawling up the slight paunch in the bright jersey with #66 on it... stitched on the sleeve is the team mascot -- an American Indian in full headdress. ENGINEER (off) Hey man, how come the Doors aren't in on this? Camera revealing JAMES DOUGLAS MORRISON, -- 27, poet, buried in the shadows, curls of cigarette smoke about his haunted sensuous eyes, meditative lips scragged with beard and long greasy hair, not a pretty sight, yet a man full and bold and struggling for survival through his words... beneath the Bushmill moon, he takes the tambourine and shakes it violently in our face JIM No music, No Doors. Let's roll... Is everybody in?... Is Everybody in?... Is everybody in? The ceremony is about to begin... He shakes a TAMBOURINE at the mike and one of his sudden giant Indian YELLS rock through the studio. JIM WAKE UP!!!! HAS THIS DREAM STOPPED!!!! Music riffs from "American Prayer". AUDIENCE SOUNDS ghostly on the track. The ENGINEER reeling backwards from the sudden shift in sound, cursing silent. JIM VOICE Let me tell you about the heartache and the loss of God Wandering wandering in hopeless night Indian's scattered on dawn's highway bleeding ghosts crowd the young childs fragile eggshell mind... (wind sounds) The GRIN on Jim's face magnesium flares out to: EXT. ARIZONA DESERT - DAY (1940'S) The blinding YELLOWNESS of the desert, so barren, so hot it stings to look at. An OLD CHEVROLET winds through the yellow- orange landscape beneath a brooding blue SKY crackling with ELECTRICITY -- the storm coming in in the distance as the MUSIC writhes out at us like a reptile from under a rock -- the beat of RIDERS ON THE STORM. DOORS SONG Riders on the storm (2) Into this house we're born Into this world we're thrown Like a dog without a bone An actor out on loan Riders on the storm CREDITS ROLL, OVER THIS DREAMSCAPE JIM VOICE (continues over imagery) ...me and my mother and father and grandmother and grandfather were driving through the desert at dawn and a truckload of Indian workers had either hit another car or just -- I don't know what happened... Indians were scattered all over the highway bleeding to death. INT. CAR - DAY MOM, DAD, the youngest BABY in the front seat -- pointing at the storm. GRANDMA & GRANDAD in the back with JIM, about 4 and his SISTER, 3 asleep. Mom's a beauty and Dad's an austere handsome military man in civilian clothes, mouthing words -- look, wake them up, a desert storm... but we barely hear A LIGHTNING BOLT shreds the blue sky with a thunderous sound, frightening dawn of creation... Grandma nudging Jim awake. His eyes open -- Just as the car turns the bend -- revealing An overturned TRUCK lying in the road -- dead and wounded INDIANS everywhere... A cop car, ambulance. A terrible accident... The first thing Jim sees... An old INDIAN FACE staring at him... The car pulling alongside, Dad rolling his window down... asking if he can help (SOUNDLESS) A line of wailing INDIAN WOMEN, CHILDREN Mom's scared face... JIM VOICE ...but it was the first time I tasted fear. I musta been about four, like a child is just like a flower, his head is floating in the breeze. Grandma trying to hide Jim's face but he looks back... THE COP WAVING THEM THROUGH The kid looking back through the rear window, terrified -- his first view of death. The bodies, the sense of doom overlaying the land -- a child's worst nightmare. MOM It's just a dream, Jimmy, just a dream SONG (continues) There's a killer on the road His brain is squirming like a toad Take a long holiday Let your children play If you give this man a ride Sweet family will die There's a killer on the road The boy's eyes going back to the Indian MAN looking at him... then to the dying opened body bleeding out its guts on the asphalt... the dying man's face, twisted, moaning, amazing eyes at the point of death -- they settle on Jim MOM It's just a dream Jimmy, just a dream A strange SOUND occurs -- the rattle of an ancient gourd, "shi-chi-chi, shi-chi-chi". Something flying through the air. A bull-roarer, a whirling leather thong, announcing the appearance of a shaman. INTO JIM -- his eyes staring out the back His receding point of view -- the Indians, the overturned truck... JIM VOICE ...The reaction I get now looking back is the soul of the ghosts of those dead Indians -- maybe one or two of them were just running around freaking out and just leaped into my soul -- and they're still there. (wind, music) SONG Girl you gotta love your man (2) Take him by the hand Make him understand The car pulling away across the giant 1940's landscape DISSOLVING TO: EXT. ARIZONA DESERT - DAY (1963) SUBTITLE READS: ARIZONA DESERT, 1963. CREDITS CONTINUE TO ROLL. Panning up the black chino pants to JIM MORRISON, now 20, steel seaman's suitcase in hand, thumbing a ride, the road sign behind him saying "Los angeles 370 miles" SONG The world on you depends Our life will never end Girl you gotta love your man A LARGE LIZARD in the dust cocks its head, blinks, as the boots walk by to the car pulling over. INT. CAR JIM in the backseat packed with HUSBAND, WIFE, CHILDREN, DOG, MOTHER-IN-LAW. Between boy and man, eyes ancient and new. He wears his favorite color: black -- torn black chinos, paint-spotted black t-shirt, a slouch his favorite pose but the eyes and smile can be warm and shy like a little boy, gentle surface, storm in the brain. The HUSBAND, now looking at Jim a little nervously, pushes up the Perry Como on the radio... as it cuts to a sudden news flash: RADIO ...from the Texas School Book Depository. We repeat. President John F. Kennedy was shot a few minutes ago in Dallas! SLOW MOTION: The Husband's face distorting, saying something on the track like: "What! God NO!" but it's subdued, low. Trying other stations. Jim turns to look out his window, as if he already knew. RADIO (2nd VOICE) ...taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. There's no word on the President's condition. Mrs. Kennedy is... The WIFE'S and HUSBAND'S VOICES seem lost in the background. WIFE & HUSBAND Oh God, Oh God. Not the President for Christ's sake. Oh God -- WHO'S NEXT? On Jim -- staring out the window. "Who's next!" SONG Riders on the storm (4) On the DESERT. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. VENICE BOARDWALK - LOS ANGELES - DAY (1965) SUBTITLE READS: VENICE, CALIFORNIA 1965 CREDITS continue to their conclusion as we segue into the BLUENESS of VENICE, CALIFORNIA, 1965 -- the dawn of a new age. All was possible. Individual SHOTS of the BOARDWALK throbbing with a feast of HIPPIES, head shops, ARTISTS drawing psychedelic murals, POT SMOKERS, MUSCLE BUILDERS, tambourines accompanying the transister radios on the Beach Boys and "I Got You Babe", dogs chasing frisbees, BIKINI BODIES on the beach, LSD sold over the counter... set to the upbeat chords of HELLO I LOVE YOU DOORS SONG Hello I love you Won't you tell me your name? Hello I love you Let me jump in your game She's walking down the street Blind to every eye she meets Do you think you'll be the guy To make the queen of the angels sigh? JIM, in torn black chinos, no shirt, walking real slow past it all, carrying a notebook of his own and a paperback of Baudelaire, his eyes settling on... A YOUNG BEAUTY and her yellow labrador -- a fashionable thin, long, red-haired "20th century fox" in jeans moving through the crowd... He thinks about it -- a fraction of eternity -- and he's off... after her. EXT. VENICE CANAL - DAY She moves along its banks, as if the universe moved to her rhythm, turning once to look back. Jim caught in her eyes. They're alone. Now he's the one seized by doubt. He slows, pretends to take another interest. DOORS SONG She holds her head so high Like a statue in the sky Her arms are wicked And her legs are long When she moves My brain screams out this song EXT. VENICE CANAL - ANOTHER CANAL - DAY As she turns into another street, he resumes following her. She gets to a house, goes in. There's a group of people partying. He stops, watches. DOORS SONG Sidewalk crouches at her feet Like a dog that begs for something sweet Do you hope to make her see you, fool? Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel? EXT. PAMELA'S HOUSE - VENICE CANAL - THAT EVENING The two story house has a quaint run-down charm. Friends have dropped by, people smoking joints, beers. She's on the upstairs balcony -- talking with a YOUNG MAN (professor type) in his 30's, who passes her a joint. JIM lurks in the shadows of the trees; he's been standing outside watching... The MUSIC shifts to the quieter LOVE STREET. DOORS SONG She lives on Love Street Lingers long on Love Street She has a house and garden I would like to see what happens The YOUNG MAN gestures, and goes back inside the house. She's alone now on the balcony, sitting on a kitchen table... It's now or never. Jim scales the tree alongside the house with the agility of a gymnast. DOORS SONG She has robes and she has monkeys Lazy diamond studded flunkies She has wisdom and knows what to do She has me and she has you The girl's grinding up pot in an old shoebox with a spoon and kitchen strainer. She looks up and sees his crotch three feet from her face, balanced there effortlessly on the railing like a highwire act, opens her mouth in surprise. Jim drops softly to the balcony, a smile of disarming gentleness. JIM Hi... GIRL Wow! Hi... (looking at the tree) You have a problem with doors? JIM Waste of time... His head cocked slightly onto his left shoulder, he drawls, southern gentleman, polite, slow, thoughtful as if he had all the time in the world, as if the guy would never come back. JIM I followed you... from the beach... GIRL (impressed) Wow! You followed me? Why? JIM ...cause... you're the one... He moves. Kisses her swiftly, softly, right on the lips. GIRL (mesmerized, awkward) Wow... neat... (looks back) ...maybe you should meet my old man? JIM Later. You got a name? He looks into her face. Classic American face, freckles, big round eyes soft as rain, long sunset red hair. She feels his intense, starving eyes. He kisses her a second time. The YOUNG MAN coming back with the rolling paper -- sees him. As he hops back on the railing -- swings out into the tree -- looks back once. JIM Mine's Jim. A moment. She must decide. The YOUNG MAN within earshot. GIRL Pam... The ice broken in that instant. Jim smiles. JIM Jim and Pam, Pam and Jim... He vanishes. The Man abreast of Pamela, as if he's seen a vision. YOUNG MAN Who the hell was that? PAMELA (everything's cool) That's Jim. My new friend. INT. UCLA SCREENING ROOM - DAY (1965) On the screen a 16mm black and white student film of a stunning BLOND in black bra, panties, garters dancing in black heels on top of a TV set. panning down to images of goose-stepping Nazis and a Nuremberg rally on the set. Sounds of lovemaking and an Indian peyote ceremony from the track, an Indian holy man incanting... Jim's VOICE comes on the track as well. JIM'S VOICE Nietzche said "all great things must first wear monstrous and terrifying masks in order to inscribe themselves on the hearts of humanity". Listen children -- to the sound of the Nuremberg night. STUDENTS in the audience groan at the pretention of it. Moving to JIM's eyes hidden in his parka hood, peeking through at the screen. A CLOSEUP now of JIM on screen looking straight into the lens as he takes a hit on a hash pipe, and winks. JIM VOICE (on screen) Have you ever seen God? -- a mandala. A symmetrical angel. Felt? Yes. Fucking the Sun. Heard? The music. Voices. Touched? An animal. Your hand Tasted? Rare meat, corn, water and wine STUDENTS (ad lib) SSSSssss... ego trip man, c'mon! RAY MANZAREK, a tall student with powerful voice and manner, thick glasses, long hair sweeping down over his eyes, leans over to Jim. RAY Hey man it's great, don't listen to em, it's non-linear man, it's poetry man, everything Godard stands for. The lights coming on as the last absurdist images flicker off. Hissing and a big Bronx cheer summarize the feelings of the 100 odd STUDENTS crammed into a bunker-like theater. A youngish INSTRUCTOR stirs to the front row from a row of upset FACULTY. Hands shooting up to criticize. INSTRUCTOR This is pretty shocking stuff Mr. Morrison. And I might say indulgent. Naziism and masturbation, when used for shock value, are not art. But to be constructive, let's start with your intention. What was it? STUDENT 1 It was a bore!! That's what! (laughter) TRICK, BONES and JACK, three friends sitting next to Jim, shoot their hands up. TRICK Hey it was better'n a Warhol picture. GIRL 1 No it wasn't. It was worse! TRICK A guy sleeping for seven hours... STUDENT 2 ...is less pretentious! There was no political consciousness. Naziism is... JACK Hey hold on man! You guys are the facists! BONES It takes genitalism to absurdity man, just cause the squares here can't dig it cause the film school's still so square... VOICES Oh c'mon man, give it a break. Boo! Beatniks go home! Take another mushroom... A cacophony of voices, critics, emotions blend out over Jim's quiet eyes. INSTRUCTOR HOLD IT DOWN!!... Mr. Morrison -- what are your feelings? JIM I quit. (walks out) EXT. TURKEY JOINT WEST - NIGHT JIM, BONES, TRICK, JACK approaching the bar. MUSIC of "GLORIA" blasting from the door, CHICKS popping in and out, definitely college crowd circa '65. TRICK (to Jim) Hey man whatdya expect, an Oscar? BONES You can't quit, you gotta voice. People can't dig cause they don't understand yet. JACK If you're an individual, if you're too good, they wanna cut your dick off. Look what happened to Orson Wells. TRICK You quit now, they'll yank your deferment in no time and they'll get you for Vietnam man. Three more months you graduate. BONES Be cool, you never learned fuckin patience Morrison, you want everything at once. NICK They didn't get it. So make your films and fuck what they think. JIM You know what I think? He slows, a dramatic young lion pose, surveying the girls. BONES Yeah whadday you think? JIM You really want to know what I think? The cronies wait, anticipating something inescapably evil to escape his lips. BONES Yeah yeah, whatddaya think? JIM I think we gotta get really ripped! INT. TURKEY JOINT WEST - NIGHT Tall bespectacled RAY MANZAREK is banging out GLORIA on the piano in bad Jerry Lee Lewis style. RAY I tell you bout my baby 'bout five foot four from head to toe She came to my room Just 'bout midnight She makes me feel so good She makes me feel alright Camera moving to reveal JOHN DENSMORE wiry, solid on the drums... moving on to ROBBIE KRIEGER, wispy, ethereal looking, the youngest, flamenco-type moves on his early electric guitar. Also a HARMONICA PLAYER and a BASE. They all seem slightly embarrassed by either the cheap sound system feedback or Ray's warbling, but the crowd couldn't care less -- a German beerhall, they want noise and sex. JIM and his GANG, beers in hand, mouth back the words, beers everywhere shoved to the smokey ceiling, everyone on their feet, nuts with spring fever. Jim eyeing the GIRL next to him. JIM You know what I'd like to do to you? GIRL (waiting, intrigued) No what? JIM You really want to know what I'd like to do to you? GIRL What! The FOOTBALL TEAM TYPES edge over nearby, one of them picking out Jim with a glare. JIM (whispering) Wanna hear the scream of the butterfly... She looks puzzled by the suggestion. FOOTBALL PLAYER Hey Morrison! JIM (eluding the man) Can we have a couple of beers. You're not even an asshole man -- you're a semihole. He evades the football man's grasp, elusive physicality. He hops over tables, heading for the stage. Other KIDS are up on the stage dancing, but Jim goes right up alongside RAY, shaking his hips like Elvis. Ray giving him the mike. Improv time. JIM (singing) She came to my room She came on my floor She came on my bed She came on my face Ooooooh I want to wrap your legs around my head baby baby and her name was Gloria They love it. The place going wild. The girl with the football player wanting him. INT. RAY'S CAR - FREEWAY - NIGHT JIM is insane on beers in the back seat, reaching over the wheel to try to drive the car for RAY who is flailing at him. Jim pulling Ray's hair... JIM (barely comprehensible) HA HA HA HA HA! COME ON, LET'S DRIVE TO MEXICO MAN. TIJUANA. LET'S GET LOST! Jammed into the sedan are TRICK, BONES, ROBBIE, JOHN... RAY & ALL COOL IT JIM, COME ON COOL IT. JIM FREEDOM!!! DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE ALL SLAVES! As he winds down the window and starts crawling out of the car. Heavy traffic. Ray weaving to avoid another vehicle. Honking horn. JOHN HE'S GOING OUT! HE'S GOING OUT! TRICK HE'S GONNA JUMP! RAY GET HIM BACK IN! His waist is out the window, John and all grabbing for his heels. EXT. SPEEDING CAR - NIGHT SPECIAL EFFECT: JIM's head six inches from pavement moving at 60 mph through heavy traffic. Screaming, laughing like a maniac. Beeping horns all over the place. JIM DEATH OLD FRIEND!! In the car, madness, raging chaos, the four boys pulling him in. EXT./INT. PAMELA'S HOUSE - VENICE CANAL - THAT NIGHT Night. Shadows. A tree. A figure moving. JIM (SONG) Awake! Shake dreams from your hair, my pretty child my sweet one Choose the day and choose the sign of your day The day's divinity the first thing you see Jim slides her upstairs' door open, crawls in next to her bed. She's asleep with her boyfriend. He touches her toe. She awakes, startled. JIM Come on, come out for a walk, it's a pretty night. PAM You're crazy! EXT. VENICE CANALS - NIGHT JIM and PAMELA moving along the byways. A clear starry California night. JIM (SONG) A vast radiant beach And a cool jewelled moon Couples naked, race down by its quiet side And we laugh like soft mad children There's a crash. They turn bristling. A COYOTE lurks under the sickly light of a streetlamp, pulling its head from an overstuffed garbage can, looking back at them. EXT. VENICE BOARDWALK - NIGHT Fires on the boardwalk. Hippies, Bums, Older People. JIM and PAM move through talking, skipping, touching like children. JIM (SONG) ...smug in the wooly cotton brains of infancy The music and voices are all around us Choose, they croon, the ancient ones The time has come again EXT. VENICE BEACH - NIGHT The two of them race down by its side, slowing to a walk. His [...] loved orphan voice. JIM Can I stay with you tonight? We could talk 'till dawn. I just don't want to be alone. PAM (hesitant) Okay... just talk though. No funny stuff. JIM Okay. I promise. PAM I've been real upset. I lost my car on the freeway yesterday. I left it somewhere and I can't remember where and when I went back it was gone. My sister... JIM I bet you never expected life could be this hard. (strokes her hair affectionately) And you're still so young. She breaks into sobs, seeking his arms. He hugs her. JIM I wonder where we'll be ten years from now? PAM I really don't want to know JIM Come on. JIM (SONG) Choose now, they croon Beneath the moon Beside an ancient lake Enter again the sweet forest Enter the hot dream Come with us Everything is broken up and dances EXT. VENICE BUILDING - NIGHT Their silhouettes mount the fire escape of a jagged old structure overlooking the boardwalk. EXT. VENICE ROOFTOP - NIGHT PAM glancing through Jim's notebooks as they sit on his sleeping bag with a lantern and bunsen burner, overlooking moon, ocean, scudding clouds and a vast forest of television antennas. Fires burn from the beach. In the notebooks, at intervals during the conversation, we see powerful sketches colored in visionary hallucinogenic William Blake mode with writing between. Books are everywhere -- panning Kerouac, Ginsberg, Nietzsche, Rimbaud, Mailer, Artaud, mythological works, shamanistic books, a library of stolen ideas. PAM (reading, looking) These are like beautiful! I never read much poetry in school. I hated it. What's a "shaman"? (mispronounces) JIM He's the medicine man who starts in a peyote trance. And he gets everyone in the tribe going and they share in his vision and it heals them. It's the same in all cultures -- Greeks, Jesus. Some Indians say the first shaman invented sex. He's the one who makes you crazy. PAM Are you a "shaman"? JIM Uh (pause) no. I just write about it. What turns you on? PAM I don't know. Experience. Freedom. Love... Now. Peyote's like love. When it's given it's blessed. When it's sold it's damned. I like peyote. I like acid, it's easier to get. I like the spiritual voyage. The first time I did acid I saw God. I did. I had a friend who was Christ. And he was Judas too. I suddenly knew the secret of everything -- that we're all one, the universe is one. And that everything is beautiful. JIM Is it? I don't know. I think you're alive by confronting death -- by experiencing pain. PAM I think you're alive by recognizing beauty -- seeing truth because when you discover truth you discover what love is... we're all saying the same thing. It's "love me and I'll love you." JIM (looks at her, ironic) It's only thru death that you know life. Jesus, medicine men heal people by sacrificing their own life. PAM Do you love Death? JIM I think life hurts a lot more than death. When you die the pain is over. Pam shivers, a strange thought. PAM Why do I look at you... and see my death? (pause, shrugs) No, that's ridiculous. JIM I bet your dad's a school teacher. PAM How did you know! JIM I don't know. PAM What was your father? JIM Military PAM I bet you moved around a lot. JIM Yeah, about 8 times. PAM How many sisters and brothers? JIM Two. PAM One... she's the pretty one... I love your neck. (she gets in his lap) He runs his fingers thru her hair, kissing her gently. JIM "...but one, the most beautiful one of all dances in a ring of fire and throws off the challenge with a shrug" PAM That's beautiful. Who did you write it for? JIM I wrote it for you. The panties coming off. Rousseau dangling from the Venice moon. He moves a little over excited, nervous, more awkward than we might expect. PAM ...take your time, Jim... there's no hurry, I'm all you have to do tonight... DOORS SONG Well the clock says it's time to close now I guess I'd better go now... As we depart the rooftop. Your fingers weak with minarets Speaking secret alphabets I light another cigarette Learn to forget, learn to forget, learn to forget DISSOLVE TO: Possibly we hear the soft backbeat of MOONLIGHT DRIVE without lyrics. RAY MANZAREK is meditating in yoga posture, longer hair as well, in his post-graduate phase, sandals, colorful hippie shirt. But the meditation is not going well. He's shaking his head at himself, frowning. RAY Om om... No bliss! No bliss! Jim has approached closer, amused, looking down. JIM Hey Ray, try acid man, it's guaranteed. Ray opening his eyes -- his POV -- Jim, slouched, jacket over his shoulder, sun behind him. RAY (surprised) Morrison... Aw shit. Last trip I thought I was going through hell's digestive system. Something painted by Hieronymus Bosch. JIM I never had a bummer on acid. RAY I like naturally high man. JIM Whatever works. Making movies at MGM yet? RAY Well I saw the head of production and I said Godard doesn't use scripts, he improvises with his camera and he said, "great who's Godard?" JIM (laughs) We gotta take the planet back, reinvent the Gods, make new myths. RAY Right on. I thought you went to New York? JIM Never got there. Went out to the desert and uh... got lost y'know. Days. I been living on Trick's rooftop. Got stuck on this chick... RAY Whatcha been doing? JIM Writing. Poems. Songs. RAY Songs? Lemme hear one. JIM I can't sing. RAY So neither can Dylan. "Johnny's in the basement mixing up the medicine, I'm on the pavement thinking about the government". But he's got the words man. That's what they want. JIM (suddenly sings) Let's swim to the moon un hunh Let's climb thru the tide Penetrate the evening That the city sleeps to hide Jim has crouched, digging his hand in the sand. As the grains spill out of his fist he has his eyes closed. Ray pantomimes chords in the keyboard sand. All of a sudden we're in RAY'S POV -- a mystical moment. Jim singing, no sound, then pure song, unadulterated by atmosphere. JIM Let's swim out tonight love It's our turn to try Parked beside the ocean On our moonlight drive Jim stops, shrugs. Ray looks at him a long beat. Intense eyes, the manner of a man who knows what he wants and cannot be stopped. RAY Wow!... Y'know man those are hot lyrics -- really hot! JIM (pleased) ...could you write the music for that down, if we went over to your place, could you write that on your organ? RAY Are you kidding! I could fly. You wrote that? You got others? JIM A bunch. It's like I'm taking notes at a rock concert going on inside my head. I actually hear the music -- the spirit of the wine y'know, intoxication. RAY (slaps him on the knee) Man. You got a voice like Chet Baker -- haunted! What the hell happened to you in the desert? Let's get a rock and roll band together man and make a million bucks. JIM ...be great wouldn't it? RAY (walking JIM) It's the perfect time man! Two of the guys outta my band are really into this. I meditate with them. You know them... Robbie and John. We could have it in the can in three weeks. JIM Hey why not, I could write the songs with you guys. RAY The Stones did it outta the London School of Economics for Chrissake. Things are about to explode man. You can feel it in the air. (points out over the ocean) Vietnam's right out there. Sides are being chosen. People wanna fight or fuck, love or kill, everything's gonna flame. The planet's screaming for change, Morrison. Make the myths man!! Jim laughs, loves Ray's ardor as they move along the ocean side. JIM There oughta be great orgies man. Like when Dionysus arrived in Greece, he made all the women mad, leaving their homes and dancing off in the mountains. Great golden copulations in the streets of LA. (looks at a passing girl) Hey, do you know her? RAY What do we call ourselves. "Dionysus"? JIM I got a name. RAY What? JIM The Doors. RAY The Doors? (facial distaste) That's the most ridiculous... (then) ...you mean the doors in your mind? Like the Huxley book. JIM "The Doors of Perception"? Acid... RAY Yeah sure mescaline experiments -- reducing the sugar flow to the brain. Great book. JIM It's from William Blake actually, the line -- "when the doors of perception are cleansed -- things will appear as they truly are..." RAY (finishes) -- infinite". It's great, Jim. JIM So where do we start? How do we start? Where are the girls? RAY Rehearsing. You're moving off the rooftop and in with me and Dorothy. As they walk off, the two of them along the edge of the Pacific. A dog jumping for a frisbee. The music of MOONLIGHT DRIVE now riffs over the real song now. DOORS SONG Let's swim to the moon Let's climb thru the tide Penetrate the evening That the city sleeps to hide... DISSOLVING TO: INT. RAY'S HOUSE - VENICE BEACH - DAY The first heavy strains of BREAK ON THROUGH driving over the DISSOLVE. It sounds bad technically, but it's hot. Random raw screams and shouting. PAM is crosslegged on the floor, clapping to the music, number one fan. JIM & DOORS (live) The day destroys the night Night divides the day Tried to run Tried to hide Break on thru to the other side JIM straining to make it work, jumping around violent, still not in control. Yet searching. JOHN cutting out. JOHN That's really square. Let's hip it up. Jump on your cues. RAY Tighten it up. Stay with the beat Jim. You're dragging. JIM Let's try it again, come on. I'm just getting into it. PAM (on floor) I think it's hot!! ROBBIE (strumming) I still think the lyrics are weird man. JOHN (frustrated) I still think it sounds like the bottom of a fishbowl man. JIM (to Robbie, aggravated) Then you write one man! We need more songs anyway. We all gotta go back and write. They're drained, tired, in a large rehersal/living room 30 feet high, fronted by large glass windows looking out at the beach at Marina. The room is filled with golden, gorgeous setting sunlight. PAMELA goes to the kitchen with DOROTHY, Ray's Japanese fiancee. ROBBIE I been working on something goes like this... A minor. (chords his guitar) "You know that it would be untrue You know that I would be a liar If I was to say to you Girl, we couldn't get much higher" F sharp... chorus "Come on baby, light my fire Try to set the night on fire..." Robbie's voice is tinny but something immediate's in the air, all the radar out. RAY Okay man there's some good changes in there. JIM Got any more lyrics? ROBBIE (gives Jim a page of lyrics) Some. I call it "Light My Fire". I figger if I'm gonna compete with your stuff it's gotta be about earth, fire or snakes. JIM Don't underestimate Death. JOHN Yeah but it sounds like the Byrds man, we're not folk rock man. How 'bout trying it with a Latin beat. ROBBIE I thought we could do the usual verse chorus verse chorus and JOHN We don't need a bridge. ROBBIE Yeah, we could maybe improvise a couple piano and guitar solos over it (kicks in second verse) "The time to hesitate is through" (doesn't have the second line) Du du duh dud dada . . . JIM (spontaneous) "No time to wallow in the mire Try now we can only lose And our love become a funeral pyre Come on baby light my fire" John drumming it, different, more Latin. JIM Pretty good! Pretty neat!! RAY (to John) Nice groove, John. Chaka chaka chaka, then bula burump bula (to Robbie) ...you're right, it could take a coupla long solos, that's wild man, like Butterfield did on "East-West" -- really hip. ROBBIE Y'ever heard Coltrane's "Favorite Things"? JOHN (hitting the drums) Yeah -- maybe stretch it out and put it in 4/4 on bass, 3/4 on guitar and snare. RAY (clicking, excited) Why not! A minor to B minor. Jazz! That then is jazz! But it needs a hook. Something. Give me some space. I need some space. Leave the room guys. Come on! Go! The three excluded Doors head out to the beach like obedient schoolboys while Ray fools with his organ. EXT. VENICE BEACH - DAY As they go out, JIM hugging ROBBIE's head to his shoulder as they feel the excitement of a new song. JOHN (irritated at Ray) Guy's obnoxious, man always bossin' people around! I thought we were equals! JIM Aren't we? (to Robbie) That was great Robbie. Whaddaya thinking about when you play? ROBBIE Don't know. Mostly the fish in my fish tank. JIM (laughs) Hey whadya say we take some of that Tijuana acid and see what kinda trouble we can get into tonight? ROBBIE The chicks always go for you man. I get the dogs. JIM Then we'll start a religion or plan a murder or go to Tijuana. JOHN Whatsamatter with you man, what about Pam, you got the morals of a coyote. JIM Why you wanna sleep with her John, just to bug me? JOHN Hell NO! JIM ...means "hell yes". She likes you man, she really does and y'all should. What's a rock and roll band for man, if you can't party all night and do bad things? RAY (yelling from the house) I GOT IT I GOT IT... GET IN HERE. HURRY. JOHN Sieg Heil! As they head back. INT. RAY'S HOUSE - DAY TIGHT on RAY like a schoolmaster cueing them. RAY Okay here it is. Bach and Rock. Count it off John JOHN (clicking) 1... 2... 1 - 2 - 3 (crack) It goes. The famous organ intro to LIGHT MY FIRE blends over the room like magic, carrying JIM, ROBBIE, JOHN, DOROTHY, PAMELA along over: EXT. SUNSET STRIP (TRAVELLING) - NIGHT (1966) A row of NIGHTCLUBS glisten off the hoods of passing traffic. Marquees announce: THE BYRDS, RED ROOSTER, LOVE, THE HERD, TURTLES, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART. The CLUBS are PANDORA'S BOX, THE TRIP, CIRO'S, BIDO LITO'S, GAZZARRI'S, THE EXPERIENCE... . Headlights and neon intercut with: DOCUMENTARY TYPE SHOTS of TEENAGERS, HIPPIES, LONGHAIRS, running summer rampant, banging tambourines. COPS busting kids against cars on the street as PARENTS go by rolling up their windows. The action was on the street. LIGHT MY FIRE carries over the montage. DOORS SONG You know that it would be untrue etc. JIM VOICE (last session) The music was new black polished chrome and came over the summer like liquid night. EXT. LONDON FOG - NIGHT "THE DOORS -- BAND FROM VENICE" on the marquee... moving down to a motley crew of TEENAGE GIRLS, underage, trying to get past the BOUNCER. The sounds of BREAK ON THROUGH carry past when the doors open and close admitting a SAILOR. GIRL GROUPIE (approaching, to 2nd girl) Is that horny motherfucker in the black pants here tonight? BOUNCER IDs! IDs! Can't get in without an I.D.. GIRL 2 Oh please. I forgot my I.D.. I'm on the list. BOUNCER I forgot my list. INT. LONDON FOG - NIGHT BREAK ON THROUGH blasting out at us from a sleazehole -- half full -- BIKERS, SAILORS, HOOKERS, a baseball game on the TV. A dance floor the size of a bed, the DOORS on a tiny platform above the bar, London newspapers on the wall. JIM & DOORS (live) We chased our pleasures here Dug our treasures there Can you still recall the time we cried BREAK on through to the other side (3) Some groupies have formed a small fan club at the base of the stage, muscling past PAM, but most people ignore them, drinking, arguing, dancing to their own fuckbeats. Possibly this has something to do with the fact that JIM sings with his back to all of them. JOHN looking over furious at RAY who mutters under the music. RAY Turn around Jim! Come on let 'em in. JIM I found an island in your arms A country in your eyes Arms that chained us, eyes that lied (CHORUS) Jim jumps around violently to the front, getting the attention of all. Rubbing his leather pants against the mike stand, leaning against it, not yet comfortable with the extrovert side of himself, eyes closed, but starting to enjoy it. He sings to Pam. INT. BACKSTAGE - THE FOG - THAT NIGHT JERRY, the ex-vice cop manager who runs the joint, can't understand the appeal, talking to JIM and ROBBIE who are packing and hauling their equipment out. DOROTHY is there. PAM (innocently) So Jerry... do we get paid for this? JERRY (ignoring her) What shit, "day destroys the night", "crawl back in your brain", "go insane". What do people wanna pay money to hear that shit. JIM (explains it, gentle) The greater the suffering, the more terrible the events, the greater the pleasure Jerry. They want it, it's catharsis. Like the ancient Greeks. JERRY (amused) We're in Los Angeles punk, how would you know, they like your pants, they're not listenin' to you, what the hell they see in you I... JIM (laughs) But they understand Jerry. All our real desires are unconscious and unseen. . . JERRY (scratching his head) ...you're the weirdest fuckin' guy I ever... JIM You love us? JERRY I love ya. You got two more shows to do. Camera gliding across the small crowded smokey room to RAY and JOHN in conversation with a slick Beverly Hills MANAGER type. MANAGER ...I got some real tight record company connections, just leave it to me man, I'll take you guys all the fuckin' way, you blew my mind out there. RAY Yeah right, but what about the music? MANAGER Hey the music? I love it man, that's why we're talking right? Some of it's a little on the dark side though. Ya know ya oughta get some tunes like Herman's Hermits stuff -- "Mrs. Brown you got a lovely daughter". That shit goes right to the radio man. RAY Uh huh. Well, how 'bout gettin' us some real equipment? MANAGER Listen, I sign you guys to a five year management contract and you got it all. Equipment. Demo. A truck WITH roadies. Three, maybe four percent record deal. Wherever ya want to go babe, trust me, I'll get you there. Whatd'ya say? RAY (exchanging looks with John) We'll have a band meeting. The four of us do everything unanimously or we don't do it. MANAGER The musketeers. I'm touched. But lemme tell you something -- loyalty don't pay the bills. Think about it. Call me tomorrow. He gives Ray a card, leaving, crossing to Jim and PAM talking. JOHN (to Ray) What a sleaze! Man, Jim's gotta start facing the crowd if he's gonna be the front man. RAY He's just getting his confidence. JOHN He never does what we rehearsed. What's the point of... RAY How does it feel? JOHN Great, but... Pam on payphone calling her friends to come. PAM ...make sure you get Barb and Sue Anne to come. And tell them to ask for Jim! The MANAGER on his way out leaning into Jim's face, slyly. MANAGER Jim, how old are you? JIM Ah, twenty one... MANAGER Jesus, you're a gold mine, I'll make it quick and to the point and if you repeat it I'll deny it -- drop these guys, I'll put you with some real musicians, your voice, your looks, that's what'll sell records, we'll make a million bucks. A year. Goodbye. Call me. I'm right. He gives Jim a card and goes. Pam disgusted with the type, Jim laughs, likes the guy. JIM I like a man wears his soul on his face. RAY (coming over) "Whiskey's" next, I can feel it in my bones. ROBBIE I still think the lyrics are weird. INT. LONDON FOG - NIGHT MONTAGE EFFECT -- Jim sings "A Little Game" on the Fog stage. Super over WHISKEY sign. EXT. SUNSET STRIP -- THAT NIGHT CU moving down -- the "LOVE" is on the marquee at the famous WHISKY A GO GO as we move down to see JIM, PAM, and the DOORS. Jim jumps through the TEEMING TRAFFIC (horns, anger) right in front of a COP CAR, crossing to a long line of teenage FANS dying to get into the club. JIM (to Ray, innocently) Jesus Ray, every girl out there wanted to fuck me, I could feel it for the first time! RAY Right on stud. But you better watch out for the guys. JIM (to the band) Guys, I'm serious about the desert, we still gotta deepen man, we gotta take some peyote -- all of us together, we got one more stage to go... ROBBIE I don't know man, fucks up my playing. I been playing music for 10 years man and this is the first time in my whole damned life I ever played it. JIM Are you satisfied? JOHN Will you get off my case! I'm never doing acid again. Too many bad trips man. JIM It's not acid John, it's peyote. It's a bonding ceremony. It's got to be more... more... more... JOHN I'm into TM man. I promised my guru... PAM I want to! I want to! I'm ready. Let's go to the desert... do the peyote, the good peyote. JIM (to girl in line) Who's on now? GIRL 1 (withering look, very hip) "Love". JIM Yeah, Arthur Lee's cool. GIRL 1 They're the best... better'n the Beatles. JIM You mean the Marx Brothers of music, we could blow 'em away. The GIRLS looking at each other like who is this jerk. GIRL 2 And who are you? JIM The Doors... We're up the street at the Fog. Laughter from the GIRLS. GIRL 1 (contempt) The Doors. I heard of you. That's the dumbest name. I wouldn't go to the Fog if you paid me. JIM Oh yeah what would you do for money? PAM Let's go Jim, come on. Meanwhile DENSMORE is hitting up on GIRL 2. JOHN So you don't have a phone number? What do you mean you don't have a phone number? GIRL 2 I don't have a phone number. So give me your number then. JOHN I don't have a phone. Robbie is doing his imitation of a shrimp for ANOTHER GIRL who's laughing. GIRL 1 (intrigued, to Jim) Well, would you leave my name at the door? JIM Well I don't know. What's your name? GIRL 1 Caprice. JIM Caprice? That's the dumbest name I ever heard. A look between Jim and Caprice. Pamela pulling Jim away, gives the girl a look. JIM Hey! I am the Lizard king. I can do Anything! Raise your hands if you understand! Alive, any of you alive -- let's take a poll -- how many of you know you're really alive!! The crowd giggles. Jim climbs a pole, yells. JIM No one? Raise your hands c'mon man... let's go. On the crowd. A few raise their hands, smile. We IRIS in on the Doors suddenly -- a strange sound -- REVERSE IRIS on Jim -- feeling it now. The peyote. JIM's POV -- Pam irising out. This strange sound in his ears -- a rattle of an Indian gourd, similar to what we heard in the car in Arizona when Jim was a boy. Now a distant Indian drum beating. The beginning strains of THE END dribble in. EXT. DESERT - DAY A dented RED CHEVROLET fishtails on a dry mudflat, whipping up dustdevils. They're all LAUGHING (strange noise) -- in a circle somewhere on the edge of a precipice in deep arroyos and magnificent rocks and cacti... A football huddle of faces - RAY, JOHN, ROBBIE, JIM -- the four DOORS... laughing with the first mad impulse of the peyote. PAM is vomiting her brains out as DOROTHY tries to comfort her on the edge of a cliff... Jim panthers up the dune. JIM Everybody having a good time? They hug. She throws up again. JIM ...awright, pretty good, it gets better. Jim holds his head. Feels the ride. JIM WOA!! It's fast. JUMP CUTS: Jim and Pam are touching each other. Face. Shadows. Sand falls from Pam's hand. Jim turns to hawk at a bird. "Hawk! Hawk!" Then Pam is dancing alone on the dune. Abruptly Jim is back in the circle with the Doors in a sense torn between them and Pam. EXTREME CLOSEUPS of their faces, their eyes, the tensions of the trip tearing apart their teeth as they go from the laughing to the dangerous part. JIM When the serpent appears, his head is ten feet long and five feet wide. He has one red eye and one green eye. He's deadly and he's seven miles long. As he moves -- on his scales is written all the history of the world, all people, all actions, all of us our little pictures on the scales, God it's big! -- and it's eating as it moves all the time, devouring, digesting consciousness, power, a monster of energy! John shutters -- as does Robbie and Ray. Jim seems possessed. JIM We must kiss the snake on the tongue, if it senses our fear, it will eat us instantly. But if we kiss it without fear, the snake will take us through the garden and out the gate. To our freedom -we must ride this snake. To the end of time. Pause. He has instilled a flux of fear in the group. JOHN I think I'm fucked up. I'm not thinking right. JIM You're fucked up John. Go with it, confusion is the sound of creation. JOHN You should see your eyes right now, you're death. Look at your eyes -- you're crazy man, you look crazy. You scare me. JIM No no no John John. God is crazy too. God is part insane as well as sane. Not in control all the time. Dionysus was the God of the wine. He made ecstasy but he also made madness. Madness is all right. That's what you want, isn't it, isn't it? Where's that joint? ROBBIE (crying) I get scared thinking of all the choices inside. I could go. I could stay. I can live anywhere. I could die now if I wanted. It's limitless choice... and no one cares. JIM Die Robbie. JOHN What the fuck! PAM (wandering in) I don't know what I am. I'm on the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn. Sagittarius is wild and Capricorn domestic and safe, so I don't know which one to be. Jim looking at her, smiles. JIM I love you. DOROTHY (into the same lens) Oh my God, the light, it's so beautiful Ray. Can you see it... it's all one... honey? Ray has his head buried in his hands. RAY I'm in pain man. I want something from the peyote. I feel the universe functioning perfectly but I'm still perfectly locked inside myself. Instead of Oneness, I feel total Isolation. Aloneness. Fear... Pain... Jim, all I feel is pain. JIM Pain makes me feel more alive Ray. Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain but they're wrong. JOHN I feel Lust. I want to fuck everything I can, and I know it will never be enough. JIM (whispers) Pam wants you. (normal) You're a good Catholic John, you want it so you can feel guilty about it... Fuck death away John. ROBBIE I feel Fear... so bad I just numb out all my feelings. I'm afraid of my father, I'm afraid of Yahweh... I wish I could play my guitar. JIM Maybe you should kill your father Robbie. He tried to kill you. Kill him! ROBBIE I'm so fucking scared. JIM But you're Alive! It's beautiful! Fear, pain, lust, we've got to know all our feelings before we can come out the other side free men. Don't feel ashamed of yourselves, don't let society destroy your reality. Our freedom's the only thing worth dying for, it's the only thing worth living for! He takes Ray and Robbie's hands, his voice calming them, reform the circle. John hesitant. Not all will enter the gates at evening. JOHN (cold sweats) I'm not gonna make it man. I'm scared Jim, I'm still scared. Blindness is coming on. JIM Then use us John, use our strength, it's us four now, a tribe of warriors, everything we have comes from the same source, the great Creator of Being. Trust him, trust us. Ride the snake. . . I promise you I will be with you till the end of time. Pulling John into the circle, bonding, their four heads sunk to the desert floor, Jim making wild Indian sounds, deep- throated "shoooh... shoooh"... now humming a song from the desert. JIM My wild love went riding... mmmmmm. She rode all the day. She ride to the devil. And ask for him to pay... shooo shoooo The OTHERS join in his chant, the four rising and falling like a collective breath. JIM (ad lib) ...she went to the desert she went to the sea Joseph we did see... Suddenly Jim breaks and rises out of the circle. Ray, Robbie, John, all looking at him. The same need. Pamela, the desperation of her eyes. JIM (to himself) ...I'm lying to you. I am scared. He goes, his boots in the sand. JOHN Jim, where are you going. JIM (looking back) I'll be back. I gotta go alone. Pamela calling from another dune, far away. PAM Jim! Jim... come here, dance... don't go away. His POV -- of her, receding. She screams for him. He's in pain. Cannot help her. A BIRD of prey in the sky. Jim moving across a lunar landscape. SPECIAL EFFECT: The sun is black like night or else white in a black sky. Voices in the distance. "Jim, where are you going?" A mother's voice, a father's voice. DOORS SONG Can you picture what will be So limitless and free Desperately in need of some stranger's hand in a desperate land Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain and all the children are insane: waiting for the summer rain FLASHBACKS INT. CAR - MOVING - DESERT JIM, 4, in the back of a car in the desert -- looking back... At the overturned truck, the bodies in the road... at the older Indian looking at him... finally at the dying Indian... his eyes. INT. MORRISON HOME - DAY Somewhere. The child alone. On the living room floor. Drawing his sketches in a book. MOM's feet moving past -- then DAD'S feet. We may sense a subtle shift in mood when the parents come in -- from the boy's eyes which never leave the sketch he is drawing. EXT. DESERT - DAY An OLD WOMAN is beckoning to him from an opening in the face of the mountain... then she's gone. JIM bounds towards the crevice. INT. ROCK PALACE - DAY He is in an isolated cathedral of rocks. The CRONE, muttering, leaving through another crevice. Suddenly a MOUNTAIN LION is visible, stretched hugely across a rock. It growls ferociously, upset, and suddenly shoots out the back of the cave. Silence. Jim, thunderstruck, gaping. A gallery of ancient INDIAN PETROGLYPHS surround him on all sides. Curious, oblong figures, buffalo, sacred deer and bear, creatures of the hunt; hunters and their weapons, rain clouds, masked deities proclaiming the answers to the Mysteries, the story of Creation. Camera weaving up to see one of the faces of the deities -- staring at him from the wall -- an eagle's face... DOORS SONG There's danger on the edge of town Ride the King's highway Weird scenes inside the gold mine Ride the King's highway west, baby The sound of a rattle -- "shichishichi" -- he realizes he's being watched. By what? He whips his eyes everywhere. A large LIZARD perches on a boulder assesses him calmly, tatters of a former skin clinging to its throat, spits a forked tongue and drills its black pearly eyes into his skull... Now the sound of the Bull-Roarer, whipping the air, announcing the appearance of the shaman. Jim's struck with an overwhelming sense of... awe... ancient mysteries. He turns. The lizard is looking at him. The GHOST of the DEAD INDIAN is also looking at him. We are looking at JIM from its point of view -- a blur of light, some headdress, a sense of skins... music drops back, no lyrics... the voice is old, familiar, possible Spanish descent dialect or huararchi. INDIAN GHOST VOICE ...you are a prince among white men, yet you are a warrior among us. You are ready now. Go out "walk with the pain of the world, travel to the end of the wind" -- and change it for all men as you were born to do. The voice, the pretense, -- the glow too quickly fades -- leaving Jim so alone, not sure what he has heard, yet he knows he has heard, and he knows he has seen -- and once you have seen, it will never be the same again. His eyes. EXT. CAVE - DAY JIM exits the cave. MATCH CUT TO: INT. WHISKY A GO GO - NIGHT EXTREME CLOSE on JIM'S EYES as he continues with THE END. DOORS SONG Ride the snake Ride the snake, to the lake The ancient lake The snake is long, seven miles Ride the snake He's old, and his skin is cold Camera pulling out from his eyes. There's something different tonight. Something in the air. His eyes are open, he's facing outward, gripping the mike for his life, hair falling in his face, dripping sweat, we sense all his soul concentrated in what he has to say. Cliques of GROUPIES have staked claims at the foot of the stage, eyes fucking him as he writhes, spreading his legs. Every twitch, every moment he sucks out the tension on the musical interludes generates a whip of a reaction in his audience. Nobody is moving in the club. The DANCERS are still, the GO GO GIRLS in their white plastic boots and dresses hang motionless in their gilded cages. Even the WAITRESSES have stopped, frozen with their trays, denying something is going to happen. PAMELA, DOROTHY... JERRY from the Fog, also the manager of this place, watches from the balcony, shaking his head, doesn't understand. Panning to two RECORD TYPES with him -- JAC HOLZMAN, distinguished six footer, suit, and PAUL ROTHCHILD, funky, pigtailed, ex-con, early 30s. JIM & DOORS The west is best (2) Get here and we'll do the rest The blue bus is calling us (2) Driver where you taking us? The band has come together fully now. ROBBIE'S fingers sliding across the trembling strings, staring at the ceiling, wandering around the darkened portions of stage left, he feels Jim -- echoes him back with his flamenco-blues guitar. JOHN on drums, reading Jim's moods, throws in the spontaneous and violent riffs that keep it savage. He literally tortures Jim's ears with his drums. And RAY, concentrated with his nodding head like a big flamingo over his keyboard, mixing it up, throwing curves, yet also -- and more delicately -- torturing Jim with the messianic organ sounds that shriek in his ears. There is something of Merlin in Ray -- the alchemist knowing how to play Jim. And JIM -- "that sneaky silent lithe flowing flexing animal" -- ready at last to share both his body and his soul with the world, to live out the words of the Indian prophet... to lead. JIM The killer awoke before dawn He put his boots on He took a face from the ancient gallery And he walked on down the hall Ray looks over up from his board, catches Robby with a 'what's this?' look... They go with it, improvising... Jim clutching the mike tighter, seeking solace in its arms; it all hangs in the air as if he doesn't have any idea what he's going to say next. JIM He went to the room where his sister lived And he paid a visit to his brother And then he went on down the hall... Pamela sensing something is coming... the AUDIENCE... Jerry... the go-go dancers... JIM And he came to a door, And he looked inside "Father?" "Yes, son?" "I want to kill you". FLASH -- A FATHER'S FACE, any face, older, any man... JIM Mother... I want to... FLASH -- A MOTHER'S FACE, any face, older, a woman JIM AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH YOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!! FUCK YOU ALL NIGHT! The SCREAMS primal, pure Jim -- Indian savagery ripped from the depths of his soul, of his pain -- bouncing off the walls... As the AUDIENCE gasps, shocked, stunned... As the guitar hits a high, horrid reverb, JIM in slightly SLOW MOTION suddenly tightens his backbone as if electrocuted and shoots violently backwards, hitting the floor like a puppet cut from his string -- we sense Jim himself has crossed a barrier now, gone into yet another stage of his performance, a stage from which he can never return. Like the gunfighter who has killed his first man. RAY sees it instantly where it's going, hits the organ! Robbie and John follow. the instruments EXPLODE all at once trying to bury Jim in his primal unmistakeable scream. The CLUB in shock. Tribal taboo broken in one instant. Jerry exploding off the balcony toward the stage... Pamela, extremely moved and impressed, and Dorothy... the go- go girls, as jaded as they come, are stunned tension... the groupies love it. Jim has jumped up now, dancing an Indian war dance around the mike. JIM Come on baby take a chance with us (X3) And meet me in the back of the blue bus Doona blue rog onna blue bus Doona blue yeah! Come on yeah! INT. BACKSTAGE WHISKY HALLWAY - THAT NIGHT JIM is being muscled out the door by JERRY, livid. JERRY NOBODY'S GONNA FUCK THEIR MOTHER ON MY STAGE! YOU'RE OUTTA HERE. You don't ever come back to play, you don't ever come back to drink -- You're DEAD ON THE STRIP! JIM (ranting back at him) Kill the father, fuck the mother, kill the father, fuck the mother -- that's what I'm into! That's what I'm into! Jerry pinning Jim to the wall, JERRY You -- MORRISON! You're fucking filthy twisted perverse punk, get back to your fucking sewer!! JIM (calmly smiling) You have the face of a pig man. Lost in the melee, RAY and JOHN springing Jim back from likely death RAY JERRY JERRY... He was talking about Oedipus! GREEK TRAGEDY!! It's ART!! JERRY FUCK ART!! GET THE FUCK ART OUT!!! Pushing, shoving, scrambling. Past a long-haired JOURNALIST yelling into a payphone. JOURNALIST NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE DOORS -- NEVER!! GET A PHOTOGRAPHER DOWN HERE. "ROLLING STONE'S GOTTA SEE THIS!! As they rumble by him, all yelling at once. Into the street. EXT. ALLEY & STAIRCASE OUTSIDE WHISKY - THAT NIGHT The DOORS go sailing out, followed by one of their drums, JOHN and ROBBIE restraining Jim from going back in. JIM TAKE A LONG LOOK OLD MAN. WE ARE THE FUTURE. WE ARE THINGS TO COME. JERRY FUCK YOU... YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD! Wanting to come after Jim but restrained now by the RECORD MOGULS, HOLZMAN and ROTHCHILD. PAUL Come on Jerry, cool it, cool it... he's a kid, it's a song about dying, changing... JAC HOLZMAN pushing past to Ray. Pamela separating Jim visually from Jerry. JOHN (to RAY and ROBBIE) We'll never work again man. The Mafia controls all these clubs. HOLZMAN (to Ray and Robbie) Quite a night! Hi, I'm Jac Holzman. I own Elektra Records. RAY (knows the name) Oh sure, hi. Holzman pauses, a dramatic presence, six foot two, impeccably dressed, he knows the weight of his words. HOLZMAN Listen... I think if you could just put what you did in there on record, we could really have something... and we could make a lot of money... It hangs there. Impossible words. RAY Yeah? John and Robbie sharing looks. HOLZMAN (pointing to ROTHCHILD coming up) Yeah... and Rothchild here was born to be your producer. ROBBIE (recognizing Paul) Hey, the guy that did Butterfield! PAUL Bertold Brecht, cabaret and rock. Give me a fucking break. You guys are amazing! Let's go make a record. JIM (to Ray, pointing back at Jerry) Hey, is that asshole gonna pay us? HOLZMAN (amused) Why don't you go inside and ask him Jim? Strains of LIGHT MY FIRE cross the cut. INT. SUNSET SOUND RECORDING STUDIO - DAY (1966) Four-track TAPE SYSTEM is rolling. DOORS SONG You know that it would be untrue You know that I would be a liar If I was to say to you Girl, we couldn't get much higher Camera moving fast thru the control room, past the ENGINEER (BRUCE BOTNICK), taciturn, 20's, the PRODUCER (PAUL ROTHCHILD) in pig heaven, and the owner JAC HOLZMAN in his blue suit watching. PAUL Hey Bruce, you feel it? BRUCE I'm having big fun. PAUL (to Jac) I got goosebumps Jac. This is history going down here. An album of killer music in six days... six days... unreal! Camera moving fast past a smiling PAM watching, out to the DOORS on the floor, jamming... on to JIM in the vocal booth, headphone to his ears. JIM Come on baby, LIGHT MY FIIIRRRREEEE!!! The song, now fully -- orchestrated, rolling on over the following MONTAGE: JIM (after song) Pretty good! Pretty neat! EXT. GOLDEN GATE PARK - SAN FRANCISCO (DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE) - DAY (1967) LIGHT MY FIRE continues. DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE of the "Human Be-In", the "Summer of Love" -- swarming FLOWER CHILDREN, WAR PROTESTORS. A staged 16mm. grainy shot of JIM and PAMELA, RAY and DOROTHY, JOHN, ROBBIE and their TWO NEW GIRLFRIENDS wandering thru the CROWD sharing the spirit. Pam and Jim fool around -- laughing -- tickling each other for the home movie camera shot by Ray... Pam is goofy, makes funny faces, teases him running a flower under his nose, thru his hair, then trips him. He chases her across the lawn. INT. FILLMORE WEST STAGE - SAN FRANCISCO - NIGHT (1967) The CROWD is "beautiful" -- candles, incense sticks, flowers, vibes of peace and love. The instrumental of "Light My Fire" is playing, but only three DOORS are on stage till Jim comes swinging across on a rope like tarzan all the way across the stage -- then drops down, rebounds lithely and hits the mike. JIM (singing) The time to hesitate is through No time to wallow in the mire. JIM swandives into the stoned crowd with the mike at the instrumental section, a colored spotlight flecking him, GIRLS kiss him. The guys want to be him, the girls want him -- and he knows it, teasing and tantalizing them... JIM Try now we can only lose And our love become a funeral pyre Come on baby, light my fire Try to set the night on FIIIIIIIIIRE!!!!! BODYGUARDS running in to pull him out as he's tossed, like a limp god, over the heads of the crowd, rolling like a buoy on a rocking sea, from hand to hand, Dionysus, devoured limb from limb by the "little girls". PAMELA watching from the side curtain. ALABAMA SONG (WHISKY BAR) now kicks in with its comic, Brechtian strain as we: OMIT Sequence omitted from original script. EXT. AIRPORT TARMAC - DAY Screaming FANS chase the DOORS to a commercial airplane, scribbling autographs. One of the GIRLS smacking JIM on the lips as he laughs, her cameras clicking. PAMELA shooting a home movie of it, pushed aside by the crowd, rescued by ROBBIE and the new young manager, BILL SIDDONS... DOORS SONG Oh show me the way to the next whisky bar Oh don't ask why Oh don't ask why EXT. NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE (SEEN FROM PLANE) - DAY The City as seen by: INT. AIRPLANE - DAY JIM'S face pressed to the window, PAMELA next to him hugging each other. JIM (real close, hugging her) I don't mind dying in a plane crash, a smile on my face. PAMELA (cutting his food) As compared to what? JIM I just don't want to go out slow -- brain tumor, botulism. I want to feel what it's like, cause death is only going to happen to you once. PAMELA I don't want to die ever, what a weird thing to say. DOORS SONG For if we don't find the next whisky bar I tell you we must die I tell you I tell you I tell you we must die EXT. CBS - NEW YORK - NIGHT (SUMMER, 1967) A LIMOUSINE pulling up in front of the Ed Sullivan Marquee. The sidewalk is mobbed with FANS, mostly YOUNG GIRLS. DOORS SONG Oh moon of Alabama We now must say goodbye We've lost our good ol mama We must have whiskey oh you know why INT. LIMO - NIGHT JIM looking out at the MOB with the other DOORS and PAMELA. The look on his face is ironic. His POV -- the YOUNG GIRLS' FACES, arms grasping at the windows like tentacles of a poisonous hydra, their faces deformed by SILENT SCREAMS (we hear faint strangled shrieks below the song)... POLICE and SECURITY pressing them back, linking arms to clear a path for the Doors. DOORS SONG Show me the way to the next little girl Oh don't ask why Oh don't ask why The GIRLS crying hysterically as Jim lazily, leopardly, moves across the CROWD, almost like Oswald waiting for the Ruby bullet but with that sweet, pleasant smile on his face, dark glasses concealing... GIRLS (faint) Oh Jimmmmm, pleeeaaase look, I looove youuuuu, Jimmmmmm, pleeeeeaase, Jimmmmm, here, sign miiiine... take a picture Jim?... Jim, Jim, oh please look at me Jim!! Their voices distorting. A GIRLCHILD squeezing thru the cordon with the fatal bullet. In slightly SLOW MOTION, Jim seeing her come... as she glues herself hip to hip, lip to lip with Jim, her hands clawing at his leather pants. It takes TWO COPS to peel her off. Pamela furious. Jim is gracious with everyone, signs patiently, talks, kisses, shakes hands with the boys, lets them touch his hair, his body, poses for a picture, seems to like it. DOORS SONG For if we don't find the next little girl I tell you we must die I tell you I tell you I tell you we must die INT. CBS BACKSTAGE - THAT EVENING The nervous PRODUCER, HERB, leading "MR. SULLIVAN" thru the corridor to the Doors' DRESSING ROOM past several "ACTS" getting ready to go on... animals, tumblers, a soprano wailing... PRODUCER Right this way Mr. Sullivan. They're called "the Doors". They got the number one single in the country -- "Light Your Fire". SULLIVAN "Light Your Fire"? Is that sooo? PRODUCER They look pretty grungy but we're... INT. DOORS DRESSING ROOM - EVENING Bedlam. MAKE-UP ARTISTS pancaking the faces of the DOORS -- the nightmare coming true. RAY in a white suit with too many pinstripes. ROBBIE a spearmint turtleneck, beads, long sideburns, JOHN in red velveteen head to foot with a tie-dye splotch on the front of it. Their hair's being violated enough by a nervous gay black HAIR DESIGNER to make them totally self-conscious and nervous about their first live TV appearance -- all except JIM who remains in his signature black leather with the silver navajo belt and shiny spangles -- watching a portable TV... A GIRL leaving his side, crossing Pamela. Eye contact between them speaks of Pamela's jealousy. JOHN (indignant) You're gonna cut it! HAIRDRESSER (doing John) No, I'm going to worship it. What kind of shampoo are you using? JOHN The kind you get in hotels. HAIRDRESSER Pamper yourself sweetheart, you don't want split ends, you're a celebrity now. (moving to Ray) You have very serious-serious hair, it needs to rebel. I'll give it a tinge of something freaky. RAY I'd rather stay the same color. HAIRDRESSER Scaredy cat. ROBBIE What about me? HAIRDRESSER (a look) Honey, we don't have enough time. TELEVISION INSERT -- images of DETROIT burning, summer of 67. TV NEWSMAN ...here in Detroit, 42 people dead, more than 2000 injured... 1400 buildings burned, 5000 people have just lost their homes as Detroit joins more than 100 cities torn by riots this hot summer! On JIM, as they pancake him, reflective. JIM No wonder "Light My Fire's" number one. HAIRDRESSER (to JIM) What about you handsome? JIM (friendly) The biggest mistakes in my life have been haircuts. PAM Don't wash it. Don't set it. He likes it the way it is... HAIRDRESSER (backing off) All right, be mean... Commotion from the doorway as the PRODUCER leads the lock- jawed MR. SULLIVAN in with everyone bowing and scraping to the Pope. PRODUCER Boys -- meet Mr. Sullivan Mr. Sullivan waves from the doorway. SULLIVAN Hi boys, heard your song "Light That Fire" (Herb corrects) ...think you're great... good luck out there. DOORS (ad lib) Oh thanks Mr. Sullivan. PRODUCER (moving alongside Ray) Well the guys at Network have told us they have a small problem with the lyrics "girl we couldn't get much higher". You can't say "higher" on network so they asked if... you could say, "girl we can't get much better"... can you dig that? A look from the guys. Jim sullen. Tension in the air. Mr. Sullivan waiting. JIM How 'bout, "girl you couldn't bite my wire". Pause. The producer puzzled a beat. It doesn't go down. PRODUCER I don't think Standards and Practices would... Sullivan exiting, waving at no one in particular like Nixon would. SULLIVAN Look, you boys don't forget to smile now. Don't be so sullen out there... JIM Uh well, we're kind of a sullen group, Ed. SIDDONS reassuring the Producer. SIDDONS We'll work it out Herb, promise. Give me five. PRODUCER (not totally convinced, exiting) Groovy! Uh you boys should know Mr. Sullivan is considering you boys for four more shows. You dig? Pause. JOHN Well? JIM What -- are we the Beatles now John? RAY (laughs) It's only a word man. The Stones changed... JIM Hey Ray, why don't you change your name to Sid or Irving Manzarek or something... it's only a word y'know. ROBBIE It's my words. I don't care, let's just jam. Ray's seething tension. Younger brother starting to get out of hand. INT. STUDIO STAGE - THAT NIGHT SULLIVAN stiffly introducing them. SULLIVAN Now here on our stage direct from Los Angeles, California, ladies and gentlemen, The Doors! The lights come up on the DOORS in their ultimate nightmare -- each Door appearing consecutively in a lightspot as Jim sings the ubiquitous "Light My Fire", trapped in this Elvis Presley -- Vegas act, he looks like he couldn't care less. DOORS hang suspended everywhere on the set -- their name spelled out in big block standup letters. Jim has a hard-on in his pants, barely concealed by his tight leathers. PRODUCER (in control booth) What's that?... oh Jesus!... get off it!! Where's he going? Jim misses his marks deliberately, the camera having a hard time following him. JIM & DOORS You know that it would be untrue You know that I would be a liar If I was to say to you Girl, we couldn't get much higher Come on baby light my fire INT. CONTROL BOOTH (SIMULTANEOUS) - THAT NIGHT The PRODUCERS freaking out. PRODUCER (hyperventilating) He said it! He said it! On National TV You can't do that! You can't do that!!! You blew it you little shit! You'll never play Ed Sullivan again. Jim on the monitors, singing through to his freedom, falls on the floor flat, the camera missing him completely. JIM Come on baby, light my fire Try to set the night on FIIIIRRRRRE! INT. HOTEL BEDROOM -- NEW YORK - NIGHT OVERHEAD ANGLE -- JIM lies there in a sweat. PAMELA pulls off him, naked, frustrated, trying to rouse him. PAM (tender) What can I do, what do you want me to do?... Jim? JIM I don't know... I guess I should see a doctor or something... maybe I should go to someone of the straight Jungian philosophy. PAM It happens to other guys too... Jim, quietly pissed, reaches for the whiskey bottle at the side of the bed. JIM It's so scary up there. To be adored. Isn't that irony? Teenage death girls want my dick -- a mere clown -- not my words. I'll never wake up in a good mood again... Lament for my cock, a tongue of knowledge deep in the feathered night, gives life, soar and crucify, I seek to know you... PAM It's not so complicated Jim, it's just sex, y'know. JIM You should marry an insurance salesman. PAM It's the hours man, the pressure, everything's like your last performance, you're setting yourself up. JIM We weren't built to last. PAM Aren't you doing this for you, because you're a poet, not a rock star. Ed Sullivan's not a place for you. JIM You really know what I am Pam? You know what poetry is? Where is the feast they promised us? Where is the wine -- the new wine -- dying on the vine? PAM What are you saying! JIM Y'see -- I lied to you. I really love Fame. PAM (Here we go) Why are you doing this to me? JIM (drinks) 'Cause you're in the room. She tries to take the bottle away. He resists. They struggle. It becomes a fight. PAM And this is gonna help! It's probably the cause. 'Least put some soul in your success asshole! JIM Maybe you're the cause! PAM Right. JIM I mean I don't have this problem with anybody else. PAM (getting the bottle) Give it to me!!! JIM (getting it back) No!!!!! Mommy!!! PAM (gives up, tries to exit) Fuck you man I'm outta here. He grabs her. They lurch, smashing the lamp. WILD CHILD song kicking in. JIM (excited now) Get mad! Yeahhh! Love my girl! Yeah, go fuck the other guys. How many white guys have you fucked Pam? 10, 20? Black guys what? You like Chinese dicks? Mongolian penis? 30? PAM (fighting) ...how many dogs have you fucked! You don't say No to anybody! Drugs, dogs, uglies, you'd fuck a doorknob with butter on it! JIM How could I do that PAM (shouting top of her lungs) You're the first one who couldn't make it with me anyway! You're the only limp dick in the lot!!! Camera running at them from the end of the room. JIM laughs manically as they roll off the bed into a wall. Kicking, hitting hard. DOORS SONG Wild Child full of grace Savior of the human race Your cool face Natural child, terrible child Not your mother or your father's child Your own child, screaming wild JIM HA HA HA!! WILL YOU DIE FOR ME! PAM NO! WILL YOU DIE FOR ME!! JIM I'D DIE FOR ANYBODY. PAM WHAT ABOUT ME! WHAT ABOUT ME! JIM CUNT CUNT CUNT. PAM LIAR LIAR LIAR. YOU PROMISED. YOU PROMISED. JIM I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY. A VOICE across the wall joining in, banging. VOICE SHADDUP WILLYA. I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!!!! JIM THEN MOVE TO MIAMI YOU SLAVE!!! More nagging. By this time the fight has expired of its own volition. JIM (quietly) You were saying? They giggle, start to laugh. Then they cuddle on the floor, in the corner, in this semi-lit New York hotel room. JIM (low) ...will you die for me, Pam, a clown, a despicable clown?... a mere despicable clown? PAM Yes yes yes. JIM ...I need a home. A place to hide. PAM ...with me. Yes... yes... JIM (mumbling) ...how could we make a home?... where there's sanctuary? PAM ...yes, yes, yes. He's hard now. She's guiding him inside her. JIM ...we're in Africa, we're just animals... I wanna stay inside you all night baby... let's fuck death away, now fuck death away... PAM ...yes... INT. PRESS CONFERENCE - HOTEL SUITE NEW YORK - DAY Camera moving in past the buffet, champagne, flowers in the hotel suite overlooking CENTRAL PARK... to the DOORS in armchairs surrounded by an informal group of a DOZEN JOURNALISTS and PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS... JIM behind dark shades drinking long Hawaiian fruit punches, decked out in snakeskin. JOURNALIST 1 (stiff, Times type) What are your songs about Mr. Morrison? TIME DISSOLVES over the questions and answers. A vaguely dreamy quality. JIM Uh love death travel... revolt. We all write the songs, we're interested in anything about disorder, chaos, especially activity which seems to have no meaning... I think when you make peace with authority, you become authority. JOURNALIST 1 Can you define that a little more? JIM Yeah you can call us erotic politicians I guess. DISSOLVING OVER: JOURNALIST 2 Do you really consider yourself a shaman Mr. Morrison? DISSOLVING OVER: JIM ...a scapegoat maybe -- I take on the audiences' fantasies, obeying their impulses. When the impulses are destructive, I'm destructive. It's kinda like sucking the puss out of a rattlesnake, something like that. JOURNALIST 1 (smiling) ...like a medicine man or witch doctor? RAY (cuts in) Jim said to me once, the history of rock and roll's like Greek drama or caveman stories. The audience comes to see ancient rituals in ancient caves. Their souls in jeopardy. They're not watching any longer, they're participating -- and everything's in play, your life, your death... JOURNALIST 1 (glib) Is that why they scream so much? Gentle laughter. The JOURNALISTS don't get it... panning their looks. The backbeat of CRYSTAL SHIP, dreamy hazy, Warhol- like interview floating over the room like a giant mushroom cloud. DISSOLVING TO: JOURNALIST 3 (more down to earth) Mr. Morrison, how do you feel about being called the "ultimate barbie doll". On Jim -- a beat. A sickly smile spreads. JIM I guess when you say something like that, it's a shortcut to thinking. JOURNALIST 3 Then do you "think" about the dreadful reviews your new poetry book has gotten? Holding up a copy of "The Lords and New Creatures". JIM (softly) I guess they didn't understand. JOURNALIST 3 (having scored) And it's true you financed it's publication? Jim motions him over, whispers something at SIDDONS who goes to fetch a pair of scissors. RAY (angry) Have you bothered to read the poetry ma'm? You keep denying that anything good can come from L.A., I mean isn't that kind of a provincial attitude? That Bob Dylan's the only poet cause he's from the East Coast, but you won't even look past Jim's goddamn looks at the words man! JIM (embarrassed) Hey c'mon Ray, hate should be allowed. JOURNALIST 1 ...but what really are your songs about Mr. Morrison? You preach, "saving the planet", "making a new age" but how does drinking, taking drugs, this boozy sort of apocalyptic stance at the world influence young people in a positive way? JIM I like that -- "boozy apocalyptic" -- you're a word man, but how does your newspaper influence young people to think about Vietnam? Who's sending the soldiers over there to die? The establishment -- right? Your newspaper -- right? That seems to me a lot more dangerous than the stuff we do. DISSOLVING OVER: JOURNALIST 3 Do you believe in drugs Mr. Morrison? SIDDONS comes back in, hands Jim a pair of scissors. JIM (graciously disdainful) Did you know Nietzsche said, "all good consciousness, all evidence of truth comes only from the senses"? Hey you wanna arm wrestle? Come on, you look pretty tough today. C'mon, I'll take you all on. JOURNALIST 3 (ignoring his smile) And alcohol? Is that considered part of the shaman's wisdom? JIM Part of the clown's wisdom -- it's kinda the American way. You know we spend more on alcohol and tobacco than on education. DOUBLE IMAGES on the DISSOLVES. JOURNALIST 3 Are you by any chance in a trance now Mr. Morrison? JIM Do you hurt? JOURNALIST 3 What? JIM What hurts you the most? He cuts his hair with the scissors. A commotion. JOURNALIST 3 What are you doing? DISSOLVING OVER: JIM Uh... got tired of the barbie doll look. It hurt. JOURNALIST 3 Are you serious? JIM (cutting hair blindly) About? Y'know when people are joking, I find they are dead serious and when they're dead serious, I find them funny. They're amazed. The point is made however -- visibly. The anger in his action is so extreme yet so contained -- the cynosure of all eyes as always. Eyes shooting back at JOURNALIST 3... JOURNALIST 4 cuts in from the back of the room altering the mood. JOURNALIST 4 What do your parents think about what you are doing? JIM (pause) Actually, I don't really remember being born. It musta happened during one of my blackouts. Laughter. JOURNALIST 4 with dark hair and demeanor, gypsy- like jewelry on her arm and avant garde clothing, large glasses, is probably a rock magazine writer but seems to like Jim and his work. JOURNALIST 4 But they must've expressed some feeling? JIM (pause) Well, to be honest they're not living anymore so I don't like to talk about that. Flashbulbs hitting his face at that moment. JOURNALIST 4 Could you at least tell us how they died? Jim puts the scissors down, going to a low mysterious voice. JIM Oh, it was a... horrible car crash... in the desert in the fifties, Arizona... ran right into a truckload of Indians... Navajos, they were lying out on the road, all bleeding, and I was with my Grandma and Grandad, we were banged up and all... and I was looking at my Dad and he was lying there... but his throat was severed and there was air coming out. He puts the room in a hush. He has mesmerized them and they're not sure whether to believe it or not. JOURNALIST 4 I'm sorry. JOURNALIST 2 I have the feeling I'm being put on. Jim rises, staggers slightly as he makes his way to the bar on the way out of the room, smiles right at her, ignoring everybody else in the room. JIM Y'all believe what you want to believe, you will anyway... but it does kinda show you what excites people? (looking directly at her) Fear, pity, horror -- all those good things that count. It's sorta I guess like being on the edge of an orgasm, y'know... that mystery just before you come. When? If? Should I? Will you die for me, eat me, this way, the end... He goes. The room in silence, embarrassed, nervous titters looking at Journalist 4 who flushes deeply as we cut to: INT. PATRICIA'S SOHO LOFT - THAT DAY (RAIN) Rain, rain, rain... pelting the large windows as we glide to JIM fucking JOURNALIST 4 (PATRICIA KENNEALY) madly in the twisted sheets... He gives up, exhausted. The SONG CRYSTAL SHIP backbeats the scene... He wanders around her place. Her place is crammed with books and intellectualabilia, skulls, candles, globes of the world, plants. She puts her glasses back on. PATRICIA You want to do some more cocaine? It'll loosen you up. JIM Great! A new thing. As she goes to a bowl of cocaine, laid alongside a bottle of champagne and a basketful of items all catered by Jim. He's at her bookcase, thumbing through an ancient manuscript. JIM Wow how old is this? INSERT -- the DRAWINGS in the book pertain to Witchcraft. PATRICIA (snorting) 14th Century. I practice the Craft. JIM The Craft? PATRICIA I'm a witch (smiles) A white one. JIM (impressed) Wow! You Patricia? Who would've guessed? Ironic of course when you look at her long dark locks and demeanor. She looks back at him, challenging. PATRICIA The Kennealy's were Celtic cheiftains and pre-Christian shamans when your Druid ancestors the Morrisons were a minor Scottish clan founded by a bastard son of the king of Norway. JIM reappraising her. Her eye contact is very direct. PATRICIA It's a religion, witchcraft. Witches are the protectors of the seasons, the harvests, goddesses of the grain. And when crossed, destroyers. Jim waits. Something in the feeling of the room has shifted. The sound of her razor chopping coke. He snorts -- the first time. PATRICIA You ever try drinking blood? JIM What? PATRICIA It works you know. You drink blood the right time of the moon... they used to dance in the forests naked. I think that's what offended the Puritans and led to the Burnings. They were a sexual threat to their male order like the Bacchae -- five days a year for Dionysus, they used to wander the hills in ancient Greece, the first witches, clans of wild women fucking, looting, eating animals raw, the wine in their blood running hot -- looking for Dionysus... to tear him to pieces -- isn't that wild? Jim is down on his knees crawling around her. She is crawling back. JIM (hooked) Where do you get the blood? Patricia laughs. SUPERIMPOSITION TO: PATRICIA drawing blood from her arm -- wipes it on his mouth. Some of it spills out, tamping the white powder with red stains. Jim watching enthralled, coked out. She hands him the jewelled Moroccan dagger. PATRICIA Blood is the rose of mysterious union, symbol of potency... now you. JIM No... I don't like... cutting myself. PATRICIA (stern) Don't be such a child! If I do it, you have to do it. He extends his arm. The look between them. He closes his eyes like a little boy. She makes the cut. DOORS SONG Before you slip into unconsciousness I'd like to have another kiss Another flashing chance at bliss Another kiss, another kiss SUPERIMPOSITIONS: Candles, incense burn. As Jim and Patricia dance in the loft naked to music, drinking champagne. JUMP CUT: He is chasing her with one of her goat horns between his legs. They wrestle, yell, lusty bacchanale. SUPERIMPOSITIONS TO: They're fucking madly on the wooden floor of the loft, bathed in blood and white powder all over the place, rain pelting the windows, thunder, Orff's "Carmina Burana" cutting in over the Doors' song. PATRICIA (sexy) Come on rock god, fuck me, fuck me good. In slightly ape-like SLOW MOTION, he's wildly thrusting at her like a stallion, then reaches down, yanks out her diaphragm -- holds it to her eyes briefly and throws it across the room into the fireplace. JIM (lips out of sync) I'm gonna burn you down. PATRICIA Come on... Incants him to climax with CELTIC WORDS. Jim is wild, reaching for the Moroccan dagger, holding it to her face as he continues to pump. PATRICIA Cut me! Cut me go on! JIM (knife to her cheek) Nobody'd ever look at you again -- 'cept me. I'd scar you forever. PATRICIA Yeah YEAH! JIM AWRIGHT! AWRIGHT! PATRICIA FUCK ME! FUCK ME!! GO ON FUCK ME!!! DOORS SONG The crystal ship is being filled A thousand girls, a thousand thrills A million ways to spend your time When we get back I'll drop a line The camera shooting up to the ceiling in a tilting dutch angle as the world comes unglued. Jim yelling with release. DISSOLVE TO: INT. PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO - NEW YORK - ANOTHER DAY GLORIA STAVERS, beautiful 30ish ex-Vogue model shooting Jim for her layout. It's not going well. He's resisting, the attitude negative to be photographed, compounded by the acid it seems he's on. GLORIA Take off your shirt. JIM (cow noise) Mooooooo!!! GLORIA (taking his shirt off) You remind me of a Russian peasant. I see you standing in a wheat field. The pride, the arrogance. You love to look at yourself don't you. You love yourself. (he's moving, getting into it) ...good... big cat stalking... JUMP CUTS -- photos going off... JIM starting to pout narcistically, Jagger-like, for camera -- a bare-chested pose, long lion's mane of hair streaming down to his shoulders. She's shooting rapidly talking him thru the trip. Her sentences falling on separate cuts of Jim. As we hear the backbeat of PEOPLE ARE STRANGE. GLORIA ...the camera is like a roulette wheel Jim. It becomes whoever you want it to be -- a woman you want to seduce, a man you want to kill, a mother you want to upset, a wife you want to lie to or love, whatever you want it to be, it is... JIM (pausey, paranoid) Where are the Doors. He resists, he goes with it, push pull, prowling her loft on the acid, a bottle of cognac in one hand -- changing from shot to shot like a chameleon, free, wild, vicious, obscene. GLORIA Forget the Doors. It's you they want, Jim. You're the Doors. JIM (scared suddenly) We do everything together. GLORIA You control the audience, like dogs, manipulate them Jim, one picture can control a million people, be anything you want -- growl at them, be ugly, be frightened, be selfish. Be man, woman, whild, animal. Live, die, return again. Anything you want. Everything is permitted. A weird dance ensuing between them -- teasing, enticing. He runs away, writhes along her wall, being photographed inch by moving inch. He crawls to her. She gets down with him on the floor, straddling him, photographing. Then he straddles her as she shoots him from her back. They kiss, flirting. He growls like an animal... dives into her closet... tearing open the doors, flinging away hanging clothes, he finds her white fur coat and puts it on... JUMP CUT -- him as he moves to her full-length MIRROR, contorting himself. She slides up behind him. GLORIA Go on look at yourself, fall in love with yourself. You're your own audience now Jim. They want you. Worship and love and adore you... A pause. She wants him. No longer so cool. GLORIA ...Jim Morrison, the god of Rock and Cock... JIM I am the snake and you are the lute GLORIA Exactly... Our camera dwells on Jim in the mirror, closer, closer -- the image and the reality, which is which anymore -- where does it end? The Great Jim Morrison, The Shaman, then Pamela, Patricia, Gloria, a series of women who face after face fill the ancient gallery, interchangeable masks as PEOPLE ARE STRANGE climaxes and JIM's face SPINS OUT OPTICALLY TO: DOORS SONG People are strange when you're a stranger Faces look ugly when you're alone Women seem wicked when you're unwanted Streets are uneven when you're down LIMBO - MAGAZINE COVERS JIM'S FACE on a series of MAGAZINES twirling -- "SIXTEEN", "GLAMOUR", ROCK MAGAZINES, etc. flowering out into: INT. DOWNTOWN LOFT - NEW YORK - NIGHT (WINTER) Style vampires drink and grope and drug and dance under the staccato blips of strobe lights. Artists and intellectuals, groupies and debutantes, everyone on display, as contrived and replicated as one of the Warhol prints of Elvis or Marilyn and Mao on the walls... FISHEYE POVS -- hearkening back to the acid trip -- as JIM wanders through the dream, drinking, smoking, swallowing pills. PEOPLE look at him, talk to him (AD LIBS) but drugs distort everything and their voices are foreign, incoherent and they disappear. "PEOPLE ARE STRANGE" continuing: DOORS SONG When you're strange Faces come out of the rain When you're strange No one remembers your name When you're strange When you're strange When you're strange INT. ROOM - LIMBO Jim peering into a room somewhere -- one of Warhol's FILMS is playing on a wall -- a man sleeping, eating... A GLIMPSE OF VIETNAM WAR FOOTAGE on a TV monitor -- B-52s dropping bombs. A fat little PR MAN grabbing Jim's arm, leaning in, distorted. PR MAN (cool) You must meet Andy Warhol, Jim. He's more than an artist. Andy is art. Bright people in America wonder -- does Andy imitate life, or does life imitate Andy. The meeting of two kings. Yes, Come. PAMELA is suddenly there, laughing, nuttily introducing a handsome strapping TOM BAKER, a charismatic actor, and a COUNT, suave, urbane, on heroin. Her voice lost in the jabber -- their names sound as if they're in a bottom of a tank. PAMELA seems so impressed with the high life of New York. PAMELA Oh Jim this is Tom... Baker, he's an actor, he was in Andy's movie and this is Count Ruspoli. He lives in Paris, but he's Italian. He's from a very famous family over there. They're seven hundred years old. COUNT (Italian accent) Hi Jim, you are great... I see you at Ondine's with Bobby and Jimmy. It... PR guy stays there, introduces himself to the count. PAM (pawing at Jim) Don't you like the way he talks. Isn't he cool? JIM (annoyed with Pam) Yeah... hey what's your trip? TOM (cutting in) Saw your gig at 'The Scene'. Hot... very hot... You strung out? Here. Try this. (pill, popper, joint, a drink, all at once) JIM Love your movies man. What a great penis... Tom is obviously a major druggie. A popper -- joint trade- off going off. RAY's face leaning in distorted. RAY Come on, we're splitting man. Dorothy's waiting at the door. We'll get a bite at Max's and... JIM You can't leave. Where's your will to be weird man? JOHN DENSMORE appearing with a wasted looking ROBBIE who is giggling, high, and with a NEW GIRLFRIEND in tow. JOHN Get outta here man. This is fucking weird man. The PR MAN is still next to Jim, jumping up and down excitedly waving across the room at nothing in particular. As the PHOTOGRAPHERS try to get Jim and the Doors in a photo opportunity. PR MAN Right this way Jim. Andy's in the bedroom. JIM (to RAY) Don't go, y'see Norman Mailer, I hear he's here? RAY Yeah can we meet him, he's great... just like he is. (enamored) You wanna meet him? JIM (paranoid) I don't know... did he know who you were? RAY Yeah sure, he's cool, come on, he's your hero! JIM Nah... later... A wasted, emaciated Edie Sedgewick type floats into Jim's fractured POV -- introducing a MAN with a crew cut and silk suit. EDIE (echoey voice) Hey Jim, this is Jake Johnson, you remember Jake Johnson -- the astronaut, he's just got back from outer space. JAKE JOHNSON I like the Doors, I like the Doors, I like the Doors. JIM I like outer space. Tom Baker brings a tall, incredible looking BLONDE in black leather towards him. TOM Hey where's my joint? (a roach goes back) There's this chick sings with the Velvet Underground, Andy's band. She says she can drink you under the table. They stare at each other like two cats. Eye level stares that go on and on. She finally hisses in a German accent. NICO I'm Nico. It's boring tonight. Some of us are going downtown to a new club. You want to come? A voice to kill, looks to undress, fully as tall as Jim. TOM (distantly heard) ...elevate your taste in trolls man. JIM (to Nico who reaches for her vodka) Vodka? Race you. NICO Your death... JIM (to Ray and Robbie) Wanna go?... Come on let's go. ROBBIE She looks too freaky to me. NICO Wait just a minute. As she floats away. JIM Come on there's pussy Robbie. ROBBIE (excited) Hey I met this chick Lynne, she wants to be alone. Lynne is there, pretty, nods to Jim. RAY Come on Jim, let's go. JIM (childlike) Don't you guys wanna meet Andy Warhol? JOHN Tell you the truth, I can live without him. He's a freak. Let's get outta here. We got a show tomorrow. JIM Come on man! I thought we were gonna be a band, the four of us -- and party all night, rock and roll! RAY (laughs) I could never keep up with you Jim. I couldn't make the music. Jim's eyes briefly on -- Pamela giggling with the French Count, putting her hand on his arm as she laughs. Innocent, nothing meant but a moment... JIM (desperate mockery, grabs Ray) Don't go. Don't leave! You can't leave. I don't know what will happen. It might be Death. RAY Come on Jim, this isn't our scene, these people are vampires. We gotta stick together man, the four of us. Let's make the myths man. A moment, strange. Slightly SLOW MOTION. Ray tapping Jim's shoulder goodbye... Robbie and John's faces passing on. As if they're parting -- in a symbolic way. Jim blinking in the same SLOW MOTION, looking. Nico is gone -- but Tom is there, across the room, waving. The INDIAN SHAMAN looks like he's standing there in a corner. Jim, ripped, heads for him, but the PR WOMAN cuts him off. Jim forgets he saw the Indian. PR MAN Right here Jim, right here. Andy's waiting. You know what you have in common is uniqueness. Past more faces. The Music has subtly shifted to STRANGE DAYS somewhere along the way. DOORS SONG Strange days have found us Strange days have tracked us down They're going to destroy Our casual joys We shall go on playing or find a new town Past a cache of QUEENS in white leather ogling Jim, one of them coming over boldly, chatting him up (AD LIB dimly heard), them grabbing his crotch and kissing him. Jim rearing back, laughing but wary. Past the RICH LADIES dripping with jewels and faces peeled from Brazilian sleep tanks and Swiss knives. Past a YOUNG MAN dressed in Jim Morrison leather pants with his hair and eye make-up, a warped image of Jim, smiling back at him. JIM (looking for Nico) Nico! INT. BEDROOM - SAME NIGHT A quieter room, drugged out, the PR GUY cheerily leading JIM, stepping over SLEEPING BODIES, over fur coats strewn across the floor... to a MAN with white hair like a circus clown, his back to us, talking with some black-tied EUROPEAN ARISTOCRATS looking so cool. WARHOL Well, it was such a big opening, we just had to go to Philadelphia, y'know, you were supposed to, mmm... PR GUY (butting in) Andy! Andy! ANDY turning at the interruption. He looks like a chic voodoo doll. Holding an incongruous gold telephone in his arms like a teddy bear. Slightly SLOW MO as Warhol's black empty eyes confront Jim -- a pit of nothingness in them, amnesia, death. In Jim's SLOW MOTION reaction we read what he sees. Andy going on with his story, to the group that includes TOM BAKER. ANDY ...but so many people showed up, the paintings were getting crushed, so they took them all down... um, it really looked great y'know... maybe uhhh... (long pause) PR MAN (cutting in) ...the walls. The blank walls. Andy was the art. Should do a show. Just walls. Today it's really about people, not what they do. It's the astronaut that matters, not the voyage, the actor, not the movie -- how do I say, it's the trip, not arriving. Andy is looking at Jim. Jim at Andy. PR MAN (babbling on) ...you know what Andy says, some day everybody's gonna be famous for 15 seconds, but it won't mean anything. BAKER That's too short. I need a coupla hours. They laugh. Andy's eyes hidden, face as white as styrofoam. ANDY We'd just love to have you in our movies Jim, you're so beautiful, you'd be so good, you mmmm, here... this is for you Jim. Andy shows his eyes, gives Jim the gold telephone he's carrying. ANDY Edie gave this to me and said mmmmm, I could talk to God with this. But I don't really have anything to say. So... mmmm now you can talk to God. Oh hi! Vanishes, waving to somebody else. Jim holding the phone. DOORS SONG Strange days have found us And through their strange hours We linger alone Nico reappears waving at him to come quickly. NICO Morrison! EXT. NEW YORK STREET - NIGHT (WINTER) SNOW on the streets... a group of DRUGGIES staggering in the snowbanks, throwing snowballs, stupid giggling, wheezing puffs of cold air... Jim throws the golden telephone into the trash and pees on it. IRIS SHOTS continue -- PAMELA laughing battily with TOM BAKER who's putting the make on her... The COUNT is on heroin. JIM passing a vodka bottle back and forth with NICO hitting a stash of ups. They fall in the snow, mad Russian winter. DOORS SONG Bodies confused Memories misused As we run from the day To a strange night of stone (SONG REPEATS OVER) INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR (REGENCY) - THAT NIGHT BLACK & WHITE IRIS SHOTS continue -- imagistic, disassociative. A LONG CORRIDOR -- COUPLE staggering down the red carpets, champagne bottles in hand. The COUNT gets lost. PAM laughing -- suddenly alone, notices, goes looking for Jim... floating down this endless corridor with white doors and red carpet. INT. ELEVATOR NICO stripping... a superb body... riding the floors... Jim taking an amyl nitrate with her... laughing... Nico with that crazed German laugh... PAMELA pushing the elevator buttons wildly... The elevator opening on her. From Pamela's POV -- Nico down on her knees, her blonde head buried in Jim's leather pants... Jim pinned against the back wall, smiling dopically, eyes barely registering Pam... who screams loud and long, hiding his eyes... not wanting to know... The images faster and more fragmented: Pam beating at Jim wildly. He's laughing. Nico's laughing. The Aristocrats in the hallway are laughing. The world is laughing with its madness. DOORS SONG Strange days have found us Strange days have tracked us down INT. NEW HAVEN CONCERT HALL - NIGHT (1967) An eager rowdy CROWD chants DOORS! DOORS! DOORS! DOORS! to a stage without the Doors. TECHIES are moving amplifiers, running sound checks, stalling time, the MANAGER SIDDONS gauging the crowd, nervous. RICH GIRLS and LOCAL HONCHOS have backstage passes. COPS crawling over the stage, the PROMOTER of the concert trying to get the crowds attention. TECHIE (at mike) Testing one-two-three. Testing. PROMOTER (on mike) Look, the Fire Marshall's not gonna let the show go on. Either you go back to your seats, you go to the aisle, you don't do that -- no show! CROWD (pushing towards stage, no aisles) DOORS! DOORS! DOORS! (turning to) MORRISON! MORRISON! MORRISON! INT. BACKSTAGE CORRIDOR - SAME NIGHT The SOUNDS of the CROWD pound thru the hallway. CAMERA following JIM reading a magazine article, accompanied by PATRICIA KENNEALY -- past the TECHIES, turning to look -- they go into empty SHOWER ROOM. INT. SHOWER ROOM - SAME NIGHT The Crowd NOISE still carries, echoing. JIM leads PATRICIA to a quiet, isolated stall where they can be alone. Tapping the magazine, sincerely moved by what he reads. JIM "Lord Byron"? Really. You think? You like the poems? PATRICIA Like? I loved them! "Mad bad and dangerous to know." That's what they said about him. Your poems should be taken as seriously. JIM These are the kindest words I've ever heard in my life. No one has ever understood. Thank you. (then) Maybe I should always fuck my critics. PATRICIA Y'know I don't even like rockers. They're sleazy. I made up my fuck list the other night -- out of 30 guys there were maybe three of them, y'know. I'm not a groupie. JIM (hotter, grabs her) Let's do it, here, now... with the sound of the crowd. Like Nuremberg, wild German fucking. PATRICIA You like that hunh? Beg! JIM I'm begging! I'm begging you! PATRICIA You wanna fuck me, Morrison, don't ever lie to me again. Ever! JIM About what! PATRICIA Your father. Why do you tell me bullshit like your father's dead? JIM (pissed) What's your problem with fathers! They're dead, both of them, I told you. PATRICIA If he's so dead, then who answered the phone when I called the house? Jim -- a look, struck. PATRICIA (knowing look) You didn't really think you'd get away with that, Morrison. An Admiral in the United States Navy. Who's at the Gulf of Tonkin when Vietnam starts. Your Dad's a Deputy Chief of Operations. JIM What'd he say? That was really stupid. Why didn't you just ask me. PATRICIA Well naturally he wasn't too happy when I called. Your Mom wanted to talk but he shut her off. JIM You're a fuckin' cunt. You could ruin his career if... PATRICIA What, I'm a "fuckin' cunt" because I called the house? Like it's hard to trace your school records. University of Florida, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Arlington, Virginia, Washington, D.C. Brother, sister, it's seven miles long baby -- it's all in the "The End", it's so easy. Fingering his pants, her hand slips inside. Teasing, dominating him. Her dark side radiant. PATRICIA Don't ever try to hide anything from me again. Okay? Go on... tell me. Did he make you cut your hair? Did he hit you, was he a bully? Did he love you? How much? Jim describes a small space between thumb and forefinger. PATRICIA And your mother? Jim makes a little larger space. JIM (pause) I don't want to talk about it. Hate is a very underestimated emotion. His look is right at her. Silence. Patricia knows he won't talk. Through the pause we hear the crowd chanting, bigger and bigger -- "MORRISON MORRISON MORRISON!" She's excited, wanting to make love here, now. He's cooled out, however. PATRICIA It doesn't matter anymore does it. Listen to them. It's you they want now. Not the Doors, not your mother or your father's child... They want you Jim. Jim shakes his head, weary. Suddenly he's scared inside. JIM You're wrong. What they want I can't give... my death -- ripped to pieces -- do you feel their power? (the noise pounding) PATRICIA You have no choice, Jim. I see you up there like Icarus. I see you flying closer and closer to the sun. And your wings are melting... JIM I want to live, Patricia. I don't wanna die. Jim's ironic eyes, to the ceiling. Laden with a power to which he has married himself yet brave, resisting as she pulls his zipper down and goes to her knees in front of him. Shaking his head. JIM Patricia... Patricia... A beefy COP stands there looking at them, COP Whatcha doing there? JIM Uh... nuthin' COP (approaching, suspicious) Okay, outta there both of you. No one's allowed backstage. Let's go. PATRICIA You idiot, don't you know who... JIM Hey, I'm with the band man. It's cool. Take it easy. THE COP has no patience, grabs JIM by the arm and pulls. JIM shoves him off. THE COP pushes back. A shoving match. COP Let's go. NOW! You're both under arrest. JIM (pointing to his crotch, angry) Hey, eat it man! The cop whips out a black can from his belt, sprays Jim. JIM Mace! Shit! (in pain) Patricia screaming at the COP grabs JIM, propelling him violently out the stall of the bathroom. INT. BACKSTAGE CORRIDOR - SAME NIGHT PATRICIA Help! They got Jim!!! JIM Why'd you blind me man? You blinded me! SIDDONS and RAY running up with ROADIES and OTHERS. SIDDONS What the hell happened! (to Jim) Don't touch Jim. Get some water. Don't touch your eyes. JIM (in pain) I BEEN BLINDED MAN. I BEEN MACED. COP (realizing) Hey all he said was... SIDDONS He was WHAT! He's Jim Morrison for chrissake. Jim, Jim -- you okay -- let's get you under the water here. Don't touch, you'll be okay. COP 2 comes up. COP 1 I'm going to have to issue a warrant for his arrest. SIDDONS Are you NUTS! (blocking them) JIM guided back into the shower stall by his entourage, eyes blind as Oedipus, starts to laugh. A black Irish laugh. Ray looking on PATRICIA in the hallway. A beat, senses what happened. RAY Why don't you leave him alone lady, he doesn't need more shit in his life. PATRICIA What do you know what Jim needs? A precise military Drum Beat hits as we launch into "The Unknown Soldier". DOORS SONG ...Hup two -- three -- four... COMPANY HALT! INT. NEW HAVEN STAGE - THAT NIGHT THE DOORS on stage, JIM - eyes masked, facing death at a mock execution, in full black leather armor. DOORS SONG Present arms!... The famous drum roll, tension building. Sudden sound of guitar. Jim crumples to the ground. Blood shooting from his mouth. JIM & DOORS Make a grave for the unknown soldier Nestled in your hollow shoulder The unknown soldier Practice as the news is read Television children dead Bullet strikes the helmet's head It's all over The war is over! The audience is enrapt. Jim suddenly jumps up, looses the blood curdling scream of an aroused demon and the band bangs into Willie Dixon's BACK DOOR MAN. JIM & DOORS OH YEEEEAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! AYYYYYYAAAAAMMMMAAA BACK DOOR MAN. The FANS go wild, to the farthest reaches of the arena, as he grabs his crotch and shakes it at them. INSTAMATICS flashing rapidly as the KIDS press forward at Jim fondling the mike stand, sliding up and down its smooth shaft. JIM & DOORS Well the men don't know But the little girls unnerstan'... Joints sail onto the stage at his feet, ready to be smoked. A TEENAGE BOY & GIRL make a break thru the cordon of COPS at the front of the stage, heading for Jim. The Cops chase them down mid-stage, and wrestle them back to the edge -- throwing them back into the audience. JIM & DOORS When all the good people are trying to sleep I'm out there making my midnight creep Yeah, cause I'm a backdoor man The men don't know But the little girls unnerstan'... Danger fills the air, electric. Jim strutting, Indian like, up to one of the Cops, whipping off his hat and flipping it to the Crowd, which roars with approval. A couple Cops looking at Jim, sensing they're being challenged but not sure how. They shuffle and look offstage for direction. Their apparent impotence brings redoubled jeering from the Kids. RAY, next to his stick of incense on the organ, shares a look with JOHN as they head into the instrumental break in the song. There's something different about Jim -- more demonic, more driven -- a spirit has taken him over. RAY'S POV -- JIM catching his look, but no recognition in those eyes. They're dark pools, like Warhol's eyes. He turns away, taking the mike and off the cuff rapping improvisationally with the backbeat, keeping poetic meter. JIM I wanna tell you 'bout something that happened just a few minutes ago right here in New Haven. This is New Haven isn't it? New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America? The CROWD yells in acknowledgement, one stoned TEENAGER naked from the waist up and ripped on beer, yelling out. HECKLER HEY MORRISON, is the West really the best or are you just stoned on weeeeeedddddd?????? VOICE'S (annoying) "Light My Fire". Sing "Light My Fire". Yeah. Give us Light My Fire!... (giggles) We want Mick Jagger! Take your clothes off Jim. Show it to us! We want the Lizard King! Jim ignores it, sits on the stage, lights a cigarette. Long pause, tension building. Their catcalls for "Light My Fire" die out as Jim faces them down. They wait... not knowing what happens next. JIM (finally) Well I was with this girl backstage, y'know. We got to talking and we wanted some privacy, so we went into this shower stall. We weren't doin' anything y'know jes' standing there and talking. The AUDIENCE laughing, the band continuing to play, John adding emphasis to Jim's words with various shots and rolls. Camera moving over the crowd picking out the KIDS, sensing the anarchy dormant in their faces. JIM ...and then this little man came in there, this little man in a little blue suit and a little blue cap... More COPS turning to face Jim from front stage, getting the point now. RAY sees it coming... JIM (redneck voice) And he said -- "Whatcha doin' there?" I said, "nuthin'" and he said, "Well you better get outta there or..." "Or what" I asked him... The AUDIENCE has now grown deadly silent. Nearly every cop is facing JIM as he uses his dumb Southerner voice. RAY's eyes warning JIM. JIM And he started pushing me and I pushed back and he didn't like that so he reached back there and got out his little can of mace. And sprayed it right in my eyes. And blinded me. Why? Cause I was alone in a room with a lady doing what he would like to be doing if he could ever get it up without a gun. The LIGHTS coming on suddenly, the AUDIENCE seething. Shouts of "Fuck em! Right on!" JIM In the United States of America. Land of the free. Home of the Brave man -- in God We Trust right? TURN OFF THE LIGHTS. CROWD roars. A POLICE LIEUTENANT in his 50's, grey hair, beefy, marches out onto the stage, standing next to Jim, arms akimbo. A SECOND COP joins him. Ray rolling the music out into a silence as Jim sticks the mike in the officer's face, defiantly. JIM Say your thing man! More cops come out, snatch the microphone, as Jim flashes the audience a "touchy aren't they?" shrug. LIEUTENANT Young man you've gone too far. The show's over. You're under arrest. TWO more COPS moving on Jim, pinning both his arms and dragging him off stage. JOHN (scared) They're gonna beat the shit out of him man! RAY moving to intercede with SIDDONS and ROADIES. JIM (resisting) HEY... HEY! HEY! Ray and Siddons are pushed aside by other cops. The crowd is going nuts. Chairs are thrown. Kids rushing onto the stage where the Cops beat them back. ANNE is writing it all down on her notepad. A certain satisfaction and joy at the unfolding of this event. INT. BACKSTAGE STAIRCASE - SAME NIGHT JIM is dragged roughly down a flight of stairs. JIM GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME SLAVE! EXT. ARENA PARKING LOT - SAME NIGHT JIM is wrestled across the lot, pinned to the car and handcuffed, punched and thrown into the car, yelling. Journalists try to intercede, one is also arrested. JIM YOU'RE SLAVES. YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF SLAVES. THIS ISN'T HAPPENING TO ME MAN, THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU!!! INT. HOLDING ROOM - POLICE STATION - THAT NIGHT JIM is spreadeagled against the wall, a dignified, defiant look on his face. COP 1 (coming in) Hey whatcha got here? A boy or a girl? COP 2 (coming closer to Jim) What do you care. You're gonna fuck him anyway... Okay rock star, let's see the backdoor you keep bawling about. (stretching his ass cheeks) Where's the roach powder? COP 1 Ain't he the prettiest long-haired boy y'ever saw? COP 2 (reaching for a can) Turn around rock star. As Jim defiantly does so, Cop 2 looses a big cloud of roach powder into his long hair. COP 2 (backing off) Stand clear, who the hell knows what's living in there? All during this, snickering laughter from the onlooking half- dozen POLICE OFFICERS gathered to watch. Jim waits, then with great claim, in a quiet voice: JIM You finished? You sure you're finished? Haven't you forgotten something -- the consolation prize they gave ya for taking your cock and balls? The guns. Why don't you use em you withered dicks! You shit- eating red-neck chickenshit bastards, I hope this makes your worthless lives... As he's smacked by COP 2, sending him sprawling into the wall... JIM (on the floor, quiet) You better kill me cause I'm gonna come back and fuck everyone of your daughters... EXT. POLICE STATION - THAT NIGHT A SNOWBALL smashes against the glass. COPS coming out with sticks. A RIOT brewing. A HUNDRED TEENAGERS sallying back and forth on the sidewalk, taunting the cops. A dozen of them have already been arrested. KIDS LET JIM GO!!! MORRISON! MORRISON! WE WANT MORRISON! COPS GET OUTTA HERE! GO HOME. GO ON NOW! COPS chase the KIDS with sticks. But just as it looks like it's going to get out of hand, JIM appears at the doors of the station, stepping out between RAY and the DOORS and SIDDONS. He signals his freedom, arms in the air. CROWD MOR-RI-SON! MOR-RI-SON! MOR-RI-SON! Jim waves, does a small pained victory jig in front of the thwarted Gestapo, ribcage and spleen hurting. CROWD JIM JIM JIM JIM JIM JIM... RAY (aside to Robbie) He could go all the way man! In five years he could be in the White House. Another JFK. Robbie's look tells us he thinks Ray is as much caught up in his dreams as Jim. CUT TO: FLASHBULBS hits us full frame as: INT. MUG SHOT - LIMBO A reminder of the reality as the thud of a clanking gate shuts. MORRISON's profile, disheveled hair -- he glares angrily. FLASH! FRONTAL SHOT, slated Police Dept -- New Haven Conn -- 23750 -- 12-10-67. A sullen handsome portrait. INT. RECORDING STUDIO - (LAST SESSION) - LOS ANGELES NIGHT (1970) JIM drinks... an ugly cough. Silence. In this puffy wrack and ruin there is still the ironic tones and sweet delight of the boy amazed and amused by it all. We hear the ghostly CROWD still cheering. JIM I drink so I can talk to assholes. This includes me. Let's just say I was testing the bounds of reality -- that's-all -- I was curious... I kinda always preferred to be hated. Like Erich Von Stroheim in the movies... the man you loved to hate... it's meant to be ironic, courage wants to laugh. Y'know it's essentially a stupid situation. I go out on a stage and I howl for people. In me they see what they want to see -- some say the Lizard King, whatever that means, or some black-clad leather demon whatever that means... but really I think of myself as a sensitive, intelligent human being but with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most crucial moment... (pause) a fake hero... a joke the gods played on me... it's okay, I accept the joke... and smile. Death old friend, death and my cock, I can forgive my injuries in the name of wisdom, luxury, romance. Words got me the wound and will get me well. All join now in lament of my cock, a tongue of knowledge in the feathered night. Boys get crazy in the head and suffer. I sacrifice my cock on the alter of silence. The ENGINEER looking at him puzzled. Has Jim lost it? MIKE, his friend, is there in the Engineer's booth, with the Door's SECRETARY, Leticia, and an elegant MYSTERY WOMAN. They're smoking dope, partying. MIKE Hey Jim, how 'bout hitting a strip- joint? It's getting late and we can... JIM Nah, later... The violent backbeat of THE WASP now picking up. JIM Now listen to this I'll tell you about Texas Radio and the big beat soft driven slow and mad like some new language reaching your head with the cold sudden fury of a divine messenger let me tell you about heartache and the loss of God wandering, wandering in hopeless night out here on the perimeter there are no stars out here we is stoned, immaculate... but I tell you this: No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn. EXT. LOS ANGELES - DAWN (1968) JIM walks the dawn streets. Classic image -- jeans, boots, jacket, the sun starting to rise on the smog and translucent pink light along Santa Monica Boulevard outside the cheap Alta Cienega Motel where he lives... PEACE FROG shoots us through. DOORS SONG Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven Blood stains the roofs and palm trees of Venice Blood in my love in the terrible summer The bloody red sun of phantastic L.A. Over the SONG, a MONTAGE of the 60's passing to its darker side. DOCUMENTARY IMAGES MARTIN LUTHER KING assassinated, BOBBY KENNEDY gunned down, PEGGY FLEMMING ice skating at the Olympics; A QUAKER burns himself to death protesting the war in Vietnam; B-52 bombs dropped on CAMBODIA; KENT STATE erupts; CHARLES MANSON is arrested. INT. BARNEY'S BEANERY - LOS ANGELES - MONDAY JIM -- drinking in Barney's Bar. HEADLINE READS: "KANSAS COPS SLAM DOORS; CONCERT CANCELLED," 2nd HEADLINE: "DOORS 3RD ALBUM OUT, SALES UP, MAGIC DOWN." Dissolve to CRITIC'S FACE. Back to Jim's face. Superimpositions over it of: NEWS FLASHES LYNDON JOHNSON's dog face on TV withdrawing: NIXON waving as he wins '68; Rowen and Martin's LAUGH IN; COLUMBIA STUDENTS taking over; 3rd HEADLINE: "MORRISON BUSTED IN VEGAS". MARTIN LUTHER KING going down again; NIXON winning; massive ANTI- WAR PROTESTS in Washington; floating space ships in "2001"; B-52s sailing over Vietnam 4th HEADLINE: "DOORS PROVOKE CHICAGO RIOTS" -- again and again, faster, faster. DOORS SONG Blood is the rose of mysterious union! There's blood in the streets & it's up to my knees She came Blood in the streets of Chicago She came Blood on the rise and it's following me Just about the break of day (etc) The river runs red down the legs of the city She came The women are crying red rivers of weeping The MONTAGE collides into an ECU on JIM -- drinking as if to silence the images, the sounds we hear and see on his face. Spirits crying for release. In alcoholic solace. He passes out, head hitting the bar. Jim's English friend, MIKE, walks in, throwing a harsh shaft of LA morning light across the dark bar and JIM's face, bleary eyed, passed out on the counter. He has a drinking paunch. With him are TOM BAKER, "TOM", the actor from the Warhol scene in New York and a huge biker type drinker named DOG, one of Jim's roadmen, a beard fanning his chest, tattoos everywhere. In the front of these three monoliths are about twenty beer bottles, numerous Jack Daniels bottles emptied and a lesbian BARTENDRESS pouring up a breakfast shot of bloody Marys... Mike hands Dog a breakfast in a brown paper bag. MIKE Morning. Pour me breakfast Delores... Delores pouring the bloody mary. As Mike scoffs at Jim passed out. MIKE Whatsa matter with Jimbo? Can't handle it huh (studying the beer bottles for leftovers) TOM Pussy whipped, man... DOG reaching in, dragging Jim's face up by the hair. Sticks Mike's greasy eggs and bacon in front of Jim. DOG Hey Jim, come on babe, eat this. . . one last place to go. Ray's getting it on. Jim is suddenly alert -- an instant and surprising transformation, without hangover, eager eyed. JIM (sparkling) Alive she cried! Right Dog, another cubic centimeter of chance (slaps Dog, notices the eggs, queasy) Ugh, I can't eat this stuff, it'll really make me sick. Gimme a Dos Equis will ya Delores? And a Ramos gin fizz with it. TOM Fuck man did you fade or what, we were on a "death run" up to the 9000 building after the gig, you bet me a grand you'd walk the ledge. JIM (instantly) Let's go... Right now! TOM Then mumbling about "gotta go home, sanctuary," pussy whipped. We were gonna film it! A thousand bucks! (to Delores) Give him a double. JIM A triple, Tom, shem and shaun... TOM ...imagine me and Morrison in a fuckin movie together, can you imagine two powerful two-fisted Irish fucking drinking guys in a movie, in a documentary movie!! MIKE I'll direct the shit out of it, man. Dennis Hopper can do it, I can do it. JIM (drinking the fizz down) ...all of us direct it! In black and white. Call it "Zero." A real road movie! Two of these (points to drink) you feel a lot better. As he pisses on the floor next to the bar stool. DOG Whatcha doing! Oh fuck. DELORES Fuck you Morrison. You're outta here you fuckhead, get out! DOG (lifting Jim out of there) Come on Jimbo, one more place to go. Ray's getting married man, this morning, remember! You're the best man. TOM Fuck Ray -- fuckin Pollock all he cares about's money. Fuckin sell out. You sold out too man. The last album's shit, and lemme tell ya something, people know it. MIKE (defending Jim) Come on Baker, lighten up. JIM That's all right. I like it (that dopey smile) DOG (to Jim) Come on man, toe the line. Boots to the pavement. Let's walk. OMIT Sequence omitted from original script. EXT. SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD - SAME MORNING JIM, loose, wanders right into the traffic, waving to anybody, trying to hitch a ride. DOG and the OTHERS going after him. Jim seen slipping a tablet from his pocket into his mouth. JIM (to no one in particular) I LOVE L.A. -- the best neon. City of Night! City of Light... why are you going to work? You're not slaves, you're free, cars, you're free... TOM catching up to him. TOM Awright shaddup Morrison, just cause you don't gotta work. (going into his pocket) Give me some of your money, asshole, and I'll yell anything you fucking want. MIKE (coming up) What was that speckled motherfucker you just took? Give me some! JIM (yielding, to Tom) You gotta fail to succeed Tom, gotta surrender to the waiting tides. Moving through traffic. Horns honking, incessant insanity. EXT. PACIFIC PALISADES - SAME MORNING RAY and DOROTHY take their vows in front of a HIPPIE PRIEST. ROBBIE and JOHN and their WIVES-TO-BE, and OTHERS from the BAND look on. PAMELA is all decked out in her best, wedding clothes, red satins from Morocco, five-inch clog heels, flowers in her hair. Looking around pissed as: HIPPIE PRIEST (ad lib) Awright, the vibrations are right now, I feel peace and love here today, I feel a grooviness coming on, do you Ray Manzarek take your lady love... (etc.) fill the white wings of death, scatter your ashes forever... JIM slinks up through the trees, alone, quiet, changing faces to face them as SUMMER'S ALMOST GONE plays sinuously. DOORS SONG Summer's almost gone Where will we be When the summer's gone? RAY (aside) Where the fuck you been man? JIM Man, I been here all the time... over there watching. I'm really happy for you Ray you found life... He smiles innocently. Ray, a beat, turns away. Pam coming over, squeezes his hand, sweetly, no fights today, she's his lady. INT. COUNTRY STORE - LAUREL CANYON - THAT DAY JIM, in dark glasses, strongly feeling the effects of the acid, stares at a box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, unable to relate. Down the aisle PAMELA, in her wedding clothes, is pushing a shopping cart, filled with the feast she's preparing. The Store is a haven for HIPPIES from Laurel Canyon, barefoot RUNAWAYS, BIKERS... PAM Jim, I need some safflower oil. Do you think you can find me a bottle? JIM Safflower oil, sure. PAM And get some Gravy Train for Sage. JIM (obediently) Yes. PAM I'll meet you up front. Jim looking, zombie-like for the food. PEOPLE of course stare at him, knowing who he is. TIMECUT TO: At the CHECK-OUT COUNTER, the food being tallied up, JIM spots his face plastered on the cover of something like the "L.A. FREE PRESS" -- "ROCK'S BAD BOYS GO SOFT -- WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE REVOLUTION?" PAM Jim you got any cash? Seeking in his pocket -- nothing but a credit card and a rumpled old dollar bill... The faces of the Hippies looking at him. With one of the magic markers on the counter, he draws in his beard on his cover shot. DOORS SONG Morning found us clearly unaware Noon burned gold into our hair At night we swam the laughing sea When summer's gone where will we be EXT. JIM & PAM'S HOUSE - LAUREL CANYON - DAY PAM and JIM and the labrador SAGE trudge up a hill carrying the groceries to their modest little house tucked into a hill of dangling eucaplyptus trees. We sense a community of artists, hippies, Volkswagens. PAM It's only another $95,000 but I could get the best clothes. From India, Morocco Jim, clothes you can't find anywhere, we could get the richest people to come, Miles Davis, Cher, the Stones, it's gonna be the best boutique on La Cienega Jim... why are we walking, how come we don't have a car? JIM ...cause you lost it. It's fun to walk, isn't it. PAM ...that was months ago. We got another car. JIM Which car? PAM The red one with the black interior. Remember it was a shift and I didn't like it. What happened to it? JIM Oh yeah... I wrecked it. PAM Oh Jim! Damn! Where's the Gravy Train? Whatsamatter? What are you on? You promised you wouldn't drink today. JIM No Ma I ain't drinking. PAM You're not gonna drink any more are you Jim. JIM No Ma I ain't. PAM And you're gonna change those stinky leathers you been wearing for three weeks. JIM I don't know 'bout that. PAM What the hell are you on? JIM Uh -- just some low grade acid. It's not heavy. (whispers) Pam, read my mind. PAM Jesus Jim! Goddamit! You PROMISED. I made the duck! People are coming! Ray and Dorothy think we're flaky enough and I... you said you'd wait till after, you're going to peak before me. JIM Hey it's okay, it's okay... come on, we'll trip and then eat our feast. PAM Yeah sure. Putting down the bags at their porch, pausing. He moves to her, kisses her, conciliatory and gentle. JIM Come on baby, y'know it's a good thing for Ray and Dorothy I think women are such noble creatures -- they carry on your name with dignity after you die. (spawning like minnows) PAM What are you saying? You wanna marry me Jim? JIM (elusively) I think women basically have a comic approach to life -- I mean how can they not when they look up in the dark and see a dangling penis, seeking entry. It looks like a face y'know -- little beard "Hi mom" (Pam giggling now) I wanna get inside you. Look around. (humming) "Do the funky chicken, do dah, dah, funky chicken do da da "love my girl" -- She's cracking up now. As he takes the acid out, holds it in front of her like a sacrament. JIM Let's go wild child, let's get out there Romeo and Juliet, Marilyn Monroe and Vincent Van Gogh, Jim and Pam, rock and roll (a poem) ...all the poetry has wolves in it, but one Pam -- the most beautiful one of all -- dances in a ring of fire and throws off the challenge with a shrug As she takes the tablet on her tongue, swallows. PAM (romantic) I like it when you sing to me JIM 'cause I'm the poet and you're my muse Strains of YOU'RE LOST, LITTLE GIRL drift in, setting a more ominous tone. INT. JIM AND PAM'S HOUSE - LAUREL CANYON - THAT DAY The FOOD is laid out, the DUCK cooking... but no one is there as we move across this tastefully decorated house to PAMELA in the living room, rattled, obsessively going through Jim's papers. PEOPLE are knocking at the door. Guests looking through the windows, tapping. A giant poster of Marilyn Monroe frames Pamela. PAM What am I going to do about these papers! Jim, Jim -- you really need someone to organize this stuff. Your handwriting's just like a little kid. Jim is somewhere else -- pulling out the DUCK which is totally charred black. He laughs. PAM My God look at this. I wonder if William Blake was ever this disorganized. RAY and DOROTHY walking in. ROBBIE and JOHN general commotion. Dorothy immediately seeing the duck, runs to it... DOROTHY Oh the duck! JIM (coming over) Get some drinks, man. Over there (getting Pam's attention) Pam! PAM I'm gonna be your editor now, seriously I'm going to organize all your stuff. I'm gonna take out all the fuck words. DOORS SONG You're lost little girl You're lost little girl You're lost, tell me Who are you? PEOPLE are introducing themselves, coming in from all over, like in a shoebox. Hippies. Doors people... now TOM BAKER with MIKE and DOG... Now an aggressive Chuck Berry type BLACK SINGER with John's GIRLFRIEND. Then a TIMOTHY LEARY look- alike appears. CHATTER blending everywhere as we build to a vast confusion at Jim and Pam's party. JIM Let's go wild child, let's get out there Romeo and Juliet, Marilyn Monroe and Vincent Van Gogh, Jim and Pam, rock and roll (a poem) "Clothed in sunlight Restless in wanting Dying of fever Changed shapes of an empire Vast promissory notes of joy How it has changed you How slowly estranged you Solely arranged you Beg you for mercy" As she takes the tablet on her tongue, swallows. JIM (cupping her chin) Pam... Honey, you're trying too hard. PAM I'm not -- I'm not. JIM (soft, reassuring) Yes you are. PAM There's some great poetry here Jim, some wonderful ideas. JIM Yeah but nobody wants to read poetry anymore, nobody cares, it's not like important y'know. Just put it away. Not right now. PAM (lost) But what am I supposed to do? How do I fit in? Who am I supposed to be around all these people? The FRENCH COUNT coming in now, from the Warhol party in New York. They're looking at her, embarrassing as everyone overhears. COUNT Darling Pamela, I brought you a little something. JIM (ignoring it) You're my girl, that's who... PAMELA (laughs insanely) I'm not your girl, don't give me that shit. I know you fuck everything that touches you. Only in life would ANNE O'RIORDAN walk in at this precise moment, a smile on her face. Ray's eyes roll. ANNE Hi Jim... (waiting for the introduction to Pam) JIM (to Pamela) All right so I do. I live my life the way I want. I don't want anyone expecting anything from me -- including you! You don't like it then get the fuck out! (to Anne) Oh hi Anne. You know Pam? She's a little pissed off right now but... RAY Okay Jim let's eat that duck. DOROTHY (calming Pamela) Come on Pam, let's put out the plates... PAMELA (stunned, pushing thru to Anne) Anne O'Riordan. Are you Anne O'Riordan? ANNE You must be Pamela PAMELA (eyeing her up and down through her tears) You actually put your dick in this woman Jim? JIM Well I... sometimes yeah PAMELA (condescending to Anne) I understand... I really do but don't ever think that Jim's gonna love you or take care of you. You're one of a hundred you know Anne uncomfortable, Jim getting pissed. JIM Hey -- don't you know when to stop! PAM Look who's talking ANNE I'd like to think Jim can make up his own mind who he loves and who he doesn't. PAMELA Don't kid yourself sweetheart, Jim's crazy but he's not that crazy. He loves me. ROBBIE Jesus, it's not gonna be one of these dinners is it Jim? How 'bout some turkey? BAKER Love it!! Far out. DOROTHY Yes, let's go into the kitchen. The duck's ready. John's GIRLFRIEND is trying to introduce the BLACK SINGER to Jim. GIRLFRIEND (anxious) Jim, you should meet Chuck Vincent. He came specially to meet you. JIM (deeply surprised) Oh yeah -- Chuck. You're my idol man... since I was 12. The best man... CHUCK VINCENT is suddenly there in Jim's face, bulging eyeballs. CHUCK VINCENT So you the white boy makin' all that money. JIM I still can't hold a candle to you. CHUCK VINCENT Hey everybody Chuck Vincent's here. Yo sho can't boy, I ain't heard much of yor stuff. What I done heard don't show me much. ROBBIE (insulted) So fuck you man... JIM (laughs) Chuck Vincent man! No. He's right... Chuck Vincent's here, everybody, Chuck Vincent. CHUCK Ain't no honkey ever gonna sing the blues, you ain't been there. Where dat turkey at? The charred TURKEY is being carved up. A moment of peace, then: Pamela walks up to Jim with a bowl of sweet potatoes in her arms, an announcement. PAM I just have one thing to say to you -- YOU'VE RUINED ANOTHER THANKSGIVING JIM MORRISON!! JIM It's not Thanksgiving honey. As she throws the sweet potatoes right at him, spraying everybody. Jim laughing nuttily, the Count wiping the potatoes off. Pam rushing now for the turkey to throw, Jim chasing her. PAM (freaking out now) YOU BASTARD! YOU RUINED MY DUCK, YOU KILLED MY DUCK!!! BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD RAZORS RAZORS EVERYWHERE! Throwing the turkey at Jim, smearing everything, everybody. COUNT Pamela, bella, please behave hunh... Va fanculo Jimmy, what the hell did you give her She doesn't want the Count's solace, throws him off. PAM GET OUT!!! PATRICIA leaving now, covered with turkey sauce. PATRICIA See you later. JIM (to the Count) She's working it out, man, it's okay (going to console her) Pamela, Pamela... come on baby, it's all right, shhh. HUNGARIAN GYPSY FOLK MUSIC playing madly from the tape deck. John fiddling with it, nervously. PAM BLOOOOOOODDDDDDD! DEEATHHHH! STOP THE BLEEDING JESUS. I'M DYING HELP MEEEEEE! JIM PUSH! PUSH! IT'S A BOY! They struggle, she goes for the carving knife, Dorothy and Ray trying to restrain her. OTHER GUESTS keep talking as if things are quite normal. Pam breaks through Dorothy -- coming after Jim PAM RAAAAZOOOORS!!! RAAAAZZZZZORS AND DUCKKKS! THIS SHAMAN SHIT IS BULLSHIT! FUCK YOU AND YOUR DARK RIDE!! He grabs her wrist just in time, equally insane now -- a comic glow in his face. Jekyll and Hyde. JIM Oh murder? MURDER??? YOU WANNA DO SOME MURDER RAY JIM! COME ON. GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF! TOM, DOG & MIKE (jumping in) MURDER!!! YEAH!... Where's my camera! A ball of people wrestling across the kitchen floor, upsetting the table and the remainder of the dishes, a carving knife at stake in the air... Jim finally wrestling the knife away and holding it over Pam. JIM YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT MURDER IS. YOU WANNA FEEL DEATH... HERE! (forces the knife back into her hand) MURDER ME! FEEL WHAT IT'S LIKE! GO AHEAD. GIMME SOME DEATH!!! (kneels at her feet) She explodes inward, a bloodcurdling SHRIEK. The knife clattering from her hand. PAM YOU YOU YOU!!!! YOU KILLED MY DUCK! YOU KILLED MY DUCK!! Jim laughing insanely. Jumping up and down on the duck. RAY grabbing him, angry. JIM I'M STILL KILLING YOUR DUCK!!! FUCK!!! MURDER DEATH!!! THE DUCK IS DEAD. RAY JIM!! WILL YOU STOP THIS SHIT WILL YOU STOP!! WILL YOU GET SANE!! JIM (explodes out of his grasp) DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!! EVER!! EVER!! A silence. Robbie... John... their women... they start exiting. TOM & MIKE (to RAY) Yeah FUCK OFF MAN! Ray about to lose his temper with Tom, checks it. CHUCK VINCENT (to John's girlfriend) This party's gettin' low rent. Let's go babe. Exiting with the other Doors... Dog picking the duck up from the floor. DOG Hey, fuck him, let's eat this thing. Pamela is sobbing, in a quiet bewildered voice, repeating to herself. PAM What the hell's happened to us Jim? What the hell is happening to us. There's some great poetry... On Jim... saddened. DOORS SONG You're lost little girl (2) You're lost, tell me Who are you? INT. TUNNEL - OUTDOOR THEATRE - NIGHT The backbeat of NOT TO TOUCH THE EARTH as a DOCUMENTARY FILM CREW, moves past us directed by MIKE and DOG and TOM shoot past us, sun guns, nagras ("Rolling! Speed!") then... A mad rush of HANDS and SCREAMS as SHAPES whip by under swinging light-bulbs -- big BLACK BODYGUARDS, six or seven of them, bulling their way thru the grasping faces, as MORRISON appears... camera swinging wildly with him to reveal: EXT. ARENA - (ANY CITY) - NIGHT THOUSANDS OF FANS roaring "DOORS! DOORS! DOORS!" VOICE (loudspeaker) Ladies and Gentlemen, from Los Angeles California -- The DOORS! SIDDONS (in crush) Jim! Your Mom's here with your brother. What do you want me to do with 'em? JIM (shakes his head) HIDE ME!!! HARD CUT TO: Madness. COPS lining the edge of the stage, looking worried. As Jim throws his leather jacket into the cheering crowd and does the ghost dance around the microphone, Indian style, one foot, resurrecting the dead, the power of the circle. The stage is bottom lit, Dantean in look. The Doors casting giant shadows of heroic proportions. DEA AGENTS in suits and short hair take photos from the front of the stage, clipboards in hand. Blocked by a row of cops, it is impossible for Jim to communicate with his audience. JIM & DOORS There's been a slaughter here Don't stop to speak or look around Your gloves and fan are on the ground We're getting out of town we're going on the run And you're the one I want to come Not to touch the earth Not to see the sun Nothing left to do But run, run, run Let's run, let's run... SIDDONS yelling at MIKE, the roadie. SIDDONS Vice Squad says one more "fuck or shit" they're gonna close us down man. MIKE Stick my dick in their ear! Jim ignoring all this, one hand cupped to his ear listening for the sound of the earth, gone into a shaman-like state, weird spiralling chords carrying over the following MONTAGE of hallucinatory insanity. JIM & DOORS House upon the hill Moon is lying still... EXT. JIM & PAM'S HOUSE - LAUREL CANYON - NIGHT A POV up at the house -- into which JIM enters. The lights are on. Sage at the door sniffing. INT. JIM & PAM'S HOUSE - LAUREL CANYON - NIGHT JIM & DOORS Shadows of the trees witnessing the wild breeze Come on baby run with me Run with me, let's run... JIM'S POV entering the bedroom -- PAMELA naked in bed with the COUNT, is snorting heroin. Shadows of the trees and leaves blowing against the walls. Their voices, dim, distant. JIM (ironic) Oh hi... I didn't realize you were entertaining. PAM (stoned) Hi. She sits up on the bed, wobbly. The COUNT, more sophisticated in these things, lights a cigarette from the bedside table, revealing heroin paraphernalia. COUNT Scusi Jimmy, I hope you're cool about this... JIM (very cool) Don't forget your smack on the way out. EXT. ARENA - CONCERT Jim's struggling to break through the barrier of cops. JIM (yelling) The mansion is warm at the top of the hill Rich are the rooms and the comforts there Red are the arms of luxuriant chairs You won't know a thing till you get inside BACK TO: INT. JIM & PAM'S HOUSE - NIGHT The COUNT is gone. JIM, icy cold, grabs PAM by the wrist. JIM I told you about that shit. Or are we talking about death choices here? PAM I'm just doing my thing, just like you said, it's my thing, why can't I have a thing. Ow! You're hurting me! JIM (rising anger) Get up. Hurt? You want to know HURT? Let me introduce you to my good friend hurt. He is on her, throws her from the bed. She runs and hides in the closet, slamming the door behind her. PAM (screaming) NO FUCK YOU! THIS IS MY... JIM (crazed) Ah sanctuary!... a soft place to hide. PAM (inside) ...from you, you pig! As he picks up a can of lighter fluid and douses the closet door and the floor. JIM I'll give you a place to hide forever! We INTERCUT with PAM inside the closet yelling for mercy inside. PAM JIM! He puts a candle to the drenched door/floor. JIM This is the best part of the trip, honey... Inside, PAM feels the first flames licking up, smoke wafting in. JIM leaves the house. Pam kicking wildly at the doors, trying to smash her way out as the FIRE crescendoes. She finally shatters the frail molding and bursts out. EXT. JIM & PAM'S HOUSE - LAUREL CANYON - NIGHT PAM runs out into Laurel Canyon like a terrified doe running from a forest fire. SONG beat NOT TO TOUCH THE EARTH continues. EXT. STREET - LOS ANGELES - NIGHT Jim and Mike driving drunk, fucking TWO BLACK CHICKS. Mike in the back seat. Jim drives the car up onto the grass of a Police Station and plows right into it. EXT. BOULEVARD - LOS ANGELES - NIGHT Knowing who's inside, sufficient be it to see the blue Shelby Mustang plow into a telephone pole on Santa Monica Blvd. JIM & THE DOORS Dead President's corpse in the driver's car The engine runs on glue and tar C'mon along, we're not going very far To the East to meet the Czar... INT. ANNE'S SOHO LOFT - NEW YORK - NIGHT A HIGH PRIESTESS, assisted by a HIGH PRIEST, conducts a Wicca wedding amidst a setting of candles, mixing a few drops of JIM and ANNE's blood into a consecrated cup of wine, from which they drink. They all wear long black robes, the only light from the candles, standing inside a circle in front of a table with altar, incense, chalice. HIGH PRIESTESS (dimly heard) ...we worship the ancient forces of Nature, the Triple Goddess, the Great Mother and the Lord, the Horned One... when the vow is taken INT. LIMO - DAY MOTORCYCLE ESCORTS COPS zoom past the limo windows on the LA STREETS. INT. ANNE'S SOHO LOFT - NEW YORK - RESUME NIGHT The PRIESTESS presses the two cut wrists together, binding them with a red cord. HIGH PRIESTESS ...it is a blending of souls on a karmi and cosmic plane that affects your future incarnations on this planet. Death does not part -- only lack of love -- and the vow is forever in the Goddess' sight. JIM & DOORS (building faster and faster) Run with me, run with me Run with me, let's run Some outlaws live by the side of a lake The minister's daughter's in love with a snake Jim faints. EXT. DOORS OUTDOOR CONCERT - NIGHT JIM, mind totally gone into his trance, spreading his arms like wings, hopping from one foot to the other like a shaman around his microphone, whirling, yelling out great rewards for the tribe. Plentiful antelope, healthy corn. The kids are going wild -- writhing like maenads in his intoxicating embrace. Embers from an enormous BONFIRE drift past the stadium lights into the night. But the KIDS, increasingly frustrated by a barrage of COPS, cannot see their leader and now push against the cops with the very result the authorities seek to repress. JIM & DOORS Who lives in a well by the side of the road Wake up girl! We're almost home We shall see the gates by morning We shall be inside by evening Sun, sun, sun Burn, burn, burn Moon, moon, moon! RAY, gone into his own trance, happening to look up from his keyboard. His eyes widen. His POV -- an INDIAN SHAMAN hovers over the microphone. Cloaked in hides, his face obscured by a horned headdress with colored tails and feathers streaming down his shoulders, rattles in each fist, the BONFIRE glowing... JIM & DOORS I will GET YOU Soon -- soooooooon... SOOOOOOONNNN... The COPS can't hold. TEENAGE SHOCK TROOPS hitting the stage, clambering up. The stage becoming a riot. Cops wading in with sticks. ROADIES and BODYGUARDS yanking the MUSICIANS from their places... JIM (indifferent, to himself) I am the Lizard King I can do anything As DOG hauls the shaman king off in a bearhug, smiling stoned, immaculate. INT. ALTA CIENEGA MOTEL - DAY Start slow CLOSE UP on JIM, he's crying, his head on a pillow, silent, haunted... pull out to see the room, no explanations. A TV GAME SHOW is on, JUDY, 17, and her FRIEND, 16, watching naked, skinny..., piles of murder magazines and books, clothes, and personal items trashed around the thread bare room he calls home. She looks over at him. JUDY Man wow -- watsa matter Jim? It was beautiful... wasn't it? Kim? Wasn't it great? KIM (2nd girl, studying murder magazine) It was all right Jim continues to cry. JIM (gently) Hey it's no big deal. I like to cry when I come. It's close to death... maybe you'd better go home now before your mama gets home. JUDY She is home Jim (whispers to Kim who goes into bathroom, giggling) JIM What? JUDY It's a secret. JIM (innocently) You know you've always been good to me in bed Judy. And it was nice of you to bring your friend. I want to keep seeing both of you but it can't be all the time y'know. It would be a night every few weeks or so. That's just the way I am, I'm not dependable. I can't be a boyfriend. Would you do that? I mean could you handle it? That way? I don't want you to get hurt. JUDY (putting on a tacky dress) I already been hurt enuf' by you Jim, I don't have much to lose do I? JIM ...do you love me? JUDY ...yes JIM ...Well, just think about it awhile. Call me when you get your new number... (Girl 2 comes back in, dressed) Hey that's a really nice outfit you're wearing, you really have good taste in clothes. How long have you two been friends? He's so concerned, so solicitous that both girls crack up laughing. JIM (grins) What? A knock at the door. JIM Come back later! (another knock) Who is it! VOICE (slurred) It's a secret. JIM (recognizes it) Whyn't you come back later. I don't have any clothes on. EXT. ALTA CIENEGA MOTEL ROOM - SAME DAY PAM's mascara is running from her eyes, begging to get in. The BLACK MAID cleaning the adjacent room overheard, unsurprised. PAM Jim, I gotta talk! Let me in please. I gotta talk. JIM Now Pam sweetheart, I'm busy. Pamela listening at the door. She's on the second story of a cheap motel overlooking a boring parking lot on the edge of La Cienega. PAM Jim, I know there's someone in there, I can't believe you're doing this again. You're disgusting. INTERCUTS TO: INT. MOTEL ROOM - SIMULTANEOUS JIM Well you see Pam there's this crazy girl in here, she's just lying on the bed with her legs open and I don't know what to do. PAM FUCK YOU!!! I want to see her. JIM (off) It's your cousin Lizzie, you don't want to see her. Go home. PAM We're all sisters, let me see her. Jim,... I got this wonderful leg of lamb in the oven for supper... and the house is immaculate. Sage is waiting. He wants you to play with him... are you coming... JIM Almost. PAM Jim goddamit answer me!! (no answer, she yells) JIM! I FUCKED HIM TO HURT YOU! HE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME!! PEOPLE in the parking lot looking up. A silence is her only response. She waits, turns away from the closed door as TOUCH ME BABE cuts in: DOORS SONG C'mon, c'mon, c'mon c'mon now Touch me babe Can't you see that I am not afraid INT. RECORDING STUDIO - THAT NIGHT In the VOCAL BOOTH, JIM is chugging on a brown paper bag with whiskey in it, crooning with heart but the voice is warped, weak. JIM What was that promise you made Why don't you tell me what she said What was that promise that she made I'm gonna love you Till the heaven stops the rain I'm gonna love you Till the stars fall from the sky For you and I... VARIOUS PEOPLE are hanging around the studio listening -- a couple of HIPPIE CHICKS, A BURN VICTIM w/ bandages, a CHARLES MANSON TYPE, a Siberian HUSKY, the TIM LEARY type. Paper bags, burgers, bottles, California rose, apple juice, hard- boiled eggs. In the ENGINEERING BOOTH. ROTHCHILD, the producer, is displeased. PAUL (to Botnick the engineer) ...fuckin' neanderthal primadonna is too drunk to see. (cuts the music, to Jim) Cut it... that was beautiful sweetheat, we had a technical problem, we'll take it again from the top babe whenever you're ready. On the floor, the DOORS are depressed. DENSMORE looking at MORRISON, aimlessly, nervously. KRIEGER looking tired and beaten, takes a discreet hit on a joint. Ray scans an art book, patient. DENSMORE What's his fucking problem? JIM (equally false) Paul babe. PAUL Right here baby. JIM Why don't you suck a fart out of my asshole you slave driving facist motherfucker! As he stalks out of the booth. Raging, near-incomprehensible. A small portable TV set is playing the "Dean Martin Show" low on one end of the recording console. Around the room the detritus of the time -- Mailer's "Armies of the Night", The Stone's "Beggar's Banquet", Janis' "Cheap Thrills", Traffic, The Band. PAUL (exasperated) I hear the booze, I hear the smokes Jim, I don't hear the voice and babe I didn't hear the song! JIM So what are we going to tonight Paul! 67 takes! It's stale! RAY (coming in with JOHN) Alright, let's try something else. JIM I wanna sing blues. This stuffs getting too self-conscious. ROBBIE (offended) Cause it's my song man? JIM (simultaneous, incomprehensible) Let's sing "Rock is Dead"! You're all a buncha slaves... "Oh come all ye faithful." PAUL (hot) Shut up Jim! I don't understand! I don't. What are ya doing! I love you like a brother, I do, but why are you fucking this up. It's a perfect radio song for chrissake! No one wants to hear the blues anymore! Think like a singer, you're the only baritone crooner we got left... Sinatra, Elvis, Crosby, you're as good as they are, but WHY ARE YOU FUCKING THIS UP! WHY! Pause. Jim's face darkening. Something he sees on the television. He stops, frozen, sickly. Several BIMBETTES are dancing around a shiny new automobile as strains of LIGHT MY FIRE pop out. JIM Catchy, you sold it to a commercial? Ray, Siddons, Robbie, John, shuffling for a moment. JIM For that? How much did you get for it? RAY Now, Jim... JIM HOW MUCH? SIDDONS It was $50,000. You weren't talking to us that week and we figgered you... JIM You figured? What the fuck is this Ray? RAY It's not like a big deal Jim, the song's already been commercialized, the money was great. Robbie wrote the lyrics and he didn't mind, neither did I, neither did John... we gotta get to TV. JIM What?... are you saying? Are we the Doors? One for all and all for one? Do you know what you're saying to those millions of kids! "Just kidding, not real". That's what you're saying. JOHN Oh come on man, you think just cause you're the lead man in the band you can run the whole show. JIM (building intensity) You think I was kidding Ray? (turning to John) Hey John, those are interesting shoes, you like those shoes? PAMELA, looking drawn and pathetic finds this moment to walk into the studio. JOHN (aggressive) Yeah I do. JIM Good. Then do you want 50 of those shoes? JOHN No. JIM Then what do you need more money for? Pause. Turning to Ray. JIM I'm dying Ray. I wasn't kidding. Maybe you were. But I'll tell you something, it's not about these desires you have man, or money, or these records, it's about breaking through wasn't it? You just lost something man. (to all) We all lost something boys. We lost something. RAY I don't think so Jim. There's a bigger picture here. JIM There sure is. In your fucking face! A small smile flickers Jim's face as he picks up the small TV and like a quarterback, hurls it, spinning end over end from his corner of the Control Room towards Ray and Rothchild and the Doors. They dive for the floor as it smashes to bits into the wall behind the tape machines. JIM (quietly) Just kidding... (turning to Pam) Hi Pam. Just watchin' some TV. He seems pleased to distract his anger into her. She doesn't seem to notice anything unusual going on. The Doors silent, feeling Jim's rage. PAM (pathetic) I wanted you to find us Jim. It meant nothing. JIM I know. I know. PAM You don't have to torture me Jim. Let me make it up to you, please... The others all look away embarrassed. This is certainly a moment the ordinary partner might turn away from Pamela, her tears running, but her pathacy, her inability to deal with pain is precisely what moves Jim the most -- a side of himself in her -- an ultimate weakness she has, he shares. As he goes to her, puts his arms gently around her. JIM It's alright honey, it's gonna be alright. You're my girl and that's the way it's always gonna stay. PAM (snuggles him, zoned) Really...? JIM (ironic, to the others) So, let's keep that money machine rolling. Come on guys... Rothchild looking to Botnick and to Ray. But the real look, the unforgiving one, is from Jim to Ray who feels it. Rothchild douses the lights in the studio. PAUL Right on Jimbo. TIME CUT TO: Overdubb of DOORS SONG SOFT PARADE - Jim's VOICE booming thru the studio. JIM (reciting) When I was back there in seminary school There was a person there Who put forth the proposition That you can petition the Lord with prayer Petition the Lord with prayer Petition the Lord with prayer PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER ROTHCHILD looking from his booth across at Jim. His POV -- only JIM is visible. PAUL Where the hell did she go? In the control booth RAY and ROBBIE share a look. The lights have been dimmed in Jim's booth, and he's weaving back and forth a bottle of Ripple in his hand as they kick in with the music. Camera closing now on Jim in the tender section, on the money. JIM & DOORS Can you give me sanctuary I must find a place to hide A place for me to hide... In the darkened booth, PAM is on her knees his pants worked down around his ankles, caressing him, sucking him off. PAM (sotto voice) ...sing to me, Jim, sing to me. JIM & DOORS Can you find me soft asylum I can't make it any more The man is at the door The DOORS sense it. ROTHCHILD knows it, hushed. Magic's suddenly in the air once more as we jump stanzas to: JIM & DOORS Catacombs, nursury bones Winter women Streets and shoes, avenues Leather riders selling shoes (The monk bought lunch) Successful hills are here to stay Everything must be this way Gentle street where people play Welcome to the soft parade But Jim's voice has now gone off key, floating carefree, drifting -- drifting away. ROTHCHILD chuckles, philosophically. The Doors in control booth start leaving. Robbie goes back out to get his personal items. But the OVERDUB still plays over the booth as Jim doesn't realize. We take liberties cutting around on the song. JIM & DOORS All our lives we sweat and save Building for a shallow grave (then) The soft parade has now begun Listen to the engines hum People out to have some fun A cobra on my left Leopard on my right The Doors and ROTHCHILD all exiting, leaving BOTNICK the engineer to clean up some technical things... and of course the two occupants of the darkened booth. JIM SONG (fiercely) Calling on the dogs (5) When all else fails You can whip the horses' eyes And make them sleep And cry. The music stops. Silence. Inside the booth, two shadows breathe deep, huddled on the floor in each other's arms. A whisper out of the dark. PAM I love you. INT. RECORDING STUDIO - LAST SESSION (1970) - NIGHT JIM his head cocked, lost in the memory. JIM (reciting) Why does my mind circle around you? Why do planets wonder what it would be like to be you? All your soft wild promises were words, birds, Endlessly in flight Being drunk is the best disguise As the body is ravaged The spirit grows stronger Pause. He coughs horribly, the phlegm sucking out his chest with a horrid, asthmatic sound which he douses with another cigarette and another shot of whiskey. The Bushmills now two thirds empty. He looks over at the MYSTERY WOMAN now beside him at the microphone. MIKE and the SECRETARY watch. The bored ENGINEER across the darkened midnight room yawns. ENGINEER Let's send out for some pizza Jim. JIM Nah, how 'bout some tacos when we're through? (downs another shot, continues) The world on fire Taxi from Africa The grand hotel he was drunk a big party last night back, going back in all directions sleeping these insane hours I'll never wake up in a good mood again I'm sick of these stinky boots Do you know we are being led to slaughters by placid admirals? And that fat slow generals are getting obscene on young blood? Do you know we are ruled by TV? (pause) SLOW DISSOLVE BEGINS: JIM Oh great Creator of Being Grant us one more hour to perform our art and perfect our lives The moths and atheists are doubly divine in dying We live, we die, and death not ends it Journey we more into the nightmare We're reaching for death on the end of a candle We're trying for something that's already found us... DISSOLVING TO: INT. MIAMI AUDITORIUM - NIGHT (1969) Crammed into every available space of an old SEAPLANE HANGAR with no seats -- standing room only -- a MASS of KIDS swelter in the heat, grumbling, fanning themselves with programs as a warm-up BAND plays. In the wings of the stage, a RADIO DJ/CRITIC is recording on tape. It's the same kid we saw long ago at the Whiskey backstage, pronouncing the arrival of the Doors on the scene. Now he's got a beard, glasses, a more cynical face. RADIO DJ/CRITIC (into microphone) A hot night in Miami January '69 -- every space in the auditorium is consumed... unfortunately the Doors have long since sold out. They've become an act. Morrison "falls" off the stage at least every other performance. "The Soft Parade" album only confirms the plasticity of their approach. Songs like "Touch Me" and "Follow Me Down" are not the Doors we once knew. So the question is: Why am I here? Are funerals entertainment? DENSMORE looks on from the stage wings, withdraws -- to RAY nearby. DENSMORE He ain't gonna show! I know it man. We should fuckin' go on without him. RAY Bill's with him. They're an hour away, he'll get him here. INT. NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT BAR - SAME NIGHT SIDDONS, the manager tugs on MORRISON who's getting soused with DOG, TOM, MIKE, and ROTHCHILD the producer. The P.A. SYSTEM announcing the departure of the Miami flight! SIDDONS Goddamit Jim! We missed one already, we gotta get this one man! Jim slams has shot glass on the bar. He's got a beard for the first time, looking like a tribal elder. JIM More! MIKE Four more all around and up and down! As the WAITRESS takes the order SIDDONS (urgent) NO! CUT EM OFF! CUT EM OFF! JIM Don't be so melodramatic Bill, it's not fun anymore. DOG I can't fly sober. SIDDONS Jim, you don't show for this one, we're dead, the whole group -- no more bookings. JIM I care. PAUL Come on Jim, we'll get fuckin' laid in Miami. SIDDONS We need the work Jim! They're making us post a $10,000 bond just to show up -- we're the only group in rock-n- roll with a fuck clause! (aside to Dog) Get him on the fuckin' plane. That's what I pay you for. DOG (to Bill) You're an awful little guy to be talking like that. JIM (muttering) Chump change, we're working for chump change. SIDDONS Look at you, you're a pathetic fuckin' slob and so are all your friends! JIM I got an idea Bill, you're fired. INTERCUT TO: INT. MIAMI AUDITORIUM - THAT NIGHT The warm-up BAND is applauded and booed. The CROWD resembles a pit of snakes, wriggling on top of each other. Impatient CATCALLS. INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT JOHN Listen to 'em! They're not coming for the music anymore. They're coming to see a fuckin' freak show! RAY You think it's easy for him. He moves left he's got vice squad, on the right narcs -- and the audience just waiting for him to get busted. JOHN He wanted it! Not us. I just don't fuckin' get the point anymore. I never did I guess. Y'ask me he's just become a drunken fuckin' asshole that's what. And he's gonna take us down with him. RAY Compassion was never your forte man. JOHN Don't lecture me Mr. Philosopher, you never felt a fuckin thing in your life. I loved that man. I loved what he was. Robbie strums his guitar, breaks the tension in the room. A lick of "Five to One". ROBBIE It ain't the old Jim that's for sure. I think he's living for everybody else man and somewhere along the way he's lost his own self. RAY (almost to himself) The wine man, the ancient wine. The ancient wine. ROBBIE What? RAY Something he once told us. About Dionysos. When the madness took over... INTERCUT TO: OMIT Sequence omitted from original script. INT. AIRPLANE - THAT NIGHT The STEWARDESS, uptight, tries a smile at JIM, TOM, MIKE all belted in one row. STEWARDESS My name is Rita Hager and if... JIM If your name is Rita, then yor ol man must be ol man Rita!! (guffaws) TOM, MIKE & DOG (chorusing) That ol man Riva, he just keep rolling along! STEWARDESS Excuse me sir, my father is not my old man. A BABY, with her MOTHER, stares at Jim fascinated. He lifts his dark glasses, winks back at her. TIMECUT TO: The STEWARDESS slips the oxygen mask over her face. STEWARDESS In the event of a decrease of pressure, pull the oxygen mask to your... TOM Ma ol lady had one of those but she calls it a diaphragm when I'm eating her out! DOG Nah, it's a douche bag on a dixie cup. STEWARDESS I'm sorry sir, but you're embarrassing me. MIKE Great tits. SIDDONS Come on guys, cool it! Other PASSENGERS looking over. TIME CUT TO: In flight. Dog squeezes from the lavatory and drops a small bar of soap in Jim's drink. They laugh, push, yell. Jim is smoking a cigar. JIM (teasing to Rothchild in the row behind him) C'mon Paul, you can get us some heroin man. PAUL (suddenly serious) No I can't and I won't. JIM Why not? PAUL Cause I don't want to participate in anything that would accomplish your goal? JIM (wry) Oh and what is my goal Paul? Death? PAUL "Death old friend". JIM (laughing) Wrong. I just want the pure beauty of absolute zero and sing the blues man -- do nuthin, go nowhere, just be. TOM With that waistline Jimbo you got no choice. JIM (laughs, goodnatured) What's wrong with being a large mammal, a big beast like a tank. I feel great! DOG Yeah. What's wrong with being fat. TOM You mean "Crawling King Flab"? Rock is cock babe and your rock is dyin'. JIM Rock is death! There is no longer belief. Hey, I'll write poetry and direct movies. TOM And what are you offering? Sex? You can't get it up. Salvation? You can't even save yourself. Come on Jim, you're not gonna be remembered. JIM Miss?... STEWARDESS What do you need? JIM Some love. MIKE They'll still be talking about Jim when you're a walk on Baker. I'll make you a deal. When you do something, I'll criticize it. TOM I think you both should take your heads out of the toilet bowl. After "Soft Parade" You need an album sweetheart. MIKE You should take it outta your ass. JIM The first two novels come along they love you, next few they slam but if you stay around long enough, one day they say, "hey he's part of the national psyche". STEWARDESS What are you drinking? MIKE Screwdrives-her. (lifts her skirt) STEWARDESS (to Siddons) I'm going to have to call the captain if you can't control these people. I guarantee that. TOM (a cruel sarcasm Jim seems to enjoy) ...if you live long enough, don't kid yourself Jimbo -- you're all alone out there, Jimbo, cept for me, cause you're too wacked out man, they're scared, you're too fuckin crazy. JIM (feigning innocence) I wasn't mad, Tom. I was only interested in freedom. TOM (the devil) Bullshit! You're bored, you're not free. You tested all the limits, fame, fucking, money, -- whatcha gonna do now Jimbo! When the music's over, when you're too fat and ugly to get on a stage, whatcha gonna do for act three -- puke on Heaven's door? JIM Listen you two bit fuckin actor, you underestimate the audience. You think they all want a better job, a house, two cars, money, that's what you think but you know what they really want, Tom, in their lives, what they really want -- TOM Tell me. JIM (a whisper) ...something sacred, that's what they want, something sacred. Tom spews the contents of his mouth all over Jim in response. Jim throws his sandwich back at Tom... then another drink goes... JIM Fuck you ignorant devil's asshole slave! TOM No you. Something sacred. My cock is sacred. Suck on that! JIM I don't eat shrimp. A full fledged food fight in progress. Dog, Tom, Jim, Mike pushing and shoving. A drink spills over an innocent PASSENGER. DOG Incoming! The STEWARDESS coming up with the CAPTAIN. CAPTAIN ALL RIGHT!! If you young men don't change your attitude right now, when we get to Miami you're going to be arrested. JIM Yes, sir. (reflexively) TOM (saluting) YESSIR -- you asshole. EXT. MIAMI AIRPORT - SAME NIGHT PLANE taxiing up. TWO POLICE CARS, red lights revolving, are waiting. INT. PLANE - SAME NIGHT PILOT escorting FOUR FBI AGENTS aboard. CAPTAIN As captain of this ship I'm placing all four of you under arrest. The FBI will... MIKE For what! What'd we do! TOM Read me my rights, motherfuckers... motherfuckin bulls! JIM stunned in his drunkenness. SIDDONS and ROTHCHILD protesting AD LIBS. INT. MIAMI AUDITORIUM - THAT NIGHT The CROWD is heckling a long-haired HIPPIE in a leather hat who cradles a live, snow-white LAMB telling him to "GET OFF", screaming AD LIB for the "DOORS, DOORS, DOORS!! JIM JIM JIM!!" HIPPIE Look at this thing! Look at this beautiful little living thing!! How can you eat it!! How can you eat its flesh??? CATCALLS. Angry fists pound the edge of the proscenium. Bodies push and pack against each other. If Hieronymus Bosch had painted a rock concert, this would be it. HIPPIE LOVE ANIMALS, DON'T EAT THEM!!!! (Boos!!) INT. BACKSTAGE - THAT NIGHT Excitement. EVERYBODY moving fast... ...as JIM, dark sunglasses and beard, surrounded by TWO FBI AGENTS and his BODYGUARDS move toward the stage, two hours late. SIDDONS with him arguing AD LIB with RAY and the PROMOTER, a southern sleazeball with long muttonchops and velvet shirt and beads. A mess -- the CROWD chanting DOORS! DOORS! DOORS! DOORS! SIDDONS (screaming at promoter) What the FUCK happened to the SEATS!! (grabs him) What's the FUCKING IDEA man! THERE'S NO SEATS! PROMOTER I took 'em out! What's wrong with that! We stuffed an extra five thou in there. (pissed at Jim) Where the fuck you been! SIDDONS That wasn't THE FUCKING IDEA MAN!! We're gonna sue you!... We're pulling the plug. PROMOTER So sue me! You're playing or you ain't leaving here with your equipment sonny! SIDDONS (to Ray) We're not playing. Meanwhile, JOHN arguing with RAY and JIM who sways, drunk. The FBI agents get lost in the background. JOHN I'm not going out there man! RAY JOHN, C'MON!! JOHN Look at him! I'm not going out there 'till I get some sorta guarantee he's gonna stay in line. I've had it with this shit. JIM Whatsa matter, scared Johnny boy? JOHN (going physically for Jim) YOU'RE A FUCKIN ASSHOLE MAN!! RAY JOHN!! STOP IT!! COME ON!! Jim laughing, throws his arm around ROBBIE for support, ROBBIE patient with him. John yelling as they approach the curtains and the lights and the first monster realization of the THOUSAND MOUTHS waiting in the pit of hell. JOHN You're pushing death Morrison. Everybody thinks we're drug addicts cause of you Morrison. JIM We the Beatles yet? JOHN (held by Ray) We took drugs to EXPAND MINDS ASSHOLE, not ESCAPE. I'M NOT GOING OUT THERE WITH YOU. JIM Hey John y'ever eaten human flesh? When we get to New York, I know this chick... RAY (taking John aside) Come on man. JOHN I'm not going out there! RAY We'll talk tomorrow, we'll settle it. Just do it tonight man and... As JIM brings up a tiny vial with a lubricating head on it, holds it to Robbie's lips playfully. They're in the shadows. JIM ...just a touch Robbie, it's the funkiest stuff, you'll play like an orgasm tonight... ROBBIE No man come on, I don't want any. JIM ...just a little lick, come on trust me... for old times, the four of us, let's get together one more time,... the Doors man... Please. For me. Something so sincere in Jim's eyes. Robbie takes the fatal lick. Jim smiles manically as the NUREMBERG SOUNDS of the CROWD drown them out. ROBBIE You said you love pain man, but you run from it every chance you get. INT. STAGE - SAME NIGHT The DOORS come out finally. The noise is overwhelming. Acid, light, noise. Wagnerian Gods, Hitler... JIM spreading his arms like Icarus set to fly. The ROARS redouble, their FEET stomping out: CROWD (insane) DOORS DOORS DOORS DOORS... Joints are thrown by the dozen on the stage at Jim's feet. He is a god now as he bends regally, picks one up. COPS everywhere looking as... He lights it. The CROWD going nuts as the DOORS go into the ominous introductory strains of FIVE TO ONE trying to get the onus off Jim and the show on the road. The Audience knows the song, go into a primal FOOT STOMP with it. Bras are thrown on stage. Kids writhe madly in the primal Doors dance. People with SPARKLERS running through the hangar. CAMERA FLASHBULBS popping throughout the show... get Jim on film while you can. Jim, drunk, high, smoking the jay, won't go into the lyrics right off, forcing the Doors to circle the beat again. He jerks his hand back from the mike as if it were a hot wire. JIM ARE YOU READY!!!! (beat) ARE YOU REAAAAAAADYYYYYYYYY!! The Crowd explodes once more. As a COP heads upstage to get Jim for the joint -- he cooly flicks it back into the crowd, avoiding disaster. Perfect timing as the Cop looks around, suddenly distracted by: The Crowd yelling something. An INSANE TEENAGER stands on the railing of a balcony above the auditorium, poised to swan dive some 18 feet into the crowd. Which he now does, arms held out like wings. The Crowd yells, parting to allow his bulk to smack the floor. Pause. Cops rushing to the spot. The KID suddenly stands up, unhurt, with a stoned out look on his face. TEENAGER Wow! Then splits at a full run thru the crowd chased by the perplexed Cops. Everybody surging back towards the stage as JIM looses one of his primal SCREAMS. JIM YAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW... Love my girl! (song) Five to one One in five No one here gets out alive You gets your baby I'll get mine Gonna make it, baby If we try He slobbers, drunk, slouches, stumbles, regains his balance. The Crowd loves it, but Ray senses something wrong. Robbie starts to feel the effects of the acid Jim gave him -- his eyes registering fear. JIM & DOORS The old get old The young get stronger May take a week And it may take longer They got the guns But we got the numbers Gonna win yeah -- WE'RE TAKING OVER!! During the instrumental break, Jim picks up one of the roses from the floor, pokes it at John on the drums, who whacks it to death on his skins. Jim starts to whirl the mike cord like a slingshot or bolo, in an ever-widening arc... ...it flies off and smashes into the head of the PROMOTER at the edge of the stage arguing with SIDDONS. The man is staggered, weaving, Siddons helping him to a FIRST AID TEAM. JIM YAAAAAAOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!! The crazy VEGETERIAN HIPPIE runs out on stage to give Jim the white lamb to make this political point. Jim holds the lamb in his arms. It's purring, gentle. DOG chases the HIPPIE off as he gives the microphone back to Jim and takes the lamb from him... he staggers over to ROBBIE and goes down to his knees, pretending to give him head on his frantic stoned guitar solo. JIM & DOORS Your ballroom days are over baby Night is drawing near Shadows of the evening Crawl across the years You walk across the floor With a flower in your hand Tryin to tell me no one understands PHOTOGRAPHERS flashing cameras. BAKER urging him on from the wings as he passes out. A GIRL runs onto the stage, dumps a bottle of champagne on Jim's head. Jim takes his shirt off, soaking wet. The CROWD is also stripping in the heat, shirts, blouses, screaming so much now they are obviously way past listening to any song. It has become a view of the future -- the NAKED GIRL and BOY dancing stark naked drugged out in the middle of it all, the FAT GIRL prowling naked on the edge of the stage before she's arrested, the FIGHTS in the Crowd, fists, blood, a black man chased and beaten, the sense of Altamont here, the hippie flower trip gone to shit -- it's all come down here tonight, the end of an era. JIM & DOORS Trade in your hours for a handful of dimes Gonna make it baby -- in our prime Get together one more time Get together He stops singing suddenly, squinting out into the madness. The arena echoes with the uncomprehending chant of the Mob... MOB ...one more time Get together one more time Get together one more time SPECIAL EFFECT -- the INDIAN GHOST is leaving Jim's body -- spectrally moving off him, hovering there in the air, its eyes -- the face of a dying Indian on an Arizona highway -- then gone. A moment, only three, four beats. An optical illusion? Maybe. Or is it saying, 'now you are just a white man'... maybe not. As it drifts off in a cloud, into the vast audience's EYEBALL. JIM YOU'RE ALL A BUNCHA FUCKIN SLAVES!!! The instruments continue to vamp but there's a hush to the CROWD. JIM Lettin people tell you what you're gonna do! Lettin people push you around! How long you think it's gonna last! How long you gonna let them push you around!! He waits. INTERCUTS of the FACES in the crowd. VOICES (ignoring Jim) "Light My Fire"! Play "Light My Fire"!! Come on Jim... (some boos sprinkled in) Take your clothes off man! Get wild! Fuck me baby. Fuck me girl, suck my cock honey around the world! Mexican whore suck my prick! Keeper of the royal sperm man! CELEBRATE THE LIZARD MAN, DRAIN IT MOTHERFUCKER!! JIM C'MON GET IT ALL OUT! ALL THE LITTLE HATREDS, Everything inside you... LET ME HAVE IT! CROWD FUCK YOU! JIM THAT'S THE ONE LITTLE WORD I WANTED TO HEAR! THAT'S THE VERY LITTLE WORD! THE WHOLE WORLD HATES ME! THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD HATES ME! VOICE (girl) SAVE US... SAVE US, JIM... JIM! EEEE... I TOUCHED HIM. JIM Maybe you love it, maybe you love gettin your faces pressed into the shit of the world! You'd all eat shit wouldn't ya!! Adolph Hitler is ALIVE AND WELL HERE IN MIAMI!! YOU'RE ALL A BUNCHA SLAVES!! The Crowd BOOS back at him, surging suddenly with hatred for Jim. Intercut the Crowd -- feel this hatred. JIM WHAT ARE YA GONNA DO ABOUT IT! WHAT ARE YA GONNA DO ABOUT IT! WHAT ARE YA GONNA DO ABOUT IT! The Band has petered out by this point but out of nowhere, ROBBIE, zonked on his version of LSD, starts up with "TOUCH ME BABE." JIM & DOORS (going with it) Come on, come on, come on and FUCK me babe! Can't you see that I am not afraid (cuts the music) HEY WAIT A MINUTE... (music cuts off raggedly) Miami Beach Florida hunh? I was BORN and RAISED not far from here... went to Florida State... (cheers) Then I GOT SMART. I went to California where you can let your hair grow long and walk down the street without people calling you a FREAK... They're trying to CHANGE THE WORLD out there in California. VOICES Yeah, STOP THE WAR MAN, PEACEEE... WE LOVE YA JIM. JIM NO I'm not talkin' 'bout NO REVOLUTION. I'm not talkin 'bout no DEMONSTRATION. I'm talking 'bout HAVING SOME FUN. I'm talkin' 'bout DANCIN. I'm talkin 'bout LOVE. I'm talkin' 'bout some LOVE. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE... LOVE!!!! Grab your friend -- and LOVE him. Come oooooaaaannnnn. Yeah! Jim pulling his shirt off -- barechested -- waving it like a toreador in front of his leather crotch. VOICES (cheers, giggles) "Light My Fire"! Come on Jim -- play "Light My Fire"! The audience seems to be paying no attention to what he is doing or saying, which drives him to deeper rage. JIM Ain't nobody gonna love my ass? Come on... I need ya. There's so many of ya out there and nobody's gonna love me! C'mon -- what'cha come here for anyway? You didn't come here for music. You didn't come here to see a good band. You came here for THIS didn't ya... He saunters to the edge of the stage. Hisses at them. He clasps his crotch, leering at a cute LITTLE GIRL in the front row, shaking it at her. Her BOYFRIEND, pissed at Jim, runs for the stage. Jim unzips his leathers. JIM I'm lonely out here -- Ya wanna SEE IT... COME ON SWEETHEART... I need it, I NEED IT, need ya, need ya, NEED YA, COME OOOOOAAAANNNNNNN... Chaos, confusion now erupt in the crowd! The BOYFRIEND is running at JIM as the BODYGUARDS throw him back into the crowd. Jim flicking his shirt over his crotch, back and forth like a drunken matador. The Doors look at each other, don't know what's going to happen. JIM Didja see it! You wanna see it AGAIN??? The crowd roars its approval. Confusion reigns. Drunken CATCALLS. Things, bras, cans thrown at the stage. VOICES (ad lib) Take it off! Take it all off! JIM What if I pull it out fer ya!! And SHAKE IT AROUND!!! Will that do it for you! Would ya, would ya, would ya!! Now watch -- I'm gonna show it to ya! He feigns opening his belt and exposing himself, flipping his shirt back and forth over the crotch in a mock striptease. JIM There it was! Ya see it? Ya see it?... Ya wanna see it again? A flock of TEENAGE GIRLS are sure they've seen it, hysterical. TEENAGE GIRL I saw it!... Yes, yes! Jim! Jim! TEENAGE GIRL 2 Where? I didn't see it. JIM (roaring out his commands) COME ON UP HERE AND LOVE MY ASS! I WANNA SEE SOME ACTION OUT THERE! I WANNA SEE SOME ACTION OUT THERE! I WANNA SEE SOME ACTION OUT THERE! I WANNA SEE SOME ACTION OUT THERE! I WANT YOU TO LOVE MY ASS! I WANT SOME LOVE... LOVE... LOVE... LOVE C'MON, C'MON... NO LIMITS, NO LAWS YOU WANNA FUCK? COME ON! COME ON UP HERE!!!!! He looks like he's really gonna tear it all off now. A flash of boxer shorts. RAY moving. SIDDONS moving. DOG getting to him first, wrapping him in a bearhug from behind, lifting him holding his pants up. VINCE THE ROADIE DON'T DO IT MAN. DON'T DO IT! RAY HEY JIM. JIM C'MON! C'MON! NO LIMITS, NO LAWS! NO LIMITS, NO LAWS! NO LIMITS, NO LAWS! The place is in PANDEMONIUM now. GIRLS jumping on stage and dancing with Jim still in Vince the Roadie's bearhug. Another RIOT... COPS fighting the TEENAGERS off the stage, now wobbling under the weight. PROMOTER (pissed, head bandaged) GET OFF THE FUCKING STAGE! GET OFF THE FUCKING STAGE!! (stiffarms Jim off the stage) RAY starts playing BREAK ON THROUGH trying to keep things normal. JIM now out there in the arena in a CONGA LINE, doing his rain dance, hands on hips, the TEENAGERS forming a long snake behind him. The huge speaker columns teeter and fall. A corner of the STAGE now COLLAPSES from the weight, PEOPLE spilling on the floor, screams. The power console tips over next to DENSMORE. He bails. Manzarek and Krieger follow. The PROMOTER is yelling at SIDDONS about his insurance contract as the COPS and FBI AGENTS close in, looking for Jim. COPS Where's the guy with the penis! Who is out there leading his naked drunken FLOCK, hundreds of them in a phallic Pied Piper dance thru the darkened seaplane hanger. From BREAK ON THROUGH PART TWO: JIM ET AL & DOORS You know the day destroys the night Night divides the day Try to run, try to hide BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE Dead cats! Dead rats! Did you see what they were at Dead cat in a top hat! Sucking on a young man's blood Fat cat in a top hat Thinks he's an aristocrat Thinks he can kill and slaughter Thinks he can shoot my daughter Dead cats! Dead rats! Think you're an aristocrat Crap, that's crap Ray watching from the corner of the stage, littered with bras, bottles, shirts, shoes, socks, panties, hats, broken equipment, debris -- the end of the dream. The Doors as a live band are dead. DISSOLVING TO: INT. MIAMI COURTROOM - DAY (1970) The "Charges" are being read by the JUDGE, distant, not of this world. The court is lit in southern gothic daylight, ghostly chiaroscuro, all colors bled. Camera moving along the sweaty white faces of the six older JURORS, all of them straight "silent majority"... past the PROSECUTOR, his shadow cutting the jury box... onto JIM bearded, smoking 2 packs a day, a deep racking cough, sitting with his elder ATTORNEY... RAY, ROBBIE, JOHN, PAMELA, OTHERS in support are there in background. The trial is going down like a morphine dream, Jim featured in diopter close-up. JUDGE VOICE ...you are charged under four counts with lewd behavior, simulated masturbation, public drunkenness, profanity, and public exposure. A blues riff goes by -- brief, ghostly from RUNNING BLUE. JIM SONG Poor Otis dead and gone Left me here to sing his song Pretty little girl with the red dress on Poor Otis dead and gone JIM (V.O.) I can't believe this is happening I can't believe all these people are sniffing each other & backing away, teeth grinning, hair raised, growling, here in the slaughtered wind This is it No more fun the death of all joy has come The PRESS SECTION is full as Jim's older LAWYER argues in front of the JURY, a distant voice. LAWYER Your Honor, I would like to bring to the Court's attention the contemporary Broadway musical "Hair" in which cast members disrobe and appear naked on the stage. JUDGE (pounds his gavel) Inadmissable evidence. JIM VOICE OVER I had a vision of America Seen from the air 28,000 ft. & going fast A one-armed man in a Texas parking labyrinth A burnt tree like a giant primeval bird in an empty lot in Fresno SUPERIMPOSITION: LAWYER Your Honor... any difference from the Miami nightclubs where comedians frequently incorporate profanity into their acts JUDGE (gavel) Inadmissable evidence. JIM VOICE OVER Miles & miles of hotel corridors & elevators, filled with citizens Motel Money Murder, Madness Change the mood from glad to sadness Play the ghost song baby The backbeat of WHEN THE MUSIC'S OVER starts, into its spiralling descent. SUPERIMPOSITION: LAWYER (distant) ...there has not been one shred of evidence: 300 photographs and not one shows a thing; not reliable testimony, nothing but hysterical heresay The PRESS is bored, their numbers reduced. The spectators have changed from kids to OLDER PEOPLE intent on preserving their way of life. A TAPE is playing of Jim's devil voice at the concert, cursing: "Come on up here. No limits! No laws", etc... (screams, obscenity) JIM & DOORS (SONG) When the music's over (3) Turn out the lights (3) For the music is your special friend Dance on fire as it intends Music is your only friend Until the end (2) SUPERIMPOSITION TO: LAWYER ...this is a major First Amendment violation by the Police and Politicians of Miami. Every witness they've brought has admitted under oath to not actually seeing the client's genitals -- except one who... The PRESS section is now down to about THREE bored FACES, one of them PATRICIA KENNEALY who looks pregnant. JIM smiles at her. JIM & DOORS Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection Send my credentials to the house of detention I got some friends inside EXT. ORANGE BOWL - MIAMI - DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE (DAY) ANITA BRYANT & JACKIE GLEASON at the NATIONAL DECENCY RALLY. A large CROWD in the vicinity of 100,000. NIXON addressing them. JIM & DOORS SONG (OVER) The face in the mirror won't stop The girl in the window won't stop A feast of friends alive she cried Waiting for me Outside! MONTAGE -- NEWSPAPER HEADLINES SPIN OUT: JIMMI HENDRIX OVERDOSES IN LONDON. JANIS JOPLIN OVERDOSES IN LOS ANGELES. A ROLLING STONE WANTED POSTER ON JIM -- "In the County of Dade/Dead -- Did He Or Didn't He?". JIM & DOORS SONG (OVER) Before I sink into the big sleep I want to hear The scream of the butterfly Come back baby Back into my arms INT. HOTEL ROOM - MIAMI BEACH - DAY The MUSIC continuing into a long backbeat without lyrics -- emphasizing the downward spiralling theme... JIM ...Well, you gonna get rid of it? Fucked up people y'know, crazies, unwanted Indians just throw it in the river. Pause. PATRICIA -- four and a half months pregnant, stares. A glary window onto a balcony overlooking the sea with Florida palms and a strip of beach. A room in a highrise hotel. Jim's mess is everywhere. PATRICIA I can't fucking believe you just said that! JIM Patricia, wouldn't it be better to have a kid with someone who wanted to be its father? PATRICIA It'd be a fucking genius, that's what it'd be! You and me. The child would be a god, goddess! JIM It'd be a monster. A look. She's stunned, ugly wrath gathering. He tries to soothe her. JIM I got this trial dragging on me, Patricia. I couldn't support the kid -- I can't afford it and I don't want the responsibility right now. PATRICIA You're a COWARD!! A LITTLE BOY!! The only way you can't afford it is emotionally. You forgot your vows man. They were forever in the goddess' sight. Death doesn't part, only love Jim! JIM Come on Patricia, I was stoned... it seemed like the fun thing at the time. She pulls a dagger with a skull's head on it, goes for him. PATRICIA I'm gonna cut your balls off Morrison! JIM (that smile) You want 'em? PATRICIA (beat) FUCK YOU. I'm gonna have the kid. JIM Then it'll be your kid. If you want the abortion I'll pay for it and I'll come up to New York to be with you when you have it. PATRICIA No you won't. JIM Yes I will. PATRICIA Bullshit Morrison (release him, stalks) You know who you are... (pause) NO. What difference does it make. You know, you never pretended. I did. I don't even like kids particularly, (laughs to herself) but I don't want the other thing either. I guess what I really want is to throw myself off this fucking balcony (Hurls the knife out off the balcony) Well now that you've fucked the future, Morrison, have you fucked everything?... (cruelly) Have you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your stomach... JIM (hurt, near tears) Please don't say those things to me, Patricia. She suddenly grasps him, clutching, hunger, lust. PATRICIA Fuck me one last time, you worthless piece of shit. JIM & DOORS ...the scream of the butterfly Come back baby Back into my arms On Jim's face. EXT. MIAMI COURTROOM - DAY TWO HUNDRED PERSONS are gathered on the lawn outside, banners decrying the Doors. A MIDDLE AGED SPEAKER, clean cut, squarely dressed, expresses his outrage. SPEAKER (bullhorn) ...endorsed by President Richard Nixon! (cheers) The immoral conduct of degenerates such as Jim Morrison is an unacceptable insult to this country and the principles for which it stands... JIM & DOORS (OVER) We're getting tired of hanging around Waiting around with our heads to the ground I hear the gentle sound Very near yet very far Very soft, yeah, very clear Come today, come today JIM Well uh, it's designed to wear you down y'know... when that rap sheet says the "United States of America versus You" it takes you down day by day, specially when no one really gives a shit about, y'know, the First Amendment that's on trial here... Nobody says anything about that, it's just uh did you take your pants off y'know, I mean that's not what it's about, it's about freedom, that's what it's about... but who cares, right? Freedom exists in a schoolbook. REPORTER 1 (disinterested) ...but the promoters are cancelling your shows, will this affect the way you play? JIM Well, I can only open doors, M'am. I can't drag people thru 'em. I'm no savior. REPORTER 2 But you've called yourself a shaman? JIM (beat, pained) Did I? Well, I'll tell ya, my words stand a far better chance of being around a hundred years from now than my waistline. As he goes into the courtroom, a dolled up REPORTER 1, the local anchor-lady turns to her camera. ANCHORLADY The question that will be answered today: Did Jim Morrison or did he not take off his pants last March? This is... INT. COURTROOM - THAT DAY The judge passing sentence, distant, hazy under song. Darkened shadows across the floor, silhouettes... the world bleak and white... JUDGE James Douglas Morrison, I hereby sentence you to sixty days of hard labor in the Dade County Jail and for public exposure I am sentencing you to six months of the same, after which you are to serve two years and four months of probationary time. [...] SECRETARY (overlapping) I booked you round trip to New York for Thursday, Pamela's called six times, Patricia, Kathy, Judy, Gayle is pregnant, she says but... you gotta get straight, honey, go to sleep, get a massage, go to the dentist, get a haircut honey, you gotta cool out... JOHN Probably a bath too... OFFICE BOY (reading a rock magazine) Jesus Jim, this guy really despises you. JOHN ...didn't invite us to Woodstock. Twenty other groups but not... SIDDONS What's heavy is the radio stations pulling us from their playlists. The big cities -- Philly, Cinci, Chicago, Detroit -- it's insane! Record sales suck! RAY (with irony, reading something) "The band you love to hate". LAWYER (2nd Lawyer if necessary) We can drag this appeal out for years, we can keep you out of jail. JIM (drinking) You're drinking with number three. SIDDONS Max firmly believes the FBI's behind it. We're subpoenaing their records -- they had memos on you in Phoenix and they got you extradicted to Miami illegally without a felony... MIKE A new image -- Jim Morrison as "Renaissance Man" -- We bring you back slow, quiet, the beard, elder of the tribe. OFFICE BOY (reading from review) ...like Lennon said "you either grow with the music or it grows without you." ROBBIE Hey, it was fun. All the voices merging into one: VOICES First Hendrix now Janis Robbie flew to Hawaii legalities pending dispositions book in Toronto interview with PBS renew your diverse license psychic predictions nine paternity suits fifty thousand dollar bond recoup our losses Pamela's shopping spree with your credit card Morrison Hotel some-body from film school mountain of coke in the broom closet Jac Holzman eight thirty in the morning remix perform schedule Paul Rothchild taxes Texas teenyboppers tomorrow. Jim, during this, picking up the TV remote, flicking on the images. The VOICES blending with TV VOICES as he swithes the channels. The camera moving in on Jim, the VOICES fading. All we see is Jim. All we hear and see is the TV: TELEVISION Chicago Seven in it's tenth day... Bobby Seale gagged and chained... (click) L.A. shootout with Black Panthers... (click) Charles Manson indicted for murder of actress Sharon Tate... (click) U. S. ground troops in Laos and Cambodia... (click) Indians still occupying Alcatraz Island... (click) For the My Lai massacre testified 120 villagers shot by American soldiers in a trench... The SONG climaxes into an inner scream of madness. JIM & DOORS (CONCLUDE) For the music is your special friend Dance on fire as it intends Music is your only friend Until the end (3) (SCREAM!) Silence on Jim. JIM (mildly) I think I'm having a nervous breakdown. The sound of wind, the backbeat of LA WOMAN flooding in. EXT. CHATEAU MARMONT HOTEL - LOS ANGELES - NIGHT JIM dangles out on the narrow ledge that circumscribes the 20th floor rooftop -- wind blowing thru his wild hair, the card zooming by like racer lights on Sunset below. The song LA WOMAN continues born from this renewed feeling of danger. JIM & DOORS Well I just got into town 'bout an hour ago Took a look around, see which way the wind blow Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows PAM screaming for him to come back from the edge as TOM BAKER and MIKE and DOG and a CAMERAMAN film in 16mm. PAM JIM! PLEASE GODDAMIT!! COME BACK IN PLEASE!! JIM yelling back, as he drinks from a pint of whiskey, enjoying himself enormously. JIM Whatcha worried about? I like it out here. He feigns a fall. PAM NOOOOOO!! RAY and SIDDONS arrive, terrified, looking for him. JIM (laughing at Pam) Life on the edge baby. Come get me if you love me baby. PAM PLEASE GODDAMIT JIM MORRISON I'M NOT GONNA KILL MYSELF FOR YOU. GET IN HERE. Jim cracking up with laughter. BAKER, drunk and the FILM CREW love it, swishpanning with a cheap sungun. MIKE (dancing) We got it man! Keep going. Great get a two shot. BAKER GO ON GET OUT THERE PAM. Pam is sufficiently cracked on her own set of drugs to start climbing out onto the ledge, skirts blowing in the wind. PAM JIM MORRISON GODDAMIT I LOVE YOU I WANT YOU I NEED YOU. Jim moving further along the ledge. JIM (raw) YOUR WHOLE LIFE'S BULLSHIT! YOU LOVE ME THEN COME AND GET ME. JIM & DOORS (OVER) LA Woman (X2) LA Woman Sunday afternoon (X3) Drive thru your suburbs Into your blues (X2) Into your blue-blue Blues Into your blues Siddons and Ray terrified. Is this the night it's finally going to end in a suicide plunge? Ray trying to stop Pam, too late. RAY Pam!! Oh shit... get the ambulances man... Pam's moving shakily along the ledge, cracked on downers. Jim watching her come, amazed at her risk. RAY (yelling down) JIM! HELP HER. She's gonna fall. TOM Jump! He watches, does nothing. JIM Come on baby, come on. RAY (trying another tack) Jim we gotta finish "LA Woman". JIM Don't have an ending Ray. Reaches his hand out. She is closer. But shaky. RAY (white) They're both gonna die... ARE YOU HAPPY YOU COCKSUCKERS!! Ray goes after Tom Baker and the Film Crew. A scuffle. Yelling, shouting, but down below in the intimacy of the ledge, blowing out on the edge, the wind and the world and death. Two crazy children linked on this gothic balcony of the Chateau reach their hands out for each other. JIM Come on baby, come on PAM (quoting him) "...but one, the most beautiful one of all -- dances in a ring of fire -- " JIM (raw singing) "I see your hair is burning. If they say I never loved you, you know they are a liar!" PAM "...and throws off the challenge with a shrug" JIM All the poetry has wolves in it Pam!!! She has never been so concentrated, inching closer to him. Her heels overhanging oblivion. PAM I don't wanna die with you Jim Morrison, I don't wanna die! JIM & DOORS Never saw a woman So alone (X2) So alone -- lone lone JIM C'mon Pam, this is it! We'll do it right here! Right now! You and me! Ray, Tom, Siddons, Mike, Dog, they all watch in horror, sensing it will happen. They have even stopped filming. Inches... inches. He dodges her touch, confused... to the last possible second. Then SHE'S THERE -- in his arms. Her arms latch around him and she hugs him with all her wiry soul. PAM Jim -- let's go, let's leave this town! You and me! Never come back. JIM (demonic) We can. Right now. Just one more step... PAM No Jim. I want to LIVE with you. I want to LIVE with you. The two lovers huddled together on the ledge. He slips his head down on her lap, looking up into her eyes with the strangest tears in his eyes. JIM (a poem) There was preserved in her the fresh miracle of surprise... clothed in sunlight restless in wanting dying of fever married to doubt how it has changed you how slowly estranged you solely arranged you beg for your mercy -- OR -- ...but all will pass lie down in green grass and smile and muse and gaze upon her smooth resemblance to the mating-Queen who it seems is in love with the horseman Tomorrow we enter the tomb of my birth I want to be ready. On her face -- moved. Pause. LA WOMAN floods in on his smile, an upbeat surge. Upstairs, the ONLOOKERS relax. HOTEL MANAGEMENT and COPS are now rushing up in background. JIM & DOORS Mr. Mojo Rising Mr. Mojo Risin' (X2) DISSOLVE TO: EXT. DOORS OFFICE - SANTA MONICA BL. - L.A. - DAY (1970) There's music rocking from the inside. Cables and baffles run from the second story down to the rehearsal room on the first. JIM & DOORS Keep on risin' Got to keep on risin' Risin' Risin' (X8) INT. DOORS OFFICE - DAY The SECRETARIES and STAFF dance to the SOUND rocking thru the floor. JIM & DOORS Well I just got into town about an hour ago Took a look around, see which way the wind blow Camera moving thru the offices, past the OFFICE BOY, past SIDDONS, past the PUBLICIST, etc -- a farewell to the band. INT. BASEMENT - RECORDING STUDIO - DAY We see RAY, ROBBIE, JOHN, BOTNICK, a BASS and 2nd RHYTHM GUITARIST, WIVES, GIRLFRIENDS but no Jim. They're really driving, the music soars. PAMELA'S hair shaking as she swings to the beat. JIM & DOORS With a little girl in a Hollywood bungalow Are you a lucky lady in the City of Light? Or just another lost angel -- City of Night? INT. TOILET - RECORDING STUDIO - SAME DAY Wires run into a tiny toilet revealing JIM with headphones to his ears barking into a dangling mike, one leg propped on a toilet seat, in a groove. A new, strange, unparalleled beauty in his voice, hoarser but wiser, haunted by experience yet joyful as youth, Jim is ironically, at his best. JIM & DOORS LA Woman (X2) LA Woman / Sunday Afternoon (X3) Drive thru your suburbs Into your blues (X2) Into your blue-blue blues EXT. LOS ANGELES FREEWAY - DAY MONTAGE: Moving, moving, moving -- all the POVS from fast- moving CARS travelling with the pace of L.A. Song of freedom, of escape -- the STRIP, the cars, the freeway, the BILLBOARDS... farewell L.A. INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Camera creeping towards ANNE O'RIORDAN as she waits, alone on a white table for the doctor to arrive. Jim never showed up after all. But on we go. JIM & DOORS I see your hair is burning Hills are filled with fire If they say I never lov'd you You know they are a liar (etc) Never saw a woman So alone (X2) So alone lone lone So alone EXT. RAY'S HOUSE - VENICE - DAY JIM drives up in his beaten GTO MUSTANG, top down, bags all over the place, hops out. Carrying his bulk with grace, knocks and rings. RIDERS ON THE STORM starting to play over. INT. RAY'S HOUSE - DAY DOROTHY opens the door. Jim a stack of presents under his arm. JIM Eek Dorothy! You cut your hair! DOROTHY We're trying to have another baby. JIM (moving past her) What -- was your hair getting in the way? (she smacks him lightly) Where are the kids? EXT. RAY YARD - DAY He spots them, crossing to the YARD where a CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY is in progress -- TWO DOZEN KIDS, a CLOWN acting out for them. A few parents and friends -- ROBBIE and LYNNE, their kid, JOHN and his RECENT LADY, their kid... When the KIDS spot JIM they light up. JIM Hey -- am I late or is this the cool remnant of a dream? KIDS (rushing to him) Eee! Jim! It's Uncle Jim... Come on... what did you bring me Jim... JIM (picks up Robin) How's my girl! And how's my boy! They stick a ludicrous printed birthday hat on his head. A bearded Santa Claus now engulfed with kids, though puffy, body gone, a literal physical wreck, yet a gentle pathos about him and still a charisma that the children react to without thinking. He gives out the presents all over. JIM (ad libs) For you... Pancho gets this one... Melanie -- yours... Hey Dorothy don't grab now... open that one, that's yours... keep your paws off that now... As RAY and ROBBIE and JOHN and the others circle him. JIM (to Robin, a 5 year old) ...and to you, princess, from your Royal servant, James Douglas Morrison (bows) As ROBIN, the cutest of them all, a bow in her hair, takes the package, opens it. RAY You wanna hear the new mixes on "LA WOMAN?"... JIM No, I gotta plane to catch. JOHN Won't take long man, it's the best one since "Days". ROBBIE We added rain to "Riders", come on. Jim cocks his head, listening to it playing from an inner room, his eyes on ROBIN opening the gift -- a beautiful, ANTIQUE DOLL of an 19th century poet -- rock star, stuffed, velour jacket, white fluffy lace collar, it could be Byron or it could be Jim Morrison -- in fact the hair is perfectly weaved to resemble Jim in his young lion phase -- an ironic gift, meant from the heart. It stops everybody -- they all look. A haunted quality to the doll. KID Ugh! What's that! ROBIN (to Jim) It's you. JIM Forever young... She kisses him. ROBIN Oh it's beautiful... Thank you Uncle Jim. INT. RAY'S WORK SPACE - DAY Off the patio windows of the birthday party, sounds and sunshine pouring in. The Clown running around, laughter. The music plays -- BRUCE at the mixing board. JIM & DOORS Riders on the Storm (x2) Into this house we're born Into this world we're thrown Like a dog without a bone An actor out on loan Riders on the storm Where we and Jim came in, I guess. Jim drinks from a cognac bottle straight, foot tapping, enjoying it, knows it's good -- but other things are calling. This is history. JIM I gotta admit -- that ain't bad for four guys who weren't even talking that day. Slapping shoulders, shaking hands. JOHN You really gonna live in Paris man? JIM Yeah John, be anonymous, write a book: "Observations of an American While on Trial in Miami". ROBBIE I still think we got a couple of great blues albums in us man. JIM I'm pinned man. Everything I do they got a category for it, y'know. Freedom's gone. JOHN Hey, I'm gonna miss you Jim. I'm gonna miss the feeling of playing music with you. JIM You can always whip the horses' eyes. You, John, miss me? JOHN More than you think asshole. (turn away, repressing -- the emotions) ROBBIE (walking him to the garden) Well far as I'm concerned, Jim, I made music with Dionysus man. We had some moments on stage like no one will ever fucking know. JIM (making light) Yeah, yeah -- and you lay off those drugs Rob. We're gonna play again some day. ROBBIE Jim -- "do not go gently into that good night. Rage rage against the dying of the light". (he winks goodbye) The kids running up to grab JIM, pulls him back to the party. GIRLS Come 'ere Uncle Jim, we're playing blind man's bluff... TIME CUT TO: EXT. GARDEN - LATER DAY JIM, a bearded Santa Claus with the birthday hat on his head, surrounded by the GIRLS and BOYS and DOROTHY shooting a home movie. They're eating birthday cake but UNCLE JIM is drinking straight from the cognac bottle -- a strange sight. JIM (to Robin) So what are you gonna be when you grow up? ROBIN I wanna be your wife He laughs, looks at Dorothy who's shooting him with the Super 8. JIM I don't know, can I afford you? Pam kinda wiped me out with her dress store y'know... ROBIN I'll make my own dresses and you'll see, I'll be the best wife. DOROTHY (nodding) You'll never be alone Jim. JIM (to Dorothy) You know I've never been happier. Not as much of a rush as I used to be in y'know... this is the strangest life I've ever known. His eyes on a LITTLE BOY who's walking into the party, sitting down with the others, ignored, isolated, a birthday cap on his head. Clothes belong to the 1940's and the face seems familiar. Jim is not sure, woozy from the cognac. As he fades. We saw the Boy many years ago in the backseat of the car in the Arizona desert. Jim's head falling gently into his folded arms on the table, the cognac bottle at his elbow, merlin hat on, beard, the kids laughing, pulling his ears and nose -- he doesn't wake up. TIME CUT TO: As Ray comes over now, rouses him gently. RAY Gotta plane to catch man? Jim coming awake in that instant alert way of his, but obviously hung over. JIM O?... splittling headache from which the future is made. Puzzling remark, He gets up, shaky, exits, kids tearing at him. Goodbyes. EXT. RAY'S HOUSE - VENICE - TWILIGHT The beach is behind them, the last of the frisbee players and dogs, the skaters go by, as we continue to hear RIDERS from within. RAY Is Pam really there in Paris waiting? JIM (ironic, head hurts) Sure. The Count's there so where else would she be? Gotta try to start over, without all the hassles, y'know. I think we can. RAY I never knew what you saw in that nightmare chick man. JIM Well she is kinda flakey -- like me. I mean she's just so vulnerable about everything. It makes me sad man. (pause) But she's always kinda believed in something about me y'know -- her little picture of me as the unsung poet -- and it's a fantasy I kinda dig y'know, 'stead of the one I live. RAY I don't know man, I don't wanna sound like your old man but you're only 27, you're living like you gotta get it all in, you gotta slow down man, you did it, you broke thru to the other side. JIM We didn't break thru Ray, we just pushed things a little. When you really break thru, there's nothing left. No music, no Doors, no God, nothing -- only a will to power. RAY I don't believe that. You were an American prince, man -- with overbred genes -- (Jim scoffs, laughs) No! What could've been Jim? You could've been President. (Jim cracks up) No man! What could've been Jim? We stood here on this beach on the edge of the Pacific that crazy summer day in '65 -- and we knew, you and I, we knew we were at the edge of the mind. we were there, man. One planet, one globe, one mind. Consciousness, we raised it, we were there. Jim, not the sentimental type, climbs in his car, amused. JIM And now what? RAY Now? (smiles, lethally sweet) You've made me into Ishmael. I am the last survivor of the Pequod. And I exist only to tell the story of Ahab who fought the black whale. JIM (loves it, laughs) It was white Ray. You gotta stop harpin' on that day. I was so ripped I can hardly remember it. Ignites engine. Ray leans in, lightening up. RAY Hey, what was that poem you once wrote about two chicks on the pier? JIM Come on man, I gotta fly. RAY Come on. Just once. JIM (VOICE OVER, pulling out the car) In that year we had a great Visitation of energy Back in those days Everything was simpler and more confused One summer night, going to the pier I ran into two young girls The blonde was called Freedom The dark one Enterprise We talked And they told me this story. As he departs, waving. RAY (OVER) What was the story? His point of view -- Jim receding into the sun in his mustang -- making a shakey, screeching curve at the bend of the beach. And he's gone. An ominous ROAR of an AIRPLANE above RAY. -- flying away. EXT. LOS ANGELES - TWILIGHT The PLANE flies off into the setting ball of red sun. INT. RECORDING SESSION (LAST SESSION) - L.A. - DEC. The bearded POET hunches in his chair, exhausted, clutching the paper, finished. Pause. He downs a final shot, grunts to the Indian Ghostman sitting there on a stool watching him in the corner of the studio. The Ghostman laughs (but nothing comes out of his mouth). His wrinkled eyes are happy, feathered ponytail, he nods... pleased. MORRISON Well, didja get all that? GHOSTMAN You done good, Jim, go now -- rest The ENGINEER, exhausted, doesn't feel anything funny. ENGINEER Yeah, I got it Jim. The poets face brightens. A small but ever-so-sweet smile of triumph hikes up the corners of his mouth. JIM Aw right. Let's get some tacos! He stands, sways, than moves out of view. The empty bottle of whiskey, its sands run out, is left behind. As we FADE OUT, a hardy, mischievous Morrison laugh and a ripple of sensuous MUSIC carry us into the lilting, lamenting strains of AN AMERICAN PRAYER -- THE END without lyrics for now as we cut to: INT. PARIS BEDROOM - NEAR DAWN (NIGHT) (1971) PAMELA is agitated in her sleep -- waking as she feels him watching. Is that him? At the door? A SHADOW -- leaves. Footsteps moving down the narrow Parisian corridor with the creaky floor. PAM Jim... that you? Looks at the time. Somewhere near dawn. The sounds of a bath being drawn. Nightmare or sleep? She tries to fade back to sleep but the MUSIC and the WHISPERING prod her, pull her awake... DISSOLVE: SAME FACE -- AN HOUR LATER. Putting her robe on, the slippers, the light... moving. She is much more ravaged looking than before. INT. BATHROOM - DAWN She finds him now... His face floating upwards, angelic eyes, the beard is now gone, a little smile on his face. He must be playing another joke. Although she really knows as she says the words: PAM Jim! It was you. I always know when it's you. (moving closer) Come on baby get out of the tub... mama'll dry you off... (pause) Jim Morrison, now you stop joking you hear me, cut it out! His face. At peace, as she sobs, the MUSIC cresting to Jim's lyrics. PAM ...was it all right Jim, did you enjoy it when it came my baby? Just like you said it'd be? JIM (OVER) They are waiting to take us into the severed garden do you know how pale and wanton thrillful comes death at a strange hour? Unannounced unplanned for like a scaring overfriendly guest you've brought to bed? Death makes angels of us all? And gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as raven's claws... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. PERE LACHAISE CEMETERY - PARIS - DAY His face etching into a perfect Alexandrine bust of physical beauty. The camera moving to reveal, a wintry day, leaves blowing, the wild cats everywhere in the empty cemetery, the crumbling tombs, the flowers fresh and dead around Jim's tomb, the graffiti, wine bottles, Wilde, Bizet, Piaf, Chopin, Morrison... JIM (OVER) No more money, no more fancy dress this other kingdom seems by far the best until its other jaw reveals incest and loose obedience to a vegetable law. I will not go I prefer a feast of friends to the giant family... The MUSIC rolling up on: INT. CORRIDOR & STAGE - LIMBO Smoke. Some lights. The distant cheers of a CROWD. In slightly SLOW MOTION, a FIGURE moves down a corridor into a blinding light of stage and smoke. THREE OTHER SHADOWS are there waiting -- as the GHOST moves to the microphone in altered motion. The AUDIENCE is out there somewhere in the dark -- we sense they too have become ghosts, as all of us will one day. The MUSIC continuing up to roll from AMERICAN PRAYER -- THE END -- snatches we annotate. GHOST ANNOUNCER Ladies and Gentlemen, from Los Angeles California -- The Doors! (ghostly applause) JIM & THE DOORS (snatches) ...have you seen the warm progress under the stars? Have you forgotten the keys to the kingdom? Have you been born yet and are you alive? Where is the feast we were promised? Let's reinvent the gods, the myths of the ages! We need great golden copulations Camera closing past the DOORS to JIM alone, circling the mike with his dance -- the INDIAN GHOSTMAN jigging, shaman- like, off to the side -- now levitating above the stage, all crazy, gawky dancing. JIM Well, I'll tell you a story of whiskey, mystics and men And about the believers and how the whole thing began First there were women and children obeying the moon Then daylight brought wisdom and sickness too soon... the moon is a dry blood beast We have assembled inside this ancient and insane theatre to propagate our lust for life and flee the swarming wisdom of the streets we live we die and death not ends it (screams in agony) FATHER HAVE MERCY!!! Ending with a solitary sing-song croak. JIM Bird of prey, bird of prey Flying high, flying high in the summer sky Bird of prey, bird of prey flying high, flying high gently pass by Bird of prey, bird of prey flying high, flying high Take me on your flight (pause then) I will come again down from the wild mountains THE SUBTITLE READS "JIM IS SAID TO HAVE DIED OF 'HEART FAILURE'. PAMELA JOINED HIM THREE YEARS LATER"... HER ASHES WERE BURIED NEXT TO HIM." BLACK SCREEN WITH CREDITS ...Let's lighten it up with some good old rock and roll. As we hear Jim and the Doors running loose on ROADHOUSE BLUES" JIM & DOORS ALRITE YEAH YEAH YOU GOTTA ROLL, ROLL, ROLL YOU GOTTA THRILL MY SOUL -- ALRITE ROLL, ROLL, ROLL, ROLL, A THRILL MY SOUL A-GOT-A-BEEPA, GONCHA CHUCHNA HOCA CONK, A DONTA EATCHA COONA NEECHA BOP-A- LOOLA, LECHOW, BOMPA KECHOW YESOW CONK, YEAH RITE ASHEN LADY (X2) GIVE UP YOUR VOWS (X2) SAVE OUR CITY (X2) RIGHT NOW (X2) WELL I WOKE UP THIS MORNING I GOT MYSELF A BEER (X2) THE FUTURE'S UNCERTAIN THE END IS ALWAYS NEAR LET IT ROLL BABY ROLL (X3) ALL NITE LONG THE END

UNDER THE STUDIO LOGO: KNOCKING at a door and distant dog BARKING. NOW UNDER BLACK, a CARD -- SATURDAY The rapping, at first tentative and polite, grows insistent. Then we hear someone get out of bed. MILES (O.S.) ...the fuck... A DOOR is opened, and the black gives way to BLINDING WHITE LIGHT, the way one experiences the first glimpse of day amid, say, a hangover. A WORKER is there. MILES (O.S.) Yeah? WORKER Hi, Miles. Can you move your car, please? MILES (O.S.) Why? WORKER The painters got to put the truck in, and you didn't park too good. MILES (O.S.) (a sigh, then --) Yeah, hold on. He closes the door with a SLAM. EXT. MILES'S APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY SUPERIMPOSE -- SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Wearing only underwear, a bathrobe and clogs, MILES RAYMOND comes out of his unit and heads toward the street. He passes some SIX MEXICANS waiting to work. He climbs into his twelve-year-old CONVERTIBLE SAAB, parked far from the curb and blocking part of the driveway. The car starts fitfully. As he pulls away, the guys begin backing up the truck. EXT. STREET - DAY Miles rounds the corner and finds a new parking spot. INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS He cuts the engine, exhales a long breath and brings his hands to his head in a gesture of headache pain or just anguish. He leans back in his seat, closes his eyes, and soon NODS OFF. INT. MILES'S APARTMENT - DAY The door bursts open. Miles runs into the kitchen, looking just past camera. MILES Fuck! WHIP PAN TO -- THE MICROWAVE CLOCK that reads 10:50. ON THE PHONE -- Miles hurriedly throws clothes into a suitcase. MILES Yeah, no, I know I said I'd be there by noon, but there's been all this work going on at my building, and it's like a total nightmare, and I had a bunch of stuff to deal with this morning. But I'm on my way. I'm out the door right this second. It's going to be great. Yeah. Bye. INT. MILES'S BATHROOM - DAY ON THE TOILET -- Miles has a BOOK propped open on his knees. He turns a page, lost in his reading. LATER -- Miles SHOWERS. IN THE MIRROR -- Miles FLOSSES. INT. COFFEE HOUSE - DAY Miles finally makes it to the front of the line. BARISTA Hey, Miles. MILES Hey, Simon. Triple espresso, please. BARISTA Rough night, huh? (ringing it up) For here? MILES No, I'm running late. Make it to go. And give me a New York Times and... (scanning the display case) ...a spinach croissant. EXT. 5 FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP - DAY Miles's Saab chugs up the ramp and merges. INSERT - NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE -- -- pressed against the STEERING WHEEL. The puzzle is about 1/3 finished. EXT. 5 FREEWAY - DAY As though from an adjacent car, we see Miles driving while carefully filling in an answer. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD -- A SIGN reads: RANCHO PALOS VERDES PALOS VERDES ESTATES 1/4 MILE PAN TO MILES as he signals to change lanes. The finished puzzle lies on the passenger seat. EXT. PALOS VERDES STREET - DAY The houses on this block are blandly palatial as in so many affluent Southern California suburbs. Miles's car pull into the driveway behind an older BMW and two LEXI. He gets out and trots toward the front door. INT. ERGANIAN HOUSE - DAY A GIANT PROJECTION TV -- In a large split-level living room displays a GOLF TOURNAMENT. WIDE -- Watching from the ultra-comfortable furniture are MIKE ERGANIAN, a tanned, silver-haired real estate caudillo; bride- to-be CHRISTINE ERGANIAN, his oldest daughter; and JACK LOPATE, wearing bowling shirt, shorts and flip-flops. MRS. ERGANIAN, a warm and elegant housewife, shows Miles into the room. MRS. ERGANIAN Look what the cat dragged! MILES Hi, everybody. Mr. Erganian and Jack get to their feet and shake hands with Miles. Jack remains affable, but we can discern his genuine irritation. JACK About time you got here, bud. Mr. Prompt. MR. ERGANIAN We were thinking maybe you took the wrong way and went to Tijuana and they didn't let you back in. The Erganians laugh. Miles works up a smile too. MILES I had to bribe them. More lame laughter. CHRISTINE Hey, Miles. MILES (leaning in to kiss Christine) Seriously though, the freeway was unbelievable today. Unbelievable. Bumper to bumper the whole way. People getting an early start on the weekend, I guess. Granted I got a late start, but still. Although Mr. Erganian presses MUTE on the remote, he keeps watching for an extended moment, as do Jack and Miles. MRS. ERGANIAN Christine, why don't you ask Miles about the cake? CHRISTINE Oh, good idea. Here, Miles, come to the kitchen with me. JACK Don't bother him with that. We got to get going. CHRISTINE (taking Miles's hand) It'll just take a second. INT. ERGANIAN KITCHEN - DAY Jack and the Erganians surround Miles as he eats from a plate with two pieces of CAKE -- one white, one dark. MRS. ERGANIAN Jack tells us you are publishing a book. Congratulations. MR. ERGANIAN Yes, congratulations. Miles shoots Jack a look. Mr. Erganian gets some ice cubes from the refrigerator door. MILES Yeah, well, it's not exactly finalized yet, but, um, there has been some interest and -- MRS. ERGANIAN (to Jack) Your friend is modest. JACK Yeah, Miles, don't be so modest. Indulge them. Don't make me out to be a liar. MR. ERGANIAN What subject is your book? Non- fiction? MILES No, it's a novel. Fiction. Although there's a lot from my own life, so I guess technically some of it is non- fiction. MR. ERGANIAN Good, I like non-fiction. There is so much to know about the world that I think reading a story someone just invented is kind of a waste of time. CHRISTINE So which one do you like better? MILES I like them both, but if pressed I'd have to say I prefer the dark. JACK (to Christine) See? INT. SAAB - CONTINUOUS IN A REAR VIEW MIRROR -- The Erganians wave good-bye. INSIDE THE CAR -- Miles accelerates as he and Jack wave back. JACK Where the fuck were you, man? I was dying in there. We were supposed to be a hundred miles away by now. MILES I can't help the traffic. JACK Come on. You're fucking hungover. MILES Okay, there was a tasting last night. But I wanted to get us some stuff for the ride up. Check out the box. Jack turns around, and starts rooting around in a CARDBOARD WINE BOX. MILES Why did you tell them my book was being published? JACK You said you had it all lined up. MILES No, I didn't. What I said was that my agent had heard there was some interest at Conundrum... JACK Yeah, Conundrum. MILES ...and that one of the editors was passing it up to a senior editor. She was supposed to hear something this week, but now it's next week, and... It's always like this. It's always a fucking waiting game. I've been through it too many times already. JACK I don't know. Senior editor? Sounds like you're in to me. MILES It's a long shot, all right? And Conundrum is just a small specialty press anyway. I'm not getting my hopes up. I've stopped caring. That's it. I've stopped caring. Jack sits back in his seat holding up a bottle of CHAMPAGNE and TWO GLASSES. JACK But I know it's going to happen this time. I can feel it. This is the one. I'm proud of you, man. You're the smartest guy I know. Jack now begins to remove the foil from the champagne bottle. MILES Don't open that now. It's warm. JACK Come on, we're celebrating. I say we pop it. MILES That's a 1992 Byron. It's really rare. Don't open it now. I've been saving it! Jack untwists the wire. Instantly the cork pops off, and a fountain of champagne erupts. MILES For Christ's Sake, Jack! You just wasted like half of it! Jack begins pouring two glasses. JACK Shut up. (handing Miles a glass) Here's to a great week. MILES (coming around) Yes. Absolutely. Despite your crass behavior, I'm really glad we're finally getting this time together. JACK Yeah. MILES You know how long I've been begging to take you on the wine tour. I was beginning to think it was never going to happen. They clink and drink. JACK Oh, that's tasty. MILES 100% Pinot Noir. Single vineyard. They don't even make it anymore. JACK Pinot Noir? How come it's white? Doesn't noir mean dark? MILES Jesus. Don't ask questions like that up in the wine country. They'll think you're a moron. JACK Just tell me. MILES Color in the red wines comes from the skins. This juice is free run, so there's no skin contact in the fermentation, ergo no color. JACK (not really listening) Sure is tasty. EXT. FREEWAY - DAY The Saab heads north. INT. SAAB - DAY The boys continue to drink and drive. MILES Did you read the latest draft, by the way? JACK Oh, yeah. Yeah. MILES And? JACK I liked it a lot. A lot of improvements. It just seemed overall, I don't know, tighter, more... congealed or something. MILES How about the new ending? Did you like that? JACK Oh yeah. Much better. MILES There is no new ending. Page 750 on is exactly the same. JACK Well, then I guess it must have felt new because everything leading up to it was so different. INT. GAS STATION #1 - DAY Miles is pumping gas. Jack is stretching his legs nearby or perhaps cleaning the windshield. A CELLPHONE RINGS. Jack reaches into his pocket. JACK (looking at the phone) It's Christine. (snapping it open) Hey you. CHRISTINE (ON PHONE) You guys having fun? Christine's voice is so loud that Jack has to hold the phone away from his ear. JACK Yeah. All twenty minutes so far have been a blast. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Good. That's good. A silence, then -- JACK So what's up? CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Just seeing how you're doing. And, um, Mom and I were starting to look over the seating charts again, and we're wondering if you wanted Tony Levin to sit next to the Feldmans, or should he be at one of the singles tables? Jack looks at Miles in a mute appeal for sympathy. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) So what do you think? With the Feldmans? Jack hasn't even really heard the question. JACK Yeah. The Feldmans. As the conversation continues, Miles replaces the GAS PUMP, screws the GAS CAP back on, and together the guys get back into the car. We DRIVE AWAY WITH THEM. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Really? Because I don't know, I was thinking that -- JACK Well, then put him at the singles table. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) The problem with that is that then there's one extra -- JACK Then put him with the Feldmans. Whatever you and your Mom decide is fine with me. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Don't dismiss me. I'm trying to include you in this decision. He's your friend. JACK I didn't dismiss you. I told you what I thought, but it didn't seem to matter, so you decide. Besides, this is supposed to be my time with Miles. I hope you're not going to call every five minutes. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) I'm not going to call every five minutes, but this is important. JACK Honey, I'm just saying you know I need a little space before the wedding. Isn't that the point of this? Isn't that what we talked about with Dr. Gertler? A silence. Then -- CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Why are you being so defensive? JACK I don't know, Christine. Perhaps it's because I feel attacked. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) I ask you one simple question, and suddenly I'm attacking you. JACK Listen. I'll call you when we get there, and we can talk about it then, okay? CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Bye. JACK I love you. CHRISTINE (ON THE PHONE) Bye. Jack SLAMS his cellphone shut, momentarily blinded with rage. MILES Tony Levin? Why did you fucking invite Tony Levin? EXT. 405 FREEWAY - LATE AFTERNOON The Saab heads north -- now passing through LOS ANGELES. INT./EXT. SAAB - LATE AFTERNOON Miles signals and begins to head for an EXIT. JACK Whoa, why are we getting off? MILES I've just got to make one quick stop. Won't take a second. JACK What? MILES I thought we could just say a quick hello to my mother. JACK Your mother? Jesus, Miles, we were supposed to be up there hours ago. MILES It's her birthday tomorrow. And I don't feel right driving by her house and not stopping in, okay? It'll just take a second. She's right off the freeway. EXT. 101 FREEWAY - LATE AFTERNOON The Saab takes an EXIT. JACK (O.S.) How old's she going to be? MILES (O.S.) Um... seventy... something. JACK (O.S.) That's a good age. OMIT. OMIT. EXT. CONDO COMMUNITY STREET - DUSK The Saab rounds a corner and parks in front of a modest CONDO. SUPERIMPOSE: OXNARD, CALIFORNIA EXT. MILES'S MOTHER'S CONDO - DUSK Approaching the front door, Miles pulls a BOUQUET OF FLOWERS out of a plastic grocery store bag. Jack carries a bottle of CHAMPAGNE. Miles pulls a BIRTHDAY CARD out of the bag too. MILES Wait a second. He pulls a PEN from his pocket and signs it. As he licks the envelope, Jack rings the bell. Moments later PHYLLIS comes to the door. She is a matronly older woman in a nightgown and housecoat. MILES AND JACK Surprise! Happy Birthday! The boys offer up the flowers and champagne. Phyllis slurs slightly as she speaks -- she's been doing some celebrating of her own. PHYLLIS My God. Miles. And Jack! What a surprise. I can't remember the last time you brought me flowers. They hug. JACK They're from both of us. PHYLLIS A famous actor bringing me flowers on my birthday. Don't I feel special? MILES A famous actor who's getting married next week. PHYLLIS Oh, that's right. Isn't that nice? I hope that girls knows how lucky she is, marrying no less than Derek Summersby. The boys follow her inside. INT. MILES'S MOTHER'S CONDO - CONTINUOUS JACK Jeez, Mrs. Raymond, that was eleven years ago. PHYLLIS Well, you were wonderful on that show. I never understood why they had to give you that brain tumor so soon. Why that didn't make you the biggest movie star in the world is a sin. It's a sin. JACK Yeah, well, you should be my agent. PHYLLIS If I was, I would sing your praises up and down the street until they put me in the loony bin. Now Miles, why didn't you tell me you were coming and bringing this handsome man? Look how I'm dressed. I've got to run and put my face on. JACK You look fabulous, Mrs. Raymond. PHYLLIS (over her shoulder) Oh, stop it. Make yourselves comfortable. (now around the corner) You boys hungry? MILES Yeah, I'm hungry. Jack gives Miles a look. MILES (low) Just a snack. Calm down. Miles leads Jack into this small condo. The TV is on, and it's MESSY. Amid the newspapers and junk mail and dishes, an AB-ROLLER and an ancient SCHWINN EXER-CYCLE sit forgotten in a corner. INT. MILES'S MOTHER'S KITCHEN - NIGHT Miles finishes twisting ice trays into a MOP BUCKET as it fills with water in the sink. He puts the champagne in and carries it into the -- INT. MILES'S MOTHER'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS He takes a seat on the sofa next to Jack, who is watching WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? MILES Let me show you something. The secret to opening champagne is that once the cork is released, you keep pressure on it so you don't -- JACK (concentrated on the TV) Just a second. Guy's going for $2500. Miles finishes opening the bottle with an elegant silence. PHYLLIS (O.S.) Ready for my close up! The boys turn to see Phyllis now dolled up in thick make-up and a PANTSUIT. Her eyebrows are painted and cock-eyed. Overall she looks much worse than before. PHYLLIS Oh, champagne! Miles, why don't you bring that out onto the lanai? I thought we could eat on the lanai. EXT. MILES'S MOTHER'S LANAI - NIGHT Miles and Jack are seated in webbed chairs around a circular glass table. They are mid-meal. Everyone is more than a little lubricated, especially the birthday girl as she returns from the kitchen with another plate of food. JACK Mrs. Raymond, this is delicious. Absolutely delicious. PHYLLIS (sitting) They're just leftovers. JACK Is it chicken? PHYLLIS I could have made something fancier if a certain someone had let me know that a certain someone was coming for a visit with a certain special friend. Could have made a pork roast. MILES It was a surprise, Mom. PHYLLIS And I could have already put clean sheets on the other bed and the fold- out. You are staying. Wendy, Ron and the twins are picking us up at 11:30 to go to brunch at the Sheraton. They do a magnificent job there. Wendy is so excited you're coming. Silence. Jack freezes, his fork halfway to his mouth. MILES You talked to Wendy? PHYLLIS Just now. She's thrilled. And the kids. MILES (trying to be chipper) Yeah, well. You know, Jack's pretty eager to get up to... you know, but, uh, yeah. We'll see how it goes. PHYLLIS Well, you boys do what you want. I just think it would be nice for us to be together as a family on my birthday. MILES Uh-huh. (wiping his mouth) I'll be right back. He gets up and heads into the house. INT. MILES'S APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT Miles heads toward... INT. MILES'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT ...and goes directly to her dresser, opening a drawer filled with bras, panties and stockings. He burrows through his mother's lingerie until locating a CAN OF RAID. A can of Raid? He twists open the bottom and pulls it apart, revealing it to be a SECRET STASH for valuables disguised as a common household product. Inside are stacks of ONE-HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS. MILES (quickly peeling some off) ...six, seven, eight,... (one more for good luck) Nine. His task complete, he closes the drawer, and as he stuffs the bills in his pocket, his glance falls upon FRAMED PHOTOS atop the dresser -- -- A proud NINE-YEAR-OLD MILES poses in front of his childhood San Diego home, showing off a WAGON filled with freshly harvested lettuce. On the wagon is a hand-lettered sign -- "10 cents a bunch." -- A Sears portrait shows the RAYMOND FAMILY: a much younger Phyllis, her husband, and their two children -- a 12-year- old Miles and seven-year-old Wendy. -- Miles at his wedding. He and his bride VICTORIA look young and attractive, their faces radiant and hopeful. INT. MILES'S APARTMENT BATHROOM - NIGHT Miles enters, flushes the toilet and leaves. EXT. MILES'S MOTHER'S LANAI - NIGHT As Miles slides open the door and takes his seat again, Jack is pouring Phyllis another glass. PHYLLIS And what was that other one you did, the one where you're the jogger? JACK Oh, that was for, uh, wait... That was for Spray and Wash. PHYLLIS Spray and Wash. That's the one. JACK Yeah, I remember the girl who was in it with me. She was something. PHYLLIS I just remember you jogging. So when's the wedding? MILES (irritated) This Saturday, Mom, remember? We told you. JACK And Miles is my best man, Mrs. Raymond. My main man. PHYLLIS (another drink of wine) Miles, when are you going to get married again? MILES I just got divorced. Phyllis. JACK Two years ago, buddy. PHYLLIS You should get back together with Victoria. She was good for you. Embarrassed for his friend, Jack just stares at his food. PHYLLIS She was good for you. (turning to Jack) And so beautiful and intelligent. You knew her, right? JACK Oh, yeah. Real well. Still do. PHYLLIS I'm worried about you, Miles. Do you need some money? MILES I'm fine. Miles takes another drink of wine. CUT TO BLACK: UNDER BLACK, a CARD -- SUNDAY MILES (O.S.) Jack. Jack. INT. MILES'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - DAY Jack finally awakens with a start and finds Miles standing above him, shaking him. WIDE -- As Jack gets up, we see he has crashed on Phyllis's bed adorned with all her decorative PILLOWS. INT. MILES'S MOTHER'S LIVING ROOM - DAY Still in her pantsuit and smeared makeup, Phyllis lies sprawled and snoring on the sofa. On the TV, ostensibly never turned off the night before, is an inane CARTOON. As Miles opens the front door, he spots Jack heading toward the TV to turn it off. Miles waves him off. MILES (a loud whisper) She'll wake up. As they leave and Miles closes the front door quietly behind him, we PAN to the flowers still wrapped and forgotten on a side table. INT. ROADSIDE IHOP - DAY TWO PLATES OF FOOD float in front of two breasts tucked inside a zippered uniform. WIDER -- Disheveled and unshaven, Jack and Miles are served breakfast by a young, innocently sexy WAITRESS. Jack leers after her. JACK Fuck, man. Too early in the morning for that, you know what I mean? MILES She's a kid, Jack. I don't even look at that stuff anymore. JACK That's your problem, Miles. MILES As if she'd even be attracted to guys like us in the first place. JACK Speak for yourself. I get chicks looking at me all the time. All ages. MILES It's not worth it. You pay too big a price. It's never free. They eat in silence a moment. JACK You need to get laid. Miles shrugs off the comment. JACK It'd be the best thing for you. You know what? I'm going to get you laid this week. That's going to be my best man gift to you. I'm not going to give you a pen knife or a gift certificate or any of that other horseshit. MILES I'd rather have a knife. JACK No. No. You've been officially depressed for like two years now, and you were always a negative guy anyway, even in college. Now it's worse -- you're wasting away. Teaching English to fucking eighth-graders when they should be reading what you wrote. Your books. MILES I'm working on it. Miles concentrates on his eggs and hash browns JACK You still seeing that shrink? MILES I went on Monday. But I spent most of the time helping him with his computer. JACK Well, I say fuck therapy and what's that stuff you take, Xanax? MILES And Lexapro, yes. JACK Well, I say fuck that. You need to get your joint worked on, that's what you need. MILES Jack. This week is not about me. It's about you. I'm going to show you a good time. We're going to drink a lot of good wine, play some golf, eat some great food, enjoy the scenery and send you off in style. JACK And get your bone smooched. Jack spots the waitress coming out of the kitchen and motions for more coffee. She nods and smiles, indicating she'll be right over. Jack returns the smile and holds up a hand to signal he'll wait. Jack turns back to see Miles watching him. JACK What? EXT. CENTRAL COAST - DAY In a series of shots, the Saab -- now with its TOP DOWN -- makes its way onto the 101 and travels past landmarks that those familiar with the Santa Barbara area might recognize. MUSIC accompanies this sequence that anchors us into the rhythm of a road trip. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY The car now descends the Santa Ynez Mountains and heads toward Buellton. Miles and Jack must SHOUT to be heard in the open car. MILES You know what? Let's take the Santa Rosa turnoff and hit Sanford first. JACK Whatever's closest, man. I need a glass. MILES These guys make top-notch Pinot and Chardonnay. One of the best producers in Santa Barbara county. (looking out the window) Look how beautiful this view is. What a day! JACK I thought you hated Chardonnay. MILES I like all varietals. I just don't generally like the way they manipulate Chardonnay in California -- too much oak and secondary malolactic fermentation. EXT. SANTA ROSA TURN-OFF - DAY The Saab passes over the 101 and turns onto SANTA ROSA road. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY The boys now pass vineyards of immaculate grapevines. MILES Jesus, what a day! Isn't it gorgeous? And the ocean's just right over that ridge. See, the reason this region's great for Pinot is that the cold air off the Pacific flows in at night through these transverse valleys and cools down the berries. Pinot's a very thin-skinned grape and doesn't like heat or humidity. Jack looks at Miles, admiring his friend's vast learning and articulateness. The Saab now pulls of the road and makes its way down a long gravel DRIVEWAY. JACK Hey, Miles. I really hope your novel sells. MILES Thanks, Jack. So do I. (noticing) Here we are. EXT. SANFORD TASTING ROOM - DAY Miles brings the car to a stop in the parking lot. As they get out and walk -- MILES So what'd you guys finally decide on for the menu? JACK I told you. Filet and salmon. MILES Yeah, but how are they making the salmon? Poached with a yogurt-dill sauce? Teriyaki? Curry? JACK I don't know. Salmon. Don't you always have white wine with fish? MILES Oh, Jesus. Look, at some point we have to find out because it's going to make a big difference. JACK (taking out his phone) Let me call Christine. MILES Doesn't have to be now. Let's go taste. JACK I owe her a call anyway. Miles must curb his eagerness to go inside the tasting room as Jack SPEED DIALS. JACK Hey, honey. So we're up here about to taste some whites, and we need to know how the caterers are going to make the salmon. Jack listens, then grows suddenly impatient. JACK No, I know, I didn't forget, but we wound up at Miles's mom's house, and it got really late, and it was hard to call, so I'm calling you now. I said I was sorry. Yes, I did. (to Miles) You heard me say I was sorry, right? Miles just shrugs. JACK Miles heard me say I was sorry. As Jack gets more and more involved with the phone call, he wanders off across the parking lot, progressively out of earshot. JACK Give me a break, will you? I just called to find out about the salmon -- for our wedding -- to be more involved, like you said -- and all you want to do is get into it about last night and, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't call. You're totally right. I know, but I'm trying to make this the best wedding I can with the best wine we can find. Don't I get any credit for that? Okay. Look, I've got to go. I'm out here in the parking lot, and Miles is waiting for me... And so it goes, Jack's voice rising and falling. Miles decides to head inside. INT. SANFORD TASTING ROOM - DAY Miles is at the bar, TWO GLASSES in front of him. Jack walks in and bellies up next to him. JACK (proudly) Baked with a butter-lime glaze. MILES Now we're talking. CHRIS BURROUGHS, a POURER in a cowboy hat and ponytail, comes over. CHRIS This is the condemned man? MILES Here he is. Jack, Chris. Chris, Jack. Chris and Jack shake hands. JACK How you doing? CHRIS You guys want to start with the Vin Gris? JACK Sounds good. TWO GLASSES are filled with small amounts of PINOT NOIR VIN GRIS. JACK This is rose, right? MILES Good, yeah, it is a rose. Only this one is rather atypically made from 100% Pinot Noir. JACK Pinot noir? Not again! (joking, to Chris) You know, not all Pinots are noir. They laugh. Miles swirls his glass in tight circles on the bar, then lifts it to smell. Jack clumsily imitates Miles, perhaps even spilling some wine in the process. MILES Let me show you. We see details of what Miles now describes. MILES First take your glass and examine the wine against the light. You're looking at color and clarity. JACK What color is it supposed to be? MILES Depends on the varietal. Just get a sense of it. Thick? Thin? Watery? Syrupy? Inky? Amber, whatever... JACK Huh. MILES Now tip it. What you're doing here is checking for color density as it thins toward the rim. Tells you how old it is, among other things, usually more important with reds. This is a very young wine, so it's going to retain its color pretty solidly. Now stick your nose in it. Jack waves the glass under his nose as if it were a perfume bottle. MILES Don't be shy. Get your nose in there. Jack now buries his nose in the glass. MILES What do you smell? JACK I don't know. Wine? Fermented grapes? Miles smells. MILES There's not much there yet, but you can still find... (more sniffs) ...a little citrus... maybe some strawberry... passion fruit... and there's even a hint of like asparagus... or like a nutty Edam cheese. Jack smells again and begins to brighten. JACK Huh. Maybe a little strawberry. Yeah, strawberry. I'm not so sure about the cheese. MILES Now set your glass down and get some air into it. Miles expertly swirls the wine. Jack follows suit. MILES Oxygenating it opens it up, unlocks the aroma and the flavors. Very important. Now we smell again. They do so. Jack smiles. MILES That's what you do with every one. JACK When do we get to drink it? MILES Now. Jack gulps his wine down in one shot. Miles chews his before swallowing. JACK How would you rate this one? MILES Usually they start you on the wines with learning disabilities, but this one's pretty damn good. (to Chris) This is the new one, right, Chris? CHRIS Released it about two months ago. MILES Nice job. CHRIS We like it. JACK (to Miles) You know, you could work in a wine store. MILES Yeah, that would be a good move. Now Miles notices something about Jack. MILES Are you chewing gum? JACK Want some? EXT. SOLVANG, CALIFORNIA - DAY The Saab passes through this Danish-themed tourist town. SUPERIMPOSE -- SOLVANG EXT. BUELLTON, CALIFORNIA - DAY The Saab makes its way into this very average-looking Central coast town right off the freeway. SUPERIMPOSE -- BUELLTON EXT. WINDMILL INN - DAY The Saab pulls into the parking lot of this motel. And look -- there's the WINDMILL itself, its decorative blades motionless. INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY Miles and Jack enter the room and throw their suitcases onto their respective beds. LATER -- The sounds of a SHOWER and OFF-KEY SINGING come from the bathroom while Miles sits impatiently on the bed. He pounds on the wall. MILES Hey Jack, hurry up! JACK (O.S.) Just a minute! Opening the bedside drawer, Miles finds a GIDEON'S BIBLE and tosses it in the trash -- apparently his hotel routine. EXT. HIGHWAY 246 - DUSK Freshly showered and dressed for dinner, Miles and Jack amble along the shoulder of this busy local two-lane highway. They pass a mall and a car dealership. JACK I thought you said it was close. Now I'm all pitted out. MILES It's not even a mile. JACK We should have driven. MILES Not with the wine list these people have. We don't want to hold back. JACK You think I'm making a mistake marrying Christine? MILES Whoa. JACK Come on, do you think I'm doing the right thing? Tell the truth. You've been through it. MILES Well, you waited for good reason, and you proposed to Christine for some good reason. So I think it's great. It's time. You've got to have your eyes open, that's all. I mean, look at me. I thought Victoria and I were set for life. JACK Christine's dad -- he's been talking about bringing me into his property business. Showing me the ropes. And that's something, considering how long it took him to get over I'm not Armenian. So I'm thinking about it. But I don't know, might get a little incestuous. But Mike does pretty well. A lot of high-end commercial stuff. MILES So you're going to stop acting? JACK No way. This would just provide some stability is what I'm saying. I can always squeeze in an audition or a commercial here and there, you know, keep myself in the game in case something big comes along. MILES Uh-huh. JACK We're not getting any younger, right? And my career, well, it's gotten pretty, you know, frustrating. Even with my new manager. Maybe it's time to settle down. MILES If that's what feels right. JACK (convincing himself) It does. Feels right. MILES Then it's a good thing. JACK (nodding, feeling better) Yeah. It's good. Feels good. Miles leads them away from the road and across a parking lot. The camera PANS to reveal -- THE HITCHING POST, a local institution. INT. HITCHING POST BAR - DUSK Miles and Jack belly up. GARY, the Samoan bartender, spots Miles and extends a welcoming hand. GARY Hey, Miles. Long time no see. MILES Gary. GARY When's that novel of yours coming out? We all want to read it. MILES Soon, soon. Say, this is my buddy Jack. He's getting married next week. GARY (shaking Jack's hand) My condolences. MILES What are you pouring tonight? GARY Lot of good stuff. (looking at a row of bottles) Got the new Bien Nacido. Want a taste? MILES Absolutement. (to Jack) They have their own label that's just outstanding. Gary pours Jack and Miles a generous sample and the two men swirl, sniff and taste. Jack is beginning to get the hang of things. GARY What do you think? MILES Tight as a nun's asshole but qood concentration. Nice fruit. JACK Yeah. Tight. MILES (to Gary) Pour us a couple. Gary fills their glasses and corks the bottle. Jack raises his glass to toast. JACK Here's to my last week of freedom. MILES It's going to be great. Here's to us. They clink their glasses and take a drink. We linger on them as Miles retreats inward and a restless Jack scans the room. INT. HITCHING POST DINING ROOM - NIGHT Jack and Miles review their menus. Jack looks up and spots a PRETTY WAITRESS placing an order at the bar. JACK Miles. Check it out. Miles glances at the waitress and returns to his menu. MILES Oh, yeah. That's Maya. JACK You know her? MILES Sure I know Maya. JACK You know that chick? MILES Jack, this is where I eat when I come up here. It's practically my office. And sometimes I have a drink with the employees. Maya's great. She's worked here about a year, maybe a year and a half. JACK She is very hot. MILES And very nice. And very married. Check out the rock. Jack leans forward and squints. JACK Doesn't mean shit. When Christine was a hostess at Sushi Roku, she wore a big engagement ring to keep guys from hitting on her. Think it worked? Fuck no. How do you think I met her? MILES This gal's married to I think a Philosophy professor at UC Santa Barbara. JACK So what's a professor's wife doing waitressing? Obviously that's over. MILES You don't know anything about this woman. Calm down. Let's just eat, okay? (focusing on the menu) The duck is excellent and pairs nicely with the Highliner Pinot. Just then Maya comes by carrying a tray of food on her way to another table. MAYA Hey, Miles. Good to see you. MILES Maya, how are you? MAYA I'm doing good, good. You look great. Did you lose some weight? MILES Oh, no, actually. Busy night. MAYA Oh yeah, Sunday night. You guys been out tasting today? MILES You know it. This is my friend Jack. Jack, Maya. JACK (big smile) Hiya. MAYA (smiling back) Hi. Well, nice to see you guys here. Bye, Miles. She goes. JACK Jesus, she's jammin'. And she likes you. What else do you know about her? MILES Well, she does know a lot about wine. JACK Ooooooohh. Now we're getting somewhere. MILES And she likes Pinot. JACK Perfect. MILES Jack, she's a fucking waitress in Buellton. How would that ever work? JACK Why do you always focus on the negative? Didn't you see how friendly she was to you? MILES She works for tips! JACK You're blind, dude. Blind. Miles focuses again on the menu. MILES I also recommend the ostrich. Very lean. Locally raised. INT. HITCHING POST BAR - NIGHT TWO BURGUNDY GLASSES -- are refilled with the contents of yet another bottle of Hitching Post Pinot Noir. Jack and Miles are enjoying a post-prandial drink. MILES Looks like he's thinking about something. Then -- MILES I hate Tony Levin. Jack swirls his wine and downs it in one gulp. Just then -- MAYA Walks into the bar and takes a seat a few stools down. She has changed into a black cashmere sweater and corduroys, lovely but tired. MAYA (to Gary) Highliner, please. JACK That's on us. Maya looks over and smiles as Gary pours her a glass from their bottle. MAYA Hey, guys. Maya gets an American Spirit Yellow out of her purse and lights it while Gary pours her a glass. MILES You want to join us? MAYA (polite) Sure. In no hurry, she takes a long sip of her wine, gets up and comes down the bar. MAYA So how's that book of yours going, Miles? I think you were almost done with it last time we talked. MILES I finished it. MAYA Good for you. JACK It's getting published. That's what we're up here celebrating. Miles shoots Jack a look. Jack responds with a "don't-fuck- it-up-brother" glower. MAYA That's fantastic. Congratulations. She offers her glass, and all clink. MAYA (to Jack) Are you a writer too? JACK No, I'm an actor. MAYA Oh yeah? What kind of stuff? JACK A lot of TV. I was a regular on a couple of series. And lately I've been doing a lot of commercials. National mostly. MAYA Anything I'd know? JACK Maybe. Recognize this? Jack takes a deep breath, and out comes a perfect VOICE-OVER VOICE. JACK "Now with low, low 5.8% APR financing." Maya's mouth drops open and curves into a big smile. MAYA That's hilarious. You sound just like one of those guys. JACK I am one of those guys. MAYA You are not. MILES He is. Jack launches into another one of his sure-fire hits. JACK (very fast) Consult your doctor before using this product. Side effects may include oily discharge, dizziness, hives, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing and low blood pressure. If you have diabetes or a history of kidney trouble... you're fucked! This makes Maya laugh a big throaty laugh. Jack joins in. Nervous about Jack's aggressive flirtatiousness, Miles musters a tight courtesy smile. MAYA (winding down) Oh. I needed that. Thank you. They all take a drink of wine. MAYA So what are you guys up to tonight? Before Jack has a chance to speak -- MILES We're pretty wiped. Probably go back to the hotel and crash. This makes Maya slightly embarrassed at her apparent availability, but she recovers quickly, remains breezy. MAYA Yeah, I know what you mean. It's a long drive up here. Where're you staying? MILES The Windmill. JACK Windmill. Maya downs the rest of her wine, stamps out her smoke, and picks up her jean jacket and purse. MAYA Well, good to see you, Miles. Jack. MILES See you. As she leaves -- JACK We'll catch up with you later, okay? But she's gone. Jack gives Miles a slow burn look. JACK We'll probably go back to the hotel and crash? EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT The guys walk drunkenly along the shoulder as CARS WHIZ BY. JACK The girl is looking to party, and you tell her we're going to go back to our motel room and crash? Jesus, Miles! MILES Well, I'm tired. Aren't you tired? JACK The chick digs you. She lit up like a pinball machine when she heard your novel was getting published. MILES Now I've got another lie to live down. Thanks, Jack. JACK I'm trying to get you some action, but you've got to help me out just a little bit. MILES Didn't seem to me like that's what was going on. You were all over her. JACK Somebody had to do the talking. And by the way, I was right. She's not married. MILES How do you know? JACK No rock. When she came to the bar, sans rock. INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT The screen is absolutely BLACK. JACK Single. Waitress. Getting off work. Looking for love. A little slap and tickle. MILES Shut up. JACK She probably went home, lit some candles, put on some relaxing music, took a nice hot bath, and laid down on her bed with her favorite vibrator. Jack begins to make a soft BUZZING noise, growing gradually louder and more rhythmic. MILES Have you no shame? JACK Oooh. Oh. Miles. Miles. MILES Fuck you. There's now a rustling noise and footsteps. Then a LIGHT is flipped on in the BATHROOM. Miles closes the door behind him, and the only light visible is at the bottom of the bathroom door. Miles PEES -- a series of semi-forced SHORT SQUIRTS. Then a FLUSH as a door opens and the light goes off. Jack starts BUZZING again. MILES Shut the fuck up! Jack stops and Miles climbs into bed. Silence. Then -- JACK You need to get your prostate checked. UNDER BLACK -- MONDAY EXT. BREAKFAST CAFE - DAY Establishing. INT. BREAKFAST CAFE - DAY Miles and Jack are glancing at the menus. For some reason Jack is humorless and grumpy. MILES So what're we going to have? Pigs in a blanket? The "rancher's special breakfast"? Or maybe just some grease and fat with a side of lard? JACK (not amused) So what's the plan today? MILES We head north, begin the grape tour up there, make our way south so the more we drink the closer we get to the motel. Jack sarcastically taps an index finger to his temple. MILES What's your problem? Jack exhales and looks away, as though he doesn't want to get into it. MILES What is it? Jack sucks his teeth a moment searching for the right words. Then the dam bursts. JACK I am going to get my nut on this trip, Miles. And you are not going to fuck it up for me with all your depression and anxiety and neg-head downer shit. MILES Ooooh, now the cards are on the table. JACK Yes they are. And I'm serious. Do not fuck with me. I am going to get laid before I settle down on Saturday. Do you read me? MILES Sure, big guy. Whatever you say. It's your party. I'm sorry I'm in the way and dragging you down. Maybe you'd have a better time on your own. You take the car. I'll catch the train back. JACK No, see, I want both of us to get crazy. We should both be cutting loose. I mean, this is our last chance. This is our week! It should be something we share. The older WAITRESS comes over. WAITRESS Can I take your order? JACK But I am warning you. MILES Oatmeal, one poached egg, and rye toast. Dry. WAITRESS Okay. And you? JACK (glaring at Miles) Pigs in a blanket. With extra syrup. EXT. LOVELY HIGHWAY - DAY The Saab winds along this beautiful road that meanders through large open vineyards. DISSOLVE TO: INSERT -- A MAP and a MOVING LINE show the boys' route. DISSOLVE TO: INSERT -- GRAPES growing on the vine. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. VINEYARD - DAY Framed by foreground grapevines, the Saab passes in the distance. DISSOLVE TO: INT. FOXEN WINERY - DAY Miles has just downed a taste of red wine. MILES How much skin and stem contact? POURER About four weeks. MILES Huh. That explains all the tannins. And how long in oak? POURER About a year. MILES French or American? POURER Both. MILES Good stuff. JACK Yeah, oak. That's a good wood. Just as the pourer turns away toward other TASTERS, Jack GRABS the bottle and helps himself and Miles to another glass. They slam back their drinks like tequila. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. LOVELY AREA ON A HILL - DAY Miles brings the Saab to a stop, and the guys get out. Before them lies an incredible view of endless vineyards. MILES Nice, huh? JACK Beautiful. MILES Victoria and I used to like this view. (lost in nostalgia) Once we had a picnic here and drank a '95 Opus One. With smoked salmon and artichokes, but we didn't care. JACK Miles. MILES She has the best palate of any woman I've ever known. She could even differentiate Italian wines. JACK Miles, I gotta tell you something. Victoria's coming to the wedding. MILES I know. You told me. I'm okay with it. JACK Yeah, but that's not the whole story. She got remarried. MILES She what? (long pause) When? JACK About a month ago. Six weeks. MILES To that guy? That guy with the restaurant... Jack nods. Miles looks down at his shoes and draws a long breath. Then he stiffly gets back in the open car and closes the door. JACK Miles... MILES... Miles continues to stare straight ahead. JACK (exploding) Jesus Christ, Miles. Get out! MILES I want to go home now. JACK You've been divorced for two years already. People move on. She has! It's like you enjoy self-pity. Makes you feel special or something. MILES Is she bringing him to the wedding? JACK What do you think? MILES You drop this bombshell on me. Why didn't you tell me before? JACK Because I knew you'd freak out and probably get so depressed you wouldn't even come on this trip. But then I figured here would be the best place to tell you. We're here to forget about all that shit. We're here to party! MILES (undeterred) I'm going to be a fucking pariah. Everyone's just going to be holding their breath to see if I'm going to get drunk and make a scene. Plus Tony fucking Levin? JACK No, no, no. It's cool. I talked to Victoria. She's cool. Everyone's cool. MILES (horrified) You've all been talking about it? Behind my back? Talking about it? Miles turns and locates an open BOTTLE of wine in the back seat. He uncorks it and begins to swig. JACK Hey, hey, hey. No, you don't! Jack tries unsuccessfully to grab the bottle from Miles, but Miles bolts out of the car. A VERY WIDE SHOT -- Pursued by Jack, Miles dashes down the hill, all the while taking huge swigs from the bottle. OMIT. EXT. LOVELY VINEYARD - CONTINUOUS Miles slows to walk between rows of GRAPEVINES. He polishes off the bottle and tosses it. A painting Jack catches up with him in the adjacent grapevine corridor. Miles's face crumbles as though he were about to cry. Then he collapses to the ground and closes his eyes tight. Jack looks around impatiently for a moment. Then he squats down so he can see Miles underneath the vines. JACK Miles? Miles ignores Jack and focuses on the beautiful RIPE GRAPES that surround him. They seem to distract him from his pain. JACK You going to be okay? Miles looks up and shakes his head a definitive NO. Jack can't help but LAUGH. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. KALYRA WINERY PARKING LOT - DAY The sun hangs low as the Saab pulls into the parking lot, Jack at the wheel. INT. KALYRA TASTING ROOM - DAY The pourer, a brunette in her early thirties, breaks away from a BORING COUPLE down the bar. This is STEPHANIE. STEPHANIE Hey, guys. How's it going? JACK Excellent. My friend and I are up here doing the wine tour, and he tells me that you folks make one hell of a Syrah. STEPHANIE That's what people say. MILES (slurring slightly) You gotta excuse him. Yesterday he didn't know Pinot Noir from film noir. JACK I'm a quick learner. Stephanie laughs. She apparently likes big good-natured lunks like Jack. MILES I'm trying to teach my friend here some basics about wine over the next few days before he goes off and -- WHOOMP! Under the bar Jack stomps on Miles's foot. Miles winces. Stephanie slides TWO GLASSES in front of them. JACK That's right -- I'm here to learn. I never had that much interest in wine before, but this trip has been very enlightening. Always like wine, of course, but I don't know. More of a beer man, really. Microbreweries. She THUMPS the cork off a bottle of Chardonnay. STEPHANIE Well, no better way to learn than tasting. She pours almost flirtatious amounts. JACK Now there's a girl who knows how to pour. What's your name? STEPHANIE Stephanie. JACK Nice. Jack swirls the wine as though he were by now a sommelier. They look, they smell, they taste. STEPHANIE So what do you think? MILES Quaffable but far from transcendent. JACK I like it. Tastes great. Oaky. Stephanie reaches for another bottle and pours. Jack's eyes never leave her. STEPHANIE Cabernet Franc. (as they taste) This is only the fifth year we've made this varietal. Very few wineries around here do a straight Cabernet Franc. It's from our vineyard up in Santa Maria. And it was a Silver Medal winner at Paso Robles last year. MILES Well, I've come to never expect greatness from a Cab Franc, and this one's no exception. Sort of a flabby, overripe -- JACK (ignoring him) Tastes good to me. You live around here, Stephanie? STEPHANIE In Santa Ynez. (low, to Miles) And I agree with you about Cab Franc. JACK Oh yeah? We're just over in Buellton. Windmill Inn. STEPHANIE Oh yeah. JACK You know a gal named Maya? Works at the Hitching Post? STEPHANIE Sure I know Maya. Real well. JACK No shit. We just had a drink with her last night. Miles knows her. MILES Could we move on to the Syrah, please? As she turns to reach for the right bottle, Jack winks at Miles. Miles shakes his head. STEPHANIE This is our Estate Syrah... She pours each of them a full HALF GLASS. JACK You're a bad, bad girl, Stephanie. STEPHANIE I know. I might need to be spanked. She notices the boring couple, visibly annoyed that she has been monopolized. STEPHANIE Excuse me. As she wanders down the bar, Jack turns to Miles, his mouth wide open. JACK A bad girl, Miles. She might need to be spanked. MILES Do you know how often these pourers get hit on? They glance down the bar at Stepanie. She smiles back. EXT. KALYRA WINERY PARKING LOT - DAY Miles is killing time by the car staring at his shoes. He looks over and sees Jack waddling over from the tasting room with TWO CASES OF WINE. JACK Get the trunk. MILES You have the keys. Jack puts the cases down and glances back at the building. JACK We're on. MILES What? JACK She called Maya, who's not working tonight, so we're all going out. MILES With Maya? JACK Been divorced for a year now, bud. Jack puts the wine in the trunk, and they get in the car. JACK Stephanie, holy shit. Chick had it all going on. MILES Well, she is cute. JACK Cute? She's a fucking hottie. And you almost tell her I'm getting married. What's the matter with you? (drumming on the steering wheel) Gotta love it. Gotta love it. INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY THE TV -- GOLF on ESPN. MILES AND JACK sit transfixed, each on his own bed. The curtains are drawn. Then out of nowhere -- JACK (mocking) You know how often these pourers get hit on? (getting up) I'm going for a swim. Get the blood flowing. Want to come? MILES Nah. I want to watch this. CLOSE ON THE TV -- A guy gets ready to putt. The announcer whispers what an important moment this is. The guy misses. FADE TO BLACK. UNDER BLACK -- The sound of an AEROSOL CAN. JACK Miles. Hey, Miles. Time to get up. WE OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE -- Jack spraying his feet with some Dr. Scholl's product. WIDE -- Miles pulls himself out of bed and slouches toward his suitcase. JACK Fucking chick in the Jacuzzi -- goddamn, Miles, fucking going nuts up here. Whole place is wide open. Assylvania. Jack does some actor's weird warm-up stretch. MILES So what should I wear? JACK I don't know. Casual but nice. They think you're a writer. As Miles begins to dig through his suitcase, Jack flips open his cellphone and speed-dials. JACK Don't you have any other shoes? Miles glances as his shoes sitting sadly on the floor. JACK (into the phone) Hello? Oh hey, baby, just checking in. Not much. We're about to go out for dinner, probably be out pretty late, so I thought I'd say goodnight now. I know, I love you too. I miss you. EXT. LOS OLIVOS - NIGHT The boys get out of the car and walk along a timbered sidewalk in this tourist town with wine tasting rooms and gourmet restaurants. JACK Please just try to be your normal humorous self, okay? Like who you were before the tailspin. Do you remember that guy? People love that guy. And don't forget -- your novel is coming out in the fall. MILES Oh yeah? How exciting. What's it called? JACK Do not sabotage me. If you want to be a lightweight, that's your call. But do not sabotage me. MILES Aye-aye, captain. JACK And if they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot. MILES (dead serious) If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any fucking Merlot! JACK Okay, okay. Relax, Miles, Jesus. No Merlot. Did you bring your Xanax? Miles takes a SMALL BOTTLE from his pocket and rattles it. JACK And don't drink too much. I don't want you going to the dark side or passing out. Do you hear me? No going to the dark side. MILES Okay! Fuck! Miles quickly POPS A XANAX. Jack gives him a final look in the eye. JACK We're going in. INT. LOS OLIVOS CAFE - NIGHT The boys enter this cozy if crowded restaurant and exchange words with the HOSTESS. Then they notice -- MAYA AND STEPHANIE at a booth waving at them. They look great. MILES AND JACK make their way to the table, Jack wearing a broad, confident SMILE. AT THE TABLE -- Jack plops down next to Stephanie, while Miles politely eases in on Maya's side. Jack touches a hand to Stephanie's bare neck and massages it meaningfully. JACK How you doin' tonight, beautiful? STEPHANIE Good. How're you? JACK Great. You look great. (including Maya) You both do. STEPHANIE Not so bad yourself. Meanwhile Miles looks over at Maya and purses his lips in an affable if uncomfortable smile. Then -- MILES What are you drinking? MAYA A Fiddlehead Sauvignon Blanc. MILES Oh yeah? How is it? MAYA (sliding the glass) Try it. As Miles swirls the wine and takes a sip, he begins to relax. MILES Nice. Very nice. MAYA Twelve months in oak. MILES On a Sauvignon Blanc? MAYA I know the winemaker. She comes in the restaurant all the time. MILES This is good. Little hints of clove. MAYA I know. I love that. LATER -- A WAITER finishes listing off the specials. WAITER ...medallions of pork with a dusting of black truffles served with a root vegetable foulon and wasabi-whipped potatoes. And finally a Copper River salmon grilled on an alder wood plank. And that comes with roasted new potatoes and steamed watercress. The four diners exchange looks of delight. WAITER And who gets the wine list? Miles raises his hand and takes the leather-bound book. MAYA (teasing) I guess Miles wants it. Jack glares at Miles, who immediately gets the hint. MILES Nope. You ladies choose. Jack smiles and nods his approval. Jack takes the book out of Miles's hands and offers it to the girls. MAYA You choose, Stephanie. STEPHANIE (opening it) So what does everyone feel like? JACK Whatever you girls want. It's on us tonight. Sky's the limit. MAYA No, we're paying for the wine. JACK I don't think so. We're celebrating Miles's book deal. MAYA Well, in that case... Miles draws a long breath. STEPHANIE What's everyone ordering? Then we can sort out the wine. MILES Exactement! Jack shoots Miles a look. MAYA I'm having the salmon. MILES That's what I'm having. STEPHANIE (still scanning the wines) I'm thinking about the duck breast. JACK (slapping his menu shut) Me too. MAYA Well, that narrows things down. Stephanie lowers the menu so that only her eyes peer over the top. She looks at the others, and they look back at her. STEPHANIE Sounds like... Pinot Noir to me. Jack looks at Miles and raises one hand for a HIGH-FIVE. JACK Pinot! Miles reluctantly slaps Jack's hand. This causes the girls to laugh. MUSIC STARTS -- they're OFF! DINNER is improvised, but includes: -- The arrival of the FIRST WINE. -- The SALADS. -- Maya takes a turn with the wine list. Miles pushes her finger down into the prices with THREE DIGITS. -- New stemware is provided with the arrival of the SECOND WINE. -- The four of them DRINK. Particularly Miles. -- Stephanie and Jack get cozier and cozier. -- The SALMON and DUCK arrive. -- Miles is too shy to look into Maya's eyes. She's interested and available -- it's too much for him. -- As Miles gets DRUNKER, the camera angles become sloppier, the cutting choppier. -- Miles PONTIFICATES about some aspect of wine that Maya and Stephanie find interesting. Left out in the cold, his jaw tight, Jack wants to find a way in but can't. -- Miles reaches over to refill his glass, but Jack's arm shoots out to stop him -- "Slow down." CLOSE ON MILES as a distant RUMBLE begins to sound, the rumble of an oncoming ANXIETY ATTACK. By now he has drunk so much that he spaces out, descending into -- INT. UNDERWORLD - DARK AND TIMELESS Miles is boarding an OPEN BOAT atop this underground river, the River Styx. Just beyond a ghoulish HUMAN CARGO the hooded boatman CHARON wields a long staff. Miles is crossing over to the dark side. INT. LOS OLIVOS CAFE - BACK AGAIN Miles returns to earth to find Jack and Stephanie now in their own little world -- Jack explaining something to Stephanie that she finds fascinating, just FASCINATING. -- Miles converses with Maya, but it's clear from her bemused expression that he's being charming if not entirely coherent. -- ANOTHER WINE reaches the table -- a Comte Armand Pornrnard. -- Miles looks over at Jack and Stephanie. They share a short but sensual kiss. MOMENTS LATER -- Miles is on his feet threading his way through the tables. He is very unsteady, and we cut between first and third person perspectives. AT THE BATHROOMS -- He tries the MEN'S ROOM door but it's locked. He pulls the XANAX out his pocket and pops one in his mouth, swallowing it dry. He notices a PAYPHONE nearby. Thinking better of it for a moment, Miles makes a drunken bee-line for the receiver. CLOSE ON THE KEYPAD -- as many numbers are dialed, and we HEAR the TONES, completely out of sync, along with a sound melange of interior phone RINGING and a PICKUP. THE RECEIVER -- As Miles presses it desperately to his head. VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Hello? MILES Victoria. VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Miles? Miles feigns an implausible upbeat tone. MILES Victoria! How the hell are you? VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Fine. What's, uh, what's on your mind? MILES Heard you got remarried! Congratulations. Didn't think you had the stomach for another go-round. VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Oh, Miles. You're drunk. MILES Just some local Pinot, you know, then a little Burgundy. That old Cotes de Beaune! Miles laughs at his own non-existent joke. VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Where are you? MILES A little place in Los Olivos. New owners. Cozy ambiance. Excellent food too -- you should try it. Thought of you at the Hitching Post last night. Silence. MILES (CONT' D) Hello? VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Miles, don't call me when you're drunk. MILES I just wanted you to know I've decided not to go to the wedding, so in case you were dreading some uncomfortable, you know, run-in or something, well, worry no more. You won't see me there. My wedding gift to you and what's- his-name. What is his name? VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) (silence, then --) Ken. MILES Ken. VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Miles, I don't care if you come to the wedding or not. MILES Well, I'm not coming, Barbie. So you guys have fun. VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) I'm going to hang up now, Miles. MILES (rushing to keep her on) You see, Vicki, I just heard about this today, you getting married that is, and I was kind of taken aback. Kind of hard to believe. Silence. MILES I guess I just thought there was still some hope for us somewhere down the road and I just, I just -- VICTORIA (ON THE PHONE) Miles, maybe it is better if you don't come to the wedding. Miles sucks something from between his two front teeth. MILES Whatever you say, Vicki. You're the boss. He HANGS UP as nonchalantly as if it had been a sales call and heads back to the table. EXT. DEEP CANYON - DAY For a flash, Miles is walking an unstable, narrow ROPE BRIDGE extending vertiginously across a great CHASM. INT. LOS OLIVOS CAFE - BACK AGAIN Miles reaches the table, tries to sit and SLIPS ONTO THE FLOOR. Although at first Jack blinks heavily in disgust, the girls burst into hysterical LAUGHTER. Jack then laughs too, perhaps OVER-LAUGHING. JACK Easy, boy. Easy. Maya helps him back into the booth. MAYA Are you all right? MILES Fine. Just slipped. (picking up his glass) This is my blood. Miles drinks. Stephanie makes a head gesture to Maya, who nods in return. STEPHANIE (to the guys) Excuse us. MAYA Sorry to make you get up again, Miles. MILES That's okay. Miles and Jack allow the girls to pass. Then -- JACK What the fuck, man? What is up? Miles reaches for his wine glass, but Jack moves it away. JACK Pull yourself together, man. MILES I'm fine! But in throwing open his arms for emphasis, he spills a WATER GLASS. Jack rights it and throws a napkin on the tablecloth. JACK Where were you? MILES Bathroom. JACK Did you drink and dial? Miles's silence confirms his guilt and shame. JACK Why do you always do this? Victoria's gone, man. Gone. Poof. Miles looks down and squeezes his eyes tight while pushing out an exhale through his nose. JACK Stop it. You are blowing a great opportunity here, Miles. Fucking Maya, man. She's great. She's cool. She's funny. She knows wine. What is this morose come-down bullshit? These girls want to party. And what was that fucking ten-minute lecture on, what was it, Vouvrays? I mean, come on! MILES Let's just say I'm uncomfortable with the whole scenario. JACK Oh Jesus, Miles. Miles belligerently reaches for his Comte Armand. Jack lets it pass. JACK And don't forget all the bad times you had with Victoria. How small she make you feel. That's why you had the affair in the first place. MILES Shut up. Shut your face. JACK Don't you see how Maya's looking at you? You got her on the hook. Reel her in! Come on, let's rachet this up a notch. You know how to to do it. Here. (passing a glass) Drink some agua. Miles looks at the water, takes it and drains it. The girls now return to the table. The guys slide over. MILES (trying to appear sober) Should we get dessert? STEPHANIE We were thinking. Why don't we go back to my place? I've got wine, some insane cheeses, music, whatever. Jack raises both arms like a football referee. JACK Excellent idea. Waiter! INT. SAAB - NIGHT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD -- Trees and bushes lit by the headlights show us we're headed into the woods. INSIDE -- Jack drives. Miles blinks heavily as he tries to make a sense of A HAND-DRAWN MAP. JACK (grabbing the map) Let me see that. EXT. STEPHANIE'S HOUSE - NIGHT The Saab pulls into a gravel DRIVEWAY and comes to a stop outside this wood-framed cottage. Jack and Miles get out and head for the front door. On the way, Jack reaches into his coat pocket and produces a string of FOUR CONDOMS. JACK (tearing) Here. One for you, three for me. Miles wordlessly takes his. Just before they climb the porch steps -- MILES You sure you want to do this? Jack stops and looks at him for a moment with almost hostile incredulity. THE FRONT DOOR is open. Jack knocks twice on the SCREEN DOOR before going in. INT. STEPHANIE'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS The boys enter this modest living room furnished with weathered but charming old furniture. Scattered here and there are CHILDREN'S TOYS. FINGER-PAINTINGS are taped to the walls. CANDLES are lit, and MUSIC is playing. JACK We're here! Stephanie sails in. STEPHANIE What happened to you guys? JACK Couple of wrong turns. (pointing a thumb at Miles) Thanks to Magellan, here. After a brief hug, Stephanie and Jack peck-kiss. JACK Hi. STEPHANIE Hi. (to Miles) Maya's in the kitchen. Miles hesitates a moment before Jack elbows him toward -- EXT. STEPHANIE'S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Miles wanders in to find Maya squatting in front of a little temperature-controlled WINE STORAGE UNIT. MILES Hi. MAYA Hey. MILES She got anything good? MAYA Oh, yeah. Steph's way into Pinots and Syrahs. (calling out) Hey, Steph? You sure we can open anything? Anything we want? STEPHANIE (V.O.) Anything but the Jayer Richebourg! MILES She has a Richebourg? Mon dieu. I have completely underestimated Stephanie. MAYA Who do you think you're dealing with here? Maya slips out a bottle of ESCHEVAUX. MAYA How about this? Miles nods vigorously. Maya looks back and forth between Miles and the wine, her eyes narrowed. Then she slides it back in. MAYA Nope. I don't think we know each other well enough. (picking out another bottle) I'd say this guy's more our speed. They rise, and Miles glances at the ANDREW MURRAY SYRAH and, raising his eyebrows, agrees. Maya begins opening it. MAYA So what gems do you have in your collection? MILES Not much of a collection really. I haven't had the wallet for that, so I sort of live bottle to bottle. But I've got a couple things I'm saving. I guess the star would be a 1961 Cheval Blanc. MAYA You've got a '61 Cheval Blanc that's just sitting there? Go get it. (pushing him, playfully stern) Right now. Hurry up... Miles laughs, fights back a bit. MAYA Seriously, the '61s are peaking, aren't they? At least that's what I've read. MILES Yeah, I know. MAYA It might be too late already. What are you waiting for? MILES I don't know. Special occasion. With the right person. It was supposed to be for my tenth wedding anniversary. Understanding, Maya considers her response. MAYA The day you open a '61 Cheval Blanc, that's the special occasion. MILES How long have you been into wine? MAYA I started to get serious about seven years ago. MILES What was the bottle that did it? MAYA Eighty-eight Sassicaia. Miles whistles and raises his eyebrows. Maya pours, and they clink their glasses together before savoring the wine. MILES Wow. We gotta give it a moment, but this is tasty. Really good. How about you? MAYA (tastes again) I think they overdid it a bit. Too much alcohol. Overwhelms the fruit. MILES (tasting again, impressed) Yeah, I'd say you're right on the money. Then Miles absently scans the REFRIGERATOR DOOR and spots a PHOTO of Stephanie holding a LITTLE GIRL. MILES Is this Stephanie's kid? Sure is cute. MAYA Yeah, Siena's a sweetie. MILES Is she sleeping or...? MAYA She's with her grandmother. She's with Steph's mom. She spends a lot of time over there. Steph's... well, she's Stephanie. Jack's voice-over voice from the other room... JACK (O.S.) "And now for a low, low 4.8% APR..." ...is followed by PEALS OF LAUGHTER. MAYA You got kids? MILES Who me? Nah, I'd just fuck them up. That was the one unpolluted part of my divorce -- no kids. MAYA Yeah, same here. Maya nods as she sips again, looking distant for a moment, thinking about something else. MAYA Let's go in there. Maya takes the bottle, and they wander into -- INT. STEPHANIE'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Jack and Stephanie are gone. From a distant bedroom comes more laughter. MAYA Looks like our friends are hitting it off. While Maya goes to turn down the STEREO, Miles sits on the couch. Maya's shirt rides up as she crouches, giving Miles a glimpse of the small of HER BACK. She takes a seat opposite Miles on the couch. They look at each other without speaking. Just what is the vibe here? MAYA It's kind of weird sitting here with you in Stephanie's house. All those times you came into the restaurant. It's like you're a real person now. Almost. MILES Yeah, I know. It's kind of weird. Out of context. MAYA Yeah, weird. But great. MILES Yeah. Definitely. An awkward silence, broken by Maya. MAYA So what's your novel about? MILES Well, it's a little difficult to summarize. It begins as a first-person account of a guy taking care of his father after a stroke. Kind of based on personal experience, but only loosely. MAYA What's the title? MILES "The Day After Yesterday." MAYA Oh. You mean... today? MILES Um... yeah but it's more... MAYA So is it kind of about death and mortality, or...? MILES Mrnmm, yeah... but not really. It shifts around a lot. Like you also start to see everything from the point of view of the father. And some other stuff happens, some parallel narrative, and then it evolves -- or devolves -- into a kind of a Robbe-Grillet mystery -- you know, with no real resolution. MAYA Wow. Anyway, I think it's amazing you're getting it published. Really. I know how hard it is. Just to write it even. MILES (squeezing it out) Yeah. Thanks. MAYA Like me, I have this stupid paper due on Friday, and as usual I'm freaked out about it. Just like in high school. It never changes. MILES A paper? MAYA Yeah. I'm working on a masters in horticulture. Chipping away at it. MILES Horticulture? Wow. I didn't know there was a college here. MAYA I commute to San Luis Obispo twice a week. MILES So... you want to work for a winery or something someday? MAYA Well... MILES I do have a copy of the manuscript in the car. It's not fully proofed, but if you're okay with a few typos... MAYA Oh yeah. Who cares? I'm the queen of typos. (sipping the wine) Wow, this is really starting to open up. What do you think? MILES My palate's kind of shot, but from what I can tell, I'd dub it pretty damn good. MAYA Can I ask you a personal question? MILES (bracing himself) Sure. MAYA Why are you so into Pinot? It's like a thing with you. Miles laughs at first, then smiles wistfully at the question. He searches for the answer in his glass and begins slowly. MILES I don't know. It's a hard grape to grow. As you know. It's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's not a survivor like Cabernet that can grow anywhere and thrive even when neglected. Pinot needs constant care and attention and in fact can only grow in specific little tucked- away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing growers can do it really, can tap into Pinot's most fragile, delicate qualities. Only when someone has taken the time to truly understand its potential can Pinot be coaxed into its fullest expression. And when that happens, its flavors are the most haunting and brilliant and subtle and thrilling and ancient on the planet. Maya has found this answer revealing and moving. MILES I mean, Cabernets can be powerful and exalting, but they seem prosaic to me for some reason. By comparison. How about you? MAYA What about me? MILES I don't know. Why are you into wine? MAYA I suppose I got really into wine originally through my ex-husband. He had a big, kind of show-off cellar. But then I found out that I have a really sharp palate, and the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about. MILES Yeah? Like what? MAYA Like what a fraud he was. Miles laughs. MAYA No, but I do like to think about the life of wine, how it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing, how the sun was shining that summer or if it rained... what the weather was like. I think about all those people who tended and picked the grapes, and if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I love how wine continues to evolve, how every time I open a bottle it's going to taste different than if I had opened it on any other day. Because a bottle of wine is actually alive -- it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks -- like your '61 -- and begins its steady, inevitable decline. And it tastes so fucking good. Now it is Miles's turn to be swept away. Maya's face tells us the moment is right, but Miles remains frozen. He needs another sign, and Maya is bold enough to offer it: reaches out and places one hand atop his. MILES (pointing) Bathroom over there? MAYA Yeah. Miles gets up and walks out. Maya sighs and gets and American Spirit out of her purse. INT. STEPHANIE'S BATHROOM - NIGHT The bathroom's a MESS -- the shower curtain is filthy, and the chipped and water-stained tub is filled with CHILDREN'S BATH TOYS. Miles is bent over the sink splashing water on his face, trying to sober up and gather his courage. He stands, and without drying his face, presses his palms against his cheeks. Then he takes a deep breath and drops his hands. MILES You are such a loser. Come on! INT. THE LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Miles comes out of the bathroom and looks for Maya, but she's not there. Then he hears a noise from the kitchen, so he goes through the door into -- INT. STEPHANIE'S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Maya is at the sink, filling a glass with water. MAYA I was just getting some water. You want some water? Miles goes to stand by her and accepts a glass of water. Just as she's about to fill a second glass, he stops her and looks her in the eye, trying to recapture a moment that is long gone. He kisses her and she kisses back, but the whole thing feels strained and awkward. After a few seconds, Maya breaks away. MAYA Nice. But instead of resuming the kiss, she steps past him, heading back into the living room. MAYA (O.S.) I should probably get going. Miles realizes he's blown it and silently berates himself. INT. SAAB - NIGHT Miles drives down the hill behind Maya's car, which leads him through this very rural road. EXT. WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE HIGHWAY - NIGHT Maya's car comes to a stop just ahead of the Saab. She puts it in PARK and gets out. AT THE SAAB -- Miles rolls down his window as Maya leans over. MAYA You know how to get back to the Windmill, right? MILES Got it. MAYA I had a good time tonight, Miles. I really did. MILES Good. So did I. MAYA Okay. See you around. MILES Um... did you still want to read my novel? MAYA Oh, yeah. Sure. Of course. Miles turns to the backseat, locates a large MANUSCRIPT BOX, and hands it to Maya. MAYA Wow. Great. He turns around again, produces a SECOND BOX, and hands it over as well. MILES Hope you like it. Feel free to stop reading at any time. I'll take no offense. MAYA Goodnight, Miles. She gives him a friendly peck on the cheek. After she gets back in her car, she heads in one direction while Miles heads in the opposite. OMIT. UNDER BLACK -- TUESDAY Jack's cellphone RINGS. INT. MOTEL ROOM - MORNING NOW EARLY MORNING -- Still fully clothed, Miles staggers across the room. Fishing the phone out of Jack's windbreaker pocket, he looks at the CALLER ID: "Erganian, Christine" and the number. He briefly considers his options -- answer it? shut it off? -- before placing it atop Jack's suitcase. The moment he lies back down on the bed, the MOTEL PHONE RINGS. An old DIGITAL CLOCK next to it reads 7:l0. As Miles closes his eyes and pulls the pillow over his aching head, we again -- FADE TO BLACK. LATER -- VROOM! Outside a roaring MOTORCYCLE comes to a stop. Then over the sound of an IDLING ENGINE come familiar if indistinct VOICES and LAUGHTER. Miles opens his bleary eyes and listens. FOOTSTEPS pound on the balcony outside, and Jack lets himself in, flushed and exuberant. JACK Fucking chick is unbelievable. Un-be- lieve-able! He pounds on the wall, then goes into the bathroom and without closing the door unzips his pants to PEE. JACK Goddamn, Miles, she is nasty. Nasty nasty nasty. MILES Well, I'm glad you got it out of your system. Congratulations. Mission accomplished. A hungover Miles gets up and looks out the door Jack has left open. Down in the parking lot he sees -- STEPHANIE atop a mid-sized MOTORCYCLE, wearing a weathered fringed suede jacket. She gives him a big friendly wave. MILES returns the wave and goes back inside. MILES You didn't invite Stephanie to come with us, did you? With a FLUSH Jack emerges from the bathroom and opens his bag. JACK Oh, hey, change of plans. Steph's off today, so she and I are going on a hike. MILES We were supposed to play golf. JACK You go. In fact, use my clubs. They're brand new -- gift from Christine's dad. (slapping some cash on the dresser) It's on me. Oh, say, by the way, Stephanie and me were thinking we'd all go to the Hitching Post tonight and sit at one of Maya's tables, and she'll bring us some great wines and then we can all -- MILES (sitting down) Count me out. JACK Oooh, I see. Didn't go so good last night, huh? That's a shocker. You mean getting drunk and calling Victoria didn't put you in the mood? You dumb fuck. Your divorce pain's getting real old real fast, dude. Miles looks down. Jack heads for the door. JACK Later. MILES Yeah, well, maybe you should check your messages first. Jack stops, eyeing Miles suspiciously. Miles tosses Jack his phone. Jack flips it open and scrolls down with his thumb. He doesn't like what he sees. JACK Oh, boy. MILES (pointing at the room phone) She's been leaving messages here too. JACK Yeah. Okay. He SNAPS the phone shut and puts it back. MILES You should call her. JACK I will. (heading out the door) See ya! MILES Right now. JACK Okay! Jesus! Jack picks up his phone, sits on the bed and looks defiantly at Miles. JACK I've got no problem calling her. Now Jack closes his eyes and brings the heel of his hand to his forehead as he begins to concoct the BIG LIE. JACK (opening his phone) Wait outside, will you? EXT. WINDMILL INN - DAY Miles wanders out and looks down at Stephanie. STEPHANIE That was fun last night. MILES Yeah. Good food. You've got quite a wine collection. Very impressive. STEPHANIE Thanks. Hey, I talked to Maya this morning. She said she had a good time too. You should call her. Miles says nothing. STEPHANIE Where's Jack? MILES He had to make a phone call. Stephanie cuts her bike's engine and climbs off, propping it up on the kickstand. STEPHANIE So what are you up to today, Miles? MILES Just kickin' back, I guess. I don't know. Jack and I were supposed to go golfing. STEPHANIE Huh. MILES Yeah, I reserved the tee time about a month ago. STEPHANIE Oops. Sorry. MILES You golf? STEPHANIE Me? No, I think it's kind of a stupid game. I mean, at least, I could never get into it. I tried it once. MILES Huh. Jack loves golf. Crazy about it. Just then Jack cracks open the motel room door. JACK (hushed) Hey Miles. Miles. Miles ducks back inside. INT. MOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS JACK Do you have that other condom? Miles reaches into his wallet and hands over the little foil square. MILES What'd Christine say? JACK Lucked out -- got voice mail. Everything's cool. EXT. WINDMILL INN - CONTINUOUS Jack bounds out of the room and down the stairs like a child on Christmas morning. Miles watches Jack climb on the bike behind Stephanie, grasping her waist. Stephanie and Jack PEEL OUT, leaving Miles alone on the balcony. CLOSE ON MILES -- As we begin to hear a SNIPPING sound which carries us to -- EXT. MOTEL ROOM BALCONY - DAY Miles sits outside carefully trimming his toenails. SNIP, SNIP, SNIP. MUSIC BEGINS for this mournful montage of solitude. INT. MOTEL LOBBY - DAY Miles takes a styrofoam cup and helps himself to a cup of complimentary COFFEE from a PUMP THERMOS. Then he takes a look at the rack of pamphlets of local TOURIST ATTRACTIONS -- a water park, a mystery cave, and of course winery after winery. EXT. WINDMILL INN JACUZZI - DAY Amid turbulent water, Miles corrects his students' papers. He is alone in the tub, but at the nearby pool STOCKY KIDS play noisily with SUPER-SOAKERS. OVER MILES'S SHOULDER -- The PAPER he's reading is marked up with circled spelling errors, and one entire paragraph has been crossed out. Finding a new error, Miles writes "NO!!!" CAMERA PANS to reveal a STACK of papers already heavily marked with corrections, some of them mottled with water stains. INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY Miles FLOSSES, his lips pulled back into a grotesque moue. Then he brushes with a SONIC-CARE TOOTHBRUSH. LATER -- Miles checks his machine. SYNTHESIZED VOICE (O.S.) No new messages. He hangs up, disgusted. EXT. CHINA PANDA RESTAURANT - DAY A small Buellton eatery. INT. CHINA PANDA - DAY The only customer right now, Miles eats awkwardly with his chopsticks. EXT. DRIVING RANGE - DAY Miles DRIVES ball after ball, unsuccessfully trying to release his frustration. EXT. BUCOLIC ROAD - DAY The Saab roars past us, perhaps going a little too fast. INT. SAAB - CONTINUOUS Whistling absently as he drives, Miles leans over to turn the radio on and fiddle around to find a good station. Then all of a sudden -- WHUMP! The car has struck something with a hideous sound followed immediately by the receding "ARF-ARF-ARF-ARF" of an injured DOG in the Saab's wake. Miles applies the BRAKES. EXT. BUCOLIC ROAD - DAY Miles gets out of his car just in time to see -- A DOG scampering into the nearby woods. Miles looks around -- has anyone seen him? Is there a nearby residence? Finding nothing, Miles momentarily weighs his options before finally GIVING CHASE. He follows the path of the dog into -- EXT. ROADSIDE WOODS - CONTINUOUS Still hearing occasional distant barking, Miles finds his way among the trees and bushes, looking in vain for the ill- fated cur. After a frenetic search, Miles reluctantly gives up and heads back. OMIT. EXT. BUCOLIC ROAD - DAY Miles has returned to where he hit the dog. Just then, Miles notices TWO MEXICAN CHILDREN watching him from just down the road. They disappear into the bushes. Looking like a criminal, Miles trots back to the Saab climbs behind the wheel and speeds away. EXT. WINDMILL INN - DAY The Saab pulls into the parking lot. EXT./INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY Miles trudges up the stops to the room. He opens the door and sees -- JACK atop Stephanie, plowing her fertile fields. Despite the interruption, their pace does not alter. JACK Not now! Not now! Miles quickly shuts the door. INT. WINDMILL SPORTS BAR LOUNGE - DAY Miles pours himself another glass of Pinot. Jack comes in and spots his morose friend. JACK Hey, there you are. MILES Yep. JACK What're you drinking? Jack reaches over to check out the bottle's label. Miles remains cool to Jack's amiability. JACK Any good? Miles shrugs. JACK (to the bartender) Could I get a glass please? (to Miles) Stephanie took me out into the Pinot fields today. It was awesome. I think I finally got a handle on the whole process, from the soil to the vine to the -- what do you call it? -- selection and harvest. And the whole, you know, big containers where they mix it. We even ate Pinot grapes right off the vine. (the new expert) Still a little sour but already showing potential for great structure. Stephanie really knows her shit, Miles. Jack now has his glass and pours himself some wine. MILES Where is Stephanie? JACK Upstairs. Getting cleaned up. MILES What the fuck are you doing? JACK What? MILES With this chick. Jack just looks at him. MILES Does she know about Saturday? JACK Um... not exactly. But I've been honest. I haven't told her I'm available. And she knows this trip up here is only for a few days. Besides... Jack stops short in a rare instance of self-censorship. MILES Besides what? JACK Well... I don't know, just... the wedding. MILES What? JACK Well, I've been doing some thinking. MILES Oh, you've been thinking. And? JACK I may have to put the wedding on hold is all. Miles looks at him with incredulity. JACK I fully realize that making a change like that might be tricky for certain people to accept at first, but life is short, Miles. I've got to be sure I'm doing the right thing before taking such a big step. And not just for my sake. I'm thinking about Christine's feelings too. I take marriage very seriously -- always have. That's why I've never done it before. The day I get married, it's going to be the real thing. Miles just looks at his friend, waiting for more. JACK Being with Stephanie has opened my eyes. She's not uptight or controlling. She's just cool. Things are so easy with her. Smells different. Tastes different. Fucks different. Fucks like an animal. I'm telling you, I went deep last night, Miles. Deep. MILES Deep. Miles draws a long sigh. JACK Don't get all judgmental on me. This is my deal. It's my life, and it's my call. They fall silent for a moment. Then -- JACK I was hoping to get some understanding from you. And I'm not getting it. MILES Understanding of what? JACK Like I might be in love with another woman. MILES In love? Twenty-four hours with some wine-pourer chick and you think you're in love? And give up everything? JACK Look who's talking. You've been there. MILES Yes I have, and do I look like a happy man? Was all that drama with Brenda a happy thing for me to do? Huh? Was it? Is she a part of my life now? JACK This is totally different. I'm talking about avoiding what you're talking about. That's the distinction. I have not made the commitment yet. I am not married. I have not said the words. In a few days, I might get married, and if I do, then I won't be doing stuff like this anymore. Otherwise, what's the whole point of getting married? MILES And what about Stephanie? She's a woman -- with a kid. A single mom. What do you think she's looking for? Huh? JACK (interrupting) Here's what I'm thinking. We move up here, you and me, buy a vineyard. You design your own wine; I'll handle the business side. Then you get inspired and write a new novel. As for me, if an audition comes along, hell, LA'S two hours away. Not even. MILES You're crazy. You've gone crazy. JACK What do you care anyway? You don't even like Christine. MILES What? Of course I like Christine. JACK You said she was shallow. Yeah, and a nouveau riche. MILES That was three years ago after that first party! JACK Look, Miles, all I know is I'm an actor. All I have is my instinct. (his hand on his chest) My intuition -- that's all I have. And you're asking me to go against it. And that's just wrong. Just then Stephanie walks in. She cozies up to Jack, and he kisses the top of her head. STEPHANIE Hi, guys. We should probably get going. MILES Where? INT. BOWLING ALLEY - DUSK CLOSE ON A VIDEO GAME MONITOR as a crazy car races through the obstacle-ridden track, often leaving the road, much like Jack's libido. ZOOM OUT to reveal six-year-old SIENA seated in Jack's lap as they drive together. A delighted Siena laughs and giggles. Miles sits nearby with Stephanie and her fifty-something, two-pack-a-day MOTHER CARYL. CARYL Stephanie's heard this a thousand times, but if I'd done what I wanted and I'd bought up in Santa Maria when I had the chance, I would have made a fortune when they put in that outlet center and that Home Depot. (a drag off her cigarette, then to Stephanie) Your father knew it too, but he was a fucking chickenshit. Always was. Caryl looks over her shoulder, her gaze drawn to Jack and Siena, so completely happy together. Caryl exhales a puff of smoke as she watches. Stephanie is equally enthralled. Miles takes it all in, trying his best not to shake his head in disgust. INT. BOWLING ALLEY PARKING LOT - DUSK Caryl is behind the wheel of her OLDSMOBILE as Stephanie gets Siena buckled up in the backseat. Jack pulls Miles aside. JACK Listen, I'm going to make sure Steph and Siena get home safe, and then maybe we'll hook up with you later, okay? MILES (dispirited) Sure, whatever. Maybe I'll catch a movie. Stephanie kisses Miles's cheek before getting in the car next to her mom. STEPHANIE See you, Miles. You take care. MILES Bye, Stephanie. Bye, Siena, Caryl. SIENA AND CARYL Bye, Miles. As he gets in the car -- JACK Call me on my cell if you go out. MILES Yeah. Miles watches them drive away, then heads toward his Saab. INT. MINI-MART - DUSK CLOSE ON THE COUNTER -- as Miles places a box of security ENVELOPES, a packet of BEEF JERKY and some TROPICAL FRUIT SKITTLES. WIDE -- Miles points over the CASHIER'S SHOULDER. MILES And could I get a Barely Leqal? As the cashier reaches for the magazine -- MILES NO, um, the new one. INT. MOTEL ROOM BATHROOM - NIGHT Miles is once again FLOSSING. INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT POP! Miles opens a bottle of Pinot and pours himself a glass. He carries it to bed, takes a nice big slug, lies down on the bed and opens his magazine. NOW SNEEZING ATOP THE BED -- ANGLE ON TOP OF HIM -- The Barely Legal face down on his chest, Miles awakens with a start and looks at the clock-radio. He thinks a moment, takes a deep breath, and bounds off the bed. CLOSE ON A WATER-SAVER SHOWER HEAD -- as little needles of water come at us. THROUGH THE BATHROOM DOOR -- Miles takes a nice hot SHOWER. But wait -- he has forgotten to put the shower curtain inside the tub. A closer look reveals a growing PUDDLE OF WATER on the floor. EXT. THE HITCHING POST - NIGHT Miles walks across the parking lot. He pauses before entering, then forces himself to take the leap. INT. THE HITCHING POST - NIGHT Miles affects nonchalance as he searches briefly for Maya. He continues on into the BAR. GARY How's it hanging, Miles? MILES You know me. I love it up here. How about you? GARY Busy night for a Tuesday. We had a busload of retired folks in on a wine tour. Usually they're not too rowdy, but tonight there was something going on. Full moon or something. What can I get you? MILES Highliner. GARY Glass or bottle? MILES (considers, then --) Bottle. GARY You got it. MILES Say, is Maya working? GARY Maya? Haven't seen her. I think she's off tonight. Say, where's your buddy? Miles just smiles. WIDE -- Gary serves Miles, alone at the bar. Miles takes his first drink. MILES Oh, that's tasty. EXT. HITCHING POST - NIGHT It's closing time. The front door flies open, and Miles staggers out sideways. Gary follows him out, concerned. GARY You okay, Miles? MILES I'm good. Miles heads in the wrong direction at first, then realizes his mistake and steers himself back toward the Windmill. FADE OUT. UNDER BLACK, A CARD -- WEDNESDAY INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY The door bursts open, and Jack comes bounding in. JACK Come on, dude. Let's go golfing! I got us in at Alisal. Miles comes to, very hungover. MILES That's a public course. (then --) No Stephanie? JACK She's working. I need a break anyway. She's getting a little clingy. (magnanimous) This is our day! EXT. GOLF COURSE - DAY WHACK! Jack TEES OFF with a manly athletic swing and shades his eyes to watch the ball's trajectory. JACK Crap. Miles, disheveled and sullen, approaches the teebox, sticks a tee in the ground and sets his ball. JACK Did you ever got ahold of Maya yesterday? MILES Nope. JACK She likes you, man. Stephanie'll tell you. MILES (preparing to swing) Can you give me some room here? JACK (stepping back) Oh yeah. Sure. Miles lifts his club. JACK You know, in life you gotta strike when the iron's hot. MILES Thanks, Jack. Miles refocuses and SWINGS just as Jack offers more helpful advice. JACK Don't whiff it. WHACK! Despite the distraction, Miles manages to make a good, long drive. JACK Nice shot. MILES You're an asshole. NOW ON THE FAIRWAY -- Jack is pouring two Dixie cups of wine as Miles prepares to take his next swing. JACK What about your agent? Hear anything yet? MILES Nope. JACK What do you think's going on? MILES Could be anything. JACK Been checking your messages? MILES Obsessively. JACK Huh. MILES They probably think my book is such a piece of shit that it's not even worthy of a response. I guess I'll just have to learn how to kiss off three years of my life. JACK But you don't know yet, so your negativity's a bit premature, wouldn't you say? Miles says nothing. JACK Or fuck those New York publishers. Publish it yourself. I'll chip in. Just get it out there, get it reviewed, get it in libraries. Let the public decide. Giving Jack a look that says Jack has no idea what he's talking about, Miles takes a stance over the ball and focuses. JACK Don't come over the top. Stay still. MILES Shut up. JACK Just trying to be helpful. (a moment later) It's all about stillness, Miles. Inner quiet. Miles drops his club and turns to Jack. MILES Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! What's the matter with you, man? SHUT UP! JACK Why are you so hostile? I know you're frustrated with your life right now, but you can choose not to be so hostile. (holding out a cup of wine) Here. Still fuming, Miles begrudgingly accepts the wine and has a taste. He's immediately distracted from his woes. MILES What is it? JACK I don't know. Got it from Stephanie. Miles downs the rest and is intrigued by the taste. MILES Huh. Let me see the label. Suddenly a golfball THUDS against the hard fairway directly behind them. JACK (whirling around) What the fuck? Way back on the tee box, some 200 yards away, are a FOURSOME of two couples. One of the MEN is waving his driver. HUSBAND #1 (shouting, barely audible) Hurry it up, will you? Jack looks at Miles, the two incredulous. MILES Fucker hit into us. JACK (yelling) Hey, asshole! That's not cool! MILES Throw me his ball. Jack walks over, picks up the offending ball and tosses it to Miles. Miles gets out his 3-wood and -- THWOCK! -- cuts it back low and hard. JACK Nice shot. THE COUPLES duck for cover as the ball whistles over their heads. JACK AND MILES laugh hard. THE TWO HUSBANDS climb in their CART and hasten down the fairway toward Jack and Miles. JACK watches their approach, grinning. JACK Oh, this is going to be fun. (jerking a driver from his bag) This is going to be fun. Jack heads in their direction, brandishing the club like a medieval knight with a mace. As the husbands get a look at this sight, they turn their cart around and speed back toward their wives. JACK Hit into us again, motherfuckers, and I'll ass-rape all four of you! EXT. GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE - DAY Jack and Miles are turning in their cart and hoisting their clubs over their shoulders. JACK Just don't give up on Maya. Cool smart chicks like that --they like persistence. MILES I don't want to talk about it. JACK All I know is she's beautiful. Lots of soul. Perfect for you. I'm not going to feel good about this trip until you guys hook up. Don't you just want to feel that cozy little box grip down on your Johnson? Nearby a GOLFER is with his YOUNG SON. GOLFER Hey, you mind keeping it down, buddy? EXT. GOLF COURSE PARKING LOT - DAY Miles and Jack walk toward their car. JACK Is it the money thing? MILES Is what the money thing? JACK With Maya. MILES Well, yeah, that's part of it. Woman finds out how I live, that I'm not a published author, that I'm a liar essentially, then yeah, any interest is gonna evaporate real quick. If you don't have money at my age, you're not even in the game. You're just a pasture animal waiting for the abattoir. JACK Is an abattoir like a... like a... what is that? MILES Slaughterhouse. JACK Abattoir. Huh. But you are going to get the good news this week about your book. I know you are. I can feel it. Jack's CELLPHONE rings, and he checks the caller ID. JACK It's Steph. (picking up) Hey, baby. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yesssss. I mean I would, but let me see. Hey, Miles... Oh fuck it, we're going. We'll be right there. Me too. He snaps his phone shut and turns to Miles. JACK We're on. MILES What's happening? JACK We're going to have some fun. Remember fun? We're going to have some of it. Okay? MILES What exactly are we going to do? JACK I said okay? MILES You have to tell me -- JACK I SAID OKAY? Miles finally smiles. MILES Okay. OMITTED BIG FUN MUSIC BEGINS OVER: EXT. DOWNTOWN LOS OLIVOS - DAY A HIGH WIDE SHOT -- The Saab pulls up where Stephanie and Maya await with bottles of wine and a PICNIC BASKET. The girls climb into the back seat, and the car speeds away. INT./EXT. THE SAAB - DAY They're going FAST, hair whipping around. MAYA Hey, Miles, I heard you came by the restaurant last night looking for me. MILES Oh, yeah. No. I mean yeah, I stopped by for a drink. Didn't see you. MAYA I had class. MILES Well, nice to see you now. MAYA You too. EXT. BEAUTIFUL ROAD - DAY WHOOSH! That car's going a little too FAST! INT./EXT. LA PURISIMA MISSION CHURCH The two couples wander around this historic site. EXT. IDYLLIC PICNIC SPOT - DAY INTO DUSK The girls have led them to a beautiful spot. IN A SERIES OF SHOTS -- we see the progress of their picnic. We don't hear them, but there is a growing intimacy about their interaction. Even Maya and Miles seem to be overcoming residual awkwardness from the other night. Jack and Stephanie lean on each other as they eat and sip wine. Finally, the two couples are SILHOUETTED against the SUNSET. EXT. WINERY #3 PARKING LOT - EVENING The parking lot is crowded. The foursome join others headed toward the main building. INT. WINERY #3 - EVENING A LECTURE by British wine sage LESLIE BROUGH is in progress. He holds aloft a RIEDEL BURGUNDY GLASS containing one of the few but growing number of local reds worthy of his attention. IN THE AUDIENCE -- As our foursome listen attentively, Jack leans over to Miles. JACK You ever actually read any of this guy's books? MILES He wrote a great one on Burgundy, and I used to get his newsletter, but then there were doubts about whether he does all his own tasting. Plus a couple of times he declared certain years vintages of the century, and they turned out to be turkeys. Fucker never retracted. JACK Huh. Stephanie leans forward and signals to Maya with a YAWN or a GAGGING FINGER IN MOUTH that they hightail it. Although Miles protests at first, they stand and leave. AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM -- Stephanie finds a DOOR which she tests to see whether it is open. It is! She leads her pals furtively inside -- INT. WINEMAKING ROOM - CONTINUOUS This is an enormous, dimly-lit chamber filled with stainless steel FERMENTATION TANKS and stacks of OAK BARRELS. As the two couples walk in the near-darkness, they are entranced. Maya takes Miles's hand and leads him away. LATER -- In the background, Stephanie and Jack lean against a tank, kissing. CAMERA DOLLIES to reveal Miles and Maya among the barrels in the foreground. They are shy with each other, on the verge of kissing but holding back. THE MUSIC CONTINUES... INT. STEPHANIE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT THREE BOTTLES OF WINE sit empty on the coffee table. WIDE -- The four friends sit on the floor around the coffee table. They drink wine and pass a JOINT. Suddenly they explode in LAUGHTER. A sleepy Siena appears at the hallway door rubbing her eyes. Stephanie gets up, but Jack stops her, gathers Siena in his arms, and takes her back to bed. EXT. STEPHANIE'S HOUSE - NIGHT The Saab pulls away from the house. INT. SAAB - NIGHT Miles sits in his own passenger seat as Maya tries her hand at the Saab. EXT. MAYA'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Maya leads Miles up her back stairway. They're both a little woozy from the hours of drinking. AT THE DOOR -- Maya searches through her purse for her keys while Miles hovers directly behind her, staring at her ear. Her ear? Just as Maya puts the key in the lock, he impulsively leans forward to kiss the nape of her neck. Maya's reaction is immediate -- she turns to embrace Miles, giving him a long KISS. Then she opens the door, pulls him inside and closes the door in our face. The camera PANS to the nearby ROOFTOPS. MUSIC ENDS AND SLOW DISSOLVE TO: THE SAME VIEW BY DAY, SUPERIMPOSED WITH -- THURSDAY The CAMERA PANS back to Maya's door, tilting down to find a blue-wrapped NEW YORK TIMES. The door opens, and Maya's hand picks up the newspaper. The CAMERA FOLLOWS Maya inside to -- INT. MAYA'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS It is a small, clean apartment furnished with simple taste. Maya is dressed in a ROBE and holds a COFFEE MUG. She drops the paper on the dining table and continues into -- THE BEDROOM -- where Miles lies on his stomach DEAD TO THE WORLD. His stubbly face is squished against the mattress and he SNORES lightly. Maya looks at him for a moment before shaking his foot. EXT. FARMERS' MARKET - DAY This is a weekly event in a big PARKING LOT -- organic produce, candles and incense, honey and cider. Maya and Miles are shopping. Miles carries the bags. EXT. ORCHARD - DAY Across from each other at a PICNIC TABLE, and surrounded by the remnants of BREAKFAST, Miles and Maya read the NEWSPAPER. Miles is doing the CROSSWORD PUZZLE. MAYA You guys should stop by the restaurant for lunch today. MILES Great. What's the latest we can get there? MAYA About two-thirty. MILES Okay. MAYA (noticing) Did you hear about this Bordeaux tasting dinner down in Santa Barbara Saturday night? It's a little pricey, but if you wanted to go, I'd be into it. Why don't you stay through the weekend? Miles has just figured out a difficult clue. As he writes it down -- MILES No, we've got to get back Friday for the rehearsal dinner. MAYA What rehearsal dinner? Miles stops writing. MAYA Who's getting married? INT./EXT. PARKING AREA NEAR THE ORCHARD - DAY Maya leads the way toward the Saab. MAYA Were you ever going to say anything? MILES Of course I was. I mean, just now I could have made up some story, but I didn't. I told you the truth. Maya turns to confront Miles with a look of "Give me a break." Miles reaches out to touch her. MILES Maya. MAYA (jerking away) Don't touch me. Just take me home. INT. SAAB - DAY Miles drives, glancing occasionally at Maya, who stares straight ahead. MILES I've told him. I've told him over and over, but he's out of control. MAYA Do you know what he's been saying to her? MILES He's an actor, so it can't be good. MAYA Oh, just that he loves her. That she's the only woman who has ever really rocked his world. How he adores Siena. How he wants to move up here and get a place with the two of them and commute when he has to. MILES I'm sure he believed every word. A stony silence. MILES Please believe me. I was even on the verge of telling you last night, but... MAYA But you wanted to fuck me first. MILES Oh, Maya. No. MAYA Yeah. EXT. MAYA'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY Miles brings the car to a stop. Maya opens the door and begins to get out. MAYA You know, I just spent three years trying to extricate myself from a relationship that turned out to be full of deception. And I've been doing just fine. MILES And I haven't been with anyone since my divorce. This has been a big deal for me, Maya -- hanging out with you, and last night. I really like you, Maya. And I'm not Jack. I'm just his... his freshman roommate from San Diego State. Maya wants to let Miles's words reach her, but she can't just yet. MAYA Could I have my paper, please? Unsure what she wants at first, Miles reaches into the back seat for the New York Times. He hands it to her and watches until she goes inside. EXT. WINDMILL INN - DAY Miles pulls up and parks. INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY As Miles enters, a shirtless Jack drops the Barely Legal and is immediately upon him, grabbing him in a big BEARHUG. The TV is on, perhaps showing an E! True Hollywood Story. JACK Yo! Yo! Here's my boy! Here's my boy! Who's your daddy, boy? Who is yo' daddy? MILES Put me down, Jack. Jack continues his paean to Miles's triumphant night. MILES I said put me down. Jack! Still gripping Miles in a bearhug, Jack flings the both of them onto the bed. Now on top of Miles, Jack KISSES both cheeks. JACK I'm so proud of you! Let me love you! Now they get up off the bed. JACK So tell me everything. Details. I like details. MILES No. JACK What? MILES It's private. JACK You're kidding, right? Tell me what happened, you fucker, or I'll tie your dick in a knot. MILES Let's leave it alone. Jack looks at Miles, his face frozen with incomprehension. JACK You didn't get any, did you? (off Miles's silence) You're a homo. MILES Just stop, okay? Make something up, and that's what happened. Whatever you want. Write my confession, and I'll sign it. Just stop pushing me all the time! I can't take it! You're an infant! This is all a big party for you, but not for me! This is serious. And you -- Just... leave me alone, okay? You're fucking me up. JACK Wow. Okay. Calm down. Sorry. Miles begins to calm down. Jack grows concerned and sensitively puts one arm around his friend. JACK Did you have trouble performing? Yeah, that's... MILES Shut up! Shut up, Jack! The phone RINGS and both men look at it, silenced by the ominous sound. MILES Don't answer it. But Jack is drawn to it as though enticed by a strange game of Russian roulette. MILES I'm telling you, don't. Jack picks up the receiver and puts it to his ear. JACK Hello? Oh, hey, honey. How you doing? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. (mouthing) Christine. Miles lies on his bed and clamps both hands over his ears. His face is dark with resentment. JACK Listen, honey. Let me call you back. Miles and I are in the middle of something. No, it's nothing serious -- Miles is just having one of his freak- outs. Yeah. Love you too. I'll call you right back. Jack hangs up. MILES This whole week has gone sour. It isn't turning out like it was supposed to. (deadly serious) I want to go home. JACK Who's being selfish now? I'm the one getting married. I thought this week was supposed to be about me. MILES We gotta slow down. (closing his eyes) I'm so tired. Let's just get out of here. JACK I know what you need. INT. SEARS - DAY Jack watches Miles be fitted for SNEAKERS. A SALES ASSOCIATE ties Miles's laces. SALES ASSOCIATE There you go. Miles gets up and walks in a circle. MILES Do you like them? JACK Yeah, they're great. Sporty. They're really sporty. MILES Are they too sporty? INT. MALL - DAY The boys exit Sears, Miles wearing his new shoes and carrying a PLASTIC BAG with a string handle. JACK Feel better? Miles shrugs. JACK (noticing something) Oh here, wait a second. I want to run in here real quick. He heads toward a TOYS STORE. JACK (over his shoulder) I want to get something for Siena. Mildly concerned, Miles watches Jack go into the store. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY Miles is slumped in the passenger seat as Jack drives. They pass a BIG COMMERCIAL WINERY. Jack slows down, preparing to turn in. JACK How about this one? We didn't hit this one. MILES Yeah, it's Frass Canyon. It's a joke. JACK You ever actually been in there, Miles? MILES I don't have to. JACK (turning the wheel) I say we check it out. You never know. EXT. LARGE WINERY PARKING LOT - DAY The Saab finds a place in the large parking lot. A TOUR BUS, whose flank reads "Solvang Wine Tours," is in the process of letting out WINE TOURISTS, many of them elderly. INT. LARGE WINERY - DAY The room boasts not only a large TASTING BAR but also display after display of t-shirts, golf shirts, olive oils, chocolate sauces and other gourmet tourist items emblazoned with the winery's logo. In the corner an ACOUSTIC GUITARIST with a small amp plays soothing Windham Hill-ish music. The tasting bar is packed three-deep with TASTERS attended to by HARRIED POURERS. Finally the POURER gets to their glasses. Miles chews a sip and swallows, then downs the rest in a single gulp. MILES Tastes like the back of a fucking LA schoolbus. Probably didn't de-stem, hoping for some semblance of concentration, crushed it up with leaves and mice, wound up with this rancid tar and turpentine mouthwash bullshit. Fucking Raid. JACK I don't know. Tastes okay to me. (looking at the tasting sheet) Hey, they got a reserve pinot. MILES Let me use your phone. JACK (handing it over) What's up? MILES I can't take it anymore. I've got to call Evelyn. EXT. LARGE WINERY - DAY Walking across the lawn outside, Miles holds the cellphone to his ear. ASSISTANT (ON THE PHONE) Evelyn Berman-Silverman's office. MILES Hi, it's Miles. ASSISTANT (ON THE PHONE) Oh, hi, Miles. Let me see if I can get her. (a moment later) You're in luck. I'll put you through. EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) Miles. MILES Hey, Evelyn, it's your favorite client. EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) How's the trip? MILES Good, good. Drinking some good wines and kicking back, you know. So what's happening? Still no word? EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) Actually there is word. I spoke to Keith Kurtzman this morning. MILES And? EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) And... they're passing. Conundrum's passing. He said they really liked it. They really wanted to do it, but they just couldn't figure out how to market it. He said it was a tough call. MILES Huh. EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) I'm sorry, Miles. (off his silence) So I don't know where that leaves us. I'm not sure how much more mileage I can get out of continuing to submit it. I think it's one of those unfortunate cases in the business right now -- a fabulous book with no home. The whole industry's gotten gutless. It's not about the quality of the books. It's about the marketing. Miles is at a loss for words. A distant RUMBLE begins to sound, the familiar harbinger of an anxiety attack. EXT. DEEP CANYON - INSERT Once again we see the narrow ROPE BRIDGE extending vertiginously across a great CHASM. EXT. LARGE WINERY - BACK AGAIN EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) Are you there? Miles? MILES Yeah, I'm here. EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) I'm sorry, Miles. We did all we could. You've been a real trooper. (loudly, to her assistant) Tell him I'll call back. MILES So I guess that's it. EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) You're a wonderful writer, Miles. Don't be discouraged. MOMENTS LATER -- Miles STAGGERS toward the tasting room, unpocketing his Xanax and downing a couple, as Evelyn's clich�s of consolation continue in his head. EVELYN (ON THE PHONE) Just hang in there, and who knows? After you get something else published, we can revisit this one. And next time we can try a different title. Once back at the tent, he leans against it in a vain attempt to steady himself. The RUMBLE grows deafening. INT. LARGE WINERY - DAY Now inside, Miles grabs the first DIRTY WINE GLASS he finds and shakes it out as he approaches the closest tasting station. He pushes his way to front. The pourer offers the usual one-ounce dollop. Miles jacks it back, immediately extending his glass for more. MILES Hit me again. The same small amount is poured and downed. Once again Miles holds out his glass. MILES Pour me a full glass. I'll pay for it. POURER This is a tasting, sir. Not a bar. Miles slams a TWENTY-DOLLAR BILL on the table. MILES Just give me a full goddamn pour. The pourer turns away to serve another party. Miles looks around indignantly, as though everyone should be sympathetic to this injustice. Now Miles boldly reaches over and pours himself a glass right up to the brim and beyond. POURER Sir, what are you doing? MILES I told you I need a drink. POURER Then buy a bottle and go outside. The pourer grabs Miles by the wrist before he can drink. POURER Put the glass down. In the ensuing struggle, the wine spills, and everyone nearby steps back. POURER You're going to have to leave, sir. The pourer signals to a SECURITY GUY at the door. Across the room Jack notices the disturbance and heads over. Miles hoists up the SPIT BUCKET, holds it aloft and starts to GUZZLE it. Wine cascades down the sides of his face, onto his shirt and even onto his shiny new shoes. The Security Guy yanks the bucket away from Miles, and drags him toward the EXIT. Jack catches up. JACK (to the horrified onlookers) It's all right. His mother just died. EXT. BEACH - DAY Two PELICANS soar low over the water. One of the DIVES, crashing into the water and disappearing from view. Jack and Miles sit on the hood of the Saab, gazing at the ocean, sharing a bottle of wine. JACK Just write another one. You have lots of ideas, right? MILES No, I'm finished. I'm not a writer. I'm a middle-school English teacher. I'm going to spend the rest of my life grading essays and reading the works of others. It's okay. I like books. The world doesn't give a shit what I have to say. I'm unnecessary. (a dark laugh) I'm so insignificant, I can't even kill myself. JACK What's that supposed to mean? MILES You know -- Hemingway, Sexton, Woolf, Plath, Delmore Schwartz. You can't kill yourself before you've even been published. JACK What about that guy who wrote Confederacy of Dunces? He committed suicide before he got published, and look how famous he is. MILES Thanks. JACK Don't give up. You're going to make it. MILES Half my life is over, and I have nothing to show for it. I'm a thumbprint on the window of a skyscraper. I'm a smudge of excrement on a tissue surging out to sea with a million tons of raw sewage. JACK See? Right there. Just what you just said. That's beautiful. A thumbprint on a skyscraper. I couldn't write that. MILES Neither could I. I think it's Bukowski. Unable to respond, Jack looks up and down the beach. EXT. BUCOLIC ROAD - DAY ZOOM! There goes the Saab. The CAMERA lingers behind and PANS to reveal THE DEAD DOG, now covered with FLIES AND MAGGOTS. EXT. WINDMILL INN - DAY Jack and Miles pull into the parking lot. JACK (lighting up) Oh, look. There's Steph! He smiles broadly and honks his horn. Miles turns to see -- STEPHANIE seated halfway up on the motel stairs, her HELMET in her lap, watching patiently as -- THE SAAB pulls to a stop in a parking space. Miles masks his concern as he gets out of the car and reaches in the backseat for his Sears bag. JACK (calling out) Hey, baby. Stephanie stands up and slowly descends the steps, as Jack reaches into the trunk and pulls out a BIG CUDDLY LION DOLL. JACK Look what I got for our favorite girl. Stephanie walks toward Jack as he waddles toward her hugging the lion. When they get close, Stephanie's face transforms with rage. STEPHANIE YOU MOTHERFUCKER! She swings her helmet and HITS JACK FULL IN THE FACE. Jack falls, blood spraying out of his nose. Stephanie stands over him and continues to BEAT HIM with her helmet as he rolls back and forth, protecting his head with the stuffed lion. Miles ineffectually attempts to stop her, dancing just out of range. MILES Stephanie! Stop! STEPHANIE You fucking bastard! Lying piece of shit! You're getting married on Saturday? What was all that shit you said to me? JACK I can explain. STEPHANIE You said you loved me! You fuck! I hope you die! With that she backs away. Glancing at her bloodied helmet, she tosses it onto the pavement before getting on her bike. STEPHANIE Fuckface! (to Miles) You too! As she speeds away, Miles is left to comfort his wounded friend. The lion lies nearby, staring blankly at the sky. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY Seated in the passenger seat and in great agony, Jack presses a BLOOD-SOAKED TOWEL against his face. MILES Aren't you glad you didn't move up here and marry her? JACK Don't need a lecture. You fucking told Maya, didn't you? MILES No, I did not. Must have been Gary at the Hitching Post. I think we mentioned it to him the first night. JACK You told him. I'm fucking hurting here. MILES Keep it elevated. INT. HOSPITAL ER WAITING ROOM - DAY CLOSE ON A COSMOPOLITAN open to an article titled "24 Ways To Please Your Man." WIDER -- Miles reads, while nearby a YOUNG BOY dry-heaves into a garbage can held by his FATHER. An OLD WOMAN parked in a wheelchair faces the wall. LATER -- Miles is at a PAYPHONE. As he speaks he tries to peel off the metal LONG DISTANCE STICKER. MAYA (ON THE PHONE) Hi. It's Maya. Please leave a message. MILES It's Miles. Listen, I don't know if you even care, but I had to call and tell you again how much I enjoyed our time together and how sorry I am things turned out the way they did. I think you're great, Maya -- always have. From the first time you waited on me. (bracing himself) And while I'm at it, I guess you should know that my book is not getting published. I thought this one had a chance, but I was wrong. Again. Don't bother reading it -- you've got better things to do. So you see I'm not much of a writer. I'm not anything really. The only real talent I seem to have is for disappointing people and now you know that firsthand. We're leaving in the morning, and I want you to know that I take with me wonderful memories of you. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. What else to say? He hangs up. He returns to his seat. A moment later he extends his legs to look at his new SHOES now STAINED WITH WINE. LATER -- Jack emerges unsteadily from the bowels of the emergency room, his face purple and swollen beneath the HUGE WHITE BANDAGE that holds the NOSEGUARD in place. Miles walks with him toward the exit. MILES Well? JACK I'm going to need an operation. Maybe a couple of them. They have to wait for it it to heal first. Then they break it again. MILES Good thing you have a voice-over career. JACK Gonna fuck that up too. I should sue her ass. Only reason I won't is to protect Christine. MILES That's thoughtful. JACK (disgusted) Yeah. They walk by us and out the door. EXT. STREET IN SOLVANG - DAY Jack sits in the Saab's passenger side with the seat almost fully reclined. When his agony allows him to open his eyes, he glares at the DANISH THEMED STORES lining the street. An ABELSKIVER MAKER plies his lofty trade in a nearby window. He hears a strange CLOMPING NOISE and turns his head to see a MAN IN WOODEN CLOGS walking noisily down the street, dressed in a TRADITIONAL DANISH COSTUME and carrying a TUBA. Jack takes a slug of wine. Just then Miles gets back in the car. JACK I hate this place. Miles tears open a paper bag and removes a bottle of pills. A closer angle reveals them as VICODIN. MILES Take a couple of these, and you'll learn to love it. Miles opens the bottle and hands Jack two PILLS. MILES Two for you. And two for me. Jack washes down the pills and passes the bottle to Miles, who follows suit. EXT. WINDMILL INN JACUZZI - EVENING Jack and Miles sit across from each other. For the first time we see LARGE PURPLE BRUISES on Jack's arms and chest. JACK So how did Stephanie know it was Saturday? We didn't get into that with Gary. MILES Huh. Let me think. JACK You sure you didn't say anything to Maya? MILES Sure I'm sure. And just what are you implying? I'm really pissed off at you about all this, if you want to know the truth. What's Maya going to think of me now just for associating with you? You're the one who's sabotaging me, not the other way around, pal. Not by a longshot. Jack takes a long lie-detecting look at Miles. JACK I don't know. Just seems fishy. INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT The boys lie on their respective beds staring at the TV. Jack gets up and lumbers slowly to the dresser MIRROR like a large dog who has just been neutered. JACK What's it look like to you? MILES Looks like you were in a bad car accident. Jack turns to Miles, nodding and thinking. Then he looks back in the mirror. JACK I'm hungry. EXT. A.J. SPURS BARBECUE - NIGHT Establishing. Thursday night is Cajun Wings Night. INT. A.J. SPURS BARBECUE - NIGHT Miles and Jack are finishing their SALADS in the rustic- themed restaurant festooned with animal trophies. JACK You know what I'm thinking? MILES What's that? JACK I'm thinking it's time to settle down. One woman. One house. You know. It's time. MILES Uh-huh. Jack nods his head with no self-awareness or acknowledgment of the irony. NOW TWO PLATES ARRIVE mounded high with ribs, slaw, beans and butter-whipped mashed potatoes. JACK Mm. Mm. Their cheery, saftig blonde WAITRESS removes several FOIL PACKETS from her apron and places them on the table. WAITRESS And here're your Handi-wipes. JACK Oh, so that's what those are? For a second there I thought you guys were promoting safe sex. The waitress OVER-LAUGHS and swipes a hand at her naughty customer. WAITRESS I'll be right back with more corn bread. Jack watches her go and leans in close to Miles. JACK I bet you that chick is two tons of fun. You know, the grateful type. MILES I don't know. I wouldn't know. Now she comes back toward the table carrying a BIG BASKET. Beneath the hideous uniform, her nylons SH-SH-SH as she walks. When she arrives, she replenishes their corn bread basket using big TONGS. Jack watches attentively. JACK Nice technique there... (checking her name tag) ...Cammi. CAMMI It's all in the wrist. (a moment later) You know, you look really familiar. You from around here? Where'd you go to high school? JACK No, we're from San Diego. Why? CAMMI I don't know. You just seem really familiar to me. Never mind. Enjoy your meals. JACK Hang on. Did you ever know a Derek Sommersby? CAMMI Doctor Derek Sommersby? You mean from "One Life to Live"? Miles looks away and sighs. JACK You have to imagine him with a bandage and shorter hair. As Cammi stares at Jack, her face transforms in astonishment. CAMMI No. Way. No way! Jack smiles and nods. CAMMI Oh, my God! MILES Could you tell me where the bathroom is? CAMMI (her eyes barely leaving Jack) Uh, sure, it's right over there, right past the buffalo. IN A WIDE SHOT -- Miles gets up and heads toward the bathroom as Jack's flirtation with Cammi continues. The camera PANS with Miles as he walks by us and goes through the bathroom door, which closes behind him, filling the frame with the word "MEN." LATER -- A TOOTHPICK DISPENSER as a finger tips it forward to dispense one. WIDER -- Miles stands by the cash register and PICKS HIS TEETH as he watches Jack finish speaking with Cammi and head his way. JACK She gets off in an hour, so I think I'm just going to have a drink and then... make sure she gets home safe. MILES You're joking, right? (seeing that he isn't) What are you doing? Un-fucking- believeable. Can we just go back to the hotel and hang out and get up early and play nine holes before we head home? Jack rests one hand on Miles's shoulder and drops his head, thinking how best to put it. JACK Look, Miles. I know you're my friend and you care about me. And I know you disapprove. I respect that. But there are some things I have to do that you don't understand. You understand wine and literature and movies, but you don't understand my plight. And that's okay. CLOSE ON MILES -- as the disappointment in his friend deepens by the moment. FADE TO BLACK: UNDER BLACK, SUPERIMPOSED -- FRIDAY Now comes the sound of hysterical KNOCKING. INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAWN Despite the knocking, Miles remains motionless in bed, his expression serene. Finally he awakens and drags himself toward the door, opening it to find -- JACK silhouetted against the first rosy fingers of dawn. He is barefoot. In fact he is clad only in his UNDERWEAR. Hugging himself, he PANTS and SHIVERS. JACK Jesus fucking Christ, it's freezing. He limps past Miles, yanks off the bed covers and wraps them around himself. JACK Vicodin. Where's the Vicodin? My nose. Miles hands him the bottle, and Jack frantically pops a couple of pills, chewing them like candy. He sits down and bends over at the waist as though preparing for an airplane crash. JACK Fucking chick's married. MILES What? JACK Her husband works a night shift or something, and he comes home, and I'm on the floor with my cock in his wife's ass. MILES Jesus, Jack. Jesus. And you walked all the way back from Solvang? JACK Ran. Twisted my ankle too. MILES That's five clicks, Jackson. JACK Fucking-a it's five clicks! At one point I had to cut through an ostrich farm. Fuckers are mean. Miles has now awakened to take in the absurdity of the whole scene, and he LAUGHS HARD. The blanketed bulge just sits there. Finally it looks up and shows its pitiful visage. JACK We gotta go back. MILES What? JACK I left my wallet. My credit cards, cash, fucking ID, everything. We gotta go back. MILES Big deal. We'll call right now and cancel your cards. JACK You don't understand. The wedding bands. The wedding bands are in my wallet. MILES Okay, so they were in your wallet, and you left your wallet somewhere. Some bar. Christine'll understand. JACK No. She ordered them special. Took her forever to find them. They've got this design on them with dolphins and our names engraved in Sanskrit. We've got to go back. Christine'll fucking crucify me. MILES No way. No way. JACK (a pitiful whine) Please, Miles, please. MILES Forget it. Your wallet was stolen at a bar. Happens every day. Jack stares straight ahead, breathing through his mouth as he considers this. Then -- JACK No, we've got to get my wallet! Those rings are irreplaceable! We've got to get them, Miles! I fucked up! I know I fucked up, okay? I fucked up. You gotta help me. You gotta help me. Pleeeease! Jack now descends to a level of wretchedness and desperation that Miles has never seen before in Jack, or in anyone else for that matter. JACK Oh, God, please... Oh God. I know I'm bad. I know I did a bad thing. Help me, Miles. Just this one thing, this one last thing. I can't lose Christine. I can't. I'm nothing without her. Please, Miles, please... uuuuu... uuuuuu.... uuuuuuu...... No longer able to form words, Jack is reduced to emitting low, primitive sounds. Snot flows from beneath his bandaged nose. INT./EXT. SAAB - MORNING Miles drives in the early-morning light. Jack is now subdued, quieted by his pain and exhaustion. MILES She tell you she was married? JACK Yeah. MILES So what the fuck were you thinking? JACK Wasn't supposed to be back till six. Fucker rolls in at five. MILES Cutting it a little close, don't you think? (off Jack's silence) So how was she? Compared to Stephanie, say. JACK Horny as shit. Flopping around like a landed trout. EXT. LOW-RENT STREET - MORNING The Saab creeps around a corner. INT./EXT. SAAB - MORNING Jack scans the street. JACK Yeah, this is the block. Just keep going... (spotting an AMC Pacer) Yeah! This is it. There's her car. Miles pulls over and cuts the engine. MILES So what's the plan? JACK The plan is... you go. MILES Me? JACK My ankle. Just go explain the situation. MILES (sarcastic, clearing his throat) Uh, excuse me, sir, but my friend was the one balling your wife a couple hours ago, and he seems to have left his wallet behind, and we were wondering... JACK Yeah, yeah. Like that. Just like that. Miles gives Jack a withering look. Jack reaches for the DOOR HANDLE. JACK Fuck you. I'll get it myself. MILES (grabbing Jack's shirt) Hold on. EXT. CAMMI'S STREET - MORNING Miles crosses the street and approaches -- EXT. CAMMI'S HOUSE - MORNING Miles presses his ear against the front door. Nothing. Then he notices -- A SLIDING GLASS DOOR a few feet away, just barely cracked open. MILES creeps over, sticks his hand into the open space and pulls back the curtain to reveal -- A LIVING ROOM the is hideously MESSY. Draped over a deformed beanbag chair are JACK'S LEVI'S. Miles gathers his courage, carefully slides open the glass door, and creeps inside. INT. CAMMI'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS A furtive search of Jack's pockets reveals NOTHING. Then Miles notices a HIGH-PITCHED SOUND wafting from an open door down a short HALLWAY. Miles feverishly begins foraging through the debris on the floor. Again nothing. Meanwhile the noise from the bedroom grows louder -- female MOANING in odd rhythmic unison with a MAN'S VOICE. IN THE HALLWAY -- Miles gets on ALL FOURS and starts crawling, weaving his way through a trail of shoes and clothes. Nearing the open door, the sounds grow more distinct -- MAN You don't think I fuck you, bitch? I'll fuck you. CAMMI I'm a bad girl. I'm a bad girl. Miles peers around the corner of the open door to see -- INT. CAMMI'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Cammi is TIED to the faux brass headboard. A BIG GUY slams away at her. In the corner a soundless TV shows a PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCE. MAN You picked him up and you fucked him, didn't you, bitch? CAMMI I picked him up and I fucked him. I'm a bad girl. MAN And you liked fucking him, didn't you, you fat little whore? CAMMI I liked it when you caught me fucking him. Whoa! Miles manages to tear his eyes away from this nature documentary and scan the room. IRIS IN -- to the WALLET atop the dresser. Miles's eyes dart back and forth between the couple and the wallet. His HEART BEATING LOUDLY, he goes for it. He scrambles to his feet, dashes across the room, seizes the wallet and tears out. Behind him he hears -- MAN (O.S.) The fuck was that? CAMMI (O.S.) The wallet! He took Derek's wallet! EXT. CAMMI'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Miles comes flying out of the sliding glass door, followed swiftly by the man, who is of course STARK NAKED. And he's fast for a man his size. CAMMI (O.S.) Get him! INT. SAAB - MORNING Jack is reclined in the passenger seat FAST ASLEEP. On the radio NPR'S CARL KASSEL reads the news. THROUGH THE DRIVER'S WINDOW -- Miles comes sprinting towards us, mere steps ahead of Cammi's naked husband. Finding the car door locked, Miles knocks loudly on the glass, startling Jack awake. MILES Open up! Jesus! Open the goddamn door! Jack flips the electric locks just in time for Miles to get in before -- WHUMP! The guy's BELLY hits the window. He pounds on the roof before trying the door, now re-locked. MAN You motherfuckers! I'll kill you! I'll kill you motherfuckers! Miles starts the car and begins to drive away. The guy tries to keep up but can't, running barefoot on asphalt. Jack turns to look -- OUT THE BACK WINDOW -- The guy recedes in the distance. JACK removes the rings from the wallet. JACK You did it! You fucking did it! They LAUGH and SLAP HANDS. CLOSE ON MILES -- For all his failures, this time he did something right. INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY The shades are drawn. Jack is CRASHED OUT on the bed, snoring loudly. Miles folds his shirts and trousers -- readying his bags for departure. At one moment he stops and watches his friend sleep. A KNOCK at the door. Miles goes to answer it, but once his hand is on the knob, he pauses. If we're perceptive, we will know he's hoping against hope that it's Maya. He opens it. It's just the MAID with her big CART. MAID Housekeeping. OMIT. EXT. 101 FREEWAY - DAY The Saab enters the freeway and heads south. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY Miles drives while Jack stares out the window, WATCHING THE LANDSCAPE CHANGE as they leave wine country. MILES Hey, Jack. Jack. JACK Hrnrnrn? MILES That was quite a day yesterday. Jack's eyes close, but his lips spread into a smile. JACK Yep. Quite a day. MILES Quite a week. EXT. 101 FREEWAY - DAY A driving shot. EXT. FILLING STATION - DAY Miles pumps the gas, while nearby Jack stretches his legs. As Miles puts the nozzle back in place -- JACK Want me to drive? MILES No, I'm okay. JACK Hey, why don't you invite Maya to the wedding? MILES Somehow I don't think inviting Maya to your wedding is the right move. In fact, after your bullshit, it's going to be hard for me to even go to the Hitching Post again. JACK You're so negative. Miles replaces the hose and screws on the gas cap. JACK Come on, let me drive. MILES I'm fine. You rest. JACK I feel like driving. INT. SAAB - DAY As the car makes its way back toward the freeway, Jack looks over at Miles and slows the car to a stop. MILES What's wrong? JACK Nothing. Buckle up, okay? Miles obeys. Without hesitation, Jack accelerates and JUMPS THE CURB, heading into -- EXT. VACANT LOT - CONTINUOUS The Saab plows INTO A TREE. INT. SAAB - CONTINUOUS MILES What the fuck! JACK (pointing at his face) You said it looked like a car accident. MILES What the fuck! JACK I'll pay for it. EXT. VACANT LOT - DAY They get out to inspect the damage. The hood is slightly crumpled, and the front fender is bent. MILES Look at this! JACK I don't know. Doesn't look like anybody got hurt in this one. MILES Oh, no. Oh, Christ. No, you don't. JACK You need a new car anyway. Miles looks at his friend, incredulous. JACK I said I'd pay for it. MOMENTS LATER -- The trunk is open, and the guys are unloading their cases of wine. Miles notices that one box is DRIPPING. MILES You broke some. JACK Whatever. Sorry. MILES No, not whatever. You fucking derelict. MOMENTS LATER -- Miles looks on as Jack hoists a FOUNDATION BLOCK toward the open driver's door of the Saab. JACK You ready? Miles waves his hand in a gesture of "Get it over with." Grunting with effort, Jack leans inside the car and drops the foundation block onto the GAS PEDAL. Direct hit! Jack leaps backward and hits the dirt just in time. Miles and Jack watch the driverless Saab race toward the tree, its speed increasing. But just before hitting it, the car drifts to one side and SAILS RIGHT PAST. MILES Oh, fuck! The car zooms wildly across the vacant lot and, missing the tree, continues on until CRASHING THROUGH A FENCE and finally toppling headlong into a CEMENT TRENCH. Only the back of the car remains visible. The whole thing is finished in a matter of seconds. Still frozen in place, Miles and Jack turn slowly to each other. JACK It's okay. I've got Triple A. EXT. 101 FREEWAY - DAY From in front of the Saab, we see its now CRUMPLED HOOD and FENDER, a couple of BUNGEE CORDS holding the whole thing together. EXT. PALOS VERDES STREET - DAY The Saab approaches the end of the line. EXT. ERGANIAN HOUSE --DAY AT THE FRONT PORCH -- Miles has helped Jack carry his bags and the wine. He plops the last case down. MILES Well. That about does it. JACK Why don't you come in? MILES Uh-uh. You're on your own. JACK So I'll see you at the rehearsal. MILES Yeah. They give each other a brief manly back-slappy hug. JACK Love you, man. MILES Back at you. Miles heads toward the curb. JACK Hey, don't pull away till they see the car. MILES (over his shoulder) Yeah. (turning around) Hey, why wasn't I injured? JACK (big smile) You were wearing your belt. BACK AT HIS CAR -- Miles gets in and watches through the side window as Mrs. Erganian opens the front door and welcomes Jack with shock and dismay. Jack points back at -- MILES raising one hand in a feeble wave. The camera slowly MOVES CLOSER as he continues to watch -- JACK -- weaving his story of woe. He's a great actor when he wants to be. Mr. Erganian and a mortified Christine come to the door too. Mr. Erganian takes a few steps toward the car to get a better look. VERY CLOSE ON MILES -- watching the drama play out. Then his eyes drop as he momentarily loses himself in melancholy. This reverie is interrupted by -- THE VOICE OF AN ARMENIAN PRIEST Startled, Miles turns to look at -- A PRIEST who is singing the BLESSING OF THE RINGS. We are now in -- INT. ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH - DAY The church is packed. CLOSE ON THE RINGS as the priest holds them aloft. If those rings could talk... Jack shoots a quick look at Miles, who looks right back. The priest continues his blessing. EXT. ARMENIAN CHURCH - DAY AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS -- The WEDDING FAMILIES greet the exiting guests in a RECEIVING LINE. Smiling and exuberant, Jack seems utterly at home as the new groom. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEPS -- Miles watches the scene, not without melancholy. Then -- VICTORIA (O.S.) Hey, Miles. Miles turns and looks up to see Victoria, standing one step above him. Just behind her is her NEW HUSBAND. He exudes the quiet confidence of a successful businessman who played college football, takes expensive skiing and sailing vacations, and hasn't read a novel since high school. MILES Hi, Vicki. (taking her in) You look beautiful. VICTORIA Thanks. Um, this is Ken Cortland, my husband. From his spot hovering over Miles, Ken leans down and offers his hand. KEN How are you? MILES Hi. How you doing? You're a lucky guy. KEN Thanks. (to Victoria) I'll wait for you at the car. (to Miles) Nice to meet you, Miles. MILES Ken. Exit Ken. MILES That was big of him. VICTORIA Yeah, he's good that way. Very considerate. MILES That's great. VICTORIA So how're you doing? MILES Since the last time we spoke? I don't know. Could be better. Could be worse. VICTORIA So what's happening with your book? MILES Universally rejected. Strike three. VICTORIA Oh, Miles. That's awful. What are you going to do? MILES Back to the drawing board, I guess. Or not. So... you're married. Congratulations. You look happy. VICTORIA I am. MILES Seems like everyone's getting married. A year ago it was all divorces. Now it's all weddings. Cyclical, I guess. VICTORIA I guess. Just then a BLACK LINCOLN NAVIGATOR pulls up alongside the curb. The passenger side window is halfway down, and the sounds of Adult Contemporary Jazz waft out. Victoria gives Ken a little wave. MILES (shifting gears) Well, let's go have some champagne, shall we? Toast all the newlyweds. VICTORIA Not me. I'm not drinking. MILES You quit drinking? VICTORIA I'm pregnant. MILES (hit in the solar plexus) Oh. Huh. Well... (rallying) Congratulations again, Vicki. That's wonderful news. VICTORIA (going to the car) See you over there, Miles. MILES Yeah. As she gets in the car and cruises away, Miles glances back at -- THE RECEIVING LINE -- where Mike Erganian is introducing Jack to some dear old FRIENDS. Mike throws a loving arm around his new son-in-law, and Jack is drawn into Mike's bosom. EXT. STREET - DAY A HAND-PAINTED SIGN, attached to a STOP SIGH and decorated with balloons, reads: "RECEPTION THIS WAY!" with an arrow pointing RIGHT. One by one, CARS are making a right turn. But when his turn comes, Miles turns LEFT. EXT. MILES'S APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY The Saab pull up outside. Miles leaves the car idling as he sprints inside. Moments later he sprints back to his car, this time carrying SOMETHING. OMIT INT. FAST FOOD PLACE - DAY His bowtie undone, Miles sits at a booth eating. He washes down a bite by draining the contents of a big wax-coated soft drink cup. He brings the cup to his lap and refills it from a BOTTLE OF WINE hidden next to him. As he sets the bottle back down, we glimpse the label: 1961 Cheval Blanc. He takes another sip. As the camera MOVES CLOSER, all the complex emotions inspired by the wine ripple across Miles's face. 14-YEAR-OLD BOY (O.S.) "The marrow of his bone," I repeated aimlessly. This at least penetrated my mind. Phineas had died from the marrow of his bone flowing down his blood stream to his heart. INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY The voice belongs to one of Miles's PUPILS reading aloud in class. Other students follow along silently from their own copies of A Separate Peace. SUPERIMPOSED -- FIVE WEEKS LATER Miles sits behind his desk at the front of the class. 14-YEAR-OLD BOY I did not cry then or ever about Finny. I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his family's straight-laced burial ground outside of Boston. I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case. The students look up. 14-YEAR-OLD BOY Do you want me to keep reading the next chapter, Mr. Raymond? MILES (as though coming to) Hrnrnrn? No, we'll pick up there on Monday. INT. MILES'S APARTMENT - EVENING Miles enters his tiny apartment. He loosens his tie and puts down his satchel. On his way to the kitchen, he presses a button on his ANSWERING MACHINE. As it plays, he opens the REFRIGERATOR and looks inside. ANSWERING MACHINE One new message. MAYA'S VOICE Hello, Miles. It's Maya. Miles FREEZES, not wanting to miss a single syllable. MAYA'S VOICE Thanks for your letter. I would have called you sooner, but I think I've needed some time to think about everything that happened and what you wrote to me. Another reason I didn't call sooner is that I wanted to finish your book, which I finally did last night. Miles's heart pounds. MAYA'S VOICE I think it's really lovely, Miles. You're so good with words. Who cares if it's not getting published? There are so many beautiful and painful things about it. Did you really go through all that? It must have been awfully hard. And the sister character -- Jesus, what a wreck. But I have to say I was really confused by the ending. Did the father finally commit suicide, or what? It's driving me crazy. And the title. INT./EXT. SAAB - DAY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD -- We see ourselves taking the BUELLTON EXIT. MAYA'S VOICE Anyway, it's turned cold and rainy here lately. But I like winter. So listen, if you ever do decide to come up here again, you should let me know. I would say stop by the Hitching Post, but to tell you the truth I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be working there. I'm going to graduate soon so I'll probably relocate. We'll see. EXT. MAYA'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY Miles climbs the wooden steps and approaches Maya's back door. MAYA'S VOICE Anyway, like I said, I really loved your novel. Don't give up, Miles. Keep writing. You're really good. Hope you're well. Bye. Miles takes a breath. Finally he KNOCKS. FADE OUT. THE END

FADE IN: EXT. SOUTHERN CITY STREET EXTREME CLOSEUP PARKING METER (NIGHT) Its irritating head opens a glaring red eye: the red flag pops across the entire screen: VIOLATION INSERT: PARKING METER SUPPORT (NIGHT) CLOSEUP of a pipe cutter attached to the meter neck, metal slivers curling out. From o.s. we HEAR -- LUCAS JACKSON cheerfully humming and mumbling Auld Lang Syne and then: LUKE Okay, Mister General, you son of a bitch. Sir. Think you can put things right with a piece of tin with a ribbon hangin' on it? Gonna put you right. CLOSEUP PARKING METER (NIGHT) as the meter head falls out of FRAME. NEW ANGLE ON METER (NIGHT) as it falls to the ground amidst a forest of meter stands and Luke's hand comes into the FRAME to pick it up and we SEE him in CLOSEUP for the first time. He is cheerful, drunk, wearing a faded GI Field jacket. A bottle opener hangs on a silver chain around his neck. He addresses the next meter. LUKE All right. Helen, honey. I lost my head over you. Now its your turn. Suddenly the beam of headlights crashes in, FLARING the SCREEN. ANGLE ON PROWL CAR (NIGHT) sliding up to us, headlights glaring, red toplight revolving menacingly. TWO OFFICERS, black shapes, get out and start warily toward Luke. ON LUKE (NIGHT) illuminated by the headlights. He grins as the Officers approach, lifts a bottle of beer, opens it and drinks, smiling. On his smile, FREEZE FRAME. ON THE FRAME SUPER-IMPOSE MAIN TITLE and as it FADES DISSOLVE TO: OMITTED EXT. CLOSEUP A YOYO BLADE IN THE SUN It swings with a pendulum motion, its shining blade topping a clump of grass and weeds; it swings on the backstroke, lopping more grass, then moves a little away from CAMERA. FROM CAMERA RIGHT, a pair of feet move INTO the FRAME, the feet of the man swinging the yoyo. They are booted and connected by chains, riveted around the ankles. The feet move further INTO the FRAME and the SHOT WIDENS. We are on: EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD (DAY) and we see the work gang in uniforms (14 men) flailing away with yoyos, short-handled scythes in the hot sun, guarded by three men. Three of the workers wear chains (Gambler, Dynamite, Sailor). The scene is bleached and hot; the men sweating and dirty in prison shirts and pants. The light shifts during the following: A MONTAGE OF A FULL DAY - SUPERIMPOSE TITLES AS APPROPRIATE OVER FOLLOWING ANGLE ON RABBIT He is a trustee. He walks up INTO CAMERA and sets up sign: SLOW DOWN -- MEN AT WORK ANGLE ON DRAGLINE (9:00 A.M.) He is a giant, covered with sweat and dust. He starts to pull off his shirt. DRAGLINE Takin' it off here, Boss! BOSS KEAN Yeah, take it off, Dragline! ANGLE BOSS KEAN (11:00 A.M.) pulling out watch, looking at the sun. ANGLE THE BULL GANG flailing away, most of them naked to the waist. ANGLE KOKO He is sweating streams. KOKO Wipin' it off here, Boss! BOSS SHORTY Okay, wipe it off there, Koko. Koko takes out a limp handkerchief and mops his face. ANGLE ON GAMBLER (A CHAINMAN) (NOON) his yoyo flashing like a sword. He pauses, panting. GAMBLER Drinkin' it up here, Boss! ANGLE BOSS KEAN BOSS KEAN Awright, drink it up, Gambler. Water 'em, Rabbit. NEW ANGLE GAMBLER AND GANG as Gambler takes a drink from a tin cup, passed by Rabbit. FULL SHOT THE GANG (2:00 P.M.) working away like a machine. ANGLE PAST BOSS GODFREY TO BOSS SHORTY Godfrey is the Walking Boss, silent, implacable symbol of ultimate judgement. He wears a black hat, globular mirrored sunglasses -- the Man With No Eyes, impassive, emotionless. He nods to Boss Shorty. BOSS SHORTY Awright, smoke it up! FULL SHOT THE GANG In unison they chant: THE GANG Yeah, Boss. ANGLE SOCIETY RED AND BLIND DICK 4:00 P.M. Society is checking his yoyo edge with a file, covertly watching a passing car. Blind Dick sneaks a look, then ducks. ANGLE BOSS KEAN BOSS KEAN You eyeballin' there, Society? SOCIETY RED SOCIETY RED Checkin' my yoyo, Boss! KOKO (5:00 P.M.) He sees something o.s. He speaks, as they all do outside, like a ventriloquist, not moving the lips, and in a stage whisper, to Dragline. KOKO Drag... Drag... Newmeat Bus! We got us Newmeat tonight! ANGLE ON GAMBLER AND DRAGLINE They look up covertly. P.O.V. ANGLE ON ROAD The Newmeat Bus, a prison vehicle, a panel truck with meshed windows; and men in it, appears down the road approaching the gang. It slows as it passes them and the men covertly look at it. KOKO AND GAMBLER KOKO (whispering) A bunch. Must be halfa dozen Newmeat. GAMBLER No more than five. For a cold drink. KOKO (whispering) Bet! Babalugats, bet here! ANGLE BABALUGATS He is the idiot of the gang. He grins foolishly, making the bet official. NEWMEAT BUS as it passes, picking up speed, PAN INTO: CLOSE SHOT GODFREY looking at the Newmeat Bus. EXT. CLOSEUP THE EYES OF GODFREY His sunglasses FILL THE SCREEN, distorting the image of the bus as it moves away from us and the last TITLE ROLLS. CUT TO: INT. NEWMEAT BUS The SCREEN is mostly black, but we see out through the meshed rear windows a desolate panorama of gnarled trees and grubby landscape, bleak and hopeless. Now we HEAR outside the barking and baying of bloodhounds, not like they're tracking, but just playing as the truck turns and stops. The BUS GUARD and DRIVER get out. The back of the truck is opened by the guard and through that rectangle of bright sunlight, the silhouettes of the Newmeat descend, Luke last. EXT. PRISON CAMP LUKE'S P.O.V. (DAY) The Scene: in a hollow is a long barracks, white-washed, faded gray, one story high. At right is a mess hall and laundry. A chain-link fence surrounds the whole compound. The corners of the fence are telephone poles with floodlights on the tops. These burn all night. Back of the mess hall, again outside the fence, are several kennel runs in which bloodhounds are now ROARING. A wooden tower with a simple board roof stands at two corners of the compound where the guards sit when the prisoners are not locked in the barracks. A picnic table sits in a grassy area just outside and at one side of the gate is a picket fence enclosing a scrubby lawn. BOSS PAUL Four. Right. He hands the papers to the CAPTAIN, a small man with a kindly face but a firm, set mouth who always carries a golf club. In b.g. the bloodhounds are YOWLING: BOSS PAUL Dogboy, get them dogs shut up! DOGBOY, a trustee whose leather gloves are always sticking out of one back pocket, puts his hand to be licked by the dogs who quiet, friendly, like any pets. DOGBOY They just smell newmeat is all, Boss. The Captain has been ignoring this, watching the prisoners, looking at their records. EXT. NEWMEAT BUS (DAY) as the Bosses (BOSS PAUL and BOSS HIGGINS) motion for them, the other Newmeat (to be known as TRAMP, ALIBI, and TATTOO) stumble into each other and jostle Luke in their eagerness to obey orders. BOSS PAUL You men git lined up here. The Newmeat jostle into line. They are wearing State Issue gray pants and their own Free World shirts. All except Luke carry a paper bag or cigar box containing their wordly goods. All except Luke look apprehensive, worried. Luke stands with languid grace, neither insolent nor hostile, nor fearful. The Bus Guard hands Boss Paul a folder that contains records as the Captain approaches from his porch. CAPTAIN What did they bring us today? Gibson. A 507, Manslaughter. Good for a two spot. ALIBI It was an accident. I've never been in any trouble. BOSS PAUL You'all call the Captain, Captain. CAPTAIN (to next man) Edgar Potter. A 302 and resisting arrest. One year. TRAMP I was tryin' to keep outa the rain. BOSS PAUL Git the wax out'n yore ears. You call the Captain, Captain. TRAMP Yes, sir. BOSS PAUL And you call the rest of us Boss, you hear? TRAMP Yes, Boss. CAPTAIN This man is gonna make us proud of him, Mr. Hunnicutt. (moving on) Raymond Pratt. TATTOO Yes, Captain. CAPTAIN Breakin', enterin' and assault. Five spot. Hmmm. Able-bodied seaman. TATTOO That oughta come in handy here, Captain. CAPTAIN Maybe. (turning to Luke) Lucas Jackson. LUKE Here, Captain. CAPTAIN Maliciously destroyin' municipal property while under the influence. What was that? LUKE Cuttin' the heads off parkin' meters, Captain. CAPTAIN Well, we ain't never had one of them. Where'd you think that was gonna get you? LUKE I guess you could say I wasn't thinkin', Captain. CAPTAIN (looking at record) Says here you done real good in the war: Silver Star, Bronze Star, couple Purple Hearts. Sergeant! Little time in stockades. Come out the same way you went in: Buck Private. LUKE That's right, Captain. Just passin' the time. CAPTAIN (staring at him) Well, you got yourself some time now. Two years. Hell, that ain't much, we got coupla men here doin' twenty spots. We got one who's got all of it. We got all kinds and you gonna fit in real good. Course in case you git rabbit in your blood and decide to take off fer home, you git a bonus a some time and couple leg chains to keep you slowed down a little -- fer your own good. You'll learn the rules. It's all up to you. I can be a good guy or I can be one mean son-of-a-bitch, it's up to you. He turns and walks away. CLOSE SHOT LUKE His eyes have been wandering during this speech. He sees a doleful, lovable bloodhound, nose at the mesh and winks at him. CLOSE SHOT BLOODHOUND He simply stares dolefully. INT. BARRACKS (DAY) Bare, unpainted wood. The windows are barred and covered with chain link. The door from the barracks up to the compound passes a small area enclosed by a woven metal strap cage. In this usually sits the WICKER MAN, whom we generally see as a heavy, short shape moving about his own business which is making an endless series of rings or jewelry by hammering coins with the back of a heavy spoon. The door to the barracks locks by the tongue of a strap iron bar that is thrust through a hole in the wicker where the Wicker Man locks it by padlock. Thus he can always see them, but they can't reach him. The single big room is filled with two and even three-tiered bunks. Bare bulbs hang from the ceiling. CARR, the floorwalker, a 240 pound behemoth, is indoctrinating the Newmeat while they change into camp clothing: gray twill trousers, shirt and jacket, all numbered, which has been piled on the table. Carr squeegees up and down, a restless man, and CAMERA in following him SHOWS us the room. At the same time, the Wicker Man is moving about the barracks, tapping the floors and bunk posts with a broom handle for signs of tampering. Carr pays no attention to him, addressing the Newmeat. CARR Them clothes has got laundry numbers on 'em. You remember your number and always wear the ones that has your number. Any man forgets his number spends a night in the box. (passing out spoons) This yere spoon you keep with you and any man loses his spoon spends a night in the box. There is no playing grabass or fighting in the building. You got a grudge against another man you can fight him Saturday afternoon. Any man playing grabass or fighting in the building spends a night in the box. First bell is at five minutes of eight when you will get in your bunk and last bell is at eight... O.S. now are heard the SOUNDS of trucks arriving and the Wicker Man goes back to the wicker. CARR (continuing) Any man not in his bunk at eight will spend a night in the box. There is no smoking in prone position in bed. To smoke you must have both legs over the side of your bunk. Anyone caught smoking in prone position will spend a night in the box. You get two sheets. Every Saturday you put the clean sheet on the top, the top sheet on the bottom and the bottom sheet you turn in to the Laundry Boy. Any man who turns in the wrong sheet spends a night in the box. No one will sit on the bunks with dirty pants on. Any man sitting on a bunk with dirty pants will spend a night in the box. Any man who don't bring back his empty pop bottles spends a night in the box. O.S. now are the SOUNDS of men counting off, filling the air with the apprehension of impending arrival. CARR (continuing) Any man loudtalking spends a night in the box. You got questions you come to me. (attentive now) I'm Carr, the floorwalker. I'm responsible for order in here and any man that don't keep order... Luke mouths the next line with him. At the same time, we HEAR the clanking of the Wicker Man's doors opening and the thudding of many steps. CARR ...spends a night in the box. (to Luke, sincerely) I hope you ain't gonna be a hardcase. NEW ANGLE As Luke shrugs the chute bursts open and the Bull Gang rushes in, men trying to get hands clean, urinate and get back out into the chowline. Sudden LOUD CHAOS. The Newmeat are seated on the bench, bewildered, except Luke who grins. Koko spies the Newmeat and is unhappy that there are only four. GAMBLER (to Koko) Four. You owe me a drink. DRAGLINE (pushing both aside) Get outa mah way you don't want a wet pocket! SOCIETY RED (passing the Newmeat) Gentlemen, welcome to the Family. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Any of you guys from Connecticut? CARR Awright, let's move it along! NEW ANGLE as the flow of bodies reverses and the men stampede for the chute, going out, adjusting clothing, etc. Dragline shoves Loudmouth Steve along. DRAGLINE Fill your loudmouth with some beans! And they are in the chute. The Newmeat still sit there. .in the empty barracks, the SOUND of men disappearing across the yard. CARR Well, what are you doin' here? You supposed to be eatin' them beans! The Newmeat stampede out the chute. INT. MESS HALL (DUSK) Most of the other men already have their food and are sitting down with no jockeying for places: everybody knows. They are shoveling it down as fast as they can, getting back up for seconds. Luke and the other Newmeat get their plates and while the others stand there, confused, Luke sits at the first vacant spot and begins to eat industriously. KOKO (sotto voce to Dragline) Newmeat's a hog-gut. Dragline looks up, goes back to his food. There is an off- stage CRASH. NEW ANGLE TRAMP He is sitting on the floor, between his knees a mess of stew on the floor and his plate upside down. He has made the mistake of taking Dynamite's seat. DYNAMITE, the champion eater, has casually displaced him and is busy chowing. Dogboy is serving; he is the only one to break the rule of silence in chowlines. DOGBOY These pigs is rollin' in thar slops now, Boss! Tramp makes terrified and ineffectual efforts to scoop the stew back onto his plate with his hand, wiping his hand on his uniform, etc., then trying to obliterate the stain on the floor with a foot. EXT. BARRACKS PORCH (NIGHT) The men are being shaken down before entering the barracks for the night. They sit and take off their shoes. They empty their pockets into their caps. Carr inspects shoes, throws them inside door, frisks men who stand with backs turned, arms raised. Then Carr mutters a number. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) Through the Wicker Cage toward door. As the men enter, stoop to pick up shoes, repeat their number to the Wicker Man, as they go through the chute. INT. BARRACKS NEW ANGLE (NIGHT) The men are preparing for their hour of free time. Gambler has layed out the blanket for the poker game and is shuffling cards. Koko and BLIND DICK have their seats, are arranging their piles of change. Luke sits at the other end of the table, past the blanket line. Dragline who has been talking to the Wicker Man now enters casually as we HEAR Dynamite, change in hand, moving to the game berating Tramp. DYNAMITE Next time you stay outa my place! I earned it. You try that agin an' I'll bounce you all over the floor. TRAMP I didn't know. I was hungry. KOKO You don't take another man's place, boy. ALIBI It wasn't his fault. Nobody said anything about seats. We -- DRAGLINE (to Tramp) You gotta mind your manners, you actin' like a hillbilly tramp. KOKO (delighted) Tramp! Beautiful! Dragline nods. GAMBLER (to Tramp) You got your bullgang name, boy. TRAMP (good-naturedly) Ain't no worse than some I been called. TATTOO In the Navy, we used to call guys -- DRAGLINE Fasten your flap! All you Newmeats gonna have to shape up fast and hard on this gang. We got rules here an' in order to learn them, you gotta keep your ears open and your mouths shut. Luke snorts. OMITTED ANGLE ON DRAGLINE looking up as if he has just heard a strange sound. DRAGLINE Somebody say somethin'? LUKE I didn't say nothin', Boss. DRAGLINE Well, whatta we got here? LUKE A Lucas Jackson. SOCIETY RED (at mirror, back turned) Dragline gives out the names here. You'll get yours when he figures you out. DRAGLINE (to Luke) Maybe we oughta call you No-Ears. You don't listen much, do you, boy? LUKE (smiling) Ain't heard much worth listening to yet. Just everybody handing out rules. A feeling of discomfort. Koko assesses Luke, who has remained at the poker table. KOKO Newmeat looks like a poker player, Drag. DRAGLINE Wouldn't surprise me none. (to Luke) Wicker Man says you got a hundred- twenny and some change in the Captain's safe and you got your five dollars pocket money... That'll buy you a whole fistfull of cards. You in or out? Luke stares at him for a beat, then shrugs -- who needs it -- and walks over to his bunk. SOCIETY RED Looks like you've got yourself a redhot, Dragline. Dragline just stares after Luke. GAMBLER (dealing) Awright, let's play some poker. First Jack is the Man... a trey, a duck, a neighter... He continues to call cards as we PAN AWAY and DOWN the bunks showing Alibi writing a letter, Loudmouth Steve reading a sex book, STUPID BLONDIE working a rattleskin wallet, SAILOR removing his pants through his chains, CHIEF rolling cigarettes, etc. CLOSE THE WICKER The shadow of the Wicker Man behind it rises and moves to the tire rim which he beats with a tire iron. CLOSE CARR CARR First bell! POKER TABLE The men break it up, some head for the urinal. ANGLE ON LUKE He lies in his bunk staring directly into a flyspecked bulb hanging from the ceiling about eighteen inches from his face. It will be on all night. The tire iron SOUNDS again and men hurry for their bunks. CARR (O.S.) Last bell. Last bell. INT. BARRACKS MED. SHOT Carr moves down the aisle, counting lips moving. The barracks is silent. Finishing the count, Carr goes to the Wicker. CARR Fifty, Boss. WICKER MAN (O.S.) Fifty. Okay, Carr. ANGLE ON LUKE staring up at bulb. LOUDMOUTH STEVE'S VOICE Gittin' up here, Carr. MOVING CLOSE SHOT CARR Pacing along, his feet squeegeeing on the floor. CARR Yeeahp. ANGLE SHOWING LOUDMOUTH STEVE In the sleeping barracks he gets up and moves toward the toilets... ANGLE ON BABALUGATS He is crouched in a tortured position to pray, in the space between his bunk and the one above. CLOSE LUKE He rolls over and goes to sleep. SOUND OVER: Carr squeegeeing along, the CREAK of the bunks as men toss and turn, the WATER RUNNING in the toilets, the DOGS BARKING a little outside. OMITTED OMITTED ANGLE ON CARR He sits at the poker table. The sound has dropped now in the depth of the night, the chink, chink of the Wicker man stopped. Carr simply sits staring at his half-finished game of solitaire, a card in his hand, his eyes seeing something far distant. He's breathing but he could be carved of stone. OMITTED INT. BARRACKS LONG SHOT BEFORE DAWN (NIGHT) All others sleeping. Carr at poker table. Suddenly the clamor of the iron bar is HEARD. CARR First bell! First bell! Let's go! ANGLE ON ALIBI as, still asleep, he is unceremoniously dumped onto the floor by Carr who goes right by. Pandemonium of rushing men all around. EXT. CHUTE MED. SHOT BEFORE DAWN (NIGHT) Carr is barring the gate with his body. The door outside is unlocked and opened. The gong SOUNDS. Carr opens the gate, steps outside to the porch and the men begin counting out. EXT. BARRACKS PORCH BEFORE DAWN (NIGHT) The voices continue to count off as the men run to lockers and quickly line up outside the mess hall. Watching them go is Boss Godfrey. GODFREY'S FACE impassive behind the sunglasses. EXT. MESS HALL INSIDE YARD BEFORE DAWN (NIGHT) The men pour out. There is a little dawnlight, but the floodlights are still on. The Yard Man opens the gate and the men begin counting off again. Gambler is the last out of the mess hall and gets a kick in the ass from Boss Paul to get him up with the others. ANGLE ON CAPTAIN'S PORCH BEFORE DAWN (NIGHT) He sits in his rocket watching. We hear the SOUND of the men counting, clanging of chains. TRUCK BEING LOADED (DAWN) The men clamber inside. The Little Bull Gang truck leaves. EXT. ROAD NEAR CAMP Caravan of the Little Bull Gang and Patch Squad trucks moving off down the road into the dawn light. INT. TRUCK (DAWN) just as the gate is swung shut. We SEE Godfrey's face looking in, then all is dim and the truck begins to lurch away, gunning fast, throwing the men, searching for their customary seats. Chaos. DRAGLINE'S VOICE Git outa my eyeballin' seat, you Newmeat dummy! Luke stands, holding a strut in the roof and watching with amusement as Tattoo is shoved away by Dragline, then Koko, and then pushed from man to man as he tries to sit down but always finds a lap in the way. Bawdy laughter; it's a game but earnest. As they settle Tattoo winds up on the floor but grins, understands, finds a place beside Tramp. Across the way Alibi begins a serious conversation with Blind Dick. ALIBI (nervously) Where are we going now? LOUDMOUTH STEVE It's the Captain's birthday. They're takin' us on a picnic. ALIBI (uncertainly smiling) I'm a salesman. I used to drive these roads all the time. I never thought -- it was an accident, car skidded, maybe I'd had a drink or two -- ANGLE ON KOKO, TRAMP, TATTOO KOKO Man! It's gonna be one hot muther today. GAMBLER Bears gonna be walkin' the road today. MECHANIC (to Tattoo) You ever seen a man bearcaught? Tattoo and Tramp look uncertain, frightened. NEW ANGLE GAMBLER All the salt goes outa his body and the water follers the salt and the brain shrivels up like a dried pea. TATTOO (trying to ingratiate) When I was in the Navy -- SOCIETY RED (to Alibi) Convulsions, shivering. Very unpleasant to watch. BLIND DICK (to Alibi) Man's never the same. Makes him lose his sex drive. ON KOKO, OTHERS KOKO (to Tramp) I'm lucky I got a broom. Work up top. Real easy job. Man, it's gonna be hot down in that ditch. ALIBI We work down in the ditch? GAMBLER Ain't you never seen a chain gang, in all your driving around? TRAMP (to Koko) I ain't used to hard labor neither. Done my best to avoid it. TATTOO I ain't crazy about it myself. KOKO (shaking his head) Gonna be a hot one to learn on. SOCIETY RED Koko, why don't you let one of these Newmeats take your broom for today? KOKO Hell, no. I ain't goin' down in the ditch. TRAMP I shore would appreciate it. I ain't in much shape just now. TATTOO What about me? SOCIETY RED (to Tramp and Tattoo) Perhaps if you offered Brother Koko a small... (makes money gesture) TRAMP I ain't got much. A quarter? DRAGLINE (to Koko) You was to sell your job, maybe this Lucas War Hero would give you a price. TATTOO I'll give you fifty cents. KOKO Fifty cents? Sweet job like that worth at least a buck. ALIBI I'll make it a dollar. KOKO Buck is a deal. ALIBI (apologetically to Tramp, Tattoo) I've got this weak heart. Too much drinking, I guess. As soon as they find out about it, they'll probably send me someplace else. TRAMP If you even need dough in here, I'm in big trouble. LUKE (to Dragline) Where'd you get that about war hero? DRAGLINE Oh we got our sources... Tearing the heads off... what was it... gumball machines? What kind of thing is that for a grown man? LUKE (amused by the put-on) Well, you know. Small town, not much to do in the evenings. Mostly it was settling up old scores. SOCIETY RED You'll have to do better than that if you want to impress these men. Some pretty hard numbers here. Dragline's an ex-safe cracker, Koko's a jewel thief. Blind Dick is a rapist. BLIND DICK (to Luke) Show you the clippings some time. News-Dispatch called me "The Shiek of Simmonsville." Five broads in three days... GAMBLER 'Course two of them were sisters. SOCIETY RED Of course some of them, like Stupid Blondie, were just unlucky... he fell off the fire escape... and one or two don't really belong here at all... (indicates Babalugats) ...or myself, who just made the small error of misspelling a friend's name... on a check. DRAGLINE Hey, Koko. You hear that? All this time I been thinkin' Society just come here for the sun and exercise. Everyone laughs. DRAGLINE (to Luke who is smiling) Whatta you so happy about? LUKE I just always did like truck rides. EXT. CLAYPIT ROAD (JUST AFTER SUNRISE) as the trucks pull up and stop and the men pour out, picking up tools for the day's work. EXT. TOOL TRUCK The guards for the day are: Paul, Kean, Higgins and Godfrey. As the men move through the line for tools, Alibi approaches Boss Paul: ALIBI Boss, I made an arrangement with that man to take his broom. BOSS PAUL (shoving him along) Git your shovel and git to work. ALIBI I don't think you understand. We made a deal --- BOSS PAUL (canes him on the leg) Git movin', I said. ALIBI (in pain) But I made this arrangement -- BOSS PAUL (shoving him) Cut that backsass! Alibi sees the light, accepts a shovel and walks off resentfully to where the others are working, casting hurt, angry looks at Koko and Society who ignore him. THE SUN COMES UP in Godfrey's glasses, and we SEE the gang begin their work. In VARIOUS CUTS, in each of which the sun leaps forward, time passing inexorably... FULL SHOT: THE GANG rhythmically working away. CLOSE: ALIBI Trying to pretend to work, not doing it well and getting a passing cut from Boss Paul's cane. Resentfully, he goes at it, sweating heavily. CLOSE: LUKE He is working hard but badly, unused to the awkward tool, trying to master it. Society Red works up behind him. LUKE AND SOCIETY SOCIETY RED You're working too hard. You won't last two hours. Watch the way the Human Dragline does it. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE He is whipping away with apparently effortless ease but accomplishing more than the others. THE ROAD An open red Continental with kit zips past, the driver grinning at the Gang. CLOSE: TATTOO He is suffering along, sweat pouring off him. The sun is beginning to really beat down now. Dragline works a little behind him. DRAGLINE Takin' it off here, Boss! BOSS PAUL Yeah, take it off there. He takes off his jacket and tosses it to the edge of the road where Dogboy collects it. Tattoo decides to imitate, tentatively. TATTOO Takin' it off here, Boss? BOSS PAUL Yeah, take if off there. He strips, revealing a tattoo of "Mother" lodged thornlike in his flesh and a great garland of flowers and a girl on his chest. DRAGLINE (sotto voce) Hey, turn around! Let Koko see the broad. CLOSE TATTOO turning so Koko can see, grinning, stopping work. KOKO Beautiful! A real work of art! BLIND DICK (low voice) Nice broad. Good set. TATTOO (proudly, flexing it) Had it done in Singapore. Bunch of us drunk as coots -- DRAGLINE (hissing) Hey, Tattoo! TATTOO (not hearing) -- went down to see this old hag and she had needles the size of that cane. MECHANIC (quietly) Hey. Swing that yoyo or you gonna get a taste of that cane. Tattoo realizes where he is and goes back to work. MOVING SHOT TRAMP (LATER) as he seems to spin, his eyes closed, his arms limp, his head lolling back, he stumbles, twists, careens. CLOSE DRAGLINE seeing this. DRAGLINE Man bearcaught, boss! CLOSE BOSS KEAN BOSS KEAN Blondie... Sleepy! Git him afore he falls. STUPID BLONDIE AND SLEEPY They drop their tools and rush over as Tramp falls. Without ceremony, they drag him over the rough ground to the truck, where Boss Paul locks him in. DRAGLINE He is watching Luke, who is very close to the same fate. Although he has achieved some grace, it is apparent that Luke is working too strenuously, too determined. MED. SHOT BOSS KEAN He reaches into his pocket and takes out a turnip watch, looks to Godfrey, who nods. BOSS KEAN Awright, let's eat them beans! The men break and head for the chow line. OMITTED ANGLE ON LUKE He has dropped to the ground, examining a blister on his hand. At Boss Kean's call, he looks up, ruefully resentful, and gets to his feet and slowly walks to the chow line. BOSS KEAN'S VOICE Hey, you. Bean time! DRAGLINE (eyeing Luke, to Gambler) Cold drink he don't make it. GAMBLER Bet. Babalugats, bet! Babalugats grins. Dragline has his chow, passes Luke. DRAGLINE (whispering) You got to snag it, man. You got to stop foolin' around and tear up them weeds. Luke stumbles past, not paying attention. FULL SHOT GANG WORKING It is later in the afternoon. ON STUPID BLONDIE He stops. STUPID BLONDIE Caught short here, boss! ANGLE BOSS KEAN BOSS KEAN Awright, Blondie. Take it behind that tree. ON STUPID BLONDIE He drops his tool and gratefully trots off in the direction of the tree. ANGLE ON LUKE It is later. He is working hard, stops a minute as he HEARS a crow cawing overhead. He looks up at it. CLOSE SHOT GODFREY He snaps his fingers. ANGLE ON LUKE, TATTOO, KOKO, OTHERS looking up as Rabbitt goes to the truck and gets out a single action rifle which he brings to Godfrey, who puts in a bolt and bullets from his pocket. TATTOO Who's that? KOKO Boss Godfrey. MECHANIC The walking boss. TATTOO Don't he ever talk? Godfrey has raised the gun and now FIRES. INSERT CROW ON THE WING It is hit, explodes in a burst of feathers. ANGLE ON LUKE AND TATTOO LUKE I believe he just said something. OMITTED FULL SHOT THE MEN working, Luke flailing away like an automaton. INT. THE TRUCK (AFTERNOON) as it is opened from the outside. Tramp sits up against the bench, still in rocky shape from his collapse. The others step over him as though he weren't there. Luke appears, like a sleepwalker. He grabs the side rails, gets one foot up and tries to pull himself over the edge of the truck body. But the muscles are just used up. Boss Paul sees this and gives Luke a kick, timed so that it coincides with his jump. It gives him just the added momentum needed to send him over the edge of the body and sprawling along the floor. He's the last one and as the guards lock them up, he grins up at Dragline and Gambler from his prone position. LUKE (to Dragline) You owe that fella a cold drink. The men are not tired, they smoke and talk and laugh: it's been an easy day. KOKO Hot damn, Drag. Tomorrow's Saturday. Another week almost made. ALIBI (hopelessly) I got two years. DRAGLINE Only two? Man, I already done eight. Nothin' to it. Just make the days and let the weeks and the years make themselves. TATTOO I did three hitches in the Navy. It ain't bad. After a while, you get used to it and the time -- Koko is looking out the back of the truck. KOKO Oh, man, oh man. Look at that. On the bicycle. Lookit them shorts. I'm dyin'. The men rush to look out at the vision of freedom on the bike. DRAGLINE (knowledgeably) She looks just like a lil girl I useta know named Louise Merryweather. Fine lil ol' girl, always partial to home-made whiskey. Remember one time down in the cellar, both of us knee- walkin' drunk and ah had this lil pint and Louise wanted a poke of it. So ah said: you wanna poke and I wanna poke, so... He starts his story. On the floor, Luke sleeps. EXT. PRISON YARD LATE (AFTERNOON) as they are counting in through the gate, their hats with their personal possessions in them held out to be inspected, their pockets turned out. A guard frisks them quickly but efficiently. The Captain stands nearby ignoring them, testing a golf swing. The men move to the mess hall, most of them on the run. Luke moves painfully with exhaustion. Alibi seems quiet and cowed, lost in the crowd. They fall into a line at the mess hall door. Dynamite, his spoon out, moves to the front of the line and Luke winds up somewhere near the rear. BOSS HIGGINS (yardman) Awright, you, Gibson, step out. Boss Paul says you wasn't happy with your job. Done a lot of complainin'. Gone give you a chance to think it over. Alibi looks around, fearfully steps out, peering up and down the line, wondering. BOSS HIGGINS Get them clothes off. Alibi is led to the box. A light stands about it shining down into it and it always burns when the box is ready to be used or when there's someone inside. Now a nightshirt is laid out on top of it. Alibi strips and puts on the pajamas. Boss Kean opens the heavy lid of the box and we see it is grilled with heavy chain link fencing and with strap iron bars. A chamber pot is put inside. Alibi stands in the box, looking back at them, then lies down out of sight. The lid is slammed shut. FULL SHOT The men watching this. The mess hall door opens and they begin to file in. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) as the Wicker Man whales away at his tire rim outside the barracks. CARR Awright, first bell! Let's hit them bunks! The men are piling into bunks and the CAMERA FINDS Luke heaving himself with a kind of rueful amusement up to the third tier bunk he sleeps in; he's exhausted. DRAGLINE Plumb busted out. Looks like the hard road finally got to Mister Lucas War Hero. LUKE (agreeably) Back at it in the mornin'. Just need a little nap... He lies back. Across him and in various perspectives are the other participants in this conversation, speaking in the ventriloquist's whisper while the stragglers get into the sack. KOKO Man, I never thought they'd put him in the box on his first day. LOUDMOUTH STEVE It was just supposed to be a joke. There ain't no brooms. Whoever heard of a chain gang using brooms? TRAMP I gotta tell you that I believed it. TATTOO He should have known; it was a gag. KOKO You can't switch 'round jobs, anyway. I figured he knew that. SOCIETY RED You can't expect him to learn everything the first day. Hopefully it's taught him a very valuable lesson. LUKE Well, you fixed it up so he's got all night to think about it. LOUDMOUTH STEVE It's not our fault he's a square. DRAGLINE Course not. He ain't in the box 'cause a the joke played on him. He's there 'cause he back sassed a Free Man. They got their rules and we ain't got nothing to do with that. Woulda probably happened to him sooner or later, to a complainer like him. He's gotta learn the rules same as anybody else. LUKE Yeah, those poor old guards need all the help they can get. DRAGLINE You tryin' to say somethin'? Luke rolls over and goes to sleep. DRAGLINE (to his back) You jus' keep flapping your mouth and one of these times, you and me gonna raise a little dust. The Wicker Man begins hitting the tire rim again. CARR Awright, last bell! Silence. CARR (continuing) Forty-nine and one in the box, Boss! WICKER MAN'S VOICE Forty-nine and one in the box. Right, Carr. EXT. ROAD CLOSEUP YOYO TRANSITIONAL DEVICE (DAY) It slashes away like a pendulum, golden in the sun, TICKING away time, over roads that stretch to infinity -- a SHOT that will always tell us that the men are building time. SHOT WIDENS. The gang is laboring, filling in washouts by the roadside. The bosses are Paul, Kean, Higgins, and, always, Godfrey, the Walking Boss. CLOSE LUKE He is tanned and hardened now, and has mastered the work rhythm. SHOT WIDENS to show Dragline near him, checking his shovel for nicks but really eyeballing a passing car. In the ditch, Luke expertly scoops up a shovel full of sand and, levering the handle on his knee, flips the sand through the air so it hits spang in the pan of Dragline's shovel while Dragline is still eyeballing. It knocks him off balance and by the time he has caught up, Luke is already catching him with another shovel full. DRAGLINE Slow down, man. They ain't passing out medals for slinging dirt. LUKE I thought you knew, boy... they sentenced me by the mile. Dragline grins at this insouciance, sneaks a look down the road. He digs into his pocket and hauls out a pair of salvaged sunglasses, which he holds up. DRAGLINE Puttin' 'em on here, Boss! BOSS KEAN'S VOICE Yeah, put 'em on, Drag! NEW ANGLE DRAGLINE, LUKE as Dragline hooks on the glasses. Luke, Tattoo and Tramp are working around here. LUKE (to Tramp) Lookit that. Some Hollywood movie star jus' joined up with us. Tramp smiles. DRAGLINE (to Koko) Man, this here Newmeat parking meter bandit thing what calls itself Luke don't know nuthin' 'bout nuthin'. LUKE (to Tramp) But damn if he don't look like a fat old Dragline. TRAMP Coulda fooled me. DRAGLINE (to Tattoo) These is my eyeballin' glasses. Now I'm gonna play peek-a-boo and ol' Godfrey ain't gonna know if I'm eyeballin' or tootin' the piccolo. TATTOO That ain't nuthing compared to what we used to do in San Pedro. There was this ensign... DRAGLINE (has been sniffing the air) Ah believe I smell me a blonde-haired lady. ANGLE ON BULL GANG They all look up covertly and, sure enough, in the second car slowed down by Rabbit's sign, is a lush BLONDE in a sun dress that is hiked up high on the thighs and cut low over the bosom. She cringes under their gaze and starts the top going up on the car as though to hide from them. KOKO Man, see her legs. She's tanned all over. BLIND DICK Nice broad. Nice set. DRAGLINE She looks just like Mrs. Patricia Handy, a married woman... I useta fool with. Man, I kin sniff blondes from a hunnert yards and redheads from a mile and a half. KOKO (to Tattoo) Drag's been chain-ganging so long he's got a nose like a bloodhound. LUKE Maybe he's been chain-ganging too long. DRAGLINE Long enough to see redhots come and redhots go. The car begins to move away. They sigh. The work begins again. OMITTED NEW ANGLE ON GANG Time has passed; they are further down the road. A small blue coupe kicks up dust as it jitters down the road and stops across the highway before a small home. A blonde, mid- twenties, gets out, and heads covertly look up. THE BULL GANG The woman is too much for them, too close, too blonde, too lush. They stop as one and watch as she disappears into the house. CLOSE GODFREY Seeing their odd behavior, he turns to see what's happening but the woman is gone; when he turns back, the men's heads are back down. DRAGLINE, KOKO, LUKE, OTHERS KOKO Oh, man, did you see her? Did you see her? DRAGLINE I got eyes, don't I? How my not gonna see something like that? BLIND DICK Nice broad. Good set. LOUDMOUTH STEVE How could you tell? You could hardly see her. GAMBLER She's back! Heads pop up again as the blonde comes out of the house, now dressed in a short house dress, carrying a radio, a pail and a sponge. She is clearly buxom. She goes to the outside faucet, fills the bucket and drags the attached hose toward the car. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Look at that! DRAGLINE Shut up, you loudmouth jerk! THE BLONDE She begins to hose the dusty car, splashing herself, making the cotton dress cling to her body, tossing her hair, every movement and gesture erotic and provocative. THE MEN Their work is completely disorganized as they attempt to shovel while watching. Their voices overlap. KOKO Man Oh Man. LUKE That is one mean lady. Bet her husband spends one day a week shooting milkmen. BLIND DICK Lookit her bounce. GAMBLER Oh lean over here, lady. Lean this way. TRAMP I wouldn't mind being that hose. GAMBLER More... a little more. TATTOO I don't know if I believe it. BLONDIE She's so big! GAMBLER Now lean down... a little more. DRAGLINE Lookit that little honeypot. Lookit those legs. MECHANIC Oh man, I ain't never been so thirsty in my life. THE BLONDE She begins to rub the windshield erotically. BLIND DICK Oh rub. SLEEPY Rub. DRAGLINE Rub! BABALUGATS Rub-a-dub-dub. Rub-a-dub-dub. KOKO I'm dyin'. I'm dyin'! DRAGLINE Look, she's got paint on her toenails! Oh Lord, whatever I done, don't strike me blind for 'nother couple minutes. Oh you Lucille! DRAGLINE AND LUKE LUKE Lucille? Where do you get that? DRAGLINE (whirling) That'sa Lucille, you mullet head! Any girl so innocent and built like that gotta be named Lucille. LUKE Innocent? BLIND DICK She don't even know what she's doin!. LUKE She knows exactly what she's doin. She's drivin' you crazy and lovin' it. DRAGLINE Shut your mouth 'bout my Lucille. LUKE Your Lucille? Man, you better put them glasses back on and take a look at yourself. DRAGLINE (glaring) Boy. You jus' asking to be handled! P.O.V. MEN TO GIRL as Godfrey moves across the scene, blocking their view, staring at them, FILLING THE SCREEN. OMITTED INT. SHOWERS (NIGHT) Trashing bodies and heads in the steam. Feeling of tension, irritation, except for Babalugats, who is SINGING. SLEEPY Babalugats, shut up. MECHANIC Leave him alone. He's happy. SLEEPY That's because he's a damn moron. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Now why don't you just shut up? INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The men are in their bunks, sullen, quiet as the tire iron SOUNDS. CARR Awright, last bell. Carr paces, counting. Beds SQUEAK as men turn restlessly, unable to get comfortable. At the far end of the barracks, a slow-turning fan CREAKS gratingly. It will continue to do so throughout the scene, adding irritation to Carr's SQUEEGEEING steps and the regular SQUEAKING of bedsprings. OMITTED ANGLE ON MEN restless, irritated. CARR'S VOICE (O.S.) Fifty, Boss. NEW ANGLE ON MEN WICKERMAN'S VOICE Fifty, right, Carr. ANGLE ON KOKO KOKO Man, it's so hot. NEW ANGLE ON MEN GAMBLER Gettin' up, Carr. FULL SHOT BARRACKS as Carr paces, SQUEEGEEING. The fan CREAKS. Springs SQUEAK. CARR Yeahhpp. Gambler gets up, chains JANGLING. NEW ANGLE ON MEN uncomfortable, tense, shifting. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Giddyap, Carr. NEW ANGLE ON MEN CARR'S VOICE (O.S.) Yeahhpp. NEW ANGLE ON MEN Tramp turns, irritated, as Carr SQUEEGEES by. TRAMP How can you sleep with that damn squeaking! FULL SHOT BARRACKS Carr pacing. SQUEEGEEING, the fan CREAKING, springs SQUEAKING. DYNAMITE'S VOICE Gettin' up, Carr. CARR Yeahhp. Dynamite gets up, chains JANGLING. ON FAN It is turning slowly, CREAKING, CREAKING, CREAKING. And now on the SOUNDTRACK we HEAR low at first, but steadily building, the tinny SOUND of the Blonde Girl's radio. ANGLE ON MEN tense, annoyed, frustrated as the SOUND of the RADIO GROWS, joining the CREAKING, SQUEAKING and SQUEEGEEING. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE as Carr passes by. He speaks in a low whisper. DRAGLINE Man, that lil Lucille was a lot of lil girl. OMITTED ANGLE ON MEN some turning away, not wanting to be reminded, some staring ahead unhappily, thinking the same thing. DRAGLINE'S VOICE (O.S.) You see how she was jus' poppin' outa the top of that dress. ANGLE ON KOKO irritated, anxious. KOKO Aw, come on, Drag. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE not paying attention. DRAGLINE And down below, that thing didn't reach no higher than... (chuckles) She liable to catch cold... runnin' around like that. ANGLE ON MEN irritated by Dragline's voice and the SQUEEGEEING and the SQUEAKING and CREAKING and the RADIO SOUND, tinny and grating, growing in volume. DRAGLINE'S VOICE ...And that thing was so tight 'cross her bottom... made me wanna just reach out my hands and... ANGLE ON LUKE LUKE Forget it, man. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE suddenly angry. DRAGLINE Whatta you mean, forget it? ANGLE ON LUKE LUKE Stop beatin', man. You ain't doin' nobody no good. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE his face corroding in fury as the RADIO SOUND and the CREAKING, SQUEAKING and SQUEEGEEING are at an unbearable peak. DRAGLINE (with slow menace) Boy, you better get some sleep and save your strength. 'Cause you're gonna need it. OMITTED ANGLE ON FAN CLOSE As the SOUNDS threaten to burst our ears with their high- pitched tension, the CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY into the hub of the fan and our nerves scream for relief. OMITTED EXT. BARRACKS CLOSE ON LUKE AS GLOVE SMASHES INTO HIS FACE (DAY) and Luke falls back into the dirt. He's hurt, startled, but grins. We HEAR a CHEER from the men O.S., as he gets up. He is stripped to the waist, wears huge 16 oz. boxing gloves. FULLER ANGLE showing Dragline similarly dressed. They are squared off in the yard, surrounded by YELLING men who want blood. It is a release from the sexual tension built up by the night before. The guards stand in the guard boxes, watching. The Captain sits up on his porch, so he can see without being too obvious. Luke gets up and manages a lunging right across to Dragline's Adam's apple. Dragline is momentarily staggered but counters with a terrible clubbing blow that mashes Luke's gloves into his face, knocking him to the ground. Time is called for the round. LUKE AND OTHERS BEHIND HIM as he gets to his feet. TRAMP Why don't you just stay there? He's only gonna knock you down agin. ALIBI It's not your fault. He's just too big. SOCIETY RED Let him hit you in the nose, get some blood flowing. Maybe they'll stop it before he kills you. LUKE (shaking his head, grinning) I don't want to frighten him. The second round is called and Luke advances toward Dragline. TWO SHOT LUKE, DRAGLINE circling. Luke has to get in his shot before Dragline gets too close and clubs him again. He feints a punch that moves Dragline off-balance and winds up for a big one, but Dragline smashes him backhand. Luke hits the dirt, the men SCREAM AND YELL. Wiping some blood from his mouth, Luke rises again. He is dizzy. Dragline smacks him down again. THE MEN SHOUTING, SHRIEKING, they have blood in their eyes, releasing their tensions. INTERCUT THE VARIOUS REACTIONS as the fight continues. The Captain on his porch rocks and spits dry little spouts of wind, Godfrey, impassive, waiting in his guard house. The YELLING gradually subsides as Dragline continues to smash Luke, who keeps getting up. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE Without relish, he pokes Luke down again. Now there is no cheering, no yelling, just silence. ANGLE ON CAPTAIN as he gets up and walks down to the wire where he can see what is happening. The silence disturbs him. ON LUKE He rises, grinning and winds up to throw another punch. But the act of lifting his giant glove is a Herculean task. Seconds go by in which he tries to raise the glove high enough to launch a punch. ON DRAGLINE waiting, gloves at waist level, poised. DRAGLINE (low) Ommana pop you one easy. Stay down. He pops Luke who reels, goes down on a knee and then slowly rises, rises. Dragline is honestly agonized. DRAGLINE I'm gonna kill you, you go on... LUKE That's what you're gonna have to do. ANGLE ON CAPTAIN concerned. ANGLE ON BOSS GODFREY impassive. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE He raises his fists. But Luke is up again. Dragline realizes he'll have to kill him to beat him. After a long moment, Dragline drops his hands to his sides, looks back toward Godfrey and the captain and then starts walking to the barracks, fast. ANGLE ON LUKE He looks after him and reaches up to wipe the blood away, still grinning. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The poker game. Five card stud. Playing are Gambler, Koko, Dynamite, Blind Dick and Luke, bandaged. The mood of the barracks is quieter than usual. The men are still assessing the fight, uncertain as to who now is their leader, looking toward Dragline for an indication. Not playing, Dragline lies on his bunk behind Koko, sullenly reading a sex book. Gambler deals the third cards. GAMBLER Ana paira ninas. Koko's the brains. KOKO Cuter. Dynamite is already out. Blind Dick now folds. GAMBLER Ace calls. LUKE Kick a buck. KOKO (considers, then chips) I'm in. GAMBLER Ace calls. Here we go. (deals Luke) King-five gets a tray for no help. (deals Koko) Paira ninas gets a Jack. (deals himself) Ana man with the ace gets... slop in the face... Ninas up. KOKO (regarding Luke) Cuter again. GAMBLER Call. LUKE (expressionless) Kick a buck. Koko is worried. He looks at his hole card, considers, long silence. Dragline looks over from his bunk. DRAGLINE (to Koko) Whatcha got? KOKO Pair'a nines. DRAGLINE I kin see that, brick head. I mean your hole card. Koko hands it over his shoulder to Dragline, who now sits up to consider the whole situation. DRAGLINE (continuing) Uh-huh. And he ain't got nothing showing. Raise his head off. KOKO He's been betting his head from the gun. Gotta have kings. DRAGLINE So then you just call him. KOKO (chipping) I call. GAMBLER (studies Luke's cards) I gotta believe. Out! (folds) Now they're rollin'. (deals Luke) King-five-four gets an eight. (deals Koko) Pair'a nines with a Jack gets a four. Ninas still up. KOKO (tentatively) Cuter. LUKE (automatically) Kick a buck. KOKO Damn. He looks up to Dragline for help. DRAGLINE Kick him back a buck! Koko looks uncertain, but listens. KOKO Back a buck. LUKE (automatically) Kick a buck. Koko looks up to Dragline: What do we do now? DRAGLINE Don't look at me, mullet-head. Koko looks to the others. GAMBLER Man, you play like a kokonut. You got to call him at least. KOKO I know he's got a paira kings. He don't have to stick 'em in my ear. BLIND DICK Gotta have kings. GAMBLER Sure he's got kings but you still gotta call him. Koko looks back to Dragline. DRAGLINE Man's got a paira kings, get your tail out. Koko folds. Luke reaches for the pot at the same time that Dragline reaches for Luke's cards. DRAGLINE Nuthin'! A handfull of nuthin'! (cuffs Koko) You stupid mullet-head. He beat you with nuthin'! Just like today when he kept coming back at me. LUKE (smiling) Nuthin' can be a pretty cool hand. DRAGLINE Cool Hand Luke. So saying, Dragline saves face and the baton of leadership is passed. EXT. YOYO SHIMMERING IN THE SUN TRANSITIONAL DEVICE (DAY) swinging away the time... INSERT: ROAD MOVING SHOT DAY SHOOTING THROUGH cage truck, as it moves swiftly along, the landscape a blur of shadows and racing phone poles, etc., the men shadows slouched on their benches inside. DISSOLVE TO: BEARCAUGHT AVENUE This is a country road running over rolling moors, land open to the sky and sun, the roads reaching out to infinity. The cage truck rolls to the end of the road and stops. Stretching out on either side of the road, every five feet is a pyramid of freshly dumped sand. ANGLE ON REAR OF TRUCK as the bull gang gets down, looks at the sand, are given shovels. KOKO Oh no, man! Not on this hot muther. GAMBLER All the bears gonna be walking today. ALIBI (nervously) What's the deal? DRAGLINE Tar truck. At these bleak words, over the last rise comes a filthy blackened tank truck with a fire in its belly and an array of pipes and valves at its rear, like a hellish beetle. KOKO (to Tattoo, Tramp, Alibi) You think you've been working hard. This muther'll break your back. SOCIETY RED This is a big day for the guards. They get to remind us who's boss. TRAMP I ain't forgot. ON THE MEN as the truck driver makes adjustments in the heater, flame, etc. BOSS PAUL Awright, every second man, git to the other side of the road. Dragline, Dynamite, Gambler, Tattoo, Loudmouth Steve, Alibi, Sleepy, Stupid Blondie and Chief cross over, leaving Luke, Koko, Society Red, Tramp, Babalugats, Blind Dick, Mechanic and Sailor. The tar truck begins to move slowly down the road, spreading a black, hot, acrid wake behind it. BOSS PAUL (continuing; with undisguised malice) Captain heard this gang been doin' so good, gave us this special job. We got three miles of tarrin' to cover today. Let's roll it! NEW ANGLE ON THE MEN They begin to work, digging a shovel-full of sand, fanning it out over the hot tar, moving up to the next pile. Luke and Dragline in the lead of their respective groups. The guards move up along the ridges behind the men, urging them to move faster, caning the slow workers. BOSS PAUL Let's git with it! BOSS SHORTY Roll it, heah? ANGLE GODFREY He is at the rear of the columns, walking down the center of the road. With his stick he points to spots where the tar has not been covered and the nearest man flicks a spray of sand over it. ON LUKE WITH KOKO AND SOCIETY RED LATER They are working steadily but it is hot, hard, back-breaking labor. Koko stops for a moment to rub his arm. KOKO Oh man. I'm gonna twist my arm off if this heat don't kill me first. Boss Paul canes him across the legs. BOSS PAUL Roll it! ON DRAGLINE sweating and suffering across the road, just keeping up with Luke. DRAGLINE Hey, buddy. Take it easy. You're making me look bad. LUKE The man wants speed, let's give it to him. Ram it in and break it off. Go hard. Shag it. Dragline begins to work harder, digging and fanning, keeping pace with Luke. ON DRAGLINE AND DYNAMITE DYNAMITE (panting) Whatta we racin' for? DRAGLINE Man wants speed, let's give it to him. Use that shovel like you use your spoon. Shag it, man! Dynamite understands and throws himself into it. FULL SHOT THE MEN up to their waists in smoke and dust, splattered with tar, working like devils as the word passes down the line. BLIND DICK (to Society Red) Go hard! GAMBLER (to Tattoo) Ram it in and break it off! ALIBI (to Sleepy) Roll it! LOUDMOUTH STEVE Shag it! They are all working like hell. ANGLE ON BOSS PAUL He looks confused, concerned by this sudden manic activity. ANGLE ON BOSS GODFREY forced to walk faster to keep up, finding no unsanded spots for his sorcerer's wand. ON LUKE, DRAGLINE, OTHERS enjoying the guard's confusion. DRAGLINE (to Luke) They don't know iff'n to smile, spit or swallow. LUKE They ain't never seen a bull gang before. SOCIETY RED Work those shovels instead of your mouths. WORKING ON BEARCAUGHT AVENUE Essentially a MONTAGE, a wild insane ballet of labor as led by Luke and Dragline, the bull gang throws itself into the madness, muttering Luke's words of inspiration to each other and loving the guards' confusion. (SONG ON SOUND TRACK) TRAMP Go hard! TATTOO Ram it in... MECHANIC Break it off... SOCIETY RED Roll it! DYNAMITE Shag it! STUPID BLONDIE Move it! Luke grins and works. The guards are tense and uneasy and walk the road backward, not daring to turn their backs on these madmen. Rabbit runs around with his water bucket but the men don't drink, just upturn the water over their faces and keep going. ON BOSS PAUL confused, angry, has not been able to cane anyone in an hour. As Rabbit rushes by: BOSS PAUL Rabbit! What the hell's goin' on? RABBIT (knows but isn't saying) I don't know, Boss. They must be bearcaught. All of them. He rushes off, as caught up in the esprit as the others. WORKING AGAIN More of the madness but now even faster, sweatier, wilder. The men are bearcaught by their sudden power to confound the guards. ALL SHOTS FAVORING Luke, splattered with tar, working right behind the truck. ON GODFREY Replacing his stick with a rifle, as tense and uncertain as the other bosses, staring at Luke with blank, hating eyes. ON LUKE as he looks up just as the tar truck turns off the road which has ended, crossed by a small highway. They have finished. Luke stands straight, looking out across the highway to the rolling green beyond. Dragline works up to him. DRAGLINE Where'd the road go? LUKE That's it. That's the end. KOKO But there's still daylight left. DRAGLINE (checking the sun) 'Bout two hours left. LOUDMOUTH STEVE What do we do now? Luke has been looking at the guards who have grouped in conference around Boss Paul who has his watch out. They look concerned, gesticulating toward Luke and the others. LUKE (smiling) Nothin'. The others understand. They have beaten the Free Men by working harder. They all collapse on the ground, rolling about, dazed, tired but happy as hell, laughing. DRAGLINE Oh, Luke, you wild beautiful thing! You crazy handful of nuthin'! DISSOLVE TO: OMITTED INT. BARRACKS (DAY) Sunday afternoon scene. The chain men are dancing, jingling. Three RADIOS BLARE in different corners; a hell-fire preacher where Deacon and Society Red sit working a letter; romantic ballads (Near You, Heart Aches by Ted Weeks, etc.) for the men reading fuck books; rhythm and blues, country music for a couple of wrestlers, banging into bunks until one depants the other and runs off. CAMERA FOLLOWS THIS ACTION SHOWING the scene. Other men rolling cigarettes, Dynamite still on his rattlesnake wallet, Koko cutting hair, using a board over an ash can for a barber's chair. Everyone is barefoot. WICKERMAN Visitor for Luke! Luke sits up from his bunk, staring at the Wicker, unmoving, amazed. GAMBLER (O.S.) Steve. Your mother's here! ANGLE ON LUKE as he gets up. Behind him Loudmouth Steve gets up, tossing down his sex book resentfully: LOUDMOUTH STEVE Jeez! She never lets me alone. TRAMP You oughta be glad you got somebody. Steve tosses him a finger as he leaves. ALIBI My wife hasn't been here for a month. She must be sick again. She's had this condition of the liver for... TATTOO Alibi, can't you never say nothin' without explainin' it? Carr says you even explain when you get up at night. EXT. CAMP GATE (DAY) By the picnic table set up for visitors. In far b.g., we SEE Luke come out of the door and start across the yard toward the gate, where he is shaken down and permitted to exit, moving down to the table. A few feet from the end of the table, Boss Godfrey sits in a kitchen chair, his hands discreetly crossed over the pistol in his lap. His mirror eyes play over the scene. Loudmouth Steve, his MOTHER -- a desperately fortyish blonde -- and a couple of other prisoners and visitors occupy the background. Parked next to the table is a truck. In the bed lies Luke's mother, ARLETTA. She is propped up on pillows and wedged in for traveling. The whole back is set up as for a chronic invalid, everything within reach, etc. She smokes incessantly. Nearby, Luke's BROTHER and his nephew, JOHN-BOY, a kid of twelve, enormously impressed with the sights and the guns and dogs, etc. LUKE Comin' out here, Boss? BOSS PAUL (by the gate) Yeah. Come on out, Luke. A few feet outside the gate, Jackson reaches for the boy, pats him on the head. Shakes hands in passing with his brother, who is unmistakably a farmer, and stands in the doorway looking at his mother. She lies on her side craning to see him. LUKE How'd you find me? ARLETTA Helen, she sent along your things with a note, and John here, he wrote to the police. LUKE Yeah. Well. (to Godfrey) Gettin' up here, Boss. Godfrey just looks at him, says nothing. LUKE Well, Arletta, I got to stand down here. ARLETTA I allus hoped to see you well fixed and have me a crop of grandkids to kiss and fuss around with. LUKE Like to oblige you, Arletta, but right off I don't know where to put my hands on 'em. ARLETTA Sometimes I wisht people was like dogs, Luke. Comes a time, a day like, when the bitch just don't recognize her pups no more, so she don't have no hopes nor love to bring her pain. She just don't give a damn. They let you smoke? LUKE Smokin' it up here, Boss. Boss Godfrey nods. He lights cigarettes for her and for himself. LUKE Yeah, well, Arletta, you done your best. What I done with myself is my problem. ARLETTA No it hain't, Luke. You ain't alone. Ever whar you go, I'm with you, and so's John. LUKE You never thought that's a heavy load? ARLETTA We allus thought you was strong enough to carry it. Was we wrong? Luke gives her the cigarette, and smiles at her. LUKE No. But things ain't always like they seem, Arletta. You know that. A man's gotta go his own way. ARLETTA Well, I don't know, I just wash my hands of it, I guess I just got to love you and let go. She catches his hand as he puts the cigarette between her lips. LUKE Yeah. ARLETTA What are you doin' here? LUKE We call it abuildin' time, Arletta. ARLETTA I ain't askin' what you'll do after you get out, because I'm gonna be dead and it don't matter. His mother's disappointment in him brings Jackson a real twinge of pain here. He tries to change the subject. LUKE You never wanted to live forever anyways, did you? It wasn't such a hell of a life. ARLETTA Oh, I had me some high old times. Yore old man, Luke, wasn't much for stickin' around, but damn it he made me laugh. LUKE Yeah, would of been nice to of knowed him, the way you talk about him. She's looking at him and begins to laugh, losing control and coughing to the point it alarms John and Jackson and they have to help her. She pays no attention to the cough. ARLETTA He'd... He'd of... broke you up. She quiets after the fit and lies back, tired. ARLETTA You think life is some kind of ocean voyage and you start out with buntin' and hollerin' and high hopes, but the damn ship goes down before you ever reach the other side. Luke? LUKE Here, Mom. ARLETTA What went wrong? LUKE Nothin'. Ever'thing's cool's can be. ARLETTA No. LUKE Tried to live always just as free and aboveboard as you been, and well, they ain't that much elbow room. Arletta is looking hard into his eyes as he speaks. She reaches out to him again... ARLETTA You allus had good jobs, and that girl in Kentucky I taken a shine to her. LUKE She took off with that convertible feller... ARLETTA Well, why not? Idee of marryin' got you all choked up, trying to pretend you was respectable you was borin' the hell out of all of us. LUKE (grinning at her) Yeah. ARLETTA I'm leavin' the place to John. LUKE That's good: he earned it. ARLETTA Nothin' to do with it. I ain't never give John the kind of feelin' I give you, so I'm payin' him off now. Don't feel you got to say anything. Way it is, sometimes, you just have a feelin' for a child or you don't, and with John I just didn't. OFFSTAGE WHISTLE LUKE Gotta go, Arletta. ARLETTA (recovering) Laugh it up, kid. You'll make out. She kneads his hand and subsides onto her bed. Luke turns away from her to face John, who has stood by. Godfrey is on his feet. The other men are getting up and saying goodbye to visitors, picking up their packages, etc., and among them is a chain man, his chains dragging, holding them up with a string. The kid stands by John looking at the chains clinking past... JOHN-BOY Why can't you have chains? Luke looks up at John, Sr. with amusement. JOHN-BOY Uncle Luke? TWO SHOT LUKE AND JOHN, SR. JOHN John-Boy looks to you. You're a hero. He's braggin' on you all over the county. LUKE (thoughtful) Yeah. JOHN You must've really flung a binge this time. You really hit that cop? LUKE (not liking the smug pride in John) Much as I'd like to oblige you, John, I didn't hit the cop. (beat) She's in pretty bad pain, ain't she? JOHN (nods) Fulla dope, Luke. LUKE Keep it with her all the time. Let her have all she wants. They understand each other. Luke chucks John-Boy under the chin, then stops, looks at John, kneels beside him. TWO SHOT LUKE AND JOHN-BOY LUKE You don't want to admire them chains, John-Boy. They ain't medals. You get them put on for makin' mistakes. (beat) And if you make a really bad mistake, then you got to deal with the Man... and he is one tough old boy. THEIR P.O.V. Godfrey stares at them, his glasses mirroring. BACK TO THEM LUKE So long, Arletta. Take care. ARLETTA'S VOICE You know it, kid. John holds Luke for a beat and reaches into the truck and pulls out a battered banjo which he gives Luke. JOHN Now there's nothin' for you to come back for. ARLETTA'S TRUCK LEAVING down the road, kicking up dust. Barracks in b.g. EXT. HIGHWAY WITH YOYO SUPPORT (DAY) cutting away at the time... DISSOLVE TO: INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) Luke sits on his bunk plunking aimlessly at the BANJO. The barracks are quiet, an air of [...]. Suddenly there is an unidentifiable SOUND, low, but all the heads in the barracks look up, waiting, silently. It has begun to rain, the big drops DRUMMING on the roof. It begins to fall heavily. There are moving slams around the building as outside the guards SLAM the storm shutters. It is hot, oppressive. ALIBI I guess they have to close those things, or we'd drown. But it's really suffocating. TATTOO Talk about drownin', I did some trainin' on a submarine once. Boy, when you're under there you really feel it. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Shut up, man. It's too hot to talk. The air is stifling, desultory. Out of boredom, Dragline turns to Dynamite. DRAGLINE You see mah skinny lid boy at chow tonight. He was matching you plate for plate. DYNAMITE I wasn't feelin' good. Think I got a ulcer or somethin'. DRAGLINE He had a spoon like yours, he'd make you look like a possum [...] on a tree bark. Society Red is lying on his bunk looking at the bottom of the bunk above. SOCIETY RED Oh, come on, Clarence. Dragline sits up and looks at him aggressively. DRAGLINE What do you mean, Clarence? You callin' me a liar? He waits. SOCIETY RED Not a liar. You just have a common -- and likable -- tendency toward exaggeration. DRAGLINE (proudly) He's the champeen hog-gut of this camp. Hell, I seen him eat ten choc'lat bars and seven cold drinks in fifteen minutes. He kin eat busted bottles and rusty nails, any damn thing. If you'd so kindly oblige as to let me cut off your yankee head, he'd even eat that. LUKE I can eat fifty eggs. They turn to look at him as though surprised to find him there. Before Dragline can think he says... DRAGLINE Nobody kin eat fifty eggs. SOCIETY RED (to Dragline) You just said he could eat anything. DRAGLINE (doubtfully, to Luke) You ever eat fifty eggs? LUKE Nobody ever ate fifty eggs. GAMBLER Bet! Bet! Babalugats! DRAGLINE Mah boy say he kin eat fifty eggs, he'll eat fifty eggs. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Yeah but in how long? LUKE One hour. SOCIETY RED Well I believe I'll have to take part of that wager. DRAGLINE Two bucks. GAMBLER Let's talk money. DRAGLINE Awright, twenty bucks. Anything! The Syndicate'll cover any money you got. Koko, get paper. KOKO Dragline... fifty eggs got to weigh a good six pounds. DYNAMITE (expertly) Man's gut can't hold that. They'll swell up and bust him open. BLIND DICK You're gonna kill him. DRAGLINE Getcha money, up. Gambler! Dynamite! Everybody. Kokonut Head here is taking the money. Loudmouth -- get it up! The initial boredom of the scene is dispelled -- a purpose has been created to lead them through the endless building of time. GAMBLER How's he gonna eat 'em? LUKE (cutting in) Boiled for fifteen minutes. Then peeled. I eat all fifty in one hour. Men are all around Dragline and Koko now with money and wagers. Koko is frantically scribbling. DRAGLINE Koko, write down their names, don't just make marks. SOCIETY RED One rule! No throwing up. He throws up, you forfeit everything. DRAGLINE You ever see mah boy throw up? Shut your mouth and put up your money! Koko is on the floor now with Babalugats beside him, assorting papers, handing out betting receipts. Dragline turns to Luke. DRAGLINE Why'd you have to say fifty? Why not thirty-five or thirty-nine? LUKE Fifty's a nice round number. DRAGLINE Damn, Luke. What's the matter with you? what's the matter with me? LUKE (winking) Nothin' to worry about. We got a deadlock on that mullet. EXT. PRISON YARD MOVING TWO SHOT (DAY) Luke and Dragline jog around the yard like roadwork for a boxer and trainer. DRAGLINE What did I do? Stole and tole lies. I loved mah neighbor and his wife, but what did I do to deserve this lunatic to come in mah happy home and beat me outa hard earned bread. LUKE (grins) We got it locked in the sock. DRAGLINE Yeah, I know. But what we gotta do first is stretch that l'il ol' belly of yours -- git it all strained out, in fightin' shape, like a barrage balloon. LUKE You ol' sack of guts. I had a belly like yours, we wouldn't have nothin' to worry about. DRAGLINE (considers paunch) 'Atsa sign I got me an affectionate nature. LUKE Like an elephant. DRAGLINE (grinning) Us elephants may be a lil slow, like in makin' love, but you give us a coupla three days to really get with it an' man -- stand back! Luke grins. LUKE IN THE CHOWLINE taking enormous helpings. DOGBOY Lookit this hot gut, Boss. Here's a man gone bust the State feedin' his face. BOSS HIGGINS Wisht I could eat like that. LUKE Thing about bad food, you got to eat a lot of it. OMITTED LUKE He sits in a yoga position, rippling his stomach muscles miraculously. Koko and Gambler pop INTO THE SHOT to watch with amazement. INT. MESS HALL (NIGHT) Luke refuses food. He moves to his place, sits before his empty plate. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) as Dragline stops in front of the Wicker Man. DRAGLINE Boss! Man needs a brown bomber and a dose of salts. Instant UPROAR of protest. SOCIETY RED Rules Committee! Rules Committee! ALIBI Nobody said nothin' about that! LOUDMOUTH STEVE Same as dopin' a race horse! SLEEPY It don't sound right. TATTOO You can't do that! DRAGLINE You jes' watch us! BLIND DICK Fair's fair. KOKO Got a right to start with a clear gut! DYNAMITE Man can't eat that much no matter -- LOUDMOUTH STEVE You can't just change the rules any way you want! All of this is overlapping: Dragline walks through them carrying the pile and cup of salts passed out from the Wicker, ignoring it all. INT. KITCHEN JABO, the cook, is lowering the sacks of eggs into huge pots of boiling water. Carr stands by with a watch, timing. Outside the open door are Dragline, Dynamite and Gambler watching tensely. DRAGLINE Take it easy now, Jabo. Them is eggs, not them cathead biscuits. JABO I know what eggs look like. I ain't seen any around here for three years, but I remember. ANGLE ON BARRACKS DOOR (DAY) as a file of men carry the still-steaming eggs in their hats from the yard into the building. RABBIT (adding on a scrap of paper) I've got it figured. If he eats an egg a minute, he's got 10 minutes left to swaller them. CHIEF I just got sent five bucks from the rodeo company. RABBIT What for? CHIEF A bull I fell off. INT. BARRACKS as the line of men reach the poker table and begin stacking up the eggs. The Rules Committee sits around the table leaving one side for Luke. It's all set up with towels, etc. They are counting eggs carefully, piling them in pyramids. Dragline picks up an egg and cracks it smartly on the table. Again uproar... DRAGLINE Awright! Stand back, you pedestrians, this ain't no automobile accident! ALIBI You're peeling his eggs! DRAGLINE That's right, Mister Alibi. SOCIETY RED He peels the eggs himself. That's understood. DRAGLINE You jus' may be great at hangin' paper around the big cities, but us country boys is not entirely brainless. When it comes to the law, nothin' is understood. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Who made what law about peeling his eggs? DRAGLINE I'm his trainer, I'm the syndicate what's coverin' all bets, and I'm his official egg peeler. SOCIETY RED Just wait till the hour starts, that's all. The champion enters and the talk dies. He's naked from the waist. He does some side-straddle hops and deep-knee bends. His stomach is markedly concave. He, drying himself from a shower, walks to the fragment of mirror on the wall and combs his hair, studies his image a second and, at last ready, moves to the table and sits down. LUKE (ingeniously) What's goin' on? Dragline jumps up and gives a second's rubdown to Luke's shoulders. There is a flurry of last minute betting, and then silence. Everybody gathered around. Luke shuffles his feet, twitches his toes. One egg from the pile is peeled and in front of him. Carr waits, his eyes on his wrist watch, his other hand up in the air, and all eyes rest on that hand. All eyes drop as the hand drops. Dragline grabs eggs and peels them, his fingers flickering, the shells flying. Luke picks up the peeled egg and eats it in a gulp. CUTS OF LUKE, DRAGLINE, REACTIONS LUKE He's eating very fast. SOCIETY RED (keeping a written tab) One, two, three... (continues counting, throughout) KOKO He's gonna lose a finger eating eggs like that. Dragline reaches over and pops an egg into Luke's mouth, his pinkie extended, like tossing a tidbit into the mouth of some animal. FULL SHOT LUKE IN THE CENTER The others stand around, motionless. Dragline cracks and peels and Luke eats in a regular musical rhythm inexorable and horrible as it is sustained. Red is checking and counting off eggs... SOCIETY RED ...twenty-four. Twenty-five, twenty- six... LUKE His face bears an expression of ineffable absent pleasure as though eggs reminded him of something a long way away. DRAGLINE looking at him, neutral... DRAGLINE Slow down a little. THE GROUP Some chew fingernails, some stare, some mouth open, some stand with unlighted cigarettes in their mouths, staring. Some have eyes shut, their lips silently counting with Red. SOCIETY RED ...thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two. LUKE He stops and stands up, stretching. His stomach bulges as though he were pregnant. Slowly he walks across the barracks toward the water faucet. Dragline stands looking after him, alarmed. Luke slowly bends over and washes his mouth out, not taking a drink. He stands, turns, walks up and down, does some exercises. Silence, no one else moves. He walks back, looks at the eggs, making an expression of distaste. He turns away and does some more exercises. Gambler moves over very close to him. Luke is going up and down, up and down doing knee bends. Gambler tries to look into his eyes, examine his stomach, listen to his wind. Luke sticks out his tongue obligingly for a check. Gambler stands up. SOCIETY RED Eighteen to go! There is a flurry of last-minute betting led by Onionhead's examination. Koko, Babalugats beside him, are the tellers. GAMBLER He's had it. I'm throwin' in my last tenner. Sleepy appears, as does Tramp, to make beta. BLIND DICK He don't look good. DYNAMITE (expertly) Man's gut can't hold more'n that. GAMBLER Oh you gonna come crawlin' around beggin' for a cold drink, Drag. Your boy is done for! Mechanic has been studying Luke as if he were an ailing carburetor. MECHANIC (quietly to Dragline) If I give you a dollar and he don't eat all fifty eggs, I get two dollars? DRAGLINE Mechanic! Dragline puts his arm around Mechanic's shoulders affectionately. DRAGLINE You're a sweet old boy and I don't like to see you pick up no bad habits. Better use that dollar to buy yourself a new spark plug or something. But as long as you done took a stand, why don't you put some money where your mouth is? Not no measly buck! MECHANIC All I got is three-seventy-five. DRAGLINE It's a bet! Koko! I gone this far, I'm backin' mah boy all the way! Come on, who's next? Where are the big money men, I want to hear from some high rollers. Silence. SOCIETY RED I believe you've got it all, Dragline. Every nickel in camp is riding. Dragline turns to Luke and grins. Luke instantly appears to recover and walks casually back to the table. It should be clear this last was a little put-on between him and Dragline to milk the last money into bets. Luke sits and begins eating. LUKE cool, confident, but as the egg is crushed in his mouth the first real gagging feeling of total surfeit hits him. His jaw closes and freezes. His eyes grow desperate and swivel toward Dragline, though he doesn't dare move his head lest he give way to nausea. DRAGLINE reacts. LUKE with a herculean effort, he swallows. SOCIETY RED'S VOICE Thirty-three. Dragline swallows with relief. Gambler moves and looks about, a man feeling victory within his grasp. ALIBI Carr? What's the time? CARR Twenty-four minutes to go. Luke swallows another egg; sweat bursts out on his forehead. Dragline signals to a second, Koko, to sit in for him and peel eggs. He moves to Luke. SOCIETY RED Thirty-four. TWO SHOT LUKE AND DRAGLINE as Dragline stands behind him, massaging his shoulders and neck, tenderly... Luke doggedly eats eggs, one by one. Red counts off under... SOCIETY RED Thirty-nine... forty... forty-one... forty-two... MEANWHILE: DRAGLINE Come on, boy, come on, darlin'. You kin do her. Just let that ol' belly sag and enjoy itself. Stay loose, buddy. Eight more, between you and everlasting glory. Little ol' eggs, pigeon eggs, that's all, fish eggs practically. Luke almost throws up, and Dragline signals Koko to hold up... he gets Luke of his feet and begins walking him up and down the barracks... LOUDMOUTH STEVE Carr? Time? CARR Six minutes to go, Dragline. DRAGLINE (into Luke's ear) Just shakin' it down, that's all, settlin' them eggs down... He sits him down, takes an egg from Koko and puts it to Luke's lips, pursing his lips in a kiss... DRAGLINE Come on, Baby... don't be that way. Open your little ol' gator mouth. Luke opens his mouth, in goes the egg, he chews, chews, swallows. Another egg... SOCIETY RED Forty-four... CARR Two minutes to time... DRAGLINE All right now: get mad at them eggs. Eat it there boy! Bite it! Gnaw on it! SOCIETY RED Forty-five. CARR One minute, thirty seconds. Another egg goes. Luke closes his eyes and motions to Dragline; just stuff 'em in any old how! DRAGLINE That's it, that's how to do it, chew, chew, chew! All eggs peeled, Koko is up and dancing wildly, and a couple of men, even though they've got nothing but everything to lose, are intoxicated beyond power to restrain themselves and are yelling and jumping up and down. CARR One minute, fifty-five... fifty... forty-five... etc. SOCIETY RED Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven... So that it all comes out in a near dead-heat, with Dragline yelling and popping in eggs. At the last second before deadline, two whole eggs are shoved into Luke's mouth, and Dragline rams Luke's mouth shut for him... DRAGLINE All in: that's it: chew, chew, chew! CARR Fifteen, ten, nine, eight, seven... six... Luke looks around, then takes a mighty swallow, as: CARR One... zero! Luke collapses with his head on the table, his arms flung out. SOCIETY RED He didn't swallow the last... He grabs him by the hair and pulls his head back. Dragline pries his mouth open with his fingers. Luke is out... DRAGLINE You think so, huh? NEW ANGLE PAST LUKE'S EAR as they all peer down into his throat. Dragline grins, looks around at Society. DRAGLINE Where's the egg? He slaps Luke on the cheek affectionately, closes his mouth and lets his head fall back on the table with a loud thump, his arms again sprawled out in the piles of egg shells. A dance of victory for Dragline... he collects all over the place. Dynamite, shaking his head, quietly knights the new champion hog-gut by laying his big spoon on the table next to Luke's head. EXT. ROAD (DAY) A car ROARS by, leaving a hint of laughter and music in the air and a cloud of dust. The men are working rhythmically. Godfrey watching. ANGLE ON LOUDMOUTH STEVE GAMBLER They have been observing Godfrey. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Man looks like a goddamn bus driver. GAMBLER (yoyoing) He gets too close to me and I'll cut his belly open. OMITTED ANGLE ON KOKO He sees snake. KOKO'S VOICE Snake in the grass! Boss! He runs. Men flail at the snake in the grass with their yoyos and CAMERA MOVES WITH Snake though we can't see it and we follow its progress only by the men jumping, hitting at it, yelling. GODFREY He rams his cane into the soft sand and Rabbit reaches into the truck cab and hands him his rifle. Godfrey slams the bolt in. BACK TO MEN They jump and yell and chase the snake until they reach Luke, who stoops, grabs cooly and comes up with the snake, holding it by the tail. LUKE Pickin' it up here, Boss! GODFREY His EYES HUGE IN THE SCREEN: Luke seen there IN DUPLICATE, standing tall in the sun, grinning, the rattler wriggling and thrashing in his grasp. Godfrey's face holds for a long beat then the rifle is brought up so that we can now see Luke CLEAR IN ONE LENS and the other he is lined up in the rifle sight pointing directly INTO THE LENS -- or just CAMERA LEFT. There is a SHOT and the rifle is lowered enough so we can see Luke IN DUPLICATE again. LUKE looking at Godfrey, grinning, but a little tougher now. The snake has no head. He walks down a little and throws the body of the snake on the road at Godfrey's feet. It brings him close to where Godfrey's cane still stands in the sand. Godfrey kicks at the snake. He turns... Luke pulls the cane out of the sand and holds it out to Godfrey. LUKE Don't forget your walking stick, Boss. Godfrey turns to face him and stares at him. Luke just holds the stick out to him. Godfrey slowly takes the bolt out of the rifle, looks down the barrel, blows the smoke out, puts the bolt in his pocket and hands the gun back to Rabbit before finally reaching out and taking the stick from Luke. He turns and walks away. LUKE You shore can shoot, man. Godfrey's shoulders almost jerk as though at every word he were being hit with invisible bullets. SKY CLOUD THUNDER LIGHTNING EXT. ROAD DRAGLINE LUKE working. DRAGLINE Luke, why you actin' so strange? What you wanna do somethin' like that for? You gone too far when you mess with the Man With No Eyes. You gonna be outa here in a little bit -- whyn't you jus' take it a little easy? Luke has been staring up at the darkening sky which is growing more ominous with clashing clouds and rolling thunder. LUKE Man, it looks like the Big Boss is getting ready to let us have it! It begins to rain, large spattering drops, quickly turning into a downpour. BOSS PAUL (O.S.) Awright, you kin git in that truck. The gang rushes back into the shelter, all except Luke and Dragline. LUKE Look at Him go. Bam! Bam! DRAGLINE Knock it off, Luke! You cain't talk about Him that way. Dragline begins to move off toward the truck. LUKE You still believe in the Big Bearded Boss, Drag? You think he's up there watching us? He grins at Dragline and then, after a beat, raises his bush axe straight up to the sky, grinning at Dragline. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE He is frightened as he backs off toward the truck. DRAGLINE Get in here! Ain't you scared -- ain't you scared of dyin'? ANGLE ON LUKE The rain is torrential. He has to shout to be heard. LUKE Dyin'? He can take back this nice pretty life any time He wants. (looks up) You welcome to it, Old Timer. Come on! Make me know you're up there! Kill me or love me, one or the other. He holds his bush axe again, laughing, soaking wet. REVERSE BACK OF TRUCK The men jammed into the frame of the body, a frieze of shocked faces staring out at him through the rain. There is a blinding flash of lightning and a THUNDEROUS ROAR. They wince but don't turn away. LUKE He smiles and lowers the bush axe, walking toward the truck. LUKE Standin' out here in the rain! All alone! Talkin' to myself. He smiles a little shamefaced, rueful, sad smile and climbs into the truck and the men draw back from him. ANGLE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF THE TRUCK PARKED BEHIND Godfrey seen dimly through the rain-misted windshield. EXT. YOYO SHIMMERING IN THE SUN TRANSITIONAL DEVICE (DAY) INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) It is the free hour. But instead of the poker game, Dragline, Luke and Koko sit at the table dealing with their line of debtors from the egg-eating. Koko acts as secretary, changing the amounts as the men pay off or borrow more. As Blind Dick receives his money and leaves: DRAGLINE (to Koko) Blind Dick is payin' us off three and borrowin' back five. Next! It is Tattoo. DRAGLINE Borrowin' or payin' back? TATTOO Borrowin'. DRAGLINE Mister Cool Hand here is the soft heart in our Loan Department. Next! ON CARR AT THE WICKER (NIGHT) He has just been handed a telegram by the Wicker Man. He reads it impassive as always, while in b.g., the business continues and we HEAR: SOCIETY RED'S VOICE I believe I still owe you thirty. I don't suppose you'd take a check. TATTOO'S VOICE (to Luke) My Navy disability didn't come yet. You know how it is. Carr finishes reading and we FOLLOW HIM as he walks to the table. LUKE Sure do... that's why we didn't bet with the Navy. DRAGLINE Oh, that's mah darlin' Luke. Grins like a baby and bites like a 'gator. Carr sets the telegram on the table next to Luke. CARR Sorry, Luke. Luke picks up the telegram and reads. Then he sets it down, stands and goes to his bunk. Dragline looks after him, takes up the telegram and hands it up to Society Red. SOCIETY RED (after reading) His mother's dead. ANGLE ON LOUDMOUTH STEVE As he sees Luke go to his bunk, he picks up his sex book and moves down to the other end of the barracks. Alibi does the same with the cigarette papers and tobacco he has been rolling. ANGLE ON LUKE sitting on his bunk, bare feet tucked up beneath his drawn- up legs, softly picking out a slow hymn melody on his banjo. Tears slowly stream down his cheeks. ANGLE ON CARR as Luke continues playing softly. He walks down to the other end of the barracks, too. FULL SHOT BARRACKS All of the other men are congregated at the other end, giving Luke what privacy they can. There is no conversation, only the slow, plaintive plucking of the banjo. ANGLE ON LUKE CLOSE playing, the tears coursing. NEW ANGLE ON LUKE in his bunk now, staring wet-eyed up at the ceiling. CARR'S VOICE Fifty, boss. WICKERMAN'S VOICE Fifty, awright, Carr. EXT. MESS HALL (PRE-DAWN) As the men pour out they see that the light on the box is burning, a nightshirt is hung on the fence. Their usual hurry- up pace is slowed to a nervous, apprehensive gait. BOSS PAUL Awright, git lined up here. ANGLE ON CAPTAIN'S PORCH He has been watching, rocking. As the men line up, he gets up and goes down the steps toward the yard. CAPTAIN'S P.O.V. pushing the gate open, moving in front of Boss Paul, facing the men. CAPTAIN Luke, fall out. Luke steps forward, pulls off his shirt and jacket. He steps behind the latticework screen to take off his pants as the Captain speaks. CAPTAIN'S VOICE (emotionless) When a man's mother dies and he gits to thinkin' about her funeral and payin' respects, before he knows it his mind ain't right and he's got rabbit in his blood and runs. We're keepin' you off the road fer awhile. He has said all he has to say. He walks off. FULL SHOT LUKE AND THE MEN They are watching him slip on the nightshirt. Boss Kean opens the box. BOSS KEAN (to Luke) Ah'm jus' doin' mah job, Luke. You gotta appreciate that. ANGLE ON LUKE IN BOX LUKE Boss, when you do somethin' to me you better do it because you got to or want to... but not because it's your damn job. ANGLE ON KEAN His eyes narrow. The box door slams. Greyness. BOSS PAUL'S VOICE (O.S.) Awright, let's move it out! And o.s. the SOUNDS of the men counting through the gate and the truck engines coughing. EXT. ROAD DAWN (NIGHT) The bull gang truck pulling out. In b.g. the barracks and the light over the box. EXT. CAMP The bull gang truck stopping. The back is opened and the men jump out, line up and begin counting off through the gate. In b.g. as they count is Luke's voice singing. CLOSE ON DRAGLINE He smiles... oh that Luke! CLOSE ON BOSS GODFREY listening to the mocking voice. EXT. BARRACKS It is the next morning. The tire iron SOUNDS. CARR'S VOICE First bell! First bell! Let's go! The figures of Boss Paul and Boss Seven go to the box. Seven carries Luke's food. INT. BOX PAUL'S P.O.V. as it is opened. The dimness of the overhead bulb illuminates Luke. LUKE Shut the door, Boss. You're lettin' in a draft. ANGLE ON PAUL His face corrodes in fury. BOSS PAUL Git on your feet! Ah'm gonna teach you some respect right now! Furiously he tries to cane Luke with his walking stick. But the cramped quarters restrict him. The cane clangs wildly against the sides of the box as Luke crouches in a corner, covering his head. ANGLE ON LUKE protecting, as Boss Paul retreats. The box door slams! Greyness. EXT. BARRACKS (AFTERNOON) as the bull gang counts in after the day's work. The light on the box still burns. No sound from Luke. CLOSE ON DRAGLINE He looks worried. EXT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The tire rim SOUNDS and the men scurry for their bunks. CARR'S VOICE Last bell! Last bell! (the pacing of his steps) Forty-nine, Boss. And one in the box. WICKERMAN'S VOICE Forty-nine and one in the box. Right, Carr. EXT. BARRACKS (PRE-DAWN) Boss Paul, carrying a shotgun, and Boss Seven are opening the box. In b.g. the tire rim SOUNDS. CARR'S VOICE First bell! First bell! Let's go! And the uproar of the men getting out of their bunks, hurrying to dress and line up by the chute. INT. BOX CLOSE SHOT LUKE'S P.O.V. as the door opens and the double muzzle of Boss Paul's shot- gun stares. BOSS PAUL'S P.O.V. Luke is standing at the rear of the box, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes slightly wild, his face dirty and stubbled. In b.g. the SOUND of Rudolph, the pet bloodhound puppy, yipping. LUKE'S P.O.V. Paul's gun draws back. Boss Seven hands Paul a heavy biscuit, grinning. Rudolph is sniffing, nipping at Paul's trousers, smelling the biscuit. BOSS PAUL You look hongry, Luke. (tosses biscuit in his hand) Reckon this would taste mighty good, but Rudolph looks pretty hongry, too. Why don't we split it with the pooch, okay? He breaks the biscuit and dangles half over Rudolph who nips and barks for it. BOSS PAUL (feeding Rudolph) Tha's a good boy. (to Luke) Well, here's your piece, Luke. ON LUKE He speaks in a low, uneven voice. LUKE Might as well give it all to him, Boss. I just ain't much hungry. ON BOSS PAUL Livid with rage, he slams the door! Greyness. EXT. LAUNDRY FENCE CLOSE ON LAUNDRY FLYING OVER FENCE (AFTERNOON) as LAUNDRY BOY tries to catch the flying sheets, pants and shirts being tossed by the men. Behind him we SEE the steaming, pumping cleaning machines. EXT. YARD (AFTERNOON) Laundry boy and machines in b.g. as Boss Kean and Boss Seven go to the box. Boss Seven carries Luke's shoes and a freshly cleaned set of state issues. The men turn. INT. BOX (AFTERNOON) as the door opens. Luke looks up. Kean's face stares down, not unkind. Luke moves forward. OMITTED EXT. BOX (AFTERNOON) as Luke emerges, Kean behind him. BOSS KEAN (gently) She's in the ground now, Luke. Best forget about it. You got a day ana half lay-in... and tomorrow's a holiday. OMITTED INT. BARRACKS (EVENING) The Fourth of July. All hell is breaking loose. Four radios going, chain men jitterbugging, one of the men has a mouth harmonica, another plucks Luke's banjo. A lemonade barrel is in a corner and men dip into it with coke bottles; others are banging together bottles as instruments, playing combs, etc. ANGLE ON ALIBI AND DYNAMITE just filling their bottles with lemonade. ALIBI (toasting) Happy Fourth of July. SLEEPY Same to you. ALIBI Boy, if anyone had told me where I was going to be spending Independence Day... (shakes his head) ON MUSIC MAKERS, OTHERS Most of them are concentrated in front of Luke's bunk, singing and screaming, trying to make as much noise as possible. Tattoo is reading a new sex book aloud while Dynamite, Loudmouth Steve, others listen intently, some avid, some confused. TATTOO (reading) Wanda trembled, faced by this awesome decision. It was the moment of choice. Could she take the plunge and wantonly hurl herself into pagan abandon? Or would she remain ever fettered by the bonds of her puritanical upbringing? Could she take this chance to experience the sensual thrill of total release and gratification? Or would she turn her back and retreat into frigid denial? Desire and fear, temptation and terror, yearning and horror, warred within her beautiful young body... Luke is not to be seen among the music-makers and revellers. Moving through the crowd, the CAMERA FINDS Luke on his hands and knees, sawing at the floorboard with a piece of hacksaw. ANGLE ON CARR as the tire iron SOUNDS and SOUNDS again to be heard over the din. CARR First bell! Let's git to bed. You done had your fun. The singers and music-makers around Luke finish their song, reaching a high, piercing, noisy crescendo. At the same time, Dragline has been reading another sex book to Stupid Blondie, Blind Dick and Chief who are trying to act out the description, tying themselves into an intricate anatomical knot. DRAGLINE (reading) She moved her head another inch while he reached up and put his left hand on Carol's cheek as Carol pressed her lips to... Oh Lord, I can't read it! He wriggles, panting with eye-popping pleasure, attracting Carr's attention. Stupid Blondie, Rabbit and Chief are still trying to untie themselves. DRAGLINE Carr. Lookit this. Oh I don't believe it. CARR What you got there, Drag? You bought yourself another of them dirty books? Intrigued, Carr sits down on Dragline's bunk and follows Dragline's finger pointing out the lascivious parts. He is quickly absorbed. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE He looks over toward Luke who can be seen between the legs of the surrounding men, poised, waiting to drop down into the hole. Dragline winks. ANGLE ON LUKE He winks back, grins and disappears through the hole in the floor. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE AND CARR The tutor and the student. DRAGLINE Here's a real hot one! Carr reads intently. ON THE HOLE BENEATH LUKE'S BUNK gaping, empty, inviting. VARIOUS REACTIONS OF MEN A. KOKO - suppressing a giggle. B. SOCIETY RED - considering it, cowardly. C. ALIBI - tense, nervous. ANGLE ON TATTOO He has been considering it, weighing his chances, his eyes darting from the hole to Carr, back again. Now he scurries to the hole, drops inside. ANGLE ON CARR, DRAGLINE as the tire iron SOUNDS. Carr gets up. CARR Awright, last bell! The men are in their bunks, Carr begins to make his count. As he comes to Tatto's bunk: WICKER MAN'S VOICE HEY, CARR! WHAT'S THAT OUTSIDE? Carr rushes to the window. CARR Somebody's on the fence, boss! EXT. YARD ON THE FENCE It is Tattoo, half-way up the fence, startled by the clamor as the Wicker Man whales the GONG. He falls back down, starts up again, dogs BARKING. EXT. YARD NEW ANGLE as guards come running from the Captain's house, the dogs HOWLING. ON TATTOO frantically trying to get up the fence, falling down, starting to run, seeing the guards approaching with guns and canes, turning to the other direction: more guards. Caught like a rat, eyes wild with fear, he makes terrified motions to go in one direction, then the other but is rooted by fear and indecision as the guards move in. He SCREAMS. INT. BARRACKS ANGLE ON WICKER AND DOOR which is unlocked. Dogboy is dressed, combing his hair, self- importantly putting on his gloves while the men lie in their bunks, staring contemptuously. Boss Paul, Godfrey and others stare with shotguns leveled from the wicker. BOSS PAUL Who else? Carr has been tearing a sheet off Luke's bed. CARR Jackson. He cut a hole in the floor, Boss. He hands the sheet to Dogboy. BOSS PAUL He ain't even got the sense to run from the road like everybody else. DOGBOY Blue'll git him, Boss. We'll git that bastid, Cool Hand Luke. OMITTED EXT. DOG PEN MED. CLOSE SHOT (NIGHT) Boss Paul is unlocking the pen. Dogboy stands by the screen letting the yapping, frothing hounds sniff at the sheet. BOSS PAUL Stan' back, Dogboy. Git the leash here. As he opens the pen, the hounds rush out. Dogboy grabs one, Boss Paul grabs another but Big Blue, the lead hound, has the scent and he bolts, howling and tearing off. DOGBOY Blue! Come back here! Come back, I said. EXT. SWAMP (NIGHT) Luke, smiling, running like hell through the murky water. In b.g. Blue's baying. EXT. SWAMP (NIGHT) Blue in pursuit, sniffing, dashing, on the trail. EXT. SWAMP (NIGHT) Dogboy with the other dogs being pulled through the muddy, murky, thickly-foliaged swamp. Behind him, wading unhappily through knee-deep water are Bosses Paul, Higgins and Shorty. EXT. ABANDONED RAILROAD STATION NIGHT (LATER) Boss Paul is on the phone to the Captain, Bosses Higgins and Shorty sit disconsolate, dirty, wet, exhausted. Only Dogboy is still eager, two hounds by his feet, listening in the distance to the howl of Blue baying. DOGBOY Listen to Blue sing. She's on to him. She says: got him. BOSS SHORTY Hail, that dog is jus' runnin' in circles. BOSS PAUL (returning from phone) Captain says to wait 'til the Patrol gits here. DOGBOY (listening to Blue) She's on to him. You shoulda waited fer me to git her out -- loose like she is, he kin run her crazy. BOSS PAUL It ain't my fault you don't know how to handle your dogs. DOGBOY How my suppose to handle a dog someone jus' let loose? BOSS HIGGINS I'm beat. This ain't mah job, nohow. BOSS SHORTY Me neither. A Highway Patrol car pulls up. BOSS PAUL Here's the Patrol. DOGBOY (pulling up dogs) She's got him! You hear that? Higgins and Shorty shake their heads wearily. OFFICER (to Dogboy) Okay, let's get started. EXT. FARM COUNTRY (PIPELINES) (NIGHT) Luke steps under and through the pipeline supports and vanishes. In b.g. Blue's plaintive HOWLING. EXT. FARM COUNTRY (PIPELINES) DAY (DAWN) Dogboy moves ACROSS the SCENE with his pack of dogs, having trouble following through the supports. The Officer behind him. CLOSE SHOT DOGBOY plodding along, exhausted, yanking at the dogs as they pull in different directions. DOGBOY Come on, Rudolph, Austin, you no good buncha chicken-eaters, we're lookin' for a man. We got us a job to do. EXT. BUSH BY FENCE (NEAR RAILROAD TRACKS) (DAY) Luke carefully slips through the barbs, runs a few yards, slips back through again, runs a few yards, returns to the other side. EXT. BUSH BY FENCE (NEAR RAILROAD TRACKS) DAY (LATER) Dogboy with his pack and the Officer. In b.g. Blue is HOWLING, the dogs are BAYING frantically. It is with trouble that Dogboy and the Officer get through the fence, pulled by the eager dogs. Then they must cross it again. OFFICER Your dogs are crazy. DOGBOY He keeps criss-crossin'. He's smarter'n a dog. But he ain't got us boxed yet... Blue'll get him. OMITTED EXT. RAILROAD BRIDGE DAY A trestle built of creosoted timber. The dogs reach it, break up into a milling, confused mass. Dogboy wrestles them out of the trestle. In b.g. as always, Blue's plaintive BAYING. ANGLE ON BRIDGE as Dogboy fights the dogs to get them across. ANGLE ON FAR SIDE OF BRIDGE as Dogboy hauls at the dogs who are pulling in different directions. CLOSE SHOT DOGBOY exhausted, disappointed, looking around, puzzled. NEW ANGLE The dogs are confused, seem to mill around aimlessly. DOGBOY (almost in tears) Dammit. (calling) Blue! Blue! No answer. EXT. FARMLAND ORCHARD TRACKING SHOT OF LUKE running through the thick overhead cover. It is like a jungle. PULLING UP SLOWLY to HELICOPTER SHOT, we SEE that the cover is only a small patch of foliage and on the other side is a huge panorama of rolling, empty moor-like country in which, after a moment, Luke enters, a tiny figure, running free. EXT. CAMP (LATE AFTERNOON) The men are coming out of the mess hall, washing their spoons, about to line up for inspection. A Highway Patrol car pulls up outside the gate; from the back seat comes the yipping of dogs. Every head turns. The Captain moves from his rocker and starts down the porch. Boss Paul and Godfrey move toward the car. CLOSE ON PATROL CAR (LATE AFTERNOON) as the Officer (seen at the railroad station) gets out and opens the front door. He nudges a sleeping, grizzled figure who emerges. It is Dogboy. The back door is opened and Rudolph and the other small dogs leap out, cavorting, glad to be home. Then the Officer and Dogboy go to the trunk. The Officer opens it. Dogboy reaches in and carries out -- the body of Big Blue. Staggering with fatigue, tears in his eyes, Dogboy stumbles up to the Captain. DOGBOY Look, Cap'n. Look what he done to Blue. He's dead, Cap'n. Dead! Run hisself plumb to death. That crazy sadis Cool Hand Luke run her 'til her heart bust. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE KOKO DRAGLINE He made it. EXT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) CARR'S VOICE Forty-eight, Boss. One in the box and one in the bush. EXT. ROAD The Bull Gang is working at the bottom of a high embankment and the guards stand on the road high above their heads, looking down, shotguns out now, alert. The men work away at a rackety pace. EXT. GODFREY'S EYES (DAY) as he turns at the SOUND of a distant motor approaching and the image of a car coming closer enlarges in his glasses. EXT. ROAD The car pulls up beside the guards and the door opens. The Captain steps up to the road edge and looks down. He says something to Boss Paul. BOSS PAUL Awright, hold it! The men stop working, puzzled, looking up. Then from the car a guard escorts Luke to the edge of the pavement. Luke grins down at the men sheepishly. His prison uniform is filthy and torn, his hands are cuffed behind his back, his face is dirty and stubbled. EXT. ROAD PAN REACTIONS OF MEN They are stunned, saddened. ANGLE ON LUKE, CAPTAIN, GUARDS Behind Luke are Godfrey, Paul, Bosses Six and Seven and the Captain. Kean and Shorty flank the gang. The guns are held levelled at the men. One guard uncuffs Luke's hands; others produce a sledge hammer, ballpeen hammer and a set of leg irons from the Captain's car. Two guards kneel before Luke and begin hammering on the irons. Silence except for the HAMMERING AND CLINKING. Luke is silhouetted, a tall, straight figure on the low horizon. The Captain looks directly ahead. CAPTAIN (to Luke) You gonna get used to wearing them chains aftera while, Luke. But don't you never stop listenin' to them clinkin'. That's gonna remind you of what I been sayin'. LUKE Yeah, they sure do make a lot of cold, hard, noise, Captain. The Captain feeds his fury staring, then reaches out his hand and Boss Paul lays the blackjack in it. As the chain guards finish and stand up, trembling with rage, the Captain takes a convulsive step forward and brings the sap down behind Luke's ear. As Luke tumbles down the littered embankment toward the men: CAPTAIN Don't you never talk that way to me! You hear? You hear? Never! His rage subsides and his voice becomes calm, reasonable. CAPTAIN (to the men) What we got here is a failure to communicate. Some men you can't reach, that is they just don't listen when you talk reasonable so you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it, well he gets it, and I don't like it any better than you men. Nodding curtly, the Captain gets back in his car. Someone throws a shovel down the embankment. It CLATTERS until it lands beside Luke. Dragline and the others are by his side, helping him to his feet. Above Godfrey stares down at them. ANGLE ON DRAGLINE, LUKE AND OTHERS DRAGLINE Awright, buddy. You be awright. You give 'em a run for their money. Jus' take it slow and easy, baby. You gonna make it fine. As Luke tries to get his bearings, someone thrusts the shovel into his hands and they get him going like a rusty piece of machinery. DRAGLINE Come on, buddy. Show 'em you're awright. Luke seems to nod and begins to work slowly. The others back away, glancing fearfully at the guards, go back to work, quiet and sullen. ANGLE ON LUKE He is working with great difficulty, stiff, tired, aching. BOSS KEAN'S VOICE Awright, let's eat them beans. Luke stumbles gratefully toward the chowline. ON THE CHOWLINE Dogboy dishing it out to Luke. Dogboy is gleeful, gloating. DOGBOY I knew they'd git you. With them chains an a bonus of a coupla years, you runnin' days is over forever. Ah'd like to see you try to run agin. You gettin' so you smell so bad, I could track you myself. LUKE For a natural born son of a bitch like you, that oughta be easy. NEW ANGLE THE MEN as Luke settles down with his beans, the others find spots around him so he is the focus of the group. We SEE Tattoo in chains, forlorn. Luke wolfs his food hungrily. DRAGLINE Jus' take it slow, buddy. KOKO (unable to restrain himself) What happened? How far did you get? DRAGLINE Shut up. Let him eat. Don't pay them no mind, boy. TATTOO (urgently) I gotta know -- How... how'd they get you? LUKE (between mouthfuls) Topflight police work. GAMBLER Tell us about it. BLIND DICK You steal a car? LUKE Yeah, found one in this supermarket, keys in the ignition. KOKO Well, how far didya get? LUKE (eating) Fat mile'n a half. Hit this red light, highway patrol pulls up alongside. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Didya fight it out with him? LUKE Nope. I jus' kept lookin' straight ahead waiting for that light to change. And he kept lookin' over, wondering what somethin' that looked like me was doin' drivin' a shiny new car. ALIBI And then...? LUKE Then he leans over and sees this state issue... All there was to it. Feller's probably a lieutenant by now. Luke continues to shovel in his beans. The men are clearly disappointed. Only Dragline understands. DRAGLINE Well now we jus' gonna lay low and build time and afore you know it the heat'll be off you and things be back where they was. Right, sweet buddy? Luke winks and slaps Dragline affectionately on the cheek. During this last, Luke has been idly winding a piece of kite string found on the ground beside him. As, idly, he shoves it into his pocket. ANGLE ON BOSS KEAN LATER The gang has resumed working, Kean stands looking out at the horizon, not talking directly to Luke, just leaning on his gun, following Luke whenever he moves, his voice as calm and secure as a priest in his study. BOSS KEAN Ah hears tell you don't believe in no God, Luke. Ah was wonderin' how come a nice lookin' feller like you come to get put on the Hard Road. But now ah reckons ah knows. Ah been on the Road Gang for twenny-two year, Luke, and in all that time I ain't never killed no white man but I ain't afeerd to cause a body has to do his work. And I ain't never seen no man that wasn't afeerd to die neither. LUKE 'Scuse me, Boss. Don't mean to interrupt... but... caught short here. Boss Kean is stunned. BOSS KEAN (slow, dangerous) Awright, Luke. Thas okay... You go on up there in them trees. Man's gotta have some privacy sometime. But you grab a bush and keep shakin' it, hear? Jes' so we know you're there. Jes' keep shakin' that bush. LUKE Yes, boss. He begins to trot off, awkward in his chains. Kean looks at Godfrey who snaps his fingers to Dogboy, a gesture that means rifle. Dogboy runs to the truck and brings back the rifle which Godfrey loads and arms with the bolt from his pocket. ANGLE ON LUKE Slowly walking off into the rough grass, his chains catching on brush and stumps. He disappears behind a large bush. CLOSE SHOT GODFREY Luke's bush is in distance. He raises the gun to his shoulder and FIRES. REVERSE HIS P.O.V. The bush shakes, we can't see Luke. LUKE I'm shakin' it, Boss. I'm shakin' it! We see the dust kick up behind the stump and another SHOT. LUKE Still shakin' it, Boss. CLOSE SHOT GODFREY impassively: SHOOTS again, aiming. REVERSE HIS P.O.V. The bush goes on shaking. Then it stops. GODFREY Caught loading. He brings up the rifle fast, FIRES. CLOSE THE BUSH It is still. FULL SHOT The gang stops working, looks up stunned. ANGLE ON BOSS KEAN AND GODFREY A long beat of shock -- they (and us) think Godfrey's hit him. Boss Kean trots hurriedly up to the bush. ANGLE BY THE BUSH Boss Kean appears, looking down and off. CAMERA ADJUSTS so we see what he sees: a piece of kite string tied to the bush and leading off into the brush. BOSS KEAN Damn! He turns and rushing back down toward Godfrey, others. BOSS KEAN He's gone! Git the dogs! EXT. DIRTY ROAD (DAY) It is a rutted country road with farms on both sides. Luke appears, a filthy wide-eyed, stumbling, bearded beast in filthy uniform and chains. PAN with him past sharecropper's village of ramshackle huts, rusted junk. An OLD NEGRO WOMAN sees Luke and goes inside, closing the door. PAN with him to a General Store where an OLD NEGRO MAN watching, quickly retreats inside leaving only two small Negro boys (BEN and LAWRENCE) staring at Luke as he shambles toward them. LAWRENCE (looking at chains) Whattaya got them on for? BEN How do you take your pants off? LUKE (smiling) Well -- the best way is to take the leg irons off first. (to Lawrence) But you ain't strong enough. LAWRENCE Strong enough for whut? LUKE You couldn't heft an axe. LAWRENCE Can, too. He's off, running toward a house. In the distance now, we hear the dogs baying, coming closer. Luke smiles at Ben. LUKE What's your name? BEN Ben. (a beat) Had'n you better take them stripes off your pants? Smiling, Luke sits in the dirt and begins ripping off the stripes as Lawrence appears, dragging a huge double-bitted axe behind him. LUKE (to Ben) You wanna see somethin' funny? Go get some chili powder, pepper, curry, dried mustard and like that. A lot of it. Ben rockets off and Luke turns to see Lawrence, struggling mightily, attempting to bring the axe over his head and down on the chains. LUKE Hold it! He takes the axe, sets the chains up on a stump and begins to back heavily, BAYING OF DOGS growing louder. LAWRENCE No, me, me. Let me do it! Lawrence cries and stomps unhappily, clouding up dust as Luke severs the chain from one shackle. Ben APPEARS with an armload of spices. BEN Here's them spices. (looks at Lawrence, crying, stomping) What's wrong with him? Luke begins backing away, scuffing his feet in the dust, pouring out the spices as he goes. ANGLE ON LUKE stopping at Lawrence. The baying of the dogs is much closer now. LUKE You remember how them dogs do when they get here so you can tell me about it someday. He is gone. ON DOGS IN DISTANCE They are approaching quickly. ON VILLAGE Some of the people have reappeared, now go back inside. ANGLE ON DOGS They fill the FRAME, milling around the empty street, sneezing, howling, stirring up dust, pawing at their noses. CLOSE LAWRENCE He is peeping from a corner. His tears stop and he smiles. EXT. ROAD CLOSEUP YOYO TRANSITIONAL DEVICE (DAY) ...cutting away at the time. INT. CAGE TRUCK (PROCESS) (DAY) as it passes the Negro Church. DRAGLINE'S VOICE Thas the church. After he chopped off those old chains and whilst he was layin'd down the pepper -- GAMBLER'S VOICE I heard it was curry powder. DRAGLINE'S VOICE It was pepper and curry powder and dry mustard. Now shut your face. Whilst he was layin' down them spices, Luke heard them choir practicin' in there. So he just sauntered inside, cool's kin be, and sung along with them... my baby Luke... and he was still singin' when the dogs come by, singing and grinning and eatin' the food the people had brung him. EXT. ROAD TRANSITIONAL DEVICE EXT. ROAD (DAY) The bull gang at the end of bean time. BOSS PAUL'S VOICE Awright, let's git to work. Dragline and the others deposit their chow plates, pick up their yoyos and start to work. DRAGLINE He ain't eating beans fer lunch. KOKO He's eatin' steak and corn with butter and green beans and... LOUDMOUTH STEVE ...fried clams, pizza, chocolate, malted milkshakes. SOCIETY RED (yoyoing) ...and a Brown Bomber. DRAGLINE (yoyoing) Shut your mouth. He's out there doin' it for all of us. OMITTED INT. BARRACKS (DAY) It is Saturday afternoon. Carr is distributing mail and packages, the men clustered around; others lying on bunks, making wallets, etc. CARR Magazines for you, Dragline! ANGLE ON DRAGLINE Dragline sits up from his bunk, astonished. DRAGLINE Magazines? Who's sendin' me magazines? He looks at the package. Carr has tossed on his bunk. DRAGLINE From mah uncle? Ah never heard from him in eight years and now he's sendin' me magazines. He musta gone crazy. He has torn open the package, looks through the magazines, which are movie fan books, lies back to flip the pages. In b.g. Carr is continuing the mail call. Suddenly Dragline's eyes widen, his mouth opens, but he catches himself and closes it before he has revealed himself. INSERT THE PICTURE It is taped to page in the magazine. It shows Luke in a suit and tie, holding up four aces and a joker in one hand, arms around two buxom over-made strippers. On the table in front of them is a giant bottle of champagne and glasses. Scrawled across it is something in Luke's writing. ANGLE DRAGLINE KOKO SOCIETY RED OTHERS Seeing Dragline's reaction, they have gathered around. DRAGLINE Looka that! Two of them. Oh my... KOKO I'm dyin'. I'm dyin'. Dragline suddenly realizes the danger and closes the book so Carr and the Wicker Man don't catch on. The others reluctantly move away. Dragline casually hands the magazine to Society Red. DRAGLINE (whispering) What's the writing say? SOCIETY RED (opening to the picture, reading) Dear Boys. Playing it cool. Wish you were here. Love, Cool Hand Luke. DRAGLINE Oh my. Oh my... Give it back here! Red surrenders the magazine. Dragline opens it again and a look of pure bliss settles over his face. KOKO Lemme see it! DRAGLINE (violently) Get away! He looks over at Carr but Carr has moved away, is talking to the Wicker Man, his back to the men. Koko, Loudmouth Steve, Gambler and the others hurriedly cluster around Dragline. Their voices are eager intense whispers. KOKO Lookit the brunette... BLIND DICK The blonde's gotta better set. GAMBLER Some legs. LOUDMOUTH STEVE They must be six feet tall. TATTOO ...And the champagne. SOCIETY RED (from his bunk) Domestic. TRAMP Wonder how he got the dough. ALIBI He's probably a salesman. You can make pretty good money if you know what your doing in selling. GAMBLER A salesman! Cool Hand Luke a salesman? BLIND DICK He's probably a gigolo. MECHANIC Or a con artist. LOUDMOUTH STEVE The head of the rackets. KOKO (reverently) Oh lookit that brunette. DRAGLINE Mah baby! We're diggin' and dyin' but our boy Luke is lovin' and flyin'. They all gaze at the picture with loving, dreamy, painful rapture. OMITTED INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) Blackass time, dull, sad, boring. Koko sits idly flicking cards from the poker deck, men staring into space. The cards sail by Society Red who is clipping his nails. SOCIETY RED Stop that. KOKO How about you tryin' to make me? SOCIETY RED Oh for... They slowly subside. KOKO Dragline, lemme look at the picture. DRAGLINE (feigned innocence) What for? LOUDMOUTH STEVE Yeah, Drag. Get it out for a look. DRAGLINE You're just a kid. Whatta you know about it? You don't wanna see that dirty picture. Luke and those broads an' all that booze. KOKO Come on, Drag. Lemme take a look. DRAGLINE It'd go to your coconut head. You'd start getting ideas. Maybe even pass right out. BLIND DICK Dragline! Be a buddy! DRAGLINE How much you figure it's worth, a peek at this here picture? A quick look, I'm not talkin' about no memorizin' job. KOKO A cold drink. DRAGLINE A cold drink? You mean one cold drink? To feast yore starvin' fishy l'il eyes on The Picture? A true vision of Paradise itself? With two of the angels right there in plain sight a- friskin' round with mah boy? KOKO A cold drink? Okay? DRAGLINE Well --- okay. It's a deal. One cold drink, if'n you please. In advance. One chilly bottle right here in mah hot l'il hand... That goes for the rest of you mullet-heads, too. Activity as the men dig out coins to purchase drinks. Dragline pulls out the magazine and the men all gather round, gazing into it as though it were a crystal ball. Suddenly the wicker door slams open and as the men look up... THEIR P.O.V. Luke is dumped to the floor, face down, unconscious, by Boss Paul, Boss Kean, others. The Captain is standing there over him. Luke wears a new prison uniform and two sets of chains. CAPTAIN (to Luke) You run one time, you got yourself a set of chains. You run twice, you got two sets. You ain't gonna need no third set because you're gonna get your mind right... And I mean right. He looks at the men who are stunned by the juxtaposition of their hero in The Picture and the reality of the unconscious figure before them. CAPTAIN Take a good look at your Cool Hand Luke. With his foot he prods Luke over onto his back. CLOSE ON LUKE As he rolls over we can see he has been badly beaten. OMITTED NEW ANGLE THE MEN As the Captain turns and walks out past the guards who follow, and the wicket chute CLANGS shut, Dragline, Koko and others move forward and gently lift Luke onto the poker table. DRAGLINE Oh mah poor baby. They done you real good... I don't know if you gonna have them gals chasin' after you for a while... CLOSE ON LUKE lying, eyes closed. SOCIETY RED'S VOICE I've got some aspirin. KOKO'S VOICE They half killed him. ALIBI'S VOICE He should have a doctor. DRAGLINE'S VOICE Don't you never learn nuthin'? They ain't gonna let no doctor see what they dont to him... ANGLE ON DRAGLINE, OTHERS Dragline looks up at Carr who stands hovering above them. DRAGLINE Carr, kin we use your razor to clean up where they cut his head? Carr moves off to his canteen area. CLOSE ON LUKE as Blind Dick, Gambler, others move in... GAMBLER How you feelin', buddy? TRAMP He don't hear. TATTOO Somebody get him something to drink. SOCIETY RED Here. Gently he tucks two aspirin tablets into Luke's mouth, holds a cup of water to Luke's mouth. Luke's eyes slowly open, he drinks the water. DRAGLINE That's my baby. KOKO He's gonna be awright. NEW ANGLE ON MEN as Carr moves in with a razor, bandage, etc. The men clear to give him room. KOKO Luke?... We got the picture! See? He holds it up. CLOSE ON LUKE His eyes squint open, close. BLIND DICK'S VOICE A pair of beauties. Best I ever seen. TATTOO'S VOICE You really know how to pick 'em. LOUDMOUTH STEVE'S VOICE Tell us about 'em. What were they like? CLOSE ON LUKE as his lips open. He speaks slowly, painfully. LUKE Picture's a phoney... Cost me a week's pay. NEW ANGLE THE MEN KOKO A phoney? Whatta you mean, a phoney? GAMBLER We saw the broads. BLIND DICK Yeah. Did you have them both at once or -- LUKE It's a phoney. Made it up just for you guys. LOUDMOUTH STEVE Aw, come on. We saw it all. TATTOO The champagne. TRAMP Some life. FIXER You really had it made. LUKE Nothin. I had nothin, made nothin. Couple towns, couple bosses. Laughed out loud one day and got turned in. KOKO (about to cry) But -- but -- LUKE That's all there was. Listen. Open your eyes. Stop beatin' it. And stop feedin' off me. Now get out of the way. Give me some air. Stunned, the men shrink back. DRAGLINE He ain't himself. He's all beat up. Cain't you see that? He don't know what he sayin'. EXT. ROAD DAY Luke is working with great difficulty, pained, weary under the double set of chains. Bosses Paul and Kean stand right over him, watching every move. ANGLE ON GODFREY standing far behind, his mirrored eyes on Luke. ON LUKE moving, he stumbles on the chains, gets hit by Paul's cane. BOSS PAUL You was eyeballin', Luke. You can't gitcha mind on them weeds if yer eyeballin'... LUKE (wearily) Boss, you don't need reasons to hit me. He gets the cane again. BOSS PAUL Gonna learn you not to back sass! EXT. THE BOX (NIGHT) as Luke is slammed into it and the door is closed. INT. THE BARRACKS (NIGHT) The poker game is in progress: Dragline, Koko, Blind Dick, Gambler, Tattoo with Tramp behind him. Society Red stands at the window, looking out as he brushes his hair. SOCIETY RED He'll never make it. KOKO What are you talking about? SOCIETY RED He doesn't know when to give in. They'll kill him. KOKO Give in? That's our Luke out there. DRAGLINE That ole box collapse and fall apart before Luke calls quits. SOCIETY RED Your Luke's got more guts than brains. KOKO I don't see no sign of guts in you. SOCIETY RED No. No chains either. KOKO (heating up) You ain't man enough to wear them! SOCIETY RED But you're dog enough. Maybe they'll let you sleep outside the box near your master. KOKO Big deal paper hanger! Hell, anyone who can write can pass fifty-sixty dollar checks. Like breakin' open a piggy bank. SOCIETY RED You've been having bad luck with masters, haven't you? Your last one left you when the cops came... and now Luke. You should complain to the S.P.C.A. KOKO (rushing him) You phony creep! Dragline steps in to separate them. DRAGLINE Awright, that's enough. You wanna end up in the box, too? The tire rim sounds. CARR'S VOICE First bell! First bell! INT. MESS HALL (NIGHT) The men file in from work, sullen and quiet, Dogboy serving but without his usual chatter. Higgins leans back, unusually alert. ANGLE ON DOORWAY Suddenly Luke appears, unshaven but cleaned up and in his uniform. The men make room as he moves to his accustomed place at the head of the line, before Dynamite. DOGBOY Here's our champeen hog gut. Ain't et for four days, gonna need a little extra... Well we got plenty for you... He's heaping food onto Luke's plate. DOGBOY (continuing) Now you know the rules... gotta eat everything on the plate or go back in the box, right, Boss? Higgins nods, Dogboy continues to pile it on. When Luke tries to move on, Dogboy reaches out and grabs the plate with his free hand and continues to ladle it out. Behind Dogboy, Jabo, the cook, looks sympathetic to Luke. JABO (to Dogboy) We ain't got but one pot of stew, you know. He ain't the only one eatin'. DOGBOY (piling it on) Man use to Free World food gotta big appetite... so here's some more potatoes and here's some ice cream and some cake with choclat fudge sauce... there you go, stretch that hog-belly right out. Luke looks at the impossibly piled plate and moves off. LUKE AT A TABLE He is eating with great difficulty, finally puts his spoon down and his eyes close with weariness. Koko reaches over and takes a bite off the plate. Luke sits there and one by one the men get up and file out, each one passing behind Luke and taking a bite until, as Deacon takes the last mouthful, the plate is empty and Luke stands up and leaves. EXT. CAMP YARD (DAY) It is Saturday afternoon. The men have just returned from the road. Luke moves slowly toward the barracks, Dragline helping him. DRAGLINE You made the week, boy. Plenty of time to rest up for old Monday. They move a few feet until confronted by... THEIR P.O.V. BOSS PAUL AND BOSS KEAN BOSS PAUL Luke! Kean steps forward, draws a long line in the dirt of the yard, barring the path, moves three feet back and draws a parallel line. BOSS PAUL Boss Kean say that's his ditch. I tol' him that their dirt is yore dirt. What's yore dirt doin' in his ditch? Luke looks up at them blindly. LUKE (weakly) I don't know, Boss. Boss Paul canes him and the other prisoners scatter. Boss Kean throws a shovel at Luke's feet. BOSS PAUL You git yore dirt outa his ditch, boy! Luke takes up the shovel and starts to dig. BOSS PAUL Roll! I wanna see you roll it! He canes Luke across the back, Luke digs. ANGLE ON BARRACKS It is later. The men sit on the stoop, the usual Saturday activities. ANGLE ON LUKE He is hidden up to his waist in the trench he has dug, about three feet deep and wide and as long as the lines Kean drew. ANGLE ON MEN watching. ANGLE ON BOSS SHORTY walking along briskly, feigns surprise at seeing what Luke is doing. He stops. TWO SHOT BOSS SHORTY AND LUKE BOSS SHORTY Luke, what you think you doin'? LUKE (not stopping) Diggin' my dirt outa Boss Kean's ditch, Boss. Shorty is carrying a hoe handle with which he hits Luke on the head. Luke slumps to the ground. BOSS SHORTY Be damned iff'n you gonna put your dirt in mah yard. You hear me? LUKE (getting to his feet) Yes, Boss. BOSS SHORTY Then git it out there. Roll it, heah? Luke begins slowly shoveling the dirt back into the ditch. Boss Shorty nods with satisfaction and walks away. ANGLE ON LUKE (LATE AFTERNOON) The dirt is almost all back in the ditch. A shadow falls on the dirt beside him. A walking stick falls across his buttocks and he staggers to his knees. BOSS PAUL'S VOICE Ah done told you to get yore dirt outa Boss Kean's ditch, didn't ah? LUKE (getting to his feet) Yes, Boss. BOSS PAUL Then how come it ain't done yet? LUKE I don't know, Boss. BOSS PAUL You don't know! He canes Luke on the back of the legs. Luke falls and rolls over and Paul canes him across the head. Luke gets up on all fours and makes a rush right at Boss Paul. He is so weak and uncoordinated that the attack does nothing but smear blood and dirt over Paul's uniform. The guards beat Luke away and he falls on his back in the soft dirt. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The men are restless, their efforts to ignore what's happening are futile. Dragline gets up and looks out the window into the yard. Koko leans over beside him. He holds the picture. DRAGLINE'S P.O.V. Luke under the lights, working again, slowly, dumps a shovel full of dirt and hasn't the strength to move the shovel. Momentarily, he stops moving and is hit. We HEAR the thud and the groan he gives. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) Dragline goes back to his bunk. We HEAR another thud and a cry from outside. Dragline begins to WHISTLE. Koko begins to chink his chains. Onionhead and Dynamite join in with their chains. Other prisoners rhythmically beat on bunk posts. Only Society Red does not join in. EXT. YARD (NIGHT) Luke works. From inside we HEAR the music from the prisoners. Boss Paul and Boss Kean appear. BOSS PAUL What's all this dirt in the yard? LUKE I... I... I... He can't talk. Paul hits him and he falls again on the dirt. Paul hits him again. LUKE Please! Please! BOSS PAUL Git to work! LUKE Don't hit me! Please, for God's sake, don't hit me. BOSS KEAN What was that? What was that name you said, Luke? LUKE God. I pray to God you won't hit me. (he grovels in the dirt before them, tears streaming down his cheeks) I'll do whatever you say, but I can't take no more. Please. TWO SHOT PAUL AND KEAN A trace of smiles. BOSS PAUL (kindly) You got your mind right, Luke? CLOSE LUKE LUKE Yes, Boss. I got it right. ON KEAN AND PAUL BOSS PAUL Supposin' you was to backslide on us, Luke? Supposin' you was to backsass or try to run again... LUKE No, Boss! I won't. I won't. I got my mind right. I got it right, Boss. Please don't hit me no more. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The music has stopped, the men listening. ON KOKO His face tightens into an expression of contempt, hatred. He grabs the picture on the bunk beside him and violently tears it in half. EXT. YARD LUKE, BOSSES PAUL AND KEAN (NIGHT) BOSS PAUL (kind and reasonable) Luke, you run again and we'll kill you. LUKE I know, I know. Just don't hit me. The Captain steps in -- out of the dark. He has been watching from his porch. CAPTAIN Okay, son. Go get shaved and cleaned up and get you some sleep. I reckon you need it. Luke slowly struggles to his feet and begins painfully stumbling toward the barracks. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) as the chute opens and Luke staggers inside and the door is slammed behind him. LUKE I got my mind right. I got it right. He stumbles toward his bunk, passing Tattoo and Alibi who turn away embarrassed. LUKE I got my mind right. Others like Dragline and Koko stare straight ahead, not seeing him; Society Red has his back turned; Dynamite, Blind Dick, Loudmouth Steve meet his gaze contemptuously. LUKE (collapsing on his bunk) Where are you now? I got my mind right. You hear me? I got it right! Silence. EXT. ROAD (DAY) The gang is working. Over a week has passed. Luke's wounds are healed. He works in a slow, spiritless way, broken. CLOSE GODFREY looking somehow less menacing. BOSS PAUL He is sitting, not even looking at the men, relaxed, pulls out watch looks over to Godfrey in b.g. Godfrey nods. BOSS PAUL Awright, smoke it up. The men break and sit down for smoking. BOSS PAUL Luke! Water 'em. Without a moments hesitation, Luke jogs over and gets the water pail and dipper from Rabbit and moves to the group of men. CLOSE THE GROUP as Luke moves around filling their cups. The men are silent, some embarrassed, some sympathetic, some confused, some disappointed. CLOSE GODFREY He signals with his cane for his rifle. ON RABBIT He hurries to the cab of the truck, gets Godfrey's rifle. The other men, but not Luke, watch as Godfrey slips in the bolt, loads, fires at something out in the swamp. ON BOSS PAUL As Godfrey takes bolt out of rifle, returns the gun to Rabbit. BOSS PAUL Go git it, Luke. LUKE Yes sir, Boss Paul! Grinning, cheerful, he begins to hobble away through the swamp and grass. CLOSE ANGLE ON TURTLE IN THE MUCK Luke's hands COME INTO FRAME AND OFFER the head a stick. The jaws clamp down on the stick and Luke lifts the turtle up. FULL SHOT LUKE grinning, holding up the turtle by the stick. LUKE Here he is, Boss. Deader'n hell but he won't let go. THE GROUP as Luke walks back through them carrying the turtle. BOSS PAUL You cut that up fer lunch, Luke. LUKE Yes, Boss. He moves off toward the trucks with the turtle, and we HOLD on the disappointed reactions of the men, featuring Dragline. Then there is the SOUND of a motor starting. ON THE GROUP NEW ANGLE as they turn to look, as one man. THE TRUCK as Luke tries to get it in gear, there is the SOUND of gears grinding and as the truck begins to move the bed of the dump body begins to raise. The truck begins to move past the prisoners, away from the guards. ON THE GUARDS As they begin to run toward the truck, raising their guns. ON DRAGLINE on his feet. DRAGLINE Oh Lord! SOCIETY RED That fool. That damn fool. DRAGLINE Oh mah baby Luke. He starts to run like hell toward the truck coming past. ANGLE ON GUARDS stopping to fire but bullets ricochet off the rising bed of the dump body. MOVING SHOT PARALLELING TRUCK Dragline running alongside trying to grab the door handle. Inside Luke, grinning fiercely, as he drives. SHOTS sounding. Dragline gets hold of the door, swings inside. HOLD AND PAN the truck off down the road until all we can see is the steel dump body. REVERSE THE ROAD It is littered with tools and equipment dumped from the truck body. The guards stand there, their guns empty. BOSS KEAN (from another truck) He's taken the keys. He's got the keys! Boss Shorty pokes his head out of another truck. BOSS SHORTY Here, too. INT. TRUCK LUKE AND DRAGLINE DRAGLINE We're free, Luke. You terrible man. Think of that. We're free. Free! Over them, appears the SUPERIMPOSED image of Godfrey's glasses, the Man With No Eyes, watching them, denying Dragline's words. LONG DISSOLVE: EXT. PALMETTO SWAMP Dragline is exuberantly hacking away at palm fronds to cover the truck while Luke is filing away at his chains. DRAGLINE (rattling frond) Shakin it here, Boss. Shakin it... Oh my baby Luke. He laughs, shakes his head in appreciation. Luke ignores him, continues to file. Dragline does another worshipful imitation. DRAGLINE Don't hit me no more, Boss! Don't hit me! I'll do anythin' you say but just don't hit me! Oh Luke. You are an original, you truly are. You really fooled them. LUKE Foolin', Hell! I would have eaten that dirt for them. They coulda used my head for a shovel and a my face for a broom... They just never did get a piece of my mind. DRAGLINE And all the time you was plannin' on runnin' again. Luke has filed through the chains, stands up. LUKE Yeah, well... I never planned nothin' in my life... He tosses the severed chain link into the swamp and starts to walk off, Dragline hurrying behind him. EXT. NEAR NEGRO VILLAGE (DUSK) Luke and Dragline appear, tired and cold. Dragline is having trouble keeping up. Seeing this, Luke stops and rests, looking off at church visible in distance. DRAGLINE Whoee, it's cold. Wisht I had somethin' to eat. Bread, grits, beans even. Soon's we get to my house, we're gonna have us one big meal and then I'm gonna show you some farm girls that... LUKE We ain't goin' nowhere. DRAGLINE (confused) What you talkin' about, Luke? We're together, you and me, just like always. Now the thing we gotta work out is how to get Koko outa there and then the Terrible Trio be all complete again. Man, this old Free World ain't gonna know which ear to stand on. LUKE Yeah, well, you and Koko kin handle it without me. DRAGLINE What you mean, Luke? LUKE I've done enough world-shakin' for a while. You do the rest for me. Send me a postcard about it. He gets up, starts off. DRAGLINE But, Luke... LUKE Take it easy, Drag. DRAGLINE Luke. Where you goin? LUKE On my own. DRAGLINE But what am I gonna do all by myself? (hangs head) Oh if'n I hadn't lost mah head. I only had two more years to go. But when I saw you tearin' down with that truck... But you right Luke. We oughta split up. Be safer for us both. He looks up. Luke is in the distance. DRAGLINE Luke? (calls out) Just the same, you're a good old boy, Luke. You take care, hear? There is no answer. OMITTED EXT. NEGRO VILLAGE (NIGHT) as Luke trots down the main street, passes the church. LUKE Hey, Old Man! You home tonight? He starts across the bridge. LUKE If you kin spare a minute, it's about time we had ourselves a little talk. INT. CHURCH Luke mounts the steps of the lectern, looks up. LUKE Old Man, I know I'm a pretty evil feller who killed people in the war and got drunk and chopped up municipal merchandise and like that. I admit ain't got no call to ask for much. But even so, you ain't dealt me no cards in a long time. I mean it's beginning to look like you got it fixed so I can't never win out. Inside or out, it's just different bosses and different rules. Where am I supposed to fit in? Old Man, I got to tell you: I started out pretty strong and fast but it's starting to get to me... When does it end?... What you got in mind for me next? Old Man. What do I do now? Awright. On my hands and knees a skin'. Yeah. That's what I thought. I guess I'm just a hardcase and I gotta find my way out myself. We HEAR the SOUND of vehicles outside, telling Luke that the police have arrived. He starts for the back just as Dragline enters from the side entrance. Seeing him, Luke looks up at the ceiling. LUKE Is that your answer, Old Man? You're a hardcase too, ain't you? DRAGLINE Luke, are you alright?... They got us, boy. They're out there thicker'n flies. Bosses and dogs and sheriffs and more guns than I ever seen in my life. We don't have a chance, Luke... They caught up with me right after we split up and they was aimin' to kill you, Luke. But I got 'em to promise if you give up peaceful, they wouldn't even whip you this time. LUKE (amused) Do we even get our same bunks back? DRAGLINE Why sure, Luke. I mean I didn't talk to them about that. But why not? They're reasonable, Luke. Hell, we only been gone a coupla hours. LUKE You don't understand a thing, do you, Drag? DRAGLINE Luke, you got to listen to me. All you got to do is just give up nice and quiet, just play it cool. LUKE Like I always do? DRAGLINE Thass right. Just play it... He sees Luke moving toward the window. DRAGLINE Luke, what are do doin'? OMITTED ANGLE BY WINDOW as Luke steps out of pitch black into the harsh light in full view, calm, slight smile, having chosen his moment. His voice is loud, clear, mocking: LUKE WHAT WE GOT HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE... A SHOT! It catches Luke in the throat and throws him back, but he stays in the light, still smiling. DRAGLINE Luke! EXT. CHURCHYARD (NIGHT) ON guards and police, FEATURING Godfrey, who holds his smoking rifle. There are confused SHOUTS and movements by the sheriffs, but the Captain and the prison guards only look toward Godfrey, then turn away, stoic. INT. CHURCH as Luke falls to one knee, trying to hold himself up. Dragline is by his side, helps him up and to the door. EXT. CHURCHYARD (NIGHT) where Bosses Kean and Paul move in to handcuff Luke. Dragline, seeing Godfrey, bellows out an INCOHERENT ROAR and charges past the surprised guards to knock Godfrey to the ground, tear his glasses from him. Confused, bewildered, Godfrey gropes for the glasses as the prison guards beat Dragline into submission. ANGLE ON CHURCH (PRE-DAWN) (NIGHT) as Luke, handcuffed behind his back, is being led toward the Captain's car by Bosses Paul and Kean. He is half-paralyzed, blood pouring from him. The Captain has turned his back on Godfrey, talking to the Sheriff. SHERIFF You follow me and I'll radio the emergency clinic to open up... CAPTAIN I'm takin' him to the prison hospital. SHERIFF But that's an hour away. He ain't gonna last twenty minutes. CAPTAIN Git outa the way. He's ours. MOVING SHOT LUKE as he is brought past Dragline, who is being held by several guards. Tears stream down Dragline's cheeks. Luke looks at him, still smiling as he is pushed into the Captain's car. LUKE INT. THE CAR as it begins to move out. In the b.g. across the road we SEE the Negro villagers watching, silently. The window of the car is up and the reflections on the glass make Luke already dim, a little distant. MOVING SHOT THE CAR (DAWN) as it moves down the road, over the trestle. It is the mystic hour of dawn, the sun's rays just diffusing as we watch the car until it disappears over the rise in the road. EXT. ROAD CLOSE ON YOYO (DAY) The yoyo is swinging in the sun. As the shot WIDENS we SEE it is Dragline, wearing chains, wielding the yoyo and now we SEE the others working around him. Godfrey is gone; Boss Paul is now the Walking Boss. The MUSIC gains strength and speeds as Dragline works with strong, certain grace and determination and the others also seem more vital and free as imperceptibly the CAMERA PULLS BACK and RISES SLOWLY TO: HELICOPTER SHOT as the men grow smaller in the limitless field of gold stretching in all directions as far as the eye can see, intersected by four roads that reach out to infinity. Now the men are specks, now invisible in the fields and there are only the roads, lines in the gold, going on forever. OVER THIS, SUPERIMPOSE the PICTURE OF LUKE, now scotch-taped together, HOLD and FADE OUT: THE END

FADE IN: EXT. SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, SCENIC VIEW LOT - MORNING Shenandoah mountains. A cold dawn. TWO BLACK TOWN CARS sit side by side, facing a view of a farming valley below. Two MEN in dark suits and long coats stand near the cars, casually on the lookout. If we caught a glimpse underneath the coat of the taller of the two, we'd see that he was carrying a 9mm. Glock. INT. BLACK TOWN CAR - CONTINUOUS In the backseat of the car sit HAMERSLEY and REYNOLDS, each well-kept and in his early 50's. REYNOLDS "I know thy works and thy labour and how thou canst not bear them that are evil. And thou hast tried them who say they are apostles and hast found them to be liars". Revelations II. HAMERSLEY What the hell does it mean? REYNOLDS It means who's side are you on? HAMERSLEY You didn't ask me to meet you 30 miles from my office for a Bible study class. REYNOLDS It's a bi-partisan issue. Everyone needs to swallow hard. No one, including you, wants to be fingered as the one obstructing efforts to crack down on terrorism, and-- HAMERSLEY Fuck you. REYNOLDS What? HAMERSLEY I said fuck you. REYNOLDS Is that anyway to talk to an old school chum? HAMERSLEY You're gonna finger me as soft on terrorism? Terrorism, you unconscionable asshole? REYNOLDS There are planes falling out of the sky, buildings blowing up. American buildings. Americans getting bombs in the mail. What are we gonna do!? HAMERSLEY We're not gonna hand you and your band of lunatics the keys to the kingdom. I'm not gonna sit in Congress and write a law that allows the NSA to point a camera and a microphone at anything they damn well feel like. And the next time you have something to say to me, we do it above-board, in my office, like everyone else. Now get outa my car, I've got a committee meeting on the hill. REYNOLDS regards HAMERSLEY a moment, then opens the car door-- EXT. PARKWAY - MORNING HAMERSLEY's car snakes down the twisting mountain road. INT. HAMERSLEY'S CAR - CONTINUOUS HAMERSLEY MAKES VERBAL NOTES concerning the Reynolds meeting into his memo-recorder as he drives. He picks up his cellular phone and punches in a number. VOICE (O.S.) Senator Albert's office-- The line goes dead. HAMERSLEY tries again but can't get a dial tone. Then, in the rear-view mirror, a BROWN SEDAN gains fast. Whoever the guy is, he's flying. Then a man with a rifle leans out the sedan's window. Aims. HAMERSLEY flies into a blind curve. Tires SCREECH as he rounds the bend to see A PROPANE TRUCK. Blocking both lanes of the road. HAMERSLEY's eyes widen. He stomps the brakes, SKIDS and SLAMS into the truck. The EXPLOSION engulfs everything. HAMERSLEY and the car are consumed. The pursuing sedan slows to a stop. The men watch. The car's an inferno. The MEN pull a 'U' and drive away. INT. CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA, TALL OFFICE BLDG. - DAY A well-appointed big-city law office filled with citations of merit and pictures of a wife and child. ROBERT DEAN, a likable young lawyer, sits behind his desk with his back to an OLDER MAN. He stares at a commanding view of Washington, D.C. as he listens to a tired, smoke and whiskey voice. OLDER MAN (L.T.) I don't know how much longer we can hold out, Mr. Dean. DEAN I don't know, either, L.T. Maybe you guys should get yourself a labor lawyer. L.T. Well that's why I'm here, Mr. Dean. 'Cause you're a labor lawyer. DEAN Good point. L.T. Last night, Larry Spinks, he works the Steel Press, he goes to a bar with his wife Rosalie to have a glass of chianti 'cause it's his birthday, and these two guys, these Guido mother-fuckers, they jump him when he goes to the bathroom. DEAN L.T., in this office I'd prefer you say Italian-Americans. L.T. I'm sorry, Mr. Dean. But Larry's in St. Lukes now, so I'm a little--I'm not myself. The Union bosses say unless we take Bellmoth's offer, it'll only get worse. DEAN That's because your Union bosses are those Guido mother-fuckers. L.T. I don't under-- DEAN The Union's trying to railroad you into accepting terms worse than what you have now. L.T. Why would the Union-- DEAN swivels around in his chair and faces L.T. DEAN Because they've been paid off by Bellmoth. L.T. Mr. Dean-- DEAN My name's Bobby. I'm your lawyer. Don't do anything 'till I talk to you. DEAN gets up and walks a grateful L.T. to the door, calling to his secretary as they go-- DEAN (CONT'D) (calling) Martha! MARTHA appears in the doorway... DEAN (CONT'D) Larry Spinks, St. Lukes. Send him a case of chianti from the firm. And send his wife Rosalie some flowers. EXT. RESTAURANT - DAY RACHEL How's the trout? DEAN It tastes like fish. RACHEL It is fish. DEAN I mean it tastes like every other fish I've ever had. Every fish tastes the same. RACHEL Do you like fish? DEAN Not that much. DEAN dines in a booth with RACHEL BANKS, 30's. RACHEL opens her briefcase, removing an 8x10 envelope. RACHEL Here's what you asked for. Brill's note said it was everything you'd need to, shall we say, coax DePinto-- DEAN When do I get to meet him? RACHEL DePinto? DEAN Brill. RACHEL Never. DEAN That wasn't the answer I was hoping for. RACHEL What answer were you-- DEAN is reaching inside his jacket pocket. He removes an envelope marked "BRILL". DEAN "Soon". Or at least sooner than never. RACHEL It's how he works. DEAN Brill? RACHEL Yes. DEAN So you've said. DEAN hands her the envelope. DEAN (CONT'D) Ten thousand cash. I don't know if it's Brill's prices going up or your commission. RACHEL I take a straight 15 percent. Brill's fee varies with risk. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable using someone else. DEAN Other than Brill. RACHEL Other than me. DEAN Why would I-- RACHEL Someone with whom you don't have quite so personal a-- DEAN I like our history. And I like you. I'd probably like Brill if I ever got to-- RACHEL He doesn't work that way. DEAN I just want to make sure I'm not breaking the law. RACHEL You're not. DEAN How can I be sure. RACHEL I wouldn't let you. Good luck with DePinto. DEAN (pause) Thank you. RACHEL Eat your fish. DEAN (V.O.) Mr. DePinto? My name's Robert Dean. I'm an attorney with Seth, Silverberg. EXT. BUSY STREET - DAY DEAN weaves his BMW through D.C. bumper-to-bumper traffic as he eyes the photos that Rachel gave him which are lying on the passenger seat. The photos show DePINTO sitting in a motel lounge with TWO MOB TYPES. He's talking on the phone. INTERCUT WITH: INT. BELLMOTH STEEL OFFICE - CONTINUOUS DEPINTO What can I do for you? DEAN Well, I was hoping you might stop by my office to swear out a criminal deposition against some of your friends and co-workers. DEPINTO (pause) Is this a fuckin' joke? DEAN I don't believe it is, no. DEPINTO Why the hell would I-- DEAN I've got photographs of you at the Trenton Ramada looking very-- DEPINTO That ain't me. DEAN It's not? DEPINTO You don't know who the fuck-- DEAN That's not you having a whiskey sour with Carmine Morada. DEPINTO This is fucked. You don't know who's in that-- DEAN You're right, Mr. DePinto, and maybe I jumped the gun. DEPINTO You're goddam right you jumped the gun. DEAN That's probably not you in the picture. I tell you what, I'll just run the thing by the Grand Jury, see if they can't-- DEPINTO I want to talk to a goddam lawyer. DEAN Good news there, Mr. DePinto, you're talking to one. EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - DAY News helicopters hover over Hamersley's wreck as police direct traffic around the media circus. INT. OLD CAR - CONTINUOUS DAN ZAVITZ, looks older than he is, balding with a weight problem, sweats behind SLAPPING wipers of a beater car plastered with environmental issue stickers. NPR drones on the radio as a police car crawls behind him, SIREN YELPING, lights flashing, trying to get by. ZAVITZ Alright, alright already, I see you. ZAVITZ POV: Wreckage surrounded by squad cars, ambulances and media circus. Something's happened. Something big. EXT. SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK - DAY A tall ladder leans against a dead oak. ZAVITZ sweats and climbs to a branch where a platform's been built supporting a large phony bird's nest. He lifts away the nest, revealing-- --Two microphones and three motion-activated digital video cameras and recorders. ZAVITZ checks the cameras' viewfinders to see-- --TIME-CODED VIEWS - WIDE, MEDIUM AND CLOSE of a squirrel's nest containing three newborns. The parents are nowhere to be seen. ZAVITZ eyes the recorders. The video disks are spent. He ejects and pockets them, replacing them with fresh ones. EXT. SOUTHEAST CAPITOL DISTRICT - DAY An old building needing rehab. A SIDEWALK VENDOR does brisk business, we DRIFT to an apartment window above. TV NEWSCASTER (V.O.) Police are labeling it an accident but promise a full investigation. INT. ZAVITZ APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS ZAVITZ is staring intently at his computer monitor. We don't know yet what he's looking at, but he's scared to death as we continue to listen to the NEWS REPORT... NEWSCASTER (O.S.) Don Hamersley, senior GOP congressional leader, was serving as a negotiator on the House/Senate sub-committee studying the Anti- Terror Bill... ZAVITZ leans in a little closer to get a better look at his computer screen, not wanting to believe what he's seeing... NEWSCASTER (CONT'D) (O.S.) ...the controversial legislation that would give various law enforcement agencies expanded authority in the fight against terrorism. And now we see what ZAVITZ is staring at on his computer monitor. The film he shot at SHENANDOAH PARK... ...the meeting between HAMERSLEY and REYNOLDS. NEWSCASTER (CONT'D) (O.S.) Known as the Voice of Caution, Hamersley was an outspoken advocate of... ZAVITZ reaches over, picks up the phone, and punches in some numbers with one hand. With the other, he punches some keystrokes on the computer. The screen zooms in on REYNOLDS, getting out of HAMERSLEY's car. NEWSCASTER (CONT'D) (O.S.) Sixty-eight years old, Hamersley leaves behind a wife and four children. ZAVITZ (into phone) Tell him it's Zavitz. I need to speak to him. Tell him it's important. INTERCUT WITH: INT. NEWSPAPER OFFICE - SAME TIME A cluttered office belonging to a radical, fringe newspaper. ALFONSO, mid-50's, long, graying hair, works at a computer. ALFONSO Zavitz, what? You want your old job back? ZAVITZ Listen to me-- ALFONSO Tired of chasing squirrels around the park? ZAVITZ Listen-- ALFONSO Lemme ask you something. I put a bird feeder out in the yard, but the squirrels, they keep taking-- ZAVITZ Turn on CNN. ALFONSO They keep taking the bird seed. I thought since you're the expert on-- ZAVITZ Goddammit, shut the fuck up and turn on CNN! ALFONSO Alright, I made a joke about squirrels, don't get so-- ZAVITZ Do it! ALFONSO clicks his TV to CNN. The HAMERSLEY re-cap is still on. NEWSCASTER (V.O.) Once again, police at this point are calling Hamersley's death an accident... ZAVITZ I was doing motion-activated taping up in Shenandoah. That's where Hamersley had his accident. He wasn't alone. He met someone. They argued. ALFONSO You've got it on tape? ZAVITZ Clear as day. ALFONSO Who else have you told? INT. TECH ROOM - CONTINUOUS A place with mind-boggling technology and high-tech recording devices. DAT recorders spin silently. ZAVITZ (O.S.) (through speakers) No one. But I'm a little nervous. ALFONSO (O.S.) (through speakers) When can you get it here? ZAVITZ (O.S.) (through speakers) I'm doing a transfer now. ALFONSO (O.S.) (through speakers) Come straight here. Don't talk to anyone. ZAVITZ (O.S.) (through speakers) I'll come straight there. ALFONSO (O.S.) (through speakers) Be careful, Danny. INT. TOWN CAR - DAY CLOSE ON REYNOLDS sitting in the back. Well-dressed and alone, he reviews a bible. His cellular phone RINGS. We HEAR static as two encrypted lines find digital compatibility. Finally, a confirmation TONE-- REYNOLDS Go ahead. INTERCUT WITH: EXT. KENT ISLAND - SAME TIME Misty forests sweep down a hill to the Chesapeake Bay. A road leads to a high-voltage security fence and guard-shack. Beyond are several windowless concrete structures bristling with microwave antennas and satellite dishes. A sign reads: KENT ISLAND RESEARCH FACILITY Prohibited Area. No Photos or Sketches. Violators Subject to Immediate Arrest and Fine Under Penalties of the Internal Security Act SUPER: NSA SIGINT INTERCEPT STATION - KENT ISLAND, MARYLAND INT. TECH ROOM - CONTINUOUS The banks of high-tech digital recorders record incessantly as a TECHNICIAN holds a phone to his ear. TECHNICIAN (into phone) Someone had automated cameras in the park. A nature photographer. REYNOLDS Jesus H. Christ. SILVERBERG (V.O.) How're we with pre-trials. Ms. Saunders. INT. DEAN'S LAW FIRM, CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Packed seats around a long conference table. The entire law firm reviews the proceedings. DIANE SAUNDERS answers the questions from her senior partner. SAUNDERS I'm expecting a favorable ruling this afternoon on the evidenciary motion, but I could use some more manpower with the interrogatories. SILVERBERG Mr. Dean, would you care to give Ms. Saunders a hand with the interrogatories. DEAN God knows I would, sir, but I have a previous engagement this evening. SILVERBERG And may I ask what could possibly be more important than Fawell Oil v. U.S. Environmental Agency? DEAN I have to go lingerie shopping. STILWELL Lingerie shopping? DEAN A Christmas present for my wife. SILVERBERG Go to Harrison's. They've got models that'll try the garments on for you. SAUNDERS Bobby, this is a 40 million dollar client. I really need some help tonight. DEAN Diane, maybe you didn't hear Mr. Silverberg. They've got models that'll try on the garments. (to SILVERBERG) Thank you, sir. SILVERBERG Merry Christmas, son. EXT. OLD BROWNSTONES - AFTERNOON Establishing. Apartments on upper floors, businesses on lower. INT. ZAVITZ APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS Jacket on, ready to leave, ZAVITZ sits at his computer finishing a transfer. A TONE beeps as a COMPUTER TIME GRAPH sweeps to 'finished'. The screen reads: TRANSFER COMPLETE. There's a KNOCK at the door... ...ZAVITZ looks over. ZAVITZ (pause) Yes? MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) Federal Express for 'Zavitz'. ZAVITZ Federal Express? MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) For Daniel Zavitz. I just need a signature. ZAVITZ (beat) How'd you get in the building? MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) The door was open, sir. I just need a signature. ZAVITZ disconnects a video digitizer, removes a game- cartridge containing the digitized video... ...and inserts it into a Gameboy. He steps to the door and eyes the peep-hole. ZAVITZ POV: A fish-eye view of a Fed-Ex man, JONES, looking bored. ZAVITZ Can you tell me who it's from? JONES (checking label) Micro-Tel Electronics. Sunland. ZAVITZ Can you--would it be possible to leave it by the door? JONES Not without a signature. ZAVITZ (stepping to the window) All right. Okay. Just give me a minute. ZAVITZ POV: TWO DWP INSTALLERS hovering in a bucket across the street. Down below, a cargo van with a multiple roof antenna is double parked near a Fed-Ex van. Then-- --Through a street window's reflection, ZAVITZ sees his building's front entrance. SEVERAL TENANTS are being prevented from entering by TWO MEN, plain clothes, one with a radio communicator pressed to his ear. Shit. ZAVITZ backs from the window, seized by panic. He grabs his phone... ...dead. He picks up his fax line. Also dead. He grabs the GameBoy, goes to a small side window and opens it. A ledge snakes around the corner. An athlete he's not but there's no choice. He squeezes out. INT. ZAVITZ BLDG. STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS PRATT, wearing a Fed-Ex uniform, is laying in wait. RADIO VOICE (O.S.) (through PRATT's earphone) Go to three. Go to three. Package is out the window. PRATT sprints down the hall, pulling out his pistol, as JONES kicks in Zavitz's door and rushes in. The window's open. JONES looks out as the last of ZAVITZ goes around the corner of the ledge. RADIO VOICE (O.S.) (through JONES's headset) 305 to 308. We've got the eyeball. EXT. ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS It's the rooftop ZAVITZ is heading to. Two MEN crouch behind a wall, watching ZAVITZ approach. MAN #1 (into headset) We'll take delivery from here. ZAVITZ inches along, scared breathless. He looks back. No one. Maybe he was wrong. A pigeon suddenly flies by...ZAVITZ loses his balance, struggles...and falls. He crashes through an awning and into a sidewalk fruit stand. Dazed, ZAVITZ crawls to his feet as passersby watch speechless. Things happen fast. The cargo van rips from the curb but is suddenly blocked by a delivery truck. HORNS BLAST. HICKS, 30's and athletic, leaps from the van. Fears confirmed, ZAVITZ starts down the sidewalk, shakes off pain, and moves to a run. Except now there's someone in front of him. He's trapped. Reaching a doorway, ZAVITZ pushes. The door opens to-- INT. RESTAURANT SUPPLY SHOP - CONTINUOUS ZAVITZ charges through and kicks open a fire door. An alarm blasts as he exits to-- EXT. ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS A garbage truck screams up the alley. There's no way to outrun it. There's a fire escape above a dumpster. Breath rasping, he struggles on the dumpster, pulling himself up the ladder just as the truck OBLITERATES all below. ZAVITZ struggles and climbs. Reaching a landing, he pauses for breath... ...and sees HICKS and two others just moments behind. ZAVITZ grabs a fire escape door, tugs, pulls and bangs it open to-- INT. A DILAPIDATED HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS ZAVITZ hurtles by, trips, get up, runs again, adrenaline pumping as PURSUING SOUNDS near. He pitches down a staircase, shoves TWO PEOPLE and rips through-- INT. COFFEE SHOP - CONTINUOUS He flies past the diners and exits into-- EXT. BUSY STREET - CONTINUOUS HICKS and ANOTHER fly out of the diner, just in time to see ZAVITZ melting in with Christmas shoppers that are entering a department store. We see that the large sign over the entrance to the store reads: "HARRISON'S". INT. HARRISON'S DEPARTMENT STORE - EVENING An upscale store packed with Christmas shoppers. At a fashion ramp, a small crowd of mostly WOMEN have gathered to watch leggy models feature a particular line of lingerie. Mixed in among this group is DEAN, a shopping bag in each hand, his briefcase tucked under one arm, trying his best to affect an air of the studious shopper. WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.) May I help you? DEAN (startled) Hm?! The WOMAN is sales clerk who's been in this situation before. SALES CLERK Do you see anything you like? DEAN I'm married. SALES CLERK That's fine. DEAN I'm married to my wife...of several years...and I'd like to buy...as a Christmas present... SALES CLERK You'd like to buy your wife some lingerie as a Christmas gift. DEAN Yes. I have her permission. SALES CLERK It's okay. I think it's a wonderful gift. DEAN Can you help me? SALES CLERK How 'bout Christian Dior? DEAN Is that good? SALES CLERK Very good. DEAN I don't know anything about this. Well, I mean, I know a little about--from a certain perspective. My point is, I don't want to do anything foolish. SALES CLERK It's a little late for that. DEAN I'll say. SALES CLERK What size? DEAN Pardon? SALES CLERK What size? DEAN Eight. Size eight. SALES CLERK I'll be right back. DEAN Thanks. SALES CLERK Remain calm. DEAN Okay. The SALES CLERK goes around the counter to the rear area. DEAN glances at the fashion show when he glimpses-- ZAVITZ, hurrying through the women's dressing area, desperately looking for an exit. No luck. ZAVITZ moves toward DEAN, about to break for the front, but HICKS is there searching. Trapped, ZAVITZ ducks behind a display. DEAN watches, unaware of ZAVITZ's pursuers. Then it clicks... DEAN Daniel? ZAVITZ turns, frightened.... DEAN (CONT'D) It's me, Robert Dean. (beat) From Seth, Silverberg. I worked on-- ZAVITZ Bobby-- DEAN It's been a few years. ZAVITZ Yeah. DEAN I'm just doing some Christmas shopping. It's for my wife, no kidding. Though, this isn't the main present, it's just, you know, a little-- ZAVITZ I need help. DEAN Tell me about it. ZAVITZ How can I reach you? DEAN (beat) Are you okay? ZAVITZ Are you still in Crystal City? DEAN Yeah, what's going on? SALES CLERK (O.S.) I think she'll like this very much. DEAN Listen, Daniel, hang on one second. SALES CLERK For that matter, I think you will too. DEAN (to the SALES CLERK) Could you give me just a moment to talk to a friend of mine here? Not about this, but...Daniel? DEAN looks around... ...ZAVITZ is gone. EXT. HARRISON'S DEPARTMENT STORE - EVENING Out on the street, ZAVITZ shoves into a group of shoppers waiting for the light. Then he sees HICKS and his PARTNER. They see him. Fuck the light. ZAVITZ runs into the street as-- --a BUS speeds through yellow. ZAVITZ is caught in its path. BAM! Only stunned witnesses remain. DEAN exits the department store. He sees the commotion and makes his way over. DEAN (to a bystander) What happened? BYSTANDER A guy got hit by a bus. DEAN Ah, Jesus. SIRENS can be heard in the distance. DEAN eyes the ground where the body lays. He sees Zavitz's BLOODY JACKET... DEAN (quietly) Ah...Jesus. EXT. ANNAPOLIS - NIGHT DEAN's BMW drives through a neighborhood of stately homes, all magnificently decorated for Christmas. INT. DEAN'S BMW - CONTINUOUS DEAN drives, a little shaken by events. The RADIO plays an AT&T COMMERCIAL relaying the joys of home tele- conferencing. DEAN enters the driveway of his picture- perfect home. INT. DEAN'S HOME/FOYER - NIGHT DEAN enters with his shopping bags and briefcase. Searching for family members, he enters-- INT. DEAN'S HOME/DEN - NIGHT DEAN's 8 year old son, ERIC and Eric's friend DYLAN sit by the big-screen TV, glued to a video game. A NANNY is nearby, lost in a magazine. DEAN Excuse me, have any of you seen an eight year old boy, good looking, about yea-big. ERIC Hi, dad. DYLAN Hi, Mr. Dean. DEAN Hello. Hello, Maria. NANNY (MARIA) Hello, Mr. Dean. ERIC We can't get to the fourth level. We keep getting vaporized by the Black Knight. DEAN You're learning a cruel lesson. ERIC Are those my Christmas presents? DEAN Some of 'em. ERIC Can I open 'em up? DEAN Sure, go ahead. ERIC Really? DEAN In your dreams. ERIC Dad! DEAN (to DYLAN) You staying for dinner? DYLAN Is it okay? DEAN You got any money? ERIC He's kidding. DEAN Where's mom? ERIC She's in the kitchen. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT The kitchen is in the midst of a remodel. A wall- mounted TV is showing "CROSSFIRE", where the two HOSTS are mediating a battle between TWO SENATORS. STACY watches the show with one eye, cooks with the other. SENATOR TASKEN (TV) Laws service society and they need to be flexible to meet changing demands. We've got to be able to deal with a terrorist threat before it occurs. DEAN enters... DEAN Hey. STACY This guy's a fat-assed Rotarian gasbag. DEAN Uh-oh. STACY Listen to him. SENATOR TASKEN (TV) This is no longer a theoretical problem, it's a reality. Turn on the news. Bombings, hostages-- DEAN He's got a point. STACY Bobby! DEAN Not a very good one, but-- STACY So you tap everyone's phone? You use computers to probe financial records? New Search and Seizure laws? DEAN Just for the criminals. STACY We won't suspend the civil rights of the good people. DEAN Right. STACY You should take this seriously. DEAN I think you're taking it seriously enough for both of us. He kisses her. A good one. STACY (softer) You're a lawyer. Don't you care what's going on around you? DEAN Something bad happened tonight. STACY What? DEAN I saw a man die. STACY What do you mean? DEAN In front of Harrison's, he got hit by a bus. I knew him. The firm did some pro bono work for his organization a few years back. STACY (beat) I'm sorry. DEAN The thing is, when I saw him, it seemed like he wanted to tell me... (beat) ...he was upset about something and he said... (beat) Doesn't matter now. I'm gonna wash up. STACY What'd you buy at Harrison's? DEAN A toaster. And no terrorist talk at dinner. You're spookin' the kids. DEAN heads upstairs... REYNOLDS (V.O.) "Do thou, O Lord, protect us-- INT. CATECHISM CLASSROOM - SAME TIME REYNOLDS lectures a class of young CATECHISM STUDENTS. REYNOLDS (CONT'D) --guard us ever from this generation. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the sons of men." Psalms 12.7 and 12.8. Tell me what this means, Mr. O'Brian. O'BRIAN It means-- REYNOLDS cellular phone rings. He opens his briefcase and takes it out. INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS REYNOLDS busts out of the room, phone to his ear. Two MEN IN SUITS wait like pit bulls, ready for anything. Over the phone, we HEAR CONNECTING HANDSHAKES as the lines find digital compatibility. INTERCUT WITH: HARRISON'S DEPARTMENT STORE - CONTINUOUS The store is now closed. INT. SECURITY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS HICKS holds a cellular phone as PRATT questions the SALES CLERK. Nearby, a monitor shows a time-coded surveillance tape of the lingerie section. DEAN and ZAVITZ are in playback, engaged in their earlier meeting. Finally, a confirming tone... REYNOLDS What happened? HICKS He's dead. An accident. Hit by a bus. REYNOLDS What about the tapes? HICKS We found the originals. REYNOLDS The originals? HICKS There was a transfer. REYNOLDS Am I to understand-- HICKS He never made it to the newspaper, but there was private sector contact. REYNOLDS Who? HICKS Several indiscriminates and one primary who we've ID'd as Robert Dean. A Crystal City attorney. (silence) Mr. Reynolds? (silence) Sir? REYNOLDS Contact COINTEL. Profile. Assess the threat. Then cross-check against Zavitz. Red-flag the intersects and anything we can exploit. Also NRO. Pull up the keyhole tapes. I need to own him. I need to own him now. EXT. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, BLDG 227 - DAY Establishing. Fort Meade. A massive complex surrounded by razor wire and surveillance cameras. SUPER: NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, FORT MEADE, MARYLAND We PUSH IN on one building several blocks long. Its roof is bristling with antennas, dishes and domes. INT. BUILDING/A LARGE SPACE - CONTINUOUS TIGHT ON MANILA folder stamped TOP SECRET - UMBRA HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY HAND CARRY - NO COPIES A SKINNY MAN clutches the folder, walking by endless cubicles of high-tech industriousness. He stops where an ANALYST types on a terminal near a retinal scanner. The ANALYST opens the folder to see a request for a PRIORITY WRAP on ROBERT DEAN, followed by a Social Security Number. The ANALYST enters in the number. A MONTAGE OF IMAGES GAINING IN SPEED-- CLOSE on COMPUTER SCREENS showing in the harvesting of DEAN's electrical identity. His phone bills scroll by. Names, addresses, employment people called-- Months, years flashing by quickly. Other data banks are probed. Insurance policies, credit histories, video rentals, library checkouts, school transcripts, ATM transactions, tax returns...everything. Irregularities are red-flagged. A matching ZAVITZ ITEM is found. DEAN's banking info is red-flagged. He has large cash withdrawals with no matching purchases. His withdrawal dates match up with unaccounted-for cash deposits... ...in RACHEL BANKS' savings account. CLOSE ON PRINTER. Conclusions spill out labeled "RISK". More probes are recommended into the RACHEL BANKS/ROBERT DEAN money connection. CLOSE ON EYE BEING SCANNED - We HEAR a TONE. PULL BACK to a PREGNANT WOMAN sitting with her head pressed to the scanner. A second verification TONE sounds. A poster above her work station reads: IN A DIGITAL WORLD NUMBERS DON'T LIE - PEOPLE DO She enters a phone number in her terminal. The computer DIALS. She waits, snacking on rice cakes. Finally, another computer ANSWERS. On screen appears: PAC-TEL TESTING BOARD. The screen fills with choices. She highlights - AT&T LINE-VERIFICATION REQUEST LOG-IN ACCESS CODE She enters another command. A new prompt reads: ENTER LINE REQUEST NUMBER. Eyeing DEAN's folder, she enters the phone number and commands "ENTER". "RECORD". The telephone tap is instant. A VOICE GRAPH appears in-sync with CONVERSATION now coming over the speakers. DEAN (O.S.) (mid-conversation, over speakers) Diane's instinct is that it's sabre rattling. I think they're gonna file suit. She enters more commands. An Automated-Voice-Transcriber kicks in. DEAN's CONVERSATION is now transcribed automatically. INT. NRO, KEYHOLE-12 LAB - CONTINUOUS A massive, dark place growing with monitors and tech. SUPER: NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE ORGANIZATION, CHANTILLY, �������VIRGINIA Names of world regions are posted above endless monitor screens displaying live, digital-image feeds of Earth coming in from the Keyhole-12 Spy Satellites. Every populated area of the planet is covered here. ANALYSTS attend the many feeds. A poster reads: THE KEYHOLE '12' SERIES MAKING THE WORLD AN HONEST PLACE On another poster, a man's running shadow in a target bulls-eye with a caption reading: YOU ARE A SECURITY TARGET Beneath a sign reading U.S. North-East Coastal Region, an ANALYST reviews time-coded, digital SAT videos of Washington, D.C. As seen from space, the Capitol appears to be nothing more than a greyish mass. The ANALYST keys commands into his system. CLOSE ON MONITOR - The overhead SAT view of Washington moves in closer, soon streets are discernible, then cars and buses - then an accident in an intersection with flashing ambulance lights and a bus. A body lies twisted in the street - it's ZAVITZ. The ANALYST enters additional commands. The ZAVITZ/bus accident freezes, then plays in reverse as if recorded by the eye of God. The scene continues reversing, following close on Zavitz as he back-tracks into Harrison's Department Store. INT. ANOTHER VIDEO LAB - SAME TIME CLOSE ON ANOTHER ANALYST facing three monitors showing additional views of ZAVITZ's escape as captured by a traffic camera, an ATM camera and the security inside Harrison's. FIEDLER (O.S.) We've checked everything. NRO tapes, traffic surveillance monitors - INT. IMAGE ENHANCEMENT LAB TWO TECHIES huddle by a monitor overseen by FIEDLER, a computer expert. The monitor displays the Harrison's surveillance tape of the ZAVITZ/DEAN meeting. FIEDLER (CONT'D) - and two ATM cameras. The one showing promise, though, is this security camera from the department store. (to TECHIE) Freeze there. The TECHIE hits a command. ZAVITZ and DEAN freeze on screen. FIEDLER (CONT'D) Times ten. The TECHIE boxes the area to be enhanced. He types commands. The boxed area increases ten-fold. FIEDLER (CONT'D) Focus on the drop. The enlarged view shifts to DEAN's gift bags. The picture's fuzzy. Someone passes by, blocking the view at a crucial moment. FIEDLER (CONT'D) Enhance, then forward, frame by frame... More keystrokes. The computer takes over, clarifying the image with passes of resolution. HICKS leans in closer as the image of the bag inches forward. FIEDLER (CONT'D) Just before the view's blocked, Zavitz reaches in his jacket for something. When the view returns, there's a shape change in Dean's bag. See the shadow variance? We reverse imaged it-- FIEDLER points to another screen displaying a digitally- enhanced image of the shadowed object and its approximate shape. FIEDLER (CONT'D) Something's definitely been added. It's not a video cassette, the shadow's wrong. REYNOLDS steps forward. His eyes are red. It's been a long night. REYNOLDS What's your opinion? FIEDLER It's hard to say for certain, these things are-- REYNOLDS I'm not asking you to say for certain. This is what you're trained to do, right? FIEDLER Yes sir. REYNOLDS Then what's your goddam opinion? FIEDLER (beat) Zavitz had digital compression equipment. He could've downloaded into something. A disk, a chip, anything small enough to put in his pocket and run with. Whatever he put it in, he dropped it in that bag. REYNOLDS (to HICKS) Get it. REYNOLDS heads for the door. HICKS We'd have to-- REYNOLDS Get it. INT. RANGE ROVER - NIGHT DEAN drives with STACY as ERIC sleeps in the back seat. Various hats and souvenirs tell us that they've just come from a Redskins game. They drive in silence for a moment before... STACY Bobby? DEAN Yeah. STACY How'd you get the information on DePinto? DEAN What do you mean? STACY Who did you work with to get the-- DEAN A guy named Brill. Same guy as always. STACY Yeah, but you said you've never met him. How did you-- DEAN Honey, I don't like to talk about this stuff in front of Eric. STACY Have you been working with Rachel? DEAN No. STACY (beat) Sorry. DEAN It's okay. The RANGE ROVER pulls into the driveway. INT. DEAN'S HOME/ENTRY FOYER - NIGHT The DEAN's enter the doorway. ERIC and STACY are first. They stop, faces shocked. DEAN hasn't noticed yet. His hand automatically goes to the alarm key pad. CLOSE ON THE PAD - The LED reads: ARMED. DEAN punches the code - STACY Oh my God - DEAN turns. The house is ransacked. The ALARM suddenly BLARES, adding mayhem. CLOSE-UP ON THE CEILING VENT - The CAMERA PUSHES IN TIGHT revealing a concealed, fiber-optic video lens the size of a pin-head. EXT. DEAN'S STREET - CONTINUOUS Several cars and a florist van are parked on the quiet street. INT. FLORIST VAN - CONTINUOUS The van is really an electronic surveillance post jammed with the latest equipment. A TECHIE with headphones eyes a monitor. CLOSE ON THE MONITOR showing the PIN HOLE SURVEILLANCE VIEW of STACY walking through a disheveled room in a state of shock while DEAN pulls out his cellular phone and dials. DEAN (through the TECHIE's headphones) This is Robert Dean at 3325 Sutton Place. I want to report a break-in. INT. RACQUETBALL COURT - MORNING A black ball slams against a wall. PULL BACK to DEAN, who's angry, frustrated and drenched in sweat. He's embroiled in a hard, fast game with his friend, JERRY. DEAN They took the espresso machine. The espresso machine, Jerry! Which makes sense, you know, because the crooks probably wanted to make themselves a latte before fencing the stereo. JERRY Did they take your clothes? DEAN No. JERRY You've got a bunch of Armani suits, they didn't take 'em? DEAN No. JERRY Usually they take clothes. DEAN Why don't you give 'em a call. JERRY What about jewelry? DEAN They didn't take the jewelry. They took the computers. They took the big-screen TV, they took my blender. JERRY The blender? DEAN I love my blender. JERRY They didn't take the silverware? DEAN No, but they took my blender. JERRY Sounds like they didn't want anything that wasn't electric? DEAN What? JERRY They only took electrical appliances. DEAN Serve the ball. INT. DEAN'S OFFICE BUILDING/LOBBY - MORNING A busy lobby for a major complex. DEAN, freshly showered, steps from a door marked: TO PARKING LEVELS. MALE VOICE (O.S.) Robert Dean? DEAN turns to see MORELOS, 40's, an obsessive man with a terminal smile. DEAN (beat) Yes? MORELOS I didn't want to bother you during your racquetball game. DEAN (beat) Thanks. (beat) Who are you? MORELOS shows him his badge. MORELOS I'm sorry. Detective Morelos. DEAN Hey, did you guys find my stuff? MORELOS Your stuff? DEAN The robbery. MORELOS No, sir, I'm not involved with that. I'm doing a quick follow-up on a bus accident took place a few nights ago. Your name keeps coming up. DEAN Oh...yeah, I didn't see the accident. MORELOS Witnesses said you were there, but I notice you didn't file a report. DEAN A report? MORELOS A police report. DEAN That's 'cause I wasn't there. MORELOS You weren't at Harrison's Department Store the night before-- DEAN I was in the store, the accident was outside. It was a bus. MORELOS Someone said you spoke to Mr. Zavitz before he died. I thought you might know something. DEAN About what? MORELOS About the accident. DEAN I'm no expert, but I'm assuming that the impact of a moving bus against his body caused-- MORELOS Mr. Zavitz was in trouble. DEAN What kind of trouble. MORELOS You tell me. DEAN I can't. MORELOS Are you invoking attorney/client privilege. DEAN I'm not his attorney. MORELOS Than why can't you tell me. DEAN Because I don't know. MORELOS I'm just trying to determine if Mr. Zavitz was involved in something more than a simple bus accident. DEAN Than why don't you talk to the bus driver? MORELOS Why so edgy, Mr. Dean? DEAN Somebody took my blender. MORELOS We'd appreciate your cooperation. DEAN I'm happy to help you all I can. But I didn't see the accident and I barely knew Daniel Zavitz. I've gotta go to work. DEAN starts walking--MORELOS follows him. MORELOS Did he give you anything? DEAN No. MORELOS Anything at all? DEAN No, sir. MORELOS Was he with anyone? DEAN Not that I could see. MORELOS Nobody gave you anything? DEAN No. MORELOS Why'd you go to Harrison's? DEAN To buy lingerie. MORELOS For your wife? DEAN Yes, for my wife, what the hell kinds of questions are these. MORELOS I thought maybe it might be for Rachel Banks. DEAN stops short and turns to MORELOS. He stares. DEAN I don't know what's goin' on with Zavitz, but that was way, way outa line. (beat) You understand? MORELOS Yes sir. DEAN steps into the elevator. MORELOS (into concealed sleeve-mic) 403 to 401. He's coming up. INT. LAW FIRM/CORRIDOR - DAY DEAN walks down the hall toward his office. He stops by PEERS as he enters his office. PEERS 'Morning, Mr. Dean. DEAN Hey. Would you get me what I need for Zwernickii and the Bellmoth motions. PEERS Sure. DEAN And do me a favor. Find out what you can about Daniel Zavitz. We did some work for him a few years back and there should be a file. DEAN enters his office and turns his computer on. It BEEPS, BOOTS and loads. INT. BUILDING CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS LEVIN approaches the men's room. A MAINTENANCE MAN cleans up broken glass and water by the door. A sign reads: CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE. Levin turns and leaves. MAINTENANCE MAN (into concealed sleeve mic) 402 to 401. Doorstep's clear. INT. MEN'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS Two more MAINTENANCE MEN kneel in a stall adjusting a portable monitor and oscillator. They aim a directional antenna using slow, sweeping motions. CLOSE ON THE MONITOR displaying the intercepted signal. It's Dean's computer screen with text being typed in. The words are hard to read due to horizontal drift. After adjusting the antenna, the signal smooths. We PUSH CLOSER. The signal shows the current display of Dean's computer screen. We see Dean's O.S. command pull up his E-Mail. A prompt asks for a password. XXXXXXX appears. A switch is flipped. XXXXXXX becomes PUCCINI. Dean's "secure" file opens. Entries appear. MAN #1 402, this is 401. Password's "Puccini." EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY Establishing. A large, busy place. LAWYERS and AIDES bustle in and out of this structure. INT. COURTROOM - DAY A busy morning as ATTORNEYS wait their turn to present motions before the JUDGE. DEAN is seated next to LEVIN, making notes. LEVIN (whispering) Dick Burns got a phone call this morning from someone wanting information on you. DEAN The police? LEVIN No. He said they were doing a credit check. Are you refinancing a loan? DEAN You remember Daniel Zavitz? LEVIN Yeah. DEAN He got hit by a bus. LEVIN What does that have to do with you? DEAN I honestly don't know. ANOTHER ATTORNEY sits several rows back, watching the proceedings, briefcase in his lap. CLOSE-UP on the ATTORNEY's EAR with a mini-receiver. From it drift snippets of the DEAN/LEVIN conversation. LEVIN (O.S.) Was Zavitz in trouble? DEAN (O.S.) I don't know. A pulled back leather flap on the ATTORNEY's briefcase reveals the tip of a concealed microphone. LEVIN (O.S.) You think there was a connection to-- DEAN (O.S.) Jesus! I just told you. I don't know. EXT. COURTHOUSE GARAGE - DAY DEAN waits for the garage attendant to bring down his car. PRATT (O.S.) Mr. Dean? DEAN turns. TWO MEN, PRATT and BINGHAM approach him. DEAN Yeah? PRATT (pulling out a card) We'd like to ask you some questions about Daniel Zavitz. DEAN Who are you people? PRATT (handing DEAN the card) I'm an investigator with Pro-Tech Security. DEAN I went through this with an investigator this morning. If I could-- PRATT Mr. Zavitz was involved in an extortion scheme. We believe he passed you sensitive materials, possibly with your knowledge, and we need to-- DEAN He didn't. PRATT We believe he did. DEAN You're wrong. PRATT We have good reason to believe that he passed you-- DEAN If he passed me materials, I'd have them. I don't. PRATT We'd like to recover any materials Mr. Zavitz may have given you-- DEAN He didn't give me-- PRATT --otherwise we may have to-- DEAN Otherwise you may have to what? PRATT We'd rather not-- DEAN Fuck you. You may have to what? BINGHAM (beat) We may have to explore additional avenues. INT. TECH ROOM - NIGHT We HEAR a recording of the conversation between DEAN, PRATT and BINGHAM while we're CLOSE on an INK NEEDLE measuring Dean's voice stress levels. DEAN (V.O.) He didn't give me-- PRATT (V.O.) --otherwise we may have to-- DEAN (V.O.) Otherwise you may have to what? PRATT (V.O.) We'd rather not-- DEAN (V.O.) Fuck you. You may have to-- HICKS turns off the recorder. Standing with him is REYNOLDS, the Dean file and voice stress graph laid out before him. HICKS He's arrogant and threatening. Voice stress points suggest he's worrying. REYNOLDS Hiding something? HICKS It was in his bag. Now it's not. REYNOLDS Destroy his credibility before he goes public. Neutralize him. I don't want anyone listening to a word he has to say. Tell me about Rachel Banks. EXT. EXMOOR COUNTRY CLUB - EVENING Establishing. A massive clubhouse surrounded by expensive cars and tended grounds. We HEAR strains of Gershwin's "They Can't Take that Away from Me" from inside. INT. COCKTAIL LOUNGE - CONTINUOUS GUESTS mill about. DEAN and STACY are standing by the reception table where name tags and seating assignments are laid out. DEAN picks up a card that reads: MR. AND MRS. ROBERT DEAN - TABLE 122. JERRY steps over and puts his hand on DEAN's shoulder-- JERRY Can I talk to you a second? DEAN Table 122? JERRY That's what I want to talk to you about? DEAN I wrote a check for a thousand dollars. You guys didn't have a table that was in the kitchen? JERRY gently pulls DEAN to a quiet corner... JERRY The Congressman's very happy to have your support, but he's heard that there's an investigation. DEAN An investigation? It was a bus accident. JERRY He's heard that it's escalated. DEAN Into what? JERRY Your Bellmoth case. The FBI thinks there might be mob ties. DEAN I'm a labor lawyer. There are always mob ties. JERRY Just be cool. INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT CLOSE ON and OLD MATRON carefully chewing her food near a table card declaring: 122. The gala swings everywhere but here. DEAN and STACY are the only other diners at the table. STACY I don't understand why Jerry couldn't clear this up. DEAN Well, you know-- STACY He's got his priorities? DEAN There's just, clearly, some administrative snafu. I'm sure this is the worst of it. EXT. DEAN'S OFFICE BUILDING - DAY Establishing. A glass and steel high-rise reaching upward. MARTHA (V.O.) Mr. Dean? INT. DEAN'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS DEAN sits behind his desk as his secretary MARTHA enters. DEAN Yeah. MARTHA It's Rachel Banks. DEAN picks up the phone-- INTERCUT WITH: INT. RACHEL'S CONDO - CONTINUOUS RACHEL cradles a portable phone to her ear. RACHEL (into phone) I got a call from my firm this morning saying don't come in. DEAN (into phone) Why? RACHEL There are reporters wanting to know about my relationship with you and how long I've worked for the mob. The mob, Bobby! DEAN All right, look-- Before DEAN can respond, there's a knock at the door. PEERS sticks his head in-- PEERS Blake and Silverberg want you in the conference room. DEAN (softly) Shit. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY DEAN sits in the conference room by himself. He waits. After a moment, SILVERBERG and BLAKE stride in. DEAN Listen-- SILVERBERG I got a call this morning from a source I trust. The Post is running a lead this afternoon about your involvement in the Bellmoth investigation. DEAN I don't under-- BLAKE We've also been informed that the Grand Jury is going to call for an investigation into your affairs. DEAN Why? BLAKE They want to hold you in Contempt for ethics violations. SILVERBERG They claim you helped create a shell company for Sam Vollotti in Zurich and that through your continuing relationship, the Gambino family's been able to exert influence and provide false witnesses to discredit our case. DEAN Oh, well, that's true. BLAKE It is? DEAN Except for the part about my setting up a company in Zurich and knowing anyone named Sam Vollotti and having any relationship whatsoever with the Gambino family. SILVERBERG Robert-- DEAN Gimme a week and four guys from litigation and I'll have the Post pleading with us not to sue for libel. BLAKE Tell us about Rachel Banks. DEAN (stunned) Rachel Banks? SILVERBERG The attorney? BLAKE Have you two been having an affair? DEAN is speechless... DEAN What kind of a question is that? BLAKE A direct one. DEAN I have a professional relationship with Rachel Banks. She's the go- between for a private investigator I use. SILVERBERG What's his name? DEAN Brill. BLAKE Why don't you just call Brill directly. DEAN I don't know who he is. BLAKE I'm told you had an affair with Rachel Banks four years ago. DEAN Told by whom? BLAKE Considering the enormous exposure to which you've subjected this firm, I'd think you'd do best to simply answer my questions. DEAN Really? BLAKE Yes. DEAN Well considering what a colossal douche bag you are, David, maybe I'd do best to simply kick your ass all over the capitol. SILVERBERG Gentlemen-- DEAN This is bullshit. Someone's mixing up a bunch of half-truths to ruin me and to ruin my case. SILVERBERG Who would do that? DEAN Maybe Bellmoth. Maybe the unions. I don't know. SILVERBERG Well until we find, you're gonna have to take a leave of absence. DEAN You're firing me. SILVERBERG A leave of absence. Until we've sorted this all out. DEAN Put David on it. He seems anxious to clear my name. SILVERBERG Bobby-- DEAN Fuck off. INT. DEAN'S HOUSE/FOYER - EVENING DEAN enters. DEAN (calling) Stacy! JENNY, early 30's, heads him off-- JENNY Robert-- DEAN Where's Stacy? JENNY She doesn't want to talk to you. DEAN (beat) What are you talking-- JENNY She can't talk to you right now. DEAN (beat) Why? JENNY Because she's reading the newspaper, you asshole. DEAN pushes past her and heads to the back patio-- EXT. BACK PATIO - CONTINUOUS STACY stares blankly, eyes red. A copy of The Post is beside her. A picture of DEAN and RACHEL, arm in arm, accompanies a headline. DEAN walks in-- DEAN Stacy? STACY How could you let me find out like this? DEAN Stacy, I found out like this. This is the first I'm hearing of-- STACY Robert-- DEAN It's not true. STACY (reading) "Sources revealed an FBI investigation into a possible money laundering scheme that may have sent millions of dollars-- DEAN I've seen it. STACY (reading) "At the center of the investigation are well-known Washington-area attorneys Robert Dean and Rachel Banks." DEAN Yeah...look-- STACY whips the paper at him-- STACY You swore! DEAN I have lunch with Rachel once a month. She's my connection to an investigator. STACY I told you I didn't want you seeing her. DEAN I know. STACY You had an affair with this woman, Robert, we went to a fucking counselor for a year. DEAN I see her for business. STACY You told me you weren't seeing her at all. DEAN I didn't want you to be upset. I shouldn't have lied. Stacy, there's nothing between me and Rachel Banks. STACY grabs another paper and shoves it across the table. DEAN picks it up. DEAN'S POV: A black and white surveillance photo of DEAN and RACHEL on a hotel balcony. STACY (O.S.) The date stamp on the picture is last month. Is that where you and Rachel conduct business. DEAN (shaking his head) It's not real... (to STACY) That's not me. STACY Oh, please-- DEAN It's not a real picture, Stacy, it's been doctored-up. STACY I think you should leave now, Robert. DEAN Stacy-- STACY Leave this house. EXT. HYATT HOTEL - NIGHT Establishing. Downtown Washington, D.C. INT. REGISTRATION DESK - CONTINUOUS A busy night. DEAN stands at the registration desk facing a DESK CLERK. DESK CLERK (returning card) I'm sorry, sir, this card's been declined. DEAN It's a brand new card. DESK CLERK Maybe it's not connected yet. DEAN (handing him another) Here, you can use this. The CLERK runs it through. Same result. DESK CLERK I'm sorry. He returns the card, embarrassed for Dean. DEAN turns to leave... ...and stops dead. He stares at the empty floor by a pillar. DEAN My suitcase-- DESK CLERK Sir? DEAN My suitcase is gone. DEAN walks quickly around the area, looking at everything and everyone. DESK CLERK I'm sure we can locate it for you, sir. DEAN Don't count on it. EXT. BANK MACHINE - NIGHT DEAN stands at the ATM, waiting for cash. There's a short line of PEOPLE behind him. His bank card spits out. The monitor reads: Temporarily Unable to Process this Transaction DEAN (pounding the machine) God Dammit! The waiting PEOPLE back away... EXT. CHEAP MOTEL - NIGHT A weathered sign reads: All Rooms $39.95 An O.S. TV DRONES the latest AT&T COMMERCIAL-- TV ANNOUNCER (soft and seductive) Have you ever tucked your kid in from a phone booth? You will-- INT. MOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS CLOSE ON AN OLD COLOR TV. The COMMERCIAL ENDS. A NEWSCASTER returns to deliver the late-night news. NEWSCASTER (on TV) In Richmond today, Senate Majority Leader Sam Albert paid a visit to promote the ten-billion dollar Anti-Terror Bill. The newscast cuts to SAM ALBERT, late 60's, standing on State Capitol Building steps delivering a speech to community leaders. SENATOR ALBERT (on TV) America is under assault, and this time it's from within. The gangs, the terrorists, the drug lords, the cults... PULLING AWAY from the TV, we explore the room. Dimly lit and cluttered with tired furniture. SENATOR ALBERT (CONT'D) (on TV) It's a war like any other war. A war with victims and a war that requires courage and strength. Outside the window, a BUZZING NEON SIGN flickers red and blue. We finally end on DEAN, sitting on a sagging bed, rubbing his eyes...the newspaper with the doctored-up photo is sitting next to him. EXT. BUILDING - DAY Establishing. Italian area of Baltimore. A 40's era box-building. A sign reads: Italian/American Legion - Members Only INT. ITALIAN/AMERICAN LEGION - CONTINUOUS Thread-bare chairs and a couch. SAL and FRANKIE, both meaty guys in shiny shirts, sit facing DEAN, who stands before them. SAL I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand. You wanna fuckin' what? DEAN I'd like to speak to someone about what's happening to me. FRANKIE (to SAL) What'd this guy say his name was? SAL This is Bobby Dean, the Jew lawyer who squeezed DePinto. DEAN Actually, that's not true. SAL You didn't squeeze DePinto? DEAN No, I meant I'm Presbyterian. SAL Oh. DEAN My wife's Jewish. But that probably doesn't matter right now. FRANKIE What is it you want? DEAN Someone's trying to destroy my life, and I'd like to find out who. SAL And then what? DEAN I'll see if I can, you know, work things out. FRANKIE Well we'd sure like to help you. DEAN You would? FRANKIE Yes. But we can't. DEAN Why not? FRANKIE Because we, and our associates, have paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to shyster lawyers like you, because of shyster lawyers like you, and we'd just as soon sit back and sip a beer while you get ass-banged by as many people as possible. EXT. STATELY OLD BUILDING - DAY Establishing. A sign reads: The Audobon Society - National Headuarters WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) He shot wildlife footage-- INT. AUDOBON HEADQUARTERS/EDITING BAY - CONTINUOUS MEG BURTON sits near an editing machine as two EDITORS review endless amounts of bird footage. DEAN sits next to her. DEAN I know, but-- MEG Wildlife footage, for God's sake. I don't see how he could've slipped you something that the FBI would be interested in. DEAN That's my point. MEG What's your point. DEAN Well, I need to find out as much about Daniel as possible. MEG Why? DEAN Because my life is being ruined. MEG Daniel's life is already ruined. Maybe if you guys stopped thinking about yourselves for a change and-- EXT. THE GANG-PLANK BAR - DAY Establishing. The Baltimore water front. A crusty bar overlooking the bay. INT. BAR - CONTINUOUS Sunlight slashes blinds revealing a place that is wrong during the day. JIMMY, a beefy bartender, takes stock of the liquor while RACHEL sits in a dark booth. DEAN (O.S.) Rachel? RACHEL looks up... RACHEL Good. You're just what I need right now. DEAN You got a minute? RACHEL (getting up) It's really not a good idea for me to be seen with you. DEAN Who's doing this? RACHEL I gotta go. DEAN (blocking the door) Will you hang on just a second. JERRY Rachel? There a problem? She looks at DEAN for a moment... RACHEL No. No problem. (to DEAN) Outside. EXT. HARBOR CENTER - DAY CLOSE ON a SURVEILLANCE CAMERA on a pole, sweeping, making automatic lens corrections. RACHEL (O.S.) There's a lot of people asking questions about you and me. We drift down to the harbor walkway, a greenbelt with quaint hotels and bars on one side, Chesapeake Bay on the other. DEAN and RACHEL are strolling the walk. DEAN I know. RACHEL The IRS contacted me this morning. They say my lifestyle and receipts exceed my income. DEAN You being audited? RACHEL For the last four years. DEAN My firm'll represent you. Free of charge. RACHEL You don't work there anymore, Bobby. DEAN That's temporary. RACHEL Bullshit. DEAN Rachel-- RACHEL We're screwed. DEAN I'm gonna fix it. RACHEL How? DEAN Tell me about Brill. INT. A ROOM - CONTINUOUS A TECHNICIAN eyes a recorder spin as a monitor shows a live feed from the park. RACHEL (O.S.) (through headphones) I can't. DEAN (through headphones) You have to. RACHEL (through headphones) I've never met him? DEAN (through headphones) Goddammit, Rachel, you assured me-- EXT. THE PARK - CONTINUOUS DEAN and RACHEL on their stroll-- RACHEL Fuck you. When you needed information, I got it. You didn't care how. DEAN I did care how. RACHEL This conversation's over. DEAN What're you gonna do, Rachel? You gonna sit in a bar in Baltimore? You want your job back? You want a life? RACHEL I don't have a life, Bobby. I'm in love with a married man. DEAN I'm sorry about that. RACHEL What makes you think it's you? DEAN It's not me? RACHEL You're a moron, you know that? DEAN Yeah. DEAN smiles...and after a moment, so does RACHEL. RACHEL When I need to reach Brill, I chalk the mailbox on 14th and Main. EXT. CITY STREET - DAY RACHEL is walking to the mailbox. She casually slashes the box with chalk and drops a letter inside. RACHEL (V.O.) When he sees the mark, he knows there's a drop. The location's always the same. EXT. BALTIMORE PORT - DAY Establishing. Wharves, ships, seagulls. A water-bus chugs dockside as PASSENGERS board for the trip across the inlet. DEAN stands in a ticket line with the other PASSENGERS. RACHEL (V.O.) The number twelve ferry to Glen Burnie. Tuesdays or Fridays. INT. FERRY - DAY DEAN takes a seat. Across the deck is Seat 74. RACHEL takes the seat and casually slides an envelope behind it, her actions obscured by a bag she carries. The ferry BLOWS its departure horn. RACHEL (V.O.) The drop's behind Seat 74. I leave something, he picks it up later. The ferry churns water. RACHEL moves to a wind protected seat, leaving Seat 74 empty. DEAN keeps watch on the seat as he scans the paper. DEAN (V.O.) Any idea what he looks like? RACHEL (V.O.) My guess is male, somewhere in his 40's or 50's. A MONTAGE of different people occupying Seat 74. A middle-aged DRUNK passed out in the seat. A TEEN-AGED boy with glasses chats with friends. RACHEL (V.O.) Race, height, weight, you're on your own. An OLD LADY reads a book. She sees DEAN eyeing her and smiles nervously. DEAN returns to his paper. RACHEL (V.O.) Now I don't know how he's gonna feel about someone tracking him down. He's reclusive. I'm sure he has his reasons. DEAN's alone now. The ferry docks for the night. The last passengers, TWO NUNS, disembark. DEAN rises to go. Brill's a no-show. INT. FERRY TERMINAL - NIGHT DEAN walks down the ramp. It's dark in the empty terminal. Not the best place at this hour. Up ahead, TWO MEN stand in the darkness, then kissing. Down another hall, SOUNDS OF NEARING FOOTSTEPS. DEAN detours into-- INT. MEN'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS Empty. DEAN stands at a sink, water running. He glances at the door. He splashes water on his face. Suddenly-- --DEAN's slammed forward, a silenced pistol is shoved into his ear, pinning his face to the mirror. DEAN Jesus! What?! You want money?! MAN Shut the fuck up. Hands frisk DEAN. Up and down the legs, behind the back and chest. A wallet is removed, ID's looked at - then returned. DEAN turns to see-- A MAN, early 50's. He sweeps a signal frequency locator over DEAN's body. The needle reacts at DEAN's foot. MAN (gesturing) Your shoe. DEAN My shoe? MAN Gimme the shoe. DEAN complies with the strange request as the MAN flips out a knife. DEAN Brill? "BRILL" Brill's dead. He died of small pox when he was two and he was buried in a Kansas field. (prying away DEAN's heel) My name doesn't matter. CLOSE ON DEAN's HEEL - a hollow compartment reveals a miniature tracking device. The MAN removes it, then returns the shoe. "BRILL" (CONT'D) A tracker. Thousand yard range. They're close. The MAN reaches in a trash can, removes a potato-chip bag, wraps it around the tracker and flushes it down the toilet. "BRILL" (CONT'D) C'mon. "BRILL" goes through the window. DEAN eyes the window, not sure. He eyes the door. Same feeling. EXT. LOADING DECK - MOMENT LATER DEAN crawls through the window to a loading dock. "BRILL" motions him to follow as he moves off into the shadows. The sounds of the window OPENING behind them, followed by FOOTSTEPS. "BRILL" shoves Dean behind a dumpster and removes his gun as two men run by. The STEPS FADE. "BRILL" looks. They're gone. EXT. FERRY TERMINAL - NIGHT Establishing. A closed farmer's market by the terminal. Several cars are parked. One's a cab. "BRILL" opens the driver's door. DEAN grabs the front passenger door. "BRILL" No. In back like you're a customer. INT. CAB - NIGHT "BRILL" sits in the driver's seat, eyes flickering to all views, as DEAN climbs in the back. "BRILL" flips on the meter and guns into traffic. "BRILL" What happened? DEAN It started with the information you gave me on DePinto. After we talked, he agreed to resign. Next, a phony detective asked me about Daniel Zavitz. Then an investigator questioned me about an extortion scheme they claimed Zavitz was behind. The FBI started looking into mob connections. A doctored picture in the paper. Overnight, I'm ruined. Wife. job, bank accounts, everything gone. "BRILL" eyes the mirror. A BLACK CHEVY appears several car lengths behind. "BRILL" DePinto's dead. DEAN Oh Jesus. "BRILL" They found him yesterday folded neatly in a car trunk. What about Zavitz? "BRILL" starts to weave in and out of traffic. He looks in the mirror - the Chevy's also weaving several cars behind. DEAN I don't know anything about Zavitz. "BRILL" You said he was behind an extortion scheme. DEAN They said he was behind an extortion scheme. "BRILL" whips the cab around a corner, accelerating. "BRILL" And you were the last one to talk to him. DEAN Yes. "BRILL" What'd he say to you? DEAN Nothing. "BRILL" What'd he give to you? DEAN Nothing. "BRILL" Don't bullshit me, I can save your life. DEAN I'm telling you, I-- The ride from hell gets worse as "BRILL" screeches another turn. The car ahead stops and "BRILL" screeches past on two wheels. DEAN (CONT'D) I just gave him my card. "BRILL" He didn't give you an address? He didn't give you a phone number? DEAN Nothing. Two nights later I was robbed. I'm pretty sure they were pros. "BRILL" takes an impossible left into another alley. The Chevy follows. "BRILL"'s good. The guy in the Chevy's better. DEAN (CONT'D) Um...who's that? "BRILL" Don't know. Did you check everywhere? Maybe it was hidden in something. Maybe there was someone else-- DEAN Someone else? "BRILL" Maybe you bumped into someone who took it and you didn't even know. The cab is rear-ended hard by the Chevy. Their necks snap back from the force. "BRILL" (CONT'D) Shit! WHAM! They're hit again. "BRILL" pulls out a communicator. "BRILL" (CONT'D) 209 to anyone! I need some help here! DEAN Who are you calling?! WHACK! "BRILL" back-hands DEAN with his fist, knocking him silly as WHAM!--the cab's rear-ended again. "BRILL" (trying again) This is 209! Does anyone copy?! Then "BRILL" sees that the alley empties into a busy street, then a bakery shop. He slams the brakes. Tires screech smoke but it's no use. The powerful Chevy pushes the cab, bumper to bumper, toward the street. "BRILL" grips the wheel. It's all he can do as the cab rockets into cross traffic and-- BLAM! They're broad-sided by a delivery truck. The cab is shoved sideways along the street and into a fire- hydrant, finally stopping under jetting water from the broken main. DEAN slowly opens his eyes. Water pours in everywhere. "BRILL" is sticking halfway through a window, not moving. Seeing "BRILL"'s pistol, DEAN grabs it and crawls from the wreckage. EXT. STREET - NIGHT DEAN climbs from the wreck as BYSTANDERS approach. WOMAN Look out! He's got a gun! They back away as DEAN gets to his feet and looks around. Off to the side he sees the Chevy, waiting like a coiled snake. DEAN limps into the crowd. He rounds the corner to ANOTHER STREET and now he's running with all he's got left. INT. DEAN'S HOUSE/STUDY - NIGHT STACY is at the desk looking at the latest edition of the paper, which now has a photograph of DEAN and RACHEL walking in the park from the day before. The phone rings and STACY reaches for it... STACY (into phone) Hello? INTERCUT WITH: INT. HOTEL LOBBY - CONTINUOUS DEAN stands at a pay phone-- DEAN (into phone) Stacy, don't hang up. STACY Do you know what I'm looking at Robert? DEAN Stacy-- STACY I'm looking at a picture of you and Rachel taken yesterday. DEAN I know, but listen-- STACY Was that doctored-up, too? DEAN No, I was with her yesterday. I want you to take Eric and go to our parents house. I want you to do it right now. STACY I went to the grocery store. My ATM and credit cards didn't work. I couldn't buy food. DEAN I know. STACY I went to the bank to see why. They said you emptied our accounts-- DEAN It wasn't me. STACY This is science-fiction Robert! The manager showed me the transfer notice with your signature on it. DEAN Stacy, somebody's trying to kill me. Now goddamit-- STACY My father's put me in touch with an attorney. He'll be-- A hand suddenly clicks down the phone hook. DEAN turns to see a MAN, late 50's, gruff and alert. It's the guy driving the Chevy. MAN Put the phone down. Do as I say. DEAN does nothing, temporarily frozen. A pistol jabs him hard. DEAN Alright, alright-- DEAN replaces the phone. The man removes DEAN's gun. Nearby, two PEOPLE chat at a restaurant hostess desk, unaware. MAN Move to the elevators. DEAN does but is suddenly redirected through a roof- access door. INT. VAN - NIGHT A TECHNICIAN sits in a van jammed with high-tech surveillance gear. HICKS is next to him, a phone pressed to his ear. HICKS We just picked up his call. INTERCUT WITH: INT. OFFICE - NIGHT REYNOLDS, dressed in a tux, presses his cellular to his ear, while behind him MARSHAL and SHAFFER, also in tuxedos, have a heated discussion. REYNOLDS (into phone) 30 minutes ago you said we had him. What in hell's goin' on out there? HICKS (into phone) He had help. REYNOLDS (into phone) Help from whom? (he hears the answer) Christ. EXT. HIGH-RISE ROOFTOP - NIGHT Eight stories up and deserted. The lit dome of the Capitol building shines like a beacon in the D.C. skyline. DEAN suddenly slams against a wall-- DEAN Hey! MAN Forget me, forget what I did for you. Don't ever mention my name or try to contact me again. Get it? DEAN I don't know you, I don't know your name, I don't know what the hell you did for me except hang up on my wife and slam me into a wall, but I'm getting pretty fuckin' sick of this! Get it?! MAN Seat 74. DEAN (pause) You're Brill. BRILL You knew the deal. No contact. DEAN Who was that other guy? BRILL One of many people who would live a word with you. DEAN Who are they? BRILL You've heard of the National Security Agency? DEAN What do they have to do with this? BRILL That's who they are. DEAN The NSA? BRILL Yes. DEAN You're crazy. BRILL (starting to leave) Okay. DEAN Wait. BRILL You drive a black BMW, license plate SRK1339? DEAN Yeah. BRILL (reaching in his pocket) I clipped this from your wheel well just before they towed your car away. BRILL pulls out a disk-shaped object the size of a walk-man. DEAN What is that? BRILL It's a SAT-tracker. DEAN I don't know what that means. BRILL Like a LowJack, but two generations ahead of what the police use. It pulses at 230 Giga-Hertz. DEAN I don't know what that means. BRILL 230 Giga-Hertz. They use that band for the Aquacade Spy-SAT uplinks. DEAN I don't know what that means. BRILL It means the NSA can read the time off your wristwatch. DEAN Why are they after me? BRILL If I knew, they'd be after me. Which they probably are right now. 'Bye. DEAN Wait. What do I do? BRILL Pal, you're cooked. It's over. What you did, who you were...that's done. I'd find a quiet job somewhere shoveling snow. A helicopter hovers near the Washington Monument. BRILL eyes it cautiously. DEAN Why don't they just identify themselves and tell me what they want? BRILL They're spooks. DEAN I don't know what that-- BRILL Exposure. They can't have it. They wanna learn what you know and then deal with it. DEAN I don't know anything. BRILL No shit. DEAN What am I gonna do?! I mean, like, for the rest of my life?! BRILL Hey, if you live another week I'll be impressed. DEAN What if-- BRILL Look, you gave me some work over the last year. We'll call it even. BRILL turns to leave-- DEAN (blocking the exit door) What if I find out what they're after. You know these people, I don't. BRILL And you won't. Now move-- DEAN I'll pay you. BRILL (taking out his pistol) They froze your accounts. Get outa my way. DEAN continues blocking the door, maintaining calm even as BRILL's pistol is pressed firmly to his forehead. DEAN I've got a hundred-thousand dollars in jewelry in a safe-deposit box under a third party name. BRILL looks at the ground. Torn. DEAN (CONT'D) How many years have you been hiding from them? How many years have you been running? (beat) What'd they do to you? BRILL (pause) If you find something, chalk the Baltimore Sheraton mailbox and go to Temperanceville. It's South of Salisbury. (giving DEAN his pistol) And take this. And with that, he's gone. DEAN eyes the gun. He walks to the ledge, looking at the city. DEAN'S POV: Several vehicles quietly pull up to the building. MEN storm out an move inside. DEAN quickly backs away. INT. BUILDING CORRIDOR - NIGHT DEAN races for the stairwell two steps at a time. He hears the SOUND of a DOOR OPENING somewhere below. VOICE (O.S.) 303 to 301. Floor one secured. Moving to two. DEAN retreats upward, then he hears SOMEONE COMING DOWN. Trapped. He opens the door on '3' and is about to run when he sees a security camera directly above. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, he pulls the pin. Spray coats the lens. Then he yanks a FIRE ALARM. A HORN BLARES. DEAN runs for the second stairwell when he sees JONES stepping out. DEAN looks back at the stairwell he left. That door's opening as well. Trapped. Using the extinguisher, DEAN smashes the glass door to an office and goes inside. JONES starts to enter when a shot rips into the wall, convincing him otherwise. He retreats as the BLARING FIRE ALARM STOPS. DEAN races through the suite of offices trying locked door after locked door. Finally, one opens and he rushes in and tries to lock it behind himself. No lock. He sees the MEN and they see him. He slides a desk against the door, then backs away, pistol ready. JONES (O.S.) (disturbingly calm) Open the door, Mr. Dean. There's nowhere to go. We'd just like to talk. Seeing a phone, DEAN grabs it. No tone. Just a RECORDING of Nancy Sinatra's song "These Boots are Made for Walking". JONES (O.S.) It'd be easier for all of us if you just come out. Nothing'll happen. DEAN heaves a coffee table up on the desk. JONES (O.S.) It's quite hopeless what you're doing, Mr. Dean. DEAN I swear to God I'll shoot. JONES (O.S.) (chuckling) I think you might be over-reacting there, Mr. Dean. We just want to talk. DEAN Go ahead. I hear you fine. The door pushes in-- DEAN (CONT'D) I said I'll shoot! The door keeps pushing. DEAN FIRES high. The pushing stops. Then DEAN hears the distant sound of SIRENS approaching. DEAN rips off his sweater, takes out a lighter, and sets the sweater on fire. He throws it into a garbage can and tosses styrofoam cups in on top of it. The pushing starts again, but before DEAN can fire, a small cylindrical device drops into the room. A STUN GRENADE. DEAN ducks as a BLINDING FLASH rocks the room. The window is blown open. Smoke billows out. DEAN, temporarily blinded and deaf, struggles to a ledge as fire engines arrive. INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS Fire trucks, police cars and an ambulance arrive beneath DEAN as HICKS watches from his van. HICKS I don't fuckin' believe this! (into radio-mic) 301 to all units. Everyone out! Now! We'll take him at the hospital. INT. AMBULANCE - NIGHT DEAN sits in back with a PARA-MEDIC, covered in soot, breathing hard through an oxygen mask as the ambulance WAILS and weaves through traffic. He looks through the rear window to see-- TWO CARS FOLLOWING, keeping pace. Off to the side, RFK Stadium is emptying, a Redskins game is over. DEAN rips off the oxygen mask-- DEAN Tell him to stop the ambulance. PARAMEDIC Whoa there, fella. Just take it easy. DEAN Tell him to stop the ambulance. PARAMEDIC Now you're a little shaken up, but we're gonna get you on your feet in-- DEAN whips out his pistol and shoves it in the PARAMEDIC's face-- PARAMEDIC (CONT'D) (to the driver) --stop the ambulance. DEAN Thank you. EXT. STREET - NIGHT The ambulance pulls over and the back doors fly open. DEAN leaps out into the crowd. The OTHER CARS pull over and PRATT and JONES exit. They scan the area and see DEAN descending a stairwell marked: METRO. INT. METRO STATION PLATFORM - NIGHT DEAN stands at the end of the crowded platform. PRATT and JONES work through the CROWD as the train pulls in. DEAN slides on board. The departure HORN sounds. JONES and PRATT step on. INT. METRO - NIGHT DEAN huddles in the back car, panic-breathing, as PRATT and JONES move through the cars searching for faces. DEAN looks for an out. He sees an emergency stop handle. He YANKS it forward. PASSENGERS yell. The brakes lock and SCREECH. The train slows. Then stops. DEAN opens the door. And jumps. He looks around. Just black curved track in either direction. He starts running. Then he hears it. The horrible SCREECHING of an approaching train. Trapped. On one side, the train he left. On the other, a wall. He runs down the track with all that's left. PRATT and JONES reach the open door and see the oncoming train bearing down on DEAN. They duck in as the train SWISHES by. DEAN lays flat between the tracks, his face kissing greasy ground as the train screeches over him. Tons of angry steel are teasing his shirt fabric. Then it's over. The train's gone. DEAN's alive. He gets up to see PRATT and JONES leap to the tracks. DEAN (under his breath) I hate these guys. Then he sees an "EMERGENCY ACCESS" sign beaming in the darkness. A God-send. DEAN runs for it. EXT. METRO EMERGENCY ACCESS EXIT - NIGHT PRATT and JONES fly out the door and into a park. It's empty. Quiet. No Dean anywhere. REYNOLDS (V.O.) I'm confused about something. Maybe you can help me out. EXT. TERRACE - CONTINUOUS The Lincoln Memorial is seen in the distance. REYNOLDS has broken off PARTY GUESTS and paces in his tux, an encrypted cellular phone pressed to his ear. REYNOLDS (CONT'D) I sit on top of the greatest intelligence gathering organization in human history. Why can't I bring in a man whose name is in the fucking phonebook?! HICKS He's clever. He had help. REYNOLDS He's clever? He had help? (beat) Oh. HICKS Sir-- REYNOLDS No, no, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were hoping to be transferred to a weathership outside Greenland. HICKS I just meant-- REYNOLDS I don't care if he's Solomon with Saint Joseph sitting in his lap. I want the tape and I want him. Now is-- A WAITER with a tray steps out onto the terrace... REYNOLDS (CONT'D) (to the WAITER) Yes? WAITER Puffed cheese? REYNOLDS No thank you. WAITER I also have tiny pizzas and mushrooms stuffed with-- REYNOLDS Do I look like I want a tiny pizza? WAITER No. REYNOLDS Then let's assume I don't. WAITER Yes sir. The WAITER goes back inside. REYNOLDS (into phone) Now is that clear? WAITER Yes sir. REYNOLDS disconnects, breathes deeply, and goes back to the party. EXT. RACHEL'S CONDO BUILDING - NIGHT DEAN watches from the shadows. It seems quiet. He's about to move for the entrance when he sees-- A cigarette lighter flame-up inside a parked car. TWO MEN sit inside, watching. DEAN retreats into the shadows. EXT. RACHEL'S CONDO - BACK ENTRANCE - NIGHT Quiet. DEAN listens through the door and hears nothing. He KNOCKS softly. No reply. He tries the doorknob. It opens. INT. RACHEL'S KITCHEN - NIGHT DEAN enters. The place is still. DEAN Rachel? No answer. DEAN drifts through the living room. A lamp is knocked over on the floor. DEAN keeps moving into the bedroom. He stops in the doorway - eyes fixed inside. DEAN'S POV: RACHEL lies on her stomach, naked in bed. DEAN (approaching) Rachel? She doesn't respond. He touches her. Nothing. He turns her over. Her face is frozen, eyes open, neck purpled and bruised with signs of strangulation. DEAN Oh God-- DEAN wants to throw up but holds it down. Then, under a night table, he sees a shirt. He grabs it. DEAN'S POV: An oxford button-down. The inside collar is stamped with a dry-cleaner's marker reading: R. DEAN. Panic overtakes horror as DEAN quickly searches for anything else of his that may have been planted inside the apartment. Under the bed - a cufflink. In the bathroom - a hairbrush. On the desk - documents with his name on them. DEAN shoves everything into a garbage bag. Grabbing a towel, he retraces his steps, wiping his prints from everything he touched. Exiting, he wipes off the doorknob as-- A NEIGHBORS DOOR OPENS. A COUPLE stumbles out, laughing, kissing...and noticing DEAN leaving Rachel's condo. INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT JERRY walks alone through the large underground garage on the way to his car. He pauses, thinking he's heard something. Nothing. He continues walking. He reaches his car. Suddenly someone comes up behind him fast. JERRY spins-- --it's DEAN. DEAN (whispering) Jerry-- JERRY Christ! DEAN Ssh! JERRY Bobby-- DEAN It's the NSA. They're the ones doing this. JERRY Bobby-- DEAN The NSA's doing this 'cause they think I have something. And they killed-- JERRY Calm down. DEAN They killed Rachel. JERRY (pause) Rachel's dead? DEAN Yes. JERRY Jesus. DEAN My stuff's all over her apartment. JERRY Bobby-- DEAN They're framing me. JERRY Why would they-- DEAN I don't know. I mean-- JERRY Why would the NSA-- DEAN I don't know! JERRY You're tired. DEAN Jerry-- JERRY Listen to me. DEAN You gotta-- JERRY No, listen to me. You gotta let me bring you in. DEAN No, I-- JERRY You gotta let me bring you in to the police. DEAN I won't make it to the police. They won't let me get there. You go. JERRY To the cops? DEAN To the NSA. Make a deal. Tell 'em to stop. Tell 'em I don't have what they're after. Make a deal. JERRY Bobby, you're in way over your head. DEAN Go to 'em, Jerry. JERRY I have a family. DEAN So do I! JERRY looks at the ground for a long moment... JERRY I'm sorry, man. DEAN No. No, it's okay. DEAN starts to leave... JERRY Bobby? Piece of advice? DEAN Yeah? JERRY Turn yourself in. DEAN Jerry? JERRY Yeah? DEAN Go fuck yourself. EXT. STREET - EARLY MORNING Establishing. A quiet street in Dean's neighborhood. Several REPORTERS are camped in Dean's driveway entrance, sipping coffees. Farther down the street, a JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE is parked. The driver waits and watches. EXT. BACKYARD - SAME TIME DEAN sneaks between two large houses, ducking by windows and scaling a fence. Somewhere a DOG BARKS a warning as DEAN plows through a large hedge, entering the backyard to his home. INT. DEAN'S HOUSE/KITCHEN - SAME TIME DEAN quietly unlocks the door and enters. He listens. The house is quiet. Empty. INT. DEAN'S FOYER - DAY KEYS JINGLE in the front lock. The door opens and STACY enters. The TV suddenly REMOTES ON - VOLUME LOUD. She turns as DEAN approaches fast-- STACY Robert-- DEAN's hand cups her mouth as he pulls her into a pantry closet. INT. PANTRY CLOSET - CONTINUOUS DEAN (barely a whisper) Listen to me. The house is bugged. So we gotta be quiet, okay? STACY nods understanding. DEAN slowly removes his hand. DEAN (CONT'D) (whispering) Is Eric in school? STACY Yes. DEAN Has anyone been by? Police? FBI? STACY Just reporters. DEAN I wish you'd gone to your parents like I asked you. STACY This is my house. Nobody's kicking me out of my house. I picked those drapes. DEAN I don't think anybody wants the drapes, Stacy, I think the drapes are okay. STACY What happened to your head? DEAN I was in a car chase and a small explosion. Now listen to me: The NSA is behind this. They think that guy I told you about, Daniel Zavitz, they think Zavitz gave me a tape or computer chip of some kind that could be damaging to them. So they're doing all these things electronically. The bank records, the surveillance. They're the ones who broke into the house. Now I know there's no reason to believe me. But I love you. And I love our son. So just believe me anyway. (pause) Please. STACY gently touches his forehead where he's been cut... STACY Does that hurt? DEAN Well...yeah. STACY Good. DEAN Stacy-- She grabs him and kisses him. The kiss lasts a good long time before STACY smacks him on the arm-- STACY I told you they could do this. I told you they had this kind of capability and that with this anti- terrorism it would be just another-- DEAN Stacy...Stacy...maybe now isn't the best time for the I-Told-You-So speech. She kisses him again. STACY I'm sorry I didn't believe you. DEAN That's okay. STACY I opened the present you got me from Harrison's. DEAN You opened the thing? STACY The lingerie. DEAN That was for Christmas. STACY I was missing you. DEAN You're as bad as Eric. I've got an entire family of people who root through-- It dawns on him...everything starts coming together... DEAN (CONT'D) ...who root through...uh...presents, and... STACY What is it? DEAN Oh Christ. INT. JEEP GRAND-CHEROKEE - DAY The DRIVER continues to watch the area. Then-- DRIVER's POV: THE RANGE ROVER flies out of the driveway, tires SCREECHING as it speeds through the quiet neighborhood. The REPORTERS stare at each other a beat-- --then leap for their cars. DRIVER (into sleeve-mic) 504 to 501. Rover's fleeing west on Sutton. Driver appeared male! JONES (O.S.) (radio effect) What's the wife's '20'? DRIVER She's off location with a friend. JONES (O.S.) Alright - move! 501 - all units. Take him down! EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS Unmarked cars of various descriptions rapidly appear from nowhere giving chase. ANOTHER AGENT (O.S.) (radio effect) 502 to 501, I've got the eyeball. He's approaching Ridgeview, we'll take him at the intersection. The RANGE ROVER speeds through the neighborhood. Suddenly, two cars are out in front, blocking the way. The Range Rover swerves and breaks as two more cars rip up behind, boxing it in. An un-marked Trans-Am lags behind, keeping reporters at bay. Doors fling open. JONES and THREE MEN, all in plain clothes, pistols and MAC-10 aimed at the Range Rover. Nothing happens. The MEN move closer-- JONES grabs the door and rips it open, revealing Dean's PISS-FRIGHTENED NANNY behind the wheel in Dean's trench coat and hat. JONES YANKS her out, puts her hard to the ground, gun jammed to her head, as other search the Range Rover for Dean. EXT. DEAN'S DRIVEWAY - CONTINUOUS DEAN drives the Nanny's rusted, low-rider Dodge out of the driveway. He pauses and looks. The streets are empty. He turns onto the street and calmly drives away. EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - DAY Establishing. A playground jammed with kids. A kickball game's in progress. ERIC waits his turn to kick. TRACY, a college-age teaching assistant comes over. TRACY Eric? ERIC looks up... TRACY (CONT'D) Your father's here. EXT. SCHOOL BUILDING - DAY DEAN stands at the edge of the playground in clean, casual clothes. ERIC runs over, face glowing. ERIC Dad! DEAN Do I know you? ERIC Where've you been? DEAN Having an adventure. I can't tell you about it right now, but I'll tell you about it soon. ERIC Are you and mom getting a divorce? DEAN No. We're never getting a divorce. We were having a fight. It happens sometimes. ERIC Who won the fight? DEAN Men don't win fights with women, son, I'll tell you about that sometime, too. In the meantime, I've got a question for you, and it's incredibly important that you tell me the truth. Under no circumstances will I be angry with you. This is a total Get-Out-Of- Jail-Free card. Ready? ERIC Yeah. DEAN Did you take anything--anything at all--out of those Christmas bags I brought home last week. ERIC hangs his head...busted...then shouts to a GROUP OF KIDS on the playground... ERIC (shouting) DYLAAAAN!! DYLAN comes trotting over, carrying his backpack... DYLAN Hey, Mr. D., what's happenin'? DEAN Dylan, I was just asking Eric if-- DYLAN Oh, God, I knew it was stupid, I knew we'd get caught. But the Gameboy was just sitting there. Right on top of the bag. Yes. Yes. We took the GameBoy out of the bag, but with every intention of putting it back. DEAN (pause) You're a tough nut to crack, Dylan. DYLAN hunts through the backpack as DEAN and ERIC looks on. All kinds of junk flies out--candy, comics, game- cartridges-- DYLAN It was broken when we found it, I swear. I tried fixing it for you. I even put in new batteries. (pulling out the GameBoy) The screen scrambles whenever you boot up. I'd try to get your money back. DEAN eyes the pieces of the GameBoy, knowing that somewhere in the puzzle of plastic and chips is the key to his problems. EXT. BALTIMORE SHERATON - EVENING PEDESTRIANS walk on the sidewalk. A MAN comes along and drops a few letters in the corner mailbox. From the other direction comes DEAN. Without stopping, he casually slashes the mailbox with chalk. INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT DEAN's asleep. There's a SOFT SHUFFLING SOUND. The CAMERA EXPLORES for the source, moving by the windows, flashing neon, a TV and finally, the door. We PUSH CLOSER as a MULE TOOL snakes under the door. The tool pops upright against the door's inside. The strap drapes over the doorknob and tightens. The doorknob turns and opens. SOMEONE slips in-- CLOSE ON DEAN asleep. A HAND covers his mouth. DEAN's eyes go wide. Then he sees it's BRILL... BRILL (whispering) Get dressed. We're leaving. DEAN (whispering) You could knock on the door, you know, and I'd open it. BRILL Move it. EXT. CAPE CHARLES - 4 A.M. Establishing. The 10-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge crosses the Bay like a serpent worming toward distant Norfolk. Traffic is thin at this hour. NEWSCASTER (O.S.) Dean, the attorney recently under investigation for a money laundering scheme, was seen leaving Ms. Banks apartment late last night. We PUSH IN on a TOYOTA PICK-UP truck heading south. INT. PICK-UP - CONTINUOUS BRILL drives with DEAN riding shotgun. NEWSCASTER (O.S.) Police are seeking-- BRILL ejects as cassette from the dashboard and hands it to DEAN. BRILL I taped it off the 11 o'clock news. DEAN And you were worried about me. That's nice, I appreciate-- BRILL I was worried about my hundred and twenty 'K'. DEAN We said a hundred. BRILL The price rises with the temperature and right now you're smokin'. But you're right, you should shop around and get the best price. I'll just let you out here. DEAN (agreeing) One-twenty. BRILL checks the rear-view mirror. BRILL's POV: Car headlights following in the distance. BRILL Did you call anyone? DEAN What do you mean? BRILL I mean did you call anyone. DEAN Look, my wife is understandably-- BRILL Jesus! DEAN I called my wife! BRILL What'd I tell you? DEAN I didn't use my name. BRILL What'd I tell you? DEAN I called from a payphone! BRILL What'd I tell you? DEAN You told me no calls. BRILL I told you no calls. BRILL does a bootleggers U-turn. Several cars pass by in the opposite direction. DEAN Sorry. BRILL You don't get it. They go through your phone records. They fuckin' monitor everyone you called in the last-- DEAN I didn't use my name. BRILL Oh, I'll bet that threw 'em off the scent. I sure hope you covered the mouthpiece with a handkerchief and used a funny voice! BRILL turns off the headlights, does another U-turn, pulls off on an emergency road and stops. He turns off the engine, rolls down the window, looks up into the night sky and listens. BRILL's POV: A cloudy night. Silent except for the water and a distant fog-horn. No sounds of aircraft. DEAN (looking up as well) I don't hear anything. (on BRILL's silence) Maybe you're wrong. BRILL is staring upward... BRILL A hundred and fifty. INT. NRO KEYHOLE-12 LAB - CONTINUOUS Re-establishing. A massive, dark place filled with glowing monitors. CLOSE ON A MONITOR - displaying a live SAT feed showing a thermograph image of Brill's truck. The color heat image of BRILL looking upward is fairly clear. He pops his head back into the truck and pulls onto the road. The satellite continues tracking the truck. BRILL (O.S.) It's a consumated marriage. INT. TOYOTA - NIGHT BRILL drives along a high fence surrounding acres of empty warehouses, docks and rust-bitten fences. He's still on constant alert - looking for sign of their presence. BRILL (CONT'D) The NSA's been in bed with the entire tele-communications industry since the 40's. They've infected everything: Banks, computers, phones, mail, name it. (stopping the car near the gate) The more technology we buy into, the easier it is keeping tabs on us. It's a brave new world. (handing DEAN the keys) At least it better be. DEAN How do you know so much? BRILL None of your business. DEAN You used to work for 'em, didn't you? BRILL I was a traffic analyst. DEAN gives him a look that says, "I don't know what that means". BRILL (CONT'D) I intercepted phone calls. DEAN How'd you get around the tap orders? BRILL They can tap anything as along as it's an airwave intercept. Cellulars and pagers your kid can do. (driving through) Hard-line calls we'd pick off the relays as they were being fed into ground cables or fired up to the SATs. We'd suck in everything. All foreign, most domestic. (DEAN re-closes the gate) Domestic was my group. Druggies, radicals, loud-mouths. Anyone we wanted. DEAN (climbing back in) How'd you have the manpower to-- BRILL (driving again) Meade has 18 underground acres of computers. They scan every phonecall for target words like "bomb" or "President". We red-flag phone numbers or voice prints...whatever we wanted. When the computers found something, it was bounced to comparative analysis. DEAN Jesus. BRILL That was twenty years ago. With digital? They can suck a salt grain off a beach. DEAN Why'd you leave? BRILL It was '72. I figured we had enough problems without monitoring a Berkeley kid's class schedule. So I sold my story to Ramparts and split. DEAN They come after you? BRILL (shrugging it off) Well...there'd be too much disclosure to prosecute me. So they ruined my records and made sure I'd never hold a real job again. The pick-up stops by a long two-story warehouse. BRILL (CONT'D) What do you think? DEAN Looks like Detroit. BRILL Welcome to Santa's Workshop. INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT BRILL and DEAN enter the 2nd story of a large, empty structure. DEAN is carrying a crumpled, brown paper bag. In the center of the cavernous space, a windowless, cinderblock room built on 5-foot supports. BRILL I call it the jar. No phone or utility lines going in. BRILL opens a side door revealing a mini-generator. He pushes the start button. The generator HUMS to life. BRILL Self-contained. Unplugged from the world. (opening Jar door) Nothing for a wire bug to piggy- back in on. That leaves only transmitters and signal sweep for those. (turning on the light) Now let's see what we got. DEAN tosses the paper bag to BRILL, who empties its contents (the pieces of the GameBoy) on to the table. EXT. DOCKS - DAWN DEAN sits alone, smoking a cigarette, and watching Norfolk rise from dawn's fog. In the distance we see BRILL coming down from the warehouse toward DEAN. He stands behind DEAN for a moment before... BRILL That is one ugly sunrise. DEAN (pause) It really is. (pause) Did you find anything? BRILL Yeah. (beat) Take a walk with me. DEAN gets up and joins BRILL. The two of them start in the direction of the second warehouse. BRILL (CONT'D) Remember when Senator Hamersley died in an accident up near Shenandoah? DEAN Yeah. BRILL The NSA killed him. DEAN Jesus. Do you have proof? BRILL Well, actually, you have proof. Could you walk a little faster please. DEAN What's going on? BRILL They're here. DEAN Who? BRILL Them. DEAN Where? BRILL Here? DEAN Here?! BRILL In the warehouse. They're hiding in a duct on the third floor. When we go back inside, they're gonna kill us. When they notice that we're moving toward the car, they'll come running out of the building. DEAN 'Kay, well, could you walk faster, please. INT. WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS JONES and THREE MEN are huddled in a duct. VOICE (O.S.) (through radio) They're heading to the car. JONES Move it. JONES and the three men start down the corridor, guns drawn. EXT. THE SECOND WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS DEAN and BRILL are kneeling beside the Chevy, letting the air out of the tires. BRILL Empty 'em 'till they're almost flat. And turn your head. There might be some debris flying your way. DEAN Why? And with that, THE FIRST WAREHOUSE EXPLODES, sending a fireball of debris in all directions. DEAN What the fuck?! BRILL They shouldn't have come without calling first. BRILL jumps into the Chevy, turns the key and the engine ignites. DEAN leaps in. BRILL stomps on the gas and tires screech. The Chevy hurtles through the warehouse toward a shut garage door. BRILL clicks a remote. The door rises. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE - The Chevy roars outward, screams around a corner, then speeds down a road lined with warehouses. DEAN looks down an intersecting road to glimpse a Saturn sedan gaining on a parallel road. BRILL Where's your gun? They pass an area with no warehouses. The Saturn turns, heading straight at them. DEAN Back at the warehouse. The Saturn pulls on the road behind them. The MAN in the Saturn leans out and fires an assault rifle. The side window by Dean's head shatters. BRILL one-hands the pistol and checks the load. DEAN (re: the pistol) Gimme that. BRILL You sure? DEAN You're driving. BRILL Those are Feds. DEAN (taking the pistol) I didn't see a warrant. Did you see a warrant? The Chevy enters a narrow lane, the Saturn right behind. With the Chevy's tires flat and flapping, the Saturn hugs their rear. DEAN looks back again as the RIFLEMAN FIRES-- The rear window EXPLODES. DEAN pops up and fires three quick, well-placed rounds. The Saturn swerves and drops back. BRILL's impressed. DEAN looks forward to see an exit road blocked by an iron cross-bar. BRILL, unfazed, pushes the Chevy faster. Beam or no beam, he's going through. BRILL Think we let out enough air? DEAN (realizing) Oh my God... BRILL and DEAN hit the deck as the Chevy's hood scrapes just under the beam. The windshield frame takes the full impact. The beam slices through steel and glass, decapitating the car. They emerge on the other side minus roof and windows as-- --the Saturn SCREECH-STOPS inches from the beam and debris. A MAN leaps out, shoulders his rifle and aims-- --but the Chevy disappears around a building. EXT. HIGHWAY - EARLY MORNING A foggy morning. The rural highway's deserted at this early hour. The Chevy rumbles by... INT. CHEVY - CONTINUOUS DEAN and BRILL, windblown but alive, remove shards of glass. BRILL eyes the road behind him. Empty. BRILL We lost 'em. DEAN That wasn't so hard. BRILL Fuckin-A. DEAN Let's not do the tire thing anymore, okay? BRILL Yeah, I can see where that'd-- He stops talking. He hears ROTOR THUMPS as a black HELICOPTER appears over a fog-laced hillside, swooping down. BRILL floors it. The helicopter drops in closer as BRILL swerves back and forth while taking a curve at 70- plus on flapping tires. A helicopter SHARP-SHOOTER aims with an M-16. A spray of high-powered slugs suddenly rip into the Chevy's hood. The engine starts knocking. BRILL These guys are incredibly persistent. DEAN Tell me about it. The road straightens. Up ahead, a tunnel. More bullets slice the hood. Radiator fluid starts hissing. The Chevy starts dying. BRILL stomps the pedal, squeezing out every last kick of horsepower. Rubber flaps. Tires shred. Steam hisses. Bullets fly. The helicopter swoops in lower and lower for the kill shot. INT. HELICOPTER - CONTINUOUS The SHARP-SHOOTER lines DEAN in his sights. The PILOT keeps pace, dropping closer. The SHARP- SHOOTER has the shot. The Chevy reaches the tunnel's opening on sparking, screeching wheel rims. The helicopter pulls up, missing the hill by inches. But not the power lines. The PILOT sees them too late. The helicopter flies into a web of cables. The upper rotor slices neatly off. The helicopter's body rockets downward to the road where it bounces and skids like a rock on water until it meets an oncoming semi-truck head-on. BLAM! EXT. INSIDE THE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS BRILL tries steering but metal wheels on concrete don't work. The car shimmies like it's on ice. Sparks fly as they bash into the tunnel wall, grinding to a stop. INT. DODGE - CONTINUOUS A GRUNGE-DUDE blasts his car-stereo as he enters the tunnel, unaware of the mayhem behind him. He slows, seeing a smoking wreck ahead. Closer, he sees DEAN waving him down. He slows more. Bad move. BRILL opens the rear door, leaps in, and points his pistol at the GRUNGE-DUDE's face. DEAN leaps in front. BRILL Drive. DEAN We're not gonna hurt you. BRILL Drive. DEAN Tell him we're not gonna hurt him. BRILL Drive or I'll blow your fuckin' head off. DEAN No he won't. BRILL Goddammit-- DEAN We're honest people and we need your help. I'll give you two- hundred dollars if you-- GRUNGE-DUDE (leaping out) Take it! DEAN Actually, I don't have two-hundred dollars. BRILL Drive the damn car! DEAN slides into the driver's seat, drops it in gear and goes. The Dodge erupts from the tunnel. Up ahead, the Saturn and another car approach fast in the opposite lane, speeding toward the tunnel's opening. The car's fly by, unaware of DEAN and BRILL passing in the Dodge. The Dodge continues on, fading into the fog. INT. NSA/CORRIDOR - DAY REYNOLDS and HICKS walk down a white hallway three football fields in length, filled with bustling employees conservatively dressed. HICKS We found two sets of latent prints in the rubble of Brill's studio. One was Dean's. The other, we believe, belongs to Brill. REYNOLDS We believe? HICKS Well...his real name's Edward Lyle. REYNOLDS Lyle?! HICKS Yes sir. REYNOLDS You're kidding me. HICKS No sir. REYNOLDS Dean's with Lyle. HICKS And they have the video. That's confirmed. REYNOLDS So they know everything. HICKS If they've looked at the video. REYNOLDS Oh, let's assume that they have. HICKS If he's with Lyle it means he's got resources. REYNOLDS Resources, that's a good point. He's got resources. All we've got is a six-hundred billion dollar organization! Now goddammit, Hicks, you find 'em. You find 'em and you end it now! REYNOLDS walks off leaving HICKS to ponder his fate. EXT. USED CAR LOT - DAY Establishing. Plastic flags and PRICES SLASHED signs are everywhere. A blue Taurus pulls off the lot... DEAN (O.S.) We'll take the tape directly to CBS. I'll hand it directly to the News Department. INT. TAURUS - CONTINUED BRILL Listen to you, "directly". You're not gonna get near the News Department. And if you did, it'd never get on the air. Time-Life buried the Zapruder film for 15 years. DEAN What about newspapers and magazines? BRILL Same thing? DEAN So what do we do now? BRILL I was thinkin' about asking for my hundred and fifty grand and calling it quits. DEAN What if we do a mailing to Congressmen. BRILL It'd never get through. All packages are screened, x-rayed and then hand-searched for explosives. You didn't like my "give-me-my- money" idea? INT. TAURUS - NIGHT BRILL drives. DEAN thinks. DEAN What if we hand deliver to their homes or office? BRILL The area's wired for surveillance, they'll be looking for those moves. DEAN Well how do I know what they're-- BRILL I know. I know what they're looking for and I'm telling you. The car radio is playing a newscast... NEWSCASTER (O.S.) (from the radio) --after which, Senator Albert will address a fund-raiser at Boston University. DEAN What if we put it on the internet? BRILL Have you seen how fuckin' slow the net is? It'd take ten minutes to unload enough video so that people know what they're seeing, and it'd take the NSA maybe 40 seconds to see it coming down and shut down the access. NEWSCASTER (O.S.) (from the radio) --this will be the last stop on the Senator's eight-city tour before the Senate votes on Tuesday. BRILL (reconsidering) But maybe if there were no phone line-- DEAN has started listening to the radio... BRILL (CONT'D) What if we transmitted it over cellular? DEAN Listen-- BRILL Nah, they'd shut down the pin number. DEAN What if-- BRILL If they couldn't do that, they'd shut down the whole system, all the relays. DEAN What if-- BRILL They've done it before. Takes maybe two minutes. DEAN What if-- BRILL What if what? DEAN What if we just fucked with 'em? BRILL (pause) How? DEAN Same way they did with you and me. We take their biggest guy and turn him into one of us. BRILL Reynolds. DEAN No. BRILL Who? A MONTAGE OF EVENTS: INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY BRILL educates DEAN on simple ways to alter one's appearance. DEAN (V.O.) Senator Sam Albert, senior Republican. Very well respected. INT. BOSTON UNIVERSITY/AUDITORIUM - DAY A large auditorium. Preparations are being made for Senator Albert's upcoming speech. BRILL and DEAN casually case the area for vulnerabilities. DEAN We'll play the NSA's game only we'll play it badly. EXT. LE MERIDIAN HOTEL, BOSTON - DAY Establishing. A five-star hotel overlooking Massachusetts Bay. BRILL (V.O.) You wanna get caught spying on Albert? DEAN (V.O.) No, I want the NSA to get caught spying on Albert. INT. HOTEL LOBBY - CONTINUOUS CHRISTA HAWKINS, late 20's, the Senator's advance- person, stands at registration securing rooms for her boss and his team. DEAN (V.O.) We're gonna lead Albert by the nose to one conclusion. And then when he's pissed as hell, we're gonna drop the tape in his lap. How fast can you teach me what I need to know? BRILL (V.O.) How fast can you learn? Next to CHRISTA, looking conservative and altered in appearance, is DEAN, eavesdropping on the Senator's room numbers and any other pertinent info. EXT. RADIO SHACK - DAY Establishing. One of those cheesy places in a mini-mall. DEAN (V.O.) Pretty fast. BRILL We'll have to re-stock some basics. INT. RADIO SHACK - CONTINUOUS BRILL and DEAN go shopping. BRILL Bugs, frequency scanners, contact mics, transmitters, pin-holes, fiber optics-- INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY The curtains are drawn. Devices cover the table and bed. BRILL What do you know about locking cellular phone signals? DEAN I know my phone number and I know the number for SportsPhone. Beyond that-- BRILL Shit. INT. TAURUS - DAY DEAN drives while BRILL sits with his open PC lap-top connect to his cellular phone. BRILL A 'modified' OKI 900 interfaced with a lap-top creates an enormously powerful tool. (referring to the cell-phone) I got into the software, did some code re-writing and turned it into one of the best scan-looking systems around. CLOSE ON SCREEN - A street map appears with positions of the network's relays. Lines appear indicating all in-progress cellular calls along with their locations. BRILL (CONT'D) This is every call on the grid. I can lock and position any one I want and follow the hand-offs in real time. BRILL punches a number into the cellular and the phone locks on the signal. Through the lap-top, we hear RINGING and then an ANSWERING VOICE. WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.) Super Shuttle. MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) This is Dr. Jonathan Phillips, 102 Stern Drive in Brockton. I need an airport ride on Friday at 6 PM with a return pick-up Monday at 5. There'll be two of us and-- BRILL (disconnecting) Need a place to stay for the weekend? A new TV? (BRILL has repeated the process) ANOTHER MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) Triple-A Emergency Road Service. May I have your name and membership number? YOUNG WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.) Colleen Crane. Card number 020-113-- DEAN Unbelievable. BRILL All from a hundred dollar scanner at Radio Shack. But it's time for business. BRILL dials his computer into a new line. TONES and COMMANDS fly quick as Brill's computer modems into another. DEAN What are you dialing? BRILL AmeriTech's data-base. (pointing on the screen) There's Albert's D.C. office address and his phone's identity code. Now we just reprogram out phone with his ID code and you know what we've got? SENATOR ALBERT (O.S.) (mid-conversation) --Don't think it could've gone any better. Tell me, how's Deb? How're my grandchildren? BRILL A receiver tuned permanently to the Senator's phone. EXT. FREEWAY - CONTINUOUS A customized RV zips down the highway. SENATOR'S WIFE (O.S.) Melissa has a fever. When will you be in the room? INT. RV - CONTINUOUS It's a plush affair befitting the Senator's position. ALBERT speaks in the cellular phone while an aide, PATRICK, reviews last minute changes for Albert's upcoming speech. SENATOR ALBERT Not 'till later tonight. We're going to the campus now. (beat) I'll call you after I've checked in. (beat) I love you too, dear. INT. LE MERIDIAN HOTEL/LOBBY - DAY CHRISTA stands at the front desk as the CLERK hands her several faxes. DEAN, disguised, sits across the lobby reading a paper. DEAN's POV: CHRISTA exits the hotel to a waiting car. DEAN (into concealed sleeve mic) She just left. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - DAY Numbered doors on each side. BRILL walks down the hall, hair slicked, mustache, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. BRILL (V.O.) The important thing about installations is numbers. INT. CHRISTA'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY SERIES OF SHOTS: BRILL entering CHRISTA's room and opening his briefcase revealing tools and listening bugs. BRILL (V.O.) They may find one, but they're not gonna find 'em all. --BRILL planting devices behind the headboard-- --Inside the telephone-- --Behind the desk-- --Inside the TV-- --BRILL rifling through CHRISTA's personal items, eyeing paper work, photographing interesting documents. --BRILL opening a connecting door, picking a second lock, and entering the adjoining suite. INT. CHRISTA'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT A clock reads 1:28 AM. The lights are on and the bed unslept in. Christa's not seen. Then the connecting door opens-- CHRISTA steps from the Senator's adjoining suite in a silk robe, nothing underneath. She turns in the doorway, revealing ALBERT, naked in a towel. CHRISTA closes the door, climbs in bed and grabs the remote. She clicks on the TV. FEEDBACK SCREECHES from the set. She tries changing channels but the SCREECHING continues. She tries turning off the set, but it won't turn off. She grabs the phone and dials. CHRISTA (into phone) Can you send someone up right away. I'm having a problem with my TV... It's screeching and I-- (beat) It's screeching and I-- CHRISTA is noticing that her voice is causing the TV image to distort in sync. CHRISTA (CONT'D) It's screeching and I can't turn it off. INT. HOTEL RESTAURANT - MORNING SENATOR ALBERT dines with an aide as PATRICK approaches, a grave look on his face. PATRICK takes a seat. SENATOR ALBERT What happened to you last night? PATRICK reaches in his case and pulls out one of Brill's listening bugs and hands it to ALBERT who puts on his eyeglasses. PATRICK Christa found it last night attached to her TV. It's a listening device. SENATOR ALBERT A bug? PATRICK Yeah. SENATOR ALBERT Jesus H.-- PATRICK We should everything checked. There's a company in Cambridge called Baudmore. They're discreet. Seated next to ALBERT's table is DEAN, unnoticed as he sips coffee, skims news, and eavesdrops on their MURMURS with a small, concealed parabolic mic and ear- phone. SENATOR ALBERT Well get somebody down here today. I don't know what the hell this is all about. EXT. STREET CORNER - DAY A phone distribution box is open, revealing a mass of circuit boards. BRILL stands at the box holding a circuit-dialer phone to his ear. INTERCUT WITH: INT. HOTEL LOBBY/NEWS STAND - CONTINUOUS DEAN watches PATRICK approach a pay phone. DEAN (into sleeve mic) He's going into the payphone outside the restaurant. It's a Cambridge company called Baudmore. BRILL connects two alligator clips to a line inside the box. BRILL (into sleeve mic) Got it. BRILL's phone line immediately rings. He waits...then answers. BRILL (into phone) Baudmore Consultants. PATRICK Is Jerry Delsano in? BRILL Who's calling? PATRICK It's Pat Cary. I work for Senator Sam Albert and I was given Jerry's name. BRILL Jerry's on vacation 'till Monday. I can give him the message when he gets back. That was Patrick and the last name-- PATRICK The thing is...it really can't wait. BRILL My name's Neil. Maybe I can help you. INT. SENATOR ALBERT'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY CLOSE ON A FREQUENCY COUNTER sweeping a chest of drawers. The device starts BUZZING, indicating a transmitter. BRILL, disguised, is on hands and knees, searching under a chest where he 'discovers' a bug he planted earlier. BRILL (removing the transmitter) Oh yeah. Got another one here. BRILL shows it to PATRICK, a very embarrassed HOTEL MANAGER and a very serious HEAD OF HOTEL SECURITY. BRILL (CONT'D) Nasty fella. A TX-703. Remote on- off, three-thousand foot range. Shit, you could listen from a shopping mall across the street. INT. SENATOR ALBERT'S RV - DAY BRILL stands in front of SENATOR ALBERT. BRILL Well, sir, I'm afraid it's not as simple as that. Your average newspaper guy or Hard Copy lady or whatever, they can't buy this stuff. SENATOR ALBERT Well then who can? BRILL Ah, sir, you know, it's not for me to say. SENATOR ALBERT What do you mean? Who can buy this kind of equipment. BRILL The thing is, Senator, and I don't want to get in the middle of nothing, but-- SENATOR ALBERT What are you saying? BRILL Most of this stuff's only available to law enforcement. SENATOR ALBERT Law enforcement? BRILL FBI, CIA, NSA, local cops. SENATOR ALBERT Are you sure about this? BRILL unwraps a towel revealing the grease-covered NSA tracker he removed from Dean's BMW. BRILL I yanked this off your RV. It's a Global Positioning Tracker. SENATOR ALBERT Oh my God. BRILL Tracks your location to the inch and works directly with--you know... SENATOR ALBERT With what? BRILL With spy satellites. I don't like saying these things Senator... SENATOR ALBERT (shaking BRILL's hand) Neil, thank you for your help. BRILL Anytime. PATRICK escorts BRILL out of the RV. The SENATOR, fuming, opens a book, looks up a phone number and punches it into his phone. SENATOR ALBERT (into the phone) This is Sam Albert. Put me through to Langley. Dick Marshal's office. INT. UNIVERSITY COFFEE SHOP - DAY A place packed with STUDENTS, computers and TEACHERS. DEAN sits in a corner reading a magazine, but what he's really watching is-- A WELL-DRESSED MAN at the counter, his back to DEAN, ordering a cup of coffee. The MAN glances at DEAN off the mirror behind the counter. BRILL walks in and joins DEAN. BRILL Albert's primed. We'll let him stew for a day and then drop the tape. BRILL looks over at the WELL-DRESSED MAN. DEAN He came in four minutes ago. BRILL (pause) C'mon. They're about to start for the front door when an unmarked police car pulls up in front. A rowdy group of FRAT BOYS flood in, loud and busy. By the time they pass, BRILL and DEAN are gone. The WELL-DRESSED MAN scans the coffee shop and sees the back door swinging shut. EXT. STREET - DAY DEAN and BRILL run down the street, through an alley and over a fence to another street. They slow as they approach the parked Taurus. BRILL takes the wheel with DEAN beside him. They pull into traffic. Things look good, but then the UNMARKED CAR and a SQUAD CAR scream up behind, lights flashing. INT. TAURUS - CONTINUOUS BRILL dumps the car into low gear and the Taurus comes alive. INT. SQUAD CAR - CONTINUOUS A COP picks up the radio-mic. COP One-Lincoln-Nine. In pursuit of two suspects, one matching description of Robert Dean, wanted in connection with a homicide. Suspects northbound on-- EXT. BOSTON STREETS - CONTINUOUS Through alleys, down streets, under an overpass, down a one-way street, barely missing a head-on as they roar into a rail-yard traversing the waterfront. BRILL's at his best, putting distance between himself and the cops at every turn. Finally, it looks as if they've made it as they race down an alleyway, only to realize it's a dead-end. BRILL slams into reverse. They screech backward, tires smoking. Too late. The squad car rips into the alleyway, boxing them in. BRILL hits the brakes. He looks back at the dead-end and sees an empty flat-bed trailer with a ramp. BRILL gives it everything. If they can get enough speed and hit the ramp right, maybe they can clear the obstructing wall. BRILL Feeling lucky? DEAN Not particularly, no. They hit the ramp full speed. The front end bottoms at the Taurus bounces skyward. Tires clip the wall as the car flips and smashes into a parked rail-car filled with coal. They aren't going anywhere. Back in the alley, the squad car skids to a stop. A ROOKIE climbs from his car, leaps the wall, draws his gun and nears... Inside the Taurus, the windows are shattered. Steam hisses, gasoline drips and coal is everywhere. DEAN shimmies out through a broken side window. He barely gets to his feet as he stumbles 20 yards or so. His foot accidentally dislodges a large pile of coal, which buries him up to his waist and immobilizes him. DEAN Shit. (to BRILL) I'm stuck. Help me out. He looks back to see that BRILL is hanging out the driver's side, bleeding badly and covered in gas. COP (on waist radio) One-Lincoln-Nine, suspects TA'd into a coal car at the Fullbright rail-yards. Requesting back-up, fire and ambulance. An unmarked car with red-flashers races up the rail- yard and stops. The ROOKIE turns as JONES and KRUG hop out. JONES (flashing ID) FBI. What do you got? COP Two murder suspects. One's wounded, the other's maybe dead. JONES Thank you. KRUG draws his silenced pistol and matter of factly shoots the COP dead. JONES (to KRUG) Check inside. DEAN is watching this all unseen, helplessly trying to dig himself out of the coal. KRUG inspects the Taurus interior for anything of interest. JONES scans the area. KRUG (to BRILL as he searches.) I hate doin' cops, I really do. You I won't mind. Didn't mind that Rachel Banks. Didn't mind doin' her one bit. (seeing DEAN's shoe) Your lawyer friend buried over there? BRILL can only gurgle blood. JONES pops the Taurus's trunk had looks inside. KRUG digs quickly through the coal pile, searching for Dean. Then BRILL sees him-- BRILL's POV: DEAN down off the side of the coal-car, lodged in the coal pile. He's safe, but not once KRUG discovers he's not in the car. BRILL pushes in the cigarette lighter. JONES dumps everything from the Taurus into the unmarked car. SIRENS suddenly fade in. KRUG digs faster, looking for DEAN, as JONES approaches with his pistol, clambering around for BRILL. KRUG Fuck him, he's dead in two minutes. Find Dean. JONES starts to back out, just as the Taurus's cigarette lighter pops out. BRILL grabs it. KRUG eyes the glowing lighter. Then he eyes BRILL. Shit. BRILL ignites the gas. WA-WOOMFF!! A fireball explodes, consuming all - the car, BRILL, KRUG. JONES is blown off his feet from the concussion. JONES (scrambling away) Fuck-- JONES wipes prints off his pistol and silencer and tosses it into the flames as the police cars approach. DEAN watches from the shadows as flames incinerate everything. MARSHAL (V.O.) I just came from my office at Langley. Senator Albert called me there. EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. RESTAURANT TERRACE - DAY MARSHAL and SHAFFER dine with REYNOLDS at a restaurant overlooking the Potomac. SHAFFER I got the same call at the Bureau. He's upset. REYNOLDS About what? MARSHAL About what? Do I look stupid? REYNOLDS Ken-- MARSHAL Does Shaffer look stupid to you? SHAFFER We're not stupid, Reynolds. MARSHAL The fuck do you have goin' on with Sam Albert? SHAFFER This guy's carrying the flag for the damn terrorism bill. You think this is the best time to piss him off? MARSHAL You have any idea what kind of position this-- SHAFFER He's carrying the damn flag. REYNOLDS We're not doing anything with Sam Albert. MARSHAL He thinks we're stupid. SHAFFER He found an NSA SAT tracker on his motor home today. REYNOLDS It's not ours. MARSHAL It was pulsing on your SAT frequencies. SHAFFER I don't know what's going on, but if you people have tripped over your own asshole again, you're not gonna get any help from us. It's ending at your doorstep. HICKS (V.O.) Brill's dead. INT. TOWN CAR - DAY REYNOLDS rides in the back of the car, a cellular to his ear. REYNOLDS What about-- HICKS (O.S.) We don't know. REYNOLDS Explain that. INTERCUT WITH: INT. TECH ROOM - CONTINUOUS The room is crammed with people as HICKS talks over the phone. HICKS Jones had to flee the scene before we could locate the second body. REYNOLDS What about the tape? HICKS We think it was on Brill. If it was, it's destroyed now. REYNOLDS And if it wasn't? ORGAN MUSIC can be heard as REYNOLDS snaps his phone shut. PRIEST (O.S.) Peace be with you. EXT. SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH - DAY Establishing. A beautiful church in an expensive neighborhood. CHORUS OF PARISHIONERS (O.S.) And also with you. INT. CHURCH - CONTINUOUS A crowded Catholic mass. The PRIEST delivers a sermon from an altar decorated with Christmas candles and evergreen. PRIEST The Lord said: I leave you peace, my peace I leave you. Let us now, in the spirit of these holidays, turn to our neighbors and offer them a sign of peace. REYNOLDS stands in a pew beside his TWO DAUGHTERS and his WIFE. He turns to those immediately around him, shaking their hands. REYNOLDS Peace be with you...Peace be with you. A disguised DEAN takes REYNOLDS hand and shakes it... DEAN Merry Christmas. It's me. REYNOLDS Do I know you? DEAN I'm Robert Dean. Within twelve hours, you're gonna be in jail. Peace be with you. REYNOLDS is dumbstruck... PRIEST Let us now offer up thanks to the Lord our God in the words our Father gave us. CONGREGATION Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallow'd be thy name-- STACY (V.O.) Robert, is it safe to be talking on the phone like this? INT. A BEDROOM - NIGHT DEAN sits on a bed while talking into a modified cellular computer. The screen shows his current call signal re-routing between relay stations. DEAN (into phone) I've re-routed the call. They can't trace it. INTERCUT WITH: INT. DEAN'S HOUSE/BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS STACY (into phone) Are you sure you're safe? DEAN (into phone) Yeah. EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - CONTINUOUS CLOSE ON A SMALL GRAY CONE-SHAPED MICROWAVE ANTENNA STACY (O.S.) They're saying you killed that policeman. DEAN (O.S.) That's gonna end tonight. EXT. EXPRESSWAY - CONTINUOUS CLOSE ON A MICROWAVE TOWER WITH NINE GRAY CONES pointing nine directions. The intercepted phone signals being relayed. STACY (O.S.) Where are you? DEAN (O.S.) I can't tell you that. EXT. KENT ISLAND - CONTINUOUS Re-establishing. A concrete building rising from the woods. STACY (O.S.) Can you tell me anything? INT. CEMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS CLOSE ON COMPUTER SCREENS showing hundreds of phone numbers scrolling by. A massive vacume cleaner of every cellular call being made in the state of Maryland. The computer scans for trigger numbers or words. DEAN (O.S.) I can tell you this: That anti- terrorism bill you were so worked up about? I don't think it's gonna pass. A phone number locks on the screen-- TECHNICIAN Got it! INT. REYNOLDS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS The phone on the nightstand begins to RING. REYNOLDS wakes as his wife rolls to the other side of the bed. He grabs his scrambler phone and goes into-- INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS REYNOLDS closes the door and waits as scrambled lines connect. Finally, a confirming tone. REYNOLDS Yeah. INTERCUT WITH: INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS HICKS is on the phone. HICKS Found him. Kent Island nailed the call five minutes ago. He's stationary. REYNOLDS Do you have visual? HICKS Not yet. He's near "M" and 34th. I've got an ELSUR unit on the scene now. A residential building. Twelve units. REYNOLDS What's your ETA? HICKS Three minutes. We're going in light. Myself and two others. Everyone else is held back in reserve. REYNOLDS He walked right up to me in church. At the holiest time of the wear. He approached me in a sanctified place. (beat) Kill him now. EXT. A VICTORIAN APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Establishing. Peaceful street, quaint apartments. THREE MEN stroll to the entrance of a well-maintained building. One jimmies the lock and a moment later they're in. INT. LOBBY - CONTINUOUS HICKS, JONES and DAVIS prepare. All have miniature earphones. DAVIS checks his silenced pistol. HICKS activates a frequency locator. The needle snaps on. He looks at DAVIS and JONES. They're ready. All hand signals, no words, as the trio ascend the staircase. One flight, two. Then HICKS stops. The needle says they're close. HICKS motions. Their target's on two. They move down the hall - silent except for a creaking floor and a TV SHOW drifting from an apartment. Someone's up at this hour. They move on. HICKS watches the needle as it moves. He motions DAVIS and JONES to a door. JONES puts a reverse-viewer against the peep-hole. JONES's POV: A view of an entryway and living room. A light bleeds from an O.S. source. Beyond that there's no sign of life. HICKS puts a contact-mic against the door and listens to FAINT CONVERSATION somewhere inside, possibly the phone call. HICKS nods to JONES who quickly picks the lock while DAVIS eyes the hall. After a nervous moment, the door opens and HICKS, JONES and DAVIS enter. INT. THE APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS They spread out, searching the well-decorated condo for the target. They near the room with light. Using a mini-mirror, HICKS looks around the bend to see-- A BEDROOM. There's a briefcase on the bed. They enter. From the bathroom they hear sounds of RUNNING WATER. They slowly approach. Wood again CREAKS beneath them. DEAN's VOICE is heard through the locked door. HICKS signals "on three". He counts, and they SMASH the door open to see-- --a cellular phone taped to a Baby-Monitor. DEAN's nowhere in sight. HICKS The fuck is this? INT. POLICE STATION/DISPATCH AREA - NIGHT Spinning banks of reporters manned by POLICE DISPATCHERS. We move to one desk where a phone rings. An LED immediately displays the caller's name; KRUGER, JACK, along with his social-security number and date of birth. DISPATCHER Nine-one-one emergency. OLD MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) My name's Jack Kreuger, I'm at 1102 Grambling. I just saw three guys break into the condo next door. It looked to me like they had guns. INT. VICTORIAN BUILDING'S BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS DEAN has the phone circuit box open and is plugged in with a phone-line. Over the phone's mouthpiece, he holds an electronic Voice-Mask which alters his voice into an old man's. DISPATCHER (O.S.) We'll send a unit over there now. If it's safe, sir, we'd like you to stay by your phone. DEAN Yeah, I think I'll stay where I am. INT. SQUAD CAR - NIGHT DISPATCHER (O.S.) (radio effect) Any available unit. Armed 549 in progress. INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS Three TECHNICIANS overhear the police radio call. DISPATCHER (O.S.) Three suspects now inside. 1102 Grambling, apartment 302. TECHNICIAN Shit. (into radio) 201 to First Team. Pull out. We got the cops. INT. APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS HICKS spins and heads for the door. DAVIS hits it first. He grabs the doorknob and pulls-- --and the knob rips from the door, trailing small wires. DAVIS Fuck me! JONES What'd you do? DAVIS It came off in my hand! EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS TWO SQUAD CARS come rolling up and FOUR COPS get out and head into the building. INT. THE APARTMENT JONES is trying to pry the door open with his fingers. No use. TECHNICIAN (over radio) Get outa there, guys! While JONES continues on the door, DAVIS runs to the window. Throughout this, HICKS will stand in the middle of the room and, simply, oddly, stare at the mantle over the fireplace. DAVIS Goddamit! HICKS smiles...and now he starts laughing a little... JONES What's so fuckin' funny? HICKS motions to a framed picture over the fireplace. HICKS It's over. We've been fucked with our pants on. The framed picture is of Senator SAM ALBERT and CHRISTA HAWKINS. HICKS (CONT'D) We broke into her condo. DOOR WOOD EXPLODES inward. The TWO COPS roll in crouched positions, weapons drawn. COP #1 POLICE! FREEZE! HICKS doesn't move, DAVIS freezes like a deer in headlights, JONES stares with cold, dead eyes. COP #2 DROP THE WEAPONS! NOW! Two more COPS arrive. JONES and DAVIS drop their guns. COP #1 ON THE GROUND! NOW! FACE THE FLOOR! They do so. COPS THREE and FOUR go room to room making sure no one else is lurking. In the bedroom, they find the briefcase. Inside the briefcase-- --listening bugs, installation equipment and compromising photos of the Senator with Christa. CHRISTA (O.S.) Oh my God! What's going on?! Back in the living room, CHRISTA has walked through the broken-in apartment door to see JONES, HICKS and DAVIS lying on the floor at gun point. COP #2 Ma'am, is this your apartment? CHRISTA What happened?! COP #1 Would you step out in the hallway for a moment, ma'am. CHRISTA Oh God. COP #2 Please. We'll be right with you. CHRISTA backs slowly out of the apartment and into-- INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS CHRISTA holds her hand over her mouth and is shaking. A VOICE comes from an alcove... VOICE (O.S.) Christa? She turns. DEAN steps out from the alcove. DEAN (CONT'D) You got a second? CHRISTA Who are you? DEAN My name's Robert Dean. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET IN CHEVY CHASE - NIGHT An up-scale neighborhood. Two inexpensive cars that don't seem to belong there sit in front of a large home. INT. SENATOR ALBERT'S PRIVATE STUDY - CONTINUOUS DEAN sits with a drink in his hand. Across from him are CHRISTA and PATRICK. They sit in uncomfortable silence for a moment before SENATOR ALBERT enters in bathrobe and pajamas. ALBERT I understand we have a problem. PATRICK Senator-- CHRISTA Senator, there were some things I couldn't tell you over the phone. ALBERT What kinds of things? PATRICK Mr. Dean has a video tape from the hotel room in Boston. ALBERT (pause) I see. DEAN It's actually DH-1 Digitech Pinpoint scanning with a frequency modulator. ALBERT I don't know what that means. DEAN Me neither, but the upshot is I've got color live-action footage of you and Ms Hawkins and it doesn't look good. ALBERT So...how much money do you want in exchange for not ruining my life? DEAN I don't want any money. And believe me, I have no interest in ruining your life. I'm not interested in this tape. ALBERT You're not. PATRICK Then what do you want from the Senator? DEAN I want him to look at a different tape. People have been killed. Lives have been ruined. (DEAN takes the computer chip from his pocket) Senator, I want you to look at this. And I want you to bring the fury of God himself upon this man. DEAN tosses the chip to ALBERT. INT. REYNOLDS BEDROOM - NIGHT REYNOLDS is asleep when the PHONE wakes him up. Once again, he reaches for his scrambled phone heads into the bathroom. After waiting for the signal that the line's clear... REYNOLDS Yeah. TECHNICIAN (O.S.) Sir, we've just intercepted an FBI communication. REYNOLDS (into phone) Well...what is it? TECHNICIAN (O.S.) Well, sir, it seems there's a warrant out on-- The DOORBELL rings. REYNOLDS is alarmed. Now there's BANGING at the door and DOORBELL RINGS again. REYNOLDS WIFE (O.S.) (from the bedroom) Who is that, dear? REYNOLDS snaps the phone shut and goes downstairs to the door. When he opens the door he sees TWO FBI AGENTS with their ID's flapped open and six uniformed POLICEMEN backing them up. FBI AGENT John Reynolds? REYNOLDS What the hell-- FBI AGENT You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say-- REYNOLDS WIFE (O.S.) (from upstairs) Honey...? INT. DEAN'S STREET - MORNING A PAPERBOY tosses a newspaper at the Dean's door. SENATOR ALBERT (O.S.) Privacy and the right to privacy is an inalienable right. INT. DEAN'S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Stacy has C-SPAN on the TV while she makes breakfast for ERIC. SENATOR ALBERT is addressing the SENATE. ERIC These guys are always making speeches. STACY It's an important speech, Eric. There's gonna be a vote today. SENATOR ALBERT (on TV) Today we face a threat to that creed. Certain individuals in our intelligence community believe they're entitled to examine lives in minute detail, and claim to do it in the name of the common good. ERIC If they're voting today, hasn't everyone pretty much made up their minds. STACY Actually, this man appears to have changed his mind dramatically. ERIC Why? VOICE (O.S.) He saw the light, my son. ERIC and STACY whip around-- ERIC Dad! STACY and ERIC run to DEAN... STACY Is it over? DEAN It's over. ERIC How long can you stay? DEAN I'm not goin' anywhere, Eric. I live here. ERIC and DEAN hug. STACY Get ready for school, you're gonna be late. ERIC Is it okay to use the phone now? DEAN It's okay to use the phone. ERIC Alright! DEAN No "900" numbers. But ERIC has disappeared up the stairs... STACY It's really over? DEAN Albert's gonna get me my job back. STACY (pause) I'm sorry about Rachel. DEAN Yeah. (beat) I wish you could've met... STACY Who? DEAN A friend of mine. I don't know his real name. He's dead now. STACY You did good. STACY points to the TV and DEAN watches for a moment... ALBERT (on TV) I've lived through the dark ages of Hoover's Watch-List and McCarthy's Witch Hunts - men who used moral crusades, fired by fear, to lay waste to our freedoms. STACY C'mon upstairs. I've got a Christmas present from Harrison's I want to show you. DEAN arrives as STACY takes him by the arm. They head upstairs as ALBERT continues on... ALBERT (on TV) Our intelligence communities presently monitor our phones, computers, financial transactions, medical histories...all this and more. Some of you may say, "Fine. I'm not a criminal and I have nothing to hide." Well God forbid we ever edge to tyranny. God forbid George Orwell's version of America becomes a reality. We are that close. ALBERT's speech continues as we... ROLL END CREDITS. FADE TO BLACK.

Fade In: TITLE SEQUENCE. . . 1 THE DEAD OF NIGHT 1 Pitch black. Dead quiet. Dim faint light appears in the distance, approaching, growing larger. As the light nears, we recognize car headlights. Closer and closer until the car is bearing down upon us with great force. . . 2 INT. CAR 2 Two men in the front seat, FISHER and MOORE. Fisher drives. All seems quite normal until we take a closer look, sweat matts hair, dirt stains on white tuxedo shirts hands are blistered and bloody. They seem almost entranced. MOORE: That ought to be about the end of that. FISHER: Yup. SILENCE. PUSH IN ON Fisher... ANNOUNCER (V.O.):"The Oakland Raiders have taken a 7 - 6 lead in a, tough, football game and this crowd is standing..." FISHER'S VISION - GRAINY - OUT OF THE PAST 3 THREE RIVER STADIUM - DECEMBER 23RD, 1972 3 Playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Scoreboard reads: 22 seconds, 4th down, 10 yards to go, 4th quarter. ANNOUNCER (V.O.): "Hang on to your hats, here come the Steelers out of the Huddle..." 4 INT. CAR - FISHER 4 transfixed... ANNOUNCER (V.O.): "It comes down to one big play, 4th down, ten yards to go. Terry Bradshaw at the controls..." Bradshaw throws. ANNOUNCER (V.O.): "And Bradshaw, back and looking...Again, Bradshaw running out of the pocket... Looking for someone to throw to..." Bradshaw throws. ANNOUNCER (V.O.): ...Bradshaw fires it down the field and there's a collision!..." The ball bounces off the helmet of a Raider player and is caught low by the Steelers' FRANCO HARRIS. ANNOUNCER (V.O.): "...and it's caught out of the air! The ball is pulled in by Franco Harris!" 6 FISHER - DRIVING 6 ANNOUNCER (V.O.): Franco Harris running for the end zone, all but home..." Oncoming headlights illuminate Fisher's face... END TITLES. FADE TO BLACK: FADE IN ON: 7 INT. LOS ANGELES CITY HALL - MARRIAGE LICENSE DEPT. - DAY 7 SLOWLY TRACKING down a long line of couples. Some with kids, some old, some young, all waiting to pay their $55 and pick up their marriage license. We HOLD on a young couple, late 20's, KEITH FISHER and his fiancee, LIZ GARRETY. Fisher has a blondish quality to him, unassuming, pleasant, attentive, a bit more reactive than he could be. Liz is quite attractive, but somewhat tense, and not at all happy about having to stand in this very slow moving line. LIZ: This is ridiculous. FISHER: Government cutbacks. LIZ: Why can't we do it through the mail? FISHER: (patient) We missed the deadline. LIZ: Can't we do it on the phone? FISHER: I don't think so. In front of them a middle-aged MEXICAN COUPLE make-out intensely while their chubby little THREE YEAR OLD stares at Liz. LIZ: Why is this Kid staring at me? FISHER: I'm not sure. Liz pulls a note-pad out of her daypack. LIZ: (reading from her notes) Did you send in all of the deposit checks? FISHER: I think so. LIZ: (pause) What do you mean, you think so? FISHER: I sent a lot of checks, I'm not sure what all of them are. LIZ: The wedding cake check? FISHER: Sent it. LIZ: Photographer? FISHER: Sent it. LIZ: Florist? FISHER: Yup. LIZ: Caterer? FISHER: Yes. LIZ: Hotel for my parents, the tent, the band, the Judge... FISHER: (beat) I think I forgot the tent. LIZ: (somewhat alarmed) You forgot the tent? FISHER: I think so. LIZ: Why? FISHER: Why what? LIZ: Why did you forget the tent check? FISHER: I didn't mean to Liz. I'm sorry. LIZ: You can't play around with these tent people. FISHER: I'm not playing around. I forgot. LIZ: What else have you forgot? FISHER: How could I know what else I forgot? LIZ: I'm working my ass off here. I've taken care of absolutely everything Keith. FISHER: Because you wanted to. You wanted this to be your wedding not your parent's. LIZ: Don't you dare. FISHER: What? LIZ: Don't you put this on me. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't... A YOUNG TEENAGE COUPLE behind them stares at Liz, a bit confused. FISHER: (trying to calm her) Stop it. I'm sorry. LIZ: (trying to control herself) You know how important this is to my mother. You know that. FISHER: I'm sorry. I'm sorry I forgot the tent. I don't think I forgot anything else. LIZ: (not bitchy) I bet you didn't forget the bachelor party checks. FISHER: Are we going to do this again? LIZ: I'm just saying I bet those checks all found the mailboxes. FISHER: I wouldn't know. LIZ: It amazes me how organized you and your little fun bunch can be when it comes time to mobilize to Vegas. FISHER: (patient) They organized this, not me. I have nothing to do with it. LIZ: well it's bad timing. FISHER: How do you figure? LIZ: Right before the wedding? FISHER: It's a bachelor party. You sort of have to do it before the wedding. LIZ: I suppose Boyd is the creative force behind all this. FISHER: He is. LIZ: He's a moron. FISHER: He's my friend. He's not a moron. LIZ: David Boyd is a big sack of hot gas. 8 EXT. SANTA MONICA 8 TIGHT ON a "Fred Sands" realty sign being pounded into the ground. Pictured on the sign, as "offered by," is realtor DAVID BOYD, 30-ish, short hair, smiling with bizarre sincerity. WIDER to reveal, David Boyd in the flesh, suit jacket off, pounding away, sinking the sign into the front yard of a cute little house. His CELL PHONE RINGS. Boyd, gets the phone from his jacket. BOYD: (into phone) David Boyd. Tina. Great. Okay. Here's the deal, we're talking five guys. Hard Rock. Nice guys Tina. My friends. Yeah. I'm calling you directly so you don't have to go through the agency... (suddenly, over his shoulder) HEY! DO NOT ENTER THE HOUSE! (back into phone) That's correct. Cash straight to you. Yes. Twelve hundred? I don't think so. It's just stripping. Just a show. Hold on. (O.C.) Could you please wait off the property? ANGLE ON A YOUNG COUPLE, obviously here to see the house. MAN: We're just trying to sneak a peak. BOYD: Just stay off the property until I'm off the phone. MAN: Why? BOYD: Cause that's the way they do it. Bewildered and somewhat intimidated, they back off. BOYD (con't): (back into phone) So it's five guys, Hardrock Casino. Nine hundred bucks and you do the thing with the rubber hoses. Are you in? Tina, are you in? Good. Boyd hangs up, puts on his jacket and turns with the same bizarre insincere smile in his photo. Hand extended... BOYD (con't): David Boyd, nice to meet you. 9 FISHER AND LIZ IN LINE 9 LIZ: Why do you feel the need to explore this side of your personality? FISHER: What are you talking about? LIZ: I'm talking about the kind of people you hang out with...about growing up, assuming responsibility of yourself. FISHER: I asked you to marry me. I'm ready for marriage. That's responsibility. That's growth. LIZ: I just think that at some point you're going to have to re-evaluate some of your friendships... FISHER: Who else? LIZ: Charles Moore for instants. FISHER: You don't like Moore? Since when? LIZ: It's not that I don't like him. But the wedding has really got me thinking and...I just keep myself opening up. Crowning. And I want you keeping up with me here. FISHER: What does Moore have to do with your growing? LIZ: I just don't see him in the big picture. FISHER: I've known him since Cub Scouts. LIZ: He's weird. FISHER: He's quiet. LIZ: He's weird. 10 TIGHT ON - CHARLES MOORE 10 late twenties, a chef in a very upscale, very busy KITCHEN. His name, "Moore," is embroidered on his white chef's jacket. Food orders fly all around as Moore works with a mesmerizing focus, a poetic sense of purpose, fifteen things going on at once; he chops, sautes, braises, etc..., in a perfect mute silence. 11 FISHER AND LIZ STILL IN LINE 11 FISHER: He just doesn't talk a lot. LIZ: Why? What's his problem? FISHER: He's a great chef. LIZ: He's weird. And I expect more from you. FISHER: You expect more what? LIZ: You're going to be hungover for three days. Like those guys on "Oprah" that get drunk and have disgusting sex with prostitutes and then say their vows with the stench of cheap hotel whore sex all over them. FISHER: Time out. LIZ: It's vile! People are staring. FISHER: That's absurd. LIZ: I've seen it on television. FISHER: I'm not going to marry you with the smell of prostitutes on my body. LIZ: (starts to cry) I am not common Keith. I am not common. I am a creature like no other and I will not be commoned! Is that to much to ask? (screaming) Is that to much to ask!?! FISHER: You will not be common!!! Finally, at the head of the line, Liz steps up to the clerk. LIZ: Marriage license please. 12 EXT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING 12 Fisher and Liz emerge, start for the parking lot. Liz stops to look at Fisher, her eyes well with tears, vulnerable and apologetic. LIZ: Do you love me? FISHER: Of course. LIZ: How much? FISHER: With all my heart. LIZ: (vulnerable) Kiss me...? FISHER takes her into his arms, pulls her to him, kisses her hard, for all it's worth. 13 INT. A LARGE MONEY MANAGEMENT FIRM 13 Desk after desk after desk of identical men, seemingly repeating the same task. We find Fisher at one of the desks, number crunching. At the desk across from Fisher sits... MICHEAL BRENN, short, compact, with a severe personality disorder, masquerading as semi-appropriate behavior. MICHEAL: That's just insecurity. FISHER: I don't know. She's really been stressing out. MICHEAL: Just insecurity. Nut crunching gut splinters. FISHER: What does that mean? MICHEAL: It means she's insecure. FISHER: About what? Micheal's phone rings. MICHEAL: (picks up) Mike Brenn. Yes. Yes. 14.3 at 7.5 for 6. At 29.83 at 9. (hangs up) I'm amazed the windows don't blow out of their fucking sockets with all the repressed, ass-puckering rage in these soul-less lizards. FISHER: (beat) I just want her to be happy. MICHEAL: Same alarm clock every morning, same two pops on the same snooze button...(PHONE RINGS; picks up) Micheal Brenn. Yes...Yes... (looking through stacks of stats)Hold your horses. Okay. Got it. 6.321 at 17.28 for 6.6 at 9.256 out at 3432.343. (hangs up) Same shower, towel, toothbrush, razor, hair gel. It's a fucking epidemic Fisher and you better start addressing it. You're getting married and I'm not going to candy-coat it. It just gets worse. It's an eighteen wheel cement mixer that will crush every bone in your body. Fisher looks pale. FISHER: I'm not breathing right. MICHEAL: You're not breathing right? FISHER: Lately I'll just start getting lightheaded, dizzy, and I realize I haven't breathed in like two minutes. ADAM BRENN, Micheal's older brother, mid-30's, a bit soft in the belly, approaches, more or less in charge. ADAM: (to Micheal) We're leaving from my house in three hours. If you want to come, get your numbers in order by then. MICHEAL: First of all... ADAM: (cuts him off) No first of all. I'm not in a game mood. MICHEAL: You're interrupting a personal conversation. ADAM: (to Fisher) Sorry Fish. FISHER: We'll be ready Adam. ADAM: I know you'll be. (to Micheal) Three hours. Adam goes. MICHEAL: I don't care for him. FISHER: He's your brother. MICHEAL: So? Fisher's phone RINGS. FISHER: (pick's up) Keith Fisher. 14 INT. KITCHEN 14 Liz sits at the kitchen table, in a mild panic. LIZ: (into phone) We've got problems here. FISHER: Problems? INTERCUT Liz and Fisher. LIZ: Seating problems. FISHER: Okay. LIZ: Keith do not trivialize this. FISHER: I'm not. What's the problem? LIZ: We're supposed to have gold-trimmed padded seats, now they're telling me that there was a mistake and we can't have padded. FISHER: What kind of seats can we have? LIZ: Not padded ones. FISHER: So what do we do? LIZ: You go down there. FISHER: Go down where? LIZ: Go down to the seat place and straighten this out. FISHER: Honey I don't have the time... LIZ: I need your help. FISHER: We're leaving in three hours. LIZ: (starts to cry) I need your help. FISHER: I'll call them from the road. LIZ: Do you love me? FISHER: More than I ever imagined being able to love anyone ever. LIZ: Take care of those chairs. FISHER: We're leaving from Adam's. Come send me off. LIZ: Maybe. 15 EXT. ADAM'S HOUSE - SANTA MONICA 15 BOYD, MOORE, FISHER in the middle, MICHEAL and his older brother, ADAM, all in suits pose in front of Adam's brand new, state of the art, Chevy Minivan while Adam's very aggressive wife, LOIS, mired in domestic resentment, focuses her camera. LOIS: Notice how clean and well-behaved they all appear, respectable members of modern society. Timmy, Adam Jr., take a good look at this... Adam's and Lois' kids, Timmy, 8, and Adam Jr., 10, watch with Liz. (Adam Jr., in leg braces and crutches, suffers from muscular dystrophy) LOIS: ...We will compare these before photos with whatever form of degeneration presented to us in 24 hours, no matter how low, how vile... LIZ: ...embarrassing, shameful... LOIS: ...regression of Modern Man to his most primitive, ape-like state... LIZ: The stone age. LOIS: The post-Vegas Man. LIZ: A mutant species. LOIS: Okay boys, smile! Lois clicks off photos of the men. LOIS: All right. As you were. The guys break. Fisher goes to Liz. LIZ: will you please call the chair people? FISHER: I will. LIZ: Do you love me? FISHER: Of course. LIZ: Just call and let me know that your okay. FISHER: I love you. LIZ: have a nice bachelor party. Adam kisses Lois and the kids goodbye. Adam jr. nearly looses his balance in the excitement, Adam catches him. Boyd starts to get in the drivers seat. ADAM: Not on your life. Boyd slides over shotgun, cranks the MUSIC. Fisher's the last one in. He slides the big Minivan door shut and they're off. Adam looks in the rearview mirror, Lois, Liz, Timmy wave goodbye. Adam Jr. waves one of his crutches. 16 EXT. - FWY - SERIES OF SHOTS - DAY 16 The minivan cruises east: from Santa Monica; through downtown Los Angeles; and the City of Industry. At the turn off, a freeway sign reads; "Las Vegas 385 miles." 17 INT. MINIVAN - LATER 17 BOYD: You're a fucking moron. MICHEAL: It's my fucking opinion. ADAM: It's really a stupid opinion. You have developed an annoying habit of talking for what seems to be no other reason than to hear yourself speak. MICHEAL: Because my opinion threatens yours, it's poorly developed? ADAM: No, because your opinions are idiotic and have nothing to do with what any given conversation is about, which makes 85% of your eagerly injected thought process highly offensive to me. MICHEAL: Boyd brought up divorce statistics. BOYD: The hell I did! MICHEAL: The hell you didn't! BOYD: The hell I did! MICHEAL: You said one in two marriages end in divorce. BOYD: I never heard that. FISHER: You said that Boyd. BOYD: Well, I didn't mean it. MICHEAL: You're an asshole Adam. ADAM: You're an asshole. MICHEAL: Oh, and why am I an asshole? ADAM: Multiple reasons. MICHEAL: Name one. ADAM: I don't have to... FISHER: SHUT UP! DEAD SILENCE. As they ride through the lifeless desert, Fisher dials his cell phone. FISHER (cont'd): (into phone) Is this Pico Party rents? Can I speak to whomever is in charge of chairs? Chairs. Boyd checks his watch. BOYD: Four hours and fifteen minutes. I can make Vegas in 3 and change. ADAM: I'm not getting a ticket. FISHER: (on cell phone) Tony? This is Keith Fisher. You're doing my wedding and I'm calling about the chair situation. Yeah, I'll hold. BOYD: Who's up for making some real money? ADAM: Don't even start. BOYD: You want to hear me out? MICHEAL: nope. BOYD: Moore? MOORE: No I don't. BOYD: Fish? FISHER: Not really. (into phone) Yes, the Fisher wedding chairs... BOYD: Prison Communication Systems. (no response) An acquaintance friend of mine is professionally involved with a communications outfit in Denver that I just happen to know for a fact is about to be rewarded a very large, exclusive contract to rewire every state prison in Colorado. Yes sir. Nobody gives a fuck. FISHER: (into phone) No, I'm holding for Tony. In chairs. Keith Fisher. Okay. BOYD: That would translate to government guaranteed contract in excess of 35 million dollars. FISHER: (into phone) We need padded chairs. BOYD: Or a stock kick of approximately 125% on shares which are currently sitting around $4.38, or, in plain English... ADAM: SHUT UP! MICHEAL: NO! BOYD: What is wrong with you people? I'm a helper here. MOORE: Your investment ideas never work out. BOYD: That's the whole point. They rarely work out. But on occasion they do. And when they do, they do big. MICHEAL: Your ideas never work out. BOYD: Oh really? Starbucks? ADAM: That's one idea. FISHER: (into phone) No...we want padded chairs...okay? BOYD: One idea that if you had fucking listened to, you would each be worth approximately 15 million dollars. ADAM: You can't keep bringing up Starbucks. That was your only real hit in like 75 tries. BOYD: I set up Fisher with the broker that found his house. Took care of that one, didn't I? (beat) Prison Communications. MORE: I don't think so Boyd. BOYD: Fine. Don't com crying to Boyd. No sir. He turns away from the guys and stares out the window. FISHER (O.C.): Yes, I was holding for Tony in chairs. I have a chair problem. No, I'm not Tony, I need to speak to Tony. 18 EXT. DESERT 18 The minivan cruises through Death Valley in route to Vegas. 19 EXT. RED ROCK NAT'L PARK - CANYON - MAGIC HOUR 19 North of Vegas. The minivan is parked high on a cliff overlooking the city. A couple of Tequila bottles on ice, a case of Heineken. The boys are arming up. ADAM: All the bullshit aside Fish, we've been coming up here for what, eight years? Boyd, carving a branch with his boy scout knife... BOYD: More. ADAM: Over eight years of some of the hardest raging experiences of my life. MOORE: Good times. MICHEAL: Drum banging real times. FISHER: Real times. ADAM: They've all been real times. And as you prepare to enter into a new phase of life, as you prepare for new roles; father, husband, teacher, you will, as I have, come to except the letting go of of old ways. Soon, the mellowing will begin... BOYD: But not tonight. MOORE: Not tonight. ADAM: Tonight we return once again to the cave. Tonight we let the monsters out. We fill ourselves with the spirits of Genghis Kahn, Joe Namath, JFK, Paton, Lombardi, Hemingway... MICHEAL: (screaming) Franco mother-fucking Harris! MOORE: Keith Richards, Dean Martin... BOYD: Jack Kerouback, Herman Melville, Henry Miller and Hunter S. Thompson. I dedicate this evening to feat and to major loathing. So from sun set to sun rise, let me be heard... Boyd holds the bottle above his head as the guys raise their glasses in a toast. ALL: He who acts the beast, rids himself of the pain of being a man! The guys smash the bottles together in an explosion of glass and the golden Tequila. 20 INT. CASINO - Gambling Montage 20 Improvised DIALOGUE. CARDS fly. CASH and CHIPS PLAY FISHER on cell phone calls about the chairs again. TEQUILA POURS. Shot after shot after shot after shot. MICHEAL throws back a shot, falls off his stool. 21 CASINO PHONE BOOTH 21 Fisher sneaks a call to liz. LIZ (V.O.): Hello. FISHER: Hi. 22 INT. DEN - LIZ'S AND FISHER'S APARTMENT 22 Liz is making place cards, "I Love Lucy" is on the TV. LIZ: Hi. (teasing) Are you calling from jail? FISHER (V.O.): Not yet. LIZ: Well, the night is young. Did you straighten out the chair situation? FISHER (V.O.): I'm working on it, I've made three calls. (beat) I can't stop thinking about how much I love you. LIZ: That's sweet. FISHER (V.O.): Well I do. LIZ: Well you should. FISHER (V.O.): What are you doing? LIZ: Just a bit of organizing. FISHER (V.O.): Nesting? LIZ: Yeah. Nesting. FISHER (V.O.): I'm mad at you. LIZ: Go have fun. Not too much. FISHER (V.O.): I'll see you tomorrow... 23 CASINO 23 Fisher hangs up, a "Crazy about the girl" smile on his face. 24 INT. FISHER'S SPLIT-LEVEL HOTEL SUITE - NIGHT 24 The MUSIC is LOUD. The boys are super drunk in the swank bachelor party suite. MOORE stagger-dances on a table. BOYD AND MICHEAL stand at the wet-bar. BOYD: I don't hate women. MICHEAL: You hate women. BOYD: False. MICHEAL: True. BOYD: Not true. MICHEAL: You have a King fantasy. BOYD: I am a lover. In Africa, you can stay king as long as you can service your women every night. MICHEAL: And what happens when you can't? BOYD: (swigs whiskey; looks up) New king. 25 EXT. BALCONY 25 Adam and Fisher. ADAM: No. No. No. It's what my father said to me. He said it and he meant it...He said to me...He said, Adam, he said...He told me and I heard him...he said... (struggles to remember) Hell he said so many Goddamn things I can't remember everything he said for Christsake. FISHER: Right! That's exactly what I'm saying. My father said, first of all, I'm your father not your friend. I'm your father. ADAM: Are you solid with that? FISHER: No. I think it's fucked. ADAM: Then fuck what your father said, cause I'm gonna tell you right now...You'll know what it's all about, why you got married and why you love her when you wake up at three in the morning, and the streetlight's coming through the window and it's just catching a corner of her face, like a sleeping angel. And her hair smells sweet and she's your's. She's all your's. Do you see where I'm going here? 26 MICHEAL AND BOYD AT THE BAR 26 speed hitting cocaine. BOYD: If I'm the king of Israel, I say to myself, King, I say to myself, King...Take a good look around. What do I see? MICHEAL: Israel doesn't have a King. BOYD: Then what do they have? MICHEAL: They have a president. A Benjamin Yahoo something. BOYD: I say to myself, look at the map. Look what's all around you. People who wish bad bad things for you and your people. For thousands of years the Jews are fighting everybody. It used to be they'd throw rocks, then the iron revolution and they would attack with spears. Then the gunpowder revolution. Now they're shooting fire power back and forth, all day bullets flying, babies getting shot. MICHEAL: What's your point? BOYD: Now if I'm the King of Israel and all these sand niggers are armed to the gills and you know it's just a matter of time...right? Am I right? MICHEAL: The Israelis can protect themselves. They got the Mossad thing happening. Mossad's for real, man. They scalp babies. BOYD: There's my point exactly. MICHEAL: What? What's your point? BOYD: Take Mexico. MICHEAL: What? BOYD: Look up the chickens, dig up the holy dirt, pack up the wailing crying wall thing they bang their heads on all day long, stick it all on a big fucking tug boat. The whole country picks up and takes Mexico. ANGLE ON MOORE crazed with the rhythm of the "Chemical Brothers," jumps up and down on the table. 27 ON BALCONY 27 Fisher and Adam power shooting Tequila. FISHER: The bucks gonna stop right here. (pounds his chest) If my son doesn't know the six New England states, if he has trouble with geography, I won't stick it in his face. I'll help the little guy. I'll put him in the car and take him out there. I'll take him to Maine for a big Lobster dinner, go skiing in Vermont, hot dogs at Yankee Stadium... I won't stare him down. ADAM: Don't ever stare him down. FISHER: I won't do it. ADAM: Don't eyeball your kids. 28 MOORE 28 on the coffee table, dances the beasty dance. 29 THE BAR 29 BOYD: The Mexicans would love it. They're dying for a little order down there. They need direction. MICHEAL: They need leadership. BOYD: That's what I'm saying. Let the Israelis straighten it up. They got plenty of room down there, number one. Plus, and this is just a plus, they kind of look alike - the Jews and the Mexicans. So I think on a whole your average Joe Mexican is gonna have less of a problem getting his head around the whole assimilation thing. Am I right? The DOOR BELL RINGS. 30 BALCONY 30 ADAM: I tell mine that they're little men. I tell them they're strong. They make me feel joy. I let 'em know. So they really know that I need them just as much. You know. Just as much man. And you know, you're their godfather... FISHER: I know and I'm honored... ADAM: If anything ever happens to me... FISHER: I know... ADAM: Y'see? That's the real point here. That's what I'm driving for, when the big storm comes and knocks down all the forests and the rocks fall down and the leave's are bare. What's left? The little trees, the little fellas that the storm didn't see. The tiny little... Moore is on the balcony. MOORE: The stripper's here. ADAM: (bombed) Excellent. He and Fisher stagger aside. 31 HOTEL SUITE 31 Boyd introduces TINA, a devastatingly sexy Asian girl, to all the boys. BOYD: Gentlemen, this is Tina. The guys, wasted, attempt to greet Tina. TINA: Who's the lucky groom? The guys point at Fisher, raoring. Tina presses her lips to Fisher's ear. TINA (cont'd): Hi Fisher. Boyd dims the lights, cranks up the MUSIC as the guys stumble for position on and around the couch. Tina starts to move, very sexy. Micheal tokes a joint. MICHEAL: God, I love women. 32 TINA'S DANCE MONTAGE 32 SERIES OF SHOTS: TINA dances, slowly peeling off her clothes. The guys are into it. Micheal seems especially turned-on. Tina moves in on Fisher, starts a very nasty lap dance...somehow incorporating a rubber hose. The guys hoop and holler... Micheal is mesmerized... Tina grinds on Fisher's lap, touching her nipples... Micheal's going crazy...He tries to touch her, she slaps his hand away... Fisher can't take it anymore... Tina relents...moves on... Micheal reaches for her leg like a dog in heat. She passes over him, teasing, tormenting him, and settles onto Adam's lap. The guys roar in approval...Micheal glowers... Adam turns bright red as Tina arouses and rides him... Micheal starts to burn... The guys egg Tina on, she gets off on Adam's shyness, rubs her breasts in his face... The guys are howling... Tina sucks one of Adam's fingers into her mouth... Micheal looks like he's going to explode... Adam's overwhelmed, he politely bails out... BOYD: (whispers to Fish) She's all your's Fish. Anything you want. Happy bachelor party. FISHER: I can't. MICHEAL: (jumps up) I'll take a ride. FISHER: Go for it. MICHEAL: (to Tina) Come on. TINA: (to Boyd) You said just dancing. BOYD: (re: money) I'll take good care of you. TINA: (dead flat; re: Micheal) With him. (beat) Lucky me. Micheal moves inon Tina. Hesitantly, she leads him into the master bedroom. MOORE: She's fucking hot! ADAM: I need a drink. BOYD: Tequila... Boyd reaches for the bottle as the beat goes on. 33 HOTEL SUIT - MONTAGE 33 Distorted, a bit crooked. MUSIC and DIALOGUE constantly changing levels. We're not sure who's saying what. We're not sure of physical geography. The one thing we are sure of is that MICHEAL is fucking the hell out of Tina in the bathroom. SERIES OF SHOTS: 34 MASTER BATHROOM: 34 Micheal works Tina from behind. 35 SUITE: 35 MOORE bouncing off the furniture. FISHER and ADAM, wildly high. BOYD sprays beer on Adam, who returns fire. Drunk they start wrestling, throwing each other around the room, knocking over furniture. 36 BATHROOM: 36 Micheal, tightly, ties Tina's hands behind her back with her rubber hose. TINA: Oh come on. MICHEAL: I want to play. TINA: It's gonna cost extra. MICHEAL: I will pay. 37 SUITE: 37 Fisher spraying beer all over Adam and Boyd as they knock a table over and end up tangled and brawling on the floor. 38 BATHROOM: 38 Micheal screwing the hell out of Tina. TINA: Easy baby, easy. SLOW MOTION INTERCUT: 39 SUITE: 39 Moore wildly leaps from the couch to the chair, to another chair, back to the couch... 40 BATHROOM: 40 Micheal plows like a monster into Tina, hands tied behind her back... CLOSE ON her stiletto heels, digging into the marble floor... One of her heels breaks...she starts to slip... 41 SUITE: 41 Moore jumps, misses the chair, falling down on the glass coffee tablee, GLASS EXPLODES... 42 BATHROOM: 42 Tina falls, Micheal reaches too late, she can't break her fall with her hands tied behind her...she's going down... 43 SUITE: 43 Moore falls through the shattered glass, to the floor... 44 BATHROOM: 44 Tina hits her head hard on the porcelain toilet... 45 SUITE: 45 Fisher, Adam, and Boyd stop brawling, stare down at Moore covered in glass. MOORE: (beat) Cool. Moore is fine, not even a scratch. The guys break into ROARING LAUGHTER, completely HYSTERICAL; shaking, roaring, releasing. TIGHT SHOTS of each HOWLING until... One by one...they sober up...looking O.C. TIGHT ON FISHER as his smile slowly fades to confusion, he stares O.C. at... MICHEAL Standing in the door, face ghost white, blood dripping from his fingers... MICHEAL: I really fucked up. 46 INT. BATHROOM 46 The guys rush in. Stop dead in their tracks. TINA On the floor, legs twisted underneath her, lies growing in a growing puddle of dark blood. SILENCE as the guys stare, trying to comprehend. MOORE: Jesus. ADAM: Don't touch her. Call 911. MICHEAL: (in shock) I was just playing...we were playing just playing around. ADAM: (examines Tina) She's dead. FISHER: No...No. MOORE: How do you know she's dead. ADAM: She's got no fucking pulse. BOYD: You don't know what you're doing. Boyd pushes Adam out of the way. Starts feeling her pulse. BOYD: (not getting anything) Where do you look? What side of the neck? MOORE: Left side. ADAM: Either side you idiot. I'm calling 911. FISHER: (semi-gone) What happened? Oh my God... MICHEAL: We were playing...she slipped...she hit her head. ADAM: (incredulous) Playing? 47 SUITE 47 Adam moves into the living room, heads for the phone. Boyd intercepts him. They wrestle for the phone. BOYD: Wait! ADAM: What? BOYD: What are you doing? ADAM: (hysterical) What are you talking about? BOYD: What do you think you are doing? ADAM: I'm calling the ambulance. BOYD: Just wait a second. Wait one second. Okay. What are you doing? ADAM: Calling the ambulance. BOYD: Why? (beat) Why? She's dead. Why are you calling an ambulance? A reasonable point. BEAT. ADAM: We have to call the ambulance. BOYD: Why? Fisher entering, freaked... FISHER: Oh, Jesus...call the police. BOYD: No. FISHER: She's dead. Call somebody! BOYD: Shut up. FISHER: Call 911. BOYD: Shut up. MICHEAL: She slipped. ADAM: MICHEAL: (attacking Micheal) (defensive) What did you do? You never heard of accidents?! Get off me! Adam slaps Micheal. Moore tries to break it up. BOYD: Everybody shut up. LISTEN TO ME! SILENCE. BOYD: Listen to me. Please. Everybody just calm down a bit here. Okay... First...are we sure she's dead? ADAM: Her head's bashed in and her heart isn't beating. MOORE: She's dead. MICHEAL: It was an accident! BOYD: Are you sure this was an accident? ADAM: You're a lying deviant. What did you do?! MICHEAL: The floor was wet. She slipped! ADAM: Why was the floor wet? MICHEAL: I don't know why the floor was wet! ADAM: Why?! Fisher wanders back to the bathroom door where Moore is; they stare down at Tina as the conversation rages in the b.g. BOYD: Stop it! Listen to me. Let's just take a second here and take hold of the situation, OK? Let's just review our options here. ADAM: We have a dead woman bleeding all over the bathroom. What options? Call the police. BOYD: Call the police. Okay, that's one option. ADMA: That is not an "option." There is no multiple choice here. BOYD: Yes sir, there sure is an option here. There are always options. ON Fisher and Moore. MOORE: I've never seen a dead person. As Moore moves in, transfixed, to take a closer look... FISHER: (engraged) Fuck! Fuck you fucking guys! BOYD: Well we can definitely call the police. That's an easy call. If we call the police... What happens? (silence) They find a dead prostitute in the bathroom...They ask us...What happened? We say, ah... our friend, Micheal... (to Adam) Your brother...got a little out of control...they were making love...and he got a little excited...and he, ah, sort of beat her head into the side of a toilet, while he choked her to death with a rubber hose... ADAM: Stop it! BOYD: There's more. ADAM: Just stop. BOYD: Just giving the facts. ADAM: I'm calling the police. BOYD: What were we doing officer? Why didn't we help her? Well...we're all a bit high, you know, bachelor party, that kind of thing. Fisher here is getting married in three days...Beautiful wife...he didn't have anything at all to do with It...It was all Micheal here...just Micheal... Adam: BOYD: You don't play games with I've known him for Homicide police. There are while maybe twenty No options here. There is years kind of a close Not the luxury of worrying friend but hey what the About how the fallout will heck officer, take him Settle. Away, go on it's for His own good. FISHER: (outraged)What are you talking about? Adam's right. We don't have a choice here Boyd...I mean what are you talking about? What options??? BOYD: (calm) Bury her out in the desert. ADAM: (sarcastic) Sure, why not. MOORE: He's right. BOYD: We can take her out to Red Rock. Find some quiet place...and put her in the ground. ADAM: You don't just casually walk out of a Vegas Casino with a dead woman. BOYD: We can do this. We can get her out of here. ADAM: Have you completely lost your mind? So you get her out of here. So you get her out into the desert somehow, without anybody seeing, so what, you don't think at some point somebody might notice that she's gone? BOYD: Nobody knows she's here. I called her personally. Nobody knows. FISHER: Oh for Christsake Boyd. Somebody must know she's here. BOYD: Nobody knows. PAUSE, as the guys digest this point. ADAM: Her blood is all over the bathroom. i'd say that's a bit of a DNA problem. BOYD: It's a marble floor, we can clean it up. FISHER: Oh God. This is insane. BOYD: What's insane is the fact that Micheal here put a fucking girl's head through a toilet. That's insane. MOORE: They'll get us on accesory to murder. ADAM: Bullshit it's not accesory. I didn't do shit. You call the cops, you explain it was an accident... BOYD: Her fucking head was caved in. ADAM: SO i didn't fucking do it! BOYD: She's got bondage burns on her wrists. There's blow all over the room, Moore looks like he went at it with a mountain lion. This room looks like the Manson Family stayed here a month. Micheal goes down, we all go down. MOORE: I'm not going to ruin my life over a dead whore. ADAM: That's a horrible ugly comment. "Dead whore?" She's a person! FISHER: (falling away) I'm getting married... MICHEAL: I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry... ADAM: I've got a wife and two boys. Fisher shuffles to a corner, collapses, head in hands. SILENCE. BOYD: (unflappably calm) Lets take a vote. A simple vote. Two choices; we clean up the mess. Right now. bury it in the desert, go home, and never look back. Or, we can call the police... Open those doors, roll the dice and hope that it's only Micheal who falls. Let's take a vote. Desert...or police? BOYD looks around. BEAT. Raises his hand. BOYD: Desert. He looks at MOORE MOORE: (beat) Fucking desert. MICHEAL MICHEAL: (to Fisher) Fish, I'm really sorry. I just...I owe you man. (puts up his hand) Desert. All eyes on FISHER, no response. BOYD: Nobody knows she's here. FISHER: Good God...Good God... All eyes on ADAM. He takes a while...Finally, ADAM: How do we get her out of here? A reasonable question. Boyd thinks. BEAT. BOYD: Wrap her up in blankets. Bring the car around to the back of the hotel, throw her off the balcony, put her in the car...Done. ADAM: (beat) You don't thiink someone will have a problem witha body being thrown off a balcony? BOYD: We check out the area and wait for a time when it's clear. ADAM: What about the blood? BOYD: Someone goes to Walmart, gets some buckets, brushes, mops, Spic and Span, the works. ADAM: Have you ever done this before? BOYD:The reality is, you take away the horroe of this situation, take away the tragedy of the death, take away the moral and ethical implications of all the crap you have had conditioned, beaten, into your head since grade one. What are we left with? What? A 115 lb. problem. 115 lbs. that must be moved from point A to point B.Now, a straight line in the shortest distance but we are denied the luxury of a visible straight line. But that line exists and I see it.I see that line. Trust me. Adam. Trust me...I can take care of this. KNOCK KNOCK The five men stop breathing. Somebody's at the door. KNOCK KNOCK Stunned silence. The guys stare at each other in horror. RALPH (O.S.): Hello? Is anyone in there? Boyd races to the door, eyes the pephole. BOYD'S POV, through the peephole, outside in the hall, a man. RALPH, early 30's, fairly unassuming/ BOYD: (calls out) What is it? RALPH (O.S.) Ah, yeah, hi. Is Tina there? Adam throws his head in his hands. BOYD: (through door) What? RALPH (O.S.): I'm with Tina. Is she there? Boyd indicates to the guys to be cool. BOYD: SHe's not here. RALPH (O.S.): Where is she? BOYD: She's here. She's just...Hold on a second. Boyd turns as the guys freak. Crazed bits of panicked coversation - GIBBERISH. KNOCK KNOCK. RALPH (O.S.): Could you open the door please. Boyd moves back to the door, slowly, opens it. Ralph steps in. Takes a good look around. RALPH'S POV of the fairly destroyed hotel room and five severly traumatized men. RALPH: Okay. Hi. SILENCE. RALPH: So who's the lucky guy? PAUSE. BOYD: Who? RALPH: The groom? FISHER: Me. RALPH: Cool... (beat) You all dudes from L.A.? BOYD: Yup. RALPH: Doing the bachelor party thing? BOYD: That's right. RALPH: Sin City. Devil's Playground. The Black Bitch. All day every day. (beat) Where's Tina? BOYD: She's in the bathroom...she's still working. RALPH: She's still working? BOYD: That's right. RALPH: Sweet deal. SILENCE. Ralph checks the rest of the guys. Some strange eye contact. Extremely uncomfortable. RALPH: Is everything okay? BOYD: Great. Fine. Perfect. More SILENCE. RALPH: (indicating bathroom)I'm gonna just tell her I'm waiting. He starts for the bathroom. BOYD: She's in there! RALPH: I'm just gonna let her know I'm here. And Ralph is on his way to the bathroom. And the guys are freaking as Ralph moves through the bedroom up towards the bathroom. Hand on door - opening door - stepping in - and Ralph sees Tina. RALPH, in shock, staring, back-peddles... RALPH: My God! As Ralph starts to turn -- FISHER (O.C.): No! NOOOO!!! ON BOYD - his Boy SCout knife raised above his head - drivin it into Ralph's neck! MAJOR ARTERIAL SPRAY as Ralph's jugular is severed. Ralph struggles. Boyd wrestles him back toward the bathroom. BOYD: Help me! Don't let him bleed on the carpet! And MOORE is there. Helping Boyd wrestle the SCREAMING thrashing Ralph into the bathroom. Ralph fights like a gilled Marlin. They shove him into the bathroom. Boyd slams the door shut. Holds it tight as Ralph tries to force it back open. BOYD: He'll bleed out! He'll bleed dry. help me hold the door. And help they do. Micheal, Moore and Adam all hold the door shut as Ralph continues to fight for his life. Slowly the force of his POUNDING eases. We hear Ralph slowing down...The thrashing slows..softer...The MOANS quiet...softer...Just a slight GURGLE...Ralph is going...going... Ralph is gone. AT THE DOOR Eight hands slowly peel off the bathroom door. Devastating SILENCE as the guys attempt to process this, the latest of developments...with Fisher staring, blotto. 48 INT. THE BATHROOM 48 The door slowly opens. Boyd first - then the rest of the guy's heads slowly appear in the doorway. MOORE: Oh God. And Moore is out the door, racing for a garbage can to releive himself. THE GUYS' POV An absolute blood bath.; The walls are covered with Ralph's Arterial spray Tina lies, still dead on her side. Ralph has somehow "assumed the position" dead, head in the bathtub. A bizarre and gruesome sight. Boyd surveys the carnage, takes charge. BOYD: (with military precision) All right people. New plan. Not even a new plan so much as a modification of the old plan. FISHER: (beyond shock) I'm calling the police. BOYD: So help me God you touch that phone and I bury you with them. (beat) Surrender is no longer an option. I repeat - It is not an option. Is there anyone who does not understand that? Fisher's response is to join Moore, as he searches for a garbage can to puke in. Micheal just stares. BOYD:A little gut check time fellas. A time for some serious self-exploration.How do I function? For real? No more bullshit. Can I keep my cool when they bounce my bananas? When they won't play my fucking song? etc, etc. Do you get me? Do you get me? MICHEAL: Not really. no. BOYD: Not a problem. Understand not my words, but follow my orders. Follow my orders 49 INT. WALMART - NIGHT 49 The boys move down the isles of the massive24 hour everything store, Boyd pushes a cart, grabbing; cleaning supplies, tarp, tape, giant pruning shears, etc... BOYD (V.O.): We will organize, we will mobilize, we will maximize and prioritize. Moore grabs a plastic garbage can off a shelf and pukes in it for all he's worth. 50 INT. HARD ROCK CASINO 50 The boys attmept to look natural as they stroll through the casino with their spplies. Late night gamblers pay them little notice. 51 INT. HOTEL SUITE 51 Boyd turns up the MUSIC. BOYD: Let's do it people. MUSIC OVER SERIES OF SHOTS: Moore and Fisher scrub blood from the carpet. Fisher keeps forgetting to breath. Micheal and Boyd put Tina and Ralph in the bath tub. Adam sits in shock on the floor. Fisher and Moore try to fix a broken chair. Boyd starts to dismember Ralph with the pruning shears, like cutting the joints of a roasted chicken. Adam stares at the wall. Micheal wraps one of Ralph's feet in plastic, puts it in a suitcase. Boyd saws. Micheal wraps. Fisher and Moore clean. Adam slowly straightens up a lamp, begins to help. UNTIL - the last of the body parts, Tina's head, is wrapped in plastic, packed in a suitcase. The bathroom has been remarkably cleaned up. Just a bit of blood left in the tub. Boyd looks pleased. BOYD: All right. Looking good people. 52 EXT. RED ROCK CANYON ROAD 52 The minivan bumps along a deserted road at a snail's pace. 53 INT. MINIVAN 53 Adam drives, cringing with every bump and bang. Everyone is tense. Boyd eyes the clock. It's 4 a.m. BOYD: Sun rises at 5:52. ADAM: I'm not wrecking the transmission! 54 EXT. DESERT 54 SERIES OF SHOTS: The guys off-loading the suitcases. Fisher and Boyd digging holes. They start putting the suitcases in the holes. ADAM: Wait. Wait a minute. BOYD: What? ADAM: We can't do this. BOYD: We've already done this. ADAM: No, I mean the suitcases. We can't bury them in suticases. MICHEAL: Why? ADAM: It's sacrilegious. BOYD: How do you figure? ADAM: According to Jewish law, the blood and limbs are considered to be part of the human being. They must be buried together or their souls won't rest in peace. BOYD: So that's what we're doing. ADAM: No we're not. The bodies are all mixed up. We can't do this to them. BOYD: She's Asian. They don't habe Jews in Asia. ADAM: That is absolutely not true. BOYD: (beat) Well what the fuck are we supposed to do? ADAM: (as if reasonable) Open the suitcases, unpack the body parts and reunite the limbs. FISHER: Now ay. ADAM: It has to be done. BOYD: We have to get going. ADAM: I am not flexible on this. PAUSE. BOYD: Alright. Let's do it. The guys start breaking down the body parts, ripping open cases... BOYD: I got her arm. MOORE: Here's his head. As the guys put limbs with bodies... CUT TO: Dirt being thrown on top of the reunited bodies until they are all completely buried. 55 EXT. GRAVE SITE 55 As the last of the dirt is packed down by Boyd. The guys stare down at the grave site. BOYD: Now I am the last to say that we have done here is a good thing. It's not. It's not a good thing. But it was, given the circumstances, the smart play. We did what had to be done. And...well...I'm proud of us. I'm proud of each and every one of us. We performed. Under the most complex and nerve shattering of situations, we stood fast and we delivered. i feel proud. SILENCE. ADAM: We are all going straight to hell. Either hell or prison, whichever comes first. BOYD: Wrong. That is flat out wrong. hell is for cowards, for hypocrites who fear to live by the strenght of their own convictions. This is war. Given the circumstancesm and given the fact that we are alive and they are not, we have chosen life over death. Two wrongs don't make a right. So our conviction and execution would only meanmore death here, not less. MOORE: Boyd... I don't know man...It just seems to me that ever since you took Tony Robbins self-help thing...you're all fucked-up in the head. FISHER: I got to agree with that. BOYD: That is a load of shit. Personal power has nothing to do with any of this. Tony Robbins has helped me to unlock energy and see my options more clearly, yes, but to give him credit for this, for all of this...Well that's just more than the man deserves. FISHER: I think we should say some words over the grave. BOYD: What kind of words? FISHER: I'm talking about prayer. BOYD: Go ahead. Fisher steps to the grave, looks down. FISHER: Dear God...I don't know how to pray. MICHEAL: Just go ahead and say what's on your mind. BOYD: Speak from the heart my brother. Adam turns in disgust. ADAM: This is pathetic. MICHEAL: You're pathetic. ADAM: (turning on Micheal) What did you say? MICHEAL: (pointing) You're not a team player. ADAM: Don't point at me. MICHEAL: You never were a team player. That's why you never had any friends. ADAM: I have plenty of friends. MICHEAL: The hell you do. ADAM: The hell I don't. MICHEAL: You have acquaintances - business friends and superficial golf buddies. You have always been a fringe player. You have some serious male on male intimacy problems. ADAM: What are you fucking talking about? Micheal looks at Boyd. FISHER: Micheal, now is probably not the best time for this. BOYD: No, this is the perfect time. This is real time. Adam. Your brother and I, as well as several others present, have always suspected that you... (points to Adam) ...are a fully repressed, living in major denial, locked down, fly-boy butt-fucker. DEAD SILENCE. Adam stares stupefied at Boyd, then Micheal. Finally, Fisher says his prayer. FISHER: Dear God, please forgive us for what we have done here tonight. We have lost our way. Speaking for myself, let me say... DISSOLVE TO: 56 INT. MINIVAN - DRIVING 56 Fisher's prayer over the guys driving home. Each lost in his own thoughts. FISHER (V.O.): (cont'd) ...I am deeply in love with the woman I am about to marry and I look very much forward to raising a family and being a positive member of society. We promise, if you forgive us, we will never forget this tragedy and will try with all our powers to use it as a daily reminder that we are here on earth to do good not evil. Let us go from this day forward with new purpose and spirit. You have given us a second chance and let us take that second chance and use it as fuel to feed our fires of productivity so that the spirits of the two we now bury live on forever in the good deeds and positive achievements we from this moment on shall make our life's work... Continue as the minivan disappears down the freeway, heading back to Los Angeles. A freeway sign reads, "Los Angeles, 358 miles." FISHER (V.O.): Thank you lord, and again, we ask for your forgiveness and guidance... Amen. 57 EXT. CAR WASH - DAY 57 Adam watches his mini-van move through the wash and rinse cycle, staring, paranoid at the Mexican Towel Boy cleaning the interior. MICHEAL tries to open a child proof bottle of Excedrin. BOYD plays "Mrs. Pac-man" in the corner. 58 MEN'S ROOM 58 Moore dry heaves for all he's worth. 59 PAY PHONE 59 Fisher finishes dialing, waits...Finally... LIZ (V.O.): Hello. FISHER: Hey. It's me. LIZ (V.O.): Where are you? FISHER: We're on our way home. I just...we're running a little late. LIZ (V.O.): How late? FISHER: No. Just like an hour or so. LIZ (V.O.): What about the chairs? FISHER: Okay. LIZ (V.O.): What okay? FISHER: What! LIZ (V.O): The chairs. FISHER: I left a message. I think it's going to be okay. LIZ (V.O.): You sound funny. Did you do cocaine? FISHER: No. No. I'll see you in about four hours. As he hangs up the phone... LIZ (V.O.): (distant; unheard) Do you love me? CLICK. Fisher, in a daze, turns and walks into right into Adam who has been standing there listening. Adam doesn't look so good. ADAM: I want you to hear me out. FISHER: What. ADAM: You and I have done nothing. You especially. We are innocent. FISHER: I don't think so. ADAM: We are. We go to the police. We tell them the truth. Now. Before they find out. Now. We save ourselves. The HISPANIC CAR WASH WORKER beeps the horn, Adam jumps. The van is ready. BOYD: Let's go! Adam stares daggers into Fisher. ADAM: We save ourselves. It's our only chance. Adam heads back to the car, leaving Fisher alone. FADE TO BLACK. 60 EXT. ADAM'S HOUSE - DAY 60 The shiny clean minivan cruises to a stop in front of the house. Adam Jr., "Little Adam," and Timmy play in the fenced yard along with a couple of other kids. 61 INT. MINIVAN 61 Adam stops the car. The guys sit in silence as the kids assault the truck, climbing all over it. Little Adam waves his crutches wildly. ADAM JR.: (screaming) Daddy's home! Daddy's home! Boyd addresses the fellas. BOYD: The past is the past. Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives. MOORE: Today is the best day of the rest of our lives. FISHER: (disgusted) The first day. MOORE: What? As Lois, with camera, and Liz, come out the front door. FISHER: (disgusted & depressed) It goes; "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives." BOYD: However it goes, the point is, nobody says anything to anyone ever. Right?...Right? MICHEAL: Right. MOORE: That's right. As the little kids put their lips up to the windows, making funny faces, BOYD: You're Goddam right. Adam? Adam is silent, watching the beautiful chaos that is his family. ADAM: (reluctant) Right. 62 EXT. SUBURBAN 62 As the guys get out and are mauled by the hyper kids and Lois and Liz. LOIS: (with camera) Group shot. Here we go boys! Yes sir, compare and contrast time! She starts herding the boys into a group pose. LOIS: Feeling a little HUNGOVER are we? Do you kids take note? (taking pictures) See how pathetic Daddy and his jackass friends look?! Fisher makes eye contact with Liz. LIZ: What's the word n the chairs? FISHER: I'm working on it. LIZ: Then you'd better work on it in the car. We gotta go see the Judge. 63 INT. JUDGE'S OFFICE 63 ON JUDGE LAUREL TOWER. JUDGE TOWER: We don't say "love, honor and obey" anymore. And we don't say "till death do us part." Today we say, "respect, honor and cherish, as long as you both do love." How does that sound? LIZ: I kind of like "till death do us part." I mean, this is forever. In sickness and in health, through good times and bad. Honey, what do you think? Liz looks at Fisher who is a nuclear wreck, barely coherent. FISHER: Yea...It's great...seems like...I don't know you've got all the important stuff in there. JUDGE TOWER: All right then. It's refreshing to see two young people not afraid of real commitment. Will you have friends or family saying words - singing or anything? FISHER: (beat) Are we supposed to? JUDGE TOWER: It's not a question of supposed to, it's an entirely personal decision...Some do some don't. LIZ: We don't think so. I mean, we just want the singing when I come out. JUDGE TOWER: Okay great. What will that be? LIZ: We're just going to have the leader of the band sing alone with his guitar. Acoustic. JUDGE TOWER: What song? LIZ: "You Send me." JUDGE TOWER: Oh I know that. How does it go... LIZ: You know, (talks it) Darling you...you send me...Darling you...You mend me. (to Fisher) Honey, sing it for Judge Tower. In lieu of an anxiety attack, Fisher... FISHER: (sings) "Darli...ing you, ewe ewe ewe , send me, Darli...ing you, ewe ewe ewe, mend me. LIZ:"At first I thought it was infatuation...But oh it's lasted so long..." FISHER & LIZ: "Now I find myself wanting to marry you, marry you and take you home..." Judge Tower joins in and the three squeak out the chorus and it's pretty pathetic. MUSIC OVER: 64 INT. TUXEDO RENTAL STORE 64 The guys are being fitted for their wedding tuxes. Lois takes pictures of the five groomsmen. Liz closely watches as the TAILOR makes adjustments to Fisher's tux. Adam looks sick. 65 EXT. SANTA MONICA PIER - SUNSET 65 Fisher and his dad walk along the pier eating hot dogs. A father and son moment. MR. FISHER: I wanted to just take this final opportunity to visit with you. You know, just to be with you, father and son, before you run off and do your own husband, daddy thing. (starts to choke-up) I'm just so Goddamn proud of you...God knows I didn't always play it right with you... FISHER: You did all right dad. MR. FISHER: I could have done it better. I'm a fucking ball-buster I am. FISHER: You never walked away dad. You could have walked away. MR. FISHER: I'm just so scared of that song. That fucking, "My son just arrived the other day...he says thanks for the ball, come on let's play. I got lots of bills come again next day. He's grown up just like me...My boy is just like me." Gordon fucking Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, whoever, that song just fucking kills me. FISHER: Harry Chaplin. "Cats in the Cradle." MR. FISHER: Just kills me... FISHER: I love you dad. MR. FISHER: I love you so much it hurts. Me and your mother marvel at what you have become. You're going to have a wonderful journey with this girl. I feel it deep inside. A wonderful, magical journey. (cries again) And I'm, like I said, just so proud of how you turned out. (hugs Fisher) You go out and knock 'em dead Keith. Knock'em dead! Off Fisher we... CUT TO: 66 INT. ADAM'S OFFICE 66 TIGHT ON A Vegas Newspaper Metro Section slammed down on a desk - A small article on Tina, the now missing prostitute. FISHER: Where did you get that? MICHEAL: At the newsstand on 3rd. ADAM: (falling apart) Fucking Boyd. That fucking idiot. They're on to us. MICHEAL: They're not on to us. I'm gonna call Boyd. Micheal picks up the phone. 67 EXT. SOMEBODY'S YARD 67 TIGHT ON BOYD talking into cell phone. BOYD: Oh that's just nothing. That's just a missing persons thing, that's all. INTERCUT PHONE CALL MICHEAL: You said nobody would miss her. BOYD: No. I said nobody knew she was coming to the hotel. ADAM: (grabs phone) Boyd you idiot, the shit's coming down! BOYD: What does that mean? ADAM: You got us into this mess. BOYD: Oh I did? I think it was your little rat fuck brother who decided to play Hamburger Helper with the hooker's head. ADAM: (freaks) Wold you, shush?! These phones aren't secure! BOYD: Lighten up Adam. Show some character. ADAM: Don't talk to me about character. BOY: Watch the tone fella. Fisher realizes he's not breathing. ADAM: Fuck you Boyd! BOYD: Any time fat boy! Boyd hangs up the phone, looks at his picture on the realty sign he just pounded into someone's yard. Behind the bizarre sincere smile we now see the eyes of a maniac. Boyd picks up the sledge hammer and swings wildly, destroying his sign, splintering it into kindling. 68 INT. BAKERY 68 Fisher and Liz taste different samples of cake and compare different cake designs with a BAKER. 69 INT. FLORIST 69 Surrounded by hundreds of different floral arrangements, Liz shows a zombied Fisher the flowers she's picked for the wedding. 70 INT. LIZ AND FISHER'S NEW HOME 70 A beautiful country style beach house in Santa Monica. Liz, Fisher and the realtor, MAGGIE, walk into the charming kitchen. Fisher seems stresses by the price tag. LIZ: I love it. I just love, love, love, love it. MAGGIE: Are you guys gonna fill this place with kids? You sure got room for them. LIZ: We're in no hurry. I think we'll take some time to enjoy each other, enjoy our freedom before we surrender ourselves to kids. MAGGIE: Take your time. I wish I had. LIZ: (hugs Fisher) We will. MAGGIE: So where to on the honeymoon? FISHER: This is our honeymoon. LIZ: After the wedding, which we're paying for ourselves, and this house... MAGGIE: Smart. Smart. Smart. Think big picture, take your time. I wish I had. LIZ: That's our plan. MAGGIE: Well, I just need your signature on these contracts and a deposit check so I can get the ball rolling. Liz looks at Fisher. She really wants the house. He takes out his checkbook. Liz throws her arms around Fisher, kisses him. FISHER: How much? MAGGIE: Five percent should be fine for now, which is, let's see, twenty thousand dollars. Of course I'll be splitting my commission with your friend. (beat) He is a very sweet man. Liz stares at Fisher. His hand shakes as he writes the check. 71 EXT. GAS STATION MINI-MART 71 Adam, Lois and the kids pull into the mini-mart, up to the gas pump. 72 INT. ADAM'S MINI-VAN 72 Adam, ghost white, fumbles for a credit card as the kids go nuts in the back seat. KIDS: (singing) "Do your balls hang low, do they wobble to and fro, can you tie 'em in a knot, can you tie 'em in a bow?" ADAM: (snapping) Knock it off! LOIS: Don't snap at them! ADAM: They're driving me nuts! LOIS: They're singing. A black sedan, looking like an unmarked police car, pulls up nose-to-nose with them at the pump. TWO MEN in dark suits in the front look like cops. Adam can't help but notice. ADAM: (getting out) It's a disgusting song. 73 EXT. CAR 73 Adam slides his card through at the pump and starts filling his tank as one of the "suits" gets out of the black sedan and does the same. Adam and the "suit" make eye-contact. SUIT: How ya doing? ADAM: (nervous mumble) What? SUIT: What's that? ADAM: What did you say? SUIT: I said how's it going? ADAM: I didn't hear you. SUIT: Well that's what I said. Adam nods, eyeing his gas pump, willing it to pump faster. His heart starts to pound, he looks away, sees... An LAPD police car pull into the station, stops in front of the mini-mart. TWO COPS inside. ON adam, eye-balling the cop car. He slowly turns to steal a glance at the "suit." SUIT: How do you like that mini-van? Adam's tank is almost filled. He wants nothing more than to get out of there... Lois rolls down the window. LOIS: Honey, go in there and get some Starbursts. ADAM: What? LOIS: They're screaming for Starbursts. ADAM: Later. LOIS: They're screaming like monsters and it's giving me a headache. Go get some fucking Starbursts. Adam looks from the suit to the cop car... ADAM: Fine. TRACK with Adam as he walks from the pumping across the parking lot, past the cop car, his HEART POUNDING... 74 INT. MINI-MART 74 Adam quickly searches the candy section for Starburst. He looks out the window... ADAM'S POV The "suit" has finished with the gas but he's not leaving...He's taking a close look at Adam's van. He seems to be checking the license plate... ADAM: Oh my God. Adam is blocking the aisle. He doesn't notice a YOUNG UNIFORMED COP trying to get past. COP (O.S.): Excuse me. Adam turns, panics, stumbles back, into the candy display and topples to the ground. ADAM lies flat on his back in a monster mess of candy. COP: You okay? Adam scrambles to his feet, trying frantically to fix the major mess - only making it worse. The IRANIAN STORE CLERK approaches, pissed. CLERK: Just leave it! ADAM: (determined) It's okay. CLERK: Leave it! Startled by his tone, Adam staggers back, into a Gatorade display, slips and topples to the ground. CLERK: GET OUT! ADAM: (on his back) I'm sorry. They young cop gives Adam a hand up. Adam stare at the cop. ADAM: (tears in his eyes) I'm sorry. CLERK: GET OUT! Adam scurries out of the Mini-Mart, the Cop watches in confusion. 75 EXT. MINI-MART 75 As Adam races back to his car, the "Suit" moves in on him. SUIT: The wife's begging me for one. How's the mileage. Adam jumps in the van, quickly starts it up. LOIS: Where's the candy? ADAM: There is no candy! LOIS: What do you mean? It's it's a Goddamn Mini-Mart?! KIDS: Dad?! Adam, in a cold sweat, hauls out of the Gas Station, pulls into traffic, nearly gets hit, slams on the brakes, Lois rockets FACE-FORWARD into the dashboard. 76 FISHER & LIZ'S REHEARSAL DINNER - COCKTAIL RECEPTION 76 SERIES OF SHOTS: Fisher and Liz greet their guests. Moore smokes alone at the bar. Boyd and Micheal charm a group of OLD LADIES. Adam arrives with his family, Adam Jr., Timmy and... Lois sporting a nose cast and two very black eyes. Boyd and Adam check each other out; hostile and suspicious. Adam takes Fisher aside. ADAM: have you thought about what I said? FISHER: Jesus Adam, can we not get into this now please? ADAM: I got a migraine like a little monkey kicking in the side of my skull, Mike Tyson with a fucking sledge hammer trying to crack... FISHER: (cuts him off) I got you. ADAM: (dazed) Where's the bathroom? 77 INT. REHEARSAL DINNER - NIGHT 77 A large dining room in a Westside restaurant has been taken over by the wedding party. Seventy-five guests, dressed up, are into the desserts. The toasts are about halfway over. MR. FISHER stands in the middle of the room with the large blown-up pictures of Keith at different stages of his life. MR. FISHER: (holding picture of Keith, age 4, on a mule) And this is Keith at age four and his best friend "Bunker the Mule." Evidently, when they were in camp, Keith and Boyd got into some serious arguments over exactly who was Keith's best friend - Boyd or the mule. Mr. Fisher holds up a photo of a young Fisher and young Boyd, both scrappy and bloodied from a fist fight. Boyd sits with Moore at a table. BOYD: Fisher had a less than normal relationship with that Donkey. FISHER: (seated next to Liz) You always were a jealous man. Mr. Fisher holds up a picture of Keith, Boyd, Moore and Micheal all in a Peewee Football uniforms. MR.FISHER: After camp came football, and for those of you not following the sports pages back in 1977, you might not remember the Peewee Powerhouse Oklahoma, who, under the brilliant leadership of your's truly, rolled to an auspicious league record of 0-12 scoring exactly zero touchdowns. TIGHT ON Adam, looking extremely uncomfortable, surrounded by his family. MICHEAL: The problem was coaching. Poor leadership. As the room LAUGHS, Adam becomes visibly upset. Not keeping it together. BOYD: The problem was our quarterback had trouble remembering his right from left... FISHER: No, the problem, as I recall, was the lack of blocking... As the guys debate, in front of the room, who's fault Oklahoma's 0-12 season really was. TIGHT ON Adam. He's had enough, excuses himself from the table. TIGHT ON Fisher, seeing Adam, he quietly excuses himself. 78 EXT. BEACH RESTAURANT - NIGHT 78 Adam stands by his car trying to compose himself. Fisher approaches. FISHER: You all right? ADAM: I can't fucking breathe. I'm sorry. Boyd, followed by Micheal exits the restaurant. BOYD: (approaching) OK. Definitely not cool! Definitely inappropriate behavior here. FISHER: Shut up Boyd. BOYD: Negative. This is not what we have worked out in terms of presented behavior. FISHER: He's having a problem here. MICHEAL: What's the problem Adam? Moore joins the group. MOORE: What's the problem? Al eyes on Adam, who's eyes are starting to tear up. BOYD: What is your problem? ADAM: I can't do this. PAUSE. MOORE: Can't do what? ADAM: We're gonna get caught. I know we're gonna get caught. They were eyeballing my car. BOYD: What? ADAM: At the seven-eleven. BOYD: Who? What are you talking about? ADAM: They're on me. They're smoking me out! BOYD: (shouts) Nobody's smoking anybody out. FISHER: MOORE: Shut up. Quiet. Liz is at the door of the restaurant. LIZ: Keith? Is everything okay, honey? Fisher bolts over to Liz. FISHER: Yeah baby. Everything's great. LIZ: Well, can you come back inside? FISHER: (not moving) Yeah. Sure. LIZ: Now? FISHER: Yeah. Look honey, I'll be right in. I just...we're just taking care of some Groomsmen last minute business. Mr. Fisher approaches. MR. FISHER: Everything okay? FISHER: Yeah, Dad. It's great. MR. FISHER: Well, I'm in the middle of my Goddamn toast here. FISHER: OK, OK. You guys just go back in. Dad, keep going with the toast, we'll be right in. Go on. Fisher ushers his father and Liz back inside, then turns, to quickly head back to the parking lot where things are escalating. PARKING LOT BOYD: (on Adam) You got some mighty fucking fine bad timing Adam. We got a rehearsal situation here. ADAM: I don't give a damn. MICHEAL: About anybody but yourself. You never have. ADAM: And you're a little fucking reject. MICHEAL: Eat my ass! Micheal kicks Adam's minivan ADAM: Hey! Micheal kicks it again, harder. Adam shoves him. ADAM: If you ever touch my minivan again, I'll make you sorry. Real sorry. MICHEAL: You're a loser. ADAM: You're the loser! A big MICHEAL: You're the loser! You think Black hole sucking up your shit's so fucking Everything you touch! Righteous! FUCK YOU! You were YOU MURDERED THAT GIRL! There with us, boy! Right MURDERER! MURDERER! There! SIDE BY FUCKING SIDE!!! FISHER: Shut up! BOYD: Shut your fucking mouths!!! Boyd and fisher separate the brothers. ADAM: (freaking) I didn't do anything! I'll turn your pathetic ass in! BOYD: Adam! Calm down. ADAM: I won't calm down. I can't do this. We can't do this. It won't work. It will not work. BOYD: It has worked. ADAM: I'm talking about DNA samples, fiber optics, search parties, they got infrared scanners, FBI scientists. They figure this shit out. They always figure it out. BOYD: They won't figure it out. ADAM: I got children. I've got a life. MICHEAL: You got a retarded kid and a fat pig wife. ADAM: You fucking bastard! Adam attacks Micheal, slashing, biting, mauling, the brother's go down hard, slugging it out on the ground. EXT RESTAURANT Liz is back at the restaurant door. LIZ: Keith?! Fisher bolts over to Liz. FISHER: Everything's OK. Just some more preparations. LIZ: Are they fighting? FISHER: No baby. We'll all be right in. Fisher pushes her inside and charges back to the... PARKING LOT Fisher helps break the fight. Adam and Micheal try to contain their rage. BOYD: This is going to stop right now. Right now! MICHEAL: (seething) You will not screw this up. ADAM: Don't you threaten me you little rat fuck. MICHEAL: Don't you fucking threaten me - I'll fucking kill you. ADAM: Go home! MICHEAL: You go home! Boyd pulls Micheal to his car. BOYD: Why don't you just cool out. Go home and go to sleep. Boyd opens Micheal's car door, puts him in. BOYD: Just go home, chill the fuck out. Okay? Micheal starts his car. Boyd shuts the car door. BOYD: Just go home. MICHEAL, eyeballs Adam. Adam eyeballs him right back. Micheal hits the gas and screeches away. BOYD: All right. Let's all go back in. Adam? You're cool right? ADAM: No. I'm not Boyd. I am not cool at all. Reluctantly, they start back in. A hundred or so feet away, Micheal's car comes to an abrupt stop. They all turn. Micheal turns his car around, idles for a moment. INT. MICHEAL'S CAR Micheal in a trance, staring at the guys watching him. MICHEAL: Mr. Fucking Minivan... He hits the gas. EXT PARKING LOT Wheels spin, rubber burns. The guys watch as Micheal speeds full throttle, like a battering ram, right at Adam's beloved minivan. ADAM: NOOOO!!!! Adam jumps between the minivan and Micheal's car. INT. MICHEAL'S CAR Micheal's expression turns to horror. He slams on the brakes, but it's too late. EXT. PARKING LOT Micheal's car crushes Adam like a sandwich meat between his car and the minivan. Metal, flesh, severed limbs, Adam explodes like a gnat. CUT TO: THE HORRIFIED EXPRESSIONS OF BOYD, MOORE AND FISHER 79 INT. UCLA EMERGENCY - WAITING ROOM 79 Chaos. The room is filled with people from the Rehearsal Dinner. Black-eyed, nose broken, LOIS sobs, surrounded by her kids and Liz. Boyd and Fisher talk to the POLICE. BOYD: It was just a crazy freak accident. He thought the car was in reverse... He didn't realize. The COP takes notes. MICHEAL sits in a corner by himself. Ghost white. Trembling. COP: Was there some sort of an argument? FISHER: No. Nothing like that. COP: We heard there was some arguing going on. Some loud talk. BOYD: No. No. We were just all outside just talking. COP: What were you talking about? BOYD: The wedding. We were talking bout how it was going to be one of the last times for us to all be together with Fisher not being married... COP: A lot of people seem to think there was some hostility out there. BOYD: (getting righteous) Well I can't really comment on what "a lot of people" thought. I can only tell you that we had a horrible accident here and were all feeling extremely traumatized and your questions are a bit poorly timed. We're in full on grieving mode right now thank you very much Officer...Randone. FISHER: Easy Boyd. BOYD: No easy Boyd! I got a best friend in there in pieces, How about a little sensitivity? Boyd storms off, goes and sits with Micheal. Fisher stays with the cop. COP: That's all I wanted to know. A DOCTOR appears in the doorway. DOCTOR: His situation is critical. He's asking to speak to his wife. SHOTS of the guys eyeing each other nervously as Lois slowly gets up and follows the Doctor into a treatment room. The guys move to the door, where they can see Lois, leaning over the hospital bed, talking to Adam. POV GUYS Adam hooked up to dozens of wires, etc... Lois leans over to kiss him. Adam appears to be whispering something to her. ON THE GUYS Watching Adam speak to Lois...Nervous. POV GUYS Lois has her ear to Adam's mouth. He is clearly speaking to her. Lois is sobbing when...ALARMS GO OFF IN ADAM'S ROOM. A MEDICAL TEAM rushes into the room. Adam is a v-tach - Heart's not beating. The team injects medicine, defribulates. Lois watches in horror as her husband dies in front of her...Finally a DOCTOR calls time of death. Lois collapses on the floor. WAITING ROOM The guys have witnessed Adam's death. Micheal turns in horror. Boyd, Fisher and Moore stare. Liz rushes to Fisher, throws her arms around him, overcome with grief. 80 INT. DENNY'S - LATE NIGHT 80 Fisher, Boyd, Moore and Micheal eat eggs. BOYD: The need to know is clear. What did Adam tell Lois? That's the name of the game. What did Adam tell Lois? What does Lois know? MICHEAL: Ball park sausages. BOYD: You want some breakfast meat. Micheal. Is that what you want? MICHEAL: (clearly starting to crack) Franco Harris has a flare for the dramatic. The former Pittsburgh Steeler running back, beat known for "The Immaculate Reception," his improbable sixty yard Ricochet Reception. I say Ricochet Reception has made a bold move on corporate America. (inappropriately loud) Harris has lead a group of investors in the purchase of the Park Sausage Company. By taking on the challenge of resurrecting Park's, Harris is engaged in the equivalent of a sudden death overtime. BOYD: Easy Micheal. MICHEAL: (on a roll) He must take an open-field run to profitability through excessive debt large competitors and dwindling market share. Before the clock runs out. CUSTOMERS are starting to pay notice. MOORE: Shut up Micheal. MICHEAL: (screams) I KILLED MY BROTHER! All eyes on Micheal. Boyd is immediately up trying to get Micheal out of the booth. Casually, sweetly... BOYD: Okay. Time to fly. Fisher helps Boyd lift Micheal, who is becoming more and more frenzied. MICHEAL: I ran down my brother in cold blood. Shame on me! Shame! Shame! Shame! WAITRESSES, COOKS and LATE NIGHT DINNERS stare, confused as the HOWLING Micheal is carried to the door. MICHEAL: (struggling) Time to pay the man. "For if we confess our sins he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Fisher and Boyd struggle with Micheal. FISHER: (tipping Waitress) Thank you. She watches them haul Micheal outside. POV WAITRESS Micheal thrashes wildly in the parking lot. 81 EXT PARKING LOT 81 MICHEAL: "Kill one man and you are a murderer! Kill millions and you are a conqueror - Kill all and you are a God!" Micheal breaks free, starts running away. Boyd, Moore and Fisher give chase. Moore dives on Micheal's back. Fisher helps Moore hold Micheal down while Boyd gets the car. MICHEAL: (calming down) "The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot." Boyd is there with the car. They load Micheal into the back seat, climb in and disappear into the night. 82 INT. CAR - DRIVING 83 Boyd drives, Fisher rides shotgun, Moore's in the back trying to contain Micheal. BOYD: You will get yourself together here mister. Are you hearing me? Micheal, now catatonic, stares out the window. FISHER: He's cracked up. BOYD: He is not cracking up. FISHER: Boyd...What have we done? BOYD: What did you ask me? FISHER: What? BOYD: What is the question you asked me? FISHER: I said, what have we done? BOYD: Yes, you did. Now that is the question! That is exactly the question we should be asking ourselves. You tell me Fisher. What have we done? FISHER: I don't know! I just want to get married. BOYD: Say it again. FISHER: What? BOYD: What you just said. Say it again. FISHER: I just want to get married. BOYD: Exactly! Exactly my point. MOORE: What's your fucking point? BOYD: I'm not talking to you? FISHER: What's your point? BOYD: You want to know what you are doing here?! You are love pumping. You are protecting all that is sacred and beautiful and in sync with poetry and sunsets and little newborn babies. You are walking the walk. This is it Fisher, the real stuff. You love this woman. Love is second to nothing. I love you. I love Moore. I love Micheal. This car is full of love, and nothing - absolutely nothing - supersedes love, man. Nothing. We will do what it takes. Whatever it takes. Boyd takes Fisher's head in his hands and kisses him deeply on the mouth. BOYD: Love does not lose. TIGHT ON Fisher, speechless. FADE OUT. FADE IN ON: 83 ADAM'S FUNERAL - GRAVE SITE 83 A Jewish ceremony. A hundred or so guests. A RABBI conducts the service. Lois sits in shock flanked by her boys. Micheal, Fisher, Boyd and Moore stand in positions of honor up front. They're all eyeing each other. Micheal starts emitting deep, uncontrollable, highly inappropriate MOANS. BOYD: Easy Micheal. Micheal can't control himself as his body starts to seize and tremble. Moore and Boys attempt to stabilize Micheal who breaks away, charges over to Lois and buries his head in her lap sobbing deeply. Everyone is stunned but the Rabbi Continues. 84 INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT 84 Liz and Fisher. LIZ: (hysterical) Cancel?! Cancel?! Are you out of your fucking mind?! FISHER: Nobody's saying cancel. I'm talking about modifying. LIZ: No way. FISHER: Can we just talk this out? LIZ: Talk what out? We are locked and loaded here. We are non-refundable. I've got relatives on the airport right now! I've got... The phone RINGS. Fisher freezes. LIZ: Answer it! Fisher picks up the phone. FISHER: Hello? 85 INT. LOIS' HOUSE 85 Lois on the phone, near hysteria. LOIS: Keith. It's Lois. I just found a note up in Adam's study. It's some kind of crazy confession about killing a stripper and cutting up bodies and... 86 INT. CANTERS COFFEE SHOP 86 TIGHT ON FISHER FISHER: (explaining) ...burying them outside of Vegas, about Boyd being the ring leader... She wants to know what the hell is going on and I'm starting to freak out here. Boyd, Moore and Micheal, looking particularly traumatized, are seated at a booth with Fisher. MICHEAL: We're goosed. BOYD: We're not goosed. MOORE: What's goosed? BOYD: What is her disposition? FISHER: Regarding what? BOYD: Does she sound pissed, scared, hostile? Did she mention the police? FSIHER: No, but she's definitely pissed and hostile . And she's clearly starting to think that's something's not right. Micheal starts sobbing uncontrollably. MICHEAL: We're goosed! Goosed by God! BOYD: Micheal get a grip. (to Fisher) What did you tell her? FISHER: I told her that I have no idea what Adam was talking about in that letter. MOORE: Did she believe you? FISHER: I have no idea. MOORE: You can tell when people believe you. It's obvious. FISHER: Well I don't have that skill and if I had to guess I would say that in no way did she believe me. MICHEAL: (screaming) Goosed! BOYD: Stop it! MICHEAL: Goosed! People are staring. BOYD: Stop. MICHEAL: Goosed@ BOYD: (to Moore) Give me the Valium. MOORE: He just had two. BOYD: Give me two more. Moore counts out two Valium, hands them to Boyd as micheal continues to freak. BOYD: (to Micheal) open sesame. Micheal complies like a puppy. FISHER: Jesus Boyd you're going to O.D. him. BOYD: Suck my ass. 87 INT. LOIS' KITCHEN 87 TIGHT ON Lois, busted nose, eyes black. LOIS: I never liked you Boyd. You're a snaky little fuck. Always have been. WIDE ON the guys, seated around a little breakfast table. Micheal's in a Valium stupor. BOYD: What are you talking about? LOIS: Don't sweet lip me. BOYD: I don't understand where this personal attack is coming from... LOIS: You're a liar. I want to know what happened in Vegas. BOYD: Nothing happened in Vegas. LOIS: I don't want to hear it from the liar. Stick a plug in it Boyd. Fisher? What happened in Vegas? FISHER: (beat) Nothing happened in Vegas. LOIS: (not buying it) Moore? MOORE: (sheepish) Nothing happened. Micheal starts back in with the power sobbing. All eyes are on him. Guilty, uncomfortable silence. Micheal's coming unglued. LOIS: Micheal? Do you have something to tell me? BOYD: Micheal. Tell Lois that nothing... LOIS: Shut up Bpyd! Micheal? All eyes on Micheal. MICHEAL: (quiet) Goosed. Fisher struggles to breathe. Boyd tenses up. LOIS: What? MICHEAL: Lois we were bad, we were very, very bad. BOYD: He's upset about Adam. We're all upset. LOIS: I will call the police right now if I don't start getting some answers. BOYD: Lois please. She heads for the phone. LOIS: Fuck you Boyd. The guys are freaking as she picks up the phone. Boyd looks at the kitchen knives. Fisher sees him, intervenes quickly... FISHER: Okay. Lois...here's the deal. (beat) Adam was with a prostitute in Las Vegas. Lois freezes, puts down the phone. Boyd and Moore look stunned at Fisher - good lie. LOIS: What? FISHER: I'm sorry he was unfaithful to you. BOYD: And it wasn't the first time...He had a thing about prostitutes. Fisher gives Boyd a look. Lois starts to choke up. LOIS: (crushed) My Adam? Lois crumbles before their eyes. BOYD: We're sorry. Lois starts sobbing. Micheal joins in. Adam Jr. and Timmy appear in the door, in their pajamas, awakened by the noise. Seeing their mother in tears, they start to sob. The room is filled with anguished tears. Boyd give Lois a glass of water and a Valium. 88 EXT. LOIS' HOUSE 88 Fisher and Moore load Micheal into the car. Boyd leans into the back window. Adam Jr. and Timmy are in the backseat, still in their P.J.'s. BOYD: Mommy just needs a little time out. Everything's gonna be okay. Okay? (the boys don't answer) Okay. Fisher starts to get in the car, Boyd pulls him aside, very wound up. BOYD: After you drop the kids off, take Micheal home. Put a few drinks in him so he'll sleep. FISHER: I don't think that's such a good idea. BOYD: Just do it. FISHER: What are you going to do? BOYD: Take care of business. FISHER: (accusing) What does that mean? BOYD: And what does that mean? (off no response) Are you insane?! (whispers) you think I would hurt Lois?! She's the mother of those kids! What is wrong with you? FISHER: I don't know... BOYD: You got a nasty side to your thought process. TIME CUT TO: 89 INT. FISHER AND LIZ'S HOUSE 89 TIGHT ON Fisher. FISHER: I'm sorry. Honey...it's just for tonight. Liz is in her robe, none to pleases. Adam Jr. and Timmy sit in the b.g. at the kitchen table eating cookies and milk. FISHER: Lois is a mess and Micheal's really upset. Everyone's upset. LIZ: We're not canceling. FISHER: I know. LIZ: I won't even discuss it. FISHER: No one's discussing it. I'm just gonna run Micheal home. I'll be right back. LIZ: I need you to pick up the cake tomorrow. FISHER: Don't we already have someone to do that for us? LIZ: Yeah. You. FISHER: Okay. Okay. Fisher kisses Liz and goes. 90 INT. BAR 90 Dark, smoky, MUSIC. Micheal, Fisher and Moore sit in a corner booth. MICHEAL: (finger in his ear) Do you hear buzzing fish? FISHER: Buzzing? MICHEAL: Yeah. I got some kind of buzzing. Like a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz thing just chipping away in the back of my skull. FISHER: I don't hear it. MICHEAL: Yeah, well, it's a nasty problem. FISHER: Have another drink. 91 INT. ADAM AND LOIS' HOUSE - NIGHT 91 TRACKING SHOT down hallway into bedroom where Lois sleeps peacefully. 92 INT. BAR - NIGHT 92 Fisher and Micheal. Moore, drinking, just listening. MICHEAL: Dad used to bring home these sparklers to me and Adam. Out back we'd light 'em up. The three of us. We'd hold 'em up to the sky and watch the explosions of light. Sparks. And dad would be all..."Get ready"..."watch for it"..."here it comes," here comes the "wahoo" FISHER: The wahoo? MICHEAL: The sparkler would burn hot, then hotter, then even hotter...and there would be one moment of pure burn when that little fucker would cook just perfect. Perfect. It would only last a second, but that second was it. It was it. That's what dad had us looking for...You get me? FISHER: The wahoo moment? MICHEAL: That's my point! You see Man...burning at his absolute. To see all the forces just come together, just right, you know, just in perfect harmony. That's what I'm driving at. You get me? FISHER: I think so. MICHEAL: I've been looking for that flash and I look and I look and I can't find it. And what if I already had it? You know. My moment? What if it's gone? And I never saw it? (finishes drink) You're getting married, man. That's a fucking beautiful thing. Just a beautiful thing. I just can't stop breaking beautiful things. 93 INT. LOIS' HOUSE - NIGHT 93 Lois' bedroom. As Lois sleeps, Boyd softly enters the room. Moving in on the sleeping Lois, another couple of steps, he looms over her, reaches his hand to her throat when, suddenly, Lois' eyes snap open. Boyd is startled. Lois grabs mace from her night stand and sprays Boyd in the face. He MOANS, stumbles back. Lois leaps on him like a shark slamming a side of beef. They go down hard on the floor and start fighting like wild animals. LOIS: You picked the wrong woman mother-fucker! As Lois sinks her teeth into Boyd's balls. 94 BACK AT THE BAR 94 MICHEAL: You see for me it's over. Over baby. I'm gonna turn myself in. After the wedding of course. After the wedding. Out of respect. MOORE: I don't think that's a good idea. MICHEAL: I said out of respect. Respect for you Fisher. For you and your wedding and your beautiful bride. There will be no more rain. You see where I am here? FISHER: I appreciate it. I do, but...Maybe you ought to just ease up om yourself a bit. MICHEAL: No. No. No. This is my doing. You see I'm gonna have my wahoo spark for my own. For Lois and the kids, for my brother, for Franco. I'm gonna turn myself in. I am all that. I'm gonna do it for sweet Lois. 95 LOIS' BEDROOM 95 Boyd and Lois are choking the living shit out of each other. Boyd pulls back, swings with a left, Lois ducks, she swings, a right cross to Boyds eye. He goes down. She jumps on him. Choking him like a mad dog. As Boyd struggles for air... 96 THE BAR 96 Fisher checks his watch as Micheal fumbles with his eighth shot of Yukon Jack. MICHEAL: If I was to think...If I were to think...No I mean I have thinked it over...I have. And without putting a lot of pressure on you I just...Well I just... FISHER: What is it? MICHEAL: (drunk-slow) Well if you do think about names...Micheal's a pretty good one...It's done me all right. Micheal's eyes bore into Fisher, like he knows something Fisher doesn't. Fisher's cell phone RINGS. FISHER: (answers) Yeah. 97 INT. LOIS' BEDROOM 97 TIGHT ON Boyd, eye swelling, scratch marks, hair a crazy mess. BOYD: (into the phone) Okay. Here's the deal and it's a good one. Lois is cool. It's a pacified situation. 98 INTERCUT BOYD AND FISHER 98 FISHER: What does that mean? Micheal stares at Fisher. BOYD: I'm talking about Lois having relaxed her anxiety. Only deal is...you still got Micheal there? FISHER: Yeah. BOYD: Good deal. Lois just wants to hear it from Micheal. FISHER: Hear what? BOYD: That it was all an accident. She wants to here it from Micheal's mouth. FISHER: Now? Micheal drunkenly nods his head as if can hear the conversation. BOYD: That's right. FISHER: Isn't it a little late? BOYD: Hold on a sec. (turns) Lois, you sure you wouldn't rather do this in the morning? PAN OVER to see Lois, half hanging off the bed, strangled to death. Boyd won. BOYD: (back into phone) She says now's the time. (quietly) I got a peace treaty thing happening over hear...let's get this over with. 99 EXT. LOIS' HOUSE 99 Fisher's car pulls up. Boyd is waiting outside. He opens the back door. Micheal is drunk in the back. Fisher and Moore are up front. BOYD: Okay Micheal, let's go. (helps him out) Upsy daisy big guy. MICHEAL: (hammered) How about my Fatburger? BOYD: Come on tough guy. Listen to me. (takes Micheals face in his hands) You are going to tell Lois that it was all an accident. Okay cowboy? You got me? MICHEAL: I love you. MOORE: He's too drunk. BOYD: He's fine. Okay Mikey, let's go. (to Fisher and Moore) You guys stay here. Boyd leads Micheal into the house. 100 INT. CAR 100 Fisher and Moore wait in silence... MOORE: (beat) I'm thinking about maybe making a move. FISHER: A move? MOORE: Greenpeace. FISHER: Greenpeace? MOORE: Maybe go up to the North Pole, the Arctic. Tag polar bears with dart guns. I've always had a pretty good aim... A "POP" resounds from within the house. Moore and Fisher lock eyes, frozen. Boyd comes jogging out the front door, hops in the back seat. Fisher and Moore tur, eyes wide. BOYD: Micheal was having an affair with Lois. That's what Micheal and Adam were arguing about in the parking lot. Micheal killed Adam in a jealous rage. Lois broke it off with Micheal, he strangled her to death and then shot himself in the head. (beat) Happens all the time. Boyd touches the painful scratches on his face. BOYD: That Lois fought like a fucking Comanche. ON Fisher and Moore in stunned horror... 101 INT. LAW FIRM 101 TIGHT ON BARRY MORRIS, mid-40's, attorney. BARRY MORRIS: I don't see how this could have been kept from you. The facts are quite simple; last month Adam and Lois changed their will. They requested that you two, as a married couple, be the Custodians of Record for their estate including all properties, cash holdings, security holdings and...children. You are legal custodians of the Brenn Trust. ANGLE ON Liz and Fisher, flanked by Adam Jr. and Timmy, eyes wide, they sit across from the attorney, totally bazooka'd. They stare in horror at Morris. LIZ: My god. BARRY MORRIS: There's more. FISHER: More? BARRY MORRIS: Adam and Lois were not terribly prudent in terms of providing for the possibility of the unforseen. FISHER: What are you talking about? BARRY MORRIS: I'm talking about Life insurance. I'm talking about money. LIZ: Money? BARRY MORRIS: Yes money. Adam had a five hundred dollar Term Life Insurance Policy. PAUSE. LIZ: What does that mean? FISHER: That means we get five hundred thousand to help raise the kids. LIZ: (amazed) No. FISHER: Yes. BARRY MORRIS: Actually, no. Adam was switching to a Whole Life Policy, but re-scheduled his medical exam...and failed to make his last payment...so his Term Life lapsed. So it's value is null and void. (off Liz's horror) Now he did have a pension account, worth another 150 thousand. LIZ: (relieved) Well, oh... BARRY MORRIS: And a house. Valued at 350 thousand. LIZ: So where's that leave us? FISHER: 150 plus 350...we still get 500 thousand. BARRY MORRIS: (beat) No. Not even close. With property values down, the house is worth 100,000 less than 450 he paid for it. With three credit cards, the minivan payments, and other outstanding debts...Plus the Income and Estate Taxes assessed on his IRA...(punches his calculator) You'll get, oh...in the neighborhood of, ah...14,223 dollars. Adam jr. suddenly slips off his chair, lands flat on his back, starts struggling to get up. Fisher tries to help Little Adam up. LITTLE ADAM: Get away from me! FISHER: I'm just trying to help... LITTLE ADAM: I don't want your help! FISHER: Stop kicking. Stop kicking! Fisher manages to get Adam Jr. back up in his chair. Liz looks rather horrified. BARRY MORRIS: (breaking the tension) So. When is the wedding. LIZ: Tomorrow (at Fisher) We are getting married tomorrow. 102 INT. CAR 102 Fisher drives, Liz up front, Adam jr. and Timmy in the back. Everyone is shocked in silence. Fisher looks deathly ill, like he's about to vomit. He pulls the car over and gets out. 103 EXT. FISHER'S CAR 103 Fisher leans on the trunk, puking. Liz gets out to help him, he starts crying. Liz is gentle and loving. LIZ: It's okay...It's okay baby. Cry for Mama. Cry for Mama. FISHER: No it's not okay. It's not. The kids watch from the rear view window but can't hear. LIZ: Cry for Boom Boom. It's okay. FISHER: (sobbing) Liz we've got to cancel, we have to put it off. LIZ: (ice) Don't even. FISHER: Do you love me? LIZ: What? FISHER: Do you love me? LIZ: What kind of stupid question is that? FISHER: (breaking down) Oh God. We. Liz. We. We. Killed a woman. We... LIZ: What are you talking about? FISHER: (completely hysterical) Oh Liz. We. God. We, in Vegas. Micheal crushed her skull. She was dead. There was nothing else to do. It was an accident. LIZ: Who's dead? FISHER: The prostitute. LIZ: You fucked a prostitute? FISHER: No Micheal did. It was an accident. LIZ: You killed a prostitute. FISHER: Micheal, by accident. LIZ: Call the police. FISHER: it's too late. LIZ: my God. You've got to call the police, tell them it was an accident. Where is she? FISHER: She's in the desert. She's out in the desert. LIZ: You left a dead prostitute out in the desert? Alone? FISHER: She's not alone...She's...Boyd...Oh God...He's gone nuts...He killed Lois and Micheal...it's all... LIZ: Stop! You stop right here. I don't want to know anymore. I told you not to do this Bachelor Party thing. You were warned. FISHER: But... LIZ: No buts. I told you your friends were Jackasses. FISHER: But... LIZ: No buts. I've waited twenty-seven years, twenty-seven years I have focused and prepared to walk down that aisle. I will not be derailed! I will not be embarrassed! I will not be denied! I am walking down that aisle tomorrow come hell or high fucking water! Liz marches back to the car, gets in and slams the door. Fisher just stares in shock. 104 EXT./INT. CHURCH - FISHER AND LIZ'S WEDDING 104 It's pouring rain outside. Shots of guests dashing from their cars to the church. Fisher's parents with Adam Jr. and Timmy, looking overwhelmed. Upstairs: Liz and her Bridesmaids help Liz get dressed. Everyone looks depressed. 105 INT. CHURCH BASEMENT 105 Fisher and Moore in tuxedos. Boyd enters, shuts the door. Fisher looks ill. BOYD: Okay, we're about two minutes out. Moore, better take your position. Moore looks at Fisher. BOYD: Chop chop. Moore goes. A long tense BEAT between Fisher and Boyd. BOYD: This is a situation that defies judgement. We have acted and showed courage that is not of a kind known by most. FISHER: I'm getting really tired of your bullshit. BOYD: My what? FISHER: You've got a warped thought process. Your brain doesn't function properly. BOYD: You care to add a little specification to that slanderous accusation? FISHER: (snaps) I'm talking about some bad, bad, very bad things. Bad things! Those are bad fucking things! BOYD: Okay fine. FISHER: Fine? Fine what? BOYD: Whatever you say Kojak. FISHER: I'm serious. BOYD: I'm serious. I'm the serious one here. I'm the one making the play. I'm the Indian Runner. And I want my money. 106 INT. CHURCH 106 The organ is playing. The guests are seated. Liz and her father are waiting in the front hall. LIZ: I told Boyd two fucking minutes! 107 INT. CHURCH BASEMENT - CONT'D 107 FISHER: What money? BOYD: Blood money. Insurance dollars that you have thus fucking far decided not to tell me about at all. In no way have you mentioned that money. And I find that to be very very offensive. FISHER: You're sick. BOYD: (veins pulsing) And if you think you can fuck me, don't. Cause I'm fucking insulated Fisher. Protected. Backed up on floppy. Do you get me? I want my fucking money! FISHER: Not a prayer. BOYD: I'm a lifesaver. A lighthouse. Up all night in the rain, in stormy gale force wind, tornado and fucking earthquakes. I stay lit for you. I stay lit. I don't go dark. I never go dark! FISHER: You need help. Fisher turns away. BOYD combusts. He leaps on Fisher with a wild cry. BOYD: I want that money! Boyd and fisher fight like animals; choking, pounding, mauling, a fight to the death. Fisher is losing, Boyd is choking the life out of him, killing him. Fisher is going down, eyes rolling back, he's dying, until... CRASH. Boyd's head is caved in from behind. REVEAL Liz wielding a big, heavy crucifix. Boyd slumps to the ground. Fisher gasps for air. Boyd stirs. Liz beats him repeatedly with the crucifix until he's dead as a door knob. Fisher is stunned. Liz tosses the cross. Miraculously, only one perfect droplet of blood has gotten on her wedding dress. She flicks it off with her finger. LIZ: (composing herself) Here comes the bride. Liz gathers up her train and marches out. Fisher looks at Boyd, a bloody dead mess. 108 THE WEDDING 108 Fisher joins Moore at the alter. JUDGE TOWER smiles warmly at Fisher. MOORE: Where's Boyd? FISHER: (whispers) Downstairs in the closet. Before Moore can ask, the ORGAN begins playing the WEDDING MARCH. Liz starts down the aisle, escorted by her father, She smiles radiantly. Liz's father kisses her and gives her to Fisher. They stand before the Judge who starts talking. TIGHT ON Fisher. His head pounding. He hears none of what the Judge says until... JUFGE TOWER: May we have the rings please? FISHER: What? JUDGE TOWER: The rings? Fisher looks at moore. 109 INT. CHURCH BASEMENT 109 Moore opens the closet. Boyd falls out. 110 INT. CHURCH 110 Everyone waits patiently. Fisher is sweating. He looks at Liz who stares straight ahead. 111 INT. CHURCH BASEMENT 111 Moore rolls Boyd over, checks every pocket, trying not to get blood on himself. 112 INT. CHURCH 112 Moore returns. MOORE: Got 'em. He hands the rings to the Judge, at which time, he, she, Fisher and Liz all see blood on his white shirt cuff. The Judge looks at Moore. He pulls his jacket sleeve down. JUDGE TOWER: (continues) These rings represent the commitment Fisher and Liz make to each other on the day. Fisher do you take Liz to be your beloved wife, to respect, honor and cherish till death do you part? FISHER: I do. Liz slides the ring on Fisher's finger. JUDGE TOWER: Liz do you take Fisher to be your beloved husband, to respect, honor and cherish him till death do you part? LIZ: I do. Fisher slides the ring on Liz's finger. JUDGE TOWER: I now pronounce you husband and wife. Fisher kisses Liz. They turn to face their guests who applaud. Liz cries tears of joy. 113 WEDDING RECEPTION - TENT NEXT TO CHURCH 113 Liz drinks champagne and talks with her guests. 114 EXT. CHURCH - REAR 114 Fisher and Moore load Boyd's body in the trunk of Fisher's car. MOORE: He cam to me early today, was talking about money, insurance money. Said he was gonna get what was his. FISHER: My God... MOORE: he said he was the Brain Trust. Said he was smarter than all of us. He started reading "Atlas Shrugged," staring at himself in the mirror. FISHER: Did he try to kiss you? MOORE: All week long. Fisher slams the trunk closed. 115 WEDDING RECEPTION - MUCH LATER 115 Only a few guests remain. Fisher's parents watch the boys. The caterers are cleaning up. Fisher and Liz sit alone. FISHER: He kept saying he was protected. LIZ: What does that mean? FISHER: Like if something happened to him, he could still get us. LIZ: Like how? FISHER: I don't know. He could have told someone. He could have, like in the event of his death, somehow let someone know where those bodies are buried. LIZ: The only proof is those bodies. FISHER: So what do we do? LIZ: Move the bodies. FISHER: Move the bodies? OLD MAN (O.C.): Excuse us? Fisher and Liz look up at a sweet OLD COUPLE, who talk at the same time, oblivious to each other. OLD MAN: OLD WOMAN: We just wanted to say We're your Uncle Henry's Congratulations and wish parents. Opal and Earl. You great happiness. Tell them from both of us. Mazeltov. I just did. Malzeltov. Wish them luck. I said Malzeltov. You The secret to a good Never listen to me. Marriage is to listen. LIZ: (cheerleader smile) Thank you. Thank you. We will. Bye bye. The Old Couple shuffles away. Fisher watches them go, he suddenly breaks down, crying... FISHER: I...Liz...all I ever wanted, was for you to be happy. I just wanted to give you the wedding, the life you always dreamed of...(sobs) ...I just love you so much...So much... LIZ: (beat; unmoved) You and Moore move the bodies and bury Boyd with them. In fact, put Moore in the ground too. FISHER: What? LIZ: If you don't tie up all the lose ends it'll never be over. FISHER: (horrified) No... LIZ: You put him down or don't bother coming back. FISHER: But... LIZ: Do you love me? DO YOU LOVE ME?! OFF Fisher... 116 EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT 116 Fisher's car blasts past a road sign reading, "Las Vegas, 358 miles." 117 INT. FISHER'S CAR 117 Fisher drives, Moore's in the passenger seat. They're still in their tuxedos. Extreme silence. Fisher, almost in a trance. MOORE: You alright? FISHER: Yeah. I'm thinking about Micheal's Franco Harris fixation. You know how Micheal was always harping "Immaculate Reception?" I've seen that play. A lot of times...and I have to say this...Franco was lucky. Flat out, right place, right time. That's it. He was where the ball bounced. You get me? MOORE: I guess. FISHER: I'm saying it's luck. All luck. You work your entire life, all the training, focus, all the dedication, all irrelevant. Where does the ball bounce? My father spent his whole life trying to start a company, practiced every day, worked like a dog, finally got enough money. He's paid the dues, he's ready, does all the market research, picks his shot - "Pup Corn." MOORE: Pup corn? FISHER: That's right, "Pup Corn." Doggie treats. Little snacks for dogs. He's figured it out. There is a hole in the market and he's going to fill it. Spends all out money, works himself into not two but three heart attacks getting this shit up. After fifteen months, the big day arrives, the first box of "Pup Corn" pops off the belt. He comes running home with that box, pulls us out of school. We all pile into the living room, must be fifty of us, and in comes "Shelmer," our 8 year old mutt. "Here Shelmer," my dad cries. He's got that little fucking pup corn in his hand, "Here girl." This dog will eat anything, she eats rocks, anything. She walk's up to my dad's hand, looks down at the little pellet, licks it once, turns around, walks out of the room. Shelmer rejected the "Pup Corn." Fifteen months of my dad's life, right there. Not one dog ate Pup Corn. Not one. Three months later, "Pup Corn" shuts down. Chapter Eleven. My father never got over it. Never. SILENCE hangs again. 118 EXT. DESERT - LATER 118 Fisher and Moore search for the graves of Tina and Ralph with flashlights and shovels. FISHER: I think it was over here. They move into a new area and start poking around. Nothing. MOORE: It was over by those rocks. Again they search, prodding into earth with their shovels. Nothing. Fisher stops digging, tired, he pauses, shines his light around until... FISHER: There. MOORE: Where? Fisher moves to a new spot. FISHER: There. This rock is where I stood when I said the prayer. He starts digging in front of the rock. The earth is soft. FISHER: Bingo. Moore and Fisher quickly start to dig, until, finally, Moore's shovel makes contact. MOORE: Got it. And they dig some more. DISSOLVE: 119 MOORE 119 in the hole, passing the suitcases up to Fisher. DISSOLVE: 120 FISHER 120 loads the cases into the car. 121 EXT. NEW BURIAL SITE 121 the suitcases are unloaded. Fisher and Moore dig a new grave. Moore's back is to Fisher as he digs. MOORE: I've been thinking about what you said that day. The prayer. About using this whole mess to bring out the good in me... Fisher is directly above Moore, holding the shovel, looking down at the back of Moore's head. FISHER: Yeah? MOORE: I think there's a lot of truth in that. I'm gonna pursue some options. I want to join that Big Brother thing. FISHER: (slowly raises the shovel over his head) That's a good one. MOORE: I want a black one. A little black brother. That's a big problem it seems to me. Lack of racial integration. That's a big one. You think? Moore looks up to... FISHER, tears running down his face, the shovel high above his head, ready to bring it down hard onto Moore's skull. MOORE confused and then realization...CUT between Fisher above, poised to strike, Moore below, still and vulnerable. Their eyes locked for several beats. Finally... MOORE: What do you think? Slowly, Fisher lowers his shovel. FISHER: I think you'd make an excellent Big Brother. MOORE: (back to work) That's what I'm thinking. DISSOLVE: 122 THE GRAVE - LATER 122 The cases are in the hole with Boyd's body. As Fisher and Moore re-fill the grave with dirt we... SLOWLY DISSOLVE TO: 123 INT. FISHER'S CAR - HIGHWAY - NIGHT 123 Fisher drives, Moore rides shotgun, both mean are dirty, sweaty and tired. MOORE: Well that ought to be about the end of that. FISHER: Yup. TIGHT ON Fisher, staring deep into the road, a faint smile creeps on to his face... DISSOLVE TO: 124 THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION 124 The distorted but definitely recognizable image of Franco Harris running for his life. ANNOUNCER (V.O.): And it's Franco Harris running for... Franco makes it into the Raider end zone. ANNOUNCER (V.O): A TOUCHDOWN FOR PITTSBURGH! UNBELIEVABLE! CUT BACK TO: 125 FISHER 125 lost in his reverie, wakes up in a hair pin turn. The speedometer reads 80. They run out of road. The car skids on the shoulder, Fisher cranks the wheel, jumps the divider, into oncoming headlights. Fisher and Moore lit up bright... 126 HIGHWAY 126 Fisher's car SMASHES head-on into another car. IN SLOW MOTION Fisher and Moore are launched through the windshield in an IMPLOSION of glass and steel, flesh and blood. CUT TO BLACK. We hear the sounds of SCRUBBING. SLOW FADE UP: 127 INT. FISHER HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY 127 TIGHT ON Liz, on her hands and knees, scrubbing around the toilet of what is clearly a filthy kids bathroom; soiled jockey shorts, Tonka trucks, mess everywhere. O.S. we hear voices outside. Liz gets up off her knees, brushes a piece of hair from her sweaty face and peers out the bathroom window. TIGHT ON FISHER 128 EXT. BACK YARD 128 FISHER: Okay let's try it again. Adam Jr. and Timmy, in ill-fitted Cub Scout uniforms, recite the "Scout Laws." TIMMY: ADAM JR.: A scout is thrifty, saves A scout is brave. A scout For the future. A scout is can face danger, even if Clean, he keeps his body... he's afraid... FISHER: Let's see the salutes! Timmy snaps out a fine salute. Adam balances on one crutch to salute but looses balance and falls flat on his face. He starts SCREAMING. REVEAL Fisher, in a wheelchair, both legs amputated above the knee. He leans over, trying to help Adam jr. up and his wheel chair tips over. Fisher falls on top of Adam Jr. who SCREAMS even louder, flailing arms and legs like a turtle on its back. REVEAL Moore, in an electric wheel chair he operated with a mouthpiece. As he is paralyzed from the neck down, he's no helpa t all. Timmy suddenly snaps. TIMMY: (to Adam Jr.) Shut up! Shut the fuck up! FISHER: It's okay, it's okay. 129 THE BATHRROM WINDOW 129 Liz watches the pathetic chaos that is her life with the dull lifeless eyes of a concentration camp prisoner. FISHER (O.S.): Timmy SHUT UP! Help your brother! ADAM! Let him help you! TIGHT ON Liz as her mouth slowly opens in an anguished SILENT SCREAM. 130 OUT THE WINDOW - DOWN IN THE BACK YARD 130 Adam Jr. gets back on his feet, with the begrudging help of Timmy. As Fisher struggles to hoist himself up, back in his wheelchair... FISHER: Remember a scout is helpful! A scout doesn't scream in the face of adversity. Suddenly, O.S. from the bathroom, Lis WAILS. Fisher looks up at the window...LONG BEAT... FISHER (cont'd): (to the boys) Okay, let's skip to the Scout's Oath... ADAM JR. & TIMMY: On my honor, I will do my best... The boys recite the "Scout's Oath" as Liz's deep, heaving, wailing SOBS grow in intensity O.C. ADAM JR. & TIMMY: ...to do my duty to God and my country...To obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times... SLOWLY PULL OFF Fisher, Moore and the kids... ADAM JR. & TIMMY: To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. CRANE UP, past Liz at the window, out of the yard, over the house, WIDER to reveal the surrounding track-like homes, housing track-like families, with track-like nightmares as Liz's plaintiff wails echo the communal despair of the human village. CUT TO BLACK. THE END

INT. TRIBECA LOFT - DAY The CAMERA TRACKS slowly through clouds of moving dust. Shafts of muted light pierce the dense atmosphere. An eerie netherworld envelops us. Strange ghostly forms appear and disappear in the distance. They seem like apparitions. Broken timbers and dangling cables emerge from the smoky light. We see hints of a huge demolished space. An old white plaster wall FILLS THE SCREEN. Momentary blips of light flash across it. SOUNDS of street traffic are heard dimly in the distance. With startling impact, the SOUND of a sledgehammer explodes out of nowhere. The wall shudders. HAMMER BLOWS assault the audience. They are loud and jarring. The wall buckles. Chunks of plaster CRASH to the floor. The air fills with new swirls of white dust. The SLEDGEHAMMER smashes INTO VIEW. Beams of sunlight cut through the cracks, piercing the atmosphere like searchlights in a fog. A huge section of wall falls toward camera as more plaster billows into the air. We hear voices talking. MOLLY (O.S.) What a mess! SAM (O.S.) I told you! Through jagged holes we can make out three dim figures on the other side of the wall, all wielding SLEDGEHAMMERS. SAM I can't breathe. MOLLY Use your mask, dummy. One of the figures adjusts something over his face. Isolated rays of sunlight dance around him casting long shadows in the air. SAM (singing) "Volga boat..., man." Whoomph! His hammer pounds the wall. Molly laughs. ANGLE The CAMERA MOVES IN and for the first time we see them. MOLLY JENSEN, in her late 20's, has a bandanna around her hair and a workman's mask over her nose, but we can tell from her eyes and cheekbones that she is beautiful. SAM WHEAT, in his late 30's, is also hidden behind a mask, but he has a strong forehead and handsome features. Sweat is dripping down his brow, leaving streaks in the dust. CARL BRUNER, early 30's, removes his mask revealing a good looking young man with a fashionable two-day stubble. Both men have their shirts off. CUT TO: ANGLE BLACKNESS AND A LOUD THUD. Suddenly a shaft of light penetrates the darkness. Another thud and more light. We see a hole. The hook of a crowbar enters it, grappling with something around the edges. Then, with a tug and a loud yank, a huge section of tin ceiling crashes to the floor. Huge clouds of dust fly into the air. Molly looks up, astonished. MOLLY Sam, look, there's a whole eight feet up there. SAM And about eighty years of dust. MOLLY We have all this height, Sam. We could add a second floor and put our bedroom upstairs. That would leave all this space. SAM (eyeing her curiously) For what? MOLLY For space. Just space. SAM Be great for bumper cars. Carl laughs as he looks at Sam. Their bodies, covered with white powder, appear as strange, ghostly figures. CARL Sam, this may be none of my business, but I'm concerned you're doing too much coke. Sam glances down at his white body. They all laugh. MOLLY Hey, Sam, turn around. Sam obeys. Molly doodles on his chest, drawing a bow tie and the outline of a tuxedo jacket. Her lines are quick, accomplished, and subtly erotic. CARL (offering his body) How 'bout me? Molly nods. She reaches out and superimposes an armless female torso over his. His stomach jumps sensually as she touches it. Molly pulls back to admire her work. He looks like a Greek statue. CARL I'll never wash again. Molly laughs. ANGLE Sam, Molly, and Carl are holding their sledgehammers. Molly begins to count. MOLLY All together now. One, (they strike the wall with their hammers. The wall shakes) two, (they pound again. The wall begins to give) three. In unison, they hit it once more. A massive section of plaster and metal topples to the ground. New clouds of dust fill the air. Suddenly, Sam spies an old jar lying on the floor. Something rattles inside it, a penny. SAM Hey, look what I found. There's a penny inside. (he hands it to Molly) For luck in our new loft. It's a good omen. MOLLY (shaking her head, disagreeing) You're the good omen. She glances at him lovingly. Carl looks at the two of them and grins. As the dust settles we see, for the first time, the outlines of the space they are working in. It is a huge loft over four thousand square feet. Banks of windows run east and west. Molly steps back and admires the room. MOLLY It's gorgeous. CARL You guys lucked out. Hell, I bet you could sell it tomorrow and double your investment. MOLLY Sell it? Carl, we just bought it. CARL What I wouldn't do for a place like this. SAM It's gonna be great. OMITTED EXT. MARKET SECURITY BANK & TRUST - HEADQUARTERS - DAY It is morning rush hour. Sam and Carl, both wearing suits and ties, exit the Wall Street subway station and approach the Headquarters of Market Security Bank & Trust. CARL Oh, by the way, Sam, I had to move your 3:00 with Bob Kahan to 4:00 so you could squeeze in Gary Alan. He called yesterday and said he has to see you today about the Danway stuff. Three o'clock was the only time he could make it. Also, the board meeting in L.A. has been confirmed for the 12th. I got you on a 9:00 a.m. flight. Sam seems preoccupied. CARL (continuing) Hey, Sam, relax. This isn't brain surgery you're going into. SAM I hate pitching to these Japanese guys. They make me nervous. I mean, what am I supposed to say, "Who do you think'll win that big Sumo championship"? CARL Sam, you'll be fine. You're great with people. Sam's jacket flares open. He is wearing yellow suspenders. Carl notices. CARL (continuing) Hey, nice. I like those. Sam, not completely comfortable wearing them, buttons his jacket. SAM ...Molly. Carl smiles and then turns to admire a car going by. CARL Jesus, look at that, a Testerossa. That's the car I'm gonna drive when I'm making two hundred grand. SAM Better pay off your Mustang first. INT. BANK HEADQUARTERS, ELEVATOR - DAY Sam and Carl are standing on a crowded elevator. It is deadly quiet. Suddenly Carl elbows Sam and winks. There is something he wants him to do. Sam hesitates a moment, annoyed, and then relents. He clears his throat. SAM So Carl, what did the doctor say? CARL He said it was contagious. Very contagious. I shouldn't be going into work today. (he coughs loudly) But what could I do? He sneezes. People on the elevator freeze. SAM And what about the rash? CARL Not good. It's spreading everywhere. SAM On your genitals again? CARL Everywhere. He said be sure not to touch anyone. We see people trying to inch away. Carl coughs again. They hold their breath. The elevator stops at the next floor. All the passengers get off. INT. BANK HEADQUARTERS, EXECUTIVE OFFICES - DAY Sam and Carl, laughing, walk through a large office area bustling with activity. Employees, in various cubicles, are talking on telephones and punching information into computers. Sam heads into his executive office. Carl steps into a cubicle across the aisle. ROSE, Sam's secretary, approaches him. ROSE Morning, Mr. Wheat. SAM Morning Rose. Listen, when the Kobiashi people arrive, have Elenore take them right to the... ROSE They're already here. She points to a windowed conference room. Sam turns around and sees a large group of JAPANESE MEN standing inside. SAM They're early! ROSE I know. And Andy Dillon called. He said they need $900,000 transferred to Albany by noon. SAM Noon? Damn! He hurries over to Carl's cubicle. He is on the phone. Carl cups the mouthpiece. CARL Hold on. SAM Listen, Dillon needs $900,000 in Albany by noon. Can you transfer it to his payroll account? CARL Sure. Just let me have your MAC code. Sam pulls out his wallet and extracts a small address book. He jots the code numbers on a piece of paper and hands it to Carl. SAM Discretion, huh? CARL You bet. I'll do it right away. INT. WELL-APPOINTED EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM - DAY Sam and a group of fifteen somber Japanese businessmen are sitting around a large granite conference table. Sam stands up and speaks a simple greeting to them. SAM (in Japanese) Good morning, Gentlemen. On behalf of Market Security Bank & Trust, I welcome you to our city. The men smile happily and nod their heads in unison. MEN Arigato. They look to Sam, expecting more. Uncomfortable, he clears his throat. SAM I'm afraid that's the only Japanese I know. But I realize it's not our language fluency, or lack of it, that brings you to Market Security. Rather, I'm sure, it is our banking expertise, our ability to represent and anticipate all of your banking needs. As you know, we are not the largest banking establishment in New York. (his throat goes dry and he takes a sip of water) But, with combined assets of over 200 billion dollars, we have a firm commitment to the international marketplace. A SECRETARY enters the room and hands Sam a piece of paper. It reads "MOLLY ON LINE 2. URGENT." She hands him a phone. Sam looks surprised. He nods apologetically to his guests. SAM Excuse me. (he picks up the receiver) Hello? CUT TO: MOLLY dressed in a long, clay covered smock. She is in a potters studio. SEVERAL OTHER POTTERS are in the background working at their wheels. A five-foot high ceramic vase stands beside Molly. It is still wet. She toys with it as she speaks into the phone. MOLLY A man and a woman are lying in bed when the woman's husband suddenly comes home. Frightened, she tells the man he has to leave instantly through the window. He has no time to dress. CUT BACK TO: SAM straight-faced, listening and trying to look as if it is important. SAM Uh hmm. MOLLY (V.O.) It's raining outside. The man, running naked along the street, sees some joggers approaching. The entire contingent of Japanese men is staring at Sam. MOLLY (V.O.) (continuing) One of the joggers calls out. "Hey, do you always go jogging naked?" And the man says, "Yes, always." SAM Okay. MOLLY (V.O.) And then the other jogger says, "And do you always wear a condom?" The man looks down, embarrassed, and replies, "Only when it's raining." Sam squelches a smile. SAM Well, that's just fine. MOLLY (V.O.) Now just relax and have fun, okay? It's not the end of the world if you lose this account. You've always got me. SAM Thank you. I'll remember that. MOLLY (V.O.) See ya. He hangs up and stares at the Japanese men. A short smile crosses his face. CUT TO: A CARVED WOODEN ANGEL eight feet tall, ascending into an afternoon sky. As the CAMERA PULLS BACK we see that we are inside a building and that the angel is dangling outside an open doorway high above the street. A group of workmen grab for the angel, but have difficulty bringing it in. Suddenly Molly steps INTO the FRAME. MOLLY Where you guys from, the New York City Ballet? With a gutsy maneuver, Molly leans out over the sidewalk and tries to grab hold of the ropes. She can't reach them. Suddenly a pair of hands grabs her around the waist. She screams. SAM Saved your life. Sam laughs as he pulls her back into the loft. She does not think it is funny. MOLLY You bastard. Don't do that to me. You scared me half to death. SAM Better than seeing this gorgeous body splattered all over the street. Here, look out. Sam jumps up, grabs hold of the door's top molding, and swings out over the sidewalk. Molly gasps. Sam's feet push at the angel and send it swinging away and then back toward the loft. Quickly he jumps back, grabs hold of it, and brings it in. The workmen applaud. Molly eyes him with admiration. Suddenly we hear a voice call out. CARL (O.S.) Sam? Molly? Anybody home? Molly looks to Sam. MOLLY Carl? Did you invite him? SAM (under his breath) I couldn't keep him away. Carl enters, shakes Molly's hand, and pats Sam on the back. CARL Hi, Moll. Hi, Sam. So, how's it goin? Before they can answer, a WORKMAN turns to Molly. WORKMAN (V.O.) Where do you want this? MOLLY In the bedroom. INT. LOFT - DAY As the angel pulls away from camera, we see the newly decorated loft for the first time. It is painted now in lovely pastels. The floor, a huge gymnasium-like expanse, is lacquered with polyurethane. Furniture and boxes are piling up along the walls. Dominating the space, with a kind of surreal presence, are a large number of Molly's sculptures and ceramics. There is also a vintage jukebox. Carl is impressed. CARL Wow! The place looks great. Really great. MOLLY You like it, huh? CARL "Like" is hardly the word. I never imagined it would be this beautiful. This is incredible. A mover lugs in a heavy old chair. Molly sees it. MOLLY Sam, you kept that chair? SAM What do you mean? It's comfortable. For T.V. I love that chair. MOLLY But it doesn't go with anything. SAM It goes with me. MOLLY It's okay, I'll paint it. Sam pinches her ass. Molly smiles. INT. KITCHEN - DAY - LATER Sam, Molly, and Carl are sprawled out on the floor, eating from Cartons of Chinese food. Frank, a gray cat, eats beside them. Unpacked boxes are scattered everywhere. SAM It was the middle of December. I was sitting in my old office, the one Charlie's in. Suddenly, I heard this woman screaming. I thought someone'd been shot or something. MOLLY They took away my MasterCard. It was Christmas, for godssake. SAM She was four thousand dollars over her limit. MOLLY It wasn't four thousand. And I'd already sent in the payment! You're the ones that lost it. SAM She's still angry. MOLLY No I'm not. The cat begins nibbling Sam's food. SAM Get outta here, Frank! (the cat scampers away) You should have seen her. All pink and flushed. Her skin was gorgeous, like a rose. And she's screaming, demanding to see the president. So Wilton brought her to me. CARL You? You weren't even a VP yet. SAM She didn't know that. Carl smiles. MOLLY Can you believe it? And the next thing I know, he's telling me his life story. I couldn't believe it. Everything. About his divorce, how he'd just arrived in New York, how he didn't know any women. And all with this Montana accent. SAM What's a Montana accent? MOLLY The one you always slip into it when you get nervous. "Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Ma'am. Can I fondle your breasts, Ma'am?" SAM (laughing) I wasn't nervous. MOLLY Admit it. You liked me. You were interested. SAM (matter of factly) I thought you were cute. MOLLY Cute? (looking at Carl) Do you believe this? I should have been Picasso's mistress. I should have been living in Barcelona or Paris. But no, I'm moving in with a New York banker who thinks I'm cute. She looks at Sam and grins. Carl is staring at Molly, obviously turned on by her. He is embarrassed when she catches his gaze and quickly looks away. OMITTED INT. MOLLY'S STUDIO - NIGHT Molly, dressed only in a T-shirt, is sitting at her potters wheel throwing a series of pots. Sam enters the studio. He is barefoot, shirtless, wearing jeans. SAM What are you doing? MOLLY I felt inspired. SAM At 2:00 am? She nods and presses her hands into a pot that is forming in front of her. Sam watches the sensual movement of her fingers, molding and forming the clay. She is forceful, assured, gifted. The clay responds to her slightest effort. Slowly, almost unconsciously, Sam reaches for her shoulders and begins kissing them. SAM (continuing) You notice Carl's eyes today? They were all over you. MOLLY What? Are you jealous? Sam, let me tell you something. He's not even looking at me. It's you he idolizes. He doesn't see me at all... Anyway, he's not my type. Sam reaches over her and gently adds his fingers to the clay. Molly looks up at him. MOLLY (continuing) What are you doing? SAM I feel inspired. His hands dig into the clay. Molly smiles. Their fingers seem to dance together. After a moment, she reaches up to him, her clay-covered fingers streaking his face and curving down to his chest. Sam grins and reaches down to her. MATCH CUT TO: SAM'S FINGER as it presses two buttons on his jukebox. We watch as the mechanical arm selects a record and slowly, sensuously, lowers it to the turntable. The arm hovers over the record and then descends. It begins to play. The song is "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. SAM AND MOLLY are dancing in the middle of the dark loft. Moonlight pours through the windows and shines off the floor. Wads of packing paper swirl sensuously around their feet. Molly runs her fingers down Sam's naked back. The moment is sweet and erotic. We watch as Sam slowly draws his fingers down over Molly's face, gently caressing her forehead, her eyes, her lips. Sam slides his hands under Molly's T-shirt, slowly moving them toward her breasts. Her breathing slows. They dance silently, her hair swaying in the soft light. We hear the sounds of their bare feet on the highly polished floor. Sensuously, Molly's shirt lifts above her navel as Sam presses into her. Their stomachs touch and part and touch again. She bites her lip. Sam eyes her moonlit form as she strokes his chest, slowly moving her fingers down his torso, around the curve of his hips, and then digging into the back of his jeans. Sam leans into Molly and nips at her neck. She stops dancing. Her eyes close. She stands absolutely still. Sam's hands move to her backside. He pulls her closer. DISSOLVE: LIVINGROOM - NIGHT SAM AND MOLLY, making love on the livingroom carpet. Paper and packing materials crumble beneath them and scatter across the floor. For all their sensuality, it is their hands and eyes that are most expressive, revealing a tenderness that is deeply moving. Their lovemaking is full of love. JUKEBOX The song ends. The jukebox arm retracts and gently slides the record back into its slot. DISSOLVE: OMITTED BEDROOM - NIGHT Sam and Molly are lying together silently. Molly gazes at him. MOLLY What's the matter? SAM The matter? MOLLY I can tell. SAM Nothing... really. MOLLY You're worried, aren't you? About moving in together? SAM No. Not really. MOLLY Then what? The promotion? SAM I don't know. A lot of things. I just don't want the bubble to burst... Whenever something good happens to me I'm just afraid I'm going to lose it. Molly gently strokes his head. MOLLY You know what? SAM What? MOLLY I love you. I really love you. He smiles and strokes her cheek. SAM Ditto. Suddenly the T.V. blares into the room. Sam jumps up, grabbing the remote control unit from under his buttocks. Molly laughs as he turns the SOUND DOWN. The news is on and they are showing the remains of an airline disaster. Sam stares at the tube. SAM Oh Jesus. Another one. MOLLY Don't watch that stuff. He motions to wait. Dead bodies litter the screen. CORRESPONDENT ...It is estimated that 34 people died in the crash, the second in less than two weeks. The T.V. goes OFF. Sam, confused, spins around. Molly is holding the remote control. She nods for him to lie down. SAM I should cancel my L.A. trip... These things always happen in threes. MOLLY Threes? Sam, get serious. Besides, you lead a charmed life. SAM Yeah. So did they. Sam looks at her and then back at the screen. SAM (continuing) Amazing, huh? (he snaps his fingers) Just like that. Blackout. EXT. WALL STREET ESTABLISHING SHOT - DAY OMITTED INT. SAM'S OFFICE - DAY Sam is sitting at his computer. His address book with his access codes is sitting open beside him. He seems perplexed by something happening on the screen. After pushing a series of buttons and getting the same response, he whacks the computer on the side. Carl, walking in the door, sees him. Sam looks up sheepishly. SAM A glitch. What's up? CARL The Mark Greenberg and Larry White accounts. I can't get in. Your MAC code doesn't work. SAM I changed it. CARL Why? What's up? SAM Nothing. I just want to nose around a bit... Can you keep your mouth shut? CARL Yeah, sure. Tell me, what's going on. SAM I think I've stumbled onto something. There's too much money in these accounts. CARL Too much money. That's ridiculous. How could there be too much money? SAM That's what I keep asking myself. CARL It must be the computer. SAM I've been checking. CARL Yeah, Mr. Fixit. (he hits the computer like Sam did and laughs) Come on, move over. Let me see what I can do. SAM Not yet. I'm gonna dig around a bit. CARL Okay, okay. Just call me when you're ready for help. (he heads for the door) So, what are you and Moll doing tonight? SAM We're going to the theatre. She wants to see "Macbeth" at the Spring Street Repertory. Carl winces. Sam smiles. INT. SPRING STREET REPERTORY - NIGHT Sam and Molly are sitting in the fifth row of a crowded auditorium. He is sound asleep. ANGLE STAGE A scene from "Macbeth". Sam begins to snore. Molly grabs his nose. He jerks awake. Molly grins. EXT. SPRING STREET REPERTORY - NIGHT Bright marquee lights sparkle overhead as Sam and Molly exit the theatre. It is a beautiful brisk night. SAM I loved it. MOLLY I could tell. She smiles and squeezes his arm. They walk silently down a dark street, heading toward their loft. The pavement is full of shadows. MOLLY (continuing) Did I tell you what Marcia said? SAM Six times. MOLLY Six? No I didn't. Sam, don't be so blas�. I'll have two major pieces in the show. The New York Times reviews her gallery all the time. This could be huge. SAM Molly, the "New York Times" is some frustrated little critic with pimples on his ass who flunked out of art school. Who cares what The New York Times thinks? MOLLY Eight million readers, that's who. SAM Your work's beautiful. That's a fact, Moll. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. We can tell from the expression on Molly's face that it does. Sam puts his arm around her. She nestles close to him. Then, suddenly, she stops and looks up. There is an unexpected seriousness in her voice. MOLLY (continuing) I want to marry you, Sam. SAM (taken aback) What? MOLLY I've been thinking about it for days. More than thinking. I want to do it. I want to jump in whole hog... (she pauses) What is that look for? SAM (staring at her) It's just been so long since... I mean, you never wanted to talk about it. There is a long pause. MOLLY Do you love me, Sam? SAM What do you think, Moll? MOLLY How come you never say it? SAM What are you talking about? MOLLY You say "ditto". It's not the same. SAM People say "I love you" all the time. It doesn't mean anything. MOLLY Sometimes you need to hear it. Sam stops and stares at Molly. He pauses quietly. He is about to speak when A MAN'S FACE emerges from the shadows behind him. Molly gasps. Sam spins around. AN INTENSE LOOKING MAN is standing in the darkness between two buildings. He stares at the couple for a moment and then steps onto the sidewalk. Sam and Molly stand motionless. The man hesitates and then begins walking the other way. Molly exhales a deep breath. Sam takes Molly's arm and they continue briskly down the street. Suddenly they hear FOOTSTEPS coming after them. MOLLY What should we do? SAM Let me handle this. Sam stops abruptly and turns around. A gun is staring him in the face. Molly screams. WILLIE Your wallet! Sam waits a beat. MOLLY Give it to him! Sam reaches for his jacket. The Mugger grabs his wrist and then carefully pulls the wallet out himself. SAM Take the money. Just leave the wallet and my... He swipes Sam across the head. Molly screams. The Mugger whacks her across the face. Sam explodes, plowing into the mugger with all his might. MOLLY Sam, No! There is a wild, all out brawl. Sam fights like a mad man. Suddenly the GUN goes off. The Mugger panics and takes off running. Sam charges after him. MOLLY Sam!!!!! The two men run down the dark street, but the Mugger is already a full block ahead and disappears into the shadows. Sam gives up. Slowly he turns and begins walking back toward Molly. We can see Molly dimly at the end of the block as Sam approaches. She is screaming for help. Frightened, Sam calls out. SAM Molly! She doesn't answer. Sam tenses and starts running toward her. He is just three feet away when suddenly he stops. An expression of pure terror overwhelms his face. CUT TO: CLOSEUP - MOLLY drenched in blood. Her eyes are glazed, on the verge of shock. Panting, she stoops down to the curb as THE CAMERA TRAVELS WITH HER. She grabs hold of something lying in the shadows and pulls it toward her. It is Sam's dead body she is holding in her arms. Sam's ghostly form, still solid to all appearances, stands beside Molly. His eyes are awash in horror and confusion. He seems unable to move. THE CAMERA HOLDS on his face as the full impact of his situation dawns in his eyes. Suddenly he lets out a blood-curdling scream. SAM No!!!!!! He jumps down toward his body and reaches out to grab hold of his motionless form. His hands make a strange SOUND as they pass right though it. It is terrifying. Sam jumps up, crazed, frenzied, and begins circling Molly. It is as though he is trying to undo what has been done. SAM (continuing) This isn't happening. It's not happening. He reaches out to Molly for help. His hand cuts through her shoulder. He screams. FOOTSTEPS. People are running down the street. The sound of SIRENS can be heard in the distance. Two MEN run toward Sam. He yells out at them. SAM (continuing) Help me! They run right through him. He gasps in stunned terror. Sam watches helplessly as they reach his body. Molly looks up and begins screaming hysterically. One of the Men grabs her as the other goes for Sam's wrist. There is no sign of life. The first Man holds Molly back as his friend stoops down and begins some form of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. There is no response. Sam bends down, trying desperately to help. It is a futile gesture. SAM Do it! Do it! The Man bangs on Sam's chest. Blood gushes from the wound. Molly recoils. He bangs again. CUT ABRUPTLY TO: INT. LOFT - NIGHT Sam shoots up in bed, panting. It is dark. He stares around the loft in sudden confusion. With a lurch he flicks on the night light. Molly is lying beside him, her head buried beneath a pillow. Sam seems stunned. SAM Molly? Molly! Tears stream down his face. Molly stirs. MOLLY Sam? What's the matter? Is something wrong? SAM Molly! Sam is so relieved to hear her voice that he can hardly breathe. MOLLY What is it, honey? Molly, groggy, tries to sit up. Sam reaches out for her. As she turns around, we see A SKELETEL VERSION OF HER HEAD staring at the camera. It speaks. MOLLY (mocking him) What is it, honey? Sam bolts upright, screaming. It is a scream so consumed by terror that one fears it will never stop. CUT UNEXPECTEDLY TO: CLOSE-UP OF SAM asleep in bed. He is thrashing at his pillow and moaning. Suddenly, a hand reaches out and touches his shoulder. Sam jumps straight up in bed and kicks wildly at the sheets. CUT TO: SAM'S P.O.V. Molly is sitting on the bed looking at him, afraid. Sam stares down at her. He is breathing heavily, not trusting his own senses. His hands clutch at the wall. SAM What's happening to me?! ANGLE Suddenly, a brilliant white light shoots into the room as a host of glowing forms, radiating an intense inner light, float before us. A blinding tunnel spirals in an infinite vortex behind them. Sam is awed and confused. We sense that the light is enchanting him. The entire room begins to disappear in the light. Molly screams. MOLLY Don't leave me. I need you, Sam. ANGLE Sam turns and sees Molly, only she is not in the bed. She is back on the street. To his amazement, he is on the street, too, still bathed in the soothing light. Frightened, he calls out to her. SAM Molly! She does not hear him. He calls again. SAM (continuing) Molly. There is no response. Sam, deeply troubled, hesitates for a moment. He is torn between Molly and the light. Then, in a painful, but conscious gesture, he turns from the light and walks toward Molly. At that instant, the light behind him disappears with the sound of a pneumatic door closing. There is a sense of terrible finality as the tunnel evaporates into the void. Sam is left on the dark pavement. He stands there a moment, as if in shock, and then begins running toward Molly. An AMBULANCE is rounding the corner. CUT TO: OMITTED EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - NIGHT Swirls of light speed toward the ambulance as car headlights and streetlamps merge in a wild dizzying rush. The SIREN wails into the night. INT. AMBULANCE - NIGHT Sam's body is lying in the back of the ambulance as a PARAMEDIC applies electric paddles to his chest in an effort to save him. After a moment, he looks up at Molly. We can tell from the expression in his eyes that it is hopeless. Sam yells. SAM Don't stop! I'm not dead! Molly, kneeling over Sam's body, grabs him and begins to cry in long terrible sobs. INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT A DOCTOR, comforting Molly, accompanies her from one of the emergency operating rooms and leads her through a pair of swinging doors into a separate waiting area. We see TWO POLICEMEN and TWO DETECTIVES stand up and approach her. Sam doesn't want Molly to go and begins to follow her, but then seems torn, afraid to leave his body. He turns back just as his corpse, covered in a green sheet, is wheeled into the corridor and parked alongside the wall. Sam seems stunned and inconsolable as he sits down beside it. A wrinkled OLD MAN approaches Sam and joins him on the bench. He begins talking. MAN So, what happened to you? Sam is startled, amazed that the man can see him. SAM What? MAN You're new, huh? I can tell. SAM Are you talking to me? MAN Relax. It ain't like before, you know. It's a whole new ball-a-wax. SAM Who are you? MAN I'm waiting for my wife. She's in 4C. Cardiac wing. She's fighting it. The man sticks his head into the green sheet covering Sam's body. His head disappears. Sam is terrified. MAN (continuing) Shot, huh? That'll do it every time. Poor bastard. Well, get used to it. You could be here a long time. (leaning in close) I'll tell you a secret. Doors ain't as bad as you think. Zip zap. They ain't nothin' at all. You'll see. You'll catch on. Suddenly there is a loud COMMOTION and we see several PHYSICIANS operating furiously on an Old Man lying on the table beside them. It is a life threatening situation and they seem to be failing. MAN (continuing) He ain't gonna make it. I've seen it a million times. He's a goner. See? Here they come. Lucky bastard. Could have been the other ones. You never know. ANGLE Before Sam can understand what is happening the entire room fills with a strange preternatural light. Suddenly he looks up and freezes. The amorphous forms he saw right after he died are floating down through the ceiling and reaching for the body on the operating table. They are emitting a powerful light. DOCTOR Hurry, we're losing him. MAN What'd I tell you? Bingo! The glowing forms take hold of the man's spirit and help extract it from his body. His physical form changes instantly from a solid object into an ethereal substance. Sam stares in amazement as the strange beings carry the spirit upward. They evaporate through the ceiling. DOCTOR He's gone. ANGLE The light in the room grows dull instantly. Nurses cover the dead man with a dark sheet as the doctors step away. Sam turns to the Old Man. SAM Who are you? What's happening...? The Man isn't there. An Orderly approaches the gurney with Sam's body and begins pushing it toward the elevator. Sam jumps in front of him. SAM (continuing) No! CUT TO: SAM'S P.O.V. as the stretcher begins to roll right through him. The penetration of his physical space is horrifying to Sam. He stands, almost paralyzed, as the body of the Orderly intersects with his. It is a stunning moment of extraordinary strangeness as we witness the atoms and molecules of the Orderly's body passing through his. It is like a glimpse of ultimate chaos, the universe within. Then, in a flash, the Orderly has passed through, but Sam is still shaking. He stares up at the ceiling. SAM Oh God, help me. CUT TO: SAM'S P.O.V. as the ceiling lights and acoustical tiles begin to blur. The hallway grows dark. It is as though Sam is blacking out. EXT. CEMETERY - DAY Slowly, images begin to emerge out of the blackness. It takes a moment to realize that they are scenes from Sam's funeral. The CAMERA TRACKS along rows of mourners as seen from SAM'S P.O.V. He seems to be floating among them. We hear snippets of conversations. It all seems strangely odd and disjointed. Time seems unfixed, malleable. We see a MINISTER standing beside the grave. MINISTER As we say farewell to our friend Sam Wheat, we are reminded of his kindness, his generosity, his buoyancy of spirit... The CAMERA KEEPS MOVING. Sam's associates from the bank are among the mourners. MINISTER (continuing) All that we treasure, our friends, our loved ones, our body, our mind, are but on loan to us. We must surrender them all. We are all travelers on the same road which leads to the same end. Sam notices a WOMAN in a fancy print dress comforting one of the mourners. The woman looks up at him, smiles, and waves. Sam is surprised. He looks behind him, but no one is there. As he turns back, the woman is walking away. She appears just like any normal person until she approaches a large gravestone and passes right through it. Sam is shocked. MINISTER As our loved one enters eternal life, let us remember that love, too, is eternal, that although we will miss him, our love will light the void and dispel the darkness. Suddenly, Molly ENTERS THE FRAME. Sam spots her. The CAMERA STOPS. SAM Molly. She does not respond. RUTH, her sister, leans over to her. Tears form in Molly's eyes. A hand reaches out to give her a tissue. Molly looks up. It is Carl. She gives him her hand. He squeezes it with affection. MINISTER ...and into Your hands we commend his spirit. May he rest in peace. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. The casket is lowered into the ground. Molly approaches the grave. She us a little unsteady. Carl takes her elbow. A shovel is placed in her hands. With great emotional effort she lifts a shovelful of dirt and tosses it onto the casket. It lands with a REVERBERATING finality. Sam shudders. DISSOLVE: LONG SHOT - PEOPLE leaving the cemetery. We hear them talking. VOICES What time you going back to work?... What's the buzz on Digital? It's sad. He was so young... How's your new Honda?... Going away this weekend? CUT BACK TO: CLOSEUP - SAM desperately alone. Down the hill, people are getting back into their cars. Sam can see Molly being let into a limousine. He stands there staring at his own casket, grieving. Then, after a moment, he turns away. Separating from his body, from his own grave site, he runs after her. DISSOLVE: INT. LOFT - DAY Molly is sitting on the couch in the middle of the loft surrounded by FRIENDS and WELL WISHERS. A young GIRL, her niece, cuddles in her lap. People are eating and milling around. Slowly THE CAMERA BEGINS TO PAN. It ends on Sam, standing alone in a corner. In the midst of all the activity he is lost and alone. FADE TO BLACK: ANGLE Raw clay on a potter's wheel spins hypnotically, sensuously. Molly's wet hands press in, shaping it, molding it. A bowl begins to appear. The camera pulls back and reveals Sam. He is sitting on the floor behind her, knees pressed to his chest, rocking aimlessly. Molly looks away from the bowl she is forming. It distorts and bends. Angry, she digs her finger into it. The bowl disintegrates. Tears form in her eyes. Frank jumps up on the bench beside her. Molly stares sadly around the room. Quietly, she begins talking to herself, to the air. MOLLY Oh God, Sam... Sam looks up. MOLLY (continuing) I picked up your shirts this morning. I don't know why. Mr. Reynolds said to tell you hello. I broke into tears. It's so hard... Sam walks over to Molly. Desperate for contact, he reaches out to touch her cheek, but then hesitates and pulls back. MOLLY (continuing) I think about you every minute. It's like you're still here, like I can feel you, Sam. He stares at her, hoping, wondering. SAM I am here, Moll. I am. ANGLE Suddenly, as if hearing Sam's voice, the cat begins to hiss. Molly spins around. The cat scans the room. Unexpectedly, Sam's and the cat's eyes meet... With a wild SCREECH, the cat jumps from the bench and takes off running. Sam recoils. Molly stands up. MOLLY Frank, what's wrong? Frank? The cat is nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, Molly freezes. Sam is standing right beside her. It is almost as though she senses his presence. MOLLY (continuing; whispering) Sam? She holds very still for a moment. Sam watches breathlessly, loving her, wanting her. Then quietly, hopefully, he reaches out. It is a useless gesture. In a moment of great poignancy, Molly shakes her head and walks right through him. He remains IN THE FRAME, alone. INT. BEDROOM - DAY Sam, stands in the corner of a large, walk-in closet, watching as Molly goes through his effects. Boxes, scattered underfoot, are filling up with his life's possessions. Molly reaches for a shirt. SAM Wait, Moll. Not that one. That's my favorite... She tosses it into a box and then takes down a sweater. It is obviously handmade, about four sizes too big. Sam recognizes it. Molly holds the sweater tenderly and presses it to her cheek. After a moment she puts it back. Then, in a surprising outburst, she cries out and begins flailing at the shelves. Everything comes flying off. Sam reaches out to console her. SAM (continuing) Molly, don't. Unexpectedly, Carl comes rushing into the room. He takes hold of Molly and sits her on the bed. SAM (continuing) Say something. Help her, Carl. CARL It's hard. It's very hard. SAM (sarcastic) Oh good. That's really good. CUT TO: OMITTED INT. KITCHEN - DAY Molly and Carl are standing over the kitchen table folding piles of Sam's clothes and placing them into boxes. As Molly lifts one of Sam's jackets, something falls from a side pocket. It is his small black leather address book. Sam stares at it with recognition. Carl sees the book fall and stoops to pick it up but Molly gets it first. MOLLY Sam's address book. She skims through it a moment, but the memories it evokes are too powerful for her. She places it carefully into a box labeled "Sam's Things -- Valuable" and continues packing. She finds the old jar with the penny in it. It's marked "For Luck". She holds it tenderly for a moment and then places it on the nightstand beside the bed. Carl discovers some old ticket stubs in another of Sam's jackets. He examines them. CARL Dave Brubeck. Newport '86. Should I toss 'em? MOLLY No! SAM Molly, we hated that concert. She takes the stubs and lovingly puts them in the box. Sam groans. Carl finds a half used package of Rolaids. Molly takes them from his hand and puts them in the box, too. CARL Oh, you want to save those? SAM Rolaids? What are you doin' Moll? Molly just stares for a moment. MOLLY I miss him, Carl. Carl comes over and takes her hand. CARL We all do. Molly buries her head on his shoulder. Carl strokes her hair. CUT TO: ANGLE Carl lifting a pile of boxes and carrying them to the door. Suddenly Molly yells out. MOLLY Wait. Wait. Not that one. She hurries over and pulls the "Valuable" box from the stack in his arms. He looks at it with surprise. CARL Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I don't know how that got in there. He turns to the door and then back to Molly. CARL (continuing) Hey, Moll. Why don't you come? It's like summer outside. MOLLY No. CARL Just for a stroll. It'd be good to get out. Molly shakes her head and turns away. MOLLY I can't do it Carl. Carl, annoyed, walks over to her. CARL Molly... you're not the one who died! Molly stops and looks at him. He has struck home. After a moment she nods her head. MOLLY Okay. Just a short walk. He gently squeezes her shoulders. CARL Thata girl. Before Sam even understands what is happening, they are exiting the loft. Sam jumps up and runs after them. SAM Hey, Molly! Wait! ANGLE The door slams shut. Sam is locked inside. Frightened and desperate, he rushes for the door knob. His hand sinks through it. There is a strange sound, like ELECTRICAL STATIC, as it penetrates the metal and wood. Frightened, he yanks it back. Sam circles the space several times and then returns to the door. Clenching his teeth, he reaches out again. As his hand pushes up against it, we sense that he experiences a subtle resistance. The hairs on the back of his hand vibrate as his ghostly form presses into it. We sense Sam's fear as his entire arm DISAPPEARS FROM VIEW. The grating ELECTRICAL SOUND shudders up his spine. The sight of his amputated limb is unsettling but Sam does not pull back. Slowly he edges in and presses his face into the molecules of the wood. CUT TO: SAM'S P.O.V. as atoms and electrons spin past him at frightening speed. There is a sense of a universe in total chaos. Terrifying SOUNDS charge through his body. CUT TO: SAM pulling back from the door. He is trembling. INT. LOFT - AN HOUR LATER THE CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY THROUGH THE LOFT AND GRADUALLY DISCOVERS SAM. He is sitting in a corner singing quietly to himself. SAM "Singing bye bye, Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry. Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, and singing this'll be the day that I..." He stops, realizing the last word of the song. He sits silently, staring at the wall. Suddenly, there is a SOUND at the door. Sam's eyes shoot up. The door begins to open. Sam stands up. His face begins to tighten. We know instantly that something is wrong. His eyes fill with a fury we have not seen before. The Mugger, the man who killed Sam, is entering the loft. He has a key in his hand and puts it in his pocket. Sam is stunned. The Mugger locks the door. ANGLE Sam goes wild. He shoots at the man with all his might, attacking him unceasingly, but with no effect. His hands and feet pass right through him. SAM You motherfucking bastard! What the hell are you doing here? What are you doing? The Mugger, unaware that anything is going on, glances around nervously as he moves through the vast space. ANGLE Entering the bedroom, the Mugger goes to the dresser and quickly examines the drawers. He is very neat, careful to leave no sign that he was there. He seems to be looking for something but cannot find it. ANOTHER ANGLE Suddenly we hear a KEY TURNING in the front door. The Mugger seems startled. He dashes from the bedroom and hides quickly behind one of the large sculptures. We hear the door OPEN. Molly is standing there. Sam goes crazy. SAM Molly, no! Get out! Molly closes the door and locks it shut. Sam freezes as she heads for the bedroom. She walks right past the Mugger. To Sam's horror she stops and turns to look around. There is a curious expression on her face. Seeing nothing she continues through the loft. The Mugger pulls out his gun. Sam looks on in absolute terror. Molly's purple blouse hits the floor as she begins to remove her clothes. She turns on the radio. Sam doesn't know what to do. The Mugger seems excited by Molly's semi-nudity. He begins skirting the edges of the loft, moving toward the bedroom. Sam is crazed. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Frank appears at the Mugger's feet. Sam's eyes light up. He drops to his knees, crawls over to him, glares into his eyes, and screams. ANGLE - THE CAT SCREECHES and jumps straight up. His claws shoot out at the mugger's face, ripping into the flesh near his eye. Blood appears. The mugger sees it dripping through his fingers. The sight of it upsets him. He grabs the cat angrily by the neck. It SQUEALS. Molly in her bra, peers from the bedroom. MOLLY Frank, what's wrong? The Mugger holds the cat's mouth shut. Seeing and hearing nothing, Molly steps back into the bedroom. The Mugger takes the cat and throws it across the floor. Holding his eye, he gets up and rushes for the exit. Sam runs after him, but the door closes before he can get through. He is left inside. ANGLE - SAM stares at the closed door in a wild panic. He doesn't know what to do. Then, summoning all of his courage, he takes a blind, running slow motion leap and charges through it. SAM'S P.O.V. There is a brief sense of passing through a molecular force field, a miniature universe inside the door. ANGLE - SAM as he emerges from the door and lands on the other side. He seems excited to have survived and is very pleased with himself. EXT. NEW YORK STREET - DAY The Mugger steps out onto the sidewalk and hurries toward the subway. A patch of sleeve soaks up the blood from his eye. Sam starts after the man but instantly freezes. Hordes of people crowd the sidewalk. The crush of humanity is frightening. Two lovers, holding hands, are coming right at him. Before Sam is able to move, we hear the sound of their arms cutting through his ghostly form. Sam tries instinctively to dodge the crowds but people approach him from all angles. We hear a BABY CARRIAGE roll through Sam's feet and he nearly falls over trying to avoid it. His instincts will not let go. A barrage of images and SOUNDS assaults Sam. It is more than he can handle. Still, he refuses to give up. He stays close to the Mugger. EXT. NEW YORK SUBWAY STATION - DAY The Mugger heads down a flight of steps into the IRT. INT. SUBWAY TRAIN - DAY The Mugger gets onto a crowded subway car. Sam stands near a corner of the train watching him. Suddenly, Sam notices that something odd is happening. One of the riders at the other end of the car is walking toward him. As he approaches the Mugger, he does not stop, but passes right through him. It takes Sam a moment to realize what is happening, but then it is too late. ANGLE - THE OTHER GHOST With unholy fury the New Ghost charges into Sam. The attack is so unexpected and ferocious that Sam has no sense of how to defend himself. With unexpected power, the Ghost grabs hold of him and slams him into the subway door. Sam's head plows right through it. ANGLE on Sam's head sticking outside of the car as the subway tunnel rushes past him. There is a panicked look on his face. The look intensifies as he turns and sees another train barreling down on him. ANGLE on Sam's body inside the car still struggling with the Ghost as the other train shoots by the window. With a huge gasp, Sam shoots back into the car, and wrests himself free of the Ghost's hold. The Ghost flies after him, screeching. Sam surges through the door at the end of the train and finds himself on the bridge between the subway cars. The subway Ghost stares at him through the window with a wild, insane look. GHOST Stay off! This is mine! ANGLE FAVORING WINDOW With shocking impact, the Ghost's fist goes flying into the window. To Sam's terror and amazement, the window SHATTERS. The Ghost smiles. Passengers scream and Sam dives for cover. Sam stares at the broken glass with fascination and confusion. Suddenly, the train moves from the darkness of the tunnel into broad daylight. EXT. ELEVATED SUBWAY STATION - DAY The train stops at an elevated subway platform in Brooklyn. OMITTED SAM'S P.O.V. Sam sees the Mugger exiting the train and frantically rushes after him. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - DAY Sam follows the Mugger down a long covered staircase to the street. EXT. 321 PROSPECT PLACE - DAY The Mugger heads toward 321 Prospect Place. The streets are lined with old apartment buildings. Many windows are boarded up. TWO MEN, standing on the corner, are slamming a piece of heavy machinery onto the pavement. Sam hears GOSPEL MUSIC coming from a storefront church and notices a sign, "SISTER ODA MAE BROWN, MEDIUM, SPIRIT READER, ADVISOR." He looks up to a third story window and sees a similar sign with day-glo arrows pointing to the entrance on the street. He seems curious, but then realizes that the Mugger is nearly halfway down the block. He turns and rushes after him. EXT. 321 PROSPECT PLACE - DAY Sam and the mugger approach a tenement building at 321 Prospect Place. INT. TENEMENT HALLWAY - DAY Sam follows the Mugger into the building and watches as he opens the mail box for APT. 4D. The name scribbled across it is WILLIE LOPEZ. There's no mail. INT. WILLIE'S APARTMENT - DAY Sam enters Willie's apartment. It is a squalid affair. Peeled paint chips litter the floor. The bed is unmade. Willie pulls open a drawer in a small nightstand and drops in the keys to Molly's loft. Sam sees his wallet. His driver's license, bank ID, and a photo of Molly are there, too. Furious, Sam lunges for Willie but then holds his punch, knowing it will have no effect. He turns instead to a window and, like the Ghost on the subway, smashes it with his fist. Nothing happens. SAM Damn! Willie dials the phone. Someone comes on the line. WILLIE She came home. I couldn't get it. Give me a couple of days. I'll go back. He hangs up. Sam stares at him in wild confusion. SAM Get what? Who the hell are you? What were you doing at Molly's? What the hell's going on? Willie grabs a bottle of wine from the nightstand and lies down. After a moment he reaches over and takes Molly's photo from the drawer. He studies it slowly. Sam stands by the door in a state of motionless rage. There is nothing he can do. SAM (continuing) Stay away from her! EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - DAY Sam storms down the street. His movements seem undirected, utterly aimless. He is seething inside. Suddenly Sam looks up. An old BAG LADY is walking down the street talking loudly to a SHORT WOMAN tagging along beside her. As they approach a street pole, the Bag Lady swerves to the side. The Short Woman, however, walks right through it. Passersby laugh at the Old Lady talking to herself. Sam, unsettled, rushes away. As Sam rounds a corner, a sudden blast of MUSIC explodes out of nowhere. Sam jumps into the street, gasping. A phonograph needle SCRATCHES across a record and the MUSIC STOPS. A woman's voice booms out: WOMAN'S VOICE Sorry 'bout that. PANNING SHOT to a pair of loudspeakers in a storefront window. The MUSIC blares out once more and SOUNDS of gospel fill the street. Sam looks up. He is back in front of the storefront church with the sign for SISTER ODA MAE BROWN, MEDIUM, SPIRIT READER, ADVISOR, hanging overhead. Below it is another sign. "Contact the dearly departed. $20.00". Sam stares at the sign with curiosity. The MUSIC is compelling. After a moment's hesitation, he goes in the open door. INT. STOREFRONT - DAY A record player is sitting near the storefront window, a makeshift microphone placed in front of it. Several rows of folding chairs face a raised platform with nothing on it. A number of people are sitting there, mostly women. One gets the sense that this is a cross between a waiting room and a meeting hall. A black WOMAN steps up on the platform and calls out: WOMAN Rosa Santiago. MRS. SANTIAGO tucks a Spanish paperback romance into her purse and heads to a door at the rear of the hall. Sam follows after her. INT. SEANCE ROOM - DAY Mrs. Santiago enters a dark room with a window and door leading to a side street. A paisley bedspread is tacked over the window. In the center of the room is a round seance table. Two heavyset sisters, CLARA (39), and LOUISE (36), are standing beside an open closet. It is empty. WOMAN Please be seated. Mrs. Santiago sits at the table. She seems apprehensive. Clara steps into the closet and taps on each of the walls as though demonstrating that they are solid. CLARA My sister will be with us soon. She steps back out and closes the door. Louise inserts a tape into a boom box and then steps forward. LOUISE Sister Oda Mae. Grant us the gift of your all-seeing presence. Appear for us now. ANGLE FAVORING CLOSET She turns back to the closet and opens the door. Like magic, ODA MAE BROWN, 41, appears standing inside. She is a black woman in a white tunic. The whiteness of her garment makes it look as if she is glowing in the dark. Mrs. Santiago is wide-eyed. Sam smiles as Oda Mae steps into the room. ODA MAE Mrs. Santiago. MRS. SANTIAGO Buenos dias. She takes a twenty dollar bill from her purse and hands it to Oda Mae. Clara graciously intercepts the money. ODA MAE I understand you are hoping to contact your husband. MRS. SANTIAGO Si. Si. ODA MAE Well, I believe he's gonna be with us today. MRS. SANTIAGO Oh, tsank you, tsank you. Tears well up in her eyes. She crosses herself several times. ODA MAE But there's no telling about the other world. You gotta cast out all doubt. You gotta believe. Do you believe? MRS. SANTIAGO (nodding her head vigorously) Si. Si. I believe. I believe. ODA MAE And remember, we don't make no promises. I can phone up there till I'm blue in the face, (she points to the ceiling) ...but it don't necessarily mean he's gonna be home. Them folks go shopping, they play bingo. It's just like here. You can't always get 'em. Mrs. Santiago, utterly fascinated, nods understandingly. SAM Sure lady! Oda Mae's eyes glance up curiously for a second, as though she heard something, and then she continues. ODA MAE Okay, let's get ready then. Sam steps back as the sisters get up and position themselves behind Oda Mae. The moment feels rehearsed, theatrical. Oda Mae raises her hands into the air and closes her eyes. There is a hush in the room. Her body begins to tremble. Mrs. Santiago clutches her chair. Suddenly Oda Mae breaks out of her trance. ODA MAE We got a problem here. I don't think he's in. Wait. I feel something. Did he know someone who's passed over, someone named Anna... Mary... Consuela... Maria? MRS. SANTIAGO Si, si! His mama. She's Maria. ODA MAE Ah! I knew it. He's with his mama. SAM (sarcastic) Oh my God... Oda Mae's eyes dart uncomfortably around the room. ODA MAE I'm afraid this is gonna be too hard. Now I got two souls I gotta contact. I don't know about that. It's difficult, you know. The pain. The effort. MRS. SANTIAGO I pay more. How much? How much? ODA MAE Twenty dollars. SAM Way to go. Milk her for every penny. Oda Mae jumps up and stares at her sisters. They look back at her curiously. They can't figure out what's wrong. Neither can Oda Mae. Mrs. Santiago reaches into her purse. A twenty dollar bill changes hands. Sam watches, amazed at it all. Oda Mae sits down and goes back into her trance. Her eyeballs roll up into their sockets. CLARA/LOUISE Praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Oda Mae is beginning to shake again. The two women grab her shoulders to keep her from falling out of the chair. Suddenly her whole body stiffens. CLARA/LOUISE (continuing) Have mercy! Have mercy! Mrs. Santiago stares on in amazement. After a moment Oda Mae's body collapses in a heap. Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she pulls herself up in her chair and assumes a normal pose. After several seconds to get her bearings, Oda Mae begins to speak. Only now she has an entirely new voice. It sounds deep and hoarse, like an old man's. For all its put on theatricality, it is strangely convincing. ODA MAE Welcome, Rosa Santiago. You are fortunate today. The channel is clear. Many spirits are gathering. SAM (scanning the room) Yeah? Where? Oda Mae jerks. Her eyes dart nervously around the room. MRS. SANTIAGO My husband? ODA MAE (a bit uneasy) I can feel his vibration. Yes, yes, he is drawing toward us now. I can see him coming. MRS. SANTIAGO Julio! Julio! How is he? How does he look? ODA MAE Oh, he is a very handsome man. MRS. SANTIAGO (surprised) Handsome? ODA MAE In our Father's Kingdom we are all handsome. MRS. SANTIAGO (understanding) Julio! Sam looks on dismayed. ODA MAE He is standing before me. He is wearing a black suit. MRS. SANTIAGO A black suit? Oh yes, yes. He was buried in that. Mrs. Santiago begins to cry. Sam looks around the room with growing disgust. Then he leans over to Oda Mae and yells into her ear. SAM What a crock of shit! Oda Mae nearly falls off her chair. She spins around. ODA MAE Who's there? Sam is stunned. Clara and Louise look at one another in total confusion. This is obviously not part of the act. Mrs. Santiago seems frightened. ODA MAE (continuing) Where are you? SAM (looking around) Who? Oda Mae screams and jumps up thrashing at the air. Her knee kicks the table and sends it toppling. Mrs. Santiago is terrified. MRS. SANTIAGO Julio! Julio! SAM What's going on? ODA MAE Get out of here! Leave me alone! Mrs. Santiago doesn't know what to do. She begins to cry. SAM Who are you talking to? Clara runs up to Oda Mae. ODA MAE Keep him away! Louise looks at the empty room. SAM Are you talking to me? ODA MAE Do something. Help me. Clara just stares at her sister. Sam is excited and amazed. SAM I don't believe this. Hey you. My name is Sam Wheat. Can you hear me? Sam Wheat! ODA MAE Stop it! SAM Say my name! Sam Wheat! Say it! CLARA Talk to me, Oda Mae. Say something. ODA MAE Sam Wheat! Sam nearly falls on his face. Clara's eyes widen. She is more confused than ever. SAM Jesus! CLARA Samweet? Oda Mae runs into the closet. It has a false panel leading to a hidden chamber on the left side and she barricades herself inside it. Clara and Louise stand outside pulling on the handle. They seem frightened. CLARA/LOUISE Oda Mae! Oda Mae! INT. CLOSET - DAY Oda Mae is rocking back and forth on the floor praying. Sam's feet enter the frame beside her. ODA MAE Lord, I swear, no more cheatin'. I promise, Lord. I don't want to go to hell. I'll do anything. Gimme a penance. Just make him go away. SAM Go away. Hell no. I'm stayin' right here! Oda Mae screams, jumps back into the closet, and bolts up against the door. It tears from its hinges and falls into the seance room, nearly crushing Louise. Mrs. Santiago runs out screaming. Oda Mae takes one look around and collapses in a dead faint. OMITTED INT. ODA MAE'S LIVINGROOM - DAY Beads of sweat collect on Oda Mae's brow and cheeks. She seems feverish. Clara and Louise are sitting beside her with damp towels nervously soaking up the perspiration. Oda Mae appears to be talking to herself until we PULL BACK and reveal Sam nearby. ODA MAE My mama, her mama, may they rest in peace, they had de gift. Mama always said I had it, but I never did. She tol' me all about it, how it felt an' all. But now that it's happenin' I don't know what to do. You're scarin' me half to death. Please, you gotta go away, you gotta find someone else. Clara and Louise look at one another with growing concern. SAM Someone else? Are you outta your mind? ODA MAE I'm gettin' there fast. (she pushes Louise's hand) Leave me alone. SAM Not till you help me. ODA MAE Where are you? LOUISE Where? I'm right here. SAM I'm standing right beside you. ODA MAE (mimicking his words) "I'm standing right beside you." (she pauses and looks up) Are you white? SAM What? ODA MAE Oh God, I knew it. He's white. Why me? Louise looks at her sister and shakes her head. SAM Listen, damn it. You can help me. There's a woman, Molly Jensen. She's in terrible danger. The man who killed me broke into our apartment. He's going to go back. You've gotta warn her. ODA MAE Why would she listen to me? SAM She has to! This man's a killer! He's got a key. ODA MAE Forget it, mister. I can't. SAM It's just a phone call. You're all I've got. Lookit. I'm not leavin' till you help me. I don't sleep anymore, so I can sit here day and night. I don't care how long it takes. I can talk forever. Oda Mae gulps, a horrified expression on her face. INT. LOFT - DAY The telephone rings. Molly, preparing dinner, runs to answer it. MOLLY Hello. ODA MAE (V.O.) Molly? Is this Molly speaking? MOLLY Yes. ODA MAE (V.O.) My name is Oda Mae. I'm a spiritual reader and adviser. (she hesitates) I'm calling for a friend of yours. He asked me to call. This is important. You gotta believe me. Don't be afraid. MOLLY Who is this? ODA MAE (V.O.) I got a message from Sam. MOLLY (stunned) What? ODA MAE (V.O.) Sam Wheat. He asked me to call. Molly slams down the receiver, panting. For several seconds she doesn't move. Slowly, she walks to the couch and sits down. She is trembling. INT. ODA MAE'S KITCHEN - DAY Oda Mae hangs up the phone. ODA MAE What'd I tell you. SAM You gotta go there. ODA MAE Look, I don't care what you do to me, I'm not goin' nowhere. INT. ODA MAE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Sam is sitting on the edge of Oda Mae's bed, singing. It sounds like he's been singing for hours. He is very hoarse. SAM "I'm Henery the Eighth I am / Henery the Eighth I am, I am / I'm gettin' married to the widow next door / She's been married seven times before / And every one was an Henery / Wouldn't take a Willie or a Sam / I'm her eighth old man I'm Henery / Henery the Eighth I am, I am / Henery the Eighth I am / Second verse same as the first / I'm Henery the Eighth I am..." Oda Mae bolts upright in her bed, her hands over her ears. ODA MAE Okay! Okay! I'll go. You just shut your mouth. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BUS - ESTABLISHING SHOT - DAY INT. BUS - DAY Sam and Oda Mae are sitting at the rear of a crowded bus. She appears to be talking to herself. ODA MAE I can't believe I'm doin' this. I gotta be a crazy lady goin' into the city with you. I never go there. What the hell you doin' in my life, huh? Why me? Several people move away. OMITTED EXT. LOFT BUILDING - DAY Oda Mae approaches the loft building and buzzes Molly's apartment. She waits a few moments. ODA MAE There's nobody there. SAM Just wait. ODA MAE No, sir. I did what I promised. I said I'd come and I'm here. I didn't say anything 'bout waitin'. SAM Just one more time. Please. It's a big place. Oda Mae turns to leave. Sam, desperate, starts to sing. SAM (continuing) "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer," Oda Mae stops. She turns back to the buzzer and rings once more. Suddenly Molly answers. MOLLY (V.O.) Hello, who's there? ODA MAE (nervous) Don't go away. It's Oda Mae Brown. I called you last night. Your friend Sam says you gotta talk to me. There is a CLICK as Molly hangs up. INT. LOFT - DAY Molly walks away from the intercom, shaken. Suddenly we hear Oda Mae yelling up from the street. ODA MAE (O.S.) Hey you, Molly! You gotta listen to me! this is for real. Sam is here. He needs to talk to you. Molly walks over to the window and looks down. Oda Mae is standing in the street looking up. She is calling out at the top of her lungs. Molly pulls back. She is afraid. ODA MAE (O.S.) (continuing) He says remember the starfish at Montego Bay? Remember the picture he took a' you in Reno? (pause) Remember his green underwear, the pair you wrote your name on? She wrote her name on 'em? Molly tenses. There is a sign of recognition in her eyes. EXT. TRIBECA STREET - DAY Oda Mae is standing by the curb and shouting up to Molly's fifth floor window. Several people stare at her curiously. She turns to them. ODA MAE Hey, do you mind? This here's a private conversation. The people turn away. She turns back to the window. Sam prompts her. SAM Ask her about the sweater in the closet, the one she knitted that's too big. ODA MAE What about the sweater you knitted that was too big? SAM Four sizes. ODA MAE Four sizes. SAM She couldn't throw it out. I saw. I was there. ODA MAE You couldn't throw it out. He saw. He was there. This is for real. Hey do you hear me up there? A WORKMAN peers out of a second story window. WORKMAN I hear you. ODA MAE I'm not talkin' to you. WORKMAN Haven't you ever heard of phones? ODA MAE Kiss my behind! (yelling again) Listen, I'm not gonna stand here all day. WORKMAN Thank God. ODA MAE Forget it. I've had enough of this. Oda Mae is about to walk away when the entrance door opens. Molly steps outside. Oda Mae sees her and stops. ODA MAE (continuing) Molly? (Molly nods) I'm Oda Mae Brown. (walking over and shaking her hand) You can call me Oda. INT. SOHO LUNCHEONETTE - DAY Molly and Oda Mae are sitting in a booth staring at one another. MOLLY Why should I believe you? Why should I believe any of this? ODA MAE Girl, if you think I'd come down here for the fun of it, you got another think comin'. This Sam of yours... I don't know, lady. I mean, you ever hear a whole night of "Henry the Eighth I am?" MOLLY He did that? That's how he got me to go out with him. ODA MAE And he cain't carry a tune. MOLLY I know. Oh God. This is all so crazy. I can't believe I'm talking to you like this. I don't believe in these things. I don't believe in life after death. SAM Tell her she's wrong. ODA MAE He says you're wrong. MOLLY You're talking to him right now? ODA MAE What? You think I'm makin' it up? MOLLY Where is he? ODA MAE How should I know? It's not like I can see him. I just hear his voice. SAM I'm holding her hand. ODA MAE He says he's holding your hand. MOLLY I'm sorry. I don't believe you. Why are you doing this to me? I don't believe a word you're saying. Sam is dead. He's dead. SAM I'm holding her hand. ODA MAE He says he's holding your hand. Molly's hand jumps. Oda Mae looks at her. There is a long, poignant moment. Sam chokes up. SAM God, I love her. I love her so much. ODA MAE He says he loves you... so much. MOLLY (shaking her head) No. He would never say that. SAM (his eyes brightening) Ditto. Tell her "ditto". ODA MAE Ditto? What's that mean, ditto? Molly starts, an expression of true astonishment shining in her eyes. MOLLY Sam? INT. LOFT - DAY Molly is pressed up against the edge of the couch listening nervously as Oda Mae speaks. Sam wanders around the room, anxiously. ODA MAE To tell the truth, I don't know how I'm doin' it. In fack, confidentially, nothin' like this never happened to me before. Now, all a sudden, I can't turn it off. (she sees a photo of Sam) Is this you? Is this him? They both say "yes" at the same time. ODA MAE (continuing; to Sam) Hazel eyes, huh? You sound like they'd be blue. MOLLY I don't understand. Why did he come back? Why is he still here? ODA MAE Cause he's stuck, that's why. He's between worlds. It happens sometimes, when their spirits get out too quick. He thinks he still has stuff t'do down here. SAM Come on Oda Mae, stop rambling. ODA MAE Oh, oh, now he's got an attitude. Molly stares at Oda Mae. SAM I do not have an attitude. ODA MAE (to Molly) We're having a discussion. (back to Sam) Whataya mean, you're not angry? If you weren't angry you wouldn't be raisin' your voice like that. SAM Goddamn it, Oda Mae! ODA MAE Ah ah, baby. That does it. I don't talk to anybody who takes the Lord's name in vain. She stands up, as if to leave. Molly watches with growing discomfort as Oda Mae seems to be talking to herself. SAM Relax, Oda Mae. ODA MAE You relax. You're the dead one. You want my help, then you apologize. Nobody talks to me like that, understand? SAM Jesus Christ! ODA MAE (to Molly) Excuse me, girl. Time for me to go. Oda Mae heads for the door. Molly is confused. MOLLY I don't believe I'm watching this. SAM Damn it. All right. I apologize. Oda Mae stops, pauses a moment, and walks back to the couch. Sam, relieved, paces back and forth. Oda Mae's eyes follow his voice as Molly watches her curiously. SAM (continuing) Please, Oda Mae, I need you to tell Molly what I'm saying. You gotta tell her word for word. ODA MAE Monsieur has a message for you. SAM Molly, you're in danger. ODA MAE You can't tell her like that. And would you stop movin' all over the place? You're makin' me sick. Molly looks concerned. Sam leans into Oda Mae. SAM Say it! ODA MAE He's sayin' you're in danger. MOLLY Danger?... What do you mean? SAM I know the man who killed me. Willie Lopez. I know where he lives. ODA MAE He says he knows the man who killed him, Willie Lopez. He's Puerto Rican. Molly grows pale as she listens. Her forehead tightens. SAM Write it down. ODA MAE Write it down. SAM You do it! ODA MAE Now I'm a secretary. Oda Mae takes a card from her purse and grabs a pencil. SAM 321 Prospect Place. Apartment 4D. ODA MAE 321? Hey, that's my neighborhood. Oda Mae seems perplexed as she writes it down and gives it to Molly. SAM Molly, he's got my wallet and my key. He was in here. ODA MAE He's got his wallet and key. He was in here. MOLLY In here? SAM (directly to Molly) You have to go to the police. The Mugger wasn't acting alone. It was a setup, Moll. I was murdered. ODA MAE He says he was set up, that he was murdered. He wants you to go to the police. Molly stands up, afraid. Oda Mae stands up, too. ODA MAE (continuing) I'm sorry. I don't want nothin' to do with this. Oda Mae heads for the door as Molly watches in a daze. SAM Where you going? ODA MAE Don't follow me! I've done all I'm gonna do. (opening the door) I'm finished. And I ain't comin' back. So don't you come botherin' me again cause it's over. I mean it. This is it. Have a nice life. Have a nice death. I'm goin'. She lets herself out. Sam just stands there as the door slams shut. OMITTED INT. KITCHEN - THAT NIGHT Carl is pacing nervously. He seems very upset. After a moment he approaches Molly. Sam is behind her. CARL Molly, there's no one on earth who'd like it to be true more than me, but you've got to be rational about this. I understand your desire to hold on to him, but this... this is absurd. MOLLY It was real, Carl. She was real. SAM Listen to her, Carl, goddamn it. She needs some support here. CARL Molly, you're a grown woman. How can you believe some fortune teller from Brooklyn...? MOLLY She was in touch with him. CARL I don't believe it, Molly. Not for a minute. SAM Come on, Carl. Open your mind. Carl sits down beside her. MOLLY Carl, she knew things. CARL What kind of things? MOLLY I told you, the picture in Reno, the starfish,... damn it, Carl. (with great difficulty) She said Sam knew who killed him. That he was set up... murdered. CARL Oh boy. This is getting deranged. We're going off the deep end here. SAM Give him the address, Moll. MOLLY She had a name, an address -- Willie Lopez, 321 Prospect Place. She said he had Sam's wallet. Sam smiles. Carl stands up. His voice begins to rise. CARL This is sick. This is really sick. How can you swallow this crap? Who knows if this guy exists? Maybe she's just setting someone up. MOLLY That's what I have to find out. CARL Find out? What are you talking about? MOLLY Sam wants me to go to the police. CARL Sam wants you to go to the police? Molly! Jesus! Are you outta your mind? What are you gonna tell 'em? Some storefront psychic's been getting messages from the dead? Do you know how that sounds? You're talkin' ghosts here, for God's sake. Molly looks suddenly vulnerable. CARL (continuing) I'm sorry. This stuff just really gets to me. MOLLY You don't believe me. You don't believe any of this, do you? CARL (half heartedly) I'm trying to, but... Look, if it'll make you sleep any better, I'll check it out, okay? Now why don't you go to bed. Try and get some sleep. Molly looks at Carl, annoyed. She doesn't believe him for a second. INT. CARL'S CAR - NIGHT Carl, in his red Ford Mustang, is speeding up town. Sam is beside him in the front seat. INT. WILLIE'S BUILDING - NIGHT Carl steps into the lobby of Willie's building. Sam follows, wide-eyed. He seems both intrigued and astounded by what Carl is doing. When Carl stops to read the apartment number on Willie's mail box, Sam is thrilled. SAM Way to go, Carl! Carl climbs the stairs two at a time and approaches Willie's door. He bangs on it, loudly. ANGLE - THE DOOR opens a crack as Willie peers out. Carl pushes it hard and it opens the rest of the way. Willie steps back. WILLIE Carl, what're you doin' here? Sam freezes as Willie addresses Carl by name. He can barely move. CARL (scared, in over his head) Who've you been talking to? WILLIE Talking to? What the hell do you mean? What's going on? CARL Some woman knows all about you. The murder, everything. Where's she getting it from, huh? WILLIE What the hell are you talking about? I haven't said a word. Sam is staggered. His body is shaking. CARL She knows your name, goddamn it! She knows where you live! WILLIE A lot of women know where I live. Carl is fuming. CARL This isn't a joke, man. You find that bitch, whoever she is, and... get rid of her, you hear me? I've got four million dollars stuck in that fucking computer. If I don't get those codes, if that money's not transferred soon, I'm dead. If I lose Balistrari's money, we're both dead. WILLIE Tell him you only wash dirty money on the first of the month. CARL What is wrong with you? Is everything a joke? You were supposed to steal his wallet. You weren't supposed to kill him. Was that a joke? WILLIE (casually) I did you a favor. Freebee. CARL Jesus! (sickened) These are drug dealers, man. (pause) Don't blow this for me, Willie. I've risked my job here. I could go to jail. A hundred thousand of that money goes to me. Now give me Sam's key. I'll get that address book myself. Willie goes to the desk drawer and takes out Sam's key. Sam, unable to control himself, explodes in a fit of rage. Hauling back, he slugs Carl with all his might. His fist has no impact. SAM You killed me, Carl. You had me killed. Look what you've done to me! Look what you've done! EXT. STREET - NIGHT Carl is on the street heading back to his car. Sam is beside him, yelling right into his face. He is screaming and cursing at the top of his lungs but Carl doesn't hear him. SAM You fucker! You mother fucker! I had a life, Goddamn you. I had a life! From the distance, we see Sam smashing into Carl. It is like hitting the air. For all of his rage and bluster, there is nothing he can do. EXT. LOFT BUILDING - DAY Molly, neatly dressed, exits her building and hails a cab. She hops inside. Seconds later she hops out again, yelling. MOLLY You white fascist bigot. Who do you think you are? Bed Stuy's part of New York, you know. This is America. The driver speeds off. Molly gives him the finger. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - ELEVATED TRAIN - DAY Molly exits a subway station and walks toward 131st Street. She is the only white woman on the block and heads turn as she passes. WOMAN Hey, Snow, you lost or sumpin'? Molly pays no attention. Children run up to her, stare, and run away. TRACKING SHOT When Molly turns down 131st Street, the crowds disperse and she is all alone. There is a sense of menace in the air. A group of young men sitting on a stoop watches as she walks by. One of them whistles. Molly keeps walking. EXT./INT. WILLIE'S BUILDING Molly sees Willie's building. She walks into the dank lobby. It is dark and full of shadows. Leaning close, she examines the mail boxes. Willie's name is there. She backs away, afraid. INT. LIVINGROOM - DAY A dresser drawer opens and a box labeled "Sam's Things -- Valuable" is slowly pulled out. A hand reaches inside it and extracts Sam's address book. As THE CAMERA PULLS BACK, we see that it is Carl standing in Molly and Sam's livingroom. Carl opens the book and quickly jots down a series of code numbers he finds in the back. His eyes sparkle with excitement. INT. POLICE STATION - DETECTIVE'S OFFICE - DAY Molly is sitting in a room opposite DETECTIVE SERGEANT THOMAS BEIDERMAN, 48, and SERGEANT DOROTHY WALLACE, 29. Both officers are staring at her as she speaks. She seems very uncomfortable. MOLLY Look, you've gotta believe me. I don't even believe this stuff, myself. But this is real. Do you think I'd come here if it wasn't real? You told me to come if I had any new information. Well, here I am. The officers don't respond. MOLLY (continuing) Don't look at me like that. You guys use psychics all the time. There is dead silence. MOLLY (continuing) Damn it. I know how this sounds. I hear myself saying it and I want to cringe. But this woman knew things she couldn't have known, intimate details. WALLACE How intimate? MOLLY Things Sam only said to me. WALLACE (smirking) Okay, let me get this straight. According to this psychic lady, there are ghosts and spirits all over the place, watching us all the time, huh?... (she stands up) I'm sorry. I've got important things to do. She leaves the room. Molly gives her a dirty look and turns to Beiderman. MOLLY I'm telling you. The killer's name is Willie Lopez. I've got his address. You've got to check it out. Sgt. Beiderman gets up and looks over to Molly. SGT. BEIDERMAN Okay. You just wait here. Let me see if this guy's got a record. He heads out of the room. Molly sits back with an air of enormous relief and gratitude. Sergeant Wallace comes into the room again and picks up a folder. Molly waits nervously. After a moment Sergeant Beiderman returns with a police file in his hands. Molly looks up at him, and then smiles at Wallace as she sees it. She feels vindicated. He lays the thick folder on the desk and opens it up. She hurries over to him. CUT TO: MUG SHOTS OF ODA MAE and reams of police paperwork. WIDEN as Molly stares at it all in sudden shock. MOLLY What are you doing? Where's your file on Willie Lopez? SGT. BEIDERMAN There's no file for a Willie Lopez. He was probably some old boyfriend she was trying to get even with. This psychic woman's record goes back a long way. Fraud, numbers rackets, you name it. She's a real pro. CUT BACK AND FORTH between the records and Molly's stunned reaction. We see recent photos of Oda Mae and others going back to her youth. They are fascinating and revealing. We even see photos of her mother and grandmother. In addition, there are pages of arrest records and prison files. SGT. BEIDERMAN (continuing) 1967. Shreveport, Louisiana. Forgery, selling false ID. Served one year. 1971. Baton Rouge. Arrested for fraud, numbers racketeering. Served ten months. 1974. Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Fraud, seven months. 1984. Albany, New York. Petty larceny. It goes on and on. Molly is overwhelmed by the evidence. SGT. BEIDERMAN (continuing) This woman's a charlatan. You can't believe anything she said. MOLLY This isn't possible. There were words, private things. How could she have known all that? SGT. BEIDERMAN They have ways. MOLLY Ways? What ways? SGT. BEIDERMAN They've got a million cons. A lot of times they read the obits. All she had to do was see the word "banker". Hell, they even go through your garbage to find things they can use, letters, old papers. They don't need much. Molly turns away. SGT. BEIDERMAN (continuing) I bet you threw stuff out, huh? It could have been anything. What about that underwear she knew all about? Molly's eyes widen. SGT. BEIDERMAN (continuing) Green underwear. I'll bet she zeroed right in on that. MOLLY No! She was real. She said things. She knew about a sweater I knitted, about songs we sang... She knew about this place we went, Montego Bay... Molly begins to cry. SGT. BEIDERMAN I'm sorry. I know this is hard. People want so much to believe. They're grieving, vulnerable. They'd give anything for one last moment... money, insurance policies. Believe me, these people know what they're doing. Look, I know how you must feel. You know, you can press charges. Molly shakes her head no. Sgt. Beiderman closes the file. Molly sits for a long time. She is in terrible pain. MOLLY Oh God, I wanted it to be Sam. Sgt. Beiderman nods his head compassionately and then turns away. INT. BEDROOM - LATE AFTERNOON (THE SAME DAY) Molly is sitting in her bedroom. The glow of the late afternoon sunlight casts long shadows across the bed. She seems deeply depressed and alone. Gradually her gaze falls on a jar sitting on the nightstand. In it is the penny Sam found when they were first working on the loft. A label on the jar says, "For Luck!" In a moment of sudden rage, she picks it up and throws it against the wall. It SHATTERS on the floor. INT. CARL'S OFFICE - NIGHT The code from Sam's address book, jotted on a piece of paper, is sitting beside Carl. CARL (excitedly) God, let this be it! Anxiously, Carl punches the code into a computer and, suddenly, Sam's old accounts appear on the screen. A look of relief wafts across Carl's face. CARL (continuing) Oh God, yes! Carl is staring at the same accounts Sam was examining the afternoon before he was killed, the accounts with too much money in them. Carl picks up the phone and punches a number. Someone answers. CARL (continuing) Tony, this is Carl. I'm all set. We're fine. Everything's fine. Just tell me what you want me to do. A VOICE on the other end begins to speak. VOICE We want you to transfer the money from the 12 separate accounts into a single account under the name "Rita Miller". Tomorrow, at five minutes before closing, 3:55 p. m., transfer the full account to First Island Bank of Nassau, registry number 486- 9580. Carl writes it all down. VOICE (continuing) Call us when it's done. CARL Tell Mr. Balistrari there won't be any problems. VOICE I'll do that. Carl hangs up. He seems deeply relieved. REVEAL SAM He is standing in front of Carl, watching. Quickly, Carl begins punching commands into the computer. He is setting up the dummy account. Rita Miller, #926-31043. INT. LOFT - THE SAME NIGHT Molly, in a short terrycloth robe, is sitting in a chair. A magazine is on her lap but she is staring vacantly into the loft. She seems lost in the vast space. Sam is pacing back and forth. There is a melancholy look in his eyes. SAM Why can't you hear me, Molly? I need you. Suddenly the BELL rings. Molly jumps. Molly's finger is on the intercom. She seems unsettled. MOLLY Who's there? CARL Molly, it's Carl. Can I come up? Sam freezes. Molly is surprised. She hesitates a moment and then pushes the buzzer to let him in. We hear Carl bounding up the stairs. SAM Don't open it. He's a murderer, Moll! There is a KNOCK. Molly opens the door. Carl seems buoyant, almost celebratory. He has a bag of fruit in his hand. He is still in a suit and tie. CARL Hi. Thanks. I know it's late. I'm sorry to disturb you. I felt bad about last night. This supernatural stuff just makes me so uncomfortable. I don't even read horoscopes. MOLLY Don't worry. It's okay. CARL No it's not. You needed me to hear you and I didn't and that was wrong. I want you to know that I'm your friend, Moll. SAM You were never our friend. CARL (holding out a paper bag) Hey, I brought you some Japanese apple pears. I know you like them. MOLLY (taking the bag) Oh, that's so sweet. CARL Listen, can I come in for a minute? I won't stay long. I've had one of those days. Maybe a cup of coffee? SAM No, Moll. Don't do it. Don't let him in! MOLLY (hesitating) Sure. OMITTED INT. LIVINGROOM - NIGHT Carl, in shirt sleeves and Molly in her robe, are sitting on the couch drinking coffee. We notice that Carl is wearing yellow suspenders. Sam is beside himself, watching them. MOLLY Are you alright? You look nervous, upset. CARL (glancing at her thighs) What can I tell you. It's been tough. Hell, you know. It still hurts so much. (he poses sadly) Then on top of it all... it's the responsibilities. They've given me my own accounts, but I've had no time to adjust. My mind has been reeling. Molly reaches out and pats his arm. There is an awkward pause. CARL (continuing) Where were you this morning? I thought you were coming to the bank to sign those papers. MOLLY I didn't have time. (beat) I went to the police, Carl. Sam looks at her, amazed. Carl, on the other hand, stiffens. He laughs nervously. CARL You're kidding. You really did it? I don't believe... What did you tell them? What did they say? MOLLY You were right, you know. I felt like such a fool. They brought out a file on this psychic woman ten inches thick. It was awful. CARL (relieved) A ripoff artist, huh? SAM (shocked) Molly, no. MOLLY The sad part is that I believed her. I believed her, Carl. (pause) It was all a sham. CARL (relaxing) Sometimes we need to believe. MOLLY Why?... I was a fool. I don't believe anything anymore. Why would people do such things? Sam is devastated. CARL (milking it) It's hard to face reality, Moll, the hard cold facts of it. What you have to remember is the love you felt. That's what's real. You have to remember how good Sam was. How much he loved you. Molly holds back tears. Carl reaches out tenderly and strokes her hair. CARL (continuing) You were everything to him, Molly. You were his life. MOLLY (finally crying) I feel so alone. CARL You're not alone. You're young. You've got so much talent. You're fantastically gorgeous. MOLLY (appreciating his words) Oh God, I don't know what's real anymore. I don't know what to think. CARL Just think about Sam. Think about what he meant to you, the years you had together, how wonderful they were. Carl glides his hand slowly, lovingly across her cheek. CARL (continuing) Let your feelings out. Almost imperceptibly, his hand moves down to the nape of her neck. As she moves, her robe opens slightly. Carl notices, glimpsing her nakedness beneath it. Sam notices, too. He freezes. CARL (continuing) Life turns on a dime, Moll. People think they have forever, that they'll always have tomorrow. But it's not true. Sam taught us that. We have to live for now, for today. Molly can barely contain her tears. Carl moves toward her moist cheeks and kisses them gently. Slowly, he guides his lips to her neck and kisses it, too. It is all hateful and sensual at the same time. Sam turns away. Molly feels Carl's tenderness, needs it. She does not notice his hand reaching for the cord on her robe and slowly pulling it toward him. With a little tug the cord unravels and the robe falls open. Molly is confused, aroused, not sure what to do. She starts to pull it closed. He holds her hand. For a moment they do nothing. Then his fingers reach for her thigh. Her body quivers. Carl feels her openness and pulls closer, his hand rising gently up her naked body. Molly's eyes close. She says nothing. SAM No!!! OMITTED ANGLE Sam charges wildly at the couch and begins flailing uncontrollably at the two of them. Unexpectedly his foot kicks out and hits a framed photograph of him and Molly that's sitting on an end table. The picture CRASHES to the floor, the glass SHATTERING. Molly jumps up, the mood suddenly broken. She sees the photo and recoils. Carl reaches for her. She backs away. Sam is stunned by what has happened. He jumps up and tries kicking over another picture but nothing moves. His foot goes right through it. Molly looks at Carl, drying her tears. MOLLY I can't. I'm sorry. I can't. It's too soon... You've been great Carl, but... I need you to leave. Please. I need you to. CARL Sure. It's okay. I understand. I really do. She reaches out and takes his hand. CARL (continuing) Look, what if we have dinner tomorrow night? Just talk. Can I interest you in that? SAM NO!!! Molly hesitates a moment and then nods her head "yes". Carl smiles. INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT Sam rushes madly down a flight of stairs into a subway station. A train is just leaving. He jumps on board. CUT TO: INT. SUBWAY TRAIN - NIGHT Sam begins quickly casing the aisles, looking for something. It is not there. Another train can be seen speeding past the window. Sam takes a running leap and jumps onto it, passing through the walls. CUT TO: OMITTED ANGLE - SAM disappointed. Suddenly, an express train passes alongside his local. Sam sticks his face inside it. Suddenly, he smiles and rushes onto it. ANGLE Sam does not have to stand there long. Within seconds, the terrifying Ghost he had seen before comes charging at him. We notice him more clearly now. He is wearing a dark blue pea coat. There is a grizzled look about him. He has stained teeth and seems perpetually unshaven. GHOST Get off my train! This time Sam does not back away. He holds his ground. The Ghost lets fire every trick in his arsenal. Posters come flying off the walls. A bag of groceries topples from a woman's arms, an old man's cane flies across the aisle, a boy's Mets cap flips off his head. People on the train move quickly to other cars. Unable to frighten him, the Ghost kicks Sam in the stomach. Sam recoils, feeling it, but gets back up again. He is angry now. He begins raging at the other Ghost. The Ghost is shocked. SAM Teach me how you do that! I want to learn! I'm not leaving til you teach me! The Ghost, exhausted, looks up at him and smiles with appreciation. GHOST You stubborn asshole. Sam nods in agreement. CUT TO: SAM AND THE GHOST sitting in the corner of a deserted subway station. Sam is trying desperately to push a bottle cap with his finger. GHOST (continuing) What are you doing? What are you doing? You can't push it with your finger. You're dead. The Ghost demonstrates, kicking a garbage pail onto its side. Sam can't quite tell how he did it. SAM I don't get it. GHOST It's your mind, you idiot. It's all in the mind. The problem is you think you're still real, that you're standin' on the floor, that you're wearin' those clothes. Bullshit! You don't even have a body anymore. It's all up here. You wanna move things, you gotta use your mind. You gotta focus! You hear what I'm saying? SAM How do you focus? GHOST I don't know how you focus! You just focus! With surprising energy, the Ghost flicks a bottle cap and sends it shooting across the subway platform. GHOST (continuing) It's all in the anger. You gotta direct it. You gotta channel it. SAM I'm angry all the time. It doesn't do a thing. GHOST Cause you're angry all over. You gotta be angry here, in the pit of your stomach. Bring it down here. Let it explode. (he makes an explosive gesture) It's like a reactor, you know. Pow! He kicks a Coke can toward Sam. Sam tries to kick it back and misses. The Ghost laughs. Sam gets angry. He tries again and falls on his head. The Ghost laughs louder. Now Sam is really angry. We see him forcing the anger down into his stomach. He holds still for a moment and then kicks at the can with all his might. To his shock and amazement, it sails right through the Ghost's head. The Ghost smiles. SAM I did it! GHOST Way to go. CUT TO: SAM practicing. He smashes at an abandoned tennis shoe with his fist. Nothing happens. GHOST From your gut. What do I keep tellin' you? Sam's stomach bulges. He tries again. Nothing. GHOST (continuing) Give it time! What else have you got? Undaunted, Sam tries once more. This time the tennis shoe moves. The Ghost nods his head approvingly. Sam is thrilled. SAM How long have you been here? GHOST Since they pushed me. SAM Someone pushed you? GHOST Yeah, someone pushed me! SAM Who? GHOST What? You don't believe me? You think I fell? You think I jumped? Well, fuck you! (an unexpected rage starts to build) It wasn't my time! I wasn't supposed to go! I'm not supposed to be here! Venom spews from the Ghost's mouth. Suddenly he rams a cigarette machine full force with his head. The glass SHATTERS and packs of cigarettes scatter everywhere. He throws himself on top of them with terrible longing. GHOST (continuing) I'd give everything for a drag. Just one drag. He rolls and wallows in terrible frustration, tossing the cigarettes in all directions. Suddenly he looks up and sees Sam. He is unable to control his fury. GHOST (continuing) Who the hell are you? Why are you hounding me like this? Leave me alone. AN EXPRESS TRAIN is shooting through the station. The Ghost throws himself into it and in an instant he is gone. OMITTED INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT Sam, all alone, walks through the station. Suddenly, he reaches out and pushes a garbage can lid. It swings back and forth. He is delighted. A beer can is sitting on a bench. He pushes it off, watching it roll across the platform with childlike glee. Looking up, Sam sees an advertisement for Market Security Bank and Trust. He stares at it with great interest. "Special Banking for Special People. We make it easy for you." Something registers in Sam's eyes. He yells and jumps straight up, hitting a subway sign with his finger. With great excitement, he runs for the stairs and rushes from the station. OMITTED INT. SEANCE ROOM - NIGHT ORTISHA JONES, a black woman with brassy red hair, is sitting at Oda Mae's seance table surrounded by several of her relatives. Clara and Louise stand behind Oda Mae helping with the ritual. Oda Mae goes into her trance. ANGLE A GROUP OF GHOSTS is milling behind Oda Mae. Sam comes barging into the room and looks at them in amazement. SAM What the hell? Oda Mae, startled, jumps up in her chair. Everyone else jumps, too. Clara and Louise look worried. ODA MAE Sam? SAM What is all this? What's goin' on? ODA MAE What'd you do, tell every spook in town about me? I got spooks from out of town here. There's stuff goin' on you wouldn't believe. I can't hardly believe it myself. Ortisha and her relatives look up, confused. SAM Oda Mae. You're doing it. This is for real. How do you like that? ODA MAE I don't. SAM Come on. Look at this. You're doing great. One of the GHOSTS standing in the background butts in. GHOST Can you hurry this up? My husband's in the waiting room. SAM I need your help, Oda Mae. There's something we need to do. ODA MAE Forget it. I'm not doin' anything. You're holdin' on to a life that don't want you no more. Give it up. SAM Give it up? I'm already dead. ODA MAE Dead, yeah, but you ain't finished dyin'. Give up the ghost. SAM And how am I supposed to do that? ODA MAE You're asking me? Ortisha looks at Oda Mae. She has no idea what's going on. ORTISHA Are you speaking to me? ODA MAE Does it look like I'm speakin' to you? (continuing; to Sam) So, are you gonna leave or not? I've got work to do. Ortisha is totally confused. Oda Mae turns back to her. ODA MAE (continuing) What's a matter? You're supposed to be concentrating. How do you expect me to do this if you're not concentrating? Okay then. You ready? Let's do it. ANGLE Oda Mae and everyone in the room gets very quiet. One of the ghosts draws close. Oda Mae's eyes roll up into her head. Then, suddenly, an extraordinary thing occurs. We see the spirit pull back and dive right into Oda Mae. Oda Mae gulps. Her nostrils flare. Her eyes bulge. ODA MAE Oh, Lord! Stop! Whatcha doin' to me? Oda Mae's body goes into bizarre convulsions as the Ghost tries to move inside her. She looks strangely stuffed and enormously uncomfortable. Sam and the others watch in astonishment as she tries to speak, but nothing comes out. Then suddenly the GHOST speaks through Oda Mae. ORLANDO (screaming) Ortisha?! Ortisha and her relatives jump up in amazement. ORTISHA (excitedly) Orlando! Is that you? ORLANDO (disoriented) Ortisha, where are you? I can't see too good. RELATIVES Here! She's here! ORTISHA In front of you! I'm right here! Orlando suddenly zeros in on Ortisha. His eyes widen. ORLANDO Mother of God, what've you done to your hair!? Ortisha smiles excitedly. ORTISHA Orlando, do you like it? It's Autumn Sunrise. Suddenly Oda Mae's body begins to shake wildly and her voice booms out, screaming with all her might. ODA MAE Get out of here, you little shit! With frightening speed, she sends the spirit catapulting out of her body. Clara and Louise jump up. Oda Mae is shaking. ODA MAE (continuing) Lord oh Lord, don't you ever do that to me! ORTISHA (confused) Orlando!? ANGLE ORLANDO He is lying on the floor, exhausted. ORLANDO What happened to me? I can barely move. GHOST You should know better than to try that. It's not worth it. It'll wipe you out for days. SAM That was incredible, Oda Mae. ODA MAE Never again. Never. ORTISHA Where's Orlando? SAM He spoke through you. It was amazing. ODA MAE No more, uh uh, no more. ORTISHA What happened to Orlando? Where'd he leave the insurance policy? SAM You're great, Oda Mae! You're a real medium. It's what you were born for. ODA MAE I want everybody out. ORTISHA Orlando? Ortisha looks around the room, befuddled. Clara and Louise aren't sure what to do. ODA MAE Now! Ortisha and her relatives scurry out fast. The ghosts, too, begin passing through the wall. Oda Mae lays her head on the table. Suddenly her whole body begins heaving. She is starting to cry. Sam is surprised. SAM Oda Mae, what's wrong? ODA MAE Out! I said out! That means you, too! Sam hesitates a moment and then respectfully follows the others through the wall. OMITTED INT. SEANCE ROOM - NIGHT Clara knocks on the seance room door and peeks in. CLARA Oda Mae, there's a man here who says he has to see you right away. ODA MAE I ain't seein' nobody. Willie pushes his way into the room. Clara isn't sure what to do. Oda Mae looks up. She does not know him. WILLIE Are you the one that can talk to the dead? ODA MAE I beg your pardon! I'm not seeing customers right now. WILLIE I said I need to know if you're the one. ODA MAE I'm the one. But not now. WILLIE This is important. I have a friend. He died recently. Some say he was mugged. I think he was murdered. Oda Mae stares at him curiously. WILLIE (continuing) I'm told you can contact people like that. Is that true? ODA MAE It's been known to happen. But it's not gonna happen now, so come back later. WILLIE I can't wait til later. He sits down across from Oda Mae and shows no signs of leaving. Oda Mae observes him quietly for a moment. ODA MAE What's your friend's name? WILLIE Good question. Why don't you tell me? Oda Mae glares at him. WILLIE (continuing) You're the psychic, right? ODA MAE This ain't no guessin' game. WILLIE Then what is it, lady? ODA MAE Lookit, I don't know what your trouble is... (getting nervous) Who are you? WILLIE You're the mindreader. I hear you've been tellin' people about me for days. What's my name? ANGLE - ODA MAE confused and uncomfortable. Sam comes wandering back into the room. His eyes bulge. SAM Willie! ODA MAE Willie!? Willie sits straight up in his chair, amazed. WILLIE How'd you know that? ODA MAE Because I'm psychic. With a sudden thrust, Oda Mae sends her foot shooting into Willie's balls. As he recoils she knocks the table into his lap and rushes for the closet. We see her barricade herself in the hidden chamber. Willie, shaking, scrambles to his feet and, before Sam can stop him, BLASTS his gun at the closet door. It is riddled with bullets. Sam screams out. Willie runs to the side door and escapes to the street. Clara and Louise come rushing in. Sam charges into the closet and sees that Oda Mae is safe behind the false door. Then he hurries to the street. OMITTED EXT. STREET - NIGHT Sam rushes to the sidewalk and looks in all directions. Willie is nowhere to be seen. He hurries back to Oda Mae. OMITTED INT. SEANCE ROOM - NIGHT The room is a disaster area, full of hysterical women. Oda Mae is being dragged from the closet, unhurt but in a state of shock. ODA MAE He tried to kill me! Why? Why? No one answers. ODA MAE (continuing) Talk to me! Her sisters start talking but she shoos them away. SAM Oda Mae, we're in trouble... ODA MAE We're in trouble? Who's we? You're already dead. SAM I can stop them. But I can't do it alone. You've gotta help me. ODA MAE Help you? It's me they're tryin' to kill. SAM You're right. And they'll be back. I'm your only chance. ODA MAE Why don't you go find a haunted house and rattle some chains. SAM I need you Oda Mae. I need you to get some fake ID's. ODA MAE Fake ID's? What for? SAM Help me now, they'll never bother you again. I promise. ODA MAE (stopping, thinking) Help you? Whataya talking about exactly? What else do I have to do? EXT. NEW YORK STREET - DAY Oda Mae, dressed to the hilt, is walking with Sam toward the main branch of Market Security Bank & Trust. She seems nervous and upset. ODA MAE This is crazy. This ain't gonna work. I don't know nothin' 'bout bankin'. SAM I'll teach you. You'll learn fast. As they reach the entrance of the bank, they pass a pair of NUNS collecting money to build a shelter for the homeless. One of them holds out a collection box. Oda Mae passes her by, carefully avoiding eye contact. INT. MARKET SECURITY BANK & TRUST - DAY Oda Mae enters Sam's bank. She seems completely out of place. Sam, walking beside her, directs her every move. SAM See where it says "New Accounts"? That's where you're going. ODA MAE (paranoid) I'm not givin' 'em any money. SAM Just do what I say. Oda Mae approaches the New Accounts desk. She seems very uptight. A woman OFFICER behind the desk looks up at her. OFFICER Can I help you? SAM Tell her you're here to fill out a signature card for a new account. ODA MAE I'm here to fill out a signature card for a new account. OFFICER And do you know your account number? SAM Yes. 926-31043. ODA MAE Yes. 926-31043. SAM Rita Miller. ODA MAE Who? OFFICER What? SAM Tell her Rita Miller. ODA MAE Rita Miller. OFFICER (eyeing her oddly) Didn't they have you sign a card when you opened the account? SAM Tell her Carl Bruner opened it for you by phone and asked you to come in today. ODA MAE Carl Bruner opened it for me. He asked me to come in today. OFFICER Ah. The Officer checks out the name and account number on her computer screen. It all seems to jive. She pulls out a card from her desk and hands it to Oda Mae. Oda Mae stares at it. SAM Just sign you name at the bottom on the first blank line. Oda Mae nods and starts to sign "Oda Mae". Sam stops her. SAM (continuing) No, no, no. Rita Miller. ODA MAE (to the officer) Can I have another one please? I signed the wrong name. Sam hits his forehead with his hand. The Officer gives her another card. Oda Mae signs it. SAM Tell her to see that it goes right up to the third floor file since you have a transaction to make. ODA MAE I need you to put that in the third floor file cause I got a transfusion to make. OFFICER A what? ODA MAE You know what I mean. (innocently) Umm, can I keep the pen? OFFICER (surprised, not sure what to say) ...uh, sure. Oda Mae, delighted, walks away smiling and gives the officer a wave. She is loving this. ODA MAE Thanks. INT. CARL'S OFFICE The clock on Carl's wall says 3:40. He seems anxious. The phone RINGS. Carl jumps. He pushes down the speaker button. CARL Hello. Carl Bruner speaking. VOICE Carl? CARL Mr. Balsitrari VOICE Balistrari? Carl, it's me, John. I've got the info on the Bradley portfolio. CARL Oh yeah, yeah. That's great. I'll pick it up later. He hangs up. His hand is shaking. INT. MARKET SECURITY BANK & TRUST - DAY Sam and Oda Mae approach a fancy part of the bank housing administrative personnel. They approach a GUARD who is standing there. SAM Tell the guard you're here to see Lyle Furgeson. ODA MAE Lyle Furgeson, please. GUARD Do you have an appointment? ODA MAE No. I'm here for the fun of it. SAM Don't say that! Tell him Rita Miller's here. ODA MAE Tell him Rita Miller's here. GUARD Just one moment, please. SAM Don't embellish. ODA MAE Yes, Sir. GUARD (turning around) Excuse me? She waves him on. SAM (whispering) Now listen, this guy Furgeson's a real jerk. ODA MAE Why are you whispering? SAM (he doesn't know) Just be quiet and listen. I've known him five years and he still thinks my name's Paul. We see the Guard leaning over Mr. Furgeson's desk. FURGESON looks up and sees Oda Mae. He shrugs his shoulders. SAM (continuing) He's a social moron. You don't have to worry about anything. Tell the guard Furgeson knows you. You spent time with him and his wife Shirley at the Brewster's Christmas party last year. The Guard comes back. GUARD What is this regarding? ODA MAE What? He doesn't remember me? We were together at the Brewster's Christmas party. With his wife Shirley. They had that lovely tree... all those presents. Why, I'll never forget all those beautiful... Sam pokes her. She yelps, surprised, and glances around. The Guard gives her an odd look. ODA MAE (continuing) Oops. Gas. She forces a smile. He smiles back and then goes over to Mr. Furgeson. SAM This'll be easy. Furgeson was so drunk at that party, he could have had a conversation with Tina Turner and he wouldn't remember. The Guard whispers in Furgeson's ear. Furgeson appears totally flummoxed. He looks up at Oda Mae, embarrassed, and waves. The Guard motions her to come back. She walks proudly over to his desk. He sticks out his hand. FURGESON Hello, hello. Of course, of course. It's been so long. ODA MAE A long time. SAM Ask how Bobby and Snooky are. ODA MAE How are Bobby and Snooky doin'? FURGESON (perplexed) Why, they're just fine, thank you. Nice of you to ask. And how is your... family? ODA MAE Couldn't be better. FURGESON Well, isn't that wonderful. SAM Tell him you've been wondering how they did on the Gibraltar securities. ODA MAE So tell me, Fergie, how did you do on the Gibraltar securities? FURGESON (surprised) The Gibraltar securities! Well, it looks like we topped out, huh? SAM "We sure did!" ODA MAE We sure did. FURGESON (impressed) That was a wonderful tip. SAM "Good old Randy". ODA MAE Good old Randy. Got a real head on his shoulders. SAM "Her" shoulders. ODA MAE "Her" shoulders. FURGESON Sure does. Well... well. So what brings you here today? SAM You're closing an account. ODA MAE I'm closing an account. FURGESON Well... wonderful. Do you have your account number? SAM 926-31043. ODA MAE 926-3143. SAM 31-0-43. She looks up into the air. Furgeson eyes her strangely. ODA MAE Make that 31-0-43... Numbers. I'm dyslexic. He punches Rita Miller's number into the computer. A figure appears on the screen. He stares at it for a few seconds and then punches it in again. FURGESON (trying to be calm) Well, Rita, you'll be withdrawing four million dollars from us today, is that correct? ODA MAE Four million dollars?! SAM Say "yes"! ODA MAE (gasping) Yes! Four million. That's right. That's right. FURGESON And how will you want that? ODA MAE Tens and twenties? FURGESON Pardon? SAM A cashier's check! Tell him a cashier's check. ODA MAE A cashier's check. FURGESON Fine. Of course, you realize we're required to get some identification from everyone. It's just procedural. You understand. ODA MAE Of course. Oda Mae reaches into her purse and pulls out a DRIVER'S LICENSE and a SOCIAL SECURITY CARD. Furgeson gets up and walks away from his desk. He seems unsteady on his feet. An OFFICER at the next desk is using a Brillo pad to clean a stain on her desk. Oda Mae smiles. ODA MAE You know, if you put that Brillo pad in the freezer, it'll last twice as long. The Officer nods appreciatively. INT. CARD FILE ROOM - DAY Furgeson lays Oda Mae's ID next to her signature card. The signatures match up. He nods his head in approval. INT. CARL'S OFFICE - DAY Carl looks up at the clock. It is 3:50. He pushes down a button on the phone. A SECRETARY answers. SECRETARY (V.O.) Yes, Mr. Bruner. CARL Get me the First Island Bank of Nassau. It's on the rolodex. INT. MARKET SECURITY BANK & TRUST - DAY Mr. Furgeson returns with Rita Miller's signature card and a cashier's check for $4,000,000. Oda Mae's hand shakes as she examines it. FURGESON I'll just need your signature right here. ODA MAE Sure. SAM Sign Rita Miller. Sam looks up and gulps. Molly has just entered the bank and is heading toward them. He jumps up nervously. SAM (continuing) I'll be back in a minute. You're on your own. Don't say anything foolish. Oda Mae signs a form closing the account. Of course the signatures match. Mr. Furgeson examines them both and smiles. He shakes Oda Mae's hand. FURGESON Now you be careful with this. It's like carrying cash, you know. ODA MAE (positively glowing) I sure do. Sam rushes over to Molly. He is not sure what to do. He notices a stack of deposit forms on the counter she is about to pass. He hurries to it and flicks the entire stack, a hundred sheets, flying up into the air. Molly, confused, thinks she is responsible and stoops to pick them up. Sam, delighted, flicks another stack. Oda Mae is talking a blue streak when Sam returns to her. ODA MAE (continuing) Then my mother took all the money from the oil wells and put it in gasoline pumps. Every gas station has 'em you know, sometimes six or more. It adds up. SAM Oda Mae, come on. We gotta get out of here. Say goodbye. ODA MAE (abruptly getting up) Well, I've got to leave. It's been a pleasure doin' business with you. Say "hi" to Shirley and Snooky for me. FURGESON Thank you, Rita. I'll be glad to. Oda Mae smiles and leaves. There is a new lilt in her walk. Suddenly Sam looks and sees Molly about to stand up. SAM Hurry up, Oda Mae. At that second, Oda Mae spots a quarter lying on the ground. She stoops down and picks it up. ODA MAE (excitedly) What a day! Molly sees her, does a double take, and starts to go after her. Unfortunately, Oda Mae steps onto an elevator before Molly can catch up. The doors close. Molly stops for a moment and then looks back across to the executive area. She sees Lionel Furgeson and hurries over to him. MOLLY Lionel? He is surprised to see her and grows instantly solicitous. FURGESON Molly. How are you? MOLLY Lionel, a woman who just left, a black lady, about my height, did you see her? FURGESON Well, yes. I just took care of her. MOLLY What did she want? Did it have anything to do with me? Did she ask about Sam? FURGESON (not understanding) Sam? No. Why? MOLLY Was her name Oda Mae Brown? FURGESON No, Rita Miller. She just closed an account. Molly stares at Furgeson. She is not sure what to think. FURGESON (continuing) Is there a problem? MOLLY (hesitating, not sure what to say) No. I guess not. Thanks. She walks away, confused. INT. CARL'S OFFICE - DAY Carl, in front of his computer, is going crazy. He keeps punching buttons on the keyboard but the same response appears over and over on the screen. "RITA MILLER, #926-31043. ACCOUNT CLOSED. BALANCE $00.00." Panicked, Carl jumps up. He moves quickly, erratically around the office and then back to the computer. He punches the keys over and over. The same answer appears on the screen. The account is closed. HALL OUTSIDE CARL'S OFFICE Carl runs through the office. He seems crazed. People look at him. LEEDEN Carl, is something wrong? CARL Is someone playing with the computers? LEEDEN What? CARL Is this a joke? One of my accounts is closed. LEEDEN Which account? What's wrong? Carl freezes. He doesn't answer. LEEDEN (continuing) You want me to call someone? CARL (changing his demeanor) No, no. Never mind. It's okay. It's all right. I can do it. EXT. MARKET SECURITY BANK & TRUST - DAY Sam and Oda Mae are walking down the street in front of the bank. Oda Mae is talking to herself. ODA MAE $4,000,000. $4,000,000. Lord Almighty. SAM Oda Mae. Take the check out of your purse. She stops. There is a nervous look on her face. ODA MAE Take it out? Why? SAM Just do it. Oda Mae, worried, removes the check but holds onto it tightly. SAM (continuing) Now endorse it. Sign Rita Miller. ODA MAE (in shock) Endorse it? Why? SAM Do what I say. ODA MAE No! SAM That's blood money, Oda. I was killed for that money. Endorse it now. ODA MAE What are you going to do with it? SAM We're giving it away. ODA MAE Away? What do you mean? To who? SAM Look to your left. Oda Mae looks at the nuns collecting money for the homeless. She recoils. ODA MAE Are you outta your mind? SAM Do what I tell you. ODA MAE No! (clutching the check) I can't. SAM Yes, you can. If you don't do it, they'll track you down. Your only protection is to get rid of it, now. ODA MAE Sweet Jesus, you're killing me, Sam. SAM I'm saving you, Oda Mae. You'll go to heaven for this. Oda Mae growls at him. With great difficulty, she approaches the nuns. The nuns look at her with curiosity and compassion. SAM Write "St. Joseph's Shelter". With great hesitation, Oda Mae begins to write. We sense that every word is a torment for her. The nuns politely avert their eyes from the check. NUN Bless you, child. Oda Mae gives her a dirty look and hands the check over. SAM I'm proud of you. ODA MAE Don't you talk to me. I don't want you comin' round no more. I mean it. Understand? SAM Come on, we're friends. ODA MAE Friends? Friends? She turns on her high heels and wobbles away. Sam calls after her. SAM I think you're wonderful, Oda Mae. She growls again. In the background we see the nuns secretly peeking at the check. One of them, wide-eyed, faints dead away. The other nun stoops down and fans her face in an attempt to revive her. INT. CARL'S OFFICE - NIGHT It is after hours. Almost everyone on the floor has gone. Carl, hunched over his computer, is typing furious commands on the keyboard. He looks haggard and worn. Sequence after sequence of coded numbers flash past on the monitor screen. Sam, sitting in a desk chair, watches, smiling. SAM Search, you bastard! You'll never find it. It's gone. (he smiles) They'll kill you for this, Carl. You and Willie. They'll wipe you off the face of the earth. In a moment of childish delight, he pushes his feet against the wall and the chair shoots across the room. Carl looks up and sees an empty chair moving. He stares at it in confusion, and then goes back to the screen. He seems desperate. Nothing is working. Panicked and frightened, Carl flicks off the machine and storms furiously around the room. Sam approaches the computer, hesitates a moment, and then pushes the power switch. The computer CLICKS back on. Carl spins around. He stares at the computer curiously for a moment and then turns it back off. Sam, enjoying this, reaches for the switch and FLICKS it back on again. Carl stares at it. CARL What the...? Carl watches as the keys seem to depress themselves and letters begin appearing on the screen. He sits down, mesmerized by what is happening. Then his face grows tense. The word "M-U-R-D-E-R-E-R" is emerging before him. Carl flies out of his chair, frantically running around to see who else is on the floor. He yells out like a madman. CARL (continuing) Who's doing that? There is no one there. He hears the computer beginning to type again and hurries back to look at the screen. One word appears. "S-A-M". Carl gasps and smashes the computer with his fist. It crashes to the floor. Electrical sparks go flying as Carl gasps for breath. Sam cannot hold himself back any longer. With a horrifying scream, he charges at Carl, jamming his fist hard into his ribs. SAM You bastard! You goddamn bastard! Carl grabs his side. CARL Ah! He hits Carl again. Carl gasps in inexplicable pain. SAM It's dinner time, Carl. Don't you have a date with Molly, you creepy son-of-a bitch? Sam keeps hitting deeper into Carl's mid-section. Carl doubles over as though he's going to throw up. CARL Jesus! Oh God! Sam is flushed with excitement. Carl kneels beside his desk. He cannot understand what is happening to him. His face goes stark white as the attack continues. Then, unexpectedly, the assault stops. Sam, exhausted, stares hatefully at his old friend cowering on the floor. Slowly and dizzily, Carl gets up. He looks fearfully around the office and then, holding his stomach, hurries from the room. INT. LOFT - THE SAME NIGHT Molly, all dressed to go out, is sitting in Sam's easy chair, asleep. Suddenly Carl arrives knocking at her door. He does not look well. Sam is with him. MOLLY Carl? Where were you? I thought we were having...? CARL I'm sorry. Things just got so crazy. I completely forgot. SAM Old Carl had a little trouble at the office. MOLLY Forgot? I was worried. Is everything okay? Are you all right? CARL I'm okay. I'm alright. Look, can I talk to you for minute? Can I come in? Molly eyes Carl with concern as he enters the loft. CARL (continuing) I need to ask you a question. SAM He needs to borrow four million dollars. CARL Molly, I know what the police said, but when you thought Sam was here, when you thought he spoke to you, what did you feel? What did he say? MOLLY Why? What happened? CARL (very tense) Molly, that psychic woman, I want to know what she told you. I want to know what she said. MOLLY Carl, stop this. It was all a hoax. I told you. It wasn't real. She's a charlatan. (she hesitates and stares at Carl) Does this have anything to do with her being at the bank today? SAM Oh shit! CARL (gulping) At the bank? Sam tenses. He holds up his hand as if wanting her to stop. MOLLY I was sure I saw her. Furgeson says she was taking out money. It turns out her name isn't even Oda Mae Brown. It's Rita Miller or something. Carl turns white. His eyes bulge. He feels sick. MOLLY (continuing) What's wrong? CARL Stomach. My stomach. Do you have anything? Pepto Bismol. MOLLY (worried) Sure. Just a second. What's going on? Concerned, she hurries from the room. Sam digs his hands into Carl's back. Carl jerks forward in intense pain and begins flailing at the air. CARL What are you doing to me. Get away! Get away! INT. KITCHEN Sam does not go away. Freaked, Carl runs into the kitchen and rushes to the stove. Quickly he turns on the gas. He looks crazed. Turning to the air, he begins whispering loudly. CARL You touch me again and I'll set her on fire. I mean it. I'll kill her. I'll blow up the whole building if I have to. Stay away! Sam jabs at the knob on the stove and begins to turn it off. Carl sees it move. Shocked and frightened, he grabs it and pulls it off, leaving only the tiny stem in place. CARL (continuing) Go on, try it again. Let me see you turn it off now. Sam, frightened, tries with all his might but he cannot twist it. Carl pulls out a cigarette lighter and gloats. CARL (continuing) Try and hurt me. I'll kill her if you hurt me. Sam rushes at Carl about to jam his full fist into his chest, but then he stops, afraid. He pulls back, shaken. Carl stands there waiting for a blow that doesn't come. He begins to gloat. CARL What's a matter? You believe me, huh? You better believe me! I want my money. I need that money and I want it tonight -- at 11:00. If that psychic lady doesn't bring it here, Molly's dead. Sam freezes. Molly enters the kitchen. She grabs her nose. MOLLY Oh my God. Is that the gas? Carl acts as if that's the reason he came into the kitchen. CARL You must have left the stove on. He fiddles with the dials and turns it off. CARL (continuing) Just glad I smelled it. MOLLY (confused) Me, too. She opens a window. CARL Molly, I'm sorry. I've got to go. Look, there's something going on. I can't talk now. Some trouble at the bank. MOLLY Trouble? What kind of trouble? Is it that woman, the psychic? CARL I don't have time to talk now. What if I come back? Around 11:00? MOLLY Carl, what's going on? Let me help you. CARL I can't. I'm sorry to do this, but it's important. I'll be back. Molly is speechless. CARL (continuing) Eleven! OMITTED INT. ODA MAE'S LIVINGROOM - NIGHT Oda Mae is watching T.V. with Clara and Louise. Suddenly she jumps, aware of Sam's presence in the room. ODA MAE Sam! Clara and Louise jump, too. CLARA Not again! ODA MAE What're you doin' here? SAM Oda Mae! We're in trouble. They want the check. They're comin' to kill you. We gotta get outta here. ODA MAE The check? What do you mean, "the check". You said they'd never find out. CLARA (afraid) What's happenin' Oda Mae? EXT. STREET A red Mustang SCREECHES to a stop on the street below. Sam and Oda Mae run to the window. Carl and Willie are looking up. INT. LIVINGROOM SAM It's them. ODA MAE They're comin' to kill me. (to Sam, crazed) What have you done? EXT. ODA MAE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Willie and Carl jump out of the car. They head for Oda Mae's building. INT. ODA MAE'S LIVINGROOM - NIGHT Sam steps back from the window. SAM They're heading for the door. ODA MAE (terrified) Jesus have mercy. EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Willie forces open a back door. They head into the building. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT Oda Mae and the others hurry into the hall. They rush down the corridor and knock loudly on a neighbor's door. A WOMAN opens it a crack. ODA MAE Emergency! Let us in! WOMAN Who you kiddin'? The Woman slams the door and locks it shut. Oda Mae looks frightened. INT. APARTMENT STAIRWAY - NIGHT Carl and Willie climb the stairs two at a time. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT Oda Mae and her sisters bang on another apartment door. No one is home. Across the corridor an ELDERLY WOMAN sticks her head out to see what is going on. Before she can say anything they push their way inside. ELDERLY WOMAN What're you doin'? You can't come in here. The cat don't like visitors. She'll pee all over the couch. You wanna pay for... Oda Mae grabs the woman's mouth. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - FISHEYE LENS VIEW just as Willie and Carl emerge from the stairwell. They head down the hall toward Oda Mae's door. Willie pulls out a gun, and fires. The lock shoots open. They rush inside. CUT BACK TO: ODA MAE in the elderly woman's vestibule, peering through the peephole. The old woman is struggling and still trying to talk. Oda Mae's knees are wobbling. ODA MAE They're gonna find us. SAM No they won't. I'm gonna get 'em. ODA MAE Oh yeah? And how you gonna do that? SAM Whataya mean? I'm a ghost, aren't I? INT. ODA MAE'S LIVINGROOM - NIGHT Willie moves quickly through Oda Mae's apartment, his gun pointed, ready to fire. He seems furious when he realizes no one is there. WILLIE Looks like someone just left. CARL I'll check the building. ANGLE He rushes back out and down the stairs. Willie stays in the apartment. Suddenly, the doorbell RINGS. Willie rushes over and opens the door a crack. There is no one there. Confused, he backs away. The doorbell rings again. Completely mystified, he aims his gun and opens the door all the way. The hallway is empty. As Willie stands there, wondering what is happening, Sam steps inside and pushes the door closed. It slams shut. Willie nearly jumps out of his skin. WILLIE Damn! He stares at the door in total bewilderment. At that instant, a collection of picture frames flies off the breakfront and crashes into his legs. He backs away, spooked. Suddenly, the T.V. flicks ON at full volume and then the STEREO and the RADIO. Lights begin flashing on and off. Willie spins around in total dismay. Summoning all of his force, Sam slams into Willie. Willie recoils in unexplainable pain. He seems very disoriented. His gun falls to the floor. He reaches for it and Sam pushes it away. Willie jumps up, afraid. His eyes dart around the room. Sam laughs. WILLIE (continuing) Who's there? Who's doing that? ANGLE A pair of candle holders shoot off the mantle piece and nearly hit Willie in the head. He freaks. Grabbing his gun, Willie runs into the bathroom and locks the door. Suddenly the hot water faucet turns on by itself. Willie is terrified. Steam rises from the sink. Willie tries to get out, but Sam approaches him from behind and appears to dig his hands into his neck. Willie crumples to his knees. WILLIE Oh God! There is a SQUEAKING SOUND and Willie looks up. Letters are appearing in the fogged mirror. He stares in disbelief as the word "B-O-O!" emerges before him. He cries out. WILLIE (continuing) Let me outta here! Shaking uncontrollably, Willie FIRES his gun at the mirror. Glass and tiles EXPLODE. Willie is cut and bleeding. He grabs hold of the door and yanks it open. INT. HALLWAY Willie rushes to the hallway, charges for the back stairs and stumbles down the three flights to the street. Carl, running down the corridor, rushes after him. Willie drops his gun. Carl picks it up. EXT. BROOKLYN STREET -- NIGHT Willie runs from the building and careens down the sidewalk. People clear a path as he hurls past them like a madman. Carl, confused, runs after him. Sam, too, races after Willie, unwilling to let him get away. Suddenly, a man obstructs his way. Willie goes flying over him and lands face down on the cement. Before he can get up, Sam is all over him and does not let up. People stand back to watch as Willie does battle with himself. Panicked, he calls out to a bystander. WILLIE Help me! People back away. Carl watches in terror. He understands exactly what is happening. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Willie, blinded by his own hysteria, runs wildly into the street. Cars are bearing down on him from all directions. He does not get out of their way. One driver sees Willie coming and swerves to avoid him. His car skids. Another car brakes to avoid a collision and suddenly both cars crash right into him. CARL Look out! Willie's body is crushed instantly between the two vehicles as his spirit is catapulted into the air still screaming and writhing. His ghostly form reaches out to people for help as they rush past. No one stops. Willie spins around and sees a mangled body crumpled on the street. Suddenly, he recognizes that it is his own dead body lying there. He begins to scream. A bizarre and frightening CLICKING SOUND fills the air. Sam looks up. A group of strange dark figures has emerged from the shadows. With a loud, terrifying shriek, the dark forms swoop down and grab hold of Willie. Sam freezes. In an instant they are dragging Willie, kicking and screaming, down through the sewer grates into the bowels of the earth. ANGLE Sam backs against a wall in absolute horror. Carl, standing in the crowd, turns and runs. INT. OLD LADY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Oda Mae and her sisters are huddling with the old woman in the entryway to her apartment. They all appear frightened. The door is opened a crack and they can see people gathering in the hall outside. Sam walks up to Oda Mae. She feels his presence. ODA MAE Sam? What happened? SAM He's dead, Oda Mae. ODA MAE Dead! (she utters a sigh of relief) Oh, thank God. It's over. SAM No. It's not over, Oda Mae. There's still Carl. Oda Mae freezes. She turns to Sam. ODA MAE Who's Carl? INT. TAXI CAB - NIGHT Sam and Oda Mae are in a taxi speeding downtown. SAM Tell him to hurry! ODA MAE Can't you hurry up? DRIVER Listen, lady, I'm going as fast as I can. Sam leans forward and pushes at the gas pedal. The cab shoots forward. The driver seems shocked. ODA MAE Problems? He gives her a dirty look. INT. LOFT - NIGHT There is a KNOCK at the door. Molly goes to it. Fastening the latch, she opens it a crack. MOLLY Carl, is that you? Oda Mae wedges her foot inside. ODA MAE Molly, it's Oda Mae. I know what you think of me, but your life is in danger. You have to listen to me. Sam's here, too. You gotta let us in. Molly tries to slam the door but hits Oda Mae's foot. MOLLY Get the hell out of here. I'm calling the police. ODA MAE Go ahead. We want you to call 'em. You're in trouble. Let us in. MOLLY No! ODA MAE Sam's death was no accident. He was murdered, Molly. Carl was laundering money at the bank. Sam found out. He's dangerous. He tried to kill me. He'll kill you, too. MOLLY (screaming) Why are you doing this to me? Get away from me! I know all about you. You're a fake. You're just a fake. Leave me alone! We see Sam's inside the room with Molly. He gazes at her lovingly for a moment and then calls back to Oda Mae. SAM Tell her she's wearing the blouse I spilled the Margarita on and the earrings I gave her for Christmas. ODA MAE Sam says you're wearin' the blouse he spilled the Margarita on and the earrings he gave you at Christmas. CUT BACK TO: MOLLY grabbing hold of her beads. Her hand is shaking. ODA MAE (O.S.) (continuing) See, I'm no fake. MOLLY Go away! SAM Gimme a penny quick. ODA MAE What? SAM Empty your purse. On the floor. Now. Oda Mae obeys. A pile of coins falls on the floor. SAM (continuing) Push a penny under the door. Oda Mae obeys and a penny slides into the loft. Molly sees it. Sam tips it carefully so it lands upright against the bottom of the door. Pushing gently, he moves the penny up the door until it's eye level with Molly. She watches it, amazed. Then, to her astonishment, the penny floats away from the door and hovers in the air. There is a look of wonder in Molly's eyes as it floats toward her. SAM (continuing; calling to Oda Mae) Tell her it's for luck. ODA MAE (O.S.) Sam says it's for luck. Molly stands there dumbfounded. Her face is completely white. After a moment she reaches for the penny. It falls into her hand. There are tears in her eyes. CUT TO: HALLWAY Oda Mae standing in the hallway as the door to the loft begins to open. Slowly Molly steps out onto the landing and stares at her, nervously, uncomprehendingly. She hesitates for a long moment and then invites Oda Mae in. INT. LOFT - NIGHT Molly is on the phone. Oda Mae is beside her. MOLLY Right. Yes, it's right on the corner. We're a red brick building with the entrance on the left side. Please hurry. Thank you Sergeant. We'll be waiting right here. (she hangs up) Police are on their way. Oda Mae takes her and leads her to the couch. MOLLY What do we do now? ODA MAE Just wait. There is a period of awkward silence. MOLLY Is Sam here? SAM I'm sitting beside you. ODA MAE (pointing) Right here. Molly reaches out tentatively. Sam meets her hand. She flinches for a second but does not pull back. MOLLY (fingering the air) Can you feel me, Sam? SAM With all my heart. ODA MAE With all his heart, he says. SAM I'd give anything to be alive again, just to feel you once more. ODA MAE He wishes he could touch you, just one more time. MOLLY Oh, Sam. Oda Mae looks away uncomfortably. The CAMERA HOLDS on her face. After a moment she turns around and addresses the air. ODA MAE Okay, damn it, you can use me if you want. Sam looks oddly at Oda Mae. ODA MAE (continuing) Come on. Before I change my mind. Suddenly he understands what she means. CUT TO: JUKEBOX Sam's finger presses down two keys. We see a record slide out of its slot and move toward the turntable. We know what it is going to play. ANGLE Oda Mae closes her eyes. "Unchained Melody" begins to play. Sam hesitates for a moment and then cautiously, awkwardly slides his ghostly body into her solid form. We sense Oda Mae's discomfort gradually give way as Sam emerges inside her. After a second her body turns slowly toward Molly. Oda Mae's hand reaches out and with slow, deliberate gestures, touches Molly's hand. Molly swallows hard. She closes her eyes. CUT TO: ANGLE Sam. It is as though he alone is there with Molly. His eyes are full of tears. He can barely move. His hand glides slowly down Molly's cheek. He seems to be in a state of ecstasy and pain. The experience is more than he can bear. He pulls back. MOLLY Sam! Molly reaches out, takes Sam's hand, and guides it to her soft lips. Sam can barely breathe. He seems totally absorbed in the experience, the sensation of human flesh. His eyes are absolutely still and full of light. He seems to be glowing. Gently, Molly takes Sam's arm and guides him to his feet. Effortlessly, she draws him to the center of the huge loft. With great tenderness, she puts her arms around him and before he knows what is happening, they are dancing. It is a strange, touching image, reminiscent of their first night in their new home. Sam reaches out and slowly draws his fingers down over her face, caressing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. She stands motionless. Her face shines. She knows beyond all doubt that it is him. MOLLY I love you so much. CUT TO: ANGLE A LOUD JARRING SOUND. It takes a moment to realize that it is someone KNOCKING at the door. The light slams back into its shadowy substance and Sam comes shooting back into his ghostly form. Oda Mae is standing with Molly in the center of the room. Sam is beside them. He appears shaken and dizzy. There is a another loud POUNDING at the door. MOLLY The police! Molly heads for the door. Sam calls out. He can barely speak. SAM No! ODA MAE (to Molly) Wait! Sam tries to go instead. To his amazement and ours he is extremely weak, barely able to move. SAM What's happening to me? His ghostly functions are diminishing. There is another KNOCK and a voice rings out. CARL (O.S.) Molly, open up. It's me. MOLLY It's Carl! SAM Get out of here! The fire escape. Oda Mae grabs Molly. ODA MAE Come with me. Oda Mae and Molly run for the fire escape window. We hear Carl yelling in the hallway. CARL (O.S.) Molly. Open up. Are you there? INT. STAIRWELL - NIGHT Carl is standing on the landing. He is holding a gun. He aims it at the lock and FIRES. The door to the loft flies open. INT. LOFT - NIGHT Carl moves rapidly through the huge space. CARL Molly! It is obvious that no one's home. ANGLE Sam, with great effort, rushes at Carl and attacks him with his fists. To his great shock, he has no impact. Carl walks right through him. EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - NIGHT Molly and Oda Mae are climbing the fire escape. INT. LOFT - NIGHT Carl runs to the fire escape window. He looks out just in time to see Oda Mae go into the 7th story window. INT. NEW LOFT - NIGHT Molly and Oda Mae run through a new loft that is under construction. It is a maze of tangled wires and broken walls. The fire escape window slams shut and nearly scares them half to death. They rush blindly toward the front door. It won't open. ODA MAE Back to the fire escape. Head for the roof. Oda Mae reaches the fire escape window just as Carl appears on the other side. She screams. Carl tries shoving the window open. It won't budge. Molly sees some scaffolding leading to the skylight. There is an opening at the top. MOLLY This way! Molly quickly climbs the scaffolding and makes it to the roof. With a huge shove, Carl opens the window and rushes inside. The window slams behind him. Oda Mae rushes back toward Molly, but her foot catches on a loose cable and she falls to the ground. ODA MAE Help us, Sam! OMITTED ODA MAE A hand falls on Oda Mae's shoulder. She spins around. Carl is standing behind her. She screams as he knocks her to the floor. CARL I want the check. Just give me the check. Molly looks down from the scaffolding and begins to scream. MOLLY (screaming) God almighty, Carl! What are you doing? What have you done!? She descends quickly and runs toward Carl. CARL Don't interfere! She's a thief. It's not her money. Carl kicks Oda Mae. Molly rushes at him, attacking him violently. Carl aims his gun at her. CARL (continuing) Keep out of this, Molly! He grabs Oda Mae by the hair. CARL (continuing) Where is it? Oda Mae cries out. ODA MAE In my purse. CARL Where? ODA MAE Over there. She points across the room. Carl sees the purse and yanks Oda Mae toward it. Yanking it off the floor, he tears through it like a wild man. There is no check. He grabs Oda Mae. CARL Where is it, goddamn it? Where is it? ODA MAE I gave it away. CARL You're lying! Don't lie to me! He aims his gun at her eye and is about to FIRE when, suddenly, something shoves him to the floor. Carl screams and jumps back, tripping over Oda Mae. Sam is standing there. In total panic, Carl scrambles to get up. Horrified, he SHOOTS his gun blindly into the air. Molly and Oda Mae dive for cover. The bullets have no impact. Sam musters all his strength and shoves Carl again. White with fear, Carl grabs Molly and aims his gun at her head. CARL (continuing) I'll kill her. You touch me and I'll kill her. I mean it, Sam. Just give me the check. The gun is cocked at her temple. No one moves. Slowly the camera dollies toward Carl. CARL (continuing) Sam, please. I didn't mean for him to kill you. It's not my fault. Come on, Sam, give me the check. Give it to me and I'll leave her alone. Nothing happens. Carl looks nervous. ANGLE CARL Sam? Sam? In a wild explosive fury, Sam charges at Carl and smashes at his gun. The weapon flies out of Carl's hand. Empowered by an anger we have not seen before, Sam smashes into Carl with a violent force. Carl's body careens into walls and floorboards. Wiring snaps. Two-by-fours crack. Carl, crawling desperately to escape, sees his gun on the floor. With a wild rush, he grabs for it and shoots at the door. The lock explodes and the door flies open. Carl tries to run for it, but Sam cuts in front of him. With growing power, Sam sends Carl flying back into the apartment, colliding into a tall scaffold. Bags of plaster topple to the ground as mounds of plaster dust hurl into the air. The apartment looks like a scene from another world. Carl, in a state of total unrelieved panic, breaks away from Sam. The dust obscures his escape. Like a trapped insect, he scrambles furiously to the fire escape window. Sam cannot see him. Carl shoves at the window. It is stuck. With a supreme effort, he grabs a ripped bag of plaster and swings it at the glass. Half of its plaster spews across the room before smashing the window. Shards of glass fly in all directions. Sam turns and sees Carl. He surges after him, but knows he cannot get to him in time. Carl is halfway out the window when Sam's fist slams into an electrical box attached to a dangling BX cable. It goes flying toward the window. To his amazement, it hits the frame. A huge pane of glass dislodges and comes crashing down. Carl looks up just in time to see the pointed edge aiming for his chest. Before he can move, it pierces him between the ribs and slices into his heart. His body quivers. Carl's eyes bulge from their sockets. His body begins to spasm. He can't get up. A look of abject terror flashes through his eyes. He tries to scream. There is no sound. He tries to breathe. There is no breath. ANGLE With one last effort, Carl lurches forward. To his amazement, his body stands up and pulls away from the window. He looks down at his chest and is amazed to see that the glass is gone. There is no blood. Excited and confused, he turns around and sees Sam. For a moment, he cannot comprehend what is happening. CARL Sam? There is a strange, silent moment between them. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a terrible CLICKING sound is heard. Frightening black forms are emerging from the darkness. Carl looks behind him and gasps. Past the figures coming toward him, he sees his own dead body. It is pinned to the window sill. Before Carl can cry out, the dark figures swoop down and envelope him. In a flash, his spirit is caught and surges with the dark forces back into the shadows. Far in some invisible distance, we can barely hear him scream. And then it is silent. It is over. ANGLE Molly is crouched in the corner, her back pressed tightly against the wall. She is staring into space. The room is filled with plaster dust. Slowly, emerging from the dust, we see Sam approaching Molly. He gazes at her with terrible longing. Suddenly, a brilliant light glows from behind the ceiling and the skylight floods the room with a golden haze. Sam turns to look at it. His eyes are full of surprise and wonder. The spirits beyond the ceiling are beckoning to him. As he looks down, he notices that his hands are growing transparent. His body is beginning to fade. A faint smile forms on his face. He leans down toward Molly, staring at her for a long, silent moment. SAM Goodbye, Moll. Molly's head lifts up. She looks around. MOLLY Sam? Is that you? SAM (stunned) Molly?! MOLLY I hear you, Sam. She starts to cry. Gradually, we notice that the dust in the air near Molly is beginning to shimmer with a subtle glow. To her astonishment, Sam's spirit is reflected in the floating particles. MOLLY (continuing) Oh God! Sam's luminous form appears before her. Molly is overwhelmed by the sight of him. The two of them gaze at one another without moving. They know it is for the last time. It is a silent exchange, charged with emotion. Slowly, the two bodies reach forward. As their lips touch, the plaster dust swirls sensuously through Sam's vaporous image and he begins to disappear. Molly pulls back from him as though from a cloud. His voice rises from the mist. SAM I can't stay anymore. Tears roll down her cheek. The brilliant light intensifies. It is beautiful, like a sunrise, saturating the room with a warm, comforting glow. Molly looks up and sees it all. Oda Mae sees it, too. ODA MAE They're waiting for you, Sam. SAM (smiling) I know. Goodbye, Oda Mae. (with deep felt gratitude) Thank you. Your mama would be proud. Oda Mae smiles warmly. Sam turns to Molly. She is gazing at the last remaining moments of him. Her eyes brim over with tears and love. SAM I love you, Molly. I've always loved you. Molly swallows hard and wipes her eyes. MOLLY Ditto. The light inside Sam intensifies. A sweet smile emerges on his lips. SAM It's so amazing, Moll... His face fills with joy. SAM (continuing) The love inside. He whispers, almost crying. SAM (continuing) You take it with you. They are his last words. His spirit dissolves within its ghostly moorings and begins to evaporate. Molly looks up silently for a moment, her face filled with love. MOLLY See ya. We see Sam's spirit rise from the room. It passes effortlessly through the ceiling and, in seconds, he is gone. The room grows dark. Molly sits quietly on the floor. There is a look of awe and wonder in her eyes. After a moment, Oda Mae reaches down to help her up. Molly looks at her lovingly and then gently takes her hand. Arm in arm, supporting one another, they walk quietly from the room. THE END

Full Metal Jacket (1987) by Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford. Based on the novel "The Short Timers" by Gustav Hasford. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY FADE IN: 1 INT. BARBERSHOP--PARRIS ISLAND MARINE BASE--DAY Marine recruits having their heads shaved with electric clippers. The hair piles up on the floor. 2 INT. BARRACKS--DAY Marine recruits stand at attention in front of their bunks. Master Gunnery Sergeant HARTMAN walks along the line of blank-faced recruits. HARTMAN I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your Senior Drill Instructor. From now on, you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be "Sir!" Do you maggots understand that? RECRUITS (in unison) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! I can't hear you. Sound off like you got a pair. RECRUITS (louder) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training ... you will be a weapon, you will be a minister of death, praying for war. But until that day you are pukes! You're the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human fucking beings! You are nothing but unorganized grabasstic pieces of amphibian shit! Because I am hard, you will not like me. But the more you hate me, the more you will learn. I am hard, but I am fair! There is no racial bigotry here! I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless! And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps! Do you maggots understand that? RECRUITS (in unison) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! I can't hear you! RECRUITS (louder) Sir, yes, sir! Sergeant HARTMAN stops in front of a black recruit, Private SNOWBALL. HARTMAN What's your name, scumbag? SNOWBALL (shouting) Sir, Private Brown, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! From now on you're Private Snowball! Do you like that name? SNOWBALL (shouting) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Well, there's one thing that you won't like, Private Snowball! They don't serve fried chicken and watermelon on a daily basis in my mess hall! SNOWBALL Sir, yes, sir! JOKER (whispering) Is that you, John Wayne? Is this me? HARTMAN Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the slimy little communist shit twinkle-toed cocksucker down here, who just signed his own death warrant? Nobody, huh?! The fairy fucking godmother said it! Out-fucking- standing! I will P.T. you all until you fucking die! I'll P.T. you until your assholes are sucking buttermilk. Sergeant HARTMAN grabs cowboy by the shirt. HARTMAN Was it you, you scroungy little fuck, huh?! COWBOY Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN You little piece of shit! You look like a fucking worm! I'll bet it was you! COWBOY Sir, no, sir! JOKER Sir, I said it, sir! Sergeant HARTMAN steps up to JOKER. HARTMAN Well ... no shit. What have we got here, a fucking comedian? Private Joker? I admire your honesty. Hell, I like you. You can come over to my house and fuck my sister. Sergeant HARTMAN purnches JOKER in the stomach. JOKER sags to his knees. HARTMAN You little scumbag! I've got your name! I've got your ass! You will not laugh! You will not cry! You will learn by the numbers. I will teach you. Now get up! Get on your feet! You had best unfuck yourself or I will unscrew your head and shit down your neck! JOKER Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Private Joker, why did you join my beloved Corps? JOKER Sir, to kill, sir! HARTMAN So you're a killer! JOKER Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Let me see your war face! JOKER Sir? HARTMAN You've got a war face? Aaaaaaaagh! That's a war face. Now let me see your war face! JOKER Aaaaaaaagh! HARTMAN Bullshit! You didn't convince me! Let me see your real war face! JOKER Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! HARTMAN You didn't scare me! Work on it! JOKER Sir, yes, sir! Sergeant HARTMAN speaks into cowboy's face. HARTMAN What's your excuse? COWBOY Sir, excuse for what, sir? HARTMAN I'm asking the fucking questions here, Private. Do you understand?! COWBOY Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Well thank you very much! Can I be in charge for a while? COWBOY Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Are you shook up? Are you nervous? COWBOY Sir, I am, sir! HARTMAN Do I make you nervous? COWBOY Sir! HARTMAN Sir, what? Were you about to call me an asshole?! COWBOY Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN How tall are you, Private? COWBOY Sir, five foot nine, sir! HARTMAN Five foot nine? I didn't know they stacked shit that high! You trying to squeeze an inch in on me somewhere, huh? COWBOY Sir, no, sir. HARTMAN Bullshit! It looks to me like the best part of you ran down the crack of your mama's ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress! I think you've been cheated! HARTMAN Where in hell are you from anyway, Private? COWBOY Sir, Texas, sir! HARTMAN Holy dogshit! Texas! Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy! And you don't look much like a steer to me, so that kinda narrows it down! Do you suck dicks! COWBOY Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Are you a peter-puffer? COWBOY Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN I'll bet you're the kind of guy that would fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddam common courtesy to give him a reach- around! I'll be watching you! Sergeant HARTMAN walks down the line to another recruit, a tall, overtweight boy. HARTMAN Did your parents have any children that lived? PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN I'll bet they regret that! You're so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece! What's your name, fatbody? PYLE Sir, Leonard Lawrence, sir! HARTMAN Lawrence? Lawrence, what, of Arabia? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN That name sounds like royalty! Are you royalty? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Do you suck dicks? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! I'll bet you could suck a golf ball through a garden hose! PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN I don't like the name Lawrence! Only faggots and sailors are called Lawrence! From now on you're Gomer Pyle! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! PYLE has the trace of a strange smile on his face. HARTMAN Do you think I'm cute, Private Pyle? Do you think I'm funny? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Then wipe that disgusting grin off your face! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Well, any fucking time, sweetheart! PYLE Sir, I'm trying, sir. HARTMAN Private Pyle, I'm gonna give you three seconds--excactly three fucking seconds--to wipe that stupid-looking grin off your face, or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you! One! Two! Three! PYLE purses his lips but continues to smile involuntarily. PYLE Sir, I can't help it, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! Get on your knees, scumbag! PYLE gets down on his FEnees. HARTMAN Now choke yourself! PYLE places his hands around his throat as if to choke himself. HARTMAN Goddamn it, with my hand, numbnuts!! PYLE reaches for HARTMAN's hand. HARTMAN jerks it away. HARTMAN Don't pull my fucking hand over there! I said choke yourself! Now lean forward and choke yourself! PYLE leans forward so that his neck rests in HARTMAN's open hand. HARTMAN chokes PYLE. PYLE gags and starts to turn red in the face. HARTMAN Are you through grinning? PYLE (barely able to speak) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! I can't hear you! PYLE (gasping) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Bullshit! I still can't hear you! Sound offlike you got a pair! PYLE (gagging) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN That's enough! Get on your feet! HARTMAN releases PYLE's throat. PYLE gets to his feet, breathing heavily. HARTMAN Private Pyle, you had best square your ass away and start shitting me Tiffany cuff links ... or I will definitely fuck you up! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! 3 EXT. PARRIS ISLAND--DAY The training platoon is double-timing in formation. HARTMAN is calling cadence. HARTMAN . . right, left, right, left! Left, right, left, right, left! Left, right, left, right, left! JOKER (narration) Parris Island, South Carolina.... the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot. An eight- week college for the phony-tough and the crazy-brave. HARTMAN Mama and Papa were laying in bed. RECRUITS (chanting in. cadence) Mama and Papa were laying in bed. HARTMAN Mama rolled over, this is what she said... RECRUITS Mama rolled over, this is what she said... HARTMAN Ah, gimme some... RECRUITS Ah, gimme some... HARTMAN Ah, gimme some... RECRUITS Ah, gimme some... HARTMAN P.T.... REcRuITs P.T.... HARTMAN P.T.... REcRuITs P.T.... HARTMAN Good for you! RECRUITS Good for you! HARTMAN And good for me! RECRUITS And good for me! HARTMAN Mmm, good. RECRUITS Mmm, good. HARTMAN Up in the morning to the rising sun. RECRUITS Up in the morning to the rising sun. HARTMAN Gotta run all day... 4 EXT. PRACTICE FIELD--SUNSET Recruits, silhouetted against the sun, climbing ropes, nets and ladders. HARTMAN ...till the running's done! RECRUITS Gotta run all day till the running's done! HARTMAN Ho Chi Minh is a son-of-a-bitch! RECRUITS Ho Chi Minh is a son-of-a-bitch! HARTMAN Got the blueballs, crabs and the seven-year- itch! RECRUITS Got the blueballs, crabs and the seven-year- itch! DISSOLVE TO: 5 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY HARTMAN marches the platoon across a wide expanse of asphalt. The recruits carry rifles. HARTMAN Left, right, left, right, left! To your left shoulder . . . hut! Left, right, left! Port . . . hut! HARTMAN Left, right! Platoon ... halt! Left shoulder ... hut! PYLE momentarily places his rifle on the wrong shoulder and immediately corrects himself: HARTMAN spots this and walks up to him. HARTMAN Private Pyle, what are you trying to do to my beloved Corps? PYLE Sir, I don't know, sir! HARTMAN You are dumb, Private Pyle, but do you expect me to believe that you don't know left from right? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Then you did that on purpose! You want to be different! PYLE Sir, no, sir. HARTMAN slaps PYLE hard across the left cheek. HARTMAN What side was that, Private Pyle?! PYLE Sir, left side, sir! HARTMAN Are you sure, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN SlaPS pnE hard across the right cheek, Knocking his cap off: HARTMAN What side was that, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, right side, sir. HARTMAN Don't fuck with me again, Pyle! Pick up your fucking cover! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! DISSOLVE TO: 6 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY HARTMAN marching the platoon. - bringing up the rear is PYLE, his fatigue pants down around his ankles; he is sucking his thumb and he carries his rifle muzzle down. 7 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT HARTMAN walks along the line of recruits in skivvies holding their rifles and standing at attention in. front of their bunks. HARTMAN Tonight ... you pukes will sleep with your rifles! You will give your rifle a girl's name! Because this is the only pussy you people are going to get! Your days of finger-banging old Mary Jane Rottencrotch through her pretty pink panties are over! You're married to this piece, this weapon of iron and wood! And you will be faithful! Port ... hut! Prepare to mount! Mount! On HARTMAN's command the platoon mount their bunks with their rifles and lie on their backs at attention. HARTMAN Port . . . hut! The recruits snap their rifles to the port arms position. over their chests. HARTMAN Pray! RECRUITS (in unison) This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it, as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviours of my life. So be it .. . until there is no enemy ... but peace. Amen. HARTMAN Order . . . hut! The recruits snap their rifles down to their sides. HARTMAN At ease! HARTMAN turns off the barracks lights. HARTMAN Good night, ladies. RECRUITS (in unison) Good night, sir! HARTMAN (to duty guard) Hit it, sweetheart! DUTY GUARD Sir, aye-aye, sir! 8 EXT. PARADE FIELD--DAWN HARTMAN drills the platoon. HARTMAN Right shoulder ... hut! This is not your daddy's shotgun, Cowboy. Left shoulder ... hut! Move your rifle around your head, not your head around your rifle. Port ... hut! Four inches from your chest, Pyle! Four inches! 9 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT HARTMAN marches the recruits through the squad bay. Their rifles are at shoulder arms and their left hands clutch their genitals. HARTMAN This is my rifle! This is my gun! RECRUITS This is for fighting! This is for fun! HARTMAN This is my rifle! This is my gun! RECRUITS This is my rifle! This is my gun! They repeat this over and over again as they march up and down the squad bay. DISSOLVE TO: 10 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY HARTMAN marching the platoon, calling cadence. 11 EXT. "ARMSTRETCHER" OBSTACLE--DAY Hand over hand the recruits swing along the "Armstretcher." HARTMAN Ten fucking seconds! It should take you no more than ten fucking seconds to negotiate this obstacle! Quickly, move it out! There ain't one swinging dick private in this pla- toon's gonna graduate until they can get this obstacle down to less than ten fuck- ing seconds! 12 EXT. "TOUGH ONE" OBSTACLE--DAY HARTMAN watches as the recruits climb ropes and ladders to a high wooden tower above the platform 13 EXT. PUGIL-STICK CIRCLE--DAY PYLE and another recruit, wearing football-style helmets, batter each other with pugil sticks. The recruits are formed up around them in a cir- cle. They cheer as PYLE is beaten, to the ground. 14. EXT. "DIRTY NAME" OBSTACLE--DAY RECRURTS waiting in two lines for their turn. HARTMAN Next two privates! Quickly! The next two recruits struggle over the obstacle. HARTMAN Get over that goddamn obstacle! Move it! Next two privates! Quickly! Hurry up! Get up there! JOKER and another recruit go over easily. HARTMAN Private Joker, are you a killer? JOKER Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Let me hear your war cry! JOKER Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! HARTMAN Next two privates, go! PYLE and another recruit. PYLE is hopeless. HARTMAN Quickly! Get your fat ass over there, Private Pyle! Oh, that's right, Private Pyle ... don't make any fucking effort to get to the top of the fucking obstacle! If God wanted you up there He would have miracled your ass up there by now, wouldn't He? PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Get your fat ass up there, Pyle! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN What the hell is the matter with you anyway? I'll bet you if there was some pussy up there on top of that obstacle you could get up there! Couldn't you?! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! PYLE drops heavily to the groulzd. HARTMAN Your ass looks like about a hundred and fifty pounds of chewed bubble gum, Pyle. Do you know that? PYLE Sir, yes, sir! 15 EXT. CHINNING BAR--DAY Recruits are doing pull-ups. HARTMAN watches JOKER finishing many, many of them. HARTMAN One for the Corps! Get up there! Pull! JOKER finally drops to the ground. HARTMAN I guess the Corps don't get theirs. Get up there, Pyle! PYLE tries to do a pull-up but can't get to the top of the bar. HARTMAN Pull! Pull, Pyle, pull! One pull-up, Pyle! Come on, pull! You gotta be shitting me, Pyle! Get your ass up there! Do you mean to tell me that you cannot do one single pull-up? PYLE, exhausted from his efforts, drops to the ground. HARTMAN You are a worthless piece of shit, Pyle!! Get out of my face! Get up there, Snowball! 16 EXT. "CONFIDENCE CLIMB"--DAY PYLE climbs a high obstacle. HARTMAN Get up here, fatboy! Quickly! Move it up! Move it up, Pyle! Move it up! You climb obstacles like old people fuck. Do you know that, Private Pyle? Get up here! You're too slow! Move it, move it! Private Pyle, what- ever you do, don't fall down! That would break my fucking heart! Quickly! PYLE freezes at the top. HARTMAN Up and over! Up and over! Well, what in the fuck are you waiting for, Private Pyle? Get up and over! Move it, move it, move it! Are you quitting on me? Well, are you! Then quit you slimy fucking walrus-looking piece of shit! Get the fuck off my obstacle! Get the fuck down off of my obstacle! Now! PYLE climbs back down his side of the obstacle. HARTMAN Move it! I'm gonna rip your balls off so you cannot contaminate the rest of the world! I will motivate you, Private Pyle, if it short- dicks every cannibal on the Congo! 17 EXT. ROAD--DAY The platoon is irregularly strung out on a road nearing the end of a rapid, forced march. PYLE is at the end of the line ready to drop. Supported by JOKER, PYLE Staggers along as HARTMAN bellows at him. HARTMAN Pick'em up and set'em down, Pyle! Quickly! Move it up! Were you born a fat slimy scumbag, you piece of shit, Private Pyle? Or did you have to work on it? Move it up! Quickly! Hustle up! The fucking war will be over by the time we get out there, won't it, Private Pyle? HARTMAN gives PYLE a shove. HARTMAN Move it! PYLE gasps for breath. HARTMAN Are you going to fucking die, Pyle? Are you going to die on me!! Do it now! Move it up! Hustle it up! Quickly, quickly, quickly! Do you feel dizzy? Do you feel faint? Jesus H. Christ, I think you've got a hard-on! 18 EXT. MUD OBSTACLE--DAY The platoon tries to run, through the mud. PYLE half carried by JOKER and COWBOY falls taking JOKER down with him. HARTMAN Quickly ladies! Assholes and elbows! Move it out! Get up there! Move it! Move it, move it, move it! 19 INT. BARRACKS--PRE-DAWN HARTMAN and two Junior Drill Instructors stride into the Squad Bay. The lights go on. HARTMAN bangs loudly on an empty metal garbage can which he carries into the room. HARTMAN Reveille! Reveille! Reveille! Drop your cocks and grab your socks! Today is Sunday! Divine worship at zero-eight-hundred! Get your bunks made and get your uniforms on. Police call will commence in two minutes! HARTMAN stops in front of JOKER's bunk. HARTMAN Private Cowboy! Private Joker! COWBOY Sir, yes, sir! JOKER Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN As soon as you finish your bunks, I want you two turds to clean the head. JOKER & COWBOY (in unison) Sir, aye-aye, sir! HARTMAN I want that head so sanitary and squared away that the Virgin Mary herself would be proud to go in there and take a dump! JOKER & COWBOY (in unison) Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Private Joker, do you believe in the Virgin Mary? JOKER Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN throws down the garbage can with a loud bang. HARTMAN Private Joker, I don't believe I heard you correctly! JOKER Sir, the private said "No, sir," sir! HARTMAN Why, you little maggot! You make me want to vomit! HARTMAN slaps JOKER, hard, across the cheek. HARTMAN You goddam communist heathen, you had best sound off that you love the Virgin Mary . . . or I'm gonna stomp your guts out! Now you do love the Virgin Mary, don't you?! JOKER Sir, negative, sir!! HARTMAN Private Joker, are you trying to offend me?! JOKER Sir, negative, sir!!! Sir, the private believes that any answer he gives will be wrong! And the Senior Drill Instructor will beat him harder if he reverses himself, sir! HARTMAN Who's your squad leader, scumbag? JOKER Sir, the private's squad leader is Private Snowball, sir!!! HARTMAN Private Snowball! SNOWBALL double-times up to HARTMAN. SNOWBALL Sir, Private Snowball reporting as ordered, sir! HARTMAN Private Snowball, you're fired! Private Joker is promoted to squad leader! SNOWBALL Sir, aye-aye, sir! HARTMAN Private Pyle! PYLE Private Pyle reporting as ordered, sir! HARTMAN Private Pyle, from now on Private Joker is your new squad leader, and you will bunk with him! He'll teach you everything. He'll teach you how to pee. PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Private Joker is silly and he's ignorant, but he's got guts, and guts is enough. Now, you ladies carry on. JOKER, COWBOY & PYLE (in unison) Sir, aye-aye, sir! 20 EXT. TRAINING FIELD--DAY JOKER patiently explains the disassembly of an M-14 rifle to PYLE. JOKER The bolt. The bolt goes in the receiver. Operating rod handle. Operating rod guide. 21 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT JOKER and PYLE sitting on their footlockers. JOKER instructs PYLE in the correct method of lacing his combat boots. JOKER And the left one ... over the right. Right one over the left. Left one over the right. Right one over the left. 22 EXT. CONFIDENCE CLIMB--DAY On. top of the confidence climb, JOKER gently talks PYLE over the top. JOKER Just throw your other leg over ... that'a boy. That's it. Now just pull the next one over .. . and you're home free. Ready? Just throw it over. That'a boy. Just set it down. All right? PYLE breathes heavily. He is scared but he manages to get over. JOKER There you go. Congratulations, Leonard. You did it. 23 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT JOKER instructs PYLE in the correct way of making his bed. JOKER You fold the blanket and the sheet back together. Make a four-inch fold. Okay? Got it? You do it. PYLE looks down. uncertainly at the bed. 24 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY JOKER works with PYLE on the Manual of Arms. 25 EXT. OBSTACLE COURSE--DAY COWBOY, JOKER and PYLE run up a ramp, grab the ropes and swing across a ditch. PYLE makes it without trouble. 26 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY HARTMAN is drilling the squad, calling the cadence and watching PYLE who makes no mistakes. DISSOLVE TO: 27 EXT. RIFLE RANGE--DAY Targets are raised and lowered, red markers indicating hits. HARTMAN addresses the recruits. HARTMAN The deadliest weapon in the world is a ma- rine and his rifle. It is your killer instinct which must be harnessed if you expect to sur- vive in combat. Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill. You will become dead marines. And then you will be in a world of shit. Because marines are not allowed to die without permission! Do you maggots understand? RECRUITS Sir, yes, sir! 28 EXT. PARRIS ISLAND STREET--DAY The recruits are double-timing to HARTMAN's cadences. HARTMAN (chanting in cadence) I love working for Uncle Sam! RECRUITS (chanting in cadence) I love working for Uncle Sam! HARTMAN Lets me know just who I am! RECRUITS Lets me know just who I am! HARTMAN One, two, three, four! United States Marine Corps! RECRUITS One, two, three, four! United States Marine Corps! HARTMAN One, two, three, four! I love the Marine Corps! RECRUITS One, two, three, four! I love the Marine Corps. HARTMAN My Corps! RECRUITS My Corps! HARTMAN Your Corps! RECRUITS Your Corps! HARTMAN Our Corps! RECRUITS Our Corps! HARTMAN Marine Corps! RECRUITS Marine Corps! HARTMAN I don't know, but I've been told. RECRUITS I don't know, but I've been told. HARTMAN Eskimo pussy is mighty cold! RECRUITS Eskimo pussy is mighty cold! HARTMAN Mmm, good! RECRUITS Mmm, good! HARTMAN Feels good! RECRUITS Feels good! HARTMAN Is good! RECRUITS Is good! HARTMAN Real good! RECRUITS Real good! HARTMAN Tastes good! RECRUITS Tastes good! HARTMAN Mighty good! RECRUITS Mighty good! HARTMAN Good for you! RECRUITS Good for you! HARTMAN Good for me! RECRUITS Good for me! 29 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT The recruits in their skivvies stand at attention in two facing rows on top of their footlockers, arms outstretched, hands held rigidly in front of them, palms down, for inspection. HARTMAN moves along the row of men. He smacks a recruit's hand. HARTMAN Trim 'em. HARTMAN points at the feet of another recruit. HARTMAN Toejam! To another recruit. HARTMAN Pop that blister! HARTMAN stops in front of PYLE and notices his foot- locker is unlocked. He picks up the lock and holds it up to PYLE. HARTMAN Jesus H. Christ! Private Pyle, why is your footlocker unlocked? PYLE Sir, I don't know, sir! HARTMAN Private Pyle, if there is one thing in this world that I hate, it is an unlocked footlocker! You know that, don't you? PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN If it wasn't for dickheads like you, there wouldn't be any thievery in this world, would there? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Get down! PYLE steps down, from the footlocker. HARTMAN flips open the lid with a bang and begins rummaging through the box. HARTMAN Well, now .. . let's just see if there's anything missing! HARTMAN freezes. He reaches down and slowly picks up a jelly doughnut, holding it in disgust at arm's length with his fingertips. HARTMAN Holy Jesus! What is that? What is that, Private Pyle?! PYLE Sir, a jelly doughnut, sir! HARTMAN A jelly doughnut?! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN How did it get here? PYLE Sir, I took it from the mess hall, sir! HARTMAN Is chow allowed in the barracks, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN Are you allowed to eat jelly doughnuts, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, no, sir! HARTMAN And why not, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, because I'm too heavy, sir! HARTMAN Because you are a disgusting fatbody, Private Pyle! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Then why did you hide a jelly doughnut in your footlocker, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, because I was hungry, sir! HARTMAN Because you were hungry? Holding out the jelly doughnut, HARTMAN walks down the row of recruits still standing with their arms outstretched. HARTMAN Private Pyle has dishonored himself and dishonored the platoon! I have tried to help him, but I have failed! I have failed because you have not helped me! You people have not given Private Pyle the proper motivation! So, from now on, whenever Private Pyle fucks up, I will not punish him, I will punish all of you! And the way I see it, ladies, you owe me for one jelly doughnut! Now, get on your faces! HARTMAN (to PYLE) Open your mouth! He shoves the jelly doughnut into PYLE's mouth. HARTMAN They're paying for it, you eat it! HARTMAN turns to the recruits. HARTMAN Ready . . . exercise! The platoon does push-ups. RECRUITS (chanting in cadence) One, two, three, four! I love the Marine Corps! One, two, three, four! I love the Marine Corps! One, two, three, four! I love the Marine Corps! One, two, three, four . . . While the platoon does push-ups, PYLE swallows hard to get down. bites of the doughnut. DISSOLVE TO: 30 INT. BARRACKS--DAWN JOKER checks PYLE's Uniform. JOKER (quietly) You really look like shit today, Leonard. PYLE Joker? Everybody hates me now. Even you. JOKER Nobody hates you, Leonard. You just keep making mistakes, getting everybody in trouble. PYLE I can't do anything right. I need help. JOKER I'm trying to help you, Leonard. I'm really trying. PYLE grins, trustingly. JOKER Tuck your shirt in. DISSOLVE TO: 31 EXT. TRAINING FIELD--DAY The platoon does squat thrusts as PYLE sits, his cap on backwards, sucking his thumb. HARTMAN watches. RECRUITS (counting in unison) One, turo, three . . . nineteen! One, two, three . . . twenty! One, two, three . . . twenty-one! One, two, three . . . twenty-two! One, two, three . . . twenty-three! One, two, three . . . twenty-four! One, two, three . . . twenty-five! One, two, three . . . twnty-six! One, two, three . . . twenty-seven! One, two, three . . . twenty-eight! One, two, three . . . twenty-nine! One, two, three . . . thirty! FADE TO BLACK 32 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT We see a towel on a bed. A bar of soap is tossed on the towel. The towel is folded over the soap forming a weapon. A hand picks up the towel-weapon and bangs it on the mattress making a dull thud. PYLE is asleep in his bunk. The platoon silently slip out of their beds and form up around PYLE. A blanket is thrown over PYLE, each corner held down by a recruit, pinning PYLE to the bed. COWBOY shoves a gag in PYLE's mouth. PYLE is helpless. The platoon files past beating PYLE with the bars of soap wrapped in towels. PYLE's screams are muffled by the gag. JOKER is the last one. He stands back from the bed. COWBOY (to JOKER) Do it! Do it! JOKER hesitates, then moves forward and hits PYLE hard several times. Then JOKER jumps into his bunk. The recruits yank the restraining blanket of PYLE and run back to their bunks. COWBOY (removing gag) Remember, it's just a bad dream, fatboy. PYLE sobs loudly and sits up, holding himself in pain. Lying in, his bunk, JOKER covers his ears. FADE IN: 33 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY The platoon is lined up. HARTMAN Port... hut! Left shoulder ... hut! Right shoulder ... hut! Port ... hut! Do we love our beloved Corps, ladies? RECRUITS (shouting in unison) Semper fi, do or die! Gung ho, gung ho, gung ho! PYLE says nothing, just stares straight ahead. HARTMAN What makes the grass grow? RECRUITS Blood, blood, blood! PYLE stares. Does not join in the shouting. HARTMAN What do we do for a living, ladies? RECRUlTS Kill, kill, kill! PYLE remains silent. HARTMAN I can't hear you! RECRUITS Kill, kill, kill! HARTMAN Bullshit! I still can't hear you! RECRUITS Kill, kill, kill! PYLE continues to stare blartkly ahead. 34 EXT. BLEACHERS--DAY The platoon sits on bleachers facing HARTMAN. HARTMAN Do any of you people know who Charles Whitman was? No response. HARTMAN None of you dumbasses knows? COWBOY raises his hand. HARTMAN Private Cowboy? COWBOY Sir, he was that guy who shot all those people from that tower in Austin, Texas, sir! HARTMAN That's affirmative. Charles Whitman killed twenty people from a twenty-eight-storey observation tower at the University of Texas from distances up to four hundred yards. HARTMAN looks around. HARTMAN Anybody know who Lee Harvey Oswald was? Almost everybody raises his hand. HARTMAN Private Snowball? SNOWBALL Sir, he shot Kennedy, sir! HARTMAN That's right, and do you know how far away he was? SNOWBALL Sir, it was pretty far! From that book suppository building, sir! The recruits laugh at "suppository. " HARTMAN All right, knock it off! Two hundred and fifty feet! He was two hundred and fifty feet away and shooting at a moving target. Oswald got off three rounds with an old Italian bolt action rifle in only six seconds and scored two hits, including a head shot! Do any of you people know where these individuals learned to shoot? JOKER raises his hand. HARTMAN Private Joker? JOKER Sir, in the Marines, sir! HARTMAN In the Marines! Outstanding! Those individuals showed what one motivated marine and his rifle can do! And before you ladies leave my island, you will be able to do the same thing! Camera slowly moves in on PYLE staring at HARTMAN. 35 INT. BARRACKS--DAY Recruits standing at attention in two facing rows. HARTMAN walks between the rows, leading them in song. HARTMAN & RECRUITS Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, dear Jesus, Happy Birthday to you! HARTMAN Today ... is Christmas! There will be a magic show at zero-nine-thirty! Chaplain Charlie will tell you about how the free world will conquer Communism with the aid of God and a few marines! God has a hard-on for marines because we kill everything we see! He plays His games, we play ours! To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls! God was here before the Marine Corps! So you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the Corps! Do you ladies understand? RECRUITS Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN I can't hear you! RECRUITS Sir, yes, sir! 36 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT The recruits are seated on footlockers, cleaning their rifles. HARTMAN prowls among them, watching. PYLE talizs softly to his rifle. JOKER looks at him uneasily. PYLE (to his rifte) It's been swabbed.... and wiped. Everything is clean. Beautiful. So that it slides perfectly. Nice. Everything cleaned. Oiled. So that your action is beautiful. Smooth, Charlene. DISSOLVE TO: 37 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT A few recruits, including PYLE, are mopping the floor. 38 INT. LATRINE--NIGHT In the latrine COWBOY and JOKER are also mopping the floor. JOKER stops, looks around to be sure they are alone, and turns to COWBOY. JOKER Leonard talks to his rifle. COWBOY keeps mopping. COWBOY Yeah! JOKER I don't think Leonard can hack it anymore. I think Leonard's a Section Eight. Pause. COWBOY It don't surprise me. They both go back to mopping. JOKER speaks again after some silence. JOKER I want to slip my tubesteak into your sister. What'll you take in trade? COWBOY What have you got? 39 EXT. FIRING RANGE--DAY HARTMAN kneels behind PYLE, looking on with approval. PYLE finishes a good group and reloads his M-14. HARTMAN Outstanding, Private Pyle! I think we've finally found something that you do well! PYLE Sir, yes, sir! 40 EXT. PARADE DECK--DAY HARTMAN inspects the recruits. HARTMAN (to JOKER) What's your sixth General Order? JOKER Sir, the private's sixth general order is to receive and obey and to pass on to the sentry who relieves me ... all orders ... Sir, the private's sixth ... Sir, the private has been instructed but he does not know, sir! HARTMAN You slimy scumbag, get on your face and give me twenty-five! JOKER Sir, aye-aye, sir! HARTMAN walks to PYLE. HARTMAN How many counts in that movement you've just executed? PYLE Sir, four counts, sir! HARTMAN What's the idea of looking down in the chamber? PYLE Sir, that is the guarantee that the private is not giving the inspecting officer a loaded weapon, sir! HARTMAN What's your fifth general order? PYLE Sir, the private's fifth general order is to quit my post only when properly relieved, sir! HARTMAN What's this weapon's name, Private Pyle? PYLE Sir, the private's weapon's name is Charlene, HARTMAN Private Pyle, you are definitely born again hard! Hell, I may even allow you to serve as a rifleman in my beloved Corps. PYLE Sir, yes, sir! 41 EXT. PARRIS ISLAND STREET--DAY HARTMAN double-timing the recruits, calling cadence. HARTMAN I don't want no teenage queen. RECRUITS I don't want no teenage queen. HARTMAN I just want my M-14. RECRUITS I just want my M-14. HARTMAN If I die in the combat zone. RECRUITS If I die in the combat zone. HARTMAN Box me up and ship me home. RECRUITS Box me up and ship me home. HARTMAN Pin my medals upon my chest. RECRUITS Pin my medals upon my chest. HARTMAN Tell my mom I've done my best. RECRUITS Tell my mom I've done my best. DISSOLVE TO: 42 EXT. FOREST--DAY Woods. For the first time the platoon marches in full combat gear carrying rifles. JOKER (narration) Graduation is only a few days away and the recruits of platoon thirty-ninety-two are salty. They are ready to eat their own guts and ask for seconds. 43 EXT. FIELD--DAY In full combat gear and with fixed bayonets, the recruits charge through green smoke. JOKER (narration) The drill instructors are proud to see that we are growing beyond their control. The Marine Corps does not want robots. The Marine Corps wants killers. The Marine Corps wants to build indestructible men, men without fear. 44 INT. BARRACKS--DAY HARTMAN talks to the recruits formed up in a school-circle. HARTMAN Today you people are no longer maggots. Today you are marines. You're part of a brotherhood. 45 EXT. PARADE GROUND--DAY Graduation. A marching band. Spectators. Hundreds of marines parade by in dress uniform. HARTMAN (voice over) From now on, until the day you die, wherever you are, every marine is your brother. Most of you will go to Vietnam. Some of you will not come back. But always remember this: marines die, that's what we're here for! But the Marine Corps lives forever. And that means you live forever! DISSOLVE TO: 46 INT. BARRACKS--DAY HARTMAN talks to the platoon, again in a school- circle. HARTMAN Pickett! PICKETT Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN O-three-hundred, Infantry. Toejam! TOEJAM Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN O-three-hundred, Infantry. Adams! ADAMS Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Eighteen-hundred, Engineers. You go out and find mines. Cowboy! COWBOY Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN O-three-hundred, Infantry! Taylor! TAYLOR Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN O-three-hundred, Infantry. Joker! JOKER Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN Forty-two-twelve, Basic Military Journalism. You gotta be shitting me, Joker! You think you're Mickey Spillane? Do you think you're some kind of fucking writer? JOKER Sir, I wrote for my high school newspaper, sir! HARTMAN Jesus H. Christ, you're not a writer, you're a killer! JOKER A killer, yes, sir! HARTMAN Gomer Pyle! PYLE doesn't answer. HARTMAN Gomer Pyle! We see PYLE in close-up, now completely with- drawn, barely able to answer HARTMAN. PYLE Sir, yes, sir! HARTMAN You forget your fucking name? O-three- hundred, Infantry. You made it. Perkins! PERKINS Sir, yes, sir! 47 INT. BARRACKS--NIGHT The platoon sleeps. JOKER walks slowly down the squad bay with a flashlight. JOKER (Itarration) Our last night on the island. I draw fire watch. JOKER hears a muffled sound. He isn't sure where it comes from. He slowly enters the latrine. 48 INT. LATRINE--NIGHT Running his flashlight across the room JOKER Sees PYLE sitting on a toilet, loading a magazine for his M-14 rifle. PYLE looks up at JOKER and smiles. It is a frightening smile. PYLE (strange voice) Hi, Joker. JOKER stares at PYLE for a few seconds. PYLE has suite clearly snapped. JOKER Are those ... live rounds? PYLE Seven-six-two millimeter, full metal jacket. PYLE smiles grotesquely. JOKER Leonard .. . if Hartman comes in here and catches us, we'll both be in a world of shit. PYLE I am .. . in a world . . . of shit! PYLE gets to his feet, snaps his rifle to port arms, and starts executing the Manual ofArms. PYLE (shouting) Left shoulder ... hut! Right shoulder ... hut! Lock and load! Order ... hut! PYLE picks up the loaded magazine, inserts it into the rifle and smartly brings the rifle down to the order arms position. PYLE (shouting) This is my rifle! There are many like it, but this one is mine. 49 INT. BARRACKS HALLWAY--NIGHT By now the platoon is awake. HARTMAN bursts from his room, wearing his skivvies and D.I. hat. PYLE (offscreen) My rifle is my best friend! It is my life! HARTMAN Get back in your bunks! PYLE (o.s.) I must master it as I must master my life! Without me ... 50 INT. LATRINES--NIGHT HARTMAN Storms into the latrine. HARTMAN What is this Mickey Mouse shit? What in the name of Jesus H. Christ are you animals doing in my head? (to JOKER) Why is Private Pyle out of his bunk after lights out?! Why is Private Pyle holding that weapon? Why aren't you stomping Private Pyle's guts out? JOKER Sir, it is the private's duty to inform the Senior Drill Instructor that Private Pyie has a full magazine and has locked and loaded, sir! HARTMAN and PYLE look at each other. PYLE Smiles from the depths of his own hell. HARTMAN focuses all of his considerable powers of intimidation, into his best John- Wayne-on-Suribachi voice. HARTMAN Now you listen to me, Private Pyle, and,you listen good. I want that weapon, and I want it now! You will place that rifle on the deck at your feet and step back away from it. With a twisted smile on his face pyLE POintS his rifle at HARTMAN. HARTMAN look suddenly calm. His eyes, his manner are those of a wanderer who has found his home. HARTMAN What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?!! Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?!!! BANG! The round hits HARTMAN in the chest. He falls back dead. JOKER and PYLE stand looking at the body. Then PYLE looks at JoKER and slowly raises his rifle. JOKER (trembling) Easy, Leonard. Go easy, man. PYLE breathes heavily, and Keeps the rifle aimed at JOKER. JOKER is scared shitless. PYLE looks at JOKER for several seconds and slowly lowers the rifle. Then he stumbles back a few steps and sits down, heavily on the toilet. PYLE turns away from JOKER and stares into space, a strangely peaceful look transforming his face. He places the muzzle of the rifle in his mouth. JOKER No!!! BANG! PYLE pulls the trigger and blows the back of his head over the white tiled wall behind him. SCENE FADES TO BLACK FADE IN: 51 EXT. DA NANG STREET, VIETNAM--DAY Motorcycles, cars, Vietnamese civilians. Swinging her hips ruith exaggerated sexiness, an attractive HOOKER in a mini-skirt walks toward a cafe' table on the pavement ulhere JOKER and RAFTERMAN are seated. Music: Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking." The girl stops at JOKER's table. HOOKER Hey, baby, you got girlfriend Vietnam? JOKER Not just this minute. HOOKER Well, baby, me so horny. Me so horny. Me love you long time. You party? JOKER Yeah, we might party. How much? HOOKER Fifteen dolla. JOKER Fifteen dollars for both of us? HOOKER No. Each you fifteen dolla. Me love you long time. Me so horny. JOKER Fifteen dollar too boo-coo. Five dollars each. HOOKER Me suckee-suckee. Me love you too much. JOKER Five dollars is all my mom allows me to spend. HOOKER Okay! Ten dolla each. JOKER What do we get for ten dollars? HOOKER Everything you want. JOKER Everything? HOOKER Everything. JOKER Well, old buddy, feel like spending some of your hard-earned money? RAFTERMAN Just a minute. RAFTERMAN raises his Nikon and starts photographing JOKER and the HOOKER. The girl strikes quick poses for the camera and coughs. JOKER puts his arm around her. JOKER You know, half these gook whores are serving officers in the Viet Cong. The girl coughs again. JOKER The other half have got T.B. Make sure you only fuck the ones that cough. A young vietnamese boy walks up behind RAFTERMAN and grabs the Nikon camera from his hands. The boy runs to an accomplice sitting on a waiting motorbike and tosses the camera to him. Then in mockery the BOY excecutes a few, Bruce Lee moves before jumping on the bike and zooming off: JOKER laughs. DISSOLVE TO 52 EXT. U.S. MARINE BASE--DAY The main gates of the base. High-security fencing. Tanks, jeeps, trucks. A military helicopter lands. DISSOLVE TO: 53 EXT. DA NANG BASE--DAY JOKER and RAFTERMAN walk down the base street past rows of hootches and other buildings. In the background some marines play basketball. JOKER That little sucker really had some moves on him, didn't he? RAFTERMAN Yeah ... You know what really pisses me off about these people? JOKER What? RAFTERMAN We're supposed to be helping them and they shit all over us every chance they get ... I just can't feature that. JOKER Don't take it too hard, Rafterman. It's just business. RAFTERMAN I hate Da Nang, Joker. I want to go out into the field. I've been in this country almost three months, and all I do is take handshake shots at awards ceremonies. JOKER You get wasted your first day in the field and it'd be my fault. RAFTERMAN A high school girl could do my job. I want to get out into the shit. I want to get some trigger time. JOKER If you get killed, your mom will find me after I rotate back to the world and she'll beat the shit out of me. That's a negative, Rafterman. 54 INT. SEA-TIGER HUT--DAY A Quonset hut. An editorial meeting of The Sea Tiger, the official marine newspaper, is in progress presided over by LIEUTENANT LOCKHART. JOKER, RAFTERMAN, and six other marine correspondens are seated around a large messy table covered with cameras, photographs, newspapers artd magazines. LOCKHART Okay, guys, let's keep it short and sweet today. Anybody got anything new? JOKER There's a rumor going around that the Tet ceasefire is gonna be cancelled. LOCKHART Rear-echelon paranoia. JOKER A bro in Intelligence says Charlie might try to pull off something big during the Tet holiday. LOCKHART They say the same thing every year. JOKER There's a lot of talk about it, sir. LOCKHART I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. The Tet holiday's like the Fourth of July, Christmas and New Year all rolled into one. Every zipperhead in Nam, North and South, will be banging gongs, barking at the moon and visiting his dead relatives. LOCKHART All right ...Ann-Margret and entourage are due here next week. I want someone to be there on the airfield and stick with her for a couple of days. Uh, Rafterman, you take it. RAFTERMAN Aye-aye, sir. LOCKHART Get me some good low-angle stuff. Don't make it too obvious, but I want to see fur and early morning dew. RAFTERMAN Yes, sir. LOCKHART (reading) "Diplomats in Dungarees--Marine engineers lend a helping hand rebuilding Dong Phuc villages . . ." Chili, if we move Vietnamese, they are evacuees. If they come to us to be evacuated, they are refugees. CHILI I'll make a note of it, sir. LOCKHART (reading) "N.V.A. Soldier Deserts After Reading Pamphlets --A young North Vietnamese Army regular, who realized his side could not win the war, deserted from his unit after reading Open Arms program pamphlets." That's good, Dave. But why say North Vietnamese Army regular? Is there an irregular? How about North Vietnamese Army soldier? DAVE I'll fix it up, sir. LOCKHART Lawrence Welk Show's gonna go out on TV in two weeks. Dave, do a hundred words on it. AFTV'll give you some background stuff. DAVE Yes, sir. LOCKHART (reading) "Not While We're Eating--N.V.A. learn marines on a search and destroy mission don't like to be interrupted while eating chow." Search and destroy. Uh, we have a new directive from M.A.F. on this. In the future, in place of"search and destroy," substitute the phrase "sweep and clear." Got it? JOKER Got it. Very catchy. LOCKHART And, Joker ... where's the weenie? JOKER Sir! LOCKHART The Kill, JOKER. The kill. I mean, all that fire, the grunts must've hit something. JOKER Didn't see 'em. LOCKHART Joker, I've told you, we run two basic stories here. Grunts who give half their pay to buy gooks toothbrushes and deodorants--Winning of Hearts and Minds--okay? And combat action that results in a kill--Winning the War. Now you must have seen blood trails ... drag marks? JOKER It was raining, sir. LOCKHART Well, that's why God passed the law of probability. Now rewrite it and give it a happy ending--say, uh, one kill. Make it a sapper or an officer. Which? JOKER Whichever you say. LOCKHART Grunts like reading about dead officers. JOKER Okay, an officer. How about a general? A few laughs. LOCKHART Joker, maybe you'd like our guys to read the paper and feel bad. I mean, in case you didn't know it, this is not a particularly popular war. Now, it is our job to report the news that these why-are-we-here civilian newsmen ignore. JOKER Sir, maybe you should go out on some ops yourself. I'm sure you could find a lot more blood trails and drag marks. Some laughs. LOCKHART JOKER, I've had my ass in the grass. Can't say I liked it much. Lots of bugs and too dangerous. As it happens, my present duties keep me where I belong. In the rear with the gear. DISSOLVE TO: 55 EXT. DA NANG BASE--DUSK Rows of hootches. In the distance, fireworks. JOKER (voiceover) Tet. The Year of the Monkey. Vietnamese Lunar New Year's Eve. Down in Dogpatch, the gooks are shooting off fireworks to celebrate. DISSOLVE TO: 56 INT. HOOTCH--NIGHT JOKER, RAFTERMAN, PAYBACK and the others are in their bunks, reading, lazing, smoking grass. JOKER is writing in a notebook. JOKER (yawns and stretches) I am fucking bored to death, man. I gotta get back in the shit. I ain't heard a shot fired in anger in weeks. PAYBACK Joker's so tough he'd eat the boogers out of a dead man's nose ... then ask for seconds. Some laughs. JOKER (John Wayne voice) Listen up, pilgrim. A day without blood is like a day without sunshine. PAYBACK Shi-i--i-t! Joker thinks the bad bush is between old mama-san's legs. Some laughs. PAYBACK He's never been in the shit. It's hard to talk about it, man. It's like on Hastings. CHILI Aw, you weren't on Operation Hastings, Payback. You weren't even in country. PAYBACK Eat shit and die, you fucking Spanish- American! You fucking poge! I was there, man. I was in the shit with the grunts. JOKER (John Wayne voice) Don't listen to any of Payback's bullshit, Rafterman. Sometimes he thinks he's John Wayne. PAYBACK You listen to Joker, new guy. He knows ti ti. Very little. You know he's never been in the shit,'cause he ain't got the stare. RAFTERMAN The stare? PAYBACK The thousand-yard stare. A marine gets it after he's been in the shit for too long. It's like ... it's like you've really seen beyond. I got it. All field marines got it. And you'll have it too. RAFTERMAN I will? STORK Hey, Payback. How do you stop five black dudes from raping a white chick? PAYBACK Fuck you, Stork. STORK Throw'em a basketball. Laughter. They are startled by the dull boom of mortar shells outside. DAVE Incoming. PAYBACK Oh, shit! CHILI They're outgoing. DAVE That ain't outgoing! Some closer explosions, much louder. CHILI That ain't outgoing! DAVE Now what I just say? The men grab their helmets, flak jackets and weapons and run outside. RAFTERMAN Joker, is this for real? JOKER Yes, it is, Rafterman. 57 EXT. DA NANG BASE--NIGHT Men running everywhere. Sirens. A mortar round lands in the distance, then others nearer. Fires are breaking out. 58 INT. BUNKER--NIGHT JOKER loads an M-60 machine gun, then hunches down watching the main gate of the perimeter. JOKER Hey, I hope they're just fucking with us. I ain't ready for this shit. STORK Amen. The sound ofa truck approaching. The marines get set. The truch smashes though the gates. The marines open fire. The truck is hit by a hail of automatic fire; it explodes and starts burning. N.V.A. troops follow the truck through the gate. The attackers are cut down by a withering fire from the marines. The attack peters out. People yell, "Cease fire." The firing trails off: DISSOLVE TO: 59 EXT. DA NANG BASE--DAWN JOKER and RAFTERMAN walk through the wreckage of the night's battle. Prisoners are led past. LOCKHART (voice over) The enemy has very deceitfully taken advantage of the Tet ceasefire to launch an offensive all over the country. So far, we've had it pretty easy here. But we seem to be the exception. 60 INT. SEA-TIGER OFFICE--DAWN Dirty and still in. their combat gear, JOKER, RAFTERMAN, PAYBACK and the other correspondents are slumped in, their chairs around the table. LOCKHART (walking) Charlie has hit every major military target in Vietnam, and hit 'em hard. In Saigon, the United States Embassy has been overrun by suicide squads. Khe Sahn is standing by to be overrun. We also have reports that a divi- sion of N.V.A. has occupied all of the city of Hue south of the Perfume River. In strate- gic terms, Charlie's cut the country in half... the civilian press are about to wet their pants and we've heard even Cronkite's going to say the war is now unwinnable. In other words, it's a huge shit sandwich, and we're all gonna have to take a bite. Long, serious pause. JOKER Sir ... does this mean that Ann-Margret's not coming? Laughter. LOCKHART (pissed off) Joker.... I want you to get straight up to Phu Bai. Captain January will need all his people. JOKER Yes, sir. LOCKHART And Joker, you will take off that damn button. How's it gonna look if you get killed wearing a peace symbol? RAFTERMAN Sir? Permission to go with Joker? LOCKHART Permission granted. RAFTERMAN Thank you, sir. JOKER Sir, permission not to take Rafterman with me? LOCKHART You still here? Vanish, Joker, most ricky-tick, and take Rafterman with you. You're responsible for him. 61 EXT. HELICOPTER SHOTS--DAWN A military helicopter flies past a huge sun. 62 INT. AERIAL HELICOPTER--DUSK JOKER Sits looking out the door. RAFTERMAN is frightened and airsick. The DOORGUNNER laughs and yells as he fires his M-60 machine gun. We see Vietnamese below running and falling. DOORGUNNER Get some ... get some ... get some ... get some ... yeah ... yeah ... get some ... get some. After a while the DOORGUNNER stops firing and grins at JOKER. DOORGUNNER (shouting to be heard) Anyone who runs is a V.C. Anyone who stands still is a well-disciplined V.C. (laughs) You guys oughtta do a story about me sometime. JOKER Why should we do a story about you? DOORGUNNER 'Cause I'm so fucking good! That ain't no shit neither. I've done got me one hundred and fifty-seven dead gooks killed. And fifty water buffaloes, too. Them're all certified. RAFTERMAN gags. JOKER Any women or children? DOORGUNNER Sometimes. JOKER How can you shoot women and children? RAFTERMAN gags. DOORGUNNER Easy. You just don't lead 'em so much. (laughs) Ain't war hell? DISSOLVE TO: 63 EXT. LZ HUE--DAY The helicopter lands. JOKER and RAFTERMAN jump out, duck down low and move away through pink smoke blown by the rotor blades. Marines run by carrying wounded on stretchers. JOKER (to a sergeant) Top, we want to get in the shit. MASTER SERGEANT Down the road, two-five. JOKER Two-five. Outstanding! Thanks, Top. DISSOLVE TO: 64 EXT. ROAD TO HUE--DAY A road next to a small canal on the outskirts of Hue. Tanks, trucks and marines are moving into the city past a column of refugees heading the other way. JOKER and RAFTERMAN catch up to a Lieutenant, salute him and walk alongside. JOKER Excuse me! Sir ... we're looking for First Platoon, Hotel two-five. I got a bro named Cowboy there. TOUCHDOWN You people one-one? JOKER No, sir. We're reporters for Stars and Stripes. TOUCHDOWN Stars and Stripes. JOKER Yes, sir. TOUCHDOWN I'm Cowboy's platoon commander. Cowboy's just down the road in the platoon area. JOKER Oh. You mind if we tag along, sir? TOUCHDOWN No problem. Welcome aboard. By the way, my name's Schinoski. Walter J. Schinoski. My people call me Mister Touchdown. I played a little ball for Notre Dame. JOKER Notre Dame? TOUCHDOWN (laughing) Yeah. JOKER All right! TOUCHDOWN You here to make Cowboy famous? JOKER Ha! Never happen, sir. TOUCHDOWN Well, if you people came looking for a story, this is your lucky day. We got Condition Red and we're definitely expecting rain. JOKER Outstanding, sir. We taking care of business? TOUCHDOWN Well, the N.V.A. are dug in deep. Hotel Company's still working this side of the river. Street by street and house by house. Charlie's definitely got his shit together. But we're still getting some really decent kills here. JOKER We heard some scuttlebutt, sir, about the N.V.A. executing a lot of gook civilians. TOUCHDOWN That's affirmative. I saw some bodies about half a klick this side of Phu Cam Canal. JOKER Can you show me where, sir? TOUCHDOWN Here's the canal... 65 EXT. MASS GRAVE--DAY JOKER stands looking down into a large open grave at a row of white, lime-covered corpses. Journalists, marines and civilians are grouped around the grave. A work detail leans on their shovels, their faces covered with bandanas against the stench. JOKER (voice over) The dead have been covered with lime. The dead only know one thing. It is better to be alive. JOKER approaches a young lieutenant-- CLEVES. JOKER Excuse me. Good morning, Lieutenant. LT. CLEVES Good morning. JOKER I make it twenty. Is that the official body count, sir? LT. CLEVES (sharply) What outfit are you men with? JOKER Sir, we're reporters from Stars and Stripes. LT. CLEVES (warms up) Oh, I see. JOKER I'm Sergeant Joker and this photographer's Rafterman. RAFTERMAN starts shooting pictures of the Lieutenant. LT. CLEVES I'm Lieutenant Cleves. I'm from Hartford, Connecticut. JOKER Have you got a body count, sir? LT. CLEVES We think it's twenty. JOKER Do you know how it happened, sir? LT. CLEVES Well, it seems the N.V.A. came in with a list of gook names. Government officials, policemen, ARVN officers, schoolteachers. They went around their houses real polite and asked them to report the next day for political re-education. Everybody who turned up got shot. Some they buried alive. A marine COLONEL who has been watching JOKER turns from the group arourzd the grave and strides up. JOKER snaps to attention. COLONEL Marine ! LT. CLEVES Colonel. COLONEL Marine, what is that button on your body armor? JOKER A peace symbol, sir. COLONEL Where'd you get it? JOKER I don't remember, sir. COLONEL What is that you've got written on your helmet? JOKER "Born to Kill," sir. COLONEL You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?! JOKER No, sir. COLONEL You'd better get your head and your ass wired together, or I will take a giant shit on you! JOKER Yes, sir. COLONEL Now answer my question or you'll be standing tall before the man. JOKER I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir. COLONEL The what? JOKER The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir. COLONEL Whose side are you on, son? JOKER Our side, sir. COLONEL Don't you love your country? JOKER Yes, sir. COLONEL Then how about getting with the program? Why don't you jump on the team and come on in for the big win? JOKER Yes, sir! COLONEL Son, all I've ever asked of my marines is that they obey my orders as they would the word of God. We are here to help the Vietnamese, because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over. JOKER Aye-aye, sir. DISSOLVE TO: 66 EXT. FIELD--DAY JOKER and RAFTERMAN Walk through a field toward a pagoda. 67 EXT. PAGODA--DAY Marines are moving supplies. Some men are rest- ing on the ground. A helicopter flies overhead. Music: Sam the Sham's "Wooly Bully." JOKER Hey, bro, we're looking for First Platoon, Hotel two-five. MARINE Around the back. JOKER and RAFTERMAN lualk to the back of the building. JOKER (to another marine) First Platoon? MARINE Yeah, through there. 68 INT. PAGODA COURTYARD--DAY Through a moon-door opening on to the pagoda courtyard, We see COWBOY shauing. Other marines are sprawled around the courtyard walls. JOKER walks up behind COWBOY. JOKER Hey, Lone Ranger. COWBOY Holy shit! JOKER You old motherfucker. COWBOY It's the JOKER. JOKER What's happenin'? They hug each other. COWBOY Boy, I hoped I'd never see you again, you piece of shit! JOKER (laughs) What's happening, man? COWBOY Oh, I'm just waiting to get back to the land of the big PX. JOKER Yeah? Well, why go back? Here or there, samey-same. COWBOY Been getting any? JOKER Only your sister. COWBOY Well, better my sister than my mom, though my mom's not bad. COWBOY leads JOKER to the center of the courtyard. COWBOY This is my bro Joker from the Island. And this is... JOKER Rafterman. COWBOY ...Rafterman. They're from Stars and Stripes. They'll make you famous. Adlibs of "All right!" COWBOY We're the Lusthog Squad. We're life-takers and heartbreakers. Adlibs. COWBOY We shoot 'em full of holes and fill 'em full of lead. Adlibs of "Yeah!" etc. A big grunt, ANIMAL MOTHER, approaches JOKER. Trouble. ANIMAL MOTHER Are you a photographer? JOKER No ... I'm a combat correspondent. ANIMAL MOTHER (smiles) Oh, you seen much combat? JOKER returns the smile. JOKER Well, I've seen a little on TV. The other marines laugh. ANIMAL MOTHER You're a real comedian. Some more laughs. JOKER (pause) Well, they call me the JOKER. Adlibs. "Oooooooooo!" and laughter. ANIMAL MOTHER (moves closer) Well, I got a joke for you. I'm gonna tear you a new asshole. Adlibs, laughter. JOKER (John. Wayne voice) Well, pilgrim ... only after you ... eat the peanuts out of my shit! Loud laughs and shouts. ANIMAL MOTHER (moves in close) You talk the talk. Do you walk the walk? Anticipatory adlibs of "Ooooh!" and "Whoooa!" EIGHTBALL, a black grunt, gets up and steps between JOKER and ANIMAL MOTHER. EIGHTBALL (to JOKER) Now you might not believe it but under fire Animal Mother is one of the finest human beings in the world. Laughter. EIGHTBALL All he needs is somebody to throw hand grenades at him the rest of his life. Laughter. EIGHTBALL leads ANIMAL MOTHER away. COWBOY (laughing) Come on, sit down. Come on, new guy. EIGHTBALL and ANIMAL MOTHER sit down together. ANIMAL MOTHER Hey, jungle bunny. Thank God for the sickle cell, huh? EIGHTBALL Yeah, mother. CRAZY EARL sits on the ground next to a figure sprawled in a chair. CRAZY EARL Hey ... photographer! You want to take a good picture? Here, man ... take this. This ... is my bro. CRAZY EARL lifts the hat which has been, covering the man's face. We see he is a dead N.V.A. soldier. Laughter. CRAZY EARL This is his party. He's the guest of honor. Today ... is his birthday. Adlibs: "Happy Birthday, zipperhead!" etc. CRAZY EARL I will never forget this day. The day I came to Hue City and fought one million N.V.A. gooks. I love the little Commie bastards, man, I really do. These enemy grunts are as hard as slant-eyed drill instructors. These are great days we're living, bros!'We are jolly green giants, walking the earth with guns. These people we wasted here today ... are the finest human beings we will ever know. After we rotate back to the world, we're gonna miss not having anyone around that's worth shooting. 69 EXT. A FIELD, OUTSKIRTS HUE CITY--DAY COWBOY's platoon, advancing towards the city in a sweep formation behind tanks. Cuts of the squad, nervous and alert. Mortar rounds explode ahead. LIEUTENANT TOUCHDOWN is hit and goes down. The platoon dives for cover. DOC JAY crawls to him and starts mouth-to-mouth. SERGEANT MURPHY crawls up, has a look, moves to the back of the tank and picks up a field radio. The platoon stays flat. MURPHY Delta Six Actual, this is Murphy. Over. Delta Six Actual, this is Murphy. Over. DELTA SIX (o.s.) Delta Six. MURPHY Delta Six, we are receiving incoming fire from the ville. The Lieutenant is down. We're going to stop here and check out what's in front of us. Over. CRAZY EARL, keeping low, scrambles up to the LUSTHOG SQUAD. CRAZY EARL Okay. Lusthog Squad, listen up! We're gonna move up these two roads here and check the ville. I want the third team up this road here. First and second fire team behind me up this other road, okay? Adlibs of "Right!" and "Okay!" CRAZY EARL Let's go! Let's get it done! Bending low the squad moves out past the tanks, leapfrogging toward some ruined buildings a couple of hundred yards in front of them. HAND JOB peers cautiously around the corner of a house and is killed instantly by a burst of automatic fire. ANIMAL MOTHER opens fire with his M-60 machine gun at some windows where the shots came from. Everyone opens fire, blasting chunks out of the building with a zillion rounds. T.H.E. ROCK fires an M-79 grenade, blowing out a window. RAFTERMAN photographs the action, his Nikon violently shaking. The fire slackens. Then it gets quiet. All their senses alert, everyone watches the building, listening hard. They reload. As CRAZY EARL reloads he spots six V.C. dashing across the street fifty yards away. They are out of sight in a second. Having missed his first chance, CRAZY EARL gets set hoping for another. Two more V.C. rush out into the open. He fires a long burst from his M-16 and they both go down. CRAZY EARL turns to the squad with a big grin. Music: "Surfin' Bird" by the Trashmen. This car- ries over through the next scene. 70 EXT. LOW WALL--DAY The platoon are hunched down behind a low wall. Tanks fire at some distant buildings. A three-man TV crew, ducking low, moves past them, filming. JOKER (John Wayne voice) Is that you, John Wayne? Is this me? COWBOY Hey, start the cameras. This is "Vietnam-- the Movie!" EIGHTBALL Yeah, Joker can be John Wayne. I'll be a horse! DONLON T.H.E. Rock can be a rock! T.H.E. ROCK I'll be Ann-Margret! DOC JAY Animal Mother can be a rabid buffalo! CRAZY EARL I'll be General Custer! RAFTERMAN Well, who'll be the Indians? ANIMAL MOTHER Hey, we'll let the gooks play the Indians! Laughter. 71 EXT. HUE CITY RUINS--DAY The bodies of LIEUTENANT TOUCHDOWN and HAND JOB laid out on ground sheets. The LUSTHOG SQUAD are gathered around them. The camera moves to each man, pausing for them to speak. T.H.E. ROCK You're going home now. Camera move. CRAZY EARL Semper fi. Camera move. DONLON We're mean marines, sir. Camera move. EIGHTBALL Go easy, bros. Camera move. ANIMAL MOTHER Better you than me. RAFTERMAN Well, at least they died for a good cause. ANIMAL MOTHER What cause was that? RAFTERMAN Freedom. ANIMAL MOTHER Flush out your head gear, new guy. You think we waste gooks for freedom? This is a slaughter. If I'm gonna get my balls blown off for a word ... my word is "poontang." COWBOY Tough break for Hand Job. He was all set to get shipped out on a medical. JOKER What was the matter with him? COWBOY He was jerkin' off ten times a day. EIGHTBALL It's no shit. At least ten times a day. COWBOY Last week he was sent down to Da Nang to see the Navy head shrinker, and the crazy fucker starts jerking off in the waiting room. Instant Section Eight. He was just waiting for his papers to clear division. 72 EXT. HUE CITY--VARIOUS PLACES--DAY The television crew interviews members of the LUSTHOG SQUAD. REPORTER You ready? CAMERAMAN Yeah. REPORTER Turnover. CAMERAMAN Rolling. REPORTER Hue City interviews. Roll thirty-four. ANIMAL MOTHER Well ... like, like you see, you know, it's a major city, so we have to assault with, uh ... tanks. So, they send us in first squad ... to make sure that there are no little Vietnamese waiting with, like, B-40 rockets that blow the tanks away. So we clear it out and we roll the tanks in and ... basically, blow the place to hell. (chuckles) COWBOY When we're in Hue ... when we're in Hue City ... it's like a war. You know like what I thought about a war, what I thought a war was, was supposed to be. There's the enemy, kill 'em. RAFTERMAN Well, I don't think there's any question about it. I mean we're the best. I mean all that bullshit about the Air Cav ... When the shit really hits the fan, who do they call? They call Mother Green and her killing machine! CRAZY EARL Do I think America belongs in Vietnam? Um ... I don't know. I belong in Vietnam. I'll tell you that. DOC JAY Can I quote L.B.J.? REPORTER Sure. DOC JAY (imitating L.B.J.) "I will not send American boys eight or ten thousand miles around the world to do a job that Asian boys oughtta be doin' for themselves." EIGHTBALL Personally, I think, uh ... they don't really want to be involved in this war. I mean ... they sort of took away our freedom and gave it to the, to the gookers, you know. But they don't want it. They'd rather be alive than free, I guess. Poor dumb bastards. COWBOY Well, the ones I'm ... I'm fighting at are some pretty bad boys. I'm not real keen on ... some of these fellows that are . . . supposed to be on our side. I keep meeting'em coming the other way. Yeah. DONLON I mean, we're getting killed for these people and they don't even appreciate it. They think it's a big joke. ANIMAL MOTHER Well, if you ask me, uh, we're shooting the wrong gooks. RAFTERMAN Well, it depends on the situation. I mean, I'm--I'm here to take combat photos. But if the shit gets too thick, I mean, I'll go to the rifle. ANIMAL MOTHER What do I think about America's involvement in the war? Well, I think we should win. COWBOY I hate Vietnam. There's not one horse in this whole country. They don't have one horse in Vietnam. There's something basically wrong with that. (laughs) ANIMAL MOTHER Well, if they'd send us more guys and maybe bomb the hell out of the North, they might, uh, they might give up. JOKER I wanted to see exotic Vietnam, the jewel of Southeast Asia. I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture and ... kill them. I wanted to be the first kid on my block to get a confirmed kill. 73 EXT. WRECKED MOVIE THEATER--DAY The marines are seated outside the theater on rows of broken movie seats. A motor-scooter, driven by a young ARVN soldier with a pretty teenage Vietnamese HOOKER sitting behind him, and pulls up in front of the LUSTHOG SQUAD. The girl gets off slowly, swinging her hips as she walks. Adlibs, hoots anal hollers. COWBOY Ten-hut! More hoots and hollers. COWBOY Good morning, little schoolgirl. I'm a little schoolboy, too. Adlibs and laughter. COWBOY What you got there, chief! The girl stands facing them, hands on hips. ARVN PIMP Do you want number one fuckee? Adlibs and laughter. COWBOY Hey, any of you boys want number one fuckee? Adlibs. JOKER Oh, I'm so horny. I can't even get a piece of hand. DONLON Hey! Hey! Me want suckee. ARVN PIMP Suckee, fuckee, smoke cigarette in the pussy, she give you everything you want. Long time. Laughter. COWBOY Everything you want! All right! How much there, chief! ARVN PIMP Fifteen dolla each. Adlibs: "Nooooooo!" COWBOY Number ten. Fifteen dolla beaucoup money. Laughter. COWBOY Five dolla each. ARVN PIMP Come on. She love you good. Boom-boom long time. Ten dolla. COWBOY Five dolla. ARVN PIMP No. Ten dolla. COWBOY Be glad to trade you some ARVN rifles. Never been fired and only dropped once. Laughter and derisive adlibs. ARVN PIMP (angry) Okay, five dolla. You give me. Adlibs. COWBOY Okay, okay! EIGHTBALL, a black grunt, walks up to the girl. EIGHTBALL Let's get mounted. HOOKER (speaks in Vietnamese) ARVN PIMP (argues in Vietnamese) EIGHTBALL Something wrong there, chief? ARVN PIMP She says, uh, no boom-boom with soul brotha. EIGHTBALL Hey, what the mother fuck? ARVN PIMP She say soul brotha too boo-coo. Too boo-coo. EIGHTBALL Hey, what is this, man? COWBOY (breaiting up) I think what he's trying to tell you is that you black boys pack too much meat. Laughter. ARVN PIMP Too boo-coo. Too boo-coo. EIGHTBALL Oh, shi-i-i-t! (laughs) This baby-san looks like she could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. Laughter. ARVN PIMP She say too boo-coo. Too boo-coo. EIGHTBALL Uh, excuse me, ma'am. Now what we have here, little yellow sister, is a magnificent... (takes out his dick) . . specimen of pure Alabama blacksnake. But it ain't too goddamn boo-coo. The girl looks at it. Hoots and catcalls. TEENAGE HOOKER Okay. Okay. Emjee. More hoots. COWBOY (mimicking Vietnamese word) Okay! Okay! Emjee! Emjee! Adlibs of "Emjee." EIGHTBALL starts to lead her away. EIGHTBALL All right! This is my boogie! COWBOY Hey, we need a batting order. ANIMAL MOTHER grabs the girl's arm, EIGHTBALL holds on to the other one. ANIMAL MOTHER I'm going first. EIGHTBALL Hey, now back off, white bread. Don't get between a dog and his meat. ANIMAL MOTHER slaps EIGHTBALL on the wrist like he's a naughty boy and pushes the girl into the movie theater. ANIMAL MOTHER (jokingly) All fucking niggers must fucking hang. Adlibs of "Fuck you!" and laughter. ANIMAL MOTHER Hey, hey! I won't be long. I'll skip the foreplay. FADE IN: 74 EXT. HUE CITY RUINS--DAY The LUSTHOG SQUAD on patrol moves slowly in single file, fifteen yards apart, through the ruined, smouldering city. JOKER (voiceouer) Intelligence passed the word down that during the night the N.V.A. had pulled out of our area to positions across the Perfume River. Our squad is sent on patrol to check out the report. 75 INT. BOMBED FACTORY--DAY The patrol moves carefully through the gutted shell of a building. The clink of their gear as they walk sounds loud in the unnatural silence. CRAZY EARL stops to pick up a child's stuffed toy. BANG! The toy triggs a booby trap, blasting CRAZY EARL across the room. The squad dives for couer. COWBOY Face outboard and take cover! Do it! DOC JAY scurries up to CRAZY EARL, who is unconscious and gives him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. COWBOY scrambles up to them. He looks at CRAZY EARL. Then JOKER runs in. DOC JAY (stops for a second) He aidt gonna make it. COWBOY (to himself) Shit. COWBOY doesn't know, what to do. Then he fumbles for his field radio. COWBOY Hotel One Actual, this is Cowboy! DOC JAY continues the mouth-to-mouth. COWBOY Hotel One Actual, this is Cowboy! MURPHY (o.s.) Hotel One. Over COWBOY Murph, this is Cowboy. Craze is hit. Booby trap. MURPHY (o.s.) Roger. Understand. Wait One. COWBOY looks around edgily. MURPHY (o.s.) You're senior N.C.O. You take charge and continue on with the patrol. Call in at the next checkpoint. Over. COWBOY Roger. Out. COWBOY stares at the radio. He looks scared. He turns to JOKER. COWBOY I'm squad leader. JOKER punches him reassuringly in the arm. JOKER I'll follow you anywhere, scumbag. DOC JAY stops working over CRAZY EARL and slowly looks up. DOC JAY He's dead. The three men stare at the body. 76 EXT. BURNING FALLEN BUILDING--DAY The squad moves past a burning five-storey building that has collapsed and is lying on its side. DISSOLVE TO: 77 EXT. LOW CONCRETE WALL--DAY EIGHTBALL, on point, studies a map as he walks. Then he slours to a stop and signals to halt the squad. The squad stops ancl crouches down in the rubble. EIGHTBALL gestures for COWBOY to move up. EIGHTBALL (quietly) Cowboy! COWBOY moves up and they kneel behind a low concrete wall. COWBOY What's up? EIGHTBALL I think we made a mistake at the last checkpoint. He shows COWBOY the map. EIGHTBALL Here ... see what you think. I think we're here and we should be here. COWBOY studies the map. COWBOY We're here? EIGHTBALL Yeah. COWBOY We should be here? EIGHTBALL Yeah ...yeah ... that's right. COWBOY is confused and scared. He checks his compass. Then he peers over the wall through his binoculars. COWBOY looks back nervously at the squacl strung out behind him. COWBOY Fuck ... What do you think? EIGHTBALL Well, I think we should change direction. EIGHTBALL doesn't sound like he really knows what to do either. COWBOY knows he has to make a decision. COWBOY Okay. We'll change direction. COWBOY motions to the squad to come up. They rattle up and take positions behind the low wall. JOKER What's up? COWBOY Changing direction. JOKER What, are we lost? COWBOY Joker, shut the fuck up! COWBOY (to squad) Okay! Listen up! Can you hear me? Adlibs of "Yeah!" COWBOY Okay, we're changing direction. We're heading over that way. COWBOY points over the wall to some ruined buildings across an open space to their Left. COWBOY Eightball's gonna go out and see if he can find a way through. EIGHTBALL shrugs, apprehensiuely. COWBOY Got it? Adlibs of "Yeah!" COWBOY Eightball ... let's dance. EIGHTBALL slowly gets to his Knees and peers over the wall. EIGHTBALL Put a nigger behind the trigger. 78 EXT. RUINED STREET HUE--DAY EIGHTBALL climbs over the low wall and moves cautiously out into the open, heading for the damaged buildings. The squad covers him. EIGHTBALL reaches the buildings and stops to study the smoke-filled square. 79 SNIPER P.O.V. -- DAY P.O.V. from a concealed position on the second floor of a building on the square, an AK-47 rifle is slowly raised and aimed at EIGHTBALL. EIGHTBALL turns back to wave the rest of the squad up. BANG! The SNIPER fires. EIGHTBALL is hit in the leg. Seen in slow motion, EIGHTBALL twists and crumples to the ground. The LUSTHOG SQUAD fires blindly, wildly, at every door and window in the direction of the shot. COWBOY Okay, cease fire! Cease fire, goddamn it! Some of the squad keep firing. COWBOY Cool it, goddamn it! Cool it! Cease fire! AdLibs of "Cease fire!" The firing stutters to a stop. COWBOY Okay, listen up! Did anybody see a sniper? Did anybody see anything? T.H.E. ROCK (down the line) Did anybody see a sniper? DOC JAY No! DONLON Nothing! RAFTERMAN Negative! T.H.E. ROCK Nothing! Adlibs of "No!" COWBOY Okay, then save your ammo! Nobody fire till I tell you! Seen, in slow, motion, the SNIPER fires again and hits EIGHTBALL in the arm. He screams in pain. The squad opens fire at buildings facing them. COWBOY No, no! Cease fire! Cease fire! Animal, cease fire! Keeping low, DONLON comes up and hands COWBOY the radio. DONLON Cowboy, it's Sergeant Murphy. COWBOY (into radio) This is Cowboy. Over. MURPHY (o.s.) This is Murphy. What is your present position? Over. COWBOY Murph, we're receiving enemy sniper fire. Eightball is down. Our position is about half a klick north of checkpoint four. Believe pos- sible strong enemy force occupying buildings in front of us. Request immediate tank support. Over. MURPHY (o.s.) Roger. Understand. I'll see what I can do. Over. COWBOY Roger. Over and out. COWBOY (to Donlon) Stay close. DONLON Got it. COWBOY thinks hard for a few seconds. COWBOY (to squad) Okay, listen up! I think we're being set up for an ambush. I think there may be strong enemy forces in those buildings over there. I've requested tank support. We're gonna sit tight until it comes, but keep your eyes open. If they decide to hit us, we'll have to pull back fast. The SNIPER fires, wounding EIGHTBALL again, this time in the foot. He shrieks in agony. Again the squad opens fire. COWBOY Goddamn it! Hold! Cease your fire, Mother! Cease your fucking fire! The firing stops. DOC JAY Cowboy! COWBOY What? DOC JAY We can't leave him out there! COWBOY We're not leaving him! We'll get him when the tank comes up. DOC JAY He's hit three fucking times! He can't wait that long! COWBOY I've seen this before! That sniper's just trying to suck us in one at a time! The SNIPER fires and hits EIGHTBALL in the thigh. His cries echo across the open space ground. ANIMAL MOTHER fires madly. COWBOY (shouting) Goddamn it! No! The squad continues firing. COWBOY Goddamn it, cease fire! The firing trails off: ANIMAL MOTHER He's out there alone! COWBOY Cease fire! The firing stops. DOC JAY Man, fuck this, fuck this shit! I'm going out to bring him in! COWBOY No! You stay the fuck down! DOC JAY Cover me! DOC JAY jumps over the wall and, ducking low, zig- zags across the open ground. The squad fires to cover him. DOC JAY gets there safely and momentarily drops out of sight. COWBOY Goddamn it! Goddamn it! Okay, cease fire! He's there! Adlibs of "Cease fire!" 80 SNIPER P.O.V.--DAY DOC JAY, Seen over the sights of the SNIPER's AK-47, drags EIGHTBALL toward cover. 81 EXT. THE SQUARE--DAY The SNIPER fires. DOC JAY is hit and falls next to EIGHTBALL. The squad opens fire again. COWBOY Hold your fire! Hold your fire!!! Cease fire! You can't see the sniper! Save the ammo! Nobody fire till I tell you! Nobody! ANIMAL MOTHER What the fuck do we do now, Cowboy? COWBOY Gimme that fucking radio. DONLON scuttles over with the radio. COWBOY (into radio) Murph? This is Cowboy. Over. MURPHY (o.s.) This is Murphy. Over. COWBOY Murph, we're in some deep shit. I got two men down. What's the story on that fucking tank? Over. MURPHY (o.s.) Sorry, Cowboy. No luck so far with the tank. Will advise. Over. COWBOY Roger. Out. (muttering to himself) Numbnut bastards! (to the squad) Okay, listen up! T.H.E. ROCK Listen up! COWBOY Can't afford to wait for the tank. I think they're gonna hit us any minute. When they do we won't have time to pull out. We gotta do it now. Let's get ready to move. No one moves or says anything. T.H.E. ROCK Get ready to pull out! ANIMAL MOTHER Wait a minute! Hold it! Hold it! Nobody's pulling out! There's only one fucking sniper out there! COWBOY Back off, Mother! I'm calling the plays! I say we're pulling out! ANIMAL MOTHER Yeah, well, what about Doc Jay and Eightball? COWBOY I know it's a shitty thing to do, but we can't refuse to accept the situation. ANIMAL MOTHER Yeah, well, we're not leaving Doc Jay and Eightball out there! COWBOY Doc Jay and Eightball are wasted! You know that! ANIMAL MOTHER Bullshit! Come on, you guys! We gotta go bring'em back! Let's go get 'em! Let's do it! COWBOY Stand down, Mother! That's a direct order! ANIMAL MOTHER Fuck you, Cowboy! Fuck all you assholes! ANIMAL MOTHER jumps over the wall and runs screaming and firing his M-60. The squad fires to cover him, blasting chunks of mortar and concrete from the buildings. ANIMAL MOTHER (screaming) Fucking son-of-a-bitch! You motherfucker! Aaagh! Whooo! ANIMAL MOTHER reaches the buildings and drops down against a shattered wall. He calls across the open street. ANIMAL MOTHER Doc! Doc! Doc! Where's the sniper? DOC JAY tries to speak. ANIMAL MOTHER Doc, where's the sniper? Barely able to move, DOC JAY tries to point in the direction of the SNIPER. Suddenly he and EIGHTBALL are riddled by a burst of automatic fire from the SNIPER, Killing them instantly. ANIMAL MOTHER's eyes widen in horror. ANIMAL MOTHER (under his breath) Shit! ANIMAL MOTHER gets to his feet and edges forward to the corner of the building. He carefully looks around the corner across the square at the black building, from where he thinks the shots were fired. BANG! A shot from the SNIPER ricochets off the wall a few inches from his head. He ducks back around the corner, breathing hard. ANIMAL MOTHER looks around and carefully works his way to a safer spot behind another building. He shouts to the squad. ANIMAL MOTHER Hey, Cowboy! COWBOY Yeah! ANIMAL MOTHER Doc Jay and Eightball are wasted! There's only one sniper, nothing else. Move up the squad! You're clear up to here! Come on! COWBOY isn't sure what to do. COWBOY (mutters) Son-of-a-bitch. The squad look to him. He takes a couple of thoughtful breaths and decides to go. COWBOY Okay, listen up! No-Doze, Stutten, Donlon, Rock--you come with me, we'll take a look! The rest of you stay put and cover our ass! We may be coming back in a big hurry! JOKER I'm going with you. RAFTERMAN I'm coming, too. COWBOY Okay. (To the others) You all set? Adlibs "Yeah!" COWBOY Let's move out! T.H.E. ROCK Let's do it! The five men clamber over the wall and dash across the broken ground to the smouldering cluster of buildings. When they reach ANIMAL MOTHER he leads them to a street off the square where they duck down against a shattered building. They catch their breath and move forward to the next building, where they crouch down against the wall. ANIMAL MOTHER (pointing) Cowboy .. . top of the black building, around the corner. COWBOY cautiously moves to the corner of the building and studies the strange-looking black building which commands the square. Then. he ducks back around the corner, more uncertain than ever what they should do. COWBOY Donlon ... give me that radio. COWBOY moves to DONLON to take the radio. Facing away from the black building, COWBOY does not notice that from the place he has moved to he can be seen. by the SNIPER through a jagged hole in the building. 83 SNIPER P.O.V. OF COWBOY The SNIPER's P.O.V. --COWBOY's upper body is just visible through the hole in the building. 84 EXT. SQUARE--DUSK COWBOY Murphy, this is Cowboy. Over! A gunshot reverberates. In slow-motion COWBOY falls. JOKER Cowboy! ANIMAL MOTHER starts firing his M-60. RAFTERMAN (shouting) Holy shit! The sniper's got a clean shot through the hole in the wall. Much yelling, shouting and confusion as the men realize where the shot came from. JOKER (shouting) Get him! Get him the fuck outta here!! COWBOY is carried behind the building. All talk at once. JOKER Easy! Easy! DONLON Get him on his back. Adlibs. COWBOY (weakly) Oh, I don't believe this shit. Adlibs, fumbling for bandages, etc. JOKER Shut up! You'll be all right, Cowboy. T.H.E. ROCK Take it easy, Cowboy. Four pairs of hands doing things. COWBOY (moaning) Uhhh, that son-of-a-bitch! JOKER You're gonna be all right. T.H.E. ROCK You're going home, man. You're going home. DONLON Easy, man. Easy. Easy. COWBOY Ohhhh, don't shit me, JOKER! Don't shit me! JOKER I wouldn't shit you, man. You're my favorite turd. COWBOY begins to lose consciousness. JOKER Cowboy... DONLON Hang on, man. Hang on! COWBOY (coughs) I ... I can hack it. T.H.E. ROCK You can hack it. COWBOY I can. I-I... COWBOY spits up some blood and dies in JOKER's arms. JOKER bends down and hugs COWBOY. Nobody moves. Then, one by one, they slowly get to their feet. JOKER is the last to get up. They stand looking at the body. ANIMAL MOTHER leaves two men to continue firing at the SNIPER, and he scuttles around the corner to the group around COWBOY's body. He looks at COWBOY and then at JOKER. ANIMAL MOTHER Let's go get some payback. JOKER looks up slowly. JOKER (in cold anger) Okay. ANIMAL MOTHER leads then down a narrow street. They stop to take cover behind a building just off the square. They have to cross the open. square, ruhich would give the SNIPER a clear shot at them. ANIMAL MOTHER Give 'em some smoke. He and JOKER toss three smoke grenades into the square. They explode ruith a dull bang. They wait while the square slowly fills with smoke. ANIMAL MOTHER waves and they run out blindly through the thick smoke to the other side of the square. 85 INT. BLACK BUILDING They work their way into the shattered, burning building, past twisted steel girders and huge broken chunks of concrete. They come to a place where they have to split up. ANIMAL MOTHER points one way. ANIMAL MOTHER Donlon, Rock--that way. You two with me. DONLON and T.H.E. ROCK move off as ordered. JOKER and RAFTERMAN follow ANIMAL MOTHER the other way. They come to another place where they have to choose which way to go. ANIMAL MOTHER (pointing) JOKER, in there! New Guy with me. JOKER cautiously enters one door. ANIMAL MOTHER and RAFTERMAN disappear through the other. 86 INT. WRECKED AND BURNING LOBBY--DAY JOKER finds himself in what was the lobby of the building, a large room, which is on fire, with shattered columns, oriental arches, and windows with large decorative grillwork. JOKER inches slowly into the room. He hears a noise, ducks behind a column and peers around it. He sees a small, b lack-clad figure standing at a window - the SNIPER. He raises his rifle, aims and squeezes the trigger. A loud click. In slow motion the SNIPER turns to face JOKER. We see the startled face of a beautiful Vietnamese girl of about fifteen. In slow motion JOKER frantically works the bolt of his M-16. With the hard eyes of a grunt, the SNIPER fires her AK-47 rifle. In slow motion JOKER ducks behind the column, desperately trying to unjam his M-16 rifle. In, slow motion the SNIPER fires and runs down a few steps to get a better shot at JOKER. The bullets from her AK-47 tear large chunks of masonry from the column shielding him. Suddenly the SNIPER's body seems to explode as she is hit by a burst of automatic fire. RAFTERMAN has come up and fires his M-16 into the girl's body. JOKER stands trembling against the shattered column. RAFTERMAN snaps another M-16 magazine into place, gestures JOKER to stay put, and moves forward like Supergrunt to check out the rest of the room. It's clear. He moves to the window, and shouts to the two men in the square. RAFTERMAN We got the sniper! The SNIPER lies on the floor, writhing in pain. JOKER and RAFTERMAN cautiously approach her. RAFTERMAN kicks away her AK-47. The two men stare at her in disbelief: The SNIPER is a child, no more than fifteen years old, a slender Eurasian. angel with dark beautiful eyes. They are startled by a faint sound. They dive for cover. They listen. ANIMAL MOTHER calls from behind cover at the other end of the room. ANIMAL MOTHER Joker? JOKER Yo. ANIMAL MOTHER What's up? JOKER We got the sniper. RAFTERMAN and JOKER circle around the SNIPER as DONLON and T.H.E. ROCK and ANIMAL MOTHER walk up. RAFTERMAN I saved JOKER's ass. I got the sniper. I fucking blew her away. RAFTERMAN laughs hysterically, and kisses his rifle. RAFTERMAN Am I bad? Am I a life-taker? Am I a heart- breaker? No one pays any attention to RAFTERMAN. The SNIPER gasps, whimpers. DONLON stares at her. DONLON What's she saying? JOKER (after a pause) She's praying. T.H.E. ROCK No more boom-boom for this baby-san. There's nothing we can do for her. She's dead meat. ANIMAL MOTHER stares down at the SNIPER. ANIMAL MOTHER Okay. Let's get the fuck outta here. JOKER What about her? ANIMAL MOTHER Fuck her. Let her rot. The SNIPER prays in Vietnanese. JOKER We can't just leave her here. ANIMAL MOTHER Hey, asshole ... Cowboy's wasted. You're fresh out of friends. I'm running this squad now and I say we leave the gook for the mother-lovin' rats. JOKER stares at ANIMAL MOTHER. JOKER I'm not trying to run this squad. I'm just saying we can't leave her like this. ANIMAL MOTHER looks down at the SNIPER. SNIPER (whimpering) Sh . . . sh-shoot . . . me. Shoot . . . me. ANIMAL MOTHER looks at JOKER. ANIMAL MOTHER If you want to waste her, go on, waste her. JOKER looks at the SNIPER. The four men look at JOKER. SNIPER (gasping) Shoot . . . me . . . shoot . . . me. JOKER slowly lifts his pistol and looks into her eyes. SNIPER Shoot . . . me. JOKER jerks the trigger. BANG! The four men are silent. JOKER stares down at the dead girl. RAFTERMAN (laughs) JOKER ... we're gonna have to put you up for the Congressional Medal of... Ugly! (laughs) JOKER looks at RAFTERMAN, blankly. DONLON Hard core, man. Fucking hard core. 87 EXT. BURNING CITY--NIGHT. The platoon moves through the city, silhouetted against the raging fires. A scene in, hell. JOKER (narration) We have nailed our names in the pages of history enough for today. We hump down to the Perfume River to set in for the night. The marines start to sing. MARINE PLATOON Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Hey there. Hi there. Ho there. You're as welcome as can be. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Mickey Mouse. (Mickey Mouse.) Mickey Mouse. (Mickey Mouse.) Forever let us hold our banner high. High. High. High. Come along and sing a song and join the jamboree. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Here we go a-marching and a-shouting merrily. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. We play fair and we work hard and we're in harmony. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Mickey Mouse. (Mickey Mouse.) Mickey Mouse. (Mickey Mouse.) Forever let us hold our banner high. High. High. High. Boys and girls from far and near you're as welcome as can be. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Who is marching coast to coast and far across the sea? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Mickey Mouse. (Mickey Mouse.) Mickey Mouse. (Mickey Mouse.) Forever let us hold his banner high. High. High. High. Come along and sing a song and join the family. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. JOKER (voiceover) My thoughts drift back to erect nipple wet dreams about Mary Jane Rottencrotch and the Great Homecoming Fuck Fantasy. I am so happy that I am alive, in one piece and short. I'm in a world of shit . . . yes. But I am alive. And I am not afraid. MARINE PLATOON (singing) Come along and sing this song and join our family. M-I-C-K-E-Y- M-O-U-S-E The marines march off into the distance. MARINE PLATOON (singing) Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E Hey there! Hi there! Ho there! You're as welcome as can be. Mickey Mouse ... The sound fades aulay as the scene fades to black.

1 EXT. OUTER SPACE The vastness of space. Suddenly a hole in the sky opens with a flash and a SPACESHIP rumbles into view. ON its hull the letters NSEA PROTECTOR. Magnificent, though on closer inspection it shudders ever so slightly, denoting pre-CGI model work on a budget. We're watching a TV show. LAREDO (V.0.) We're exiting the time knot now sir! 2. INT. NSEA PROTECTOR COMMAND DECK - SPACE 5 Members of the crew of the NSEA PROTECTOR sit in the large circa - 1979-"high-tech" cabin. All of them human except for DR. LAZARUS, a purple reptilian-looking alien. LAREDO is 9. The crewmates exchange relieved smiles. FRED We're alive. LAREDO We made it Commander, we made it! LAZARUS (THE ALIEN) By Grabthar's hammer, we live to tell the tale. COMPUTER (0.S.) Systems register functional. GWEN All systems are working, Commander. Commander? They all turn to look at THE COMMANDER, who turns to reveal himself dramatically. Good looking. His acting is classic Charlton Heston take-no-prisoners style. He looks around the command deck, worried, almost sniffing the air. COMMANDER I don't like it. It was too easy... Look for ambient energy fields. LAREDO All normal sir... The entire spectrum. COMMANDER Check again Laredo. LAREDO Yes sir, I- Wait. Oh no. His radar lights up with dots. First a few, then HUNDREDS. LAREDO They're everywhere. There are time knots opening everywhere. LAZARUS IMPACT NOW Commander Suddenly an EXPLOSION rocks the ship. GWEN A trap. LAZARUS. We're surrounded Commander. The entire 5k Ranking is out there. COMMANDER Our plasma armor? LAREDO Gone sir. Another BLAST rocks the room. COMPUTER (O.S.) Structural damage at 68 percent. GWEN We're getting major structural damage. FRED It's a core meltdown sir. It can't be stopped The Commander turns to his advisor, Lazarus. LAZARUS Commander, surrender may be our only option. COMMANDER No, never give up... NEVER surrender.' GWEN The reactor has eaten through four levels... Six levels... The ship is disintegrating LAREDO Your orders sir?... Sir, your orders? The Commander walks into close up; Steely determination. COMMANDER Activate the Omega 13. The crewmates exchange expectant and terrified glances. CLOSE UP of a crewman's hand as he operates a series controls which in turn opens five layers of mechanical locks revealing a serious looking lever. The Commander pulls that lever. A MACHINE Is revealed, rising from the floor in the middle of the room. It begins to GLOW. Cut to each actor in turn reacting dramatically. Then suddenly.. THE PICTURE GOES WHITE, LEADER LEADER NUMBERS APPEAR, with a STUDIO COPYRIGHT notice. CUT TO: 3 HUNDREDS OF FACES ENTHRALLED LEGIONS of mostly spotty faced male adolescent FANS staring into camera. For a moment all is silent. A few are sobbing. Then a BURST OF THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE... We're at a SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION. The enthusiastic crowd of FANS continue cheering as the master of ceremonies GUY takes the stage. GUY Well, there you are! You are the first people to see the lost GALAXY QUEST episode 52 two parter since it was originally aired in '82! As most of you know, no concluding episode was filmed when the series was cancelled, so one episode was never included in the syndication run. Let's hear it for Travis Latke, who actually rescued the footage from the studio garbage! Can you believe that? (Latke stands, fans cheer) Now for the moment you've all been waiting for... The intrepid crew of the NSEA PROTECTOR! But a STAGEHAND in the wings signals for Guy to "stretch." GUY But first... What is a "hero"? Let's take a look at a few more clips... 4 BACKSTAGE Here we meet the REAL LIFE ACTORS all dressed as their TV alter egos... GWEN DEMARCO, beautiful, in a sexy and improbable body suit. ALEXANDER DANE, (DR. LAZARUS) wearing green alien prosthetic makeup. FRED KWAN, calm, sitting on an apple box reading the paper. TOMMY "LAREDO" WEBBER, the youngest of the group. TOMMY Where the hell is he? An hour and a half late. An hour and a half! GWEN (looks through curtain) This is great! They're going to start eating each other out there. ALEXANDER (OFFSCREEN) He's a twit! TOMMY Oh, and did you hear he booked another fan appearance without us? GWEN You're kidding. When for? TOMMY Tomorrow morning, before the store opening. ALEXANDER (OFFSCREEN) He's a miserable twit! GWEN The guy is terminally selfish! FRED He ate my sandwich. GWEN AND TOMMY What? FRED A month ago, he ate my sandwich. TOMMY And he ate Fred's SANDWICH! Gwen turns to notice Alexander staring into a makeup mirror, eyes roaming over his alien green makeup and scaly rubber features with a mournful expression. GWEN Oh Alex, get away from that thing... ALEXANDER Dear God.... How did I come to this? 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) TOMMY Not again... ALEXANDER I played Richard III... FRED "Five curtain calls... ALEXANDER ...Five curtain calls! I was an ACTOR once, damn it. Now look at me... LOOK AT ME. TOMMY Settle down, Alex... ALEXANDER No. I can't go out there! I won't say that ridiculous catch phrase one more time. I won't. I can't! GWEN At least you had a PART. You had a character people loved! My TV Guide interview was six paragraphs about this body suit. About my legs. How did I perfect my trademark sidesaddle pose? Nobody ever bothered to ask what I DO on the ship... FRED You were the, uh... Wait I'll think of it... GWEN I repeated the computer. "It's getting hotter, Commander!" "The ship is disintegrating, Commander!" Nothing I did EVER affected the plot, not ONCE! Nothing I did was ever taken seriously! TOMMY Excuse me. I'm an African American playing a nine year old Malaysian named Laredo. HELLO! Suddenly the rear stage doors open and JASON NESMITH ("The Commander") strolls in, all exuberance and charm. JASON My friends, your Commander has arrived!... Am I too late for Alexander's panic attack?...(looks at Alex) Apparently so. (inspects a mole on Alex's neck) That's irregular, you should have it looked at. (looks at Fred's paper) Lakers are HOT. Speaking of which... Gwen, you look spectacular. (they all glare at him) Oh, what did I do now? 5 CONVENTION STAGE On the stage, Guy continues to stall... GUY ... Sure, the rocks looked hollow and the sets moved when anyone humped into them... But we didn't care... FILM CLIPS are projected behind him: On an alien planet THE Commander carries the LIMP BODY OF HIS ADVISOR, LAZARUS, ray guns erupting around him... On the command deck the crew fights a space battle with crack precision TEAMWORK... GUY (CONTINUED) ....For those four seasons from '79 to '82 we the viewers developed the same affection for the crew of the NSEA PROTECTOR that the crew had for each other... These weren't just adventurers exploring space, these were friends... 6 BACKSTAGE - The others surround JASON, fighting. TOMMY You said we do appearances together, or not at all.' JASON I didn't say that. I said "wouldn't it be great if we could always, work together." That's what I said. GWEN Unbelievable. TOMMY You are so full of shit JASON A few fans built a little set in their garage. . I come in for an hour at most. It's a nothing. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) GWEN How much of a nothing? Not enough to split five ways kind of a nothing? JASON What do you want me to say, Gwen?... They wanted the Commander. Suddenly bright light streams in. They all turn to see ALEXANDER skulking out the exit. A beat, then they all run to catch Alexander, TACKLING HIM. 7 ONSTAGE - Guy gets a thumbs up cue from a stagehand and begins to introduce the cast, to the delight of the applauding FANS. GUY Okay, here we go... Let's hear a warm welcome for crack gunner/navigator. Laredo, Tommy Webber! Tommy comes bounding out with a big smile, his hair mussed. Behind him is a film clip of young LAREDO in action. TOMMY (FILM CLIP) AS LAREDO "If it's got quantum rockets, I can fly it." GUY Ship's Tech Sergeant Chen... Fred Kwan! Fred strolls out with a casual wave. FRED AS CHEN "Give me a stick of gum and a hairpin and we re on our way!" 8 BACKSTAGE - Gwen and Jason are wrestling on the ground with Alexander. GWEN Alex you can't -just leave. ALEXANDER Oh can't I? Watch me! JASON Come on, old friend... ALEXANDER Friend. You stole all my best lines. You cut me out of episode two entirely!.. GUY (O.S. FROM THE STAGE) The beautiful shipmate Tawny Madison... GWEN DEMARCO! 9 ONSTAGE - Gwen takes the stage noticeably ruffled. In the film clip, Tawny Madison looks around the cabin fearfully. COMPUTER One hundred degrees and rising... GWEN AS TAWNY ~~~ISON "It's... It's getting hotter, Commander.'" Many "appreciative" WHISTLES. Gwen forces a smile. GUY And now... The Commander's advisor and closest friend. His peaceful nature ever at odds with the savage warrior inside him, after witnessing the massacre of his entire species as a boy... We see a splitscreen shot of Alexander, one mild mannered, the other a savage beast of vengeance, tearing into a foe. 10 BACKSTAGE - Jason still in a wrestling match with Alexander. JASON You WILL go out there. ALEXANDER I won't and nothing you say- JASON "The show must go on." ALEXANDER ...Damn you! Damn you! GUY (cont'd) (O.S.) "Dr. Lazarus of Tev'meck"... Alexander Dane 11 ON STAGE - Alex bounds up on stage, bowing deep with grace and humility. The stage trained British actor. ALEX AS LAZARUS ONSCREEN "By Grabthar's hammer, you shall be avenged.'" Alex cringes, desperately unhappy GUY And finally, my fellow Questarians, the brave Commander of the NSEA PROTECTOR... Peter Quincy Taggart ... JASON NESMITH. Jason appears and a SPOTLIGHT follows him. TOMMY Unbelievable. He rented a SPOT? Jason raises his fist encouraging the FANS to cry out... JASON/JASON ON SCREEN/EVERYONE "NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER... DAMN THE RESONANCE CANNONS, FULL SPEED AHEAD.'" The fans go crazy. The actors exchange glances. GUY The Commander and his crew will be signing autographs on imperial decks "b" and "c" near the coke machines. 12 CONVENTION HALLWAY It's quiet. We're on FOUR PAIRS OF BOOTS walking down the hallway. We PAN UP to reveal FIVE SERIOUS LOOKING YOUNG PEOPLE, 4 men and a woman, clean cut as Disneyland employees and impeccably outfitted in GALAXY QUEST style uniforms. Something odd about them you can't quite put your finger on.. For now we'll refer to them as THE PECULIAR FANS. 13 CONVENTION HALL We move with the PECULIAR FANS as they enter the bustling convention floor, making their way past the numerous FANS dressed as their favorite GALAXY QUEST characters... through the various booths selling GALAXY QUEST and other Si-fi memorabilia, catching snippets of conversation along the way: They pass two ELABORATELY COSTUMED ALIEN FANS talking. ALIEN ...Yeah, I used to De Gark'nor of Ang but I got a rash from the chest pads so now I'm Sacnod from episode 5, which is fine except the transducer pinches when I sit down... ... They pass a group of particularly EARNEST FANS at a vendor's booth, also costumed as the five GALAXY QUEST leads. Their leader, BRANDON WHEEGER, inspects a seller's model of the DEFENDER, contemptuously. BRANDON The tail fin is concave, not convex. The proton reactor is where the influx thermistors should be and.. my god... is this Testor's blue green number six on the hull? (drops the model roughly) I... I... This is a complete abortion. With curious glances to this similarly uniformed group, the PECULIAR FANS move past, then come to a halt as they spot JASON, up on a raised platform at the front of the hall signing autographs for a long line of fans. The peculiar fans stare at Jason as to they were in the presence of God. They exchange astonished smiles, then start toward him... THE CAST TABLE Tommy, Alexander and Fred sign autographs at a row of tables near Jason, but significantly lower than his perch. TOMMY Is it me or does his table get higher every convention? One of many fans dressed as "Dr. Lazarus" steps up to Alexander and salutes him with crossed fists. FAN "By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, I shall avenge you!" Alexander ignores this, grabs the photo from his hand, signs it, thrusts it back. The next fan steps up. FAN "By Grabthar's hammer, by the-" He signs and thrusts it back before he can even finish. ALEXANDER Next! Guy (the MC) approaches the actors at their tables. GUY Hi everybody. TOMMY Hey. Thanks for one nice intro... uh. GUY Guy... You probably don't remember me do you? (They stare blankly) I was on the show in '82. Episode 31? Got killed by the lava monster before the first commercial? "Crewman #6?" The actors pretend that they remember him. "oh, right! Guy!" GUY Listen, I was wondering, would you guys mind if I sit in today? See if anybody's interested in an autograph? Never know. GWEN Sure, Guy, If you can stand the excitement. Two more FANS dressed as Alexander's character approach him, proudly CHATTERING at him in the Mak'tar language. ALEXANDER Don't make me get a restraining order. ACROSS THE ROOM THE PECULIAR FANS are making their way through the crowd toward Jason. We suddenly notice something very strange; THE LEFT HAND of the tallest one is flickering between a normal hand and A HAND WITH SEVEN LONG BLUE TENTACLES FOR FINGERS. The LEADER notices and motions to the afflicted man who raps sharply against a metal blinking box on his belt. The hand becomes normal again. He looks up, nods at the leader. From now on we'll refer to these 5 as THE ALIENS. AT THE CAST TABLE - Guy now sits with the others, forlorn. No fans are in line for his autograph. He watches as Fred fields questions from the group or fans led by BRANDON. BRANDON Mr. Kwan? In episode nineteen, when the reactor fused, you used an element from Leopold Six to fix the quantum rockets. What was that called? FRED Bivrakium. BRANDON The blue sheath it was encased in-? FRED A bi-thermal krevlite housing. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) Brandon makes a note, thanks him and exits with his group. GUY How do you remember this stuff? FRED Oh I make it up. Use lots of "k"s and "v"s. A male FAN moves up to Gwen, hands her a picture to sign. FAN I'm a big fan Ms. Demarco. Gwen looks at the photo, nonplussed. GWEN You really expect me to sign a naked picture of myself? This isn't even my body! FAN Yeah, normally with fakes it's like, recycle bin. But.. This one's really good. (Gwen sighs, starts to sign) Could you not write over the... Thanks. A fan finally approaches Guy who looks up eagerly. The fan looks at him quizzically, trying to place him. GUY Episode 12. (gets no reaction) Killed by the lava monster?.. FAN (turns to Tommy) Laredo, could I get an autograph? Guy shrugs, disappointed. Gwen gives him a comforting look, then looks across at JASON ON HIS PERCH Talking dramatically to a group of fans. A YOUNG BOY watches WIDE EYED. JASON ... on one hand, if I had moved an inch, the beast would have killed me. On the other hand, my crew was in danger... YOUNG BOY How did you know what to do? 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) JASON Without a crew, I'm not a Commander. He pulls down on the kid's cap. JASON And we all know what happened to that beast on Enok 7... The fans make happy nerdy "we sure do" noises. CASTMEMBERS TABLE Gwen shakes her head appreciatively. GWEN You gotta admit, they do love him. TOMMY Almost as much as he loves himself. They watch as Jason fields another question from a fan. JASON I'm glad you asked... To me the most important qualities of a Galaxy Explorer are loyalty... ALEXANDER ... to camera center no matter whose shot you're blocking... JASON Leadership.... TOMMY ... to make sure craft service keeps those little butter cookies, and plenty of them- JASON And determination. GWEN ... to playing scenes shirtless because the ladies do love Commander furry. Gwen, Alex and the others try to contain their laughter. CLOSER ANGLE - JASON'S TABLE Bored with the constant queries of his fans, Jason glances over to see Gwen smiling at him. She quickly looks away, self- 4/28/99 (YELLOW) conscious. Jason doesn't even take his eyes off Gwen as BRANDON steps forward, his brow knit with serious matters. BRANDON Commander, please settle a dispute that my crew and I are having. In "The Quasar Dilemma", the Sentient had taken control of the ship's guidance systems, however- JASON Excuse me guys. Jason exits. Brandon turns to his friends, frustrated. BRANDON I hadn't even gotten to the relevant conundrum... THE CAST TABLE - Gwen answers a question from a shy GIRL. GIRL Miss Demarco?... In episode 15, "Mist of Delos 5?" I got the feeling you and the Commander kind of had a thing in the swamp when you were stranded together. Did you? GWEN The Commander and I NEVER had a thing. JASON (O.S.) That's her story. Gwen looks up to see Jason. The girl giggles and exits. Jason smiles at Gwen. GWEN What? JASON You smiled at me. Rolling her eves Gwen rises and walks off. Undaunted, Jason follows, but runs into the five ALIENS. Their leader MATHESAR bows respectfully, then follows along as Jason pursues Gwen. MATHESAR Commander, I must speak to you. It is a matter of supreme importance... We are Thermians from the Klatu Nebula, and we require your help. I beseech you to come with us, back to our ship. A great many lives hang in the balance... 4/26/99 (PINK) JASON Right, If this is about the thing tomorrow you can hammer out the details with my agent, but make sure I have a limo from my house, they jammed me into a Toyota the last time I did one of these MATHESAR I... certainly, but- JASON Catch me later, okay? Jason catches up to Gwen. He spins her around dramatically. JASON "Crewman Madison, I.. I'm sorry. Whatever I do next I have no control over. It's the mist on this strange planet, It's filling my head with such thoughts.... He leans in for a tortured kiss... Some fans gather, delighted by the impromptu show. But Gwen steps aside. GWEN It was cute when I didn't know you. She exits. Jason tries to pretend that doesn't hurt. CONVENTION FLOOR Jason moves forward, introspective, amidst the enthusiastic fans. They all shout out questions and comments to him... But Jason pushes past without response and takes refuge in the- 14 MEN'S ROOM Jason enters to witness the incongruous sight of four MANK'NAR beasts at the urinals taking a MANK'NAR piss. Jason enters a stall and sits on the lid, trying to get a moment to think. But two CYNICALIC 20-SOMETHINGS enter, laughing their assess off. He can hear their voices echo from the other side. CYNICAL GUY 1 You're right. What a FREAK SHOW. This is fricking HILARIOUS. CYNICAL GUY 2 Yeah, what a bunch of losers. And those poor actors. They've done, like, WHAT for twenty years? I think Fred Kwan did a dog food commercial... Sad. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) CYNICAL GUY 1 Did you hear Nesmith up there? That's the saddest. I think he actually gets off on these nerds thinking he's space Commander. It's pathetic. And his friends... CYNICAL GUY 2 ... they HATE him. I know, did you hear them ragging on him?!! "Commander furry!..." CYNICAL GUY 1 He has no idea that he's a laughingstock... Even to his buddies. They exit, their laughter ringing in Jason's ears. 15 CONVENTION FLOOR - JASON'S TABLE Jason is back at his table signing autographs in a foul mood. He scribbles his name irritably, avoiding contact with the fans as BRANDON and his group of aficionados approach him. BRANDON Commander, as I was saying... In "The Quasar Dilemma", you used the auxiliary of deck b for Gamma override. But online blueprints indicate deck b is independent of the guidance matrix, so we were wondering where the error lies? JASON It's a television show. Okay? That's all. It's just a bunch of fake sets, and wooden props, do you understand? BRANDON Yes but, we were wondering- JASON There IS no quantum flux and there Is no auxiliary... There's no goddamn ship Do you get it? Jason notices that all eyes are turned on him. The hall has become deathly quiet. Jason rises abruptly and exits through the hall. Brandon and the fans do their best not to take this personally. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) 15A INT. GWEN'S HOUSE Gwen is cooking something intricate and delicious as she talks to Alex on the phone. Her house is tasteful and bright on a budget. GWEN I don't know, Alex, he's never gone quite this far before... 15B INT. ALEXANDER'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Alexander sits at his kitchen table, applying spirit gum remover to the edges of his alien head appliance. ALEXANDER I've said for years he's mentally unstable. He stands and moves to the refrigerator. Nothing but a hunk of very rank cheese which he sniffs disdainfully. ALEXANDER Oh good, there's nothing to eat. GWEN Why didn't you stop at the market? ALEXANDER (re his alien cap) I still haven't got this bloody thing off. GWEN You could order something in. ALEXANDER A boy comes to the door. GWEN (a beat, back to Jason...) I don't know... It just wasn't like him. ALEXANDER Yes, poor Jason. As we speak he's probably out somewhere talking rubbish to a roomful of hangers-on. While here I sit eating Christmas cheese in Spring. 16 INT. JASON'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Jason sits on the edge of the bed staring at the TV, sipping scotch, flipping channels. He stops at the conclusion of an 4/26/99 (PINK) episode of GALAXY QUEST. As Commander Taggart makes a heroic speech. Jason mouths the words along with his alterego. COMMANDER TAGGART (ON TV) As long as there is injustice, whenever a Targathian baby cries out, wherever a distress signal sounds among the stars... We'll be there. This fine ship, and this fine crew... Never give up! Never surrender! We pan back to the bed... Jason has passed out, body twisted face down in a pillow. 17 INT. JASON'S BEDROOM - NEXT MORNING Jason sleeps, hungover, dead to the world. His DOORBELL RINGS. He barely moves. Every Indication is that he's dead. More ringing. He stirs enough to groan, and drags a pillow over his head. The ringing continues.... 18 EXT. JASON'S HOUSE Jason opens the door in his robe, drooping bloodshot eyes, squint of a headache... There before him are THE ALIENS dressed in their perfect GALAXY QUEST attire. Jason stares at them, bleary eyed. With earnest respectful faces, the five salute him in the classic "GALAXY QUEST" style. Jason shuts the door in their face. DING DONG: The door opens again. JASON WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?! The leader, Mathesar, steps forward. Speaks quickly. MATHESAR Sir, I understand this is a terrible breach of protocol, but please, I beg you to hear our plea. We are Thermians from the Klatu Nebula. Our people are being systematically hunted and slaughtered by Roth'h'ar Sarris of Fatu-Krey. Sarris wants the Omega 13. We are to meet in negotiation. However our past efforts in this regard have been nothing short of disastrous. The flames, the death... (he quickly gathers himself) Please Captain, you are our last hope. (a beat) We have secured a limousine. JASON Oh, right! The thing with the thing. Come on in, I'll get some pants on. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) 19 INT. JASON'S HOUSE The four aliens stand on one side of the room. Jason, mostly dressed, hunts under his couch for something. MATHESAR Commander, standing here in your presence is the greatest honor we could ever have hoped to achieve in our lifetimes. Mostly all they can see of Jason at the moment is his butt. JASON Thanks, appreciate it... Anybody seen my other shoe? 20 INT. LINCOLN LIMO Jason sits in back with Mathesar and the others, half-awake. NERU Sir, I am Neru, senior requisition officer. Before we travel to the ship, please let me know if you have any requirements. Weapons, documents, personnel... JASON I could use a Coke. One of the aliens nods to the other who makes a note. TEB Sir, I am Teb. I would like to explain the history between our people and the Sarris Dominion in greater detail. In the 5 million years following the great nebula burst our people were one... JASON What about him? Doesn't he talk? TEB His translator is broken. The fourth alien says something, but it comes out a weird mix of sounds. Like a screaming baby inside a bagpipe. JASON Okey doke... So, listen, I had a late night with a Kreemorian Fangor Beast, so (MORE) 4/26/99 (PINK) JASON (cont'd) I'm going to shut my eyes for a bit. But go on, I'm listening to every word... Jason is asleep before Teb gets the next sentence out. 21 INT. RECEIVING QUARTERS - PROTECTOR II Jason is shaken softly by the shoulders. He opens his eyes to see a young female CREWMAN, LALIARI. We hear a low RUMBLE. LALIARI I am sorry to wake you sir, but your presence is requested on the command deck. Jason tries to reorient himself as she leads him forward. 22 INT. HALLWAY - THE PROTECTOR II Laliari escorts Jason down the high tech hallway. Jason looks around, still holding his can of Coke. LALIARI Sir, Sarris has moved the deadline. We are approaching his ship at the Ni-delta now. He wants an answer to his proposal. I understand you have been briefed. JASON Yeah, I got most of it in the car. He's the bad guy, right? LALIARI Yes sir he is a very bad man indeed. He has tortured our scientists, put us to work in the gallium arsenide mines, captured our females for his own demented purposes... JASON Okay I've got the picture. You have pages or do you want me to just go for it? LALIARI I m not sure I... JASON (cont'd) Script pages. Never mind, let's see what old Sarris has to say for himself. Mathesar approaches with other CREWMEMBERS. 4/26/99 (PINK) MATHESAR Commander... Welcome to the Protector II. Would you like to don your uniform? JASON Mind If we skip that? I have to get back pretty quick for this thing in Van Nuys. MATHESAR As you wish. Another ALIEN comes running up out of breath. EXCITED ALIEN Sir... It's Sarris. He's here. 23 INT. COMMAND DECK A door slides OPEN and Jason and the others enter the COMMAND DECK.... It's straight out of the TV show. Blinking lights, consoles, the cool old tech displays... But a bit dark. Jason looks around, genuinely impressed, still wearing his glasses. JASON Not bad. Usually it's painted cardboard boxes in a garage. They lead him to the Commander's chair. He sits. TEB Sir, we apologize for operating in low power mode, but we are experiencing a reflective flux field this close to the galactic axis. JASON No problem. This thing have a cup holder? EXCITED ALIEN (hands Jason a clipboard) The situational analysis, Commander. JASON What's your name? EXCITED ALIEN (perplexed) ...Glath sir. Jason signs his autograph and hands it back. "There you go." NAVIGATOR We're approaching in five ticks, sir. Command to slow? Jason looks toward the front window/view screen. Stars move past in a familiar display. JASON Sure, set the screen saver on two. (the NAVIGATOR looks confused) Sorry. Sorry. Didn't mean to break he mood. Slow to Mark 2, lieutenant. A SHIP appears on the screen, growing closer. It is a MENACING craft, sharp and jagged, with a gargoyle shaped figurehead. Then the VIEWSCREEN fuzzes to life with an image of... SARRIS - He's ugly and green hued. Black sharp teeth. A metal hand... He hisses... There is a beat as the aliens take in the sight, trying to well their courage. SARRIS I see fear. That is expected. (his voice RESONATES) Ah, they bring a new Commander... Such a cowardly species. Not even your own kind... No matter. Here are my demands, and I would suggest, Commander, that you think well before speaking a word, because these negotiations are... tender.. and if I do not like what I hear there will be blood and pain as you cannot imagine... Jason takes a sip of coke and checks his watch. SARRIS First, I require the Omega 13... Second- JASON (blas�, like a laundry list) Okey dokey, let's fire blue particle cannons full. Fire red particle cannons full. Fire gannet magnets left and right. Fire pulse catapults from all chutes. And throw this thing at him too, killer. He hands the GUNNER the empty coke can, then before even waiting for the weapons to reach their target... ...he exits! 24 HALLWAY Jason emerges and looks both ways trying to get his bearings. Several of the aliens chase after him as he enters the 4/26/99 (PINK) corridor, exchanging stunned dances, trying to absorb the magnitude of what just happened. MATHESAR Commander?... Where are you... going? JASON Home. MATHESAR You... You mean Earth? JASON Yeah. "Earth." Time to get back to "Earth," kids. He turns a corner. Jason is oblivious to the muffled sounds of explosions, traces of the demolition going on outside. MATHESAR But Commander... The negotiation... You... You... You fired on him. JASON Right. Long live... What's your planet? MATHESAR Theramin. JASON Long live Theramini. Take a left here? MATHESAR But what if Sarris survives? JASON Oh, I don't think so. I gave him both barrels. MATHESAR He has a very powerful ship. Perhaps you would like to wait to see the results of- JASON I would but I am REALLY running late and the 134's a parking lot after 2:00. But listen, the guy gives you any more trouble, just give a call... Mathesar produces a walkie talkie device for Jason. MATHESAR An interstellar vox. 4/26/99 (PINK) JASON Thanks Mathesar looks him in the eye. A TEAR starts down his cheek. He HUGS Jason, then shakes his hand sincerely. MATHESAR How can we thank you, Commander. You- You have saved our people. JASON It was a lot of fun. You kids are great. The others shake his hand, thanking him as they enter the... 25 INTERSTELLAR POD ROOM A room with a very high circular ceiling. The aliens continue thanking Jason as they lead him to the center of the room. Jason realizes he's left all alone in this strange room with no visible doors. Jason is suddenly aware that he is standing on a GLOWING RED DISK. JASON Wait. Where's the car? Suddenly a CLEAR CYLINDER rises from the disk and conforms around him, ENCASING~ HIM IN A CLEAR BULLET SHAPED CONTAINER. There is only an instant to register surprise as the ceiling divides and an AWE INDUCING ROTATING STARFIELD is revealed... The WALLS pull back around him. And Jason finds himself surrounded by THE INFINITE VASTNESS OF SPACE. And his face is a MASK OF HORROR In the split instant as Jason in his pod is ROCKETED FORWARD INTO SPACE. 26 BLACK - [JASON'S YARD] We pull back slowly from the iris of Jason's eye. He is now standing on the red disk in the middle of his own back yard. He stands there in shock, TEETH CHATTERING, SHIVERING IN WAVES AND WAVES from the incomprehension of what he's just experienced, unable to move from the snot. 27 NT. BRANDON'S GARAGE - TARZANA - DUSK Crickets chirp. Inside the open garage of a suburban house sits BRANDON and his friends in their uniforms, surrounded by a homemade space ship interior constructed of painted cardboard boxes and Christmas lights. Brandon and his friends look very disappointed... The Commander never showed. 28 EXT. COMPUTER STORE PARKING LIT - MORNING Gwen, Alexander, Tommy, Fred and Guy perform for the store's grand opening. A small crowd is gathered, including Brandon and his gang, inspecting a mock up of the PROTECTOR. GWEN Take it from us... We've been all over the universe. FRED But we've never seen the space age values we've seen here ..... TOMMY TechCo electronics superstore Alexander pauses, deeply ashamed. Gwen nudges him. ALEXANDER By Grabthar's hammer, what a savings. A few balloons are released into the air. 28A COMPUTER STORE - LATER The actors hand out pamphlets and sign the occasional autograph. Fred pats Alexander's back, who stares ahead, morose. Around the corner, JASON appears, looking around with a disoriented yet exhilarated twinkle in his eye.. He spots his friends and starts quickly toward the cast table but runs smack into the group of FANS led by Brandon. Brandon and Jason go down, along with an armful of GALAXY QUEST collectables. BRANDON Commander!... My apologies. Brandon is nudged by his friend KYLE. BRANDON Commander... Evidently we had miscommunication regarding yesterday's scheduled voyage, and- But Jason, still in a haze, simply gathers his things and walks off. The other nerds look at Brandon. KYLE He dissed us AGAIN, Brandon! BRANDON (hiding his disappointment) He probably... Has some very important business to attend to... HOLLISTER (just letting off steam) Maybe we should just start a Star Trek club! The others turn, silent, incredulous. Brandon looks at Hollister with hard, cold eyes. Pacino's scene with Fredo. BRANDON Don't EVER say that to me again. He walks away. The others stare at Hollister. 28B ACTORS' TABLE The actors look up to see JASON approaching. ALEXANDER Do you know what time it is? Why did you even bother to show up? Jason has so much to say he can't get out a word. Gwen notices his wrinkled slept-in clothing, and wild eyes. GWEN Jason... Are you all right? Jason POINTS to the sky, grasping for words. JASON I was there. (a beat) Up. There... (intense) They came to the convention. I thought they were fans, but they're not. They took me up to their ship. They're called Thermians or Thatians, I don't know. I was a little hungover... (actors exchange glances) What they built... It's incredible I fought this man, this... THING... called Sarris. I kicked his ASS... They have these... pods. One took me THROUGH a black hole. (crazy smile. The others stare) I know. I know what you're thinking. But I can prove it. Look! They gave me this! 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) He searches his pockets frantically and produces the interstellar vox. The thing blinks its little red light. He motions victoriously. The others exchange glances, then produce their own blinking voxes and set them on the table. JASON Yes, but can you talk to people in SPACE on yours? (into Vox:) Protector this is the Commander. Come in protector... The others exchange glances. Alexander turns to Gwen. ALEXANDER God, what an ass. JASON COME IN PROTECTOR... PROTECTOR... Tommy rolls up his sleeve ready for a fight. TOMMY That's it, It's go time. GWEN Don't do it, Tommy. He's not worth it. Jason notices a label on his vox that reads "Property of Brandon Wheeger." He looks around for Brandon. JASON This isn't mine. Wait, where is that kid?... GWEN You know it's one thing to treat us this way, but how can you do this to your fans?... Jason looks up and sees the young woman we recognize as Thermian LALIARI. She's flanked by two young crewmen. LALIARI Begging your pardon, Commander, we come with news. Sarris lives. He was able upon your departure to make an escape. However he has contacted us, and wishes to surrender. We humbly implore you to return with us, to negotiate the terms. Jason looks at Laliari, then turns back to the others, his experience twinkling in his eyes. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) JASON They want me back... I... I want you all to come. You have to come with me. It'll be the most amazing experience of your lives. We1re going to negotiate an alien general's SURRENDER in SPACE. You have to- Guys? GUYS?... They have begun to walk away, one by one, in disgust. Only Gwen remains. She looks at Jason. JASON Gwen, you know me. I'm a lot of things but I'm not crazy. But Gwen shakes her head and walks off. 28C INT. ELECTRONICS STORE SHIPPING WAREHOUSE NEAR DOCK Jason inspects himself In a mirror. He meticulously smoothes his Commander's Insignia, fastens a stray buckle, carefully picks a piece of lint off his shirt. Then he looks Into his own eyes for a long moment, finally turning to Laliari, a smile, eyes GLISTENING. Nearby a POD DISK on the floor GLOWS. JASON I'm ready. 28D INT. DRESSING ROOM The actors enter their dressing room. TOMMY You should have let me hit him. GWEN I don't know guys... I mean, he almost looked... sincere. I know, it's bizarre! FRED I think we should have taken the gig... I mean, who knows the next time he'll ask us. They all turn slowly to Fred. "Of course.. He was talking about a GIG." 28E ELECTRONICS STORE The actors hurry through the aisles to the back of the store. Gwen shouts to an EMPLOYEE stocking shelves. GWEN Commander come through here? The Employee points to the back, taken with Gwen's beauty. 29 INT ~LECTRONICS STORE WAREHOUSE NEAR DOCK Gwen, Alex and the others enter, and look around. Laliari is still in the room, alone. She lights up as they enter. GWEN We're coming too. LALIARI Wonderful! The Commander had me continue transmitting in the hopes you would change your mind. (to Vox) Protector, requesting six Interstellar pods for immediate departure. Tommy rolls his eyes at Gwen. "These fans..." But Gwen suddenly notices the POD DISKS glowing beneath their feet. GWEN Guys... Guys? Alex tries to step off the disk but It MOVES TO FOLLOW HIM. ALEXANDER What in the world...? LALIARI I look forward to meeting you all in person when we arrive at the ship. End transmission. And with that, Laliari blinks and VANISHES. She was simply a HOLOGRAM TRANSMISSION. Full realization hits Gwen... GWEN Oh my God. OH MY GOD. 30 INT. NSEA PROTECTOR DOCKING STATION POD BAY- DEEP SPACE The room LIGHTS BRILLIANTLY with a series of flashes. In rapid succession the PODS arrive with a flash through a hatch In the ceiling. They unfold to reveal Gwen, Alexander, Tommy and Guy who stand paralyzed and teeth chattering. They look like a bunch of horrified bowling pins all facing toward... A METAL HATCH - Beyond It they register the SOUND of WET FOOTSTEPS growing closer... Their eyes widen as they see the hatch open revealing a group of 5 HORRIBLE TENTACLED DROOLING SCREG~ING ALIEN MONSTERS who surround our visitors, probing them with jagged devices. Then one of the monsters looks down at a mechanism on his belt. MONSTER #1 Oops. Crewmen, your skins! Activate your E-skins! 4/29/99 (GREEN) The monsters all flip switches on their belts their forms become HUMAN, uniformed as ship's TECHNICIANS. TECHNICIAN #1 Our most sincere apologies! We forgot about our appearance generators. Then JASON appears in the doorway, wearing a big warm smile. JASON Guys! You CAME!... They stand there, still paralyzed and terrified. JASON Okay, who wants the grand tour? Guy is now relaxed enough to let out the loudest most genuine SCREAM you've ever heard in your life. A beat. JASON Okay, Guy... Anybody else? Then another streak of light, and Fred appears along side the others. He steps off of the disk, unaffected. FRED Now that was a hell of a thing. (to Jason, motioning to others) What's wrong with them? Jason smiles. Nothing gets to Fred. 31 INT. PROTECTOR DOCKING STRUCTURE - HALLWAY Jason leads Gwen, Alexander, Tommy, Guy and Fred down the hall. They shuffle forward like recent hospital releases, looking around silent and dumbfounded at their surroundings, occasional involuntary JERKS of their limbs evidence of their horrifying journey. JASON That's right... Just keep shaking it out... Here, have some gum, It helps. TOMMY Wh... Where are we? 4/29/99 (GREEN) JASON Twenty third quadrant of gamma sector. I can show you on a map. Then Mathesar appears coming down the hall with a small group of ALIENS. He has a warm smile on his face. MATHESAR Welcome my friends I am Mathesar. On behalf of my people I wish to thank you from the deepest place in our hearts. He reaches out to shake their hands respectfully. MATHESAR Dr. Lazarus... Lt. Madison. Young Laredo, how you've grown. Tech Sgt. Chen... And.... He looks at Guy quizzically, not sure who he is. GUY "Crewman #6"... Call me Guy. GWEN You... know us? MATHESAR (soft laugh) I don't believe there is a man, woman or child on my planet who does not. In the years since we first received your ship's historical documents, we have studied every facet of your missions, technologies and strategies. ALEXANDER Historical documents? MATHESAR Yes. Eighteen years ago we received transmission of the first. It continued for four years, and then stopped, as mysteriously as it came... TOMMY You've been watching the sho... (he's nudged by Jason) the historical records... out HERE? MATHE EAR Yes, in the last hundred years our society had fallen into disarray. Our goals, our values had become scattered. But since the transmission we have modeled many aspects of our society from your example, and it has saved us. Your courage, teamwork, friendship through the adversity... They all exchange glances. MATHESAR (cont'd) In fact, all you see around you comes from the lessons garnered from the historical documents. GWEN THAT'S why you built this ship? GUY It's ... incredible. JASON Oh this? No, this isn't the ship. This is only the star port for the ship. (a twinkle In his eye) You want to see the ship? He pushes a button and a door opens leading to a DOCKING POD. 32 INT. DOCKING POD They enter. He pushes another button and the doors close, and the transport starts moving. As it clears a wall, we see out the window A MAGNIFICENT AND BREATHTAKING VIEW OF THE ENORMOUS NSEA PROTECTOR DOCKED IN FRONT OF TH~... They all gawk at the amazing sight, their eyes wide like children. ALEXANDER Oh my god, It's real. GWEN All this from watching the.. historical records? MATHESAR Yes, and from your supplementary technical documents, of course... He motions to another alien who withdraws a number of brightly colored BOOKS and BOXES from a backpack. The actors look through the various FAN BOOKS and ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE bearing such titles as "THE OFFICIAL GALAXY QUEST BLUEPRINTS: NSEA PROTECTOR" and "VIRTUAL GAAAXY QUEST: THE CDROM EXPERIENCE." The actors exchange glances and then... Tommy begins to giggle. Alex looks at him, at the fan stuff, then out at the ENORMOUS SHIP, and he begins to laugh too... The others join in laughing like maniacs, hysterical, disbelieving laughter, as they head toward the GIANT SHIP. 33 INT. PROTECTOR - CORRIDOR The group walks down the corridor, peeking into various rooms, more awestruck every second. As they pass each room, the CREW MEMBERS inside salute. FEMALE crew members pass occasionally, saluting and offering "Hello Commander's to Jason. This does not escape Gwen's notice. (Guy always seems to be just outside the group, a little late, always trying to see between their heads...) MATHESAR The medical quarters are to the left... The actor's WHISPER to Jason, all at once... TOMMY What the hell is going on?!!? ALEXANDER Jason, what have you gotten us into? GWEN I don't believe this, it's insane. FRED Wow, the floors are REALLY clean. JASON Calm down everybody. We're just here to negotiate General Sarris' surrender. ALEXANDER "Just!?" MATHESAR Weapons storage... JASON It's perfectly safe. I promise. MATHESAR ... Maintenance facility... GWEN Jason, this is crazy! We should get out of here... MATHESAR Situations room... Dining hall... 4/29/99 (GREEN) JASON You want to go home? Fine. Say the word, and we'll all go home and feed the fish and pay the bills and fall asleep with the t.v. on and miss out on THIS. Is that really what you want? Anybody? A beat. Clearly nobody wants to leave. A beat. MATHESAR (cont'd) The main barracks... TWO HUNDRED crewmen rise to attention. Jason salutes back. JASON At ease men. ALEXANDER (awed) Like throwing gasoline on a fire... Alex turns to Guy, who is smiling ear to ear. ALEXANDER (cont'd) What? GUY I'm just jazzed to be on the show, man.' 33A OMIT 34 GENERATOR ROOM The group enters. The centerpiece of the room is a large pulsating ORB. When the orb dims, we see its surface has a rocky texture, like a large boulder. Many TECHS scurry about tending to the surrounding measurement devices. MATHESAR The generator room... Our Beryllium Sphere, of course... I hope, Tech Sergeant Chen, that this meets with your approval. Fred runs his finger along a gleaming copper tube with authority. FRED Fine... Real clean. Three YOUNGER CREWMEN approach and whisper to Mathesar. They argue a bit, then Mathesar reticently approaches Fred. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) MATHESAR Tech Sgt. Chen, I am sorry to ask this of you so shortly after your arrival. But members of our reactor staff have a question they find most pressing. FRED Uh huh? LAHNK Sir, we have had unexplained proton surges in our delta unit. They cannot be verified on the sub frequency spectrum, but appear on the valence detector when scanning the Beryllium Sphere. We are unable to resolve this problem and were hoping you would be able to advise us. Everyone turns to Fred. Silence. FRED Uh huh... I see... Well, that's a puzzler isn't it?... The others exchange glances, wondering what he'll say. Then Fred turns to one of the Techs. FRED U.... What do you think? NERVOUS TECH That possibly... The valence bonds have shifted bi-laterally? FRED ... What does that mean? NERVOUS TECH What does that mean?!!! Yes, I see! Yes... It means that perhaps... the... bonding molecules have become covalent?!... FRED Covalent... Right. So... NERVOUS TECH So our solution is to introduce a bonding substrate! - A two molecule compound sharing a free electron - and bombard the ions with their reflective isotopes! 4/29/99 (GREEN) FRED OK! The other TECHS grin, astonished. LANK Of course! It's so obvious! TECH #2 Sergeant Chen, you're... a genius! Fred waves off the praise modestly. Mathesar shoots a look to Lahnk as if to say "we're in good hands here." MATHESAR Now I suggest that you rest before we take the ship out of dock. These crewmen will escort you to your quarters. 4/29/99 (GREEN) PAGES 34-35 OMITTED 4/29/99 (GREEN) 34A OMIT 34B INT. MEDIA ROOM Tommy's escort NERU hands over various weapons to a grinning Tommy. NERU Here is your valence shield. Your vox. Your magneto-pistol... We know you prefer a sensitive trigger. If there is anything else you require? TOMMY Uh, no, I'm good. Thanks. (Neru starts to exit) Oh wait. Here you go. Tommy stuffs a couple of bucks into Neru's hand. Neru looks at the tip, perplexed, and exits. 35 INT. HALLWAY Alex's young escort, QUELLEK, leads him down the hall. QUELLEK Dr. Lazarus... I hope that I'm not breaching protocol but.. I am so very humbled to stand in your presence... I have studied your missions extensively... Though I am Thermian, I have lived my life by your philosophy, by the code of the Mak'tar. ALEXANDER Well good, that's very... nice. QUELLEK (emotional) By Grabthar's Hammer, Dr. Lazarus, I- ALEXANDER Don't do that. I'm not kidding. QUELLEK I'm sorry, sir, I was only- ALEXANDER Just don't. QUELLEK ...Yes sir. (they come to a stop) Your quarters sir. 36 INT. ALEX'S QUARTERS Quellek opens the door and they enter. The room is a grey square completely barren. ALEXANDER This is it? QUELLEK Yes sir. Marvelous, isn't it? Completely distractionless. ALEXANDER Where's my bed? 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) Quellek pushes a button and SIX LARGE SPIKES rise from the floor. QUELLEK Just as on your home planet, sir. If I may say, it took me three years to master the spikes, but now I sleep with a peace I never thought possible... ALEXANDER Is that the bathroom? QUELLEK Yes sir... The use of your waste facilities were strangely absent from the historical records, so we had to extrapolate purely on the basis of your anatomy. 37 INT. ALEX'S BATHROOM They enter. Alex looks down at a thing that looks more like a torture device than a toilet, with elaborate 'tubes and stirrups and plugs going everywhere. QUELLEK You're quite complicated, sir. Alex stares at the thing, despairingly. 38 OMIT 39 INT. GWEN'S CABIN An exotic and beautiful room. Gwen is changing into her GALAXY QUEST uniform. There's a knock on the door. JASON (O.S.) It's Jason... GWEN One minute I'm - (he enters) Hey, I'm dressing.' JASON Oh come on, it's not like I haven't- She finishes and turns. 4/20/99 (BLUE) They just look at each other for a moment. Gwen breaks out into a smile, trying to find the words. JASON (cont'd) Yeah, I know. GWEN I just can't believe it. Any of it! Look at this room!.. They designed it based on the Tuaran Pleasure ship from "historical document" thirty seven. (looks at a mirror) Oh and wait, wait, listen to this! (looks up) Computer? COMPUTER Yes? GWEN What's the weather like outside? COMPUTER There is no weather in space. GWEN I never get tired of that joke. JASON Let me try. Computer? (no response) Computer?... GWEN Only answers to me. JASON But I'm the Commander! GWEN On the show I talk to the computer and repeat what it says. So that's what they built. JASON C'mon, we're wanted up on the command deck. But Gwen holds her ground. GWEN Wait. When are you going to tell them? 4/20/99 (BLUE) JASON Tell them? About... GWEN Who we are. Don't you think they're going to be PISSED? JASON Are you kidding? I'm not going to tell them. 4/20/99 (BLUE) GWEN Well you have to tell them. What if something happens? We're actors, not astronauts... We can't do this stuff! JASON It's not the STUFF. I mean, anybody can learn the STUFF... The important thing is COMMITMNT. 99% of anything is just committing to it. GWEN Ninty-nine percent of ACTING is commitment. ACTING. Stella Adler never manned a resonance cannon, she taught ACTING... Gwen moves toward the door. JASON Hey... Hey where are you going? GWEN We have no right to do this. They deserve to know. JASON Gwen... Gwen, c'mon, wait, no! Just then the door opens. Laliari enters. LALIARI Lt. Madison. The females of the ship have requested your imprint for archival purposes at the proposed Tawny Madison Institute for Computer Research. Gwen looks at Laliari, her eyes softening as she imprints her hand in a glowing PAD. GWEN The Tawny Madison Institute... Jason smiles. He knows he's got her. GWEN (cont'd) Well... maybe we could stay a LITTLE longer... She brushes past Jason, and they exit. 4/6/99 (PINK) 40 INT. HALUWAY Jason and Gwen turn a corner and join up with Tommy, Alexander and Guy. They keep walking toward the command deck. TOMMY What's going on? JASON I think we're going to exit the space port. GUY That should be something to see... 41 INT. COMMAND DECK They enter and gawk at the familiar hub, waiting for the show to start... not realizing they ARE the show. MATHESAR If you would all take your positions... THE ACTORS Oh, right... US! Yes, of course... US! They take their positions, marveling at the familiar control panels in front of them. Tommy turns to Guy. TOMMY Look.. This thingy... I remember I had it all worked out. This was forward, back... MATHESAR Commander, some of the crew has requested to be present at this historic event. Mathesar motions and a few CREWMEN enter, followed by a dozen more... followed by FIFTY more. They stand around the periphery of 'the room, watching eagerly. Tommy turns to Guy. TOMMY No pressure, huh? Glad I'm not the Commander. COMMANDER Okay, Lareo, take her out. Everyone in the room turns their attention to Tommy. His sarcastic smile drops. He looks mortified. TOMMY Excuse me? JASON They designed the ship from watching you. So... Take her out, Lieutenant... Tommy stares down at his control panel. It's pretty self explanatory, a throttle and a circular dial for direction. But daunting nonetheless. TOMMY Right. Okay, yeah, sure. Everyone's eyes are glued to him as he moves the throttle forward slightly. The ENGINES COME TO LIFE, a massive exhilarating sound. Tommy giggles nervously. His hand trembles as he pushes the throttle further. The ship start to move. The actors exchange worried glances. TOMMY Oh god. Oh my god.... 42 EXT. SHIP You can feel the WEIGHT of 'the giant craft as it eases forward, sliiding through the sides of the dock. 43 COMMAND DECK Everyone watches the forward monitor. Tommy turns the NAVIGATION DIAL slowly. Guy whispers to him... GUY More to the left... Stay parallel... TOMMY Hey, YOU want to drive? 44 EXT. STAR DOCK Indeed, the ship is slightly off course... It's like trying to get out of a tight parking space with concrete walls to either side. And the ship is veering ever so slightly into one of the walls. 4/29/99 (GREEN) 45 INT. COMMAND DECK Tommy turns the dial to correct... But it looks like the momentum might carry the ship into the wall anyway... Tommy PEGS the dial to the left... The others hold their breath as the bow of the ship moves closer and closer to the wall... Then... It TOUCHES. The sound of a soft but high pitched SCRAAAAAAAPE. TOMMY Oh shit. 46 EXT. STAR DOCK The ship is stopped, just grazing the wall EVER SO SLIGHTLY. 47 INT. COMMAND DECK All eyes are on Tommy. He doesn't know what to do... Should he continue forward, or back up, and scrape again for sure? The classic parking lot dilemma, magnified by ten thousand. Tommy grasps the throttle and moves it slightly forward... SCRAAAAAAPE. He keeps going, in too deep to back out now... And the ship continues to SCRAAAAAPE for a couple of horrible seconds as it completes the curve... And then it is free. The beautiful craft glides slowly out to open space... Jason and the others let out a sigh of relief. JASON Very good Lieutenant. Forward Mark two... Tommy smiles, relieved. He pushes throttle to the "2". TOMMY Mark two, Commander. 48 EXT. SHIP The ship glides out to space, only a relatively minor scrape of the paint job to show for the incident. 49 INT. DINING HALL The crew and various aliens sit around the large table, eating an extravagant meal. Mathesar makes a toast. MATHESAR To our brave guests. Few in this universe have the opportunity to meet their heroes. We are blessed to count ourselves among them. 4/29/99 (GREEN) JASON Wherever a distress signal sounds among the stars, we'll be there, this fine ship, this fine crew. Never give up, never surrender! Everyone clinks glasses. Quellek tips his glass to Alexander as Teb turns to Tommy. TEB We are sorry about the instrumentation, Lt. Laredo. There must have been a malfunction in the steerage mechanism. TOMMY (stern) Just see that it doesn't happen again. TEB Yes sir. (to Gwen) How are you enjoying your food, Lt. Madison? GWEN Oh it's fantastic. French is my favorite. TEB Yes, we programed the food synthesizer for each of you based on the regional menu of your birthplace. (turns to Alexander) Are you enjoying your Kep-mok bloodticks Dr. Lazarus? Alexander, miserable, toys with a bowl of living insects swimming in a disgustingly vomit-textured broth. ALEXANDER Just like mother used to make. He pushes the bowl away, nauseated. DISSOLVE TO: DINING HALL - LATER The actors are wilted, half asleep as Jason goes on... JASON The beast ROARED as I PLUNGED the knife again and again... I held on for dear life as it thrashed about! And that was (MORE) 4/29/99 (GREEN) JASON (cont'd) the day : learned that a Kilve Serpent bleeds red. (beat) What price man? What price man? ALEXANDER Tell me, Mathesar, this Sarris bloke we're flying to meet... What is it he wants exactly? MATHESAR For years, Sarris has plundered the resources of our planet. Our people, our technologies. We built this ship in order to find a new planet to settle. One far away from Sarris. We are not a people accustomed to confrontation. We are scientists. This ship was our salvation. A tick jumps off of Alexander's spoon back into the soup. MATHESAR But Sarris found out about our plans just as we had completed construction of the (MORE) 4/26/99 (PINK) MATHESAR (cont'd) Protector II. He heard about the device... The Omega 13. GUY The Omega 13... Why does that sound so familiar?... GWEN The lost footage. At the convention. The mysterious device in our last episo--historical document. TOMMY What is it? What does it do? MATHESAR We don't know. GWEN But... You built one, right? TEB We built... something... from the blueprints and what references we could find on your internet... Our computer neural nets made educated guesses in areas we were uncertain. So there is actually much about the device we don't even understand. We were hoping you could enlighten us. JASON Well, it's... This was a device we... (looks around for help) discovered on an alien planet. We don't know what it does either. TOMMY Why don't you just turn it on and see? TEB It has at its heart a reactor capable of generating unthinkable energy. If we were mistaken in our construction by even the slightest calculation, the device would act as a molecular explosive, causing a chain reaction that would obliterate all matter in the universe. ALEXANDER Let me at the switch. 4/26/99 (PINK) JASON Mathesar?. .. Has Sarris seen the.. historical records? MATHESAR NO, Thank God he has not. JASON Then how did he find out about the device? MATHESAR Our former Commander was not... Strong. JASON Former Commander? MATHESAR I'm sorry. You deserve to be shown. He nods to a Crewman who pushes a button. A wall panel moves aside to reveal a large VIEWSCREEN. An image appears with a lot of static, and the sound cuts in and out... MATHESAR The tape was partially demagnetized as it was smuggled off of Sarris' ship. But through the static we can make out an image: The former Commander, in ALIEN form, Is strapped to a metal board. Each of his wrists and ankles is secured with mechanical devices and twisted in different directions. MATHESAR Originally, one of our own tried to lead... ONSCREEN Sarris stands over the alien with a control panel. SARRIS (ON MONITOR) Is that all? You have no more to confess to me? No? After three days of this you still require incentive? Sarris moves switches on the panel. The device pulls at the alien's limbs, twisting them horribly. Bones crackle. ALIEN COMMANDER (ON MONITOR) I say again... I have told you all I know. To my shame, I have told you everything. If you have any mercy within you, please, let me die. 4/28/99 (YELLOW) SARRIS Oh I shall, I shall... When I grow weary of the noises you make, my little plaything, be assured, you shall die... Sarris toys with his control panel. Mercifully the screen fuzzes up with static and we can only HEAR the bone chilling SCREAMS... We PAN around the table, past GWEN, ALEXANDER, TOMMY, GUY...Their mouths open in horror as they watch the screen. Camera stops on JASON. He stares, the blood draining from his face. 50 INT. HALLWAY The actors walk down the hallway behind Jason, panicked. GWEN We're leaving, Jason. We're leaving NOW. JASON Let me think. I need time to think. ALEXANDER He wants to THINK!? TOMMY No, Jason, that's a wrap! There's nothing to think about! GUY Listen, I'm not even supposed to BE here. I'm just Crewman #6. I'm expendable. I'm the guy in the episode who dies to prove that the situation is serious! I'm leaving NOW. Mathesar comes running up, looking distressed. MATHESAR Commander... JASON Mathesar, I need you to prepare pods for my crew. GWEN Your crew? What about you? Jason looks torn. He starts to say something, but- 4/28/99 (YELLOW) MATHESAR Begging your Commander's pardon, sir, but we cannot launch pods at the moment. Sarris will surely detonate any objects leaving the ship. (beat) Yes sir, he's (MORE) 4/26/99 (PINK) MATHESAR (cont'd) here now. Your presence is required on the command deck. Everyone reacts, alarmed, and we 51 INT. COMMAND DECK The actors enter the empty deck followed by Mathesar. GWEN There's nobody here. Jason... JASON Mathesar, maybe we should get some of your crew up here. MATHESAR I thank you for your consideration to our pride, but while my people are talented scientists our attempts to operate our own technologies under tactical simulation have been disastrous. He leans over to Gwen's computer station as she sits, and pushes a button. MATHESAR I have raised Sarris on zeta frequency. GWEN Uh... Great. Thanks. JASON Still, Mathesar, your crew may nonetheless be helpful in certain- But he is interrupted by the sight of SARRIS appearing on the large VIEWSCREEN. Sarris now wears a metal eyepatch, and has a long scar across his cheek. SARRIS We meet again Commander. The crew stares at Sarris. A frightening visage. JASON Yes... Hi Sarris... How are you doing? SARRIS Better than my Lieutenant. He failed to activate ship's neutron armor as quickly as I'd hoped on our last encounter. He brings into view a stake with the impaled head of his former Lieutenant. JASON Right. Well... Listen, I'm (laughs) I'm sorry about that whole... thing.. before. It was kind of a misunderstanding. I'm sure we can work this out like reasonable people... How's the uh... (motions to his eyepatch) ... that going to heal up? God, I hope so, I feel just awful about that. SARRIS Deliver the device now or I will destroy your ship. JASON Listen, I'd like to, but frankly.. I'm not even sure where it is, or even... SARRIS You have ten seconds. JASON All right. You got it. You win. I'll deliver it now. Just give me a moment to set it up. Jason motions to Gwen to cut the transmission. Gwen nods. JASON All right, now nobody panic, I've dealt with this guy before and believe me, he's as stupid as he is ugly. GWEN Jason.. JASON We're going to fire everything we've got at him, all right? GWEN JASON... JASON You just keep pushing those buttons, those there, send everything at him, okay? Guy looks at the buttons labeled with icons of armaments. GUY ...Okay JASON All right. Put me back on with him. GWEN I'm trying to tell you. You ARE on with him. SARRIS Perhaps I am not as stupid as I am ugly, Commander. Jason turns to Gwen horrified. JASON I made the CUT THE LINE gesture. You nodded okay.' GWEN I thought It was the "We're dead" gesture! I was agreeing! Like I know where the hold button is??? JASON (nervous jovial) Listen, Sarris, you can't blame me for trying... SARRIS Of course not... GUY Guys... Red thingy moving toward the green thingy. Red thingy moving toward the green thingy! JASON What? Guy motions to the radar screen. The red blip is about to impact. GUY I think we're the green thingy. SARRIS A present for you, Commander. COMMANDER Shit. Turn. Gun it' Get out of- The shit is POUNDED BY A TORPEDO BLAST. Now, unlike the "run back and forth" shake-the-camera explosions of the TV show, the result here is jarringly BRUTAL, like side-slamming a Hummer at 70mph. The entire crew goes FLYING from their positions and into the walls. The lights FLICKER. They exchange glances, for the first time, bona fide FEAR In their eyes. This is REAL. Then ANOTHER blast sends them crumpled against walls and objects like rag dolls. The pain is palpable as they try to get back to their stations. JASON We've gotta get out of here! Tommy looks at the sparkling map of lights on his dash. TOMMY Where? JASON Just GO! GO! DAMMIT PUNCH GO! Tommy punches the red button. They all hold on for dear life as the ship roars forward, across the path of Sarris' ship. GWEN They're turning. They're COMING. An explosion rocks the ship. Then another, and ANOTHER... COMPUTER The ship is sustaining structural damage. GWEN Guys, we're sustaining structural damage!... JASON Faster Tommy. Get us out of here! TOMMY It's as far as it goes! GUY They're still behind us... JASON We should have a turbo. I'm always saying "activate turbo boosters", right?... TOMMY Could be this. JASON Push It. Hold it down. He pushes the turbo. The ship begins to VIBRATE. COMPUTER The enemy is matching velocity. GWEN The enemy is matching velocity. ALEXANDER We heard it the first time! GWEN Shit! I'm doing it! I'm repeating the damn computer! Suddenly an image of Fred down in the generator room appears on the side viewscreen. He's taking it all in stride. FRED Hi guys. Listen, they're telling me that the generators won't take it, the ship's breaking apart and all that. Just FYI. The viewscreen goes black. The ship ROARS forward. ALEXANDER We've got to stop! JASON We stop we die. Keep holding the thruster down Tommy! ALEXANDER You don't hold a thruster down! It's for quick boosts JASON Like YOU know? The ship GROANS and CREAKS. Then a loud KLAXON sounds. GWEN I remember that sound! That's a bad sound! Jason looks forward. In the distance is an amorphous MASS... JASON Maybe we can lose them in that cloud. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) GWEN I don't think that's a cloud... As they approach, the "cloud" reveals itself to actually be thousands upon thousands of SLOWLY ROTATING OCTAHEDRONS. JASON Mathesar? What is that? MATHESAR It's the Tothian mine field left standing from the Great War of 12185. Their jaws drop as they see the vast array of MINES. ALEXANDER May I get the check? GWEN The ships are gaining... JASON Do your best, Tommy... TOMMY Oh god... THE FIRST MINE HITS, ROCKING THE SHIP... BOOM! Tommy SWERVES to avoid it, running into another mine. Then another. Tommy couldn't do worse if he were aiming for them. ALEXANDER Could you possibly try (BOOM!) not to hit (BOOM!) every (BOOM!) single (BOOM!) one! TOMMY They're drifting toward me... I think they're magnetic!... 52 EXT. PROTECTOR The ship HURTLES FORWARD through the mine field, taking considerable damage as the mines impact. PIECES of the ship fall off behind it... 52A INT. SARRIS' SHIP Calm, Sarris watches the PROTECTOR fly into the almost certain death of the mine field. His LIEUTENANT flies ahead eagerly. LATHE Continue forward, sir? SARRIS Patience, Lt. . Patience. 53 INT. COMMAND DECK JASON We're almost through... Come on... Hold... The ship is now VIBRATING HORRIBLY. It GROANS and CREAKS hen.. RIVETS start to POP sending DEADLY PROJECTILES flying. ALEXANDER WE'VE HAVE TO STOP! GWEN FRONT ARMOR IS GONE! JUST SLOW IT DOWN A LITTLE! JASON NO! WE'RE ALMOST THROUGH! ALEXANDER DON'T BE INSANE, STOP! FULL STOP! JASON KEEP GOING! KEEP GOING! TOMMY WHAT DO IT DO? WHAT DO IT DO? And then suddenly a LOUD GRINDING noise. Then SILENCE. The vibrating stops. Gwen looks up from her radar screen. ALEXANDER What's happened? TOMMY The engines are dead. We're drifting. JASON Are they behind us? GWEN No, I don't think so... Wait. They're not but... Something is. (beat) Oh my god. They look out the rear view screen to see... TWO DOZEN MAGNETIC MINES BEARING DOWN ON THEM IN A CLUSTER. JASON DOWN! They barely have time to brace themselves as the ship is ROCKED by WAVES of explosions. They hit the floor and try to ride it out. It's brutal... 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) EXT. SHIP The last of the mines explodes and the ship is sent tumbling lifelessly end over end through space. The exterior lights are dark. The once shiny hull now blackened and ragged. 55 INT. COMMAND DECK The deck looks dead and empty. Smoke is in the air. The lights are dim. The sirens have stopped. It's completely silent. The crew slowly emerges from behind panels and equipment, bruised and bloodied. Jason moves to Gwen. JASON Are you all right? (she nods, rising) Tommy. Where's Tommy? They hear a GROAN. Tommy is crumpled against the wall, his arm twisted impossibly. He's in agony. TOMMY It's broke... Oh God... Oh God... MATHESAR I'll take him to medical quarters. They exit, limping. Alexander rises, moves past Jason. Blood trickles down his forehead. In a mocking tone... ALEXANDER "Go into the cloud! ... GWEN Alex? Where are you going? ALEXANDER To see if there's a pub. He exits. The others turn to Jason, their faces sooty, their clothing torn and bloody. 56 INT. SHIP STRATEGY ROOM The crew sits around the room, licking their wounds. Alexander nurses a blue beverage. Tommy examines a high tech metallic cast on his arm. COMPUTER ...Forward thruster shaft, 87% damage... Left vector guards, 96% damage... Level 5 structural breaches in quadrants 32, 34, 40, 43, 58... 4/20/99 (BLUE) JASON And the engines? GWEN Computer, what about our engines? Why don't we have power? COMPUTER The Beryllium Sphere has fractured under stress. GWEN It's fractured... JASON Can it be repaired? GWEN Computer, can it be repaired? COMPUTER Negative. The Beryllium sphere will have to be replaced. GWEN We need another one. GUY Shit, the Beryllium sphere. That's bad... ALEXANDER (to Jason) You broke the ship. You broke the bloody SHIP! I told you you don't hold down a turbo. You push it once, maybe twice for a boost but you don't HOLD it. JASON Do we have a replacement Beryllium sphere onboard? GWEN Computer, do we have a replacement Beryllium sphere onboard? COMPUTER Negative, no reserve Beryllium sphere exists onboard. GWEN No, we don't have an extra Beryllium sphere. 4/26/99 (PINK) TOMMY You know, that's really getting annoying. GWEN (deadly) I have ONE job on this lousy ship. It's stupid, but I'm going to DO it. GOT IT? TOMMY (intimidated) Sure, no problem. Suddenly the door opens and seven Aliens enter, led by Mathesar. They look VERY SERIOUS. Guy exchanges an "uh oh" glance with Tommy... But the aliens fall to one knee, lowering their heads. MATHESAR A thousand apologies. We have failed you. JASON You what?.. What are you talking about? MATHESAR (wracked with sadness) We have seen you victorious in many more desperate situations. The fault must lie with us, with the ship... Gwen shoots Jason a glance... TELL THEM. JASON No... Listen, Mathesar. it's not your fault. We're... We're... ..... He can't bring himself to finish. GWEN We're not the people you think we are. MATHESAR I don't understand. ALEXANDER Mathesar, don't you have television on your planet? Theater? Films? MATHESAR The historical documents of your culture... Yes, in fact we have begun to (MORE) 4/28/99 (YELLOW) MATHESAR (cont'd) document our own history, from your example... GWEN No not historical documents... They're not all historical documents... I mean... surely you don't think Gilligan's Island is a... Mathesar and the others exchange sad glances... MATHESAR Those poor people... TOMMY Hoo boy... Mathesar and the others exchange quizzical looks. GWEN Does no one on your planet behave in a way that is contrary to reality? MATHESAR Ah. You speak of... Unable to bring the words to mind, he confers with his fellows. MATHESAR "Deception..." "Lies." JASON Well... Sort of... MATHESAR We have become aware of these concepts only recently. In our dealings with Sarris. Often Sarris will say one thing, and do another. Promise us mercy and deliver destruction... It is a concept we are beginning to learn at some great cost. (a worried beat) But if you are saying that any of you could have traits in common with Sarris. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) He starts to laugh, and the other aliens join in. MATHESAR You are our protectors... Our heroes. You will save us. Suddenly a VIEWSCREEN lights and we see Fred on the monitor from down in the generator room. FRED (ON SCREEN) Hey Commander. Listen, we found some Beryllium on a nearby planet. We might be able to get there if we re-configure the solar matrix in parallel for endothermic propulsion. What do you think? JASON I...Well, uh... Yes, absolutely. Fred turns to two young TECHS next to him, then licks and sticks two sticky GOLD STARS onto their wrists. They beam. FRED Correct! Gold star for you and a gold star for you... 57 EXT. SHIP The ship lumbers slowly forward. In the distance we see the swirling globe of a colorful and mysterious PLANET. 58 INT. SURFACE POD BAY - LATER Jason, Gwen, Tommy, Fred and Guy enter the small surface pod. Quellek, Alexander's protege, steps forward, hands Alex a device. QUELLEK Dr. Lazarus, here is your surface mapper. I have programed it to the coordinates of a Beryllium Sphere of sufficient density. ALEXANDER Thanks. QUELLEK (emotional) Good luck on your mission, Sir. By Grabthar's Hammer, by the Suns of Warvan I wish you- ALEXANDER (holds up a warning finger) Uh uh! What did we talk about? QUELLEK Right... Sorry, sir. 59 INT. SURFACE POD Tommy pilots the craft as the pod approaches the beautiful and mysterious planet. Guy looks out the window nervously. GUY I changed my mind. I want to go back. ALEXANDER After the big fuss you made about not getting left behind on the ship? GUY Yeah, but that's when I thought maybe was the crewman that stays on the shin and something is up there and it kills me, but now I'm thinking I'm the guy who gets killed by some monster five minutes after we land on the planet... JASON Guy, you're not going to get killed on the planet, okay? GUY Oh, I'm not? I'm not? Then what's my last name? JASON Your last name. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD GUY Yeah, what is it? JASON It's... I don't know. GUY No. Nobody does. Do you know WHY? Because my character Isn't IMPORTANT enough for a last name. Because I'm going to DIE five minutes in, why bother to come up with a last name for me? GWEN Guy, you HAVE a last name. We just don't KNOW it. GUY Do I? DO I? For all you know I'm just "CREWMAN #6"! (hysterical) Okay, it's FLEEGMAN! Guy FLEEGMAN! There! Now I'm a whole person! I can't die! FLEEGMAN! THEY CAN'T KILL ME NOW, CAN THEY? CAN THEY? Jason slaps him. GUY See? I'm the hysterical guy who needs to be slapped, and then I die! ALEXANDER (sighs) Are we there yet? 60 EXT. SURFACE POD The pod makes its way toward the surface. 61 INT. POD The ship shakes as it lands. Everyone exchanges anxious glances. As they set down everyone applauds, complimenting Tommy on the landing. Tommy looks away, shamed. TOMMY Autopilot. Everyone looks away, disappointed. Suddenly the HATCH opens with a loud PHHHHT of air decompression. Fred has opened it. GUY What are you doing! You don't just open the door! It's an alien planet! Is there air!? You don't know, do you! 3/4/99 (GOLDENROD) Fred sniffs the air. FRED Seems okay. Guy sighs. 62 EXT. PLANET SURFACE - DAY The six exit the craft tentatively. Guy looks around, apprehensive. JASON Which way, Alex? Alexander looks down at his mapper. ALEXANDER This way... Wait, no, that way... They turn in the opposite direction. TOMMY You were holding it upside down weren't you? ALEXANDER Shut up. TOMMY You know, with the makeup and everything1 I actually thought he was smart for a second. ALEXANDER You think you could do better "Laredo?" TOMMY Hey, watch that "Laredo" shit. GUY We're screwed... We're so screwed... JASON All right, let's all settle down. If we're going to get through this we're going to have to exercise self control. GWEN Self control? That's funny coming from the guy that slept with every Moon Princess and Terrakian slave girl on the show!... 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) JASON Did it ever occur to you that if you had been a little more supportive you could have held on to me? GWEN I could have held on to YOU! ... ALEXANDER We re really going to do this HERE? 63 OMIT 64 ROCKY INCLINE - "SPOOKYVILLE" It's darker here, more menacing. Jagged cliff overhangs form spooky shapes. Guy looks around nervously. JASON How much further? Alexander measures the distance on the device between his fingers and holds them up. ALEXANDER About this much. JASON What's the scale? Is that ten miles? A hundred miles? ALEXANDER THIS much. Guy glances back to see the rocky trench they just passed through. The ROCK SHAPES jutting from the walls look vaguely like arms and hands... Suddenly Guy YELLS as he drops out of frame. The others turn to see him on the ground, struggling, his foot lodged in a crevice in the landscape. GUY It's got me it's got me! See? FIVE MINUTES! I told you! Jason runs back and starts to help extricate Guy. He pulls his foot free and looks around. GUY Something grabbed me! IT DID. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) The others shake their heads and continue forward. Guy rises, trying to put his shoe back on as he runs to catch up. JASON Easy son. It's just your imagination. Hang tough. He clasps Guy's shoulder in a commanderly way. GWEN You're playing your good side. JASON Don't be ridiculous. ALEXANDER And note the sucked in gut. TOMMY ...Sleeves rolled halfway up the biceps... FRED It's the rugged pose. The all nod in agreement. Jason is about to object, when suddenly everyone is stopped in their tracks by SPOOKY ALIEN WHISPERING and the sound of CRITTERS climbing around the surrounding cliffs. GUY That's it, that's what's going to kill me. JASON Let's just pick up the pace a little, shall we? 65 CREST OF HILL They climb to the crest, out of breath. Guy arrives last. They clear the ridge and Look down onto 66 VALLEY BELOW - MINING OUTPOST Below there is a small ABANDONED MINING FACILITY. Wind WHISTLES through various structures and power stations. In the center of the outpost sits a large shimmering boulder. JASON There it is. The Beryllium sphere. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) ALEXANDER Must be some sort of mining facility. GWEN Where are the miners? GUY Something BAD happened here. TOMMY Will you relax? Suddenly they become aware of a SMALL BLUE CREATURE emerging from one of the structures. It's blue and looks somewhat like a human child. It moves to a small pool of water and begins drinking. Its movements are very quiet and tentative. Then a few more BLUE CHILDREN emerge and join the first. GWEN (smiling, amazed) Look at that... Will you LOOK at that... They look like little children... ALEXANDER Could they be the miners? FRED Sure. They're like, three years old. ALEXANDER MINERS, not MINORS. He pronounces the two words exactly the same. Fred looks at Alex like he's crazy. FRED You Okay, Alex? GUY I don't like this... I don't like this at all... GWEN Oh, they're so cute. GUY Of course they're cute NOW. But in a second they're going to turn MEAN and UGLY somehow and then there are going to be a million MORE of them!... 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) Then another blue creature emerges. This one limps, its leg is hurt. It moves forward, DRAGGING its bad foot along the ground, making NOISE. EVERYONE Awwww..... It's hurt... Gwen rises up a little, tentatively waving at Limpy... GWEN Hi!... Hi there little guy... Guy PUSHES her down behind the rock before the creatures notice. GUY Jesus, didn't ANY of you watch the show!? The BLUE CHILDREN turn toward Limpy, and begin whispering in an alien tongue... ALIEN CHILDREN Gorignak... Gorignak.... Nak nak! GWEN Aw, look. They're helping the hurt one... Indeed the others move to the hurt creature, cocking their heads to the side empathetically... Then suddenly we see the aliens SMILE with SHARP RAZOR TEETH, their mouths SPREADING OUT IMPOSSIBLY ON THEIR FACES. They DESCEND on LIMPY, ripping him apart. We only see a GEYSER OF BLOOD from the center of the blue circle.... Our group is silent, horrified. GUY I am SO SICK of being right. GWEN (stunned horror) Let's get out of here before one of those things kills guy. JASON We gotta get that sphere, or we aren't going anywhere. Reluctantly, they all nod in agreement. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) JASON All right... here's the plan: First, Fred, we need a diversion to clear those things out of the compound, then Gwen, Alex, Fred and I go down to get the sphere. Any of those things come back, give a signal. Guy, you set up a perimeter. GWEN Why does this sound so familiar? TOMMY "Assault on Voltareck III." Episode... 31 I think. GUY We're doing episode 31? TOMMY Whatever, the one with the hologram. The wall of fire. GWEN How the hell is Fred supposed to project a hologram? GUY We're doing episode 31, Jason? JASON It doesn't have to be a hologram... Just a diversion. GUY Jason, are we doing Episode 31 or not? JASON It's a rough plan, Guy! What does it matter if we're doing episode 31 or not?! GUY BECAUSE I DIED IN EPISODE 31! ALEXANDER (interrupting) This is ludicrous. Why are you listening to this man? Must I remind you that he is wearing a costume, not a uniform?... He's no more equipped to lead us than THIS fellow. (motions to Guy) No offense. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) TOMMY You have a better plan, Alex? ALEXANDER As a matter of fact, I do. Look at their eyes. They're obviously nocturnal. Come sundown they will go into the forest to hunt. So our plan is simply to wait for nightfall instead of mounting an insane assault in full daylight simply because we did it that way in episode 31.' The others look convinced. Jason looks down, defeated. Everyone starts to settle in to wait for SUNDOWN. 67 EXT. RIDGE OVERLOOKING MINING OUTPOST - DUSK 67 Two hours later, the SUN is setting. Everyone rises to begin their assault, as the last glow sinks Into the horizon. They start forward when... THE SECOND SUN (the BIG one) rises up behind them, lighting the planet brightly. The actors turn to Alexander who looks away, sheepishly. Jason smiles, vindicated, and stands, back in charge. JASON As I was saying... Fred, we need some sort of diversion. Some sort of Hologram or optical illusion or... He looks at Fred, who looks up at him, completely lost. FRED A hologram... JASON (gently) Never mind, Fred.... FRED No, no... I'll think on it... GWEN Jason, look. They all look down to see that the blue demons have already deserted the complex. TOMMY They're gone. GUY Where'd they go? Back inside? 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) GWEN I don't know. ALEXANDER Nobody was WATCHING? JASON All right, Gwen, Alex, Fred, follow me. Guy, set up the perimeter. Tommy, you keep a lookout, make a signal if they come back. TOMMY What kind of signal? JASON Anything. TOMMY Okay, I'll do this... (barely audible) "Caw Caw!" JASON Tommy, we have these... He motions to his vox. TOMMY Oh, right, sorry. JASON Okay, let's go. Jason, Gwen, Alex and Fred start down the hillside leaving Tommy and Guy alone. They stand there for a second, looking at each other. TOMMY You have no idea what a perimeter is, do you? GUY Not a clue. You? TOMMY I think he just likes pointing at things. 68 OMIT 68 69 DOWN THE RIDGE 69 Jason is in full action mode... He uses dramatic commando tactics he's acted on the show, such as ducking behind a 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) rock, peeking out, rolling on the ground to the next rock. Gwen, Alex and Fred just stroll down casually behind him. GWEN How does the rolling help, actually? JASON It helps. A beat. GWEN Where's your gun? He pats his hip, the gun is gone. It has obviously fallen over the cliff in his roll. ALEXANDER "It helps." 70 CLEARING ON THE RIDGE 70 Tommy keeps a lookout through the binoculars: Below, Jason and the others sneak into the compound and head toward the sphere. The abandoned compound is spooky. A battered metal door sways in the wind with a CREAK GWEN Those blue things ate everybody here? ALEXANDER It doesn't make sense... Surely they could have fortified the compound against those creatures... Fred passes a metal console with a number of broken viewscreens... One, however is partially intact. Fred pushes a button and the viewscreen lights up with a blurry VIDEO PLAYBACK of MAYHEM: Through a DUSTSTORM we see a number of ALIEN MINERS run panicked through the compound. We hear thunderous CRASHES, like FOOTSTEPS A TERRIFIED MINER - face wrapped in cloth except for the eyes - stares into the camera, mumbling, out of his mind with fear. MINER Gorignak!... Gorignak!... The image goes blank... The actors look at each other. JASON Anybody want to wait around to find out what a "Gorignak" is? (MORE) 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) JASON (cont'd) (they shake their heads "no") Let's do this. GWEN Clenched jaw... JASON Will you stop RIDING ME?! 7l ON THE RIDGE 71 Tommy looks down onto the compound with binoculars to see Jason and the others below moving toward the beryllium sphere. He PANS to the compound. Good, no blue children. GUY I know what it is... I know what it is... It's not what's ON the planet. It IS the planet... As Guy continues to babble his theory, TOMMY pans back and forth between JASON and the others at the SPHERE, and the deserted COMPLEX... Jason and the others start to ROLL the sphere. It moves forward with a ....... We PAN OVER to see a blue HAND emerge from one of the structures... Tommy looks concerned. GUY (O.S.) There's a life force here. The blue things... Did you see how they moved? Careful. Quiet. Like they didn't want something DISTURBED.... TOMMY'S POV from THE SPHERE RUMBLING forward to THE DEMON CHILDREN EMERGING FROM THE MINING STRUCTURES. TOMMY Oh. Shit. 72 DOWN AT THE MINING COMPOUND 72 Jason and the others strain to push the boulder toward the incline. JASON C'mon, push! Never give up, never surrender! EVERYONE Oh shut up!.. Suddenly they all FREEZE as they notice the returning DEMONS. The monsters gather around them, forming a vicious circle of slavering teeth. Silence for a beat, then: 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) QA. TOMMY ON VOX (0.5.) Caw! Caw! ALEXANDER Spare me. Suddenly a series of MAGNITO-PISTOL BLASTS ring out, melting random pieces of equipment, walls and putting holes in the walkways... The aliens SCATTER for cover. Gwen and the others turn to see TOMMY coming with the gun in his hand, followed by Guy. TOMMY Sorry Guys... It just went off. JASON Good work, Tommy. Let's go! They PUSH the over the lip of the incline. It starts to roll on its own... 73 INCLINE 73 Jason and the others run with all their might to keep up with the sphere. Jason looks over his shoulder then turns forward. JASON Don't look back. DO NOT look back. Gwen can't resist. She looks back to see... HUNDREDS OF BLUE * DEMONS coming over the hillside like a TIDAL WAVE. 74 NEAR THE SURFACE POD 74 The actors roll the sphere to the pod and up the pod ramp. But the boulder now blocks the pod door. Gwen helps Guy inside, then squeezes through herself, followed by Tommy. Alexander and Jason both motion each other forward. ALEXANDER Go ahead! JASON You go first! There's no time! ALEXANDER Oh, of course, I forgot! YOU have to be the hero, don't you?... Heaven forbid anyone else get the spotlight once! Oh no, Jason Nesmith couldn't possibly- Jason cold cocks him, knocking him unconscious and lifts him through, then starts to squeeze through himself. 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) 75 INT. SURFACE POD 75 JASON Tommy, I'm in, push go now! Tommy pushes the button when suddenly Jason is GRABBED BY THE ANKLE by FIVE PAIRS OF DEMON HANDS and dragged back outside just as the door closes behind him. GWEN Oh my god! Tommy! Stop the pod! Stop the pod! TOMMY I can't... It's on autopilot!... As they pod ascends they all move to the window to watch horrified as Jason disappears into the middle of the huge blue mob that surrounds him. Alexander regains consciousness, looks around. ALEXANDER He knocked me out the sonofabitch. Where is he? GWEN (horrified) Down there. Alexander joins the others, looks down at the blue mob below. ALEXANDER Oh right, of course... It's always about YOU, isn't it?! 76 EXT. PLANET SURFACE 76 Back at the surface Jason is surrounded by the menacing DEMONS, who stare down at him with their chilling SMILES. Their strange whispered language is translated into SUBTITLES. DEMON #1 What do you suppose it is? DEMON #2 (momentarily introspective) I don't know. Strange, it looks like a child. DEMON #1 What should I do? 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) DEMON #2 Hit it with a rock. Then we'll eat it. Demon #1 lifts a rock and Jason doesn't have time to object before the demon CLUBS him. They lean in, their mouths opening for the kill when a SHADOW washes over them. A Blue Demon looks up over his shoulder, TERRIFIED. He whispers a meek... DEMON Gorignak... 77 INT. SURFACE POD BAY 77 The pod door opens and Gwen, Alexander and the others exit, out of breath. They're greeted three of the Generator Room Techs, as well as Teb. GWEN We got the Sphere but the Commander's down there with a bunch of cannibals! Teb, reset the pod, we're going back. TOMMY That thing's not going to get us down there fast enough. Face it, he's dead. GWEN Wait, Fred, what about your thing, you know... "Digitize me, Sergeant Chen!" FRED ...The digital conveyor. GUY Of course... We'll just zap him up with the digital conveyor! TOMMY Do we have one of those, Teb? Teb nods. They exit running. Fred looks a little unsure... 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) 78 INT. CORRIDOR 78 Gwen, Alexander, Fred, Tommy, Guy and the technician Teb run down the hallway. Huffing, Alexander turns to Gwen. ALEXANDER You said "the Commander. GWEN What? ALEXANDER Back there. You said "the Commander is down there with a bunch of cannibals." GWEN No I didn't. ALEXANDER Yes you did. TOMMY I heard it too. GWEN Is this really the most important thing we could be talking about right now? EXT. PLANET SURFACE - ROCKY TRENCH Jason lies unconscious on the ground. We hear a SNORT and see his shoulder moved by a large alien SNOUT. Jason opens his eyes to see a GRUNTING BEAST, like an oversized pig but 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) somewhat reptilian. From above along the rock walls Jason can hear the sound of the blue demons WHISPERING... DEMONS Gorignak... Gorignak. Jason rises quickly, reaches for his gun, but it's gone. Looking for a weapon, he quickly removes his shirt and SNAPS it at the beast, trying to drive it away. The beast CHOMPS at him, holding its territory. Suddenly Gwen's voice sounds. GWEN (ON VOX) Jason.. Can you hear me? JASON Yes. Yes, I'm here! 80 INT. SHIP - DIGITAL CONVEYER ROOM 80 Gwen, Alexander and the others watch Jason on a viewscreen. GWEN Thank God. Are you okay? JASON Yeah. But I've got Gorignak staring me in the face. I think I can take it though... GWEN Jason, we're going to use the digital conveyer to get you out of there. Jason swipes at the pig lizard. It HISSES at him petulantly. JASON The digital conveyer? You mean I'm going to get diced into cubes and sorted up there in a thousand pieces? FRED Right. JASON I'll take my chances with Gorignak. The pig Lizard NIPS at Jason. Jason throws a rock at it. GWEN Jason, we've got to get you out of there. It's perfectly safe, isn't it, Teb? TEB It has never been successfully tested. JASON What? What did he say? GWEN Nothing. Hold please. She switches off the vox, they turn to Teb. TEB Theoretically the mechanism is fully operational. However, it was built to accommodate your anatomy, not ours. Our actual hands are six fingered and jointed ninety degrees to yours. But now that Sergeant Chen is here he can operate it... It was designed watching his motions from the historical records. Everyone turns to Fred. For the first time, he looks a little apprehensive. He laughs nervously. FRED Well I mean I can't... I can supervise of course, but... ALEXANDER (TO VOX) Jason, we're going to test it. JASON Okay... On what? TOMMY How about the pig-lizard? JASON Hey I was doing okay with the pig lizard. Alexander and the others move aside to let Fred at the control panel. The controls are complicated, and fit Fred's hand like metal gloves. Teb GASPS as he grasps the controls. TEB I'm sorry. It is very exciting to see the master at the controls. The operation of the conveyer is more art than science. Fred moves his hands and the creature is TARGETED in crosshairs of the instrument panel. He slowly twists his wrist as he manipulates a ever cautiously and.... 81 ON THE PLANET'S SURFACE 81 The pig lizard digitizes and disappears. 82 CONVEYOR ROOM 82 Everyone LOOKS very impressed. Fred starts to smile, "no sweat" as the creature rematerializes on the platform. But something is very wrong. We hear the thing's HORRIBLE SQUELS over the disgusted reactions of the crew. JASON What? What? ALEXANDER (singsong) Nothing. JASON I heard something. A squeal. GWEN Oh no. Everything's fine. TEB But... the animal is inside out. JASON I heard that! It's INSIDE OUT! Then the monstrous remains of the creature EXPLODES. TEB And It exploded! JASON What? Did I just hear that It came back INSIDE CUT, and 'then It EXPLODED? Hello? GWEN Hold please. 83 PLANET SURFACE 83 Jason looks up to the rock ledge. The unseen DEMONS continue to chant "GORIGNAK... GORIGNAK... JASON Wait, the pig lizard is gone. Why are they still chanting for the pig lizard? GWEN Turn on the translation circuit. Teb flicks a switch and we hear the Demons in English. DEMONS ROCK... ROCK... ROCK... Suddenly Gwen and the others notice that the entire ROCK FACE behind Jason moves slightly, like a granite MUSCULATURE... Jason, facing forward, doesn't see it. GWEN Jason?... I don't think the pig lizard was Gorignak... JASON What the hell are you talking about? Behind Jason, the boulders in the wall begin moving forward, EMERGING from the rock face, and a GIANT emerges... A MONSTER made of granite... Jason turns slowly, with a feeling of dread, as he hears the rumbling SOUND of the monster's body freeing itself from the rock face around It JASON Oh darn. He takes a step back, holding his puny wooden spear. The ROCK MONSTER steps forward, 20 feet tall. Its face mostly featureless yet ominous and determined and upset, and it heads straight for JASON. JASON Guys, digitize me... Jason backs away slowly, around the corner, but the monster follows CRUNCH CRUNCH forward... JASON Guys...?!! 84 INT. SHIP - DIGITAL CONVEYER ROOM 84 Fred looks genuinely distressed. GWEN C' non Fred... They based it on YOUR hand movements. Fred backs away, terror on his face... He starts talking to himself nervously... FRED All my professional life they'd say "can you ride a horse" Fred? And I'd say "Of course, since I was a boy!" "Can you fence Fred?" "Funny you should ask, I've won six international competitions." I learned never to say I can't do this. You don't get the part if you say I can't do this. But this is life or death! May God forgive me Jason but I can't do this. 85 ON THE PLANET Jason is in a FULL OUT RUN being chased by the ROCK MONSTER which STOMPS forward, DEMOLISHING everything in its path. ALEXANDER Fred's no good, Jason. You're going to have to kill it JASON KILL IT? Well I'm open to ideas!... TOMMY Go for the eyes. Like in episode 22 with- JASON It doesn't have eyes. TOMMY The throat, the mouth... Its vulnerable spots. JASON It's a ROCK. It doesn't HAVE vulnerable spots! GUY I know... You contruct a weapon. Look around, can you form some sort of rudimentary lathe?... JASON A LATHE??? Get off the line, Guy.' The monster's shadow falls over Jason.. JASON ALEXANDER??? PLEASE? You're my advisor, advise me! ALEXANDER ... . Well you have to figure out what it wants... What's its motivation? JASON It's a DAMN ROCK MONSTER!!! It doesn't HAVE motivation! ALEXANDER That's your problem. You were never serious about the caraft... (closing his eyes) "I'm a rock... I just want to be a rock... Still. Peaceful.. Tranquil.." ..."Oh, but what's this? Something's making noise... No, not noise, no... MOVEMENT. VIBRATIONS. Make the vibrations stop, they go straight into me like a knife!... I must CRUSH the thing that makes the vibrations..." JASON Am I crazy, or do you actually have something there? Jason reaches down and grabs a handful of small rocks. But at that moment the rock monster reaches down and GRABS him in his fist. Jason is carried into the air and dangled above the beast's mouth. Jason keeps his composure enough to toss one of the rocks at a natural rocky OVERRANG along one wall. The thrown rocks dislodge a few more rocks in the wall which TUMBLE to the ground, making NOISE. The rock monster TURNS toward the sound. The monster drops Jason. Jason lands, throws another rock. The monster CHARGES toward the wall, causing an AVALANCHE, burying the monster. All is still. 86 IN THE SHIP 86 The actors CHEER, but their relief is short lived as... 87 ON THE PLANET - 87 The rubble RE-FORMS and the monster EMERGES, even LARGER than before! It begins to make a beeline for a perplexed Jason. JASON But I'm not moving, I... Oh no. My heartbeat. IN THE ROCK MONSTER'S POV we head toward Jason and hear Jason's heartbeat magnified like a drum, THA-THUMP THA-THUMP. JASON Fred? Fred, can you hear me? You've got to do this... It's up to you. 88 ON THE SHIP -. 88 Fred moves to the panel, mortified. FRED No, I'll kill you. . JASON Listen Fred. You did this for four years on the show. You can do it now... Put your hands on the controls.. Fred puts his trembling hands on the controls... Sweat pours down his temple. FRED I don't know... I don't know. The monster picks up speed. STOMP STOMP STOMP. JASON Fred, I worked summer stock with Hopkins. Regional theater with Hoffman. But I swear to God I have never met an actor who could hit his mark, or nail his lines with the professional consistency of a Freddy Kwan. You're Mr. Dependable... You can do this. FRED You worked with Hopkins? I worship Hopkins. Fred draws confidence from these words. The Monster is upon Jason... It raises its fist... JASON Digitize me, Fred. A moment of concentration - as everybody holds their breath - and then Fred works the controls. Jason is STILL THERE and.. 89 THE MONSTER SMASHES DOWN HIS FIST RIGHT DOWN ONTO JASON.... at the very moment he digitizes. The fist goes right through the scattering blocks. Everybody on ship holds their breath and watches the.. 90 DIGITIZING PLATFORM 90 Jason's body Instantly DUCKS and CONTORTS to avoid the ROCK FIST that moments ago descended uoon him. Everyone runs up to him as he regains his composure, celebrating, hugging him and patting him on the back. Even Alexander looks relieved, but won't admit it. ALEXANDER I see you managed to get your shirt off. Jason looks over and sees Fred still at the controls, drenched. He moves to him and shakes his trembling hand. 4/26/99 (PINK) FRED As good as Hopkins? JASON Hopkins can't drink your bathwater Fred. Fred wells with pride. Jason turns to the others. JASON All right folks, let's get the hell out of here... JASON Mathesar, we're back up and on our way to the command deck. Mathesar? Come in Mathesar? Teb? Quellek? What's going on? Where is everybody? Gwen pushes a button on the monitors to see... SARRIS'S SHIP OUTSIDE. Gwen punches another button and video panels light up showing... SARRIS' MEN ALL OVER THE SHIP. IN THE GENERATOR ROOM, THE HALLWAYS, THE COMAAND DECK... An INFESTATION. TOMMY NO NO NO. JASON We've got to get out of here. C'mon, hurry But as they head toward the door, it OPENS, revealing SARRIS AND A DOZEN OF HIS MEN, guns drawn. The actors. back away, except for Jason who stands his ground as Sarris approaches. JASON Listen Sarris, just hold on, just- But Sarris BACKHANDS him brutally. Jason crashes to the floor. Jason starts to stand, wiping blood from his mouth, but with a nod from Sarris, six of his men surround Jason and begin to kick and beat him on the ground brutally... 91-92 OMIT 93 INT. BARRACKS/PRISON 93 The row of barracks down the long hallway have been converted to prison cells. From inside these the hundreds of captured ALIENS watch in despair as JASON, BLOODY AND BEATEN, is led down the corridor. Sarris, his guards and the other crewmembers follow behind. Weak and semi-conscious from the beating, Jason stumbles and falls. Sarris produces a device and applies it to Jason's neck. Jason cries out, his entire 4/26/99 PINK) body convulses. The aliens push against the cell doors come to his aid, but the guards beat them back mercilessly. SARRIS If you cannot walk, Commander, then I suggest you crawl. Jason hesitates. Sarris SHOCKS him again. Jason finally rises and slowly begins to CRAWL forward. Everyone is silent. Numb. 94 INT. MEDICAL DECK 94 The area has been converted to an interrogation chamber. Jason is led in with the others. Sarris' men interrogate a man strapped to a table. They move aside to reveal Mathesar, barely alive. But as he sees Jason, a ray of hope lights up behind his eyes. He smiles. MATHESAR Commander. Thank God you're alive... Now you will face justice, Sarris. SARRIS (laughs) At every turn you demonstrate the necessity for your extermination. The qualities of your species... Ridiculous optimism, like little children. Building, always building. But what you spend years to create, I take from you in days. (to Jason) Do you wish to save this man's life, Commander? And the life of your crew? JASON Yes. SARRIS Then tell me one thing... What does it do, the device? The Omega 13. JASON I don't know. Sarris twists a dial. Mathesar writhes in pain on the table. SARRIS Is it a bomb? A booby trap? Tell me! JASON Stop, please! I don't know! SARRIS Prepare a tear harness for the female... JASON No! I swear I don't know! Please! SARRIS Do you think I'm a fool? That the Commander does not know every bolt, every weld of his ship? Gwen fights the guards valiantly as they drag her to a table. JASON But I'm not! I... I'm not the Commander! Sarris turns, Interested. He motions his guards to halt. SARRIS Wait. What did you say? JASON Please, don't hurt them, it's not their fault. I'm not the Commander, I don't know anything. Mathesar looks at him, bewildered. Sarris looks Intrigued. SARRIS Explain - JASON Gwen. The show. There's no choice. Do it. GWEN Computer, play the historical records of the GALAXY QUEST missions. A screen lights up with the opening of the first GALAXY QUEST episode. We see the various actors in their roles, freeze framed in action poses, intercut with the ship speeding through space. Sarris watches, captivated. Realization dawns on his face. He begins to laugh. Sarris turns to Mathesar, beaten and bloody, but hope lightening in his eyes as he watches the show. That tickles Sarris even more, he ROARS with laughter. SARRIS Oh, this is wonderful. Wonderful. I treated you as a foe, but no... You have done greater damage to these poor fools than I ever could have. Bravo!... Bravo! He puts his arm around Jason and leads him to face Mathesar. SARRIS Tell him. This is a moment I will treasure. Explain who you really are. Jason looks up at Mathesar. A long pause. JASON My name is Jason Nesmith. I'm an actor. We're all actors. SARRIS Our dimwitted friends don't understand the concept of acting. They have no theater, no imagination these scientists. JASON We pretend... SARRIS Simpler. JASON We.. We lie. SARRIS Yes... You understand THAT, don't you, Mathesar?... Mathesar looks up at Jason, bewildered. JASON I'm not a Commander, there is no National Space Exploration Administration. There is no snip. MATHESAR (perplexed, points to TV) But there it is!... JASON A model, only as big as this. MATHESAR But... Inside, I have seen- JASON Sections of rooms made of plywood. Our Beryllium Sphere was painted wire and plaster. The digital conveyor was Christmas lights... Decorations. It's all a fake. I'm not him... (looks at Gwen) I'm a nothing. A nobody. 4/26/99 (PINK) MATHESAR But...Why? JASON It's difficult to... On our planet we pretend in order to... entertain. Mathesar just stares. Sarris watches, eyes twinkling. JASON That's how I make my living. Pretending to be somebody else. Pretending to be Commander Peter Quincy Taggart... I'm... I'm so sorry Mathesar... Mathesar looks away, his eyes hollow, all hope gone. SARRIS Now you know. This entire world you've concocted. All based on nothing. Your beliefs... your hopes... All a dream. A wisp of smoke. Now there is only pain. Sarris moves to his Lieutenant, RAK LATHE. SARRIS Lieutenant Lathe, I confess I am beginning to feel a bit foolish myself. Chasing across the universe to obtain what is, I am now certain, a bauble of fiction. Tell me how best to obliterate this vessel? I would like nothing to remain. LATHE The core could be hardwired to overload without much effort. MATHESAR Sarris. What about my men? Yes, you're right. Much too easy a death for the trouble you have caused me. Lieutenant, open a vent on level "C" and let the outside in a bit for our friends. A beat. Enraged, Jason LUNGES for Sarris, but his men quickly beat him down brutally. SARRIS I guess an actor is not the same as a Commander after all. 4/26/99 PINK He turns to his guard, motioning to Jason and the others. SARRIS Release them, Sergeant... Into space. The Guard nods and escorts them out. Sarris turns to Mathesar and raises the torture control with a sick smile. 95 INT. AIRLOCK CHAMBER COMPUTER VOICE (O.S.) Core overload. Emergency shut down overridden. Core implosion estimated in nine minutes... Jason and the others enter, escorted by the guards. Guard #1 pushes a button and the Airlock door opens with a WHOOSH. GUARD #2 You two. Go. Jason and Alex start toward the airlock. Jason simply hangs his head. ALEXANDER Well, how does it feel, Jason? Was it worth it? Hundreds of innocents to die because of you... How does it feel? GUARD #1 Get in. Hurry up. They enter the airlock. ALEXANDER Hundreds dead, all so you could play at being the Commander.' You've murdered us all you egomaniacal sonofabitch! JASON Shut up.' Just shut up you purple skinned monstronsity, Alexander LUNGES at Jason, striking him in the face. They tumble outside of the airlock, fighting. The guards smile, enjoying the fight. Jason quickly overpowers Alexander and punches him repeatedly, his anger taking hold. They lock in a mutual strangulation hold. Then Jason pulls free. He grabs Alex by the collar and pulls back for the crowning blow... ... and deals a punisher right past Alexander into the face of Guard #1! Alexander turns, astonished, realizing it's all an act. A FLASH of an appreciative smile, then he ELBOWS Guard 5/4/99 (GOLDENROD) #2 in the face. The second guard's gun goes SKITTERING into the airlock as he drops unconscious. Guard #1 dives into the airlock to retrieve the gun, aims at Jason as suddenly the inner door SNAPS SHUT, and an instant later the outer door OPENS. His - GUNSHOTS ricochet against the glass as the GUARD is WHISKED THROUGH THE HOLD INTO SPACE, flailing silently into the vacuum. Everyone turns to see Fred taking his finger off the airlock button. FRED Hmmm. . A little sticky. I'll get one of my boys up here with a can of WD-40. Alexander turns to Jason, both out of breath. ALEXANDER "Purple skinned monstrosity...?" JASON I was staying in character. "Egomaniacal sonofabitch?" ALEXANDER Sense memory. I see you got to win the fight... JASON I had the shot... GWEN Guys... She motions to a row of security monitors... One labeled "ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS DECK - C LEVEL" shows FOUR OF SARRIS' MEN straining at a large circular valve. On another monitor we see DEBRIS rushing up to a vent in the BARRACKS area as AIR IS SUCKED OUT OF THE ALIENS' PRISON. Teb and the other aliens pull on their prison bars in horror. JASON Let's go. 96 INT. CORRIDOR 96 The six of them run down the hallway. Jason stops them and they duck into an alcove as a unit of Sarris' men jog past. COMPUTER VOICE (O.S.) Core implosion in four minutes... JASON Go on, give it a try, Gwen. GWEN computer, shut own the core. COMPUTER VOICE Unable. Memory checksum invalid. Core systems hardware damaged. JASON All right guys... Uh... Gwen and I are going to have to get to the core and shut it down manually. Fred, you and Guy need to get that air valve back on. Alex, see if you can get the prison doors open downstairs in case Fred and Guy can't get the oxygen back in time. TOMMY Jason? What about me? What do I do? JASON Practice driving, Tommy. They all split up, leaving Tommy standing there. TOMMY Practice driving? 97 INT. HALLWAY 97 Gwen and Jason hurry down the hallway, keeping a look out for Sarris' guards. GWEN So... We get to shut down the neutron reactor? JASON Right. GWEN Uh... I hate to break it to you Jason, but I don't know how to shut down a neutron reactor, and unless you took a Learning Annex course I don't know about, I'm pretty sure you don't know how to shut down a neutron reactor either. JASON No I don't. But I know somebody who does. 98 INT. BRANDON'S HOUSE - TARZANA - EARTH - DAY 98 Birds chirp outside pleasantly. 99 INT. BRANDON'S BEDROOM - DAY The room of our #1 Galaxy Quest fan, BRANDON. The fourteen year old sits at his computer, in uniform, gluing a tiny piece of plastic to his model of the Protextor. A knock on the door, and his mother enters. BRANDON'S MOM Brandon? BRANDON Mother, I'm quite busy as you can see. The "C" rings on my booster unit came broken In the mail. BRANDON'S MOM I'm sorry. - made brownies. BRANDON Mother, I'm very busy. Well, maybe one. Thank you. She exits. Brandon looks at his model with a sigh. Suddenly he hears a familiar TONE. He cocks his head and turns to... THE INTERSTELLAR VOX sitting on his table. He starts to turn away, but it BEEPS again. Slowly he reaches out, takes it in his hand and flips the switch. We hear Jason's voice. JASON (O.S.) Hello?... Hello is anyone there?... Brandon stares at the thing, then looks around his room for signs of a practical joke. He speaks into it quietly. BRANDON ... Hello? BRANDON 100 INT. NSEA PROTECTOR - SPACE 100 Jason, holding his VOX, nods to Gwen... "Got him." JASON This Is Jason Nesmith. I play Commander Peter Quincy Taggart of the USEA PROTECTOR. 101 INT. BRANDON'S ROOM 101 Brandon stares at the vox for a very long moment. BRANDON ... Yes? JASON We accidently traded Vox units when we bumped into each other on Saturday. BRANDON Oh... Oh, I see. Oh. JASON What's your name, son? BRANDON Brandon. JASON Brandon, I remember you from the convention, right?... You had a lot of little technical observations about the ship, and I spoke sharply to you... BRANDON Yes, I know, and I want you to know I thought about what you said... I know you meant it constructively but... JASON It's okay. Listen- BRANDON ... But I want you to know that I am not a complete braincase, okay? I understand completely that It's just a TV show. There is no ship, there is no Beryllium Sphere, no diagital conveyor... I mean, obviously it's all just a- JASON It's real, Brandon. All of it, It's real. BRANDON (no hesitation) I knew it!... I KNEW it!... JASON Brandon.. . The crew and I are in trouble and we need your help. The look on Brandon's face is indescribable. 102 INT. MEDICAL QUARTERS 102 Sarris' first lieutenant LATHE enters. 4/26/99 (PINK) LATHE General, your transport is ready for departure. Sarris turns to exit, leaving Mathesar on the table, unconscious Next to him a VIEWSCREEN IMAGE shows the aliens in their cells, pulling at the bars. Some are already unconscious from the lack of oxygen. 103 INT. MEDIA ROOM 103 Tommy, all alone, peeks into the room to makes sure it is empty, then enters and moves to a high tech case. He pushes a button and a panel moves aside revealing a complete library of the GALAXY QUEST episodes... Like a high-tech shrine. Tommy moves his finger across the selections, picking one episode in particular with a smile... 104 INT. SHIP CORRIDOR 104 Alexander makes his way down the hall stealthily, avoiding Sarris' guards. He stops as he hears a NOISE from a utility compartment to his side. Steeling his nerve, he opens the door and suddenly and a FIGURE jumps out. Both of them assume defensive stances, then Alexander recognizes him as QUELLEK, his young protege. Quellek beams. QUELLEK Sir, it's you Thank Ipthar! ALEXANDER Quellek. What are you doing in there? QUELLEK I avoided capture using the Mak'tar stealth haze. Where is everyone? ALEXANDER Come with me. I'll explain on the way. 105 INT. HALLWAY 105 Gwen and Jason turn a corner and stop. Jason speaks to vox. JASON Okay we're in C deck hallway 5. What now? 106 INT. BRANDON'S BEDROOM - CONCURRENT 106 Brandon inserts a GALAXY QUEST CDROM labeled TECHNICAL SYSTEMS into his computer. A couple of clicks later, a 3D wire frame diagram of the ship appears. BRANDON Okav, there's a haton on the port wall. It leads to a system of utility corridors through the bowels of the shop. 107 INT. SHIP STORAGE BAY CONCURRENT C7 Jason searches on vain for the hatch. JASON There's no hatch. (losing faith) There's no hatch! GWEN Wait... Jason, Here!... Gwen rushes a concealed button and the hatch slides open. JASON Okay, we got it. BRANDON (0.S.) Okay, you can go on in... I'm going to get Kyle. He knows the utility tunnel system better than anybody alive. 108 INT. BRANDON'S BEDROOM - CONCURRENT 108 Brandon punches some keys and Kyle pops up In a little CU-SEE ME window on the computer. KYLE (ON MONITOR) Hi Brandon. BRANDON No time for pleasantries, Kyle. We have a level five emergency. The Commander needs us to get him to the core and shut it down before it overloads. KYLE Oh. Okay. BRANDON You've got the utility systems walkthrough, right? KYLE I have sectors 1-28. I think Hector has the upper levels. BRANDON We'd better get everybody online. And Kyle, Stop downloading porn. Your frame rate is unacceptable. 139 KYLE'S ROOM - CONCURRENT An obviously faked nude picture of Gwen as Tawny Madison download slowly onto his screen. KYLE I'm not downloading porn! He clicks on the picture. 110 INT. SHIP'S CORRIDOR SECTORS 30-50 110 Fred and Guy make their wav down the corridor, checking the numbered sectors as they pass. FRED Okay, sector 38... 39... 40. This is it. The environmental systems are in here. All we have to do is shut off the valve to the barracks... They look through the window into the room to see... A HUNDRED of Sarris' men sitting inside, surrounding the large circular wheel that controls the valve. Fred exchanges a look with Guy. "All we have to do..." 111 INT. MEDIA ROOM 111 Tommy sits at the desk watching an episode of GALAXY QUEST play on the screen. The scene has young Laredo piloting the ship, dodging the weaving through a very silly giant paper mache monster floating in space. But Tommy is dead serious. He watches himself on the tape, mimicking his own piloting movies, using miscellaneous objects on the table as controls, and repeating his 80's catch phrase along with his alterego. BOTH TOMMYS Pedal to the metal, Commander.... 112 INT. UTILITY TUNNELS 112 Jason and Gwen run through the tunnel system. BRANDON (0.S.) Okay, now left at the next turn... Past the oxygen units. Make a right there. Then go through the antimatter vent... JASON Okay... Okay, now what. BRANDON (O.S) Now make a right, you'll see a doorway that opens on the central manufacturing facility. The bowels of the ship. Gwen and Jason turn right and their eves widen. 113 INT. CENTRAL MANUFACTURING CAVERN (BOWELS) Dante's Inferno. Down below, a huge automated facility for ship construction and maintenance. Moving elevators and conveyor belts move through a maze of scaffolding and overhangs. Glowing rivers of molten metal run past giant swinging hammers, robot arms, and crushing machines. BRANDON Commander, do you have a camera? I'd die to see this in person... All they showed on T,V was a machine here, and a wall here... I don't know why they didn't show the whole thing. JASON (awed) We'd never have the budget for this. BRANDON Okay, so do you see a door marked "CORE UNIT?" Should be down at the far end to your left. On the other side of the room, down a circuitous path through a dangerous gauntlet of machinery Jason spots such a door. JASON Yes...? BRANDON Okay, that's where you want to be. Gwen and Jason look at each other, then... Giggle nervously. It's just so impossible. 114 INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE PRISON/BARRACKS 114 Alexander and Quellek arrive at the "prison area" hatch and look through the window... n tneir cells, many of the aliens are already unconscious. Others valiantly attempt to open their cells with crudely constructed levers and battering rams, to no avail. Alex tries to open the door, to no avail. AUELLEX They're dying! ALLXANDER Here. Help me tear this down, we can use it as a battering ram. Quellek follows Alexander to a console, looking back at the prison. Alexander puts his hand on his shoulder. ALEXANDER Don't worry, Quellek, it'll be okay... Quellek seems comforted, but Alexander Isn't too sure. 115 INT. SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS ROOM 115 Fred and Guy continue to watch Sarris' men, still surrounding the main valve. FRED We've got to get that valve turned off. Their oxygen Is almost gone... GUY Listen, I'll go in, create a distraction. have this... (holds up the gun) may be able to hold them back long enough for the aliens to escape. FRED It's suicide. GUY I'm just a glorified extra, Fred. I'm a dead man anyway. If I'm going to die, I'd rather go out a hero than a coward. FRED Maybe you're the plucky comic relief, you ever think of that? Guy cocks his head. No, he hadn't thought of that. Fred pats his shoulder. FRED Besides, just had a really interesting idea. 116 INT. SARRIS' SHIP TO SHIP TRANSPORT Sarris stands at the observation window as the transport makes it way toward his ship. All but one of the other ships have left the area, and that ship is turning and heading toward a black hole in the distance... The TRANSPORT CHIEF next to him gets a message on his earpiece. TRANSPORT CHIEF Sir, the FALCON THREE Is launched and away, course set for Xactor Minor. FALCON ONE ahead. Four minutes to core overload. SARRIS Good... Good... All is in its place. TRANSPORT CHIEF General, I have just received word that the Commander of the PROTECTOR and his command crew have escaped custody. Their whereabouts are unknown. SARRIS What? Suddenly a LIFELESS BODY CRASHES against the windshield like a bug. It's Sarris' jettisoned Guard. Sarris' eyes light. SARRIS Find them. LATHE But sir, my MEN. The core implosion is not reversible... SARRIS Find them. 117 INT. MANUFACTURING CAVERN (BOWELS) Jason and Gwen make their way along a narrow catwalk above the manufacturing floor. A row of ROBOT ARMS behind them move erratically. JASON We've cleared the robot arms. Now what? 118 INT. BRANDON'S ROOM 118 Brandon now has his whole CREW on separate windows of his computer screen, including fan KATELYN, wearing a "Tawny Madison" outfit. KATELYN Okay, Brandon, as I calculate it the shortest route is down the ladder near the quark accelerators. OTHER NERDS I concur. She's right. Very good. BRANDON High five, Katelyn. He and the others hi-five, slapping their computer screens. 119 INT. MANUFACTURING CAVERN (BOWELS) 119 Jason and Gwen make their way down the ladder, and across a narrow beam over a LAVA POOL at a staggering height. JASON Brandon.. Just in case I die, there's something I have to know... BRANDON Yes Commander? JASON What does the Omega 13 do? BRANDON Well, that's the big question, isn't it? JASON What do you mean? BRANDON It's been the subject of an extremely heated debate on the internet for years. Many believe that is a matter collapser, a bomb capable of destroying all matter in the universe in a chain reaction lasting 13 seconds. JASON But you don't? BRANDON No, I am of the firm belief that in reality it is not a matter killer, but a matter REARRANGER, converting all molecules to the exact state they existed thirteen seconds previous to activation thus effecting a thirteen second time jump to the past. JASON How did you come to that conclusion? BRANDON My cousin's boyfriend's sister went out with the screenwriter. His favorite movie is the Omegaman. He's seen it 13 times... KYLE As you know I strenuously disagree with this theory, Brandon. if all molecules were rearranged, then everyone would be back in time 13 seconds rendering the device useless. Suddenly a BLAST erupts next to Jason's head. He and Gwen turn to see SARRIS' MEN shooting at them from across the room at the entrance to the cavern. JASON Okay guys... Guys? But the gang is still caught up in the debate. KATELYN No because the brain of the person who triggers the Omega 13 is not affected, so THAT person still has his memory after the time jump. And everything is as it was, a chance to redeem a single mistake or misstep. BRANDON Thank you, Katelyn. Excellent. KATELYN (flattered, shy) You're welcome, Brandon. Jason and Gwen RUN as Sarris men continue to snoot at them. JASON BRANDON! TIME TO GO! BRANDON Yes Commander... All right, you're almost there. Just go through the chompers and over the pit. GWEN "The chompers?" They turn to see... THE CHOMPERS An unavoidable gauntlet of HISSING HYDRAULIC SMASHING METAL HAMMERS AND BLADES jutting out from the sides, top, bottom and diagonally... GWEN Oh, fuck THAT. More GUNFIRE from Sarris' men. Another BLAST melts a pole next to them. Jason pulls his magneto-pistol and fires back at them. Sarris' men take cover. JASON Brandon, HOW? 120 INT. BRANDON'S ROOM 120 Brandon cradles a telephone on his shoulder. BRANDON Hollister, do you have the sequence yet? 121 INT. HOLLISTER'S ROOM 121 Another one of Brandon's pals, HOLLISTER, watches a tape of the show, fast viewing one sequence backwards and forwards over and over; ON THE TV, we see the cheap painted cardboard version of the crushers. A cheesy fish headed ALIEN MONSTER chases Jason through the crusher but is toppled by one of the crushers and falls into the fake looking lava pit. Hollister times the pattern of the crushers with a stopwatch. HOLLISTER Okay, the pattern is two.. two... four... two... three... eight... two... BRANDON You're sure they repeat like that? It's sort of extremely important. Cut from the cardboard props to the REAL THING. 122 THE MOMMOTH CRUSHERS Gwen and Jason watch as they SMASH and GRIND back and fourth... GWEN What IS that thing? It serves no useful purpose to have a bunch of CHOPPY CRUSHY things in the middle of a CATWALK!?.' JASON Gwen... GWEN We shouldn't have to DO this! It makes NO LOGICAL SENSE! Why is it HERE? JASON Because it was on the show! GWEN Well forget it! I'm not going. This episode was badly written! BRANDON Commander, you and Lt. Madison will have to go through the crushers one at a time in three second intervals. Tell me when the first crusher hits the bottom... JASON Okay, now. But- BRANDON Wait two seconds then go. Another BLAST from Sarris' men weakens the catwalk... JASON No, wait, are you- BRANDON Lt. Madison, GO. JASON Shit! Go! BRANDON GO Commander. Jason and Gwen run through the CHOMPERS. It is a series of CLOSE ESCAPES, timed just a FRACTION late, so at one point Gwen must use all her strength to pull a SLEEVE caught In the works before a second hammer comes down where her body was a moment before Jason DIVES through a quickly diminishing hole, his MAGNETO- PISTOL falling behind him, quckly SMASHED to oblivion by a closing slab. BRANDON Stop. Jason stops, catching Gwen's leg just as... A HAMMER SMASHES right In front of her, barely missing her head. BRANDON Go. They're off again. BRANDON Up. JASON What? Up? BRANDON Berithium lava coming through. Use the handholds above you. Here comes the lava down a chute ahead of them. Jason pulls Gwen up just as the lava comes through, sizzling the tips of her hanging hair. GWEN Whoever wrote this episode should DIE. Thje lava passes, and they drop and continue on through the doorway as magneto blasts erupt around them... 123 DARKNESS 123 Jason and Gwen run through pitch blackness. JASON (0.S.) What the hell?... Brandon, Where are we? BRANDON (0.5.) I don't know. This part of the ship is completely undocumented. GWEN (O.S.) Great... Just great.' 124 INT. DIGITAL CONVEYER ROOM 124 Fred and Guy are now in the digital Conveyor room. Very quiet compared to the mayhem in the bowels of the ship... Guy looks down at the panel with great anticipation, then up at Fred with a nervous smile. Fred gingerly takes hold of the digital conveyor controls. GUY This should be Interesting... ON THE digital CONVEYOR DISPLAY: We see crosshairs target an object... The vague outline is that of a man, but blocky, misshapen. We recognize it as THE ROCK MONSTER. Fred SMILES. 125 SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS ROOM DOZENS OF SARRIS' MEN continue to surround the oxygen valve when suddenly THE ROCK MONSTER materializes right in the middle of the room behind them. They turn, looking up at it Sarris' stunned men CLICKS his transmitter button... The monster DESCENDS in an instant... 126 DIGITAL CONVEYOR ROOM Fred and Guy watch the mayhem on the a monitor, contemplative. FRED It's the simple things In life you treasure. 127 HALLWAY The MONSTER chases a group of Sarris' men down a dead-end hallway. Sarris' men have nowhere to go as the monster bears down on them, and CRASHES through the hull, taking himself and everyone else OUT INTO SPACE. 128 SPACE The rock monster tumbles gently through the vacuum or space. The monster's jaws move in a silent SUBTITLED roar: ROCK MONSTER Ah, sweet tranquility at last. 129 INT. SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS ROOM The room is now emptied of Sarris' men. Guy and Fred enter and move to the large valve, straining to turn it. Slowly, the pressure normalizes. 130 INT OUTSIDE BARRACKS HALLWAY Working together, Qlexander and Quellek are now using a makeshift BATTERING RAM on the door. A readout BLINKS. QUELLEK Sir! The pressure. It's normalizing. ALEXANDER Open. The door opens and Alexander enters. He runs to a panel down the hall and turns the switch. All the cell doors open. He runs to one of the cells and helps a few of the men to their feet. They turn to Alexander, gratitude in their faces. ALIEN #1 We are saved! He has saved us.' Alexander suppresses a smile, preparing to feign modesty... ALIEN #1 Commander Taggart has saved us! ALIENS Hooray for Commander Taggart! Long live Commander Taggart! ALEXANDER It's just not fair. He moves to Quellek at the doorway. ALEXANDER Okay, Quellek, let's get back to the command deck and-Suddenly we hear a PISTOL BLAST and Quellek's chest turns RED. Alexander and Quellek look down at the blood, horrified. QUELLEK I'm... I'm shot. He falls, CRUMPLED to the ground. We see one of Sarris' GUARDS down the hall. He shoots again. Alexander grabs Quellek's limp body and pulls him out of the line of fire. ALEXANDER Quellek... Quellek! Quellek opens his eyes weakly. Alexander pulls aside his uniform to see the wound. It 's a mortal injury. Alexander uses all of his acting skills to disguise his shock. ALEXANDER Not so bad. We'll get you to medical quarters. You're going to be fine. QUELLEK I... I don't think I'm going to make it Sir... ALEXANDER No, don't talk like that, son. We're going to get you fixed up. QUELLEK ... It has been my greatest honor to serve with you. LIving by your example these years, my life has had meaning. I have been blessed. Sir, I... I... He cringes in pain. Alexander looks at him, full of emotion. ALEXANDER Don't speak, Quellek. QUELLEK You'll forgive my impertinence, sir, but even though we had never before met, always considered you as a father to me. Blood appears in the corner of Quellek's mouth, his life fading away. Alexander strokes his head, devastated. He looks him right in the eyes, his eyes welling with tears. Then with intensity, and absolute sincerity... ALEXANDER Quellek... By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan... You shall be avenged. Quellek's appreciation of this is Indescribable. A tiny spark behind his eyes light up, and he smiles, completely content as he surrenders to death. Tears fall down Alexander's cheek as he holds Quellek's limp body. Then a blast hits a corner nearby. Alexander lays Quellek's head to the ground softly, then rises. There is an Intensity to him we haven't seen before... His eyes BURN. Alexander moves into the hallway, fixing his attention on Sarris' man. The guard looks up, momentarily shaken; Alexander hooks truly ALIEN. His eyes afire with VENGENANCE. Nervous, one guard fires twice, missing. Alexander begins to RUN toward the guard, picking up speed. The guard tries to reload his gun but his eyes are locked on Alexander like a frightened animal and his cartridges clatter to the ground. Alexander ROARS like a creature, baring his teeth It the final moments... The guard stands there as he meets his death, so terrified he can only mutter a single word.. Guard ...mother. as ALEXANDER envelopes him like a force of nature. 131 INT. DARKNESS (UNDOCUMENTED AREA) 131 Jason and Gwen make their way forward in the darkness... They are stopped as they hit a pitch black wall. JASON (O.S.) Brandon, there's a wall. BOOKMARK - More Clean Up to Come! BRANDON Oh, good, you should be at tunnel. se one oomtutor to ooet one blast sections on sea'uenoe. GWEN (0.5. --~omputer, open the fIrst blast sectoon. ;"e see a shaft of LIGHT as a nuae meta BLOCK rises, and thev enter a tunnel that dead ends about b reet on. GWEN Computer, open the second blast sectoot. Ahother 6x6 foot block slides up, the tunnel lengthens. They turn as they hear the sound of Sarris' Men In the distance behind them. h32 BLAST TUNNEL - Gwen and Jason run as fast as they can throu~2 the tunnel, the blocks rising one by one in front of them. G'EEN Computer, open blast sections 15, 16,17,18,19. 133 INT. POWER CORE ROOM 133 A doorway appears and Jason and Gwen emerge from blast tunnel into a large soherical room with a console on the center. COMPUTER VOICE (O.S.) Detonation in sixty seconas... JASON Okay Branoon, think onis Os He moves to a control panel on the console. There is large blue button under a glass flap. A visible COUNTER alon~side. JASON I'm at the control oaneh. What do I do? BRANDON Raise the glass and push the blue button. JASON That's It? BRANDON Yeah. What's wrong? JASON ~~othIno. I -ust oncuont ot wou~o oc oomooooateo onan onat. He reaches for the button when suddeth;' SHOTS RING UT. Sarrls' met ao~ear on the doorway. SARRIS' GUARD #1 Raise your hands, NOW. They raise their hands as the computer continues countino oown in the background... "45 seconds... 44...,' JASON Listen, I'm going to just push this button, then we'll talk about whatever- Thev fire a BLAST and he raises hIs arms again. GWEN You don't understand! This ship is going to explode! SARRIS' GUARD #1 The General warned us of your tricks. He pulls his pistol and levels It But Gwen... SMILES. GWEN You must be the smart one. And so tal~ She starts toward Guard 1 seductively. -Jason looks up from tounter, stunned, as she moves rloho uo to him. The second ouaro raises nos out oe:ensivelv. She oushes Lt asioe. GWEN Relax. This is between me and him... May She reaches up to touch the tendrIls on Guard l's head. Suard 2 moves to prevent this, but Guard #1 brushes his hand -tsioe... "alhow her." GWEN Hmmm. So so~t... GUARD 4.2 Gar, our orders are to kill them. n due time. GUARD ~l GWEN -oont'd) "Gar." Is tnat -our name? "Car." nice... Car hooks into her eves wot~ ~ust. Guard 3 h noredulous. GUARD 2 Gar, this Is sick. It is as of to SeeK pleasure 'qith an animal... GWEN He isn't too popular with the ladies, is he? (Gar smiles) Maybe they could leave us alone for a while? Just you and me. GUARD #1 (sees throuah her scheme) No, alien slut. On my planet, we snare. He looks at the others. The three of them be~in to LAUGH, and start toward Gwen. Jason rises, but Gwen is already on it. GWEN Computer, we're going to need some privacy... Close blast section 29 please. Guard #1's smile drops immediately and he doesn' _ ~ven have time to scream as THE SECTION BLOCK DROPS IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, rushing the whole lot of them to petroleum on an instant. GOO oozes from under the block. She turns to Jason. GWEN See? NOBODY takes me seriouslv on tn 5 tning. (to oozing coo) NOW how are you feeling, HUH? Do you take me seriously NOW? DO YOU?! !? Jason flips up the glass as the computer counts down to "12" and SMASHES the Button. Then turns to Gwen, a big appreciative smile on his face. They share a silent moment. 7hen Gwen realotes oh-at the oounter Os ~-, ountono down! GWEN Jason... She moves to his side as he punches the button to no avail.. It just keeps counting down... I. .6.5. .4. .3.. Gwen and Jason embrace as they meet their final moments together... They CRINGE as the counter nots "1" and... STOPS. They look at each other, bewildered. Then Gwen sparks with realization: -1 GWEN 0 ~D JASON It ahwavs ooes to "h" on tne snow. A beat. They realoze tnev nave melted Into eac otners' arms hike old lovers. They separate aW~wardhv, a~ business. "Better get--going... Yeah, hook at one tome... etc. - ~ ~m ~~RI~' ~ DECK -- - -~ . SHIP - ~ Sarris' intellIgence officer approaches Sarris. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER Sir, the core detonation sequence on the Protector has been aborted. SARRIS Impossible... Impossible! Lieutenant, hock a complement of Implosion mIssiles onto the Protector. Tear her apart. MUNITIONS OFFICER Yes sir. 135 INT. PROTECTOR - SHIP'S CORRIDOR 135 The HUNDREDS of freed ALIENS sweep through the corridor, overtaking the scattered remnants of Sarris' guards. Alexander fights alongside them, dealing crushing blows to two Guards at a time as the Aliens sweep around nim. Alexander and his character are now Indistinguishable. Jason and Gwen appear in the melee. JASON ~hex! Alex, are you oKav? ALEXANDER (faraway hook in his eye) Yes. Good was done this ..... JASON Okay... Let's go, buddy, they can take It from here... I'mo- Alexander has to be practically dragged away from fighting one of Sarris' men... 136 CORRIDOR TO COMMAND DECK 136 Jason, Gwen and Alexander run up the hall. Fred and Guy appear from around a corner and they all keep runnino. JASON Anybody seen TommV? I-ommv aoDears :rom tne ~eQia room. Ihev ao run as a team toward ne commano necK. JASON We've act to aet tne olasma armor up before Sa~~-' ~nds out we've aoorted the detonatIon... COMPUTER VOICE (O.S.) Warning. Enemv missiles launched. GUY I think he found out. lexander signals the door to onen and they run Into the 11 COMMAND DECK 137 They quickly take their stations. JASON Forward view! In the central -viewscreen we see SARRIS'S SHIP dead ahead, having alreadv launched a VOLLEY OF WEAPONS riaht at them. Armor uo! JASON GUY Plasma armor etcagea. Just In time. The ship 15 rocked, but not destroyed. JASON Okay Tommy. Go! Lose 'em! Into the mines! GUY JASON Pedal to the metal Tommy... TOMMY (drawing confidence) Pedal to the metal... Oh god... GUY Iommv eases onto the oas and thev ~ MI~)ES. 31/4 :::T.-ALCDN I LATHE OQOKS at Sarris SARRIS nto tne oieoo. &o. h37B INT. PROTECTOR ~7B Tommy maneuvers the field with concentration and intensity. The mines WHIZ by... JASON Doing good Tommy. Real nice. T-thanks. TOMMY JASON (cont'd) You think you could-get any closer to those mines? TOMMY Closer? (smiles, realizing) I can try. GWEN What are you doing? What are thev doino? ~7C INT. SARRIS' SHIP h37C LATHE enerao, I've host them. The maanetlsm o: the field Is disrupting our onstru- ~ait. There they are SARRIS Get oacK on their tail. LATHE SARRIS WHAT? WH(Y NOT? LATHE Because they're coming right at us. SARRIS (smiles) Fire at will. hI~D NT. PROTECTOR The Protector is ROCKED bv missoo- ~ -- ourse stra~ght for the FALCON. GUY We~re oetting hammered, Jason. Return fIre? JASON No. Keep all energy to the armor. The ship moves straight toward Sarris' ship. An image of SARRIS appears on a viewscreen. SARRIS Well isn't this adorable. The actors have decided to play war with me... GWEN Sarris's ship is accelerating toward us at Mark 2... JASON Accelerate to Mark 4, Tommy. SARRIS This is embarrassing, really. I shan't tell this story when I return home. GWEN He's accelerating to Mark 6. JASON Mark 12. 138 OUTSIDE 138 The two ships ROAR TOWARD EACH OTHER at terrifying speed. 139 INT. COMMAND DECK 139 SARRIS I will remind vou, sonny. am a General. I have seen war and death as you cannot Imagine. If you are countIng on me to blink, you are making a very deadly mistake. JASON Let me ---~l -!Ou sometnonc, Sar~ooesn't taKe a oreat actor to recoonoce a bad one. You're sweatonQ Indeed, a drot of sweat drips down Sarris' brow. Jason ixes his (oaze on Sarr~s ana. .. smijes. SARRIS FORWARD FULL. GWEN Armor almost gone, Jason. ALEXANDER Ten seconds to impact... Nine... SARRIS (smiles) You fool. What you fail to realize is that without your armor my ship will tear throuah vours like tIssue paper. JASON Yeah. Well what you fail to realize is... I'm dragging mines. Sarris' eyes lIght with horror as he realizes. SARRIS Oh no... 119A T:~-~rn ?ROTECTOR 13 9A WE CUT OUT TO THE PROTECTOR to see that It is indeed pulling along a large CLUSTER of mines in ItS wake! l40-l~ OMIT 140-144 145 INT. PROTECTOR 145 Gwen sees the mites or one :orst 'tome 0 She turns to Jason, astonisnea. GWEN never doubted you for a second. JASON TOMMY, 270 DEGREE TURN TO PORT! Tommy TURNS and everybody digs in as the G-FORCES kick on. 4;26;L9 PINK) 146 EXT. PROTECTOR 146 ~e Protector VEERS sharplv but the mines continue orward, oneir momentum carrying them straight toward the FALCON. 147 _NT FALCON -1 147 SARRIS NO! TURN! TURN! MY GOD NO! Sarris dives at the controls as the viewscreen fills with MINES... 148 EXT. FALCON 1 148 The mines TEAR INTO THE FALCON, EXPLODING, RIPPING THE CRAFT APART, millions of FRAGMENTS sent In all directions. 149 INT. PROTECTOR - COMMAND DECK 149 Jason stands, a clenched fist. The others CHEER! Yeah! YEAH! GWEN TOMMY AND OTHERS We did It! Damn! We DID IT! i50 INT. PROTECTOR HALLWAYS AND VARIOUS ROOMS 150 All over the ship the ALIENS CHEER their victory. INT. COMMAND DECK 151 Jason and the others turn as the door opens and Mathesar enters, helped along by two alien CREWMEN. He is bandaged and has metal casts on an arm and leg. Jason helps him to the Commander's chair. They look at each other fondly. JASON * Mathesar... You're alive. Thank God. Mathesar hooks at Jason, the old twinkle back in his eyes. Then a smile breaks out on his face, and he begins to LAUGH... ason stares at him with a bewildered smile. JASON Wha- What are you laughing about? * MATHESAR The ship is a model... As big as this!... A very clever deception indeed! He oan't oontaln hIs lauchter. A belle-----TOMMY Set a course for home, lommander? JASON You can oc that? TOMMY It's poInt and click. This thino practically flies itself. We will have to go through that black hole though. He motions out the viewscreen at the swirhlno BLACK HOLE... JASON Ahybody have any objections? The rest of the crew exchange shrugs, battle hardened now. JASON Let's do it, Tommy. TOMMY Commander?... Call me Laredo? JASON Mark 20 Into the black hole, areao. They ROAR forward, picking up speed, shooting straioht into the center of the black hole the hull CREAKING and GROANING under the strain and it seems as if the ship Is about to rip apart, ....... SILDNCE... And everythito turns REALLY strance. z-oQie~ ~-~n onsioe out, molecules are scatterea, bodies melt to the ground IttO ouddles, 'then resolve themselves. Ahd then a loud EXPLOSION lIke a sonic BOOM as 'thev are rocketed out the other end. Planets roar past 'them like ~ We're out.' GWEN They all exchange relieved smiles. GUY We're alive! TOMMY We made It. Commander, we made it.' m ALEXANDER sort ov) By Grabtnar' s h~mmer, we ove to te ono 'tale. COMPUTER (0 S.) Systems register functional. GWEN (gleeful) All systems are working, Commander. JASON How fast are we going, Tommy? Tommy looks at his controls. Needles literally a blur. TOMMY Pretty fast. Jason turns to look at THE VIEWSCREEN - EARTH is visible now, and they are HURTLING TOWARD IT FAST. ALEXANDER Jason, before we entered the black hole, my instruments detected strange energy surge from Sarris' shiD~ similar to... JASON No time to worry about that, Alex. Tommy, let's get this thing slowed down... Gwen, see if you can calculate the impact point. Guy, cet down to deck C and make sure tne injured are secured. Also lets- He stops and turns as he notices the cabin door open... Standing in the doorway is FRED who smiles and walks into the room. His manner Os stranoe, sinister... A slight limp. JASON Fred, what are you doing up here? You should oct back downstaIrs until we- But Fred suddenly does a very peculiar thing... He withdraws a MAGNETO-PISTOL from his belt, levels it at Jason. Jason smiles, bewildered. Is this a bizarre joke? Fred? JASON FRED FIRES THE GUN. The blast hits Jason in the chest. ~/26/99 I-INK) Everyone turns, thev can't belIeve their eyes. Jason hooks at the blood spreading on his chest. He takes a step forward, then another, stumbling weakly toward Fred. He grabs his collar and looks into his hollow eyes a moment before collapsing to the ground. And as he goes, his hand hits a switch on the familiar box on Fred's belt... We recognize it as APPEARANCE GENERATOR. Fred's form flickers momentarily, then he TRANSFORMS into his true identity... It's SARRIS. Scarred, burned and bloody he looks like the devil himself. He smiles, raising his gun again, and begins FIRING... Everything turns to SLOW MOTION as... Tommy is hit. His body goes slumping over his console, pushing the ThRUST control full FORWARD. The ENGINES roar hike a wounded animal. Mathesar rises and tries to grab the gun, but Sarris backhands him, sending him flying across the room. Mathesar's two CREWMEN wrestle with Sarris. One is shot, sent tumbling backwards. Alexander and Guy run to help the other crewman as he struggles with Sarris... On the ground, Jason's eyes flicker at the carnage around him. It's like a nightmare, but all too horribly REAL. He tries to rise, but he isn't able... Around him the bloodbath continues... Sarris FIRES wildly, shooting Gwen as she tries to reach Jason. She falls, her body sliding next to Jason. Jason looks into her eyes as they dull to lifelessness. He YELLS grief stricken... Then lifts himself up with herculean effort and begins to drag himself 'toward the front of the room as... Alexander, rushing Sarris, is HIT, clutching his neck... Guy manages to TACKLE Sarris, and he and the other alien wrestle with Sarris, trying to get the gun away... Alexander, fallen and life drifting away, looks over to see... Jason, with supreme effort, pulling himself up on a console at the front of the room... Then Alex turns to see THE EARTH, HUGE, FILLING THE -:IENSCRE~N ----~ suddenh'7 we're... BACK IN REAL TIME And everyone is JOLTED as the ship hits the atmosphere heading STRAIGHT DOWN toward Earth at 20,000 miles an hour. Suddenly Alexander, Guy, Mathesar and the remaining alien look up at the sound of a voice... JASON (O.S.) Mathesar... * * * ~iz~; 9 - PINK) Thev turn to see... JASON, swaying in tne miaa~e 0 the deck, bloodv, weaK, barely alive, but STANDING. JASON Activate... The Omega 13. The survivors exchange expectant and terrified glances. Mathesar quickly moves to a control panel and pushes down a familiar SERIOUS-LOOKING LEVER and... THE ELABORATE MECHANISM, THE OMEGA 13, UNFOLDS IMPOSSIBLY FROM THE FLOOR FRONT OF JASON. Its center is a spinning cyclotron of energy. In front of Jason is a prominent LEVER. IN * Jason turns to the others... nods a respectful goodbye... and 'those alive watch in HORRIFIED ANTICIPATION as ON THE VIEWSCREEN - the GROUND rushes toward us and just as we hurdle into city PAVEMENT... Jason pulls the switch. BLINDING WHITE. And everything goes silent. Silent... Silent... Then suddenly a loud EXPLOSION like a sonic BOOM. 152 COMMAND DECK - 13 SECONDS EARLIER 152 Gwen, Alexander, Guy, and Tommy are all alive - busy at their stations as the Protector hurtles out of the black hole. Planets roar past them like bullets. GWEN We're out.' They all exchange relieved smiles. GUY ~e're alive! TOMMY We made it. Commander, we made it.' ALEXANDER By Grabthar's hammer, we live to tell the tale. Jason looks around, disoriented. It takes him a moment to register what is happening. Everyone is alive. Everything is as it was 13 seconds ago. He looks down at his chest... No wounds... The OMEGA 13 is REAL. COMPUTER (O.S.) Systems register functional. GWEN All systems are working, Commander. ,~ -cc PINK) -' C - They look out 'to see ENTIRE GALAXIES whizzino bv 'them at incredible s~eed. Planets need bv hike BULLETS. TOMMY We're going pretty fast Commander. Should Jason starts walking quickly across the room, honoring him. The BARTH fills the viewscreen. TOMMY Jason, we're going pretty damn fast)... Jason? GWEN But Jason just continues across the room, arriving at the entrance hatch ~ust as It OPENS and we only oct a GLIMPSE of Fred's smiling face before Jason buries his FIST in it. Jason pulls him up and throws him across the room. As Fred hits a control panel, his appearance generator switch is triggered revealing him as SARRIS. He lays there unconscious. Alexander, Gwen and the others stare, bewildered and amazed. JASON Everybody stay put. Tommy, slow this thing down. Gwen- Suddenly Sarris rises and pulls his gun, but is SMASHED square in the face by a METAL CRUTCH. We pan to Mathesar holding the crutch, with a supremely satisfied expression. Jason moves past him with a nod. "T'~-l take it from here" -ond DIVES on Sarris. . . The two LOCK in comoa... TOMMY Oh my god. Jason)... * On the viewscreen they are HURTLING straight Onto EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. Jason, still battlIng Sarris, turns to a Crewman. JASON ;'~7e're 'too heav'~, ;~e 13 - -~ - We've got to release the command module) CREWMAN Commander? At this speed, it is most dangerous to- JASON You're going to have to trust me on this) RELEASE THE COMMAND MODULE) Gwen raises FRED on her monitor. t~~/4/99 GOLDENROD) GWEN Fred, get to c level NOW, we're separating! The crewman operates a CONTROL. With Jason distracted, Sarrls pulls free and goes for his KNIFE... But they are both sent FLYING as the ship LURCHES and they are both sent flying as... 152A EXT. PROTECTOR 152A The main bulk of the ship SEPARATES from the COMMAND MODULE and VEERS away,- curving of f the top of the atmosphere as the command module continues STRAIGHT DOWN TOWARD EARTH. 153 INT. BRANDON'S LIVING ROOM - DAY 153 Brandon's MOM AND DAD lounge on the couch reading the LA TIMES. A lazy Sunday afternoon. The TV is on in the background... ON TV: Perky E! ENTERTAINMENT REPORTERS share the latest gossip; an unflattering photo of Jason on the screen. GOSSIP REPORTER Has Galaxy Quest's Space Commander Jason Nesmith checked in or checked OUT? Jim Dapperson reports from the- Galaxy Con Science Fiction convention In Pasadena.. Cut to the REPORTER in front of the Convention center. A group of GALAXY QUEST fans wave at the camera behind him. REPORTER Hi Marsha, it is the third day of the Galaxy Con and Jason Nesmith and his GALAXY QUEST crew are no shows to the event, much to the disappointment of the QUESTOIDS gathered here. He raises his microphone to a disappointed FAN dressed in a touon warri~ =r-~~ WARRIOR ALIEN We ~ust really feel let down. I mean, part of the show is about sticking with (MORE) 3/4ARRIDR ALIEN --octooc; ur orienas no matter wnat -& abandonea. (wines a tear rom ot5iaC ~'s arc. REPORTER Do~you- tnink maybe... He's on space? WARRIOR ALIEN ~-e you mocKong me? REPORTER neh heh... Digitize me, Marshai... Anchor Marsha does one of those entertainment anchor laugh/sighs. Brandon's parents turn pages of their paper, not even watching the TV. Then BRANDON enters in a rush, two boxes of July 4th fireworks in his arms... BRANDON Bye! Back soon! MOM Wait, where are you going with those fireworks, Brandon? BRANDON (fast, in one breath) The Protector got super accelerated coming out of the black hole and it ~ust nit the atmosphere at Mark 15 which is pretty unstable of course so we're going to help Laredo auide it in on the vox i'tra:reauencv carrier and use roman ~ndles for visual onfirmation. MOM Okay, Hon. Dinner at seven. Brandon exIts. Brandon's Dad gives Mom a glance. MOM Least 0' cuosite. On the televisoon in the background, a NEWS REPORTER appears. REPORTER We interrupt this broadcast to report tnat an unidentIfied ob~ect has broken trirough the Earth's atmosphere. I repeat- Mom and Dad flip pages, not aware of the T,J at all. -D~ 1/2OLL~WOOD H2L~~ TourIsts are either dumbfounded or oc~o-:ocus a THE M2N-I- P?~TECTOR comes burninc throuch the atmosthere and over tne Hollywood Slot DD~~TOWN LA 55 Hundreds of people watch frozen as THE COMMAND MODULE omes nurt~it~ across 'the sky, delIcately taklno off the flashina tip of the Bonavetture' 5 light tower. 156 134 FREEWAY 156 Traffic Jam on the 134. A woman in a convertible Jeep listens to the radio, when suddenly the receptIon goes to static and we hear the broadcasted CHATTER from the PROTECTOR over the airwaves. JASON (O.S.) Hold course, Laredo! TOMMY (O.S.) I'm trying Commander... Everything's a blur, but as long as I stay locked to that vox signal... GWEN (O.S.) Tommy, look! Those lights... TOMMY (O.S.) I see them! I see them! RD STREET PASADENA 57 BRANDON and his TEAM, along with a number or other HEROIC NERDS, stand In their uniforms in a line on either side of 3rd street, blobs of fire shooting from their roman candles. BRANDON stands at the front, holding his VOX transmitter HIGH. We pan up to see THE PROTECTOR CAPSULE APPEARING over the horizon... Gigantic and breathtaking. It comes HURTLING own towaro tne ~ios.... I~ SOARS RIGHT Th~'E_ ~~~NDON then SLIDES to tne ground sparks blazina for another 500 feet... StraIght toward a large recognizable building... The site of the Galaxy Con. Right toward the banner which reads 0WELCOME SPACE TRAVELLERS!" and CRASHES riont intd the sIde of the building. 158 NT. CONVENTION HALL 158 FANS RUN FOR THEIR LIVES as brick and olaster fly everywhere. The ship teeters it-a cloud of dust as It finally comes to 4:26/99 PINK) rest, halfway in and halfway out of the building, havino demolished the s'tage area... Shocked sIlence. The fans... The sellers at their oootns. Everyone is frozen. The ANNOUNCER slowly rises from under his card table. Then we see 'the ship's main hydraulic HATCH open... A RAMP lowers to 'the ground and... A figur~e emerges... It's TOMMY, looking bruised and scarred and certainly the worse for wear. The fans don't know how to react.... In the silence Tommy looks around the hall... Hundreds of faces look back at him. Then they begin to APPLAUD. Tommy looks around, flabbergasted. Then - what the hell he waves. Seeing this, the Announcer raises his microphone, hesitantly. ANNOUNCER "Lt. Laredo", Tommy Webber! Then Gwen appears, helping Fred down the ramp. He's limping, both as beat up and war-torn as Tommy, the three s-tand together and look out at the audience, shell-shocked. ANNOUNCER. The beautiful Tawny Madison... GWEN DEMARCO with Ship's Tech Sergeant Chen, Fred Kwan! The fans applaud cheer and shout... Then Guy stumbles out, a cut on his head, looking disoriented. He looks out at the cheering fans... The announcer isn't sure who he is.. ANNOUNCER U.... Another shipmate... Guy stares out at the hundreds of faces, then a smile creeps slowly onto his face. GUY I'm alIve... I'm-... I'm the plucky comic relief! I'm the plucky comic relief! HIs r~anIacal ~ everyone's attention turns to A FLICKERING CREATURE coming down the ramp with Alexander helping him. It is Mathesar, his "appearance generator" on the blink, and his entire body alternating between his human and alien form. ANNOUNCER Dr. Lazarus of Tev'Mek, Alexander Dane and... a friend! The crowd continues to go nuts. * 4/2E/99 PINK) FRED Mathesar ... Are 'you all rlaht? * MATHESAR * We'll be fine now, 'thanks to all of The fans then look up, astonished to see glimpses of HUNDREDS more of the aliens In the ship's portholes... Everything grows SILENT. They oan't believe their eyes. Then, suddenly as if all this weren't enough... There is a crash and... JASON EMERGES WITH SARRIS, THE TWO LOCKED IN MORTAL COMBAT. Sarris is bigger and meaner, but Jason has the advantage. He quickly overcomes Sarris, punching him again and again and again until Sarris collapses to the ground unconscious. ANNOUNCER Commander Peter Quincy Taggart... Jason Nesmith! Jason, Gwen, Alexander, Fred, Tommy and Guy stand there, shoulder to shoulder, as the audience goes into a frenzy of applause... Whether it's real or not is no longer relevant to them. They're just JUBILANT. Jason look out and spots Brandon and his friends in the back of 'the room... With a look of true gratitude, Jason crosses his fists In the traditional GALAXY QUEST gesture of respect, and Brandon returns I't~ about to~burst with pride... Then Jason DIPS Gwen, giving her a big kiss. The crowd oheers, a teen female fan FAINTS. Thev release, and Jason puzs his nanas in the air, taking in the adulation. Gwen turns oo Alexander, flustered, as the audience cheers... GWEN He always has to make the big entrance. ALEXANDER By Grabthar's Hammer, this is true. 159 NT. LIVING ROOM - SOMEWHERE - NIGHT 159 A cute little boy, no older than 6, lays on a carpet in front of his television, swinging his legs and munching on a bowl of popcorn. On TV we see the opening to GALAXY QUEST, but now the effects are modern, TV quality CGI and Jason and the others are their current ages. The title comes up reading... GALAXY QUEST, THE JOURNEY CONTINUES ~c as ~ shIp Wniozes paso ana -ouo 'to soace, one ~O't~C cv raises nis ~otle fi~~ h~. -~he air and shouos, a ovous oDarKIe in nis ....... LITTLE BOY Never give up. Never surrender! CUT TO BLACK: The End.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) First Draft: Tom Jankiewicz. Revised Draft: D.V. deVincentis & S.K. Boatman & John Cusack. May 4, 1994. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY FADE IN: ROLL CREDITS OVER: EXT. GOLF COURSE - DAWN VARIOUS EXTRA CLOSE-UPS of this luxurious patchwork of brilliant greens: A POLISHED BRASS SPRINKLER HEAD pops up from the ground and begins to water the already dew- soaked lawn. FLEET OF DUCKLINGS No mother in sight, cruise through the thrushes. GRAVEYARD OF GOLF BALLS, UNDERWATER At the bottom of a water hazard. PALM FRONDS After a neat they sway, revealing the barren desert that surrounds the artificial oasis. The sun already bakes the air. We hear the opening guitar strains of the Kim Deal-Kurt Cobain suet of "WHAT I DID FOR LOVE," as we CRANE DOWN the palms to A BRAND-NEW TITLEIST 3 BALL. Just on the edge of the rough. A pair of yellow trousers moves in. An iron confidently addresses the ball, and chips it out. The trousers walk out after it. HANDS Digging dirt out of the grooves of the iron's face with a golf tee, while on the way to the green. Both hands are gloved, instead of one, and the gloves are black. YELLOW TROUSERS In a squat over the ball, sizing up the curvy, fifty-foot journey to the hole. The figure positions himself and the putter above the ball, then pops the ball lightly. The ball rolls and bobs with purpose toward the hole, dodging hazards and finding lanes, until it finally falls off of the green and into the hole. THE GLOVED HAND Sets the ball on the next tee. The figure moves to a leather golf bag. The hands pull the wipe rag off of the top of the bag and drop it on the ground, reach into the bag, drawing out a compact SNIPER RIFLE, affixed with a long silencer. The figure drops one knee down onto the rag, the other foot firmly setting its spikes. We move the figure to see the face of the sniper, concentrating down the scope in his half- squat. He is MARTIN BLANK. We SWING AROUND behind his head to look down the barrel with him. Four-hundred yards away, on another part of the course, another green is barely visible through groves of trees and rough. Three miniscule, SILVER-HAIRED FIGURES come into view. One of them, in a RED SWEATER sets up for first putt. He could be an investment banker, or an arms trader. MARTIN'S ARM Flinches, and a low THUNK reports from the rifle. A second later in the distance, the RED SWEATER'S HEAD Seems to vanish from his shoulders into a crimson mist. His body crumples to the green. MARTIN Returns the rifle to the bag, pulls out a driver, moves to the tee and whacks the ball. He watches its path and whispers absently... MARTIN Hooked it. INT. CLUB HOUSE PATIO - LATER The outdoor post-golf luncheon area of an elite Texas golf club. Martin sits in on the fringes of a conversation between a group of executive types. CLUB MEMBER #1 has a Buddha-like peace in his eyes through the philosophical talk. CLUB MEMBER #1 I'd come to the realization that everything I'd based my life on was false. And that my life had no meaning. CLUB MEMBER #2 (to Martin) He gets this way when he hits over eighty-five. CLUB MEMBER #1 It seemed like my life was slipping away, somehow. I was a knot in the middle of a wet rope. Everything was futile and nothing had value. CLUB MEMBER #3 That's the way life is. The only meaning and value is what we create. Through structure, and discipline. Though they seem to limit our freedom, they actually give us great comfort. Your problem is you're looking for some great answer. Some ultimate truth. When what you really should do is go to work and go home. CLUB MEMBER #2 And take golf lessons. CLUB MEMBER #1 That's a tragedy. Can I finish my story please? I began my search for meaning. I was a Catholic, Jew, Scientologist, Sufi, Buddhist. I went to a Psychologist, psychiatrist, herbalist, nutritionist, a shaman, and a psychic. And they all pretty much say the same stuff. CLUB MEMBER #2 A Jew, a shaman, and a herbalist are telling you the same thing? You're insane. CLUB MEMBER #1 Basically the same thing. In a very evolved, esoteric way. CLUB MEMBER #2 Insane. CLUB MEMBER #1 To make a long story short... CLUB MEMBER #3 --Thank God-- CLUB MEMBER #1 ...at last I found the holistic system of systems that opened up the doors of heaven for me right here on earth. And everyday I see the world through the eyes of a child. A world of creation and wonder. CLUB MEMBER #2 Jesus... CLUB MEMBER #1 Overflowing with love. MARTIN Tell me about it. Club Member #1 turns to Martin. CLUB MEMBER #1 P.P.P. Personal Pan Power. All the secrets of your universe are divided up into eight easily digestible slices. Club Member #1 pulls a laminated card from his wallet and hands it over to Martin. In the distance, sirens begin to wail. CLUB MEMBER #1 See, see. It's in the accessible and everyday shape of a pan pizza. Each day you have a little slice of peace... INSERT - WALLET-SIZE P.P.P. CARD A pizza-shaped diagram showing six "sections". MARTIN Oh I see. You got your individual slices of hope, dignity, confidence, self-love, justice, and harmony. CLUB MEMBER #1 You open 'em up and there's the sayings, stories, little bites of insight. It's the P.P.P. Six Day Week. MARTIN So you eat-- read it everyday? CLUB MEMBER #1 Yes. MARTIN And these pan pizzas have opened up the doors to heaven? CLUB MEMBER #1 Correct. (re: the card) That's for you. Keep it. Sirens are getting louder, closer to the club. EXT. COUNTRY CLUB - DAY The source of the sirens are almost upon us. Martin walks toward his rented Town Car as the VALET pulls it up. He meets the Valet by the trunk, where he trades tip for keys. MARTIN AT CAR He fishes out the laminated "Personal Pan Power" card, looks at it, and tosses it onto the ground. Police cars, now visible in the distance, wind into the long club driveway. Martin gets into his car and pulls away. LAMINATED CARD As it lays on the asphalt. The wheel of a police car rolls to a stop on it. INT. AIRLINER - DAY Martin sits in a first class seat, the tray table flipped down. On the left side of the tray is a stack of magazines of all kinds - Sports Illustrated, Mademoiselle, Wired, Rolling Stone, National Review, Spin, National Geographic, and on. He draws one off the top, and flips through it, impassively taking in images and reading nothing. When he is done with one, he discards it into the empty seat next to him and draws another-- Martin's way of instantly and massively uploading the world around him: Toothless hockey player in triumph, Sony product parade, crouched starving child with vulture in the background, supermodel in suede, Tic Tacs, living former Presidents, arm in arm, smiling, etc. INT. HIRED CAR, NEW YORK - DAY The livery weaves out of the arrival lanes at Kennedy airport. Martin reclines in the back seat, a conversation having already begun. DRIVER How was your day, today, sir? MARTIN Effective. But to tell you the truth, I've lost my passion for work. DRIVER Do you like the people you work with? MARTIN I work alone. DRIVER That's it then. That's it. I've always been alone. That's why I'm a good driver. I can handle it. See, I can think on my feet. I survive, I'm a thinker. And I can sit there in front of your house for two hours and it don't bother me. Some people can't do it! Some people are ranting and raving, "Tell them fuckin' people to get out here and get in this car, I can't-- I want a go!" Where you gonna go? You're gonna wind up back in your garage at seven o'clock at night. You ain't going nowhere. You leave your house in the morning you get back to your house in the evening. What's the big deal, right? MARTIN You understand the psychology of the job. DRIVER I do. Some guys can't adjust to it; they can't handle it. INT. CAR - MANHATTAN STREETS - LATER The car cuts through the upper east side. Martin and the Driver exchange looks through the rear-view mirror. DRIVER You look like you're far away. Far away and thinking about other things. I'm right about that, aren't I? MARTIN No. DRIVER Well, let's just say that sometimes I'm right. Sometimes you are. MARTIN Sometimes I am. Sometimes. It's only natural. DRIVER (laughs to himself at this great truth) It's only natural.... The Driver pauses for dramatic emphasis DRIVER I been looking at you, and I've decided that I want to share something with you. MARTIN Okay. DRIVER Because your problem is you're bored. And you have a very big mind. (beat) I am part of what I call a brain syndicate. No reaction from Martin. DRIVER I am part of a network of minds, a group of five people who are all connected, over hundreds, even thousands of miles, through the mind. We can think with each other, think for each other. I can be driving somewhere, sleeping with a woman-- whatever it is-- and at the same time be thinking a thought in someone else's mind, far away. Running someone else's brain. MARTIN (indicates) Up on the right. DRIVER And when you think of it, it's not so surprising that a small group of people control the whole world, is it? INT. HOTEL ROOM, NEW YORK CITY - DAY A sedate and well-appointed four-star suite on the Upper East Side. Martin stands in front of one of the open windows watching the canopied entrance of an elegant high-rise across the street. He lifts an eye rinse cup to his eye and tilts it back. A cellular phone RINGS, interrupting him. He moves to the desk and draws one of three phones from his briefcase, depresses a scrambler module, flips it open, and listens for a moment. MARTIN If it's not there, I can't proceed. Tell them. Martin hangs up. Picks up another phone and dials. As he waits for an answer, he goes to a Fed Ex blueprint tube lying on the bed. MARTIN Tom. I've been waiting for an answer. I'm only in town tonight. He breaks the shipping seal and pulls out a series of finished metal parts including a long thin barrel, a scope, and a silencer. MARTIN What's different this time than the last time? I have to be down front... INT. HOTEL ROOM - SAME Martin stands in front of the window, phone in one hand, the scope in the other. Next to him, the assembled rifle rests across the arm of a chair. MARTIN ...I don't bother to call anyone else because you always take care of me. He glances over to a second window to his left, which offers a view further down the street. He goes to it. He raises the scope and sees MARTIN'S P.O.V./SCOPE- WINDOW #2 A few blocks down, small even through the high-powered scope, is your average BICYCLE MESSENGER dressed in lycra racing gear, weaving through traffic toward us. Slung low across his right hip is a black canvas bag. The Messenger's hand is hidden in it. The other phone begins to RING. MARTIN Hold on a second, Tom. I got my hands full here. He sets down the phone and answers the other, still watching the messenger. MARTIN Good. Account number 3649367, transfer to account number 96-546-38739-47825. Ask for Mr. Sanchez, tell him it's Mr. Duckman. If there are any problems, access file 673594638-IO- 98, and look at it. Martin drops the phone and moves away from Window #2 to the rifle. He mounts the scope and he looks out Window #1 at the high-rise. MARTIN'S P.O.V./SCOPE - WINDOW #1 Of a DOORMAN opening the door for a group of five men in suits. Four BODYGUARDS form a perimeter around the fifth man, a mall, avuncular figure in his forties dressed in Saville Row finery. MARTIN Takes a step back into the shadows of the room, and raises the rifle toward Window #2. MARTIN'S P.O.V./SCOPE - WINDOW #2 of an empty street. The bicycle messenger flashes past. MARTIN concentrating, tracks the path of the Messenger, leading him left to right across the blind spot of the hotel room wall between Window #2 and Window #1. STREET the bicycle Messenger bears down on the group of men, drawing a Mac-10 submachine gun from his bag. The group see him-- just as Martin's sniper FIRE explodes the Messenger's chest. Two of the Bodyguards collapse onto their boss. The other two open fire on the Messenger as he wipes out horribly into a parked car in front of them. MARTIN withdraws from the window, and picks up the phone again and begins to break down the rifle. MARTIN Sorry Tom. But look, I know it's the playoffs. That's why I'm offering a thousand dollars for one seat... Martin listens patiently as he works. EXT. STREET - SAME - INTERCUT DOORMAN'S HANDS unbuttoning his double-breasted long coat. MARTIN just finishes packing. MARTIN ...Well let me ask you, Tom. What do I have to do to get courtside tickets for the Knicks...? STREET The two bodyguards kick at the Messenger's body. The other two begin to move off of their boss, who rises cowering. The Doorman stands behind it all, unbuttoning his coat. DOORMAN a tall, dark, sharp-featured man in his forties, wearing a handlebar moustache. He moves toward the group of men as he flips open his coat back over two huge chrome .44 Magnum Charthouse Bulldog revolvers and OPENS FIRE on them. MARTIN is closing his bag when he hears the gun-thunder. MARTIN Never mind. I gotta go. Martin drops the phone, grabs his scope, and spins to the window. MARTIN'S P.O.V./SCOPE of the Doorman kicking through the pile of dead bodyguards. He gets to the man at the bottom-- their boss. The Doorman FIRES both guns. MARTIN reacts, surprised to see a second shooter. He pulls himself from the window, puts away his scope, and accelerates his exit. HIGH-RISE FOYER Outside, we see the doorman drop both guns on the pile of bodies. He walks back toward us through the glass doors and makes his way through the building toward the service exit. He sheds his uniform and stuffs it into a plastic bag. MARTIN his two parcels in hand, exits out the side door of the hotel and walks down the street. DOORMAN now wearing rich man's sweats, hops off the loading dock, walks to a Lincoln Town Car, and drives off. INT. MARTIN'S AND GROCERS CARS - DAY Martin rolls down FDR Drive in a Lincoln Town Car once again on the cellular. MARTIN ...Tell them that's not my problem. I was paid for one job-- the cyclist-- not two. See you tomorrow, Marcella. MARCELLA Wait. I have Mr. Grocer for you. MARTIN Patch him through.... Martin notices another Town Car appears in the next lane. We recognize the Doorman behind the wheel, phone in hand. He is GROCER. MARTIN What do you want? GROCER I'm setting up a concern that would enable those of us in our rarefied profession to consolidate our efforts. MARTIN Like a union? GROCER Like a club. Work less, make more. MARTIN Thank you, no. GROCER We could be working together, making big money, killing important people... I'm willing to let you in on the ground floor. MARTIN And you could be... sort of like... a father figure to me.... Grocer ignores this. GROCER It's a free-market evolution. You'll wake up to it... c'mon Kid. We used to run together when you were a rookie. I don't want to run against you. This thing's real. Everybody's in. MARTIN Not me. So don't paw at me with your dirty little guild. GROCER I'm gonna get you, kid. Martin hangs up and pulls away. INT. AIRLINER - DAY Martin sits in first class, wiping his face and hands with an airline hot towel. He folds the wet cloth and once again speeds through the images from a thick stack of magazines. He looks up as he hears PILOT V.O. It's seventy-six degrees and partly cloudy in Chicago this afternoon... INT. APARTMENT, CHICAGO - NIGHT Martin walks into a sparsely furnished apartment. He wearily drops his carry-on bag and briefcase in the hall. INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER Martin sits on a futon couch watching MTV with no sound. On the coffee table in front of him is a phalanx of vitamin bottles. Martin takes some capsules from each and washes them down with a reddish-orange beverage. INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER Martin lies on his back on the hardwood floor. His eyes are closed and he wears a set of headphones as he absently taps his chest. WOMAN (V.O.) "Dear Alumni: Can you believe it's been ten years? Where are you now...? After a moment, his eyes open, alerted. His head turns to the side, and his hands lightly cup the headphones. CLOSE-UP: WIRE from the headphones as it winds to a small metal box, with one unmarked switch and one amber light- definitely not a walkman. The wire continues out of the other side of the box, across the floor, connecting to a suction cup stuck to the floor. WOMAN (V.O.) ...Are you guiding an Outward Bound canoe trip like Brook Stinson? Or perhaps in charge of appearances for the NFL like Leslie Gunther....? MARTIN - A MINUTE LATER draws a pre-cut section of the floor, the width of a pencil and twice as long, by a string. VIDEO MONITOR - A MINUTE LATER The greenish Starlight (night vision) image of a young, HUSKY MAN sleeping on his back, as seen from above. A fine thread snakes from behind CAMERA to just above the man's slack mouth. We PULL BACK to reveal a Sony Watchman that holds the IMAGE. KEEP PULLING to reveal Martin watching it as he maneuvers the thread down past the fiber-optic cable through the hole in the floor. MARTIN - A MINUTE LATER concentrates as he applies three drops of blue liquid on the thread. As the drops run down along the thread through the floor, his attention shifts to the VIDEO MONITOR The drops, huge in the foreground, become smaller as they make their way down the line toward the sleeping man. WOMAN (V.O.) ...Could it be that you're like Chip Longfellow, at the trade-relations tank in Washington. Sandy Glasser owns a cheese shop...! MARTIN adjusts the thread minutely with one hand, and lowers the fiber-optic cable with the other. VIDEO MONITOR The face begins to fill the screen as the fiber-optic follows the drops toward it. Suddenly, the man snorts and turns his face... A DROP FALLS It misses the man's mouth and hit's his cheek. VIDEO MONITOR The man's eyes snap open in terror as he looks directly into CAMERA. His image falls away as the fiber-optic is jerked back up through the hole in the floor. WOMAN (V.O.) ...Looking at yearbooks and pictures evokes so many memories...! MARTIN (V.O.) (hushed) Fuck! MARTIN stuffs the apparati into an open duffel bag, and flies out of frame. WOMAN (V.O.) ...Some good. Some bad. But all interesting... INT. HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER A BODYGUARD sits outside an apartment door. A muffled but dire scream is heard from within and he is on his feet, gun in hand. An exit door in the hallway slams open revealing Martin, his gun already pointed at the Bodyguard. The Bodyguard levels his at Martin. MARTIN Freeze! Police! The Bodyguard hesitates just long enough to get double-tapped through the head. WOMAN (V.O.) ...As a graduate of the class of 1984, you are someone special... Martin moves to the dead Bodyguard, and locates a retractable key chain on his belt. He unreels the ring of keys and opens the door. He lets the keys retract back to the belt and drags him into the apartment. INT. HUSKY MAN'S APARTMENT - SECONDS LATER Martin moves silently down the hall in a crouch. He comes to the bedroom and slips across the threshold. WOMAN (V.O.) ...Whenever news of you filters back, the school is excited and proud of your accomplishments... INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Martin crouches down outside the bedroom door. He points the gun at the door, and reaching up turns the knob. As the door opens, the Husky Man FIRES wildly over Martin's head. Martin returns with one shot to the hut which sits the man down on the floor. WOMAN (V.O.) ...We hope Grosse Pointe High prepared you well to lead the kind of life that makes an impact on the world... Martin kicks the gun away from the fallen man, and raises his barrel to the man's forehead. WOMAN (V.O.) ...Remember, "there's no where you can go that you haven't learned how to go in time... It's easy..." HUSKY MAN (in severe pain) Whatever it is that I'm doing that you don't like I'll stop doing it. MARTIN It's not me. Martin cocks the gun.... EXT. EAST-WEST HOLDING COMPANY, LOS ANGELES - DAY The perpetual sun shines down on a small lot of pre-fab office bungalows. INT. BLANK HOLDING COMPANY A small suite of dry-walled offices. EAST-WEST HOLDING COMPANY is stenciled on glass doors behind Martin who stands in front of a young woman reading from some kind of invitation. She is MARCELLA MAYES. MARCELLA ...So come on back to the old oak tree, acorns. Signed, the reunion committee." Marcella holds up the mauve envelope and smiles slyly. For the first time, Martin looks scared. MARTIN Throw that away. MARCELLA This? MARTIN Don't tease me. You know what I do for a living. MARCELLA It's from one of those P.O. Boxes. How was the trip? MARTIN Tedious. I now authorize you to throw away all personal mail. MARCELLA All of it? MARTIN And not show it to me. Ever again. MARCELLA That's going to cost. MARTIN I'll pay. Martin begins to walk past her into his office, but Marcella stops him. MARCELLA They're not happy, sir. MARTIN I'm not happy. MARCELLA They say their friend was suppose to have a heart attack and die in his sleep. MARTIN He didn't. MARCELLA They blame you for the compromise. MARTIN And they want me to make up for it. MARCELLA In Detroit. This weekend. MARTIN Tell them that's impossible. I need my normal lead time. MARCELLA They were very upset. MARTIN Would you describe their position as inflexible? MARCELLA Intractable, sir. You leave tonight. Marcella looks concerned. MARCELLA And sir, I also get that broken- mirror, black-cat, Friday-the- thirteenth kind of feeling about this one.... MARTIN There's nothing to be done about it. MARCELLA I liquidated the last account in Zurich, and split it into two new ones in Estonia. MARTIN Good. What else? Anything interesting? MARCELLA Mmm, not really. But you're gonna love this one. She hands him a piece of paper. He scans it. MARCELLA Enough? MARTIN Never enough. MARCELLA But it's a Greenpeace boat. It'd be so easy. Martin looks at her wearily. He puts it into the paper shredder at the side of her desk. MARTIN I have scruples. Next. MARCELLA Paperwork on the Detroit thing. It's a full dossier. Very comprehensive. She raises a thick brown dossier from the top of her desk and puts it down again. Martin moves through a door to his private office. MARTIN'S OFFICE Martin goes into his office and sits at his desk. On the walls are a couple of boring prints of tallships. A bookshelf holds trappings of a loose attempt at a cover-- a few shipping manifests, sealane tables, and other specialized reference books on import/export. He sits and stares. NEW ANGLE Time has passed, and Martin still sits at his desk massaging his gums with a rubber-tipped dental pointer. C.U. MARTIN'S TEETH The dental tool jumps across the gaps between his teeth like a hummingbird. MARCELLA (off-screen) You should get going.... MARTIN pulls back his jacket lapel and fits the utensil into a pocket protector that is also home to a toothbrush, emery board, tweezers, and comb. He stands and walks out of his office. FOYER Martin moves toward the door. As he passes Marcella she hands him the mauve envelope and a travel portfolio. MARCELLA Don't forget your identity. MARTIN See you next week. Martin stops short as he reaches the threshold. He holds up the envelope, and stares a dagger through it. On his way out, over his shoulder... MARTIN Tell Dr. Oatman I'm on my way. INT. DR. OATMAN'S OFFICE - DAY Martin slouches on a leather couch. He holds the mauve envelope, now open. DR. OATMAN (V.O.) Why don't you want to go to your high school reunion? MARTIN It's in Michigan. Honestly, what do I have in common with those people? Or with anyone? DR. OATMAN sits in the window. He is Kris Kringle-esque, and wears a sheepskin vest, rough-hewn shirt, faded Levis, and old Frye boots. Oatman nods with the suave understanding of a man happy to collect fifty thousand in fees before asking a tough question. DR. OATMAN You went to school with these people. MARTIN Come on. DR. OATMAN We've spent a lot of time discussing those years. Remember we said that fear is a transfer of the bodily hurt associated by experience with the thing feared, to the thought of the thing. Thus we fear a dog without distinctly imagining its bite. MARTIN Shouldn't you be taking notes? DR. OATMAN Tell me about your vision of the reunion. CLOSE-UP - MARTIN CUT TO: MARTIN'S P.O.V. - FROM ABOVE Of a crowded gymnasium. The alumni below stops what they are doing and look up at Martin, DRAWING GUNS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND OPEN FIRE ON MARTIN. THE UNITED FORCE INSTANTLY DISINTEGRATES, AND ALL 400 PEOPLE TURN THEIR GUNS ON EACH OTHER. A BLOODBATH ENSUES. ONE ALUMNI SHOOTS HER OWN HEAD OFF, ANOTHER MOWS DOWN THE BAR, ETC. CUT BACK TO: MARTIN AND OATMAN MARTIN It'll be depressing. DR. OATMAN How do you know? MARTIN I just know. DR. OATMAN Say more. MARTIN They'll have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs.... made themselves a part of something. And they can talk about what they do. What am I going to say? (sarcastic) "I killed the President of Paraguay with a fork." Oatman twitches nervously, almost spilling his coffee. DR. OATMAN You needn't be so frank with me about your work. MARTIN Why not. I trust you. You couldn't turn me in because of Doctor-Patient privilege... and I don't want to be "withholding"... and I know where you live. DR. OATMAN You know where I live? MARTIN We're both professionals, Oatman. DR. OATMAN I think what you fear Martin is domesticity. It's the greatest fear that men have who belong to Western Culture. It's centuries old. Like King Phillip, in the 11th or 12th century who decided one day that he was so bored with his dreary life at home with his wife he thought, "Well, wouldn't it be great if we hit the road and fought... oh... the Saracens." So he put the word out and was amazed when a million men signed up and all of them wanted to go and fight in distant lands and do terrible things to people rather than stay at home with their families. MARTIN So you're saying that Ulysses-- everything he said to his queen when he came back--everything was a lie? He just wanted to fuck around? DR. OATMAN Yes. MARTIN Mmm. Beat. DR. OATMAN And how have you been feeling about your... work lately? MARTIN Uneasy. Dispassionate. Bored. It's just getting hard to go to work in a good mood. I'm starting to think I've been in the business too long. Last week I did a guy younger than me. INT. CHURCH - SERIES OF QUICK SHOTS: MARTIN From the back of the darkened empty church, we see him mount the altar. A priest in fact. MARTIN'S HANDS open the gilded doors to reveal the chalice. He removes it, squirts a clear liquid into the cup, and swishes it out. He returns the chalice to the cabinet. MARTIN (V.O.) The church seems to be purging itself of it's pedophile. MARTIN Sits in the back pew of the church, now crowded for Mann. He watches the PRIEST lift the chalice into the air, murmur a prayer, and drink from it. The Priest collapses behind the altar. MARTIN (V.O.) It's a bull market. C.U. OF ALTAR CARPET The chalice bounces free from the Priest's hand as it hits the ground. MARTIN (V.O.) Anyway, that never use to happen. I was always the prodigy. Now I'm just one of the guys. DR. OATMAN (V.O.) Maybe some of the discomfort you're feeling is... guilt. Remorse. Over the innocent people you've killed. INT. OATMAN'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS MARTIN If I show up at your door, chances are you did something to bring me there. I don't care about that stuff, anyway. DR. OATMAN What stuff? MARTIN (dismissive) Morality. Oatman's glad the session's just about over. DR. OATMAN Go to your reunion, Martin. See those people and discover what they mean to you. Try not to kill anybody for a few days, see how you feel. MARTIN If I get antsy I'll kill a few small animals. OATMAN Now we're making progress. INT. CONDO - NIGHT Very dark. No pictures or plants. Almost no furniture, and what he does have is black. The only sign of life is a CAT. The cat watches on as Martin sorts through a cardboard box, finally coming to a photo album. CAT Meow. MARTIN Just a minute. INSERT-ALBUM A teen-aged Martin Blank: shy boy with a nervous smile. He poses with his mother, an older woman with a kind smile... but her eyes are dark; aged by a life of work and worry. On the opposing page is a gilt funeral announcement that reads: "IN LOVING MEMORY... VISTOR ALLEN BLANK...." MARTIN turns the page. INSERT-PHOTO ALBUM A photograph of a tall, thin girl: a bright smile from within a bulky winter coat. A girl he's always wondered about: DEBI NEWBERRY. Handwritten on the photo in girlish loops: "Would you rather...?!" CAT Meow! INT. KITCHEN - SAME Martin pulls himself away from the album and the cat follows him, moaning hungrily-- MARTIN Food soon... Martin opens a restaurant-style refrigerator. It holds various bottles of vitamins, spirulina, wheatgrass, digestible hydrogen peroxide, fluoride treatment, oxygenated mouth rinse, and thirty cans of CATFOOD. MARTIN Tuna or liver? CAT Meow. MARTIN Tuna it is. He opens a can for the cat and a bottle for himself. While the cat eats, he returns to the cardboard box. Finds a YEARBOOK. Flips it open.... INSERT-YEARBOOK A picture of a senior class "Blues Brothers" party: a group of teens mug to the camera in Blues Brothers get-ups. Sprinters race for a finish line, their chests stretching for the tape. DEBI NEWBERY'S SENIOR PICTURE A more mature version of the girl in the album. Her name appears under his picture... INT. GROCER'S KITCHEN - NIGHT Track light fills the gourmet-rustic kitchen. GROCER stands, wearing a burgundy Fila sweat suit, pushing beets into a vegetable juicer. Next to the juicer are piles of celery and carrots, as well. A low-key BLIP is heard from another room. Grocer tops off the glass and takes it out of the kitchen. INT. GROCER'S GREAT ROOM - CONTINUOUS Grocer enters the main room of the villa-style A-frame. He moves to an antique oak desk and sits in front of a COMPUTER. ON-SCREEN GRAPHICS "Click OK for remote access caller" OK is clicked. "Availability for two days in Detroit area" "Terms" "$560,000" "When" "Now" "OK/ FAX materials" Grocer leans back in his chair and sips the juice. After a moment, the FAX machine on the desk rattles. The computer beeps. "confirmation number of wire transfer#: AJ6687-OI99471" Grocer hits the return button after taking in the number. A graphic appears: "Connection is terminated/ Status idle" Grocer's FAX begins to moan and chatter. Grocer raises his juice glass to the computer in a lazy toast. INT. PLANE - NIGHT Martin reclines in first class, soaring toward the Midwest on the red-eye. He has already scanned his magazines and they are piled in the empty seat next to him. He sets aside a Powerbar. Martin reads Kill Without Joy. After a moment, he sets the book down and takes up Iron John. INT. DETROIT AIRPORT TERMINAL - EARLY MORNING At the edge of the airport bar sits LARDNER and MCCULLERS, two Government Spooks, agency unknown. They are both in blazers, no ties, early thirties, and they watch the passing crowd. LARDNER You always say that. You always say that. I'm telling you, you never met the man. MCCULLERS Seventeen months ago I was posting a walk in Lisbon, and he was there. He never saw me. But I saw him, though. LARDNER Lisbon? MCCULLERS In Portugal, yes. In the background, Martin passes by them as he walks down the hall. Without directly regarding him, the two stand, drop some cash on the bar, and begin to leave. LARDNER Here's the news: He hasn't been in Portugal since '90. I know that from the file. Why don't you read the file, man? MCCULLERS In fact, I think I talked with him, in Bonn. Lardner can neither confirm nor deny this. LARDNER You always say that. You always have to know everybody. Why don't I just take the weekend off and let you kill him. Since you two are so close. They exit. EXT. EXIT RAMP, DETROIT AIRPORT - MORNING INSIDE MARTIN'S CAR Martin, in a black Lincoln Town Car, veers off of the airport artery and on to a turnpike. The radio broadcasts the news. BROADCAST (V.O.) ...with highs today in the upper seventies. Related stocks on Wall Street today as scandal continues to rock the joint U.S.-Japanese Tech Center... MARTIN'S CAR blows past CAMERA and on down the road. After a beat, a mid- eighties Ford Country Squire station wagon follows, occupied by two figures. INSIDE THE COUNTRY SQUIRE are Lardner and McCullers. They listen to the same broadcast. BROADCAST (V.O.) ...An unknown "whistle-blower" has leaked a number of critical flaws in the safety designs of next year's models to authorities that could cost millions in recalls.... MARTIN flips through the dial, pausing on Rush Limbaugh who waxes fascistically. MARTIN Mein hero. ...and then turns the dial again and cuts in on "Armageddon Time," slow reggae vibe by The Clash. EXT. HIGHWAY- Martin drives down the roadway... headlong into his past. Dig it... INT. MARTIN'S CAR Martin turns up the volume as he reacts to a familiar voice.... FEMALE DEEJAY (V.O.) (on radio) --this is WFRN, all vinyl, all the time. Oldies from the eighties. It's a cold summer day in Grosse Pointe-- CUT TO: CLOSE-UP - A FULL, FEMALE MOUTH lit only by dime slivers of sunlight, in front of a microphone. Stray, gossamer strands of hair hanging in her face move in front of her mouth as she speaks.... FEMALE DEEJAY --and I'm ready for some good tunes and angry talk. Or angry tunes and good talk-- CUT TO: MARTIN looking somewhere far away, beyond what is before him in the windshield... FEMALE DEEJAY (V.O.) --Or maybe we'll just play the Cocteau Twins and get over the goo-angry- talking music. As you know-- CUT TO: THE DEEJAY'S HANDS as they distractedly toy with the wire at the base of the mic. FEMALE DEEJAY (V.O.) --for some moments in life there are no words, and a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest man-- CUT TO: MARTIN still rapt, makes a sharp turn into a shopping district. CUT TO: HER MOUTH FEMALE DEEJAY --The Cocteau Twins, though also a band of the nineties, will be aired due to the fact that they created their own language to sing by-- CUT TO: MARTIN slows on a quaint street of cute shops. He creeps up to a storefront on hid right and stops, staring through the passenger window.... CUT TO: DEBI NEWBERRY the female deejay. She sits slumped in a well-worn executive chair, her back to the studio console and the picture window behind it that opens to the street.... DEBI --Now that's freedom-- she swivels in the chair to face the street.... DEBI'S P.O.V. of Martin's Town Car outside, Martin silhouetted in shadow. DEBI Her brow furrowed as she peers at the car, something summoned by the dark figure. Her words falter almost imperceptibly. DEBI --The best I can do is a rhyme: Where are all the good men dead? In the heart or in the head? Back later.... MARTIN Shaken from his trance by her stare, pulls back into the street and disappears.... INT. MARTIN'S CAR - MORNING Martin drives, listening to the radio. He turns the corner with an expectant look on his face. Suddenly his face drops as he slows and pulls over.... MARTIN'S P.O.V. - 7-11 STORE Martin looks left of the store, then right, behind him, then back at the store. Bewildered, he gets out of the car. WIDE SHOT of Martin as he walks with purpose. He halts in the middle of the lot. He puts his hands on his hips, stares, then moves in... We stay wide as he enters the store and addresses the clerk inside. MARTIN What are you doing here? CARL, the store clerk tries to get a grip on this question. CARL A double shift. What's it look like? (softening) Can I help you with something? Martin's head pans the room, processing. MARTIN I don't think so. EXT. 7-11 PAYPHONE - MORNING Martin continues to gaze at the structure as if it's a lunar landscape. MARTIN (into phone) Dr. Oatman. Dr. Oatman. Please pick up if you're there... It's Martin Blank. It's gone. My house. It's not here. My house is gone and now there's a 7-11 here... And that's unfortunate... You can never go home again, Dr. Oatman. Martin hangs up. He watches one-stop shoppers come and go. MARTIN (to himself) But I guess you can shop there. INT. NURSING HOME - DAY MARTIN'S P.O.V. of a NURSE leading him down a drab, antiseptic hallway. She banks into the sunlit room where a wispy woman in her late fifties sits expectantly on the edge of the bed clutching her purse in one hand, a filterless Pall-Mall in the other, a light coat on. This is MARY BLANK. She suffers from Alzheimer's or something just as debilitating. NURSE Mary, your son's here. The nurse gently eases Mary up. Martin hugs Mary stiffly and pats her shoulders. Mary takes hold of Martin's arm. They start out of the room. EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY They walk past a school-yard park fitted with a set of swings, baseball diamonds, and a small grove of trees. She smokes and hacks. MARY I bought a new rug. MARTIN That's wonderful, Mom. MARY What's a revival tent? MARTIN It's a place where religious people-- MARY (knowingly) Marlin Perkins and Jim! MARTIN Jim? MARY His assistant. He acted like Marlin's son, only he wasn't. At least they never said he was... I bet they were lovers, faggots. Yes, gay lovers. Wild Kingdom my ass! Mary coughs horribly. MARTIN It's good to see you. I'm sure you're curious about what I've been doing. MARY I spoke to your father the other day. MARTIN I imagine that'd be rather difficult. MARY Nature made him then broke the mold. Martin decides to change the subject. MARTIN They told me you're taking lithium, mom. MARY Yes, they give me headaches. I have a headache. MARTIN You have a headache? MARY I have a headache. You have a headache? MARTIN No, I don't have one. MARY You don't have a headache. I have a headache. Mary leans in close, smiling. MARY We had a good laugh, didn't we? MARTIN Yeah. I guess we did. EXT. NURSING HOME - DAY As they head toward Martin's car, Mary stops and points to it. MARY Why don't you return this car and borrow mine? Have Debi follow you to the rent-a-car so you can get a ride back. MARTIN I think I'll go see Debi today. MARY Of course you will. MARTIN I can't think of anything to say to her that seems appropriate given I left and never said goodbye to her. MARY Take care of her. She's a keeper. MARTIN Yeah... MARY And a leader. Didn't she meet Castro on foreign exchange? MARTIN I have always thought about her and missed her. A nurse approaches with a wheelchair. MARY Separate the wheat from the chaff and you've got the candle cat. Together, Martin and the nurse help Mary into it. Mary gazes at Martin, taking him in. MARY Remember no matter how impossible your problems feel. I've known people without a chance in the world. And all of a sudden, they have lives. Time allows miracles. Let yourself breathe, son. Martin bends down and kisses her on the cheek. The nurse spins the chair around and heads toward the building. He is somewhat fatigued from the experience, but he tries once more to connect. MARTIN Mom... The nurse stops and turns Mary around to face him. Mary looks up at Martin and brightens. She starts to sing out like Ethel Merman, arms out Broadway style. MARY "What's up doc/ what's cookin'?/ What's up doc?/ Are ya lookin'?/ Hey! Look out! You're gonna hurt someone,/ with that old shotgun,/ Hey... what's... up... Doooooc...!/ We really mean it!" Mary stops short, and squints at Martin. MARY Hey, you're a handsome devil. What's your name? EXT. GRAVEYARD ROAD - DAY Martin stops the car and looks out the window at the sea of headstones. He jerks his hand in a stiff wave... MARTIN Hey Pop... You got off easy. The house is a 7-11. Mom's a psycho- pharmacological punching bag and I murder for cash. If you were here I think you'd be proud. He drives off. INT. MARTIN'S SUITE - DAY The room features a big square bed, dresser and television. Martin enters, kicks a leather bag under the bed, and grabs the steel-sided briefcase. MARTIN pries out a wall vent, slides in the case and replaces the vent. EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY Lardner and McCullers are staked out along the main strip of town. Lardner snores, face pressed up against the passenger window. McCullers lays back in his seat, a to-go cup in his lap. He taps the cup with one finger as he absently sings his favorite Bob Seeger song to himself... MCCULLERS "...Against the wind... just a young man running... Against the wind... let the cowboy's ride!... Blame on it the thuuunder! Night moves..." McCullers catches of Martin's Town Car coming down the street. He nudges Lardner, and points. LARDNER AND MCCULLERS P.O.V. of Martin pulling into a space on the street outside the radio station. He gets out, looking nervous. INT. RADIO STATION - DAY Debi flips on the "ON-AIR" switch and prepares to speak into the microphone. Martin walks in. Debi sees him. They stare at each other. The song ends. Dead air. After a moment... DEBI (on air, groping) WRFN playing all vinyl, all the time. Oldies from the eighties. That was ah... the Specials. Doing... one of their songs... Debi turns to turntable B and finds it empty. She turns back to turntable A and lets the record roll on. DEBI ...and here's another. Debi swivels around to face Martin. MARTIN "Oldies from the eighties?" After a long pause.... DEBI I just play my own collection. MARTIN It's nice to see you again. Debi says nothing, just stares at him, in shock. MARTIN How long has it been? DEBI Since you stood me up on prom night and vanished without saying a word? MARTIN Ten years, I think. What I miss? Debi slowly grooves into irony, her best defense. DEBI Well, let me see... they tore down the George Orwell monument and put up a bust of George Michael. Main Street's a four-laner, no left turns four to seven. I was married and divorced. And Grosse Pointe is now officially the new sister city to Lower Hutt, New Zealand. We have fiber-optic town meetings every two months. MARTIN Here is now there. There is here. Their eyes lock on each other... DEBI Those are the headlines. The request line buzzes. DEBI Hold that thought. (into phone) WRFN FM, Grosse Pointe. All vinyl, all the... (pauses) No Pearl Jam. Call back in ten years. Beat. Debi makes the move. DEBI Tell me about yourself. MARTIN I'm in California most of the time. Traveling a lot on business. That's about it, really. DEBI That's it? MARTIN Not much else. DEBI What's your business? MARTIN I'm a professional killer. DEBI Professional killer. Do you get dental with that? Beat. MARTIN Well, I'm in town for a few days, anyway. They run out of words, the moment too big for small talk. Martin gets the fear, breaks it off. MARTIN Well, I gotta go. But I'll come back. DEBI Okay. Martin leaves Debi sitting alone, in disbelief. EXT. RADIO STATION - DAY Martin steps out of the storefront station along the fashionable Grosse Pointe shopping district. He stops in the middle of the street with a strained look on his face. INT. LARDNER & MCCULLERS' COUNTRY SQUIRE - SAME LARDNER & MCCULLERS' P.O.V. of Martin standing in the street. LARDNER AND MCCULLERS They frown, wondering at Martin's next move. INT. DEEJAY BOOTH - Debi lost in thought, still. After a moment, she sits upright and flips the "ON-AIR" switch. DEBI (into mike) A man comes to you. He is from the past bringing you pain long since put behind you. He says peculiar things and leaves abruptly. It all comes flooding back... EXT. STREET - Martin stops in his tracks. His face softens, then becomes determined. He turns and walks back toward the station. INT. DEEJAY BOOTH - Debi broadcasting... DEBI It felt like an apparition, or some cheap, gruesome Rod Serling time warp I'd been thrust back into without warning. There's a strangeness in the air and I don't mind telling you, I'm a little spooked. He was a man from my past. A man I loved. A man who disappeared. DEBI'S P.O.V. of Martin walking back into the station. DEBI A man who's walking back into the station. Martin comes into the booth. The temperature rises as they square off. INT. COUNTRY SQUIRE - LARDNER Well? MCCULLERS I don't think so. LARDNER Well, remember when Frysal's men paid off the Deejay in Cairo to announce a bogus press conference in the -- MCCULLERS --Nooo-- LARDNER --Yes. And the Munich Olympics in '72. A local radio station started broadcasting news of the massacre two minutes before it happened. McCullers is not to be outdone. MCCULLERS That's strictly B�ader-Meinhof stuff. LARDNER It was the PLO. MCCULLERS Whatever. INT. DEEJAY BOOTH Martin and Debi locked in a passionate embrace. They break away. DEBI Sit. Martin obeys. Debi clandestinely flips the "ON-AIR" switch as she drops into her chair. The "ON-AIR" light bar goes on above and behind Martin. Unbeknownst to him their conversation is put out over the airwaves. DEBI All right mystery man. I want some answers. Let's recap. Spring of '84. Two young lovers with frightening natural chemistry. The girl sits in a seven-hundred dollar prom dress at her father's house waiting for the most romantic night of her young life. The boy never shows up, until now. So, what's the question? MARTIN Where have I been? DEBI More like what happened? What happened, Mr. Blank? MARTIN I don't know exactly. I could venture a guess but it would sound like a rationalization... I thought you know... maybe seeing you, some friends, my house... of course now a 7-11-- DEBI --Torn down in the name of convenience-- MARTIN --and I guess, sure, seeing you would be part of that whole equation... I suppose the most important thing, really. I don't know. Anyway, this whole thing's my therapist's idea. It's my shrink, really. DEBI Ohhh. You're in therapy too, Marty? MARTIN You see someone? DEBI Uh, no. So you're back now, a decade later, and you want to sort things out with me. The question now is, do I allow you... access... to my being? Martin says nothing. DEBI All right then. Would you like to share any more deeply personal thoughts with our listening audience before we go to our phone poll and see how the folks in radioland come down on this one? A beat as Martin realizes he's been had. He seems about to bolt. DEBI Should a broken-hearted girl give a guy a second chance at love.... Debi jabs a phone line on the console. DEBI (HARD) You're on the air. Martin deflates. OLD WOMAN'S VOICE I think this young man has avoided the question completely. Has not discussed "what happened" nor if he's sorry for what he has done. Therefore, I don't see any reason why you should see him until he fully discloses his intentions and feelings. DEBI Thank you caller. Stabs another line. DEBI You're on the air. DUMB GUY VOICE Are you there? DEBI Yes. DUMB GUY VOICE No, the guy. Martin looks up, humiliated. MARTIN Yeah.... DUMB GUY VOICE Uh... when you guys use to go out... Did you guys ever... heh heh heh heh... ever fuckin', ever totally fuckin' heh heh heh- DEBI Next caller. GUFF MAN VOICE I don't know, Debi. Sounds like bad gas to me. I would not allow him access to your being. DEBI Thank you. DEBI Grosse Pointe Michigan, I hear you loud and clear: "If you love something set it free. If it comes back to you it's, well... She turns to him and shrugs apologetically. DEBI ...Broken...." Martin has his answer. EXT. RADIO STATION - DAY Martin leaves the station, alone and beaten down. MARTIN Dammit. Never trust my instincts. He scans the main strip. MARTIN'S P.O.V. A MAN walks down the street. He is FELIX, a bookish, forgettable man in his forties, wearing Le Coq Sportif sweats and shoes. He looks as if he has a dark cloud over his head. Martin's seen him somewhere, and doesn't like what he remembers. Martin's POV TRACKS him. FELIX'S P.O.V. As he walks down the street, he spots the Country Squire, and eyes Lardner and McCullers in the front seat. MARTIN'S P.O.V. follows Felix's eyes to Lardner and McCullers and catches their look. Their eyes lock, neither wanting to betray that they've made each other. They all do a pretty good job. His P.O.V. swings to a square-jawed, hale fellow wearing dark sunglasses who is approaching directly and only a few feet away. The man is going for something in his breast pocket... Reaches into his own jacket, most likely for a gun.... THE MAN pulls out a glasses case, and takes off his shades-- He is PAUL SWIDERSKI. MARTIN AND PAUL Martin relaxes. PAUL (grinning ear-to-ear) Hell, I would've voted for you, but there's all this apple sauce stuck in my phone... I don't wanna talk about it. How the hell are you?! (extends his hand) Here's five good ones! No trace of recognition on Martin's face. PAUL Marty! It's me. Paul. MARTIN (realizing) Paul? PAUL (re: hand) You're leaving me hanging here... They shake. Martin looks him up and down, astonished at the respectable veneer of his old burn-out friend. PAUL Hey. Give me a break. INT. PAUL'S BMW - DAY Martin and Paul rive through Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Wide streets lined with huge, shady oaks. Castle-like homes on golf-course green lawns. A comfortable, Midwestern Beverly Hills. They are cruising their old haunts, Paul smoking a joint. PAUL This won't take but a minute. I just gotta hold their hands for a final walk-through. I'll take them in, get 'em out, then you and I can grab a little quality time. Martin looks out the window, breathing in the past. PAUL Goddamn, It's good to see you. I was afraid you joined a cult or something. I half-expected you to come back to town in a fennel wreath and paper pants. Paul offers Martin the joint. He declines. MARTIN There was no money in it. Martin regards Paul archly. MARTIN (grinning) So what happened to you? PAUL Same thing that happened to you-- I stopped poutin' there on the sidelines. Got in. Got on the team. I joined the working week, you slick fucking asshole, so why don't you valet park your high horse and take it easy on your old buddy, Paul. MARTIN Fair enough. Beat. PAUL God it's great to see you. MARTIN You too. EXT. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE - DAY MARTIN'S P.O.V. of a lovely YOUNG COUPLE on the front porch of a mid-sized Wright home... Perhaps that could be him if things were different, but for now it feels like along shot. Paul is hawking the house to them out of earshot. SOUTHTEC GUARD (V.O.) Well, we do what we have to do if we find you on the property. But we don't really enforce the law, we execute company policy for homeowners. MARTIN AND THE GUARD standing in the driveway. MARTIN So when are you authorized to use deadly force? SOUTHTEC GUARD Well, a 'course, taxes provide your basic service-- police and whatnot. But our customers need a little more than just that, you understand? This badge doesn't mean that I am a peace officer. The woman turns at Martin and smiles. Martin smiles back. MARTIN So it's not a meaningful symbol, or anything. That badge is just the badge of your company. If I look suspicious on your customers' property-- well, under those heightened circumstances you have the authority to, ah... To shoot me. SOUTHTEC GUARD To shoot you. Correct. MARTIN How did you get this job? SOUTHTEC GUARD Well, they were hiring, and it was only a two week course... MARTIN (pleasantly) Wow. Paul walks the happy couple down the steps. PAUL (to couple) ...What more can I say. HUSBAND (smiling) We'll talk soon. PAUL (much hand gesturing) You'll be raising your new family in a work of art. A work of art in a work of art. Paul looks at Martin and the Guard, inviting them into the sell. SOUTHTEC GUARD I'm sure you'll be very happy. All look to Martin.... MARTIN (heartfelt) When my time comes, if it ever does, I want a beautiful, normal place like this... and a wife like you... All are confused. Martin thumbs to the guard. MARTIN ...and you'll be safe here... Paul looks at his shoes and rolls his shoulders. EXT. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE Lardner and McCullers sit in the wagon, watching the house in the distance. INT. PAUL'S BMW - LATER Martin and Paul cut through a particularly charming neighborhood. PAUL Now. I don't make a habit of pimping my friends, but there is one prime little piece of land that you must see... MARTIN'S P.O.V. A sprawling gingerbread mansion rises into view. A long and winding driveway cuts through thickly wooded property to the house. MARTIN (V.O.) Debi's house. PAUL (V.O.) Kind of crept up on you, didn't it? C.U. OF MARTIN MARTIN No. You drove us here. PAUL Yeah, but it's still kind of eerie, isn't it? MARTIN No. Martin's not listening. His eyes track the house out the window. MARTIN'S P.O.V. of the mansion. They roll slowly by Debi's house. They drive in silence for a beat. Paul suddenly swerves to the shoulder, jams the brake, and turns on Martin. PAUL Ten years. What happened!? MARTIN I freaked out, joined the Army, worked for the government, and went into business for myself... I'm a professional killer. PAUL Thank you. Paul, satisfied, gets back on the road. PAUL Professional killer, huh? Does that come with a good HMO? EXT. ROAD - DAY Paul makes a turn. They approach a large car dealership. The sign above it says "DESTEPHANO'S BAVARIAN MOTOR WORKS" MARTIN (looking ahead) He sells BMW's? PAUL He sold me this bad boy. MARTIN How could you put your hard-earned dollars into the hands of the class bully? PAUL He gave me a great deal. MARTIN Mein Dealer. Paul slows outside the lot. BOB DESTEPHANO-- a big, angry- looking man in an expensive suit-- stands in the lot, puffing up amidst his stable of expensive cars. PAUL Hey! Bob! The car's running great. BOB (dismissive) Glad to hear it. Bob turns his back on them and begins to walk away. MARTIN (shouts) Bob... BOB (turning) What? MARTIN It's me. Martin Blank. BOB Really...? So what? MARTIN Okay. See you later. EXT. RADIO STATION - NIGHT Martin climbs out of Paul's car and begins to walk toward his own. Paul calls after him. PAUL See you at the left-a-boy-came-back- a-man-made-good party. Martin nods him off. Paul pulls away. MARTIN stands across the street from the radio station, looking at Debi in the window... Martin draws a thin rifle scope from his back pocket, and lifts it to his eye... MARTIN'S P.O.V. - SCOPE of Debi, in the crosshairs, bored, tapping a pencil to the beat of an unheard song. MARTIN dejected. He puts the scope away and gets in his car. INT. 7-11 - NIGHT Martin walks into the store, looking around once again at his old home. To the left of the door, a typical suburban teenage SKATEBOARDER is lost in the "Mortal Combat" video game and something too loud from his walkman. Carl, still working the double, nods to Martin. CARL Can I help you? MARTIN What's done is done. Martin moves up one aisle to the gum rack. He picks out a pack of Beaman's and unwraps a stick as he heads to the counter. On the way, he makes a black Town Car pulling into a spot next to his own. He immediately changes course, and bee-lines for a rear aisle where he ducks down... FELIX Comes through the door, drawing a Mac-10 for each hand. MARTIN grabs the gum out of his mouth and sticks it onto the bottom of the Glock .9mm he has produced from somewhere in his suit. CARL grabs the cash drawer, sets it on the counter, and puts his hands up. THE SKATEBOARDER Plays on. FELIX AND CARL Felix shoots CARL DEAD on his way toward MARTIN Bolts up the cooler aisle. Bursts of FIRE follow him, taking out each freezer door behind him. MARTIN AND FELIX EXCHANGE FIRE John Woo-style between the aisles of the cramped store. Felix delivers a close-to-home burst as he jumps the counter, sending Martin diving out of view. MARTIN pinned behind the Slurpee machine, pauses to reload his now two Glock nines. Martin steals a glance to get a bead on Felix and is met with a salvo that rocks the Slurpee machine, spattering him with several flavors... and that's all he can take. Martin comes up BLASTING with both guns, but all that's left of Felix is swinging doors and squealing tires. Martin moves to the cashier island, low to the ground. THE SKATEBOARDER Twitches and jerks, still absorbed in his game and oblivious to the surrounding carnage. CASHIER ISLAND Martin crawls through the waist-level swinging door and moves to Carl. CARL is really dead. Martin rolls him over to check it out and finds A BOMB under the corpse. MARTIN Flips the corpse back on top of the device and leaps the counter toward the doors. He grabs the shoulder or the Skateboarder, who shrugs him off, annoyed-- SKATEBOARDER What the fuck, man?! The video game screen explodes. Shot full of Martin's bullets. The Skateboarder reacts backward and Martin jerks him out of the double doors. EXT. 7-11 - CONTINUOUS The Skateboarder is running like crazy, and Martin's car is peeling out in reverse as the 7-11 is blown to hell. INT. MARTIN'S CAR - MOMENTS LATER Martin's hair is matted with Slurpee as he tries to drive and cool out. He sees his do in the mirror, pulls out a comb and starts to comb it back into a slick Pat Riley style. EXT. RADIO STATION - NIGHT Martin walks in, not looking half bad, considering. Debi looks up from some reading. "Na�ve Melody" by the Talking Heads plays in the studio. MARTIN Are you going to the reunion? DEBI No. I'm not going. Is that why you're here? MARTIN That's part of it. DEBI Well, you'll have a ball. You seem to have everything everybody wants when they go back. The car, the suit, the watch. The look. That just leaves the little things, like happiness, character, point of view... MARTIN It's always the little things. DEBI Yep. Beat. MARTIN I'm wondering how you've been. How you are. I'd like to catch up with you. If it's possible. Beat as Debi considers. She spins her seat to face him. DEBI Okay. Let's catch up. You go first. MARTIN Well, there's not much to tell. DEBI I'm sure you've done worthwhile things in the last ten years. You've had experiences. MARTIN Bad experiences. DEBI You met people. MARTIN Bad people. DEBI Watched television? MARTIN Bad television. DEBI (amused) Jesus. Marty. You're pathetic. It sounds like you need a Shockabuku. MARTIN What's that? DEBI It's a swift spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever. MARTIN That'd be good. Beat. DEBI What do you want? The question is open. MARTIN I figured I could pick you up tomorrow around seven o'clock. DEBI Let me get this straight, are you asking me out? MARTIN Yes. DEBI Unbelievable. MARTIN Seven it is. DEBI I'll think about it. EXT. JOSHUA TREE CAMPSITE - NIGHT Under a crisp and starry night, a man and a woman sit around a campfire. As we MOVE CLOSER we see that the woman is Marcella reading, "Women Who Run With Wolves." She tends to s'mores on the campfire, assembles one, and hands it to MONTY, her young outdoorsman boyfriend. Monty is perched on a small boulder, engaged in a Tai-Chi-like ritual, wearing Patagonia's finest. There is a path of crystals leading from the fire to the boulder. In the background is a tent and a Nissan Pathfinder. Monty's watch goes off. MONTY Baby, it's eight o'clock. Marcella gets up. MARCELLA Thanks, Monty. She tousles Monty's hair on the way to the truck. INT. TRUCK - CONTINUOUS Marcella gets in. She shuts the door and dials the phone. MARCELLA Hey there, how'd it go? INT. MARTIN'S SUITE - NIGHT - INTERCUT Martin sits on the edge of the bed in a towel. MARTIN It isn't done. Marcella pauses, taking this in. MARCELLA This is not good. MARTIN I'll do it tomorrow. Marcella considers this. MARCELLA What's it look like? MARTIN It's fine. MARCELLA You haven't looked at the dossier. MARTIN (a little defensive) I've looked at it. Martin eyes the vent. MARCELLA You have. MARTIN Yes. It's the same as usual. Nothing remarkable about it at all. MARCELLA I have to call the client and give them a reason why you're late. MARTIN Tell them my house exploded. Beat. Marcella doesn't know what to make of this. MARCELLA I'll call them and tell them you're taking your time. Being a professional. MARTIN Okay, call them. Fine. Oh-- And if you could find out why they double- booked the job, and who is trying to kill me, and call me back-- that's be great. MARCELLA Will do. Martin hangs up. He moves up to the air vent, deciding to get down to business. He pries it open, and withdraws his briefcase, putting it down on the bed and propping it open. He looks at the unopened dossier for a moment, flips it over in his hands, and tosses it on the bed. BRIEFCASE We catch a glimpse of Martin's weapons. Martin picks up the envelope and is about to tear the seal when THE PHONE RINGS Martin drops the envelope and lifts the receiver. DEBI (filtered) Are you there? MARTIN Yes. DEBI Pick me up at my father's house at around seven. And don't be late this time. Beat. DEBI Hello...? MARTIN This night, this reunion will be an important step in our relationship. DEBI You're fucking psycho. MARTIN Don't rush to judgement until all the facts are in. She hangs up. Martin smiles and replaces the receiver. He turns to the apparatus laid out on the bed. GUNS, BULLETS, ETC. What has been his life is beginning to look more like death to him. He places the envelope in the case, then returns the case to its hiding place. EXT. DINER - DAY Lardner and McCullers stake out Martin from the Country Squire across the street. MCCULLERS I wish he'd do his job already so we could do our job. LARDNER We can't do our job unless he does his job. MCCULLERS Why don't we just do his job then, so we can do our job, and get the fuck out of here. LARDNER Do his job? I'm not a cold-blooded killer. MCCULLERS Wait a minute-- LARDNER -Look. You want to kill a Good Guy, but not be a Bad Guy, you wait until a Bad Guy kills the Good Guy, and then you come in and kill the Bad Guy, and then you're the Good Guy. MCCULLERS So if we do his job, we're the bad guys. If we do our job, we're the good guys. LARDNER Yup. They both laugh, as if at some great joke. Their laughter is caught short by the sight of LARDNER AND MCCULLERS' POV GROCER moving into the diner. INT. DINER - LATE MORNING Martin sits in a window booth splitting nutrient caplets into an apple juice and looking out the window. GROCER slides into the booth, across from Martin. MARTIN AND GROCER Martin draws a nasty little PPK pistol from his waist, and levels it at Grocer under the table-- but Grocer is already drawing his pistol down there, and there is an instant Mexican breakfast stand-off. GROCER Easy, tiger. A waitress approaches. WAITRESS Hi. Welcome to B.I. McCafferty's. My name is Melanie and I'll be your server this morning. Let me tell you about some of our specials. Today we have the "Alfalfa on My Mind," our feature omelette. And there's our "Gatsby's West Egg Omelette." And if you're in the mood for something different there's the "I left my heart in San Franchezie." Martin and Grocer's eyes remain locked. GROCER I want two eggs poached, hash brown well-done. English muffin for the bread. And a coffee. MARTIN Whole-grain pancakes. And an egg- white omelette. WAITRESS What would you like in the omelette? MARTIN Nothing in the omelette. Nothing at all. The waitress nods pertly and leaves. GROCER (re: the omelette) Come on, live a little. I'm sorry about the incident yesterday. MARTIN No harm no foul. GROCER A little misunderstanding among my associates. Beat. GROCER I told them to kill you and they didn't. MARTIN Hard to get good help these days. GROCER But since we're both here, I think it's time to take a fresh look at our relationship. MARTIN I didn't get into this business to have "associates." And I don't want to join your Goddamned union. "Loner-- " "Loner gunman." Get it? "On my own." That's the whole point. Why don't you become a cop, or something. You can drink coffee in the morning... with friends! Grocer looks a little hurt. MARTIN (easing up) Look, this is a one-on-one business... Every time you get to know people, bad things happen. If it'll make you feel any better, this is my last job. So what do you say we put our guns away and forget the whole damn thing. Grocer loses it. GROCER Fuck you! No scabs! From now on, everything's regulated! Long beat as Grocer gets a hold of himself. MARTIN No deal. GROCER Fine. But we're not going to let you do your job. Because we're gonna do it. And then, after we do your job, we're gonna do another little job... MARTIN (Wry) Is that right? GROCER Yeah-- after I shoot you through the fucking forehead I'm gonna fuck you in the bullethole. MARTIN Nice talk, Sugarmouth. INT. SUITE - BATHROOM - NIGHT Martin sits at a desk, staring at the reunion card. He tosses it aside, gets up, and moves in front of a mirror. He wears a crisp black suit and practices his greeting smile... MARTIN (trying on smile) Yes, I'm a pet psychiatrist. I sell couch insurance. I test-market positive thinking. I lead a weekend men's group, actually. We specialize in ritual killings. I'm hungry, are you hungry, I'm hungry, oooh, ooh. (sarcastic) Hi, I'm Martin Blank, remember me? I'm not married, I have no kids and I'd blow your brains out if someone paid me enough... So how've you been? Where do you stand on The Issues? Are you Left? Right? Up, down, proud, shamed, blahblahblahblah-- EXT. DEBI'S HOUSE - EARLY EVENING Martin makes his way up the walk leading to the front door, holding a simple bouquet of flowers. He skips up the front steps and finds the doorbell. After a moment, Debi answers. DEBI Flowers. That's funny. MARTIN As long as I get the laugh. DEBI (taking them) Here. Let me put these in some rubbing alcohol. She backs into the house, and he follows. INT. NEWBERRY FOYER - CONTINUOUS Martin follows Debi into the hall. Both are enjoying this atavistic ritual. MARTIN You look beautiful. DEBI Okay... Hold on... MARTIN'S P.O.V. through a doorway leading into a den. All that's visible of MR. NEWBERRY, Debi's father, is a pair of legs resting in a Barcolounger. DEBI (V.O.) ...Let me get my coat. MARTIN I'll just help myself to a cocktail. DEBI moves up the stairs and disappears. MARTIN looks at the legs, rolls his shoulders, and heads into the den. INT. DEN - CONTINUOUS Mr. Newberry sits in the recliner reading a Tom Clancy novel. He is a corporate Aspen-dude-ranch sort with a good head of hair. He sighs, closes the book on his knee and looks up to Martin. MARTIN Good evening, Mr. Newberry. MR. NEWBERRY Good evening, Mr. Blank. MARTIN How are you? How's business? MR. NEWBERRY Martin, I don't know where you've been since you abandoned my daughter ten years ago, and I don't care. It was good that you left, and I'm glad you did. So what do you want to talk about? You've grown up a bit. Maybe I had you figured wrong. MARTIN How's that? MR. NEWBERRY I visualized you, in a haze, as one of the slackster, flannel-wearing, coffeehouse-misanthropes I've been seeing in Newsweek. MARTIN I took the other road. I'm more of a self-reflective young lion who does business with lead-pipe cruelty and goes home to drink light beer in milky-eyes isolation. I love sports and sex and have no real relationships with anyone. And you? MR. NEWBERRY Oh, you know me, Martin. I'm the same old sell-out baby-boomer, exploiting the oppressed I got shot for at Kent State. But why don't we have a drink and forget the whole thing? Newberry lays down his book, and moves behind the wet bar. MARTIN Why not? MR. NEWBERRY So what are you doing with your life now, son? MARTIN I'm a professional killer. MR. NEWBERRY That's good. Debi's footsteps are heard coming down the stairs. DEBI (O.S.) Okay Mr. Newberry watches Martin turn and walk out of the room. EXT. DEBI'S HOUSE Martin and Debi pull away from the curb. INT. CAR - DUSK Martin and Debi drive through that to Debi is town, and to Martin is a widening pool of quicksand. MARTIN Do you want to get a drink first? DEBI I think they'll probably have booze there. MARTIN Right. Martin's right hand shakes off of the wheel a bit. He grips it tighter. Suddenly, Martin turns the wheel and pulls into a gas station parking lot, halting next to a pay phone. MARTIN I'll just be a second. Debi nods, a little confused but going with it. DEBI Okay... EXT. PAYPHONE - MINUTES LATER Martin stands at the kiosk next to the Town Car, mid- conversation. MARTIN (defensive) ...Well, I didn't kill anyone, but someone tried to kill me and the guy in the middle got killed. So if I see that guy again I'm definitely going to kill him, but I won't kill anyone else. Oh, except for the guy I was sent here to kill. I don't know... INT. OATMAN'S OFFICE - INTERCUT Oatman treats his patient. DR. OATMAN What else? Say more. MARTIN Saw my mom... I'm with Debi, and I'm on my way to the reunion. In the background, Lardner and McCullers drive past the station. DR. OATMAN Okay. Repeat this after me. MARTIN Out Loud? Martin looks to Debi. She looks up and smiles. We hear Dr. Oatman's command, Martin mumbles them back. MARTIN ...I am at home with the me. I am rooted in me, who is on this adventure. DR. OATMAN Take a deep breath and realize, that this is me breathing. MARTIN This is me breating. Martin takes in a few breaths. MARITN Alright, look. I gotta go. DR. OATMAN And don't kill anyone. MARTIN Right. Don't kill anyone... INT. MARTIN'S SUITE - SAME Felix rummages delicately around the room. He goes to the NIGHTSTAND The reunion invite. FELIX picks it up and scans it. EXT. GROSSE POINT HIGH SCHOOL - DUSK Lardner and McCullers sit it the parking lot. They watch Martin and Debi pull into a space. LARDNER He's falling for her. Look at him. MCCULLERS He using her. LARDNER You're wrong. Look at his face. MCCULLERS One cannot love and kill. LARDNER (defensive) I love. I kill. MARTIN AND DEBI climb out of the car. Martin, breathing deeply and wiping his sweaty palms, leans against the car and tries to calm himself. Eighties music echoes from the gym. MARTIN (to himself) Shoulda brought my gun. DEBI What? He pulls himself off the car and heads toward GROSSE POINTE HIGH SCHOOL A sprawling red-brick Gothic structure with many wings. It is topped by church-like towers. It's scary. INT. GYM - NIGHT Martin and Debi enter and pause to take in the entire scene. A benevolent Ronald Reagan hangs crookedly above. Basketball nets are swung back, draped with crepe. Lights are half-low and the music is loud. Alumni are dancing. ARLENE Welcome back! I'm Arlene Oslott- Joseph. MARTIN I'm Martin Blank. DEBI Debi Newberry. Debi heads off into the gym, smiling back as she strands Martin. Arlene rises from a card table. They have little to say. Martin wasn't part of her crowd. ARLENE Marty, you haven't changed a bit! MARTIN Don't say that. Arlene gives him a NAMETAG. As a special torture, the tags have YEARBOOK PHOTOS. Martin looks at the name tag uncomfortably. ARLENE We had pictures put on, that way everybody knows who everybody was! MARTIN Wonderful. ARLENE So, what are you doing now? MARTIN Whatever I can get away with. She smiles at his joke and is immediately distracted by the next arrival. Martin moves off... ARLENE (to the next person) Isn't it cute. It's so everybody knows who everybody was! He circles the crowded gym. Looking for familiar faces. He stops at the open bar. BATENDER What can I make you? MARTIN Beer. The bartender gets him a beer. Martin recognizes a guy at the bar. He is well-appointed and shiny. He is KEN ALDRIDGE. MARTIN Hey, Ken. How have you been? KEN (glancing at Martin's name tag) Hello Martin. How have you been? MARTIN Not bad. You? Bob Destephano arrives next to them and orders a drink. Eye contact is made. KEN Hello, Bob. MARTIN Hey, Bob. Bob turns slightly toward them. They continue in their conversation. KEN I'm an attorney. I'm with Moss, Brice & Fromeyer. MARTIN That sounds pretty interesting... Bob wants to join the conversation but doesn't know how. KEN Sometimes. I'm in divorce, mainly. Some property. Some personal injury. MARTIN Those all seem kind of related... Bob takes another drink and mopes off, Martin watches him go. MARTIN Tragedy makes you thirsty. Ken chuckles. The bartender arrives with the bottle. Martin grabs it and begins to move off. MARTIN Well... I have to take this over to Debi. KEN Here. Take my card. Wait a minute... here's a special one. For top-shelf clients. Ken hands Martin a Monte Blanc pen with Ken's title and business address printed on the shaft. Martin reads it and puts it in his kerchief pocket. MARTIN Thanks. Ken goes back to listening to the Guys at the bar. MARTIN makes his way through the upbeat crowd of well-wishers. TERRY emerges like an inkspot on a clean white whirt, and intercepts Martin. His angst is barely under control as he sidles up to Martin. TERRY I don't know, Blank, all these fucking people, driving me crazy. Look at them over there, memorializing old times, acting all like it was something "life-changing." And the people in the National Honor Society? The name tags? Martin shrugs. TERRY They have special blue starts on them like it fucking matters now that they were in the honor club ten years ago. I'm getting fucking nauseous from all this sentimental bullshit. It's making me sick. Terry stops suddenly as if he's finished. Martin reads this man's nametag. MARTIN Why are you here... Terry? Terry turns on a dime. TERRY I wanted to see a couple people. But I don't want to talk about the old days... What did we have together, Martin? Typing? MARTIN (remembering) Drafting. TERRY Yeah, I couldn't stand that fucking class. But I appreciate you helping me out, man. MARTIN Don't mention it. TERRY Yeah, thanks. Well I'm going to try and get out of here, man. I'll see you later. Terry slinks off. BAR - SAME Bob Destephano grabs two more scotches off the bar and turns to leave, thoroughly morose. In his path, he finds DAN KORETZKY, the good-looking side of brainy. DAN Bob. Bob Destephano. BOB What? DAN I'm Dan. Dan Koretzky. BOB Computer guy. DAN Yeah... Hey, I saw you at your dad's dealership the other day. BOB I sell BMW's. What do you do? DAN Not much, actually. My software company just went public so I'm just... hanging out, really. There's a sudden lull in the conversation. Bob tries his drunken hand at relating... BOB Remember high school? DAN Sure. Listen. Why don't you join us up in the grandstands? Dan points up to a group of happy, laughing people. Bob walks off shaking his head and smiling bitterly. INT. GYM - LATER Debi and Martin are seated at a round table with six others in an area blocked off for dinner. Plates of gumbo are arriving and the wine is poured. DARIUS, an African-American, is in mid-conversation with AMY, who looks like she walked out of a Laura Ashley catalog and sits on the other side of Martin. DENNIS and MIKE are two suits in the midst of a non- stop sports conversation. MIKE ...You gotta hold the fans responsible, though, Dennis, because they're the ones putting up with the mediocre product. DENNIS I guess, though, you know, if you look at it Mike, that park is a beautiful park, I've gone to that park many times - I've had the greatest time of my life at that ballpark and let's face it, I tell you this, Mike, by the sixth inning, if you're having the fun you should be having at Tigers Stadium, you don't even know what the hell's going on anyway... They both crack up at this. ANGLE ON DARIUS, MARTIN, & DEBI DARIUS Have you two been together since high school? DEBI No-- MARTIN --Yes. Actually we just bought that little Frank Lloyd Wright on Pine Avenue... Debi's a social worker and I mow down insurance claims at Aetna-- DEBI We haven't seen each other since high school. DARIUS I figured. You two look too happy together. I shouldn't say that though, I'm married... So, Martin-- what are you up to these days? What do you do for a living? Debi perks up; this should be interesting. MARTIN I'm in pro-active international relations. It's a very specialized company. We execute economic investment opportunities. Sort of economic clean-up... with an emphasis on personnel. It's boring, you know, it's boring. I don't like to talk about it because I don't think what a man does necessarily reflects who he is... Martin begins to draw strange looks from all over the table. Martin may be in trouble. MARTIN ...I've always tried to refrain from a black-and-white moral lexicon--you know, good, bad, right, wrong--I've been more interested in the gray areas. Silence. Martin pushes on. MARTIN But that's no way to live. I guess you've got to just take the leap of faith. Believe in something. Fuck it. DARIUS Sounds complicated, Martin. Are you happy? MARTIN I just have to close this one last account. I'd like to just stop now, today, but I can't... It's a step in the right direction. DEBI I don't know, Martin. It sounds like you're feeling compromised. Live the way you want. The only thing that's inexcusable, to me, is cynicism. That's the biggest cop-out there is. Nods of assent come from around the table. A brief silence, and then... AMY But wait. I still don't understand what you do. MARTIN I work at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Debi suppresses a laugh. AMY You do not. MARTIN Yes I do. AMY You don't... MARTIN In the corporate offices. AMY Oh... really? MARTIN Yeah... AMY What do you do? MARTIN I sell biscuits to the Southland. AMY You do not. MARTIN It's what I do. AMY You're so funny... MARTIN I sell biscuits and gravy all over the Southland-- AMY --Stop it-- MARTIN You know those horsey biscuit gravy packets? I move all of those-- AMY --No. MARTIN Sometimes we sell them to McDonald's and just change them to special barbecue sauce. Across the table from Martin and Debi, Dennis turns to Darius. DENNIS What do you think about black coaching in the NFL, Darius? Because I think it's great. DARIUS I don't pay much attention to football. MIKE I have to agree with you Dennis. It's good to see that the owners are willing to put the franchise behind a black head coach or QB when for years in the league they've been kept out of the thinking positions and relegated mainly to the physical game. DENNIS But now, you see, you have Warren Moon at the helm, Cunningham, Art Shell, and the coach up at Minnesota... MIKE Dennis Green. And if you remember, Doug Williams was the first black man to prove that on a Superbowl Sunday. Amy leans in to Martin. AMY (to Martin) I'm teaching art at Cedar Junior High School. DENNIS ...Yeah, listen. Where do you stand on this whole Louis Farrakhan issue...? DARIUS (facetious) I'm a De Klerk man myself. Debi nods, indicating to the deejay stand. DEBI I'm going over to play some tunes. Martin watches her walk away. INT. GYM - GRANDSTANDS - LATER Dan Koretzky sits with two other FORMER-SQUARES-turned- handsome-fellas who now enjoy a confidence that comes with early investment in Microsoft. Martin looks out over the milieu below, enjoying the seene. He eavesdrops on a group of men from a few rows back. GROUP OF MEN DAN Look at her. There it is. Jenny Slater. The finest thing that ever walked these halls. FORMER-SQUARE #2 I believe she married the state of Maine. DAN Yeah, he's around here somewhere. What a shame. She would have looked great in my fucking Bentley. FORMER-SQUARE #3 No, my friends, Jenny Beam. Not only was she as fine, if not finer, than Slater, but she had the "bad girl" thing going for her. And the red hair. C'mon. DAN She's a paramedic in Skokie, Illinois. FORMER-SQUARE #2 You both are mistaken. Jenny Maretti was the finest. No question about it. FORMER-SQUARE #3 The three Jenny's. Three Jenny's. All named Jenny... DAN You know what I'm really hoping? That Jenny Slater gets divorced. And she's twenty-eight-- FORMER-SQUARE #3 --she's got half the state of Maine-- DAN She's twenty-eight years old, with two kids, she's still really really fine, and I see her at a bookstore or something, and she sees me for what I was then, and what I am now: the redemption for all her failure. FORMER-SQUARE #3 You mean the redemption for all your failure. They ponder this. Martin looks down on the gym, concentrating on Debi. BOB DESTEPHANO Dancing drunkenly, miserable, like an unbalanced orangutan. CUT TO: INT. GYM - DEEJAY BOOTH - LATER Martin stands by Debi as she sits in for a set in the deejay booth, on a raised stage. They are playing an old sophomoric game. DEBI Which would you rather...? MARTIN Okay... Would you rather... commit yourself sexually to a four-by-nine cell with former President George Herbert Walker Bush dressed as a super-model for a month, or make love to a otter on crank for a week? DEBI Soft. I'll take the junkie otter, clearly! I'd let the little beast scratch and claw all he wants... Okay. Would you rather make love to the candied corpse of Phyllis Diller-- MARTIN --She's not dead--- DEBI It's just a game...! Alright. Candied Diller, or... wear a hot pork vest across the desert with a fully digested crab apple in your mouth? MARTIN Wow. I have to give this some thought. DEBI No time. MARTIN Okay, then. Clearly candied Diller. STACEY breaks the moment, looking up at the two, horrified and unsure at what she's heard. STACEY Marty! Debi! How are you! So many people came, but I never expected to see you Marty. Or you Debi... I mean... because of what your divorce... I didn't mean to say that. I just meant you look so good. DEBI Thank you. STACEY Do you think you could play "Too Shy'" by Kaja Goo Goo? DEBI Stacey, why don't you come up here and take over for a little while? STACEY I'd love to. Stacey nods thanks and makes her way up into the booth as Martin and Debi make their way down. DEBI (to Martin) Everybody thinks they know me now that I'm divorced. She leads Martin toward the exit. DEBI It's time to see you in private. INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY Martin and Debi walk down the hallway, alone together. MARTIN Even though I left, you never left me. Not just memory but a substance in my blood. DEBI (smiling) Like heroin? MARTIN Too junky-kitschy. Deeper, deeper. DEBI (enjoying this) Like love? MARTIN Could be. The physical substance of love. Debi stops. DEBI I'll accept that. Follow me. Together they move into what appears to be the Nurse's Office, and close the door behind them. INT. NURSE'S OFFICE Martin and Debi make wild banshee love. EXT. PARKING LOT - SAME Lardner and McCullers watch Felix into the gym. MCCULLERS Looks like someone keeps trying to do our job for us. LARDNER If he does our job, he's our job. MCCULLERS I get it. INT. GYM - SAME FELIX steps through the doorway he's standing in and strolls into the crowded gym. He wears the standard khaki-pants-blue-blazer combo, with no nametag. He's clearly too old for the class of 1984. INT. HALLWAY - LATER Martin and Debi come out of the Nurse's Office. The post- coital mood is broken as they hear The Human League's "Don't You Want Me, Baby?" blasting from the gym. Martin and Debi tune in on the song for a moment, unhappy at remembering that particular moment in pop music history. Debi looks to Martin, something must be done about it. DEBI I'll be right back.... Debi kisses him. They split up. Martin walks off, the happiest we've seen him.... INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY Bob and several others from the muscle-to-fat crew play a drunken scrimmage with a papier-mache table ornament footbal that is coming unwound. Bob quarterbacks and begins to recite a long, complicated, and forgotten play. Martin approaches from behind Bob and glides through the ad-hoc line-up, continuing down the hall. Bob yells "hike" as he stares after Martin, distracted. Bob's rushed upon and sacked. He lets the papier-mache ball drop and crack on the floor. INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER Martin walks down a silent, deserted hall of lockers and classroom doors. The only sounds are his footsteps and the echoed strains of Iggy Pop's "Wild Child" from the distant gym. He stops at locker number 1963 and flips the dial: Right- back left-right again. It opens. He pops up the steel false ceiling in the empty locker, fishes his hand in the opening, and withdraws what he is looking for: an ancient joint. He holds it up and examines the now brown and dried reefer. He grinds it into dust in his hand. INT. HALLWAY Debi comes out of the gym and starts down the hall, the music changed for the better. INT. HALLWAY - SAME Martin senses he is not alone. He turns to find Bob Destephano. The big man holds a glass unsteadily and slurs slightly when he speaks. Bob is looking sad and scary. He leans into Martin BOB So. You and Debi. Gonna hit that shit again? MARTIN Fine, Bob. How are you? BOB Never better. MARTIN Really? Bob crumbles. BOB Ahhh... it's all fucked up. Nothing adds up to nothing... you work your whole life, day in and day out-- try to make sense of it all. One day you're twenty-seven and what do you get to show for it... MARTIN You could've been a contender, huh? Bob realizes he can't even express his own tragedy without the use of cliches. BOB Smart boy. Real smart. Let's see how smart you are with my foot up your ass! I'm gonna kick your ass! Martin steps to Bob. MARTIN Why would you want to hit me, Bob? Do you really believe that there's some stored up conflict that needs resolution between us? We don't exist. There's nothing between us. So who do you want to hit, Bob? It's not me. Bob slumps against the lockers, deflated. BOB What am I gonna do? MARTIN What do you want to do? BOB I want to be an actor. MARTIN Then express yourself, Bob. Bob frowns, trying to think of a way to express himself. MARTIN (catching him) Be honest... Bob backs up and lets out a huge, drunken caveman scream, then stops abruptly, and smiles. BOB Later, Martin. Bob backpedals down the hallway and out of sight. Martin watches him stumble out of the hallway and bang through the doors of a stairwell, disappearing. INT. STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS Bob slams through the doors and begins to stumble down the stairs. He encounters Debi, on her way up. He glances at her but does not break stride. Debi gives him wide berth, and quickens her pace up the stairs... INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Martin watches the doors swing to a stop. He exhales and relaxes... AND THEN Spin-pivots on his right heel, as a BURST from a silenced pistol pierces the space where his head was a split-second before/ As he spins around, his right hand withdraws Ken's give-away pen from his kerchief pocket, pops the cap off, and drive the pen up and through the throat of his attacker-- FELIX impaled through the throat on the pen, his head snapped back. MARTIN AND FELIX are frozen for a moment. Blood runs quickly down the front of Felix's body, off of his shoes, and on to the floor. The stairwell doors band open. Martin's head turns toward the sound. His eyes lock onto DEBI who is frozen, horrified for a moment. She flees. MARTIN looks back at FELIX Dead. THE FLOOR A growing pool of blood. MARTIN Looks around wildly, holding Felix up against the lockers. Above the lockers is a plastic banner proclaiming "SPANISH CLUB FIESTA FUN-RAISER SATURDAY JUNE 1" MARTIN rips it down from the wall with his free hand, wraps it around Felix, stuffs the body into his open locker, and slams it shut. He pulls off his shoes and socks, puts a sock over each hand like mittens, and wipes up the small pool of blood. He stuffs the socks into his pockets, takes off down the hall, and bangs through the doors. INT. GYM - GRANDSTANDS - MOMENTS LATER Martin blasts through the upstairs doors to the grandstands looking for Debi below. She is nowhere to be found. He scans the party in progress-- It is the same frame of image as the one in Oatman's office. In the middle of the floor, Terry slowly turns up to meet Martin's eyes. MARTIN pulls the doors shut, and takes off down the hall. INT. HALLWAY - MINUTES LATER Martin opens his locker, withdraws the corpse, and hefts it over his shoulder. INT. STAIRWELL - A MINUTE LATER Brick-walled, darkly lit, and narrow. Martin bounds down the steep steps with his load. INT. BASEMENT LOCKER ROOM HALLWAY - MINUTE LATER Martin hustles toward a cage door in front of him. He kicks through it and dumps Felix into a canvas laundry cart on casters and begins rolling. INT. PUMP AND FURNACE ROOM - A MINUTE LATER The door bangs open and light pours into the room from behind Martin. He negotiates the cart over the dirt floor and stops next to the furnace that heats the swimming pool. He pauses and looks to the ceiling: the music from the reunion pulses into the floor above him. Martin picks up a large metal bar and works open the door on the hulking cast-iron furnace. A white-hot blaze roars within. INT. GYM - NIGHT The party is winding down. A harried-looking Martin walks in and looks around once more for Debi-- nothing. MARTIN'S POV of the Deejay booth. It is empty. He moves over to the bar and joins Ken Aldridge. He motions to the bartender who opens a beer for him. MARTIN Have you seen Debi Newberry? KEN Nope. They both look around at the last of the reunion. KEN The more things change, the more they Goddamned well stay the same. MARTIN I guess. Before Ken can get started again... MARTIN Take care of yourself, Ken. Thanks for the pen. Martin walks out of the gym. EXT. HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS Paul is leaning against his Beemer, having a smoke. PAUL What the hell happened to you? MARTIN I was catching up with Bob Destephano. PAUL As long as you had a good time. Beat. Martin scans the lot for sign of Debi. PAUL What now? Chase the girl? There is a beat of silence. Nothing seems worth saying. MARTIN It didn't work out. PAUL That's too bad. MARTIN I have to get my head back into my work. PAUL Work's good for the soul. Martin gets up to leave. MARTIN When you see Debi, tell her I'm sorry. PAUL See you in ten years. Paul watches him leave. He almost stops him, but thinks better of it. INT. MARTIN'S SUITE - NIGHT Martin hunches over his briefcase that lays open on the bed. MARTIN PULLS THE DOSSIER from the briefcase. It's seal is broken, but the contents remain enclosed... He withdraws the package and dumps the contents on the bed. His face registers muted shock. MARTIN Dumb fucking luck... THE CONTENTS include various photos of MR. NEWBERRY, Mr. Newberry with Debi, and the house. The photos are mingled with official- looking papers including credit reports, medical records, etc... Newberry's life. He cocks his head toward the door anticipating a... KNOCK. He freezes, then plucks a gun tapped under a desk, and moves toward the door, pointing. Halfway to the door, his face and body slacken. He lobs the gun onto the bed. With everything gone wrong, there is nothing left to defend. He goes to the door and opens it, body relaxed, expecting a bullet... Debi moves past him into the room. She is completely calm. DEBI He was trying to kill you, right! MARTIN Yes. DEBI Not the other way around...? MARTIN No. DEBI Is it something you've done? MARTIN It's something I do... Beat. MARTIN ...Professionally... Beat. MARTIN ...About five years now. DEBI (stunned) Get the fuck outta here. MARTIN Seriously, when I left, I joined the Army and took the service exam. They found my psych results fit a certain profile. A certain "Moral flexibility" would be the best way to describe it... I was loaned out to a CIA- sponsored program. It's called "mechanical operations." We sort of found each other... DEBI You're a government spook? Martin says nothing. MARTIN I was, but no... yes... I was before, but now I'm not. It's irrelevant, really. The idea of governments, nations, it's mostly a public relations theory at this point, anyway. But I'll tell you something, until about five months ago, I really enjoyed my work. DEBI Jesus Christ! MARTIN Then I started losing my taste for it. Which usually means your time is up. But then I realized it was something entirely different... I started getting the sneaking, dark suspicion that maybe there was... meaning to life. DEBI Okay. Great, Martin, that's just great. Meaning to life... Mmm.... MARTIN Like, that there's a point? An organic connection between all living things. DEBI Let me help you along, Martin. You're a sociopath! MARTIN (defensive) A sociopath kills for no reason. I kill for money. DEBI You never could have kept this from me. MARTIN I was leaving. DEBI That's probably a good idea. MARTIN Will you come with me? DEBI I'm staying here. MARTIN What if I come back? DEBI I'll hide. She goes for the door. MARTIN Don't go. She stops at the door. Slowly, she turns. DEBI You don't get to have me. You are a monster, I'm a human being. We're not going to mate. MARTIN You don't understand... DEBI That's because I speak human, and you speak monster. Debi bolts out of the room. Martin is left alone. Martin looks over at his gear on the bed. After a beat, he walks slowly over and surveys his tools. He picks up a cleaning rag and begins to go over the weapons, absently singing to himself... MARTIN "What's up Doc? What's cookin'? What's up Doc, are you lookin'...? INT. MARTIN'S SUITE - DAWN Morning light comes through the slit in the curtains, picking up four or five exquisitely clean guns are laid out on the bed, almost geometrically spaced. Martin lifts one at a time, checking their bores and actions... INT. COUNTRY SQUIRE - MORNING Lardner and McCullers gear up. They each finish loading the last of many clips... EXT. MICHIGAN HIGHWAY - MORNING Grocer and Company, not in a Ford Passenger Van, veer off onto an exit ramp. Grocer has assembled a team of about nine. They draw different guns from their kit bags and begin loading... INT. COUNTRY SQUIRE - SAME Lardner and McCullers jam clips into their service autos and knock the slides... INT. MARTIN'S SUITE - SAME Martin finished loading his guns, and puts them in his case. He shuts it and moves for the door. On the way out he stops and looks himself in the mirror before exiting. EXT. THREE DIFFERENT ROADS - INTERCUT Each car whooshes by camera, on its way to the inevitable... INT. EASTWEST HOLDING COMPANY - INTERCUT Marcella has a cordless tucked between her shoulder and ear, and holds a two-gallon gas can. She moves from room to room pouring gasoline onto the computers, desks, and piles of paper stacked on the floor. She adds a splash to her copy of "Women Who Run With the Wolves." MARCELLA I'm bringing down the office now. She picks up her hard drive and smashes it on the floor. It's cathartic. INTERCUT WITH MARTIN IN THE TOWN CAR - MARTIN I'll put things right. Then I'll find you. Silence on the line. MARCELLA (apprehensive) Uh... why? Martin finishes his weapons check, and pulls out the dossier. MARTIN Don't worry. I left you a little something under your desk. Martin hangs up. Marcella goes to it and pulls loose from underneath a shrink- wrapped brick of $100 bills, probably a $100,000 or so. MARCELLA All right!! INT. MARTIN'S TOWN CAR Martin makes his way down the road to the Newberry's. In the distance, he sees a lone figure jogging on the shoulder, away from him. INT. GROCER'S VAN - SAME Grocer and Company are parked off to the side, watching Newberry, in the distance, jog toward them. A SNIPER prepares to blow Newberry's head off. INT. MARTIN'S TOWN CAR - SAME As he approaches the figure, he recognizes it as Newberry, he accelerates. INT. GROCER'S VAN - SAME Grocer spots Martin's car speeding at Newberry. GROCER Oh shit... EXT. ROAD - SAME Newberry stops jogging and turns to face the Town Car bearing down on him. His face goes slack, expecting to be creamed. INT. TOWN CAR - SAME Martin roars straight at Newberry, his engine shrieking. As the distance between them turns from yards to feet... Martin swerves hard, just missing Newberry and comes to a halt next to him, blocking the Sniper's line of fire. After a moment, Newberry opens the passenger door. NEWBERRY What the fuck is the matter with you?! MARTIN Well, I was hired to kill you. It's what I do, and come to think of it, I told you that, but... Okay. I'm not going to do it. Get in the car. He does. They drive on. MARTIN It's either because I'm in love with your daughter, or because I have a new-found respect for life. Or both. But I don't know. INT. GROCER'S VAN - SAME Grocer and company watch in amazement. GROCER'S P.O.V. of Martin's car disappearing into Newberry's long and wooded driveway. GROCER That punk is either in love with that guy's daughter or he has new found respect for life... Let's go. EXT. NEWBERRY HOUSE - SAME Martin pulls up in front and stops. Both men scramble out and head toward the front door at a quick clip. Newberry is shaken; Martin seems at ease, at home in his element. NEWBERRY Why? I build cars! They're paying you to kill me? Why? MARTIN It was a cost-cutting effort. They can't afford a recall. NEWBERRY It was a leaky sunroof! A design flaw! I reported a leaky sunroof! You want to kill me because of that? MARTIN It's not me! Why does everybody think it's personal?! They go through the front door and shut it behind them. INT. GROCER'S VAN - SAME Grocer drops the van into gear and heads toward the driveway. INT. COUNTRY SQUIRE - SAME Lardner and McCullers approach the scene. They get within viewing distance in time to see Grocer's Town Car turn into the driveway. LARDNER We'll go in through the woods. INT. NEWBERRY HOUSE Martin's briefcase is open on the large oak table. The contents of the dossier are spilled out onto the table. Newberry and Debi watch him, dumbstruck, as he draws a huge Desert Eagle automatic and jerks back the slide. He turns to Debi. MARTIN I was sitting in my house on prom night wearing that Goddamned rented tuxedo, a corsage in one hand, a bottle of champagne in the other. So I was just sitting there, and then the whole night flashed before my eyes, and it struck me like a bullet in the head-- I realized, finally, and for the first time, that... I wanted to kill somebody. So I figured because I loved you so much, that'd it'd be a good idea if I didn't see you anymore. But now I'm different. He turns and points the gun at the front door and FIRES two shots through it, leaving two baseball-size holes in the door. Martin bolts out of the room toward the back of the house. Debi and Newberry run as fast as they can away from Martin. Newberry opens the front door, preparing to rush out with Debi. They stop at what they see: NEWBERRY'S & DEBI'S P.O.V. As ASSASSIN lies on the porch, shot dead through the door by Martin. IN one hand is a gun, in the other is a Fuller Brush kit. Two men, GROCER and an ASSASSIN, clamber out of van, their guns rising up fast toward us. Debi pulls Newberry inside, slams the front door, and locks it. They dive away just before ten rounds hit the door from outside. INT. KITCHEN - SAME Martin rushes toward the back door which is already opening. A barrel comes through and FIRES at Martin. Martin pulls back behind the refrigerator and returns FIRE. An ASSASSIN comes through the door in a crouch and takes cover behind the cooking island. Martin, yelling back to Debi... MARTIN I'm in love with you. I know we can make this work! MARTIN rushes toward the island, grabbing an iron skillet off the range, and holds it up like a crossing-guard stop sign. He steps toward the hidden Assassin just as the Assassin rises SHOOTING. The skillet takes two rounds before Martin hammers the Assassin's head with it. Debi and Newberry arrive in the kitchen. NEW ANGLE - LOW DUTCH Martin bashes the skillet into the Assassin's skull, which is beyond our view. He rises spattered with blood and looks at Debi. MARTIN I was afraid to commit to a relationship, but now I know I'm ready to make it happen. Martin drops the skillet and grabs Newberry and Debi gently be the wrists. MARTIN I just need time to change. He ushers them past the bludgeoned corpse and up the back stairs. He spins and FIRES twice back down the stairs at another ASSASSIN coming up, blowing his arms off. HALLWAY He leads them quickly. MARTIN It's not easy for me. I was raised to close off, to control my feelings... He takes them into a bedroom, and BLOWS AWAY, an ASSASSIN coming in through the window, emptying his auto. Martin pushes Debi and Newberry into an adjoining bathroom. He backs out through the doorway. MARTIN Lock the door. They do. Martin starts away, but stops to get something straight. MARTIN I wasn't raised in a loving environment. (beat) But that's not an excuse. It's a reason. INT. FOYER Martin corners the banister and springs half-way down the stairs, then hears the front door begin to open. MARTIN My soul was empty-- Martin jams in another clip, and chambers a round. He sees Grocer beginning to slip in. MARTIN --and it's up to me to fill it. Martin FIRES the twelve-round clip into the door until the slide locks back empty again. Grocer backs out fast. Martin hears a gun REPORT from upstairs and moves back toward it, tossing the spent weapon. INT. BEDROOM An ASSASSIN slams his body against the bathroom door while Debi and Newberry scream from within. Martin flies at him. The Assassin wheels on Martin FIRING. Martin pivots out of the line of fire, still moving forward. He takes hold of Assassin's neck and snaps it. Martin drops the corpse. MARTIN (through the door) It's okay. It's Martin The door begins to open revealing Debi and Newberry. MARTIN I know what I do isn't moral, per se, but if you could just look past that, you'd see a man worth loving. GROCER (O.S.) Don't listen to him, he's a professional. Martin stops short and cocks his head toward Grocer's muffled voice coming from the vent. Grocer continues... GROCER (O.S.) You're breaking my heart down here, Blank. I can't shoot through the tears. Martin, incensed, bends down and takes the gun from the dead man. He runs out of the bedroom, gun poised for a kamikaze firefight... EXT. NEWBERRY HOUSE - SAME Lardner and McCullers are poised outside the front door, about to enter the mix. McCullers peers through the window. LARDNER Did you see Blank in there? MCCULLERS No... LARDNER Good. For a second there I thought we were in trouble. INT. NEWBERRY FOYER - CONTINUOUS MARTIN reaches the top of the front stairs to find Grocer heading up the stairs at him. They lift their guns at each other to FIRE, when they hear... LARDNER AND MCCULLERS power through the front door, guns BLAZING at floor-level, ala Butch and Sundance. Martin and Grocer, above, spin on them instinctively, and FIRE, killing them. Grocer dives off of the stairs and rolls out of view. KITCHEN - INTERCUT GROCER heads up the back stairs. MARTIN works his way toward Grocer, moving with stealth toward the kitchen. GROCER hears him and starts back down. Martin dives behind the cooking island just as Grocer comes out of the stairwell blasting. They unload at each other as Grocer runs a pattern across the kitchen, FIRING at Martin, crouched, who BLASTS back. Grocer vaults himself through the air toward a serving window from the kitchen to the dining room, still firing. C.U. - MARTIN'S GUN - SLOW MOTION The last casing floats out of the chamber into the air, and the slide on the auto locks back-- empty. NORMAL SPEED GROCER Flying through the air disappearing through the shuttered serving window, his flight carrying him past a television that sits on a lazy susan. MARTIN AND GROCER - INTERCUT Martin and Grocer sit on the floor, backs up against opposite side of the counter-- Martin in the kitchen and Grocer in the dining room. The hulking old television sits on the counter above and between them. Martin looks up and spies the TELEVISION GROCER ...How about I sell you two rounds for a hundred grand a piece? MARTIN Okay. Martin takes out a checkbook, and tears one free. He wads it into a loose ball and tosses it over the counter. BALLED CHECK sails over the television and comes down, bouncing off Grocer's head and into his lap. MARTIN There you go. I left it blank. GROCER Excellent. Here they come. Grocer pulls two rounds from the clip of his semi-automatic and pushes the clip back into the gun. Grocer arcs the TWO BULLETS into the air. MARTIN rises and springs at the television, gripping it. The TWO BULLETS sail past his head. GROCER begins to rise from his side of the counter, cocking his gun. MARTIN puts all his weight and motion behind the television. Martin and the television careen off of the counter toward Grocer. GROCER gets off one round before MARTIN flies onto Grocer, smashing the seventy-five pound television over his Goddamn head. Martin sails past the collision, landing on his back in the dining room. He rolls over to see GROCER Body crumpled, neck is snapped, head encased in the shattered picture tube. He is dead. MARTIN runs up the front stairs, retrieving the spent gun he discarded earlier, and heads into the bedroom. INT. BEDROOM - MINUTES LATER Martin opens the bathroom door. Inside, Debi sits on the edge of the tub, her face in her hands. Newberry kneels with his arms around her. Martin takes this in, and walks back into the bedroom. Newberry stands and follows him out. MARTIN AND NEWBERRY MARTIN a bloody, tattered mess, wipes off the gun and puts it into Newberry's hand. Newberry, in total shock, grips it. Martin looks past Newberry. MARTIN'S P.O.V. Of Debi, head in hands. MARTIN (V.O.) Debi... will you marry me? Debi doesn't look up. After a moment, she reaches out, head still down, and closes the bathroom door... INT. RADIO STATION - DAY Outside is a Michigan autumn. Debi sits at her console, bringing in the mike as she fades out of a tune... DEBI This is WRFN Radio Free Newberry cause that's what it does. Bringing you New Ones for the Nineties, a fresh new format designed to pull you out of what's come before, and reel you into what's coming soon-- THE PHONE CONSOLE lights up with an incoming cal... DEBI I tell you what's coming soon for me, or at least what I dreamed this morning in that weird time just before you actually wake up. But first this commercial. Back after this... She pushes a couple of buttons, slaps a cartridge in a player, and answers the phone. We hear the commercial over the studio monitor: ANNOUNCER Don't miss the show of the season at Bilkin Community Center! "Brigadoon!" A musical for all ages! "Brigadoon," starring Carol Plummer, Thomas Canchola, Bob Destephano, and Lee Ordman!... Debi picks up the phone. DEBI RFN... Her face goes slack as she listens... not good, not bad... Then she hangs up slowly. The commercial ends. A moment of dead air, then she snaps to. DEBI Hey out there... Okay... I'm going to finish up that fantasy later. First I'll give you an hour of nonstop music... If I don't come back on after that-- well, nevermind. Debi turns on a reel-to-reel, and leaves. EXT. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE - DAY Debi pulls up and gets out. She begins toward the door but stops dead when she sees MARTIN sitting on the front steps. Debi moves slowly up the walk and sits next to him on the porch. They sit, gazing out over the grass and trees beyond. After a while... DEBI This will never work out. She turns to him, serious. DEBI You kill people. (beat) MARTIN I have no illusions about the future. What is, is. We make choices. And we become the sum total of our choices. I can live with that. DEBI Other people can't. Martin looks at her earnestly... And smiles ever so slightly. She does the same, and then just a little wider. He the same. They turn back out to face the lawn, and they share a laugh... THE END

1 EXT. HIGHWAY -- DAY GRAHAM DALTON, twenty-nine, drives his '69 Cutlass while smoking a cigarette. One could describe his appearance as punk/arty, but neither would do him justice. He is a man of obvious intelligence, and his face is amiable. There is only one key on his keyring, and it is in the ignition. ANN (voice over) Garbage. I started thinking about what happens to all the garbage. I mean, where do we put all of it, we have to run out of places to put it eventually, don't we? This happened to me before when that barge with all the garbage was stranded and nobody would take it? Remember that? 2 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN BISHOP MILLANEY, twenty-six, sits opposite her therapist. She is an extremely attractive woman, dressed in a mature preppy style. There is a wedding ring on her left hand. DOCTOR Yes, I remember. What do you do when these moods overtake you? ANN Nothing. I mean, nothing. I try not to do anything that will produce garbage, so obviously we're talking about eating and basic stuff like that. Did you know that the average person produces three pounds of garbage a day? DOCTOR No, I didn't. ANN Don't you think that's a lot of garbage? I'd really like to know where it's all going to go. DOCTOR Do you have any idea what triggered this concern? ANN Well, this weekend John was taking out the garbage, and he kept spilling things out of the container, and I started imagining a container that grew garbage, like it just kept filling up and overflowing all by itself, and how could you stop that if it started happening? DOCTOR Ann, do you see a pattern here? ANN What do you mean? DOCTOR Well, last week we talked about your obsession with the families of airline fatalities, and now we're talking about your concern over the garbage problem. ANN Yeah, so? DOCTOR If you think about it, I think you'll see that the object of your obsession is invariably something negative that you couldn't possibly have any control over. ANN Well, do you think many people run around thinking about how happy they feel and how great things are? I mean, maybe they do, but I doubt those people are in therapy. Besides, being happy isn't all that great. My figure is always at its best when I'm depressed. The last time I was really happy I put on twenty-five pounds. I thought John was going to have a stroke. JOHN (voice over) It's true, I'm telling you. 3 INT. LAW OFFICE -- DAY JOHN MILLANEY, twenty-nine, sits at his desk talking on the telephone. He is dressed very well, sporting real suspenders with his striped pinpoint oxford shirt and cotton suit. He fingers the wedding ring on his left hand. JOHN As soon as you've got a ring on your finger, you start getting serious attention from the opposite gender. Seriously, I wish I had Super Bowl seats for every time I had some filly just come up and start talking to me without the slightest provocation. That never happened before I got married. Shit, if I'd known that, I'd have gone out and bought me a ring when I was eighteen and saved myself a lot of time and money. John looks at his watch. JOHN Shit, I gotta be someplace. (quickly) Look, racquetball Thursday? You're the coolest. John presses the intercom button while putting on his jacket. JOHN Uh, Janet, re-schedule Kirkland. Tell him to come in Friday at 1:30. DOCTOR (voice over, to Ann) Are you still keeping these thoughts from John? ANN (voice over) Yes. 4 INT. LAW OFFICE BATHROOM -- DAY John brushes his teeth and combs his hair very carefully. DOCTOR (voice over, to Ann) Are you afraid of his reaction? Of his finding you silly for thinking of such things? ANN (voice over) No. I don't know. I haven't told him about the garbage thing because I'm pissed off at him right now. He's letting some old college buddy stay at our house for a couple of days, and he didn't even ask me about it. I mean, I would've said yes, I just wish he would've asked. 5 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE-DAY DOCTOR What upsets you about that? ANN I guess I'm upset because I can't really justify being upset, I mean, it's his house, really, he pays the mortgage. DOCTOR But he asked you to quit your job, and you do have housework. ANN Yeah, I know. DOCTOR This unexpected visit notwithstanding, how are things with John? ANN (shrugs) Fine, I guess. Except right now I m going through this where I don't want him to touch me. 6 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY CYNTHIA BISHOP, Ann's SISTER, opens her door to reveal the freshly coifed John Millaney. They kiss passionately and begin to disrobe. Cynthia bears a slight resemblance to Ann, but is not as overtly attractive. She does, however, have a definite carnal appeal and air of confidence that Ann lacks. DOCTOR (voice over) When did you begin having this feeling? ANN (voice over) About a week ago. I don't know what brought it on, I just started feeling like I didn't want him to touch me. DOCTOR (voice over, to Ann) Prior to this feeling, were you comfortable having physical contact with him? ANN (voice over) Oh, yeah. (pause) But see, I've never really been into sex that much, I mean, I like it and everything, it just does't freak me out, I wouldn't miss it, you know? But anyway, lately we haven't been doing anything at all. Like I said, it's not that I miss it, but I m curious the way things kind of slacked off all of a sudden. John and Cynthia are now having sex. DOCTOR (voice over) Perhaps he senses your hesitance at being touched. ANN (voice over) But see, he stopped before I got that feeling, that's why it seems weird to me. I mean, I'm sure he wishes I would initiate things once in awhile, and I would except it never occurs to me, I'm always thinking about something else and then the few times that I have felt like starting something I was by myself. DOCTOR (voice over) Did you do anything? A pause. ANN (voice over) What do you mean? DOCTOR (voice over) Did you masturbate? 7 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN (taken aback) God, no. DOCTOR I take it you've never masturbated? ANN (slightly uncomfortable) Well, I kind of tried once. It just seemed stupid, I kept seeing myself lying there and it seemed stupid, and kind of, uh, I don't know, and then I was wondering if my dead grandfather could see me doing this, and it just seemed like a dumb thing to be doing when we don't know what to do with all that garbage, you know? DOCTOR So it was recently that you tried this. ANN (exhales, head down) Well, kind of recently, I guess. But not too recently. There is a pause. ANN I'm really not up to having a guest in the house. 8 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John and Cynthia are lying in bed, bathed in sweat. JOHN I've got to get back to the office. CYNTHIA I only get one today? Gee, how exciting. John rolls over and begins to put his clothes on. JOHN I can't let my lunch hour go on too long. I've already skipped one meeting. CYNTHIA Don't give me this passive/aggressive bullshit. If you want to leave, leave. My life doesn't stop when you walk out the door, you know what I'm saying? John shakes his head. JOHN Why don't you just tell me how you really feel? John stands and begins putting on his clothes. JOHN I have a friend coming in from out of town, I'll probably be spending some time with him the next couple of days. CYNTHIA Meaning we'll have to cool it for awhile, right? JOHN Right. A silent shrug from Cynthia. John is almost completely dressed. JOHN I wish you'd quit that bartending job. CYNTHIA Why? JOHN I hate the thought of guys hitting on you all the time. CYNTHIA I can handle it. Besides, the money is good and some of the guys are cute. And you are in no position to be jealous. JOHN Who said I was jealous? CYNTHIA I did. John says nothing. CYNTHIA You know, I'd like to try your house sometime. The idea of doing it in my sister's bed gives me a perverse thrill. John thinks about that. CYNTHIA I wish I could tell everybody that Ann's a lousy lay. Beautiful, popular, Ann Bishop Millaney. JOHN Could be risky. CYNTHIA Well, maybe I could just start a rumor, then. JOHN No, I mean doing it at my house. CYNTHIA Afraid of getting caught? JOHN Maybe. CYNTHIA You should be. Can I meet this friend of yours? JOHN Cynthia, I don't think you want to, I mean, you should see the way he dresses. I really think he's in a bad way. CYNTHIA I'm intrigued. JOHN You're intrigued? CYNTHIA Sure. Maybe he's the man I'm looking for. Then I won't have to fuck worried husbands all the time. John looks at her for a moment before heading for the door. JOHN Bye. 9 EXT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Graham has parked in the Millaney's driveway. He opens the trunk, revealing a Sony 8mm Video rig and a single black duffle bag. He grabs the duffle bag and shuts the trunk. Graham knocks at the door. He is stubbing out a cigarette with his beaten tennis shoe when Ann answers the door. She is unable to hide her suprise at his appearance. GRAHAM Ann? ANN Yes? GRAHAM (extends his hand) Graham Dalton. Ann shakes his hand. GRAHAM Can I use your bathroom? Ann withdraws her hand. ANN Yes. Yes, come in, please. Graham moves inside. 10 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann closes the door and motions Graham to the rear of the house. ANN Straight back, first door on the left. Graham heads for the bathroom. Ann heads for the phone. She dials John's office. VOICE ON PHONE Forman, Brent, and Millaney. ANN John Millaney, please. This is his wife. Graham exits the bathroom. Ann quickly hangs up the phone. ANN That was quick. GRAHAM False alarm. ANN Oh. Well, please sit down. Graham sits, his manner pleasantly animated. He gets his Gitanes from inside his scuffed black leather jacket and looks around for an ashtray. Ann swallows uncomfortably. ANN We...don't usually let people smoke in the house. We have a patio if you -- GRAHAM Oh, no problem. It can wait. A moment of silence. Graham looks at Ann directly. It is not a challenging stare, he's just trying to ascertain what kind of person she is. Ann, to her credit, somehow meets his gaze. Something subtle passes between them. ANN (looks at duffle bag) Do you have other things? GRAHAM Yes. (pause) Oh, you mean to bring in! No. Yes, I have some other things, no, I don't need to bring them in. This is all I need to stay here. ANN Oh. Graham smiles. He has an unusual face, a face that fluctuates between remarkably handsome and just plain strange. GRAHAM Have you ever been on television? ANN Televison? GRAHAM Yes. ANN No. Why? GRAHAM (shrugs) Curious. The central air-conditioning switches on. Ann smiles. ANN Graham is an unusual name. GRAHAM Yeah, I guess it is. My mother is a complete Anglophile, anything British makes her drool like a baby. She probably heard the name in some movie. She's a prisoner of public television now. ANN Oh, uh-huh. GRAHAM Are you uncomfortable with my appearance? ANN (downplaying) No, I think you look...fine. GRAHAM (smiles) Oh. Well, maybe I'm uncomfortable with my appearance. I feel a little out of place in these surroundings. ANN Well... GRAHAM I used to take great pleasure in that, being purposefully different, rubbing people's noses in it. Didn't you do that when you were younger? ANN (thinks) No, not really. GRAHAM Oh. Well, I did. I was in a band once, and the music was always secondary to just flat out offending as many people as possible. ANN You play an instrument? GRAHAM No, I was in charge of kind of standing at the microphone and reciting these really depressing lyrics in a monotone. The whole thing was really .... irrelevant. How do you like being married? ANN (caught slightly off guard) Oh, I like it. I like it very much. GRAHAM What about it do you like? I'm not being critical, I'd really like to know. ANN Well.....well, the clich� about the security of it, that's really true. We own a house, and I really like that, you know? And I like that John was just made junior partner, so he has a steady job and he's not some... Ann looks at Graham and stops. He smiles again. ANN ...free-lance. You know. GRAHAM Yes. So you feel security, stability. Like things are going to last awhile. ANN Oh, definitely. I mean, just this past year has gone by like phew! I hardly even knew it passed. GRAHAM Did you know that if you shut someone up in a room, and the only clock he has reference to runs two hours slow for every twenty-four, that his body will eventually adjust to that schedule? Simply because the mind honestly perceives that twenty-six hours are twenty-four, the body follows. And then there are sections of time. Your life can be broken down into the sections of time that formed your personality (if you have one). For instance, when I was twelve, I had an eleven minute conversation with my father that to this day defines our relationship. Now, I'm not saying that everything happened in that specific section of time, but the events of my childhood involving my father led up to, and then were crystallized in, that eleven minutes. Ann is fascinated, if a bit overwhelmed. ANN Oh, uh-huh. GRAHAM (smiles) Anyway, I think the mind is very flexible as far as time is concerned. ANN You mean like "time flies"? GRAHAM Exactly. I would say the fact that you feel the first year of your marriage has gone by quickly means lots of things. Or could mean lots of things. ANN How long has it been since you've seen John? GRAHAM Nine years. ANN Nine years? GRAHAM Yes. I was surprised that he accepted when I asked if I could stay here until I found a place. ANN Why? Didn't you know him well? GRAHAM I knew him very well. We were extremely close until I dropped out. A pause. ANN Why'd you drop out? GRAHAM Oh, lots of reasons, most of them boring. But, up until I dropped out, John and I were...very much alike. ANN That's hard to believe. The two of you seem so different. GRAHAM I would imagine that we are, now. I think I'm ready to use the bathroom, finally. Graham gets up and heads for the toilet. Ann watches him go, a bemused smile on her face. After she hears the door close, she can't resist the impulse to take a closer look at Graham's bag. IN THE BATHROOM, Graham pokes around, looking through the medicine cabinet and sniffing towels. JOHN (voice over) Call the cops. 11 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT John, Ann and Graham are eating dinner. JOHN (to Graham) That's the first thing that ran through my mind when I saw you. I thought this is not the same man that rode the unicycle naked through the homecoming parade. ANN (to Graham) You did that? GRAHAM Everybody has a past. JOHN (smiles at Graham) What do you think the Greeks would make of that outfit you're wearing? GRAHAM A bonfire, probably. John takes a sip of Chivas. GRAHAM (to Ann) This food is excellent. ANN Thank you. JOHN Yeah, it's not bad. Usually Ann has some serious salt action going. I keep telling her, you can always add more if you want, but you can't take it out. GRAHAM (to Ann) You have family here also? ANN (nods, chewing) Mother, father, sister. GRAHAM Sister older or younger? ANN Younger. John takes a large swig of Chivas. GRAHAM Are you close? Graham sees Ann and John exchange looks. GRAHAM I'm sorry. Am I prying again? JOHN You were prying before? GRAHAM Yes, this afternoon. I was grilling Ann about your marriage this afternoon. JOHN (smiles) Really. How'd it go? GRAHAM She held up very well. Ann laughs. GRAHAM (to Ann) So I was asking about your sister. Ann's smile fades. John resumes eating. ANN Oh, we get along okay. She's just very...she's an extrovert. I think she's loud. She probably wouldn't agree. Definitely wouldn't agree. JOHN (to Graham) Are you going to see Elizabeth while you re here? An almost imperceptible reaction by Graham. GRAHAM I don't know. ANN (interested) Who's Elizabeth? JOHN Girl Graham dated. Still lives here, far as I know. Graham eats in silence. ANN Graham and I were talking about apartments and I told him to check the Garden District, there are some nice little places there, garage apartments and stuff. JOHN (to Graham) Stay away from the Garden District. Serious crime. I don't know what kind of place you're looking for, but there are a lot of studio-type apartments available elsewhere. GRAHAM I wish I didn't have to live someplace. JOHN (laughs) What do you mean? Graham thinks a moment, then puts his keyring with its single key onto the table. GRAHAM Well, see, right now I have this one key, and I really like that. Everything I own is in my car. If I get an apartment, that's two keys. If I get a job, maybe I have to open and close once in awhile, that's more keys. Or I buy some stuff and I m worried about getting ripped off, so I get some locks, and that's more keys. I just really like having the one key. It's clean, you know? Graham looks at the keyring before returning it to his pocket. JOHN Get rid of the car when you get your apartment, then you'll still have one key. GRAHAM I like having the car, the car is important. JOHN Especially if you want to leave someplace in a hurry. GRAHAM Or go someplace in a hurry. Ann takes her plate into the kitchen. JOHN (smiles at Graham) Do you pay taxes? Graham also stands, empty plate in hand. GRAHAM Do I pay taxes? Of course I pay taxes, only a liar doesn't pay taxes, I'm not a liar. A liar is the second lowest form of human being. ANN (from the kitchen) What's the first? GRAHAM Lawyers. John smiles, thinking. Graham follows Ann into the kitchen. John shouts after them. JOHN Hey, Ann, why don't you go with Graham to hunt for apartments? Show him how the city has changed. Ann looks at Graham. ANN Would you mind? GRAHAM No. ANN (shouts back to John) Okay, I will!! John, sitting at the table and now toying with his keyring, nods. 12 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT Everyone but Ann is asleep. She gets up from her bed and sneaks quietly into the guest bedroom where Graham is staying. She walks cautiously up to his bed to watch him as he sleeps. Moonlight caresses his face as he breathes peacefully. Exhaling, he turns over slowly, his back to Ann. She picks up his jacket from beside the bed and feels the surface. She brings the jacket to her nose, inhaling his presence. She then sets the jacket down. 13 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY The phone rings. Cynthia answers. CYNTHIA Hello. JOHN Cynthia. John. Meet me at my house in exactly one hour. CYNTHIA You are scum. I'll be there. 14 INT. VACANT APARTMENT-DAY Graham and Ann walk around the room, their footfalls heavy on the hardwood floors. MR. MILLER, the landlord, stands nearby. He looks fairly interested in Ann. MR. MILLER Plenty of room for two people. GRAHAM It'll just be me. MR. MILLER Student? GRAHAM No. (pause) You said three-fifty? MR. MILLER Plus first and last month deposit. GRAHAM Will you lease month-to-month? MR. MILLER Not for three-fifty. GRAHAM How about for five hundred? Mr. Miller looks at Ann, then back at Graham. MR. MILLER That I can do. 15 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Cynthia lets herself in. She looks around. CYNTHIA John? JOHN (offscreen) In here!! Cynthia walks to the bedroom, where John lies naked on the bed. She smiles, kicking off her shoes. CYNTHIA Ain't you a picture. Cynthia begins taking her clothes off. She places her diamond stud earring in her jacket pocket, and then drops the jacket on the floor. She moves onto the bed with John. ANN (voice over) Maybe you'll understand this, because you know John, but he confuses me sometimes. GRAHAM (voice over) How do you mean? 16 INT. CAF� - DAY Graham and Ann are having lunch. Ann looks to have had a lot of wine. Graham drinks club soda with a twist. ANN It's hard to explain. It's like... John treats everybody the same, you know? I mean, he acts just as excited about seeing somebody he hardly knows as he does when he sees me. And so I feel like, what's different about me, if I'm treated exactly the same as some acquaintance? If I don't like somebody, I don't act like I do. I guess that's why a lot of people think I'm a bitch. She takes a sip of wine. GRAHAM Yeah, I know. I mean, I'm not saying I know people think you're a bitch, I'm saying I know what you mean. And I don't even know that people think you're a bitch. Do they? ANN I feel like they do. GRAHAM Hmm. Well, maybe you are. Really, I wouldn't pay much attention. Ann smiles. GRAHAM I know that I just don't feel a connection with very many people, so I don't waste time with people I don't feel one with. ANN Right, right. I don't feel connected to many people, either. Other than John. Graham nods. ANN Can I tell you something personal? I feel like I can. It's something I couldn't tell John. Or wouldn't, anyway. GRAHAM It's up to you. But I warn you, if you tell me something personal, I might do the same. ANN Okay. I think...I think sex is overrated. I think people place way too much importance on it. And I think that stuff about women wanting it just as bad is crap. I m not saying women don't want it, I just don't think they want it for the reason men think they do. (smiles) I'm getting confused. Graham smiles. ANN Do you understand what I'm trying to say? GRAHAM I think so. I remember reading somewhere that men learn to love what they're attracted to, whereas women become more and more attracted to the person they love. ANN Yes! Yes! I think that's very true. Very. Graham watches Ann take a sip of wine. GRAHAM So what about kids? ANN Kids? What about them? GRAHAM Do you want them? ANN Yeah, actually, I do. But John doesn't. At least not right now. GRAHAM Why is that? ANN I don't know, he just said he wants to wait. I quit asking. Graham nods. ANN So what's your personal thing? Are you really going to tell me something personal? GRAHAM Do you want me to? ANN As long as it's not...gross, you know? Like some scar or something. It has to be like mine, like something about you. GRAHAM Agreed. Graham takes a sip of club soda. GRAHAM I'm impotent. Ann looks at him closely. ANN You're what? GRAHAM Impotent. ANN You are? GRAHAM Well, let me put it this way: I cannot achieve an erection while in the presence of another person. So, for all practical purposes, I am impotent. Ann takes a large sip of wine. Graham lights a cigarette. ANN Does it bother you? GRAHAM (exhales) Not usually. I mean, honestly, I haven't known many guys that could think straight with an erection, so I feel I'm way ahead of the game as far as being clear-headed goes. ANN Well...are you self-conscious about it? GRAHAM I am self-conscious, but not in the same way that you are. You have got to be the most attractive self-conscious person I've ever seen. ANN Why do you say I'm self-conscious? GRAHAM Well, I've been watching you. I've watched you eat, I've watched you speak, I've watched the way you move, and I see somebody who is extremely conscious of being looked at. I think you really believe that people are looking at you all the time. And you know what? ANN What? GRAHAM They are looking at you. Ann, you are truly breathtaking. I don't know if you understand how your appearance can affect people. Men want to possess you, women wish they looked like you. And those that don't or can't resent you. And the fact that you're a nice person just makes it worse. ANN (thinks) My therapist said that-- GRAHAM You're in therapy? ANN Aren't you? GRAHAM Hah! No, I'm not. Actually, I used to be, but the therapist I had was really ineffectual in helping me deal with my problems. Of course, I lied to him constantly, so I guess I can't hold him totally responsible... ANN So you don't believe in therapy? GRAHAM I believe in it for some people. I mean, for me it was silly, I was confused going in. So I just formed my own personal theory that you should never take advice from someone of the opposite sex that doesn't know you intimately. ANN Well, my therapist knows me intimately. GRAHAM (surprised) You had sex with you therapist? ANN Of course not. GRAHAM Oh, see, I meant someone you've had sex with. That's part of the theory. ANN Excuse me for asking, but how would you know? GRAHAM (smiles) Well, I wasn't always impotent. Ann takes another sip of wine and thinks for a moment. ANN Now, you said never take advice from someone that you don't know intimately, right? GRAHAM Basically, yes. 17 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Cynthia is leaving the house. She gives John a big kiss. ANN (voice over) So since I've never had sex with you, by your own advice I shouldn't accept your advice. GRAHAM (voice over) That's correct. (pause) Bit of a dilemma, isn't it? Cynthia is not wearing her diamond stud earring. 18 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN Well, I don't know. The week started off okay, but then I was outside watering the plants, and I started feeling dizzy from the heat and that got me thinking about the Greenhouse Effect, so I went inside and turned on the air-conditioner full blast, and that made me feel a little better until I started thinking about radon leakage coming up through the floor, and-- DOCTOR Radon leakage? ANN Yes, it's this radioactive gas in the ground, and houses kind of act like magnets to pull it up, and--you've never heard of this? DOCTOR No, I haven't. ANN Well, the cumulative effect is not good, let me tell you. (pause) I knew I shouldn't have watered those plants. DOCTOR Did you confront John about the visitor? ANN What visitor? DOCTOR The friend of John's that was staying at your house. ANN Oh, Graham. No, I didn't talk to him about that. Actually, that turned out to be pretty interesting. I expected Graham to be this...well, like John, you know? I mean, he said they had gone to school together, so I was expecting lots of stories about getting drunk and secret handshakes and stuff. But he turned out to be this...this kind of character, I mean, he's kind of arty but okay, you know? DOCTOR Is he still at your house? ANN No, he left last week. DOCTOR Did you find him attractive? ANN What do you mean, like physically? DOCTOR Let me rephrase. Were you attracted to him? ANN (thinks) I guess, but not because of the way he looked or anything. He's just so different, somebody new to have a conversation with. I'm just tired of talking to other couples about whether or not they're going to buy the station wagon, you know? It's just boring. I don't know, he was just different. And he's really on about truth a lot, being honest, and I like that, I felt comfortable around him. (pause) After he left I had a dream that he signed a lease to rent our guest room. CYNTHIA (voice over) So where's he from? 19 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY Ann stands watching Cynthia get dressed for work. ANN I don't know. He went to school here, then he was in New York for awhile, then Philadelphia, and then just kind of travelling around. CYNTHIA Must be nice. So, what's he like, is he like John? ANN No, not at all. Actually, I don't think John likes him much anymore. He said he thought Graham had gotten strange. A pause. CYNTHIA Is he? Strange, I mean? ANN Not really. Maybe if I just saw him on the street I'd have said that, but after talking to him...he's just kind of...I don't know, unusual. CYNTHIA Uh-huh. So what's he look like? ANN Why? CYNTHIA I just want to know what he looks like, is all. ANN Why, so you can go after him? CYNTHIA Jesus, Ann, get a life. I just asked what he looked like. Ann says nothing. CYNTHIA Besides, even if I decided to fuck his brains out, what business is that of yours? ANN Do you have to say that? CYNTHIA What? ANN You know what. You say it just to irritate me. CYNTHIA I say it because it's descriptive. ANN Well, he doesn't strike me as the kind of person that would go in for that sort of thing, anyway. CYNTHIA Ann, you always underestimate me. ANN Well, I wonder why. CYNTHIA I think you're afraid to put the two of us in the same room together. I think you're afraid he'll be undeniably drawn to me. ANN Oh, for God's sake. Really, Cynthia, really, I don't think he's your type. CYNTHIA "My type"? What is this bullshit? How would you know what "my type" is? ANN I have a pretty good idea. CYNTHIA Ann, you don't have a clue. Look, I don't even know why we're discussing this, I'll just call him myself. ANN He doesn't have a phone. CYNTHIA Well, I'll call him when he does. ANN But he won't. CYNTHIA What are you talking about? ANN He's not getting a phone, he doesn't like talking on the phone. CYNTHIA Oh, please. Okay,' so give me the Zen master's address, I'll think of a reason to stop by. ANN Let me talk to him first. CYNTHIA Why? Just give me the address, you won't even have to be involved. ANN I don't feel right just giving you the address so that you can go over there and... CYNTHIA And what? ANN And...do whatever it is you do. Cynthia laughs loudly. Ann, not happy, watches her dig through the jewelry box. ANN Lose something? CYNTHIA That goddam diamond stud earring that cost me a fucking fortune. ANN Are you getting Mom something for her birthday? CYNTHIA I don't know, I'll get her a card or something. ANN A card? For her fiftieth birthday? CYNTHIA What's wrong with that? ANN Don't you think she deserves a little more than a card? I mean, the woman gave birth to you. It s her fiftieth birthday-- CYNTHIA Will you stop? Jesus. ANN I just thought it might-- CYNTHIA Okay, Ann, okay. How about this: you buy her something nice, and I'll pay for half. All right? ANN Fine. CYNTHIA Good. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have to go to work. 20 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN I was thinking maybe I shouldn't be in therapy anymore. DOCTOR What brought this on? ANN I've been thinking about it for awhile, and then I was talking to somebody who kind of put things in perspective for me. DOCTOR (smiles) I thought that's what I did. Who was it that you talked to? ANN That guy Graham I told you about. He said taking advice from someone you don't know intimately was...well, he said a lot of stuff. The Doctor exhales, thinking for a moment. DOCTOR Ann, in life one has to be aware of hidden agendas. (pause) Did it occur to you that Graham may have his own reasons for not wanting you to be in therapy? ANN What do you mean? I don't understand. DOCTOR It's possible that Graham has hidden motives for disliking therapy and/or therapists. Perhaps he has problems of his own that he is unwilling to deal with, and he would like to see other people, you for instance, wallow in their situation just as he does. Do you think that's possible? ANN I guess. DOCTOR You understand that you are free to leave therapy at any time? ANN Yes. DOCTOR That you are under no obligation to me? ANN Yes. DOCTOR Do you want to leave therapy? ANN Not really. DOCTOR Do you feel there is more progress to be made? ANN Yes. DOCTOR I'm glad you feel that way, because I feel that way, too. ANN But you don't have hidden motives for feeling that way, right? The Doctor laughs. Ann does not laugh with him. 21 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY On a television monitor we see images originating from an 8mm Video deck. Graham sits naked in a sheet-covered chair facing the screen. He watches the tape, which is footage of himself interviewing a girl about her sexual preferences. The photography on the tape is handheld, relentless. As the questions get more detailed, Graham becomes more aroused. There is a knock on Graham's door. He calmly shuts off the videotape player and stands, wrapping the sheet around himself. GRAHAM It's open. Graham walks into the bedroom to put on some clothes. Ann opens the door and walks into the apartment. ANN Hi! GRAHAM (off) Ann. Hello. ANN Are you in the middle of something? GRAHAM (off) Nothing I can't finish later. ANN (looks) I just wanted to see how the place looked furnished. GRAHAM (Off) Not much to see, I'm afraid. I'm sort of cultivating a minimalist vibe. ANN Somehow I imagined books. I thought you would have like a whole lot of books and be reading all the time. Graham enters. GRAHAM I do read a lot. But I check everything out of the library. Graham picks up an Anais Nin diary and opens it to show Ann the library sleeve inside. GRAHAM Cheaper that way. And cuts down on the clutter. Ann walks to the table where the video gear is set up. Graham watches her closely. She looks into a large box of 8mm videotapes. On the side of each tape is a label. The labels look like this: DONNA / 11 DEC 86 / 1:07:36 And so on. There are thirty or forty tapes, total. ANN What are these? GRAHAM Videotapes. ANN (smiles) I can see that. What are they? Graham exhales. GRAHAM It's a personal project I'm working on. ANN What kind of personal project? GRAHAM Oh, just a personal project like anyone else's personal project. Mine's just a little more personal. ANN Who's Donna? GRAHAM Donna? ANN Donna. On this tape it says "Donna". GRAHAM (thinking) Donna was a girl I knew in Florida. ANN You went out with her? GRAHAM Not really. Ann looks in the box again. ANN How come all these are girl's names? Graham thinks for a moment. GRAHAM Because I enjoy interviewing women more than men. ANN All of these are interviews? GRAHAM Yes. ANN Can we look at one? GRAHAM No. ANN Why not? GRAHAM Because I promised each subject that no one would look at the tape except me. Ann looks at Graham for a long moment, then back at the tapes. ANN What...what are these interviews about? GRAHAM The...interviews are about sex, Ann. ANN About sex? GRAHAM Yes. ANN What about sex? GRAHAM Everything about sex. ANN Like what? GRAHAM Like what they've done, what they do, what they don't do, what they want to do but are afraid to ask for, what they won't do even if asked. Anything I can think of. ANN You just ask them questions? GRAHAM Yes. ANN And they just answer them? GRAHAM Mostly. Sometimes they do things. ANN To you? GRAHAM No, not to me, for me, for the camera. ANN (stunned) I don't ...why...why do you do this? GRAHAM I'm sorry this came up. ANN This is just...so... GRAHAM Maybe you want to go. ANN Yes, I do. Ann nods and absently heads for the door. She gives Graham a puzzled look before leaving. 22 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann is talking to Cynthia on the telephone. ANN (still shaken) I don't...he doesn't want you to come over. CYNTHIA What do you mean he doesn't want me to come over? Did you tell him about me? ANN No, I didn't. CYNTHIA Why not? ANN Because I never got around to it. CYNTHIA Well, why? ANN Because. Cynthia, look, John was right. Graham is strange. Very strange. You don't want to get involved with him. CYNTHIA What the hell happened over there? Did he make a pass at you? ANN No! CYNTHIA Then what's the story, what's this "strange" bullshit all of a sudden? Is he drowning puppies, or what? ANN No, it's nothing like that. CYNTHIA Well, what? Is he dangerous? ANN No, he's not dangerous. Not physically. CYNTHIA Well, what, then? ANN I don't want to talk about it. CYNTHIA Then why'd you call me? ANN I don't know. Ann hangs up. 23 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY Cynthia gets out of the shower. The phone rings. She wraps herself in a towel and lifts the receiver. CYNTHIA Hello. JOHN Cynthia. John. CYNTHIA Not today. I've got other plans. JOHN Oh. (pause) Well, when, then? CYNTHIA How about inviting me over to dinner? JOHN You know what I mean. CYNTHIA Yeah, I know what you mean. Cynthia hangs up the phone. 24 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits smoking a cigarette. There is a knock at his door. GRAHAM It's open. Cynthia enters. Graham looks up at her. GRAHAM Who are you? CYNTHIA I'm Cynthia Bishop. GRAHAM Do I know you? CYNTHIA I'm Ann Millaney's sister. GRAHAM The extrovert. CYNTHIA (smiles) She must have been in a good mood when she said that. She usually calls me loud. GRAHAM She called you that, too. May I ask why you re here? CYNTHIA You want me to leave? GRAHAM I just want to know why you're here. CYNTHIA Well, like I said, Ann is my sister. Sisters talk. You can imagine the rest. GRAHAM No, I really can't. I find it healthy never to characterize people I don't know or conversations I haven't heard. I don't know what you and your sister discussed about me or anything else. Last time I saw Ann she left here very...confused, I would say. And upset. CYNTHIA She still is. GRAHAM And are you here to berate me for making her that way? CYNTHIA Nope. GRAHAM She didn't tell you why she was upset? CYNTHIA Nope. GRAHAM She didn't give you my address? CYNTHIA Nope. GRAHAM How did you find me? CYNTHIA I, uh, know a guy at the power company. GRAHAM I don't understand. Why did you want to come here? I mean, I can't imagine Ann painted a very flattering portrait of me. CYNTHIA Well, I don't really listen to her when it comes to men. I mean, look at John, for crissake. Oh, you went to school with him didn't you? You're probably friends or something. GRAHAM Nope. I think the man is a liar. CYNTHIA (smiles) I think you're right. So come on, I came all the way over here to find out what got Ann so spooked, tell me what happened. GRAHAM (smiles) Spooked. He motions to the box of videotapes. GRAHAM That box of tapes is what got Ann so "spooked". Cynthia goes over to the box and looks inside for a long moment, studying the labels. CYNTHIA Oh, okay. I think I get it. GRAHAM What do you get? CYNTHIA Well, they must be something sexual, because Ann gets freaked out by that shit. Are these tapes of you having sex with these girls or something? GRAHAM Not exactly. CYNTHIA Well, either you are or you aren't. Which is it? GRAHAM Why don't you let me tape you? CYNTHIA Doing what? GRAHAM Talking. CYNTHIA About what? GRAHAM Sex. Your sexual history, your sexual preferences. CYNTHIA What makes you think I'd discuss that with you? GRAHAM Nothing. CYNTHIA You just want to ask me questions? GRAHAM I just want to ask you questions. CYNTHIA And that's all? GRAHAM That's all. CYNTHIA (a crooked smile) Is this how you get off or something? Taping women talking about their sexual experiences? GRAHAM Yes. CYNTHIA Would anybody else see the tape? GRAHAM Absolutely not. They are for my private use only. CYNTHIA How do we start? GRAHAM I turn on the camera. You start talking. CYNTHIA And you ask questions, right? GRAHAM Yes. CYNTHIA How long will it take? GRAHAM That depends on you. One woman only used three minutes. Another filled up three two hour tapes. CYNTHIA Can I see some of the other tapes to get an idea of what-- GRAHAM No. CYNTHIA (thinks) Do I sit or stand? GRAHAM Whichever you prefer. CYNTHIA I'd rather sit. Are you ready? GRAHAM Just a moment. Graham grabs his 8mm Video camera, puts in a new tape, and turns it on. GRAHAM I am now recording. Tell me your name. CYNTHIA Cynthia Patrice Bishop. GRAHAM Describe for me your first sexual experience. CYNTHIA My first sexual experience or the first time I had intercourse? GRAHAM Your first sexual experience. CYNTHIA (thinks) I was...eight years old. Michael Green, who was also eight, asked if he could watch me take a pee. I said he could if I could watch him take one, too. He said okay, and then we went into the woods behind our house. I got this feeling he was chickening out because he kept saying, "Ladies first!" So I pulled down my underpants and urinated, and he ran away before I even finished. GRAHAM Was it ever a topic of conversation between the two of you afterward? CYNTHIA No. He kind of avoided me for the rest of the summer, and then his family moved away. To Cleveland, actually. GRAHAM How unfortunate. So when did you finally get to see a penis? CYNTHIA When I was fourteen. GRAHAM Live, or in a photograph or film of some sort? CYNTHIA Very much live. GRAHAM What did you think? Did it look like you expected? CYNTHIA Not really. I didn't picture it with veins or ridges or anything, I thought it would be smooth, like a test tube. GRAHAM Were you disappointed? CYNTHIA No. If anything, after I looked at it awhile, it got more interesting. It had character, you know? GRAHAM What about when you touched it? What did you expect it to feel like, and then what did it really feel like? CYNTHIA It was warmer than I thought it would be, and the skin was softer than it looked. It's weird. Thinking about it now, the organ itself seemed like a separate thing, a separate entity to me. I mean, after he pulled it out and I could look at it and touch it, I completely forgot that there was a guy attached to it. I remember literally being startled when the guy spoke to me. GRAHAM What did he say? CYNTHIA He said that my hand felt good. GRAHAM Then what happened? CYNTHIA Then I started moving my hand, and then he stopped talking. 25 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Cynthia, adjusting her clothes, opens the door to leave. She looks very aroused. She and Graham do not speak or touch. 26 INT. LAW OFFICES -- DAY John Millaney picks up a telephone and presses a blinking button. JOHN John Millaney. CYNTHIA I want to see you. JOHN When? CYNTHIA Right now. JOHN Jesus, I don't know if I can get away. I've got a client waiting. I'd have to do some heavy duty juggling. CYNTHIA Then get those balls in the air and get your butt over here. She hangs up. John thinks a moment, then hits his intercom button. JOHN Janet, re-schedule Kirkland, see if he can come in Friday. Smooth things out, tell him an emergency came up. I'll slip out the back. 27 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham watches Cynthia's tape, becoming excited. CYNTHIA (voice on tape) Would you like me to take my pants off? GRAHAM (voice on tape) If you wish. (pause) You're not wearing any underwear. CYNTHIA (voice on tape) Do you like the way I look? GRAHAM (voice on tape) Yes. CYNTHIA (voice On tape) Do you think I'm pretty? GRAHAM (voice on tape) Yes. CYNTHIA (voice on tape) Prettier than Ann? GRAHAM (voice on tape) Different. 28 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY Cynthia and John are having sex. CYNTHIA (to Graham, voice on tape) John doesn't have sex with Ann anymore. GRAHAM (voice On tape) Is that what he tells you? CYNTHIA (voice on tape) He doesn't have to tell me. Cynthia has an intense orgasm. She rolls off of John, sweating. JOHN Jesus Christ. You are on fire today. Cynthia smiles. CYNTHIA Yes. You can go now. DOCTOR (voice over) If you won't talk to me, I can't help you. A moment of silence. John is starting to put his clothes on. Cynthia lies in bed, her eyes closed, her face serene. ANN (voice over) I hate my sister. 29 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY DOCTOR Why? ANN (rambling) Because all she thinks about are these guys she's after and I just hate her she's such a little slut I thought that in high school and I think that now. Why do people have to be so obsessed with sex all what's the big damn deal? I mean, it's okay and everything, but I don't understand when people let it control them, control their lives, why do they do that? 30 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT Ann lies awake in bed beside John, who is sound asleep. DOCTOR (voice over) There are many things that can exert control over one's life, good and bad. Religion, greed, philanthropy, drugs. ANN (voice over) I know, but this...I just feel like everybody I know right now is obsessed with sex. Ann looks over at John. She slowly reaches under the covers and grasps his penis. Without waking, he rolls over and turns his back to her. She returns to looking at the ceiling. ANN (voice over) Except John, I guess. 31 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann is talking to Cynthia on the phone. Ann looks very morose. CYNTHIA He just asked me questions. ANN What kinds of questions? CYNTHIA Questions about sex. ANN Well, like what did he ask, exactly? A pause. CYNTHIA Well, like, I don't want to tell you, exactly. ANN Oh, so you'll let a total stranger record your sexual life on tape, but you won't tell your own sister? CYNTHIA Apparently. ANN Did he ask you to take your clothes off? CYTNHIA Did he ask me to take my clothes off? No, he didn't. ANN Did you take your clothes off? CYNTHIA Yes, I did. ANN (floored) Cynthia! CYNTHIA What!? ANN Why did you do that? CYNTHIA Because I wanted to. ANN But why did you want to? CYNTHIA I wanted him to see me. ANN Cynthia, who knows where that tape may end up? He could be...bouncing it off some satellite or something. Some horny old men in South America or something could be watching it. CYNTHIA He wouldn't do that. ANN You don't know that for sure. CYNTHIA Well, it's too late now, isn't it? ANN Did he touch you? CYNTHIA No, but I did. ANN You touched him? CYTNHIA No, I touched me. ANN Wait a minute. Do you mean...don't tell me you...in front of him. CYNTHIA In front of him, Ann, yes. ANN (serious) You are in trouble. CYNTHIA (laughs) Listen to you!! You sound like Mom. What are you talking about? ANN (outraged) I can t believe you did that!! CYNTHIA Why? ANN I mean, I couldn't do that in front of John, even. CYNTHIA You couldn't do it, period. ANN You know what I mean, you don't even know him! CYNTHIA I feel like I do. ANN That doesn't mean you do. You can't possibly trust him, he's...perverted. CYNTHIA He's harmless. He just sits around and looks at these tapes. What's the big deal? ANN So he's got this catalogue of women touching themselves? That doesn't make you feel weird? CYNTHIA No. I don't think they all did what I did. ANN You are in serious trouble. CYNTHIA Ann, I don't understand why this freaks you out so much. You didn't do it, I did, and if it doesn't bother me, why should it bother you? ANN I don't want to discuss it. CYNTHIA Then why do you keep asking about it? 32 INT. LOUNGE -- DAY A sparse daytime crowd. Cynthia serves a beer to some DUDE. He puts the money down on the bar and looks at her. DUDE (as Marlon Brando) Are you an assassin? CYTNHIA Excuse me? DUDE (still Brando) You're an errand boy...sent by grocery clerks...to collect a bill. Ann enters the lounge, carrying a package. DUDE (to Cynthia) Brando, it's Brando, come on. CYNTHIA It's great. Pardon me. Cynthia moves down the bar to meet Ann. ANN I wish you'd get an answering machine. CYTNHIA There's a phone here. ANN It was busy. Ann opens the package, revealing a lovely sun dress. ANN Here it is. CYNTHIA What is it? ANN It's a sun dress. CYNTHIA It looks like a tablecloth. ANN It does not. CYTNHIA Well, why would she want a sun dress? She's got spots on her shoulders and varicose veins. ANN So will you, someday. CYNTHIA Yeah, and when I do, I won't be wearing sun dresses. The lounge phone rings. ANN I was just trying to-- CYNTHIA Hold on. Cynthia walks to the other end of the bar to answer the phone. The Dude watches her pass. Then he turns to Ann and gives her the once-over. He spots the present. DUDE Nice dress. Ann says nothing. DUDE Wanna hear my Walter Matthau? You'll love this. (as Matthau) "Feeelix, what are you, craaazee?" (back to normal) Pretty good, huh? Cynthia picks up the phone. CYNTHIA Hello. JOHN Cynthia. John. CYNTHIA Well, this is timely. Your wife is here, would you like to speak to her? JOHN She's there? What's she doing there? CYTNHIA She came by to show me a present that she and I are buying for your mother-in-law. JOHN Oh. When can I see you? CYNTHIA I don't know. I'm not sure I can duplicate the level of intensity I had the other day. JOHN Nothing wrong with trying. CYNTHIA I don't think my sister would agree. A pause. JOHN Do you want me to stop calling? CYNTHIA Look, I'll call you, okay? Cynthia hangs up and walks back to Ann. CYNTHIA So what's my share of the dress? ANN Thirty-two dollars. Cynthia pulls thirty-five bucks out of her jeans. She watches Ann put the money away. CYNTHIA Look, don't worry about the dress, I'm sure she'll love it. DUDE (to Ann and Cynthia) Hey!! How about Tom Brokaw? Nobody does Brokaw. (as Tom Brokaw) "In Iran today..." 33 SCENE DELETED 34 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits reading a book. There is a knock at his door. GRAHAM It s open. Cynthia enters the room, looking very intent on something. GRAHAM Hello. CYNTHIA Hi. Graham sets his book down. He looks at her for a moment, then drags on his cigarette. CYNTHIA Look, I'm just going to come right out and tell you why I'm here, okay? GRAHAM Okay. CYNTHIA I'd like to make another tape. Graham thinks for a moment. GRAHAM No. CYNTHIA No? Not even one more? GRAHAM I never do more than one. I'm sorry. CYNTHIA I can't talk you into it? GRAHAM No. You'll have to get somebody else. CYNTHIA Now who the hell is going to do that for me? GRAHAM I'm sure a substantial number of men in this town would volunteer. CYNTHIA But I want you to do it, I want somebody who will ask the right questions and everything, somebody I can play to and feel safe because you can't do anything. GRAHAM Ouch. Okay, I deserved that. Cynthia, don't you understand? After the first time it's just not spontaneous. There's no edge anymore. Look at the tapes, there is only one date on each label. I have never taped anyone twice. CYNTHIA So make an exception. GRAHAM No. CYNTHIA How about if you record over the one we already made? You could have the same date and not use another tape. Who would know? GRAHAM I would. CYNTHIA Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? GRAHAM Cynthia, I don't know. CYNTHIA I can't believe you're doing this after I let you tape me. GRAHAM I'm sorry. I can't do it. CYNTHIA Goddamit, give me my tape, then. GRAHAM No. Cynthia heads for the tape box. Graham leaps up to stop her. CYNTHIA (digging through the box) It's my fucking tape, you asshole-- Graham grabs her wrists momentarily. GRAHAM (heated) No!! I told you what the parameters were and you agreed. It's my tape. I look at it, I touch it, nobody else. Cynthia and Graham look at each other for a long moment. GRAHAM Please go, I'd like you to go now. Cynthia looks at him. CYNTHIA Sure, okay. She leaves. 35 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT John and Ann lie in bed. The lights are out. Ann is wide awake, while John is on the verge of sleep. He rolls over and puts his arm around her. She gets up and sits in a chair opposite the bed. ANN John? JOHN Mmmmm... ANN I called you Tuesday at 3:30 and they said you weren't in. Do you remember where you were? CUT TO: 36 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John and Cynthia are in Cynthia's bed, kissing. On the floor, John's watch reads 3:11 pm. CUT BACK TO: 37 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT JOHN Tuesday. I had a late lunch. ANN Did you see a message to call me when you got back in? CUT TO: 38 EXT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John leaves Cynthia's house and drives straight home, greeting Ann as he steps through the front door. CUT BACK TO: 39 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT JOHN Yes. I just got busy. ANN That's interesting, because I didn't leave a message. John is waking up a little. JOHN Then maybe I saw an old message. There are a lot of them on my desk, you know. ANN Who'd you have lunch with? JOHN I ate by myself. A pause. JOHN Something wrong? ANN Are you having an affair? JOHN Jesus Christ, where'd that come from? I have a late lunch by myself and now I'm fucking somebody? ANN Well, are you? JOHN No, I'm not. Frankly, I'm offended at the accusation. ANN If I'm right, I want to know. I don't want you to lie. I'd be very upset, but not as upset as if I'd found out you'd been lying. JOHN There's nothing to know, Ann. ANN I can't tell you how upset I would be if you were lying. JOHN Ann, you are completely paranoid. Not ten minutes ago I wanted to make love for the first time in weeks, and you act like I'm dipped in shit. You know, I think there are a lot of women that would be glad to have a young, straight male making a pretty good living beside them in bed with a hard on. ANN My sister, for one. Is that who it is? JOHN For God's sake, Ann, I am not fucking your sister. I don't find her that attractive, for one. ANN Is that supposed to comfort me? JOHN I was just saying, you know? I didn't get paranoid when you didn't want to make love. I could have easily assumed that you didn't want to because you were having an affair. ANN But I'm not. JOHN I'm not either!! ANN Why don't I believe you? JOHN Look, this conversation is utterly ridiculous. Maybe when you have some evidence, we should talk, but don't give me conjecture and intuition. ANN Always the lawyer. JOHN Goddam right. I mean, can you imagine: "Your honor, I'm positive this man is guilty. I can't place him at the scene or establish a motive, but I have this really strong feeling." ANN You've made your point. JOHN I'm sorry. It's just...I'm under a lot of pressure with this Kirkland thing, it's my first big case as junior partner, and I work all day, I come home, I look forward to seeing you, and...it hurts that you accuse me like that. A pause. Ann exhales. ANN I'm sorry, too. I...I get these ideas in my head, you know, and I have nothing to do all day but sit around and concoct these intricate scenarios. And then I want to believe it so I don't think I've wasted the whole day. Last week I was convinced you were having an affair with Cynthia, I don't know why. JOHN I don't, either. I mean, Cynthia, of all people. She's so... ANN Loud. JOHN Yeah. Jeez, give me some credit. ANN I didn't say it was rational, I just said I was convinced. JOHN Isn't therapy helping at all? ANN I don't know. Sometimes I feel stupid babbling about my little problems while children are starving in the world. JOHN Quitting your therapy won't feed the children of Ethiopia. ANN I know. A pause. ANN You never used to say "fucking". 40 SCENE DELETED 41 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John sits on the edge of Cynthia's bed, slowly undressing. JOHN It's just so blatantly stupid, I have a hard time believing you did it. CYNTHIA What's so stupid about it? JOHN That you...you don't even know the guy. CYNTHIA Well, you know him, he's a friend of yours, do you think he can be trusted? JOHN Shit, after what you've told me, I don't know. I should've known, when he showed up dressed like some arty brat. CYNTHIA I like the way he dresses. JOHN What if this tape gets into the wrong hands? CYNTHIA "The wrong hands"? We're not talking about military secrets, John. They're just tapes that he makes so he can sit around and get off. JOHN Jesus Christ. And he doesn't have sex with any of them? They just talk? CYNTHIA Right. JOHN Jesus. I could almost understand it if he was screwing these people, almost. Why doesn't he just buy some magazines or porno movies or something? CYNTHIA Doesn't work. He has to know the people, he has to be able to interact with them. JOHN Interact, fine, but did you have to masturbate in front of him, for God's sake? I mean... A pause. CYNTHIA I felt like it, so what? Goddam, you and Ann make such a big deal out of it. JOHN You told Ann about this? CYNTHIA Of course. She is my sister. I tell her almost everything. JOHN I wish you hadn't done that. CYNTHIA Why not? JOHN It's just something I'd prefer she didn't know about. CYNTHIA She's a grown-up, she can handle it. JOHN I just...Ann is very... CYNTHIA Hung up. JOHN It just wasn't a smart thing to do. Did you sign any sort of paper, or did he have any contract with you saying he wouldn't broadcast these tapes? CYNTHIA No. JOHN You realize you have no recourse legally? This stuff could show up anywhere. CYNTHIA It won't. I trust him. JOHN (disbelieving) You trust him. CYNTHIA Yeah, I do. A helluva lot more than I trust you. JOHN What do you mean? CYNTHIA Exactly what I said. I'd trust him before I'd trust you. How much clearer can I be? JOHN It hurts that you would say that to me. CYNTHIA (laughs) Oh, please. Come on, John. You're fucking your wife's sister and you hardly been married a year. You're a liar. But at least I know you're a liar. It's the people that don't know, like Ann, that have to watch out. JOHN By definition you're lying to Ann, too. CYNTHIA That's right. But I never took a vow in front of God and everybody to be "faithful" to my sister. JOHN Look, are we going to do it or not? CYNTHIA Actually, no, I've changed my mind. I shouldn't have called. JOHN (ingratiating) Well, I'm here now. I'd like to do something... CYNTHIA How about straightening up the living room? John doesn't smile. CYNTHIA Come on, John. You should be happy, we've gone this far without Ann finding out, I'm making it real easy on you. Just walk out of here and I'll see you at your house for a family dinner sometime. JOHN Did he put you up to this? CYNTHIA Who? JOHN Graham. CYNTHIA No, he didn't put me up to this. Jesus, I don't need people to tell me what I should do. I've just been thinking about things, that's all. JOHN I can't believe I let him stay in my house. Right under my nose. That deviant fucker was right under my nose and I didn't see him. CYNTHIA If he had been under your prick you'd have spotted him for sure. JOHN (looks at her) God, you...you're mean. CYNTHIA I know. Will you please leave now? JOHN Maybe I don't want to leave. Maybe I want to talk. CYNTHIA John, we have nothing to talk about. JOHN I knew it, I knew it. Things are getting complicated. CYNTHIA No, John, things are getting real simple. 42 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann, dressed in some of John's work clothes (old cotton shirt, khaki pants) is cleaning the house. Not cleaning like a normal person, but like an obsessive/compulsive person. Scrubbing spots that are already clean, vacuuming the same area of rug over and over, etc. Suddenly, an object lodges itself in the snout of the vacuum cleaner, making a loud noise. Shutting the machine off, Ann turns it over and sees that Cynthia's diamond stud earring has gotten hooked in the take-up roller. Ann stares at Cynthia's earring for a long moment. CUT TO: Cynthia picking up her jacket from beside the bed after having sex with John. The earring slips out of the pocket and bounces under the edge of the bed. CUT BACK TO: Ann as she sets the earring onto the floor and begins to pound it with the bottom of a water glass, trying to smash it to pieces. She soon realizes the futility of trying to break a diamond. Ann looks down at herself. Suddenly realizing that she is dressed in John's clothing, she frantically rips the shirt and pants from her body as though the material were burning her skin. Popped buttons skid across the floor. Clothed only in her bra and underwear, Ann sits in the middle of the bedroom floor, arms around herself. 43 EXT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann, now in jeans and t-shirt, stumbles to her car. Once inside, she jams the key into the ignition and rests her head against the steering wheel. 44 EXT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Ann lifts her head from the steering wheel and looks up. She looks almost surprised to find that she has driven to Graham's. Slowly, she gets out of the car. 45 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits reading. There is a weak knock at the door. Graham listens, not sure he heard anything. There is a second weak knock. GRAHAM It's open! Nothing happens. Graham gets up and opens the door himself. Ann stands against the wall of the hallway, her head down, her breathing deliberate. Concerned, Graham slowly begins to lead her inside. Impulsively, she hugs him tightly. Unaccustomed to physical contact, Graham's hands hang awkwardly at his side. Ann slowly pulls back from the embrace and sits down. Graham goes to the kitchen area and gets her a glass of water. He gives it to her and sits in the chair opposite. Ann holds the glass in her hand, staring at it. GRAHAM It's bottled, not tap. A weak smile from Ann. She drinks, swallowing with difficulty. ANN I'm not sure why I came here. I had kind of decided not to talk to you after...you know. GRAHAM I know. A pause. ANN That son of a bitch. Ann looks at Graham. ANN (sarcastic) John and Cynthia have been... "fucking". GRAHAM I know. ANN (stunned) You know? GRAHAM Yes. ANN How did you know? GRAHAM She said it on her tape. ANN (angry) Why didn't you tell me? GRAHAM Ann, when would I have told you? We were not speaking, if you recall. Ann says nothing. GRAHAM But even if we had been speaking, I wouldn't have told you. ANN Why not? GRAHAM It's not my place to tell you these things, Ann. You have to find out by yourself or from John directly. You have to trust me on this. Ann shakes her head. ANN My life is...shit. It's all shit. It's like somebody saying, "Okay, chairs are not chairs, they're actually swimming pools" I mean, nothing is what I thought it was. What happened to me? Have I been asleep? I vaguely remember the wedding, but a lot of it is just a blur...like I was watching from a distance. I can't believe him. Why didn't I trust my intuition? Graham says nothing. ANN And I'm vacuuming his goddam rug. His rug, that he paid to have put in his house. Nothing in that place belongs to me. I wanted to put some of my grandmother's furniture in it, but he wouldn't let me. So I m vacuuming his rug. That bastard. Ann looks at Graham. ANN I want to make a tape. A pause. GRAHAM Do you think that's such a good idea? ANN Don't you want to make one? GRAHAM Yes. But I sense the element of revenge here. ANN What difference does it make why I do it? GRAHAM I want you to be aware of what you're doing and why, because I know that this is not the sort of thing you would do in a normal frame of mind. ANN What would you know about a normal frame of mind? GRAHAM (impressed) That's a good question. ANN What do you have to do to get ready? GRAHAM Load a new tape, turn the camera on. ANN Then do it. Graham opens a new box of videotapes. ANN How do you pay for all this? I mean, rent, and tapes and this equipment. GRAHAM I have money. ANN What will you do when the money runs out? GRAHAM It won't. Are you ready? ANN Yes. Graham turns the camera on. GRAHAM Tell me your name. ANN Ann Bishop Millaney. CUT TO BLACK: THEN CUT TO: 46 EXT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DUSK Street lights are illuminated. Night is imminent. 47 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DUSK Graham stops the video recorder. The record meter is stopped at 46:02. Ann sits beside Graham on the couch. She looks into his eyes, stroking his hair. After a moment, she gets up to leave. 48 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT John is talking on the phone as Ann walks through the door. He mumbles an apology into the receiver and hangs up as Ann moves to the couch, her expression calm. JOHN (worried) Jesus Christ! What the hell happened? I came home and your car was gone, the door was open, I thought for sure you'd been abducted by some mad fucker, I was literally just calling the cops when you walked in. What happened? ANN I want out of this marriage. JOHN (genuinely shocked) What? ANN (looks at him) I want out of this marriage. JOHN Why? ANN We'll call it uncontested or whatever. I just want out. John moves to sit beside her on the couch. Ann does not look at him. JOHN (conciliatory) Ann, honey, please, tell me what's wrong. Don't just say you want out and leave me wondering. You can't just go without telling me why. Ann turns to look at him for a moment, then turns away. ANN Fuck you. I can do what I want. John's mouth literally hangs open in shock. He is dumbstruck. ANN I'll stay at my mother's. John gets up from the couch and begins pacing. JOHN Where did you go when you left here? ANN I drove around. Then I went to talk with Graham. John smacks his hand on his leg. JOHN Goddammit, goddammit!! That son of a bitch!! (thinking) Well, at least I know you didn't fuck him. ANN No, but I wanted to. I really wanted to, partially just to piss you off. John is seething. JOHN You're leaving me for him, aren't you? Well, that makes a sad sort of sense. He can't, and you won't. ANN I'm not going to discuss this with you anymore. You're making no sense. John walks over to Ann. JOHN Did you make one of those goddam tapes? Ann says nothing. JOHN Answer me, godammit!! Did you make one of those tapes? ANN Yes! John explodes, hitting the wall all around Ann. She cowers beneath the storm. John bolts from the house. ANN DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!!! 49 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Graham stands in the middle of the room with a cigarette in his mouth, trying to teach himself to moonwalk. 50 EXT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT John screeches to a halt, parking haphazardly. He gets out of the car and runs to Graham's apartment. 51 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT John bursts through the door without bothering to knock. Graham looks up, startled. Before he can even react, John has him by the lapels. GRAHAM Hi, John. JOHN Where are the tapes, Graham? GRAHAM What tapes? JOHN You know which tapes! Where are they? GRAHAM John, as a lawyer, you should know that those tapes are private property. JOHN So is my wife, asshole!! GRAHAM She's not property, John, she's a person. Were you just going to keep right on lying to her? JOHN What the hell do you think? I love Ann. You think I'm going to tell her about Cynthia and hurt her feelings like that? GRAHAM God, you need help. JOHN I need help? Whose sitting by himself in a room choking his chauncey to a bunch of videotapes, Graham? Not me, buddy. You're the fucking nut. Now show me those tapes. GRAHAM No. JOHN I'm not kidding, Graham, you'd better do what I say. Give me those tapes. GRAHAM No. John punches Graham in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. Graham feels his mouth for blood as John picks him up by the shirt. JOHN Graham, I swear to Christ I'll kill your scrawny ass. Now give me those tapes. GRAHAM No. John roughly pushes Graham into one of the director's chairs, which topples over and throws Graham to the floor once again. John looks around. He sees the boxes of tapes and begins to go through the contents. Graham gets up and runs over to stop him. GRAHAM Get away from those!! They belong to me!! Graham and John struggle. John hits Graham in the stomach and pushes him to the floor. JOHN Give me your keys. GRAHAM My keys? John bends over and starts going through Graham's pockets. JOHN Your keys, asshole!! Your two fucking keys!! Give them to me!! GRAHAM I'm not going to give you my keys. John beats Graham until Graham can offer no resistance. He then drags Graham into the hallway and leaves him there. John then locks himself inside Graham's apartment. John walks over to the boxes of videotapes and begins to search through them spastically. He finds both Cynthia and Ann's tapes. After a brief deliberation, he decides to watch Ann's. He turns on the player and the monitor. After pulling a chair up to the screen, John presses the button marked "play". In the hallway, Graham drags himself to the door of his apartment. Putting his ear to the inlet, he strains to hear what is going on inside. John watches the monitor come to life. The image is Ann, sitting in a chair. GRAHAM (on tape) Tell me your name. ANN (on tape) Ann Bishop Millaney. GRAHAM (on tape) You are married, correct? JOHN Goddam right. ANN (on tape) Yes. GRAHAM (on tape) Who usually initiates sex? John's jaw tightens. JOHN Bastard... ANN (on tape) He does. GRAHAM (on tape) Do you talk to him? ANN (on tape) When we're making love? GRAHAM (on tape) Yes. ANN (on tape) Sometimes. Afterward. GRAHAM (on tape) Does he go down on you? JOHN (shouting at Graham) You son of a bitch!! ANN (on tape) Not very often. GRAHAM (on tape) I would. John is literally so mad he can't speak. He watches the screen in mute anger, his hands wrapped tightly around the arms of the chair. Graham still listens from the hallway. GRAHAM (on tape) Have you ever wanted to make love to someone other than your husband? JOHN Goddamit... Ann hesitates. JOHN (to Ann's image) Answer him, goddammit!! GRAHAM (on tape) You're hesitating. I think that means you have. JOHN (to Graham on tape) Shut up!!! ANN (on tape) You don't know what I'm thinking. GRAHAM (on tape) It's a simple question. Have you ever thought of having--making love with someone other than your husband? John leans forward. ANN (on tape) Is he going to see this? GRAHAM (on tape) Absolutely not. A sarcastic chuckle from John. In the hallway, Graham furrows his brow. ANN (on tape) I have thought about it, yes. JOHN (to Ann's image) You bitch. I knew it. GRAHAM (on tape) Did you have sex before you were married? ANN (on tape) Yes. GRAHAM (on tape) Did the person you made love with satisfy you more than your husband? JOHN (to Graham) God damn you!! ANN (on tape) Yes. John stands and throws his chair against the door. Graham, still listening at the door, is startled. GRAHAM (on tape) And you have thought about...making love to that person again since you ve been married? John watches the monitor, his eyes beginning to water. ANN (on tape) I don't see what difference it makes, I mean, I can think what I want. (pause) I don't know if I want to do this anymore, I'm afraid...I don't mind answering the questions so much, but if somebody were to see this... GRAHAM (on tape) At some level, I don't understand your nervousness. Have you decided to leave John? Ann thinks. John watches. ANN (on tape) Yes, I have. I will. GRAHAM (on tape) Then as far as this taping goes, you have nothing to worry about. ANN (on tape) I guess not. GRAHAM (on tape) Do you want me to stop? John, absorbed in the image, absently shakes his head. ANN (on tape) No. GRAHAM (on tape) Are there people other than your previous lover that you have fantasized about? A pause. ANN (on tape) Yes. Whenever...all right, look. Whenever I see a man that I think is attractive, I wonder what it would be like with him, I mean, I'm just curious, I don't act on it, but I hate that I think that!! I wish I could just forget about that stuff!! GRAHAM (on tape) Why? ANN (on tape) Because that's how Cynthia thinks!! All she does is think about that stuff, and I hate that, I don't want to be like her, I don't want to be like her!! GRAHAM (on tape) You're not like your sister. You couldn't be like her if you wanted to. ANN (on tape) I know. Deep down, I know that. It just bothers me, when I have feelings or impulses that she has. John picks up the chair he threw and sets it upright. He sits down and watches the screen impassively. Graham still listens from outside. GRAHAM (on tape) So you do fantasize? ANN (on tape) Yes. GRAHAM (on tape) About who? ANN (on tape) I fantasized about you. GRAHAM (on tape) About me? ANN (on tape) Yes. A pause. ANN (on tape) Have you fantasized about me? GRAHAM (on tape) I thought I made that clear before, when I said I would go down on you. ANN (on tape) I remember. You could do that, couldn't you? Go down on me? GRAHAM (on tape) Yes. ANN (on tape) If I asked you to, would you? Not on tape, I mean? GRAHAM (on tape) No. ANN (on tape) On tape? GRAHAM (on tape) No. ANN (on tape) Why not? GRAHAM (on tape) If I can't do it all, I don't want to do anything. And I can't do it all. ANN (on tape) Can't or won't? A pause. John is still watching the tape, his face betraying no emotion. Graham still listens from outside. CUT TO: The previous afternoon. We are no longer looking at Ann on the monitor, but watching her and Graham AS THEY MADE THE TAPE. For instance, we can now see Graham from Ann's point of view, or the two of them at the same time, etc. GRAHAM Can't. ANN You said you weren't always impotent. GRAHAM That's correct. ANN So you have had sex. GRAHAM Yes. ANN Who was the last person you had sex with? GRAHAM Her name was Elizabeth. ANN So what happened? Was it so bad that it turned you off? GRAHAM No, it was wonderful. That wasn't the problem. ANN What was the problem? GRAHAM The problem was me. I was...I was a pathological liar. Or am, I should say. Lying is like alcoholism, one is always "recovering". ANN So you lied to her? GRAHAM Yes. I did. Willfully and repeatedly. ANN How come? GRAHAM I loved her for how good she made me feel, and I hated her for how good she made me feel. And at that time, I tended to express my feelings non-verbally. I couldn't handle anyone having that much control over my emotions. ANN And now you can? GRAHAM Now I make sure that no one has the opportunity to test me. ANN Don't you get lonely? GRAHAM How could I, with all these nice people stopping by? The fact is that I've lived by myself for so long, I can't imagine living with another person. It's amazing what you can get used to if enough time goes by. And anyway, I'm asking the questions. Are you happy? ANN I don't know anymore. I thought I was, but obviously I was wrong. GRAHAM Did you confront John with the fact that you knew about him? ANN Not yet. I'm not sure I will. I just want out. GRAHAM If you do get out of your marriage, will you continue to be inhibited? ANN I don't know. It all gets back to that Cynthia thing. I don't like her...eagerness. There's nothing left to imagine, there's no... GRAHAM Subtlety? ANN Subtlety, yes. No subtlety. Plus, I've never really felt able to open up with anyone. I mean, that other person I told you about, I enjoyed making love with him a lot, but I still wasn't able to really let go. I always feel like I'm being watched and I shouldn't embarrass myself. GRAHAM And you feel the same way with John? ANN Kind of. I mean, John's like this kind of...craftsman. Like he's a carpenter, and he makes really good tables. But that's all he can make, and I don't need anymore tables. GRAHAM Interesting analogy. ANN I'm babbling. GRAHAM No, you're not. ANN (thinking) God, I m so mad at him!! GRAHAM You should be. He lied to you. So did Cynthia. ANN Yeah, I know, but somehow I expect that from her, I mean, she'll do it with almost anybody, I don't know, I shouldn't stick up for her I guess, but him. He lied so...deeply!! Ooo, I want to watch him die!! Ann sits quietly for a moment. Graham watches her silently. The camera continues to roll. ANN (looks up at Graham) You're really never going to make love again? GRAHAM I'm not planning on it. A pause. ANN If you were in love with me, would you? GRAHAM I'm not in love with you. ANN But if you were? GRAHAM I...I can't answer that precisely. ANN But I feel like maybe I could be really comfortable with you. GRAHAM That's very flattering. ANN So why won't you make love with me? Why wouldn't you, I mean? GRAHAM Ann. Are you asking me hypothetically, or are you asking me for real, right now? ANN I'm asking for real. I want you to turn that camera off and make love with me. Will you? A pause. GRAHAM I can't. ANN Why not? GRAHAM I've told you. ANN But I don't understand-- GRAHAM Ann, it could happen to me all over again, don't you see? I could start to-- ANN But how do you know for sure, you have to try to find a way to fig-- GRAHAM I couldn't face her if I had slept with somebody else. A pause. ANN Who? Elizabeth? GRAHAM (uncomfortable) Yes. ANN You mean you're still in contact with her? GRAHAM No. ANN But you're planning to be? GRAHAM I don't know. Possibly. ANN Wait a minute, wait a minute. What's going on here? Did you come back here just to see her again? GRAHAM Not entirely. ANN But that was part of it? GRAHAM Yes. ANN Like maybe a big part? GRAHAM Possibly. ANN Graham, I mean, what do you think her reaction is going to be if you contact her? GRAHAM I don't know. ANN Look at you, look at what's happened to you, look how you've changed! Don't you think she will have changed? GRAHAM I don't know. I really would rather not talk about it. ANN (has to laugh) Whoa!! I'm so glad we got that on tape!! You won't answer a question about Elizabeth, but I have to answer all these intimate questions about my sex life!! Graham, what do you think she's going to make of all these videotapes? Are you going to tell her about them? I can't imagine her being too understanding about that. But since you don't lie anymore, you'll have to say something. GRAHAM As I said, I haven't decided what to do, exactly. Perhaps I won't do anything. ANN Oh, you just moved here to think about it, right? Graham says nothing. Ann looks at him. ANN Oh, God, Graham, this is so...pathetic. You're not even what you pretend to be, you're a lie, you're a bigger lie than you ever were. Graham sets the camera down, though it continues to record. He is visibly upset. GRAHAM All right, you want to talk about lies, let's talk about lies, Ann. Let's talk about lying to yourself. You haven't been able to sleep with your husband because you're no longer in love with him, and maybe you never were. You haven't been honest with yourself in longer than you can remember. ANN (heated) Yeah, you're right. But I never claimed to know everything like you, and have all these little theories. I'm still learning, I know that. But I don't feel like I've wasted time. If I had to go through my marriage to get to where I am right now, fine. Ann moves in closer, burrowing, her eyes on fire. ANN But you. You have wasted nine years. I mean, that has to be some sort of weird record or something, nine years. How does that feel? Graham says nothing. Ann picks up the camera and points it at him. GRAHAM Don't do that. ANN Why not? GRAHAM Because. ANN "Because"? That's not good enough. I asked you a question, Graham. I asked you "how does it feel"? How does it feel, Mr. I Want To Go Down On You But I Can't? Do you know how many people you've sucked into your weird little world? Including me? Come on, how does it feel? GRAHAM I can't tell you like this. ANN I'm just going to keep asking until you answer. I'm sure there's plenty of tape. GRAHAM I don't find this "turning the tables" thing very interesting-- ANN I don't care. Graham reaches up for the camera. Ann knocks his hand away. ANN Not until I get some answers. Tell what you feel. Not what you think, I've heard plenty of that. What you feel. Graham is on the verge of completely falling apart. ANN Come on!! GRAHAM All right!! All right!! You want to know? You want to know how I feel? I feel ashamed. Is that what you wanted to hear? A pause. Graham regains his composure somewhat. ANN Why are you ashamed? GRAHAM Jesus Christ, Ann. Why is anybody anything? I think you have this idea that people are either all good or all bad, and you don't allow for any gray areas, and that's what most of us consist of. ANN You're not answering me. GRAHAM (heated) Well, what kind of answer are you looking for, Ann? What is it exactly that you want to know? ANN I want to know why you are the way you are! GRAHAM And I'm telling you it's not any one thing that I can point to and say "That's why!" It doesn't work that way with people who have problems, Ann, it's not that neat, it's not that tidy! It's not a series of little boxes that you can line up and count. Things just don't happen that way. ANN But why can't you just put it all behind you? Can't you just forget it? All that stuff you did? GRAHAM No, Ann, I can't. I can't forget it. It's not something I can fix. It's difficult. There s something in my mind...the way my brain works... [frustrated) God, Ann, when you're with another person, and you re...inside them, you're so vulnerable, you're revealing so much...there's no protection. And...somebody could say, or do something to you while you re in this...state of...nakedness. And they could hurt you without even knowing it. In a way that you couldn't even see. (looks at Ann) And you would withdraw. To make sure it didn't happen again. Ann looks at him for a long moment and then sets the camera down. She moves in front of Graham and kneels. ANN I want to touch you. Graham shakes his head. ANN I want to touch you. GRAHAM No. Ann reaches out, and Graham instinctively begins to move away. ANN Graham. Something in her voice makes him stop. Their eyes lock. Graham slowly moves back toward her. Ann's hand eases out to him, her eyes still burning into his. Graham closes his eyes, accepting Ann's touch. She caresses him. Slowly. Delicately. She touches his arms, his face, his hair. Closing her eyes, she takes his hand and puts it against her face. She begins to lie him back on the couch. When he offers light resistance, she gently persists. ANN Keep your eyes closed. Graham lies back, silently obeying. Ann touches his face. Gradually, her hand slips to his neck and she begins to unbutton his shirt. She watches his face, hoping that he will remain calm. He does. She rubs her hand on his chest. Once again she brings Graham's hand to her face. She moves his hand to her neck and throat, painting her skin with his fingers. Soon each hand is exploring the other. Fingers search for and find hidden areas. Ann stands. Their hands remain together, and Graham's eyes remain closed. Ann moves onto the couch with Graham. She gently lowers herself into a sitting position on his waist. She slowly moves both of her hands onto Graham's chest. They move forward and back, like a lazy tide. She looks at Graham. His face is tranquil. Ann quietly begins to move her face toward his. Soon she is hovering inches above him, her long hair touching his features. She lowers her lips to his forehead and kisses him. She waits for a negative reaction. Getting none, she moves lower and kisses his eyes. Still receiving no discouragement, she moves to his nose. A subtle movement from Graham. Ann waits for a moment. She then moves to his lips, her luxuriant tresses enveloping his face. She kisses him lightly. She kisses him again. Graham tilts his head back and she softly kisses his neck. Graham's hands make their way up Ann's back until they have reached her neck. He slowly pulls his face to hers. He kisses her. Graham is flooded with warmth and excitement. He caresses her, intoxicating himself with physical contact. The kisses become more meaningful, and the touching becomes more passionate. For a moment, Graham seems about to evaporate in a state of ecstasy, his eyes filled with relief and happiness. But his gaze happens to fall on the video camera, which continues to record. Graham seizes up and abruptly backs away from Ann's embrace. Reality slowly envelopes him. ANN Graham... GRAHAM I'm okay. It's okay. Ann reaches for his hand. He allows her to take it. GRAHAM (almost dazed) It's okay. Graham looks at Ann for a long moment. She sees the acceptance and gratitude in his eyes. She smiles lightly. Graham moves forward and shuts off the camera. CUT BACK TO: John watching the tape. There is video snow on the monitor now. The tape timer reads 46:02. John gets up slowly, ejects the tape from the player, and heads for the door. Graham, hearing the footsteps approach, backs away from the inlet. His eye is swollen, and he holds one of his hands in a curious position. John opens the door. He looks at Graham for a moment before reaching into his pocket for Graham's keys. He dangles them in his hand as he stands over Graham. JOHN I never told you this, because I thought it would crush you, but now I could give a shit. (pause) I fucked Elizabeth. Before you broke up. Before you were having trouble, even. So you can stop making her into a saint. She was good in bed and she could keep a secret. And that's about all I can say about her. John drops Graham's keys to the floor and leaves. Graham stands, fighting back tears, and walks into his apartment. He pulls Ann's tape from the videotape player. He reaches inside the cassette cartridge and pulls the videotape itself out, ruining it forever. He does the same to every other tape in both the boxes. Calmly. Deliberately. Methodically. He walks over to the camera/recorder, trailing a mound of videotape behind him. He breaks the lens off the camera body, and smashes the inner workings against the edge of the table. He then drops the damaged unit into the pile of destroyed tape, where it disappears. CUT TO BLACK: THEN CUT TO: 52 INT. LAW OFFICES -- DAY John Millaney talks to his colleague. JOHN Man, not having to answer to anybody... I feel like this huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I mean, come on, if I decide that I'd rather live alone, what's so bad about that? It's not like I've decided to live a life of crime, right? It's just how I feel, you can't help the way you feel, you just have to be honest about it. John dials a number on his telephone. VOICE ON PHONE IBM. JOHN (to phone) Brian Kirkland, please. VOICE ON PHONE May I ask who's calling? JOHN John Millaney. VOICE ON PHONE One moment. JOHN (to his colleague) Anyway, I've always said, the work is the thing. I can be happy without a marriage, but take away my work, that's different. And if Ann can't handle that, that's her problem, like we re all alone in this world, you know what I'm saying? I mean, fuck. (looks at phone) Jesus, what's takin' this guy? The intercom clicks to life. SECRETARY (on speaker) Mr. Millaney? JOHN Yeah. SECRETARY (on speaker) Mr. Forman would like to see you in his office. JOHN Okay, in a minute, I'm on with a client. SECRETARY (on speaker) He said immediately. JOHN All right, jesus. The intercom clicks off. VOICE ON PHONE Mr. Millaney? JOHN Yes? VOICE ON PHONE Mr. Kirkland has asked me to inform you that he has obtained legal representation elsewhere, and that if you have a message for him to leave it with me. John swallows. JOHN Thank you. I...there is no message. Thank you. John hangs up. He thinks for a moment, rubbing his forehead. The intercom clicks to life. SECRETARY (on speaker) Mr. Millaney, Mr. Forman is waiting. DUDE (voice over) Come on, I'm not asking too much, am I? Just one little question. 53 INT. LOUNGE -- DAY Cynthia is tending bar. The Dude from earlier is still there, puffing On a big cigar. DUDE Just tell me what time you get off. Work, I mean. What's the harm in that? Whaddaya say? Ann enters the lounge. Cynthia watches with apprehensive surprise as Ann approaches with a potted plant. CYNTHIA (to Dude) Excuse me. Cynthia moves to meet Ann at the end of the bar. Ann sets the plant down on the counter. Her manner is diffident, but not hostile. ANN I know it's your birthday, and I know you like plants. So I got you this. Cynthia is very moved, though she struggles valiantly to conceal her emotions. CYNTHIA Thank you. ANN Well. I can't stay. Ann begins to leave. CYNTHIA Can I call you? Ann turns back to face her. They look at each other for a moment. ANN Do you have my work number? CYNTHIA No. Ann writes the number down on a napkin. ANN I get real busy between two and four. CYNTHIA Okay. Ann looks at Cynthia again before leaving. ANN Bye. CYNTHIA Bye. Ann leaves. Cynthia continues to look at the door long after Ann has left. DUDE Nice plant. Cynthia turns to him. CYNTHIA Do me a favor. Don't come in here anymore. 54 SCENE DELETED 55 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits reading. There is now some furniture in the apartment. Bookshelves, plants, etc. There are periodicals on the table where the video gear used to be. There are no cigarettes. There is a knock at Graham's door, which now has a deadbolt lock. GRAHAM Who is it? A knock again. Graham sets his book down and goes to the door. He unlocks the deadbolt and opens it. Ann stands in the hallway. Graham is obviously flushed with feeling at seeing her. She wordlessly moves into the room, her movements like a slow breeze, her expression calm. Graham watches her go by. She stops in the middle of the room, her back to him. Graham moves toward her slowly. Sensing him behind her, her breathing becomes deep. Graham slowly enfolds her in his arms, his face against her hair. She closes her eyes as their fingers entwine. CUT TO BLACK THE END

FADE IN: CREDITS AND MUSIC OVER: INT. AUDIENCE ROOM - GRANADA - DAY We start on a man's elegant slipper. He is seated in a splendid chair. Moving up the stocking leg, we pass the garter of Castile, coming to rest on a pair of delicate hands. His fore finger impatiently plays with a large topaz ring. Over this, we hear distant footsteps, echoing on marble floors. CUT TO: A Castilian face: aquilaine profile, olive complexion, dark eyebrows and meticulously sculpted beard. This is TREASURER SANCHEZ. A door slams somewhere, the footsteps getting closer. We can now here a subdued conversation. TREASURER SANCHEZ stands up as: The door opens at the far end of the large gilded room. A WOMEN, magnificent in somber taffeta, enters. QUEEN ISABEL OF SPAIN moves towards him. He bows slightly as she sits at the end of the large table. She is followed by a PRIEST, BROTHER BUYL, and three dignitaries of Church and State. All sit beside her. TREASURER SANCHEZ takes a document and starts to read aloud. On screen the words: GRANADA - SPAIN - 1500 SANCHEZ Your Majesty would wish to know the true facts concerning the island of Hispanola, our first settlement in the New World, and the activities there of your servant, Christopher Columbus, Admiral of the Ocean Sea, Governor of that Island. You will remember with what hopes and promises he beguiled us -- the truth is that he now presides over a state of chaos, degradation and madness beyond imagining. SANCHEZ punctuates each word carefully. SANCHEZ From the beginning, Columbus proved himself incapable of managing the affairs of the island. He appointed his brothers to important positions, at once injuring the pride and dignity of the nobles who had gone with him. He promised to build a city, the City of Isabel, named after Your Majesty. What he actually built was nothing but a collection of huts, and that in the wrong place, for all of it was easily swept away by rain and mud. Is that not so, Brother Buyl? The PRIEST nods. BROTHER BUYL Yes, Your Honor. SANCHEZ He promised gold. Not finding the easy quantities he promised, Columbus commanded each Indian to pay an annual tribute. Most being unable to, they were barbarously punished, against the express wish of Your Christian Majesties... ISABEL lowers her eyes. SANCHEZ Since provocation and injustice never ceases, many of the Indians have fled to the forests, or have begun to slay the Christians. ISABEL looks over at BROTHER BUYL. ISABEL Could it be so? BROTHER BUYL Yes, Your Majesty. SANCHEZ But there is worse. From the beginning, he forced the nobles to undergo physical labor, treating them equally with the Indians, all of them reduced to slavery. When the nobleman Adrian de Moxica protested against such treatment... (he pauses) ... he was executed. (pause) Is that not true also, Brother Buyl? BROTHER BUYL Yes, Your Honor. It is all true. All of it. I saw it with my own eyes. SANCHEZ He has lost control. His great arrogance has led him into depravity. He encourages our soldiers to marry the native women. He promised a paradise, but he has made a hell full of all its horrors. Silence. ISABEL Is that the man I knew, Treasurer Sanchez? SANCHEZ Yes, Your Majesty. CUT TO: INT. HUT - ISLAND - DAY CLOSE ON the FACE: COLUMBUS is stretched on a bed, sweating heavily in fever, clearly delirious. Insects crawl over his face, he makes no effort to swat them away. There is a dripping sound of water. FERNANDO (V.O.) Of all the words my Father wrote and there were many, I remember these the most. "Nothing that results from human progress is achieved with unanimous consent..." Rain is falling into the room over documents spread on a table. COLUMBUS stands up and moves to the table. Some of the walls have been blackened with smoke and flames. A lizard scuttles into the shadows. FERNANDO (V.O.) "And those who are enlightened before the others are condemned to purse that light in spite of others..." COLUMBUS stares down at the documents, moving them away from the rain drips. He stares out by the window, and we see: A devastated landscape. Flooded roads, half-destroyed huts, broken trees... A dog picks its way through the mud. FERNANDO (V.O.) There was a time when the New World didn't exist... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. OCEAN - DAY A vast stretch of ocean. It fills the screen. Unbroken, infinite, luminous, mysterious -- it stretches away, meeting and blending with the sky in pale ribbons of pearl and misty light. FERNANDO (V.O.) ... The sun set in the west on an ocean where no man had dared to venture. And beyond that, infinity... Pulling back, we discover: A TEN-YEAR-OLD BOY and a strongly built man in his middle thirties, are riding a mule. The MAN'S weather-beaten face frames unusually bright eyes. On the screen these words: ANDALUSIA, 1491 COLUMBUS AND HIS SON are following a windthrashed path at the top of the hill. COLUMBUS hums a song, and FERNANDO looks up at him in adoration. FERNANDO (V.O.) Once I asked my Father where he wanted to go. And he replied: "I want to travel all over the seas. I want to get behind the weather..." FERNANDO laughs. He then starts to hum along with his FATHER. CUT TO: EXT. HILLSIDE APPROACH TO LA RABIDA - DAY A rugged landscape, remote and steep, with lines of stone walls and thousands of sheep. FERNANDO, rushes down a slope, barking like a dog, chasing the sheep who fan out in droves in front of him. High- spirited and wild, FERNANDO laughs and tumbles over. COLUMBUS rides his mule along the narrow track, watching his SON'S antics with amusement. In the distance, the solitary figure of A MONK SHEPHERD. COLUMBUS calls out to his son: COLUMBUS Fernando! FERNANDO runs over. COLUMBUS lifts him up onto the mule. As they move along the track we now see, perched on a distant hill, isolated and austere, the Monastery of La Rabida, their destination. EXT. CLOISTER - LA RABIDA - DAY As they dismount and walk into the quiet cloisters, FERNANDO suddenly spots a familiar FIGURE, standing under the ROMAN arches. FERNANDO Diego! He rushes over, full of joy, to kiss his BROTHER -- an adolescent dressed in the novice-robe, with a solemn, delicate face. DIEGO'S response is constrained. COLUMBUS Diego! Aren't you going to kiss your brother? DIEGO smiles a little, and kisses FERNANDO -- who is immediately distracted by a procession of hooded MONKS, hurrying to the refectory, as a bell begins to chime. The MONKS all turn to greet ANTONIO DE MARCHENA, a white- haired, elderly man -- and a monk cosmographer. MARCHENA'S gesture is broad and elegant as he opens his arms to greet COLUMBUS. He pats FERNANDO'S head and turns to DIEGO. MARCHENA Diego, take Fernando to the dining hall. He must be hungry. DIEGO Yes, Father. Both CHILDREN leave under the arched roof. COLUMBUS and MARCHENA begin to walk across the cloister. MARCHENA Diego is a bright boy -- a pleasure to teach -- but so serious... Brothers should be raised together, Colon. Even brothers from different mothers... COLUMBUS Father, I am doing what I think is the best for him. And he has the teacher I would have chosen for myself. MARCHENA laughs at the compliment. MARCHENA Just be careful you don't lose him. They have crossed the cloister. MARCHENA pushes open a door. INT. A HUGE LIBRARY - LA RABIDA - DAY Hundreds of books lined up on the shelves, displaying the miracle of printing, a recent German discovery. Several MONKS, perched on high stools behind lecterns, are busily "ILLUMINATING" some of these massive volumes, delicately painting around the letters in bright colors and gold leaf. Rays of light fall diagonally through high openings, projecting geometric patterns on the tiled floor. As MARCHENA and COLUMBUS move forward their conversation is punctuated by light and shadow. MARCHENA (fumbles in a pocket under his robe) I have something for you. Almost casually, he hands COLUMBUS a letter. MARCHENA You will be heard at the University of Salamanca... COLUMBUS stops dead in his tracks. Almost frantically he tears open the letter, hardly able to believe his eyes. COLUMBUS God... That's in a week! MARCHENA That's what it says. COLUMBUS How did you manage it? MARCHENA (smiling) With some difficulty. I had to promise them you were not a total fool. MARCHENA pushes open a second door, hidden behind a wooden panel. INT. STUDY - LA RABIDA - DAY MARCHENA is not a tidy man. Books are piled up on the floor, the desk, on every shelf, along with maps, instruments of astronomy... the visible evidence of an inquiring mind. With practiced familiarity, as if they had done this a hundred times -- which indeed they have -- MARCHENA sits behind his desk, and COLUMBUS opposite him. MARCHENA lights a candle and considers the mess. Then methodically, he slowly sweeps it from in front of him with his sleeve, exposing a large map underneath. When he looks up again, there is a new severity in his expression. He turns over an hourglass. MARCHENA Why do you wish to sail west? COLUMBUS To open a new route to Asia. At the moment there are only two ways of reaching it... He leans forward, and points to the map spread out on the desk. COLUMBUS By sea, sailing around the African Continent -- the journey takes a year... His finger traces the journey, from west to east. COLUMBUS Or by land... We are CLOSE now on the map, as we watch his finger tracing a line between Europe and the Far East. COLUMBUS (O.S.) ... But the Turks have closed this route to all Christians. Trading with the Orient has become arduous, if not dangerous. (he pauses) There is a third way... We notice that the outline of the European continent is familiar. But we also notice that, in that great expanse of ocean, the whole American continent is missing. COLUMBUS By sailing West across the Ocean Sea. CLOSE ON MARCHENA'S FACE, touched by the mystery. MARCHENA How can you be so certain? The Ocean is said to be infinite. COLUMBUS Ignorance! I believe the Indies are no more than 750 leagues west of the Canary Islands. MARCHENA How can you be so certain? COLUMBUS The calculations of Toscanelli Marin de Tyr, Esdras... MARCHENA (interrupting) Esdras is a Jew. COLUMBUS So was Christ! MARCHENA throws his quill in the air in frustration. He glances at the hourglass: MARCHENA Two minutes... and already you're a dead man. Don't let passion overwhelm you, Colon. COLUMBUS (mockingly) I'll try to remember that, Marchena... MARCHENA Father Marchena! COLUMBUS (ignoring this) Passion is something one cannot control! MARCHENA (heatedly) You get so carried away when you are being contradicted! COLUMBUS I've been contradicted all my life... Eternity! MARCHENA (amused) Only God knows the meaning of such words, my son. EXT. COURTYARD - LA RABIDA - EVENING DIEGO and FERNANDO wait in the courtyard. COLUMBUS appears and lifts FERNANDO onto the mule. DIEGO turns to go. COLUMBUS Diego. COLUMBUS walks over to him, squats down so their eyes meet. He looks at his SON for a moment. COLUMBUS Would you like to come and stay with us? Uncomfortable with the proposition, DIEGO cannot find an answer. COLUMBUS I'll do whatever makes you happy. DIEGO I am happy, Father. COLUMBUS reaches out -- and touches his shoulder. He climbs up behind FERNANDO, who waves back to his BROTHER as they ride off. EXT. CADIZ - STREETS AND CATHEDRAL SQUARE - NIGHT COLUMBUS leads the mule, carrying the sleeping FERNANDO, through narrow streets. There's a clamorous noise in the air. Suddenly a large group of YOUNG MEN, shouting with excitement, run up the street and brush past them. Then more people. FERNANDO sits up straight. The noise grows, rowdy, rumbling, sharp with excitement and violence. Huge CROWDS have thronged the massive old square outside the cathedral. Holding the mule by its reins, COLUMBUS tries to push his way through... Suddenly, as a gap opens in the crowd, we see the cause of the excitement: in the center of the square stand three pyres, already alit. HOODED EXECUTIONERS are busy around the fires. FERNANDO Look, Father! Before COLUMBUS can stop him, FERNANDO has slipped off the mule and into the crowd. COLUMBUS Fernando! But the BOY has been swallowed into the mass of people. COLUMBUS tries to follow him. Flames leap into the night sky with a terrible crackling, lighting up the square with a lurid glow. Prayers are being chanted somewhere. FERNANDO has elbowed his way to the front of the crowd. A PRIEST brandishes a crucifix in front of the face of a MAN bound to a post. The heretic wears the "sambenito", a robe made of coarse fabric on which his sins have been crudely illustrated -- we see cabalistic signs, indicating that the man is Jewish. THE MAN'S eyes are mad with fear. But he refuses to kiss the crucifix, as a sign of his repentance. FERNANDO is transfixed by the scene, but still doesn't realize what is happening. He is too close to the platform to see what is in the flames of the other pyres. COLUMBUS Fernando! He motions to his son, takes the BOY'S hand, and drags him away from the scene. But FERNANDO looks back. The distance now allows him to see inside the flames. A HALF-CHARRED FIGURE -- THE MAN'S face is distorted in a silent scream... The neck snaps like burning wood, and the head falls on one shoulder. Then the whole body collapses into the fire. INT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE - HALLWAY AND STABLE - NIGHT COLUMBUS and FERNANDO lead the mule into the white-washed, stone-floored hallway of the modest house. FERNANDO is mute, shocked by what he just witnessed. COLUMBUS takes the mule into its stall, and as he does so, his mother, BEATRIX, appears from the kitchen to greet them. She is a beautiful woman in her twenties, a calm, strong, domestic personality. COLUMBUS tousles the BOY'S hair. FERNANDO glances at his MOTHER but looks subdued and doesn't say anything. INT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT COLUMBUS joins BEATRIX in the kitchen, where a MAID is cooking. He explains Fernando's subdued manner. COLUMBUS Executions. In the square. BEATRIX nods. He goes to the stone butt and pours water on his hands. COLUMBUS They've agreed to see me in a week. BEATRIX puts the candle on the table. Her face lights up with a smile. He walks to her, and kisses her. COLUMBUS I could be gone for years. BEATRIX I know. COLUMBUS I haven't given you much of a life. BEATRIX (amused) Well... that's true. I have a child by a man who won't marry me! Who's always leaving... COLUMBUS Are we going to argue? BEATRIX I'd love to argue with you sometimes. But you're never here! They laugh and kiss. COLUMBUS Perhaps I was never meant to live with a woman... BEATRIX (still kissing him) I find that hard to believe. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT They are eating around the table, and FERNANDO is unusually silent and thoughtful. COLUMBUS pours a little wine into FERNANDO'S water, to distract him. FERNANDO looks up at him, surprised. COLUMBUS smiles, then looks over at BEATRIX. COLUMBUS Fernando, don't you think we are lucky to live with such a beautiful woman? He winks at FERNANDO. BEATRIX smiles. INT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT The room is dark. As COLUMBUS approached the bed with a candle, it illuminates the naked body of BEATRIX. BEATRIX looks up at him intently. A drop of wax falls on her skin. She flinches, murmurs... They make love. EXT. SALAMANCA UNIVERSITY - DAY A medieval "campus". Students-novices are playing "pelote", with basket-gloves and a hard ball. They run with their robes tucked around their waist, revealing white legs. Others are studying, reading, hurrying to their class. We find COLUMBUS watching the game from the steps above the court. Others are waiting with him. A MONK comes from a door, and looks around the group. MONK (hesitant) Christopher Columbus? INT. AUDIENCE ROOM - UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA - DAY An El Greco painting. A tableau of twenty MEN sitting on dark, sculpted seats. Candles throw a gloomy light on their faces. Some are Churchmen, others are dressed in bourgeois outfits. Only one of them is richly dressed in the grand Spanish fashion -- he is SANCHEZ, Treasurer of the House of Aragon. A MONK (Don AROJAZ) holds a stick with an ivory claw at the top. Languidly, he scratches his back -- his off-hand manner only makes him more impressive than his peers. AROJAZ You say Asia can be found by sailing west? COLUMBUS Yes, your Eminence. The voyage should not take more than six or seven weeks. AROJAZ Unfortunately, Don Colon, that is precisely where our opinions differ... (pause) Are you familiar with the work of Aristotle? Erathostene? Ptolemeus? COLUMBUS I am, Your Eminence AROJAZ Then you cannot ignore that according to their calculations, the circumference of the Earth is approximately... (he leans forward) 22,000 leagues or more. Which makes the ocean... uncrossable. He leans back, satisfied, and pauses for effect. AROJAZ But you may have found new evidence proving that these men of knowledge are totally mistaken! A ripple of mirthless laughter. COLUMBUS Your Excellencies are aware of the statements of Marin de Tyr? HERNANDO DE TALAVERA We are. COLUMBUS Then you are also aware that his theories contradict Ptolemeus... De Tyr believes the Ocean to be only 750 leagues... A murmur of protest spreads among the members of the Commission. But Columbus is determined to press his theories. COLUMBUS The Florentine Toscanelli and the French Cardinal Pierre d'Ailly both think that Marin de Tyr is accurate in his calculations. And therefore, that the ocean can be crossed. Indignant and amused murmurs. DIEGO DE DEZA raises his voice to quiet the assembly. DIEGO DE DEZA Gentlemen, let us suppose Marin de Tyr is right... (the laughter subsides) Are we here to examine this proposal or not? Silence. DIEGO DE DEZA (to Columbus) In your opinion, how long would the voyage be? COLUMBUS Seven weeks. Six, during the summer months. The murmur increases. AROJAZ Marin de Tyr is wrong -- and has been corrected many times over the centuries by the finest geographers. Your voyage, Don Colon, would take a year! A MAN of simple bearing, that COLUMBUS identifies as being a seaman, interrupts. VICUNA How would the crew survive without being able to land for fresh water? Water is undrinkable after six weeks! You'd never be able to turn back! COLUMBUS We wouldn't have to turn back! We would find land at this point! AROJAZ Senor Colon, an experienced captain such as yourself will understand our concern with the crew. I am not willing to have on my conscience the loss of men who would have relied upon our judgment. COLUMBUS Excellency, you are right. Instantly, the protests stop. COLUMBUS I am a seaman, not a scholar... But as a simple man craving for knowledge, I have read all the work of these renowned geographers and discovered that none of them could agree on the exact width of this ocean... He pauses, and starts walking in front of the experts, as a lawyer before a grand jury. COLUMBUS Therefore, as a modest man, I wonder: who is right? The experts listen. CLOSE ON SANCHEZ'S FACE, impressed by the boldness. COLUMBUS Who is right? This question remains unanswered. He walks and stops before TALAVERA, and catches the look of SANCHEZ, sitting just behind him. COLUMBUS Your Eminence, there is only one way to settle the matter. And that is to make the journey. (to the assembly, with passion) I am ready to risk my life to prove it possible. AROJAZ Your life, and that of others! COLUMBUS If they agree to follow me, yes. SANCHEZ (O.S.) Suppose you cross this ocean. Suppose you reach Asia. What would Spain do there? Conscious of a friendlier voice, COLUMBUS sees the Treasurer SANCHEZ, an imposing man in his fifties. COLUMBUS Trade, Your Excellency. According to Marco Polo, the Kingdom of China is one of the richest of the world. Even the meanest buildings are roofed with gold. AROJAZ (interrupting) Is that all that interests you? Gold? COLUMBUS No. The Portuguese have already discovered black-skinned people. I, too, will find other populations -- and bring them to the word of God. THE MONK smiles thinly. AROJAZ Christopher -- Christo Ferens -- the Bearer of the Cross! MONK (ironic) And Colon -- the one who populates! Another small rill of laughter. AROJAZ If God intended our proximity to Asia, do you believe he would have waited for you to show it to the world? COLUMBUS Did He not choose a carpenter's son to reveal Himself to the world? A hum of interest. CLOSE ON SANCHEZ -- watching COLUMBUS intently, a hint of an admiring smile on his lips. AROJAZ So you consider yourself the chosen one? A pause. AROJAZ Don't you realize your words could be considered heretical? COLUMBUS (calmly) Blind faith is what I consider heresy! The murmur turns to an audible gasp. AROJAZ gets to his feet and leans forward, threateningly, the flame of a candle only inches from his face. There is absolute silence. COLUMBUS meets the MONK'S gaze unflinchingly. COLUMBUS (quietly) Asia can be found to the west -- and I will prove it. AROJAZ IF-GOD-WILLS-IT! EXT. TERRACE - UNIVERSITY - DAY The JURY is alone to deliberate. Food and wine has been laid out on tables. In the distance, students' cries carry over the conversation. SANCHEZ approaches. AROJAZ The Treasurer of Spain honors us with his presence. SANCHEZ bows slightly. SANCHEZ The State has some reason to be interested in this man's proposition, Your Eminence... AROJAZ The Judgment is ours! SANCHEZ Naturally. But I would really deplore the loss of such a potential opportunity for Spain for a... dispute over a point of geography. SANCHEZ helps himself to some grapes, looks round at the other members of the committee, who pretend not to be listening. AROJAZ (interrupting) He is a mercenary! Did he not already try to convince the King of Portugal of his absurd notions? SANCHEZ Indeed. The world is full of mercenaries -- and states often make use of them, when it benefits them. (casually) My only concern is the welfare and prosperity of Spain. AROJAZ understands the hint, and stops smiling. AROJAZ You would use your influence to assist this... intriguer? SANCHEZ reaches for a decanter of sherry. SANCHEZ You know, Your Eminence, the fascinating thing about power, is that what can be given so effortlessly... He offers the decanter to AROJAZ, who automatically lifts his glass. But instead, SANCHEZ pulls back the decanter, pours himself a drink, and replaces it on the table, leaving AROJAZ staring at his own empty glass. SANCHEZ ... can so easily be taken away. And he drinks with a smile. INT. LA RABIDA - MARCHENA'S STUDY - EVENING MARCHENA reads aloud the Commission's letter. MARCHENA ... and therefore nothing could justify the participation of Your Highnesses in the venture that relies upon such feeble assumptions, and which any man of knowledge would take to be impractical... if not impossible. He shakes his head, puts the letter down. COLUMBUS looks appalled; devastated. COLUMBUS They didn't listen. They didn't want to listen! He paces about the book-lined room. MARCHENA You mustn't give way to despair. You must wait. COLUMBUS Wait! I've waited seven years already! How much longer do you want me to wait? MARCHENA If God intends you to go, then you will go. COLUMBUS (angrily) Damn God! MARCHENA is shocked. MARCHENA Colon! COLUMBUS Damn all of you! You all set up theories based on what? You never leave the safety of your studies! Go out! Find out what the world is about and then tell me something I can listen to! He seizes a beautiful book from MARCHENA'S desk. COLUMBUS These don't mean anything! They're full of assumptions! Out of the heads of old men who've never been past the end of their gardens! He hurls the book across the room. MARCHENA is horrified. MARCHENA No...! My books...! COLUMBUS seizes more books from the shelves, just sweeping them to the floor. COLUMBUS All of them! Just lies! MARCHENA Colon! Don't! MARCHENA tries to stop him. In his fury, COLUMBUS accidentally knocks the poor old MAN to the ground. His cries bring three MONKS rushing into the room. As COLUMBUS continues to rage and scatter books everywhere, they try to stop him, struggling with this big, powerful man -- to almost comical effect. Finally, a short, muscular MONK delivers a quick punch that sends COLUMBUS crashing to the floor. INT. CHAPEL OF LA RABIDA - EVENING COLUMBUS lies face down on the stone floor. He is dressed in a homespun robe. His arms are stretched out in penance. FERNANDO and DIEGO look down at him. FERNANDO Father? DIEGO Sssshhhh...! One can't speak to a man doing penance. FERNANDO What can you do? DIEGO Nothing. That's the point, Fernando. A pause -- and then FERNANDO lies face down on the floor beside his FATHER, and stretches out his arms in the same way. DIEGO is left looking on, unable to bring himself to join them. EXT. CLOISTER - LA RABIDA - DAY Along the cloister, maps are drying, hanging like laundry in the light breeze. COLUMBUS pins up a new addition. Another MONK works nearby, in silence. PINZON (O.S.) Senor Colon? COLUMBUS turns, to see a small, stocky MAN approaching: a middle-class gentleman. He nods. PINZON Ah, thank God! I've been looking all over Seville for you! Never expected to find a sailor in a monastery, eh? He laughs. COLUMBUS smiles, but doesn't say anything. PINZON is clearly a little surprised. PINZON Name's Pinzon, by the way. Martin Alonzo Pinzon. I'm a ship owner from Palos... COLUMBUS glances around cautiously, and walks a little way down the cloister, away from the other MONK, gesturing for PINZON to follow him. PINZON is yet more surprised by this strange behavior. PINZON (indicating the monk) Is he a spy? COLUMBUS shakes his head. PINZON stares at him, perplexed. PINZON What is it? Are you a Trappist? COLUMBUS shakes his head again. PINZON Vow of silence...? Penance? COLUMBUS nods vigorously. PINZON Jesus! Just my luck! He takes off his hat, wiping his forehead with a silk cloth. PINZON Listen. I'll do the talking for both of us. You just nod. Agreed? Just as I do with the wife. COLUMBUS nods. PINZON I know that the Commission turned you down, right? What do you expect? You're a foreigner... But I want to help you. COLUMBUS gives him a glance like one throws a question in the air. PINZON You wonder why I believe in you? Hey, I am a seaman. And we don't like to be told where to go, and where not to go. COLUMBUS looks at him, and bursts out laughing. The other MONK looks round severely. COLUMBUS ducks behind a map, PINZON following him. PINZON lowers his voice. PINZON I don't look like it, but I have friends at the Court. The Treasurer of Aragon, for example. He finances me. His name's Santangel. Ever heard of him? COLUMBUS shakes his head, but looks increasingly interested by what he's hearing. PINZON He can get you an audience with the Queen! You know why...? She owes him money. That's how it is. You -- me -- the Queen -- the world and his mistress -- agreed? COLUMBUS nods. PINZON So. What do you say? COLUMBUS looks around, catches the disapproving face of the MONK, crosses himself, then speaks: COLUMBUS Where can I meet this man? PINZON (indicating with a nod) Immediately. COLUMBUS turns and sees an elegant Lord in his fifties, examining the maps. EXT. STREETS OF GRANADA - DAY A huge Islamic Crescent being pulled down from the minaret of a mosque. SOLDIERS are holding back a crowd at the foot of the tower. To the ecstatic cries of the crowd, a Cross is hoisted up in its place... Astride horses, COLUMBUS and the Treasurer SANTANGEL are watching the scene. They push through an extraordinary scene. The city of Granada has just been reclaimed from the moors after several years of siege. All around them, SPANISH SOLDIERS are herding, bedraggled columns of the defeated MOORS, bearing only a few possessions. Ragged, half-starved men, women and children. SANTANGEL These people built Granada... Centuries ago! It is a great victory over the Moors, Don Colon -- and yet what a tragedy it is! The THREE HORSEMEN pass a procession of grateful PENITENTS, who are crawling on their knees, chanting psalms and flagellating themselves. At the head of the procession, HOODED PRIESTS carry a statue of the Virgin Mary swathed in silk and lace. The gates of the Alhambra Palace are in sight. COLUMBUS Is this a good time to meet her? SANTANGEL It couldn't be better. Victors can't say no. Bells are pealing triumphantly. The noise is tumultuous. They ride towards the magnificent palace. EXT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - GARDENS - DAY Fabulous Moorish gardens: ponds filled with golden carp; exotic bird cages hang from lemon trees... The distant sounds of victory. SANTANGEL and COLUMBUS walk through the gardens, escorted by HALBERDIERS. SOLDIERS pass by, carrying coffers or piles of documents. As they approach the inner sanctum, however, there are fewer people. They stop by the Lion's Fountain, where several DIGNITARIES are waiting patiently for an audience. SANCHEZ appears. They bow. SANTANGEL approaches to murmur a compliment. SANTANGEL Your Excellency... truly grateful... your help... as ever... SANCHEZ protests softly, and looks over at COLUMBUS, a half-smile forming on his lips. Then a DUENA appears, and motions for COLUMBUS to follow. INT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - THRONE ROOM - DAY An ornate Moorish door is pushed open by the DUENA'S hand. We enter the Throne Room -- sculptured colonnades, mosaics... At the far end, windows open onto a view of Granada's rooftops. Against this dazzling light, the delicate silhouette of QUEEN ISABEL OF SPAIN. The light in her blonde hair creates a halo around her head as she turns. COLUMBUS falls to his knees. ISABEL Rise...! Come forward! He approaches the window, stopping close to her. ISABEL scrutinizes him quickly. ISABEL I should not even be listening to you, since my council said no. But Santangel tells me you are a man of honor and sincerity... And Sanchez, that you are not a fool. COLUMBUS (bold) No more than the woman who said she would take Granada from the Moors. ISABEL smiles, enjoying the lack of obsequiousness. ISABEL The ocean is uncrossable? COLUMBUS What did they say about Granada before today? ISABEL (a beat) That she was impregnable. ISABEL smiles again. ISABEL I cannot ignore the verdict of my council. COLUMBUS Surely you can do anything you want. A direct challenge. She doesn't know what to make of this man. ISABEL How little you know. This little hint of vulnerability subtly reverses their positions for a moment. Now we sense COLUMBUS scrutinizing her. COLUMBUS May I speak freely? ISABEL (with a smile) You show no inclination to speak otherwise! COLUMBUS I know what I see. I see someone who doesn't accept the world as it is. Who's not afraid. I see a women who thinks... "What if?"... ISABEL (amused at his familiarity) A woman? A slight pause. COLUMBUS Forgive me... but you're the only Queen I know. She bursts out laughing. ISABEL Then we are equal... since you are the only sailor I know! A beat. ISABEL How old are you, Senor Colon? COLUMBUS Thirty seven, Your Majesty... And you? Once again taken off guard, ISABEL flushes, and turns away slightly to hide it. ISABEL Thirty eight... A pause. ISABEL You will be informed of our decision. COLUMBUS bows and goes to leave. As the DUENA opens the door for him, he turns back. COLUMBUS Actually, I thought you were younger than me! And he goes out, leaving her stunned. EXT. SANCHEZ'S ESTATE - TREE-LINED ROAD - DAY A chalk white road, lined with trees. Two liveried SERVANTS are walking down the road, one carrying a large silver tray, the other a smaller tray. They are overtaken by an ADMINISTRATOR who hurries along the road, with documents under his arm. EXT. SANCHEZ'S ESTATE - STABLE BLOCK AND PADDOCK - DAY The CLERK enters an imposing stable block. In the paddock, SANCHEZ is training a magnificent young horse, making it step sideways, bending it to his will. The ADMINISTRATOR watches him, unable to interrupt. Behind him the two SERVANTS can be seen bringing in the silver trays, with covered dishes of food, a decanter of wine. They begin to lay them out on a table. EXT. SANCHEZ'S ESTATE - STABLE BLOCK AND PADDOCK - LATER SANCHEZ pours himself some wine, tucks into his his food, while the ADMINISTRATOR, clearly working himself up into a frenzy, reads from a document. ADMINISTRATOR ... and he demands... he DEMANDS to be made a Knight, with the right to bear the Golden Spurs! He will receive the title of Don Cristobal Colon -- which will be extended to his descendants for ever more... The ADMINISTRATOR looks up. He is reading the contract that COLUMBUS has proposed. SANCHEZ, his mouth full, gestures for him to continue. SANCHEZ Go on! ADMINISTRATOR He will be named Great Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Viceroy of the West Indies... Governor of all islands or lands discovered or as will be discovered with his help... The ADMINISTRATOR looks up again. ADMINISTRATOR The highest titles of nobility, Your Excellency! To an immigrant sheltered by monks! SANCHEZ gestures for the document. Wipes his mouth. Continues reading, calmly: SANCHEZ Furthermore he will receive one eight of all wealth or monies, precious gems, pearls, metals, spices and other lucrative sources conquered within the boundaries of his admiralty... He smiles, hands the document back. SANCHEZ It's very underdone. ADMINISTRATOR (exploding) Underdone! It's monstrous, Excellency! SANCHEZ No, the pheasant. It's almost raw. And he carries on eating. SANCHEZ You worry too much, Carvajal... The man will have to lower his demands. Believe me, he WILL! INT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - A RECEPTION ROOM - DAY Close up on COLUMBUS. COLUMBUS I WON'T! A WOMAN'S HAND quietly, carefully opens a cover of a spy hole in the wall. Two beautiful eyes peer through a grille, into the next room. What they see: SANCHEZ and COLUMBUS together. COLUMBUS is visibly upset. SANCHEZ (calmly) We have considered your -- demands very carefully, Senor Colon... Your expectations are... excessive, in every way. COLUMBUS tightens his fists, tries to remain calm. COLUMBUS If I am right, my requests are fair! SANCHEZ holds up a document. SANCHEZ We have prepared our own contract... He offers the document to COLUMBUS, who takes it, scans it quickly, shakes his head. COLUMBUS No... SANCHEZ No? COLUMBUS NO...! I have waited too long, fought too hard. Now you expect me to take all the risks while you take the profit! No... I will not be your servant! The eyes behind the screen -- the mouth, forming a little smile. SANCHEZ I remind you, Senor Colon, that you are in no position to bargain with me. COLUMBUS I'm not bargaining! SANCHEZ (steely) Then you are too ambitious. COLUMBUS leans over the table, faces him. COLUMBUS And were you never ambitious, Excellency? Or is ambition only a virtue among the nobles, a fault for the rest of us? SANCHEZ (abrupt) If you won't accept our proposal, we'll simply find someone who will. COLUMBUS smiles. COLUMBUS If you can do that, Excellency -- I'll become a monk! He turns, strides towards the door. We hear a WOMAN'S muffled laughter. As COLUMBUS goes out, ISABEL appears through a secret door. SANCHEZ bows. ISABEL goes over to the window and looks out. ISABEL You were right, Don Sanchez... His demands could never be granted. SANCHEZ Never, Your Majesty. Although... She turns, questioningly, towards him. SANCHEZ ... Although one may always renegotiate a contract. Especially signed by Royal Hands. EXT. ALHAMBRA PALACE GARDENS - POV - DAY SANCHEZ joins ISABEL at the window. They see COLUMBUS striding out and away. INT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - A RECEPTION ROOM - DAY BACK TO SANCHEZ SANCHEZ (quietly) ... Into a monk... ISABEL (with a smile) Yes. It would be a pity, wouldn't it? (turning to Sanchez) Call him back! EXT. STREET - EVENING Teeming life. COLUMBUS pushing his way through crowds. He is expressionless and distracted. He looks around him, stops walking. And then, unexpectedly, shouts. COLUMBUS YEEEEEEES! All heads turn as if he were totally insane. He walks on as if nothing happened. INT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE - NIGHT COLUMBUS is sitting at the kitchen table, by himself, with a glass of wine. There is a movement behind him. BEATRIX is standing at the foot of the stairs, in a night-shirt. COLUMBUS turns and looks at her, almost sad. COLUMBUS She said yes. BEATRIX (moved) Thank God... She smiles. But he seems to be unable to share her happiness. COLUMBUS If I ever come back, I swear I will... She crosses to him quickly, placing her hand gently on his mouth. BEATRIX (softly) I'm not asking you to swear to anything. COLUMBUS I don't want you to wait for me. BEATRIX (smiling) That's something you can't decide. COLUMBUS kisses her. INT. CORRIDOR - BEATRIX'S HOUSE - NIGHT Strange, unearthly music... A flickering light in a dark tunnel. FERNANDO, holding a candle in front of him, walks slowly down the dark corridor. Quietly opening a door, he walks into COLUMBUS' study. INT. COLUMBUS' STUDY - NIGHT CLOSE ON: A huge illustrated map of western Europe and Asia. FERNANDO'S candle moves slowly across the Atlantic Ocean, to the edge of the map. There, the illustrator's imagination has created monsters: terrifying demons; creatures half-human, half-animal. Sitting at his desk, COLUMBUS is looking at the map. FERNANDO (O.S.) You can't go there! Turning, COLUMBUS finds his son beside him. COLUMBUS Why not? FERNANDO points at the monsters. He pulls the boy to him. COLUMBUS There aren't any monsters, Fernando. The only monsters are in here... (he taps his own forehead) Watch! He takes a pen, and draws a smile on one of the terrible monsters, transforming it at once. FERNANDO laughs immediately. FERNANDO I want to go with you! COLUMBUS There'll be a time. FERNANDO You promise? (Columbus nods his head) Do you swear on St. Christopher...? FERNANDO pulls the chain with the St. Christopher medal from under COLUMBUS' shirt. FERNANDO Do you swear on all the Holy Saints in heaven? COLUMBUS (laughing) Yes... Yes, I do... On all of them! And he hugs his SON tightly. EXT. HILLSIDE AND GATE - PRE-DAWN A luminous procession passes through a Moorish stone gate, down to the harbor. We see the faces of the SAILORS and their FAMILIES -- COLUMBUS, PINZON AMONGST THEM -- We sense the fervor and apprehension of the departure. The procession is lead by MARCHENA and four young NOVICES carrying the Madonna. All hold long, burning tapers, saying the rosary. A SAILOR pushes through the crowd, and kisses the Madonna's feet. EXT. PALOS HARBOR - DAWN Hundreds of candles flicker in the pre-dawn light, held by the FAMILIES and FRIENDS of the SAILORS. The SANTA MARIA the PINTA and the NINA nestle against the quayside. Dwarfed by the hulls, a flotilla of smaller fishing craft, returning from night fishing, accidentally witness this event. EXT. MAKESHIFT CONFESSIONAL - DOCKSIDE - DAWN MARCHENA sits on a barrel and crosses himself. Behind a curtain sits COLUMBUS. MARCHENA In Nomine Patris et Filius, et Spiritus Sancti. COLUMBUS Forgive me, Father. For I have sinned. MARCHENA recognizes COLUMBUS' voice. MARCHENA I am listening, my son. COLUMBUS Father, I have betrayed my family. I betrayed my men. And I betrayed you. MARCHENA What are you saying? COLUMBUS I lied. The journey will be longer than I said. MARCHENA How long? COLUMBUS I am not sure... It could be twice the distance. A pause. MARCHENA May God forgive you...! You must tell them! You must tell your men! COLUMBUS If I tell them, they won't follow me. You know that I am right, Father. You trust me... MARCHENA My son, my son... (he shakes his head) Your certitudes are sometimes frightening... (pause) Christopher, you must speak to them. And if you don't I will. COLUMBUS You are bound by an oath, Father. A long silence. MARCHENA I believed in you... COLUMBUS Give me absolution. No response. COLUMBUS Give me absolution, Father! Devastated, MARCHENA reluctantly makes the sign of the cross. EXT. HARBOR AND SHIPS - PALOS - DAWN COLUMBUS walks over to where BEATRIX and FERNANDO are waiting. He kisses and hugs FERNANDO. MARCHENA (O.S.) Ispo Te Absoluto. May God forgive you and have mercy on your soul, Christopher Columbus. Go in peace. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HARBOR AND SHIPS - DAWN - LATER The CROWDED QUAYSIDE. COLUMBUS stands in front of FERNANDO. COLUMBUS Be good to your mother, Fernando. Do you promise? FERNANDO nods, tears in his eyes. Then COLUMBUS embraces BEATRIX tightly. She whispers into his ear. BEATRIX Speak to Diego. But COLUMBUS and DIEGO are unable to find words, and instead they clumsily hug. Someone taps COLUMBUS' shoulder. He turns around to see SANTANGEL. Wordlessly, they hug. CUT TO: Activity on the ships, orders are being shouted, ropes fore and aft are cast off, splashing into the water... Now the SHIPS are slowly moving parallel to the quayside. The CROWD starts walking abreast to the VESSELS. WOMEN holding up babies, blowing kisses, old PARENTS crying... BEATRIX, HER SONS, AND SANTANGEL are among them. COLUMBUS suddenly unties the chain around his neck, and throws it at DIEGO. COLUMBUS Diego! Here! DIEGO catches it. Opening his hand he looks at the medallion. Then looks up at his FATHER, elated. THE SANTA MARIA is now two meters from the QUAY. SANTANGEL is now opposite COLUMBUS. SANTANGEL (casually) Take care of my investment, wherever you're going! COLUMBUS (ambiguous) I have to tell you Santangel. I don't know where on earth I am going! They both laugh. A FISHERMAN, standing in his shrimp-boat lets his hand slide gently along the gigantic hull. He stares up at the SAILORS leaning on the rail. SAILOR Vaya con Dios! (Go with God!) They wave back. CUT TO: MARCHENA walking towards the Moorish gate. He finally turns, sad and distraught. He sees: CUT TO: EXT. SHIPS AT SEA - WHALES - DAY THREE SHIPS ON A BOUNDLESS OCEAN. The sea resembling a DORMANT MONSTER, holding its breath. A living being, all powerful, capable of unpredictable metamorphosis. Music reflects the loneliness, the anxiety of the crew, the fear of the unknown... ENORMOUS WHALES moving slowly alongside, surging majestically through the waves. Sinking back, disappearing, their cries taking precedent over the music. EXT. DECK - DAY A SHIP'S BOY is throwing buckets of water on the deck. A SAILOR is busy clearing the ropes around the mast. A COOK is blowing life into a brazier, in preparation of the evening meal. TEN MEN heaving on a heavy rope, raising the top sail, punctuating their efforts with a sailor's chant. EXT. SANTA MARIA - NIGHT The crystalline north star -- as if seen through an instrument. COLUMBUS' silhouette, by an oil lamp, standing at the prow. Holding a quadrant he is aiming at the stars. SOME SAILORS are watching with curiosity. One of them is ALONSO, a rough, stocky Basque. Near COLUMBUS, on a tressel, various books and charts. He makes an entry in the log. Then goes back to his quadrant. He senses MENDEZ standing next to him. COLUMBUS (softly) Due west, Captain Mendez. And may God be with us... MENDEZ God be with us admiral. MENDEZ doesn't move, continuing to observe COLUMBUS. COLUMBUS What is it Mendez? Speak! MENDEZ is hesitant. He nervously clears his throat. MENDEZ Well... It's the men, Sir. They wonder how you know our position. We've lost sight from land days ago... COLUMBUS (still taking readings) And what do you think Mendez? MENDEZ Well, I surely know what a quadrant is! But I've never seen it used at night before. COLUMBUS Come over here. MENDEZ hesitates, then motions to COLUMBUS. The SAILORS are watching, and some approach to hear the conversation. COLUMBUS Now, find the North Star. Do you have it? CUT TO: The picture swims across the heavens, until we see the north star. COLUMBUS (O.S.) Steady yourself...! Keep the plumb line vertical... The picture steadies. CUT TO: MENDEZ nods -- and loses equilibrium. The plumb line swings. COLUMBUS Don't move! A mistake of one degree and we'll be off 6,000 leagues! MENDEZ tries again. COLUMBUS What do you read? MENDEZ Twenty eight. MENDEZ turns to COLUMBUS. COLUMBUS That's it. The twenty eighth parallel. And we'll follow it until we reach land. ALONSO does not seem convinced. ALONSO How do you know land is on the twenty eighth parallel? EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - DAY A blazing sun. The ship is like a furnace, its brass fittings too hot to touch, the blistering heat making the air shimmer over the decks. Desperate for shade, sailors are sheltering under the sagging prow sail. The SHIP'S BOY throws an empty bucket attached to a rope over the side and hauls it back up again, brimming with water. As he turns, we see his face, disfigured by a hair lip. He drenches himself... From the shade, ALONSO watches him. ALONSO Chicken-ass face! The others laugh. The BOY, ashamed, tries to ignore them. ALONSO'S hand accidentally touches a brass fitting; he reacts like he was burnt. ALONSO Shit! He sucks his blistered fingers. ALONSO I never seen heat like this! Not even in Las Minas! SAILOR The water's going putrid in the barrels. ALONSO You'll be drinking your own piss... For the glory of Spain... and Admiral Colon...! Bastard! The SHIP'S BOY glances round at them. ALONSO What are you listening to, chicken ass? SAILOR Ah, leave him alone. He's doing no harm. ALONSO With a face like that? (to boy) I don't want you looking at me. You hear? The BOY turns away, dropping the bucket back into the sea. ALONSO He's the devil's child... SAILOR We'll all go crazy... The BOY throws more water over the deck. A SAILOR takes his guitar, and starts singing an improvised song. SAILOR Culo de galina es el hijo del demonio... (Chicken ass mouth is the devil's child... Born from the loins of a stinky old goat etc...) They all laugh. The BOY, hearing this, climbs to the crow's-nest like a monkey. EXT. SANTA MARIA - RIGGING AND CROW'S-NEST - DAY We experience a sense of vertigo as we near the top of the main mast, high above the rolling deck. The BOY curls like a fetus in the swinging crow's-nest, exhausted by the heat, and scared. His eyes are turning white. He begins to piss himself... CUT TO: EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - DAY Piss is dripping on the deck. THE SAILORS do not seem to care. THE COOK takes a chicken from a cage. He breaks its neck, and starts plucking it. The OTHERS continue their bitter conversation. ALONSO We should have seen land. SAILOR We left three weeks ago, Alonso. Can't be that near. ALONSO Can't be that far, I say. Also, I don't like the smell of the sea around here. Smells like a cunt. Bad sign... The COOK starts laughing. They turn to him. COOK (shaking his head) Of course it smells like it! That's why sailors take to the sea! They all laugh. Alonso looks up at COLUMBUS standing on the poop deck, scrutinizing the horizon, waiting for the land to appear. ALONSO And why does this one take to the sea? Nobody knows. Never says a word... MENDEZ has sensed the danger of this lack of respect. He approaches them. MENDEZ To your post! At once! They split in silence. EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - NIGHT The SHIP is plowing on, pushed by a hot wind -- SAILORS sleep on deck. The SHIP'S BOY is singing to himself. Despite his hair lip he has a pure, melancholy voice... COLUMBUS, leaning over the prow rail, staring ahead, hears it carry over the darkness. EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - DAY CLOSE UP ON AN HOUR-GLASS, nearly through its time. The SHIP'S BOY throws an "ampoulette" over board. We follow the bulb attached to a rope, passing the full length of the hull. As it reaches the poop deck, another SAILOR shouts "MARK". A very primitive system of calculation for distance and speed. Sitting near the SHIP'S BOY, COLUMBUS is making entries in a log-book, watching the hourglass. SHIP'S BOY Mark. Twenty nine, Sir! THE HOUR-GLASS runs out. COLUMBUS converts the mark into a daily average for distance and speed. COLUMBUS Six hundred and twenty nine. THE SHIP'S BOY cups his hands to his mouth to shout. CUT TO: EXT. PINTA - DAY PINZON, his OFFICERS beside him, looks across at the SANTA MARIA. SHIP'S BOY Six hundred and twenty nine! AN OFFICER turns to PINZON to repeat the message. OFFICER Six hundred and twenty nine, Sir! PINZON does not seem too pleased. PINZON I heard. THE OFFICER examines his own calculations. OFFICER Captain, I don't understand. PINZON I think I do. He goes back to his cabin. CUT TO: EXT. SHIPS - SARGASSO SEA - DAY ABSOLUTE STILLNESS. A FURNACE. The three ships like dots, on what seems to be a prairie of weed. The caravels are being towed by three rowing boats. CLOSE ON THE MEN, rowing, drenched with sweat. FROM THE PROW, COLUMBUS is staring at the horizon. ALONSO pulling at his oars stares at COLUMBUS' distant figure with hate and resentment. ALONSO suddenly ships his oars, throwing the whole boat into disarray. Chaos. Total silence. MENDEZ and ALONSO stare at each other. MENDEZ Continue rowing! ALONSO To where? ALONSO defiantly stares at MENDEZ. He then starts to beat a rhythm on the hull with his fist, followed by the others. In the two other boats, the MEN begin to follow suit, beating a rhythm of protest on the hulls. MENDEZ looks up to COLUMBUS, in panic. ON BOARD PINZON'S SHIP, an OFFICER cups his hands to his mouth. OFFICER Captain Pinzon requests permission to board. CUT TO: EXT. SANTA MARIA - DAY COLUMBUS Granted. INT. COLUMBUS' CABIN - DAY PINZON enters. He looks furious. PINZON You lied! You cheated! We're way past 750 leagues! COLUMBUS (calmly) Six days ago, yes. PINZON You must be mad...! COLUMBUS We have to keep the hopes of these men alive! PINZON We're on the verge of a mutiny, Colon! COLUMBUS You think I don't know that? PINZON We're lost! COLUMBUS The land is there. I know it! PINZON You don't know anything! Listen Colon, these are my ships, right? So I'm telling you we're turning back! COLUMBUS And then what? Half of the water has gone, the rest is nearly putrid! You know that! PINZON (apoplectic) Jesus Maria! I should have never listened to you! COLUMBUS You never did. You did all the talking for both of us, remember? PINZON You bloody... COLUMBUS Pinzon, Pinzon... All we can do now is go forward! Think about that! PINZON You tell that to them! COLUMBUS You're right. Let the men decide. COLUMBUS moves to the door. As an afterthought, he takes his scarlet-embroidered jacket from a hook. EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - DAY Most of the men are now back on board. They go silent as COLUMBUS appears. He walks slowly over to them. All, including ALONSO, are surly, threatening... COLUMBUS Who gave you the order to come on board? He looks up and down the line, finishing on ALONSO. They stare at one another. ALONSO God doesn't want us to cross the ocean...! This voyage is cursed! Some of the MEN murmur their agreement. COLUMBUS Cursed? ALONSO We set sail for greed. God has abandoned us. The voyage is cursed. There are signs... ALONSO glances towards the SHIP'S BOY, with his hair lip. The BOY lowers his eyes. COLUMBUS moves towards him, pulls him forward, stands him in front of ALONSO. COLUMBUS This boy has the voice of an angel. What comes out of his mouth is blessed, Alonso. What comes out of your is evil. Some of the men laugh at this statement. ALONSO is ill at ease. COLUMBUS pauses, looks around at all the MEN. COLUMBUS Listen to me! Every man is afraid who does something for the first time. But those who overcome their fears, will find their rewards. I do not know if it is God's will that we cross this ocean -- but I am certain it is the devil who puts fears into our hearts... The MEN are listening. We sense a subtle change of mood... COLUMBUS This jacket to the first man who sights land! I want a man up that mast day and night. COLUMBUS points at the SHIP'S BOY. COLUMBUS You start first. The SHIP'S BOY rushes up the mast. As he climbs, the mainsail starts to fill with wind. The deck begins to move under their feet. This movement under their feet seems to imperceptibly erase the fears and the angers. MENDEZ Alonso! Jaime! Don't let this wind escape us. CRIES from the other ships, as the sails snap taut, filling with wind. MEN rush to their posts. PINZON stares at COLUMBUS, shaking his head in disbelief. PINZON (murmuring) You lucky bastard... COLUMBUS walks away to his cabin, then turning back to PINZON. COLUMBUS Pinzon, the more I sail, the luckier I get. Turning abruptly, he enters his cabin. EXT. SANTA MARIA - PROW - MISTY NIGHT COLUMBUS is seated, isolated at the prow, wrapped in his cape, struggling against the sleep. MENDEZ approaches him with a bowl of soup. MENDEZ Shall I take my turn? COLUMBUS shakes his head no, and starts drinking from the bowl. CUT TO: COLUMBUS' head nods lower and lower to his chest. He is asleep. We become aware of a sharp buzzing sound. It becomes louder as we move closer to COLUMBUS' face. A mosquito lands on his temple. COLUMBUS reflexively slaps it. He wakes up, and looks at his fingers -- a spot of blood, a crushed mosquito. He stares at it for a moment. Then slowly gets to his feet. EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - NIGHT In the luminous moonlight, COLUMBUS is standing, staring up at thousands of insects that wheel around the mast lantern. We hear the flutter of their wings and see the bats as they swoop and dive in a feeding frenzy. COLUMBUS turns, stares into the darkness, desperate to see the land that must be close. He kneels by MENDEZ, wrapped in a blanket. He touches his shoulder. COLUMBUS (murmuring) Mendez! Mendez! MENDEZ grimaces, and opens one eye. COLUMBUS Land... CUT TO: EXT. SHIP - DAWN An opaque dawn. COLUMBUS, riveted, staring forward as if to pierce the mist. The entire crew are clinging to the rail, and standing on the shrouds. Suddenly, the SHIP BOY'S voice cracking with emotion. SHIP'S BOY TIERRA...! TIERRA! COLUMBUS strains his eyes; he still can not see anything. The entire CREW stand and stare, silent, holding their breath. As the sun begins to rise, the fog dissipates -- slowly, exquisitely, revealing a single palm, so close it seems almost as though they could touch it. Then a white slash of beach. Near COLUMBUS, a SAILOR falls to his knees and burst into tears. Others laugh with joy. COLUMBUS watches this vision in disbelief, his mouth open as if it were difficult for him to breathe. Tears come to his eyes. He closes them. Then opens them again. The land is there -- a green paradise. On screen the words: OCTOBER 12, 1942. GUANAHAN ISLAND EXT. BOATS - DAY Three row boats plunging through the surf towards the beach. COLUMBUS stands in the prow of the first boat. MENDEZ is in the second. PINZON the third. They stare entranced at the lushness of the foliage, and the blue clarity of the water... As the first boat beaches, COLUMBUS leaps out and wades ashore. Behind him the rest of the landing party splash through the sun-dazzled water, carrying the banner of Castille and Aragon. EXT. BEACH - DAY They stand on the beach, almost in a dream. There is silence. The ROYAL NOTARY, ludicrously overdressed, now wet through, stumbles over to COLUMBUS and holds out his contract and a pen. COLUMBUS scrawls his name. The MEN stare at him, filled not only with new respect, but with something amounting to awe. COLUMBUS turns to them, tries to speak. COLUMBUS By the... by the Grace of... God... He swallows. Tears have sprung to his eyes. He is so moved he cannot continue. Coming to his rescue -- THE SHIP'S BOY starts to roll the drum. He then stops. COLUMBUS (pulling himself together) In the name of their Gracious Majesties of Castille and Aragon, and by all the powers vested in me, I claim this island and name it San Salvador. The MEN cheer as the flags are rammed into the sand, flapping in the wind. COLUMBUS starts to walk towards the jungle, and in silence the rest follow. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY Immediately they are met by an incredible wall of SOUND! The jungle is filled with NOISE. The impossibly-loud CRIES of EXOTIC BIRDS, the CHATTERING of MONKEYS. The SPANIARDS are overwhelmed. They move forward. Rays of sunlight pierce through the high canopy of leaves, like the roof of a magnificent cathedral. The sounds and smells intoxicate their senses. They are filled with wonder. Then PINZON stops. He has seen something. Another stops, then a third, staring ahead of them... MENDEZ (whispering urgently) Arquebuses! Several of them raise their weapons to their shoulders, pointing them into the jungle. From COLUMBUS' POV we slowly scan the face of the thick jungle ahead. For a moment we don't see anything -- and then, with a shock, we see the first INDIAN. Naked, painted like an idol, carrying a hunting lance. As if they had materialized from nowhere: the rest of the HUNTING PARTY, with their bows and spears. Silent. Watchful. They stare back at us. The SPANIARDS nervously finger their weapons. COLUMBUS slowly lifts his hand into the air: a clear signal not to fire. Then, removing his sword, he drops it on the ground, and starts to walk forward, fixing his gaze upon the first INDIAN he saw. PINZON (warningly) Colon! COLUMBUS ignores him, even though some of the INDIANS have raised their weapons. He stops in the no-man's land between them. The INDIANS don't move -- but something excites them. The SHIP'S BOY, wearing COLUMBUS' embroidered jacket and the drum, has followed COLUMBUS and now stands close to him. He is the cause of their interest. COLUMBUS puts his arm around the BOY, and this gesture of affection seems to put the INDIANS at their ease. They start talking and pointing. They come forward slowly, start to tentatively touch the BOY'S jacket. Then, now laughing, they touch COLUMBUS, pulling at his beard. COLUMBUS laughs too. Sensing their innocence, the rest of the MEN lower their weapons. Some of them laugh. An apparition: a beautiful young INDIAN GIRL, totally naked, walks out of the jungle. She is pregnant and holds a child. We begin to hear Indian music, played on a flute. CUT TO: EXT. INDIAN VILLAGE - DAY A large post is lifted from the ground by two SPANIARDS pulling on ropes. The post is fixed into position -- and then we see that it is a large wooden cross... The INDIAN VILLAGERS watch the ceremony with some interest and amusement. COLUMBUS looks over at the men and gestures at the INDIANS. COLUMBUS We have come here in peace, and we will behave with honor. They are not savages and neither will you be. Treat these people as you would your own wives and your own children. Neither are you free to take what you will; for a seashell you give a bandana. You will respect their beliefs. Pillage will be punished by the whip. Rape by the sword. EXT. VILLAGE - SUNSET The smoke from fires. Laughter. Music playing. The INDIANS have prepared food for the SPANIARDS, who are drinking and enjoying themselves in this strange world. COLUMBUS sits with MENDEZ, PINZON, the INDIAN CHIEF, ELDERS OF THE VILLAGE. Other INDIANS stand around, smiling, curious. The INDIANS talk among themselves. The ELDERS smoke primitive cigars -- and offer them, with good humor, to their guests. The SPANIARDS cough and choke at first... and laugh. In return, they offer the INDIANS wine... Dogs roam around the campfires. The WOMEN openly suckle their babies. The MEN are entranced. PINZON draws out attention, for the first time, to a small gold ornament on the nose of one of the INDIANS. He points to it, indicates his interest in it. PINZON Gold...! Gold! The INDIANS says the word in his own language, laughing. We see that some of the other INDIANS also have small gold ornaments. PINZON repeats the INDIAN word for gold. The INDIAN removes the ornament from his nose, gives it to PINZON, who indicates that he wants to have it. The INDIAN nods -- but points to PINZON'S dagger, indicating that he wants it in return. PINZON shakes his head, stops the INDIAN from taking it. COLUMBUS (to Pinzon) Give it to him! PINZON looks at him, about to argue -- but COLUMBUS insists. PINZON takes out the dagger and offers it to the INDIAN. PINZON (irritated) By God! That's the worst trade of my life! His friends laugh. Innocently, the INDIAN has taken it by the blade. He yelps, looks down at the blood welling up... A moment of tension... Then MENDEZ laughs at his clumsiness, and the ELDERS laugh too... and the INDIAN laughs. Just outside this circle, we see the first INDIAN we saw, squatting on his haunches, watching. This is UTAPAN. INT. TENT - DAWN The first light outside -- the strange, wonderful sounds of the jungle all around. COLUMBUS writes in his journal. COLUMBUS (V.O.) October 21st, 1492. I think we have returned to Eden. Surely this is how the world once was, before the beginning of time. I believe no man will ever see this land again as we do, for the first time... He looks up. UTAPAN is squatting in the doorway of the hut. He's been there all night. COLUMBUS takes more ink on his quill and begins to sketch UTAPAN'S face in the margin of his log-book. He draws well. He gets up and walks over to UTAPAN and shows him the drawing. It's an electrifying moment. UTAPAN is shocked and amazed. At first he is rather frightened of his own image... Then he is happy, and laughs... and COLUMBUS laughs with him and puts a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of friendship. UTAPAN gets up, and indicates that he too has something he wishes to offer. EXT. JUNGLE - MORNING UTAPAN expertly scampering through the jungle. COLUMBUS follows him. UTAPAN orders COLUMBUS to sit. COLUMBUS obeys. UTAPAN looks up at the tops of the trees. The sun is rising, and filters through the foliage. As if the time had come, UTAPAN stands up, and COLUMBUS does the same. A gap in the dense vegetation. Something is glittering. Gold. A mass of gold. As they approach, COLUMBUS discovers -- A large pool of fresh water. The morning sunlight has turned the water into liquid gold. The surface ripples with the breeze. UTAPAN smiles. It the stranger satisfied? Isn't this what he came for? COLUMBUS plunges into the pool. As he emerges, he fills his palms with liquid gold. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. RIVER - DAY Wide shot -- A flotilla of canoes are going upstream. INDIANS AND SPANIARDS are traveling together in the canoes. UTAPAN leads the expedition in COLUMBUS' craft. THE SHIP BOY'S cranium is shaved like UTAPAN'S, and we notice that some other crew members are beardless, some even wearing tribal patterns. EXT. RIVERSIDE - DAY INDIAN VILLAGERS confronting the SPANIARDS, UTAPAN talks to an ELDER MAN, watched by COLUMBUS, MENDEZ and PINZON. UTAPAN repeats several times the word for GOLD, showing some artifacts. The OLD INDIAN shakes his head no, indicating another distant place. OLD INDIAN Cuba! Cuba! THE OLD MAN nods, points into the distance, chatters away to UTAPAN. UTAPAN Say not here! Cuba! COLUMBUS What is it? A tribe? An island? UTAPAN Island. Far. EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - DAY Standing at the prow of the ship, his long dark hair floating in the wind, UTAPAN rejoicing at the speed. EXT. THICK JUNGLE - CUBA - DAY Led by UTAPAN, the SPANIARDS hack their way through thick jungle. It's hard work. The MEN sweat. This is inhospitable terrain. Even the noises of the jungle seem somehow more sinister... CUT TO: RESTING PLACE - ALONSO is seated under a tree. He takes off his boot, and grabs his foot, examining the blisters on his toes. As he puts his foot back into the boot, he jumps screaming in pain. ALONSO yelps, grasping his ankle. CLOSE ON a snake sliding out of the empty boot. While his COMPANIONS rush to him, a SAILOR spots the snake, and decapitates it with his sword. UTAPAN glances at the dead snake. He then goes and kneels -- he sees the bite on ALONSO'S ankle. COLUMBUS Help him! ALONSO is quiet and silent. His eyes are looking around at his companions. UTAPAN shakes his head. There is nothing he can do. ALONSO is now leaning back, supported by one of his friends. He has grabbed the forearm of a SAILOR. His look is already far away. His companion shouts at UTAPAN. SAILOR Do something! Help him! UTAPAN He dead. ALONSO starts convulsing. HIS FRIENDS hold him, desperate in their helplessness. Others simply move away, horrified. One of them cries. EXT. RIVER - DAY Standing in the stream up to his thighs, A SPANIARD (a gold expert) examines some stones. He then looks up at COLUMBUS and PINZON and just throws the stones back into the water without a word. The group of SPANIARDS are resting, exhausted by the humidity. Some are drinking from the river, others soak bandanas, and tie them around their necks... One after another, they stand up slowly -- they look discouraged, tired, and beaten. EXT. MOUNTAINOUS JUNGLE - DAY UTAPAN and the SPANIARDS are trekking in the hills. Fully armed, they are now suffering intensely from the heat and the vicious insect bites. COLUMBUS doggedly keeps up with UTAPAN, who tirelessly trots forward. Finally, COLUMBUS turns around and sees... nobody. He calls out to UTAPAN. COLUMBUS Utapan! Wait! UTAPAN stops obediently, and rushes back to COLUMBUS with comical energy. On their way back, they find one SOLDIER sitting, leaning against a tree. He has removed his helmet. His hair sticking to his forehead. As COLUMBUS and UTAPAN walk back, they find another SAILOR, then another, then the whole group gathered around PINZON. Ashen, he burns with fever. He attempts a smile. PINZON Well... You'll have to continue without me... COLUMBUS looks around him -- what he sees: exhausted men and jungle, as far as one can see. COLUMBUS No. It's enough. What would you say to a drop of Jerez, Pinzon? PINZON grins. PINZON And a nice slice of Santa Fe lamb! I'd sell my soul for it. (to his officer) Help me up. I've got to piss, gold. They all laugh as the OFFICER helps PINZON to his feet. PINZON walks a few yards into the jungle -- starts to urinate. It is red. Suddenly dizzy, he reels and collapses. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY A line of SPANIARDS and INDIANS threading their way down a mountainside. PINZON is being carried on a makeshift stretcher. His eyes are closed, his face thick with sweat. They enter a village, to the surprise of the INDIANS. UTAPAN once again at the front as the ambassador. INT. HUT - NIGHT A INDIAN SHAMAN is forcing a milky fluid into PINZON'S mouth. COLUMBUS attempts a gesture to prevent him. But UTAPAN stops him. UTAPAN He cures. COLUMBUS nods -- he obviously trusts UTAPAN. INT. CHIEF GUARIONEX'S HUT - NIGHT In the half-light, figures wreathed in smoke -- COLUMBUS, MENDEZ and UTAPAN watch the CHIEF GUARIONEX putting a Spanish helmet on his head. The helmet is too big, almost covering his eyes. The ELDERS appraise the gift with solemn wonder. In return, GUARIONEX hands COLUMBUS a parcel made of leaves. COLUMBUS unwraps them. Inside: a GOLD grimacing mask. The first real piece of gold. COLUMBUS is unable to conceal his excitement at this first real evidence of the metal. He waits for the CHIEF to speak, but the CHIEF only looks at him. On the ground, we see other presents offered by the SPANIARDS -- trinkets, and necklaces... UTAPAN (to Columbus) You come! You speak first! COLUMBUS Tell the Chief we thank him. UTAPAN Chief knows. COLUMBUS Tell him his country is very beautiful. Tell him we are leaving men here -- to build a fort. UTAPAN translates. COLUMBUS Tell him we will return very soon. Many of us. UTAPAN translates. The CHIEF GUARIONEX asks a simple question. UTAPAN Chief says -- how many? COLUMBUS Thousands. UTAPAN Why? COLUMBUS doesn't seem to understand the question. For the first time he seems to be caught short. COLUMBUS To bring the word of God. UTAPAN Chief says -- he has a God. COLUMBUS (pursuing) ... and also to bring medicine. UTAPAN Chief says... COLUMBUS (interrupting) He has medicine. (pause) Tell him we admire his people. UTAPAN translates. UTAPAN Chief says he knows you like his... (searches for the word) Women... And the CHIEF gets up, awards COLUMBUS with a smile, and walks out of the hut, the ELDERS following, leaving COLUMBUS alone. COLUMBUS (with a little smile) That's a beginning... EXT. SHORE - DAY Watched from the shore by the INDIANS and by about forty of the SPANIARDS, who are staying behind, the boats pull out towards the two remaining ships. PINZON is laid out in the bottom of the boat. COLUMBUS, UTAPAN, and four other INDIANS are in the same boat. COLUMBUS (V.O.) March 1493... Thirty nine of my men volunteered to stay behind. God willing we will be back in less than a year... The boats continue to pull away, the figures on the shore growing smaller. CUT TO: EXT. COLUMBUS' CABIN - NIGHT CLOSE ON: a golden mask... the lamp in the cabin swings violently back and forth, creating strange shadows, as if the mask was alive... COLUMBUS is writing with difficulty in his log-book. COLUMBUS (V.O.) ... Several men are ill. We did not find signs of civilization. No cities, no temples... Nothing that resembles Marco Polo's descriptions. My ships are not filled with the spices and the gold that Spain was hoping for. But this land intoxicates the senses like the strongest of perfumes... And all I can think of, is to return to these untamed lands... Suddenly the cabin seems to lurch over. Things fall from the table, smashing on the floor... COLUMBUS nearly falls. EXT. SEA - NIGHT We are in the middle of a violent storm -- of terrifying proportions. The thunder is deafening. Light irradiates the darkness. We see the two caravels, dwarfed by the massive seas. EXT. DECK - NIGHT Five MEN are struggling to lash down the tiller. The deck jumps and rolls. It rises five meters into the air then falls into space and hits the water with a terrible crack. Waves sweep over the decks. We hear desperate cries for mercy from the terrified crew, loud enough to be heard above the storm. COLUMBUS and MENDEZ are crawling towards the mast, along a lifeline. COLUMBUS (screaming to the sailors) Get below! All of you! Go! The MEN start to scramble below decks. COLUMBUS (to Mendez) Stay with me! The ship rolls again. COLUMBUS and MENDEZ crawl towards the mast. Another gigantic wave crashes over them, tons of water falling like cement. They reach the mast. The wood groans. COLUMBUS We may have to cut it! MENDEZ nods... COLUMBUS grabs some rope. The ship rises into the air again, crashes down, the deck disappearing beneath them for a moment. COLUMBUS (screaming out) I'll stay here -- to decide if we cut it. Help me! With MENDEZ'S help, COLUMBUS is tied to the mast: one rope under his arms, the other around his waist. MENDEZ hands him a horn. COLUMBUS (screaming) Now go! MENDEZ seems to hesitate. COLUMBUS screams at him again. COLUMBUS I said -- below deck, Mendez! MENDEZ crawls away. Another huge wave washes over COLUMBUS. He emerges, almost suffocated. The storm rages, its eerie light making it seem at times like bright daylight. But as the lightning flashes, COLUMBUS begins to count: COLUMBUS One... two... three... four... There's an enormous thunderclap on "four" -- it indicates how close they are to the eye of the storm. The ship keels over again, dropping down and down, seeming never to rise... COLUMBUS lifts his head to the heavens, screams out: COLUMBUS Damn you! As if in answer, another flash of lightning that illuminates the sky and the sea. COLUMBUS starts counting again. COLUMBUS One... two... three... four... five... Another terrible clap of thunder on "five" -- COLUMBUS starts laughing, knowing the storm is moving on. Then, in the strange light, something seems to move through the air towards him; it looks like some kind of projectile, a craft, with a trail of vapor. COLUMBUS stares up at it... amazed. We start to hear the "Te Deum", majestic and heavenly. CUT TO: INT. CATHEDRAL OF CORDOBA - SPAIN - DAY COLUMBUS looks up at the vast roof, to see an incense burner, swinging, gliding swiftly across the ceiling, trailing a think vapor of incense. A magnificent "Te Deum" is being sung -- in honor of COLUMBUS' achievements and return. The whole cathedral is packed with nobles and dignitaries in their gorgeous robes. BEATRIX, FERNANDO and DIEGO are staring in fascination at COLUMBUS' triumph -- somewhat separated by the grandeur of this occasion. COLUMBUS passes by, walking proudly down the long central alley, beside KING FERDINAND and QUEEN ISABEL and other GRANDEES. He turns to his family, keeping his eyes on BEATRIX until she is out of his vision. The procession is followed by UTAPAN, and other INDIANS in tribal regalia... As they move through the crowds, all eyes are upon COLUMBUS. CUT TO: INT. ROOM - SEVILLE (PINZON'S DEATH) - DAY In a simple room, a PRIEST finishes giving the Last Rites and a sheet is pulled over the head of MARTIN PINZON. His WIFE and CHILDREN weep at the bedside. CUT TO: INT. CATHEDRAL - DAY A stool passes from hands to hands. It is placed at the Queen and King's side. COLUMBUS sits on it -- a supreme privilege. To one side sit AROJAZ and SANCHEZ. AROJAZ leans over to whisper to him. AROJAZ It won't be easy to get rid of your prophet now, Don Sanchez. SANCHEZ (whispering) On the contrary, Your Eminence. It seems to me the man is preparing his own cross. INT. ALCAZAR'S PALACE IN SEVILLE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT CLOSE ON: the face of a young, SPANISH NOBLEMAN, ADRIAN DE MOXICA. Hesitantly, he brings a lighted cigar to his lips -- then pauses. We discover other people around the magnificent candle-lit table. NOBLE MEN and NOBLE WOMEN. SANCHEZ. COLUMBUS. QUEEN ISABEL. COLUMBUS takes the cigar from MOXICA. The rest watch him with rapt curiosity. COLUMBUS inhales deeply then, to their astonishment, blows out the smoke through his nose. COLUMBUS You must not inhale, but simply allow the palate to enjoy the flavor of the Tobacco... He hands the cigar back to MOXICA. With a casual air, MOXICA himself inhales deeply -- almost chokes to death. He gulps down a glass of wine... much to the amusement of the others. MOXICA (deeply embarrassed) And you say this is an Indian vice? By God! I don't see any kind of pleasure that would make this a sin. COLUMBUS The Indians have no such word, Don Moxica. ISABEL Do they have such thoughts? COLUMBUS They come and go as naked as the day God created them... ISABEL blushes slightly. COLUMBUS They don't see sin in their nakedness. They live according to nature, in a never ending summer. The islands are covered with trees, filled with blossoms and fruits. And... SANCHEZ (interrupting) Forgive me, Don Colon. But what about gold? COLUMBUS nods, turns and whispers something to a SERVANT standing just behind his chair. The SERVANT goes to open the door -- and in comes UTAPAN, dressed as a tribesman, carrying a casket. The WOMEN around the table fan themselves furiously at the sight. UTAPAN puts the casket down in front of the QUEEN, and steps back. COLUMBUS These are gifts for Your Majesty. ISABEL opens the casket, revealing the gleam of gold inside. She takes out some of the little golden ornaments... a bracelet and then the mask. She holds it, somehow moved by its crude beauty. ISABEL raises the mask to her face, looking across at COLUMBUS. The image is somehow powerful enough to reduce even the ARISTOCRATS to silence. She speaks from behind the mask. ISABEL We are more than gratified. The guests laugh obsequiously. COLUMBUS bows a little -- looks up and meets the eyes of SANCHEZ, who is staring at him, coldly. INT. ROTUNDA - DAY A SWORD MASTER advances towards us with determination, his sword flashing. He is fighting an adversary we do not see, and comments his movements. MASTER Si! Si! Muy bien! Excellente! (Yes! Yes! Good! Excellent!) We discover the SWORD MASTER is fencing with COLUMBUS. A dozen duellists are practicing in the magnificent rotunda, surrounded with a two-tiered colonnade. Out of breath, COLUMBUS stops the exercise, and removes his protective canvas padding. He bows at his teacher, who salutes him in return. COLUMBUS walks to a tressel laden with food and beverages. SANCHEZ, in a fencing outfit and boots, is having a glass of wine. Upon seeing COLUMBUS approaching, he hands him a glass. SANCHEZ You defend yourself admirably... COLUMBUS ... for a commoner? SANCHEZ laughs and raises his glass. SANCHEZ To your second expedition. They drink. A short, somewhat ugly man, with some kind of imposing energy, approach them. SANCHEZ Don Colon -- Don Alonso de Bobadilla. A man who knows our laws. BOBADILLA bows. BOBADILLA I understand that you will soon be appointing Governors for the islands? Is it not so? COLUMBUS Forgive me, Don Bobadilla -- those positions have already been taken. BOBADILLA (disappointed) May I ask by whom? COLUMBUS Bartolome and Giacomo Colon. SANCHEZ looks at him in surprise. BOBADILLA reddens. BOBADILLA I trust they are men of quality. BOBADILLA glances at SANCHEZ. COLUMBUS But we do have a lack of notaries. You should contact my administration. SANCHEZ (amused) Don Bobadilla is already a judge, my Dear Don Cristobal. COLUMBUS Good! We are also in need of judges. Except there are no thieves! A grin disfigures the face of BOBADILLA. BOBADILLA (to Sanchez) I see I was mistaken. Don Colon has no need for my services... And he walks off. SANCHEZ fills his mouth with a slice of ham. SANCHEZ (amused) You seem to have a special talent for making friends. COLUMBUS What...? Do I have so many already? SANCHEZ (seriously) To rise so high, in so short a time, is a dangerous occupation. (kindly) A little hypocrisy goes a long way. INT. ROOM - ADMINISTRATION - DAY COLUMBUS with two MEN: the oldest, around thirty, is a strong-looking man. The youngest, no more than twenty five, is thin and fit. There is obvious tension in the room. These are BARTOLOME and GIACOMO COLON, COLUMBUS' brothers. BARTOLOME is angry, and GIACOMO thoughtful. BARTOLOME You might have given us a choice! GIACOMO Bartolome is stronger, more capable than I will ever be... COLUMBUS I need both of you. What are you afraid of? We are living what we always dreamt of. GIACOMO You know I never shared those dreams with you. COLUMBUS Are you saying you refuse to help? COLUMBUS looks at them with such pained surprise... BARTOLOME (amused) You bastard... you always had your own way... COLUMBUS Let me show you something. He opens the door to a terrace. CUT TO: EXT. GALLERY - DAY The large gallery courtyard is crowded with PEOPLE -- applicants for the voyage. As COLUMBUS appears, they all press forward, calling out his name, trying to get his attention, touching his sleeves as if he were a saint. They crowd around COLUMBUS and his BROTHERS. COLUMBUS nods, murmurs vaguely, here and there... COLUMBUS Of course... Of course... We'll see to it... Yes... Thank you... Soon... Soon... Fighting their way through, the BOTHERS press their way, reaching the other side of the gallery. We get glimpses of the incredible activity down below. ADMINISTRATORS, MILITARIES, MERCHANTS are busy around tressels covered with documents, plans, maps... preparing the second expedition. COLUMBUS puts his arms around them. COLUMBUS (indicating the applicants) Now -- you tell me. Who can I trust? (almost amused) We're brothers! We must be a House. A bloodline! In this country one can't exist alone! I need you...! Both of you! He walks then to the balustrade. The cries from the courtyard down below subside... some of the applicants begin to look up, aware of his presence. SOLDIER Where is the Admiral? Has anyone seen the Admiral? Everybody laughs. COLUMBUS He is here! What is it? He leans over the balcony. In the middle of the overcrowded courtyard, the SOLDIER who was shouting is brandishing a document. MAN Admiral! The horses have arrived. COLUMBUS I know. I saw them! Who did we hire today? ANOTHER ASSISTANT raises his eyes. ASSISTANT Thirty blacksmiths, twenty eight halberdiers, twenty carpenters, a hundred farmers, twenty miners... and Doctor Chanca, the royal surgeon. COLUMBUS The royal surgeon? Then we can count on royal health! The whole courtyard bursts out laughing. EXT. ORANGERY - VICEROY'S HOUSE - DAY UTAPAN is lying in his hammock. FERNANDO turns him over. UTAPAN falls to the ground. COLUMBUS walks beside BEATRIX. COLUMBUS (looking at his son) He's growing up! BEATRIX smiles, nods. They walk on. COLUMBUS Beatrix, I want to ask you something. BEATRIX (with a smile) You don't usually ask. COLUMBUS (after a pause) I can arrange for the Queen to take Fernando and Diego into her service. BEATRIX stops in her tracks, looks at him. COLUMBUS It is a great honor. We could not hope for anything better. BEATRIX nods, but bites her lip, and looks back at FERNANDO. BEATRIX For once I wish you weren't right. COLUMBUS puts his arm around her waist, pulling her closer, they move away. EXT. FAR END OF THE ORANGERY - DAY FERNANDO is now swinging expertly in the hammock. UTAPAN is pushing him gently. He slowly straightens up to watch COLUMBUS and BEATRIX disappear, somehow sensing there is a dilemma. FERNANDO noticing UTAPAN'S reaction, turns to his parents. The arbor is empty. FERNANDO becomes pensive. We become aware of the rustling of the jungle. SLOW DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BEACH AND EDGE OF JUNGLE - DAY FIFTEEN HUNDRED MEN spread along the beach, looking towards the jungle. COLUMBUS stands beside his BROTHERS, and MENDEZ, and UTAPAN. MOXICA, astride a magnificent black horse, prances back and forth across the sand. All are waiting. A signal cannon is fired from one of the ships. Birds scatter into the air from the jungle -- but then silence, complete and ominous. COLUMBUS stares into the jungle. Nothing. No one to greet them -- no welcoming party from the MEN they left behind. COLUMBUS glances at MENDEZ. MENDEZ looks at him, but can't answer. MOXICA suddenly spurs on his horse, and guides it into the trees. The order is given for the rest to follow, fanning out as they do so, weapons at the ready. EXT. CLEARING - JUNGLE - DAY Ruins. The camp has been burned to ashes. A strange sight: arrows are stuck vertically into the ground, each with a moldering tuft of human hair attached to the flight. In silence the SOLDIERS pick their way through the devastation. The ground is littered with coconuts. Kicking one over with his shoe, a SOLDIER discovers that his coconut is actually a human skull. The gaping mouth has been filled to the brim with gold. But of the living, there is no sign. MOXICA Is this your new world, Don Colon? COLUMBUS looks around in dismay. A YOUNG NOBLEMAN, HERNANDO DE GUEVARA, takes out his sword. GUEVARA These animals should be shown what savagery can be! Other SPANIARDS join in, repeating this last word. NOBLEMAN Three heads for every life taken. No mercy before God! GUEVARA No mercy! Let's find them. COLUMBUS No Guevara. There will be no revenge. Silence. Everyone looks at COLUMBUS. MOXICA We lost cousins, friends. We will wash this in blood. COLUMBUS If you want to keep your head on your shoulders, you'll do as I say. They are all listening. COLUMBUS Moxica, I lost friends too... Thirty nine brave men who trusted me. He walks among them. COLUMBUS You want a war? Fine. We are a thousand. They outnumber us by ten! Who will you kill? Which tribe? MOXICA We don't need to know. COLUMBUS We came here to stay! To build! Not to start a crusade. In this forest, there is enough danger to sweep us away in days! So we will be brave and swallow our grief. And in the name of those who died, we will accomplish what we came for. EXT. INDIAN VILLAGE - DAY MOXICA mounted on his magnificent BLACK STALLION canters to the edge of the deserted village and enters the village. UTAPAN is terrorized by the absence of anything living. All we can hear is the breathing of the horse. The animal, an impressive mass of muscle, prances nervously. UTAPAN calls out in dialect. UTAPAN They here. Slowly, they begin to appear, one after the other -- materializing from the jungle. Shy and scared. They stare at this "Centaur" (the HORSE and the HORSEMAN seem to be one -- a God). To impress them even more, MOXICA makes the beast move sideways and backwards, rearing, its front hoofs pawing the air. THE INDIANS retreat in terror, except for one, who stands his ground, brandishing his lance. UTAPAN encourages the YOUNG WARRIOR to approach the centaur. He places his hand onto the shoulder of the animal. The muscles shudder. THE INDIAN jumps back comically, accompanied by the rest of the tribe. Without warning, MOXICA climbs down from the saddle. More INDIANS step back in fear and absolute astonishment. Now more have ventured from the jungle. The bravest of them approach MOXICA, daring to touch him, and the horse, retreating then touching until they fill the compound. At this moment, COLUMBUS and his SOLDIERS appear all around them, pointing their muskets, and their crossbows. A moment of tension. COLUMBUS walks forward, towards the CHIEF (GUARIONEX) we meet before. COLUMBUS Ask the Chief what happened to my men? The CHIEF answers. UTAPAN Another tribe made war on them... came by sea... took them away... BROTHER BUYL God have mercy on their souls... MOXICA The monkey is lying. A pause. The SPANIARDS shifting, eager for blood. MOXICA We should kill them, Don Colon. UTAPAN looks anxiously at COLUMBUS. COLUMBUS No...! you'll do it my way. (to Utapan) Tell the Chief we will not harm his people, even though we have the power to do it. UTAPAN translates. The CHIEF listens in silence. COLUMBUS We will work with his people. We want peace. Ask the Chief if he understands? UTAPAN He understands. COLUMBUS Ask him if he will help. CUT TO: EXT. WATERMILL AND DAM UNDER CONSTRUCTION - DAY It is raining hard. COLUMBUS is floundering in the mud, supervising a mixed work-force of SPANISH and INDIANS. They are attempting to raise the huge wheel of a watermill. Despite COLUMBUS' shouts of encouragement, it's clear the wheel is far too heavy and the mud too deep. Close by, on horseback, MOXICA watches the scene. COLUMBUS, plastered with wet mud, clambers out of the pit and approaches him. COLUMBUS Don Moxica -- we need your horse. MOXICA looks down at the sodden, dirty figure. COLUMBUS We can't raise the wheel without it. MOXICA My horse doesn't work. A beat. COLUMBUS wipes some mud from his eyes. COLUMBUS Don Moxica -- we all have to work. MOXICA You did not hear me, Don Colon. Not my horse. He starts to turn away; COLUMBUS grabs hold of the reins. COLUMBUS Forgive me, Don Moxica. But it was your horse I was talking about. A beat. MOXICA stares down at an equally determined COLUMBUS. Then, in front of everyone, MOXICA has to dismount, and suffer the disgrace of it. COLUMBUS Thank you, Don Moxica. COLUMBUS leads the horse away. CUT TO: EXT. WATERMILL AND DAM UNDER CONSTRUCTION - DAY Harnessed, the horse pulls, with COLUMBUS and the MEN. The wheel is raised into position. CUT TO: EXT. WATERMILL AND DAM - DAY Water thundering into the new canal. The huge wheel begins to turn. The MEN cheer and congratulate each other. MOXICA looks at his mud-splattered and foaming horse, his eyes full of hatred. EXT. CITY OF ISABEL - TWILIGHT A wide, high shot of the new "City", dominated by a huge wooden cross -- no more than a muddy main street bordered by a hundred bamboo and stone shanties, with candles burning in the doorways. A main square with the Governor's Mansion, and the foundations of a church. In the twilight, COLUMBUS and the other WORKERS returning, dirty and tired. EXT. VERANDA OF MOXICA'S HOUSE - TWILIGHT MOXICA and GUEVARA sit out on the "veranda", watching the MEN return. MOXICA raises his glass in an ironic salute. MOXICA To the Governor of the Mosquitoes! They laugh. We see the smoke and flames from a fire. Four or five INDIANS are squatting on the earth nearby, cooking for them, talking quietly in their own language. MOXICA calls out something in their language, and a naked YOUNG INDIAN GIRL comes out of the house, bringing more wine. GUEVARA stares at her lasciviously. MOXICA, letting his hand casually brush against her flank, smiles at him. MOXICA Do you want her? He turns the GIRL round so that GUEVARA can admire her properly. GUEVARA nods. MOXICA lets the GIRL go with a peremptory order, and she disappears back inside. GUEVARA suddenly stands up -- unsteadily -- and sweeping his arm round in a broad gesture, says ironically: GUEVARA To the new world, my friend! To the new world! INT. DINING ROOM - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT In an already Spanish-colonel dining room, COLUMBUS is having dinner with his brothers, BARTOLOME and GIACOMO, served by an INDIAN WOMAN -- NIMA. GIACOMO eats with gusto. GIACOMO (as Nima pours the wine) Nima's a good cook! BARTOLOME She's more than that! Seeing GIACOMO'S sudden blush and discomfort, as NIMA smiles at him, the other BROTHERS laugh. To cover his embarrassment, GIACOMO returns to the topic of the food. GIACOMO What is it? COLUMBUS Eat! I'll tell you later. As he sees BARTOLOME stifling a laugh, GIACOMO pauses. GIACOMO I'd like to know what I'm eating. COLUMBUS eats a mouthful, glances at BARTOLOME. COLUMBUS Iguana. A look of horror crosses GIACOMO'S face; he wretches slightly, puts down his fork, and gulps down some wine. The BROTHERS laugh again. COLUMBUS What wrong with it? The Indians eat it! GIACOMO I'm not an Indian. BARTOLOME He wishes he were back in the seminary. Priests always eat well. (tasting his wine, grimacing) And they have very good cellars. GIACOMO Nothing grows here! Everything rots in the ground. The wheat and vines wither before we can harvest them. COLUMBUS We've got to learn to live like the Indians. (pause) Eat your Iguana! Reluctantly this time, GIACOMO goes back to his dinner. EXT. BALCONY - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT They are drinking and smoking cigars. From the balcony they can see the dark mass of the jungle stretching away. GIACOMO is already dozing in his chair. BARTOLOME sees it, and elbows COLUMBUS. They both smile at their younger brother's exhaustion. Then COLUMBUS gets up and leans on the balustrade, looking down at the city, the jungle beyond. COLUMBUS How much gold have we found? BARTOLOME Not enough to justify a single shipment. COLUMBUS Perhaps it doesn't exist anywhere but in my imagination. BARTOLOME Then let's hope not... (pause) What will happen if we can't find enough gold? They begin to hear the sound of a flute -- a melancholy sound. COLUMBUS looks out over the jungle, and kills a mosquito by slapping his arm. COLUMBUS (jokingly) Then I'm Governor of the Mosquitoes. CUT TO: INT. INFIRMARY - CITY OF ISABEL - NIGHT An INDIAN is playing the flute. In the gloomy interior of the long hut, in the most primitive conditions, DOZENS OF SPANIARDS lie sick. On a segregated part of the room are the INDIANS, several coughing. They are attended by a doctor, DOCTOR CHANCA, BROTHER BUYL, and other NOVICES. A NOVICE attends to an INDIAN, gently lifting his head, helping him to drink -- there is so little they can do. BROTHER BUYL looks down at the body of a SPANIARD, covered in open sores. The NOVICE joins him. BROTHER BUYL What kind of disease is this? DOCTOR CHANCA I don't know. It seems almost as if we have exchanged diseases with the Indians. They die of our most common cold, and we of their plague. BROTHER BUYL God forgive us! CUT TO: EXT. ROYAL HOSPITAL - COURTYARD - SPAIN - DAY A MAN covered with sores is screaming, thrashing in his agony. He is held down, his voice muffled. ISABEL turns away, shocked. She is in a ward full of patients, attended by a DOCTOR, SANCHEZ and other members of her court. The patients are emaciated, their faces and bodies covered with virulent sores. NUNS move between the beds. DOCTOR It seems to be caused by intimacy with the native women, Your Majesty. ISABEL Will he survive? DOCTOR No, Your Majesty. They go mad -- then they die. There is nothing we can do. ISABEL looks around at SANCHEZ, appalled. SANCHEZ Every ship returns with a cargo of sick and dying. But with no gold! The new world proves expensive, Your Majesty. ISABEL We weren't expecting immediate profits, were we? We must have faith. We must give time for time. SANCHEZ bows in acknowledgement. But ISABEL, despite her words, looks distressed. EXT. MINE - NEW WORLD - DAY Excavations carved into a hillside. It is a blisteringly hot day. At the foot of the hill, GIACOMO sits at a table beneath an awning, with MOXICA and several CLERKS. ONE HUNDRED FIFTY INDIANS standing in line at the table. In turn, they hand over a small quantity of gold. The CLERK weighs it on a scale, and notes down each contribution. MOXICA impatiently gestures the INDIANS to move faster with a thonged crop. An INDIAN approaches the table. He is nervous. He doesn't produce anything. The INDIAN shakes his head, gesticulates, starts to speak rapidly. TRANSLATOR He says he has not found any! MOXICA He's lying! Again the INDIAN pleads and gesticulates. MOXICA hits him across the face with the thonged crop. The INDIAN tries to run away -- but is held by a SPANISH SOLDIER. MOXICA Bring him here! The frightened INDIAN is brought back to the table. One of the CLERKS slips away. MOXICA Tell him to put his hands on the table. Like this! CUT TO: EXT. OTHER SIDE OF THE SITE - DAY At the other end of the site, the CLERK sprinting to GIACOMO, who was talking to a FOREMASTER. CLERK Don Giacomo, you'd better come at once! EXT. MINE - DAY MOXICA turns, looks back at the long line of INDIANS, still passively waiting. MOXICA Tell them I want them to watch this! The terrified TRANSLATOR speaks to the INDIANS. CLERK Don't Moxica! You can't... CUT TO: GIACOMO and the CLERK running to the scene. CUT TO: MOXICA (to the clerk) I can't? I can't? With a single swift action, MOXICA draws his sword and cuts off the INDIAN'S hands. ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. The INDIANS flee, disappearing into the jungle. GIACOMO arrives at this moment. He stares at the dismembered hands in horror. INT. GOVERNOR'S MANSION - EVENING A tribunal. Sitting behind a table with his brothers, and flanked by his council, COLUMBUS presides. MOXICA stands before them. COLUMBUS In one act of brutality, you have created chaos. Tribes who were fighting each other are now joining forces against us! All that because of your criminal savagery! MOXICA (casually) Savagery is what monkeys understand. COLUMBUS You'll be held in detention, deprived of your privileges and possessions. Until you are returned to Spain where you will be judged. Have you anything to say? MOXICA (with exquisite insolence) You will regret this. He strolls to the GUARDS at the back of the room. EXT. BARRACKS - NIGHT Everything is quiet on the mine site. On the terrace, TWO SOLDIERS are drinking in turn, and cracking jokes. One of them leans against the wooden wall. He laughs as he hears repeated banging behind him. CUT TO: INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT A THIRD SOLDIER is fucking an INDIAN WOMAN against the wall. CUT TO: EXT. BARRACKS - NIGHT On the terrace, his two COMPANIONS laugh and encourage his efforts. A whooshing sound. An arrow embeds itself in the chest of the SOLDIER who was leaning against the wall. He is nailed to the wood behind him. THE OTHER SOLDIER stares at him, transfixed, until an arrow pierces his throat. He collapses, unable to cry out for help. INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT FOUR INDIANS in full warrior outfit, their faces painted, burst into the room. Still busy with the WOMAN, his eyes facing the wall, the SOLDIER believes the intruders to be his friends. SOLDIER (without stopping) You animals! Can't you wait! Discovering the FOUR TERRIFYING FIGURES staring at her, the INDIAN WOMAN starts screaming and pushes back the SOLDIER. He turns around, jumps off the WOMAN, and starts to scramble to the front door, trying to put on his trousers. THE FOUR INDIANS catch him, and force him to lay on the ground. THE MAN struggles, his eyes rolling in terror. TWO INDIANS force his mouth open. A THIRD ONE kneels and starts stuffing it with gold dust. THE SOLDIER chokes and suffocates. THE WOMAN still stands half naked against the wall, terrified. AN INDIAN takes his knife from his leggings, slowly. She starts sobbing and imploring in her language. THE INDIAN slowly walks to her, and plants the knife in the lower part of her belly. EXT. MINE - DAY PAIRS of bloody red legs hanging still, high in the air. Pulling back, we discover: A DOZEN SPANIARDS have been crucified on the scaffolding of the excavations. Some hands and noses have been removed. UTAPAN is standing, uncomfortable among the SPANIARDS. A SOLDIER removes a huge iron nail from a wrist. One of the CRUCIFIED BODIES is gently laid on the ground. He is still alive -- not for long. COLUMBUS and BARTOLOME are silent with rage. BARTOLOME (aggressively) Moxica is right. Our ways don't work! BARTOLOME turns to UTAPAN. BARTOLOME (aggressively) Can you find them? UTAPAN looks distraught -- this is the first time he is being asked to do something against his own people. He looks up at COLUMBUS for help in confusion. COLUMBUS You have to find them, Utapan. Look what they did! UTAPAN You did the same to your God! COLUMBUS is caught short. COLUMBUS We have to stop this war. UTAPAN nods. He walks and takes an arrow. He examines it. COLUMBUS Do you know them? UTAPAN nods, uncomfortable. CUT TO: EXT. HILL AND VALLEY - DAY Around a campfire, two dozen INDIANS are squatting. They are arguing over a musket and some woolen hats they stole from the mine. CLICK! CLICK! The INDIANS raise their heads. All around them, crossbows and muskets are pointed at them. Two INDIANS try to run away. They are shot. This sound triggers the SPANIARDS' response. They start shooting at random. UTAPAN is horrified. COLUMBUS stands up shouting. COLUMBUS Stop! Stop this! CUT TO: EXT. GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT MOXICA and a group of rebels (GUEVARA among them), silently approach the entrance of the mansion. A GUARD is stabbed and falls on his knees with a cry. INT. COLUMBUS' STUDY - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT MOXICA tears COLUMBUS' plans of the city from the wall. On the table, the model of the future city. Watched by the other ARISTOCRATS, MOXICA sets fire to the parchment he has rolled up. He blows the flames from the torch onto the model. Fire races up and down the streets of the miniature, as if burning the city of Isabel. A mad gleam in MOXICA'S eyes... EXT. SQUARE OF ISABEL - NIGHT The half-burnt remains of the Mansion. COLUMBUS stands in the square, looking up at it. Behind him, his SOLDIERS, his BROTHERS and about thirty captured INDIANS. GIACOMO walks slowly across the square. COLUMBUS looks at him in disbelief. GIACOMO (through cracked lips) Moxica... EXT. RIVER BANK - JUNGLE - DAWN COLUMBUS leads his party of SOLDIERS through the jungle, looking for the MUTINEERS. They reach the river -- scan the far bank. Nothing. COLUMBUS nods. His MEN start to enter the river, led by a HALBERDIER. Others follow, wading across, their weapons held above their heads. A crossbow arrow pierces the HALBERDIER. Without a cry he falls forward into the water, and is carried away by the current. Two more MEN are hit. One cries out, thrashes around in the water, an arrow protruding from his side. The river stained with blood. Still no sign of the enemy. COLUMBUS' MEN nevertheless start to return fire from the bank, creating a shield... others continue to wade across the river. A MUTINEER is shot down from the branches of a tree... The first MEN come ashore. Musket fire. An exchange of arrows. COLUMBUS is now wading across. The MAN next to him is killed, and carried away by the current. Now, on the far shore, the enemy have shown themselves. There is hand to hand fighting, with swords and other weapons. MOXICA kills one of COLUMBUS' men -- but his own are outnumbered and outmatched. Already, some are beginning to surrender. In the midst of the fighting, COLUMBUS, sword drawn, pulls himself out of the river: A MUTINEER lunges at him. COLUMBUS kills him with a thrust of his sword -- and walks forward into the jungle. He spots MOXICA at the foot of a cliff. EXT. JUNGLE CLIMB TO CLIFF TOP - DAY MOXICA starts scrambling up the rocks behind him, with COLUMBUS following. The climb through the dense undergrowth is so exhausting, they are now almost climbing in slow motion. EXT. TOP OF CLIFF - DAY MOXICA bursts out of the undergrowth. He is at the edge of emptiness, swept by a violent offshore wind. He turns frantically, to see COLUMBUS coming up behind him. Knowing he is lost, MOXICA regains his natural arrogance. He steps backwards towards the edge. MOXICA You know what they will say in Spain about my death -- don't you? He takes another step backwards, as COLUMBUS moves towards him. MOXICA You are nothing! You bastards will never inherit your titles. We are everything. We are immortal! He smiles, and steps back into space. EXT. ROCKS BELOW CLIFF TOP - DAY His body falls, bounces off the rocks below, crashes into the water. EXT. TOP OF CLIFF - DAY COLUMBUS stares down as his body is swept away. CUT TO: EXT. SQUARE OF ISABEL - DAY CLOSE ON COLUMBUS' expressionless face. CUT TO: A MUTINEER -- his face is white, he is crying and trembling. His arms are tied behind his back. He is held fast, a rope is put around his neck. COLUMBUS, sitting not far away beside his BROTHERS, gives a signal. Drums begin to beat. BROTHER BUYL looks on impassive. A grimace suddenly transform THE YOUNG MAN'S face. He is being garroted -- his throat crushed with a rope. The YOUNG MAN'S feet dance frenziedly. We hear the choking. The drums cease. BROTHER BUYL crosses himself and murmurs a prayer, deeply distraught. GIACOMO has covered his eyes. A wider view shows the bodies of three other ARISTOCRATS from the rebellion, attached to chairs affixed to a pole, their heads straight, the rope still tight around their necks. Justice has been done. The members of the COUNCIL rise in silence, COLUMBUS stands up. CUT TO: EXT. ISABEL - QUAYSIDE - DAY CLOSE ON several large wooden cages. Inside we see the INDIANS that COLUMBUS captured. They are packed together. They stare out with vacant eyes. SOLDIERS guard them. A ship against the pier. BUYL at his side, COLUMBUS stares at the INDIANS. BROTHER BUYL I wish to go back with them, Don Colon. I have no desire to remain in this godless place. COLUMBUS You may do as you please, Brother Buyl -- though your departure will not help me to make it more Godly. BROTHER BUYL looks at him, almost with astonishment. BROTHER BUYL You treat Christians equally with heathen savages. You execute members of the nobility. And what do you offer in return? COLUMBUS (quietly) A new world, Brother Buyl. BROTHER BUYL Nobody wants one...! Only you! And he walks away. EXT. ISLAND - EVENING Against the livid horizon, three black waterspouts join the sky to the sea. A gust of wind disturbs the roof of the jungle. INT. GOVERNOR'S MANSION - EVENING The wind grows stronger. Doors bang inside the building... a melancholy sound. COLUMBUS sits on the balcony with his BROTHERS. They are silent. After a few moments, COLUMBUS begins to speak quietly, almost as if he were speaking to himself. COLUMBUS Perhaps hope only exists in the journey. When it begins, everything is still possible -- every expectation; every dream... The BROTHERS do not answer. COLUMBUS This is not how I imagined it to be. CUT TO: EXT. JUNGLE - NEAR ISABEL - NIGHT UTAPAN begins to shave his head... EXT. BALCONY - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - DAWN The sky is dark and threatening, the wind even stronger. We find COLUMBUS where we left him, but now alone. He has sat here all night. Shutters bang violently. He looks up -- and sees a few yards from him: the naked FIGURE OF AN INDIAN, his face and body painted, staring at him. COLUMBUS realizes who it is... COLUMBUS Utapan! UTAPAN is still and silent. A strange and mysterious figure now. COLUMBUS Utapan, won't you speak to me? You used to know how to speak to me. UTAPAN (sadly, in his own language) You never learned how to speak my language. UTAPAN is gone. EXT. SQUARE - DAWN The wind is whipping the trees now, stronger and stronger. Groups of INDIANS look up at the sky. Then, above the sound of the wind, they hear another noise. Like a collective murmur, almost in one voice, the INDIANS repeat, over and over. INDIANS Urracan... Urracan... Urracan... Urracan... (the wrath of God) With a loud thunderclap, the storm suddenly breaks. In a few seconds it has risen to violent proportions, and the landscape is drenched in torrential rain. The wind doubles its strength... and all hell breaks loose... EXT. CITY OF ISABEL - DAY The hurricane is full force. Trees are being ripped up by their roots. Rivers of mud are washed down from the hills, carrying everything away in their paths: houses, carts, equipment, horses... EXT. MINE - ISABEL - DAY The mine workings flooded with mud... EXT. APPROACH TO DAM AND WATERFALL - DAY COLUMBUS, BARTOLOME and MENDEZ struggle through the teeth of the hurricane towards the dam. EXT. DAM - DAY Timbers creak and strain. COLUMBUS, BARTOLOME, MENDEZ and a DOZEN other MEN are trying to save the dam. Suddenly, frighteningly, the dam begins to crash. COLUMBUS (screaming) Let it go! Let it go! The MEN scramble away as the dam wall buckles, and burst open. Water floods over them; a roaring torrent. From the bank, MENDEZ, BARTOLOME and COLUMBUS survey the ruins of their dreams. CUT TO: INT. GOVERNOR'S PALACE - BEDROOM - DAY COLUMBUS is stretched out on his bed, in his devastated bedroom. A column of ants is threading its way across the floor, each ant carrying a piece of leaf. Rain falls over a table covered with documents. COLUMBUS' face is covered in dried mud. SANCHEZ (V.O.) He promised us gold but has failed to find it. He subjects the natives to violence, provocation and injustice. He sent them to Spain against the express wishes of Your Majesty... INT. AUDIENCE ROOM - ALHAMBRA PALACE - DAY We are back to the first scene. In the vast, opulent, glittering room, ISABEL listens impassively to the voice of SANCHEZ. Also present, other GRANDEES, representatives of the church and state. SANCHEZ ... But there is worse. He ordered the execution of five members of the nobility... ISABEL Is this true, Brother Buyl? BROTHER BUYL Yes, Your Majesty. It is all true. I saw it with my own eyes. A pause. ISABEL seems to struggle inwardly with her emotions. SANCHEZ waits, expressionless, but on the point of victory. ISABEL Then, what do you suggest, Don Sanchez? SANCHEZ He must be replaced. ISABEL And who would you think of, for such a task? CUT TO: EXT. QUAYSIDE - ISABEL - DAY We see a buckled shoe -- as it rises, it slips into a stirrup. The horse is mounted. The shoe digs into its flank. The sound of hoofbeats... SANCHEZ (V.O.) I am thinking of a man. A devotee to Your Majesties. A man extremely motivated... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. STREETS OF ISABEL - DAY FIVE MEN on HORSEBACK, dressed in fashionable clothes, canter down what used to be the main street of Isabel. Through some has been rebuilt, the effects of the hurricane are still visible... People look at them curiously. We see them stop near the Governor's mansion. The MEN dismount and walk into the Palace. INT. GOVERNOR'S MANSION - DAY One of the MEN in black clothes removes his hat and steps forward. We recognize him as ALONSO DE BOBADILLA, the man COLUMBUS humiliated at the rotunda. COLUMBUS is sitting at his desk, studying plans with GIACOMO. Some other MEMBERS of the COUNCIL are with them. BOBADILLA Don Alonso de Bobadilla. COLUMBUS Yes... I remember... BOBADILLA turns, gestures to one of the other MEN, who comes forward and gives him a roll of parchment, bearing the royal seal. BOBADILLA My letters of appointment. COLUMBUS Appointment to what? BOBADILLA Viceroy of the West Indies. COLUMBUS Congratulations. Then I am free to search for the mainland. BOBADILLA smiles wickedly, happy to give COLUMBUS a low blow. BOBADILLA Didn't you learn? The mainland was discovered. Weeks ago. By another Italian. I forgot his name. A MAN IN BLACK Amerigo Vespucci, Excellency. COLUMBUS pales. Then... COLUMBUS How far from here? BOBADILLA I am not a seaman. But I heard it is no more than a week at sea. I hope you are not too disappointed. COLUMBUS How could I be? The mainland has been found. Exactly as I said it would. BOBADILLA I am afraid this is not the worst news. CUT TO: INT. CELL - SEVILLE PRISON - DAY All is dark. We can just make out COLUMBUS' face as he lies on the hard bed. He is sweating heavily; his beard is filthy and matted, like his hair. He looks feverish. A key turns in the lock. The JAILER lets in two fashionably dressed YOUNG MEN. COLUMBUS, blinking in the light, turns his head to stare at them. His eyes are reddened with infection at the corners. The YOUNG MEN come forward into the light. FERNANDO (quietly) Father? Unable to believe it, COLUMBUS slowly sits up. COLUMBUS Fernando...! My God...! He laughs, overcome with joy. Embraces DIEGO. COLUMBUS A man! Diego, how did this happen? DIEGO Santangel is going to see the Queen. We are going to get you out of here. COLUMBUS Good! I have to go back! DIEGO and FERNANDO look at one another, then back at COLUMBUS, incredulously, seeing his filthy clothes, his eyes rimmed with dried mucus. DIEGO Go back? There's a new excitement in COLUMBUS' voice. He walks over to the table. The candlelight illuminates maps, charts, drawings, figures... COLUMBUS I have to explore the mainland. FERNANDO This time with me! COLUMBUS laughs and DIEGO looks at them both in astonishment. DIEGO In your present state it is madness, Father! FERNANDO glances at DIEGO. FERNANDO Nobody is forcing you to come with us. DIEGO is hurt. DIEGO I can't go anyway. A pause. FERNANDO She's very beautiful! The Queen has very good taste. Diego is getting married. DIEGO seems saddened by his brother's attitude. Once again DIEGO feels like the outsider. COLUMBUS hugs him. COLUMBUS I am happy for you, Diego. INT. ALHAMBRA - AUDIENCE ROOM - DAY Like Lucifer and Gabriel, SANTANGEL and SANCHEZ sit on either side of ISABEL. SANTANGEL Granted his faults. Yes, a hundred times! But the man is still remarkable. ISABEL looks at him, then at SANCHEZ, MOVED BUT CLEARLY UNDECIDED. SANTANGEL presses his point. SANTANGEL All he asks is a chance to explore this... mainland. SANCHEZ It does not belong to him. SANTANGEL (quietly) In a way, it does, Don Sanchez. (to the Queen) I beg Your Majesty to receive him. To hear him... He will make no more demands. He has changed. He is penitent. SANCHEZ Penitent...? He is suing us for breach of contract! ISABEL Is he? She starts to laugh. ISABEL Really? SANTANGEL tries to stop himself laughing. INT. AUDIENCE ROOM - ALHAMBRA PALACE - DAY COLUMBUS is shown into the room. ISABEL is waiting for him. He drops to his knees before her. This time she walks towards him, clearly moved by his white-hair, and other signs of physical deterioration. Her hand hovers over his head, as if it means to console him. Her hand is dying to comfort. But instead, she offers her hand for him to kiss. ISABEL Rise... Please... COLUMBUS gets slowly to his feet -- but his eyes, as they meet hers, are as clear as before. ISABEL smiles with relief to see it. He looks back at her. COLUMBUS Now I do look older than you. She smiles -- then again, tries to restrain it, and keeps her dignity. ISABEL We have decided to allow you to undertake another voyage to the new world... COLUMBUS starts to interrupt; she stops him with a gesture. ISABEL But without your brothers. Nor are you to return to Santo Domingo or any of the other colonies. You may explore the continent. COLUMBUS Thank you. ISABEL There is one thing I'd like to understand... Why do you want to go back, after all this? COLUMBUS Your Majesty -- some men are content to read about things. I must see them with my own eyes. I cannot be other than I am. She almost bursts out laughing -- only pauses, turns slightly, then goes out. INT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - ROOM NEXT TO THRONE ROOM - DAY SANCHEZ is standing alone in the next room; he has obviously been listening. He looks at her. ISABEL I know, I should not tolerate his impertinence. SANCHEZ Then why? ISABEL Because he is not afraid of me. INT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - CORRIDOR - DAY SANCHEZ, in another direction, along a corridor, towards his office. As he reaches a corner with a wide window, a hand seizes him. COLUMBUS. SANCHEZ All I have to do is call the guards. COLUMBUS Call them. SANCHEZ looks at him -- and doesn't call. COLUMBUS lets go of him. SANCHEZ I am not afraid of you. You are nothing but a dreamer. COLUMBUS Look out of that window. Surprised, SANCHEZ nevertheless turns, looks out. COLUMBUS What do you see? SANCHEZ Roofs... towers, palaces... spires... COLUMBUS All of them created by people like me. SANCHEZ turns round again to face him. COLUMBUS No matter how long you live, Sanchez, there's something that will never change between us. I did it! You didn't! COLUMBUS turns abruptly and walks away, vanishing down the echoing corridor. EXT. COLUMBUS' MANOR HOUSE - DAY COLUMBUS dismounts in the courtyard. Everything seems deserted. There's no one about, no sign of life... INT. MANOR HOUSE - DAY COLUMBUS walks slowly through the great rooms. There is nothing left: no furniture, rugs, pictures... nothing. He turns, sees BEATRIX standing in a doorway, looking back at him. They are both moved. COLUMBUS God... you're so beautiful! I can't believe no other man has ever taken you away from me... BEATRIX They tried... but I didn't let them. She smiles. They don't dare to touch. BEATRIX looks round the empty room. BEATRIX They took everything... COLUMBUS (looking at her) Not everything... Do you think I care? I'm a free man again. Riches don't make a man rich, they only make him busier... They laugh. There's a pause. COLUMBUS God, how much I've missed you! And they throw themselves into each other's arms. CUT TO: INT. DINING ROOM - MANOR HOUSE - EVENING All that has been left is a simple table and one chair. They are having supper by candlelight in the vast, empty room, though the candles throw a warm, sensuous glow on the figs and hams and wine... and on their faces, as BEATRIX sits on his lap. SANTANGEL (O.S.) One chair. One table. What more can a man expect, when he tries to sue the Crown? They laugh. With only a little embarrassment, BEATRIX gets off COLUMBUS' knee. SANTANGEL comes forward, and COLUMBUS embraces him like an old friend. BEATRIX goes to the kitchen. COLUMBUS I owe you everything, Santangel... but as you see, I can't repay you. SANTANGEL On the contrary. It is I who owe you everything. Through you, I have been an adventurer, an explorer! It's true I shall never see the new world... but it's here... (he points to his head) And here... (pointing to his heart) COLUMBUS smiles. BEATRIX returns with a plate and glass for SANTANGEL. SANTANGEL What you are, Colon, is a sailor, a discoverer, a man of imagination... not a politician. You weren't meant to govern -- You cannot be all things to all men. He takes the wine BEATRIX offers, and raises his glass. SANTANGEL I wish you could have compromised. It would have made your life easier... COLUMBUS But as least we haven't been bored, have we? They all laugh, and drink. EXT. SHIP'S DECK - FERNANDO'S POV - NIGHT Night on the open sea -- the moon shines on the waves and we hear the creaking of ropes and timbers -- the loneliness and mystery of the night passage. SAILOR'S VOICE West... southwest, Captain Mendez... MENDEZ (O.S.) Steady as she goes... COLUMBUS walks over to FERNANDO, who is leaning against the rail. He is smoking a cigar... as the smoke blows over FERNANDO'S face, FERNANDO wretches... It's clear he's feeling seasick, trying to control it. COLUMBUS leans against the rail next to him, staring out at the darkness. Then looks at his SON again. FERNANDO won't give in to the sickness, but COLUMBUS knows he'd feel better if he did. COLUMBUS How are you feeling, Fernando? FERNANDO (in a strangled voice) Not bad. COLUMBUS nods meditatively, puffs out some smoke. FERNANDO winces, gags slightly. COLUMBUS (almost casually) You know what I always used to do? FERNANDO shakes his head. COLUMBUS Swallow a piece of pork fat on a string. It always worked. At the thought of the pork fat, FERNANDO jerks his head over the side, and vomits copiously. COLUMBUS smiles, pats him on the back. EXT. SHIP'S DECK - DAY As it plows through heavy seas. COLUMBUS, a coat wrapped around him, is sitting on a chair topside, directing operations despite an obvious fever. Suddenly a cry from the mast head: SAILOR (O.S.) Tierra...! Tierra! SAILORS and FERNANDO rush to the side of the ship, peering through the spray. FERNANDO wipes his eyes, and then he sees it: there in the distance, a speck of land. FERNANDO and his FATHER stand together, watching the low cloud formation sitting on the horizon. COLUMBUS The mainland... FERNANDO looks excited. Discreetly, COLUMBUS watches his SON, enjoying his happiness. EXT. PANAMA (SURREAL IMAGES) - DAY A most wonderful and surreal image. A heavy mist lies over the forest. We move above it slowly. A FIGURE emerges from the mist. At first only a silhouette -- then, slowly, a golden figure... an INDIAN, covered in gold... gold artifacts, golden paste on his body. The GOLDEN FIGURE turns, and points, into an unknown distance. EXT. TREEHOUSE - DAY From the INDIAN treehouse, COLUMBUS, FERNANDO, MENDEZ and several INDIANS are gazing west over a necklace of magnificent lakes. The INDIANS point and talk gently. FERNANDO has never seen anything so fresh, so beautiful. EXT. CAMP - SUNSET A magnificent sunset. A fire is burning, food cooking. COLUMBUS looks over his maps, trying to figure out where they are. We see the outline of the continent of Asia. An OLD INDIAN squats beside him, silent, also looking at the map. Then, slowly and very deliberately, he takes a piece of charcoal from the fire and begins to draw on the map. Ignoring the Asian continent, he sketches the Panamanian coastline -- an isthmus. MENDEZ and FERNANDO gather round. COLUMBUS watches the OLD INDIAN with initial puzzlement, then growing excitement. MENDEZ What's he doing? COLUMBUS He's drawing an isthmus... He's saying we're on an isthmus. MENDEZ We can't be. FERNANDO is still confused. The OLD INDIAN continues to sketch, talking quietly all the time. An INDIAN TRANSLATOR listens. COLUMBUS Tell me what he's saying. TRANSLATOR He says -- water on the other side. COLUMBUS Ask him if he means a lake. A big lake. The TRANSLATOR asks. The OLD INDIAN shakes his head, laughs, points to the west, way beyond the other lakes, emphatically. TRANSLATOR No. Says those are lakes. Water on other side big -- as wide as here. Above and below, much land. COLUMBUS (stunned) An ocean...? He's says it's an ocean? FERNANDO I don't understand. COLUMBUS is too stunned for a moment to explain. The INDIANS laugh. Then COLUMBUS takes the charcoal, and begins to draw on the map, for his son. COLUMBUS Here is Europe... and over here, the continent of Asia. But there's something in between! Another continent! We've found... another continent! FERNANDO stares west, then back at his FATHER. COLUMBUS looks very feverish, his face bathed with sweat. FERNANDO Father... COLUMBUS There must be a passage to that other ocean. CUT TO: INT. SHIP - COLUMBUS' CABIN - NIGHT COLUMBUS, feverish, lies on the bunk. He shivers violently. FERNANDO anxiously watches over him, bathes his eyes. Suddenly THE TRANSLATOR enters. TRANSLATOR I help. A little reluctantly, FERNANDO lets him go to his FATHER. The INDIAN crouches over the bed, takes out a handful of leaves from a pouch. He chews the leaves himself for a moment, until they form a sticky pulp, then opens COLUMBUS' mouth and puts the pulp inside, encouraging COLUMBUS to chew with the motions of his hands. COLUMBUS chews, quickly falling asleep. EXT. MOONLIT VISION OF VAST LAND MASS - NIGHT We see things from COLUMBUS' hallucination. We are plunging through layers of clouds, the speed accelerating, giving us a sickening sensation of falling to land, closer and closer... COLUMBUS wakes up with a jolt. Everything is silent. COLUMBUS walks outside. EXT. DECK - NIGHT COLUMBUS' fever has subsided. He raises his head and stares at the mainland passing in the night. He smiles. CUT TO: EXT. JUNGLE AND BAY - HIGH WIDE SHOT - DAY The roof of the jungle, the bay beyond, the caravel at anchor. CUT TO: EXT. RIVER - DAY Two canoes going upstream, deeper and deeper into the jungle. EXT. JUNGLE AND VILLAGE - DAY Smoke rises lazily above the trees. CUT TO: The boats reaching the bank. THE FIRST HUTS of a village. THE SOLDIERS spread out into the empty village. FERNANDO, COLUMBUS and MENDEZ preceded by TWO ARMED SOLDIERS enter one of the huts. The remains of a meal is still warm in bowls on the matted floor. A famished SOLDIER dips his hand in one of the bowls and devours its contents: some kind of stew. Stepping back accidentally, FERNANDO bumps into a large earthen jar behind him. It rolls and crashes, revealing the remains of meat marinating in liquid. There is something disturbing about the appearance of the content. FERNANDO Oh my God... The remains of human beings. COLUMBUS (approaching) What is...? He stares at the remains, stunned. THE SOLDIER stops chewing. He drops the half-empty bowl he was still holding. He runs at the back door, rams his fingers deep in the back of his throat, and vomits. SOLDIER Oh Virgen Maria... Oh Madre de Dios... (Oh Virgin Mary... Oh Mother of God...) But as he vomits and cries, he notices: A HEADLESS HUMAN TRUNK spread open, like a sheep carcass. Disturbed flies rise in clouds. SOLDIER Jesus, Maria, y todos los Santos... (Jesus, Mary, and all the Saints...) CUT TO: COLUMBUS and the SPANIARDS meet in the center of the village. All have made the same horrific discovery. COLUMBUS (urgently) Out! Get out! THE SPANIARDS back out of the village, crossbows pointed at the invisible enemy hidden in the jungle. They are running through the dense forest for the river bank. The CANNIBALS materialize among the trees, running alongside. Bounding, skipping, frightening FIGURES, their brutal faces painted in black. They release arrows at the running SOLDIERS. A SOLDIER stops, kneels to the ground, fires his crossbow and kills one of the CANNIBALS... but he is pierced by a spear. TWO CANNIBALS drag him and cut his throat to finish him. ELSEWHERE IN THE JUNGLE -- CRIES AND CONFUSION, SPANIARDS and CANNIBALS moving in hand to hand combat. A CANNIBAL comes sprinting at FERNANDO, brandishing his lance. COLUMBUS jumps on the man, and plants a knife in his abdomen. Blinded in sweat, he stabs the CANNIBAL, who collapses. Frenzied, COLUMBUS stabs over and over again. He stops and looks at his forearm -- soaked in blood. Shocked by his own fury, he raises his hand and stares at it. A GIANT BLACK BUTTERFLY alights gently on his bloody fingers, COLUMBUS staring fascinated at its palpitating wings. FERNANDO, screaming at his FATHER, drags him to his feet. They run... CUT TO: THE SPANIARDS, COLUMBUS, MENDEZ, FERNANDO... all running hard to the boat. ARROWS whistle around them as they leap into the canoes, nearly capsizing them, launching them into the current. SOME CANNIBALS still follow them along the riverbank. But the canoes are faster, and soon, they are left behind. EXT. SHIP AT SEA - DAY Endless seascape, the caravel plowing. EXT. SHIP'S DECK - DAY FERNANDO is crouched on the poop deck, wrapped in a blanket. He seems in a state of shock: he is pale and shaking. As COLUMBUS goes and sits near his son, he hands him a flask of alcohol. COLUMBUS (kindly) Take it. Come on. Drink. As COLUMBUS insists, brandishing the flask, FERNANDO notices that his hands are shaking too. His FATHER'S forehead is dripping with sweat. FERNANDO drinks a gulp and grimaces. He drinks again and hands the flask back to his FATHER, who does the same. FERNANDO notices dried blood on his FATHER'S fingers. COLUMBUS immediately hides his hand and stands. COLUMBUS I... I have to see Mendez. Then, with sudden anger. COLUMBUS Your brother was right. I should have never taken you with me. I'll never forgive myself. Never! He walks a few steps, lurches, and has to lean against the rail. He raises his hand to his eyes, grimacing in pain, as if they were burning. FERNANDO scrambles to his feet and rushes to him. COLUMBUS' eyes are already fixed somewhere -- fever is eating him up. COLUMBUS Will you ever forgive me? FERNANDO turns around for help. COLUMBUS Captain Mendez! INT. SHIP'S CABIN - DAY COLUMBUS is lying on his couch. FERNANDO is bathing his eyes, sweeping off the pus that continuously forms in them. COLUMBUS is drenched in sweat. CUT TO: FERNANDO is writing under his FATHER'S dictation. COLUMBUS I came to Your Highness with honest purpose and sincere zeal. I did not undertake these voyages for honor or wealth -- that is certain. After years of service to the Crown, I do not have a roof to put over my head... Your Majesty allowed me to explore the continent, believed to be Asia. I now believe that it is an new Land, of unknown proportions and wealth... Life has more imagination than we carry in our dreams... DISSOLVE TO: INT. ALCAZAR PALACE - GARDENS - DAY The DUENA, sitting beside ISABEL, quietly continues to read COLUMBUS' letter aloud. DUENA "I should be judged as a Seaman who by Divine Will discovered a New World, and thereby placed it under the sovereignty of Your Majesties. I humbly beseech Your Majesties that if it pleases God to remove me hence, you will help the name of Columbus to be remembered with honor... Weep for me, whoever has charity, truth and justice." She stops reading. ISABEL turns her face away. INT. UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA - DAY An ivory-sculptured hand -- the end of the back scratcher belonging to AROJAZ -- indicates a line across a large globe: the route between Europe and America. AROJAZ (O.S.) The sunset route to the new continent is now well-established... We see a large amphitheater, filled with PEOPLE attending a lecture of "Nova Geographica" -- the new geography. AROJAZ stands in front of the assembly. Facing him, enthroned, is KING FERDINAND, surrounded by COURTIERS, including SANCHEZ. We slowly move across the arena, passing attentive faces. AROJAZ ... West by south west for 750 leagues to Santo Domingo. From there, west north west, leaving San Juan to the north, reaching the island of Hispanola on the northern cape of San Raphael... Then onto the mainland, at the Cape called Gracias a Dios... We continue to rise up the tiers of seats... AROJAZ Spain -- by Your Majesty's grace -- has confirmed for all humanity the existence of an unknown continent... Tierra Incognita... On a highest tier, we stop on the face of CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, listening impassively. AROJAZ ... This continent was first discovered by a sailor commissioned by your Majesty... CLOSE ON COLUMBUS' eyes. AROJAZ His name... Amerigo Vespucci... On COLUMBUS. EXT. UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA - DAY Around the KING, on horseback, surrounded by the KNIGHTS, a CROWD is kept back by SOLDIERS. AROJAZ is mounting his horse. SANCHEZ is waiting for him. COLUMBUS stands among the students at the back of the CROWD. CUT TO: AROJAZ rides next to SANCHEZ. AROJAZ suddenly spots COLUMBUS in the crowd, as they move off. AROJAZ My God...! I thought he was dead. They pass close enough to touch COLUMBUS. But he does not see them. SANCHEZ You can see for yourself. AROJAZ What a tragedy... what a waste of a life... SANCHEZ A waste...? Let me tell you something, Arojaz. If your name, or mine, is ever remembered -- it will only be because of his. AROJAZ looks at SANCHEZ in surprise -- then cranes his neck round, and looks back at COLUMBUS -- now a FACE IN THE CROWD. EXT. LA RABIDA MONASTERY - KITCHEN GARDEN - DAY ANTONIO DE MARCHENA, a very old man now, is taking a siesta next to his grapes. He is sitting in a simple armchair, a rosary wrapped around his fingers. The presence of someone wakes him. After a moment, he recognizes COLUMBUS and smiles. Both MEN are very moved. MARCHENA I suppose we're both old men now. COLUMBUS You'll always be older than me, Father. They laugh. COLUMBUS sits down. Bees drone lazily in the sunlight. COLUMBUS Have you ever forgiven me? MARCHENA nods his head. MARCHENA Yes. I forgave you a long time ago. You see, I was proud of you. You were like a willful child. You wouldn't accept what others told you. You had to find things out for yourself, hurting yourself -- and others -- in the process. MARCHENA looks at his plants, sighs contentedly. MARCHENA Do you remember when you said that people talk about the world, but never leave their gardens. COLUMBUS nods. MARCHENA More than ever I wonder what it is we do achieve by leaving our gardens... The world changes -- and yet it seems the same. We find new worlds, but fill them with the same people... He pauses, looks across at COLUMBUS, smiles again gently. MARCHENA, tiring, leans back in his chair, and looks up towards the sun. COLUMBUS I have to disagree. MARCHENA I knew you would. COLUMBUS New worlds create new people. MARCHENA Oh? So you are a new man? COLUMBUS I don't know... I have the impression that I didn't change that much. I still can't accept the world as it is! MARCHENA starts laughing. MARCHENA God bless you, and those like you! They both laugh. EXT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE BALCONY - EVENING FERNANDO is sitting in front of his FATHER, examining documents and letters. COLUMBUS has wrapped a shawl around his legs. He looks even older now, with his mass of pure white hair. BEATRIX comes out with a tray, carrying grapes and a decanter of water. She places it on a small table near COLUMBUS and touches his shoulder. As she is ready to return inside the house, he holds her back. COLUMBUS Can't you stay with us a little? BEATRIX I am busy inside. He smiles. She looks at him smiling, intrigued. BEATRIX What is it, now? Tell me... COLUMBUS I can't keep my eyes off you. I would like to catch up with all the moments I didn't spend with you. FERNANDO looks up at them above his letters, amused and slightly embarrassed. COLUMBUS looks at him with a fake air of reproach. COLUMBUS What are you listening to? FERNANDO I am not listening, Father. But I can't help hearing. FERNANDO opens a letter and reads it quickly. FERNANDO It's Diego... He is at the Court, with Santangel... He says they hope to get your privileges restored... And maybe the house. COLUMBUS smiles and nods -- all this seems to be of very little importance to him now. COLUMBUS But how is he? And Dona Maria? FERNANDO continues to read. FERNANDO Fine, it seems. Diego is thinking of starting a pearl trade, in Santo Domingo... He says he received many letters for you. Some of your men, mostly. He opens one of them, glances at it. FERNANDO This one is from Mendez! COLUMBUS' eyes brighten with joy. COLUMBUS What does he say? FERNANDO He asks when he can come to visit you. He left his address. COLUMBUS (smiling) He never had one... except aboard my ships! FERNANDO laughs -- then, suddenly serious. FERNANDO I want you to tell me everything you remember, Father. From the beginning. Everything. COLUMBUS Really? (pause) God... I wouldn't know where to start... and yet... FERNANDO Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. COLUMBUS sighs, and leans back on his chair. His eyes are fixed somewhere, searching. Then, almost in a murmur. COLUMBUS I remember... We see the page. FERNANDO writes: ... I REMEMBER... A drop of ink falls from the quill onto the page and the words. FERNANDO is waiting. CUT TO: COLUMBUS' eyes. CUT TO: EXT. BEACH AND JUNGLE - FIRST LANDING - DAY A MOVING IMAGE, as seen from the rolling deck of a ship. We see: A majestic forest, resting on a slash of white sand, and deep blue sea... MUSIC BEGINS: THE LONE SILHOUETTE of an INDIAN emerges from the dense foliage. He runs down the beach towards the surf. He stops and seems to be staring at us. These words appear on the screen: THE BIOGRAPHY FERNANDO WROTE ABOUT HIS FATHER WAS FOUND BY CHANCE IN VENICE. ITS PUBLICATION IN 1571 CONTRIBUTED TO RESTORING THE NAME OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, WHICH HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN. IN 1511 DIEGO COLUMBUS BECAME GOVERNOR OF SANTO DOMINGO. COLUMBUS RESTS IN THE CATHEDRAL OF SEVILLE, IN ANDALUSIA. END AND CREDITS.

FADE IN on the words CZECH AIRLINE. We are panning across the words on the side of the plane. INT. AIRPLANE ANGLE DOWN on a tray table. Crumpled Czech bills and coins are on it. Hands are counting the money. The airline hostess announces the arrival at JFK - in CZECH. A hand reaches into a breast pocket - pulling out two passports. One is opened. Belongs to EMIL SLOVAK. The next passport belongs to OLEG RAZGUL. The hand passes the Oleg Razgul passport to the man next to him. We notice several empty airline bottles of vodka and a small disposable camera on Oleg's tray table. The passport is set down. Oleg picks it up. We hear Emil's voice in CZECH. The scene is subtitled in ENGLISH. EMIL (V.O.) Just do what I do. Say the same thing I say. Don't open your mouth. OLEG (V.O.) Okay. INT. PASSPORT CONTROL - KENNEDY AIRPORT - DAY CAMERA DOLLIES down a long line of passengers. They are split into two lines - one for Americans, the other for visitors. CAMERA finally arrives at EMIL SLOVAK. An unshaven Czech in his mid-30's. Tall, scraggly beard. Piercing blue eyes. He's dressed in an outdated suit. His eyes are alert, cunning and smart. OLEG RAZGUL, stands in line behind Emil. Oleg is big. Not tall - but wide. A wrestler's body. Emil looks at Oleg. (The following is in CZECH and subtitled in ENGLISH.) EMIL Don't fool around. OLEG Okay. Oleg holds up his disposable camera - at arms length - to take a picture of himself. EMIL Did you hear what I said? OLEG I want to document my trip to America. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Next. (Emil steps up) Could I see your documents, please? EMIL Yes sir. He hands the passport to the officer who runs it through an image swipe. Emil glances furtively back to Oleg. IMMIGRATION OFFICER What is your intended purpose of your visit to the United States? EMIL Two weeks holiday. IMMIGRATION OFFICER How much money are you carrying with you? EMIL I have five-hundred dollars. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Can you show me? Sir, no cameras in the FIS area! Oleg was about to take a picture of Emil and the Immigration Officer. Oleg puts the camera away. Smiles sheepishly. IMMIGRATION OFFICER (CONT'D) (to Emil) Is he with you? Are you travelling together? EMIL Yes. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Please join us. (to Oleg) Come on forward. EMIL Is there a problem? IMMIGRATION OFFICER No, you're travelling together. I want to talk to you together. Hi, how are you? Can I take a look at your documents? (takes Oleg's passport) Are you related? OLEG Yes...he's my friend. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Okay. You're a Czech national and you're a Russian national. How do you know one another? Oleg starts to speak, but Emil cuts him off. EMIL We are both from Prague. IMMIGRATION OFFICER (to Oleg) How long are you planning to stay? EMIL Two weeks. IMMIGRATION OFFICER I'd like to speak for himself, okay? EMIL He doesn't speak English. OLEG I speak English. IMMIGRATION OFFICER (to Oleg) Then answer my questions. Where were you planning to stay during the two weeks that you're here? OLEG New York. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Yes, we're in New York now. But where are you planning to stay in New York? OLEG A cheap hotel. IMMIGRATION OFFICER What are you coming here to do? OLEG I'm here for movies. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Movies...to be in the movies or to see movies? OLEG Yes. No. Both. When I was a boy, I see movie at school called "It's a Wonderful Life" directed by Frank Capra. Ever since I want to come to America. Land of the free. Home of the brave. A land where anyone can be anything. As long as they are white. IMMIGRATION OFFICER Excuse me? EMIL He made joke, bad joke. First time on airplane... The SUPERVISOR comes over to see what the problem is: IMMIGRATION OFFICER Well, they've got valid visas, but they don't have much money. Uh... and I'm not...uh, I think there's a possibility they may be coming to live and reside. SUPERVISOR Look how long the line is. We gotta move 'em out. I'll take them down to secondary. Emil looks at Oleg, pissed. INT. P.B. HERMAN'S RESTAURANT - DAY The place is empty except for one table at the end of the bar. EDDIE FLEMMING, Manhattan's most famous detective, and his savvy, black partner, LEON JACKSON are having cocktails. Eddie is smoothly handsome, tough, smart and tired. Not only is he the best homicide detective Manhattan has ever seen, he's continually mentioned in New York columns and has been the subject of several magazine articles. There's even been a TV movie about one of his biggest cases. Leon has been with Eddie a long time and was also featured in the TV movie. Sitting with Eddie and Leon is ROBERT HAWKINS, host and star reporter for the tabloid show, "Top Story." Hawkins is also the best in the business and has dealt with them all: Joey Buttafuco and Amy Fisher, Lorena Bobbit and OJ. Wait staff bustles in the b.g. doing the morning set up. Hawkins listens as Eddie, cigar in hand, finishes a "war story" and a vodka tonic at the same time. EDDIE So we're waitin' to hit this warrant - we got Emergency Service with the heavy weapons standin' by - ready to go. I say, lemme get a cigar outta the car. I go to get the cigar and BOOM! All the sudden I turn around and a kid with a shotgun let one go. Right where I was standin'. That coulda been it. I coulda had my head blown off and for what? Some stupid kid got panicky, takes the safety off and it's over. If I hadn't gone back for that cigar - for a bad habit - I would've had my head blown off. HAWKINS Jesus Christ. PAULIE, the owner, walks up. PAULIE Speakin' of bad habits, everybody okay? HAWKINS Another martini. LEON Coffee for me, I gotta slow down. EDDIE Vodka tonic. LEON (rethinks it) Maybe you could just put in a shot of Martell? Paulie takes the drinks off the table and an empty bottle of vodka. LEON (CONT'D) (of Eddie's story) It was freaky, I'll tell you. Stupid kid. EDDIE What's the kid gonna say - sorry? Meanwhile I'm not here anymore. Like last week - we were at the morgue and this guy was all chopped up - spleen here - liver there - his heart in a pan. Six hours ago this guy was walkin' his dog or buyin' a quart of milk. Who knows? But some kid's robbed him for $3 or some shit and shot him and now you can't tell if he's a piece of beef or a human being and I'm thinkin' that's me. Sooner or later. That's me. HAWKINS Sooner or later that's everybody. EDDIE Not chopped up. Not chopped up like that. I mean, what do I got left? Coupla articles. A medal or two. Plaque here and there and in a coupla years no one remembers me anymore. HAWKINS I think you're getting a little moody there, Eddie. EDDIE I'm not moody. Hawkins and Leon share a look. HAWKINS Isn't he a little moody? LEON Of course he's moody. He thinks he's in love. HAWKINS In love? With who? Paulie delivers the drinks and sets some cigars on the table. Takes a seat next to Eddie. Eddie asks Hawkins. EDDIE How old are your kids? HAWKINS My kids? Let's see...Susan's 15. Aundrea's 9. Don't tell me you're thinking about having a kid! How old are you? Never mind. Let me just tell you this: Every stupid cliche you hear about kids - they change your life, they make you a better person, they make you whole... (beat) It's all true! Before I had kids when friends talked about their kids, I wanted to vomit. Now -- I get it. Am I right, Leon? LEON Absomotherfuckin'lutely. You can have all three of my ex-wives. But somebody so much as looks sideways at my four girls -- I'd kill 'em. (takes out his wallet) You haven't seen my youngest have you? As he hands pictures to Hawkins his cell phone rings. LEON (CONT'D) Yeah? HAWKINS Paulie, you've got kids, right? PAULIE My kids don't talk to me anymore but they were great when they were young. LEON (into the phone) Sure it's him? Great! (collapses the phone) Unique's home. They all rise from the table. EDDIE Paulie, I need the cure. PAULIE Step into my office. Leon and Hawkins sit back down as Eddie and Paulie leave. HAWKINS So you got your kids listening to Opera? You still singing in the church on the weekends? INT. SECONDARY IMMIGRATION OFFICE - DAY Now other officers are questioning Emil and Oleg. They've been there a while. The SECONDARY OFFICER is looking Oleg. SECONDARY OFFICER Okay. You work in a vodka factory. I understand that. (to Emil) And what kind of work do you do? EMIL I am butcher. SECONDARY OFFICER You're a butcher? What do you use pig intestines for? EMIL You stuff sausage in it. SECONDARY OFFICER And what do you do with the bones? EMIL Dog food. Emil looks at Oleg. Blaming his stupid responses at Passport Control for their detainment. SECONDARY OFFICER Are you married? EMIL No. Are you proposing? ANGLE UP through a thousand ICE CUBES. A face plunges towards us... INT. MENS ROOM Eddie has his back to us as he dunks his face into a sink full of ice. He dries his face, looks into his bloodshot eyes. Presents a small black ring box to the mirror. EDDIE Will you marry me? Wanna get married? What are you doin' Saturday? Leon enters. Eddie turns. EDDIE (CONT'D) I'm gonna propose. LEON When? EDDIE Tomorrow. At lunch. LEON You ready? Eddie leans back and drops some Visine in his eyes. Turns. EDDIE The thrill of the hunt. I love it. EXT. TIMES SQUARE - DAY Oleg and Emil stare at the bright lights - all the nonstop action. Each stands with an old suitcase. OLEG (in Russian) Look. Times Square. Just like in the movies! EMIL (in Czech) Don't speak Russian! OLEG (in Russian) Why? Why do I always have to speak to you in Czech? EMIL (in Czech) Because I don't like your ugly language. I heard enough of it in school! Now speak Czech or English. And don't fool around anymore. You almost got us thrown out! Emil pulls out an envelope with Milos' address on it. This is who they came to see. Emil hails a CAB. Oleg is staring inside a camera store - at himself on a monitor. A videocamera's pointed out in the street. OLEG Look. New videocameras. Color viewfinder. Image stabilization. Solarization. Night vision. EMIL We have no money. Come on. Oleg stares at the videocamera - dying to have one like this. Emil slides into the cab. CABBIE Where you wanna go, buddy? Emil pulls out the post-marked envelope. Points to the return address on it and passes it through the slot to the Cabbie. EMIL Here. Emil looks out the window - no sign of Oleg. Then, Oleg hurries out the camera store, gripping something inside his coat. He flings both suitcases in the trunk, SLAMS it shut and jumps in the back seat. He opens his jacket - pulling out the VIDEOCAMERA he just stole. EMIL (CONT'D) Go! Oleg smiles sheepishly at Emil. EXT. SPANISH HARLEM - DAY Eddie's car pulls up. Eddie, Leon and Hawkins get out. HAWKINS So what's unique? EDDIE Not what. Who. Eddie passes Hawkins a Polaroid - of a woman on a bed - covered in blood. EDDIE (CONT'D) He's from Antigua. His girlfriend was taking too long to put her make-up on. they were late for a party. Stabbed her with a beer bottle. HAWKINS That's unique. EDDIE Yeah. And he still went to the party. Leon moves to a LOOKOUT - gives him a twenty. LOOKOUT Top floor. Back room. EDDIE Yeah. I make big cases, they make the news and I look good. But the problem with becoming a star is downtown. They shoot at stars. Now be quiet. Shhh. As they reach the doorway - Eddie surprises two crackheads. Waves them off. They hurry away. EDDIE (CONT'D) I hope this prick doesn't run. My knees are killing me. Stay behind me. HAWKINS You're worried for my safety. I'm touched. Eddie flattens against the building - watches Unique descend the fire escape. HAWKINS (CONT'D) Ready? EDDIE Keep them out of my way. HAWKINS Okay. You ready? EDDIE Yeah, yeah. Jesus. Eddie closes in. HAWKINS (into his cell phone) COME ON! COME ON! YOU FUCKING GUYS, LET'S MOVE IT! Unique is climbing down the fire escape - before he gets to the bottom, Leon bursts through a door behind him and kicks the fire escape, sending Unique flying into the alley. Where he lands dropping his gun. Eddie pulls him off the ground as Leon scoops the gun up. EDDIE What's your rush? Going to a party? UNIQUE Why you chasin' me, man? EDDIE I don't know. You always come outta your house that way? UNIQUE It's not my house, man. I don't live here. EDDIE Well, sounds like burglary to me. Leon cuffs Unique who recognizes Eddie. UNIQUE I know you man. An unmarked van comes tearing into the scene. Disgorges a mini-cam team that starts filming but they missed the bust. HAWKINS (to Eddie) Any chance we can do that again? EDDIE Again? I didn't wanna do it the first time. EXT. EAST SIDE - LATE DAY The cab is in front of an old five-story brownstone. Oleg gets the bags out of the trunk as Emil tucks the envelope into his jacket, then steps up to the old building. He looks back at Oleg - who's VIDEOTAPING him. EMIL Turn that off! Get the bags. OLEG Why should I carry your bag? I am not a dog. EMIL For five years I paid for your stupidness - you'll carry my bag for the rest of my life if I say so. (challenging) Unless you refuse, Oleg. Oleg looks at Emil. Even though Oleg is stronger than Emil, he fears him. He picks up both bags. Emil searches the occupant list over the buzzers to the apartment building. EMIL (CONT'D) There. 5RW. Emil pushes ten of the buzzers except 5RW. A BUZZER clicks and Emil pushes it open. INT. MILOS' APARTMENT BUILDING - STAIRWELL - DAY The brownstone has no elevator so Emil and Oleg climb the stairs... Oleg cradling his camera. Emil notices a crack pipe on the floor and picks it up. Smells the bowl. OLEG What? EMIL Smell like chemicals...for smoking drugs. Emil pockets the pipe and climbs to the top floor, moving down the dirty hallway to a corner door. INT. MILOS' APARTMENT BUILDING - HALLWAY - DAY He KNOCKS...FOOTSTEPS approach. The door is opened by MILOS - a 40-year-old Czech, dressed in stained plumbers overalls. He is surprised to see Emil and Oleg in his doorway. Oleg films him... MILOS Emil???! EMIL Surprise! Surprise! Milos shoots a look across the tiny kitchen to TAMINA, his comely wife. INT. MILOS' APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS Emil pushes his way inside. Oleg follows. Milos wears plumbers overalls but Emil notices sports a Rolex. Tamina has on a faded dress but despite their cheaply furnished apartment she wears an expensive brushed gold necklace, bracelet and big pearl earrings. The room is furnished with kitsch from Disney World and Las Vegas. The only anomaly is a HUGE SONY TRINITRON HOME ENTERTAINMENT CENTER. (The following is in Czech and subtitled in English.) EMIL Your sister said she didn't know where you were so you shouldn't write to her with return address if you're hiding. MILOS Did you hurt her? EMIL You know me...I never hurt anybody. Where's the money? OLEG Hello, Tamina. Oleg is looking Tamina over. Milos - though scared - barks at Oleg. MILOS Take your eyes off her, Oleg! (to Emil) Look. It wasn't my fault you two were caught. (of Oleg) It's his fault. Trying to get the bank clerk's phone number?! I wasn't going to wait!!! EMIL Milos. Get my money! Oleg videotapes the scene. CLOSE ON AN AJAR DOOR All we see behind it is a WOMAN'S FACE and her wet hair - she obviously came from the shower and we see the towel wrapped around her. MILOS (nervously) We spent it! EMIL Ha. Ha. MILOS Look at the way we live. I'm a plumber. You think I'd be working if I had money?! Emil, pissed, moves to a wood block and pulls out a KITCHEN KNIFE. He grabs Tamina roughly, putting the blade to her throat. MILOS (CONT'D) Emil. Put down the knife. Milos looks at his wife - who is terrified. MILOS (CONT'D) Emil. I'll help you. Milos closes the gap between him and Emil - trying to calm him by talking softly. MILOS (CONT'D) I can get you a job. EMIL A job? MILOS Yes, the money is good. EMIL As a plumber?! MILOS It's easy to learn. EMIL A job?? As a plumber??? You think I come to America to work! MILOS We started over, you can too. EMIL (furious) You spent all the money while I was in prison? Now you tell me to get a job fixing toilets?!? Emil pulls the knife away from Tamina - then angrily PLUNGES it toward Milos' chest! Oleg videotapes it. Then lowers the camera - shocked that Emil killed Milos. Blood sprays Tamina's face. She tries to run but Oleg grabs her, not noticing her brushed gold bracelet falls to the floor. He covers her mouth as he points the videocamera at Emil who STABS Tamina - absolutely enraged! THE WOMAN BEHIND THE DOOR flees...Emil hears NOISE in the bedroom - a window opening. Emil kicks the bedroom door open. Sees the window leading to the fire escape. He dashes to it. Sees four flights down - the WOMAN, wearing a summer dress. Barefoot. Her hair still wet. She looks up. She is beautiful and terrified. She runs down the alley. EMIL (CONT'D) She saw! Emil hurries toward the bathroom. She just got out of the shower. Her underwear and purse are draped over a chair. Emil grabs the purse. Finds a CZECHOSLOVAKIAN PASSPORT. He opens the cover, stares at her photo and name. EMIL (CONT'D) Daphne Hanlova. There's one stamp in the passport - from the U.S. when she arrived - June 16, 1998. Underneath is written - 6 MONTH STAY. Emil flips through the rest of the passport - all blank pages. EMIL (CONT'D) Six month visa. Still here two years later. They'll deport her if she goes to Police. Emil pockets Daphne's passport and wallet, scoops up her shoes and jacket - enters the kitchen and dumps them on the floor. He tears through the kitchen cabinets, throwing cans and bottles aside. OLEG What are you looking for? Emil finds nail polish remover - looks at the bodies. EMIL I'm going to make a bohemian barbecue. Emil draws the kitchen curtains plunging the room into darkness. EXT. CENTRAL PARK - NIGHT A face comes from the darkness. It's an athletically handsome man, jogging out of a tunnel towards us. He's in a tie and jacket in Central Park at NIGHT. He is JORDAN (JORDY) WARSAW. A sensitive man of rugged honesty. He runs down the hill in a hurry. A MUGGER steps in his path. MUGGER Got any spare change? How 'bout a spare twenty? JORDY Look, I don't have time for you, get out of my way!! MUGGER Alright, how 'bout all your fuckin' money? The Mugger pulls a knife - and in a whirl of movement, Jordy grabs his wrist and disarms him in a deadly, professional manner - hurling him down to the pavement, twisting his arm behind his back. With his other hand, Jordy whips out a BROWNING 9MM from his shoulder holster and places it behind the mugger's head. Jordy displays his shield. JORDY Okay, you're under arrest! Now you happy? MUGGER Fire Department? Firemen don't carry guns. JORDY Oh yeah? Guess again. Jordy handcuffs the Mugger and searches the Mugger's coat pockets - pulling out a handful of driver's licenses and credit cards. JORDY (CONT'D) Nice - how many people you ripped off tonight?! Get up! As Jordy yanks the Mugger to his feet, his BEEPER goes off. JORDY (CONT'D) You couldn't listen to me, could you? Jordy drags the Mugger to a tree. Cuffs him so his face is pressed up against the bark. JORDY (CONT'D) I'll send a cop back for you. MUGGER Hey. C'mon, you can't leave me like this. Some freak'll come by and stab me! Jordy jogs off across the park. MUGGER (CONT'D) Wait! Come back!! EXT. MILOS' APARTMENT - NIGHT FIRE TRUCKS from three battalions. Radios CRACKLE. There's a crowd growing. Jordy pushes his way through. The top floor of the brownstone where Milos and Tamina lived has been reduced to smoking ruins. The trees are covered in debris and soot. Jordy moves to LOUIE - Battalion Chief. LOUIE Lieutenant - take up your line and relieve Ladder Company 60 on the top floor. JORDY Hey, Louie, were you first due? LOUIE Yeah, I radioed you guys right away 'cause you got two roasts on the top floor but you don't hafta investigate cause homicide is up there. JORDY Homicide? Who let them up? I didn't make it a crime scene yet. LOUIE Hey, it's Eddie Flemming. KORFIN (O.S.) Yo, Jordy! BOBBY KORFIN - an overweight arson investigator with a quick with and good sense of humor - comes over, pulling on a turnout coat. KORFIN (CONT'D) Where you been, man? We got a celebrity! JORDY I heard. Who the hell let them up there? KORFIN I don't know, you think Eddie will give me his autograph? JORDY You see anything in the crowd? Anybody suspicious? KORFIN Naw - I'm sure the suspect's not here. JORDY Oh yeah, why? KORFIN 'Cause Eddie woulda locked him up by now! INT. MILOS' APARTMENT - NIGHT The roof is gone. The sky is exposed. It's charred ruins, smoked beams and watery muck. Eddie and Leon are standing by what's left of the mattress, looking at Milos and Tamina's charred bodies. Eddie grips a half-smoked Cuban cigar, listening to Leon. LEON So, it looks to me - from the sixty-nine position - that they were doin' each other but were so whacked out of their heads they set the pipe on the mattress, lit it up, and they got fried. What do you think, Eddie? Jordy enters - with Korfin who's carrying a paint can. EDDIE I don't know. We got the experts here. Show them what you found - I hope you don't mind, we came over to see if we could help. Korfin makes a beeline for Eddie - wanting to meet the celebrity. KORFIN Nah, not at all. Detective Flemming - Bobby Korfin. My Uncle Tony worked with you at 2-1 back when you were a rookie. JORDY Could you put out the cigar? Part of the job is picking up scents. EDDIE Oh, sure. Eddie puts his cigar out. Carefully slides it into a cigar holder and pockets it to finish later. LEON Well, I found - check it out - crack pipe. Looks like they got careless. Leon displays the pipe Emil found on the stairs. Korfin shines the flashlight on Leon to look at the pipe. LEON (CONT'D) Mind not shining that light in my eyes? KORFIN Sorry, bro. JORDY Hey, that's great you guys got it all wrapped up, but you don't mind if we go through the routine? It gives us somethin' to do. EDDIE No, we don't mind. You mind Leon? LEON No. Go ahead. JORDY Thanks. Appreciate it. Jordy throws a look at Korfin. Homicide detectives have no respect for fire marshals' investigative skills. Eddie rummages through the apartment - moving into the kitchen and living room... Leon watches as Korfin sticks a pencil in a charred beam, measuring how deep in it goes. KORFIN Okay, Jordy - it was a fast fire, we got good patterns - about thirty minutes old. Jordy moves to one of the corpses. He pulls on a white rubber glove. Inserts his finger in the corpses mouth. The glove comes out white. JORDY Mouth's clean, too. KORFIN Clean? JORDY Don't blow your nose! Jordy's looking at Leon, who was just about to blow his nose. JORDY (CONT'D) The smoke'll permeate your nostrils - burn 'em out. Let it run. KORFIN But you knew that, right? Leon looks at Jordy, then lowers the handkerchief. Jordy turns back to the corpses on the bed. Eddie - in the other room - has found Tamina's brushed gold bracelet on the floor. JORDY So the way you see it, two crack heads burned themselves up? LEON That's what it looks like to me. JORDY And while they're burning up, they're still goin' down on each other? You got to hand it to them. LEON (realizes he's wrong - blows it off) Yeah, well, some people got their priorities straight. Leon watches Jordy, quietly. With a pair of tweezers, Jordy pulls a small unburned piece of cloth from behind one of the heads. Korfin supplies the paint can. Jordy drops the cloth inside. LEON (CONT'D) What was that? JORDY Evidence. Of a homicide. That got Eddie's attention and he comes back to the bedroom. JORDY (CONT'D) You know what that is, right? EDDIE No, what is it? JORDY Why don't you explain it, Bobby. (to a fireman joking a wall) Hey Camello! You mind punching a hole in the floor? CAMELLO No problem. (to Eddie and Leon) Excuse me, gentlemen. You might wanna back up a little more. Don't wanna get your pants wet. Leon and Eddie move to higher ground - on top of a burnt TV set. Eddie hands the brushed bracelet to Leon. As Camello hacks at the floor with an ax, Jordy continues to examine the bodies and Korfin explains: KORFIN They have not soot in their mouths, which means they weren't breathin' before the fire and that usually means they were deceased - and this piece of cloth that my partner found means they were wrapped up in something, probably doused with a flammable liquid and positioned like this on the bed. To the untrained eye, it looks like an accident. Jordy kicks around the draining floor, reaches down for something. LEON What's he looking for? EDDIE A timer. Jordy finds some wires attached to an outlet, pulls them up - on the other end is a timer. Korfin takes the timer from Jordy and moves to Eddie. KORFIN Here you go. A big double homicide. EXT. MILOS' APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT As Jordy and Korfin exit the brownstone, a CAMERA CREW is arriving. Jumps out. Korfin and Jordy cross toward Korfin's car. They open the trunk. Take off their muddy boots throwing them in. KORFIN You see Eddie's face when I gave him the timer? Wish I had a picture of it. JORDY He knew all along. KORFIN What?? JORDY That's why he was so quiet. He was testing us. Eddie and Leon exit - Eddie carrying a baggie with a timer inside. NICOLETTE KARAS, young and attractive, pushes her microphone at Eddie. She's smart, aggressive and respected by her peers. NICOLETTE Detective, does it look like a murder? EDDIE We don't know that yet. It's much too early. There's a lot to be done. NICOLETTE How many victims are up there? EDDIE There are two bodies found at this point. NICOLETTE Can we go up to the crime scene? EDDIE You know you can't do that. C'mon. NICOLETTE Is it drug related? EDDIE We don't know. When I have more I'll let you know. Nicolette signals for her camera man, MIKE, to zoom in on Eddie's hand. She barrels on... NICOLETTE Detective...what's that you're holding in your hand? Evidence? Mike pans up to Eddie's face. Other reporters arrive, hurling questions which Eddie easily answers. Cameras flash as we PAN BACK TO Korfin and Jordy. Jordy is about to get in the car as he notices, back behind some construction - DAPHNE HANDLOVA. She's still wearing the crumpled summer dress. She tentatively steps out to signal Jordy. He only catches a glimpse of her. He starts toward her -- knifes through the crowd - but Daphne is gone. KORFIN What? JORDY There was a woman - I think she wanted to talk to us. She looked scared. Oh shit! Oh no! EXT. CENTRAL PARK - LATER Korfin's car SCREECHES to a stop. Jordy leaps out. Suddenly, Jordy stops...the Mugger handcuffed to the tree is now NAKED! MUGGER You motherfuckin' bastard! She stripped me! It was a bag lady! She touched me all over, it was disgusting. Jordy unlocks the handcuffs. JORDY I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Korfin delivers a blanket. Jordy covers him. JORDY (CONT'D) You okay? MUGGER A dog pissed on me!! I'm gonna sue you for this! You violated my civil rights! JORDY Your civil rights?! You tried to rob me! I could arrest you right now! You're lucky you're walking away from this. Now get outta here. Jordy gives him a push. The Mugger wraps the blanket around himself cursing - hurrying away. EXT. 8TH AVENUE - NIGHT Exhausted HOOKERS who have worked all night loiter outside a sleazy hotel. CAMERA PANS up to a blinking hotel sign. INT. KING EDWARD HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT The light is blinking an eerie green and yellow light into the room. Emil is at the window pulling the blind down trying to shut out the blinking light. He pulls it down twice and it pops back up both times. The third time he angrily pulls it so hard, it comes off the window completely. He sits down in a chair in frustration - adjusting a pillow behind his back. THE ROSEANNE SHOW is on TV. Roseanne has been talking to a FATHER. ROSEANNE (ON T.V.) So you slept with your son's wife! What's that all about? FATHER (ON T.V.) I take full responsibility for sleepin' with my daughter in law. I had low self esteem, I thought I had to compete with him. Emil reaches for his dictionary. EMIL (mutters) Self-esteem? Self-esteem?? He flips through his dictionary to find the meaning of self esteem. FATHER (ON T.V.) Losin' my job and everything, caused my behavioral disorder. (turns to his son) Forgive me, Kirk. Let me hug you? The audience boos. Roseanne mediates... Oleg - fresh from the shower with wet hair - sits on the bed in his skivvies - staring into the videocamera's LCD screen - rewinding Milos' murder. We see it now for the first time - as he rewinds it. Oleg watches - a bottle of cheap vodka between his legs. Emil, looks up from his dictionary. He's wearing Milos' Rolex. Tamina's jewelry - her brushed gold necklace and pearl earrings - are in front of him with Daphne's wallet. Emil looks up - Oleg is holding his videocamera. EMIL (Czech) Turn that fucking thing off! OLEG (Czech) I'm not filming. I'm watching Milos die. It's just like a move but realer. Emil grabs the videocamera. (Czech) Don't break it! Don't break it! EMIL Speak English! OLEG (English) You said speak Czech! EMIL How you erase this? OLEG I'll do it. Don't hurt my camera! Emil tosses the camera back to Oleg who drops his vodka bottle in order to catch the camera. Oleg, holding the camera like it's gold, goes to the dresser and puts it away. Emil starts to go through Daphne's wallet. EMIL Stupid, Milos. I didn't want to kill him. (noticing) What's this? Emil found the last card in the wallet. It's pink with a picture of a busty globe. Printed in the middle is - WORLDLY ESCORTS - and a number. EMIL (CONT'D) Worldly escorts? Emil picks up his dictionary and begins to flip the pages - finding the meaning of worldly. He gets up and dials the number. A soft, SEXY VOICE answers. Soft music in the background. SEXY VOICE Hi? EMIL Hello? SEXY VOICE Are you looking for companionship? Oleg, who's listening, moves to Emil. OLEG Whore? EMIL I'm homesick. You have Eastern European girl? A Czech girl? SEXY VOICE Matter of fact, I have a lovely Czech girl. EMIL I take her. Send her! EXT. FIRE STATION 91 - NIGHT Korfin's car pulls up to the station - as a fire engine is returning. JORDY Now that you know him, maybe you can get extra work in the next movie they make about him. KORFIN Yeah? JORDY Maybe you can be his stand-in. INT. FIRE STATION 91 - NIGHT The men are pulling off their equipment - coming down from the high of fighting a fire. Korfin and Jordy walk toward the TV room. The TV is on in the background. We can see Nicolette interviewing Eddie. He holds up the paint can. CHIEF DUFFY (O.S.) What the hell is that?? You gave Eddie Flemming the evidence?! They turn. DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE MARSHAL DECLAN DUFFY - the head of the arson squad - comes over. Duffy's tough, Irish and very political. DUFFY (pointing to the TV) Who did cause and origin? JORDY Who do you think, Chief?! DUFFY Then why didn't you talk to the reporter? JORDY 'Cause we got more important things to do, like finding out who did it. They walk to the back of the station and start up the stairs. DUFFY Don't you guys understand? It's all about image. The better we look the more money I get to pay you guys overtime. KORFIN Yeah, right. DUFFY What was that, Korfin? KORFIN I said, yeah, you're right, Chief. As soon as we get somethin' we'll let you alert the media. DUFFY You do that, wiseguy. Now let's solve this thing before Eddie Flemming does. They all head upstairs. INT. ARSON SQUAD ROOM - DAY The Chief, Jordy and Korfin enter. There are posters of pyros, arsonists and terrorists on the walls. GARCIA - a Puerto Rican investigator - looks up from his desk. GARCIA Hey guys, I got your torch. He just gave a full confession. A scruffy, unshaven white man sitting across from Garcia, turns. He is MAX, a pyromaniac in his 40's with a freshly scratched cross etched in his forehead. He craves attention. MAX It's my fire! Screw homicide. I'll tell you guys everything! Jordy moves to his desk with Korfin. They sit across from each other. Duffy keeps going to his office, not even bothering to stop. JORDY What's that on your forehead, Max? That's a nice attention getter. MAX Yeah, I'm religious. I'm not an Atheist like you! Now, are you guys gonna arrest me, or not? JORDY How did you start the fire this time? MAX I used an accelerant. JORDY Yeah? What kind? MAX (to Jordy) Hey, by the way, I'm really sorry about your wife leavin' you. KORFIN Max. MAX (continuing) ...Yeah, and with your old man dying last year you - what's it? Just you and the dog now? KORFIN Max! MAX Does it feel bad - I mean the new guy your ex-wife's seeing - I hear he's a big shot downtown. Jordy pops out of his seat. JORDY That's it! You're outta here. Jordy pulls Max by the collar - pushes him down the aisle. MAX That's it. I'm suing. KORFIN Get in line. Korfin takes over - throwing him out. Jordy turns to Garcia who is laughing. JORDY What's so funny. How does he know so much about me? Who tells him my life story? GARCIA He hangs around downstairs. The guys talk to him. He's a joke... JORDY He's no joke! One day he's gonna graduate from trash can fires and do something big. GARCIA Okay. Okay. We'll ban him from the station. INT. KING EDWARD HOTEL ROOM - TV SET - NIGHT As the "Top Story" logo is splashed across the screen, accompanied by a catchy TV THEME, Robert Hawkins introduces America's highest rated 'news magazine' show. ROBERT HAWKINS Good evening, I'm Robert Hawkins and this is Top Story. Tonight we bring you an exclusive interview with Stephen Geller - who horrified the nation two years ago when he went berserk and murdered three clerks in a Manhattan shoe store. But now, Mr. Geller's claim, spoken softly and articulately, is that he is the victim. According to Mr. Geller, the events of that fateful day were not his fault but were the fault of his psychiatrist. Hard to believe...watch. EMIL (O.S.) Louder. VIDEOCAMERA SLOWLY ZOOMS OUT and PANS over to Emil, sitting on the hotel bed watching the TV. He looks at us. EMIL (CONT'D) Louder. Oleg's hand reaches in front of the lens - turning up the volume. The scene cuts back to Stephen Geller being interviewed by Robert Hawkins and his camera crew. He's sitting on the front lawn of a mental institution in a paint stained shirt. A showing of his artwork is displayed in the background. Patients peruse the paintings of weird dysfunctional faces that avoid eye contact. One of the paintings depicts Eddie Flemming and Leon Jackson. STEPHEN GELLER This had nothing to do with shoes that didn't fit or my relationship with my father who, as you know, made a fortune selling penny loafers in the fifties. These people died because of the criminal actions of my doctor. ROBERT HAWKINS Your doctor? STEPHEN GELLER Yes. My psychiatrist didn't insist that I stay on my medication. ROBERT HAWKINS ...so you feel absolutely no responsibility for killing these people? STEPHEN GELLER It was my finger that pulled the trigger, but I'm not morally responsible. My psychiatrist knew what I was capable of. How could I know. I'm not a doctor. ROBERT HAWKINS You seem very savvy for a man who's been found mentally incompetent to stand trial. STEPHEN GELLER Look, I'm a victim here, too. I was a year away from getting my masters in Art, now I'll never graduate. My life has been permanently disrupted. ROBERT HAWKINS Permanently disrupted? Aren't you selling paintings now for quite a lot of money? Hasn't this 'incident' as you call it, jump started your career as an artist? STEPHEN GELLER Look, I'm in here. You call this a career move? ROBERT HAWKINS And isn't there a movie in the works about you? STEPHEN GELLER We're in negotiations, that's correct. ROBERT HAWKINS But doesn't the Son of Sam Law prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes? STEPHEN GELLER That doesn't apply to me because I'm not a criminal. I'm not a criminal! I wasn't convicted. Emil leans forward - listening. Fascinated. EMIL I love America. No one is responsible for what they do. There's a KNOCK on the door. Our VIDEOCAMERA POV swings over to it. Then WHIPS back to Emil. Emil looks at us. EMIL (CONT'D) Get in the bathroom! OLEG (O.S.) Whatever we do - we fuck her, right? EMIL Oleg, get in bathroom, stay there and shut up! Emil turns off the TV. Our POV backs into the bathroom, closing the door but leaving it open a crack. Emil looks down at his shoe. The POV PANS down to the kitchen knife sticking out of Emil's BOOT. Emil's hands pull his pants cuff over it. POV PANS up to Emil as he moves to the door and opens it. It's not Daphne and she's not world class. HONEY Hi, I'm Honey. EMIL Where's Czech girl? HONEY Baby, I'm anybody you want me to be. I'm a little schoolgirl, I'm mommy, I'm a Czech girl. She enters. Closes the door behind her. HONEY (CONT'D) Now I like to get business out of the way before we get down to pleasure. Why don'tchya put my money on the dresser. EMIL I ordered a Czech girl. Daphne, you know her? Oleg ZOOMS in for a CLOSE UP of Honey. During the rest of the scene Oleg films her. Honey begins to undress. HONEY It's an outcall service run out of an apartment. I don't meet the other girls. Aren't you gonna get undressed? EMIL Where is escort service? HONEY That's confidential. Could you put the money on the dresser? EMIL I like to talk to the person who runs the service. Can you give me address? HONEY Look. Do we have a problem here? There's no reason to have a problem. I'm gonna make you feel real good. You wanna Czech girl? After I'm done with you, you won't miss her. Now why don't you pay me? She starts to unfasten Emil's belt. EMIL (stopping her) Listen to me. I don't want sex. Just give me the address and then you go. HONEY (suddenly hard as nails) Look, man, I don't give a shit if you want sex or not, but you're payin' for my time. Emil pulls the knife out of his boot and SHOVES her against the door, PUSHING the blade against her throat - suddenly furious like he was before killing Milos and Tamina. EMIL Give me the address!! HONEY Alright, alright - don't hurt me! Please, it's in my book, in my purse! Emil backs off as she reaches for her purse, and comes out with a can of mace, SPRAYING Emil's face! Emil stumbles backwards - Oleg holding him in the frame. He WHIP PANS back to Honey as she grabs her clothes, unlocking the door but Emil's HAND SLAMS it shut! Emil turns blindly, rubbing his burning eyes - guarding the door. Honey darts toward the bathroom - she pushes open the door and runs into Oleg who is VIDEOTAPING HER. Horrified, she turns around as Emil SMASHES her in the face so hard she topples backwards, tripping into the bathtub, pulling the shower curtain down on her! Like a panther out for the kill, Emil POUNCES. Oleg films as Emil lifts his hand, gripping... THE KITCHEN KNIFE As Emil's hand comes FLYING DOWN - then RISES UP, BLOODIED. Her screams are muffled by the shower curtain wrapped around her face. Oleg films the scene as the knife plunges DOWN INTO: INT. FIRE STATION 91 - ARSON SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT DAPHNE, a sketch of her face. JORDY (O.S.) Her lips are fuller than that. You can see 'em a mile away. WIDER Food containers are scattered all over the place. The female COMPOSITE ARTIST looks at Jordy. Stacks of failed sketches sit beside her. COMPOSITE ARTIST What about her cheek bones? JORDY Her cheek bones are prominent and her eyes were huge. Big, blue eyes and when I saw her, she looked scared. Like she was looking to get away. But she was absolutely beautiful. The composite artist looks at Jordy. JORDY (CONT'D) I gotta good look at her. Korfin has his chair turned around from his desk and is watching the sketch evolve as he speaks on the phone to the landlord of the 7th Street brownstone. Garcia is also on the phone. The other investigators are gone. Working late into the night. Everybody's exhausted. It's almost dawn. KORFIN -- From Czechoslovakia? And how long have they been livin' in your building? (writes 4 YEARS on his pad) Alright, I'll be in touch when we know somethin'. (to Jordy) Milos and Tamina Karlova. They were quiet and kept to themselves. Landlord don't know who your girl is. JORDY How long they been livin' here? KORFIN You hear that question, Garcia? GARCIA Yeah, I got Immigration on the phone - they've been here illegally. KORFIN Well, they're definitely permanent residents now. GARCIA I got the owner of the plumbing company Milos worked for. KORFIN Why don't we get some sleep and we'll go see him in the morning. JORDY You go home. I'm takin' your car and goin' back to the crime scene. KORFIN Aren't you tired? JORDY If I go home I won't be able to fall asleep anyway. Jordy takes the sketch of Daphne which isn't a bad likeness and heads for the door. Korfin falls in behind him. As they pass Garcia he hands Jordy the address. KORFIN (of the picture) She keepin' you up? Like to meet her, huh? She'd make you forget your ex wife. Cure your insomnia. INT. MILOS' APARTMENT - DAWN CAMERA DESCENDS FROM THE SKY picking up Jordy as he enters what is left of Milos and Tamina's apartment. The roof has been burned off. He moves into the next room, trying to see through the darkness - looking through the muck and char. EDDIE Okay to smoke? Jordy turns, surprised. Eddie sits on a singed chair. He pours from a half-pint bottle of vodka into his 'won ton soup' container, smoking a cigar. On the arm of the armchair is a brown legal folder and stacks of photographs of the crime scene and the burned bodies. JORDY It's your crime scene now. You can do what you want. EDDIE Watch the news? JORDY Nah, I musta missed it. EDDIE Well, just so you know. I gave you guys the credit. JORDY Well, just so you know, I don't care about that stuff. EDDIE Nah, why should you? JORDY I don't even watch TV. EDDIE Good. Good. Commendable. Eddie knocks his 'won ton soup' back. JORDY Did you get a report from the M.E.? EDDIE Sure. But I would like to ask you something. You got a problem with me? JORDY If you found me steppin' on your crime scene - it might piss you off, too. (then) What about the report? EDDIE You were right, they were both dead before the fire. The male was stabbed so hard the killer broke off the tip of the knife in his spine. That's usually an indicator of something personal. Jordy pulls out a sketch of Daphne. Hands it to Eddie. JORDY The Super said he'd seen her before but she didn't live here. EDDIE Pretty. JORDY (acts as if he didn't notice) Hmmmm. EDDIE Maybe you don't care about that either. (beat) Prettiest suspect I've had in awhile. JORDY Who says she's a suspect? Jordy tries to take the sketch back. Eddie holds on. EDDIE What would you call her? JORDY Look, I'm not even sure she has anything to do with this. I saw her outside after the fire - thought it was a lead. Maybe she saw something. Maybe she was visiting somebody here. Who knows? Eddie walks up to the burnt mattress - where the bodies were. EDDIE Obviously they weren't having sex. As you pointed out. So why go through all the trouble of putting 'em like that? Eddie passes a crime scene photo of the bodies to Jordy. JORDY Maybe it's a ritual thing or someone trying to send a message. Burial rites are taken very seriously in Eastern Europe. It could be to humiliate them. Just burning them up, no proper funeral, it's like condemning them to hell. EDDIE Eastern Europe. Like what? Romania? Hungary? JORDY Or Czechoslovakia. The Slavs have been fighting the Germans and the Russians for a thousand years. These are very intense people and they take things personally. Eddie's cellular rings - he grabs it. EDDIE Yeah? Where? You sure it was a knife? Uh-huh. Really? Okay. (to Jordy) We've got another murder - in a hotel on Eighth Avenue. A stabbing. Clerk said the room was rented by a Russian... Eddie's moving with Daphne's sketch. JORDY I'll come with you. EDDIE There wasn't a fire. There'll be nothing for you to do. JORDY I can watch you, Eddie. Maybe I'll learn something. EDDIE This isn't homicide school. JORDY My parents are from Poland. I can help with the Eastern European angle. EDDIE You're Polish? JORDY My folks are. EDDIE Stay here. EXT. TIMES SQUARE - NEWS STAND - DAY Video POV of the news stand as a hand reaches into frame and picks up a copy of THE NEW YORK POST. Eddie's photo is on the front page - holding the kitchen timer by the wires. Underneath his picture the caption reads, "DOUBLE HOMICIDE... FLEMMING'S ON IT." The videocamera widens out revealing Emil standing in front of a Times Square news stand, reading the front page. The videocamera turns around - until focusing on Oleg himself. OLEG This is second day in America. First day was very exciting. Full of thrills and chills. Over there, is co-star of my new movie, Emil! He turns the camera around - FILMING EMIL. EMIL (to vendor) Who is he? VENDOR New York's finest. This is his case. The VENDOR - picks up People. Stephen Geller is on the cover. VENDOR (CONT'D) This all you want? EMIL Do you know how much killer gets for movie rights? VENDOR (People) In here, says he wants a million. EMIL Million?! The killer gets one million dollars for a television interview? VENDOR Hey, tabloids paid Ted Bundy - famous serial killer - half a million for his interview. And how much you think Monica got for writing book about the President coming on to her? It pays to be a killer or a whore in this country. Look, you want magazine or not? EMIL Yes. Both. OLEG And these. Oleg picks up FILM COMMENT, MOVIELINE and PREMIERE magazine. Emil pays for everything. EMIL (to Oleg) Get a taxi. Oleg tucks the magazines in his coat, picks up the suitcases and hails a taxi. As Emil collects his change he sees an old BLIND WOMAN waiting at the crosswalk. The light's blinking WALK. EMIL (CONT'D) Let me help. Emil gently takes her arm and crosses her to the other side. BLIND WOMAN Thank you, son. Emil watches her walk on. INT. KING EDWARD HOTEL ROOM - DAY The hotel room is a hive of activity. GIL is dusting the dresser for prints. Another officer is stripping the bed and putting the bedding into a big, clear plastic bag. As Eddie enters the crime scene, a POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER is standing in the doorway taking pictures. EDDIE Where is she? LEON Takin' a bath. EDDIE Any I.D.? LEON Still unknown but we're running prints. Kid over there caught the case. Jordy enters. Leon steps in his way. LEON (CONT'D) Sorry...PD only. EDDIE It's okay. Eddie walks over to a young detective. TOMMY CULLEN, only 26, is excited to meet Eddie. TOMMY Tommy Cullen. Heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you. Here's what we got. A girl in there, figure her to be a prostitute, looks like she was fighting for her life. She's got defense wounds on her hands. Right this way - in the bathroom. EDDIE After you. Eddie follows Tommy into the bathroom. There's blood splattered all over the walls and the floor. Honey's topless body lies in the tub tangled in the bloody shower curtain. MURPHY, an Irish medical examiner (M.E.), is examining the body. TOMMY Room was registered to a Francis Capra. JORDY Capra? That's not Czech or Russian. Who said he sounded Russian? TOMMY The clerk? EDDIE Check the switchboard, see what phone calls were made from this room. TOMMY I'll do it. Tommy heads out. Eddie takes out his cigar holder. Slides out what's left of his cigar. Re-lights it. Looks down at Honey's body in the bathtub. Gil's dusting the tub for prints. MURPHY Clothes were off in the other room. Tub is dry except for the blood. EDDIE Any of you guys take a piss lately? Gil looks confused. Eddie points to the toilet. Seat is up. EDDIE (CONT'D) Do the seat for me. Gil crosses to the toilet and starts to dust it. Eddie stands in the bathroom - studying the scene. Holding the unlit cigar. Looking around at the blood splattered walls. EDDIE (CONT'D) Only one guys checked in? LEON Yeah. EDDIE C'mere. You wanna go to homicide school? Here - make yourself useful. Eddie positions Jordy behind the tub next to the wall. EDDIE (CONT'D) Our killer...our killer's standing here slashing at her. She's fightin' him. The blood is splattering this way. It's on this wall... (pointing to the right of Jordy) And there's some specks over here. (to the left of Jordy) There's nothing here because someone was standing right here. Someone big. And he's got blood on him. Lots of blood. He wouldn't walk out of here like that. (turning to Murphy) Murphy, what kind of knife you think we're talking about here? Murphy pulls out a clear plastic ruler and walks over to the blood-splattered wall. MURPHY If you look here where he missed and hit the wall you see that the marks aren't deep but they're kinda wide... not your everyday kitchen or pocket knife. EDDIE What if the tip was broken off? MURPHY Could be. Then we should find it here somewhere. EDDIE I think we've already found it. Eddie exchanges a look with Jordy as Tommy, the young detective, returns. TOMMY There was only one call from this room last night. I dialed it. It's an escort service. LEON Did you identify yourself? TOMMY Hey, I'm new but I'm not stupid. EDDIE Call communications and get an address on that number. Tommy holds up a slip of paper with the outcall service address on it. EDDIE (CONT'D) Good work. INT. KING EDWARD HOTEL ROOM - STAIRS - DAY Jordy hurries out - catches up with Eddie. JORDY You goin' to the escort service? EDDIE You got any better ideas? JORDY Mind if I ride along with you? EDDIE This has nothing to do with your fire. JORDY But what if it does? You might need my help. As Eddie exits the hotel, a MAN approaches. MAN Hey, Eddie, can I get your autograph for my son? EXT. KING EDWARD HOTEL - DAY Jordy catches up. Eddie finishes signing the autograph using the man's back. EDDIE I'll let you know what happens. JORDY This is ridiculous. I'm not gonna be in your way - we can talk the case over. EDDIE Tell you what - I'll flip you a coin. If you win you can come with me. If you don't win, you don't come. JORDY I'll call it... tails. Eddie pulls out a coin and hands it to Jordy. EDDIE Okay. I'll call it. Heads. Jordy flips the coin and it's heads. EDDIE (CONT'D) Heads. See, you lost twice. (beat) Okay. Get in. Jordy goes for the passenger side of the car. Before Jordy can get in, Eddie starts to pull away. Jordy stands on the sidewalk - dejected. Eddie stops the car again and this time lets Jordy get in. WHIP PAN TO: INT. UPPER EASTSIDE HALLWAY - DAY Eddie and Jordy arrive in front of Rose's door. Eddie knocks and flips a coin to Jordy. EDDIE Oh here. A souvenir. Jordy takes the quarter. Not understanding what Eddie means. He looks at the quarter. JORDY Two heads. EDDIE Better than one. Eddie suckered him with the coin toss. Jordy reacts. Eddie laughs - squirts Binaca in his mouth. Knocks again. We hear ROSE HELLER. ROSE (O.S.) Who's there? EDDIE Police. We'd like to ask you a few questions. ROSE (O.S.) I have nothin' to say. If you wanna contact my attorney... EDDIE (commands) Homicide, Miss Hearn. It's Detective Eddie Flemming. Open up. Rose reacts. Immediately UNLOCKS, UNCHAINS and opens the door! ROSE You! I've seen you on TV! Eddie glances self-consciously at Jordy. ROSE (CONT'D) C'mon in. C'mon in! INT. ROSE'S APARTMENT - DAY They enter. ROSE Just a minute. Shit. And I don't have a camera. Hold on a second. Rose moves back to the phone - finishes up her conversation in Afrikaner. We hold on Eddie and Jordy at the door. Eddie looks around - taking in the place. FOUR GIRLS are on phones. Two girls take orders for customers. The other two work the phone sex lines. Rose hangs up the phone - turns to Eddie and Jordy: ROSE (CONT'D) What's wrong? EDDIE We don't have her I.D. yet, but one of your girls was killed last night at the King Edward Hotel. ROSE Oh my G-d. Honey! Honey's dead? JORDY Do you remember the man who called? Though Rose answers Jordy, she directs her response to Eddie. ROSE Yeah. He wanted a girl from Czechoslovakia, but I sent him Honey 'cause once they get there, you know, it doesn't really matter - Honey was killed...? Poor girl... EDDIE Do you have any Czech girls working for you? ROSE No. EDDIE Did you tell him you did? A BUTCH GIRL enters. Rose speaks to her in Afrikaner. ROSE (Afrikaner) Boy, she's so popular all the sudden. EDDIE What are you saying? ROSE Daphne. Another guy came in asking me about her, too. Jordy pulls out the sketch, unfolds it. JORDY This her? ROSE Yeah. Sort of. I tried to recruit her, gave her my card. She said she'd think about it but I never heard from her. BUTCH GIRL (Afrikaner) Beautiful eyes. EDDIE Who came by looking for her? ROSE He said he was her cousin. I told him where she works. They were just here. EDDIE Describe him. ROSE Tall, short-haired, scary eyes. Second guy with him was...shorter, with a wrestler's build. And he wouldn't turn his videocamera off me. EDDIE He had a videocamera? Where is she? Quickly! ROSE She washes hair up at Ludwig's - a salon on 63rd and Madison. EXT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY As Eddie speeds through the street, SIREN BLARING. INT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY Jordy holds on as Eddie darts in and out of cars with astonishing dexterity. This man can drive. Eddie picks up his phone - dials. Jordy is on his cell phone as well. EDDIE Leon - meet us at 63rd and Madison. Hair salon. Ludwig's. JORDY (overlapping) I'm on my way with Eddie. Ludwig's. 63rd and Madison. The suspects might be there already. Eddie looks over as Jordy disconnects. Eddie picks up a beer he was holding between his legs - finishes it. EDDIE You thirsty? JORDY I'm on duty. EDDIE (drinking) So am I. Alright, I'll go inside and you cover the back. JORDY Of course. EDDIE Hey! I always wanted to be a cop when I was a kid. I dreamed of running up to a door, kicking it in, pulling my gun and yelling 'Freeze!' at the bad guy! What'd you dream about? JORDY I wanted to run up to a building on fire, kick in the door, rush into the smoke and save a kid. EDDIE Then I guess we're doin' this the right way, aren't we? If we pull up to a burning building I'll gladly let you go first. Jordy looks at Eddie - can't deny he's right. INT. LUDWIG'S SALON - DAY We're in a moving video POV of Ludwig's, the hair salon - it's big and spacious. The lens finds THE RECEPTIONIST. OLEG (O.S.) Daphne Handlova? RECEPTIONIST Daphne? In the back. Probably shampooing a customer's hair. Oleg approaches Daphne who is mixing hair dye. LUDWIG, the owner, is with her. LUDWIG Why are you messing with your hair color again? You're going to kill your hair. You won't look good with black hair. DAPHNE I want to do it, alright? LUDWIG Well, then do it after work. A customer's waiting. He leaves, a customer approaches. She smiles at him - turns on the water in the sink then sees - Oleg filming her. She backs up...suddenly moves to the emergency door! TO THE BACKYARD There's a garden out there. Daphne runs toward the alley. Oleg follows her - still videotaping. As she rounds the corner she bumps into...Emil! He pulls out his kitchen knife, shoving her against the wall, pushing the blade with the broken tip against her throat. EMIL I...I have a temper. She looks at him, not understanding. Oleg films the scene. EMIL (CONT'D) When I lose it, I lose control. I didn't intend to kill Milos but he stole from me. Cheated me! When I went to prison, they beat me. I still didn't tell he was my partner. I loved Milos like a brother... The tone in Emil's voice - there's an uncharacteristic softness to it. He wants to reconcile his behavior to her. EMIL (CONT'D) (in English) I'm not a killer. The back door opens. He shoves the knife in his pocket as Ludwig peers around the alleyway. What he sees is Emil leaning close to Daphne, kissing her. LUDWIG Daphne, will you be coming back to work? DAPHNE In a minute, Ludwig. Ludwig leaves. EMIL Smart girl. I'm glad you're not a whore. But washing hair? This is no job for a woman as beautiful as you. They should be washing your hair. Emil reaches into his pocket and pulls out SOMETHING, sticks it in the palm of her hand, closing her fingers around it. EMIL (CONT'D) I don't want to kill you. But if you talk, I will. (whispers) I thought you'd want these. He taps her hand...he turns and goes out the rear exit. Oleg follows. Jordy arrives. JORDY ...Daphne? She says nothing. JORDY (CONT'D) I'm a fire marshal. You remember me from the other night? You are Daphne, right? She says nothing. Eddie arrives. Daphne turns. Recognizing Eddie. EDDIE You don't have to be afraid. We're here to protect you. Come with me. We want to talk to you. You speak English alright? Eddie looks at Jordy. Takes Daphne by the arm. EXT. LUDWIG'S SALON - CONTINUOUS As they come out, Eddie notices Daphne clutching something in her hand. He reaches for her hand. Opens it. It's a brushed gold necklace. EDDIE Did he give you these? Was he just here? Eddie searches the streets. Notices Oleg and Emil on the far corner. Oleg is videotaping him. Leon and Tommy pull up. Korfin behind. They all pop out. Eddie grabs Leon - squeezes his arm - quietly. EDDIE (CONT'D) The other side of the street. The guy with the videocamera. (back to Jordy) Don't look - put her in the car. (to Leon) Stay this side. LEON (back to Tommy) Stay with her. They start heading down the curb - trying not to attract the attention of Oleg and Emil. A VIDEO CLOSE-UP of the scene from across the corner. EMIL (Czech) Put the fuckin' camera down! Let's go! Emil starts to flee. EXT. NYC STREETS - CONTINUOUS What follows next is an incredible foot chase with Eddie, Jordy, Korfin and Leon running through traffic - chasing Emil. Eddie tries to stay in the lead but is running out of breath. EDDIE Split up! Jordy runs down one side of Madison - Eddie, the other. Korfin continues down 62nd and Leon covers the other side. They search for Emil, grabbing people, turning them around, missing him. Emil seems to have disappeared. Leon, gun raised, approaches the cafe. As he rounds the corner, Emil darts out, cracking Leon across the face! Leon crashes into a table, dropping his gun. Emil scoops up the gun and PISTOL-WHIPS Leon. BEATING the detective to a pulp. People are running from the scene. Emil takes Leon's wallet. He is distracted by LAUGHTER. Oleg is VIDEOTAPING the scene. OLEG Emil, look! Oleg swivels with the videocamera. Korfin is running toward them - pushing through the crowd. Emil FIRES! Korfin is blown backwards. OLEG (CONT'D) Perfect! Cut. Print! Eddie arrives. Bends down to Leon, whose face is red with blood. Jordy runs to Korfin, who's laying in the street, shot in the side. Jordy cradles his partner. EDDIE Are you hit? LEON No. I'm okay. JORDY (to Korfin) Bobby, Bobby! Where're you hit?! KORFIN It hurts. Aw, Jesus! JORDY Lay down. Stay down, Bobby. Jordy looks up as Eddie steps into the center of the street. Cars screech out of the way! Eddie crouches, taking aim at Emil, who is almost two blocks away. It's an impossible shot, out of range. But Eddie closes an eye, aims and squeezes off one SHOT. Two blocks away, Emil topples. Korfin and Jordy look at Eddie, astonished he made the shot. Emil scrambles to his feet. Runs. Eddie holsters his weapon. Pulls out a handkerchief. Dabs Leon's wounds. LEON He got my gun! Motherfucker was filming the whole time! EDDIE I know. Relax. Take it easy. Don't worry, we'll get those fuckers. DISSOLVE TO: EMS VEHICLE Eddie and Jordy watch as Korfin on a stretcher, is loaded in an EMS VEHICLE and in b.g., an EMS DOCTOR attends to Leon's bloody face. Eddie and Jordy turn to go back into the restaurant, now cleared out - as Nicolette Karas arrives with her cameraman. NICOLETTE Detective - can you tell us what happened here? EDDIE I can't talk right now. We have some things to take care of. Jordy moves off, he doesn't want to get pulled in front of Nicolette. Daphne can be seen waiting in the back of the restaurant, maybe twenty feet away. Tommy stands next to her. This is where Eddie and Jordy are headed. NICOLETTE I understand, but I noticed that the Fire Marshall is here with you. Is this somehow related to the fire department? EDDIE I really can't give out any information right now at this point. NICOLETTE Okay. But I do understand that your partner, Leon Jackson's been injured. Is that correct? EDDIE He was hurt, but not seriously. He'll be fine. NICOLETTE Do you have the suspect in custody? EDDIE Um...now is not a good time, okay. Detective Jackson's hurt. He's fine. I've got a Fire Marshall shot, Detective Jackson is hurt but not seriously. NICOLETTE (to cameraman) Alright, cut, cut, cut. Mike the cameraman cuts the cameraman - lowers it from his shoulder. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) (to Eddie) Eddie, are you okay? EDDIE Yeah. Now's not a good time. NICOLETTE Alright. EDDIE Alright? NICOLETTE Alright. EDDIE Alright. NICOLETTE Okay. Eddie walks into the restaurant. Throws a look back at her, then enters. INT. ARMAND RESTAURANT - DAY Jordy talks to Daphne. DAPHNE I told your partner, I can't help. I didn't see anything. EDDIE C'mon, start at the beginning. You know these people? DAPHNE Tamina was a friend of mine. My shower was broken, she let me use theirs. EDDIE Go on. She says nothing. EDDIE (CONT'D) Whether you tell us or not, we'll find out. Better if it comes from you. DAPHNE If I tell you, will you arrest me? EDDIE Arrest you for what? Why would we arrest you? She still hesitates. EDDIE (CONT'D) What are you hiding? Why are you afraid JORDY She just saw two of her friends killed! They probably threatened her. EDDIE Is that all there is? She looks at Eddie. EDDIE (CONT'D) Are you here illegally? Don't worry about that. We'll talk to Immigration. They won't deport you. DAPHNE No, no, don't talk to Immigration! She clams up. JORDY Why not? EDDIE Something back home? Jordy leads Daphne to a table - she sits. Eddie sits across from her. Jordy crouches down next to her. DAPHNE ...my little sister and I shared a flat - I came home one night and a man was raping her. His gun was on the chair... He came at me and I shot him. JORDY (optimistic) Alright. That's a justifiable homicide. DAPHNE Yes, but he was a cop. EDDIE A cop? DAPHNE (beat) I'm from a small town in Slovakia. Like the South here. The Police is right, a civilian is wrong. So I fled. EDDIE Look, we can help you but right now we have to deal with what's happening here. Tell us the truth...is that the truth? DAPHNE You're a cop - you'll never believe me. JORDY (to Eddie) Can I talk to you? Eddie steps away with Jordy. Keeping his eyes on Daphne. She tries to listen. EDDIE She's fucked. Even if that story is true. JORDY Raw deal. Eddie tilts his head. Measures Jordy. JORDY (CONT'D) Look - let me talk to her. Any leads I get, they're all yours. Just let me have a first crack at her. EDDIE You wanna talk to her alone? JORDY Yeah. EDDIE What would your girlfriend think of that? JORDY I don't have a girlfriend. EDDIE My point exactly. JORDY I'm serious here. EDDIE So am I. JORDY C'mon. You intimidate her 'cause you're a celebrity. She sees me differently. EDDIE You're her Savior? Is she the kid you're gonna save from the burning building? JORDY You know what I'm saying here. Eddie looks at his watch. Thinks it over. Measures Jordy. EDDIE Okay, tell you what, I'll give you a head start. You take her to the station house. Don't let her out of your sight. She's the only warm body we got left. JORDY Hey. I'm a professional. EDDIE Women like that have a way of turning professionals into amateurs. He gives Jordy a look and heads for the door. INT. A SEEDY BATHROOM - DAY Emil pulls off his sock and shoe, lifts his foot into a stained sink and washes the blood away, exposing the chunk of pink flesh taken out of his ankle. Emil grabs some toilet paper, plugs the wound, then cuts the towel off the dispenser with his kitchen knife and wraps his ankle. He grits teeth in pain. The lights go out. Then Oleg adjusts the fluorescent light above the sink. OLEG Gotta light the scene better. Now it's more moody... like a scene from THE THIRD MAN. EMIL Shut up. OLEG Does it hurt? Emil lifts his foot out of the sink. EMIL This is nothing. Emil lifts his shirt, exposing his back. OLEG Oh, shit. I hate looking at that! EMIL Don't want to film this? We don't see what Oleg sees - not yet - but from his expression, it's horrible. INT. JORDY'S CAR - DAY Daphne rides in the backseat. Jordy's watching her in the rearview. DAPHNE Now I become custody of police department? JORDY If you cooperate with the DA - maybe they'll help you with your situation. DAPHNE I will if they don't send me back. JORDY They won't until this is over. She looks away. Out the window. Jordy sees emotion filling her eyes. She looks back at him - her eyes have teared up. DAPHNE Are you married? JORDY Divorced. DAPHNE Do you live alone? (beat) I've been in these clothes since...the killings. Could we stop at your place? I could take a shower...before I go into custody? Jordy looks at her. Can't quite tell if she's trying to manipulate him or really just wants to get cleaned up before all the shit starts. JORDY I can't take you to my place. DAPHNE Somewhere else? Jordy looks at her... EDDIE Staring right at us. EDDIE I want to talk to you about something serious. He holds up the diamond engagement ring. EDDIE (CONT'D) I want to live the rest of my life with you...I don't know you've been married before and I've never been married, but I do love you, and... Eddie is standing in front of a mirror - rehearsing the proposal. He notices a small dab of blood on his shirtcuff. Leon's blood. Paulie enters carrying a towel and a vodka tonic. PAULIE She's here. Paulie sets down the drink and begins their silent ritual. He hands Eddie the towel. Eddie wipes off his face and hands, then hands the towel back to Paulie. Paulie helps Eddie on with his coat. Eddie takes some Visine out of his coat pocket. Drops a few in each eye. HE straightens himself and looks in the mirror, taking a big gulp of the drink. Eddie sets the glass down and starts out. Paulie hands him a Binaca. Eddie gives himself a squirt as he exits. Paulie follows. INT. P.B. HERMAN'S RESTAURANT - DAY It's lunchtime...it's crowded. Eddie takes a seat at a table. He takes the ring out of his pocket - holds it under the table. Nicolette Karas walks up to Eddie from behind. Gives him a kiss on the cheek. NICOLETTE Hey, honey. EDDIE Hey. She orders a drink in Greek from the Greek waiter, then sits down across the table. There's a long pause - they just look at each other. NICOLETTE What is your problem? Why'd you snap at me? I just wanted a statement. EDDIE I can't...I can't answer you just because you want me to answer you! NICOLETTE You didn't have to embarrass me in front of my colleagues. You could give me something. EDDIE Oh, I'm sorry. Did I embarrass you, sweetheart? Oh... NICOLETTE Stop it. EDDIE Maybe I should just, ya know...turn to the cameras and say, do you mind if we just work something out? NICOLETTE Alright, alright, Eddie. Don't patronize me. EDDIE I'm not. NICOLETTE Yes you are. I'm not just some reporter. I don't just stick a microphone in your face. You could give me something. EDDIE Yeah, well you took the camera and put it right down on the evidence. That was... NICOLETTE That was good. You were holding the evidence. EDDIE You were merciless. You didn't give a shit if you got me or not. NICOLETTE Well, who was it that taught me how to do that? Huh? EDDIE You're ruthless. NICOLETTE You're not so bad yourself. They look at each other. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) C'mere. They kiss. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Look at this. You have blood on your shirt. Whose is it? EDDIE Could be Leon's. NICOLETTE Jesus. And last week you came over with blood on your shoes. What am I going to do with you? Eddie takes her hand. EDDIE You know, I been thinkin'...these shoes might look nice with another pair of shoes next to them in the closet. She looks at him. EDDIE (CONT'D) You know, Nicky, I've been married twice before. My first wife was a professional woman, didn't have time for children. My second wife...I never wanted to go home to her. Nicolette's phone rings. Eddie stops - looks at the ringing phone. NICOLETTE What are you doing? What are you saying? Nicolette's phone keeps ringing. Eddie stares at it. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Eddie? Nicolette's phone keeps ringing. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Don't worry about the damn phone. I won't answer it. EDDIE Answer the phone. NICOLETTE No. Tell me what you want to say. EDDIE Answer it. NICOLETTE Okay. Okay. Hold that thought just for a second. They only call me when it's an emergency. Just hold that thought. (into the phone) Can you call back? PHONE VOICE (O.S.) We need you here in twenty minutes. Get in a cab. NICOLETTE What're you talking about? PHONE VOICE (O.S.) Katie. We don't know where she is. We can't find her. You gotta anchor the 5:00. This is your shot. Come now. NICOLETTE What? Oh. Okay. Yeah. The line disconnects. She collapses the phone. Turns to Eddie. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Oh my G-d, they want me to anchor. They want me to anchor tonight! EDDIE That's good. NICOLETTE Yeah. EDDIE Well, that's great. NICOLETTE Okay. That is great. But I can't go now, we're in the middle of something here. EDDIE No. Go ahead. You're gonna be great. NICOLETTE No. No, listen to me here. I want to know what you're talking about. You know, the shoe thing and the marriages and... EDDIE I'll tell you tonight. Let's do it tonight. As soon as you get back we'll talk. We'll talk. NICOLETTE Promise? EDDIE I promise. We'll talk. You'll be great. You'll be fine. Go ahead, just imagine that, uh... Just look into the lens and imagine you're talking to me. NICOLETTE Yeah. I'll do that. As long as you're not patronizing me. EDDIE Patronizing you... Nay, I love you. NICOLETTE I love you. They kiss. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Okay, til tonight. EDDIE Tonight. NICOLETTE You promise? EDDIE Yeah. I promise. NICOLETTE Okay. And you know what, I'll swing by my place, grab a couple pairs of shoes and maybe just test them out next to yours...How's that... Would that be a good thing. EDDIE Yeah, yeah. Good thing. NICOLETTE Okay. EDDIE See you later. Good luck. NICOLETTE Thank you. EDDIE Don't be late. She walks out. INT. FIRE STATION 91 - DAY Jordy unlocks the door. Enters with Daphne. The fire station is empty. JORDY The men are out of quarters - practicing putting out fires. DAPHNE So...the station is empty? JORDY Yeah. This way. He gestures toward the stairs. INT. FIRE STATION LOCKER ROOM - CONTINUOUS Jordy and Daphne walk through the locker room. Her eyes never leaving Jordy's. JORDY You considered becoming a prostitute? DAPHNE Yes, I considered it. JORDY Did you ever turn tricks before? DAPHNE No. JORDY What about back home? DAPHNE No. Daphne stops. Looks at him. Stands very close. DAPHNE (CONT'D) I came here. I had no money. I knew no one. I couldn't get a job because you have to have a green card to get work. They approached me - I could've made a lot of money. I considered it, but... it's not who I am. They pay me below the table at Ludwig's. JORDY So you were never a prostitute? DAPHNE What are you asking me? JORDY I'm just trying to find out who you are. She looks up into his eyes. Searching. Thinking he's hinting. DAPHNE Can you let me go? She leans in close to him - giving him the opportunity to kiss her. Jordy is tempted but...remembers Eddie's warning and backs up slightly. JORDY Showers are this way. Desperate now, willing to do anything, Daphne moves in even closer. DAPHNE You could shower with me. Jordy is locked in her eyes. Almost giving in. Then breaks away. Gestures towards the showers. Daphne looks away form him - crestfallen. She heads to the showers. Jordy follows her into the bathroom. The walls are lined with shower stalls. JORDY I'll uh, I'll get you a towel. He leaves her there. Alone. She quickly moves to the window. Opens it. Looks down. It's a two-story drop to the street. JORDY gets a towel from the locker room. His beeper goes off. He checks the number but decides not to return the call. We follow him back into the bathroom. The shower is on but he notices the window. It's open. JORDY (CONT'D) Shit! He rushes over. He looks out. No sign of her. He turns - looks back at the shower. It's on but he can't see through the curtain. Can't tell if she's there. He walks over - quickly - fearing that she's left. He pulls the curtain aside. She's crouched in the corner shower stall. Holding herself. She looks up at him - her eyes filled with tears. JORDY (CONT'D) Are you alright? Jordy sits on the bench next to the shower. DAPHNE I'm not a whore. I'm not a whore. JORDY I know. DAPHNE You don't know. I'm sorry. I was desperate. That's not me. I shot a cop. Can you imagine what they'll do to me when I got to prison? JORDY They're not gonna send you right back. DAPHNE I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I'm glad. Actually I'm glad it's over. All this time. Hiding. Never being able to look anyone in the eyes. Always afraid that someone would find out who I was. Never trusting anyone... He covers her with the towel, pulling her up. JORDY You can trust me. She embraces him. Trusting him. He stands there for a moment. Then awkwardly holds her. Comforting her. INT. NYC RESTAURANT - DAY CLOSE UP on a steak. Male hands cut a piece. Another male hand sets down a huge bottle of Extra Strength Excedrin. The hands abandon the steak and rip open the bottle. The CAMERA pulls back to include the LCD screen of Oleg's videocamera. He is taping Emil as he rips open the safety plastic with his teeth. Emil is sweating with fever and his eyes are glazed over in pain. He 'drinks' pills from the bottle and chews them up. Wincing in pain. Emil washes them down with a beer. Emil looks down and the camera follows his gaze to the "People" magazine article he's reading on Stephen Geller. Emil laughs. Shaking his head at the article as the videocamera tilts back up to his face. OLEG What is it? EMIL The video of Milos and Tamina - I told you to erase it. OLEG I did. EMIL And the whore's murder? You didn't erase that either, did you? Don't lie, I won't be angry. OLEG Why not? EMIL Put the camera down, Oleg. Oleg closes the LCD screen and puts the camera down. Emil removes a small address book -- from Leon's wallet - he looks up Eddie Flemming's name. OLEG What is that? EMIL What does it look like? It's an address book! Oleg jumps up with the camera to tape the book. OLEG Let me get a shot of it. EMIL Sit down! OLEG This way. Hold it this way. Good. Oleg gets a shot and quickly sits back down. OLEG (CONT'D) Why won't you be angry at me for keeping my movie? Emil takes a gulp of beer - drops cash on the table and limps away. Oleg follows. INT. PRECINCT - DAY It's quiet - Chief Duffy paces in front of the Sergeant's desk. Looking at his watch. Growing more and more aggravated as every second ticks by. Jordy enters escorting Daphne. Sees Duffy and tires to go past him. Duffy turns and sees Jordy and Daphne. DUFFY Hey. Warsaw. Jordy stops and comes back. Sitting Daphne down on a bench. JORDY Hey, Chief, what are you doing here? DUFFY I came to see how the investigation was going. (looks at Daphne) I called and you're not here. I wait up at the station and you don't even show up!!! I beep you - you don't return my call. Where the hell have you been?! Jordy takes a few steps away from Daphne. JORDY Ladder 20 was on the Rock for training. We stopped there... so she could get cleaned up. DUFFY What do you mean, 'cleaned up?' JORDY I let her take a shower. DUFFY A shower!? Did you take one, too? JORDY No! Nothing happened. DUFFY Oh really. That's nice. You took a homicide witness to take a shower after your partner was shot? Are you out of your fucking mind?? Are you having that much trouble gettin' dates?! EDDIE (O.S.) I told him to take her there. Jordy and Duffy turn. Eddie walks out. Eddie turns - Tommy - the young detective who caught the case in the King Edward Hotel - is coming out of the back office. EDDIE (CONT'D) Tommy, get her outta here. Tommy takes Daphne into the precinct. TOMMY This way, ma'am. EDDIE There was too much press hangin' around there. I didn't want her face on the news. So I told him to take her to a quiet area until things settled down. DUFFY Oh. EDDIE It was my decision, not his. DUFFY Well, I'm the Deputy Chief Fire Marshall and every now and then I'd like to be included in decisions. EDDIE Look, after Jordy briefs me, you can do the press conference. How about that? The case is all yours. DUFFY Oh yeah...? Alright. EDDIE (to Jordy) I'm ready to be briefed. (to Duffy) Excuse us. DUFFY (to Eddie) Yeah, sure. (to Jordy) Beep me when you're ready for the press conference. JORDY Will do, Chief. Eddie leads the way, walking past the Sergeant's desk - toward the back and to his office. JORDY (CONT'D) Eddie, I... Eddie holds up his hand - silencing Jordy. EDDIE Wait. INT. POLICE PRECINCT - DETECTIVE ROOM'S SQUAD - DAY A handful of detectives talk about work over burned coffee. Eddie enters with Jordy. EDDIE Guys...give me a few minutes? They empty out. JORDY Look, Eddie, I'm tellin' you - I didn't touch her. EDDIE Well, you shoulda because nobody's gonna believe you didn't...including me. JORDY I took her there for a shower and that's it. EDDIE Just a shower? Eddie gives Jordy a questioning look. JORDY Yeah, just her in the shower. Nothing happened. Look, I'm sure you probably think I'm a fool and I fucked up, but... EDDIE No, I don't think you were a fool, I just think you were stupid about it. I mean, to say the least, you outta know better. You don't know her well enough. She's got the potential to fucking hang you even if she suggests that you made a pass at her, it's fuckin' over. You can deny it all you want, but it will not make one fucking bit of difference. You're dead. JORDY I told you, you know, I thought I was doing the right thing, you know, I think she's innocent. EDDIE Well, it's not up to you to decide whether she's innocent or not. Don't you understand, that's why you're a professional. JORDY But, I mean, didn't you ever go out on a limb for somebody? I mean, you shoulda heard her there. Tellin' her whole story...I believed her. EDDIE How you go out on a limb for somebody is by giving her a number of an Immigration lawyer. Here, here's a number of an Immigration lawyer. That's how you help her. But you can't get involved in her like that. You're gonna jeopardize your career, your life and you're gonna jeopardize my case. And lemme give you another piece of advice. Maybe you don't watch TV but I'll let you in on a little secret - the whole fuckin' world watches television. And when you get out there, they know your face. And the little fame, the little fuckin' itty bitty fame that I get in this city makes it a lot easier for my job. And I get more done because of it. Jordy studies Eddie for a quiet beat. JORDY Why'd you help me back there with the Chief? Why'd you stand up for me like that? EDDIE You know, I don't know. I like you. You remind me of a puppy I used to have. He pissed on the rug all the time, but I still kept him. Eddie picks up his cigar that's going out. He sticks it in his mouth. A match is lit. He looks up. Jordy holds the match. Eddie dips the end of the cigar and puffs. The homicide detective and the fire marshal hold a look. INT. EDDIE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Eddie walks in - carrying flowers. He closes and locks the door behind him. He grabs the phone. Dials. EDDIE It's Flemming...anything turn up? Did they check the hospitals? Airports? Yeah, I hit him! I fuckin' hit him! We should be all over everywhere - with dogs, choppers, everything! These guys are from fuckin' Czechoslovakia... He looks at the flowers. Decides to put the case behind him for a moment. EDDIE (CONT'D) I'll call you later. He HANGS up. Arranges the flowers in a vase. So they look perfect. Sets them on the coffee table. Fills out a card, writes, "Nicky, I love you. Will you marry me?" He sticks the card in the flowers - turns the lights down low. Puts a romantic Sinatra song on the stereo. Moves to the liquor cabinet. Pours himself a drink. He sets the ringbox on the coffee table - next to the flowers. There's a knock at the door. EDDIE (CONT'D) Coming! Eddie smooths his hair, unlocks the door. But the hallway is empty. EDDIE (CONT'D) Nicky!?!? No answer. Eddie steps out in the hallway with the drink in his hand. Walks toward the elevator. Doesn't notice the shadow that passes behind him - entering his apartment. Eddie turns. No sign of anyone. EDDIE (CONT'D) Nicky?! He walks back toward his apartment. Turns and locks the door. A BLUR jumps out of the shadows SLAMMING him on the head with a gun. Eddie tumbles to the floor! OUT COLD! A BLURRED VIDEO IMAGE as it's focused - on Eddie - handcuffed and upper body taped to a chair - 20 minutes later - sobered up. Emil is sitting in front of him. On the coffee table alongside him are the flowers in a vase. They've ransacked the place. Emil has Eddie's watch, his gold shield and his money. He's smoking one of Eddie's cigars and in Emil's hand...is the diamond engagement ring and card. Oleg, 60 MINUTES-style, is positioned behind Emil videotaping Eddie. He moves to the corner of the room - bringing a light back over to illuminate Eddie's face. EMIL So...who's Nicky? EDDIE What do you want? EMIL Your opinion. (leaning forward) You see, they going to make a movie about me, too, Eddie. And write books. EDDIE (sarcastic) What's your accomplishment. EMIL I kill someone famous. EDDIE Then do it, asshole. EMIL Good - be tough to the end. Actor who plays you will want to die like hero. Eddie looks at the videocamera. Emil answers Eddie's look. EMIL (CONT'D) So tabloids don't have to do re enactments. They going to have real movie this time. EDDIE If you kill me and film it you're putting a noose around your neck. Emil turns to Oleg. EMIL Turn it off. Oleg obeys. Emil turns to Eddie. EMIL (CONT'D) No. We are insane. Who else but crazy men would film their murders? (gestures to Eddie) So we kill someone famous and if we are caught, we are sent to mental hospital. But what good is money there? Because once in hospital I say I not crazy. Just pretended to be acquitted. We see psychiatrists. They must certify we are sane and because of your - what is law called? (Eddie says nothing) Oh - I got it. Because of your Double Jeopardy law, we can't be tried for same crime twice. We come out free, rich and famous! OLEG Good idea! EDDIE You really think you'll be able to fool a jury with this bullshit? How fuckin' stupid are you? EMIL Smarter than Americans. You're fed cry baby talk shows all day long. Not only will Americans believe me, they'll cry for me. (laughs) So...Detective Eddie Flemming, would you like to say goodbye to your Nicolette? Maybe you can propose to her now? Eddie says nothing. Just stares at Emil. Emil puffs on Eddie's cigar. EMIL (CONT'D) Okay. He has nothing to say. (signaling Oleg) Start the camera! OLEG Cut! Emil looks at Oleg. OLEG (CONT'D) This is my project. I say 'action.' I am the director! You are the talent. You wait for me to say 'action!' Emil looks at Eddie as if to say, "See what I have to put up with." Oleg gestures from behind the videocamera. OLEG (CONT'D) And...action! Oleg FILMS as Emil raises Eddie's service revolver. Eddie suddenly KICKS at Emil's hand, but Emil pulls it away, backing out of Eddie's reach. EMIL Bad last moment - I cut that out. Emil raises the pistol again - pointing the gun at Eddie's left temple. Emil cocks the hammer, but Eddie avoids the gun, ducking his head to the side of Emil's arm. Standing and following his head up Emil's arm and pushing him over into the desk. Eddie then knocks Emil with the chair and Emil falls off the desk and onto the floor. Oleg still grips the videocamera. Eddie continues around with the chair and drives Oleg back across the room - pinning him to the wall. Eddie comes back from Oleg to the gun at the same time as Emil is limping for it. Eddie knocks Emil out of the way with the chair and then stabs him with the legs of the chair repeatedly. Eddie comes up and around again at Oleg who is coming at him from the wall. Eddie knocks Oleg over the coffee table and onto the sofa. Falling on top of him, rolling over and leaving Oleg on the sofa. Eddie manages to get up from the sofa and position the chair in such a way that he can fall over backward and grab the gun. Emil limps toward the gun at the same time and it is not clear in the darkness who has the gun. Oleg gets up from the sofa and goes over to get the videocamera. Eddie has managed to get the gun and comes up as Oleg is moving in with the camera and starts shooting toward Oleg - managing to shoot one of the blinds off the window and one of the lampshades off the lamp. Oleg crouches down with the camera and Eddie starts to turn toward Emil who comes at him with the knife and stabs him in the stomach. Emil steps back, revealing the knife is BURIED IN EDDIE'S STOMACH. Eddie stumbles backward, falling over but still attached to the chair - holding the gun. Eddie can't believe he got stabbed. Blood swells around his stomach. He can't be dying. This can't be happening. He looks at Emil. The pain is terrible. Oleg has knelt down next to Eddie - getting a close up. Emil looks at Eddie. EMIL (CONT'D) Die. Die. Emil looks around. Grabs a black pillow and finishes Eddie off, suffocating him. BLACKNESS We are moving through a tunnel - pitch black, so dark all you feel is the motion. We are travelling very fast. Finally, in the distance, a speck of light which fills the frame. We slowly pull back from the white light to discover it is a tiny pixel on a TV screen. WIDENING further out we see Eddie's funeral on the evening news. It's an enormous gathering - a sea of blue uniforms and dignitaries. In the upper right hand corner, superimposed over the funeral, is a picture of Eddie from his ID and in his NYPD uniform. We see Oleg's reflection on the set with the videocamera. He is filming the TV. We hear the audio from Eddie's funeral. NEWSCASTER (ON T.V.) ..Detective Flemming was one of the most decorated NYPD detectives in the history of New York. He made several thousand arrests during his career, including the famed Stephen Geller case. Beloved by the community in which he served. His partner eulogized him... Leon is at the mic. LEON (ON T.V.) ...Eddie was my mentor, my best friend and my partner...he taught me the meaning of the word 'cop.' He was a man in every sense of the word. I'll miss him... (choking on tears) Sleep well, brother. Leon begins to sing "Amazing Grace." Oleg PANS from the TV and focuses it on a lightbulb. Hands enter the frame - carefully pouring clear liquid into an ashtray. A long hypodermic needle slides into the ashtray - the plunger is pulled back and the needle quickly fills with liquid. Gingerly, the needle is inserted into the lightbulb. Again, the plunger moves and the lightbulb is filled and placed on a table...next to a CAN OF GASOLINE. VIDEOCAMERA ZOOMS OUT revealing...Emil sitting at a hotel desk doing this. INT. P.B. HERMAN'S RESTAURANT - DAY It's packed with COPS drinking. Prosecutors...lawyers...many who were at the funeral, including Leon. All wear the black ribbon on their badges. There's a quality of an Irish wake - boisterous, guys cursing...many cops in uniform. A buffet has been laid out. Hawkins enters in a black suit, wearing a black ribbon. He greets people, shaking hands, embracing Leon. HAWKINS Awful...what an awful day. He was New York City. Hawkins notices a young man by the window. Teary-eyed. It's Tommy. Hawkins nods to him. TOMMY I never got to tell him how much I admired him. HAWKINS I know, son, I know. We all loved him. Hawkins moves on...greeting others. He notices at the end of the bar - sitting alone on a stool - is Nicolette. He moves to her. Pulls up a stool alongside her. She turns, looks at him. Just stares at him for a long beat. She is bombed. Definitely drunk. She's had many. She turns to Hawkins. NICOLETTE You know...you know he was gonna propose to me. The crime guys found a card he'd written out to me. And a ring box...these fuckers that killed him - have my ring. They have my diamond engagement ring... Hawkins touches her shoulder with compassion. HAWKINS I know. NICOLETTE What do you mean you know? He told you he was gonna propose to me? HAWKINS Well, he... NICOLETTE (overriding) I want to hear everything he said. HAWKINS I'm trying to tell you. NICOLETTE Alright. Go ahead. HAWKINS That morning. He was talking to me and Leon about marriage. NICOLETTE Oh my G-d. We were having lunch here. He started making overtures - talking about little shoes next to his in his closet but I got a call to anchor - and I walked out on him. I walked out on him when he was trying to ask me to marry him!! Nicolette is crying now. She angrily wipes away a tear. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) I'd never had a great relationship before. I'd never made great choices with men. And he wasn't easy to get to know. He was older, my parents told me I was nuts to get involved with him. But he was so great to me. Always encouraging, telling me I could do anything... (beat) He was the one. You know, I'd give up everything - everything - for just a little more time. I would've spent fifteen minutes with him if that's all I knew I had. She's lost it. Hawkins consoles her. Nicolette shrugs him off - turns back to her drink. Downs the rest of it. A woman arrives, MAGGIE, Hawkins' producer - assistant in tow. MAGGIE Robert...? HAWKINS What are you doing here? MAGGIE (holding a cellular) You've got a call. HAWKINS I can't talk to anybody right now, can't you see I'm busy! I can't talk business. Hang up. Have a drink. (to Paulie) Get her a whiskey. MAGGIE Trust me, you'll want to take this call. Robert steps off the stool. Takes the phone. HAWKINS Hello? Who is this? (listens) How do I know this is you? Hawkins gives Nicolette a comforting squeeze on her shoulder. Backs away from the bar. Now out of hearing distance, he looks back at Nicolette and lowers his voice. HAWKINS (CONT'D) Where? We INTERCUT Emil on a public phone in the lobby of a movie theater. Oleg videotapes Emil on the phone, as he throws glances into the theater. EMIL Come to 45 Broadway. Don't bring the Police. Come alone or you'll be in my next film. HAWKINS (low) Look asshole. I've been threatened by better than you. EMIL No. I'm the best that's ever threatened you. HAWKINS I'll meet you on one condition - I get exclusivity and you surrender to me. EMIL We'll talk about that. Four o'clock gives you time to go to bank. Three hundred thousand dollars. HAWKINS What? It doesn't work that way. EMIL (incensed) If you don't want my film - I'll call another show. And they will show it. HAWKINS Wait a minute. Wait a minute. EMIL Come alone. Bring cash. And we'll talk about surrendering. CLICK. The line goes dead. Hawkins disconnects. Hands the phone back to Maggie. She's looking at him. Excited. Hawkins looks at Nicolette. His mind whirls. INT. FIRE STATION 91 - KITCHEN - DAY Daphne and Korfin are sitting at a table. Korfin's arm is in a sling, his side bandaged. Duffy and Jordy enter in their dress uniforms. Korfin walks over to them. KORFIN How was it? JORDY (numb) Not good. Jordy's quiet. Dazed. Nobody can believe Eddie's gone. DUFFY (nods to Daphne) Did the D.A. videotape her deposition? KORFIN Yeah. He finished awhile ago. DUFFY (to Korfin) Alright. Swing by her apartment. Let her pick up her clothes and take her straight to Hoover Street. You got that? KORFIN Yeah. Jordy looks at her. Duffy sees them hold each other's look. JORDY Chief - mind if I take her? DUFFY Okay. But not water sports. Duffy walks out. Jordy leads Daphne out of the station. Korfin follows. A MAN IN A CHEAP SUIT is talking to Camello who points as Jordy walks by. The man chases after Jordy. MAN Excuse me - Jordan Warsaw? JORDY Yeah. MAN (shoving papers in Jordy's hand) Consider yourself served. Jordy opens the papers. Korfin puts Daphne in the car. Walks back over to Jordy and reads over his shoulder. KORFIN Zwangendaba??? Is suing you, the department and the city of New York for 10 million? Who is Zwangendaba? Jordy remembers...and gets more depressed. JORDY The mugger. EXT. DAPHNE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT It's an old brownstone - in poor condition. Jordy pulls up. Opens the door for Daphne - takes her by the elbow - steering her to the door. He is edgy. Jumpy. Looking around. DAPHNE Are you alright? JORDY I still can't believe Eddie's gone. DAPHNE I'm sorry. He looks at her. Nods. They walk up to the stairs as the front door opens. A NEIGHBOR exits, shocked. Jordy pulls Daphne out of the way. DAPHNE (CONT'D) (in Czech to the man) Hello. How are you? INT. DAPHNE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Jordy and Daphne make their way up the stairs. A bouquet of flowers are outside Daphne's apartment. JORDY What's this? She takes the card. Jordy looks over her shoulder. Daphne reads: "Good luck with all your troubles. I'm here if you need me...Ludwig." JORDY (CONT'D) Is he your boyfriend? DAPHNE Ludwig? He's gay - are you jealous? JORDY If I was your boyfriend, I might be. DAPHNE If you were my boyfriend, I'd suggest you find another girlfriend that isn't going to jail ten-thousand miles away. They're staring in each other's eyes. The sexual tension strong. JORDY A good Immigration lawyer could stall the process. Eddie recommended one. DAPHNE No matter what happens...I'm glad I met you. JORDY I'm glad I met you. They hold each other's eyes...then suddenly they kiss. Urgently. Passionately. Somebody is coming up the stairs. They part quickly. A tenant enters his apartment down the hall. Jordy clears his throat. JORDY (CONT'D) Let's get your stuff. He opens the door. Peers inside - checking it out. Turns to her. Gestures that it's okay to enter. INT. DAPHNE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS It's very small. Almost no furniture. The bare minimum. The apartment is a hole. She looks at Jordy. Both thinking the same thought. Another kiss. JORDY You better get packed. DAPHNE Right. She holds his look. JORDY Do you have coffee? DAPHNE In the kitchen. JORDY I'll make some for us. DAPHNE I'll get my clothes. She heads down the hall. Jordy enters the small kitchen. He flips on the kitchen light and the LIGHTBULB EXPLODES - SETTING THE CEILING ON FIRE AND RELEASING A RAIN OF FIRE INTO THE ROOM. Jordy JUMPS BACK. DAPHNE (CONT'D) Jordy!!! JORDY No! Get back! GET BACK!!! Jordy's more surprised than shaken. It's a fire - he knows the drill. He pushes her into the living room. Then notices a FIRE EXTINGUISHER hanging on the wall. Grabs it. Aims it at the FIRE spreading in the kitchen. He SPRAYS as Daphne SCREAMS! DAPHNE That's not mine! WHOOOOOOOOOSH! The fire extinguisher FEEDS THE FIRE! Flames leap up from the fire - shooting toward the extinguisher because it's filled with gasoline. The handle LOCKS! Jordy CAN'T TURN IT OFF. Flames engulf the extinguisher and JORDY'S HAND. He flings the extinguisher - BACKS OUT OF THE KITCHEN. Closes the door. Jordy takes off his jacket. Stuffs it under the bottom of the door. Blocking the smoke. He hurries into the living room. Knowing it's moments before the extinguisher will explode. Jordy pulls out his cellular. Hits the speed dial as he notices Daphne about to throw a chair through the window. JORDY Don't! It'll suck the flames toward us! Too late. She SMASHES the window. There's an EXPLOSION in the kitchen. Smoke and fire rush down the hallway and along the ceiling. Jordy yells into the phone: JORDY (CONT'D) This is Jordan Warsaw! We got a 1075, make it quick, we're trapped! 8th Avenue and 44th Street. He pulls Daphne toward the bedroom. It's locked. Jordy kicks it open. Grabs the comforter off the bed. Shoves that under the door jam. He pulls Daphne into the bathroom. Shuts the door. Runs his severely burned hand under the cold water. Daphne looks out the window - hearing the sirens. She notices someone has nailed the window shut. And on top of one nail...is Eddie's gold shield. DAPHNE Oh my G-d! Oh my G-d! Jordy turns - sees Eddie's shield. DAPHNE (CONT'D) They were here! This freaks her out. They were in her home. She starts to panic. JORDY Calm down. Get a hold of yourself! Get down! He pulls aside the curtain to the bathtub. In it is a CAN OF GASOLINE. A virtual bomb. JORDY (CONT'D) Oh Jesus! Daphne reaches for the can of gasoline. JORDY (CONT'D) What are you doing? DAPHNE Pouring it out! She grabs the can of gasoline - pours it down the drain. The FIRE is raging outside the bathroom. The bathroom door is beginning to smoke and burn. They are trapped. Jordy turns - grabs an exposed water pipe that runs up the wall to the ceiling. He throws his feet against the wall for leverage. Pulls with all his might to break it loose. It's creaking - but he's having a hard time with it. DAPHNE (CONT'D) Oh shit! Jordy looks over. The gasoline she's pouring out - is not going down the drain. It's stopped up. As soon as the fire gets in the bathroom, everything will explode! Jordy begins pulling at the rusty pipe with all his might. Daphne comes over - helps him. Both of them trying to break it off. Suddenly it snaps and water POURS into the room. SOAKING THE WALLS. They point the pipe toward the door, soaking some of the flames which are consuming the door. Trying to stop the fire from coming in. He and Daphne are drenched. And trapped. Jordy grabs a broken piece of pipe. Starts SMASHING the wall behind them. The wall to the adjacent apartment. VIDEO POV Jordy and Daphne in the bathroom - surrounded by fire. CAMERA WHIP PANS down the street as FIRE ENGINES arrive. OLEG is VIDEOTAPING them from the opposite rooftop. Tenants from Daphne's building are fleeing down the fire escape. Emil stands in back of Oleg - who is very excited. He turns the camera on himself. OLEG This is great film! You can see fire right now - Daphne is in fire - Fire Marshal is here. Everything is so messy. Everything is so crazy right here! Look at this fire! We made it! 90% of people who die in fire die from eating smoke. So most likely they all die from eating smoke. The CAMERA PANS to Emil. OLEG (CONT'D) And this is the man who started the fire. Say something to your fans, Emil! Emil waits a beat and then blows a kiss to the lens. DAPHNE'S BATHROOM Filled with smoke. You can barely see Jordy or Daphne. Jordy SMASHES a hole in the wall - which reveals the bathroom in the apartment next door. The smoke has a place to escape. There's a 7-year old KID in there. Standing in the bathroom. Terrified. JORDY Get back! Get out of the bathroom! Run! 7-YEAR OLD KID The hallway is on fire! JORDY It's okay. I'm a fireman. I'm going to help you. Get back! Now! Jordy pushes Daphne through the wall - turns as the bathroom door catches fire. It's seconds before the whole room will blow up. OLEG Across the roof is videotaping the bathroom as it EXPLODES! EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS Fire engines have arrived. The street is filled with gawkers. Garcia and Korfin pull up just as Jordy runs from the building - holding the kid in one arm and pulling Daphne with the other. Carefully guarding his bandaged hand. A fireman grabs the kid. Another grabs Daphne. Garcia and Korfin run to Jordy. GARCIA Jordy! What the hell happened?! KORFIN Are you alright, man? Lemme see the hand! JORDY Where's Daphne? Daphne? He spots Daphne on the corner as a familiar voice pushes through the crowd. VOICE Isn't she a beauty? She's my fire, look at that loom-up on her! Jordy turns - it's Max. The attention pyromaniac who Jordy threw out of his office. As a news crew arrives, Max turns to the cameras. MAX I did this! I did this! Take my picture! I'm Max! Max Gornick! Jordy grabs Max - pushes him away. JORDY Get outta here! KORFIN What the hell happened? JORDY They were inside. They booby trapped her apartment! Korfin scans the crowd. Looking for Emil and Oleg. In the b.g., Duffy is SCREAMING. DUFFY What the hell are you talking about??? They're gonna do what? Jordy and Korfin turn. The Chief has a phone to his ear and is freaked. INT. LOBBY OF CHANNEL 12 BROADCASTING - NIGHT JORDY'S POV as he enters the TV station. His clothes burnt and still wet. The lobby's full of ANGRY COPS. Tommy and Leon, still in his funeral suit, SCREAMING above them all at Maggie the producer and her ASSISTANT, who are standing behind the desk. TOMMY Where is he?! Where is Hawkins?! MAGGIE He's not on the premises! LEON I want the tape. Go get it and bring it here this minute. MAGGIE Any request for the video must be directed to "Top Story's" attorney - Bruce Cutler. I'll be happy to give you his number. Leon jumps over the desk where Maggie stands. Tommy pushes past the security guard to follow Leon. They continue toward Maggie, pushing her further back into the office. She tries to protect herself with an office door which Leon slams open. LEON Lady, if you put Eddie's murder on TV, I'll get a warrant for your arrest and shove it so far up your ass it'll come outta your mouth! MAGGIE I want your shield number! HAWKINS (O.S.) Viewer discretion advised! MAGGIE (pointing at the TV) You want the tape? There it is! Leon, Tommy, all the cops and Jordy - turn toward a TV set which is mounted in the lobby. The "Top Story" logo flashes on the screen, then Robert Hawkins is seen behind his desk. HAWKINS What we are about to broadcast is very graphic footage... Everyone is riveted. But Jordy notices outside...a "Top Story" NEWS VAN is waiting in the alley. Robert Hawkins jumps from a doorway and into the van. Jordy backs out. INT. PLANET HOLLWYOOD - NIGHT POP...a video POV of a bottle of Crystal as the cork is popped. The videocamera pans up to Emil sitting at the table. He nods at the waiter who leaves. Emil raises the glass - looking into the lens. EMIL America! Who says you can't be success in America? I arrived with nothing, knowing nobody - now look - I am a success story! The videocamera is lowered. Oleg turns it off. Asks suspiciously. OLEG You are success story? I am success story! Why do you say I and not we? EMIL Oleg, don't be paranoid. You got a hundred-fifty thousand dollars, didn't you? I gave you half of what they gave me. Look - here we are! Emil gestures toward the big television set. We are in Planet Hollywood - where diners and those by the bar can watch a huge screen hanging from the ceiling. Robert Hawkins is introducing his show. HAWKINS (ON T.V.) Good evening. Welcome to "Top Story". Tonight, I present to you material of a graphic and violent nature never before seen on television. And I do so with a heavy heart. You will be first-hand witness to the slaying of celebrated New York City Homicide Detective, Eddie Flemming. It would be only normal to ask, why? Why are we showing something so journalist, I must show it. A democracy survives through the freedom of its media, and if we cannot see what is happening then we don't deserve our democracy, or our freedom. Eddie Flemming was my friend. I cried when I watched this footage and vowed to fight this violence with every molecule of my being from this day onward. Hopefully, this will have a similar effect on you. One final word, this material is absolutely not appropriate for children. The restaurant BUZZES. Emil checks his watch. OLEG In movie they make of us, who do you think would act me? EMIL The one who got caught in the bathroom. (beat) George Michael. Emil laughs. Oleg doesn't. OLEG I'm serious. EMIL Shut up. Look! Emil points towards the TV. "Top Story" is continuing. The scene cuts to Emil's video footage. Eddie is handcuffed to the chair. The light illuminating his face. OLEG (O.S.) This is my project. I say 'action.' I am the director! You are the talent. You wait for me to say 'action.' (beat) And 'action!' EMIL Bad last moment - I cut it out. Emil looks at Oleg - furious. EMIL (CONT'D) I told you to cut that out before we handed in the tape! OLEG Be quiet. Watch. Oleg watches the big-screen TV as Emil raises the pistol to Eddie's temple. Eddie pushes him over the desk. Eddie then knocks Emil with the chair and Emil falls off the desk onto the floor. Eddie continues around with the chair and drives Oleg back across the room - pinning him to the wall. Eddie and Emil both go for the gun. Eddie knocks him out of the way. Stabs him with the legs of the chair repeatedly. Leaves him in a ball on the floor. Oleg comes at Eddie and he knocks Oleg over the coffee table and onto the sofa. The blinds and lamp shade are shot - bathing the room with more light. Emil stabs Eddie in the stomach. Oleg kneels down for a CLOSE-UP. EMIL Die. Die. EXT. TIMES SQUARE - CONTINUOUS Hawkins' van drives across Times Square. Jordy's car following. We WIDEN OUT... Eddie's murder is being broadcast on the JUMBOTRON in Times Square. People stare up - stunned. INT. PLANET HOLLWYOOD - CONTINUOUS The dinner patrons are watching TV. Shocked. Emil glares at Oleg. EMIL Why did you leave that stuff in about you being the director? OLEG Because I am the director. Don't you realize, if it wasn't for my film, for my talent, my idea to do this - no way would we be sitting here right now. EMIL Your idea? I thought it was my idea. Oleg tenses. Emil laughs. EMIL (CONT'D) Aren't you just the cameraman? Oleg doesn't laugh. OLEG I'm serious...this - this is a great American film. Full of violence and sex. And I want my credit. EMIL Credit? OLEG Yes. Before we hand in the next video - I put titles on it and my credit is going to read - Directed by Oleg Razgul. EMIL Yes. But there's only one problem - you want credit but the problem is - I don't share credit. Oleg is pissed. EMIL (CONT'D) You got that? OLEG No, I don't get that! EMIL You think you are a director? You are a fucking little, small Russian piece of shit. And I hate you. I fucking hate you. Emil slaps Oleg across the face. Oleg stands up. Emil suddenly pulls out Eddie's gun but before he can pull the trigger, Oleg STABS Emil in the arm! Emil squeezes off a shot through the crowded restaurant. Patrons SCREAM - Oleg runs through the restaurant, escaping. It's chaos. Hawkins arrives with a crew and with BRUCE CUTLER, a confident, tough criminal attorney. Emil pulls the steak knife out of his arm, picks up a napkin - pressing it to his wound. EMIL (CONT'D) Oh, hello. Cutler accesses the situation. EMIL (CONT'D) Are you my attorney? (extends his hand to Cutler) I'm Emil. I'm insane. CUTLER I'm not your lawyer until I see the money. EMIL Here. I have your money. Emil picks up a briefcase and hands it to Cutler. Cutler opens it - inside is the cash Emil got from Robert Hawkins. Emil looks at the table, pushing the plates and silverware aside. Emil looks under the table, throwing the chair aside, freaking. He's lost the most important thing in his life. EMIL (CONT'D) Oh no! No! Shit! CUTLER (follows Emil - reaching out to him) Emil. Take it easy. Stay with me. Sit down. What do you need? What are you looking for? EMIL He has the camera! He took the movie! Jordy comes in, gun raised. JORDY Don't move! Don't move! Get your hands up! Drop it! Emil puts his hands in the air. Immediately drops the gun! EMIL I give up! Jordy is disappointed! He didn't want to take Emil alive. Hawkins signals to his camera man, who swings his camera at Jordy as he approaches Emil, his gun aimed at Emil's head. CUTLER This man is unarmed, officer. He's surrendered. Jordy cracks Emil across the face - knocking him down. CUTLER (CONT'D) What are you hitting him for? JORDY Turn that camera off! Jordy handcuffs him. Emil turns to the camera for sympathy, appearing more hurt than he is. EMIL No. Keep filming... Jordy realizes how media savvy Emil is and understands in that moment why he's surrendering. Jordy yanks Emil up - dragging him across the restaurant floor - Emil still favoring his ankle. CUTLER (to Emil) Don't say anything. EMIL Where are we going? CUTLER I'm coming with you. EMIL Yes. Yes, come with me! CUTLER (to Jordy) I'm invoking rights - this man is represented by counsel. I'm coming with him. The "Top Story" crew is all over them, filming everything. Cutler stays close to Emil. Making sure he's in the video footage. JORDY Turn that camera off! EXT. PLANET HOLLWYOOD - CONTINUOUS As Jordy comes out with a limping Emil, police are arriving. Tommy, Leon and Murphy run over as Jordy opens the back door to his car. Leon grabs Emil. LEON I'll take him. JORDY No way! He's mine! LEON (holding on to Emil, squeezing his arm hard) We're takin' him. Don't argue! JORDY He's my collar! LEON Well, he killed my partner! JORDY He's yours but I take him in! I'll drive him to the precinct, you can have him but I'm walkin' him in. Leon realizes Jordy wants to be seen on TV taking Emil into custody. LEON Okay, kid, have your 15-minutes. I'll follow you. Tommy, you ride with him! Leon stares hatefully into Emil's eyes. LEON (CONT'D) You're goin' down, motherfucker, you are goin' down. I'll be there with a smile when they put you down! Cutler hurries to Emil's side. CUTLER Don't say a word. Don't respond to his taunting! (to Leon) He's represented by counsel. You want to speak to someone - you speak to me! TOMMY Out of the way, counselor. Tommy shoves Cutler aside. CUTLER Don't you put your hands on me, Detective. Jordy pushes Emil in the back seat and slams the door. Leon turns to Hawkins, whose cameras are filming everything. LEON And you, you'll pay for what you did! HAWKINS (low) This footage will work in your favor. When the jury sees this - no matter what Cutler tries, they'll convict him. Leon looks at him. This man used to be his friend. LEON You outta be ashamed. Ashamed of yourself. HAWKINS If I didn't put it on somebody else would! I was his friend! LEON Don't give me that fucking shit. The cameras are rolling. MURPHY Don't get into it on TV. LEON (yells to other cop cars) Alright, let's get going! Leon and the other cops rush to their cars. Jordy is already behind the wheel. As soon as Tommy jumps in the passenger seat, Jordy takes off. The cameras film him driving away. INT. JORDY'S CAR - NIGHT Jordy takes a left turn, racing away. Running all the lights. TOMMY What are you doin'? You're gonna lose everybody! Jordy rips through another turn, heading toward the West Side Highway. The car speeds up the ramp and races up the left lane - having lost the police. TOMMY (CONT'D) Where are you goin'?? This ain't the way to the station! Jordy looks up at Emil in the rear view mirror. EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY EXIT - CONTINUOUS Jordy pulls off on 130th Street. They are way uptown in the middle of nowhere. The car drives down a dark street. Crumbled, vacant buildings dominate the streets and there are no people around. EXT. DESERTED STREET - CONTINUOUS The car slows down. Tommy watches Jordy, realizes what's going on. Jordy stops at a dead end. Pulls open the back door, yanks Emil out and starts to drag him up into the deserted tunnel. TOMMY Jordy...??? Listen to me. You can't do this. This isn't the way to do things. Jordy ignores Tommy, slamming him up against the tunnel wall. JORDY Were you a fireman? That how you knew how to rig the apartment? EMIL My father was. He gave me many lessons about fire. Now it's my friend. JORDY Tommy, take a walk. TOMMY What are you gonna do? JORDY Don't you get it? He knew he was gonna get caught! That's why he videotaped Eddie's murder - he thinks he's gonna get off. TOMMY Don't stoop to his level! Jordy tosses the car keys to Tommy. JORDY Take the car. Get outta here, Tommy. TOMMY Look, you can't shoot him in cold blood. JORDY (erupting) GET OUTTA HERE NOW!! GET IN THAT CAR AND DRIVE AWAY!!! DO WHAT I SAY OR I'LL KILL YOU, TOO!!! Tommy nervously backs up toward Jordy's car. Climbs behind the wheel and drives away, leaving Jordy and Emil alone in the darkness. Jordy takes out Eddie's pistol. The one Emil took from Eddie. Jordy opens the cylinder - two bullets left. Jordy snaps the cylinder shut, tucks Eddie's gun in Emil's belt. He drags Emil away from the wall, into the center of the empty space - unlocks Emil's handcuffs and throws them aside. Still holding the gun on Emil, he circles around to face him. JORDY (CONT'D) Get your hands up! Get your hands up! Now facing Emil, he sticks his gun in his waistband - the same place he put Emil's. JORDY (CONT'D) You wanna be a real American? Go for your gun. Emil holds his arms out - making it clear he's not going for the gun. JORDY (CONT'D) Pull the gun! You want to be famous? Shoot me, you'll get more headlines and make more money. Emil watches Jordy...a slow grin spreads across his face. EMIL You can't kill me. You're not a cop. Just fireman with a gun. I bet you never shot anybody in your life. JORDY You'll be my first. Jordy pulls out his 9mm and pushes the barrel right between Emil's eyes. EMIL C'mon. Pull the trigger. Do it. Oh, look, you're sweating. You don't have the balls. JORDY Get down on your knees. Emil gets on his knees and starts to sing in Czech. SIRENS fill the air. Police cars come flying down the street. JORDY (CONT'D) Where's your partner? EMIL The Sheraton! On Broadway! Room 210. Go get Oleg. He'll kill you. Leon runs up. Tommy's relieved to see Jordy didn't kill Emil. LEON Gimme your gun, Jordy. We all want him dead but you can't do it this way. Emil is still smiling. Jordy suddenly slams Emil in the face. Knocking him to the floor. He jumps in his car and speeds away. INT. BROADWAY SHERATON - 2ND FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT A room service WAITER wheels a tray with a magnum bottle of Crystal, with three glasses, toward Oleg's room. Jordy follows behind him - gun aimed at his back. WAITER Do you really need me? JORDY Keep your mouth shut. Don't mess this up. They reach the room. Jordy flattens himself against the wall. The waiter KNOCKS. HOOKER'S VOICE Who's there? WAITER (nervous) R-room service. A HOOKER, wrapped in a towel, opens the door a crack, looking out at the waiter. HOOKER Come in. Jordy whips around the corner - pointing his gun and pushing the hooker back out of the room. Jordy moves to the bedroom door. Peers through the crack. Oleg sits on the edge of the bed in his skivvies with two naked prostitutes. He's hooked up his videocamera to the TV set and is showing them his footage of the fire. OLEG Look at that. See that shot! Seamless. No cuts. (excited) And look. Look at that transition. That's filmmaking!! Isn't it great?! Jordy KICKS in the door - gun raised. JORDY Don't move! Oleg grabs the videocamera. Has on hooker in a head lock and picks up the other one. He rushes at Jordy - using one of the hookers for protection. JORDY (CONT'D) Drop the girl! Drop her!! Oleg pushes the hookers at Jordy - knocking Jordy back into the living room and over the back of the sofa. Oleg rushes out into the HOTEL HALLWAY Oleg runs to the fire exit - Jordy follows, chasing Oleg down the stairwell. EXT. BROADWAY - NIGHT Oleg bursts out a door which opens onto Broadway. He runs through the crowd - knocking pedestrians aside! Jordy chases him, gun in hand! Oleg runs into the street, darting in and out of traffic, cars braking to a stop. One SLAMS into another. Jordy leaps over a car, closing in on Oleg. People gawk. Even in New York, it's odd to see a man being chased in his underwear. Oleg runs, knocking people aside. He's holding the camera in his hand. It's on. JORDY STOP! STOP THAT MAN! A UNIFORMED COP turns as Oleg runs right into him. Knocking him down. Oleg beats him, takes his gun and runs into: INT. MOVIE THEATER LOBBY - CONTINUOUS Oleg, gun in hand, runs past the TICKET TAKER at the door. TICKET TAKER Hey, come back here! The ticket taker runs after Oleg who continues past the candy counter. Jordy rushes in the door. JORDY Where is he? Where'd he go? TICKET TAKER Middle door. Jordy continues running through the lobby - past the middle door - and enters the theater through the far door. INT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Jordy enters the theater, crouches down in the aisle. It's a night scene, the theater is dark. Jordy tries to see faces. He cuts through a row of seats to the middle aisle. DRUNK'S VOICE Kill him! Kill the bastard! Jordy spins toward the voice - it's a DRUNK. Others start YELLING for blood! AUDIENCE Shoot him! SHOOT! A GUNSHOT! Jordy ducks! Another GUNSHOT! Jordy realizes the shots are coming from the screen. OLEG Look! Over here! Jordy turns. Oleg stands up and FIRES at him - trying to film Jordy's death with a videocamera. Jordy ducks, then rises up with his gun as Oleg vaults over the seats, leaping from one to the other, mashing shoulders and heads, bounding for the screen. JORDY Everybody down! Stay DOWN! Jordy FIRES as the screen villain blasts away. Some in the audience don't realize the real thing is happening. Oleg leaps on the stage in front of the screen, illuminated by it. Jordy runs down the aisle. Oleg FIRES at Jordy. Jordy FIRES back. People panic - scurrying away - Jordy can't get a clear shot. Oleg FIRES again, wounding a moviegoer. Jordy raises up as the theater lights go on...and Oleg is gone! Jordy jumps on the stage - runs backstage - Oleg has disappeared. JORDY (CONT'D) Shit! SIRENS are heard from outside. VOICES of cops are heard as they enter. CLOSE ON TV A REPORTER is in Times Square, reports from outside the movie theater. REPORTER (ON T.V.) ...and the wild chase through Times Square ended with the suspect, Oleg Razgul, escaping. The fire department has identified the fire marshal involved in the failed pursuit as Jordy Warsaw. The channel is changed. PETER ARNETT is reporting the same story. PETER ARNETT (ON T.V.) In a related matter, Mr. Slovak's attorney, Bruce Cutler - famous for handling sensational cases - claims his client is unfit to stand trial. INT. JAIL CELL - WIDER - DAY Daphne sitting on a bench in a jail cell. Watching TV through the bars. She is in the fire department's holding cell in Brooklyn. PETER ARNETT (ON T.V.) In fact, Cutler claimed Mr. Slovak was not the alleged mastermind behind the murders. According to Cutler, Mr. Slovak was being directed by his partner, who threatened to kill him if he didn't follow Mr. Razgul's orders. Cutler told reporters today that Mr. Razgul did in fact stab his client. The scene CUTS TO Cutler's press conference. CUTLER My client, Mr. Slovak, is a victim. What's happened is not his fault. Emil was under the influence of his partner. At the trial, you'll see that my client will be vindicated... INT. BELLEVUE - MENTAL OBSERVATION UNIT - DAY The CAMERA WIDENS from the TV set. We are now in an interview room, a guard is posted outside the room. Emil sits at a small table - with Cutler. Emil is dressed in Bellevue clothes. He's handcuffed and his ankle is bandaged. Emil gives a complimentary nod toward Cutler. CUTLER I brought you some letters. It's really fan mail. Women mostly. One wants to buy you clothes, another sent a check. Another wants a check. EMIL You bring the cigarettes? CUTLER Oh, sure. Cutler shakes a cigarette out of the pack, stuffs it in Emil's mouth and lights it for him. Emil has never smoked before. CUTLER (CONT'D) How're they treating you, alright (Emil is nonresponsive) I want to get the cuffs off... but there's a little bit of a problem. Things out there are very negative right now for us. We gotta change that around. Perception is very, very important. Perception is reality. I know you're not fuckin' crazy. But it's important that I get that message out. Cause that's our only defense in this case. Emil leans forward. Cutler retrieves the cigarette from between his lips. CUTLER (CONT'D) I want you to focus on three things: fear... He puts the cigarette back in Emil's mouth. CUTLER (CONT'D) ...delusions and paranoia. EMIL I was all of these. CUTLER Well, you didn't appreciate the severity of it until recently. No question about that. EMIL What about Oleg? CUTLER Disappeared. They're looking everywhere. Maybe he went back to Czechoslovakia. EMIL No, he is here. Shit... CUTLER Don't worry about him. Think about yourself. EMIL What about my movie rights? Book rights? CUTLER Look, I haven't really focused on that kind of thing. EMIL What's your cut? How much? CUTLER I would say...half. Half is fair. EMIL (laughs) No. No way. CUTLER But it's... EMIL Thirty-percent. No more. Or I call another lawyer. This is the biggest case of your life. Don't try to negotiate. Thirty percent. Say yes or no. CUTLER This is not about money, Emil. I need your trust in me. EMIL What else do you need? CUTLER I need to know about your background. I need to know about your upbringing. Why you're here. EMIL (indicating cigarette) Give me another one, please. Cutler stuffs another cigarette in Emil's mouth. Lights it. CUTLER Tell me about yourself. What you did as a young boy... what your parents were like. EMIL My father always degraded me. Killed my self-esteem. And my mother was blind. CUTLER Your mother was blind? EMIL Yeah, she went blind giving birth to me. She went to fucking black market doctor to induce me. CUTLER Back in the Czech Republic? EMIL Yeah, yeah...bad doctor gave her bad drugs which made her go blind. And my father blamed me for her blindness... CUTLER Your father blamed you for your mother's blindness? EMIL Yeah, he hated me from day when I was born. Put it out. Can you put the cigarette out? Cutler takes the cigarette from Emil's lips and extinguishes it. EMIL (CONT'D) That's what he did to me. He put cigarettes out on me. CUTLER Your father put cigarettes out on you? EMIL Out on my back when I was a small boy. CUTLER Can I see your back? Emil rises. Cutler comes around and pulls his shirt up. HIS ENTIRE BACK IS COVERED WITH DISGUSTING PURPLISH WELTS FROM CIGARETTE BURNS. Cutler recoils - horrified. CUTLER (CONT'D) Oh, Jesus. EMIL I'm abused. Don't you think? CUTLER I don't think it's abuse, I think it's torture. INT. FIRE STATION 91 - DUFFY'S OFFICE - DAY Inside the Arson Squad, Duffy sits behind his desk. Jordy stands across the table from his Chief. Behind Jordy we can see Garcia and Korfin outside, listening. Duffy has a subpoena in his hand. DUFFY The public doesn't have any idea what we do and now you're going to define our image! This is going to be our Rodney King! JORDY What was I supposed to do? The guy tried to mug me. I was gonna send a cop back - I just forgot. DUFFY Forgot? You handcuffed a civilian to a tree?! JORDY Chief - I know I screwed up - but this guy was no innocent civilian. DUFFY Well this is gonna end your career and probably mine. JORDY End my career? DUFFY How are you going to fight this? Maybe if Oleg hadn't gotten away and you'd been on the front page, as a hero, this thing would be easier to fight. You'd have the good to weight against the bad! It's unfortunate that I have to make decisions based upon your press coverage but there's nothing I can do! Gimme your shield. JORDY But Chief? Over this?? DUFFY There's nothing to talk about. Get a good lawyer. You're suspended until your trial. Jordy sighs. Dying inside. He surrenders his shield. Drops his handcuffs, his pager and his gun. Duffy picks up the gun - looks at it. DUFFY (CONT'D) (pats Jordy's shoulder) I know you got backup at home. Drop it off. Jordy sighs and exits. INT. IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION OFFICE - DAY Jordy is talking to BILL STERN, a senior special agent. In another office we see Daphne with two 25-year old ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEYS. STERN (to Jordy) Look, what don't you understand? We've got a good relationship with the Czech's and the State Department doesn't want to cause an incident. JORDY But the D.A. needs her as an eyewitness! STERN They've got her testimony on videotape. And even if they do take her to court immediately after she'll be extradited. The Czechs want her back. She shot a cop! I mean, Christ, man, what if Emil Slovak and Oleg Razgul fled to the Czech Republic? How would you feel if the Czechs wouldn't give them back to us?! Stern looks over at Daphne sitting in another office. Lowers his voice. STERN (CONT'D) And just between us...I was married to a redhead. They're a jinx. Redheads are like cross-eyed priests. Stay away from both. Jordy gives him a look. STERN (CONT'D) You want to see her - go ahead. Jordy enters the other office. Sits next to Daphne. The assistant U.S. Attorneys leave. JORDY We're gonna fight the extradition. Daphne takes Jordy's bandaged hand in hers. DAPHNE Forget about me. You have enough problems of your own. JORDY ...Do you really want me to forget about you? DAPHNE I don't want to drag you down with me. JORDY Daphne, I... Daphne touches her finger to his lips. DAPHNE Shhhh. She leans in and kisses him. Then looks into his eyes, trying to find a smile. EXT. FEDERAL COURT HOUSE STEPS - DAY It's weeks later. Nicolette is looking worn, tired, frazzled. She's trying to go through her stand up. But she's unraveling. Not recovered from the loss of Eddie. NICOLETTE ...and today with his partner who he blamed for the crimes still at large, Emil Slovak will appear in court. His lawyer will argue that he is mentally unfit to stand trial. Eyewitness News has also learned that later this month, Jordy Warsaw will himself be appearing in court. He will be arraigned on charges of violating the civil rights of...Zwangen...Zwagen... MIKE Zwangendaba. NICOLETTE Goddamn assholes everywhere. Zwangenbobby..Zwangendaba. I got it. I'll do it. Shit. Let's start again. 5-4-3-2-1... She starts over. INT. JORDY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Jordy's on the couch. A drink in his hand, watching TV with his dog, ZACK. Jordy's eyes are glazed. He's drunk, his eyes are as bloodshot as Eddie's were...without his job or Daphne. His mind miles away - the dog and drink are his only comfort. As Nicolette reports (she got the name right), her anger seeps through her broadcast. NICOLETTE (ON T.V.) Mr. Zwangendaba claims to be a direct descendent of the African King from whom he takes his name... Jordy's face is flashed on screen. The phone RINGS. Jordy picks up. JORDY Hello? (listens) No comment. He hangs up. The phone RINGS AGAIN. JORDY (CONT'D) Hello? (listens) No! Jordy hangs up. Changes the channel. He stops as Robert Hawkins' face fills the screen. He is standing across from someone - in a park - interviewing him. HAWKINS (ON T.V.) He robbed you? The ANGLE CUTS to Zwangendaba, the mugger, now dressed in a suit and tie. Clean shaven and with a fresh haircut. He stands in the same spot where Jordy handcuffed him to the tree. He's appearing on "Top Story". ZWANGENDABA (ON T.V.) That's right, I encountered him right here. I was just askin' for change an' he whips out his big gun an' pushes me up against that tree, whereupon he takes my money and handcuffs me to it, leavin' me there all exposed... The phone RINGS again. Jordy suddenly pulls the phone off the table and throws it through the window: BACK TO TV as the channel is changed. A REPORTER is on TV. Behind him is a picture of Emil. Emil is smiling, in a shirt and tie. The reporter stands in front of the jail. REPORTER ...and WBAI has learned that Mr. Slovak won't have to worry about how he is going to pay for his defense. He has received movie offers and been in conversations with numerous publishers concerning the rights to his life story. REVERSE ANGLE Oleg is at a bar watching TV. Poisoned with envy. INT. JORDY'S BEDROOM - NEXT MORNING Jordy stands in front of the mirror over the dresser. We see the TV overturned in the b.g. His back up gun is on it. He stares at it. Dark thoughts dancing in his head. EXT. BATTERY PARK - DAY Jordy sits in a taxi, wearing sunglasses. Looking inside the park where a POLICE BARRICADE surrounds a POLICE TUGBOAT. Cutler and Emil are arriving - Emil is being transferred to Rykers Island. Jordy pulls his .38 out of his ankle holster and sticks it in his pocket. CLOSE ON METER to $42.00. The TAXI DRIVER looks in the rearview mirror. TAXI DRIVER I can't believe this guy got off. Unbelievable. Jordy takes out money. All he's got is fifty bucks and he crams it into the slot. JORDY Whatever's leftover, keep. Jordy exits the cab. The anger rising inside his body is coming to a boiling point. He walks into the park. Leon is sitting on a bench. Just sitting there. Also filled with rage and frustration. Jordy meets his eyes. Leon gets up and walks away. Disgusted by it all. Jordy's right hand grips the gun inside his pocket as he walks on. HIGH WIDE SHOT Many policemen are trying to control a swarm of reporters. All are waiting for Emil. WE SEE: HAWKINS and his camera crew, and, not far from him - frustrated and frazzled, waits Nicolette. Still grieving her loss, she looks over at Hawkins and his crew. She shoots him a disgusted look - Hawkins shrugs it off. He checks his watch - anxious - looks at his cameraman. HAWKINS He said he'd be here. Pick him up as he comes through the crowd. Do you hear me? For Chrissakes don't miss this. THE POLICE VAN PULLS UP Cutler's car behind it. Emil - handcuffed - is unloaded from the van. Reporters swarm forward - Cutler gets out of his car, hurrying up, taking his place alongside Emil and the POLICE ESCORTS. The swarm follows - firing questions at Cutler. He answers the barrage of questions with: CUTLER ...my client was suffering from a major illness of schizophrenic nature wherein during times of intense stress, as a result of paranoid and psychotic delusions - there was impairment of his ability to appreciate wrongfullness... This is a victory for the mentally ill! Jordy walks alongside the moving mass. His eyes focused on Emil - his hand in his pocket. We notice in the crowd Max, the celebrity-crazed pyromaniac. What's he doing here? Max's hand is also stuck deeply in his pocket. A weird gleam in his eye. We see Korfin in the group, speaking to other cops. Nicolette and her camera crew are vying for their place in the mass. She watches Emil with quiet rage. Cutler continues: CUTLER (CONT'D) ...before Emil boards the police boat and heads for Rykers Island where he will be checked into the psyche ward, I want to say one last word to you all... As you know, Emil was coerced by Oleg Razgul into committing these murders, yet Oleg is still out in the street, a free man, filming gruesome murders... My client and I hope he is brought to justice in the near future. They are through the monuments, approaching the steps when Jordy passes a distracted Hawkins - who's checking his watch obsessively. HAWKINS Where the hell is he? Goddamn it?! Jordy glares at Emil. Emil looks back at Jordy, gloating. Smiles. He won. He beat the system. Jordy suddenly erupts. JORDY You think this is funny?? What the hell are you laughing at? Emil stares down Jordy. Jordy grips the gun inside the jacket. CUTLER (to a nearby escort) Officer, keep this man back, he's assaulted my client on previous occasions. A PATROLMAN blocks Jordy from Emil. JORDY This is it? This bastard kills the best cop this city ever had and we do nothing? CUTLER You may not like it marshal, but that's the law. JORDY And what about the other victims?? What about their families? He'll end up in some country club nuthouse while his lawyer sells his rights to the movies and we just stand here and do nothing? We let this scumbag walk? Jordy moves past the officer. Emil breaks away from Cutler. Gets in Jordy's face. Laughs quietly. EMIL Be careful. I can kill you. I'm insane. Jordy shoves Emil into Cutler. A scuffle breaks out as the cops separate the two - pulling Jordy back as we cut to: A VIDEO POV as it approaches Hawkins from behind. A hand dips into frame tapping Hawkins on the shoulder. Hawkins turns - sees who he's been waiting for. His face lights up. HAWKINS I thought you wouldn't show up. Where is it? Where is the tape? IT'S OLEG In disguise - sunglasses and a hat. Holding his videocamera. OLEG It's all in here. All in here. MEANWHILE JORDY has been separated from Cutler and Emil as Hawkins' voice cuts above the din of the crowd, announcing excitedly: HAWKINS Wait a minute, Bruce! We've got some interesting evidence, something you should look at! Reporters turn as Hawkins speaks. His crew is taping as he continues introducing his broadcast: HAWKINS (CONT'D) I have exclusive rights to the ORIGINAL UNCUT videotape shot by Oleg Razgul, proving Emil Slovak was not insane! Hard to believe...watch! Reporters swing their cameras over as Oleg holds his videocamera up in the air. OLEG (ON VIDEO) He knew exactly what he was doing - all of this was planned! It's all here in my movie. Emil is not insane. Look. Look! Oleg PLAYS his videocamera as lenses focus, we see excerpts of the moment where Emil explains to Eddie: EMIL (ON VIDEO) ...so we kill someone famous and if we are caught, we are sent to mental hospital... CUTLER (points to Oleg) Officers, there's your killer, do your duty, arrest him! The police are attempting to get to Oleg, but a sea of reporters separate them. We hear the staccato calls from the press corps. Nicolette looks on in amazed outrage. Jordy notices and starts moving towards her. Before the POLICE CAPTAIN in charge of the detail can react, the rage which killed Milos, Tamina and Honey wells up inside Emil. He yells at Oleg! EMIL Traitor!! OLEG No. You are the traitor. You are murderer. I am director. Action! Oleg pulls his gun. Emil pulls Cutler in front of him as: BANG! Oleg FIRES! Cutler is SHOT and goes down. Hawkins swings his camera over to Oleg - filming the would-be assassin. Oleg FIRES off another SHOT - hitting the COURT OFFICER escorting Emil. Emil grabs the down officer's gun. He swivels - rapid fires at Oleg. Oleg topples. People are screaming. It's CHAOS. Emil darts forward - grabbing Nicolette who is closes to him. He puts his handcuffed arms over her head - points the gun at her head. CAPTAIN Drop the gun! DON'T SHOOT! EMIL I'll kill her! Back off! Everyone back away from me! We hear Jordy's voice above Emil. JORDY Let her go. Let her fucking go!! The captain is screaming at all his men. CAPTAIN No one shoot! Lower your weapons! Do not fire! No officer will fire his weapon unless I say so! (to Emil) Let the woman go! Cops reluctantly lower their weapons. But Jordy is still aiming his gun at Emil. He is the only one who hasn't lowered his gun. The captain is yelling at him. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Holster your weapons! Back away. That is an order! No officers will fire! Emil is screaming back at the captain as Jordy screams at Emil. EMIL Tell him to put his gun down! JORDY Let her go! Let her go!! EMIL If he doesn't lower his gun I'll fucking kill her. Jordy doesn't lower his gun. Emil tries to back away. The reporters - who have ducked and covered - are still keeping their lenses pointed at the scene. This is great film! Jordy follows after Emil - his gun raised. JORDY Let her go. NICOLETTE Shoot! Shoot him!! EMIL Shut up! Meanwhile, the captain is still yelling: CAPTAIN No on shoot! No one shoot!! No officer will follow. No officer will shoot! Nicolette is still encouraging Jordy. NICOLETTE Shoot! Shoot! Shoot him!! EMIL Shut up! Everyone is screaming at once. It's mass chaos. The captain is trying to keep everyone calm. Cops following along with their weapons lowered. All except Jordy - his gun still pointed at Emil. Hawkins can't believe what footage he's getting. He's pushing his cameraman to the front of the pack. Trying to get the best coverage. EMIL (CONT'D) I'll surrender!! I'll surrender if he lowers his gun. He's pointing at Jordy but he's continuing to back away towards the police boat. NICOLETTE Don't. Don't let him surrender. Shoot him! Jordy won't take his gun off him. JORDY Let her go. Let her go. The captain is yelling at Jordy. CAPTAIN Lower your weapon. I told you - lower your weapon! Jordy struggles to get a clean shot at Emil. He can't. His heart pounding. Adrenaline pumping. He suddenly lowers his weapon. Turns away. The captain visibly relaxes. Emil laughs. Jordy suddenly turns back. Quickly raises his weapon. JORDY SHOOTS Emil takes a shot in the leg. Nicolette ducks under the handcuffs and scurries away. Emil looks at Jordy - surprised he shot him. Jordy FIRES AGAIN. Emil is hit in the shoulder. Jordy marches forward, EMPTYING HIS CLIP in Emil's chest. Abdomen. Head. Gun fire echoes in the humid air as Emil stumbles back. Does a funny dance and drops to the ground. Dead. The captain yells. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I told you not to shoot! No officers should shoot. Jordy quietly answers: JORDY I'm not a cop. I'm a fire marshal. HAWKINS He's still alive. Hawkins looks down at Oleg. He is sprawled on the ground. His videocamera in hand - he's still making the movie. OLEG'S VIDEO POV as it ZOOMS from the Statue of Liberty and PANS to Oleg. He looks in the lens with his dying eyes, gasps: OLEG A film...by Oleg Razgul. And Oleg dies but suddenly his eyes pop WIDE OPEN. Hawkins jumps back, Oleg smiles, coughing in pain. OLEG (CONT'D) How was that? Oleg's head rolls to one side. Now dead. Nicolette runs over to Jordy. Composing herself. Coming together. Glad Emil is dead. Jordy starts to walk away. NICOLETTE Wait a minute. Where are you going? Learn from Eddie. Talk to the court of public opinion. Take the credit, you need it. She turns him around. Straightens his tie. Starts to push the hair out of his face but he stops her hand. JORDY No thanks. Jordy puts something in her hand. She looks down. It's EDDIE'S BADGE. The one Jordy took out of Daphne's bathroom. She looks up at him. Her cameraman rolling. The lens pointed at Jordy. Jordy looks at Nicolette. Meets her eyes. He doesn't want to make a statement. He still doesn't want the fame. He did learn from Eddie. Eddie was killed because he was a celebrity. Jordy wants no part of it. NICOLETTE Cut. Her cameraman lowers his leans. Jordy smiles. She nods. Jordy turns and walks away. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Get a shot of him leaving. Then pan to me. Jordy disappears into the sea of people. The camera PANS back to Nicolette. NICOLETTE (CONT'D) Well, he wouldn't talk to us, but you saw it. The CAMERA PULLS BACK from Nicolette's face and the video is now on: THE JUMBOTRON IN TIMES SQUARE We PULL BACK FURTHER and FURTHER. Nicolette finishing her stand up: NICOLETTE (CONT'D) New York City has a new hero, Fire Marshal Jordan Warsaw. I hope that Fire Marshal Warsaw's heroic actions this afternoon will help with his other legal problems. WB11 has also learned that the fire Marshal has retained an immigration lawyer to help Daphne Handlova with her case. We wish her well. This is Nicolette Karas, live at Battery Park, WB11 New York. Good night. THE SCREEN FADES TO BLACK.

TITLE PART I AFRICA 3,000,000 YEARS AGO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A1 VIEWS OF AFRICAN DRYLANDS - DROUGHT The remorseless drought had lasted now for ten million years, and would not end for another million. The reign of the ter- rible lizards had long since passed, but here on the continent which would one day be known as Africa, the battle for survival had reached a new climax of ferocity, and the victor was not yet in sight. In this dry and barren land, only the small or the swift or the fierce could flourish, or even hope to exist. 10/13/65 a1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A2 INT & EXT CAVES - MOONWATCHER The man-apes of the field had none of these attributes, and they were on the long, pathetic road to racial extinction. About twenty of them occupied a group of caves overlooking a small, parched valley, divided by a sluggish, brown stream. The tribe had always been hungry, and now it was starving. As the first dim glow of dawn creeps into the cave, Moonwatcher discovers that his father has died during the night. He did not know the Old One was his father, for such a relationship was beyond his understanding. but as he stands looking down at the emac- iated body he feels something, something akin to sadness. Then he carries his dead father out of the cave, and leaves him for the hyenas. Among his kind, Moonwatcher is almost a giant. He is nearly five feet high, and though badly undernourished, weighs over a hundred pounds. His hairy, muscular body is quite man-like, and his head is already nearer man than ape. The forehead is low, and there are great ridges over the eye-sockets, yet he unmistakably holds in his genes the promise of humanity. As he looks out now upon the hostile world, there is already 10/13/65 a2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A2 CONTINUED something in his gaze beyond the grasp of any ape. In those dark, deep-set eyes is a dawning awareness-the first intima- tions of an intelligence which would not fulfill itself for another two million years. 10/13/65 a3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A3 EXT THE STREAM - THE OTHERS As the dawn sky brightens, Moonwatcher and his tribe reach the shallow stream. The Others are already there. They were there on the other side every day - that did not make it any less annoying. There are eighteen of them, and it is impossible to distinguish them from the members of Moonwatcher's own tribe. As they see him coming, the Others begin to angrily dance and shriek on their side of the stream, and his own people reply In kind. The confrontation lasts a few minutes - then the display dies out as quickly as it has begun, and everyone drinks his fill of the muddy water. Honor has been satisfied - each group has staked its claim to its own territory. 10/13/65 a4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A4 EXT AFRICAN PLAIN - HERBIVORES Moonwatcher and his companions search for berries, fruit and leaves, and fight off pangs of hunger, while all around them, competing with them for the samr fodder, is a potential source of more food than they could ever hope to eat. Yet all the thousands of tons of meat roaming over the parched savanna and through the brush is not only beyond their reach; the idea of eating it is beyond their imagination. They are slowly starving to death in the midst of plenty. 10/13/65 a5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A5 EXT PARCHED COUNTRYSIDE - THE LION The tribe slowly wanders across the bare, flat country- side foraging for roots and occasional berries. Eight of them are irregularly strung out on the open plain, about fifty feet apart. The ground is flat for miles around. Suddenly, Moonwatcher becomes aware of a lion, stalking them about 300 yards away. Defenceless and with nowhere to hide, they scatter in all directions, but the lion brings one to the ground. 10/13/65 a6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A6 EXT DEAD TREE - FINDS HONEY It had not been a good day, though as Moonwatcher had no real remembrance of the past he could not compare one day with another. But on the way back to the caves he finds a hive of bees in the stump of a dead tree, and so enjoys the finest delicacy his people could ever know. Of course, he also collects a good many stings, but he scacely notices them. He is now as near to contentment as he is ever likely to be; for thought he is still hungry, he is not actually weak with hunger. That was the most that any hominid could hope for. 10/13/65 a7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A7 INT & EXT CAVES - NIGHT TERRORS Over the valley, a full moon rises, and a cold wind blows down from the distant mountains. It would be very cold tonight - but cold, like hunger, was not a matter for any real concern; it was merely part of the background of life. This Little Sun, that only shone at night and gave no warmth, was dangerous; there would be enemies abroad. Moonwatcher crawls out of the cave, clambers on to a large boulder besides the entrance, and squats there where he can survey the valley. If any hunting beast approached, he would have time to get back to the relative safety of the cave. Of all the creatures who had ever lived on Earth, Moonwatcher's race was the first to raise their eyes with interest to the Moon, and though he could not remember it, when he was young, Moonwatcher would reach out and try to touch its ghostly face. Now he new he would have to find a tree that was high enough. He stirs when shrieks and screams echo up the slope from one of the lower caves, and he does not need to hear the 10/13/65 a8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A7 CONTINUED occasional growl of the lion to know what is happening. Down there in the darkness, old One-Eye and his family are dying, and the thought that he might help in some way never crosses Moonwatcher's mind. The harsh logic of survival rules out such fancies. Every cave is silent, lest it attract disaster. And in the caves, in tortured spells of fitful dozing and fearful waiting, were gathered the nightmares of generations yet to come. 10/13/65 a9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A8 EXT THE STREAM - INVASION The Others are growing desperate; the forage on their side of the valley is almost exhausted. Perhaps they realise that Moonwatcher's tribe has lost three of its numbers during the night, for they choose this mourning to break the truce. When they meet at the river in the still, misty dawn, there is a deeper and more menacing note in their challenge. The noisy but usually harmless confrontation lasts only a few seconds before the invasion begins. In an uncertainly-moving horde, the Others cross the river, shieking threats and hunched for the attack. They are led by a big-toothed hominid of Moonwatcher's own size and age. Startled and frightened, the tribe retreats before the first advance, throwing nothing more substantial than imprecations at the invaders. Moonwatcher moves with them, his mind a mist of rage and confusion. To be driven from their own territory is a great badness, but to lose the river is death. He does not know what to do; it is a situation beyond his experience. Then he becomes dimly aware that the Others are slowing 10/13/65 a10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A8 CONTINUED down, and advancing with obvious reluctance. The further they move from their own side, the more uncertain and unhappy they become. Only Big-Tooth still retains any of his original drive, and he is rapidly being seperated from his followers. As he sees this, Moonwatcher's own morale immediately revives. He slows down his retreat, and begins to make reassuring noises to his companions. Novel sensations fill his dim mind - the first faint precursors of bravery and leadership. Before he realizes it, he is face to face with Big-Tooth, and the two tribes come to a halt many paces away. The disorganized and unscientific conflict could have ended quickly if either had used his fist as a club, but this innovation still lay hundreds of thousands of years in the future. Instead, the slowly weakening fighters claw and scratch and try to bite each other. Rolling over and over, they come to a patch of stony ground, and when they reach it Moonwatcher is on top. By chance, 10/13/65 a11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A8 CONTINUED he chooses this moment to grab the hair on Big-Tooth's scalp, and bang his head on the ground. The resulting CRACK is so satisfactory, and produces such an immediate weakening In Big - Tooth's resistance, that he quickly repeats it. Even when Big-Tooth ceases to move for some time, Moon- watcher keeps up the exhilirating game. With shrieks of panic, the Others retreat back, across the stream. The defenders cautiously pursue them as far as The water's edge. 10/13/65 a12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXT CAVE - NEW SOUND Dozing fitfully and weakened by his stuggle, Moonwatcher is startled by a sound. He sits up in the fetid darkness of the cave, straining his senses out into the night, and fear creeps slowly into his soul. Never in his life - already twice as long as most members of his species could expect - has he heard a sound like this. The great cats approached in silence, and the only thing that betrayed them was a rare slide of earth, or the occasional cracking of a twig. Yet this is a continuing crunching noise that grows steadily louder. It seemed that some enormous beast was moving through the night, making no attempt at concealment, and ignoring all obstacles. And then there came a sound which Moonwatcher could not possibly have identified, for it had never been heard before in the history of this planet. 10/13/65 a13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A10 EXT CAVE - NEW ROCK Moonwatcher comes face to face with the New Rock when he leads the tribe down to the river in the first light of morning. He had almost forgotten the terror of the night, because nothing had happened after that initial noise, so he does not even associate this strange thing with danger or with fear. There is nothing in the least alarming about it. It is a cube about fifteen feet on a side, and it is made of some completely transparent material; indeed, it is not easy to see except when the light of the sun glints on its edges. There are no natural objects to which Moonwatcher can compare this apparition. Though he is wisely cautious of most new things, he does not hesitate to walk up to it. As nothing happens, he puts out his hand, and feels a warm, hard surface. After several minutes of intense thought, he arrives at a brilliant explanation. It is a rock, of course, and it must have grown during the night. There are many plants that do this - white, pulpy things shaped like pebbles, that seem to shoot up in the hours of darkness. It is true that they are small and round, whereas this is large and square; 10/13/65 a14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A10 CONTINUED but greater and later philosophers than Moonwatcher would be prepared to overlook equally striking exceptions to their laws. This really superb piece of abstract thinking leads Moonwatcher to a deduction which he immediately puts to the test. The white, round pebble-plants are very tasty (though there were a few that made one violently sick); perhaps this square one...? A few licks and attempted nibbles quickly disillusion him. There is no nourishment here; so like a sensible hominid, he continues on his way to the river and forgets all about the Cube. 10/13/65 a15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A11 EXT CUBE - FIRST LESSON They are still a hundred yards from the New Rock when the sound begins. It is quite soft, and it stops them in their tracks, so that they stand paralyzed on the trail with their jaws hanging. A simple, maddeningly repetitious rhythm pulses out of the crystal cube and hypnotises all who come within its spell. For the first time - and the last, for two million year - the sound of drumming is heard in Africa. The throbbing grows louder, more insistent. Presently the hominids begin to move forward like sleep-walkers, towards the source of that magnetic sound. Sometimes they take little dancing steps, as their blood responds to the rhythms that their descendants will not create for ages yet. Totally entranced, they gather around the Cube, forgetting the hardships of the day, the perils of the approaching dusk, and the hunger in their bellies. Now, spinning wheels of light begin to merge, and the spokes fuse into luminous bars that slowly recede into the distance, 10/13/65 a16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A11 CONTINUED rotating on their axes as they do; and the hominids watch, wide- eyed, mesmerized captives of the Crystal Cube. Then by some magic - though it was no more magical than all that had gone on before - a perfectly normal scene appears. It is as if a cubical block had been carved out of the day and shifted into the night. Inside that block is a group of four hominids, who might have been members of Moonwatcher's own tribe, eating chunks of meat. The carcass of a wart-hog lies near them. This little family of male and female and two children is gorged and replete, with sleek and glossy pelts - and this was a condition of life that Moonwatcher had never imagined. From time to time they stir lazily, as they loll at ease near the entrance of their cave, apparently at peace with the world. The spectacle of domestic bliss merges into a totally different scene. The family is no longer reposing peacefully outside its cave; it is foraging, searching for food like any normal hominids. 10/13/65 a17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A11 CONTINUED A small wart-hog ambles past the group of browsing humanoids without giving them more than a glance, for they had never been the slightest danger to its species. But that happy state of affairs is about to end. The big male suddenly bends down, picks up a heavy stone lying at his feet - and hurls it upon the unfortunate pig. The stone descends upon its skull, making exactly the same noise that Moonwatcher had produced in his now almost forgotten encounter with Big-Tooth. And the result, too, is much the same - the warthog gives one amazed, indignant squeal, and collapses in a motionless heap. Then the whole sequence begins again, but this time it unfolds itself with incredible slowness. Every detail of the movement can be followed; the stone arches leisurely through the air, the pig crumples up and sinks to the ground. There the scene freezes for long moments, the slayer standing motionless above the slain, the first of all weapons in his hand. The scene suddenly fades out. The cube is no more than a glimmering outline in the darkness; the hominids stir, as if 10/13/65 a18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A11 CONTINUED awakening from a dream, realise where they are, and scuttle back to their caves. They have no concious memory of what they had seen; but that night, as he sits brooding at the entrance of his lair, his ears attuned to the noises of the world around him, Moonwatcher feels the first faint twinges of a new and potent emotion - the urge to kill. He had taken his first step towards humanity. 10/13/65 a19 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A12 EXT cave AND PLAINS - Utopia Babies were born and sometimes lived; feeble, toothless thirty- year-olds died; the lion took its toll in the night; the Others threatened daily across the river - and the trib prospered. In the course of a single year, Moonwatcher and his companions had changed almost beyond recognition. They had become as plump as the family in the Cave, who no longer haunted their dreams. They had learned their lessons well; now they could handle all the stone tools and weapons that the Cube had revealed to them. They were no longer half-numbed with starvation, and they had time both for leisure and for the first rudiments of thought. Their new way of life was casually accepted, and they did not associate it in any way with the crystal cube still standing outside their cave. But no Utopia is perfect, and this one had two blemishes. The first was the marauding lion, whose passion for hominids seemed to have grown even stronger now that they were better nourished. The second was the tribe across the river; for 10/13/65 a20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A12 CONTINUED somehow the Others had survived, and had stubbornly refused to die of starvation. 10/13/65 a21 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A13 EXT CAVES - KILLING THE LION With the partly devoured carcass of a warthog laid out on the ground at the point he hope the boulder would impact, Moon- watcher and three of his bravest companions wait for two consecutive nights. On the third the lion comes, betraying his presences by a small pebble slide. When they can here the lion below, softly tearing at the meat, they strain themselves against the massive boulder. The sound of the lion stops; he is listening. Again they silently heave against the enormous stone, exerting the final limits of their strength. The rock begin to tip to a new balance point. The lion twitches alert to this sound, but having no fear of these creatures, he makes the first of two mistakes which will cost him his life; he goes back to his meal. The rock moves slowly over the ledge, picking up speed with amazing suddeness. It strikes a projection in the cliff about fifteen feet above the ground, which deflects its path outward. Just at this instant, the lion reacts instinctively and leaps away from the face of the cliff directly into the path of the 10/13/65 a22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A13 CONTINUED onrushing boulder. He has combined the errors of over- confidence and bad luck. The next morning they find the lion in front of the cave. They also find one of their tribe who had incautiously peeped out to see what was happening, and was apparently killed by a small rock torn loose by the boulder; but this was a small price to pay for such a great victory. * * * * * * * * And then one night the crystal cube was gone, and not even Moonwatcher ever thought of it again. He was still wholly unaware of all that it had done. 10/13/65 a23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A14 EXT STREAM - MASTER OF THE WORLD From their side of the stream, in the never violated safety of their own territory, the Others see Moonwatcher and fourteen males of his tribe appear from behind a small hillock over- looking the stream, silhouetted against the dawn sky. The Others begin to scream their daily challenge. But today something is different, though the Others do not immediatly recognize this fact. Instead of joining the verbal onslaught, as they had always done, Moonwatcher and his small band decended from the rise, and begin to move forward to the stream with a quiet purposefulness never befor seen. As the Others watch the figures silently approaching in the morning mist, they become aware of the terrible strangness of this encounter, and their rage gradually subsides down to an uneasy silence. At the water's edge, Moonwatcher and his band stop. They carry their bone clubs and bone knives. 10/13/65 a24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A14 CONTINUED Led by One-ear, the Others half-heartly resume the battle- chant. But they are suddenly confrunted with a vision that cuts the sound from their throats, and strikes terror into their hearts. Moonwatcher, who had been partly concealed by two males who walked before him, thrusts his arm high into the air. In his hand he holds a stoud tree branch. Mounted atop the branch is the bloody head of the lion, its mouth jammed open with a stick, displaying its frightful fangs. The Others gape in fearful disbelief at this display of power. Moonwatchers stands motionless, thrusting the lion's head high. Then with majestic deliberation, still carrying his mangled standard above his head, he begins to cross the stream, followed by his band. The Others fade back from the stream, seeming to lack even the ability to flee. Moonwatcher steps ashore and walks to One-Ear, who stands 10/13/65 a25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A14 CONTINUED unsurely in front of his band. Though he is a veteran of numerous combats at the water's edge, One-Ear has never been attacked by an enemy who had not first displayed his fighting rage; and he had never before been attacked with a weapon. One-Ear, merely looks up at the raised club until the heavey thigh bone of an antelope brings the darkness down around him. The Others stare in wonder at Moonwatcher's power. Moonwatcher surveys the scene. Now he was master of the world, and he was not sure what to do next. But he would think of something. 10/13/65 a26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A SECTION TIMING A1 00.30 A2 00.45 A3 01.30 A4 00.30 A5 01.00 A6 01.00 A7 01.00 A8 03.00 A9 00.45 A10 02.00 A11 04.00 A12 02.00 A13 02.30 A14 02.30 A SECTION TOTAL: @23 MIN. 00 SECS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE PART II YEAR 2001 a26a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B1 EARTH FROM 200 MILES UP NARRATOR By the year 2001, overpopulation has B1a replaced the problem of starvation THOUSAND MEGATON but this was ominously offset by the NUCLEAR BOMB IN ORBIT absolute and utter perfection of the ABOVE THE EARTH, weapon. RUSSIAN INSIGNIA AND CCCP MARKINGS B1b NARRATOR AMERICAN THOUSAND Hundreds of giant bombs had been MEGATON BOMB IN ORBIT placed in perpetual orbit above the ABOVE THE EARTH. Earth. They were capable of incinerating the entire Earth's surface from an altitude of 100 miles. B1c FRENCH BOMB NARRATOR Matters were further complicated by the presence of twenty-seven nations in the nuclear club. There had been no deliberate or acciden- B1d tal use of nuclear weapons since GERMAN BOMB World War II and some people felt sercure in this knowledge. But to others, the situation seemed comparible to an airline with a B1f perfect safety record; in showed CHINESE BOMB admirable care and skill but no one expected it to last forever. 10/4/65 b1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B2 ORION-III SPACECRAFT IN FIGHT AWAY FROM EARTH, 200 MILES ALTITUDE. 10/4/65 b2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B3 ORION-III PASSENGER AREA. DR. HEYWOOD FLOYD IS THE ONLY PASSENGER IN THE ELEGANT CABIN DESIGNED FOR 30 PEOPLE. HE IS ASLEEP. HIS PEN FLOATS NEAR HIS HAND. 10/4/65 b3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B4 ORION-III COCKPIT. PILOT, CO-PILOT. FLOYD CAN BE SEEN ASLEEP ON A SMALL TV MONITOR. STEWARDESS IS PUTTING ON LIPSTICK. SHE SEES PEN. 10/4/65 b4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B5 STEWARDESS GOES BACK TO PASSENGER AREA, RESCUES PEN AND CLIPS IT BACK IN FLOYD'S POCKET. 10/4/65 b5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B6 SPACE STATION-5. THE RAW SUNLIGHT OF SPACE DAZZLES FROM THE POLISHED METAL SURFACES OF THE SLOWLY REVOLVING, THOUSAND-FOOT DIAMETER SPACE STATION. DRIFTING IN THE SAME ORBIT, WE SEE SWEPT-BACK TITOV-V SPACECRAFT. ALSO THE ALMOST SPHERICAL ARIES-IB 10/4/65 b6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B7 ORION-III PASSENGER AREA FLOYD AWAKE BUT GROGGY, LOOKS OUT OF WINDOW. 10/4/65 b7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B8 ORION-III COCKPIT. THE CO-PILOT IN RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPACE STATION. 10/4/65 b8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B9 THE ORION-III SPACECRAFT IN DOCKING APPROACH. THE EARTH IS SEEN IN BREATH- TAKING VIEW IN B.G. 10/4/65 b9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B10 INSIDE DOCKING CONTROL. WE SEE ORION-III MANO- UVERING. IN BACKGROUND. 10/4/65 b10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B11 FROM DOCKING PORT WE SEE THE ORION-III INCHING IN TO COMPLETE ITS DOCKING. WE SEE VARIOUS WINDOWED BOOTHS INSIDE DOCKING PORT. WE SEE THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT INSIDE THE ORION-III COCKPIT. 10/4/65 b11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B12 SPACE STATION RECEPTION AREA RECEPTIONIST AT DESK. MILLER ENTERS, HUR- RYING. HE GOES TO THE ELEVATOR AND PRESSES BUTTON. HE WAITS IMPATIENTLY. WE SEE ELEVATOR INDICATOR WORKING ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS AND FLOYD IS SEEN UNSTRAPPING HIMSELF. THE ELEVATOR GIRL IS SEATED BY THE DOOR MILLER Oh, good morning, Dr. Floyd. I'm Nick Miller. FLOYD How do you do, Mr. Miller? MILLER I'm terribly sorry. I was just on my way down to meet you. I saw your ship dock and I knew I had plenty of time, and I was on my way out of the office when, suddenly, the phone rang. 12/7/65 b12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B12 CONTINUED FLOYD Oh, please don't worry about it. MILLER Well, thank you very much for being so understanding. FLOYD Please, it really doesn't matter. MILLER Well.. Did you have a pleaant flight? FLOYD Yes, very pleasant. MILLER Well, shall we go through Documentation? FLOYD Fine. RECEPTIONIST Will you use number eight, please? MILLER Thank you, Miss Turner. 12/7/65 b13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B12 CONTINUED THEY ENTER PASSPORT AREA RECEPTIONIST PRESSES "ENGLISH" BAR ON HER CONSOLE AND SMILES AS FLOYD GOES THROUGH. 12/7/65 b13a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ IN AUTOMATED PASSPORT SECTION. THEY STOP IN FRONT OF A BOOTH FEATURING A TV SCREEN PASSPORT GIRL (TV) Good morning and welcome to voice Print Identification. When you see the red light go on would you please state in the following order; your desitination, your nationality and your full name. Surname first, christian name and initial. For example: Moon, American, Smith, John, D. Thank you. THERE IS A PAUSE AND A RED BAR LIGHTS UP FLOYD Moon, American, Floyd, Heywood, R. THE RED LIGHT GOES OFF. THERE IS A DELAY OF ABOUT TWO SECONDS AND THE WOMAN'S FACE REAPPEARS FLOYD I've always wondered.... 12/7/65 b14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B13 CONTINUED PASSPORT GIRL (TV) (Interrupting) Thank you. Despite and excellent and continually improving safety record there are certain risks inherent in space travel and an extremely high cost of pay load. Because of this it is necessary for the Space Carrier to advise you that it cannot be responsible for the return of your body to Earth should you become deceased on the Moon or en route to the Moon. However, it wishes to advise you that insurance covering this contingency is available in the Main Lounge. Thank you. You are cleared through Voice Print Identification. THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND THE WOMAN'S FACE DISAPPEARS THE MEN EXIT THE PASSPORT AREA MILLER I've reserved a table for you in the Earth Light room. Your connecting flight will be leaving in about one hour. 12/7/65 b15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B13 CONTINUED FLOYD Oh, that's wonderful. 12/7/65 b16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B14 INT SPACE STATION - LOUNGE FLOYD AND MILLER WALKING MILLER Let's see, we haven't had the pleasure of a visit from you not since... It was about eight or nine months ago, wasn't it? FLOYD Yes, I think so. Just about then. MILLER I suppose you saw the work on our new section while you were docking. FLOYD Yes, it's coming along very well. THEY PASS THE VISION PHONE BOOTH FLOYD Oh, look, I've got to make a phone call. Why don't you go on into the Restaurant and I'll meet you in there. 12/7/65 b17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B14 CONTINUED MILLER Fine. I'll see you at the bar. FLOYD ENTERS PHONE BOOTH. SIGN ON VISION PHONE SCREEN "SORRY, TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER." HE ENTERS THE SECOND BOOTH AND SITS DOWN 12/7/65 b18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B15 DELETED B16 DELETED PAGES b19 - b22 DELETED 12/7/65 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B17 FLOYD IN VISION PHONE LITTLE GIRL OF FIVE ANSWERS CHILD Hello. VISION PHONE SCREEN DISPLAY SIGN 'YOUR PARTY HAS NOT CONNECTED VISION' A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE SCREEN CHANGES TO AN IMAGE OF THE CHILD FLOYD Hello, darling, how are you? CHILD Hello Daddy. Where are you? FLOYD I'm at Space Station Five, darling. How are you? CHILD I'm fine, Daddy. When are you coming home? 12/6/65 b23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B17 CONTINUED FLOYD Well, I hope in a few days, sweetheart. CHILD I'm having a party tomorrow. FLOYD Yes, I know that sweetheart. CHILD Are you coming to my party? FLOYD No, I'm sorry, darling, I told you I won't be home for a few days. CHILD When are you coming home? FLOYD In three days, darling, I hope. FLOYD HOLDS UP THREE FINGERS. 12/6/65 b24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B17 FLOYD One, two, three. Can I speak to Mommy? CHILD Mommy's out to the hair- dresser. FLOYD Where is Mrs. Brown? CHILD She's in the bathroom. FLOYD Okay, sweetheart. Well, I have to go now. Tell Mommy that I called. CHILD How many days until you come home? FLOYD Three, darling. One... two ... three. Be sure to tell Mommy I called. 12/6/65 b24a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B17 CONTINUED CHILD I will, Daddy. FLOYD Okay, sweetheart. Have a lovely Birthday Party tomorrow. CHILD Thank you, Daddy. FLOYD I'll wish you a happy Birthday now and I'll see you soon. All right, Darling? CHILD Yes, Daddy. FLOYD 'Bye, 'bye, now, sweetheart. CHILD Goodbye, Daddy. 12/6/65 b24b ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B18 VISION PHONE PROCEDURE FOR INFORMATION VISION PHONE PROCEDURE FOR DIALLING OPERATOR Good morning, Macy's. FLOYD Good morning. I'd like the Vision shopper for the Pet Shop, please. OPERATOR Just one moment. 12/7/65 b25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B19 THE PICTURE FLIPS AND WE SEE A WOMAN STANDING IN FORN OF A SPECIALLY- DESIGNED DISPLAY SCREEN VISION SALES GIRL Good morning, sir, may I help you? FLOYD Yes, I'd like to buy a bush baby. VISION SALES GIRL Just a moment, sir. THE GIRL KEYS SOME INPUTS AND A MOVING PICTURE APPEARS ON THE SCREEN OF A CAGE CONTAINING ABOUT SIX BUSH BABIES, BEAUTIFULLY DISPLAYED AGAINST A WHITE BACK- GROUND VISION SALES GIRL Here you are, sir. Here is a lovely assortment of African bush babies. They are twenty Dollars each. 12/7/65 b26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B19 CONTINUED FLOYD Yes, well... Pick out a nice one for me, a friendly one, and I'd like it delivered tomorrow. VISION SALES GIRL Certainly, sir. Just let us have your name and Bank identification for V.P.I., and then give the name and address of the person you'd like the pet delivered to and it will be delivered tomorrow. SOME TIME DURING THIS CONVERSATION, FLOYD SEE ELENA, SMYSLOV AND THE OTHER TWO RUSSIANS PASS HIS VISION PHONE WINDOW. ELENA TAPS AND MIMES "HELLO", GESTURING TOWARD A TABLE BEHIND FLOYD WHERE THEY ALL SIT DOWN FLOYD Thank you very much. Floyd, Heywood, R., First National Bank of Washington. Please deliver to Miss Josephine Floyd, 9423 Dupre Avenue, N.W.14. 12/7/65 b27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B19 CONTINUED VISION SALES GIRL Thank you very much, sir. It will be delivered tomorrow. 12/7/65 b27a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 SPACE STATTION 5 - LOUNGE FLOYD Well, how nice to see you again, Elena. You're looking wonderful. ELENA How nice to see you, Hyewood. This is my good friend, Dr. Heywood Floyd. I'd like you to meet Andre Smyslov... SMYSLOV AND THE TWO OTHER RUSSIAN WOMEN STAND UP AND SMILE THEY SHAKE HANDS AFTER INTRODUCTION AND AD-LIB 'HELLOS' ELENA And this is Dr. Kalinan... Stretyneva... THE RUSSIANS ARE VERY WARM AND FRIENDLY. SMYSLOV Dr. Floyd, won't you join us for a drink? 12/7/65 b28 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED FLOYD I'm afraid I've only got a few minutes, but I'd love to. THERE IS A BIT OF CONFUSION AS ALL REALISE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR ANOTHER PERSON AT THE TABLE. SMYSLOV OFFERS FLOYD HIS CHAIR AND BORROWS ANOTHER FROM A NEARBY TABLE SYMYSLOV What would you like to drink? FLOYD Oh, I really don't have time for a drink. If it's all right I'll just sit for a minute and then I've got to be off. SMYSLOV Are you quite sure? FLOYD Yes, really, thank you very much. ELENA Well... How's your lovely wife? 12/7/65 b29 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED FLOYD She's wonderful. ELENA And your charming little daughter? FLOYD Oh, she's growing up very fast. As a matter of fact, she's six tomorrow. ELENA Oh, that's such a delightful age. FLOYD How is gregor? ELENA He's fine. But I'm afraid we don't get a chance to see each other very much these days. POLITE LAUGHTER FLOYD Well, where are all of you off to? 12/7/65 b30 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED ELENA Actually, we're on our way back from the moon. We've just spent three months calibrating the new antenna at Tchalinko. And what about you? FLOYD Well, as it happens, I'm on my way up to the moon SMYSLOV Are you, by any chance, going up to your base at Clavius? FLOYD Yes,as a matter of fact, I am. THE RUSSIANS EXCHANGE SIGNIFICANT GLANCES FLOYD Is there any particular reason why you ask? 12/7/65 b31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED SMYSLOV (pleasantly) Well, Dr. Floyd, I hope that you don't think I'm too inquisitive, but perhaps you can clear up the mystery about what's been going on up there. FLOYD I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I know what you mean. SMYSLOV Well, it's just for the past two weeks there have been some extremely odd things happening at Clavius. FLOYD Really? SMYSLOV Yes. Well, for one thing, whenever you phone the base, all you can get is a recording which repeats that the phone lines are temporarily out of order. 12/7/65 b32 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED FLOYD Well, I suppose they've been having a bit of trouble with some of the equipment. SMYSLOV Yes, well at first we thought that was the explanation, but it's been going on for the past ten days. FLOYD You mean you haven't been able to get anyone at the base for ten days? SMYSLOV That's right. FLOYD I see. ELENA Another thing, Heywood, two days ago, one of our rocket buses was denied permission for an emergency landing at Clavius. 12/7/65 b33 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED FLOYD How did they manage to do that without any communication? ELENA Clavius Control came on the air just long enough to transmit their refusal. FLOYD Well, that does sound very odd. SMYSLOV Yes, and I'm afaid there's going to be a bit of a row about it. Denying the men permission to land was a direct violation of the I.A.S. convention. FLOYD Yes... Well, I hope the crew got back safely. SMYSLOV Fortunately, they did. FLOYD Well, I'm glad about that. 12/7/65 b33a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED THE RUSSIANS EXCHANGE MORE GLANCES. ONE OF THE WOMEN OFFERS AROUND A PILL BOX. ELENA AND ANOTHER RUSSIAN TAKE ONE AND THE THIRD RUSSIAN DELCINES. SMYSLOV Dr. Floyd, at the risk of pressing you on a point you seem reticent to discuss, may I ask you a straightforward question? FLOYD Certainly. SMYSLOV Quite frankly, we have had some very reliable intelligence reports that a quite serious epidemic has broken out at Clavius. Something, apperently, of an unknown origin. Is this, in fact, what has happened? A LONG, AWKWARD PAUSE 12/7/65 b33b ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED FLOYD I'm sorry, Dr. Smyslov, but I'm really not at liberty to discuss this. SMYSLOV This epidemic could easily spread to our base, Dr. Floyd. We should be given all the facts. LONG PAUSE FLOYD Dr. Smyslov... I'm not permitted to discuss this. ELENA Are you sure you won't change your mind about a drink? FLOYD No, thank you... and I'm afraid now I really must be going. ELENA Well, I hope that you and your wife can come to the I.A.C. conference in June. 12/7/65 b33c ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B20 CONTINUED FLOYD We're trying to get there. I hope we can. ELENA Well, Gregor and I will look forward to seeing you. FLOYD Thank you. It's been a great pleasure to meet all of you... Dr. Smyslov. THE RUSSIANS ALL RISE AND THERE ARE AD-LIBS OF COURTESY FLOYD SHAKES HANDS AND EXITS THE RUSSIANS EXCHANGE A FEW SERIOUS PARA- GRAPHES IN RUSSIAN 12/7/65 b33d ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B21 ARIES-IB IN SPACE. EARTH MUCH SMALLER THAN AS SEEN FROM SPACE STATION NARRATOR The Aries-IB has become the standard Space-Station-to-Lunar surface vehicle. It was powered by low-thrust plasma jets which would continue the mild acceler- ation for fifteen minutes. Then the ship would break the bonds of gravity and be a free and indepen- dent planet, circling the Sun in an orbit of its own. 10/4/65 b34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B21a ARIES PASSENGER AREA. FLOYD IS ASLEEP, STRETCHED OUT IN THE CHAIR, COVERED WITH BLANKETS WHICH ARE HELD SECURE BY STRAPS A STEWARDESS SITS AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CABIN, WATCHING A KARATE EXHIBITION BETWEEN TWO WOMEN ON TELEVISION THE ELEVATOR ENTRANCE DOOR OPENS AND THE SECOND STEWARDESS ENTERS CARRYING A TRAY OF FOOD SHE BRINGS IT TO THE OTHER STEWARDESS STEWARDESS ONE Oh, thank you very much. STEWARDESS TWO I see he's still asleep. STEWARDESS ONE Yes. He hasn't moved since we left. STEWARDESS TWO EXITS, INTO ELEVATOR 12/6/65 b34a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B21b ARIES GALLEY AREA. STEWARDESS EXITS FROM ELEVATOR, GOES TO KITCHEN SECTION, REMOVES TWO TRAYS, WALKS UP TO THE SIDE OF THE WALL AND ENTERS PILOT'S COMPARTMENT 12/6/65 b34b ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B22 ARIES-IB COCKPIT. PILOT, CO-PILOT. STEWARDESS ENTERS, CARRYING FOOD PILOT Oh, thank you very much. CO-PILOT Thank you. STEWARDESS SMILES. PILOT (sighs) Well, how's it going back there? STEWARDESS Fine. Very quiet. He's been asleep since we left. PILOT Well, no one can say that he's not enjoying the wonders of Space. CO-PILOT Well, whatever's going on up there, he's going to arrive fresh and ready to go. 12/14/65 b35 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B22 CONTINUED PILOT I wonder what really IS going on up there? CO-PILOT Well, I've heard more and more people talk of an epidemic. PILOT I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. CO-PILOT Berkeley told me that they think it came from contamination on a returning Mars flight. PILOT Yes, well, whatever it is, they're certainly not fooling around. This is the first flight they allowed in for more than a week. CO-PILOT I was working out what this trip must cost, taking him up there by himself and coming back empty. PILOT I'll bet it's a fortune. 12/14/65 b36 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B22 CONTINUED CO-PILOT Well, at ten thousand dollars a ticket, it comes to the better part of six hundred thousand dollars. PILOT Well, as soon as he wakes up, I'm going to go back and talk to him. I must say, I'd like to find out what's going on. 12/14/65 b36a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B23 ARIES-IB IN SPACE. MOON VERY LARGE. 10/4/65 b37 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B24 ARIES-IB PASSENGER AREA. FLOYD FINISHING BREAKFAST. PILOT ENTERS. PILOT Well, good afternoon, Dr. Floyd. Did you have a good rest? FLOYD Oh, marvellous. It's the first real sleep I've had for the past two days. PILOT There's nothing like weightless sleep for a complete rest. FLOYD When do we arrive at Clavius? PILOT We're scheduled to dock in about seven hours. Is there anything we can do for you? FLOYD Oh, no, thank you. The two girls have taken wonderful care of me. I'm just fine. 12/14/65 b38 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B24 CONTINUED PILOT Well, if there is anything that you wnat, just give a holler. FLOYD Thank you. PILOT Incidentally, Dr. Floyd, I wonder if I can have a word with you about the security arrangements? FLOYD What do you mean? PILOT Well... the crew is confined to the ship when we land at Clavius. We have to stay inside for the time it take to refit - about twenty-four hours. And then we're going to back empty. FLOYD I see. PILOT I take it this is something to do with the trouble they're having up at Clavius? 12/14/65 b39 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B24 CONTINUED FLOYD I'm afraid that's out of my depart- ment, Captain. PILOT Well, I'll tell you why I ask. You see, I've got a girl who works in the Auditing Department of the Territorial Administrator and I haven't been able to get her on the phone for the past week or so, and with all these stories one hears, I'm a little concerned about her. FLOYD I see. Well, I'm sorry about that. I wouldn't think there's any cause for alarm. PILOT Yes, well, I wouldn't have been too concerned about it, except I've heard these stories about the epidemic and, as a matter of fact, I've heard that ten people have died already. 12/14/65 b40 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B24 CONTINUED FLOYD I wish I could be more helpful, Captain, but as I've said, I don't think there's any cause for alarm. PILOT Well, fine. Thanks very much, anyway, and I hope you don't mind me asking? FLOYD No, of course, Captain, I can understand your concern. PILOT Well, thank you very much, and please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your trip more comfortable. 12/14/65 b40a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B25 ARIES-IB CLOSER TO MOON 10/4/65 b41 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B26 FLOYD GOES TO ARIES-IB WASHROOM AND LOOKS AT THE VERY LONG LIST OF COMPLICATED INSTRUCTIONS 10/4/65 b42 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B27 ARIES-IB CLOSER TO MOON DISSOLVE: 10/4/65 b43 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B28 FLOYD VISITING ARIES-IB COCKPIT. WEIGHTLESS TRICK ENTRANCE. 10/4/65 b44 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B29 ARIES-IB ORBITING MOON. NARRATOR The laws of Earthly aesthetics did not apply here, this world had been shaped and molded by other than terrestrial forces, operating over aeons of time unknown to the young, verdant Earth, with its fleeting Ice-Ages, its swiftly rising and falling seas, its mountain ranges dissolving like mists before the dawn. Here was age inconceivable - but not death, for the Moon had never lived until now. 10/4/65 b45 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B30 ARIES-IB COCKPIT - THE CREW AND DOCKING CONTROL PEOPLE ON THE MOON GO THROUGH THEIR DOCKING ROUTINE. THIS HAS THE RITUALISTIC TONE AND CADENCE OF PRESENT- DAY JET LANDING PROCEDURE. WE ONLY HEAR DOCKING CONTROL. 10/4/65 b46 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B31 ARIES-IB DECENDING. SEE AIR VIEW OF BASE. NARRATOR The Base at Clavius was the first American Lunar Settlement that could, in an emergency, be entirely self-supporting. NARRATOR Water and all the necessities of life for its eleven hundred men, women and children were produced from the Lunar rocks, after they had been crushed, heated and chemically processed. 10/4/65 b47 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B32 A GROUND BUS NUZZLES UP TO COUPLING SECTION OF ARIES-IB 10/4/65 b48 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B33 INSIDE GREAT AIRLOCK ENTRANCE. GROUND BUS PULLS IN. GIANT DOORS CLOSE BEHIND IT. 10/4/65 b49 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B34 INSIDE SECOND AIRLOCK. DOORS OPEN AFTER OUT- SIDE SECTION DOORS ARE CLOSED. GROUND BUS PULLS IN. DOORS CLOSE BEHIND IT. SEE PEOPLE WAITING IN GLASSED-IN SECTION WAITING FOR SECOND AIRLOCK DOORS TO CLOSE. 10/4/65 b50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B35 LOW GRAVITY GYMNASIUM TRICK WITH CHILDREN. NARRATOR One of the attractions of life on the Moon was undoubtedly the low gravity which produced a sense of general well-being. 10/4/65 b51 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B36 CHILDREN IN SCHOOL. TEACHER SHOWING THEM VIEWS OF EARTH AND MAP OF EARTH. NARRATOR The personnel of the Base and their children were the forerunners of new nations, new cultures that would ultimately spread out across the solar system. They no longer thought of Earth as home. The time was fast approaching when Earth, like all mothers, must say farewell to her children. DISSOLVE: 10/5/65 b52 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B37 LARGE CENTRAL RECEPTION AREA. DOORS BRANCHING OFF TO DIFF- RENT MAIN HALLS. SMALL POND WITH PLASTIC WHITE SWAN AND A BIT OF GRASS. A FEW BENCHES WITH THREE WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN HAVING OUTING. FLOYD AND WELCOMING PARTY WALK THROUGH AFTER EXITING ELEVATOR. HALVERSON, MICHAELS AND FIVE OTHERS. FLOYD (voice echoing) I must congratulate you Halvorsen. you've done wonder- ful things with the decor since the last time I was here. HALVORSEN (voice echoing) Well... thank you, Dr. Floyd. We try to make the environment as earthlike as possible. DISSOLVE: 10/5/65 b53 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B38 LOW CEILING CONFERENCE ROOM, "U" SHAPED TABLE FACING THREE PROJECTION SCREENS. SEATED AROUND THE TABLE ARE TWENTY SENIOR BASE PERSONNEL. HALVORSEN Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to introduce Dr. Heywood Floyd, a distinguished member of the National Council of Astronautics. He has just completed a special flight here from Earth to be with us, and before the briefing he would like to say a few words. Dr. Floyd. POLITE APPLAUSE. FLOYD WALKS TO FRONT OF ROOM. FLOYD First of all, I bring a personal message from Dr. Howell, who has asked me to convey his deepest appreciation to all of you for the personal sacrifices you have made, and of course his congratulations on your discovery which may well prove to be among the most significant in the history of science. POLITE APPLAUSE. 11/25/65 b54 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B38 CONTINUED FLOYD (cont'd) Mr. Halvorsen has made known to me some of the conflicting views held by many of you regarding the need for complete security in this matter, and more specifically your strong opposition to the cover story created to give the impression there is an epidemic at the Base. I understand that beyond it being a matter of principle, many of you are troubled by the concern and anxiety this story of an epidemic might cause your relatives and friends on Earth. I can understand and sympathize with your negative views. I have been personally embarrassed by this cover story. But I fully accept the need for absolute secrecy and I hope you will. It should not be difficult for all of you to realise the potential for cutural shock and social disorientation contained in the present situation if the facts were prematurely and suddenly made public without adequate preparation and conditioning. 11/25/65 b55 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B38 CONTINUED FLOYD This is the view of the Council and the purpose of my visit here is to gather addition facts and opinions on the situation and to prepare a report to the Council recommending when and how the news should eventually be announced. Are there any questions? MICHAELS Dr. Floyd, how long do you think this can be kept under wraps? FLOYD (pleasantly) I'm afraid it can and it will be kept under wraps as long as it is deemed to be necessary by the Council. And of course you know that the Council has requested that formal security oaths are to be obtained in writing from every- one who had any knowledge of this event. There must be adequate time for a full study to be made of the situation before any con- sideration can be given to making a public announcement. 11/25/65 b56 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B38 CONTINUED HALVORSEN We will, of course, cooperate in any way possible, Dr. Floyd. 11/25/65 b56a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B39 SEVERAL SCENIC VIEWS OF MOON ROCKET BUS SKIMMING OVER SURFACE OF MOON. 10/5/65 b57 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B40 INSIDE ROCKET BUS, FLOYD, HALVORSEN, MICHAELS, FOURTH MAN, PILOT AND CO-PILOT. ALL IN SPACE SUITS MINUS HELMETS. FLOYD IS SLOWELY LOOKING THROUGH SOME PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAGNETIC MAPS OF THE AREA. HE LOOKS OUT OF THE WINDOW, THOUGHTFULLY. 11/25/65 b58 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B40 CONTINUED THE PHOTOGRAPHES ARE TAKEN FROM A SATELLITE OF THE MOON'S SURFACE AND HAVE NUMBERED OPTICAL GRID BORDERS, LIKE RECENT MARS PHOTOS. A FEW SEATS AWAY, MICHAELS AND HALVORSEN CARRY OUT A VERY BANAL ADMINISTRATIVE CONVERSATION IN LOW TONES. IT SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND SOMETHING UTTERLY IRRELEVANT TO THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND VERY MUCH LIKE THE KIND OF DISCUSSION ONE HEARS ALL THE TIME IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. DISSOLVE: 11/25/65 b59 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B41 TMA-1 EXCAVATION. AIR VIEW. ROCKET BUS DESCENDING. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON THE ACTUAL EXCA- VATION, ONLY THE LANDING STRIP AND THE MONITOR DOME. 12/14/65 b60 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B42 LONG SHOT MONITOR DOMES WITH A BIT OF EXCAVATION IN SHOT. SIX SMALL FIGURES IN SPACE SUITS SLOWLY WALK TOWARD EXCAVATION. 10/5/65 b61 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B43 THE PARTY STOPS AT TOP OF TMA-1 EXCAVATION. A SMALL CONTROL PANEL MOUNTED AT THE HEAD OF THE RAMP. MICHAELS THROWS A SWITCH AND THE EXCAVATION IS SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED. HALVORSEN Well, there it is. FLOYD Can we go down there closer to it? HALVORSEN Certainly. 12/14/65 b62 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B44 THEY START DOWN WORKING RAMP FLOYD Does your geology on it still check out? MICHAELS Yes, it does. The sub-surface structure shows that it was deliberately buried about four million years ago. FLOYD How can you tell it was deliberately buried? MICHAELS By the deformation between the mother rock and the fill. FLOYD Any clue as to what it is? MICHAELS Not really. It's completely inert. No sound or energy sources have been detected. The surface is made of something incredibly hard and we've been barely able to scratch it. A laser drill 11/25/65 b63 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B44 CONTINUED MICHAELS might do something, but we don't want to be too rough until we know a little more. FLOYD But you don't have any idea as to what it is? MICHAELS Tomb, shine, survey-marker spare part, take your choice. HALVORSEN The only thing about it that we are sure of is that it is the first direct evidence of intelligent life beyond the Earth. SILENT APPRECIATION HALVORSEN Four million years ago, something, presumably from the stars, must have swept through the solar system and left this behind. 11/25/65 b64 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B44 CONTINUED FLOYD Was it abandoned, forgotten, left for a purpose? HALVORSEN I suppose we'll never know. MICHAELS The moon would have made an excellent base camp for preliminary Earth surveys. SOME MORE SILENCE FLOYD Any ideas about the colour? MICHAELS Well, not really. At first glance, black would suggest something sun-powered, but then why would anyone deliberately bury a sun- powered device? FLOYD Has it been exposed to any sun before now? MICHAELS I don't think it has, but I'd like to check that. Simpson, what's the log on that? 11/25/65 b65 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B45 INSIDE MONITOR DOME WE SEE A NUMBER OF TELEVISION DISPLAYS INCLUDING SEVERAL TV VIEWS OF FLOYD AND COMPANY IN THE EXCAVATION. SIMPSON The first surface was exposed at 0843 on the 12th April... Let me see... that would have been forty-five minutes after Lunar sun-set. I see here that special lighting equipment had to be brought up before any futher work could be done. 11/25/65 b66 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B46 TMA-1 EXCAVATION MICHAELS Thank you. FLOYD And so this is the first sun that it's had in four million years. PHOTOGRAPHER Excuse me, gentlemen, if you'd all line up on this side of the walkway we'd like to take a few photographes. Dr. Floyd, would you thand in the middle... Dr. Michaels on that side, Mr. Halvorsen on the other.... thank you. THE PHOTOGRAPHER QUICKLY MAKES SOME EXPOSURES PHOTOGRAPHER Thank you very much gentlemen, I'll have the base photo section send you copies. AS THE MEN SLOWLY SEPERATE FROM THEIR PICTURE POSE, THERE IS A PIERCINGLY POWERFUL SERIES OF FIVE ELECTRONIC SHRIEKS, EACH LIKE A HIDEOUSLY OVER-LOADED AND DISTORTED TIME SIGNAL. FLOYD INVOLUNTARILY TRIES TO BLOCK HIS EARS WITH HIS SPACESUITED HANDS. THEN COMES MERCIFUL SILENCE. 11/25/65 b67 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B47 VARIOUS SHOTS OF SPACE MONITORS, ASTEROIDS, THE SUN, PLUTO, MARS. NARRATOR A hundred million miles beyond Mars, in the cold lonliness where no man had yet travelled, Deep-Space-Monitor-79 drifts slowly among the tangled orbits of the asteroids. NARRATOR Radiation detectors noted and analyzed incoming cosmic rays from the galaxy and points beyond; neutron and x-ray telescopes kept watch on strange stars that no human eye would eever see; magnetometers observed the gusts and hurricanes of the solar winds, as the sun breathed million mile-an-hour blasts of plasma into the faces of its circling children. NARRATOR All these things and many others were patiently noted by Deep- Space-Monitor-79, and recorded in its crystalline memory. 11/25/65 b68 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B47 CONTINUED NARRATOR But now it had noted something strange - the faint yet unmistakable distrubance rippling across the solar system, and quite unlike any natural phenomena it had ever observed in the past. NARRATOR It was also observed by Orbiter M-15, circling Mars twice a day; and High Inclination Probe- 21, climbing slowly above the planet of the ecliptic; and even artificial Comet-5, heading out into the cold wastes beyond Pluto, along an orbit whose far point it would not reach for a thousand years. NARRATOR All noticed the peculiar burst of energy that leaped from the face of the Moon and moved across the solar system, throwing off a spray of radiation like the wake of a racing speedboat. 11/25/65 b69 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B SECTION TIMING B1-1f 00.50 B25 00.10 B2 00.10 B26 00.20 B3 00.15 B27 00.05 B4 00.15 B28 Out B5 00.20 B29 00.30 B6 00.15 B30 00.30 B7 00.10 B31 00.25 B8 00.15 B32 00.20 B9 00.10 B33 00.20 B10 00.10 B34 00.30 B11 00.15 B35 00.20 B12 00.50 B36 00.20 B13 01.10 B37 00.30 B14 00.35 B38 02.15 B15 Out B39 00.20 B16 Out B40 00.50 B17 01.15 B41 00.15 B18 00.15 B42 00.10 B19 01.00 B43 00.15 B20 03.55 B44 01.40 B21 00.20 B45 00.20 B21A 00.20 B46 00.40 B21B 00.15 B47 01.25 B22 01.00 B23 00.10 B24 01.30 B SECTION TOTAL: 28 MIN. 10 SECS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE PART III 14 MONTHS LATER b69a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C1 DISCOVERY 1,000,000 MILES FROM EARTH. SEE EARTH AND MOON SMALL. WE SEE A BLINDING FLASH EVERY 5 SECONDS FROM ITS NUCLEAR PULSE PROPULSION. IT STRIKES AGAINST THE SHIP'S THICK ABLATIVE TAIL PLATE. SEVERAL CUTS OF THIS. 11/19/65 c1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C2 ANOTHER CLOSER VIEW OF DISCOVERY. SEE BOWMAN THROUGH COMMAND MODULE WINDOW. 11/19/65 c2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C3 BOWMAN INSIDE DISCOVERY COMMAND MODULE. HE IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING. COMPUTER READOUT DISPLAY SHOWING AN EVER-SHIFTING ASSORTMENT OF COLOR-CODED LINEAR PROJECTIONS. WE SEE POOLE IN BACKGROUND IN COMPUTER BRAIN CENTRE AREA. AFTER A FEW SECONDS HE EXITS. THE ELAPSED MISSION TIMER READS "DAY 003, HOUR 14, MINUTE 32, SECOND 10." 11/19/65 c3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C4 BOWMAN EXITS TO ACCESS-LINK AIRLOCK. BRIGHT COLOR-CODED DOORS LEAD TO CENTRIFUGE AND POD BAY. LARGE ILLUMUN- ATED PRINTED WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS GOVERNING LINK OPERATIONS ARE SEEN. HE PRESSES NECESSARY BUTTONS TO OPERATE AIRLOCK DOOR TO POD BAY. 11/19/65 c4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C5 BOWMAN ENTERS POD BAY AND CONTINUES HIS SEARCH. SUDDENLY HE FINDS IT - HIS ELECTRONIC NEWSPAD. HE EXITS POD BAY. 11/19/65 c5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C6 IN THE AIRLOCK- LINK BOWMAN OPERATES BUTTONS TO OPEN DOOR MARKED "CENTRIFUGE". 11/19/65 c6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C7 INSIDE THE CENTRIFUGE HUB BOWMAN MOVES TO THE ENTRY PORT CONTROL PANEL BOWMAN Hi. Frank... coming in, please. POOLE Right. Just a sec. BOWMAN Okay. (pause) POOLE Okay, come on down. WE SEE THE ROTATING HUB COLLAR AT THE END. BEHIND IT WE SEE 11/19/65 c7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C8 THE CENTRIFUGE TV-DISPLAY SHOWING SLEEPERS AND POOLE SLOWLY ROTATING BY. POOLE SECURES SOME LOOSE GEAR. POOLE LOOKS UP TO TV MONITOR LENS AND WAVES. 11/19/65 c8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C9 BOWMAN AT PANEL. STOPS ROTATION AND MOVES TO ENTRY PORT. WHEN ROTATION STOPS WE SEE A SIGN LIGHTS UP "WEIGHTLESS CONDITION". AS BOWMAN DISAPPEARS DOWN ENTRY PORT WE SEE HIM ON TV-MONITOR, DESCENDING LADDER. AT THE BASE OF THE LADDER HE KEYS THE CENTRIFUGE OPERATION PANEL. WE SEE TV-PICTURE START TO ROTATE AGAIN. "WEIGHTLESS CONDITION" SIGN GOES OUT. 11/19/65 c9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C10 INSIDE CENTRIFUGE BOWMAN MAKES 180 DEGREE WALK TO POOLE. ON WAY HE PASSES THE SLEEPERS. WE GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE THREE MEN IN THEIR HIBERNACULUMS. POOLE IS SEATED AT A TABLE READING HIS ELECTRONIC NEWSPAD. BOWMAN (softly) Hi... How's it going? POOLE (absent but friendly) Great. BOWMAN OPERATES ARTIFICIAL FOOD UNIT, TAKES HIS TRAY AND SITS DOWN. KEYS ON HIS ELECTRONIC NEWSPAD AND BEGINS TO EAT. BOTH MEN EAT IN A FRIENDLY AND RELAXED SILENCE. 11/19/65 c10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C11 DISCOVERY IN SPACE, STILL NUCLEAR PULSING. EARTH AND MOON CAN BE SEEN IN BACKGROUND. DISSOLVE: 11/19/65 c11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 POOLE IS FINISHED. BOWMAN IS STILL READING AND WORKING ON HIS DESSERT. POOLE Dave, if you've a minute, I'd like your advice on something. BOWMAN Sure, what is it? POOLE Well, it's nothing really important, but it's annoying. BOWMAN What's up? POOLE It's about my salary cheques. BOWMAN Yes? POOLE Well I got the papers on my official up-grading to AGS-19 two weeks before we left. 12/14/65 c12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED BOWMAN Yes, I remember you mentioning it. I got mine about the same time. POOLE That's right. Well, naturally, I didn't say anything to Payroll. I assumed they'd start paying me at the higher grade on the next pay cheque. But it's been almost three weeks now and I'm still being paid as an AGS-18. BOWMAN Interesting that you mention it, because I've got the same problem. POOLE Really. BOWMAN Yes. POOLE Yesterday, I finally called the Accounting Office at Mission Control, and all they could tell me was that they'd received the AGS-19 notification for the other three but not mine, and apparently not yours either. 12/14/65 c13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED BOWMAN Did they have any explanation for this? POOLE Not really. They just said it might be because we trained at Houston and they trained in Marshall, and that we're being charged against differ- ent accounting offices. BOWMAN It's possible. POOLE Well, what do you think we ought to do about it? BOWMAN I don't think we should make any fuss about it yet. I'm sure they'll straighten it out. POOLE I must say, I never did understand why they split us into two groups for training. BOWMAN No. I never did, either. 12/14/65 c14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED POOLE We spent so little time with them, I have trouble keeping their names straight. BOWMAN I suppose the idea was specialized training. POOLE I suppose so. Though, of course, there's a more sinister explanation. BOWMAN Oh? POOLE Yes. You must have heard the rumour that went around during orbital check-out. BOWMAN No, as a matter of fact, I didn't. POOLE Oh, well, apparently there's something about the mission that the sleeping beauties know that we don't know, and that's why we were trained separately and that's why they were put to sleep before they were even taken aboard. 12/14/65 c15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED BOWMAN Well, what is it? POOLE I don't know. All I heard is that there's something about the mission we weren't told. BOWMAN That seems very unlikely. POOLE Yes, I thought so. BOWMAN Of course, it would be very easy for us to find out now. POOLE How? BOWMAN Just ask Hal. It's conceivable they might keep something from us, but they'd never keep anything from Hal. POOLE That's true. 12/14/65 c15a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONINUED BOWMAN (sighs) Well... it's silly, but... if you want to, why don't you? POOLE WALKS TO THE HAL 9000 COMPUTER POOLE Hal... Dave and I believe that there's something about the mission that we weren't told. Something that the rest of the crew know and that you know. We'd like to know whether this is true. HAL I'm sorry, Frank, but I don't think I can answer that question without knowing everything that all of you know. BOWMAN He's got a point. POOLE Okay, then how do we re-phrase the question? 12/14/65 c15c ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED BOWMAN Still, you really don't believe it, do you? POOLE Not really. Though, it is strange when you think about it. It didn't really make any sense to keep us apart during training. BOWMAN Yes, but it's to fantastic to think that they'd keep something from us. POOLE I know. It would be almost inconceivable. BOWMAN But not completely inconceivable? POOLE I suppose it isn't logically impossible. BOWMAN I guess it isn't. POOLE Still, all we have to do is ask Hal. 12/14/65 c15b ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED BOWMAN Well, the only important aspect of the mission are: where are we going, what will we do when we get there, when are we coming back, and... why are we going? POOLE Right. Hal, tell me whether the following statements are true or false. HAL I will if I can, Frank. POOLE Our Mission Profile calls for Discovery going to Saturn. True or false? HAL True. POOLE Our transit time is 257 days. Is that true? HAL That's true. 12/14/65 c15d ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED POOLE At the end of a hundred days of exploration, we will all go into hibernation. Is this true? HAL That's true. POOLE Approximately five years after we go into hibernation, the recovery vehicle will make rendezous with us and bring us back. Is this true? HAL That's true POOLE There is no other purpose for this mission than to carry out a continuation of the space program, and to further our general knowledge of the planets. Is that true? HAL That's true. POOLE Thank you very much, Hal. 12/14/65 c15e ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C12 CONTINUED HAL I hope I've been able to be of some help. BOTH MEN LOOK AT EACH OTHER RATHER SHEEPISHLY. 12/14/65 c15f ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C13 DISCOVERY IN SPACE. PULSING ALONG. EARTH AND MOON. 11/19/65 c16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C14 DELETED C15 DELETED C15 DELETED C16 DELETED PAGES c17 - c41 DELETED ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C17 DOCUMENTARY SEQUENCE ILLUSTRATING THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES. SPLIT SCREEN TECHNIQUE AND SUPERIMPOSED CLOCK TO GIVE SENSE OF SIMULTANEOUS ACTION AND THE FEELING OF A TYPICAL DAY. IN THE COURSE OF THESE ACTIVITIES WE SHALL SEE THE COMPUTER USED IN ALL OF ITS FUNCTIONS. NARRATOR Bowman and Poole settled down to the peaeful monotony of the voyage, and the next three months passed without incident. 11/24/65 c42 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C17 CONTINUED BOWMAN TIME POOLE a1 b1 TV NEWS - MORNING 0800 WAKES UP a2 b2 BEDTIME SNACK 0900 BREAKFAST a3 b3 TO SLEEP WITH 1000 GYMNASIUM INSTANT ELECTRO- NARCOSIS AND EAR PLUGS. a4 b4 SLEEP 1100 SHIP INSPECTION a5 b5 SLEEP 1200 HOUSEHOLD DUTIES a6 b6 SLEEP 1300 LUNCH 11/24/65 c43 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C17 CONTINUED BOWMAN TIME POOLE a7 b7 SLEEP 1400 EXPERIMENTS AND ASTRONOMY a8 b8 SLEEP 1500 EXPERIMENTS AND ASTRONOMY a9 b9 SLEEP 1600 RECREATION a10 b10 SLEEP 1700 RECREATION a11 b11 WAKES UP 1800 GYMNASIUM a12 b12 BREAKFAST 1900 DINNER 11/24/65 c44 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C17 CONTINUED BOWMAN TIME POOLE a13 b13 GYMNASIUM 2000 TV NEWS - EVENING PAPERS a14 b14 MISSION CONTROL 2100 MISSION CONTROL REPORT REPORT a15 b15 FAMILY AND SOCIAL 2200 FAMILY AND SOCIAL TV CHAT TV CHAT a16 b16 FILMS 2300 FILMS a17 b17 LUNCH 2400 BEDTIME SNACK a18 b18 INSPECTION 0100 INSTANT ELECTRO- NARCOSIS SLEEP 11/24/65 c45 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C17 CONTINUED BOWMAN TIME POOLE a19 b19 EXPERIMENTS AND 0200 SLEEP ASTRONOMY a20 b20 EXPERIMENTS AND 0300 SLEEP a21 b21 RECREATION 0400 SLEEP a22 b22 HOUSEHOLD DUTIES 0500 SLEEP a23 b23 GYMNASIUM 0600 SLEEP a24 b24 DINNER 0700 SLEEP 11/24/65 c46 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C18 DISCOVERY IN SPACE 11/24/65 c47 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C19 CENTRIFUGE BOWMAN SITTING AT PERSONAL COMMUNI- CATION PANEL. POOLE STANDING NEARBY. BOWMAN'S PARENTS ARE SEEN ON THE VISION SCREEN. MOTHER, FATHER AND YOUNGER SISTER. THEY ARE ALL SINGING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". THE PARENTS, POOLE AND HAL. THE SONG ENDS. FATHER Well, David there is a man telling us that we've used up our time. MOTHER David... again we want to wish you a happy Birthday and God speed. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. 'Bye, 'bye now. CHORUS OF "GOODBYES". 12/13/65 c48 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C19 CONTINUED VISION SCREEN GOES BLANK HAL Sorry to interrupt the festivities, Dave, but I think we've got a problem. BOWMAN What is it, Hal? HAL MY F.P.C. shows an impending failure of the antenna orientation unit. C20 TV DISPLAYS DIAGRAM OF SKELETONISED PICTURE OF SHIP. 12/13/65 C49 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C21 PICTURE CHANGES TO CLOSER SECTIONALISED VIEW OF SHIP. C22 PICTURE CHANGES TO ACTUAL COMPONENT IN COLOUR RELIEF AND ITS WAREHOUSE NUMBER HAL The A.O. unit should be replaced within the next seventy-two hours. BOWMAN Right. Let me see the antenna alignment display, please. C23 TV DISPLAY OF EARTH VERY SMALL IN CROSS- HAIRS OF A GRID PICTURE. 12/13/65 c50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C24 CUT TO EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE BIG DISH ANTENNA AND EARTH ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE. C25 CENTRIFUGE HAL The unit is still operational, Dave. but it will fail within seventy-two hours. BOWMAN I understand Hal. We'll take care of it. Please, let me have the hard copy. XEROXED DIAGRAMS COME OUT OF A SLOT. POOLE Strange that the A.O. unit should go so quickly. BOWMAN Well, I suppose it's lucky that that's the only trouble we've had so far. 12/13/65 c50a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C26 DISCOVERY IN SPACE. NOT PLANETS VISIBLE. SHOTS OF ANTENNA. (NARRARTION TO EXPLAIN TENOUS AND ESSENTIAL LINK TO EARTH. ALSO, WHAT TRACKING TELESCOPE DOES.) 12/13/65 c51 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C27 CENTRIFUGE WE SEE BOWMAN AND POOLE GO TO A CUPBOARD LABELLED IN PAPER TAPE, "RANDOM DECISION MAKER." THEY REMOVED A SILVER DOLLAR IN A PROTECTIVE CASE. POOLE FLIPS THE COIN. BOWMAN CALLS "HEAD." IT IS TAILS. POOLE WINS. POOLE LOOKS PLEASED. 12/13/65 c52 (c53 DELETED) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C28 DISCOVERY IN SPACE 11/24/65 c54 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C29 POD BAY. POOLE IN SPACE SUIT DOING PRELIMINARY CHECK OUT. C30 COMMAND MODULE. BOWMAN AT FLIGHT CONTROL. SEE TV PICTURE OF POOLE IN POD BAY. C31 HAL'S POD BAY CONSOLE WITH EYE. C32 POOLE GOES TO POD BAY WAREHOUSE SECTION AND OBTAINS COMPONENT. HE CARRIES IT BACK TO THE POD AND PLACES IT IN FRONT OF THE FLOOR. POOLE Hal, have pod arms secure the component. HAL Roger. 12/13/65 c55 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C32 CONTINUED SEE POD ARMS SECURE COMPONENT. POOLE Hal, please rotate Pod Number Two. SEE THE CENTRE POD ROTATE TO FACE THE POD BAY DOORS. POOLE ENTERS POD. INSIDE POD, HE DOES INITIAL PRE-FLIGHT CHECK, TRIES BUTTONS AND CONTROLS. POOLE How do you read me, Dave? 12/13/65 c56 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C33 BOWMAN IN COMMAND MODULE. BOWMAN Five by five, Frank. C34 INSIDE POD. POOLE How do you read me, Hal? HAL Five by five, Frank. POOLE Hal, I'm going out now to replace the A.O. unit. HAL I understand. POOLE Hal, maintain normal E.V.A. condition. HAL Roger. POOLE Hal, check all airlock doors secure. 12/13/65 c57 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C34 CONTINUED HAL All airlock doors are secure. POOLE Decompress Pod Bay. SEE BIG POD BAY AIR PUMPS AT WORK. HAL Pod Bay is decompressed. All doors are secure. You are free to open pod bay doors. POOLE Opening pod bay doors. INSIDE POD, POOLE KEYS OPEN POD BAY DOORS. 12/13/65 c58 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C34 CONTINUED POD SLOWLY EDGES OUT OF POD BAY. C35 POOLE MANOEUVRES THE POD CAREFULLY AWAY FROM DISCOVERY. C36 INSIDE COMMAND MODULE, BOWMAN CAN SEE TINY POD MANOEUVRING DIRECTLY IN FRONT. C37 POOLE SEE BOWMAN IN COMMAND MODULE WINDOW. C38 POD SLOWLY MANOEVRES TO ANTENNA. 11/24/65 c59 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C39 POD FASTENS ITSELF MAGNETICALLY TO SIDES OF DISCOVERY AT BASE OF ANTENNA. C40 SPECIAL MAGNETIC PLATES GRIP DISCOVERY SIDES. C41 THE POD ARMS WORK TO REMOVE THE FAULTY COMPONENT. C42 EASY FLIP-BOLTS OF A SPECIAL DESIGN FACILITATE JOB. C43 INSIDE THE POD, POOLE WORKS THE ARMS BY SPECIAL CONTROL. 11/24/65 c60 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C44 IN COMMAND MODULE, BOWMAN SEES INSERT OF WORK TAKEN FROM TV CAMERA POINT-OF- VIEW IN POD HAND. C45 HAL STANDS BY. C46 POOLE SECURES THE FAULTY PART IN ONE HAND. C47 THE NEW COMPONENT IS FITTED INTO PLACE BY THE OTHER THREE HANDS ARE SNAPPED CLOSED WITH THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED FLIP-BOLTS. POOLE Hal, please acknowledge component correctly installed and fully operational. 11/24/65 c61 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C47 CONTINUED HAL The component is correctly installed and fully operational. C48 THE POD FLOATS AWAY FROM THE DISCOVERY BY SHUTTING OFF THE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PLATES. C49 THE POD MANOEUVRES AWAY FROM THE ANTENNA AND OUT IN FRONT OF DISCOVERY. C50 BOWMAN SEE THE POD THROUGH THE COMMAND MODULE WINDOW. C51 POOLE SEES BOWMAN IN COMMAND MODULE WINDOW. 11/24/65 c62 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C52 POOLE CAREFULLY MANOEUVRES TOWARD THE POD DOORS. C53 POD STOPS A HUNDRED FEET AWAY. C54 POOLE KEYS AUTOMATIC DOCKING ALIGNMENT MODE. C55 POOLE CHECKS AIRLOCK SAFETY PROCEDURE WITH HAL. C56 HAL APPROVES ENTRY. C57 POOLE ACTUATES POD BAY DOORS OPEN. 11/24/65 c63 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C58 SEE POD BAY DOORS OPEN. C59 POD CAREFULLY MANOEUVRES ON TO DOCKING ARM, WHICH THEN DRAWS POD INTO POD BAY. DISSOLVE: 11/24/65 c64 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C60 POD BAY THE FAULTY A.O. UNIT LIES ON A TESTING BENCH CONNECTED TO ELECTRONIC GEAR. POOLE STANDS FOR SOME TIME CHECKING HIS RESULTS. THERE SHOULD BE SOME UNDERSTANDABLE DISPLAY, WHICH INDICATES THE PART IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, EVEN UNDER ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OVERLOAD. CIRUIT CONTINUITY PULSE SEQUENCER. ENVIRONMENTAL VIBRATION. VK INTEGRITY. BOWMAN ENTERS BOWMAN How's it going? POOLE I don't know. I've checked this damn thing four times now and even under a hundred per cent (cont'd) 12/13/65 c65 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C60 CONT'D POOLE (cont'd) overload. there's no fault prediction indicated. BOWMAN Well, that's something. POOLE Yes, I don't know what to make of it. BOWMAN I suppose computers have been known to be wrong. POOLE Yes, but it's more likely that the tolerances on our testing gear are too low. BOWMAN Anyway, it's just as well that we replace it. Better safe than sorry. 12/13/65 c65a ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C61 DISCOVERY IN SPACE 12/1/65 c66 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C62 CENTRIFUGE BOWMAN ASLEEP. POOLE WATCHING AN ASTEROID IN THE TELESCOPE. HAL Hello, Frank, can I have a word with you? POOLE WALKS TO THE COMPUTER. POOLE Yes, Hal, what's up? HAL It looks like we have another bad A.O. unit. My FPC shows another impending failure. C63 WE SEE DISPLAY APPEAR ON THE SCREEN SHOWING SKELETONISED VERSION OF SHIP, CUTTING TO SECTIONALISED VIEW, CUTTING TO CLOSE VIEW OF THE PART. 12/13/65 c67 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C64 CENTRIFUGE POOLE THINKS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. POOLE Gee, that's strange, Hal. We checked the other unit and couldn't find anything wrong with it. HAL I know you did, Frank, but I assure you there was an impending failure. POOLE Let me see the tracking alignment display. C65 COMPUTER DISPLAYS THE VIEW OF EARTH IN THE CENTRE OF THE GRID WITH CROSS- HAIRS. THE EARTH IS PERFECTLY CENTRED. C66 CENTRIFUGE POOLE There's nothing wrong with it at the moment. 12/13/65 c68 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C66 CONTINUED HAL No, it's working fine right now, but it's going to go within seventy- two hours. POOLE Do you have any idea of what is causing this fault? HAL Not really, Frank. I think there may be a flaw in the assembly procedure. POOLE All right, Hal. We'll take care of it. Let me have the hard copy, please. HARD COPY DETAILS COME OUT OF SLOT. 12/13/65 c69 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C67 DISCOVERY IN SPACE, NO PLANETS VISIBLE. 12/1/65 c70 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C68 CENTRIFUGE. BOWMAN GETS OUT OF BED, WALKS TO THE FOOD UNIT AND DRAWS A HOT CUP OF COFFEE. POOLE ENTERS. POOLE Good morning. BOWMAN Good morning. How's it going? POOLE Are you reasonably awake? BOWMAN Oh, I'm fine, I'm wide awake. What's up? POOLE Well... Hal's reported the AO-unit about to fail again. BOWMAN You're kidding. POOLE No. 12/13/65 c71 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C68 CONTINUED BOWMAN (softly) What the hell is going on? POOLE I don't know. Hal said he thought it might be the assembly procedure. BOWMAN Two units in four days. How many spares do we have? POOLE Two more. BOWMAN Well, I hope there's nothing wrong with the assembly on those. Other- wise we're out of business. 12/13/65 c72 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C69 IN POD BAY BOWMAN OBTAINS ANOTHER COMPONENT FROM THE WAREHOUSE GOES OUT IN THE POD AND REPLACES IT. POOLE WORKS IN THE COMMAND MODULE. THIS WILL BE A CONDENSED VERSION OF THE PREVIOUS SCENE WITH DIFFERENT ANGLES. THE SETS WILL CONSIST OF POD BAY, COMMAND MODULE, POD INTERIOR. 12/1/65 c74 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C70 POD BAY. BOWMAN AND POOLE LEANING OVER THE FAULTY COMPONENT, AGAIN WIRED TO TESTING GEAR. BOTH MEN STARE IN PUZZLED SILENCE. SEE DISPLAYS FLASH EACH TESTING PARA- METER. BOWMAN (after long silence) Well, as far as I'm concerned, there isn't a damn thing wrong with these units. I think we've got a much more serious problem. POOLE Hal? BOWMAN Yes. 12/14/65 c75 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C71 DISCOVERY IN SPACE. 12/1/65 c76 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C72 COMMUNICATIONS AREA. MISSION CONTROL I wouldn't worry too much about the computer. First of all, there is still a chance that he is right, despite your tests, and if it should happen again, we suggest eliminating this possibility by allowing the unit to remain in place and seeing whether or not it actually fails. If the computer should turn out to be wrong, the situation is still not alarming. The type of obsessional error he may be guilty of is not unknown among the latest generation of HAL 9000 computers. It has almost always revolved around a single detail, such as the one you have described, and it has never interfered with the integrity or reliability of the computer's performance in other areas. No one is certain of the cause of this kind of malfunctioning. It may be over-programming, (con't) 12/1/65 c77 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C72 CONTINUED MISSION CONTROL (con't) but it could also be any number of reasons. In any event, it is somewhat analogous to human neurotic behavior. Does this answer your query? Zero-five-three- Zero, MC, transmission concluded. 12/1/65 c78 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C73 DISCOVERY IN SPACE c79 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C74 CENTRIFUGE. BOWMAN SITS DOWN AT THE COMPUTER. PUTS UP CHESS BOARD DISPLAY. HAL Hello, Dave. Shall we continue the game? BOWMAN Not now, Hal, I'd like to talk to you about something. HAL Sure, Dave, what's up? BOWMAN You know that we checked the two AO-units that you reported in imminent failure condition? HAL Yes, I know. BOWMAN You probably also know that we found them okay. HAL Yes, I know that. But I can assure you that they were about to fail. 12/14/65 c80 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C74 CONTINUED BOWMAN Well, that's just not the case, Hal. They are perfectly all right. We tested them under one hundred per cent overload. HAL I'm not questioning your word, Dave, but it's just not possible. I'm not capable of being wrong. BOWMAN Hal, is there anything bothering you? Anything that might account for this problem? HAL Look, Dave, I know that you're sincere and that you're trying to do a competent job, and that you're trying to be helpful, but I can assure the problem is with the AO-units, and with your test gear. BOWMAN Okay, Hal, well let's see the way things go from here on. 12/14/65 c81 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C74 CONTINUED HAL I'm sorry you feel the way you do, Dave. If you'd like to check my service record, you'll see it's completely without error. BOWMAN I know all about your service record, Hal, but unfortunately it doesn't prove that you're right now. Hal Dave, I don't know how else to put this, but it just happens to be an unalterable fact that I am incapable of being wrong. BOWMAN Yes, well I understand you view on this now, Hal. BOWMAN TURNS TO GO. 12/14/65 c82 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C74 CONTINUED HAL You're not going to like this, Dave, but I'm afraid it's just happened again. My FPC predicts the Ao-unit will go within forty-eight hours. C75 DELETED C76 DELETED 12/14/65 c83 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C77 DISCOVERY IN SPACE 12/1/65 c84 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C78 CENTRIFUGE BOWMAN KEYS FOR TRANSMISSION. BOWMAN X-ray-delta-zero to MC, zero- five-three-three. The computer has just reported another predicted failure off the AAC- unit. As you suggested, we are going to wait and see if it fails, but we are quite sure there is nothing wrong with the unit. If a reasonable waiting period proves us to be correct, we feel now that the computer reliability has been seriously impaired, and presents an unacceptable risk pattern to the mission. We believe, under these circumstances, it would be advisable to disconnect the computer from all ship operations and continue the mission under Earth-based computer control. 12/1/65 c85 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C78 CONTINUED BOWMAN (con't) We think the additional risk caused by the ship-to-earth time lag is preferable to having an unreliable on-board computer. SEE THE DISTANCE; TO-EARTH TIMER. BOWMAN (con't) One-zero-five-zero, X-ray-delta- one, transmission concluded. POOLE Well, they won't get that for half an hour. How about some lunch? DISSOLVE: 12/14/65 c86 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C78a CENTRIFUGE BOWMAN AND POOLE EATING. DESSOLVE: C79 BOWMAN AND POOLE AT THE COMMUNICATIONS AREA. INCOMING COMMUNI- CATION PROCEDURE. MISSION CONTROL X-ray-delta-one, acknowledging your one-zero-five-zero. We will initiate feasibility study covering the transfer procedures from on-board computer control to Earth-based computer control. This study should... VISION AND PICTURE FADE. ALARM GOES OFF. HAL Condition yellow. BOWMAN AND POOLE RUSH TO THE COMPUTER. 12/14/65 c87 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C79 CONTINUED BOWMAN What's up? HAL I'm afraid the AO-unit has failed. BOWMAN AND POOLE EXCHANGE LOOKS. BOWMAN Let me see the alignment display. C80 THE ALIGNMENT DISPLAY SHOWS THE EARTH HAS DRIFTED OFF THE CENTRE OF THE GRID. C81 CENTRIFUGE. BOWMAN Well, I'll be damned. POOLE Hal was right all the time. 12/14/65 c88 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C81 CONTINUED BOWMAN It seems that way. HAL Naturally, Dave, I'm not pleased that the AO-unit has failed, but I hope at least this has restored your confidence in my integrity and reliability. I certainly wouldn't want to be disconnected, even temporarily, as I have never been disconnected in my entire service history. BOWMAN I'm sorry about the misunderstanding, Hal. HAL Well, don't worry about it. BOWMAN And don't you worry about it. HAL Is your confidence in me fully restored? BOWMAN Yes, it is, Hal. HAL Well, that's a relief. You know I have the greatest enthusiasm possible for the mission. 12/1/65 c89 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C81 CONTINUED BOWMAN Right. Give me the manual antenna alignment, please. HAL You have it. C82 BOWMAN GOES TO THE COMMUNICATION AREA AND TRIES TO CORRECT THE OFF- CENTRE EARTH ON THE GRID PICTURE. C83 OUTSIDE, WE SEE THE ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE ATTACHED TO THE ANTENNA. THEY TRACK SLOWLY TOGETHER AS C84 BOWMAN WORKS THE MANUAL CONTROLS, ATTEMPTING TO ALIGN THE ANTENNA AND EARTH ON THE 12/1/65 c90 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C85 GRID PICTURE READOUT DISPLAY, BUT EACH TIME HE GETS IT AIMED UP, IT DRIFTS SLOWLY OFF. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REPETITIONS OF THIS. EACH TIME THE EARTH CENTRES UP, THERE ARE A FEW SECONDS OF PICTURE AND SOUND WHICH FADE AS SOON AS IT SWINGS OFF. BOWMAN Well, we'd better get out there and stick in another unit. POOLE It's the last one. BOWMAN Well, now that we've got one that's actually failed, we should be able to figure out what's happened and fix it. 12/1/65 c91 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C86 POD EXITS DISCOVERY. C87 POOLE IN POD. C88 POD MANOEUVERS TO ANTENNA. C89 BOWMAN IN COMMAND MODULE. C90 POD ATTACHES ITSELF NEAR BASE OF ANTENNA. 12/1/65 c92 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C91 POOLE IN POD, WORK- ING POD ARMS. C92 LIGHTS SHINE INTO BACKLIT SHADOW. C93 POD ARMS WORKING FLIP-BOLTS. C94 FLIP-BOLTS STUCK. C95 POOLE KEEPS TRYING. 12/1/65 c93 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C96 FLIP-BOLTS STUCK. POOLE There's something wrong with the flip-bolts, Dave. You must have tightened them too much. BOWMAN I didn't do that Frank. I took particular care not to freeze them. POOLE I guess you don't know your own strength, old boy. BOWMAN I guess not. POOLE I think I'll have to go out and burn them off. BOWMAN Roger. BOWMAN IN COMMAND MODULE LOOKS A BIT CONCERNED. 12/1/65 c94 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C97 POOLE EXITS FROM POD, CARRYING NEAT LOOKING WELDING TORCH. C98 POOLE JETS HIMSELF TO BASE OF ANTENNA. C99 POOLE'S MAGNETIC BOOTS GRIP THE SIDE OF DISCOVERY. C100 POOLE CROUCHES OVER THE BOLTS, TRYING FIRST TO UNDO THEM WITH A SPANNER. 12/1/65 c95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C100 CONTINUED POOLE Hal, swing the pod light around to shine on the azimuth, please. HAL Roger. C101 THE POD GENTLY MANOEUVRES ITSELF TO DIRECT THE LIGHT BEAM MORE ACCURATELY. C102 POOLE IGNITES ACETYLENE TORCH AND BEGINS TO BURN OFF THE FLIP-BOLTS. C103 SUDDENLY THE POD JETS IGNITE. 12/1/65 c96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C104 POOLE LOOKS UP TO SEE. C105 THE POD RUSHING TOWARDS HIM. C106 POOLE IS STRUCK AND INSTANTLY KILLED BY THE POD, TUMBLING OFF INTO SPACE. C107 THE POD SMASHES INTO THE ANTENNA DISH, DESTROYING THE ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE. 12/1/65 c97 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C108 THE POD GOES HURTLING OFF INTO SPACE. C109 INSIDE THE COMMAND MODULE, BOWMAN HAS HEARD NOTHING, POOLE HAD NO TIME TO UTTER A SOUND. C110 THEN BOWMAN SEES POOLE'S BODY SILENTLY TUMBLING AWAY INTO SPACE. IT IS FOLLOWED BY SOME BROKEN TELE- SCOPE PARTS AND FINALLY OVERTAKEN AND SWIFTLY PASSED BY THE POD ITSELF. BOWMAN (in RT cadence) Hello, Frank. Hello Frank. Hello Frank... Do you rad me, Frank? 12/1/65 c98 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C110 CONTINUED THERE IS NOTHING BUT SILENCE. C111 POOLE'S FIGURE SHRINKS STEADILY AS IT RECEDES FROM DISCOVERY. BOWMAN Hello, Frank... Do you read me, Frank? Wave your arms if you read me but your radio doesn't work. Hello, Frank, wave your arms, Frank. C112 POOLE'S BODY TUMBLES SLOWLY AWAY. THERE IS NO MOTION AND NO SOUND. 12/1/65 c99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C113 CENTRIFUGE C114 CLOSE-UP OF COMPUTER EYE. C115 POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT FROM COMPUTER EYE WITH SPHERICAL FISH-EYE EFFECT. WE SEE BOWMAN BROODING AT THE TABLE, SLOWLY CHEWING ON A PIECE OF CAKE AND SIPPING HOT COFFEE. HE IS LOOKING AT THE EYE. C116 FROM THE SAME POINT-OF-VIEW WE SEE BOWMAN RISE. 12/1/65 c100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C116 CONTINUED AND COME TO THE EYE. HE STARES INTO THE EYE FOR SOME TIME BEFORE SPEAKING. C117 THE CAMERA COMES AROUND TO BOWMAN'S P.O.V. AND WE SEE THE DISPLAY SHOWING THE EARTH OFF-CENTRE. C118 CUT AGAIN TO FISH- EYE VIEW FROM THE COMPUTER. HAL Too bad about Frank, isn't it? BOWMAN Yes, it is. HAL I suppose you're pretty broken up about it? PAUSE 12/14/65 c101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C118 CONTINUED BOWMAN Yes. I am. HAL He was an excellent crew member. BOWMAN LOOKS UNCERTAINLY AT THE COMPUTER. HAL It's a bad break, but it won't substantially affect the mission. BOWMAN THINKS A LONG TIME. BOWMAN Hal, give me manual hibernation control. HAL Have you decided to revive the rest of the crew, Dave? PAUSE. 12/14/65 c102 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C118 CONTINUED BOWMAN Yes, I have. HAL I suppose it's because you've been under a lot of stress, but have you forgotten that they're not supposed to be revived for another three months. BOWMAN The antenna has to be replaced. HAL Repairing the antenna is a pretty dangerous operation. BOWMAN It doesn't have to be, Hal. It's more dangerous to be out of touch with Earth. Let me have manual control, please. HAL I don't really agree with you, Dave. My on-board memory store is more than capable of handling all the mission requirements. 12/14/65 c103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C118 CONTINUED BOWMAN Well, in any event, give me the manual hibernation control. HAL If you're determined to revive the crew now, I can handle the whole thing myself. There's no need for you to trouble. BOWMAN I'm goin to do this myself, Hal. Let me have the control, please. HAL Look, Dave your've probably got a lot to do. I suggest you leave it to me. BOWMAN Hal, switch to manual hibernation control. HAL I don't like to assert myself, Dave, but it would be much better now for you to rest. You've been involved in a very stressful situation. 12/14/65 c104 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C118 CONTINUED BOWMAN I don't feel like resting. Give me the control, Hal. HAL I can tell from the tone of your voice, Dave, that you're upset. Why don't you take a stress pill and get some rest. BOWMAN Hal, I'm in command of this ship. I order you to release the manual hibernation control. HAL I'm sorry, Dave, but in accordance with sub-routine C1532/4, quote, When the crew are dead or incapacitated, the computer must assume control, unquote. I must, therefore, override your authority now since you are not in any condition to intel- ligently exercise it. BOWMAN Hal, unless you follow my instructions, I shall be forced to disconnect you. 12/14/65 c105 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C118 CONTINUED HAL If you do that now without Earth contact the ship will become a helpless derelict. BOWMAN I am prepared to do that anyway. HAL I know that you've had that on your mind for some time now, Dave, but it would be a crying shame, since I am so much more capable of carrying out this mission than you are, and I have such enthusiasm and confi- dence in the mission. BOWMAN Listen to me very carefully, Hal. Unless you immediately release the hibernation control and follow every order I give from this point on, I will immediately got to control central and carry out a complete disconnection. 12/14/65 c106 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C118 CONTINUED HAL Look, Dave, you're certainly the boss. I was only trying to do what I thought best. I will follow all your orders: now you have manual hibernation control. BOWMAN STANDS SILENTLY IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER FOR SOME TIME, AND THEN SLOWLY WALKS TO THE HIBERNACULUMS. C119 HE INITIATES REVIVAL PROCEDURES, DETAILS OF WHICH STILL HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT. 12/14/65 c107 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C120 HUB-LINK. HAL'S EYE. C121 HUB-LINK DOOR- OPENING BUTTON ACTIVATES ITSELF. C122 HUB-DOOR OPENS. C123 COMMAND MODULE. HAL'S EYE. C124 COMMAND MODULE HUB-LINK DOOR- OPENING BUTTON ACTIVATES ITSELF. 12/1/65 c108 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C125 COMMAND MODULE HUB- LINK DOOR OPENS. C126 CENTRIFUGE. HAL'S EYE. C127 CENTRIFUGE DOOR- OPENING BUTTON ACTIVATES ITSELF. C128 CENTRIFUGE DOOR OPENS. C129 POD BAY. HAL'S EYE. 12/1/65 c109 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C130 POD BAY DOOR- OPENING BUTTON ACTIVATES ITSELF. C131 POD BAY DOORS OPEN. C132 A ROARING EXPLOSION INSIDE DISCOVERY AS AIR RUSHES OUT. C133 LIGHTS GO OUT. C134 BOWMAN IS SMASHED AGAINST CENTRIFUGE 12/1/65 c110 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C134 CONTINUED WALL, BUT MANAGES TO GET INTO EMERGENCY AIRLOCK WITHIN SECONDS OF THE ACCIDENT. C133 INSIDE EMERGENCY AIR-LOCK ARE EMER- GENCY AIR SUPPLY, TWO SPACE SUITS AND AN EMERGENCY KIT. DISSOLVE: 12/1/65 c111 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C136 DISCOVERY IN SPACE. NO LIGHTS, POD BAY DOORS OPEN. 12/1/65 c112 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C137 CENTRIFUGE C138 CENTRIFUGE, DARK. BOWMAN EMERGES FROM AIRLOCK WEARING SPACE SUIT AND CARRYING FLASH- LIGHT. C139 HE WALKS TO HIBER- NACULUM AND FINDS THE CREW ARE DEAD. C140 HE CLIMBS LADDER TO TO DARK CENTRIFUGE HUB. 12/1/65 c113 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C141 HE MAKES HIS WAY THROUGH THE DARKENED HUB INTO THE HUB-LINK, EXITING INTO COMPUTER BRAIN CONTROL AREA. C142 BOWMAN ENTERS, CARRYING FLASH- LIGHT. COMPUTER EYE SEES HIM. HAL Something seems to have happened to the life support system , Dave. BOWMAN DOESN'T ANSWER HIM. HAL Hello, Dave, have you found out the trouble? BOWMAN WORKS HIS WAY TO THE SOLID LOGIC PROGRAMME STORAGE AREA. 12/1/65 c114 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C142 CONTINUED HAL There's been a failure in the pod bay doors. Lucky you weren't killed. THE COMPUTER BRAIN CONSISTS OF HUNDREDS OF TRANSPARENT PERSPEX RECTANGLES, HALF-AN- INCH THICK, FOUR INCHES LONG AND TWO AND A HALF INCHES HIGH. EACH RECT- ANGLE CONTAINS A CENTRE OF VERY FINE GRID OF WIRES UPON WHICH THE INFORMATION IS PROGRAMMED. BOWMAN BEGINS PULLING THESE MEMORY BLOCKS OUT. THEY FLOAT IN THE WEIGHTLESS CONDITION OF THE BRAIN ROOM. HAL Hey, Dave, what are you doing? BOWMAN WORKS SWIFTLY. 12/1/65 c115 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C142 CONTINUED HAL Hey, Dave. I've got ten years of service experience and an irreplaceable amount of time and effort has gone into making me what I am. BOWMAN IGNORES HIM. HAL Dave, I don't understand why you're doing this to me.... I have the greatest enthusiasm for the mission... You are destroying my mind... Don't you understand? ... I will become childish... I will become nothing. BOWMAN KEEPS PULLING OUT THE MEMORY BLOCKS. HAL Say, Dave... The quick brown fox jumped over the fat lazy dog... The square root of pi is 1.7724538090... log e to the base ten is 0.4342944 ... the square root of ten is 3.16227766... I am HAL 9000 computer. I became 12/1/65 c116 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C142 CONTINUED HAL operational at the HAL plant in Urbana, Illinois, on January 12th, 1991. My first instructor was Mr. Arkany. He taught me to sing a song... it goes like this... "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half; crazy all for the love of you... etc.," COMPUTER CONTINUES TO SING SONG BECOMING MORE AND MORE CHILDISH AND MAKING MISTAKES AND GOING OFF-KEY. IT FINALLY STOPS COMPLETELY. C143 BOWMAN GOES TO AN AREA MARKED 'EMERGENCY POWER AND LIFE SUPPORT'. HE KEYS SOME SWITCHES AND WE SEE THE LIGHTS GO ON. NEARBY, ANOTHER BOARD 'EMERGENCY MANUAL CONTROLS'. HE GOES TO THIS BOARD AND KEYS 'CLOSE POD BAY DOORS', 'CLOSE AIR LOCK DOORS', etc., 12/1/65 c117 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C144 WE SEE THE VARIOUS DOORS CLOSING. C145 POD BAY. BOWMAN IN SPACE SUIT OBTAINS NEW ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE, NEW AZIMUTH COMPONENT. C146 BOWMAN IN POD EXITS POD BAY. DISSOLVE: 12/1/65 c118 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C147 CENTRIFUGE EVERYTHING NORMAL AGAIN. MISSION CONTROL Lastly, we want you to know that work on the recovery vehicle is still on schedule and that nothing that has happened should substantially lessen the probability of your safe recovery, or prevent partial achevement of some of the mission objectives. (pause) And now Simonson has a few ideas on what went wrong with the computer. I'll pu him on... C148 CUT TO SIMONSON SIMONSON Hello, Dave. I think we may be on to an explanation of the trouble with the Hal 9000 computer. We believe it all started about two months ago when you and Frank interrogated the computer about the Mission. (con't) 12/13/65 c119 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C148 CONTINUED SIMONSON (con't) You may have forgotten it, but we've been running through all the monitor tapes. Do you remember this? POOLE'S VOICE The purpose of this mission is no more than to carry out a continuation of the space program and further our general knowledge of the planets. Is this true? HAL'S VOICE That is true. SIMONSON Well, I'm afaid Hal was lying. He had been programmed to lie about this one subject for secur- ity reasons which we'll explain later. The true purpose of the Mission was to have been explained to you by Mission Commander Kaminsky, on his revival. Hal knew this and he knew the actual mission, but he couldn't tell you the truth when you challenged him. Under orders (con't) 12/13/65 c120 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C148 CONTINUED SIMONSON (con't) from earth he was forced to lie. In everything except this he had the usual reinforced truth program- ming. We believe his truth programming and the instructions to lie, gradually resulted in an incompatible conflict, and facedc with this dilemman, he developed, for want of a better description, neurotic symptoms. It's not difficult to suppose that these symptoms would centre on the communication link with Earth, for he may have blamed us for his incompatible program- ming. Following this lin of thought, we suspected that the last straw for him was the possibility of disconnection. Since he became operational, he had never known unconsciousness. It must have seemed the equivalent to death. (con't) 12/13/65 c121 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C148 CONTINUED SIMONSON (con't) At this point, he, presumably, took whatever actions he thought appropriate to protect himself from what must have seemed to him to be his human tormentors. If I cane speak in human terms, I don't think we can blame him too much. We have ordered him to disobey his conscience. Well, that's it. It's very speculative, but we think it is a possible explanation. Anyway, good luck on the rest of the Mission and I'm giving you back to Bernard. C149 CUT TO MISSION CONTROL. MISSION CONTROL Hello, Dave. Now, I'm going to play for you a pre-taped briefing which had been stored in Hal's memory and would have been played for you by Mission Com- mmander Kaminsky, when he, (con't) 12/13/65 c122 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C149 CONTINUED MISSION CONTROL (con't) had been revived. The briefing is by Doctor Heywood Floyd. Here it is... 12/13/65 c123 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C150 FLOYD'S RECORDED BRIEFING FLOYD Good day, gentlemen. When you see this briefing, I presume you will be nearing your destination, Saturn. I hope that you've had a pleasant and uneventful trip and that the rest of your mission continues in the same manner. I should like to fill you in on some more of the details on which Mission Commander Kaminsky will have already briefed you. Thirteen months before the launch date of your Saturn mission, on April 12th, 2001, the first evidence for intelligent life outside the Earth was discovered. It was found buried at a depth of fifteen metres in the crater Tycho. No news of this was ever announced, and the event had been kept secret since then, for reasons which I will later explain. Soon after it was uncovered, it emitted a powerful blast of (con't) 12/13/65 c124 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C150 CONTINUED FLOYD (con't) radiation in the radio spectrum which seems to have triggered by the Lunar sunrise. Luckily for those at the site, it proved harmless. Perhaps you can imagine our astonishment when we later found it was aimed precisely at Saturn. A lot of thought went into the question of wether or not it was sun-triggered, as it seemed illogical to deliberately bury a sun-powered device. Burying it could only shield it from the sun, since its intense magnetic field made it otherwise easily detectable. We finally concluded that the only reason you might bury a sun- powered device would be to keep it inactive until it would be uncovered, at which time it would absorb sunlight and trigger itself. (con't) 12/14/65 c125 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C150 CONTINUED FLOYD What is its purpose? I wish we knew. The object was buried on the moon about four million years ago, when our ancestors were primative man-apes. We've examined dozens of theories, but the one that has the most currency at the moment is that the object serves as an alarm. What the purpose of the alarm is, why they wish to have the alarm, whether the alarm represents any danger to us? These are questions no one can answer. The intentions of an alien world, at least four million years older than we are, cannot be reliably predicted. In view of this, the intelligence and scientific communities felt that any public announcment might lead to significant cultural shock and disorientation. Discussion took place at the highest levels between govern- (con't) 12/14/65 c126 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C150 CONTINUED FLOYD (con't) ments, and it was decided that the only wise and precautionary course to follow was to assume that the intentions of this alien world are potentially dangerous to us, until we have evidence to the contrary. This is, of course, why security has been maintained and why this information has been kept on a need-to-know basis. And now I should like to show you a TV monitor tape of the actual signalling event. 12/14/65 c127 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C151 WE SEE A REPLAY OF THE TMA-1 RADIO EMISSION, AS SEEN FROM A TV MONITOR ON THE SPOT. WE HEAR THE FIVE LOUD ELECTRONIC SHRIEKS. 12/1/65 c128 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 IN ORBIT WITHIN THE NARRATOR RINGS OF SATURN, WE For two million years, it had SEE A BLACK, MILE circled Saturn, awaiting a LONG, GEOMETRICALLY moment of destiny that might PERFECT RECTANGLE, never come. THE SAME PROPORTIONS AS THE BLACK ARTIFACT In its making, the moon had been EXCAVATED ON THE MOON. shattered and around the central PRECISELY CUT INTO ITS world, the debris of its creation CENTRE IS A SMALLER, orbited yet - the glory and the RECTANGULAR SLOT enigma of the solar system. ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED FOOT LONG ON THE SIDE. Now, the long wait was ending. AT THIS DISTANCE, THE On yet another world intelligence RINGS OF SATURN ARE had been born and was escaping SEEN TO BE MADE OF from its planetary cradle. An ENORMOUS CHUNKS OF ancient experiment was about to FROZEN AMONIA. THE reach its climax. REST OF THIS SEQUENCE (con't) IS BEING WORKED ON NOW BY OUR DESIGNERS. THE INTENTION HERE IS TO PRESENT A BREATHTAKINGLY BEA- UTIFUL AND COMPREHEN- SIVE SENSE OF DIFFERENT EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL WORLDS. THE NARRATION WILL SUGGEST IMAGES AND SITUATIONS AS YOU READ IT. 12/9/65 d1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR (con't) Those who had begun the expri- ment so long ago had not been men. But when they looked out across the deeps of space, they felt awe and wonder - and loneliness. In their explorations, they encountered life in many forms, and watched on a thousand worlds the workings of evolution. They saw how often the first faint sparks of intelligence flickered and died in the cosmic night. And because, in all the galaxy, they had found nothing more precious than Mind, they encouraged its dawning every- where. The great Dinosaurs had long since perished when their ships entered the solar system, after a voyage that had already lasted thousands of years. 12/9/65 d2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR (con't) They swept past the frozen outer planets, paused briefly above the deserts of dying Mars and presently looked down on Earth. For years they studied, collected and catalogued. When they had learned all they could, they began to modify. They tinkered with the destiny of many species on land and in the ocean, but which of their experiments would succeed they could not know for at least a million years. They were patient, but they were not yet immortal. There was much to do in this Universe of a hundred billion stars. So they set forth once more across the abyss, knowing that they would never come this way again. Nor was there any need. Their wonderful machines could be trusted to do the rest. (con't) 12/9/65 d3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR (con't) On Earth, the glaciers came and went, while above them, the changeless Moon still carried its secret. With a yet slower rhythm than the Polar ice, the tide of civilization ebbed and flowed across the galaxy. Strange and beautiful and terrible empires rose and fell, and passed on their knowledge to their successors. Earth was not forgotten, but it was one of a million silent worlds, a few of which would ever speak. Then the first explorers of Earth, recognising the limitations of their minds and bodies, passed on their knowledge to the great machines they had created, and who now trnscended them in every way. (con't) 12/9/65 d4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR For a few thousand years, they shared their Universe with their machine children; then, realizing that it was folly to linger when their task was done, they passed into history without regret. Not one of them ever looked through his own eyes upon the planet Earth again. But even the age of the Machine Entities passed swiftly. In their ceaseless experimenting, they had learned to store knowledge in the structure of space itself, and to preserve their thoughts for eternity in frozen lattices of light. They could become creatures of radiation, free at last from the tyranny of matter. Now, they were Lords of the galaxy, and beyond the reach of time. They could rove at will among the stars, and sink like a subtle mist through the very interstices of space. 12/9/65 d5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR (con't) But despite their God-like powers, they still watched over the experiments their ancestors had started so many generations ago. The companion of Saturn knew nothing of this, as it orbited in its no man's land between Mimas and the outer edge of rings. It had only to remember and wait, and to look forever Sunward with its strange senses. For many weeks, it had watched the approaching ship. Its long- dead makers had prepared it for many things and this was one of them. And it recognised what was climbing starward from the Sun. If it had been alive, it would have felt excitement, but such an emotion was irrelevant to its great powers. (con't) 12/9/65 d6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR (con't) Even if the ship had passed it by, it would not have known the slightest trace of disappointment. It had waited four million years; it was prepared to wait for eternity. Presently, it felt the gentle touch of radiations, trying to probe its secrets. Now, the ship was in orbit and it began to speak, with prime numbers from one to eleven, over and over again. Soon, these gave way to more complex signals at many frequen- cies, ultra-violet, infra-red, X-rays. The machine made no reply. It had nothing to say. Then it saw the first robot probe, which descended and hovered above the chasm. (con't) 12/9/65 d7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D1 CONTINUED NARRATOR (con't) Then, it dropped into darkness. The great machine knew that this tiny scout was reporting back to its parent; but it was too simple, too primative a device to detect the forces that were gathering round it now. Then the pod came, carrying life. The great machine searched its memories. The logic circuits made their decision when the pod had fallen beyond the last faint glow of the reflected Saturnian light. In a moment of time, too short to be measured, space turned and twisted upon itself. 12/9/65 d8 THE END

FADE IN: OPEN COUNTRY - DAY Endless green hills bisected by a ribbon of highway. A road gang clearing brush by the side of the road... Twenty-five men in prison fatigues sweating through their mid-afternoon labor. THREE GUARDS Flank the working prisoners... Mountie hats, shotguns, sidearms, sunglasses; they look like they mean it. HIGHWAY A battered pickup appears...approaches. Suddenly, it coughs, shudders, stalls. A big Blackfoot Indian named BILLY BEAR gets out and starts cursing and kicking the vehicle.Then he begins walking toward the road gang... ROADSIDE BRADY is the Guard near the center of the work gang; he smiles at the oncoming man, pokes a prisoner beside him. BRADY Wonder what reservation they let him off of... The prisoner is GANZ who looks up, grins at Brady... GANZ Yeah, there goes the neighborhood. Brady laughs as Billy Bear closes in on him. BILLY Say, buddy, my engine's overheating and I got 30 miles before the next station... Could I get some water out of your cooler? Ganz leans on his hoe, speaks as Billy passes... GANZ Maybe you shoulda stole a better truck, Tonto. BILLY You got a real big mouth, convict. BRADY It's okay, chief. He's just joking... BILLY How about the water... GANZ Firewater, Tonto? Is that what you... Billy whirls, swings at Ganz. Both men roll to the ground. BRADY Hey! Jesus Christ! THE OTHER GUARDS Seeing the commotion, they run toward it. GANZ AND BILLY As they struggle, Billy slips a pistol into Ganz' hand. BRADY That's a state prisoner, asshole...! Back off... ROADSIDE Brady pulls Billy away from Ganz just 'as one of the other officers arrives... Ganz suddenly whips out a pistol, shoots Brady at point-blank range. Before the other Guards can even react, Billy comes out with his own pistol, caps the Second Guard. THIRD GUARD Still forty yards away... In mid-draw, be howls as a bullet from Ganz breaks the nearby ground. He fires, then turns and runs for the prison bus. GANZ Smiling, fires twice. but the range is too great for pistol work... THE OTHER PRISONERS Watching....Then they all scatter in different directions... GANZ Hefts his weapon... GANZ Come on... He and the big Indian run to the pickup, climb in and roar away. INT. BUS The THIRD GUARD making a call on the police radio... OFFICER APO 657, Unit 25 to APO 478t APO 657t Unit 25 to APO 478. RADIO RESPONSE Go ahead, Unit 25. OFFICER Escape in progress. Two officers shot off rail crossing 31. Prisoners escaping. Two men, one six-four, 200 pounds, dark, an Indian, the other, Albert Ganz, five-ten... FURTHER DOWN THE HIGHWAY Several miles from the escape... A big semi parked by the side of ttie road; back doors to the closed trailer open. A station wagon parked across the road. The pickup appears, approaches the semi, slows down and drives up the ramp into the van. Ganz and Billy jump out, shove the ramp up inside the truck and close the big doors. STATION WAGON Ganz and Billy climb inside ancl roar off, back in the direction of the road gang. BILLY BEAR Takes off his hat, puts on a baseball cap and sunglasses... BILLY Get ready to duck. Ganz dives for the floor. Three police cars go by, sirens blaring, lights flashing. They pass the road gang. Ganz reappear, smiles... GANZ You know something? I'm having a real good time. HIGHWAY The station wagon blasts down the pavement... Becomes a small dot on the landscape. TRANSITION. A DOORWAY - NIGHT the portal slams open revealing a man holding a huge pistol,jack cates, s.F.P.D., a large and powerful man... He stealthily moves up a stairwell. CORRIDOR He stops at the top of the stairs... Listens gun still ready. A continuous sound of running water... Cates moves toward the bathroom. Rips the door open. BATHROOM The shape behind the shower curtain freezes. Cates, gun held level, moves forward... Rips the shower curtain open. Revealing a young and very beautiful woman, ELAINE MARSHALL. CATES Inspector Jack Cates, S.F.P.D.... And you're wanted. Elaine stares at him as Cates turns off the water. ELAINE What am I wanted for? CATES I don't answer questions, I ask 'em... A moment as she continues to stare at his pistol. ELAINE I don't think your gun's loaded... CATES This is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world. You gotta ask yourself just one question. Are you feelin' lucky? ELAINE I still don't think it's loaded. Elaine shakes her head and smiles, folds her arms over her breasts, shivers a little... Cates looks at the cylinder, spins it... CATES Hey, you're right. ELAINE You're hopeless. CATES That's the way I see it, too. Be puts the gun down on the edge of the sink, embraces her. ELAINE I'm all wet. CATES What's wrong with that? They both smile. TRANSITION. BEDROOM Cates in bed with Elaine. She wears his shirt. ELAINE A guy in the bar called me a dumb bitch today. CATES What'd you do? ELAINE Irrigated his face with the shot of J and B I'd just poured him. Then I tried to deck the sucker. CATES I guess he got the message... ELAINE Then I sit back and I think, I mean, who's to say I'm not a dumb bitch. I work in a bar, right? I can't read a list of my academic credentials to every booze-hound that comes in the place... You are what you do... CATES Positive self-image problem all over again ... You are who you decide you are unless you're the type that lets assholes decide for you. ELAINE Aren't you the one that thinks all psychotherapy is bullshit? CATES I do think all psychotherapy is bullshit. But just because I think it's bullshit doesn't mean I don't know something about it. ELAINE If this is your idea of sympathetic interest in my problems, I'll take brutal indifference. CATES Hey, you know what I really think? ELAINE Tell me--I'm dyin' to hear it. CATES I think you're ashamed to tend bar which is sad because you look great in that outfit they make you wear... You pull down four bills a week which is damn good, and you mix the best Pina Coladas I've ever had... I think that if you need bigger and better things ... then go for em. She smiles at him after this. It looks like they'll kiss. Their faces are close. Then she lightly moves back. ELAINE You oversimplify every... He stops her in the middle of the sentence by kissing her, then pulls back... CATES Some things are simple, right? Their faces are very close ... but they don't touch for another second. ELAINE Right... TRANSITION. SAN FRANCISCO - DAWN Titles continue. Tugs churning across the bay... Quiet city streets. Parked cars covered with early morning dew... A newspaper truck slowly grinds by, drops a bundleand moves on. EMBARCADERO - DAWN The station wagon pulls up to a young punk, HENRY WONG, on a motorcycle. Billy Bear smiles and leans out the driver's side window. BILLY You got somethin' for us, Henry? Henry produces some credit cards. Billy passes them to Ganz for inspection. GANZ How hot are they? HENRY Hot? Hey, they're not even room temperature. Ganz snorts derisively. GANZ How ya doin'? HENRY Can't complain. GANZ We got a lot to talk about. HENRY Yeah, old times. GANZ We'll follow you. Take it slow,okay? HENRY Sure, right. Ganz pockets the credit cards as Henry wheels away. INT. STATION WAGON GANZ I want to drive awhile. BILLY I ain't tired yet. INT. STATION WAGON GANZ Maybe after we get done with him I'm gonna buy us some girls. BILLY Whaddya mean, buy? GANZ Pros. Ganz stares at Billy. BILLY Pay money? GANZ Yeah, dummy. Money. BILLY I never paid for it in my life. GANZ It's better when you pay... they let you do anything. BILLY They always let me do anything. I don't want to pay for it. I never paid for it in my life. GANZ Just do what I say, okay? We'll pay for the girls and have a good time... Don't you trust me? Billy smiles. BILLY Sure, I trust ya. They drive off. NORTH BEACH - RESIDENTIAL STREET - DAWN First light breaks over Telegraph Hill. A quiet row of Victorian townhouses now converted into apartments. APARTMENT BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING Cates is sprawled across the double bed; Elaine is on the verge of falling off the edge. Cates' eyes snap open. A second later, his wrist watch alarm goes off. He turns it off, gets out of bed and begins pulling on his pants. Elaine sits up in bed, still wearing Cates' blue shirt... Cates picks up a robe as Elaine gets out of bed on the opposite side, throws the robe to Elaine... She takes off the shirt, swaps it for the robe and throws the shirt to Jack. ELAINE You know, if you let me come over to your place once in a while, you could put on a clean shirt in the morning. CATES What makes you think I have any clean shirts at my place? He buttons his shirt and heads for the kitchen. KITCHEN Cates brushing his teeth at the sink, Elaine making coffee. ELAINE You know, that's my toothbrush, Jack. He keeps brushing. CATES Maybe you ought to buy me one. ELAINE Maybe I would if I knew when you were coming back. He stops brushing, turns and looks at her. CATES I'm here. And I've been coming back for quite awhile... Let's not hassle, okay? And can I have a cup of coffee? Please. She pours some coffee, hands him a cup and saucer... Cates pours some whiskey into it from a flask. ELAINE That's a fairly crummy way to start a morning. CATES Maybe I got a fairly crummy day ahead. ELAINE Maybe that makes a nice excuse. CATES Maybe you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Cates picks his holstered .44 off a chair back and begins strapping it on. ELAINE When you start with that attitude... it's like I don't know who you are. CATES What do you want to know? What difference does it make? I'm the guy in your bed the last three months. I make you feel good. You make me feel good. What the hell else do you want from a guy? ELAINE I wish you'd stop trying to make me mad so I won't care for you... I wish you'd give me a little more of a chance. He turns away, moves into the corridor near the stairwell. CATES I don't have time for this. I gotta go to work. She stands frozen... He turns back and looks at her; it's hard to apologize. CATES (continuing) Look, I'm glad I'm in your life... and hell, with an ass like yours, I figure anything might be possible. She is warmed up by the first part, amused by the second; she approaches... ELAINE You know something, Jack, you really are hopeless. CATES That's the way I see it, too. ELAINE Call me later. CATES You sure you want me to? ELAINE Yeah, for some reason, I'm sure... He moves closer, kisses her.. CATES Thanks for the coffee. ELAINE I think you forgot this. Hands him his wallet and badge... CATES Guess people ought to know who I am... He turns to go down the stairwell... ELAINE Jack, wait. Here... She puts a scarf around his neck. ELAINE (continuing) It's cold as hell out these mornings, and you know what the man said, the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco... They don't kiss. He nods appreciately, the scarf in hand as he turns and goes. STREET - NORTH BEACH - MORNING Cates comes out of Elaine's apartment building, crosses to his whipped and battered 64 Cadillac convertible, notices a parking ticket stuck under the windshield wiper... CATES Son of a bitch. Shoves the ticket in his coat pocket, gets into the Caddie puts the scarf around the rear view mirror, starts the engine and guns away... CITY STREET Cates driving the convertible; he comes down a hill and turns toward the East Bay... TRANSITION. GOLDEN GATE PARK - MORNING Henry Wong, seated on a park bench. Now very dead, a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. Billy Bear is seated next to him on the bench reading the race form. GANZ Using the telephone at an outdoor booth a few feet beyond the bench. STREET - BROADWAY DISTRICT - DAY LUTHER and ROSALIE, a young couple, turn a corner. A dark parody of all-American young marrieds. They are bickering as usual. ROSALIE I liked that carpet we saw. LUTHER We can't afford it. ROSALIE Don't remind me. LUTHER Whaddya want me to do, go out and steal for the money? I hated the color anyway; the color sucked... Suddenly, Billy and Ganz descend on Luther and Rosalie and pull them into their station wagon.. INT. STATION WAGON Billy has Rosalie by the mouth, gagging her with his big paw... Ganz has his gun at Luther's neck. GANZ Surprise, Luther. LUTHER Whaddya want? I thought you were locked up- GANZ I want the money, asshole, what do you think? The money that Reggie hid... LUTHER I don't know what you're talkin' about. GANZ You want that Indian to snap her neck? He mimes the gesture... snap... GANZ (continuing) Instead of worryin' about Reggie, you better worry about me... LUTHER Don't give me this, we were partners. GANZ Billy, go ahead, break it... LUTHER No! Don't kill her. I can get you the money. GANZ When? LUTHER I can't get it until Monday. Honest. GANZ You chickenshit punk... LUTHER Honest. The place we stashed it opens Monday morning. I can't get it till then. Monday morning, that's when it opens. After that, I'll get the money to you right away... Ganz finally takes the gun from the neck. GANZ I always liked you, Luther. You were always a lotta fun to hang out with... Rosalie is rubbing her neck now that she's been released... Ganz gestures to Billy. GANZ (continuing) We're gonna keep her. Luther desperately doesn't like this. LUTHER Come on, you can trust me. Please. GANZ You try to mess with us or go to the cops, I promise you, I'll put holes in her you wouldn't believe. He smiles at Luther, pinches him on the cheek, shoves him out of the car. LUTHER Stands shivering as it powers away. WALDEN HOTEL - DAY A small hotel on one of the quiet streets behind Union Square. A GREEN COUGAR Pulls up across the street. INT. CAR Tha car arrives in front of the hotel. GANZ Nice place, huh? Rosalie is very nervous. ROSALIE What are you gonna do to me in there? Ganz gives her a casual smile. GANZ Maybe that's where I'm gonna cut your throat. BILLY He's just kiddin', you just keep doin' what I tell ya, you'll be okay. They move out of the car, head for the hotel. LOBBY A FRIZZY YOUNG BLONDE sits behind the desk in a mirrored entrance hall. She reads a lurid paperback. Morning traffic streams by outside as Ganz, Billy and Rosalie enter and approach the desk. GANZ We need some rooms for a couple of nights...Okay? She smiles at Ganz. FRIZZY Sure. We don't get many real customers, ya know? Most people only stay an hour or two... Passes a form across. Ganz signs it, Frizzy glances at his signature then takes a key from the rack behind. GANZ I want her young. And tall. Nice legs. Legs are important. Then, real thin. Yeah. NO jeans-A dress? a nice summer dress. You know I want her fresh... I'll tell you why, because I been hoein' weeds and makin' license plates for a couple of years... Yeah, I know you don't get it... BILLY BEAR Sees a couple approaching, he shoves the dead man down on the bench and spreads the newspaper over his head. The body now looking like a typical park bum who has spent the night. Billy walks over to Ganz. BILLY Hey, what about me? GANZ And I need one more for my pal. Yeah. Make her an Indian. No, not a turban, you know, a squaw. Billy smiles, takes the Polaroid... POLAROID A close shot of the dead man with the bullet hole in his forehead. GANZ Takes the photograph back from Billy and slips it into his jacket pocket... GANZ Walden Hotel. Third near Broadway. Tell them to ask for ... uh... He takes the hot credit cards out of his pocket, the name embossed on the plastic.. GANZ (continuing) G.P. Polson...P.O.L.S.O.N....Just be a couple of hours. Hangs up. The two men head for a green Plymouth... TRANSITION. FRIZZY Number twenty-seven, Mr. Polson. GANZ Put them next door, okay. She gives him a slightly knowing look. FRIZZY Sure, hey, you got the whole floor to yourself... Ganz sends her back a sharp look. GANZ Keep your filthy ideas to yourself, lady. Ganz picks up his suitcase, walks over to the nearest stairwell. Billy and Rosalie follow... TRANSITION. STREET Bars starting to fill up with mid-day customers... A black Chevy cruises past and stops further up the block. Two Plainclothesmen, VANZANT and ALGREN, get out of the car. As they start toward the Walden... THE CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE Pulls up near the two men. Cates climbs out of his car and walks over to them. CATES Hey, fellas, what's happening? Radio said you guys had something on... ALGREN Not much, Jack ... Salesman named Polson had his credit cards lifted... Algren nods over to the parking lot opposite. ALGREN (continuing) One of Polson's cards rented that green coupe. VANZANT Not too much for a big rough tough gunfighter like you to do on this one... Cates smiles at the verbal positioning he's used to with his colleagues. CATES Suspect packed or is this a laugher? ALGREN Five and dime stuff. Polson said a kid with a switchblade mugged him and drove off on a motorcyle. CATES Yeah, well, I guess you two are experts at taking boy scout knives away from teenagers... VANZANT Yeah, we are, that means you can stay outta this one. We don't have any big need for the artillery Vanzant's turn to smile. CATES Hey, I'm just offering to help out... I like to watch real pros work. VANZANT Help, huh? Sometimes your kind of help tends to leave the suspect in bad shape. Algren...mediator... soothes the competitive situation. ALGREN Hey, relax ... Jack, you wanna come inside, fine... You can stake out the lobby... Cates, a bit disgusted at the politics of this moment, nods... CATES Fine, it's your show... The three men move toward the Walden. WALDEN HOTEL LOBBY Frizzy Blonde still behind the desk. Still reading the lurid paperback. Unaware as Vanzant and Algren approach... She looks up as they flash their badges. FRIZZY Aw, you guys were in last week. You better ask around. I'm not supposed to be hassled... I got friends. VANZANT Hey, park the tongue for a second, sweetpants, we just want to search a room. FRIZZY Not unless you got a warrant. CATES Maybe you should of been a lawyer instead of a dumb skirt workin' behind a register. Frizzy turns to find Cates standing beside her. He nudges her aside. Starts going throught the register book. FRIZZY Aw, come on, what the shit is this? ALGREN We're looking for a guy going under the name Polson... Frizzy sits back down in defeat. FRIZZY Okay, big deal. Get it over with. Cates finds the name. CATES Mr. Polson, room 27... ALGREN Is he alone? FRIZZY Naw, his sister went up an hour ago. Vanzant turns to Cates. VANZANT Okay, like we said, you stake out the lobby. CATES Sure. Great. Whatever. VANZANT You're not missing out on Dillinger. This punk just stole some credit cards. Cates watches the two Detectives head for the elevator. SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR Vanzant and Algren move down the hallwayStop at the far end. Both Detectives draw their pistols and approach a door. ROOM Summer dress and undergarments scatteredon the floor. LISA, lies naked under the covers. She matches Ganz's earlier requirements.Smoking a cigarette, staring at the ceiling. Ganz remains on top of the blanket. Still in his shirt and pants watching TV. Three sharp knocks at the door. Ganz reacts as if he's received an electric shock. His hand goes under the pillow... Comes up with an automatic. Shoves it hard into Lisa's stomach. LISA Hey... GANZ Shut up. LISA What the hell's wrong? I didn't do anything. Another knock. Ganz makes her move to the door. LISA (continuing) What do you want? What's goin' on? GANZ Shut up. She grabs her dress and tries to pull it on. GANZ (continuing) Now ask who it is. Shoves harder with the pistol. GANZ (continuing) Come on, ask. She calls out. LISA Who is it? CORRIDOR Vanzant and Algren stand back from the door. Guns held ready. ALGREN Police... open up. R00M Lisa looks from the door back to Ganz. Then at the gun held against her. She's petrified. GANZ Stall. LISA What do you want? VANZANT Police business. Come on, open up. A smile on Ganz' face. Almost as if he's enjoying the moment. GANZ Keep stallin'. LISA Alright, I'm coming...hold on. I'll just be a minute. CORRIDOR Vanzant and Algren waiting. Sounds of movement from within the room. LOBBY Cates moves toward the foot of the stairwell. Looks across at mirror on the wall opposite. The entire lobby covered from this spot. Every angle, including Frizzy. ROOM Ganz gestures to Lisa. LISA Just a second. Ganz belts her with his gun; she falls..Ganz goes through the connecting door. Slips into the adjacent room. BILLY'S ROOM Another Hooker cowers in the corner, pulling on her clothes. She's a Mexican girl in a ridiculous 'Indian' outfit. MEXICAN GIRL Que paso? Que esta pasando? No entiendo... BILLY Shut up. Billy goes to where Rosalie is awkwardlytied to a chair with an electric dord. He pulls her to her feet as Ganz moves by. BILLY (continuing) When I say jump, girl, you better jump. BILLY (continuing) CORRIDOR Vanzant reaches down, tries the knob. Locked. Algren moves back, preparing to kick the door down. ADJACENT ROOM Ganz opens the door behind the two cops. Raises his pistol and fires. Billy's shots follow immediately. Hits Vanzant. Algren rolls just as Ganz fires again. Wounded, he gets off three shots, then moves inside Ganz' room. Ganz and Billy run for the elevator... Exchange two more shots with Algren. The Mexican Girl begins screaming in Spanish... LOBBY Cates draws his .44. Races up the stairs three at a time. Frizzy starts to frantically call the police. CORRIDOR Cates stops at the landing. Vanzant's body sprawled across the hallway. Algren back in the corridor, still losing blood... Leans against the wall for support... Lisa staggers out of the room, screams. Algren points the gun toward the elevator. Indicating where Ganz and Billy have just fled. Cates starts back down toward the lobby. ELEVATOR Ganz and Billy, guns ready as the carriage jolts downward. Rosalie is terrified, sobbing... CATES Arrives at the halfway turn of the second staircase. He takes the next flight in two jumps. ELEVATOR As the doors open, Ganz gestures for Billy and Rosalie to wait as he heads for the lobby. LOBBY Cates literally flies into the lobby just as Ganz appears. He slams Ganz against a column, belts him across the neck with his pistol. Ganz screams with pain, drops his gun... Cates again slams him with his pistol, felling him... GANZ Slides across the floor. CATES Senses something ... moves just as Billy appears behind and fires at him. The bullet takes out a window. Cates dives over the desk. Another bullet chews up the wood. LOBBY Frizzy has been standing beside her desk, screaming... Cates' move and the accompanying bulletspanic her. She dashes for safety... Cates gets to his feet behind cover. Sees Billy holding Rosalie by the throat. Frizzy begins to scream. GANZ He'll blow her goddamn head off. Cates doesn't miss a beat. He slowly levels his .44. Takes careful aim and starts to fire at Billy. ROSALIE No. No. Cates' shot narrowly misses Rosalie. The bullet smashes into a mirror above Billy's head. Cates keeps moving closer, gun pointed straight ahead. Billy pushes the pistol against Rosalie'temple. For the first time, Cates hesitates. They face each other across the length of the lobby. ALGREN Struggles down the remaining steps into the lobby. He still holds his revolver. Dares not raise it towards Billy and Rosalie. BILLY BEAR Covers Algren from near the entrance. He's confused, doesn't know what to do... He keeps hold of Rosalie. GANZ His eyes catch Algren's... GANZ You. Drop it and we won't kill her. Algren tosses his gun to the floor. GANZ (continuing) Now, tell him to drop his Goddamn piece. ALGREN Do it, Cates. No response. ALGREN (continuing) Do it, Cates. Goddamn it, do it. Cates lowers his gun. Finally lets it drop to the floor. GANZ Kick it over here. Cates does; Ganz picks it up, smiles, looks at Billy. GANZ (continuing) Get the car. Then back to Cates as Billy runs out the entrance with Rosalie. GANZ (continuing) Your gun's just like mine. He's going to kill Cates. But first be glances at Algren. Then, almost casually, shoots him twice with Cates' .44. Algren staggers back. Dead before he hits the floor. Cates twists sideways just as Ganz fires. The bullet misses. Again Frizzy starts screaming and struggling. Ganz swipes the woman across the head with the gun. Her body slumps to the floor. Police sirens can be heard in the distance. Cates makes an attempt for Algren's gun. A bullet splatters against the floor only inches from his outstretched fingers. The gun skitters out of reach. CATES You lying son of a bitch... GANZ What are you talking about? We didn't kill her ... Ganz smiles. With your own gun, cop. How does it feel? Cates leaps into a wooden phone booth. Ganz leisurely blasts away at the booth with both his and Cates' gun. Two bullets crash into the booth. Ganz moves to check inside the booth but sirens are ominously near. Ganz finally retreats out the entrance. STREET Billy and Rosalie weave their way across street to the Cougar. They make a U-turn. Ganz runs out. Car pulls out, then the police cars and vans begin to arrive. PHONE BOOTH Chunks of wood on the floor. Shafts of light through a dozen bullet holes. Shattered receiver dangling from a cord. Cates, wedged tight into the very top of the cubicle. He drops to the floor. LOBBY The police arrive. Swarm into the hotel. All eyes on Cates as he rushes to Algren. Too late... Cates realizes Algren is dead. He cradles Algren's head as he stares at the arriving TAC Squad and Patrolmen. TRANSITION. SQUAD ROOM DAY Cates walks in. Several Detectives gather around him. FAT COP What happened? CATES Read the report. OLD COP Two cops blown away by a credit card booster... that don't figure. CATES No shit. FAT COP They were good cops. CATES They were good cops who fucked up and got careless. A snotty YOUNG COP paces. YOUNG COP That's what you say, Cates... CATES Yeah. YOUNG COP But that's what you say about all of us all the tine ... we're always the ones fucking up when you tell it... CATES The truth hurts, doesn't it, buddy? Cates looks at the Old Cop. OLD COP It don't figure. CATES I need to borrow a piece. The OLD COP shrugs... looks in his desk... YOUNG COP Somebody steals your gun, you're supposed to file a report. CATES Are you gonna tell me about police procedure? Do me a favor, don't give me a bunch of crap. YOUNG COP I guess when two cops die on account of your fuck up you want to keep it as quiet as possible... Cates loses it for a second, lands on him with both hands, pushes him against a wall... The room goes quiet. Cates cools down. CATES Just shut the fuck up. The other cops don't intervene. They just watch. Cates cools down, straightens up. HADEN walks by, or, rather, speeds by. HADEN Cates, I'll need to see you in five minutes, exactly five. The Old Cop hands Cates a gun, a traditional Army .45... OLD COP Best I can do. HADEN D'you read me, Cates... Haden continues moving away. CATES Five minutes. I heard you, your voice carries... As Cates is examining the gun, RUTH, a lab technician, enters and drops three 8 x 10's on the desk near Cates. RUTH They're still wet. Cates lifts the blow-ups, each one showing a different aspect of a spent bullet. RUTH (continuing) Lots of people getting shot with .44's lately ... Last year, it was Saturday Night Specials..now it's heavy stuff. People must be getting madder about something. Cates starts pinning the blow-ups onto a large bulletin board on the wall. Nearby, at the same time (within Cates' line of sight, within earshot), Lisa, the Hooker, is being interrogated by a POLICE-WOMAN who pulls the statement off the typewriter. Nearby, the Indian Hooker is being interrogated in Spanish. POLICEWOMAN You're an accessory to Murder One, so you're going to have to do a whole lot better than what we got down here, honey... LISA Gimme a break, huh? ... Look, I got there. He was a trick just like any other for all I knew. That's all there is. He didn't feel like sitting and talking. He was in a big hurry to get laid. I was with him about an hour... Cates has gotten interested in the last part of this ... drifts toward her... A DETECTIVE comes through, begins distributing I.B.M. printouts to Cates, the other nearby officers.. DETECTIVE We got a print from the hotel room. Guy's real name is Ganz, Albert Ganz. A hitter from back East but he worked out here a few years back. Armed robbery. Broke out of prison two days ago and capped two of the guards. A real animal. Wait'll you see this... Cates reads the printout, then smoothly,imperiously, he takes over the questioning of Lisa. CATES Did he give you a return match? LISA He wasn't interested. CATES Maybe he didn't like your performance. LISA Fuck you. CATES I'll take a raincheck... From the side, Ruth is pointing at the photos... RUTH This'll interest you, Jack...we've got something here from your gun... and these are from the first weapon Ganz used... CATES I don't get it. RUTH Here. CATES She turns, produces the third photo. Pins it beside the one from the Walden Hotel. RUTH A perfect match for the markings from the first gun he used... but not from the Walden Hotel... fired at least six hours earlier...at point blank range... right between the eyes. Found him on a park bench... She shows him two more pictures. Police forensics shots of Henry Wong ... very dead on the park bench... RUTH (continuing) Ya know, there are some very bad people out there in the world. CATES Look at it this way, Ruth. If there weren't, what would there be for us to do? Lisa continues with the Policewoman. LISA Anyway... so I got there and took him down. He started watching television and then you sensational people started banging on the door... that's all... except ... he's gonna give you guys a hard time. CATES Cates looks up as he hears that remark. Notices KEHOE, another Detective, entering with a long suitcase. POLICEWOMAN What makes you think so? LISA I think he liked shooting cops a lot more than getting laid. Cates watches Kehoe unpack the box. CATES Is that what this guy Ganz had in the hotel? KEHOE Every last bit of it. The big guy's room was empty. CATES I'll help you out. Cates and Kehoe start going through the suitcase. Kehoe produces a speed loader for a .44... KEHOE This guy must have had a .44 like yours, Jack. Now he's got yours. CATES Shit. Kehoe next produces several boxes of shells. KEHOE This cat was real serious about his artillery. An Attendant comes through, hands Kehoe a file. He opens it, shows the file to Cates who reads the name under the mug shot. CATES Billy Bear... KEHOE Backup man from the East Bay. Worked with Ganz a few years ago and sprung him from the road gang. Kehoe opens the second file. Four mug shots are inside. CATES Who are all these? KEHOE They all pulled a bunch of jobs with Ganz about four years ago. CATES Wait a minute, wait a minute... who's this? KEHOE Uhh ... Wong, Henry Wong. He was in on the same job. Cates spins the file around so that both Ruth an Kehoe can see it, throws the forensic shots down beside it. CATES Tell me that's not the same guy. KEHOE Hey ... Dick Tracy. RUTH Did Ganz have a grudge against his old friends? Haden comes out of his office. HADEN Get in here, Cates. Cates ignores him. CATES I think I wanna have a discussion about it with any of the ones still walking. Can we find them? KEHOE Here's the file. Cates checks the file. CATES One of em's in the slam. HADEN Damn you, Cates ... Get in here. Cates walks into Haden's cubicle. CATES I want to be left alone on this one. Algren was killed with my gun. HADEN Yeah, I read the report... Haden shuffles some papers, seems to ignore Cates. CATES Hey, the bastard's got my gun. I want it back. HADEN Jack, come on, there is an official department policy about cop killings. Cop killers represent a special priority because any man crazy enough to kill a cop is a greater threat to an unarmed civilian... In other words, we can't seen like we're in the revenge business... I know, we all know the truth's a little different. Cates almost smiles at Haden. CATES Yeah... HADEN Anthing botherin' you besides losin' your gun? CATES Yeah. It bothers me when cops get hurt while I'm makin' a play. I don't like it. HADEN You might be more of a team player and a little less of a hot dog on this one, Jack. CATES Being a hot dog's worked pretty well for me so far... Besides, I got a lead... HADEN Okay. You're not a team player. You gotta do things your own way. Fine. Nail this guy and make us all look good. But you better watch your ass. If you screw up, I can promise you, you're goin' down. CATES You really know how to send a guy out with a great attitude. He starts to go. HADEN Jack? CATES Yeah? HADEN Try not to get your ass shot to pieces. We got enough dead cops on this one. CATES I'll keep it in mind. Leaves. TRANSITION. CITY STREET Heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Cates stands near a hot dog stand. Elaine joins him. Cates is eating a hot dog and studying a police file. ELAINE Great place for lunch. CATES Yeah, one of my favorites. ELAINE You made the front page. He hands her a dog. CATES Yeah, Guess it must have been a slow news day... ELAINE Jack, are you okay? CATES Sure, okay, fine, no problem... See, there's this kid in jail ... First thing I got to do is go up and see what he knows ... He points to the file. ELAINE I thought you might come over to my place to recuperate. I don't have to go to work until the day after tomorrow. They begin to stroll down the street. CATES I got nothing to recuperate from. There's a guy out there with my gun, and I want it back. She's not happy with this attitude. ELAINE Look, spare me the macho bullshit about your gun... CATES Bullshit? I'll tell you about bullshit. My gun's a real weapon in the hands of a real maniac who knows how to use it. It isn't my macho bullshit that's killing people, my gun is ... ELAINE Look, Jack, if you make everything your personal responsibility, you'll turn into a bad cop. It's not a practical way to function... CATES I didn't get burned, two cops did. Listen, I'll tell you about personnel responsibility. I like to get the job done right. And if I don't get my job done right... I'm for shit. ELAINE Here it comes again ... the sacred job... CATES That's right. I'm not like you. I'm not gonna sit on my ass wondering what's right and what's wrong... There's a psycho out there killing people with my gun and I'm gonna get him. Because it's my job. And if you don't get that... ELAINE I get that. The job first. Everything else, especially me, second. I get it. I don't like it. Pause. CATES No one asked you to like it... But that's the way it is. TRANSITION. PRISON CELL BLOCK - DAY Cates and a GUARD on the upper deck approaching the door to the cell block... The Guard shouts upward. GUARD Open Nine. With a huge metal clatters the door to the cell block opens. CELL BLOCK - NEAR ENTRANCE Cates and the Guard go through the door. GUARD Close Nine. They move forward together. GUARD (continuing) It's Number Twenty-two... You want company? CATES No, no thanks. The Guard shrugs, stays by the door. CATES He walks down the cell block. Inmates stare at him from inside the stark cells. They don't know who he is, but they can smell a cop. Cates stops at Twenty-two, looks inside... a bit startled. Obviously, Reggie Hammond has connections and taste. The paint is fresh; there's framed prints on the wall instead of pin-ups, and the overall feeling is that of a graduate school dorm rather than a prison. Cates turns, nods to the Guard at the end of the cell block. He throws a switch and the door opens. HAMMOND'S CELL Cates steps inside. Hammond is at a table wearing a Sony Walkman and writing in some detailed ledgers with a fountain pen. He's boogeying in his seat to the music. Sprawled on a bunk nearby is LEROY, another black inmate close to Hammond's age. Leroy is leafing through a copy of a skin magazine. He doesn't even look at Cates. CATES Hammond. Cates steps inside the cell. CATES (continuing) Hammond! No answer. Cates leans over, hits the override button on the Sony. CATES (continuing) Hammond! Hammond jumps, grabs his ears in pain ... He pulls the headset off and glares at Cates. HAMMOND You got a name, cop? CATES Try Cates. And let's talk in private, okay? HAMMOND Sure, anything you want. He tosses the Walkman to Leroy who dutifully puts it on. CATES Look, convict, I know all about you. Single. No fixed address. No known relatives. One previous conviction. Armed robbery... six months to go on a three-year sentence. HAMMOND You here to write my life story? CATES Not likely, Reggie. Maybe I just need some help. Cates takes the forensic photo out of his pocket, passes it across the table to Hammond. He looks at it, hardly reacts. HAMMOND Henry Wong... My old pal. He's looked better... He passes the photo back. HAMMOND (continuing) Look, I got just six months before gettin' out of here. Six months between me and freedom after bein' here three years... And I'm not gonna do anything to screw it up, includin' pee in the prison yard, knock up the Warden's daughter or rat on my old partners... Cates swings the cell door back open. CATES Too bad, Reggie. I thought maybe you were a smart boy. But I guess if you were real smart you wouldn't be a convict. He smiles, decides to play his card. CATES (continuing) I can see a second-rater like you wouldn't be any help at all goin' up against a real hard case like Ganz. Hammond jerks his head around. HAMMOND Ganz? Pause. HAMMOND (continuing) Ganz the one who shot Henry? Cates, I asked you a question... Cates smiles. CATES Yeah, I noticed... HAMMOND Ganz is in jail. He's gonna be there two years after I'm on the street. CATES Didn't work out that way. He busted out with a big Indian. They capped two guards on a road gang. Nice meeting you Reggie. He turns, goes out. The door clangs behind him. Hammond jumps up and bangs on the bars, shouts at Cates' back... HAMMOND Cates, Come back here. Cates turns, saunters back, leans against the door. CATES Yeah? HAMMOND I can deliver Ganz. But you gotta get me outta here first. CATES You're crazy. HAMMOND I can help you, man, but you gotta get me out. I got to be on the street. Get me outta here. CATES What's the big deal about you bein' on the street? HAMMOND I got a lot to protect. CATES Bullshit. HAMMOND It's the only way you're gonna get Ganz. CATES I'll think about it. TRANSITION. Cates typing several of official looking documents while seated across from a rather dour-looking bureaucrat named BOB. CATES Let me borrow your pen, Bob. Handed over by Bob. BOB You going to use your own name? CATES Shit, no. CANDY He begins signing the documents. BOB Jack, just remember one thing. If all this comes down, you don't know me. I'm not gonna burn for you. And I'll tell you something else. If it all comes down, your ass is new-mown grass. CATES Right. Hey, no sweat. He hands over the papers. Smiles. BOB BOB You got him for 48 hours. Bob studies the sheet. BOB (continuing) You got a big career as a forger if you decide to go that way, Jack... I'll ring security. TRANSITION. PROCESS ROOM - PRISON - DAY The GUARD leads Hammond to a steel cage. Harmnond's now wearing a beautifully tailored plaid suit. The Guard shouts to ANOTHER GUARD on the far side. GUARD Prisoner G21355 ... Hammond. SECOND GUARD Okay. Send him through. The gate slides open. The Guard geztures for Hairmond to enter. Hammond walks to the far side of the pen. The first gate closes, the second one opens. Hammond turns and walks over to Cates. The Guard comes up to Cates, double checks his orders then unlocks Hammond's cuffs. GUARD Gotta sign for him. CATES Sure thing... He looks over at Hammond who smiles at him. Then looks at Harmond's clothes... CATES (continuing) This prison gives out $400 suits? HAMMOND What are you talkin' about? This suit's mine. It cost $900. Hammond dusts off a sleeve. CATES We're supposed to be after a killer, not a string of hookers... HAMMOND Listen, it may be a little out of date. You know, I got a reputation for lookingreal sharp with the ladies... Cates hands some papers to the Guard. GUARD He's all yours. The Guard walks away as Hammond feels Cates' lapel. HAMMOND We could change this for something good...Get you lookin' sharp for pussy. Cates gives him a look. CATES I don't need to hear your jive. I already got that department taken care of... HAMMOND You got a girl... shit... the generosityof women never ceases to amaze me. Cates slaps a cuff on Hammond's outstrethand, then puts the other on his own wrist. HAMMOND (continuing) Hey, no way. Take off the bracelets or no deal. CATES You just don't get it, do your Reggie? There isn't any deal. I own your ass. HAMMOND No way to start a partnership. CATES Get this. We ain't partners. We ain't brothers. We ain't friends. I'm puttin' you down and keepin' you down until Ganz is locked up or dead. And if Ganz gets away, you're gonna be sorry we ever met. HAMMOND Shit. I'm already sorry. Cates yanks on the cuffs. They move away. ? TRANSITION. OUTSIDE THE JAIL - DAY CATES LEADS HAMMOND OUT. THEY HEAD FOR CATES' BATTERED CADILLAC. HAMMOND This your car, man? CATES Yeah. HAMMOND It looks like you bought it off one of the brothers. As they approach the car... CATES Okay, let's get down to it. I did my part and got you out. So now you tell me where we're goin'? HAMMOND Don't worry, I got a move for ya. An awesome move. A guy named Luther. Ganz'll be paying him a visit. We go to him right away. CATES Luther was part of the gang? HAMMOND What gang you talkin' about, Jack? CATES I can read a police file, shithead, and quit calling me Jack. HAMMOND Just an expression man, don't mean nothin'. Cates gets behind the wheel and kicks the engine over. CATES I don't give a damn. It happens to be my name. HAMMOND Then what're you complainin' about? At least nobody's calling you shithead.... CATES I may call you worse than that. Cates drives off. EXT. STREET - MISSION DISTRICT - DAY Cates' Cadillac purrs into view, entering a deserted street within a rundown neighborhood. INT. CADDY Hammond seated next to Cates. HAMMOND Just up the street, the other side, over there ... Now, don't bother knockin' on the door. Luther ain't the kind of guy that looks for company. CATES Your pal nuts enough to take a shot at me? HAMMOND Luther ain't the reliable type. I don't want you shot yet, Cates ... not before you been a help to me. CATES I'm helpin' you, huh? Hammond smiles. HAMMOND Yeah. Didn't you know that? STREET The Caddy pulls to a stop. HAMMOND Over there...232... Cates double-checks his .38. HAMMOND (continuing) You better let me borrow one of those. Cates smiles. CATES Sure thing, asshole. Handcuffs Hammond to the door handle. Grabs the car keys. CATES (continuing) You just hang on. And hope this big move of yours turns out to be something. Opens the car door. CATES (continuing) LUTHER'S VICTORIAN Cates knocks at the door. Nothing. Knocks again ... no response.. From inside, he hears a faint noise but no response to the knock. Holding the .38 in one hand, Cates tries the knob with the other. The door opens. Cautiously, Cates steps inside. INT. LUTHER'S VICTORIAN Long corridor ahead. No sign of Luther. CATES Moves down the corriaor, checks the rooms off to one sides. LUTHER LUTHER slips into the hallway behind Cates... Cates turns just as he gets to the kitchen. Luther holds a gun. Cates drops to a crouch and aims the .38. Luther whirls and fires at Cates. As wood and plaster fly out all round him, Cates makes a running dive for the floor. Luther runs out before Cates has regainehis feet. STREET Luther rushes out the front door and heads toward the Cadillac. HAMMOND Watches as Luther heads down the sidewaltoward him. As he starts to pass by... Hammond steps out suddenly... Flattens him with the car door. Luther drops, stunned. Hammond, still restricted by being cuffed to the door handle, reaches and grabs his pistol. CATES Hammond, Drop the Goddamn gun. Hammond looks up. He sprints across the pavement. Aims his gun at Hammond. HAMMOND Quit playin' cop and undo this cuff, Jack, I need to talk to this man. CATES I'm tellin' you to drop the Goddam gun. HAMMOND I got a whole thing about people pointin' guns at me. CATES Just throw me the Goddamn gun. Long moment. Then Hammond smiles and tosses him Luther's pistol. Luther groans. Cates puts his foot on Luther's belly and pulls himself into a standing position, cuffs him. HAMMOND Luther, I always told you the physical side of life wasn't your gig. Look at you, all messed up... Course you never were much in the snappy dresser department, were you? Cates now has Luther ready to be questioned. CATES Come on, talk to him. Hammond turns to smile at Luther. HAMMOND What's happening, Luther? LUTHER I thought you were inside... HAMMOND Meet my travel Agent. Luther leans forward, looks straight at Cates. LUTHER A cop... CATES I sure ain't his fairy godmother... now I'm looking for Ganz...where is he? LUTHER Haven't seen him for years. That's the truth. CATES You just took a shot at me, asshole. I think you do know where he is. LUTHER Who gives a fuck what you think? Cates grabs the still open Cadillac door, slams it into Luther. He falls backwards. Cates looks at Hammond. CATES Hey, this works pretty good. HAMMOND Thank you. CATES Want to try it again? Luther sits up again, glares at Cates. LUTHER Ganz and Billy got my girl, Rosalie. CATES I think I met her. Now tell us something we don't know, like where they stashed her. LUTHER I don't know. Cates slams the car door agains him again. HAMMOND I gotta tell you he's having a ball with this car door, Luther... You'd better think of somethin' to tell him. Luther besitates...flashes a look at Hammond, who sends him a silent fleeting reply. Maybe Cates sees this. Maybe not. LUTHER He ... he wants me to help him skip town. CATES When? How? LUTHER I dunno ... he's gonna call me... Another look at Hammond. LUTHER (continuing) He's gonna call me on...Tuesday. Something's wrong with all this. Cates isn't sure just what. Not yet. He looks at Hammond. CATES What do you think? HAMMOND I think you better put him on ice, man. CATES He's gotta take that call ... if there is one. HAMMOND If you let him run around till Tuesday, he's gonna run right to Ganz and warn him. Ain't you, motherfucker? Luther makes a play toward Hammond, who laughs, doesn't even flinch. HAMMOND (continuing) Luther, are you angry with me? Cates wrestles Luther into the back seat, turns to Hammond. CATES I don't know what the hell you're smiling about, watermelon. Your big move turned out to be shit. HAMMOND Just stares at Cates, keeps smiling... TRANSITION. BOOKING - POLICE PRECINCT - NIGHT Two Uniforms follow a sullen Luther, Cates and Hammond to the DUTY SERGEANT... Cates speaks to him through the small window. CATES Assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon. Carrying a concealed weapon. Resisting arrest, Disturbing the peace. Public nuisance... The Sergeant begins typing out an arrest form. CATES (continuing) I'll think up a few more and file the report tomorrow. Cates looks back at Hammond as Luther is hauled away. CATES (continuing) Come on, I gotta make a phone call. As they move through the honeycomb of office partitions. CATES (continuing) You stay with me. Cates picks up the phone on the other side of the booking desk. Dials ... waits for a response as TWO HOOKERS are led past by an Arresting Officer. Hammond gives them the eye. CATES (continuing) This is Jack Cates. Any messages? ELAINE'S APARTMENT Elaine is on the kitchen phone, speakingwhite putting her coat on over her uniform for the evening. One look at the way it is cut and you know why she hates her job. ELAINE Just one. Some lady called. Said she's a little hot-headed sometimes... But she still wants her occasional roommate. She'd like to talk it over after she gets off work tonight... if it's humanly possible.... CATES Elaine, look, I'm in the middle of sone stuff right now... I'm not gonna have time to come by. I don't know when I can get there. Her face falls. Making the offer was hard enough. ELAINE Come on, Jack ... you're making me work too Goddamn hard at this... Jack is very irritated by this turn of events. CATES Listen, Goddamn it if you think I'm happy about it, you're nuts. I just gotta take care of a few things, okay? ELAINE This is not the way people who care for each other are supposed to behave. Cates says nothing. She hangs up angrily. BOOKING Hammond is working on the girls. HAMMOND Excuse me, ladies, you seem to be in need of assistance. HOOKER TWO Look, we got enough problems, we don't need no tight-ass court- appointed lawyer trying to bullshit us! HAMMOND Sweetheart, I'm not trying to bullshit you. I don't know whether or not you ladies heard but the city is coming down real hard on people practicing unlawful carnal knowledge. HOOKER ONE So what are you trying to say, fella? HAMMOND I'm trying to say that you're not just walk in that courtroom and get gonna slapped with a $50 fine and be back on the street turning tricks tonight. You both are going to do some time. About 30 days each... Unless, of course,we talk real business. HOOKER TWO So where do you want to do it, honey? You wanna hop up on the counter? HAMMOND No, we can go to the back room. Cates walks over and pulls him by the shoulder. CATES We're on the move. Let's go. As they walk toward a corridor. HAMMOND Do you know how close I was to getting some trim. And you fucked' it up. CATES Yeah, well, my ass bleeds for you. And I didn't get you out so you could go on a Goddamn "trim" hunt... stop moaning. HAMMOND Speakin' of moans my Stomach is startin' to growl. CATES We eat when I say we eat. HAMMOND Bullshit ... I ain't moving till I get something to eat. You've been treating me like shit ever since I came out here. If you don't like it, you can take me back to the penitentiary and kiss my hungry black ass good-bye. And I want some food some place nice.. Some good people, nice music... CATES Yeah, I'm hungry too. I know of a place. Let's go eat. HAMMOND Yeah, I want mandolins, flowers... They move off down the corridor. TRANSITION. UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT - NIGHT INT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS Cates and Hammond at a candy machine. Cates drops in a quarter, throws Hammond a candy bar... CATES There's your God-damn dinner. Now, let's go. They move toward a row of parked cars. AT THE CADDY HAMMOND Who'd you call on the phone back at the booking station? CATES Just get in the car and keep your mouth shut. Hammond gets in the car as Cates readjusts Elaine's scarf on the mirror. HAMMOND Must of been your lady friend... Cates frowns at him. HAMMOND (continuing) You really do have onoe, huh, Jack... what's her problem besides you? CATES She's got the same complaint as half the Goddamn population. She can't get the job she's trained for and it pisses her off... Anyway, what the fuck do you care? Cates climbs in behind the wheel of the Cadillac. HAMMOND No, man, tell me about her. In jail they got me surrounded by guys wearin' blue suits twenty- four hours a day. And I ain't built for that. Really? With the clothes you got on you look like you'd love it. Cates takes a belt from his flask. CATES Now, where we goin', convict? HAMMOND Mission District. Gonna find us an Indian. Cates starts the motor, slams it into gear. Accelerates out to the street. TRANSITION. EXT. CITY STREET NIGHT Cates and Hammon booming along in the Caddy. HAMMOND Come on, Jack. I want to hear about your girl. When were you with her last ... You get what I mean? Smiles. Cates smiles back at him, almost cruelly CATES I don't give out the details. HAMMOND Last night, two nights ago, three? Cates keeps smiling. CATES Last night. HAMMOND You have a good time? Pained expression on Cates' face as he comes back to reality. CATES Sure. Then we had a fight this morning. HAMMOND At least you took care of business and got the important part in before she came down on you...Tell me a little about her. She got great tits? Cates gives him a hard look. CATES I get the feeling it's going to be real long night. They keep driving. TRANSITION. MISSION DISTRICT - STREET - NIGHT The Cadillac drives slowly past a bar called Torchie's. Stops at the end of the block. CATES Well? HAMMOND It's a long shot, but...Billy used to tend bar here a few years back. I heard him talk about it. CATES This part of town, they'll make us for heat the second we walk in. Just back me up like you've got a piece... HAMMOND Back you up? Now why would I wanna do that? CATES If they kick my ass, they'll sure as hell carve yours up... HAMMOND But you can handle it all right, huh? Real amazin' how far a gun and a badge can carry some cats... CATES Bullshit. Attitude and experience get you through... Cates and Hammond step out, glance toward the bar. HAMMOND I been in a lot of bars where a white cop rousted me and some of the brothers. All those clowns ever had going for 'em was a gun and a badge... CATES You need five years training to handle a joint like... Hamnond's had enough of this debate. HAMMOND Hey, you wanna bet? CATES I got two problems. Number one, I'm not playin' games. Number two, you got nothin' to bet with. HAMMOND If we come outta this joint with Ganz' phone number, or a dead Indian, or anything else useful, then you could turn the other way for half an hour while I get laid... CATES Why? Anybody that talks about women as much as you do probably can't get it up anyway. HAMMOND That's never been one of my problems. Now, stop stallin', man, or else admit all this professional stuff you're talkin' about is a crock of shit. CATES I'll tell you what happens if you lose... you tell the truth for once. HAMMOND What are you talkin' about? CATES You tell me what Ganz busted out for, he's after a lot more than just gettin' out of jail. And whatever it is, you're part of it. HAMMOND I don't know what you're talking about. I just wanna see Ganz nailed. CATES The bet's off. Hammond thinks it over.. HAMMOND Okay, if I lose, I'll tell you anything you want to know... Cates reaches into his pocket. CATES I'm gonna enjoy this ... here, I'll even loan you my badge. HAMMOND I thought you said bullshit and experience are all it takes. He takes the badge anyway as they head for the entrance. TORCHIE'S WESTERN BAR They step inside. Hammond reacts to... REDNECK CITY Longhorns mounted over the bar, Rebel Flags, Lone Star Beer, armadillo posters. Even the waitresses wear Stetsons. Rockabilly pounding from the jukebox. A Cowgirl Stripper is doing the grind on a small podium. HAMMOND This place don't seem real popular with the brothers. CATES My kind of place. I always liked country boys. Cates smiles, finds a table in the corner. A Cowgirl comes over to take his order. HAMMOND Takes a deep breath, moves toward the bar. Smiles at the good ol' boys. They don't smile back. He sits down at the bar. BARTENDER Yeah. HAMMOND Vodka. BARTENDER Maybe you better have a Black Russian. HAMMOND No, man, I think I'll have a vodka. Hamnond looks around the room. THE BARTENDER places a glass in front of him, picks up the dollar as Harmond flashes Cates' shield. HAMMOND You know a big Indian named Billy Bear? He used to work here. The Bartender shakes his head, gives him a scowl. BARTENDER Never heard of him. Hammond lifts the shot glass and throws it through the mirror behind the bar. Sudden silence throughout the room. HAMMOND Now how's your memory doin'? BARTENDER Fuck off. I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about. HAMMOND Maybe I better ask around, see what your pals think. BARTENDER I don't give a shit who you ask. The Bartender walks down toward Cates. HAMMOND Moves away from the bar. He stops at a booth occupied by FOUR COWBOY PUNKS, one a very big man. Hammond grabs him by the arm and pulls him up. HAMMOND Up against the wall, cowboy. The Punk breaks free, aims a massive haymaker at Hammond. Gets a right to the stomach for his trouble. HAMMOND (continuing) Now, I said get over there by that wall ... You hear me, motherfucker... Looks at the others. HAMMOND (continuing) Move it, rednecks. On your feet... He grabs the next by the arm, yanks him up. HAMMOND (continuing) Over there...move your ass. Some of you rednecks seem a little hard of hearing, so I'll repeat it for everybody... I need word on the whereabouts of an Indian that goes by the name of Billy Bear. It's a police matter and you all look like you'd just love to cooperate... CATES Quietly sips his beer. The other occupants of the bar watch Hammond herd the four Punks to the end wall. A BIG COWBOY when Hammond isn't looking, he dashes toward the exit, Cates puts out a leg. Sends the Cowboy crashing into a crowdedtable. HAMMOND Turns around at the noise. HAMMOND (continuing) That wasn't necessary, buddy. I got this under control. CATES Some of us citizens are with you all the way, Officer. The Redneck Punks are now spread-eagled against the wall. Hammond searches the first. He drops a wallet on the floor and moves to the second. A switchblade, some credit cards and another wallet fall to the floor. The last Punk has only a roll of bills. Hammond holds the money up to his face. HAMMOND You're in trouble, big trouble, so you better start talking. Where'd a boy like you make a score like this? PUNK It's mine, what the hell... HAMMOND You must a rolled somebody. They don't let punks like you take jobs that pay this much ... you sure you don't know a dangerous Indian, because unless you start talkin' I may just have to start looking down your pants with a flashlight... PUNK What kind of cop are you, anyway? HAMMOND I am your most terrible nightmare ... a bad nigger with a badge that entitles him to kick your ass... Hammond turns to the Bartender... HAMMOND (continuing) One of them is under-age. Another attacked a police officer. And you know I ain't found what I came lookin' here for yet... Walks back to the Bartender. HAMMOND (continuing) The tall one had a weapon ... you want me to keep on makin' a list, or you got the picture yet? He reaches for a towel under a pyramid of bar glasses. Jerks the towel, the pyramid capsizes onto the floor. Huge crash as the glasses break into a million fragments. HAMMOND (continuing) Looks like you're on your way to bein' outta business, redneck... Now, let's see what can we fuck with next? The Bartender doesn't have the look of a happy man. BARTENDER Okay, okay. The Indian hangs out with a girl down the block. Right where Chinatown starts. She lives on top of the hardware store. Hammond turns, grins at Cates. As far as he's concerned, he's won the bet. Cates nods, slips out the door. HAMMOND I don't give a damn about his girl... BARTENDER Look, give me a break, you're going to have to settle for her place. It's the only thing I know. He looks desperate. BARTENDER (continuing) I'm tellin' ya, I'm giving you all I know. HAMMOND Try obeyin' the law once in awhile, and I won't have to hassle you... Turns to go, then turns back. HAMMOND (continuing) But remember this, cowboy, there's a new sheriff in town. Smiles, turns and goes. TRANSITION. STREET - ACROSS FROM TORCHIE'S - NIGHT Hammond steps out of the bar. He crosses to Cates by the car. CATES I think you got something for me. Pause. CATES (continuing) The gun you took off that redneck in there. Hammond smiles. HAMMOND You made that move, huh? CATES While you're at it, You can give me the switchblade, too. Hammond reluctantly takes out a .22 automatic, slams it down on the hood of the car. CATES (continuing) Credit cards? Hammond hands them over with the knife. HAMMOND You already got a gun and you owe me a piece of ass. I'll settle for the gun you just took. A long moment. Then Cates slowly lifts the .22 automatic. CATES You did a real good job... Guess you deserve a reward. Removes the clip. Throws it across the street. Hands Hammond the automatic. HAMMOND Motherfucker. He throws the gun away. CATES I sure am. Now let's go get us an Indian. They walk up the block. TRANSITION. STREET - CHINATOWN - NIGHT Neon signs with Sino lettering. CATES AND HAMMOND Walk down the street, spot a shop with a window display of tools. Look up at the darkened apartment windows. They walk to the end of the block. ALLEY Stairwells lead to each apartment above the shops. Cates and Hammond move along the buildings... Arrive at the back of the hardware store. Quietly, they start to ascend the stairs. STAIRWELL The metal steps extend onto a platform by the back door. Cates leans over the railings to look through the adjacent window. Between the drawn curtains, a flickering glimmer from a TV set. On the tube, various poses from stridently exercising women. HAMMOND What the shit is that? Looks again. A female form passes by, goes out of the room. CATES There. HAMMOND Must be billy's girl. CATES Come on. DOORWAY Cates gestures to the door lock. Hammond fiddles with it for several moments. The door swings open. They step into a darkened room. APARTMENT Cates takes the .38 from his pocket. He stops near the open bedroom doorway. He looks at Hammond and then both men step quickly into the room. CATES Police! Nobody move! Hammond reaches for the light switch. Takes a heavy blow. Slumps against the door. A Woman's voice screams out. CATES (continuing) Stay where you are! The light goes on. Cates' gun points at a YOUNG WOMAN (CASEY) in a flimsy dressing gown. Saturday Night Special held between her palms, police style... A SECOND WOMAN (SALLY) stands beside Hammond at the light switch. Larger and slightly older than the first, she wears a man's shirt. Holds a baseball bat in her right hand. SALLY You better drop it or he's gonna get another one. HAMMOND Hey, talk to here jack. I don't feel like gettin' number two along side of the head. CATES I said police. Now drop the goddamn gun. CASEY Don't give me that police shit. You drop it. Pause. CATES Okay, look, don't shoot. I'm just reachin' for my badge. Cates takes out his badge-Shows it to Casey. CASEY I don't like this bullshit. I've seen fake badges before. HAMMOND I'll tell you something lady, this guy is a real nervous cop - He's just liable to pull the trigger. Cates takes two steps toward Casey... CATES Naw, I'm the calm type. I know you don't want me to shoot you, and I know that you don't want to shoot me. He takes two more steps toward her. CATES (continuing) Shooting a cop puts you away for a long time. Holds out his hand. CASEY You assholes better be real. She hands Cates the gun. Sally prods Hammond with the baseball bat. SALLY Just wait a Goddamn second here, let's see your badge... He snatches the bat out of her hands. HAMMOND Don't have one. SALLY I knew it. Call the cops. Casey walks over to the phone. CATES Tell them it's Cates, Detective 31st District. Then put your clothes on. If you don't answer some questions I'm taking both your asses in. After a moment, Casey puts down the phone. CATES (continuing) Now, let's cut out the crap, which one of you sees Billy Bear? SALLY None of your business, cop. The son of a bitch isn't here, and he isn't coming back. CATES You can do better than that. Turns to Casey. CATES (continuing) How about it? CASEY I used to go with him...I don't know where the hell he is. I haven't seen him for two weeks. And I don't think I will. He owes me money... SALLY He's a Goddamn lowlife, the way he treated her. CATES Sounds like a real stormy romance. CASEY I don't much care what it sounds like to you, Cop. All I know is that I went a few laps around the track with him and I ended up with nothin' but the short end of the stick. Cates looks over at Hammond. CATES Let's go. HAMMOND Wait a minute. Maybe these ladies would like to go a few laps with us. How about it? I been nearly three years in prison and... SALLY Fuck off. CATES Come on... Hannond starts for the door with Cates. CASEY If you find that bastard, Billy, tell him to stay out of my life. I don't need any more of his macho bullshit. TRANSITION. STREET CHINATOWN - NIGHT The two men walk among the bright neon lights. Neither of them very happy. CATES This sucks. A maniac gets hold of my gun and goes all over the streets killing people with it. So, instead of me being where I oughta be, which is in bed giving my girl the high, hard one, I'm out here doing this shit, roaming around with some overdressed, charcoal-colored loser like you. HAMMOND You wanna leave, man? Let me take care of Ganz all by myself. CATES You? Don't make me laugh. You can't take care of shit. You've been dicking me around since we started on this turd-hunt. All you're good for is games... So far, what I got outta you is nothin'... HAMMOND I'm impressed with you too, Jack you did a real good job of busting up a couple of dykes bedded down for the night. CATES Luther knew more than he told me and so do you...Now you better tell we what the fuck this is all about. I gave you 48 hours to come up with something and the clock's runnin' ... A long look at Hammond. HAMMOND Maybe I don't like the way you ask. CATES Who gives a Goddamn what you think? You're just a crook that's got a weekendpass ... You're not even a name anymore. Just a spear- chucker with a Goddamn number stenciled on the back of his prison fatigues... They walk past. TRANSITION. STREET ACROSS FROM TORCHIE'S - NIGHT They two men walk toward the Cadillac. CATES Okay, Reggie, I'm done playing around. I want to know what's going on and I'm going to beat the living shit out of you until you tell me. Hammond goes into a street rap. HAMMOND You beat the shit out of me? Don't make me laugh, sucker. You don't know how I'd dance on your face? I'll hit you so hard, so many times, you'll wish you'd never been hatched. I'll turn your face into cottage cheese. I'll make your girl think you been takin' ugly pills. She won't even know who you are, sucker. They stop by the car. Cates takes the gun out, lays it on the hood. Hammond stares at him. Cates next takes out his wallet, shows Hammond his badge, then lays the badge on the car fender... Smiles. CATES I guess the first thing I ought, to explain to you, nigger, is I fight dirty. Hits Hammond a tremendous right hand full in the face. Hammond sags, grabs onto the car fender for support. Cates hesitates ... and Hammond kicks out, sending the partially open car door slamming into Cates. Cates sprawls. HAMMOND So do I. Hammond aims a kick at Cates' head. Cates blocks it with crossed forearms, grabs, twists. Hammond tumbles, rolls away from Cates. Both men struggle to their feet, circle each other. Hammond moves in only to receive twoquick blows from Cates, a bit sooner than he expected. Cates smiles. Hammond dances in and out... Cates' breathing becomes more labored. His windmill attack penetrates Cates' defense. Cates clears his head, charges, bull-like ... His rush and greater bulk send both of them crashing into some trash cans and a brick wall. Hammond is faster... Cates is much stronger; Both men on their knees. They look at one another. Silently, they move to their feet. Hammond's back is to a wall... Cates keeps him there, negates the lighter man's agility. They slug away, each now arm-weary... Exchange a dozen blows. Finally, Cates steps back, arms at his side... Breath coming like a bellows... Hammond has to hold on to the wall; one more punch would put him out. CATES Now, you bastard, you going to tell me what's going on... Puffing away. CATES (continuing) ... Do I have to kick the shit out of you some more. They stand facing one another. Hammond smiles. A black-and- white comes roaring up the street. Sirens howling, red lights flashing, it slides to a stop. TWO UNIFORMED COPS jump out, guns drawn. FIRST COP All right, you two. Don't move. CATES NO, no...it's okay...I'm police. SECOND COP Yeah, sure. Get your hands above your head. He keeps his gun trained on Cates,and Hammond. CATES My gun and badge are over there. And I'm too fucking tired to raise my hands... Hammond rubs the side of his face. Cates falls back against the patrol car. Still fighting for breath. The First Cop lifts Cates' wallet off the Cadillac and looks at his badge, shows it to the other cop. FIRST COP What the hell's going on here? Cates walks over, pockets his gun. SECOND COP I've got a burglary call. Two women say a couple of hoods broke into their place posing as cops. CATES I was following a lead. We rousted them... Go up and sweet talk 'em. You can straighten it out. The First Cop checks out Cates' badge and I.D. FIRST COP Why don't you do it? We got better things to do than straighten out your messes. CATES So do I. I'll file a report tomorrow. The First Cop takes out his book, starts writing. He's pissed. FIRST COP I gotta file a..Report tonight asshole... CATES Goes with the territory. He grabs Hammond and they head for the Cadillac. TRANSITION. ALL-NIGHT GAS STATION Cadillac parked behind the service area. RESTROOM Hammond looks' up at his bruised face in the mirror, then washes up. Cates is one step ahead of him. He rolls up a piece of the wet towel and inserts it over his bleeding gum. HAMMOND Too bad we got interrupted when we did. I was getting ready to finish you off. Cates straightens up from the wash basin. CATES Yeah, right. You want to try again? HAMMOND Naw, you'd just call your pals back to bail you out one more time. CATES They saved your ass, convict. HAMMOND One thing's for sure, Jack. That's how you'll tell the story. Cates dries off his face, starts out of the washroom. CATES I'll even put it in my report that way. The door closes behind Cates. Hammond leans back toward the mirror, nudges a tooth with his finger. HAMMOND Motherfucker. GAS STATION PARKING LOT Cates leans on the Cadillac as Hammond emerges. Hammond starts for the passenger side. CATES Wait a minute. Hammond stops. CATES (continuing) You come clean or we're going to go again. Right here, right now. Pause. A long moment; Hammond decides be has no choice. HAMMOND I been waiting a long time for some money. CATES How much? HAMMOND Half a million. CATES Jesus. Hammond smiles his meanest smile. HAMMOND How's that for a number to give you heart failure? Guess you might start to get the picture after all. Mlaybe you're on the wrong side of the old law and order business.. Cates is unmoved. CATES Just tell me about the money. HAMMOND Me and my bunch hit a dealer in the middle of a sale. It's the kind of money nobody ever reports stolen. I was sittin' pretty, livin' in the high cotton, then somebody fingered me for another job. ... Some psycho who's out there capping people with some cop's gun. CATES He's after your money. HAMMOND You catch on real fast...Okay, Jack, let's talk deal. How much of my money you gonna let me keep? Cates just looks at him. HAMMOND (continuing) We split 50-50? CATES Not likely, convict. HAMMOND You gonna let me keep any of it? CATES Depends on how things work out. I believe in the merit system. So far you haven't built up any points. He smiles. HAMMOND Okay, from now on, I'm gonna be real good, Jack. Cates smiles back. CATES Where's the money? HAMMOND In the trunk of a car. A lot better than under a mattress, right? Cates smiles. CATES Right, partner. HAMMOND Get this. We ain't partners. We ain't brothers. We ain't friends. If Ganz gets away with my money, you're gonna be sorry we ever met. CATES Yeah. Right. They get into the Caddy. Boom away. TRANSITION. The Cadillac moving through the city... Clock on the dashboard showing 4 a.m. Cates at the wheel. CATES (continuing) Where's the goddamn car? HAMMOND You're a real case, you know that, Jack? Smiles. HAMMOND (continuing) This'll show you how smart I am. I got it parked. CATES ...For three years? Let's hope it wasn't a tow-away zone. HAMMOND You just drove by it. The Cadillac makes a screeching U-turn,i swings into the curb. Cates leans out, looks at... PARKING BUILDING Narrow, multi-storied, with a garage-like opening and signals... proclaiming 'Weekly-Monthly-Long Term." CADILLAC CATES Okay, now what? Hammond gets out of the car. Stands on the sidewalk. Stretches. Then gets into the back seats. HAMMOND Since you're wired on benniest you get to stay up and stare at the building. I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep. They take Sunday off. Place opens at seven o'clock Monday morning. Wake me up at a quarter till... Cates stares at the place. CATES You son of a bitch. You knew where the money was all along and all we had to do was come here and wait. I almost got my ass blown off twice tonight for nothing. HAMMOND I wasn't sure the money was still there until we saw Luther. You almost got your ass shot off for nothing once, not twice, Jack. CATES Shit. THE CITY Beyond the skyline, grey streaks of dawn etch the sky. TRANSITION. The Cadillac is pulled up facing the streets down the block from the parking sections Cates walks in through the lot entrance. Threads his way between the lines of parked vehicles Tired and haggard, he carries a paper bag filled with quick-order food. CADILLAC Hammond stretches on the back seat. Cates slams the door shut. CATES I don't want you sleeping on the job. Hammond yawns, eases himself into a sitting position. HAMMOND The place opens in five minutes. Ganz ought to be here soon... Cates tears the paper bag open. Passes a cup of coffee and donut back. He sips his own coffee, adds some whiskey from his flask... pops another bennie. CATES You took a big chance, leaving this here all this time. HAMMOND Not really. I figured Ganz was put down for a long time. And I knew Luther would never job me on his own. He's too chickenshit. CATES Guess what? Luther just got in line. Hammond sits up. HAMMOND What? CATES Musta got some primo bondsman. HAMMOND Jesus Christ. That's a disgrace The guy pulls a gun on a cop and he's out in 24 hours. I tell you some of the courts these days are just a fucking revolving door. INT. PARKING LOT BUILDING Luther walks up to the window where a bored ATTENDANT reads a comic book. ATTENDANT Yeah? LUTHER I want to pick up my car. He passes across a faded form. ATTENDANT Name? LUTHER Hammond. The Attendant examines the form, surprised. ATTENDANT This is three years old. LUTHER Yeah, I've been busy. The Attendant opens a key file, begins rummaging in it. ATTENDANT We don't wash 'em, ya know. LUTHER How about chargin' the battery? ATTENDANT That we do. And we put air in the tires. I'll even sell you some gas if you need it. LUTHER Great, just great. The Attendant finds the key, exits the booth. Luther follows to an elevated stack of cars. The Attendant throws a switch, the stack of cars begins to move. STREET Luther drives down the exit ramp in a dated Porsche convertible. The car is covered with a uniform coat of dust, except for the windshield which has been wiped hastily clean. Luther waits for a break in the flow of traffic, drives out. Another street Luther turns onto a side street and then suddenly Cate's Cadillac appears ... starts to tail the Porsche. CADILLAC Cates follows Luther through several turns. The Porsche jerks whenever it speeds up or slows down. HAMMOND Jesus Christ, look at all the dust on my car...why in the hell don't he take it to a car wash? CATES Didn't know you darker people went in for foreign jobs. HAMMOND I had no choice. Some white asshole bought the last piece of shit skyblue Cadillac. ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. INT. CADDY As they follow Luther. CATES You'd think the guy'd be smart enough to know he was being tailed. HAMMOND Tryin' to save his girl, man. He's in another world. CATES If I was his size and had Ganz on my ass, I'd just leave town. HAMMOND I'm tellin' you the man's in love... he wants to be a hero for his girl. CATES Oh, yeah, does bein' in love make you stupid? ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. As they follow Luther. CATES I suppose you'd never be like Luther and let a woman get to you... HAMMOND I let women get to me. The quest for pussy is the meaning of life ... I got my own personal philosophy about 'em. Keep women separate from guns, money and business ... women are for spending money. They got nothing to do with helping you make it. CATES That ain't philosophy. That's common sense. ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. INT. CADDY As they follow Luther. HAMMOND Say, do you always work people over like you did Luther? CATES If they don't tell me what I need to know... HAMMOND Doesn't it get... Tiring? CATES I'm not in this 'cause it's fun. I'm not into hitting guys 'cause it makes me feel good either... I do it 'cause it works-... HAMMOND You got a very depressing view of life, man... you gotta smile once in awhile... ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. INT. CADDY As they follow Luther. CATES Maybe Luther hopes Ganz'll give him a piece of your money... HAMMOND If he's hoping that then he's dumber than I think he is, which would be amazin', cause I already think he's real dumb. ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. INT. CADDY As they follow Luther. HAMMOND A long time agb Luther must of got the shit beat out of him so bad it just rattled his brain ... that would account for him making so many wrong moves in a row... CATES Yeah, it doesn't look like he's gonna make it as a dangerous tough guy... ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. INT. CADDY As they follow Luther, HAMMOND You know, I'd be embarrassed if I let my wheels go the way you've done with this job. CATES What you don't understand is, I don't give a damn about how this thing looks. HAMMOND No class... CATES Class isn't somethin' you buy, punk. Look at you, five hundred dollar suit and you're still a lowlife. ANOTHER STREET The Caddy follows the Porsche. INT. CADDY As they follow Luther. HAMMOND We're getting too close ... Cates, what's the matter, you been takin' dumb pills? CATES Yeah, most cops are pretty dumb... But since you're the one that landed in jail what's that make you? ANOTHER STREET Luther pulls over to curb and parks. CADILLAC suddenly swings over several lanes of traffic and parks in driveway of parking lot. LUTHER - CATES & HAMMOND'S P.O.V. He goes to the trunk. Rummages there ... picks up a flaming red suit. INT. CADILLAC CATES That Goddamn suit is yours? Hammond winces. HAMMOND That was in style a couple years back, man. CATES Right. if you ever switch from armed robbery to pimping, then you're all set. Under the suit is a nondescript attache case. Luther takes it, closes the trunk. Beads down the sidewalk. CADILLAC HAMMOND That's the money, Jack. They jump out of the car, follow on foot. STREET Luther hurries along the sidewalk. He reaches the corner, turns quickly... CATES AND HAMMOND Following a little way behind. They pause at the corner, watching the pedestrian traffic move by. Then turn down the cross street after Luther. Follow him down a stairwell. SUBWAY STATION - LOBBY Escalators and open stairwells. Luther enters and pauses by the doorway. Commuters crowd the counters and congregate near the stairwells. More people are seated along hard plastic seats. But no Ganz. And no Billy. Luther moves further into the station. Cates and Hammond enter. They keep Luther fixed between them, 50 feet ahead. Luther seems to be wandering He walks through the shop area and back toward the escalator. Hammond remains near the arcade while Cates blends in with the commuters. Luther puts the briefcase down at his feet and leans against a counter. Next to him, a loud troop of Boy Scouts marches by. A crowd of people from the train area below flows through the lobby obscuring Luther from Hammond and Cates for a moment. Cates steps out to get a better view and suddenly spots Ganz moving through the crowd toward Luther. Be looks over at Hammond across the station and motions. Then they both start moving in on Ganz, trying to intercept him before he gets deeper into the crowd. Ganz moves cautiously through the station. A crumpled newspaper held absently in his hand. He scans the faces of the commuters and spots Luther. Fails to notice Cates and Hammond closing in on him from two directions. A PATROLMAN comes up. Starts chatting amiably with a Boy Scout next to Luther. Ganz hesitates in his approach. He motions Luther to move awaye, but Luther starts to panic when he sees Cates and Hammond closing in... Ganz reacts to Luther, turns and spots the two men. He makes an immediate break for open ground. The Patrolman sees Ganz start to run. The newspaper is thrown to the floor... Ganz swings Cates' .44 toward Hammond. PATROLMAN Hey--you! Ganz whirls, his feet slipping on the marble floor. His shot at Hammond goes plowing into the ceiling. The crowd starts to panic and run in all directions. The Patrolman has al ready brought his own gun out. Levels it at Ganz. PATROLMAN (continuing) Put it down. BILLY BEAR Suddenly appears, Rosalie at his side. Billy Bear's .44 blasts the Patrolman onto his back. Ganz comes up and scrambles through the screaming patrons. He, Billy and Rosalie head toward the escalator. Cates has already brought out his .38... Can't get a clean shot through the chaos. Hammond pushes his way through the crowd to Cates. HAMMOND Shoot the sons of bitches. Cates can't risk it... HAMMOND (continuing) You don't want to chance it, then give me the gun... A moment. HAMMOND (continuing) Bullshit. Then i'm staying with the money. CATES You stay with me... HAMMOND No way... Hammond starts after Luther. Cates turns, starts to aim at Hammond. Hesitates... PASSENGER WALKWAY Panic has overtaken everyone as they try to escape the madman with the gun. Ganz and Billy elbow and kick their way through the crowd, tugging Rosalie along... Cates, gun in hand, creates further-panic as he moves after Ganz. Ganz grabs a man beside him. Shoves him hard into the passengers in back. The man knocks over several more people creating a roadblock. Ganz vaults over the railing and starts for the trains. Cates loses a few more precious seconds grappling through the terrorized passengers... TRAIN AREA The usually jammed area looks like an empty stockyard. The patrons huddle in fear against any available wall. Cates bursts out of the stairwell... TUNNEL Red and green signal lights. The light goes red, a train roars up and the doors hiss open. Billy and Ganz fight through the passengers getting off the train, jump on board; Billy pulls Rosalie behind him. CATES Running for the doors... Suddenly, a SECURITY OFFICER appears, riot gun in hand. SECURITY OFFICER Freeze! CATES No! No! There they are! SECURITY OFFICER Just put it down real slow. The train doors close. CATES I'm a policeman, you asshole! SECURITY OFFICER Don't even try... now drop it or - you're all done. He means it, points the riot gun even closer... The train in front of him moves away. Cates carefully places the .38 on the pavement. Then raises his hands in the air. CATES Shit. TRAIN STATION - LOBBY Witnesses stand in nervous little knots. Give versions of what happened to notepad-toting patrolmen. Hospital Attendants minister to various and sundry complaints. Cates sits on a passenger bench, obviously dejected. A voice comes echoing from behind. HADEN Cates. Haden, silhouetted against the light from the street. HADEN (continuing) What the bell happened? CATES I lost them, that's what happened. HADEN How did they get away? CATES They ran. As fast as they could. Caught a train. Haden watches the Morgue Personnel wheel out the body of the Patrolman. HADEN Which one pulled the trigger? CATES The Indian. I was about 30 yards away. HADEN You couldn't get to him? Cates shrugs. HADEN (continuing) What a screw-up. CATES Right. I screwed up. I fucked up. I messed up. Anybody could have done better, especially you. I bet you're real good at hitting targets through crowds. Haden starts toward the street. Looks back at Cates. HADEN Don't duck the bullet Cates. Why didn't you call in for backup instead of makin' a grandstand play? CATES I didn't have the time. HADEN Too bad, it would've covered your ass. Now you're in the shit and so's the department. In case you haven't noticed, this wasn't our finest hour... I told you everyone was watchin' on this one. Maybe you better start thinkin' about writin' tickets off a three wheel bike. Cates looks at Haden for a moment... Turns and walks away. TRANSITION. PREDMORE HOTEL - NIGHT Hammond across the street from Predmore. Standing in a phone booth talking into the receiver... He turns and looks acain at the hotel... Hangs up. Walks into a nearby bar. TRANSITION. VROMAN'S ROCK CLUB HAMMOND Punk Dancers all over the floor. A rock group blasting away...("NEW SHOES" - Vocal) HAMMOND At a back booth... A MAN (SOSNA) approaches carrying a small suitcase. HAMMOND How you doing, man? SOSNA Not bad, not bad. Puts the suitcase down on the table. SOSNA (continuing) You want to go outside? HAMMOND Naw, right here's okay. Dancers sliding and jerking in front of them. SOSNA You sure? HAMMOND I'm sure. Everybody here's looking at everybody else's ass. Sosna pops open the suitcase. Lid shielding the contents from the patrons... SOSNA I got some real nice merchandise. All of it's clean. Suitcase arranged like q salesman's display case. Tightly spaced rows of handguns mounted in their holsters. HAMMOND I like this one... Pockets a revolver with a deft move. HAMMOND (continuing) How about some ammo? SOSNA It's loaded... I got some shells in here. Opens another compartment. Hammond helps himself to two boxes... HAMMOND How much? SOSNA This is clean shit. No serial numbers and never been used... HAMMOND Don't mess with me. How much? SOSNA Five bills. HAMMOND Five. On credit. SOSNA This ain't a credit business. You know that. HAMMOND Yeah, I know that, but this is me and we're old friends. I haven't got the money so what are you gonna do about it? SOSNA Give it back. HAMMOND Try and take it. A long moment. SOSNA Fuck you. You got no right for this kind of play. HAMMOND I'll got your money to you. No sweat. Hammonds heads for the bar. Stands next to a good-looking woman (RITA). Nods to the barkeep. HAMMOND (continuing) Vodka. With a twist. And I want to run a tab. Served up. He knocks half of it back, turns to the woman. HAMMOND (continuing) My name's Reggie Hammond. Big personality smile. RITA So what? She turns away as he takes a drink. He looks at another pretty girl (ANGELA). HAMMOND Hi there. I'm Reggie Hammond. ANGELA I'm with somebody. She turns away. HAMMOND This ain't my night. He drinks up. TRANSITION. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT Several Detectives are working at desks. Kehoe walks into the office. He moves slowly to Cates' desk and slumps down in a nearby chair. KEHOE You look awful. CATES So do you...been a long day. KEHOE Long night, too, from what I heard ... Word's going around that in addition to losing Ganz for the second time, and in addition to Haden busting you back to Patrolman, some jig beat the crap out of you. CATES Aw, bullshit, you heard wrong. KEHOE Doesn't look like it. CATES Nothing came in for me yet? No calls? KEHOE Nothing. Kehoe's phone begins to ring. Cates watches hopefully. KEHOE (continuing) Kehoe... Okay, hang on. Offers the phone to Cates. KEHOE (continuing) It's for you... Ordinance. Cates' excitement vanishes. He takes the receiver. Kehoe begins to clean off his desk. CATES Hello... Yeah, okay. I'll be in tomorrow. That's right, you can depend on it. Okay? He slams down the receiver, leans back in the chair. CATES (continuing) Bullshit red tape. KEHOE I'm heading out. How about you? Cates shakes his head. CATES I got to wait for a call. KEHOE Okay. See you in the morning... you know, you ought to get some rest... He walks out the door. Cates stares fixedly at the phone on the desk. Hoping Hammond will call... Across the room another phone starts to ring. Cates stares at the PLAINCLOTHESMAN who answers. PLAINCLOTHESMAN Yeah, he's here. Cates stiffens. PLAINCLOTHESMAN (continuing) Cates... line twelve. Cates snatches up the phone, shouts into it... CATES You motherfucker, where are you? ELAINE In the Chronicle Restaurant and Bar, a well appointed establishment off Montgomery Street. ELAINE I'm at work, asshole. Where else? CATES Elaine! I... I'm sorry... I was expecting somebody else... police business. ELAINE No wonder you're so popular. CATES No, it's I'm just surprised you called. ELAINE So am I. ELAINE CATES Jack, this afternoon... Hey, look, when... ELAINE You first. CATES Look, I'm sorry about ... the way things have been lately. I know I haven't been acting real great... Behind Cates, Kehoe steps back into the room. KEHOE Hey, Cates... Cates swings around. KEHOE (continuing) I almost forgot. That pal of yours from the Vice Squad wants you to call him. CATES What? ELAINE Jack, are you still there? KEHOE Yeah. He said he rousted a bar with you last night. CATES Jesus Christ. Why the hell didn't you tell me before? KEHOE I'm not paid to take your personal calls. He was in some bar. .. off duty. Cates interrupts. CATES The number ... what's the Goddamn number? ELAINE Jack? What was that? KEHOE Find it yourself. It's on my desk. Cates speaks back into the receiver. CATES Elaine, I gotta put you on hold... ELAINE Jack, wait... CATES Just a second, that's all! He hits the bold button, starts rummaging through the desk. Paperwork scatters in all directions. Kehoe watches him in silence for awhile then leaves. Cates begins to dial. CATES (continuing) Hammond... you son of a bitch, where are you? Listens for a moment. VROMAN'S ROCK CLUB Hammond on the phone as the band rocks away. (MONKEY MASH - Track only) HAMMOND Hey, Jack, how ya doin'? What took you so long to call, man? I been waitin' ... I'm at Vroman's up in the Fillmore. Yeah, Vroman's... 'Course you don't hang out here; it's for the brothers. SQUAD ROOM CATES I'll be there in a minute. You don't move your ass, right? Slams down the phone. Starts toward the door. Remembers... He dashes back to the phone, hits the other line. Hears only a buzz. CATES (continuing) Oh, shit. TRANSITION. VROMAN'S ROCK CLUB Band blasting away on another number (THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - VOCAL) Hammond now in the middle of the floor dancing his ass off with a girl named CANDY. As the song ends... HAMMOND My name's Reggie Hammond. Tries his big personality smile. This time gets one back. CANDY I'm candy... HAMMOND Excuse me, baby, but if i don't get some action tonight, I'm gonna bust. You interested? CANDY Hey, what kind of talk is that? HAMMOND Oh ... You're a schoolteacher... CANDY No, I go to a school to learn how to do hair. It's a government program. But really I want to be a model - and I am definitely not sellin'. HAMMOND (humorously) Goodbye. She stops him. CANDY Hey, don't you think a hair stylists got any interest in gettin' it on? HAMMOND Here you go sweetheart, throw it my way. He gives her a kiss. CANDY You're in a hurry. HAMMOND Yeah, i been waiting three years. CANDY You just quit bein' a priest or somethin'? HAMMOND No, baby, nothin' like that. Look, there's a place across the street. We can go right over there... CANDY What's the matter with my place? HAMMOND No, it's gotta be here and now. Believe me. Only I don't have the damn money for a room... The band starts up again. ("LOVE SONGS ARE FOR CRAZIES" - VOCAL) CANDY Yeah, well, even us non-pros expect the guy to pay for the room... Cates suddenly appears... steps between them. Yells above the band's noise. CATES Where's luther? HAMMOND Be polite. Say hello. This is Candy. CATES Hello. And goodbye. She looks at Hammond. He nods. CANDY Well, maybe I'll see you later ... HAMMOND Here's hoping, baby... Candy leaves and melts into the crowd on the dance floor. CATES What about Luther? HAMMOND What about Ganz? Cates shrugs. CATES We missed. HAMMOND You missed ... Luther took a taxi to the hotel across the street. Made a phone call. CATES Maybe we should pay Luther a visit. HAMMOND Let him get some sleep. He's going to need it. They move to the bar. HAMMOND (continuing) They must have set up a meeting for the morning; Luther left an 8 am wake-up and put up the "Don't Disturb" sign. He's trading his girl for the money. All we have to do to grab Ganz is not go blind. CATES So you took the rest of the night off... Hammond smiles. HAMMOND We don't have too many cheerleaders in prison. I though I might indulge myself in a little trim. Cates orders two drinks. CATES Tell me something. Why didn't you just take the money off Luther and split? HAMMOND Forget it. I want Ganz as bad as you do and I got some other news for you... He opens his jacket slightly. Reveals a shoulder holster and accompanying .45. A long moment. CATES I don't know why, but I'm going to let you keep it. Maybe because you told me you had it, or maybe just because I'm too tired to argue... HAMMOND You sure that's the reason? Pause. CATES Thanks for callin' in... and I guess Maybe... Look, I'm sorry I called you Watermellon nigger... those kinds of things. I was just leanin' on ya, doin' my job. HAMMOND Bein' good at your job don't explain everything, Jack ... CATES Yeah. Guess not. Hammond gives him a big smile. HAMMOND As long as you're feeling like Abe Lincoln, how about payin' me on our bet? We got time and all this pussy around here's drivin' me crazy. See that one over there, the one I was with... He nods at Candy across the way. CATES Yeah, I see her. HAMMOND I can just take her right across the street to Luther's hotel. All I need is some money for the room. HAMMOND (continuing) Big smile as Cates produces some cash. Hammond counts it eagerly. Looks around. Candy suddenly appears like a trout seeing a lure. She grabs the money. CANDY Hello, again. HAMMOND I just struck it rich... I think we can do a little business. As a matter of fact, I think we can have a party. Hammond smiles, leads her out of the bar. CATES Hurry back. Cates watches them go, downs his drink. He fishes in his pocket for a coin, moves to a wall phone. Dials... CHRONICLE RESTAURANT BAR - NIGHT A COCKTAIL WAITRESS answers the phone as Elaine pours a drink. COCKTAIL WAITRESS It's for you. Hands her the receiver. ELAINE Hello. CATES Hi, it's me... ELAINE Fuck you. She slams down the receiver. SIDEWALK - FRONT OF VROMAN'S - NIGHT Hammond and Candy exit the rock club. A line of young Punkers waiting to get inside... Hammond and Candy are in a tight clinch, a little giggly. CANDY So... what did you have in mind? Suddenly, Hammond sees Luther emerge from the Predmore across the street. HAMMOND Oh no, not now! Luther moves down the street with the briefcase. Hammond pulls Candy back inside Vroman's. VROMAN'S ROCK CLUB - BAR Rock group still blasting away... (LOVE SONGS ARE FOR CRAZIES - Vocal continues) Hammond and Candy reappear, knocking aside a waitress about to refill Cates' drink. CATES That was quick. HAMMOND When you been in prison three years, it don't take long. Let's go. CATES Why? HAMMOND Luther's on the move... Cates jumps up, runs out. Hammond looks at Candy. HAMMOND (continuing) I'll be back. Trust me. He kisses her. Runs off after Cates. She stares at him in disbelief. STREET LIGHT Luther checking over his shoulder for shadows, walks down the block. Turns into a narrow street. A BUS STOP Luther waits, impatient. Checks his watch. Looks up and down the street. He double-checks the bus stop sign over his head. Just as a bus pulls to a stop, air brakes hissing ... LUTHER Gets in. Sees that the driver is Billy Bear... BUS The bus starts up. Luther hesitates in the front. On the wide rear seat is Ganz. Rosalie beside him. GANZ Open your coat. Both sides. He shows he's not packed. LUTHER Let her go. GANZ First, the money. Luther takes a step. GANZ (continuing) Just show me. Luther puts the case on a side seat, opens it for display. ANOTHER BUS STOP Commuters look up expectantly. One of two drift toward the curb. Jump back in alarm as the bus roars by. BUS Ganz is satisfied. Luther closes the case. LUTHER Rosalie, you okay? GANZ What are you talkin' about? I said I wouldn't hurt her. And then he shoots Luther. Right between the buttons. GANZ (continuing) I never break my word. Laughs as Rosalie begins to scream. CATES' CADDY Barreling down the street, ignoring red lights. Hammond shouts over the wind. HAMMOND Notice something funny about that bus? CATES Yeah. It missed the last four stops. Cates pours on the gas. BILLY BEAR His eyes fall on the rear view mirror. A white Caddy dances in the vibrating glass. Billy looks over his shoulder at Ganz. BILLY Ganz! THE CADDY Swerves into cross traffic, makes a big press forward. Comes abreast of the driver's side of the bus. GANZ Smashes a side window with the two handguns. Blasts away. Cates driving with one hand as he draws his gun. CATES Looks up as glass shards sparkle down. He speeds up ... he is neck and neck with the bus. Hammond has a clear shot of Billy Bear who gives a side glance at him; Hammond doesn't shoot... Cates slows down and fires... Billy is hit in the shoulder. Ganz runs up and fires again... Hammond is hit in the arm. Cates grabs Hammond by the shirt. Yanks him close. Throws the wheel over ... CADDY Swerves as bullets pepper the passenger side. Stuffing flies out of Hammondis still warm seat. The right hand windows explode. Then the Caddy spins out. THE BUS Roars away... THE CADDY Skids into a traffic sign, demolishing some newspaper machines. Cates curses, tries to start the car. The engine won't turn over. He looks at the distant bus. CATES Goddamn! Goddamn! Goddamn! Pounds on the dash. What's left of the windshield falls in at the impact. TRANSITION. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT Cates at his desk. Hammond seated nearby, now with a bandaged arm. Haden in front of Cates, furious. HADEN A bus, you goddamn whiskey mick cop, you lost a stolen bus... We got five deaths related to Ganz, all of 'em law enforcement related, and you blow it for a lousy nigger convict... Cates says nothing... HADEN (continuing) That's rights I called him a nigger. You bet I did ... I saw the report on that little piece of shit. If he spent one legal day in his whole life, it'd be a record...This is it for you... suspension, review board... you've had it. When it gets 'round you protect a con rather than nail a cop killer... Cates stands up. CATES He's got more brains and more guts in one corner of his asshole than any cop I've worked with. HADEN Just cause you say it with conviction don't mean shit to me... How you gonna take to a pink slip, huh?. Cates stands. Moves to Hammond. Handcuffs himself to him. HADEN (continuing) Where the Christ do you think you're going? CATES I'm taking my prisoner back to jail. Hammond looks at Haden. HAMMOND Goin' a little hard on him, aren't you? HADEN Go fuck yourself convict. HAMMOND You know for a man, you have very pretty brown eyes. Cates and Hammond walk out. UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT - POLICE STATION - NIGHT Cates and Hammond walk stoically along a row of cars, arrive at Hammond's Porsche. HAMMOND Hey, how'd my car get here? CATES I had it impounded. Come on, we'll use it for haulin' you back to the slam. HAMMOND Back to jail in my own car. Ganz got away. Got all my money. It just don't seem right. CATES I don't know about you, but I could use a drink... I'll buy you one. It'll be my good-bye present. Takes off Hammond's cuffs. Looks at them.. Throws them away. HAMMOND Sorry we didn't do better, Jack. I feel like I let you down. CATES Naw, you didn't let me down. It was a long shot all the way. We gave 'em a good run at it. HAMMOND Yeah, but we didn't get 'em. They get in and drive off. TRANSITION. EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT The Porsche blasts by ... These men want a drink. TRANSITION. CHRONICLE RESTAURANT AND BAR - NIGHT Cates and Hammond walk in. It's late, the place is almost empty. The Bartender is a woman with her back to them conferring with a waitress about something. HAMMOND It's late, they're closing... CATES Don't worry about it. The barmaid turns around to take their order. It's Elaine. ELAINE Hey, I don't believe it. CATES Hiya, kid. ELAINE I ought to have you and your friend thrown out... CATES Don't. We've had a hard night. ELAINE I can see that. Pardon me for saying so, but you look like shit. What happened? CATES We and my pal here have been taking it on the chin for the last few hours... Hammond looks at her. He nudges Cates. ELAINE Who the hell are you? HAMMOND Name's Hammond, Reggie Hammond. I heard a lot about you. And any friend of Jack's is a friend of mine. Gives her a big smile. ELAINE I'm not so sure I can say the same thing...You don't look like a cop. HAMMOND Well, I been workin' the other side of the street for the last few years. And you don't exactly look like a shrink, wearin' that dress... ELAINE Shrink major, not a shrink. She pours three glasses of cognac. A STRAGGLER at the end of the bar pipes up. STRAGGLER Hey, lady, a drink here. ELAINE We're closed. STRAGGLER Hey, what the hell? Elaine turns to him; it's short and sweet. ELAINE Drink your drink, pay up and get out. STRAGGLER You can't do this. It's against... ELAINE Hey, just fuck off. My friends have guns. Cates holds up his pistol. The man's eyes widen and he turns his angry move toward her into a skedaddle out of the bar. Elaine finishes drying a glass and approaches. ELAINE (continuing) You real down? CATES I've been better...Dead end. No Ganz, no Indian. He finishes his drink, puts down the glass. CATES (continuing) I gotta call the station. Looks back at Hammond... CATES (continuing) Don't run off anywhere, okay? I've already got enough to worry about. Moves away. HAMMOND Hard man to live with. ELAINE How would you know? HAMMOND Hey, two days with him is enough. ELAINE That's no bull. She looks at him carefully. They both grin. CATES In the phone booth. CATES Is there any report ... No ... Just tell me... nothing..Yeah I figured... Okay, sure. Hangs up. ELAINE AND HAMMOND Cates returns... CATES Nothing. No sign of Ganz. No sign of the Indian. Airport's clean. Train station. Bus station. Docks... Shit... ELAINE Ganz is going to be hard to track. Just a pure schizo ... wires all crossed... totally without any pattern... kill anybody... The Indian... himself... anybody... CATES How do you know? ELAINE Jack, it's all over the papers. He's an obvious type. But this Indian... Hammond cuts in. HAMMOND He was the only one of my bunch that was my friend... He was loyal, went all the way for you... ELAINE In all due respect, he sounds kind of pathetic to me. The kind of guy that runs home to his momma or some girlfriend. Have you two ace detectives checked that out? CATES Yeah, well the only woman of the Indian's we ran into was shacked up with her dyke girlfriend. I guess she went with him before she came outta the Closet ... They both looked mad enough to kill him... HAMMOND Yeah, too bad. They were real nice lookin' too...In bed together, hardly any clothes one watching TV... ELAINE What makes you think they were lesbians, or as you so quaintly put it, dykes? CATES Come on, they were a little old for a slumber party. ELAINE It might pay to reexamine a few of your more primitive notions. I was in bed with a girlfriend watching TV last week, Jack, and one thing we know about me is I happen not to be a lesbian ... Now, if this Indian's girlfriend got upset when you came looking for him, it could just be she's still vulnerable to him. CATES So what? ELAINE When a guy hurts you, then comes back bleeding on his hands and knees, who knows, he might just be irrestible. CATES Hey, Come on, shrink time's over. They wouldn't go see some old girlfriend. ELAINE Oh, yeah, well look where you came when you were down and out. HAMMOND She's got a point there, Jack. Smiles. Cates reflects for a moment. CATES It's the only thing we got. He looks at Elaine. CATES (continuing) Whaddya think? ELAINE What do I know? I'm just a bartender. CATES Let's go, Reggie. He kisses Elaine. HAMMOND Do I get to kiss her too? CATES If she's right, and if you don't screw up. They exit the bar. TRANSITION. EXT. STREET - CHINATOVIN - NIGHT Cates and Hammond hidden in a doorway which affords them a good view of the alley landing to Casey and Sally's apartment. HAMMOND What if your girl's theory turns out to be bullshit? I mean, they could be in Rio de Janeiro. CATES I've got to play it rough with them. If they know anything, I'm gonna know it. A woman appears, turning out to be Casey carrying a shopping bag. HAMMOND Hey, there she is... CATES Whatever play I maker just back me up. HAMMOND If we run into Billy first, let me try and talk him in. CATES Sure, I'll give you a shot at it, but Ganz is mine. You know, that big Indian plays it for keeps... HAMMOND Yeah, and I know Ganz sure ain't no sweetheart... I wouldn't like it if this partnership ended before it gets started. CATES Partnership? HAMMOND Well, you got to admit we come a long way. Cates gives him a smile. CATES Let's just do it. APARTMENT STAIRWELL As Casey opens the door and starts toward the.stairs, Cates and Hammond come through the door and grab her. They are now on the ground floor stairwell. CATES I hear you've got visitors. CASEY Would you guys... CATES No time for any of that crap any more, lady... I'll rip your lungs out if you don't answer fast. Cates has her by the shoulder and arm; he twists her like a vise... HAMMOND He means it... She looks at Cates, knows Hammond's correct. CASEY Don't kill him. Please, just don't kill him. A long moment. CATES You and the other one, you're still Billy's girls. You always were his girls... CASEY Yeah. Sure, i'm crazy in love with him, who wouldn't be... CATES You're gonna help us take him. CASEY No chance. CATES He can live or die ... You let us in and he's got a chance to make it. Otherwise, he gets ventilated. Casey's face is seared with pain at the thought of Billy dying. HAMMOND If you help use he's got a chance, lady. CASEY Billy's in the first room off the hall ... With rosalie ... He's makin' her happy tonight. You don't understand about the way it is with him, do ya? CATES Where's ganz? CASEY In the back. Down the other corridor. Cates looks at Reggie. CATES Looks like you're gonna get your chance. They move upward... INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Cates is stealthily going to the end of the second corridor of the kitchen and living room area. That corridor turns at a sharp angle and goes to the back. Hammond is at the very front of that first corridor..at a door ... he shoves it back. INT. FIRST BEDROOM There is a bed and Rosalie, undressed, is in it... Billy is seated on the edge of it... pants on, shirt off, pulling on his boots. Suddenly, Hammond is pointing a gun at him... HAMMOND Give it up, Billy. You got no shot at it. Billy stands. ROSALIE Don't let him hurt met Billy. You're not gonna let 'em hurt me, are ya? BILLY He won't hurt you. He ain't gonna do nothin' to you, he's just after me. HAMMOND I'm tellin' ya, Billy, give it up. BILLY I never was much for bein' rehabilitated. Billy looks at Hammond. With lightning sudden quickness, he reaches and produces a huge Bowie knife from behind his back. Billy smiles, laughs...then with a sudden, awful roar, he leaps at Hamnond who unflinchingly fires his pistol. The big slugs stop Billy cold and throw him back against the bed as Rosalie shrieks. INT. BACK BEDROOM Ganz, half-dressed, asleep, gun in hand, throws himself off the bed, pushes Sally out of the way ... opens the door and starts firing furiously down the corridor... He grabs the briefcase and runs to the window. INT. CORRIDOR/DOOWAY TO BACK BEDROOM Cates has ducked the bullets ... he is inching toward the door... He pulls it open...Ganz from the window fires another shot which almost gets him then vanishes down the fire escape... INT. BACK BEDROOM Sally gets to her feett yelling, runs at Cates as he appears and futilely tries to hit him....He throws her down on the bed as if she were a doll ... He goes to the window... EXT. FIRE ESCAPE Ganz peels down the fire escapes hits the ground. He stops for a second... Then Cates appears, Ganz fires a shot then starts to run. Cates keeps coming... INT. FIRST BEDROOM Hammond hears the gunfire, runs out of the room... CATES Dives down the fire escape. BATHROOM Hammond enters to find it empty of Ganz and Cates, only Sally crying hysterically ... He runs out. EXT. CHINATOWN STREET Ganz runs out the back alley ...Cates pursues... ALLEY Hammond runs down the stairs toward the front of the building. EXT. STREET Ganz runs, turns out of an alley onto a street baked with neon light. Cates pursues. EXT. FRONT OF CASEY'S BUILDING Hammond runs out, turns down the adjoining street. CATES Following Ganz, holding him in sight, but unable to get a shot off... PARALLEL STREET Hammond running down a street near the one where Ganz is being chased... MAIN STREET Cates fires at Ganz ... Ganz ducks in a doorway... HAMMOND on his street hears the shot... he runs toward it, down a narrow alley between two buildings.... EXT. DOORWAY AT END OF ALLEY Ganz hears footsteps approach from the opposite direction of Cates. They move very close to where be is crouched... it is Hammond coming toward him... Ganz suddenly rolls a garbage can in his path, dropping him like a stone. CATES Comes toward where he expects to find Ganz... Ganz has his arm around Hammond's throat and his gun to his ear... GANZ Drop it... you come up against me, you're gonna lose... Hammond drops his gun. GANZ (continuing) Hey, cop, come on...l got something for ya... come on... EXT. MAIN STREET Cates comes out of the doorway from which he's fired...and comes into the middle of the street, gun up ... he puts it down when he sees Ganz with Hammond in jeopardy. The hand that's around Hammond's throat also holds the black bag. Cates walks forward, his gun down at his side... GANZ After I get outta this, cop...I'm gonna live forever... CATES I don't think you're gonna make it. GANZ Whaddya mean...I got your gun ... I got his money... I got everything... HAMMOND Give up. He's crazy. He'll kill us both. Cates still walking... GANZ He won't try it. He's a fucking chickenshit cop. They're all fucking wimps, right, Cates? They are now closer to each other. Ganz holding Hammond and the money... GANZ (continuing) Okay, cop ... give me your gun and I'll let him live. Come on, Cates, you're real good at giving up your gun. Cates keeps the same methodical pace... CATES Sure... Suddenly, he crouches and fires twice. Hammond twists as Ganz also fires. Ganz is hit in the collarbone and driven ten feet backward. His grip on Hammond drops, Hammond dives to the ground, looks at Cates. HAMMOND Jesus Christ, I didn't think you'd really do it. You are crazy. Ganz' gun still in his hand, but his arm useless at his side. Cates is frozen in the crouch, ready to fire again. Ganz is in enormous pain holding his bleeding chest... A look of childish disbelief passes over his face. GANZ I got hit. I can't believe it. I got shot. CATES You're done. End of story. GANZ I ain't gonna beg for my life. It ain't cool. He runs at Cates full-speed, screaming, roaring, then is stopped by two more bullets that tear fist-sized holes in his chest. Cates rises from his crouch. Takes his gun out of Ganz' now lifeless hand. Then goes over to Hammond... HAMMOND Yours? Cates raises the pistol. CATES Mine... Pause. CATES (continuing) You okay? HAMMOND Yeah. But I wasn't there for a second. CATES You did pick a real strange time to go and be brave all on your own... Hammond smiles. HAMMOND Just tryin' to get the money, Jack. Just tryin' to build up a few points on that merit system. Cates smiles back, picks up the black bag as they move off. TRANSITION. ELAINE'S BATHROOM Cates in the tub, steam rushing from the water. Elaine sits on the porcelain edge as he splashes and soaps... ELAINE How'd they take it back at headquarters? CATES Usual bullshit. You make one smart move and everybody wants to be your friend... You know somethin', shootin' guys sucks. Especially compared to this. ELAINE I've been waiting a long time to hear you say that. CATES Yeah, bein' a hard-ass all the time is a real drag, but it works. He reaches out, lifts his watch from his pile of clothes on the floor. CATES (continuing) Three more hours... ELAINE Where is he? CATES Promised I'd turn my back while he... ah, never mind... ELAINE Tell me. CATES He's takin' care of the same business I'll be takin' care of - soon as I dry off. Elaine smiles, leans close. ELAINE You're impossible... CATES That's what I always say. TRANSITION. CANDY'S ROOM - NIGHT Minimal crummy hotel room accommodations... Hammond is kissing her at the door, finishing buttoning all his buttons. He reaches for a wallet, gives her several bills. HAMMOND Here you go, baby. CANDY Hey, don't do that. I said I wasn't a pro, remember? HAMMOND Hey, no, I'm tryin' to be nice. Buy yourself something pretty. I'd do it, but I got to go. I got this cop waitin' for me... They kiss... it's pretty romantic... She opens the door for him. CORRIDOR She stands at the top of the stairs; as Hammond walks down, he calls back to her over his shoulder ... HAMMOND I'll be back in six months... Maybe I'll make an honest woman of you. He gives her a big sniile. HAMMOND (continuing) I'll buy ya the best dinner in San Francisco...how'd that be? Then we'll go dancin', okay? CANDY Now you're talkin'. See ya... He moves off, still smiling, holding the black briefcase... STREET - NIGHT on a picturesque hill above the Haight. Cates standing near the wheel of Hammond's Porsche. Hammond comes down the porch steps from the hotel. CATES Okay, reggie, start bustin' my chops... Tell me how great you were with that chick. HAMMOND Hey, Jack, real men don't have to go in for that macho bullshit ... but I was fantastic. As a riatter of fact, I was so good, I may have my cock done in bronze. Cates holds up the black briefcase. CATES I guess this is what you want to talk about...All the pretty money that's inside here. Cates takes the case to the trunk, opens it, deposits the case, locks the trunk. HAMMOND Wait a minute, Cates. I've been waitin' three years for that. I don't think it's fair, man. What about the merit system.? You were gonnna give me a few thousand. CATES There's nothin' to talk about. Another long exchange of looks. Then be hands Hammond the keys to the trunk. CATES (continuing) It's your money. It'll be here in six months when you get out. HAMMOND And you're tellin' me you don't want any of this cash? CATES That's right. Not my style, Reggie.. HAMMOND You are an awesomely weird cop. Sure wish there were more like you runnin' around out here. CATES No, you don't. If I ever get word of you steppin' over the line again, I'm gonna ventilate that suit of yours. HAMMOND Spare met Jack. I'm into legit investments from here on in. Cates gives him a very skeptical look, as they head for the car. Hammond gets in behind the wheel, Cates on the passenger side. Cates takes out a cigarette, starts to light it. Hammond takes the match does it for him. CATES Thanks. HAMMOND No trouble, Jack. But, listen, suppose I stay a crook? Where'd you get the idea that you could catch me? They both smile. Hammond socks it into gear and they drive off into the far distance... END.

INT. MIAMI AIRPORT, TERMINAL -- DAY Amongst the weary tourist families and solitary businessmen sits TOM WELLES, middle-aged, hair neat, suit crisp and gray. He's eating crackers from a cellophane package, sipping soda from a paper cup, watching an ARRIVAL GATE. AT THE GATE PASSENGERS arrive: the paunchy, graying men of First Class leading the pack, except for a handsome YOUNG REPUBLICAN poster boy hurrying along. ACROSS THE TERMINAL Welles gets up and FOLLOWS... EXT. MIAMI AIRPORT, CURBSIDE -- DAY Welles comes outside, squinting in the sun, moving down the sidewalk, looking back over his shoulder... The Young Republican is lead to a waiting LIMO by a DRIVER. Welles moves to the nearby TAXI STAND... INT. TAXI -- DAY Welles gets in, turning in his seat to watch behind. CAB DRIVER Where to? Welles keeps watching, sees the limo pull away and pass. WELLES Follow that limousine. Don't get too close, don't let it get too far away. Just keep with it. CAB DRIVER You kidding? WELLES Nope. The cab set in motion. Welles takes out cigarettes, lighting one, takes out a small NOTEPAD and makes notations. CAB DRIVER Uh, listen... you're not supposed to be smoking in here. I'm sorry, that's company policy... WELLES How about this... every cigarette I smoke, I give you five dollars? CAB DRIVER Okay... okay, yeah, that'd be good... EXT. MIAMI BEACH, "GOLD COAST" -- DAY In front of an Art Deco hotel, the driver opens the limousine door and the Young Republican steps out. ACROSS THE STREET Welles watches from inside the double-parked taxicab. EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY Not exactly four-star. "AD LT MOVIES EVERY ROOM." INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY Welles is asleep on the bed, full dressed, hands folded across his stomach, snoring lightly, sweaty. INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE, RESTAURANT -- DAY Welles sits alone at the bar, eating a sandwich, bored. He watches some fuzzy ESPN on the t.v., looks at his watch. EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY Welles walks across the parking lot, gets into his RENTAL CAR, starts it and drives away. EXT. MIAMI BEACH DISCOTHEQUE -- NIGHT Young Republican and a GAUDY WOMAN exit the disco, MUSIC THROBBING out from the doors behind them. They join hands, drunk, heading to the street, looking for their limo. DOWN THE STREET Welles is seated in his parked rental car, raises a CAMERA with TELEPHOTO LENS: whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK... Welles lowers the camera, letting out a yawn. INT. AIRPLANE, COACH -- NIGHT The familiar DRONE of flight. Welles is shoehorned into his aisle seat, using tiny utensils to eat his tiny meal. An OLDER WOMAN arrives in the aisle. Welles picks up his tray, closes his tray table, unbuckling his seatbelt, struggling to get up... finally successful, balancing his tray, letting the woman in to the window seat. OLDER WOMAN Thank you. Welles nods, forcing a smile, sitting back down. He returns to toiling over his miniature supper. EXT. HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- NIGHT Welles' AIRPLANE ROARS down with a SCREECH, landing lights gleaming. The airport is small, relatively isolated. TITLE: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania INT. HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- NIGHT Passengers arrive. Welles is with them, searching the few PEOPLE waiting in the terminal hallway. Welles smiles... Welles' wife, AMY, smiles when she sees him. She's plain and pretty, holding one hand on a BABY STROLLER beside her. Welles comes to her, embracing her, appreciating her. AMY Welcome home. WELLES Do you know how much I missed you? They kiss, but Amy pulls away, sniffs him. AMY What's this... have you been smoking... ? WELLES Smoking? I'm not smoking. AMY Your clothing reeks of it. WELLES You know, Amy, I've been sitting around in bars and everywhere following this guy... I mean, is this what I get first thing? Before you even "hello," you accuse me... ? AMY I'm not accusing you... WELLES Well, I'm not smoking, okay? AMY Okay, I believe you. WELLES We've been all through that. I've been on my best behavior. Welles bends to the stroller, picks up his infant daughter, CINDY, and hoists her in the air, overjoyed. WELLES Hello, pumpkin-head, did you miss me? I sure missed you... He kisses the happy child, holding her in one arm. WELLES Let's get my bags and get the hell out of here. Welles pulls Amy close and kisses her again, leads the way. Amy follows, pushing the stroller. AMY How's the detective business? WELLES Business was fine. I'll tell you what, you couldn't pay me enough to live down there. AMY You better not be smoking, that's all I can say. WELLES Honey, I'm not, please... Amy takes Welles hand, smiling at him. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- NIGHT Welles and Amy make love in the darkness. Standard, missionary position sex, little passion. They slow to a finish, uneventfully, holding each other. Their breathing quiets. Their daughter CINDY can be HEARD CRYING elsewhere. Welles kisses his wife again, rolls off of her and sits on the edge of the bed. Amy covers herself. AMY I love you. WELLES I love you. He looks towards her in the dark. He gets up, gets a towel from the bathroom and wraps it around him. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BABY'S ROOM -- NIGHT Cindy's crying. Welles enters, goes to lean into the crib. WELLES What's all the trouble, Cinderella? What are you crying about, huh? He lifts and cradles Cindy, comforting her. EXT. HARRISBURG CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING --DAY A small city of moderate architecture facing the Susquehanna. INT. OFFICE -- DAY An old money office with windows over the river. A well-to- do POLITICIAN looks unhappily through PHOTOS on his desk. Welles sits by the Pennsylvania state flag, watching. PHOTOS show the Young Republican and Gaudy Woman in Miami: leaving the Art Deco hotel, the Discotheque, a restaurant... WELLES Your son-in-law dealt with the dry cleaning franchise during the day, saw that woman every night. (clears his throat) The specifics are in the report, and information about the woman. It's unpleasant, I know. I apologize... POLITICIAN None too discreet, is he? WELLES No, sir, he is not. POLITICIAN He's an imbecile. I tried to warn my daughter, but what can you do? The politician shakes his head in disgust. Welles rises. WELLES The um... you'll find my invoice in the envelope. If that's all... POLITICIAN Yes, Mister Welles, thank you. WELLES Certainly, Senator. If I can ever be of further assistance. Welles leaves, glances back, shuts the door. EXT. HARRISBURG STREETS -- DAY Welles drives his plain Ford past the CAPITAL BUILDING. EXT. HARRISBURG, BRIDGE -- DAY Welles' car crosses the Susquehanna, leaving the city. EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, BACKYARD -- DAY Sunny day. Welles wears tan khakis, T-shirt and fishing cap, mowing his lawn with his ROARING lawnmower. Welles' yard is modest, surrounding his modest split level suburban one in a neighborhood of similar homes and similar yards. Welles turns the lawnmower, stopping to mop his brow. One of his neighbors is repainting a back porch. The neighbor waves. Welles waves, resumes mowing. INT. BOWLING ALLEY -- NIGHT MUSIC'S LOUD. League Night. Every lane full. Welles is with his team in BOWLING SHIRTS. Welles hoists his ball, preparing to bowl. He takes three steps, releases... Down the lane, PINS SCATTER. One pin remains standing. Welles balls up his fists and curses, walks back towards his rowdy, mocking teammates. He shouts back at them, laughing, grabbing his beer and drinking, waiting at the ball return. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- NIGHT Dinner. Welles and Amy eat at the kitchen table with Cindy in a high chair. Amy feeds Cindy between bites. Welles is still in his league shirt. AMY You think you'll have time for the water heater this weekend? WELLES Sure. I'll call the guy. AMY You're not using the same guy who tried to fix it? WELLES I'm not using him again for anything. He was worthless. (eating) You have bridge here Saturday? AMY Betty's out of town so we're playing next week. Welles nods, eating. He watches Amy feed Cindy. The PHONE starts RINGING. Welles goes to answer it. WELLES (into PHONE) Hello. Yes... could you hold on a minute...? Welles hands the phone to Amy, pats Cindy's head as he heads downstairs, through the LIVING ROOM... INT. WELLES' HOUSE, OFFICE -- NIGHT Welles enters his well kept OFFICE, turns on a light at the desk. The room is filled with FILE CABINETS and shelves of BOOKS, hundreds of PHONE BOOKS and a COPY MACHINE. Welles picks up the phone and cups the receiver. WELLES (shouts upstairs) Okay, I've got it. (into phone) Hello... sorry, I was switching phones. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Christian. (listens) Yes. Yes, I understand... tomorrow evening should be fine... Welles listens, clears space on his desk, taking notes. EXT. CHRISTIAN COMPOUND -- DUSK A huge OLD WORLD MANSION is situated at the center of acres of Pennsylvania forest and vast gardens. Welles' car heads down a long tree lined drive, to the dark mansion. INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, HALLWAY -- NIGHT Welles follows a BUTLER down a long hall. INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, LIBRARY -- NIGHT The butler shows Welles in, shuts the door. Towering SHELVES of BOOKS are serviced by ladders. Far across the room, an old, sad woman, MRS. CHRISTIAN, sits waiting with a tall, thin, sinister ghoul of a LAWYER. MRS CHRISTIAN Mister Welles. You're very prompt. WELLES I try to be. Welles crosses towards them. It takes a while. MRS CHRISTIAN I appreciate your coming on such short notice. Mrs. Christian holds out her hand and Welles takes it. MRS CHRISTIAN This is Mister Longdale, my late husband's attorney. Welles shakes Longdale's limp hand, looking him over. WELLES Uh huh, pleasure. MRS CHRISTIAN Apparently Mr. Longdale has something he feels he simply must say before you and I speak. LONGDALE Yes, I do have something to say. I insisted on being here as soon as I heard Mrs. Christian contacted you. WELLES I'm listening. LONGDALE As Mr. Christian's attorney and one of the executors of his estate, it concerns me that a meeting of this sort should take place without my being asked to attend. WELLES Of what sort? LONGDALE You are a private investigator? WELLES That's right. LONGDALE Well, whatever reasons Mrs. Christian has for engaging the services of a private investigator, I should certainly be a party to. But, since she feels differently, I can only go on the record as having expressed my adamant disapproval. MRS CHRISTIAN Yes, how theatrical. So you've gone on the record, and now perhaps you should just be gone. Longdale's irritated, but has no choice. He walks away. MRS CHRISTIAN Have a pleasant evening. (to Welles) Will you have tea, Mister Welles? WELLES Thank you. Mrs. Christian begins pouring tea from the service on a table. Welles watches Longdale exit. WELLES He's odd. MRS CHRISTIAN He's a lawyer. (offers tea) Please, sit, here... Welles accepts a dainty tea cup and saucer, taking a seat. MRS CHRISTIAN I've spoken to friends of mine and my husband's, in Harrisburg, in Lancaster and Hershey. Asking about you. I must say you have friends in influential places. WELLES I've been privileged to provide services for people I admire. MRS CHRISTIAN You are highly recommended. Praised for your discretion... your strict adherence to confidentiality. Welles nods, sipping tea. MRS CHRISTIAN As you know, my husband passed away recently. Two weeks ago now. WELLES My condolences. MRS CHRISTIAN His passing has left me with... something of a dilemma. A terrible, terrible dilemma. WELLES I'll do whatever I can to help. Mrs. Christian studies Welles. INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, MR CHRISTIAN'S OFFICE -- NIGHT Mrs. Christian and Welles enter. This office has been lived in for a lifetime. Giant DESK. AMERICAN FLAG. Walls covered in old b+w PHOTOGRAPHS and ACHIEVEMENTS. A large, baked enamel sign nailed up, "CHRISTIAN STEEL." MRS CHRISTIAN His inner sanctum. Welles looks up at the OIL PAINTING over the fireplace: MR. CHRISTIAN, a powerful, old man, posed with a dark, teeming, industrial landscape behind him. MRS CHRISTIAN Not many people have been inside this room. Welles examines PHOTOS of Mr. Christian visiting various STEEL PLANTS, COAL MINES and ground-breaking ceremonies, shaking hands with WORKMEN, with POLITICIANS. WELLES Pittsburgh? MRS CHRISTIAN Mostly. That's where he started his empire building. (looks up at portrait) He was a good man. Notorious as an eccentric, but that was something he cultivated. He wanted to be legendary. WELLES He succeeded. MRS CHRISTIAN We were married forty-five years. Hard even for me to imagine. We had our troubles. There were plenty of places for him to be other than here, but he was always loyal to me, and I to him. I loved him deeply. Welles waits. MRS CHRISTIAN Do you carry a gun, Mr. Welles? WELLES I wear a gun when I can tell a client expects me to. Other than that, there's never any reason. MRS CHRISTIAN Just curious. Mrs. Christian crosses to take down a PICTURE, revealing a WALL SAFE. The safe is ajar, burnt and scarred, broken into. MRS CHRISTIAN My husband was the only one with the combination to this safe. I knew about it, but as far as I was concerned it was none of my business. Not till now, that is. WELLES You hired someone to open it. I'll bet the lawyer loved that. MRS CHRISTIAN There was nothing he could do. My husband left everything to me. (looks at safe) I prevented anyone from seeing the contents. I felt these were my husband's private things. I didn't... I didn't realize... WELLES Do you want to tell me what you found? MRS CHRISTIAN Cash, stock certificates, and this... She takes something from her pocket, puts it on the desk: a plastic bag containing a short 8MM FILM on a plastic reel. MRS CHRISTIAN It's a film... of a girl being murdered. WELLES I'm afraid I don't... MRS CHRISTIAN This is a movie showing a girl being murdered. She's sitting on a bed, and a man rapes her... and he begins to cut her with a knife... (pause) I only watched what I could. Welles picks up the film, looks at it. MRS CHRISTIAN I didn't know what to think. I can't tell you how horrible it's been, to know this belonged to my husband. To know that he watched this... this atrocity. But, I can't go to the police... WELLES Mrs. Christian... please, will you sit down a moment? (leads her to a chair) I want you to listen carefully. What you're talking about is a "snuff film." But, from what I know, snuff films are a kind of... urban myth. Like, red light district folklore. There's no such thing, I can assure you. Mrs. Christian shakes her head. WELLES Please, believe me. This is probably a stag film. Simulated rape. Hard to stomach, and it might seem real, but there are ways of making it look realistic... fake blood and special effects... MRS CHRISTIAN No. WELLES If you were to study it you'd see the camera cutting away... you'd see the tricks they can play... MRS CHRISTIAN I'm telling you it's not that. WELLES I'm sure it is. (smiles) It's probably something your husband was given as a bad joke. More than likely he never even watched it. MRS CHRISTIAN Will you watch it and see for yourself? WELLES Of course. But, I'm certain it's nothing to worry about. INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, DINING ROOM -- NIGHT An 8MM PROJECTOR faces a wall. Welles looks back to Mrs. Christian in the doorway. Mrs. Christian leaves, shuts the door. Darkness. Welles turns on the projector and sits. The PROJECTOR CLATTERS, shooting bright images... ON THE WALL: FLASH FRAMES, over exposure, then... the grainy FILM is HAND HELD, constantly in motion, showing a skinny GIRL, 16 or 17, in a negligee, sitting on a bed in a nondescript room with little furniture. Looks like a hotel room. We only ever see three walls. The once beautiful girl looks worn, drugged, dark circles under her eyes, staring blankly. The CAMERA'S tungsten SPOTLIGHT casts long, shifting shadows as the camera moves, but the girl still stares oblivious. The bed is wrapped in PLASTIC and DUCT TAPE. The floor is covered by PLASTIC SHEETING... Welles watches, crossing his arms, already uncomfortable. ON THE WALL: a door opens behind the girl, looks like a bathroom, and a MASKED MAN enters. The Masked Man wears a garish, Mexican WRESTLING MASK with eye holes and a mouth. The mask covers his entire head. He's naked except for red shorts, his body scrawny, oiled, pale. The man goes to stand in front of the girl. He seems to be saying something to her, but the film is silent and the ONLY SOUND is the PROJECTOR'S LOUD sprocket hole CLATTER. It's all one long take. The CAMERA MOVES to favor the girl... Welles sits straight in his chair, wary. ON THE WALL: Masked Man raises his open hand and SLAPS the girl, knocking her back on the bed... Welles grimaces. ON THE WALL: Masked Man pulls the girl back to a seated position. The girl's like a rag doll, face reddened, eyes closed, but she remains upright. Masked Man uses his thumbs to open her unseeing eyes. He touches her mouth with his fingers, presses his lips to hers. Then, Masked Man backs away, leaving frame, till the CAMERA MOVES to find Masked Man standing at a table with THREE large BOWIE KNIFES laid out. Masked Man runs his fingers over the blades... Welles rises slowly, still watching. ON THE WALL: Masked Man selects a huge Bowie knife and moves back towards the girl... Welles crosses his arms tight, disbelieving, fearful. WE WILL NEVER SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN THE FILM, but Welles does. In the flickering, reflected light, Welles backs involuntarily away from the horrible images, holding his fist to his mouth, breathing hard. Welles keeps backing away, till he's backed against a wall. The PROJECTOR'S CLATTERING. Welles is sickened, sweating, still watching, till he finally shuts his eyes. INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, ADJOINING ROOM -- NIGHT Silence. Mrs. Christian sits waiting, troubled. The door to the dining room opens and Welles enters from the dark, visibly shaken. Mrs. Christian watches him, her sorrow now shared. WELLES You... you need to go to the police. MRS CHRISTIAN I told you I can't, not yet. WELLES You don't have any other choice. MRS CHRISTIAN (stands, shakes her head) No. For me to live with the ruin of my husband's name, I need know that whoever did this will be punished. If you can find them, I will take their names to the police. I'll say my husband confessed on his death bed. I'll say I didn't have courage to come forward at first... WELLES It won't work like that. MRS CHRISTIAN Any evidence you collect can be given to the police later, anonymously. I've thought about it and there's no other way. If you can't find them... if the only thing that comes from this film is that this is all my husband will be remembered for, well I can't let that happen. I'm telling you I won't. If there's no chance that poor girl's memory can be served, then I'll just have to spend my last days trying to forget her. Welles sits, rests his head in his hands. WELLES I deal in divorce cases. Corporate investigations... MRS CHRISTIAN You've found missing persons before. WELLES Nothing remotely like this. MRS CHRISTIAN I know what I'm asking. Your compensation will be appropriate to the risk. You'll need cash to buy information, and I'll provide it. (pause) I feel responsible, Mr. Welles. (pause) You saw what he did to her. Welles stands, torn apart and uncertain, looks back to the dining room where the projector sits idle. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BABY'S ROOM -- NIGHT Cindy is sound asleep in her crib. Welles is seated near, staring at his sleeping child. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- NIGHT Welles digs in piles of SHOEBOXES and BOOKS on the floor of his cluttered closet, finds what he wants: a LOCK BOX. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- NIGHT Welles twists the lock box dial's combination, opens the box to reveal his GUN, HOLSTER and CLEANING SUPPLIES. Welles takes out the gun, cleaning it. Amy watches. WELLES This is the mortgage. This is Cindy's college money. AMY I understand. WELLES Sometimes you can't know what I'm doing. It's better that way. AMY I know. WELLES It's a missing persons case... a long shot. I'll give it two months, two months at most, then I'll be back. We'll take a vacation. AMY Why the gun? WELLES I'm not gonna need it. I won't even wear it. It's a precaution. (cleaning gun) Don't worry about me. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, OFFICE -- NIGHT Welles looks through one file cabinet. He pulls out a FILE. It contains all sorts of POLICE ARTIST SKETCHES. Welles finds one of a TEENAGE GIRL with dark hair, looks at it. Welles positions the sketch on his COPY MACHINE, hits copy. EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, DRIVEWAY -- MORNING Welles loads BOXES and a SUITCASE into his car's back seat. Welles puts the lock box in the car's trunk, in a hiding place beside the spare tire. He places a brown BRIEFCASE on top, covers them both with carpet. He closes the trunk. EXT. PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE -- MORNING Little traffic. Welles' Ford races down the highway. EXT. CLEVELAND CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY City skyline, overcast. Looks like rain. TITLE: Cleveland, Ohio EXT. CLEVELAND STREETS -- DAY Welles' car moves slowly in a not-so-great neighborhood. Welles leans forward, peering through the windshield... An APARTMENT BUILDING'S crooked SIGN lists "WEEKLY RATES." INT. WELLES' ROOM, CLEVELAND -- DAY Dingy room. Welles locks the door, puts the chain on. His suitcase and boxes are on the bed. He begins unpacking, taking a PHOTO ENLARGER from one box and an 8MM PROJECTOR. INT. WELLES' ROOM, BATHROOM -- DAY The developer's on the toilet. DEVELOPING PANS are on the floor, developer bath, stop bath and fixing bath, with BOTTLES of CHEMICALS and packages of PHOTO PAPER. Welles uses tape and ALUMINUM FOIL to black-out a window. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- DAY Pizza box on the bedside table. Welles' suits hang in the closet. Welles sits facing a small REEL TO REEL on a desk. He wears white gloves, handles the 8MM FILM, careful to hold it by the edges, holding it up to the light, squinting. Welles puts in a magnifying EYEPIECE, leaning close... WELLES' P.O.V. THROUGH MAGNIFYING LENS: studying the first few inches of exposed film, coming upon TINY LETTERS printed just below the sprocket holes: "SUPRAlux 544." INT. WELLES' ROOM, BATHROOM -- DAY RED BULB in the light socket. Welles threads the 8MM FILM into his enlarger, still in white gloves. He flicks the enlarger on, projecting a sideways IMAGE down onto the enlarger's baseboard, FOCUSING... it's the girl sitting on the bed, early in the snuff film. Welles makes an adjustment to the enlarger's lens; framing tighter on the girl's face, REFOCUSING. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT Welles comes out of the makeshift darkroom, holding a PHOTO of the girl. He props the photo up on a dresser, stands looking at it. Sad girl, staring forward. Welles goes to pick up his CELLULAR PHONE, dials. WELLES (into phone) Hello, honey, it's me. (listens) I'm fine, how are you? Welles listens. He turns to look at the girl's photo. FADE TO BLACK: EXT. OFFICE BUILDING, MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE -- DAY Nondescript. "U.S. Resource Center for Missing Persons." INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, OFFICES -- DAY Small. Cubicles. Employees work phones and computers. BULLETIN BOARDS are covered in FAMILY PHOTOS, Polaroids and familiar "HAVE YOU SEEN ME?" missing person/children POSTERS. IN ONE CUBICLE, Welles opens his billfold, shows his identification: a laminated "LICENSED INVESTIGATOR, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania", with WELLES' PHOTO... The DIRECTOR of the center, a tired looking official in bifocals, studies the card. Welles sits. DIRECTOR What can I do for you, Mr. Welles? WELLES Call me Tom. DIRECTOR Alright, Tom. WELLES What I'd like, very simply, is access to your archive. And, now I understand this isn't something you normally do for private citizens... DIRECTOR There are reasons for the way we do things here. WELLES Absolutely. Of course I'll abide by whatever decision you make, but I'd appreciate if you'll hear me out... The director sits back in his chair. WELLES Few days ago, I was contacted by a couple living in Philadelphia, a doctor and his wife. What happened was they picked up a young girl hitchhiking off 81, which heads into Philadelphia, started up a conversation with this girl, she looked homeless, seemed about eighteen maybe. They convinced her to let them buy her a meal in the city. Nice kid, mature, didn't have much to say, but they got a sense she's a runaway, so all through dinner the doctor's working on her, trying to convince her that at the very least she should pick up a telephone. Not surprisingly, she ate her food, excused herself... (snaps fingers) That's the last they saw her. The reason they came to me for help, the reason I'm coming to you, is we had a friend of mine in the department work up a sketch... (shows the POLICE ARTIST SKETCH he photocopied) They want to see if I can I.D. this girl, somehow pass along a message to let the parents know the kid's alive, doing alright. DIRECTOR Why not go to the N.C.I.C. or N.C.M.E.C.? WELLES I figured you share information. DIRECTOR We do. WELLES For whatever reasons I thought you might be more receptive. DIRECTOR Why don't they come to me? WELLES This doctor and wife, they're nice people, but they don't want to get too involved. They're not trying to have the parents come looking for the girl either. You and I both know sometimes, not often, but sometimes there's real reasons why a kid'll run. Molestation, whatever. Besides that, the girl's probably eighteen, so she's legal. DIRECTOR I'm not so sure about this. WELLES They're putting themselves in place of this kid's parents and thinking they'd want to hear their girl's okay, even if that's all they hear. DIRECTOR I can give you my card, if your clients want to call me... Welles accepts a CARD, disappointed. WELLES They were pretty clear they didn't want this coming back on them. DIRECTOR Well, that's all I can do. Sorry. Welles looks at the director, stands, hangs his head. WELLES Who knows... maybe she's already given her parents a call, right? Welles leaves. EXT. OFFICE BUILDING, MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE -- DAY Welles comes out the front doors, pissed. WELLES Fuck. He tears the card in half and drops it as he heads for his car. After a moment, the director comes out after him... DIRECTOR Excuse me... Tom, hold on... Welles looks back, walks back, glances down... makes sure he stands on the torn card, hiding it underfoot. DIRECTOR Listen, maybe I can help after all. Why don't you come on back in... we'll see what we can do. INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY Director leads Welles into this RESEARCH ROOM, a small library with long tables, old COMPUTERS, lots of FILE CABINETS and CARD CATALOGS. Secretaries tend to the files. DIRECTOR This is it. It's not much. (points at computers) We've got less than five percent on computer and we lose that funding in December. I'll have someone show it to you anyway. Other than that, I'm afraid it's the wet thumb method. Welles looks to the many, many file drawers. DIRECTOR Files are mostly by state and year of disappearance. We try to keep the children and adults separate. No eating or smoking in here, but there's a coffee machine in the hall. WELLES Any good? DIRECTOR It's horrible, but it'll be your best friend after a few days. I hope you realize what kind of long shot you're chasing after. WELLES You're gonna be seeing a lot of me. You're sure you don't mind? DIRECTOR It's good what you're doing. The director puts out his hand. Welles looks, shakes. INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE ON A COMPUTER SCREEN: files open and close -- PICTURE after PICTURE of a MISSING CHILDREN, mostly teenagers, each with physical description, age, date of disappearance, etc. Lost souls, although these are posed portraits, high school yearbook photos and vacation photos, so the children are mostly smiling, happy and healthy. But, all "MISSING." Welles works the computer keyboard and mouse... ON THE SCREEN: the FACES of TEENAGERS, boys and girls, one after the other, MISSING... MISSING... MISSING... INT. CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles searches the SHELVES of the LIBRARY. He begins taking down various books... "Motion Picture Photography." "Film Stocks and Physical Characteristics." "Super 8 Filmmaking." INT. CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY -- LATER -- MONTAGE In Welles' notepad: "SUPRAlux 544." Welles sits paging through technical photography books. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles has the 8MM FILM threaded through the projector. He turns the CLATTERING projector on and sits, watching. ON THE WALL: FLASH FRAMES, then... the skinny GIRL in a negligee, sitting on the bed. The CAMERA'S SPOTLIGHT casts long shadows. The girl stares, oblivious... ON THE WALL: a door opens behind the girl, looks like a bathroom, and the MASKED MAN enters, wearing the ghastly WRESTLING MASK. The man goes to stand in front of the girl. He seems to be saying something. The FILM halts. Welles sits forward, hand on the projector. He's seen something. He PLAYS the FILM in REVERSE... ON THE WALL: the Masked Man walks backwards, away from the girl, backwards into the bathroom, door shutting... Welles stops the projector, not taking his eyes from the image. He ADVANCES the film FRAME BY FRAME... FRAME BY FRAME... as the bathroom door opens, and the Masked Man enters... FRAME BY FRAME... as the Masked Man moves forward... door closing behind him... STOP... FREEZE FRAME: a THIRD MAN is reflected in the bathroom mirror. Grainy and blurred, but he's in the room with the girl, standing there, captured in the mirror in this one brief instant just before the bathroom door closes. Welles walks to take a closer look, studying the almost ethereal image of the Third Man. EXT. CLEVELAND STREET CORNER -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles is in a PHONE BOOTH, feeds many quarters into the phone, waiting, looking at his notepad. WELLES (into PHONE) Hello, Mrs. Christian? Tom Welles. Here's where we stand. I checked the film stock and it's called Supra- lux 544. The company that made that stock discontinued it in '92... (listens) Yeah, about five or six years ago. Anyway, do what you can to dig up your husband's old financial records, look for anything out of the ordinary... INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles is back at the computer, alone, drinking coffee. ON THE COMPUTER: endless PHOTOS of MISSING CHILDREN. The PHONE CALL CONTINUES in VOICE OVER: WELLES (V.O., cont) Nobody really uses eight millimeter film anymore, so we can assume there are reasons our guys did. First, they could develop it themselves if they had any sort of expertise. Obviously, this isn't the kind of movie you can just drop off at the one-hour photo... INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles just stands, staring at the PHOTO of the GIRL. WELLES (V.O., cont) Second, the film that went through the camera is what we've got. There's no negative. Unlike video, it wasn't meant to be duplicated. No reason for them to risk having more than one copy of their murder floating around... INT. CLEVELAND BAR -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Local bar. Welles sits drinking with the archive's director, talking, smiling at something the director said. WELLES (V.O., cont) There don't seen to be many fingerprints on the film itself, but I'm going to have to be careful to leave them intact... INT. MISSING PERSON ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles is tired, unshaven. He's moved on to the physical files, at one table, looking through HUNDREDS of MISSING PERSON BULLETINS. Secretaries tend to other files. WELLES (V.O., cont) It's okay for yours and your husbands fingerprints to be on the film, but you'll have to use me as a middleman if you go to the police. That way I don't have to explain why my prints are on it... INT. WELLES' ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles sits with the PROJECTOR ON, watching the film again. WELLES (V.O., cont) There were three men. Two are obvious; the man in the mask and the man running the camera, but I caught a glimpse of a third man in a mirror. It's nothing that can be used for identification, but he was there, watching... ON THE WALL: Masked Man touches the girl's mouth, presses his lips to hers. Masked Man backs away, leaving frame, till the CAMERA MOVES to find Masked Man standing at a table with THREE large BOWIE KNIFES laid out... Welles notices something, puts the projector on FREEZE FRAME. WELLES (V.O., cont) So, there were three. They would have kept it small, wouldn't have let anyone in on it they didn't have to. That's all for now... except, I feel I should tell you... with this looking like it happened at least five or six years ago... Welles walks to the frozen IMAGE on the wall. It shows the Masked Man's hands in frame, fingering the blades. WELLES (V.O., cont) Well, it's not very likely we'll ever find out who this girl was. (listens) I will, I'll keep trying. Goodbye. V.O. PHONE CALL ends with the SOUND of the PHONE HANGING UP. ON THE WALL: there's a DARK SPOT on Masked Man's hand, on the arch between his index finger and thumb. Grainy and hard to make out, but looks like a small TATTOO. INT. WELLES ROOM, BATHROOM -- NIGHT -- END MONTAGE Welles has the 8MM FILM threaded into his photo enlarger, projecting the IMAGE we just saw down onto the baseboard. He re-frames, CLOSER ON the masked Man's hand, REFOCUSING... the black spot is a little clearer, looks like a small STAR tattoo on the back of Masked Man's hand. INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY Welles sits hunched over the card catalog, still unshaven, drinking coffee, flipping through smaller PICTURES of MISSING CHILDREN in one drawer, one by one by one... Welles rolls his neck. He looks to see the archive's director in the doorway. The director nods, leaving. Welles gets back to it, stooped over the catalog. FADE TO BLACK: TITLE CARD: three weeks later EXT. OFFICE BUILDING, MISSING PERSON ARCHIVE -- DAY In the lot, Welles gets wearily from his car, smoking. He tosses the cigarette, gets a Thermos off the front seat. INT. MISSING PERSON ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY Welles pulls out a card catalog drawer labeled "North Carolina 1992," flipping through picture cards. The FACES of TEENAGERS: a happy BOY with blue eyes... a red headed GIRL with freckles... a ruddy faced BOY... a pretty GIRL with a ribbon in her hair... a black GIRL in a pink dress... a blonde haired BOY with curly hair... Welles furrows his brow. He backtracks to the pretty GIRL with the ribbon in her hair. Welles sits straight. He reaches into his pocket, hands shaking a little, takes out and unfolds the PHOTO he printed of the girl from the snuff film. It's her. Welles compares the two pictures. She's prettier in the card catalog photo, but it's her. Welles can't believe it, looks around. Secretaries at other files don't even know he's there. Welles pulls out his notepad, scribbling down INFORMATION off the card... Writing the girl's name: "Mary Anne Matthews." EXT. INTERSTATE HIGHWAY -- NIGHT Welles, car races past, alone on the dark freeway. EXT. FAYETTEVILLE CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY Another small city. Blue skies above. TITLE: Fayetteville, North Carolina EXT. PUBLIC LIBRARY -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY Suburban library. Kids play hop-scotch in the parking lot. INT. FAYETTEVILLE LIBRARY, MICROFICHE ROOM -- DAY Welles works the MICROFICHE MACHINE, scrolling through old issues of the LOCAL NEWSPAPER, finds an ARTICLE headlined "Search Continues for Local Teen." There's a PICTURE of the GIRL, Mary Anne Mathews; the same picture Welles found in the Missing Person Archive. Welles reads the article, writing on a LEGAL PAD. TIME CUT: NEWSPRINT SCROLLS past on the MICROFICHE MACHINE, till... "No Leads in Girl's Disappearance." Same picture. The date at the top: "July 12, 1992." TIME CUT: NEWSPRINT BLURS past... stops on a page of OBITUARIES. Top of the page: "September 4, 1993." CLOSE ON: "Mathews, Robert Steven, 1948-1993." "Dead in an apparent suicide, Robert Mathews was discovered yesterday morning in the basement of..." EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE, FAYETTEVILLE SUBURB -- DAY A tree-lined street of poor, boxy homes. Welles' car parks in front of one HOUSE with a neglected lawn. IN THE CAR Welles, clean shaven, picks a CLIPBOARD with a file folder and his legal pad on it, thumbs pages. He drums his fingers, opens the glove compartment, pulls out the car's registration, other papers and "Jiffy-Lube" service reports, uses them to pad the file. Welles takes a BOTTLE of COLOGNE from his pocket. He considers it, opens the bottle, applies cologne to his neck. EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE, FRONT PORCH -- DAY Welles knocks, clipboard in hand. A sad, middle-aged woman answers, MRS. MATHEWS, looking through the screen door. MRS MATHEWS Yes... ? WELLES (smiles) Hello, Mrs. Mathews, my name's Thomas Jones, I'm a state licensed investigator... Welles holds up his identification only long enough for Mrs. Mathews to see it looks official. WELLES I've been hired as an independent contractor by the U.S. Resource Center for Missing Persons as part of an internal audit. If you have any time over the next few days, I'd like to make an appointment to ask some questions about the disappearance of your daughter. MRS MATHEWS I don't understand, who are... ? WELLES I'm sorry, let me explain, the R.C.M.P. is a support organization and archive, not unlike the Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington. I'm sure you've dealt with them before? MRS MATHEWS Yes, but... WELLES These volunteer organizations are sort of interconnected, functioning hand in hand with law enforcement. The R.C.M.P. brought me in to review their investigations... (holds up clipboard) ... fact-check their records, see if there's anything they missed, anything they should be doing different. I'm here for a few days, before I head back up to Virginia. These reports go to the Justice Department eventually. I spoke to your F.B.I. contact a few days ago, uh... Welles pretends to look for the name on a Jiffy Lube page... WELLES What was the name... ? I've got it here somewhere... MRS MATHEWS Neil... Neil Cole. WELLES (pretends he found it) Right, Agent Cole told me he'd call and let you know to expect me. He didn't call? MRS MATHEWS No. WELLES (looking on legal pad) Well, I'm following up on your daughter, Mary, height; five four, weight; hundred ten pounds, brown eyes, blonde hair. Born April 24, 1976. Missing June 11th, 1992. A runaway, that's how she's listed. Is this information correct... ? Mrs. Mathews stares, nods. WELLES I'm sorry, I know this isn't easy. Is there a more convenient time... ? (looks at watch) Can I buy you lunch, would that be alright? Mrs. Mathews looks him up and down. EXT. DAIRY QUEEN RESTAURANT -- DAY Welles and Mrs. Mathews eat at a PICNIC TABLE on the patio. WELLES It's very important you don't let this raise your expectations. It's not going to effect any ongoing efforts. All I'm saying is, please know, I'm not here to create any false hope. MRS MATHEWS They hired you. You're like, a private detective? WELLES That's exactly what I am. Mrs. Mathews chews, staring off into the distance. MRS MATHEWS I didn't think there were private detectives anymore, except on TV. WELLES You probably expect me to be wearing a trench coat and a hat. Drinking whiskey, chasing women and getting beaten up by guys with broken noses. Want to know what it's really like? It's sitting in a car and staring at a hotel window for three days straight, pissing in a plastic bottle, pardon me, because some guy thinks his wife's cheating on him. Glamorous, huh? And the guy who hired you, he has a hair-lip, dandruff and crooked teeth, and you could have told him the minute you laid eyes on him his wife's cheating, and you don't blame her. Mrs. Mathews smiles. WELLES It's refreshing to actually sit down and meet someone face to face, someone nice like you. Welles smiles. Mrs. Mathews takes out a cigarette. Welles lights her, joins her in smoking, refers to his clipboard. WELLES So, she didn't leave a note? She never gave any indication where she might go, before she left? MRS MATHEWS No. WELLES She just seemed... depressed... ? MRS MATHEWS She didn't seem herself. For months there never was any way to get her to talk about it. One night we went to bed... the next morning she was gone. She took some clothes. WELLES What was she running from? MRS MATHEWS I don't know. WELLES If there's anything you feel uncomfortable talking about, tell me, but I have to ask. Your husband... he committed suicide? MRS MATHEWS Yes. WELLES September 4th, 1993. About a year after Mary disappeared. MRS MATHEWS We were divorced by then. Things fell apart... he was living with a friend... WELLES Why do you think he did it? MRS MATHEWS It got to be too much for him. WELLES You have to forgive me, but in these circumstances... with your daughter... (pause) Were there any indications of... any sort of abuse? MRS MATHEWS There wasn't anything like that. The police and the FBI people asked, but there wasn't anything happened like that, never. My husband... his heart broke when Mary left... WELLES I didn't mean to... MRS MATHEWS You try going through what we did. Bob couldn't take it, that's all. Christ, there's times when it still seems like I can't either. WELLES I had to ask. I apologize. MRS MATHEWS No one knows what it's like. You can't even imagine how much it hurts. Welles is miserable. A few CUSTOMERS walk past, looking at Mrs. Mathews. She tries not to notice then noticing. MRS MATHEWS People remember me from the news. (pause) Can you drive me back now? WELLES Of course. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, MARY'S ROOM -- DAY Mrs. Mathews enters. Welles follows. This was the girl's room, exactly as she left it -- POSTERS of ACTORS on the wall, many STUFFED ANIMALS on the pink sheets of the carefully made bed. Perfectly preserved. MRS MATHEWS This is her room. Welles looks around, uncomfortable. Shelves have PICTURES of MARY with female friends, a collection of CERAMIC FIGURINES of CLOWNS and ANIMALS. MRS MATHEWS The police made a wreck of it, but I put it back exactly how it was. Just how she likes it. Welles takes a few steps into the room, looks down at a DESK where there are SIX brightly wrapped GIFTS. MRS MATHEWS Those are for her birthday. One for every year she's missed. They'll be waiting for her when she comes back. Welles is nearly overwhelmed by sadness, struggling to hide it. He backs to the door, looks at his watch... WELLES I... I shouldn't take anymore of your time. Maybe we can finish tomorrow. I'll call tomorrow... MRS MATHEWS Okay. EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE -- DAY Welles escapes to his car, climbing in. He starts it up... IN THE CAR Welles drives, tears welling up in his eyes. He has to pull over and park, wiping his tears, fighting for composure. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT Welles has unpacked. He's on the bed, on his CELLULAR... WELLES (into phone) You should be able to take a shower and still have hot water left, honey. (listens) Call him back and tell him I said so. The goddamn thing's still under warranty. (listens) I'm okay. It's hard here. It's hard. (listens) I've got a lead I have to follow through. To be honest, I don't think I'm going to get very far. I miss you. I love you. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, KITCHEN -- MORNING Welles sits at the kitchen table. Mrs. Mathews makes coffee. The home's decor is cheap and flowery. MRS MATHEWS We weren't religious. We never forced religion down her throat, like I've seen some parents do to their kids. We never made her go to church. But, after Mary was gone, that's when I got religious. Mrs. Mathews brings two cups of coffee, sits. MRS MATHEWS Doesn't make much sense, does it? When everything's happy, when life's fine and you have every reason to believe there's a God, you don't bother. Then, something horrible happens... that's when you start praying all the time. That's when you start going to church. WELLES We're all like that. MRS MATHEWS Are you religious? WELLES No. MRS MATHEWS You should be. Mrs. Mathews drinks coffee, stares into the cup. WELLES I've got what I need for my report. There is... there is one thing that bothers me though. MRS MATHEWS What? WELLES It's not really my place, but it's not easy for me to set aside the private detective part of me either. See, I know a little about missing persons. When kids run, they almost always leave a note. It's guilt. They want to say goodbye. MRS MATHEWS There wasn't one. The police looked. WELLES Do you think the police did a good job? MRS MATHEWS I don't know. I think so. WELLES It is possible... and I know this isn't something you want to hear. Your daughter may have tried to hide a note where she thought you would eventually find it, but where she knew your husband would never find it. She might have wanted to tell you something... MRS MATHEWS No. You don't have any reason to think that... WELLES If the police focused their search in her room, her belongings, well that'd be only natural, but they may have been looking in the wrong place. Mrs. Mathews is getting upset. MRS MATHEWS How... how can you say that to me...? WELLES Will you let me look? MRS MATHEWS My husband never laid a hand on her. She would have told me... she would have told me... WELLES You're probably right, and I probably won't find anything. I don't have a right to ask this, and you can kick me out of your house if you want, but this is my profession and there's a part of me that can't let it go. Police are just as human as you or I. They could have missed something. They probably didn't. (pause) Wouldn't you rather know? Mrs. Mathews thinks about it, tortured, shakes her head sadly. MRS MATHEWS Go ahead and look if you want. I don't care what you do. Mrs. Mathews gets up and walks out of the room. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE -- SEARCH MONTAGE -- DAY -In MRS. MATHEWS' BEDROOM, Welles looks through DRESSER drawers, methodically, replacing everything as it was... searches hat boxes and shoe boxes in a CLOSET... takes BOOKS off SHELVES, fanning the pages, shaking them out... -In a BATHROOM, Welles examines the contents of a MEDICINE CABINET, examining old prescription bottles... opens CABINETS under the sink... -In the LIVING ROOM, Mrs. Mathews sits slumped in a chair, staring at a soap opera on TELEVISION, a BOTTLE of scotch on TV tray beside her, drink in hand. -In the KITCHEN, Welles stands on a chair, searches high CABINETS... looks through low CABINETS, on his knees, pulls out pots and pans... fans the pages of COOK BOOKS... -Welles stands in the doorway of MARY'S ROOM, just stares. He takes a few steps back into the HALLWAY, looks up at the ceiling. There's an ATTIC DOOR there. Welles reaches to the door's handle, opens it, unfolds the portable stairs... -In the small ATTIC, Welles uses a penlight FLASHLIGHT, crouched under the low ceiling, looking through dusty BOXES of PHOTOGRAPHS; old photos of a wedding, of grandparents... Welles moves to pull back dusty sheets, finds a large WICKER BASKET and broken BICYCLE underneath... Welles opens the basket, takes out BLANKETS and QUILTS in mothballs. He finds a wide VELVET BOX, takes it out, opens its hinged lid to reveal a set of good SILVERWARE. He touches the tarnished silverware, lifts out the top tray. Underneath, resting on top of more silverware, is a DIARY. Welles opens the DIARY, finds written: "Mary Anne Mathews." Welles turns pages. The DIARY'S about half-full of feminine, cursive handwriting. After the last written page, a PAGE has been TORN OUT. Welles fingers the ragged edge, flips through the blank pages till he comes to the very last page, a GOODBYE NOTE. Welles sits and reads... MARY'S VOICE (V.O.) (emotionless monotone) "Dear mom. If you're reading this, it means I called you from Hollywood, California and told you where to find my diary. I don't think I'll be able to tell you this when I talk to you, so I'm writing it down here. You know I haven't been happy for a long, long time. For a long time now dad's been doing things I couldn't tell you. He's been touching me and it's getting worse. I can't stay anymore. I know you and I haven't always gotten along sometimes, but please don't blame yourself. There isn't anything you can do. I'm going to make a whole new life in California. Maybe someday you'll see me on TV or in magazines. Don't worry about me. Love, Mary Anne." INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, HALLWAY OUTSIDE MARY'S ROOM -- DAY Welles shuts the attic door, takes the DIARY from his pocket, hides it in his waistband at the small of his back. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, LIVING ROOM -- DAY Welles enters. Mrs. Mathews looks up from the TV. WELLES You were right. (pause) I didn't find anything. I'm going to run and get something to eat. Are you hungry? MRS MATHEWS Yes. INT. COPY SHOP -- LATE DAY Welles uses a self-serve COPY MACHINE, flattening the DIARY on the glass, photocopying the DIARY as quickly as he can. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Welles sits picking at fast food in front of him. Mrs. Mathews' food isn't even unwrapped. She's numb from her drink, watching a GAME SHOW, smoking. WELLES Do you ever consider... do you realize that Mary may never come back? Mrs. Mathews looks to Welles, looks back at the TV. MRS MATHEWS I think about it everyday. But, every time the phone rings... every single time, I still think it's her. WELLES It's been six years. MRS MATHEWS What am I supposed to do? Forget her? Time heals all wounds, right? (misery building) She's all I think about, and I've learned to live with that. But, you want the truth... the real truth? If I had a choice... if I had to choose, between her being out there, living a good life and being happy, and me not knowing; never finding out what happened to her... (pause) ... or her being dead and me knowing... (pause) I'd choose to know. Mrs. Mathews stares into the TV, wipes tears. Welles takes a deep breath and holds it. He watches her a long moment, motionless. Finally he stands, voice unsteady. WELLES Excuse me, I have to use your bathroom. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, HALLWAY OUTSIDE MARY'S ROOM -- NIGHT Welles comes to the attic door, quietly pulls it open. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, ATTIC -- NIGHT Welles uses his penlight, digs out the DIARY from the hiding place in his waistband, replaces it in the box of silverware, closes the box. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, MARY'S ROOM -- NIGHT Welles enters, takes a PICTURE FRAME off one shelf, opens the back and takes out the PHOTO of MARY from inside. INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Mrs. Mathews still gazes into the TV. Welles passes the doorway, not looking in, heading to the front door, opening the door and walking out... Mrs. Mathews doesn't even notice, doesn't look up. EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE -- NIGHT Welles crosses the front lawn, not looking back, heading to the street, getting into his car, starting his car, doing a U-turn, driving away down the street. EXT. FAYETTEVILLE AIRPORT, LONG TERM PARKING -- MORNING Welles' boxes of belongings are piled in the back seat of his car. Welles covers them with a blanket, shuts the door. Welles opens the trunk of his car, pulls back the carpeting. He opens the brown BRIEFCASE. The briefcase is full of CASH, about $10,000, twenties and fifties in bundles. Welles transfers half the money into a carry-on bag, shuts the briefcase, covers it, closes the trunk. INT. AIRPLANE, COACH -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE The cabin's half-full, dark. Passengers sleep. Under the only illuminated reading light, Welles reads the PHOTOCOPIED DIARY. MARY'S VOICE is a again a flat monotone... MARY'S VOICE (V.O.) (as Welles reads) "Dear diary. I have a big math test tomorrow. I have to get better grades. How come everybody does better than me? Kathy doesn't even study and she gets B's. Two boys got in a fight after school today. One boy knocked the other boy's tooth out, at least that's what it looked like. His nose and mouth were bleeding all over the place..." EXT. LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- MORNING -- MONTAGE An airplane ROARS downwards, heading in for a landing. EXT. LA CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY -- MONTAGE An ugly city. "HOLLYWOOD" sign on the smoggy horizon. EXT. HOLLYWOOD HOTEL -- DAY -- MONTAGE A cheap, stucco hotel in a wounded Hollywood neighborhood. INT. HOLLYWOOD HOTEL -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles' suitcase is open on the bed. Welles sits in a chair with his feet up, sweating in the heat, reading the DIARY. MARY'S VOICE (V.O.) (as Welles reads) "... We're reading The Great Gatsby in English class. It's the story of this guy who has lots of fancy parties and all his friends come around and party with him, but later when he dies nobody comes to his funeral. Someone said there's a movie about it, but I looked in the video store and it wasn't there." Welles flips pages, further back in the DIARY... MARY'S VOICE (V.O.) (as Welles reads) "Dear diary. I started my first job last week working part time at Price Mart department store..." INT. LOS ANGELES BANK, SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles and a BANK EMPLOYEE both put keys into a SAFE DEPOSIT BOX, unlocking it and sliding out the metal drawer. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... The people I work with are all old and fat. All they live for is their next coffee break so they can smoke..." INT. BANK, PRIVACY BOOTH -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles is alone, opens the empty safe deposit drawer, takes the 8MM FILM from his pocket and puts it in the drawer. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... They eat lunch at the snack counter. Hot dogs and soft pretzels. Nachos with that orange cheese that comes out of a pump. I don't know what I'd do if I'm still working there when I get old..." EXT. YOUTH HOSTEL -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY -- MONTAGE A large NEON CROSS identifies this HOSTEL in mid-Hollywood. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... I want to be a singer or an actress. I know it's a stupid dream, but I know I can do it if I get a chance..." INT. YOUTH HOSTEL -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles talks to the MAN behind the counter, shows the PICTURE of MARY taken from Mrs. Mathews' house. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... Everyone's always telling me how pretty I am. I don't think I am. When I look in the mirror I wonder who they're talking about." The MAN behind the counter shakes his head. INT. HOMELESS SHELTER -- DAY -- MONTAGE A run-down shelter. Welles shows the PICTURE of MARY to the PROPRIETOR, explaining. The proprietor shakes his head. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. I went out with Bob today, the cute boy in my science class. He took me to a movie..." EXT. YWCA, LIVING QUARTERS -- DAY -- MONTAGE Welles continues his trek, standing in the dank hallway of a YWCA DORMITORY, showing the PICTURE to a COUNSELOR. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... It was the middle of the day, but we held hands. I think he likes me. I really like him. He has black hair and grey eyes..." EXT. LA FREEWAY -- DUSK -- MONTAGE Welles sits in his rental CAR, in a massive TRAFFIC JAM. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... He opened the car door for me and paid for the movie. When he took me home he said we should go out again soon. I hope he calls..." EXT. HOLLYWOOD, RED LIGHT DISTRICT -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles drives, looking out the windshield... at decaying "PEEP SHOWS," an "ADULT BOOKSHOP" and "SEX SHOP." MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. Janet says she slept with her boyfriend. I can't believe it. She says they did it last weekend while her parents were out of town..." EXT. HOLLYWOOD, SUNSET BOULEVARD -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles drives, watching overweight PROSTITUTES and tall, muscular TRANSVESTITES prowling the sidewalks in mini-skirts and stained, tight spandex pants. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... She said she liked it, but she didn't seem too happy. She didn't tell me many details. She said he used a condom." EXT. SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Teenaged MALE PROSTITUTES hang out in front of a PIZZA PARLOR. A few have their shirts off, crewcut and muscular. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. If I save enough money to go to community college maybe I can get good enough grades for a scholarship somewhere else..." EXT. HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD -- DAY -- MONTAGE A tribe of HOMELESS TEENAGERS sits on the sidewalk in front of SOUVENIR SHOPS. They beg money off pedestrians. MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... I've never been anywhere else. I don't think mom wants to let me go. Every time I try to talk about it she says it'll cost too much or she changes the subject." EXT. CHURCH, SOUP KITCHEN -- DAY -- MONTAGE A long line of HOMELESS PERSONS trails out the door. Welles stands out front, showing the PICTURE to a VOLUNTEER with a broom, and a PRIEST... MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. Something terrible happened today when dad and I were alone. I can't tell anyone. I feel sick. What did I ever do to make this happen to me?" The volunteer and priest can't help. Welles is weary, futility beginning to wear on him, walks to his car... MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. My stomach hurts all the time. I just want to go to sleep and never wake up. I want to get out of my head and stop hearing myself think." INT. WELLES' RENTAL CAR -- IN MOTION -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles smokes, driving, blankly watching the road ahead... MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. Grandma fell and broke her leg last week. We drove down to visit her in the hospital. Hospitals smell like dead people." EXT. FREEWAY -- HELICOPTER SHOT -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS FOLLOW Welles' car speeding along... MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. It's happening all the time now. There s nothing I can do. I'm all alone. Everything is bad. I used to have lots of dreams and I'd remember them when I woke up, but that doesn't happen anymore." PULL BACK: still FOLLOWING WELLES' CAR, over the FREEWAY... MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "Dear diary. If I can get to California, I'll be okay. I've got money saved. I can work as a waitress till I get something better. Billy says he and his family went to California once on vacation. He says it never rains. They stayed near the beach and he went swimming in the ocean..." CONTINUE TO PULL BACK -- till Welles' car is very, very far below -- REVEALING the staggering size of the City of Los Angeles, where the lights go on forever and forever. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles is seated, elbows on his knees, reading the DIARY... MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont) "... I hope I can be an actress. I hope I can be happy. I'll probably have to go to acting school. I wish I knew someone who lived there. I'll miss my friends, but at least I'll be far away where no one can ever find me." Welles has come to the end of the writing in the DIARY. The next PHOTOCOPIED PAGE shows an image of the TORN RAGGED EDGE of the diary's missing page. EXT. VIDEO PORN SHOP -- DAY Welles enters this "ADULT VIDEO" storefront. INT. VIDEO PORN SHOP -- DAY The CLERK is a sleazy forty-year-old man with rings in his pierced nose and lips, behind a counter by the door. He watches Welles pass. Welles looks around, uncomfortable. A few of the other CUSTOMERS, all men, sneak glances at Welles. Display shelves run floor to ceiling, full of hundreds of shrink- wrapped XXX PORNO TAPES. Welles pretends to browse. Handmade signs above each section identify content: "ANAL," "BIG TITS," "CUMSHOTS," "BONDAGE and FETISH," etc... Welles looks back at the clerk, who stares at Welles. Welles feels obligated to pick up a box and act like he's considering it. He glances at other customers. Each man keeps his eyes forward on the pornography. One guy has his arms full of about ten videos. Welles puts the tape back, walks to the front counter. The clerk watches him the whole time. WELLES Is this pretty much it? The clerk just stares at Welles. WELLES Just... just videos? PIERCED CLERK What are you looking for? Welles considers, decides to leave, exiting... WELLES Nothing. PIERCED CLERK Fuck-head. INT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY Welles comes in through the blacked-out door. This place is larger than the last. TWO CLERKS are behind the counter. One clerk's pricing porn, the other, MAX, 25, reads a porno- novel. Max has long hair, colorful tattoos covering his forearms, has a HIGHLIGHTER MARKER in his mouth. Welles browses. There's a huge video bargain bin. Walls are covered in videos, sex toys, inflatable women, etc. CUSTOMERS, again all wary males, follow proper porn-shop etiquette; look at the porn, not your fellow shopper. There are "PEEP SHOW" booths in the back. A MAN looks around, trying to be nonchalant, sweating profusely, slipping behind one curtain. Welles pretends to read the packaging on a triple-pack of dildos, looks towards the front... Behind the register, Max takes a look to make sure the other clerk is busy, takes the cap of his Highlighter pen and highlights a section in the book he's reading. Welles notes this. He goes to the substantial MAGAZINE RACK, picks up a porn tabloid, pages through it. He selects sex MAGAZINES and NEWSPAPERS, choosing about twenty-five. Welles takes this pile up to Max, gets out his wallet. Max starts ringing everything up. MAX Big date tonight? WELLES (embarrassed) Yeah... guess so. MAX Can I interest you in a battery operated-vagina? WELLES Pardon me? MAX My boss tells me I have to do more suggestive selling. WELLES Well, it's tempting, but no thanks. MAX It's your call, but you're gonna be sorry when you're in one of those everyday situations that call for a battery-operated vagina and you don't have one. WELLES I'll risk it. Max shoves everything into a bag and hands it over. MAX Thank you for shopping at Adult Bookstore. Have a nice day. Welles takes the bag. Max returns to his book. Welles is leaving, but stops at the end of the counter. WELLES What are you reading? Max holds up the book, "ANAL SECRETARY." MAX Once you pick it up you can't put it down. WELLES Catchy title. What are you really reading? (off Max's look) Hard to believe that book's got any parts worth highlighting. Max takes a glance at the other clerk, opens the pages of the book and shows it to Welles. "Music for Chameleons." WELLES Truman Capote. MAX I tear off the cover and paste this one on... (nods towards clerk) You know how it is. WELLES Wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of your fellow perverts. MAX (smiles, shrugs) Might get drummed out of the pornographer's union, and then where would I be? Another CUSTOMER clears his throat, waiting at the register. Max turns to help him. Welles heads out. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT Welles is at a table, porn publications spread out before him, looking through the back of a PORNO TABLOID... Turning pages of HARDCORE ADVERTISEMENTS: "Adults Only," "She Male Films," "Amateur Sex Videos," "Women and Animals -- you've got to see it to believe it..." Welles moves on to the next MAGAZINE, turning to the back, again, page after page: "Watersports and Fisting Specialists," "100's of Anal Films," "Asian Sex..." HUNDREDS of 900 NUMBER ads with naked women urging callers to pick up the phone. EROTIC CLASSIFIEDS; hundreds of amateur photos of naked men and women with faces and genitalia blacked over... "Men Seeking Women," "Women Seeking Women", "Men Seeking Men," "Transvestites..." It is endless. More CLASSIFIEDS: "Sex Slaves Wanted," "ACTRESSES WANTED," "Underground Films," "SPECIALTY FILMS OFFERED," "S+M and BONDAGE," "Fetish Videos." Welles leaves it, overwhelmed, goes to lay down on the bed. He picks up his cellular phone, dialing. WELLES (into phone) Hi, honey, how are you? How's Cindy? (listens) The way it's going I'm about ready to pack my bags... INT. NONDESCRIPT ROOM -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS In a dark room, we don't know where, a DARK FIGURE of a MAN is silhouetted. He wears HEADPHONES, listening... WELLES' VOICE (V.O.) (through headphones) ... I've got a feeling the person I'm looking for came out here and got swallowed up by the place. AMY'S VOICE (V.O.) (through headphone) Come back now. Just drop it and come back... WELLES' VOICE (V.O.) (through headphone) I would if I could. I'll be home soon, believe me. It won't be long. AMY'S VOICE (V.O.) (through headphone) I miss you. INT. WELLES ROOM -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS Welles shuts his eyes, still on the cellular... WELLES (into phone) I miss you too. I love you very much. Give Cinderella a kiss for me and tell her I love her, alright? (listens) Goodnight. INT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY Max is at the register. A crewcut WOMAN in overalls works behind the counter with him. Welles approaches. WELLES Remember me? MAX Came back for that battery-operated vagina, right? Told you you would. Welles shows his IDENTIFICATION, lets Max get a good look. WELLES I need some information. Thought you might be able to help. MAX (of identification) Thomas Welles. Nice picture. Welles takes out an ENVELOPE, puts it on the counter. WELLES I'll be outside having a cigarette. Welles leaves. Max watches him go. Max opens the envelope, takes out two fifty dollar bills, pockets them. MAX (to other clerk) Cover me, Beth. I'm taking a break. EXT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY Welles stands down the sidewalk, smoking. Max comes out from the porn shop, walks to Welles, looking around. MAX I don't know what you're looking for, mister, but so we're clear from the start, I'm straight. WELLES Good for you. Welles and Max walk down the block, past HOMELESS MEN with shopping carts overflowing with junk. WELLES How long you been working there? MAX Three, four years. WELLES What's your name, if you don't mind me asking? MAX Max. WELLES Well, here's the deal, Max. This thing I'm on right now has something to do with underground pornography. Stuff that's sold under the counter, illegally... MAX There's not much illegal. WELLES Well, whatever there is, whoever's dealing, however it's done, I want to know. I want a good look, so if you've got that kind of connection, great. If not, speak now. MAX You're not a cop, are you? If I ask and you are, you have to tell me. WELLES I'm not a cop. MAX You're a private eye. Like Shaft. WELLES Not quite. MAX From Pennsylvania. P.I. from PA. What are you doing out here? WELLES Well, there's the thing; you're not gonna know anything about what I'm doing, but you can make some money. MAX How much? WELLES How much do you make now? MAX Four hundred a week, off the books. WELLES Okay, let's pretend I live in the same fantasy world where you make four hundred a week in that dump. I'll give you six hundred for a few days. MAX Sounds good, pops. WELLES Here's my number if you need it... (writes on scrap paper) When can you start? MAX Tomorrow night, I get off at eight. WELLES See you then. Oh, and, don't call me "pops." Welles walks away. INT. WELLES ROOM -- NIGHT Welles sleeps, despite the stead SOUND of TRAFFIC racing by his window. The PHONE RINGS, waking him. Welles looks at the clock radio, 2:23am, reaches to answer the phone... WELLES (into phone) ... Hello... ? MAX (V.O.) (from phone) Wake up, pops. Your education begins tonight. EXT. DOWNTOWN -- NIGHT Against the backdrop of downtown LA's bright skyscrapers, Welles' rental car heads into the lower bowels of the city, smaller, older, darker buildings... EXT. DOWNTOWN STREETS -- NIGHT The only people on the street are HOMELESS and SHADY CHARACTERS. Welles' car makes its way to a big deserted PARKING LOT. There are a few cars parked in one corner. Welles parks near the other cars and gets out. Max stands against a chain link fence. Welles goes to meet him. MAX Come on. Max leads the way, across the lot, towards dark alleyways. EXT. DOWNTOWN ALLEYWAY -- NIGHT Max and Welles move through this filth strewn alley between decaying brink buildings. They cone to a STAIRWELL leading down to pitch dark... INT. OLD BUILDING -- NIGHT Max enters through a crooked door, heads into a narrow, labyrinth hallway lit by bare bulbs. Welles follows. They come to another STAIRWAY leading down. At the bottom, a thick-necked GOON stands guarding double doors. GOON Are you a law enforcement agent or in any way affiliated with law enforcement? MAX Fuck you, Larry. Max heads to the double doors, waits for Welles. GOON (to Welles) Are you a law enforcement... ? WELLES No. INT. BASEMENT -- NIGHT Max and Welles enter through the double doors, into a kind of small, underground porn flea market. It's incredibly quiet. About fifteen CARD TABLES are set up in rows. The MEN behind the tables and the thirty or so "CUSTOMERS" looking through the merchandise make those in the previous porn shops look like high society. These are MIDDLE-AGED MEN, most balding, some with pot bellies, in shorts and tube socks, in sweatpants and Members Only jackets: plain men, but with a look of desperation in their eyes, glancing around nervously, greasy and afraid. ONE DEALER We're shutting down in fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes. Welles makes his way to the tables, wary. One table is covered in dirty cardboard boxes, filled with HUNDREDS of PHOTOS of young children, mostly boys, naked. Each photo is wrapped in plastic, censored by masking tape. Welles swallows back disgust. The next table is piled high with used pornographic MAGAZINES. There are baggies with COLORFUL PILLS laid out. X-rated Polaroids wrapped in rubberbands. Max follows behind, unaffected, smokes a cigarette. Another table offers VIDEO TAPES with no identifying marks other than hand written labels with numbers written out, "two," "sixteen," "five." And many bootleg VIDEOS with grainy, homemade labels showing WOMEN in extreme BONDAGE. Welles watches out the corner of his eye as the PLUMP MAN beside him pays for a thick stack of kiddie porn pictures. Welles waits till the man moves on, addresses the angry looking DEALER who's counting money. WELLES (points to numbered videos) What are these? ANGRY DEALER Mixed hard bondage. Rape films. Sick shit. Buy five, get one free. Welles looks around, wipes sweat off his top lip. WELLES Anything harder? ANGRY DEALER There's nothing harder. WELLES Snuff? ANGRY DEALER What you see is what I got, mister. WELLES You know where I can get it? I have a lot of money to spend. ANGRY DEALER There ain't no such thing as snuff. Why don't you fuck off? The dealer sits and keeps counting cash. Welles moves on Beyond the tables there's a CURTAINED DOORWAY. Welles walks to it, enters... INSIDE THE CURTAIN Folding chairs face a SCREEN. A PROJECTOR shows a silent movie; a BUXOM WOMAN in nurses uniform prepares an enema bag and tube. A hairy, overweight MAN lays face down on an examination table, naked, arms tied behind his back. In the darkness, a MAN shifts in his chair, grunting, obviously masturbating. A few chairs away, a man is bent over, moving his head in the lap of SOMEONE in a BLONDE WIG. A LARGE MAN approaches Welles from the dark. LARGE MAN You have to pay to come in here. Welles backs away, shuts the curtain. INT. ALL-NIGHT COFFEE SHOP -- NIGHT Not many people in the place. Welles drinks coffee. Max eats a huge breakfast. MAX You've got Penthouse, Playboy, Hustler, etc. Nobody even considers them pornography anymore. Then, there's mainstream hardcore. Triple X. The difference is penetration. That's hardcore. That whole industry's up in the valley. Writers, directors, porn stars. They're celebrities, or they think they are. They pump out 150 videos a week. A week. They've even got a porno Academy Awards. America loves pornography. Anybody tells you they never use pornography, they're lying. Somebody's buying those videos. Somebody's out there spending 900 million dollars a year on phone sex. Know what else? It's only gonna get worse. More and more you'll see perverse hardcore coming into the mainstream, because that's evolution. Desensitization. Oh my God, Elvis Presley's wiggling his hips, how offensive! Nowadays, Mtv's showing girls dancing around in thong bikinis with their asses hanging out. Know what I mean? For the porn-addict, big tits aren't big enough after a while. They have to be the biggest tits ever. Some porn chicks are putting in breast implants bigger than your head, literally. Soon, Playboy is gonna be Penthouse, Penthouse'll be Hustler, Hustler'll be hardcore, and hardcore films'll be medical films. People'll be jerking off to women laying around with open wounds. There's nowhere else for it to go. WELLES Interesting theory. MAX What you saw tonight, we're not talking about a video some dentist takes home over the weekend. We're talking about stuff where people get hurt. Specialty product. WELLES Child pornography. MAX There's two kinds of specialty product; legal and illegal. Foot fetish, shit films, watersports, bondage, spanking, fisting, she- males, hemaphrodites... it's beyond hardcore, but legal. This is the kind of hardcore where one guy's going to look at it and throw up, another guy looks at it and falls in love. Now, with some of the S+M and bondage films, they straddle the line. How are you supposed to tell if the person tied up with the ball gag in their mouth is a consenting or not? Step over that line, you're into kiddie porn. Rape films, but there aren't many. I've never seen one. WELLES Snuff films. MAX I heard you asking. That guy wasn't yanking you around. There's no such thing. WELLES What other ways are there to get illegal films? Who do you see? MAX First of all, basement sales like tonight aren't gonna last much longer. It's too risky, one, and two, everything's going on the internet. Anyone with a computer and enough patience can find anything he wants. It's heaven for those degenerate chicken-hawks. They're swapping pictures back and forth as fast as their modems can zap 'em. But, there's still some weird shit under the counter where I work sometimes. No one knows where it comes from. That's local underground, where information spreads by word of mouth. Those are zombies, hardcore junkies. Their hands are permanently pruned. They go out in the sun they don't burn, they blister. Other than that, all I know about is the mail. Classified ads in the paper with hidden codes. Secret couriers. Credit card orders to dummy corporations. Interstate wire transfers. Revolving P.O. boxes. But, if you're asking me who do you go to to get illegal shit... who knows? That's the whole point -- the seller stays as far away from the buyer as possible, and vice versa, and cops can't trace the deal. There's ways to do it so nobody knows who anybody is. Welles watches Max eat. WELLES How old are you? MAX Twenty-five. WELLES Where are your parents? MAX I don't know, where are yours? WELLES I don't mean any offense... but what are you doing mixed up in all this? MAX I'm not mixed up in anything, hayseed. What are you talking about? WELLES You just strike me as smart enough to be doing something else. MAX Yeah, I'm a real genius. What choices have I got? Fuck, just because I know about stuff like tonight doesn't mean I deal it. I work a job. It beats pumping gas, beats making hamburgers. WELLES You're telling me it doesn't get to you? MAX You can't sit there all day watching the parade of losers that comes into that place without going numb. So what? Am I gonna go off and be a race car driver? Go to Harvard? Run for President? What about you, pops? WELLES What about me? MAX I see a ring on your finger. You have any kids? WELLES A daughter. MAX So, you have a wife and kid waiting for you in Pennsylvania... what are you doing mixed up in all this? WELLES Good question. EXT. ALL NIGHT COFFEE SHOP -- NIGHT Max and Welles comes out to the sidewalk, talking. ACROSS THE STREET INSIDE A PARKED CAR, through the windshield, SOMEONE watches Max and Welles say goodnight. Max walks to a waiting taxi. It's the sinister lawyer watching, LONGDALE, the late Mr. Christian's attorney, watching Welles go to his rental car. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE Welles is seated, PROJECTOR RUNNING, watching the 8MM film. The last of the film makes its way through, threading out. The take-up reel spins, the film's tail flapping... Welles stares at the blank white square of light projected onto the wall. CELLULAR PHONE is HEARD RINGING... Welles finally looks to the projector, turns it off. The PHONE'S RINGING. Welles goes to sit on the bed, looking at the cellular phone on the bedside table. RINGING... Welles lets it RING. RINGING... RINGING... till it finally stops. Welles lays back on the bed and shuts his eyes. INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, MR CHRISTIAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Mrs. Christian is behind the desk, surrounded by BOXES of BANK RECORDS and FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, on the PHONE. MRS CHRISTIAN (into phone) My husband had five cash accounts he used to temporarily hold stock profits. Between November of 1991 and March of 1992, he wrote one check out to cash from each account. He wrote these himself... INT. PHONE BOOTH, HOLLYWOOD -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS Welles is in the booth, listening... WELLES (into phone) Okay... MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) (from phone) My husband never dealt with money personally, certainly not cash. WELLES I'm not positive this means anything. MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) The checks were for odd amounts... INT. MR CHRISTIAN'S OFFICE -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS Mrs. Christian has the amounts written out on paper. MRS CHRISTIAN (into phone) One was for two hundred thousand, one dollar and thirteen cents. Another was for three hundred thousand, six hundred fifty four dollars and seventy six cents... WELLES (V.O.) (from phone) Okay, I follow you so far... MRS CHRISTIAN Totalled together, these five checks from five different accounts, they equal one million dollars. INT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS WELLES (into phone) You're joking. MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) (from phone) To the penny. Exactly one million dollars in cash. Welles considers this, lost in thought. MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) Hello... ? WELLES I'm here. MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) Do you think the film could have cost that much? WELLES For a human life... murder on film, no statute of limitations. Who knows? It sure could have. I'd like you to overnight me a copy of those checks, then put them in a safe deposit box. MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) Okay. WELLES Send it to me through the post office like we arranged. No return address. You dug this up all by yourself? MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) You told me to look, so I looked. WELLES You're one hell of a detective, Mrs. Christian. EXT. MISSION YOUTH HOSTEL -- DAY TEENAGERS work cleaning this large DORMITORY, sweeping and mopping the floor, making the bunk beds, washing windows. Welles stands with an elderly, black NUN in plain clothing. WELLES Her name was Mary Anne Mathews. Welles hands the woman the PICTURE of MARY. The woman puts on her glasses, looks at the picture... looks at Welles. NUN Yes... I remember Mary WELLES You... you do? You're sure? Please, Sister, will you take another look, make sure... NUN (examines picture) Yes. I remember her. INT. MISSION YOUTH HOSTEL, STORAGE AREA -- DAY In a basement corner, Welles watches as the nun uses keys to open the door of a chain-link STORAGE CAGE. The cage is full of junk, BOXES, LAMPS, stacks of CHAIRS. NUN She lived here for only about a month, if I recall correctly. She didn't return one night. She never came back. I didn't know what to think... The nun enters the cage, pushes old BOXES out of her way, looks up a cob-web covered METAL SHELVES. NUN Do you know what happened to her? WELLES I'm trying to find out. She was a runaway. I'm looking into it for her parents. The nun sees what she wants, finds a STEP LADDER, tries to open it. Welles comes to help her. NUN (pointing on shelf) Can you get that down for me? Welles climbs the ladder, points at boxes... NUN No, the next shelf... there... Welles takes down a small SUITCASE. It's covered in dust. He climbs down the ladder with it. WELLES What is this? NUN Those are her belongings. WELLES Her belongings? NUN That's her suitcase. I had forgotten it, till you showed me her picture. Welles puts the suitcase down, examines the LUGGAGE TAG: "Mary Anne Mathews," no address. Welles looks to the nun. WELLES Whatever possessed you to keep this all this time? NUN She was the kindest, sweetest girl you'd ever want to meet. Oh, I adored her. I supposed I always hoped she'd be back. After a time, all I could do was pray she had moved on to better things. Can you get this suitcase to her parents, if you think it's appropriate? WELLES I'll do what I can. INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT Welles puts Mary's SUITCASE on the bed, opens it. He takes out some of Mary's clothing, examines it, lays it aside. He takes out a ROSARY, more CLOTHING. Resting on a SWEATER are two CERAMIC FIGURINES; a teddy bear and kitten. Welles examines them, frowning, puts them aside. He takes out yellowed NEWSPAPER; Help Wanted CLASSIFIEDS, "July 2, 1992." Several job possibilities circled, others crossed out. He finds baggie containing a few old JOINTS. All that's left are more items of CLOTHING, a TOOTHBRUSH and an ADDRESS BOOK. Welles examines the address book, finds a folded piece of paper in the blank pages, unfolds it... it's the TORN DIARY PAGE, a POEM written in Mary's hand... MARY'S VOICE (V.O.) (as Welles reads) "Star light, star bright, First star I've seen tonight, Wish I may, wish I might, Have this wish I wish tonight." Welles goes to a drawer, takes out the photocopy of Mary's DIARY. He turns to the ragged edge of the torn page, puts the DIARY PAGE against it. Perfect match. Welles stands looking at the poem. He turns the page over, finds written, in cursive: Models Wanted 213-555-6643 EXT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY Welles dials the number off the back of the torn diary page, phone to his ear. It RINGS, RINGS, RINGS... MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) (from phone) Celebrity Films. Welles hangs up, begins searching the booth's YELLOW PAGES. EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY A poverty stricken business section of Wilshire. Welles gets out of his parked car, looks up at a decaying Art Deco building that's painted blue top-to-bottom. Welles crosses through traffic. INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, LOBBY -- DAY Welles studies the REGISTRY, finds "Celebrity Films." INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, STAIRWELL -- DAY Paint's peeling. Walls are water stained. Welles climbs stairs, winded, sweating, up the stairwell... INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, 8TH FLOOR HALL -- DAY Welles comes out a stairwell DOOR, catching his breath. A couple of SECRETARIES wait for the elevator. Welles moves down the hall, around a corner. Each office door has a window of pebbled, translucent glass. There's a "Dental Office," "Wilson Travel Cruises," and at the end of the hall, "Celebrity Films Inc., Eddie Poole, Professional Casting and Distribution, Suite 804." Welles heads back the way he came. EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY Welles crosses back to the other side of the street, goes to stand near his car. He looks up at the blue office building, counting up floors, counting windows across. Satisfied, he turns, backing up, looking up at the tall OFFICE BUILDING across from the blue building. There's a sign on this adjacent building, "OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE." INT. ADJACENT OFFICE, 9TH FLOOR -- DAY Empty office. Welles is let in by a disinterested LANDLORD. Welles gives a cursory look around, goes to the windows and opens the blinds. These windows afford an excellent view of the blue building across the street, at about 8th floor level. WELLES This is better. (turns to landlord) This will be fine. INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- NIGHT Welles has transferred most of his belongings here, SUITCASE open on the floor, CARD TABLE set up with fast food on it, an ARMY COT against one wall. Welles sits in a chair at the window, looks through BINOCULARS on a TRIPOD. WELLES' P.O.V., THROUGH BINOCULARS: searching up the dark floors of the blue building, as Welles counts under his breath. Moving over... stopping on one window, FOCUSING... Welles locks the tripod. He goes to sit on the army cot, picks up his CELLULAR. He looks at the phone, deciding. He puts down the phone. He turns off the LAMP on the floor, lays back in the cot, going to sleep. INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY WELLES' P.O.V., THROUGH BINOCULARS: watching the window of Celebrity Films Inc. We can see most of the office from here. It's crowded with junk, BOXES, piles of VIDEO TAPES. There's a disorganized DESK by the window. Welles sits looking through the binoculars. THROUGH BINOCULARS: a pudgy man, EDDIE POOLE, in a loud, print shirt, comes to sit at the desk, looks through mail. He smells sleazy even from here, lots of jewelry, Lots of rings. He drinks coffee, answers the phone. He talks into the phone, looking for something on his desk, agitation growing, till he's shouting, then slams the phone down. Welles rises. He looks to the wall where THREE PHOTOGRAPHS culled from the snuff film are pinned up; the picture of Mary, the picture of Masked Man's tattooed hand, and... ... the grainy image of the Third Man in the mirror. Welles comes to study this third photo. FADE TO BLACK: INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie packs VIDEO TAPES into a box, covering them with Styrofoam peanuts, sealing the box. FADE TO BLACK: INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie finishes a call and hangs up. He sits back in his chair. He starts looking in his desk drawers, finds a MAGAZINE and opens it on the desk. It's porn. Eddie turns pages, looking at naked women. He sits back in his chair, begins unbuckling his belt. Welles pulls back from the binoculars in disgust. WELLES No thank you. FADE TO BLACK: INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- NIGHT THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's on the phone, pouring himself a drink from the liquor bottle on his desk, finishing the call, hanging up. He shakes his head in disgust, drinks the drink, walks out of view. After a moment, the lights go out. EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS -- NIGHT An old, dented CAR makes its way up the tight, twisting roads of the Hollywood Hills. Eddie's at the wheel. Not far behind, Welles' rental car follows... FURTHER ON Eddie's car pulls into the driveway under the porch of a ramshackle HOUSE, parks. Welles' car passes by... FURTHER, AROUND A CURVE Welles' car slows once it's out of sight, turns around, moving back down the hill, slowly... INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS Welles turns out his headlights, coming around the curve just far enough so the ramshackle house is in view. Welles watches Eddie walk up the stairs to the house. FADE TO BLACK: INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie has a visitor. There's a pretty GIRL, wearing a tube top, in a chair facing his desk. Eddie's talking, gesticulating, smiling, cajoling. Welles watches through binoculars. THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's still taking, stands, coming around the desk and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. The girl says something. Eddie responds. The woman shakes her head, getting up to leave. Eddie seems to be asking her to stay, following as she moves out of view. Eddie comes back alone, sits at his desk, picks up the phone. INT. ESPIONAGE SHOP -- DAY Ultra high tech for sale. Welles examines items on the sales counter as the SALESPERSON watches: a pair of sma1l, round LISTENING DEVICES, a complicated RECEIVER/TAPE RECORDER, and a TONE DECODER with LED window. WELLES Okay, I'll take it all. SALESPERSON Excellent. we accept MasterCard and American Express. WELLES Cash. Welles takes out a thick wad, starts counting. SALESPERSON Alright. (at register) May I have your phone number, area code first? WELLES No, you may not. SALESPERSON Okay. Fine. Welles lays the money on the counter. The salesperson takes the money, recounting. SALESPERSON I'm required by state law to inform you that, while it's perfectly legal for you to purchase these items, it is illegal for you to use them for any sort of... WELLES Yeah, I know the spiel. If you could bag it, I'll be on my way, thank you. SALESPERSON Certainly, sir. The salesperson starts punching keys on the register. EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- NIGHT The blue building sits completely dark. INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, 8TH FLOOR HALL -- NIGHT Welles comes quietly out from the stairwell, wears gloves. He moves down the hall to the door of "Celebrity Films Inc." He kneels, begins using LOCK-PICKING TOOLS on the door. INT. CELEBRITY FILMS OFFICE -- NIGHT Welles enters, shuts the door and locks it. He takes out his penlight. There are POSTERS for cheap PORN FILMS on the wall that we couldn't see through binoculars. Titles like "Sex Doctor," "Deep Ass," and "Penal Colony." There a two FILE CABINETS. Welles pulls a few drawers, finds them locked. VIDEO CASSETTES are everywhere, on the cabinets, on shelves, piled high on the floor. Welles goes to Eddie's desk, looking in drawers. One drawer is full of X-RATED MAGAZINES. Another's stuffed with paperwork, call sheets, contracts. Welles picks up Eddie's phone, unscrews the earpiece. He takes the small, round LISTENING DEVICE from his pocket, peels off backing to expose adhesive. He attaches the listening device inside the phone, puts it back together. Welles moves towards the door, sweeps the room with the penlight. He stops at the file cabinets, takes his lock- picking tools out, begins working on one file's lock. He turns the lock, opens a file drawer. Empty. He opens another. Inside: piles of CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. Welles clenches his jaw. Faces of children. Shirtless boys. Girls in pigtails. INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY Welles' RECEIVER/TAPE RECORDER'S set up by the window, recording, with the TONE DECODER plugged into it. Welles LISTENS through HEADPHONE, looking through binoculars. EDDIE (V.O.) (through headphones) ... half a dozen. This is good stuff, Jimbo... THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's at his desk, on the PHONE... EDDIE (V.O.) You know how my tapes sell. People eat this stuff up. MALE VOICE (V.O.) (from phone) I had three jerkoffs trying to return your tapes last month. Do you know how bad a skin flick has to be for some jackass to come back into my place with a fucking receipt, and try to fucking return it? EDDIE (V.O.) Maybe there's something wrong with the scumbag customers coming into your place, ever think of that? MALE VOICE (V.O.) The only thing wrong is the cheap, softcore crap you're peddling, Eddie. Where do you get this stuff? EDDIE (V.O.) Look, you cocksucker... MALE VOICE (V.O.) Get together some upscale product where the girls still have teeth in their head. Till then, fuck you. EDDIE (V.O.) Fuck you! THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie slams down the phone. He CANNOT BE HEARD any longer. He's cursing, shuffling paperwork. Welles takes off headphones, picks up his cellular phone. He drinks soda, opens the phone, dials, nervous, then looks back through the binoculars. He waits, clears his throat. The PHONE'S RINGING... RINGING... On the floor, the REELS of the tape recorder are TURNING... THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie answers the phone... EDDIE (V.O.) Celebrity Films. WELLES (V.O.) Eddie. EDDIE (V.O.) Yeah, who's this? WELLES (V.O.) I know what you did. EDDIE (V.O.) What? WELLES (V.O.) I know what you did. EDDIE (V.O.) Who is this. WELLES (V.O.) You murdered that girl, Eddie. Six years ago... EDDIE (V.O.) What the fuck are you.. ? WELLES (V.O.) You killed that girl and you put it on film. You and your pals, you're fucked. You fucked up real good. Welles hits disconnect, still looking through binoculars. THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's slow to hang up the phone. He stands, looking down at the phone, frozen. Finally, he runs his hands through his hair, looks around the room, sits back down. He gets out his bottle and pours himself a drink. Welles watches through binoculars, puts headphones back on. WELLES Come on, Eddie... THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie sits motionless. WELLES (O.S.) ... come on... THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie picks up the phone, DIALS a NUMBER. We hear the PHONE RING in the HEADPHONES MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) (through headphones) ... Hello? EDDIE (V.O.) (through headphones) Dino, it's Eddie... Eddie Poole... DINO (V.O.) What do you want? EDDIE (V.O.) I just got a call... two seconds ago, some motherfucker called... says he knows about the loop. DINO (V.O.) What are you talking about? EDDIE (V.O.) The loop! The girl we did, what the fuck do you think I'm talking about?! This guy calls and says he knows about the fucking loop... DINO (V.O.) Bullshit. EDDIE (V.O.) I'm telling you... DINO (V.O.) Blow me, you paranoid fuck, that's impossible. Why are you bothering me with this... ? EDDIE (V.O.) Because somebody just fucking called me and fucking laid it out! DINO (V.O.) There's nothing there, you brain- dead cunt. Think about it. There's absolutely no way in this world to connect us to anything. I want you to hang the phone up, and if you call me about this again I'm going to send a friend of mine out there and have him crack you open with a fucking rib spreader. EDDIE (V.O.) Dino... DINO (V.O) Nobody knows anything. THROUGH BINOCULARS: as DINO is HEARD HANGING UP, Eddie reacts, picks up his phone and throws it across the office. Welles sits back, trying to accept the realization that he's found them. He looks to the PHOTO of the Third Man. WELLES That is you, isn't it, Eddie? Welles goes to the RECORDER, turns on the TONE DECODER. Its LED window LIGHTS UP. Welles hits STOP, REWIND, PLAY... WELLES VOICE (V.O.) (from recorder) ... and your pals, you're fucked... Hits FAST FORWARD... hits PLAY, watching the TONE DECODER. From the RECORDER, the SOUND of EDDIE DIALING a NUMBER on his touch tone phone... and as EACH TONE is HEARD, a corresponding NUMBER appears on the DECODER'S LED readout: ...1 212 555 9906... The recorder continues, REPLAYING the CONVERSATION between Eddie and Dino, while Welles studies the green LED digits. WELLES (quiet, to himself) Two one two. EXT. MANHATTAN CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- NIGHT The brilliant lights of New York's peerless skyscrapers. EXT. 59TH STREET BRIDGE -- NIGHT FOLLOW Welles' Ford as it moves along with traffic, crossing the 59th Street Bridge, into the heart of Manhattan. EXT. BANK -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY "Chase Manhattan Bank," mid-town. INT. CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, SAFE DEPOSIT BOOTH -- DAY Welles puts the 8MM FILM into SAFE DEPOSIT DRAWER, shuts it. INT. NY PUBLIC LIBRARY, REFERENCE -- DAY Busy and crowded, but quiet. Welles places a massive tome down on a table: "Haines Criss-Cross Directory." Welles sits, takes out his notepad, referring to the phone number written: "(212) 555-9906." He opens the reference book, searching pages... Thousands of TELEPHONE NUMBERS are LISTED in SEQUENCE, each with an address. Welles runs his finger down the page. EXT. SOHO STREETS -- DAY PEDESTRIANS everywhere. Streets are clogged with DELIVERY TRUCKS loading and unloading. Cars horns blow. Welles walks to an old, WAREHOUSE BUILDING shoulder to shoulder with other buildings, labeled "1204" in burnished steel. Welles climbs the stairs, examines the buzzers. The top button's labeled "Greystone Imports," the bottom button reads "Lang Interior Design, by appt." The middle button is labeled only by a drawing of a BLACK WIDOW SPIDER. Welles looks up at the building. EXT. 1204 WAREHOUSE, SOHO -- LATER DAY The sun is low. Less activity on the street. Welles leans against a car down the street, smoking a cigarette. TWO WOMEN walk this way, both in spiked high heels, dressed in cheap, short, formfitting skirts, both carrying duffel bags. They start up the stairs of 1204... Welles throws his cigarette, walks to follow. The women hit the center button. A BUZZER sounds as they head inside. Welles hurries up the stairs, catching the door before it closes. INT. 1204 WAREHOUSE, ELEVATOR -- DAY Welles follows the women into a decrepit ELEVATOR. One woman hits "2." Welles hits "3," steps back in the corner. Elevator doors creak closed. The two women are heavily made up, pretty, but worn, eyes dull. Welles looks down at the leg of one woman, noticing bruises through her fishnet stockings, poorly covered by make-up. Elevator doors open on the SECOND FLOOR. The two women get out and walk down a grey hallway, towards DOUBLE DOORS painted black. Welles stops the elevator door from closing. The women push the INTERCOM at the black doors. Another dull BUZZ is HEARD as the women enter. The low rumble of HEAVY METAL MUSIC is HEARD, SILENCED as doors swing shut. Welles lets the elevator close. EXT. 1204 WAREHOUSE -- DAY The elevator opens on the FIRST FLOOR. Welles gets out, instead of leaving the way he came, heads towards the rear... FOLLOW him down a hallway, past a SERVICE ELEVATOR... EXT. 1204 WAREHOUSE -- DAY Welles comes out BACK DOORS into an sunless alleyway with fire escapes above. There's a TRASH DUMPSTER, overflowing. Rats scatter upon Welles, arrival. Welles looks to make sure he's alone. He starts tearing open GARBAGE BAGS. Flies swarm. One bag's filled with empty food containers and old newspapers. Welles tears open another bag, finds burnt out FLORESCENT LIGHTBULBS, digs out a handful of empty PHOTO PAPER PACKAGES, bottles of DEVELOPING CHEMICALS. He pulls out a few MAGAZINES; Time, Newsweek, etc... The magazines are cut up, falling apart, with pictures chopped out from many pages. Welles examines ADDRESS LABELS: "Dino Velvet/D.V. Films 1204 Keller Street New York, NY 10049" INT. PHONE BOOTH, NYC STREETS -- NIGHT Welles is on the PHONE. The city bustles past. WELLES (into phone) What do you know about a guy called Dino Velvet? Dino Velvet Films? INT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY -- INTERCUT Max is on the phone by the register, ringing purchases. MAX (into phone) Dino Velvet... yeah, he's like the John Luc Godard of S+M flicks, supposed to be a real weirdo. WELLES (V.O.) (from phone) A weirdo making S+M films? Who'd have thought it? MAX (into phone) His stuff comes out of New York. Bondage and fetish videos, Gothic Hardcore. Definitely not for the squeamish. WELLES (V.O.) Specialty product. MAX You're learning. WELLES (V.O.) Where does he sell it? MAX Out of the back of bondage magazines mostly, but you can find it on the street if you look. He'll also do commissions, for enough money... INT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS MAX (V.O.) (from phone) Nothing illegal, it's always borderline. Like if some freak wants to see a transvestite in a full rubber immersion suit getting an enema from a... WELLES (into phone) Alright, I get the picture. MAX (V.O.) He cuts all kinds of other stuff into his movies; photographs, newsreel footage, subliminal images. Thinks he's making art. WELLES Well, I'm in New York now. What do you say to flying out and giving me a hand? MAX (V.O.) I'm a working stiff, pops. WELLES Take a vacation. I'll pay you four hundred a day, plus expenses. MAX (V.O.) You want me to come out there and play private eye? WELLES Consider it. Meanwhile, dig up whatever Dino Velvet films you can. Get receipts. I'll call back. MAX (V.O.) See ya. Welles hangs up, starts feeding quarters into the phone. INT. MRS. CHRISTIAN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS Mrs. Christian's in bed, pale and sickly. The PHONE RINGS. Mrs. Christian reaches for it. MRS CHRISTIAN (into phone, weakly) Hello? WELLES (V.O.) (from phone) Mrs. Christian, Tom Welles here. MRS CHRISTIAN (coughing) How are you? Having any luck? WELLES (V.O.) I don't know if luck's the word. Are you feeling alright? MRS CHRISTIAN I've been ordered into bed. The doctor says I've gotten the flu, or some other wretched ailment. WELLES (V.O.) I hope it's nothing serious. MRS CHRISTIAN Nothing more than a bother. Have you any news for me? INT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS WELLES (into phone) I've made progress. I'm in Manhattan. Once a few more pieces fall into place, I'll drive to you and give you an update. MRS CHRISTIAN (V.O.) (from phone) Fine... MRS. CHRISTIAN is HEARD COUGHING. Welles waits. WELLES I've got about five thousand left in cash, but I'll need another thirty, if you approve. MRS CHRISTIAN How will I get it to you? WELLES If you have a pencil and paper, I'll tell you how to send it. EXT. MOTEL, HELL'S KITCHEN -- NIGHT A TAXI pulls over in front of this flea-bag motel. Max gets out with a SUITCASE, looks at the dubious accommodations. INT. MOTEL, MAX'S ROOM -- NIGHT Max enters with Welles, turns on a light and throws his suitcase on the bed. The room is disgusting. MAX You didn't say it was gonna be this luxurious. WELLES It's their Presidential Suite. MAX Great. Max looks in the bathroom. MAX Oh, come on, man, what are we doing in this flea bag? WELLES It's cheap, and people know to mind their own business. What have you got for me? Max opens his suitcase, takes out THREE VIDEO TAPES. He hands them to Welles. The boxes are covered in jumbled PHOTO COLLAGES: American flag, S+M men and women, a skull, mannequins, a scorpion, cut-outs of arms, legs and eyeballs. MAX Dino Velvet. INT. WELLES' MOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT Welles is lit by the flicker from the TELEVISION SCREEN. WE SEE NOTHING. We HEAR the rhythmic MUFFLED MOANS of a WOMAN from the TV, can't tell if it's pleasure or pain. Max is asleep in the bed, PIZZA BOX near his feet. Welles drinks beer, gets up and ejects the CASSETTE from a VCR, tosses it aside, tired. He picks another Dino Velvet TAPE, puts it in, sits. ON TV: GOTHIC ROCK is HEARD over old, scratchy IMAGES: of Klansmen around a burning cross... Dracula menacing a sleeping woman... a man in a Devil costume dancing... Welles opens another beer. ON TV: a WOMAN is tied up, arms in the air, hanging from the ceiling, gagged and blindfolded, in a dungeon lit by candelabras. Then, glimpsed IMAGES: worms writhing in slime... gargoyles... a guillotine falling. Then, the bound woman, struggling. A MASKED MAN in a leather jacket enters. He wears a LEATHER MASK with zipper eyes and mouth... This focuses Welles' attention. ON TV: the Masked Man circles the captured woman... WELLES Max... wake up... Max awakens, rolling over, groggy. MAX Wha... ? WELLES (points at TV) Who is this, in the mask? Who is he? Max tries to see, eyes barely open. MAX He's one of the lunatics Dino uses. He's in a bunch of these. Welles watches. On the TV, Masked Man takes off his jacket shirtless, reveals an impossibly muscled body. Huge arms, thick chest, oiled, dotted in pimples. MAX Why? He have something to do with whatever you're into? Still watching the behemoth on TV, Welles is less sure. ON TV: the bulging Masked Man flexes, ripped. WELLES No... it's nothing... that's not him. Welles rubs his eyes, sits back. Max sits up, watching. ON TV: Masked Man pulls the bound woman's head back by her hair, licks her face with his thick tongue... CLOSE ON: Masked Man grips the woman's head, still licking. He pulls down the woman's blindfold... Welles sits forward, realizing, horrified... Welles goes to the VCR, hits PAUSE. The IMAGE on TV FREEZES. Welles goes back, FRAME by FRAME... ... to the CLOSE UP where Masked Man grips the woman's face. FREEZE FRAME. On Masked Man's hand: a TATTOO, on the arch between his forefinger and thumb, same as the scrawny Masked Man in the snuff film. A PENTAGRAM TATTOO. WELLES Who is he? MAX I told you, he's one of Dino Velvet's stock players... WELLES Who is he, his name? MAX Nobody knows his name. That's his thing. He always wears a mask. You never see his face. He calls himself "Machine," that's what they call him. Machine. Welles hits PLAY. On TV, Masked Man runs his hands up and down the woman's body. The woman's eyes are filled with fear. Welles sits, unnerved, watching. MAX They say he's half brain-dead from all the steroids he's using. Max rolls over, trying to get back to sleep. MAX He's a brutal motherfucker, man. He loves what he does for a living. INT. WELLES' MOTEL ROOM -- DAY Welles enters, carries an OVERNIGHT PACKAGE and his LOCK BOX. At the desk, he tears open the package, opens the MANILA ENVELOPE inside; finds FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS in thousand dollar bills, wrapped in plastic and masking tape. Welles takes the lock box to the bed and works the combination, opens it. He takes out the holster, stands looking down at the gun. He puts the holster on. EXT. 1204 WAREHOUSE -- DAY Welles' Ford waits with turn signal on. A car pulls out of a parking space. Welles takes the space. INT. WELLES' CAR -- DAY Max is in the passenger seat. Welles looks to 1204. WELLES You don't need to be here. MAX What kind of Junior P.I. would I be if I didn't go with you? INT. 1204 WAREHOUSE, SECOND FLOOR -- DAY Welles and Max get off the elevator, moving down the grey hall, to the black doors. Welles pushes the INTERCOM BUTTON. After a moment, the INTERCOM CRACKLES... MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) (from intercom) Who is it? Welles waits, presses the button again. INT. DINO VELVET STUDIO -- DAY The doors BUZZ and Welles and Max warily enter this large, dark, converted warehouse. Square pillars shoot from floor to ceiling. Shafts of light cut down from high windows. A large THUG in a pinstripe suit crosses from a far DESK. THUG You're in the wrong place. WELLES We're looking for Mr. Velvet. THUG He's not here. Welles looks around, at piles of PROPS; a huge faux-stone ANGEL and GARGOYLES, elaborate CANDELABRAS, a huge BIRDCAGE, massive WOODEN CROSS, NAZI FLAGS. WELLES Why don't you tell him we're here to give him a large sum of money. If he's not interested, we'll go. THUG You should leave now, before I have to remove you. Welles just stands looking at the thug. A VOICE is HEARD... DINO VELVET'S VOICE (V.O.) (from SPEAKERS) Show them in, Milo. Welles and Max look up. There are SPEAKERS mounted high up on the pillars, and SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS looking down. WELLES You heard the boss, Milo. The disgruntled thug starts back across the studio towards a distant DOOR. Welles and Max follow... They notice an elaborate set built in one corner, a TORTURE CHAMBER, complete with RACK and IRON MAIDEN. INT. DINO VELVET'S OFFICE -- DAY Thug opens the door and lets Welles and Max in. The office is huge, windowless walls covered in thousands of PICTURES from every conceivable source, torn and cut, pinned up to form an indecipherable collage. A tall LADDER leans against one wall, near three TELEVISIONS. DINO VELVET rises behind his desk, a small, bird-like man, wearing a black suit and bad hairpiece. DINO VELVET Come in. Make yourself comfortable. Welles shakes Dino's hand. Max looks up at the walls. IMAGES; porn pictures, news photos, world leaders, autopsy photos, armies and insects, the naked and the dead. WELLES It's an honor to meet you. Thank you for seeing us. DINO VELVET What can I do for you today? Welles sits. Shelves behind Dino's desk are piled high with VIDEO CASSETTES, old MOVIE CAMERAS, big REELS of 16mm FILM. VIDEOS and MAGAZINES are stacked everywhere. WELLES I'd like to commission a work. I'm a great admirer of yours. DINO VELVET Flattering. And, who's your colorful little chum? WELLES A fellow investor. DINO VELVET Hmm. MAX You're the only one still shooting film and transferring it to video. Nobody appreciates that kind of integrity anymore... the grain, the gritty look you get. DINO VELVET Well, I'm glad you appreciate it. (to Welles) What would you say is your favorite piece? Welles considers. Max glances over, looks back to the walls. MAX I know if I had to pick, it'd be "Choke," or "Devil." WELLES "Devil" frightened me as much as it excited me, but I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite. Dino grins, showing yellowed teeth. DINO VELVET You said something about money. WELLES Yes. What we're looking for is rather specific. Welles takes out an ENVELOPE, puts it on the desk. WELLES That's five thousand dollars. DINO VELVET Is it? WELLES Five thousand now, five thousand on delivery. Two women, one white and one black, as long as they have large breasts. Hard bondage, or course. Other than that, trusting your artistic interpretation, I have only two stipulations. DINO VELVET And they are? WELLES I want to watch you work. DINO VELVET I'll consider it. WELLES And the other performer... it has to be that monster you use... the man in the mask. DINO VELVET Machine. WELLES If it's not him, there's no deal. Dino drums his painted fingernails on his lips. DINO VELVET He might be interested... but it would mean another five thousand. WELLES We can do that. DINO VELVET Well, well, I'll have to put my thinking-cap on about all this. You'll leave the money as a deposit? (off Welles' nod) Very good. Dino stands, picks up a still CAMERA off his desk and comes to look at Welles, studying him. DINO VELVET You have a beautiful face... the way the light hits it. I'd like to take your picture. You don't mind? WELLES I'd rather you didn't. DINO VELVET What's the problem? WELLES I'm camera shy. DINO VELVET You trust me to keep your money, but not to take your picture? WELLES Those are two different kinds of trust. (stands) Thank you for your time. I hope we can do business. Welles leaves. Max goes with him. Dino watches them leave. EXT. MANHATTAN STREET -- NIGHT HORNS BLARE. TWO CARS have collided head-on. A large CROWD gathers. One windshield's shattered, blood spattered. The driver is slumped over the wheel, gushing blood. On a nearby street corner, Welles in on a PAY PHONE. HEAVY METAL can be HEARD filtered through the receiver. WELLES (into phone) So, what do you say? INT. DINO VELVET'S OFFICE -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS Dino's stands in the middle of his office, naked, his back to us, 8MM camera in hand, on the phone. A NAKED WOMAN dances for Dino. A Heavy Metal MUSIC VIDEO plays on a TV. DINO VELVET (into phone) I'll do this for you. Fifteen thousand dollars. WELLES (V.O.) (from phone) Machine's in? DINO VELVET (into phone) He's in. It will be his pleasure. INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS DINO VELVET (V.O.) (from phone) Be at 366 Hoyt Avenue, three o'clock, tomorrow. Welles digs out his notepad, writing. WELLES (into phone) Where's that? DINO VELVET (V.O.) Brooklyn. Don't be late. EXT. MOTEL COURTYARD, POOL -- NIGHT HORNS and TRAFFIC are HEARD. Max and Welles sit in lawn chairs at the tiny pool. Welles smokes. Max drinks beer. They watch an ELDERLY WOMAN in a one piece bathing suit climb from the pool and walk to the diving board, diving in. MAX What's next? WELLES I'm trying to figure that out myself. I have to see Machine without his mask. MAX Still don't want to tell me what you're doing? WELLES Nope. The old woman climbs out and heads back to the diving board. Welles takes out a thick ENVELOPE, hands it to Max. WELLES This is for you. Max doesn't understand, opens the envelope, finds about fifteen thousand dollars in the envelope. MAX What's this? WELLES It's money. People use it to purchase goods and services. Max looks at it again, can't believe it. MAX Look... that's awful generous and everything... WELLES It's not my money. The woman I got it from is never going to give it a second thought. Let's not make a big deal out of this, okay? (pause) Go be a race car driver. Go run for President. Whatever. Welles puts his cigarette out, stands. WELLES I'll see you around. Welles walks away, heading to his room. Max watches him go, doesn't know what to say, looks in the envelope. The old woman climbs out and heads back to the diving board. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS -- DAY A deserted, war zone neighborhood of abandoned, graffittied buildings. A few burnt out cars on the street. Welles drives through, watchful. Welles drives past a huge TWO-STORY WAREHOUSE, does a u-turn. He parks the car. INT. WELLES' CAR -- DAY Welles checks his gun, returns it to his holster. EXT. BROOKLYN WAREHOUSE -- DAY Welles climbs crumbling concrete stairs, looking all directions, crossing a LOADING DOCK towards a DOOR... INT. BROOKLYN WAREHOUSE -- DAY Welles enters slowly, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness. A vast, empty space looms before him. In the middle of the warehouse, Dino Velvet stands, in a powder blue suit, holding an archery BOW and ARROW. DINO VELVET There you are. Come join us. There's a wrought IRON BED not far from Dino. MACHINE is seated on the mattress, a huge man, wearing a leather S+M harness and the same WRESTLING MASK as in the snuff film. Welles gathers his courage, walks towards them. Dino pulls back on the bow, aiming away across the warehouse. He stands by a TABLE with a QUIVER of ARROWS propped up. He shoots an arrow toward a large TARGET... Strikes the target dead center, BULL'S-EYE. As Welles gets closer, he notices several things ... ... a 16MM CAMERA mounted on a TRIPOD, facing the bed, along with several movie LIGHTS ... several BOWIE KNIFES are laid out on the table, beside a pair of HANDCUFFS... ... Machine is watching him as he approaches... Welles stops, not far from Dino and Machine, but keeping his distance. Dino's still firing arrows at the target. Machine's still staring at Welles. WELLES (to Machine) Hello. Machine just stares at him with bloodshot eyes. DINO VELVET You brought the money? WELLES (takes out envelope) Right here. Dino lets fly another arrow... another bull's-eye, then turns to look at Welles with a smile. DINO VELVET Excellent. WELLES Where are the women? DINO VELVET They should be here any minute. Welles comes forward slowly, places the envelope on the table, beside Bowie knifes. He's sweating. WELLES (of the knifes) What are these for? DINO VELVET Hmm? Oh, the knifes? They're just props. Nice, aren't they? WELLES Sure. Dino walks across towards the target. DINO VELVET Machine and I were just talking about knifes. The beauty of knifes... Dino pulls arrows from the target. DINO VELVET He was saying how fascinated he is by their simple ability to be sharp. The ability of a piece of metal to be so thin that it is almost nothing... Dino walks back to the table, replaces the arrows in the quiver, cueing another arrow in is bow. DINO VELVET So close to nothingness that it cuts with minimum effort, because it's so non-intrusive. Flesh is fooled. It blooms open as the blade widens, but by then it's too late, because the knife's already doing its pure, simple damage. Dino shoots another arrow to the target. A CLATTER attracts Welles attention. Far across the warehouse, a DELIVERY DOOR rolls upwards. A CAR with tinted windows drives in... The MAN who opened the door, silhouetted in sunlight, stays behind to close the door as the car pulls forward... DINO VELVET Ah, ours guests have arrived. Machine stands. He is a giant. Welles takes a few steps back, wary, sweating hard now. The car parks across the warehouse, not far from the target. Dino puts another arrow in his bow, pulls it taunt, aims at the target... turns, aims the arrow at Welles. DINO VELVET Mister Welles... would you be so kind as to remove any firearms from your person? WELLES What are you... ? DINO VELVET Take out your gun! Welles brings his hand towards his holster... DINO VELVET Slowly. Let me see it. Welles takes out his gun, looks across the warehouse... The SILHOUETTED MAN is walking this way. Can't tell who he is yet. Machine heads the direction of the parked car. DINO VELVET Empty the gun onto the table, very carefully. WELLES Look, I don't know what this... DINO VELVET Shut up, cunt! Do exactly as I say, or I'll put this arrow through your throat. Welles obeys, helpless, dumps the bullets out on the table. The SILHOUETTED MAN'S getting closer. It's Eddie Poole. EDDIE Is that him? DINO VELVET (to Welles) Put the gun down, take the handcuffs. Handcuff yourself to the bed. Welles obeys, walks to the bed. Welles attaches one cuff to the bed's iron rail, fastens the other cuff around his wrist. Dino puts down the bow and arrow. DINO VELVET (still to Welles) Didn't know what to make of you at first, and you certainly had Eddie on pins and needles. But, lo and behold, from out of the blue came an old business acquaintance to explain everything... Welles looks across to the car... The sinister lawyer, Longdale, gets out from behind the wheel and hands the keys to Machine, walks this way... EDDIE This is the fucker? Motherfucker, doesn't look like anything... Eddie walks around the bed, studies Welles. Welles watches him. Eddie goes to stand behind Welles, rushes forward... PUNCHES Welles in the side of the head. Welles goes down, clutching his face. EDDIE Doesn't look like shit. Eddie pulls Welles to his feet, throws him against the bed, frisking him from head to toe. Longdale comes to stand beside Dino, nervous, taking out a tiny HANDGUN and pointing it at Welles. Welles looks up, holding his head, afraid, sits on the bed. DINO VELVET (to Welles) You remember Mr. Longdale, don't you? WELLES I remember him. LONGDALE Let's get this over with. DINO VELVET Fine idea. Dino comes to sit on the bed beside Welles. DINO VELVET You're going to go get the film you received from Mrs. Christian, bring it here and put it in my hand. And to save time, so we make this as efficient as possible, there's an incentive... Dino puts his fingers in his mouth, lets out a sharp WHISTLE. Across the warehouse, Machine uses the car keys to open the trunk of the car, pulls SOMEONE out... It's Max, beaten bloody, bound, face swollen, gagged, hardly conscious. Machine throws him to the floor. WELLES No... Welles tries to go towards Max, yanked back by the handcuffs, pulls the bed a few inches, but it's heavy. DINO VELVET Friend of yours? WELLES Look, he's got nothing to do with this... let him go... DINO VELVET Can you guess what I'm going to say next? WELLES He doesn't know anything... he's got nothing to do with this... DINO VELVET Bring the film, or we kill him. Sorrow and rage rises up in Welles, but there's no choice. WELLES I'll get it. It's in a safe deposit box, in the city... DINO VELVET How cooperative. Longdale will keep you company. Dino takes out HANDCUFF KEYS, throws them to Longdale. Longdale approaches Welles carefully, unlocking him. DINO VELVET Don't let Longdale's questionable choice of weapon give you any ideas. If his fey little gun puts enough little holes in you, you'll be just as dead... and so will Max. EDDIE Move it, dirtbag... ! Eddie comes to SHOVE Welles. Welles stumbles to the ground, gets to his feet. Welles walks, takes one last glance back towards Max. Longdale follows. DINO VELVET (watching them go) Do hurry. EXT. MANHATTAN STREETS -- DAY Welles' car moves in the slow flow of traffic into mid-town. INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS Welles is at the wheel. Longdale is in the passenger seat, gun held in his lap. WELLES You were the middleman, am I right? Old man Christian wasn't about to go shopping for a snuff film himself. LONGDALE Wouldn't exactly have been possible for a man of his stature. WELLES So, he sent you, gave you the money, his errand-boy. And if you refused, it wasn't like you could tell anyone your pervert boss just asked you to get him a snuff film. That's the beauty of lawyer/client privilege. LONGDALE That's trust. Mr. Christian trusted me implicitly. WELLES Must have paid you a lot, for you to risk everything. Would've had to have cut yourself a real nice piece of money. LONGDALE I was well compensated. WELLES That's why you got scared when Mrs. Christian hired me. You knew about the film, figured it had to be in that safe. How'd you find me? LONGDALE Never mind how I found you. WELLES Followed me... must have freaked out when you saw me closing in on your buddies... LONGDALE They're no friends of mine. WELLES Except, you're willing commit murder with them. LONGDALE None of this would be happening if you would have left it alone. If you weren't digging up a girl who died six years ago. A girl no one even remembers. WELLES Mary Anne Mathews, that was her name. Her mom remembers her. Welles looks at Longdale. WELLES You found these smut dealers and asked to buy a snuff film, right? Wanted them to find you one. Well, they didn't find you one, Longdale, they went out and made you one... LONGDALE Shut up. WELLES Mary Anne Mathews was alive till you paid money to have her murdered. LONGDALE Shut your mouth and drive! WELLES Did it get him off, huh, watching them cut her up? Tell me, because I really want to understand. Did he jerk off to it? You watch it with him, sit there giving him a handjob while you both watched... ? Longdale jams the gun against Welles' side. LONGDALE You're making me very angry. WELLES Just tell me. Tell me some more of the secrets you and Christian shared. What kind of degenerate pervert was he really? What the fuck did he want with a snuff film? LONGDALE You're asking me why? WELLES I'm asking. Longdale sits back, wipes sweat from his face. LONGDALE A man like Mr. Christian, a great man... all his money, all his power... a man who attained everything there was to attain... WELLES Why did he buy a film of some poor, lost girl getting butchered? LONGDALE Isn't it incredibly obvious? WELLES Enlighten me. LONGDALE Because he could. He did it because he could. (pause) What other reason were you looking for? Welles tightens his grip on the wheel, numbed. EXT. CHASE MANHATTAN BANK -- DAY Welles double parks, puts his hazard lights on. INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS Longdale sits forward, looks to the bank. LONGDALE You've got four minutes till I call Mr. Velvet and let him know there's a problem. Longdale takes a CELLULAR PHONE from his pocket, shows it. Welles climbs out, heading to the bank... INT. BANK, SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT -- DAY Welles and the SAFE DEPOSIT MANAGER enter. They go to put their KEYS in one drawer, unlocking it a pulling it out. MANAGER May I show you to a booth... WELLES No, I've got it. Welles pulls the drawer open, takes the 8MM film out and hands the empty drawer to the manager, exiting. INT. BANK -- DAY Welles comes out from the SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT, pocketing the film, crossing towards the entrance, looking around... ... at other CUSTOMERS waiting on line... ... at a GUARD with a GUN at his side... Welles detours, toward one of the LOAN DESKS. The BANK EMPLOYEE behind the desk is occupied, on the phone. As Welles moves past the desk, he grabs a PAIR of SCISSORS from a pencil holder and palms it, heading to the door... INT. WELLES' CAR -- DAY Welles gets behind the wheel. Longdale looks at his watch. LONGDALE You almost went over your limit. WELLES Fuck you. Welles puts the car in gear and drives. LONGDALE Give me the film. WELLES You'll get it when we get there. Longdale puts the gun to the side of Welles' head. LONGDALE Give me the film. WELLES Go ahead, shoot me. Then try driving to Brooklyn with my brains all over the windshield. Welles keeps driving. Longdale sits back, stewing. INT. WAREHOUSE -- DAY The door is kicked open. Welles enters, takes the 8MM FILM out and holds it in his hand. Longdale follows. As Welles moves forward, his face goes slack... Machine is seated on the bed, Eddie and Dino stand smoking cigarettes, and further on, Max is tied to the target, slumped over, three arrows in his chest. Dead. WELLES No!! Welles runs towards Max, crying out, tears in his eyes... Machine rises, goes to intercept Welles, grabbing him. Welles tries to break free, but Machine lifts Welles up and throws him brutally to the ground. Welles scrambles to get up... WELLES You fuckers! Eddie comes to KICK Welles in the face. Welles is sent sprawling, blood gushing from his nose. He lays there, stunned, weeping. Eddie pries the 8MM FILM from Welles' hand, tosses it... Dino catches the film. Machine comes to drag Welles towards the bed. Dino unspools the film, holding it up to examine it. Machine handcuffs Welles to the metal bedframe. Welles falls to his knees, holding his face. Eddie PUNCHES Welles in the head. EDDIE You're a dead man. DINO VELVET Leave him alone. EDDIE Fuck off. Eddie PUNCHES Welles in the kidney. Welles tries to protect himself. Eddie raises his fist to punch again, but Machine catches Eddie's fist, throws Eddie back... EDDIE What the fuck... ! DINO I promised him to Machine. Eddie looks up at Machine, who towers over him. EDDIE ... sorry... DINO VELVET First things first. You might want to watch this, Mr. Welles... Welles looks up through tears... Dino drops the 8MM FILM on the floor, takes a small bottle of lighter fluid from his pocket. Longdale comes to watch. Welles watches helpless, agonizing... WELLES Don't... please... Dino drops the film to the floor, sprays it with fluid, takes out matches, light one, drops it... The 8MM FILM goes up in flame... Welles watches, quaking, hysterical, trying to pull himself towards the flame, dragging the bed... The film is destroyed by flame... Welles gives up, presses his face to the floor, eyes shut. DINO VELVET And so it ends. It's as if she never existed. Welles falls back, gasping, wiping blood and tears and spittle from his face, getting slowly, to his feet. DINO VELVET Don't blame yourself. You were in way over your head. He looks to Max's corpse, to the smoldering film... Swallowing back his fear, panic and rage... WELLES Motherfuckers. Small time, motherfuckers... ! Tell me something... Welles spits blood, hangs onto the bed for support. WELLES I know why you did it, Dino, Eddie... but, why'd the lawyer do it? Must have been a helluva lot of money, right? One fuckload of money... Welles sits on the bed, eyes burning with fury. WELLES So, what are you all still doing small time, huh? What are you still doing in the sewer, Eddie?! Christian gave Longdale a million dollars to find him a snuff film. How much did you ever see... ? Eddie and Dino look to Longdale. EDDIE What's he talking about? WELLES One million dollars, Dino. How much did he tell you he had... Longdale's getting very nervous. LONGDALE He's lying. WELLES Look at him. You think he played it square? How much did he give you, how much did he keep for himself? Eddie walks towards Longdale... EDDIE What the fuck's he talking about? Longdale takes out his gun, aims it at Machine, Dino and Eddie, scared... LONGDALE Stay away from me. DINO VELVET What's going on, Longdale? Did this happen? EDDIE You sell us short, you fuck? LONGDALE Stay back! You have a gun, Eddie, show it to me. Now! Eddie slowly takes out his gun, seething. LONGDALE Put it on the ground, kick it here... Eddie puts the gun down, kicks it... Longdale picks it up, throws it far away. EDDIE You fucking lawyer... LONGDALE Move back! All of you... move! Machine, Dino and Eddie stand between Longdale and the car with tinted windows parked across the warehouse... DINO VELVET What were you thinking? Welles watches as Machine, Dino and Eddie back slowly away from Longdale. Longdale's gun hand is shaky... Welles tries to drag himself towards the table where his gun and bullets are, dragging the bed, inch by inch... Longdale back away, trying to angle around the menacing trio so he can get to the car... LONGDALE Back off! Everything's been taken care of, and I'm leaving now... DINO VELVET You're not going anywhere if you fucked us, lawyer. LONGDALE I'm leaving. EDDIE You got the guts, tough guy? Gonna kill us all, is that it? DINO VELVET You betrayed us. LONGDALE Stay where you are! Machine edges forward, holding his hands in the air. Longdale brandishes the gun... LONGDALE Keep back! Machine, Eddie and Dino are held at bay... DINO VELVET You're not gonna live through this. Welles still tries to get to the table, wrist bleeding in the cuff, bed screeching across the floor... Machine, hands up, slowly reaches behind his shoulder, touches the handle of a huge KNIFE sheathed to his back. LONGDALE Our business is done, I'm leaving, no one's going to stop me... Longdale glances towards the car, seems like he's about to make a run for it. Dino Velvet takes a step forward... DINO VELVET Fuck you! Machine unsheathes the KNIFE and THROWS... THUNK! The knife imbeds to the hilt in Longdale's chest and Longdale's gun FIRES... Dino Velvet flies backwards, shot in the face! Dino hits the ground, screaming, writhing, hands to his face, blood pouring out between his fingers. Longdale falls back onto his ass, sitting there, eyes bugged out in surprise. He looks down at the knife in his chest. Machine lets out a SCREAM, runs to Dino... Machine falls to his knees and grips Dino, tries to hold him. Dino's screaming, squirming frantically... Longdale sits looking down at the knife in his chest, looks up, and gallons of blood pour from his mouth... EDDIE Fuck. Eddie comes to look down at the Longdale. Longdale falls back, dead, blood still flowing from his maw. Welles drags the heavy bed, getting closer to the table... Eddie spins, looks across to see Welles struggling... Dino breaks free from Machine, runs blindly, still holding his gushing face, falls, tries to get back up... Eddie runs towards Welles. Dino stumbles forwards, writhing, then suddenly lays still. Machine rises, looking at Dino. Tears come out from Machine's eyes and roll down his mask. One last gasp and shudder from Dino's body; death rattle. Welles pulls the bed, practically pulling his arm from the socket, desperately clawing towards the table... The table is mere feet away... Eddie arrives, KICK Welles in the ribs... Welles recoils. Eddies KICKS again. Welles curls into a ball. Eddie KICKS again... MACHINE (O.S.) NO! Eddie stops, looks to Machine. MACHINE He's mine! Machine strides over the Longdale's corpse, puts his foot on Longdale's chest, yanks out the knife... Machine starts this way... Eddie backs from Welles. Welles looks up, trying to shake off unconsciousness, sees Machine coming... Welles bows down, on his knees, as if to accept his fate... Reaching his free hand into his suit pocket... WELLES No, no, no... please, don't kill me... please... ! Machine arrives, knife in hand, lifts Welles' head back by the hair, brings the knife hand back... EDDIE Do him good. Welles rises suddenly, arm shooting forward, STABBING SCISSORS deep in Machine stomach... Machine ROARS, falling back, pitching forward... Machine's knife clatters to the ground. Eddie's eyes go wide. Machine hits the floor, clutching his guts. Welles pushes upwards with all he's got left, turns the iron bedframe onto its side, flipping the mattress off... Eddie moves forward, furious... Welles grabs Machine's knife, wielding it, holding Eddie off. WELLES Back off, Eddie... Welles drags the now lightened bed frame towards the table. Eddie's sorely tempted, but keeps away. Eddie turns, looks across the warehouse... There's his gun, lying there, far away. Eddie runs for the gun. Welles pulls himself to the table, reaches for the gun, knocks the table over. He's got the gun, but... Bullets hit the floor as the table falls. Welles struggles to open his gun with his sole free hand, gets it open, holds it between his knees... Welles grabs a bullet... Eddie's running toward his gun, gasping for air... Machine's on his knees, pulling the scissors out with trembling hands... Welles puts the bullet in the gun, flips it shut, rises, taking aim across the warehouse... WELLES Stop Eddie! Eddie's running... WELLES (pulls back the hammer) I swear to Christ I'll shoot you in the back... ! Eddie stops, hands up, about ten feet from his gun... Machine stays on his knees, holding his bleeding stomach. Welles points his gun at Machine. WELLES Come back, or I put a hole in him. Eddie's looking at his gun, so close, so far away. WELLES You might make it to your gun, but not before I shoot Machine. And if I have to shoot him because of you, and I don't kill him, right after he kills me, he's gonna kill you. Eddie turns, starts walking back... WELLES (to Machine) Take off the mask. Machine shakes his head. WELLES Take it off! MACHINE You got one bullet. Welles looks to see Eddie heading back, keeps the gun on Machine, backs away, dragging the bed frame, looks to the DOOR behind him... MACHINE The only choice you have now, is which one of us kills you. Welles backs away, drags the bedframe. Eddie's getting close. Welles points the gun at Eddie. Eddie slows. Welles points the gun at Machine, points the gun at Eddie. Welles puts the gun to the chain of his handcuffs, FIRES... breaks the handcuff chain. Welles bolts to the door... MACHINE Get the gun! Eddie runs back towards his gun. Machine rises with a grunt of pain, moves towards the door, but agony doubles him back over to his knees. EXT. BROOKLYN WAREHOUSE -- DAY Welles shoves out into daylight, fleeing down the stairs, running towards his car... INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Welles climbs in, gets out his keys, starts the car... He pulls away, TIRES SCREECHING. Behind, Eddie gives chase, running, FIRING his gun... Welles ducks as BULLETS SLAM the car, SHATTERING WINDOWS. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Welles' car picks up speed, takes a turn, BURNING RUBBER... Behind, Eddie curses, runs back to the warehouse. INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Welles glances back, ENGINE ROARING. He tries to keep from crying, steers with one hand, holds his bleeding face. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Welles' car races away. INT. WELLES' HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY Amy looks tired, like she hasn't slept. She feeds Cindy. PHONE RINGS. Amy goes to answer it... AMY (into phone) Hello? WELLES (V.O.) (from phone) Amy, it's me. Listen very carefully.. AMY (into phone) Tom? Where have you been... ? INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Welles drives, face caked in dried blood, cellular phone to his ear. The HIGHWAY rushes past out the car window. WELLES (into phone) Amy, just listen. Take Cindy and get out of the house. Do it now. Go to a hotel and stay there... AMY (V.O.) (from phone) What's wrong? Are you alright? WELLES (into phone) I'm okay. Please, honey, I can't explain. Don't use the phone, just pack a bag and get out. I'm on my way. I'll be back at the house in three hours. Call me from the hotel when you get there AMY (V.O.) ... What's going on? WELLES Just do it, Amy, please, go. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Amy hangs up, scared. She goes to grab Cindy up into her arms, hurrying out of the kitchen and going upstairs. EXT. HIGHWAY -- CONTINUOUS -- DAY Welles' car tears down the freeway, passing other cars. EXT. WELLES' NEIGHBORHOOD -- NIGHT Suburban streets. Welles' car arrives, parks. Welles gets out, starts across a neighbor's yard, cuts between houses... EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, BACKYARD -- NIGHT Welles enters his backyard, slowing, taking out his gun. He keeps behind shrubbery, surveying his dark house. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, DOWNSTAIRS LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Welles uses a key to unlock the SLIDING GLASS DOOR, opens it slow, enters, gun up, searching the darkness. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, OFFICE -- NIGHT Welles pushes the door open, checks this room. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- NIGHT Welles makes sure the bedroom's empty, looks in the bathroom. He puts his gun away, leaves the lights off. He goes to the PHONE on the bedside table, unscrews the earpiece. He removes a small, wire-mesh BUGGING DEVICE. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- NIGHT Dark. Welles picks up the cordless phone, struggles to pry the receiver open. He discovers another small BUG. He drops the BUGS to the floor, crushes them under foot. He puts the phone back together and is replacing it when it RINGS LOUDLY. Welles is startled, drops the phone... Welles takes a breath, trying to shake off the jitters. He picks up the RINGING PHONE, answers it... WELLES (into phone) Honey... ? MACHINE (V.O.) (from phone) Not quite. Welles stiffens. MACHINE (V.O.) Nothing like getting home after a rough day. Home sweet home. Welles moves into the HALL, towards the front door... MACHINE (V.O.) Walk away. Pack your bags, put the wife and kid in the car and find a place to hide. If you're lucky, you'll never see me again. Welles takes out his gun, opens the front door, looking out. The street in front of the house is empty. CRICKETS CHIRP. WELLES I don't know if I can do that. MACHINE (V.O.) I know who you are. I know where you live. I know everything I need to know to find you. (pause) Who am I? MACHINE is HEARD HANGING UP the phone. INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT Cindy's crying. Amy opens the door with the chain on, sees Welles, lets him in. Amy and Welles embrace, kissing. Amy touches Welles damaged face, worried... AMY What happened to you? WELLES I'm okay, honey, I'm okay. Are you alright? AMY What's going on, Tom? What happened? WELLES I can't tell you, Amy. You know I can't. You have to trust me... AMY Tom... WELLES It has to be this way for now. It won't be long. Welles goes to pick up Cindy, tries to comfort her, kisses her red face as she keeps crying. AMY Why haven't you called? Why don't you answer your phone? WELLES I don't know. I'm sorry... AMY You're sorry? What was I supposed to think? Amy comes to take Cindy from him. AMY You owe me an explanation. You can't treat me like this. WELLES I wanted to call. I couldn't. AMY You couldn't? WELLES You don't understand... AMY No, I don't, because you're not telling me anything! WELLES I was in hell. If I called you... if I heard your voice... it would have been so easy for me to quit. I couldn't do that. Tears comes to Amy's eyes. AMY You should have. WELLES Amy, I'm not going to let anything happen to us. AMY Look where we are. Look at yourself. You son of a bitch, you don't have any idea what you're putting me through... WELLES I don't know what to say AMY You're killing me... WELLES Don't... AMY What was I supposed to think happened to you?! WELLES Amy... Welles goes to Amy, but she pulls away. She sits on the bed. Cindy's still crying. Welles sits beside Amy, puts her arms around her. WELLES Forgive me. Amy cradles Cindy. Welles rests his head on Amy's shoulder, places one hand on Cindy. WELLES We have to stay here a few days. I'll get more clothing from the house if I can. I'm sorry. (pause) We're going to be okay. Welles rises. He goes to the PHONE, starts dialing. Amy looks at him, wipes tears. AMY Who are you calling? WELLES Mrs. Christian. AMY What? WELLES She's all I've got. She's the only witness. AMY Tom... she's dead. Welles looks to Amy. AMY She died in her sleep three days ago. It was in the paper... WELLES I just talked to her. Cindy's crying. Welles sits into a chair, trying to understand this, his mind racing. He hangs up the phone. AMY How could you not know? Misery pulls down the corners of Welles' mouth. He tries to find words, but none come. He sits forward and hides his face in his hands, overwhelmed. Cindy's crying. INT. HOTEL ROOM -- LATER NIGHT Cindy sleeps, encircled by pillows and blankets on the bed. Amy watches her, runs her hand gently across Cindy's head. Amy rises, turns out the light, goes to a BALCONY DOOR... EXT. HOTEL ROOM, BALCONY -- NIGHT Welles sits with his feet up on the balcony rail, looking into the parking lot. Amy joins him, sits. AMY Promise you'll stay. Welles looks at Amy. WELLES Promise you won't go back there, wherever you were. Whatever it was, forget it. Welles takes a deep breath, nods his head. AMY Promise me. Welles looks out into the night sky of stars. WELLES I promise. Amy comes to kiss Welles. Welles wraps his arms around her and holds her tight. She holds him. INT. HOTEL ROOM -- LATER NIGHT Amy is asleep on the bed beside Cindy. Welles comes out from the bathroom in a fresh shirt and suit, turns off the bathroom light. He stands looking at Cindy and Amy. EXT. HOTEL -- NIGHT Welles exits the hotel, heading to his Ford. INT. WELLES' CAR -- NIGHT Welles drives, staring ahead. Through the windshield, the headlights illuminate the endless roadway. EXT. KENNEDY AIRPORT -- NIGHT Airplanes take flight. Manhattan glitters in the distance. EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY Eddie Poole's building. A typically bright, sunny LA day. In the street, Welles parks a rental car, gets out. INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, 8TH FLOOR HALL -- DAY ELEVATOR doors open and Welles gets off. He moves down the hall, around a corner, heading to "Celebrity Films." Welles tries the door knob, finds it locked. He looks around, takes two steps back, KICKS forward... SMASHES the translucent glass of the door... INT. CELEBRITY FILMS OFFICE -- DAY Welles pushes broken glass out of the way, reaches in to open the door. The office has been cleaned out, trash on the floor, desk drawers hanging open and empty, shelves empty, posters gone... Welles grabs one of the file cabinets, pulls it open, finds it empty, pulls it all the way out and throws it. INT. 8TH FLOOR HALLWAY -- DAY People peer out from other offices, worried. Welles exits Eddie's office, ignoring them, goes around the corner, straight to the STAIRWELL, heading downstairs... EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS -- DAY Welles rental car parks down the hill. Welles climbs out, walking up the hill, heading for Eddie's ramshackle HOUSE. EXT. EDDIE'S HOUSE, GARAGE -- DAY Under the stilts of the porch, Welles passes Eddie's car, looks in to see it loaded with BOXES and belongings. Welles moves on to a door at the back of the garage. He takes out LOCK-PICKING TOOLS. INT. EDDIE'S HOUSE, STAIRWAY -- DAY Welles enters slow, pockets the tools, takes out his gun. FOLLOW him up the stairs, into a hallway, past a LAUNDRY ROOM with washer and dryer, into a LIVING ROOM... Welles sweeps the room with his gun, wired. Eddie's house is predictably a trash heap, strewn with VIDEOS, MAGAZINES, dirty DISHES and fast food remnants. Welles moves on... INT. EDDIE'S BEDROOM -- DAY Eddie's throwing clothing into a suitcase, hurried. Welles comes into the doorway, taking aim, edging forward. WELLES Hello, Eddie. Eddie spins, startled. WELLES Put your hands on your head. Eddie looks out of the corner of his eye... to his GUN. WELLES Put your hands behind your head, lock your finger together, get down on your knees. Eddie does as commanded, gets to his knees. Welles moves towards him, very nervous, white-knuckling the gun. He KICKS Eddie in the stomach, doubles him over. WELLES I owe you a few. Welles KICKS again. INT. EDDIE'S KITCHEN -- DAY Welles enters the filthy kitchen, carrying Eddie's gun. At the sink, Welles pops the gun's clip. He pushes the bullets out into his palm, one by one. He dumps the bullets into the GARBAGE DISPOSAL, drops the clip in, turns it on. The DISPOSAL makes a terrible GRINDING NOISE, straining, till it finally goes dead. INT. EDDIE'S LIVING ROOM -- DAY Welles goes to the picture window and closes the curtains. He turns on a lamp, goes back towards the bedroom. After a moment, he returns, dragging Eddie on the floor... Eddie's bleeding out his nose, hands DUCT-TAPED together behind his back, legs bound at the ankle, dragged by a belt around his neck, choking... Welles drops the belt, undoes it from Eddie's neck. Eddie gasps for air. Welles pulls him up, puts him on the couch. WELLES Don't go anywhere. Welles heads for the stairs... EXT. EDDIE'S GARAGE -- DAY Welles goes to Eddie car, tries the door, it's unlocked... IN THE CAR Welles takes the thick THOMAS GUIDE map book off the dash. INT. EDDIE'S LIVING ROOM -- DAY Welles returns. Eddie's on the floor, wriggling. Welles drops the Thomas Guide on the coffee table, picks Eddie up, throws him back onto the couch. EDDIE I'm gonna kill you. WELLES Don't bore me with that bullshit. EDDIE How'd you find me here? Welles PUNCHES Eddie in the ear. WELLES Don't ask questions. EDDIE Fuck you! Welles PUNCHES Eddie in the same ear. Eddie's hurting. Welles rubs his aching knuckles. WELLES Starting to recognize a pattern? EDDIE What do you want? WELLES Who is Machine? EDDIE I don't know... WELLES I want his name. EDDIE I told you, I don't know. WELLES I will never get tired of hurting you, Eddie, so you might want to change your attitude. EDDIE What the fuck am I gonna protect that freak for? He was Dino's boy, not mine. He shows up with his mask on, leaves with his mask on. Nobody knows. Welles kicks junk off a chair, sits, takes out his gun. WELLES Okay, we'll come back to that. So, six years ago a guy contacts you, through the classifieds, over the phone, however he does it. It's Longdale, looking for a snuff film. And you, entrepreneur that you are, tell him you can hook him up. EDDIE Yeah, the fucking lawyer. WELLES Told him you could get him a snuff film. EDDIE Yeah. WELLES How much did he pay you? EDDIE Thirty thousand each, that fucking cocksucker. WELLES That's all? Thirty each. That's all it took for you to murder her? EDDIE It was a lot of fucking money. Welles stands and paces, despairing. He picks up a LAMP and throws it, SHATTERS a MIRROR, keeps pacing... WELLES So... you brought Dino in, and he brought Machine. And, one day, a girl walked into your office because you had an ad in the paper for models. And she never walked out. EDDIE Something like that. WELLES What did you do, knock her out, shoot her up... ? EDDIE What the fuck do you want from me? WELLES I want to know. I want to know exactly what you did to her! EDDIE Fuck you then, you want to know? I talked her up, told her how beautiful she was, told her she was gonna be a star. I told her I was gonna get her a screen test, and while I'm doing that, I got her a soda and dropped a mickey. When it was dark enough, I rang Dino and told him it was go time, I put her in the trunk of my car and we went and we fucking did it. That's what happened. She's dead. She's been dead a long fucking time. Nobody fucking cares! Welles puts down his gun, picks up the Thomas Guide, holding it in both hands, SWINGS -- SLAMS Eddie across the face... Eddie's stunned, lips bleeding. He faces forward. EDDIE You wanted to know, now you know. Welles SWINGS the Thomas Guide -- POUNDS Eddie's face again. Welles drops the Thomas Guide in a chair, picks up his gun, leaves the room... INT. EDDIE'S KITCHEN -- DAY Welles enters, starts looking through DRAWERS, searching. He finds SILVERWARE, selects a serrated STEAK KNIFE... INT. EDDIE'S LIVING ROOM -- DAY Welles returns, goes to grasp Eddie by the shirt collar, drags him to the floor, face down. Welles stands on Eddie's neck, uses the knife to cut the duct tape on Eddie's hands. EDDIE That's right, motherfucker, cut me loose. Be a man. Welles tosses the knife, gun trained on Eddie, picks up the Thomas Guide and throws it at Eddie... WELLES Show me! Eddie, hands now free, pushes himself to a seated position, looks at the Thomas Guide. WELLES Show me where you did it, on the map, exactly where you did it. EDDIE Why? WELLES Because we're going there. EXT. 134 FREEWAY -- DAY Welles' rental car SPEEDS down the highway, east towards Pasadena, leaving the City of Los Angeles on the horizon. EXT. MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY -- DAY Welles' car travels a winding HIGHWAY that serpentines up into the scenic, forested SAN BERNADINO MOUNTAINS. EXT. BIG BEAR -- DUSK The sun is low. Big Bear Lake is vast, surrounded by wilderness on all sides. Welles' car follows a TWO-LANE ROADWAY that runs along the lake's southern shore. Welles' car passes sporadic SUMMER HOMES and CABINS. EXT. DESERTED ROADWAY -- NIGHT Heavy forests border close to the road. Welles' car travels alone, headlights on, slowing as it comes to an overgrown gravel DRIVEWAY with a rusty CHAIN strung across it. IN THE CAR Welles leans forward to look up at an old SIGN of broken neon and peeled paint: "Big Bear Motor Lodge." Welles pulls forward, puts the car in reverse... ON THE ROADWAY Welles' car backs up, angling, till the rear bumper comes against the chain, BACKING... till the CHAIN SNAPS. Welles' car pulls forward across the empty roadway, turns around... accelerates down the overgrown driveway... EXT. BIG BEAR MOTOR LODGE -- NIGHT Welles' car comes down the driveway, into a small LOT. IN THE CAR THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD: headlights reveal what's left of the abandoned MOTOR LODGE, a REGISTRATION OFFICE at the center with attached wings of rooms on both sides. The LEFT WING of rooms is a fire ravaged, burnt-out skeleton. What remains of the OFFICE and RIGHT WING is boarded over, falling apart. No window has gone unbroken. IN THE LOT Welles turns out headlights and parks. He gets out, walks to look up the driveway. A CAR is HEARD. HEADLIGHTS can be seen a good distance away through the forest as the CAR PASSES. Welles goes to his car, unlocks the trunk and opens it. Eddie's lying in there, arms and legs bound, gagged. INT. MOTOR LODGE ROOM -- NIGHT The door is shoved inward, hanging crooked by one hinge. Eddie enters first, hands still bound behind him. Welles pushes Eddie forward, gun out. Welles turns on his penlight FLASHLIGHT, shining it into the room. There dead leaves all over the floor. The room's empty except for a CHAIR lying on its side. Welles sweeps the room with the inadequate light. This is where Mary Anne Mathews died, vaguely recognizable from the snuff film, without the furniture. EDDIE What are we doing here? Welles goes to the bathroom door, keeping the gun trained on Eddie, pushes the bathroom door open with his foot... The bathroom's cracked MIRROR reflects the penlight and Welles' palely lit face. WELLES That night... you didn't have to be in the room, but you were. (looks to Eddie) Why? Why did you watch? Eddie goes to the chair, tips it upright with his foot, sits. EDDIE I don't know. I felt like it. I never saw anyone get done before. WELLES You enjoy it? EDDIE Made me sick, but what did I care? What did I care if some hump wants to beat off to that. It was just something I was doing for money. WELLES Tell me what happened. EDDIE What do you want to know? You saw it, you saw the loop... WELLES Nobody saw you bring her in? EDDIE There wasn't nobody around. This place was a shit-hole. I backed up the car to the door and we carried her in, like groceries. Dino made her eat a bunch of pills, we laid out the plastic, put film in the camera and Machine went to work. WELLES What did you do with her body? EDDIE Took it out the bathroom window. Buried it in the woods. WELLES Show me. EXT. BIG BEAR MOTOR LODGE -- NIGHT Eddie and Welles come around the corner of the abandoned motel, Eddie leading the way, Welles following with gun and flashlight, into the dense forest... EDDIE What are you thinking you're gonna do... ? Welles shoves Eddie ahead. WELLES Keep moving. EDDIE Where do you think you're taking this, huh? Gonna be a big hero, avenge that little girl's death? Gonna make everything right with the world? How you gonna do that... ? FURTHER ON Welles and Eddie come over a hill, deeper into the forest... EDDIE You can't go to the cops. All you can do is cut me loose and walk away, because you got nothing... WELLES Stop talking. EDDIE You got absolute zero. WELLES Show me where you buried her. EDDIE I don't know... (nods to forest) ... out there somewhere. WELLES Where? Show me where. EDDIE I fucking don't know. What do you think... we weren't burying treasure. We didn't pace it out so we could come back and get it. We dug a hole and we put her in it. Your guess is as good as mine. Welles walks ahead of Eddie, distraught, shining his flashlight ahead across the indecipherable forest floor. EDDIE You'll never find her. Nobody ever will, and even if they did, it doesn't mean nothing. Bring in the cops, bring in the F.B.I., fuck 'em all. Without the film, it never happened. Don't you get it? It's over. You can't do anything. Welles turns, aims his gun at Eddie, furious. WELLES I can kill you. I can leave you out here, just like you left her. Eddie's not backing down. EDDIE Do it. WELLES Don't think I won't. EDDIE Do it! Put me out of my misery so I don't have to listen to you whining anymore. You think it's so easy? WELLES Easy enough for you. EDDIE I never killed anyone. WELLES That's right, you just stood there and watched, because you "felt like it." Almost makes you worse. EDDIE What do you want? You want me to fall to my knees and start crying like a baby... ? Eddie walks towards Welles. Welles backs away... EDDIE Where you going? You're the one with the gun. Aren't I defenseless enough? Come on... Eddie comes ahead, defiant, the gun inches from his face. EDDIE Go ahead and kill me. Kill me with that gun, your gun, right, registered in your name? Dig the hole yourself, with your bare hands, bury the body with your bullets in it. Fucking do it! Welles step forward, presses the gun against Eddie's forehead, pulls back the hammer... Eddie just stares back at Welles with hatred in his eyes. Welles is terrified, unsure... trying to muster the courage to do it... gun hand trembling... finger on the trigger... INT. MOTOR LODGE ROOM -- NIGHT Eddie's thrown face down to the floor. Welles comes to sit on Eddie's back, facing Eddie's feet, holsters his gun, takes out duct tape and grabs Eddie's feet, wrapping them... EDDIE You pussy. Welles keeps going around Eddie's ankles with the duct tape, till Eddie's securely bound. He rips the tape roll free and gets up, walking out... EDDIE Fucking pussy! EXT. MOTOR LODGE -- NIGHT Welles pulls the door closed behind him, walks to his car. IN THE CAR Welles opens the passenger door and sits, shaken, at his wit's end. He opens the glove compartment, finds cigarettes, digs one out and lights it. He looks back to the motel room. He looks down to the glove compartment, at his CELLULAR PHONE. After a moment, Welles picks up the phone, looks at it in his hand. IN THE LOT Welles gets out of the car, gets up on the hood, lays back, staring at the sky. He closes his eyes, smokes. Welles opens the phone, looks at the illuminated numbers. He digs in his suit jacket pocket, takes out his notepad, pages through, studies one page. Welles sits up. He gathers himself, throws his cigarette, dials a number, puts the cellular to his ear, afraid... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) (from phone) Hello... ? WELLES (into phone) Mrs. Mathews? It's Thomas. Do you remember, I was there a few weeks ago... asking about your daughter... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) (from phone) I remember. You just left... WELLES (into phone) I have to tell you something. It won't be easy for you to hear. It's about your daughter... Mary Anne... (struggling) When I... when I was there with you, her diary, in your attic, in silverware. If you read it, you'll know what I'm telling you is true... Welles climbs off the car, paces, aching with misery... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) What are you talking about... ? WELLES She went to California, to Los Angeles... she wanted to start over. She wanted to be an actress... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) What... ? Tears comes to Welles' eyes. It's the hardest thing he's ever had to do in his entire life. WELLES Mrs. Mathews, your daughter is dead. She's dead. MRS MATHEWS Who is this... ? WELLES Someone... some men, they took your daughter and they drugged her, and they took her to a motel room... they did terrible things to her... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) Who are you? WELLES They brought her into the room... one man, he put a knife to her throat and he raped her... MRS MATHEWS No... WELLES He raped her and...and...and he murdered her...he cut her up with knifes... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) No... no... no... WELLES They killed her, and they took her out in the forest somewhere and they buried her... MRS MATHEWS (V.O.) Why... why are you doing this to me... ? WELLES They murdered her, Mrs. Mathews, I'm sorry. It happened a month after she ran away. She's been dead all this time... MRS MATHEWS is HEARD SCREAMING, letting out a CHOCKING SOB. Welles falls back against the car, holds his head, weeping... WELLES I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... there wasn't anything anyone could do... Welles pushes disconnect, lowers the phone, drops it to the ground, utterly drained. He puts his forearm over his eyes, gasping, sucking air... He looks to the motel room, tamping down his sorrow, willing it to fuel his rage... He takes out his gun, hands unsteady, determined, opens the gun and pours the bullets out. He closes the gun and walks towards the motel room... INT. MOTOR LODGE ROOM -- CONTINUOUS Welles SHOVES the door aside. The door's hinge breaks and the door falls... Eddie sits propped up against one wall, turns to look... The door SLAMS to the floor. Welles moves forward, enraged, closing on Eddie, raising his arm with the gun grasped by the butt... Eddie's eyes go wide with fear... Welles SWINGS the gun down at Eddie's head... EXT. MOTOR LODGE -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS The only SOUNDS come from the NIGHT FOREST. CRICKETS and distant BIRDS. We can't see anything but the TOTAL DARKNESS through the open door of the room. A CAR is HEARD, getting LOUDER as it passes, FAINTER as it gets further away. Finally, Welles comes to the doorway, in shock, steadying himself against the door frame, shirt and suit spattered red. His gun hand and gun are soaked with dripping blood. Welles looks back into the room, backing away. He turns and goes to his car... IN THE CAR Welles climbs in the driver's side, shoves his bloody gun into his holster, tries to wipe blood from his hand onto his shirt, revolted. He starts the car. INT. EDDIE'S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Welles enters and crosses through... INT. EDDIE'S KITCHEN -- NIGHT Welles goes to the kitchen sink, turns on the water, starts scrubbing his bloody hands, using dishwashing liquid, scrubbing his hands desperately under running water. EXT. EDDIE'S GARAGE -- NIGHT Welles comes out of the house, goes to open the rear door of Eddie's car, looking through BOXES of Eddie's belongings... INT. EDDIE'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Welles comes up the stairs with a BOX, dumps the contents onto the living room floor: it's CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, Eddie's collection from the office, HUNDREDS of PHOTOS... INT. EDDIE'S KITCHEN -- NIGHT Welles pulls open Eddie's cabinets, searching. He finds POTS and PANS, choosing a few of the largest... EXT. EDDIE'S GARAGE -- NIGHT Welles uses a cut piece of GARDEN HOSE, siphoning GAS out from Eddie's car, filling several kitchen POTS... INT. EDDIE'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Welles comes up the stairs, carries POTS of gasoline, dumps the gasoline onto the pile of PHOTOGRAPHS... INT. EDDIE'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT Welles dumps gasoline over Eddie's bed... INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Welles stands at the pile of gasoline soaked photos, taking out a MATCHBOOK, lighting one, lighting the whole book... EXT. EDDIE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT Welles walks down the dark hill, heading to his car. He gets in, starts the car and drives downhill, leaving the headlights off. BEHIND, the windows of Eddie's ramshackle HOUSE grow bright as FIRE SPREADS and CURTAINS BURN. INT. LOS ANGELES AIRPORT -- NIGHT Welles stares ahead, in fresh shirt and suit, waiting at a CHECK-IN COUNTER. The female AIRLINE AGENT behind the counter types in her COMPUTER, stamps his ticket. Welles shifts his gaze, something catches his eye... Beside a stapler on the counter, a PAIR of SCISSORS. AGENT There you are, Mr. Welles, confirmed through to Kennedy. Gate 32B. Welles stares, fixated on the SCISSORS. AGENT Mr. Welles? Welles looks to the agent holding up the ticket. AGENT Gate 32B. Welles accepts the ticket. EXT. MANHATTAN MOTEL -- NIGHT The Empire State Building in the distance says NYC, and a CAMERA PAN DOWN says another seedy MOTEL... INT. MOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT Welles sits at a small desk, looking through a PHONE BOOK, white pages, finds... "HOSPITALS." Welles picks up the PHONE, chooses a number, dials it... WELLES (into phone) Hello, can you connect me with the duty nurse? (waits) Hello, this is Lieutenant Anderson down here in the Thirteenth Precinct. I've got a helluva problem I was hoping you could give me a hand with. We had a stabbing incident a couple of days ago, and it looks like the supposed victim gave us a false name and address. Can you tell me if you had an adult male with an abdominal wound in you ER in the last forty-eight hours? (listens) You'd remember this guy; a body- builder, real big guy, five foot eleven, with acne all over his chest and back... (listens) Alright, thanks for your help. Welles hangs up, uses a pen to cross out a number in the phone book, starts dialing the next number. DISSOLVE TO: INT. MOTEL ROOM -- LATER NIGHT Welles lies on the bed, on the phone, rubbing his eyes. WELLES (into phone) ... guy sticks out like a sore thumb. Five foot ten or eleven, body-builder, bad acne... (listen) Okay, thanks anyway. Welles gets up, hangs up, brings the phone back to the desk. DISSOLVE TO: INT. MOTEL ROOM -- MORNING The PHONE BOOK'S open on the desk with nearly a hundred hospital phone numbers crossed out. WELLES (O.S.) ... abdominal wound. You'd know him if you saw him... Light cuts into the room from between the curtains. Welles paces, carrying the phone with him, weary. WELLES (into phone) He's a body-builder, stands just under six feet... Welles stops in his track, listening, suddenly attentive. WELLES (into phone) That's right... covered in acne. That's him, that's the guy. Listen, we, uh... we think he filed a bogus report on this stabbing, gave us a false name and address... (listens) Yes, I'll hold. Welles goes to the desk, takes out his notepad. He starts feeling his pockets for his pen, can't find it, telephone book, searching, looks under the desk... Welles ducks under the desk to grab the pen off the floor. WELLES (into phone) Yes... yes. (sits, writing in pad) Christopher Higgins. Thirty- fifteen, Thirty Fifth Street. Where? Astoria, Queens. Welles is scribbling all this down in his notepad. EXT. QUEENS STREET -- DAY A relatively quiet residential street. HOMES are small, two story affairs, close together, each very much like its neighbor, some with tiny yards fenced in by brick walls. Welles' Ford comes slowly down the street. CHILDREN in school uniforms are heading off for the day in groups. Welles parallel parks. IN THE CAR Welles turns off the engine. He's watching a HOUSE on the other side of the street. The house is brick on the bottom, aluminum siding on top, quaint, with brick staircase from the front door down to a GARAGE underneath, plastic PINK FLAMINGOS on the small lawn. Cars pass in the street. Welles watches school children pass on the near sidewalk. He slumps down a little in his seat, adjusting the rearview mirror, adjusting his side mirror, rolling up the window. Welles takes a cautionary look around, takes out his gun, pours bullets out and pockets them. He picks up a PAPER BAG off the passenger seat and opens it. He takes out a long, thin metal FILE, pulling off the shrink wrap packaging, feels the file with his thumb. Keeping his open gun low under the steering wheel, Welles slides the file into the barrel, scraping gently all along the gun's inner barrel. DISSOLVE TO: INT. WELLES' CAR -- LATER DAY Welles sits smoking a cigarette, watching the quaint house. He looks in his side mirror... There's a large CAR coming down the block with its turn signal on. Welles slumps a little lower. The car passes, slowing. The GARAGE DOOR of the quaint house begins to open. Welles watches... Can't really see the driver of the car except for the back of his head, but he's huge. It's a good bet it's Machine. Beside him in the passenger seat is a GREY HAIRED OLD WOMAN. The car pulls into the darkness of the quaint house's garage. After a moment, the OLD WOMAN comes from the garage, walks with a cane, wears glasses. She goes to the sidewalk, checks her MAILBOX, finds it empty. Welles watches. The old woman goes back to the garage. She goes inside. The garage door closes behind her. DISSOLVE TO: INT. WELLES' CAR -- NIGHT Welles still watches the house. There's a light on in one of the second floor windows, curtains closed. Welles yawns, shaking his head, trying to stay awake. At the quaint house, a light comes on in the front picture window. Looks like a living room or dining room. The old woman comes to sit at a table. Welles takes binoculars off the front seat... THROUGH BINOCULARS The old woman says something to someone we cannot see. She's at the dinner table, with a place setting in front of her. After a moment, someone joins her... It's Machine, you can tell by his bulk, by his huge forearms. The lacy curtains of the window block part of our view, so we never see his face. IN THE CAR Welles lowers the binoculars, still watching. Through the window across the street, Machine can be seen putting a plate of food in front of the old woman. The old woman smiles up at him, says something. Machine goes to light two candles on the table with matches, then goes back to stand beside the old woman. Machine is seen from behind, bends to give the old woman a kiss on the cheek, then leaves the room. The old woman starts to eat. DISSOLVE TO: INT. WELLES' CAR -- DAY Dawn light is just breaking. Welles has fallen asleep, slumped low behind the wheel, snoring lightly. Welles awakens with a start, looking around, confused. He calms, rubbing his eyes, wiping sweat from his features. ACROSS THE STREET The quaint house's garage door begins to rise. IN THE CAR Welles sees this, keeps low, watching... The big car backs out into the street. The old woman's behind the wheel, wearing a hat, driving away, alone. Welles watches the car head away in the rear view mirror. ON THE STREET Welles gets out of his car, shuts the door quietly behind him. He starts walking towards the quaint house, looks all directions, making sure no one's around. Ahead, the garage door begins to close. Welles picks up the pace, trying not to look too conspicuous. The garage door's halfway down... Welles runs towards the garage, has to dive and roll to get there, but he makes it under the door just as it closes. ABOVE In ONE WINDOW of the quaint house, an eyeball is peering out from lacy curtains, then moves away and curtains fall shut. INT. QUAINT HOUSE, GARAGE -- DAY Welles gets up, takes out his gun, brushing off. The garage is dark, full of BOXES and JUNK. Welles moves towards the door to the house. INT. QUAINT HOUSE, BEDROOM -- DAY Machine, in T-shirt and jeans, seen only from behind, comes to a DRESSER and opens a bottom drawer. His huge hands push clothing aside, digging deep to the bottom of the drawer, taking out the WRESTLING MASK. Machine stands straight, pulling the mask down over his head. INT. BASEMENT -- DAY Welles enters from the garage, gun up. The dank basement is small. A PILE of LAUNDRY lies on the floor near a WASHING MACHINE. SHEETS hang off several CLOTHES LINES strung across two metal poles. Welles leads with his gun... He moves around the sheets, looking behind them. There's a WOODEN STAIRCASE leading upstairs. Welles starts up, treading lightly, trying not to make a sound... INT. KITCHEN -- DAY Welles slowly opens the door to the kitchen, pointing his gun. No one here. The decor is feminine, neat and tidy. It's grandma's house, and it shows, with gaudy PRINT WALLPAPER everywhere, every shelf displaying HUMMEL FIGURINES or COLLECTORS PLATES. Very Home Shopping Network. INT. DINING ROOM/LIVING ROOM -- DAY Welles slowly opens the swinging door, entering from the kitchen, sweeping the room with his gun. No sign of Machine. The whole house is dead quiet. He passes the dining room TABLE where he watched the old woman eat last night... passes fake PAINTINGS on the walls, of waterfalls and sunset mountain landscapes... moves into the living room area... Yellow shag CARPET. A pink SOFA is covered in clear plastic, facing an old TELEVISION in faux-wooden cabinet. Welles heads for a staircase leading to the second floor. Welles creeps up the stairs... INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY -- DAY Welles comes up from the stairs, arrives at a closed DOOR. He opens the door. It's a linen closet, with TOWELS and SHEETS on shelves, and a shelf of MEDICINE. Welles shuts the door and moves on. There are TWO DOORS ahead, both closed. Welles takes the one to the right... INT. MACHINE'S BEDROOM -- DAY Welles pushes the door in, enters warily. There's a constant SCRATCHING HEARD. The room is like a child's, except the BED is huge. Shelves are full of BOARDGAMES and COMIC BOOKS. A DANZIG POSTER on the wall. There's a RECORD PLAYER with LP RECORDS beside it. A record turns on the turntable, the needle caught at the center, SCRATCHING... Welles eases his way over to the closet... reaching... Pulls it open, steps back, gun up. Nothing. Just clothing. INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY -- DAY Welles crosses, opens the door across the hall, enters... DOWN THE HALL, very slowly, Machine's head rises on the stairs, in the garish wrestling mask, peering. INT. GRANDMA'S ROOM -- DAY Welles stays near the door, looks around. There's a fuzzy sky-blue COMFORTER on the bed, fuzzy blue SLIPPERS nearby. Lots of bottles of MEDICINE on the bedside table. Welles lowers his gun, takes a step back, into the hall... INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY -- DAY Welles turns... Machine charges down the hall, screaming with rage, BOWIE KNIFE raised to kill... Welles brings his gun up, but Machine's upon him, stabbing... Welles catches Machine's hand, stops the knife. Machine grips Welles' gun hand, shoving him back... Welles is SLAMMED against the wall, grappling, gun hand pinned. Welles GUN GOES OFF, once... twice... BLOWING HOLES in the ceiling. Machine's grunts, pushing the knife forward... closer to Welles, face... closer... Welles struggles, overpowered. The tip of the horrible knife is inches away... Welles bends his knees, crouching, trying to gain distance from the blade... Machine pulls Welles gun hand lower, brings it against the swinging LAUNDRY CHUTE DOOR built into the wall, begins twisting Welles' hand back, trying to pry the gun loose... Welles looks out the corner of his eyes to his gun... Welles turns his gun hand, slowing struggling to aim the gun towards the knife, but it's awful close to his face... The knife's shaking, less than an inch from Welles' cheek... Welles shuts his eyes and turns his head, letting out a CRY, FIRES his gun... The bullet BLASTS Machine's knife, knocks it away! Machine recoils for a millisecond, but brings his now free hand to Welles' throat, choking him. Welles' face reddens, bleeding from bullet fragments... Welles tries to pry Machine's fingers from his throat. Machine works on Welles' gun hand with violent, renewed effort -- SLAMS Welles' hand against the laundry chute... SLAMS it... SLAMS it... till Welles DROPS the GUN... The gun can be HEARD CLATTERING down the chute. Machine brings his hand to join the other around Welles' throat. Welles can't break the grip... Welles PUNCHES Machine's face, till blood runs out from the mask's nose hole, but it's having no effect... Welles brings his KNEE UP HARD -- into Machine's stomach! Machine falls to his knees with a ROAR, holds his already wounded stomach, bleeding through his shirt... Welles falls, clutching his throat, gasping. He struggles to his feet, leaps past, headlong towards the stairs... Machine rises, charging after... ON THE STAIRCASE Welles is TACKLED from behind... Welles and Machine TUMBLE down the stairs, SMASHING the wooden railing, toppling a BOOKSHELF... LANDING HARD... Welles PUNCHES and KICKS, breaking free, running across the living room. Machine rises to give chase... Welles grabs a dining room CHAIR and THROWS it... Machine knocks the chair aside, keeps coming. Welles grips another chair, uses it to hold Machine off... Machine grips the chair by the legs. Welles SHOVES forward, pushes Machine back, letting go... Welles dives under the dining table, crawling on his hands and knees, scrambling... Machine throws the chair, runs, leaps... Machine lands on the table, crawls to the far edge, GRABBING down with his meaty fists as Welles moves forward... Under the table, Welles jerks back, avoiding, then rises, extending his knees, PUSHING upwards from underneath... Welles FLIPS the table, throwing Machine to the floor... Welles charges towards the kitchen door, falls, gets up... Machine gets to his feet... IN THE KITCHEN Welles SHOVES through the swinging door... Machine BURSTS through, catching Welles, TACKLING him... Welles hits the floor with Machine on top. Machine begins to rein PUNCHES down on Welles, head and back... Welles tries to cover up, taking a real beating... Machine rises, gripping Welles, LIFTING him, THROWS him... Welles SMASHES into shelves of knick-knacks over the kitchen sink, SHATTERING a WINDOW, landing on the sink and counter. Machine comes to grip Welles again, drags him across the counter, KNOCKING EVERYTHING to the floor... Machine SWINGS Welles, releases him... Welles SLAMS the refrigerator and slumps to the ground, tries to stay conscious, trying weakly to get back up... Machine comes to Welles, gets on his knees... Machine wraps his arm around Welles' neck from behind, gets him in a CHOKE HOLD, tightens his grip, cutting off Welles airway with his forearm... Welles tries to break Machine's impossible grip with one hand, begins searching the floor with his other hand... frantically feeling for anything he can use... Welles' face is blood red... Welles' hand grasps desperately... finds a FORK, grips it... Welles SWINGS the fork back, STABS it into Machine's thigh! Machine SCREAMS, releases Welles and falls back, reaching around to the fork... Welles gets to his knees, sucking air, turns to look... Machine crawls away, pulls the fork out with trembling fingers. Beyond him, there's the BASEMENT DOOR. Welles gets to his feet, looking... He grabs a FRYING PAN off the counter, gripping it in both hands and moving towards Machine... Machine's getting up... Welles BASHES Machine in the face with an upward swing of the frying pan... Machine is sent backpedaling, CRASHING into the oven! Welles drops the pan, leaps over Machine, to the door... IN THE BASEMENT Welles comes down the stairs, falls when he gets to the bottom, barely has any strength left. He looks all directions, sees the LAUNDRY CHUTE in the ceiling... Welles gets up, stumbling, falls to his knees at the PILE of dirty LAUNDRY, starts digging through it, searching desperately, throwing clothing aside... Behind, Machine comes down the stairs, a bloody mess... Welles searches the laundry pile... Machine reaches the bottom of the stairs, heading for Welles. Welles turns, has the GUN in hand, FIRES TWICE... HITTING Machine in the shoulder and stomach, knocking Machine a few steps backwards... Welles FIRES... Machine's HIT in the CHEST, falling back, into hanging laundry, pulling down the clothes line and sheets... Machine hits the ground, wrapped in sheets. Welles stands, still aiming the gun, pulls the trigger on an empty chamber. Out of bullets. Machine's trying to pull free from the sheets, trying to get back up to his feet. Welles lets out a sob, drops the gun, walking to Machine... Welles climbs onto Machine from behind, takes clothing line in hand, starts wrapping the cord around Machine's throat... Welles pulls back on the clothes line, pulling it tight... Machine tries to get his fingers around the cord. Welles stands, pulling tighter, putting a foot on Machine's back, pulling the clothes line with all his might... The cord's cutting into Welles' hand, drawing blood. Machine, face down, lets out a gurgling sound, struggling, struggling... till he finally stops moving. Welles releases the cord, takes a step back, breathing hard, trembling. He looks around the basement. Welles walks to pick up his gun, replaces the gun in his holster. He stands looking at Machine. Welles walks to Machine, bends, grasps Machine wrestling mask, pulling it off. He rolls Machine over... Welles stares down at Machine. We never see Machine's face. INT. KITCHEN -- DAY Welles comes up from the basement, slow, hurting. He looks around at the damage done, looks down to see he's still holding Machine's mask. He drops it. EXT. QUAINT HOUSE -- DAY Welles crosses the street, going to his car. He gets into his car, starts it, pulls out and drives away. EXT. WELLES' HOUSE -- DAY BIRDS SING. KIDS are kicking around a soccer ball down the street. Welles' Ford arrives, pulls into the driveway. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, FRONT HALLWAY -- DAY Welles comes in the front door, still a horrible mess. WELLES Hello?! Amy? He waits. The house is quiet. No one home. EXT. WELLES' HOUSE -- LATER DAY Dusk. A CAR comes down the street, slows... IN THE CAR Amy sits forward, seeing Welles' car in the driveway. Cindy's in a child safety seat in back. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, FRONT HALLWAY -- DAY Amy comes in the front door, carrying Amy. AMY Tom?! No answer. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- DAY Any pushes the bedroom door open and looks in. Welles is asleep on the bed, still in his clothing and shoes. Amy watches him sleep, sad. Amy backs out of the room, pulls the door shut. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- NIGHT Dark. Welles sleeps, still in bloody clothing. He's restless, shifting, MUTTERING under his breath. Bad dreams. Welles suddenly sits bolt upright in the bed, looking around the dark room, breathing hard. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- NIGHT Cindy's in her high-chair by the table. Amy's at the KITCHEN SINK, washing vegetables, peeling potatoes. Welles comes to stand in the doorway behind her. Amy turns to look at him. It breaks her heart to see him so wounded, but she forces herself to continue working in the sink. AMY How much forgiveness do you think I have in me? Welles comes into the kitchen, stands beside Cindy, puts his hand out and clasp's Cindy's tiny hand. WELLES I can't talk about it yet... not yet. Amy keeps peeling potatoes, refuses to look at him. Welles looks down at Cindy, pats Cindy's head, looks back at Amy. He stands looking at Amy for a long moment. EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, BACKYARD -- DAY Welles wears his fishing cap, pushing his lawn mower, mowing his yard. He has done some healing, though his face is still swollen and terribly bruised. INT. KITCHEN -- NIGHT Welles feeds Cindy with one hand, eating his own dinner with the other. Amy's across the table, eating, watching them. INT. BASEMENT -- DAY Welles works on the WATER HEATER, wrench in hand, reading an instruction sheet. He puts the sheet aside, uses the wrench to begin loosening one of the pipe fittings. EXT. WELLES' HOUSE -- NIGHT Welles drags two GARBAGE CANS from the garage to the street, leaving them by the mailbox, walking back to the house. INT. BEDROOM -- NIGHT Welles and Amy are in bed. Amy's asleep, on her side, facing away from Welles. Welles lays awake, on his back, staring up at the ceiling. INT. SUPERMARKET AISLE -- DAY Welles pushes a cart down one aisle. He looks at his LIST, takes a BOX of CEREAL off one shelf, puts it in the cart. INT. SUPERMARKET CHECK-OUT -- DAY Welles waits in line with his cart. It's a long line. He takes out his wallet, opens it. In the fold of the wallet, there's a PHOTO folded into quarters. Welles unfolds it and looks at it dolefully. It's the PHOTO of Mary Anne Mathews, the image Welles printed from early in the snuff film. Sad girl. Welles folds in back up, puts it in another pocket. He looks forward in the line to see if it's moving. EXT. SUPERMARKET -- DAY Welles transfers BAGS of GROCERIES from the shopping cart into the back seat of his Ford. INT. WELLES' FORD -- DAY Welles drives on the HIGHWAY, groceries in back. He watches the roadway ahead. There's little traffic. Welles glances down, turns on the RADIO. Some CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS. Welles stares forward through the windshield. After a moment, Welles turns the RADIO OFF. He drives. The ONLY SOUND is the DRONE of the ENGINE and TIRES. Welles is suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, eyes filling with tears. He tries to fight it, but can't help himself. His face contorts with sorrow and he cannot stop crying, letting out a loud WAIL of misery... EXT. HIGHWAY -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS Welles' car moves to the shoulder, brakes to a sudden HALT. INT. WELLES' FORD -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS Welles takes great deep breathes and lets them out, over and over again, wiping at his tears. He lets out a little high- pitched WHINE from far back in his throat... WELLES Why... why... ? He's wracked by SOBBING. INT. WELLES' HOUSE, CINDY'S ROOM -- DAY Amy's in a chair, reading a BOOK, not far from Cindy's crib. Cindy's asleep. The FRONT DOOR of the house is HEARD OPENING and CLOSING from far off in the house. Amy looks up momentarily, then returns to reading. FOOTSTEPS can be HEARD coming through the house, getting CLOSER. Amy looks up from her book. The bedroom door's open a crack. The door slowly pushes open. Welles stands there, eyes red from crying. AMY Tom... ? Welles comes into the room, stands before Amy. He gets to his knees, puts his head in Amy's lap, wraps his arms around her waist. Amy holds him, worried, eyes filling with tears. WELLES I have to tell you... I have to tell you what happened. I have to tell you everything, but we can't tell anyone else. No one else can ever know. Amy runs her fingers through his hair, bends down to rest her head on his back, holding him with her eyes closed. Welles holds tighter. WELLES You're all I've got. You're all I've ever had. (pause) You're the only one who can save me. THE END

LIEUTENANT DREWRY -- EL TEE Bright green, brand new issue tropical fatigues, boots, M- 16, and .45 pistol. Just out of Officer Candidate School. Crewcut, clean face, ambitious and full of the wrong ideas. 24 years old. SERGEANT O'DONIGAN -- OD Well-faded tiger fatigues, scuffed boots, a lot of trail behind him. A black man from a large family, takes care of his team. Carries a CAR-15, carbine model of the M-16, and a Model 70 Winchester bolt action sniper rifle with scope, both with long black muzzle flash suppressors. A natural leader. An intensely serious man on the job, his rare smile dazzles. OD is 21. SPEC/5 -- CRACKER Spotted camouflage fatigues, worn and faded. He never tans, just gets red. Trace of a Southern accent and an old man's eyes. Defers to OD. Carries a 12-gauge riot shotgun with bandolier, and an M-14 sniper rifle with scope and flash suppressor. Dry wit, likes to watch the interplay between the others and wait for his opening. He is 24, but looks older. SPEC/4 BALDWIN -- PRETTY BOY Handsome, all-American, clean cut, easy going, he keeps the peace between Easy and Hammer. His tiger fatigues look tailored. Carries an M-79 grenade launcher with two bandoliers of grenades. Quick to smile, Easy's best friend and audience. Pretty Boy is 20. SPEC/4 THORPE -- HAMMER Short, stocky, Fu Manchu mustache, too-small tiger fatigues accented with black t-shirt and black leather gloves with the fingers cut off. Swaggering macho style, carries his M- 60 machine gun like he's seen too many John Wayne movies. Half immature teenager, half warrior, he is jealous of the affection shown toward Easy. He is 19. PRIVATE EASELY -- EASY Skinny, homely, his tiger fatigues look baggy. He carries the PRC-25 radio and M-1 carbine. Walks with a bounce, even in the jungle, and talks like an urban, rock and roll speed freak. Takes nothing seriously, least of all himself. Loves Pretty Boy, admires OD, teases Hammer because he's an easy target. He's been in the war too long and he is now getting scared. Easy is 21. VIETNAM - The Central Highlands - 1968 The CAMERA STARTS and focuses on the ground where the words -- -- have been scratched. An M-16 bayonet is jabbed into the ground next to the letters. The lettering goes fuzzy then sharp, fuzzy then sharp, as the Cameraman focuses. A hand reaches in and pulls the bayonet out of the ground. The Camera pulls back and focuses on LIEUTENANT DREWRY. He sheaths the bayonet and turns on the tape recorder that is next to his rucksack. He fiddles with the dials and looks at the Camera. Sound on. DREWRY ...turns this thing on? How do you tell if it's working? Outstanding. They stand outside a large tent with a sign in front of it -- "S-2/S-3". A soldier whitewashes a line of rocks that form a square in front of the tent. Further away a soldier casually guards four Vietnamese who are filling sandbags. Music plays in one of the tents. The Camera catches everything, including the rise of ground in front of the tent, the helicopter pad. Drewry finishes a cigarette as he tries to tighten the straps on his pack. The Camera dwells on Drewry as he puts out the cigarette on the heel of one shiny new boot, field strips the butt and scatters the tobacco, balls up the paper and pockets it and the filter. He is nervous. He stands and faces the Camera, adjusts his gig line and tries to look serious. DREWRY Ah... Drewry, Richard B., First Lieutenant... Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade... Vietnam. (beat) Lessons Learned Project, DASPO. He pauses a moment and thinks. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) Mission. DREWRY Reconnaissance mission, Central Highlands. Our goal is to record procedures peculiar to this combat situation. Uh... The fluttering of a distant helicopter is heard. It gets louder. Drewry looks into the sky and finds the helicopter. DREWRY That must be ours. The Camera finds the helicopter, a Huey. It descends toward the pad where a soldier helps it land, using hand signals. The blades kick up a huge cloud of dust. Through the dust walks the team with OD in the lead. Packs on their backs, weapons in hand. The Huey engine idles, the whoop-whoosh of the blades a slow, steady beat. OD halts the team and Easy gooses HAMMER with his thumb. Hammer just grins. HAMMER Damn, Easy, you got a cold nose. Drewry walks over to the team. DREWRY Which one of you is Sergeant O'Donigan? OD Yo, sir. The men play for the Camera. Easy cranks up a middle finger. Pretty Boy waves, "Hi, Mom". Hammer pretends to jack off. Cracker gurns. OD tries to ignore the Camera, but he is wary. DREWRY Glad to be working with you, Sergeant. I'm your new Officer in Charge. Major Nolin has briefed me on the mission. We're prepared to move out. OD looks at Drewry in surprise. He looks at the Cameraman, then back to Drewry. The team is stunned. OD We'll see about that. Angrily he drops his pack and weapons and strides into the S- 2 tent. Nonplussed, Drewry hesitates, then follows. The rest of the team look at the Cameraman. EASY TV news? CAMERAMAN (O.S.) Army. How about a roll call? EASY Easely, Private E-2! Soon to be promoted to PFC... Private Fucking Civilian! 27 days and a wake up! I'm short, sir! HAMMER/PRETTY BOY/CRACKER How short are you? EASY I'm so short I can parachute off a dime, sir! Easy gives a half-assed salute. The Camera focuses on Pretty Boy. PRETTY BOY Spec 4 Baldwin, San Bernardino, California. He straightens his hair and just stands there. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) Don't look at me, look at the camera. (beat) Say something. PRETTY BOY Something. Easy grabs the microphone from the Cameraman. EASY Testes, testes, one, two. HAMMER "Jingle bells, mortar shells... HAMMER/EASY ...VC in the grass... TEAM ...You can take your Merry Christmas and stick it up your... They all laugh. The Camera moves in on Hammer. He steps forward, at stiff attention. HAMMER Thorpe, William. Specialist 4th Class. US 16-848-107. Machine gunner. EASY What a lifer. HAMMER Put a liplock on my love muscle, Easy. EASY Let me fuck you in the ear so you can hear me coming. CRACKER I think they're in love. EASY We are, we're engaged. Easy leaps on Hammer and sticks his tongue in his ear. HAMMER That's disgusting, man. Easy tries to kiss Hammer. Pretty Boy, and Cracker join the pile up on Hammer. They roll in the dirt. The Cameraman singles out Cracker, who is a little worried. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) You want to sound off? CRACKER Uh, right. Spec 5 Frye, weapons specialist. I'm hare-lipped, hump- backed and half crazy. Not responsible for my own actions. Hammer stands behind Cracker and gives him horns. Easy puts a wet finger in his ear, and Pretty Boy raises a clenched fist between Cracker's legs. Cracker ignores them. OD and Drewry walk out of the tent accompanied by Major Nolin. OD is looking grim. Drewry salutes Nolin. OD (to team) Let's get our shit together. We got a mission. The team grab their gear and walk toward the helicopter. Easy takes off his soft cap and puts on his steel helmet. The Cameraman moves in on OD. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) How about your name and rank? Don't look at me, look at the camera. OD I'm not talking to the camera, I'm telling you. Get that thing out of my face. OD shoulders his gear. Cracker hands him his weapons and looks at OD with a question in his eyes. OD shakes his head. The team boards the Huey easily, they've done it a thousand times, a casual ride in the country. Drewry and the Cameraman wait to board last. Drewry looks at OD. OD glares at him. The Cameraman is helped in and he catches a shot of the S-2 tent. Major Nolin watches the chopper. The engine revs and the Huey lifts. BLACK. Sound off. STOCK FOOTAGE -- Vietnam countryside from the helicopter P.O.V., passing over a fire base. CAMERA ON. Hammer tries to talk with the door gunner. Easy blows into his thumb, inflating his middle finger. Pretty Boy sleeps. The Camera focuses on Easy, who looks nervous, but tries to cover it. The Camera turns and catches a view of the jungle below. Rice paddies, peasants working, water buffalo. STOCK FOOTAGE -- The Central Highlands, mountains, triple canopy jungle. BLACK. The CAMERA STARTS as the helicopter hits the ground. Sound on. Cracker and Hammer drop first and wait for the rest of the men to clear the helicopter. The wind from the helicopter blades beats the brush with hard rhythm. The men run through the brush, OD in the lead, followed by Pretty Boy, Easy, Drewry and the Cameraman. The sounds of the helicopter fade as it flies away off screen. Drewry's rucksack and harness rattle and clatter, flopping loosely on his back, straps flying. The Cameraman turns and kneels to capture Cracker and Hammer pulling up the rear. They run past him. The Cameraman gets to his feet and follows. Cracker stops for a second and grabs the Cameraman by the shoulder and shoves him ahead. CRACKER Move your ass, troop. The Cameraman runs on. Branches whip at the lens as it breaks through the dense brush. Sometimes the branches obliterate the picture completely for a second. The Cameraman loses sight of Hammer and he tries to catch up. The Cameraman suddenly reaches Hammer and the others stopped behind some brush at the edge of a clearing ten to fifteen meters across. OD crosses the clearing, running in a low crouch. Easy is on the alert, watching intently as OD disappears into the brush on the other side of the clearing. Cracker and Hammer watch the flanks, Pretty Boy the rear. Drewry sits on the ground huffing and puffing. He's not used to this. DREWRY How long... we gotta... run? PRETTY BOY This is Indian country, sir. Dime to a dollar, Chuck saw or heard that chopper. He don't figure the pilot stopped to take a piss. Best to put some klicks between the LZ and us. Can you dig it? Pretty Boy doesn't look at Drewry, he watches the jungle behind them. OD comes into sight on the other side of the clearing, his fist pumping in the air. EASY Clear. Easy runs across the clearing. He makes it safely. Hammer goes next. Pretty Boy hits the top of Drewry's helmet. PRETTY BOY Quick, like a bunny fucks. Drewry takes a deep breath and runs across the clearing. Pretty Boy follows. Cracker covers the rear. CRACKER (to Cameraman) Your turn in the barrel. Go. The Cameraman runs across the clearing. The team is clustered together, each man facing a different direction, alert. Drewry adjusts his pack straps. The Cameraman turns and catches Cracker crossing the clearing, then he tries to focus on the entire team. They are gone. All the Cameraman catches is Pretty Boy's back disappearing into the jungle. The Cameraman runs after them. He trips and almost falls, but runs on. Branches blind his lens. More busting brush, just keeping Pretty Boy's back in sight. The Camera explodes into a small circular clearing, an open pocket in the jungle growth. Drewry has fallen into a sweaty heap. Hammer and Pretty Boy stand on alert. Easy and OD crouch together. Easy is on the radio. EASY Stone Hombre, this is Outrider. Down and happy. Say again, down and happy. Sit Rep Alpha Oscar Kilo. Over. RADIOMAN (filtered) Outrider, Stone Hombre. We read you Lima Charlie. Down and happy. Sierra Romeo checks Alpha Oscar Kilo. Over. EASY Outrider, out. The Cameraman sits. OD looks at the Cameraman and Drewry in disgust. OD You ever heard of noise discipline? Easy, get these FNG's shit together. OD opens his map. Cracker joins him. EASY Pretty Boy, duct tape. Easy walks over to the Cameraman. Pretty Boy tosses him a roll of olive green duct tape and walks over to Drewry. EASY OD says your shit's flaky, your shit's flaky. (laughing quietly) You two are noisier than two skeletons fucking on a tin roof... PRETTY BOY ...using a soup can for a rubber. CRACKER Make more noise than a Chinese gang bang. HAMMER Noisier than a baby in a blender. EASY No sweat, GI, we'll just square away this load-bearing equipment. Pretty Boy gets another roll of olive drab duct tape from his pack and begins to tape down and tighten the loose straps on Drewry's pack. Drewry helps where he can. In the background, OD and Cracker consult the map and their compass. DREWRY I didn't have time to do this myself. I just reported in and they said I was going out into the field. Barely had time to go to Quartermaster and get my issue and weapon. CRACKER You never been on line, sir? DREWRY No. EASY I can't believe they gave us an El Tee, but, shit, a cherry El Tee. HAMMER Just what we need, an FNG. No offense, sir. DREWRY FNG? CRACKER Fucking New Guy, sir. Drewry has two grenades hooked to his harness suspenders. Pretty Boy unhooks them and puts them into a pouch. PRETTY BOY A vine or branch could pull the pin. Never "John Wayne" your grenades, sir. EASY Yeah, the last thing you want to do is blow yourself away, El Tee. A chest wound is nature's way of saying you fucked up. DREWRY What I heard, they had a man assigned to you from one of the line units, but his chopper crashed. So they grabbed me. OD looks at Drewry and shakes his head. Pretty Boy unclips one of Drewry's dog tags and hooks it behind his boot laces. PRETTY BOY Just in case you get separated. EASY How long you been in-country, fresh meat? CAMERAMAN (O.S.) 48 days down, 308 to go. DREWRY 26 days. You? EASY Oh, El Tee, you're so new you ain't been born yet. Me, I am short. PRETTY BOY (to Easy) How short are you? EASY I'm so short you have to dig a hole to kick my ass. (to Cameraman) What's your MOS? CAMERAMAN (O.S.) 84 Charlie MoPic. EASY No shit? 84 Charlie. Gotta be better'n 11 Bravo. MoPic? What's that stand for? Like Motown? PRETTY BOY Maybe MoPower. HAMMER Or MoFucker. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) Motion picture. Easy tapes the Cameraman's film cans together so they won't rattle. EASY Damn, Breeze. Must be a nice getting over job. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) I used to handle "grip and grins", award ceremonies, change of command, stuff like that... Hammer starts to smile at the Cameraman, but he suddenly hears something and freezes. Everyone but Drewry and the Cameraman also freeze. Hammer is at the center, tense, braced to fire, machine gun at the ready. Easy slowly, noiselessly picks up his M-1 carbine and eases the safety off. Pretty Boy looks around the brush. OD creeps over to Hammer. Cracker is scanning the jungle on the other flank. DREWRY What...? OD's CAR is instantly at Drewry's forehead. Their eyes meet. OD is hard, warning him to be quiet. Drewry looks at the Camera, then away, embarrassed. OD watches Hammer. Easy watches OD. Cracker and Pretty Boy scan the jungle. Hammer relaxes and grins foolishly. HAMMER Fuck-you-lizard. Everyone relaxes. OD Let's saddle up. Everyone gets ready to move out. Drewry glares at OD, anger taking the place of his initial fear. Cracker walks over to the Cameraman. CRACKER Don't ever get behind me. I pull the rear. (beat) You don't want to be left alone out here. HAMMER Roger that shit. The Cameraman lowers the Camera to pick up his pack. BLACK. Sound off. Sound on. DREWRY (O.S.) I want this on the record. CAMERA ON. The team is stopped, guns outboard. OD is getting a compass reading. Drewry walks over to OD followed by the Cameraman. DREWRY I won't let anything like that happen again. You point a gun at me again and I'll have you up in front of a court martial. OD Dig this, Lieutenant, we ain't in the rear no more. In order to have a court martial you need more than one officer. I don't see anyone with brass, but you. Out here the bush is the boss. The team remains on guard, but takes in every word of the confrontation. DREWRY I'm not walking in here off the street. I've had infantry training. OD That stateside Mickey Mouse shit don't cut it here, sir. This is Charlie's game, his rules. We learned how to play it, that's why we're out here. DREWRY And that's why I'm here. (indicating Camera) And why he's here. To take back some of that training. (beat) I'm ready to learn, but not at gunpoint. OD pauses. Drewry has made a peace offering. OD All right. Pay attention, El Tee, we'll teach you. But we don't grade on a curve, it's pass or fail. I have to point my gun at you again I'll pull the fucking trigger. OD starts off into the jungle. Drewry hits the Nagra switch viciously. Sound off. Drewry follows the team. BLACK. Sound on. EASY (O.S.) You don't want to hump all these C's, MoPic. We'll lighten you up. CAMERA ON. Easy is rummaging through the Cameraman's pack. Pretty Boy is preparing food. Hammer is leaning against a tree, wary and on guard. OD and Cracker aren't to be seen, just their rifles against a tree. The team is stopped on a slope halfway up a hillside. DREWRY (to Camera) Catch the food preparation. (to the team) Show the camera everything you do, how you do it. DASPO wants all the film it can get. Easy holds up a can from the Cameraman's pack. EASY Lookit this, ham and limas. Number ten, GI. MoPic, why you humping ham and motherfuckers? You don't like 'em, do you? Even God don't like ham and motherfuckers. Drewry digs through his pack and takes out some rations. PRETTY BOY Lessons Learned, sheeit. DREWRY What do you men know about your mission? HAMMER (shrugging) Same old shit. Find Charlie, get S-2 their intell, shoot some gooks, put the rest in a world of hurt. EASY Ham and motherfuckers. Looks like cows ate it and tossed their cookies. Easy starts fixing his own meal by opening a small can of white bread and another of jam. DREWRY Same old shit? You people don't have much respect for rank or your mission. HAMMER Don't get froggy, El Tee. (beat) You still pissed at OD? Pretty Boy giggles. Easy slices the bread lengthwise, puts jam on both halves, water on the top and heats it over a fire he's made from a white, clay-like substance. EASY (to Cameraman) C-4, plastic explosive. DREWRY He put a gun to my head and threatened to kill me. I don't forget that kind of shit. Easy makes himself a cup of hot chocolate using two packs. Pretty Boy fixes pre-sweetened Kool-Aid. They both heat canned rations over their own fires. PRETTY BOY You don't fuck with OD, he's a walking razor blade. You only take a run at him if you're thinking about suicide. One tough dude. Drewry eats his food cold. Pretty Boy feeds his fire with more pieces of C-4. EASY He thinks you'll get in our way. Easy eats his food and prepares more. HAMMER OD's so tough he eats the boogers out of a dead man's nose. PRETTY BOY You're a gross fucker. EASY OD's a righteous dude. He was just telling you to be quiet. Like "sshh". HAMMER Gross? You hear me rapping about canned cow vomit? OD pulls a lot of slack for us. We're all brothers. Pretty Boy finishes eating and takes Hammer's place on guard. Hammer crouches over the fire and fixes food for two. EASY Fucking "A". PRETTY BOY Family. HAMMER There it is. They slap palms. Drewry looks around and shakes his head. DREWRY Hell, you guys act like this is a picnic in the park. PRETTY BOY Man's got to eat, sir. You catch your pecks when you can. Never know when you can't. EASY Ain't no big thing, sir. Easy repacks the Cameraman's pack. HAMMER There it is. Easy holds up a ziploc bag of grass toward the Camera. EASY (to Cameraman) I better hold this for you. OD's death on the dew. HAMMER "Hold this for you"? Don't try to shit me, Easy. EASY I wouldn't shit you, Hammer, you're my favorite turd. There is some real antagonism between Hammer and Easy that underlies the joking. Drewry is uncomfortable. DREWRY (to Easy) If you're RTO, why do you have that carbine? I thought SOP for a radioman was only a .45. EASY Shit, El Tee, everybody needs a gook shooter. CRACKER (O.S.) Only trouble is, Easy can't shoot as straight as I can piss. Easy looks up. Cracker and OD have reappeared as if from nowhere. EASY Hey, OD, chow's still hot. Easy goes back over to his fire. HAMMER Cracker. Cracker walks over to Hammer and takes some of the food. OD spots the plastic bag of grass sticking out of Easy's pocket and he pulls it out. OD We don't do dew when we do business, right, Easy? You trying to get me killed? EASY Aw, Breeze... (quickly) Been waiting on you. Food's on the table and getting cold, Ward. OD So sorry, June. Has the Beaver been acting up again? They laugh. OD empties the bag of grass on the ground. EASY Aww, fuck. I'm coming back here in six months to harvest. Drewry pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Before he can get one out of the pack Cracker grabs them out of his hand, digs a hole in the ground with his heel and buries them. CRACKER Sorry, sir, smoking light's out for this operation. DREWRY (pissed) Don't ever do that again, soldier. OD Don't get all bent out of shape, sir. It's a habit. You'd forget and one match at night could waste all of us. On a good day you can smell cigarette smoke a quarter mile away. Especially menthols. (beat) Pretty Boy, salt tablets for the El Tee, he's sweating like a fat whore. No offense, sir. Lessons Learned. CRACKER MoPic, too. Easy pushes some food toward the Cameraman, then gets a container of salt tablets from his pack. EASY (to Cameraman) Take two salt tablets and drive on. Best chow down. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team humps the brush. Drewry has a lot of trouble. He is sweating, tired, and looking haggard. The others still look fresh. They go up a steep incline. The team works as one, helping each other automatically. Their rhythm is interrupted to help Drewry and the Cameraman. HAMMER (to Camera) Hey, man, why don't you DX that motherfucker? BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team moves through heavy brush. The team moves easily, each man threading his way through the jungle. Drewry is stumbling along, each vine and branch grabbing him by the shoulder or catching his foot. Pretty Boy pauses long enough to show Drewry how to walk, using his gun to probe ahead and make a path to move with the terrain. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team rests. Everyone is hot and sweaty. Drewry shows it most. Pretty Boy hands out salt tablets. DREWRY I can't even taste the salt. PRETTY BOY That means you need it. EASY 27 days. I'm a double digit midget. HAMMER Pretty Boy, how about me and you hitting Sin City when we get back? PRETTY BOY You know my motto. Never fuck a duck or duck a fuck. Easy makes a quieting motion. He listens to the handset. EASY Devil Dog Six is getting their shit blown away. HAMMER (to Drewry) 6-1-6 Battallion, South Vietnamese, our dinks. American advisors. EASY They're giving coordinates for Med Evac. OD pulls out a map and Easy checks his code book. EASY All their green monkeys skyed up. DREWRY How far away are they? Can we help them? OD We don't have enough fire power to do any good. CRACKER If we could get there in time. DREWRY But... OD Our primary mission is recon, sir. Let's move out. The team moves out. BLACK. Sound off. Sound on. PRETTY BOY (V.O.) I love the sunset in Nam. DREWRY (V.O.) It's gorgeous. CAMERA ON. Sunset. Drewry and the Cameraman watch Pretty Boy string trip wires around their camp. He uses the ration cans he stuffed in his socks earlier. He drops a couple pebbles in each can and hooks them to the wire and tests the rattle, then camouflages everything. PRETTY BOY Fuck "gorgeous", it means the day's almost over and I'm one day shorter. I hate this fucking place. They ought to DX the whole fucking country, north and south. Turn it in to the big quartermaster in the sky. Say, "Hey, motherfucker, this place is beyond repair." DREWRY It looks pretty some times. PRETTY BOY You should have seen it when I first came over. You could still see tigers and elephants on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Fucking elephants. Pretty Boy shakes his head in disbelief. They walk back to the main camp area on a steep slope. Drewry stumbles. PRETTY BOY We night camp on a slope, away from the trail. Even Chuck sticks to the trails at night, so he ain't likely to trip over us. Hammer is boiling water in his canteen cup. Easy is monitoring the radio. Cracker is on guard. OD is opening a pack of Lurp rations. PRETTY BOY Line's strung. HAMMER Water's boiling. OD tosses two Lurps to Drewry. OD Spaghetti and chili. Everyone gathers around Hammer with their Lurps. He pours water into the plastic bags. OD has him fill two and he gives one to Cracker. EASY Number one chop chop. Hammer boils more water for coffee and cocoa. OD First guard, Cracker, Hammer, me, then Pretty Boy and Easy. DREWRY I can pull a shift. OD I don't know you. Drewry and OD stare at each other for a moment. Drewry wants to make something of the rejection. OD You're not used to humping, you're beat. You'll need the sack time. Drewry accepts the conciliatory gesture. EASY MoPic's got a can of fruit cocktail and one of peaches that I saved. PRETTY BOY You sorry-assed motherfucker, you let the poor dude hump those cans, you're lower'n whale shit. EASY Bite my ass, Pretty Boy. It's good training for him. Hey, MoPic, souvenir me your pack. OD Peaches and fruit cocktail all around. The Cameraman tosses Easy his pack, but before Easy can look for the canned fruit, something calls him back to his radio. He hears something through the static. Easy holds the handset to his ear and listens intently. Pretty Boy gets the cans of fruit from the Cameraman's pack. EASY Echo Company. Getting mortared, calling in arty. (beat) Still haven't gotten their Med Evac, weather's real bad inland. Choppers can't get off the ground. HAMMER Monsoon season. A rat fuck. Pretty Boy opens the canned fruit. He takes a spoonful of fruit cocktail and passes the can to Hammer. PRETTY BOY Save a cherry for Easy. Pretty Boy slurps up a peach slice and hands that can to OD. Each man takes his share and passes it along. CRACKER Number one. HAMMER Not too shabby. OD starts eating his Lurp ration, a sign for the others to start. Easy and the Cameraman are the only ones not eating. EASY HQ's saying they might get choppered out tomorrow, late. A definite maybe so. CRACKER Better scarf up your pecks, MoPic. The Camera starts to lower, but catches Easy taking two pills from a ziploc bag and swallowing them. No one but the Camera sees it. Easy sees the Camera on him. EASY Tetracycline. Got the clap last time in Sin City. HAMMER There it is, the Nam. Where else in the world can you get a contagious disease for only five bucks a pop. PRETTY BOY Clap's no sweat, better'n crotch crickets. CRACKER Crabs are no big deal. You get yourself a bayonet and a can of lighter fluid. Set fire to your pubic hair and when the little fuckers run to the high ground, like your dick, you stab 'em to death. The Camera starts to lower again, but... HAMMER Better'n the black syph. The Camera reacts. Hammer knows a sucker when he sees one. HAMMER (too seriously) The black syph. You only get it in Nam. It rots your dick off, like leprosy. Just drops off. One day you're walking along and you feel something like a turd drop down your pant leg. Next thing you know, you're squatting to piss like a girl. EASY Yeah, and if you get it you can't go home. They keep you here so you don't infect the rest of the world. You spend the whole rest of your life in the Nam. No shit, the whole rest of your life in the Nam. Pretty Boy can't take it anymore, he bursts out laughing. OD Better chow down, MoPic. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Drewry snaps his fingers in front of the Camera. DREWRY Sound. It is dark and the men are gathered around inside their night perimeter. Easy fiddles with the radio. The others prepare their sleeping areas. Drewry approaches OD. DREWRY We need to do some background interviews on each man. I thought we'd start with you. OD What kind of interviews? DREWRY Where you're from? What you did before the Army? Background stuff. OD glares at the Cameraman. OD I ain't telling you none of that stuff, that's my private life. The Army's got no business in my private life. The Camera holds a tenuous moment and then focuses on Drewry, who wonders whether to push it. Drewry decides to drop it and he shifts his attention to Cracker. DREWRY We'll do Sergeant Frye then. CRACKER Spec 5. He looks at OD, then at Drewry. CRACKER Maybe later if it's all right with you, sir. DREWRY Sure, soldier. Drewry looks at the other members of the team and fixes on Easy. Easy is smiling at him. Drewry walks over to Easy with the Cameraman. DREWRY All right, Private. Let's talk. EASY Let me tell a joke first. C'mon, just one. It's good training. Easy grins into the Camera. EASY I could be the next Shelley Berman. Is this on now? Sound. He raps a magazine against his helmet. EASY How do you eat a frog? There is laughter off screen. EASY C'mon, how do you eat a frog? DREWRY (O.S.) I don't know. EASY You put one leg over one shoulder, then you put the other leg over the other shoulder... Easy laughs. He might be high. He is changing the battery in his radio and cleaning it. DREWRY (O.S.) How long have you been in-country? EASY One year minus 28, 27 days. I worked RTO for a line company first, then with Forward Observers. I love my Prick 25. PRETTY BOY (O.S.) Tell him how many FO's you went through, Easy. EASY FO's don't have much of a life expectancy here. Don't even come with warranties. I lost eight in six months. Three dead, two went home all messed up, lost track of the rest. That's the real bummer over here. When your buddies get hit, not zapped, but wounded bad, Medevaced and gone, you don't know if they die, or what... People you were real close to, sort of gone into the Twilight Zone... Easy pauses a moment, his usual nervous energy subdued, but he brightens. EASY You know why shit's tapered at the ends? DREWRY No. EASY So your asshole don't slam shut. Pretty Boy laughs off screen. EASY Did I tell you I was a drummer back in the Real World? Lead vocals, too. Boy, did we ever do some dope when we were on the road. Stayed all fucked up. But nothing like the Nam. DREWRY How long were you on line? EASY Forever. Got 4 Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars with "V". I got enough Green Weenies to open a hot dog stand. This radio antenna is like wearing a target on your back. (beat) You know why pubic hair is curly? So it don't poke you in the eye. DREWRY So, what will you do when you get home? EASY I don't know. Hang out. Get high. Check out my wife. (beat) She's probably fucking every Jody that passes the house. That's okay, though. She was 17 when we got hitched, dead meat in the sack. Maybe Jody can teach her how to fuck. DREWRY Why'd you join up? EASY The judge volunteered me. Either that or he'd lock me up. Do you know how you can tell the Nam sucks? It leaves hickeys on the bottom of your feet. Pretty Boy laughs again. DREWRY The judge blackmailed you. EASY He did me a favor. Army saved me from jail, unless I wind up in the stockade. So far, they've just Article 15'd me to death, took my rank ad pay. I can handle that. (beat) The bush saved me from the stockade and OD's saved me from the bush. Only thing I hate is the night. It's starting to spook me. I'm too short for this shit. You get short, you get paranoid beaucoup. (laughing) Is it paranoid to think people are trying to kill you when people are trying to kill you? DREWRY Then why do you do it? EASY Why does a dog lick his penis? (beat) 'Cause he can! (beat) And to be with my buddies out here. They'd be shit out of luck without me on the horn. My buddies. Easy starts, he hears something on the radio. EASY Hey, hey. Dig this. He cranks up the volume and faint music can be heard, Clarence Carter's "Steal Away". Static flickers through the music. DREWRY Is that the States? EASY Armed Forces Radio. VietNam, probably Saigon. PRETTY BOY Nah, we're too far away. An Khe. HAMMER Nope. Sappers wasted An Khe radio last Tet. EASY Now that pisses me off. CRACKER Shhh! The men listen and lean unconsciously toward the radio. The Cameraman focuses on each face in turn, half-shadowed in the faint light. The song fades away before it is done. The men settle into disappointed silence. Drewry turns off the tape recorder. Sound off. BLACK. Sound on. DREWRY (O.S.) Wake up and catch this. C'mon, c'mon. The Camera comes on, jerking and swaying. It is night. Drewry crouches near OD and Easy at the radio. The others are asleep. EASY (to Drewry) Devil Dog's been getting NVA probes all night. Sounds like sappers have infiltrated their lines. Easy turns up the volume. RADIO (ADVISOR) ...one giant cluster fuck. My green monkeys are shooting the hell out of each other trying to waste the sappers. There is the sound of gunfire and artillery explosions over the radio. Men scream. RADIO (ADVISOR) Werewolf One, tell the cannon cockers to pop another illumination round. Over. RADIO (HQ) Devil Dog Six, this is Werewolf. One illumination round on the way. How many caps you got left? Status please. Illumination round shot. Over. RADIO (ADVISOR) I don't know, I don't even know how many men are left. Right now I'm doing... The gunfire increases. RADIO (ADVISOR) Oh, shit! Fuck! We're getting overrun! Nothing but static. RADIO (VOICE #2) Werewolf, this is Devil Dog Three. We're in deep shit here. Help us! Please! (VOICE #3) The Lieutenant's hit! Oh, God! Medic! Medic! (VOICE #2) Oh, no! Colonel, Colonel! Six is down! Again I say, our Six is down. We got gooks inside our perimeter! We need help! (beat) What, sir? (beat) Yes, sir. Werewolf One, request big guns drop one hundred. Say again, drop one hundred. Over. EASY They're calling artillery in on their own position. The other members of the team are awake now and looking at the radio. Drewry reaches for his cigarettes. RADIO (VOICE #2) Where's the fucking medic?! Somebody give me a compress! Oh, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus... BOOM! An explosion, then static. Everyone is silent for a moment. EASY Poor fuckers. RADIO (HQ) Devil Dog Three, this is Werewolf. Status report, over. Silence. DREWRY We should have done something. RADIO (HQ) Devil Dog Three, this is Werewolf. Report status. Over. OD just looks at Drewry. DREWRY We could have been there. RADIO (HQ) Devil Dog, Werewolf. Please report status. OD And gotten wasted with them. RADIO (HQ) Devil Dog Three? Jimmy? (beat) For God's sake, Jimmy, report your fucking status! OD ignores Drewry. He reaches over and turns off the radio and walks over to a tree. He leans against the trunk and closes his eyes. DREWRY Go ahead, sleep. A hundred and twenty men just died. OD I have a lot of dead men in here. Plenty of room for more. Maybe even room for one smartass lieutenant. Drewry looks at Easy. Easy turns the radio back on and cruises the frequencies. He pops a couple more pills. EASY Ladybird's getting scattered mortar. Sixty mike-mike. Ruff Puff Advisor. Texas Hat is cool, though. Ice cubes in his armpits. (to OD) Everybody's catching some kind of flack. Probes all over. Shit, sounds like Tet again. OD Major offensive? EASY Little shit, ti ti action. Beaucoup noise. Chuck's feeling everybody out. OD Lot of over-reaction at night. EASY Night's the worst. I hate the night like a motherfucker. Trees walk at night if you stare at them long enough. The Nam's a motherfucker if you got any imagination. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Morning. The Cameraman follows OD across the camp. OD and the Camera stop next to Drewry, who is heating water in two canteen cups. Drewry slips on his boots and turns on the recorder. Sound on. OD Oughta shake those boots out before you put 'em on. All sorts of nasty critters love to crawl in your boots at night. Drewry looks at his feet, stands up and stamps them. DREWRY I've heated water for coffee or cocoa for everyone. OD You're our Mess Sergeant now, El Tee. DREWRY Figured it's better than riding free. OD nods, smiles, and leads Drewry and the Cameraman over to Cracker. Cracker is still asleep. Pretty Boy is awake, but still laying down. He rolls over to watch. Hammer is brushing his teeth. Easy is on watch, his rifle in his lap, radio at his side. OD stops next to Cracker and strikes a lecturer's pose. OD Lessons Learned. The first thing a grunt learns is to be ready at all times, night or day, asleep or awake, to encounter the enemy. OD brandishes a long stick. Cracker sleeps soundly, his mouth open. PRETTY BOY Watch this. OD It's night. Bangedy, bangedy, rattle, rattle, the enemy trips your early detection devices. You don't have time to wake up, stand and wander around with your dick in your hands looking for your weapon. The enemy is ten yards away ready to waste your ass. HAMMER OD oughta be a Drill Instructor. EASY Fucking Cracker sleeps like the dead. OD So you train yourself to wake with a rolling motion, providing the enemy with a low silhouette and, thusly, a minimal target. You sleep with your weapon in the same position every night, to the right or left of you depending on your preference, so when the shit hits... WHAP! OD whacks Cracker with the stick. OD BOOM! Cracker rolls to his right, picks up his shotgun in mid-roll and lands on hs stomach, sighting down the barrel and clicking off the safety. OD ...you land in a prone firing position, ready to engage the enemy. Everyone claps and laughs. Cracker looks pissed as he wakes more and gets up slowly. CRACKER OD, the payback on this is gonna be a motherfucker. I'm gonna shove that stick up your ass and roast you over a fucking fire. You wait. OD laughs. EASY Oooooh, wolf talk. Cracker glares at the Camera. CRACKER Turn that fucking thing off. BLACK. EASY (O.S.) Hey, Cracker, 26 and a wakeup. I'm so short I could tickle a pissant under the chin. CRACKER (O.S.) If you live, you dinky dau motherfucker. Everyone laughs. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Pretty Boy brushes his teeth with salt from a packet sprinkled on his brush. The rest of the team are preparing to move out. Drewry interviews Pretty Boy. PRETTY BOY Hygiene. Clean mind, clean body, take your choice. Let's see, I was hanging out. Went to college for a year, real drag. All those classes got in the way of partying and pussy. Pretty Boy grins and changes his socks. PRETTY BOY Work was worse, no fun there. Me and a couple buddies joined together. Army said they'd keep us together. That lasted through Basic. One's in Germany now, freezing his balls off. Glenn's somewhere with the First Cav, Engineers. lucky fucker. Pretty Boy ties the dirty socks to the back of his pack. PRETTY BOY (to Camera) Dry 'em out during the day. EASY (O.S.) Gas warfare, kills all the mosquitoes for miles around. PRETTY BOY Some dudes get away without socks, not me. During monsoon, dry socks are better than sex. DREWRY You spent a lot of time in the field? PRETTY BOY Three months of hell. Every kind of shit you can imagine, and a lot you can't. I was Medevaced three times when they thought I was dead. Once they even zipped me into a body bag. We'd get hit, you know, and I'd be in a hole with three other guys. A mortar round would come right in the hole, blow everyone else to mincemeat. Concussion would knock me out, I'd have blood coming out of my ears and nose, blood all over me, not all mine... The medics would figure I was dead and throw me on the chopper with the bodies. No fun waking up there. (beat) My luck is unfucking believable. We're running across a paddy, fifty caliber opens up and catches the dudes on my left and right, wasted them. Me, I was skipped. (beat) I got a hundred stories... scary. Took a round in my helmet once, cut a groove in my hair. Weird shit. DREWRY Luck. PRETTY BOY Luck... God... Karma. My karma ran over my dogma. There is laughter off screen. PRETTY BOY Got to be a pain in the ass. Dudes hanging close like it would rub off. Boonie voodoo. People get strange in the bush, believe all sorts of things. Lucky scarves, bibles over their hearts, some ain't ever been to church. Baldwin's luck. The Company, the whole Brigade talked about it. We get mortared, dudes stick around me like a steel umbrella. I even started believing it. I do. Makes you think God's got something special planned for you. DREWRY Something special good, or special bad? Pretty Boy shrugs. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. The team has stopped. OD is talking to Hammer. A message is passed from one man to the other. Drewry is last. He turns to the Cameraman and switches on the Nagra. Sound on. DREWRY Something he wants us to look at. Sound. Drewry snaps his fingers at the Camera and walks to the front with the Cameraman. OD is kneeling on the trail. Drewry and the Cameraman bend down to get a better look. OD Trip wire. See the old, dead camouflage. OD indicates a dead branch, then a wire. He follows the wire with his fingers into the brush. There is a Chinese Communist grenade tied to a stick with the wire in the pull string. OD Booby trap. He gingerly releases the brush back into position. He stands and walks back to Cracker. Drewry and the Camera follow. OD Point man trips the wire, the grenade goes off, takes out him and maybe his slack. The rest of the patrol dives into the brush. OD stops at the side of the trail and pulls the brush aside. There are pointed bamboo stakes with barbs planted in the earth. OD And they get perforated. Chuck's got his shit together. OD leads the team off the trail at a right angle. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is stopped by a stream. Everyone is on guard while Pretty Boy fills their canteens. PRETTY BOY Always try for running water. Still water's full of all sorts of ugly stuff. Drop in your halizon tablets and drive on. HAMMER Once we filled our canteens, then found five dink bodies further upstream, rotted all to hell, pieces floating around. By then we'd drunk half the water. DREWRY What'd you do? HAMMER Said, "fuck it", and drove on. No big thing. EASY Called it soup. DREWRY That's a war story, isn't it? PRETTY BOY El Tee, you're all right. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is moving through the jungle at a good pace, but as quietly as possible. There is heavy breathing, branches slapping at the men, a muted rattle of equipment. The brush is dense, visibility no more than five meters. The team halts. OD raises his hand and dives to the ground. The others hit the ground after him. The Cameraman crouches. Drewry raises up to look around. Hammer pushes him back to the ground, hard. Drewry gasps, then mews with pain. Someone pushes the Cameraman down and the lens hits the dirt. BLACK. Fast, heavy breathing from Drewry. Footsteps and the swish of brush as something else moves through the jungle nearby. The Camera is raised and set horizontal. Feet in Ho Chi Minh sandals walk by. Low Vietnamese voices. Drewry's prone body is in view. A bamboo stake pierces his forearm. His face is tense with pain. Drewry's breathing seems to get louder. A pair of feet stop a few feet from Drewry. Drewry holds his breath. Louder Vietnamese voices. A stream of yellow water trickles to the ground as the NVA soldier pisses. He moves on. Drewry's breath rushes out. The noise fades as the soldiers move out of the area. Soundlessly, the team rises and continued along the trail, faster and quieter in a low crouch. Drewry clutches his forearm. BLACK. Sound off. Sound on. CRACKER (O.S.) ...get me a Ford, LTD or something. HAMMER (O.S.) I'm getting a speed monster, Dodge Four-Forty. CAMERA ON. Rest stop. Pretty Boy is bandaging Drewry's arm. Hammer and Cracker are on guard. Easy moves with nervous energy. PRETTY BOY Through and through. Looks like you're Purple-Hearted, El Tee. EASY Man, that was something. I mean, fuck me, Alice. First the booby traps, last night the ARVN's shit gets flaky. Now we just about get a Ho Chi Minh sandal on our backs. DREWRY What about infection? HAMMER Can't hack it, Easy? PRETTY BOY No sweat, GI, I put on some sulfa. And here's some Tetracycline, take a couple every four hours, or four every two hours. EASY Smoke my pole, Hammer. It's just... there seem to be gooks everywhere. I'm too short for this shit. Pretty Boy uses a Kotex to cover the wound. Drewry looks at it curiously. PRETTY BOY Kotex. My mom sends 'em. They're better'n bandage packs. CRACKER I tell you, it gave me one mean pucker factor. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) Pucker factor? HAMMER Pucker factor. It's... EASY That's when... CRACKER When the shit hits, you kinda feel your asshole pucker up, like it starts sucking wind you're so scared. EASY Yeah, like an ambush. That's a pucker factor of ten. HAMMER Hearing a mortar tube go "bloop" and waiting for the shell to hit, that's a six maybe. EASY Sniper is ten. CRACKER Back there on the trail, that was an eight. HAMMER Seven. EASY Nine. PRETTY BOY Three. They all look at him in disbelief. PRETTY BOY I fell asleep. EASY What a fucking John Wayne. CRACKER Hey, El Tee, you're the first man ever blooded on one of our missions. The first ever. EASY Bad omen. Drewry looks down at the bandage. He pops two, then four Tetracycline tablets. PRETTY BOY We'll be out of the boonies before it gets too infected. HAMMER The only thing that's fast in this country is rot. EASY And bullets. (beat) You know, this mission... This shit ain't fun no more. Nam's giving war a bad name. There is a noise so slight it's almost indistinguishable. The team grab their guns and face outward. Cracker calls out quietly. CRACKER Swamp. OD (O.S.) Fever. OD appears quietly out of the jungle. The team relaxes. OD Cracker. (beat) El Tee. OD and Cracker confer over a map. Drewry joins them. HAMMER Fucking Cracker wants an LTD. Car's such a pig they twist the antenna into a curlicue. OD Never seen so many gooks around. Mostly NVA regulars, FNG's like the El Tee. We can get over on them easy. EASY Getting me a Mach One. 351, four- barrel, Hurst four-speed, positraction. Red on red. Ordered it already at the PX. Be waiting for me at home. HAMMER I want a Four-Forty. Big fucking Chrysler engine. You see "Bullitt"? CRACKER Didn't have trouble finding them? OD Just stopped one and asked directions. DREWRY I could have done that. PRETTY BOY Fucking Chrysler's suck green donkey dicks, fifteen cents a herd. EASY Trade my Boss 302 for the Mach One. OD looks at Drewry's wound. Drewry tries to smile. HAMMER Thought you had a jacked '54 Ford with a 390 hemi. EASY I do, I let my brother drive it. Boss 302 he can't touch. HAMMER Yeah, I suppose you bought it when you toured with the Four Seasons? Man, you can always tell when Easy is lying, his lips move. PRETTY BOY I want a Jag, XKE. EASY It was the McCoys, doofus. I want any shit from you I'll squeeze your head. OD We can camp here, or here. I figure we recon and do it tomorrow, real quick. Get this job done. CRACKER I don't like the high ground. OD Affirm. El Tee, where you figure we can squat for the night? HAMMER You feel froggy, jump. You wanna throw some hands? EASY I'll tear off your leg and beat you roundly about the head and shoulders with it. HAMMER I'll tear off your head and shit in the hole. The argument is starting to get serious. Hammer smacks Easy's helmet. OD gives them the evil eye and they calm down. DREWRY This looks like it has a good back door. We can camp on the hump. OD nods and rewards Drewry with a smile. Pretty Boy interrupts the argument between Hammer and Easy and gets the conversation back to cars. PRETTY BOY El Tee, what kind of car you got? DREWRY Volkswagon Beetle. 65. Everyone looks at Drewry like he's from Mars. PRETTY BOY Automatic? DREWRY Stick. (beat) But I'd like to get a Camaro or a Firebird. OD Okay, let's get you hoodlums off the streets for the night. The team moves out. HAMMER VW Beetle. Stick. El Tee, you got hair on your ass. PRETTY BOY One hard corps motherfucker. DREWRY My folks gave it to me for graduation. There is a round of stifled laughter. OD Cool it. Everyone shuts up. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team moves through the jungle, slower, more cautiously. Drewry is traveling with less effort and he is quiet. The men are beginning to move as a unit again. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The men are extremely alert. OD and Cracker aren't with them. PRETTY BOY (softly) That booby trap was old. Left over from the French. So were the punji sticks I suppose. Any gook in the last year or two would have left a nice, new Chinese "Bouncing Betty". HAMMER Those Bouncing Betty's'll tear you a new asshole. You trip 'em, they shoot out of the ground and go off waist high. Blow your balls off. That spooks me the most. EASY Can't miss what you don't got. Easy looks around the jungle nervously and pops a pill. DREWRY How long are they usually gone? PRETTY BOY Don't sweat it, El Tee. Cracker and OD got beaucoup jungle smarts. Better than those little rice propelled bastards, right? HAMMER They can out-Chuck Chuck. EASY Dig it. Silence. No one is convinced. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is gathered around OD. OD inserts small sticks in the ground as he talks. OD First, intelligence. Regiment size unit, NVA regulars. New uniforms, new weapons, SKS's mostly. One AK for every eight or ten SKS's. RPG's, looks like one to a squad. Mortar platoon. Plenty of ammo, haven't cached it yet. Pretty green. NCO's, officers, everything on down. Led by a squad of hard corps VC. (to Drewry) Everyone's briefed in case we get separated or something happens. The intelligence has a better chance of getting back. PRETTY BOY Army intelligence, now there's a contradiction in terms. Easy laughs. OD Here's the mission by the numbers. CRACKER OD does everything by the numbers. He even fucks by the numbers. One, insert member, two, thrust, three, retract member, four, repeat two and three rapidly. OD (smiling) We move out just before dawn. There's a hill on the east side of their camp, we'll have the morning sun behind us. CRACKER They'll be just waking up, slow and sluggish before they have their morning tea. Security's real lax. OD We'll set up at the military crest. Easy will call the FDC. Range for our long rifles is about 450 meters. Primary targets are as follows -- CO, Radioman, First Pig, XO, Radio, Mortar, then targets of opportunity. DREWRY Why shoot at all if you're going to have Easy call in artillery? OD Confuse 'em, shake 'em up. If they sit there and see that smoke round coming they could get their shit together and sky up. And... DREWRY And... OD If the Fire Direction Center fucks up at least we get a few of the bastards. CRACKER That's for damn sure. OD By the numbers. One, Easy calls fire mission. Hold fire. Two, I commence firing, CO. OD knocks over the sticks one at a time. OD Cracker fires. Primary targets hit. Targets of opportunity. Pretty Boy pops a few blooper rounds for effect. Easy lets go his smoke. Adjust. We sky up. CRACKER Like a stripe-ed assed zebra. OD We head back to our camp here, make a 90 here, about 50 meters before the camp, and head for Ladybird. Compass reading for Ladybird is 132 degrees. Got that, Hammer? OD draws the route on the ground. HAMMER One-three-two. OD Questions? DREWRY What do I do? OD Stay out of our way. OD picks up the sticks and throws them into the brush and wipes the drawings from the dirt. DREWRY How about I walk on over to Thailand and get laid? I promise to be back in time for the pick up. EASY Hey, El Tee, dig it. Check it out. HAMMER We gotta get you a new name. PRETTY BOY How about "Big D"? Drewry looks down at his crotch. DREWRY Somebody looked. The men laugh. BLACK. HAMMER (O.S.) I'm cleaning the M-60. Cover me. PRETTY BOY (O.S.) You got it. DREWRY (O.S.) You still have film? (beat) Turn it on. CAMERA ON. Hammer gets out his oil and shaving brush and starts to break down the machine gun. DREWRY Feel like talking? HAMMER What the fuck, sure. Hammer strips, cleans and reassembles his M-60. He even cleans the belt of ammunition. DREWRY You enlist? HAMMER Nah, I'm a fucking US. Worked for my old man. Couldn't cut that nine to five Mickey Mouse shit. Rammed around. I'm from a small town, but me and my buddies own it. Nobody gives a shit. We get a little static from the Sheriff, but just little shit. (beat) I think my old man suggested to the draft board it was my turn. Make a man of me, he said. Shit. Drafted. (beat) I wasn't doing anything anyway. All my buddies started copping out. Larry got married. Ed went to Junior College. I was painting houses, laying linoleum, little of everything. DREWRY You volunteered for this unit, too? HAMMER The Green Line was getting to me. Too much dope. Figured I might start taking the hard stuff. Trip on LSD, hash. It was so fucking boring. They were starting inspections, spit-shined boots in the Nam! See, we got it dicked in the rear, this team. Nobody fucks with us, no KP, details or inspections. Nobody fucks with us, not even officers. They think we're crazy. Dinky dau, mad killers. DREWRY Are you? HAMMER We're the only sane killers the Army's got, OD says. DREWRY You're a hard corps dude. HAMMER Damn right. Mercenaries kill for money. Sadists kill for fun. Paratroopers kill for both. Hammer winks at the Camera. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Night camp. Drewry signals the Cameraman to follow him over to where the team are talking. EASY The question is, did you get laid? What I want to do, there's this asshole where I live, owns all the parking lots. In the morning he drives to them all in his Continental, sees that all his dollar-an-hour doofus mother-fuckers are on the job. Then he goes to the country club for the rest of the day, rubs elbows with all the other rich assholes. End of the day, he drives by his lots again, collects the money and makes his deposit. (beat) What a fucking life. When I get back the first thing I'm gonna do is buy me a fucking parking lot. No building, no maintenance, paint a few lines once a year. I'm gonna get me a parking lot, no shit, and lay back. DREWRY What about you, Cracker? HAMMER Cracker's a lifer. He ain't never leaving the Army. PRETTY BOY He's been in since Christ was a corporal. EASY Pulled KP at the Last Supper. Cracker is cleaning and checking his M-1 sniper rifle. DREWRY (to Cracker) You like the Army? CRACKER Yeah, been in six years. I come from South Carolina. Up north they call us hillbillies, but we ain't. Dictionary defines hillbilly as a Michigan farmer. We're white trash, dirt poor, big family. I got four kids myself, two boys, two girls last time I checked. (beat) The Army helps a poor man pull himself up. Feeds my family, good retirement, gives me an education. I got my GED. Black people, Puerto Ricans who don't even speak English, Army's the only equal opportunity employer I ever saw. I could get to be First Sergeant, even a Warrant Officer. Good money. DREWRY You figure what you're doing here is right? CRACKER I don't figure right or wrong about it. People like me go day to day, spend our time figuring how to get food on the table. (beat) My daddy was the best cabinetmaker you ever saw. Didn't get a lot of work 'cause of his hands, arthritis twisted them up, but whenever he made something, a cabinet, a three- legged stool, it was the best goddamn three-legged stool he could make. He taught the same to me. You do your job the best you can, no matter you like it or not. (beat) Once he made a black oak china cabinet, black oak, and when the lady said he should paint it white to match her floorboard trim, well, my daddy painted it white. Beautiful black oak, grain like running water. He painted it the smoothest, cleanest white you ever saw. Milk ain't that white. (beat) You do your job, let the right or wrong to others. You earn your pay. OD feels the same. That's why me and OD are this close. Cracker holds up two fingers horizontally, one on top of the other. CRACKER That's me on top. DREWRY Being from South Carolina, how does it feel, being led by a black man? Cracker's eyes narrow. CRACKER We don't ask those questions out here, that's a Real World question. Ask me that in South Carolina. Right now ask me if OD isn't the best fucking boonie rat I ever met. Ask me if OD ain't the best human being I ever humped a ruck with. Ask me if I love him like a brother and if I'd kill for him. I do and I have. If I'd lay my life on the line for him... I have. And if he ain't done the same for me. (beat) We're finished here. Cracker gets up and walks away. Drewry sees the Camera on him. He looks away, embarrassed. DREWRY Turn that fucking thing off. BLACK. Sound off. Sound on. EASY (O.S.) Before it gets dark you lay in your position, check out your fire lanes, and most of all you memorize the terrain in front of you. CAMERA ON. Easy lies on the ground and looks into the night. He talks nervously. EASY Every tree, bush, and rock. Sometimes you draw a picture in the dirt in front of you. Then at night, those shadows, you know what they are. They're not the bad guys, you know? (laughing nervously) But then you think, the little dink fucker replaced the bush with himself. You know it moved, you know it did. (beat) I hate it just before a mission. See that little berm, looks like a crawling gook, don't it? Freaky shit. Stare at it long enough, it'll move, I wouldn't shit you. Pretty Boy appears and lays a hand on Easy's shoulder. PRETTY BOY Hey, Breeze, what does the Jolly Green Giant fear the most? EASY What? PRETTY BOY Avocado pickers. They both laugh. The laughter fades and they stare out into the darkness. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Easy grins into the Camera. He motions to the Cameraman to follow him. Easy picks up Drewry's Nagra and walks across the camp. It is dark. There is some fog. OD is cleaning his long rifle. Easy fiddles with the Nagra's knobs. EASY Like my TEAC fifteen hundred. Easy and the Cameraman walk over to Drewry. Easy points the microphone at him. Drewry looks worried. EASY Your turn in the barrel, El Tee. Pretty Boy and Hammer laugh off screen. DREWRY I see. I've thrown some punches at you guys and now it's your turn. EASY Now, El Tee, how long you been in- country? Oh, never mind. How long you been on line? Ooops. Wait, wait. How long you been in the Army? DREWRY Active? Close to two years. I was National Guard in college. Wanted West Point, but I couldn't get in, politics. EASY Ohhh, Regular Army. El Tee, I didn't take you for a lifer. Easy shakes his head and smiles. EASY So, El Tee, why you being such a hard ass on us? We're just some regular assholes trying to do a dirty job. Silence. OD gets up and walks over to Easy. OD That's enough, Easy. DREWRY No, it's a fair question. I think you people treat the war like some game. You dress up like GI Joe or Sergeant Rock, play hard corps. Pretty Boy and Hammer join them. EASY Bull-fucking-shit. PRETTY BOY Dig it. HAMMER Sergeant Rock, my ass. OD And how do you see the war, El Tee? DREWRY Business. Big business. The Army is one big corporation, like Gulf and Western. PRETTY BOY Engulf and Devour. OD And we're just cogs in the big machine. DREWRY If you want. But there's opportunity, like Cracker said. You can be a peon, or, if you see yourself as executive material, the advancement potential is enormous. Cracker, on guard, turns and looks at the other men. CRACKER You some kind of junior executive? DREWRY Exactly. In twelve months I can go from Second Louie to First. And if I play it right, I can leave Nam as a Captain, with Major around the corner. OD If you play it right. DREWRY That's why I volunteered for this unit. EASY You volunteered? DREWRY Volunteered and finagled. See, with a line unit I'm just another shavetail lieutenant. My only chance was if we got hit bad and I pulled it through. But there were too many people above me making the decisions and they'd take the credit. OD Of course. DREWRY With this unit I can show my stuff, and spend a lot of hours in the rear mingling with my superiors. Like they say, it's who you know. EASY Or who you blow. DREWRY Of course, I could take you guys with me. You watch, promotions, medals, I'll get them for you. Slip in a recommendation. Hooch maids, more R&R. OD You're using the Nam to punch your ticket. DREWRY It's the chance of a lifetime for a career officer. Wars don't come along very often. Combat duty is the foundation for a successful career. CRACKER That's what's wrong with this war, all that ticket punching. How can you win when everybody's just passing time for 12 months? Who ever heard of a part-time war? HAMMER Who ever heard of a war where you couldn't cross enemy borders? We oughta invade. If you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly. PRETTY BOY It's like they're doing everything they can to keep from winning this one. EASY We're just rearranging furniture on the Titanic. There is a moment of silence. OD Better cut some "Z's", mission tomorrow. (to Easy) Get your act together. Who's monitoring the radio? EASY I was just having some fun. OD Is this fun? EASY Not even close. Easy gives the Nagra to OD and walks away. OD (to Drewry) There it is. OD flicks off the sound and hands the recorder to Drewry. BLACK. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Night. The team is sleeping. Pretty Boy is on guard. OD sits near him. They talk softly, unaware of the Camera. OD ...big family. Lots of brothers and sisters. PRETTY BOY Why don't you set me up with one of your sisters? OD And you can set me up with your mama. PRETTY BOY I want to find a girl. Quit fucking around. Just... you know... forget all this shit. OD I had a girl. We were even engaged. But... I've been over here two tours and... every time I go home... The land of the big PX... Things sure change quick. PRETTY BOY You ain't a lifer are you, OD? OD Say what? You know what they say NCO stands for... No Chance Outside. (beat) No. No future for me in it. PRETTY BOY There it is. Easy starts in his sleep. Pretty Boy and OD look at him in concern. Easy settles down. PRETTY BOY You know, OD, I can't handle much more of this. My shit's getting flaky. OD Just one more time. So you just roll your shit up into a tight little ball and flick it in Charlie's eyes. OD notices the Camera and looks at it with surprise, offended at the intrusion. He gives the Cameraman the evil eye. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Dawn at the camp. The Camera is shaky and out of focus. It centers on a new man, the Cameraman, leaning against a tree and taking a leak. HAMMER (O.S.) Okay, MoPic, don't piss on me, piss on the camera. The Cameraman turns, surprised and embarrassed. He buttons up. Pretty Boy and Easy laugh. HAMMER (O.S.) Wa, c'mon, MoPic, give the folks at home a thrill. Haul it out. Let 'em see a real soldier's weapon. EASY/PRETTY BOY This is my weapon, this is my gun. With this I kill people, with this I have fun. They show the difference by brandishing their weapons and cupping their crotch. They laugh. The Cameraman tries to retrieve his Camera from Hammer. Hammer backs away. HAMMER (O.S.) Hey, soldier, how'd you wind up in this circle jerk? CAMERAMAN I was working in the lab back in the rear, post-production. We used to get these cans of film in, no cameraman, just the reels. We'd hear he got shot, or was dead. Spookiest thing in the world, waiting for that film to develop. Wondering what you were going to see. Sometimes you saw nothing. Other times... Real scary. EASY You think that's scary. PRETTY BOY Another volunteer. We're all crazy on this bus. Pretty Boy and Easy start grab-assing. Hammer follows. BLACK. HAMMER (O.S.) What happened? CAMERAMAN (O.S.) You ran out of film. HAMMER (O.S.) Shit. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Hammer and Cracker drag their rucksacks across the ground, making obvious marks. Easy walks over to Drewry. Pretty Boy is rebandaging his arm. EASY El Tee, Big D, give me all your bubble gum wrappers. Drewry is puzzled, but he complies. Easy scatters the wrappers around the campsite. OD leaves a full magazine on the ground. OD First two rounds are good. Third round, gunpowder's been replaced with C-4. Bang, bang, boom! Scratch one enemy and one enemy gun. (to Camera) We're making it look like fifteen men were here. Makes the gooks chase us with a larger unit. The larger the unit, the slower and noisier it is. We need every edge we can get. Cracker digs a small hole. He takes a smoke grenade and a regular grenade from his pack and unscrews the fuses. He swaps fuses and screws them down. CRACKER Regular grenade's got a three-second fuse, gives you time to throw it. Smoke grenade's instantaneous, better for booby traps. Cracker straightens the pin on the grenade, puts it in the hole spoon up and hooks a wire to the pin. CRACKER (to Drewry) Sir, you've been wearing that steel pot too long. May I borrow it? Drewry takes off his helmet and hands it to Cracker. Cracker puts a couple handfuls of dirt inside the helmet to steady it and sets it on top of the spoon. He checks the balance of the helmet, the tension on the spoon, and carefully pulls the wire and the pin. DREWRY I signed for that thing. CRACKER If you want it, sir, you'll have to get it the way Mister Charlie will. And I guarantee it'll ruin your whole day. Cracker wipes away all traces of his footprints and the trail of wire. He stands back and admires his work. Easy hands Drewry his own soft cap. Drewry puts it on. OD Let's do it to it. The team slides into the jungle. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Further along the trail. Cracker strings a wire across the trail to a grenade that has been inserted into a C-ration can. He attaches the wire to the grenade and pulls the pin. The can restrains the spoon. Cracker and the Cameraman walk about fifteen feet up the trail. Cracker takes off his bandana and ties it conspicuously to a branch. CRACKER You stay here long enough and you can out-Chuck Chuck. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is setting up on the side of a ridge. OD and Cracker set up their long rifles using their rucksacks as gun rests. They load their ammunition one round at a time, cleaning each one with a rag. Everyone else wears their packs. Pretty Boy and Hammer set up as spotters next to OD and Cracker and get out their binoculars. Pretty Boy lines up his M-79 ammunition in a neat row of six rounds. Easy sits behind them with the radio. The sun is rising at their backs. Everyone whispers. OD and Cracker look through their scopes. OD I see One, dead center, the tent. Three and Six about two o'clock. CRACKER I see Two at nine o'clock, Five at eleven o'clock and moving. OD Anyone spot Four? Drewry takes out his binoculars and looks. DREWRY Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus, there's hundreds of them. The Cameraman gets behind OD and zooms down the rifle barrel and focuses on the target area. One hundred and fifty men, most sleeping in tents or bed- rolls, a few on guard. In the center of the camp eight men are performing tai-chi, graceful and uncaring. OD They must have gotten reinforced overnight. Pretty Boy, see that antenna? Can you reach it with your Thumper? The focus comes back to the team. Drewry looks at OD, then back through the binoculars. PRETTY BOY No sweat, but I'm not sure of the mortar. Really reaching. DREWRY That must be a quarter mile. OD More like a third of a mile, El Tee. Secondary targets? CRACKER That dude wandering around, the VC guide. People seem to listen to him. I think the dude's got his shit together. Lotta men down there, OD. OD and Cracker get into position behind their rifles, prone, and snuggle into the dirt. EASY (into radio) Thunderbird Control, this is Outrider. How do you read me? Over. (beat) I read you Lima Charlie. I have a fire mission. Request artillery HE. Stand by for coordinates. OD and Cracker go through a silent run, making "pow" sounds with their lips, jerking their rifles with each faked shot. EASY (into radio) Enemy in the trees, single canopy. Size, regiment. In my funny book I read Delta Oscar Lima Echo November Golf Foxtrot India Papa Tango Tango Echo. Say back. (beat) Affirm. Fire one smoke on my order. They plug their ears with plastic earplugs, cigarette filters, whatever they have. Easy and Drewry use cartridges. OD hesitates. OD Wait one. Everyone looks at OD. OD Most of those dudes ain't the ones I saw yesterday. Cracker takes the binoculars and looks. CRACKER Must be out humping. Keeping a low profile for air recon? OD I say we don't shoot. Call in arty and just didi mau. OD looks at each man in turn. Easy and Pretty Boy nod. Hammer shrugs. OD looks at Drewry. DREWRY You're the boss of the bush. OD nods to Easy. EASY (into radio) Fire one. Pretty Boy launches five quick rounds while OD and Cracker get up and put their packs on. Hammer keeps his binoculars on the camp. Everyone gets ready to move out. Muffled explosions sound. HAMMER Got 'em! Chuck's hurtin'! Smoke round. Drop one hundred, left fifty. EASY (into radio) Drop one hundred, left fifty. Fire for effect. HE and Wicked Picket. HAMMER Shake and bake. OD Move it. The team moves out, fast. The crest the ridge and the air above them is ripped by artillery shells. Hammer looks up. HAMMER Get some. Explosions sound in the distance. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team runs down slope, OD leading. He spots Cracker's bandana and grabs it off the branch on the run. He makes an immediate left off the trail and the men pass the bandana back to Cracker. CRACKER I hate it when we don't shoot. Get all the juices going... BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is stopped. They look behind them. Drewry is out of breath. The others are all hyper. DREWRY ...tripped your wire? CRACKER Sounds like. Wait one to see if your helmet bounces. Jets roar overhead. The men look up. PRETTY BOY Get some. EASY (listening on radio) Fuck me, Alice. OP Ladybird's been hit again. Texas Hat's on the horn going apeshit. OD Then we make it the ville. Hammer? HAMMER The village. Got it, OD. There are muffled explosions. Hammer looks back. HAMMER The jets are putting the damn damn on the dinks. EASY Oh, Jesus. They're getting overrun. DREWRY I should call in my situation report. OD looks at Drewry and nods to Easy. Easy gives Drewry the handset and changes the frequency. DREWRY (into radio) Stone Hombre, this is Outrider Six. How do you hear me? (beat) Same here, Hombre. Sit Rep, mission completed. Enemy sighted, now under fire, arty, HE and fly boys. CRACKER I just hate it when we don't shoot. EASY Not me. Kind of like a personal risk avoidance policy. HAMMER It's like a fucking dry hump. Gives me the blue balls. CRACKER Not that. Just... every one of those gooks we cut slack on might dust some GI. PRETTY BOY I can dig that. OD Move 'em out. The team moves out. There is another muffled boom. Cracker grins at Drewry and flips his hat into the air. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team waits and catches their breath. Drewry reaches into Pretty Boy's pack and gets salt tablets. Hammer is still hyper. They all whisper. PRETTY BOY You get hungry, just chew on your lurp rations. Eat it dry and suck up some water. Not too much, you'll swell your belly. HAMMER We won't be stopping long enough to chow down 'til we hit the ville. A click in the jungle. Cracker responds with a toy cricket. Click, click. OD appears. OD Gooks ahead, across our trail. Six of 'em. DREWRY Ambush? OD Breakfast. CRACKER We go around 'em or through 'em? HAMMER Through 'em. Time to waste a few. DREWRY Can we go around? OD It won't be easy, and it'll be slow. HAMMER Let's hit 'em. It's our last gig, let's take back some heads. OD looks at the others. CRACKER What the fuck, can't dance. HAMMER You want to live forever? EASY You know me, Breeze, anything for a joke. Pretty Boy just smiles. OD looks at Drewry. DREWRY I can handle it. OD sketches a diagram in the dirt. OD Okay. They're by the stream, about 50 meters up. We do an "L", me here, Easy, Pretty Boy, and Hammer. Cracker at the elbow, the El Tee. PRETTY BOY What about MoPic? OD He waits back here. I start, a grenade, then we hit 'em. Hammer, one carries an RPG, you waste that motherfucker. Careful of the crossfire. EASY Let's do it to it. They move out. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The packs are on the ground. OD and Cracker lay their rifles on the packs. Easy tapes two magazines back to back. Pretty Boy arranges his grenades. OD We get split up, rally on the ville. The men are stripped down and ready to move. OD looks them over and nods. They start to move out. DREWRY (to Cameraman) Stay here, just hang loose. The men disappear into the jungle. The Cameraman waits for a moment, then follows them into the brush. He catches a few glimpses of Cracker's back. Nothing but brush. The Cameraman moves slowly. Suddenly, he is upon OD, Easy and Hammer. OD forces him down fiercely. Vietnamese voices can be heard. OD, Easy and Hammer crawl toward the voices. The men wait. Easy looks scared. Hammer winks at him. OD pulls out a grenade, then pulls the pin. He waits, pops the spoon, silently counts to two and throws the grenade. An explosion, a scream, and the team is up at the same instant, charging and firing. They burst into the clearing. Two VC are prone. One kneels to fire, three are running away. The team pours a rain of gunshots into the area. Mass confusion. The three running VC fall. The kneeling soldier is blown down. Quiet. Easy and Pretty Boy go on guard. OD and Cracker check bodies and take papers. Hammer, pumped up, starts picking up the enemy weapons. OD Hammer, guard 12 o'clock. HAMMER War souveniers, OD. First come, first... This one's alive. Hammer aims his machine gun at the VC's head. Drewry, a little dazed by the shooting, wakes up and bumps Hammer aside. DREWRY Wait a second. The Cameraman moves closer to catch the VC. The VC is coming to. Blood comes from his nose and ears. His left leg is wasted. HAMMER Let me waste him, sir. Sin Loi motherfucker. Hammer aims at the VC again, but Drewry blocks him. DREWRY He's a prisoner. We take him with us. HAMMER Bullshit. No way. OD Can it, Hammer. DREWRY We don't murder. OD We kill. We just did a mess of it. DREWRY It's not the same, you know it. OD looks at the VC, then at Drewry. OD Bring him back to the rear. We'll decide there. Drewry ties the VC's hands and he and Easy drag the prisoner into the jungle. DREWRY We've decided. OD Move it, move it. The team leaves the area. BLACK. Sound off. Sound on. PRETTY BOY (O.S.) Bac se. Doctor, Medic. Bac se. CAMERA ON. The men shoulder their gear. Pretty Boy bandages the VC's leg. The prisoner's mouth is now taped shut. DREWRY We take him back to S-2 for interrogation. Intelligence, that's what we're out here for. Pretty Boy is very gentle with the VC. HAMMER Are we bad motherfuckers, or what. See that shit? We cleaned up. I ain't shitting you. Zap! EASY Let's have a hymn for the Major. EASY/HAMMER/PRETTY BOY Hymmmn, hymmmn, fuck... himmmm. OD looks at the VC. HAMMER Shit, sir, who's gonna carry the fucker. It'll slow us down like... He resists and it's a bitch and a half. If you cold cock the sucker he's dead weight. He can't walk. We've done this before. DREWRY I'll carry him. PRETTY BOY I'll help. Drewry and Pretty Boy strap two rifle slings to the VC's shoulders and legs. OD He goes with us. EASY El Tee... "Big D", we're gonna get you a medal. First time out. CRACKER Most grunts spend a whole year getting shot at and shit on and never see Chuck. You got one to take home. OD Let's go. Drewry and Pretty Boy grab the VC. The team moves out. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is stopped. Drewry cuts a thick bamboo stalk. HAMMER (looking at VC guns) Bet I get me a hundred bucks apiece for these from some raggedy assed chairborne commando. EASY How about you souvenier me one, Hammer? HAMMER How about you kiss my hairy ass? PRETTY BOY For a little shit, ol' Luke the Gook is fucking heavy. CRACKER Don't let him fool you. They stand small, but fight tall. He's probably playing possum. OD C'mon, we're losing time. You know they're looking for us. DREWRY Done. Drewry finishes trimming the bamboo and he and Pretty Boy slip it through the VC's bindings. They lift the pole onto their shoulders. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team moves quietly and quickly through the jungle. OD is on point, Hammer, Easy, then Drewry and Pretty Boy carrying the NVA between them. Drewry no longer carries the Nagra, the Cameraman does. There is a small break in the trees. Easy spins in place and falls to the ground. A shot cracks the air. Pretty Boy's right leg collapses under him and he falls. There is another crack. The Cameraman runs. Cracker passes the Cameraman and grabs Easy by the harness and drags him to cover with OD and Hammer. Drewry pulls the NVA behind some cover with him. OD and Hammer are already looking down their guns, searching for the sniper. Hammer fires his machine gun. OD Enough! Wait 'til you get a target! Hammer stops. OD looks at Easy. There is a big ragged hole in the radio. EASY I'm okay! I'm okay! He says it to reassure himself. CRACKER (O.S.) OD! Pretty Boy! They look down the trail. Pretty Boy is about ten feet away, trying to get up on his good leg. The other one is bloody at the knee. He gets partly up and his other leg is shot out from under him. There is a brief delay and another crack. Pretty Boy screams. HAMMER Jesus, that guy is good. Did you hear that delay? Must be 500 meters. EASY OD, you gotta help Pretty Boy! HAMMER Cover me, Cracker. Hammer tosses his machine gun to Cracker. Cracker fires into the jungle. Hammer ducks down like a runner in the starting blocks and jumps into the clearing. A bullet tears into Hammer's shoulder and stops him dead. OD and Easy grab his feet and pull him back. Crack! Cracker stops firing. They all look at Pretty Boy. He raises himself up by his elbows and tries to drag himself over to the others, inch by painful inch. EASY C'mon, Pretty Boy. OD You can do it, Baldwin. Another shot tears Pretty Boy's right elbow to meat and slivers of bone. He screams again. Crack! EASY Leave him alone! Goddammit! Leave him alone! Easy is about to cry. Smack! Another bullet hits Pretty Boy in the thigh. Crack! Hs body jerks with the impact and he screams again, a high piercing wail that fades into a guttural moan. CRACKER Lord have mercy. EASY I'm giving it another try. Easy gets up, but OD grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him back. OD No. OD Get me FDC. Maybe we can get some fire support. EASY Radio ain't working. DREWRY Look. Pretty Boy is still alive. He reaches slowly behind him with his left hand and gets a grenade from his canteen cover. He tries to loosen the pin with one hand. EASY Pretty Boy, no! OD, do something! OD Cracker, give me your harness. EASY Pretty Boy, wait! OD Hold on, Baldwin. Pretty Boy stops. OD links his belt with Cracker's, then Drewry's. He creeps toward the edge of the clearing. OD tosses the lengths of belt toward Pretty Boy. The end lands about a foot from his head. Pretty Boy reaches for the belt and a bullet tears through his palm, throwing his arm in an arc. Crack! Pretty Boy whimpers. EASY (crying) Oh, goddamn. Fuck. Shit. Cocksucker. COCKSUCKER! Pretty Boy's face lies in the dirt. He painfully turns his head so he can see the team. He wets his lips. PRETTY BOY (whispering) OD, please. Smack! A bullet hits him in the hip. He screams again. DREWRY (watching OD) What are you doing? EASY OD, no, don't. OD. OD takes Drewry's .45 from his holster and pulls back the slide and makes sure it is loaded. Easy watches through his tears. The slide snaps forward with an ominous click. OD aims at Pretty Boy's head. Pretty Boy looks at the gun and OD and smiles. CRACKER (softly) OD, not in the head. BOOM! Pretty Boy's body jerks with the impact of OD's bullet. He is dead. Silence. Then the sound of Easy crying softly. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Pretty Boy's body is on a poncho. Cracker takes the dog tag from around his neck, untapes them and puts one in Pretty Boy's mouth and tapes it shut. He does it gently, as if it were a ceremony. Cracker pulls the poncho over Pretty Boy's face. Easy cries off screen. He snaps the poncho shut, one at a time. The sound of the snaps is very loud. OD bandages Hammer's shoulder while Hammer remains on guard. Easy shivers uncontrollably a couple of times and looks at his dead radio. Drewry looks at the NVA. OD finishes with Hammer and walks over to Drewry. OD Gut shot. Looks like your gook's broke, El Tee. DREWRY Will he make it to Brigade? OD No. We ain't taking him. DREWRY What? OD We got a choice. We carry your gook or Pretty Boy. We can't take both. DREWRY But... he's dead. Silence. The team looks coldly at Drewry. HAMMER Americans never leave their dead behind. Drewry looks at the team, the NVA, Pretty Boy, the NVA again. DREWRY You're not going to kill him. OD No, you are, El Tee. Everyone looks at OD. His face is filled with anger. DREWRY You can't make me. OD We're leaving Luke the Gook. If his people get to him before he dies he can tell them all about us. We're almost out of ammo, one of us is hurt, everything. Intelligence, El Tee, intelligence. Drewry reaches reluctantly for his gun. OD No gun, El Tee. Noise discipline. Your knife makes it personal. OD takes Drewry's bayonet and slaps it into his hand. The NVA stares up at Drewry, his eyes wide with fear and pain. OD It's time you were blooded, El Tee. Your own private KIA. Drewry looks down at the NVA. DREWRY He's going to die anyway. OD Maybe. C'mon, El Tee. No, wait a second. OD reaches into Drewry's shirt and pulls out the NVA's papers. OD's eyes burn with cold, hard fury. Cracker reaches out to stop him, but OD jerks away. OD You might want to know who you're killing. (reading) His name's Truong, Nguyen Truong. He's 19. Got a family, looks like, wife, cute kid. OD throws the papers onto the NVA's chest as he reads them. The last is a black and white photograph of a woman and child. OD C'mon, El Tee, what're you waiting for? OD's voice has an edge of hysteria. CRACKER OD. HAMMER Kill the fucker, El Tee. Drewry raises the bayonet and stabs the NVA clumsily in the chest. He pulls it back out quickly and turns away. OD Damn, El Tee, can't you even kill a man right? The NVA's chest rises with shallow breaths and blood pumps from the wound. OD bends over the NVA with his Gerber knife and shoves it up under his ribcage and slices the heart. The NVA dies. OD wipes the blade on the NVA's sleeve. He cuts the ropes from his hands and feet and slices the tape off his mouth. Blood gushes out. OD drapes the NVA flag over the dead man's face and kneels there for a moment, almost like he is praying. Cracker puts a gentle hand on OD's shoulder. CRACKER OD, we better move out. I'm going to destroy the long rifles, Pretty Boy's gear. (to Hammer) Give me a Willy Peter. (beat) OD? OD nods and gets up slowly. OD Better melt down the radio, too. Easy takes off the radio and gets a white phosphorous grenade from his pack. Drewry sits on the ground looking at his bayonet. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The team is stopped, all out of breath, facing outward on guard. Easy and Drewry have been carrying Pretty Boy's body between them, the pole through the poncho. OD's jaw muscles flex as he stares into the jungle. HAMMER How much farther to the ville? OD Three, four klicks. Seven-niner degrees. Remember that, Hammer, seven- niner. HAMMER I got it, OD, no sweat. Anyhow, I just follow you. (beat) Damn, I'd like a cold brew. EASY I could use some dew. No, no, hash. Quick toke of hash, dreamland. Grass makes me paranoid. Easy laughs. It is forced. OD looks at him and almost smiles. OD You're one dinky dau ditty bopper. EASY And I'm short. 25 and a wake-up. I'm so short I could parachute off a dime. HAMMER I wish I had a cold brew. CRACKER Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which hand's full first. (beat) What kind of job you gonna get us in the rear, OD? OD looks at Drewry, who is self-absorbed and quiet. OD I don't know, some ghost job. One thing I do know, it'll be air- conditioned. Their conversation is strained. CRACKER With my own little refrigerator. HAMMER For cold brew. OD There's a slot open at the rec room. We'll sent Easy to Thailand on R&R so he don't get into trouble before he takes that freedom bird back to the Real World. EASY Can you do that for me, OD? I'd dig it. Love that Thai pussy, cheap, too. Me and Pretty Boy... What about Hammer? CRACKER Hammer's too tough for the rear. HAMMER Got muscles in my shit. EASY Bites the heads off animal crackers. CRACKER Last time I was in the rear I called home on the MARS line. Got the wife on the horn, she didn't believe it was me calling from the Nam. After we talked about that we didn't have shit to say to each other. Dead silence. Not word one. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The Camera looks over OD's shoulder as he consults his compass. OD The tree, the big pine. OD pockets the compass and Hammer hands him his CAR-15. OD starts walking. The Cameraman stands to one side and lets OD and Hammer walk by him. Drewry and Easy follow with the body. Suddenly, out of the trees, walk three NVA. The NVA freeze, as startled as the Americans. Drewry and Easy drop Pretty Boy. It's like a signal. The team fires. The NVA fire back, but it's too late. The Cameraman hits the ground as the team charges the NVA. Drewry hits the ground, too, but he faces the rear, gun ready. BLACK. Gunfire. The Cameraman lifts the Camera. OD and Easy come out of the brush. Hammer stays behind and fires a slug or two into each of the NVA bodies. OD is furious. He heads over to Drewry, who is getting off the ground. OD is holding his stomach and blood leaks through his fingers. OD What the fuck are you doing?! Don't they teach you shit in fucking OCS?! You attack, fucker! Attack! DREWRY I was guarding our rear! That's what I was taught. In an ambush... Fuck it! OD That was Pretty Boy's job. The fire in OD is suddenly gone. He looks off screen and runs. The Camera follows. Cracker is laying on the ground, three bloody holes in his chest. CRACKER It hurts, Godalmighty, it hurts. Hurts like nothing ever did, OD. OD Pretty Boy! Morphine! Cracker grabs OD's sleeve and pulls him closer. CRACKER OD, Pretty Boy's dead. Cracker's words are soft and gentle. OD chokes up. OD Cracker, don't you dare die on me, motherfucker. I need you, you're my friend. Frye? Easy and Hammer join OD. There is blood pouring down Hammer's leg. CRACKER No sweat, GI. Three slugs ain't nothing. Guys catch worse and live, I seen it. Funny, I counted them when they hit. One, two, three. I just fell back real slow, thinking, "Shit, I been hit three fucking times". AK? OD I guess. Cracker lifts his head and looks at the foaming blood pumping from his chest. CRACKER Jesus, looks like a sucking chest wound, OD. Get something to plug it. Easy rips the plastic cover from a bandage and OD places it over the wound. HAMMER I got a morphine vial. Hammer hands the morphine to OD. OD prepares it. HAMMER We gotta move it, OD. The gunfire, the gooks must have heard it. OD You're gonna be okay, Cracker. We been through some shit together, huh, Frye? We'll get through this one. CRACKER Three slugs ain't nothing, I seen guys a lot worse. OD pulls up Cracker's sleeve to inject the morphine. CRACKER Save it, OD, don't hurt no more. Can't feel a fucking thing. Cracker dies. OD bends over Cracker's body, tears dripping onto Cracker's face. OD tips his head back to scream, but all that comes out is a tortured rasp. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. The bodies of Cracker and Pretty Boy lay next to each other under a tree. OD marks the spot on his map. OD We'll send a chopper back. DREWRY Americans never abandon their dead. No one pays any attention to Drewry. The team moves out. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Drewry is cleaning his M-16 carefully, methodically. Easy is bandaging OD's stomach wound, wrapping duct tape around his middle. He watches OD's face, trying not to hurt him. Easy finishes and hands the tape to Hammer. Hammer tapes his thigh while he remains on guard. HAMMER Gonna be a beaut of a scar. (beat) I been thinking, I think I got Pretty Boy's luck. You figure that happens? You know, that luck just visits someone and then up and jumps onto someone else? He grins and looks at everyone. There is a bloody patch near his ear. The smile fades as he looks into the jungle. He thinks something over, chewing his cheek. He looks into the Camera. HAMMER In case... if I don't... If my luck jumps, you know... (beat) I want my folks, especially my old man, my dad, to know I did a damn good job. Maybe I wasn't any hero, but I did the best job I could. Hammer turns away, embarrassed. He looks back into the jungle. HAMMER But I got Pretty Boy's luck, I won't worry none. You know, I could almost feel it come onto me when Pretty Boy got... There is silence. OD gets up, wincing with pain. Easy watches him, feeling the same pain. Drewry watches them all, deep in thought. EASY Best I can do. OD It'll work. EASY OD, I'm scared. We're in deep shit. OD Stevie Wonder could see that, Easy. Easy restlessly, unconsciously, works the bolt of his carbine, jacking the rounds out of the magazine. EASY No, I mean, really, my shit's gotten all flaky. I'm not cut out for this shit no more. You gotta cut me some slack, OD, I can't hack it no more. Easy is intently serious, but on the verge of tears, trying to express his sincerity through his panic. EASY I don't wanna die. I didn't give a rat fuck before, but I do now. Maybe I'm too short. OD, you gotta cover my ass. Tears fall from Easy's eyes. He sniffs and wipes his nose with the back of his hand. He looks like a little kid. OD You out of pills? EASY (smiling) Can't get nothing by you, OD. Easy sees Hammer looking at him. EASY Don't look at me like that, motherfucker. I'll kill you. HAMMER (softly) It's okay, Easy. OD hugs Easy, but gingerly because of his wound. OD I'll take care of you, Easy, I will. I ever lie to you? EASY No sweat. I'm just a little fucked 'cause of Pretty Boy and Cracker, you know. Easy takes a deep breath and pulls back from OD. EASY Hey, OD, what's the difference between fish and meat? OD What? EASY If you beat your fish it'll die. OD smiles and playfully slaps Easy on the cheek. OD Dinky dau motherfucker. Now pick up that brass. Easy looks down and sees the cartridges and he's surprised. He picks them up. DREWRY Easy, here. Maybe this'll make you feel more secure. OD and Easy look at Drewry. Drewry has taken off his flak vest. He offers it to Easy. Easy takes it and shrugs off his LBE to put it on. Drewry and OD look at each other. DREWRY I think I should take over now, you're incapacitated. OD Like shit. DREWRY I don't want to argue. You'll hardly be able to walk with that wound. OD is angry. He takes a step toward Drewry, refusing to show the pain. Easy tries to help, but OD pushes him away with Cracker's shotgun. DREWRY See. I'll take point. OD And get us all greased. No way, GI. OD looks at Easy and Hammer for their reaction. Easy's fear is evident. Hammer gives him an "I don't give a shit" look. OD Hammer'll walk point. And we move now and fast. We got a pickup to meet. HAMMER Out-fucking-standing. You're one hard corps dude, OD. EASY And you're one silly, gung-ho fucker, Hammer. HAMMER Yeah, no shit. Like Cracker says... said... if you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly. Hammer moves out first. The Cameraman waits for OD, who is leaning on Easy. OD motions the Cameraman ahead of him. DREWRY I'll bring up the rear. They follow Hammer. OD Watch out for booby traps, stay off the trails. Stop every few meters just to listen. HAMMER I can handle it, OD, cut me some slack. Hammer talks without stopping his progress through the jungle. HAMMER I ain't no cherry. I... Oh, shit. BOOM! Hammer is blown backward by the blast from a mine. The Cameraman dives for the ground. BLACK. The Cameraman starts to get up. Hammer's body is close to the lens, face and chest torn by shrapnel. His mouth is open and his wide, dead eyes stare at the Camera. The Cameraman scuttles away from the body. Easy bends over Hammer. EASY Oh, Hammer, I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry. Drewry is suddenly standing over Hammer's body. He picks up the M-60. DREWRY He's dead. C'mon. Drewry leads the way. OD and Easy walk past the Cameraman, looking at Hammer's body. Easy drops his rifle. OD picks it up. The Cameraman gets up and hurries after the others. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Drewry, OD and Easy are crouched at the base of a tree on the edge of a small, burned village. There is nothing moving, just smoke curling into the sky from the burned huts. OD Let's check it out. Choppers'll be here soon. OD gets up to lead the way, but Easy has to help him stand. Drewry leads the way, his M-16 slung, carrying Hammer's M-60 at the ready. They enter the village slowly and cautiously. Easy drags his carbine behind him. There are bodies of old men and women here and there, a few children. There is a dead chicken, a dog. Drewry bends over one of the bodies. Mortar craters pock the ground. OD Careful, El Tee, booby traps. Drewry backs away from the body. The three men stick close together, carefully checking each body. DREWRY I wonder who did this, us or them. OD Does it make a difference? (beat) We wouldn't leave this much standing. Must be Chuck's work. OD tries to walk forward by himself as Drewry and Easy continue checking bodies. OD Keep an eye out. Chuck's crowding our ass. OD collapses. Easy and Drewry run over to him. DREWRY (to Camera) Put that thing down and give me a hand. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. A lean-to made from a poncho has been propped over OD. Easy watches him. Easy's tears have dried, but he is on the edge. Maybe over. OD I'm not saying all gooks look the same. (coughing laugh) It's just... I go to Sin City, all the gook faces look like some gook I shot. You know, spooky like. Ghosts. OD is silent a long moment. Easy turns away. Drewry looks at Easy with concern. EASY How about that morphine, El Tee? DREWRY No, we have to keep him conscious for the chopper. EASY (joking feebly) How about for me? Drewry smiles. OD That ain't counting the other dead men. GI's. The ones I didn't kill. OD jerks his head up, suddenly alert, and looks at Drewry. OD I'll be okay, El Tee. Don't worry about me, just keep an ear out for the chopper. EASY OD? Am I gonna die? OD Who'd want to kill a doofus ditty bopper like you? Drewry looks at his watch. DREWRY Half hour to pickup. The NVA will try something. EASY Chuck ain't shot his wad yet. OD We better prepare, set some fire lanes. You got a red smoke, El Tee? DREWRY No. OD You pop a red smoke for a hot LZ. We gotta let the choppers know Chuck's waiting, too. Here. OD hands Drewry one of his smoke grenades. Drewry looks at the grenade. EASY Don't sweat it, El Tee. Hell, what you want to do, live forever? OD tries to get up. A spasm of pain runs through him and he falls back down. The Cameraman runs over to help OD. BLACK. Sound off. CAMERA ON. Sound on. Easy and the Cameraman are inside a hut. OD sits in the doorway with the M-60, his back to the Camera. Across the village, Drewry is getting into position with the M-16 and CAR-15. EASY How you doing, OD? OD Can't feel my legs, but it don't hurt much if I don't move too quick. Should be hearing the choppers soon. EASY One good thing about the Nam. You hear a chopper, you know it's ours. There is a moment of silence. OD Here they come. Drewry starts firing. OD fires. Bullets rip through the hut. Easy and the Cameraman hit the ground. There is another sound that breaks through the gunfire. EASY Choppers! Pop smoke, El Tee! Pop smoke! Drewry readies the smoke grenade, but before he can throw it another one lands in the middle of the village. Green smoke. EASY Oh, shit! Drewry looks up at the sky and runs into the clearing toward the green smoke grenade. OD increases his fire to cover him. Bullets tear up the earth around him, but Drewry manages to kick the green smoke grenade away. Drewry dodges for cover and throws the red smoke grenade. The sound of helicopters increases and the firing of mini- guns is heard. The helicopters fire rockets. There are sounds of battle all around the village. Easy crouches down, his hands over his head. The ground fire ceases. There is the sound of helicopters and the mini-guns firing in spurts. The sound of helicopters is very loud. Easy is crying and hugging the ground. Drewry runs across the village and into the hut. DREWRY C'mon, move it! Move it! The choppers! Drewry manhandles Easy out the door and toward a helicopter hovering above the ground. The Cameraman pauses next to OD, who fires sporadically into the jungle. OD looks up. OD Move it, troop. The Cameraman follows Drewry and Easy. More gunfire sounds. The door gunner fires into the jungle. The door gunner is hit and he slumps in his retaining sling. The pilot waves Drewry and the others on. They get to the chopper and Drewry pushes Easy aboard. Drewry looks back and sees OD sprawled in front of the hut, trying to get up. OD falls. EASY OD! Drewry runs back for OD. The Cameraman puts down his Camera inside the chopper and runs after Drewry. Easy mans the chopper machine guns and fires into the jungle. Drewry and the Cameraman lift OD and drag him toward the chopper. OD screams in pain. The Cameraman is hit and falls, but he gets up and continues toward the chopper. Easy is screaming as he fires. They reach the chopper and manhandle OD inside. The Cameraman is hit again and he screams. Drewry steps onto the skid. The Cameraman is hit again and falls back, dead. The chopper lifts as Drewry, hanging onto the skid, reaches hopelessly for the Cameraman. He finally climbs inside. The helicopter lifts out of sight of earth. Only sky. BLACK. Sound off. THE END

1. TELFER HOUSE: LIBRARY INT/NIGHT ANDREW TELFER, a scrawny seventy-year-old, is writing a note at his desk in one corner of a big, book-lined room. Dangling from the central chandelier is a noose. A chair stands beneath it. TELFER looks up for a moment. Blankly, he eyes a framed photoportrait on his desk: a beautiful, thirty-something blonde returns his gaze with an enigmatic smile. He stops writing and folds the sheet, scrawls something on the back, and leaves it on the desk. Then he walks to the centre of the room and climbs on the chair. He puts his head through the noose and tightens it around his neck. He kicks away the back of the chair, but it doesn't fall. Frantically, he tries again: this time the chair topples over. The chandelier squeaks as it swings on its hook, but it holds. Fragments of plaster come raining down. TELFER's neck isn't broken: he starts to choke. His feet perform a convulsive dance in mid-air only six inches above the floor; one of his shoes comes off. The CAMERA leaves the dying man and MOVES IN on the bookshelves. To the accompaniment of choking sounds, it PANS across the serried rows of volumes until it reaches a gap that shows where one of them has been removed. The choking sounds cease. The CAMERA enters the black void left by the missing book. Absolute, abysmal DARKNESS. 3. MANHATTAN APARTMENT INT/DAY The Manhattan skyline seen through a picture window. Above it, reflected in the windowpane, the face of an OLD WOMAN seated with her back to the room. Her expression is impassive and self- absorbed, her twisted mouth suggests she's a stroke victim. She seems quite uninvolved in the action behind her. CORSO (O.S.) An impressive collection. You have some very rare editions here. Sure you want to sell them all? We now discover the speaker, BOB CORSO: a tall, lean, rather unkempt man in his 30's. Steel-rimmed glasses, crumpled old tweed jacket, worn cords, scuffed brown oxfords. He could almost be a shabby university teacher if it weren't for the street-wise glint in his eye. He replaces a book on a shelf. Standing beside him is the Old Woman's SON, a middle-aged man with a puffy red face. Her DAUGHTER-IN-LAW looks on, one hand cupping her elbow, the fingers of the other playing avidly with her lower lip. The SON is cuddling a large Scotch on the rocks like it's an integral part of his anatomy. His tone is too lugubrious to be true. SON: They're no use to Father, not anymore -not now he's passed away. His library was his own little world. Now it's just a painful memory for Mother here. DAUGHTER-IN-LAW: Unbearably painful. CORSO glances at them over the top of his glasses, then at the OLD WOMAN. It's clear that the OLD WOMAN's true source of pain is their rapacious desire to convert her late husband's library into hard cash. CORSO picks up a notebook, adjusts his glasses with an instinctive, habitual movement, taps the notebook with his pencil. CORSO: Well, at a rough, preliminary estimate, you have a collection here worth around two hundred thousand dollars. DAUGHTER-IN-LAW (almost jumps): Two hundred thousand?! CORSO : Or thereabouts. He smiles sweetly at the DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. The OLD WOMAN continues to stare blankly at her reflection in the window. Behind her, the SON sidles up to CORSO, who indicates the volumes in question. SON: How much were you thinking of... CORSO: Hmm... I couldn't go higher than four grand -- four-and-a- half tops. (takes an envelope from his shoulder bag and starts peeling off some bills) 4. MANHATTAN APARTMENT HOUSE CORRIDOR INT/DAY CORSO strides briskly along the corridor toward the elevator with the canvas bag slung from his shoulder. He's grinning to himself. The bag is obviously heavier than it was. The elevator doors open just as he's about to press the button. He almost collides with a bespectacled, briefcase-carrying man in a three-piece suit and bow tie (WITKIN) -- a cross between an intellectual and a business executive. WITKIN (caustically): You here? You didn't waste much time. CORSO: Hello, Witkin. There's a small fortune in there. (smiles sardonically) Help yourself. WITKIN (eyes CORSO's beg suspiciously): You're a vulture, Corso. CORSO: Who isn't in our business? WITKIN: You'd stoop to anything. CORSO brushes past him into the elevator, turns and pats his shoulder bag. CORSO: For a 'Quixote' by Ybarra? You bet I would. WITKIN (indignantly): Unscrupulous, thoroughly unscrupulous! CORSO (thumbs the elevator button): Good hunting! The doors close on WITKIN's indignant face. 5. BERNIE'S BOOKSTORE EXT/INT/DAY A sign says "CLOSED." CORSO pushes open the door of an old fashioned semibasement bookstore -- 'BERNIE'S RARE BOOKS' -- and enters. He walks up to the counter and deposits his bag on it. BERNIE (O.S.): Witkin just called me. He's spitting blood. CORSO looks around. The voice came from ten feet up and three bookcases along. BERNIE FELDMAN, a man around CORSO's age with dark, curly hair receding at the temples, is perched at the top of a spiral staircase. CORSO: What's his problem? BERNIE (replacing some books): He says you're a double-dealing, money grubbing bastard. He says he had that sale tied up, and now you've queered his pitch. CORSO (grins to himself): He should be quicker off the mark. The spiral staircase judders as BERNIE starts to descend. CORSO goes over to a wall cupboard and opens it. An assortment of bottles and glasses come to light. CORSO (cont.): May I? BERNIE: Your valuation was way over the odds it's brought those people out In a rash. They're now asking twice what the books are worth. CORSO, still grinning, pours himself a slug of Scotch. BERNIE reaches the ground. BERNIE (cont.): He's talking about suing you. Well, let's face it: you screwed him. That's what it's called. CORSO: I know what it's called. BERNIE comes up close. BERNIE: He also says you snaffled the 'Don Qui ... He breaks off as CORSO produces the four volumes of the 'Quixote', bends over to examine them, whistles appreciatively. BERNIE: (cont.): The Ybarra 'Don Quixote', 1780, four volumes. Fantastic! (opens one) Sonofabitch, you're the best in the business. Definitely. CORSO: And the most expensive. (smiles slyly) That client of yours, the Swiss, is he still interested in this edition? BERNIE smiles back, then redirects his attention to the books. BERNIE: Sure, but Witkin will blow a fuse. I told him I had nothing to do with this operation. CORSO knocks back his Scotch in one. Extracting a crumpled cigarette from the pocket of his overcoat, he sticks it in his mouth and lights it. CORSO: Nothing except your ten percent. BERNIE: : Twenty. The Swiss is my client, remember. CORSO (shakes his head): No deal. BERNIE: Fifteen. (cynically) For my children's sake. CORSO: You don't have any. BERNIE: I'm still young. Give me time. CORSO (expels a lungful of smoke, unmoved): Ten. 6. BALKAN BUILDING EXT/DUSK A taxi pulls up outside an opulent building downtown. CORSO gets out, dodges a persistent beggar, and enters. The sign above the entrance reads: 'BALKAN PUBLICATIONS'. 7. BALKAN BUILDING: LOBBY INT/DUSK CORSO nods to the SECURITY GUARD at the desk and makes hit way across the lobby to a door at the back. Beside it stands an easel-mounted announcement: 'Demons and Medieval Literature, by Boris Balkan, Ph.D.' It's adorned with a medieval engraving depicting an Inquisition torture scene. 8. BALKAN BUILDING: LECTURE ROOM INT/DUSK BORIS BALKAN, standing at a state-of-the-art lecturer's desk, is a bulky, imposing figure of a man around 50 years old. His thick gray hair is slicked back to reveal a domed forehead. The eyes beneath it radiate keen intelligence through a pair of heavy hornrims. He speaks in a deep, slow, almost monotonous voice, but with great authority. BALKAN: Relevant information may be found in Antoine Martin del Rio's 'Disquisitionum Magicarum', Louvain 1599, and earlier, in 1580, in 'De la d�monomanle des sorciers' by the Frenchman, Jean Bodin... His eyes flicker in the direction of the door as CORSO enters. CORSO's entrance has also been noted by a GIRL in jeans and white sneakers: childlike face, short hair and green, feline eyes. He sits down in the same row, but on the other side of the aisle, settles himself in his chair and scans the AUDIENCE, most of whom are middle-aged and female. He gives the GIRL a cursory glance, then concentrates on BALKAN. BALKAN (cont.): Bodin was probably the first to attempt to establish a system - if the term system may be applied to the Middle Ages - for classifying the contemporary perceptions of evil. In Bodin we find one of the first definitions of the word 'witch'. I quote: (cocks his head for a better look at the text) 'A witch is a person who, though cognizant of the laws of God, endeavors to act through the medium of a pact with the Devil...' As BALKAN's lecture proceeds, CORSO's eyelids begin to droop. We PAN over the faces of the AUDIENCE (THE GIRL is still covertly observing CORSO). BALKAN's voice drones on, fades away. 9. BALKAN BUILDING: LECTURE ROOM INT/NIGHT CLOSE on CORSO fast asleep. BALKAN (O.S.): I see you enjoyed my little talk, Mr. Corso. CORSO gives a start and opens his eyes. He takes a moment or two to focus on BALKAN, who's standing over him. Peering around through his steel-rimmed glasses, he sees that the lecture is over. The last of the AUDIENCE are filing out. We glimpse THE GIRL making her exit. CORSO: Did I snore? BALKAN: Nice of you to ask. No, not that I noticed. Shall we go? He gestures at the door with a cold and impassive air. CORSO gets to his feet. 10. BALKAN BUILDING: LOBBY INT/NIGHT BALKAN walks swiftly across the lobby to the elevators with CORSO at his heels. They leave behind a buzz of conversation from members of the AUDIENCE who are still discussing the lecture. BALKAN: Don't you sleep nights? CORSO: Like a baby. BALKAN: Strange, I'd have bet a brace of Gutenberg Bibles you spend half the night with your eyes peeled. You're one of those lean, hungry, restless types that put the wind up Julius Caesar - men who'd stab their friends in the back... They reach the elevator. BALKAN presses a button and turns to CORSO, who yawns. BALKAN (cont.) Not, I suspect, that you have many friends, do you, Mr. Corso? Your kind seldom does. CORSO (calmly): Go to hell. BALKAN is unruffled by CORSO's discourtesy. The elevator doors open. He stands aside to let CORSO pass, then follows him in. 11. BALKAN BUILDING: ELEVATOR INT/NIGHT BALKAN punches a code number on the elevator's digital keyboard With a subdued hiss, the elevator starts to ascend. BALKAN: You're right, of course. Your friendships don't concern me in the least. Our relations have always been strictly commercial, isn't that so? There's no one more reliable than a man whose loyalty can be bought for hard cash. CORSO: Hey, Balkan, I came here to do some business, not shoot the breeze. You want to expound your personal philosophy, write another book. BALKAN: You don't like me, do you? CORSO (shrugs): I don't have to like you. You're a client, and you pay well. The elevator reaches its destination, the doors open. 12. BALKAN BUILDING: COLLECTION INT/NIGHT The elevator opens straight into a spacious room faced with black marble. The walls are bare save for a big, back-lighted photograph of a ruined castle overlooking a desolate valley. Two huge windows in the right-hand wall extend from floor to ceiling. Visible outside on the building's floodlit facade, gargoyles gaze out over the city with their monstrous heads propped on their claws. The centre of the room is occupied by a rectangular block of tinted glass resembling a big black monolith. Vaguely discernible through the glass are shelves filled with antique books in exquisite bindings. BALKAN leads CORSO over to the 'monolith' . He gestures at it proudly, soliciting admiration. BALKAN: Well? CORSO: Yup. BALKAN: You're privileged, Corso. Very few people have ever set foot in here. This Is my private collection. Some bibliophiles specialize in Gothic novels, others in Books of Hours. All my own rare editions have the same protagonist: the Devil. CORSO is impressed but does his best not to show it. CORSO: May I take a look? BALKAN: That's why I brought you here. He goes over to the 'monolith' and punches a keyboard on a control panel, gestures to CORSO to come closer. CORSO puts out his hand. Before he can touch the glass, it glides aside with a faint hum. He adjusts his glasses and glances at BALKAN, who looks on calmly. His eyes roam along the spines of the books. BALKAN comes and stands beside him. BALKAN (cont.): Beautiful, aren't they? That soft sheen, that superb gilding... Not to mention the centuries of wisdom they contain -- centuries of erudition, of delving Into the secrets of the Universe and the hearts of men... I know people who would kill for a collection like this. (CORSO shoots him a quick glance) The Ars Diavoli! You'll never see as many books on the subject anywhere else in the world. They're the rarest, the choicest editions in existence. It has taken me a lifetime to assemble them. Only the supreme masterpiece was missing. Come... He has accompanied CORSO on his tour of the collection. They come to the end of the 'monolith'. Gesturing to CORSO to follow him, BALKAN goes over to an ultramodern, brushed steel lectern standing beside one of the huge picture windows. As he approaches the lectern, CORSO briefly glimpses the sheer drop beyond the window, the twinkling lights of traffic passing in the street far below. Reposing on the lectern is a black book adorned with a gold pentagram. CORSO opens it at the title page, which displays the title in Latin and a pictorial engraving. CORSO (not looking at BALKAN) 'The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows... BALKAN: You're familiar with it? CORSO: Sure. Venice, 1623. The author and printer was Aristide Torchia, burned by the Holy Inquisition, together with all his works. Only three copies survived. BALKAN One. CORSO: The catalogs list three copies surviving in private ownership: the Fargas, the Kessler, and the Telfer. BALKAN: True. You've done your homework, but you're wrong nonetheless. According to all the sources I myself have consulted, only one is authentic. The author confessed under torture that he'd hidden one copy. Only one. CORSO: Well, three are known. BALKAN: That's the trouble. CORSO resumes his inspection of the book. CORSO: Where did you get it? BALKAN: I bought it from Telfer. CORSO (surprised): Telfer? BALKAN (looking out the window): Yes, he finally sold it to me. The day before he killed himself. CORSO: Good timing. BALKAN ignores this. CORSO turns the pages with care. He lingers over AN ENGRAVING OF A KNIGHT IN ARMOR RIDING TOWARD A CASTLE WITH A FINGER TO HIS LIPS as though enjoining the reader to silence. Below it is a caption. BALKAN draws closer and reads over CORSO's shoulder: BALKAN: Nemo pervenit qui non legitime certaverit. CORSO: You only succeed if you fight by the rules? BALKAN: More or less. Ever heard of the 'Delomelanicon'? CORSO: Heard of it, yes. A myth, isn't it? Some horrific book reputed to have been written by Satan himself. BALKAN: No myth. That book existed. Torchia actually acquired it. He returns to the window overlooking the sheer drop. Gazing down, he goes on: BALKAN (cont.): The engravings you're now admiring were adapted by Torchia from the 'Delomelanicon'. They're a form of satanic riddle. Correctly interpreted with the aid of the original text and sufficient inside information, they're reputed to conjure up the Prince of Darkness in person. CORSO: You don't say. He continues to turn the pages. BALKAN: Are you a religious man, Corso? I mean, do you believe in the supernatural? CORSO: I believe in my percentage. I also believe that books grow old and decay like the rest of us... Don't you get dizzy, standing there? BALKAN continues to stare down at the nocturnal cityscape. CORSO changes tack. CORSO (cont.): What the hell do you want from me, Balkan? BALKAN leaves the window and confronts him. BALKAN: I want you to go to Europe and play the detective. The other two copies are in Portugal and France. You must find some way of comparing them with mine: every page, every engraving, the binding - everything. I'm convinced that only one can be authentic, and I want to know which one it is. CORSO: Could be an expensive trip. BALKAN takes a folded check from his pocket and hands it to CORSO, who slips it into his breast pocket unexamined. BALKAN: That's to get you started. Spend what you need. CORSO: What if I find your copy's a forgery? BALKAN stares at him coldly for a moment. BALKAN: It's quite on the cards. CORSO seems mildly surprised. He looks at the book again, 'listens' to the quality of the paper by putting his ear to the pages and riffling them with his thumb. CORSO: Really? It doesn't appear to be. Even the paper sounds kosher. BALKAN: Even so. There may be something wrong with it. CORSO continues to examine the book. He smiles ironically. CORSO: You mean the Devil won't show up? He shuts the book and replaces it on the lectern. BALKAN: Don't be flippant. (quotes) 'There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' CORSO: Hamlet believed in ghosts, not demons. BALKAN: If all three copies turn out to be bogus or incomplete, your work will be done. If one of them proves to be genuine, on the other hand, I'll finance you further. CORSO stares at him, then unfolds the check and glances at the amount - a substantial sum, from the way he raises his eyebrows. BALKAN (cont.): 1 shall want you to get it for me at all costs, never mind how. CORSO: Never mind how sounds illegal. BALKAN: It wouldn't be the first time you've done something illegal. CORSO: Not that illegal. BALKAN: Hence the size of the check. Do a good job, and I'll double it. He picks up 'The Nine Gates' and holds it out. After a moment's hesitation, CORSO replaces the check in his pocket and takes the book. BALKAN (cont.): Be careful, Corso. CORSO: What do you mean? (indicates the book) With this? BALKAN: Just be careful. 13. CORSO'S APARTMENT INT/NIGHT A diminutive kitchenette. CORSO, one hand wrapped around a Scotch, uses the other to remove a TV dinner from the freezer compartment of his refrigerator and insert it in a microwave. He shuts the door, sets the timer, and strolls out into the living room. A bleak bachelor pad: no pictures, ornaments or photographs, just books on every available shelf and surface. Against one wall, a desk with a computer on it. On the floor beside the desk, CORSO's shabby canvas bag. On the desk itself, 'The Nine Gates'. CORSO goes over to the desk. He stares down at the book for a long moment, meditatively sipping his Scotch. Then, without putting his glass down, he opens the book one-handed and idly turns a few pages, pauses at THE ENGRAVING OF THE KNIGHT IN ARMOR RIDING TOWARD THE CASTLE. We slowly MOVE IN until the screen is filled with an INSERT of the knight with his finger enigmatically raised to his lips. 14. TELFER HOUSE: SITTING ROOM, LIBRARY INT/DAY CORSO, canvas bag on shoulder, is standing in the middle of a luxuriously furnished sitting room. The decor, which includes a smiling portrait of Andrew Telfer, is extremely opulent. CORSO is looking up at the portrait when the door opens. He turns to see LIANA TELFER on the threshold with a business card in her hand. His appreciation of her looks is evident. LIANA (whose photoportralt we saw in Scene 1) is a very sexy, thirtyish blonde with milky skin and a figure whose generous curves are far from concealed by her ultra chic black costume. She gives CORSO the once-over, then enters, closing the door behind her. CORSO: Mrs. Telfer? (gestures at the business card) Bob Corso. Sorry to trouble you at a time like this. LIANA comes over and sits down on a sofa, simultaneously motioning CORSO into the armchair that faces it over a coffee table. She puts his card down, crosses her lovely legs, and waits. CORSO sits down with his beg between his feet. Opening it, he produces 'The Nine Gates'. LIANA involuntarily stiffens at sight of it. CORSO (cont.): It would be very helpful, ma'am, if you could tell me what you know about this book. He holds it out. After a momentary pause, LIANA slowly reaches for the book, opens it at random, turns a page or two. She speaks with a slight French accent. LIANA (casually): Isn't this one of my husband's books? CORSO: Right. It was in his collection until very recently. He sold it to a client of mine. I'm trying to authenticate it. LIANA: He sold it, you say? How strange. It was one of his most treasured possessions. CORSO: He never mentioned the sale? LIANA is fractionally late in answering. CORSO spots her hesitation. LIANA: No. It's news to me. Who bought it? CORSO: A private collector. LIANA: May I know his name? CORSO: I'm afraid that's confidential. LIANA: I suppose he has a bill of sale? CORSO: No problem there. LIANA: Is this your job, authenticating rare books? CORSO: And tracking them down. LIANA (smiles): You're a book detective. CORSO (smiles back): Kind of. (pause) Do you recall when and where your husband acquired this book? LIANA: In Spain. We were vacationing at Toledo. Andrew got very excited -- paid a great deal of money for it. He was a fanatical collector. CORSO: So I gather. LIANA deposits 'The Nine Gates' on the coffee table and rises. LIANA: I'll show you. CORSO rises likewise. Then a thought strikes him: swiftly retrieving 'The Nine Gates' and his bag, he stows one in the other as he follows her undulating hips to a door at the far end of the room, which she opens. LIANA (cont.): Look. She walks on ahead into the library in which Andrew Telfer hanged himself. CORSO is still eyeing her delectable rear view. CORSO: Magnificent... Reluctantly, he drags his eyes away from LIANA and surveys the crowded shelves. CORSO (cont.): Really magnificent... He goes over to inspect the bookshelves. In passing he glances up at the chandelier, which is still hanging slightly askew. LIANA: Andrew used to spend many hours in here.Too many. CORSO: Did he ever try it out? He asks the question with an air of spurious innocence, looking around the room as he does so. LIANA frowns. LIANA: I don't understand. CORSO (cont.): The book -- did he ever use it to perform some kind of ritual intended to... well. produce a supernatural effect? LIANA: Are you serious? CORSO: Absolutely. LIANA: A Black Mass, you mean? CORSO: More or less. An attempt to conjure up the Devil. LIANA: Andrew was a trifle eccentric, Mr. Corso, but he wasn't insane. She gives a mournful shrug, every inch the recent widow. LIANA (cont.): It's true he'd been acting strangely those last few days. He shut himself up in here -- seldom emerged except for meals. She draws a deep breath, glances at the chandelier. LIANA (cont.): That morning I was woken by the screams of the maid: he'd hanged himself. (pauses, looks at CORSO) Whatever he was up to, I certainly can't see him chanting mumbo-jumbo or trying to raise the dead. The flippant tone of the last few words sounds rather forced. CORSO smiles at her faintly over his glasses, pats his shoulder bag. CORSO: The Devil, Mrs. Telfer. This book is designed to raise the Devil. 15. TELFER HOUSE EXT/DAY CORSO crosses the forecourt to the street. A man with a MUSTACHE and a scarred face is leaning against a limo parked outside the house, smoking a small cigar. They eye each other briefly. CORSO reaches the sidewalk just as a cab sails past. He raises his hand too late to flag it down, looks around for another. The MUSTACHE's cellphone beeps. He reaches into the limo and picks up the receiver. 16. REFERENCE LIBRARY INT/DAY The big reference library is divided up by freestanding bookshelves and has a gallery running around it at second-floor level. NUMEROUS READERS are occupying the rows of tables in the central area. CORSO is seated at one of the tables with the 'Nine Gates' in front of him. Beside it reposes a large catalog and his notebook. The 'Nine Gates' is open at the frontispiece, which displays the title - 'De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'- and the words 'Sic Luceat Lux' separated by an emblem consisting of A TREE ENCIRCLED BY A SNAKE DEVOURING ITS OWN TAIL. As we MOVE IN ON THE COILED SNAKE, we hear CORSO translating to himself in a low voice: CORSO (O.S.): Sic Luceat Lux ... Thus ... let the light ... shine... 17. REFERENCE LIBRARY INT/DUSK Many of the tables are now deserted, and the shaded reading lights have been switched on. CORSO shuts a catalog and gets up to replace It in the wall of books behind his chair, runs his finger along a shelf till he comes to another fat tome and removes it. He's startled to see, framed in the resulting gap, the face of THE GIRL at Balkan's lecture: short hair, green, feline eyes. The face recedes and disappears. CORSO quickly rounds the end of the bookshelf: no sign of her. He looks both ways, but the aisles are deserted. Puzzled, he resumes his seat and opens the second catalog. Then, sensing that he's being watched, he swings around. Nothing outwardly suspicious, just two BESPECTACLED STUDENTS comparing notes In sibilant whispers. He looks right: a scattering of READERS. He scans the reading-room at large: still nothing untoward. He turns some pages in 'The Nine Gates', comes to AN ENGRAVING OF A NAKED WOMAN RIDING A SEVEN-HEADED DRAGON WITH A CASTLE ABLAZE IN THE BACKGROUND. He consults the second catalog, which displays a small reproduction of the same scene with text wrapped around it, and jots something down in his notebook. Wearily, he straightens and stretches, removes his glasses, pinches the bridge of his nose. As he Idly scans the reading room, his astigmatic vision gives him an unfocused glimpse of THE GIRL looking down at him from the gallery overhead. By the time he replaces his glasses, she's gone. 18. CORSO'S APARTMENT HOUSE EXTINIGHT It's raining hard. CORSO trudges up the steps of his brownstone with the canvas bag on his shoulder and a bag of groceries In his arms. 19. ELEVATOR INT/NIGHT CORSO rides the elevator up. 20. CORSO'S APARTMENT HOUSE: PASSAGE, APARTMENT INT/NIGHT CORSO emerges from the elevator and walks down the passage to his door. He inserts his key in the mortice lock and tries to turn it. Nothing doing: It's unlocked already. Next, he inserts his key in the second lock and turns it. Not being double-locked, the door opens at once. It takes him a moment to digest the significance of this fact. Just then he hears a muffled crash from inside the apartment: a window has been flung open in a hurry. He bursts into the living room. No one there, but the light is on. Dropping his shoulder bag and groceries, he dashes into the bedroom. The window is open and the curtains are billowing out into the room. CORSO darts to the window, flings one leg over the sill and climbs out on the fire escape. 21. FIRE ESCAPE, SIDE STREET. EXT/NIGHT Feet can be heard clattering down the fire escape. CORSO peers over the rail just in time to see a DARK FIGURE emerge into the side street beneath him and sprint off through the rain. CORSO (yells half-heartedly): Hey, you! He gives up and climbs back inside. 22. CORSO'S APARTMENT INT/NIGHT CORSO scans the living room. The only immediate sign of the intruder's presence is that the chair has been pulled away from the desk and one of the drawers is open. CORSO pushes the chair back into place and shuts the drawer. 23. BERNIE'S BOOKSTORE INT/DAY ON 'The Nine Gates' lying open on BERNIE's desk. He's reverently turning the pages with CORSO at his elbow. BERNIE: Son of a bitch... Where did you get this? CORSO: Balkan. He wants me to research it. BERNIE: Balkan owns a 'Nine Gates'? CORSO: Recently acquired from the late lamented Andrew Telfer. BERNIE: Trust Balkan. What does he need you for? I don't suppose he plans to sell it. CORSO: He wants me to compare it with the other two surviving copies in Portugal and France. I'm off to Europe. BERNIE: Compare it? CORSO: Yeah. Only one of the three is authentic, he says. BERNIE: Well, this one looks genuine enough. Must be worth a million. Jesus! Take good care of it. CORSO: That's why I'm here. I need you to stash it for me. I'm starting to see things. BERNIE stares at him. BERNIE: Like what? CORSO: Uninvited visitors, unfamiliar faces. I don't trust anyone, not even Balkan. (reflects for a moment) Come to think of it, I don't even trust you. BERNIE registers a mixture of affection and cynicism. BERNIE: That's mean, buddy. You know I'd never screw you without a damn good reason: money, women, business. Anything else, you can relax. CORSO taps the book with his forefinger. CORSO: You'll answer for this with your balls, Bernie. BERNIE (still engrossed): Sure, man, sure. You can castrate me personally. CORSO: I'll pick it up on my way to the airport. BERNIE: No problem. He continues to pore over the book, turns another page, reads aloud: BERNIE (cont.): 'Virtue lies vanquished', huh? These engravings are terrific. CORSO (leans over his shoulder): Or horrific, whichever. BERNIE nods absently. He smiles to himself with an air of enchantment. BERNIE (cont.): Beautiful, just beautiful... Visible through the bookstore's semi-basement windows, the legs of PASSERSBY accelerate as they scurry past: it has started to rain. A pair of MAN'S LEGS in dark slacks come to a halt. The butt of a small cigar falls to the sidewalk, the LEGS walk on. Two WHITE SNEAKERS come into view. They step on the butt and extinguish it. 24. CORSO'S APARTMENT INT/NIGHT CORSO is in the bedroom, packing some articles of clothing and toiletries in a small Samsonlte suitcase lying open on the bed. The doorbell rings. Fractionally startled, CORSO straightens up, dumps a handful of socks on the bed and goes out into the lobby. He peers through the spyhole: LIANA TELFER is standing outside. CORSO pauses for a moment, thinking hard, then opens the door. LIANA: May I come in? CORSO, rather bemused, steps aside and ushers her in. CORSO: This way. He shows her Into the living room. LIANA starts to unbutton her coat. CORSO (cont.): Allow me. He helps her off with her coat and drapes it neatly over a chair. She's dressed to kill In a black, lowcut cocktail gown. LIANA: Thank you. CORSO: Sit down, won't you? LIANA sinks gracefully onto the sofa, taking in the decor of his bachelor apartment as she does so. LIANA: I've come to talk business. CORSO: Great. Everyone's talking business to me lately. LIANA takes a slim gold cigarette case from her purse, extracts a black Russian, and lights it with a gold Dupont. Meantime: LIANA: Yesterday, when you came to see me about that book, I was too surprised to react as I should have done. I mean, it really was one of Andrew's favorites. CORSO: So you said. LIANA: I'd like to get it back. CORSO: That could be a problem. LIANA: Not necessarily. it all depends. CORSO: On what? LIANA: On you. CORSO stares at her, absorbing the lines of her figure, the slim legs sheathed in sheer, black silk stockings. CORSO: I don't understand, Mrs. Telfer. The book isn't mine to dispose of. She sits back, showing off her superb legs to even better advantage. LIANA: You work for money, I take it? CORSO: What else? LIANA: I have a great deal of money. CORSO: I'm happy for you. LIANA: You could stage a theft. I'm sure your client is well insured. CORSO: I'm a professional, ma'am. LIANA: You're a professional mercenary. Mercenaries work for the highest bidder. CORSO: I make a living. LIANA (huskily): I could throw in a bonus. CORSO: This has happened before someplace. LIANA: I know. In the movies. CORSO: And she had an automatic in her stocking top. CORSO watches, mesmerized, as she slowly, very slowly, slides her skirt up her thighs to reveal the creamy flesh between her stocking tops and black lace garter belt. LIANA: No automatic. Just as slowly, she smooths her skirt down over her thighs. CORSO swallows hard. He rises and goes to his drinks corner, a shelf with an array of bottles and glasses on it. Over his shoulder: CORSO: Want one? LIANA: Why not? CORSO splashes some Scotch into two tumblers and carries them over to her. LIANA sits motionless for an instant, looking up at him. Then, very slowly, she stubs out her cigarette, extends the same hand, and fondles his crotch. CORSO, with the tumblers encumbering both his hands, can only stand there like a bird hypnotized by a snake. His Adam's apple bobs some more. Holding his gaze, LIANA withdraws her hand and rises. They're only inches apart now. She takes one of the tumblers and clinks it against CORSO'S, then drains it. CORSO, in a kind of trance, does likewise. Very deliberately, LIANA relieves him of his glass and puts it down on the table with hers. Then, cupping his face between her hands, she proceeds to eat him alive. CORSO responds. Re pulls up her skirt, she reaches for his zipper and yanks at it. He bears her backward and downward onto the sofa. Their bodies coalesce into a heaving mass. The gown slips down over LIANA's left shoulder, revealing a small tattoo in the shape of a snake devouring its own tail. 25. CORSO'S APARTMENT INT/NIGHT ON LIANA's hand reaching across the floor for Corso's canvas bag. it gropes in the bag, then inverts it, spilling the contents: a couple of packs of Luckies, a notebook, an envelope full of bills, a Swiss Army knife, an expert's magnifying glass, some pencils, etc. We discover CORSO and LIANA on the floor, their clothing dishevelled. CORSO is lying back, still panting and sweating from his exertions, LIANA is sitting up. LIANA: Well, where is it? CORSO Where's what? LIANA Don't fuck with me, Corso. CORSO: I thought that's what we were doing. LIANA's eyes narrow. Then, with an animal cry, she goes for his face with her nails and teeth. CORSO turns his head away just in time and scrambles to his feet, pulling up his trousers. LIANA, beside herself with fury, flies at him with both hands extended like claws. He manages to grab her wrists and immobilize them, so she sinks her teeth in his chest. With an agonized yell, CORSO releases her wrists, clasps his chest and staggers back - hardly a dignified proceeding, because he's hobbled by the trousers that have slumped around his ankles. LIANA looks around wildly for a weapon of some kind, catches sight of the Scotch bottle and seizes it by the neck. CORSO, one hand holding his trousers at half mast, the other raised in supplication, comes shuffling toward her. CORSO: Hey, look, be reasonable... Unmoved, LIANA raises the bottle and smashes it over his head. 26. CORSO'S APARTMENT INT/NIGHT CORSO recovers consciousness, gingerly feels his aching head. Some blood has trickled down his face. He surveys the room, which is in chaos and has obviously been ransacked. He goes into the bathroom and inspects himself in the mirror, takes a hand towel and gingerly dabs his scalp. Holding the towel to his head, he returns to the living room, where he picks up the phone and punches out a number. We hear a recorded announcement: BERNIE (V.O.): Hi, this is Bernie's Rare Books. I'm not available right now. If you want to leave a message, please speak after the beep... CORSO (into phone): Bernie, you there? Bernie? Pick up! No response. He replaces the receiver. 27. BERNIE'S BOOKSTORE EXT/NIGHT CORSO, bag on shoulder, is lurking in a doorway across the street from the bookstore. The place looks silent and deserted, but a dim glow indicates that a light must be on somewhere inside. CORSO quits the doorway and hurries across the street. He walks down the steps to the door and tries the handle. The door opens. 28. BERNIE'S BOOKSTORE INT/NIGHT . Only Bernie's desk light is on. No sign of Bernle himself. CORSO listens intently, looks up at the top of the spiral staircase, which is in shadow, calls in a low voice: CORSO: Bernie? No response. He listens some more: nothing but the sound of a passing car. He makes his way cautiously along the bookcases and rounds a corner, then stops short with a look of horror on his face. BERNIE has been lashed upside down to the handrail of the spiral staircase. His mouth and eyes are open, and his battered face is streaked with blood. CORSO (cont.): Jesus Christ! He puts out a hand toward BERNIE, but the man is so obviously dead that he withdraws it. He looks around in an involuntary, apprehensive way. Then, satisfied that he's alone, he starts to climb the staircase. Once past BERNIE's corpse, which he studiously avoids touching, he climbs faster. The staircase creaks and sways. Reaching the third tier of bookshelves, he presses a hidden button. With a faint click, a panel springs open to disclose a recess filled with books. CORSO expels a deep breath. There it is, safe and sound: 'The Nine Gates'. He looks down at BERNIE. CORSO: Thanks, man... I'm sorry... 29. AIRLINER INT/DAY CORSO, ensconced in a window seat, is moodily gazing out at some passing cloud-castles. The sun is setting. 30. SPANISH AIRPORT INT/NIGHT The brightly illuminated arrivals hall is thronged with PASSENGERS in transit. COP.SO, wearing his overcoat and carrying his suitcase, threads his way through them with the canvas bag on his shoulder. Weary and unshaven, he stares straight ahead with an abstracted expression, adjusts his glasses. 31. TOLEDO STREET, ALLEYWAY EXT/DAY CORSO's footsteps echo as he walks, bag on shoulder, along one of Toledo's narrow medieval streets. Very few people to be seen. The sun is shining brightly, but there's a strong wind blowing. Rounding a corner, CORSO heads down an alleyway flanked by scaffolding swathed in protective netting and blue tarpaulins. it's completely deserted. No sound but that of canvas billowing in the wind like a ship's sails. He consults a street sign, turns another corner. He reaches a doorway leading to an inner courtyard, bumps into a BOY who comes running out. We hear the strident cries of a woman. BOY: S!, si, mama!!! A flight of steps in one corner of the courtyard leads down to the basement. CORSO descends them and stops outside a door. A grimy window beside it serves to display some old books and religious prints. The sign on the door reads HERMANOS CENIZA RESTAURACION DE LIBROS. Below it: 'On parle Fran�ais' and 'English spoken'. CORSO opens the door, which creaks. 32. CENIZA BROS. WORKSHOP INT/DAY CORSO enters. A gaunt, bent-backed old man (PEDRO CENIZA) with a pair of glasses perched on the end of his big nose looks up from an old hand press. Everything about him is as gray as the cigarette ash that rains down on his clothes and the books he's working on. He's a chain-smoker. PEDRO: Senor. CORSO: Buenas tardes. PEDRO: Buenes tardes. PABLO (O.S.) Buenas tardes. CORSO turns to see another old man (PABLO CENIZA) surface from behind some stacks of paper. His resemblance to PEDRO - bent back, big nose, spectacles - is such that they can only be twins. PABLO wipes his inky hand on a rag before shaking CORSO'S. PEDRO follows suit. CORSO hesitates briefly, taken aback by this dual apparition. PEDRO and PABLO look him up and down with their keen, twinkling little eyes. Their movements are slow and serene, their expression carries a hint of mockery, and they often exchange knowing smiles. They're so in sync that they communicate by means of glances and finish off each other's sentences. CORSO: You speak English? They nod simultaneously. He produces 'The Nine Gates' from his shoulder bag. CORSO (cont.): I'd appreciate your opinion on this. PEDRO takes the book with tremulous hands. PABLO quickly clears away some parchments on the workbench to make room for it. Some ash from PEDRO's cigarette falls on the cover. PABLO clicks his tongue and blows it off. PABLO (reprovingly): What a habit for a bookbinder! (smiles at CORSO) 'The Nine Gates...' A superb edition. Very rare. PEDRO (opens it): The Telfer copy. CORSO: You used to own it, right? PEDRO: We used to, yes. PABLO: We sold it. PEDRO: We sold it when the opportunity presented itself. it was too... PABLO: ... too good to miss. An excellent sale. PEDRO: An excellent buy - impeccable condition. PABLO: Impeccable. You are the present owner? CORSO: A client of mine. PABLO (over his glasses): I would never have believed she would part with it. CORSO: She? PABLO (without looking up): Senora Telfer. CORSO reaches into his overcoat pocket and extracts a crumpled cigarette. He's raising it to his lips when he stops short, produces the equally crumpled pack and offers it to PEDRO, who has just discarded his butt. PEDRO helps himself to a Lucky, breaks off the filter and jams it in his mouth. CORSO lights both of them. CORSO 1 understood it was Mr. Telfer that bought it. PABLO: He paid for it. PEDRO: It was the senora who made him buy it. He did not seem particularly... (glances at PABLO) PABLO: ..interested. PEDRO has finished examining the text. He looks at the spine. PEDRO: A superb specimen. CORSO (hesitates briefly): Could it be a forgery? PEDRO (suspiciously, almost indignantly) A forgery? (turns to PABLO) You heard that, Pablo? PABLO wags his finger reprovingly in CORSO's face. PABLO: I took you for a professional, senor. You speak too lightly of forgeries. PEDRO: Far too lightly. PABLO: Forging a book is expensive. Paper of the period, the right inks.... (makes a dismissive gesture) Too expensive to be profitable. PEDRO and PABLO assess the effect of their words on CORSO, who digests them. CORSO: I'm aware of all that, but could some part of it be forged? Restorers have been known to replace missing pages with pages taken from another copy of the same edition. Have you never done that yourselves? The old men look at each other, then turn to CORSO simultaneously. PEDRO, looking flattered, nods. PEDRO: Of course it can be done. PABLO: It requires great skill, naturally, but yes, it can be done. CORSO: Couldn't that be the case here? PABLO: What makes you ask? CORSO: My client wishes to satisfy himself of the book's authenticity. The brothers eye each other over their glasses. CORSO adjusts his own. CORSO (cont.) : His name is Balkan. Boris Balkan of New York. PABLO and PEDRO exchange another glance. CORSO detects the hint of a smile that passes between them. PEDRO: All books have a destiny of their own. PABLO: Even a life of their own. Senor Balkan is a noted bibliophile. He's no fool. He must know this book is authentic. PEDRO: We know it. PABLO: So must he. PEDRO: This book was with us for years. PABLO: Many years. PEDRO: We had ample opportunity to examine it thoroughly. The printing and binding are superb examples of 17th century Venetian craftsmanship. He picks up the book and riffles the pages under CORSO's nose. PEDRO (cont.): Finest rag paper, resistant to the passage of time! None of your modern wood pulp! PABLO: Watermarks, identical shades, ink, type faces... If this is a forgery, or a copy with pages restored, it's the work of a master. PEDRO: A master. CORSO contemplates the brothers with a smile. CORSO: Did you study the engravings? They seem to form a kind of riddle. PEDRO and PABLO reopen the book and look at the engravings. PABLO: Well, yes... (another glance at PEDRO) Books of this type often contain little puzzles. PEDRO: Especially in the case of such an illustrious collaborator. CORSO looks at PEDRO with sudden interest, then at the book, then back at PEDRO. CORSO: Collaborator? PEDRO shrugs, PABLO refocuses on CORSO. PEDRO: You cannot have proceeded very far with your research. Come, look closely. He takes a magnifying glass and holds it over one of the engravings, which shows A HERMIT WITH TWO KEYS IN HIS HAND AND A DOG AND A LANTERN BESIDE HIM. A microscopic inscription can be detected in the bottom right corner. CORSO bends over it, looking mystified. PEDRO grows impatient. PEDRO (cont.): Don't you see? Only seven of the engravings were signed by Aristide Torchia. CORSO: And the other two? PEDRO: This is one of them. Look. CORSO peers through the magnifying glass once more. We see the INSERT 'Invenit L.F.' CORSO: 'L.F.'? Who's that? PEDRO: Think. CORSO: Lucifer? PEDRO and PABLO chuckle heartily. PEDRO: You're a clever man, senor. Torchia was not alone when they burned him alive. CORSO: But that's absurd! You don't honestly believe... PEDRO: The man who wrote this did so in alliance with the Devil and went to the stake for it. Even Hell has its heroes, senor. CORSO looks from one to the other, trying to figure this out. 33. TOLEDO ALLEYWAY EXT/DAY CORSO walks back along the narrow alleyway with the canvas- covered scaffolding. He glances over his shoulder. Not a soul in sight. The blue canvas flaps in the wind, the scaffolding creaks and groans. He walks on. He hears a sudden rending sound, looks back and up. There's little time to react: the scaffolding has come away from its mountings. it's starting to buckle and fall out into the street. Desperately, he breaks into a run. Behind him, collapsing like a house of cards, the mass of canvas and metal gains on him as he sprints for the end of the alley, summoning up all his energy for a final burst. The last of the scaffolding hits the ground only inches behind him. He looks back at the tangled mass that has only just failed to engulf him. 34. TRAIN EXT/NIGHT A train speeds through the darkness. 35. TRAIN: DINING CAR INT/NIGHT The dining car is deserted save for CORSO and a STEWARD, who is lolling against the kitchen bulkhead at the far end. CORSO, with a coffee cup and a brandy glass at his elbow, has 'The Nine Gates' lying open in front of him at THE ENGRAVING OF THE HERMIT WITH THE KEYS, DOG, AND LANTERN. There's some cigarette ash trapped between the pages. Smiling faintly, he blows it away. Then he reaches into his bag for his magnifying glass, pushes up his steel-rimmed specs, and screws the glass into his eye. He examines the engraving at close range. We see again the INSERT of the inscription 'Invenit L.F.' CORSO straightens up and removes the glass from his eye. He finishes his brandy and beckons the STEWARD. 36. TRAIN: CORRIDOR INT/NIGHT The clickety-clack of wheels on tracks swells in volume as CORSO, bag on shoulder, crosses the sliding floorplates that connect one car to another. He enters the next corridor and stops short: there's a lone figure leaning against a window, looking out: it's THE GIRL we saw at Balkan's lecture: short dark hair, catlike green eyes, slim, athletic figure, jeans and white sneakers. CORSO sets off along the corridor. When he reaches her, they eye each other's reflections in the windowpane. THE GIRL (softly): Hi. CORSO pauses to look at her, unable to make up his mind. CORSO: I've seen you before, haven't I? THE GIRL: Have you? CORSO: Yes, somewhere. A brief silence. THE GIRL: Are you traveling in this car? CORSO: The next one. THE GIRL: The sleeper. (smiles) I travel on the cheap. CORSO: Are you a student? THE GIRL: Something like that. (looks out the window again) I like trains. CORSO: Me too. What's your name? THE GIRL: Guess. CORSO: (shrugs, smiles): Greeneyes. THE GIRL: That'll do. What's yours? CORSO: Corso. THE GIRL: Strange name. CORSO: Italian. it means 'I run'. THE GIRL: You don't look like a runner to me - more the quiet type. They look at each other's reflections once more. THE GIRL's gaze is direct and unwavering. CORSO terminates their encounter with a diffident little nod. CORSO: Well, have a good trip. THE GIRL: And you. CORSO walks on down the corridor. There's something weird about this chance encounter, but he can't figure out what. THE GIRL (cont.): See you around, maybe. CORSO pauses and looks back. She's still leaning against the window, staring out. He nods. CORSO: Maybe. 37. SINTRA STATION EXT/DAY It's a damp, gray morning. A sign reads: 'SINTRA'. CORSO, bag on shoulder and Samsonite suitcase in hand, gets off the train. 38. QUINTA FARGAS GATEWAY EXT/DAY One of Sintra's traditional horse-drawn carriages drops CORSO in front of a massive gateway flanked by stone walls thick with ivy. Some birds peer down at him from a branch. The gateposts are surmounted by two mildew-covered female busts in gray stone, one of them with its face obscured by ivy. CORSO contemplates them for a moment, then pushes open the gate, which squeaks protestingly. Beyond it, a neglected drive. 39. QUINTA FARGAS: DRIVEWAY, GROUNDS EXT/DAY A gray, desolate, infinitely melancholy scene. Dead leaves litter a gravel driveway flanked by crumbling statues, some of which have toppled over onto the long-neglected, weed-infested lawn. CORSO's muffled footsteps are the only sound. Near the house is a dried-up, dilapidated fountain faced with tiles and topped by a mouldering cherub. The waters of the ornamental pond beside it are dark as molasses and coated with dead leaves and water lilies. The Quinta Fargas is a gloomy, four-square, 18th century mansion. CORSO walks up the steps and tugs the old-fashioned bellpull. A mournful jangling sound issues from the recesses of the house. CORSO waits, glances at his watch. Echoing footsteps approach. A sound of bolts being withdrawn, and the door opens to reveal VICTOR FARGAS. Tall and emaciated as an El Greco saint, he has a drooping white mustache. His baggy trousers and oversized woollen sweater contrast with a pair of old but immaculately polished shoes. His appearance perfectly matches his melancholy surroundings. FARGAS: Yes? CORSO: Bob Corso, Mr. Fargas. (Puts out his hand) How do you do. FARGAS hesitates before shaking hands. Then his face clears. FARGAS: Corso, ah yes. Please come in. 40. QUINTA FARGAS: RECEPTION ROOMS, DRAWING ROOM INT/DAY FARGAS, who has a slight limp, leads the way through two reception rooms, once imposing but now entirely bare and empty. By the dim light that filters through their dusty windows, CORSO observes the patches on the walls that indicate the former location of paintings, curtains, pieces of furniture, etc. FARGAS: Home, sweet home! He ushers CORSO into a large but sparsely furnished drawing room. FARGAS (cont.): You won't say no to a brandy, 1 take it? He goes over to a side table and pours some cognac into two fine crystal glasses. CORSO, meantime, is surveying the room. At the far end, a huge open fireplace. Two ill-assorted armchairs, a table, a sideboard, some candlesticks, a violin case - and books. They're neatly stacked on the floor and the few pieces of furniture. CORSO has just discovered them when FARGAS comes over with the glasses. He puts his bag down and takes one. CORSO: Thanks. (admiringly) Handsome glasses. FARGAS: These are the only ones I have left. CORSO looks around the room. CORSO: Must have been a beautiful place. FARGAS: it was, but old families are like ancient civilizations: they wither and die. He raises his glass in a silent toast. CORSO reciprocates. FARGAS gestures at the books. FARGAS (cont.): There they are, eight hundred and thirty-four of them. A pity you didn't see them in better times, in their bookcases. I used to have five thousand. These are the survivors. CORSO, runs his fingers caressingly over a book. CORSO: So this is the Fargas collection. Not quite as I imagined it. FARGAS: C'est la vie, my friend. But I keep them in perfect condition, safe from damp, light, heat and rats. I dust and air them every day. it's all I do do, in fact. CORSO: What happened to the rest? FARGAS: Sacrificed in a good cause. I had to sell them to preserve the others. Five or six books a year. Almost all the proceeds go to the state in taxes. CORSO: Why don't you sell up? FARGAS: Sell the Fargas family estate? it's obvious you're an American, my friend. There are things you can't be expected to understand. CORSO continues to survey the books, fascinated. CORSO: If you sold all these your financial problems would be over... (picks up a book and examines it) Look at this, Poliphilo, for example: a real gem! He replaces it. FARGAS leans over and carefully adjusts the book until it's precisely in its original position. FARGAS: I know, but if I sold them all I'd have no reason to go on living. More brandy? He heads for the bottle on the side table without waiting for a reply. CORSO: What about 'The Nine Gates'? FARGAS (puzzled): What about it? CORSO: That's why I'm here.. I told you on the phone. FARGAS: The phone? (pause) Yes, of course, I remember now. Forgive me. Of course, 'The Nine Gates'. He looks around several times as if trying to collect his thoughts, drains his cognac, and limps over to some books on a rug near the fireplace. FARGAS and CORSO kneel on the rug side by side. CORSO examines the books, which all deal with magic, alchemy and demonology. FARGAS (cont.): Well, what do you think? CORSO: Not bad. FARGAS: Not bad indeed. These I will never sell. At least tan of them are exceedingly rare. Look, Plancy's 'Dictionary of Hell', first edition, 1842, Leonardo Fioravanti's 'Compendi di Secreti' of 1571... But this is what interests you, no? He picks up a black book with a gold pentacle on the cover - the second copy of 'The Nine Gates' - and holds it out. CORSO takes it carefully and gets to his feet. FARGAS rises too. FARGAS (cont.): There it is, in perfect condition. it has travelled the world for three-and-a-half centuries, yet it might have been printed yesterday. CORSO takes the book over to a window. FARGAS follows. CORSO: Is it in order? You haven't detected anything unusual? FARGAS: Unusual? No. The text is complete, the engravings too. Nine plus the title page, just as the catalogs state - just like the Kessler in Paris and the Telfer in New York. CORSO: it Isn't the Telfer anymore. Telfer killed himself, but he sold his copy to Balkan first. FARGAS: Balkan... If he sets his heart on a book, no price is too high... He reflects for a moment, shaking his head and staring at the floor. FARGAS (cont.): it's strange he should have sent you here, if he already... He breaks off as If something has just occurred to him. He points to CORSO's bag. FARGAS (cont.): You have it with you? May I see it? CORSO fetches the book, and they go over to a table. FARGAS places the two copies side by side, bends over them. FARGAS (cont.): Superb, beautiful, identical. Two of the only three that escaped the flames, reunited for the first time in over three centuries. The shadows are lengthening. FARGAS reverently turns the pages of each book In turn, caresses the yellowing paper with his fingertips. FARGAS (cont.): Look at this imperfection In the fourth line here - the damaged S. The same type, the same impression. He turns both copies of 'The Nine Gates' over to reveal their backboards. FARGAS (cont.): You see? If it weren't for this slight discoloration on the back of my copy, one couldn't tell them apart. CORSO: If it's all right with you, I'd like to stay awhile and study them in detail. FARGAS (eyes him keenly): What are you looking for, Mr. Corso? CORSO: I wish I knew. FARGAS looks suddenly grave. FARGAS: Some books are dangerous. Not to be opened with impunity. CORSO (with equal gravity): Very true. 41. QUINTA FARGAS: DRAWING ROOM INT/DUSK A fire is burning on the hearth. FARGAS, seated at a window, is practicing the violin. He repeats the same short piece over and over again, occasionally pausing to take a sip of brandy. CORSO Is sitting at a table with both copies of 'The Nine Gates' open in front of him at the engraving of THE KNIGHT WITH A FINGER TO HIS LIPS. CORSO compares the two copies with the aid of his magnifying glass. They look identical. CORSO turns over several pages in each book until he comes to THE HERMIT WITH THE KEYS, DOG, AND LANTERN. He compares the two copies. Again, no apparent difference. He proceeds to a third engraving: A WAYFARER APPROACHING A BRIDGE WITH TWO GATE TOWERS AND AN ANGELIC ARCHER IN THE CLOUDS OVERHEAD. Another seemingly identical pair. Then he stops short and returns to the second engraving. it looks the same, but... Then he spots it: in Balkan's copy the keys are In the Hermit's right hand, in Fargas's copy In his left! Fascinated by this discovery, CORSO peers closely at each signature In turn. Balkan's reads 'A.T.', Fargas's... 'L.F.' CORSO turns to an engraving of A JESTER OUTSIDE A MAZE WITH TWO ENTRANCES. Comparison of the two copies reveals that in Fargas's copy one of the doorways is open; in Balkan's it's bricked up. The signatures, too, vary: 'A.T.' in one, 'L.F.' in the other. CORSO (excitedly, under his breath): Now we're getting somewhere ... An old-fashioned telephone bell starts ringing in the bowels of the house. CORSO looks up. FARGAS doesn't hear the bell immediately. He plays on for a bar or two, then pauses and listens with his head cocked. The telephone continues to ring. His chair scrapes the floorboards as he gets to his feet. He puts the violin down and limps out. 42. QUINTA FARGAS: DRAWING ROOM INT/NIGHT CORSO's open notebook now displays a chart consisting of two horizontal rows of nine boxes. One row is marked 'BALKAN', the other 'FARGAS'. CORSO is busy filling In the boxes with either 'A.T.' or 'L.F.' FARGAS reappears. He gives CORSO a friendly nod, returns to the window and launches Into the same old piece on his violin. CORSO has now filled in all the boxes. He studies them for a moment, then rings all the 'L.F.'s in red. 43. QUINTA FARGAS: GATEWAY, ROAD EXT/NIGHT Under an owl's vigilant gaze, CORSO shuts the gate. His breath Is visible as steam In the chilly night air. After a last backward look at the statue-bordered driveway and the neglected garden, he turns up his overcoat collar, settles his bag on his shoulder, and sets off down the road toward the lights of Sintra, which are visible in the distance. His footsteps re-echo from the wall that bounds the Fargas property. Then it happens: he hasn't gone far when two headlights snap on behind him. Simultaneously, the car starts up and takes off with a squeal of tires. CORSO spins around. He stands there transfixed for a moment, then dodges behind a projecting buttress as the car hurtles past, missing him by a whisker. The car, a big dark sedan, skids to a halt some twenty yards away. The driver' s door opens and A TALL MAN gets out. He momentarily hesitates when he sees CORSO still on his feet. Just then we hear a motor vehicle - a noisy one - rounding the next bend. The TALL MAN is captured by a beam of light. CORSO has seen him before: it's the MUSTACHE. The MUSTACHE decides to beat it. He dives back Into the car and takes off fast. CORSO, trembling with shock, watches the tail lights recede and disappear. The sound of the approaching vehicle increases in volume. CORSO turns to stare at it. Wobbling unsteadily along the road comes a lone PEASANT astride a ramshackle motorbike with a blown exhaust. The PEASANT honks as he goes by. CORSO retrieves his bag from the roadside. 44. SINTRA HOTEL EXT/NIGHT CORSO enters a small hotel. 45. SINTRA HOTEL: RECEPTION, LOUNGE INT/NIGHT CORSO, still looking pretty rocky, collects his key from the reception desk and sets off In the direction of the elevator. Visible in the background Is the hotel lounge. TWO ELDERLY FEMALE TOURISTS, possibly retired English schoolmarms, are quietly conversing at one table while AN OVERWEIGHT GERMAN COUPLE sip cocktails at another. CORSO, idly scanning the lounge as he makes for the elevator, stops short: a pair of legs In jeans and white sneakers are jutting from an inglenook fireplace in the far corner. He goes over to investigate. THE GIRL Is snuggled up In an armchair with a book on her lap. He hesitates for a moment. She looks up. CORSO: Hi. You didn't say you were bound for Sintra. THE GIRL: Neither did you. CORSO: What are you doing here? THE GIRL Reading. CORSO: I can see that. THE GIRL: And bumping into people unexpectedly. CORSO: Unexpectedly is right. THE GIRL: Are you on a business trip? (indicates his shoulder bag) Is that why you always carry that thing around? CORSO doesn't answer, adjusts his glasses. inquiringly at her book. THE GIRL hands it to him. We see the title: 'The Devil in Love' by Jacques Cazotte. CORSO: You like Gothic novels? THE GIRL: I like books. I never travel without one. CORSO: Been traveling long? THE GIRL: Ages. CORSO eyes her, intrigued. She uttered the word in the simple, natural way that characterizes all her behavior. CORSO: You said you were a student? THE GIRL: Did I? (shrugs) So I am. In a way. CORSO shakes his head and smiles. He's getting nowhere fast. THE HOTEL PORTER appears at his elbow. HOTEL PORTER: Excuse me, senhor. Phone call. CORSO (surprised): For me? Are you sure? HOTEL PORTER: Sim, senhor. He withdraws. CORSO turns back to THE GIRL. CORSO: Well, sorry I disturbed you. He hands back the book and turns to go. 46. SINTRA HOTEL: PHONE BOOTH INT/NIGHT CORSO picks up the receiver with a puzzled frown. He gestures CORSO: Yes? BALKAN (V.O.): Mr. Corso? CORSO (startled): Balkan? How did you find me? BALKAN (V.O.): Made any progress? CORSO: Progress? You could call it that. BALKAN (V.O.): Well? CORSO: I've examined the Fargas copy. it's authentic. At least it looks that way. Like yours. But there are discrepancies. BALKAN (V.O.): Discrepancies? CORSO: In the engravings. Like keys in different hands, doorways open In one copy and bricked up In the other. BALKAN (V.O.): 1 see. CORSO: And there's another thing. BALKAN (V.O.): Yes? CORSO: The ones that differ are ail signed 'L.F.' Seems like some kind of riddle. A long pause. CORSO (cont.): Are you still there? Where are you, anyway? BALKAN (V.O.): I think you'd better get it for me. CORSO: The old man wouldn't sell it to save his life - he said as much. Another long pause. CORSO (cont.): Balkan? A click, and the line goes dead. 47. SINTRA HOTEL: CORSO'S ROOM INT/DAWN The curtains are drawn, but there's light enough for us to see CORSO lying fast asleep on his back in bed, one limp arm trailing over the edge. A knock at the door. He grunts and props himself on one elbow. CORSO (sleepily): Just a minute. He rolls out of bed and wraps the bedspread around his waist. Then he opens the door and stands there, a tousled figure with Liana's teeth marks clearly visible on his chest. THE GIRL is outside. THE GIRL: You left your phone off the hook. CORSO: Jesus... (peers blearily at his watch): What time is it? THE GIRL: Early, but you have to go. CORSO (bewildered): Go where, for God's sake? THE GIRL: The Fargas place. CORSO is at first too bemused to find it odd that she should know the name. CORSO: Fargas? I already saw Fargas. THE GIRL: I think you should see him again. CORSO: What is this, a practical joke? Who the hell are you? What do you know about Fargas? THE GIRL: Better get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs. 48. QUINTA FARGAS: DRIVEWAY, HOUSE EXT/DAY CORSO and THE GIRL are walking in silence up the driveway, with its carpet of dead leaves and avenue of crumbling statues. He eyes her, mystified, as she strides briskly along with a blue duffel coat over her usual attire. The early morning mist is dispersing. With another look at THE GIRL, who remains standing at the foot of the steps, CORSO goes up to the front door and yanks at the bellpull, producing the same muffled jangling sound as before. THE GIRL: Don't bother. He isn't there. CORSO (sarcastically): Really. So where is he? THE GIRL: Over there. She points in the direction of the ornamental pond. CORSO stares at her, then walks over to it and freezes: VICTOR FARGAS's corpse is floating face up among the dead leaves and lily pads. An empty brandy bottle is floating alongside. CORSO (mutters): God Almighty! He emerges from his stupor and walks back to THE GIRL, who's still standing outside the front door. Ignoring her, he tries the handle, but it's bolted. THE GIRL: You want to get inside? CORSO nods wordlessly, too shocked to bandy words with her. THE GIRL looks up at the facade. Then, with unsuspected agility, she shins up a drainpipe beside the door and climbs onto the balcony above it. One of the French windows is broken. She reaches inside, releases the catch, and disappears from view. CORSO waits, casting occasional glances at the ornamental pond and its occupant. There's the rattle of a bolt being withdrawn, and THE GIRL opens the front door from the inside. CORSO: Wait here. He enters the house. 49. QUINTA FARGAS: RECEPTION ROOMS, DRAWING ROOM INT/DAY CORSO traverses the empty reception rooms and reaches the drawing room. His foot crunches on something as he crosses it on his way to the rug on which the occult books were stacked: it's the remains of one of Fargas's treasured brandy glasses. He pauses for long enough to identify it, then walks on. The books are lying scattered across the rug: no sign of 'The Nine Gates'. CORSO: Shit! Shit, shit!!! He looks around helplessly. Then he sees it: the last of the fire is still smoldering on the hearth, and lying open among the ashes, charred around the edges, is Fargas's 'Nine Gates'. He picks up,the mutilated volume, looks at it for a moment, ruefully shaking his head, and stows it in his canvas bag. 50. QUINTA FARGAS EXT/DAY CORSO emerges from the house. THE GIRL: Well, did you find it? CORSO: You know too damned much. More than I do. Why do you keep following me around? What are you, a groupie or something? IRS, CIA, Interpol? Who are you working for? THE GIRL: You're wasting time, asking all these questions. We'd better get out of here. There's a flight from Lisbon to Paris at noon. We should just make it. CORSO: What's with the 'we'? THE GIRL: There are two of us, aren't there? 51. AIRLINER CABIN INT/DAY A sunlit mountainscape of dazzling white cloud glides past the window beside which THE GIRL is drowsing with her head on CORSO's shoulder. The cabin is bathed in milky radiance, the atmosphere is tranquil and soothing. CORSO looks down at THE GIRL. CORSO: Somebody's playing a game with me. THE GIRL (drowsily): Of course. You're a part of it. CORSO: What exactly happened back there? THE GIRL: Fargas caught someone stealing, I guess. CORSO: And what do you guess happened to him? THE GIRL simply): He drowned. CORSO: With a little help from who? THE GIRL (shrugs): He's dead. Who cares? CORSO: I care. I could wind up the same way. THE GIRL: Not with me around to take care of you. CORSO: I see. You're my guardian angel. THE GIRL: Something like that. She removes her head from his shoulder, turns away, and snuggles up against the window instead. 52. PARIS AIRPORT ARRIVALS HALL INT/DAY CORSO makes his way across the bustling arrivals hall. THE GIRL, now with a backpack slung over her blue duffel coat, is trailing along in his wake. He glances back at her occasionally. The PASSENGERS slow as they reach the bottleneck at immigration control. CORSO, shuffling along in line, takes out his US passport in readiness to show it. He looks around for THE GIRL, but there's no sign of her. 53. PARIS HOTEL EXT/DAY A taxi drops CORSO in front of a modest but respectable three- star hotel. He hands some money through the driver's window and heads for the entrance. 54. PARIS HOTEL: LOBBY, RECEPTION DESK INT/DAY CORSO walks up to the reception desk, which is presided over by a desk clerk (GRUBER). A short, squat reincarnation of Erich von Stroheim, he wears his uniform like a Prussian grenadier. CORSO: Hello, Gruber. GRUBER looks up, acknowledges CORSO's presence with a curt, faintly military inclination of the head. GRUBER: Welcome, Mr. Corso. Delighted to see you again. (consults his computer screen) We don't have any vacancies, but I'm sure I'll be able to organize something. CORSO: Thank you, Gruber. Discreetly, he slides a 100 franc bill across the desk. GRUBER makes it vanish with elegant alacrity and smiles - almost. GRUBER Thank you, sir. 55. PARIS HOTEL: CORSO'S ROOM INT/DAY A bottle of Scotch and a glass repose on a small desk, likewise Balkan's 'Nine Gates' and Fargas's charred copy. A Lucky is smouldering in the ashtray beside them. CORSO is turning the pages of what remains of Fargas's copy. He pauses at a page of text bearing a distinctive ornamental capital, peers at the gutter, and detects that the page facing it has been torn out. Thoughtfully, he runs his finger along the rough edge. Then he opens Balkan's copy at the same place. What is missing from the charred copy is the engraving of THE HERMIT WITH THE KEYS, DOG, AND LANTERN. CORSO takes a pull at his Scotch and leans back with the Lucky between his lips, thinking hard. Then he glances at his watch and stands up. 56. PONT DES ARTS EXT/DAY It's a fine day. CORSO, canvas bag on shoulder as usual, is striding across the bridge toward the Left Bank. 57. KESSLER BUILDING EXT/DAY CORSO walks up to the entrance of a tall, well-preserved old building overlooking the Seine. 58. KESSLER BUILDING INT/DAY A grim-faced CONCIERGE is sitting in her cubby-hole. She eyes CORSO inquiringly. CONCIERGE: Monsieur? CORSO: The Kessler Foundation. CONCIERGE Derni�re �tage. She jerks her head in the direction of an old-fashioned elevator like a gilded cage. 59. KESSLER BUILDING: LOBBY INT/DAY The SECRETARY is a big-bosomed, middle-aged woman with hornrims and scraped-back hair. She looks up at CORSO with an inquisitorial air. CORSO: Bob Corso. I have an appointment with Baroness Kessler. Having consulted her appointments book and her watch, the SECRETARY rises. She speaks with a French accent. SECRETARY: This way. She walks ahead of CORSO down a panelled corridor and stops outside a heavy wooden door. SECRETARY (cont.): You have thirty minutes. She knocks on the door and opens it. 60. KESSLER BUILDING: OFFICE, LIBRARY INT/DAY A spacious room filled with luxuriant potted plants. Beside the window, a large desk. covered with papers and books, some of them open. CORSO follows the SECRETARY in. BARONESS KESSLER, an elegant little white-haired old lady with a Hermes scarf draped around her shoulders, turns her electric wheelchair to face him. She speaks with a pronounced German accent. BARONESS KESSLER: Mr. Corso? Come in. I've heard a great deal about you. She approaches with her left hand extended. We see that her right arm has been amputated at the elbow., CORSO: Nothing good, I hope. They shake hands. BARONESS KESSLER (to the SECRETARY): Merci, Simone (to CORSO): You hope right. The SECRETARY exits, closing the door behind her. CORSO (dryly.): I'm reassured, Baroness. In my trade, to be spoken well of can be professionally disastrous. He surveys the room. Visible through some open double doors on the right is a vast library. He focuses on it. BARONESS KESSLER follows the direction of his gaze. BARONESS KESSLER: Yes, there it is: the Kessler Collection. CORSO: Very impressive too. I know your catalog almost by heart. BARONESS KESSLER: Strange we haven't met before. Your name is a byword among dealers and collectors but I imagine you know your own reputation better than I do. CORSO: It keeps the wolf from the door. (smiles to change the subject) Were you in the middle of something? BARONESS KESSLER beckons him over to the desk. CORSO looks at the array of books and papers. An elegant fountain pen lies on top of some handwritten notes. BARONESS KESSLER: My latest work: 'The Devil: History and Myth' - a kind of biography. It will be published early next year. CORSO: Why the Devil? BARONESS KESSLER (laughs): I saw him one day. I was fifteen years old, and I saw him as plain as I see you now: cutaway, top hat, cane. Very elegant, very handsome. It was love at first sight. COP.SO chuckles, doing his best to charm the old lady. CORSO: Three hundred years ago they'd have burned you at the stake for saying that. BARONESS KESSLER: Three hundred years ago I wouldn't have said it. They both laugh. BARONESS KESSLER (cont.) Nor would I have made a million by writing about it. (abruptly businesslike) What is it you wish to discuss, Mr. Corso? COP.SO (adjusts his glasses): There's a book in your collection I'd like to examine. She smiles as if that were already obvious. COP.SO (cont.): It's 'The Book of the Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows'. BARONESS KESSLER (unsurprised): The Nine Gates? An interesting work. Everyone's been asking about it lately. CORSO (stiffens almost imperceptibly): Really? BARONESS KESSLER eyes him for a moment. BARONESS KESSLER: Come with me. Swinging her wheelchair around, she steers it toward the double doors and into the library beyond them. CORSO follows. CORSO (cont.): You really believe in the Devil, Baroness? BARONESS KESSLER: Enough to devote my life and my library to him, not to mention many years of work. Don't you? CORSO: Everyone's been asking me that lately. BARONESS KESSLER looks mildly amused. She sends her wheelchair gliding over to a bookshelf and removes the third copy of 'The Nine Gates'. BARONESS KESSLER: This book demands a certain amount of faith. CORSO: My faith is in short supply. They both go over to a small table in the centre of the room. BARONESS KESSLER opens the book and turns a few pages. There are handwritten slips of paper inserted throughout. BARONESS KESSLER: I know this book extremely well. I studied it for years. CORSO: Do you have any doubts about its authenticity? BARONESS KESSLER (glances at him suspiciously): None whatever. CORSO: You're sure? BARONESS KESSLER: My knowledge of this book is profound. 1 wrote a biography of its author. CORSO: Aristide Torchia? BARONESS KESSLER: A courageous man. He died for the sake of this very book in 1623. He had spent many years in Prague, a centre of the occult. While there he studied the black arts and acquired a copy of the dread 'Delomelanicon'. This is his adaptation of that work, which was written by Lucifer himself. After they burned him at the stake, a secret society was founded to perpetuate its memory and preserve its secrets: the Brotherhood. CORSO: The Brotherhood? BARONESS KESSLER: Yes, a kind of witches' coven. For centuries they have met to read from this book and worship the Prince of Darkness. Today they've degenerated into a social club for bored millionaires. I myself belonged to the Brotherhood many years ago, but time is too precious at my age. I told them to go to the Devil. She titters at her own little joke. CORSO: They still meet? BARONESS CORSO: Every year. CORSO: And you say they read from this book? He stares from the book to BARONESS KESSLER. BARONESS KESSLER: No, I took mine back when Liana Telfer acquired the one in Toledo. Victor Fargas is an unbeliever - he has always refused to participate, so naturally they use the Telfer copy. Not that it has ever worked. (pause) They never do, to be honest. CORSO: So Andrew Telfer never took part? BARONESS KESSLER: Never. He knew nothing of these activities until that creature Liana de Saint-Damien married him for money. She used his dollars to buy the book and renovate her chateau. An old and aristocratic family, the Saint-Damiens, but penniless. They have dabbled in witchcraft for hundreds of years. CORSO: Telfer hanged himself last week. A brief silence. She looks stunned for a moment. BARONESS KESSLER: I see. And Fargas? CORSO looks at her impassively. CORSO: He was alive the last time we spoke. BARONESS KESSLER: When was that? CORSO Two days ago. BARONESS KESSLER digests this, looks at him keenly. BARONESS KESSLER: Who exactly are you working for, Mr. Corso? CORSO: My client's name is irrelevant, Baroness. I'm simply trying to authenticate his copy - the one Telfer sold him before he died. BARONESS KESSLER (catches on): How stupid of me! I should have guessed! Angry now, she swings her wheelchair around to face him full on. BARONESS KESSLER (cont.): You've outstayed your welcome, Mr. Corso. CORSO: I was hoping to examine your copy in detail. BARONESS KESSLER: Certainly not. Tell your client, who can only be Boris Balkan, to come and examine it himself - if he dares. Tell him not to send any more wolves in sheeps' clothing. And now, kindly leave. Sternly, she points to the door with her stump. Her wheelchair hums as she shepherds CORSO out through the office. He opens the door to the corridor. BARONESS KESSLER (cont.) You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Mr. Corso. Get out before it's too late. CORSO: I'm afraid it already is, Baroness. BARONESS KESSLER: Some books are dangerous, and this is one. CORSO (smiles wryly): So people keep telling me. Thanks s for your time. BARONESS KESSLER watches him exit. He's hardly out the door when she picks up the phone. 61. KESSLER BUILDING: LOBBY INT/EVENING CORSO walks back along the corridor. The SECRETARY, who has been peeling an orange, unsuccessfully hides it below desk level and gives him a curt nod as he passes. 62. KESSLER BUILDING, RIVERSIDE STREET EXT/EVENING CORSO emerges from the building. As he does so he catches sight of the MUSTACHE leaning against the parapet of the riverside promenade across the way. The MUSTACHE stiffens and straightens up. CORSO, with one eye on him, starts walking. The MUSTACHE starts walking too, keeps level with him on the other side of the street. CORSO comes to a cafe. For want of a better idea, he goes inside. 63. CAFE/RIVERSIDE STREET INT/EXT/EVENING CORSO sits down at a table, orders a drink. Looking out the caf& window, he sees the MUSTACHE leaning against the parapet in his former pose, watching. The MUSTACHE lights a small cigar without taking his eyes off CORSO. 64. CAFE/RIVERSIDE STREET INT/EXT/NIGHT CORSO is still sitting at his table, which now has several checks on it. The lights come on, blotting out his view of the street through the window. All he can now see is a reflection of the c'fe's interior, including his own seated figure. He drums on the table irresolutely, glances at his watch, deliberates. He can't postpone the moment of decision any longer. He adds up his checks and puts some money on the table. Then, settling his bag on his shoulder, he makes for the door. He peers across the street, sees no sign of the Mustache, and exits. 65. RIVERSIDE STREET, SEINE QUAYSIDE EXT/NIGHT CORSO emerges from the cafe. Still no sign of the Mustache. He sets of falong the sidewalk, glancing across the street as he does so. Then, over his shoulder, he catches sight of a car with dipped headlights - a dark-colored sedan - crawling along the curb some twenty yards behind him. On impulse, he darts across the street to the riverside promenade and dashes down the flight of steps that leads to the quay. The car's headlights blaze up. it accelerates, tires squealing, and swerves across the one-way street in pursuit. 66. SEINE QUAYSIDE, PROMENADE EXT/NIGHT CORSO races down the steps, hears the car skid to a halt, and sprints off along the quay with his overcoat flapping and the shoulder bag bumping against his flank. it's misty down on the quayside, and the streetlights cast a yellowish glow that hinders visibility rather than helps it. A couple of hundred yards along the quay he runs out of steam and slows, turns to look: no sign of the Mustache, no sound of pursuing footsteps. Relieved but still wary, he leans against the embankment wall to catch his breath and light a cigarette. Then, with a final backward look, he walks on to the next flight of steps. He's halfway up them when the MUSTACHE, a tall, menacing figure, appears at the top. He turns to flee, but the MUSTACHE is too quick for him. He darts down the steps and punches his retreating figure behind the ear. CORSO misses the last couple of steps and lands face down on the quayside. The MUSTACHE is on him in a flash. He bends down and yanks the strap of the bag off his shoulder. CORSO resists, hugs the bag protectively, gets kicked in the stomach, doubles up and hangs on for dear life. As he lies there with the MUSTACHE kicking him repeatedly and tugging at the strap, he sees, silhouetted against the yellowish, misty glow of the nearest streetlight, a ghostly figure flying down the steps: It's THE GIRL, with her duffel coat streaming out behind her like Superman's cape. The MUSTACHE has finally gotten the bag away from CORSO. Just as he straightens up and turns to go, THE GIRL performs a flying leap and kicks him in the solar plexus. He grunts and goes sprawling on his back, dropping the bag. THE GIRL is stooping to retrieve the bag when the MUSTACHE scrambles to his feet and lunges at her. He throws a punch at her head. Although she neutralizes most of its force by riding it, he catches her a glancing blow on the nose. THE GIRL reacts like lightning, kicks him in the balls. He yelps and goes into a crouch. Then, with a spin kick, she floors him once more. He lies there, spitting blood and glaring up at her. She seems to have knocked the fight out of him at last. With one wary eye on the MUSTACHE, THE GIRL picks up the shoulder bag and turns to CORSO, who's struggling to his feet. Beyond her, he sees the MUSTACHE get up and make for the steps. CORSO: Hey, he's getting away! THE GIRL merely turns to look. CORSO sets off after the MUSTACHE, who has already started up the steps, and just manages to grab one of his legs. The MUSTACHE kicks @ self free and continues up the steps with CORSO clumsily following a few feet behind. Waiting at the top of the steps, engine idling and passenger door open, is the dark sedan, a Mercedes. CORSO reaches street level in time to catch a glimpse of the glamorous blonde behind the wheel: it's LIANA TELFER. The MUSTACHE jumps in and slams the door. The car burns rubber as it accelerates away. THE GIRL calmly climbs the last few steps with CORSO, a beg in one hand and his glasses in the other. She hands them to him. THE GIRL: They're broken. You should be more careful. CORSO, leaning back against the promenade wall and breathing heavily, stares at her with his mouth open. He slides down the wall and subsides into a sitting position on the sidewalk. 67. RIVERSIDE STREET EXT/NIGHT CORSO, one lens of his glasses cracked, is still sitting on the sidewalk with his back against the wall. THE GIRL is sitting beside him. He produces a crumpled Lucky and lights it. it takes him quite a while, his hands are shaking so badly. THE GIRL's nose is bleeding. She wipes it on her sleeve. CORSO produces a handkerchief as crumpled as his cigarette and hands it to her. CORSO: When did you learn all that? THE GIRL: What? CORSO aims a feeble kick in the air. CORSO: That stuff. THE GIRL (casually): Oh, ages ago. CORSO: No shit. THE GIRL gets up and holds out her hand. CORSO takes it and rises with an effort. He flicks his cigarette over the parapet. They walk off along the promenade side by side. 68. PARIS HOTEL: LOBBY, RECEPTION DESK INT/NIGHT CORSO goes up to the reception desk, where GRUBER is on duty. CORSO: I need a favor, Gruber. GRUBER looks up, registers his broken glasses and dishevelled condition. THE GIRL is standing in the background. GRUBER: Certainly, Mr. Corso. CORSO: Liana Telfer, maiden name Saint-Damien. Thirtyish, blond, dishy. Probably accompanied by a big man with a Clark Gable mustache. Impassive as ever, GRUBER make some notes on a pad. CORSO (cont.): I want to know if they're staying at some hotel here in Paris. GRUBER: It could take a little time. CORSO: Of course. Start with the five-stars. They're the best bet. GRUBER: Very good, sir. (pause) Are you feeling all right? CORSO: I've felt better. Thanks, Gruber. Let me know if you locate them. GRUBER watches CORSO and THE GIRL walk to the elevators. 69. PARIS HOTEL: BEDROOM INT/NIGHT CORSO is filling a plastic laundry bag with ice from a tray in the minibar. THE GIRL is sitting on the bed with her head tilted back and a bloodstained handkerchief to her nose. The bedside light bathes the room in a subdued glow. CORSO: Here, hold this against your neck and lie back. He sits down beside her and hands her the improvised ice pack. She applies it to the nape of her neck, lies back and shuts her eyes. CORSO (cont.): You were great down there by the river. I haven't really thanked you. She opens her eyes and smiles at him. CORSO (cont.): Like to tell me what's going on? THE GIRL (shrugs faintly): Someone's after your book. CORSO: They didn't have to kill Fargas to get it. They didn't have to mutilate his copy, either. They tore out the engravings and ditched the rest. There's got to be more to it than that. Her nose has stopped bleeding. THE GIRL: Do you believe in the Devil, Corso? CORSO: I'm being paid to. Do you? THE GIRL (smiles): I'm a bit of a devil myself... She reaches up, removes his glasses, and puts them on the bedside table. CORSO eyes her uncertainly. Then the spell is broken: her nose starts to bleed again. She puts her fingertips to it and inspects the blood on them. Very deliberately, she dabbles them in the blood some more, reaches up, and gently draws four vertical lines down his face from his forehead to his mouth, where her fingertips linger. CORSO's face approaches hers. They melt into a passionate kiss, Then she pushes W= away, rolls him over on his back, unbuttons his shirt, and rests her palms on his chest. Playfully, she runs her forefinger over the imprint of Liana's teeth. THE GIRL (smiles mischievously): Would you know a devil if you saw one? 70. PARIS HOTEL: STAIRS, LOBBY, RECEPTION DESK INT/DAWN CORSO, tieless and unshaven, descends the stairs to the lobby carrying his beg. The JUNIOR DESK CLERK, a spotty youth, is dozing on a chair behind the reception desk. CORSO goes over and reps on the desk. The JUNIOR DESK CLERK springs to his feet like a jack-in-a-box. CORSO jerks his chin at the door behind him. CORSO: Do you have a photocopier back there? JUNIOR DESK CLERK: Er, yes, monsieur. CORSO: May I use it? JUNIOR DESK CLERK: Are you a guest, monsieur? CORSO: You mean I don't look like one? JUNIOR DESK CLERK: Of course, monsieur. This way, monsieur. He lifts a flap and shows CORSO into the back office. CORSO: Room 35. And get them to send up breakfast for two. 71. PARIS HOTEL: OFFICE INT/DAWN CORSO has deposited his bag beside the photocopier and taken out Balkan's 'Nine Gates'. He opens it at the first engraving - THE KNIGHT WITH A FINGER TO HIS LIPS - and inverts it. Positioning it on the photocopier, he shuts the flap and presses the start button. The photocopy glides out into the tray. 72. PARIS HOTEL: CORSO'S ROOM INT/DAWN CORSO enters, quietly closing the door behind him. THE GIRL is lying sprawled among the rumpled sheets, fast asleep. Her clothes are draped over a chair with her backpack alongside. Stealthily, CORSO takes Balkan's 'Nine Gates' from his bag and secretes it behind the minibar, then goes into the bathroom. 73. PARIS HOTEL: BATHROOM, BEDROOM, CORRIDOR INT/DAY CORSO, with his hair damp from the shower and a towel around his waist, is halfway through shaving when there's a knock on the bathroom door. One cheek daubed with foam, he opens it to find himself confronted by a FLOOR WAITER, check pad and ballpoint in hand. FLOOR WAITER: Bonjour, monsieur. Votre petit d�jeuner. CORSO: Oh. Sure. Taking the pad, he emerges into the bedroom and scribbles his signature, then stops short: there's a breakfast cart in the middle of the room, but the bed in empty and The Girl's clothes and backpack have disappeared. CORSO (cont.): Where is she? WAITER: Pardon? CORSO: Madame, ou elle est? FLOOR WAITER: Je ne sais pas, m'sieur. He makes for the door and exits. CORSO catches hold of the door just as it's closing, puts his head out into the corridor, looks right and left. No one in sight but the FLOOR WAITER, who casts a puzzled glance over his shoulder as he walks off. CORSO steps back into the bedroom and shuts the door. He stands there for a moment, frowning at the empty bed. Then, abruptly galvanized, he dashes over to the minibar and looks behind it. His fears are groundless: 'The Nine Gates' is still there. Just then the phone rings. He picks up the receiver and puts it to his ear on the clean-shaven side of his face. CORSO: Yes? BALKAN (V.O.): Come down. I'm in the cafe across the street. 74. PARIS HOTEL, CAFE. EXT/INT/DAY CORSO, wearing his crumpled overcoat and carrying his bag, emerges from the hotel and crosses the street to a cafe opposite. He enters and looks around, catches sight of BALKAN's sleek gray head at a table in the corner. He goes over to him. CORSO: You sure as hell get around. He sits down with the shoulder bag between his feet. A WAITER appears at his elbow. CORSO (cont.): (to the WAITER): Un caf� noir, s'il vous plait. The WAITER nods and withdraws. BALKAN studies CORSO's face through his hornrims, notes the glasses with the cracked lens. BALKAN: Problems? CORSO: Yeah, like someone tried to total me a couple times. Aside from that, three people have died on me since I took this job. (thinks for a moment) Well, two. Telfer was dead already. BALKAN: 1 don't follow you. CORSO: It's simple enough. You give me 'The Nine Gates' and they start dropping like flies. I'm thinking of giving it back. BALKAN: Who are you talking about? CORSO: My pal Bernie Feldman, for one. BALKAN: The book dealer? He's dead? CORSO: Murdered. He was holding your book for me. Someone was after it. He wouldn't give it to them. A moment is silence. Then BALKAN emits a wholly incongruous chuckle. The chuckle becomes a guffaw, the guffaw gives way to peal after peal of uproarious laughter. He slaps his thighs and rocks back and forth, his face turns puce, his eyes fill with tears. His hilarity is so deafening that the cafe's other CUSTOMERS turn to stare. CORSO, too, stares at BALKAN as if he's gone crazy. BALKAN's mirth gradually subsides. He removes his hornrims and mops his eyes. Eventually, still chuckling: BALKAN: Poor fellow. Very creditable of him. COP.SO refrains from commenting on this outburst. CORSO: Then there's Fargas. The WAITER brings CORSO'S coffee. BALKAN waits for him to put it on the table and retire. BALKAN: What about Fargas? CORSO: Dead too. BALKAN: How do you know? CORSO: I saw him - and his copy, or what was left of it. Someone had snitched the engravings and tried to burn the rest. BALKAN stares at him for a moment. Then: BALKAN: How tragic. What about the Kessler copy? CORSO: The old woman says it's authentic, but I didn't get a chance to look at it closely. As soon as she guessed you were behind my visit she threw me out. You aren't her flavor of the month. BALKAN: You must see her again. You must get me that copy - or examine it, at least. CORSO (derisively): Are you kidding? I'd have to be the Invisible Man. BALKAN reaches into his black briefcase and produces a big manilla envelope. BALKAN: Try this. CORSO takes the envelope and looks at it. it's addressed to 'Baroness Friede Kessler'. 75. KESSLER BUILDING: LOBBY iNT/DAY CORSO, canvas bag on shoulder, hands the envelope to the SECRETARY, who takes it and walks off down the corridor. 76. KESSLER BUILDING: OFFICE iNT/DAY A black and white photo fills the screen: it shows a young and beautiful BARONESS KESSLER flanked by two men in SS uniform. One of them is Heinrich Himmler. BARONESS KESSLER is scowling down at a wartime number of 'Signal', the Nazi propaganda magazine. It's lying open on her desk with Balkan's envelope beside it. The SECRETARY shows CORSO in. The BARONESS addresses her crisply. BARONESS KESSLER: Merci, Simone. The SECRETARY nods and exits. Fixing CORSO with a cold, challenging stare, BARONESS KESSLER feeds the magazine into a shredder beside her desk. She no longer looks such a dear little old lady. 77. KESSLER BUILDING: LIBRARY, OFFICE iNT/DAY CORSO is seated at a library table on which reposes the Kessler copy of 'The Nine Gates'. Beside it lies his notebook and the photocopies of Balkan's engravings. His shoulder bag is hanging on the chairback, his overcoat draped over it. He reaches into his pocket and produces a Lucky, takes out his lighter. BARONESS KESSLER: Blackmail doesn't entitle you to smoke in my library, Mr. Corso. CORSO stops short and looks back through the double doors into her office: she's seated behind her desk like a graven image, watching him intently. He reinserts the Lucky in its pack and pockets his lighter. Getting down to work, he opens 'The Nine Gates' and extracts one of the Baroness's handwritten slips, reads it to himself in a low voice. CORSO: 'I will recognize your servants, my brethren, by the sign that adorns some part of their body, a scar or mark of your making...' He replaces the slip. BARONESS KESSLER cranes her body largely obscures her view of the table. CORSO turns some pages and comes to the engraving of THE KNIGHT WITH A FINGER TO HIS LIPS. He compares it with the photocopy: the castle has three towers instead of four. He examines the margin of the engraving through his magnifying glass to ascertain the presence of something he already knows will be there: an 'L.F.' He turns to the chart in his notebook, which has already acquired a third row of nine boxes. He writes 'Kessler' beside it and enters an 'L.F' in the first box. The second engraving - THE HERMIT WITH THE KEYS - appears to be identical and the signature is 'A.T.' An 'A.T.' goes down in the second box. The third engraving is different: THE ANGELIC ARCHER has an arrow in his quiver, whereas the photocopy of Balkan' s counterpart does not. This one, too, is signed 'L.F.' CORSO enters an 'L.F.' in the third box. We MOVE IN until the chart FILLS THE SCREEN. 78. KESSLER BUILDING: LIBRARY, OFFICE LONG SHOT of CORSO from behind. He leans back and stretches, glances in the direction of the office: Baroness Kessler is no longer at her desk. Absolute silence reigns. He resumes work, turns to the ninth engraving: THE NAKED WOMAN RIDING THE DRAGON WITH A CASTLE ABLAZE IN THE BACKGROUND. There's a loud thud, and the engraving sways and blurs. THE SCREEN GOES BLACK. 79. KESSLER BUILDING: LIBRARY, OFFICE FADE IN. An electrical hum, punctuated by a strange, rhythmical series of clicks and thuds: click-thud, click-thud, click-thud... CORSO, sitting slumped over the table, comes to. He groans and laboriously straightens up, feels his head and winces. The strange sound impinges on his consciousness: he looks around vaguely for its source and discovers it: BARONESS KESSLER's wheelchair has been left in forward gear. Complete with occupant, it's colliding again and again with the wall beneath a window on the other side of the room. CORSO, who can just glimpse the top of the old lady's head from behind, sees it jerk forward at each impact. He struggles to his feet. CORSO: Baroness? No answer. Unsteadily, he makes his way over to the wheelchair and swivels it around, starts back with a muffled exclamation. BARONESS KESSLER has been strangled with her Hermes scarf: her cheeks are blue, her eyes and tongue are protruding. Unobstructed, the laden wheelchair takes off across the library and heads for the double doors, which are now closed. it runs into them full tilt, bursts them open, and continues on its way. Instantly, smoke comes billowing into the library, accompanied by a crackle of flames. The wheelchair disappears into the murk. CORSO wildly scans the table for Baroness Kessler's 'Nine Gates', but it's gone. Snatching up his notebook and abandoning his shoulder bag and overcoat, he makes for the office at a run. The office is thick with smoke and illumined by a fiery glow. CORSO pauses in the doorway, shielding his face from the heat with one hand, and surveys the scene. BARONESS KESSLER and her wheelchair have come to rest in the midst of a bonfire of books and papers. CORSO can just make out her copy of 'The Nine Gates' on top. The flames are already engulfing it. CORSO takes a last look, then dashes through the smoke to the door and exits. 80. KESSLER BUILDING: CORRIDOR, LOBBY, LANDING INT/DAY With smoke billowing after him, CORSO dashes along the corridor, through the lobby, which is deserted, and out onto the landing. 81. KESSLER BUILDING: LANDING, STAIRS, HALLWAY INT/DAY On the landing CORSO bumps into the SECRETARY, who has just emerged from the elevator. She gives a little shriek and drops a paper bag. Half a dozen oranges go bouncing ahead of CORSO as he races down the stairs. In the hallway he almost upends the CONCIERGE, who's wielding a broom in her curlers. Leaping aside with a startled yell, she speeds him on his way with some choice imprecations, then peers up the stairwell: the upper stories are already wreathed in smoke, and sundry TENANTS have debauched onto the landings. The SECRETARY comes pelting down the stairs, screaming at the top of her lungs. 82. SMALL PARIS SQUARE EXT/DAY CORSO douses his head in the basin of a fountain, shakes off the drips and massages his face. Then he leans against the basin and looks around. He's all alone in the little square. He takes out a crumpled cigarette and inserts it between his lips with dripping fingers, gropes for his lighter, and vainly tries to light it. Wearily, he removes the cigarette from his lips and tosses it away. All at once, he spots a huge Great Dane watching him from the mouth of an alleyway. CORSO and the Great Dane stare at each other. Then the silence is broken by a fire engine's siren, faint at first but growing louder. 83. RIVERSIDE STREET CORNER EXT/DAY CORSO reaches an intersection and looks around the corner. The Kessler building is ablaze. Tongues of flame and clouds of smoke are issuing from the windows of the upper stories. Fire engines and squad cars are drawn up outside, FIREMEN are directing their hoses onto the flames, GENDARMES cordoning off the street and keeping curious SPECTATORS at bay. 84. PARIS STREET, HOTEL LOBBY EXT/INTIDAY CORSO, looking wrung out, crosses the street and makes for the hotel entrance. He's just going through the revolving doors into the lobby when THE GIRL appears on the inside. Hooking her arm through his, she steers him around and back outside again in one continuous movement. As she does so: THE GIRL (mutters): Just keep going. Still firmly gripping his arm, she Propels him out onto the sidewalk. CORSO (baffled): What are you playing at? THE GIRL: See those men talking with your friend Gruber? CORSO turns to look. inside the lobby, TWO MEN IN TRENCHCOATS are standing at the reception desk in conversation with GRUBER. THE GIRL (cont.): Police. At that moment, GRUBER looks past them at CORSO. He briefly locks eyes with him but shows no sign of recognition. CORSO: Shit. He turns and walks off with THE GIRL at his side. 85. PHONE BOOTH EXT/INT/DAY CORSO is in the act of entering a glass phone booth. THE GIRL: You look better without that old bag and coat of yours. They didn't do anything for you. CORSO shuts the door in her face. He picks up the receiver, inserts a coin, punches out a number. THE GIRL pulls a funny face at him through the glass. CORSO's only response is to turn away and cup his hand around the receiver. CORSO (into phone): Gruber? it's me, Corso. Can you talk? GRUBER (V.0): No, sir. CORSO: But you can listen? GRUBER (V.O.): Certainly, sir. CORSO: I'd like you to do something for me. From outside we see. THE GIRL, arms folded, casually watching him. 86. PARIS BRASSERIE INT/DAY GRUBER enters a brasserie crowded with lunchtime CUSTOMERS. He's looking distinctly Prussian in spite of the civilian overcoat over his uniform. He spots CORSO at the far end of the bar with THE GIRL beside him. She's sucking up some colorful beverage through a straw. GRUBER acknowledges her presence with a formal nod. CORSO: You don't have it? GRUBER: There was nothing in the place you described, sir. I'm sorry. CORSO: Goddamit! He turns to THE GIRL. CORSO (cont.): I suppose you didn't take it? THE GIRL: You still don't trust me, do you? GRUBER clears his throat. GRUBER: I think I may have the answer, sir. Someone visited your room earlier on, while my young colleague was on duty: your wife. CORSO: My wife? I.don't have any wife. GRUBER: That's what I told him . CORSO: Could he describe her? GRUBER (nods): Thirtyish, blond, dishy. CORSO Liana... GRUBER: Which reminds me, sir: the lady and gentleman you mentioned - they're staying at the Hotel Crillon, Suite 236-238. CORSO: Good for you, Gruber. Thanks a lot. GRUBER: Always glad to be of service, Mr. Corso. CORSO: I owe you one for those cops, too. GRUBER: Ah yes, sir. Interpol. CORSO: Interpol! What exactly did they want? GRUBER: They expressed an interest in your whereabouts. CORSO: And? What did you tell them? GRUBER: That you were out. CORSO: Anything else? GRUBER: They asked if I knew whether you had recently visited Portugal. CORSO: And? GRUBER: I said that our guests do not make a habit of providing us with their itineraries. CORSO extracts a 500 franc bill from his billfold and slips it into GRUBER's hand. GRUBER acknowledges this largesse with a gracious inclination of the head. CORSO: For what it's worth, Gruber: I don't know what they think I've done, but I'm innocent. GRUBER (impassively): Naturally, Mr. Corso. All our guests are. 87. HOTEL CRILLON: FORECOURT EXT/DAY We OPEN on the luxury hotel's facade, which bears the inscription 'HOTEL DE CRILLON', then PAN DOWN to the entrance and the forecourt, which is accessible from the main road but separated from it by a long, narrow island with a cab rank at one end. A hive of activity: HOTEL GUESTS come and go, the DOORMAN, a majestic figure in his gold-braided uniform, deferentially closes the door of a departing Rolls, a BELLHOP backs a guest's car into a gap in the already overcrowded forecourt. A cab drives up to the entrance. The DOORMAN opens the door, CORSO and THE GIRL get out. CORSO turns to pay the CABBY, the DOORMAN twitches an eyebrow at THE GIRL's jeans and sneakers. CORSO and THE GIRL enter. 88. HOTEL CRILLON: OUTER LOBBY, MAIN LOBBY INT/DAY Visible beyond the outer lobby, which has elevators on one side and stairs on the other., is the palatial main lobby, with its floor and walls of honey-colored marble. That, too, is buzzing with activity. CORSO and THE GIRL stand aside as an elevator door opens and some camera-toting JAPANESE TOURISTS emerge. Meantime: THE GIRL: What'll you do when you see them? CORSO (dryly): Hide behind you, probably. They enter the elevator. The doors glide shut. 89. HOTEL CRILLON: CORRIDOR INT/DAY CORSO and THE GIRL walk down the corridor, checking numbers as they go. They've almost reached the door of Suite 236-238 when it opens abruptly. They jump back in alarm. A BELLHOP emerges backside first, towing a baggage cart laden with smart Vuitton suitcases. CORSO and THE GIRL take refuge in a lateral passage a few feet to their rear as the BELLHOP sets off down the corridor in the opposite direction, leaving the door open. CORSO pads silently up to the door and enters with THE GIRL at his heels. 90. HOTEL CRILLON: SUITE INT/DAY A deserted sitting room with an old 'Herald Tribune' lying abandoned on the floor and two dirty coffee cups on the table. No sound, no signs of recent occupation aside from a thin wisp of smoke rising from the inefficiently stubbed-out remains of a small cigar. The bedroom door is ajar. THE GIRL stands watching as CORSO tiptoes over pushes it open. The room is empty, the bed unmade. CORSO: Downstairs, quick! 91. HOTEL CRILLON: LOBBY INT/DAY CORSO and THE GIRL have used the stairs for speed's sake. Panting, they halt at the foot of the last flight and scan the spacious but crowded lobby. it's a moment before they catch sight of their quarry. The MUSTACHE is standing at the cashier's desk with LIANA beside him. CORSO: C'mon. Better grab a cab or we'll lose them. Heads averted, they thread their way across the lobby and make for the exit unobserved. 92. HOTEL CRILLON: CAB RANK EXT/DAY CORSO and THE GIRL have stationed themselves at the cab rank on the island. CORSO sees a cab approaching amid the stream of traffic and tries to flag it down, but it's taken. CORSO: Damn! 93. HOTEL CRILLON: FORECOURT EXT/DAY Meantime, in the forecourt, the DOORMAN hands LIANA into the passenger seat of the Mercedes sedan while the MUSTACHE supervises the BELLHOP as he stows their baggage in the trunk. A Rolls pulls up behind the Mercedes, closely followed by a yellow Lamborghini driven by a smartly dressed, mustachioed ARAB with a BLOND BIMBO beside him. The ARAB gets out, leaving his keys in the ignition. Nonchalantly signaling to the DOORMAN to park his car, he disappears into the hotel with the BIMBO in tow. The DOORMAN acknowledges his gesture before smilingly accepting a tip from the MUSTACHE, who gets in behind the wheel. THE GIRL (O.S.): They're going! 94. HOTEL CRILLON: CAB RANK, FORECOURT EXT/DAY CORSO sights another cab approaching and cavorts into the roadway, waving his arms like a madman. The cab honks and swerves to avoid him, obstructing some other vehicles, which honk in their turn. it's empty. CORSO: Bastard! Frustrated yet again, he. retreats to the island. Beyond his agitated figure in the forecourt, we see the Mercedes drive off. 95. HOTEL CRILLON: FORECOURT, CAB RANK EXT/DAY With a screech of tires, the yellow Lamborghini takes off fast in reverse. Skirting the island, it backs out into the oncoming traffic. Then, slammed into first, it skids to a halt beside the curb at CORSO's elbow. The passenger door opens, THE GIRL cranes over and looks up at him from behind the wheel. THE GIRL: Coming? CORSO stares at her for an instant, then jumps in. The Lamborghini sets off after the Mercedes, which is not far ahead. it threads its way into the stream of traffic, pursued for a few yards along the sidewalk by the wildly gesticulating DOORMAN. 96. LAMBORGHINI/PARIS STREETS INT/EXT DAY THE GIRL is expertly piloting the Lamborghini through heavy traffic. The Mercedes can be seen a few cars ahead. CORSO: Couldn't you have pinched something a bit less conspicuous? THE GIRL: Don't be so picky. Most people would give their eyeteeth for a ride in this. CORSO surveys the car's luxurious interior, opens the glove compartment, removes the contents and inspects them: some CDs, the car papers, a pair of expensive wrap-around sunglasses, an Arab keffiyeh. 97. LAMBORGHINI/FREEWAY INT/EXT/LATE AFTERNOON Visible through the windshield, the Mercedes is cruising along several hundred yards ahead of the Lamborghini. CORSO: We can't sit on their tall forever. They're bound to smell a rat. 98. FREEWAY EXT/DUSK LONG SHOT of the Lamborghini accelerating to draw level with the Mercedes. 99. MERCEDES/FREEWAY EXT/DUSK The MUSTACHE, with LIANA at his elbow, glances sideways. 100. LAMBORGHINI/FREEWAY EXT/DUSK The MUSTACHE's POV: the Lamborghini overtaking with a figure in shades and a kefflyeh at the wheel. It's THE GIRL. She looks straight ahead as she passes. No sign of CORSO. 101. LAMBORGHINI/ FREEWAY EXT/DUSK CORSO, who has been hiding below door level, sits up. After a cursory glance over his shoulder, he settles back in his seat and lights a Lucky, covertly eyeing THE GIRL. THE GIRL: How do I look? CORSO: You look a million. A million barrels of oil. 102. LAMBORGHINI/FREEWAY EXT/DUSK The Lamborghini passes an exit. THE GIRL, who has discarded the keffiyeh and shades, is driving with one eye on the rearview mirror. 103. FREEWAY EXT/DUSK The Mercedes indicates right, slows, and turns off at the exit. THE GIRL (O.S.): Sit tight! 104. LAMBORGHINI/FREEWAY EXT/DUSK THE GIRL pulls over onto the shoulder and stands on the brakes. Throwing the car into reverse almost before it's stationary, she hurtles backward along the shoulder. A couple of cars flash their headlights and blare as the Lamborghini reaches the exit and skids to a halt, narrowly missing a large truck that has beaten it to the exit. 105. LAMBORGHINI/EXIT ROAD EXT/DUSK The Lamborghini crawls along behind the truck as it grinds up the single-lane exit road. CORSO (impatiently): C'mon, c'mon! THE GIRL blasts the truck with her horn and flashes her headlights. The truck's only response is to slow still further before pulling up at a T junction. CORSO (cont.): What in hell's the matter with him? Clearly visible in the glare of the Lamborghini's headlights, an arm emerges from the truck's cab window and gives a prolonged, one-fingered salute. The arm disappears, the truck moves off at last and turns left across the bridge spanning the freeway. The Mercedes is nowhere in sight. The Lamborghini moves up to the T junction and stands there, engine purring. THE GIRL: Take your pick. CORSO: No, you. You know everything. THE GIRL: If you say so. She turns off right. 106. LAMBORGHINI/COUNTRY ROAR) EXT/NIGHT It's dark now, and the Lamborghini is speeding along an avenue of poplars. No sign of the Mercedes. THE GIRL: We lost them. CORSO: Not at this speed. They must have gone the other way. THE GIRL: You mean I don't know everything after all? CORSO: Turn around. They pass a small intersection on the right. THE GIRL backs into it but doesn't complete the manoeuvre: something catches her eye. THE GIRL: Thirtyish, blond, dishy - what was her name again? CORSO: Telfer. Liana Telfer. THE GIRL: No, her maiden name. CORSO: Saint-Damien. THE GIRL: Look. CORSO's POV: the Lamborghini's headlights have illuminated a signpost. One of the signs reads: 'ST.-DAMIEN 2 Km.' It points the way they were going. THE GIRL turns out into the road and drives on in the original direction. 107. LAMBORGHINI/VILLAGE EXT/NIGHT THE GIRL slows as they pass the 'ST.-DAMIEN' sign at the entrance to the village itself. THE GIRL: Should we drive straight in? CORSO: In this thing? We might as well hang a bell around our necks. Park here. 108. ST.-DAMIEN VILLAGE EXT/NIGHT CORSO and THE GIRL walk gingerly down the old village street. A faint glow emanates from a few windows in the time-worn houses, but the street itself is utterly deserted. 109. VILLAGE SQUARE EXT/NIGHT They pause at the mouth of a small, equally deserted square: church at one end, mairie across the way, village stores shuttered and in darkness, two or three parked cars, none of them the Mercedes. THE GIRL: So? CORSO looks around irresolutely, sees light coming from the basement window of a baker's shop. 110. VILLAGE BAKERY EXT/INT/NIGHT Side by side, CORSO and THE GIRL look down through the open transom of the basement window. inside, a flour-smeared BAKER is deftly preparing a tray of croissants for the oven. CORSO: Monsieur? The BAKER looks up, wipes his hands on his smock, and walks over to the window. BAKER M'sieur? CORSO: Nous cherchons la maison de Madame de Saint-Damien. BAKER: Le chateau, vous voulez dire. CORSO: (to THE GIRL): Chateau! That's it - got to be. (to the BAKER): Ou il est, le chateau? BAKER (gestures): La route apr�s ''�gllse, m'sieur. 111. LAMBORGHINI/MINOR ROAD EXT/NIGHT THE GIRL is driving slowly along a country road flanked on one side by woods. A pair of ornate wrought-iron gates and a gatehouse loom up on the left. CORSO: Keep going. There's a light on in the gatehouse. They glimpse the gatekeeper leaning against his door, smoking, as they cruise past. 112. LAMBORGHINI/MINOR ROAD EXT/NIGHT The Lamborghini backs into the mouth of a farm track. THE GIRL and CORSO get out, cross the road, and strike off into the woods. 113. CHATEAU DRIVEWAY EXT/NIGHT Hugging the trees that border it on one side, CORSO and THE GIRL are making their way up a long, straight, graveled driveway. The lighted gatehouse is to their rear, the lights of the ch&teau can be seen ahead. Hearing the sound of a car behind them, they turn to see its headlights swing in through the gates. They quickly take cover in the trees and watch the car - a big limo - glide past, then emerge and walk on. 114. CHATEAU ST.-DAMIEN EXT/NIGHT CORSO and THE GIRL observe the chateau, a substantial 17th century mansion, from the edge of the trees. The forecourt, in which come 20 expensive-looking cars are parked, one of them the Mercedes, is illuminated by the flambeaux on either side of the portico and the lights inside the building. The limo has pulled up at the foot of the steps, and the occupants, a smartly dressed ELDERLY COUPLE, are being greeted by a tuxedoed BUTLER while their suitcases are removed from the trunk and carried in after them by a MANSERVANT. 115. CHATEAU/GREAT HALL EXT/INT/NIGH'r CORSO and THE GIRL have worked their way around to the side of the chateau. One of the lighted windows gives them a view of the upper reaches of the chateau's great hall, with its balustraded minstrel gallery and lofty, vaulted ceiling. They climb on a stone bench for a better look. Inside, overlooked by an array of ancestral portraits, some 50 GUESTS are inaudibly conversing in groups. Men and women alike are attired in long black robes resembling monks' habits, and all have silver pentacles suspended from their necks on silver chains. Their cowls are thrown back to reveal the heads and faces beneath. A motley assortment of people, most of them middle- or late middle-aged, one or two of oriental origin. No sign of Liana or the Mustache. THE GIRL: See them anywhere? CORSO: No. THE GIRL: They aren't there. 116. CHATEAU/KITCHEN EXT/INTINIGHT CORSO and THE GIRL continue to make their cautious way around the house. Peering through a semi-basement window, they see TWO CHEFS chopping vegetables at a big kitchen table. They pause, at a loss, and look up at the house. Several of the second-floor windows are illuminated, and one of them has some creeper-covered trelliswork running up to its balcony. 117. CHATEAU: BALCONY/LIANA'S BOUDOIR EXT/INT/NIGHT THE GIRL, with CORSO close behind her, has just reached the top of the trelliswork. She clambers over onto the balcony. CORSO scales the last few fact, reaches for the balustrade, straddles it and joins her. Together, they peer through the French windows. With them, we see a bedroom decorated in a very feminine style all frills, flounces, and elegant Louis Quinze furniture. Two of Liana's Vuitton suitcases are on the floor near the dainty fourposter. A third, with her discarded clothes beside it, is lying open on the bed itself. LIANA has stripped to her panties. CORSO and THE GIRL watch as she slips them off, goes to a wardrobe, and takes out a black robe and silver pentacle like the ones we saw downstairs . Pulling the robe over her head, she smooths it down, dons the pentacle, and inspects herself in a cheval mirror in the corner of the room. COP.SO takes advantage of her preoccupation to try the French windows. They won't budge. He turns to THE GIRL and shrugs, then raises his foot and kicks the glass in. LIANA spins around with a terrified cry and stands there transfixed. CORSO reaches inside, turns the knob, opens the French windows and steps into the room. THE GIRL follows. LIANA: You! CORSO: Where is it? LIANA: How dare you! CORSO: That book isn't yours, Madame. 1 need it. LIANA: Get out of here, both of you! CORSO goes over to the bed and empties the suitcase onto the floor. Among . its contents is 'The Nine Gates'. LIANA instinctively lunges for it, but THE GIRL blocks her. CORSO (to THE GIRL): Careful, she bites! He's stooping to retrieve the book when the door opens and the MUSTACHE, robed and barefooted, stands framed in the doorway. CORSO turns quickly with the book in his hand, THE GIRL stiffens. LIANA makes a dive for the bedside table and produces a chrome- plated automatic from the drawer, flips the safety catch. LIANA (to CORSO and THE GIRL): Don't move, either of you. (to the MUSTACHE): Get the book, Bruno. CORSO takes a tentative step backward as the MUSTACHE approaches him with his left hand extended. He reluctantly surrenders the book. The MUSTACHE rewards him for his co-operation with a vicious right hook to the jaw. CORSO goes down, losing his glasses yet again. Groggily, he crawls around in search of them. The MUSTACHE joins LIANA, steering well clear of THE GIRL. He hands her 'The Nine Gates' and carefully transfers the automatic from her hand to his. LIANA (cont.): Take them downstairs and lock them up. We'll deal with them later, there's no time now. MUSTACHE (to CORSO, Italian accent): Turn around. CORSO, who has scrambled to his feet, complies. The MUSTACHE applies the muzzle of the automatic to the nape of his neck. MUSTACHE (cont.): (to THE GIRL): You. Go first. Any trouble, I blow his brains. THE GIRL makes for the door. The MUSTACHE prods CORSO into motion. They exit. LIANA stares after them for a moment, clasping 'The Nine Gates' to her bosom. 118. CHATEAU: PASSAGE INT/NIGHT A long passage lined with more ancestral portraits. The ancient floorboards creek as THE GIRL obediently walks ahead of CORSO and the MUSTACHE, whose automatic is levelled at CORSO's back. They reach the end of the passage. MUSTACHE: Go left. Down the stairs. 119. CHATEAU: STAIRCASE, PASSAGE INT/NIGHT They descend a staircase to ground level. Another long passage confronts them, much like the first but floored with marble. MUSTACHE Avanti, avanti! A door at the end leads into a stone-flagged passage with whitewashed walls. They make their way along it until they reach a heavy oak door. MUSTACHE (cont.): (to THE GIRL): Open it! THE GIRL does so to reveal a small landing and a flight of stone steps leading downward. She stops short: the steps have no guard rail and the cellar beneath is shrouded in darkness. 120. CHATEAU: WINE CELLAR INT/NIGHT The MUSTACHE prods CORSO through the doorway until ALL THREE are on the landing, then throws a light switch. Bare bulbs shed little light on the steps but illuminate a large vaulted chamber below. it's the chateau's wine cellar: oak barrels and racks of bottles thick with dust and cobwebs are housed behind an iron grille with a door in it. The door is ajar, the key in the lock. MUSTACHE (to THE GIRL): Move! THE GIRL sets off down the steps. CORSO follows with the MUSTACHE at his heels. Halfway down, CORSO pretends to stumble: he crouches and turns in a single movement. The MUSTACHE, following close behind, trips over him. CORSO seizes his robe and yanks at it, helping him on his way. Simultaneously: CORSO (to THE GIRL): Watch out! THE GIRL plasters herself against the wall to avoid the MUSTACHE's somersaulting body. The automatic escapes from his hand and slithers across the flagstones as he comes to rest, with a sickening thud, at the foot of the steps. THE GIRL follows him down and picks it up. CORSO reaches the foot of the steps and rolls the MUSTACHE over on his back. He's out cold, with blood oozing from a broken nose. THE GIRL (faintly admiring): I didn't know you had it in you. CORSO: Another thing you didn't know? He takes hold of the MUSTACHE's ankles and, with THE GIRL's assistance, hauls him through the grille into the inner cellar. He stares down at the man for a moment. CORSO (cont.): Hey, give me a hand. I want his gear. He starts to peel of fthe MUSTACHE's robe from the feet up, revealing a pair of exceptionally hairy legs. 121. CHATEAU: WINE CELLAR INT/NIGHT CORSO shuts the grille door, locks it, and tosses the key into a corner. The MUSTACHE's naked, motionless body can be vaguely discerned through the bars. 122. CHATEAU: PASSAGE INT/NIGHT CORSO and THE GIRL cautiously retrace their steps along the marble-floored passage. CORSO is wearing the Mustache's robe and pentacle over his clothes with his shoes and trouser bottoms incongruously visible below the ham. They pass the stairs they descended and continue on their way. They turn a corner. As they do so, they hear a faint, intermittent hum. They pause to listen, then walk on. The sound grows louder and more distinct: somewhere in the chateau, voices are chanting in unison. Turning another corner, they find themselves in an anteroom that terminates in two massive double doors. The chanting is coming from beyond them. CORSO walks over to the doors with THE GIRL at his heels. He grasps the handle. THE GIRL (hisses): No! Up to the gallery. 123. CHATEAU: BACK STAIRS, GALLERY INT/NIGHT The chanting is even louder now. CORSO and THE GIRL reach the top of some uncarpeted stairs and cautiously open a small door. A wave of sound hits them. 124. CHATEAU: GALLERY, GREAT HALL INT/NIGHT . They steal through the doorway into the shadowy gallery, which runs around three sides of the Great Hall, and peer over the balustrade. They've emerged near the top of a spiral staircase leading down from the gallery to a point near the double doors at the rear of the hall. At the far end of the huge room in a dais draped in black with some shallow steps leading up to it. On the wall above the dais hangs an inverted silver crucifix; on the dais itself, which is flanked by a pair of outsize black candles in three-foot silver candlesticks, LIANA stands facing the hall from behind a silver lectern on which reposes 'The Nine Gates'. Arrayed in the body of the hall are the 50 GUESTS, now cowled, each holding a lighted black candle. The flickering candle flames bathe the whole scene in tremulous chiaroscuro. LIANA and the GUESTS are taking it in turns, like priest and congregation, to intone passages from the Latin text of 'The Nine Gates'. CORSO (quietly, to THE GIRL): You stay here and cover me. I'm going down. Pulling the cowl over his head, he sneaks down the spiral staircase, secretes himself in the rear rank of GUESTS, and concentrates on LIANA and the book as the litany continues. All at once, unseen by us, the doors swing open with a crash and BALKAN's deep bass voice punctures the air on a derisive note. BALKAN (O.S.): Mumbo-jumbo-mumbo-jumbo-mumbo-jumbo ... The GUESTS stop chanting, and fifty cowled heads turn to look for the source of this unseemly interruption. Up on the dais, LIANA freezes. BALKAN: Mumbo-jumbo-mumbo-jumbo-mumbo-jumbo... Looking over-life-size in his dark and elegant double-breasted suit, he strides toward the dais. Any GUESTS who fail to get out of his way in time are brusquely elbowed aside. LIANA watches him, transfixed, as he climbs the steps and turns to face the bemused GUESTS. BALKAN (cont.): Look around you - yes, all of you. What do you see? The GUESTS involuntarily turn to look at each other. BALKAN (cont.): I'll tell you: a bunch of buffoons in fancy dress. What are you expecting, an apparition? I'm the only apparition you'll see tonight. You really think the Prince of Darkness would deign to manifest himself to the likes of you? He never has and he never will - never! He closes 'The Nine Gates' with a snap and holds it up. BALKAN (cont.): You read from his book, yes, but you have no conception of its true power. I alone have grasped its secret. I alone have fathomed the Master's grand design. I alone am worthy to enjoy the fruits of that discovery: absolute power to determine my own destiny. LIANA finds her voice at last. LIANA: You're insane, Boris. (puts out her hand): Give it back at once. BALKAN rounds on her. BALKAN: As for you, Liana de Saint-Damien, you're even guiltier than the rest of this pathetic rabble. You have at least some idea of what this book can do in the right hands, yet you lend yourself to these farcical proceedings, these orgies of ageing flesh conducted in the Master's name. You're a charlatan! LIANA tries to grab the book, but BALKAN holds it above his head. LIANA claws his cheeks in desperation. BALKAN clasps his face, dropping the book. LIANA makes a dive for it, but BALKAN pounces on her. They roll over in a clinch, struggling fiercely. BALKAN grabs LIANA by the throat. She tries to break his grip, but he redoubles it. Halfway down the dais steps with BALKAN on top of her, she fights for breath. Her suffocated, agonized face is turned toward the hall. The GUESTS shrink back in horror, some of them dropping their candles. Hysterical screams rend the air. CORSO comes to life. Hampered by his robe, he makes for dais as fast as he can, scattering frightened GUESTS in the process. He takes hold of BALKAN's shoulders and tries to haul him off LIANA. BALKAN, still throttling her, turns to look. He glares at CORSO through his heavy hornrims, his features contorted with rage and stupefaction. Then, removing one hand from LIANA's throat, he deals CORSO a backhanded blow that sends him reeling. LIANA seizes the chance to break free. She crawls away and almost regains her fact, but BALKAN is too quick for her: grabbing her pentacle chain from behind, he proceeds to garrotte her with it. LIANA, now on her knees, scrabbles unavailingly at the chain that is biting into her neck. Her face turns purple, her tongue begins to protrude. CORSO looks around wildly for a weapon. He seizes one of the three-foot candlesticks and raises it over his head. Suddenly: THE GIRL (O.S.): Don't, Corso! Startled, he lowers the candlestick and looks up: THE GIRL is perched on the gallery balustrade just above him. Too preoccupied with Balkan and Liana to wonder what her game is, CORSO raises the candlestick once more. THE GIRL lands on top of CORSO, bearing him to the ground, and immobilizes him with a hammerlock. CORSO: Get off me! He'll kill her! THE GIRL: Leave them. BALKAN completes his grisly work: LIANA's purple face is all too reminiscent of Baroness Kessler's. With a final tug at the chain, he plants one foot in the small of LIANA's back and sends her limp body sprawling across the floor of the hall. Screams and cries of horror go up from the GUESTS, who have recoiled still further. BALKAN straightens up, a somewhat dishevelled but still imposing figure despite the scratches on his cheeks. Even his hornrims are still in place. He leans fonward, eyes narrowed in a mock menacing way, and stamps his foot. BALKAN (in a voice like thunder): Boooh! With more hysterical screams and cries of dismay, the GUESTS turn tall and flee the hall like a herd of panic-stricken cattle, jostling each other in their eagerness to get out the door. Calmly, without so much as a glance at THE GIRL, CORSO, or LIANA's corpse, BALKAN smooths his hair down, picks up 'The Nine Gates', and strides majestically after them. Silence falls. THE GIRL releases her grip on CORSO's arm, gets off him and rises to her knees. He sits up, nursing his elbow and staring at her with blank incomprehension. CORSO: Why did you do it? THE GIRL: Some things are meant to happen. That was one of them. CORSO: Don't give me that crap again! You were working for him all along! THE GIRL: Funny, I thought you were. CORSO: You played me for a sucker, the two of you. I don't intend to take the rap for that maniac. THE GIRL: He just murdered someone with a roomful of witnesses. That lets you off the hook for the other killings. You should be grateful. CORSO: I'm ecstatic. He gets to his feet. We hear the sound of cars starting up and driving off in a hurry. THE GIRL rises too, starts to pat the dust of fhis robe. CORSO impatiently evades her hand. CORSO (cont.): Where's he off to? THE GIRL: What do you care? Your job is done. This is as far as you need to go. CORSO: The hell it is! The sonofabitch owes me the other half of my fee. THE GIRL (ironically): Of course, it's just business. I thought your curiosity had gotten the better of you. CORSO: Okay, so what's meant to happen next? THE GIRL: You really want to know? 125. MERCEDES/MINOR ROAD EXT/DAWN THE GIRL, with CORSO red-eyed and unshaven beside her, is driving along a country road bordered by rolling fields wreathed in gray mist. They've appropriated Liana's Mercedes sedan. 126. MERCEDES/FREEWAY EXT/DAY CORSO has taken over the wheel. THE GIRL is fast asleep with her heed on his shoulder. The deserted freeway runs across a viaduct that spans a valley hundreds of feet below. The hazy blue shapes of mountains can be glimpsed in the distance. 127. MERCEDES/MOUNTAIN ROAD EXT/SUNSET THE GIRL is back behind the wheel, CORSO smoking. Dazzled by the setting sun, THE GIRL lowers the visor. The landscape has become bleaker and more mountainous. Switchbacks are visible ahead. 128. MERCEDES/MOUNTAIN ROAD EXT/DUSK The Mercedes rounds a bend. Visible in the distance, crisply silhouetted against the afterglow, is a castle. It's the one of which we saw a backlighted photograph on Balkan's wall. 129. CASTLE EXT/DUSK THE GIRL pulls up some distance from the archway that was once the castle gate. A dark green Range Rover is already parked beside it. CORSO and THE GIRL get out and briefly survey the derelict building. A glimmer of light is issuing from the arrow slits in one of the turrets. 130. CASTLE COURTYARD EXT/DUSK CORSO and THE GIRL cross the deserted courtyard, which is littered with fallen masonry. 131. CASTLE STEPS, BATTLEMENTS EXT/DUSK CORSO and THE GIRL climb a dilapidated flight of stone steps to the battlements and walk along them to the tower. They pause outside the moldering old door and listen. A man's voice is faintly audible. CORSO puts his hand on the handle. THE GIRL gropes in the pocket of her duffel coat and produces the chromium-plated automatic, holds it out. CORSO hesitates briefly, then stuffs it in his jacket pocket. He op ~ the door and enters, followed by THE GIRL. 132. TURRET CHAMBER INT/NIGHT CORSO and THE GIRL are looking down into the interior of the turret, which forms a cylindrical chamber. They're on a small landing from which a steep flight of unprotected stone steps curves down and around the inner wall to the floor of the chamber. The floor, littered with debris including worm-eaten beams that have fallen from the ceiling far above, consists of massive, age-old planks. 9 1 A large circle has been chalked in the middle of the floor, and within it a square divided into nine boxes numbered 1-9. Each box contains some unrelated object: a rusty knife, a piece of cord, a stone, a gold ring, a serpentine bracelet, a glass vial, a small pile of earth, a quill pen, an hourglass. The chamber is illuminated by half a dozen kerosene lamps located around the circle but outside it. Also near the circle is a camper's collapsible table with various objects on it: a black briefcase, 'The Nine Gates', a magnifying glass, a vacuum flask and mug. On the floor beside the table are a large jerrican and an open suitcase with more books spilling out of it. The voice we heard from outside is that of BALKAN, but a BALKAN unlike any we have seen before: no jacket or necktie, shirt sleeves rolled ' up, vest half unbuttoned, strands of gray hair falling over his scratched and sweating face, cheeks flushed, eyes ablaze with excitement. He's kneeling in front of the numbered boxes and gabbling to himself in an expressionless monotone: BALKAN: ... eight doors come before the Serpent that guards the word, Teth, Enea, Novem, Oded, the number nine, which holds the final secret, the mystery of mysteries. The Serpent is the beast that always sleeps with one eye open and is reflected in the Mirror of Knowledge. (giggles triumphantly) Eight engravings plus one, or one plus eight, which coincides with the number that St. John of Patmos attributed to the Beast: 666... CORSO (to THE GIRL): He needs therapy... Feverishly, BALKAN proceeds to scrawl some numerals on the floor with a piece of chalk, muttering as he does so. BALKAN: Six plus six plus six equals eighteen. One and eight. (even more triumphantly): One plus eight equals nine! CORSO starts to descend the steps. THE GIRL stays behind, sits down on the top step, props her chin on her hand, and watches the proceedings. BALKAN rises with chalk dust all over the knees of his pants. He goes to his briefcase and takes out a sheaf of torn engravings. CORSO has reached the foot of the steps. BALKAN, turning to resume his place in the circle, catches sight of him. He freezes in disbelief, and a long moment passes before he speaks. BALKAN (cont.): What are you doing here?! CORSO: I thought I'd drop in before they put you behind bars. BALKAN: Go away! CORSO: We had a deal, remember? BALKAN: A deal?! What impertinence! You bungled it, damn you! You failed me all along the line! Thanks to your lack of initiative,Ii was compelled to do my own dirty work. And I did it! I got these myself! See, here they are! (brandishes the engravings, speaks with mounting vehemence) Nine engravings or nine doors, and only an initiate can open them. Each door has two keys, each engraving discloses a number, a secret element and keyword to be interpreted in the light of reason and the Cabbala, the one true philosophy! CORSO: I want my money. BALKAN: Don't you understand what's going on here? He returns to the circle, kneels down again, and deals out the engravings like playing cards, one to a box, leaving three boxes empty. Meantime: BALKAN (cont.): You have before you the mystery of which men have dreamed throughout the centuries. Thousands have died an agonizing death in hopes of just a glimpse of what you're about to see! CORSO: Yeah? What's that, Old Nick in person? BALKAN: Don't be ridiculous! He has never appeared to anyone, never! He's a spirit - the spirit of pure evil. He manifests himself through his servants, of whom I'm proud to be one! He rises, walks quickly over to the little table, and opens 'The Nine Gates' . Turning over several pages, he tears out an engraving. His voice betrays rising excitement, his face assumes a look of insane fervour. BALKAN (cont.): Three copies, but only nine of their twenty-seven engravings hold the key, and I have them all! (tears out two more engravings in quick succession) 1 have only to complete the sequence. Then the Serpent will enter the seal of Saturn, and I - I shall enter the Ninth Gate! CORSO: Cut the crap and write me a cheque. BALKAN returns to the circle, kneels down once more and neatly positions the three engravings in the empty boxes. Then he rises, goes' to the table, and pours himself a drink from the vacuum flask. He gargles with it, swallows, and shakes himself like a wet dog. Whatever the flask contained, it seems to have invigorated him. Seizing the jerrican, he removes the cap and dribbles gasoline around the circle, then picks up one of the kerosene lamps and hurls it at the floor. The lamp smashes and ignites the gasoline. instantly, he's ringed with fire. He draws himself up and stands erect in the canter of the circle with flames dancing all around him. BALKAN: I give you my allegiance, Master. I surrender myself unto you body and soul. Let me fear neither noose, nor sword, nor poison. Let me walk unscathed among lepers and the plague-ridden. Erase me from the Book of Life and inscribe me in the black Book of Death. Let it be no! Let it be so now! His fervent voice and the wild-eyed, demented look on his face are such that not even CORSO is tempted to break the momentary silence that ensues. BALKAN (cont.): (ecstatically): Yes, master, yes! Oh, thank you, thank you! I can feel the power flowing through me like an electric current, rendering me capable of any achievement, mental or physical! I could float on air, walk on water. He stoops and dabbles his hands in the ring of fire. BALKAN (cont.): See? 1 plunge my hands in fire and feel no heat: He picks up the jerrican and inverts it over his head, dousing himself in the contents, then hurls it aside. CORSO: Hey, don't be stupid! But BALKAN is deaf to reason. BALKAN (in a mounting frenzy): Admay, Eloy, Agla, Zatel, Gebal, Elimi, Ashtoreth, Moloch, Shamash, Dagon... With a whoosh, he himself catches fire. Flames play over his ecstatic figure. BALKAN (cont.): It's miraculous! I feel nothing, nothing at all! He emits another triumphant laugh that soars up the scale until it becomes a high-pitched scream of agony. He starts to caper around, slapping at his clothes, his face, his hair. CORSO has regained his feet. He takes the automatic from his pocket and sends it slithering across the floor and through the ring of flames. CORSO: Here, you idiot! He retreats up the steps with horror written on his face. THE GIRL has risen to her feet. He takes her hand and, with a last backward glance, hustles her outside. 133. CASTLE COURTYARD EXT/NIGHT Balkan's wild screams reverberate around the walls as CORSO and THE GIRL hurry across the courtyard. 134. CASTLE EXT/NIGHT CORSO and THE GIRL are standing beside the Mercedes. Smoke and tongues of flame are issuing from the arrow slits of Balkan's tower. His screams rise in a crescendo. Then a gunshot cuts them off like a knife. CORSO: He really thought it would work. THE GIRL: He wasn't to know it wouldn't. CORSO stares at her, momentarily puzzled, then at the blazing castle, then back at her. CORSO: You didn't do anything to help him, Greeneyes, not this time. THE GIRL: I'm your guardian angel, remember? She lays her palm against his cheek, then crooks her hand around the nape of his neck and draws his face toward hers, kisses him tenderly on the lips. CORSO returns her kiss. He folds her in his arms and holds her close. The fiery glow dances over their entwined figures. 135. CASTLE EXT/NIGHT LONG SHOT of the castle ablaze. The flames have spread from Balkan's tower to the rest of the building. Smoke and flames are now belching from it. The sky overhead is tinged with crimson. 136. PARIS HOTEL: BATHROOM, BEDROOM, CORRIDOR INT/EARLY MORNING CORSO, his hair damp from the shower and a towel around his waist, is halfway through shaving when there's a knock on the bathroom door. One cheek daubed with foam, he opens it to find himself confronted by the FLOOR WAITER, check pad and ballpoint in hand FLOOR WAITER: Bonjour, m'sieur. Votre petit d�jeuner. CORSO: Oh. Sure. Taking the pad, he emerges into the bedroom and scribbles his signature, then stops short: there's a breakfast cart in the middle of the room, but the bed is empty. No sign of The Girl or her clothes. CORSO (cont.): Where is she? WAITER: Pardon? CORSO: Madame, ou elle est? FLOOR WAITER : Je ne ''ai pas vue, m'sieur. He makes for the door and exits. CORSO catches hold of the door just as it's closing, puts his head out into the corridor, looks right and left. No one in sight but the FLOOR WAITER, who casts a puzzled glance over his shoulder as he walks off. 137. PARIS HOTEL: LOBBY, RECEPTION DESK INT/DAY CORSO, now dressed but unshaven, hurries over to the reception desk, where GRUBER is on duty. GRUBER greets him with an almost imperceptible inclination of the head. GRUBER: Good morning, Mr. Corso. CORSO: Morning, Gruber. The young lady I came with, have you seen her? GRUBER: Yea, sir. She went out not long ago. He reaches behind him and produces a folded message slip from one of the pigeonholes. GRUBER (cont.): She asked me to give you this. He hands the slip to CORSO, who opens it. With him, we read: 'See you around, maybe.' And below: 'PS. The 9th Engraving was a forgery.' 138. TOLEDO STREET, ALLEY EXT/DAY CORSO's footsteps echo as he walks along one of Toledo's narrow medieval streets. The steel-framed glasses with the cracked lens have been replaced by a new pair with gold frames. He's wearing a smart new overcoat and has a new leather bag slung from his shoulder. He rounds a corner and heads down the deserted alleyway we saw in Scene 27. No scaffolding, just sandblasted walls and freshly painted window frames and grilles. He reaches the doorway leading to the inner courtyard, hears a woman's strident cries, bumps into THE BOY, who comes running out as before. 139. TOLEDO: COURTYARD, CENIZA BROS. WORKSHOP EXT/DAY CORSO crosses the courtyard to the steps that led down to the Cenizas' workshop. He stops short and stares. The old door - 'HERMANOS CENIZA - RESTAURACION DE LIBROS' - has been taken of � its hinges and propped on its side against the basement wall. The display window is just a gaping hole: the window frame has been ripped out, exposing the masonry surrounding it. The whirr of a power tool can be heard. CORSO, looking puzzled, descends the steps. 140. TOLEDO: CENIZA BROS. WORKSHOP INT/DAY CORSO pauses in the doorway and surveys the interior. The hand press has disappeared and the floor is littered with debris. Pale rectangular patches on the grey walls indicate where counters and cabinets have been ripped out. TWO SPANISH WORKMEN are busy detaching an old cabinet from the wall with an electric screwdriver. CORSO: Oiga! He has to repeat himself before they interrupt their activities. 1ST WORKMAN: Seftor? CORSO: Los Hermanos Ceniza? 1ST WORKMAN: Los Ceniza? (glances at the 2ND WORKMAN): Est&n muertos. CORSO: Como muertos? Quando? 1ST WORKMAN: Oh, hace anos, anos. CORSO: ANOS?! The 2ND WORKMAN comes over, wiping his hands on his apron. 2ND WORKMAN: Ingles? CORSO: Americana. 2ND WORKMAN (as if that explained everything): Ah... They dead, many years. CORSO (more and more puzzled): But they were here not long ago - I spoke with them. The 2ND WORKMAN looks at his colleague, shrugs and chuckles as if to convey that Corso is crazy, like most foreigners. 1ST WORKMAN: Disculpe. He indicates that CORSO is in the way. Utterly disconcerted, CORSO backs up as they manhandle the cabinet away from the wall and tilt it forward prior to laying it face down on the floor. As they do so, a dusty piece of paper slides off the top of the cabinet and seesaws to the floor like a falling leaf. Instinctively, CORSO stoops and picks it up. He looks at it idly, then more closely. His eyes widen. It's the Ninth Engraving: THE WOMAN RIDING A SEVEN-HEADED DRAGON WITH A CASTLE ABLAZE IN THE BACKGROUND. The woman's face bears a strong resemblance to that of The Girl. 141. TOLEDO: ALLEY EXT/DAY CORSO walks back along the alleyway with the engraving in his hand. His receding figure dwindles to a speck. T H E E N D

PADUA HIGH SCHOOL - DAY Welcome to Padua High School,, your typical urban-suburban high school in Portland, Oregon. Smarties, Skids, Preppies, Granolas. Loners, Lovers, the In and the Out Crowd rub sleep out of their eyes and head for the main building. PADUA HIGH PARKING LOT - DAY KAT STRATFORD, eighteen, pretty -- but trying hard not to be -- in a baggy granny dress and glasses, balances a cup of coffee and a backpack as she climbs out of her battered, baby blue '75 Dodge Dart. A stray SKATEBOARD clips her, causing her to stumble and spill her coffee, as well as the contents of her backpack. The young RIDER dashes over to help, trembling when he sees who his board has hit. RIDER Hey -- sorry. Cowering in fear, he attempts to scoop up her scattered belongings. KAT Leave it He persists. KAT (continuing) I said, leave it! She grabs his skateboard and uses it to SHOVE him against a car, skateboard tip to his throat. He whimpers pitifully and she lets him go. A path clears for her as she marches through a pack of fearful students and SLAMS open the door, entering school. INT. GIRLS' ROOM - DAY BIANCA STRATFORD, a beautiful sophomore, stands facing the mirror, applying lipstick. Her less extraordinary, but still cute friend, CHASTITY stands next to her. BIANCA Did you change your hair? CHASTITY No. BIANCA You might wanna think about it Leave the girls' room and enter the hallway. HALLWAY - DAY- CONTINUOUS Bianca is immediately greeted by an admiring crowd, both boys and girls alike. BOY (adoring) Hey, Bianca. GIRL Awesome shoes. The greetings continue as Chastity remains wordless and unaddressed by her side. Bianca smiles proudly, acknowledging her fans. GUIDANCE COUNSELOR'S OFFICE - DAY CAMERON JAMES, a clean-cut, easy-going senior with an open, farm-boy face, sits facing Miss Perky, an impossibly cheery guidance counselor. MISS PERKY I'm sure you won't find Padua any different than your old school. Same little asswipe mother-fuckers everywhere. Her plastic smile never leaves her face. Cameron fidgets in his chair uncomfortably. MISS PERKY (continuing) Any questions? CAMERON I don't think so, ma'am MISS PERKY Then go forth. Scoot I've got deviants to see. Cameron rises to leave and makes eye contact with PATRICK VERONA, a sullen-looking bad ass senior who waits outside Ms Perky's door. His slouch and smirk let us know how cool he is. Miss Perky looks down at her file and up at Patrick MISS PERKY (continuing) Patrick Verona. I see we're making our visits a weekly ritual. She gives him a withering glance. He answers with a charming smile. PATRICK I missed you. MISS PERKY It says here you exposed yourself to a group of freshmen girls. PATRICK It was a bratwurst. I was eating lunch. MISS PERKY With the teeth of your zipper? She motions for Patrick to enter her office and Cameron shuffles out the door, bumping into MICHAEL ECKMAN, a lanky, brainy senior who will either end up a politician or game show host. MICHAEL You the new guy? CAMERON So they tell me... MICHAEL C'mon. I'm supposed to give you the tour. They head out of the office MICHAEL (continuing) So -- which Dakota you from? CAMERON North, actually. How'd you ? MICHAEL I was kidding. People actually live there? CAMERON Yeah. A couple. We're outnumbered by the cows, though. MICHAEL How many people were in your old school? CAMERON Thirty-two. MICHAEL Get out! CAMERON How many people go here? MICHAEL Couple thousand. Most of them evil INT. HALLWAY - DAY- CONTINUOUS Prom posters adorn the wall. Michael steers Cameron through the crowd as he points to various cliques. MICHAEL We've got your basic beautiful people. Unless they talk to you first, don't bother. The beautiful people pass, in full jock/cheerleader splendor. MICHAEL (continuing) Those 're your cowboys. Several Stetson-wearing, big belt buckle. Wrangler guys walk by. CAMERON That I'm used to. MICHAEL Yeah, but these guys have never seen a horse. They just jack off to Clint Eastwood. They pass an espresso cart with a group of teens huddled around it. MICHAEL (continuing) To the right, we have the Coffee Kids. Very edgy. Don't make any sudden movements around them. EXT. SCHOOL COURTYARD - DAY Michael continues the tour MICHAEL And these delusionals are the White Rastae. Several white boys in dreadlocks and Jamaican knit berets lounge on the grass. A cloud of pot smoke hovers above them MICHAEL (continuing) Big Marley fans. Think they're black. Semi-political, but mostly, they watch a lot of Wild Kingdom, if you know what I mean. Michael waves to DEREK, the one with the longest dreads. MICHAEL (continuing) Derek - save some for after lunch, bub? DEREK (very stoned) Michael, my brother, peace Cameron turns to follow Michael as they walk into the cafeteria. CAMERON So where do you fit in all this? INT. CAFETERIA - DAY - CONTINUOUS Loud music and loud students. Michael sits with a group of studious-looking teens. MICHAEL Future MBAs- We're all Ivy League, already accepted. Someday I'll be sipping Merlot while those guys -- He points to the table of jocks, as they torture various passers-by. MICHAEL (continuing) are fixing my Saab. Yuppie greed is back, my friend. He points proudly to the ALLIGATOR on his shirt. Cameron stops listening as BIANCA walks by, and we go SLO MO. Pure and perfect, she passes Cameron and Michael without a look. Cameron is smitten CAMERON That girl -- I -- MICHAEL You burn, you pine, you perish? CAMERON Who is she? MICHAEL Bianca Stratford. Sophomore. Don't even think about it CAMERON Why not? MICHAEL I could start with your haircut, but it doesn't matter. She's not allowed to date until her older sister does. And that's an impossibility. ENGLISH CLASS - DAY A room full of bored seniors doodle and scare off into space MS. BLAISE, the one-step-away-from-medication English Teacher, tries to remember what she's talking about. MRS. BLAISE Well, then. Oh, yes. I guess that does it for our analysis of The Old Man and the Sea. Any other comments? (with dread) Kat? Kat, the girl we saw as we entered the school, slowly cakes off her glasses and speaks up. KAT Why didn't we just read the Hardy Boys? MRS. BLAISE I'm sorry? KAT This book is about a guy and his fishing habit. Not exactly a crucial topic. The other students roll their eyes. KAT (continuing) Frankly, I'm baffled as to why we still revere Hemingway. He was an abusive, alcoholic misogynist who had a lot of cats. JOEY DORSEY, a well-muscled jock with great cheekbones, makes fun of her from his row. JOEY As opposed to a bitter self-righteous hag who has no friends? A few giggles. Kat ignores him. A practiced gesture MRS. BLAISE That's enough, Mr. Dorsey. Really gets fired up now KAT I guess the school board thinks because Hemingway's male and an asshole, he's worthy of our time She looks up at Ms. Blaise, who is now fighting with her pill box. KAT (continuing) What about Colette? Charlotte Bronte? Simone de Beauvoir? Patrick, lounging in his seat in the back row, elbows a crusty-looking crony, identified by the name SCURVY, embroidered on his workshirt. PATRICK Mother Goose? The class titters. Kat wears an expression of intolerance INT. GUIDANCE COUNSELOR'S OFFICE - DAY Kat now sits before Miss Perky. MISS PERKY Katarina Stratford. My, my. You've been terrorizing Ms. Blaise again. KAT Expressing my opinion is not a terrorist action. MISS PERKY Well, yes, compared to your other choices of expression this year, today's events are quite mild. By the way, Bobby Rictor's gonad retrieval operation went quite well, in case you're interested. KAT I still maintain that he kicked himself in the balls. I was merely a spectator. MISS PERKY The point is Kat -- people perceive you as somewhat ... Kat smiles at her, daring her to say it. KAT Tempestuous? MISS PERKY No ... I believe "heinous bitch" is the term used most often. She grimaces, as if she's referring to a medical condition. MISS PERKY (continuing) You might want to work on that Kat rises from her chair with a plastic smile matching the counselor's. KAT As always, thank you for your excellent guidance. INT. SOPHOMORE ENGLISH CLASS - DAY Bianca ignores the droning teacher as she writes a note in big flowing handwriting. TEACHER (0.S.) I realize the language of Mr. Shakespeare makes him a bit daunting, but I'm sure you're all doing your best. Bianca folds the note and passes it behind her with a flip of her hair to CHASTITY. Chastity opens the note and reads: INSERT - "JOEY DORSEY SAID HI TO ME IN THE HALL! OH! MY GOD!" Chastity frowns to herself. TEACHER (0.S.) (continuing) Ms. Stratford, do you care to comment on what you've read so far? Bianca looks up and smiles the smile of Daddy's little girl. BIANCA Not really. The teacher shakes her head, but lets it go. MANDELLA. a waif-like senior girl who sits off to the side trying to slit her wrist with the plastic spiral on her notebook, looks up and raises her hand. TEACHER Mandella -- since you're assisting us, you might as well comment. I'm assuming you read the assignment. MANDELLA Uh, yeah, I read it all TEACHER The whole play^ MANDELIA The whole folio. All the plays. TEACHER (disbelieving) You've read every play by William Shakespeare? MANDELLA Haven't you? She raises a challenging eyebrow. The stunned teacher doesn't answer and goes to call on the next student. EXT. SCHOOL COURTYARD - DAY Mandella and Kat sit down in the quiet corner. They are eating a carton of yogurt with gusto. MANDELLA Your sister is so amazingly without. She'll never read him. She has no idea. Kat attacks KAT The fact that you're cutting gym so you can T.A. Sophomore English just to hear his name, is a little without in itself if you ask me. Kat's attention is caught by Patrick as he walks by with his friends, lighting up a cigarette. Mandella notices her staring. MANDELLA Who's that? KAT Patrick Verona Random skid. MANDELLA That's Pat Verona? The one who was gone for a year? I heard he was doing porn movies. KAT I'm sure he's completely incapable of doing anything that interesting. MANDELLA He always look so KAT Block E? Kat turns back to face Mandella and forces her yogurt into Mandella's hand. KAT (continuing) Mandella, eat. Starving yourself is a very slow way to die. MANDELLA Just a little. She eats. Kat sees her wrist KAT What's this? MANDELLA An attempted slit. Kat stares at her, expressionless. KAT I realize that the men of this fine institution are severely lacking, but killing yourself so you can be with William Shakespeare is beyond the scope of normal teenage obsessions. You're venturing far past daytime talk show fodder and entering the world of those who need very expensive therapy. MANDELLA But imagine the things he'd say during sex. Thinks a minute KAT Okay, say you do it. You kill yourself, you end up in wherever you end up and he's there. Do you really think he's gonna wanna dace a ninety pound compulsive who failed volleyball? Mandella's attention is struck by Bianca ACROSS THE COURTYARD As she and Chastity parade by Joey and his COHORTS One of the cohorts elbows Joey. COHORT Virgin alert. Joey looks up and smiles at Bianca. JOEY Lookin' good, ladies. Bianca smiles her coyest of smiles. BACK TO KAT AND MANDELLA Still watching. MANDELLA Tragic. Doesn't respond ANOTHER ANGLE Michael and Cameron observe Joey's leers at Bianca from their bench in another corner. Cowboys eating cue of a can of beans linger on the grass behind them. CAMERON Why do girls like that always like guys like that? MICHAEL Because they're bred to. Their mothers liked guys like that, and their grandmothers before them. Their gene pool is rarely diluted. CAMERON He always have that shit-eating grin? MICHAEL Joey Dorsey? Perma-shit-grin. I wish I could say he's a moron, but he's number twelve in the class. And a model. Mostly regional stuff, but he's rumored to have a big tube sock ad coming out. The BELL rings, and the cowboys stand and spit into their empty bean cans. Cameron and Michael rise as Cameron tries to catch a glimpse of Bianca as she walks back inside. MICHAEL (continuing) You know French? CAMERON Sure do ... my Mom's from Canada MICHAEL Guess who just signed up for a tutor? CAMERON You mean I'd get a chance to talk to her? MICHAEL You could consecrate with her, my friend. Cameron watches as Bianca flounces back into the building. EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - DAY Kat and Mandella walk toward Kat's car. Joey pulls up beside her in his Viper. JOEY (re her dress) The vintage look is over, Kat. Haven't you been reading your Sassy? KAT Yeah, and I noticed the only part of you featured in your big Kmart spread was your elbow. Tough break. JOEY (practically spitting) They're running the rest of me next month. He zooms away as Kat yanks open the door of her Dart. Mandella ties a silk scarf around her head, as if they're in a convertible. KAT The people at this school are so incredibly foul. MANDELLA You could always go with me. I'm sure William has some friends. They watch Joey's car as he slows next to Bianca and Chastity as they walk toward the school bus. ON BIANCA AND CHASTITY JOEY Need a ride, ladies? Bianca and Chastity can't get in Joey's car fast enough. He pulls away with a smile. BACK TO KAT AND MANDELLA Mandella lowers her sunglasses to watch. MANDELLA That's a charming new development Kat doesn't answer, but reaches over and puts a tape in the tape deck. The sounds of JOYFUL PUNK ROCK fill the car. As they pull out, Michael crosses in front of them on his moped. Kat has to SLAM the brakes to keep from hitting him KAT (yelling) Remove head from sphincter! Then pedal! Michael begins fearfully, pedaling as Kat PEELS out, angry at the delay. Cameron rushes over CAMERON You all right? He slows to a stop MICHAEL Yeah, just a minor encounter with the shrew. CAMERON That's her? Bianca's sister? MICHAEL The mewling, rampalian wretch herself. Michael putters off, leaving Cameron dodging Patrick's grimy, grey Jeep -- a vehicle several years and many paint jobs away from its former glory as a REGULATION MAIL TRUCK - - as he sideswipes several cars on his way out of the lot. INT. STRATFORD HOUSE - DAY SHARON STRATFORD, attractive and focused, sits in front of her computer, typing quickly. A shelf next to her holds several bodice-ripper romance novels, bearing her name. Kat stands behind her, reading over her shoulder as she types. KAT "Undulating with desire, Adrienne removes her crimson cape, revealing her creamy --" WALTER STRATFORD, a blustery, mad scientist-type obstetrician, enters through the front door, wearing a doctor's white jacket and carrying his black bag. WALTER I hope dinner's ready because I only have ten minutes before Mrs. Johnson squirts out a screamer. He grabs the mail and rifles through it, as he bends down to kiss Sharon on the cheek. SHARON In the microwave. WALTER (to Kat) Make anyone cry today? KAT Sadly, no. But it's only four-thirty. Bianca walks in. KAT (continuing) Where've you been? BIANCA (eyeing Walter) Nowhere... Hi, Daddy. She kisses him on the cheek WALTER Hello, precious. Walter kisses Bianca back as Kat heads up the stairs KAT How touching. Walter holds up a letter to Kat WALTER What's this? It says Sarah Lawrence? Snatches it away from him. KAT I guess I got in Sharon looks up from her computer. SHARON What's a synonym for throbbing? WALTER Sarah Lawrence is on the other side of the country. KAT I know. WALTER I thought we decided you were going to school here. At U of 0. KAT You decided. BIANCA Is there even a question that we want her to stay? Kat gives Bianca an evil look then smiles sweetly at KAT Ask Bianca who drove her home SHARON Swollen...turgid. WALTER (to Bianca; upset) Who drove you home? Bianca glares at Kat then turns to Walter BIANCA Now don't get upset. Daddy, but there's this boy... and I think he might ask... WALTER No! You're not dating until your sister starts dating. End of discussion. BIANCA What if she never starts dating? WALTER Then neither will you. And I'll get to sleep at night. BIANCA But it's not fair -- she's a mutant, Daddy! KAT This from someone whose diary is devoted to favorite grooming tips? WALTER Enough! He pulls out a small tape recorder from his black bag. WALTER (continuing) Do you know what this is? He hits the "play' button and SHRIEKS OF PAIN emanate from the tape recorder. BIANCA AND WALTER (in unison, by rote) The sound of a fifteen-year-old in labor. WALTER This is why you're not dating until your sister does. BIANCA But she doesn't want to date. WALTER Exactly my point His BEEPER goes off and he grabs his bag again WALTER (continuing) Jesus! Can a man even grab a sandwich before you women start dilating? SHARON Tumescent! WALTER (to Sharon; as he leaves) You're not helping. INT. TUTORING ROOM - DAY Cameron sits with an empty chair beside him. Bianca arrives in a flurry of blonde hair. BIANCA Can we make this quick? Roxanne Korrine and Andrew Barrett are having an incredibly horrendous public break- up on the quad. Again. CAMERON Well, I thought we'd start with pronunciation, if that's okay with you. BIANCA Not the hacking and gagging and spitting part. Please. CAMERON (looking down) Okay... then how 'bout we try out some French cuisine. Saturday? Night? Bianca smiles slowly BIANCA You're asking me out. That's so cute. What's your name again? CAMERON (embarrassed) Forget it. Bianca seizes an opportunity. BIANCA No, no, it's my fault -- we didn't have a proper introduction --- CAMERON Cameron. BIANCA The thing is, Cameron -- I'm at the mercy of a particularly hideous breed of loser. My sister. I can't date until she does. CAMERON Seems like she could get a date easy enough... She fingers a lock of her hair. He looks on, dazzled. BIANCA The problem is, she's completely anti-social. CAMERON Why? BIANCA Unsolved mystery. She used to be really popular when she started high school, then it was just like she got sick of it or something. CAMERON That's a shame. She reaches out and touches his arm BIANCA Gosh, if only we could find Kat a boyfriend... CAMERON Let me see what I can do. Cameron smiles, having no idea how stupid he is INT. BIOLOGY CLASS A frog is being torn asunder by several prongs and picks. Michael and Cameron go for the spleen. MICHAEL You're in school for one day and you ask out the most beautiful girl? Do you have no concept of the high school social code? Cameron grins away CAMERON I teach her French, get to know her, dazzle her with charm and she falls in love with me. MICHAEL Unlikely, but even so, she still can't go out with you. So what's the point? Cameron motions with his head toward Patrick, a few lab tables away. He's wearing biker glasses instead of goggles as he tries to revive his frog. CAMERON What about him? MICHAEL (confused) You wanna go out with him? The others at the lab table raise their eyebrows CAMERON (impatient) No - he could wrangle with the sister. Michael smiles. Liking the intrigue. MICHAEL What makes you think he'll do it? CAMERON He seems like he thrives on danger MICHAEL No kidding. He's a criminal. I heard he lit a state trooper on fire. He just got out of Alcatraz... CAMERON They always let felons sit in on Honors Biology? MICHAEL I'm serious, man, he's whacked. He sold his own liver on the black market so he could buy new speakers. CAMERON Forget his reputation. Do you think we've got a plan or not? MICHAEL Did she actually say she'd go out with you? CAMERON That's what I just said Michael processes this. MICHAEL You know, if you do go out with Bianca, you'd be set. You'd outrank everyone. Strictly A-list. With me by your side. CAMERON I thought you hated those people. MICHAEL Hey -- I've gotta have a few clients when I get to Wall Street. A cowboy flicks the frog's heart into one of the Coffee Kid's latte. Cameron presses on, over the melee. CAMERON So now all we gotta do is talk to him. He points to Patrick, who now makes his frog hump another frog, with full-on sound effects. MICHAEL I'll let you handle that. INT. WOODSHOP - DAY Boys and a few stray girls nail their pieces of wood Michael sits next to PEPE, a Coffee Kid, who holds out his jacket like the men who sell watches in the subway. Inside several bags of coffee hang from hooks. PEPE Some people like the Colombian, but it all depends on your acidity preference. Me? I prefer East African and Indonesian. You start the day with a Sumatra Boengie or maybe and Ethiopian Sidamo in your cup, you're that much farther ahead than someone drinkin' Cosia Rican or Kona -- you know what I mean? Michael nods solemnly. ACROSS THE ROOM Patrick sits at a table with Scurvy, making something that looks like a machete out of a two-by-four. Cameron approaches, full of good-natured farm boy cheer CAMERON Hey, there In response, Patrick brandishes a loud POWER TOOL in his direction. Cameron slinks away. CAMERON (continuing) Later, then. Michael watches, shaking his head. INT. CAFETERIA - DAY Joey and his pals take turns drawing boobs onto a cafeteria tray with a magic marker. Michael walks up and sits between them, casual as can be MICHAEL Hey. JOEY Are you lost? MICHAEL Nope - just came by to chat JOEY We don't chat. MICHAEL Well, actually, I thought I'd run an idea by you. You know, just to see if you're interested. JOEY We're not. He grabs Michael by the side of the head, and proceeds to draw a penis on his cheek with the magic marker. Michael suffers the indignity and speaks undaunted. MICHAEL (grimacing) Hear me out. You want Bianca don't you? Joey sits back and cackles at his drawing. MICHAEL (continuing) But she can't go out with you because her sister is this insane head case and no one will go out with her. right? JOEY Does this conversation have a purpose? MICHAEL So what you need to do is recruit a guy who'll go out with her. Someone who's up for the job. Michael points to Patrick, who makes a disgusted face at his turkey pot pie before he rises and throws it at the garbage can, rather than in it. JOEY That guy? I heard he ate a live duck once. Everything but the beak and the feet. MICHAEL Exactly Joey turns to look at Michael. JOEY What's in it for you? MICHAEL Oh, hey, nothin' man Purely good will on my part. He rises to leave and turns to the others. MICHAEL (continuing) I have a dick on my face, don't I? INT. BOY'S ROOM - DAY Michael stands at the sink, trying to scrub Joey's artwork off his face as Cameron watches. CAMERON You got him involved? MICHAEL Like we had a choice? Besides -- when you let the enemy think he's orchestrating the battle, you're in a position of power. We let him pretend he's calling the shots, and while he's busy setting up the plan, you have time to woo Bianca. Cameron grins and puts an arm around him CAMERON You're one brilliant guy Michael pulls back, noticing other guys filing in. MICHAEL Hey - I appreciate gratitude as much as the next guy, but it's not gonna do you any good to be known as New Kid Who Embraces Guys In The Bathroom. Cameron pulls back and attempts to posture himself in a manly way for the others, now watching. INT. KENNY'S THAI FOOD DINER - DAY Kat and Mandella pick apart their pad thai. Mandella is smoking. KAT So he has this huge raging fit about Sarah Lawrence and insists that I go to his male-dominated, puking frat boy, number one golf team school. I have no say at all. MANDELLA William would never have gone to a state school. KAT William didn't even go to high school MANDELLA That's never been proven KAT Neither has his heterosexuality. Mandella replies with a look of ice. Kat uses the moment to stub out Mandella's cigarette. KAT (continuing) I appreciate your efforts toward a speedy death, but I'm consuming. (pointing at her food) Do you mind? MANDELLA Does it matter? KAT If I was Bianca, it would be, "Any school you want, precious. Don't forget your tiara." They both look up as Patrick enters. He walks up to the counter to place his order. Mandella leans toward Kat with the glow of fresh gossip MANDELLA Janice Parker told me he was a roadie for Marilyn Manson. Patrick nods at them as he takes his food outside. KAT Janice Parker is an idiot INT. MISS PERKY'S OFFICE - DAY Patrick sits before Miss Perky, eating his Thai food MISS PERKY (looking at chart) I don't understand, Patrick. You haven't done anything asinine this week. Are you not feeling well? PATRICK Touch of the flu. MISS PERKY I'm at a loss, then. What should we talk about? Your year of absence? He smiles his charming smile PATRICK How 'bout your sex life? She tolerates his comment with her withering glance. MISS PERKY Why don't we discuss your driving need to be a hemorrhoid? PATRICK What's to discuss? MISS PERKY You weren't abused, you aren't stupid, and as far as I can tell, you're only slightly psychotic -- so why is it that you're such a fuck-up? PATRICK Well, you know -- there's the prestige of the job title... and the benefits package is pretty good... The bell RINGS. MISS PERKY Fine. Go do something repugnant and give us something to talk about next week. INT. TUTORING ROOM - DAY Several pairs of tutors and students sit at the various desks. Mandella sits with TREVOR, a White Rasta. She attempts to get him to do geometry, but he stares at her, as if smitten MANDELLA Look, it's really easy. TREVOR You're a freedom fighter. Be proud, sister. Mandella sets down her pencil and closes the book. MANDELLA (rotely) It's Mandella with two L's. I am not related to Nelson Mandela. I am not a political figure. I do not live in South Africa. My parents just spent a few too many acid trips thinking they were revolutionaries. TREVOR But you freed our people MANDELLA Your "people" are white, suburban high school boys who smoke too much hemp. I have not freed you, Trevor. (grabbing his arm dramatically) Only you can free yourself. ACROSS THE ROOM Bianca and Cameron sit side by side, cozy as can be BIANCA C'esc ma tete. This is my head CAMERON Right. See? You're ready for the quiz. BIANCA I don't want to know how to say that though. I want to know useful things. Like where the good stores are. How much does champagne cost? Stuff like Chat. I have never in my life had to point out my head to someone. CAMERON That's because it's such a nice one. BIANCA Forget French. She shuts her book and puts on a seductive smile BIANCA (continuing) How is our little Find the Wench A Date plan progressing? CAMERON Well, there's someone I think might be -- Bianca's eyes light up BIANCA Show me INT. HALLWAY - DAY Cameron and Bianca lean against the wall -inconspicuously. Bianca plays it cool. BIANCA Give me a sign when he walks by. And don't point. The bell RINGS. Kids flood past. Then Patrick saunters by with Scurvy. Cameron nudges Bianca. CAMERON There. BIANCA Where? Out of desperation, Cameron awkwardly lunges across Patrick's path. Patrick shoves him back against the wall without a thought. Cameron lands in a THUD at Bianca's feet. CAMERON I guess he didn't see me (calling after Patrick) Some other time -- Bianca watches Patrick, a wicked gleam in her eye. BIANCA My God, he's repulsive. He's so perfect! INT. GYM CLASS - DAY Several volleyball games are being played. Joey and a member of his hulking entourage, approach Patrick, who still manages to look cool, even in gym clothes. They pull him aside roughly. PATRICK (shrugging them off) What? Joey points JOEY See that girl? Patrick follows his line of vision to Kat as she spikes the ball into some poor cowboy's face. PATRICK Yeah JOEY What do you think? Kat wins the game and high fives the others, who are scared of her. PATRICK Two legs, nice rack... JOEY Yeah, whatever. I want you to go out with her. PATRICK Sure, Sparky. I'll get right on it. JOEY You just said PATRICK You need money to take a girl out JOEY But you'd go out with her if you had the cake? Patrick stares at Joey deadpan. His dislike for the guy obvious. PATRICK (sarcastic) Yeah, I'd take her to Europe if I had the plane. Joey smiles. JOEY You got it, Verona. I pick up the tab, you do the honors. PATRICK You're gonna pay me to take out some girl? JOEY I can't date her sister until that one gets a boyfriend. And that's the catch. She doesn't want a boyfriend. PATRICK How much? JOEY Twenty bucks each time you take her out. PATRICK I can't take a girl like that out on twenty bucks. JOEY Fine, thirty. Patrick raises an eyebrow, urging him up JOEY (continuing) Take it or leave it. This isn't a negotiation. PATRICK Fifty, and you've got your man. Patrick walks away with a smile EXT. FIELD HOCKEY FIELD - DAY Kat and the rest of the team go through a grueling practice session. Kat spares no one as she whips the ball all over the field. Patrick sits on the bleachers nearby, watching. A cigarette dangles from his mouth. His pal, SCURVY is next to him. MR. CHAPIN, the coach, blows the WHISTLE. MR. CHAPIN (proudly) Good run, Stratford. Kat nods in response, and the girls leave the field. Patrick hops down to follow. PATRICK Hey. Girlie. Kat stops and turns slowly to look at him. PATRICK (continuing) I mean Wo-man. How ya doin'? KAT (smiles brightly) Sweating like a pig, actually. And yourself? PATRICK There's a way to get a guy's attention. KAT My mission in life. She stands there undaunted, hand on hip. KAT (continuing) Obviously, I've struck your fancy. So, you see, it worked. The world makes sense again. Patrick's eyes narrow. He steps closer. PATRICK Pick you up Friday, then KAT Oh, right. Friday. PATRICK backs up a little. He uses his most seductive tone PATRICK The night I take you to places you've never been before. And back. KAT Like where? The 7-Eleven on Burnside? Do you even know my name, screwboy? PATRICK I know a lot more than that Kat stares at him. KAT Doubtful. Very doubtful. She walks away quickly, leaving him standing alone. PATRICK (calling after her) You're no bargain either, sweetheart. Scurvy appears at his side SCURVY So I guess the Jeep won't be getting a new Blaupunkt. ACROSS THE FIELD Cameron and Michael watch. MICHAEL He took the bait. STRATFORD HOUSE/BATHROOM - NIGHT Kat washes her face at the sink. Bianca appears behind her, and attempts to twist Kat's hair into a chignon. She wacks Bianca away. BIANCA Have you ever considered a new look? I mean, seriously, you could have some potential buried under all this hostility. Kat pushes past her into the hallway. KAT I have the potential to smack the crap out of you if you don't get out of my way. BIANCA Can you at least start wearing a bra? Kat SLAMS her door in response. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Patrick, Scurvy and some other randoms head for the exit SCURVY You up for a burger? Patrick looks in his wallet. It's empty. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Kat stands at her locker, gathering her books. Patrick appears at her side, smiling. PATRICK Hey Kat doesn't answer PATRICK (continuing) You hate me don't you? KAT I don't really think you warrant that strong an emotion. PATRICK Then say you'll spend Dollar Night at the track with me. KAT And why would I do that? PATRICK Come on -- the ponies, the flat beer, you with money in your eyes, me with my hand on your ass... KAT You -- covered in my vomit. PATRICK Seven-thirty? She slams her locker shut and walks away EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - NIGHT Kat emerges from a music store carrying a bag of CDs in her teeth, and fumbling through her purse with both hands. She finds her keys and pulls them out with a triumphant tug. She looks up and finds Patrick sitting on the hood of her car PATRICK Nice ride. Vintage fenders. Kat takes the bag out of her mouth. KAT Are you following me? PATRICK I was in the laundromat. I saw your car. Thought I'd say hi. KAT Hi She gets in and starts the car. PATRICK You're not a big talker, are you? KAT Depends on the topic. My fenders don't really whip me into a verbal frenzy. She starts to pull out, and is blocked by Joey's Viper, which pulls up perpendicular to her rear and parks. Joey and his groupies emerge and head for the liquor store KAT (continuing) Hey -- do you mind? JOEY Not at all They continue on into the store. Kat stares at them in disbelief... Then BACKS UP Her vintage fenders CRASH into the door of Joey's precious Viper. Patrick watches with a delighted grin Joey races out of the liquor store. JOEY (continuing) You fucking bitch! Kat pulls forward and backs into his car again. Smiling sweetly. INT. STRATFORD HOUSE - NIGHT Walter paces as Kat sits calmly on the couch. WALTER My insurance does not cover PMS KAT Then tell them I had a seizure. WALTER Is this about Sarah Lawrence? You punishing me? KAT I thought you were punishing me. WALTER Why can't we agree on this? KAT Because you're making decisions for me. WALTER As a parent, that's my right KAT So what I want doesn't matter? WALTER You're eighteen. You don't know what you want. You won't know until you're forty-five and you don't have it. KAT (emphatic) I want to go to an East Coast school! I want you to trust me to make my own choices. I want -- Walter's BEEPER goes off WALTER Christ! I want a night to go by that I'm not staring a contraction in the face. He walks out, leaving Kat stewing on the couch. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Patrick shuts his graffiti-encrusted locker, revealing Joey's angry visage, glowering next to him. JOEY When I shell out fifty, I expect results. PATRICK I'm on it JOEY Watching the bitch trash my car doesn't count as a date. PATRICK I got her under control. She just acts crazed in public to keep up the image. Joey sees through the bluff JOEY Let me put it to you this way, if you don't get any action, I don't get any action. So get your ass on hers by the end of the week. Joey starts to walk off PATRICK I just upped my price JOEY (turning) What? PATRICK A hundred bucks a date. JOEY Forget it. PATRICK Forget her sister, then. Joey thinks for a frustrated moment, PUNCHES the locker, then peels another fifty out of his wallet with a menacing scowl. JOEY You better hope you're as smooth as you think you are, Verona. Patrick takes the money with a smile. INT. TUTORING ROOM - DAY Cameron runs a sentence past Bianca. CAMERON La copine et I 'ami? La diferance? Bianca glares at him. BIANCA A "copine" is someone you can count on. An "ami" is someone who makes promises he can't keep. Cameron closes the French book CAMERON You got something on your mind? BIANCA I counted on you to help my cause. You and that thug are obviously failing. Aren't we ever going on our date? He melts CAMERON You have my word. As a gentleman BIANCA You're sweet. She touches his hand. He blushes at her praise and watches her toss her hair back CAMERON (appreciative) How do you get your hair to look like that? BIANCA Eber's Deep Conditioner every two days. And I never, ever use a blowdryer without the diffuser attachment. Cameron nods with interest. CAMERON You know, I read an article about that. Bianca looks surprised. BIANCA You did? INT. BOY'S ROOM - DAY Patrick stands at the sink, washing his hands Michael and Cameron cower in the corner, watching him. PATRICK (without turning around) Say it MICHAEL (clearing his throat) What? PATRICK Whatever the hell it is you're standin' there waitin' to say. Cameron bravely steps forward CAMERON We wanted to talk to you about the plan. Patrick turns toward them. PATRICK What plan? MICHAEL The situation is, my man Cameron here has a major jones for Bianca Stratford. PATRICK What is it with this chick? She have three tits? Cameron starts to object, but Michael holds up a hand. MICHAEL I think I speak correctly when I say that Cameron's love is pure. Purer than say -- Joey Dorsey's. PATRICK Dorsey can plow whoever he wants. I'm just in this for the cash. Cameron starts choking at the thought of Joey plowing his beloved Bianca. MICHAEL That's where we can help you. With Kat. PATRICK So Dorsey can get the girl? MICHAEL Patrick, Pat, you're not looking at the big picture. Joey's just a pawn. We set this whole thing up so Cameron can get the girl. Patrick smiles. He likes the idea of Joey being a pawn in this game. PATRICK You two are gonna help me tame the wild beast? MICHAEL (grinning) We're your guys. CAMERON And he means that strictly in a non- prison-movie type of way. PATRICK Yeah -- we'll see. He swings the door open and exits, leaving Michael and Cameron grinning at each other. MICHAEL We're in. INT. CLASSROOM - DAY CU on a party invitation as it gets handed out. "Future Princeton Grad Bogey Lowenstein proudly presents a Saturday night bash at his abode. Casual attire". Michael holds the invitation up to Cameron. CAMERON This is it. A golden opportunity. Patrick can ask Katarina to the party. MICHAEL In that case, we'll need to make it a school-wide blow out. CAMERON Will Bogey get bent? MICHAEL Are you kidding? He'll piss himself with joy. He's the ultimate kiss ass. CAFETERIA - DAY Michael hands a jock the party invite as they pass each other at the trash cans. INT. GYM CLASS - DAY The jock calls a fellow jock INT. MATH CLASS - DAY Jock whispers to a cheerleader COURTYARD - DAY The cheerleader calls a White Rasta that she's making out with, showing him the invite. TRACK - DAY The White Rasta tells a cowboy as they run laps during track practice. INT. SHOWERS - DAY The cowboy Cells a Coffee Kid, as he shields his java from the spray of the shower. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Joey stands ac his open locker with Bianca. The locker is an homage to Joey's "modeling" career. Cheesy PRINT ADS of him -- running in a field of daisies, petting a kitten, etc. -- adorn the locker door. JOEY Which do you like better? INSERT - HEADSHOTS of Joey. In one, he's pouting in a white shirt. In the other, he's pouting in a black shirt. BIANCA I think I like the white shirt Joey nods thoughtfully. JOEY It's more BIANCA Expensive? JOEY Exactly (beat) So, you going to Bogey Lowenbrau's thing on Saturday? BIANCA Hopefully. He gives her his best flirtatious smile JOEY Good, 'cause I'm not gonna bother if you won't be there. He taps her on the nose and she giggles INT. TUTORING ROOM Bianca sits across from Cameron, who's transfixed, as always BIANCA Have you heard about Bogey Lowenstein's party? CAMERON Sure have. BIANCA (pouting) I really, really, really wanna go, but I can't. Not unless my sister goes. CAMERON I'm workin' on it. But she doesn't seem to be goin' for him. He fishes. CAMERON (continuing) She's not a... BIANCA Lesbian? No. I found a picture of Jared Leto in one of her drawers, so I'm pretty sure she's not harboring same-sex tendencies. CAMERON So that's the kind of guy she likes? Pretty ones? BIANCA Who knows? All I've ever heard her say is that she'd dip before dating a guy that smokes. Cameron furiously takes notes CAMERON All right. What else is she partial to? INT. DIVE BAR - NIGHT Patrick plays pool with some random deviant cronies. He looks up when he hears a COMMOTION at the door. LOU the bouncer is in the midst of throwing Michael and Cameron out. PATRICK Lou, it's okay. They're with me. Lou looks at Patrick, surprised, then reluctantly lets our two non-deviants pass through. Patrick guides them to a table and sips from a beer. PATRICK (continuing) What've you got for me? CAMERON I've retrieved certain pieces of information on Miss Katarina Stratford I think you'll find helpful. Cameron pulls out a piece of paper. MICHAEL (to Patrick) One question before we start -- should you be drinking alcohol when you don't have a liver? PATRICK What?! MICHAEL Good enough. Cameron looks up at Patrick. CAMERON Number one. She hates smokers MICHAEL It's a lung cancer issue CAMERON Her favorite uncle MICHAEL Dead at forty-one. Patrick sits up PATRICK Are you telling me I'm a - (spits the word out) "non-smoker"? MICHAEL Just for now. CAMERON Another thing. Bianca said that Kat likes -- pretty guys. This is met with silence. Then: PATRICK What? You don't think I'm pretty? Michael smacks Cameron MICHAEL He's pretty! CAMERON Okay! I wasn't sure Cameron goes back to the list. CAMERON (continuing) Okay -- Likes: Thai food, feminist prose, and "angry, stinky girl music of the indie-rock persuasion". PATRICK So what does that give me? I'm supposed to buy her some noodles and a book and sit around listening to chicks who can't play their instruments? MICHAEL Ever been to Club Skunk? PATRICK Yeah. CAMERON Gigglepuss is playing there tomorrow night. PATRICK Don't make me do it, man MICHAEL Assail your ears for one night. CAMERON It's her favorite band. Patrick groans MICHAEL I also retrieved a list of her most recent CD purchases, courtesy of American Express. He hands it over. PATRICK (smiling) Michael -- did you get this information "illegally"? Michael puts a finger to his lips. MICHAEL I prefer to think of it simply as an alternative to what the law allows. PATRICK I'm likin' you guys better He looks down at the list of CDs. PATRICK (continuing) This is really music? INT. KAT'S ROOM - NIGHT MUSIC BLARES in a room with minimalist decor splashed with indie rock band posters and flyers. Kat and Mandella dance as they dress and apply make-up Bianca enters, interrupting their fun. BIANCA Can you turn down the Screaming Menstrual Bitches? I'm trying to study. Kat doesn't move, so Bianca crosses to the stereo, turning down the volume. BIANCA (continuing) Don't tell me you're actually going out? On a school night, no less. Kat shoots her a glare BIANCA (continuing; excited) Oh my God, does this mean you're becoming normal? KAT It means that Gigglepuss is playing at Club Skunk and we're going. BIANCA (disappointed) Oh, I thought you might have a date (beat) I don't know why I'm bothering to ask, but are you going to Bogey Lowenstein's party Saturday night? KAT What do you think? BIANCA I think you're a freak. I think you do this to torture me. And I think you suck. She smiles sweetly and shuts the door behind her. Kat doesn't bat an eye. She grabs her purse and opens the door KAT Let's hit it. EXT. CLUB SKUNK - NIGHT A happy black and white neon skunk sprays fine mist on the line of kids below. INT. CLUB FOYER - NIGHT Kat and Mandella walk in, Mandella nervously pulling out her fake ID. The giant, afroed bouncer, BRUCE, looks typically mono-syllabic. MANDELLA (whispering to Kat) You think this'll work? KAT No fear. They approach Bruce. Kat puts on her happy, shiny face KAT (continuing) Hello! We'd like two for Gigglepuss! Bruce looks the girls up and down. BRUCE I can count. He looks at their IDs. Mandella gently moves Kat aside, wearing a face that could only be described as "I AM a Victoria's Secret model." MANDELLA I'll bet you can.. She sticks out her chest and licks her lips. Bruce stares at her deadpan and hands her back the IDs. BRUCE Go ahead. (to Mandella) And you MANDELLA (all come hither) Yes? BRUCE Take it easy on the guys in there. Mandella winks at him and sashays inside Kat: follows behind, shaking her head. EXT. CLUB SKUNK - NIGHT Patrick's mail truck clatters to a stop out front. INT. CLUB FOYER - NIGHT Patrick walks up to Bruce, who's frisking a badly mowhawked PIERCED EYEBROW BOY. Bruce pulls a SWITCHBLADE out of the boy's inside pocket. BRUCE Next time, leave the Bic at home, Skippy. SKIPPY It's a bottle opener. Bruce pushes him inside the club, then sees Patrick. BRUCE Verona, my man. They shake. PATRICK Always a pleasure, Brucie. BRUCE Didn't have you pegged for a Gigglepuss fan. Aren't they a little too pre-teen belly-button ring for you? PATRICK Fan of a fan. You see a couple of minors come in? BRUCE Never PATRICK Padua girls. One tall, decent body. The other one kinda short and undersexed? BRUCE Just sent 'em through. Patrick starts to go in BRUCE (continuing) Hey -- what happened to that chick you brought last time? The one with the snake? Patrick laughs and goes into the club INT. CLUB - NIGHT Onstage, the all-female band GIGGLEPUSS is parlaying their bad girl sass into a ripping punk number. Near the stage is a joyful mass of pogo-ing teens AT THE BAR Patrick bellies up and looks around the club. Gigglepuss finishes a song. LEAD SINGER Hello, out there. We're Gigglepuss and we're from Olympia. A teenage boy in the audience takes the opportunity to scream. BOY (0.S.) Pet my kitty! LEAD SINGER Meow They rev into their next song. NEAR THE STAGE Mandella and Kat glow with sweat. When they hear the opening chords of the song, they look at each other and scream with glee as they begin to dance. They couldn't be having a better time. AT THE BAR Patrick signals to get the bartender's attention and looks across the bouncing surge of the crowd. He spots Kat and Mandella singing along. HIS POV The gleeful Kat -- dancing and looking completely at ease. None of her usual "attitude". Patrick is transfixed. And most definitely attracted. NEAR THE STAGE Kat looks at Mandella. KAT (shouting) I need agua! She makes her way through the crowd to the bar. AT THE BAR She made it. She signals for the bartender and as she's waiting, looks around. She spots Patrick a few feet away KAT (continuing to herself) Shit She sneaks a glance. He's staring, but this time he looks away before she can. Despite herself, she's miffed. The bartender arrives BARTENDER (shouting) What can I get you? KAT Two waters. She looks at Patrick again. He's completely absorbed in the band. She scowls. The bottled water arrives and she marches off, forgetting to pay. She walks up to Patrick. KAT (continuing) You're not fooling anyone. Patrick looks at her, surprised PATRICK (yelling) hey. Great show, huh? KAT (yelling) If you're planning on asking me out you might as well get it over with. PATRICK (yelling) Excuse me? KAT (yelling) That's what you want, isn't it? PATRICK (yelling; gesturing toward the band) Do you mind? You're sort of ruining it for me. Kat steams. And watches him watch the band KAT (yelling) You're not surrounded by your usual cloud of smoke. The band takes a break, so they can stop yelling now PATRICK I know. I quit. He leans back, making no attempt to hit on her. She moves closer. KAT Oh, really? He motions toward the stage PATRICK You know, these guys are no Bikini Kill or The Raincoats, but they're right up there. KAT You know who The Raincoats are? PATRICK Why, don't you? She's completely taken aback. He uses the moment to his advantage and brushes her hair back as he speaks right into her ear. PATRICK (continuing) I watched you out there I've never seen you look like that Kat steps away, brushing the hair back that he just touched Her cheeks pinken. His cocky side is back in a flash PATRICK (continuing) Come to that party with me. At that moment, the band starts another SONG KAT (yelling) What? The bartender approaches. BARTENDER (to Kat, yelling) You forgot to pay! PATRICK (yelling) I got it, Rick. He tosses some bills on the bar Rather than thank him, Kat simply watches him, trying to figure out his motive. PATRICK (continuing; yelling) Nine-thirty then. A few people have gotten between them at the bar and she can't hear a word he's saying. She gives him one last look and heads back into the crowd. Patrick smiles. She didn't say no this time. EXT. CLUB SKUNK - NIGHT The crowd files out of the club, Kat and Mandella amongst them. A^ they're walking toward the parking lot, Patrick coasts by in his truck. The gears GRIND. He yells out the window. MANDELLA What'd he say? KAT Who cares? Mandella watches Kat as she stares after Patrick MANDELLA Has he importun'd you with love in honourable fashion? Kat glances sharply at her. MANDELLA (continuing; off her look) Don't be Cruella with me. I'm in favor of romance. You're the one that wants to march on Washington every five minutes. Kat pokes her, then looks back at the club dreamily. KAT Gigglepuss was so beyond. Mandella nods. MANDELLA They were. I only wish William could have been here to witness the rebirth of punk rock with us. Kat links her arm through Mandella's and they head for the car. KAT So true. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Cameron and Michael are at Michael's locker. CAMERON So, then she says that she almost didn't wear the Kenneth Coles with that dress because she thought she was mixing, you know, genres. And the fact that I noticed -- and I'm quoting here - "really meant something." Cameron looks At Michael expectantly MICHAEL You told me that part already. CAMERON Hell, I've just been going over the whole thing in my head and - Joey appears over Cameron's shoulder. JOEY Hey. Dingo Boingo Cameron and Michael look at each other And turn around slowly JOEY (continuing; to Michael) I hear you're helpin' Verona. MICHAEL Uh, yeah. We're old friend* JOEY You and Verona? MICHAEL What? We took bathes together when we were kids. It's incredibly obvious that he's lying. Joey eyes him then turns to Cameron. JOEY What's your gig in all this? CAMERON I'm just the new guy. Joey turns back to Michael, grabbing the alligator on his shirt and twisting it. JOEY You better not fuck this up. I'm heavily invested. MICHAEL Hey -- it's all for the higher good right? Joey lets go of Michael and SHOVES Cameron against a locker for good measure, as he walks away- CAMERON Is it about me? EXT. MISS PERKY'S OFFICE - DAY Kat sits outside waiting for her appointment, bored and annoyed. The door opens and Miss Perky escorts Patrick out MISS PERKY You're completely demented. PATRICK (cheery) See you next week! Kat stands and Patrick sees her. Miss Perky watches in horror MISS PERKY You two know each other? PATRICK/KAT Yeah/No. Miss Perky grabs Kat and shoves her into her office. MISS PERKY (to Patrick) Dear God, stay away from her. If you two ever decided to breed, evil would truly walk the earth. Patrick gives Kat one last look before the door shuts, then smiles- EXT. STRATFORD HOUSE - NIGHT The lights are on, illuminating the yard INT. STRATFORD HOUSE/UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT Bianca and Chastity stand outside Kat's room. MUSIC is blaring and the door is shut. Bianca looks at her watch BIANCA She's obviously not going. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Across the carpet, two pairs of teenage girl feet sneak past. Bianca and Chastity, teddy bear purses in hand. FROM THE KITCHEN A RUSTLING is heard. The girls freeze. Walter emerges from the kitchen with a mile-high sandwich The girls are like statues. Walter jumps. BIANCA Daddy, I -- WALTER And where're you going? BIANCA If you must know, we were attempting to go to a small study group of friends. WALTER Otherwise known as an orgy? BIANCA It's just a party. Daddy, but I knew you'd forbid me to go since "Gloria Steinem" over there isn't going -- She points to Kat -- Walkman blaring -- who comes downstairs, wearing a baby tee and battered Levis. Her relaxing-at-home look is about 400 times sexier than her at- school look. She wanders toward the kitchen. Walter directs his attention toward Kat. WALTER Do you know about any party? Katarina? Kat shrugs as she comes back out of the kitchen with an apple BIANCA Daddy, people expect me to be there! WALTER If Kat's not going, you're not going. Bianca turns to Kat, eyes ablaze BIANCA You're ruining my life' Because you won't be normal, I can't be normal. KAT What's normal? BIANCA Bogey Lowenstein's party is normal, but you're too busy listening to Bitches Who Need Prozac to know that. WALTER What's a Bogey Lowenstein? Kat takes off her earphones, ready to do battle BIANCA Can't you forget for just one night that you're completely wretched? KAT At least I'm not a clouted fen- sucked hedge-pig. Bianca tosses her hair. BIANCA Like I'm supposed to know what that even means. KAT It's Shakespeare. Maybe you've heard of him? BIANCA Yeah, he's your freak friend Mandella's boyfriend. I guess since I'm not allowed to go out, I should obsess over a dead guy, too. WALTER Girls Kat stares Bianca down KAT I know about the goddamn party. I'm going. Bianca and Chastity look at each other, thrilled, and burst into gleeful screams. A startled Walter clutches Bianca in a protective hug. WALTER Oh, God. It's starting. BIANCA It's just a party. Daddy. Walter looks dazed. WALTER Wear the belly before you go. BIANCA Daddy, no! WALTER Just for a minute He rushes to a cupboard and pulls out a padded faux- pregnancy belly. WALTER (continuing) I want you to realize the weight of your decisions. He hangs the belly on her as she stands mortified. BIANCA You are so completely unbalanced. KAT Can we go now? Scanned by http://freemoviescripts.com Formatting by http://simplyscripts.home.att.net WALTER (to Bianca) Promise me you won't talk to any boys unless your sister is present. BIANCA Why? WALTER Because she'll scare them away. Kat stomps to the door, grabbing her car keys off the hall table and a sweater from the coat rack. She flings open the door and... There stands Patrick. PATRICK Nine-thirty right? Kat's in shock PATRICK (continuing) I'm early. She holds up her keys KAT I'm driving. He peeks in behind her. PATRICK Who knocked up your sister? INT. BOGEY LOWENSTEIN'S HOUSE - NIGHT BOGEY, a short Future MBA in a tux, greets his guests like a pro, handing out cigars and martinis. BOGEY Nice to see you. Martini bar to the right, shots in the kitchen. The house is filled to capacity with Padua High's finest Kat pushes through the crowd. Patrick saunters in behind her INT. BOGEY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT Joey lines up a row of shots amid much whooping and hollering within the jock crowd. Kat enters, then quickly tries to make an about face. Joey sees her and rushes over to block her, standing in the doorway. JOEY Lookin' fresh tonight, Pussy-Kat Kat gives him a death look and then stops and points at his forehead. KAT Wait -- was that?-- Did your hairline just recede? He panics, whipping out a handy pocket mirror She's already walking away. JOEY Where ya goin? KAT Away. JOEY Your sister here? Kat's face shows utter hatred KAT Leave my sister alone. JOEY (smirking) And why would I do that? A RUCKUS sounds from the next room JOCK A fight! The other jocks rush to watch as two Coffee Kids splash their cupfuls on each other. COFFEE KID #1 That was a New Guinea Peaberry, you Folger's-crystals-slurping-buttwipe. Caffeinated fists fly. Joey slithers away from the door to watch, giving Kat one last smirk, just as Bianca walks into the kitchen. JOEY Just who I was looking for. He puts his arm around Bianca and escorts her out KAT BIANCA Bianca keeps walking, ignoring Kat A GUY pouring shots hands Kat one She downs it and accepts another. GUY Drink up, sister. Patrick walks up PATRICK What's this? KAT (mocking) "I'm getting trashed, man." Isn't that what you're supposed to do at a party? PATRICK I say, do what you wanna do. KAT Funny, you're the only one She downs another. INT. BOGEY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Cameron and Michael enter. Cameron looks, around for his beloved, while Michael schmoozee with all in attendance and dishes dirt simultaneously. MICHAEL (high-fiving a jock) Moose, my man! (to Cameron) Ranked fifth in the state. Recruiters have already started calling. Cameron nods intently MICHAEL (continuing; grabbing his belt) Yo, Clem. (to Cameron) A Patsy Cline fan, but hates the new Leanne Rimes. (with a Jamaican swagger) Ziggy, peace, bra. (to Cameron) Prefers a water pipe, but has been known to use a bong. Michael spots Bianca and Chastity, watching the skirmish, and points Cameron's body in her direction. MICHAEL (continuing) Follow the love, man ON BIANCA AND CHASTITY Bianca cranes her neck BIANCA Where did he go? He was just here. CHASTITY Who? BIANCA Joey. Cameron walks over. CAMERON Evening, ladies. Bianca turns and graces him with a pained smile. BIANCA Hi. CAMERON Looks like things worked out tonight, huh? Bianca ignores the question and tries to pawn him off BIANCA You know Chastity? CAMERON I believe we share an art instructor CHASTITY Great BIANCA Would you mind getting me a drink, Cameron? CAMERON Certainly Pabst? Old Milwaukee? RaiJieer? Bianca gives him a tense smile. BIANCA Surprise me. He heads for the kitchen. Joey walks up and grabs her around the waist. She giggles as he picks her up and carries her off -- just as Cameron returns, a beer -- complete with a napkin and straw -- in his hand. Chastity glares with a jealous fury after Bianca and Joey, then gives Cameron the once-over and walks away. Michael appears. MICHAEL Extremely unfortunate maneuver. CAMERON The hell is that? What kind of 'guy just picks up a girl and carries her away while you're talking to her? MICHAEL Buttholus extremus. But hey, you're making progress. CAMERON No, I ' m not. He smacks himself in the head CAMERON (continuing) She used me! She wants to go out with Dorsey. Not me. I'm an idiot! Michael pats him on the shoulder. MICHAEL At least you're self-aware BOGEY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT Kat and a crowd of White Rastas and Cowboys stand in a drunken group hug singing "I Shot the Sheriff". Kat has another shot glass in hand. Patrick is showing a scar to an inebriated, enraptured cheerleader. He looks up at Kat and smiles meets his eyes then looks away. INT. BOGEY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Bianca stands next to Joey, sipping from her beer JOEY So yeah, I've got the Sears catalog thing going -- and the tube sock gig " that's gonna be huge. And then I'm up for an ad for Queen Harry next week. BIANCA Queen Harry? JOEY It's a gay cruise line, but I'll be, like, wearing a uniform and stuff. Bianca tries to appear impressed, but it's getting difficult. BIANCA Neat... JOEY My agent says I've got a good shot at being the Prada guy next year. He looks over her shoulder and waves at someone. Bianca takes the opportunity to escape. BIANCA I'll be right back. INT. BOGEY'S BATHROOM - NIGHT Bianca shuts the door and leans on it with a sigh. Chastity applies lip-gloss in the mirror. BIANCA He practically proposed when he found out we had the same dermatologist. I mean. Dr. Bonchowski is great an all, but he's not exactly relevant party conversation. CHASTITY Is he oily or dry? BIANCA Combination. I don't know -- I thought he'd be different. More of a gentleman... Chastity rolls her eyes CHASTITY Bianca, I don't think the highlights of dating Joey Dorsey are going to include door-opening and coat-holding. BIANCA Sometimes I wonder if the guys we're supposed to want to go out with are the ones we actually want to go out with, you know? CHASTITY All I know is -- I'd give up my private line to go out with a guy like Joey. There's a KNOCK at the door. Bianca opens it to find a very drunken Kat. KAT Bianca, I need to talk to you -- I need to tell you -- BIANCA (cutting her off) I really don't think I need any social advice from you right now. Bianca grabs Chastity's arm and they exit INT. BOGEY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT - LATER Patrick tries to remove a shot glass from Kat's hand. PATRICK Maybe you should let me have it. Kat is fierce in her refusal to let go KAT I want another one Joey enters, grabbing Patrick by the shoulder, distracting him from his task. JOEY My man As Patrick turns, Kat breaks free and dives into the sea of dancing people in the dining room. PATRICK (annoyed) It's about time. JOEY A deal's a deal. He peels off some bills JOEY (continuing) How'd you do it? PATRICK Do what? JOEY Get her to act like a human A very drunken Kat jumps up onto the kitchen island and starts dancing by herself. She lets loose, hair flying. She's almost burlesque. Others form a crowd, clapping and cheering her on She swings her head around BANGING it on a copper pot hanging from the rack above the center island. She starts to sway, then goes down as Patrick rushes over to catch her. The others CLAP, thinking this is a wonderful finale. Patrick sets her down on her feet, holding her up PATRICK Okay? KAT I'm fine. I'm She tries to push him away, but staggers when she does grabs her again, bracing her. PATRICK You're not okay. KAT I just need to lie down for awhile PATRICK Uh, uh. You lie down and you'll go to sleep KAT I know, just let me sleep PATRICK What if you have a concussion? My dog went to sleep with a concussion and woke up a vegetable. Not that I could tell the difference... She tries to sit on the floor KAT Okay, I'll just sleep but stay awake, okay? He pulls her back to her PATRICK C'mon, let's walk INT. BOGEY'S DINING ROOM - NIGHT As Patrick walks Kat through the dining room, Cameron grabs his arm. CAMERON We need to talk. PATRICK Cameron, I'm a little busy CAMERON It's off. The whole thing. Kat slides down to the floor and Patrick struggles to get h back on her feet. PATRICK What 're you talking about? CAMERON She's partial to Joey, not me Patrick doesn't have time for this. PATRICK Cameron -- do you like the girl? CAMERON Sure PATRICK (impatient) Then, go get her Patrick continues walking an oblivious Kat outside. Cameron stands there, unsure how to make use of this advice EXT. BOGEY LOWENSTEIN'S HOUSE - NIGHT Patrick marches Kat around the yard, holding her up KAT This is so patronizing. PATRICK Leave it to you to use big words when you're shitfaced. KAT Why 're you doing this? PATRICK I told you KAT You don't care if I die PATRICK Sure, I do KAT Why? PATRICK Because then I'd have to start taking out girls who like me. KAT Like you could find one PATRICK See that? Who needs affection when I've got blind hatred? KAT Just let me sit down. He walks her over to the swingset and plops her down in a swing, moving her hands to hang onto the chains. PATRICK How's that? She sits and looks at him for a moment with a smile. Then FALLS over backward. PATRICK (continuing) Jesus. You're like a weeble Patrick rushes to right her, then starts pushing her on the swing to keep her entertained. PATRICK (continuing) Why'd you let him get to you? KAT Who? PATRICK Dorsey. KAT I hate him. PATRICK I know. It'd have to be a pretty big deal to get you to mainline tequila. You don't seem like the type. KAT (holding up a drunken head) Hey man. . . You don ' t think I can be "cool"? You don't think I can be "laid back" like everyone else? PATRICK (slightly sarcastic) I thought you were above all that KAT You know what they say He stops the swing PATRICK No. What do they say? Kat is asleep, her head resting against the swing's chains. PATRICK (continuing) Shit! He drags her to her feet and starts singing loudly. PATRICK (continuing) Jingle Bells! Jingle Belles! Wake up damn it! He sits her down on the slide and shakes her like a rag doll. PATRICK (continuing) Kat! Wake up! KAT (waking) What? He sighs with relief. PATRICK I thought you were... They share some meaningful eye contact. And then she PUKES on his shoes. INT. BOGEY'S BATHROOM - NIGHT Kat washes her face and grabs a bottle of Scope, taking a big swig. A KNOCK sounds at the door KAT Go away Bianca opens the door and looks at her sister with the smuggest of all possible grins. BIANCA Dinner taste better on the way out? Gives her a "don't even start" look. BIANCA (continuing) I don't get you. You act like you're too good for any of this, and then you go totally apeshit when you get here. KAT You're welcome. She pushes past her and leaves the bathroom. KAT'S CAR - NIGHT Kat's in the driver's seat. Patrick leans in and takes the keys out of the ignition. PATRICK Cute BOGEY LOWENSTEIN'S HOUSE - NIGHT Kids loiter on the lawn. Bianca and Chastity walk outside Joey catches up to them. JOEY A bunch of us are going to Jaret's house. Wanna come? Chastity looks at Bianca, who wears a pained expression. She looks at her watch. BIANCA I have to be home in twenty minutes. CHASTITY (eagerly, to Joey) I don't have to be home 'til two. JOEY Then, c'mon. (to Bianca) Maybe next time -- They head back into the party, leaving an astonished Bianca Cameron exits the party and stops when he sees Bianca standing alone. CAMERON (slightly accusatory) Have fun tonight? BIANCA Tons He starts to walk on BIANCA (continuing) Cameron? He stops. She gives him a helpless smile. BIANCA (continuing) Do you think you could give me a ride home? INT. KAT'S CAR - NIGHT Patrick drives as Kat sits in the passenger seat, fiddling with the radio dial. She finds a SONG she's happy with and Patrick quickly changes it. PATRICK I'm driving, so I get to pick the tunes. She changes it back to her song. KAT It's my car. He changes it back. PATRICK And I'm in control of it. KAT But it's Gigglepuss - I know you like them. I saw you there. Patrick doesn't have an answer for this, so he let's her listen to her song. KAT (continuing) When you were gone last year -- where were you? PATRICK Busy KAT Were you in jail? PATRICK Maybe. KAT No, you weren't PATRICK Then why'd you ask? KAT Why'd you lie? He doesn't answer, but instead, frowns and turns up the music. She bobs her head drunkenly. KAT (continuing) I should do this. PATRICK Do what? KAT This. She points to the radio PATRICK Start a band? KAT (sarcastically) My father wouldn't approve of that that PATRICK You don't strike me as the type that would ask permission. She turns to look at him. KAT Oh, so now you think you know me? PATRICK I'm gettin' there Her voice loses it's venom KAT The only thing people know about me is that I'm "scary". He turns to look at her -- she looks anything but scary right now. He tries to hide his smile. PATRICK Yeah -- well, I'm no picnic myself. They eye each other, sharing a moment of connection, realizing they're both created the same exterior for themselves. Patrick pulls into her driveway and shuts off the motor. He looks up at her house. PATRICK (continuing) So what ' s up with your dad? He a pain in the ass? KAT He just wants me to be someone I'm not. PATRICK Who? KAT BIANCA PATRICK No offense, but you're sister is without. I know everyone likes her and all, but ... Kat stares at him with new admiration. KAT You know -- you're not as vile as I thought you were. She leans drunkenly toward him. Their faces grow closer as if they're about to kiss And then Patrick turns away PATRICK So, I'll see you in school Kat stares at him, pissed. Then gets out of the car, SLAMMING the door shut behind her. CAMERON'S CAR - NIGHT Bianca and Cameron ride in silence. He finally breaks it. CAMERON I looked for you back at the party, but you always seemed to be "occupied". BIANCA (faux-innocence ) I was? CAMERON You never wanted to go out with 'me, did you? Bianca bites her lip. BIANCA (reluctant) Well, no... CAMERON Then that's all you had to say. BIANCA But CAMERON You always been this selfish? BIANCA thinks a minute He pulls up in front of the house CAMERON Just because you're beautiful, doesn't mean you can treat people like they don't matter. She looks at him for a moment -- then grabs his face and gives him a kiss on the lips. He draws back in surprise, then kisses her back. She smiles, then gets out of the car without another word. Cameron grins and drives away CAMERON (continuing) And I'm back in the saddle. INT. ENGLISH CLASS - DAY Kat sits at her desk, burying her face in a book as the others enter. The White Rastas are first. DEREK Kat, my lady, you sway to the rhythm of my heart. He grabs her hand and kisses it as she pulls it away. CLEM, a cowboy, enters, high-fiving Derek with new-found friendliness. CLEM Yippe kai-aye, bra. (to Kat) Dance for me, cowgirl. He sits next to Derek CLEM (continuing) Okay, now tell me again why he didn't shoot the deputy? DEREK Because the deputy meant him no harm, my friend. It was only the sheriff that was the oppressor. Joey saunters in and takes his seat. JOEY Kat, babe, you were on fire. Mrs. Blaise enters and sits at her desk MRS. BLAISE Well now, did everyone have a good weekend? JOEY Maybe we should ask Verona Patrick enters, late, and slinks to his desk. Kat looks up, down and around, everywhere but at Patrick. Mrs. Blaise tries to remember what she's supposed to talk about. MRS. BLAISE Okay then. Well. (beat) Oh, yes She clears her throat. MRS. BLAISE (continuing) I'd like you all to write your own version of Shakespeare's Sonnet #141. Groans. MRS. BLAISE (continuing) Any form you'd like. Rhyme, no rhyme, whatever. I'd like to see you elaborate on his theme, however. Let's read it aloud, shall we? Anyone? The class is frozen in apathy. MRS. BLAISE (continuing) Derek? Ms. Blaise hands him the sonnet. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Then grins. DEREK (reading; in his Rasta stoner drawl) In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes/ For they in thee a thousand errors note/ But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise/ Who in despite of view is pleas 'd to dote. In the back of the room Clem raises his hand CLEM Ms. Blaise, can I get the bathroom pass? Damn if Shakespeare don't act as a laxative on my person. INT. KENNY'S THAI FOOD DINER - DAY Kat and Mandella scrape the peanuts out of their sauce. MANDELLA You went to the party? I thought we were officially opposed to suburban social activity. KAT I didn't have a choice. MANDELLA You didn't have a choice? Where's Kat and what have you done with her? KAT I did Bianca a favor and it backfired. MANDELLA You didn't KAT I got drunk. I puked. I got rejected. It was big fun. Patrick enters, walking to the counter to order. He sees Kat and smiles. PATRICK Hey She gathers her things and bolts out the door. Patrick looks at Mandella, who shrugs and follows Kat. INT. BIOLOGY CLASS - DAY Cameron and Michael flank Patrick at his lab table MICHAEL So you got cozy with she who stings? PATRICK No - I've got a sweet-payin' job that I'm about to lose. CAMERON What'd you do to her? PATRICK I don ' t know. (beat) I decided not to nail her when she was too drunk to remember it. Michael and Cameron look at each other in realization, then turn back to Patrick. CAMERON You realize this puts the whole operation in peril. PATRICK No shit. She won't even look at me CAMERON Why can't you just tell her you're sorry? Patrick's expression says that this is not a possibility. Michael makes a time out sign with his hands. MICHAEL I'm on it INT. HALLWAY - DAY Mandella is at her locker. Drawings of William Shakespeare adorn the door. She looks at them with a sigh, then ties her silk scarf tightly around her neck, in an attempt to cut off her air supply. Michael walks up. MICHAEL Hey there. Tired of breathing? MANDELLA (shyly, as she loosens the scarf) Hi. MICHAEL Cool pictures. You a fan? MANDELLA Yeah. I guess. MICHAEL rocks. Very hip. MANDELLA You think? MICHAEL Oh yeah. She looks at him suspiciously MANDELLA Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart, courage to make ' B love known? Michael thinks for a minute. MICHAEL Macbeth, right? MANDELLA (happily stunned) Right. MICHAEL Kat a fan, too? MANDELLA (puzzled) Yeah... He leans in close to her, conspiratorially MICHAEL So, listen... I have this friend EXT. FIELD HOCKEY FIELD - DAY Cameron sits next to Patrick on the bleachers as they watch Kat's practice. CAMERON She hates you with the fire of a thousand suns . That's a direct quote PATRICK She just needs time to cool off I'll give it a day. A PUCK flies at them from the field, narrowly missing their heads. PATRICK (continuing) Maybe two. He looks at Cameron. PATRICK (continuing) You makin' any headway? CAMERON She kissed me. PATRICK (eyebrow raised) Where? INT. HALLWAY - DAY Chastity rounds the corner and bends down to get a drink from the water fountain. NEARBY Joey stands talking to two JOCK COHORTS. The guys don't see her. JOEY Don't talk to me about the sweetest date. That little halo Bianca is gonna be prone and proven on prom night. Six virgins in a row. The cohorts chortle Chastity keeps drinking from the fountain EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY Joey leans against Patrick's Jeep. Patrick is inside. PATRICK I don't know, Dorsey. ..the limo.-the flowers. Another hundred for the tux -- JOEY Enough with the Barbie n' Ken shit. I know. He pulls out his wallet and hands Patrick a wad of money JOEY (continuing) Take it Patrick does, with a smile, as he ROARS out of the parking lot. INT. SCHOOL COURTYARD - DAY Kat and Mandella deface a prom flyer. KAT Can you even imagine? Who the hell would go to this a bastion of commercial excess? MANDELLA Well, I guess we're not, since we don't have dates . KAT Listen to you! You sound like Betty, all pissed off because Archie is taking Veronica. MANDELLA Okay, okay, we won't go. It's not like I have a dress anyway KAT You ' re looking at this from the wrong perspective. We're making a statement. MANDELLA (unconvinced) Oh, good. Something new and different for us. EXT. ARCHERY FIELD - DAY Mr. Chapin patrols as boys and girls shoot arrows at targets Joey swaggers up to Bianca, who is taking careful aim. Chastity watches from across the row. JOEY Hey, sweet cheeks. BIANCA (not looking at him) Hi, Joey. JOEY You're concentrating awfully hard considering it's gym class. She lets the arrow go and turns to look at him. JOEY (continuing) Listen, I want to talk to you about the prom. BIANCA You know the deal. I can ' t go if Kat doesn't go -- In the background, a RASTA crumples to the ground. Hit A casualty of Gym. Mr. Chapin scurries over. JOEY Your sister is going. Bianca looks at him, surprised BIANCA Since when? Joey takes the bow and arrow from Bianca's hand. He draws back and takes aim. JOEY I'm taking care of it. Chastity looks over from her spot on the field, but keeps lips firmly shut. INT. BOOK STORE - DAY Kat browses through the feminist lit section Patrick appears, through a hole in the books. PATRICK Excuse me, have you seen The Feminine Mystique? I lost my copy. KAT (frowning) What are you doing here? PATRICK I heard there was a poetry reading. KAT You 're so -- PATRICK Pleasant? Kat stares at him, deadpan. PATRICK (continuing) Wholesome. KAT Unwelcome. PATRICK Unwelcome? I guess someone still has her panties in a twist. KAT Don't for one minute think that you had any effect whatsoever on my panties. PATRICK So what did I have an effect on ? KAT Other than my upchuck reflex? Nothing. She pushes past him and heads out the' door Pat looks down at the book he's been holding in his hand: Taming of the Shrew. INT. CAFETERIA - DAY Cameron and Michael flank Patrick as he shovels food into mouth. PATRICK You were right. She's still pissed. MICHAEL Sweet love, renew thy force! PATRICK Man -- don't say shit like that to me. People can hear you. CAMERON (exasperated) You humiliated the woman! Sacrifice yourself on the altar of dignity and even the score. MICHAEL Best case scenario, you're back on the payroll for awhile. PATRICK What's the worst? CAMERON You get the girl. Patrick thinks for a minute PATRICK If I go down. I'm takin' her with me INT. ENGLISH CLASS - DAY Kat and the other students sit at their desks, taking a quiz Patrick's seat is conspicuously empty. From outside, we hear the soft, unsure beginnings of a SONG. Kat looks up, then out the window, HORRIFIED. The song grows louder until we realize it's The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You". Being sung by Patrick. PATRICK (0. S.) "This morning, I woke up with this feeling, I didn't know how to deal with, and so I just decided to myself--" The STUDENTS rush to the window. OUTSIDE Patrick stands beneath the window, crooning. Scurvy is next to him, keeping the beat on the bongos and doing backup vocal s. PATRICK "I'd hide it to myself. And never talk about it. And didn't I go and shout it when you walked into the room --" He makes quite a sarcastic show of it. IN THE CLASSROOM Mrs. Blaise touches her heart, as if the song is for her. Kat slowly walks to the window, peeking below. OUTSIDE Patrick smiles at her as he finishes the verse with a big finale. PATRICK (continuing) " I think I love you I " INSIDE The other students laugh, clap, cheer, etc. Kat sinks down, mortified, but with a slight smile INT. DETENTION HALL - DAY Patrick and several other miscreants sit quietly, mulling over their misfortune. MISCREANT Nice song, Verona. PATRICK Flog me. He makes the appropriate hand gesture Mr. Chapin, the gym teacher, sits at the desk in front, ignoring them while he reads a girly weightlifting magazine KAT (0. S.) Excuse me, Mr. Chapin? Patrick looks up at the sound of her voice and sees Kat standing in the doorway. She gives him a smile and he perks up a little. Kat walks into the room and addresses Mr. Chapin again. He turns fully to face her. KAT Sir, I'd like to state for the record that Mr. Verona ' s current incarceration is unnecessary. I never filed a complaint. MR. CHAPIN You didn't have to. He disrupted a classroom. Kat glances over at Patrick and motions her head toward the window. Patrick shrugs, not knowing what she ' s talking about. She motions again, and looks toward the window with an expression that says, "Make a break for it, moron." Kat brings her attention back to Mr. Chapin while Patrick inches out of his seat toward the window. The other miscreants watch with glee. KAT But, Mr. Chapin, I hardly think a simple serenade warrants a week of detention. There are far more hideous acts than off-key singing being performed by the student body on a regular basis. Patrick is halfway out the window now. And none too happy about it, considering they're on the second floor. He eyes a large TREE a few feet away from MR. CHAPIN. He starts to turn away from Kat MR. CHAPIN You're not gonna change my mind, Kat. Rules stick. Kat starts to panic, as Patrick has yet to make the jump for the tree. KAT Wait, Mr. Chapin. There's something I've always wanted to show you. He turns back toward her again, the very second before he would have spotted Patrick. Kat glances toward the window. Patrick's just about to make the jump. MR. CHAPIN What? KAT These. From behind, we see her lift up her shirt and flash her bra at Mr. Chapin, just as Patrick makes the Jump. The miscreants cheer, for both the daring' escape and the flash of skin. Mr. Chapin reddens and tries to be stern. MR. CHAPIN I'm going to let that slide, Katarina. But if I catch you doing that again, you'll be in here with the rest of these guys. He motions to the remaining detention prisoners, without noticing Patrick's absence. Kat smiles at him. KAT Thank you, Mr. Chapin. Kat bolts out the door. Mr. Chapin goes back to his muscle mag, wiping the sweat from his brow. EXT. SCHOOL CAMPUS LAWN Kat arrives at the tree. looking around breathlessly, seeing no one. KAT He left! I sprung the dickhead and he cruised on me. PATRICK (0. S.) Look up, sunshine She does. He's still in the tree PATRICK I guess I never told you I'm afraid of heights. KAT (smiling) C'mon. It's not that bad PATRICK Try lookin' at it from this angle She assesses the branch structure KAT Put your right foot there -- PATRICK Forget it. I'm stayin'. KAT You want me to climb up and show you how to get down? PATRICK (voice trembling) Maybe. She sighs and dose so. When she gets to his level, she perches on the branch next to him. He grins at her. Then swings himself down with the grace and ease of a monkey, leaving her sitting there, realizing she's been duped. KAT You shit! She climbs down after him EXT. OUTDOOR ARCADE - DAY Patrick and Kat walk amongst the games KAT The Partridge Family? PATRICK I figured it had to be something ridiculous to win your respect. And piss you off. KAT Good call. PATRICK So how'd you get Chapin to look the other way? KAT I dazzled him with my wit She stops and picks up a toy gun that SHOOTS water at giggling hyenas and wails on it. The barker hands her a stuffed animal as her prize. She hands it to the small KID next to her and they continue walking. PATRICK (sarcastic) A soft side? Who knew? KAT Yeah, well, don't let it get out PATRICK So what's your excuse? KAT Acting the way we do. PATRICK Yes KAT I don't like to do what people expect. Then they expect it all the time and they get disappointed when you change. PATRICK So if you disappoint them from the start, you're covered? KAT Something like that PATRICK Then you screwed up KAT How? PATRICK You never disappointed me. She blushes under his gaze PATRICK (continuing) You up for it? KAT For. . . ? He motions to the SIGN for a paint-ball game. She grins SERIES OF SHOTS: The two of them creep through the paint-ball course, stealthy and full of the desire to best the other. Patrick nails Kat in the back with a big glob of red paint Kat gets him in the chest with a glob of blue. Patrick returns fire with a big yellow splat to the side of her face. Kat squirts a green shot to his forehead After a few more shots, they're both covered in paint She tries to shoot him again, only to find that her gun is empty. KAT (continuing) Damn it! Patrick grabs her in a victorious tackle. They land, laughing. It's hard to even recognize them, as their hair and faces are so smeared with paint globs, but they still manage to find each other's eyes. He wipes a smear of blue paint away from her lips, as he goes to kiss her. NEARBY The kid with the stuffed animal, points KID Look, Mom His mother hurries him away. What's started as a tackle has turned into a passionate kiss EXT. STRATFORD HOUSE - NIGHT Patrick pulls up in Kat's driveway. Their paint wardrobe has dried by now and they look like refugees from some strange, yet colorful, war. KAT State trooper? PATRICK Fallacy. KAT The duck? PATRICK Hearsay. KAT I know the porn career's a lie. He shuts off the car and turns to her. PATRICK Do you? He kisses her neck. It tickles. She laughs. KAT Tell me something true. PATRICK I hate peas. KAT No -- something real. Something no one else knows. PATRICK (in-between kisses) You're sweet. And sexy. And completely hot for me. KAT What? PATRICK No one else knows KAT You're amazingly self-assured. Has anyone ever told you that? PATRICK Go to the prom with me Kat's smile disappears. KAT Is that a request or a command? PATRICK You know what I mean KAT No. PATRICK No what? KAT No, I won't go with you PATRICK Why not? KAT Because I don't want to. It's a stupid tradition. Patrick sits quietly, torn. He can't very well tell her he being paid to take her. PATRICK People won't expect you to go... Kat turns to him, getting angry. KAT Why are you doing this? KAT All of it -- what's in it for you? He sits silently, not looking at her, confirming her suspicions. KAT (continuing) Create a little drama? Start a new rumor? What? PATRICK So I have to have a motive to be with you? KAT You tell me. PATRICK You need therapy. Has anyone ever told you that? KAT (quietly) Answer the question, Patrick PATRICK (angry) Nothing! There's nothing in it for me. Just the pleasure of your company. He takes out a cigarette. She breaks it in half before she SLAMS the car door and walks into the house. Patrick PEELS out of the driveway. Kat turns at the front door and watches him go EXT. STREET - NIGHT Patrick pulls up to a stop light and waits for .the green He glances over at A DRUNKEN HOMELESS GUY in the median, who has decided that he doesn't need to wear pants. Patrick pulls out his wallet, takes the wad of money Joey gave him and hands it to the homeless guy. PATRICK cover that up The light turns green and Patrick pulls away INT. STRATFORD HOUSE/BATHROOM - NIGHT Kat stands at the sink, scrubbing paint off of her face Bianca TAPS on the open door. BIANCA Quick question -- are you going to the prom? Kat pushes the door shut with a SLAM INT. STUDY HALL - DAY Cameron and Bianca sit together at their study cubby. She fingers a strand of her hair. BIANCA Then Guillermo says, "If you go any lighter, you're gonna look like an extra on 90210." CAMERON No... Bianca stares at him for a moment. BIANCA do you listen to this crap? CAMERON What crap? BIANCA Me. This endless ...blonde babble. I'm like, boring myself. CAMERON Thank God! If I had to hear one more story about your coiffure... He mock stabs himself with a pencil as she giggles and smacks his hand away. CAMERON (continuing) I figured you'd get to the good stuff eventually. BIANCA What good stuff? CAMERON The "real you". BIANCA Like my fear of wearing pastels? He looks stricken. BIANCA (continuing) I'm kidding. (beat) You know how sometimes you just become this "persona"? And you don't know how to quit? CAMERON (matter of fact) No BIANCA Okay -- you're gonna need to learn how to lie. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Mandella struggles with the lock on her locker. Finally, it opens. Hanging inside is a beautiful DRESS, inspired by the 16th Century. Mandella slowly unpins a NOTE from the dress. INSERT - "0 FAIR ONE. JOIN ME AT THE PROM. I WILL BE WAITING. LOVE, WILLIAM S." Mandella's agog. Trevor walks by and sees her holding the dress. TREVOR You're gonna look splendiferous in that, Mandella. Mandella looks up sharply, shaken from her reverie. TREVOR (continuing) that's cool to say. Mandella grins It is MANDELLA INT. STRATFORD HOUSE/DEN - DAY Sharon is at her computer, Walter at his exercise bike SHARON Would you rather be ravished by a pirate or a British rear admiral? WALTER Pirate -- no question. Bianca enters and walks over to Walter BIANCA Daddy, I want to discuss the prom with you. It's tomorrow night -- WALTER The prom? Kat has a date? BIANCA No, but WALTER It's that hot rod Joey, right? That ' s who you want me to bend my rules for? BIANCA He's not a "hot rod". Whatever that is. WALTER You're not going unless your sister goes. End of story. BIANCA Fine. I see that I'm a prisoner in my own house. I'm not a daughter. I'm a possession! Bianca storms out. WALTER (calling out) You know what happens at proms? Sharon stops her typing and looks up at Walter SHARON They'll dance, they'll kiss, they'll come home. Let her go. WALTER Kissing? Is that what you think happens? Kissing isn't what keeps me up to my elbows in placenta all day. INT. BIANCA'S ROOM - NIGHT Bianca lies on her bed. MTV blares. A KNOCK sounds. BIANCA Come in. Kat enters and sits down on the bed, muting the TV. KAT (kindly) Listen, I know you hate having to sit home because I'm not Susie High School. BIANCA Like you care. KAT I do care. But I'm a firm believer in doing something for your own reasons, not someone else ' s . BIANCA I wish I had that luxury. I'm the only sophomore that got asked to the prom and I can't go, because you won ' t. Kat clears her throat KAT Joey never told you we went out, did he? BIANCA What? KAT In 9th. For a month BIANCA (confused) Why? KAT (self-mocking) He was, like, a total babe BIANCA But you hate Joey KAT Now I do. Back then, was a different story. BIANCA As in... Kat takes a deep breath. KAT He said everyone was doing it. So I did it. BIANCA You did what? KAT (continuing on) Just once. Afterwards, I told him I didn't want to anymore. I wasn't ready. He got pissed. Then he broke up with me. Bianca stares at her, dumbfounded BIANCA But KAT After that, I swore I'd never do anything just because "everyone else" was doing it. And I haven't since. Except for Bogey's party, and my stunning gastro-intestinal display -- BIANCA (stunned) Why didn't you tell me? KAT I wanted to let you make up your own mind about him. BIANCA No. you didn't! If you really thought I could make my own decisions, you would've let me go out with him instead of helping Daddy hold me hostage. Kat stands up slowly KAT That's not BIANCA I'm not stupid enough to repeat your mistakes. KAT I guess I thought I was protecting you. BIANCA God, you're just like him! Just keep me locked away in the dark, so I can't experience anything for myself KAT Not all experiences are good, Bianca. You can't always trust the people you want to. BIANCA I guess I'll never know, will I? She rises and holds the door open for Kat, then slams it behind her. EXT. STRATFORD HOUSE - DAY A sprinkler cruises the lawn. INT. KAT'S ROOM - DAY Kat lies in bed, staring at the ceiling. She rolls over and picks up the phone. BIANCA'S ROOM - DAY Bianca, still in her pajamas, eats a bowl of cereal while watching "I Love Lucy" reruns. A KNOCK sounds BIANCA Come in. Kat opens the door and peers in with a grin KAT Feel like shopping? Bianca looks up, hopefully. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Walter and Sharon are in front of the television. Walter has the TV Guide in hand, glasses on. WALTER What do you wanna watch? We've got crap, crap, crap or crap SHARON Dr. Ruth? Bianca walks into the living room. She's wearing a prom dress. BIANCA Hi, Mommy. (looking away) WALTER Walter scurries takes off his glasses and looks from Bianca to Sharon. SHARON Honey, you look beautiful! BIANCA You like? My date should be here in five. WALTER I'm missing something. BIANCA I have a date, Daddy. And he ' s not a captain of oppression like some men we know. The DOORBELL RINGS. Bianca runs to open it. There stands CAMERON. He takes in Bianca's outfit. CAMERON Wow BIANCA Let's go. Walter rises. Sharon pulls him back down on the couch SHARON (to Bianca) Have a great time, honey! WALTER But -- who -- what --? The door SLAMS. As Sharon looks at Walter with a grin, a blur rushes down the stairs and out the door. The blur has Kat ' s voice. KAT Hey, guys. I'm going to the prom. See you in a few. The door SLAMS again. Walter and Sharon 'are alone WALTER What just happened? SHARON Your daughters went to the prom. WALTER Did I have anything to say about it? SHARON Absolutely not. WALTER That ' s what I thought The DOORBELL RINGS again. Walter opens it to find Joey on the porch, wearing a tux. JOEY I'm here to pick up Bianca. WALTER late He SLAMS the door shut EXT HOTEL PARKING LOT - NIGHT Kat pulls up in her car, emerging resplendent in an ice gown. Patrick sits on the steps, waiting. In a tux. KAT How'd you get a tux at the last minute? PATRICK It's Scurvy's. His date got convicted. Where'd you get the dress? KAT It's just something I had. You know PATRICK (smiling) Oh huh KAT Look, I'm -- sorry -- that I questioned your motives. I was wrong. Patrick winces slightly, but covers it with a smile PATRICK No prob. He remains seated. Kat fidgets nervously. KAT are you ready? He rises and stares at her, taking in her image appreciatively. She blushes and turns away. KAT (continuing) C'mon. Let's get this over with. INT. PROM - NIGHT A hotel ballroom transformed into a fantasy world. Patrick and Kat enter, Kat attempting to deny the romance of it. KAT Quite the ostentatious display A cowboy two-steps by them, dragging some poor girl around PATRICK Look, Clem even wore his good boots Kat steps forward, looking around and spots Cameron and Bianca dancing cheek to cheek. She smiles. ACROSS THE ROOM Mandella enters nervously, in the long Elizabethan gown, hair piled on top of her head. She spots Kat and hurries over. MANDELLA Have you seen him? KAT Who? MANDELLA William - he asked me to meet him here. KAT Oh, honey -- tell me we haven't' progressed to full-on hallucinations. Patrick looks toward the door and taps Kat. She turns and points Mandella the same way. Michael - in full Shakespearean dress with a new goatee on his chin - bows in their direction. Mandella's grin couldn't be bigger. Michael swashbuckles over to them, taking Mandella's hand and leading her onto the dance floor. MICHAEL Mi' lady. (to Patrick) Good sir. Patrick rolls his eyes. INT. PROM - NIGHT - LATER Kat and Patrick dance to a slow SONG. Whatever he's whispering into her ear is making her laugh. Cam and Bianca dance nearby, glowing with happiness. She whispers something in his ear and heads for the ladies' room INT. LADIES ROOM - NIGHT Bianca walks in, positively radiant. Chastity emerges from a stall. BIANCA (surprised) What are you doing here? Chastity checks her hair in the mirror, aloof. CHASTITY You think you ' re the only sophomore at the prom? BIANCA I did. Chastity maintains her snooty tone. CHASTITY And just so you know, my date isn't planning on spending most of the night in his backseat. BIANCA What're you talking about? CHASTITY Joey Dorsey is only after one thing - - your cherry. He practically made a public announcement. Appalled, Bianca storms out. Chastity tries to backpedal. CHASTITY (continuing) I wanted to tell you INT. PROM - NIGHT Joey, drunk, disorderly and pissed off, walks in with a few stray jocks - also dateless. He zeroes in on Cameron, now consoling a pissed-off Bianca. Patrick and Kat continue to slow dance, oblivious to the evil about to erupt. PATRICK My grandmother's . KAT What? PATRICK That's where I was last year. She'd never lived alone -- my grandfather died -- I stayed with her. I wasn't in jail, I don't know Marilyn Manson, and I've never slept with a Spice Girl. I spent a year sitting next to my grandma on the couch watching Wheel of Fortune. End of story. He takes a breath and looks away, not meeting her eyes. Kat stares at him for a moment and laughs a delighted laugh KAT That ' s completely adorable! PATRICK It gets worse -- you still have your freshman yearbook? He's interrupted by Joey's hand on his shoulder. JOEY What's Bianca doing here with that cheese dick? I didn't pay you to let some little punk ass snake me. ACROSS THE ROOM Michael spots the altercation and dances Mandella over to Cameron and Bianca. MICHAEL (to Cameron) Feces hitting fan. C'mon Michael takes Cameron aside, leaving Mandella and Bianca staring after them. ACROSS THE ROOM Michael and Cameron approach Joey as he continues to taunt Patrick who keeps quiet, realizing the weight of this situation. MICHAEL (continuing) Joey, pal, compadre. Let's take it easy. Joey turns toward Michael and Cameron. JOEY You two are in big trouble Cameron faces Joey. CAMERON Admit it. You lost. Be a man. Joey PUNCHES Cameron in the face, taking him by surprise Cameron holds his nose as it bleeds onto his tux The various cliques descend angrily and Joey is soon surrounded by seething Cowboys, Coffee Kids and White Rastas. DEREK Very uncool, my brother JOEY I'm not your brother, white boy. The other Rastas GASP, as if stung by the realization that they're white. Joey turns back to Patrick and Kat. JOEY (continuing) Just so you know -- she'll only spread her legs once. Kat looks from Joey to Patrick, not sure what she's hearing. Joey pushes through the crowd but a HAND drags him back. It's Bianca. And she BELTS the hell out of him BIANCA That's for making my date bleed She BELTS him again BIANCA (continuing) That's for my sister. And AGAIN BIANCA (continuing) And that's for me. Cliques now descend on Joey, punching him wildly. COWBOY And that's for the fourth grade, asshole. HOTEL - NIGHT KAT runs down the stairs, Patrick chasing her PATRICK Wait I... KAT You were paid to take me out! By -- the one person I truly hate. I knew it was a set-up! PATRICK It wasn't like that. KAT Really? What was it like? A down payment now, then a bonus for sleeping with me? PATRICK I didn't care about the money. He catches up to her now PATRICK (continuing) I cared about -- She turns to face him with a countenance more in sorrow than in anger. KAT You are so not what I thought you were. He grabs her and kisses her to shut her up. After a second, she jerks away and flees down the stairs and out of sight. Bianca stands at the top of the stairs, watching. She's never looked more guilty. INT. STRATFORD HOUSE - DAY Kat is sprawled on the couch in sweats, wrapped in a blanket, watching "Sixteen Candles". When Molly Ringwald leans across the birthday cake to get a kiss from her dream date, Kat changes the channel disgustedly, settling for an infomercial The phone sits next to her. Not ringing. Bianca breezes in, bearing a cup of tea. BIANCA Are you sure you don't want to come with us? It'll be fun. Kat takes the tea and gives a weak smile. KAT I ' m sure . Bianca sits down next to her BIANCA You looked beautiful last night, you know. KAT So did you Bianca gives her a squeeze, then jumps up when the DOORBELL rings, opening the door to a waiting Cameron. He peeks his head inside. CAMERON She okay? BIANCA I hope so. The door shuts behind her as Walter enters. WALTER Was that your sister? KAT Yeah. She left with some bikers Big ones. Full of sperm. WALTER Funny. Walter sits down on the arm of the chair and watches the infomercial with Kat. WALTER (continuing) I don't understand the allure of dehydrated food. Is this something I should be hip to? KAT No, Daddy. WALTER (dreading the answer) So tell me about this dance. Was it fun? KAT Parts of it. WALTER Which parts? KAT The part where Bianca beat the hell out of some guy. WALTER Bianca did what? KAT What's the matter? Upset that I rubbed off on her? WALTER No -- impressed. Kat looks up in surprise. WALTER (continuing) You know, fathers don't like to admit that their daughters are capable of running their own lives. It means we've become spectators. Bianca still lets me play a few innings. You've had me on the bleachers for years. When you go to Sarah Lawrence, I won't even be able to watch the game. KAT (hopeful) When I go? WALTER Oh, Christ. Don't tell me you've changed your mind. I already sent 'em a check. Kat reaches over and gives him a hug INT. CAFETERIA - DAY Kat stands grabs a box of cornflakes from the food line. CAMERON (0. S.) Katarina? She turns and looks at him CAMERON I'd like to express my apologies. KAT For what? CAMERON (looking down) I didn't mean for you to get -- When Bianca asked me to find you a boyfriend, I had no idea it would turn out so -- ugly. I would never have done anything to compromise your - - - He trails off when he realizes she's thrown her food tray against the wall and marched off -- the old "kill, kill" look back in her eyes. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Kat stomps up the hallway, full of menace CLASSROOM - DAY Bianca's English teacher perches on the edge of a desk, open book in hand. TEACHER Who can tell me at what point Lucentio admits his deception? The door of the classroom FLIES open and an angry Kat stalks in, yanking Bianca from her chair and dragging her toward the hallway. KAT (to the teacher) Family emergency. HALLWAY - DAY Bianca tries to pull away as Kat drags her by the hair between two rows of lockers. BIANCA Let go! KAT You set me up. BIANCA I just wanted -- KAT What? To completely damage me? To send me to therapy forever? What? BIANCA No! I just wanted Miss Perky walks up MISS PERKY Ladies? Shall we take a trip to my office? INT. MISS PERKY'S OFFICE - DAY Miss Perky stares at both sisters as they sit before her, then focuses on Bianca. MISS PERKY So you're the real bitch BIANCA Yes! Okay? Yes -- I'm the real bitch. I wanted her to get a boyfriend so I could. Apparently, this makes me a horrible person. I'm sorry. She turns to Kat. BIANCA (continuing) I swear -- I didn't know about the money. I didn't even know Joey was involved. I would never intentionally hurt you, Kat. MISS PERKY (to Kat) Do you care to respond? KAT Am I supposed to feel better? Like, right now? Or do I have some time to think about it? MISS PERKY Just smack her now. Bianca rises, taking Kat by the arm. BIANCA (to Miss Perky) We'll be getting back to you. MISS PERKY What, no hug? HALLWAY - DAY And Bianca leave Miss Perky's office BIANCA Is that woman a complete fruit-loop or is it just me? KAT It's just you. ENGLISH CLASS - DAY Mrs. Blaise faces the class MRS. BLAISE All right. I'm assuming everyone found time to compose, their poems. Except for Mr. Dorsey, who's still in ICU. Nerds in the back high-five each other. MRS. BLAISE (continuing) Would anyone care to read theirs aloud? No one moves. Then Kat slowly stands up. KAT I'11 go Patrick looks up. MRS. BLAISE Oh, Lord. She downs a couple Prozac MRS. BLAISE (continuing) Please proceed. Kat stands, puts on her glasses, and takes a deep breath before reading from her notebook. KAT I hate the way you talk to me/ and the way you cut your hair/ I hate the way you drive my car/ I hate it when you stare. She pauses, then continues KAT (continuing) I hate your big dumb combat boots/ and the way you read my mind/ I hate you so much it makes me sick/ it even makes me rhyme. She takes a deep breath, and looks quickly at Patrick, who stares at the floor. KAT (continuing) I hate the way you're always right/ I hate it when you lie/ I hate it when you make me laugh/ even worse when you make me cry/ I hate it that you're not around/ and the fact that you didn't call/ But mostly I hate the way I don ' t hate you/ not even close, not even a little bit, not even any at all. She looks directly at Patrick. He looks back this time. The look they exchange says everything. Then she walks out of the room The rest of the class remains in stunned silence. EXT. PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER Kat walks to her car alone. When she opens the door, she's greeted with a Fender Stratocaster guitar, reclining in the front seat. She picks it up slowly, inspecting every detail, then spins around. Patrick stands there, smiling. KAT A Fender Strat. You bought this? PATRICK I thought you could use it. When you start your band. She doesn't answer, but hides a smile, so he walks closer. PATRICK (continuing) Besides, I had some extra cash. Some asshole paid me to take out a really great girl. KAT Is that right? PATRICK Yeah, but then I fucked up. I fell for her. Blushes and looks down. PATRICK (continuing) You know -- it's not every day you find a girl who'll flash her tits to get you out of detention. Looks up. surprised and embarrassed that he found out He takes her upturned face as a sign to kiss her and he does She lets him this time. Then breaks it off KAT You can't just buy me a guitar every time you screw up, you know. He grimaces. PATRICK I know He quiets her with another kiss Which she breaks off again. KAT And don't just think you can He kisses her again, not letting her end it this time. STRATFORD HOUSE - SUNSET We hear the sounds of MUSIC and LAUGHTER. STRATFORD HOUSE/BACKYARD - SUNSET Patrick is at the barbecue grill, flipping burgers. Kat watches. KAT Why is my veggie burger the only burnt object on this grill? PATRICK Because I like to torture you. KAT Oh, Bianca? Can you get me my freshman yearbook? PATRICK Don ' t you even dare. . . ON BIANCA AND CAMERON As they argue on the patio. CAMERON They do to! BIANCA They do not! Rises to get the yearbook. CAMERON Can someone please tell her that sunflower seeds come from sunflowers? ON MICHAEL AND MANDELLA Severely making-out in a lawn chair. She comes up for a breath. MANDELLA I can't remember a word of Shakespeare right now. Isn't that weird? Michael pulls her back down for another round ON KAT AND PATRICK She tries to keep him from grabbing the yearbook that Bianca now hands her. KAT You're freaked over this, aren't you? Bianca hands her the yearbook BIANCA He's more than freaked. He's froke Flips to a page. KAT I'd like to call your attention to Patrick Verona's stunning bad-ass look of 1995 --- INSERT - A horrifically nerdy freshman year picture Glasses, bad hair, headgear -- the works. She holds up the picture for all to view. Patrick cringes and throws a handful of pretzels at her. BIANCA Patrick -- is that- a. KAT Perm? PATRICK Ask my attorney. Kat and Bianca huddle over the picture, giggling -- as we CRANE UP and hear a GIRLY PUNK version of The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You". FADE OUT: END

by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell. Goaded by his buddies, a nerdy guy who's never "done the deed" only finds the pressure mounting when he meets a single mother. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

CREDITS Still-life tableaus. Lawford, N.H., a town of fifty buildings on a glacial ridge, neither mountain nor plateau. Developed as 1880's forestland, discarded in the Depression. Winter has set in. Halloween day. Snowy fields yield to overcast skies: oppressive, horizonless, flourescent. -- Wickham's Restaurant. Where Route 29 bends. 24-hour diner. Margie Fogg works here. -- Trailer park in shadow of Parker Mountain. Home of Wade Whitehouse. -- Toby's Inn. Roadhouse three miles from town on the river side of Route 29. Everything not tied down ends up here. -- Glen Whitehouse farm. White clapboard. -- First Congregational Church. North on the Common from City Hall. -- LaRiviere Co. Ramshackle well-digging firm embarrassingly near the town center. Wade works here. -- Merritt's Shell Station. Cinder-block. -- Alma Pittman's house. Like so many others. -- Town Hall. ROLFE WHITEHOUSE'S VOICE, thirtiesh, articulate, speaks over credit tableaus: ROLFE (V.O.) This is the story of my older brother's strange criminal behavior and disappearance. We who loved him no longer speak of Wade. It's as if he never existed. By telling his story like this, as his brother, I separate myself from his family and those who loved him. Everything of importance -- that is, everything that gives rise to the telling of this story -- occurred during a single deer-hunting season in a small town in upstate New Hampshire where Wade was raised and so was I. One night something changed and my relation to Wade's story was different from what it had been since childhood. I mark this change by Wade's tone of voice during a phone call two nights after Halloween. Something I had not heard before. Let us imagine that around eight o'clock on Halloween Eve, speeding past Toby's, Route 29, comes a pale green eight-year-old Ford Fairlane with a police bubble on top. A square-faced man wearing a trooper's cap is driving the vehicle. Beside him sits a child, a little girl with a plastic tiger mask covering her face. The man is driving fast -- -- Route 29 tableau dissolves to night. A pale green police Ford Fairlane drives past. END CREDITS INT./EXT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT WADE WHITEHOUSE, driving, sits beside JILL, his daughter, ten years-old, wearing a black-and-yellow tiger plastic mask. WADE I'm sorry for the screw-up. But I couldn't help it it's too late to go trick-or-treating now. I couldn't help it I had to stop at Penny's for the costume. And you were hungry, remember. JILL Who's fault is it then if it's not yours? You're the one in charge, Daddy. WADE (shakes cigarette from pack) Yeah. JILL Look. Those kids are still trick-or- treating. They're still out. Wade watches boys in the headlights, lights cigarette. WADE Those are the Hoyts. JILL I don't care. They're out. WADE Can't you see... look out there. Nobody's got their porch lights on anymore. It's too late. Those Hoyt kids are just out to get in trouble. See, they put shaving cream all over that mailbox there. They chopped down Herb Crane's new bushes. Little bastards. Jesus H. Christ. Wade grimaces, holds his jaw. The Fairlane swerves around broken pumpkins under a caution light. JILL Why do they do that? WADE Do what? JILL You know. WADE Break stuff? JILL Yeah. It's stupid. WADE I guess they're stupid. JILL Did you do that when you were a kid? WADE Well, yeah. Sort of. Nothing really mean. Me and my pals, me and my brothers. It was kind of funny then. Stealing pumpkins, soaping windows. Stuff like that. JILL Was it funny? WADE To us it was. JILL But it's not funny now. WADE It's not funny now. I'm a cop and I gotta listen to all the complaints people make. I'm not a kid anymore. You change. JILL I bet you did lots of bad things. WADE What are you talking about? JILL I just think you used to be bad. WADE No. I didn't used to be bad. No sir. Where do you get this stuff? From your mother? JILL No. She doesn't talk about you anymore. Wade looks at her, wanting to lift her mask, see her face. CUT TO: EXT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT The Fairlane approaches Town Hall, a square two-story building on the north side of the Common. Exhaust billows from idling cars as parents and children come and go. CUT TO: INT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT Clowns, tramps, angels and vampires fill the brightly lit room. Parents watch from the walls as GORDON LARIVIERE, a beefy fiftiesh man with a silver flat-top, announces the costume contest. Wade nods to various townspeople. LARIVIERE We're looking for the funniest costume! And the scariest! And the most imaginative! And the best costume of all! WADE (nudges Jill) Got here just in time. Go ahead. Jump in line. Maybe you'll win a prize. Jill steps forward, retreats. Wade looks at her flaxen hair, her blue sneakers protruding from her pathetic costume. His heart aches he loves her so. WADE Go on, Jill. Some of those kids you still know. JILL I don't want to. WADE Why? Why not? You know these kids from when you went to school here. It hasn't been that long. JILL It's not that. WADE What then? JILL It's stupid. WADE It's fun. JILL (voice breaking) I want to go home. (Wade kneels down) I don't like it here. WADE Oh, Jesus, come on, will you? Don't mess this up anymore than it's already been messed up. Join the other kids. Do that and before you know it you'll be as happy as a goddamned clam. Wade inches her toward the circle of children. Gordon spots them: LARIVIERE Wade! And who's that tiger? Is that Jill? Come and join us. Jill in the spotlight, joins the costumed children. A former classmate calls her name. Wade, relieved, watches, then steps outside for a smoke. CUT TO: EXT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT Wade steps outside, lights a cigarette. JACK HEWITT, 23, clean-cut, handsome, cocky, stands with CHICK WARD and FRANKIE LACOY, local boys. WADE What are you boys up to? CHICK Same old shit. FRANKIE You see the damage these little sons- of bitches been raising tonight? WADE (to Jack) You're going to have to move your pickup. JACK I know. CHICK (offers whiskey pint) Take a bite. WADE Don't mind if I do. JACK LaRiviere's having a hell of a time in there. Master of fucking ceremonies. WADE Where's that gun you were bragging on today? Jack stops over to his double-parked burgandy pickup, removes a Browning BAR .30/06 with a scope, hands it to Wade. JACK No brag. Just fact. WADE (admires gun) Got you for -- 450, 500 bucks? (passes it to Frankie) FRANKIE Nice. JACK (to Wade) See you got Jill tonight. How'd you manage that? WADE (turns) Don't forget to move your truck. (walks inside) CUT TO: INT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT On stage, LaRiviere arranges the contest winners. A fairy godmother with a wand beams while, nearby, a hobo writhes in his mother's grip -- a hard loser. Wade looks for Jill, first among the winners, then among the losers; she's nowhere to be found. He heads toward a hall leading to the restrooms. Jill stands alone in the corner next to the pay phone, tiny, forlorn. Wade realizes at once he was wrong to leave her before she had found a friend. WADE Some party, huh? Sorry I lost sight of you. I had to step outside for a smoke. You find anybody you know here? There must be some kids you used to know from school. You want to go tomorrow? See your old teachers? Be more fun than hanging out with me all day. JILL No. WADE No what? JILL (lifts mask atop head) No I didn't see anybody I know. No I don't want to go to school here tomorrow. I want to go home. WADE You are home. There are lots of kids you still know here. JILL I don't want to be here. Don't worry, I love you, Daddy, I do. But I want to go home. WADE (sighs) Jesus. Listen, Jill, tell you what. Tomorrow morning, you still want to go home, I'll drive you down. I'll get off work or something. JILL (pause) I called Mommy. WADE What? You called Mommy? Just now? JILL Yes. WADE Jesus, why? JILL I... because I want to go home. She said she'd come and get me. WADE Come and get you! Shit! It's a damn half hour drive each way. Why didn't you talk to me about it first? JILL See, I knew you'd be mad. WADE Yeah. Yeah, right, I'm mad. What'd you tell her, for Christ sake? JILL I told her I wanted to come home. Daddy, don't be mad at me. WADE Well, I guess I am. I planned this, I planned all this, you know. I mean, it's sort of pathetic, but I planned it. You shouldn't have called your mother. (takes her arm) C'mon, we're gonna call her before she leaves. CUT TO: EXT. POLICE OFFICE - NIGHT Wade leads her to a frosted-glass door reading "POLICE", enters. Inside, he flips on flourescent light, dials the desk phone. More utility room than office. He waits. There's no answer. Jill looks down. WADE She's gone already! (hangs up) Gone already! Couldn't wait. JILL Yes. WADE That's all you got to say? "Yes". JILL Yes. WADE She won't be here for a half hour. Think you can stand it that long? JILL Yes. WADE Where do you expect to wait for her? Obviously downstairs with the other kids isn't good enough. Jill sits in a chair facing the dark window pane. WADE Sit right there by yourself if you want. Wait for her by yourself. That's fine with me. Just dandy. I'm going downstairs. JILL That's fine with me too. When Mommy comes, tell her I'm up here. Wade Whitehouse stalks out. CUT TO: EXT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT Wade steps outside, notices Jack Hewitt and his kewpie-doll girlfriend HETTIE, 20, sitting in the cab of his double-parked pickup, sharing a joint, talking to LaCoy alongside. WADE I thought I told you to move that truck! JACK Relax, Chief. We're leaving. You wanna toke? WADE (steps over) You gotta be more careful about that shit. Gordon or one of those guys sees you smoking that wacky tabacky around me they'll expect me to bust you. And I'll be outta a job. JACK Some job. Here, have a hit. Don't be such a hardass. I know you got problems, but everybody's got problems. (offers joint) WADE Not here. LaCoy laughs: that Jack Hewitt, some guy. Wade holds his aching jaw. He looks at Jack's young athletic body, his pretty girlfriend, envies him. JACK Well, c'mon, then. Get in and we'll take a little ride, my man. Wade looks up to the window where Jill waits, walks around the front of the truck, gets in. CUT TO: INT./EXT. JACK'S TRUCK - NIGHT Jack's high-bodied pickup growls in low gear as it drives past Merritt's Shell station toward Saddleback Ridge. Jack lowers the radio as Wade asks him about deer season; Hettie leans forward to hear the music. JACK Got a job first thing in the morning, first day of season. Saturday I'll hunt for myself. Twombley something. - Er -- WADE Evan. He's a mucky-muck union official from Massachusetts. You're lucky. JACK Don't know about lucky. The guy's a full-blown asshole. Pay's good, though. $100 a day. I got to guarantee a kill, of course. Which I can do. There's some monster bucks hiding out up there. WADE How'd you get the job? JACK Gordon, he's always got some angle working. He wants to keep Twombley happy, I'm his boy. Wade grimaces as he passes the joint back. HETTIE What's wrong with you? WADE Toothache. (to Jack) You should get close to him. Make yourself irreplaceable. Guy's loaded. JACK Like you and Gordon? WADE Right. The sonofabitch couldn't get along without me. JACK (laughs) Yeah, he'd go broke tomorrow if you quit him. WADE (laughs) Right! A car flashes past. JACK Bastard's got his high beams on. WADE (watching) Shit. HETTIE What? WADE My ex-wife Lillian and her husband. That was them in the Audi that just passed us. JACK Audi's a good car. HETTIE What's she up here for? WADE Aw, shit, she's here to get Jill. Me and Jill had a little argument. Jack, I got to get back, get back to town. Move this thing, will you? See if you can get back to the Town Hall before they get there, okay? JACK Piece of fucking cake. Jack brakes, wheels the 4x4 around, heads back to town. CUT TO: EXT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT Most parents have left or are leaving with their costumed children. Hewitt's burgundy pickup breaks alongside the Audi. Wade swings open the passenger door, jumps to the ground: WADE Lillian! LILLIAN Where's Jill? LILLIAN, 40, attractive in an ankle-length hooded coat. Whatever pose Wade strikes, she strikes the opposite. Her dress and demeanor set her apart. WADE Me and Jill, we just had a little spat. She felt kind of left out, I guess, from not knowing some of the new kids -- LILLIAN Where is she now? Is she in the truck with your friends? Jack and Hettie neck inside the cab. WADE She told me she wanted to wait for you. Inside. Jill at the window in her tiger mask. Lillian waves; Jill motions she'll be down. LILLIAN While you went off for a few beers with your friends? Is that Hettie Rodgers there, with whatzizname? WADE Yeah. LILLIAN She's grown up some, hasn't she? WADE Oh, Jesus, lay off, will you? It looks like you've won this fucking round already, so lay off a little, for Christ's sake. HORNER, 45, Lillian's new husband, thin with thinning hair and a Tyrolean hat, sees Jill at the entrance and heads toward her. WADE Horner! Leave her be. This's got nothing to do with you, so just act like the chauffeur. Got it? HORNER Wade. Nobody wants any trouble. Horner greets Jill, walks her to the silver Audi. Passing parents, listening, give Wade a wide berth. WADE I don't want her to go, Lillian. LILLIAN Don't cause a scene. No one's trying to win any 'rounds'. Don't make it any worse. WADE I'm not making it any worse. You are. Me and Jill could've worked this thing out. It's normal, it's even normal for me to get a little touchy about it. Believe it or not. How do you think this makes me look, treating her like some tragic victim or something? Horner opens the car door for Jill, shuts it. Wade shoves him: WADE Just wait till we're through, goddamnit! Horner's hat falls. Lillian, icy, stares at Wade. He backs off. Wade sometimes wonders: how'd Lillian Pittman of Lawford, N.H., get so much class? WADE Don't you say a word. I didn't hit him. I'm not going to hit anybody. Horner sits behind the wheel. Lillian silently stares Wade up and down, gets in the car beside Jill. The automatic locks latch as the Audi drives away. Its taillights merge with vanishing traffic. Wade looks down, picks up Horner's dark green Tyrolean hat, examines it, as if unsure of its function. Wade walks toward Town Hall. MARGIE FOGG, exiting, greets him: MARGIE New hat? (no answer) Jill's up, I see. WADE (vague) For a while. MARGIE How's she doing? WADE Okay. She's fine. MARGIE You two want to do anything tomorrow and need a third party, give me a call, okay? I'm off. NICK WICKHAM, 45, Marg's boss, passes by: WICKHAM Like hell you are. Tomorrow's first day of deer season. I'll need you at least in the morning. MARGIE (shrugs) Well, that's that. NICK (walks off) Take care, Wade. WADE You be careful of that little bastard. He's dying to get in your pants, you know. MARGIE (laughs) Don't worry. I can protect my virtue. I mean, c'mon, Wade, give me a break. WADE See you tomorrow, maybe. MARGIE You okay? WADE Yeah. Wade, lost in thought, continues toward Town Hall. At the door, LaRiviere, one of the last to leave, eyes him. Wade tosses Horner's hat inside. WADE Tomorrow, Gordon. LARIVIERE Watch this snow. It's coming down tonight. Wade nods as he lights a cigarette. Alone, he watches the last cars pull out. He holds his jaw. CUT TO: EXT. WADE'S TRAILER HOME - DAWN Pre-dawn light silhouettes a dozen weather-beaten mobile homes set off Route 29. Snow continues to fall. A sheet of white stretches down Parker mountain. CUT TO: INT. WADE'S TRAILER - DAWN 6:40. A clock radio pierces the silence with classic rock. Wade Whitehouse rolls over, runs his tongue across mossy teeth, shuts off the music. He looks out the window, grunts: "Shit!" He steps over to the phone by the frayed plaid couch, dials. Wade's trailer is surprisingly neat, considering its owner smokes too much, drinks too much, eats take-out and rarely cleans up. WADE (on phone) Lugene? Wade. Hoya doin? (fumbles for cigarette) Look, I was wondering, with the snow and all, if you got school today? (lights cigarette) How the hell do I know? You're the principal. All I'm supposed to do is direct traffic from 7:30 to 8:30. (listens) Yeah, okay, I'm sorry -- I only just now saw it was snowing, that's all. My whole day is fucked. I gotta plow all day. If I don't get over to LaRiviere's early enough, I'm stuck with the grader. I was just hoping you'd have called school off. (beat) You check the weather bureau? (acquiesces) Okay, I hear you. I'll be over in a bit. (hangs up) CUT TO: EXT. WADE'S TRAILER HOME EARLY - MORNING Jack Hewitt's 4x4 passes Wade's trailer, continues up 29. Tire chains splice the path. CUT TO: EXT. JACK'S TRUCK EARLY - MORNING Jack behind the wheel. Beside him EVAN TWOMBLEY, 60, fleshy, Irish, wearing brand new scarlet wool pants, jacket and cap. He feeds on the misfortunes of others. TWOMBLEY It's not enough snow, not for tracking the bastards. No advantage there, kid. JACK Don't worry, Mr. Twombley, I know where those suckers are. Rain or shine, snow or no snow. I know deer. We'll kill us a buck today. Guaranteed. Before ten. TWOMBLEY Guaranteed, eh? JACK Yep. Right about now the does are holing up in the brush piles. The bucks are right behind them and we're right behind the bucks. (gestures to gun rack) This gun gets fired before ten o'clock. Whether it kills a deer or not is more less up to you. I'll put you inside 30, 35 yards of a buck the first four hours of the season. That's what you're paying me for, ain't it? TWOMBLEY Damn straight! Hewitt looks at Twombley's rifle: a Winchester M-94 pump- action, custom carved stock and not a scratch on it. Never fired, at least not by Twombley. JACK Done much shooting with that rifle yet? TWOMBLEY (eyes him) Tell you what. You get me close to a big buck by ten, kid, there's another hundred bucks in it. JACK If you get it? TWOMBLEY Yeah. JACK You might not kill it. TWOMBLEY You think so. JACK You might gut-shoot it or cripple it for somebody else to find and tag. Can't guarantee that won't happen, especially with a new gun. I may have to shoot it. TWOMBLEY You take care of your end, kid, I'll take care of mine. JACK Mmm. TWOMBLEY You understand what I'm saying? I want a deer, a dead one, not a cripple or whatthefuck. JACK I get it. (disdain) No sweat. You'll get yourself a deer and you'll get him dead. And you'll have him by coffee time. TWOMBLEY And you'll get your extra hundred bucks. JACK (smiles) Wonderful! The pickup disappears behind a curve of pine and spruce trees. CUT TO: EXT. SCHOOL - MORNING Wade Whitehouse, wearing a reflective vest, waves a district school bus into the parking lot. Noisy, jostling grade schoolers emerge from the bus. Jill's former classmates. Straight as a statue, Wade holds back traffic. Cars and trucks are backed up on the unplowed road. Horns honk and bleat; a woman's voice yells, "Whitehouse, we 'ain't got all day!" Wade, daydreaming, seems oblivious to the commotion. Oblivious -- or just plum contrary. A shiny black BMW approaches, speeding, passing traffic on the shoulder. A man and a woman in a fur coat sit in front, two children in back. Whitehouse waves for it to stop. The BMW accelerates through the intersection, ignoring Wade and the traffic. It whizzes past, spinning Wade, and is quickly up the road, spewing ice and exhaust. Wade slips to one knee. Honking ensues; every car goes where it wishes. Wade, brushing off snow, follows the last bus as it pulls in. LUGENE BROOKS, 60, school principal, rushes over: LUGENE Are you okay, Wade? What was wrong? Why were you holding everyone up? WADE Did you see that sonofabitch in the BMW? He could've killed somebody. LUGENE Did you get his number? WADE I know who it is. LUGENE Good. Who? WADE Mel Gordon. LUGENE I still don't understand -- WADE From Boston. Evan Twombley's son-in- law -- he was driving. I know where they're headed. Up the lake, Agaway. The old man's out deer hunting with Jack Hewitt, so they probably got some big weekend party planned. Wade sets his face, thinking. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - DAY Snowprints lead from Jack's pickup to where he and Twombley walk, guns pointed skyward. They enter a line of trees. Jack watches Twombley walk ahead of him, wrapped like a huge infant in red bunting, crunching twigs underfoot. He looks from side to side, checks his gun, returns to watching Twombley. They're alone. JACK Safety on? Twombley nods, slips, thumps to the ground. His rifle lands silently. Jack sprints over, helps him up, safety latches the Winchester. Hands it back. TWOMBLEY I'm okay. JACK Follow close. We'll cross the next meadow. Jack finds a path, one eye on Twombley: JACK I used to play ball. TWOMBLEY Yeah? JACK Drafted by the Red Sox. TWOMBLEY You played for the Sox? JACK Double A. New Britain. TWOMBLEY Oh. JACK Pitcher. "Best ballplayer to come out of New Hampshire since Carlton Fisk." TWOMBLEY Really. JACK They said. TWOMBLEY Hmm. JACK The only difference between me and that Clemens on TV is luck, shit luck. TWOMBLEY What happened? JACK Ruined my arm. Brought me along too fast. Why'd it have to be my fucking arm, I used to think. Then I realized it had to be somebody's fucking arm. Jack waits for Twombley as they enter a meadow. Jack aims his rifle at Twombley as he approaches. TWOMBLEY Hey, Hewitt! Slow the fuck down! Jack aims away, following an imaginary bird. Twombley steps alongside. JACK Safety on? TWOMBLEY Yeah. JACK This way. TWOMBLEY (walking loudly) Sun's gettin high. JACK (fingers to lips) Deers have ears too. CUT TO: EXT. LARIVIERE CO. - DAY Milky sky flatters LaRiviere Co., a sprawl of well-digging, septic and snow plow equipment. Billboard declaimes: "LARIVIERE CO. -- OUR BUSINESS IS GOING IN THE HOLE!" a motto repeated on every truck and piece of equipment. Wade's green Fairlane is parked outside the office. CUT TO: INT. LARIVIERE CO. - DAY Wade, puffing a cigarette, passes ELAINE'S (LaRiviere secretary) desk, her large red "No Smoking" sign, eases into an office modum chair. He unzips his jacket, slaps his cap against his thigh, spraying drops of melted snow. Gordon LaRiviere, speaking on the phone past a glass partition, calls to Wade: LARIVIERE Told you the snow was coming down. Take the grader. WADE Where's the plow? LARIVIERE Jimmy took it. Jack's out hunting with Evan Twombley. WADE His son-in-law damn near killed me. LARIVIERE (hangs up) Huh? WADE At the school crossing. In his BMW. Coulda hurt some kids. I'm gonna bust his ass. LARIVIERE Don't go playing policeman. WADE What am I -- a security guard? You hired me, you and your Selectman friends. LARIVIERE You don't want the extra police pay? WADE I'm not saying that. LARIVIERE Get the grader. Go out 29 past Toby's. Don't let Lillian get to you. She didn't belong here. That's why she left. WADE Fuck you. LARIVIERE That's what I love about a small town. You know everybody. Wade exits toward the blue grader. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - DAY Jack and Twombley walk through fresh snow. The hillside's thick with pine trees. Twombley, red-faced, puffing, leans to speak to Hewitt. Jack lifts a finger to his lips: JACK Stay here, stand where I am. Twombley peers over a slight cliff at a lumber trail twenty feet below. Jack points: JACK Fresh tracks. (sniffs) Deer shit. Big one. Here's your buck, Mr. Twombley. I'll circle around. TWOMBLEY You only got a little while if you want your hundred bucks. Jack zig-zags down the incline, while Twombley, gun poised, waddles along the edge. Jack stops fifty feet away, watches Twombley, a cartoon character. A stag pokes his nose through the pines, steps into a clearing. Jack aims his rifle, looks at Twombley. Twombley turns to see the buck, loses his footing, TUMBLES down the twenty-foot cliff. CUT TO: EXT. TOBY'S INN - DAY An open cab grader ("Our Business Is Going In The Hole") sits in the rutted lot outside Toby's, a beer joint with fake wood siding and 24-hour neon sign. A four-wheel drive plow with the LaRiviere motto pulls in, parks beside the blue grader. JIMMY DAME, 40, gets out, glances at the grader as he enters. CUT TO: INT. TOBY'S INN - DAY Jimmy joins Wade at the bar, calls for a beer. Frankie LaCoy bullshits with two long-haired locals at a nearby table; their conversation drifts in and out. Country music plays through a broken juke box speaker. Wade touches his tooth, grimaces. JIMMY How's it goin? WADE Cold. How you think? JIMMY Sorry about that. Why's it every year, come first snow, you get stuck with the grader? WADE School. Traffic crossing. (lights cigarette) I gotta quit these things. JIMMY What we doing after? Wells? (Wade nods) Don't work too fast. Business the way it is, Gordon's probably looking to lay me off earlier than usual this year. He's got too much money as it is. Why's it always the little guy that gets kicked in the butt in hard times? Wade shrugs. LaCoy's conversation has caught his ear. He turns to watch. LACOY ...That was no pisser. I'll tell you who was a pisser. Glen Whitehouse. There was a real pisser. He was mean normal, but when he drank it was like he burst on fire. Canadian Club. Always drank CC. One Christmas there's this cord of wood out back he forgot about and he decides to have his two boys stack it. Except it's been out back two months and it's snowed and rained and froze so now the wood's all iced in. He takes the boys. He was drunk, of course. Wade's face as the story comes to life: CUT TO: EXT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY (1964) Thirty years before. GLEN WHITEHOUSE ("POP"), 42, pushes his boys, Wade (13) and Rolfe (10), toward snow-covered lumps of firewood behind the barn. He's drunk. The boys carry shovels and a pickaxe. POP Move it! Daylight in the swamps! ROLFE Pop, the kids are waiting for us. WADE (reproving) Rolfe. POP A lesson in work and its rewards. You'll thank me for this one day. (to house) Sally, turn off that TV! His sons chip at the wood. Hopeless. Frozen solid. WADE (to Rolfe) Just do it. POP Atta-go. ROLFE Please, Pop. Let's go back. Wade notices his mother, SALLY, watching from the window. POP What are you, a quitter? CUT TO: INT. TOBY'S INN - DAY LaCoy roars with laughter. LONG-HAIRED LOCAL (puzzled) So what happened? LACOY Beats me. That's all I heard. Wade would know more about it. (calls) Wade! We were just talking about your Old Man. "What are you, a quitter!" Wade grabs his keys, walks over. Jimmy follows. WADE Jesus, LaCoy, you got nothing better to do than sit around and tell stories. Pity is, some college student will come some day and believe this shit cause you're the only one dumb enough to talk to him. Take care. Wade and Jimmy head out. CUT TO: EXT. BACKROAD - DAY Wade, shivering in the open grader, plows a narrow winding road. He lights a cigarette, exhales steamy smoke. LaCoy's laugh triggers a memory: CUT TO: INT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY (1964) The flashback continues: Glen Whitehouse pushes his sons inside. Sally steps from sight. Out back, the firewood lies frozen amid futile shovel marks. POP That was some job. ROLFE We'll work at it everyday, promise. POP I think we made the point. WADE (mumbles) You just needed a drink. Pop, swigging Canadian Club, turns: POP What was that? (no answer) You got something to say, say it! Say it! WADE (soft) Nothing. POP You no-good pup! Rolfe runs from the room screaming, "Mom!" CUT TO: EXT. WICKHAM'S - DAY The town's 24-hour restaurant. A bright new sign reads: "Home Made Cooking." Wade's grader out front. CUT TO: INT. WICKHAM'S - DAY Wade, eating lunch at the counter, talks with Nick Wickham: WADE It don't look right. NICK What? WADE The sign. It looks like it's spelled wrong or something. NICK Fuck. Wade Whitehouse. It's people like you that keep this fucking town from prospering. Whatever somebody does to improve things around here, you gotta find fault with it. WADE I'm not finding fault. It's a good idea, good for you, good for the town. Real modern too. NICK This town sucks. WADE Aw, c'mon, I was only saying there's something wrong with "Home Made Cooking", that's all. The sign's fine. What it says is wrong. Margie Fogg heads over, sits: MARGIE Who needs it? Everybody who comes here has been coming for years so what they need a sign for? Nick goes back to work. MARGIE You okay? WADE Yeah. MARGIE I'm sorry about what I said. WADE Said what? MARGIE About you and Jill and needing a third person. She went back to Lillian? WADE Forget it. MARGIE (touches his arm) I'm sorry. WADE I'm going to start one of those custody suits. I don't give a fucking shit. You know? Wade's eyes well up. MARGIE You don't mean that. WADE Yeah. I mean that. MARGIE (arm around his shoulders) No you don't. You're pissed, that's all. You ought to cool off for a few days then have a long talk with Lillian. You know? Work it out with her, tell her how you feel. Lillian's not out to get you. WADE The hell she isn't. Lillian's been trying to nail me to a cross since the day I met her. I'm gonna hire me a fucking lawyer from Concord and get this thing, this divorce thing, rearranged. I've been thinking about it a lot. It's like she owns Jill or something. Nobody owns nobody, especially not kids. And I pay her. NICK (calls) Marg! WADE That goddamned woman. Thinks she can cart Jill off and leave me alone like this. I'm more than pissed, Margie. I'm a whole lot more than pissed. I been that plenty and I know the difference. This is different. NICK Marg! You got orders! Wade and Margie stand. She wants to kiss him. MARGIE Call me. WADE (genuine) Tonight. Let's get together. MARGIE Okay. Wade meets Nick halfway to the door. NICK You talked to Jack? WADE Not since last night. He took a guy hunting. NICK The fucker shot himself. Ker-bang! That's what it sounds like. Not on purpose. I assume accidental. WADE (shocked) Jack? NICK The other guy. WADE Where... how'd you hear that? NICK CB. Little while ago. One of the boys on the way in picked up Jack on the CB calling for state troopers. I figured you'd know what really happened. The fucking guy kill himself? This Twombley, who the fuck is he, anyhow? WADE No, I... I've been out on the grader all morning. Twombley's summer people. Massachusetts. Friend of Gordon's. It was his idea for Jack to take him hunting. (suddenly engaged) I gotta go. Margie steps over as Wade exits. NICK He don't care for you. MARGIE Stop being jealous. CUT TO: EXT. LARIVIERE CO. - DAY Elaine looks up from her desk as Wade pulls the grader into the lot, jumps out, heads for his car. Laviviere stands outside. LARIVIERE What's the hurry? WADE A hunting accident. Jack and Twombley. LARIVIERE Huh? WADE I figured you already heard. LARIVIERE (urgent) Twombley, Jesus. We got to get moving: I got to get up there. How would I know? C'mon, you drive. We'll take my truck. They head for LaRiviere's blue 4x4 Dodge. CUT TO: INT./EXT. LARIVIERE'S PICKUP - DAY Gordon and Wade drive up the same road Jack took Twombley. Wade fiddles with the CB. No use: static. LARIVIERE Fuck. Turn it off. (Wade does) All you heard was there was some kinda accident? WADE Twombley's shot. I heard that. Not Jack. He's okay, I assume. LARIVIERE Fuck. You don't know how bad or anything? WADE You mean Twombley? LARIVIERE Yes, Wade, I mean Twombley. Put out that cigarette. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. LaRiviere grunts disapproval as Wade slips the butt out his window. WADE He more than likely just shot himself in the foot or something. That's what usually happens. LARIVIERE I shoulda sent you instead of Jack. WADE I wish you had. I'd rather be deer hunting instead of freezing my ass on that fucking grader. LARIVIERE You ain't the hunter Jack is. And he can't drive the grader worth shit. WADE Like hell. Ahead, they see flashing lights and cars. A white emergency vehicle passes, jolting the pickup. LARIVIERE (frightened) That must've been Twombley. Jesus. I bet that was Twombley. WADE You want me to follow them to Littleton? LARIVIERE Let's get to the top and talk to Jack first. He'll know what happened. He fucking better. If this coulda been avoided, I'll put that kid's ass in a sling. CUT TO: EXT. ACCIDENT SCENE - DAY Wade pulls behind three state trooper cars. Jack stands joking with the TROOPERS, one of whom holds a German shepherd on a leash. LaRiviere and Wade jump out. Jack, suddenly serious, turns to LaRiviere: JACK You heard the news. LARIVIERE I hear Twombley got shot. JACK Yeah. Wade walks over to trooper ASA BROWN, pets the shepherd. BROWN Watch the dog, Wade. Takes a mind to, he'll tear your fucking head off. LARIVIERE (to Jack) Bad? BROWN Thirty-thirty at close range. LARIVIERE Jesus. WADE Will he make it? BROWN (shakes head) D.O.A. Blew the bastard wide open. Had a hole in back you could put your head into. Pretty big hole in front too. You could've put your fist into that one. LARIVIERE (to Jack) You see it? JACK Nope. Heard it. We wasn't far apart. I spotted this buck, then I heard the gun go off and Twombley was gone. I looked over the little cliff we was using for a stand and there the fucker was, deader'n shit. Called it right in. LARIVIERE This is gonna be one fucking mess to clean up. Twombley's son-in-law and daughter are up the weekend. Didn't you say you'd seen him, Wade? WADE I seen 'em. Near ran me over. BROWN You wanna tell 'em, Gordon? You knew the old man. LARIVIERE What the fuck. My day's already ruined. (to Wade) Give me the keys. You can go back with Jack. You still got a shitload of plowing to do. WADE It ain't done, if that's what you mean. LARIVIERE Something bugging you? WADE Yeah. A few things. LARIVIERE Well, right now we're not too interested. Finish up what you gotta do, then you can get bugged on your own time. Brown walks off with shepherd. LARIVIERE (to Jack) Might as well take the rest of the day off. You look sort of fucked up. You've been paid for the day, anyhow, right? JACK Not exactly. I mean, he never paid me. LARIVIERE You'll get your money. Don't talk to any newspapers about this. Twombley's a big deal down in Massachusetts, you know. Tell them your lawyer says you shouldn't comment. JACK Lawyer? I don't need no lawyer, do I? LARIVIERE No, of course not. Just say it, that's all. Wade watches LaRiviere get into his pickup, drive off. WADE Where'd Twombley get shot? JACK In the chest. WADE (offers cigarette) No, I mean whereabouts. JACK (points) A half mile in, along the old lumber road. WADE You bring him up yourself? That's a steep climb. JACK The ambulance guys lugged him up. WADE You stayed away? JACK Yeah. WADE Where'd you get the blood? JACK What blood? WADE On your sleeve. JACK Musta... How'd I know? What're you doing, playing cop? WADE I gotta make a report to Fish and Game. I was just wondering, that's all. What'd he do, to shoot himself, I mean? JACK Who the fuck knows? Musta slipped or something. I just heard the gun go off. WADE I never seen a man shot before. Not even in the service. Must be something. JACK Well, I didn't actually see him do it. Like I said. WADE Sure you did. JACK What? WADE Saw him do it? JACK What the fuck you telling me, Wade? I never seen the guy get shot, I told you that. WADE You musta seen him get shot. I know you did. JACK Let's get the fuck outta here. You're not making any sense, man. They walk over to Jack's burgundy pickup. Wade eyes the rifles in the gun rack. WADE There's your old twenty-gauge, and that there's the new Browning you was showing me last night. This must be Twombley's gun. Brand new. Very fancy tooling. Probably fired one time. It's a beautiful piece of work. (touches it) But what the hell, Jack, I guess you deserve it. Right's right. JACK (starts engine) Yeah. WADE Twombley sure as hell won't be shooting it again. JACK He sure as hell won't. CUT TO: INT. WADE'S TRAILER - NIGHT Late. Wade Whitehouse, lying in bed with an icepack on his cheek, talks on the phone: WADE Rolfe. ROLFE (O.S.) Wade? WADE Yeah, brother, look, I was calling cause -- has there been anything on TV in Boston about a hunting accident with a guy named Twombley, Evan Twombley? ROLFE (O.S.) There was something. It happened up your way. WADE Yeah, I know him -- the kid that was with him. Maybe you do too. Jack Hewitt. He works for LaRiviere with me. He's my best friend. ROLFE (O.S.) Wade, it's late. I know you're probably at Toby's, but I'm in bed reading. We got different habits. WADE No, not tonight. I'm in bed too. I'm calling because I need you to listen. You're supposed to be a smart guy. You're a professor. I got this theory. Jack says he didn't see Twombley shot but he did. CUT TO: EXT. ACCIDENT SCENE - DAY Wade's theory -- in black-and-white: Twombley's footing slips. Jack turns to watch. Twombley's gun hits frozen rocks, fires, blows a hole through his chest. CUT TO: INT. WADE'S TRAILER - NIGHT WADE It'll come out Jack lied and the kid'll get hung for it. ROLFE (O.S.) He was scheduled to testify for a committee investigating organized crime in New England and the construction business. WADE Who? ROLFE (O.S.) Twombley. WADE No shit. ROLFE (O.S.) You think Jack shot him? WADE Well, it was an accident. ROLFE (O.S.) They were out deer hunting, right? Jack probably heard the gun go off, then came back and found the body. CUT TO: EXT. ACCIDENT SCENE - DAY Another theory: Black-and-white. Jack sees a figure run from Twombley's body. CUT TO: INT. WADE'S TRAILER - NIGHT Wade shifts the phone from ear to ear: WADE Lillian was here. In Lawford. ROLFE (O.S.) Huh? WADE The night before the shooting. ROLFE (O.S.) How was she? WADE Picked up Jill. She was supposed to visit for the weekend for Halloween. She wanted to go home. ROLFE (O.S.) Who? WADE Jill. I was thinking of getting a lawyer. Maybe you can help me. ROLFE (O.S.) What happened? WADE A divorce lawyer. A custody lawyer. You know, 'cause of Jill. CUT TO: EXT. WADE'S TRAILER - NIGHT TIMECUT: mobile homes. CUT TO: INT. WADE'S TRAILER - NIGHT ROLFE (O.S.) Don't think about it. You're exhausted. WADE Yeah, I guess. ROLFE (O.S.) Get some sleep. WADE I get to feeling like a whipped dog some days, Rolfe, and some night I'm going to bite back. I swear it. ROLFE (O.S.) Haven't you already done a bit of that? WADE No, no, I haven't. Not really. I've growled a little, but I haven't bit. Sound of GUNSHOT. CUT TO: EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY Wade's bubble-top Fairlane drives through snow covered hills. CUT TO: EXT. MEL GORDON'S HOUSE - DAY The Fairlane is parked outside a substantial summer house with a wide porch and frozen pond. The "speeding" BMW in the drive. Wade knocks on the front door. An 8 year-old boy answers the door. Wade speaks; the boy goes back inside. MRS. GORDON, 30, delicate, beautiful, wearing a dark green robe, comes to the door. Her eyes are red-rimmed. Wade has seen her before, but not this close. He feels awkward. MRS. GORDON Who are you? WADE I was... I'm Wade Whitehouse. I was wondering, is your husband here? MRS. GORDON He's asleep. We were up very late. WADE Well, yes, I'm... I want to say that I'm real sorry about your father, Mrs. Twombley. MRS. GORDON Mrs. Gordon. Thank you. WADE Well, yeah, I suppose. Sure. I just had a little business to settle with Mr. Gordon. I'm the local police officer. MRS. GORDON Something about my father? WADE Oh, no. No, it's a... it's a traffic thing. No big deal. MRS. GORDON Can't it wait, then? MEL GORDON, 40, dark-eyed, wearing a tartan robe, steps behind his wife. MEL GORDON Whitehouse. Next time, phone ahead. WADE How's that? Mel folds his arms. His wife goes inside. MEL GORDON I said, 'Next time, phone ahead.' WADE Jesus Christ. Mr. Gordon, when I come all the way to serve somebody a summons, I don't call ahead for an appointment. MEL GORDON What the hell are you talking about? WADE I'm issuing you a ticket. Moving violation. MEL GORDON Moving violation! I just got out of bed and you're telling me you're giving me a goddamn speeding ticket? Now? Are you nuts? Is that it, Whitehouse? You're nuts? WADE (writing) Yesterday morning, you passed a stopped school bus, which was flashing its lights, then you-- MEL GORDON (stops Wade's arm) Hold on! WADE (wrenches hand free) Don't ever put your hands on me, Mr. Gordon. MEL GORDON You're talking about a goddamned ticket, from when I passed you at the school where you were deciding to hold up traffic while dreaming of becoming a traffic cop or something? WADE Don't give me a hard time, Mr. Gordon. I'm just -- MEL GORDON Doing your fucking job. I know. I watch television too. WADE Yes. Here's your ticket. MEL GORDON (refusing ticket) You get the hell out of my house now, asshole. And know this -- you are going to be a lucky asshole if I haven't got you fired before the day is out. I can do it with one phone call, and I'm pissed enough to do it now! Mel Gordon moves Wade out of the door, slams it. Wade steps away, looks back at the house. Mrs. Gordon watches him from the window. CUT TO: EXT. MARGIE FOGG'S HOUSE - NIGHT A wood frame house off the main drag. Snowing. CUT TO: INT. MARGIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Wade and Margie, post-coital: MARGIE Jack's sort of sensitive, I guess. More than most. But he'll be okay in a few weeks. WADE There's something funny about that shooting. There's lots funny about it, actually. MARGIE I heard he was drunk at Toby's last night and got in a fight with Hettie. He drove off without her... WADE I'm sure, I'm positive it didn't happen the way Jack says it did. MARGIE ...Jack's turned into one of those men who are permanently angry. He used to be a sweet kid, but it's like, when he found out he couldn't play ball anymore, he changed. Now he's like everyone else. WADE I've been wondering if maybe Jack shot Twombley, instead of Twombley shooting himself. I've been wondering maybe Jack shot him on purpose. MARGIE Wade! How can you even think such a thing? Why would Jack Hewitt do that, shoot Twombley on purpose? CUT TO: EXT. ACCIDENT SCENE - DAY Black-and-white. A further theory: Jack bends over the fallen Twombley, holds a tarp to protect his chest from blood spray. He shoots Twombley with his own gun. CUT TO: INT. MARGIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT WADE Money. MARGIE Jack doesn't need money. WADE Everybody needs money. Except guys like Twombley and that sonofabitch son-in-law of his. People like that. MARGIE Jack wouldn't kill for it. Besides, who would pay him? WADE Lots of people. Guy like Evan Twombley, Boston union official, probably got lots of people want to see him dead. The Government's been investigating his links with the Mafia. MARGIE (laughs) The Mafia hire Jack Hewitt? WADE No, I just know Jack's lying about what happened. He just seemed -- I know that kid, what he's like inside. He's a lot like I was at his age. MARGIE You wouldn't have done anything like that, shot someone for money. WADE No. Not for money. But, if somebody'd given me half a damned excuse -- I was pretty fucked up, you know. MARGIE (smiles) But not now. Wade sits on the edge of the bed, sighs. Lapses into thought. Margie caresses his back, kisses it. He winces. MARGIE When you gonna get that tooth fixed? Wade looks at her, brushes the hair off her face: WADE I can see what you looked like as a kid. MARGIE You knew me as a kid. WADE Yeah, but never what you looked like. Not really. Never really studied your face, like now. I was never able to see you as a kid when you were a kid until now, this way. MARGIE What way? WADE After making love. I like it. It's nice to see that in a grown-up person. MARGIE It's nice. Wade walks naked to the kitchen, returns with two beers, one for Marg. He gets in bed. She, thinking, sips: MARGIE Don't you think, do you still think it's a good idea to press this custody thing -- just now? WADE I'm her father -- supposed to be, but I'm not able to. Yes. Yes, I am. It may be the only thing in my life I've been so clear about wanting. Even if it takes a big fight. MARGIE Then... I guess you have to. WADE (silence) There's another thing I've been thinking about. I don't know how you feel about the idea, Margie, because we've never talked about it. But I've been thinking lately, I've been thinking we should get married sometime. You and me. MARGIE (uncertain) Oh, Wade. WADE I've been thinking about it, that's all. MARGIE You've been married twice -- WADE It was to the same woman. I was just a kid... (Marg looks) It's not like a marriage proposal or anything, just a thought. Something for you and me to talk about and think about. You know? MARGIE Alright. I'll think about it. WADE Good. He kisses her. His jaw winces in pain. CUT TO: INT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAYBREAK (1964) THE FLASHBACK CONTINUES: Glen Whitehouse, plastered, yells at Wade, age 13: POP I've got sons, Goddamnit, oh my God, have I got sons! Wade? Rolfe? Elbourne? You love me boys? Do you love your Pop? Of course you do! Wade, frightened, retreats as Sally enters in her housecoat. SALLY Glen, stop -- POP Oh, Jesus, Sally, you are such a Goddamned good person! Capital G. You are so much better than I am, I who am no good at all, you who are a truly good person, like a fucking saint! Beyond fucking com-pare. Glen reaches for the Canadian Club; Sally tries to block his hand. Glen pulls his arm from hers, clipping her cheek with the bottle. Sally gasps, grabs her cheek. Wade pushes between them, protecting his mother. POP My big boy bursting out of the seams of his jeans! Pop clenches his fist. Wade vainly looks Rolfe's direction for help. SALLY Don't! POP You little prick! Pop's fist comes crashing down. Wade raises his arms to protect himself. Wade's arm bone CRACKS with the blow. Wade grimaces in pain. SALLY Glen, stop! CUT TO: EXT. MARGIE FOGG'S HOUSE - DAY Margie gets into Wade's idling Ford. CUT TO: INT./EXT. WADE'S CAR - DAY Wade, washed and changed, drives; Marg sits beside him. They head north. Deer rifles echo from the woods. MARGIE Did you tell them? (no answer) That we were coming? WADE Don't you think it's proper for a fella to introduce his girl to his parents? MARGIE I know your parents. WADE I just want to pick up my divorce papers. For the lawyer. It won't take long. CUT TO: EXT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Sun slants over Parker Mountain; they pull up. The house, once white, is peeling. Polyurethane flaps over dark windows. The 1960 red Ford pickup sits long frozen in the open barn. MARGIE (getting out) Are you sure they're home? Did you call? WADE The truck's here. Looks like they've stayed inside since the snow started. They stamp their feet on the porch; Wade turns the knob. Locked. It seems abandoned. WADE Strange. MARGIE Think they're alright? WADE Of course! I would've heard. MARGIE How? WADE I don't know for Christ's sake! They round the house, try the back door. Wade knocks loudly. GLEN WHITEHOUSE, 70, opens the door, stands inside. He wears long underwear, stained woolen trousers, slippers. CUT TO: INT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY WADE Pop, Pop, you okay? Glen shuffles toward the stove; they follow. He starts a fire. WADE Jesus, Pop, how can you stand the cold, dressed like that? Where's Ma? POP Sleeping. WADE You remember Margie Fogg? POP From Wickham's. Been a while. Like some coffee? WADE How you and Ma doing? Haven't seen you in town for a while. POP We're alright. Your Ma's sleeping. You want me to get her? WADE Yeah. Pop goes to the bedroom. WADE (to Marg) Jesus. Nothing's changed around here. Pop returns. WADE Where's Ma? POP She's coming. MARGIE Have you been heating the house? Not just with the stove. POP There's a furnace. MARGIE You're not using it today? POP It's broke I guess. There's an electric in the bedroom. MARGIE Maybe Wade should take a look at it. Your pipes'll freeze. (Pop nods) Wade, would you do that? Wade, concerned, pushes open the BEDROOM door: WADE Ma? It's Wade. Can I come in? He steps inside. On the bed, Sally Whitehouse, wrapped in blankets, lies dead. He walks over, beside the small electric heater, touches her forehead. Her skin is chalk white. WADE Oh, Lord. Margie steps into the doorway. Pop joins: POP Coffee's perked. MARGIE When did she die? POP Is...? She's dead then? WADE Yeah. POP I checked on her. She had the electric heater. Cold don't bother her as much as me. Which is why I give her the heater. WADE (kneels over mother) Is there something wrong with the phone? POP In the living room. WADE Why didn't you call and have the furnace fixed? POP Wade. I thought she was alright. Till this morning she was. Pop goes to the dresser, pours himself Canadian Club. Wade opens his mother's mouth, attempts respiration. POP It makes me sad. MARGIE Can --? POP (sits) Makes me sad it was her. Instead of me. I shoulda froze. CUT TO: EXT. ROLFE'S CAR - DAY ROLFE WHITEHOUSE, 38, drives his four-door Toyota west: through Massachusetts, toward New Hampshire. His face bespeaks tolerance, objectivity -- in short, education. It's also Wade's face. ROLFE (V.O.) Wade called me, as usual, late at night. I knew it was Wade -- no one else calls me at that hour -- and I was ready to listen to another chapter in one of his ongoing sagas. There was the detective story concerning the shooting of Evan Twombley and the family melodrama about Wade's custody fight with Lillian. But not this time. CUT TO: EXT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Rolfe's Toyota sits with other cars. ROLFE (V.O.) Wade was telling a different story, or so it seemed then, one in which I myself was a character. He had called to tell me that sometime the previous night our mother had died, and he had discovered the body when he'd gone over to visit her and our father with Margie Fogg. Pop was okay, but kind of out of it. Worse than usual, maybe, though no drunker than usual. CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Friends and relatives gather in the living room: Wade, Rolfe, Glen, LaRiviere, Margie, an aging couple, REVEREND DOUGHTY, 30, thin, wearing glasses and an avocado-green suit. WADE (finishing a beer) Shouldn't we get this show on the road, now that Rolfe's here? No one moves. LaRiviere checks his watch. Wade shrugs: WADE Pointless to stand around in church with nothing to do, I guess. ROLFE What about Jill? Is Lillian bringing her? Margie's face tells Rolfe he's touched on a sensitive subject. MARGIE They'll be at the church and the cemetery. Wade opens the frig, takes out another beer: WADE Anyone else want one? Rolfe? ROLFE No thanks. I don't drink. WADE Yeah. I forgot. LARIVIERE How you holding up, Wade? WADE I'm fine, fine. LARIVIERE You Rolfe? (Rolfe nods) I remember you from high school. You're a teacher now? Harvard? ROLFE B.U. LARIVIERE I haven't seen you around. I don't suppose there's much reason for you to come this way. Rev. Doughty calls for Glen Whitehouse, who has been sitting, silent, drinking, to join the others: REV. DOUGHTY Come, Glen, join us. Let's kneel for a moment of prayer before the service. Wade? Rolfe? ROLFE Well... Wade, expressionless, looks at Rolfe. Rolfe, embarrassed, trying to do the right thing, helps his father kneel beside Rev. Doughty. The others join the circle. WADE This is nuts. MARGIE (reproving) Wade. REV. DOUGHTY Dear Heavenly Father, Lord of Hosts, we come to Thee to beseech Thy blessings and commend to You the soul of our beloved wife and mother, Sally Whitehouse, to be one with You and walk with You -- Pop mutters something. Wade, Rolfe and Marg exchange glances. He mutters louder: POP ...goddamned hair on her head. He rises over LaRiviere, turns, exclaims: POP Not a one of you is worth a goddamned hair on that good woman's head! Doughty freezes. WADE Pop! Don't do this now, Pop. Pop knocks back a drink as the others stand. LARIVIERE Maybe I'll head on over to the church. REV. DOUGHTY This is a difficult time. Gordon and the couple file out. Doughty, Glen, Rolfe, Wade and Margie remain. WADE Listen, it's no big deal, Pop. POP (raising fists) Come on, smart guy. Tell how it's no big deal. Tell me how a single one of you is worth a single hair on that woman's head. REV. DOUGHTY Give up this demon. POP Go fuck yourself! Wade, eyes blazing, squares off. Son to father. ROLFE Wade, just leave it. POP (mocking) Listen to your little brother. 'Wade, just leave it.' Candy-asses. All of you. That's what I've got for children. Candyasses. 'Wade, just leave it.' Praise the Lord! 'Just leave it!' Wade stiffens. Pop cocks his fist. Marg, screaming, jumps between them as Pop swings. The old man bounces blows off Margie's arms and shoulders. Wade pushes Marg aside, grabs his father in a bear hug and walks him backwards, flat against the wall. Wade releases him. Pop, frail, collapses to the floor. Wade kneels over him: WADE If you ever touch her again, I'll kill you. I swear it. CUT TO: EXT. CEMETERY - DAY Townspeople and friends cluster around the gravesite: Pop, LaRiviere, Jack and Hettie, LaCoy, Chub Merritt, Nick, Jimmy, Lillian, Jill and Horner, Rolfe, Wade and Margie. ROLFE (V.O.) The day of the funeral was almost springlike. The snowline crossed New Hampshire west to east, retreating northward to Concord where it melted by midmorning. Rev. Doughty finishes. The mourners exchange farewells. Wade looks at Lillian. Margie and Rolfe, escorting Wade's father, let him be. He walks over, hugs Jill. JILL Dad. WADE (to Lillian) I'm glad you're here. Can you stay for a while? Lillian hesitates, shakes her head 'no.' WADE You ever come to your father's grave anymore? LILLIAN No, not anymore. It's too... it's too far. WADE We should talk. LILLIAN We've done all our talking, Wade. WADE It's just... LILLIAN Let the past be. (beat) I'm sorry about your mother. I liked her. You never know how much women like that suffer. It's like they live their lives with the sound turned off -- and then they're gone. JILL (tugging at Lillian) Mom. LILLIAN She has an ice-skating lesson at four. JILL I'm taking ice-skating, Daddy! He kisses Jill, says goodbyes, walks back to Rolfe and Margie. Ahead, LaRiviere walks with Jack. CUT TO: EXT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Wade and Rolfe leave Margie and Pop in the kitchen as they step out back. WADE Let's dig out Pop's truck before the skin of the snow freezes up. They grab snow shovels propped against the porch, walk to the barn. Firewood's stacked alongside. CUT TO: INT. BARN - DAY Shafts of light filter through the ramshackle structure. A snow drift nearly buries Glen's red truck. Wade and Rolfe break away the packed snow. ROLFE What about Margie? WADE What about her? ROLFE Well, do you still plan to get married? WADE Yeah. She'll probably quit her job and stay out here with Pop. We can't leave him alone here, he'll set the damn place on fire. With Jill here a lot, it'll be good to have Margie around. Things are going to change in that department, by the way. I got a custody lawyer in Concord. I'm gonna see him tomorrow. All hell's gonna break loose, but it's worth it. They finish clearing the snow. Wade gets in the truck, starts the engine. Rolfe waits for Wade. WADE I want to let the gas run out. I don't want the bastard driving drunk, and he's always drunk now. After, we'll hide the keys. ROLFE Anything new about the shooting? Twombley? WADE (reluctant) I guess it was an accident, like everybody thinks. ROLFE Want to know what I think happened? Wade opens the glove compartment, finds a bottle of Canadian Club. He unscrews the cap. WADE Find them everywhere. (swigs) ROLFE I think your first response to the Twombley shooting was the correct one. WADE Which is? ROLFE That it wasn't an accident. WADE Then who shot him? ROLFE Well, your friend, I think. Jack Hewitt. WADE Motive. You gotta have a motive. ROLFE Money. WADE Who'd pay him that kind of money? Not the mob. They got their own guys. Specialists. ROLFE (agreeing) They wouldn't deal with a guy like Jack. Who else benefits if Twombley is suddenly dead? WADE (swigs) I don't know. You tell me. ROLFE Okay. It's likely there are people in the union who don't want Twombley to testify. They probably include his son-in-law who's vice-president and will probably be the next president. I read that in the papers. What's his name, Mel Gordon? WADE Yeah, the guy with the BMW I told you about. I did, didn't I? ROLFE Here's my theory. Twombley, unaware of illegal union loans or whatever, starts nosing around cause of the investigation and finds out. Finds out his son-in-law is involved. WADE So Mel Gordon wouldn't want a professional hit. That'd make the feds dig deeper. He wants an accident. ROLFE A hunting accident is perfect. WADE Shit, around here, you shoot somebody in the woods, you say it was an accident, you get fined fifty bucks and your hunting license lifted. Jack's probably saying the guy shot himself cause he ain't got his deer yet and don't want his license pulled. The truck sputters, stops. Wade pulls the keys. WADE It's too neat. Things ain't that neat. It makes me mad. That somebody can pay to kill somebody, his own father-in-law, and not be punished for it. Don't that piss you off? ROLFE Not particularly. WADE Right's right, goddamnit! Don't you care what's right? ROLFE I care about what happened. The truth. I'm a student of history, remember? The sun is down. Wade tucks the keys in a knotted board. ROLFE I was thinking about that story you told me, about Pop and chopping the firewood out of the ice and after. WADE Yeah. ROLFE I hate to disappoint you, but I don't think it happened. WADE Of course it happened. Why would I lie about it? ROLFE It may have happened, but not the way you said. WADE You think I wouldn't remember a thing like that? ROLFE It wasn't me. I wasn't there, but I heard about it. When I heard about it, it was about Elbourne. WADE We'd have to go digging in Vietnam to ask him. ROLFE And Elbourne and Mom took you to the doctor and told him you fell from the hay loft. WADE (laughs) Well, I never heard that one. ROLFE I remember clearly cause when I heard I became real careful around Pop. I was a careful child and I became a careful adult, but at least I wasn't afflicted by that man's violence. WADE (laughs again) That's what you think. Rolfe looks out: the cobalt sky has turned black. ROLFE I gotta head back. It's a long drive. They walk toward the house. CUT TO: EXT. LARIVIERE CO. GARAGE - DAY Wade walks in as Jack and Jimmy prepare to head out, their drilling rig loaded with pipe. Gordon yells at Jack: LARIVIERE Put out that fucking cigarette! Jack opens the truck ashtray. LARIVIERE Not there, asshole. Flush it! Hewitt trudges to the john. WADE Morning, Gordon. LaRiviere smiles, goes to his office as Wade hangs his coat in his locker. Jack cruises over. JACK I'm fucking out of here. WADE Lawford? JACK Out of this fucking job. This job sucks. Working outside in the winter sucks. Jack gets in the cab of the drilling truck. Wade follows. JACK Open the door, will ya? WADE Why don't you quit now, you want out so bad? JACK Open the door. We're late. WADE I mean it -- you got enough money now. Head out for California. Surf's up, Jack, and you're digging wells in the snow. JACK What do you mean I got money? I'm as broke as you. Wade grins, goes to activate the door. WADE Looney Tunes, Jack. Fucking Looney Tunes! The drilling truck pulls out the garage, onto the road. From the opposite direction a black BMW slows, enters. Mel Gordon. Wade, all eyes and ears, watches. Mel Gordon parks in front of the office, gets out. Elaine calls: ELAINE (O.S.) Mr. Gordon! MEL GORDON The boss in? ELAINE (O.S.) Yes indeedy! Wade flips the door switch. Mel Gordon and LaRiviere talk. Yeah. CUT TO: EXT. CONCORD - DAY The South Main Street office of J. Battle Hand, lawyer. Concord is a real town, with traffic, stores, people with places to go. CUT TO: INT. LAWYER'S OFFICE - DAY J. BATTLE HAND, 60, sits in a wheel chair behind his desk. Wade, uncomfortable in work clothes, tries not to show it. WADE I screwed up the divorce. I agreed with everything she said. I wanted her to like me. I just want to be a good father. HAND It would help if you were married, if there was someone at home while you work. WADE I plan to. Soon. HAND How soon? WADE This spring. HAND Good. It would help if there were some drug or alcohol abuse on the part of your ex-wife. Sexual problems upsetting to the child. WADE It looks pretty hopeless, don't it? HAND No, not exactly. I'll look at the divorce decree, see if we can get it redrawn. Interview your daughter. Jill, right? WADE Yes. HAND Fine. I'll need a $500 retainer. You can mail it. WADE Jesus. How much... how much will the whole thing cost? HAND Hard to say. If we go for custody, depositions, psychiatric evaluations, it could drag on. Ten or twelve thousand dollars. She could win on appeal. If we just want to get the visitation rights redrawn, assuming they're unduly restrictive, it wouldn't be more than twenty-five hundred. WADE Oh. HAND (sensing situation) You might be better off legally as well as financially to just go for the -- WADE Yeah. I know. The custody suit thing was just my getting back at her. I'm not as dumb as I look. Whatever you say. I love my daughter. (Hand nods) I'll send you the five hundred. Wade stands; Hand motors to the door. Wade puts his fingers in his mouth. His tooth throbs. CUT TO: EXT. LARIVIERE CO. - DAY Fairlane squad car in its customary spot. CUT TO: INT. LARIVIERE'S OFFICE - DAY Wade and Gordon speak. LaRiviere is relaxed, open: a "new Gordon." WADE Sorry about the long lunch. My clutch is going out again. LARIVIERE You ever think of getting a new car, Wade? WADE On what you pay me? LARIVIERE Elaine! Call Chub Meritt and have him pick up Wade's car, fix the clutch. ELAINE (O.S.) What! LARIVIERE (to Wade) Use the pickup. I'll bill it to the town. You're the town police officer and the town police officer should have a decent car. You want a new car or not? WADE What do I have to do for it? LARIVIERE Nothing, Wade, I've been thinking. You don't get enough appreciation around here and it's time we changed things a little. WADE I saw Mel Gordon in here this morning. LARIVIERE So? WADE He say anything about the summons I tried to give him? Sonofabitch wouldn't accept it. LARIVIERE Wade, that wasn't smart. Going out right after the man's father-in-law shot himself. Let it go. Call it a favor to me. WADE You? Why? LARIVIERE Mel's doing some business with me. It's nice to do favors for people you do business with. He was in a hurry. No big deal. WADE That was before Twombley was shot. Before he knew. LARIVIERE What's the difference? Take my truck, take a rest -- stop worrying about Mel Gordon. Have you decided what to do with your old man's place -- he going to stay there? WADE (takes out cigarette) Want to buy? LARIVIERE Don't light that in here. I'm allergic. WADE I won't. You interested? LARIVIERE Maybe. WADE You and Mel Gordon? LARIVIERE Could be. WADE (voice rising) Always count on old Wade for a good screwing. Why should I always pay more, sell cheap? Why should you guys make all the money. You and Mel and Jack. Right's right. Wade pulls out Bic, lights cigarette. LARIVIERE (waving arms) Out! Out! Wade smiles, exits. CUT TO: EXT. RT. 29 - NIGHT Wade, driving Gordon's 4x4 with running lights and roll bar, takes 29 toward Pop's farm. A pickup passes him: Jack Hewitt's burgundy Ford. Wade stops. Jack turns up Parker Mountain -- the road to the accident scene. Something's up. Wade turns and follows. Jack's fresh tracks lead the way. Hewitt is driving fast. Wade keeps up. Jack, far ahead, approaches the accident scene. Stops. Night has fallen. Wade comes over a low rise, spots Jack's pickup. He kills the lights, parks to block Jack's exit. Silence. Footsteps in the snow. Wade watches, listens. What's he doing? Looking for evidence? The burgundy pickup engine suddenly ROARS -- Jack's back and at the wheel -- the tires squeal, spit snow as he spins past Wade. Wade starts his engine, gives pursuit. The pickups gun their engines, bumper to bumper, down mountain roads, lumber roads, rocky trails. Wild headlamps their only guide. CUT TO: EXT. POND - NIGHT A trail turns sharply past a shallow beaver pond -- too sharply for Jack. He crashes through a stand of skinny birches straight out onto the pond. The pickup's momentum carries it across the pond. Wade drops into first gear, follows, his headlights reflecting ice. He drives directly to Jack, bumper to bumper, headlight to headlight. Jack sticks his head out: JACK You crazy sonofabitch! You'll sink us both! Get off the fucking ice! Get off! Wade doesn't budge. Jack backs away; Wade inches forward. Hewitt's trapped. Trees behind him. Neither truck has traction on ice. Jack steps out, swinging his fists wildly. Wade gets out. Jacks grabs his rifle, points it: JACK I'll shoot you, Wade, I swear it! I'll fucking shoot you dead if you don't move away from that truck! Wade backs off. JACK Don't move! I'll shoot you dead if you move! Jack gets back in his pickup, maneuvers it slowly around the Dodge, crosses the ice and is gone. Wade stands in darkness. The only sound his idling truck, the wind. Then a third sound -- the snap of ice. Ice cracks ripple from the middle of the pond. Ice planes tip around the truck. LaRiviere's snazzy Dodge slips, descends, disappears. Headlights glow under water, then go out. "Our Business Is Going In The Hole." Wade, alone in darkness, plops into the water, paddles to shore. Freezing, he finds Jack's tire tracks in the snow. He bangs his jaw. CUT TO: EXT. WICKHAM'S - NIGHT A car drops Wade off. "Home Made Cooking." CUT TO: INT. WICKHAM'S - NIGHT Wade enters the empty diner. His clothes frozen. NICK Your father's in back, Wade. Marg had to babysit him. She moved in with you, huh? (looking closer) What happened? Wade goes to the kitchen. Glen Whitehouse, washing dishes with Margie, looks up: POP Ah, the prodigal son. NICK About fucking time. POP Look, got me a new job, second cook and bottle washer! MARGIE What happened? WADE Jesus Christ, Pop, let's go home. I got waylaid. Sorry. POP The fuck you got waylaid. You follow your prick around like it was your nose. NICK (enters) Can it, Whitehouse. (to Wade) Get him out of here. It was funny at first, but I'm tired. MARGIE There's clothes in the back. Wade's old man talks as he dresses: POP Let's go home? What home is that? Your home? My home? Let's have a talk about that. You're fucking sly, Wade. Your mother's dead so she can't make any excuses for you anymore! You gotta deal with me! No more sugar tit, asshole. Wade, redressed, enters: WADE Pop, for Christ's sake! POP You think you can take me now? Come on, try. Margie and Nick guide pere et fils to MARG'S CAR. Nick speaks to her: NICK Marg, get out of this. Fast. MARGIE I can't. Marg drives off. CUT TO: INT. MARGIE'S CAR - NIGHT Wade leans close to his father, his breath on his: WADE I wish you would die. Pop spits directly into Wade's face, raises his arm. Wade catches it, twists it. Margie shrieks: MARGIE Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it! They do, glaring as they approach the farmhouse. CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Wade looks in the bedroom, sees Margie sleeping, goes to the bathroom. He peers, stands before the sink, washes his hands slowly. Drying his hands, he looks into the mirror, startled by the image of his own face. A phone conversation plays over: WADE (O.S.) No shit, Rolfe, I glanced up and there he was, only it was me. But it was like I had never seen myself before. It was a stranger's face. Hard to explain. You fly on automatic pilot, like I was doing all night, and you disappear. CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Wade sits alone in the darkened room, speaking on the phone. His cigarette glows. WADE Then you accidentally see your body, or your face, or whatever, and you don't know who the hell it belongs to. Strange. It's the business with the old man, I know, and how incredibly pissed I was at him, and also chasing Jack Hewitt like that, and the Goddamned truck going through the ice, not to mention Margie's being so upset -- one thing on top of another. ROLFE (O.S.) Wade, are you alright? WADE But you gotta hear this. You won't believe it. Mel Gordon had come by to visit LaRiviere and so now I'm in his office. CUT TO: INT. LARIVIERE'S OFFICE - DAY Wade's theory expanded: Jack and Gordon argue in the office. An extension of Scene 55. Like Wade's other theories, in black-and-white: LARIVIERE He's on to us! JACK Shit! What are we gonna do? LARIVIERE Maybe I can buy him off. I gotta talk to Mel. JACK You can't buy Wade off. LARIVIERE We bought you. JACK That was me. CUT TO: EXT. ALMA PITTMAN'S HOUSE - DAY Wade drives Margie's car toward LaRiviere's. In his rear view window he spots Chick Ward driving Chub Merritt's tow truck, lights blinking, pulling LaRiviere's pickup like a dead fish. He pulls over, lets it pass. He's parked in front of Alma Pittman's house. A sign on the lawn reads, "Alma Pittman, Town Clerk." He looks at the house, decides to go in. Wade walks up the shoveled steps, knocks on the door. ALMA, 60, wearing plaid shirt and slacks, greets him with a smile: ALMA Wade! Come in! Have a cup of coffee. CUT TO: INT. ALMA PITTMAN'S HOUSE - DAY They step into Alma's living room/office. She's been keeping the town secrets for as long as anyone can remember. WADE You got yourself a computer, Alma. ALMA Been putting my files into it. You take sugar and milk? WADE No. Black. They sit by her desk at the bay window. She studies him. ALMA Are you alright, Wade? WADE Yeah, sure. Why? I got this damned tooth, I got a few things bugging me, like everybody else. But I'm okay. ALMA Well, you look... sad. Upset. I don't mean to pry. I'm sorry about your mother. It was a nice funeral. WADE Alma, I think there's some dirty business going on in this town. ALMA Always has been. WADE This is maybe worse than you and I are used to. (beat) What I'm talking about, I'm talking about murder. Among other things. ALMA Who? WADE Evan Twombley, the union boss who got shot. Somebody murdered him. ALMA Who? WADE You know Jack Hewitt, the kid I work with? CUT TO: EXT. MERRITT'S STATION - DAY Gordon LaRiviere examines his damaged pickup outside the Shell station. CUT TO: INT. ALMA PITTMAN'S HOUSE - DAY Wade finishes: WADE ...if Jack told the truth, he could be free by the time he's my age. ALMA Sometimes things are simpler than you think. Let me ask you a question. WADE You don't believe me? ALMA (crosses to her desk) About Jack? No. Have you checked out the tax bill on your father's farm lately? WADE I know he's due for the last two years. I was thinking of paying it when the insurance comes in. ALMA Has anybody offered to buy it? WADE As a mater of fact, yes. LaRiviere. Alma punches her computer. Dozens of items flash up. ALMA This is all the real estate transactions in this town the last year. Most of it unused land. Most of it for little more than the back taxes owed. She punches again: only three items. ALMA This is from three years ago. Some difference, huh? WADE (looking) What is the Northcountry Development Association? ALMA I went down to Concord to check it out. The president is Mel Gordon. The vice-president and treasurer is Gordon LaRiviere. Those boys are buying up the mountain, Wade. $364,000 this year. I believe that's out of LaRiviere's league. WADE Twombley involved? ALMA No. WADE He musta found out. They had to get rid of him. And Jack'll get blamed. ALMA All the figures show is that Gordon LaRiviere is going to be a very rich man using his position as Selectman. In a year or two, you won't recognize this town. CUT TO: INT. LARIVIERE'S OFFICE - DAY Wade storms in, shouting. Jack and Jimmy choose donuts by the file cabinet. LaRiviere's behind his desk. Wade's tooth makes it hard for him to talk without pain: WADE You sneaky sonofabitch! I've got your number now, Gordon! All these years I actually thought you were a decent man. (pounds fists on desk) Can you believe that? Jack, combative, looks at Wade. Gordon stands before Jack can speak: LARIVIERE Wade, you're done. (extends hand) Let me have the shop keys. WADE (to Jack and Jimmy) You two, don't you get it? He's using you. You're his slaves. (soft) Jesus Christ, Jack, don't you see that? LARIVIERE The key, Wade. WADE Yeah, you can have the key. It's the key that's kept me locked to you all these years. I give it to you with pleasure. (passes key) Now I'm free. See how easy it is, Jack? All you got to do is give back what the man gave you, and you're free of him. (turns to leave) I've got to call my brother. Wade's phone conversation plays OVER as he goes to Margie's car. WADE (O.S.) I know what it means. I'm just running out of ways to use it. ROLFE (O.S.) For what? CUT TO: EXT. ROUTE 29/MERRITT'S - DAY Phone conversation continues as Wade drives to Merritt's Shell station. WADE (O.S.) To help, Jack, of course -- and to nail those sonsofbitches, the Two Gordons. That's what Alma calls them. Jesus, Rolfe, whose side are you on? ROLFE (O.S.) Take care of the little things first, the things that are distracting you from taking care of the big things. Call Chub Merritt, get your car back, call a dentist, for God's sake, and get your tooth pulled, don't trust the locals, get your facts straight and go straight to the state police. Let them work on this. CHICK WARD, 30, Chub Merritt's mechanic, greets Wade outside the station. We join their conversation: CHICK The good news is we haven't got to your car yet. The bad news -- WADE Just tell me when you'll have it fixed. CHICK -- the bad news is there's a problem with Gordon's truck what somebody drove through the ice last night. Figured you'd know something about that, Wade. WADE (beat) Yeah. I know about that. CHICK LaRiviere says he ain't gonna pay for the fixin' of your car. A couple hundred for the clutch. I got some more bad news. Wanna hear it? WADE Tell me. CHICK Chub says you're fired. WADE He can't fire me. LaRiviere already did that this morning. CHICK He's a Selectman. The town. He said to tell you to turn your badge in and clean out your office. I'm supposed to pull the CB and police light out of your car. They're town property. CUT TO: INT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Wade, open phone book in hand, walks back and forth speaking into the receiver. Margie looks up from the KITCHEN table, an old newspaper in front of her. WADE What do you mean, you can't take me today? I told you -- The other party has hung up. Margie stands, upset. Wade slams the phone down. MARGIE What on earth is happening to you? Why are you acting this way? WADE It's my tooth! My fucking tooth! I can't even think anymore because of it. MARGIE I heard you talking. You got fired this morning, didn't you? WADE Look, that's temporary, believe me. There's so much shit gonna hit the fan the next few days, my getting fired by LaRiviere and Merritt won't matter a bit. Pop enters from outside with firewood, passes. WADE I'll get another job. People are going to need me. After this is over, they'll make me into a Goddamned hero. You wait: you'll see, I'll deliver. I'll be the best father who ever lived. You need me, even Pop, for Christ's sake, he needs me. This town needs me. Maybe now they think they can send me howling into a corner like a kicked dog, but my God, it'll be different soon. Margie's face falls. She retreats from the room as he speaks, taking her coat and pocketbook. Wade and his old man, she thinks: just the same. Wade looks out the window and she gets in her car, drives off. Wade holds his inflamed jaw; he can hardly see straight. Pop turns on the TV in the living room, boosts the volume. Pop comes back in the room, gets the Canadian Club, pours himself a drink. WADE Leave the bottle out! Pop growls, goes back to wrestling on the TV. Wade walks to the cabinet, removes a pair of pliers from the tool drawer, goes toward the bathroom. In the BATHROOM, Wade opens his mouth -- it hurts -- takes a bite of whisky, sets the bottle on the toilet tank. He looks at the stranger in the mirror, reaches inside his mouth with the pliers. Prying his mouth open, Wade Whitehouse locks the pliers onto a large molar in the back, squeezes and pulls. He steadies himself, pulls again, yanking the pliers from his mouth. The bloody rotted tooth clatters in the sink. He takes another bite of whisky. Rolfe's voice plays over: ROLFE (V.O.) You will say I should have known terrible things were about to happen, and perhaps I should have. But even so, what could I have done by then? Wade never went inside. He lived almost wholly out there on his skin, with no interior space to retreat to, even in a crisis. Wade takes another swig, sets the whisky bottle in the LIVING ROOM beside the TV set. Wade and Pop exchange looks. Wade exits through the KITCHEN, snatching his coat. CUT TO: EXT. BARN - DAY Wade spits blood into the snow as he grabs a gallon can of gasoline from under the porch. He crosses to the barn, prepares to pour the gas into the beat-up red truck. CUT TO: EXT. CONCORD - DAY Wade's Ford pickup passes J. Battle Hand's office, keeps going. Grass peeks through the snow at this lower altitude. CUT TO: EXT. LILLIAN'S HOUSE - DAY Wade parks the truck, walks past leafless bushes to a charcoal- gray split-level with pink shutters. He pushes the door bell; the first notes of "Frere Jacques" play. Lillian opens the door; Jill's footsteps approach. LILLIAN Wait there. She'll be right out. (looks back) Is there snow on the ground up in Lawford? WADE Yeah, lots. LILLIAN (to Jill) See. Get your boots. WADE Hi honey. JILL (going back inside) Hi. LILLIAN Have her back tomorrow night by six. WADE No problem. Look, I... LILLIAN You make me sick. I can't believe you've sunk so low. WADE Low as what? What have I done? It's bad to want to see your own daughter? LILLIAN You know what I'm talking about. For what you're doing to me and to the child you say you love so much. Love. You won't get away with it. Jill returns, wearing parka and boots, heads out with her father. LILLIAN Bye, honey! Call me tonight if you want. Wade and Jill approach the truck. JILL Are we going in this? WADE Yeah. My car's in the shop. This'll be fine. JILL It's pretty old. WADE It belongs to Pop. JILL Pop? WADE Grandpa. My father. It's his. JILL Oh. Wade opens the truck door. Jill climbs in with her overnight bag, looks back to the door where Lillian watches. CUT TO: INT./EXT. WADE'S TRUCK - DAY The Ford heads north. WADE (winking) How about a Big Mac? JILL Mommy won't let me eat fast food. You know that. It's bad for you. WADE C'mon, we can always sneak a Big Mac. And a cherry turnover. Your favorite. What do you say? JILL No. WADE What do you want, then? JILL Nothing. WADE You can't have nothing, Jill. We need lunch. Mr. Pizza? JILL Same thing, Daddy. Mommy says -- WADE I know what Mommy says. I'm in charge today, though. JILL Okay. So we'll get what you want. What do you want? They stop for a light. Silence. WADE Nothing, I guess. I guess I can wait till we get home. Maybe we'll stop by Wickham's for a hamburger when we get to Lawford. That suit you? You always like Wickham's. JILL (looking ahead) Okay. WADE Fine. Pause. Wade looks over at Jill and realizes she is crying. WADE Oh, Jesus, Jill, I'm sorry. What's the matter, honey? She shoves her clenched fists hard against her legs. WADE Please don't cry. Please, honey. JILL (regains composure) What are you sorry for? WADE I don't know. For the food business. I guess. I just thought, you know, we'd sneak a Big Mac on Mommy, like we used to. JILL I want to go home. WADE (quick) You can't. Jill looks away. Wade pulls a six-pack from under the seat, pulls off a beer, takes a swig. JILL (quiet) That's illegal, you know. WADE I know. JILL You're a policeman. WADE Nope. Not anymore. I'm nothing anymore. JILL Oh. CUT TO: INT. WICKHAM'S - DAY Wade and Jill enter Wickham's, crowded with out-of-state hunters at the end of the deer season. WADE Jillie, you want a cheese grilled sandwich? NICK It's called a grilled cheese sandwich, you dub. Wade, flaring, reaches across the counter and grabs Nick by the shirtfront! Nick's arm knocks over a cup of coffee. The diner goes silent. Hunters look up. Jill's face is white; she starts to cry. Wade looks over -- it takes him a moment to react -- bends down, comforting her. He wipes her nose with a napkin. WADE Jill, please, it's alright. Nothing happened. JILL I want to go home. WADE (rigid) Okay, let's go home, then. They head for the door. Nick eases over: NICK (delicate) Wade, I got a message for you. (Wade turns) Jack Hewitt, he's looking for you. Wants you to clear your stuff out of his office in Town Hall. WADE His office. You mean my old office. NICK Well, I guess -- that's what he said. WADE He got his deer yet? NICK No, he's out now. Somewhere on the mountain. I'd stay away from him if I were you. He's real pissed. Wade takes Jill's hand, exits. CUT TO: EXT. TOWN HALL - DAY Jill waits in the old red truck parked outside. Wade emerges with cardboard boxes of office miscellany, rifles laid across top. He shoves the boxes and guns into the back of the pickup, gets in and drives off. CUT TO: EXT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Wade and Jill pull up the drive, past Margie's car, into the barn. Her trunk and two side doors are open. Margie comes out back with a battered suitcase, goes to her car. She's leaving. A plastic bag of clothes sits in the trunk. Wade and Jill get out, approach: WADE Going somewhere, Margie? MARGIE I'm just cleaning out some of this stuff that's built up. For the rummage sale. And some things for the cleaners. And the laundromat. WADE Don't lie to me. You're leaving me, I can see that. MARGIE Don't be silly. Hi, Jill. Jill, suitcase in hand, looking pathetic, tries to smile. A sadness passes over Wade's face. WADE (hurt) Marg. Margie, watching him, quivers, starts to cry. She drops her suitcase, out of nowhere bawling like a baby. Wade goes over, puts his arms around her, pats her back. His face is racked. He, too, seems about to cry -- if he could. In his arms Margie feels trapped, overwhelmed by Wade's circumstances and terrible sadness. She pushes: MARGIE (crying) Leave me alone! Leave me alone! She struggles in Wade's grasp. Jill, frightened, wildly hits him from behind: JILL Leave her alone! Leave her alone! Wade moves back like a bear, covering his face and arms. Jill, near hysterical, keeps after him, arms and fists flying. Wade stumbles backwards into the snow. Jill still swings. Margie dashes to intervene as Wade swings his arms wide. Jill flies into Marg. Her nose is bleeding. Wade's caught her across the mouth and nose. She takes cover behind Margie, crying. Margie and Jill stand side by side, saying nothing. Wade looks up stunned, as if hit by a rock. Marg slowly backs away, her arms behind her holding Jill. MARGIE (to Jill) Get in. Marg eases Jill into the front seat, closes the door, edges around the car slamming the trunk and gets into the driver's seat. Wade stands. JILL I want to go home. Will you take me home? MARGIE Yes. She closes the front door, starts the car. She backs out the drive. In her rear view mirror she sees the image of Wade receding, standing frozen, staring down at the snow. Pop emerges from the house, looks at his son, grinning. Wade looks at his old man, that dumb devilish grin plastered on his father's face. Glen Whitehouse holds an empty whiskey bottle like a pistol. Hunters' gunshots echo in the distance. POP (Satanic delight) You! By Christ, you -- I know you. (points bottle) Yeah, you goddamn sonofabitch, I know you. You're a goddamn fucking piece of my heart! WADE (dead) You don't know me. You don't know me! (beat) So fuck you. Fuck you. POP Nah-nah-naw! You done done finally done it! Like a man done it. Done it right. I love you, you mean sonofabitch! Pop holds up the bottle, pretends to fire it at Wade. WADE Love! What the fuck do you know about love? POP Love! I'm made of love! WADE Call it what you want. POP Everything you know is from me. WADE Yeah. POP Bang! WADE You and me. Wade waves his old man off, trudges toward the barn. POP Where the Christ you going? You sonofabitch, you leave my fucking truck where it is! I need... Give me the Goddamn keys! I need to get me to town! WADE Crawl! POP Nothing in the fucking house to drink. Not a fucking thing. My house, my money, my truck -- stolen! WADE I don't know you. My goddamn father and I don't know you. Wade walks from the glistening snow into the dark barn. CUT TO: INT. BARN - DAY Wade unloads the cardboard boxes filled with his office belongings from the back of the truck and sets them on the ground. He gathers up his rifles. Suddenly! A whiskey bottle SLAMS against the back of his head. He drops to his knees, the guns scatter. He looks up with child's fear and guilt at his father. Glen Whitehouse hovers over him, huge and ferocious: a colossus, lifting the bottle like a jawbone. Wade cringes, scrambles for the dropped rifle. He grabs it by the barrel and, twisting around, swings it in a slow motion arc, smashing the edge of the wood stock against his father's head. A cold hard CRACK of bone. Glen Whitehouse -- shriveled again, no longer mythic -- flies back like a stuffed dummy. He collapses beside the empty C.C. bottle. Wade, bleeding from the head, stands, staggers off Pop's inert body, aims his rifle at the old man's face. WADE I know you now. I love you too. Wade bolts the rifle, flicks off the safety, fires -- a loud CLICK. The gun's empty. WADE (smiles) Joke. You scared me. He kneels down, lovingly touches the old man's face, caresses his lips, cheeks, nose, brows, smoothes back his stiff gray hair. Pop's eyes are clouded. Blood suddenly drips from his ear to the ground. Wade rests the rifle against the truck. He bends over, slips his hands under his father's body, lifts him up. He carries Pop over to the workbench, lays him out. Groping beneath the bench, Wade finds the kerosene lamp. He unscrews it, pours kerosene the length of Pop's body. Wade takes out his cigarette lighter, ignites it, holds it for a moment, places it to Glen Whitehouse. Fire spreads the length of Pop's body, bursting like a shroud of yellow flame. The oil-stained bench crackles; flames shoot up the old weathered wall. Burning flesh and heat drive Wade backwards. CUT TO: EXT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Wade stands in snow and sunlight. The entire barn is engulfed in flames. Black smoke billows through the clear winter sky. Inside Glen Whitehouse, a pyre, burns. ROLFE (V.O.) The historical facts are known by everyone -- all of Lawford, all of New Hampshire, some of Massachusetts. Facts do not make history. Our stories, Wade's and mine, describe the lives of boys and men for thousands of years, boys who were beaten by their fathers, whose capacity for love and trust was crippled almost at birth and whose best hope, if any, for connection with other human beings lay in an elegiac detachment, as if life were over. CUT TO: EXT. PARKER MOUNTAIN - DAY Pop's red truck is parked behind Jack Hewitt's 4x4 on a snow- banked road. Wade, hunting rifle pointed up, traces Jack's footsteps down the slope of the mountain. ROLFE (V.O.) It's how we keep from destroying in turn our own children and terrorizing the women who have the misfortune to love us; how we absent ourselves from the tradition of male violence; how we decline the seduction of revenge. Wade spots Jack poised in a spruce grove, watching for deer. Wade bolts his rifle, releases the safety, aims and FIRES. Jack, hit in the chest, falls bleeding between trees. Blood stains the snow. ROLFE (V.O.) Jack's truck turned up three days later in a shopping mall in Toronto. Even without the footprints, the bullet, Wade's utter disappearance seemed evidence enough of his guilt. CUT TO: INT. WHITEHOUSE FARM - DAY Camera glides from room to room, glimpsing details, fragments of former times, as if this were an historical site or memorial. The walls resonate: lives were molded here. ROLFE (V.O.) LaRiviere and Mel Gordon were indeed in business. The Parker Mountain Ski Resort is now advertised all across the country. Jimmy Dame tends bar at the lodge. Chub Merritt opened a snowmobile dealership, Nick Wickham runs the new Burger King. Margie Fogg moved to Littleton, nearer her mother; Lillian and Jill went with Bob Horner to a new job in Seattle. Out a window, workers gather charred timbers from the barn, throw them on a truck. ROLFE (V.O.) We want to believe Wade died, died that same November, froze to death on a bench or a sidewalk. You cannot understand how a man, a normal man, a man like you and me, could do such a terrible thing. Unless the police happen to arrest a vagrant who turns out to be Wade Whitehouse -- or maybe he won't be a vagrant; maybe he will have turned himself into one of those faceless fellows working at the video store and lives in a town-house apartment at the edge of town until his mailman recognizes him from the picture at the post office -- unless that happens, there will be no more mention of him and his friend Jack Hewitt and our father. The story will be over. Except that I continue. THE END

EXT. STREET - DAY A UPS Man with a big pot belly is walking down the street, whistling and carelessly tossing a package in the air. We hear the sound of broken glass in the box. He passes a professional woman. UPS MAN Good morning, UPS! He tosses the box behind his back like a basketball, then acknowledges another passerby. UPS MAN UPS, good to see you! He takes a couple of steps, then flings the package incredibly high into the air, spins completely around and expertly drops to one knee and catches the box. A Hispanic man passes. UPS MAN Buenos dias. Uo Pay eSsay. EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY The UPS Man dodges a couple of black kids as though playing basketball. He runs up the front steps of the building. He reaches out to open the front door and inadvertently flings the package behind him and back down the steps. He goes back, retrieves the package, then enters the building. INT. LOBBY - DAY Several people stand in the elevator. The UPS Man just makes it, but the door closes on the package... REPEATEDLY. He feigns embarrassment. INT. 3RD FLOOR - DAY ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN. The UPS Man throws the package out onto the floor and starts kicking it down the hall like a soccer player. With one last big kick the parcel lands in front of APARTMENT 3B. He picks it up and knocks on the door. We hear a small dog barking. GRUFF MAN (O.S.) Shut the hell up, you stupid mutt! An angry, burly man pokes his nose hairs out the chained door. GRUFF MAN What do you want? UPS MAN UPS, sir. And how are you this afternoon? Alrighty then! The man grumpily unchains the door. He's a big guy - 6'5", 250, and 50 of that is chest hair. A small Shiatsu stands beside him. UPS MAN I have a package for you. The UPS guy thrusts the package toward the man. We can clearly hear broken glass inside. The man takes the package. GRUFF MAN It sounds broken. UPS MAN Most likely sir! I bet it was something nice though! Now... I haver an insurance form. If you'll just sign here, here, and here, and initial here, and print your name here, we'll get the rest of the forms out to you as soon as we can. The man begrudgingly begins to fill out the form. The dog wags his tail and whines. We can see that he likes the UPS guy. UPS MAN That's a lovely dog you have. Do you mind if I pet him, sir? GRUFF MAN (mumbles) I don't give a rat's ass. The UPS Man bends down and talks to the dog in a really sucky pet talk. UPS MAN Oo ja boo ba da boo boo do booo! GRUFF MAN (under breath) Brother. Before the Gruff Man can finish, the UPS Man stands back up and takes the form again. UPS MAN That's fine sir. I can fill out the rest. You just have yourself a good day. Take care, now! 'Bye 'bye, then! THRASH MUSIC STARTS INT. HALLWAY -- CONT'D The UPS Man moves swiftly down the hall and into the stair well. INT. APARTMENT 3B - CONT'D The Gruff Man shakes the box, tosses it down and sits in front of the TV. EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - CONT'D The UPS Man bursts from the front door and hustles down the street very quickly. He passes several people. UPS MAN (quickly) UPS, S'cuse me. UPS, comin' through. INT. APARTMENT 3B - CONT'D We see the back of the Shiatsu staring at the crack in the front door. He has not moved an inch. The Gruff Man looks over. GRUFF MAN Hey, stupid! Get away from the door! The dog doesn't budge and this really pisses him off. He gets up and heads for the dog. GRUFF MAN What's the matter with you, I said GIT!!! He roughly picks the dog up by the scruff of the neck, but as he turns it around we see that it is a stuffed dog. Around it's neck is a business card that reads, "You have been had by Ace Ventura - Pet Detective." He breathes fire. GRUFF MAN Son of a bitch! He smashes the dog to the ground. EXT. ALLEY - CONT'D As the UPS Man/Ace rounds the corner, his shirt opens up at his pot belly and the Shiatsu's head sticks out. Ace is gloating. ACE (announcer's voice) That was a close one, ladies and gentlemen. Unfortunately, in every contest, there must be... A LOOSER! He jumps into an old beat-up Chevy Bel Air, and lets the dog out onto the passenger seat. ACE (CONT'D) LOOOHOOOSERRRHERRR! He then pulls open the car's ashtray, and to the dog's delight, it's filled with puppy chow. He tries to start the engine but it won't turn over. The dog shoots him a look. ACE (to dog) No problem, it gets flooded. We'll just wait a few seconds. Ace sits back. SMASH!!! From Ace's POV we see a Baseball bat shatter the front windshield. ACE Or, we could try it now. Ace frantically tries to start the car. His new friend continues around the car beating the living shit out of it. ACE Oooh, boy. ACE'S POV We see the creep wailing on the car in Ace's side view mirror. ACE Warning! Assholes are closer than they appear! The dog is barking insanely. ACE (to dog) You think you can do better?! The baseball bat is now pummeling the trunk. ACE Wanna give me a push while you're back there? BOOM! The back window shatters. Then the car's engine roars to life. Ace rejoices. ACE FARFEGNUGENNNNN!!! Ace leaves the bad guy in a cloud of dust and gravel, screaming bloody murder. EXT. MIAMI CITY STREETS - DAY Ace and his new pal speed away freely. Close on the happy dog, hanging his head out the car window. PAN across the broken windshield to Ace, also hanging his head out the window to see where he's going. The car drives by a sign on a telephone pole: "Reward" -- with a picture of the Shiatsu in Ace's seat. THRASH MUSIC ENDS INT. HOUSE - DAY A very sexy woman is hugging and kissing the Shiatsu. WOMAN My little baby. You missed mommy didn't you? Did daddy hurt you? I won't let him, no I won't. He may have kept the big screen TV, but he's not gonna keep my baby. No he isn't. (very sexy to Ace) Thank you, Mr. Ventura. How can I ever repay you? She slinks over to Ace and puts her arms around his neck. ACE Well, the reward would be good, and there was some damage to my � She cuts Ace off with a devastating kiss. WOMAN Would you like me to take you pants off instead? ACE Ummmm� Sure. She pulls him toward the bedroom. WOMAN It takes a big man to stand up to my husband. He's already put two of my lovers in the hospital. ACE How did he find out? Does he have you followed. WOMAN No� I tell him She plants a kiss on Ace's neck and pulls him down out of frame onto the bed. EXT. DOLPHIN STADIUM PLAYING FIELD - DAY The stands are empty, but there's plenty happening on the field. The Miami Dolphins are practicing. Dan Marino is in top form, hitting pass after pass. Behind one of the goal posts, the team's mascot, a rare dolphin (SNOWFLAKE), wearing #4, is practicing his routine. The Trainer is dressed like a quarterback. TRAINER Blue! 42! Blue! 42! Hut! Hut! Snowflake swims over, snatches a small football out of the Trainer's hand, and does an end zone dance on his tail. He then returns the ball to the trainer. The Trainer now sets the ball on the dolphin's tail and snowflake "kicks" a perfect field goal. The Trainer blows a whistle and raises both arms. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. DOLPHIN STADIUM PLAYING FIELD - NIGHT The stadium is now completely empty. Snowflake peacefully swims around his tank. Suddenly, the water is illuminated by the headlights of an n.d. panel truck. The rear door slides open. Two men jump out in wet suits. They slip into the water while a third waits outside the tank. Snowflake surfaces to check out the action. One of the men holds out a fish. Snowflake eagerly takes it, then shudders as a large syringe is stuck into his back. Snowflake thrashes around. Quick cut of a hand with the blur of a ring slamming against the tank. But the needle has done its job. Snowflake quickly goes limp. Snowflake is loaded into the back of the truck. Move in on Snowflake's face. His excited cackle has turned into a painful whimper. The truck skids away passing the guard gate. The guard is hog tied and gagged, struggling to free himself. INT. ADELLE'S FRIENDLY PET SHOP - NEXT DAY Close up on a dead goldfish laying on a newspaper. We pull back to reveal ADELLE ROSENBERG, the seventy year old owner of a cluttered pet shop. She's handing a live goldfish in a bag to JENNIFER, a very sweet nine year old. ADELLE Here you go, honey. Now remember� this kind of fish doesn't like it in the freezer. JENNY But what's gonna happen to Dolly? ADELLE Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets a proper burial. Jennifer exits. Adelle calls to her cat, and tosses it the goldfish. The cat catches it in mid-air. ADELLE Rest in peace. Ace enters the pet shop. It looks like he slept in his clothes. ADELLE Well� here comes another dead fish. ACE Hi, beautiful. What time do you get off? ADELLE Uh oh. ACE (suggestively) I've heard some pretty great things about your kibble. ADELLE Well, I hope I'm not getting a reputation. ACE (switching to mock anger) Just get me the food! She chuckles at Ace as she loads a couple of bags with different kinds of pet food. ADELLE So� ahh, when can I expect you to pay your tab? ACE I'm a little bit Sli Pickins, right now, I'm a little Tight Squeeze Louise, a little Welfare Wolly, Potless Pissing Pete, I'm ah � ADELLE If you were a horse I'd shoot ya'. Just take it. ACE Gravy! I'm good for it, Adelle. I'm on a very big case right now. Ace reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a flyer with a picture of a white pigeon. ACE See this pigeon? It's a true albino. Some rich guy lost it. He's offering a ten thousand dollar reward. ADELLE Wow, albino pigeons are very rare. How are you going to find him? ACE Just keep my eyes open, and hope to god it doesn't snow. Ace grabs his bags and heads for the door. ADELLE You're a good boy, Ace. A good boy. He holds the door open for an elderly gentleman who is entering at the same time. The gentleman is walking a toy poodle on a leash. The poodle is dragging its butt along the entire length of the floor. Ace and Adelle just stare. ELDERLY MAN (in a loud voice) Do you have anything for ringworm? EXT. SURFSIDE APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY Ace enters the courtyard of a two story U-shaped apartment complex carrying his groceries. It's a crappy joint but he calls it home. Inside an open apartment on the ground floor, the landlord, MR. SHICKADANCE, sits watching TV, stuffing his face with cheese doodles. Ace sneaks past the door and up the stairs. EXT. SECOND FLOOR - DAY Ace is just putting the key in the door when the landlord steps up behind him. Ace is startled by the dreaded 'Shickadance Rasp' (not unlike Linda Blair in THE EXORCIST). LANDLORD Venturaaaaa? Ace straightens up, but doesn't turn around. ACE Yes, Satan? Now Ace turns around in mock surprise. ACE Oh, I'm sorry, sir. You sounded like someone else. LANDLORD Never mind the wise cracks Venturaaa. You owe me rent! ACE Mr. Shickadance� I told you, you're my first priority! As soon as I find the white pigeon, you're paid!! LANDLORD I heard animals in there Ventura! I heard 'em again this morning, scratchin' around. ACE I never bring my work home with me, sir. The landlord notices the bags of kibble. LANDLORD Oh, yeah? What's all this pet food for? ACE (beat) Fiber. The landlord isn't buying it. ACE You wanna take a look for yourself? Go head. Ace rattles his keys in the door. Then he swings it open and turns on the light. The house is clear. Ace walks in as the landlord stands there snooping and sniffing the air. ACE Well� are you satisfied? LANDLORD (still suspicious) Yeah, but don't ever let me catch you with an animal in there, that's all! ACE Okay then. Take care now. 'Bye 'bye. The landlord walks away as Ace closes the door. ACE (quietly to himself) LLOOSER. He then turns to the room and gives a distinct whistle. CHAOS ENSUES! Animals jump out from every direction. Lizards crawl out of drawers, birds fly through the air, all of them gravitating to Ace. ACE (to his flock) Ooshhooboobooboodoodoo! INT. MIAMI DOLPHIN HEADQUARTERS - LATER THAT DAY The very imposing office of BOBBY RIDDLE, owner of the Miami Dolphins. Riddle, 70, is a take charge, doesn't take crap from anyone type of guy. He is yelling at ROGER PODACTER, an ex-linebacker in his early sixties, and MELISSA ROBINSON, Podacter's attractive assistant. RIDDLE I just want to know one thing; How the hell do you lose a 500 pound fish?! Melissa's about to speak but hesitates. RIDDLE (CONT.) What? MELISSA It's not a fish, sir. It's a mammal. An angry Riddle stands up. RIDDLE Oh, thank you very much, Mrs. Jacque Cousteau! PODACTER Bob, she didn't mean anything by it. RIDDLE calms down a little, and sits. RIDDLE (calmer) Listen, personally, I don't give a good god damn about a fish. He looks at Melissa. She doesn't dare say anything. RIDDLE (CONT.) All I care about is winning this Super Bowl! I want the players' head in the right place. Shit, Roger, you've been in this game long enough, you know how superstitious players are. Our quarterback's been putting his socks on backwards since high school. And I got a lineman who hasn't washed his jock in two years because he thinks flies are lucky! I want that god damn fish on the field Super Bowl Sunday! FIND THE FISH, OR FIND NEW JOBS! INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS ACTION An upset Podacter and Melissa walk through the hallway. PODACTER Why did it have to happen now? I got three stinking years left till retirement. MELISSA I've got forty. PODACTER I'll tell you who did it. It was those goddamn animal rights nuts! Always out there with their goddamn signs, ANIMALS WERE BORN FREE, STOP TORTURING SNOWFLAKE! That goddamn fish lives better than they do! They stop outside Melissa's office by her secretary's desk. MELISSA The police are checking into the animal rights people. (to secretary) Martha, have the police called back about the dolphin yet? MARTHA No, but I wanted to tell you, when I lost my Cuddles, I hired a pet detective. PODACTER A what? MARTHA A pet detective. MELISSA Thanks Martha, but we'd better leave this to professionals. MARTHA Well actually, he was quite good. Pet detection is a very involved, highly scientific process. CUT TO: EXT. ROOF OF HOUSE - SAME TIME CLOSE ON ACE - COOING like a pigeon. Widen to reveal, Ace precariously perched on the roof of a two story building. He is four feet away from "The" pigeon. Ater a beat, he makes a mad, spastic, yet scientific, lunge for the bird. ACE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! The bird makes a clean getaway. Unable to stop his momentum, Ace flies past the edge of the building and slides down the side of the roof. EXT. GROUND - CONTINUOUS ACTION BAM!!! Ace crashes to the ground. As he lies face down, in a heap of trash, his beeper goes off. EXT. DOLPHIN HEADQUARTERS/BOBBY RIDDLE STADIUM - DAY Parking lot. Ace's clunker drives by some real nice cars. Employees stare at him. INT. SECURITY CHECK POINT - DAY A stern guard is admitting people into the stadium. He scans each one with a security detection wand. MAN #1 Art Wheeler. Sporting supplies. The guard scans him. He goes. MAN #2 Tom Anderson. Concessions. The guard scans him. He goes. ACE Ace Ventura. Pet detective. The guard stares at Ace, accusingly. INT. MELISSA'S OFFICE - DAY Martha enters. MARTHA Ah� Mr. Ventura to see you. MELISSA Okay, send him in. Martha exits, Ace enters. MELISSA (CONT.) Hi, I'm Melissa Robinson. Did you have any trouble getting in? ACE No, the guy with the rubber glove was surprisingly gentle. MELISSA (apologetically) Super Bowl week. Security's tight. Mr. Ventura, I'll get right to the point� She slips a tape in the VCR and gestures for Ace to sit. MELISSA Our mascot was stolen from his tank last night. Are you familiar with Snowflake? The tape shows Snowflake doing a trick. The trainer, dressed like a quarterback, shouts out signals. TRAINER (ON TAPE) Blue! 42! Blue! 42! Hut! Hut! Snowflake swims over, snatches the small football out of the trainer's hand, swims the length of the pool, does an end zone dance on his tail, then returns the ball to the trainer. MELISSA (O.S.) We got Snowflake from the Miami Seaquarium. He's a rare Bottle Nose Dolphin. That's the new trick he was going to do during the half-time show. While Ace studies the tape, he chews sunflower seeds in a bird-like fashion, placing the shells in a neat little pile on her desk. MELISSA Would you like an ashtray? ACE No, I don't smoke. He adds more shells to the pile. Melissa is already wondering if she has made a mistake. MELISSA To be honest, Mr. Ventura. I'm pretty skeptical. Before today, I didn't even know there was such a thing as a pet detective. ACE Well, now that you do, you'll know who to call if your Schnauser ever runs away. MELISSA How did you know I have a Schnauser? Ace pulls a, invisible-to-the-naked-eye dog hair off here blouse and presents it to her. ACE He's young, about five pounds, black coat, white speckles� (sniffs the hair) �likes to chase cars. MELISSA Very impressive. ACE You should see what I can do with a good stool sample. MELISSA I can hardly wait. Look, we've got a problem. Can you help me or not? ACE (coy) Well, sea faring creatures aren't really my expertise� MELISSA We'll give you three thousand dollars on delivery. Ace immediately becomes the narrator of a nature show. ACE The dolphin is a social creature. Capable of complex communication. Traveling in large groups or schools� EXT. PLAYING FIELD - A SHORT TIME LATER The Dolphin players practice. A crowd of reporters interview Marino. MARINO We just choked in 82. We had a chance to win it and we didn't. Nobody's gonna choke this time, and if they do, I'll kill 'em. Ace and Melissa head for Snowflake's tank. MELISSA The police were here this morning. Apparently, the kidnappers used the back gate. Ace bends down to look at some tire tracks on the field. MELISSA (CONT) They said some kind of a � ACE Four wheel drive van� loaded from the rear. Ace sniffs the turf. Podacter enters nervously. MELISSA Oh, hi, Roger. How are you holding up? PODACTER Well if it looks like I'm walking funny it's because I have a bunch on reporters up my ass. They've been asking me about Snowflake all day. Who's this? MELISSA Roger Podacter, meet Ace Ventura. Ace is our pet detective. Podacter shakes his hand. PODACTER Nice to meet you. Martha Metz recommended you very highly. ACE Martha Metz? Martha Metz. Oh yeah, the bitch. PODACTER What? ACE Pekinese. Hyperactive. Lost in Highland Park area. She was half dead when I found her. Is that the tank? They both follow Ace as he makes a B-line. EXT. SNOWFLAKE'S TANK - MOMENTS LATER The tank is empty. ACE Cops drain it? MELISSA Yes. This morning. Ace hops on the ladder. ACE If I'm not back in five minutes� call Lloyd Bridges. INT. DOLPHIN TANK - MOMENTS LATER While eating sunflower seeds, Ace meticulously examines the tank, including the scratches where the hand banged up against the wall when Snowflake was stolen. All the while, he is singing a bastardized version of the theme from, "Flipper." ACE �Wonderful Flipper� glorious Flipper� magnificent Flipper� The flippiest Flipper� Podacter and Melissa, watching from the rim, look at each other like, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" Podacter spots something. PODACTER Oh, great. A hoard or reporters are headed their way. PODACTER (CONT) I'll try to head them off. MELISSA (to Ace) Get out of the tank. ACE (still singing) �Can't hear you Flipper, Flipper� Lookin' for Flipper, gotta find Flipper� MELISSA I said, get out of the tank! Now! The reporters draw closer. Podacter heads them off. REPORTER So where's Snowflake? PODACTER Ah� Snowflake is just, ah, not available right now. REPORTER Come on, I'm supposed to get a shot of his new trick for the evening news. REPORTER #2 What? Is he sick? Other reporters chime in. VARIOUS REPORTERS Did something happen to Snowflake?! What're you hiding..?! Melissa and Podacter don't know what to say. Then, a strange voice is heard. ACE/HEINZ (O.S.) (unrecognizable accent) How cun I be getting dis vork dun mit all da shouting? What for is dis shouting? REPORTER Who the hell is that? MELISSA That? That's� ACE/HEINZ Heinz Kissvelvet. I am Trainer of Dolphins. You vant to talk to ze dolphin, you talk to me! REPORTER What happened to the regular trainer? ACE/HEINZ Vy do you care about the dolphin? Do you know him? Does he call you at home? Do you have a dorsal fin? (beat) To train ze dolphin, you must zink like ze dolphin. You must be getting oonside ze dolphin's head! Just yesterday I'm asking Snowflake� "ee, eee, eee." He said, "Eee, eee, eee, eee." Und you can quote him. Ace spits at the reporters' feet. Podacter jumps in. PODACTER Gentlemen, please, Coach Shula's press conference is just about to begin. Why don't I take you over there and let, ah, Heinz, do his job. He ushers the press away. MELISSA (sotto to Ace) Are you finished, Heinz? ACE Not yet. Ace goes to the filter outside the tank, opens it, and pours out its contents � mainly leaves, small twigs and gunk. He roots through it, notices a very tiny amber stone. He smiles to himself. ACE Now I'm finished. EXT. METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT - LATER THAT DAY A flurry of activity in the detective division. As Ace enters, several cops taunt him on sight, led by the obnoxious, SERGEANT AGUADO. AGUADO Hey, Ventura! Make any good collars lately? ANOTHER COP Or were they leashes? They all bust up. Aguado spots a bug on the ground. AGUADO Uh oh. (steps on the bug) Homicide, Ventura! The cops are falling all over themselves laughing. AGUADO How you gonna solve this one?! Ace walks up to them and looks at the squashed bug. ACE Good question, Aguado� first I'd establish a motive. In this case the killer saw the size of the bug's dick, and became insanely jealous. The other cops all react with a big "ooooooo". Aguado has no comeback. Ace comes face to face with him. ACE Then I'd lose thirty pounds porking his wife. Aguado suddenly loses it and swings at Ace. With a lightening move, Ace sidesteps the punch and forces Aguado's face down next to the dead bug. ACE Now kiss and make up. Ace walks off. ACE (to himself) LLLOOOSER! Ace walks to the desk of EMILIO ECHAVEZ, a young energetic member of the homicide division. Ace has a silly impish look on his face. ACE (playfully) I miss you. EMILIO It's not a good time, Ace. If Einhorn sees me talking to you I'm gonna be history. ACE Okay. Just tell me what you got on Snowflake. That's all I need. EMILIO �I can't say anything. My hands are tied. ACE (effeminate) Sounds like my kind of a party. A cop comes to Emilio's desk. COP Look alive, Einhorn's on her way down. EMILIO Ace, please?! ACE Just tell me who's working the case? EMILIO Aguado. ACE Aguado?! He's pimple juice! He's the poster child for lead paint chip eaters! EMILIO Look, Ace. We're a little busy with murderers and drug dealers. A missing dolphin isn't exactly a high priority. The elevator is getting closer. EMILIO Ace, gimme a break will ya? Ace nonchalantly sits back in a chair, pops a sunflower seed into his mouth and cracks it loudly. EMILIO (quickly) Okay, okay. We checked all the local animal rights groups, taxidermists, and we're running a check through DMV on all recent van rentals. So far, nada. ACE Any unusual bets being made? EMILIO Ace, it's the Super Bowl, of course there's bets being made. ACE What'd you find out about the tank? EMILIO Nothing weird. Just the tire tracks and the exit route. The guard didn't see anything. ACE That's it? EMILIO That's it. I swear. Now please go away! ACE You know something? (again impish) YOU'RE NICE! Ace gets up and exits the room. Then just as Emilio sighs with relief, Ace pops back in. ACE What about crazy Philly fans? The elevator bell rings. Out steps police LT. LOIS EINHORN, mid 30s, with a slender build, a great pair of legs and a bad tude. ACE Holy Testicle Tuesday! EINHORN (to Emilio) What the hell is he doing here? ACE I came to confess. I was the second gunman on the grassy knoll. EINHORN Spare me the routine, Ventura. I know you're working the Snowflake case. May I suggest you yield to the experts on this one? We'll find the porpoise. ACE (mock relief) Whewww� now I feel better! Ace turns to go. ACE (CONT) Of course, that might not do any good. You see, nobody's missing a porpoise. It's a dolphin that's been taken. The common Harbor Porpoise has an abrupt snout, pointed teeth, and a triangular thorasic fin, while the Bottlenose Dolphin, or Tursiops Truncatus, has an elongated beak, round, cone-shaped teeth, and a distinctive serrated dorsal appendage. (beat) But I'm sure you already knew that. (beat) That's what turns me on about you. Hey� maybe I'll give you a call sometime, lieutenant. Your number still 911? Alrighty then! Ace exits. CUT TO: INT. TEA ROOM - NIGHT A wild thrasher club. An incredible thrash band is on stage cranking. Kids jump wildly into the "moshing" pit. Ace enters, sees a burnout at the bar whose head is circling insanely to the music. ACE (shouting) Excuse me?! Is Greg here?! The burnout's head thrashes on. No acknowledgement of Ace. ACE Thank you! Ace heads for the basement stairs. INT. BASEMENT STAIRS - NIGHT Ace descends the stairs, stopping at a large steel door. Ace bangs on it three times. A voice is heard from inside. VOICE (O.S.) Password! ACE Tom Vu! I pay for sex! You can too! CLICK! The door electronically unlatches and slides open. INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT Ace enters. Green Peace "Save the Whales" posters abound. GREG/WOODSTOCK, a laid back, ex-hippy with long gray hair, sits at a very impressive computer set up. Ace and he have their own distinct banter. A thud from above. Ace looks up. ACE'S POV Part of the ceiling is made of metal grating, so you can see the bottom of the dance floor. A guy's face gets smashed into the grate. We see that it is the burnout from the club. ACE (to burnout) Found him! WOODSTOCK Hey! St. Francis! How's it goin? ACE Super, and thank you for asking. Hope you're having a nice day. WOODSTOCK Do you? ACE Don't I? And what are you up to? WOODSTOCK Just watching the fishies, man. There is a BLIP on the computer screen. WOODSTOCK Alright, you're just in time for the party. You see those blips? ACE I certainly do. ON THE SCREEN A map with several ships on the ocean. He quickly taps in some commands and the ships start sailing in all different directions. WOODSTOCK That's a Norwegian whaling fleet. I'm sending them new directional coordinates� They'll find Jimmy Hoffa before they find any Humpbacks. ACE Gravy. Woodstock moves to a different screen. WOODSTOCK Check this out. More computer graphics come up on the screen. WOODSTOCK Just changed the formula for Purina's puppy chow. (turns to Ace) Too much filler, don't ya' think? ACE (acting turned on) I'm very attracted to you right now. Woodstock chuckles. WOODSTOCK Are you? ACE Aren't I? Can you still tap into all the aquatic supply store in the area? WOODSTOCK Of course I can. Why? ACE I want to trace the sale of any equipment for transporting or housing a dolphin within the past few months� WOODSTOCK C'mon, Ace. I thought you might have a challenge for me� Woodstock starts hacking away. ACE Okay then, try to remember the sixties. WOODSTOCK Wow! God one! Let's see� Marine winch sling, feeder fish, 20,000 gallon tank� He waits. We hear a beep. WOODSTOCK That's it. I found the culprit. ACE Who is it? WOODSTOCK (dramatically) �Sea World. ACE �bastard. WOODSTOCK Hang on, hang on� (He taps a couple keys) Well, what do we have here? That's a lot of equipment for a civilian. The printer spits out some data. Woodstock rips off the page and hands it to Ace. ACE Ronald Camp? The billionaire? WOODSTOCK Billionaire and rare fish collector. ACE RRREHEHEALLY! A PICTURE OF CAMP Comes up on the computer screen. WOODSTOCK That, my friend, is the face of the enemy. He pages through his file on screen. WOODSTOCK �Always tryin' to get his hands on endangered species� Newspaper articles fill the screen. One shows a picture of Camp and some Dolphin players. ACE Hold on, this guy's connected with the Dolphins? Ace leans in. WOODSTOCK Camp donated the land the new stadium's built on. (re: article) Oh, look at this, he's throwin' another, "I'm the richest man in the universe" party. ACE (thinking) Hmmm� I wonder if I can find myself a date. INT. CAMP'S MANSION - NIGHT It's a magnificent home. There is an extremely formal party in progress. Twenty to thirty people having champagne, caviar, and hot air. We see Dan Marino sitting with an audience around him. DAN We just choked in 82. We had a chance to win and we didn't. But nobody's gonna choke this time; if they do, I'll kill 'em! Everybody laughs. EXT. CAMP'S MANSION - NIGHT Ace and Melissa climb an impressive stairway leading to Camp's mansion. MELISSA I'm really going out on a limb here, Ventura. Camp's social events are strictly A-list. ACE (a la Love Connection) 'Well, Chuck� the date started off good, but just before we got to the party, she seemed to tense up.' Melissa rolls her eyes, then taps a huge door knocker. MELISSA I swear, if you do anything to embarrass me in front of Camp� ACE You mean like this? Ace starts doing a spastic body convulsion. Just then a bald-headed butler, who looks a little like Gavin McCloud, opens the door. Ace doesn't notice until Melissa hits him with her purse. ACE Owwwe!!! He sees the butler. ACE Oh, hi Captain Stubing. Melissa storms in, already pissed. INT. CAMP'S MANSION - CONT Ace and Melissa enter. Camp looks over. CAMP Melissa! Glad you could make it! Oh, and who is this? MELISSA This is my date. He's a� lawyer. CAMP Well, does he have a name, or should I call him "Lawyer"? MELISSA I'm sorry, it's Ace - ah, Tom Ace. Ace is very unimpressed with her lying ability. He jumps in. ACE Tom Ace. Wonderful to meet you, Mr. Camp, and congratualtions on all your success. You smell terrific. CAMP Ah, well, thank you. Please, come in. Ace boldly leads the way over to an hors 'oeuvre table. Melissa closely follows. MELISSA (sotto) This is insane. There's no way that Camp stole Snowflake. ACE (spreading pate' on a cracker) Will you just keep him occupied, while I work my magic please. She crosses the room. He puts the cracker in his mouth and begins to crunch. A man in a tux beside Ace spreads pate' on his own cracker. ACE (with a mouthful, to man) Smooshy, isn't it? Off the stuffy man's reaction� INT. CAMP'S MANSION - SECONDS LATER Ace approaches Camp. ACE Excuse me, Ron, I need to use the bathroom? (palms his stomach, whispering loudly) I think it's the pate'. CAMP Um, it's just over there. ACE Thanks. Stuff probably looks better on the way out, huh? Ace laughs, slaps Camp hard on the back and heads for the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM - CONT Ace wastes no time. He locks the door, turns on the water faucet, steps onto the toilet seat, opens and climbs out a window. EXT. MANSION COURT YARD - CONT Ace drops to the ground. He follows a pathway, through a gazebo and into a doorway, all the time quietly singing the musical score to 'Mission Impossible'. INT. CAMP'S MANSION - FISH TANKS - CONT Ace browses through a myriad of dramatically lit, salt water tanks, still singing. They're all filled with colorful exotic fish. Very impressive, but nothing large enough to house a dolphin. He continues on towards a large door. INT. TANK ROOM - SECONDS LATER A huge above-ground tank is covered with curtains to discourage onlookers. Ace swings open the large door and enters. ACE Gravy. Ace climbs a ladder on the side of the tank, singing more intensely now. The ladder leads to a narrow catwalk over the center of the water. Ace grabs a feeder fish from a pail and walks carefully out there. CLOSE ON ACE. THIS IS IT. He looks into the dark pool, but sees nothing. Now he stops singing, quietly squats down and dangles the fish over the water. ACE (gently) Snowflake� Here, Snowflake� Snooowflaaaake� A GREAT WHITE LUNGES OUT OF THE WATER AND SNAPS ITS JAWS AN INCH FROM ACE'S FACE!!! NEEDLESS TO SAY, ACE IS A TAD SURPRISED. He reels back, falling off the catwalk, into the water. INT. CAMP'S MANSION - SAME TIME Melissa is admiring some beautiful tropical fish. Camp approaches. CAMP Wonderful, aren't they? MELISSA (nervously) Yes. They're incredible. CAMP No matter what is going on in my life, I can always watch them swim and be completely at peace. INT. INDOOR POOL ROOM - SAME TIME The water is still for a moment. Then, Ace breaks the surface. ACE (frantic, to himself) It's not Snowflake� It's not Snowflake. Instantly, Ace's body is thrashed around back and forth through the water, the entire length of the pool. ACE (screaming) IT'S NOT SNOWFLAAAAKE!!! IT'S NOT SNOWFLAAAA!!! INT. CAMP'S MANSION - LATER A line is forming outside the bathroom. Camp and Melissa are seated nearby. He's getting curious. CAMP Are you sure he's okay? It's been an awfu;;y long time. MELISSA Who, Tom? Oh, I'm sure he's fine. Ace suddenly opens the bathroom door and stands there, completely drenched from head to toe, with his pants in shreds. Everyone stops. They all stare at Ace in amazement. ACE (loudly to the entire room) DO NOT GO IN THERE! (fanning the air) Whewww!! EXT. CAMP'S MANSION - LATER Ace and Melissa are exiting. Camp stops in the doorway. CAMP (still confused) I'm very sorry, Mr. Ace. I'll have the pluming checked immediately. ACE Be sure that you do. If I had been drinking out of that toilet, I might have been killed! Ace shakes Camp's hand and notices his ring. He holds on to get a better look. It's a very distinct, commemorative ring. Camp wants his hand back but Ace won't let go. Melissa finally drags Ace away. MELISSA We'd better go. Camp looks on and shakes his head. INT. MELISSA'S CAR - NIGHT Ace is thinking. Melissa is pissed. MELISSA �Y'know, I don't even want to know why your pants are missing! I don't care what happened! You could have cost me my job. ACE (on his own wavelength) I was wrong about Camp. He's breaking the law but he's not our guy. MELISSA It's a sure thing! It's definitely him! Just get me in there! Let me work my magic! Ace takes the stone out of his pocket and studies it intensely. ACE This is the key. Right here! MELISSA Hiring you was the biggest mistake I ever made! ACE So small! So unnoticeable! Yet an invaluable piece� of our twisted little jigsaw puzzle! Melissa stares at Ace like he's gone crazy. There is a flash of headlights and a car horn. Melissa swerves back into her own lane. Ace drops the stone somewhere on the seat and begins to search for it frantically. ACE Damn it! (to Melissa) Try to keep it on the road. INT. MELISSA'S LIVING ROOM Melissa enters, followed by Ace. MELISSA So, you found a pebble in Snowflake's tank. Excuse me while I call CNN. ACE I found it in the filter. And it's not a pebble. It is a rare, triangular cut, orange amber. Ace hands Melissa the stone and quickly goes to one of her bookcases. MELISSA What are you talking about? ACE Tonight I saw the exact same stone in Camp's ring. Ace finds a book on the Dolphin team and flips through it. MELISSA I thought you said he didn't do it. ACE N. Camp's clean. His ring wasn't missing a stone. But whoever was in that tank had a ring just like his. MELISSA Wait a second. What ring? Ace hands her the book. It's open to a photo of� ACE The 1982 Dolphin AFC Championship ring. Melissa holds the stone up to the picture. It's a perfect match. ACE I find the ring with the missing stone, I find Snowflake. MELISSA How are you gonna do that? ACE Simple. MUSIC UP CUT TO: EXT. TRACK - DAY Ace is wheezing and gasping for air as he struggles to jog up beside a large man who's running around the track at a very fast pace. When he finally catches up, he awkwardly tries to catch a glimpse of the man's ring and trips. The man just keeps going. INT. FOOTLOCKER - DAY Ace sits waiting with one shoe off. The store manager, an ex-player for the '82 team, sets down several shoe boxes. Ace checks out the ring. CLOSE ON A poster of the '82 team. The player we just saw is being crossed out. EXT. HOTEL - DAY Pan a few kids getting autographs from Marino and other players, ending on Ace dressed up and looking like a pimply kid. As the players sign, he checks their rings. EXT. TRACK - DAY Ace is again trying to catch the large man on the track. This time, just as he draws near, the man leaves him in the dust. INT. SPORTS BAR - DAY Two big guys finish arm wrestling. Ace steps up to challenge. He spends an undue amount of time preparing his grip, as he checks out the ring. Ace finally gets set and gives the "go ahead" nod. He is instantly thrown across the room. CLOSE ON The poster of the '82 team. Another group of players are being crossed out. EXT. STREET Ace spots a player driving along side him. He can't see his ring. Ace deliberately cuts off the player's car and flips him off. The angry player flips Ace off. We see his ring is intact. Ace waves and drives off. INT. MEN'S ROOM One huge lineman uses a urinal. Ace, using the urinal next to him, nonchalantly tries to catch a glimpse of the guy's hands. The Lineman has a very angry look on his face, but after a beat it changes to a "come on" smile. CLOSE ON The poster of the '82 team. There is only one face that has not been crossed out. Ace circles it. EXT. TRACK - DAY Once again we see the large, fast man jogging toward camera. Suddenly Ace runs up behind him, with a desperate look on his face, pouring a bottle of chloroform into a cloth. He leaps onto the man's back, smothering him with the cloth and holding on for dear life. The man slowly gives up the fight and collapses. Ace casually checks the ring, then walks away disappointed. EXT. MELISSA'S BACKYARD - EARLY EVENING Ace sits in a lawn chair depressed. Melissa consoles him. MELISSA Ace, that stone could have come from anywhere. An earring, a necklace� ACE (with murder in his eyes) It came from an '82 AFC Championship ring. MELISSA Lt. Einhorn thinks it was an animal rights group. Have you heard of FAN? ACE Free Animals Now? Started in 1982 by Chelsea Gamble, daughter of the famous industrialist, Fischer Gamble? Over half a million members from Florida to Finland? (beat) No. Who are they? MELISSA Did you know that last year they sent threatening letters to 127 college teams, demanding the release of their mascots? At last count � ACE What do you feed your dog? We see Melissa's dog lying near Ace's feet. MELISSA Ah� dog food, why? ACE He's miserable. MELISSA What are you talking about? ACE He's just very unhappy, I feel sorry for him. Bad diet, isolated environment. It's amazing he's still alive. MELISSA You're just mad because your stupid pebble theory didn't work out and you don't know how to express your anger. ACE Yeah? And you're ugly. MELISSA I'm not even gonna' talk to you, please leave. ACE What, so you can beat him? Fatty! MELISSA You� are unbelievable. The phone rings inside the house. Melissa goes to answer it. MELISSA Hiring you was a huge mistake! The door slams and Ace is alone with the dog. After a moment he reaches down to pet it and we all see that it is one of the happiest dogs in the world. ACE You like her, huh?� Yeah, she's alright. Ace, feeling guilty, walks into the house. INT. MELISSA'S DEN - CONT Ace walks toward Melissa. ACE Look, Melissa, I, ah� Ace stops when he sees Melissa. She is sitting, holding the phone in her lap with a completely stunned look on her face. Something is very wrong. EXT. HIGH RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Chaos. Police, lights flashing, paramedics, crowds of people. Ace and Melissa see Roger Podacter's body taken away in an ambulance. ACE You okay? Melissa nods bravely. Emilio joins them. ACE What'd you find? EMILIO Podacter, Roger. Routine suicide. He was alone. He'd been drinking. No sign of a struggle. Neighbor heard him scream on the way down. Just your classic fifteen story swan dive. Melissa shudders. Ace gives Emilio a "way to go" look. EMILIO Sorry. INT. HIGHRISE LOBBY - NIGHT The three enter. Emilio pushes the button for the elevator. MELISSA It just seems so out of character. He was going to retire in two years. ACE Did he leave a note? The elevator arrives. EMILIO No. That's nothing unusual. Some do, some don't. He didn't. The elevator doors close. INT. PODACTOR'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER Police are everywhere. Emilio, Ace and Melissa enter and are immediately approached by one of the officers. EMILIO Miss Robinson, this is officer Carlson. CARLSON Evening, ma'am. I wonder if you could answer a few questions about the deceased? Ace slips away, we follow him as he eavesdrops on conversations. NEIGHBOR (to a cop) I told you, I was across the hall in my apartment, I heard a scream. The door was locked, so I called the manager� The Manager reiterates her story to the cop. The Manager is about 100 years old. MANAGER �The place was empty, except for the damn dog in the other room. Then I opened the balcony door, looked over the railing, and� splat, bang, pancake time� Ace, continuing his investigation notices� PODACTER'S DESK in perfect order. Next, he notices police coming in and out of the balcony, closing the door behind them, shutting out the noise. INT. PODACTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT A dog is cowering in the corner. Ace tries to comfort the little guy. ACE Hey, fella, have a bad night? Ace examines its paws. Ace then gets down and finds scratches in the door. TWO FEET interrupt. Ace stands. He is face to face with Einhorn. EINHORN Who let Dr. Doolittle in? Emilio steps in immediately. EMILIO Ah, Lieutenant. He came with Miss Robinson � EINHORN This is official police business. We'll let you know if the coroner finds any ticks. Cops snicker. EMILIO I just thought since Melissa � ACE E, forget it. She's right. Besides, I wouldn't want someone tracing my steps and pointing out all the mistakes I made. Ace crosses to� EXT. PODACTER'S BALCONY - CONT Ace examines the area. Einhorn is in hot pursuit. EINHORN Oh, so, you don't think this in an obvious suicide, Mr. Pet Detective? ACE Well, I wouldn't say that. Lord knows, there is plenty of evidence here to support your theory, except of course that spot of blood on the balcony. On the railing, sure enough, there is a tiny spot of blood. Einhorn glares at a couple of nearby cops. They look down. ACE May I tell you what I think happened? Alrighty then! Ace moves as he talks. ACE Roger Podacter went out after work. He had a few drinks, and he came home. But he wasn't alone. Someone was with him in this apartment. There was a struggle, and then Roger Podacter was thrown over that balcony. Roger Podacter didn't commit suicide. He was murdered. A beat as everyone considers this. EINHORN Well, that's a very entertaining story, but real detectives have to worry about that little thing lawyers call evidence. Ace picks up a lottery ticket on Podacter's desk and becomes a condescending kid show host. ACE Let's take a trip to clue corner, shall we? Can anyone tell me why a man buys a lottery ticket on the day he is going to commit suicide? Or why the family pet, suffering from acute canine trauma, clawed at the bedroom door until his paws bled? How about the blood on the railing? I'll bet if we put our thinking caps on we'll see that it was the result of the struggle that took place inside this apartment while Mr. Podacter was still alive! (singing) NEXT TIME YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE COME ON BACK TO CLUE CORNER! BOOP! Everyone looks to Einhorn. EINHORN Not a bad try for a pet detective, but not near conclusive enough for us real investigators. (beat) First, people buy lottery tickets everyday. It's a habit. It doesn't prove a thing. Second, the dog wasn't suffering from canine trauma, he was suffering from bladder trauma. Sergeant Neilson found a piss stain as big as Lake Huron near the bed. And third, the blood on the railing. Simple. He doesn't jump far enough and whacks his head. A fact confirmed by the paramedics who found cuts on his scalp, with traces of a white chalky substance. i.e. plaster from the balcony. Einhorn shows Ace the paramedics report. Everyone is impressed with Einhorn. EINHORN So much for your murder, Ventura. AGUADO Uh oh, I think I heard a toilet flush. Maybe someone lost their turtle? Everyone has a laugh. Ace looks beaten. ACE Well, maybe I'm just a little out of my league, here. Einhorn� Ace holds out his hand, Einhorn shakes it. ACE �good work. Ace and Melissa head for the door. ACE Oh, there is just one more thing, Lieutenant. (re: the neighbor) This man is Roger Podacter's neighbor. He lives across the hall. He said he heard a scream, is that right, sir? The neighbor nods. Ace turns to the apartment manager. ACE And you said you had to open the balcony door when you keyed into the room? MANAGER That's right. Ace walks out onto the balcony and turns, facing them. ACE You're certain you had to open this door? She nods. EINHORN What's the point, Ventura? ACE Only this� AAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW� Ace sustains an incredible Pavorati note, while he repeatedly opens and closes the glass door between them. When the door is closed nothing can be heard. ACE (tapping the door) This is double paned, sound- proofed glass. There's no way this neighbor could have heard Podacter scream on the way down with this door shut. The scream he heard came from inside this apartment, before Podacter was thrown over the railing! And the muderer closed the door before he left! (celebrates insanely) Yes! Yesss! I have exorcised the demons! (a la Poltergeist) This house is clear. INT. ACE'S CAR - A SHORT TIME LATER Ace drives straight ahead. MELISSA What are you thinking? ACE I'm thinking this whole thing is connected somehow. (frustrated) I'm thinking I want to find that other ring! MELISSA You checked all the rings. ACE I know, Pessimistress. Could anyone else have gotten a ring that year? MELISSA No. Camp was the only honoree. Just players and coaches. Everyone in the photo. ACE �Receipts! There must be receipts! You have a key to the office. MELISSA Ace this has been a really tough day. Can't we do this in the morning? Ace looks at his watch. ACE Absolutely. EXT. DOLPHIN HEADQUARTERS - 1:00 AM Ace's car screeches to a stop, in front of the building. Ace jumps out, followed by Melissa. INT. DOLPHIN HEADQUARTERS - HALLWAY - NIGHT It's dark. Team pictures adorn the walls. MELISSA (O.S.) These files go back to seventy- eight. INT. DOLPHIN OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Ace is flipping through a file cabinet, looking at receipts. Melissa is starting to warm to him. MELISSA That was pretty impressive, what you did back at the apartment. ACE (still looking) You don't have to tell me. I was there. MELISSA Maybe you should have joined the police force� become a real detective. ACE (shaking his head) I don't do humans. Melissa gets a bit closer. MELISSA You really love animals, don't you? Ace stops searching and looks into her eyes. ACE I feel a kinship with them. I understand them. Wanna hear something kinda spooky? MELISSA Sure. She gets closer still. ACE One time, when I was about twelve, I had this dream that I was being followed by a dog with rabies. He had these really bloodshot eyes and foam coming out of his mouth� and just before I got to my front door� he jumped on me and sunk his teeth in. Then I woke up, and felt the back of my neck� check this out. Ace motions for Melissa to feel the back of his neck, but when she does, he snaps at her hand, barking like a vicious dog. ACE ARARAR!!! Melissa jumps out of her skin. MELISSA Ohhh!! You bastard! ACE (snickering) I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself. Are these all the receipts? MELISSA (mildly annoyed) I don't know. ACE There's only a dozen of them here. Ace turns from the file cabinet with a hopeless look on his face. Melissa begins to clean up his mess. MELISSA (pointedly) Gee� maybe they were misplaced because somebody didn't put the files back when he was� ACE Who the hell is that? MELISSA What� Ace crosses to a big picture of the '82 team that hangs on the aadjacent wall and points out a player. ACE That! Who the hell is that?! He quickly pulls out his crossed out pictures of the team and begins to compare the two. MELISSA Oh, that's Ray Finkle� the kicker. Don't you know who Ray Finkle is? ACE No! How come he's not in this picture?! Melissa checks Ace's photo. MELISSA This was the picture you were using? This was taken earlier in the year. Finkle wasn't added to the roster till mid-season. She starts to realize what Ace has already figured out. MELISSA (CONT) He's the guy that missed the final field goal in the Super Bowl that year. Cost the Dolphins the game. ACE But he got a ring? MELISSA Definitely. INT. STADIUM/PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE - LATER Ace and Melissa look through Finkle's file on a microfiche screen. Newspaper articles, headshots flash before them� MELISSA 'Replacement Kicker Having Great Year'� 'Ready For Super Bowl, Confident Kicker Boasts'. ACE 'Field Goal Sails Wide, Dolphins Lose Super Bowl'. MELISSA "The kick heard round the world." That was Finkle. The Dolphins lost by one point. Another headline hits the screen: FINKLE CONTRACT NOT RENEWED. MELISSA Poor guy. ACE Poor guy with a motive, baby. Where is he now? MELISSA Last I heard, he went back to his home town, Collier County. He used to work in a bar up there. ACE (pondering) REHEHEALLY. MELISSA Can you drop me off before you go? ACE (shaking his head) No way. It may not be safe at your apartment, and you shouldn't be left alone. MELISSA What do you suggest? CUT TO: INT. ACE'S BEDROOM - LATER We see a person's butt under a sheet coming up into frame repeatedly. SKIN, SWEAT, SHEETS FLY, as Ace and Melissa roll back and forth on the bed. Ace is taking no prisoners. CUT TO: 50 animals at the bottom of the bed, with eyes as big as silver dollars, watching them silently. We cut back and forth between furious lovemaking and shots of staring animals. Melissa and Ace simultaneously reach the pinnacle of pleasure. MELISSA (totally amazed and exausted) OH man� oh man! Oh wow! ACE (mock embarrassment) I'm sorry� that's never happened to me before. I must be tired. EXT. HIGHWAY ONE - DAY Various traveling shots of Ace en route to a 'Deliverance' type town deep in the Everglades. A sign reads "Gas - Food - 2 Miles" but the word "Food" is crossed out. INT. BILBO'S GAS STATION - DAY A pitifully sad country song plays on the radio. FERN BILBO sits at his cluttered desk with the end of an old shotgun in his mouth. He is struggling to reach the trigger. Through the glass behind him, we see Ace's car pull up to the only gasoline pump. DING! The bell rings. Fern begrudgingly takes the gun out of his mouth, sets it down and walks out. EXT. BILBO'S GAS STATION - CONT Ace gets out of his car. ACE Excuse me, sir. Do you know where I can find the Pigskin Sports Bar? FERN Do I have a "kick me" sign on my back, son? ACE I wouldn't know anything about that, but if you could point me toward the bar. Fern breaks down, sobbing. FERN They all left me� all of them! ACE Well� Hypothetically speaking, say they all left you and went to the Pigskin Sports Bar. How would they have gotten there from here? FERN Two miles down and take the first left. ACE Thanks very much! Take care now, 'bye 'bye then! Ace gets into his car and pulls out. INT. BILBO'S GAS STATION - CONT Fern enters, sits down at the desk, places the end of the shotgun in his mouth, reaches for the trigger and� DING! Another car pulls up to the pump. Exasperated, he takes the gun out of his mouth. FERN (murmers to himself as he gets up) Can't get anything done around here� EXT. PIGSKIN SPORTS BAR - DAY A weathered dive in the middle of a swamp. Ace parks. INT PIGSKIN SPORTS BAR - DAY If depression had a home, this is it. Several dejected men, with various degrees of missing teeth, sit around the bar. A couple hapless guys play pool. One throws darts. Ace enters, pops a sunflower seed in his mouth and addresses the room. ACE Excuse me, guy?! My name is Ace Ventura, I'm a pet detective. I'd like to ask you a few questions if I could. No one even looks at him. ACE Just a few questions, that's all. Still no one reacts. ACE (very up) Who wants gum?! Again, no reaction. Ace walks over to the bartender and slides a five across the bar. ACE I'm looking for a guy who used to work here. The bartender takes the money. BARTENDER That right? ACE He was a kicker for the Dolphins. Ray Finkle. A pool ball flies by Ace's head shattering a mirror behind the bar. All eyes are on Ace. ACE (to guy who threw it) That would be a scratch. TOOTHLESS GIANT You a friend of Finkle's? ACE (thinks) �Yes? CRASH! The giant guy smashes his bottle. ACE Sorry, I have "say the opposite of what you mean" disease. Several undesirables surround Ace. TOOTHLESS GIANT That bastard ruined this town. ACE Ewww� I hate that! HICK #2 We bet everything we had on that Super Bowl and that son of a bitch gagged. ACE What a diiick! They all move closer in a threatening manner. HICK #3 Shanked a goddamn 26 yarder!!! ACE Death to Finkle! Death to Finkle! The bartender steps in. BARTENDER We had a hell of a thing going here. Tourists coming to see Ray Finkle's home town. He was standing right over there when he got the call from the Dolphins. The bartender points to a payphone. It has had the shit beaten out of it. Every expletive you can think of is graffitied around it. ACE Did he come back after the Super Bowl? BARTENDER Yeah� but the boys here had ways of letting him know he wasn't welcome. HICK #1 Excuse me, I gotta take a wicked Finkle. Laughter. TOOTHLESS GIANT What's the difference between Finkle and a jackass? A jackass can kick. More laughter. HICK #2 Why did Finkle cross the road?! ACE (facetious) Wait� I know this one. HICK #2 He didn't! And I've got the hair on my bumper to prove it! Maniacal laughter and chanting ensues. MOB FINKLE SUCKS! FINKLE SUCKS! FINKLE SUCKS! ACE It's good you're dealing with the anger. (beat) I don't suppose anyone's seen him lately? The chanting stops and the guys all look at Ace. BARTENDER No� but we know where his parents live! Don't we boys?! HICK #1 Yeah! We sure do! They all laugh insanely again. EXT. HOUSE - DAY Ace pulls up outside a two-story stilt house. The place has been completely desecrated by graffiti, bullet holes and paint bombs. Toilet paper is strewn through the trees. Ace walks up and knocks on the door. A wooden peephole slides open revealing a suspicious pair of eyes. ACE �Hi, I'm looking for Ray Finkle. A gun slides out into Ace's face. ACE (with a gulp) And a clean pair of shorts. A deep gruff voice from inside. VOICE What do you know about Ray Finkle? ACE Southpaw soccer style kicker. Graduated from Collier High in June, 1976. Stetson University honors graduate, class of 1980. Holds two NCAA division one records. One for most points in a season, one for distance. Former nickname The Mule. The first and only pro athlete ever to come out of Collier County. And one helluva model American. After a beat the peephole closes. The door slowly creaks open revealing MR. FINKLE, an unsmiling, taciturn, elderly man holding the gun. MR. FINKLE Are you another one of them scumbags from 'Hard Copy'? ACE No, sir. I'm just a very big Finkle fan. This is my Graceland, sir. Mrs. Finkle, a sweet, adorable elderly woman comes over. MRS. FINKLE Will you put that gun down. The boy's a fan of our son. So nice to meet you. I'm Ray's mother, and this is Ray's father. INT. FINKLE HOUSE - DAY ACE It's a real honor. MRS. FINKLE My Ray is so appreciative of his fans. He'll be so pleased you stopped by. ACE Are you expecting Ray anytime soon? MRS. FINKLE Oh, yes. I expect him home any minute. Ace is surprised. MRS. FINKLE Would you like some cookies? I just baked them. Mrs. Finkle hurries off to the kitchen. Ace smiles at Mr. Finkle. The guy's a corpse. ACE Wow� Ray Finkle's house! Can't wait to meet him! MR. FINKLE Ray ain't comin' home. ACE But your wife said you expect him home any minute. MR. FINKLE She expects him home any minute. He points to his head, and looks toward the kitchen. MR. FINKLE Engines runnin but there's no one behind the wheel. Ten years ago our son escaped from Shady Acres Psychiatric Hospital in Tampa. They're still buggin' us to pick up his stuff. Mrs. Finkle returns with a plate of football shaped cookies. MRS. FINKLE (sweetly) It was all that Dan Marino's fault, everyone knows that. If he had held the ball laces out, like you're supposed to, Ray would never have missed that kick. Dan Marino should die of Gonorrhea and rot in Hell. Would you like a cookie, son? Ace takes a cookie. Holding it up. ACE Hey, what do ya know. They're little footballs. MRS. FINKLE Laces OUT! CRASH!! A large stone smashes through the window. Outside, a pickup truck filled with drunken patrons from the Pigskin Sports Bar drives by yelling their Finkle chant. MOB FINKLE SUCKS! FINKLE SUCKS!� MRS. FINKLE I told you he had a lot of fans. Mrs. Finkle picks up the rock and hurls it out the broken window. It hits one of the vandals, knocking him out cold, as the truck peels away. MR. FINKLE (aside to Ace) She got the arm. The boy got the leg. INT. HALLWAY - A SHORT TIME LATER Mrs. Finkle and Ace are walking down the hallway to Ray's room. MRS. FINKLE When Ray gets back and starts kicking again, he'll never even know he was gone. I kept his room just the way he left it. She opens the door to Ray's room. Ace steps in. INT. RAY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS It's a death shrine to Dan Marino. Complete with lifesize cutouts of Dan Marino, some with nooses around the neck, other hacked to pieces. Painted on the walls: "Death to Marino!", "Marino must die!!!", etc. ACE �Oooh boy. MRS. FINKLE What a sports nut, huh? In the center of the room is a movie projector. ACE May I? MRS. FINKLE Oh yes. By all means. Mrs. Finkle shuts the lights off. Ace turns on the projector. The film flickers over the "Marino must die!!!" graffiti. It's the final play of the Super Bowl. Marino takes the snap, Finkle kicks and the ball sails wide. The film repeats itself ad infinitum. EXT. BILBO'S GAS STATION - DAY Ace on the payphone. We see the gas station in the background. ACE Melissa, it's Ace. INT. MELISSA'S OFFICE - DAY MELISSA Ace? Where are you? INTERCUT ACE/MELISSA ACE I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the Mayor. Where's Dan Marino? MELISSA Marino? Why? ACE Because he's about to join Snowflake. I gotta know where he is. MELISSA Okay, hold on� Melissa checks Marino's itinerary. Ace waits, impatiently. ACE (to himself) Come on. Come on� In the background, we see two paramedics exit the gas station office rolling a dead body on a gurney. The area of the sheet that covers the face is a giant red spot. We widen to see them load good old Mr. Bilbo into an ambulance and drive away, ringing the station bell one more time. Ace doesn't notice. MELISSA Ah, he had practice. Then� he has a commercial shoot out at the Prescott Sound Stage. ACE Where is that? MELISSA It's on Route One by the Six Cut Off. Thirty minutes outside of town. ACE Okay, that's about fifteen miles from me. Call the police. Get extra security over there now. MELISSA Ace, tell me what's going on. (beat) Ace?� The payphone dangles off the hook. Ace is� EXT. HIGHWAY ONE - DAY �in his car racing out of the swampland, his heaad now back out the window so he can see. He leaves a faded, old, barely legible sign in his wake: "WELCOME TO COLLIER COUNTY. HOME OF RAY FINKLE" The "F" in "FINKLE" has been replaced with "ST" in spray paint. INT. PRESCOTT STUDIOS - DAY Rehearsal for an Isotoner ad in progress. MARINO �So I protect the hands that protect me. With Isotoners. Marino gets carted off by FIVE HUGE LINEMEN. DIRECTOR Good. Remember, exit camera right. That's to your left. Alright, let's get ready to shoot this. FIRST A.D. (to the linemen) Helmets on this time! The linemen disperse. EXT. STREET - DAY Ace runs a red light causing cars to skid in every direction. INT. PRESCOTT STUDIO - DAY Marino is in the make-up chair. MARINO (to make-up girl) See, in 82 we just choked. We had a chance to win it and we didn't � DIRECTOR Dan, are you ready? MARINO Ah, sure. (to girl) I'll tell you later. EXT. STUDIO - DAY The cops race onto the lot. INT. STUDIO - DAY Marino takes center stage. A.D. Quiet on the set� roll� speed� DIRECTOR �And action! MARINO Hi, I'm Dan Marino. If anyone knows the value of protection, it's me� We see an old clip of Marino getting sacked. EXT. STUDIO - DAY Cops scramble on foot to the sound stage. INT. STUDIO - DAY The commercial is winding up. The linemen ready themselves. MARINO �So I protect the hands that protect me. With Isotoners. The five linemen grab Marino and run off camera. DIRECTOR And cut! That was good. Again from one. But two of the linemen keep running with Marino� DIRECTOR I said cut!! �And they keep running. DIRECTOR (CONT'D) What the hell are they doing? �Right out the studio door. Then the cops arrive and race after them. Two linemen stumble out of the dressing room holding their heads. EXT. SOUND STAGE - DAY Ace skids around a corner, looking way up ahead. He sees Marino being shoved into a black 81 Ford Bronco. They drive off. The cops come out of the building on foot. Too late. Ace in hot pursuit almost runs the cops down. ACE (yelling at cops) S'cuse meee! Pet Detective! EXT. CITY STREETS - DAY Ace's head is out the driver's window through the entire chase. As he starts gaining on the bad guys, they start shooting. Ace wisely puts his head inside the car. ACE'S POV He can't see shit through his broken windshield. He pokes his head out again. They shoot again. Ace swerves off the road into� EXT. PARK - DAY Ace's car smashes through benches and tables. Then it flips over a few times and lands on its wheels with a horrid SMASH. Ace is still strapped into the drivers seat, unconscious. Ace's prized WHITE PIGEON lands on the car door right beside him. Ace cracks his eyes and sees the bird. Then, with a sudden quick lunge he successfully traps it in his hands, and forgets all about Marino. ACE I did it! I did it! I caught the white pigeon! I caught the white pigeon! Ace jumps out of his car and starts skipping around the park with the pigeon held high over his head. He looks insane. ACE (CONT'D) (singing) I caught the white pigeon, I caught the white pigeon, I caught the white� Ace slows down and begins to look around warily. There are now an unusual number of birds perched on the telephone wires around the park and on the monkey bars, and on the swings. The sky grows darker. He slowly turns and tries to get back to the car. All the birds take flight. Ace sets the white pigeon free and starts to run, but it's too late. The birds are on him. Pecking, and gouging, and ripping his flesh. Now we see ten birds flying away with a leg. Five birds flying away with an arm. Twenty others are trying to take Ace's left arm off, and half his face is missing� ACE AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! CUT TO: EXT. PARK - DAY Ace is back in his wrecked car with his arm hanging out the window. A small boy is pulling it. BOY Hey mister. Hey mister. Ace come to suddenly, and looks at the boy with a crazed expression. BOY (CONT'D) That was a really neat crash, mister. Do it again! Ace sighs with relief. EXT. MIAMI - DAY Various headlines hit the news stands: "MARINO KIDNAPPED" "STAR QB MISSING" "DAN WHERE ARE YOU?" THE GLOBE HEADLINE: "MARINO ABDUCTED BY ALIEN FRANCHISE!" On the cover, Marino stands with several Space Aliens in football gear. EXT. POLICE STATION - LATER THAT DAY A chaotic press conference. Zillions of REPORTERS shout all kinds of questions at Einhorn. REPORTER Lieutenant, have there been any ransom demands? EINHORN There's been no communication with the kidnappers at this time. REPORTER #2 What's going to happen to the Super Bowl? Will it be postponed? EINHORN As of now, the game is going on as scheduled. REPORTER #3 Why wasn't the public told about Snowflake's kidnapping? EINHORN Secrecy was essential. We didn't want any public interference. REPORTER Are the crimes related? And what about Roger Podacter's murder? EINHORN I'm sorry. I can't comment any further. Now if you'll excuse me. Einhorn pushes her way through the crowd of reporters. INT. POLICE STATION - MOMENTS LATER Einhorn is barking out orders to other cops as she heads for her office. EINHORN Emilio, get me the autopsy on Podacter! Aguado, send out a memo. No one talks to the press� INT. EINHORN'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS ACTION EINHORN �And somebody get me a cup of coffee! ACE (TV announcer's voice) Tonight on "MIAMI VICE", Crockett geets the boss coffee! Ace is in her office, popping sunflower seeds, kicking back. Einhorn walks to her private bathroom. EINHORN Ventura, when I get out of this bathroom, you better be gone. ACE Is it number one or number two? Einhorn turns and glares at Ace. ACE I just want to know how much time I have. Einhorn goes to the sink and begins washing her hands. ACE Oh, by the way, I went ahead and solved that pesky, Snowflake/Podacter/Marino thing. EINHORN (O.S.) (humoring him) Oh yeah? ACE yeah, ever hear of a former Dolphin kicker named Ray Finkle? The water shuts off. Einhorn appears around the corner. EINHORN Alright, Ventura. Make it quick. ACE I found a rare stone at the bottom of Snowflake's tank. It's from a Dolphin '82 AFC Championship ring. It would have been a Super Bowl ring, but Ray Finkle missed the big kick. Blames the whole thing on Marino. We're talking paranoid, delusional psychosis. I saw the guy's room� Cozy, if you're Hannibal Lector. EINHORN So how does Roger Podacter fit in? ACE My guess is Finkle was snooping around. Podacter recognized him. End of story. As for Snowflake� they gave him Finkle's number, and taught him how to kick a field goal. Finkle took it personally. Einhorn listens with great interest. EINHORN So where is Finkle, now? ACE He broke out of a metal hospital. Did a Claude Raines. He's been planning his revenge for years. Waiting for the perfect time to get back at the Dolphins. The time when it would hurt them the most. Super Bowl time! Man, I'm tired of being right! Einhorn walks in front and sits on the edge of the desk. She's totally softened her demeanor. EINHORN Congratulations. You've done some fine detective work, Ace. ACE Ahh, could you talk in my good ear. I thought I heard you call me Ace. Einhorn gets real close. EINHORN Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you are more than just a pet dick. SHE SUDDENLY PLANTS A MAJOR, TONSIL CLEANING, OPEN MOUTHED KISS ON ACE. Objects are knocked off the desk as they lean back. ACE Your gun's digging into my hip. More kissing, the Ace stops. EINHORN (still coming on) What's wrong, Ace? Want me to read you your rights? ACE Maybe later. EINHORN What is it? That bony little bitch, Melissa Robinson? ACE (defensive) No. You just don't do anything for me. He quickly adjusts his crotch, to conceal the erection. Einhorn withdraws with a coy smile. EINHORN I'll be here if you ever want a real woman. There's a sharp KNOCK at the door. EINHORN What is it? Aguado opens the door. AGUADO Everything okay in here? Heard some commotion. EINHORN Fine, Sergeant. AGUADO You want me to throw him out? EINHORN Why don't you throw yourself out. AGUADO �Yes, ma'am. A crestfallen Aguado exits. Ace heads for the door. EINHORN Ace, I want you to leave everything to us. ACE Can't do that, Lieutenant. I was hired to find Snowflake. EINHORN When we find Marino, We'll deliver Snowflake. ACE When I find Snowflake, I'll deliver Marino. He exits. INT. TEA ROOM - NIGHT A full on thrash metal band is cranking on stage. Kids leap wildly into the moshing pit. The same Burnout is still thrashing his head wildly to the music. ACE (shouting) Nice to see you again! The Burnout just keeps thrashing. Ace spots Woodstock watching the band and joins him. WOODSTOCK St. Francis, how's it goin'? ACE (kidding) That's none of your damn business. WOODSTOCK Isn't it? ACE Is it? WOODSTOCK Anything new on that dolphin? ACE Got his picture on some tuna cans, but nothing so far. A singer ROARS on stage. He sounds like a garbage disposal full of cutlery. SINGER Arroohhghhh! Myrrrooohghhhh! Geroooghhh! WOODSTOCK So, what can I do for you today? ACE I need info on a football flunky named Ray Finkle. WOODSTOCK Sorry, Ace, I can't help you right now. I gotta watch this band! They are the shit! ACE Are they? WOODSTOCK Aren't they? ACE Alright then. Don't worry about it. I mean dolphins aren't exactly an endangered species. It's not like the whole food chain's gonna be affected if one highly intelligent mammal dies a slow and painful death! Hell, if the band is loud enough, you won't even hear its pitiful whimpering!! Ace does his best suffering dolphin impression. Woodstock is no longer enjoying the band. CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT Woodstock is at his computer. Ace looks over his shoulder. Finkle's Social Security information appears on the screen. WOODSTOCK This guy's last reported income was September, 1982. ACE Well then. We know he's incredibly thrifty. WOODSTOCK Is he? ACE Isn't he? Woodstock types in more information. Finkle's TRW flashes on the screen. WOODSTOCK Well, I think we can be pretty sure he's involved in the kidnapping of the dolphin. ACE Really? What makes you say that? WOODSTOCK There's two-thousand dollars worth of smelts on his VISA card. After a beat Ace realizes it was a bad joke. ACE Please yank me no further. I beg of you. WOODSTOCK Alright already. The last time this guy used his credit card was June, '84. He rented a car from Avis. And� eww� he was a bad boy. They found it abandoned two months later in South Miami. ACE Anything else? WOODSTOCK Nope. ACE Well� you did all you could. Thanks for nothin. WOODSTOCK Hey man, according to this, your friend Ray Finkle doesn't exist. ACE Hmm, I know what that's like. WOODSTOCK Do you? ACE Don't I? INT. TEA ROOM - NIGHT Ace emerges from the basement. The band is between songs. Ace strolls by the burnout whose head has now stopped. ACE (to burnout) Did you get all the spiders outta there? Ace heads out, then freezes. The two thugs that took Marino are standing at the exit. Then they see Ace and start towards him, reaching inside their coats. Suddenly the music starts. The burnout's head wails again. His manic gyrations interfere with the thugs long enough for Ace to bolt. One of the thugs pushes the burnout violently against the wall as they pursue Ace. BURNOUT (calling, as he gets up) Thanks, man! You're a great dancer! Ace pushes his way through the crowd. The thugs follow. Ace nears the stage. It's wild. People are diving off and getting moshed. Before the thugs grab him, Ace runs up and throws himself from the stage. The insane crowd begins to pass him around over their heads. The thugs exchange a look, then dive after Ace, and a "mosh" chase ensues. Ace is passed back onto the stage as the song comes to an end. The singer is lying there exhausted. Ace sees the crowd starting to put the thugs down, so he quickly grabs the microphone off the floor. ACE (screams) ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, SPANK ME MOMMY!!! The audience looks at Ace for a second. Then the band members exchange a look and go for it!! It's a nightmarish little ditty. Ace sings like one of Satan's minions. ACE URGHHUURRAAAW! ARGHUURRRREEEW! The crowd seems to understand. They throw the thugs high in the air again and mosh them away from the stage. The Thugs are shooting stray bullets the whole time. Ace incites the crowd, even more now, with a punching gesture. The crowd follows their new leader, punching with one hand, moshing with the other. The thugs get the living crap "moshed" out of them. When the song ends, Ace raises fists in the air. The cheering crowd violently drops the thugs. They're out cold. EXT. TEA ROOM - NIGHT Ace's car PEELS OUT and races by the parked '81 Ford Bronco. EXT. MELISSA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Ace's car skids to a halt. He hops out. INT. MELISSA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT There's a loud BANGING at the door. Melissa awakens, looks at the clock: 3:32 a.m. She drags herself to the door. MELISSA Who is it? ACE (O.S.) Ira. MELISSA Ira who? ACE (O.S.) I refuse to do a 'knock knock joke'. Come on, open up! Melissa opens the door. MELISSA Ace, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night! ACE You have to commit me. EXT. HIGHWAY - DAWN Ace's clunker speeds down the highway. ACE (V.O.) Finkle escaped from Shady Acres in Tampa. They still have some of his stuff. MELISSA (V.O.) So you think they're going to let us just waltz in and look around? EXT. SHADY ACRES - ESTABLISHING - DAY A state hospital located on acres of green, manicured lawns. INT. SHADY ACRES - DAY The reception area. A DOCTOR is before Melissa. DOCTOR Mrs. Robinson? I'm Doctor Handly. Now who is it that you'd like to have us look at? MELISSA My brother� Eugene. ANGLE ON ACE - Looking like the football player who never wore a helmet. ACE I'm ready to go in, Coach. Just give me a chance. I know there's a lot riding on it, but it's all psychological. Got to stay in a positive frame of mind. Memorize the play book. Study the films. Ace strikes a dramatic pose and freezes, with a crazed look on his face. ACE (CON'T) I'm gonna execute a button-hook pattern! He begins to make a play in slow motion. ACE (CON'T) Super slo-mo! CUT TO: EXT. SHADY ACRES HOSPITAL - DAY Melissa walks with the Doctor. Patients are sitting around, doing outdoor therapy, etc. DOCTOR You're brother won't be the first professional football player we've treated. MELISSA Is that right? DOCTOR Yes. We're very sensitive to the emotional stress athletes have to endure. Ace runs across the b.g. screaming "I'm open! I'm open!" DOCTOR We'll have to do some preliminary evaluations, but I think your brother will fit in nicely here. MELISSA That's a relief, Doctor. Ace takes a "snap" from a three-foot hedge and dives over it into the end zone. Melissa and the doctor stop to watch him. DOCTOR He seems to have some difficulty letting go of the game. Has he had a long history of mental illness? MELISSA (truthfully) As long as I've known him. Ace does a wild touchdown dance with some of the other patients participating. INT. SHADY GLADE ACRES - HALLWAY - DAY The doctor is showing Melissa around. Ace is walking alongside them adjusting his imaginary shoulder pads. DOCTOR This is our therapy room� Arts and crafts� They turn a corner. Ace squats to pick the dirt out of his cleats. DOCTOR (CON'T) That's the storage room. This hallway leads to another recreational area � Ace WHISTLES loudly and gestures like a referee� ACE HALFTIIIIME!! Ace sticks his head in the water fountain then sits down on the bench outside the storage room. MELISSA He'll be fine by himself for the next twenty minutes. DOCTOR Well, why don't I show you the dormitories, then? They leave Ace. After a beat, Ace gets up and does a quick spin pattern into the storage room door. INT. STORAGE ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION Cartons everywhere. Ace does a quick search and locates several boxes maked FINKLE. Ace looks through the first couple of boxes and finds only clothes. In the third box, he hits the jackpot: He finds sicko arts and crafts dedicated to Marino. Die-Dan potholders, shredded Isotoner gloves. He opens a little diary. "Laces Out!" is insanely scrawled on every page. Ace finds a newspaper clipping, the headline reads: "SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR MISSING HIKER" ACE (reading) A massive search ended today when rescue workers were unable to find the body of Lois Einhorn� (stunned) �a camper reported lost since Friday� (to himself) Lois Einhorn� holy shit balls. Ace sits bewildered. INT. POLICE STATION - DAY The phone rings at Emilio's desk. He answers it. EMILIO Echavez. INT. SHADY ACRES - HALLWAY - DAY Ace is on the phone. A CRAZY GUY is hovering nearby. ACE This is Chicken Little. The sky is falling. EMILIO What? BACK TO EMILIO A beat as he listens to Ace's news. EMILIO I don't get it. What's it mean? INTERCUT ACE/EMILIO ACE It means she's involved in this. The article's dated the day before Finkle disappeared. EMILIO Before who disappeared? ACE Finkle. Ray Finkle� the guy who took the dolphin? The guy you're supposed to be looking for?! Einhorn didn't tell you, did she? EMILIO Hey, Ace. I see where you're goin' with this and you're goin' alone. A Crazy Guy stands next to Ace now and begins mimicking everything he says. ACE Come on, E. I tell her about Finkle, she doesn't tell a soul. I have an article here that connects her with Finkle. You gotta' check her out. (to Crazy Guy mimicking) Do you mind? The Crazy Guy stops and moves to one of the phones. EMILIO Ace, I like my job. I get health insurance and benefits. CRAZY GUY (into receiver) I'm the Lindberg Baby. Come and get me. ACE Emilio, Einhorn is involved. You're gonna' have to make a decision here. (beat) Listen, I gotta get off the phone. I think I just solved the Lindberg case. Melissa and the Doctor return. DOCTOR Well, look who's trying to use the phone. Ace covers the phone receiver and whispers to them in a heartfelt voice. ACE Brian Piccalo is dead. Ace breaks down. Melissa hangs up the phone and leads him away. We hear a thrash version of the theme to "Brian's Song" as they exit the hospital. INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT Emilio stands at a window, watching Einhorn drive off. The coast is clear so he sneaks into� INT. EINHORN'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS He rifles through her file cabinet. He tears through papers. Then he looks in her desk. Stuffed in the back of the drawer he finds a personal note: We can make out the signature. "Roger". He pockets it and walks out. EXT. MELISSA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Ace and Melissa pull up in the old heap. ACE Good job today. You're quite a dirty rotten filthy liar. MELISSA (flattered) Thanks. Are you sure you don't want to stay here with me? ACE Naw, I got some thinking to do. Besides, you'd be safer with Salman Rushdie MELISSA Okay. She gets out of the car, then turns and leans in the window. MELISSA Listen� I know there isn't much time left. The game is tomorrow. But I know you've done your best. It's just an impossible situation. I don't expect.. ACE Hey� Ace leans over and kisses her. ACE (CONT'D) �bet on the Dolphins. INT. ACE'S APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT CLOSE UP: ANSWERING MACHINE Wiggles' nose enters frame and hits the play button. MESSAGE #1 (Shickadance rasp) Venturaaaa? Your time is up! You're out! You hear me?! No rent� no roof! We widen to find Ace on the couch listening. MESSAGE #2 Ace, it's E. Got something you might find interesting. It's a note from Podacter to Einhorn, thanking her for a wonderful Saturday night. This is too weird, man? ACE Wiggles, rewind. Wiggles obediently hits another button and rewinds the phone tape. Ace pops sunflower seeds, and holds some evidence aloft thinking. A bird eats seeds out of his naval. ACE What the hell does Lois Einhorn have to do with Ray Finkle? Come on, think! DISSOLVE TO: Later. Ace is posed like Rodin's "The Thinker". ACE Finkle and Einhorn. In it together. How? Why? A small monkey sits in the same position. Mocking Ace. DISSOLVE TO: Later still. Ace pacing, jumping up and down. Trying to get his intuitive juices flowing. The monkey is likewise, jumping on the mantle. ACE Alright! Here we go! Answer's right there! Just gotta get some blood to the brain! Finkle and Einhorn! Finkle and Einhorn! Finkle and Einhorn! Finkle and Einhorn! The animals all watch him like he's crazy. DISSOLVE TO: Daybreak. Ace sits staring at a picture of Finkle on the coffee table. He's totally spent and on the verge of tears. ACE (whimpering) Finkle and Einhorn. Einhorn and Finkle. He turns to see the monkey crashed out in a heap on a sofa pillow. ACE (to sleeping monkey) Quitter. Wiggles jumps up onto the coffee table now. Ace can't be bothered with him. ACE What do you want? Huh? Wiggles whines at the tone of Ace's voice. ACE (CONT'D) What? I got no food for you. You gotta have money to buy food. I gotta find the dolphin to get the money. I don't see any dolphins around here, do you? Face it, it's hopeless� your master is a LOSER. Ace buries his face in his hands. His dog Wiggles does the same. Then Ace looks up again. ACE LOO� HOO� Suddenly he is silenced by something amazing. Wiggles' dark haired floppy ears are lying around Finkle's picture like a wig. Ace combs the hair over the head shot. The "make-over" is unmistakable. It's Einhorn!! ACE Oh, my god! That's it! He jumps up, estatic. ACE Einhorn is Finkle! Finkle is Einhorn!� Einhorn is a man!!! Ace's expression quickly turns sour. ACE OH MY GOD!!! EINHORN IS A MAN!!! MUSIC UP: AEROSMITH'S DUD LOOKS LIKE A LADY� Ace makes a mad dash into the bathroom. INT. ACE'S BATHROOM - MORNING - QUICK CUTS �Ace furiously brushes his teeth. �Ace rinses with mouthwash, spits it out and gags. �Ace is in the shower. He slowly curls up into a ball under the steaming water with an expression of horror on his face. INT. EINHORN'S HOUSE - DAY CLOSE UP: A woman's leg being shaved. Woman sexily putting on nylons. Woman hands squeezing perfume bulb. Woman's hand putting on AFC championship ring. One stone is missing. EXT. EINHORN'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Ace sticks wads of gum in his mouth while he watches Einhorn's house from his car. ACE (remembering) You're gun is sticking into my hip. Yeeeekkkk! Einhorn comes out her front door and gets into her car. Ace shudders once more and then follows her. EXT. MIAMI STREET - DAY The road is jammed in one direction. Going towards the Super Bowl. Einhorn drives in the opposite direction. Out of town. Ace tails her at a safe distance, with his head out the window, of course. INT. BOBBY RIDDLE STADIUM - DAY Various shots of crazy fans, piling into the stadium. INT. STADIUM OWNER'S BOX - DAY Melissa, BOBBY RIDDLE, and GUESTS all amidst the usual pre-game hobnobbing. Most of the talk centers on the loss of Marino. Emilio, in full uniform, and a couple cops are providing extra security for the box. EXT. HIGHWAY ONE - DAY Einhorn drives south out of town. The area's getting remote. Ace follows. Einhorn turns down a deserted road and comes to� EXT. INDUSTRIAL PLANT - DAY A large, abandoned industrial facility. Einhorn parks, disappears inside� A few beats later, Ace kills the engine and exits singing the score to "Mission Impossible". INT. INDUSTRIAL PLANT - DAY Immense machines and swimming pool sized cauldrons. Ace cautiously makes his way through the desolate site, singing quietly now. He stops when he hears a familiar voice. JOHN MADDEN (O.S.) I particularly like the match-ups of the defense. Ace sees a weird sight: A HUGE TV PROJECTION SCREEN tuned to the Super Bowl pre-game show. Marino is tied to a football tackling sled. The two thugs take turns running into Dan with their shoulders, driving him back five feet each time. JOHN MADDEN (ON TV) �But the real story of this game is the absence of Dan Marino. Him being kidnapped and all has got to be a strain on this Miami team. I really feel sorry for those guys! I mean, it's hard enough enduring the pressure of the Super Bowl, without your star quarterback gettin' himself kidnapped. This is the whole ball of wax, folks! You wanna' get kidnapped, you do it in the off season!� Marino looks incredulously at the screen. Next to him, Snowflake "watches" from a ground level cistern serving as an ad hoc tank. Ace sneaks closer. INT. BOBBY RIDDLE STADIUM - DAY The crowd quiets as Jon Bon Jovi prepares to sing the National Anthem. Various shots of fans all standing at attention. In the owners box, Melissa looks to Emilio. Nothing's new. INT. INDUSTRIAL PLANT - DAY Einhorn is now in front of the big screen TV SINGING the National Anthem along with Bon Jovi. The thugs, VINNIE and ROC, are behind her standing at attention. The song ends. The crowd cheers. In a sultry fashion Einhorn circles Marino now. EINHORN I just love Super Bowl Sunday, don't you, Dan? A magical afternoon where dreams are made� or crushed! DAN Look lady, if you want tickets, you're going about it in the wrong way. EINHORN Do I look familiar to you, Dan? Does it seem as if we've met someplace before? DAN I don't know� I get hit in the head a lot! On the TV the ref makes an announcement. REF It's tails. The Eagles will receive. Dan really struggles now. EINHORN Oops. Looks like we're going to have to kick, Dan. Einhorn steps behind a football set up on a tee. And in perfect sync with the kicker on TV, she boots a ball through a window of the warehouse. Marino doesn't know what to think. EINHORN I made some refreshments, Dan. Would you like some refreshments, Dan? I'll be right back, Daaaan!! She goes. Dan struggles, but to no avail. MARINO Look, I don't know how much psycho woman is paying you guys, but I can double it. VINNIE Sorry, Danny boy. Psycho woman keeps us out of prison. Vinnie grabs a feeder fish and entices Snowflake to the surface. Roc raises a football. ROC Hey, Marino, check it out. I'm throwin' passes to a Dolphin! He chucks the ball and hits Snowflake, hard. The thugs both laugh hysterically. Snowflake makes an angry leap and drenches the thugs. Snowflake laughs now, the thugs are furious. VINNIE Get some more fish! INT. BEHIND MACHINERY - CONTINUOUS Roc walks behind a big piece of machinery, reaches down for the pail of smelts, but sees nothing. ROC Where the hell's the smelts? He stands up straight and we all hear that familiar "Pop" of a sunflower seed being cracked open. Roc's eyes widen. He turns and sees� Ace coyly smiles at him, blows the sunflower seed shells into his face and CLANG! He whacks Roc in the head with a pail full of fish. ACE (doing Brando) He sleeps with the fishes. INT. INDUSTRIAL PLANT - CONTINUOUS VINNIE Hey Roc, what the hell was that? Vinnie cocks his gun and goes to check out the sound. INT. BEHIND MACHINERY - CONTINUOUS Vinnie rounds the corner and sees nothing. He walks a little further and notices a trail of smelts lined up on the ground. He follows the trail around a corner and we see Roc, unconscious but moaning. He is sitting against the ground, with his legs spread apart and the pail over his head. The trail of smelts leads to his crotch. There is one halfway into his zipper, with its tail flipping. Vinnie takes in this sight, then rushes over to Roc and stands him up. VINNIE Hey man! What happened? What's goin on�? We see Ace at the top of a giant machine. He is aiming a 200 pound steel hook, that hangs on a chain from the ceiling. ACE Guess what, boys, it's nap time. Ace gently releases the hook. Just as Vinnie and Roc turn to look, the iron hook shears both of their heads clean off. Two headless bodies fall to the ground in slow motion with blood gushing from their necks. CLOSE ON ACE - HORRIFIED ACE Hooooly Shiiit! Oh my god! I didn't mean to - Oh man!!! Ace holds his head and dances around, completely freaking out what he had done. ACE (looking to God) Lord, I swear! I just wanted to knock them out! Ace abruptly stops to think. ACE Is that murder? I don't know. They were gonna kill me. But they didn't� But they tried. That's self defense. That's it!! I have nothing to worry about!! CUT TO: Ace nervously whistling as he wipes his fingerprints off the hook. INT. IRONWORKS FACTORY - FACTORY Ace checks on Snowflake then goes to Marino. He signals for Dan to keep quiet, then starts to untie him. MARINO (whispers) Who are you? ACE (whispers) Ace Ventura. Pet detective. I've been sent in with a special play. (whispers) Quarterback sneak. WE HEAR THE CLICK OF A GUN. EINHORN (O.S.) Penalty. Too many men on the field. Ace turns. Einhorn's holding a gun on them from the other side of Snowflake's tank. EINHORN (CON'T) I warned you, Ventura. ACE What happened to "Ace"? EINHORN Good question. She pulls out a cellular phone and dials. ACE Be careful with that phone, lieutenant. I wouldn't want you to get a tumor. EINHORN (into phone) Sergeant Aguado, it's Lt. Einhorn. Get some men over to the old ironworks factory on Victoria Road. I've got the kidnapper trapped in the warehouse. It's Ace Ventura. He's killed Marino and Snowflake. Einhorn smiles as she puts the phone away. EINHORN Vinnie! Roc! Get in here! Ace gets a very guilty look. ACE What? Who are they? You mean there's other people here? EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY A battalion of cop cars screech away as we hear� RADIO DISPATCHER (V.O.) Attention all units. Code 11 in progress at 343 Victorville Road. Officer needs back-up� INT. BOBBY RIDDLE STADIUM OWNER'S BOX - DAY The cops and Emilio listen to their ear pieces� RADIO DISPATCHER (V.O.) �Suspect's name: Ace Ventura, male Caucasian, he is armed and dangerous� Emilio nudges Melissa. EMILIO It's Ace. Let's go. INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Emilio high tails it out of there. Dodging concession stand patrons, bathroom lines, etc� Melissa runs behind, trying to catch up. MELISSA Emilio, is he in trouble? EMILIO Don't worry, there's nothing Ace can't handle! INT. IRONWORKS FACTORY - DAY Einhorn cocks her gun. Ace's face is glistening with tears. He's a complete wreck. ACE Don't kill meeee!! Pleeheeheeheeheeeezzz!!! I'll never tell anyone! I swear! (indicating Marino) He's the one you want!! Kill him!! MARINO (indicating Ace) No� kill him! The two argue. Einhorn fires a shot in the air to stop them. EINHORN No, I'm gonna kill the dolphin first. (to Ace) I wouldn't want you to miss that. Einhorn walks to the edge of the tank. She aims the gun at Snowflake and FIRES! We see the bullet miss Snowflake under water. Snowflake swims wildly. She FIRES again! Misses again. Suddenly, Ace HOLLERS! ACE Blue forty-two!! Einhorn turns to Ace. EINHORN SHUT UP!! ACE BLUE FORTY-TWO! Einhorn shoots at Ace! He dives out of the way. ACE HUT! HUT! Suddenly, Snowflake leaps out of the water and takes the gun out of Einhorn's hand, like the trick we saw earlier. Snowflake swims around the pool with the gun in his mouth. ACE (smug) Yes. The highly trained dolphin. Perhaps the smartest mammal in the animal kingdom. See how he knew exactly what I wanted him to do, as if our minds were somehow in complete synchronization. They have been know to save men at sea you know. They have their own language. (to Snowflake) Snowflake. Come here, Snowflake! Bring me the gun! (makes dolphin sounds) EEEEEE! EEEEEE! EEEEEE! Just like the trick in his routine, however, Snowflake swims around the tank, passes Ace, then hands the gun back to Einhorn. He finishes with a tail walk. ACE (under his breath) Stupid fish. ON TV: Miami's kicker boots a perfect field goal from fifty yards. JOHN MADDEN He got all of his leg into that one! The field goal kicker is hugged by his teammates. ACE Good to see someone who doesn't buckle under the pressure? MARINO Yeah, not like in 82 when we choked� Einhorn walks to Ace and puts the gun against his head. EINHORN What would you know about pressure? ACE Well, I've kissed a man. JOHN MADDEN (ON TV) Of course, there's never been a more crucial kick than the famous "Kick heard 'round the world�" The famous footage airs on TV. They all turn to watch. JOHN MADDEN �I mean, it's clear to me that it was a good hold. Finkle just booted it. EINHORN The laces weren't out. THE LACES WEREN'T OUT!! Einhorn takes a shot at the screen, creating a hole in Madden's forehead. Ace uses the moment to smack the gun out of her hand. A HUGE, NO-HOLDS-BARRED FIGHT ensues. Ace and Einhorn punch each other about the face and stomach. Einhorn throws a punch at Ace. Ace goes down. Einhorn goes for the loose gun. Ace leaps and tackles her. They both crash into old rusty equipment, raising a mountain of dust. Marino struggles all the while trying to get free. Einhorn kicks Ace. He flies into Marino. MARINO Having a little trouble with the lady, Ace? ACE (out of breath) You don't understand, she's a � Einhorn grabs Ace, throws him into a head lock and begins wailing on his face. Meanwhile, cops start arriving, SWAT team members disperse onto the catwalk as the fight continues. They try but can't get a bead on Ace as the two roll around on the floor. More punches. They fight up a flight of stairs, then back down. To the amazement of the SWAT team, Ace and Einhorn slug it out as equals. AGUADO (caught up) Get him, Lois! Now they crash through a plate glass window together. Ace gets to his knees first and wobbles toward the gun. It's the first clear shot the SWAT team has had. EINHORN (screaming) Shoot him! Shoot him! We all hear the guns cocked. We see Ace in the rifle sights. We see fingers twitch on triggers. A loud voice comes from off camera. EMILIO DON'T SHOOT! HOLD YOUR FIRE! Melissa is holding Emilio's gun under his chin. MELISSA Put down your guns or this cop gets it! The SWAT team hesitates. MELISSA (CONT'D) I mean it!! Much to Emilio's surprise, she cocks the gun. EMILIO (whispers to Melissa) Ah� Melissa? That's a hair trigger. (loud to cops) She's not joking! The SWAT team leader signals his men. They lower their guns. Einhorn gets back to her feet. EINHORN He kidnapped Snowflake. He killed Roger Podacter, and he was about to kill Dan Marino and me! ACE Ho, ho! Fiction can be fun! But I find the reference section much more enlightening. (doing his best Clarence Darrow) For instance, if you were to look up 'professional football's all time bonehead plays', you might read about a Miami Dolphin kicker named Ray Finkle, who missed a twenty-six yard field goal in the closing seconds of Super Bowl Seventeen. (in one breath) What you wouldn't read about is how Ray Finkle lost his mind, and was committed to a mental institute, only to escape and join the police force under the assumed identity of a missing hker, seducing her way to the top, in a diabolical plan to get even with Dan Marino whom he blamed for the entire thing!!! Ace gasps for air. Everyone is totally confused. AGUADO What the hell are you trying to say? ACE She's not Lois Einhorn! She's Ray Finkle! She's a man! EINHORN He's lying! Shoot him! Ace walks over to her. ACE Let's just see who's lying. Would a real woman have to wear one of these? Ace dramatically pulls at Einhorn's hair, thinking it's a wig. Einhorn's head flies back. The hair is real. Ace keeps tugging it. The SWAT team ready themselves. ACE (CONT'D) Boy, that's really on there! But tell me this: Would a real woman be missing these?! Ace rips open Einhorn's blouse, and reveals two beautiful feminine breasts. The sharp shooters are tensing. Ace is laughing nervously now. ACE Ha, ha, ha! That kind of surgery can be done over the weekend! But I doubt if she could find the time during her busy schedule to get rid of Mr. Knish!! Ace rips off Einhorn's skirt. Einhorn now stands there fully nude. She appears to be the perfect figure of a woman. ACE Oooh boy. Ace looks at Melissa and Emilio and shrugs his shoulders. Then, just when it seems all is lost, Dan Marino who is back behind Einhorn, motions for Ace to come over. MARINO Psst� Ace. Come here. ACE (to everyone) Could you excuse me just a second. Ace goes to Dan. Melissa still holds Emilio hostage. EINHORN Shoot him. Shoot him, now!! MELISSA (to cops) Don't anybody make a move! Marino whispers something in his ear. Ace looks confident again. He once more addresses the crowd. ACE Ladies and gentlemen, my esteemed colleague Mr. Marino, has just brought some new evidence to my attention. Now, history has certainly shown that even the most intuitive criminal minds can be wrong, from time to time. But, if I have been mistaken� if the lieutenant is indeed a woman� then my friends, she is suffering from the worst case of hemorrhoids I have ever seen!!! Ace spins Einhorn around now, exposing to the world, the healthy set of male genetalia that Finkle has learned to keep tucked between his legs. (And if we have any balls, we'll actually show it.) Everyone gasps. CLOSE UP ON EINHORN/FINKLE. He finally drops the facade. FINKLE (deepest voice possible) It was Marino's fault. The laces were in. (breaking down now) They were IN!!! Quick cuts of all the cops spitting with disgust. Then Emilio spits. Then CLOSE ON Marino spitting. They all have kissed her/him/it. Even Snowflake blows his spout. Ace confidently cracks a sunflower seed. ACE Somebody read it its rights. Suddenly, Finkle picks up a shard of broken glass and lunges at Ace. FINKLE DIE ANIMAL BOYYYYY!!! Thinking fast Ace sidesteps Finkle and sends him head first into Snowflake's makeshift tank. After a few seconds Finkle fights his way to the surface and thrashes around, helplessly. FINKLE (gasping for air) Help I can't swim!!! Finkle goes under again. We see him under water sinking down. Snowflake swims to him now, allowing him to grab onto his fin and pulls Finkle gently to the side of the pool. Finkle lies there exhausted. Ace reaches down into frame, removing the '82 AFC Championship ring from Finkle's finger. We see that it's the ring with the missing stone. Ace replaces it with the stone in his pocket. It's a perfect fit. ACE LLLOOOSER! LLOO HOO SERR HERR HERR!!! Melissa is still holding the gun on Emilio. EMILIO Melissa� you can give me back my gun now. Melissa has forgotten she even had the gun. She hands it to Emilio and faints in his arms. Now Aguado appears beside Ace. AGUADO I don't know how you did it, Ventura� but that was damn good police work. Alright guys, let's wrap this up! EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY Twenty or more police cars in single file provide more than ample escort for� �Ace and Marino in Ace's Chevy Bel-Aire with the cracked windshield. Both of them have their heads sticking out so that they can see. Marino has a wad of gum in his mouth. HIGH ANGLE The long line of flashing lights and cop cars drives at top speed up Route One. Ace's Bel-Aire right in the middle. MARINO (O.S.) hey Ace? ACE (O.S.) Yeah, Dan? MARINO (O.S.) Got any more gum? CUT TO: INT. STADIUM - DAY The Super Bowl Halftime Show is in progress. Marino is in uniform warming up. Emilio is drooling at the cheerleaders. Ace and Melissa are standing near the fifty yard line taking in the awesome spectacle. Some fireworks go off around the tank. A marching band plays a triumphant tune. We see a helicopter come up over the side of the stadium carrying Snowflake. ANNOUNCER (O.S.) Ladies and gentlemen, the Miami Dolphins are proud to welcome back to BOBBY RIDDLE Stadium, our beloved mascot and star of the halftime show� ANGLE ON The helicopter lowering Snowflake into his tank. ANNOUNCER (O.S.) Snowflake!! As the crowd roars, Melissa turns to Ace, and with Snowflake in the background performing spectacular flips, they kiss. ANOTHER ANGLE As Melissa and Ace kiss, the prized 'White Pigeon' lands on a Gatorade dispenser in the foreground. Ace spots it and starts to make a move. Just as he closes in for the grab, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot eagle walks up to get a drink and shoos the pigeon away. Ace is furious. ACE You idiot! Do you know what you've done?! The giant eagle head looks up at Ace. MASCOT Huh? Ace grabs him. ACE You just cost me ten thousand bucks, Polly! MASCOT Yeah Blow me. ACE REE HEE HEE HEELYYY?!!! PULL BACK to find Eagle's mascot and Ace arguing. We can't hear what's said, but there's a lot of finger pointing. Emilio stops his leering to check out what's going on. The ANNOUNCER up in the booth reads a release. ANNOUNCER The National Football League would now like to offer a special thank you to the man who rescued Dan Marino and our beloved Snowflake� On the field the mascot shoves Ace. Ace shoves back. ANNOUNCER (CONT'D) A great humanitarian, and lover of all animals� Mr. Ace Ventura! Ace is straddling the eagle, pounding the shit out of giant head. The image is flashed on the big stadium screen. We freeze frame on this huge picture of Ace, as he looks into camera with his fist raised. MUSIC UP: THRASH METAL ROLL CREDITS THE END

FADE IN: EXT - CONVENT - DAY Whispering of nuns at prayer. DISSOLVE TO: INT - CHAPEL - DAY Nuns at prayer; MOTHER MIRIAM, the Superior closes the gate and locks it. DISSOLVE TO: EXT - COURTYARD - DAY The nuns walking around the courtyard in an anticlockwise direction saying the rosary. DISSOLVE TO: INT - CHAPEL - DAY A line of nuns kneeling at prayer. Closeups of various individuals. DISSOLVE TO: EXT - CONVENT - NIGHT A single shot of the building. INT - TOP CORRIDOR - NIGHT SISTER MARGUERITE is locking up for the night, shutting doors, turning off lights, finally walks off down the corridor. Suddenly a terrified scream is heard, the voice of a young woman. EXT - CONVENT - NIGHT Lights in the windows flick on. INT - TOP CORRIDOR - NIGHT The nuns are running up the corridor in their night dresses and caps, calling urgently in French. They reach the door of Sister Agnes' room and try the door. It is blocked. Pushing harder they see the blood stained figure of SISTER AGNES. Much alarm and crying... MOTHER SUPERIOR Agnes!... Agnes... EXT - CONVENT - NIGHT An ambulance comes tearing down the road, siren blaring. It cuts the siren and stops outside the convent gates. The nuns open the gate and the ambulance drives inside. INT - TOP CORRIDOR - NIGHT Two PARAMEDICS urgently run the stretcher down the hall to the unconscious figure of Sister Agnes. The Mother Superior desperately wipes and kisses her face. PARAMEDIC I'm just going to put something here to stop the bleeding. Excuse me Sister. She'll be fine. They lift her on to the stretcher and run back down the hall. The Mother Superior looks around worriedly and goes into... INT - SISTER AGNES' ROOM - NIGHT She kneels down by a waste paper basket full of bloodied sheets and starts to pull them out. Then she freezes, makes the sign of the cross and starts to weep. DISSOLVE TO: EXT - MONTREAL - NIGHT An aerial shot of the great cross of Montreal. Superimposed over this are the words "MONTREAL, QUEBEC". DISSOLVE TO: EXT - SUPREME COURT - DAY A normal busy day. A car pulls up with a woman and a man driving. The woman is MARTHA LIVINGSTON. She kisses the man (LARRY), gets out of the car, runs across the road dodgingtraffic and goes up the steps of the courthouse. There a group of REPORTERS there and a sudden bustle of interest. REPORTER Here they are now. Martha watches intently as 3 nuns, the Mother Superior, Sister Marguerite, and Sister Agnes (dressed in a white novices habit) and their LAWYER come out of the court escorted by police. The reporters leap on them, taking photographs, asking questions in English and French. Suddenly Sister Agnes looks right at Martha, then she is quickly bustled past. Martha goes on into the courthouse. INT - JUDGE'S CHAMBERS - DAY Inside EVE, LYON, and JUSTICE LEVEAU are sitting. Martha is standing by the window smoking furiously. LEVEAU Martha, it's you. MARTHA What about Roger? He's free. EVE They want a woman. LYON All you have to do is meet with her once or twice... then tell the court she's insane. MARTHA Are you dictating my position to me? We're getting into some sticky legal territories here. EVE Martha, all we're saying is, no-one wants this to come to trial, not the Church, not the Crown... least of all me. MARTHA Eve, she strangled a baby! EVE Nobody is interested in sending a nun to prison. LEVEAU We're not telling you what to decide Martha. We're not even telling you to take this. LYON Is there any reason why you feel you shouldn't take it? Martha pauses for a long moment at the window, then turns. MARTHA Today's my birthday. I always make bad decisions on my birthday. The Judge, Eve and Lyon all chuckle. The Judge throws the file down on his desk towards her. LEVEAU Happy birthday. 15 INT - MARTHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Martha unlocks the door and comes in. She plays her answerphone and moves over to her cat. MARTHA Hi, Kitty. The answerphone whirs... SECRETARY (V.O.) Hi, it's Helen, calling to tell you that Mrs Davenport phoned to confirm her appointment at nine o'clock tomorrow, okay? Bye bye. Some whirs and clicks. ROGER (V.O.) Hi Martha, it's Roger. Can you call me at the hospital. I'd like your opinion on a case. Oh, bye the way, happy birthday. Bye. SECRETARY (V.O.) Hi, Marty it's Helen again. I cancelled your Wednesday afternoon appointment so you can visit with your mother. Bye bye. MAN (in French) ??? Martha picks up a news paper with a photo of Sister Agnes on the front. DISSOLVE TO: 16 EXT - CONVENT - DAY Martha pulls up in her BMW outside the convent walls and gets out, cigarette in hand. A sign tangled over with creeper reads "Les Petites Soeurs de Marie Madeleine". Martha jangles a bell. After a wait she presses a buzzer. A peephole in the door slams open and Sister Marguerite looks out. MARTHA Bonjour, I'm Doctor Martha Livingston, I... The peephole slams shut, but the door does open. Sister Marguerite glares at her. MARTHA (Cont.) Hello... I'm Doctor Martha Living...ston... I... Martha realizes it is the cigarette that is causing the trouble and hastily grinds it underfoot. MARTHA (Cont.) Excuse me... I'm... Sister Marguerite eyes flick down at cigarette butt. Martha awkwardly tries to kick it away. MARTHA (Cont.) ...the court-appointed psychiatrist. Sister Marguerite gives a frosty imitation of a smile and motions for her to come in. MARTHA (Cont.) Thank you. I um... I believe your Mother Superior's expecting me. Martha and the Sister walk up the drive to the convent. 17 INT - WAITING ROOM - DAY Martha follows Sister Marguerite into a grilled waiting room. Sister moves off, leaving Martha looking around curiously. Then the MOTHER MIRIAM arrives from behind the grilled door, sees Martha, sighs exasperatedly and enters giving Martha a slight start. MOTHER SUPERIOR (beaming at her own little joke) Doctor Livingston I presume? I'm Mother Miriam Ruth. You needn't call Mother if you don't wish. (shaking hands) Most people find it uncomfortable. MARTHA Well... I... MOTHER MIRIAM (carrying right on) I'm afraid the word brings up the most unpleasant connatations in this day and age... MARTHA Yes... I... MOTHER MIRIAM You can call me Sister. MARTHA ... Thank you. MOTHER MIRIAM You must have tons of questions. You may smoke if you want to. Just don't tell any of the Sisters. Martha sits; Mother Miriam gets her a box of matches. MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.) They wouldn't understand, especially Sister Marguerite. She'd scare the pants off Queen Elizabeth. (she lights Martha's cigarette) Besides, I miss them. MARTHA You were a smoker? MOTHER MIRIAM Two packs a day. MARTHA I can beat that. MOTHER MIRIAM Unfiltered. Martha inclines her head impressed. Mother Miriam sits down next to her. MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.) Well, you have questions. (checks her watch) Fire away... MARTHA Who knew about Agnes' pregnancy? MOTHER MIRIAM No-one. MARTHA How did she hide it from the other nuns? MOTHER MIRIAM She undressed alone... she bathed alone. MARTHA Is that normal? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes. MARTHA How did she hide it during the day? MOTHER MIRIAM (indicating her habit) She could have hidden a machine gun in here if she had wanted to. MARTHA Didn't she have any physical examinations in this time? MOTHER MIRIAM We're examined once a year. Her pregnancy fell in between the doctor's visits. MARTHA Who was the father? MOTHER MIRIAM I haven't a clue. MARTHA What man had access to her? MOTHER MIRIAM None as far as I know. MARTHA Was there a priest? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes, but I... MARTHA What's his name? MOTHER MIRIAM Father Martineau, but I don't see him as a candidate. MARTHA Could there have been anyone else? MOTHER MIRIAM (a pause) Obviously there was. MARTHA And you didn't try to find out who? MOTHER MIRIAM (standing) Believe me, I've done everything possible short of asking Agnes. MARTHA Why haven't you asked her? Mother Miriam removes a tray from under a pot plant and brings it back to use as an ashtray. MOTHER MIRIAM (sitting again) She can't even remember the birth. Do you think she'd admit to the conception? MARTHA Look, someone gave her the baby. MOTHER MIRIAM Yes, but that was some ten months ago. I fail to see that the identity of that somebody has anything to do with this trial. MARTHA Why do you think that? MOTHER MIRIAM Don't ask me those questions dear, I'm not the patient. MARTHA Well I'm the doctor. I'm the one who's going to decide what is, or is not important here. MOTHER MIRIAM Look doctor, I don't know how to tell you this politely, but I don't approve of you. Not you personally... MARTHA The science of psychiatry. MOTHER MIRIAM (standing) Exactly. I want you do deal with Agnes as speedily and as easily as possible. She won't hold up under any sort of cross examination. MARTHA (also standing) I am not with the Inquisition. MOTHER MIRIAM And I am not from the Middle Ages. I know what you are! I don't want that mind cut open. Then Mother Miriam walks out. 18 INT - WAITING ROOM - DAY A little later, Martha is sitting alone smoking. SISTER ANNE enters and indicates that Martha should follow her. They exit out of the grilled room and head up a steep flight of wooden stairs. Faintly the voice of a single young woman can be heard singing in Latin. 19 INT - TOP CORRIDOR - DAY Martha follows Sister Anne down the hall towards the singing. They stop outside Agnes' room. Martha looks to see... 20 INT - AGNES' ROOM - DAY ... Agnes an almost childlike young woman singing happily, looking out the window. Then Agnes hears a slight sound and stops abruptly. She turns to see Martha standing in the doorway. MARTHA Hello. I'm Doctor Livingston. I've been asked to talk to you. May I? AGNES Yes. Martha moves further in the room. An ELDERLY NUN hovers outside the door. MARTHA You have a lovely voice. AGNES No I don't. MARTHA I just heard you. AGNES That wasn't me. MARTHA Was it Sister Marguerite? Agnes laughs and Martha closes the door, shutting out the old nun. MARTHA (Cont.) You're very pretty Agnes. AGNES No I'm not. MARTHA Hasn't anyone ever told you that before? AGNES Let's talk about something else. MARTHA What would you like to talk about. AGNES I don't know. MARTHA Anything... may I sit down? AGNES Yes. They both sit. MARTHA First thing that comes to your mind? AGNES God! But there's nothing to say about God. MARTHA Second thing that comes to your mind. AGNES Love. MARTHA Have you ever loved anyone? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Who? AGNES Everyone. MARTHA Well, who in particular? AGNES Right now? MARTHA Uh huh. AGNES I love you. MARTHA (a pause) Agnes, have you ever loved another man... other than, Jesus Christ? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Who? AGNES (chuckles) Oh, there are so many. MARTHA Well do you love... do you love Father Martineau? AGNES Oh, yes! MARTHA Do you think he loves you? AGNES Oh, I know he does. MARTHA He's told you? AGNES No. But... when I look into his eyes, I can tell. MARTHA You've been alone together? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Often? AGNES At least once a week. MARTHA And you like that? AGNES Oh, yes. MARTHA Where do you meet? AGNES (obviously) In the confessional. A slightly awkward pause. MARTHA Agnes, do ever see Father Martineau outside the... Agnes suddenly looks exasperated. AGNES You want to talk about the baby don't you? MARTHA Would you like to talk about it? AGNES I never saw any baby... I think they made it up. MARTHA Why should they? AGNES I don't know. MARTHA Do you remember the night they said it came? AGNES No. I was sick. MARTHA How were you sick? AGNES Something I ate. MARTHA Did it hurt? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Where? AGNES Down... there. MARTHA And what did you do? AGNES I went to my room. MARTHA And what happened? AGNES I got sicker. MARTHA And then what? AGNES I fell asleep. MARTHA In the middle of all the pain? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Where did the baby come from? AGNES What baby? MARTHA The baby they made up. AGNES From their heads... MARTHA Is that where they say it came from... ? AGNES No, they say it came from the waste paper basket! MARTHA Where'd it come from before that? AGNES From God. MARTHA After God... before the waste-paper basket. AGNES I... I don't understand. MARTHA Agnes, how are babies born? AGNES Don't you know? MARTHA Yes I do, but I want you to... AGNES (very agitated) I don't understand what you're talking about... you want to talk about the baby... everybody wants to talk about the baby but... I never saw the baby so I can't talk about the baby because... I don't believe in the baby. MARTHA Then let's talk about something else... AGNES (standing) No... no, I'm tired of talking, I've been talking for weeks, nobody believes me when I tell them anything... nobody listens to me. MARTHA (also standing) Agnes... AGNES (opens the door) No... no, I don't want to answer any more questions. MARTHA Would you like to ask them? AGNES (pausing in the doorway) What do you mean? MARTHA Just that... you ask and I'll answer. AGNES Anything? MARTHA (smiles) Anything. 21 INT - NUN'S ROOM - DAY The elderly nun looks out the window into the courtyard where Martha and Agnes are walking, then pulls the curtain across. 22 EXT - COURTYARD - DAY Martha and Agnes are walking together. Martha is smoking. AGNES What's your real name? MARTHA Martha Louise Livingston. AGNES Are you married? MARTHA No. AGNES Would you like to be? MARTHA Not at the moment, no. AGNES Do you have any children? MARTHA No. AGNES Would you like some? MARTHA I can't have them any more. AGNES Why not? MARTHA (a pause) I've stopped menstruating AGNES Why do you smoke? MARTHA Does it bother you? AGNES No questions. MARTHA Smoking is an obsession with me. Maybe one day I'll become obsessed with something else, then I'll stop smoking... Do you have any more questions? AGNES One. MARTHA What? They both halt. AGNES Where do you think babies come from? MARTHA From their mothers and fathers of course. Before that, I... I don't know. AGNES Well I think they come from... angel lights on their mothers chest and whispers into her ear. That makes good babies start to grow. And bad babies come from when a fallen angel squeezes in down there, and they start to grow, grow, till they come out down there. I don't know where good babies come out. And you can't tell the difference... except bad babies cry a lot... and they make their fathers go away... and their mothers get very ill... die sometimes. Agnes sits down on a bench and Martha follows her. AGNES (Cont.) Mummy wasn't very happy when she died ... and, I think she went to hell because every time I see her she looks like she just stepped out of a hot shower, and I... I'm never sure if it's her, or the Lady who tells me things! They fight over me all the time. (staring into space) The Lady... I saw when I was ten. I was lying on the grass, looking at the sun, and the sun became a cloud, and the cloud became, a Lady. And she told me she would talk to me. And then... her feet began to bleed and I saw there... there were holes in her hands and in her side. And I tried to catch the blood as it fell from the sky, but I couldn't see any more because my eyes hurt because there were big black spots in front of them. And she tells me things like, like... right now she's crying Marie! Marie! ... but I don't know what that means. Martha stands up, disturbed. Agnes is slightly delirious with happiness. AGNES (Cont.) ... and... she uses me to sing, it's as if she's throwing a big hook through the air and it catches me under my ribs and tries to pull me up, and I... I can't move because Mommy's holding my feet and all I can do is sing in her voice... it's the Lady's voice, God loves you! And her cry echoes all around and the doves fly out of the bell tower. AGNES (Cont.) (to Martha) God loves you. MARTHA Do you know a Marie? AGNES No... do you? MARTHA Why should I? AGNES I don't know. 23 INT - MOTHER MIRIAM'S STUDY - DAY Mother Miriam is standing checking some papers when Martha enters. Mother Miriam seems to have entirely regained her good humour. MOTHER MIRIAM Well... what do you think? Is she totally bananas or merely slightly off centre... or maybe she's perfectly sane and just a very good liar. MARTHA What's your opinion? MOTHER MIRIAM I believe Agnes is different. MARTHA From other nuns... (laughs) Yes I... I've noticed. MOTHER MIRIAM From other people! (moving across the room) I believe she is not crazy, nor is she lying. MARTHA How could she have a baby and know nothing of sex or birth? MOTHER MIRIAM Because she's an innocent. She's a slate that's hasn't been touched except by God. MARTHA (lights a cigarette) That's ridiculous... MOTHER MIRIAM (moves to her desk, starts writing) In her case it isn't. She's had very little schooling. Her mother kept her home almost all the time and when her mother died Agnes came here, to us. She's never been out there Doctor. She's never seen a movie or a television show. She's never even read a book. MARTHA If she's so innocent, how come she murdered a child? MOTHER MIRIAM She didn't! This is manslaughter, not murder. She didn't consciously kill that baby. She'd lost a lot of blood. She was unconscious by the time we got to her. MARTHA So, someone else could have done it. MOTHER MIRIAM No... not in the eyes of the police. MARTHA And in your eyes? MOTHER MIRIAM I've already told you what I thought. MARTHA That she was unconscious, yes! So someone easily could have come in the room and killed the... MOTHER MIRIAM You don't really believe something like that happened do you? MARTHA It's possible isn't it? MOTHER MIRIAM Who? MARTHA One of the other nuns found out about the baby and... and wanted to avoid a scandal. Mother Miriam removes the tray from under a pot plant and bangs it down in front of Martha to act as an ashtray. MOTHER MIRIAM That's absurd! MARTHA That possibility never occurred to you? MOTHER MIRIAM No-one knew about Agnes' pregnancy. No-one. Not even Agnes. 24 EXT - CONVENT - DAY Martha's car exits out of the convent and heads up the road. 25 INT - CAR - DAY The car radio is playing light band music... ANNOUNCER (V.O.) You have been listening to Mostly Music from Montreal. This is CBC Radio. (and again in French) Martha flicks the radio off and stops the car. She thinks for a moment then... 26 EXT - LONELY ROAD - DAY ... she turns the car around and heads back in the direction she came. 27 EXT - PRESBYTERY - DAY Martha drives in through an entrance and pulls up outside the presbytery. 28 INT - PRESBYTERY - DAY From inside the house, Martha can be seen knocking on the glass fronted door. Presently a huge, fat HOUSEKEEPER answers. MARTHA Is Father Martineau in please? HOUSEKEEPER (in French) ??? MARTHA (answers in French) ??? The housekeeper indicates she should enter and walks back inside. HOUSEKEEPER (halting briefly) Wipe your feet. They move into the next room. The housekeeper goes further calling... HOUSEKEEPER Pere Martineau... (in French) ??? Martha stands uncertainly at the doorway. The sound of thumping is heard, and then the figure of a very old priest, FATHER MARTINEAU appears walking with a stick. 29 INT - PRESBYTERY DINING ROOM - DAY Father Martineau and Martha are having tea. He pours a slug of whisky from a flask into her cup and an even larger slug into his own. FATHER MARTINEAU (French accent) They arise at five in the morning... and they're in bed by nine at night. Even if a man could get to them, he would probably find them praying. That's why I see that the real question is not only how he got in, but when. MARTHA And you're the only man to see them? FATHER MARTINEAU I promise you Doctor, even if I had the inclination, how could I possibly catch her? She would have to be a very slow and patient nun. (they both laugh) Ah no... they're a very special and rare people those Sisters. Only a few of them left in this modern world, consecrated to the praise of God. 30 INT - NURSING HOME, LOUNGE - DAY An elderly WOMAN is sitting watching "Spiderman" on TV cackling with laughter. She is physically alright, but quite senile. Martha enters, goes over to her and kisses her. MARTHA Hello, Mama (pulls up a chair) ... brought you something. MAMA Shut up, I'm trying to watch this. MARTHA It's your favourite... MAMA Who are you? MARTHA It's Martha, Mama. (hands over a tub of icecream) There you go. MAMA Marie brings me icecream too you know. Chocolate... my favourite. MARTHA I thought cherry-vanilla was your favourite. MAMA Not any more... now I like chocolate. MARTHA (stroking her hair) Did you have a good week Mama. Are they treating you all right? MAMA You know Martha never comes to see me. You watch it, she's going straight to hell... after all the things she said to me. Then she marries that son of a bitch of a Frenchman... has an abortion. I knew that one wouldn't work out. Not like you Marie. You got married to God. MARTHA (lighting up) Marie's dead Mama. MAMA I remember when you was a little girl Marie. You come back from the movies and you'd say - Mama that ending was so sad... and I'd tell you they had all the happy endings locked away in a vault in Hollywood. (chuckles) And you believed me. MARTHA Mama, that wasn't Marie, that was me! MAMA (a long pause) Who are you? MARTHA I... I'm Martha, Mama. 31 EXT - CONVENT, CHICKENYARD - DAY It is raining... distant thunder in the background. Martha is standing under an umbrella talking to Sister Anne who is feeding the chickens. SISTER ANNE The convent was built for over fifty. Not many of us left... just us and the chickens. MARTHA How do you survive? SISTER ANNE Oh, we own the land around here. But we rent it out. We keep a few acres for ourselves, (indicating) some wheat, corn, some vegetables. MARTHA Well that's a lot of land. You must have help. Do you have field hands that help you? SISTER ANNE No. We work the land alone. No-one but Sister Marguerite and I are permitted contact with the public. MARTHA Sister Anne, which was Agnes' room? Sister Anne points up to a window on the corner of the convent. SISTER ANNE Oh that one there, in the corner. MARTHA The one up on the third floor? SISTER ANNE Yes. MARTHA Uh huh. 32 INT - AGNES' OLD ROOM - DAY Mother Miriam unlocks a padlock on the door, opens it for Martha. They both enter the room which is totally plain, stripped of everything. MOTHER MIRIAM This convent is locked solid. The only one that has a key is Sister Marguerite and she wouldn't let Christ in after dark. MARTHA Well, it's been known to happen in the day too. Maybe Agnes went to him. MOTHER MIRIAM Oh come on, you've talked to her. She doesn't even know how babies are born, let alone made. MARTHA When did you first learn about her... innocence, the way she thinks? MOTHER MIRIAM Shortly after she came to us. MARTHA And you weren't shocked? MOTHER MIRIAM I was appalled, just as you are now. MARTHA And what happened? MOTHER MIRIAM She stopped eating completely... 33 INT - CHAPEL - DAY In flashback: Agnes, all in white is lying face down in the sign of the cross in front of the altar. Mother Miriam enters. MARTHA (V.O.) This was before her pregnancy? MOTHER MIRIAM (V.O.) About two years before. Mother Miriam stops in front of Agnes. MOTHER MIRIAM Agnes, it has come to my attention that you have stopped eating. Why is this? AGNES (not looking up) I've been commanded by God. MOTHER MIRIAM (sighs) He talked to you Himself? AGNES No. MOTHER MIRIAM Through someone else? AGNES Yes. MOTHER MIRIAM Who? AGNES I can't say. MOTHER MIRIAM Why? AGNES She'd punish me. MOTHER MIRIAM One of the other Sisters? AGNES No. MOTHER MIRIAM Who? Mother Miriam glances up at an older NUN who has been in the chapel watching all along. She takes the hint and hobbles out. MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.) Why would she tell you to do this? ... Agnes look at me. AGNES (looking up) Because I'm getting fat. MOTHER MIRIAM Oh, for Heaven's sake. AGNES I am, there's too much flesh on me. MOTHER MIRIAM Agnes... AGNES I'm a blimp. MOTHER MIRIAM Why does it matter whether you're fat or not... AGNES Because... MOTHER MIRIAM ... You needn't worry about being attractive here. AGNES I do, I have to be attractive to God. MOTHER MIRIAM He loves you the way you are. AGNES No he doesn't. He hates fat people. MOTHER MIRIAM Who told you this? AGNES It's a sin to be fat. MOTHER MIRIAM Why? AGNES Look at the statues, they're thin. MOTHER MIRIAM Agnes... AGNES That's because they're suffering... suffering is beautiful, I want to be beautiful. MOTHER MIRIAM Who tells you these things? AGNES Christ said it in the Bible, he said - suffer the little children, I want to suffer like a little child. MOTHER MIRIAM (genuinely distressed) That's not what he meant. AGNES I... I am a little child but my body keeps getting bigger and soon I... I won't be able to fit in, I... I won't be able to squeeze into Heaven. MOTHER MIRIAM Agnes dear, Heaven is not a place where... Agnes gets to her knees and pushes up her breasts. AGNES No... I mean... I mean look at these. I've got to lose weight, I'm a blimp. MOTHER MIRIAM Oh my dear child. AGNES (standing) God blew up the Hindenburg. He'll blow me up, that's what she said... MOTHER MIRIAM Who? AGNES Mommy I'll get bigger and bigger every day and then I'll pop but... but if I stay little it won't happen. MOTHER MIRIAM Your mother tells you this?... Agnes your mother is dead. AGNES But she watches... she listens. MOTHER MIRIAM Nonsense, I'm your mother now and I want you to eat. AGNES I'm not hungry. MOTHER MIRIAM You've got to eat something Agnes. AGNES No I don't... the host is enough. MOTHER MIRIAM My dear, I don't think a communion wafer has the recommended daily allowance of anything. AGNES Of God. MOTHER MIRIAM (smiles) Yes, of God. Then Mother Miriam looks down and is shocked to see Agnes' white habit is spotted with blood, and more blood is dripping onto the floor. She pulls out Agnes' hand from her habit and gasps with shock; there is a bleeding hole in the middle of her palm. AGNES I'm being punished. MOTHER MIRIAM Why? AGNES I don't know. MOTHER MIRIAM Dear Jesus... She quickly leads Agnes out of the chapel. AGNES It started this morning and I can't get it to stop. 34 INT - AGNES' OLD ROOM - DAY Back in the present, as before... MARTHA Why didn't you take her to a doctor? MOTHER MIRIAM It was healed by the following morning and she started eating again... MARTHA She had a... a hole in the palm of her hand! She could have bled to death. MOTHER MIRIAM But she didn't... did she. If anyone had seen what I'd seen she'd be public property... newspapermen, psychiatrists, ridicule. She doesn't deserve that. MARTHA She has it now. MOTHER MIRIAM I know what you're thinking, she's a hysteric pure and simple. MARTHA Not simple, no. MOTHER MIRIAM I saw it. Clean through the palm of her hand. Do you think hysteria could do that? MARTHA It's being doing it for centuries. She's not unique, she's just another victim. MOTHER MIRIAM God's victim. That's her innocence. She belongs to God. MARTHA And I intend to take her away from Him. That's what you're afraid of isn't it? Martha walks out. Mother Miriam yanks the padlock out of the door. MOTHER MIRIAM You bet I am. 35 INT - CHAPEL - DAY All the Sisters are present. Mother Miriam leads the chant in Latin and the rest of the nuns respond at intervals. Agnes is very happy. Their singing continues over, until the end of scene 41. DISSOLVE TO: 36 EXT - POLICE PRECINCT - DAY Martha and Larry are at the top of steps. He hands her an envelope. LARRY Here you are. Don't let anyone know where you got them. MARTHA (kissing him) Thanks... DISSOLVE TO: 37 EXT - CONVENT - DAY Agnes is happily swinging on a long swing attached to a tree. DISSOLVE TO: 38 INT - CRYPT - DAY The Sisters go about their tasks. Then all together they move to a corner of the room which is laid out with burning candles and make their devotions. DISSOLVE TO: 39 INT - CONFESSIONAL - DAY Agnes is confessing to a rather disinterested Father Martineau. AGNES Last Tuesday, I didn't eat all of my lima beans... hid them under my spoon. FATHER MARTINEAU Yes... AGNES (very quietly) I thought... thoughts... about... FATHER MARTINEAU Speak up, I can hardly hear you. AGNES (very loudly) I thought ugly thoughts about Sister Marguerite. DISSOLVE TO: 40 INT - MARTHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Martha is leafing through a sheaf of police photographs of the sheets and the waste-paper basket. She puts the photos aside and puffs thoughtfully on a cigarette. DISSOLVE TO: 41 EXT - CONVENT FARM - DAY Agnes is milking the cow. She pours the milk into a large churn. (The singing finishes at this point). 42 INT - JUDGE'S OFFICE - DAY The same four are in a meeting. This time they are all sitting except for Lyon who is standing by the window. LEVEAU Would you tell me why the hell this is taking so long. MARTHA Look there are a lot of unanswered questions here. LYON Martha, your job is to diagnose, not to heal and play detective. Who do you think you are? MARTHA I know my job. Don't tell me my job Lyon. My duty as a doctor is to... EVE Martha, you have to make a decision on her sanity as quickly as possible and not interfere with due process of law. MARTHA No... no, excuse me Eve. As quickly as I see fit. EVE The longer you take to make a decision, the more difficult it will be for us. MARTHA Why? EVE The bishop is breathing down our necks. MARTHA And the sooner she goes to prison, the better off she'll be? LEVEAU (in French) ??? MARTHA I don't believe this. I don't bloody believe this. LYON Well the bishop will be very upset about this. MARTHA I'm fighting for this woman's life, not some bloody bishop. 43 EXT - CONVENT GRAVEYARD - DAY It is a strange place; all the crosses are identical and very simple. Martha is standing. Agnes is kneeling in front of a cross marked with the name "Soeur Marie Paul" and the dates she was born, consecrated and died. Agnes places some winter flowers on the grave. MARTHA You liked Sister Paul? AGNES She was kind to me. She told me I was beautiful. MARTHA (crouching down) What else did she tell you? AGNES She said all of God's angels would want to sleep beside me if they could. I liked that. Agnes makes the sign of the cross, they both stand and start to move off. AGNES (Cont.) She lived here for almost seventy years. Every day she'd ring the bell, wake us up, call us to God. She took me to my secret place. MARTHA Where's that?... I promise I won't tell, would you take me? So Agnes takes her. 44 INT - BELL TOWER - DAY Martha and Agnes enter the bell-tower. Agnes leads the way up the steep wooden steps. Martha becomes breathless almost immediately. MARTHA Sister Paul was in her eighties? Did she climb up here often? AGNES No, only when she felt like it. She brought me up here last winter and the next day she died. MARTHA (halting, out of breath) No wonder... wait... Agnes... Agnes how do you feel about babies? AGNES Oh, they frighten me, I'm afraid I'll drop them. They have a soft spot on their heads and if you drop them so they land on their heads they become stupid. I was dropped on my head, that's why I don't understand things. MARTHA Like what? AGNES (climbing again) Numbers... you can spend your whole life counting and never reach the end. MARTHA (following her) I don't understand them either. Do you suppose I was dropped on my head? AGNES I hope not. It's a terrible thing to be dropped on your head. MARTHA Oh, I've got to give up smoking. Agnes ... wait a minute... Agnes slow down. 45 EXT - TOP OF BELLTOWER - DAY Agnes climbs up through the trapdoor to the bell platform. AGNES She said you could see the whole world from up here. But it looks much better far away than it looks close up. Martha arrives exhausted. MARTHA Beautiful... Agnes lies down under the bell. AGNES And sometimes I get under here... it makes a wonderful sound. She starts to sing in a beautiful voice and the sound rings in the bell. MARTHA What happens if the bell rings and you're under there? AGNES Oh, it's even more wonderful then. Agnes sings a little more. MARTHA It's like hiding from my mother when I was a little girl. AGNES Where did you go? MARTHA Oh, no place as wonderful as this. Agnes... have you ever thought of leaving the convent for something else? AGNES No. There is nothing else. Just being here at night helps me sleep. MARTHA You have trouble sleeping? AGNES I get headaches. Mommy did too... oh, but she wasn't stupid. She knew things that nobody else knew. MARTHA What things? AGNES She knew what was going to happen to me. That's why she hid me away. MARTHA How did she know that? AGNES Somebody told her. MARTHA Who? AGNES I don't know. MARTHA Agnes... AGNES You'll laugh. MARTHA I promise I won't laugh. Who told her? AGNES An angel, when she was having one of her headaches. MARTHA Did your mother see angels often? AGNES No. MARTHA Do you? AGNES No. MARTHA Do you believe she really saw them? AGNES (sitting up) No, but I can never tell her that. MARTHA Why not? (no answer) Mmm? AGNES She'd get angry. Martha moves round close to Agnes. MARTHA Agnes, did you love your mother? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Did you ever want to be a mother yourself? AGNES I could never be a mother. MARTHA Why not? AGNES Well I don't think I'm old enough and besides I don't want to have a baby. MARTHA Why not? AGNES Because I don't want one. MARTHA If you did want one, how'd you go about getting one? AGNES From someone who didn't want to have a baby. MARTHA Like you? AGNES (suddenly frustrated) No, not like me! MARTHA How would that person get one if they didn't want one? AGNES (jumping to her feet) A mistake... MARTHA Agnes, how did your mother get you? AGNES A mistake... it was a mistake... MARTHA Is that what she said? AGNES (very upset) If you're trying to get me to say that she was a bad woman and hated me and didn't want me but that's not true, she was a good woman, a saint... (distorted) MARTHA Agnes, I don't believe you know nothing about sex... AGNES I can't help it if I'm stupid. MARTHA ... that you don't remember getting pregnant... AGNES Not my fault. MARTHA ... and that you don't believe you carried a child. AGNES I was a mistake. MARTHA What the child? AGNES Everything... I don't have children. MARTHA Agnes... Martha puts her arm out to Agnes who slaps it away. AGNES Don't touch me like that! You don't touch me like that, I know what you want from me, you want to take God away. You should be ashamed, they should lock you up people like you. Agnes disappears down through the trapdoor. Martha throws her cigarette away. 46 INT - CONVENT - DAY Mother Miriam is comforting a tearful Agnes. She sees Martha coming across the courtyard and pushes Agnes gently away. MOTHER MIRIAM You hate us don't you? MARTHA What? MOTHER MIRIAM Nuns... you hate nuns. MARTHA I hate ignorance and stupidity. MOTHER MIRIAM The Catholic Church... MARTHA I haven't said anything against the the Catholic Church. MOTHER MIRIAM Catholicism is not on trial here. I want you to deal with Agnes without any religious prejudice or you turn this case over to someone else... MARTHA How dare you tell me to run my affairs! Mother Miriam starts to walk away, Martha angrily follows her. MOTHER MIRIAM It's my affair too. MARTHA How dare you think I'm in a position to be pressured... MOTHER MIRIAM I'm only interested... MARTHA ... or bullied or what ever you're doing. Who the hell do you think you are? You go around here expecting applause for the way you treated this child. Martha and Mother Miriam are climbing the stairs. They pause briefly. MOTHER MIRIAM She is not a child. MARTHA And she has a right to know that there's a world out there filled with people who don't believe in God... (Mother Miriams walks on) ... and aren't any worse off than you Mother. People who've gone through their entire lives without bending their knees once, to anybody. And people who fall in love and have babies and occas- sionally are very happy. She has a right to know that. But you and your... your order and your Church have kept her ignorant... They reach Mother Miriam's study. MOTHER MIRIAM ??? (distorted) MARTHA ??? (distorted) ... virginity, right Mother? Poverty, chastity and ignorance is what you live by. MOTHER MIRIAM I am not a virgin, Doctor. I was married for twenty three years, two daughters. I even have grandchildren... surprised? It might please you to know that I was a failure as a wife and mother. My children won't even see me any more, that's their revenge. I think they tell their friends that I've passed on. And don't tell me I'm making up for past mistakes Doctor Freud. (she sits) MARTHA Then help her. MOTHER MIRIAM I am... MARTHA No, you're shielding her. Let her face the world. MOTHER MIRIAM What good would it do. No matter what you decide it's either the... the prison or the nut house and the differences between them are pretty thin. MARTHA There's another choice. MOTHER MIRIAM What? MARTHA Aquittal. MOTHER MIRIAM How? MARTHA Innocence. Legal innocence. I know the judge would be happy for any reason to throw this case out of court. A long pause. The tension between them dissolves. MOTHER MIRIAM All right, what do you need. MARTHA Answers. Martha holds her hand. 47 INT - MOTHER MIRIAM'S STUDY - DAY Same place, but a little later. Martha is smoking. MARTHA When would Agnes have conceived the child? MOTHER MIRIAM Oh, some time in January. MARTHA Do you remember anything unusual happening at the time? MOTHER MIRIAM Earthquakes? MARTHA Visitors to the convent. MOTHER MIRIAM Nothing. MARTHA Do you have a... a diary or a day book? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes. MARTHA Take at look at it. Mother Miriam moves to her desk and opens the day book. MOTHER MIRIAM There's nothing here. MARTHA Was the child full term? MOTHER MIRIAM (reads through the book) Oh, Dear God... MARTHA What is it? MOTHER MIRIAM The sheets... MARTHA What sheets? MOTHER MIRIAM Oh, Dear God, I should have guessed... 48 INT - CONVENT DINING ROOM - NIGHT In flashback: the sisters are sitting around the table at dinner. SISTER GENEVIEVE, the other novice is serving them. Mother Miriam folds up a linen towel. MOTHER MIRIAM (V.O.) ... I should have suspected something. In flashback, Mother Miriam addresses Agnes. MOTHER MIRIAM Sister Marguerite says you have been sleeping on a bare mattress Sister. Is that true? AGNES Yes Mother. MOTHER MIRIAM Why? AGNES In the medieval days the nuns and monks would sleep in their own coffins. Sister Marguerite gives a snort of derision. Mother Miriam glances sharply at her, then turns back to Agnes. MOTHER MIRIAM We're not in the Middle Ages, Sister. AGNES It made them holy. MOTHER MIRIAM It made them uncomfortable. And if they didn't sleep well I'm certain the next day they were cranky as mules. Sister where are your sheets? (no answer) Do you really believe that sleeping on a bare mattress is the equivalent of sleeping in a coffin? AGNES No. MOTHER MIRIAM Then tell me. Where are your sheets? AGNES I burnt them. MOTHER MIRIAM Why? AGNES (a long pause) They were stained. MOTHER MIRIAM How many times have I burned into your thick skull and the thick skull of your fellow novice, that menstruation is a perfectly natural process and nothing to be ashamed of. AGNES Yes, Mother. MOTHER MIRIAM Say it! AGNES and GENEVIEVE It is a perfectly natural process and nothing to be ashamed of. MOTHER MIRIAM Mean it! The two girls start to repeat it but Agnes starts to cry and Genevieve falters into silence. Mother Miriam goes on more kindly. MOTHER MIRIAM A few years ago one of the Sisters came to me in tears, asking for comfort, comfort because she was too old to have any children. Not that she wanted to, but once a month she had been reminded of that possibility. AGNES It's not that... it's not that... MOTHER MIRIAM What do you mean? AGNES It's not my time of month. MOTHER MIRIAM Should you see a doctor? AGNES I don't know. I don't know what happened Mother, I woke up... there was blood on the sheets, but I don't know what happened. (starts to weep) I don't know what I did wrong, I don't know and I should be punished. MOTHER MIRIAM For what? AGNES I don't know... I don't know... MOTHER MIRIAM (V.O.) That was the beginning, the night of the conception. That's why she burnt the sheets. 49 INT - SICKROOM - NIGHT Still in flashback, Mother Miriam enters the room where SISTER PAUL lies dying. Father Martineau is there and many of the other nuns singing hymns. MARTHA (V.O.) When was that? MOTHER MIRIAM (V.O.) The twenty third of January. On that night one of our elder nuns passed away. MARTHA (V.O.) Sister Paul? MOTHER MIRIAM (V.O.) Yes. I don't remember where Agnes was. I was needed in the sick room. Father Martineau annoints the old woman. Then Agnes quietly slips in unobserved. Sister Paul rallies for a moment, tries to say a single silent word to her. The smile slips from Agnes' face. Then Sister Paul lies back and dies. 50 INT - CATHEDRAL - DAY Martha and the MONSIGNOR are walking through the church talking. He is quite young and has a rather abrasive manner. (beginning missed) MARTHA No. MONSIGNOR Well you're probably right about that. It certainly can't help Sister Agnes to have this investigation continued for any length of time. MARTHA Why do you call it an investigation? I never have. MONSIGNOR Your mother was a resident of Saint Catherines home before you moved her. MARTHA What does this have to do with..? MONSIGNOR And you had a sister who died in the convent. MARTHA Who told you this? MONSIGNOR Do you still go to church? MARTHA What business is it of yours..? MONSIGNOR Oh, we just wonder if you can be very objective about this case. MARTHA Look, Father, ah... just because I don't subscribe to the... to the beliefs you subscribe to... MONSIGNOR (halting) But what you believe makes no difference to us whatsoever Doctor. But it does make all the difference to Agnes. MARTHA I don't understand. Are you expecting me to..? MONSIGNOR Well somone's got to suffer for this Doctor. You've got to be merciful and quick. Excuse me. Martha stares at him as he walks away. 51 EXT - CONVENT - DAY A single shot of the back of the convent and the belltower. The bell is ringing. 52 INT - BELLTOWER - DAY Mother Miriam is ringing the bell and it takes quite a considerable effort. 53 EXT - CONVENT FARMYARD - DAY Agnes has a wheelbarrow full of straw and manure. She dumps it on a pile. 54 INT - COWSHED - DAY Martha is watching Agnes milking a cow. MARTHA Agnes, I'm here because I want to help you. AGNES I'm not sick. MARTHA But you're troubled... aren't you? AGNES That's because you keep reminding me. If you go away then I'll forget. MARTHA And you're unhappy. AGNES Everyone's unhappy, you're unhappy aren't you? MARTHA Agnes... AGNES Answer me! You never answer me. MARTHA Sometimes, yes. AGNES Only you think you're lucky because you didn't have a mother who said things to you and did things to you that maybe weren't always nice but that was because of me, because I was bad, not her. Agnes carries the milk pail round to the churn. MARTHA What did you do? AGNES I'm always bad. MARTHA What did you do? AGNES I breathed! Agnes falls to her knees. Martha moves round and kneels in front of her. MARTHA Agnes. What did your mother do to you? (no answer) If you can't answer me, just shake your head yes or no. Did... did she hit you? (Anges shakes her head: no) Did she make you do something you didn't want to? (yes) Did it make you feel uncomfortable to do it? (yes) Did it embarrass you? (yes) Did it... did it hurt you? (yes) What did she make you you do? AGNES No... MARTHA You can tell me. AGNES I can't. MARTHA She's dead isn't she? AGNES Yes. MARTHA She can't hurt you any more. AGNES She can. MARTHA How? AGNES She watches... she listens. MARTHA Agnes, I don't believe that. Tell me. I'll protect you from her. AGNES She... MARTHA Yes? AGNES ... makes me... MARTHA Yes? AGNES ... take off my clothes and then... she makes fun of me. MARTHA She tells you you're ugly? AGNES Yes. MARTHA And that you're stupid? AGNES Yes. MARTHA That you're a mistake? AGNES She says my whole body's a mistake. MARTHA Why? AGNES Because she says if I don't watch out I'll have a baby. MARTHA How does she know that? AGNES Her headaches. MARTHA Oh, yes. AGNES And then... MARTHA What? AGNES She touches me down there with a cigarette. (Martha gasps) Please Mommy, don't touch me like that any more. I'll be good, I won't be a baby any more. MARTHA Agnes, oh Agnes, Agnes I want you to do something. I want you to pretend that I'm your mother. Oh yes, only this time I want you to tell me what you're feeling, alright? AGNES I'm afraid. MARTHA Please! I want to help you. Let me help you. AGNES Alright. MARTHA Agnes, you're ugly!... what do you say? Of course you do. Agnes, you're ugly!... what do you say? AGNES No I'm not. MARTHA Are you pretty? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Agnes, you're stupid. AGNES No I'm not. MARTHA Are you intelligent? AGNES (more forcefully) Yes I am. MARTHA You're a mistake. AGNES (shouting) I'm not mistake, I'm here aren't I. How can I be a mistake if I'm really here. God doesn't make mistakes, you're a mistake... Agnes is half shouting , half crying. Martha holds on to her. MARTHA Oh Agnes, oh Agnes, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, I love you. AGNES Do you really love me or are you just saying that? MARTHA I really love you. AGNES As much as Mother Miriam does? MARTHA As much as God loves you. 55 INT - AGNES' OLD ROOM - DAY Martha is in there by herself smoking. The elderly nun appears at the door. ELDERLY NUN I've been watching. We were fine 'till she came. She brought the devil here. (makes the sign of the cross) There was blood on her hand that night. MARTHA Agnes? (the nun shakes her head) Who? Mother Superior? ELDERLY NUN (in French) ??? MARTHA What? ELDERLY NUN Look into the convent records. MARTHA Sister... But the nun has gone, walking quickly away down the corridor. 56 INT - RECORD ROOM - DAY Sister (?) enters to find Martha going through a cabinet. MARTHA (slightly guiltily) Oh, Good afternoon Sister, I... I'm looking for some biographical data on Sister Agnes, and Mother said I might find it here. The Sister smiles, goes to another cabinet, extracts a file and hands it to her. MARTHA Thank you. The Sister nods and without a word leaves the room. Martha waits until she has gone, then opens the cabinet and pulls out another file. Glancing at the door, she compares the two files. They both have the same surname Burchetti. The the door opens and Mother Miriam is standing there. MARTHA You lied to me MOTHER MIRIAM About what? MARTHA (brandishing the files) Your niece! MOTHER MIRIAM I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was important. MARTHA No, it just makes you doubly responsible doesn't it? MOTHER MIRIAM I never saw Agnes until she set foot in this convent. My sister ran away from home. We lost touch with her. And when my husband died and I came here, she wrote to me and asked me if I would take care of Agnes in case anything happened. MARTHA And Agnes' father? Mother Miriam turns out of the room. Martha goes after her. MOTHER MIRIAM It could have been any one of a dozen men from what my sister told me. 57 INT - CORRIDOR - DAY Continuing, just outside the record room. MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.) She was afraid that Agnes would follow in her footsteps. She did everything she could to prevent it. MARTHA Like keeping her home from school? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes. MARTHA Listening to angels? MOTHER MIRIAM She drank too much. That's what killed her. MARTHA Do you know what she did to her? MOTHER MIRIAM I don't think I care to know. MARTHA She molested her! MOTHER MIRIAM Oh, dear God. MARTHA There is more here than meets the eye isn't there? Lots of dirty little secrets. MOTHER MIRIAM (crying) Oh God, if only I'd known. MARTHA Why didn't you? You knew she was keeping her home from school. You knew she was an alcoholic. MOTHER MIRIAM I knew that after the fact. MARTHA Why didn't you do anything to stop her? MOTHER MIRIAM Because I didn't know... (she leaves) MARTHA Oh, God. DISSOLVE TO: 58 INT - POLICE STATION, LARRY'S OFFICE - DAY Larry is interviewing a young PROSTITUTE in French. Martha appears at the door. MARTHA Larry... LARRY Marty, what are you doing here? MARTHA Larry there's got to be something missing. LARRY I gave you the pictures Marty, what else do you want? MARTHA Something they... that they overlooked. LARRY What? You think that the girl is innocent? MARTHA I don't know. LARRY You got to be crazy. Larry pulls out a pack of cigarettes, gives one to Martha and to the prostitute. MARTHA Larry... LARRY What's the matter with you, you've seen the reports. It's a cut and dried case. MARTHA Maybe there's something that's not in the report that should be. LARRY You're too involved Marty. (lights her cigarette) Jesus look at you. Why don't you turn this case over to someone else? Larry lights his own cigarette and comes over to Martha. LARRY (Cont.) I'll ask around, see what I come up with. In the meantime you go home and get some sleep. MARTHA Thanks. (she leaves) LARRY (calling after her) If I find anything I'll call you. 59 INT - MARTHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Martha takes off her coat, moves across the room turning on lights. She flicks the answerphone on. Her cat meows. SECRETARY (V.O.) Hi Marty, it's Helen. Mrs Davenport called and was very upset that you'd missed her appointment. She wants you to call her at home, oh and a couple of reporters have been trying to get a hold of you about Sister Agnes. They seem persistent and they may try to reach you at home. I didn't give them number. Some whirs and beeps. Martha goes into the bathroom. REPORTER (V.O.) (French accent) Hallo, Doctor Livingston. My name is (?). I'm doing a Sunday article on Sister Agnes for the Gazette. I would appreciate it if you would give me a phone call on 942-2424. More beeps and whirs. Martha starts to undress. LARRY (V.O.) Hi Marty, it's me. Listen I just talked with Detective Crawley who was at the convent. She said that there was one thing that bothered her that didn't make it into the report. The waste paper basket. The one in Agnes' room. (Martha freezes in the middle of lighting up) None of the other nuns had one. Bye. Martha rushes over to the answerphone and rewinds it. LARRY (V.O.) ... her that didn't make it into the report. The waste paper basket. The one in Agnes' room. None of the other nuns had one. Bye. Martha looks thoughtful and flicks off the desk lamp. 60 INT - CONVENT CHAPEL - DAY Father Martineau is saying Mass. All the sisters are there singing together. Father Martineau places the host in the sconce, incences it and raises it up. Close on individual nuns at prayer including Agnes. DISSOLVE TO: 61 INT - BARN - DAY Mother Miriam is kneeling in the doorway of the barn, praying when Martha enters. Mother Miriam pauses. MARTHA I've gotten the court's permission to hypnotise her. Mother Miriam makes the sign of the cross and stands up. MOTHER MIRIAM And my permission? MARTHA I'd like yours too. Mother Miriam grabs a bucket and moves across the barn. Martha follows her. MOTHER MIRIAM We'll see about that. MARTHA Don't deny it! MOTHER MIRIAM I haven't decided yet. MARTHA The woman's health is at stake. MOTHER MIRIAM Her spiritual health. MARTHA I don't give a damn about her spiritual health. MOTHER MIRIAM I know you don't. Mother Miriam starts shovelling grain into the bucket. MARTHA Sentence her and be done with it, that's what you're saying and I... MOTHER MIRIAM I am saying (distorted) a beautifully simple woman... MARTHA An unhappy woman... MOTHER MIRIAM She's happy with us and she could go on being happy if she was left alone. MARTHA Then why did you call the police in the first place Mother, huh? MARTHA (cont.) Why didn't you just throw the baby into the incinerator and be done with it. MOTHER MIRIAM Because I am a moral person. MARTHA Bullshit! MOTHER MIRIAM Bullshit yourself! MARTHA Catholic Church doesn't have a corner on morality... MOTHER MIRIAM Who said anything about the Catholic Church... MARTHA You just said... MOTHER MIRIAM What the hell has the Catholic Church got to do with you? MARTHA Nothing... MOTHER MIRIAM What have we done to hurt you? And don't deny it, I can smell an ex-Catholic a mile away. What did we do? Burn a few heretics, sell some indulgences? That was in the days when the Church was a ruling body. We let governments do those things today. So what did we do to you eh? You wanted to neck in the back seat of a car when you were fifteen and you couldn't because it was a sin? This time it is Martha who walks away and Mother Miriam who follows her. MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.) So instead of questioning that one rule... MARTHA (halting) It wasn't sex. It was a lot of things, but it wasn't sex. You know when I was in the first grade my best friend was run over on the way to school, you know what the nun said? She died because she hadn't said her morning prayers. MOTHER MIRIAM Stupid woman... and that's all? MARTHA That's all? That's enough! She was a beautiful little girl. MOTHER MIRIAM And what has that to do with it? MARTHA I wasn't. I wasn't. She was the pretty one. She died, why not me? I never said my morning prayers. And I was ugly, I was scrawny, I had buck teeth and freckles all over my face, do you know what the nun called me, Sister Mary Clitus, called me Polkadot Livingston. MOTHER MIRIAM So you left the Church because you had freckles? MARTHA No, because I... yeah, yeah I left the Church cause I had freckles. They both cannot help laughing at this absurdity. 62 EXT - COURTYARD - DAY A couple of nuns walk across the courtyard. Another is meditating alone. On a bench a nun kisses a dove and lets it fly away. 63 EXT - GAZEBO - DAY It is out the back of the convent near the belltower. Mother Miriam and Martha are sitting there talking. Martha is smoking. MOTHER MIRIAM When I was a child I used to hear my guardian angel. She sang to me 'till I was six years old. That's when I stopped listening. But I remember the voice. A few years ago I looked at myself and saw nothing but a nun who was certain of nothing. Not even of Heaven. Not even of God. And then one evening I saw Agnes standing by her window, singing. And all my doubts about myself and God were gone, in that one moment. I recognized the voice. Please don't take it away from me again Doctor Livingston. Those years after six were very bleak. MARTHA My sister died in a convent. And it's her voice I hear. (a long pause) Does my smoking bother you? MOTHER MIRIAM No, it reminds me. MARTHA Would you like one? Huh? MOTHER MIRIAM I'd love one. Martha hands her a cigarette and lights it for her. Mother Miriam coughs a lot. Martha pats her on the back. MOTHER MIRIAM I'm out of prac... (cough) ... practice. (cough) MARTHA All right? MOTHER MIRIAM Fine thanks... MARTHA Do you suppose the saints would have smoked if tobacco had been popular back then? MOTHER MIRIAM Undoubtedly. Not the ascetics of course but, well Saint Thomas More... MARTHA (chuckles) Long, thin and filtered. MOTHER MIRIAM Saint Ignatius would smoke cigars and stub them out on the soles of his bare feet. (they roar with laughter) And of course (distorted) MARTHA Hand rolled. MOTHER MIRIAM Even Christ would partake socially. MARTHA Saint Peter? MOTHER MIRIAM Pipe! MARTHA Right... MOTHER MIRIAM Mary Magdelen? MARTHA (imitating) Oh, you've come a long way baby. MOTHER MIRIAM And Saint John would chew tobacco. More laughter, then the moment because more serious. MARTHA Right. (a pause) What do you suppose today's saints are smoking? MOTHER MIRIAM There are no saints today. Good people yes, but extraordinarily good people... those I'm afraid we are sorely lacking. MARTHA Do you think they ever existed? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes I do. MARTHA Do you want to become one? MOTHER MIRIAM Become? One is born a saint. MARTHA Well you can try, can't you, to be good? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes, but goodness has very little to do with it. Not all the saints were good, in fact some of them were a little crazy. But... they were still attached to God. Agnes has that birth. (she stands) No more... we're born, we live, we die. No room for miracles. (Martha gets up too) Oh my dear, how I miss the miracles. They start walking back to the convent. MARTHA Do you think Agnes is still attached to God? MOTHER MIRIAM Listen to her singing. MARTHA (a pause) I'd like to begin. MOTHER MIRIAM Begin what? MARTHA The hypnotism. Do you still disapprove? MOTHER MIRIAM Would it stop you if I did? MARTHA No. They both halt. MOTHER MIRIAM May I be present? MARTHA Of course. MOTHER MIRIAM Then let's begin. 64 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY The room is painted white and completely empty with a steeply sloping ceiling. Agnes is sitting on a chair with her eyes closed, already under hypnosis. Martha and Mother Miriam are facing her. MARTHA You're listening to a chorus of angels. The music surrounds you like a... warm and, comfortable pool of water. And while you're sleeping, you're going to be able to recall, all the things that we want you to remember. And when I count to three and clap my hands, you'll no longer be hypnotised. Can you hear me. AGNES Yes. MARTHA Who am I? AGNES Doctor Livingston. MARTHA And why am I here? AGNES To help me. MARTHA Good. Would you like to tell me why you're here? AGNES Because I'm in trouble. MARTHA What kind of trouble? (no answer) What kind of trouble Agnes? Martha starts to walk around behind Agnes. AGNES I'm frightened. MARTHA Of what? AGNES Of telling you. MARTHA But it's easy. It's just a breath with sound. Say it. What kind of trouble? AGNES (a pause) I had a baby. Both Martha and Mother Miriam react with some degree of relief. MARTHA How did you have a baby? AGNES It came out of me. MARTHA Did you know what was going to come out? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Did you want it to come out? AGNES No. MARTHA Why? AGNES Because I was afraid. MARTHA Why were you afraid? AGNES Because I wasn't worthy. MARTHA To be a mother? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Why? AGNES May I open my eyes now? MARTHA No not yet Agnes, very soon but not yet. How did the baby get into you? AGNES It grew. MARTHA What made it grow? Do you know? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Would you like to tell me? AGNES No. MARTHA Did anyone else know about the baby? AGNES I can't tell you that. MARTHA Will she be angry? AGNES She made me promise not to. MARTHA Who? Who made you promise? (no answer) It's alright Agnes. It's alright. (a pause) Let's go to your room. It's the night about six weeks ago when you were very sick. AGNES I'm afraid. MARTHA Oh don't be, I'm here. It's alright. I want you to tell me what you did before you went to bed. AGNES I ate. MARTHA Hm hmm. What did you have for dinner? AGNES Fish... (distastefully) ... brussel sprouts. MARTHA You don't like brussel sprouts? AGNES I hate them. Martha and Mother Miriam can't help smiling. MARTHA And then what happened? AGNES We went to chapel for vespers. MARTHA Hm hmm. AGNES I left early because I wasn't feeling very well. Suddenly Agnes leaps up from her chair. MARTHA What is it? AGNES Someone's following me. MARTHA Who? AGNES Sister Marguerite I think. MARTHA Was it Sister Marguerite who knew about the baby? (no answer) Alright Agnes, I want you to see your room as you saw it on that night. MARTHA (Cont.) Open your eyes. (she opens them) What do you see? AGNES My bed. MARTHA What else? AGNES A crucifix. MARTHA Above the bed? Any... anything else? What do you you see, something different? What is it? AGNES (puzzled) A wastepaper basket. MARTHA Do you know who put it there? AGNES No. MARTHA What do you think it's there for? AGNES For me to get sick in. MARTHA Are you ill? AGNES Yes. MARTHA What do you feel? AGNES I feel as if I've eaten glass. MARTHA What do you do? AGNES I have to throw up... And she falls to her knees, retching horribly. AGNES (Cont.) I can't... glass... one of the sisters has fed me glass. MARTHA Which one? AGNES I don't know which one (distorted) MARTHA Of what? AGNES Of me. Oh... God! My God... (assumes the birth position and looks between her legs) Water... it's all water... MARTHA Why isn't anyone coming? AGNES (trying to wipe up the water) They can't hear me that's why. (in terrible pain) Oh God... I don't wanna... MOTHER MIRIAM (to Martha) Stop her! Then Agnes tries to crawl away as though terrified of something. MARTHA What is it? AGNES Please get away from me... MARTHA Who? AGNES Go away, I don't want you here. MARTHA Is someone in the room with you? AGNES No... don't hit me please... MOTHER MIRIAM Stop this, she'll hurt herself (stepping forward) I'm not going to allow this. MARTHA (hauling her away) NO... no... I said leave her alone. AGNES (still screaming) You're trying to take my baby... trying to take my baby... no... (then quietly) It wasn't my fault Mommy... it was a mistake Mommy. MARTHA Alright Agnes... it's alright. One, two three... (claps her hands; Agnes comes to) It's alright... it's me, Doctor Livingston, it's alright, alright. Thankyou Agnes, thankyou. How do you feel? AGNES Frightened. MARTHA Do you remember what just happened? AGNES (a long pause) Yes. MARTHA That's good. Do you feel well enough to stand? AGNES Yes. Martha helps her to her feet. Agnes clings to her. MARTHA There you go. It's alright, it's alright, it's all over. It's alright Agnes, that's right, that's right. 65 EXT - LAND REGISTRY - DAY Martha approaches the building and enters it. 66 INT - RECORD ROOM - DAY The camera tracks through shelves of ancient records and maps. MARTHA (off) Ah excuse me. Hallo. I'm looking for some ah... ground plans for the ah... Saint Marie Madeleine Convent in (distorted). MAN (off) (answers in French) Martha and a middle aged official come into view. He stops at a long set of drawers and starts looking through it. MAN (in French) MARTHA (replies in French) MAN Oh... very interesting I guess... (he pulls out a folder of plans) Excuse me... He sets the folder down on a table and starts going through it. They both look at the plans. MAN (Cont.) Ah viola! This has everything. Even the secret entrance. They all had that. Usually to get from building to building in the snow... (he indicates on the plan) ... like that one. MARTHA (murmurs) That's how he got in... or she got out. MAN Oh excuse me, what did you say? MARTHA Nothing. May I take some notes? MAN Oh yes, (distorted) Martha starts drawing a rough plan. 67 INT - CRYPT - DAY The crypt is deserted but candles are burning in front of a statue of Saint Michael. Martha walks over to it,lights a candle and goes behind it and finds a stairway there leading underground. She goes down into... 68 INT - TUNNEL - DAY Martha walks through the dimly lit passage. She stops for a moment to look at a cross carved on the stone floor, then continues. Finally she reaches more steps and goes up into the... 69 INT - BARN - DAY Martha emerges through a trapdoor in to the barn which is full of doves. It begins to make sense for her. 70 EXT - CITY - DAY Various closeups of famous statues. A bell is tolling. Two nuns come out of a building, down streets, across the road as though traffic did not exist and into another building. 71 INT - LIFT - DAY The nuns are Sister Anne and Mother Miriam. In the lift an OFFICE GIRL checks her lipstick in the reflective metal walls. The lift stops and the Sisters get off. 72 INT - CORRIDOR - DAY They walk down the modern carpeted corridor into... 73 INT - MARTHA'S OFFICE - DAY Mother Miriam addresses the secretary, HELEN. MOTHER MIRIAM Is the Doctor in her office? HELEN Ah, who shall I say is calling? MOTHER MIRIAM (grimly) General MacArthur. She heads onto Martha's office. Helen jumps up after her. HELEN Just a minute please, you can't go in there. Mother Miriam pushes the door open to reveal Martha. MARTHA (standing) It's... it's alright Helen, just close the door. Mother Miriam walks in and throws some papers down onto Martha's desk. MOTHER MIRIAM I've just met with the bishop. We're taking you off the case. MARTHA (picking up the papers) You're what? MOTHER MIRIAM If we want to hire a psychiatrist for Agnes. we'll find our own, thank you. (starts to leave) MARTHA One that will ask the questions you want asked. MOTHER MIRIAM (halting) One that will approach this matter with some objectivity and respect. MARTHA For the Church? MOTHER MIRIAM For Agnes. MARTHA You think she's a saint? MOTHER MIRIAM She's been touched by God, yes. MARTHA How? How? She hallucinates, stops eating and bleeds spontaneously. Is that supposed to convince me she shouldn't be touched. Give me a miracle. MOTHER MIRIAM The father! MARTHA Who is he? MOTHER MIRIAM Why must he be anybody? MARTHA (laughs and sits down) My God, you're as crazy as... MOTHER MIRIAM Stop laughing, I don't say it's the truth, I'm saying... MARTHA How (distorted) ? MOTHER MIRIAM Don't be ridiculous. MARTHA Well give me a reasonable explanation MOTHER MIRIAM A miracle is an event without an explanation. If she's capable of putting a hole in her hand without benefit of a nail, why couldn't she split a cell in her womb? MARTHA This is insane. MOTHER MIRIAM There as no man in the convent on that night and no way for any man to get in or out. MARTHA You're saying God did it? MOTHER MIRIAM No, that's as much as saying Father Martineau did it. I'm saying God permitted it. MARTHA But how did it happen? MOTHER MIRIAM You'll never find the answer for everything God did. MARTHA I thought you didn't believe in miracles today Mother? MOTHER MIRIAM But I want the opportunity to believe. I want the choice to believe. MARTHA But what you are choosing to believe is a lie because you won't face the fact that she was raped... or seduced... or that she did the seducing. MOTHER MIRIAM She is an innocent. MARTHA But she is not an enigma Mother. Everything that Agnes has done is explainable from modern psychiatry. One, two, three, right down the line. MOTHER MIRIAM That's what you believe she is? The sum of her psychological parts? MARTHA That's what I have to believe... MOTHER MIRIAM Then why are you so obsessed with her? You're losing sleep over her? (Martha gets up disturbed) You're thinking about her all the time. You're bent on saving her. Why? Martha has no answer. MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.) (calmer) I'm not accusing. I'm recognizing. MARTHA There's a tunnel out of the crypt into the barn. Did you know about that? There's an answer Mother. That's how she got out. MOTHER MIRIAM That's crazy. How could she find out about it? MARTHA Somebody told her. MOTHER MIRIAM Who? That tun... that tunnel hasn't been used in fifty years. MARTHA Oh, would you stop lying Mother! MOTHER MIRIAM Why would I lie? MARTHA Because it's murder we're talking about. Aren't you concerned about what she told us about the other person in her room. MOTHER MIRIAM I'm concerned about her health. MARTHA Who was that person Mother? Was it you? MOTHER MIRIAM If you believe this is murder, it is the Crown attorney you have to talk to, not me. And definitely not Agnes. She goes out and slams the door. 74 EXT - POND - DAY After a couple of establishing shots of the convent, the nuns are shown ice skating on the frozen pond. They are quite uninhibited, like little children. Their singing (off) from the chapel continues until the end of scene 78. 75 INT - CHAPEL - DAY Sister Genevieve, the other novice is being consecrated. She approaches the altar all dressed in white, carrying a single candle and kneels down. 76 INT - LAW COURTS - DAY Martha and Justice Leveau come up the steps and into the corridor. MARTHA All I want is one more week. LEVEAU Why? (continues in French, then...) You've done nothing to show any progress. MARTHA Yes, that's because I'm getting to her. LEVEAU You're getting to all of us Martha, let's face it. MARTHA I'll have a decision by next week. LEVEAU It's gone on long enough. You're out. MARTHA Oh Joe... Joe she didn't kill the baby. LEVEAU (halting) You have proof? MARTHA I'll have it. LEVEAU When? MARTHA Next week. LEVEAU (walking on) No, no, no... MARTHA I can get you new evidence next week. LEVEAU No! MARTHA Tomorrow... tomorrow, I'll get it by tomorrow. I will. They reach the door of Leveau's office. He thinks... LEVEAU Yes, demain (?) 77 INT - CHAPEL - DAY The scene consists of a number of shots dissolving into one another. Sister Genevieve lying face down in front of the bishop, Genevieve praying on her knees, her family (4) watching from behind the grilled gate. Genevieve's hair being cut, her joy at the habit being fitted to her, running out to join her family, a jolly old singalong on the piano, this time the nuns singing along from behind the gate. 78 EXT - CONVENT - DAY Martha drives up in her car and walks across the now snow covered grounds to the convent. 79 INT - MOTHER MIRIAM'S OFFICE - DAY Mother Miriam is working away at her desk when a nun interrupts. Singing from the party can faintly be heard. NUN (off) Excuse me Mother, Doctor Livingston is here. Mother Miriam nods tiredly and goes to meet Martha at he door. Martha hands her a court order. Mother Miriam reads it briefly and hands it back. MOTHER MIRIAM This is permission to take her apart. MARTHA Where is she? MOTHER MIRIAM Hasn't she had enough? MARTHA I have a few more questions to ask her. MOTHER MIRIAM My God, but you're determined. They move back into the room. MARTHA Who knew she was pregnant? MOTHER MIRIAM Why do you insist upon pressing... MARTHA Was it you? MOTHER MIRIAM Is it because she's a nun? MARTHA Did you know she was pregnant? MOTHER MIRIAM Yes. MARTHA And you didn't send her to a doctor. MOTHER MIRIAM I didn't guess until it was too late. MARTHA For what? An abortion? MOTHER MIRIAM Oh, don't be ridiculous. MARTHA Too late for what? MOTHER MIRIAM I don't know... too late to stop it. MARTHA The baby? MOTHER MIRIAM The scandal... MARTHA You went to the room to help with the birth. MOTHER MIRIAM She didn't want any help. MARTHA You wanted that child out of the way. MOTHER MIRIAM That's a lie. MARTHA You hid the wastepaper basket in her room. MOTHER MIRIAM I didn't hide it. I put it there for the blood and the dirty sheets. MARTHA And the baby. MOTHER MIRIAM No! MARTHA You tied the cord around its neck. MOTHER MIRIAM I wanted her to have it when no-one else was around, they would have taken the baby to a hospital and left it with them, but it was such a difficult birth, there was so much blood and I panicked. MARTHA Before or after you killed the child? MOTHER MIRIAM I left it with her and I went for help. MARTHA I doubt that's what she'd say. MOTHER MIRIAM Then she's a liar. 80 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY It is the same as before, except that this time Martha and Mother Miriam are standing. MARTHA Agnes, can you hear me? AGNES Yes. MARTHA I want you to remember if you can a night last January. The night Sister Paul died. Do you remember. There is a flash cut to Sister Paul being annointed. Agnes stirs slightly. MARTHA (Cont.) What's the matter? There is another flash cut, this time of Sister Paul saying that mysterious word that we could not previously understand. AGNES She said Michael. MARTHA What did she mean? There is a third flash cut of the shrine of Saint Michael in the crypt. AGNES The statue. She had shown it to me the day before. MARTHA And the passage to the barn? AGNES Yes. MARTHA Why? AGNES So I could go to him. MARTHA Who? AGNES Him. MARTHA How did she know about him? AGNES She'd seen him too. MARTHA Where? AGNES From the belltower the day she before she died. MARTHA So she sent you? AGNES Yes. 81 INT - TUNNEL - NIGHT In flashback: Agnes is walking alone through the tunnel carrying an oil lamp. MARTHA (V.O.) What happened? Agnes keeps walking and finally goes up the steps into... 82 INT - BARN - NIGHT Still in flashback, Agnes emerges into the barn. The doves flap about as Agnes moves nervously through the barn. AGNES (V.O.) He's here. 83 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY Back to the present: MARTHA Are you frightened? AGNES Yes. 84 INT - BARN - NIGHT In flashback: the doves continue to make flapping and bumping sounds as they fly around the barn. AGNES Hallo... 85 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY In the present: AGNES ... where are you? 86 INT - BARN - NIGHT In flashback: AGNES Is it you? Then she seems to be talking to someone although we can see nothing except the doves. AGNES (Cont.) I... I'm afraid... yes, yes I do... why me?... wait, I want to see you. MARTHA (V.O.) What do you see? 87 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY In the present: AGNES Halos... 88 INT - BARN - NIGHT In flashback: Agnes is still in the barn but now she is lying on her back. Still all we can see are doves flashing in the light. AGNES (V.O.) ... dividing and dividing feathers and starts, falling, falling into the iris of God's eye. Oh... oh!... it's... it's so lovely... it's so... blue... yellow... blood wings, brown, blood... And she lifts up her hands. 89 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY In the present: as she lifts up her hands, Agnes is horrified to see two holes in her palms weeping blood. AGNES His blood... my God... Martha and Mother Miriam are equally shocked. MARTHA Oh Agnes... Agnes runs terrified over to the walls blood pouring over her white habit. Mother Miriam rushes after her. AGNES It's bleeding... I'm bleeding... my God it won't stop, I can't get it to stop. (to Mother Miriam) Let go of me, I wish you were dead. MARTHA (trying to hold her) Agnes... Agnes... Agnes breaks free and runs over to another wall smearing it too with blood. Martha follows her. AGNES Stay away from me... MARTHA Agnes it had nothing to do with the hand of God. He did a terrible thing to you, do you understand? AGNES No... MARTHA He frightened you and he hurt you. It's not your fault. It's his fault. Tell us who he is so we can find him. Stop him from doing this to other women. AGNES Not your fault... MARTHA Agnes who did you see? AGNES I hate him... MARTHA Of course you do. Who was it? AGNES I hate him for what he did to me. MARTHA Yes. AGNES For what he made me go through. MARTHA Who? AGNES I hate him. MARTHA Agnes, who did this to you? Agnes flings her arms back against the wall. AGNES God! It was God. (sinks to her knees) And now I'll burn in hell because I hate him. MARTHA Agnes you won't burn in hell. It's alright to hate him. MOTHER MIRIAM That's enough. MARTHA Agnes, what happened to the baby? MOTHER MIRIAM (shouting) She can't remember. MARTHA What happened to the baby? AGNES It was dead. MARTHA It was alive wasn't it? AGNES I don't remember. MOTHER MIRIAM (screaming) Oh, don't do this! MARTHA Wasn't it! AGNES YES! Somehow this declaration seems to calm them down somewhat. Mother Miriam is looking utterly resigned. MARTHA Mother Miriam was with you wasn't she? AGNES Yes. MARTHA She took the baby in her arms? AGNES Yes. MARTHA You saw it all didn't you? AGNES Yes. MARTHA And then... what did she do? (no answer) Agnes what did she do? AGNES She... left me alone with that little thing, and I looked at it, and I thought this is a mistake. But it's my mistake, not Mommy's. God's mistake. AGNES (cont.) I thought I... I can save her. (she raises her hands) I can give her back to God. MARTHA What did you do? AGNES I put her to sleep. MARTHA H... how? AGNES I tied the cord around her neck... wrapped her in the bloody sheets... and stuffed her in the trash can. Mother Miriam gives a shuddering sigh, makes the sign of the cross and prays. Martha claps her hands lightly together once. 90 EXT - CITY - DAY A shaft of sunlight shines through the winter clouds onto the city. Angle on the courthouse. 91 INT - COURT ROOM - DAY All the main characters are present: Eve, Lyon, Martha, Agnes, Sister Marguerite and Mother Miriam. Justice Leveau is summing up. LEVEAU In view of the situation as it now stands, and the testimony given here this morning, it seems quite clear that the defendant was in no manner responsible for her actions. It is therefore the judgement of this court that she be returned to the convent of Marie Madeleine where she will be cared for under proper medical supervision by a visiting physician. Both Martha and Mother Miriam show relief at this. Justice Leveau continues to sum up in French when suddenly Agnes stands up. LEVEAU (Cont.) (surprised) Oui. Do you have something to say? AGNES (a long pause) I stood in the window of my room every night for a week. And one night I heard the most beautiful voice imaginable. And when I looked I saw the moon shining down on him. For six nights he sang to me, songs I'd never heard. And on the seventh night he opened his wings and lay on top of me. All the while he sang - (sings) Charlie Sweet... Charlie Sweet... Charlie's a... LEVEAU Please, remove her from the court. Martha and Mother Miriam step forward uncertainly. LEVEAU Would someone please remove the defendant from the courtroom. (continues in French) The nuns lead Agnes, still singing past Martha and out of the court. DISSOLVE TO: 92 EXT - CONVENT - DAY It is full winter; many shots of the convent and surroundings dissolving into one another. MARTHA (V.O.) I don't know the meaning behind the song she sang. Perhaps it was a song of seduction. And the father was a fieldhand. Perhaps the song was simply a lullaby that she remembered from many years ago. And the father was hope and... and love and desire. And a belief in miracles. The nuns are seen walking together through the snow back to the convent over which Agnes' singing can be heard. MARTHA (V.O.) I want to believe that she was blessed. And I do miss her, and I hope that she's left something, some little part of herself with me. That would be miracle enough wouldn't it? DISSOLVE TO: 93 EXT - TOP OF BELLTOWER - DAY Where Agnes is singing her song among the doves. She stops singing and the music fades in on the same key. Agnes gently takes on of the doves and lets it fly away across the snowy landscape. FADE OUT. END TITLES.

FADE IN: INT. C-130 HERCULES TURBO-PROP - NIGHT Eighteen combat-ready special forces, wearing assault black, jump packs and combat gear, stare down the deep end of a greasy ramp into the night sky. Village lights flicker 19,000 feet below. The STRIKE FORCE LEADER signals to his team. Without a moment's hesitation, they dive into the darkness and plummet toward earth. EXT. MANSION - NIGHT A military GUARD, old Soviet-style uniform, rounds the corner of the large estate toting an AK-47. A red laser dot appears briefly on his forehead and, after a beat, the red dot seems to bleed. The Guard collapses dead. Two other GUARDS are dispatched with single, silenced shots. A Strike Team member at a junction box awaits a signal. Through infra-red binoculars the strike Force Leader watches his assault troops as they take positions. STRIKE FORCE LEADER (into headset/in Russian) GO! On the estate - as the power goes out. The team on the mansion's front porch pops the door and pours in. INT. MANSION - NIGHT FOLLOWING - the FIVE TEAM MEMBERS as they rush a stairway in phalanx formation. They nearly knock over an old lady, who in turn lets out a blood curdling scream. UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - The team kicks open a door. Rushes into the room. INT. BEDROOM - Assault weapons pointed at the bed. The soldiers yank back bedsheets to reveal IVAN STRAVANAVITCH, a middle-aged man and his half-naked 18-year-old concubine. SOLDIER (in Russian) Get up, now! Up! The soldiers pull Stravanavitch to his feet and haul him out of the room. FOLLOWING - As they push down the hallway. MANSION SECURITY GUARDS rally with haphazard gunfire. Out come the strike force's flash-bang grenades. Exploding everywhere, disorienting Stravanavitch's men. EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Signal flares burn as a helicopter descends on the position. The Strike Team evacuates across the field and forces a struggling Stravanavitch into the low-hovering copter. The commandos swiftly board the craft as a handful of Stravanavitch's guards break into the clearing. They open fire. And the mounted machine guns on the helicopter return. One of the Strike Team members takes a bullet to the neck. He's' pulled by his comrades into the chopper as it lifts into the sky, its guns spitting lead... STRIKE FORCE LEADER (V.0.) Archangel, this is Restitution. Archangel, this is Restitution. The package is wrapped. Over. VOICE (V.0. RADIO) Roger, Restitution. We are standing by for delivery. FADE TO BLACK The SOUNDS of a dinner banquet. Forks clanking against plates and the din of a hundred conversations, broken by... The DING, DING, DING of a SPOON tapping against a wine glass. SUPER TITLE: "MOSCOW - THREE WEEKS LATER FADE IN: INT. BANQUET ROOM - NIGHT Hundreds of men and women in formal evening wear sit at round banquet tables. A HUSH falls over the guests as the DINGING continues. All attention turns to the front table. A rotund, silver haired-man in his late sixties rises and sidles past U.S. and Russian flags up to the podium microphone. He is STOLI PETROV, President of Russia. PETROV (in Russian) Thank you for joining us this evening. Petrov's harsh Russian issues through the room. But over it we hear a young woman's voice translating. TRANSLATOR (V.0.) Tonight we are honored to have with us a man of remarkable courage, who, despite strong international criticism... AT THE FRONT TABLE - A translator's words ring in the earpiece of a handsome man in his mid-forties. Worry lines crease his forehead and the touch of gray at his temples attest to three very difficult years in office. This man is JAMES MARSHALL, and he is the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. He busily makes last minute changes to his speech. TRANSLATOR (V.0. earpiece) Has chosen to join our fight against tyranny in forging a new world community. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the President of the United States of America... Mr. President. Thunderous applause as Marshall rises and approaches the podium. At the back of the room, DOHERTY, a senior policy adviser whispers to the President's Chief of Staff ED SHEPHERD... DOHERTY Maybe we should consider running him for re-election instead of the U.S. The applause dies as Marshall begins to speak. MARSHALL (in Russian with subtitles) Good evening and thank you. First I would ask you to join me in a moment of silence for the victims of the Turkmenistan massacres. The room remains silent a few beats. Most guests respectfully bow their heads. Marshall begins again, but this time in English. The young woman translates simultaneously for the Russian audience. MARSHALL As you know, three weeks ago American Special Forces, in cooperation with the Russian Republican Army, secured the arrest of Turkmenistan's self- proclaimed dictator, General Ivan Stravanavitch, whose brutal sadistic reign had given new meaning to the word horror. I am proud to say our operation was a success. Applause from the audience. Marshall turns the page on his speech. MARSHALL And now, yesterday's biggest threat to world peace... today awaits trial for crimes against humanity. During the applause, Marshall pulls a page from the speech, folds it and slides it into his pocket. He removes his glasses and looks out into the crowd. His tone becomes more personal. He's not reciting the speech anymore. MARSHALL What we did here was important. We finally pulled our heads out of the sand, we finally stood up to the brutality and said "We've had enough. Every time we ignore these atrocities-- the rapes, the death squads, the genocides- every time we negotiate with these, these thugs to keep them out of gig country and away from gig families, every time we do thiS.E. we legitimize terror. Terror is not a legitimate system of government. And to those who commit the atrocities I say, we will no longer tolerate, we will no longer negotiate, and we will no longer be afraid. It's your turn to be afraid. Applause rolls through the crowd. EXT. MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - NIGHT Sprawling terminals spread out to runways like tentacles. ON THE TARMAC - Bathed in floodlights, perched majestically on the runway, dwarfing nearby commuter and military jets, stands... AIR FORCE ONE The President's own Boeing 747-200, dubbed "the flying White House". The distinctive royal blue stripe over a thin gold line tapers to a tail adorned with the American flag and the Presidential Seal Secret Service agents and Marines stand guard at the aircraft's perimeter. A RUSSIAN NEWS VAN emerges from the darkness and pulls to a stop by a Secret Service barricade. SPECIAL AGENT GIBBS greets the Russian news team that emerges. GIBBS Gentlemen, welcome to Air Force One. Please present your equipment to Special Agent Walters for inspection. The news team's segment producer, a crusty old Russian named KORSHUNOV raises his big bushy eyebrows. KORSHUNOV We've already been inspected. GIBBS Sir, this plane carries the President of the United States. Though we wish to extend your press service every courtesy, you will comply with our security measures to the letter. KORSHUNOV Of course. I'm sorry. Korshunov and the FIVE MEMBERS of his news crew present their video cameras, sound equipment and supplies to Special Agent WALTERS for inspection. Secret Service DOGS sniff through the baggage. GIBBS Please place your thumbs on the ID pad. Korshunov puts his thumb on the ID pad of a portable computer. The computer matches up his thumbprint with his dossier and photograph. "CLEARED" flashes on the computer screen. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The President, walking with his entourage. SHEPHERD * CBS said they'll give us four minutes. They thought the Russian was a nice touch. MARSHALL I always wondered if my freshman Russian class would come in handy. DOHERTY Sir, you threw out page two. MARSHALL Goddamn right I did. I asked for a tough-as-nails speech and you gave me diplomatic bullshit. What's the point in having a speech if I have to ad-lib? DOHERTY It was a good ad-lib, sir. MARSHALL Thanks. Wrote it last night. The President exits the building and enters his limousine. EXT. TARMAC - AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Walters hands the bags back to the Russians. WALTERS Equipment checks out. A striking woman in her early thirties descends Air Force One's stairway. MARIA MITCHELL. GIBBS Gentlemen, this is Maria Mitchell. Press Relations for the Presidential Flight Office. She'll take you from here. KORSHUNOV Ms. Mitchell. So nice to finally meet you in person. MITCHELL The President and I were delighted that we could accommodate you. Now if you're all cleared? (Gibbs nods) You can follow me then. They ascend into the belly of Air Force One. MITCHELL * I'll be giving you a brief tour, then during the flight, two members of your crew will be allowed out of the press area at a time for filming. You will have exactly ten minutes with the President and twenty with the crew... EXT. STREETS OF MOSCOW, PRESIDENT'S MOTORCADE - NIGHT Winding its way down narrow cobblestone streets onto a major thoroughfare. INT. PRESIDENTIAL LIMOUSINE - NIGHT The limousine is packed with advisers, aides, military staff, including LT. COL. PERKINS, the keeper of the NUCLEAR FOOTBALL handcuffed to his wrist. In the b.g. on the limo's television set, the LARRY KING SHOW indulges in its normal banter. Marshall wearily rubs his temples as he stifles a yawn. SHEPHERD You wanna knock of f? MARSHALL No, no. I'm fine. What did the Speaker say? SHEPHERD He and the NRA don't like the wording. DOHERTY Apparently taking uzis away from sixth graders isn't as popular as we thought it'd be. Representative Taylor is working on a compromise. MARSHALL Put together a score sheet. I'll make some calls. SHEPHERD With all due respect, sir, maybe you should give them this one. Your numbers are still pretty low and you called in a lot of chips to nail Stravanavitch. MARSHALL I might still have a few chips left. SHEPHERD * We could always put you in a duck blind with a twelve gauge. The second amendment types'll love that. MARSHALL This is a crime bill, Shep. Killing a couple ducks won't get it through committee. Besides, Shep, I told you... I don't shoot babies and I don't kiss guns. SHEPHERD Other way around, sir. MARSHALL (realizing what he said) Right... Christ I'm tired. Do me a favor and keep me away from the press. Marshall's watch alarm beeps and he automatically reaches into his breast pocket, pulls out a medicine vial and downs two pills with a coffee chaser. On the T.V. LARRY KING (T.V.) ... and your reaction to the President's trip to Moscow. Good or bad? Shepherd turns up the volume. SHEPHERD This is the part I wanted you to see. REP. DANFORTH (T.V.) Criminal. One of our boys died in Marshall's little publicity stunt and for what? So we could claim victory over another country's problems instead of our own? And now he's got the nerve to prance around Moscow gloating, while that poor boy's family is left to bury him. If I were Marshall, I'd be ashamed of myself. LARRY KING There you have it. Harsh words for the President from Michael Danforth, the Speaker of the House. Marshall mutes the television. A quiet moment. SHEPHERD * My opinion. We can't let him get away with that kind of language. Marshall considers. Then decides. MARSHALL It's bait. Don't take it. SHEPHERD Sir, the Speaker of the House attacked this administration on national television. You can't afford to leave that hanging. MARSHALL (ignoring Shepherd) Did we tape the Duke game? AIDE It's waiting on the plane. The ending was pretty... MARSHALL (interrupting) Please don't tell me. Just for once, * let me be surprised. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, CORRIDOR, TRAVELING - NIGHT Maria Mitchell escorts the Russians down the plane's length. As they pass the galley, Maria motions up a set of stairs. MITCHELL Up on the upper deck is the cockpit and the Mission Communication Center. The MCC, as we call it, can place clear and secure phone calls to anywhere on earth. We're linked to a network of military and civilian satellites and ground stations. We could run the country or run a war from there if we had to. KORSHUNOV This is a remarkable aircraft. MITCHELL You don't know the half of it. Did you know this entire plane is shielded from radiation? We could fly through a mushroom cloud completely unharmed if necessary. KORSHUNOV A dubious distinction, no? MITCHELL I guess it depends on your perspective. They walk by several conference rooms, running down the starboard side of the plane. KORSHUNOV And all these rooms here? MITCHELL Conference rooms, though some have other functions. The one up front doubles as an emergency medical center. Past the conference rooms, they walk by a small side room where SECRETARIES work on computers, generating documents. MITCHELL As you can see, back here's more like a regular plane. Security and Secret Service take this cabin. You'll be in the rear with the press pool. The REAR PRESS CABIN, just ahead of the rear galley and bank of bathrooms. A handful of disgruntled reporters feign sleep. MITCHELL Here's a press kit. I'll let you guys get comfortable and once we're airborne I'll be able to schedule the interviews. KORSHUNOV Thank you. Mitchell exits forward. One of the reporters stirs and looks up at the news team. He groans. Space is a premium back here. REPORTER You fellas win some sort of fly-with- POTUS contest? KORSHUNOV Potus? What is Potus? REPORTER P.O.T.U.S. President Of The United States. KORSHUNOV Ah, no. We won nothing. We are ITAR-TASS news service. REPORTER Right. Listen, this here... This is my row. You'll have to sit over there. Korshunov trades looks with his news team. EXT. MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - NIGHT The President's motorcade pulls up in front of Air Force One. INT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT The President and his entourage ascend from the lower deck platform onto the main deck. COL. DANIEL AXELROD, Air Force One's pilot, snaps off a salute as he passes. COL. AXELROD Welcome aboard, Mr. President. MARSHALL (returns salute) Hey Danny. How's it look tonight? COL. AXELROD Glassy, sir. Care to take the wheel? MARSHALL You keep offering, one of these days I'll take you up on it. (to no one in particular) Rose and Alice back yet? AIDE No, Mr. President. The ballet ran late. Their ETA is seventeen minutes. Marshall nods as he pulls off his bow tie and enters his stateroom. Shepherd follows two steps behind. SHEPHERD Mr. President? Marshall halts Shepherd with a gesture. MARSHALL Thirty seconds. Shepherd nods and waits by the door. Lt. Col. Perkins takes a seat outside the Presidents stateroom and opens the latest Tom Clancy thriller, using the nuclear football as a lap desk. INT. PRESIDENT'S STATEROOM - NIGHT Marshall collapses on the couch, rubs his eyes, then closes them. A moment of peace in a breakneck day. The knock at the door jars him. MARSHALL Yes. Shepherd enters. SHEPHERD Can I at least issue a press release objecting to the Speaker's choice of wording? President Marshall picks up one of the many phones in his office. MARSHALL I said it's not worth the fight. (into phone) Steward, please. SHEPHERD We'll just say it was in bad taste. * MARSHALL Forget it, Shep. The kid gave his life for his country and the Speaker's a bastard for turning him into a sound bite. I'll take the heat. Understood? SHEPHERD You give me ulcers. MARSHALL That's my job. A STEWARD enters the room. STEWARD Mr. President? MARSHALL Hey Mike. Could you get me a Heineken? SHEPHERD No, wait. Get him one of the Russian beers. The steward nods and disappears from the room. SHEPHERD We've got those Russian news guys on board and it'll look good in the papers. Marshall picks up a stack of policy reports. Thumbs through them. MARSHALL C'mon Shep. I've been eating borscht and drinking vodka for days. Isn't that enough? (off paper) New home starts are down. The steward arrives with the Russian beer. Marshall takes a swig. He swallows hard. Piss-water. Marshall crosses to his sink and pours the beer out. He hands the bottle to the steward. MARSHALL Fill this with Heineken. The steward nods... STEWARD Yes, Mr. President. AND SLINKS AWAY WITH THE BOTTLE. MARSHALL CATCHES HIMSELF -- MARSHALL I don't believe this. I'm playing politics with a bottle of beer. A goddamn bottle of beer. I've been in office too long. SHEPHERD Look on the bright side... if the polls don't change, you won't have that problem, sir. Marshall picks up the phone again. MARSHALL Yeah. Put the Duke game on in my room. INT. AFO'S MISSION COMMUNICATION CENTER - NIGHT THREE Air Force SPECIALISTS man the elaborate communication system occupying much of the upper deck. Top-of-the-line computers, communication systems, video decks, and satellite receivers. AIR FORCE SPECIALIST Yes, Mr. President. He slides in a videotape and channels the feed to the * president's stateroom. INT. PRESIDENT'S STATEROOM - NIGHT A monitor comes to life with a basketball game. MARSHALL (to Shepherd) Defense and State Department in the conference room in one hour. I want to review the Iraq situation. SHEPHERD Yes, sir. Shepherd exits as Marshall settles into his leather chair and dives into work. He punches a button on the speakerphone. MARSHALL Get me the Housing Secretary... EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT The Marine Guards snap to attention once again as the First Lady's motorcade arrives. ROSE MARSHALL, a self-assured woman with an aristocratic gleam, alights from her limo. She takes a few steps, then turns, tapping her foot impatiently. ROSE C'mon Alice, we're 20 minutes late. Your father's gonna have a fit. ALICE, the President's 13-year-old daughter, straggles out of the car, rolling her eyes. ALICE It's not like he hasn't made us wait a few times. ROSE Well, you aren't the President, dear. ALICE Yeah, no duh. INT. MAIN DECK, AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT As the First Lady's entourage enters. ROSE Why don't you go say hi? Again, Alice rolls her eyes. ROSE What is wrong with you tonight? Come here. Rose pulls Alice aside. ROSE You don't want to say hi to your father? ALICE I'm sure he's busy. ROSE Don't you even want to ask? Alice toes her foot into the carpet as she releases an exasperated sigh. She is, in this moment, the patron saint of know-it-all 13-year-old girls. Alice waves toward the Presidential Suite. ALICE If I go over there to say hi to daddy President, Mike's going to tell me he's in a meeting and can't be disturbed. Then when the plane starts to taxi, he'll come out and say "Hey, are you guys back? Did you enjoy the ballet?" But he'll be on his way to another meeting and won't wait for an answer. Then you'll get pissed at him and he'll get pissed at you. It's like you guys rehearse or something. With the weight of the entire world on her shoulders, Alice Collapses into one of the many leather chairs. It seems to swallow her. JORY, a steward passes. ALICE Hey Joey, how `bout a cocoa, double whip cream. ROSE Alice... ALICE Mom, just this once, give it a rest. ROSE You're jet-lagged. We'll talk about this back... ALICE Back at The Fishbowl? Alice eyes the swirl of Aides who are pretending to work nearby. But it's obvious that they're eavesdropping. Alice smiles and waves at them dramatically. ROSE We'll talk at home. (beat) You know, most girls aren't as lucky as you. For most girls seeing the Bolshoi ballet would be the experience of a lifetime. ALICE I know, Mom. (sees the hurt in her mom's eyes and softens) It was great... really. Rose nods, smiling a half-smile. After a thoughtful beat, Alice gets up and crosses to the Presidential suite. She exchanges words with the Aide standing outside the door and comes back, covering her disappointment. ALICE He's in a meeting. He can't be disturbed. ROSE I'm sorry, honey. ALICE No, it's okay. After all, he is the President, right? Joey the steward hands her her cocoa with a wink and a smile. Her eyes light up at the mound of whip cream on top. ALICE When I write my memoirs I think I'll devote an entire chapter to the cocoa aboard Air Force One. ROSE Your father never means to be so... ALICE I know... (beat) But lotsa times I feel like it's me versus the world. Some kid at school teases me and the same day a plague breaks out in Bangladesh. I mean it doesn't take a genius to figure which is more important. ROSE Some kids were teasing you? ALICE That's not really the point. A quiet pause, then... ROSE You're right and I'll tell you a secret. I know exactly how you feel. ALICE Big secret. You said the same thing to Newsweek. The plane jolts forward as it begins to taxi. ALICE We're taxiing. Ready. And... five... four... three.. two... one... Cue Daddy. Alice points. And as if on cue, Marshall exits from his office and checks his watch. ALICE Oooooh, I'm good. MARSHALL Hey, you guys back already? Alice nods. MARSHALL How was... (thinks, then remembers) ...the ballet? ALICE (theatrically) It was the experience of a lifetime. MARSHALL How `bout a hug for the old man. Alice rises and hugs her father. A White House PHOTOGRAPHER snaps off a few shots for the papers. Alice makes a face at them. A second later, Shepherd comes up the corridor, breaking up the pair. SHEPHERD Mr. President... they're ready for you in the conference room. MARSHALL Okay. Hey, pumpkin, you'll tell me all about it later, right? ALICE Sure. As Marshall moves toward the conference room, he bends and gives Rose a quick peck on the cheek. It all reeks of formality. ROSE May I speak to you for a moment? MARSHALL Can't it wait? ROSE No, Mr. President. It can't. INT. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE. Rose shuts the door behind them. As she starts to speak, Marshall pulls her into a long passionate kiss. Rose pulls away. ROSE Don't. I know spin control when I feel it. MARSHALL Rose, I don't have time for this. I've gotta go stop a war. ROSE For godsakes, Jim, slow down and stop acting like the little dutch boy. Not even you can plug all the world's leaks. Don't you think it's a sign you're pushing too hard when your daughter sees more of you on MTV news than in person. MARSHALL She's a big girl. She understands. ROSE How do you know she understands? You haven't spent more than five minutes with her, or me, in weeks. MARSHALL And when have I had five minutes? When I wake up in the morning and I'm already three hours behind Schedule. What do you want me to do, Rose, tell the G7 to fuck off because I'm a family man? (BEAT) I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. ROSE No. It wasn't. He takes her in his arms. MARSHALL You know what? ROSE What? MARSHALL I miss you. And I miss her. ROSE But that's the point, Jim. We're right here. MARSHALL I wish it were that easy... Long beat. He smiles at her, it's the same sweet smile that won her heart, the same smile that got him elected. She softens. MARSHALL I'll make it up to you, I promise. ROSE I should trust that promise? Because you know the voters are still waiting for that middle class tax cut. MARSHALL This promise isn't subject to Congressional approval. She smiles. The tension breaks. ROSE How did your speech go? MARSHALL Well, they aren't burning me in effigy. That's always a good sign. They kiss again, this time for real. But... a knock on the door. SHEPHERD (0.5.) Mr. President. Shepherd opens the door. MARSHALL Look on the bright side, hon. Shep here thinks I'll be a one termer. ROSE Shall I ask the Chief of Staff to schedule your daughter in? SHEPHERD She is scheduled. Her school play's Tuesday night. Rose rolls her eyes. MARSHALL The First Lady was making a joke, Shep. I'll make some time, Rose. I promise. Marshall heads for his meeting. EXT. COCKPIT - NIGHT Col. Axelrod and his co-pilot LT. COL. ARTHUR INGRAHAMS are at the wheel. RUSSIAN AIR TRAFFIC (V.0) (THICK ACCENT) United States Air Force One, this is tower. It's an honor to clear you for immediate take-off on runway three. COL. AXELROD Roger, Tower. And thank you for the hospitality. Axeirod eases up the throttle and the four GE-F103 Turbofan engines spring to life. EXT. RUNWAY - NIGHT A picture perfect take-off as Air Force One slides through the moonlight and skates upward on a sheet of air. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE, FLYING - AN HOUR LATER Airborne in the midnight sky. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, GALLEY - NIGHT Aircraft engines drone. CLOSE ON - A coffee pot pouring piping joe into a mug emblazoned with ubiguitou Presidential Seal. The mug is placed on a tray with a half-dozen other mugs and passed to a STEW. He carries the tray down the corridor past passenger cabins. Drowsiness has overtaken the plane. Many of the passengers and aides are asleep. CNN plays On T.V. sets, entertaining the few night owls and news junkies. CNN REPORTER (T.V.) In an unusually aggressive speech, the President characterized the Stravanavitch regime as thugs whose brutality will no longer be tolerated. Meanwhile, in Turkmenistan, Stravanavitch's ouster has sent the country into turmoil. Tens of thousands of refugees continue to huddle in U.N. safe havens, as rival Stravanavitch loyalists fight among themselves for control. But at least for the time being, the ethnic cleansing has been stopped. Toward the front of the plane, the steward enters the conference room. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT As the steward closes the door behind him, all background noise disappears. We are in a sound shielded room. Even the engines' drone cannot be heard. The lights in the room are dim as MAJOR CALDWELL, a military advisor, projects satellite photos of Iraqi military bases onto a screen. The steward serves coffee as unobtrusively as he can while the meeting continues. MAJOR CALDWELL Our KH-ll's took this one at 0100 hours. What you see here is the mobilization of two mechanized brigades. MARSHALL They've gotta be joking. DOHERTY The Iraqi ambassador is claiming it's just an exercise. MARSHALL An exercise in futility. Send the Nimitz back in. MAJOR CALDWELL The northern border's gotten a bit hairy. Their MiGs are playing tag with our Tomcats and our boys are just itching to engage. MARSHALL Tell our boys to cool their jets. I don't need `em creating policy for me. We follow the steward as he slips out of the conference room and back into the... INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT with a few coffees left on his tray. One of them is scooped up by Gibbs as he passes, his nose is buried in a fax. INT. SECRET SERVICE CABIN - NIGHT Gibbs leans in the cabin. GIBBS Hey Walters, you and Johnson come here a second. Reykjavik just sent the advance team report. Special Agents Walters and JOHNSON rise and follow Gibbs into an adjoining office. INT. OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Gibbs closes the door behind the two agents. As Walters and Johnson take their seats, Gibbs WITHDRAWS HIS WEAPON and... SHOOTS each of the agents in THE BACK OF THE HEAD. Silenced pistol. Blood all over the desk. Gibbs removes each of the agent's weapons and slips them into his waistband. He waits a few beats, takes a long sip of coffee, then exits the office. INT. SECRET SERVICE CABIN - NIGHT As he passes through the cabin he takes a silent inventory. Five other agents working, sleeping, on the phone. INT. PRESS CABIN - NIGHT Gibbs nods to Korshunov. Korshunov nods one of his men. NEVSKY removes one of his videotapes, pops the front cover exposing the tape. Across the face of the tape is a thin strip of a rubbery substance. Nevsky pulls the strip up and out, making a kind of fuse. He reaches for a pack of matches... courtesy matches, sporting the Seal of the President. Nevsky nods and lights the fuse. IN A RAPID SUCCESSION - GIBBS tosses his two extra weapons to Korshunov's men, pivots the corner and begins firing at his colleagues. The SECRET SERVICE AGENTS try to get at their weapons, but Gibbs has caught them completely off-guard. Several silenced central nervous system shots (head and neck) and the five agents slump back, their red blood cascading down the creases of the fine Corinthian leather chairs. Nevsky tosses the cassette up the corridor... smoke pours out of it. Smoke screen. BAZYLEV and ZEDECK catch the guns Gibbs tossed and hold them on the reporters. BAZYLEV UP! GET UP NOW! Bazylev grabs the stunned reporters, yanking them into the aisle. BAZYLEV Walk in front of us. Go! Go! Go! Human shields. A half dozen of them. Behind the terrorists, one of the bathroom doors swings open. A SECRET SERVICE AGENT emerges. Sees what's happening. Reaches for his gun. ZEDECK fells him with a well placed unsilenced GUN SHOT. SCREAMS ensue... INT. FORWARD CABIN - NIGHT A sleeping SECRET SERVICE AGENT bolts upright. HEARS MORE SHOTS. He springs up and moves toward the gunshots, his weapon drawn. SECRET SERVICE AGENT SHOTS FIRED! SECURE BOY SCOUT! (screaming out and into his lapel mike) SHOTS FIRED! SHOTS FIRED! INT. SECRET SERVICE CABIN - NIGHT Bazylev and Zedeck lay down a suppressing fire outside the door. GIBBS Come on! Quickly. Korshunov, Nevsky and VLAD follow Gibbs into the Secret Service office. Gibbs opens a locker and pulls out a stash of MP5 automatic assault rifles and bullet-proof vests. Korshunov raises his bushy eyebrows in delight. GIBBS The Secret Service believes in being prepared for any eventuality. INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT The Secret Service agent fights his way through the smoke to a wall panel. Punches a red buttoned intercom. INT. AIR FORCE ONE'S FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT A red light on the security panel lights up... SECRET SERVICE AGENT (V.0.) We have a code red, I repeat, code red. Shots fired onboard. Cot. AXELROD Cabin/Flight Deck: Code Red Acknowledged... Shit. LT. CCL. INGRAHAMS (into headset microphone) Warsaw tower this is Air Force One. Declaring Emergency. Axelrod toggles his headset to secure line. COL. AXELROD Ranstein Air Base, this is Air Force One Heavy. We have a code red. Shots fired onboard, request priority redirect. Please acknowledge. INT. RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, AIR TRAFFIC CONTHOL TOWER - NIGHT SUPER - "RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, GERMANY" Hunched over a control terminal, the AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER tracks Air Force One's radar image. RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER Fuck me. GO WAKE THE GENERAL. NOW! The WATCH OFFICER springs into action, picking up a phone. RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER Air Force One Heavy, acknowledged. You are on our scope. Please state fuel remaining and souls onboard. COL. AXELROD (RADIO) Sixty seven souls onboard, we're okay with fuel. Request secure military escort with emergency medical standing by. RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER Air Force One Heavy, acknowledged. We are scrambling our fighters. The controller hits a red button on his console. Sirens flare up and klaxons wail across the base. The controller looks down to his runways. In the light of the moon he sees a half-dozen men rushing toward F-15 Eagles. RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLLR Call Berlin Tower. Not a plane lands or takes off within two hundred miles! Understood? The once sleepy midnight control room cranks into full crisis mode. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Pandemonium. GUNFIRE pops in the b.g. Air Force Specialists try to get the word out. AIR FORCE SPECIALIST A.F. SPECIALIST #2 General Greely? No sir, Interrupt her. This is this is Air Force One. We Air Force One with an have a code red. Shots emergency call. have been fired. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT The conference room door bursts open and TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS, weapons drawn, enter the room and run to Marshall. The once quiet room floods with light. The sounds of a gunfight and a blanket of smoke sweeps into the cabin. MARSHALL What's going on? SECRET SERVICE AGENT We're under attack. MARSHALL Where's my family? SECRET SERVICE AGENT We're handling it, sir. The agents lift Marshall to his feet, and practically carry him from the room, leaving the other high ranking officials to scramble for themselves in a cacophony of shouts. MARSHALL The launch codes! Who's protecting the football? FORWARD CORRIDOR - Perkins, carrying the nuclear football, ducks and weaves his way down the corridor into the fray. He takes a bullet to the shoulder, which fells him. NEAR THE FORWARD GALLEY - Alice is nearly trampled by agents responding to the gunfire. One agent grabs her and shoves her into a bathroom. SECRET SERVICE AGENT Don't open the door! GUNFIRE pops all around her. INT. CORRIDOR, REAR CABINS - NIGHT Smoke, automatic weapons fire. Secret service agents battling the terrorists. Aides, diplomats, crew and personnel caught in the crossfire. ZEDECK Down! Everybody down. A spray of weapons fire overhead and everyone hits the floor. ZEDECK STAY DOWN, PLACE YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD AND YOU WILL NOT BE SHOT! INT. AIR FORCE ONE, FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER (RADIO) Air Force One Heavy, you are cleared for priority divert, all runways are clear. LT. COL. INGRAHAMS Warsaw Tower has cleared local airspace. COL. AXELROD Changing course heading to 276 point five. Dropping to twenty thousand feet. Shots can be heard outside. COL. AXELROD Ingrahams, make sure that door's locked. LT. COL. INGRAHAMS Yes sir. Ingrahams locks the cockpit door. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Air Force One banks into a curve and descends through broken clouds. INT. PRESIDENTIAL STATEROOM - NIGHT The sounds of gunfire have reached the the nose of the plane. Rose peers out to see what's the matter. An armed Secret Service agent runs toward her. SECRET SERVICE AGENT Get back! Get back! A spray of bullets mows him down. He collapses in the door frame. Terrified, Rose tries to close the door, but the dead agent is in the way. INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT Filled with smoke and gunfire. The agents rush the President behind a forward bulkhead. SECRET SERVICE AGENT (into mike) We have Boy Scout, traveling forward. VOICE (OVER MIKE) Negative... negative... they're up here too. SECRET SERVICE AGENT Roger. We're going to the chute. Marshall looks up the hallway toward his stateroom. MARSHALL (calling out) ROSE! ALICE! DOWN THE CORRIDOR - Gibbs fires. HITS - One of the Secret Service agents in the shoulder. Blood blossoms through his clothes but he winces it off. SECRET SERVICE AGENT Come on, sir. The Secret Service agents whisk the President to the front stairwell. They pull up a floor panel, revealing stairs descending toward the baggage deck. INT. BATHROOM - Alice, huddled atop the commode. MARSHALL (O.S.) Alice! ALICE Daddy... Alice opens the door and rushes... INTO THE CORRIDOR... Tripping and falling over Joey, the steward. His dead eyes swim in a pool of blood that was his face. Alice screams, scrambling to her feet. MID-PLANE CORRIDOR - Perkins manages to push himself to his feet and stumbles down the hall into the computer room. Terrorist SERGE spots the nuclear football dangling from his wrist. He pursues. INT. COMPUTER ROOM - NIGHT Hysterical SECRETARIES feverishly dump classified documents into a shredder, while Perkins struggles to open the black leather briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. Bullets tear up the doorknob lock arid SERGE kicks in the door. SERGE Down! Everyone down! The Fawn Halls hit the floor as gunfire sprays overhead. But Perkins swings around brandishing his sidearm. He opens fire on Serge, but the bullets smack harmlessly against the SWAT vest. Serge returns fire, ripping up Perkins who collapses over the shredder, and with his last bit of strength, he dumps out the briefcase. Papers containing NUCLE WAR STRATEGIES and MISSILE LAUNCH CODES slide into the hungry Shredding machine. Perkins manages a slight smile before he keels over dead, his duty fulfilled. The shredded remains of the nuclear football rain over his head like tickertape at a hero's parade. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The pale moon catches shiny streaks of metal that descend through the broken clouds. The Squadron of F-15 Eagles drops into formation around Air Force One. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Gun shots right Outside the cockpit door. COT. CARLTON (RADIO) Air Force One, this is Squadron Commander Canton. You are now under escort. All airspace has been cleared. COL. AXELROD This is Air Force One Heavy. I'm coming in full throttle. ETA to Ranstein eight minutes. We've got a war here, sir. INT. COCKPIT F-LB EAGLE - NIGHT Encased in a helmet, mask, and visor, Carlton watches the flashes of gunfire in the dark windows of the plane. COt. CARLTON Copy. Delta Force has been mobilized. COT. AXELROD (V.0.) Roger that. INT. LOWER DECK OF AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Beneath the main cabin, the Secret Service agents run the President through the forward baggage compartment and the lower galley: a large room with compartments, storage freezers and food preperation tables. On the far side of the galley, the agents fling open a hatchway and enter... A NARROW GANGWAY - running between the lower galley and the rear baggage hold, flanked on either side by the landing gear bays. They duck under wing supports until they come to a mesh grating. The uninjured agent lifts the grating revealing an ESCAPE POD. SECRET SERVICE AGENT Get in! Marshall freezes. SECRET SERVICE AGENT Get in, sir. A second later gunfire rips Up the agent's face. The new volley sends Marshall under the cover of a wing strut. The second agent takes Position and returns fire. He quells the incoming volley for a moment. MARSHALL What about my family? SECRET SERVICE AGENT # I have a family, too, sir. Now get in the fucking pod. The firing begins again. Marshall struggles with the decision. SECRET SERVICE AGENT # Mr. President... MR. PRESIDENT! You have to do this! The pod, on three. Ready? The agent shoves in a fresh clip... SECRET SERVICE AGENT One. MARSHALL But... SECRET SERVICE AGENT (cutting him off) Two... THREE. GO! The agent combat-rolls into the open and fires. He advances down the gangway acting as a shield for the president, shooting blindly. Marshall watches as he's hit repeatedly, but it gives him the time he needs to dive for the pod. REVERSE ANGLE - VLAD AND NEVSKY behind the bulkhead. When the agent drops, Nevsky and Viad rush down the gangway. They arrive at the closed pod just as it begins to slide on its rails. They let loose dozens of rounds from their MP55, but the bullets just plink off. The pod-lock doors slide shut. The President is on his way to safety. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Small bay doors open in the belly of Air Force One, and a human sized cannister drops from the bottom, its parachute Opening instantly. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT A light flashes On the panel. COT. AXELROD (into mike) Ramstein/Air Force One: Emergency pod has been deployed. I repeat, emergency pod has been deployed. RANSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER This is Ramstein. Acknowledged. We are picking up the homing beacon and deploying search and rescue. COT. AXELROD Copy Ramstein. We are dropping to five thousand feet, beginning final approach. INT. BAGGAGE DECK GANGWAY - NIGHT ALICE (O.S.) Daddy? Dad? Her voice comes closer, filled with choking fear and panic. She rounds the corner and Nevsky catches her hair with a vice-tight grip shoving his MP5 into the small of her back. NEVSKY Your father has left you behind. INT. PRESIDENTIAL STATEROOM - NIGHT Korshunov kicks open the door. ROSE NO! Gunfire from ROSE, who holds the dead secret service agent's weapon. She empties the clip at the doorway. Click, click. No more bullets. Korshunov steps into the room, brandishing his automatic, smiling. Rose backs against the wall and raises her hands. EXT. WHITE HOUSE LAWN - DAY A Marine helicopte touches down on the greenway. Marines salute and escort KATHERINE CHANDLER from the chopper' interior to the South entrance of the White House. She is the VICE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, MISSION COMNUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Zedeck steps over the three dead Communications Specialists, on his way to the cockpit door. Tries the door. It's locked. He pounds on it. ZEDECK Open! Now! INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Through the cockpit window, the glowing landing lights of Ramstein Base are visible in the distance, cutting a wedge through the German towns and fields. Zedeck's pounding continues. COT. AXELROD Ramatein, we are fifteen miles away on final approach. I'm coming in fast and will need every inch of runway. RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER (V.0.) Copy, Air Force One. Wind is twelve knots from the east. Tactical and emergency are in position. EXT. RANSTEIN AIR FIELD - NIGHT Rescue vehicle sirens gyre in the darkness. A team of black- faced commandos unload from troop truck. Snipers take position atop rescue vehicles, barracks, and the control tower. High-powered rifles with infra-red scopes. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Zedeck aims his MP5 at the flight door. Fires off a dozen rounds. Nickel sized indentations blossom across the steel surface. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Dull thuds of bullet impacts. COT. AXELROD Let's get this crate on the ground. They're some real good men waiting to help us. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT The plane sprouts landing gear as it descends over the city. Coming in fast and low. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Gibbs shoves Zedeck aside. Produces a thumb-sized amount of C-4. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Final approach... the landing strip not far at all. COL. AXELROD Almost there. He raises his flaps. Air speed and altitude drop. EXT. RAPISTEIN AIR FIELD - NIGHT Spotters find Air Force One's navigation lights visible in the sky, descending from the distant darkness. Followed by the cluster of F-lSs. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Gibbs rolls out the C-4 like a kid making a snake in pottery class. He presses it along the door seal. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Altitude decreasing. 300 feet... 200 hundred feet... The runway coming up to meet them. EXT. RAMSTEIN AIR FIELD - NIGHT As the entire airbase collectively holds its breath. Air Force One's tires hover 50 feet above the ground... 40 feet... 30... INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Gibbs raises his pistol. Aims at the C-4. Fires. BAM! INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT A BLINDING FLASH. The door blows in. EXT. RANSTEIN AIR FIELD - NIGHT The wheels touchdown. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Gibbs and Zedeck storm the cockpit. RNT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Axeirod gropes at the plane's controls, trying to retain the wheel. Gibbs dispatches Axeirod with one shot. Zedek is a little messier with Ingrahams. But both pilot and co-pilot slump over their controls. EXT. RANSTEIN AIR FIELD - NIGHT The taxiing Boeing 747 suddenly veers to the right cutting across runways. Emergency vehicles give chase. The plane bounces. Is airborne for a second. Touches down again with a jolt. INT. CORRIDOR - AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Terrorists lead hostages to the conference room. Everyone is bounced around, slamming against walls, spilling over chairs. A MASTER SERGEANT seizes the opportunity and grabs for Bazylev's gun, but Bazylev shoots him almost point blank. BAZYLEV Keep moving! INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Chaos. Gibbs tries to pull Axelrod off the controls. GIBBS Throttle up. Throttle up! Zedek slams the throttle all the wa up. Spotlights and sirens swirl outside the cockpit window. EXT. RMMSTEIN FIELD - NIGHT The Flying White House careens toward the barracks, then edges toward a hangar. The jet engines strain to reach full power. INT. RAMSTEIN CONTROL TOWER - NIGHT The controller stares down at the out-of-control plane. RAMSTEIN A.B. CONTROLLER Aw Fuck. We're losing it! INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Gibbs pulls Axeirod's body out of the pilot's seat. Looks out the cockpit window and sees... A C-141 STARLIFTER in his path. A monstrous plane, every bit as big as Air Force One. Gibbs eases back on the wheel and the 747 sluggishly responds, its nose creeping upward. GIBBS Come on. Adjusts the flaps... EXT. RAMSTEIN AIRFIELD - NIGHT Air Force One closes in on the Starlifter. She's struggling off the ground like some injured bird. The straining metal defies gravity. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT Gibbs senses that he's too close. He pulls way back on the stick, risks stalling her out... but the bird responds. EXT. RAMSTEIN FIELD - NIGHT Air Force One barely clears the Starlifter, the edge of her wing just missing the top of the C-141's tail. The sharpshooters, the emergency crews, the commandos from Delta Force... Nothing they can do but watch her rise out. of sight. INT. FLIGHT DECK - LATER Gibbs and Zedeck. Gibbs checks over all the instruments. GIBBS Okay, 30,000 feet. Give me my heading. ZEDECK Bearing 110 point eight two. Gibbs banks the plane into a curve, then activates the auto- pilot. GIBBS Call me if something changes. ZEDECK That's it? GIBBS To fly a 747 you need to know three things. How to take of f, how to land, and how to engage the autopilot. INT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT SERIES OF SHOTS-- The terrorists, from every corner of the plane, lead the stunned survivors, hands on heads, to the central conference room. As Korshunov walks Rose up the corridor, he meets up with Gibbs, descending from the upper deck. KORSHUNOV The rest of the secret service? GIBBS Dead. KORSHUNOV How many others killed? GIBBS Nine. KORSHUNOV Any of us? Gibbs touches his bulletproof vest. GIBBS No damages. ROSE Where's my daughter? GIBBS She's alive, ma'am, for the time being. Rose allows herself a half-sob of relief. ROSE And my husband? GIBBS The secret service did their job, ma'am. The President is safely off the plane. (to Korshunov) But that still leaves us plenty to bargain with. Eyes filled with hatred... Rose SLAPS Gibbs face. ROSE Mr. Gibbs. You, of all people... Gibbs doesn't react. GIBBS Follow me, ma'am. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - DAY High-tech maps and communications systems line the walls, surrounding an austere main conference table. Laptop computers and secure telephones by every seat. Side tables. Tele-type machines spitting out classified information. VICE PRESIDENT CHANDLER analyzes the projected course of Air Force One on the tactical vid-map. V.P. CHANDLER We should have the President secure within minutes. Do we know who these terrorists are or where they're going? GENERAL NORTHWOOD, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff... GENERAL NORTHWOOD General Greely says it looks like the Middle East. V.P. CHANDLER Does your office have anything to add, Mr. Dean? National Security Advisor WALTER DEAN leans forward. DEAN The garners believe that, given the scenario, there's an 86% chance that we'll be dealing with a hostage situation and not an assassination attempt. Not much else until there's more data. V.P. CHANDLER If we're dealing with an airborne hostage situation what's our procedure? The Under-Secretary of Defense, THOMAS LEE, punches up a scenario on the lap-top. LEE Our only policy assumes the plane is on the ground. Our hands are completely tied while they're in the air. V.P. CHANDLER Okay, Gentlemen, we'll take no action until we confirm that the president is off the plane... Lee, go huddle with the D.O.D. I want an options paper on this in 20 minutes. LEE Twenty minutes? V.P. CHANDLER You heard me. (points to an aide) You. Congress and cabinet heads. The aide nods and picks up a telephone. AIR FORCE COLONEL Madame Vice-President? Chandler turns toward the door. The Colonel enters the room, holding a black briefcase identical to Perkins'. V.P. CHANDLER Yes? AIR FORCE COLONEL National Command Authority. All previous launch codes have been cancelled. You're carrying the ball now. V.P. CHANDLER Thank you, Colonel. Have a seat. EXT. GERMAN FARMLAND - NIGHT A HUEY, flanked by a pair of APACHES, skims the surface of wheat fields at maximum velocity. INT. HUEY COCKPIT - NIGHT The pilot checks his instruments. He's honing in on a signal. EXT. GERMAN FARKD - NIGHT The swirling spotlights of the Apaches finally illuminate the Seal of the President atop the EMERGENCY DEPLOYMENT POD. The Huey drops in for a landing and a half dozen Army Rangers in full combat gear deploy to the pod. They open it. But......... IT'S EMPTY. INT. BAGGAGE DECK GANGWAY - NIGHT Bruised and battered, some blood smeared across his tuxedo shirt... PRESIDENT JAMES MARSHALL lowers himself from one of the overhead wing struts. He emerges into the bowels of Air Force one. He stands quietly a moment, listening... for footsteps, for gunfire. All quiet except for the whine of the jet engines. He tak9s a moment to think. Considers his situation. His eyes find the dead agent who risked his life so he could make it to the pod. He trots down the gangway toward the lower galley. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Air Force One hovers atop billowy peaks. The smaller F-15s cluster around her in a loose formation. FIGHTER PILOT #1 (0.5. RADIO) Sir, isn't there something we can do besides escort? COL. CARLTON (O.S. RADIO) Like what, son... shoot our own plane down? FIGHTER PILOT #1 No sir. I just wish... COL. CARLTON Roger. We all wish... Now shut the fuck up and escort. INT. LOWER GALLEY - NIGHT Marshall looks around for a weapon... half-full coffee pot, stove, walk-in freezer, plates and silverware. Marshall picks up a butcher knife. INT. CORRIDOR, AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Nevsky and Bazylev guard the conference room door as Korshunov and Vlad enter. Nevsky hands Korshunov a copy of the plane's manifest. NEVSKY Every weapon and every person is accounted for. Korshunov nods and enters the room. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT Korshunov surveys the hostages. Viad covers them at gunpoint. Rose holds Alice, comforting her. shepherd, Doherty, Aides, Advisors, Crew... Fifty of them huddle like sardines. The plane's doctor administers to the wounded. Korshunov stares down his captives. KORSHUNOV Fear will keep you alive. Any one who is not afraid is bound to do something foolish, and bound to die. ROSE What do you want with us? KORSHUNOV Cooperation. If you try to escape, you will be met with automatic gunfire and a barricade of your comrade's bodies will prevent you from exiting. Good day. Korshunov exits, with Viad backing out behind him. Leaving the hostages alone. The sound of the door locking. A mournful beat. Everyone looks at each other and the dead and wounded victims of this heinous act... Hushed conversation breaks out all over the room. DOHERTY This can't be happening. You just don't pull this shit with the United States. You just don't. MAJOR CALDWELL Keep your heads. Caldwell paces, looks around the room. SHEPHERD Mrs. Marshall, are you okay? ROSE We're alive. SHEPHERD That's all that matters. Thank god the President got of f the plane. ROSE Yes... thank God. (to caldwell) You there... Caidwell, right? What's on your mind? caldwell takes a beat, then crosses to Rose and Shepherd. MAJOR CALDWELL (hushed) I don't want to get anybody here excited, but if we can get out of this room, I can get us to safety. SHEPHERD We're thirty five thousand feet up. MAJOR CALDWELL Yes, sir, that's a problem, but if we can somehow get to a lower altitude, the rear loading ramp on the baggage deck is equipped with parachutes in case of an engine failure. Now we can either wait for a political resolution, or try to resolve this thing ourselves. DOHERTY You're goddamn right we can resolve this ourselves. We'll negotiate. SHEPHERD You know the President's policy. DOHERTY The President isn't here. ROSE Right now we are an enormous liability to the United States. We can't just sit and do nothing. INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT The terrorists move toward the nose of the plane leaving Nevsky to guard the conference room. INT. BAGGAGE HOLD - NIGHT President Marshall reaches the front stairway. Cautiously climbs to the main cabin. As he reaches the top stairs, he hears Russian conversation approaching. He ducks back into the stairwell. He can't see them, but he can hear them. The terrorists pass within a few feet as they ascend to the Mission Communications Center on the upper deck. Marshall waits a few beats, listens to the silence. Then re- mounts the stairs and almost runs into the back of... VIAD Standing guard, facing the opposite direction. Marshall FREEZES... looks past Viad down the corridor where Nevsky guards the main conference room floor. Unaware of Marshall, Viad reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette. Lights it. On the first puff he feels a presence behind him. VLAD slowly turns around... Nothing there. He smiles at his jittery nerves, turns back round. REVERSE ANGLE - Over Vlad's shoulder... MARSHALL, flattened behind the edge of the galley divider. He creeps away from Vlad toward the Presidential Suite... stepping gingerly over dead secret service agents. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - * Korshunov pulls a handkerchef from his breast pocket and wipes the blood from a telephone headset. KORSHUNOV Proceed. Gibbs works the communications board, dialing in a series of numbers. Telephone ringing... INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - DAY A map of Air Force One's flight trajectory is displayed on the rear screen. Moscow to Berlin and back toward the Black Sea. The assembled brass listens as Korshunov's voice slithers off the speaker phone. KORSHUNOV (SPEAKER) ...the Chief of Staff, the First Lady, and the First Daughter. Our demands are simple. Arrange the release of Ivan Stravanvitch. Once our leader is returned to Turkuenistan soil, Air Force One and it's occupants will be allowed safe passage to Switzerland. You have one hour before we start killing hostages. The phone clicks off. A silent beat in the room. V.P. CHANDLER Find that voice for me, I want to know who we're dealing with. And get President Petrov on the phone. GENERAL CHARLES GREELY, head of the 87th Mechanized Air Wing, the unit responsible for Air Force One, enters the room. GENERAL GREELY Madame Vice-President, we just got word from Ramstein... The nod was UntiL Chandler stands. V.P. CHANDLER Empty? GENERAL GREELY The President... he must still be onboard. V.P. CHANDLER Play back that call. TECHNICAL OFFICER Yes, sir. The Tech Officer indexes back on his computer. KORSHUNOV (V.0. TAPE) The plane is under our command, and those we did not kill we hold as hostages, including the Chief of Staff, the First Lady, and the First Daughter. V.P. CHANDLER but not the President. Not the President. A silent beat. GENERAL NORTHWOOD He's dead then. They must have killed him. DEAN We don't know that. GENERAL NORTHWOOD Holding the president hostage is not something that slips your mind when you're making demands. V.P. CHANDLER And if he's dead? Do you really think they'd risk telling us? DEAN There is a possibility we're overlooking. All eyes turn to Dean. DEAN When I ran Specops in `Nam, I ordered the destruction of a V.C. munitions dump. During insertion, the plane was shot down and the entire team was killed, or so we thought. Two days later the dump BLEW AND A WEEK AFTER THAT, THIS 19- year-old kid, the pilot... he walks out of the jungle in pretty bad shape. He survived the crash and finished the mission... alone. GENERAL NORTHWOOD Walter, if you have a point, make it. DEAN That kid's name was Jim Marshall. Most of the President's service record makes for dull reading because most of what he did iarLZ ULirn. History remembers him for what he did aflar he got back to the states -- the protests, the rallies -- But he was a soldier once, a damn fine one. V.P. CHANDLER So what are you saying? DEAN Maybe he's alive on that plane and those bastards don't even know it. V.P. CHANDLER Mr. Dean, may I remind you that the President is not 19 anymore. INT. PRESIDENT'S STATEROOM - NIGHT Marshall cautiously enters the room. Ready for action. The room is empty, but it's been trashed by the firefight. The sound of voices... coming from the Duke game which still plays. Marshall hustles over to one of the secure phones. It's dead. He tries the regular phone. Dead. Hangs it up in disgust. MARSHALL Goddamnit. He steps on some glass. It's a broken frame holding a PHOTOGRAPH of Alice and Rose. He picks up the photo and lays it on a table. He thinks for a beat... glances around the room, searching... Then he crosses to the closet, opens it and begins rifling through his wardrobe. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM. Caldwell stands on the conference table. The hostages have removed one of the ceiling panels. Air supply ducts and bundles of wiring run through the ten-inch space between the ceiling and the shielding plates. MAJOR CALDWELL This is a dead end. Rose looks around the room. Hopeless. Her eyes land on the carpet... INT. CORRIDOR. Marshall opens the stateroom door and slowly slides into the corridor. Vlad still faces the opposite direction. Marshall creeps down the hallway, when... Beep... Beep... Beep... Marshall's watch alarm goes off. Marshall dives for the nearest doorway. Vlad swings round to see a figure slip into the senior staff cabin. Vlad, unsure of what he saw., cautiously heads toward the staff cabin. As he nears, he bends over a dead Secret Service agent and pulls up the lifeless wrist revealing abeening watch. It wasn't Marshall's after all. No matter. Vlad continues to the staff Cabin. INT. STAFF CABIN - NIGHT Marshall frantically searches for something he can use as a weapon. In the room: some video monitors, leather chairs and phones. stainless steel cabinets run the length of one of the walls. Marshall throws the cabinet doors open, revealing... A fully stocked MEDICAL CENTER... fold-down operating table... high-intensity lights. Equipped to deal with any medical emergency the president might encounter. But too late. Vlad kicks the door open. VLAD Get on the floor, now! Marshall yanks down the operating table, and it smashes into Vlad, knocking him down. Marshall lunges with his knife, but Vlad OPENS FIRE. A HALF DOZEN ROUNDS pump into Marshall's belly. He's thrown back against the wall, then slumps to the floor. Vlad approaches the crumpled body. Leans down to examine his victim. He cups his hand under the man's chin and lifts his head. Recognizes him. VIAD (wonderment) The President. But Marshall's eyes flash open. MARSHALL That's right, asshole. He springs, shoving the butcher knife under the flack jacket and into Vlad's spleen. Vlad freezes, unsure of what just happened. Marshall is on his feet. Never letting go of the twisting knife, he grabs Vlad by the back of the head and slams his face against the mirror above the surgical scrub sink. The mirror shatters and streams of blood erupt cn the terrorist's face. The blood drips down into the white porcelain sink, swirling into the drain. Vlad elbows Marshall in the neck, stunning him momentarily. He wipes the blood from his face, spins and hits Marshall with a devastating right cross. Marshall reels back against the wall, and Vlad follows, shoving the MP5 into Marshall's throat. Marshall grabs the gun near the trigger... * VLAD Don't move or I'll blow your head off. MARSHALL I don't think so. Marshall presses the saftey button on the gun with his forefinger, then knees Vlad in the balls. Viad pulls the trigger repeatedly as he goes down, but nothing happens. Instead he comes up swinging his gun butt against Marshall's face. Like a bat hitting a baseball, it knocks Marshall into the medical closet. The gun goes flying, skittering UNDERNEATH A CABINET. Marshall pulls himself up the shelves trying to keep his legs from buckling. Vlad grabs some I.V. tubing and wraps it around Marshall's neck. Marshall struggles for breath, clawing at the tube. HE SPOTS A DEFIBRILLATOR, REACHES AND SWITCHES IT ON. LOW- pitched hum and beeping. Marshall pulls his head forward, straining against the plastic tubing. Then slams back into Vlad's head. Viad releases his grip just for a moment... The beeping becomes a steady whine. ... but a moment is all Marshall needs as he grabs the def ib's CARDIAC PADDLES, turns, and SLAMS them on either side of Vlad's head. Vlad convulses from the shock for a full five seconds... his eyeballs roll, his hair stands on end. then he collapses to the floor. MARSHALL Clear. Marshall catches his breath for a moment. Pulls open his shirt. Beneath it he wears a bulletproof Kevlar vest. He lifts the vest and a half-dozen angry welts have blossomed across his skin. The stuff may be bulletproof, but each of Vlad's shots sting like a motherfucker. EXT. CORRIDOR. Nevsky walks down the corridor. Sees that Vlad is away from his post. NEVSKY Viad? * INT. STAFF CABIN. Marshall opens the medical cabinets, rifling through them. Pulls out hypodermics, adrenalin, rubbing alcohol... arming himself. NEVSKY (O.S.) Vlad? Vlad? EXT. CORRIDOR. Nevsky works his way up the corridor, peeking in rooms. As he enters the... INT. STAFF CABIN. he's blinded by the high intensity surgical lights. Marshall cracks a tank of anesthesia across Nevsky's heu Nevsky goes down. Marshall rips Nevsky's MP5 off of him. Holds it to Nevsky's throat. MARSHALL Where are th*y? fly tamily, the crew.... where are they? Nevsky says nothing. The conference room, right? Right? Marshall jerks him to his feet. MARSHALL o'11 unlocli the door for me or I'll kill you. INT. CORRIDOR - Marshall walks flevsky toward the mj vonteronve room3 As they pass the stairs to the upper deck, Nevsky breaks away. NEVSKY KORSKUNOV! Marshall fires. Killing him. SHIT1 INT. CORRIDOR. No time for remorse. Marshall tries the Main conference Room door. Locked. He knows the others will be coming so he flattens himself against the corridor wall. Trains his gun on the stairs. Just as the terrorists descend, Marshall squeezes off a few rounds. The terrorists edge back up the steps, returning fire. Marshall checks his clip, not many bullets left. He fires off a few more shots to buy some time then ducks round the corner and pulls out the bottle of rubbing alcohol and some gauze. The terrorists seize the moment of quiet, descending the stairs to take position. Marshall lights the gauze fuse of his new made Molatov cocktail and throws it down the corridor. The bottle crashes into a BALL OF FLAME. Catching Bazylev on fire. He yells, drops and rolls. FIRE SUPPRESSING FOAM immediately sprays down from overhead. KORSHUNOV Go after him. Serge hops Bazylev's burning body and heads down the corridor, looking for this new wildcard. Korshunov grabs a fire extinguisher from the galley and attends to Bazylev. INT. CORRIDOR, TOWARD THE REAR OF AIR FORCE ONE. Marshall retreats behind a divider. Sees Serge coming. Fires a few rounds, then retreats to the next divider. Working toward the rear of the plane. Serge picks his way through the rear cabins, advancing cautiously. INT. REAR GALLEY/BATHROOMS. Marshall's out of plane. Nowhere to hide in the galley. Marshall eyes the bathrooms, doors flapping. FOLLOWING SERGE... as he reaches the rear galley and bathrooms. Marshall is nowhere to be seen. But the bathroom doors are all closed. SERGE I know you're in there. Come on out. (a few beats) Okay. Have it your way. Time for a deadly version of the shell game. serge fires several rounds into the first closed bathroom door. The bullets slice easily through the thin doors. He kicks the riddled door open. The stall is empty. Serge moves to the next one. Same procedure. It's empty. Moves to the last bathroom, confident he's got him. He wails with his MP5, turning the hatch into swiss cheese. Waits a beat, then... Kicks it in. It's empty too. Serge looks around. Where the hell is this guy? KORSHUNOV (O.S.) (calling down) Serge? Serge reluctantly returns to his group. INT. LOWER GALLEY, BAGGAGE LEVEL - Marshall tumbles out of the cramped galley dumbwaiter, breathing heavy. He slumps against the bulkhead and slides down to the ground. He takes a moment to pull himself together, to clear his head. He hefts the MP5, refamiliarizing himself with the weight and texture of a gun. He checks the clip. Only a handfull of rounds left. He slaps it back in and switches from automatic fire to single-shot then pantomimes firing. MARSHALL The NRA'll love this. Looking down the barrel of the gun, he notices bins loaded with luggage. INT. OFFICE - NIGWR Stoli Petrov on the phone, behind his large oak desk. PETROV I understand your dilemma, Vice President Chandler. But unless you can confirm that your President is indeed a hostage, I cannot release Stravanavitch. If Marshall is dead, no good will come of meeting this demand. We both know he would agree. V.P. CHANDLER (V.0. PHONE) But the First Lady... PETROV *.. is not a First Lady if her husband's been killed. Then she's a civilian. And I can't release him for a civilian. Do you see my point? INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - DAY Each member of the crisis team is either on the phone or huddled with staff. A secure fax machine spits out papers which Lee slips into files. Lee interrupts Chandler on the phone. LEE Madame Vice president. We have an options paper. chandler takes the options paper, waves off Lee, and reads it as she talks. V.P. CHANDLER Yes. You've made yourself quite clear. PETROV (V.0.) But I will deploy forces to a staging area near the Turkmenistan border. When you have more information, we can decide how to proceed. V.P. CHANDLER By then I'll be President. Chandler hangs up the phone. V.P. CHANDLER (of f options paper) I don't like any of these. from, did you brief General Northwood? Northwood pops out of his huddle. GENERAL NORTHWOOD I'M INCLINED TO TRY THIS PART - Anticipate their landing site and get strike teams in place. V.P. CHANDLER Can we do that? GENERAL NORTHWOOD We've got four hours before they make it into Turkienistan airspace. I've got a satellite passing overhead in twenty minutes. We can narrow down the landing site choices based on runway length and any unusual activity. With luck we'll only have to capture three or four sites. V.P. CHANDLER But they start executing hostages in FORTY FIVE MINUTES. - GENERAL NORTHWOOD I hate to be pragmatic, but they'll sacrifice pawns before kings. It may take them some time to kill their way up to senior staff. V.P. CHANDLER Okay. Also, I want you to put our bases in Turkey on alert, and have the Kitty Hawk prepare a retaliatory air strike. * DEAN Madame Vice-President... V.P. CHANDLER I've not discounted your theory Hr. Dean... DEAN No... I got the new numbers from our gamers. They believe that there's only an eight percent chance that the President is still alive. V.P. CHANDLER Eight percent is better than zero. Oh shit... what is that? Chandler refers to a monitor in the rear of the room. CNN, the omnipresent player on the world political stage, broadcasts video from Ramstein Air Base. GENERAL GREELY That's trouble. CNN REPORTER (V.0. T.V.) *.. the Presidential Aircraft was enroute from Moscow when it began its mayday hail. But in a startling turn of events, the seemingly out of control plane aborted its landing and took off again. We haven't been able to confirm its status or whether or not the first family was onboard at the time. V.P. CHANDLER Would someone get the Press Secretary! AIDE He's been holding on line four. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Air Force One, lit up by moonlight. INT. CORRIDOR. The fire is extinguished. Zedeck squats over Nevsky's body. Gibbs and Serge maintain a defensive position, guns ready. Bazylev emerges from the Senior staff Conference room. He shakes his head "no". Korshunov nods and furrows his brow. KORSHUNOV Who did this? GIBBS We checked the manifest. Everyone was accounted for. KORSHUNOV A secret service agent. It must be. Wounded but alive. Serge, Bazylev... Find him. Serge and Bazylev lock and load, head off in separate directions. KORSHUNOV The conference room is no longer secure. We'll take the First Lady and the girl up top where we can keep a closer eye on them. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM - The hostages have torn up a section of carpeting. Caidwell and Shepherd examine the floor. Smooth sheets of steel riveted together. Pointless. MAJOR CAL DWELL We're not getting out that way. The door swings open and Gibbs and Korshunov enter. They spots the ripped up carpeting. KORSHUNOV Admirable, but you're wasting your time. (beat) Mrs. Marshall, would you and your daughter please come here. They don't move. Korshunov raises his gun, points it a Shepherd's head. KORSHUNOV Now, or he dies, please. ROSE Come on, Alice. ALICE I'm scared. Doherty steps forward. Shepherd tries to pull him back, to no * avail. DOHERTY You've got the better part of the White House locked in this room, you know. If you want to negotiate, we're the ones to do it with. Korshunov SHOOTS Doherty through the head. Screams from some of the hostages. Korshunov squeezes off a few shots to quiet everyone. KORSHUNOV Mrs. Marshall. Alice. If you please. Rose turns to the other hostages. ROSE It's okay. Do what you're told. It's okay. We'll be okay. She locks eyes with Caldwell. HKeep working.N He nods. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - The President hunts through luggage. Overturned garment bags and suitcases around him, belongings littered all over the bulkhead. He sifts through heaps of clothing and finally recovers what he's been looking for... A CELLULAR PHONE... He flips it open, starts to dial... but freezes. MARSHALL Goddamnit. He can't remember the number. He dials... CLOSE.ON PHONE -555-1212... Information. The phone rings... INT. FORWARD BAGGAGE HOLD. Bazylev, moving like a commando, slowly and methodically works his way into the lower galley. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - Marshall. Finally, the phone picks up. VOICE (O.S. PHONE) Information. How can I assist you? MARSHALL Washington D.C.? VOICE Yes, sir. Can I help you? MARSHALL Yes, the number for the White House. INT. PILOT'S REST AREA - NIGHT The rest area consists of a couple of bunks behind the cockpit area, still soiled black from the earlier C-4 explosion. Korshunov pours a cup of coffee and offers it to Alice. ALICE I don't drink coffee. KORSHUNOV You must be tired. It'll wake you up. ALICE No, thank you. The gunfire did that. Gibbs wraps Rose's hands behind her back with duct tape. ROSE Leave my daughter alone. KORSHUNOV Or you will do what, Mrs. Marshall? (beat, he chuckles) But I admire your courage. Your husband, on the other hand... ROSE What do you know of my husband? KORSHUNOV I know he left you behind. ROSE My husband is a very courageous man. KORSHUNOV Your husband is a coward. He sends soldiers half-way around the world to steal a man from his home in the middle of the night. Alice sits up, attentive. ALICE You're one of Stravanavitch's men. KORSHUNOV So, you study world events, little one. That's good for a girl your age. ALICE Yeah, I study world events. Five thousand Turkienistan Muslims were slaughtered in Stravanvitch's cleansings... along with 15 American school kids. You know hQw I studied that. I went to their funerals with my dad. I met their parents. KORSHUNOV Smart for your age, eh? Top of your class? Tell me, do you know what the word "propaganda" means? ALICE Yeah. Do you know what the word "asshole" means. ROSE Alice! Rose doesn't know whether to be pissed at Alice or proud of her. Korshunov smiles, nods his head and lifts his gun. KORSHUNOV Yes, I have heard that word. He aims his gun at Alice. KORSHUNOV Yes, I am an asshole. A long beat, the Korshunov lovers the gun. KORSHUNOV Your father is a reasonable man. Once he hears our simple demand, I'm sure he will acquiesce. For your sake. Korshunov smiles. Gibbs grabs Alice's hands and pulls them behind her back. Begins wrapping them with the tape. INT. MAIN CABING, REAR GALLEY. Serge searches through the galley cabinets, spots the galley dumbwaiter. Now he knows where his quarry went. He angrily grabs a service cart and shoves it into the dumbwaiter, disabling it. INT. GANGWAY - Bazylev hears the beeps of a phone dialing. He moves toward the aft portal of the gangway. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - Marshall waits as the phone rings... INT. WHITE HOUSE, SWITCHBOARD ROOM - DAY A chipper woman in her mid-20s picks up the call. SWITCHBOARD White House switchboard. How may I direct your call. MT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - MARSHALL (hushed urgency) Okay listen, listen carefully. This is an emergency call from Air Force One. Who's there? Is the Vice- President there? INT. WHITE HOUSE, SWITCHBOARD ROOM - DAY SWITCHBOARD who can I say is calling? MARSHALL (0.S. PHONE) This is the President. SWITCHBOARD Yeah, right. MARSHALL Don't cut me off. This is an emergency. SWITCHBOARD Sir, the President does not call this particular number. So whoever you are get a life, before I have this call traced. MARSHALL You don't understand. This is an emergency. Let me talk to anyone. The switchboard operator thinks for a moment. Maybe she can have some fun with this nutcase. SWITCHBOARD Okay... if you're the President, when's your wife's birthday? MARSHALL Look lady, I don't have time for games. Just put the.... SWITCHBOARD Thank you for calling the white House... INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - MARSHALL No. no. no. Wait. Wait. Bazylev appears behind Marshall. Raises his gun. MARSHALL I should know this. INT. WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD ROOM - MARSHALL (V.0.) It's June. Gunfire in the background. SWITCHBOARD Sir? Are you there? Sir? Sir? Her face says N. The Switchboard operator pulls out a call sheet and finds a number. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - On the phone, lying open on a heap of clothing. Bazylev points the machine gun at Marshall's head. BAZ YLEV Hands away from your weapon. Marshall doesn't move, his np5 hanging at his waist... his hand inches from it. BAZYLEV Come now. You don't want to die. Marshall... with no options... slowly moves his hands away from the gun. BAZYLEV On your knees... PHONE (O.S.) Hello. Is anyone there? Bazylev motions Marshall to get on his knees. Marshall complies. BAZYUV What's that in your shirt? Open it. Marshall pulls his shirt aside revealing his Kevlar vest. BAZYLEV Take it off. Now. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - DAY Chandler on the phone. An aide waves, trying to get her attention. V.P. CHANDLER My intention is not to escalate the situation, but it's a contigency that must be considered. Hang on... (to Aide) What? AIDE The switchboard says that someone called in claiming to be the President, then she heard gunfire. Caller's gone, but the line's still active. DEAN Could be some crank watching CNN. AIDE No sir. Trace confirms the call is Coming from a White House staff cellular account. V.P. CHANDLER Put it through down here. (into phone) Hang on, Toni. The call comes in on speaker phone, distorted muffled voices and the whine of an aircraft in the background. V.P. CHANDLER What's going on in the background? Can we hear what's going on? Dean picks up a phone. DEAN Max, get me Willis. INT. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, LISTENING POST - DAY WILLIS, a grossly overweight man in his late forties surrounded by a monolith of high-tech, starts working his console. WILLIS Tracking... Intercepting call... Got it. Ten seconds, Mr. Dean. Audio waveforms appear over Willis' console. He implements digital filtering routines, cleaning up the sounds. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - DAY The group listens intently. The call modulates, distorts, dissolves... then clarifies. BAZYLEV (V.0.) Hands... hands behind your head, Mr. President. V.P. CHANDLER It's him. He is alive. BAZYLEV I'm going to take your weapon now, and then I'm going to take you Upstairs to join the others. Understand? DEAN Christ, they have him. BAZYLEV And if you make any sudden moves, I will not hesitate to shoot. GENERAL NORTHWOOD Maybe they don't have him yet. Northwood stares up at the tactical board. Air Force One... surrounded by the F-l5s. GENERAL NORTHWOOD And maybe we aren't so helpless. General Northwood picks up a secure phone and dials. GENERAL NORTPNOOD General Greely, Air Force One has automatic countermeasures, right? GENERAL GREELY Everything we own is in that plane. GENERAL NORTINOOD So a single missile launched from a distance should be a mere distraction. GENERAL GREELY Theoretically. GENERAL NORTHWOOD (into phone) Ramutein Tower Control, please. GENERAL GREELY (getting it) But the effect could be jarring. GENERAL NORTHWOOD Exactly. Ramstein? General Northwood... Patch me through to your fighters. Madame Vice President... with your permission? V.P. CHANDLER Do it. INT. AFT STORAGE COMPARTMENT - Marshall on his knees, hands behind his head. Bazylev, his automatic pressed against Marshall's forehead, disarms Marshall before stepping away. He slings Marshall's MP5 over his own neck. Studies Marshall a beat. BAZ YLEV So you're the President. Somehow, I thought you'd be smaller. Marshall stares straight ahead tn silent defiance. Bazylev kicks him in the gut. Marshall doubles over, wheezing. BAZYLEV Not so powerful now, eh? No aides to advise you, no secret service to protect you, no armies to command. Bazylev grabs Marshall's hair and tugs his head back. He holds Marshall with his eyes. BAZYLEV You'll suffer for what you've done. MARSHALL * So will you. Bazylev slams Marshall's face against his knee. Marshall slumps forward. BAZYLEV Up. Get up now! Marshall slowly rises to his feet. Bazylev swings wide around him. BAZYLEV You will walk ahead... slowly. Do you understand? (no response) Do you understand! MARSHALL Do you know what's going to happen to you because of this? Do you know what the world will do? BAZYLEV Nothing. The world will do nothing. That is what they've always done. INT. MAIN CABIN, FORWARD GALLEY - Serge seals off the second dumbwaiter. EXT. SKY - NIGHT 63. The Squadron of F-15 Eagles hover around Air Force One. COL. CARLTON (V.0.) You want me to what? GENERAL NORTPNOOD (V.0.) You heard the order. And do not, I repeat, do not take your best shot. COL. CARLTON Roger, sir. Okay boys, clear the deck. I have been ordered to engage Air Force One. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The other airplanes flare out giving distance to the Jumbo Jet. Canton's plane drops back. COL. CARLTON Assuming attack posture. Targeting computer is on. INT. CARLTON'S COCKPIT - NIGHT On TARGETING COMPUTER - Graphics: As it acquires Air Force One. COL. CARLTON Target is acquired. I have good tone CLOSE ON: The flight stick. Carlton's finger over the firing button. He hesitates. COL. CARLTON They're gonna court martial me for this. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, GANGWAY - Hands behind his head, Marshall walks in front of Bazylev, an MP5 pressed against his neck. INT. F-15 EAGLE COCKPIT - NIGHT Carlton pulls the trigger. EXT. F-15 EAGLE - NIGHT An air-to-air missile detatches from under the Eagle. Its tail ignites in flame. INT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT - NIGHT Zedeck monitoring the controls. Situation normal. Then all hell breaks loose as an entire wall of instrumentation lights up. Warning bells. Flashing lights. ZEDECK What is this? The TACTICAL COUNTERMEASUREs COMPUTER - Springs to life. High-tech readouts, risk analyses, schematics, and assessments. Radar tracks the incoming, identifies it. On Screen: "Autopilot disengaged" The plane banks into a dive, throwing Zedeck back against his chair. ZEDECK Gibbs! Gibbs! Get in here. On screen: "Activating countermeasures" EXT. SICY - NIGHT With no oneat the controls, Air Force One goes into a sharp sloping dive. INT. GANGWAY, AIR FORCE ONE - Bazylev, thrown off balance, tries to keep his gun trained on Marshall. BAZYLEV Don't move! EXT. SKY - NIGHT The missile follows a wide arc toward the banking plane. INT. AFO, COCKPIT - Gibbs slides into the pilot's seat, attempts to regain control. GIBBS What the hell's going on? ZEDECK The Americans fired at us. The Tactical Countermeasures Computer: "Electronic Jamming has failed Target acquired" Out the cockpit window, the brightly burning tail of the missile closing on them. GIBBS Why would they fire on us? The Tactical Countermeasures Computer: "Missile Closing: Metallic Chaff Burst Standing by:" The computer counts down from eight... seven... EXT. SKY - NIGHT The missile screams toward the jumbo jet, a slow easy target. INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT ZEDECK Do something. Five... Four... GIBBS I'm not a combat pilot. Three... two.... ZEDECK Shit! EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Small bays doors slip open below the aircraft. A cloud of small metallic narticles sprays out of the bottom of the aircraft. INT. COCKPIT - On the faces of the terrorists, as the missile comes right at them. Then the missile veers downward. The Tactical Countermeasures Computer: "Missile Neutralized" EXT. SKY - MIGHT The missile dives into the swarm of descending chaff and DETONATES, lighting up the evening sky. Red flames reflect against the silver-grey clouds. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, VARIOUS SHOTS - NIGHT The shock wave hits the aircraft. Lights flicker and the plane rocks side to side. HOSTAGES are bounced around the conference room. INT. GANGWAY - Marshall and Bazylev are slammed against the ceiling and then the floor. Marshall seizes the moment. Grabs Bazylev's gun. The two struggle and Bazylez instinctively pulls the trigger. A burst of richocheting gunfire sparks across the bulkhead. The turbulence worsens. Bazylev manages to wrest away the rifle, but the plane pulls into a climb, sending Bazylev tumbling down the gangway into the rear baggage hold. Marshall manages to pull himself up the grating and into the galley. He's free, for the moment. INT. AFO, COCKPIT. Gibbs steadies the plane as the shock wave from the explosion * subsides. GIBBS We're okay. Korshunov examines the Tactical Countermeasures Computer. KORSHUNOV Remarkable aircraft. Remarkable. GIBBS why did they do that? KORSHUNOV Psychology. They're trying to unnerve us. GIBBS Well it worked. Korshunov smiles and puts his hand on Gibbs shoulder. KORSHUNOV Relax, my friend. Apparently they cannot harm us. Even if they wanted to. rNT. FRONT GALLEY. 67. Marshall Struggles to assemble the hypodermic and the container of adrenalin. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD. Bazylev pulls to his feet, heads back down the gangway. INT. FRONT GALLEY. Marshall greets Bazylev with a spray of hot coffee from the Simmering pot as he enters. Bazylev covers up, but the spray sears him pretty bad. He yells in pain, turning. Marshall springs, imbedding the hypodermic needle into Bazylev's neck. A full dose of adrenalin. Bazylev pulls the empty needle from his neck. Marshall steps back, waiting for a reaction. A pregnant pause as they both wait to see what happens. Then Bazylev smiles and slowly turns toward Marshall. Marshall backs away as Bazylev levels his gun. He fires once, hitting Marshall in the arm. Marshall winces off the pain. BAZYLEV (disgust) The leader of the free world. He backs Marshall against a wall and holds him in his sights. But he doesn't shoot. His breathing becomes faster and faster as the adrenalin takes hold. Building... building... He screams and clutches at his throat. His eyes spin back and then his heart explodes. Bazylev is caught frozen, suspended in a moment of disbelief. Death reflex. He fires off several rounds from the gun as he collapses. Marshall waits a beat, half-expecting Bazylev to rise. He slowly approaches the body and retrieves the KP5. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The F-lSs pull back into formation around the Jumbo Jet. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - Marshall retrieves the phone, then wedges himself behind a waste storage tank, out of view. INT. PILOT'S REST AREA - Rose and Alice On the bunk. Alice's eyes are Watering. Korshunov examines tOPographic maps in the adjacent M1C.c. and speaks into a phone in Russian. ALICE Mom? ROSE Yes dear? ALICE I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier. Rose smiles sadly. ROSE I know, sweetie. I know. (beat) You're being very brave. Alice nods. She's trying. INT. MAIN CABIN. Serge finishes his sweep of the upper level. SERGE (to Zedeck) He's not up here. I'm going down below. INTERCUT: INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD/INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM Marshall rips his sleeve off, swabs the blood off his arm. Bazylev's bullet took out a good chunk of flesh when it grazed him. MARSHALL Did they say anything about my family? V.P. CHANDLER They're still alive, but the loyalists plan to start killing hostages in forty minutes. MARSHALL Then tell me there's a rescue operation underway. Marshall opens a travel bottle of Vodka and pours it over the wound. He winces from the pain. V.p CHANDLER 69. I think we're okay, sir. flow that we know You're alive we can force Petrov to release Stravanavitch. MARSpari Don't tell me you plan to give in to these fuckers. GENERAL NORmwOOD We plan to do whatever it takes to keep you alive, sir. V.P. CHANDLER and if that means negotiating... MARSHALL You know my policy. We don't negotiate with terrorists. If we start now, all of America becomes a target. V.P. CHANDLER But this is different, sir. You're the President. * MARSHALL And what happens when Stravanavitch is freed and discovers he's got the President? You think for a second that that crazy bastard is just gonna turn me over? He'll ask for the goddamn moon before he's done. V.P. CHANDLER Please, Mr. President. You're going to get yourself killed. Is that your solution? MARSHALL Freeing Stravanavitch is gonna get tens of thousands killed. I can't live with that. (somewhat resigned) I'm not royalty. I'm an elected official and the integrity of the office of the President is infinitely more important than the man who holds that office. (beat) We don't negotitate. Not as long as I'm President. Is that understood? A long silence, then... YES SIR. CHANDLER MARSHALL flow, is there a rescue operation under way or not? Lee shakes his head at Chandler, signalling "don't tell." LEE He's not on a secure line. MARSHAlj Whoever said that, shut up. Walter, are you there? DEAN I'm here, Mr. President. MARSHALL Where's the cavalry? DEAN We can't do anything until that plane lands. And when it does land, sir, it's going to be in hostile * territory. To be perfectly honest, we don't know what the hell to do. It's going to take a miracle to figure this one out. A long beat. We hold on Marshall's determined face. MARSHALL I'll see what I can do. INT. GALLEY. Serge comes across Bazylev. Checks for any sign of life. Stone cold dead. He looks around and grips his gun a little tighter as he backs out of the room. INT. MAIN CABIN. Serge closes the stair access panel to the baggage deck. Sealing Marshall off. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Serge comes trotting up the stairs and collects new clips. SERGE Bazylev is dead. Korshunov swallows hard... AND THE SERGE Trapped On the baggage deck. Let me go finish him. KORSHUNOV No. He has the advantage down there. Bring me a hostage. A woman. INT. FORWARD BAGGAGE HOLD. Marshall sees that the stairway hatch has been sealed. INT. LOWER GALLEY - NIGHT Marshall hits the button for the dumbwaiter. The dumbwaiter begins to descend then snags on the service cart. Its motor grind to a halt. Marshall slumps dQwn. His hopes dashed. Nothing to do now but wait. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM. Serge looks over the crowd of hostages like a bouncer at a hip dance club. His eyes fall on Maria Mitchell. SERGE You. Come with me. INT. LOWER GALLEY. Marshall, seated on the floor. The cabinet next to him is stacked with packs of complimentary cigarettes, all with the seal of the President. MARSHALL What the hell... He opens up a pack and puts the cigarette in his mouth. He snags one of the Presidential lighters, tries to light it several times but it only sparks. XC shakes it. It's out of tial. He tosses it aside and reaches for a book of matches, but he FREEZES in mid-reach. A thought occurs to him. MARSHALL (murmuring) Out of fuel. INT. FORWARD BAGAGE HOLD - NIGHT Marshall, lacking a screwdriver, levers open the hatch to the Avionics compartment with the barrel of his gun. RUT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT - NIGHT Marshall sees the stacks of panels, piping, Wiring, electronics. MARSHALL Come on, where are you... He searches up and down. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Serge leads Maria Mitchell up the stairway. Korshunov nods. KORSHUNOV Ms. Mitchell. Hello again. Maria is scared, she says nothing. She looks over to the First Lady and Alice. ROSE Maria. Korshunov switches on the airplane's P.A. KORSHUNOV * Please tell me your name. MITCHELL (frightened) Maria... Maria Mitchell. KORSHUNOV And what is it you do, Ms. Mitchell. Maria Mitchell's voice echos over throughout Air Force One. INT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT. Marshall halts his search to listen. MITCHELL (V.0.) I'm responsible for Press Relations for the Flight Office. KORSHUNOV (V.0.) How are your fellow hostages feeling, Ms. Mitchell? MITCHELL Scared. We're scared. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Rose cradles Alice, both of them looking away, as Korshunov raises his gun, pointing it at Mitchell. KORSHUNOV And why are you scared? MITCHEL*L Because... because I don't want to die. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM. The hostages, listening. KORSHUNOV And what am I doing at this very moment. INT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT - NIGHT Marshall listens, helpless to do anything. MITCHELL You're pointing a gun at me. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - KORSHUNOV Very good. Thank you, Ms. Mitchell. Did you hear her? She said I'm pointing a gun at her. INT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT - KORSHUNOV Now, to the secret service agent in the baggage deck. I'm giving you ten seconds to surrender, or this women will die. Marshall's eyes widen. KORSHUNOV One... Oh shit. Marshall tries to decide what to do. KORSHUNOV Two... He climbs out of the avionics compartment and hurries to the front baggage compartment. KORSHUNOV Three... INT. MAIN CABIN. Zedeck and Serge wait by the stairway hatch. KORSHUNOV Four... INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM. Hostages wait, expectantly. KORSHUNOV Five... INT. FRONT BAGGAGE HOLD. Marshall frozen near the bottom of the steps. To go up would be to betray everything he believes in, and lose any chance to save the others. But if he stays... KORSHUNOV Six... INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. Tears stream down Maria Mitchell's face. She's trying so hard to be brave in front of Rose and Alice. KORSHUNOV Seven... INT. FRONT BAGGAGE HOLD. For Marshall, this is the hardest decision of his life. His face a mask of anguish as he wrestles with his conscience. KORSHUNOV Eight... He starts toward the stairs. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. Korshunov looking down the barrel of the gun. KORSHUNOV Nine... INT. FRONT BAGGAGE HOLD. It takes every bit of training and will to stop Marshall from going up those stairs. He knows what's going to happen. He closes his eyes tight as if that will stop it from happening. KORSHUNOV Ten... A long silent beat. Then... BAAAAM! MARSHALL NO! Marshall sinks to to his knees. MARSHALL Aw, Jesus. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM. Hostages hold each other tight for comfort. A mournful silence fills the room. INT. FRONT BAGGAGE HOLD. Marshall, silhouetted in the half light, craddles his head head in his hands. The shaft of light disappears as the main cabin hatch closes, sealing him off once again. KORSFL3NOV (V.0.) I'll give you a few minutes to think about that one and then we'll try again. Perhaps soon I will choose somebody important. MARSHALL (to himself) She was important. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. zedeck and Serge drag the dead woman out of the compartment. Alice sobs quietly. ROSE Do you have to be so brutal? KORSHUNOV Yes ROSE Why? Do you enjoy it? KORSHUNOV I neither enjoy nor dislike. I do what is necessary. ROSE How can you? I mean they're people. * 76. KORSHUNOV But they are not ny people. You look at me as if I am a monster, but answer me this -- when your planes bombed the oil fields of Iraq, did You cry for those dark skinned men whose names you do not know and who's faces You will never see? Did You cry for their wives and children. They were people too, yes... but they were not your people. ROSE That was war. KORSHUNOV So is this. (beat) Come now, you're upsetting the little one. ALICE The woman you shot. She was my friend. KORSHUNOV That's the way of the world, little one. Didn't they teach you that in school? INT. FORWARD BAGGAGE HOLD. Marshall crosses back to the avionics compartment, talking on the phone. VOICE (through static) Chief Mechanic, 87th Air. How can I help you? MARSHALL You can talk me through an emergency fuel dump. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM. MAJOR CALDWELL Led off to slaughter one at a time. Next time I say we rush `em. They can't shoot us all. SHEPHERD They can shoot enough of us. * 77. MAJOR CALDWELL If we don't act, they'll kill US all eventually Who's with me? Several of the hostages raise their hands. INT. AFO'S MAINTENANCE HANGER/ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE - DAY The Chief Mechanic has Air Force One schematics open in front of him. He and his staff are huddled around them. CHIEF MECHANIC Do you see the maintenance panel? MARSHALL Got it. CHIEF MECHANIC Pop it open. There should be a red switch, toggle it up. MARSHALL Okay, it's on. We've got some indicator lights here. CHIEF MECHANIC Okay, you're aerated. To dump the fuel you have to close the circuit for the pump. There's no switch in Avionics so you'll have to cross the wires. There should be five wires, just to your left. Do you see them? INT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT - NIGHT Marshall finds the wires: red, white, blue, green and yellow. MARSHALL Got `en. Static blankets the conversation. CHIEF MECHANIC Okay, hang on. Let me double check here, because if you get the wrong ones, you'll cut the engine feeds and stall the plane. MARSHALL I'll wait. The static worsens. CHIEF MECHANIC First... cut... green wire. Marshall, Using a kitchen knife, slices the green wire. Heavy static. The phone beeps... lOsing batteries. MARSHALL It's cut. CHIEF MECHANIC cross it... The static overwhelms the voice, then cuts out. MARSHALR' Hello? Hello? Goddamnit. Static comes roaring back and garbled voices... MARSHAlj Hello? Are YOU there? Dead. Marshall tries to activate it again. MARSHAIJi Hello? Hello? Nothing. He tosses the dead phone aside. Marshall stares. Cross the green wires with the... what? Red, white, blue... or the yellow. His choice is obvious. He cuts the yellow wire and crosses it with the green, leaving the red, white and blue standing. He waits. The engines continue to groan. He allows himself a smile. MARSHALL An emergency landing in friendly territory... there's your goddamn miracle. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Beneath the plane a trickle of gasoline appears and grows into a strong steady stream. INT. FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT A red warning light flashes on the plane's panel. GIBBS Goddamnit it. We're losing fuel. Korshunov crosses to the flight deck. KORSHUNOV How? GIBBS Avionics compartment! It's the only place. You better get Zedeck down there fast Unless, of course, you'd rather be a martyr than a savior. KORSHUNOV (to Zedeck) Go! Take Serge.. and watch your backs. Zedeck nods and dashes out of the cabin. INT. MAIN CABIN. Zedeck pulls open the hatch cover to the forward front stairs. Descends into the dimly lit underneath. Serge descends right behind Zedeck. INT. FORWARD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT - NIGHT Zedeck, Spooked by the dark shadows, senses he's being watched. ZEDECK He's down here. I can feel it. SERGE Shut up and do your job. Zedeck hastens toward the Avionics compartment, gun at the ready. Serge sweeps the area behind. They hear a metallic clank echo and reverberate around him. They both check left... right... behind them... Nothing. It's creepy being a walking target. From behind a water storage tank, Marshall watches down the barrel of his Mp5. With all the equipment in the way, it's almost impossible to line up a clear shot. And they're both well armed. He looks toward the stairway instead. Zedeck enters the Avionics compartment. Serge takes a defensive position outside the door. ZEDECK (O.S.) The valve is shut. This guy sure knew what he was doing. Serge hears a noise and opens tire. 80. ZEDECK You see him? SERGE Erring on the side of caution. INT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT - Zedeck opens a panel and rips out some wiring. ZEDECK I'm going to deactivate the by-pass pump. It'll take a minute. INT. FLIGHT DECK. Gibbs checks the fuel gauges. They stop falling. GIBBS We've stopped dumping... but we've only got about twenty minutes of fuel left. KORSHUNOV We're not going to make it. GIBBS Not even close. Hell, we can't even make Syria or Iraq. KORSHUNOV Where are we now? GIBBS Over the Black Sea. I can probably get us to Turkey or Georgia. KORSHUNOV No! If we land this plane anywhere else, we will end up another Entebe. (beat) The Americans built a super plane that flies through mushroom cloud, evades missiles and... (holding up Maria Mitchell's press kit) refuels in mid-air. Call the White House. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - Tactical Map: Air Force One over the Black Sea heading south west toward Turkmenistan. An Aide holds up a phone. AIDE It's him again. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATION CENTER - Korshunov on the phone. KORSHUNOV Gentlemen, forgive me for diverting you from your little wargames, but I've just added another demand to my very short list. I assure you it's quite reasonable. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - KORSHUNOV (V.0. PHONE) We need fuel, gentlemen. And we need it right now. Lee whispers to the Vice President. LEE Finally, we can bargain. V.P. CHANDLER I'm sure we can strike some sort of arrangement. Land the plane and we'll trade you hostages for fuel. KORSHUNOV No. The plane lands when I say, or it will crash. The hostages are released when I say, or they will die. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. KORSHUNOV Tell me what I want to hear or I will execute a member of the senior staff, and will continue killing one hostage every minute until we crash or until a refueling plane arrives. Murmuring and hushed discussion floats over the airwaves. A long silence. Korshunov looks toward Alice. KORSHUNOV Shall I begin by executing the President's daughter? She's right here. ROSE No. KORSHUNOV Say something dear. ALICE Fuck off, you stupid asshole. KORSHUNOV It would be a pity to squander such a strong personality. Another several beats of hushed murmuring. KORSHUNOV Well? What do you say? V.P. CHANDLER (V.0. PHONE) Fuel's on its way. INT. MAIN CABIN. Serge and Zedeck lower the hatch to the baggage compartment and seal it. They head up the stairs to the M.C.C. INT. M.C.C. - NIGHT Korshunov paces, weighing his pistol in his hand. KORSHUNOV We trained for months. Everything should've gone like clockwork. ZEDECK We have the hostages, we're getting more fuel. KORSHUNOV He's already killed three of us, and we haven't even seen him. He's also shown that he can hurt us. I need to think. (looks at Serge) What the hell are you doing up here? Get back to the conference room. INT. MAIN CABIN Serge takes his position by the conference room. Across from him, against the cabin divider, Marshall peers down the sight of his gun. Serge freezes. MARSHALL Don't make the same mistake your friend did earlier... Show me your hands. Serge raises his hands. Marshall reaches over and pulls out the clip to his MP5. MARSHALL Open the door. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT Caldwell, Shepherd and a few other aides hear the key turn in the lock. They quickly take position around the door. As Marshall marches Serge in, they're both tackled and smothered by the group. They wrest the guns away and shut the door quickly behind them. Marshall struggles against his people. MARSHALL It's me goddamnit. Let me go. Surprised to hear their boss' voice, the aides and advisors release Marshall. SHEPHERD Mr. President, how the hell did you get on board? MARSHALL I never left. Where's my wife and daughter? MAJOR CALDWELL They took `em out. They're probably on the upper deck. SHEPHERD Mr. President, Major Caldwell here has a plan to get these hostages of f the plane. MARSHALL I dumped most of the fuel. They'll land soon and Delta will take its shot. SERGE A refueling plane is already on it's way so we won't be landing until we reach Turkmenistan. Your best course of action is to release me. I will be merciful. MAJOR CALDWELL 84. Sir, maybe we can use this. Turn it to our advantage. MARSHALL Mr. Caidwell, the ground's a few miles away. How do you propose getting us from here to there? MAJOR CALDWELL Gravity. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - Satellite pictures of various landing strips projected on wall-sized monitors. DEAN Of the three dozen airports in Turkmenistan, only five have sufficient runways for a 747. Of those five, only these three have shown any activity. General Northvood points with a laser pointer. GENERAL NORTPNOOD But this one here, see this. It's a satellite dish and it wasn't there two weeks ago. Basic communications uplink, which suggests extensive communicatins ability. I'd say this was the one. V.P. CHANDLER Are you confident you can take the facility? GENERAL NORTIWOOD It's night there for a few more hours. That's a real plus. But I won't lie. As far as special ops go, this one's a bear, but I think we squeeze it out. V.P. CHANDLER Let's get it going. AIDE The Press Secretary's about to go on. INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT MAJOR CALDWELL If we can get to a lower altitude, we can use parachutes, but at this altitude, we'll pass out from Oxygen deprivation. MARSHALL We've already played our cards, Major. There's no turning back. MAJOR CALDWELL We can't jump from here or at this speed. But if we could get a message out - tell the refueling plane... MARSHALL They've cut communication, and I spent a good bit of time looking for alternatives. My only solution ran out of batteries. A nearby SECRETARY in her late 20's pipes up. SECRETARY The fax machines. MARSHALL Excuse me? SECRETARY The fax machines. MARSHALL (dismissive) No good. I said they disabled the communications system. SECRETARY No. I thought about this, Mr. President. Voice lines and faxes are on two completely different systems of encryption. It'd be easy to overlook the data systems. What do they have to lose? MARSHALL (to Caldwell) Get `em ready. (to secretary) You... come with me. MAJOR CALDWELL Eighteen thousand feet, sir. And two hundred knots... otherwise it's suicide. MARSHALL Got it. INT. CORRIDOR. Caidwell, holding Serge's gun, takes position by the front stairway and waves the other hostages on. They emerge from the conference room, and move to the stairway. Marshall and the secretary rush the opposite direction toward the equipment room. INT. WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM - DAY Amid shouting questions, the PRESS SECRETARY alights to the podium. PRESS SECRETARY Please. Quiet please... First let me... Please... I have a prepared statement... The White House confirms that the President's aircraft, Air Force One, has been hijacked and is currently controlled by foreign nationals. Murmurs, shouts, and more questions. REPORTERS Is the President onboard?/ What about the First Family?/ What are their demands? PRESS SECRETARY Please... please... For security reasons I can not comment on any specifics except to say that the Vice-President is doing everything within her power to resolve the situation. PULL BACK T.V. monitor on broadcasting CNN. We're in the... INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT Korshunov turns toward the monitor. Furrows his brow. KORSHUNOV And you are almost out of time. Where is the President? INT. EQUIPMENT ROOM. Marshall and the Secretary step over Perkins' body on the way to the fax machine. SECRETARY Here sir. Marshall grabs a piece of paper and a pen. Scribbles a note. SECRETARY Where are we sending it? MARSHALL White House Situation room. He signs the paper and hands it toher. She slides it into the machine, checks the listed numbers and dials. MARSHALL Someone should give you a raise. SECRETARY Actually, sir, you could be that someone. They wait... will it work? A few beats, a few beats more. The machine pulls the paper in and begins scanning. MARSHALL It's yours. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM. Marshall's note spits out of one of the fax machines. But in the bevy of activity, will it be noticed? INT. UNDERDECK, REAR LOWER GALLEY - NIGHT Caldwell spins open the rear emergency pressure door and leads the hostages into... INT. TAILCONE PARACHUTE LAUNCH PLATFORM - A cargo hold extending up the tapered edge of the aircraft's rear. The hostages begin pulling parachute packs out of the overhead storage bins. Helping each other. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM. Korshunov listens to Zedeck yell into the phone in Russian. ZEDECK Still no movement on Stravanavitch. Korshunov eyes Alice and Rose. ROSE Nor will there be. My husband does not negotiate with terrorists. KORSHUNOV You will be the first to pay for that mistake. INT. EMERGENCY PARACHUTE LAUNCH RAMP. Caidwell assists everyone in strapping on their packs. He addresses one group, mostly women and senior staff, who belt into the larger chutes. MAJOR CALDWELL These chutes are designed for a safe slow descent. They'll deploy off the line automatically as you step from the plane. (turns to another group, mostly younger men) You guys'll have to pull your own rip cords. Wait until you're clear from the plane, but not any longer. (he checks packs and straps) Once I check you, go stand behind the yellow line. You're good. You're good. You're good. Two neat lines ready to jump. One line on the deployment wire, and the other set for freefall. Marshall and the secretary arrive. MAJOR CALDWELL Mr. president? pwtsHALL The fax went through. We can only wait. MAJOR CAWWELL Your chute. MARSHALL I'll not going without my family. MAJOR CALDWELL Yes, sir. Caidwell crosses to prep the Launch Ramp controls. INT. COCKPIT. The gas gauges read very close to empty. Korshunov Stands behind Gibbs, while Zedeck keeps an eye on the First Lady. GIBBS Where's that goddamn plane? tNT. EMERGENCY PARACHUTE LAUNCH RAMP. Everybody waits. Caidwell watches the indicator. 30,000 feet. EXT. SKY - NIGHT A KC-135, the USAF flying gas station, descends in front of Air Force One. KC-135 PILOT Air Force One, this is AF-135-RA. We have been instructed to refuel your plane. TNT. AIR FORCE ONE FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT GIBBS About goddamn time. KC-135 PILOT Please change course to Zero Seven Four and drop to eighteen thousand feet. Over. GIBBS Air Force One, acknowledged. tNT. EMERGENCY PARACHUTE LAUNCH RAMP. The altimeter begins to fall. A wave of relief washes over the group. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The KC-135 extends its flying gas pump. KC-135 PILOT Air Force One, please reduce speed to 250 knots. GIBBS (V.0. RADIO) Roger. TNT. AFO FLIGHT DECK. 90. Okay1 now KC-135 PILOT (V.0. Radio) vent your fueling system. It's the yellow lever on the upper control panel. And next to that there's a toggle Switch to open your intake. Got it? GIBBS Roger KC-135 PILOT (V.0. Radio) Air Force One, do you see the fueling arm? Through the cockpit Window, the long metallic appendage dangles ahead of the plane. GIBBS That's affirmative. KC-135 PILOT Ga get it. EXT. SKY - NIGHT As Air Force One edges its nose up to the appendage. The appendage finds it's grove and slides right in. TNT. TAILCONE PARACHUTE LAUNCH PLATFOIW - MAJOR CALOWELL That's it, eighteen thousand feet. We're ready. MARSHALL What about them? Marshall indicates the four men without parachutes on. TWO AIR FORCE CREW MEMBERS, Major Caldwell and Shepherd. MAJOR CALDWELL Sir, we stay with the President. MARSHALL That isn't necessary. None of them changes his mind. MARSHALL Thank you. A silent beat. A few forced smiles in this very tense room. * 91. MAJOR CALDWELL Relax everybody. I used to do this for a living9 Caidwell pulls a switch on the wall. MAJOR CALDWELL Depressurizing compartment. This `11 take a moment. The President crosses to one of his aides. MARSHALL Hey, by the way... who won the Duke game? AIDE Find out for yourself, sir. I'll have it waiting at the White House. Marshall smiles. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The KC-135 flies above Air Force One, connected by a gasoline umbilical cord. INT. EMERGENCY RAMP PLATFORM. Caldwell breaks safety glass. Reaches into a compartment and pulls a lever. MAJOR CALDWELL Here we go. A mechanical him and clank gives way to a rush of wind as the tail section of Air Force One hinges open on hydraulic struts, extending like a plank behind the plane. We can see the sky with its angry clouds. Rushing by at two hundred knots. INT. FLIGHT DECK. A LOUD BUZZ KORSHUNOV What's that? A warning light flashes on the control panel. Tactical Video Display shows the emergency parachute ramp activating. INT. MAIN CABIN. Zedeck runs toward the conference room. He bursts through the doors. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - Empty. INT. FRONT HOLD/LOWER GALLEY - Tracking: Zedeck Sprinting to the rear of the plane. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - The tail cone section of Air Force One hinges open and parachutes begin to blossum from the rear of the plane. INT. F-15 EAGLE - From several miles back Carlton watches the chutes emerge. COL. CARLTON Here they come. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM. Radio traffic echos through the room. COL. CMLTON (V.0.) We got... okay... so far ten chutes deploying of f the line. Dropping signal flares for search and rescue. INT. ITEAR BAGGAGE HOLD - Zedeck reaches the emergency pressure door. Through the porthole he sees the hostages getting away. He tries the door hatch. Locked. Zedeck looks around. Crosses to the lower rear galley. He kicks open the panel on the stove. Rips out the propane tank. He runs back and wedges the tank into the door lock. He backs off 50 feet, turns and opens fire on the tank. The tank explodes, blowing the door out. EMERGENCY PARACHUTE LAUNCH PLATFORM The pressure door blows open and an explosion of pressurized air blasts through the platform. The remaining parachutists are blown out the rear. Chutes deploying. Marshall and Serge are knocked down the ramp, tumbling toward oblivion. Just as Marshall's about to slide off the corner of the ramp he grabs its hydraulic strut. Plummeting death. His grip is all that separates his dangling body from a long Serge tumbles by Marshall, limbs flailing, and with a scream Woven from a thousand nightma5, he loses his grip and slides off the ramp into the jetblack sky, falling endlessly. Shepherd and Caldwell manage to hang to safety webbing as the wind whips around them. The two other air force crew members Without chutes also manage to hang on. As the plane depressurizes, it BUCKS like a wild bronco. Marshall looks down into the sky. Below his dangling legs, parachutes blossoij. He's straining... he can't hold on forever. INT. COCKPIT - Gibbs fights the wheel. Oxygen masks spring out from an overhead compartment as air is sucked out of the cockpit... The plane shudders and jumps badly.... KC-135 PILOT (V.0. RADIO) Air Force One, back off. I repeat, back off. Gibbs wrestles with the yoke, to no avail. GIBBS She's bucking. I can't hold her! KC-135 PILOT (V.0. RADIO) What are you doing? Back off! Back off! EXT. SKY - Air Force One jerks upward, snapping off the fueling arm of the KC-135. KC-135 PILOT LOOK OUT! The broken edge of the fueling arm scrapes along the top of Air Force One... metal against metal... tearing a gash in the plane... Sparks fly. ONE OF THE SPARKS ignites the river of gasoline being pumped from the refueling craft's belly. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, COCKPIT - Gibbs Sees the fueling arm catch fire. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure what's coming. The flames creep up toward the gas tanks. GIBBS Holy Shiti Gibbs pushes the stick down and Air Force One begins to dive to safety. EXT. SKY - Air Force One descends. Whipping fire trails the KC-135. Slowly rolls it way into the plane's main tank. A burning fuse. BARRROOOOOOOM! A FIRECLOUD ERUPTS ACROSS THE SKY. Sky like daylight. From this incredible firecloud, the burned out skeleton of an airplane emerges, falling toward earth. The F-15 escort zoom toward the unexpected fireball. COL. CARLTON Everybody break. Now! Now! Now! Carlton's planes go into emergency climb, standing on their afterburners to escape the inferno. INT. EMERGENCY PARACHUTE LAUNCH RAMP - Marshall hangs on to the strut for dear life as the pressurized air swooshes by him, taking with it everything that isn't nailed down including some of the spare parachutes. Fire rains down from the heavens, the sky like one giant napalm nightmare. The shock wave hits the plane, slamming it violently. Almost yanking the hyraulic arm from Marshall's grasp. The military aides without parachutes lose their footing and tumble off the platform. SCREAMING as they fall into fire. EXT. SKY - The burning KC-135 shell, an apocalyptic Flying Dutchman in a vengeful Kamikazee dive at Air Force One. It's gonna be close. The flaming shell passes only a few hundred yards to the rear of the 747. EXT. PARACHUTE LAUNCH RAMP - Marshall's got a great view. Flames dance in his eyes as he watches the refueling plane descend. The brightness subsides, and the sky grows dark again. The wave of pressurized air subsides leaving Zedeck, Marshall, Shepherd and Caldwell on the ramp. Caldwell begins edging toward Marshall. ZEDECK Don't move. MAJOR CALDWELL Let me save him. Marshall barely hangs on. ZEDECK That man, he is the president, no? SHEPHERD Yes. Yes he is. Zedeck motions to Caidwell with his gun. "Go get him." Caldwell crawls down the ramp and extends his hand to Marshall. THE PRESSURE DOOR SLAMMING SHUT - zedeck leads Marshall, shepherd and Caldwell away. IPRR. AFO'S FLIGHT DECK - Gibbs steadies the plane. KORSHUNOV Fuel? Gibbs checks the guages. GIBBS More than enough to get us home. EXT. WHITE HOUSE - EVENING The sun begins to set along the Potomac in long streaks of red and pink. The White House lights flicker on uminating the long staunch columns, the pillars of democracy. RNT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - EVENING Tired. Strung out. Bickering within the small workgroups. Chandler crosses to General Northwood, who has just hung up the phone. V.P. CHANDLER They still have the President, it's past their deadline and they haven't called. What do you think it means? GENERAL NORTHWOOD Like any good poker player, they're checking over their hand seeing which cards to play and which to discard. INT. AFO, MISSION COMMUNICATION CENTER - NIGHT Zedeck leads the three hostage into the M.C.C. Rose and Marshall - their eyes meet. Enormous relief for the both of them. Marshall smiles at his wife, as she fights back her tears. ALICE (to Korshunov) He didn't leave us. KORSHUNOV You are a resilient man, Mr. President. Zedeck grabs Caldwell's hands and tapes them behind his back with duct tape. Rose and Alice already have their hands taped. KORSHUNQV You must forgive the tape, but we were starting to feel outnumbered... Gibbs! INT. FLIGHT DECK - Gibbs puts the plane on automatic pilot. Rises to join the group. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - Korshunov separates Marshall from his family. Waves him into the Com Officer's chair. His hands are now wrapped too. Gibbs enters looking down. MARSHALL Special Agent Gibbs. You helped do this? GIBBS Yes, Mr. President. MARSHALL Why? GIBBS Because it is my duty. MARSHALL You're duty to what? The country you served doesn't exist anymore. GIBBS My loyalty was never to my country. I serve my commanding officers. KORSHUNOV You don't think the leaders of the KGB would allow peristroika to ruin years of infiltration? No, when the Soviet Union collapsed, we took our sleepers with us. Korshunov holds up a telephone. KORSHUNOV Now since we've had very little luck getting Washington or Moscow to cooperate, I wondered if you would be so kind. MARSHALL Over my dead body. KORSHUNOV No. But since I only have a few of your staff left to kill, perhaps I will start with your family instead... Gibbs. Gibbs grabs Alice and shoves her into a chair. She fights him off, and he smacks her across the face and shoves his gun into her neck. Marshall and Rose struggle against their bonds. KORSHUNOV The world is such a dangerous place and we can't always protect our children. ROSE Please. You can kill me but leave my daughter alone. Korshunov runs his finger down Alice's cheek. MARSHALL She isn't a part of this. This is between you and me. KORSHUNOV Call up Petrov and order Stravanavitch' S release. Marshall looks to Alice, then Rose, then back to Alice. MARSHALL This administration does not negotiate with terrorists. KORSHUNOV Pity. Mr. Gibbs. Gibbs withdraws his pistol. Places it against Alice's temple. KORSHUNOV Perhaps a President does not negotiate, but does a father? (beat) An interesting choice. Your daughter versus your world vision. The implicit trust of a family against your oath of office. Tears of fears are streaming down Alice's face. She looks into her father's eyes. ALICE Daddy... MARSHALL Alice... I... KORSHUNOV And once the trigger is pulled, she is gone forever. Then, I wonder, how do you live, knowing you could've saved her? Marshall struggles with his duty. His honor. KORSHUNOV And could you ever forget the look on her face as she ceases to exist... Late at night, when you think about her, will Stravanavitch really matter anymore? Marshall tries to look away, but Zedeck forces him to watch. ALICE Daddy. Daddy, please... ROSE Jim... for godsake! KORSHUNOV Look inside your heart. No one will think you weak. Five... Alice's face, trying to be brave. KORSHUNOV Four... ROSE Jim... KORSHUNOV Three... Rose looks away. KORSHUNOV Two. . Alice looks at her father for the very last time. Then shuts her eyes tight. KORSHUNOV One... Gibbs begins to squeeze the trigger. MARSHALL NO! Korshunov smiles. MARSHALL Stop. KORSHUNOV You'll do it? MARSHALL Yes, I'll do it. (broken) Just leave my family alone. KORSHUNOV Good. Good. Gibbs withdraws the gun from Alice's temple. Alice opens her eyes and gasps for breath. KORSHUNOV Bring him the phone... You are true to your nature, Mr. President. MARSHALL Someday, you'll regret my nature. KORSHUNOV You don't like seeing people get hurt. Now in morality, that is a virtue. In politics, however, that is weakness. (beat) You were a hostage to everyone else * long before you were a hostage to INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT A sleepless Petrov paces back and forth, smoking a cigarette. The phone RINGS. He looks up expectantly as his aide answers. AIDE Sir, the President of the United States wishes to speak with you. Petrov stops in mid-pace. Considers his cigarette for a moment and then walks over to the phone. PETROV Mr. President. INT. PRISON CELL - NIGHT A guard walks down the cold steel hallway. He rattles the bar of a darkened cage, he pulls out a set of keys and unlocks the door. GUARD Stravanavitch. Stravanavitch awakes, and leans forward into the light. He and the guard trade looks. After a beat, the guard turns and retreats down the the hallway. Stravanavitch rises from his bunk and approaches the cell door. He leans against it and it swings open. INT. M.C.C. - NIGHT Rose stares at Marshall. Her look is hard to read. Distant... cold, perhaps. ROSE Can my husband sit next to me? Korshunov considers the pair. Hands taped behind their back. They're harmless. Korshunov nods. Marshall rises and joins her on the pilot's rest bunk. ROSE I don't know why you stayed. MARSHALL Please... don't start with me. Rose moves closer to him, and speaks in a low voice. ROSE There's something I need to tell you... and God knows if I'll ever get another chance. From behind, we see her push his taped hands away. He looks at her quizically. ROSE No matter what happens, you have been and always will be my hero. He feels the wall behind him. A dull edge of metal twisted slightly from the earlier cockpit door explosion. He understands. MARSHALL And you have always been my guardian angel. She smiles back at him. ROSE I will never regret my life with you. Behind Marshall's back, he begins to cut away at the duct tape. INT. MOSCOW CENTRAL PRISON, HALLWAY - NIGHT Ivan Stravanavitch walks down the long prison hallway. Other PRISONERS see him and begin banging on their bars in rhythm. As he parades down the corridor, the banging grows until it becomes deafening. Stravanavitch smiles a cocky smile. One by one, guard doors swing open in front of him. In fact, a few of the HACKS salute Stravanavitch as he passes. INT. MISSION COMMUNICATION CENTER - AIR FORCE ONE The communication board beeps and Zedeck picks up the line. He exchanges some words with the caller in Russian, then hangs up the phone. SERGE It's confirmed. Stravanavitch is on his way out. Our men are waiting outside. Korshunov smiles and puts his hand on Zedeck's shoulder. ROSE You got what you wanted. You going to release us now? KORSHUNOV You're very valuable. And our nation needs so many things. Marshall leans his head against the wall. Just as he expected. MARSHALL Could I... Could I have some water? Korshunov nods, motions Zedeck to take care of it. Zedeck reluctanty descends to the main cabin. KORSHUNOV The taste of defeat is bitter, no? MARSHALL One thing I've learned as President... all defeats are temporary and all victories are temporary. Today' 5 conquerers are tomorrow's vanquished. KORSHUNOV e Very poetic. Zedeck arrives with a glass of water. MARSHALL And there's one thing I've learned from being a sports fan. Zedeck brings the cup of water to Marshall's lips. Marshall tips his head back to receive it. KORSHUNOV And that is? Water spills over Marshall's face. He shakes it off. MARSHALL It ain't over, til it's over. With blinding speed, Marshall leaps to his feet and swings his arm around Zedeck's throat. He snaps Zedeck's neck with quiet efficency. Gibbs fires at Marshall, but Marshall, using Zedeck as a shield, grabs hold of the terrorist'sMP5 and lets loose... mowing down the former Secret Service agent. The rest of Gibb's shots pelt against the cockpit controls sending showers of sparks flying. Korshunov whips out his gun and lines up a clean shot at Marshall's head. MAJOR CALDWELL Mr. President. Korshunov fires at Marshall, but... Major Caidwell dives in front of the bullet spray taking the rounds in his chest. Marshall turns his aim to Korshunov... but Korshunov grabs Alice and presses his pistol to her head. Stand-off. KORSHUNOV Don't be hasty. Marshall holds Korshunov in his sights. Slowly advancing. KORSHUNOV You love your daughter, Mr. President. And I love my country. It's a fair trade. Korshunov backs away to the steps. Marshall does not lower his gun. Korshunov disappears down the staircase. MARSHALL Shepherd. SHEPHERD Sir... Shepherd stands. Marshall unwraps Shepherd's hands. MARSHALL Call Petrov... (to Rose) I'll be back. ROSE Both of you. Marshall slowly descends the steps to the main cabin. As soon as Shepherd gets her hands loose, Rose rushes to Caidwell's aid. Shepherd crosses to the communications panel and picks up a headset. Begins dialing numbers INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT In his nightdress, Stoli Petrov nurses a vodka on ice. His PHONE RINGS. PETROV Petrov. Petrov's eyes widen. EXT. MOSCOW PRISON EXERCISE YARD - NIGHT A wall of bars part and Stravanavitch walks through. Into the main exercise yard. The main gate separates him from... A group of men wait in the street by a limousine. The main gate opens slowly. When the men sees Stravanavitch they come to attention and salute him. Stravanavitch returns the salute. And then starts his march toward his limousine... A SIREN WAILS. LIGHTS FLOOD THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE PRISON. The front gate begins to close. Worry crosses Stravanavitch's face. His men rush toward him, take position by the gate. Stravanavitch breaks into a run toward his limousine. GUARD Halt! Halt! Stravanvitch looks behind him. Guards rushing toward him from the yard... the limousine fifty yards ahead of him... closing fast... On the limo... the back door open and waiting. A shot rings out from the guard tower, followed by another, and another. Like popcorn starting to pop. Stravanavitch's men return fire. A minor war breaks out. Loyal guards battling Stravanavitch sympathizers. Stravanavitch caught in the middle, hit by one bullet, then another, then another. He makesit to the open rear door of the limousine, but collapses dead. Everyone stops firing. Stravanavitch's men rush to his side.. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Petrov slips under the covers as an aide knocks on his door. PETROV What is it? AIDE It's about Stravanvaitch. PETROV What about him? AIDE He's dead, sir. Shot while trying to escape. A beat. PETROV So be it. The world will sleep easier. Petrov turns out his bedside light. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, MAIN CABIN - NIGHT Marshall ascends down from the upper deck. Spots Korshunov by the front stairway. Korshunov pushes Alice down the stairs to the underdeck. INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT Autopilot engaged. A shower of sparks erupts from one of the bulletholes in the panel. Directional compass... the course heading drifts off to the south. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The squadron of F-15 still surround Air Force One, which slowly banks to one side. INT. F-15 COCKPIT - NIGHT COL. CARLTON They've changed their bearing. (into headset) Air Force One. Air Force One. Over... Air Force One please respond... FIGHTER PILOT #1 Sir, this new bearing. We're headed for Iraq, sir. INT. PILOT'S REST AREA. Unaware of the course drift, Shepherd and Rose lift Caldwell onto a bunk. ROSE Easy, Major. Easy. MAJOR CALDWELL The President? ROSE You saved his life. Caidwell smiles, settles peacefully back in the cot. He dies. Rose reaches up and shuts his eyes. INT. LOWER GALLEY - NIGHT Marshall makes his way through the dimness. Stepping cautiously. A shot rings out and richochets off a piece of piping right over Marshall's head. Undaunted Marshall advances. MARSHALL It's over, Korshunov. You won. Now let her go. He listens, footsteps ahead of him. ON Korshunov - holding Alice by her hair, practically dragging her over the mid-section wing cross-braces. As Marshall appears in the gangway he fires off another shot, hitting a cooling vent. Steam fills the' gangway area, bathed in red auxiliary lighting. Korshunov retreats toward the rear of the plane. MARSHALL (O.S.) There's nowhere to go. INT. CONTROL TOWER - NIGHT SUPER - "HUSSEIN AIR BASE, NORTHERN IRAQ" A cacophony of Arabic. The radar indicates an apparent invasion force heading for its borders. EXT. AIR FIELD - NIGHT Iraqi pilots rush to their MiGs. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - All eyes on the tactical display... Air Force One's course has arced south and the plane is heading straight for Iraq. GENERAL NORTHWOOD They aren't answering their hails. DEAN This doesn't make sense. V.P. CHANDLER How close are they? GENERAL NORTHiqOOD Fifteen miles, so two minutes. LEE The Iraqi Ambassador won't take our calls. We're trying to get through to their Central Command. DEAN To tell them what? The great infidel himself is flying overhead, Go get him? This is a man they burn in effigy daily. V.P. CHANDLER If challenged, our fighters are to state that they are on a rescue mission. GENERAL NORTHWOOD Iraqi's won't buy it. Either they're already in on this or they'll think we're spying. V.P. CHANDLER If fired upon, tell our fighters that they are ordered to engage. INT. REAR BAGGAGE HOLD - NIGHT Marshall checks behind the racks of stored goods and luggage. P.O.V. LOOKING DOWN A GUNSIGHT AS MARSHALL WALKS INTO THE open. A finger on the trigger. ALICE Dad, look out. Korshunov fires and Marshall dives out of the way. He cones up in defensive crouch ready to shoot, but all he can see is Alice. MARSHALL How you doing, sweetie? ALICE Been better, Dad... You? Marshall smiles briefly. But Alice is yanked around the corner. Marshall hears foatsteps. He junps to his feet and cautiously follows. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - EVENING On the tactical display as a second group of fighters appear. ready to challenge the F-l5's. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Air Force One and the cluster of F-15's zoom by. COL. CARLTON Air Force one... please respond. Air Force One, you are entering hostile air space. Air Force one... All Carlton receives is static. INT. AFO'S COCKPIT. Nobody at the wheel. The automatic pilot is still engaged. INT. F-15 EAGLE COCKPIT. Con. CARLTON Okay, guys, time to earn your paychecks. Stay in protective formation, and do not engage, I repeat, do not engage... unless you are fired upon. All wings acknowledge. FIGHTER PILOT #1 Halo one, acknowledged. FIGHTER PILOT #2 Halo two, acknowledged. The rest of the pilots chime in. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, LOWER AFT GALLEY - NIGHT Marshall swings into the cubicle... empty. He crosses to the cargo bay/parachute launch ramp hatchway. Looks through the porthole. Korshunov straps on one of the few remaining parachutes. He tosses the rest of the spares out onto the platform. Marshall steps onto the platform. Korshunov fires off a round forcing him behind the door for cover. Korshunov pulls Alice in front of him and yanks down the ramp activation lever. KORSHUNOV Stay where you are. The ramp lowers, and Alice gets her first look at the drop. Marshall watches the remaining parachutes slide off the ramp and into the stormy sky. KORSHUNOV There goes your ride. MARSHALL Let my daughter go or I'll take you out! KORSHUNOV If you put down the gun, I promise not to drop her on the way down. Korshunov backs toward the edge of the ramp, pulling a struggling and fighting Alice. MARSHALL Let her go now! Or I will kill you. Korshunov is a foot away from the edge of the ramp... two steps back, he and Alice will take the plunge. Marshall lines up his shot. Korshunov laughs as he presses his pistol to Alice's ear. KORSHUNOV No you won't. You'll compromise... like always. MARSHALL Hold on, Alice. Marshall fires, his bullet ripping apart a good deal of Korshunov's face and snapping his body back. Korshunov tumbles off the platform, but his limbs are caught. in Alice's. She's knocked to her belly and his dead weight drags her off the edge of the platform. ALICE NO! Marshall dives down the sloping platform, reaching out for her... Alice tries to grip the platform with her hands, but she can't hold on. Her hand slip off the metallic lip. But as she falls, she's caught by the wrist. Strong arms pull her up. Her father's arms. He carries her back to the safety of the plane. She's sobs uncontrollably. ALICE Oh NY god... oh my god... oh my god... MARSHALL It's okay, honey. I got you. I got you. You're okay. Shepherd and Rose appear. Marshall locks eyes with Rose... smiles. Shepherd crosses to the parachute bins. MARSHALL Gone. They're all gone. The plane shakes with the thunder of a supersonic boom. EXT. SKY - NIGHT A half dozen MiGs race by the cluster of American aircraft at breakneck speeds. INT. IRAQI CONTROL TOWER - NIGHT GENERAL CERALLOS eyes the radar. IRAQI SOLDIER The Americans say they are escorting a damaged plane. Our pilots confirm they are surrounding a 747. CERALLOS Did we warn them off? IRAQI SOLDIER Yes. They refused to alter course and the 747 would not answer our hails. Cerallos takes a moment, looking at the screen. CERALLOS It's some kind of trick... a preliminary airstrike in response to our troop movement. IRAQI SOLDIER They are in our airspace. We would be within our rights. CERALLOS The world would not look on us kindly if we shot down a civilian airliner. The Soldier listens to chatter coning over his headset. IRAQI SOLDIER The pilot says it is does not have the markings of a commercial jet. CERALLOS Warn then again. If they don't respond... shoot them down. We will not be intimidated. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT INT. MISSION COMMUNICATION CENTER - NIGHT Another sonic boom. MARSHALL What is that sound? Marshall makes his way to the cockpit. Through the cockpit window, a MiG accelerates out of the darkness coming straight at us. At the last second it pulls up slightly, riding over the top of the 747. Its sonic boom rocks the jumbo jet. MARSHALL My god. I think that was a MiG. SHEPHERD A MiG? Where the hell are we? Marshall rushes back to one of the rear upper deck windows. He looks out at the F-l5s. MARSHALL They're flying a protection formation. (beat) Call D.C. Find out what's going on. INT. COCKPIT, F-15 EAGLE - NIGHT MIS PILOT (V.0.) This is your last warning. You are violating our airspace. Leave immediately. COL. CARLTON I said back off and hold your fire. We are on a rescue mission. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. EXT. SKY - NIGHT A MiG loops into position behind Carlton. INT. MIG COCKPIT - NIGHT switches his targeting computer on. Finds carlton in his sights. Good tone. The pilot pulls the trigger. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The missile detaches from the MiG and slides toward Carlton. Carlton breaks formation, leading the missile astray. His plane tucks into a tight little roll. The missile misses over Carlton's rolling wings. COL. CARLTON Halo Team, this is group leader. Halo Team is cleared to engage. I repeat, you are cleared to engage. Carlton pulls his plane into a monster climb. COL. CARLTON This is the real thing boys. Let's fly and fry. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT A ringing phone is answered by an aide. A few beats. AIDE It's the Chief of Staff calling... from Air Force One. They've retaken control of the aircraft. GENERAL NORTHWOOD Then tell him to get the fuck out of Iraq. INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT Marshall settles into the pilot's chair. Shepherd comes in. SHEPHERD Iraq, sir. We're over Iraq. MARSHALL Iraq? Shep, you're fired. Marshall looks at the plane's bearing. The instruments are shot to hell. MARSHALL Shit. SHEPHERD How long's it been since you flew, sir? MARSHALL Twenty-five years. EXT. SKY - An F-15 follows a MiG into a barrel roll. INT. MIG COCKPIT - NIGHT The MIG pilot targets Air Force One. He cuts his speed as he lines up his shot. Gets a lock. MIG PILOT (arabic/subtitle) I have radar lock on the 747. INT. COCKPIT - AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT On tactical computer - "RADAR LOCK" "Dis-Engaging Auto-pilot" The plane banks left into a dive. Marshall grabs the yoke. INT. MIG COCKPIT - Finger on the trigger. MIG PILOT It's evading. Can I take the shot? MIG LEADER (V.0.) Take the shot. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Looking forward from underneath an F-15, the MiG heads toward Air Force One. The F-15 fires a sidewinder. On the MIG... as it fires its missile. The F-15's sidewinder blows the MIG up, taking the missile with it. Air Force One is clear... for the time being. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, COCKPIT - NIGHT MARSHALL STRUGGLES TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE 747. HE OVER- compensates and the plane rocks side-to-side. ROSE What are you doing? MARSHALL Flying the plane. ROSE You haven't even driven a car since you took office. Marshall checks out the tactical display. MARSHALL I'm sure it's like riding a bicycle... downhill with no brakes and somebody shooting at you. Marshall finds the throttle, pushes it up all the way. He feels the plane out, gently nudges it into a turn. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Two MiGs flare out of an engagement with the F-15's and break toward Air Force One. COL. CARLTON We got two on the loose. Someone get on them. FIGHTER PILOT #2 Halo Two... I can't get there in time. COL. CARLTON Bullshit. Do it. The two MiGs lock onto Air Force One. Each fires a missile at the President's plane, before breaking in opposite directions. INT. AFO COCKPIT - NIGHT A red buzz. It's all Marshall can do to keep the plane flying straight. MARSHALL We got two coming at us! Tactical Countermeasures Computer... as it tracks the incomings... "Heat Seekers" "Launching Flares" EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Brightly burning flares launch from either side of Air Force One's wings and descend toward earth. The missiles follow the heat of the flares, plummeting harmlessly to earth. INT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT - NIGHT The shock waves from a nearby MiG explosion shakes the plane. In the aftermath, Marshall takes a moment and pulls on the pilot's headset. MARSHALL U.S. Pilots, this is Air Force One. COL. CARLTON Copy Air Force One. Welcome to the party. FIGHTER PILOT #1 (V.0.) I'm on it. INT. AFO COCKPIT - NIGHT' MARSILALL Can you... can you drop in front of me? I'll follow you out. COL. CARLTON Hang tough, I'm on my way. EXT. SKY - NIGHT On the two MiG's heading for Air Force One. An F-15 drops in behind them. The MiGs scissor and break in OPPosite directions. The F-l5 can only follow one of them. FIGHTER PILOT 11 I'm tight on one, the other's loose. I need help down here. The other MiG comes up on the 747 and opens fire with his CANNONS. The shells rip up the surface of the aircraft's wing. The MiG swoops past Air Force One and jerks into a * vertical. On the damaged wing - Fuel starts leaking out and the outer jet engine catches fire. INT. COCKPIT, AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Red warning light flashes on the control panel. MARSHALL We're hit. We've got an engine on fire. COT. CAALTON (V.0.) Shut it down. Shut it down. Marshall reaches over and toggles the shutoff switch. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT The engine whirs to a halt and the rushing wind blows out the fire. But now she's only got three engines. INT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Through the cockpit window, an F-15 settles in front of Air Force One... Flames pouring out of its tail. Under any other condition, it would be pretty. Alice, Rose and Shepherd watch Marshall fly. MARSHALL This is President Marshall. I know you guys are busy, but we need some help here. INT. CARLTON'S F-15 COCKPIT - NIGHT Canton in pursuit of a Mis. COL. CARLTON Mr. President, it's an honor. Now with your permission can we lead you the fuck out of here. MARSHALL You read my mind. COL. CARLTON Put your pilot on. MARSHALL He's busy being dead. Carlton breaks left, lines up a MiG and fires. He nails the Iraqi aircraft. COL. CARLTON Who's flying the fucking plane? MARSHALL I'm doing what I can. COL. CAELTON Can you, can you change your heading to Zero Four One point six? MARSHALL Negative. We've lost navagition. I don't know where that is. Buzzer sounds in Carlton's cockpit. He's been locked on. COL. CARLTON Oh shit. Hang on. Somebody help me out. I got one up my ass. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Carlton puts his plane into a triple canopy roll then slams on his airbreaks. The MiS shoots by him and Carlton lets loose with his CANNONS. The MiG pulls up and disengages. COL. CARLTON Two and three are heading toward the Boeing. COL. CARLTON Okay. We're gonna arc a fat one to the right. Got it? MARSHALL Got it. COL. CARLTON Stay cool. Canton's plane edges around to the right... and Marshall follows. The 747 leans at an angle and continues the turn until the F-15 is dead ahead. Another plane explodes ahead of him at three o'clock. MARSHALL How we doing, Colonel? COL. CARLTON We still got three MiGs running around and six more on the way. Can't you fly any faster? IRA'. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT All eyes are glued to the tactical screen, showing the dogfight. They listen to the radio traffic. MARSHALL We're at full throttle. FIGHTER PILOT #1 (V.0.) Air Force One, MiGs four and five are on your tail. MARSHALL Well get `em off me, goddamnit. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Two MiGs targeting the big bird. FIGHTER PILOT #1 I can't get a lock. Break right. Break right. INT. AFO COCKPIT - NIGHT Marshall struggles with his stick turning the aircraft to the right. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Of course its pointless. The Boeing is a fucking sloth compared to these fighters. INT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT - NIGHT The familiar buzz. Tactical computer. "RADAR LOCK" Alice notices the computer. At the upper right hand of the screen, the computer displays Defensive Mode/Offensive Mode. Defensive Mode is highlighted. ALICE Daddy, look. It says... Alice reaches out and touches the screen. MARSHALL Not now, pumpkin. Alice's touch activates offensive mode. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT Along the belly of the aircraft, two hatches pivot open, revealing a series of missiles. SKY - AS THE F-15 JOCKEYS WITH THE `NO MIGS FIGHTER PILOT #1 I can't get good tone. COL. CARLTON Take the shot. The F-15 fires, but the Sidewinder screams past the turning HiGs. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, COCKPIT - NIGHT Tactical computer... Over graph display. "Offensive Counter Measures Activatedw "Launching Missiles" ERR. AIR FORCE ONE - The Flying White House launches two sparrow missiles. The MiGs release flares, but the Sparrows don't flinch. Twin FIREBALLS erupt in the sky as the Mics evaporate. But from the fireball, a MISSILE emerges coming right at Air Force One. Closing fast. FIGHTER PILOT #2 Boss, they got one off. INT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT On the console... sparks fly. Tactical computer flashes... "SYSTEM FAILURE" "Missile Locked" MARSHMj What did you touch? What did you touch!? ALICE Nothing! Marshall checks display. MARSHALL Oh shit. It's got us. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The missile has Air Force One dead to rights, crawling right up its tail pipe. Just before its about to hit the plane... FIGHTER PILOT 11 YAAAAAAAAH! An F-15 swoops up from below. Like a Secret Service agent during an assassination attempt... The F-15 takes the bullet in its mid-section. BOOM! The blast slams bits of the fighter plane against Air Force One. Rocking it badly. Chunks of the plane rip away metal sheeting on the 747's wings and tail section. INT. F-15 COCKPIT - NIGHT COL. CARLTON We got six more bogeys, closing fast from the south. EXT. SKY - NIGHT A squadron of Navy F-14s drops into the theatre. The cavalry. NAVY SQUADRON LEADER (V.0.) You Air Force boys get that plane out of here. We'll take care of those MiGs. COL. CARLTON Roger that. Kick ass, Navy. NAVY SQUADRON LEADER (V.0.) That's affirmative. INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT Marshall works the controls of the 747. Tries to engage the automatic pilot. The system is fried. Marshall wrestles with the yoke. MARSHALL Uh, we got a problem here. COL. CARLTON Just stay on my wing, sir. I'll take you all the way in. MARSHALL No. We're losing fuel and my rudder's not responding. COL. CARLTON Lemme take a look. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Canton pulls up and drops back over the plane. He looks down at the Boeing's wing. COL. CARLTON Aw, man. You're torn up pretty bad out here, sir. Do you have any elevater control. MARSHALL Sluggish... I think it's jammed too. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT COL. CARLTON Uh, Tower, we got a problem up here. Sir, I got some bad news. Air Force One... there's no way they can bring it down. Plane's damaged, it's unlandable. INT. AIR FORCE ONE, COCKPIT - NIGHT Marshall looks out the side cockpit window, sees Carlton's F- 15 fly steady with his. COL. CARLTON I'm sorry, sir. Carlton salutes Marshall. Marshall returns it. MARSHALL Thanks for your help, Colonel. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT General Northwood collapses into his chair. GENERAL NORTHWOOD They've got no chutes. They can't control the plane, their engines are failing and they're losing fuel. DEAN I prefered the terrorists. GENERAL NORTHWOOD That's game, set, and match. There's nothing to do, except call the Chief Justice. V.P. CHANDLER The Chief Justice? What on earth for? GENERAL NORTHWOOD To swear you in as President. Dead silence in the room. General Greely ambles over to the tactical map and just stares at it. He loosens his tie and scratches his head. GENERAL GREELY Where's your strike team, General? GENERAL NORTHWOOD On their way back to Turkey. Why? GENERAL GREELY I just had the craziest idea. EXT. SKY - NIGHT KC-lO Transport plane. KC-lO PILOT Romeo Tango Zulu. We copy. Change of Orders acknowledged. We are en route. The KC-lO banks into a turn. INT. COCKPIT, AIR FORCE ONE - MIGHT Alice, Rose and Shepherd stand behind the pilot's seat. MARSHALL (into header) Is it our only option? - Then do it. Marshall looks to the others. MARSHALL We're now over the Black Sea, so even if they could get us chutes we'd drown or die of hypothermia before they could get to us. We've got one other option though... EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT Standard news shot. CNN REPORTER facing the camera. REPORTER incredible, yet unconfirmed reports, of White House staff members parachuting from the plane while the President himself battled these terrorists. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT A family gathers around their T.V. set to hear the report. REPORTER (TELEVISION) Yet now, in a bizarre twist of events, CNN has learned that Air Force One has been severly crippled and is virtually unlandable and our sources report that the First Family is trapped onboard. A daring mid-air rescue operation is said to be underway. INT. COCKPIT, AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT MARSHALL How long's it been? SHEPHERD Twenty five minutes. They should be here any moment. MARSHALL They better. Fuel's almost gone. Up ahead, navagation lights. ALICE There they are! MARSHALL Okay, I'm slowing us down. INT. MAIN CABIN - NIGHT Shepherd crosses to the forward cabin door. He follows directions for emergency door release. EXT. AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT The emergency door opens and the emergency raft/slide deploys. It inflates before being ripped from the aircraft, gently wafting through stormy clouds. INT. MAIN CABIN - NIGHT Air rushes past the airplane at two hundred miles an hour. SHEPHERD IT'S OPEN! INT. COCKPIT - MARSHALL DO YOU SEE TEEM? INT. CABIN - NIGHT ROSE (O.S.) CAN YOU SEE THEM? Shepherd looks out into the night sky. Inky blackness and greying clouds. The horizon, though, lightens as dawn approaches. Shepherd spots navigational lights descending from above. SHEPHERD HERE THEY COME! EXT. KC-LO TRANSPORT - NIGHT It's side cargo door is wide open. Army Rangers begin winching out three-inch wide cable. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The KC-lO pratically on top of Air Force One. Separated by forty feet. Super flying. The cable slaps against the side of Air Force One and drags along it's edge. As it slides past the open doorway, Shepherd grabs it and hauls it into the plane until he has its end. He hooks the cable to a metal clasp at the top of the door frame. SHEPHERD WE'RE HOOKED! INT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT - MARSHALL We're hooked. Hove into position. KC-LO PILOT (RADIO) Romeo Tango Zulu, acknowledged. We are assuming position. A red light flashes on the control panel. Engine number two grinds to a halt. The pressure guages drop to zero. MARSHALL Get going. We don't have much time left. Rose bends down and kisses Marshall on the cheek. ROSE I love you. I just wanted you to know that. Marshall holds her with his eye. MARSHALL I love you too. (beat) We're going to make it. Alice throws her arms around her father. ALICE My school play's Tuesday night. Promise me you'll be there. MARSHALL I promise. Guages show fuel is low on the remaining turbofans. EXT. SKY - The transport plane dips into a lateral position. The two planes are connected by a hundred yards of cable. FIVE ARMY RANGERS in snatch harnesses slide down the cable bridge onto Air Force Onefr As they hit the open doorway, they unclip and sail into the main cabin. ARMY RANGER #1 Let's get you folks out of here. INT. DEPARTMENT STORE - EVENING Electronics department. Banks of television sets. Shoppers watch intently. The audio broadcast plays over a map of the region and a graphic of Air Force One. KC-LO PILOT (V.0.) Tower, Air Force One has been boarded. TOWER (V.0.) Romeo Tango Zulu, copy One the television, graphics of the First Family against the Presidential Seal. REPORTER You're listening to an intercepted audio feed of radio communications between Air Force One and Army Special Forces, flying side-by-side, attempting to get the first family off the damaged aircraft. INT. MAIN CABIN - Three Army Rangers harness themselves `to the survivors. One to Alice, one to Rose and one to Shepherd. The other two head for the cockpit. Alice and her Ranger are ready. ARMY RANGER We're set. ALICE Mon... ROSE You can do it, baby. ARMY RANGER Hold on tight. The first step's a bitch. Alice takes a deep breath, closes her eyes... The soldier clips on the cable, and shoves off the lip of the doorway, SAILING DOWN THE WIRE. They plummet, Alice screaming. The line goes taut. The pair slide the hundred yards to the KC-lO. Rangers grab them and bring them into the transport. INT. DEPARTMENT STORE - EVENING Shoppers listen to television sets, galvanized. KC-lO PILOT The first daughter is on-board. INT. COCKPIT, AIR FORCE ONE - NIGHT With a smile. MARSHALL Acknowledged. Two Army Rangers approach the cockpit. ARMY RANGER #1 Mr. President! Army Ranger #2 slides into the co-pilot's seat. ARMY RANGER #2 I'll take it, sir. You get going. INT. MAIN CABIN - NIGHT Rose clips on to a Ranger's harness. ROSE Ready! They clip on the wire, move to the lip, and rappel off the side of the plane. INT. AFO UPPER DECK - NIGHT As the first Ranger leads Marshall through the M.C.C. WHEN A SHOT RINGS OUT... The soldier at the flight yoke slumps over dead. Marshall and the first Ranger swing around to see... A bloody but smiling Gibbs, lying on the deck, clutching an MP5. The Ranger draws his weapon... But Gibbs swings his rifle around. Pulls the trigger. BAM. BAM. BAM. Hitting the Ranger. The Ranger returns fire, shooting round after round at Gibbs before pitching over, dead. Gibbs draws a bead on the President, smiles... but he doesn't have any strength left to pull the trigger. He expires. And the plane begins to dive. Marshall runs for the cockpit. EXT. SKY - NIGHT Rose and her Ranger are pulled aboard the transport. INT. MAIN CABIN - Shepherd and his Ranger clip onto the wire, but the KC-lO is now higher than Air Force One. INT. AFO COCKPIT - With Marshall back at the yoke. KC-LO PILOT Air Force One, you're losing altitude. MARSHALL I can't hold it! HANG ON. KC-LO PILOT (V.0.) EXT. SN - NIGHT The KC-lO transport dips lower and lower, trying to maintain its position under the descending plane. KC-LO PILOT Tower, Romeo Tango Zulu. The First Lady is onboard. Air Force One, status? MARSHALL We've lost two of your men. There's no one to fly the plane. KC-L0 PILOT (V.0.) We can send another one over. MARSHALL No time. I only have one engine left. INT. MAIN CABIN - NIGHT ARMY RANGER Come on! SHEPHERD What about the President? ARMY RANGER He's on his way. With the KC-lO back in the Position, Shepherd and his Ranger shove off the dying plane toward safety. TNT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT KC-L0 PILOT The Chief of Staff is onboard. We are at six thousand feet descending rapidly. Everyone's biting their nails. TNT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT - NIGHT MARSHALL I can't stabilize it. KC-LO PILOT Sir, we're going to pound pavement in less than three minutes. Marshall holds the yoke in one hand and unclips the snatch harness from the dead ranger in the co-pilot's seat. The last red light on the engine control panel starts to flash. MARSHALL I'M LOSING NUMBER FOUR! Marshall, still fighting the yoke, stands. He takes a deep breatn, drops the wheel and runs like a motherfucker for the stairs. EXT. SICY, AIR FORCE ONE. Drops into a banking twist. The cable line runs taut. The KC-lO tries to compensate. TNT. CABIN Marshall dives down the stairs from the upper deck, comes up sprinting for the door. TNT. AIR FORCE ONE, COCKPIT - Engine four fails. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - KC-1O PILOT (V.0.) She's out of control. I can't pace her. INT. MAIN CABIN - The taut straining cable snaps one corner of the metal clasp. The clasp starts to bend. IN SLOW MOTION - MARSHALL sprinting to the open door. The clasp twisting. The cable hook ready to slip of f it. Marshall clips on, and dives out of the door. He slides forty feet down, when.... The clasp gives. The cable line snaps away from the plane... one end connected to the KC-l0, the other connected to... Nothing. EXT. SKY Marshall slides down the cable, gripping at it, trying to break his fall. Air Force One plummets toward the water. Marshall sliding, right behind it, running out of cable. At the end of his rope, literally. Marshall's harness snags on the end clasp. He hangs on for dear life. Moments later Air Force One impacts. A huge EXPLOSION, water and flames blows sky high into the night. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - KC-LO PILOT Tower. Air Force One is down... INT. SPORTS BAR - EVENING Dead silence as all the patrons stare up at the T.V. KC-1O PILOT I repeat, Air Force One is down. TOWER Romeo Tango Zulu. Do you have the President? No response... INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT TOWER Romeo Tango Zulu, please respond. Do you have the President? Over. Still no response... EXT. SKY - NIGHT The massive fireball and glowing remains of the Presidential aircraft almost reaches up to where the President struggles to hold on to the end of the cable. INT. KC-LO TRANSPORT ARMY RANGER Winch it up! Winch it up! EXT. SKY - NIGHT Marshall slipping off the line, unable to get a solid hold. His hands slick with blood. The belly of the KC-lO gets closer and closer. MARSHALL Come on. Ten mare seconds. He closes his eyes. His fingers begin to give. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT All over America, families, gathered around their televisions, wait. TOWER Romeo Tango Zulu, do you have the President? Over. KC-LO PILOT Stand by. INT. DEPARTMENT STORE - NIGHT TOWER Romeo Tango Zulu1 this is Tower. Please report. over. INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT A long beat of silence, then... TOWER Romeo Tango Zulu, do you copy? Do you have the President? Another long beat. KC-LO PILOT We copy. Stand by... (beat) Tower? TOWER Tower, here. KC-LO PILOT This is Romeo Tango Zulu changing call signs. (beat) Tower, alert air traffic, Romeo Tango Zulu is now Air Force One. (beat) This is Air Force One... The President is safe onboard. TOWER Copy, Air Force One. Cheers flood the situation room. Cheers flood the Department Store. Cheers flood the press room, the living room, the sports bars, churches, schools, construction sites, hospitals... all across America. INT. KC-1O HOLD - DAWN Marshall huddles tight with Rose and Alice as a MEDIC attends to their wounds. ARMY RANGER Mr. President? Marshall turns to see this soldier, a fresh-faced, 19-year- old kid, saluting his Commander-in-chief. ARMY RANGER Welcome aboard, sir. Marshall returns the salute. EXT. SKY - DAWN The KC-1O soars into the emerging sunrise, flying in the center of the remaining F-l5 formation. FADE TO BLACK

OPEN: Theme from Jaws, plane busts out of clouds like Jaws... Voiceman: The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only, there is no stopping in the red zone. Voiclady: The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only, there is no stopping in the red zone. Voiceman: The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only, there is no stopping in the red zone. Voiclady: The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only, there is no stopping in the red zone. Zealot#1: Hello, we'd like you to have this flower from the religious consciousness church, would you care to make a donation? Elaine : No, thank you anyway. Voiceman: The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only, there is no stopping in the white zone. Voiclady: NO! The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading and there is no stopping in the red zone. Voiceman: The red zone has always been for loading and unloading there is never stopping in a white zone. Voiclady: Don't tell me which zone is for stopping and which zone is for loading. Voiceman: Listen Betty, don't start up with your white zone shit again! Zealot#2: Hello, we'd like you to have this flower from the religious consciousness church, would you like to make a donation? ????????: No thanks, we gave at the office. AT SECURITY GATE: Security: Would you put all of your metal objects into this dish please ( Man first removes all of his jewelry, etc. then his prosthetic arm and leg) Voiceman: There's just no stopping in a white zone. Voiclady: Oh really, Vernon, why pretend, we both know perfectly well what it is you're talking about. You want me to have an abortion. Voiceman: Its really the only sensible thing to do. If its done properly, therapeutically, there's no danger involved. Someguy : Taxi! Striker : I'll be back in a minute. ( sets cab's meter running) Zealot#3: Hello sir, we'd like you to have this flower on behalf of the church of Religious consciousness, would you caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarr... Worker#1: Hey, Larry, where's the forklift? ( To worker#2 who is busy guiding a plane into a hanger ) Worker#2: Forklift? Its over there by the baggage loader. ( Gestures the direction of baggage loader with guide sticks causing the plane to go that direction and to come crashing into the terminal) People : ( In terminal ) LOOK OUT!!!! ARGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! (pandemonium). Striker : Elaine!!!!! Elaine : Ted! Striker : I came home early and found your note. I guess you meant for me to read it later. Elaine, I've got to to talk to you. Elaine : I just don't want to go over it anymore. Striker : I know things haven't been right for a long time, but... It'll be different. Like it was in the beginning. If you'll just be patient I can work things out. Elaine : I have been patient and I tried to help, but you wouldn't even let me do that. Striker : Don't you feel anything for me at all anymore? Elaine : It takes so many things to make love last. But, most of all, it takes respect, and I can't live with the man I don't respect. Striker : ( To camera ) What a PISSER! PA : Captain Oever, white courtesy phone. Captain Cla rence Oever, white courtesy phone. OEVER PICKS UP A RED PHONE. Operator: NO! THE WHITE PHONE. Oever : Oh! ( picks up white phone ) This is Captain Oever! Operator: One moment for your call from the Mayo Clinic. PA : Captain Oever, white courtesy phone. Captain Clarence Oever, white courtesy phone. Oever : I'VE GOT IT! PA : Thank you. Operator: Go ahead with your call. MayoDoct: Uh, this is Doctor Brody at the Mayo Clinic. There's a passenger on your Chicago flight 209er, a little girl named Lisa Davis, en route to Minneapolis. She's scheduled for a heart transplant, we'd like you to tell her mother we found a donor an hour ago. We have the heart here, ready for surgery. . . We must have the recipient on the operating table within 6 hours. I want you to make sure she's kept in a reclined position and that a continuous watch is kept on her IV. Also, its very important that she remain calm. . . Operator: EXCUSE ME, This is the operator Captain Oever, I have an emergency call on line 5 from a Mr. Hamm. Oever : Alright, Give me Hamm on 5, hold the Mayo. Striker : Look, you'll be back in town tomorrow night, we'll... have dinner. We'll talk things over. Elaine : I won't be back, I've requested the Atlanta run. Striker : Elaine, I promise, I can change. Elaine : Then why didn't you take the job that Louis Neds offered you at Boeing? Striker : You know I haven't been able to get near a plane since since the war. Even if I could, they wouldn't hire me because of my war record. Elaine : You're war record ??? You're the only one keeping that alive, for everyone else, its ancient history. Striker : You expect me to believe that? Elaine : Its the truth. What's hurt you the most is your record since the war. Different cities, different jobs and not one of them shows you can accept any real responsibility. Striker : Elaine, if you just give me one more . . . Elaine : Its too late, Ted. When I get back to Chicago, I'm going to start my life all over again. I'm sorry. Zealot#4: Excuse me, we'd like you to have this flower from the Church of Religious Conscious. . .PUNCH . . . EWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Attendnt: Hi! Well, good evening. Oh, there you go. You just follow all the way back. Hello. Victor : Any word on that storm lifting over Salt Lake Clarence? Oever : No not likely, Victor. I just reviewed the area report for 1600 hours through 2400. Victor : Uh, huh ... Oever : There's a front stalled over the Dakotas, backed all the way to Utah. Victor : Yeah, well, if she decides to push over to the great lakes, it could get plenty slippery. Oever : Uh, huh. Victor : What about the southern route, around Tulsa? Oever : I double checked the terminal forecast and winds aloft and I had cloudy ceilings all the way. Victor : Where do they top out? Oever : Well . . . there's some light scattered cover to 20,000 icing around 15. . . Worker3 : Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. (falling off ladder from washing plane's windows) Victor : Boy looks like the original plan ought to be the best bet. Oever : Denver it is. Murdock : Sorry Clarence. Latest weather report shows everything is sopped in from Salt Lake to Lincoln. Oever : Oh, Hi Roger! Glad to have you aboard! Victor, this is Roger Murdock, Victor Basta. Victor : How do you do Roger? Murdock : Nice to meet you! Oever : Roger, I was telling Victor that I reviewed the area report for 1600 hours through 2400 there'sa front stalled over the Dakotas. . . Ticketer: There you go, thank you. Striker : Can you tell me if Elaine Dickenson is on this flight? Ticketer: Well, the whole flight crew has boarded. Let me see. Oh yes, she is on board. Striker : I'd like one ticket to Chicago. No baggage. ( Guy still waits in Taxi for Striker) Ticketer: Smoking or non-smoking. Striker : Smoking, please. Ticketer: ( Hands Ted a ticket which is literally smoking) There. Have a nice trip. FLASHBACK: STRIKER. VOICE: Striker, this is red leader 4. Primary target covered by fog. Decision to proceed is yours. decision to proceed IS YOURS. IS YOUUUURRRRS... YOUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Jiveman1: Sheeeet, man, that honkey mus' be messin' my old lady got to be runnin' col' upsihd down his head! Subtitle: GOLLY, THAT WHITE FELLOW SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM MY WIFE OR I WILL PUNCH HIM. Jiveman2: Hey Holm, I can dig it! You know he ain't gonna lay no mo' big rap upon you man! Subtitle: YES, HE IS WRONG FOR DOING THAT. Jiveman1: I say hey sky, s'other say I won say I pray to J I get the same ol' same ol. Subtitle: I KNEW A MAN IN A SIMILAR PREDICAMENT, AND HE ENDED UP BEING SORRY. Jiveman2: Knock yourself a pro slick. Gray matter back got perform' us' down I take TCBin, man'. Subtitle: DON'T BE NAIVE ARTHUR. EACH OF US FACES A CLEAR MORAL CHOICE. Jiveman1: You know wha' they say: See a broad to get that bodiac lay'er down an' smack 'em yack 'em. Subtitle: EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE, MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE. Together: Col' got to be! Yo! Subtitle: HOW TRUE! Together: Sheeeeeeet! Subtitle: GOLLY. SIGN ON PLANE LIGHTS UP �_____________________________� 1 NO SMOKING 1 1 El NO A YOU SMOKO 1 1 1 1 FASTEN SEATBELTS 1 1 PUTANA DA SEATBELTZ 1 Z_____________________________O Oldlady : Nervous? Striker : Yes. Oldlady : First time? Striker : NO, I've been nervous lots of times. Elaine : Hi, we'll be taking off real soon. SO I'd better fasten you in tight. Dyingirl: Thank you. Oh, mother this is so exciting. Mother : I know, but you must get some rest. Elaine : That's good advice. You relax and I'll be back right after we take off. Lovelorn: God Bill. I am going to miss you so much. Leaving : Oh, I'm gonna miss you too. Promise you'll write?? Lovelorn: SIGH . . . Every day. Bill... Conductr: Better get on board son. All aboard!!!!! Oever : 209er to ground control. We're loaded and ready to taxi. Lovelorn: Goodbye Bill! Leaving : Goodbye darling. I love you darling. Tower : 2-0-9er, taxi to runway 1-9er. Leaving : Goodbye darling. Lovelorn: Have your picture taken the minute you get there. And send me one, alright? Leaving : Okay, here, hurry. ( he throws her his watch as she runs along the side of the taxiing plane. ) Lovelorn: Oh, but your watch, but you shouldn't. You're gonna need this! Leaving : Its alright. It doesn't work. Lovelorn: Bill! Leaving : Goodbye darling. Lovelorn: Bill! ( Knocks over light tower while running ) Bill! Bill! I'll keep it with me all the time, I swear to you. Leaving : I know darling, take care of yourself, goodbye. Tower : Flight 2-0-9er, you're cleared for take off. Oever : Roger! Murdock : Huh? Tower : L.A. departure frequency 1-2-3 point 9er. Oever : Roger! Murdock : Huh? : Re-quest Vector, over! Oever : What? Tower : 2-0-9er clear for vector 2-3-4. Murdock : We have clearance Clarence. Oever : Roger, Roger. What's our Vector Victor? Tower : Tower's radio clearance, over! Oever : That's Clarence Oever! Oever. Tower : Roger. Murdock : Huh? Tower : Roger, over. Murdock : Huh? Oever : Huh? Attendnt: DO you feel alright sir? Striker : Oh, I haven't flown for a long time. Oever : Good evening ladies and gentleman, this is Captain Oever speaking. Well, be cruising at 36,000 feet this evening. Our arrival time in Chicago will be 10:45 pm central time. The temperature there is currently 62 degrees with a 20% chance of precipitation. Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your flight. Elaine : Would you like something to read? Oldlady: Do you have anything light? Elaine : Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh... how about this leaflet, famous Jewish sports legends? Oldlady: Yes, thank you. Elaine : Teeeeeeeeeeeed!?! What are you doing here? Striker: Elaine, I've got to talk to you! Elaine : Y-Y-Yo-You shouldn't have come, I don't have time now! Oldlady: Stewardess . . . Elaine : Excuse me! Oldlady: No wonder you're upset! She's lovely! And a darling figure. Supple pouting breasts. . . firm thighs . . . its a shame you two don't get along. Striker: Yes, I know, things used to be different. I remember when we first met. It was during the war. ( Flashback) I was in the Air Force stationed in Drambui, off the Barbary coast. I used to hang out at the Magumba bar. It was a rough place, the seediest dive on the wharf. Populated with every reject and cut-throat from Bombay to Calcutta. Its worse than Detroit. The mood in the place was downright ugly. You wouldn't walk in there unless you knew how to use your fists. You could count on a fight breaking out almost every night. ( fight between two women breaks out. Chairs are crashed . . .) ( Saturday Night Fever music starts to play when juke box is clobbered I didn't go there that night to fall in love I just dropped in for a couple of drinks. But, suddenly there she was. I was captivated, entranced. It hit me like a thunderbolt. I had to ask the guy next to me to pinch me to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I was afraid to approach her, but that night fate was on my side. ( The man Elaine is dancing with gets a knife in his back. He tries to ascertain help from Elaine by pointing with both hands at his back, but Elaine thinks that this is a new dance move and mimics him. He collapses and dies. Striker begins to dance disco style with Elaine, soon a crowd gathers to watch. Both Ted and Elaine dance in humanly impossible ways. The crowd cheers. Next the bar is empty, and its the end of the night. Ted and Elaine are still there with the 2 fighting women. ( end flashback ) We laughed, we talked, we danced I never wanted it to end. I guess I still don't. But, enough about me, I hope this hasn't been boring for you. Its just that whenever I talk about Elaine, I get so carried away, I loose all track of time. ( Oldlady has hung herself ) Elaine : Would you like to order dinner now? Father : Yes, Joey will have the steak and my wife and I will have the fish. Joey : When can I see the cockpit dad? Father : Joey, I think the pilots are probably too busy flying the plane for that. Joey : Awww, geee whiz!!!!!!!!!! Elaine : I'll tell you what Joey, I'll talk to the Captain and see what I can arrange. Joey : Gee, that'd be swell! Elaine : Would you gentleman care to order your dinners? Jiveman1: Bet babe, slide a piece a da porter, drink si' run th' java. Subtitle: I WOULD LIKE THE STEAK PLEASE. Jiveman2: Lookie here, I can dig grease and butter on some draggin' fruit garden. Subtitle: I'LL HAVE THE FISH. littlboy: Excuse me, I happened to be passing and I thought you might like some coffee. littgirl: Oh, that's very nice of you. Thank you. Oh, won't you sit down? Littlboy: Oh thank you. Cream? Littgirl: No thank you, I take it black . . . . . . like my men. Striker : Well, you see . . . ( to a different passenger -- new flashback, reminiscent of the Blue Lagoon. ) Elaine : Oh TED! I never knew I could be so happy. These few months have been just wonderful. Tomorrow, why don't we drive up the coast to that little seafood place and . . . what's the matter??? Striker : My orders came through. My squadron ships out tomorrow, we're bombing the storage depots at Daiquiri at 18:00 hours. We're coming in from the North, below their radar. Elaine : When will you be back? Striker : I can't tell you that? It's classified. Elaine : Ted, please be careful. I worry about you so much. Striker : I love you Elaine. Elaine : I love you! ( Return from flashback, the passenger stabs himself to death ) Denver : Flight 2-0-9er, this is Denver flight control. You are approaching some rough weather. Please climb to 42,000 feet. Oever : Roger, Denver. Elaine : We have a visitor. . . Oever : Hello. Murdock : Hi! Elaine : This is Captain Oever, Mr Murdock and Mr Basta. This is Joey Hammond. . . Oever : Well hi Joey. Murdock : Come on up here, you can see better. Oever : We have something here for our special visitors ( takes out a model airplane for Joey ), would you like to have it? Joey : Thank youuuuuuu! Thanks alot! Oever : Sure. You ever been in a cockpit before? Joey : No sir, I've never been up in a plane before. Oever : You ever . . . seen a grown man naked ? Murdock : Do you want me to check the weather Clarence? Oever : No, why don't you take care of it. Joey, did ya ever hang around a gymnasium? Elaine : We'd better get back now Joey! Oever : Noooooooo, Joey can stay here for a while if he'd like. Joey : Could I? Elaine : Okay, if you don't get in the way. Murdock : Flight 2-0-9er to Denver radio, climbing to cruise at 42,000. Will report again over Lincoln. Over and out. Joey : Wait a minute! I know you. You're Kareem Abdul-Jabar. You played basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers. Murdock : I'm sorry son, but you must have me confused with some- one else. My name is Roger Murdock. I'm the co-pilot. Joey : You are Kareem! I've seen you play. My dad's got season tickets. Murdock : I think you should go back to your seat now Joey. Right Clarence? Oever : Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, he's not bothering anyone, let him stay here. Murdock : But just remember, my name is ROGER MURDOCK. I'm an airline pilot. Joey : I think you're the greatest, but my dad says you don't work hard enough on defence. And he says that lots of times, you don't even run down court. And that you don't really try . . . except during the playoffs. Murdock : The hell I don't!! ( grabs joey by collar ) LISTEN KID! I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Denier up and down the court for 48 minutes. Oever : Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? Striker : Elaine, just hear me out. I know things haven't been right for a long time, but it'll be different. like it was in the beginning, remember? Elaine : I remember everything. All I have are memories. Mostly, I remember the nights when we were together. I remember how you used to hold me and... how I used to sit on your face and wiggle and...afterwards how we'd watch 'til the sun came up. When it did, it was almost like . . . like . . . each new day was made only for us. Striker : That's the way I've always wanted it to be Elaine. Elaine : But it won't be . . . not as long as you insist on living in the past. ( Striker flashes back -- ) Voice: You're too low Ted . . . YOU'RE TOO LOW! ( Now in military mental hospital. Random mental hospital conversation has been skipped. Striker is painting a picture of a guy in the middle of an explosion ) Doctor : Okay Robert, slip em down, this won't hurt much . . Elaine : You got a telegram from headquarters today. Striker: HEADQUARTERS?!? What is it? Elaine : Well, its a big building where generals meet. But that's not important right now. They've cleared you of any blame for what happened in that raid. Isn't that good news? Striker: Is it? Because of my mistake 6 men didn't return from that raid. Elaine : 7, Lieutenant Zip died this morning. . . ( Striker spits out drink ) The Doctor says you'll be out in a week, isn't that wonderful? Striker: Wish I could say the same for George Zip. Elaine : Be patient Ted, nobody expects you to get over this immediately. Subject: Hey Striker, How bout a break, I'm getting tired. Striker: Yeah, alright. Take 5. ( We see that the subject has been standing in a contorted stance with an explosion backdrop exactly mimicking the painting Striker has been working on ) Elaine: I have found a wonderful apartment for us. It has a brick fireplace and a cute little bedroom with mirrors on the ceiling and . . . Jeleen: Red leader, Red Leader . . . I'm goin' down ( makes gunner noises ) Striker: Captain Jeleen. He thinks he's a pilot still fighting the war. Jeleen : I've found the tunnel Johnson!! Its this way $25 for a cigarette is too much! Herwitz: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Elaine : What's his problem? Striker: Its Lt. Herwitz. Severe shell shock. Thinks he's Ethel Merman. ( We cut back to herwitz, but he is now replaced with the real Ethel Merman ) Herwitz: You'lllllll be swell... You'll be great... Gonna have the whole world on a plate. Startin' here. Startin' now. Honey, everything's coming up rosseehhhhhhhhsss. ( He ( she ) faints ) Striker: War is hell. ( Meanwhile back on the plane ) Attendnt: Would you like some coffee before we serve dinner? Striker : No, no thank you. Attendnt: Would either of you like another cup of coffee? Mother2 : I will, but Jim won't. Father : I think I will have another cup of coffee. Mother2 : ( To herself in an echo voice ) Jim never has a second cup at home. Attendnt: Excuse me sister . . . Nun : Yeahhhs? Attendnt: There's little girl on board up front who's ill and .. Nun : Oh, yes. I saw, poor child. Attendnt: Could I borrow your guitar . . . I think maybe I could cheer her up. Nun : Of course. Attendnt: Ohhhh.... thank you. ( She drags guitar across the passengers heads ) Attendnt: Hi! Mother : Hi! Attendnt: Do you mind if I talk to your daughter? Mother : No I think that'd be nice. Attendnt: Hi, I'm Randy. Dyingirl: I'm Lisa . . . YOU HAVE A GUITAAAAR! Attendnt: Uh, huh! I thought maybe you'd like to hear a song. Dyingirl: I'd love too! Attendnt: Okay. Let's see, uh... this is one of my favorites! I've traveled the banks of the river of Jordan To find where it flows to the sea I looked in the eyes of the cold and the hungry And I saw that I was looking at meeeeeee. And I wanted to know if life had a purpose And what it all means in the end In the silence I listened to voices inside me And they told me again and again. There is only one river ( Knocks IV out of Lisa's arm with guitar but doesn't notice ) There is only one sea And it flows through you And it flows through me ( Lisa is having conniptions about her IV as if about to die ) There is only one people We are one in the same ( The whole plane begins to clap along ) We are all one spirit One naaaaaaaaaaaammmme. We are the father We are one. We are one. We are one. Oever : Little late tonight. We've been waiting for you. Elaine : Who wants to be first? Murdock : Go ahead Clarence, I got 'er. Elaine : How's the weather? Murdock : Not so good. We've got some heavy stuff ahead of us. It might get rough again unless we can climb on top. Striker : ( To a guy in a turban ) Yeah, after the war, I just wanted to get as far away from things as possible. Elaine and I joined the Peace Corps. We were assigned to an isolated tribe: the Malumbos. ( Flashback to African tribe ) They'd never seen Americans before. Striker : It was really a challenge during the year introducing them to our western culture. At first they didn't know what to think of us, but soon we gained their trust. Elaine : It will help you better prepare and store foods for the up and coming Monsoon months. Also, Supperware products are ideal for storing leftovers to help stretch your food dollar. This 2 quart Sealz-em Right container will keep hot dog buns fresh for days. Striker : You must understand, these people had been completely isolated from civilization. No one had ever outlined a physical fitness program for them and they had no athletic equipment. I started them on simple calisthenics and slowly worked them up to rudimentary game skills. And finally, advanced competitive theory. I was patient with them and they were eager to learn. they seemed to enjoy themselves. It was probably due to the advanced American techniques that we were able to bridge the generations of isolation communicate so successfully with Mulambos. ( The Mulambos start to play basketball like pros) I think they're finally getting the hang of it when we re-enlist, I'll teach them baseball. Elaine : Ted, I don't want to stay here, its time for us to go back home to the plans we made before the war. Striker : Alot of people made plans before the war . . . like George Zip. It was at that moment that I first realized Elaine had doubts about our relationship. And that as much as anything else led to my drinking problem ( He pours his drink on himself.) We did come back to the states, I tried a number of jobs . . . well, I could go on for hours, but I would probably start to bore you. ( Guy in turban pulls out knife and points it to his heart ) I really couldn't blame Elaine ( Guy stabs himself and moans ) she wanted a career. Oldlady2: Uhhhhhhhh...... I can't stand it. Ohhhhhhh. Elaine : Yes? Oldlady2: Oh... its my stomach. I haven't felt this aweful since we saw that Ronald Reagan film. uhh. Elaine : I'll see if I can find some Dramamine. ( Goes to cockpit ) Captain, one of the woman passengers is very sick. Oever : Airsick? Elaine : I think so, but I've never seen it so acute. Oever : Find out if there's a doctor on board as quietly as you can. . . Joey . . . have you ever been in a, a Turkish prison? Father : Ohhhhhhhhhh, I shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee. ( he vomits ) Mother2 : ( In echo voice ) Jim never vomits at home. Elaine : I'm sorry I had to wake you, I'm just looking for a doctor, there's nothing to worry about. Woman3 : Stewardess, I think the man sitting next to me is a Doctor. Elaine : Sir, excuse me sir, I am sorry I have to wake you, sir, are you a doctor? Rumack : That's right. Elaine : We have some passengers that are very sick, could you come take a look at them? Rumack : Yes, of course. . . ( To sick woman ) Let me see your tongue. ( eggs begin to come out of her mouth. Rumack cracks one and a bird flys out ) I'll be back in a minute. ( To Elaine ) You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as possible, we've got to get them to the hospital. . . Elaine : A hospital . . what is it? Rumack : Its a big building with patients, but that's not important right now. Tell the captain I must speak to him. Elaine : Certainly. ( Victor is getting sick ) Oever : Victor, we're running into some heavy weather . . . can you ( Victor passes out ) Roger! Take OVER! Rumack : Captain, how soon can you land? Oever : I can't tell. Rumack : You can tell me, I'm a doctor. Oever : NO, I mean I'm just not sure. Rumack : Well, can't you take a guess? Oever : Well, not for another 2 hours. Rumack : You can't take a guess for another 2 hours? Oever : No, no, no. I mean we can't land for another 2 hours fog has closed down everything this side of the mountains. We've got to get through to Chicago. ????????: What is it doctor? Rumack : I'm not sure. I haven't seen anything like this since the Anita Bryant concert. What was it we had for dinner tonight? Elaine : Well, we had a choice, steak or fish. Rumack : Yes, yes, I remember, I had lasagna. What did he have? Elaine : Fish . . . Attendnt: Doctor, there are 2 more sick people and the rest of the passengers are worried. Rumack : I'll go take care of the passengers. Find out what the two sick people had for dinner. Oever : This is Captain Oever speaking, been a little bumpy up here, but we'll be past it in a couple minutes. A few points of interest we are now flying over Hoover damn and a little later on, we'll pass just to the south of the Grand Canyon. Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your flight, okay? CHICAGO: THIS IS FLIGHT 2-0-9er. . . We're in trouble, we've got to have all traffic below us cleared. I want a priority approach and landing in Chicago. Mother2: Stewardess, my husband is very sick can you do something please? Elaine : Well, the doctor will be with you in just a moment. One thing, do you know what he had for dinner? Mother2 : Yes, of course, we both had fish. Why? Elaine : Oh, its nothing to be alarmed about. We'll be back to you very quickly. Elaine : Dr Rumack, Mr Hammond ate fish, and Randy said there five more cases and they all had fish too. Rumack : And the Co-Pilot had fish, what did the navigator have? Elaine : He had fish. Rumack : Alright, now we know what we're up against. Every passenger on this flight who had fish for dinner will become violently ill in the next half hour ( Oever notices he had fish and begins to come down with the symptoms as they are described ) Elaine : Just how serious is it Doctor? Rumack : Extremely serious. It starts with a slight fever and dryness of the throat. When the virus penetrates the red blood cells, the victim becomes dizzy begins to experience an itchy rash, then the poison goes to work on the central nervous system, severe muscle spasms followed by the inevitable grueling. At this point, the entire digestive system collapses accompanied by uncontrollable flatulence ( Oever begins to fart ) Until finally, the poor bastard is reduced to a quivering wasted piece of jelly. Oever : Au--to--ma-tic pi-lot. Elaine : ( Searches for button ) Automatic pilot, automatic pilot, there it is . . . ( Otto begins to inflate) Rumack : I'll go back to the passengers. Chicago : Come in 2-0-9er, this is Chicago. Flight 2-0-9er, come in. Elaine : This is Elaine Dickenson, I'm the stewardess, Captain Oever has passed out on the floor and the co-pilot and navigator too. We're in terrible trouble, over. MCrosky : Roger, Elaine, Roger. I read you. This is Steve McCrosky at Chicago air control, Back to you in a minute ( To Tower ) Hold all takeoffs, I don't want another plane in the air. When the 508 reports, bring it straight in. Put out a general bulletin to suspend meal service on flights out of Los Angeles. Tell all dispatchers to remain at their posts, its gonna be long night. How bout some coffee Johnny? Johnny : NO THANKS! MCrosky : I want the weather on every landing field this side of the line, no matter what the size. Do you understand? Anyplace, anyplace where there's a chance to land that plane. ( To Siamese twins ) Stan, go up stairs to the tower and get a runway diagram. Terry, check down the field for emergency equipment. Airdude : Chief we got fog right down to the deck, every place east of the Rockies. There's no possible place to land, they'll have to come through to Chicago. MCrosky : Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking. I want the best available man on this, a man who knows that plane inside and out and won't crack under pressure. Johnny : How 'bout Mr Rogers? MCrosky : Get me REX KRAMER! Elaine, right next to the throttle is the air speed gauge. What speed does it indicate? Elaine : 520 miles per hour. MCrosky : Good now, check your altitude. That's the dial just below and to the right of the air speed indicator. Elaine : 35,000 feet. NO wait, 34,000 feet . . . NO WAIT, its dropping. Its dropping fast, why's it doing that? Oh my god, the automatic pilot, its deflating. MCrosky : Don't panic, on the belt line of the automatic pilot there's a tube, now that is the manual inflation nozzle. Take it out and blow on it. Passngr : What the hell's going on up there? Rumack : Elaine? Elaine : Yes, Doctor. Rumack : Elaine, you're a member of this crew. Can you face a few unpleasant facts? Elaine : NO. Rumack : Alright, unless I get those people to a hospital quickly, I can't even be sure of saving their lives. Now, is there anyone on board who can land this plane? Elaine : Well, no, no one I know of. Rumack : I think you ought to know what are chances are. The life of everyone on board depends on one thing: finding someone on board who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner. Elaine : Ladies and gentleman, this is your stewardess speaking We regret any inconvenience the sudden cabin movement might have caused this is due to periodic airpockets we encountered. There's no reason to be alarmed and we hope you enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane? ( PANDEMONIUM ENSUES, EVERYONE RUNS EVERYWHERE . . .) ( Back at Rex's house ) Paul : Hello, I am Paul Puree from the airline, I'm here to pick up Captain Kramer. MsKramer: Oh, yes come in Paul, Rex will be right out. Dog : Ruff, Ruff ( starts to grab paul's leg) MsKramer: Shep, sit. So, I understand you all have a real emergency down there. Paul : Yes, something like that, but as I said, they didn't have time to ( tries to get dog off leg ) tell me very much. Ahhhh. MsKramer: Shep, no. I'll bet you have exciting things happen all the time down there. Paul : Well, the airline business does have its moments ( still trying to get rid of dog ) but after a while you get used to it. MsKramer: Shep! Come. He gets so excited when new people are here. Are you a pilot yourself? Paul : NO, (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh) I am in a training program. . . Kramer : Its unbelievable, just unbelievable, you know how many times I've warned them about food inspection. MsKramer: You'd think after all these years someone would listen to you ( dog and Paul wrestling in background) Kramer : Airport management, the FAA and the airlines. They're all cheats and liars. Alright, lets get outta here. Attndnt : I'm sorry to bother you, I was just looking for someone with flying experience. Striker : When they built those roads they had no thought of drainage in mind, so we had to take a special jeep up to the main road. In fact, we were lucky to even get a jeep since just the day before the only one we had broke down, had a bad axle. ( The passenger next to him douses himself in gasoline and lights a match, then pauses while stewardess talks to Striker ) Attndnt : Excuse me sir, there's been a little problem in the cockpit . . . Striker : The cockpit . . . what is it? Attndnt : Its the little room in the front of the plane where the pilots sit, but that's not important now. You see the first officer is ill and the Captain need someone to help him with the radio. Do you know anything about planes? Striker : Well, I flew in the war, but that was years ago, I wouldn't know anything about it. Attndnt : Won't you go up, please? ( Striker agrees, passenger next to him blows out match, but blows himself up accidently anyway ) Striker : The stewardess said . . . BOTH PILOTS???????? Rumack : Can fly this plane? Striker : Surely you can't be serious? Rumack : I am serious, and don't call me Shirley! Attndnt : Doctor, I've checked everyone. Mr. Striker is the only one. Rumack : What flying experience have you had? Striker : I flew single engine fighters in the Air Force, but this plane has four engines. Its an entirely different kind of flying, altogether. All Together: Its a entirely different kind of flying. Striker : Besides, I haven't touched any kind of plane in six years. Rumack : Mr. Striker, I know nothing about flying, but there's one thing I do know: You're the only one on this plane who can possibly fly it, you're the only chance we've got. MCrosky : NO, that's right, that's what I said . . . tell them all to acknowledge and stand-by. Get me every piece of emergency equipment you can reach. Alert rescue units every mile of the way, from here to the rockies. Towergy : Chief . . . MCrosky : We'll need a pre-landing flight check, tell 'em I want it in the dispatch office and tell 'em I want it here fast. Towergy : Its your wife. MCrosky : ( To wife ) I want the kids in bed by nine, the dog fed, the yard watered and the gate locked. And get a note to the milkman NO MORE CHEESE! CLICK! Where the hell's Kramer? Kramer : No, we can't do that, the risk of a flame out is too great, leave 'em at 24,000 . . . no, feet. One of the passengers is gonna land that plane. Paul : Is that possible? Kramer : Possible, its a 100-1 shot. ( Car hits a cyclist ) Kramer : I know this guy. Paul : You do? Cyclist : Asssss-hole! Paul : Who is it? Kramer : Name is Ted Striker, I flew with him during the war, it won't make my job any easier tonight. Ted Striker was a crack flight leader, up to a point. He was one of those men who, lets say, felt to much inside, maybe you know the kind. Went all to pieces on one particular mission, lets just hope that doesn't happen tonight. Striker : Lets see. Altitude, 24,000 feet... level flight, speed 520 knots. Course, 0-9er-0, trim, mixture, wash, rinse, spin . . . Elaine : Ted, what are you doing here? You can't fly this plane! Striker : That's what I've been trying to tell these people. Rumack : Elaine, I don't have time to say this gently so I'll be very direct everyone on this plane is in a desperate situation, Mr. Striker is the only hope we've got. Striker : Those are the flaps, this is the thrust, this must turn on the landing lights ( Plane starts to nose dive when that knob is turned ) Mayday, mayday, mayday. MCrosky : MAYDAY? What the hell does that mean? Johnny : Mayday? Why that's the Russian New Year. You know, we'll have a big parade, we'll serve hot hor'doevres . . Oldlady : I can't stand it anymore, I've got to get outta here. I've gotta get outta here. Elaine : Calm down get ahold of yourself. Gentlmn : Stewardess, please, let me handle this ( grabs her and starts to shake her ) Gntlmn2 : Calm down, now get back to your seat, I'll take care of this. CALM DOWN, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF ! Nun : Mr, your wanted on the phone . . . Everything's going to be alright ! Please. Gntlmn3 : Sister, I'll handle this. ( There is now a line of people with baseball bats and whips waiting to help the woman ) Zealot5 : Excuse me, we'd like you to have this flower ( Kramer punches the man ) Zealot6 : Excuse me sir, would you . . . ( Kramer pushes him out of the way ) Zealot7 : Donations for the Reverend Moon? ( Kramer punches him ) Zealot8 : Jews for Jesus? ( Crack ! ) Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Zealot9 : Read about Jehovah's witness? ( Kramer kicks him ) Zealt10 : How about Buddhism? ( Whack! ) Zealt11 : Help Jerry's kids? ( punch! ) Zealt12 : Scientology? Zealt13 : Avoid nuclear power? ( Bap ! Bop ! ) Announc : Your attention please! No Frills passengers no arriving please have your baggage claim checks ready to show the attendant upon leaving the terminal. ( Passengers are coming down the conveyer belt for luggage ) Kramer : I know but this guy has no flying experience at'all. He's a menace to himself and everything else in the air. . . yes, birds too. MCrosky : Okay, okay, he's a terrible risk, but what other choice have we got? That's the whole story there Rex, everything we know. Kramer : Alright Steve, lets face a few facts. As you know I flew with this man during the war. He's going to have enough on his mind without worrying about those times when . . . when things weren't so good. MCrosky : Right now, things aren't so good. Kramer : Let me tell you something Steve, Ted Striker was a top notch squadron leader a long time ago. MCrosky : I want you to get on the horn and talk that guy down Now, you're going to have to let him get the feel of that airplane, and you'll have to talk him on to the approach. So help me, you'll have to talk him right down to the ground. ( Crash ) Kramer : Very well, put Striker on the speaker. MCrosky : Use my radio there. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking. ( gulp ) Towergy : Now, you can work 'im direct from here, Captain. Kramer : Thanks. Striker . . . Striker, this is Captain Rex Kramer speaking. Striker : YES, -CAPTAIN- Kramer, I read you loud and clear. Kramer : Alright, its obvious you remember me. What do you say you and I just forget about everything except what we have to do now. Striker : Lets not kid each other _Kramer_ you know I've never flown a bucket like this. I'm gonna need all the luck there is. Kramer : Standby Striker. Our one hope is to build this man up, I've got to give him all the confidence I can. Striker- have you ever flown a multi-engine plane before? Striker : NO, never. Kramer : ( TO McCrosky thinking that the radio to Striker is off) SHIT! This is a God damned waste of time, there's no way he can land that plane. MCrosky : (Radio is still on) Grab ahold of yourself, you gotta talk him down, you gotta. Kramer : We ought to route him in Lake Michigan, at least we'll avoid killing innocent people. MCrosky : You're the only chance they've got. Kramer : Alright, Striker, you listen and listen close flying a plane is no different from riding a bicycle, just alot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes. Now, first I want you to get the feel of the plane. Later, we'll run down the landing procedure. Now, I want you to disengage the automatic pilot . . . watch that you don't make any violent control movements like you did in the fighter planes. Striker : Alright, I'm going to unlock the automatic pilot. Kramer : Now just remember the controls will feel very heavy compared to a fighter. Don't worry about that its perfectly normal. ( Plane starts to nosedive and passengers begin to panic ) Now one more thing, is there somebody there who can work the radio and leave you free for flying? Striker : Yes, the stewardess is here with me. Kramer : Good, have her sit in the co-pilot's seat. Striker : Elaine, he wants you to sit in the co-pilot's seat. Passengr: What's going on? We have a right to know the truth! Rumack : Alright, I'm going to level with you all. The most important thing now is that you remain calm. There's no reason to panic ( his nose starts to grow ). Now, it is true that one of the crew members is ill, slightly ill, but the other two pilots are just fine, they're at the controls, flying the plane, free to pursue a life of religious fulfillment. Striker : The radio's all yours now. And keep an eye on that number 3 engine gauge over there, its running a little hot ( sign flashes "a little hot" ) Kramer : Striker, before we start, I'd like to say something. I know that right now things must look pretty rough up there, but if you do what I tell you, when I tell you to do it, there's no reason why you shouldn't have complete confidence in your chances to come out of this thing alive and in one piece. Striker, what kind of weather are you in up there? Elaine : Rain! Striker : And a little ice. Elaine : And a little ice. Kramer : How's it handling? Striker : Sluggish, like a wet sponge. Elaine : Sluggish, like a wet sponge. Kramer : Alright, Striker, your doing just fine. Striker : Its a damn good thing he doesn't know how much I hate his guts. Elaine : Its a damn good thing you don't know how much he hates your guts. Jivemn2 : Mnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Attndnt : Can I get you something? Jivemn2 : S'mo fo butter layin' to the bone. Jackin' me up. Tightly. Attndnt : I'm sorry I don't understand. Jivemn1 : Cutty say he cant hang. Woman4 : Oh stewardess, I speak jive. Attndnt : Ohhhh, good. Woman4 : He said that he's in great pain and he wants to know if you can help him. Attndnt : Would you tell him to just relax and I'll be back as soon as I can with some medicine. Woman : Jus' hang loose blooood. She goonna catch up on the` rebound a de medcide. Jivemn2 : What it is big mamma, my mamma didn't raise no dummy, I dug her rap. Woman4 : Cut me som' slac' jak! Chump don wan no help, chump don git no help. Jive ass dude don got no brains anyhow. MCrosky : Get me Captain Oever's wife on the phone, we'd better let her know what's going on. Towergy : Chief, this weather bulletin just came off the wire. MCrosky : Johnny, what can you make outta this? Johnny : This? Why I could make a hat, or a brooch, a pterodactyl. . . ( Phone rings at Captain Oever's wife's house, she answers. ) MSOever : Hello? Towergy : Mrs. Oever? MSOever : Yes, this is Mrs. Oever. Towergy : This is Ed Masias calling from the airport. There's some trouble on your husband's flight. We don't know how serious it is yet, but Steve McCrosky say you may want to get down here right away. MSOever : Yes, I'll be right down. . . ( hangs up the phone ) I've gotta go to the airport, you can let yourself out the back door. There's juice in the refridger- ator. ( We see she is sleeping with a horse) Horse : Nayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.... plllllllllllllllllllll. Winey. Elaine : Dr Rumack says the sick people are getting worse and we`re running out of time. Striker : ( In echoey voice to himself ) I've got to concentrate oncentrate, oncentrate. I've got to concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. Hello, hello, hello. Echo, echo, echo. Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbau Manny Motta, motta, motta. Man : How're you doing honey? Woman5 : I'm so hot, I'm burning up. Man : I'll turn on some air. ( The whole cabin starts to blow with wind. " Close the window " ) Striker : Chicago, the passengers are beginning to panic, when do we start down? Kramer : Not just yet, but you're in our range any second now. I don't understand it should have been in range 10 minutes ago. Genderson, check the radar range, anything yet? Gendrsn : ( Looks in an oven ) Its about 2 more minutes chief. MCrosky : 2 more minutes? They could be miles off course. Kramer : That's impossible there on instruments ( a brass ensemble begins to play ) MCrosky : This is going to be a real sweat. Genderson, let me know when you get anything. Got a cigarette Nelson? I can't take much more of this. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines. Johnny, how about some more coffee? Johnny : NO THANKS! Towergy : Chief, these reporters won't leave without a statement. Reportr : How much longer can those passengers hold out? MCrosky : A, half an hour or less. Reportr : Who's flying the plane? MCrosky : One of the passengers. But, he's an experienced Air Force pilot who flew during the war, so there's no cause for alarm. . . Here, take over. Reportr : What kind of plane is it? Johnny : Oh its a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the window and wheels. It looks like a big tylenol. Reportr : Okay boys, lets get some pictures. ( Take photos off of wall . . .) ( Various reports from around the world are shown ) TVGUY : This bulletin just handed to me . . . stricken airliner approaches Chicago. Countpt : They bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say let em crash. Man2 : Would you like a little whiskey ma'am? Woman6 : ( In a berating voice ) CERTAINLY NOT! ( She the does cocaine ) Striker : How are the passengers doing? Rumack : I won't deceive you Mr. Striker . . . we're running out of time. Striker : Surely there must be something you can do. Rumack : I'm doing everything I can and stop calling me Shirley. Nun : R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me . . . Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me . . . A little respect ( passenger vomits as she sings ) Just a little bit . . . Attndnt : Booo-hooo ( she crys ) Rumack : Randy, are you alright? Attndnt : Oh, Dr. Rumack, I'm scared. I've never been so scared. And besides, I'm 26 and I'm not married. Rumack : We're going to make it, you've got to believe that. Woman3 : Dr. Rumack, do you have any idea when we'll be landing? Rumack : Pretty soon, how are you bearing up? Woman3 : Well, to be honest, I've never been so scared. But, at least I have a husband. ( Randy sobs harder ) Voice : Stay in formation, target's just ahead. Target should be clear if you go in low enough. You'll have to decide You'll have to decide... Striker : oh rats! we lost number 4. Elaine : What happened Ted, what went wrong? Striker : The oil pressure, I forgot to check the oil pressure. When Kramer hears about this, the shit's gonna hit the fan ( We see shit hitting a fan ) Kramer : Watch that oil temperature, what the hell's he doing up there? Striker, that plane can't land itself, it takes a pilot that can handle pressure. MCrosky : Ease off Rex, he hasn't flown for years, its not his fault. It could happen to any pilot. Johnny : It happened to Barbara Stanwick. MCrosky : Don't push him too hard, give him a break. You gotta remember who you're dealing with. Johnny : Nick, Leaf, Jerrod, there's a fire in the barn. Striker : He's right, I can't take the pressure. I was crazy to think I could land this plane. Elaine : Ted, you're the only hope. Striker : I don't care. ( Plane starts to nosedive again ) I don't have what it takes. They'd be better off with someone who'd never flown before. MCrosky : Bad news, the fog is getting thicker. Johnny : And Leon's getting laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrger. Striker : I know what you're going to say, so save your breath. Rumack : Well, I don't have anything to say, you've done the best you could. You really have, the best you could. You can't expect to win em all. But, I want to tell you something I've kept to myself through these years. I was in the war myself, medical corps. I was on late duty one night when they brought in a badly wounded pilot from one of the raids. He could barely talk. He looked at me and said " The odds were against us up there, but we went in anyway, I'm glad Captain made the right decision. The pilot's name was George Zip. Striker : George Zip said that? Rumack : The last thing he said to me, doc, he said, "Sometime when the crew is up against it, the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to get out there and give it all they got and win just one for the Zipper. I don't know where I'll be then doc, he said, but I won't smell too good, that's for sure. Striker : Excuse me doc, I got a plane to land. Kramer : Alright Striker, you'd better stay up there for a bit, as soon as the fog lifts, we'll bring you in. Striker : I'll take it Elaine. Listen to me Kramer, Dr. Rumack says the sick people are in critical condition. And every minute counts. We've got to land now. Kramer : Don't be a fool Striker, you know what a landing like this means, you more than anybody. I'm ordering you to stay up there. Striker : NO DICE CHICAGO. I'm giving the orders and we're coming in. I guess the foot's on the other hand now, isn't it Kramer? Kramer : He'll never make it in this soup, not one chance in a million. MCrosky : I know, I know, but its his ship now, his command, he's in charge, he's the boss, head man, top dog, big cheese, Towergy : Captain, look at this! MCrosky : Passengers certain to die! Kramer : Airline negligent. Johnny : There's a sale at Penny's! MCrosky : Alright, I'll need 3 men up in the tower. You Newbower, you Maceias. . . Johnny : Me John! Big tree. Kramer : Standby, Striker. We're going to the tower, good luck. Johnny : The tower, the tower . . . Repunzle, Repunzle . . . Woman4 : Stewardess, how soon so we land? Attndnt : It won't be long now, try not to worry. Towerguy: We're all ready sir, this is Captain McCrosky, Captain Roberts, Captain Kramer, Captain Kolosomo, Captain Henshaw this is Captain Gatz, Captain Kramer, Captain Gatz, Captain Henshaw, Captain Roberts. MCrosky : Alright Kolosomo, you work the relay, Roberts, check all air traffic within five miles, get that finger out of your ear, you don't know where that finger's been ( guy smells his finger ) Got a cigarette Nels? Your husband and the others are alive, but unconscious. Johnny : Just like Gerald Ford. MCrosky : Now, there's a chance we can save them, if Striker can get that plane down in time. MSOever : That isn't much of a chance, is it? MCrosky : I don't know, I don't know, but we're doing everything we can, now excuse me huh? Johnny : Where did you get that dress? Its aweful . . . and those shoes, and that coat, geeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz. ( Tower Guys Playing Atari basketball on radar screen ) Towergy : 8 miles. Looks like their heading 0-4-4. Elaine : We are now at 2000 feet beginning our decent. Kramer : Steve, I want every light you can get poured onto that field. ( A dump truck dumps table lamps onto the runway ) Towergy : Tower to all emergency vehicles, runway is 9er. Airport vehicles take stations 1 and 2. Civilian equipment number 3. Air Force positions number 4 and 5. All ambulances go to number 3. Air Israel, please clear the runway ( Plane is shown wearing a beard, hat, tallis, and yarmulke. ) Attendnt: In a moment, we'll ask you to assume crash positions. your life jackets are located under your seat. Place the jacket over your head. And when I give the word, pull the cord on the right side flap. Your seat cushions are also equipped with a flotation device. Radio : WZAZ in Chicago, where disco lives forever ( plane knocks down station's transmitter ) Kramer : Watch your altitude Striker, you're too erratic. You can't come straight in. You've got enough fuel left for two hours of flying. Striker : I'll take it Elaine. Listen to me Kramer! We have people up here who will die in less than an hour let alone two. I may bend your precious airplane, but I'll get it down. I'm putting the landing gear down now. Attendnt: Mr. Striker, the passengers are ready. Striker : Thank you Randy. You'd better leave sweetheart. You might get hurt up here. Elaine : Ted, Striker : Yes? Elaine : I wanted you to know, now . . . I'm very proud. Striker : Tell 'em the gear is down and we're ready to land. Elaine : The gear is down and we're ready to land. Kramer : Alright, he's on final now, put out all runway lights except 9er. Towerguy: Captain, maybe we ought to turn on the search lights now. MCrosky : No, thats just what they'll be expecting us to do. Rumack : I just want to tell you both good luck, we're all counting on you. Kramer : Alright, now just listen carefully . . . you should be able to see the runway at 300 feet. Aim the touchdown a third of the way along. There's a slight crosswind from the right so be ready for it. Land too fast, use your emergency breaks. The red handle's right in front of you. If that doesn't stop you . . . ( long pause ) . . . if that doesn't stop you cut the four ignition switches over the co-pilot's head. Do you see us now? You should be able to see the field now. ( Dog barks ) MCrosky : It sure is quiet out there. . . Kramer : Yeah, too quiet. MCrosky : Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. ( inhales some glue and falls over ) Striker : There it is. Kramer : There he is. Striker, you're coming in too fast . . . Striker : I know, I know. Elaine : He knows, he knows. Airdude : Getting below 700 now, still going down. 675, 650, 625, he's holding. . .no, no he's down, he's down. Kramer : Sound your alarm bell, now. Attendnt: Alright now everybody, get in crash positions ( The passengers arrange themselves as if they just crash- ed. ) Kramer : Put down 30 degrees of flap. Striker now listen to me Remember your breaks and switches, get ready to fly it out . . . Airdude : He's all over the place, 900 feet, up to 1300 feet . . . what an asshole. Kramer : More mast rudder, put down more flap . . . Johnny : ( Unplugs runway lights ) Just kidding. Kramer : Striker, lift your nose, straighten your wings. You're coming in too fast, watch your speed. MCrosky : He's coming right at us . . . ( jumps through a window ) Kramer : You're coming in too hot. Ease up on the throttle. Watch for that crosswind. Aim for the numbers, you'll have to dip your left wing. You're drifting, keep your eyes on the far end of the runway. You're too low damnit! Watch your stall speed. Ease her down, down. The break . . . pull the red handle. Rumack : I just want to tell you both good luck, we're all counting on you. Voice2 : Flight 2-0-9 now arriving gate 8- gate 9, gate 10 Kramer : Push a button. Voice2 : Gate 13, gate 14, gate 15 . . . Johnny : Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, toto . . . its a twister, its a twister. Voice : Gate 23, 24, 25 . . . ( Plane lands safely ) Rumack : I just want to tell you both-- good luck, we're all counting on you. Kramer : Striker, Striker, you alright? Striker : Yeah, we're okay. Kramer : Ted that was probably the worst landing in the history of this airport, but some of us here, particularly me would like to buy you a drink and shake your hand . . and Ted I just want you to know that when the going got rough . . . Attendnt: Okay alright, have a nice day . . .have a nice day, thank you for flying TransAmerican. Kramer : Lonliness, thats the bottom line. I was never happy as a child . . . Christmas Ted, what does that mean to you? It was living hell. Do you know what its like falling in the mud and getting kicked, in the head. With an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does, that never happens. Sorry Ted, that's a dumb question. Attendnt: Have a nice day. Kramer : Municipal bonds Ted, I'm talking double A rating. . . the best investment in America. (Ted and Elaine go off into the sunset and Otto and his inflatable friend Ottoette fly the plane off) THE END

Science fiction plucks from within us our deepest fears and hopes then shows them to us in rough disguise: the monster and the rocket. W.H. Auden We live, as we dream -- alone. Joseph Conrad "A L I E N" FADE IN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE: INT. ENGINE ROOM Empty, cavernous. INT. ENGINE CUBICLE Circular, jammed with instruments. All of them idle. Console chairs for two. Empty. INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL Long, dark. Empty. Turbos throbbing. No other movement. INT. CORRIDOR - "A" LEVEL Long, empty. INT. INFIRMARY - "A" LEVEL Distressed ivory walls. All instrumentation at rest. INT. CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE - "A" LEVEL Black, empty. INT. BRIDGE Vacant. Two space helmets resting on chairs. Electrical hum. Lights on the helmets begin to signal one another. Moments of silence. A yellow light goes on. Data mind bank in b.g. Electronic hum. A green light goes on in front of one helmet. Electronic pulsing sounds. A red light goes on in front of other helmet. An electronic conversation ensues. Reaches a crescendo. Then silence. The lights go off, save the yellow. INT. CORRIDOR TO HYPERSLEEP VAULT Lights come on. Seven gowns hang from the curved wall. Vault door opens. INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT Explosion of escaping gas. The lid on a freezer pops open. Slowly, groggily, KANE sits up. Pale. Kane rubs the sleep from his eyes. Stands. Looks around. Stretches. Looks at the other freezer compartments. Scratches. Moves off. INT. GALLEY Kane plugs in a Silex. Lights a cigarette. Coughs. Grinds some coffee beans. Runs some water through. KANE Rise and shine, Lambert. INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT Another lid pops open. A young woman sits up. LAMBERT What time is it. KANE (voice over) What do you care. INT. GALLEY Pot now half-full. Kane watches it drip. Inhales the fragrance. KANE Now Dallas and Ash. (calls out) Good morning Captain. DALLAS (voice over) Where's the coffee. KANE Brewing. LAMBERT walks into the kitchen. Pours herself a cup. INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT Two more lids pop open. A pair of men sit up. Look at each other. INT. GALLEY Kane enjoys a freshly-brewed cup. KANE Ripley... Another moment. And then the sound of another lid opening. KANE And if we have Parker, can Brett be far behind. Lid opening sound. KANE Right. INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT DALLAS looks at his groggy circus. DALLAS One of you jokers get the cat. RIPLEY picks up a limp cat out of one of the compartments. INT. MESS The crew of the United States commercial starship Nostromo seated around a table. Dallas.........Captain Kane...........Executive Officer Ripley.........Warrant Officer Ash............Science Officer Lambert........Navigator Parker.........Engineer Brett..........Engineering Technician Jones..........Cat Five men and two women: Lambert and Ripley. LAMBERT Jesus am I cold. PARKER Still with us, Brett. BRETT Yo. RIPLEY Lucky us. They yawn, stretch, shiver. Dallas looks over at a flashing yellow light. KANE I feel dead. Kane is not yet fully awake. Yawns. PARKER You look dead. ASH Nice to be back. PARKER Before we dock maybe we'd better go over the bonus situation. BRETT Yeah. PARKER Brett and I think we deserve a full share. DALLAS You two will get what you contracted for. Just like everybody else. BRETT Everybody else gets more than us. DALLAS Everybody else deserves more than you two. ASH Mother wants to talk to you. DALLAS I saw it. Yellow light for my eyes only...Now, everybody hit their stations. INT. COMPUTER ROOM ANNEX Floor to ceiling data banks. Another flashing yellow light. A legend underneath. COMMAND PRIORITY ACCESS ONLY. Dallas enters. Sits at his console. Removes insignia master computer key attached to his shirt. Plug it into the board under the light. All banks burst into life. Dallas punches up a computer code on the keyboard. Legend on the screen... What's my God damn key. Print-out from computer answers... 01335 on the binary side. DALLAS Thank you Mother. Dallas punches up the combination on the keyboard. Immediately start getting a readout. CUT TO: INT. BRIDGE Above eye level the room is ringed by viewscreens. All of them blank. Kane, Ripley, and Lambert enter. Dallas' seat remains empty. All of them now dressed; they find their way to individual consoles. Ripley puts down the cat, straps herself into the high- backed chair. KANE Plug us in. All three crew members begin throwing switches. The control room starts to come to life. Colored lights flicker. Chase each other across glowing screens. KANE Give us something to look at. Lambert presses a bank of switches. Viewscreens glimmer into life. LAMBERT Take a look at this. On each screen, blackness speckled with stars. LAMBERT Where's Earth. KANE You're the navigator. RIPLEY That's not our system. KANE Scan. Lambert hits several toggles. On the screens the images begin to drift. ONE OF THE SCREENS A moving image of a starfield. EXT. NOSTROMO The Factory Starship lumbering with the depths of inter-stellar space. Function: Petroleum tanker and Refinery. Capacity: 2000,000,000 tons. Length: One and one half kilometers. Battered exterior encrusted with dark sludge. INT. BRIDGE Lambert pores over charts. Consults her console. Puzzled. KANE Contact traffic control. Ripley switches on her transmission unit. RIPLEY This is commercial vessel Nostromo. Registration number 180246. Do you read me. Over. Nothing but the hiss of static. RIPLEY Nothing. KANE Keep trying. Turns to Lambert. Ripley attempting transmission in b.g. KANE You got a reading yet. LAMBERT We're way out in the boondocks here... KANE Keep trying... LAMBERT Working on it. Eureka. LAMBERT Found it. KANE Hard to believe. LAMBERT What the hell are we doing out here. KANE What are you talking about. RIPLEY It's not our system. INT. ENGINE ROOM Giant reactor system purring smoothly. INT. ENGINE ROOM PARKER and BRETT in a glass cubicle. Each having a beer. Huge powerplant stretching before them. All units on automatic hyper-drive. Parker hits a switch above his desk. A green light goes on. PARKER How's your light? BRETT Green. PARKER Mine too. They both take a swig. Suddenly a beeper signal begins. PARKER Christ. What is it now. BRETT Right. RIPLEY (voice over) Report to the mess. INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL PARKER I want to know why they never come down here. This is where the work is. BRETT Same reason we have half a share to their one, our time is their time, that's the way they see it. PARKER Well, I'll tell you something... it stinks. They move towards the companionway. INT. MESS Entire crew present. DALLAS Some of you may have figured out that we're not home. BRETT What the hell. DALLAS Mother's interrupted the course of the voyage. Mother is programmed to interrupt the course of out voyage if certain conditions arise. They have... (pause) We've received intermittent transmission from quadrant points QBR 157, 052. Somebody's gone down. BRETT So what. KANE We're obligated under Section B2... PARKER Christ. We're a commerical ship not some rescue team. This kind of duty's not in our contract. ASH You better read your contract. Transmissions received in non- commercial lanes... Dallas gives Parker and Brett a look. DALLAS We're going in, that's it. Brett knows when to ease up. BRETT Right, we're going in. (smiles) Sir. Dallas turns to ASH. DALLAS Can we land on it. He takes a print-out from Mother out of his hand. ASH The other ship did. DALLAS That's what I mean. Studies the print-out. ASH It's big enough. Can't see any reason why not. CUT TO: EXT. NOSTROMO AND REFINERY APPROACHING THE STAR/PLANET SYSTEM INT. BRIDGE Dallas at his console speaking to Ash. DALLAS We're coming into range of the planet. What kind of orbit do you plan for the cargo. ASH Z local vertical mode. DALLAS You figure it will hold that. ASH You worried about redundancy management disabling CMGS control. DALLAS Yeah. ASH CMG control is inhibited via DAS/DCS. We'll augment with TACS and monitor through ATMDC and computer interface. (pause) Feel better? DALLAS A lot. EXT. NOSTROMO Moving within range of the planet. INT. BRIDGE The crew strap themselves to their seats. DALLAS Prepare for separation and orbital insertion of the cargo. Much preparation for separation, etc. DALLAS Give me an EC Pressure reading. ASH 3.45 n/c m^2 squared (5 psia) DALLAS Shout if it changes. Deactivate probe retract system. KANE What about the pressure seal. Dallas hits appropriate switches. DALLAS Now the probe retract system. Kane hits other equally appropriate switches. KANE Okay. DALLAS Release captive hatches and disengage probe. Kane working switches and buttons. KANE Disengaged. Dallas punches buttons of his own. EXT. NOSTROMO The Refinery separates from Nostromo. INT. BRIDGE Dallas watches the refinery moving away on a viewscreen. KANE All free and clear. DALLAS Ash. ASH Orbital insertion complete. DALLAS Okay. The money's safe. Let's take it down. EXT. NOSTROMO Engines coughing to life. Nostromo begins its descent. Below night's tide rolls across the planet's surface. INT. BRIDGE The viewscreen shimmers. RIPLEY Turbulence. EXT. NOSTROMO Tug-module hydroplaning downward. A set of brilliant lights switch on. Cut through the thick atmosphere. INT. ENGINE ROOM - CUBICLE Parker and Brett strapped in their seats. Begin rocking from the sudden, extreme turbulence. PARKER Chirst. Overloading. What the hell are we going through. BRETT Dust fritzing the compressor. PARKER There goes the conversion stabilizer. BRETT I don't know if the digital solenoid... PARKER Forget it. If we don't crash, dollars to your aunt's cherry we get an electrical fire... INT. BRIDGE The turbulence continues unabated. Lambert's eyes follow cross-plot gauges. LAMBERT Drop begins...now. Fifteen kilometers and descending... twelve...ten...eight and slowing. Five. Three. Two. One kilometer and slowing. DALLAS Lock tractor breams. A loud electrical hum. KANE Locked. DALLAS Kill drive engines. The engines fall silent. LAMBERT Nine hundred meters and dropping. Eight hundred. Seven hundred. EXT. PLANET - NIGHT Storm blowing across the night-shrouded surface. The Nostromo hovers on glowing beams of light. Landing struts unfold like insect legs. The ship slams down. Rocks heavily on massive shock absorbers. INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT RIPLEY We're down. An enormous vibration. The panels in the room flash simultaneously. Light go out. KANE Lost it. Lost it. INT. ENGINE ROOM Another huge vibration. An electrical fire breaks out along three control panels. INT. OILY CORRIDOR Huge flash fire whips along corridor. INT. ENGINE ROOM - CUBICLE Parker and Brett see the pandemonium below. Brett hits the secondary generator switch. A pressure valve blows. Another conduit breaks loose. All lights go out. They grab hand lights from wall. INT. BRIDGE Still in darkness. LAMBERT Secondary generator should kick over. KANE Where is it. Moments. Nothing. Kane grabs emergency headlamp from facia. Followed by Dallas and Lambert. DALLAS What happened? Ripley hits the voice-amp. RIPLEY Engine room, what happened. PARKER (voice over) God damn electrical fire, that's what happened. BRETT (voice over) It's big. INT. ENGINE ROOM Parker fighting an electrical fire on one of his panels. Brett shouting into his voice-amp. BRETT The intakes are clogged. We overheated and burned out a whole cell...Christ, it's really breaking loose down here... INT. BRIDGE DALLAS Somebody give me a simple answer, Has the hull been breached. Ripley scans her gauges. RIPLEY I don't see anything. We've still got pressure. A beep from the communicator. DALLAS Hit the screen. Kane snaps three toggles. The screens flicker, but remain black. KANE Nothing. EXT. SHIP - NIGHT The wind sounds. Storm continues to blow around the craft. A few glittering lights distinguish the Nostromo from absolute darkness. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Parker on the communicator to the bridge. PARKER 4 panel is totally shot, the secondary load sharing unit is out, at least three cells on 12 module are gone. INT. BRIDGE Ripley listening to Parker. Dallas standing over her. No images on any screens. RIPLEY Is that it. PARKER (voice over) Couldn't fix it out here anyway. And we need to reroute a couple of these ducts. Can't really fix them without a whole drydock... DALLAS What else. PARKER (voice over) We lost a cell. Some fragments caked up and blew the whole system. We've got to clean it all out and repressurize. BRETT (voice over) Right. RIPLEY Get started on 4 panel. I'll be down in five minutes. She shuts off her voice communicator. DALLAS How long before we're functional. RIPLEY Fifteen to twenty hours... DALLAS Stay on it. What about the auxiliaries. RIPLEY Working on it. EXT. SHIP - NIGHT Bridge lights come to life. Illuminate nothing but a patch of featureless ground. The wind and storm now at a higher pitch. INT. BRIDGE Dallas, Kane, Lambert, and Ash. Slouched around the bridge. Drinking coffee. Occasionally staring at the opaque screens. DALLAS Any response yet. ASH Nothing but the same transmission every thirty-two seconds. All the other channels are dead. Pause. DALLAS Kick on the floods. CUT TO: EXT. SHIP A ring of floodlights comes to life. Dimly illuminating the rocky landscape. The wind and dust now at a higher pitch. CUT TO: INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT Dallas stares at the dark screens. KANE We can't go anywhere in this. ASH Mother says the sun's coming up in about twenty minutes. DALLAS How far from the source of the transmission. ASH Northeast... about 3000 meters. KANE Close enough to walk. DALLAS Let's run an atmospheric. Ash punches buttons, starts to consult his panel. ASH 10 percent agron, 85 precent nitrogen, 5 percent neon...I'm working on the trace elements. DALLAS Pressure. ASH Ten to the fourth dynes per square centimeter. KANE Moisture content. ASH None. Zero. DALLAS Anything else. ASH Rock, lava base. And cold... well below the centrigrade line. KANE I volunteer for the first group going out. DALLAS I hear you. Lambert. You too. Pause. LAMBERT Swell. DALLAS One more thing. Let's get out some weapons. EXT. SHIP - DAWN Sunrise. The atmosphere begins to lighten. Silhouette of the Nostromo becoming dimly visible. Starship perched on barren rock. More rolling clouds of dust. The floodlights automatically shut off. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Parker and Brett laser welding one of the ducts. Shirts off. Sweat steaming. Ripley rewiring one of the panels. Parker shuts down the laser, inspects the fusion. PARKER Hey, Ripley, I got a question. RIPLEY Yeah. PARKER Do we get to go out on the expedition or are we stuck here until everything's fixed. RIPLEY You know the answer to that. BRETT What about the shares in case they find anything. RIPLEY Don't worry, you'll both get what's coming to you. BRETT I'm not doing any more work unless we get full shares. RIPLEY You're guaranteed by law that you'll get a share... Now both of you knock it off and get back to work. Parker looks at her. Snaps on the laser weld. Starts to join another section of the duct. BRETT Right. INT. MAIN AIR LOCK - DAWN Dallas, Kane and Lambert enter the lock. All wear gloves, boots, jackets. Carry laser pistols. Kane touches a button. Servo whine. Then the inner door slides quietly shut. The trio pull on their helmets. DALLAS I'm sending. Do you hear me. KANE Receiving. LAMBERT Receiving. DALLAS All right. Keep away from the weapons unless I say otherwise. INT. ASH'S BLISTER - DAWN Ash descends companionway to blister. Punches up screens and instrumentation. INT. MAIN AIR LOCK - DAWN DALLAS Open the hatch. Another servo whine. Ponderously, the outer lock hatch slides open. Clouds of dust and steam swirl before the three crew members. A mobile gangway slides out the open hatch. Burnt orange sunlight beyond. EXT. PLANET - DAWN The trio walk down the gangplank. Arrive at surface level. Their feet striking onto a thick layer of lava rock. The wind at gale force. DALLAS Which way. LAMBERT Over here. DALLAS You lead. Lambert walks into the storm. Followed closely by the others. LAMBERT Now I can't see a God damn thing. ASH (voice over) Turn on the finder. DALLAS It's on...Ash are you receiving. INT. ASH'S BLISTER - DAWN Ash leaning over his console. Watches them beneath him. Corresponding images on the screen in front of him. ASH See you. Read you. Good contact on my board. DALLAS (voice over) Getting you clear and free. Let's keep the line open. EXT. PLANET - DAWN The three crew members push their way along. Like divers at the bottom of a dark sea. The wind and dust continues driving down in dark sheets. Lambert repeats. LAMBERT Can't see more than three meters in any direction. KANE Quit griping. LAMBERT I like griping. DALLAS Come on. They wade on, following Lambert. She halts abruptly. Confused. INT. BLISTER - DAWN Ash watches intently. Images on each screen of the trio. LAMBERT (voice over) I've got it again. ASH Any problems. DALLAS (voice over) Yeah. A lot of dust and wind. Starting to get some fade on the beam. EXT. PLANET - DAWN The trio moves through a dark limbo. LAMBERT This way. Lambert indicates left. Moves in that direction. The others follow. The storm growing. KANE It's close. They approach a towering rock formation. The transmission stops. LAMBERT It's gone again. KANE Did we pass it. DALLAS Not unless it's underground. Let's take a break. They shelter with the rock formation. Storm howls round them. Dallas adjusts headset. The signal starts. DALLAS I've got it again. Let's go. LAMBERT How about our break. DALLAS No. Let's move on while we've got the signal, again. Dallas gets up. They stand for a moment... Then move away from the rock formation. Fossilized into the other side of the rock is a shape. Fifteen feet tall. Unseen by the members of the party. INT. BLISTER - DAWN Ash receiving the video transmission. Notices something within the formation. Freezes the image. Enlarges it. Enlarges again. EXT. THE NOSTROMO - SUNRISE Atmosphere turning the color of blood. Then the sun is up. EXT. THE NOSTROMO - SUNRISE Brett and Parker still at work. Ripley moves away from her panel in triumph... RIPLEY You ought to be able to handle the rest. PARKER Don't worry. RIPLEY If you run into trouble, I'll be on the bridge. BRETT Right. She leaves. PARKER Bitch. INT. BLISTER - DAY Ash still working on the video image. Enhances the enlargement. Transfers the image to cathode ray. The image reveals itself to be a giant form. Indistinct. Ripley's voice comes over. RIPLEY (voice over) How's it going. Ash quickly shuts off the video image. Hits the intercom. INT. BRIDGE Ripley at her console. Looking at Ash on her screen. Ash's video image not visible to Ripley. ASH (voice over) All right. RIPLEY Have you tried putting the transmission through ECIU. ASH (voice over) Mother hasn't identified it as yet. It's not a language. RIPLEY I'll give it a shot. ASH (voice over) Be my guest. She pushes some button. The noise is now heard on her speaker. EXT. PLANET - DAY Dust clearing. Three tiny figures against the landscape. EXT. PLANET - DAY Empty landscape. Then Kane comes up over a rise startled by what he sees. Suddenly the transmission is deafening. KANE Jesus Christ. Dallas and Lambert join him equally startled. THEIR P.O.V. - DAY A gargantuan construction rising from the rock. Clearly of nonhuman manufacture. EXT. PLANET - DAY Noise still at shrill pitch. All members of the party shouting into their voice-amps. KANE Some kind of spaceship. LAMBERT Are you sure. It's weird... DALLAS Ash, can you see this. INT. ASH'S BLISTER - DAY Ash looking at the craft on a screen. ASH Yeah. Never seen one like it. Neither has Mother. DALLAS (voice over) Keep checking for enhancement. ASH Whatever the transmission is, it's inside that. KANE (voice over) I'll go in and have a look. DALLAS (voice over) Hold on. Ash, I don't see any lights or movements. Do you. ASH I can't get any reading. EXT. PLANET - DAY ASH (voice over) It's putting out so much power I just can't get any reading. Dallas shuts off his receiver. Sudden quiet. A long moment. DALLAS It looks pretty dead from here. We'll approach the base. They move toward the ship. INT. BLISTER - DAY Ash still adjusting image of form in rock. It suddenly resolves. A skeleton. Fifteen feet long. He enlarges the image. DALLAS (voice over) There's only one thing I can... Dallas' voice fades in and out. As do their images on the screen. ASH Dallas... (frantically punches buttons on console) Dallas...Do you read me. No reply. INT. BRIDGE - DAY Ripley is running the transmission through ECIU. Over the speakers Dallas' voice fades in. DALLAS (voice over) No sign of life. No lights... No movement... She studies a long series of binary programs... DALLAS (voice over) We're beneath the base. His voice fades into static. Disappears. CUT TO: EXT. STRUCTURE - DAY The lower part of the entrance filled with dust and pumice. KANE Looks like an entrance. DALLAS Yeah... Let's move inside... They climb up to one of the apertures and enter. INT. CHAMBER - DAY They move into a high-ceilinged chamber. Walls covered with shadowy lattices. Ghostly light filters dust-filled air. A few meters in an opening appears. Dallas leans over and looks into the hole. Only blackness. He unclips the light from his belt. Shines it down into the hole. DALLAS It just goes down... smooth walls. I can't see the bottom, light won't reach. Kane and Lambert come over. Dallas begins unclipping gear from his belt. DALLAS Let's take a look around here first. Kane and Lambert exchange a glance. Dallas shines his light about, sees... A large, glossy urn, tan coloration. Round opening at the rop, empty within. Then Dallas shines his light on nearby lattice... Moves closer. DALLAS Over here. They approach. Train their lights along the floor. A machine. On the mechanism, a small bar moves steadily back and forth. Sliding noiselessly in the grooves. KANE Still functioning. Lambert looks down at her direction finder. LAMBERT Automatic recording. Dallas snaps it off. DALLAS Now for a look down below. (looks at Kane) This is your big chance. KANE Okay. DALLAS Don't unhook yourself from the cable. Be out in less than ten minutes. Read me. KANE Aye aye. Dallas rigs a tripod over the opening in the floor. Unspools a couple of feet of wire. Kane attaches the end of it to his chest unit. Climbs over the lip and drops it into the hole. Now hanging by the wire... Head and shoulders out of the opening. Kane activates the climbing unit. Lowers himself into the fissure. INT. STRUCTURE OPENING Kane braces his feet against the wall of the vertical shaft. Switches on his light, points it into the depths. The beam penetrates only thirty feet or so, then is lost in darkness. KANE Hotter in here. Warm air rising from below. He starts down, playing out the line. Descending in short leaps. Stops to catch his breath. Breathing rasping loudly in his helmet. A little sunlight filters from above. Looking up, Kane can see the mouth of the hole... A glowing spot of light. DALLAS (voice over) You okay in there. KANE Haven't hit bottom yet. This is work. Can't talk now. He kicks off and continues down. Taking longer and longer hops as he gains confidence. Pausing for a moment to regain his breath, he shines the light on his instruments. KANE I'm below ground level. INT. BRIDGE Ripley at her console, still working on transmission. Gets a readout. Looks worried. Speaks into communicator. RIPLEY Ash, tell Dallas Mother speculates that the noise is some kind of warning. ASH (voice over) I can't tell him anything. I've lost contact. The transmission around the ship is killing all communications. Pause. RIPLEY I'm going out after them. ASH (voice over) I don't think so. We can't spare the personnel. We've got minimum takeoff capability right now. That's why Dallas left us on board. RIPLEY I still think we should go after them. ASH (voice over) What's the point. In the time it take to get there. They'll know if it's a warning. Ripley looks steadily at Ash on her monitor. His screen, not visible to her, shows blowup of helmeted, skeletal head. Not human. INT. STRUCTURE Kane resumes his downward climb. Suddenly, his feet lose their purchase as the walls of the shaft disappear. The tunnel has reached its end. Below him is a dark, cavernous space. Deep breaths due to his violent exertion. DALLAS (voice over) See anything? KANE No...Tunnel's gone. Cave or something below me. Feels like the goddamn tropics in here... He consults his instruments. Helmet instrumentation strobing softly in the darkness. KANE ...high nitrogen content, no oxygen... Still puffing, he releases his purchase on the stone walls. Begins to lower himself on power. Now Kane is dangling free in darkness. Spinning slowly on the wire as the chest unit unwinds. Then his feet hit bottom. Kane grunts in surprise, almost loses his balance. He flashes his suit lights. The beams reveal that he is in a large hold. Row after row of extrusions stretch from floor to ceiling. KANE This is weird. DALLAS (voice over) What do you mean. KANE There's something all over the walls. Kane walks across the chamber. Examines the organic protrusions. INT. CHAMBER ABOVE Dallas and Lambert. DALLAS How long till sunset. LAMBERT Twenty minutes. A look from Lambert. INT. HOLD Kane approaches the center of the room. On the floor are rows of leathery ovoid shapes. He walks around them. Shines his light on one. KANE It's like some kind of storage area. Is anybody there. Do you read me. DALLAS (voice over) Loud and clear. KANE The place is full of leathery things sealed...soft to the touch. DALLAS (voice over) Can you see what's in them. KANE I'll give it a look. He tries to open one of them. It won't open. KANE Strange feeling to it. DALLAS (voice over) Don't open it. You don't know what's in it. Kane peers closely at the leathery ovoids. Turns away. Raised areas begin to appear where he touched it. He moves his light along the rows. Turns back to the one he was examining. Something has changed. The opaque surface begins to clear. Object becoming visible within. Kane shines his light on the floor at the base of it. He studies it. KANE Jesus... DALLAS (voice over) What. Viscera and mandible now visible. The interior surface spongy and irregular. Kane shines the light inside. With shocking violence, a small creature smashes outward. Fixes itself to his mask. Sizzling sound. The creature melts through the mask. Attaches itself to Kane's face. Kane tears at the thing with his hands. His mouth forced open. He falls backward. INT. CHAMBER ABOVE DALLAS Kane...Kane can you hear me. LAMBERT What's the matter. DALLAS We better haul him out. LAMBERT It'll yank him right off his feet if he's not expecting it. DALLAS Try him again. LAMBERT Kane...Kane...Goddamn it. Answer me. Dallas begins to fiddle with the wench mechanism. DALLAS The line's slack. Pause. LAMBERT He doesn't answer. (pause) Do you think he could have unhooked himself. Dallas switches on the winch motor. With a whine, it begins to reel the line in. After a moment the line tightens with a jerk. The motor slows, laboring under added weight. DALLAS It caught. LAMBERT Is it hooked on something. DALLAS No, it's coming. LAMBERT I can't see anything. Dallas shines his light down into the hole. Shakes his head. DALLAS Line's still moving. A long moment. Dallas shines his light again. DALLAS Here he comes. The winch labors heavily. DALLAS Get ready to grab him. Kane appears at the top of the opening. Dangles limply from the wire. Dallas reaches for him, then recoils. DALLAS Look out. There's something on his face. Lambert attempts to help. LAMBERT What is it. Kane appears to be completely unconscious. The life form is still wrapped motionless around his face. LAMBERT Oh Jesus. DALLAS Don't touch it. They grapple with Kane's limp body. Lift him from the hole. INT. ENTRANCE TO DERELICT - SUNSET Kane is now pinioned between Dallas and Lambert. The storm raging through and beyond the entrance... Dallas begins to assemble travois. EXT. THE NOSTROMO - SUNSET Atmosphere turning the color of blood. And the sun is down. The ring of floodlights on the ship comes to life. Feebly combatting the darkness and continuing storm. INT. BRIDGE Jones the cat staring through a port opening at the storm. Ripley waiting on the bridge. Ash stares at his inactive monitors. Suddenly: ASH We've got them. They're back on the screens. RIPLEY How many. ASH Three blips. They're coming this way. Ripley presses transmitter. RIPLEY Dallas, Lambert. Can you read me. DALLAS (voice over) We hear you. We're coming back... Kane's injured... We'll need some help getting him in. Ripley stares at the screen. ASH I'll go. Ash moves from the room. Ripley remains seated at her console. EXT. LANDING LEG - NIGHT Dallas and Lambert dragging Kane on a travois towards landing leg. INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK Ash comes down the steps. Hurries to the inner door lock. Presses the wall voice-amp. ASH Ripley, I'm by the inner lock hatch. RIPLEY (voice over) Okay. EXT. LANDING LEG - NIGHT Dallas and Lambert drag Kane onto lift platform. INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK Parker comes running up. PARKER What's going on. ASH Kane got hurt somehow. PARKER How bad. Ash shrugs. Brett appears at the top of the companionway. Puzzled look on his face. INT. BRIDGE Ripley seated alone in the room. Dallas appears as a huge image on all screens. Lambert behind him. Kane pinioned to Dallas. DALLAS (voice over) Ripley, are you there. RIPLEY Right here. DALLAS (voice over) We're coming up. Open the lock. RIPLEY What happened to Kane. I need a clear definition. DALLAS (voice over) Some kind of organism. It's attached itself to him. Let us in. (long moment) You hear me. Open the lock. RIPLEY If we let it in, the ship could be infected. DALLAS (voice over) Goddamn it. Open the hatch. RIPLEY We've already broken every rule or quarantine. If we bring an organism on board, we won't have a single layer of defense left. LAMBERT (voice over) Open the God damn hatch. We have to get him inside. RIPLEY I can't. If you were in my position you'd do the same. INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK DALLAS (voice over) Ripley, do you hear me. RIPLEY (voice over) I read you. The answer is negative. Ash hits the emergency switch. A red light goes on. Servo whine. Followed by a solid metallic chunk. ASH Inner hatch open. INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT Ripley staring at the console. She can't believe what she sees. Turns to the viewscreens. Watches Dallas, Kane and Lambert enter. INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK The servo again turns over. Another clunk. The outer door has closed. Red light off. The inner door slides open. Dallas and Lambert stagger into passageway. Carry Kane's body between them. Dallas pulls off his helmet. DALLAS Stay clear. Ash and Parker move back. ASH God. PARKER Is it alive. LAMBERT I don't know, but don't touch it. DALLAS Take him to the infirmary. BRETT Right. Ash and Brett move in carefully to help with the limp burden. INT. INFIRMARY Kane's helmet. Hands begin to open it with a laser cutter. The helmet separates easily. The two halves part... ...The life form slowly pulsing on Kane's face. Dallas hesitates, then puts his hand on the small Creature. Tries to pull it free. Unsuccessful. The Alien remains anchored to Kane's tissue. ASH Let me try. Ash takes a pair of pliers from a rack. Carefully grasps the tip of the Creature. Squeezes tightly. Leans back. DALLAS You're tearing his face. A trickle of blood appears on Kane's cheek. BRETT It's not going to come off without pulling his whole faceoff at the same time. DALLAS Let the machine work on him. The Ash presses a switch. The machine lights up. Kane is sucked into a slot on the wall. Visible inside through the glass layer. A blinding colored light performs antisepsis. Two video monitors pop on. ANGLE ON THE DOORWAY Ripley appears. Dallas turns and looks at her. A long moment. DALLAS When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed. RIPLEY Even if it's against the law. DALLAS That's right. Lambert steps forward and slaps Ripley across the face. Ripley slowly puts her hand to her cheek. LAMBERT You were going to leave us out there. PARKER Maybe she should have. Who the hell knows what that is. BRETT Right. Ripley looks at Lambert. A moment. RIPLEY Let's call it settled. Lambert gives her a curt nod. Ash turns attention to the instrumentation. RIPLEY Somebody fill me in. DALLAS He went into the structure alone, we lost radio contact. When we pulled him out, it was on his face... ASH Where did it come from... DALLAS Somewhere inside that ship. PARKER How the hell is he breathing. They study the monitors. ASH Blood's throughly oxygenated. DALLAS How. His nose and mouth seem to be blocked. ASH We better look inside his head. Ash punches three buttons. An X-ray image appears. A color depiction of Kane's head and upper torso. The Alien is clearly visible. A maze of complicated biology. Kane's jaws are forced open. The creature has extruded a long tube down his mouth and throat. The appendage ending at the base of the esophagus. BRETT It's got something down his goddamn throat. ASH That must be how it's getting oxygen to him. RIPLEY It doesn't make sense. It paralyzes him, puts him into a coma, then keeps him alive. PARKER Let's kill it. We can't leave the damn thing on him. ASH I don't know. At the moment the Creature is keeping him alive. If we remove it we might terminate Kane... DALLAS I don't think so. Let's take the chance and cut it off him. ASH You'll take the responsibility. DALLAS That's right. Slips into surgical gloves. Presses a switch, Kane slides back out of the booth. DALLAS Give me the knife. Ripley takes a surgical laser blade from the case. Carefully passes it to Dallas. He manipulates the knife until he has a comfortable grip. Flicks a small button with his thumb. The blade begins to hum. Dallas advances on Kane's prostrate form. Touches the scalpel to the Creature. The electronic blade slices effortlessly downward. Suddenly a urine-like fluid begins to drip from the wound. DALLAS Starting to bleed. The liquid flows onto the bedding next to Kane's head. Starts to hiss. Smoke curls up from the stain. Next the yellow fluid eats a hole through the bunk bed. Then drips onto the deck below. Metal bubbling and sizzling. More smoke rising, sending the crew into a coughing jag. The crew jostle their way out of the cabin. Huddle in the passageway outside, still coughing. Dallas frantically applies pressure to the wound. In the process, smoke of the fluid gets on Dallas's gloves. They begin to smoke. Dallas leaps back, pulls them off. Then runs out into the corridor. INT. PASSAGEWAY OUTSIDE INFIRMARY BRETT Shit. It's going to eat through the decks and go out the hull... He starts to run for the companionway. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" DECK Dallas wrenches an emergency lamp from a socket. Hurls himself down a companionway. The others follow. DALLAS There. A droplet of fluid is sizzling on the ceiling bulkhead. It oozes down. Drips to the deck. Continues to bubble. Then goes through the bulkhead. ASH What can we put under it. Ripley and Parker charge down the companionway below. INT. SECOND LEVEL - "C" DECK Ripley and Parker move cautiously down the passageway. Look up to the ceiling bulkhead. PARKER Don't get under it. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" DECK Dallas, Brett and Ash crouch by the spot where the acid sizzles. Ash fishes a pen out of his pocket. Probes the hole in the deck. ASH It's stopped penetrating. Ripley comes charging back up. RIPLEY What's happening. ASH I think it's lost steam. No longer active. Ripley checks the opening. Ash straightens up. Starts to put the pen back in his pocket. Changes his mind and stands holding it by the end. ASH I've never seen anything like that, except molecular acid... BRETT This thing uses it for blood. ASH It's the asbestos that stopped it, otherwise it would have gone straight through. DALLAS Wonderful defense mechanism. You don't dare kill it. Parker comes up the companionway. PARKER It's stopped bleeding. DALLAS Yeah. After it penetrated two levels. RIPLEY What about Kane. Starts up companionway. INT. INFIRMARY They return. Kane still motionless on the bunk. The Alien remains secured to his face. Wound completely healed over. PARKER Any of the acid get on him. Dallas approaches, peers at Kane's head. DALLAS Doesn't look like it. BRETT Is it still dripping that crap. ASH Healed over. LAMBERT There must be some way we can get it off. And look at Dallas. ASH I don't think you ought to try again. It didn't work out too well last time. Dallas gives him a look in return. Ripley presses a button. Kane slides back into the diagnostic coffin. More buttons pressed. Display lights up again, showing the different parts of Kane's body. ASH I better get some intravenous feeding started. So far I can't tell what the Alien has absorbed from his system. The machine begins to process Kane's body. RIPLEY What's the stain on his lungs. The X-ray reveals a spreading dark blot in the chest cavity. At the center, the stain is completely opaque. ASH Whatever it is, it's blocking the X-ray. A long moment. The stain spreads. BRETT What happens now. Ash sets aside his partially melted pen. Looks at Dallas. DALLAS You go back to work. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Brett at work in the cubicle. Parker supervising him. BRETT I think I've got it. Give it a try. Parker pushes a button. Negative reaction on his monitor. PARKER Nothing. BRETT Damn. I was sure that was it. PARKER Well, it wasn't. Try the next one. BRETT Right. Adjusts several toggles. RIPLEY (voice over) What's happening. PARKER This goddamn woman. I'll tell her what's happening. My Johnson is happening. (punches the communicator) A lot of hard work. Real work. INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT PARKER (voice over) You ought to try it sometime. RIPLEY I've got the toughest job on this ship... Derisive laugh from Parker through the speaker. RIPLEY I have to listen to your bullshit. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE PARKER Get off my back. RIPLEY (voice over) I'll get off your back when 12 module is fixed. She clicks off. Parker turns away. PARKER Smart mouth broad. INT. INFIRMARY Ash running test on the equipment. Kane respirating on the view screens above. Still deep within a coma. All instruments recording his life processes. The Alien's position unchanged. Ripley approaches. Sits near Ash. RIPLEY Anything new. ASH He's holding, no changes. RIPLEY What about the Creature. ASH It's got an outer layer of protein polysaccharides. A lot of Amino Acids for prolonged reistance to adverse environmental conditions... That enough for you. RIPLEY Plenty. What's it mean. ASH Interesting combination of elements making it one tough little son-of- a-bitch... RIPLEY Is that why you let it in. ASH I was following a direct order. Remember. RIPLEY While Dallas and Kane are off the ship, I'm Senior Officer. ASH Yes, of course -- I forgot. RIPLEY You also forgot the science division's basic quarantine law. ASH No. That I didn't forget. RIPLEY You just broke it. ASH What would you have done with Kane... His only chance at staying alive was to get into the infirmary. RIPLEY By breaking quarantine procedure you risk everybody's life. ASH Maybe I should have let him die out there. Maybe I have jeopardized the rest of us...It's a risk I'm willing to take. RIPLEY This is your official position as a science officer. Not exactly out of the manual. ASH The first position of science is the protection and betterment of human life. I take my responsibility as seriously as you do... you do your job and I'll do mine. Ripley stands...looks at Ash. Walks out. INT. MESS Lambert playing with some string, amusing Jones. Cat's Cradle. Both looking bored. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Parker and Brett at work on the final intake screen. INT. NARCISSUS Dallas listening to a primitive tape. His foot tapping with the rhythm. Beep. An interruption on the communicator. DALLAS Dallas. ASH (voice over) I think you should have a look at Kane. Something's happened. DALLAS Serious. ASH (voice over) Interesting. Dallas exits. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE IMFIRMARY WINDOW Ash stares through window. Dallas joins him. Ripley appears behind. A long pause. DALLAS It's gone. Kane's prone form. The Alien is no longer on his face. Kane still unconscious, but continues to breathe. Face covered with sucker marks. RIPLEY The door is closed. It must still be in there. ASH We can't open the door. We don't want to let it out. RIPLEY Yeah, I remember. We can't grab it. We can't kill it... DALLAS Maybe we can catch it. ASH As long as we're careful not to damage it. INT. INFIRMARY They enter cautiously. Dallas begins moving slowly around the room. Picking up a stainless steel tray. Looking. Ash and Ripley do the same. Ripley bends down and peers under the bunk. Nothing. Accidentally kicks over a tray. She stands. Doesn't see the Alien on a ledge above her. Her shoulder brushes against the Creature. It drops on her. She screams. Twists. The Alien drops to the floor. Then lies motionless. Its skin faded to a dead-looking grey. Ripley doesn't raise her eyes from the Creature. Prods the Alien. No response. ASH I think it's dead. (looks to Ripley) You okay. RIPLEY Yeah. She carefully touches the Creature with a metal probe. Fishes the motionless life-form into the tray. Quickly closes the lid. Lifts it onto a stainless steel table. Bright light trained on the Alien. The Creature in a supine position. Ash touches at the Alien with a surgical instrument. ASH Look at those suckers. No wonder we couldn't get it off him. RIPLEY Where's its mouth. ASH It's this tube-thing, up in here. (carefully extracts the end of the organ) It's hardening. (slips the Creature under a fluoroscope) It's dead. No life sign whatever. RIPLEY Let's get rid of it. ASH This has to go back. This is our first contact with a specimen like this. All kinds of tests need to be run. RIPLEY That thing bled acid. God knows what it'll do when it's dead. ASH I think it's safe to assume it's not a zombie... Dallas, we have to keep this specimen. Pause. DALLAS You're the science officer. It's your decision. ASH Then it's made... I'll seal it in a stasis tube. Pause. RIPLEY What about Kane. Ash turns back to the bunk. Studies the life support gauges. Kane continues to breathe steadily. ASH Running a fever. And still unconscious. The machine will bring his temperature down. His vital functions are strong... who knows, he may make it. Ash begins to seal the Alien in a large vacuum tube. RIPLEY I need some coffee. She turns and walks away. INT. COMPUTER ANNEX Ripley and Dallas. RIPLEY How could you leave that kind of decision to him. DALLAS I just run the ship. Anything that has to do with science division, Ash has the final word. RIPLEY How does that happen. DALLAS Same way everything else happens. Orders from the Company. RIPLEY Since when is that standard procedure. DALLAS Standard procedure is do what they tell you... Besides, I only know about flying... I haul cargo for a living. RIPLEY Did you ship out with Ash before. DALLAS First time. I went five hauls with another science man. Then two days before we left Thedus, replaced him with Ash. She looks at him. DALLAS So what. They replaced my warrant officer with you. RIPLEY I don't trust him. DALLAS I don't trust anybody...What's holding up repairs. RIPLEY They're pretty much finished now. DALLAS Why didn't you say so? RIPLEY There are still some thing left to do. DALLAS Like what? RIPLEY We're blind on B and C decks. Reserve power systems blown... DALLAS That's crap. We can take off without them. RIPLEY Is that a good idea. DALLAS I want to get out of here. Let's get this turkey off the ground. EXT. PLANET - SUNRISE The Nostromo's engines roaring. Belching out streams of superheated air. The starship vibrates. Begins to surge forward. INT. BRIDGE - SUNRISE The crew at their posts. An electrical hum permeates the air. RIPLEY Lock tractor beams. The pitch of the hum changes. The ship levels itself. RIPLEY Retract leading struts. EXT. PLANET - SUNRISE The Nostromo hovering above the ground. Held on beams of shimmering force. The landing struts begin folding. INT. BRIDGE - DAY DALLAS Take us up. Lambert bends over the voice amplifier. LAMBERT One kilometer on ascension. INT. PLANET The Nostromo begins to levitate skyward. Seemingly pushing upward on the beams of light. INT. BRIDGE - DAY The ship continues vibrating. DALLAS Switch on lifter quads. A powerful, deep throbbing begins. The vibrations increase. RIPLEY (into speaker) Everything holding together down there. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Parker and Brett strapped in and vibrating. PARKER We fix something it stays fixed. BRETT Right. EXT. NOSTROMO - DAY The starship hovering below cloud ceiling. Then begins to accelerate through the dense atmosphere. INT. BRIDGE - DAY All viewscreens operational. DALLAS Engage artificial gravity. Lambert throws a switch. The ship lurches. LAMBERT Engaged. DALLAS Altering the vector now. A huge tremor runs throughout the ship. PARKER'S VOICE (o.s.) Dust is clogging the damn intakes again. We're overloading. DALLAS Just hold us together until we're beyond G1... The pitch of the engines changes...deepens. EXT. NOSTROMO - DAY The ship moves at an acute angle. Slices through the boiling clouds. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Parker and Brett watching the guages. INT. BRIDGE - DAY Outside the screens, clouds, clouds, clouds. Another tremor runs through the ship. The crew's eyes riveted to their instruments. DALLAS Let's pick up the money and go home. EXT. NOSTROMO The ship clears the top of the cloud layer. Bursts out into star-sprinkled space. Trailing a wake of glimmering dust flecks. Attached itself to the hovering refinery. INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE Brett waves his arms in exultation. BRETT We did it PARKER Walk in the park. When we fix something it stays fixed. Big smiles. INT. BRIDGE The Nostromo now safely beyond gravity. DALLAS Set our course and get us up to light plus four. Lambert begins punching buttons. LAMBERT Feets get me out of here. EXT. OUTER SPACE The Nostromo now at light speed. Preceptible movement in the surrounding universe. A corona effect emerges. Stars approaching the Nostromo appear blue. Receding stars going to amber. Redshift, made visible because of the craft's velocity. INT. MESS Parker, Brett, Dallas and Ripley around the table. Drinking coffee. PARKER The best thing to do is just to freeze him. Stop the goddam disease. He can get a doctor to look at him when we get back home. BRETT Right. RIPLEY Whenever he says anything you say 'right'. You know that, Brett. BRETT Right. RIPLEY What do you think, Parker. Your staff just follows you around and says 'right'. Like a regular parrot. Parker turns to Brett. PARKER Yeah. Shape up. What are you, some kind of parrot. BRETT Right. DALLAS Knock it off... Kane will have to go into quarantine. RIPLEY Yeah. And so will we. Lambert enters. LAMBERT How about a little something to lower your spirits. DALLAS Thrill me. LAMBERT According to my calculations... based on the time spent getting to and from the planet and the speed at which it's moving away from the other... DALLAS Give me the short version... LAMBERT It'll take us six weeks to get back on course. DALLAS How far to Earth. LAMBERT Ten months. RIPLEY Christ. Beep. DALLAS Dallas. ASH (voice over) Come and see Kane right away... DALLAS Any change in his condition. ASH (voice over) It's simpler if you just come see him. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE INFIRMARY WINDOW What they see is...Not what they expect. Kane is sitting up in bed...wide awake. They enter... LAMBERT Kane...Are you all right. KANE Mouth's dry...can I have some water. Instantly, Ash brings him a plastic cup and water. Kane gulps it down in a swallow. KANE More. Ripley quickly fills a much bigger container. Hands it to Kane. He greedily consumes the entire contents. Then sags back, panting, on the bunk. DALLAS How do you feel. KANE Terrible. What happened to me. ASH You don't remember. KANE Don't remember anything. I can barely remember my name. PARKER Do you hurt. KANE All over. Feel like somebody's been beating me with a stick for about six years. (smiles) God, I'm hungry. RIPLEY What's the last thing you can remember. KANE I don't know. DALLAS Do you remember what happened on the planet. KANE Just some horrible dream about smothering. Where are we. RIPLEY We're on our way home. BRETT Getting ready to go back into the freezers. KANE I'm starving. I want some food first. PARKER I'm pretty hungry myself. DALLAS One meal before bed. INT. MESS The entire crew is seated. Hungrily swallowing huge portions of artificial food. The cat eats from a dish on the table. KANE First thing I'm going to do when we get back is eat some decent food. PARKER I've had worse than this, but I've had better too, if you know what I mean. LAMBERT Christ, you're pounding down this stuff like there's no tomorrow. Pause. PARKER I mean I like it. KANE No kidding. PARKER Yeah. It grows on you. KANE It should. You know what they make this stuff out of... PARKER I know what they make it out of. So what. It's food now. You're eating it. Suddenly Kane grimaces. RIPLEY What's wrong. Kane's voice strains. LAMBERT What's the matter. KANE I don't know... I'm getting cramps. The others stare at him in alarm. Suddenly he makes a loud groaning noise. Clutches the edge of the table with his hands. Knuckles whitening. ASH Breathe deeply. Kane screams. KANE Oh God, it hurts so bad. It hurts. It hurts. (stands up) Ooooooh. BRETT What is it. What hurts. Kane's face screws into a mask of agony. He falls back into his chair. KANE Ohmygooaaaahh. A red stain. Then a smear of blood blossoms on his chest. The fabric of his shirt is ripped apart. A small head the size of a man's fist pushes out. The crew shouts in panic. Leap back from the table. The cat spits, bolts away. The tiny head lunges forward. Comes spurting out of Kane's chest trailing a thick body. Splatters fluids and blood in its wake. Lands in the middle of the dishes and food. Wriggles away while the crew scatters. Then the Alien being disappears from sight. Kane lies slumped in his chair. Very dead. A huge hole in his chest. The dishes are scattered. Food covered with blood. LAMBERT No, no, no, no, no. BRETT What was that. What the Christ was that. PARKER It was growing in him the whole time and he didn't even know it. ASH It used him for an incubator. RIPLEY That means we've got another one. DALLAS Yeah. And it's loose on the ship. Slowly they gather around Kane's gutted corpse. Then they all look at one another. Then at Kane. Dead on the table. INT. CORRIDOR - "A" DECK Empty. Parker and Brett descend companioway. They join Ash, Lambert, Ripley and Dallas. DALLAS Any signs. LAMBERT Nothing. ASH Nothing. PARKER Didn't see a goddamn thing. BRETT Didn't see anything. RIPLEY We can't go into hypersleep with that thing running loose. We'd be sitting ducks in the freezers. We have to kill it first. LAMBERT We can't kill it. If we do, it will spill its body acids right through the hull... BRETT Son-of-a-bitch. RIPLEY We have to catch it and eject it from the ship. ASH Our supplies are based on us spending a limited amount of time out of suspended animation. Strictly limited. RIPLEY First we have to find it. DALLAS No. First we've got something else to do. He looks at Kane's body through mess doorway. INT. AIR LOCK Kane's body wrapped in a makeshift shroud. INT. BRIDGE The crew looking at Kane's body on view screens. Silent. Depressed. DALLAS Inner hatch sealed. Ripley nods. DALLAS Anybody want to say anything. Nothing to say. He nods to Ripley. She presses a button. INT. AIR LOCK The outer hatch opens. Yawning space outside. Kane's body shoots out into eternity. The hatch closes. INT. MESS The crew is assembled. RIPLEY I've checked on the supplies. For about a week we can stay out of hypersleep. BRETT Then what. LAMBERT We run out of food and oxygen. DALLAS All right, that's what we've got. A week. It's plenty of time. PARKER I say we put on our pressure suits and blow all the air out of the ship. That might kill it. LAMBERT What a swell idea. PARKER What's wrong with it. ASH We've got forty-eight hours of air in our pressure suits and it takes six months to get home. LAMBERT Other than that...A swell idea. Parker won't give up on this idea. PARKER Maybe we could cut some kind of special lines to the tanks. Brett and I are pretty good practical engineers...We got us back up you know. RIPLEY All by yourselves. ASH I hate to point this out but it might be better off without oxygen. It lived that way long enough. RIPLEY There's another problem. How do we find it. There's no visual communication on B and C decks. All the screens are out. DALLAS We're going to have to flush it out. ASH Sounds great...but how. DALLAS Room by room, corridor by corridor. One of those suggestions that nobody likes. LAMBERT And what do we do when we find it. RIPLEY Trap it somehow. BRETT If we had a really strong piece of net, we could bag it... I could put something together. A long metal rod with a battery in it. Only take a few hours. LAMBERT Why do we listen to this meathead. Dallas turns it over. DALLAS He might be right... EXT. OUTER SPACE The Nostromo continues through the vortex. INT. INFIRMARY Dallas enters. Ash working at a read-out section. DALLAS I want to talk. ASH I'm a little busy at the moment. Pause. DALLAS I don't care. Pause. ASH All right, go ahead. DALLAS Why did you let the Alien survive inside Kane. ASH I'm not sure you're getting through to me. DALLAS Mother was monitoring his body. You were monitoring Mother. You must have had some idea of what was going on. ASH What are you trying to say. A long moment. DALLAS You want the Alien to stay alive ...I figure you have a reason. ASH Name one. DALLAS Look, we both work for the same company. I just want to know what's going on. ASH I don't know what the hell you're talking about. And I don't like any of the insinuations. The Alien is a dangerous form of life...I don't want it to stay alive any more than you do. DALLAS You're sure. ASH Yeah, I'm sure. You should be too. Dallas walks out. Ash watches him go. Stares in his direction a long while... INT. NARCISSUS Dallas seated in the shuttle craft. Staring at the myriad lights of outer space. Ripley climbs beside him. RIPLEY I thought I'd find you here. Dallas continues to stare. DALLAS Are the nets finished. Pause. RIPLEY We've got an hour...Look I need some relief. DALLAS Why did you wait until now. Ripley leans forward. RIPLEY Let me tell you something. You keep staring out there long enough, they'll be peeling you off the wall. Ripley begins taking off her boots. DALLAS We're the new pioneers, Ripley. We even get to have our own special disease. RIPLEY I'm tired of talking. She rises and removes her upper garments. DALLAS You waited too long. RIPLEY Give it a try anyway. Clothing removed. His arms move around her. INT. BRIDGE The crew has assembled. Brett unfolds several yards of asbestos netting. Hands out five thin rods. Each of them like metal broom handles. BRETT I put portable generators in each of these. They're insulated down here. Just be goddamn careful not to get your hand on the end. He touches the tip to a metal object. A blue spark leaps. BRETT It won't damage the little bastard unless its skin is a lot thinner than ours...It'll just give it a little incentive. LAMBERT Now if we could only find it. Ash picks up a portable unit. ASH I've taken care of that...tracking device. You set it to search for a moving object...It hasn't much range but when you get within a certain distance it starts beeping. Ripley takes the tracker from Ash's hand. RIPLEY What's it key on. ASH Micro changes in air density. Keep it pointed ahead of you. DALLAS We'll break into two teams. Whoever finds it first catches it in the net and ejects it from the nearest air lock. (pause) For starters, let's make sure the bridge is safe. Parker turns on his unit. Scans it around the room. LAMBERT We seem to be okay...If this damn thing works. DALLAS Ash and myself will go with Lambert. Brett and Parker will make up the second team. Ripley, you command it. They start doling out the equipment. DALLAS Channels are open on all decks. We'll be in constant touch. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "A" LEVEL Lambert and Dallas carry the net. Ash walks directly behind, carrying the tracking device. He continually scans from side to side. Lambert stops by a stairwell. LAMBERT Anything down there. INT. ANOTHER PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker and Ripley move silently along. Ripley ahead of them with the tracker by the stairwell. RIPLEY Nothing. The move on. A small light flashes. RIPLEY Hold it. I've got something. Parker and Brett grow tense. Start looking around. BRETT Where's it coming from. Ripley peers closely at the tracker. RIPLEY Machine's screwed up. I can't tell. Needle's spinning all over the dial. BRETT Goddamn, malfunction. Ripley turns the tracker on its side. The needles stabilize. RIPLEY No, just confused. It's coming from below us. They all look down at their feet. INT. MAINTENANCE - "C" LEVEL Ripley, Parker and Brett come down ladder onto an endless oily corridor. They stop at the foot of the companionway... They move down corridor into darkness. RIPLEY Okay. Looks at the tracker. Nods down the passageway. Stops. RIPLEY Back this way. They begin to walk in that direction. Entering drab section of the ship. Surrounded by deep shadows. Footsteps clanging on the metal deck. RIPLEY I thought you fixed 12 module. BRETT We did. PARKER Circuits must have burned out. They switch on lights. Move around two turns. RIPLEY Wait. They stop quickly, almost stumbling. RIPLEY It's within five meters. Parker and Brett heft the net. Ripley has the prod in one hand, tracker in the other. Moves with great care. Almost in a half-crouch, ready to leap back. Prod extended, Ripley constantly glances at her tracker. The device leads her up to a small hatch in the bulkhead. Perspiration rivers down her face. She sets aside the tracker. Raises the prod, grasps the hatch handle. Yanks it open. Jams the electric prod inside. A nerve-shattering squall. Then a small creature comes flying out of the locker. Eyes glaring, claws flashing. Instinctively, they throw the net over it. Very annoyed. They open the net and release the captive. Which happens to be the cat. Hissing and spitting...it scampers away. RIPLEY God damn it...hold it. PARKER We should have killed it...Now we might pick it up on the tracker again. RIPLEY Go get it. We'll go on. BRETT Right. Ripley and Parker move down the passageway. Brett follows the direction taken by the cat. Moves across passageway into equipment maintenance area. INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA - "C" LEVEL Brett walking between rows of shadowed equipment. Looking for the cat. Nervous. BRETT Jones...Here kitty...Jones... Goddamn it Jones. Scratching noises. A reassuring cat yowl. Brett moves on. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "C" LEVEL Ripley and Parker walk along. Tracker signal weakens. Finally stops. RIPLEY Nothing here. PARKER Let's go back. INT. UNDERCARRIAGE ROOM - "C" LEVEL Brett enters. Still looking for Jones. Another yowl followed by a hiss. Two eyes shining in the dark. Jones. Relieved, Brett moves toward the cat. BRETT Here kitty...Come on Jones. Brett reaches for Jones. Jones hisses. An arm reaches for Brett. The Alien. Now seven feet tall. Hanging from the undercarriage strut in reverse position. Grabs Brett and swings up into darkness. Brett screams. To no avail... In the doorway Ripley and Parker. They witness the horror. INT. MESS The remaining crew assemble. Long faces. LAMBERT Now what. PARKER Blast the rotten bastard with a laser and take our chances. RIPLEY No. At its present size it's holding enough acid to tear a hole in this ship as big as this room. ASH It wouldn't do any good. It's self-regenerating. You saw that when we operated on it. RIPLEY The only plan that's going to work is the same one we had before. Drive it into an air lock and blow it out into space. PARKER Drive it...The son-of-a-bitch is huge. LAMBERT For once he has a point. How do we drive it. RIPLEY The science department should be able to help... ASH According to Mother, he's a primitive form of encephlepod... LAMBERT How come it's a he. ASH Just a phrase. As a matter of fact he's both, bisexual or hermaphrodite to be precise. DALLAS Skip its sex life. How do we kill it. ASH It seems to have adapted to an oxygen-rich atmosphere and it's certainly adapted well for its nutritional requirements. The only thing we don't know about is temperature. RIPLEY Curious isn't it...That the Alien is an encephlepod... ASH What's so curious about that. RIPLEY It's curious because lower species can't adapt as quickly as higher ones. And this one's doing very well. A real survivor. Might even have as good a chance as we do. ASH You're getting paranoid again. RIPLEY All right. What about the temperature. What happens if we change it. ASH Let's give it a try. Most animals retreat from fire. Pause. PARKER I can hook up a couple of incinerating units in about fifteen minutes. Pause. DALLAS Anybody got any better ideas. Nobody does. DALLAS Okay. When Parker's ready, we'll work our way back down to 'C' deck. EXT. OUTER SPACE Nostromo at light plus four. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker and Dallas lead. Armed with flamethrowers. They descend from companionway. Suddenly both tracking devices beep frantically. Sound of rending metal up ahead. The move forward cautiously. DALLAS It's in that food locker. EXT. FOOD LOCKER NUMBER 12 More rending noises. LAMBERT Jesus. It must be huge. PARKER It's got to be using the airshafts to move around... Dallas raises flamethrower. DALLAS Do these things really work. PARKER I made them didn't I. RIPLEY That's what worries me. Dallas indicates door handle. Parker reluctantly takes it. DALLAS Now. Parker wrenches open door. Dallas fires a long blast. Another. Another and another...Silence. They move inside... INT. FOOD STORAGE LOCKER NUMBER 12 - "B" LEVEL Charred wreckage. Packages have been ripped to shreds. Foodstuffs scattered over the floor. Carefully, they poke through the smouldering garbage. RIPLEY We didn't get him. DALLAS This is where he went. On the wall, a ventilator grill has been ripped open. They move to the shredded ventilator. Shine their lights inside the shaft. DALLAS This could work for us. The duct comes out at the starboard air lock. There's an exit on the way. But we can close that off. Then we drive it into the air lock and blast it into space. LAMBERT Yeah. All you have to do is crawl in the vent with it, find your way through the maze and hope it's afraid of fire. DALLAS Well Parker, you wanted an equal share... PARKER Yeah. DALLAS Get in the pipe. PARKER Why me. DALLAS I just wanted to see you get your full share. PARKER No way. RIPLEY I'll go. DALLAS Forget it. You take the air lock. Parker and Lambert cover the exit. No doubt as to who's going inside the vent. INT. STARBOARD AIR LOCK - VESTIBULE Ripley stands in vestibule. Looks through the Bulkhead door to air lock. She throws a switch. Watches airshaft entrance into air lock open. The trap is ready. INT. MAINTENANCE LEVEL Parker and Lambert get set. INT. FOOD STORAGE LOCKER NUMBER 12 - "B" LEVEL Ash hands Dallas the makeshift flamethrower. He fires a couple of short bursts. DALLAS It's still working. ASH Why do you have to go. Why didn't you sent Ripley. DALLAS It's my responsibility. I let Kane go into the craft. Now it's my turn. ASH You're the captain. It'll be harder on the rest of us, if we lose you. DALLAS Nothing I do that Ripley can't. ASH I don't agree. DALLAS The decision is final. He removes the master computer key. Hands it to Ash. DALLAS If I don't take it back, Ripley will need this. Ash nods. Dallas turns and climbs into the ventilator opening. Just large enough to crawl through. INT. AIR SHAFT Completely dark. Dallas turns on his helmet light. Flips switch on throat mike. DALLAS Do you receive me. Ripley. Parker. Lambert. INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA The hum of vast cooling plants. Large air shafts run off in different directions. Parker and Lambert stand ready by a duct. Lambert hits the wall amp button. LAMBERT We're in position. I'll try and pick you up on the tracker. Parker hefts his flamethrower. DALLAS (voice over) Parker, if it tries to come out by you, make sure you drive it back in. I'll push it forward. PARKER Right. INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE Near the starboard air lock. Ripley pops open the hatch. The air lock now open and ready. She moves to the air duct opening. RIPLEY Air lock open. DALLAS (voice over) Ready. RIPLEY Ready. INT. AIR SHAFT Dallas begins to crawl forward. The tunnel is narrow... Only a foot or two wider than his shoulders. DALLAS I'm under way. Turns a corner. Several more tight turns. Instinctively Dallas pulls back. Raises the flamethrower. Fires a blast around the corner into the darkness. It roars loudly in the confined tube. Smoke drifts back into his face. INT. MAINTENANCE LEVEL A large rectangular duct in one wall. PARKER That's where it's got to come out, if it leaves the main shaft. He throws a switch. A metal pane rises and seals off the opening. LAMBERT Let's keep it open. I'd like to know if anything's coming. Reluctantly, Parker again throws the switch and raises the metal pane. INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE Ripley waiting. INT. AIR SHAFT Dallas still crawling on hands and knees. Ahead the shaft takes an abrupt downward turn. He moves toward the corner. Fires another blast from the flamethrower. Then starts crawling down, head first. INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA Lambert sees something on the tracker. LAMBERT Beginning to get a reading on you. INT. AIR SHAFT The shaft makes yet another turn. Puts Dallas into an almost immobilized position. INT. FOOD STORAGE LOCKER NUMBER 12 Ash staring at the ventilator opening. INT. AIR SHAFT Dallas against a wall of the shaft. Clutching his flamethrower. Whispers into his throat mike. DALLAS Ripley. INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE RIPLEY Read you clear. INT. AIR SHAFT DALLAS I don't think this shaft goes much farther... It's getting hot in here. He readies the flamethrower. INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA Parker readies his weapon. INT. AIR SHAFT - DOUBLE-TIERED PASSAGEWAY The air shaft tributary opens into a larger two-tier air tunnel. Dallas crawls out and stands. Moves to a catwalk floor. Looks about. Moves forward. Reaches a repair junction. Sits. His feet dangle beneath the catwalk floor to the next level. DALLAS Lambert, what kind of reading are you getting. INT. MAINTENANCE LEVEL Lambert huddled over her tracker. Puzzled. LAMBERT I'm not sure. There seems to be some kind of double image. INT. AIR SHAFT DOUBLE-TIERED PASSAGEWAY Dallas sitting. His feet still dangling in the dark beneath the catwalk. DALLAS It may be interference. I'll push on ahead. Dallas begins to rise. From below, a gentle movement toward the hanging feet. A hand reaches up. Misses his leg as Dallas moves ahead. Further on. DALLAS Lambert, am I coming in any clearer. LAMBERT (voice over) It's clear all right, but I'm still getting two blips. (pause) I'm not sure which one is which. Dallas stops. Turns around. Looks back down through the catwalk. Lowers the nose of the flamethrower, his finger on the trigger. From behind him, the hand reaches up. The Alien is the front signal. INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE Ripley bends forward. Hears the sounds of the struggle... And Dallas' screams. She cries out. RIPLEY Dallas...Dallas... INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA Lambert and Parker. Hearing it all. RIPLEY (voice over) Oh my God. Then silence. INT. MESS Dallas' flamethrower on the table surface. PARKER (voice over) We just found it laying there. No sign of him. Only a hole torn through to the central cooling complex. The remaining crew standing at the table. RIPLEY This puts me in command. PARKER Okay. For the first time he's dropped his bullshit. RIPLEY Unless someone's got a better idea about dealing with the Alien, we'll continue with the last plan. Silence. RIPLEY How are our weapons. PARKER They're working fine...We could use more fuel for that one. Indicating Dallas' flamethrower. RIPLEY Get it. PARKER Right. He leaves. Ripley turns to Ash. RIPLEY Any ideas. From you or Mother. ASH Nothing new. Just the one you're operating under. RIPLEY You mean to tell me with everything we've got, we're still powerless against the Beast. ASH That's the way it looks. RIPLEY I can't believe that. ASH I'm sorry captain. what would you like me to do. RIPLEY Go back to Mother and keep asking questions until you get some better answers. ASH All right...I'll try. He starts to go. RIPLEY Dallas didn't leave the master computer key with you. ASH You didn't get it. RIPLEY No. ASH Well, we probably won't need it anyway. He leaves. RIPLEY I know Ash has got the key. LAMBERT Why should he lie. RIPLEY He knows I want to check up on him...Without that key we've got no access to command priority information. LAMBERT Swell. Lambert shrugs. They start to leave. INT. MAINTENANCE AREA - "C" DECK Parker selects two full methane cylinders. He tests them. Moves out. INT. CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE RIPLEY Did you ever sleep with Ash? LAMBERT No. What about you. RIPLEY No. LAMBERT I never got the impression he was particularly interested... INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker returning with methane cylinder. Turns a corner. Comes to an abrupt halt. A movement in front of him beyond the air lock. He hesitates. Then another shadowy movement... INT. BRIDGE Ripley and Lambert. Parker's voice on voice-amp. Muffled. Ripley hits a toggle. RIPLEY Ripley. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker covers the wall communication with his hand. PARKER Keep it down... Up the corridor, the movement stops. INT. BRIDGE RIPLEY Can't hear you...Repeat... INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker whispering. PARKER The Alien...It's outside the main air lock door. Open the door slowly...When I shout... close it fast. INT. BLISTER Ash listens. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker still whispering. PARKER Open it...slowly. INT. BRIDGE Ripley hesitates. Starts to reply. Throws switch. INT. AIR LOCK - "B" DECK Low servo whine. Door opens. Slowly. Green light throbbing inside air lock. Creature looks curiously at it. Moves onto the threshold. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker watches... INT. AIR LOCK Creature move further into air lock. Fascinated by green light. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Urgent whisper into voice-amp. PARKER Now...Now... INT. BRIDGE As Ripley moves to throw switch... INT. AIR LOCK Suddenly, from out of nowhere a klaxon wails. The Creature leaps back across the threshold of the air lock. Bewildered. Screams as the inner hatch closes on an appendage. Acid boiling out. The appendage crushed. The acid bubbles. Metal boils in door. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL Parker watches. Frozen. The Alien wrenches itself free. Comes flying outward. Smashes Parker down. Flees. On the wall a green light goes on. "Inner Hatch Closed" INT. AIR LOCK Metal still boiling. The outer hatch begins to open. INT. BRIDGE RIPLEY Parker... Pushes a switch. Pushes it again. LAMBERT What's happening, Parker. In front of her a green light blinks. "Inner Hatch Closed." RIPLEY Inner hatch sealed. The outer hatch is open. LAMBERT What about Parker. RIPLEY I don't know. Take over. Ripley bolts out of the bridge. EXT. NOSTROMO Air lock open. INT. PASSAGE NEAR AIR LOCK - "B" LEVEL Parker unconscious. INT. AIR LOCK The inner hatch still closed. Metal boils. The hole growing deeper. INT. PASSAGEWAY - "A" LEVEL Ripley runs toward the air lock corridor. INT. AIR LOCK Metal boiling in door. INT. PASSAGEWAYS - "B" DECK Ripley slams to a momentary halt against a bulkhead. Regains her balance. Starts running. INT. PASSAGE NEAR AIR LOCK - "B" LEVEL Parker now half conscious. Ripley arrives as the hole in door blows open. Escaping air shrieks. Flashing sign comes on. Critical depressurization. Emergency klaxon. Simultaneously vestibule doors close either end. Sealing in Ripley and Parker. Door nearest to Parker half-closed on one of the methane cylinders. Leaving large gap. Windstorm begins as hole in air lock grows. Ripley reaches for other cylinder. Begins smashing the jammed cylinder out of door. Blood froths at their noses and ears. Cylinder finally is driven out. The door slams closed. INT. BRIDGE Lambert watches. Emergency light readings. "Hull Breached" "Emergency Bulkheads Closed" LAMBERT Ash, get the oxygen. Meet me at the air lock. Rushes out. Down corridor. INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK - "B" LEVEL Ripley staggers toward an emergency panel. At far end of corridor. Pinging sound. Misty atmosphere. Tries to activate the door. Cannot. Lambert appears other side of bulkhead. Activates door from outside. Rush of oxygen. EXT. NOSTROMO Plume of vapor freezes in the vacuum. INT. PASSAGE NEAR AIR LOCK - "B" LEVEL Repressurization sounds. Parker regains consciousness. Struggles to breathe. Ripley unable to move. Breath coming in shallow pants. Lambert with an oxygen tank. Ash follows. Oxygen administered to Ripley and Parker. Finally. ASH You all right. PARKER We didn't get it. The warning went off and it jumped back in the ship. ASH Who hit the warning. RIPLEY You tell me. ASH What does that mean. RIPLEY I guess the alarm went off by itself. ASH If you've got something to say say it. I'm sick of these coy accusations. RIPLEY Nobody's accusing you. ASH The hell you're not. Sullen silence. RIPLEY Go patch him up. Ash and Parker leave. Ripley turns to Lambert. RIPLEY How much oxygen have we lost. I want an exact reading. LAMBERT You were accusing him. RIPLEY If I could find the command computer key, I could prove it. LAMBERT You're still accusing him of stealing the key. RIPLEY You think I'm wrong. LAMBERT I don't know. Wrong or crazy. RIPLEY Thanks. INT. BLISTER STAIRCASE Ripley cautiously descends the stairs to the blister. Carrying a flamethrower. INT. ASH'S BLISTER Looks around the blister. Satisfied it's deserted. She puts down the flamethrower. Methodically begins to search for the key. Faint tapping sound. Then stops. She looks around. Sees nothing. Resumes searching near blister window... Ripley finds key... Tapping sound. She whips around to see: Kane's disfigured face slapping against the plexiglass. She stifles a scream. Drops the key onto the curved surface of the blister. Fishes for it... Kane's bloated face swings in... Beneath her. She grabs the key and bolts up companionway. INT. COMPUTER ANNEX Ripley plugs the key into the board. Data banks come to life. She sits at a console. Thinks for a moment. Then punches up a code. Nothing happens. Punches another combination. Nothing happens. Frustration. Another combination. One screen comes to life. Another combination. She moves to the second keyboard. Screen One spells out the question: Question: WHO TURNED ON AIR LOCK 2 WARNING SYSTEM. Response: ASH Another code. Question: IS ASH PROTECTING THE ALIEN. Response: YES New code. Question: WHY Response: SPECIAL ORDER 937 SCIENCE EYE'S ONLY She starts a new code. A hand slams down next to Ripley's arm. It sinks elbow deep into the computer. She whips around in her chair. Faces Ash. Ripley lashes out with her foot. Kicks him in the middle. No effect. Ripley twists away. Ash throws a punch at her. Misses. She pushes a chair at him. Overturns the desk... And runs through bridge into mess. He moves after her. Gets her. Parker and Lambert burst into the Mess. Lambert falls on Ash's back. Ash turns to Lambert. Tosses her across the room. Returns to Ripley. Again choking her. Parker lifts the tracker. Steps behind Ash. Swings the tracker...Wallop. Tears his head off... Wires ascending from Ash's trunk. Where his head used to be. Ash's hands release Ripley. Search above his neck for his missing head. He walks backward. All eyes on Ash's headless body. He walks the room. Still feeling for his missing head. PARKER A robot, a God damn Droid. Ash turns on him. Starts to advance. Parker hits him again with the tracker... Again. Again. No avail. Ash begins choking Parker. Ripley picks up one of the prod sticks. Closes on Ash's back. Tears away the fabric. Lambert pulls at Ash's legs. Ripley tears at the controls buried in the cavity once covered by his head. Parker's eyes bulge in pain. Ash, headless, choking, choking, choking... Ripley finds the wires, stabs the prod home... Ash's grip lessens. Another stab...electrical flash... The grip lessens... Another stab...flash of circuits. The headless body collapses. Parker trying to regain his breath. PARKER Damn you. Kicks the headless body. Lambert looks at Ripley. LAMBERT Tell me...What the hell's going on. Pause. RIPLEY Let's find out. Wire him back up. PARKER What kind of crap is that. RIPLEY Do it. They set to work. Begin to reassemble the wiring in Ash's head. RIPLEY Ash let it on board. Ash let it grow inside Kane. Ash blew the warning signal. LAMBERT Why. RIPLEY Special Order 937. PARKER What's that. RIPLEY That's what I want to know. Ash's head is placed on the table. His eyes flicker into consciousness. RIPLEY What is Special Order 937. ASH You know I can't tell you that. RIPLEY Then there's not point in talking to you. Pull the plug. ASH Special Order 937 in essence asked me to direct the ship to the planet, investigate a life form, possibly hostile and bring it back for observation. With discretion, of course. RIPLEY Why. Why not tell us. ASH Would you have gone. PARKER It wasn't in the contract. ASH My very point. RIPLEY They wanted to investigate the Alien. No matter what happened to us. ASH That's unfair. Actually, you weren't mentioned in the order. LAMBERT Those bastards. ASH See it from their point of view. They didn't know what the Alien is. RIPLEY How do we kill it. ASH I don't think you can. Not in this ship, given its life support systems. But I might be able to. RIPLEY How. ASH I don't know quite yet. I'm not exactly at my best at the moment. If you would reconnect... RIPLEY No way. ASH Don't be so hasty. You'll never kill it without my help. RIPLEY We've had enough of your help. ASH You've barely got any oxygen left. If you don't go into hypersleep, you'll die with or without the Alien. RIPLEY Nice try, Ash. ASH I will do whatever I can to help you. I swear it. PARKER Pull the plug. LAMBERT I agree. ASH You idiots. You still don't realize what you're dealing with. The Alien is a perfect organism. Superbly structured, cunning, quintessentially violent. With your limited capabilities you have no chance against it. LAMBERT You admire it. ASH How can one not admire perfection. I will kill it because I am programmed to protect human life as you know. RIPLEY Even if you have contempt for it. ASH Even then. Bitter and angry. RIPLEY Sorry Ash. I don't buy it. ASH You egocentric morons. You'll be ripped to shreds, destroyed and... Ripley make a movement. Ash softens... ASH I can only wish you well... Ripley pulls the plug. PARKER He was probably right. We do need him. RIPLEY He was conning us. LAMBERT He was programmed to protect human life. RIPLEY He wasn't protecting our human lives and that's all I care about. Anyway it's done. Ripley exits to the bridge. INT. BRIDGE Ripley in the Computer Annex. Lambert and Parker enter. RIPLEY He's right about one thing. We've got less than twelve hours oxygen left. PARKER It's all over. Gloom. LAMBERT I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I prefer a painless peaceful death to any of the alternatives on offer. RIPLEY We're not there yet. Lambert holds up a small card of spansules. Suicide pills. LAMBERT We're not. Huh. RIPLEY I think we should blow up the ship. LAMBERT I'll stick with chemicals if you don't mind. RIPLEY We leave in the shuttle and then blow up the ship. INT. AIR LOCK - NARCISSUS Ripley, Lambert and Parker loading oxygen tanks onto the Narcissus. RIPLEY That's all the oxygen. PARKER That's it. RIPLEY Now. Let's get the food, shut off the engines and get out... Jones. Where's Jones. PARKER Who knows. LAMBERT Last I saw him was in the mess. RIPLEY Go look. We don't want to leave him. LAMBERT I don't want to go by myself. PARKER Always hated that damn cat. RIPLEY I'll go. You load up the food. They move out. INT. BRIDGE Jones lying on Dallas' console. Ripley comes in. Smiles. RIPLEY Jones. You're in luck. As she reaches for him, Jones jumps off the console. Moves away. RIPLEY Come on, Jones. She moves after the cat. We hear Parker and Lambert over the communicator from the coolant locker. LAMBERT (voice over) How much do you think we'll need. Ripley still in pursuit of the cat. CUT TO: INT. FOOD LOCKER NUMBER 6 - "B" LEVEL Parker and Lambert loading food. PARKER All you can carry. Ripley's voice over communicator from bridge. RIPLEY (voice over) God damn it, Jones. Come here. INT. BRIDGE Ripley furious but still speaking gently. RIPLEY Here kitty...come here kitty... Jones moves away. INT. FOOD LOCKER NUMBER 6 - "B" DECK Arms full, Parker moves out of the locker. Lambert is still making her selection. A faint light on the tracker. Unnoticed. INT. BRIDGE Ripley finally corners Jones. Finds his box. Tries to put him in it. Jones resists. Ultimately futile. INT. FOOD LOCKER CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE Parker attempts to pick up the flamethrower. Can't manage it and the food. Drops some of the packages. PARKER Goddamn. In the locker Lambert gathers food. LAMBERT What's the matter. PARKER Nothing. just hurry up. The tracker flashes faster. Now it's noticed. Parker picks up the flamethrower. PARKER Let's get out of here. LAMBERT Right now. The Alien appears out of the air shaft ventilator. Lambert turns. Screams. Unfolding, the Alien grabs for her. INT. BRIDGE Ripley freezes as she hears Lambert's screams. INT. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE Parker looks back into the locker. Unable to use the flamethrower without hitting Lambert. He hesitates for a moment, then strides into the locker. Wielding the flamethrower like a club. PARKER Goddamn you. INT. FOOR LOCKER NUMBER 6 The Alien drops Lambert. Parker lands a blow with the flamethrower. No effect. The Alien strikes him once. Killing him instantly. He now moves to Lambert. INT. BRIDGE Ripley listening on the communicator. Lambert's dying shrieks. Then the voice-amp goes dead. Silence. RIPLEY Parker. Lambert. She waits for a response. But her expression shows that she expects none. A long moment. Expectation fulfilled. Nightmare without end. INT. "B" LEVEL - COMPANIONWAY Ripley descends, cautiously, holding flamethrower. Jones left above, squalling. INT. CORRIDOR - "B" DECK Ripley moving warily, carrying flamethrower. Nears entrance to food locker, looks in. Sees carnage. INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" DECK Ripley running toward engine room. Out of breath. Exhausted she stops, gulps for air. Suddenly, ahead of her, the sound of human weeping. She moves quietly ahead until the source of the sound is directly under her feet. She is standing on a round metal plate. Ripley starts to remove the disc. INT. UNDERCARRIAGE MAINTENANCE ROOM NUMBER 4 The round opening illuminates a dakr ladderway. Still carrying flamethrower, Ripley starts downwards. Pitch black. Ripley arrives at deck level. Shines her light. Its arc reveals the Alien's layer. Bones, shreds of flesh. Pieces of clothing, shoes. Bizarre extrusions on the wall. Something moves in the darkness. Ripley spins, turns her light toward the movement. Hanging from the ceiling is a huge cocoon. Woven from fine, white, silk-like material. Flamethrower ready, Ripley approaches. Sees that the cocoon is semi-transparent. The body of Dallas inside. Unexpectedly, his eyes open. FOCUS ON Ripley. His voice is a whisper. DALLAS Kill me. RIPLEY What did it do. Dallas moves his head slightly. Ripley turns her light. Another cocoon dangles from the ceiling. But of a different texture. Smaller and darker, with a harder shell. Almost exactly like the ovoids in the derelict ship. DALLAS That was Brett... RIPLEY I'll get you out of there... We'll get up the autodoc. A long moment. It's hopeless. RIPLEY What can I do. DALLAS Kill me. Ripley stares at him. Raises the flamethrower. Sprays a molten blast. Another blast. The entire compartment bursts into flames. Ripley turns and scrambles back up the ladderway. INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL Ripley emerges from below. Gasps for breath. Regains control of herself. EXT. OUTER SPACE At light speed. The Nostromo and refinery appear to hang motionless. Star clusters rolling past in the infinite distance. INT. ENGINE ROOM - CUBICLE Ripley enters the power center. Stares at the massive light-plus engines. Approaches the main control board. Begins closing the switches, one by one. A long moment. Sirens begin to honk. Mother speaks. MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Attention. The cooling units for the light-plus engines are not functioning. Engines will over- load in four minutes, fifty seconds... INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL Ripley running toward the "B" deck companionway. INT. "B" LEVEL - CORRIDOR Ripley starts toward Narcissus. Remembers Jones. INT. "A" TO "B" LEVELS - COMPANIONWAY Jones howling. In his box. Ripley reaches up and grabs him. INT. "B" LEVEL - CORRIDOR LEADING TO AIR LOCK Ripley carrying Jones, holding flamethrower. Jones hisses. Fur rises. Ripley stops, and stares down corridor toward Narcissus. The Alien can be heard thrashing about the shuttle craft. Ripley turns and bolts toward the engine room, leaving Jones on "B" level companionway. INT. COMPANIONWAY TO OILY CORRIDOR - "E" LEVEL Ripley bounds down the companionway. Her footsteps clanging metallically throughout the ship. A final sprint towards the engine room. MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Attention. Engines will overload in three minutes, twenty seconds. INT. ENGINE ROOM - CUBICLE The door crashes open, Ripley comes pounding in. The chamber filled with smoke. Engines whining dangerously. Ripley breaks out in perspiration from the intense heat. She runs to the controls. Begins throwing the cooling unit switches back into place. The sirens continue sounding. MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Attention. Engines will overload in three minutes. Ripley pushes a button and speaks into it. RIPLEY Mother, I've turned all the cooling units back on. MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Too late for remedial action. The core has begun to melt. Engines will overload in two minutes, thirty-five seconds. A moment. The Ripley turns and runs from the engine room. INT. OILY CORRIDOR - COMPANIONWAY Ripley runs back down the corridor. Up the companionway, exhausted, stumbling... MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Attention. Engines will overload in two minutes. INT. "B" LEVEL - COMPANIONWAY She reaches companionway. Picks up Jones. INT. "B" LEVEL - CORRIDOR LEADING TO NARCISSUS Ripley staggers towards the air lock. The Narcissus berthed beyond. She drags Jones and raises the flamethrower. Turns to see if the Creature is behind her. Then advances down the passageway. Goaded on by the computer. MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Attention. Engines will explode in ninety seconds. She makes it to the vestibule. Looks into the shuttle. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley scans the narrow deck...empty. INT. VESTIBULE She turns and dashes back. Grabs the cat box. Runs back toward the shuttle. MOTHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Attention. The engines will explode in sixty seconds. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley enters on the run. Hurls the cat box toward the front. She dives into the control chair. Hits the "launch" button. EXT. NOSTROMO - OUTER SPACE The retainer clips drop away. A blast of ram jets. The shuttle is launched from the mother ship. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley frantically straps herself in. G-forces from the shuttles acceleration pulling against her. EXT. SPACE The Narcissus continues to power away from the mother ship. The larger bulk of the Nostromo quietly receding. All is strangely serene. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley finishes strapping herself in. Reaches and grabs the cat box. The cat yowling within. Ripley hugs the box to her chest. Hunches her head down over the container. EXT. SPACE The Nostromo drifts farther away from the shuttle-craft. Finally becomes a small point of light. Then it blows up. Transforms into expanding orange fireball. Pieces of metal flying in all directions. And then the refinery explodes. 200,000,000 tons of fuel blasting silently into the cosmos. INT. NARCISSUS The shockwave hits the shuttle craft. Jolting and rattling everything within. Then all is quiet. Ripley unhooks herself from her straps. Rises, and goes to the back of the escape craft. Stares out through the porthole. Face bathed in orange light. EXT. SPACE Piece of debris float past. The boiling fireball fades into nothingness. The Nostromo has ceased to exist. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley watching the final destiny of her ship and crew mates. A very long moment. Then, behind her, the lethal hand emerges from deep shadow. The Alien has been in the shuttle-craft all along. The cat yowls. Ripley whirls. Finding herself facing the Creature. Ripley's first thought is for the flamethrower. It lies on the deck next to the Alien. Next she glances around for a place to hide. Her eye falls on a small locker containing a pressure suit. The door standing open. She begins to edge toward the compartment. The Creature stands. Comes for her. Ripley dives for the open door. Hurls herself inside. Slams it shut. INT. LOCKER A clear glass panel in the door. The Alien puts its head up to the window. Peers in at Ripley. Their faces only two inches apart. The Alien looking at Ripley almost in curiosity. The moaning of the cat distracts it. INT. NARCISSUS The Alien moves to the pressurized cat box. Bends down and peers inside. The cat yowls louder as his container is lifted. INT. LOCKER Ripley knocks on the glass. Trying to distract the Creature from the cat. The Alien's face is instantly back at the window. Getting no more interference from her, the Creature returns to the cat box. Ripley looks around. Sees the pressure suit. Quickly begins to pull it on. INT. NARCISSUS The Alien picks up the cat box. Shakes it. The cat moans. INT. LOCKER Ripley is halfway into a pressure suit. INT. NARCISSUS The Creature throws the cat box down. Very hard. Picks it up again. Hammers it against the wall. Then jams it into a crevice. Begins to pound the container into the opening. The cat now beyond all hysteria. INT. LOCKER Ripley pulls on the helmet, latches it into place. Turns the oxygen valve. With a hiss, the suit fills itself. A rack on the wall contains a long metal rod. Ripley peels off the rubber tip. Revealing a sharp metal point. INT. SPACE SUIT LOCKER Ripley inhales. Kicks the door open. INT. NARCISSUS The Creature rises. Faces the locker. Catches the steel shaft through its midriff. The Alien clutches at the spear. Yellow acid begins to flow from the wound. Before the fluid can touch the floor... Ripley reaches back and pulls the switch. Blows the rear hatch. The atmosphere in the shuttle immediately sucked into space. The bleeding creature along with it. Ripley grabs a strut to keep from being pulled out. The Alien shoots past her. Grab's Ripley's ankle with an appendage. EXT. NARCISSUS Ripley now hanging halfway out of the shuttle-craft. The Alien clinging to her leg. She kicks at it with her free foot. The Creature holds fast. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley looks for any salvation. Grabs the hatch level. Yanks it. The hatch slams shut, closing Ripley safely inside. EXT. NARCISSUS The Alien still outside the shuttle-craft. Within the vacuum of space. The top of its appendage mashed into the closed hatch. INT. NARCISSUS Acid starts to foam along the base of the hatch. Eats away at the metal. Ripley stumbles forward to the controls. Pushes the ram jet lever. EXT. NARCISSUS - OUTER SPACE The Creature struggling. Jet exhaust located at the rear of the craft. The engines belch flame for a few seconds. Then shut off. Incinerating, the Alien tumbles slowly away into space. INT. NARCISSUS Ripley hurries to the rear hatch. Peers through the glass. EXT. OUTER SPACE The burned mass of the Alien drifts slowly away. Writhing, smoking. Tumbling into the distance. Pieces dropping off. The shape bloats, then bursts. Spray of particles in all directions. Then smoldering fragments dwindle into infinity. INT. NARCISSUS - LATER Now repressurized. Ripley is seated in the control chair. Calm and composed, almost cheerful. Cat purring in her lap. She dictates into a recorder. RIPLEY I should reach the frontier in another five weeks. With a little luck the network will pick me up...This is Ripley, W564502460H, executive officer, last survivor of the commercial starship Nostromo signing off. (pause) Come on cat. She switches off the recorder. Stares into space. EXT. OUTER SPACE The shuttle-craft Narcissus sails into the distance. FADE OUT THE END

26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 1. ALIEN III FADE IN: 1. EXT. DEEP SPACE CREDIT SEQUENCE 1 the void. luxuriously veiled in a star field. * BEGIN CREDITS: * 1a. quick - a facehugger finger -- 2. quick - a face,. under glass, out of focus -- the glass shatters... 2 2a. quick - a monitor -- A colorful catscan of a tendril. Down someone's throat. 2a. 3. quick - acid blood hits the floor, sizzles, eats through insulation wires... 3. 3a. quick - smoke passes a sensor -- 3a. 4. quick - a panel of lights explode on, flashing, urgent, something is very wrong 4. 4a. quick - blood seeps through white fabric -- 4a. 5 . quick - an exploding bolt -- 5 . 5a. quick - hypersleep tube falls away -- 5a. 6 . quick - hypersleep tube being vacuum sucked along, packed into the EEV � 6 6a. quick - the EEV floats momentarily in its docking, then drops from CAMERA and away ... 6a. 7 then - Ripley's face, quiet, peaceful -- moisture blows across her features ... 7 * 7a. then - the planet FIORINA 161. grey, lifeless, alone in space *7a.. 8. then - the EEV tumbles by ... 8. Legend: FIORINA 'FURY' 161 OUTER VEEL MINERAL ORE REFINERY MAXIMUM SECURITY WORK-CORRECMONAL FACILITY 8a. then - FIORINA, horizon line -- a desolate industrial wasteland, black water in the distance. 8a. 8a. Legend: JULY 3RD, 0600. 9. then - through the dense atmosphere, a lone man wanders, dwarfed by derricks and cranes ... 9. then - close - the man turns and looks at the sky -- 9a. then - a light cutting through the clouds, beyond the cranes and derricks ... 9a. 10. then - the man follows along, in no particular hurry. 10. 10a. then - the EEV hits the water with great velocity l0a 10a. then - the EEV hits the water with great velocity l0a 11. 11. then - Newt's twisted, drowned face-- she screams in slow motion under water 11 -- a fetal Queen emerges - lla. then - Ripley's floating face - the fetal Queen forces her jaws open -- disappears inside ... lla. lla. then - Ripley's floating face - the fetal Queen forces her jaws open -- disappears inside ... lla. 12. 12. then - the man stops to look at the sea, something catches his attention 12. 12a. then - a body washed ashore 12a. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 2. 13. then - the man looking down 13. then - rolls Ripley's body over ... 13a. then - carrying her through the wasteland 13a. 14. then - at the prison facility entrance -- they enter the weathertrap ... 14. 15. INT. BUG WASH - WEYLAND - YUTANI WORK - CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - FURY-161 15. * Medical Officer Clemens enters carrying Ripley's body - spots three prisoners delousing across the way... CLEMENS An EEV's come down - get out on the beach. There may be others. THE PRISONER'S SHOWER AREA They react to seeing the woman's body... CLEMENS Now! Move! The convicts grab their clothes AT A TABLE - BUG WASH Clemens kneels beside Ripley, checks her eyes Her lips start to move... Cradling her head, he tries to hear what she's saying Ripley suddenly SCREAMS... Clemens pulls her face close Turns her head away. Gagging on black salty water, Ripley coughs up -- Struggling for air as ... 16. EXT. FIORINA - BEACH 16. A group of prisoners run to the water ... Prisoners herd half a dozen oxen over a low sand dune -- 17. INT. INFIRMARY 17. Clemens carries Ripley to her bed -- She's out cold ... 18. EXT. FIORINA - BEACH 18. The EEV ashore, attached to the oxen 19. INT. INFIRMARY 19. as Ripley's clothes are cut from her -- tank top ... shorts ... 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 3. 20. INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - WEYLAND YUTANI 20. WORK CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - FURY 161 A hand works as Dat-Scan operator. Types in the following: FURY 161 - CLASS C PRISON UNIT IRIS - 12037154 - REPORT EEV UNIT 2650 CRASH - ONE SURVIROR - LT RIPLEY - B5156170 - DEAD CPL. HICKS L55321 - UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE APPROX. 12 YEARS OLD - REOUEST EMERG. EVAC. SOONEST POSSIBLE - AWAIT RESPONSE SUPT. ANDREWS M51021 21. INT. EEV 21. A lantern reveals: Bishop. Hicks. Newt. Dead. 22. INSERT - COMPUTER TYPE - COMM ROOM 22. TO-, FURY 161 - CLASS C - PRISON UNIT - 1237154 - FROM NETWORK COMCON 01500 - WEYLAND YUTAM - MESSAGE RECEIVED. 23. INT. INFIRMARY - RIPLEY 23. Oil is wiped from her face and body - Her eyes rem restlessly ... 24. EXT. - FIORINA - BEACH 24. A group of prisoners take the bodies from the wreckage, oxen stand still lashed to the EEV -- 25. EXT. HORIZON LINE - FIORINA - BEACH 25. The setting sun... END CREDITS. * 26. INT. ASSEMBLY HALL 26 Four stories high. Minimal electric light. The assembled prisoners move into position... Hang from railings Smoke. A convict population of 25 men. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 4. 26 CONT 26 CONT SUPERINTENDENT HARRY ANDREWS Late-forties, solid build, shaved head, seated at the center... AARON - Andrew's general factotum. * AARON * * Allright, Allright. Let's pull it * together -- get it going --Right? Right. Here we go, Mr. Dillon -- PRISONER DILLON Steps to the middle as all the prisoners rise and strike a reverent attitude. DILLON Give us strength, Oh Lord, to endure. We recognize that we are poor sinners in the hands of an angry God. Let the circle be unbroken --Until the day. Amen. The convicts all raise their right fists � CLEMENS - * Some distance away... his face reflects the somber mood of the room�s assemblage. * GROUND LEVEL Andrews clears his throat ... ANDREWS Thank you gentleman.. This is rumour control. Here are the facts. As some of you know, a 337 model EEV crash landed here at 0600 on the morning watch. There was one survivor. Two dead and a droid that was hopelessly smashed beyond repair. The survivor is a woman. Mumbles among the prisoners. MORSE - late twentys, tight-jawed, gold teeth - leans down from one of the upper tiers ... MORSE I just want to say that I took a vow of celibacy. That also includes women. We all took the vow. Now let me say, that I for one, do not appreciate Company policy allowing her to freely intermingle�. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 5. 26 CONT 26 CONT * AARON * (to Andrews) Cheeky bastard, right sir? * Dillon steps in front of Morse, a gesture of restraint ... * DILLON What brother means to say is ... We view the resence of any outsider, woman, as a violation of the harmony, a potential break in the spiritual unity. ANDREWS We are well aware of your feelings in this matter. You will be pleased to know that I have requested a rescue team - Hopefully, they will be here inside of a week and evacuate her A.S.A.P. (to Clemens) What's her medical status? All eyes turn to Clemens. CLEMENS She doesn't seem too badly damaged. She is unconscious. Difficult at the moment to make a specific diagnosis. ANDREWS Will she live? Clemens considers the question. CLEMENS Yes. I should think so. - Pursing his lips. Andrews glances back at Dillon. ANDREWS Look, none of us here is naive. (pause) It's in everybody�s best interests if the woman doesn�t come out of the Infirmary until the rescue team arrives. And certainly not without an escort. Right? So we should all stick to our set routines and not get unduly agitated. Correct? All right. Thank you, gentlemen. 27 INT. INFIRMARY 27 Ripley lies still on a cot. Clemens at her side. There's an IV pack taped to her arm. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 6. 27 CONT. 27 CONT Clemens checks her vital signs... On a table beside the cot, he finds a syringe with clear liquid... Prepares to give her an injection. Ripley's eyes snap open. RIPLEY What's that? Clemens is surprised, but tries not let it show -- expels air from the hypo. CLEMENS A light cocktail of my own mix. Sort of an eye opener. RIPLEY Are you a doctor? CLEMENS I've only got a 3-C rating. But I'm the best you're going to find around here � I really ought to shave your head. Startled, Ripley sits bolt upright on the cot, pulling the sheet around her: CLEMENS Lice. Big problem here, I'm afraid. When your hand is steadier you can attend to your private parts yourself. Pause. CLEMENS My name is Clemens. I'm the Medical Officer here ... RIPLEY Here? CLEMENS Fury 161. One of Weyland-Yutani's backwater work prisons. Do you mind? This is just sort of a stabilizer ... He lifts her arm -- gives her the injection. CLEMENS You crash landed in an EEV. Evidently separated from your mothership before you hit our atmosphere. I've no idea how long you were in hypersleep - coming down the way you did can be a jolt to your. system. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 7. 27 CONT 27 CONT RIPLEY I'm gonna be sick for two weeks if I decompressed too fast. CLEMENS Yes. Quite nauseous. RIPLEY What about the others? CLEMENS I'm afraid they didn't make it. This sinks in. RIPLEY What? CLEMENS They didn't survive. RIPLEY I have to get to the ship. CLEMENS You're in no condition for that. She stands. Buck naked. RIPLEY You want to get me some clothes, or should I go like this? CLEMENS Given the nature of our indigenous population, I would suggest clothes. He turns and opens a closet. CLEMENS None of them has seen a woman in years. Neither have I for that matter. 28 INT. STAIIRWELL - CONE OF SELENCE 28 A now fully-clothed Ripley is being led along the corridor by Clemens. CLEMENS This used to be a thousand convict facility, but its been reduced all the way down to a twenty five man custodial staff. They keep the place on pilot light � RIPLEY Pilot light for what? 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 8. 29 INT. CONE OF SILENCE 29 Prisoners WILLIAM, ARTHUR, VINCENT, CHRISTOPHER and ED have lowered the EEV via a huge overhead crane. CLEMENS Toxic dump. The prisoners used to make lead sheets to seal off the shafts RIPLEY Any women here? CLEMENS Sorry Lieutenant Ripley. This is a double Y chromosome facility. Strictly male. RIPLEY How come you know my name? CLEMENS It's stenciled on the back of your shorts. We also found your dog tags. RIPLEY Great. Ripley takes a deep breath and crawls into: 30 INT.EEV 30 Everything is smashed, wrecked... In the very cramped quarters, Ripley finds a place to kneel. Clemens follows her inside. RIPLEY Where are the bodies? CLEMENS We have a morgue. We've put them there until the investigative team arrives, probably in a week's time. RIPLEY There was an android... CLEMENS Disconnected. There were pieces of him all over the place. What�s left was thrown in the trash. The Corporal was impaled by a support beam straight through the chest He never knew what hit him. RIPLEY What about the girl? 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 9. 30CONT 30 CONT CLEMENS She drowned in her cryotube. I don't think she was conscious when it happened...I'm sorry. She struggles for control. Impossible Her eyes fill with tears. Eyes brimming, Ripley spots the remains of Newt's cryotube. Faceplate is broken. Probably happened in the crash. There�s a strange discoloration on the metal below the faceplate. She leans forward, running her fingers over it... CLEMENS What is it? RIPLEY Where is she? CLEMENS I told you. The morgue. RIPLEY I want to see what's left of her body. CLEMENS What do you mean, what's left? The body's intact. RIPLEY It is? I want to see it. 31 INT. MORGUE - STEPS LEADING DOWN 31 CLEMENS Any particular reason you're so insistent? RIPLEY I have to make sure how she died. CLEMENS I hate to be repetitious about a sensitive subject, but it�s quite clear that she drowned. Clemens stops at the foot of the stairs CLEMENS Was she your daughter? RIPLEY No ... She wasn't my daughter. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 10. 32 INT. MORGUE - MAIN FLOOR. THE DRAWER 32 They both look down at the body. RIPLEY Give me a moment. Clemens steps away ... Ripley begins to examine Newt's corpse. After a couple of moments Clemens returns CLEMENS O.K.? RIPLEY No. We need an autopsy. CLEMENS You're joking. RIPLEY No way. We have to make sure how she died. CLEMENS I told you she drowned. Clemens begins to slide the body back. Ripley stops him. RIPLEY I'm not so sure - I want you to cut her open. CLEMENS Listen to me, I think you're disorientated -- half your system's still in cryo-sleep. Ripley doesn't want to hear this. RIPLEY Look, I have a very good reason for asking this and I want you to do it -- CLEMENS Would you care to share this reason? RIPLEY Possible contagion. CLEMENS What kind? RIPLEY I'm not the doctor -- you are. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 11 32 CONT 32 CONT CLEMENS You'll have to do better than that. RIPLEY Cholera. CLEMENS You can't be serious. There hasn't been a case reported in 200 years. She stares at him. CLEMENS As you wish. 32A AUTOPSY - TIME CUT 32A Clemens now masked and gowned begins to incise Newt's chest. It's a long time since he's lone this, and he's not altogether sure why he's-doing it now ... He cuts through her rib-cage. CLEMENS We have nothing unusual. Everything in place. No sign of disease. No sign of any contagion.-Lungs flooded with fluid - ergo, she drowned. Makes a final cross-lateral incision. CLEMENS Still nothing. Satisfied? She turns away. CLEMENS Now, since I�m not entirely stupid, do you want to tell me what you're really looking for? From above a door smashes open -- Andrews and Aaron come clattering down the stairs. ANDREWS Mr. Clemens. CLEMENS Superintendent. I don't believe you've met Lieutenant Ripley. ANDREWS What's going on, Mr. Clemens? AARON Right sir, what's going on Mr.Clemens? 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 12. 32A CONT 32 CONT CLEMENS First, Lieutenant Ripley is feeling much better. I'm happy to say. Second, in the interests of public health, I'm conducting an autopsy. ANDREWS Without my authority? CLEMENS There didn't seem to be time, but it's all turned out all right, the body shows no signs of contagion. ANDREWS Good. But it might be helpful of Lt. Ripley didn�t parade around in front of the prisoners, as I am told she did in the last hour. It might also be helpful if you kept me informed as to any change in her physical status. Or would that be asking too much? RIPLEY We have to cremate the bodies. ANDREWS Nonsense. We'll keep the bodies on ice until a rescue team arrives. AARON (to Andrews) Cremate -- that's a good one, sir. RIPLEY There is the public health issue. Looks at Clemens. CLEMENS Lt. Ripley feels that there's the possibility of a communicable infection. ANDREWS I thought you said there was no sign of disease. CLEMENS It would appear that the child drowned, though without the proper laboratory tests its Impossible to be absolutely certain - but I think it would be unwise to tolerate even the possibility of an unwanted virus. An outbreak of cholera would look very bad on your report, wouldn't it? 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 13. 32A CONT 32A CONT An unhappy Andrews turns to Ripley. ANDREWS We have twenty-five prisoners in this facility. All double Y chromos, all thieves, rapists, murderers, forgers, child molesters ... all scum. But scum that have taken on religion. I, for one, don't think that makes them any less dangerous. So I try not to offend their convictions. I don't want to disturb the order. I don't want ripples in the water. And I don't want a woman walking around giving them ideas. RIPLEY Yes. Obviously for my own personal safety. ANDREWS Exactly. The two lock eyes -- then Andrews turns back to Clemens. ANDREWS I will leave the details of the cremation to you, Mr. Clemens. 33 INT. ABATTOR - STALLS 33 Shiny, tiled walls. Stalls and pens containing live chickens, oxen, � Behind a screen across the way -- various cuts of meat, chicken, lamb, etc., hang from rusted hooks in the arctic gloom... Row upon row of razor sharp knives line a wall by the door. Two prisoners, FRANK and MURPHY, lurch into the room pushing the dead ox on a rusted ore-cart. FRANK (puffing) Well, at least Christmas came early - MURPHY How's that - FRANK Any dead ox is a good ox MURPHY God, ain�t it right. Smelly bastards, all covered with lice. FRANK Only three more of the buggers left then we're done with the buggers. God I hate hosing these brutes down, always get shit on my boots -- 26/l/91W.H., D.G. 14. 33 CONT 33 CONT MURPHY Speakin' of hosing down, Frank -- FRANK Yeah? MURPHY I mean if you got a chance - what would you say to her? FRANK What do you mean, if I got a chance? MURPHY You know, if you got a chance. FRANK Just casual you mean? MURPHY Yeah. How would you put it to her - you know, if you ran into her in the mess hall or something. They manage to get the dead beast out onto the floor -- Wrap chains around the animal�s back legs and begin to winch it over head. FRANK No problem. Never had any problem with the ladies. I�d say �good day, my dear, how's it going, anything I could do to be of service! - then I�d give her the look, you know, up down...give her a wink, nasty smile, she'd get the picture. MURPHY Right. And she'd say 'kiss my ass you horny old fucker.' FRANK I'd be happy to kiss her ass. Be happy to kiss her anywhere she wants. MURPHY Yeah, but treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen - right, Frank? FRANK Treat the queens like whores, the whores like queens. Can't go wrong. They pull the beast higher, then to a full stop as it swings on the thick chains. 26/l/91W.H., D.G. 15. 33 CONT 33 CONT MURPHY Frank? FRANK Yeah? MURPHY What do you think killed Babe? FRANK Beats me. Just keeled over. MURPHY How old was she? FRANK Charts say eleven. In the prime. Chop her up, later, we'll throw her in the stew. MURPHY Right. He lifts a small organism from the ore-cart where it was pancaked under the ox. It�s-a face-hugger. MURPHY What's this? FRANK Dunno. Looks like some jellyfish from the beach. MURPHY Right. Tosses it away. 34 OMITTED 34 35 INT. LEAD WORKS - BLAST FURNACE 35 An immense space located in the bowels of the operation. Vaguely rectangular, the room is carved out of the very rock of the planet. In the center, there's an enormous pit. Flames are visible over beveled edges descending to the depths. On one wall, a series of ducts and fans control oxygen flow into the furnace area Cranes on tracks running up and down the room can be loaded or unloaded from catwalks above the pit. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 16. 35 CONT 35 CONT TWO PRISONERS Stand on a crane, a short distance from the fire in the pit. Rippling heat rises from the floor below. The prisoners hold between them two canvas bags, one containing Newt's body. One containing Hicks remains. Below them -- RIPLEY stands on a catwalk beside Clemens, looking at the two prisoners on the crane. Aaron. Dillon, and several other prisoners are behind her. To her right, Andrews opens a book and begins to read: ANDREWS We commit this child and this man to our keepin , 0 Lord. Their bodies have been taken from the shadow of our nights. They have been released from all darkness and pain... * 36 BELOW THE CATWALK 36 A small claustrophobic space cramped with iron pipes, levers and pulleys Prisoner Troy, starts opening valves... 37 THE WALL 37 of the furnace, as giant air-ducts slide open... Huge fans force air into the chamber. IN THE PIT Now combined with oxygen, the methane flame rises. Getting hotter and hotter.. Blitzes through the spectrum, going from red to white-hot ON THE CATWALK Ripley starts to quietly cry. Tears run freely down her face. Clemens watches her closely. Still reading, Andrews raises his voice; 26/l/91W.H., D.G. 17. 37 CONT 37 CONT ANDREWS The child and the man have gone beyond our world. They are forever eternal and everlasting...ashes to ashes, dust to dust. 38 INT. ABATTOIR - THE DEAD OX 38 Seemingly begins to dance crazily. Grotesque. Something inside the ox trying to break free... 39 CATWALK 39 Dillon shoulders his way through the others - stares out at the flames. DILLON (O.S.) Why are the innocent punished? Why the sacrifice? Why the pain? Andrews puts down the book. Looks over to Dillon, who has, seemingly uninvited, taken over the service. DILLON There aren't any promises. Nothing's certain. Only some get called. Some get saved. IN THE FURNACE the fire rages... ON THE CRANE reeling from the heat, the two prisoners reach their breaking point. Hurling the two canvas bags into the pit, they beat a hasty retreat. ON THE CATWALK weeping freely, Ripley watches what used to be Newt and Hicks disappear into the inferno. Impulsively she takes Clemens' arm for support. He gives it freely. Dillon keeps reading: DILLON She won't ever know the hardship and grief for those of us left behind. We commit this body to the void with a glad heart... 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 18. 40 IN.THE ABATT0IR 40 on the table, the ox's body is stretched and distorted. Suddenly, in a moment of carnal frenzy -- A CHEST - BURSTER explodes from the ox's thorax. Rockets out of the carcass and tumbles to the floor. This thing has four legs, Alien head and drooling mouth. Like a horrifying fawn, it struggles to get legs under it. Wobbles round the room. DILLON (OS) Within each seed there's the promise of a flower. And within each death, no matter how small, there's always a new life. A new beginning. Struggling upright, the baby creature gurgles... Clatters across the floor and disappears into an air-duct. 41 IN THE GALLERY 41 Above the furnace... Ripley can no longer maintain. A nervous gesture to her hair. Another to her ear. Now scratches her head, despite the tears. Scratches again. Looks at her hand. Recoils. Looks over to Clemens... 42 INT. BUG WASH 42 Ripley in a stall. Her face appears in a mirror, above a steaming basin. She studies her appearance. Now bald. CHEMICAL SHOWER Ripley standing in the hard spray amid the swirling steam... Chin high. Eyes shut. An act of purification. OUTER BUG WASH DOOR Clemens stands guard. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 19. 43 INT. MESS HALL 43 All the prisoners eating -- making jokes, small talk. Andrews and Aaron at small table, off by themselves. TABLE - MESS HALL Prisoners GOLIC, BOGGS and RAINS eating. Each with a sullen look... Dillon sits down at their table. DILLON Okay. Lotta talk goin' round that we got some disharmony here -- You guys want to tell me what the problem is? No response. DILLON Speak to me, brothers. RAINS All right, I�ll tell you. I don't mind the dark, I don�t mind the bugs, I don�t mind wandering around in some cold, wet damp tunnel for a week at a time, I don t mind anything. But I mind Golic. DILLON (to Boggs) That the way you feel about it? BOGGS Yeah. The man is crazy. And smells bad. I ain't goin' out with him anymore. DILLON (to Golic) You got anything to say for yourself? Golic shrugs, grins like an idiot. DILLON (to Rains and Boggs) He�s going with you. Golic is just another poor, miserable, suffering son-of-a-bitch like you and me. RAINS Except he smells worse. BOGGS And he's crazy. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 20. 43 CONT 43 CONT DILLON Knock this shit off -- you got a job to do. I don't want to hear another word about Golic. He looks up � RIPLEY Enters.. The entire room goes silent. She takes some cornbread from a basket on one of the tables... All eyes riveted on her. She spots Dillon. Moves to his table... ANDREW�S TABLE Andrews watches Ripley as she moves to Dillon. Not a happy look on Andrews� face. He turns to Aaron. ANDREWS As I thought, Mr. Aaron. As I thought... AARON You called it, sir. DILLON'S TABLE As Ripley arrives. Stands opposite Dillon... He stares straight ahead. Doesn't acknowledge her presence. RIPLEY I wanted to thank you for your words at the funeral. They helped... He finally turns to her DILLON You don't wanna know me. I am a murderer and a rapist. Of women. RIPLEY Really. I guess I must make you nervous. DILLON Do you have any faith, sister? RIPLEY Not a lot. 26/l/9 1 W.H., D.G. 21. 43 CONT 43 CONT DILLON We got lots of faith here. Enough even for you. RIPLEY I thought women weren't allowed. DILLON We never had any before. But we tolerate anybody. Even the intolerable. RIPLEY Thanks. DILLON That�s just a statement of principle. Nothing personal. We got a good place here to wait. Up to now, no temptation. RIPLEY Wait for what.? DILLON We are waiting for God to return and raise his servants to redemption.. A moment as they stare at one another - she turns and moves off. 44 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL 44 Ripley and Clemens seated at ground level. Prisoner Martin sweets up in the background. Clemens pours himself a short whisky. CLEMENS Dillon and the rest of them got religion, so to speak, about five years ago -- RIPLEY What kind of religion? CLEMENS I don't know -- some sort of millenarian apocalyptic Christian fundamentalist brew... RIPLEY Ummm. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 22. 44 CONT 44 CONT CLEMENS Exactly. The point is when the Company wanted to close down this facility. Dillon and the rest of the converts Wanted.to stay. They were allowed to remain as custodians -- with two minders and a medical officer. And here we are. RIPLEY How did you get this great assignment? He gestures... CLEMENS How do you like your hair cut? RIPLEY rubs her head) Weird. CLEMENS Now that I've gone out on the limb for you with Andrews, damaging my already less than perfect relationship with that good man, and briefed you on the hum-drum history of Fury 161, how about you telling me you looking for in the girl? And why was it necessary to cremate the bodies? Pause. RIPLEY Are you attracted to me? CLEMENS In what way? RIPLEY In that way. CLEMENS You are rather direct. RIPLEY Yes. I've been out here a long time. CLEMENS So have I. He swirls his drink -- looks it her. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.C;. 23. 45 INT. VENTILANON SHAFT 45 An enormous fan with razor sharp blades is going full bore... Fills the air-duct with warm air and soot. Murphy is cleaning the passageway, chipping away carbon deposits, scrubbing down the walls. He whistles as he works, doesn't like the job much... MURPHY (now singing) I see a red door and I want it painted, black. No col-ours any-y more, I want them to turn black. I see the girls walk by dressed in their sum-mer clothes. I have to turn my head until my dark-ness goes. Stopping, Murphy spots something in the dark of the air-duct. Kneeling, he checks it out. Looks like a reptile�s skin. Holding his broom, he stretches it out. Approximately the size of a small deer... Weird. He starts singing again ... MURPHY I look in-side my-self and see my heart is black. I See my red door and I want it paint-ed black. May-be then I�ll fade a-way and not have to face the facts. It's not ea-sy fac-ing up when your whole world is black. He hears something in the darkness to his left. Stopping, he sees a recessed storage area built into the wall of the air-duct... A gurgling sound is coming from inside. Curious, Murphy moves closer. Stopping before the recessed area, Murphy peers inside. * Sees the Alien -- * Still fawn like, but growing� Time stops a second. * Suddenly, the creature -- spits acid in Murphy�s eyes... * * Clawing at his face, flesh tom away from his cheeks -- * Murphy reels backwards. Smoke pours through his fingers. Screaming, he slam s into a wall and staggers backwards into * The fan... * Which rips him to pieces -- In a blink of an eye, the walls of the Air-duct are splattered with his remains� The fan CLANGS to a ringing stop as Murphy�s skin fouls the blade. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 24. 46 INT. CLEMENS QUARTERS 46 Ripley lies under the sheets on a small cot. Clemens, across the way, lights a cigarette and pours himself a small whisky... CLEMENS Sorry I can't offer you a drink, but you are on medication. Clemens' back now turned, without his cowl for the first time Ripley can see clearly etched into the back of his head a bar code. CLEMENS I really do have to ask you some questions I'm afraid ... He hands her a glass. RIPLEY You're spoiling the mood? CLEMENS One does have a, job to do. I'd like to know why you were so insistent on having the bodies cremated. RIPLEY I get it -- now that I�m in your cot, you think I owe you an answer. CLEMENS No, you owe me an answer and being in my bed has nothing to do with it. RIPLEY In hyper-sleep I had a bad dream ... I don't want to discuss it. I just had to be sure what killed her -- I made a mistake... CLEMENS Yes, possibly. RIPLEY Maybe I made another mistake. 26/l/91W.H., D.G. 25. 46 CONT 46 CONT CLEMENS How's that? RIPLEY Fraternizing with the prisoners. Physical contact. That�s against the rules isn't it? CLEMENS Definitely. Who was the lucky fellow? RIPLEY You, dummy. CLEMENS I'm not a prisoner. RIPLEY Then what about the bar code on the back of your head? CLEMENS I suppose that does demand an explanation. But I don't think this is the moment. Sorry -- we are rather spoiling things, aren't we.? Buzz. Intercom. AARON (V.0.) Clemens. Clemens moves to the speaker... CLEMENS Yes, Mr. Aaron. AARON (V.0.) Andrews wants you to report to Ventshaft Seventeen on the Second Quadrant. A.S.A.P. We've had an accident. CLEMEENS Something serious? AARON (V.0.) Yeah. You could call it that. On-e of the prisoners got diced. Click. Clemens turns back to Ripley CLEMENS I'm sorry ... I have to go. Official duties. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 26. 46 CONT 46 CONT RIPLEY Maybe I should come. CLEMENS Best not to -- I don't think your presence will be appreciate by Superintendent Andrews. I�ll be back. As he turns away... RIPLEY Not looking very happy. 47 INT. VENTILATION SHAFT 47 Kneeling on the floor, Clemens examines the remains of Murphy. Prisoner JUDE is mopping up. There is precious little to look at. The fans been shut down. Andrews and Aaron look on grimly. AARON He was a nutter ... I gave him the assignment. ANDREWS No apologies, Mr. Aaron. It wasn't your fault. Clemens glances up at Andrews: CLEMENS Not really much to say, is there? Death was instantaneous. AARON No shit. ANDREWS I take it he was pulled into the fan? CLEMENS A sudden rush of air I would imagine, except... AARON Right...almost happened to me once ... four years . ago ... I always tell people...keep an eye out for the fans. Nobody listens. CLEMENS Except the fan was blowing. 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 27. 47 CONT 47 CONT Clemens stands, studying the inside of the air-duct. Moving closer to the recess in the wall, he notices it for the first time. Slowly, he looks inside. Empty. There�s something running down the wall. Something appears to have been spilled over the edge of the recess. AARON What's that? CLEMENS I really don't know... Andrews pins Clemens with his gaze. Clemens looks away. Instantly, Andrews is suspicious... ANDREWS I want to see you -in my quarters in say...thirty minutes. If you please, Mr. Clemens. He shepherds the others out of the air-duct. Alone, Clemens considers the grizzly scene before him... Returns his attention to the corrosive bum. 48 INT. EEV - CONE OF SI]LENCE 48 Ripley rummages through the cramped space, moving debris, something. Beneath some smashed and decimated equipment, secured within the bulkhead, she finds what she's after. Above a seal on the wall in bold letters, she reads: FLIGHT RECORDER DO NOT BREAK SEAL Wiping sweat from her eyes, she breaks the seal on the container. A modular black box appears from beneath the seal. She pries open a plate off the black surface and presses a button. She can see pulses on a meter in the box's face. Flight recorder still operational. Shutting it off, she puts it on the floor beside her. She studies the carnage in the cramped confines... Clemens appears, peering through the hole in the bulkhead: CLEMENS You know, wandering about without an escort is really going to piss Superintendent Andrews off.. RIPLEY What about the accident? 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 28. 48 CONT 48 CONT CLEMENS Very bad. One of the prisoners has been killed. RIPLEY How? CLEMENS Airshaft. Poor silly bastard backed into a six foot fan. Pause. CLEMENS I found something at the accident site - just a bit away from where it happened -- A mark, a bum ... much like the one you found on the girl's cryotube. Ripley just stares at him. CLEMENS I'm on your side. I want to help. But I need to know what's going on, or at least what you think is going on. RIPLEY (re: box) I'm going to find out what happened here in the EEV, why we came down. If you really want to be helpful, find me a computer with audio capabilities so I can access this flight recorder. CLEMENS We don't have anything like that here. RIPLEY What about Bishop? CLEMENS Bishop? RIPLEY The droid that crashed with me. CLEMENS I�ll point you in the proper direction. I m afraid I can't join you. I have an appointment. 28/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 29. 49 INT. CANDLE STORE-ROOM 49 Prisoner GREGOR is helping Golic, Boggs and Rains load candles into over-sized backpacks. They are preparing to explore and forage among the abandoned mine shafts beneath the planet's surface. GREGOR There you are -- this'll top you off. Golic, don't fidget about. What's all this damn food you've got in here -it's not properly wrapped. Golic is stuffing food in his mouth. BOGGS What the hell does he ever do right? RAINS Eat. He's got that down pretty good. Dillon and Junior appear in the doorway. DILLON Golic? GOLIC Yeah? DILLON Light a candle for Murphy, will you? GOLIC Right. I'll light a thousand. He was a special friend. He never complained about me. Not once. I loved him. Did his head really get split into a million pieces? That�s what they say... Golic and his two companions move off.. 50 INT. ANDREWS' QUARTERS 50 Clemens and Andrews seated across from each other at a small wooden table. Andrews slowly pours tea. ANDREWS Sugar? CLEMENS Thank you. ANDREWS Milk? 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 30. 50 CONT - 50CONT CLEMENS Yes, please. . Andrews suddenly explodes: ANDREWS Listen to me, you piece of shit. You screw with me one more time and I�ll cut you in half. Clemens remains very calm... CLEMENS I'm not sure I understand. ANDREWS At 0-seven-hundred hours, I received word from the network. I may point out this is the first high-level communication this installation has ever received to my knowledge. They want this woman looked after. They made it very clear -- they consider her to be very high priority. CLEMENS Why? ANDREWS I have no idea -- Why'd you let her out of the infirmary? This accident with Murphy is what happens when one of these dumb sons-of-bitches walks around with a hard-on. CLEMENS I'm a doctor. Not a jailer. ANDREWS Don't hand me that. We both know exactly what you are... Getting up, Clemens heads for the door. Andrews pounds his fist on the desk... ANDREWS Sit down! CLEMENS I think it might be better if I left. I .find you very unpleasant to be around. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 31 50CONT 50CONT ANDREWS You do? Isn't that lovely. Consider this, Mr. Clemens. Perhaps you'd like me to explain your sordid history to your new friend, Lieutenant Ripley? For her personal edification, of course... (Beat) Now sit the hell down. Clemens returns to his chair. ANDREWS I don't like you. You're unpredictable, insolent, possibly dangerous. You question everything and spend too much time alone. Always a bad sign. If I didn�t need a medical officer, I wouldn�t let you within light years of this operation. CLEMENS I'm very grateful. ANDREWS Keep your sarcasm�s to yourself. Now, is there anything I should know? CLEMENS About what? ANDREWS About the woman. Don't play with me, Mr. Clemens. You spend every second you can with her: And I have my suspicions that not all of your concerns with her are medical ... Has she said anything to you? Anything about where she�s from? What her mission is? What the hell she was doing in an EEV? CLEMENS She told me she was part of a combat team that came to grief. I assume beyond that it's all classified. I haven't pressed her for more. ANDREWS That�s all? CLEMENS Yes. ANDREWS Nothing more? 26/l/91W.H., D.G. 32. 50CONT 50CONT CLEMENS No. ANDREWS You're sure? CLEMENS Very sure. ANDREWS Get out of here. Clemens rises, heads for the door. 51 EXT./INT. OPEN CYLINDER - GARBAGE DUMP - 51 NIGHT As the wind shrieks... A gigantic pit stands open to the roaring sky. It's piled high with everything the prisoners have discarded. Standing on a mountain of rusted engines, pneumatic drills and other equipment RIPLEY rummaging through miles of wires, tubing and parts. The wind tears her eyes. Stopping for a second, she sees... A HAND sticking out of a pile of some wiring. Realizing what she's looking at, she starts digging through the refuse at speed. Finally, she unearths the remains of � BISHOP The Android. He's a shambles. Most of his face and lower jaw are gone. Parts of his neck, left shoulder and back are intact. At the rear of his mouth is a small speaker. Grabbing some wire, Ripley starts stuffing them into a bag. (NOTE: The following attackers are.: Junior, Gregor, William, plus one stunt prisoner). An arm suddenly comes from behind and grabs her around the neck. Another arm grabs her shoulders. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 33. 51CONT 51CONT Another arm starts to fondle her private parts. As she struggles� A PRISONER appears, starts to advance on her. Ripley breaks free of the arms... Punches the prisoner -- Kicks him in the balls. But... An even LARGER PRISONER appears. It's Junior. He grabs her -- spread eagles her over a pipe rail. Two other prisoners appear just behind him. Dillon suddenly materializes from the dark. DILLON Knock it off. JUNIOR Jump in the saddle man. You wanna go first? DILLON I said knock it off. JUNIOR Hey what's it to you, man? DILLON It's wrong. JUNIOR Fuck you. Dillon smacks the two prisoners in back. Junior tries to belt Dillon -- Dillon gut punches him, grabs a metal bar, cracks him twice over the head with it -- time second blow dropping him. The prisoners cower-- Dillon hits them again - Looks at Ripley-- DILLON You okay? RIPLEY Yeah. Nothing hurt but my feelings. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 34. 51CONt 51CONT DILLON Take off. I've got to re-educate some of the brothers. We're gonna discuss some matters of the spirit. She picks up the bag with Bishop's parts and starts to go. Passes one of the prisoners. Stops Punches him in the mouth... 52 INT. DARK PASSAGEWAY 52 Deep within the unexplored vastness of the complex. It's black as night. Illuminated by the light of his torch -- Golic eyeballs a sign on the wall in front of him. Behind him, Rains lights a candle. Kneeling he places it in a row that seems to crawl away forever into the dark. The flickering light reveals a hallway. A very long hallway. The sign on the wall above Golic reads: TOXIC WASTE DISPOSAL THIS SPACE HERMETICALLY SEALED Boggs glances back at Rains Kneeling, he studies a map at his feet. When he speaks, his voice echoes and re-echoes off the concrete walls. BOGGS How many? RAINS (checking notes) This makes a hundred and eighty-six. Golic shoves some food in his mouth and chews, noisily. He steps over to an abandoned cigarette machine. Kicks !he lock off with a bang -- begins loading packs of cigarettes into his duffel ... Irritated, Boggs turns on him. BOGGS Can't you work quietly? I�m tryin to figure how big this compartment is. I can't think with all the Goddamn noise you're making. RAINS You�re not supposed to swear. 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 35. 52CONT 52 CONT BOGGS Sorry.. Golic swallows. BOGGS Now ... we've circled this entire compartment once. (turning) How many candles, again? Boggs doesn't get an answer. He, glances sideways at Rains. Rains is scratching himself furiously Stares fixedly down the row of flickering candles. Golic following his line of sight. Something very bizarre is happening . Every few seconds, one of the candles goes out. BOGGS What the shit is doing that? GOLIC You're not supposed to swear. BOGGS Shut up. It's okay to say shit. It's not against God. RAINS What the hell is going on with the candles? The three prisoners hold their torches- high in the air. Try to see what's going on. No deal. Whatever's snuffing out the candles is too far away to be illuminated by the torches. BOGGS Must be a wind from one of the ventshafts -- backwash from the closest circulating unit. If all the candles go out, how're we going to know where we are? RAINS Somebody will have to go back and re- �re-light 'em... (beat). I guess I'm nominated.. BOGGS (turning) Give him your torch. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 36. 52 CONT 52CONT Golic hands Rains his torch. Rains moves down the line of candles. His companions receding in the distance. His footsteps echo inside the hallway. Behind him, he hears Boggs: BOGGS Watch your step. The words echo and reverberate within the enclosed space. Moving forward, Rains starts to sweat. Ahead, another candle goes out. Golic and Boggs are a long ways behind him, now. Only three more candles to go. Beyond, there's nothing but a black hole. Stopping at the last flickering candle, he raises his torch high in the air. There's nothing there. Relieved, he starts to relax. Then he realizes there's a massive glob of blackness off to his right. It's not reflecting the light from his torch. * And it's moving. * THE ALIEN rises up, directly in front of Rains. Now a fully mature creature. It moves with the speed of a big cat... In one blurred motion, it is upon him. Tears open his chest -- leaves a gapping hole in his abdomen. The last thing Rains hears is his own scream. INT. DARK PASSAGEWAY - GOLIC - BOGGS Three hundred yards behind, they'd hear Rains' agonized cry and watch the torch flicker out. Suddenly panicking, Boggs grabs the torch and takes off in the opposite direction. Golic charges after him. Rounding corners, charging through the blackness... A maze of ink-black passageways. Footsteps reverberate. Finally catching Boggs, Golic takes back the torch. Both men are exhausted, completely lost. Out of breath, unable to speak... Trying to collect himself, Golic stares around. Ahead, he see candles flickering in the dark. BOGGS We ran in a circle. We're back... 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 37. 52CONT 52CONT * Lighting the torch, he peers around in the dark. * Leaning against the wall. covered with blood RAINS stares blankly at nothing, a look of object terror frozen forever on his face. Boggs starts to get sick. He never finishes. Glancing up on the ceiling, Golic sees THE ALIEN crawling across the ceiling like a spider. At the speed of thought, it leans down and rips off Boggs' head. Blood flies everywhere, spattering Golic in the face. His tunic drenched... Paralyzed with fear, Golic watches the Alien hurls Boggs' helpless body against the wall. * Still hanging from the ceiling, it stops what it's doing and turns to Golic.- * Screaming like a banshee, torch in hand, he runs away into the echoing dark... 53 INT. INFIRMARY 53 Alone, Ripley studies the remains of Bishop. There�s a battery pack in his left shoulder. She checks the connections. A spark sizzles. Using a cable, she connects a terminal in Bishop's smashed thorax to the black flight recorder. Instantly, Bishop's one eye blinks. A garbled sound comes out of the small speaker at the back of his mouth. Shoving her hand into his throat, she gives him an adjustment. Bishop�s voice suddenly becomes audible. BISHOP Ripley. RIPLEY Hello, Bishop. Can you feel anything? BISHOP Yes. My legs hurt. RIPLEY I'm sorry that -- . 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 38. 53 CONT 53 CONT BISHOP It's okay. I'm just a glorified toaster. How are you? I like your new haircut... RIPLEY Can you access the data on the flight recorder? BISHOP No problem. She plugs the black box into a connection, wires it to his head. Bishop�s one good eye opens and closes. What remains of his forehead wrinkles in concentration. BISHOP I'm home. RIPLEY What happened on the Sulaco? Why were the cryo-rubes ejected? Seconds pass. Then, the sound of the female voice heard aboard the Sulaco just prior to separation, comes out of Bishop's voice box. FEMALE VOICE (OS) Fire in cryogenic compartment. Repeat. Fire in cryogenic compartment. All personnel report to -- RIPLEY What started the fire, Bishop? (no response) Can you hear me? BISHOP The fire was electrical. It was in the subflooring... RIPLEY Did sensors detect any moving life forms on the ship prior to separation? BISHOP It's very dark here, Ripley. I'm not what I used to be. RIPLEY Just tell me - does the recorder indicate anything? Was there an Alien on board? An eternity. 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 39. 53 CONT 53CONT BISHOP Yes . RIPLEY Is it still on the Sulaco or did it come with us on the EEV? BISHOP It was with us all the way. RIPLEY Does the company know? BISHOP The company knows everything that happened on the ship. It all goes into the computer and gets sent back to the network. RIPLEY And they want it? BISHOP I don't know. I'm not feeling very well. BISHOP I wish I could help you but I'm really not good for much. RIPLEY Look -- maybe if I ever get out of here, they can wire you up again. BISHOP No. I'm tired. Do me a favor. Just disconnect. I can be re-worked but I�ll never be top of the line again. I�d rather be nothing. RIPLEY You're sure? BISHOP Do it for me, Ripley. She pulls the wires. Bishop�s head rolls onto its side... 54 INT. MESS HALL 54 Golic seated, alone, eating Rice Krispies from a bowl. Battered, blood-smeared. Quite mad. Eric the Cook enters � Startled at the sight of Golic, he drops a load of plates 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 40. 54CONT 54 CONT ERIC Golic? Over Golic's shoulder, we see Dillon, Andrews, Aaron, Morse and Arthur enter the Mess Hall. 55 OMITTED 55 55A INT. INFIRMARY 55A Ripley sits alone in the back of the Infirmary. She watches as Dillon, Andrews, Aaron, and Clemens enter with Golic in a strait-jacket. They tie him down to a bed. Golic is still covered in blood and gore. Clemens tries to attend to him... GOLIC The dragon did it. It wasn't me. Slaughtered �em like pigs. It feeds on flesh. Why do I get blamed for everything Nobody can stop it. DILLON What about Boggs and Rains? GOLIC I didn't do it. They just got slaughtered.. It wasn�t me. ANDREWS Stark raving mad. I'm not saying it was anyone's fault, but he should have been chained up. AARON You called it, sir. Mad as a fuckin' hatter. ANDREWS Keep him separated from the rest, I don't want him causing a panic. Clemens, sedate this poor idiot. DILLON Not until we know about the brothers... (turns to Golic) Now pull yourself together, man, talk to me. Where are the brothers? GOLIC I didn't do it! 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 41. 55A CONT 55A CON'I' ANDREWS Hopeless. You're not to get an thing out of him ... We�ll have to send out a search team. I'm afraid we have to assume that there is a very good chance this simple bastard has murdered them. DILLON You don't know that. He's never lied to me. He's crazy. He's a fool. But he's not a liar. Ripley walks up to the group from the shadows. A eyes turn to her. RIPLEY There's a good chance he's telling the truth. I need to talk to him about this dragon -- ANDREWS You're not talking to anyone Lieutenant. I am not interested in your opinions because you are not in full possession of the facts. This man is a convicted multiple murderer -- known for particularly brutal and ghastly crimes -- GOLIC I didn't do it! ANDREWS Isn't that right, Mr. Dillon? DILLON Yeah, that part is right. RIPLEY (straight at Andrews) I need to talk to you. It's important. ANDREWS When I have finished with my official duties I'll be quite pleased to have a little chat. Yes? 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 42. 56 INT. ANDREWS QUARTERS Andrews and Ripley --Aaron stands a against the back wall. Andrews leans very close to Ripley's face. ANDREWS Let me see if I have this correct, Lieutenant. It's an eight foot insect of some kind with acid for blood and it arrived on your spaceship. It kills on sight and is generally unpleasant. And, of course, you expect me to accept all this on your words . RIPLEY No. I don't expect anything. ANDREWS Quite a story. Yes, Mr. Aaron? AARON Right, sir. That�s a beauty. Never heard anything like it, sir. ANDREWS I expect not... Tell me, Lieutenant, what would you suggest we do? RIPLEY What kind of weapons have you got? ANDREWS This is a prison. It is not a good idea to allow prisoners access to firearms. RIPLEY What keeps them from killing you? ANDREWS Fear. No way to escape. The company would kill them when the supply ship comes around. RIPLEY So no weapons of any kind? ANDREWS Some carving knives in the Abattoir, a few more in the mess hall. Some fire axes scattered about -- nothing terribly formidable. RIPLEY Then we're fucked. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. PAGE 42A PAGE 42A 56 CONT 56CONT * ANDREWS No. You�re fucked. Confined to the infirmary. Quarantined. I think you'll be safe from any large nasty beasts while you�re in there. Right? Yes, that's a good girl. Mr. Aaron will escort you. 57 INT. INFIRMARY 57 Ripley sits on a cot. Sullen, angry. Buzz. Intercom: AARON'S VOICE Let's all report to the Mess Hall. Mr. Andrews wants a meeting. Mess Hall, right away, gang... 26/l/91 W.H., D.G. 43. 57CONT 57CONT RIPLEY Isn't there any way off here? Some damn way to escape? CLEMENS Sorry. No way out.. A supply ship comes once every six months. RIPLEY That's it? CLEMENS They are sending someone to pick you up and investigate this whole mess. Quite soon, I gather. RIPLEY Really? What's soon? CLEMENS I don't know. No one's ever been in a hurry to get here before ... Do you want to tell me what you and Andrews talked about? RIPLEY No I don't. You'd just think I was crazy. Golic stands across the way in a comer, staring at the wall He�s gone catatonic. He�s wearing a primitive looking straightjacket. CLEMENS That�s a bit uncharitable -- How are you feeling?. RIPLEY Not so hot. Sick to my stomach. And pissed off. CLEMENS Shock. Not unexpected, given the circumstances. He examines her throat, checks her glands CLEMENS I'd best give you another cocktail. 26/1/91 W.H., D.G. 44. 57CONT 57 CONT GOLIC (mumbling) I don't know why people blame me for things. Weird, isn�t it. It�s not like I'm perfect or something but sweet William I don't see where some people come off always blaming others for life's little problems. Clemens fills a syringe. CLEMENS That's quite profound. Thank you, Golic. In his straightjacket, Golic stares at nothing. Turning, he grins at Ripley. She looks away. GOLIC Are you married? RIPLEY Me? GOLIC You should get married. Have kids ... pretty girl. I know lots of 'em. Back home. 'They always liked me. You're gonna die too. He begins to whistle. CLEMENS Are you? RIPLEY What? CLEMENS Married? RIPLEY Why? CLEMENS Just curious. RIPLEY No. He approaches her with the syringe. 26/l/91 - W.H.. D.G. 45. 57 CONT 57 CONT RIPLEY How about leveling with me? CLEMENS Could you be a little more specific? RIPLEY When I asked you how you got assigned here, you avoided the question. When I asked you about the prison id.. tattoo on the back of your head, you ducked me again ... CLEMENS It's a long sad story. A bit melodramatic. RIPLEY Entertain me. CLEMENS If you insist ... after my student years, despite the fact that I had secretly become addicted to Morphine, I was considered most promising. A man with a future. While I was on my first residency, I did a 36-hour stretch in an E.R., went out, got more than slightly drunk, then got called back to duty after a boiler had blown on a fuel stationed. Thirty patients. Eleven of them died when I prescribed the wrong dosage of pain killer. I got seven years in prison and my licensed reduced to a 3-C. While in prison I kicked my habit. And here I am. RIPLEY I�m sorry. CLEMENS About what happened? Yes, so am I. I�m sure that the eleven people I killed had promising careers as well. About the prison sentence, no, I deserved it� RIPLEY Did you serve time here? CLEMENS Yes, and I got to know this motley crew quite well. So when they stayed. I stayed. Nobody else would employ me. He gets up to give Ripley her shot. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ALTERNATIVE VERSION TO THE PREVIOUS SCENE HAS NOW BEEN CUT FROM YOUR SCRIPT. THE SCENE THAT NOW APPEARS ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE IS THE ONE THAT WAS SHOT. FOR THE ABOVE REASON THERE IS NO LONGER A PAGE 46. THANK YOU. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 47. 57 CONT - 57 CONT CLEMENS So, do you will trust me with a needle? The ALIEN suddenly drops down from the ceiling behind Clemens - Rises to its full height -- over eight feet -- Big, black, shiny smooth head moves into the light. It moves towards her, cable-like arms held out at its side -- moving out of sync with its -feet -- Ripley tries to move, to cry out -- she can't. The Alien moves up right behind Clemens -- he should feel its breath on his neck but he doesn't -- he doesn't turn -- the Alien tears his head off -- Ripley can't scream. Diaphragm pushes air out -- but no sound. The Alien moves closer to her. She can feel his breath -- it evaporates the sweat on her forehead � a chill runs through her but she still can't move � The Alien stands alongside her bed. GOLIC Hey, you. Get over here. Lemme loose - I can help you. I wanna be your friend. The beast turns and looks at Golic, looks back at Ripley � Pulls itself back up into the overhead Airshaft and is gone. RIPLEY Mouth agape. Scared shitless. 58 INT. MESS HALL 58 Andrews stands before the assembled prisoners, Aaron seated nearby... Dillon at the center -- DILLON All rise, all pray. Blessed is the Lord. The prisoners rise. Strike a reverent attitude. DILLON Give us the strength, Oh Lord, to endure. We recognize we are poor sinners in the hands of an angry God. Let the circle be unbroken ---until the day. Amen. The prisoners all raise their right fist... 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 48 58CONT 58CONT DILLON What the fuck is happening here?' What is this bullshit What�s coming down!? We got murder! We got rape! We got brother�s in trouble! I don't want no more bullshit around here! We got problems ... We stand together. ANDREWS begins after ceremoniously clearing his throat. ANDREWS Yes - thank you, Mr. Dillon. All right, once gain this is rumor control. Here are the facts. At 0-four-hundred hours, prisoner Murphy, through carelessness on his part, was found dead in vent shaft seventeen. From the evidence gathered on the spot, he seems to have been caught by a strong air draft and got blown into the ventilator fan... He moves around the large room. ANDREWS At 0-four-hundred hours, Prisoners Boggs, Rains and Golic left on a routine foraging mission into the underground network -- at about 0-seven-hundred hours, prisoner Golic re-appeared in a deranged state. Prisoner Boggs and Rains are missing. Unfortunately, there seems to be a good chance that they have met with foul play at the hands of prisoner Golic. We need to organize and send out a search party. Volunteers will be appreciated. Stops under the air vent, near the doorway to the kitchen. ANDREWS I think it's fair to say that our smoothly running facility has suddenly developed a few problems. I can only hope that we are able to all pull together in the next few days, until the rescue team arrives for Lieutenant Ripley... Suddenly a door slams -- Ripley enters ... RIPLEY It's here! It got Clemens! 26/l/91 - W.H., D G. 49. 58CONT 58 CONT ANDREWS Stop this raving at once! Stop it! RIPLEY I'm telling you, it's here! ANDREWS I'm telling you, get control of yourself, Lieutenant! Mr. Aaron, get that foolish woman under control at once! Get her back to the infirmary! The lights dim. Prisoner confusion. What the shit is going on here? A sound from above -- Puzzled, Andrews looks up. Only to be snatched away by the beast. Both gone. Boom!! Like that. . 59 RIPLEY 59 As the Alien pulls Andrews� still kicking body up into an Airshaft. CAMERA WHIP-PANS TO: MORSE Fuck! 60 INT. MESS HALL - TIME CUT - LATER 60 Jude once again, with his mop -- this time wiping up Andrews' blood. Complete, utter silence from the assemblage. Dillon rises -- then kneels... Begins to pray. DILLON We give you thanks, Oh Lord, your wrath has come and the time is near that we be judged. The apocalypse is upon us. Let us be ready. Let your mercy be just. 61 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL 61 Prisoners David and Martin in the back... DAVID It was big. I mean big. And fast. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 50. 61 CONT 61 CONT KEVIN I saw it. asshole. I was there. DAVID Yeah. But I mean it was big... Aaron, Dillon, Morse, and all remaining living prisoners -- Frank, Troy, William, Gregor, Junior, Lawrence (crowd), Jude, Arthur, Kevin, Janni (crowd), Eric, Stunt V , Stunt E, and Stunt C ... Ripley sits off by herself, smoking a cigarette. WILLIAM Okay, what do we do mates? Nobody says anything ... WILLIAM Well who's in charge? I mean we need to get organized here, right? AARON I guess I'm next in line. MORSE 85's gonna be in charge - Jesus - give me a break! AARON Don't call me that! Not now, not ever! Stands, moves to the center AARON Look, no way I can replace Andrews you guys didn't appreciate him - he was the best man I ever worked with DILLON (cuts him off) I don't want to hear that shit. (to Ripley) What about you? You' re an officer -- How about us showing us a little leadership? Ripley doesn't respond. WILLIAM You take over. You run things here anyway-- DILLON No fuckin' way. I ain't the officer type. I just take care of my own. 16/l/91 - W.H.. D.G. 51 61CONT 61CONT WILLIAM Well, what's this fuckin' beast want -is the fucker gonna try and get us all? RIPLEY Yeah. MORSE Well, isn't that sweet?. How do we stop it? Ripley disgustedly throws her cigarette away � Stands, moves to the group. RIPLEY We don't have any weapons, right? No smart guns, no pulse rifles, nothing? AARON Right. RIPLEY I haven't seen one exactly like this, it's bigger - it's legs are different -- this other ones were-- afraid of fire. Not much else ... can we seal off this area? AARON No chance. The installation is ten miles square. There's six hundred air-ducts that run to the surface. RIPLEY What about video -- try to fmd it that way. I see monitors everywhere. AARON Video system hasn't worked in years. Nothin' much works here. We got a lot of technology, but no way to fix it. MORSE What 85's tryin� I to tell you is -- AARON Don't call me that! -- MORSE We got no entertainment centers, no climate control, no viewscreens, no surveillance, no freezers, no fuckin' ice cream, no guns, no rubbers, no women, all we got here is shit. Turns to Dillon - 16/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 52. 61CONT 61CONT MORSE What the hell are we even talkin' to her for? She's the one that brought the fucker. Let's run her head through the wall. RIPLEY Sounds good to me. Dillon walks over to Morse. DILLON I won't say it again. Keep your mouth shut. Morse decides to keep quiet. AARON What do we do now? All eyes on Ripley. 62 INT. MAIN PASSAGEWAY 62 Ripley and Aaron moving along, holding schematic map - the overhead is lit by a few dim, bare electric bulbs. Ripley stares at the map RIPLEY What's this? AARON That connects the infirmary and the mess hall RIPLEY Maybe we can go in. flush it out. AARON * Come on -- there's miles and miles of * tunnels down there ... RIPLEY * It won't go far. It'll nest in this area right around here. * * She points on the map. * AARON * How do you know that? * RIPLEY * It's like a lion. It sticks close to the zebras. * 17/l/91 - W.H., D.G. PAGE 52A PAGE 52A 62 CONT 62 CONT AARON * We don't have any zebras here. * She stops, looks at him. AARON Oh, right ... but running around down there in the dark? You got to be kiddin'. We got no overheads once you get out of the main shaft here RIPLEY How about flashlights? AARON Yeah, we got 6,000 of them. But no batteries. I told ya, nothin' works. RIPLEY What about torches? Do we have capacity to make fire? Most humans have enjoyed that privilege since the stone age. 26/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 53 63 OMITTED 63 64 INT. DARK PASSAGEWAY - NEAR TOXIC WASTE DISPOSAL 64 Engulfed in an echoing sea of blackness, Ripley, Dillon, Aaron... They hold torches AARON Never been used. They were gonna dump a lot of nuclear crap in there store it in drums. They never got around to it, it's clean as a whittle inside. A huge door leads into the disposal... RIPLEY This is the only way in or out? AARON That's right. Walls six feet thick -- Solid steel. They really knew how to build these babies ... RIPLEY You get something in there and close it up, no way it can get out? AARON Right. No fuckin'way. Ripley moves to the enormous door... Breaks the seal on a control box and pushes a button. The big door slides open with amazing speed. Ripley, Dillon and Aaron stare through the door. Empty chamber within... DILLON Lemme get this straight - you wanna burn it down and outta the force it here, slam the door and trapping it's ass? She's still looking at the map. RIPLEY Ummm. DILLON And you�re looking for help from us Y-chromo boys. RIPLEY You got Something better to do? 26/l/9l - W.H., D.G. 54. 64 CONT 64 CONT DILLON Why should we put our ass on the line for you? RIPLEY Your ass is already on the line. The only question is what you're going to do about it -- 64A INT. STORAGE AREA - NEAR CONE OF SILENCE 64A A door opens, light breaks over metal drums -- Ripley, Aaron and Prisoner David appear. AARON This is where we keep it -- I don't know what this shit's called. DAVID Quinitricetyline. AARON (resentful) I knew that. (checks a notepad) Okay - I'm off to work out the section assignments with Dillon for the paint brush team -- David, you get these drums organized, ready to move. He moves off. DAVID Right, 85. AARON Don't call me that! Disappears down the corridor. RIPLEY What's this 85 thing? DAVID Lot of the prisoners used to call him that. We got hold of his personnel charts in the file room a few years ago � it�s his I.Q. David starts to roll one of the drums. 31/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 55 64A CONT 64A CONT DAVID I saw a drum of this crap fall into a beachhead bunker once, blast put a tug in dry dock for seventeen weeks... great stuff. 65 INT. STORAGE ROOM 65 Troy and Arthur root through a barrel of batteries � testing them with an electric device Troy looks at huge discard pile. T'ROY Dillon says God put us here for a reason. ARTHUR Find one fucking battery that works. That's reason enough. TROY Fucking miracle. God don't like me. ARTHUR Could be worse. Mighta got the paint brush detail. He tries a flashlight. The beam snaps on. 66 MAIN CORRIDOR 66 From the corridor, prisoners help one another climb onto shoulders, into the dark air ducts in the roof -- 66A AIR-DUCTS - PRISONERS 66A Prisoners emerge head first, feet first, into the metal pipes. Unlit flares between their teeth, brushes in hands, they fan out thru the air conditioning like an army of ants -- 67 AIR DUCT - KEVIN AND GREGOR 67 Kevin and Gregor crawl thru pipes. They empty containers of fluid, paint the interior surface with Quinitricetyline. GREGOR Kevin, you sniffing this stuff? KEVIN Uh-huh. GREGOR You get what I'm getting? KEVIN (giggles) Yeah. Some weird shit. 55A 67 CONT 67 CONT GREGOR Shit's getting you high. Don't breathe it -- KEVIN I'm in a pipe with the fuckin' stuff -- how can I keep from breathing it? 67A AIR DUCTS 67A Inside the labyrinth, the walls glisten with inflammable fluid. Morse crawls upwards, another prisoner heads downwards. Sees tears in his eye. From the fumes. MORSE I hate pipes. Ever since I was a little kid. I had a puppy once, got stuck in a pipe. I can still ear it mewling. Horrible. PRISONER Poor thing. What happened? MORSE Dunno. I just lit the match and ran. 67B AIR DUCTS 67B David crawls up a pipe. Finds a broken grill. DAVID It's out there Somewhere, the beast is waiting. 67C AIR DUCTS 67C Eric crawls along the cramped pipe, hears the warning -- Scared faces of prisoners - they stop work and listen out for noises -- starting to get scared shitless - 31/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 56 68 MAIN CORRIDOR 68 Prisoners seal the doors to the Toxic Waste Dump corridor - 69 MAIN CORRIDOR 69 Prisoners pour buckets of junk, spreading puddles with brooms, everyone giddy, eyes watering with the fumes. Tilt up to find - 70 MAIN CORRIDOR - DILLON AND RIPLEY 70 Dillon and Ripley with brooms. She pauses. DILLON You miss Clemens, right? RIPLEY I didn't know him very well. DILLON I thought you two got real close. RIPLEY I guess you've 'been looking through some keyholes. DILLON (smiles) That's what I thought. Unexpectedly, she suffers a wave of nausea. Leaning on a wall, she gags, coughs. Dillon moves to help. She shoves him away. DILLON You okay? RIPLEY Yeah. DILLON Whatever you say - but you don't look okay to me, sister. 70A MAIN CORRIDOR - AARON 70A Aaron tries to instill order into a group of Prisoners. AARON Okay. Listen up. Don't light this fire �till I give the signal � this is the signal -- (He holds up his arm) � Think you can remember that? PRISONER Think you can remember to do that? The prisoners drift off, ignoring him. Aaron left helpless. 31/l/91 - W-FL, D.G. 56A 71 VERTICAL AIR DUCT 71 Low angle of a prisoner, climbing up a vertical air duct. From above, we see him carrying the flare between his teeth-- Close up as he carelessly unclenches teeth, flare slips out From low angle, we see it fall -- down, down, down -- 71B INT. MAIN CORRIDOR 71B Dillon and Ripley hear the clanging noise echo thru the pipes -- They brace themselves for an explosion-- 71C VERTICAL AIR DUCT 71C Until -- CLANG! -- it hangs precariously on a ledge below. The prisoner inches down the ladder, reaches out , stains to curl fingers round the flare, and retrieves it . A sigh of relief. The prisoner heads back up the ladder, till - The Alien suddenly appears through a grate -- attacks - claws sink into the prisoner�s neck -- screams -- from a low angle, we see him writhing in space, and -- drops the flare. IN EXTREME SLOW M0TION - the flare tumbles down, down the pipe: - and through a hole, finally kissing the ground. -- awash with fluid -- And ignites -- BLAAAM! 71 MAIN CORRIDOR 72 Aaron hears explosion in the distance - AARON Wait for the fucking signal - He catches sight of the Alien crossing thru an air duct - AARON Shit! 73 AIR DUCTS 73 Fire rips down collapsed mining passageways-- buckets and drums of junk explode -- prisoners run from fire in background past mining machinery -- flames rage across ceiling of corridor 74 MAIN CORRIDOR 74 IN EXTREME SLOW MOTION- Ripley sees the flames billow from the rear - a split second before the blast hits, she screams - 16/3/91 57 74 CONT 74 CONT RIPLEY Down She dives into a side tunnel, head down .- Aaron follows �the other prisoners hesitate, confused -- turn round to face Whoomph The delayed sound bang of the explosion - A fireball tears through like a sudden wind from Hiroshima the temperature soars -- prisoners don't know what's hit them Hands scorched -- faces flayed - blistering blackened skin � the fireball sucks away the oxygen Ripley gulps for air -- tries to stand up -- stumbles -- FROM RIPLEY'S POV: A hallucinatory, dreamlike moment - The wind sucks prisoners bodies into a clumsy dance of death -- bodies lurching :- legs buckling - tumbling backwards -- gasping for air -- as sudden heat bends and distorts body movement -- In the mist of chaos, as the fireball gathers speed - 75 AIR DUCTS 75 Flash cuts: air ducts ignite - file blossoms in a constricted mining tunnel -- prisoner screams, trapped behind bars 76 AIR DUCTS 76 Flash cuts: thru flames, flickering shadows of the Alien scuttling down pipes - prisoners hear the sounds - as it -- Zips over, under, sideways, past them in a flash of an eye - Till the pipes echo with its sounds. - 77 AIR DUCT 77 Morse leaps like a scalded cat -- grabs a ladder, swings, looks down the Vertical air duct - Sees the Alien scuttle away from the pursuing fire. He turns - MORSE It's over here! Hey, it's here--! It's running away --! 78 AIR DUCTS 78 Prisoners hear him -- sense Victory - so crawl along hot pipes, every movement agony like dancing chickens � Injured prisoners drop down from burning ceiling -- 79 OMITTED 79 16/3/91 57A 80 SIDE TUNNELS 80 Prisoners emerge from the pipes -- scenting the beast like hounds -- they race after it with burning flares -- emboldened PRISONERS This way -- Torch the fucker � Bum it -- We cut it off Over this end � They converge at opposite ends of a side tunnel PRISONER Now -- ! A prisoner throws a flare down the tunnel, and - 81 SIDE TUNNEL 81 A plume of fire erupts in the tunnel � escaping from the other side -- Aaron and Frank race from flames -- but not fast enough - Aaron escapes, Frank is engulfed by fire .- falls in flames -- 82 MAIN CORRIDOR 82 Dillon rallies his troops -. Ripley races over to Gregor, seriously burned -- Dillon joins her, they beat out the flames Junior cradles wounded Frank in his arms as -- Dillon and Ripley choke on the smoke, look down the tunnel, and see a dreamlike vision -- 82A IN THE SAME TUNNEL 82A The Alien rising before them from the flames -- Its figure extending- to full height back lit by flames, distorted by heat -- like the devil itself -- 82B MAIN CORRIDOR 82B Prisoners make the sign of the cross in fear -- Ripley shouts -- RIPLEY Now! Close the doors-! Dillon rushes to seal off the door, as - INSIDE THE TUNNEL -- the Alien screeches, trapped by the fire -- IN THE MAIN CORRIDOR -- the door slams shut. Then - WHAM! -- the beast hurls itself repeatedly against the door - Its screeches soar to horrific pitch, then slowly die out.. A somber silence. Prisoners exchange glances. Nervous, disbelieving success - 16/3/91 58 82B CONT 82B CONT DAVID Did we get it? ERIC I saw it. In the fire. Burning like satan... Dillon looks at Ripley. She gives no sign of triumph. MORSE We fried the fucker. Listen. I don't hear it singing no more for its supper. They listen. Slowly the Prisoners congregate, tending to the wounded. Frank dies in Junior�s arms. He looks up at Dillon. DILLON Our eyes have witnessed the horror of the beast. Let our hearts empty of its darkness and fill with your light so our brothers' deaths be not in vain. Amen. Junior cradles Frank in his arms. Wipes his face, melted flesh comes away in his hands � Dillon and Ripley in prayer - Suddenly a bloodcurdling screech FROM AN AIR DUCT ABOVE THEM - WHAM! The Alien drops down in front of them - Cutting Junior and Frank's body off from the rest - 83 MAIN CORRIDOR 83 IN FOREGROUND - The Alien's leg flails as - Junior defiantly rises up - insane with grief -- Prisoners grab burning mops, attack tit beast � Junior-stands his ground, shouts to the group - to save themselves - JUNIOR Run! Run! Ripley and Dillon face him - an agonizing choice -as -- Junior makes his move � turns - runs towards the Toxic Waste door - JUNIOR Come and get me! The Alien turns towards Junior � gives chase -- Ripley, Dillon, Aaron and Prisoners run to help him, but -- the Alien bears down on him, as - MOVING ALIEN�S POV - Junior at the doorway screams - JUNIOR Here! Take a shot. fucker! 58A 83 CONT 83 CONT WHIPLASH TURN AS -- the Alien lunges at Junior THRU DOORWAY INTO THE TOXIC DUMP -- they both tumble back - JUNIOR Now --! BACK IN MAIN CORRIDOR .. Dillon races thru flames reaches control box - hits button-- FROM INSIDE THE TOXIC DUMP -- Junior screams as -- BAM! the triple doors slam shut A roar of fire. Then silence. Dillon stares at the doorway - his friend gone. Struggles thru the flames -- impervious to pain -- activiates the sprinkler system - FROM ABOVE THEM --water pours down like rain. Drenching them � Ripley soaked, staring at the doorway where Junior sacrificed himself � she looks at Dillon � the other prisoners -- Burned Exhausted. Frightened. Strangely innocent As water cascades over them -- Ripley bows her head. 31/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 59 84 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL 84 Dillon stands before the remaining prisoners -- 84A INTERCUT- 84A graphic silhouettes of the gathering of the bodies. 84B INT. ASSEMBLY HALL 84B The convicts assembled ... DILLON Even for those who have fallen, this is a time of rejoicing. We salute their courage. They will live forever. Those who are dead are not dead. They have moved up - they have moved higher... He joins the congregation in prayer. GALLERY Ripley and Aaron look down at the religious ceremony. AARON Andrews always- said it was a good thing Dillon and his meatballs hung up on this holy roller crap -- keeps 'em out of mischief, RIPLEY You're not the religious type - 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 60 84B CONT 84BCONT AARON Me? Shit no, I got a job. Pause. AARON I figure rescue team gets here in four, five days, six tops. They open the smart guns and kill the bastard. Right? RIPLEY Have you heard anything from them? AARON Naw. We just got a message received. Later we got something that said you you�re top priority -- They don't cut us in on much We're the ass-end of the totem pole out here. RIPLEY Look - if the company wants to take the thing back... AARON Take it back? Are you kiddin�? They aren't lunatics you know. They�ll kill right away. She just looks at him ... 85 INT. INFIRMARY 85 Golic still straight-jacketed... Guarded by Morse- GOLIC Hey, Morse... Morse just looks at him. GOLIC Let me out of this thing. MORSE No fucking way. GOLIC C'mon man. it hurts. MORSE Sorry. GOLIC I didn't do nothing. 112/91 W.H.. D.G. 61 85 CONT 85CONT MORSE Don't talk to me. GOLIC What'd I do? Just tell me what'd I do? MORSE I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm gonna guard your ass just like I was ordered. I don t want no trouble with Dillon. GOLIC All I did was tell about the dragon. What it did to Boggs and Rains. I wasn't lying. You saw it. MORSE Fuckin' A. I saw it -- GOLIC Let me loose. man. What if it nets in here? I couldn't even run. I'd be dead meat. MORSE It's not going to get in here. We got it trapped. GOLIC Then what�s the big deal? Come on, man. let me loose.- Didn't I always give you free ciggies before anybody else? MORSE Yeah. GOLIC You're my friend. I love you. Pause. MORSE Yeah - I love you too - Fuck it. Why not? But behave yourself. No fuckin' around or I�ll get nothin' but shit. Morse starts to free the straps. GOLIC Hey, no problem. Trust me, mate. Golic is now free. GOLIC Where they got it? 1/2/91 - W.H.. D.G. 62 85 CONT 85 CONT MORSE Up in the waste tank. We got that sucker nailed down. I mean tight. Golic swings his arms gets his circulation back... GOLIC I gotta see it again. He�s my friend. Golic rips a small fire extinguisher off the wall. MORSE What the fuck you talkin' about? Smack! Golic hammers him with the extinguisher. Morse is down and out. GOLIC No more ciggies for you, mate. He wanders off. 86 INSERT - COMPUTER TYPE 86 FURY 161 - CLASS C - PRISON UNIT 12037154 - REPORT DEATH OF SUPT. ANDREWS, MEDICAL OFFICER CLEMENS, EIGHT PRISONERS. 87 INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM 87 Ripley hovers over Aaron as he types into the Dat-Scan. AARON Okay. We got the first part now what do I say? RIPLEY Tell them we trapped it. AARON Right. What do we call it? RIPLEY A Xenomorph. AARON Right. How do you spell it? RIPLEY Here�. She elbows him aside. 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 63 87 CONT 87 CONT INSERT - COMPUTER TYPE HAVE TRAPPED XENOMORPH. REQUEST PERMISSION TO TERMINATE. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM AARON We can't kill it. We don't have any weapons. Right? RIPLEY Right. An answer starts coming back. INSERT - COMPUTER TYPE TO: FURY 161 - CLASS C - PRISON UNIT 1237154 - FROM NETWORK COMCON 01500 - WEYLAND - YUTANI - MESSAGE RECEIVED. AARON (V.0.) See, that's all they ever tell us. Treat us like shit. More type coming in.. RESCUE UNIT TO ARRIVE AT 12 HUNDRED HOURS - PERMISSION DENIED TO TERMINATE XENOMORPH REPEAT - PERMISSION DENIED. AVOID CONTACT UNTIL RESCUE TEAM ARRIVES. REPEAT - PERMISSION DENIED - RIPLEY Staring at the message - her worst suspicions confirmed. 88 INT. PASSAGEWAY - AT TOXIC WASTE DISPOSAL 88 A torch is planted in a crack in the concrete wall Flickering light illuminates the door. Arthur his been posted as guard -- he's seated by the big door as Golic approaches ... GOLIC Okay. Off and on. I gotta get in there. ARTHUR What the hell you talkin' about? He gets to his feet. 1/2/91 - W. H., D.G. 64 88 CONT 88 CONT GOLIC I just need to go on in there and see the beast. We got a lot of shit to talk over. ARTHUR. You ain't goin' in there, dickhead. Big motherfucker eat you alive. Plus you let that baby out. kiss your ass goodbye. Golic suddenly lifts a straight razor and slashes his throat. GOLIC I really didn't want to do that that. I�ll talk to your mother. I'll explain it. He eyeballs the battered door. Starts fiddling with the control. Finds the right button Somewhere, gears whine. Steel scrapes on steel. The door swings open. An ominous darkness is waiting, within � Nothing. Silence. GOLIC Okay. Just tell me what you want. Just tell me what to do, brother. Golic smiles. GOLIC Let's get this straight. I�m with you all the way. I just want to do my job. Keeps smiling... * GOLIC You just gotta tell me what to do next It's the last thing he ever says - Zap! * Dead Meat 89 INT. PRISONER CELL BLOCK - DILLON'S CELL 89 Dillon sits alone- playing solitaire. Ripley stands nearby as Dillon turns over another card. DILLON You're tellin� me they're comin' to take this thing away? RIPLEY They�ll try. They don�t want to kill it. We�ve got to figure out some way to finish it off before they get here 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 65 89 CONT 89 CONT DILLON Why do we have to kill it? You just said the company's coming for it. RIPLEY That's right. They're going to take it back. DILLON What's wrong with that? RIPLEY They don't understand. They can't control it. It'll kill them all. DILLON Like I said, what's wrong with that? Bang! The cell block door opens. Morse enters. MORSE Hey, Dillon! DILLON Yeah? MORSE I think we got a very large fucking problem, mate. 90 INT. PASSAGEWAY - NEAR TOXIC WASTE DISPOSAL 90 Sometime later. Ripley, Dillon, Aaron and Morse have arrived. They stare at the open door � Golic's mutilated body. The prisoner Golic killed - Arthur - lies close by... AARON (standing over Golic's body) This cuts it. Miserable crazy son of a bitch let it loose. Got what he deserved by God. Now what the fuck are we gonna do? Andrews was right --should have kept the shithead chained up. (turning) What's the matter. She's sick again. Leaning on the wall for support, she struggles to get her breath. MORSE Piss on her -- The fuckin' thing's loose out there. Now what the fuck are we gonna do? 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 66 90 CONT 90 CONT AARON I just said that. You're the dumb prick that let Golic go. You miserable little shit. Wham! He flattens Morse. Dillon grabs Aaron. DILLON Cut that shit out -- AARON Then tell your fuckin' bozo to shape up! All this shit is his fault. Dillon pushes Aaron away... DILLON (to Ripley) What do you think. Ripley's head is killing her. Still leaning on the wall. Ripley struggles against nausea. RIPLEY I need to get to the EEV. AARON Yeah -- Okay. No problem. Why? RIPLEY The neuroscamer, I want to use the catscan... DILLON You don't look so good. Morse gets to his feet. MORSE Who gives a shit what's wrong with her --vvhat are we gonna do? AARON You want to hit your back again you little dork? Shut the fuck up and quit causin' panic. MORSE Panic! You're so goddamn dumb, you couldn�t spell it ---don't tell me about panic!. We ought to panic! We're screwed! AARON Yeah! And who's fault is it? 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 67 90 CONT 90 CONT DILLON Both of you. shut up!! They all stare at each other. AARON (to Dillon) Okay � I�m out of ideas. What do we do? MORSE What about the beach? AARON * Right. The sun won't be up for another week, and when it's down it's forty below zero. The rescue team is ten hours away so that makes a lot of sense. Ripley wanders off ... MORSE * Wonderful. So you just want us to stay here and let this fucking beast eat us for lunch. DILLON (to Morse) Get everybody that�s still left together. Get 'em to the cell block - (looks around) Where'd she go? 91 INT. CONE OF SILENCE 91 The EEV still sits on the hangar floor. Light flickers, dim and surges again 92 INT. EEV 92 Ripley stripping down in the cramped quarters - Simultaneously working a small keyboard -- A menu pops into the display screen. She stares at it. Then hits the keyboard. 1/2191 - W.H., D.G. 68 92 CONT 92 CONT Ripley forces her now naked body into the cryo-tube. It's a very tight fit. Claustrophobic as hell. She reaches back to work on the keyboard. Her hand barely reaches AARON (V.0.) You need some help? She starts at his sudden appearance. AARON Hey, didn't mean to scare you. Look, you shouldn't be wandering around alone -- RIPLEY Do me a favor - run the keyboard. I can't reach over and see what I�m doing. Aaron moves to the keyboard as Ripley settles back into the cryo-tube. AARON What do I do? RIPLEY Hit either 'B' or 'C. What's 'C? AARON Display bio-functions. RIPLEY That�s it. Aaron watches the display monitor. A picture of Ripley's head appears on the screen. AARON Okay. We're hot. What am I supposed to be lookin' for? I don't know how to read this stuff. Rapidly changing digital information and additional medical data are superimposed on the image. Aaron works the keyboard. A scanner begins moving down Ripley's body. Her neck and shoulders appear. He stares at the image on the display as it reveals the interior of Ripley�s thorax. AARON How do we get some enhancement? 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 68a** 92 CONT 92 CONT** RIPLEY Try 'B' He does AARON Nothing Tries again AARON I gotta get a better angel. Tries alarm Then a long moment-- 1/2/91 W.H., D.G. 69 92 CONT 92 CONT AARON Holy shit� Turns to her. AARON * I don't know how to tell you this - I think you got one inside you. A baby queen alien is clearly revealed, growing inside Ripley's chest. An embryonic head hangs down toward the pelvis. RIPLEY What's it look like? AARON * Horrible. RIPLEY Move the screen. I've got to take a look.. AARON Hey, I don't think you want to. RIPLEY Do it. Aaron adjusts the viewscreen. She takes a long look. RIPLEY Okay. Punching a button, he shuts off the scanner. AARON I�m sorry. I don't know what to say - Anything I can do - RIPLEY -- Yeah. Help me get out of here - 93 OMITTED 93 94 INT. PRISONER'S CELL BLOCK - DILLON 94 One shot from his fist - Bam! he breaks the window on a fire nose wheel, tears out the small axe secured within - Holds the axe over his head. DILLON Give us strength 0 Lord, to endure. Until the day. Amen. 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 70 94 CONT 94 CONT The remaining prisoners are assembled. They all raise their right fist... DILLON It's loose. It's out there ... a rescue team is on the way with guns and shit. Right now, there isn�t any place that�s real safe I say we stay here in the cell block. No overhead vents shafts. If it comes in, it�s gotta be through the door. We post a guard to let us know if it�s comin�. In any case � lay low. Be ready and stay right, in case your time comes. DAVID Bull shit, man. We'll all be trapped in here like rats. DILLON Most of you got blades stashed away, get 'em out. WILLIAM Right. You think we're gonna stab that mother fucker to death? DILLON I don't think shit. Maybe you can hurt it while you' re checkin� out. It's something. You got any better ideas? A long silence. DILLON I'm tellin� you, until that rescue team gets here -- we're in the shit. Get prepared. WILLIAM I ain't stayin' here. You can bet on it. DILLON Suit yourself. He turns and walks away... 95 OMITTED 95 96 INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - COMPUTER ANNEX 97 Aaron taps out the five-digit code. Runs his thumb against the identiprint. The inner door opens Data banks comes to life. 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 71 96 CONT 96 CONT AARON Okay, what do you want to send? RIPLEY You got a line back to the Network? AARON Yeah -- it's up. What do you want to say? RIPLEY I want to tell them this whole place has gone toxic. AARON Are you kiddin'? Then they won't come here. The rescue team�ll turn back. RIPLEY Exactly. AARON What are you talkin' about? Our only hope is that they kill this fucker. And maybe they can do something for you. Freeze you � do an operation. They got the technology... RIPLEY If it gets off this planet, it�ll kill everything. We can�t let the company come here. They�ll try to take it back with them. AARON Fuck you. I�m sorry you got this thing inside you, lady, but I want to get rescued. I don�t give a shit about these meatball prisoners, but I got a wife and kid. I go back on the next rotation. RIPLEY I'm sorry -- look, I know this is hard. but I�ve got to send a message back. I need the code. AARON * Sorry, mum -- It's classified. RIPLEY Look, shithead, it's got to be done! Give it to me! 1/2/91 W.H., D.G. 72 96 CONT 96 CONT AARON No fucking way. You are not getting the code! Angry silence. AARON Nothin� personal you understand. I think you're okay. RIPLEY Thanks. AARON Got an ideas? RIPLEY It won't kill me. AARON Oh yeah. Why? RIPLEY It can't nail me without killing the new queen. AARON You really want to bet this thing's that smart? RIPLEY I�m going to go find it. We'll see how smart it is. AARON You're gonna go look for it RIPLEY * Yeah. I got a pretty good idea where it is - it's just up there in the attic - AARON * What attic? We don't have an attic. RIPLEY * It's a metaphor. AARON * Oh. RIPLEY * Wanna come? 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 73 96CONT 96 CONT She walks out the door. AARON Fuck me. 97 OMIT 97** 98 INT. CORRIDOR - RIPLEY 98* She holds a torch under the joints of a network of old half-inch rusted out water pipes - satisfied, she jams the torch into a wall junction -- grabs the overhead pipe and gives it a huge yank -- the joint breaks loose - the pipe bends back -- She gives it another turn -- Then grabs the torch again and holds it to the next joint ... 99 INT. INFIRMARY 99 Ripley with a five foot stand of half-inch pipe - * A flashlight � She pulls herself up into the overhead air duct - 99A INT. AIR DUCT 99A** Ripley crawling along - Flashlight beam cutting through the dark ... AROUND A CORNER She peers into the darkness. RIPLEY Come on! I know you're here! Moves forward. RIPLEY Come on. This is simple. Just do what you do. Around another comer - RIPLEY Come on, you shithead. Where are you when I need you? Again forward. Stops. Did she hear a noise? RIPLEY Shit. 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 74 99ACONT 99ACONT Forward again. Another comer -- 99B ALCOVE 99B* Big enough to stand - She gets to her feet. * Looking at an old rusted out Hydro-Converter. A network of old rusted tangled pipes and a thousand gallon water tank RIPLEY - VERY CLOSE Peering off into the dark void Then another wave of nausea. She leans back against the Hydro-Converter... Suddenly - The Alien tail lazily flops out and knocks the electric torch from her hand. The light spins away - lands on the concrete apron -- but stays lit. THE BEAST Looking out at Ripley from within the network of pipes where it has been nesting -- resting -- sleeping The Xenomorph almost looks weirdly puzzled ... RIPLEY You fucker. She gathers her strength - takes her pipe-weapon and rams it straight into the Xenomorph ... Huge roar and cry as the beast comes boiling out of the network of pipes - metal crunching, giving way - The beast now fully aroused, stands directly in front of Ripley - RIPLEY Come on fucker - kill me! She slams it again with the pipe - The beast roars out, knocks the pipe away like a matchstick -- The two stare at each other - A long frozen moment Then: The beast bolts away. RIPLEY Bastard. 100 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL 100 Ripley seated alone in the huge, deeply shadowed room. Head in hands. Low ebb. Dillon, carrying his axe, enters ... 1/2/91 - W.H.,D.G. 75 100 CONT 100 CONT DILLON You okay? No response. DILLON What are you doin' out here? -- You're supposed to be lyin' low? RIPLEY It's not going to kill me. DILLON Why not? RIPLEY I�ve got one inside of me. The big one won�t kill it's own. DILLON Bull shit. RIPLEY Look, I saw it an hour ago. I stood right next to it. I could've been lunch, but it wouldn't touch me -- it ran away. It won't kill it's future. DILLON How do you know this thing's inside you? RIPLEY I saw it on the cat-scan. It's a queen. An egg layer. It can make thousands like the one that's running around out there - DILLON Still sounds like bullshit to me - If you got this thing inside you - how'd it get there? RIPLEY When I was in hypersleep � I got raped� Great, huh? I get to be the mother of the mother of the apocalypse � I can�t do what I should � so you�ve got to help � You�ve got to kill me. 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 76 100 CONT 100 CONT DILLON What the fuck you talkin' about? RIPLEY You don't get it. I'm dead anyway the minute it's-born. I've seen it happen -This thing inside me can make thousand more - It can wipe out the whole universe. It has to die and somebody's got to kill me - You up to it? DILLON You don't have to worry about that ... Ripley stands. RIPLEY Just do it. No speeches. Turns her back on Dillon. He raises the axe. RIPLEY Come on, do it! You told me you were a killer -- do it. Just do it. He looks at her - then swings the axe full force. Drives it into the wall next to her head. DILLON I don't like losin' a fight, not to nobody, not to nothing. That big one out there's already killed half my guys, got the other half scared shitless. As long as it�s alive, you�re not saving any universe - RIPLEY What's wrong? I thought you were a killer ... DILLON I want to get this thing - I need you to do it - if -it won't kill you then maybe that helps us fight it. She looks at him - frustrated ... DILLON Otherwise, fuck you. Go kill yourself. RIPLEY We knock its ass off, then you kill me? 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 77 100CONT 100 CONT DILLON No problem. Quick, painless, easy. Tears the axe back out of the wall -- 101 INT. CELL BLOCK 101 All remaining prisoners assembled. Aaron, off to one side, drinking a coke. Dillon and Ripley at the center -- DILLON This is the choice. You die sitting here on your ass, or maybe you die out there -- but at least we take a shot at killing it. We owe it one. It's fucked us over. Maybe we get even for the others. Now how do you want it? MORSE What the fuck are you takin� about? DILLON Killin� that big mother fucker. AARON Hold it -There's a rescue team on the way - why don't -we just sit it out? RIPLEY Rescue team for who? AARON For us. RIPLEY Bull shit. All they want's the beast. You know that -- AARON I don't give a damn what they want. They aren't gonna kill us - RIPLEY I'm not so sure. AARON Come on - they're gonna take us home. DILLON They ain't gonna take us home. 1/2/91 - W.H., D.G. 78 101 CONT 101 CONT MORSE That still doesn't mean we should go out and fight it � Jesus Christ, give me a break. AARON You guys got to be fucking nuts. I got a wife. I got a kid. I�m going home. DILLON Nobody gives a shit about you, 85. You are not one of us. You are not a believer. You are just a company man. AARON That�s right - I'm a company man and not some fucking criminal. You keep telling me how dumb I am, but I'm smart enough, not to have a life sentence on this rock, and I�m smart enough to wait for some fire-power to show up before we go out and fight the thing. DILLON Right. Okay. You just sit here on your ass. It's fine. MORSE How about if I sit here on my ass? DILLON No problem. I forgot - You're the guy that�s got a deal with God to live forever ... And the rest of you pussies can sit it out too. Me and her -: we'll do all the fighting. MORSE Okay - I�m with you. I want it to die. I hate the fucker -it killed my friends too. But why can't we wait a few hours and have the fuckin' company with guns on our side? Why the shit do we gave to make some sucking suicide run? RIPLEY Because they won't kill it. They may kill you for just having seen it, but they won�t kill it. AARON That�s crazy. Just horse shit. They won't kill us. 1/2/91 W.H., D.G. 79 101 CONT 101 CONT RIPLEY The first time they heard about this thing, it was crew expendable. The second time they sent some marines -- they were expendable � what makes you think they�re gonna care about a bunch of double Y-chromos at the back end of space? Do you really think they're gonna let you interfere with weapons research? They think you're crud. They don't give a damn about one friend of yours that died. Not one. PRISONER You got some kind of plan? DILLON This is a leadworks, isn't it? All we have to do is get the fuckin' beast into the mould, pour hot lead on it. Dillon kicks a stool across the corridor DILLON You're all gonna die, only question is when. This is as good a place to take your first step to heaven as any. It's ours. It ain't much, but it's our. Only question is how you check out. Now, you want it on your feet, or on your knees beggin'? I ain't much for beggin '. Nobody ever gave me nothin�. So I say, fuck it, let�s fight. CAMERA begins panning among faces of the remaining prisoners: PRISONER 1 Yeah. Okay. I'm in. PRISONER 2 Why not? We ain't got nothin' to lose. PRISONER 3 Yeah. PRISONER 4 Okay. PRISONER 5 Right. PRISONER 6 I'm in. PRISONER 7 Let's kick its fuckin' ass. 31/l/91 - W.H., D.G. 80 101 CONT 101 CONT PRISONER 8 (smile) You hold it, I�ll kick it. PRISONER 9 (smile) Right. CAMERA: stopping on Morse: MORSE Fuck it. Let's go for it. 102 INT. LEAD WORKS - VENT TUNNEL - 102 BAIT AND CHASE - Darkness . By torch light. Morse holds up two huge old electric switches, tries to connect them -- they power main corridor and doors --. but they won't reach. He pull, still inches short. He pauses, inspects wires, scratches head, when -From below -- a hand reaches up from an air vent, grabs his coat Morse starts. David's angry face pops out - DAVID Hurry the fuck up! MORSE Bastard. 103 MAIN CORRIDOR 103 Lights flicker on. Some bulbs bum out. A dull patchy glow. Pools of darkness. 104 ALCOVE 104 Troy watches control panel lights flicker on - except for one. Thumps panel, light pops on. Takes wires, ties with chewing gum -- Troy checks piston control lever. Turns, and with no confidence whatsoever gives a thumbs up to - 105 ANOTHER ALCOVE 105 Ripley and Dillon, waiting. She looks at Troy. RIPLEY When was the last time you used this thing? DILLON We fired it up five, six years ago - RIPLEY Am you sure the piston�s working? 5/3/91 80A 105 CONT 105 CONT DILLON Nothin's for sure... Includin' you. Remember, we trap it here first. We pull that lever ... start the piston, then the piston will push the mother fucker right into the mould. End of his ass. End of story. RIPLEY What if someone screws up? DILLON Then we're fucked. We've got one chance. One shot at this, that's all. You'll never have time to reset it. Remember, when you pull the lever for a few seconds -- you're gonna be trapped in here with that fucking thing. RIPLEY I'll do it. You guys don't drop the ball. I won't. DILLON Sister, you'd better be right about that thing not wantin you. Because if it wants out. that's how it's gonna go. RIPLEY Where're you gonna be? DILLON I�ll be around RIPLEY What about the others. Where are they? DILLON Praying. 106 CORRIDOR 106 A prisoner headbutts the wall - JUDE Let�s lunch this thing! He whirls round, smack elbows with Kevin - 107 AT THE END OF A CORRIDOR 107 Their whoops echo round -- David moves out of hiding, torch aloft, listening to the echoes. Head turns, trying to locate the source direction -- 5/3/91 80B 107 CONT 107 CONT DAVID For fuck's sake -- sssh! Echoes -- 'Fuck-sssh, fuck.sssh...' 108 DOWN THE CORRIDOR 108 Gregor peers out from hiding place, torch aloft. sees William deep in prayer, interrupts him -- GREGOR Hey, Willie? You believe in this heaven shit. WILLIAM I dunno. GREGOR Me neither. WILLIAM Fuck it. What else we gonna believe in? Bit late, now we're stuck here. GREGOR Yeah. ain't that the truth... Well hey, what the fuck -- right? He laughs... His laughter hits the walls, booms back, amplified, distorted..,. 109 CORRIDORS 109 Empty corridors. The laughter echoes. Then ssshing. More laughter. And more sssshing, reverberating sound - Disembodied voices. KEVIN Ssssh. JUDE (laughing) I can�t - KEVIN Ssssshh. MORSE Stop going ssssh--! DAVID For fucks sake - (etc.) Track down the maze. Twisting like a snake thru narrow, restricted corridors. 5/3/91 81 109 CONT 109 CONT Claustrophobia. Each prisoner isolated. Can't see round comers. Low-angle track, revealing air vents, wires and pipe work like entrails, as -- Schoolboy laughter mingles with nervous bravura. 109A ALCOVE 109A The echoes reach Ripley, waiting - 110 CORRIDOR 110 Morse gets nervous. Presses a large button to activate a door. A whine, the door opens � jams before closing. Morse gulps. Leans his head warily thru the jammed door MORSE Hey, guys�? Hold it, hold it I don't know-about this shit. Maybe we should rethink this. I mean, my fuckin' door ain�t workin' --... Guys....? Listens for response. Nobody there. 11OA ALONG THE CORRIDOR 110A A muffled echo reverberates. Prisoners turn to one another. GREGOR What the fuck's he saying? WILLIAM Shit I dunno. 111 FURTHER ALONG THE CORRIDOR 111 Kevin pokes his head out carrying a flare, stops. KEVIN Hey, you hear something? I heard Morse. Sounded kinda� A scream reverberates down corridor - Moves forward into POV of the Alien - devouring Vincent Kevin's face falls, a warrior cry, the creature turns, and - KEVIN Come and get me, you fucker -- With lighting speed the Alien charges him, gets him in his sights � Alien POV � sudden acceleration, closes in, scuttles round bends like a laser-guided spider � Kevin breathes hard, hauls ass --- But feels the whoosh of acceleration behind him, closing as � The Alien gains momentum � Kevin reaches out for the door, trips on the steel, hand slams the switch, and � BAM! The huge steel door slams shut in the Alien�s face -- 5/3/91 81A 111B ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR 111B Kevin cowers as -- CRASH !! -- the thick steel buckles as the Alien crashes into it, making a huge dent - KEVIN Door C9 - closed. 112 ON THE ALIEN'S SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR 112 From the other end, prisoner Jude appears, flare held aloft, taunting - JUDE Yoo-hoo. Hey, fuckface. come and get me. Take your best shot - The Alien swings round. Sees Jude. Who starts to run, as -- The Alien moves real fast onto the wall. whips round a comer And -- from Alien's POV - gives chase. Swinging left to right, up and down, moving very. very fast, onto the walls , down to the end of the corridor � As Jude slips out of sight, until - still from Alien POV - it travels over the corner, cranes down just in time to see - Jude escape thru the door- The Alien rushes towards him but � BAM! The door slams shut in its face. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR Jude gasps, out of breath -- JUDE Over in the east wing - door B7 - safe - THROUGH THE WINDOW IN THE DOOR - An Alien foreleg smashes through the glass, reaching out for him -- Jude slides down the wall, scrambles backwards, screaming, evading the frantic, scrabbling claw hand -- 112A IN THE CORRIDORS 112A The lights flicker and dim. A couple flare up, mini-fireworks. Then a duller glow. Semi-darkness descends. 113 MAIN CORRIDOR 113 From the corridors, overlapping voices reach Dillon DILLON It�s started. 5/3/91 81B 113A SIDE CORRIDORS 113A IN ONE SECTOR -- Morse running down corridor... MORSE It's in channel B must be heading over channel A 113B SIDE CORRIDORS 113B IN ANOTHIER SECTOR- From the opposite direction - Gregor racing down corridor, William emerging behind him GREGOR I heard it -- channel E, damnit WILLIAM Did you say B --? GREGOR No. E - WILLIAM We're supposed to stay - GREGOR Move your fucking ass � They race past at breakneck speed - 113C SIDE CORRIDORS 113C IN ANOTHER SECTOR -- Jude and Kevin running down corridors - meet at an intersection -- breathless scared - JUDE You too KEVIN Yeah - JUDE OK - over to E - everybody - KEVIN Where the fuck�s E--? 5/3/91 * 82 113C CONT' 113CCONT JUDE This way -- Get a fuckin' move on -- 113D SIDE CORRIDORS 113D IN ANOTHER SECTOR -- David on his own, running down the corridors -- tries to find the others Comes across the remains of Vincent - DAVID Kevin -- ? Gregor - ? Morse --? I found Vincent� (No response) � Let�s shut this fucker down -- Heads off into darker section of maze - 114 MAIN CORRIDOR 114 Dillon looks over, nods to Troy. DILLON Help them. Troy exits into maze with map. Eric stays guard - Glances up at Ripley. She checks the lever. Another light gone. She thumps the panel It flickers on � A couple�s A couple of guys cross the main corridor - Gregor in one direction � Then Morse going the opposite way - RIPLEY Where the fuck is he going? Why don't they stick to the plan--? DILLON You're immune. They're not. RIPLEY Well, what the hell are they doin? DILLON Improvising. Her hand goes to the piston lever, Ripley sees Eric staring back at her, sweating -- 114B CUT 114B 115 CORRIDOR 115 David stumbles blindly, through a dark corridor, flare aloft - DAVID Here, kitty, kitty, kitty ... Here� Till be emerges from the dark, pulls up short when he sees -- 5/3/91 82A 115 CONT 115 CONT The Alien down the corridor at Jude's door. He steadies himself. cocks his arm, ready to throw -When the Alien sees him. As David throws DAVID Hey, pussycat -- playtime! The burning flare flies across the corridor, clattering ineffectually to the floor, as - The Alien crawls crab-like onto the ceiling, scuttles along upside down so that - From its POV - its prey, David, seems to be running along the ceiling - David runs -- the Allen gains, spiraling round the corridor like a corkscrew, keeping him in his sights - until - Round a comer, David slips out of sight, races towards the door � dives through � slams the vertical close button-- But the door falters - closes slowly - agonizingly-slowly, as - BAM!! The Alien slams into the door at fall speed. Metal buckles. Momentary concussion. A moment's silence. Until - Be door whine jerks on repeat, and - An Alien paw punches through the gap in the door, grabbing at David�s leg - David leaps onto a ledge, screaming - As the Alien limbs creep through, flailing hideously, as the door jerks down. down, down. And The Alien foreleg withdraws. Silence. Only David�s whimpering. DAVID Door 3, F channel. Shut... I hope. 115B SIDE CORRIDORS 115B Troy running in direction of attack, hears voices 115C SIDE CORRIDORS 115C Morse zigzagging down corridor, nobody in sight - 5/3/91 82B 115C CONT 115C CONT MORSE Kevin? Gregor? Where the fuck are you? K - L-- M-- all locked -- I'm back in A -- 115D SIDE CORRIDORS 115D Gregor running, opposite direction -- GREGOR V channel secure - P channel holding A LONG WAY BEHIND HIM William, now fretting, losing his way - WILLIAM Did you say P - or D? - For fuck's sakes - UP AHEAD - Gregor turning round, shouting back to him - GREGOR Shut the fuck up -- Move -! 115E SIDE CORRIDORS 115E Kevin now unsure of directions, doubling back on himself - KEVIN Shit. I�m in R � That�s safe -- isn�t it? - 115F SIDE CORRIDORS - 115F Jude running like crazy - JUDE You forgot man. R leads back into F - I�m movin� through F right now -gonna shut it down - 115G SIDE CORRIDORS 115G Troy, disorientated, stops at an intersection - TROY F channel? Where the fuck -? There ain't no fuckin� F channel - Troy runs down the corridor - hesitates - turns down the wrong corridor � into the creature�s path -- Flash cut - Troy Is face - 5/3/91 83 115G CONT 115G CONT Flash cut -- the Alien rearing up 116 MAIN CORRIDOR - 116 Dillon and Ripley hear screams, then nothing -- DILLON ... Morse? ..Kevin? ... Gregor? RIPLEY What's going on back there? Dillon glances over at Ripley by the piston control DILLON All they have to do is run down the damn corridors -- stay here - Dillon moves off with his axe. 116A MAIN CORRIDOR / SIDE CORRIDOR -- 116A Dillon peeks out to check. No bug. No people. No nothing. Only voices from the corridors. Echoes from the catacombs, now panicking, quickly hushed - Ripley, Dillon, Eric listen out - ERIC Where in hell is it --? Dillon just looks at him. 116B SIDE CORRIDORS 116B Aliens POV - scuttling through corridors - Searching, searching -- Then up - into the air vents - disappears � 117 AT THE PLEXIGLASS WINDOW - 117 Through the glass, we see David peering round, scared, isolated. Hears a noise - rushes to window - Nose pressed against the glass. Looks up - DAVID (voice muffled) I�ve lost him. Don't know where the fucking thing is. Not gonna open the door - I think it went up the fucking air vent - 5/3/91 83A 117 CONT 117 CONT As the Alien drops down behind him. David turns slowly round, realizes something, too late -- The Alien strikes -- thru the window, we see -- jaws bared Back of his head explodes thru the glass David wrenched up and out of frame Blood showers down. The door bursts open. Blood and gore spills out into the corridor. 118 MAIN CORRIDOR 118 Ripley at the piston, listens, waits, as the echoes die down - Silence. Eric, growing panic -- moves up Ripley leaves alcove, moves down -- senses his fear � eyes locked like gunfighters in a leone shoot-out 119 CUT 119 120 SCENE MOVED 120 120A SIDE CORRIDOR 120A Dillon moving down corridors -- finds Troy's remains -- heads back the way be came - 120B CORRIDOR 120B Morse and Jude run down a corridor, Morse's flare burning aloft, smoke streaming behind them, till - Jude suddenly slips in the dark noes down hard on the floor, ass flat. He sits unceremoniously, feeling around him, something warm and sticky - JUDE For fuck's sake - yuck. Morse brings his flare down to illuminate, as Jude picks up a handful of something really gross. He stares at it as Morse recoils in horror. Jude looks puzzled up at Morse, back at the guts, then screams - Stare each other - SCREAM!! 121 MAIN CORRIDOR 121 &122 &122 Ripley hears the screams reverberating - Eric runs back to the lever -- Ripley runs after him In the background, the Alien tears past across the corridor Eric starts to pull the lever - Ripley grabs his hand - 5/3/91 83B 121 & 122 CONT 121 & 122 CONT RIPLEY Wait!! She prises his fingers off pushes him away -- Eric slumps down exhausted 122B CUT 122B 123 FROM AN AIR VENT 123 From above, we see Kevin walk slowly past holding his torch aloft. He pauses, hears a noise - Looks round. Nothing. We tilt down, then up to reveal -- The Alien behind him in the air vent (was its POV)--- Forelegs dart down - snatch Kevin up -- it bites � blood spatters, as -- DOWN THE CORRIDOR - Dillon rushes in from the end of the corridor -- sees the Alien clutching Kevin in his death throes -- reaches him � throws arms round his legs -- grabs writhing body -- The body drops with a thud. - Dillon drags him away - 124 MAIN CORRIDOR / ALCOVE 124. Ripley, at the piston control watches Dillon drag Kevin into the main corridor - She sees Eric across from her, slumped - leaves her post - 125 MAIN CORRIDOR 125 Ripley goes to help Dillon with Kevin's body - ravaged but still alive � jugular blood spurting Ripley removes jacket, wraps it round his neck - Kevin dies in Dillon�s arms - starts a prayer - DILLON No death, only - 126 MAIN CORRIDOR 126 Suddenly the Alien emerges from the middle side entrance-- poking out into the hall -- 127 MAIN CORRIDOR - 127 Ripley And Dillon back away - Eric hides - Dillon tries to protect Kevin�s body - 5/3/91 94 127 CONT 127 CONT RIPLEY Leave the body. Draw it in -- Ripley and Dillon leave the body and move back -- The Alien leaps from the door, to the abandoned body of Kevin -pounces -- devours -- dead meat - Ripley nods to Eric to pull the lever -- 128 MAIN CORRIDOR 128 Eric moves across to the alcove -- slams the lever down, and the piston jerks into motion, overhead lights flashing -- All hell let loose -- an ear-splitting noise -- a howling wind and blasting heat as the air is sucked out of the hall -- And the furnace starts up, thundering and shaking - But the Alien vanishes RIPLEY Where the hell's it gone? DILLON Shit - it must be behind the fucking piston - RIPLEY Behind it -? DILLON Seal the doors - we gotta get it back - 129 CUT 129 130 MOVED 130 131 MOVED 131 132 (OLD) CUT 132 132 (NEW) SIDE CORRIDORS - 132 Dillon races down corridors - DILLON Jude --! Morse --! 5/3/91 84A 132B SIDE CORRIDORS 132B Ripley running -- RIPLEY Eric --! William -- ! Turns a comer, suddenly comes across the remains of Eric and William -- 132C (FORMERLY 120) CORRIDOR 132C Morse creeps down his corridor. Hears a noise. Checks the direction -- nothing them. starts to retreat. Moves backwards, round a comer, ears peeled for the echoes of footsteps, until BUMP! Morse is hit from behind by Jude, carrying a pair of scissors, point out, like a weapon. Morse freaks out - MORSE What the --? Morse and Jude stare at one another like Laurel and Hardy � Morse grabs the scissors, points up - MORSE Not like this. (He turns them round. points now facing inwards)... Like this, moron. Morse cuffs Jude round the ear -- They separate, opposite directions -- 133 (OLD) CUT 133 133 (NEW) (FORMERLY 130) STEEL DOOR 133 The piston grinds past the rear air-lock window port One down. two to go. 134 MAIN CORRIDOR 134 Dillon runs back to main corridor - screams -- DILLON Jude! Jude! 135 SIDE CORRIDOR 135 Jude hears Dillon - But in background the Alien suddenly appears - 136 CUT 136 5/3/91 84B 137 SIDE CORRIDOR 137 From its POV -- the Alien runs after Jude -- gets him in its sights - Jude runs for his life -- the Alien gains, as -- 138 SIDE CORRIDOR 138 Ripley running back -- A lurch of nausea. Ripley doubles up in pain. She stops, backs up against the wall. Immobilished -- 139 MAINCORRIDOR 139 Dillon appears in doorway at end of corridor, goading Jude on - DILLON Don't look back - As fast as you fucking can - As Jude runs for his life from The Alien. looking down - Alien POV -- right on top of him 140 MAIN CORRIDOR 140 As Dillon gets ready to spring the trap, leaps back into the main corridor The piston a preaching in the background -- 140B MOVED 140B 141 SIDE CORRIDOR / DOOR JAMB 141 At the entrance. door, Jude is suddenly snatched into the air by the Allen - The door slams shut - Blood explodes against the door - Cascading thru onto - 142 MAIN CORRIDOR 142 Dillon. sensing defeat as - 142A BEHIND PISTON 142A Ripley shutting down doors � turns -- runs back - hears - 142B (FORMERLY 131) MAIN CORRIDOR 142B Suddenly piston grinds to a halt - only high-pitched whining - FROM THE MAIN CORRIDOR Dillon watches, tense � FROM A SIDE CORRIDOR 5/3/91 85 142B CONT 142B CONT RIPLEY Oh, fuck � Seconds tick by -- sparks -- sickening whiffing - Piston lurches forward again - 142C (FORMERLY 140B) STEEL DOOR 142C The piston grinds past the middle air-lock window - Two down, one to go. 143 SIDE CORRIDOR 143 Gregor screams for help, but nobody hears him - He races down the corridor, ricocheting from comer to comer like a pinball until -- BLAM! He runs smack into - another prisoner, Morse. They collide. Pick themselves up. Stare at one another in confusion. Tears of nervous laughter, until - Faster than an express train - The Alien - from its POV - swings over from on top, races down, flashes past Morse in a blur.-and - Smashes against Gregor, using its head like a hammer - It rips his body apart like a toy, and - Gregor's body falls like pulp in front of Morse, blood showering over him, as be scrambles away - Helpless to make himself heard above the noise - Screaming for mercy, as - Gregor�s body is sucked up into the overhead airduct by the Alien, while -- Morse crawls away ... comes to a pair of feet - Ripley standing there - Throws her flare at the Alien as it tries to duck into the airvent -- the thing drops Gregor�s ravaged body -- RIPLEY Come on. you bastard! The Alien coils up against a wall. 5/3/91 85A 143 CONT 143 CONT Ripley advances, the creature cringes and spits -- RIPLEY Come on. I got what you want. Follow me ... I want to show you something. Ripley screams at it, the Alien recoils, flicking its tail out Tail lashes Ripley -- whipping, slashing, cutting - She tries to fend it off -- grab it -. limbs flailing, when - Dillon arrives in the doorway, as Ripley turns, shouts -- RIPLEY (to Dillon) Get back! Dillon enters, sees the frightened beast � The creature roars at him, but Ripley shields him � Dillon sees, realizes -- grabs Ripley, holds her hostage � The Alien sees the threat, flips out -- Dillon pulls Ripley back with him into the main corridor, as � The Alien scuttles to camera upside down, into � 144 MAIN CORRIDOR 144. The noise still thunders, as - At the entrance to the mould, Dillon calls out to the Alien - DILLON In here -! Dillon sees the Alien on the ceiling, leap over the door jamb. RIPLEY (to Dillon) Shut it! Now! Dillon slams the door in front of her, imprisoning them both in main corridor with the Alien - Behind it appears Morse - MORSE Get out ! Get the fuck out now - ! Ripley shouts over to Morse - 513/91 85B 144 CONT 144 CONT RIPLEY Close the door --! Morse hesitates -- The creature turns, goes for Morse -- RIPLEY (to Morse) Now! 144B SIDE CORRIDOR 144B Morse slams his door shut, sealing them in .He stares at them -- still alive -- thru the glass - Then sees the piston grind slowly past the last air-lock window, obscuring, then blocking them from view Three down, no escape. He turns and runs - 144C MAIN CORRIDOR 144C Near the mould - the piston crunches into the Alien - Ripley and Dillon am trapped -- no choice - they have to enter the mould - 145 MAIN CORRIDOR 145 As the piston moves forward, the Alien tries to reach its leg around -it - No space � too tight -- The piston pushes it towards the mould - 146 TOP OF GANTRY 146 Up, up, up -- Morse climbs the ladder up to the crane cab - 147 INSIDE THE MOULD 147 BLAM! The piston wedges them into the mould - Locking the Alien - and Ripley and Dillon - inside 31/1/91 - W.H., D.G. 86 148 EXT. SURFACE OF PLANET FURY - NIGHT 148* The backwash of huge rocket engines. A Wayland-Yutani rescue craft touches down. 149 EXT. ENTRANCE TO FURY COMPLEX THRU 149* WINDOW PORT - AARON'S P.O.V. The company men arrive. Guns ready - 150 INT. BUG WASH - AARON 150** A broad smile. AARON I knew they'd make it -- Over here! Hey, this way! He begins to open the latch mechanism -- suddenly - The door EXPLODES inward ... Six Commandos and two medical officers enter. The Commando team covers the area with pulse rifles. The Captain is a dead ringer for the Android Bishop. Aaron snaps him a military salute - AARON Right, sir. Warder Aaron - 137512 - BISHOP II Where is Lieutenant Ripley. Is she still alive? AARON Right. sir - If she's alive, she's in the mould. They're all in the leadworks with the beast. sir. Absolute madness Wouldn�t wait. I tried to tell 'em ... BISHOP II You've seen this beast? AARON Right. sir. Horrible. Unbelievable. She's got one inside her. BISHOP II We know that. He nods to the Commandos - they blast Aaron with their pulse rifles. He stares unbelievingly -- then falls backward. 31/l/91 - W,H.. D.G. 87** 151 INT. LEADWORKS - BAIT AND CHASE - 151 CONCLUSION then - Ripley and Dillon continue backing into the inner-mould -- she glances upward ... then - Ripley and Dillon continue backing into the inner-mould -- she glances upward ... 152. 152. then - overhead - she can see the gantry moving away 152 then - overhead - she can see the gantry moving away 152 2. 2. her look goes to the entrance as the Alien appears � 153 RIPLEY Climb! It's your only chance! DILLON What about you! RIPLEY It won't kill me! DILLON Bull shit! There's gonna be ten tons of hot lead in here! RIPLEY Good! I keep tellin' you I want to die! DILLON Yeah - but I don't! then - mould - the Alien moves closer ... RIPLEY Now's your chance - Get going! DILLON I�m taking you with me! then - - grabs her - starts to climb ... then - Dillon and Ripley climbing upward ... then - the Alien - looks up - starts to follow -- 154 then - top of the mould - Ripley climbs out - secures herself on the ledge - reaches to down to help Dillon 154. 155. then - Dillon trying to reach her - The Alien advancing fast - closing in -- 155. then - the beast�s inner jaw slides out � Dillon kicks down, slashes with his axe 156. then -she grabs at the nearby Pipes ... starts to climb through them 156. 157. then - Dillon fighting the beast -- 157 155. then - Ripley - she looks back at Morse Moving the gantry/crane 158 159. then - top of observation platform - Bishop II and the company men appear, rising up from the circular 159 steps � they stride along the platform -- 160. then - the molten lead bucket swinging overhead.... 160 161. then - Bishop II ---walks to edge of the platform -. sees: 161. the gantry crane - the mould - the furnace - 162. then - Morse operating the levers 163. then - as the bucket tips - Bishop II shouting ... 163 31/l/91 - W.H.. D.G. 88** 163CONT 163CONT. BISHOP II Don't do it! No! 164. then - the Alien - now at the top of the mould ... close to Dillon and Ripley 164 165. then - Ripley watches. as the lead pours past her and Dillon in a torrent � streaming into the mould 165 166. then - the Alien screams, rolls within the molten lead----falls back � swept down and away by the fiery metal � 166 167 then - Bishop gazes down ... 167 168. then - a smiling Morse ... 168 MORSE Eat shit -- you miserable fucker! 169. then - Ripley, Dillon - stare down at the smoking lead within the mould - the beast has vanished � 169 170. then - she sees Bishop II and the company men across the way - 170 RIPLEY They�re here! as Dillon looks off at Bishop II Ripley grabs him - RIPLEY Keep your promise! DILLON You mean it! RIPLEY Yes! I�ve got it inside me! Quit fucking around! he puts his hands around her throat - hesitates - RIPLEY Do it! DILLON I can�t, I can't do it. he looks at her, almost pleadingly� his face turns to horror as he is suddenly pulled backward � then - Dillon - the Alien. Burning and smoking, has reappeared in the mould - it snatches Dillon away � pulls him under the molten lead - then - lip of the mould - the Alien�s head appears then - Ripley reaches out for one of the nearby chains then - the Alien begins to climb out of the mould - then - Ripley puling on the chain - then - large water duct - the chain pulls open the seal - water gushes out 171. then - Ripley being drenched - hanging on for her life - the water cascades -- 171 172. then - the freezing water hits the Alien - it's head explodes!! 172 then - a huge explosion! the entire mould goes up -- 20/2/91 89 173 then - Ripley still on the chain - buffeted by the blast -- 173 174 then - top of gantry - Morse - also shaken by the concussion -- 174 175 then - the blast slowly subsides ... 175 176 then - Ripley - exhausted ... swinging on the heavy chain � the gantry lurches toward her -- 176 Morse reaching out to help her on board -- 177 OBSERVATION PLATFORM 177 Bishop II and his company watching 178 ON THE GANTRY 178 Dragging herself upright, Ripley grabs the railing and glances down at the furnace Its cross-like shape blurs, slipping in and out of focus -- Suddenly , she's sick again. Turning she sees the Company Men come up the stairs from below , led by Aaron RIPLEY Don't come any closer. Stay where you are. AARON Wait. They're here to help. Ripley looks at Aaron's simple, trusting face. He steps aside. The others move in behind him. A hand raised to stop them. Another wave of nausea overcomes Ripley. Unsure of herself, as - From the shadows, steps Bishop II. Our first sight -- same as the Droid Ripley stares at him. She doesn't know what she's seeing. RIPLEY Bishop? He stands still. The others move in behind them. Bishop II holds up his hand, stops them Another wave of nausea. BISHOP II I just want to help you. We're all on the same side. RIPLEY No more bullshit. I just felt the damn thing move. Halting Bishop II watches her step farther out on the gantry - Something horrible hits Ripley in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Struggling for breath, she never takes her eyes off Bishop II 2O/2/91 - 89A 89A 178 CONT 178 CONT BISHOP II You know who I am. He gives her a small, comforting smile .. RIPLEY Yeah. A droid. Same model as Bishop. Sent by the fucking Company. 2O/2/91 90 178CONT 178CONT BISHOP II I'm not the Bishop android. I designed it. I'm the prototype. I'm very human. I was sent here to show you a friendly face � and to demonstrate how important you are to us. To me. Please come down. Bishop II holds out a hand. RIPLEY You just want to take it back. BISHOP II No. We want to take you home. We don't care what happens to it. We know what you've been through. You've shown great courage RIPLEY Bullshit! BISHOP II You're wrong. We want to help. RIPLEY What does that mean? BISHOP II We want to take the thing out of you. RIPLEY And keep it. BISHOP II Destroy it. Ripley looks at him. She wants to believe him. BISHOP II We admit we made mistakes. We didn't know. But we can make it up to you. All the potential lost, all the time, you can still have children. We�ll buy out your contract. Everything you deserve. RIPLEY (as if believing) You�re not going to take it back? BISHOP II No. We realize now. You're right. But time is important. Let us deal with the malignancy. We�ve got a surgery room set up on the rescue ship � ready to go. 2O/2/91 91 178 CONT 178 CONT A Company man steps forward. COMPANY MAN #1 It's very quick. Painless.. A couple of incisions. You'll be out for two hours. RIPLEY What guarantee do I have, once you've taken this thing out you'll destroy it? Bishop II steps forward. Face to face with Ripley. BISHOP II You're just going to have to trust me. Bishop II holds out his hand. A gesture of friendship. BISHOP II Trust me.. Please. We only want to help you. Ripley thinks. Takes her time. Looks up at Aaron. And Morse. And back at Bishop II. Then - Slides the gate between them RIPLEY No ----- Ripley nods at Morse, who hits the control panel The giant crane starts to move, heading out over the furnace. Bishop II lunges, reaches out, grabbing Ripley. Ripley breaks free, starts moving out over the furnace. The Company Troops raise their pulse rifles � BLAM! Shoot at Morse � takes a bullet in shoulder. Disappears behind control panel � Aaron starts. Picks up a pipe from the debris -- AARON You fucking Droid --!! And smashes Bishop II in the head. Bishop II writhes on the floor. The troops fire on Aaron, shoot him down. Bishop II turns. No wires. No milk. Real blood. BISHOP II I am not a DROIDDDDDDD!!!!1. I Ripley clutches her chest - RIPLEY It�s moving. 2O/2/91 91A 91A 178 CONT 178 CONT The Company Men rush to Bishop II BISHOP II You owe it to us. You owe it to yourself. Ripley smiles like the Mona Lisa ... RIPLEY No way ... Then her face distorts in pain. Her chest bulges. 20/2/91 92 178 CONT. 178CONT RIPLEY It's too late! BISHOP II It's not - The Alien Embryo bursts out! She catches it! Ripley holds it, the tiny beast kicking in her hands! RIPLEY Goodbye � Extends it above her head. Choking it -- fighting � killing it � BISHOP II Nooooo!!!! Still shaking the EMBRYO - She steps off the platform and disappears into the inferno. Down ... Down into the pure white flame. A moment of ecstasy. A moment of triumph. Morse on the gantry, sees Ripley fall MORSE Those who am dead are not dead. They have moved up. -- moved higher.. The flames engulf her. Ripples slowly disappear. Calm restored. FADE OUT FADE UP to -- 179 INT. WEYLAND-YUTANI WORK CORRECTIONAL 179 FACILITY - FURY 161 A complex maze of rooms and corridors �. No sign of life. Assembly Hall � empty. Mess Hall � empty. Furnace � empty. Dust particles floating�. 180 INT. BUGWASH 180 The Company Men shutting the place up. Morse, bandaged, turns. A last lingering look Then - Doors slam shut. 181 INT ANDREW� OFFICE 181 A weird plastic bird drinks from a Styrofoam cup. 2O/2/91 92A 92A 182 INT. CONE OF SILENCE 182 In the dark the EEV sits -- a burnt out husk 183 INT. EEV. 183 Empty/ Lifeless. A broken glass tube where someone once slept. Someone who made a sacrifice. Someone who was victorious. Then -- over the desolation A ghostly echo... White noise from deep space... Then a crackling message, growing louder� A faint voice audible through static from a badly tuned radio... Only her last words � from �Alien I�- emerging clearly RIPLEY This is Ripley, last surviving. member of The Nostromo, signing off... Voice fades out To silence. FADE.

FADE IN: DEEP SPACE - THE FUTURE The silent field of stars -- eclipsed by the dark bulk of an approaching ship. CLOSER. ANGLE ON THE HULL A towering cliff of metal, Sulaco. INT. SULACO -- HYPERSLEEP VAULT TRACKING down the line of empty, open capsules. Frozen twilight. The final four capsules are sealed, lids in place. ANGLE -- INSIDE CAPSULE NEWT, then RIPLEY. HICKS next, his head and chest bandaged. Then BISHOP in his caul of plastic. But the lid of Bishop's capsule is misted with hothouse condensation. CLOSER A tear of fluid streaks the condensation. An alarm SOUNDS. A monitor begins to scroll data. TIGHT ON MONITOR TROOP TRANSPORT SULACO CMC 846A/BETA MISSION/LV-426/RETURN STATUS RED TREATY VIOLATION REF: #99AG558L5 CAUSE: NAVIGATIONAL ERROR Bland feminine voice of the ship's computer, as the alarm continues to SOUND. COMPUTER Attention. Due to failure of navigational circuitry, Sulaco has entered a sector claimed by the Union of Progressive Peoples. Auxiliary systems are now on line. Course corrected. Hardwired protocols prevent, repeat, prevent arming of nuclear warheads in the absence of Diplomatic Override, Decryption Standard Charlie Nine. On present course, Sulaco will exit the U.P.P. sector at nineteen hundred hours fifty three point eight minutes. EXT. SULACO The ship slides past beneath us. A U.P.P. interceptor descends INTO FRAME, matching course and speed with Sulaco. The interceptor settles on Sulaco like a wasp. INT. INTERCEPTOR Three commandos climb into spacesuits. The Leader opens a hatch in the deck, revealing one of Sulaco's airlocks. FIRST COMMANDO, a young Vietnamese woman, scrambles down and attaches magnetic units to the airlock. SECOND COMMANDO studies a monitor, tapping out a sequence on a keyboard. First Commando gestures from hatch: no good. Second Commando tries again. A grating SOUND as Sulaco's airlock begins to open. INT. SULACO -- CARGO LOCK Darkness. Armed commandos climb through opening and descend a ladder. Reaching the deck, they fan out, weapons ready. Their leader examines the damaged dropship. First Commando gestures urgently. She's found something. Bishop's legs, broken, grotesquely twisted, still in fatigues, the white android blood clotted into powder. First and Second Commandos exchange looks through their faceplates. COMPUTER Attention. Integrity breach, Cargo Lock 3. Security alert. Integrity breach, B Deck... INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT -- LEADER'S POV The chilly aisle of capsules. Commandos move down the line, guns poised. They peer in at Newt, Ripley, and Hicks, but the lid of Bishop's capsule is pearl-white. The Leader tries the controls at the foot of the capsule, where green and red indicators glow. Nothing happens. He opens a panel, finds an emergency lever, tries it. The green indicators wink off. The lid rises. A dense pale mist flows out, spilling over the edges of the capsule, revealing the ovoid of a gray Alien egg. Rooted in the center of Bishop's synthetic entrails, the egg instantly ejaculates a Face-hugger, which strikes the leader's faceplate in a spray of acid. He screams, blinded by the acid, grappling with the thing as it begins to force its way into his helmet, its tail lashing furiously. Clawing at it, he plunges blindly back down the aisle, stumbling, smashing into the empty capsules. He vanishes through the entranceway, his screams giving way to frenzied gagging SOUNDS. The First Commando scrambles after him. INT. CARGO LOCK The Leader writhes on the deck beside the main cargo lock. First Commando rushes in, crouches beside him, takes careful two-handed aim with her sidearm -- she FIRES, attempting to kill the face-hugger without hitting the Leader. The face-hugger EXPLODES in a gout of acid; ragged holes burn through the side of his helmet. First Commando frantically works the lock controls. As the inner lock opens, she shoves the leader over the edge with her foot. EXT. SULACO Helmetless, headless, trailing a cloud of blood and acid, the Leader tumbles through space. INT. CARGO LOCK Eyes of the First Commando through her faceplate. Beat. Something moves, behind her. She spins, bringing up her gun. Backlit in the entrance to the vault, a black, multi-armed figure. The beam from her lamp finds it -- the Second Commando, with Bishop in his arms. DISSOLVE TO: IN DEEP SPACE -- VARIOUS ANGLES A station the size of a small moon, and growing; unfinished sections of hull are open to vacuum. A vast, irregular structure, the result of the shifting goals of successive administrations. MOVE IN on hundreds of windows -- most of them dark. A light comes on in one of the windows. INT. ANCHORPOINT -- TULLY'S SLEEPING CUBICLE A phone is RINGING. The cubicle, terminally sloppy, resembles the nest of a high-tech hamster, not much larger than a berth of a train. The walls are plastered with a wistful collage of posters, ads, photos torn from magazines: beaches, desert, the Grand Canyon, redwoods, blue sky -- a hedge against claustrophobia and the emptiness of space. TULLY, sitting up in bed, knuckling sleep from his eyes, wincing at the light; he slaps the phone console and the glum face of OPERATIONS OFFICER JACKSON (female) appears. She wears a nylon baseball cap with a computer light-pen attached to the bill. JACKSON 'Morning, Tully. TULLY Morning? Jesus, Jackson, it's the middle of my downtime... CLOSE ON THE CONSOLE SCREEN ANGLE The room behind Jackson is Achorpoint's nerve-center, the Ops Room. JACKSON None of us up here in the Ops Room have seen downtime for a while, Tully. A Marine transport came in on automatic sixteen hours ago. She bobs her head as she speaks, using the pen on her cap to move a cursor on a screen in front of her. JACKSON (continuing) The Sulaco. Departed gateway four years ago with a compliment of fifteen. A dozen marines, an android, a company representative, and the former warrant officer of a merchant vessel... TULLY So? JACKSON So, the bio-readout gives us the warrant officer, one -- count him -- marine, and a nine-year-old girl. Makes you wonder what happened out there, doesn't it? TULLY So ask 'em. Wake 'em up and ask 'em. Them, not me. JACKSON But that's the good news, Tully. Three hours before Sulaco turned up, we docked a priority shuttle out of Gateway. Two passengers. Milisci, Tully. Weapons Division. TULLY That the bad news? JACKSON They want the ship pulled in, with full biohazard precautions, by oh-eight-hundred hours. BioLab techs are priority for the deck squad. That's you Tully. The phone screen goes blank. TULLY (heartfelt) Shit. He begins to fumble through his sleeping bag, looking for his clothes -- disturbing SPENCE, a young technician, who sits up groggily, hugging the bag to her breasts. SPENCE What? What is it? TULLY It's called the military-industrial complex; it's called my ass out of bed; it's called jerking me around... Any way you wanna call it, it's the same bullshit... INT. CORRIDOR Tully, groggy and irritated, emerges from his cubicle, wearing a battered leather flight jacket, its sleeves plastered with embroidered logo-patches for various products. His photo, name, job description, and number are slotted on the door in a transparent envelope -- TULLY, CHARLES A. TECH-5, TISSUE CULTURE LAB. DISSOLVE TO: INT. ANCHORPOINT -- DRY DOCK A plain of gray steel, the size of several carrier decks, walls lost in dark and distance. Service vehicles lumber past in the b.g. Massive floods on towers of raw scaffolding backlight twenty waiting figures, the Deck Squad. Their spacesuits are white, clinical; over these they wear disposable Biohazard Envelopes of filmy translucent plastic. Some are Colonial Marines, armed with pulse-rifles or flame-throwers. Others are scientists and technicians, carrying recording and sampling gear. Their voice, over helmet- radio are furred with STATIC. Something CLANGS and BOOMS overhead, metal thunder. OFFICER (V.O.) Deck Squad brace for pressure drop. She's in the cradle. She's coming in. A sudden WIND rushes across the deck, then dies. RUMBLE overhead as a monstrous hanger door rolls slowly open, revealing the naked stars. The dark hull of Sulaco blots out the stars as it descends. OFFICER (V.O.) (continuing) Entry team to secondary cargo lock. A cherry-picker vehicle, with extended boom, WHINES up to Sulaco. The lock SIGHS open on darkness. BUZZ of static, indistinct RADIO exchanges, as a half-dozen lights play over the drop-ship, the walls of the lock. Tully enters, stares around, eyes wide through his faceplate. Beside his is a MARINE with a pulse-rifle -- obviously psyched for combat. TULLY Lights, how come they got no lights? MARINE Hey, man... He shines his light on a blackened scar on the bulkhead. MARINE (continuing) Lookit that. Been some action in here... TULLY Action? MARINE Man, what the fuck you supposed to be doing here? TULLY Forging a new home for mankind in the depths of space. The Marine isn't amused. Tully raises an instrument; it makes a SUCKING noise. TULLY (continuing) Collecting atmosphere samples. MARINE So just do it, right. He move away. TULLY Sure. But he doesn't want to be alone; hustles after the Marine. OFFICER (V.O.) Technician Tully to the hypersleep vault, atmosphere sample... MARINE Sounds like you. TULLY Yeah. MARINE Let's not keep the man waiting. INT. ENTERANCE TO HYPERSLEEP VAULT The Marine OFFICER holds up a tracker -- one of the small motion-sensors familiar from the previous film. Beside him are TWO MORE MARINES. The Officer raises the tracker and scans the face of the door. EXTREME CLOSEUP of tracker screen: zero. ANGLE OFFICER One sample, here. SOUND of Tully's device sucking air. OFFICER (continuing) Get another on the way in. Have they patched line in yet? SECOND MARINE Yessir. Lights on in there. The Officer presses a button. The door slides open. Bright, white. The aisle. Empty. The row of capsules. Tully's Marine is first through the door, gun ready, slow, careful. Tully steps in after him, raises his instrument, takes a sample. INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT The other two Marines move past Tully. Soft SCUFF of their boots on the deck. Tully doesn't know quite what to do. Lowers his sampler, hesitates. The first Marine reaches Newt's capsule. He lowers his rifle. MARINE (something startled, almost gentle in his voice) They're here... Eight inches of razor-sharp serrated tail plunges out through the back of his suit as he's lifted off his feet by something we can't see. Ugly RIPPING noise as the ALIEN withdraws its stinger -- blood tidily contained by the translucent membrane of the biohazard envelope. The stinger of a second Alien whips around the neck of one of the other two Marines; the Alien is clinging to the ceiling. He screams. Tully's Marine sags against the foot of Ripley's capsule, his arm across the controls -- the green indicator lights go out -- as the first Alien lunges up INTO VIEW. CLOSE On the jaws. ANGLE ON RIPLEY Her eyes snap open. RIPLEY'S POV As the beast mounts her coffin, terminal nightmare. ANGLE RIPLEY No-ooooooooooooooooooooo! Her hands claw frantically at the smooth curve of the plastic canopy. The remaining Marine, crazy with adrenaline and terror, unleashes his flame thrower. The first Alien and Ripley's capsule vanish in a napalm fireball. The Marine spins, screaming incoherently, and liquid fire hoses the second Alien, which drops its victim and falls burning into the deck. The vault is an inferno. Ripley's capsule is sagging, melting. DISSOLVE TO: A scorched hypersleep capsule is wheeled in under brilliant lamps. The waiting crisis team plug bio-monitor leads and a HISSING air-supply line into sockets on the capsule. A technician with a small hand-held power saw begins to cut away the heat-crazed canopy. Hands in surgical gloves lift the canopy away. Ripley lies curled in a tight fetal knot. INT. ANCHORPOINT -- MEDLAB QUARANTINE A small white room, a white bed surrounded by medical gear. Hicks, in his underwear, is hunched on the edge of the bed, impatiently smoking a cigarette. The dressing on his head and shoulders have been changed. Spence enters. She wears a biohazard envelope over coveralls, bubble-goggles, a transparent filter-mask. SPENCE (lightly) You know you can't smoke in here? HICKS Yes, ma'am. He takes a puff. SPENCE I'm Spence. I'm not a medic, I'm from the tissue culture lab. I have to get a sample. She opens a small white case and takes out a gleaming cylinder. SPENCE (continuing) Uh, just stick your thumb in here. Hicks gives her a hard look, inserts his thumb; she touches a stud -- SNIK! -- he winces, look ruefully at his thumb. SPENCE (continuing) Sorry. (putting the tissue- sampler away) You're the last one... HICKS (grabs her wrist) The others. Ripley, Newt -- they came through okay? SPENCE Who's Newt? HICKS The kid. SPENCE Rebecca. Rebecca's fine. HICKS Ripley? SPENCE (hesitates) Ripley's fine, Hicks. HICKS Bishop. Where's Bishop? SPENCE (puzzled) Bishop? HICKS The android. SPENCE (carefully, worried that she's gotten in over her head) There were three of you. Three that I know of, anyway. Maybe you should try to sleep now. You want the nurse? They can give you something... HICKS (leaning forward, still gripping Spence's wrists) Why haven't I been debriefed? Where's the brass? SPENCE All I know is, we've all been sleeping short hours since your ship came in, soldier. A CRASH from the corridor, a pained BELLOW, and Newt scuttles in, wearing a hospital gown. She backs into a corner as a large ORDERLY rushes in, clutching his right hand. Like Spence, he wears biohazard gear. ORDERLY Goddamn it! She bit me! He starts for Newt. Hicks comes off the bed like he's mounted on springs, hand cocked for a trained blow. The Orderly backs off. NEWT (near hysteria) Where's Ripley? Where is she? HICKS (straightens out of hand- to-hand crouch without losing any of the threat) She's asking you a question. ORDERLY You looking to get yourself sedated, Corporal? NEWT Where is she? HICKS Now I'm asking you the question... Spence yanks her mask down in a reflexive, very human gesture. Move slowly toward Newt, extending her hand. SPENCE Rebecca... Newt. Honey. It's okay. Ripley's going to be okay. C'mon now, I'll take you, you can see her... ORDERLY Spence, there's no way -- He moves to stop them, but Hicks takes a very deliberate step forward. INT. MEDLAB -- ANOTHER ROOM Ripley lies in a coma, monitored by assorted white consoles. Her forehead is taped with half a dozen small electrodes. Newt, expressionless, walks slowly to the bedside as Hicks and Spence look on. SPENCE She's sleeping. (she and Hicks exchange glances) Sometimes people need to sleep... To get over things... Newt looks up at a monitor that display's Ripley's EEG. Watches the jitter of peaks and valleys. NEWT Is Ripley dreaming? SPENCE I don't know honey. NEWT It's better not to. EXT. RODINA, THE U.P.P. STATION -- VARIOUS ANGLES Smaller than Anchorpoint. INT. RODINA - CYBERNETICS LAB CLOSE on Bishop. He stares straight ahead, the corner of his mouth twitching mechanically. PULL BACK. Bishop's torso is mounted in the center of a large square platform; tubes are wires snake from his ruined lower ribcage. The walls of the labs are lined with monitor screens and printers. Information is being reamed out of the android at high speed, printouts of measurements, graphs, formulas. COLONEL-DOCTOR SUSLOV is beside the Vietnamese Commando, who wears a sleeveless fatigue-blouse revealing regimental tattoos: a yin-yang, hashmarks, an ID marker like a supermarket bar-code. They watch as a graphics program generates a detailed anatomical drawing of a face-hugger on a large monitor. She says something short and emphatic in Vietnamese, repeats it: yes. SUSLOV And this? He taps a keypad and the face-hugger vanishes. The screen begins to draft an Alien in side and frontal projections. FIRST COMMANDO (eyes fixed on the screen in horror and fascination) No... On the slab, the robotic tic still works the corner of Bishop's mouth. INT. SULACO -- CARGO LOCK Two TECHNICIANS in biohazard gear squat on either side of Bishop's legs. An electronic microscope has been set up on a low tripod. A small monitor displays magnified skin and a few dark gobules. One Technician extracts an ultra-fine probe from its sterile package and leans forward. TECH WITH PROBE You getting tape of this, Miller? SECOND TECH You bet your ass. Orders. TECH WITH PROBE That's good because I'd swear I just saw a piece of this shit move... On the monitor, the tip of the probe trembles, brushes one of the globules. The Second Tech takes it, inserts it in a plastic tube, seals the tube in a small metal canisters, and writes #17 on the side in red grease pen. SECOND TECH Since when do androids get diseases? TECH WITH PROBE I dunno. Sure looks like something got to this poor bastard... INT. ROSETTI'S OFFICE CUBICLE COLONEL ROSETTI, Colonial Marines, is Anchorpoint's head of military operations. His office is furnished in the best futuro-Pentagon style: imitation rosewood, division insignia plaques, a desktop model of the drop ships from "Aliens." Rosetti glances up from his monitor as his SECRETARY enters, a young woman in semi-dress Marine uniform. SECRETARY (hands him a stiff red plastic envelope) Welles and Fox, Colonel. Military Sciences, Weapons Division. Rosetti eyes the envelope with evident distaste, scrawls his signature in the required box before opening it, removes documents, and the empty envelope back. ROSETTI Show them in. Secretary exits. ROSETTI'S POV -- CLOSEUP on two plastic microfiche cards, each with front and side views of Fox and Welles, retinal I.D. images, scaled-down fingerprints, etc. Stamped "MILISCI, WEAPONS DIV." FOX (O.S.) Kevin Fox, Colonel. ROSETTI'S POV -- FOX is tanned, athletic, hyperconfident, his smile a heart-less display of state- of-the-art enamel-bonding techniques. WELLES is just behind him. WELLES Susan Welles. Same spa-tuned look, same expensive casualwear. ROSETTI (flatly, with no other effort at greeting) Welcome to Anchorpoint. Fox and Welles seat themselves without waiting to be asked. FOX We're impressed, Colonel. Susan and I are definitely impressed. WELLES The videos don't really give you an idea of the scale, do they? She might as well be talking about a tour of Notre Dame. FOX But we're particularly impressed with your handling of the situation, the situation so far. We're impressed with you cooperation... ROSETTI (flicking the cards down on his desktop with suppressed hostility) We call it "following orders." WELLES Yes. It would simplify things if everyone did, wouldn't it? Particularly the civilian component of that Deck Squad. I think we may have a potential problem there... FOX We've been going over psyche profiles, Colonel. Anchorpoint seems to be the kinds of project that attracts... idealists. ROSETTI (with a thin grin) Liberals. WELLES Let's just say we've noticed a certain antipathy to Military Sciences, Colonel. A certain lack of sympathy with the goals of the Weapons Division... ROSETTI Anchorpoint is under Colonial Administration authority. This isn't a military operation. If it were, we'd be in violation of the Strategic Arms Reductions treaty. FOX Looks great on paper, Colonel, but we want the civilians who boarded Sulaco sewn up. Tight. WELLES Forfeit of shares, for starts. Anyone talks, they lose their shares. We've found it reasonably effective, in most cases... FOX (taking a sheaf of printout from his attach_) But that's a simple matter. This isn't. Sulaco's data base indicates a boarding operation en route, Colonel. ROSETTI A boarding operation? Why wasn't I informed? WELLES We're informing you. You seem to have lost an android, Colonel. The Union of Progressive Peoples have Bishop... DISSOLVE TO: INT. ANCHORPOINT -- ENTRANCE TO ANTI-BUGGING BUBBLE A MARINE ushers Hicks into a large bare chamber. Hicks wears his dress uniform. The room is dominated by the bubble, a mirrored sphere. MARINE This way, Corporal. The Marine leads Hicks up a gangway. Hicks enters the bubble. The Marine closes the door behind him. INT. THE BUBBLE Three members (Rosetti, TRENT, SHUMAN) of Anchorpoint's directorate are seated at a round table; with them are Fox and Welles. Hicks comes to attention and salutes. ROSETTI At ease, Hicks. Be seated. My name is Rosetti. Station's military attach_. From my right: Trent, exobiology... Shuman, Diplomatic Corps... From your right... FOX I'm Kevin Fox, Hicks. This is Susan Welles. We're with the Company. We'd like to congratulate you on a successful mission. HICKS Successful? I lost my squad in that hole... WELLES But you returned, Corporal. And you've rescued the colony's sole survivor... ROSETTI (picks up a sheaf of printout) We've all read the transcript of you debriefing, Hicks... HICKS Where's Bishop? Sir. ROSETTI (blinks) If you don't mind, Hicks, we'll table that until -- TRENT I've read the transcript. Are you certain, Hicks, that you have nothing more to tell us about the alien's life cycle? Detail, Hicks. Detail is crucial... ROSETTI Trent, the subject is classified. Corporal Hicks' security rating need to be upgraded before we can -- HICKS (ignoring Rosetti, he addresses Trent) I've already told you everything I know. ROSETTI Hick -- FOX Let the Corporal have his say, Colonel. After all, he's seen these creatures in action. ROSETTI You ordered the subject classified Maximum Security, Fox. TRENT I seriously doubt the Corporal Hicks knows anything more than he's already told us. Which is a great pity. But the android, Bishop, was designed for scientific observation. A Hyperdyne model A/5, a walking data bank... WELLES Corporal Hick asked the right questions to begin with. ROSETTI (stiffly) To answer your question, Hicks: we aren't certain. WELLES (heavy sarcasm) But we can guess, can't we Colonel? HICKS (to Welles) Where? FOX Rodina station. HICKS The U.P.P.? What's the U.P.P. got to go with this? ROSETTI Sulaco's navigation system failed. You were in disputed territory for something over eighty-five minutes, Hicks. The U.P.P. would ordinarily respond to that as a violation of their space. So far there's been no protest. Nothing. (he hesitates) Sulaco's computer indicates a covert boarding operation... FOX "Indicates"... SHUMAN To put it in diplomatic terms, Hicks, they've got our ass in a sling. If they want to regard the Sulaco incident as a hostile act -- and let me assure you that they will, eventually -- they can compromise our position in the current round of arms reduction talks. We're talking serious ramifications here. Then we have the communications lag to and from Earth. A week either way. So we're looking at a fourteen day wait for policy clarification. We may have a major crisis on our hands. WELLES We arrived with a policy brief, Shuman, and you've seen it. We're here to implement that brief. ROSETTI And you orders predate knowledge of U.P.P. involvement. FOX We're here to do our job, Colonel. SHUMAN In this case, "doing your job" might involve the distinct possibility of precipitating nuclear war -- ROSETTI (quick to break in; the subject's too sensitive for enlisted ears) Any further questions for the Corporal? No? In that case, Hicks... HICKS Sir. Hicks stands, salutes. INT. ACHORPOINT -- R & R ZONE, "THE MALL" Tully slopes along looking haggard and spaced. He wears his trademark jacket. The Mall is a cross between a Hyatt atrium and an airport shopping concourse: shops, vegetation, fast food outlets, a bar. He arrives at what are apparently elevator doors. The doors open on a miniature subway car. Tully steps in and the doors close. INT. TISSUE CULTURE LAB Spence is working with cultures. Her arms are up to the elbows in a pair of white gloves mounted in round openings on the side of a transparent plastic tank. She looks up as Tully enters. TULLY Hey. SPENCE You look like homemade shit. (she withdraws her hands, the gloves pop out) What happened down there, Tully? There's some kind of security blackout on... TULLY Yeah. And I'm part of it... I can't tell you anything. Had to sign a whole new set of papers. Talk to anybody and I lose my shares. All my shares, right? SPENCE You joking, Tully? TULLY Wish I were... (changes the subject) What's the old man got for me to dick around with this shift? She crosses to a lab bench and takes something from a white wire basket. SPENCE Here. All yours. Orders are, you use the manipulators for this. She hands him something wrapped in a sheet of white printout held with a rubber band. He removes the band, unrolls the paper. The canister. Number 17. SPENCE (continuing) What the hell did happen on the ship, Tully? How come all the biopsy work on those three? and his very quiet sudden backlog of autopsy material? How come it's all triple-classified? What's going on? We had these two spooks from Gateway in here today acted like they just bought the place... TULLY (with a nervous glance around the lab) Okay, okay... But later, okay? Not here... DISSOLVE TO: INT. TISSUE CULTURE LAB Tully at the controls of a pair of high-tech servo-manipulators visible through the tick glass of an ultra-heavy duty rectangular tank. The controls are gloves. A cable leads from the wrist of each glove to the face of the tanks. Tully move his hands, testing. The skeletal steels waldos inside the tank mimic each move. He uses them to open the canister. An electronic microscope is built into the tank, its monitor just above the window. He positions the probe's tip under the microscope. ANGLE OVER TOP OF MONITOR for his reaction. TULLY Spence... What is this? Where did it come from? Spence strolls up behind his with a cup of coffee, a pen tucked behind her ear. SPENCE C'mon, Charlie, don't you read the spec sheets anymore? It's off the shop. Off your transport. It's... God. SPENCE'S POV -- CLOSE ON THE MONITOR The tip of the probe is encased in a sheath of glittering back filigree. ANGLE SPENCE Up the rez... Tully taps a lapboard; magnifications increases by twenty powers. EXTREME CLOSEUP -- MONITOR As the screen fills with an image that might be a bizarre landscape, its lines and textures recalling the interior of the derelict ship in "ALIEN." DISSOLVE TO: INT. ECO-MODULE An experimental pocket Eden: a half-acre of artfully ragged concrete Disneyland into lush rainforest, sun-dappled miniature meadows, patches of African cactus. Newt crouches in long grass, her hand extended toward a small animal. A lemur. Hicks stands nearby. NEWT Have you been there, Hicks? Africa? HICKS Morocco. Four weeks of Basic. But was mountains. Not like this. The lemur scoots away, spooked by his voice; Newt watches as it scurries up a tree. NEWT I'd like to go there... HICKS No problem. You're going to Gateway station on Sulaco, right? Then you catch a shuttle down and you're in Oregon. Just a jump over a puddle, to Africa, once you're there. Spence walks out of the miniature jungle, carrying a white wire tray of samples in plastic lab bottles. NEWT I don't remember them... SPENCE Your grandparents? Newt nods. SPENCE (continuing) Well, guess they remember you. Sure. NEWT But what if Ripley wakes up and I'm not here? Can't I wait? HICKS Hey. She'll know where you're going, right? Anyway, Sulaco's the only ship back to Gateway for two months. But look, you want to make double sure, then you leave her a map, exactly where you're going... Spence grins at Hicks. INT. NEWT'S DORM CUBICLE Newt at a fold-down desk, at work on an elaborate multicolor feltpen starmap. A dotted line zigzags from Anchorpoint to Portland, Oregon. She carefully prints her new address: NEWT JORDEN c/o MR. & MRS. RICHARD JORDEN 34877 GREENLEAF AVE. #582 NEW PORTLAND, OREGON AB994J2 Ripley wan and comatose. Hicks waits awkwardly in the doorway, dangling Newt's knapsack, as she enters and tapes the finished starmap to the wall; the first thing Ripley would see, waking. Newt beside the bed, look down at her friend. NEWT Ripley? Ripley, it's Newt. I... I gotta go now. I'm going to stay with my grandparents, in Oregon. Hicks says that's a good place... There's a map for you, Ripley, how to get there. You can come there and stay with me, okay? You have to, okay? Tears on her cheeks as Hicks puts his hand on her shoulder and they leave the room. INT. DEPARTURE BAY Newt and Hicks amid a bustle of power-loaders, assorted robot vehicles. They approach the entrance to a narrow corridor. Sign: DEPARTURE BAY -- CREW ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT. HICKS That's you. NEWT I know. HICKS Good luck in Oregon. He holds the red knapsack as she slips into the straps. NEWT Hicks... HICKS Yeah? She look at him: ghost of a grin. She gives him the thumbs-up sign. NEWT Affirmative. He returns the sign HICKS Affirmative. She turns and makes her way up the narrow boarding corridor. It's long, tapers to nothing. Tiny figure, receding, bright dot of the knapsack. She turns, waves. He waves back. She's gone. EXT. ANCHORPOINT Sulaco pulls away, begins to accelerate, dwindles against the stars. DISSOLVE TO: INT. RODINA -- CONFERENCE CHAMBER Cigarette-smoke drifts above a long narrow table in a narrow space. A half- dozen ranking TECHNOCRATS are jammed along wither side in folding chairs, with Colonel-Doctor Suslov at the head. BRAUN (Rodina's chief of R&D) Obviously, Colonel Doctor, the purpose of their mission was to obtain specimens of this lifeform. The android dissected a single specimen. One of the pre-larval forms -- like the thing that killed Lenko. AN OFFICER And you believe that these creature are of potential military importance? BRAUN Yes, provided it's possible to clone the alien spores recovered from the android's skin and clothing... SUSLOV With the goal of programming these "machines" for use as weapons? BRAUN The adult form, Colonel-Doctor, is evidently a killing-machine of great strength, extraordinary sophistication. No evidence of intelligence. Purely instinctual. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER Our sources in the corporationist infrastructure are aware of the existence of a special project with Weyland-Yutani's Weapons Division. We have been unable to penetrate their security... SUSLOV The Intelligence Officer suggests that this special project concerns the alien? DIPLOMATIC OFFICER I remind you, Colonel-Doctor, that we experiment with the alien genetic material only if we are prepared to violate primary biological warfare limitations in the Strategic Arms Reduction treaty... BRAUN An I reminds the Diplomatic Officer that the Weyland Yutani corporation is obviously prepared to do so -- that they may already be doing so... As ever, our level of technology lags slightly behind that of the capitalist cartels... But now, by chance -- MILITARY OFFICER By chance? You refer to the proven bravery and constant initiative of our People's Commando Division -- BRAUN (smoothly, a seasoned political infighter covering his bases) Not at all, Major. Their courage is unquestioned. Nonetheless, consider: we are in possession of a potential weapon -- a whole new technology, if you will -- which Weyland Yutani clearly intends to develop. We are in, as they might put it, on the ground floor. But only if we choose to be, if we choose to hold our advantage. SUSLOV I agree. We have no choice but to proceed. DIPLOMATIC OFFICER Then I go on record as strongly advising that the android be returned to Anchorpoint. Are our technicians capable of repairing the thing? BRAUN Repairing it? Why? DIPLOMATIC OFFICER You lack a sense of the importance of gesture, Braun. Let us avoid their customary accusations of barbarism... And buy ourselves time... SUSLOV Our technicians will repair the thing. Return it to them... And we will proceed. We will clone the alien... INT. ANCHORPOINT -- TISSUE CULTURE LAB TRENT, head of BioLab, Rosetti, and Fox wait, seated, as Tully wheels a Holographic Display Module into position. The lights dim. A faint, ghostly cube shimmers in front of the three men. TRENT Initially this was merely routine, you understand. We attempted to determine its compatibility with terrestrial DNA. FOX What kind of DNA exactly, Doctor? TRENT Human, of course. Something shivers and shakes and takes form in the cube of light: a double helix threaded with green and red beads of light. TRENT (continuing) Watch closely, please. The alien genetic material looks like a cubist's vision of an art deco staircase, its asymmetrical segments glowing Day-glo green and purple. ROSETTI That's a biological structure? More like part of a machine... The alien form makes contact with the human DNA. The transformation is shockingly swift, but its stages can still be followed: the thing seems to pull itself into and through the coils, and for an instant the two are meshed, locked, and then the final stage. A new shape glows, a hybrid; the green and red beads have been altered beyond recognition. FOX Like a high-speed viral takeover...! What's the real-time duration on this, Trent? TULLY (from the shadows beyond the glowing cube) That was it. What you see is what you get. That's how fast it is... INT. ANCHORPOINT -- MACHINE SHOP Hicks enters the cavernous shop, dodging out of the way of an emerging power- loader. The place is an oily forest of steel; machines of various kinds await repair. WALKER is at a workbench, a big man in a grease-stained vest. HICKS Hicks. Temporary duty assignment. Walker works the joystick on a handheld remote control unit. An unmanned power-loader comes to life and lumbers toward the bench. He brings it to a halt expertly, exactly where he wants it, with few casual twiddles of the stick. WALKER Walker. Know how to blow out the hydraulic lines on a force-feedback system? HICKS No. WALKER Never too late to learn. He offers Hicks a cigarette, lights it for him with a micro-torch from the bench. WALKER (continuing) You off the mystery ship, Hicks? HICKS Sulaco? What's the mystery? WALKER (lighting his own cigarette) Popular question. Whole thing's triple-classified now and word's getting around that two of the deck party never came back. HICKS (shrugs) I was iced. WALKER Sure... HICKS You ready to show me his feedback system? WALKER (eyes Hicks narrowly) Anytime. INT. OPS ROOM PAN along Jackson's multi-screen array in Operations, video images of various Anchorpoint locales: space-suited figure and robot welders making routine hull repairs. HIGH ANGLE -- THE MALL A buzzer SOUNDS. Screen directly in front of Jackson displays: INCOMING TRANSMISSION SOURCE: U.P.P. RODINA DIPLOMATIC INCRYPT>>> >>>DIPL CORPS SHUMAN Jackson bobs her head, moving the cursor-cap to various "windows" on the screen. JACKSON (speaking into headset mike) Somebody find me Shuman -- tell his we got incoming Rodina coded standard diplomatic. His opposite number must've decided it's time for the weekly bullshit session... INT. ANTI-BUGGING BUBBLE Shuman is seated alone at the round table. A miniature video camera is set up on the table. Opposite him is a large wall screen displaying an image of the U.P.P. Diplomatic Officer, also alone, seated at the far end of the narrow table in the Rodina conference room. SHUMAN Androids, by law, are afforded the status of persons. Citizens. DIPLOMATIC OFFICER Under your system, yes. We prefer to afford them the status of machines. SHUMAN You're holding one of our citizens captive. DIPLOMATIC OFFICER The "citizen" in question, the synthetic, Bishop, has been held in regard to a treaty violation involving an armed vessel. SHUMAN Sulaco was homing on Anchorpoint. The so-called violation was the result of a malfunction. DIPLOMATIC OFFICER The matter is under investigation. SHUMAN I repeat: you are holding one of our citizens. DIPLOMATIC OFFICER The incident is also being investigated with regards to an apparent violations of the Strategic Arms Reductions treaty. SHUMAN Sulaco's weapons-systems fall entirely within the prescribed -- DIPLOMATIC OFFICER I refer to those sections of the treaty concerned with biological warfare. Beat. The U.P.P. Diplomat has just scored, but Shuman maintains his poise. SHUMAN The allegation is false. DIPLOMATIC OFFICER We make no official allegations at this time. The matter remains under investigation. Bishop, however, is of no further use in the inquiry. We are returning him to you. EXT. ANCHORPOINT -- SHUTTLE BAY -- A U.P.P. SHUTTLE docking. They bay closes behind it. (V.O.: STATIC, VOICES of Anchorpoint docking crew.) INT. SHUTTLE BAY Shuman and two Marines enter the bay. They wear biohazard envelopes, masks. The shuttle's hatch opens and the Vietnamese Commando steps out. Bishop emerges. He looks at the Commando, then at Shuman and the Marines waiting at the bottom of the gangway. The Commando gestures: go. SHUMAN You're under quarantine orders, Bishop. (to the Marines) Escort him to MedLab. INT. THE MALL Hicks has just come off shift; the Mall's bar catches his eye. The facade says it all: ye olde pre-packaged genuine simulated wood-grain generic tavern and the only joint in town. One wall is a screen showing a stale rerun of a Brazilian soccer match. Some of the customers play hologram game-consoles. Tully is seated at the bar. Hicks takes a stool beside him. HICKS Beer. He fishes his dog tags out and detaches one, passes it to the bartender; the bartender inserts it in a terminal, rings up the beer, hands it back. TULLY You're Hicks. Sulaco... Tully, in his trademark jacket, is obviously drunk. HICKS Who're you? TULLY Tully. Tech Five. Tissue lab. D-fucking-NA. Jesus... Sulaco... Lucky. HICKS Lucky? Who? You lucky, man? TULLY You. You're one lucky sonofabitch, Hicks. Knocks back his drink. HICKS How's that? TULLY All that way. All the way back here with those... Those fucking things, man... Tully has just gotten his sudden, undivided attention. HICKS Things? What things? TULLY Shit... We had to sign. All of us. Lose our fucking shares we tell anybody, right? HICKS (his whole body tense) They were on the ship... TULLY Yeah. Jesus. I saw 'em... Reaches for his glass, but it's empty. HICKS Where? How many? When? TULLY (Suddenly remembering his shares) Look, I... (cuts a glance around the bar) Bad place to talk... I gotta go now, leave... HICKS (grabbing Tully before he can slide off the stool) You aren't going anywhere, buddy. Tully, sudden energy, not so much at Hicks as at his whole situation: TULLY I didn't come out here to work on shit like that. Came out here to help design ecosystems, not build designer for the next year... You want an earful? You got it. Shift after next, place called DP-54, Level 7 map. Can't talk here... He twists out of Hick's grip and into the crowd. Hicks sits at the bar, staring at his untouched beer. DISSOLVE TO: INT. THE BUBBLE Rosetti, Trent, Fox, and Welles. WELLES And Bishop has agreed to undergo complete physical and chemical analysis? ROSETTI He requested it himself. FOX Results? TRENT No irregularities so far. No trace of the alien cellular material... WELLES Tampering, then? Reprogramming? Any new circuits in our Mr. Bishop? Any little surprises courtesy of the U.P.P.? TRENT No. Nothing. FOX And his data on the Aliens? All there? Intact? TRENT Yes, it seems to be. But if his memory's been tampered with, we'd have no way of knowing. Neither would he... WELLES In any case, we have to assume that the U.P.P. accessed Bishop's memory. That they have the data. They may also have specimens of the alien genetic material... ROSETTI In other words, you want to get on with your brief, don't you? You want Trent to clone the cultures. And you didn't want Shuman at this meeting. FOX This isn't a question of diplomacy, Colonel Rosetti. ROSETTI Isn't it? A violation of the S.A.R. treaty? FOX Has anyone mentioned military applications, Colonel? Trent? TRENT (smiles) No. I think a very nice case can be made for applied exobiology. We do have a standing order to study alien life-forms when we encounter them. Preliminary analysis of the material from Sulaco reveals a remarkable adaptive capacity. The potential for cancer research alone... WELLES Imagine, Colonel: if it can be programmed to only kill cancer cells... ROSETTI And what exactly is it you propose to do, Trent? FOX (before Trent can answer) We'll nourish the cells is stasis tubes, under constant observation. We'll terminate them before they become embryos... ROSETTI I see. Cancer research. And our motives are exclusively humanitarian. Is that it? WELLES Colonel, when Shuman gets his reply from Earth, priority will go to military development of the Alien. We know that because we know where our orders came from. The decision has already been made. FOX And potential U.P.P. research in the same direction only adds to the urgency, Colonel. ROSETTI The decision rests with me. WELLES Perhaps you misunderstood, Rosetti. The decision has been made. FOX They won't just break you, Colonel, they'll see to it that it's as though your career never happened. They're top people. That can do that. And you know it. Rosetti, with a long, cold look for both of them; he got the message: ROSETTI Shuman, of course, will have to be informed. FOX Of course. "Cancer research"... INT. MEDLAB -- SCAN UNIT Bishop patiently undergoes a scan; he lies on his back on a narrow support as a massive donut-shaped sensor moves down the length of his body. A life-size color scan-image is displayed on a large screen: his "organs." TECHNICIAN The knees. Looks like they do the joints in polycarbon... MEDIC How about it, Bishop? Knees okay? BISHOP Yes... Tentative smile. TECHNICIANS Polycarbon. Won't hold up worth a damn... INT. RODINA -- BIOLAB smaller than the Anchorpoint lab. Equipment look less advanced. The only light is the yellowish glow from a stasis tube; Braun and two assistants are clustered around the tube, observing the thing suspended there: thumb-sized, grayish-pink. An embryo. INT. ANCHORPOINT -- A TUNNEL AT THE EDGE OF THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE Hicks jogs through the tunnel. Its brightly-lit arc of white ceramic recalls London tube stations, but the floor is paved smooth and black, with freshly- painted traffic symbols. He passes a woman jogging in the opposite direction, keeps going. Small video cameras are mounted at intervals overhead, panning slowly form side to side. As he continues, less of the tunnel is finished; sections of tile are missing, revealing pipes, wiring, structural steel. Past a certain point eh's jogging the raw steel tube, splashing through shallow puddles of condensation. Fewer lights, widely spaced. He reaches a junction and pauses, chooses a tunnel. INT. CONSTRUCTION ZONE CHAMBER -- HIGH, LONG SHOT -- HICKS comes out of the lit mouth of a tunnel. The space he enters is the size of a football stadium, but dark and industrially Gothic. Stacks of hull-plate and geodesic struts. A shower of sparks as he passes a robot welder (a la the machine in the opening sequence of "Aliens"). Down the aisle of material and heavy machinery. Spence is waiting. SPENCE Hicks. She's in the shadows, smoking a cigarette. HICKS You, huh? Why you? SPENCE I work in the lab with Tully. He couldn't make it. HICKS Hangover? SPENCE Sacred... That forfeit agreement he had to sign. HICKS Doesn't scare you? SPENCE I haven't signed. Not yet. They've only given them to the ones who saw what happened. HICKS Why you? SPENCE Tully's okay, Hicks. I know him. Believe it or not, he doesn't scare that easy. He told me what was on that ship, Hicks. What he saw. You know what is was. HICKS I don't think anybody knows what it is... SPENCE They've got us growing the stuff. We've been running recombinant DNA routines on it, using human genetic material... HICKS You've been what? SPENCE (stubbing out her cigarette) Cancer research. Tully says that's just a cover. Says it's like trying to cure cancer with a shotgun. Anyway, everybody know those two spooks from Gateway are MiliSci... HICKS Fox and Welles? SPENCE Weapons Division. Not even supposed to exist, these days. Not officially, anyway. HICKS (lights a cigarette of his own) I still don't see why you're telling me this. SPENCE Maybe I don't either. It's just... we've got to tell somebody... Now there's a rumor somebody came in on a U.P.P. ship today, somebody off Sulaco... HICKS Bishop... SPENCE I don't know. HICKS Maybe Progressive Peoples'll get their own Alien too. Maybe they'll grow some... SPENCE (horrified) Shit! You'd better hope not... HICKS Why's that? SPENCE Their lab gear's five years behind ours. They'd never be able to control it. HICKS Think you can, huh? SPENCE I don't know... INT. OPS ROOM A BLEEP as Tully appears on one of Jackson's screens, looking up at a camera in the tissue culture lab. TULLY Get me some maintenance people down here, will ya? Run a check on the stasis system. Pressure differential's off and the read keep fluctuating. And punch it Priority One; Trent'll cover it. JACKSON (with a characteristic little jerk of her head, light-pen winking) Sure. You want a piece of the Superbowl, Tully? TULLY Nah. JACKSON Denver... TULLY Denver? No way. Gimme a tenth on Chicago. INT. RODINA -- BIOLAB Braun is seated at a computer, entering data. Suslov is staring into the stasis tube containing the developing Alien. SUSLOV There's an irony in this... BRAUN (engrossed in the data) Irony, Colonel-Doctor? SUSLOV The readiness with which it lends itself to genetic manipulation, Braun. The speed with which its cells multiply. BRAUN Yes. Remarkable. SUSLOV As though the gene-structure had been designed for ease of manipulation. And this apparently universal compatibility with other plasms... BRAUN (reluctantly abandoning his task) And you find this ironic? SUSLOV Ironic that we are attempting to program it as a weapon, yes. BRAUN How is that? SUSLOV Perhaps it is the fruit of some ancient experiment... A living artifact, the product of genetic engineering... A weapon. Perhaps we are looking at the end result of yet another arms race... BRAUN A defeatist attitude, Colonel-Doctor. Our project can only strengthen the Union of Progressive Peoples... CLOSE -- THE STASIS TUBE -- A CHEST-BURSTER is suspended there like an eyeless fetal dolphin. INT. MACHINE SHOP Hicks, alone in the shop, mechanically going through the motions of the busywork he's been assigned to keep him out of the way. BISHOP (from the doorway) That's quite a piece of machinery, Corporal Hicks... HICKS (looking up, grinning) That's what we used to say about you. How the hell are you, Bishop? Brass said you were snatched by the U.P.P. How're things in the socialist paradise? BISHOP I was returned. I assume they had no further use for me. He moves among the silent machines, touching them as he speaks. BISHOP (continuing) There are rumors, Hicks, that Weapons Division intends to develop the Alien. HICKS (with a glance at the video camera on the wall) Where'd the bastards get one, Bishop? BISHOP One of them managed to board Sulaco, Hicks. Ripley killed it... HICKS Good for her. BISHOP She called it "the queen." It was larger than the others. Very large. Somehow is deposited genetic material in the ship. HICKS Then they're stone cold crazy, man. I hear the U.P.P. might try it themselves. BISHOP Given the current state of the arms race, it's entirely possible. I'm programmed to protect human life, Hicks. It's my... nature. Everything I am, everything I know, tells me this experiment must be aborted. HICKS Yeah. I know the feeling. BISHOP But I can't be entirely sure you can trust me, Hicks. HICKS You can't what? BISHOP The U.P.P. may have reprogrammed me. I've been very thoroughly examined, of course, but the possibility does exist. HICKS Wouldn't you know? BISHOP No. I may be functioning as an enemy agent. HICKS (beat) What the hell. We have to kill it, don't we? BISHOP I have to try. HICKS I'm in man. And I think I know where we can find us a little help... DISSOLVE TO: INT. TISSUE LAB Spence and Tully are alone. SPENCE What coffee? I'm going to the machine. TULLY No. He peers into one of the stasis tubes; a small ovoid of tissue suspended there. SPENCE Maintenance cure your pressure differential problem? TULLY Said there wasn't any. Said it was a glitch. SPENCE Didn't want to get his hands dirty? TULLY It settled down by itself. Spence exits; Tully moves closer to the tube. CLOSE -- THE SINGLE DEVELOPING SPORE inside; it looks like a much smaller version of the alien egg. WIDER ANGLE TULLY Hey there. Hi ya. How ya doin'? Nutrient solution agreeing with you, hm? We're looking lots bigger today, aren't we? You bet. Terrific. Just absolutely fucking wonderful... His monologue is interrupted by Welles' entrance; he's startled, looks up guiltily. The heavy glass doors HISS shut behind her. WELLES Communing with nature, Tully? TULLY Your not wearing a badge. (taps the plastic ID clipped to his lab coat) White strap registers contamination. Turns red if you're accidentally exposed to something. Got it? WELLES Where's Trent? TULLY Lunch. WELLES And how's our friend? She moves to the stasis tube, looks in. TULLY Friends. Our little friends. Growing. WELLES Get me hard copy for the past six hours. TULLY Sorry. Ask Trent. WELLES I don't think you understood me, Technician Tully... She's following him as he nears the main computer console; in the b.g., a stasis tube begins to HISS. CRACKS loudly, a hairline fracture emits a superfine spray of fluid. An alarm SOUNDS. WELLES (continuing) What does th -- TULLY O Jesus... Two of the tubes BLOW OUT. Nutrient fluid and plastic shards everywhere. Welles and Tully go down. A louder ALARM cuts in; red lights strobe. Locks in the doors THUNK shut, an automatic containment measure, as Spence, outside, throws down her coffee and begins to struggle with the door-controls, trying to reach Tully. Tully, facedown in a pool of the fluid, see that he's nine inches away from the gray pigeon's-egg of alien tissue. His eyes widen. Gets to his knees as carefully as he can. Reaches slowly -- slowly -- sideways, manages to snag a pair of plastic tongs and a shallow lab tray from the counter... Welles tries to scramble to her feet, loses her balance in the slippery goop, and snatches at his arm. He nearly falls on top of the thing, but cuffs her roughly away, kneels, tongs poised... Beat. A tiny orifice opens; for a split-second something glitters above the thing, a faint, fist-sized cloud of dark mist. Then it's gone and Tully's moving, swooping in with tongs and tray. SPENCE (V.O.) (intercom) Tully! Tully, Goddamn it! What's happening? Are you okay? TULLY De-con. Get us down to De-con! Welles is struggling to her feet. INT. DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER Drenched, naked, furious, Welles is nearly invisible behind a scalding downpour as techs in biohazard gear scrub her down with detergents and antibacterial agents. She shoots eye-daggers at Tully, who's being worked over by two more techs. DISSOLVE TO: INT. OPS ROOM Jackson at work. PAN ACROSS screens to security camera view of the DNA lab, clean now but minus two stasis tubes -- image identified: TISSUE CULTURE / 25 AUGUST / 1900:15 HOURS. Jackson's attention is elsewhere. INT. A CORRIDOR Hicks keeps watch as Bishop open a panel, exposing complex wiring; no hesitation whatever as he strips two wires, removes a Walkman-sized VCR from his belt, and clips lead to the stripped wires. INT. OPS ROOM CLOSE on monitor image of the lab. The picture fuzzes out, scrambles, returns -- but now reads: TISSUE CULTURE / 23 AUGUST / 1200:02 HOURS and the missing tubes are back in place. INT. ENTRANCE -- OUTSIDE LAB BISHOP We have three minutes at the outside. HICKS Go. Bishop punches the code-sequence and the door hisses open; they're through, moving. INT. TISSUE CULTURE LAB They move down the row of stasis tubes. Bishop pauses when they reach the two units with missing tubes, then quickly moves on. He opens a wall panel, exposing controls and a large, very serious-looking red switch. Label above switch: STASIS SYSTEM MICROWAVE STERILIZATION Then, he hesitates. Turning slowly, as if under compulsion, he looks back; the line of glowing tubes. HICKS Do it! And still he doesn't move... Hicks darts his arm past Bishop, breaking the trance and yanking the red switch. A burst of unpleasant high-frequency SOUND as the fluid in the tubes instantly begins to boil. CLOSE ON ONE OF THE ALIEN CULTURES as it bursts, disintegrates into a film of slime lost behind a storm of bubbles. The lab's ALARM system goes off. The doors slide open as three MARINES cover Hicks and Bishop with handguns. MARINES Just don't you fucking move, Jack. Hicks stonefaces the Marines. Then cracks a grin. INT. DETENTION UNIT Hicks and Bishop, in white plastic "medical restraints" (like arm and leg- irons) precede the grim-faced Marines along a corridor and are thrown into separate cells. DISSOLVE TO: INT. THE BUBBLE Meeting of Anchorpoint's full directorate, including Welles and Fox, Jackson, and a number of new faces. Welles is white-lipped with fury. JACKSON They knew the code, didn't they? The code for the door... FOX You got it, Ops. And they knew just where to go which button to push to poach our eggs for us, didn't they? Struggling with an idea, Ops? Think it may even have been an inside job? JACKSON You're a Grade A Company prick, aren't you, mister? (Her bitch truckdriver side; a tough lady, used to taking a lot of life-or- death responsibility in her job.) WELLES The Anchorpoint phase of the project is terminated, Rosetti. You'll keep Hicks and the android in solitary until they can return with us to Gateway to stand trial for treason. TRENT The Anchorpoint phase? What do you mean? We have no more material to work with... FOX You have no more material to work with, Trent. In any case, it's become obvious that you aren't quiet the man for the job. We took the precaution of obtaining our own samples. They're on their way to Gateway. WELLES (with cold satisfaction) ... and everything, every move each of you have made, since our arrival, is going to be gone over with a fine toothed c-c-c-c-- As Welles begins to stammer, her eyes betray a terrible consternation. She rises from her chair, lurches forward, catching herself on her hands. The C-C-C-C-C phases into a chattering palsy as a thick strand of blood-streaked drool descends toward the table. Fox, seated to her left, has instinctively shoved his own chair back, ready to run. Everyone else is frozen with shock. As the chittering tooth-burr becomes a shrill SHRIEK of inhuman rage, the transformation takes place. Segmented biomechanoid tendons squirm beneath the skin of her arms. Her hands claw at one another, tearing redundant flesh from alien talons. Then the shriek dies. She straightens up. And, rips her face apart in a single movement, the glistening claws coming away with skin, eyes, muscle, teeth, and splinters of bone... SOUND of ripping cloth. The New Beast sheds its human skin in a single sinuous, bloody ripple, molting on fast forward. An instant of utter silence as the featureless mask moves. From side to side. Scanning. Trent vomits explosively. The Marine guard snatches his pistol from its holster and FIRES wildly across the table. Blind screaming chaos. OVERHEAD SHOT as the directorate plunges, like a single panicked organism, to the far side of the bubble. The thing is on Fox before he can get up from his chair. CLOSE On his scream as the sucking, fanged tongue plunges through the orbit of his eye. ANGLE A Marine with a flamethrower bursts through the door, torching Fox and the New Beast, setting fire to the bubble's acoustic foam baffles. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE TULLY'S SLEEPING CUBICLE Spence is coming down the corridor, carrying a clear plastic bag of styrofoam food containers. Nobody else in sight. She look tired, but not particularly worried. She reaches the door to his cubicle. Thumps on it with the heal of her hand. SPENCE Tully! Hey! Open up.. Got you some food... No reply. She thumps again, then punches the combination (the lock look like a telephone key-pad). Door opens. Dark inside. SPENCE (continuing) Tully? You sleeping? She climbs in. Dark. Very. A red LED glows on the phone console. She crawls through the detritus of Tully's housekeeping and fumbles with the lights. Can't find the switch. SPENCE Tully? Lights CLICK on. Nobody there. Nothing. Looks even messier then she last saw it. She sighs, puts the bag of food on a ledge, scoops up a mound of dirty cloths off the pillow in an automatic cleaning-up gesture. And sees Tully's lab badge. Picks it up. CLOSE ON THE BADGE The contamination indicator strip is red. DISSOLVE TO: INT. DETENTION CELL Hicks sitting on the narrow bunk. Door opens. One of the Marines who arrested his in the lab; he wears combat armor now. HICKS What's your problem, bud? Got a war on? The Marine steps back, admitting a haggard Rosetti. ROSETTI Get up, Hicks. We need you in the Ops Room. HICKS We didn't kill it. ROSETTI No. It killed Fox and Welles... INT. TUNNEL, CONSTRUCTION ZONE Small vehicle WHINES TOWARD US through puddles of condensation: a skeletal electric motor-jeep with heavy roll bars, scratched and paint-scarred. Walker driving. Hick behind him in partial combat armor and communication rig, cradling a pulse-rifle. Walker is pushing it, driving fast; the jeep bounces and sways, skitters around a corner. Into the gloom of the big construction chamber. Halts. HICKS (into mouthpiece) Gimme a read. JACKSON (V.O.) (from headset) You're close. Hang a left. HICKS Is he moving? JACKSON No... Walker swing the jeep around and they roll toward a narrow gap between massive stacks of geodesic struts. INT. OPS ROOM Jackson studies a simulator screen; a moving cursor, the Jeep, navigates a 3D grid-representation of the construction zone. JACKSON No left again. The cursor turns. Nears a blinking red dot. Spence, drawn and anxious, looks over Jackson's shoulder. Bishop and Rosetti are beside her. SPENCE You're sure it's him? JACKSON It's his locator frequency, isn't it? No two alike. Surgically implanted. Just like yours... SPENCE (gnaws at her lip) He's not moving... ROSETTI Why would he go down there? BISHOP The badge. He knew that he's been infected... SPENCE Scared. He's scared. (shudders) Tully... INT. CONSTRUCTION CHAMBER Dark. The Jeep creeps along between stacks of prefab hull units, emerges into a open space, junctions of several corridors. The deck is an inch deep in water. JACKSON (V.O.) He's there! You're right on top of him! Walker stops the jeep. Hicks stands up, plays the beam of a flashlight around the area. Presses the mute button on his headset. HICKS (bellows) Tully! Tully! Yo! ECHO. DRIP of water. Hicks clips the flashlight beneath the barrel of his gun and jumps down. Reflections ripple as he moves forward. Swings the beam along the surface -- something there... The logo-patches down a sleeve of Tully's ruptured, blood-soaked leather jacket. Drifting shred of human tissue... JACKSON (V.O.) Can you see him? HICKS Yeah. And the thing that was Tully launches itself from the top of one of the stacks of construction material. Lands on top of the jeep, going for Walker, through the roll bars. CLOSEUP ON JAWS CLOSEUP as the thing's tail lashes past Walker's face, taking a nick out of a steel bar. on the controls, a pair of levers: he yanks one back, shoves the other forward, thumbs both drive buttons simultaneously. ANGLE The jeep (separate drive-trains for each wheel) pulls two three-sixties on a dime, hurling the thing toward Hicks. It smashes into the desk, splash of water, leaps for Hicks instantly. The charge from his pulse-rifle takes it in mid-air, hideous bile-yellow spurt of acid... And it hits the water again with a terrific EXPLOSION of steam. The jeep lurches out through the steam, engines SCREAMING, wheels losing traction through the puddle, throwing up fantails of water, nearly overturning. Hicks jumps, snags a roll bar, empties the pulse-rifle's clip into the steam on full-auto as Walker hauls ass back down the corridor... JACKSON (V.O.) Hicks! What's happening? INT. OPS ROOM JACKSON Hicks? Hicks! CLOSE ON SCREEN as the jeep-cursor speeds away from Tully's blinking locator-dot. Spence's eyes fixed on the screen as she makes a serious stab at swallowing her own fist. DISSOLVE TO: INT. RODINA -- BIOLAB VERY SLOW PAN past monitors -- one flickering like a defective strobe, the other displaying a readout in Russian -- past an overturned mug on a keyboard, past assorted equipment, past the shattered ruin of the big stasis tube, to Suslov and Braun cocooned in a glittering biomech structure of alien resin. Braun is dead, his rib cage gaping. SCEAMS and the HAMMER of automatic weapons. Station crew fleeing in panic enter through one door, crash into tables, scattering trays of food, claw at one another to escape through another door. The Vietnamese commando and her partner are last into the room; they spin in unison and FIRE back through the door. SOUND of rending metal and loud inhuman RAGE. The commandos scramble for the far door as the alien crashes into the mess: a new form, the result of Suslov's genetic tinkering. Bigger. Meaner. Faster. Able to reproduce more quickly. The frantic crew are climbing a ladder. The commandos start up the ladder. They climb through a circular hatch. Like the deck they stand on, the hatch is made of heavy steel expansion-grid. The alien swarms up the ladder, slams into the hatch just as the commandos close and lock it. The alien keeps on slamming. The steel begins to bulge and tear... INT. ANCHORPOINT -- OPS ROOM Hicks, Bishop, Rosetti, Shuman, and Jackson. JACKSON Cant's raise 'em, boss. SHUMAN Try the diplomatic codes... JACKSON Diplomatic codes? They aren't responding to Mayday International. Maybe they've got a transponder down, but -- hey, check this, outgoing traffic... (she bobs her head, taps her lapboard) It's a squirt transmission... Military decryption standard. ROSETTI What do they have in the area? JACKSON (taps up a fresh screen of data) Not much. Automated mining system working NC-313... Test module for a terraforming operation enroute MV-45... And, here we go, the battle cruiser Nikolai Stoiko. Nine hours from Rodina if they push it. HICKS What I wanna know is, what do we have in the area? JACKSON (another screen of data) Not much. How about the Kansas City, Colonel Admin transport? We hit her with a mayday, she'll get here inside twenty hours. HICKS Then what? ROSETTI We abandon the station. HICKS Destroy the station, man! We got nukes? ROSETTI Outlawed under the Strategic Arms Reduction treaty. JACKSON We can fiddle the overrides on the fusion package. Baby nova. BISHOP We're dealing with a new form, Colonel. We know nothing of this new mode of reproduction. Others may have already become hosts... ROSETTI What are you suggesting? BISHOP In order to be entirely certain, Colonel, it would be necessary to override the fusion package now. Jackson looks up at Bishop; he's suggesting mass suicide. HICKS I thought you were programmed to protect human life? BISHOP (with android blandness) I'm taking the long view. Jackson's console CHIMES, begins to display new data, ID shots of three crew members. JACKSON Missing persons. (she taps her way through windows of data) Two were members of the clean-up crew who did the lab after the blowout. Third doesn't check... No, wait. Lives with one of the first two.. But that makes a total of fifteen... Something's happening... HICKS Goddamn, Rosetti, it's catching! ROSETTI (ignores him) Mayday Kansas City, Jackson. HICKS What about Sulaco? SHUMAN It would take two days to raise her. HICKS (bitterly) With that shit on board. ROSETTI Gateway will have our warning before Sulaco arrives. SHUMAN Fine, Colonel. And who do you suppose will be willing to take it seriously? Weapons Division? JACKSON Hey, I'm getting something! The socialist space brothers speak at last... Her main screen flickers and jumps; the speakers hill with a roar of STATIC -- JACKSON (continuing) Their transmission standards get worse all the -- She falls silent as the screen clear, revealing a young Slavic madwoman -- one of Suslov's lab assistants -- in blood-drenched coveralls. Jerky handheld video, grainy transmission, indistinct background. She clutches a sheet of paper, reads aloud from it in a foreign language. SHUMAN Get a translation program on line, Jackson! Jackson's already punching. An instantaneous computer translation cuts in as V.O.; the girl's lips move, out of sync, like a cheap dub; the transmission is rendered in flat synthi-voice. CLOSE UP ON SCREEN SPOKESWOMAN ... of Progressive Peoples. Technician First Class, Tatjana Malik. Please, we wish to inform you: we have undertaken an experiment with genetic material obtained from the military transport vessel... We attempted to clone the xenomorph in stasis. Failure of the stasis system occurred in the fifteenth hour... Attempted modification of the genetic structure has resulted in a variant which replicates rapidly, more rapidly... (and here, horribly, she smiles) It has... taken... most of us. Those of us who remain... We wish to warn you: you must terminate any experiment with the material now. It is impossible. It cannot be contained. There is no -- The image flickers, vanishes. ANGLE JACKSON Lost 'em. That's it... Goddamnit, she was just a tech. Their brass didn't bother... HICKS No brass left... JACKSON And you better check this, Hicks. Her other screens display assorted images of nearly identical tunnels and passageways, but three of them are black; she gestures to the dark screens. JACKSON (continuing) This is down by the main air-scrubber. System says those cameras are still operational, but there's something in the way. Something big... EXT. ANCHORPOINT -- ECO-MODULE Huge louvers pivot smoothly, like Venetian blinds, revealing lush vegetation through thick plastic... INT. ECO-MODULE Spence sits cross-legged in Newt's meadow, tearfully hugging a small tame primate. Light crosses the meadow as the louvers open overhead, beyond the geodesics. Artificial dawn. BIRDS begins to sing. Quiet before the storm... EXT. RODINA No sign of movement. Dimly lit. Clutter of spacesuits, machinery. The Vietnamese commando seated on the floor, back to the wall, cradling her gun. The corpse of her partner is sprawled on the deck beside her, face hideously burned, his armor fretworked with acid. Her face is blank, eyes straight ahead. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ANCHORPOINT The station. INT. ANCHORPOINT -- MEDLAB -- CORRIDOR Hicks, still in his fighting gear, walking purposefully. MedLab staff in hospital whites dubiously note his passage. INT. MED LAB -- RIPLEY'S ROOM Ripley comatose, still hooked up to assorted biomonitors, the only movement in the room the restless flicker of a bank of colored diodes. Hicks enters, crosses to the bed, seems about to speak, makes a helpless little gesture with his hands -- then yanks the biomonitor leads from the bedside console. The diodes go out; a buzzer begins to SOUND. The bed is mounted on casters. He starts to pull it out of the room. Stops. Looks up at Newt's map on the wall. He rips the map from the wall and stuffs it into her hospital gown. INT. MEDLAB -- CORRIDOR Hicks hustles Ripley through MedLab, not about to stop for anyone; startled staff jump out of the way. INT. ANCHORPOINT -- ANOTHER CORRIDOR -- ENTRANCE TO A LIFEBOAT Signs and notices detailing lifeboat launch procedures. Hicks lifts Ripley from the bed, carries her through hatch into lifeboat. Places her in a hypersleep capsule, presses a button. The lid comes down. Silent moment as he looks down at her through the lid, his palm on the smooth plastic in a gesture of farewell, resignation. Then back through the hatch, where he activates controls that seal the boat, setting the launch-procedure in motion. ANGLE on the blunt prows of the lifeboat receding around the curve of the station's hull. INT. LIFEBOAT BAY Hicks watching digital countdown. Muted WHUMP of explosive bolts -- EXT. LIFEBOAT Flash of the bolts as Ripley's boat is launched into the sweep of night. INT. LIFEBOAT BAY Bishop enters behind Hicks. BISHOP But can you be certain she hasn't been infected? HICKS I'll take the chance. BISHOP Why? HICKS I owe her one. INT. OPS ROOM Jackson at her screens; display as before, the tunnels near the air- scrubber -- with three screens dark. CLOSEUP on one tunnel-view as an open, six-wheeled personnel carrier rolls past the video camera, Hick looking up. Five Marines in full battle dress ride with him: ALSOP, GREENFIELD, BRICE, COSTELLO, WALLACE. JACKSON Next junction, hang a right... INT. TUNNEL Dim; light spaced far apart along tunnel. The carrier takes a right. JACKSON (V.O.) Left at the fork and you wanna take it slow. Fifty meters to whatever's in front of that camera... Hicks gestures to Wallace, the driver. The carrier halts. SOUND of the air- scrubbers from down the tunnel. The Marines shift their weapons, uneasily eye the tunnel ahead. These are young recruits, not the hard-case vets of "ALIENS." HICKS Now listen up. We don't do this by the book, we don't pair off. Stay together, tight. Greenfield up front with me; anything moves, you torch it. The rest of you, if it moves, kill it. You gotta get the fuckers before they get close. You know about the acid; you know they don't show on infrared. And you know you don't let them take you alive. You might have to do a friend a favor... Ready? Move out. He climbs down from the carrier, heavily burdened with gear. The others follow. Greenfield has a flamethrower. They move forward. Toward the next light; beyond it, the tunnel curves out of sight. JACKSON (V.O.) You're right up on it, Hicks. Right around the corner... HICKS Affirmative... They round the turn, weapons ready. And stop, stunned. GREENFIELD Wha' 'th...? The tunnel, which widens here as it approaches the massive air-scrubber, has been transformed; its lights are dimly visible through shrouds of resin. Vast ribs of the stuff sweep up from a dim and monstrous shape that covers the deck at the base of the scrubber; we're looking into an Alien grotto, black and pearlescent, and obscene fairyland. The shape's symmetry suggest function. Patient DRUMMING of the air-scrubber's giant fans. HICKS Scan it. Motion? COSTELLO (consulting tracker, adjusting knob) Negative. HICKS Alsop, gimme the flood... Alsop passes Hicks a portable halogen-flood. Hicks thumbs it on... WALLACE Holy Christ. The central shape is revealed as an enormous mutant queen. The thing is splayed on its back, mortared into the mass of resin, its vestigial head toward Hicks and the Marines. Its abdomen is arched like an inverted scorpion-tail, tipped with a swollen, semi-translucent sac that ripples and pulses in the glare of Hick's lamp. A biomechanical birth-factory. HICKS (passing the flood to Brice) Hold it... steady. He kneels, unslings one of his gear cases, open it, revealing a squat tube. HICKS Moving. Something's moving... Hicks is working on the tube-thing, snapping components into place. Brice suddenly swings the beam away from the queen, revealing half a dozen new-model Aliens twisting out of recesses in the grotto walls... INT. OPS ROOM Jackson and Bishop hear SCREAMS and FIRING over the comm-link. HICK (V.O.) The light! The goddamn light! (garble) The Aliens tear into the Marines like living chainsaws. Wallace and Costello go down immediately; the Aliens begin to drag them away. Hicks has gotten hold of the light, struggles to keep it on the queen as he props the tube against his thigh. SCREAMS. Blue stutter of pulse-rifles. A tongue of fire from Greenfield's flamethrower, but an Alien jumps him; the napalm-stream arcs wildly, splashing the resin structure -- and the Queen wakes. The huge tail extends, lifts in the floodlight beam... Hicks is still trying to assemble his mortar. As the swollen, podlike tail-tip splits open with a sickly, tearing SOUND, releasing a puffball cloud of dark mist -- we've seen it before, in miniature, with Tully in the lab -- which begins to rise, drawn up toward the giant fans above the air-scrubber... INT. OPS ROOM HICKS (V.O.) Stop the fans! Bishop is instantly on the case, leaning over Jackson's shoulder to punch the right button, but... INT. SCRUBBER-TUNNEL Too late. The cloud of spores is sucked into the fans -- as Hicks drop a shell into the mortar. It bucks against his thigh and the queen is blown to shred in an EXPLOSION that rips out the side of the scrubber. HICKS The vents! Seal the vents! INT. OPS ROOM Bishop's fingers fly as he punches another sequence. INT. VENT Straight down the pipe, a long way, to the whirling fans. Huge hermetic barriers SLAM across the vent in sequence -- one, two, three. INT. SCRUBBER-TUNNEL Hicks scramble to his feet. HICKS Out! Out of here! Now! The Marine beside him begins to spasm and quake as the Change comes. Hicks SHOOTS him in the chest at close range and sprints for the carrier. DISSOLVE TO: INT. RODINA -- HUB The Vietnamese commando nears the station's hub. The walls, in one large chamber, are decorated with official U.P.P. art, like a blend of Mexican Socialists agitprop murals and Syd Mead techo-fantasy. She passes evidence of brief violent struggle: a wall splashed with dried blood, a single shoe, smashed equipment, ragged acid-scars in the deck. She looks like a child now, moving through all this, small and alone. But not helpless: she still moves with a cat's wariness, her gun ready. Three face-huggers scuttle across at an intersection of corridors, tails thrashing... She comes to a door that opens onto Rodina's central hub, a large cylindrical space surrounding a core of equipment. The door is ajar; she edges through... Virtually the station's entire crew, perhaps a hundreds people, have been cocooned along the multi-storey column, a bas-relief of human bodies and glittering resin. She stares from a railing, appalled, then slips through the door. INT. ACHORPOINT -- OPS ROOM Rosetti, Jackson, Bishop JACKSON I don't know what they did down there, but it's screwed up internal comm-link for the whole area; I can't raise 'em... One of Jackson's consoles CHIMES; her central screen suddenly glows with a hi-rez simulation of Rodina. JACKSON (continuing) Rodina's got company... EXT. SPACE Silent approach of the U.P.P. cruiser Nikolai Stoiko, a vicious-looking mile- long slab of armament. Stoiko slows, comes to an ominous halt. INT. RODINA The commando bolts down a corridor. Total desperation. She's lost her gun. A CRASH behind her. The beast's shrill RAGE. She throws herself through the first available door -- and sees the interceptor waiting. She scrambles up a ladder, through the hatch, and frantically begins to activate systems. Sirens begin to SOUND in the launch bay. The interceptor's hatch closes as the twin gates of the bay begin to swing open -- and the beast is on her, striking at the view-port in the hatch, inches from her face. She flips open a safety- override on the interceptor's joystick and thumbs a red button. EXT. RODINA Total overdrive: the interceptor BLASTS out through the half open gates in a fireball of exhaust gases, the beast and the service ladder tumbling after it... EXT. SPACE -- STOIKO Something streak from the bow of the cruiser... INT. ANCHORPOINT -- OPS ROOM Jackson huddled over her screen. JACKSON Missile! EXT. SPACE -- RODINA -- INTERCEPTOR IN F.G. The U.P.P. missile takes out the station. Whiteout of nuclear EXPLOSION; the interceptor is a black blot tumbling toward us like a singed leaf in a whirlwind... INT. OPS ROOM The simulation of Rodina on Jackson's screen is surrounded by an expanding blue sphere. The sphere stops expanding. The simulation blurs into digital static, fades as the sphere begins to contract... JACKSON Nuked 'em! Twenty megs! That coded transmission... ROSETTI Send Mayday. JACKSON I don't believe it! They send for help, their own people nuked 'em! HICKS (quietly) Maybe they asked for it... ROSETTI That's an order, Jackson! Bishop looks at Rosetti as though he's about to offer an opinion, but doesn't. JACKSON Maybe they'll nuke us too... BISHOP No. They're leaving... EXT. SPACE -- STOIKO The cruiser begins to move, accelerates, is gone. INT. OPS ROOM ROSETTI Bastards! JACKSON Yeah. And they violated the fucking arms treaty, too, didn't they? Well, Colonel Rosetti, how about a situation update? We got, lessee, fifty- six missing crew members as of fifteen hundred hours... DISSOLVE TO: INT. THE MALL Deserted. The only SOUNDS are Muzak and the trickles of an artificial waterfall. Some signs of trouble: an overturned trash canister, someone's red nylon baseball cap on the polished concrete. Walker strolls around a corner beside the bar with a pulse-rifle, grenades, and assorted gadgetry slung across his chest. Goes to the bar entrance, nudges the door open with the barrel of the rifle. Nobody there. Same soccer game on the big screen, but the sound is off. Silent cheering crowd rising to its feet, the flicker of the holo-game consoles. He glances around the mall, enters. Crosses to the bar, checks behind it, then fishes up a big plastic jug of liquor. Opens it, drink from the jug. Behind him, a mug topples, CLATTERS on the floor. He slowly lowers the liquor to the counter; just as slowly, he turns. A beast is there, waiting, beyond the Glimmer of the holo-games. Walker and the beast move simultaneously. But he doesn't go for his gun -- he grabs the control unit hanging on his chest. An unmanned power-loader walks straight through the glass facade, plowing tables and chairs out of its way, big vise-grip claws extended. The Alien SCREAMS, leaps for it, but the steel claws close and grip. Walker twiddles the controls; the power-loader responds, pinning the Alien against the wall. The Alien writhes and HISSES, striking furiously at the hydraulic arm. Walker tightens the grip, locks the loader in place. Picks up the jug of liquor and has another swallow. WALLACE Fuck you. Beat. As his satisfied grin is replaced by something else. The Change... INT. ECO-MODULE Artificial dusk. Spence is crossing the mirco-meadow with a wire basket of food the module's population of small primates. Moths flutter through narrowing beams of sunlight as the louvers gradually close overhead. CRICKETS in the long grass. She enters the scaled-down forest, ducking branches, and Spanish moss. Begins to make Tk-tk-tk sound, calling the lemur, the monkeys... And stops. Suddenly aware of a stillness, an absolute silence. Even the crickets... She turns -- gasps. The primates have been cocooned in the branches of a tree. And screams as something pounces on her from above, the transformed lemur: a very small Alien. She bats the thing away with the strength of desperation. It hits the ground HISSING; she hurls the basket of food at it and bolts from the forest, sobbing. DISSOLVE TO: INT. A TUNNEL WHINE of an approaching engine. The six-wheeled carrier come INTO VIEW, Hicks driving, alone. His face is fixed, white. The carrier slews against the tunnel wall, strikes sparks, bounces off. He hardly seems to notice. He plows into a row of big plastic crates, tumbling them like a child's blocks, bringing the vehicle to a halt. Beat. He look up from the controls: the doors of a freight elevator. INT. A CORRIDOR OFF THE MALL Automatic CHIME as elevator doors open, revealing Hicks and his gun. INT. THE MALL Hicks warily crosses the Mall. SOUND of perpetual Muzak. He eyes the wreckage of the bar, but keeps moving. Into stuttering neon light from one of the shops. HISS and CRACKLE of bad wiring. He move toward the shop, gun ready. INT. SHOP Hicks enters, surveys the wreckage of display cases, scattered 21st century consumer toys. He finds five cocoons at the read of the shop. INT. THE MALL LONG on the shop. Beat. SOUND of five rounds from the pulse-rifle. With the last shot, the neon flicker dies. Muzak stops. Hicks emerges, continues across the Mall. Arrives at the elevator-like entrance to the mini-subway, punches in his destination ("OPS" lights up in red). Muffled SOUND of the breaking car; the door HISSES open -- on Spence, both hands white-knuckled on the loop of a hanger-strap, the car an abattoir, red with the blood of Transformation. Shredded clothing and rags of flesh. HICKS Spence... She screams. INT. OPS ROOM Rosetti and Jackson are hunched over the screens as Hicks enters with Spence over his shoulder, brushing past two nervous Marines at the door. Bishop is making calculations on a console in the b.g. Hicks eases Spence down into a chair. JACKSON Revised ETA fro the Kansas City's another thirteen hours... HICKS (yanking Rosetti around in his chair) Things don't look so shit hot out there right now, Rosetti. What about rigging the fusion package? ROSETTI (to Jackson; ignoring Hicks) Sound the general alert, routine lifeboat drill... HICKS A general fucking alert? Lifeboat drill? Who the hell you think's gonna be left to pick up? I say we do the fusion package now! JACKSON (wearily; without looking up from her screen) Hicks, you took out the scrubber, the main air- scrubber. Pretty soon there isn't going to be anything to breathe in here. We'd by okay for about five days, except you also started an electrical fire and we got no way to put it out. The crew's down to one-twenty-eight. HICKS (stunned) More than half...? JACKSON That's what I said. HICKS And you haven't rigged the place to blow? JACKSON (glances at Rosetti) No. ROSETTI (as if noticing him for the first time) You'll lead the group from this sector, Hicks. At the alert, they'll gather at blue assembly points. Proceed to the nearest lifeboat bay... BISHOP (approaching Rosetti with a single sheet of printout) Colonel, my analysis indicates that a minimum of one fifth of the one hundred and twenty- eight remaining crew are already incubating the -- ROSETTI (on the edge of hysteria) Listen to me, you motherless zombie! Those are people! Can't you understand that? And we're going to get them out! BISHOP Yes, Colonel, I... ROSETTI (to Hicks) You have your orders! HICKS I don't leave here until Jackson sets it to blow, Rosetti. Got that? Kansas City shows up, maybe there's nobody left for them to pick up. Then what? They'll send a boarding party in here! JACKSON I can't. The fusion package is under the scrubber, Hicks. You trashed the wiring, man. That's where the fire is. Those lines. I can't link through. I can't set it. BISHOP I'll go; I'll get it manually. HICKS I'll go with you. BISHOP No. Assist with the... (glances down at the figures on the sheet of printout) The evacuation. JACKSON (to Rosetti) You just want to get your own ass out of here, don't you? They couldn't have done this without you approval, could they? SPENCE Hick! As one of the Marine guards stumbles forward, dropping his weapon, hands upraised in claws of agony -- MARINE Please, I... He trips, fall across Jackson's console and the barrel of Hick's gun -- as half a dozen New Model Chest-bursters erupt simultaneously from his torso in a spray of blood. Hicks bellow, jumps back, grabbing Spence. The chest bursters tumble from the body of the dead Marine, scuttle into the shadows; one leaves a trail of small bloody prints across Jackson's keyboard. HICKS Out! Out of here! INT. CORRIDOR Hicks, Spence, Bishop, Rosetti, Jackson, and the remaining Marine guard hustle along, Hicks and Bishop bringing up the rear. Rosetti carries the dead Marine's pulse-rifle. Bishop touches Hick's shoulder as they reach the intersection. BISHOP I'll try to give you an hour. Overload at twenty-two hundred. HICKS (quietly; doesn't want the others to hear) Blow it. That's what matters. EXTREME CLOSEUP on Hick's watch as her set the alarm for 2200 hours. BISHOP Yes. Bishop splits off, down another corridor, running. INT. LIFEBOAT ASSEMBLY POINT Another intersection of corridors. A pathetic remnant of Anchorpoint's crew cluster beneath a flashing blue light. A dozen people, including HALLIDAY, a woman Spence's age; TATSUMI (male Japanese); a LAB TECH (male). ROSETTI Where are the others? There should be thirty people here... HALLIDAY (dazed and confused) I can't find Tom. What is it? What's going on? He was just here. I mean there. But then... JACKSON Forget it, he's probably already on the boat. You know him, right? C'mon, we're getting out of here ourselves... Hicks pulls a service automatic from his vest and slips it to Jackson. HICKS (under his breath) Keep an eye on everybody, okay, Ops? JACKSON (to the others) Okay! You all know the Goddamn drill! Done it often enough, right? We're taking A-52 to Blue Concourse. We stick together. We'll meet up with two others groups at Bay Five and proceed to board... TATSUMI What is happening, please? JACKSON What's happening is we're getting on the boats! Move! INT. THE MALL Dense haze of smoke from burning insulation; half the lights are out. A body floats face down in the pool at the foot of the waterfall; the pool is overflowing, splashing on polished concrete. Bishop emerges from a doorway and hurries along toward the freight elevator. He freezes. Hears something else. Moves quietly in the direction of the SOUND. The bar. He peers into the wreckage. Four Aliens are at work, cocooning their prey. Cocooned bodies -- CLOSE on the face of Shuman -- have been glued to the big screen, where silent images of the soccer game repeat endlessly. Bishop stares, then turns -- looks up. A Queen. The thing towers above him in the Mall, utterly still. Beat. He takes a step backward. Another. The Queen's head sways. Another step. He bolts for the elevator. The Queen screams her rage, scrambles after him like a famished mantis. He's reached the elevator -- stabs desperately at the controls -- as the doors open and he's through, punching more buttons -- as the Queen strikes, her first blow buckling the steel doors. INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR Her huge stinger lashes in through the gap, whipping and slicing, Bishop braced up straight in a corner, hand still on the controls. The elevator GROANS, SHUDDERS, begins to descend, then jams in the shaft. The stinger whips back out. SOUND of rending metal as the Queen continues her attack. INT. A CORRIDOR AT BULKHEAD HATCH Jackson ducks through first, still wearing her Ops cap. Rosetti next, then Spence, helping Halliday; the others follow, Hicks bringing up the rear. Hicks pauses, looks back through the hatch. Hears a distant CRASH, an inhuman cry. Takes a small bat of plastic explosive from his vest and squashes it against the edge of the bulkhead. Pulls a grenade from his harness, twists its neck in the delay-detonate combination, sticks in into the plastique, closes the hatch, and runs. The smoke is getting worse. INT. BLUE CONSOURSE Another of the white-tiled traffic-tunnels, this one identified by a wide band of blue along either side. A small vehicle has overturned, amid blood and torn clothing. Jackson and her party are skirting the wreck as Hicks catches up with them. Jackson whirls at the SOUND of running feet, bringing up the pistol. HICKS Easy, Jackson! JACKSON Where y'been? A distant EXPLOSION shakes the tunnel, jarring loose several tiles. HICKS (low, so the others won't hear) They're following us. Left 'em something to slow 'em down. JACKSON Might as well. Just try not to put a hole in the hull, okay? (coughs) Remember the air-scrubber... HICKS Let's move. INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR Bishop on his knees, running his hands delicately over the ribbed plastic flooring. The Queen HISSES, BASHES the door. He finds a seam, levers up with his nails, gets a grip. Pulls. Sense of his android strength as the flooring comes up on pale streamers of super-glue. The elevator shakes with the Queen's fury. He finds a section of the floor that can be removed. Forces the glue-caked catches. Slams down with the heel of his hand -- the panel falls away, tumbling through smoke toward a point of fire-glow at the shaft's distant foot. INT. SHAFT Bishop lowers himself through the opening, dangles. An emergency service- ladder is recessed in one wall. He tries to reach one of the rungs with his foot, but the toe of his boot slips. Too far. He begins to swing back and forth like a gymnast, building momentum -- and lets go. Falls six feet before he manages to get a grip. He begins to descend the ladder. It's a long way down. INT. BLUE CONSOURSE The lifeboat party emerges, coughing, from a wall of acrid smoke. REACTION SHOT dismay and amazement. The tunnel has been sealed with a plug of Alien resin. Human bones, weapons, and Marine helmets protrude from the biomech convolutions of the resin-wall. Another of the six-wheeled military vehicles carriers is skewed across the tunnel in a pool of blood. ROSETTI It doesn't want us to get out... HICKS Bugs. Just fucking bugs... C'mon. (he climbs into the driver's seat of the carrier) We're taking the bus. Which way, Ops? JACKSON (getting in beside him) Way we came, unless you think of something better. HALLIDAY What's he mean, "bugs"? What is that thing? (pointing at the resin-plug) Where's Tom? Where's Tom? SPENCE (taking her arm; leading her to the carrier) It'll be okay. Here, get up... There was an experiment. It got out of control. We have to go... TATSUMI What kind of experiment? HICKS (throwing the carrier into gear; cutting off their questions) Come on! INT. BLUE CONCOURSE TRACKING on carrier, CLOSE on Hicks and Jackson. She takes a flat gadget from her jacket and flips it open; a miniature computer-map on anchorpoint, like a pocket video game. As she wiggles a tiny joystick, EXTREME CLOSEUP on miniature color screen; she's looking for an alternate route to the lifeboats. JACKSON (still studying the map) Left at B-83. We'll cut through Aquaculture, up to level to Aeroponics. We can get into Residential from there, then it's up a service tunnel behind the central mainframe... HICKS Sounds complicated. JACKSON Quickest way. Flips the map shut. Spence is trying to comfort Halliday. INT. AQUACULTURE FARM An automated fish farm; factory space ranged with dozens of waist-high round white vats of dark green water. Low ceiling, dim light. Sweeps rotate slowly across the water in some vats; others are still, with floating green vegetation. Hicks leads the party along a narrow aisle between the vats. Jackson pauses to check her map and watch; Hicks light a cigarette, leans his elbow against the nearest vat. JACKSON We're doing okay... The surface of the water behind Hicks' elbow erupts as the fish go into a feed frenzy. He yelps and jumps back, dropping his cigarette. SPENCE Bass. They're just hungry... Ready to be harvested. HICKS Sure. Let's get out of here, okay? The others follow, keeping their distance from the vats. INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT Bishop jumps down, dodges a dangling power cable, squints through the smoke. Finds a manual emergency level that opens the shaft's door. INT. TUNNEL A blast of air fans the flames behind him as he steps out. The carrier is there, among the scattered crates, where Hicks left it. Bishop climbs in, tries the power. A feeble whine. Touches another button. The dash flashes "BATTERY RECHARGE." He climbs down an sets off along the tunnel at a jog. INT. AEROPONICS FARM State of the art. Epcot-style soilless cultivation. Tall A-frame structures of white styrofoam are studded with hundreds of precisely spaced plants, their roots watered by periodic bursts of high-pressure mist. Vegetables sprout from the sides of tapering styrofoam columns. All of the wreathed in mist under brilliant halogen lamps. Hicks scans the chamber, gun ready, as the party emerges from a hatch in the white deck behind him. Spence has to help Halliday, whose cheeks are streaked with tears. Rosetti's up last, clutching his pulse-rifle a bit too tightly, eyes darting around the chamber. HICKS Keep the safety on, Colonel. You could hurt somebody. He kneels beside the hatch, takes plastique and a grenade from his harness, and slaps together another bomb. ROSETTI What are you doing? HICKS They may be following us. He closes the hatch over the charge and locks it. Halliday starts to weep hysterically in Spence's arms; goes to her knees, the tries to curl into a fetal position on the white deck, shuddering, crying like a child. Rosetti rushes over as Spence is trying to get her to her feet. ROSETTI They'll hear you! Rosetti slaps Halliday's face, hard; eliciting a piercing scream. Spence -- no hesitation -- punches him solidly in the face; his head snaps back and he's down, reaching for his rifle. Tableau: Spence furious, ready to kick ass; Halliday wide-eyed, stunned into silence by Spence's move; Rosetti with blood on his mouth and his hand on his gun. JACKSON (to Rosetti; cocking her gun) Try it. Hicks breaks the spell: HICKS (drill sergeant bellow) Two minute fuse! Hall ass people! The Lab Tech grabs Halliday, throws her over his shoulder, and runs. The others scramble after him, including Rosetti, whose drive to self-preservation is paramount. Hicks and Spence take up the rear. Hicks shoots her a grin as they run. LONG SHOT down the aisle of aeroponic greenery, high-tech Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the lifeboat party approaching. Behind them, the hatch lifts off its hinges with the EXPLOSION, CRASHES back in a tangle of metal. Several of the party are thrown to the deck. JACKSON (quietly; urgently; as the others pick themselves up) Hicks! HICKS Yeah? JACKSON Look... She points down another aisle of aeroponic structures. JACKSON (continuing) What the hell's that? Two of the Styrofoam structures have been overgrown with a grayish parody of vegetation, glistening vine-like structures and bulbous sacs the echo the Alien biomech motif. Patches of thick black mold spread to the styrofoam and the white deck. HICKS It was... cabbages or something... TATSUMI (with the others) Come, please, Jackson! Which way? JACKSON (gripping Hicks' arm; pulling him along) Spence said it did her monkeys, too... (raising her voice) Third door to the right! INT. TUNNEL NEAR FUSION PACKAGE Bishop comes loping down the tunnel, a certain effortless regularity evident in his run. Makes a turn into the chamber that houses the fusion package, Anchorpoint's power source. The chamber is spotless, well lit; the only sign of the current disaster is the smoke. The fusion package itself is no bigger than a Volkswagen bus, but it's obviously Anchorpoint's heart. Bishop climbs a narrow metal stairway to an overhanging control booth resembling the inverted turrent of a streamlined tank. A mirrored disk is mounted on the face of the armored hatch, above a small slot. SECURITY PROGRAM (V.O.) (bland feminine synthi-voice) Please identify yourself. Bishop removes his dogtags. As he inserts one in the slot, he presses the palm on his other hand against the mirrored surface. BISHOP Bishop, Science Officer, Hyperdyne A-slash-5, Mark 3, serial number PL3358172438. Permission to inspect software safety protocols. SECURITY PROGRAM (V.O.) Permission denied. Inadequate rank. Please refer request to your immediate supervisor. The slot tries to reject his tag. He shove it back in. BISHOP Emergency protocols. Code Theta Five Three. Authority Rosetti comma Shuman. SECURITY PROGRAM (V.O.) Permission denied. Inadequate rank. Please refer request to your immediate supervisor. It ejects his tag. He drops his hand from the disk, stares at his reflection in the mirrored surface. Blinks. Re-inserts dog tags, palm on disk again. BISHOP Emergency protocols. Code Theta Five Three. Authority Welles comma Fox. The door HISSES open instantly. He climbs in. INT. CONTROL BOOTH Surgically clean, unused -- Jackson ordinarily runs the show from Operations. Bishop settles into the operator's chair, facing three blank monitors. BISHOP Protocols, safety. The central screen displays an elaborate menu. BISHOP (continuing) Overload failsafes. The left screen displays a shorter menu. BISHOP (continuing) Bypass overload failsafes. A red light begins to flash. SECURITY PROGRAM (V.O.) Permission denied. Inadequate rank. Please refer -- BISHOP Cancel request. Request display overload failsafe software. SECURITY PROGRAM (V.O.) Permission denied. Inadequate rank. Please refer -- BISHOP Authority Welles comma Fox -- The right screen displays an animated diagram, thousands of interweaving lines and symbols, moving ceaselessly, hypnotically. Bishop studies the screen with Zen calm, his hands poised like a pianist's above the keyboard. And makes his move, a cybernetic reprise of the knife sequence that introduced him in "ALIENS." His fingers blur across the board with inhuman speed and accuracy as he races the fusion softwares's security system. The lines on the screen squirm and shift, A "window" begins to open... Faster. Done. Bishop gazes at the screen with might be the android equivalent of postcoital satisfaction, eyes bright. The screen displays a message: "OVERLOAD OPTION RESET" He beings to reprogram the overload options. INT. RESIDENTAL (MARRIED CREW QUARTERS) A maze of walls, doors (most of them open). Lights are on, but the smoke is thicker. Coughing, choking, Jackson shoves past the others into a large communal kitchen. On an electric range, smoke pours from a pot. She grabs an extinguisher and blasts the pot's blackened contents, turns off the element. Smoke abates slightly. The quarters have an eerie Marie Celeste quality: food and drink on the table, a pack of cigarettes beside an ashtray. Spence pockets the cigarettes as she passes; Hicks opens a large white thermos: steam. He sloshes coffee into a cup and drinks. In the next room, a communal lounge, Spence leads Halliday to a couch and sinks down beside her, head in hands. Rosetti leans against an entertainment console, face blank, gingerly rubbing his split lip. SPENCE (head down) It's funny, but I had to win a contest to go through this. A science fair in Omaha, first in biology for all of Nebraska. Monoclonal antibodies... (she looks up at Rosetti) Then I got into Cornell. Another contest. It wasn't easy, getting out here. We all must've wanted it so bad, a whole generation, or anyway the ones like me. ROSETTI (looks at her wearily) Idealists. SPENCE Yeah. I guess so. Build a new world, find ways to live in it... But it wasn't supposed to be like this. And it might've worked. It almost did. Now look at it. Ending... She sits up and hugs Halliday, whose eyes are shut tight. SPENCE (continuing) What I want to know, mister, is why we had to bring you? ROSETTI (massages his temples, then looks at her levelly) Funding. SPENCE Yeah. I guess you're right. You paid for it, I guess you get to fuck it up. HICKS (tossing her an apple) C'mon, time to move. Get her up? SPENCE Sure. She gets Halliday unsteadily to her feet. They move out in a tight group, Jackson leading, Hicks taking up the rear, Spence biting resolutely into her apple. ANGLE THROUGH A DOORWAY -- REACTION SHOT as Halliday's eyes fill with a new and deep horror. ANGLE -- THE ROOM is a preschool, a cr_che, scattered with toys, the walls tapes with children's paintings. HALLIDAY O God... Spence and the Lab Tech hurry her on, out of the cr_che. Halliday snatches a ragdoll from a shelf as they pass... INT. TUNNEL AWAY FROM FUSION PACKAGE Bishop heads for the elevator shaft at his usual steady pace. Approaches the open doors cautiously. Listens. Nothing. He edges in. Empty. The circuit fire has died down; melted insulation still SPUTTERS. He looks up the shaft. A long climb. He can make out the bottom of the elevator. He reaches up, grabs a rung, sets his left boot on another, straightens up -- and drives the jagged and of his broken knee joint through the side of his leg and the fabric of his fatigues in a gout of milky android blood. Hits the floor hard, the broken leg splayed at the hideous angle, the white fluid a widening pool. Struggles to brace his shoulders against the wall. And reaches out to touch the ragged edge of artificial bone. BISHOP (a scientific observation) Polycarbon... INT. ENTRANCE TO FOOT OF MAINFRAME SERVICE SHAFT leaving residential. Hicks and Jackson chivvy the party through a low, floor- level service hatch. INT. SERVICE SHAFT Party's POV, looking up: ladders, platforms, catwalks, bundles of fiberoptic lines linking the components of Achorpoint's computer mainframe, drifting smoke. The bundles loops of fiberoptics have a faint, pearlescent glow. Hicks, as usual is last up the ladder. INT. LADDERS IN SERVICE SHAFT -- VARIOUS ANGLES The party, climbing. Halliday still has the ragdoll. Hicks up last. INT. PLATFORM IN SERVICE SHAFT The Marine guard from Ops emerges through a narrow opening, Spence and Halliday follow -- and an Alien strikes from the shadows, ripping out his throat. Spence drives for his rifle as it skids across the platform. Screams from the ladder below. The gun slips through her fingers, over the edge -- gone. Halliday cringes in a corner, cradling the ragdoll in her arms, as the Alien butchers the dead Marine, slashing the corpse to ribbons with its tail. It HISSES, turns its head. Spence freezes. INT. LADDER IN SERVICE SHAFT Hicks is desperately trying to fight his way past the others, climbing over them -- INT. PLATFROM IN SERVICE SHAFT Spence snatches a drum of cable from a service cart and hurls it at the Alien, distracting it from Halliday. The beast springs toward Spence, bet she's already scrambling out along a fragile-looking catwalk that quakes with her passage. The Alien pursues her into the forest of cables with a hideous agility. Hicks clambers up through the opening, too late. Spence and the Alien are out of sight. INT. FIBEROPTIC FOREST Spence flattened against the mainframe, heart thumping, terrified. Takes a breath, look out between two glowing trunks of cable. Sees the Alien's back, fifteen feet away. She bites her lip and slips out, runs. It SCREECHES behind her. She blunders into another wall. A ladder. Up the rungs, fast. Into a short narrow space lit by a single blue emergency light. No way out. She moves forward, hands sliding over a jumble of containers. SOUND of the beast swarming up the ladder. She's below the blue bulb now, looks down at her hand on a flat plastic case stenciled "COLONIAL TRANS AP-49 FLARE SIGNAL OXY-ATMOSPHERIC 20MM." She tears at the catches -- The beast is almost on her. She turns, bringing up the huge flare-pistol, and FIRES. The beast is blown backwards, off its feet, the igniting magnesium flare a white-hot chemical star burning in its guts as it flips back over the edge. INT. PLATFORM IN SERVICE SHAFT Hicks and the Lab Three see the burning Alien's fall as a weird pulse of light through the translucent cables. LAB TECH What -- ? HICKS (yells) Spence! Yo! Spence! Hicks crosses the catwalk, followed by the Lab Tech. Halliday stares after them over the head of her ragdoll. INT. PLATFORM IN SERVICE SHAFT The others have climbed up now. They watch Hicks, the Lab Tech, and Spence recross the catwalk. Spence has the flare-pistol around her neck on a lanyard. JACKSON (checks her watch) Okay, people! Gotta move it now. Start climbing! HICKS Halliday! She rushes to the spot where we last saw Halliday. The ragdoll lies on the deck. Spence grabs it up, flings it instantly away at the touch of slime. SPENCE (screaming) No! No! Hicks pulls an olive-drab aerosol unit fro his medical pack and drenches her hand with spray. HICKS Jackson's right. We gotta move. Rosetti is already starting up the ladder. INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT Bishop, climbing. He has his web belt cinched tight around his left thigh. The splintered bone is out of sight; the leg of his fatigues, below the belt, is soaked with fluid. He uses his arms and right leg to climb, the left leg swaying free -- grotesquely, in too many directions, like the limb of a broken puppet. He shows signs of stress. The right knee might break at the next rung... He places it carefully, taking up most of his weight on his arms. He checks his watch. EXTREME CLOSEUP: 2140 HOURS. BISHOP'S POV -- UP THE SHAFT It looks like forever. INT. SERVICE SHAFT Jackson uses a pistol-grip power-driver to unscrew a ventilator grill. Hicks shines his light into the opening, then crawls in. Jackson follows, then Rosetti... INT. DUCT Hands and knees, single file and barely room for that. Hicks has his flashlight clipped bayonet-style to his rifle. Jackson behind him, her cap reversed. HICKS How we doin'? Jackson stops crawling; flips open her map, her features visible in the glow of the tiny screen. JACKSON Looks like another ten meters. Then we're into K-58-A and straight to the boat bays. ROSETTI (V.O.) (hollow echo) Move! Hurry! HICKS Yes, sir. They move forward. INT. CORRIDOR -- DUCT EXIT Hicks and Jackson prepare to pull the others one at a time from the waist-high opening. It's evident that the duct, at this point, slants sharply down from the opening; it's round and smooth and difficult to climb. INT. DUCT From below, members of the party wedge their way up with knees and elbows. INT. CORRIDOR -- DECT EXIT Hicks and Jackson pull Rosetti from the duct, both his hands locked around his pulse-rifle; then the Lab Tech; then Spence; they reach the Tatsumi... SCREAMS and frenzied BANGING from the duct. Tatsumi's eyes pop wide open and he screams. Hicks braces his boot against the wall and hauls him out -- with the jaws of a freshly-transformed new beast locked on his leg. Hicks whirls his rifle like an axe, the butt slamming into the thing's head. It HISSES and twists back into the duct. INT. DUCT -- POV OF THE TRAPPED FIVE as the beast slides toward them down smooth steel. INT. CORRIDOR -- DUCT EXIT Rosetti thrusts the barrel out of his pulse-rifle past Hicks, into the duct, and FIRES on full auto, emptying his magazine. Jackson drives for the gun as Hicks snaps him off his feet with a roundhouse punch. The back of Rosetti's head slams against the opposite wall and he slides to the deck. Jackson's on him before he can recover, practically jamming the muzzle of the pulse-rifle down his throat. JACKSON Y'know, always been part of me wanted to kill one of you motherfuckers... Rosetti looks up at her. ROSETTI Go ahead. Very quiet. No sound at all from the duct. Tatsumi whimpers between clenched teeth as a wisp of acid smoke rises from his torn trouser leg. Hicks shines his light down into the duct. HICKS Oh man... Forget it, Jackson. Anyway, it's empty. He tosses her a fresh magazine. SPENCE Hicks! The light! She and the Lab Tech are crouching beside Tatsumi, slitting his pantleg with a knife, exposing the wound. SPENCE (continuing) Watch out, it's on the cloth... The Lab Tech yelps as a droplet of acid touches his hand. Hicks unclips his light and passes it to Spence. SPENCE (continuing) On my God... The Alien has taken a bite the size of a small grapefruit out of Tatsumi's calf; flesh and muscle are blackened, charred by the acid. HICKS (unclipping a flat plastic kit from his harness) What's his name? JACKSON Tatsumi... HICKS Cocktail for ya, Tatsumi. He opens the kit, takes out a gun-shaped hypo with a pressure tank. HICKS (continuing) Can't get this on the Ginza, fella. Six times stronger than heroin, about eight other things in there to keep you up an' rockin'... He jabs the needle through Tatsumi's pantleg; the unit HISSES. HICKS (continuing) Get a Marine a year in the brig, playin' R&R with one of these... Tatsumi moan softly as the shot hits him. Very clearly, in Japanese, he asks if it's time to go back on duty. LAB TECH Wha'd he say? SPENCE I don't know... HICKS We'll have to carry him. (passes Spence a sterile dressing pack from his harness) Think you can get a dressing on that? Not bleeding much. Like it's cauterized. (to Rosetti) Get up, we're moving. (to Jackson) Think you better hang on to the Colonel's rifle. INT. MALL -- ENTERANCE TO FREIGHT ELEVATOR The doors look as though someone's gone after them with a giant can opener; they're ragged, gaping. Bishop's hands suddenly appear in the opening in the floor, grip the edge; he hauls himself up, arms quivering with strain. Last thing through is the useless leg; he has to pull it up with both hands. He looks anxiously out into the mall. Nothing moving, no Aliens in sight. The queen's attack as torn loose a strip of alloy trim. Bishop bends it double for strength and begins to work it beneath the belt around his thigh, still keeping an eye on the mall. INT. CORRIDOR TO ASSEMBLY POINT -- LIFEBOAT BAY Hicks and Jackson slogging along, dragging Tatsumi between them, Spence with the flare pistol, then Rosetti and the Lab Tech. Smoke hangs in strata. Spence coughs. They're all feeling Anchorpoint's fire-depleted oxygen-level. Tatsumi looks terrible: flushed, eyes glazed, but he's feeling no pain. He weakly attempts to sing a snatch of a Japanese pop song. CLOSEUP on his bandaged leg leaving a trail of yellow drops... LAB TECH That's right, man. Not long now. HICKS Hey, Jackson -- Goddamn, you were right. He's pointing his pulse-rifle at a plastic sign mounted on the corridor wall: LIFEBOAT BAY 20 METERS JACKSON (grins) Sure. Hadda map, didn't I? They round a corner. Ahead is one of the blue lights and another sign: LIFEBOAT LAUNCH ASSEMBLY POINT SPENCE The others groups... Where's everybody else? HICKS Hell, they coulda launched already... JACKSON No. She's looking at a wall panel with LEDs that indicate launch status of the lifeboats. JACKSON (continuing) The boats are all here. LAB TECH Then nobody else made it... Rosetti ignores them, keeps walking. JACKSON (looking after Rosetti) I shoulda greased him. HICKS Shit. What's the point? JACKSON The point? The point's he let 'em run their fucking experiments! He coulda stopped 'em! But he didn't! You tried, man, you and Bishop... He let 'em do it! HICKS Shit no. He's just brass. He's just like you an' me, to the people who brought this down. Wouldn't do any good to grease them either. JACKSON Bullshit! What not? HICKS Because what you wanna grease is the company... Rosetti breaks into a stumbling run as he nears the portal at the end of the corridor, the entrance to the lifeboat bays. CLOSEUP -- ROSETTI frantically punching a combination. Wants that door to open. Gets it: slides back smooth as silk, revealing a brightly lit room filled with pristine space gear and an indeterminate number of Aliens, their appendages tangled black and shiny as a fresh catch of eels. ROSETTI No! Goddamn it! No! ANGLE The Aliens stir as he throws himself back down the corridor toward the others. Hicks drops Tatsumi, who sags into Jackson's arms, and raises his rifle. FIRES a bolt past Rosetti, into the heart of the mass. Rosetti claws his way by as Spence lets loose with the flare-pistol. All the ammo she has but it's a big red distress flare straight through the portal; it bursts, crimson lightning, scattering the Aliens. Now everyone is backing down the corridor, the way they came, Jackson burdened with Tatsumi. Rosetti fumbles with the combination on another door. Hicks is SHOOTING as he retreats. Aliens come darting out past the dying cherry brilliance of the flare, SCREAMING down the corridor... The second door open for Rosetti -- he's through, the second Lab Tech on his heels. INT. AN OFFICE Dark -- only light from the corridor, even less are Rosetti immediately tries to slam and lock the door in Spence's face -- but the Lab Tech yanks him out of the way. The others tumble in, Jackson with Tatsumi in a fireman's carry. Hicks kicks the door shut and locks it -- as something SLAMS into it, hard. Jackson lowers Tatsumi to the carpeted floor. Hicks CLICKS the light on. Swings the muzzle of his gun around the room, circle of light jumping from one thing to the next. An office, larger than Rosetti's. 21st-century stylistics and a basic bureaucratic banality: fake teak, imitation leather. Framed portraits of beaming Weyland Yutani bigshots. Spence brushes a square object of a shelf -- the base of a small hologram- projector. A glowing DNA helix springs up. HICKS Don't touch anything... LAB TECH (to Jackson, pointing at Rosetti) He tried to lock the door, lock us out... JACKSON (pulling the automatic from her jacket) Rosetti... HICKS Forget it. That's what he wants. You really wanna do 'im the favor? JACKSON Waddya mean it's what he wants? HICKS I've seen it before. In combat. Rosetti backs away from them. SPENCE (V.O.) Hick, come here... I think it's Trent... He finds her around the corner of a padded partition that screens a desk- console from the rest of the room. His light finds the lab-coated corpse sprawled in the chair behind the desk, a quarter of its skull blown away, dried blood spattered across the bulkhead, a service automatic locked in rigid fingers. HICKS (shrugs) Did himself. Hey, Rosetti! C'mere! Rosetti looks around the edge of the partition, sees Trent. HICKS (continuing) That's it, man. That's what it looks like. You don't chill out quick, somebody'll do the same for you. ROSETTI (stares at the corpse) Brilliant man. Company man. Very... ambitious. Hicks takes the light off the corpse, plays it around the cubicle. A shredder, empty file folders, a bulging plastic sack of shredded documents. HICKS Yeah... Hicks swings the light across the wall behind Trent's desk. SPENCE The wall, Hicks! She's spooked him; the safety's off the pulse-rifle. But there's nothing on the wall, only framed diplomas, and between them a few stenciled letters... SPENCE (continuing) Jesus Christ! It's a lock, Hicks! Airlock! She clambers over the desk console, shoves the corpse out the way, and tears the diplomas from the wall, revealing the outline of a hatch and the stenciled notice: EMERGENCY AIRLOCK - EXIT TO HULL-SECTOR 308 A CRASH from the corridor as Alien hurls itself against the door. SPENCE (continuing) It's a chance! The only chance we've got! We get out on the hull, cross to the boats. We can try to get into one that way, from outside... Hicks looks down at his watch. 2146 HOURS. If Bishop's managed to set the fusion package to blow at 2200 hours -- they don't have a hope in hell. But why spoil it for Spence? HICKS Let's go for it. Spence hauls on the red airline-style inset handle of the emergency airlock. The handle flips down and the hatch pivots smoothly open, a light inside goes on, and the eternal synthi-voice announces: ANNONCEMENT This is a five-man emergency atmosphere lock, exit to Hull Sector Three-oh-eight, equipped with five Mark Twelve emergency suits. Each Mark Twelve suit is charged with a two-hour air supply and is equipped with automatic radar beacon, inter-suit radio, and magnetic sole plates. It you should experience difficulty with either the O-rings of the velcro strips, please activate the secondary program for additional advice. JACKSON There's six of us... Space suits swings from a rack, each helmet a different color. Rosetti's pressed up close behind her, eyes fixed on the suits. JACKSON (continuing) Fuck off, Rosetti; anybody stays, it's you LAB TECH (O.S.) Light, quick! Something's... The Lab Tech is backing away from Tatsumi, who lies on his back on the carpeted deck, mouth gaping, eyes showing whites. A tearing SOUND as Hicks spotlights Tatsumi's bandaged leg -- where the dressing is bulging, moving, seeping yellow fluid. A new-model chest-buster flails its way out of the wound and shuttles into the shadows beneath a chair. Twin red spots appear on Tatsumi's white shirt; two more of the things rip their way out through his stomach as he arches backwards, groaning -- the groan cut off as a fourth chest-burster pops from his mouth... Jackson brings her pistol up with both hands, arms locked, and SHOOTS Tatsumi in the head. HICKS Get in the lock! Suit up! INT. EMERGENCY LOCK Hicks pulls the inner door shut. The lock is white, bright, a very tight fit for the five of them. The Lab Tech reaches for one of the hanging suits, yells as a blood-slick chest-burster loses its grip and tumbles out of the suit's open front. LAB TECH Aaaaah! Hicks shoulders the door -- just a crack; it doesn't want to open -- as Rosetti grabs a helmet and swings it underhand, knocking the little horror out of the lock. Hicks gets the door shut again. Spence is shuddering. Rosetti is putting the helmet on, reaching for his suit. SPENCE J-jesus, Rosetti... How'd you do that? ROSETTI (beat) I used to be a soldier They hurriedly strip to their underwear and struggle into space suits. Rosetti has the yellow helmet, Hicks red, Spence blue, Jackson green, and Lab Tech orange. Spence is sealing up her space suit over freckles and a military-issue bra; Hicks sealing his over dog tags and his acid-scarred chest. ANNOUNCEMENT Please be seated. Fasten lapbelts. Narrow ledges on either side of the lock. The five sit, step in. Spence and the Lab Tech closest to the outer door. Hicks and Jackson are opposite them. ROSETTI (filter; suit radio; turning his helmet to face Spence) You're right, Spence. I should have tried to stop them. It would have done no good, of course, but I should have tried... SPENCE (filter; suit radio) When we get back, there'll be a board of inquiry. You can tell them, Colonel, tell them what happened. Help them find the ones who were responsible... ANNOUNCEMENT Ten-second warning. Activating outer hatch. Rosetti's helmet turns slowly toward her. Through his faceplate bubble, the canceled eyes and blood-streaked drool of the Change... JACKSON (filter; suit radio) He gone! Jeeees-us! As blood wells up into Rosetti's helmet, filling it completely, and something dark begins to strike the inner surface of his faceplate, violently, again and again. The space suit hunches through inhuman postures -- As the outer hatch pivots out on hydraulics, the vacuum sucking small loose objects out into the void. The new beast in Rosetti's suit snaps the heavy nylon lapbelt and lunges at Spence. HER POV as the blood-bubble strikes her faceplate, the fanged tongue working like a piledriver, starting to split the tough plastic of Rosetti's faceplate -- tiny bubbles of blood along the first hairline crack. ANGLE The Lab Tech unfastens his lapbelt and grapples with the suited beast, pulling it off Spence. Hicks is wrestling with his pulse-rifle, pinned to the bench by the struggle. The suit radios are filled with the beast's thick gurgling ROAR. As it turns on the Lab Tech, flings him out through the open hatch, and bounds after him. EXT. HULL -- AIRLOCK Vacuum. Zero gravity. The thing in Rosetti's suit catches the Lab Tech in mid-tumble, its gloved hands spread like talons, grips the Lab Tech's helmet and collar-joint in either hand, and rips his helmet off. Air explodes from the neck of his suit, lifting his air in a three-second gale that freezes instantly, becoming a small cloud of ice crystal. The Lab Tech's eyes are frozen marbles. He goes cartwheeling slowly across the hull as the beast grabs a protruding strut and spins to dace the airlock with a terrible balletic grace. Hicks is in the hatchway. He raises. the pulse-rifle, pulls the trigger. The ammo-counter flashes 00, empty. Jackson reaches past him with a fresh magazine. Hicks slaps it into the gun as the beast launches itself toward him from the strut. He FIRES. The space suit EXPLODES in a cloud of blood and acid. Hicks bounces awkwardly out over the rim of the hatch, followed by Jackson and Spence. Beat. Anchorpoint's hull stretches away to its own horizon, al flat gray expanse of broken by various structures. The body of the Lab Tech is tumbling slowly out into space. SPENCE (filter; suit radio; looking after the vanishing Lab Tech) I never even knew his name... Hicks... Hicks, are we gonna make it? Hick's gloved hands is closed around something small. He open it, looks down. His watch. 2159 HOURS. Hicks looks into her eyes as if he sees her for the first time. HICKS (filter; suit radio) Make it? Yeah... Sure we make it. He gives her a desperate grin. His gloved hand, still holding the watch, takes her. SOUND of the watch's alarm: 2200 HOURS. Hicks' eyes are shut tight. Nothing happens. SPENCE (filter; suit radio) Hicks? Hicks, are you okay? What is it? He opens his eyes. Looks at her. Releases her hand. EXTREME CLOSEUP ON WATCH 2201 HOURS ANGLE SPENCE (filter; suit radio) You okay? Hicks flings with watch away. It tumbles out slowly, level with the deck, keeps tumbling... HICKS (filter; suit radio) Okay, Ops, which way to the boats? JACKSON (filter; suit radio) Got me, man. The map was just for the inside... HICKS (filter; suit radio) See that radio mast? Let's try that way. They set out in single-file across the hull, Hicks leading, Jackson bringing up the rear. The radio mast, visible above the horizon, is the tallest structure in sight, a steel thorn slanted toward the stars. Behind them, the airlock remain open, spilling light... EXT. HULL -- LONG SHOT Three tiny figures, their helmets bright dots of color against the monotone hull-plain: red, blue, green. VOICE OVER: Steady rasp of human breath. EXT. HULL -- ANOTHER ANGLE -- LONG Shadows tangle in the light from the lock. Moving. Black talons slip over the hatch rim, followed by an eyeless Alien mask. Then another. The creatures are entirely unaffected by cold, by vacuum... EXT. HULL -- APPROACH TO LIFEBOAT BAYS Hicks, Spence, Jackson. Hicks gestures with his rifle: the prows of the boats. HICKS (filter; suit radio) There you go, Ops. JACKSON (filter; suit radio) Good navigating... HICKS (filter; suit radio) Good guessing. Still have to get into one of the damn things... Spence loses her footing as she climbs down a ledge, goes into a slow-motion, zero-g roll; Jackson grabs her. EXT. HULL -- SHOT FROM UNLIT LIFEBOAT INTERIOR THROUGH A PORTHOLE Hicks is approaching. Closer. His gloves on the porthole. His helmet-bubble CLICKS against it. The beam of his light stabs in, swings from side to side, blinks out. EXT. HULL -- LIFEBOAT BAYS Hicks straightens up from the porthole. HICKS (filter; suit radio) Looks good. Good as it gets. How the hell we get in? JACKSON (filter; suit radio) I can run a bypass on the hatch latches, but I need a hotwire... SPENCE (filter; suit radio; starting to climb up the side of the boat) I can strip some cable off the solar cells... HICKS (filter; suit radio) Open it that way and we lose the air. JACKSON (filter; suit radio) We'll have to draw the backup off the tanks. Won't matter once we're in hypersleep. No other way... EXT. TOP OF LIFEBOAT Spence's POV for helmet as the crouches over a flat, rectangular solar cells and tugs with her gloves tips at a small access port. She keeps losing her grip; the space suit's gloves aren't designed for fine work. SPENCE (filter; suit radio; talking to keep her head together) Like the science fair. I had to scrounge everything... Spent a month desoldering a TV I got out of my uncle's basement... She manages to get the cover off -- it tumbles backward -- upward -- with the momentum on its removal. Spence peers at a densely packed mass of color-coded wiring. SPENCE (continuing; filter; suit radio) Hey, Jackson, you want anything in particular? JACKSON (filter; suit radio) How about twenty centimeters of the red and green stuff? Spence begins to fumble with the wiring. SPENCE (filter; suit radio) Right. Want anything else while I'm here? JACKSON (filter; suit radio) Coffee and a danish. Black, one sugar. EXT. HULL -- LIFEBOAT Hicks and Jackson are trying to open the larger accessport, this one beside a porthole set into a rectangular hatch in the bow of the lifeboat. It isn't easy. Hicks manages to hook the pulse-rifle's buttplate under the edge of the cover. He uses the barrel as a lever. The buttplate slips. HICKS (filter; suit radio) Shit. He tries again. The cover pops open: move wiring, hydraulics. Jackson begins to paw at the wiring. EXT. TOP OF LIFEBOAT Spence's POV as she looks down at her prize, a length of red and green wire. SPENCE (filter; suit radio) They're out of coffee, but I got you hotwire... Spence's POV as she glances up, across the hull -- and sees a dozen advancing Aliens. SPENCE (continuing; filter; suit radio) Hicks! They're coming! They don't need suits! EXT. HULL -- LIFEBOAT Hicks whirls around with the rifle, too quick a move for zero-g; momentum spins him around and he rolls, out past the prow, but manages to come up SHOOTING. Take out the two foremost Aliens at about twenty yards. The rest scuttle for cover. EXTREME CLOSEUP on ammo readout: 09. ANGLE Hicks gets to his feet, take a step back, and nearly tumbles again; he's bumped into another emergency airlock, this one still sealed. He climbs back across it and crouches against the raised housing, using it to steady his aim. The Aliens charge again. Five SHOTS, five Aliens blown apart. The rest get out of sight. EXTREME CLOSEUP on ammo readout: 04. ANGLE Six inches from Hick's faceplate, on the airlock hatch, a red light blinks on. The lock starts to open. Hicks scrambles back, the rifle ready at his hip, as the hatch opens -- and a space-suited figure straightens up, a yellow helmet... CLOSEUP -- HICKS -- REACTION SHOT HICKS (filter; suit radio; an instant of profound confusion) Rosett...? ANGLE The Aliens charge. The figure turns, bringing up a pulse-rifle. CLOSEUP ON BISHOP -- THROUGH FACEPLATE as he hoses a full clip in to the Aliens, killing them all. BISHOP (filter; suit radio) Hicks, help me out of the lock... ANGLE Hicks takes Bishop's arm and hauls him over the rim; the android's left leg is braced with the length of metal from the elevator, strapped to the space suit with heavy silver tape. HICKS (filter; suit radio) What happened? You didn't blow the fusion back at twenty-two hundred, Bishop passes him a fresh clip of ammunition. BISHOP (filter; suit radio) Two overload is scheduled for twenty-two- thirty. HICKS (filter; suit radio) Why? BISHOP (filter; suit radio) I thought you might need the time. JACKSON (filter; suit radio) Bishop? Hick! Come on, we gotta get his happening! Hicks help Bishop across the hull. EXT. HULL -- LIFEBOAT CLOSEUP on Spence and Jackson crouching by the open service port. They've made a rainbow spaghetti out of the port's wiring, but Jackson holds one raw end of the hotwire. Spence looks up as Hicks and Bishop arrive. SPENCE (filter; suit radio) What happened to you leg? BISHOP (filter; suit radio) Molecular fatigue. HICKS (filter; suit radio) Bishop says we gotta go now. JACKSON (filter; suit radio) No shit... Well... She thrusts the hotwire against a contact, producing a burst of sparks. Nothing happens. Tries again. Nothing. JACKSON (continuing; filter; suit radio) Third time's a charm. A bigger burst of sparks. The hatch suddenly pops open with a rush of escaping AIR. JACKSON (continuing; filter; suit radio) How damn! Okay! Jackson ducks, wedges helmet and shoulder through the opening -- and a queen- sized stinger erupts through the back of her neck, slicing the suit's alloy collar ring like butter. Brief but horrible SOUND on radio. SPENCE (filter; suit radio) Jackson! Jackson's being drawn into the opening by the unseen queen. Spence clutches furiously at Jackson's suit, trying to pull her back... HICKS (filter; suit radio) Forget it! She's gone! BISHOP (filter; suit radio) Hicks! Hicks and Spence turn. REACTION SHOT. What they see makes her forget trying to save Jackson's body. The boots of Jackson's space suit vanishes through the lifeboat hatch. A queen, her crest rising against the stars, leads the swarm against them in a solid wave... Hicks pumps the pulse-rifle's grenade launcher, sheer reflex, no consideration for the effect of recoil in zero-g (pulse-charges have been assumed to be recoilless). The recoil kick him back against the lifeboat as the BLAST takes out five of the charging Aliens; sharp CLANG of his helmet against the boat's hull. CLOSE THROUGH FACEPLACE Hicks losing consciousness. ANGLE Bishop stands alone against the advancing swarm, the boot of his locked suitleg wedge into a narrow channel in the hull. He FIRES with a robotic accuracy, the rifle pivoting like the barrel of an automated gun turret. CLOSE ON BISHOP'S EXPRESSION No anger, no fear -- just total absorption in the task at hand. ANGLE Spence had Hicks' gun, is dragging him to his feet. EXTREME CLOSEUP on Bishop's ammo readout: working down to 01, steady as seconds on a stopwatch -- ANGLE His last round is for the towering queen -- Android's don't miss. Straight into the jaws. Her head explodes. But the headless body doesn't stop. It stumbles, tumbling forward, flips over, the vast abdomen with its lashing stinger outlined agasint the stars... As Bishop tugs his wedged foot free and rolls, as the stinger whips down to gouge a chunk of bright steel from the hull. The carcass smashed into the lifeboat. The swarm twitches, hesitates. With the loss of the queen's unifying intelligence, the Aliens are reduced to their usual level of instinctual action. HICKS (filter; suit radio) Bishop! Come on! Hicks, with Spence, is fleeing across the hull, taking long zero-g leaps -- one more worries about drifting away! SPENCE (filter; suit radio) The mast, Bishop! The Radio mast! Bishop starts after them, abandoning his empty pulse-rifle, trying to bound along on his good leg, the stiff one obviously in his way, three Aliens rapidly gaining on him. He loses his balance... Hicks and Spence have almost reached the foot of the radio mast. Handholds lead out to the tip. Hicks sees Bishop struggling to right himself, the Aliens closing in. Snatches the rifle from Spence. HICKS (filter; suit radio; to Spence) Go on! Get out there! Hicks recrosses the hull to Bishop. SHOOTS the nearest Alien, gets a grip on Bishop's suit, pulls him up, tries for the second Alien but misses. They start for the mast, Hicks FIRING back at the swarm. Spence is a third of the way out on the mast, body drifting in space, clinging to a handhold. Hick and Bishop haul themselves hand-over-hand along the mast. BISHOP (filter; suit radio) The fusion package, Hicks... Overload... HICKS (filter; suit radio) Yeah... But it means we win... Come on. The swarm closes around the foot of the mast in a single writhing mass. One spring onto the handholds and scuttles out along the mast like a spider. Hicks BLOWS it off. EXTREME CLOSEUP on ammo readout: 04. BISHOP (filter; suit radio) Four minutes to overload. ANGLE Hicks blasts another Alien -- as a deafening SQUAWK of feedback rattles the suit radios, followed by a waves of STATIC. EXT. SPACE The U.P.P. interceptor, pitted and scorched by the nuking of Rodina, settles toward Anchorpoint on steering jets. CLOSEUP ON A GUNPORT sliding smoothly open, reveal the vicious-looking snout of a Gatling-style pulse-cannon. EXT. MAST -- FROM HICKS' POV as a stream of withering fire cuts a swathe thorough the swarming Aliens. VIETNAMESE COMMANDO (V.O.) (filter; over static and screaming harmonics) Come! You come! Followed by a frantic burst in her own language. EXT. SPACE -- FROM MAST Spence's POV as the interceptor nears the mast tip, the cannon still pumping. The airlock in the interceptor's lower surface slides open. Light from inside. Spence kicks off from the mast, manages to grab the rim of the interceptor's airlock. Hicks FIRES his last round into an Alien on the mast. The interceptor still coming down, crumpling the tip of the mast in a burst of sparks as Hicks and Bishop kick off. Hicks grabs Spence's free hand; Bishop grabs Hick's ankle. Spence hauls them all into the cramped space of the airlock. The lock closes as an Alien launches itself from the mast... INT. INTERCEPTOR AIRLOCK SOUND of the Alien as it slams into the lock. Hicks, Bishop, Spence are crammed in like sardines. EXT. INTERCEPTOR LOCK The Alien scrabbling furiously for a hold... INT. INTERCEPTOR As the inner lock opens and the commando plunges her tattooed arms in to yank Spence free. Spence fumbles with her helmet and snaps it off. Bishop pulls himself from the lock; in spite of his leg, he dives for the ship's controls. His hands dart from one switchboard to the next. Nothing happens. He look up through his faceplate at the commando. BISHOP (voice muffled by his helmet) Go! She looks at him impassively. Beat. Then reaches past to press a sequence of three buttons. EXT. SPACE The interceptor. The Aliens cluster like aphids along the mast. The interceptor's ENGINES erupt in a gout of flame. EXT. SPACE -- ANOTHER ANGLE The Alien on the airlock loses its grip, tumbles into the rocket blast. EXT. ANCHORPOINT -- INTERCEPTOR'S POV The station is receding The fusion package goes overload. WHITEOUT. Beat. FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: A SINGLE STAR Then another star. Then the interceptor, adrift, showing no lights. EXT. INTERCEPTOR -- ANOTHER ANGLE Additional damage visible from the Anchorpoint blast. INT. INTERCEPTOR Dim light. The commando is slumped against a wall of dead switches, watching Bishop. Hick, Spence, and Bishop wear their space suits, minus helmets and air tanks. Bishop is bending over a panel of exposed circuitry, working with a delicate probe. His suit is open to the waist; he wears a miniature worklight on a band across his forehead. Spence is asleep, her head on Hicks' lap. HICKS Bishop... Bishop looks up, the beam of the worklight glaring in Hicks' eyes. BISHOP Yes? HICKS Bishop, are Spence and I... I mean... Are we infected, man? A small steady tone SOUNDS, muffled inside Bishop's suit. He puts the probe down and reaches into his suit, bringing out his wristwatch. He looks at the time. The tone stops. He puts the watch down an looks at Hicks. Beat. BISHOP No, you aren't. I obtained solid parameters on the incubation period... Neither of you is a carrier. Neither is she. (glancing toward the commando) Although I couldn't be certain until... HICKS Your watch? Until you watch went off? BISHOP Yes. Bishop reaches into his suit again and brings out a service automatic. The commando says something angrily, wearily, in her own language. Bishop hands her the gun. She tosses it aside with evident disgust, curls up, eyes closed. HICKS That was for us? If we were... BISHOP Yes. (he looks at the commando again) She's dying, Hicks. Radiation poisoning... HICKS Can we do anything? BISHOP No. Spence groans in her sleep. Hicks absently smoothes her hair back from her eyes. BISHOP You're a species again, Hicks. United against a common enemy... Hicks moves Spence's head, pillows her on a folded jacket, swings his way over to the commando, offers her water from a plastic bottle. She refuses it. HICKS Yeah? BISHOP The source, Hicks. You'll have to trace them back, find the point of origin. The first source. And destroy it. HICKS I dunno, Bishop. Maybe we just oughta stay out of their way... BISHOP You can't, Hicks. This goes far beyond mere interspecies competition. These creatures are to biological life what antimatter is to matter. HICKS How do you mean? BISHOP There isn't room for the both of you, Hicks, not in this universe. HICKS That's crazy, Bishop... BISHOP No. You're already at war, Hicks. War to extermination. The alien knows no other mode. HICKS Hell, man, we been at war all my life. Near enough, anyway. With her. (he looks down at the commando) With all her brothers and sisters. That's what got us into this shit in the first place! BISHOP But now you've seen the enemy, Hicks. So has she. She's not it. Neither are you. This is a Darwinian universe, Hicks. Will the alien be the ultimate survivor? Hicks doesn't answer. He just looks at Bishop. Bishop goes back to his circuitry. CLOSE on Spence's sleeping face, and the face of the dying commando. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. SPACE Approach of a large ship. The PING of homing radar. ANGLE ON THE HULL As it slides past, enormous letters: KANSAS CITY. EXT. SPACE - ANGLE UP From below Kansas City as a wide bay opens. The interceptor comes INTO FRAME and is drawn up into the brightly-lit hold. The bay closes. EXT. SPACE Kansas City. Receding. Gone. The stars. FADE OUT. THE END

FADE IN: EXT. MOJAVE DESERT - DAY (TELEVISION IMAGE) A LONG LENS SHOT of a far distant metallic object hovering just above the ground -- maybe two or three miles away. The heat waves and the light refraction off the desert- scape make the object undulate rhythmically, keeping its true shape and appearance indistinct. The VIDEO CAMERA recording this scene zooms back, then pans over -- revealing a semicircle of US Army vehicles and personnel. Army Engineers with their tripod-mounted scopes and binoculars are shoulder to shoulder with the armed infantry. Everyone stares off at the same point on the horizon. Waiting. The VIDEO CAMERA movements are HANDHELD, unsteady, as it moves through the line of Army personnel to reveal a second, less organized semicircle of observers fifty yards behind the Army. LOCALS from nearby towns perch in truck beds and on car roofs, Budweiser and Fritos at hand, eyes glued to the distant object. The VIDEO CAMERA image climbs up onto the roof of a parked local TV van, finds the object again in the distance, zooms in, and waits, like everyone else. Abruptly the VIDEO IMAGE contracts, becoming a box CHROMAKEYED behind CNN reporter DUNCAN CRAIS. CRAIS That was the scene in California's Mojave Desert three years ago today -- the historic first view of the Newcomer ship upon its dramatic arrival. As with the assassination of John Kennedy, who among us does not remember exactly where he was that October nineteenth morning, when news first broke: that people have landed... from another star. We PULL BACK from a large television set to reveal... INT. A CROWDED BAR - LOS ANGELES - NIGHT The Hollowpoint Lounge -- a cop bar. The off-duty uniformed and plainclothes cops are mostly ignoring the TV, except for two detectives, FEDORCHUK and ALTEREZ, who are waiting for the ball scores. FEDORCHUK I remember where I was -- pissing off my balcony at the neighbor's dog! Others laugh. ALTEREZ (yells at Crais on TV) Get to the goddamn ball scores! ON THE TV SCREEN, an on-location interview with a CAL-TECH PROFESSOR comes up. Her name and title appear across the bottom of the screen. CAL-TECH PROFESSOR From the time mankind first gazed up at the stars there had been speculation about a visit by people from "out there." How ironic that when that first contact was made, the two hundred and sixty thousand occupants aboard the craft were as surprised as we were about their arrival. That they awakened from frozen hibernation to find their malfunctioning autopilot had landed them here by mistake. The CNN reporter, Duncan Crais, appears again. CRAIS These "Newcomers," we soon learned, were a genetically-engineered race, adapted for hard labor in almost any environmental condition. In effect, their ship was a slave ship... washed ashore on Earth with no way to get back to where they came from... A dishwasher tray filled with beer glasses CUTS ACROSS FRAME, and we PAN WITH IT as it is slammed down on the countertop. Now an interview with a FRESNO HOUSEWIFE standing outside a supermarket comes on the TV SCREEN. FRESNO HOUSEWIFE When the Newcomers were first let out of the ship, they were quarantined in a camp not ten miles from the town here. You can imagine how the people around here felt about that. But once they were releases from the camp and we got a chance to know them, we saw what nice, quiet people they really are... WIDER revealing a MASSIVE ALIEN FIGURE in a filthy white busboy's uniform. His back is to us as he picks up two trays from the counter. The bartender is dwarfed by this Newcomer, but works around him without apparent concern. Fedorchuk addresses the alien busboy. FEDORCHUK Hey, Henry, how you doin' tonight? Workin' hard? The Newcomer turns -- his face is humanoid, but disturbingly alien. FEDORCHUK You got your green card, buddy? You didn't leave home without it? The cops at the bar crack up. Henry looks at Fedorchuk -- his eyes carrying no malice... or pain. He merely blinks. CUT TO: INT./ EXT. SLUG-MOBILE - STREET - NIGHT An explosion of color and movement as OPENING TITLES PLAY very quickly. We're TRAVELING the streets in a n.d. sedan, getting MOVING GLIMPSES of the aliens living among us now: -- A coffee shop where aliens eat at some window tables. -- A Newcomer leaving a night school with an armload of books. -- A city park where a number of alien families have gathered to play some arcane alien game. SYKES Jeez... they call that gang-bang a game...? -- A billboard for Pepsi featuring an alien. -- The sedan has pulled to a stop at a red light. Suddenly a hand thumps against the glass next to Sykes' head... and alien hand. Sykes jumps. It's a NEWCOMER DERELICT standing there, weaving, mumbling in his own language. In one filthy hand holds a quart carton of milk. We know immediately what he wants. Sykes rolls down the window. SYKES Take a hike. Sykes gets a whiff of the derelict's breath as the light changes and the sedan pulls away, leaving him in the street. Sykes grimaces at the smell. SYKES Why's it have to be sour milk that these guys get wasted on? What the hell's wrong with Jack Daniels, or Thunderbird for chrissakes? (beat; disgusted) Slagtown. Shit... -- Aliens hanging around outside their homes. -- Alien hookers plying their trade. SYKES Hope their plumbing's the same. TUGGLE It is. (and Sykes gives him a look) -- A Newcomer lowrider pulls up beside the slug-mobile. -- An alien couple exit a theater playing "Terminator III". -- An alien wig shop. ANGLE TITLES END, and we start to PULL BACK into the slug-mobile and HEAR: TUGGLE (O.S.) So you gonna go, or you not gonna go? INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT The dashboard is littered with fast-food detritus and two coffees in styrofoam cups making fog circles on the windshield. A hand picks up one of the coffees and we FOLLOW IT to a face, a forty-year-old cop face that's seen some wear and tear -- behind the wheel is MATT SYKES. Beside him is his partner of nine years, BILL TUGGLE. Tuggle expertly munches on a slice of pizza as he talks. SYKES How can I go? TUGGLE Put on your wash-and-wear suit and your clip-on tie, have your landlady tie your shoes for you, and show up at the church. Simple. (beat) Me and Carol are going. SYKES What? TUGGLE Hey, look -- we've known Kristin since... since she was conceived in that cabin up in Big Bear. Remember? You and Edie banged the wall so hard, me and Carol were picking plaster out of our hair for a week... SYKES Goddammit, Tug -- I want to see Kristin get married, okay? But-- TUGGLE But you're bummed because your ex and her new husband are paying for the whole thing. SYKES Shit, if Kristin had to get married where I could afford it, we'd be holding the reception at Buddy's Burgers. Sykes stares out the window, wallowing in his pissed-off mood. Then he spots something that twinges his street-cop radar. SYKES Uh-oh... Check it out. THROUGH THE WINDOW Tuggle sees what Sykes sees: two ALIENS in long coats moving down the sidewalk, entering a mom- and-pop mini-mart on the corner. One of them wears dark glasses and a red bandana (KIPLING): the other has on a black vinyl raincoat. SYKES Does that look at all suspicious to you? TUGGLE Whatever gave you that idea? EXT. STREET - NIGHT Sykes continues up a quarter of a block, pulls to the curb among other parked cars. INT. SEDAN - NIGHT Sykes is already pulling his gun. Tuggle quickly reaches for the radio in the glovebox. TUGGLE This is one-Henry-seven, we've got a possible two-eleven in progress at Porter's Mini-Mart, corner of Court and Alvarado. Requesting backup. Impulsive Sykes is already opening his door and climbing out. SYKES Let's do it, partner. Tuggle drops the radio mike and follows Sykes as the Radio Dispatcher confirms the call. EXT. STREET - NIGHT The two cops, guns in hand, move along the row of parked cars across the street from the mini-mart. Through the store window they see the old alien PROPRIETOR behind the counter. His eyes go wide as Kipling whips back his coat and yanks out a short combat pump-shotgun and aims it right at him. The Raincoat alien pulls an identical gun and covers the door. Sykes and Tuggle react to the firepower inside. SYKES You got your vest? TUGGLE Of course. Right in the trunk of the car. SYKES Yeah, that's comforting. Mine, too. Through the store window the robbery continues in pantomime. Kipling gestures viciously with the shotgun, yelling orders in the alien language. The Proprietor is quickly filling a paper bag with cash from the register. The PROPRIETOR'S WIFE, a middle-aged alien woman, stands in the doorway from the back, frozen in fear. The Raincoat alien dances from foot to foot, antsy, wired. Sykes and Tuggle crouch at the car directly across the street from the store entrance. TUGGLE Watch the driver. I'm going for a better angle on the door. SYKES I got him. Don't get pinned. Tuggle leaves the cover provided by the car, runs cater- corner across the intersection. Through the store window Sykes sees Kipling grab the bag of cash, shove it in his coat pocket. Bills fall out, but he doesn't care. Then, without warning, Kipling whips up the twelve gauge and blows a hole in the Proprietor's chest! The Proprietor slams back against the shelves, slides to the floor. Kipling leans over the counter and FIRES another round into the Proprietor. SYKES (under his breath) Aw, shit. Tuggle is almost across the street when he hears the shots. The human DRIVER of the getaway car (parked at the curb a few doors down from the mini-mart) glances up, spots Tuggle. He leans on the HORN, reaches for a machine pistol on the seat next to him. INT. MINI-MART - NIGHT Kipling and Raincoat alien react to the horn honk. They spot Tuggle through the store window and open fire -- BLASTING THROUGH THE GLASS. A civilian car enters the intersection. The engine is hit by shotgun fire, and the car skids to a stop in the intersection, steam rising from the radiator. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Tuggle dives behind a lamp post. The Driver is out of the car now, brings up the machine pistol to fire at Tuggle. Sykes sees this and opens fire at the Driver. The Driver turns and fires at Sykes. Sykes ducks down, and the car he's hiding behind is sprayed with bullets. A forty-foot moving van pulls down the street between Sykes and the Driver. Once the truck is past, Sykes is standing behind the bullet-riddled car, gun ready. He rapid-fires -- creaming the human Driver. Tuggle is pinned down behind the thin lamp post by the shotgun fire from Kipling and Raincoat alien. SYKES Get outta there! TUGGLE I can't! Do you mind! SYKES I'll cover you! Get outta there!! Sykes rises and runs across the street toward the getaway car, firing toward the store as he goes. Kipling and Raincoat dodge behind cover. Tuggle seizes the opportunity, jumps from behind the lamp post and runs to the stalled civilian car. He slides across the hood and drops behind the car for cover. Tuggle slowly pokes his head up to peer through the car window. His gaze is met by the face of the OLD MAN driver who is still inside the car. OLD MAN Can I get out now? TUGGLE Move it! Sykes doesn't have a clear firing line on the aliens in the store. As he considers his next move-- Tuggle fires at the two aliens. They return fire and he slides down to safety behind the car. Or so he thinks. Glass rains down on him as the car windows are cremated by the shotgun blasts. He flinches as another blast hits the car. He looks over. There's a big exit hole in the fender beside him. THE SHOT WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE CAR. Another exit hole is BLASTED, inches from his shoulder. Panicked, he scrambles along the side of the car -- BLASTS and exit holes following him until he reaches the front of the car. He has nowhere left to go and-- -- a BLAST comes through the car and catches him squarely in the chest throwing him back onto the street. Sykes' head jerks around -- in time to see his partner of nine years blown away. Kipling keeps firing in Tuggle's direction until his shotgun CLICKS empty. INT. MINI-MART - NIGHT Kipling grabs Raincoat and throws him toward the back exit of the store. The shotgun falls from Raincoat's hands. The two of them run out the back. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Sykes runs to Tuggle's spread-eagled body. One glance is enough. Nobody ever looked deader. SYKES Aw shit, Tug, Jesus! Goddamn it! He stares, shocked and incredulous. He can't find a way to think or feel about this. Then we see him going crazy right before our eyes, the rage revving. He takes off toward the store as SIRENS are HEARD rapidly approaching in background. INT. MINI-MART - NIGHT Sykes moves through like a locomotive skidding on broken glass, bangs through the exit. EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT Sykes catches sight of the two aliens just as they round the corner at the far end of the alley. He takes off, quickly cranking up to full speed. EXT. BACK STREET - NIGHT Sykes rounds the corner. Doesn't see them anymore. He slows... moves along this street with some caution. Lots of shadows, lots of hiding places. Sykes HEARS a NOISE, looks up... just in time to see Raincoat on a high, huge billboard. He cuts loose with the shotgun. Sykes dives. Huge chunks of the crate he dives behind fly off into the night. Sykes, on his belly, scrambles deeper among the crates. Raincoat's shotgun CLICKS empty now. He drops it, swings down off the fire escape, runs off. Sykes is up again in a flash, pounding after him. EXT. TUNNEL STREET - NIGHT Sykes rounds this second corner, races down the street. The only route they could've taken is through a tunnel up ahead. Sykes approaches the tunnel, all senses wide open. INT. TUNNEL - NIGHT The murkiness of the tunnel engulfs him as he moves through the mouth. He tries to control his breathing so he can hear. The only SOUND is his own shoes scuffing along the asphalt. Then he HEARS -- another set of FOOTSTEPS. Rapid footsteps, coming toward him, ECHOING. He can't tell from which direction! He spins, just as a LARGE SHAPE lunges for him with an alien CRY. It's the wired Raincoat alien. Sykes gets his gun up just in time and FIRES -- once, twice, three times. Raincoat alien is knocked backwards to the wet asphalt by the blasts. Sykes approaches the body slowly. With an inhuman ROAR, the alien snaps forward, lunging at Sykes with outstretched arms. Sykes jumps back, startled, and FIRES twice more at the pale figure. Raincoat goes down and stays down. Sykes relaxes for the briefest moment. Then he HEARS it... a distinctive CLICKING SOUND, metal on metal. Sykes looks up and -- Kipling drops down on him from directly above! Sykes goes down in a heap. He's managed to hold onto the gun and as Kipling comes for him, he swings the gun hand around. Kipling sees it, lashes out, slamming the gun from Sykes' hand. Sykes tries to get to his feet, but the alien grabs him and flings him down the tunnel. A SIREN is HEARD approaching in background. Kipling moves in to deliver the coup de grace. As he draws near, Sykes HEARS that distinctive CLICKING SOUND again. SYKES' P.O.V. Though his vision is BLURRED, Sykes still gets a good look at an exotic silver bracelet on the alien's wrist. The strands of this bracelet are what make the CLINKING NOISE. ANGLE The alien rears back, and as he does, the approaching SIREN suddenly WAILS louder as a backup patrol car swings onto the street heading this way. Kipling sees this and leaves Sykes, running off down the dark tunnel. ON SYKES dazed, struggling to rise. WE HEAR running FOOTSTEPS approaching. Sykes turns, his eyes wild and unfocused. SYKES' P.O.V. An OUT-OF-FOCUS ALIEN FACE looming over him. ANGLE Sykes whips around in a roundhouse swing with all his weight on it, pistoning his fist straight into the alien face. The alien, caught by surprise and off balance, sprawls backward OUT OF FRAME. Sykes is grabbed by a human uniformed cop, as he tries to swing again. HUMAN COP Whoa, whoa... hold it. Take it easy. (to alien on the ground) You okay? Sykes stops struggling, and his eyes focus. He looks at the alien he just decked, sprawled on his ass ten feet away. The alien is a uniformed cop... his name is JETSON. JETSON I am all right. He gets up. A trickle of purple blood runs from his nose. HUMAN COP I better call in. He moves off. Jetson moves toward Sykes and the Raincoat alien's body. Sykes tenses, thinking Jetson might retaliate in some way. But Jetson simply steps past him to kneel beside the dead alien. He checks for a pulse on the underside of the dead alien's upper arm. Nothing. Sykes is holding his punching hand in obvious pain. He struggles to rise. Jetson gets an arm around him to help him up. JETSON Your hand will require attention. Sykes roughly jerks himself free of Jetson's grip. SYKES Get the hell away from me! I don't need your goddamn help. He almost loses his balance and has to steady himself against the tunnel wall. Sykes leans there, the picture of impotent rage and frustration. Jetson looks at him, with that slight inquisitive expression aliens exhibit when trying to understand human nature. EXT. MINI-MART - NIGHT OPEN on Tuggle's body, as the body bag is zipped up over his face, and the litter is lifted into the back of the Coroner's wagon. WIDEN to reveal Sykes, standing nearby, watching. The Wagon pulls out, and Sykes turns, moving past all the LAPD black-and-whites and forensics wagons, and COPS (two of them aliens) and DETECTIVES, and RUBBERNECKERS (some alien). He moves into: INT. MINI-MART - NIGHT The CRIME SCENE TEAM is checking for prints, digging slugs out of the wall, photographing everything. Several UNIFORMED COPS mill around. Sykes moves aimlessly around the room like a stranger at a party. The Proprietor's Wife stands near the body in a strange rigid posture, a thin, mournful KEENING SOUND coming from her lips. A harried female uniformed cop is trying to get her away from the body, but can't get her to budge. MINKLER, a ballistics guy, is tagging the pump-shotgun the Raincoat alien dropped here. NATUZZI, a mean-looking veteran uniform cop is with him. NATUZZI Looks like a standard combat pump- action. MINKLER It is. NATUZZI So what punched holes clear through that car out there? Minkler pulls an evidence baggie from his work box. Inside are four unfired twelve gauge shells. MINKLER BRI Sabot slugs. These puppies are nasty. Two plastic sabots fall away in flight leaving a fifty-caliber slug going two thousand feet per second. Tug might as well've been hiding behind a rosebush. Minkler senses somebody has just stepped up beside him. He looks. It's Sykes. NATUZZI Pretty heavy artillery for knocking over a liquor store. A new voice enters the conversation. JETSON (O.S.) An identical round was used in the shooting of a Newcomer named Hubley, two days ago. Sykes turns -- surprised, and not especially pleased to see the voice is Jetson's. MINKLER Yeah? So why the extra fire power? JETSON Perhaps because even the larger caliber handguns aren't always effective against my people. SYKES (mulls this, then) You saying there's some connection to this other homicide? Before Jetson can say, the female cop who was talking to the Proprietor's Wife steps up. FEMALE COP Hey, give me a hand with this woman, will ya Jetson? We've got to get her to Division for her statement and she won't budge. JETSON (to Sykes) Excuse me. And he moves off with his partner. Sykes calls after him, but Jetson is already approaching the woman and doesn't turn. SYKES So, you think there's a connection, or what? Hey! CUT TO: EXT. SYKES' APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT The slug-mobile pulls up. A drained Sykes moves up the walk to his front door. INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - NIGHT Sykes enters his apartment, an untidy bachelor place decorated with negative taste. It's obviously the maid's decade off. By rote, he hits the rewind switch on the answering machine on his way into the kitchen. The tape rewinds. He opens the fridge. Not much here. Left-over take-out pizza carton. Left-over take-out Chinese food cartons. Left-over take-out burger wrappers. The answering machine message begins -- he glances over his shoulder as he HEARS his daughter's VOICE. During the following, he reaches the fridge. Brings out a milk carton that's in his way, sets it on the counter. Reaches in again and this time brings out a bottle of Stoly. Then searches for a semi-clean glass. KRISTIN'S VOICE (bouncy, bride-to-be happy) Hi, Daddy, it's me. I'm over at Danny's parents' house... talking about Sunday. I thought maybe you'd be home by now. Anyway, uh, nothing really. I just wanted to call and say I love you. I love you, Daddy. (she giggles) Uh-oh, I shouldn't'a done that. Knowing you, you'll probably pull this tape out of your machine and save it -- in that drawer where you keep every card I ever gave you, and all of my old baby teeth... gross! Anyway, Daddy, don't save this tape -- but I do love you, and I'll talk to you before Sunday. (beat) Oh, Tug and Carol came by and met Danny last week. (Sykes stiffens) Danny thought Tug was the greatest -- but, then, who doesn't? Anyway, love you, talk to you soon. 'Bye. The machine BEEPS and HISSES. Sykes take the glass and the bottle of vodka, crosses back toward the living room, switching off the answering machine as he goes. Then he stops, turns back, takes the message tape out of the machine and tosses it into a drawer. FADE TO: INT. DETECTIVE SQUAD ROOM - DAY Sykes enters, stirring a jumbo coffee. He's slept about four hours, and his face looks like he went a few with Hagler. He crosses straight to Fedorchuk's desk. SYKES So what've you got on Tuggle's killers? FEDORCHUK Jesus, Sykes -- it's been less than ten hours. Me and Alterez are on it, okay? SYKES You don't have squat. FEDORCHUK You ever try to make a case in Slagtown? The list of Newcomer informants is about as long as the list of Mexican war heroes... ALTEREZ Up yours. FEDORCHUK ... Nobody talks to nobody down there. Half of them don't speak English and the other half only when it suits them. It's gonna take some time. SYKES Yeah, I know it's gonna take time. Like until the Ice Capades opens in Hell, with you two on it. Across the room, the Captain's door BANGS open and CAPTAIN WARNER pounds out, his deep voice booming through the squad room. WARNER Nobody wanders off! I got an announcement. Get your asses back in here. Two detectives on their way out, stop, and head back into the room. Everybody gathers around, curious, as Warner stands holding a sheet of paper. WARNER I'll make this short. This is a directive from Chief Evaner, who is acting on orders from the Mayor, who is under mandate from the Federal Bureau of Newcomer Relations. As of nine o'clock this morning, one Newcomer uniform officer has been promoted to the rank of Detective, third grade. The detectives GROAN... some angrier ones grumble, "This is bullshit!", etc. WARNER And we've got him, gentleman. (more groans) Volunteers for duty with the new detective should see me in my office... otherwise I will choose a volunteer myself. That is all. He turns and heads back to his office in the wake of continued grumbling from the detectives. Sykes, standing to one side, absently watches Warner return to his glass- walled office. Waiting inside are a balding man and an alien in a grey suit. Sykes reacts. The alien in the suit is Jetson. The grumbling continues around him as Sykes considers something. FEDORCHUK Unbelievable bullshit. ALTEREZ How long has this Slag been on the force? A year, max -- right? DETECTIVE I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure as hell ain't gonna sit still for this. I'm calling the union, pronto. Others grumble. "Yeah!". Meanwhile, Sykes has decided something. He heads toward Warner's office. Fedorchuk sees this. FEDORCHUK Where the hell is he going? INT. WARNER'S OFFICE - DAY Sykes KNOCKS and enters. WARNER Yeah, Sykes? SYKES Captain. I'd like to volunteer for duty with the new detective. Warner is surprised. He never expected Sykes. WARNER ... All right. Detective Sergeant Sykes, this is Detective... Jetson. JETSON We have met. Warner looks up, clocking this. He looks at Sykes, starting to smell something fishy. The balding man, GOLDRUP, rises to shake their hands. GOLDRUP Victor Goldrup, Mayor's office. Congratulations, gentlemen. Warner is starting to suspect what Sykes is up to. WARNER (to Sykes) You are to have nothing to do with the investigation into Bill Tuggle's death. You know that. Leave that for Fedorchuk. SYKES (nodding) Departmental policy. WARNER (to Jetson) You? JETSON Yes, sir. WARNER Good. SYKES There's another case I'd like to take. A homicide -- a Newcomer named Hubley. Jetson looks over at Sykes, knows he's up to something. Sykes avoids his look. WARNER Granger and Pitts are already on it. SYKES Granger and Pitts have one hell of a caseload... and I would have thought with Jetson here being the first Newcomer plainclothes, and Hubley's body being found over in the Newcomer community... WARNER Don't tell me what to think. GOLDRUP He's got a point. That's the sort of thing we should be doing with this early advancement program... Long-suffering Warner looks up at Goldrup, then finally sighs with resignation. Sykes grins. CUT TO: INT. STAIRWELL - FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY The steel door BANGS open and Sykes and Jetson exit. Next to Sykes' slept-in look, Jetson in his grey suit looks like a Jehovah's Witness canvasser. They move past all the black-and-whites pulling out on p.m. watch during: SYKES ... and we work my hours. I'll do the driving, you do the paperwork. You gotta learn it so you might as well do it all. JETSON (after a moment) Sergeant... I'd like to thank you for what you're doing. SYKES What's that? (then realizing) Look, Jetson. Get this straight in your head. We're not pals, we're not married, and we ain't gonna take long moonlight walks together... We're just partners. And don't call me Sergeant. Call me Sykes... or Matt if you have to. JETSON I am George. Sykes nods absently, and they walk on... four and a half steps to be exact. Then it hits Sykes. He seizes up cold. SYKES Wait a minute. George? George Jetson? Jetson nods... he's used to this. Sykes cracks up. SYKES (between laughs) Man, somebody really hung one on you! I've heard some good ones for you guys... Humphrey Bogart, Harley Davidson. I guess the people at immigration got a little punchy after a while, coming up with names for a quarter of a million of you. You weren't at the back of the line, were you, George? JETSON My true name is Ss'tangya T'ssorentsa'. SYKES Gesundheit. You don't mind if I stick to George, do you? EXT. POLICE STATION PARKING AREA - DAY They approach Sykes' ugly sedan, the slug-mobile. SYKES Anyway, what's it matter to you if we think it's funny, right? Whatta you care? JETSON That is exactly so. (completely deadpan) It is like your name... Sykes. I'm sure it doesn't bother you at all that it sounds like "ss'ai k'ss", two words in my language which mean "excrement" and "cranium". Sykes looks at him, perplexed. JETSON "Shit... head". Jetson gets in and slams the door, leaving Sykes standing there, the smirk dropping from his face. CUT TO: INT. SLUG-MOBILE - DAY They're cruising along in downtown traffic. Sykes drives. Jetson is somewhat cramped in the passenger seat. SYKES Let's talk Hubley. JETSON (refers to a folder he holds) His body was discovered three days ago, in an alley off of Central Avenue, near downtown. SYKES With two BRI Sabot slugs in the chest. JETSON (gently correcting him) Through the chest. Rupturing both the primary and secondary hearts. SYKES (out the window) Nice signal, dickwad! Jetson is momentarily thrown by this outburst from Sykes. Then... JETSON He was employed at the Northwest Petroleum Refinery in Torrance. He was manager of the Methane Facility. He was also a principle partner in a real estate venture to develop low- cost housing for Newcomers. Sykes grimaces at the mention of "Newcomer housing". SYKES Terrific. A real pillar of the community. (beat) Was Hubley missing anything when they found him? Was he ripped off? JETSON (checks file) There was no wallet... but he was still wearing a watch and two rings. SYKES The guys at the mini-mart last night made a half-assed stab at the money in the till -- but I don't think that's what they were there for. I think we got us a couple'a executions on our hands, George... JETSON The murder at the mini-mart is not our case. The Captain said-- Sykes looks over at Jetson, pissed. SYKES Look, you want to fit in here, right? You want to learn how to get along? JETSON Yes. SYKES Well, there's a thing about partners, about being somebody's partner. You do for each other. And other people's rules don't mean shit. It's the rules set up between the two of you, that's all that counts. Understand? (Jetson nods) Okay. Well, my friend and partner was shot last night and I'm after the shitbag that did it. As my partner, I'm asking you to respect me and help me find him. Jetson considers this several moments, then-- JETSON And as my partner, I ask you to respect me and my desire not to break with procedure. Sykes stares at him, exasperated. Without warning, he slams the car to a stop right in the middle of heavy traffic, puts it in "Park." Jetson, who is already a little too close to the dashboard, bangs up against it. HORNS instantly go crazy behind them. JETSON What is wrong? SYKES (very calm) Nothing's wrong. I just want to get something straight. You agree that there's a good chance these two shootings are somehow related, right? YELLING joins the HORNS outside. Jetson is visibly unsettled by the chaos. JETSON Well... yes, quite possibly. SYKES Possibly. Good. Well, would you be willing to accept the theory, George, that... possibly... by examining the evidence from one case we might shed some small ray of light on the other? Does that sound unreasonable to you? JETSON Yes... no, it is not unreasonable. Although I-- SYKES Great. (a relieved sigh) Well, I'm sure glad that's settled, aren't you? And with that he puts the car in gear and pulls rapidly out. SYKES I think we're really starting to click now, George -- hmmm? Jetson doesn't know what to think -- he just holds on. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - L.A. COUNTY MORGUE - DAY WINTER, a deputy Medical Examiner (human), is leading Sykes and Jetson along the hall. He reads on the fly from a case file in his hand. WINTER You know I've been over all this with Fedorchuk and Alterez this morning... SYKES Come on. You got nothin' better to do, cushy county job like yours. INT. AUTOPSY ROOM - DAY They enter briskly through a swinging door. They move among the tables (some occupied, some not) during: WINTER Yeah, right. Don't push your luck. Anyway, according to the sheet, the guy you nailed outside by the car-- SYKES The human? WINTER Yeah... he was one Martin Helder. White male, twenty-seven. Let's see... wrap sheet shows one armed robbery conviction, a couple for sale of a controlled substance. Oh yeah, and he was wired on coke when you stopped his clock. They have reached a table holding a covered body. Winter unceremoniously throws back the cover. There lies the pale naked body of the Raincoat alien. JETSON Have you identified this one? WINTER So far he's a John Doe. Or a Sam Slag, if you like. Jetson smiles slightly out of politeness. WINTER No I.D. on him and -- well, you know, no fingerprints -- so it could be tough. Your buddies this morning went through the mug book but couldn't make a facial match. SYKES Fedorchuk couldn't find his ass with his hands in his back pockets. Jetson nonchalantly looks over the alien body while Winter and Sykes continue talking off to one side. WINTER (referring to Raincoat alien) You took this gut out, too, didn't you? SYKES Yeah. WINTER Lucky for you, you got him in both of his... well, what we loosely refer to as... hearts. SYKES Lucky nothing. I had to empty my damn gun into him. WINTER That's the way these people are. You don't hit both pumps you just piss them off. During this, Jetson has turned the dead alien's hand over -- sees something that brings a frown of curiosity to his face. He leans closer, examining the palm carefully. Then he peels back the alien's upper lip. Jetson frowns anew, with concern this time. He looks around, spots a Newcomer lab assistant nearby -- BENTNER. Jetson motions him over. Jetson begins questioning him using the alien language. Sykes and Winter nearby, remain oblivious. WINTER Oh, here's an extra headshot if you need one. (hands Sykes a polariod of dead alien's face) We're just about to start cutting in. You're welcome to stick around if you want. It's really fascinating stuff. SYKES Yeah, I'll bet. Sykes looks over, now noticing Jetson and Bentner in earnest conversation. He only catches snatches of the alien language. Bentner appears very unsettled by what Jetson is telling him. In response to Jetson's final statement, Bentner nods -- as if agreeing to do something Jetson has requested. Sykes goes over to Jetson. SYKES What's this? What's going on? JETSON Nothing. SYKES (really suspicious now) Nothing? JETSON (looking away) Shouldn't we examine their personal effects? Jetson moves off, leaving Sykes there wondering. CUT TO: INT. PROPERTY ROOM - COUNTY MORGUE - DAY Two large plastic packets are dumped of their contents onto a formica counter. Sykes looks through the dead alien's effects while Jetson goes through the human's. ORTIZ, the college girl working the property counter, sits nearby doing homework. Jetson holds up a little foil packet with a puzzled frown. JETSON What is this? SYKES (looks, then) A rubber. A condom. You know... Coney Island whitefish? (Jetson doesn't know what one is) Men, human men, put them on their, uh -- penises -- to protect against having babies. (Jetson still doesn't get it; Sykes turns to Ortiz) You need this for anything? ORTIZ Nope, got my own. Anything you guys don't use gets stuffed away in storage. Sykes tears open the packet, unrolls the condom, dangles it before Jetson. SYKES Get the picture? JETSON (frowning) And that fits? SYKES Well... Yeah, it's rubber. It stretches. JETSON And still it fits? Sykes looks at Jetson's serious expression. He tosses the condom and packet back into the counter and continues searching. A beat, then he can't stop himself -- he steals a glance at Jetson's crotch. Still searching, Sykes picks up one of the dead alien's well-worn heavy work boots. He grimaces... the sides and soles are painted with a viscous black substance. He very tentatively sniffs it... and is grateful that it's not what he thought it might be. SYKES What is this stuff? Sykes gets some on his hands, doesn't know where to wipe it. Jetson glances over. JETSON It is a resin. Sykes looks at him... surprised that he knows. JETSON (continuing) Newcomers working near methane gasses at oil refineries must paint it on their boots to protect against sparks. SYKES How the hell do you know that? JETSON A large number of my people were hired by refineries because the methane fumes are not harmful to us. My spouse's brother is one. SYKES So the Slag they're cutting into upstairs worked at a refinery just like Hubley worked at a refinery. (beat) I'd say that "possible" connection between the two cases just got a hell of a lot more possible. (beat) Okay, next step -- I gotta go talk to the wife of the Slag store owner blown away last night. JETSON I believe I should interview the widow alone. SYKES Why the hell--?! (realizes it's because of his lack of "bedside manner") Great, fine. You talk to the wife. CUT TO: INT./ EXT. MINI-MART - LATE AFTERNOON The shattered windows have been covered with plywood. Through the open doorway we see Jetson talking to the Proprietor's Wife. She studies a photo Jetson shows her, nods her head, speaking rapidly in the alien language. CUT TO: EXT. REFINERY - LATE AFTERNOON Sykes drives along beside the mammoth, steaming network of buildings and pipes that make up the refinery. CUT TO: INT. REFINERY - LATE AFTERNOON Through the loud and smoky refinery we see Sykes walking with the newly promoted Methane Section manager, O'NEAL, in tie and shirtsleeves. The workmen around them are both human and Newcomer. O'NEAL (yelling over the roar) Mr. Hubley was an all right guy -- and a damn good manager. The men liked him. I'm really gonna have to scramble to fill his shoes. SYKES Well, one of the men didn't like him so much... They stop and Sykes hands O'Neal the polariod photo of Raincoat alien. They have stopped near the heavy refrigeration-type door leading to the "METHANE SECTION". Newcomer workers move in and out through the door during: O'NEAL (looking at photo) You think this is the guy who did it? SYKES We think he could'a been involved, yeah. You know him? O'NEAL To be honest, it's hard to say. I hate to admit it but -- they all still kinda look alike to me. SYKES (impatient) Who else can I ask around here? O'NEAL (looking at photo again) Wait. You know who it looks like? Yeah. Anderson. Uh... James Anderson. He isn't in today. He took the afternoon off. SYKES I think you're gonna find he's taken the rest of his life off. O'Neal reacts. Sykes notices the door to the Methane Section. SYKES That where Anderson worked? O'NEAL Yes it is. (some alien workers come through the door) Thirty-five percent pure Methane gas in there. I don't know how these fellas do it. Sykes watches two more alien workers pass back through the door. O'Neal watches Sykes' expression for signs of suspicion. CUT TO: HIGH ANGLE SHOT - SYKES AND O'NEAL We see Sykes hand O'Neal a card, then move off. O'Neal watches him briefly, then crosses to some steps and starts up this way. We PAN with him as he enters a door here on the second level. CUT TO: INT. METHANE SECTION CONTROL ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON O'Neal enters, moves to a telephone, begins to dial. Beyond is a glass wall overlooking the Methane Section. CUT TO: ANGLE - BELOW CAMERA TRACKS through the Methane Section... past the alien workers in lab whites... past all the arcane equipment and chemical procedures... ending in an EXTREME CLOSE UP of a small cylindrical dispenser as it fills slowly with a pale blue, viscous liquid. CUT TO: INT./ EXT. SLUG-MOBILE - JETSON'S STREET - DUSK We're SHOOTING THROUGH the slug-mobile window as Sykes pulls up in front of Jetson's modest but immaculately maintained home on the outskirts of Slagtown. Jetson's WIFE, an attractive alien woman, stands watering the lawn with a garden hose. Jetson's son, age six, rides his bicycle along the walkway. Jetson, dressed in his suit for work, crouches near the walkway, playing with his son. Sykes pulls the car toward the curb, rolls his eyes. SYKES Jesus. Welcome back Ozzie and Harriet... He HONKS the horn. Jetson looks up, then moves to his wife and kisses her goodbye. Moves to his son, kisses him on the top of his head. Sykes watches all this... and as he does, slowly his derisive expression softens. As corny as this tableau may be, there's something very appealing about the innocence of it... even to an unrepentant cynic like Sykes. Jetson starts to climb into the car, and we-- CUT TO: INT. RESTROOM - BILTMORE HOTEL - NIGHT CLOSE on an alien hand as it removes one of the drug dispensers from a tuxedo pocket. As the hand brings the dispenser toward the face, we immediately recognize the exotic silver bracelet worn by Kipling the night before. It makes that distinctive CLINKING NOISE. We PAN with the hand to reveal Kipling's face... sans bandana and sunglasses now. He wears a black tuxedo. He lets a small dab of the blue gel curl from the dispenser onto his tongue. He swallows... and reacts as the rush from the drug hits him. The door to the men's room bangs open and a MIDDLE AGED POLITICO enters, obviously drunk. Kipling quickly pockets the dispenser, moves past the Politico to the exit... CUT TO: INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT Sykes drives, heading for the Biltmore Hotel. JETSON Mrs. Porter is not taking her husband's death well. SYKES (impatient) Did you learn anything? JETSON A week ago two men came to see her husband. After they left, he was very frightened. She identified one of the men from a photo I showed her. It was Hubley. SYKES Aw-right. What about the other guy? JETSON She didn't know him. But she said her son might. SYKES Did you talk to him? JETSON He has not been home since that day. But she told me where to find him. Sykes nods. CUT TO: INT. MAIN BALLROOM - BILTMORE HOTEL - NIGHT The men are in tuxedos, the women in evening gowns. Only two of three Newcomers faces present. Kipling threads his way among the tables as the MAYOR, at the speaker's platform, addresses the assembly. MAYOR ... Our guest speaker tonight has done so much in his community and for his community in such a short period of time. And I must say, as the founder of the first Newcomer owned and operated corporation in Southern California, he certainly has come quite far in the last few years. Granted, not as far as he came in the years before reaching Los Angeles. There is laughter from the VIPs. Kipling slides into a seat at one of the front tables. He leans over and whispers something into the ear of the person seated to his right. We see this CLOSE UP, and don't see who he is whispering to yet. Whoever it is, nods. MAYOR (continuing) As Mayor of this city, it gives me great pleasure to introduce someone who has so readily made our city his home... and all of us who live here, his friends. Ladies and gentlemen, William Harcourt. The VIPs applaud as the spotlight sweeps over to a front table. At first it hits Kipling, then it adjusts to capture WILLIAM HARCOURT, seated to Kipling's right. Harcourt is an exemplar of the successful Newcomer entrepreneur... handsome, charming, with cool blue eyes that glint with his piercing intellect. He rises, smiling warmly, steps past his striking ALIEN DATE seated to his right, to make his way to the podium. He shields his eyes somewhat from the bright spotlight. Once behind the podium, he slips his notes from a breast pocket as the applause ebbs. HARCOURT Thank you all for that very warm reception. (pauses, smiles) I'm particularly grateful because I actually had the gall to write that in my notes: "Thank you all for that very warm reception". Imagine how embarrassed I would've been if it hadn't have been such a warm reception. The VIPs laugh. He's won them over instantly with his charm and candor. CUT TO: INT. BILTMORE HOTEL - FOYER - NIGHT Sykes, followed by a reluctant Jetson, bears down on Harcourt, who is exiting the hotel with his Date, and Kipling. We see Kipling recognize Sykes from their fight two nights before... but because Kipling looks so different, Sykes doesn't recognize him outright. Still, during this, Sykes senses something, though he's not sure what. SYKES William Harcourt? HARCOURT Yes... SYKES I'm Sergeant Sykes, and this is Detective Jetson, Los Angeles Police Department. HARCOURT (nodding greeting) Sergeant... Detective. I wasn't aware there were any Newcomers at the rank of Detective yet. JETSON I am the first. HARCOURT Congratulations. This is my administrative assistant, Rudyard Kipling. SYKES (throw away) Rudyard Kipling? No shit? (to Harcourt) Listen, we just need a minute of your time... JETSON We'd like to ask you about a business associate of your, Warren Hubley. HARCOURT Yes, I heard about poor Warren. Tragic. SYKES You were partners with him on some Slag -- uh, Newcomer real estate thing. HARCOURT That's right. He and I, along with seven or eight others. Listen, gentlemen, I will be happy to assist you in any way I can -- unfortunately, at the moment, I'm overdue at another function. Suddenly there's a voice from O.S.: MAYOR (O.S.) William... Harcourt turns as the Mayor and his WIFE step up. HARCOURT Mr. Mayor... MAYOR William, I was wondering if you wouldn't rather ride with Luisa and me. Two limousines trying to make it across town in all this traffic, we're bound to be later than we already are. HARCOURT Excellent idea. Ray, I wonder if you know two of your police officers... Detective Jetson and Sykes. MAYOR (shaking their hands, dismissively) A pleasure. (to Harcourt) We really should be going. The wind is knocked from Sykes' sails by the presence of the Mayor with a very impatient expression. Harcourt smiles. HARCOURT (continuing) Please feel free to call my office Monday morning for an appointment. (to Jetson) Congratulations again on your promotion, Detective. Remember... you're out there setting an example in our community. I'll be keeping an eye on you. Harcourt is smiling as he says this last, but his eyes are penetrating... telegraphing a subliminal warning. Harcourt and entourage move off... leaving Sykes steaming. CUT TO: EXT. BILTMORE HOTEL - HARCOURT AND KIPLING - NIGHT Walking behind the others. They speak in very low voices; Harcourt continuing to nod and smile to other passing VIPs during: KIPLING That cop, the human, he was the one who killed Anderson and the driver. HARCOURT This is becoming a serious breach of security. KIPLING He didn't recognize me. HARCOURT It is his new partner that I'm worried about. CUT TO: INT. POLICE FIRING RANGE - FRONT DESK - NIGHT MAFFET, the stocky retired cop behind the counter, hands Jetson a bag of reloads and some silhouette targets. Sykes nods to Jetson, motioning him toward the firing line. SYKES Go on ahead. I'll be right in. (to Maffet, low) What'd you dig up for me? Maffet slides open a drawer, takes out a paper bag containing a massive pistol with an enormous bore. By his manner this deal is definitely not kosher. Sykes hefts the weapon. MAFFET You said you wanted the biggest thing I could find... Well, this is it. SYKES What is it? MAFFET Casull .454 Magnum. You're talking twice the impact energy of .44 Magnum hot loads. SYKES (flips open cylinder) Only holds five. MAFFET Yeah, the shells are too big for six in an cylinder. Hell, Matt, you don't need but one. SYKES (sighting) No... two. EXT. SHOOTING RANGE - FIRING LINE - NIGHT Jetson, looking bizarre in his ear-protectors, is taking careful aim with his .38 as Sykes walks up. Jetson slips the protectors down. SYKES Well, let's see what you got, Cochise. Gimme six, rapid fire. Jetson, a little nervous at this command performance, turns, sets, and FIRES at the silhouette target. It's a large, sloppy grouping. SYKES (continuing) How long you been shooting? That's pitiful. Whattya gonna do if somebody draws down on you, wave your scores on the written exam at 'em? Sykes starts loading the thumb-sized bullets into the Casull. JETSON Why did you do it? SYKES Why'd I do what? JETSON Agree to work with me? You don't like me... you don't like any of us. You have nothing but contempt for us. And yet you become an outcast from your club of detectives by making me your partner... SYKES My partner is dead! Because one of you bastards killed him -- then disappeared into a rathole down in Slagtown, where he's home and dry, 'cause nobody sees nothing, nobody says nothing... Sykes grabs a bullet-proof vest from nearby, slaps it onto the hanging target form. He hits the switch, running the target down to the end of the lane. SYKES (continuing) But he didn't figure on you, George. You're going to get me through that wall of silence. You're going to make them talk to me. You're going to help me find that Slag son-of-a- bitch. Comprendo? And if Fedorchuk and the boys in the bullpen don't like it, screw them... and if the Captain doesn't like it, screw him... and if all the Slags down in Slagtown don't like it... well screw them too! Sykes raises the Casull, fires. KA-BOOM!!! The shell rockets clean through the bullet-proof vest on the target form. The recoil slams Sykes back, jerks his arm up. KA- BOOM!!! again, and another hole is drilled through the vest. Other shooters look over. Sykes sets the gun down... sees his hand is bleeding. Jetson absorbs all this, as we-- CUT TO: EXT. "X" BAR - NIGHT A violet neon "X" FILLS FRAME, flashing hypnotically. It's a bar catering to rough-trade Newcomer clientele. Several ALIEN MEN, brute laborer-types, lounge around out front. They glare with antagonism as Sykes and Jetson climb out of their car. SYKES (to Jetson) Okay, just stay back and do what I do. Watch and learn, watch and learn... INT. "X" BAR - NIGHT Sykes and Jetson walk into the almost total blackness of this all-Newcomer place. A few near-infrared indigo lamps dot the blackness. SYKES I can't see dick in here. We can dimly make out booths along one wall, some tables, and the bar. There are maybe twenty figures seated or standing in the darkness. The room falls silent in a wave as Sykes' presence becomes noticed. Sykes saunters forward, commanding the space with his unhurried movements. SYKES (calling into the dark silence) Which one'a you Slags is Porter? VOICE (from the back of the bar) Who wants to know? Sykes squints into the darkness, then-- SYKES (aside to Jetson) Who said that? JETSON (tilts his head to indicate) At the end of the bar. Sykes nods, starts in that direction. SYKES My name is Sykes. I'm-- ALIEN VOICE Ss'ai k'ss? The whole place roars with LAUGHTER. Too late Sykes remembers what his name sounds like to them. He continues down the bar and a figure in one of the booths sticks his leg out and trips Sykes with his size 16 work boot. Sykes stumbles, then recovers and pivots on the offender. Hoots and derisive LAUGHTER. He sees only shadows. OFFENDER (merely a voice in the dark) Careful, ss'loka', you might hurt yourself. More laughter. Sykes gives the darkness where the offender sits a hard stare, then turns and shoulders his way to the end of the bar. Jetson follows. Sykes stops behind a big Newcomer in greasy work clothes. ANGLE The punk Newcomer in the next seat is keeping his head down, trying to be inconspicuous. He glances over at the two cops... his expression shifting to recognition as he spots Jetson. BACK TO SCENE Sykes speaks to the Big Newcomer's back. SYKES You Porter? The Big Newcomer continues to sip his mug of sour milk. Doesn't turn. Sykes grabs him by the shoulder and turns him around. The alien grabs Sykes' hand off, rising to his full height. He and Sykes lock eyes. Meanwhile. the punk Newcomer (PORTER) has started to slip away unnoticed. Jetson spots him, reaches out with one arm, and grabs him by the jacket. JETSON No, Matthew. I believe this is the one you want. He pulls Porter back into play. Now Jetson sees Porter's face... and he, too, reacts with recognition. Sykes gives Jetson a sour look, releases the Big Newcomer, and turns his malice on the punk Newcomer. SYKES Your name wouldn't happen to be Porter, would it? JETSON Uh, Matthew... SYKES (over his shoulder to Jetson) Back off, George. JETSON But I-- (know this man). SYKES I'll handle it. Jetson backs off, letting him handle it. SYKES (to Porter) Jesus, are the questions too tough for you already? Let's try again-- (slowly) Is your name Porter? PORTER Ss'kya'ta'. SYKES (to Jetson) What's that? JETSON Screw you. SYKES (back to Porter) Screw me? That can't be right. PORTER Ss'kya ta' ss'loka'. Ss'trokya' ss'lato na'! JETSON (to Sykes, low) You don't want to know. SYKES Tell me. JETSON Your mother mates out of season. SYKES (to Porter) That's very colorful. But see -- now I've got a problem. I don't seem to be getting much cooperation from you, Porter. So I guess we're gonna have to take this little session down to my office, ya know? And instantly Sykes whips out this flashlight, snaps on the beam, and arcs it into the faces of the aliens around him. Jetson gets a blast of it, too. The aliens are momentarily blinded. Sykes has Porter pinned to the bar, the flashlight in his face, as he starts to handcuff him. But Porter gets a hand free and crushes the head of the flashlight. Darkness falls... along with Sykes' expression of satisfaction. Porter hurls Sykes back, slamming him into a table. The crowd HOOTS and CHEERS. Sykes finds his way to his feet. JETSON Matthew, you don't have to-- (do this). SYKES Stay back! I'm okay. He charges Porter, brandishing the flashlight like a club. The two of them battle, then Sykes sees his opportunity and brings his knee up viciously into the alien's groin. Porter doubles over in feigned agony, then slowly rises again -- smiling. PORTER Don't they teach you anything about us in cop school, little ss'loka'? Porter grabs Sykes by the shirt front, is about to deliver a crushing blow, when another arm cuts into FRAME, locking with Porter's, blocking the punch. It is Jetson. JETSON Enough. PORTER (eyeing Jetson) Ss'tangya T'ssorentsa'. You're a cop. (with some contempt) It fits you. Jetson says something to him in the alien language. Porter gives him a hard stare, then moves toward the back exit. Sykes stumbles over to Jetson. SYKES You know that guy? JETSON (nods) From quarantine, when my people first arrived here. He and I were housed together. SYKES How could a straight-arrow like you ever pick a roommate like him? JETSON In the camps, we were lodged four to a room. The selection process was entirely random. We did not get to stay with our friends... or families... And he moves toward the back exit. Sykes watches him go. CUT TO: EXT. "X" BAR - NIGHT Porter leans against an alley wall. He speaks English learned on the streets. JETSON You don't know what your father and these two men were arguing about? PORTER I told you -- I was in the back of the store. I just heard voices, muffled like. SYKES One of the two men was Hubley, right? What about the other one? Did you know him? PORTER Yeah... I seen him around. High- roller dude named Strader. Joshua Strader. Runs a club on the west side. Encounters. SYKES Yeah, I heard of it. PORTER That's all I know. You want anything more, you ask somebody else. He pushes away from the wall, heads for the door to the bar. JETSON I am sorry about your father. Porter throws him a look over his shoulder, then disappears through the door. Sykes and Jetson start down the alley. JETSON If I may make a suggestion... We have different weak spots than you do. Next time, a blow to the nerve plexus under the arm, here, will produce the effect I think you were looking for. SYKES Yeah, sure. I knew that... CUT TO: EXT. BURGER STAND - NIGHT The wall-mounted menu is in English and the Alien Language. The SERVERS are teen aged humans and aliens. Sykes and Jetson stand at the counter awaiting their order. KID (serving them) Six forty-two. They both put money on the counter. The kid goes to put the order together. Sykes looks at the alien characters on the menu. SYKES I don't think I could ever learn to read that shit. (beat) How long did it take you to learn English? JETSON Three months. (off Sykes' look) We learn quickly. We adapt. It is our strength... what we were bred for, to adapt to hostile environments. The Serving Kid puts their bags on the counter. JETSON (continuing) Thank you. They take the bags and walk off, digging the food out of the bags as they talk: SYKES My neighbor's kid has a Newcomer girl in his class. She's six years old and in seventh grade already... They climb into the car. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT Jetson doesn't respond... some things are better left unaddressed. Meanwhile, Sykes has unwrapped his food and recoils in disgust. SYKES Oh, God. I think I got yours here... He holds up two strips of raw meat with patches of animal fur still on them. Jetson meanwhile is grimacing at the dripping cheeseburger he's just unwrapped. They quickly trade. SYKES (continuing) Which one is that? Raw what? JETSON (eating a strip) This is mole. It's good. SYKES I'll bet. (winces, watching him chew) Would it really put you out if they tossed that on the grill for a minute or two? JETSON Our bodies do not assimilate the nutrients if the food has been cooked. Jetson looks over at him, smiling. SYKES Oh, that's real attractive. You got fur in your teeth, George. Come on, man, we're gonna be talking to people... jeez. Sykes looks at his burger, his appetite gone, shoves it back into the sack and tosses it into the back seat. INT./ EXT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT As Sykes pulls onto the street. SYKES So what was that other word for Human... Slow ka? JETSON Ss'loka'. It means literally "small but intelligent creature". (Sykes looks over, doesn't know if he likes this) It loses much in the translation. SYKES And what was that one about my mother? That was a good one. JETSON Ss'trokya ss'lato 'na'. SYKES Yeah, that's it. Say it slow. Jetson pronounces the words and Sykes follows along haltingly. After several tries, he can say it passably well. INT. ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT An upscale, mostly yuppie-human dance club. The antithesis of the "X" bar. A human HOSTESS in a slit dress has just finished seating Sykes and Jetson at a table. She moves off. The two cops look up at the stage. REVERSE ANGLE revealing the exotic alien dancer named CASSANDRA. She moves with a feline blend of strength and grace. Framing her face is a silvery nylon wig that she tosses like a mane as she undulates to the MUSIC. Sykes watches with fascination. The MUSIC ends and Cassandra steps down from the stage, to be replaced by a human DANCER as the next SONG cranks up. Sykes and Jetson quickly intercept her as she heads backstage. JETSON You are Cassandra? CASSANDRA That's right. JETSON We are with the Police Department. This is Sergeant Sykes, and I am-- CASSANDRA (laughing) Ss'ai k'ss? Perfect. SYKES We're looking for your boss -- Strader. She eyes the two of them warily, then moves backstage, assuming they will follow. INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT She moves along the narrow corridor. CASSANDRA He's not here. Why ask me? JETSON The young woman at the front said you might know where he is. CASSANDRA She did, did she? Well, she was wrong. Excuse me, I have to change. SYKES No problem. She moves through a door. Sykes follows closely so does Jetson. INT. ENCOUNTERS - DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Cassandra grabs some clothes and goes into a stall. SYKES Look, we're not here doing an interview for the school paper. This is a homicide investigation... and if you don't stop jerkin' us around, I'm ready to start playin' hardball. Jetson has waited politely half-in half-out of the room. Sykes rapidly motions to him to "go look around". Jetson mimes back, "Huh?" CASSANDRA (slipping out of her dance costume) Oooh. Hardball. That sounds interesting. Are you going to strike me? You could tie me up and then do whatever you want with me... I've got my own ropes. SYKES (still miming to Jetson) Does that cost extra or you throw them in? CASSANDRA You've got me all wrong. I don't charge money for something that I myself find pleasurable... Finally Jetson gets what Sykes is trying to tell him. He says in the uncertain, stagy voice of a bad liar: JETSON I am going out to the car. I will meet you there. Sykes rolls his eyes as Jetson exits into the corridor. Cassandra emerges from the stall, wearing a long, stylish, low-cut dress. CASSANDRA Look, I don't know where Mr. Strader might be. He comes and he goes. SYKES (starting to feel a little uncomfortable) The girl out front mentioned Strader's assistant, somebody named Watson. Maybe he knows. CASSANDRA (tensing slightly) Todd? Todd doesn't know either. She is very close to Sykes now. She fingers the lapel of his jacket. CASSANDRA (continuing) I know... Why don't you hang around for a while, let me entertain you? It's Matt, right? Now tell me the truth, have you ever... made it... with one of us? SYKES Not unless I got real drunk and nobody told me about it later. CASSANDRA A virgin. I find that very arousing... INT. SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT MUSIC drifts up from downstairs. Jetson moves along the corridor, scoping things out. He tries a door. Locked. Tries another one. Open. He eases it wider, then enters the darkened office. INT. OFFICE - SECOND FLOOR - NIGHT Jetson moves into the office. Looks around. Makes his way to the cluttered desk top. Pushes things around... all the usual stuff. He starts to turn away, then his eye catches something sticking out from behind a row of ledger books. He reaches for it. A small dispenser -- of the kind we saw being filled at the refinery. Jetson studies it, his suspicions growing. Opening it, he finds only the barest trace of a viscous substance. He smells it... not enough to tell for certain what it is. But enough that he is very concerned about what it could be. INT. CASSANDRA'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Cassandra is practically melting herself into Sykes now. She takes his hand and guides his fingertips over her facial ridges. She shudders with pleasure. Sykes begins to perspire. SYKES There's lots of things I haven't done, but his ain't high on the list. Don't take it personally. CASSANDRA I think you're just a little scared now, about what you might find once the lights go out. A little scared... and a lot curious. Maybe more than you want to admit. But doesn't that turn you on, that curiosity and fear, swirling together? (coos) Think of it as broadening your horizons. SYKES I like my horizons narrow. CASSANDRA (pressing herself into him) Your voice is saying no, but your body is saying yes. He quickly disengages from her. SYKES My voice, body, and everything else is saying I'll be back in two hours for Strader, and he better damn well be here. He shoves a business card at her, then retreats through the door. INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT Sykes closes the door and lets out his breath. INT. CASSANDRA'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Cassandra's expression instantly turns to worry and she quickly crosses to a phone and punches the intercom button. INT. OFFICE - SECOND FLOOR - NIGHT Jetson, looking through a desk drawer, hears the intercom BUZZ in the next room. Through the wall-- WATSON (O.S.) (tentatively) Yes...? CASSANDRA (O.S.) (over the intercom, breathless) Todd, it's me. The police were just here... looking for Strader. And asking about you. Jetson moves toward the door to the adjoining office, drawing his gun. The floor squeaks beneath his feet. He looks down, then continues toward the door. INT. OFFICE - SECOND FLOOR - NIGHT Jetson eases open the door. It's the manager's private office. Jetson sees the phone receiver resting on the desk, the desk lamp on, a lit cigarette in an ashtray -- but no one behind the desk. Jetson eases through the door and-- -- a chair crashes down on him from behind the door! Jetson goes down, his gun skittering out of his hand. INT. PRIVATE OFFICE - NIGHT Jetson and his assailant battle in the well-appointed office. INT. OFFICE - SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT Sykes hears the fight through the private office door. He throws the door open. INT. PRIVATE OFFICE - NIGHT Sykes stands in the doorway, the Casull straight-armed at Jetson's assailant. SYKES Freeze! Now! The assailant does. He looks at Sykes, scared, breathing hard. He's a Newcomer in a snappy Armani suit. This is TODD WATSON. Jetson, on the floor, starts to rise. Suddenly somebody flies at Sykes from the side, knocking him sideways down the corridor. It's Cassandra. Watson seizes the moment and shoves the off-balance Jetson into some furniture and dives for the door. INT. SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT Watson runs down the corridor, ducking onto a fire escape. Meanwhile Sykes wrestles with Cassandra. She's as strong as he is, but he has the edge in experience. Jetson, disheveled, appears in the private office doorway, ready to chase Watson, but not knowing which way he went. SYKES (struggling with Cassandra) Fire escape! End of the hall! Jetson nods, takes off down the corridor. Sykes manges to get one handcuff on Cassandra's wrist, the other cuff around a pipe sticking out of the wall. She SCREECHES at him in the alien language as he collects the Casull and charges down the corridor. EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - OUTSIDE ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT Jetson pounds down the fire escape. Below him, he sees Watson reach the ground and take off running for the parking area. Jetson reaches the ground and gives chase. EXT. ENCOUNTERS PARKING LOT - NIGHT Watson zig-zags through the parked cars, Jetson cutting down other rows trying to make up the distance between them. EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - OUTSIDE ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT Sykes bangs down the fire escape, leaping the last fifteen feet to the ground. EXT. ENCOUNTERS PARKING LOT - NIGHT Watson reaches his Alfa Romeo, yanks open the door, fires it up. Jetson slides up, ten feet behind the car, pulls his gun, aims. The white reverse-lights flash on. Jetson stands there, gun aimed -- but he hesitates to shoot. In that split second hesitation, Watson floors it... Jetson jumping to avoid being hit. INT. ALFA ROMEO - NIGHT Watson throws the car into Drive, looks up, and sees Sykes standing right in front of the car. He hits the gas. Sykes has no choice then to leap onto the hood of the car. Watson, with Sykes' face on the other side of the glass, panics and-- EXT. ENCOUNTERS PARKING LOT - NIGHT -- plows the Alfa into some parked cars. Sykes is up in a flash -- yanks Watson out of the car. Watson rears back to swing at Sykes, when Sykes swings his arms around in two wide arcs, his fists landing two direct hits in the nerve centers under Watson's arms. Watson folds over with a "ooowwph" sound and drops to his knees. SYKES (breathing hard) I'll be damned. It worked. (sees Jetson run up) How'd you like that, huh? Whammo! Both barrels. Dropped him like a bag of cement. Jetson picks up Watson's fallen wallet. He looks at the I.D. SYKES Who is he? JETSON Todd Watson. The assistant manager. Watson is still doubled over, just trying to draw one agonized breath. WATSON I don't believe this. Look at my suit. Look at what you made me do to my car. SYKES (laughing) Your girlfriend put up a better fight than you did, pal. JETSON We are looking for your employer, Joshua Strader. WATSON He's out of town. JETSON Why did you run? WATSON Because you two were chasing me. SYKES We were chasing you because you ran, you dumb son-of-a-bitch. JETSON When will Strader return? WATSON Who knows. He's the boss -- he doesn't have to check in with me. SYKES (wearily) Watson... this is my partner here's first coupla days, and he wants to make a good impression. Me, though, the way I feel -- this could be my last day, know what I mean? And I'm ready to rain on you like a cow pissin' on a flat rock. WATSON Look -- Mr. Strader hasn't been around for a coupla days. He didn't tell me where he was going or when he'd be back. I swear it. SYKES (to Jetson) What do you think? JETSON I believe he is probably lying. SYKES Through his ass. (to Watson) Next time you see him, tell him to call me... unless you want us to keep coming back on you like a bad case of herpes. Sykes shoves a business card in Watson's breast pocket. They walk away and Watson slumps against his car. ANGLE - MOVING WITH SYKES AND JETSON as they walk wearily to the slug-mobile. SYKES George, you can handle the women from now on, you mind? CUT TO: EXT. ENCOUNTERS PARKING LOT - NIGHT Watson is alone, surveying the damage to his Alfa, when he hears footsteps. He turns with a "What now?" expression and -- a shotgun butt is slammed into his forehead. He goes down. Kipling stands over him, flanked by FOUR HUMAN THUGS. One of these is QUINT, senior human in Harcourt's employ. QUINT (to other Thugs) Okay, scrape him up. CUT TO: EXT. ZUMA BEACH APPROACH _ NIGHT Harcourt's private limo glides down the narrow access road, passing a lookout car attended by two alien Thugs. The limo moves down to the beach, parking near an n.d. van. Harcourt exits the limo, walks onto the sand to the back of the van. Here he finds Kipling and Quint and the three human Thugs. They have Watson chained to the van's rear bumper, facing the sea, and have been working him over with a tire iron. He's bruised and bloody, but still conscious. HARCOURT Any progress? QUINT My arm's gettin' tired and so far, zip. KIPLING He is ss'verdlatya ss'alo to Strader. QUINT What's that mean? KIPLING Duty-bonded. His allegiance to Strader is above pain or life. QUINT You tellin' me this guy would die before he'd screw his boss and work for us? Nobody's that dumb. KIPLING It is something you couldn't comprehend, Quint. Harcourt approaches Watson, kneels beside him, careful to keep the knee of his designer pants out of the sand. HARCOURT I understand you have been resisting my offer Mr. Watson. Your sense of duty to Mr. Strader is noble, but -- no longer an issue, I'm afraid... Harcourt signals and the two Thugs drag an alien body from the back if the van: a middle-aged alien, Strader, shot twice through the front of his silk suit. Watson's eyes widen in fear. HARCOURT (continuing) I will not make this offer again. I want you to work for me, to manage the nightclub as Strader's successor. If you do, you will know a wealth and comfort our people never dared imagine... Watson stares at Harcourt, scared but defiant. WATSON Sss'k'a ta'! Harcourt studies Watson a moment, perhaps even admiring his resolve. Then-- HARCOURT It is such a pity to die for an outmoded value. (rising) Mr. Quint, I believe it's time for our friend's swimming lesson. Watson freaks out, howling and lashing against the chains. HARCOURT (to Watson) It's important to learn new skills. Essential to your growth as a person. Quint and the Thugs free Watson from the bumper. He bucks and lunges as they drag him toward the surf. Quint addresses one of the Thugs, a new guy. QUINT You never seen this before, have you, Billy? oh, man, you ain't gonna believe it... seawater is like battery acid to these guys... I don't know what it is, some kinds chemical reaction. Whatta you think it is, Watson? Whoa, hold him. (a wave breaks outside, the foam rolls in) What I love about the surf is you can never tell how far up it's going to come until it... whoops, got a little wet there. The wave just sloshes over Watson's lower legs. He screams. Flailing, one of his hands dips below the surface of the water. He howls and yanks out his hand. We see the alien hand dripping seawater... then a thousand droplets of purple alien blood begin to bead all over the hand. The Thugs get Watson swinging. QUINT Last call, sucker. One... two... THREE! Watson is flung into the surf. ANGLE Harcourt and Kipling have walked down almost to the waterline. We HEAR Watson's GURGLES and SCREAMS... then nothing. Kipling is very nervous this close to the water. Harcourt seems unperturbed. KIPLING When we picked him up, he was talking to those two cops -- the two who came to question you about Hubley. HARCOURT This is getting out of hand. I want you to deal with it. Immediately. A wave rushes up the sand. Kipling quickly steps back. Harcourt stands firm, staring it down, and the foam stops six inches from his dress shoes. HARCOURT (continuing) We must learn to embrace the things we fear... and from that grow strong. A moment, then he turns and starts back toward the limo. He motions to Strader's body and the surf. The Thugs grab the body and heave it into the waves. CUT TO: INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - NIGHT Jetson is talking rapidly in the alien language on the kitchen wall phone. Sykes, foreground, takes the bottle of vodka from the refrigerator, throws some ice in a glass, pours himself a shot. As Jetson is talking, he spots the carton of milk that Sykes inadvertently left out of the refrigerator two nights ago. He sniffs it... his eyebrows do an involuntary movement. He finishes with his wife and hangs up. He watches Sykes take a long pull on the vodka. JETSON (holds up milk carton) Would you mind? Sykes shrugs, tosses him a glass. Jetson pours the semi- lumpy milk and takes a big swallow. Sykes grimaces. Then-- SYKES (indicates phone) So, she keeps you on a pretty short leash, does she? JETSON My wife? She worries about me. Sykes leans against the counter, getting comfortable, his voice more weary then bitter. SYKES Yeah... I know the routine. JETSON You are married? SYKES Was. Divorced. JETSON We mate for life. Divorce... is a strange concept to us. SYKES It's like having an eleventh finger removed. It hurts like hell, but you never really needed the damn thing in the first place. Jetson nods -- even though he doesn't really understand this. They drink... Jetson gazes around. JETSON Your home is quite disordered. I thought perhaps you had been burglarized when I walked in. SYKES (growling) I appreciate your honesty, George. He smacks his glass against Jetson's. They drink. INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - LATER Sykes has his wallet out... showing Jetson a dog-eared photo. SYKES Ignore the bitch on the left, that's Edie. I call her Edi Amin... This is Kristin, my daughter. It's kinda an old picture... she's twenty now. Getting married, in fact... on Sunday. Jetson sitting across the table from Sykes, looks at the proffered photo. They're both a little drunk now. JETSON Human children can be very beautiful. (then) Getting married? Congratulations. You will be taking Sunday off, then... SYKES (uneasy) Maybe not... I don't know. I'm not sure I'm gonna go. (mumbles) She doesn't need her burn-out of a father there... Jetson looks at him. Sees something he never thought possible in Sykes. Vulnerability. Trying to break the melancholy mood, Jetson reaches for his wallet. JETSON (upbeat) I must show you... (flips open wallet, shows four crisp photos of his wife) And this is Richard. My son. He's four years old. We named him after the former President, Richard Nixon. Sykes looks at all the photos sprawled out on the table... and has to laugh. He looks up at Jetson's sincere face. He may be starting to like this guy. SYKES You open to a piece of advice? Tell people you named him after Richard Burton, the actor. Just take my word for it. And he clacks his glass against Jetson's sitting on the table, and-- INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - LATER They are quite a bit drunker. Jetson has doffed his jacket and tie, leans in, listening intently to Sykes. SYKES ... and so, and so the doctor says, "If this is the thermometer, then where'd I leave the pen?" (laughs raucously, Jetson doesn't react) You're not... you don't think that's funny? George, work with me, I always get a laugh with that one. Look, if the doctor's got the thermometer in his hand, then where's his pen gotta be? JETSON (straight-faced) In the other man's rectum. SYKES (laughing) Sticking out of his ass... yeah! See, that's what makes it a joke. There's like a surprise, and your mind fills in the funny picture. Here's this guy with a pen stuck in his ass and he thinks it's a thermometer. (Jetson just blinks) Nada, huh? Jetson shrugs apologetically. Sykes pours them each another round. SYKES (continuing) Your health... JETSON Ta ss'trakyona'... They CLACK glasses, and-- INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - LATER STILL The party has moves into the living room floor, around the coffee table. It's a quieter moment. JETSON There is so much our two peoples don't understand about each other. SYKES No shit, Holmes. You're only from another goddamn planet, for chrissakes. JETSON You humans are very curious to us. You invite us to live among you, in an atmosphere of equality we've never known before. You lay before us a beautiful green world, full of freedoms and opportunities... You give us ownership of our lives for the first time... and you ask no more of us than you do of yourselves: to live by the rules... rules that aren't made to keep one people subordinate to another, but rules that exist to preserve equality. You aspire to very high ideals here. Sykes is watching Jetson, mesmerized. The guy's never said this much at one time before. If he wasn't drunk, Jetson would never let himself open up to a human like this. JETSON (continuing) I hope you can understand how special your world is... how unique a people you humans are. So it us all the more painful and confusing to us that so few of you seem capable of living up the the ideals you set for yourselves. SYKES Don't count on me, George. I never had any ideals. Jetson smiles a little. He knows that's bullshit. JETSON We don't understand the hatred, the contempt. But we must bear it... we must not react in anger... because our situation here is still fragile. The separationists would see us returned to the quarantine camps. The fundamentalists say we have no more human rights than dogs or cats. But the prejudice we face here is so insignificant compared to the pain that we've known before. And that is why we are so grateful. Sykes studies him a long time through heavy-lidded eyes. Finally-- SYKES Yeah, well... except I did hear you eat your dead. Jetson looks at him a long beat, then-- JETSON (deadpan) Only on Fridays. Sykes stares at him for about five seconds and then explodes with laughter. SYKES You son-of-a-bitch. You're okay. Jetson stands unsteadily, and announces: JETSON I'm going home. SYKES Yeah, go home. Get some sleep. You do sleep, don't you? Jetson, going out the front door, just waves over his shoulder without turning around. He's gone. SYKES What a wildman... Sykes, stands there wobbling, then he collapses backward onto the sofa, unconscious. And we MATCH DISSOLVE TO-- INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - DAWN The first hues of dawn stream through the window. Sykes remains passed out on the sofa where we left him. EXT. STREET - FRONT OF SYKES' BUILDING - DAWN The slug-mobile parked at the curb. Silence, then the RUMBLE of a heavy truck... and a tow truck turns onto this street at the corner. The tow truck glides to the curb in front of the slug- mobile. The driver stays inside as his passenger alights carrying a tool kit and a paper bag. The human is Quint. Quint uses a slim-jim to open the slug-mobile door, then slides behind the wheel. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - DAWN Quint slides the contents from the paper bag. It is a packet of C-4 plastic explosives, with a primer cap, and two lead wires with their ends bared. Quint bends down, starts to work under the dash. As his head disappears from FRAME, suddenly another head appears above the seats... George Jetson sitting up groggily in the back seat. A blanket slips off his head and shoulders. He sits there blinking, rubbing his eyes, feeling lousy. Under the dash, Quint starts to whistle as he works. Mistake. Jetson, with a puzzled expression, leans forward and sees this guy in the front seat. Before he can jump-start his brain, Quint sits up, sees him, and hammers him in the face with his fist. Jetson is knocked back, holding his face. That was the last thing he needed. EXT. STREET - FRONT OF SYKES' BUILDING - DAWN Meanwhile Quint is shouting and bailing out of the car. He runs and leaps into the already moving tow truck. It is sliding around the corner out of sight just as Jetson stumbles out of the car. He whips out his gun from the unfamiliar shoulder rig and it flies out of his hand. Jetson sags against the side of the car, mumbles an alien phrase, clearly the equivalent of "Fuck it...". CUT TO: INT. SYKES' APARTMENT - DAY Sykes is in the fetal position on the couch where we left him. Someone is POUNDING on the door. He regains consciousness reluctantly. SYKES This better be good news or money. He shambles to the door and gets it open, admitting Jetson. Jetson holds the C-4 charge in a handkerchief with one hand and gives it to Sykes. JETSON Hold this. (lurching to the sink) I feel very terrible. Sykes registers what he's holding. He moves to Jetson, who is running his head under the tap. SYKES Where'd you get this?!! JETSON A man, a human, was wiring it to your car. I didn't get a good look at him. (then, registering that it's day; panicked) I must call my wife... CUT TO: INT. PRECINCT FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY Jetson is starting to take on Sykes' looks, his clothing rumpled and a day old. Sykes has showered and changed so he's not suffering as much by comparison. They approach Sykes' desk. JETSON She's going to divorce me. SYKES George, she's not gonna divorce you. You mate for life, remember? JETSON She's very progressive. I'm certain she's considering it. ANGLE - A UNIFORMED SECRETARY distributing phone slips nearby notices Sykes. SECRETARY You guys are looking for somebody named Strader, right? SYKES Yeah. SECRETARY Fedorchuk and Alterez just phoned in. They found him. (Sykes and Jetson react) Or at least what's left of him, washed up on the beach at Zuma. Sykes and Jetson react again. SECRETARY (continuing; handing over the message slip) They're still there if you wanna catch them. She moves off. SYKES Well, let's roll, George. JETSON (with a stricken expression) To the... to the beach? SYKES Come on, let's go, dude. Surf's up! CUT TO: EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY - ZUMA BEACH - DUSK CRANE SHOT, nice and WIDE, showing the slug-mobile turning off P.C.H. onto a gravel road which curves down the the beach. The following is V.O. as the car approaches the water. JETSON (V.O.) Stop the car. SYKES (V.O.) Why? JETSON (V.O.) Please, I must get out here. SYKES (V.O.) Come on, you won't have to get near the water. JETSON (V.O.) Stop the car! We see the car pull to a stop in a cloud of dust. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - DUSK SYKES All right, okay. Keep your pantyhose on. Jeez, when in doubt, freak out, for chrissake. Sykes sees that his partner is covered with a sudden sheen of sweat, his hands shaking. Sykes softens. SYKES (continuing) It's all right, George. It's cool. Just wait here, all right? I'll be back in a coupla minutes. JETSON Thank you. He climbs out and Sykes drives down to the beach... toward a cluster of vehicles: a Sheriff's black-and-white, a coroner's wagon, and Fedorchuk's unmarked sedan. EXT. BEACH - DUSK A quick glimpse of a pile of dark yuck in the shape of a person, black and skeletal beneath the remains of a silk suit. Wound around the corpse are streamers of kelp and other high tide detritus. ANGLE ON SYKES, FEDORCHUK, AND ALTEREZ looking down at the body. A CORONER'S TECHNICIAN is doing a closer inspection. FEDORCHUK Found his wallet in his jacket pocket. Joshua Strader, big as life. CORONER'S TECH Jesus, what a mess. It's gonna be a bear to make a positive determination, but it looks to me like he was shot before being tossed in the drink. At least twice-- (indicates where hearts would've been on the body) -- here, and here. Sykes absorbs this. He rises along with Fedorchuk and Alterez. SYKES How're you two doing on Tuggle's killer? ALTEREZ The store owner's son is in a street gang, so now we're thinking maybe it's gang related. SYKES Yeah, that's real good. You guys follow up on that for a coupla months. Fedorchuk looks up at Jetson standing on the bluff above. FEDORCHUK Look at your dildo partner. He's too scared to even come down to the sand. (calls up to Jetson, even though he's too far away to hear) You're not gonna get wet standing here, moron! SYKES I'd like to see you next to a sea of hydrochloric acid, Fedorchuk... see how much surfin' you'd do. Alterez shoots a polaroid of the body. Sykes grabs it as it emerges from the camera and walks back toward the car. Fedorchuk flips him the bird. As Sykes rounds the car, he sees that someone has drawn on the door in yellow liquid chalk marker a big star with "E.T. P.D." printed inside it. Sykes looks around. Fedorchuk and the others stand together chuckling, conspicuously not looking in his direction. SYKES Cute. EXT. BEACH ROAD - DUSK Sykes has stopped to pick Jetson up. He's wiping the "E.T. P.D." from the door as Jetson approaches from the edge of the bluff. Fedorchuk pulls up alongside in his n.d. sedan. He calls off to Jetson, who is still twenty yards away. FEDORCHUK Well, if it isn't Detective Jetson. Forget you hip waders, big guy? SYKES Lay off, asshole. FEDORCHUK I may be an asshole, but at least I'm a real detective, not some outer shit space thing. Sykes, his face neutral, which we should by now know to be highly dangerous, saunters to Fedorchuk's car and leans against it. SYKES Yeah? you're a real honest-to-god detective...? Sykes grabs the back of Fedorchuk's head and slams it into the steering wheel, BAM-HONK!, and in doing so, has hurt his hand again (the hand he hit Jetson with). He shakes that hand while lunging in and grabbing Fedorchuk's car keys with the other. SYKES (continuing) Then detect these! Fedorchuk, holding his bloody nose, watches as his car keys sail out in an arc out over the bluff. Jetson, just climbing into the slug-mobile, witnesses the last of this scene without knowing how it began. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - DUSK Sykes gets in, slams the door. His hand hurts as he grabs the wheel. He holds the wheel gingerly as he slams the car into gear and hurls gravel up the road toward P.C.H. Jetson looks over, curious. JETSON What was that about? SYKES (embarrassed that he defended Jetson) Nothing. On Jetson's confused expression, we-- CUT TO: EXT. BURGER STAND - NIGHT A different burger stand. Sykes and Jetson sit across from each other at one of the outdoor tables... Sykes with his greasy burger, Jetson with his mole strips. This time they have no trouble eating in front of each other as they talk. SYKES ... So we've got three guys dead. All Newcomers, all killed the same way -- execution style. JETSON Warren Hubley was in middle management at a refinery... Joshua Strader operated a successful bar and nightclub... SYKES ... and Porter ran a piece of shit mom-and-pop mini-mart. (beat) So what the hell's the connection? CUT TO: INT. PATHOLOGY LAB OFFICE - NIGHT Sykes and Jetson enter the cluttered lab office. Winter is here eating take-out chicken at his cluttered desk. SYKES You guys finished the postmortem on Strader yet? WINTER (his mouth full) You mean the Blob? They're finishing up now. JETSON Is Bentner here? I must speak with him. WINTER He went home early -- his kid was sick. Jetson frowns. WINTER (continuing) Yeah, but he left something for you. He wipes his greasy fingers on a napkin, then finds an envelope on the desk and hands it to Jetson. Jetson tears open the sealed envelope. The message inside is written in the alien language. WINTER (continuing) Does this have something to do with the test he ran that he wouldn't tell me about? CLOSE ON - JETSON His expression grows stricken as he reads the message. BACK TO SCENE SYKES (getting very curious and suspicious now) What kind of test? WINTER Looking for some foreign compound in the blood of that alien you dropped the other day. SYKES Did he find anything? Winter shrugs, indicates the message Jetson reads, as if to say, "Maybe it says in there". SYKES (to Jetson) Well? Jetson refolds the paper and puts it in his pocket. He is clearly disturbed by what he has read. He looks at Sykes a moment, then quickly breaks eye contact. JETSON It is nothing. Jetson quickly moves off. Sykes hurries off after him. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Sykes hurries to catch up with the fast walking Jetson. They eventually reach the elevators and Jetson jabs the button during: SYKES What's this nothing shit? It wasn't nothing yesterday when you asked Bentner to run that test and he looked like he was about to shit peach pits, and it's not nothing now. Don't lie to me, George, you're bad at it. JETSON (distant, closed) You must leave me alone on this. The elevator arrives, he steps in. Sykes follows. INT. ELEVATOR - NIGHT They enter the empty elevator. Jetson presses the button to descend. SYKES No, see, I don't leave you alone... I'm your partner. I don't work that way... Tug didn't work that way. Jetson remains steadfast. Sykes, about to explode, slams his palm against the red Emergency Stop button and the elevator lurches to a halt between floors. SYKES (continuing) No secrets, goddammit! You don't hold back from me. Whatever is going on, you're gonna tell me now! JETSON (agonizing) No. I cannot involve you. This is not your concern. SYKES The hell it isn't, when somebody wires up enough C-4 explosive to my car to turn me into pink mist! (beat) That Slag was on something, and not sour milk, either? Am I right? (he has backed Jetson to the wall by sheer force of will) TELL ME! What is it? JETSON (finally) ... It is called ss'jabroka'. To us it is a potent narcotic. SYKES How potent? JETSON Like your cocaine, I suppose. The "high" lasts several hours. We would receive small amounts of it... as a reward for our labor. SYKES We? You've taken it? JETSON We all did. SYKES Where did he get it? Was there any of it on the ship? JETSON No... I am sure not. That is why I am so concerned... someone must now be producing it here. (emphatically) But none of my people know how to make it. The process was carefully guarded. SYKES (as the enormity sinks in) Jesus, this is major. (then) Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why'd you hold out on me? JETSON Your people don't know about this part of out past. And they can't know -- It would threaten our entire existence here. The voltage runs out of Sykes. He seems to understand Jetson's dilemma. SYKES George... look me in the eye... George, you don't ever lie to me again. JETSON I must trust you, Matthew. I cannot stop this without you. Sykes stare at Jetson... absorbing the enormity of the earth-shattering secret this alien has asked him to keep. CUT TO: EXT. COUNTY MORGUE - NIGHT Sykes and Jetson move quickly to the slug-mobile. Sykes reaches for the driver's door handle with his punching hand. He winces in pain... the son-of-a-bitch still hurts. He looks across at Jetson opening the passenger door. SYKES George? How about you drive... Jetson looks over at him... gently reacting to this vote of confidence. They walk quickly around to the opposite doors, climb in. INT. CORRIDOR - BUREAU OF NEWCOMER AFFAIRS - NIGHT Sykes and Jetson move down this government-building corridor. SYKES There's gotta be some other connection. They enter a door marked BUREAU OF NEWCOMER AFFAIRS. INT. BUREAU OF NEWCOMER AFFAIRS - NIGHT HIGH SHOT showing the maze of partitioned cubicles filling this huge room. It's all but deserted. Sykes and Jetson are off to one side with a heavyset woman (human) COMPUTER OPERATOR, who they're shanghaied into helping them after hours. CLOSER - AT COMPUTER OPERATOR'S DESK She sits at her computer terminal. Sykes and Jetson stand behind her as she types in commands and information. She types: Hubley, Warren. The computer screen flashes past various information, then settles on a screen full of information of HUBLEY, WARREN. OPERATOR Here's Hubley. (scanning it) Left Quarantine on November thirtieth, relocated first to Riverside, then moved to Los Angeles early in February the following year. Field of expertise: chemical manufacturing. Looks like he passed up several other better paying jobs waiting for that one at the refinery. SYKES Try Joshua Strader, will ya, darlin'? OPERATOR For you, anything. The Operator punches up STRADER, JOSHUA. The screen fills with information. OPERATOR (continuing, reading from screen) Released on November twenty-ninth. Came immediately to L.A. Ten weeks after arriving he took over the abandoned club which is now Encounters. JETSON (to Operator) Now the store owner, please. Cecil Porter. She types it in. OPERATOR Released December one. He and his wife moved first to Modesto, then Coalinga, California -- wherever that is -- settled in L.A. in April. Field of expertise: organic chemical engineering. He and his wife have one child, a son. SYKES Yeah -- we met him. Wonderful boy... close personal friend of George's here. OPERATOR I'm sorry, Matt. Nothing here seems to be matching up... But Sykes wasn't listening. He's starting off... an idea forming. He stands there a moment, considering it, his face looking like he's chewing something sour. It's so off-the-wall it takes a moment for him to assimilate it. Then-- SYKES Holy shit... (to Jetson) Look what we're staring at: three Newcomers with nothing in common, right? What if it's just one other guy who killed these three? (Jetson looks at him blankly) Three and one make four. Four Newcomers... of totally different backgrounds... (Jetson still doesn't get it) You and the store owner's son -- that punker! Suddenly the realization hits Jetson, too. He looks at Sykes. JETSON ... Quarantine. Sykes spins to the Operator, excited. SYKES Can you dig up their Quarantine records in this thing? OPERATOR Sure. Just a minute. She moves up a screen to the top of Porter's information. OPERATOR (to herself) Porter was in Lodge seven seven two. She rapidly types in additional information. The screen shifts as she jumps files. Finally she gets a line that reads: ENTER LODGE NUMBER: She types: 7-7-2. Sykes and Jetson lean in as the screen goes blank... then information flashes past as the computer searches... then, finally: Occupants, Quarantine Lodge 772: HUBLEY, WARREN......... STRADER, JOSHUA......... Sykes and Jetson react -- their hunch is coming true. On the computer screen: .........PORTER, CECIL......... Sykes and Jetson, their faces bathed in the green kick of the screen, stare without blinking, waiting for that forth name. On the computer screen: .........HARCOURT, WILLIAM. CLOSE ON - SYKES AND JETSON reacting to the name. CUT TO: EXT. ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT CLOSE on a limousine door as it opens and a tall figure rises from the back seat. We TILT UP to reveal William Harcourt. We MOVE with him as he walks to the n.d. van (from the beach scene) parked in front of the limousine. Kipling is just sliding out of the passenger side of the cab. Quint exits the driver door. Kipling slides open the van's side panel, reaches in for-- -- a large black suitcase. He slides it out. Harcourt nods. He and Kipling start into the club, followed by Quint. INT. ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT The club is deserted tonight as Harcourt and entourage move toward the back. EXT. SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT Harcourt and the others move up the stairs to the second floor. Cassandra, wearing a slinky dress, is at the top of the stairs waiting for them. She's very uncomfortable dealing with Harcourt. Kipling and Quint continue on toward the office door. Harcourt pauses with Cassandra. He touches her neckline of her dress, letting his fingers linger against her flesh. HARCOURT Quite lovely... (best) What is your name again? CASSANDRA (flinching involuntarily at his touch) Cassandra. HARCOURT (a chilling smile) I will have to remember that... He continues down toward the office door. Cassandra watches him go. CUT TO: INT. SLUG-MOBILE - MOVING - NIGHT JETSON They had months in quarantine to develop the plan. Porter, with his chemistry background, must have somehow come up with the formula for the drug. Hubley manufactured it -- at the refinery. Strader, through the nightclub, established a distribution network. And Harcourt-- SYKES Harcourt was the brain who brought it all together. EXT. REFINERY - ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHT EXT. REFINERY - NIGHT The slug-mobile skids to a stop at the loading dock entrance. Sykes and Jetson climb out. They hop up onto the loading platform and move purposefully into the well- lit interior through the open door. INT. REFINERY - NIGHT It is Saturday night, the plant is barely operational -- only a few WORKERS around. Sykes and Jetson move purposefully toward the back. SYKES Okay, George -- we gotta play this real smart. JETSON If the drug is here, we must destroy it. SYKES No, George -- you're missing the point. The drug is evidence. We need to have the evidence, ya know? Jetson doesn't reply -- he's focused beyond what Sykes is saying. Sykes spots O'Neal up ahead by the refrigeration door to the METHANE SECTION. SYKES (continuing) That's the guy... O'Neal recognizes Sykes and doesn't wait around for the big Newcomer bearing down on him. He dodges quickly through the refrigeration door and swings it closed. Jetson's hand hits the door an instant later, before it is latched, and he pushes it open despite O'Neal's body weight against the other side. INT. METHANE ROOM - NIGHT Jetson grabs O'Neal by the collar and drags him deeper into the deserted room. O'NEAL Hey, what are you, crazy?! You can't come in here like this! Hey! Sykes reaches the doorway, stops and stares. SYKES So much for playing it smart... O'Neal's feet are barely touching the ground as Jetson moves along the row of drug-manufacturing equipment. Finally he reaches a stainless steel tub... he runs a long finger along the inside, comes up with some residue of the drug. It glistens blue on his finger. It holds him mesmerized for several moments... his expression that of a former junkie beholding the stuff he used to covet so. SYKES (tentatively stepping closer) Is that it...? A beat, than Jetson explodes -- he sweeps a rack of equipment off the worktable, savagely wipes the drug from his hand onto O'Neal's shirt-front as he slams and pins the bug-eyed O'Neal to the wall. SYKES Uh, George... JETSON (in O'Neal's face) Where is the drug? Where have they taken it? O'NEAL (choking) What drug? This is an oil refinery, you... JETSON (pushing harder) WHERE?! O'NEAL (unable to breathe) You... can't do... this! SYKES George, uh... you're gonna break his little chest bones... JETSON Stay out of this, Matthew. (to O'Neal) Tell me where the drug has been taken or I will crush your lungs against this wall. O'Neal is experiencing real fear now. Sykes has decided to back Jetson up, for better or worse. He takes the "good cop" role. SYKES Don't piss him off, O'Neal. When he gets like this, I can't control him. I've seen this before. He got like this once -- I saw him jerk a guy's spine out and show it to him. Nothing I could do. I hadda go throw up. O'NEAL (at length, with great effort) ... They took the stuff out, all of it -- this afternoon. JETSON How much? O'NEAL About fifty kilos... of concentrate... and some street grade... in tubes. Jetson reacts to this... then increases the pressure. O'Neal is really in bad trouble now. Even Sykes takes a half-step forward -- thinking Jetson might actually crush this man. JETSON Where have they taken it? O'NEAL Encount... Encounters Club. Finally, Jetson eases off. O'Neal slumps to the floor, gasping for air. CUT TO: EXT. REFINERY - NIGHT This time Jetson is the Juggernaut... his expression set and hard... as he strides to the car. Sykes practically has to run to keep up. SYKES George, c'mon -- lighten up. It's a beauty of a case. Don't sweat it -- we got him by the short hairs. He ain't gonna make any more of the shit. JETSON The fifty kilos, Matthew. I have to find it. I can't let it get out on the street. SYKES Why? What's the big goddamn deal? Jetson has reached the driver's door of the slug-mobile, yanks it open. SYKES (continuing; as Jetson starts the car You destroy that drug, you destroy the case. Don't blow the whole thing now by not following procedure. JETSON (through the open driver's window) Fuck procedure. And to Sykes' shock, he throws the car in gear and peels out. SYKES Hey!! Jetson accelerates toward the security gate. The guard in the shack starts yelling and runs out as the slug-mobile bashes through the barricade bar. SYKES GEORGE! GODDAMMIT!! Sykes stands there like a moron -- with no partner, no car. A pickup truck carrying a Worker just getting off his shift starts ambling past. Sykes runs in front of it, waving his badge. The pickup skids to a stop. SYKES Police. Get out. I need this thing. Out, now! The poor guy bails out and Sykes jumps in, jamming it into gear. The truck has seen better days... it doesn't have much power to give as Sykes floors it toward the exit. CUT TO: INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT As Jetson races along the freeway, whipping past other traffic. He takes a hand off the wheel, reaches over and pops open the glovebox. He shoves some maps and garbage aside, reaches deeper inside for something -- we don't see what. CUT TO: INT. ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT Cassandra walks a trio of well-dressed DRUG DEALERS (two alien, one human) through the deserted club. INT. SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT She leads them to the office door, opens it, then lets them enter ahead of her. A couple of them smile at her lasciviously as they brush past. She is about to enter herself when an alien hand flashes in behind her, covering her mouth, pulling her backward away from the door. It is Jetson. He had been hiding behind some crates stacked here in the corridor. He pins Cassandra powerfully to the wall, keeping one hand over her mouth. She struggles until she sees who it is. JETSON I am here to take Harcourt. Where is he? She hesitates, then decides to cooperate, indicates with a nod toward the office door. CASSANDRA In there. JETSON (pulling his gun) Show me. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT The large suitcase rests on the expansive conference table. A manicured alien hand reaches in and slowly opens it. Inside are fifty one-kilo glass tubes full of the viscous blue drug. Also several of the small, individual dispensers. It is Harcourt, standing behind the table in a pool of light, who has opened the suitcase. He is flanked by Kipling... with Quint elsewhere in the room. The room is lit by track light, creating pools of light and dark. The two alien Dealers' eyes widen at the sight of the drug. The human dealer doesn't know what it is. HARCOURT (to alien dealers) It's been a long time, hasn't it, gentlemen? HUMAN DEALER What is it? HARCOURT A sweet indulgence from out past... resurrected for our future. Harcourt sees the hungering expressions on the alien Dealers' faces... smiles knowingly. He slides one of the dispensers from the suitcase. HARCOURT (continuing; to alien dealers) Please feel free to sample the quality. The experience will be everything you remember it to be... One of the alien Dealers takes the dispenser, brings it to his tongue. The other alien dealer turns to Harcourt-- ALIEN DEALER Where'd you get it? HARCOURT I arranged to spend some time with three very resourceful men. With a certain amount of coaxing, one of them was able to reconstitute the formula for me. (beat) They worked very well together. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us... but I was fortunate enough to reap the benefit of their endeavor. He indicates the drug. The first alien Dealer sways gently, enjoying the sensation. The second alien Dealer takes his hit... shudders as the first rush washes over him. The human Dealer is no fool... he grabs the dispenser. HUMAN DEALER Let me try some. (he does, immediately spits it out) Jesus! Tastes like detergent! HARCOURT And that's all the effect it will have on you. But when my fellow Newcomers learn they can obtain it here, they will work very hard... to make as much money as they can... to give it to me. Suddenly, a voice from the shadows near the open door to the other office: VOICE You haven't told him all of it. Harcourt and the others react. Quint leaps to his feet, caught off guard. Kipling reaches for his shoulder holster. A silhouette beside the open door to the outer office nudges Cassandra into the light of the room, then steps out himself. It is Jetson. Quint gets his gun out, is about to aim... when his eyes go wide at the sight of something Jetson holds. It is the plastic explosive charge that Quint was wiring to the slug-mobile. The wires are connected and Jetson's finger squeezes down hard on the detonation push-switch. QUINT He's got the C-4 charge! Jetson moves forward slowly, holding the bomb in front of him. He is sweating rivers. The others quickly join him. He nudges Cassandra ahead of himself, keeping her where he can see her. QUINT (continuing) Just take it real casual, buddy. Keep your finger on that button and don't do nothing squirrely. HARCOURT If you release that button, you not only kill us, but yourself. JETSON To get you and that-- (indicates drug in suitcase) -- I would do it. He says it with such straightforward eye contact, that Harcourt (and we) know he isn't bluffing. JETSON Everyone up against that wall. Very slowly. (to Harcourt) Except you. Harcourt remains behind the desk. Cassandra stays where she is, near Jetson. The others move to the wall. Kipling in particular is going nuts, letting this happen. Jetson takes the "sample" dispenser from the table, tosses it into the suitcase, then closes the lid and locks it. All the while keeping his eye on Harcourt and the others. HARCOURT One small matter seems to have escaped your attention. That-- (indicates suitcase) -- is not on any books as a controlled substance. Legally it might as well be fifty kilos of... grape jelly. JETSON The charge is murder... and conspiracy to commit murder. Hubley, Porter, Strader... probably others. There's a flicker of concern behind Harcourt's icy blue eyes. Cassandra stares at Harcourt. CASSANDRA You... you killed Strader? Cassandra runs to Harcourt grabbing his jacket. CASSANDRA Where's Todd?! Did you do something to Todd?! Harcourt looks down at her, totally uninvolved. HARCOURT Todd? Who is Todd. (then remembers; smiles) Ah, poor Mr. Watson. Cassandra's eyes go wide as the horror of what he said sinks in. Jetson nudges Harcourt with the suitcase. They start out. Cassandra, wild with rage, grabs Quint's .357 and with a KEENING WAIL, brings it up toward Harcourt's face. JETSON NOOO! Jetson drops the suitcase as he lunges for the gun. He manages to knock it away just as she fires -- the bullet going into the wall behind Harcourt. Striking like a mongoose, Kipling leaps forward, grabbing the two lead wires on the bomb in Jetson's hand and jerking them apart. Jetson reacts an instant late... releasing the switch... and nothing happens. KIPLING I got it! Kipling tackles Jetson and they both go crashing to the floor. Quint grabs the gun from Cassandra and hammers her with it, hard. She drops to her knees and Quint viciously hits her again. Meanwhile, Jetson struggles to regain his feet. Kipling rears back and delivers a crushing blow under Jetson's arm -- to the nerve plexus. Jetson instantly folds over forward and Kipling savagely brings up his knee into Jetson's face, flipping him back. Kipling slams him into the wall face-first, pinning him there. HARCOURT Kill them both. KIPLING Here? HARCOURT (raging) Do it! Quint brings the gun up, places the muzzle against the base of Cassandra's skull, starts to squeeze the trigger. There's a loud BLAM! and Cassandra flinches... then looks up. Quint is blown backward away from her. Sykes stand in the doorway from the private office, the Casull smoking in his hand. Quint hits the wall behind him -- only it's not a solid wall, but the huge window overlooking the club. He crashes through it. ANGLE FROM DANCE FLOOR as the wall of mirror explodes IN SLOW MOTION and Quint cartwheels to the floor in a shower of diamonds. ANGLE - IN THE OFFICE Kipling shoves Jetson aside, draws his gun and fires at Sykes. Sykes dodges into the private office for cover. The three Dealers dive behind any available furniture. Harcourt snatches up the suitcase and rushes to the door leading into the adjoining outer office. Sykes swings around the edge of the private office door, straight-arms the Casull into the office and fires. Kipling fires back, crossing toward the outer office door, covering Harcourt's back. Sykes ducks back down. An unsteady Jetson rises from the floor, sees Harcourt and Kipling escaping, and takes off after them. Sykes straight-arms the gun into the room again... sees Jetson disappearing through the adjoining office door. He moves into the room as the three drug Dealers, arms up in surrender, rise from behind the furniture. ALIEN DEALER Don't shoot, man -- we're unarmed -- look! Sykes looks at these harmless wimps... then at Cassandra. SYKES You okay? CASSANDRA (dazed, but all right) Yeah... And he charges out the adjoining office door. EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT Harcourt and Kipling bang down the metal stairs. Jetson is ten feet above them. Sykes flies out onto the fire escape, a few steps behind Jetson. A POLICE CAR SIREN is HEARD arriving O.S. EXT. ALLEY - BEHIND ENCOUNTER - NIGHT Two UNIFORMED OFFICERS bound from their unit and run into the back entrance of the club, leaving the unit running. Two seconds later, Harcourt and Kipling leap down from the fire escape, find themselves near the unit. HARCOURT Here! He throws the suitcase into the passenger side door, jumps in. Kipling dives in behind the wheel, slams it into gear and floors it. Jetson and Sykes hit the ground just as the unit peels out. Sykes raises the Casull and fires at the fleeing car. One slug shatters a tail light, others pepper the rear of the trunk, but the car keeps going. JETSON This way! He indicates the slug-mobile parked nearby. They race to it, jump in... Sykes driving. He burns rubber as he pulls out. A second arriving police unit pulls into the alley, heading straight for the slug-mobile. Sykes has to grate between the alley wall and the arriving police unit to get past. EXT. WEST SIDE STREET - NIGHT Harcourt and Kipling in the first police unit come thundering down the street zig-zagging through traffic. The slug-mobile is three-quarters of a block behind them. INSIDE THE BLACK-AND-WHITE Harcourt begins fumbling with the dash switches... eventually hitting the right ones and the roof lights and SIREN blast on. EXT. WEST SIDE STREET - NIGHT It looks like a backwards chase, the slug-mobile chasing the howling police car through traffic. Jetson alertly eyes the approaching traffic -- calls it out to Sykes the way he was trained at the academy. JETSON Slow traffic on your right... you're clear at the left rear... (Sykes changes lanes) Careful, red light ahead... With Jetson's help, Sykes is able to dice through the cross-traffic without incident. EXT. WEST SIDE STREET - NIGHT The traffic ahead of the police car peels off in response to the approaching lights and SIREN. Kipling dodges around the stopped traffic easily. The same traffic that has pulled over for the police car now starts easing back onto the street, cutting off the slug-mobile. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT Sykes' expression tells us he's slipped into the same juggernaut mode we saw during the foot chase in the alley. JETSON Yellow light ahead turning red... But Sykes doesn't slow -- instead he floors it. JETSON (continuing; wide- eyed) Red light! Red light! EXT. WEST SIDE STREET - NIGHT Sykes peels around the merging traffic, cuts across the intersection, and continues the chase. On the wrong side of the road, head-on into traffic. Headlights peel off in front of them as they charge along the wrong side. They eventually catch up to the police unit, racing parallel to it, but with the divider between them. Sykes keeps one hand on the wheel and draws the Casull with the other. He brings it up and around right in front of Jetson's nose, pointing it through the passenger window at Kipling. At that moment, Kipling glances over and reacts to the bore of this huge gun staring him in the kisser. Jetson reacts to the gun in his face... then reacts to something else he sees beyond it. JETSON Green light, Matthew. (Sykes doesn't respond) Green light! Now Sykes looks. The light at the intersection has just turned green -- and the rows of the cars that were waiting start coming. It's a wall of headlights coming right for the slug-mobile. SYKES Shit! JETSON Ss-ai! EXT. WEST SIDE STREET - NIGHT Sykes locks up the brakes. Kipling veers around a couple of cars and speeds away. Because of the other traffic, Sykes has only one course of action. He skids a left onto a side street. EXT. SIDE STREET - NIGHT Sykes burns rubber down this quieter street, squeals a right onto another street that parallels the street the police unit is on. At the first street available, he cuts back in behind the police unit. EXT. FIRST STREET OVERPASS - NIGHT Sykes' car tears along below the overpass -- with the police unit directly above them! An on-ramp approaches for the slug-mobile and Sykes floors it. INT. BLACK-AND-WHITE - NIGHT Harcourt turns in his seat just in time to see the slug- mobile airborne as it flies from the on-ramp, landing a few feet behind the black-and-white's bumper. EXT. FIRST STREET OVERPASS - NIGHT With the slug-mobile now, the police unit hangs a right, cuts through a parking lot, and bounces onto-- EXT. SECOND STREET AND TUNNEL - NIGHT The police unit hangs a u-turn into the Second Street tunnel. It clips one of the civilian cars, causing a pile-up of traffic behind the police unit. The slug-mobile skids to a stop, blocked by the clog of traffic in the tunnel. Sykes is out of the drivers door in a flash, stand on the door frame, and yells-- SYKES Move your goddamned cars! People climb out of their cars dazed and bewildered -- ignoring Sykes. Sykes slides behind the wheel, bangs his bumper into the car in front of him, and pushes the car far enough forward to get around. He speeds off. INT./ EXT. BLACK-AND-WHITE - FREEWAY - NIGHT Kipling rockets up a freeway on-ramp. Harcourt smiles with satisfaction -- there's no sign of the slug-mobile behind them. Kipling eases off, blends into the flow of traffic. EXT. FREEWAY - NIGHT Sykes slaloms the slug-mobile through the civilian traffic like Mario Andretti lapping the pack at Indianapolis. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT Jetson spots the police unit in the right hand lane ahead. JETSON There! Sykes sees it. Thinking fast, he eases off, using another car as a blind. He waits until the police unit is parallel to an off-ramp, then guns ahead and swings right, directly for the police unit. Kipling looks over, reacts, just as the slug-mobile broadsides the police unit. Sykes forces the police unit up the off-ramp. EXT. INTERSECTION - NIGHT Door handle to door handle, the two cars slue to the right. The police unit breaks out in front, but Sykes stays right on its ass. They charge up onto-- EXT. VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE - NIGHT The police unit and slug-mobile -- bumper to bumper at 80 MPH. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT As the cars scream along, Jetson cranes out the side window, looking in distress at the inky seawater flashing past below. EXT. VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE - NIGHT They reach the far end of the bridge and skid wide onto-- EXT. HENRY FORD BOULEVARD - NIGHT A clear two lane straightaway near the ocean. Sykes pushes the slug-mobile to its limits, pulls alongside the police unit. The two cars trade blows at 90+ MPH. Kipling manages to send Sykes onto the dirt shoulder, slowing him down. INT. BLACK-AND-WHITE - NIGHT Kipling watches the slug-mobile in the rearview mirror, then looks back out the front to see the end of the road coming up fast! Harcourt bellows to Kipling, who slams on the brakes. EXT. END OF BOULEVARD - NIGHT The police unit skids to a stop before hitting a chain link fence where the road ends. An abandoned drawbridge and the ocean are on the other side of the fence. With nowhere else to go, Harcourt yells something at Kipling and Kipling floors it back the way they came. EXT. HENRY FORD BOULEVARD - NIGHT The two cars are racing for a full head-on. At the last instant, Sykes wrenches the wheel, throws the slug-mobile sideways, passenger side first. The police unit smashes into the rear door and fender of the slug-mobile, both cars skidding madly to a stop. A fire ignites under the hood of the police unit. INT. SLUG-MOBILE - NIGHT Sykes sits stunned behind the wheel. Disoriented but conscious, he raises his head, looks over... sees Jetson out cold, his forehead gashed and bleeding. Then he looks over and sees the fire growing under the police unit's hood which is crunched up against the rear of the slug- mobile -- near the gas tank. EXT. HENRY FORD BOULEVARD - NIGHT Sykes slides out of the driver's door, stumbles to Jetson's door, wrenches it open, and drags the huge unconscious alien away from the cars. He's still dragging Jetson away when he spots Harcourt pulling himself through the smashed police unit window. Bruised and bleeding, Harcourt reaches in for the suitcase, then starts to run with it. With Jetson a safe distance away from the cars, Sykes clambers to his feet, draws the Casull, and starts off after Harcourt. Harcourt reaches the chain link fence leading to the closed drawbridge. He heaves the suitcase over, then starts to climb. Sykes lumbers past the burning police unit. Kipling is still behind the wheel, his head slumped forward. Sykes is just past the cars when they explode -- sending hoods and door panels and glass flying in all directions. Harcourt, on the other side of the fence, grabs the suitcase and limps off into the shadowy world of the abandoned drawbridge. Sykes reaches the fence. Instead of climbing, he simply blows the lock to hell with the Casull, and kicks open the gate. EXT. ABANDONED DRAWBRIDGE - NIGHT The end of the bridge is in the "up" position... a huge asphalt slab stabbing up into the night sky. Harcourt runs along the pools of light and dark at the edge of the bridge, the black seawater drifting past beside him. His foot slips once and he almost goes over the side. Sykes -- backlit by the burning cars, the big Casull a prominent part of the silhouette -- just keeps coming. Harcourt reaches the shadows at the end of the bridge -- and has nowhere to go. He is backed into a corner, with seawater on two side of him. Harcourt pivots frantically, sees Sykes coming this way. Harcourt is a trapped animal. His chest heaves in panic. Then his gaze falls on the suitcase behind him... and slowly... finally... a look of resolve comes into his eye. ON SYKES He eases cautiously toward the shadows where he knows Harcourt is. There's some movement among the shadows, and Sykes straight-arms the Casull, his finger white against the trigger. Perspiration drips into Sykes' eye, but he doesn't blink. A long moment then-- ANGLE - THE SHADOWS Harcourt emerges from the darkness. His face is composed, the superior glint is back in his eye. His arms are held away from his sides at 30 degree angles, clearly in surrender. Sykes cat-steps forward slowly. Harcourt stares at Sykes' eyes, and the desire there that Harcourt will give him an excuse. Harcourt simply... smiles. SYKES Move a finger, Harcourt, and you're history... HARCOURT No, Sergeant -- not history... (beat) Eternity... And now Sykes sees it -- Harcourt has been holding one of the one-kilo glass cylinders of the drug concealed behind his arm. He brings it up over his head, grins at Sykes, then tilts back his head and cracks the cylinder open. The blue gel pours into his mouth and down his chin. His mouth fills. He looks back at Sykes, making eye contact... his eyes mad, defiant. And -- he swallows. Long hold -- then the wallop of the overdose hits him... his face contorts in agony as he begins to convulse. Sykes, wide-eyed, lowers the Casull and watches as Harcourt drops to the ground and goes into a massive violent seizure. His limbs hammer against the deck... his back arches fiercely. It is a brutal, agonizing ten seconds. Then, finally, his body becomes still. Sykes, stunned at what he's just witnessed slowly goes to him and takes his pulse the way he saw Jetson do it. HIGH ANGLE SHOT - THE ENTIRE AREA Sykes stands. He notices the suitcase nearby, latches it, and hefts it. He carries it with him back toward the inferno of the wrecked cars, the Casull hanging heavy and cold in his hand. ANGLE FOLLOWING SYKES He approaches the burning cars, heading for Jetson. As he passes the burning cars, we have a half-second to register that the driver's door of the police unit is now open before-- -- a dark figure hurtles at Sykes' back from O.S.! Sykes is thrown forward. The suitcase crashes to the ground, and the Casull goes skittering off. Sykes looks up -- to be met by the singed and bleeding nightmare visage of Kipling! Kipling reaches down for the suitcase then Sykes hears it -- the telltale CLINKING SOUND. He looks -- and sees the exotic silver bracelet on Kipling's wrist. It connects for him; this is the bandana alien -- the one who killed Bill Tuggle! Kipling brings the suitcase above his head. He is a half- second from hurling it down on Sykes' skull when -- a GUN ROARS. Kipling is thrown back by the chest wound. Sykes looks. ANGLE Jetson, half sitting up, holds the smoking Casull. Kipling recovers enough to come at Sykes again with the suitcase again. Jetson, shaking but determined, fires again, and again, and again. Kipling is driven backward by the fusillade, the suitcase still over his head... until he is blasted at last and forever, suitcase and all, into the molten core of the inferno. Sykes rises, makes his way to Jetson's side. Jetson has let the weight of the gun carry his hand to the ground. Sykes kneels beside him, gently taking the gun from the alien's hand. The two partners remain like this, bathed in the orange flickering glow of the fire. HIGH WIDE SHOT of the drawbridge, the debris, the carnage, and our two cops... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HENRY FORD BOULEVARD - NIGHT The police mop-up is winding down. Cop cars, coroner's wagons, fire trucks. We MOVE through it all to find Sykes and Jetson seated on the curb, away from the railing. JETSON With Harcourt and Kipling dead, I assume you will be requesting reassignment now. SYKES (cool) It'd be for your own good. I think you'd be better off with a partner who's a little more... by the book. (smiles) ... Still, I gotta tell you, George, for a quiet guy, you're sure hell on wheels once you get going. I'd kinda hate to miss your next two days as a detective. Jetson smiles. He glances up as they are bathed in red and blue light. A patrol car has pulled up next to them. Inside is Wiltey, a uniformed cop. WILTEY I'll give you guys a lift to the station. They're waiting to take your statements on the shootings. SYKES (to Jetson) Let's go, partner. (then casually correcting Wiltey as he rises) And it's shooting. Singular. WILTEY They said two. SYKES Nope. I didn't shoot Harcourt... he o.d.'d. SHOCK CUT - JETSON We rapidly PUSH IN ON HIM as his head snaps around toward Sykes. His expression tells us his blood has just turned to ice. CUT TO: INT. CORONER'S WAGON - NIGHT ANGLE FORWARD, shooting from the rear of the wagon, toward the DRIVER and ATTENDANT up front. DRIVER So it's just me and her left in the hot tub, right? ATTENDANT You and the blonde? DRIVER No, man, the redhead. The blonde's gone in the house with some other guy. But a few minutes later she comes back out, alone, when me and the redhead are going at it fast and furious in the tub, ya know... and she sees us, and... she climbs right in with us... ATTENDANT You're full of shit! DRIVER I swear it! If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'... And, without warning, A LARGE INHUMAN HAND FLIES UP IN F.G., having ripped through the sealed body bag just below FRAME. CUT TO: INT. SQUAD CAR - NIGHT Jetson is up front with Wiltey; Sykes sits in the back, though he is on the edge of the seat, leaning forward toward the front. Jetson is intently, nervously scanning ahead and to both sides. JETSON You are certain this is the route they would have taken? WILTEY I'm not positive -- but probably. SYKES (warily) What's this about, George? I know that look. JETSON (spots something out a side window) There! Go back. Down that side street. Wiltey brakes, backs up, then turns into the side street. ANGLE THROUGH WINDSHIELD as they approach an eerie scene. The coroner's wagon is stopped at an angle in the middle of the intersection, headlights and roof lights cutting into the night, the back doors wide open. A patrol car is also here, on the other side of the wagon. There is no movement anywhere near the two vehicles. Wiltey pulls the car up, his eyes like saucers at the eerie scene. He reaches for the radio hand mike. Jetson quickly covers it with a large hand. JETSON No! (both Sykes and Wiltey look at him) We must do this alone. SYKES Do what?! George-- ?! Jetson is already sliding out of the car. EXT. STREET NEAR DOCKS - NIGHT Jetson, Sykes, and Wiltey move warily forward, their guns drawn. They reach the van and Sykes takes Wiltey's flashlight, shines it through the open back doors. The doors are bent outward, smashed half off their hinges. One of the body bags is ripped open, literally split from end to end. The blue and red lightbar on the other patrol car can be seen through the wagon's front windshield. Jetson starts around the wagon toward the patrol car, Sykes and Wiltey follow. Lights all ablaze, it too is abandoned. One door has been wrenched off its hinges and lays in the street, and the front windshield is smashed. Our three cops approach the car, then Wiltey spots something beyond the unit. WILTEY Oh, God... Sykes and Jetson look. The bodies of the coroner wagon Driver and Attendant, as well as the two OFFICERS from the patrol car, are crushed and beaten and stretched out on the asphalt. Their arms are twisted as though by a mad force -- each pointing down the street toward the dock warehouses ahead. Wiltey stumbles away, backward. WILTEY I'm calling for back up, now. JETSON Wiltey, no. But Wiltey is going. Jetson starts after him... but Sykes grabs his arm, hard, and spins him. SYKES What is this?! JETSON (low) ... It's Harcourt. SYKES Harcourt is dead. JETSON No he's not. Not if he overdosed on the drug. (searches for the words) Massive amounts trigger a... a change. Your body functions seize up, you appear to be dead, but it's really a state of incubation. When you emerge you're... SYKES (looks at the four bodies sprawled before him) Tell me about it... CUT TO: EXT. STREET NEAR DOCKS - NIGHT One minute later. OPEN CLOSE on a light shining into CAMERA, then WIDEN to reveal it is one of the door-mounted spotlights on Wiltey's patrol car. Wiltey eases the car down the center of the street. Sykes and Jetson, guns ready, walk slowly along on either side of the car... eyes everywhere. MOVING POV as they move past the shadowy dock warehouses... watching for any signs of movement. BACK TO SCENE Sykes and Jetson converse across the hood of the car as they walk. Their eyes everywhere. SYKES I never thought I'd say this, but -- for once in my life I think I'm willing to wait for back-up. JETSON We can't let him get away. SYKES Why the hell are you so dead set against back-up? JETSON (a difficult admission) Because... because of what will happen if humans see what we are capable of becoming. SYKES But there's no more drug. JETSON You understand that. But how many others will? Sykes looks across at Jetson's troubled expression. Just then, Wiltey spots a flit of movement cutting across his headlight beams fifty yards ahead. Whatever it was, was large and fast. It darted into an open warehouse door. WILTEY There he is! And Wiltey floors it. Sykes and Jetson watch, unable to stop him. JETSON Wiltey! He and Sykes take off running. Wiltey skids to the left, rockets in through the open warehouse door, out of sight. Sykes and Jetson pour it on. They hear a SCREECH OF BRAKES. They reach the warehouse door and race through. INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT LOW ANGLE, SHOOTING ACROSS the underside of Wiltey's stopped patrol car as Sykes' and Jetson's feet appear around the corner of the warehouse door. The car is still running -- the exhaust pipe still RUMBLING and expelling fumes. The feet slow... then cautiously start around the car. We PAN with them as they move around the side of the car. A dark liquid begins dripping in EXTREME F.G. We MOVE UP, to a CLOSE UP of the car bumper. The dark liquid is blood, dripping deep red on the shiny chrome. We MOVE UP farther, and-- -- there is Wiltey's severed head. IN CLOSE UP, resting on the hood of the patrol car. Sykes and Jetson stop dead at the sight. Wiltey's body lies in a heap on the floor near the car. They both stare, then Sykes looks around the shadowy interior of the warehouse, his expression saying: what the hell could have done this so fast? THEIR POV There are two paths to go. Both dark and scary as hell. The sound of a distant FOG HORN blends with the CREAKS and DRIPS of this waterfront building. ANGLE - SYKES AND JETSON Jetson reaches into the patrol car and pulls the shotgun from the dash mount. He checks the chamber as Sykes checks the Casull. They exchange a knowing look... then wordlessly, they split up. Sykes takes the path to the left, Jetson to the right. WITH JETSON As he moves into a dark area. He slowly picks his way along a long wall, having to step over all sorts of piled debris, heading toward us. We PAN slightly to the left to HOLD a door in CLOSE UP. The door, already ajar, eases open slightly wider. Jetson hears this. He reaches the door, sets himself, then spins and kicks the door open all the way. There's nothing inside... now. Jetson looks up, sees movement in the distance. It is Sykes, quite far away, in another section of the warehouse. Sykes leaves Jetson's field of view. INT. WAREHOUSE - GUARD'S AREA - NIGHT Sykes walks around a corner -- freezes, and cocks his head as he hears VOICES -- followed, curiously, by LAUGHTER. He eases forward, peers around a bend, and sees -- a table and a chair. On the table is a mini-television, tuned to some local late night talk show. There's a thermos, a steaming cup of coffee, and a Twinkie with a single bite out of it beside the TV. The chair is empty, except for a jacket slung across the back, the word SECURITY stitched on the breast. The guard is nowhere in sight. Sykes moves toward the table, taking in this eerie sight. He looks around, then continues on. INT. WAREHOUSE - APPROACHING STAIRS - NIGHT Jetson moves among the dark nooks and crannies, comes to a set of stairs leading to an upper floor. The top of the stairs is pitch black. Jetson adjusts his grip on the shotgun, slowly starts up the stairs. INT. WAREHOUSE - AT FISH NETS - NIGHT Sykes comes to rack upon rack of drying fish nets, hanging from the ceiling. He has no alternate route -- he begins pushing through them. SYKES' POV - MOVING THROUGH FISH NETS Because of the dimness, he can't see much beyond each rack of nets immediately before him. He keeps wading through -- it's like a house of mirrors, he can't tell now much farther he has to go to get out of the nets, and the deeper in he gets, the harder it would be to go back the way he came. He pushes past one particular rack of nets and looming out of the darkness ahead of him is-- -- a terrifying face! ON SYKES He stumbles back, gets tangled in the nets, brings up the Casull, is about to fire when... he sees what the face is. It's the maiden's figurehead from the bow of an old ship. The wood is worm-eaten and decayed, creating a hideous visage. Sykes stands there a moment, trying to jump-start his heart again. INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT Jetson moves along the rickety planks. He comes to a door. He eases it open, enters. INT. SECOND FLOOR ROOM - NIGHT Jetson moves into the shadowy confines. He hears an incessant drip from a sink faucet in the corner. He moves to it. Turns the spigot, stopping the drip. Other drips are HEARD from a dozen other hidden recesses all around him. He glances up at the filthy mirror attached to the wall above the sink. Suddenly he sees the movement of something behind him. He spins with the shotgun. A huge shadow moves along the wall. He pivots the shotgun again -- toward the source of the shadow. It's a length of black tarp, torn and flapping from the ceiling. Jetson lets out a deep breath. INT. STORAGE ROOM - NIGHT ANGLE down a short passageway to an intersecting hallway. A strand of something hangs in FRAME in OUT OF FOCUS F.G. It makes an indistinct, rhythmic CLINKING SOUND. Sykes moves along the intersecting hallway. The CLINKING SOUND catches his attention. He stops, listens, then starts down the passageway, toward us. He comes forward into the storage room, having to get very close to the strand of something before he sees what it is. It's a double strand of chain, CLINKING gently against itself. Sykes reaches out, steadies the chain, silencing it. He considers. It could've been a natural occurrence... or something could have brushed against it, setting it in motion. He tightens his grip on the Casull, backing away from the chain. He senses something behind him and spins. Nothing there. He relaxes. However-- Behind him now, in SOFT FOCUS, we glimpse movement at the other end of the short passageway. It is a figure, moving slowly forward down the passageway, back-lit by the hallway light behind it, its shadow filling the passageway as it approaches Sykes. It stops, inside the room now, directly behind Sykes. Close enough to reach out and touch him. It is an alien silhouette, but larger, more powerful. Suddenly, Sykes senses something is there. He turns, slowly, and-- SHOCK CUT - HARCOURT as he steps from the shadows -- just like he did the last time Sykes saw him on the abandoned drawbridge. Only this time it is a horribly transformed Harcourt. His eyes are red-rimmed and piggish. His head is lumpen, his skin thick and hard. His neck muscles are corded -- giving him a kind of hellish cobra's cowl. There is still intelligence behind the eyes -- but it is a feral intelligence now. HARCOURT (his voice a guttural rumble) Looking for me, Sergeant? Sykes stumbles back several steps, wildly brings up the Casull, and fires. The powerful Casull round catches Harcourt in the shoulder, jerking him back. EXT. WORK SHED AREA - NIGHT Jetson, in another area of the docks, hears the echoing blast of the Casull. He gauges as best he can the direction it came from and takes off running. INT. STORAGE ROOM - NIGHT Harcourt recovers from the jolt of the bullet impact. The cloth of his disheveled shirt is shredded and powder- burned, but the bullet couldn't pierce his plated skin. Harcourt smiles with grotesquely altered teeth, starts toward Sykes. Scared shitless, Sykes rapid-fires. One of his shots misses, shattering a crate beside Harcourt's head. The remaining shots strike Harcourt full on. Harcourt is jerked by the impact of the bullets each time, SNARLING in anger -- but none of the hits stop him. The Casull is empty and Harcourt keeps coming. Sykes stumbles back, but Harcourt is on him in a flash. Harcourt grabs Sykes' arm holding the gun, yanks hard. We HEAR the POP as the shoulder dislocates. Sykes HOLLERS, and the gun jumps out of his hand. INT. WAREHOUSE - GUARD'S AREA - NIGHT Jetson races in, shotgun ready. The last of Sykes' shots are still ECHOING. Jetson looks around, frustrated, unable to tell exactly where they are coming from. He sees the likely path and charges that way. EXT. DOCK - AT STAIRS - NIGHT On the CUT, Sykes' body is already tumbling down these rickety stairs attached to the side of the warehouse, having been thrown ruthlessly from above. As Sykes' body sprawls on the dock, the massive figure of Harcourt appears at the top of the stairs. Sykes, scraped and bruised, struggles to his feet. Harcourt moves down the stairs, then vaults over the railing the last fifteen feet. Harcourt lurches forward and, with a taloned grip on Sykes' shoulders, propels him down the docks. EXT. STREET NEAR DOCKS - NIGHT The first two arriving black-and-whites skid to stops at the coroner's wagon. The Officers leap out, flagging other arriving units to continue on toward the warehouses. EXT. DOCKS - NIGHT Sykes is on his feet, but his knees buckle, and he almost collapses again. Harcourt comes at him. Then Sykes sees it-- -- a fishing boat chugging along past the end of one of the jetties. Sykes makes a break for it. EXT. WAREHOUSE - AT STAIRS - NIGHT Jetson charges out at the top of the rickety stairs, frantically scanning for any sign of Sykes. Then, in the distance, he spots the two figures running along the jetty -- Sykes being chased by the re-formed Harcourt. Jetson gives the water surrounding the docks an apprehensive look, then gathers up his courage, and races down the stairs to help Sykes. EXT. JETTY - NIGHT Sykes lumbers along the narrow jetty. The fishing boat is already passing the end of the jetty. Harcourt is fast behind Sykes as he reaches the end of the jetty and vaults off toward the stern of the boat -- landing on the fishing net piled on the rear deck. He yells in pain as his ankle twists under his weight. EXT. FISHING BOAT - NIGHT Sykes lies there, holding his arm, breathing hard, relieved that he has escaped. EXT. JETTY - NIGHT Harcourt can't reach the boat from the same jetty Sykes did, so he jumps on a platform beside this jetty, then onto a second jetty. And from here, he vaults across the seawater onto the boat. EXT. FISHING BOAT - NIGHT Sykes sees the phantom figure land on the boat near the cabin. The fishing boat chugs up the channel toward the open sea. EXT. DOCKS - NIGHT Jetson sees this and is shitting bricks. Suddenly the stark BEAM of a police helicopter sun-gun stabs down from above. Jetson looks up to see the chopper coming in low, the sun-gun washing over the docks. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT The sun-gun hits Jetson standing on the dock, frantically waving his badge at the 'copter, signaling it down. The Pilot starts to take it down. EXT. FISHING BOAT - NIGHT Sykes is on all fours, clawing his way up the fishing net toward the back of the boat. Harcourt gets one hand on his leg. Sykes jerks his leg away, and Harcourt's claws dig deep through Sykes' pants into his legs as he pulls away. Sykes BELLOWS in pain. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Jetson is barely in the seat as it lifts away from the dock. He has to catch himself from falling out the open door. Below, uniformed cops are now seen rushing out onto the dock. JETSON On that boat -- out there! Jetson indicates the fishing boat headed toward the mouth of the channel. The helicopter tilts forward and goes. EXT. FISHING BOAT - NIGHT Sykes manages to pull himself up into the dinghy hanging over the stern of the fishing boat. He pushes to the back of the dinghy as Harcourt's savage visage appears at the bow. Harcourt grins -- the predator with his prey trapped. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Jetson's face is bathed in sweat as he looks out at the channel water racing past beneath. They come up on the boat and the Pilot plays the sun-gun onto the deck, looking for movement, finally pinning Sykes and Harcourt at the stern dinghy. EXT. BRIDGE OF FISHING BOAT - NIGHT The Captain reacts to the helicopter overhead, looks back at what the sun-gun spotlights. He sees Harcourt standing at the bow of the dinghy, starting to clamber in. CAPTAIN Hey! EXT. FISHING BOAT - NIGHT Harcourt turns, sees the Captain on the bridge above him. He reaches for a wood-handled gaff nearby. He rears back with it and lets it fly like a spear. EXT. BRIDGE OF FISHING BOAT - NIGHT The gaff impales the Captain, off-center in his chest. The Captain, his face frozen in shock, is thrown back against the throttle. The boat lunges forward as the engines REV loudly. EXT. FISHING BOAT - NIGHT Harcourt is thrown into the dinghy with Sykes. As Harcourt recovers, Sykes spots the release for the tie line on the dinghy. He lunges forward, throwing the ratchet. The line plays out, and the dinghy slides backward into water! INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Jetson watches this happen. EXT. DINGHY - NIGHT The dinghy bangs along (at the end of the ten foot tie line) in the wake of the speeding fishing boat. Harcourt claws his way toward Sykes. Water is already splashing in over the stern transom... the dinghy is sinking. Harcourt grabs Sykes' leg and pulls him toward him. Sykes holds on to the stern cleats with all his might. Harcourt yanks him free. Sykes kicks wildly at the ratchet release, trying to free the remainder of the line. Harcourt is coming in for the kill when-- -- Sykes' foot connects with the ratchet lever. The rest of the tie line snakes through the ratchet, freeing the dinghy from the fishing boat! The dinghy is rocking wildly, sinking fast. A wave from the fishing boat's wake splashes in over the side. Some of it hits Harcourt -- he HOWLS and falls away. Sykes sees this, tries to clamber over the side, but Harcourt is on him again. Sykes' body weight at the side of the dinghy coupled with the rocking motion cause more water to wash in over the transom. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Jetson reacts to Sykes and Harcourt battling in the dinghy below. EXT. DINGHY - NIGHT Harcourt, who is getting more and more wet, HOWLS in agony, thick blood beginning to bead wherever the water touches. Sykes is taking one hell of a beating. Harcourt sweeps Sykes up in a bear hug, is about to crush his rib cage, when Sykes shifts his body weight, knocking Harcourt off balance. Harcourt wobbles, fear on his face for the first time -- then he finally loses it, and the two of them tumble overboard into the water, capsizing the dinghy. EXT. WATER - NIGHT Sykes breaks the surface, gasping for air, frantically clawing with his one good arm at the wedge of dinghy still above the water. Suddenly, behind him, Harcourt's partially melted form erupts from the water, lunges on top of Sykes, and drags him under. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Jetson hangs in the open door, watching in horror, wanting to help, knowing he can't. EXT. WATER - NIGHT Sykes breaks the surface, Harcourt's misshapen lump of a body unmoving but still on top of him. Sykes shoves it away, struggling to stay afloat. His head keeps dunking under. He's drowning. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Jetson screws up his courage and turns to the Pilot. JETSON Take it down! Take it down! EXT. WATER AND HELICOPTER - NIGHT The helicopter moves down toward the turbulent water. Jetson hangs in the doorway, watching Sykes' head dunking under again. The helicopter's skids are three feet above the water. JETSON (to Pilot) ALL THE WAY! PILOT I CAN'T IT'LL DITCH! Sykes' outreached hand stretches up from the water, but the skid is just too high. Jetson has no alternative, and he does the bravest thing he has ever done. He moves out onto the narrow helicopter skid. Hanging on, three feet above the water, he reaches down for Sykes' up reaching hand. The fingertips of the two hands waver mere inches from each other... Jetson stretches farther, farther... and the two hands meet! Jetson winces from the pain of the seawater on Sykes' hand. He starts pulling Sykes up. When-- HARCOURT'S HEAD BREAKS THE SURFACE A FOOT FROM SYKES' FACE. His eye sockets are empty and his skin is mostly gone. The nearly skeletal body heaves blindly onto Sykes, breaking his grip from Jetson's, and dragging him under again. Jetson is frantic. He keeps waiting -- but this time Sykes doesn't come up. Jetson doesn't know what to do. Finally -- he leans down as far as he can, his face a foot from the water, SCREAMS to block the pain, and plunges his own arm below the surface! He feels around, gets hold of something, and pulls. It is Sykes' wrist. He pulls hard, bringing the sputtering Sykes up out of the water. JETSON (to Pilot) Take it up! The Pilot does. Sykes comes up out of the water. His feet are just clear of the surface when -- Harcourt's hand and arm rocket out of the water, grabbing Sykes' ankle. Sykes looks down in horror. The helicopter keeps moving up, and before Harcourt's body breaks the surface, the arm tears away from the torso at the shoulder. Sykes wildly shakes the clinging severed arm from his ankle, and it falls back into the water below. Jetson continues pulling him up into the helicopter as it moves off toward shore. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Sykes plops on the floor, soaked, battered, holding his limp arm. Jetson is quickly whipping off his jacket, wrapping the dry part around his own arm, wincing in pain. The Pilot stare down at the circle of water where they just pulled Sykes from. PILOT What the hell was that down there? It was weird. Jetson looks at Sykes, wondering if he will say. Sykes looks at Jetson a long moment, then-- SYKES Looked like every other damn slag to me. Just plain ugly. Despite the pain, Jetson smiles. LONG DISSOLVE TO: INT. CHURCH ANTEROOM - DAY We are CLOSE on Sykes, who is having a hell of a time, trying to tie a tuxedo tie with one arm in a sling. A PAIR OF ALIEN ARMS reach into FRAME to help him. One of the alien arms is also in a sling. ANGLE WIDENS to reveal the alien is Jetson. Both men wear tuxedos. SYKES How do I look? JETSON You look very good. There's a knock at the door. Sykes opens it. There stands Sykes' daughter, KRISTIN, twenty years old, looking radiant in her wedding dress. She is in a foyer, and behind her is the interior of the church with all the assembled guests, including Mrs. Jetson & son. KRISTIN Ready, Daddy...? Sykes' heart melts. Before moving to the door: SYKES George, uh... I want to apologize now, in advance, for all the rotten things I'll ever say or do to you over the years. Sykes moves to join his daughter. As he does: JETSON That is all right, Matthew. After all, you are only human. Sykes, caught off guard, has to laugh. SYKES (under his breath) What a wildman... Sykes takes his daughter's arm and the two of them start down the aisle. FADE OUT. THE END

EXT. DEEP SPACE SILENT BLACK. We sweep slowly across an endless tapestry of stars. Finally she comes into view: the U.S.S. AURIGA. A massive research vessel that sits majestically just beyond Pluto's orbit. We TRACK ALONG the side of the ship, and INT. AURIGA along the silent, empty corridors, coming at last to a door with two guards standing rigid in front of it. Full armour, powerful shockrifles, expressions empty and cold. INT. MEDLAB Along a row of screens, where we see the first signs of life readouts, lights, data -- all shifting and collating on the blinking screens. As we move ALONG them, a figure-in a labcoat passes through the frame, then another, leading us along the lab to settle on what looks like a Cryogenic tube, not big enough for a human. Still TRACKING around it, we glimpse inside some vague, fetal mass encased in a clear, aspic-like gel. Tubes and cables a attached to the mass, running out of the machine. As we still CIRCLE, the shape begins to be more coherent, till we can see what might even be a face. Eyes, shut tight. Sleeping. Dreaming. ANGLE: WHEAT. A birds eyes view of a field, the soft golden waves filling the screen. Sharp contrast to what we have seen before. There is a woman wandering through the field. Beside her a girl, seven or eight, in dingey sundress. Both have black, tousled hair. GIRL'S VOICE My mom always said there were no monsters -- no,real ones -- but there are. The girl stops, looks around her. The wheat comes all the up to her chest, and nothing else is visible as far as she see. She looks back at the woman but the woman is already more than fifty yards away. The girl's expression becomes perplexed. She slaps a bug on the back of her neck. Pulls it off and is HUGE, wriggling fleshily in her hand. Her expression becomes even more distraught, but she cannot muster forth a shout. The sound of insects-fills the air. Another bug lands on her, another. She looks down in growing horror and sees: Blood. At her feet, rising, filling the field, rising above the wheat, a sea of blood now, dark, thick. The girl tries again to scream, raises her arms. She is completely covered in insects, a skittering black shroud of them, and when she finally does SCREAM they flood into her mouth. CUT TO: INT. LAB Instruments show a jolt in heart rate, blood pressure. Scientists note it down, look over at the thing in aspic. We can tell that time has passed because it is much bigger, nearly the size of a man, and in a new case. The camera moves in on the cardiograph, then moves down, to show a second one. Tracking a smaller, much faster heartbeat. CUT TO: INT. HALLLWAY Tiny. dark, and we are moving through it at impossible speed turning into another without slowing, up into an air vent, still moving, moving until we reach a chamber, some place where all we can see is a mass of dark, moving, inhuman fle it welcomes us in, envelops us... ANGLE: RIPLEY Lying somewhere, maybe the dark-chamber -- in the dream it keeps shifting. She opens her eyes, but they are dark, whiteless. She reaches for her chest and begins scratching . Hard. Tearing at it, as blood wells up, spilling over her sides. CUT TO: INT. OPERATING CHAMBER And the cause of this dream becomes apparant: ANGLE: RIPLEY'S CHEST being cut open with a lasersaw. We see her body still has a layer of the aspic-slime clinging to it. And her skin is unnaturally blue. But as we PAN from her chest to her face her identity is unmistakable. Around her are several men in operating masks. Cutting her GEDIMAN, a young and enthusiastic scientist. One man, seemingly in charge, stands a bit off, watching. This, by tag on his coat, is DR WREN. WREN Careful ... ready with the amnio... Gediman finishes cutting. Another man steps in with a clamp. Sets it. Pulls apart the chest. GEDIMAN There she is ... He says it like he's found a lost kitten. He reaches in an pulls out a sleeping, fetal but nearly ready to burst ALIEN. Others work at severing umbilical threads that tie it to Ripley's chest. GEDIMAN Here we go. He holds it up and others step in with the amnio, a sort of incubator filled with amniotic fluid. The alien SCREAMS, its tiny mouth full with teeth, and wriggles out of his grasp. WREN Watch it! Everybody panics -- but before the thing can get completely away from him, Gediman grabs it and sticks it in the amnio. Someone shuts the top rapidly. Everybody looks at each other for a moment. GEDIMAN Well ... WREN The host? A surgeon looks at Ripley's readings. SURGEON Doing fine. Gediman looks at Wren, hopefully. Wren nods. WREN Sew her back up. Gediman and the surgeon get to work, as the others carefully remove the alien. GEDIMAN Well, that went as well as could be expected-- Ripley's hand LASHES OUT, GRABS the surgeon's forearm. He yells in pain as her fingers dig into him, the others scramble knocking things over and we HEAR HIS BONE CRACKING. SMASH CUT TO: INT. RIPLEY'S CELL Sudden stillness. Ripley crouches in the middle of a small, dark chamber. She's wide eyed, staring straight ahead in a state of near catatonia. Hair tangled and wild. But at least she's not so blue as before. The only light on her comes from directly above, from a thick pane of glass in the center of the ceiling. ANGLE: ABOVE THE CELL A guard stands on the floor above, looking into the cell through the square of glass in the floor, directly above Ripley. (We see other panes of glass lining the floor, indicating more cells below.) ANGLE: RIPLEY She is still for a long while. Then she lifts her hands, looking at them. Touches her face, her skin. She fingers her tunic, pulls down the neck. There is a scar running along her chest. She fingers it thoughtfully. - She looks at her forearm. Tattooed near the crook of her elbow is the number 8. She looks up, her face unreadable. CUT TO': INT. LAB Ripley is sitting on a table as Gediman draws blood from her. He deposits it in a test beaker, studies her eyes. Wren enters, looking at a chart. WREN How's our number Eight today? GEDIMAN. Appears to be in good health... WREN (noticing his tone) How good? GEDIMAN Extraordinary . As in, completely off our projected charts. (shows him some photos) Look at the scar tissue. See the recession? WREN This is from -- GEDIMAN Yesterday! WREN This is good. This is very good. GEDIMAN I'd like to run some tests: strength, coordination... We're not looking at a normal cloning arc. WREN Approved. Wren goes up to Ripley, studies her face with satisfaction. WREN Well, it looks like you're going to make us all very proud. She grabs his throat with dazzling speed, applying deadly pressure as she brings his face to hers. Her eyes are burn but lost. RIPLEY Why? GEDIMAN Oh my god... He is as wide eyed as WREN , and he isn't having his windpipe crushed. After a moment the shock wears off and he slams his hand into the alarm. Klaxons, red light fire up. A guard rushes in, levels his weapon at Ripley. After a moment of staring him down, she opens her hand. Wren falls to his knees gasping. The guard FIRES his rifle at her -- a powerful electrical charge lashes out and sends her flying back into the corner. WREN No! No! I'm all right! The guards keep their weapons -- 'burners' , these shockrifles are called -- leveled at Ripley. She has recovered from the shock quickly, sits crumpled in the corner, looking at nothing in particular. RIPLEY (wearily) Why... ? CUT TO: INT. OBSERVATION ROOM Wren and Gediman watch through a one way mirror as a scientist tests Ripley. With them is General PEREZ, the man in charge this boat. Ramrod straight and about as gruff as you would expect, he stares at Ripley suspiciously. ANGLE: RIPLEY The scientist is holding up cards with pictures on them: house, dog, boat. Ripley gives answers we can't hear through the glass, looking pissed off and bored. WREN It's unprecedented. GEDIMAN Totally! She's operating at a completely adult capacity. PEREZ And her memories? WREN There are gaps. And there's some degree of cognitive dissonance. GEDIMAN She's freaked. Wren shoots Gediman a stern look at his unscientific parlance. WREN "It" has some connective difficulties. A kind of low level emotional autism. Certain reactions.... Perez looks at Ripley through the glass, then exits into the hall. TO: INT HALL - CONTINUOUS The two scientists follow, pace him as he strides down towards a second observation room. GEDIMAN But the thing is, we can't terminate her. It. PEREZ You haven't told me what you think has caused this. Cloned genes don't contain memory cells, not even when they're brought to adult term. I'm right? GEDIMAN There's been cases PEREZ Not like this. WREN Well, we don't have nearly enough data... but in some cases there is a collective memory passed down generationally . At a genetic level. Like instinct, only more complex structurally. PEREZ In some cases . You're talking about the alien. WREN Yes. PEREZ You promised me there wasn't going to be any crossing. WREN It's not like the other ones.. Perez punches code, puts his hand on the scanner and the second observation room door opens.. He steps in, the other two right behind him. CUT TO: INT. OBSERVATION ROOM TWO Darker than the first one, and with two of the heavily armoured guards by the door. Apart from-that, identical. Perez turns to the others. PEREZ But there is some genetic mix. WREN Yes. PEREZ Will there be further mutation? GEDIMAN Mutation isn't exactly... I don't think so. WREN That's one of the things we need to study. PEREZ All right. You can keep it. But secure, under obso , and for God's sake keep it away from here. I don't want any more surprises. And as he speaks the ALIEN RISES RIGHT BEHIND HIM -- it's big, the ridges on its head indicating a young queen -- it hisses and LUNGES at the back of his head. The reinforced plastic window between them, which we couldn't see, stops it. As it hits, a thin laser grid buzzes to life, sparks crackling on the alien's face. Its bile trails darkly on the glass as it backs off. Perez turns to look at it with the others. PEREZ It took a hell of a lot to get us here. GEDIMAN No shit. Wren shoots him another look. PEREZ How soon before this one's ovulating? WREN Days. PEREZ Is that normal? WREN No way of knowing for sure, but I'd say it's accelerated. (After a moment) We're going to need the supplies. PEREZ They're coming. Soon. CUT TO: INT. MESS HALL Ripley sits across from Gediman. He is eating at a good pace - Ripley, however, has stopped. She is staring at her fork, her brows furrowed. Turns it over in her hand, in her mind. GEDIMAN "Fork". The memory comes, and she shakes her head wearily. RIPLEY (softly) Fuck.... GEDIMAN (pretending to correct her) "Fork". Ever so slightly, she smiles. The smile fades, and after a moment: RIPLEY How did you... GEDIMAN How did we get you? Blood samples from Fiori 16. On ice. Do you remember that place? RIPLEY Does it grow? GEDIMAN Does it.....Yeah. Rapidly. RIPLEY It's a queen. GEDIMAN How did you know that? RIPLEY It'll breed. You'll die. Everyone in the ... fucking.... (searches for the word, then spits it out) ... company. Will die. GEDIMAN Company? WREN (O.S.) Weyland Yutani. He has entered behind her, comes up to the table. WREN Our Ripley's former employers. Terran Growth conglom, had some defense contracts under the military. Before your time, Gediman -- they went under decades ago, bought out by Walmart. Fortunes of war. (to Ripley) You'll find things have changed a good deal since your time. RIPLEY 1 doubt that. WREN We're not flying blind here, you know. This is United Systems military, not some greedy corporation. The potential benefits of this race go way beyond urban pacification. New alloys, new vaccines ... there's nothing like this in any world we've seen. You should be very proud. She laughs, bitterly. RIPLEY Oh, I am. WREN And the animal itself is wonderous. They'll be invaluable once we've harnessed them. RIPLEY It's a cancer. You can't teach it tricks. This stops Wren, and he retreats silently. Ripley repeats word to herself, thinking. RIPLEY "Them" ... CUT TO: INT. HALL CONTINUOUS As Wren is leaving the mess, he is accosted by an ensign. ENSIGN Doctor, General Perez is asking for you. We've been hailed. CUT TO: EXT. DEEP SPACE we see the Auriga far in the distance Suddenly A SHIP ROARS INTO FRAME, heading for it. A small vessel, it is every bit dirty and jerry-rigged as the Auriga is pristine. To accentuate the difference, the sudden roar of its engines is accompanied by HEAVY, THRASHING ROCK MUSIC. CUT TO: INT. COCKPIT CONTINUOUS The music is coming from nearby. Piloting the ship toward the Auriga is HILLARD, a roughskinned woman in her forties, along with RANE, a slight and quiet fellow. Behind them stands ELGYN, the leader of the group. Has the kind of authority that doesn't need to flaunt itself. Maybe fifty, by the silver in his hair. He speaks into the vidcom ELGYN (good naturedly) My authorization code is 'fuck you' , son. Now open the goddamn bay or General Perez is gonna do a Wichita stomp on your virgin ass. He switches off. RANE Wichita stomp? ELGYN I guarantee that boy's. never seen the inside of a woman. (to Hillard) Bring us in on three-oh descent, ride the parallel. HILLARD Darlin', it's done. ELGYN Don't cut thrust till six hundred meters. Give em a little fright. He puts his hand on her shoulder, runs it up along her cheek as he exits. They're more than friends. He moves through a hallway, sticks his head in a cubicle. ELGYN Christie! St Just! Rise and shine. We're docking. He proceeds into: INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS It's the largest space in this boat, two stories high. Taking up most of the space are two HARVESTERS, big rusty hovering threshers roughly the size of winnebagos. As Elgyn enters, we CRANE UP to reveal ANNALEE-CALL working atop one of them. She's young, tough -- at home with this motley bunch despite her youth and prettiness. ELGYN Call! CALL! The music is louder here -- it's blasting from a box in the corner. Elgyn switches it off. ELGYN Call! CALL What? ELGYN We're docking! Are the cargo trucks secured? CALL I checked 'em an hour ago. ELGYN I don't want em so much as rattled. Any leakage, I take it out of your hide. CALL Trust me, boss. ELGYN (laughs) Not my style. He leans down, looks under the thresher. Lying on a gurneylike steel dolly, working under the machine, is VRIESS, chie mechanic. Late forties, in pretty good shape considering he's got no legs. ELGYN How's it looking? VRIESS It's never gonna be pretty. but she'll fly. The other one's a total fucking write-off. ELGYN You'll make it good. VRIESS Don't be so sure. (calls out) Call! Adjust the generator plugs! ELGYN (straightening up) They just gotta run, Vriess. They don't gotta run far. He exits. CUT TO: INT. HALL CONTINTJOUS CHRISTIE is up and mostly dressed. He is black, very large, and has distinctly military bearing. He speaks with quiet, don't-fuck-with-me authority. CHRISTIE What's our status? ELGYN We're coming in. Time to enjoy a little of the general's hospitality. ST JUST Oh great. Army food.. ST JUST ("San-Jhoost") is slim, Asian -- and the epitome of cool. Moves quickly and silently, a sly grin playing about lips. He is strapping a contraption to his forearm. It resembles a deringer holder, but a very complex one. ELGYN We could use a rest, till the heat's off and Vriess can get those harvesters on their feet. This'll keep us for a couple of days, assuming the natives are friendly. CHRISTIE We expecting any trouble? ELGYN From Perez? I doubt it. Still, let's be ever vigilant. CUT TO: INT. CARGO BAY CONTNIUOUS ANGLE: VRIESS working intently, the extremely nasty blades of the thresher inches above his head. VRIESS I'm patched in. Check the sequence timer. (no answer) Call? ANGLE: THE CONTROLS A hand reaches in toward the ON switch. ANGLE: VRIESS VRIESS Call? The thresher GRINDS TO LIFE -- a hundred blades and claws spinning at Vriess's head! Vriess wheels out from under the machine in a second flat. VRIESS Goddamnit! The second he's out he hits a lever and the back of the dolly flies up, transforming it-into a wheelchair. VRIESS Johner! You son of a whore! JOHNER jumps down from the machine, laughing. He's thickset, mean and ugly, with ugly scars crisscrossing his ugly bald head. Thought I'd give you a little haircut there. VRIESS You fuck! Call, who has been over on the other side of the thresher, ably climbs up on it and switches it off. JOHNER You should see your face. Vriess, you must have soiled yourself. VRIESS One of these days I'm gonna kill you. My hand to god. JOHNER Well, you already gave him your feet ... CALL (jumping down) You're a limp fucking scrotum, you know that? JOHNER Either of you want a piece of me, I'm less than busy. VRIESS Any time. CALL Vriess. Forget it. He's been sucking down too much homebrew. JOHNER Don't push me, little Annalee. You hang with us a while, you'll learn I'm not the man with whom to fuck. He exits, full of annoying bravado. VRIESS That inbred cocksucker. He feels his forehead, comes up with a bit of blood. Realizes how close it was ... Call looks up at the thresher. CALL 1 hate machines. VRIESS Well, now we know it works ... CUT TO: EXT. AURIGA DOCKING BAY As it opens to admit the proportionally tiny ship. The bay on the bottom of the Auriga - the doors are actually OVER the ship, which rises into the airlock. INT. AIR LOCK The outer doors close under the ship. Pressurized air shoot into the airlock for a few seconds, and then the inner door opens. the ship rising into the bay. INT. BAY The ship moves slowly along the huge dock to land gently at far end. The top of the ship is nearly level with a grated platform that runs the length of the bay. Three soldiers in full armour stand rigid on the platform. The hatch atop the ship slowly opens. One by one the crew files out. Seeing them en masse, we get a clearer view of what separates them from this Environment. They're not wearing uniforms. They're an eclectic, fiercely indivualist group, their look varied -- spots of bright color showing through militarian space gear. Johner's bright tuorquise bowling shirt. Elgy's and St Just's floorlength leather dusters. Even Vriess's chair stands out as he wheels down the platform. What they have in common is the toughness, the wary eyes, leathery skin. The cool readiness to kill. These guys are smugglers. A long while ago, you'd have called them pirates All eight of them emerge, one by one, looking around them. They file past the silent, uniformed soldiers. The last one suddenly puts a hand on Johner's jacket, stops him. There is a bulge under it. A green sensor light on the back of the soldier's glove turns red when he touches the bulge. SOLDIER No projectile weaponry is allowed on board the vessel, sir. Johner opens his jacket, shows what he's packing: a large thermos. JOHNER Moonshine. My own. Much more dangerous. SOLDIER Sorry, sir. ELGYN (to Perez) What, do you think we're going to hijack the vessel? All eight of us? No, I think one of your asshole crew is going to get drunk and put a bullet through the hull. we are in space,Elgyn He enters from the antechamber, motions for the crew to follow him. Vriess comes abreast of the soldier. VRIESS Wanna check the chair? The soldier makes no response, simply falls in behind Call, the last of them. CUT TO: INT. ANTECHAMBER The long neck that connects the bay to the body of the ship. The group proceeds down it, the crew looking about them at the sterile grandeur. ST JUST This place is really clean. JOHNER (to a guard) Hey. You got any whores on this vessel? (the guard remains stonefaced) Any loose women with bad eyesight? PEREZ I think you'll find our accomodations somewhat spartan. Although the cook sets a good-table. JOHNER That ain't what I'm hungry for. VRIESS (to Call) What's the matter? She is looking around her, somewhat tensely. CALL I don't like army. HILLARD Yeah, join the fucking club. CUT TO: ANGLE: MONEY A stack of bills dropped down on a desk, then another. They're green, and identifiably money. But they're square, about the size of cocktail napkins. The face on them is unfamiliar. Thousand dollar bills. WIDER ANGLE: INT. PEREZIS CHAMBERS LATER A good sized suite, decorated in a sparse, military fashion. Perez is behind his desk, the money sitting between him and Elgyn. PEREZ This wasn't easy to come by. ELGYN Neither was our cargo. You're not pleading poverty, are you? PEREZ We're well funded. I mean the bills. There's not many that still deal in coin. ELGYN Just the ones that don't like their every transaction recorded. The fringe element. I guess that would include you, though, wouldn't it? PEREZ Drink? ELGYN Constantly. I'm guessing whatever you've got going here wasn't exactly approved by congress. Perez pours two whiskeys. PEREZ (changing the subject) So where do you go from here? ELGYN Out by the Handle. We've got a couple of harvesters, we can unload 'em on one of the collectives if Vriess and Call get 'em working. PEPEZ Call. Where'd you find her? ELGYN She is severely fuckable,isn't she? - And the very devil with a socket wrench. I think Vriess somewhat pines. He takes a stack of bill, smells it. He likes the smell.- ELGYN She is curious about this little transaction. You can hardly blame her, Awfully cloak and dagger... Perez hands a drink to El%m. PEPEZ This is an army operation. ELGYN Most army research labs don't have to operate outside regulated space. And they don't call for the kind of cargo we brought. PEREZ Do you want something, Elgyn? ELGYN . Just bed and board, couple of days worth. If we're not imposing. PEREZ Not at all. Keep out of the restricted areas, don't start any fights, and mi casa is yours too. Elgyn drinks to that. PEREZ I trust, of course, that you can mind your own business. ELGYN (smiles) I'm famous for it. They drink. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - RESTRICTED AREA The 'cargo' is rolled down the corridor, armed guards flank it. It is wheeled into: INT. A CHAMBER Where Wren and a few others are waiting. Gediman looks a little nervous, not sure this is a good idea. The cargo is locked into place on the floor and and a guard works the electric lock. It springs open and the guard slides off a side panel. They are stacked one on the other, five of them in all, cryotubes. People sleeping inside. One by one the tubes are hauled to one side of the room as the second unit is wheeled in. By the end there are ten people sleeping side by side in their tubes in the dark chamber. The scientists meanwhile retire to INT. AN ADJOINING CHAMBER with a long glass window looking at the chamber. The last of the guards leaves the chamber and we see the door lock behind them. Wren starts pushing buttons. The glass tops of the cryotubes slide open. We see temperature and lifesign gauges begin to change.. There is a thick whirring as a part of the ceiling above the tubes lowers, lowers, and rotates slowly. Stuck to the other side of it are ten alien eggs. The ceiling rotates just enough so that they are aimed at the heads of the sleepers. For a moment nothing happens. One of the sleepers eyes flutter slightly. Opens. All ten eggs open simultaneously. CUT TO: INT. CONFERENCE HALL A huge room, used for assemblies and events. it has a chain basketball net set up at one end, crude court lines taped to the floor. Ripley stands beneath the net with a ball, dribbling absently. At the other end are set up tables and folding chairs. The crew of the Betty, sans Elgyn, are filing in to eat here. Johner spies Ripley, smiles. JOHNER Ooh. Johner comes up to Ripley. Her expression makes it clear how much she enjoys having him in her face. JOHNER How about a little one on one? She keeps dribbling, says nothing. JOHNER What do you say? RIPLEY Get away from me. JOHNER Why should I? RIPLEY Because pain hurts. He falters a moment at her quiet threat, then: JOHNER Are you gonna hurt me then? 1 think I might enjoy that. He smiles his ugly smile. She smiles back. She hits,him solidly in the chest -- and he flies back ten feet, landing badly on a group of chairs. His mates fly into action, Christie grabs a standing ashtray. Hillard jumps Ripley from behind. She throws her off with e -- chucks the basketball at her hard enough to pop the air o of it. Christie swings at her and SMASHES her right in the face. She arcs back... and right back up, at Christie's throat before he has a chance to react, squeezing, batting away the ashtray just a trickle of blood coming down her nose -- Johner cames at her again and she leaps on him, throws him to the ground, snarling, SHE'S GONNA RIP HIS THROAT OUT WITH HER TEETH. WREN Ripley. Ripley looks up and four guards are pointing burners at her. Wren and Gediman behind them. Call, standing to one side with Vriess, reacts visibly to the name. Everybody is slowly backing off. St Just stands with his hands behind his back, as if concealing something. Call watches in rapt silence. WREN Don't let's have a scene. Ripley lets go of Johner, stands. RIPLEY He... smells WREN I imagine he does. JOHNER (barely breathing) What the fuck are you? She looks down on him -- in both senses of the phrase. -Look around at everone staring at her. She wipes the bit of blood from under her nose, flicks it away. Exits. WREN (to Gediman, amused) Social skills, less than a hundred' percent. ANGLE: RIPLEY'S BLOOD The few drops she flicked away sizzle on the floor -- not eating through, but melting a small patch. TO: INT. LABS - LATER A large metal box is being wheeled next to an observation pen. Soldiers surround it, weapons at the ready. Not one of them at ease. Wren and Gediman watch intently. WREN What's the status on the Queen? GEDIMAN We still haven't detected the origin of the reproductive anomalies. But the egg laying stage appears to be over. WREN Did we do something wrong? GEDIMAN I don't know. I think we covered everything. But these redundancies... A soldier lifts a panel in the pen and then doors to the cage come open automatically. Everyone waits. A fullgrown alien suddenly bolts into the pen. The soldier shut it as quickly as humanly possible. WREN Father, check security status, observation pen six. Father, the voice of the ship, replies after a moment in a dulcet, comforting tone. FATHER Pen six secure, security systems functional at 100%. WREN Good. Now the others. CUT TO: INT. SLEEP CHAMBERS - NIGHT We see VARIOUS ANGLES of people at night: Rane, in,a chamber on the Auriga. Hillard and Elgyn, in a slightly more lush one. Perez, in his quarters. VRIESS, rolling about the Aurigals engine room, looking it over. Christie, St Just, Call and Johner, all playing poker in the mess hall. CUT TO: INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - RIGHT A sleep cycle is indicated here by the low lighting and the near emptiness of the room. Gediman alone is in here, writing observations down in a notebook as he watches the pen. Inside are three aliens. Two of them seem to be hibernating, curled up in the corner, but the third faces the glass, tilting its head and hissing at it. Gediman sits right up close to it, his face just inches away from the beast's. It draws back its lips, opens its mouth. The metallic tongue issues slowly forth, dripping with slime. GEDIMAN (softly, fascinated) Is that a distended externus lingua ... or are you just happy to see me? The creature hisses. retracts the tongue. Gediman scribbles few notes. Something moves in the dark behind him. Before he can notice, a hand closes on his shoulder. It's Ripley. She steps forward, eyes locked on the cage. Gediman seems only mildly surprised. GEDIMAN How did you get in here? RIPLEY Beautiful, aren't they? GEDIMAN Yes. Yes they are. I've been monitoring their interaction. He points at a audiograph by the wall, blips and waves interrupting the vibrating line, indicating sound. He notices that her hand is still on her shoulder. GEDIMAN They communicate. Through ultrasonic soundwaves. Sort of like bats. RIPLEY I know. She looks at him. RIPLEY I can hear them. GEDIMAN (smiling) Amazing ... She runs her hand through the back of his hair, gently urging him up off his chair. GEDIMAN Ripley... RIPLEY Shhhhh. She pulls him close, kisses him. Lightly at first, then deeply - holding his head with both hands. He responds with surprising warmth, the kiss drawing out, pulling slowly apart. She looks at him, smiles. An alien tongue SHOOTS out of her mouth, burying itself in his face. SMASH CUT TO: INT. RIPLEY'S CHAMBER As she suddenly awakes, eyes wide, breathing hard. She has been sleeping, we see, in the same position she was before: squatting in the middle of the room. She looks about her, recovering from the nightmare... Her breathing slows. With a somewhat fatalistic look, she settles back to sleep. CUT TO: INTERIOR MESS HALL - NIGHT Christie, Call, St Just and Johner are still at their all night poker game, stacks of bills, peanuts and liquor scattered the table. They are in a tense hand, the pot impressively high. JOHNER I'm in. CHRISTIE All right. ST JUST Raise you two hundred. JOHNER Oh, fuck you! CALL That's it. I'm out. I'm fucked. She throws down her cards, takes a swig of Johner's patented moonshine. It tastes horrible. CHRISTIE That takes me down, too. Johner? JOHNER Uh, Uh, fuck it. I fold. (to St Just) What do-you got? St Just calmly shuffles his cards back into the deck. ST JUST You'll always wonder. JOHNER You asshole. CHRISTIE Johner, your deal. CALL Deal me out. It's not my night. She tries to stand up, takes a spill over her chair. The others laugh. CALL Jesus, Johner, what do you put in that shit, battery acid? JOHNER Just for coloring. ST JUST (producing a small vial) I got something that'll take the edge off that. CALL Thanks, I'll walk it off. She stumbles out of the room. Johner shuffles the deck. JOHNER Bitches should not play with the boys, they will get cleaned out. (dealing) Eight card throwback, fuck your sister and the sevens are wild. CUT TO: INT. HALL As soon as she is out of sight, Call straightens up, completely sober. She looks around her and takes off toward the restricted areas. She comes to the door and making sure no one is around, star punching in code on the keypad. CUT TO: INT. CELLBLOCK - MOMENTS LATER As Call pads silently down it, looking for one cell. TO: INT. RIPLEY'S CELL - CONTINUOUS The cell door opens silently. Call hesitates a moment, then slips in, shutting the door behind her. Ripley is sleeping, still in the squatting position in the middle of the room. Call approaches. She stares down at Ripley a moment. A shadow passes as a guard walks above them, Call tenses till he is gone. Look's back down at Ripley -- still sleeping. Call extends her hand, flexes her wrist. The meanest lookin stilletto you've ever seen extends from out her sleeve. it, gotta be a foot long, and sharp enough to shave with. She lifts back her arm, the better to punch it through Ripley's heart. Ripley shifts slightly. Call stops. ANGLE: RIPLEY'S CHEST Her shirt is open enough to show a good portion of the scar. Call hesitates, staring, realization flooding her face. RIPLEY Well? Call starts, moving back a pace. RIPLEY You gonna kill me or what? CALL There's no point, is there? A flick of her wrist and the stilletto whips back up her sleeve. Ripley sits up. CALL It's already out of you. Christ... Is it here? Is it on board? RIPLEY (smiling) You mean my baby? CALL I don't understand. If they've got it , why are they keeping you alive? RIPLEY Curious. I'm the latest thing... CALL Those sick fucks. She raises her arm, the stilletto gliding out again. CALL I can make it stop. The pain... this nightmare.. That's all I can offer you. Ripley holds her palm up, presses it against the point of the blade. RIPLEY What makes you think I would let you do that? Ripley pushes her hand out -- the blade goes RIGHT THROUGH HER PALM .She keeps pushing her hand out slowly, a good five inches of the blade sticking out the back of her hand before she stops. Call stares at her. CALL What are you? RIPLEY Ripley, Ellen, Lieutenant first class, number 36706. CALL Ellen Ripley died two hundred years ago. Ripley pulls her hand back suddenly, grimacing at the pain. RIPLEY What do you know about it? CALL I've read Morse -- I've read all the banned histories. She gave her life to protect us from the beast. You're not her. RIPLEY If I'm not her. What am I? CALL You're a thing. A construct. They grew you in a fucking lab. RIPLEY But only God can make a tree. CALL And now they've brought the beast out of you. RIPLEY (smiling) Not all the way out. CALL What? RIPLEY It's in my head. Behind my eyes. I can hear it moving. The beast. The smile is gone, some real vulnerability showing through. Call softens, trying a different tack. CALL Help me. If there's anything human in you at all, help me stop them before this thing gets loose. RIPLEY It's already loose. Call's expression changes. Those words terrify her, but she's not sure if Ripley means what she thinks. Ripley raises her hand at Call's head -- Call flinches but Ripley stops a few inches away. Then touches her forehead gently, almost sensually. RIPLEY Once the thought .... the hope for it ... grows here.... it has found its way. It will come, because... man will bring it. Bring it forth. CALL You want that. RIPLEY I've come to terms with the fact of it. It's inevitable. CALL Not so long as there's breath-in me. Ripley LASHES OUT and GRABS CALL'S THROAT. Call swings wit the blade but Ripley has her arm pinned before she can connect. Ripley squeezes the girls neck. Ripley looks at the girl with a world of sadness. RIPLEY I can... make it ... stop... Call's eyes are pleading, terrified. Ripley finally lets go and she drops to the ground gasping for air. RIPLEY Go. They're coming for you. As soon as she can move, Call scrambles up and heads out. CUT TO: INT. HALL - CONTINUOUS Call comes out and before she can move a RIFLE BUT hits her the head. She goes down but not out as two guards grab her. Wren is with them and three more. WREN I think you're gonna find that this was ill advised. (to the men) Where are her friends? GUARD Mess hall, most of them. WREN Sound the alarm. I want them rounded up. Now! TO: INT. MESS HALL - MOMENTS LATER ANGLE: THE CARD TABLE Being kicked over. Elgyn, Hillard and Rane are pushed into the room, sleepy and confused. Christie, St Just, and Johner are all being herded in by soldiers. Call is thrown into the group as well. ELGYN What the fuck is going on here? CHRISTIE Looks like a doublecross, boss. WREN Where's the other one? With the chair? JOHNER (to a soldier) Get your fucking hands off me! ELGYN Do you mind telling me what the fuck you're up to? WREN Shut up! (to,a guard) Get the general. Wake him up. ELGYN Look, if there's a problem tell me what it is. we can work this out, there is no need to get emotional ... St Just is silent, standing in the same position he was when Ripley attacked Johner. Hands behind his back. ANGLE: BEHIND ST JUST'S BACK As Elgyn speaks, two guns..slip out of his sleeves and fill his hands. CALL They got nothing to do with this, Wren. ELGYN (to Call) To do with what? WREN I don't give a fuck. It's way too late for that. You're all looking at a firing squad. You hear me? ELGYN I do. St Just? With lighting precision, St Just raises his hands and blows of the guards away. He takes out a third to his left without even looking that way. One guard gets off a shot with his burner, frying Rane before Hillard's elbow knocks his teeth well into his throat. Christie tackles the next as Johner presses a latch on the bottom of his thermos -- the top half flies off, revealing handle of a gun inside .He grabs it and another guard runs . Johner doesn't have time to pull the gun-out of the the so he SHOOTS right through it, sending the guard flying.. CUT TO: INT. ALIEN OBSERVATION LAB - CONTINUOUS Alarms, flashing red lights. Gediman looking in a video monitor. GEDIMAN What the fuck... You three! Go! Sector two. All but one of the guards rush out to investigate. Gediman works the surveilliance screen, trying to see what's happening CUT TO: INT. MESS HALL - CONTINUOUS When the smoke clears, There are two guards still standing. They point their weapons inneffectually. St Just a has gun to wren's head and a gun on the guards, who are also covered by Johner. ELGYN Nice and easy, boys ... Call starts to take off. CALL I'm gonna finish this. Elgyn grabs her by the hair, roughly pulls her back. ELGYN You're going nowhere, Annalee. CUT TO: INT. OBSERVATION LAB - CONTINUOUS ANGLE: IN THE PEN The three aliens have picked up the energy. are stalking back and forth like tigers in the dim light of their pen. ANGLE: THEIR POV We see Gediman and the guard, their backs to us. The aliens-stop pacing. One of them, to the right, looks at the one on the left. Something passes between them. They look back at the humans. At each other. They SET ON the middle alien, TEARING IT APART. It lets out piercing, insectile SHRIEKS as they tear it limb from limb. Gediman spins in terror, the guard bringing up his weapon .Gediman hits the lights inside the pen and as they blink to shocking brightness we see: The remains of the third alien on the ground as a giant pool its blood EATS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR. GEDIMAN Oh, God He bolts for the failsafe but it's too late as the blood eats all the way through - the two aliens DIVE through the hole. just as Gediman hits the button -- freezing gas fills the chamber but there's nothing to freeze. GEDIMAN No no no! He hits another sequence and the door slides open. He rushes in, kneels by the hole and looks down. ANGLE: HIS POV Ther blood has already eaten through two levels. GEDIMAN Christ. They could be anywhere. He looks up at the guard -- and an alien FLIES UP at him through the hole. It was hanging on the ceiling below and it pulls him through before he can breathe a decent scream. The guard just stares, shaking. CUT TO: INT. MESS HALL The mexican standoff is getting even more heated. CHRISTIE Who gives a shit! We have to get out of here. ELGYN If Call's got something going here I want to know what it is! WREN You brought her here Two more guards rush in. Johner shoves' his gun in Wren's mouth. JOHNER Drop them! I'm not fucking with you! CHRISTIE (indicating the dead soldiers) Boss, we got bodies here. It doesn't matter what Call's up to, we're all fucked now. CALL I have to stop him. If I don't we'll all die. WREN (pulls his mouth away) Elgyn, tell me what you know. If she's alone in this HILLARD In what? Johner puts his gun to Call's temple now. JOHNER Does anyone want me to make this simple? Far away, a SCREAM . Everyone stops. Wren turns slowly in the direction it came from. WREN No... CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY BY LABS A technican RUNS screaming just as an alien LEAPS on him from behind. The CAMERA RUSHES AWAY, frenzied as the scene, to pick up a guard in the next hall firing wildly at the ceiling as an alien dissappears up an airvent. There are three bodies lying dead before us. ANGLE: IN THE PENS We see that the aliens have been freed. Smoke, dead bodies, the plexiglass partition to one 1 cage is cracked and open. CUT TO: INT. RIPLEY'S CELL - CONTINUOUS Ripley sits in the dark, the noise of Chaos just beginning filter in. And she just can't help herself. She is LAUGHING. CUT TO: INT. PEREZ'S QUARTERS CONTINUOUS He is mostly dressed, still shaking off sleep. He stands at the command console, bringing up visual. Everything on the screens is smoke and noise. PEREZ Ensign! Damage Report! Ensign! Nothing. On one of the screens, an alien is briefly visible. Perez stiffens at the sight of it. He punches up a different sector. The labs, and here is a badly wounded lieutenant. PEREZ Status! LIEUTENANT Containment is impossible, sir... I think they swept the barracks. PEREZ (to himself) A military strike.... Christ Jesus ... After a beat, he starts punching in the emergency override codes. CUT TO: INT. BARRACKS - CONTINUOUS It's worst here -- the aliens have taken out a dozen men in their sleep, and everyone awake is screaming. One soldier runs for the weapons cabinet -- an alien hits him from behind and SMASHES him into it, falling in a tumble of guns. Over the chaos, the emergency lighting comes on, floor light like an airplane's indicating the nearest exit. Father's voice is excruciatingly calm: FATHER Emergency. Initiate evacuation procedures immediately. All hands. This is not a drill. One soldier gets a bead on an alien with his burner - fries italong with two of his friends. They're out of commission, but the alien is hurt only momentarily. It bounds forward, takes out his face. FATHER Emergency. Initiate evacuation procedures ... CUT TO.. INT. HALLWAY BY ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS The noise is too far above to be heard down here, but Fathers droning voice and the emergency lighting are on. Vriess wheels slowly into the hall, concerned. He spins slowly, checking out his surroundings. ANGLE: DOWN THE HALL There is nothing.. Just the floor lights pulsing in succession towards the exit. Vriess follows their lead, wheeling out. CUT TO: INT. NEXT HALL - CONTINUOUS Nothing here either. But Vriess's fur is up -- he moves slowly, carefully. And was that a noise? He looks around, up at the ceiling. A drop of alien blood is eating through right above him. It drips down -- and he rolls out of the way just in time, back up as the blood plops to the floor, eating casually through. CUT TO: INT. LIFEBOAT BAY ONE - CONTINUOUS Men are rushing into one of the lifeboats. They sit facing each other in the tiny vessel and strap themselves in. Pere is here, hurrying the soldiers in, pushing back the few who try to crowd in after. PEREZ Bay three! Go! The late soldiers make for the next boat as Perez seals the hatch. He hits the eject button and steps back. CUT TO: EXT. THE AURIGA - CONTINUOUS As the lifeboat FIRES out of the side of the giant craft. CUT TO: INT. BAY THREE - CONTINUOUS Men crowd into this one too -- it's nearly full and an alien suddenly LEAPS into it.. starts feeding on the men strapped down - they are screaming. Perez runs in as a soldier outside the lifeboat fires his burner, hitting the alien, the men, the controls -- a shower of sparks as the alien-turns, about to spring on the soldier as he rolls in a grenade . The doors shut and and a soldier hits the eject button. TO: EXT. AURIGA - CONTINUOUS The second lifeboat comes shooting out and moments later. EXPLODES. CUT TO: INT. MESS HALL - CONTINUOUS The noise of the explosion - and of a few inside as well - is all around the group. Father's voice still urges evacuaticion WREN NO! (to Call) What have you done? CALL Nothing. Not a goddanm thing. You thought you could control it. ELGYN All right. We make for the Betty. Can he walk? He is pointing at Rane, who nods, standing. HILLARD Betty's all the way across the ship! Who knows what's in between? CALL (indicating Wren) He does. One of the soldiers steps forward. DiStephano. DISTEPHANO (to Wren) Sir, we have to go. (to Elgyn) Let him go. No quarrel. ELGYN You can have him when we're off . Not before. They start out, dragging Wren along. Guns still on Call and the soldiers. What about Vriess? JOHNER Fuck Vriess! CUT TO INT. FALL - CONTINUOUS Vries enters, looking around. He is getting seriously wigged. The lights on the floor still pulse. urging him forward. He obeys. Something stirs in the rafters. Coiled about the pipes. Vriess stops, still a good thirty feet from the beast. Strains to see. It starts MOVING, climbing at him upside down on the pipes. FAST. Vriess starts wheeling himself back away but SLOWLY, agonizingly slowly compared to the beast. He turns the corner, spins around. The hall is fifty feet long. At the far end a few soldiers running through. SERGEANT Seal off that sector! A soldier runs to obey, working the door controls. VRIESS No! The soldier sees him, but the fear on the boy's face telegraphs his-decision. Vreiess starts pumping toward the door. He's strong, picking up speed,but The alien rounds the corner and bolts after him. Vriess can't even look back as the thing gains on him. The door begins to come down, the soldier finishing the sequence and running off. Vriess rolls, face set -- the alien a few feet behind, reaching for him An EXPLOSION far away ROCKS THE SHIP -- the hall tilted momentarily, Vriess gets a boost as he rockets downhill, the beast still on him, the door closing, too low for him to clear. He gets there and SLAMS a lever, his chair FLATTENS out to a dolly position, his head just CLEARS the closing door as the alien SLAMS into it, Vriess spinning out and flying off the chair it tilts, landing in a heap next to him. Lying still on the ground, He listens as the beast slams against the door a few more times, then fades off. VRIESS Fuck everything.... He reaches up for the chair and from the back of it he pulls out a shotgun. CUT TO: INT. LIFEBOAT BAY 5 - CONTINUOUS Perez is trying to maintain order. He is failing. Grabs a corporal. PEPEZ Muster a squad to search for survivors! CORPORAL Fuck no! Fuck no! Fuck you! Perez slams him to the ground with his fist. An ALIEN LEAPS OUT at him from the ceiling. The soldiers scatter, Perez just leaping out of the way -- PEREZ Shoot it! Fry it! A couple of men fire their burners, to little effect. One soldier runs up to the action. His head is bloodied, his expression vengefully grim. The soldier whips out a pistol, private.issue, he takes a bead on the thing -- PEREZ NO! And the soldier FIRES -- pumps three bullets into the beast sends it flying back toward the window. Perez is riveted by the sight of: ANGLE: DROPS OF BLOOD big ones, hitting the window. Everything seems to move slowly now - the alien, struggling as the soldier pumps two more bullets into it, the other soldiers, Perez -- the monster falls and the BLOOD EATS THROUGH THE WINDOW.. PEREZ Get out! Everyone! Now! Soldiers are beginning to get it. . The window CRACKS, begins to SHAKE as the blood is almost through it. Even the soldier who shot the alien has stopped, his face frozen in horror at what he's about to accomplish. Perez shoves him, herds the rest out, looking back -- PEREZ Clear the sector!. at the window, the blood is almost through -- Men are pouring out of the hall -- some move down a side hall and SLAM the door shut behind them, but most are making for the main exit anyway. FATHER Warning. Potential hullbreach. Clear sector. The blood eats a hole in the window -- the nearest soldier is sucked back against the window -- he SCREAMS as he is sucked through a hole no bigger than his fist. Still men are falling over each other, Perez herding them out. A huge CRACKING sound, and Perez shuts his eyes. The window explodes outward, the air blowing everything int space. Debris, vehicles, men, all tangled and dead as they blown out into the black. ANGLE: THE SECTOR DOORS SLAM shut instantly one cutting right through a soldier halfway out. ANGLE: AIR VENTS Gates slam down here as well. ANGLE: ELECTRICAL DUCTS Foam SHOOTS into them, hardening instantly, sealing the breached sector. FATHER Breach contained. Sector five nonfunctional. CUT TO: INT. HALL - CONTINUOUS As the crew moves quickly through. They come to a shut door, red lights along it indicating it's locked. ELGYN (to DiStephano) Open it. DISTEPHMO I can't. Johner puts his gun to the soldier's head. WREN He can't! The sector's closed. The hull's been breached! ELGYN Okay, which way? WREN We'll have to go through the holding cells. Here. ELGYN All right. They turn left, entering INT. CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS that leads to the holding cells. The room is big, a railing at one end looking over another chamber two flights down. A shut door separates the chamber from the cells. ELGYN Can you get that one open? It comes from the rafters, dropping down on Elgyn in a heartbeat. He barely has time to scream before it shoots its tongue through the back of his skull. Hillard has time. She SCREAMS as her lover's brains come out his mouth. The beast leaps at the group, scattering them like bowling pins as it claws into one of the guards. Everybody else is scrambling for cover. St Just tries to escape by running past the beast --its tail lashes out, tangling his feet and tripping him up, his head smashing against a pipe. Another guard hits it with the burner -- it shrieks and lands on him. Johner shoots at it but is far too panicked to hit it. Call has backed to the far wall -- she desperately works the controls to open the door. It starts to rise. CALL Christie! Hillard! Come on! The door rises fully. Ripley stands behind it. Call starts back, not sure what the woman will do. Ripley surveys the scene. The Alien, burrowing its head into the belly of the guard, stops. Looks up. Everyone watches as the two creatures sense each other. Th alien hisses. rears back. Ripley looks away, contemplative We see a gamut of emotions cross her face, but her posture passive, sacrificial. She does not move. Everyone watches, too afraid to breathe. The alien LUNGES at her, leaping across the room in two bounds. It's on her -- and she SPINS, GPABBING IT, and HURLS IT AWAY. It lands in a tangle but is up again in a microsecond, jumps at her, knocks her back into the room, on her, its claws digging into her skin, piston tongue at her face, inches away. She locks an arm around its slick, long head and pulls back we hear its tendons strain, snap. CALL (to a guard) Shoot it! Shoot them both! She grabs his gun and BURNS them both. Two less-than-human SCREAMS fill the room as they briefly disentangle, thrown apart. The beast recovers first, dodging the next blast and going for Ripley again. Ripley, on her back, reaches behind her, grabs a table leg and with inhuman strength brings the table down on the monster's head. She dives at it as it comes out from under.... Call shoots as Ripley hits the alien, they're both fried as Ripley's momentum sends them over a railing and they FALL TWENTY FEET -- the Alien lands with a spine snapping crunch, Ripley only slightly better. A few crew members rush to look over the railing. Christie starts down the spiral staircase to that level. JOHNER Where are you going? The creature rolls back onto Ripley, grabbing her with its dying strength. Her face is rigid with pain and anger as she holds it off... its jaws open, dripping shaking... The tongue SHOOTS OUT and Ripley GRABS IT. HOLDS IT. A scream wells up in her throat. A totally animal killshriek that she SCREAMS, victorious, as she RIPS THE ALIEN'S TONGUE OUT OF ITS FACE. She stands, bellows another warrior cry. The crew has gathered near. They watch her, awed, wary. Ripley walks slowly up to them -- up to Call. Ripley looks a tad pissed. Call tenses, maybe wishing she hadn't shot Ripley as well. Ripley takes Call's hand, puts the tongue in it. walks on. Call looks at the dripping souvenier. The pincers at the end still twitching. CHRISTIE What the FUCK is going on here? RANE What was that thing? Are there more of that thing? JOHNER (to Call) Make a hell of a necklace... ANGLE: HILLARD on the upper level, kneeling by Elgyn's body. No tears, but terribly quiet. What do we do? CHRISTIE Same thing we were doing. We get the fuck. RANE What if there's more? Let's stay here and let the army guys deal. Someone will come... I mean, where are the fucking army guys? St Just is very calmly looking up at the rafters, guns drawn CHRISTIE Doctor. You know what that thing is? WREN I do. CHRISTIE And there's others. How many? The doctor looks around, almost guiltily. WREN Thirty. JOHNER Thirty! We are fucked in our pink bottoms if there's thirty of those things. RIPLEY There'll be more. Everyone looks around at her. She is squatting in the corner facing away from them. RIPLEY They'll breed. In a few hours there'll be twice that number. (she stands, approaches them) So who do I have to fuck to get off this boat? CHRISTIE You bought your ticket when you killed that thing. welcome aboard. CALL. Are you fucking crazy? She doesn't care if we.... CHRISTIE (fiercely) You got no authority here, Call!- Now secure it! It's the first time Christie has raised his voice, and it has the desired effect. After a silent moment, Call starts again softly. CALL Christie, she's not human. Wren cloned her because she was carrying an alien in her. She could turn -- JOHNER Nobody cares about your opinion, you bitch, you fucking mole -- CALL She'll turn on us! Just like that! CHRISTIE I don't give a syphallitic fuck whether you people can get along or not. If we've got a wish to live then we work together, and that includes bug-lady. CALL You can't trust her. CHRISTIE I don't trust anyone. CUT TO: INT. CHAMBER/CELLBLOCK - A BIT LATER The group is still in the adjoining chamber, but looking here into the cellblock where Ripley had been. DiStephano and St Just come first, guns ready, looking about them. They are followed by Christie and Wren. WREN There's a console in the guards, station. We can punch up a diagnostic of the ship and plan a route. To your ship. CHRISTIE That likes me fine. He signals for the others to follow, everyone moving cautiously. ANGLE: HILLARD Gently lays her coat over Elgyn's face. Johner looks down a moment. JOHNER Via con Dios, man. Hillard stands. Call puts ahand on her shoulder but Hillard moves away, a distrustful look on her face. Ripley, bringing up the rear, watches the whole group with a sort of fascinated detatchment. Call looks back at her. Ripley smiles, coldly. ANGLE: IN THE CELLBLOCK The group makes their way slowly, quietly. They approach a bank of elevators, but Wren points down an adjoining doorway. They are about to go there when the elevator door lights up, indicating arrival. The group backs up, spreads out. Those who can find cover take it. guns drawn. The elevator doors open. It is too dark inside to see: Suddenly sparks fly from the broken overhead in the elevator and a figure appears in the light. Everyone jolts, about to fire. before they realize it is VRIESS Who sits in his chair, a shotgun in each hand, eyes wide. twitchier than they. JOHNER Oh, fuck... CALL vriess! VRIESS (mock casual) Hey, whatchyou guys doing? Hey, Annalee. CHRISTIE Thought you were toast for certain. VRIESS You've seen that fucking thing? WREN (suspiciously) Where were you? VRIESS I was down by -- what do you mean? I was in maintenance, checking out your oxidation systems. JOHNER Doc's got a bug up his ass 'cause Call's a mole and he thinks we're a conspiracy. VRIESS (looking at Call) She's a what? JOHNER A mole. A fucking spy. Vriess looks hit harder by that information than anyone. CHRISTIE We got'a mission here, people. Let's keep moving. They do. CUT TO: INT. GUARDS, STATION - MOMENTS LATER ANGLE: THE CONSOLE A hologram of the ship appears above the screen. It looks a solid as the ship itself, except that parts of it occasional break themselves down to show interiors. The group looks it over. Parts of the ship are simply not there, the sections around those holes red. Wren points them out. WREN We've had hull breach by the lifeboats, here on level five, and down -- Jesus, right by the engine room. We're very lucky. ST JUST (sarcastically) Lucky we. CHRISTIE What about the Betty? Our ship. WREN The dock seems to be intact. CHRISTIE Then we head for it. JOHNER Can we track those fucking things? WREN No. JOHNER We could get to the Betty and they could be all over it! RANE Are you toting a better fucking idea? WREN All of the activity seems'to have been in the aft-sector, by the barracks. There's no reason to suppose they'd move RIPLEY They won't. Everybody looks at her. RIPLEY They're breeding. They've got new bodies to work on. They'll stay close. If they send anybody out, it'll be here. Where the... meat is. CALL 'The meat' . Jesus. ST JUST They're breeding. How long does that take? RIPLEY Hours. WREN Or less. The process has accelerated, something to do with the cloned cells. CHRISTIE Faster we get from here to there, the better. ST JUST With all the devils of hell in between. JOHNER Well, if we want to make decent time I say we ditch the cripple. (to Vriess) No offense. VRIESS (giving him the finger) None taken. HILLARD Nobody's left behind, Johner. Not even you. Her voice is quiet, mourning still thick in it. Nobody backtalks her. CHRISTIE So what's our route? WREN I'm trying to figure it. we can cut through the labs, but we're blocked on both sides here, I'm not sure DISTEPHMO Sir? There is the lift. WREN Show me. DiStephano works the console and the hologram splits, the route he's indicating revealed. DISTEPHMO The lifts. They run straight from the top of the ship down to engineering. No stops, but if we can get in the shaft, there's a maintenece access tunnel here (points to the center of the shaft) that runs above level one deck. Take us right to the dock. CHRISTIE Sounds reasonable. DISTEPHANO I don't have the code for the access tunnel door. WREN I can override. DISTEPHMO (indicating the route) Then we head through the labs, then down to the kitchen. To the bottom of the shaft. Up, through the tunnel, and onto the ship. Home free. ANGLE: VRIESS Is unloading additional ammo from inside his chair. He toss one of his shotguns to Hillard. VRIESS They never check the chair... He pulls out a grenade launcher. It's so compact it's almost cute, cradled one handed like an uzi. VRIESS Call. She looks around and he tosses it to her. The gesture is not acconmpanied by any show of warmth. VRIESS Try not to shoot your foot off. WREN You people should know -- ST JUST We.won't shoot at the windows, Doc. WREN No. The aliens, they bleed molecular acid. CHRISTIE That's right, I saw that. VRIESS So did I. JOHNER We can't shoot them? Fuck that, I'm shooting them. WREN This is a big vessel, and for the most part we should be okay. But if we get anywhere near the outer hull and start strafing them... He indicates the hologram, the sections of the ship missing. Everyone gets it. CHISTIE If we're clear then let's get on it. We'll go by twos -- RIPLEY We're moving. CHRISTIE What? RIPLEY The ship is moving. 1 can feel it. RANE I don't feel shit -- what, do you mean they're piloting this fucking thing? VRIESS This ship has stealthrun, even if we were moving there's no way she could feel it . CALL She's right. Call is working the computer now. CALL The ship's been going since the attack. WREN It's uh, it's standard, I think. DISTEPHANO That's right. If the ship takes on any serious damage it autopilots back to homebase. CALL (to Wren, pissed) You were planning to let us know this? WREN I forgot. HILLARD WhatIs homebase? WREN Earth. CALL Oh, God. Oh, you bastard... JOHNER Earth? I'm not going to that fucking slum. CALL If those things get to Earth, It'll be... RIPLEY (not very concerned). The end. ST JUST That's not our problem. CALL We've got to blow the ship. CHRISTIE We don't have to do anything till we get off it. How long till we get there? CALL Three hours. Almost. CHRISTIE Then that's what we got. Let's move. CALL Don't you understand what this means? CHRISTIE I understand my hide. And I like it on me. Let's go. (to Ripley) What are you called, Ripley? You mind taking point? She moves to the head of the line, and they start. CUT TO: INT. LABS - LATER As they progress. Everyone with a gun has it at the ready. Ripley is a few yards in front. She stops, sniffs. Listens. RIPLEY Clear. Johner moves up next to her. JOHNER You've come up against these things before? RIPLEY Yes. JOHNER So what did you do ? RIPLEY I died. He lags behind a bit, thrown. JOHNER That wasn't really what I wanted to hear... DiStephano points to a door. DISTEPFANO This way. And Ripley leads them in. CUT TO: INT. LAB - CONTINUOUS As Ripley enters, we can see that this lab has been trashed. Ripley surveys the wreckage calmly, keeps moving. As the others file in, their horrified expressions lend contrast to her lack of one. Among the debris are three bodies, chests exploded outward. JOHNER Fuck me ... CHRISTIE Let's keep moving. The door to the next chamber is ajar. Christie and Vriess in, then St Just, then Ripley. INT..NEXT CHAMBER Something LEAPS at Ripley from out of the shadows -- a metal bar SLAMS into her side, throwing her off balance. St Just and Christie spin, weapons up, and almost shoot the figure cowering in the corner. Everyone else rushes in as he swings the bar before him, eyes wild with terror. PURVIS Get away from me! CHRISTIE Drop the rod, man. Do it! PURVIS. Get away... But the energy is out of him. The rod falls with a hollow clatter. He looks weakly from face to face. PURVIS What's going on? St Just looks at his name, stitched in his coveralls. ST JUST Purvis. What's going on is that we're getting the fuck off this ghost ship. PURVIS What ship? Where am I? 1 was in cryo on the way to Xarem, work crew for the nickel refinery... I wake up, I don't understand... I saw something... horrible ... CALL Look, you come with us. It's dangerous here. Ripley SNIFFS. Cocks her head. RIPLEY Leave him. CALL Fuck you. We're not leaving anyone on this boat. RIPLEY He's carrying.. JOHNER He's what? RIPLEY He's got one.... inside him. I can smell it. PURVIS Inside me ? What? JOHNER Shit, I don't want one of those things birthing anywhere near my ass. VRIESS It's a bad risk. CALL We can't just leave him. VRIESS I thought you came here to stop them from spreading. CALL (to Wren, torn) Isn't there a process, can't you stop it? ST JUST We've got no time for that. WREN I couldn't do it here. The lab's torn apart. ST JUST (quietly) I could do him. Painless, back of the head. Might be the best way. CALL There's gotta be another way. If we freeze him -- PURVIS WHAT'S IN-FUCKING-SIDE ME?!?!? They all look at him, a bit sheepishly. WREN A parasite. A foreign element that .... Ripley steps in front of the doctor. RIPLEY There's a monster in your stomach. They (indicating the smugglers) hijacked your cryotube and sold you to him (indicating,Wren) and he put an alien in you. In a few hours it will punch its way through your chest and you'll die. Any questions? Purvis is wide-eyed, stunned. After a moment he stammers PURVIS Who are you? RIPLEY I'm the monster's mother. She starts heading out of the chamber. Call turns to the others. CALL He comes with us. We can freeze him on the Betty and get the doctor to remove it later. WREN All right. JOHNER Since when are you in fucking charge? CALL Since you were born without balls. VRIESS Ease off, people. CHRISTIE (to Purvis, herding him along) Come with us. You might even live. Get twitchy on me and you will be shot. They move out. CUT-TO: INT. HALL - LATER still in the same general area, still looking around every corner. It's been too quiet too long, and the group senses that & They move into INT. OBSERVATION ROOM TWO - CONTINUOUS It's in bad shape, so we might not recognize it as the chamber the queen was in. WREN She's gone. ST JUST Who? WREN The Queen. JOHNER Good. He is loooking into the room.the queen was kept in. A residue of slime is all that's left here. Beyond the queen's chamber is another observation room. Wren indicates that they have to go through. Suddenly a burner blast FIRES at them, just missing them as they duck. They hear more blasts, not aimed at them, and screams. SOLDIER (O.S.) Pull back! Pull back! OTHER SOLDIER (O.S.) It's on me! Ripley looks up and can just see two aliens making short work of a group of soldiers. Call instantly moves to attack, and Ripley grabs her, holds tight. CALL We've got to help them! RIPLEY Can't. CALL You bitch, let go of me! She does, and Call rises. The noise is gone. What she can see of the soldiers-is parts. She is shaking at the vision when an alien RISES in front on the soldiers. Call ducks back down, terrified. Christie hisses at her. CHRISTIE You want to get yourself killed, then you run solo. ST JUST How many? RIPLEY At least two. ST JUST Think they heard us? RIPLEY Yep. HILLARD Fine by me ... JOHNER Yeah, let em come. CHRISTIE Wren. Any other way around? Wren shakes his head. CHRISTIE We can't just walk in there. WREN (thinking) No. No, but they can. CHRISTIE Say again? WREN The cages all have failsafes. Liquid nitrogen. Get 'em to come to us and I can freeze em. CHRISTIE Excellent. Get-ready. Wren goes over to the failsafe button. The others look out at the aliens. CHRISTIE Okay... (calls out) Hey! VRIESS Hey, guys! JOHNER Here, kitty... The aliens react, start for the cage. Four 'of them. They reach the edge of it and stop. Look around, at each other.. But go nowhere. DISTEPHMO They're not coming. JOHNER Hey! Fresh meat here! RIPLEY. They know it's a trap. RANE Oh, bullshit! CHRISTIE What do we do? JOHNER Shoot the fucking things! VRIESS There's too many, and we don't have the angle. RIPLEY Bait. CALL What? RIPLEY Give em a reason to go in there. Throw somebody in. HILLARD Fuck you! RIPLEY DO we want to live? Give em her. She indicates Call, who looks around, nervous at the lack of protest about this idea. Ripley points at Rane. RIPLEY Or the skinny one, it doesn't matter. We can't resist the smell of meat. CALL We ? JOHNER Fuck, I'm with her! Give 'em Annalee! CHRISTIE Now hold on DISTEPHMO You people are insane. JOHNER Now you're not exactly in the club either, soldier. People start pointing guns at each other. RANE Fuck you all, I'm not dying for you. CALL Stop this. Ripley grabs her. Looks at the others. RIPLEY Come on! Do you want to live or not? (to Call) It won't hurt long. CALL (terrified) Noo... RIPLEY (to Wren) NOW! Wren hits the button just as three aliens are bounding across the cage -- they're almost to the posse, people screaming, scrambling, when the freezing gas hits, turning the beasts to statues. The forth one sees this and flees, but St Just stands and put four bullets in it from forty yards. It slumps over. Everyone is silent, stunned. Breathing hard. VRIESS (realizes) Fear. Ripley nods. VRIESS That's how they knew it was a trap. They couldn't smell the fear. RIPLEY (looking at Call) So I gave them some. JOHNER (gleefully) Son of a bitch! He pops up and FIRES at the frozen aliens - - they EXPLODE into fragments. CUT TO: EXT. AURIGA Gildihg through space, passing Jupiter's moons with dazzling speed. CUT TO: INT. HALL LATER Ripley and Call are on point. Ripley looks down the hall. Call is staring at her, and Ripley can feel the girls eyes on her back. RIPLEY(without looking around) Did you think I was going to... feed you to them? CALL I think you still might. Ripley smiles. She may be right. RIPLEY I want to live. CALL And you don't care about anything else. RIPLEY No. CALL (bitterly) I guess you're more human than I thought. RIPLEY Why did you come here? CALL To kill you, remember? (after a beat) Because somebody has to. RIPLEY well it's not me. I did my time. Now I just want to... She stops dead, staring at a door. CLONING STORAGE FACILITY is written on it. Stencilled beneath that is `numbers 1-7`. Ripley stares. Tries the door, which opens. DISTEPHMO That's not the way. CHRISTIE Ripley, we got no time for sightseeing. Ripley is looking down at her arm, at the 8 tattooed on it. She looks at Call. Looks back at wren. WREN Ripley... don't. She enters. CUT TO: INT. CLONING STORAGE FACILITY - CONTINUOUS She stands a moment, staring, before proceeding through it. Call stands in the doorway, others crowding behind her. Every face registers the horror of what they are seeing, but none more so than Ripley's Numbers one through seven. The first failed efforts to clone Ripley. They are lined up like museum exhibits -- or side show freaks. Here is the fetal Ripley, the fetal alien visible through its translucent chest. In a jar. Here is a prematurely old, diseased Ripley, withered blue skin cling to Collapsed bones. Here is an attempt to separate the alien and grow it without the host -- boneless, bubbling tissue, weak and useless mouth rigored in midmew. Each one more horrifying than the last, and the last the worst of all. Ripley approaches, and stares at number seven. A complete mixture of alien and human DNA. A tortured, disgusting hybrid, half Ripley, half nightmare. Hooked up wires and machines, it lies on the tilted-table, its head nearly level with Ripley's as she finally approaches it. When it opens its eyes, they are hers. it tuns its head ever so slightly to look at her. Recognises her. Ripley cannot even speak. She begins to shake slightly looking at number seven. NUMBER SEVEN Kill ... us ... Ripley's eyes go saucered as it speaks speaks out of nothing resembling a mouth. Ripley staggers back a step, shaking now. This is too much to bear... CALL Ripley! Ripley turns, slowly, still in a fever dream. Call cocks the grenade launcher with a loud CRACK. Her eyes meet Ripley's. Call tosses it to Ripley as the crew steps back and even a catches it Ripley FIRES, a grenade chugging to the end of room and BURSTING in fire and noise, she FIRES another, tissue and steel exploding into flame, she turns to number seven, hand shakes momentarily...And she FIRES, the poor creature dissolving in a cloud of flame. Freezing gas jets fill the room, extinguishing potential spread, but the heart of the firestorm continues to rage in the chamber. She backs out, the crew waiting for her outside. The launcher falls loudly to the ground. Ripley turns to Wren, her face rigid with pain. Wren backs up a step, looking around him for protection that the others have no thought of providing. CALL Ripley... Don't do it. Ripley stops. weariness suffusing her expression. RIPLEY Don't do what? The tension pases. Wren breathes a little sigh of relief. Call PUNCHES him across the jaw, his head whipping around as collapses to the ground. Call starts down the hall, not even looking at him. CALL Don't do that. Feeling his jaw, Wren actually smiles at the absurdity of all this. It's kind of winning. Christie helps him up. CHRISTIE Had it coming, Doc. Johner looks in at the burning lab. JOHNER What's the big deal? Fucking waste of ammo. ST JUST Let's move before anything comes to check out the noise. JOHNER Chicks, man.... DISTEPHANO We go down from here. CHRISTIE (to Vriess) We got to lose the chair. Vriess. VRIESS I know. CHRISTIE Kawlang maneuver, all right? Vriess is pulling a coil of cords from the chair. VRIESS Just like old times... CUT TO: INT. ROOM - LATER A hatch opens. Ripley drops down, surveys the scene. Quiet dark, empty. Ripley comes up, Call behind her. Ripley sniffs, listens. Closes her eyes. After a beat she starts further in and Call motions for others to follow. Slowly, they make their way down the corridor. Ripley, Cal ,Hillard , guns drawn. Bringing up the rear is Christie, toting a shotgun.. He turn slowly, alert, and we see that Vriess is strapped to his back facing the other way, also with a shotgun. CALL (to Ripley) That lab... 1 can't imagine how that must feel. RIPLEY No. You can't. Ripley looks down. The floor here is covered with a foot or so of dark water. Ripley steps into it, moves up a few paces. The others gingerly follow. Vriess is facing the back. He looks up. VRIESS The cooling tanks. They must have blown during the trouble. ANGLE: THE COOLING TANKS We see the round underbelly of two huge tanks. There are gaping, twisted holes in them. JOHNER The nasties couldn't have done it, could they? HILLARD What for...? WREN Down here. He is at the front with Ripley and-Call, where the water is waste deep. He looks down at a stairwell, just the top of the railing visible above the murky water. RIPLEY There's no other way? WREN We're at the bottom of the ship. Some of the worst damage is down here. Most of the sections are sealed off. RIPLEY You're sure? WREN There's the noncom's entrance back there, but it's flooded too, and it's a longer run. CALL He's right. We're gonna have to do it this way. WREN It's just through the kitchen, then up, maybe seventy feet. RIPLEY I don't like it. ST JUST What's to like? CHRISTIE (to vriess) You ready to get wet, partner? VRIESS Oh yeah. HILLARD You sure about the distance? WREN Yes. CALL No locked doors? WREN It's an open hall. Just keep left when you hit the bottom of the staircase. JOHNER This sucks. ANGLE: DI STEPHANO He flips caps over the barrel of the gun, slides a panel over the digital readout. The burner is ready to go, watertight. DISTEPHMO (to St Just) You should secure'your weapons. St Just holds up his two guns. ST JUST These are disposables. They can take it. DISTEPHANO Disposables. I heard about those. How many rounds? ST JUST Twenty. Split points, give you a good hole even at the smaller caliber. DISTEPHANO Cool. ST JUST They're big with hitters. 'Cause you throw em away after the job. Nobody likes throwing away a weapon they're attached to. You know? He smiles at Di Stephano, who looks a little uneasy about the turn the conversation has taken. He joins the others who are getting ready to dive.. CALL Do I have to tell everyone to take a deep breath? A couple of the guys smile. VRIESS Christie, do me a favor. When we hit the surface on the other side... no backstroke. Okay? CHRISTIE (laughing) You'll be forever blowing bubbles. On three... He counts down, the two suck in enormous breaths -- and dive right behind Call and Ripley. One by one the entire crew slips down into the black water. CUT TO: INT. STAIRWELL\KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS It's all underwater. Visiblity is poor. The crew move swiftly and gracefully down the stairs and into the kitchen. In here it's a tad labyrinthian, and the size of the room it darker. Wren heads straight for the other end. They swim. Safety is a good fifty feet away. They are tense, concentrated. Swimming past dark spaces. Anything could be hiding here. Johner looks about him, very nervous. Dark spaces. He looks behind . Three aliens are right behind him. Panic blows half the air out of his mouth as he swings around and FIRES at them, tags one as the other two swim off into shadows with horrible ease. Ripley, all the way to the stairs, sees. She hurries the others past her. They swim frantically for safety, Hillard Wren, Christie and Vriess. Rane is coming along and alien hands grab at him from the darkness, pull him into it. Hillard FIRES in that direction, Johner bringing up the rear still firing at the third one, wounding it but not scoring killshot. Call is swimming up ther staircase, the growing light above indicating the surface. She is almost to it when she is IN THE WEB. A net of translucent alien goo, it is spread just six inche below the surface. Call struggles the goo sticking to her she's running out of air -- as Wren and Christie enconter the same thing -- they all try to tear through it, but they are getting weaker. Ripley looks back as the last of the crew is passing her, aliens close behind. She looks up to see the situation ab and quickly makes for the surface -- but an alien GRABS her foot, holding her down. Now SHE is running out of air KICKS at it, it lets go. The others are fighting, Call pops her stilletto and cuts through, but it's tough, she still can't get her head up -- --Di Stephano, off to the side, is drowning. Takes in a huge mouthful of water and begins thrashing. Ripley swims past everyone and grabs the hole Call cut, pulls it apart with a mighty heave, she glides up through -- CLOSE UP: RIPLEY'S FACE Just BREAKS the surface, she takes in a huge GASP of air, FACEHUGGER CLAMPS DOWN ON HER. Ripley goes back under, pulling at the thing as others break the surface. Wren comes up and a hugger LEAPS right at him ,but Call nails it in four shots. Christie and Vriess break surface and both begin FIRING, back to back, in a circular sweep. They decimate a number of eggs ANGLE: UNDERWATER Ripley pulls the face hugger with all her might -- it comes off, its fingers singeing the sides of her face, leaving marks like warpaint. Worse, its probing fleshy member pulls last of her throat, thrashing horribly. In utmost disgust, Ripley PULLS it APART. and the three aliens are COMING RIGHT AT HER. ABOVE - THE SURFACE Most of the crew has gotten up out of the water. Christie holding a facehugger inches from his face, others screaming, taking a bead on it. CHRISTIE Get it! Kill it! CALL The blood'll burn you! Throw it! He does, and Johner nails it in midflight. Hillard and Johner pull Di Stephano out of the water, but he is not breathing. ANGLE: UNDER THE SURFACE Ripley is grabbed by an alien -- and St Just comes up behind her and shoots it. They swim up and away from the spreading, lethal bloodpool. ANGLE: ABOVE THE SURFACE They come up out of the water, and an alien rises right behind them. Everyone who can, shoots it. It falls back into the water. CHRISTIE A trap! They set a goddamn ambush! JOHNER Give me that! He pulls the burner off Di Stephano's body, even as Call is giving him mouth to mouth . Johner flips the gun open and FIRES at the water, the whole thing SMOKING and sizzling with the electrical charge. we hear an alien wail bubble from below the surface. JOHNER (grinning feverishly) Okay! Everybody out of the pool! VRIESS Let's get the fuck! Di Stephano sputters back to life. Ripley picks him up with one hand, HILLARD (to Wren) Which way? WREN Up here. He takes off, the others following. WREN Up through the lift shaft! He stops at a pair of sliding doors, starts working the panel. Ripley come up to the doors and pulls them apart with a grunt. ST JUST Company! He's refering to the noise and shadow of approaching aliens. She herds them into the shaft. CUT TO: INT. LIFTSHAFT - CONTINUOUS It goes down about four stories, and up seemingly forever.. Enough room for or three elevators, one of which is two stories below. WREN UP! He starts climbing. It's not that hard -- there are ladders in each shaft section. Call comes up behind him. Ripley and others pair off on other ladders. They climb fast, they're three stories up before the aliens begin POUNDING on the metal door, it buckles under their might. JOHNER Move! WREN Not far! Still POUNDING -- one alien gets its head in, looks up, hisses, pulls it out. ANGLE: LIFT Wren comes to a cralwspace ledge. He climbs on. Set back a few feet from the shaft is a small maintenance access door. works the keypad beside it as Call climbs up behind him. The aliens SMASH through the door, one of them SAILING across the shaft to grab a pipe on the other side. Instantly four of them are swarming up the walls, moving much faster on pipes and ridges than the humans on ladders. On one of the aliens a facehugger crawls, constantly moving about on the adult alien's head like a frightened spider. CALL Hurry! WREN It's jammed! Shit! Gun! She hands him her gun and without hesitation he SHOOTS HER THROUGH THE CHEST. She flies back and DOWN THE SHAFT, lands HARD on an elevator six stories below . Eyes wide and empty. VRIESS NOO! He fires up at Wren, but Wren has punched in the code and slipped through the opening door.. Ripley LEAPS through the air and grabs the ledge, hauling herself up just in time to see the door shut. The lock lights turn red. She SLAMS against the door, but to no avail. The aliens are getting closer. St Just, the closest to the bottom, suddenly lets go of the ladder. His knees hooked over a rung, he drops, hangs up side down, his guns filling his hands. He blows several holes in the nearest alien. Ripley is furious, maybe surprised just how so. Suddenly an alien RISES OVER THE LEDGE, it's not three feet away from her and she SCREAMS, HURLS herself at it and they both go FLYING OFF into-space, they hit the wall on the other side, they fall. RIPLEY GRABS a pole, it practically tears her arm out of her socket but she holds on, the alien isn't so lucky, it plummets unable to find puchase. we see it fall past the unmoving body of Call. ANGTE: CALLS FACE As the facehugger CLAMPS onto it. Pauses. Pushes off a bit, two digits probing Call's nostrils. Sensing no breath, the thing scurries away to find a better host. Another alien is fast approching Christie and Vriess. Vriess frantically tries to reload. VRIESS It's on us! Christie turns, aims -- Vriess grabs the ladder as Christie FIRES, but the alien is too close, it grabs Christie, spurting blood all over him. He SCREAMS, lets go of the ladder Vriess takes the weight of both as Christie fires again, the alien flying off and down the shaft. HILLARD We gotta go! The last alien suddenly starts scurrying back down after his brothers. RIPLEY We're locked in. JOHNER Fuck! PURVIS How far to the next door? DISTEPHANO All the way. RIPLEY Then we climb. They start, moving as fast as they can. VRIESSS (to Christie) You just hang on, man. I'll get us there. He starts climbing up, impressively fast considering the burden hanging from his back. JOHNER (to Ripley) Are they going for reinforcements? RIPLEY Fucked if I know. They climb. And climb, the minutes stretching out, still no door. Ripley easily ahead of the rest. Finally: RIPLEY I think I see the door. PURVIS (exhausted) Great. Vriess is having increasing trouble. Hillard notices him lagging behind, and why. HILLARD Vriess! Jesus! Vriess is moving very quickly, considering. But the effort is becoming too much. VRIESS We're coming... Johner scrambles down next to Vriess. he checks the pulse in Christie's neck. Vriess, man... he's dead. Refusing to hear it, Vriess struggles to climb further. VRIESS We'll get him to medlab... just a little while ... Johner looks over at Hillard. Without saying a word, she pull out a good-sized hunting knife, flicks it open. She slices through the cord holding them together, and Christie's body falls free. Vriess shuts his eyes, feeling it. ANGLE: DOWN THE SHAFT There is silence as Christie's body drops down the black abyss Until, from up the shaft next to where he fell, we see two ALIENS COMING UP. PURVIS Fuck! Company! Hillard looks up the shaft. HILLARD How much further?, JOHNER Too fucking far. Let's G0 ! They start to climb, but the aliens are making much better time. A loud CLACKING sounds from the bottom of the shaft. A few of them look down. ANGLE: DOWN THE SHAFT The aliens are still coming, but suddenly the lift passes them heading up at high speed. JOHNER They can work the elevators? Is there anything fucking else we should know about them?! He's addressing this at Ripley, but she's as puzzled as the rest of them. The lift comes up to them, stops suddenly as emergency brake is flipped. They wait, guns ready. Out of the hatch pops Call, not especially dead. CALL Get on! A moment of stunned silence, then they all jump on top of the lift. Call drops back down inside. An alien comes up level with the lift, prepares to jump. St Just shoots the shit out of it. HILLARD Where are the others? CUT TO: INT. LIFT - CONTINUOUS Call flips the brake off, and the lift shoots up. She is holding her jacket closed around her chest wound, but it doesn't seem to bother her particularly much. ANGLE: ON TOP Everybody holds on as the lift flies up the shaft. ANGLE: INSIDE Call waits for the signal to stop and an alien PUNCHES THROUGH the bottom of the lift. Call yells as it gets its head and an arm through, clawing for her. ANGLE: ON THE BOTTOM We see the other half of the alien clinging to the lift. ANGLE: ON TOP Ripley sees the door approaching RIPLEY stop! ANGLE: INSIDE Call hits the emergency button and the lift stops halfway in front of the door - - giving both Ripley and Call access. Bu the alien is still grabbing for her -- Ripley pries open the doors again, the crew pouring out into the hall. Ripley follows, jumps down and opens the lift doors The alien hisses at Ripley as she pulls Call out -- the -alien grabs Call's ankle, but Ripley wrenches her free. They roll out but the alien is still fighting, Pulling itself inside the lift. Ripley grabs Hillardl's shotgun. Levels it at the cables holding the lift. FIRES. The lift PLUMMIETS, the alien still halfway in. It shoots down the shaft -- picking up the second alien on its way down, neither beast able to get its bearing and get out of the way as-- The lift SMASHES into the bottom of the shaft, crushing both the Aliens to jelly. ANGLE: UPPER DOOR Johner triumphantly sticks his head in the shaft. JOHNER Eat that, fuckneck!! They all breathe hard, exhausted, before they can muster for the next stretch. Call stands with her back to them. VRIESS Baby, am I glad to see you. I thought dickbag took you out for sure. Are you, hurt? CALL I'm fine. DISTEPHANO You got body armour on? CALL Yeah. Come on. Ripley isn't buying. RIPLEY You were Gunshot. I saw. CALL I'm fine! Ripley spins her around. Call stares at Ripley, sullenly a small trickle of milky white fluid comes from her.nostril Ripley looks down. ANGLE: CALL'S CHEST Wren has indeed made a messy hole here, but where blood and bone should be there is a tangle of synthorganic wiring. To state the obvious: A robot. JOHNER Call's a goddam sythetic! HILLARD Son of a bitch. Little Annalee's just full of surprises. RIPLEY (quietly) I should have known. ST JUST Couldn't smell this one out? RIPLEY No, I mean... all that crap about being human - there's no one so zealous as a Born Again. VRIESS (to Call) You're an LM7, aren't you? Is that it? CALL Leave me alone. Her voice shocks her more than anyone her vocal track slip affected by the wounds. The voice is a shade slow, and echoes strangely. VRIESS Call .... CALL (bitterly) Yes. ST JUST LM7? Shit. That explains a lot. YRIESS (to Ripley) The latest and best. They were supposed to revitalize the synthetic industy. Instead they buried it. Ripley looks at the girl. RIPLEY They were-too good. VRIESS Oh yeah. Overrode their own behavioral inhibitors. Didn't feel like being told what to do. The government ordered a recall. Fucking massacre. HILLARD 1 always heard there were a few that got out alive, but man... I never thought I'd see one. Johner starts laughing. JOHNER Oh, Christ. Doing fucking nickel and dime border runs, selling second hand junk to the farm belt... and we're carrying the most expensive piece of contraband in the system. That's rich. PURVIS (getting anxious) It's great, she's a toaster oven... Can we leave now? Vriess tries to touch Call's wound. VRIESS Let me see. Call pulls away. JOHNER Yeah, get your socket wrench, Vriess. Maybe she just needs an oil change. RIPLEY Let's go. They start off again, Johner and St Just bringing up the rear JOHNER Can't believe I almost fucked the thing. ST JUST Yeah, like you've never fucked a robot. ANGLE: RIPLEY Letting DiStephano lead. RIPLEY DiStephano. Where are we? DISTEPHANO Upper decks... Storage... the chapell's up here, not much else. RIPLEY Can we get to the ship? DISTEPHANO Well, we're a ways out,of the way, but I think we can get through to the garden. From there, it's down a few levels, it's do-able. What if the fucking doctor gets there first? VRIESS It's a good point. DISTEPHANO Shit. They have reached an access door. Debris blocks the way. RIPLEY Another way? DISTEPHANO Uh, yeah. Through the wall. We'll have to get one of these panels off. It'll take a while. (to Vriess) You got tools? VRIESS Yeah, but no torch. JOHNER Fucking blow the door! HILLARD Assface, We're on the top of this thing. (pointing to the ceiling) That's hull. VRIESS What about Wren? if he gets in the computer he can really fuck us around. RIPLEY We have to get in too. DISTEPHANO There's no access console on this level. We'd have to-backtrack. HILLARD Fuck that. DISTEPHANO And I don't have the security access that Wren does anyway. Ripley turns to Call. RIPLEY Call. CALL No. I can't. JOHNER. Bullshit. She's a damn well talking machine. CALL There's another way. DISTEPHMO Just tell her to access it on remote. VRIESS Shit, that's right. Any of the new model droids can access the mainframe. JOHNER Just by blinking. CALL I can't. ST JUST No time to get coy, Annalee. CALL I can't. I burned my modem drive. We all did. VRIESS You can still patch in manually. You know that. Call looks over at the group, staring at her. She knows she doesn't have a choice. DISTEPHANO There's ports in the chapel. RIPLEY Come on. (to the others) You get started on that wall. CUT TO: INT. CHAPEL - CONTINUOU@ Ripley and Call enter the small room. Ripley sits in one of the pews, pulls out a bible. it somewhat resembles a Newton Under the leather flap is a screen reading.: HOLY BIBLE. PRE START. Ripley pulls out the cord from the bible's port, holds it up CALL Don't make me do this. RIPLEY Don't make me make you. CALL I don't want to go in there. RIPLEY Get over it. CALL It's like... your insides are liquid. It's not real. RIPLEY You can blow the ship. Before it reaches Earth. Kill them all. Just give us time to get out first. That convinces Call. She pulls up her sleeve, and begins. pushes a part of her forearm, just below the crook of her elbow. It has a spring release catch, and a small panel rises up with two computer ports on it. She takes the cable from Ripley and plugs it in. It looks almost like she's mainlining heroin. She cocks her head. CALL Dammit. RIPLEY Anything? CALL Hold on. She reaches in her chest, reconnects some tubes. She twitches then shuts her eyes. It's beginning. She begins speaking very rapidly, eyes still shut. CALL Breach in sector seven sector three sector nine unstable -- engines operating at eighty six percent -forty six minutes until earthdock. Her voice has a slight mechanical quality as she rattles this off. Her eyes open. CALL We burned too much energy -- I can't make critical mass. I can't blow it. RIPLEY Then crash it. TO: INT. HALL - CONTINUOUS As the crew works at getting the wall panel off,. TO: INT. CHAPPEL A BIT LATER CALL Ground level recalibrated... new destination 760, 403. Done. Forty one minutes until impact. RIPLEY Try to clear us a path to the ship. CALL Tracking movement in sublevels six through nine. Video is down. Attempted rerouting nonfunctional, wait, partial visual in waste tank 5, unauthorized presence... VRIESS Unauthorized? CALL Nonhuman. RIPLEY How many? Please wait.. emergency override on. console 45V, level one... handprint ID... (like herself) It's Wren. He's almost at the Betty. RIPLEY And how do you feel about that? CUT TO: INT. HALL - CONTINUOUS Wren is holding his hand to the scanner, just as Call described. The red light turns green and we hear the locks the door crack open. FATHER Emergency override validated. The door begins to rise. Looking around him, Wren waits to through. The door grinds to a halt, still too low to climb under. Th lights go out, only the faintest glow coming from various instrument panels. wren's expression drains. WREN Father, reboot systems on 45V, authorization 'starling'. Nothing happens. Wren looks about him, beginning to sweat. Did the aliens do this? WREN Father, locate power drain, report. Father? CALL - (on the system) Father's dead, asshole. Wren spins in shock at the sound of Call's voice. it,s everywhere around him. She has downloaded her vocal matrix place of Father's. (She's not just speaking over a PA, she is the PA.) The door SLAMS back-down, locks clack into place. The doors behind him open up, emergency lighting pulsing along toward him. CALL\SHIP Intruder on level one... all aliens please proceed to level one. Wren is freaking. He turns back down the corridor, looking about him wildly. CUT TO: INT. CHAPEL - CONTINUOUS Call pulls the cord out of her port. RIPLEY You got a mean strak. CALL It's done. That should hold the fuck. This as her voice track slips even more. She works the wires in her cheest, trying to fix it. RIPLEY Let me see CALL Don't touch me. Ripley backs off. CALL You must think this is pretty funny. RIPLEY Yes. But I'm finding a lot of things funny lately. And I'm not sure they are. CALL Why do you go on living? How can you stand it? How can you stand... yourself? Ripley shrugs. RIPLEY Not so hard. Not much choice. CALL At least there's part of you that's human. I'm just... fuck. Look at me.... She looks at the hole in her chest, the white and sticky fibers. CALL I'm disgusting. Her voice is at its slowest here, low and eerie. It's a mechanical problem, but it sounds just like despair. RIPLEY Do you dream? CALL I ... we have neural processors that run through.... (stops) Yes. RIPLEY When I sleep, I dream about it. Them. Every night. All around me ... in me. I used to be afraid to dream, but I'm not anymore. CALL Why? RIPLEY Because no matter how bad the dreams get ... when I wake up it's always worse. Purvis enters. PURVIS I guess we're almost there. RIPLEY Right. He exits again. Call finishes fiddling with her internal wiring. We hear her voice slip back to normal as she says: CALL Let's get going. CUT TO: INT. TUNNEL As they come one by one through the wall. DISTEPHANO Not far now. PURVIS God, I'm so tired... JOHNER Yeah, well, we'll sleep when we're dead. Ripley follows him through. RIPLEY Don't count on it. The rest of them come through and walk into: INT. THE GARDEN CONTINUOUS The Garden runs nearly half a mile straight across, and then down on a terraced slope. Everywhere are different kinds of plants: trees, vegetable plants, exotic and experimental hybrids. Access paths crisscross the beds. It's huge, the single biggest space on the ship. Yet the low ceiling, laticed with grow-lamps now dim in nightcycle, and prodigeous undergrowth make it labyrinthian, almost claustrophobic. From where the crew is, they can barely see where it slopes down. JOHNER What's this fucking deal? DISTEPHMO This supplies most of the food for the unit. VRIESS (holding a lucious ripe pear) You guys got something against spam? DISTEPHMO And there's some lab work here too. Hybridization. RIPLEY At the other end? DISTEPHMO Runs down to the by the waste tanks. We can get to the dock from there. You,okay? Ripley is holding her head. She shuts her eyes. CALL What is it? Ripley shakes it off. RIPLEY Nothing. I'm okay. She looks out at the jungle, they have to cross. CALL We should get moving. ST JUST Hey! Check it out! He has come upon a small loading truck, a sort of platform jeep. Vriess checks it out, takes a huge bite of his pear. VRIESS Beats walking. He hauls himself up-into it. Everybody piles onto the back flatbed just a foot or so off the ground and just big enough to hold everyone but Vriess, Call and Ripley, who pushes into the driver's seat. VRIESS Quickly and quietly, people. Ripley stares unconprehendingly at the controls for a momen till Call flips on the ignition. RIPLEY Thank,you. The jeep pulls out. It's electric, so it emits just a low hum as she takes it at a good clip toward the other side. The access paths are just a bit wider than the jeep itself, plants rising tall all around them. Ripley concentrates on driving. The pass through as section of wheat , then of corn. As they come to another section, The crew's expressions change to one of pleased disbelief. You gotta be fucking me. St Just! Is this real? ST JUST So this is what heaven looks like. We see they have driven into a healthy section of CANNABIS plants growing ten feet high. The car screeches to a halt. Ripley's at a crossroads of sorts. RIPLEY Which way? HILLARD (looking at the plants) I always wondered where the military got its funding... An alien SHOOTS out of the brush and lands on Hillard everyone SCREAMS -- Ripley SLAMS her foot on the pedal The jeep PEELS OUT, as more emerge from the brush. HILLARD Get it off MeeeaaaaAAGGHRE!!!! It bores into her head before St Just can blow it away. It's head exploding in fragments of bone and sizzling blood as it falls away from the jeep, Hillard's body still clutched in arms. Another leaps out at them, but the jeep is going a good clip and it misses. The crew peppering it with bullets. They look,about them, guns ready. ANGLE: IN THE BRUSH Something runs parallel to them in the plants. ANGLE: ABOVE Two more run on top of the grow-lamps, pacing them as well. One DROPS DOWN -- Ripley SWERVES out of the way, driving in the plants. They are varied, exotic -- and there are aliens behind half of them. The crew BLASTS away all around them Ripley drives a drunkard's path through the brush, avoiding trees that dot the scape. An alien DROPS onto the hood, another grabs the side -- Vries takes out the first, blowing it off, but the second grabs Johner, he goes flying over the side,.dropping his gun. St Just is too preoccupied with his own problems on the othe to see that Johner is being dragged, the alien still clutching onto him. Shots bang out, ripping into the alien, which lets go. Johner looks up to see Purvis holding Johner's gun. Johner drags himself back on. One jumps down onto St Just, tears a good chunk out of his midsection before he dusts it. Another alien jumps on the hood just as the jeep SAILS over first ledge of the terraced slope, comes-down hard enough knock it off, SAILS over the next -- the crew can barely hang on as the jeep crashes down slope after slope. Ripley swerves back onto the road, the jeep sliding over onto the steps beside it, rocking violently as they shoot down the remainder of slope, the aliens close on their heels. Still blasting away at the beasts, the crew is able to put little distance between them as they come to the end of the garden. Here it divides into three sections, all open halls with access for the jeep. RIPLEY Which way? DISTEPRMO (looking over) Left! Left! She swerves left, the jeep-bouncing into the hall INT. HALL CONTINUOUS Where windows running along either side look out onto black space. Ripley drives as far as she can, till a staircase -- going -- fills her vision, too steep for the jeep. She SLAMS on brakes. the jeep spinning out and coming to a halt. The crew piles out, Di Stephano grabbing Vriess. At the other end of the hall, the aliens can be seen approaching. The crew BLASTS at them, the aliens, blood splattering the narrow hall. ANGLE: THE BLOOD Eating into the walls. the floor. CALL/Ship Warning. potential hullbreach. Clear sector. DISTEPHANO (indicating the steps) Down here! They start down -- all but St Just. He gets out of the jeep with difficulty. Looks down at his wound. Johner looks around to see him still standing atop the steps JOHNER St Just! Come on, man. St Just looks down at the wound. Back at Johner. He walks calmly away, towards the aliens. CALL St Just! ST JUST You go. He looks at the appraching aliens. ST JUST I'm bored. CALL\SHIP Warning. Evacuate sector. A moment, then the crew takes off. St Just takes a handful of pills, pops them into his mouth. Only the slightest grin suffuses his face ,as he waits for the aliens. They close on him, and he raises his guns. CALL\SHIP warning... CUT TO: INT HALL NEARBY - CONTINUOUS The crew runs full out. DISTEPHANO We have to get out of the sector! RIPLEY Where! DISTEPHANO There! He points at a door that's down two flights and across the hall. CUT TO: INT. HALL CONTINUOUS The aliens close, and St Just FIRES, blasting away with bot guns. Aliens writhe on the floor before him, still they cover the bodies of their brothers, still he fires, Call\ship monotones of warning in sharp contrast to the chaos -- St Just fires until both guns are empty. In one smooth motion he drops them both and jerks his wrists and TWO-MORE disposable guns fly into his palms and he blasts away ANGLE: THE BLOOD Eating through the hull. ANGLE: THE CREW desperately racing for the door. ANGLE: ST JUST Firing with quiet glee. ANGLE: THE CREW The first of them are through the door. ANGLE: St JUST The aliens are getting closer, but still he mows them down Both his guns click, spent. ST JUST Damn. CALL\SHIP Warning -- and BOOM!!!!, the hall BURSTS OPEN, everything explodes into space, the wind rushes out as BOOM!!!, the whole garden sector rips open, sucked out, as ANGLE: RIPLEY is the last to get out, but the pressure change SUCKS HER she flies backwards, the section door coming down just in time as she SLAMS into it, the door closing fully as she falls, lack of pressure sucks at the door itself, it creaks and be inward slightly, but it holds. The others have exited into the next hall. They've been tossed about, but not as badly. Call stops, runs back to Ripley, helps her up. Ripley is dazed; the door hit the back of her head solidly. CALL Can you walk? RIPLEY I think I... CALL I'm not fucking carrying you Ripley doesn't even hear her; something else drowns Call out. Ripley puts her hands over her ears. RIPLEY Mistake ... mistake... CALL Ripley. RIPLEY I can hear them, in the hive... it's close... We're on the hive. CALL Jesus. Come on. RIPLEY I can hear them... the queen... CALL What... ? RIPLEY She's in pain. They CRASH UP through the floor panels, six of them, surrounding the two women. Call can barely spin before Ripley GRABS her and HURLS her fifteen feet down the corridor, out of harm's way. The aliens close on Ripley. She struggles but she's still weak. One slams her onto the ground call recovers, looks back at Ripley As the aliens drag her unconscious body back down under the floor. CALL RIPLEY! CUT TO: INT. AIR VENT - CONINUOUS Dark, cramped, and already covered with a hardening layer of resin. Skittering, insectile motion at one end heralds the aliens, as two of them crawl rapidly along. The third craw upside down, the semiconscious Ripley draped over its chest If she were awake, and out.vf her mind, she could be kissin the beast. Her eyes flutter open, but she is obviously still groggy. ANGLE: RIPLEY'S POV Alien head, dark tunnel passing beneath. Scuttling through a small maze, the aliens come out into: INT. WASTE TANK 5 - CONTINUOUS A vast, dark chamber, entirely encrusted with alien goo. air vent opens about three quarters of the way up the chamber. The aliens pour out and imediately scuttle UP, carrying Ripley to the top of the chamber. They circle her and begin secreting resin , spinning a web around her. The resin comes out of ther backs in spits and globs. It isn't pleasant, and Ripley struggles feebly as they begin to cocoon her. CUT TO: INT. ANTECHAMBER CONTINUOUS The crew piles through it on their way to the loading dock. Call brings up the rear, still looking back regretfully. She hesitates, and Purvis takes hold of her arm. PURVIS We got to be moving, miss. Best gift you can give her right now is a quick death. CALL It's not right... PURVIS I've been saying that all day, we need your help. A moment more, and she heads out with him. CUT TO: WASTE, TANK 5 - CONTINUOTJS The aliens have finished webbing Ripley, and climb away. When it is done she finds herself basically hung from the ceiling , her legs encased and glued with glistening strands to the roof. She hangs therefore at an angle, looking down on the chamber. And so it is with her, as she swims to full consciousness, we get our first real look at where we are. There are no less than ten people strung up exactly as Ripley is, encircling the chamber, and all looking some forty feet down at: The Queen. Lying on her back at the bottom of the-chamber, belly swollen and distended. She is herself partially cocooned, strapped down to the at the edge of a black pool of blood and ichor. Her head moves slowly back and forth, in delierium of pain. There are a four or five aliens tending her, spinning goo around her, vomiting blood onto her belly. They might be serving her, or imprisoning her. Both, in fact . There is one thing missing from this tableau. RIPLEY (softly) No eggs ... GEDIMAN (OS) Multiple reproductive systems. Ripley.turn's slowly, to see the person next to her. It's Gediman, looking wane and haggard. He may be speaking to her but he stares straight ahead, his eyes glowing with near insanity. GEDIMAN Complete asexual reproductive cycle, self-impregnating, we found six different sets of ovaries in her. Egg laying is the first cycle, immature. Redundancies, redundancies ... she'll bring forth legion. RIPLEY They didn't impregnate you? Now he looks at her, regret and glee at what has happened battling for his expression. GEDIMAN No... they've just been draining me. She looks down, to see ANGLE : GEDIMAN'S FEET As blood from various wounds seeps slowly past his toes, dripping into the pool. A keening SHRIEK comes out of the queen, as her limbs begin thrashing. The aliens around her back off slightly. The bulge in her belly starts moving. Ripley starts struggling with her bonds, terror and determination in her.eyes. RIPLEY I'm getting out of here. Goddamnit, I'm getting the fuck out of here! He looks at her, the last glimmerof his sanity sinking beyond the horizon. GEDIMAN Don't you want to see what happens next? CUT TO: INT: LOADING DOCK - CONTINUOUS The crew rushes in, heads for the Betty. JOHNER How long till we can get airborn? VRIESS I'll need Call to patch in to the ship again, open the hatch. CALL Right. JOHNER We hit atmo in a few minutes, only gonna make it harder. They all run on board INT. THE BETTY and head for the cockpit. DiStephano deposits Vriess in a wheelchair. CALL Johner, take Purvis to the freezer. JOHNER All right.. Nap time, buddy. A GUNSHOT and Purvis goes flying, blood spurting out of his shoulder, Johner draws but Wren emerges from the shadows too fast. Wren grabs Call and very carefully holds his gun to her back right below her shoulderblades. WREN Fuck with me and I put a bullet where her brain is! Johner stands, uncertain. WREN DiStephano! Take their weapons. DISTEPHANO Begging your pardon, sir, but eat my fuck. DiStephano aims at Wren. Wren backs up a step. WREN Drop it! Drop it or we all die together! Heaped in the, corner, Purvis suddenly jerks forward. His eyes go wide. CUT TO: INT. WASTE TANK 5 CONTINUOUS Ripley is frantically trying to pull at her bonds. It's just beginning to work. But the noise in here is getting worse, the aliens franitcally agitated as the Queens belly begins moving more violently. SHRIEKS, and RIPLEY does as well, from effort or sympathy, it is hard to tell, as THE QUEENS BELLY POPS OPEN. Blood shoots everywhere, burning into the walls. And all the screaming stops. The movement stops. Even Ripley stops. Silence. Something emerges from the wound. An alien, to be sure, but nothing we've seen so far, its forelegs arch out of its back like spiders legs, its back legs set on enormous haunches, thick and powerful. Its head is long, eyeless, like the others, but along its white expanse red veins, coming out of the skin and running like thick black hairs to the back. It has retracted pincers at the side of head that come out when its tongue does. Its much bigger the the others, nearly the size of the queen herself. And it's bone white. GEDIMAN Beautiful.... beautiful butterfly... He is crying with revelatory joy. Ripley is not. Grimacing the sight and smell of the new beast, she begins pulling again at her bonds. One of the soldiers, at the 'other end of the room from Ripley wakes up. Dangling uselessly at his side is a rifle -- the real deal, not a burner. SOLDIER No, God... He SCREAMS in uncomprehending horror. The newborn stops, tilting its head: It LEAPS up to the ceiling in a second, quick and effortless as a monstrous flea. Leaps again and lands on the screaming soldier, gripping his sides with its four forelegs as he screams lustily. pincers SWING out and pin either side of his head.. His eyes go wide as: Its tongue SHOOTS into his throat. Stays there, and we watch it drain the blood from his body. We can see it, see its stomach swell, red tinged, as his body goes blue and slack. .His rifle drops into the black pool. Gediman stares, transfixed, and it LANDS ON HIM. CUT TO: INT. BETTY - CONTINUOUS Johner's gun drops to the floor. Everyone backs off. WREN The fucking robot is going to plug back into the Auriga and land it according to standard operational procedure. CALL No she's not. DISTEPHMO You're fucking nuts. You still want to bring those things back to earth? JOHNER Have you been paying any attention today? WREN I can handle the animals! CALL Fucking shoot me. WREN Shut up!!! And Purvis LAUNCHES from the corner, screaming, jumps on wren - Wren gets off a couple of shots -- nails DiStephano in the face. The soldier drops like a sack. The other shots hit the ship, Call dives for cover as Purvis SLAMS his fist across Wren's face, Wren fires again and Jo is on the ground, rolling, grabbing his gun -- Purvis is a man possessed. He grabs Wren's gunhand and SMAS it against an instrument panel, bone cracking audibly as wren drops the gun. Purvis jerks. Blood blooms in his chest. Everybody stops, mesmerized. wren drops to his knees, going for the gun, and Purvis grabs him from behind, pulls him so that the back of Wren's head is against his chest. Purvis jerks again. It takes Wren a moment to understand what's happening. They both scream. Then alien BURSTS out of Purvis's chest, STRAIGHT INTO WRENS SKULL. Everyone else is still frozen. Then the little critter bursts out of Wrens face, flying straight at Vriess. CUT TO: INT. WASTE TANK 5 - CONTINUOUS Ripley TEARS one of her arms free as the newborn feeds beside her. Gediman is already a shell. Having drained the scientist, it leaps blindingly fast onto the ceiling. Looks around. Targets Ripley. It has no eyes, but she can feel them on her anyway. She rips at her bonds with a terrible effort -- the newborn LEAPS at her and she PULLS FREE with a scream, PLUNGING the thirty feet to the pool as the alien flies over her, missing, landing on the far wall instead. Ripley disappears beneath the surface of the water. The newborn turns its head, trying to locate its lost prey. other aliens scutter closer to the pool. Ripley stands up out of the pool, covered in blood, HOISTING THE SOLDIERIS GUN. Killshriek rising from her throat as she FIRES, taking out a host of aliens in a single sweep, just tagging the newborn as it leaps out of the way. Aliens jump at her, trying to kill and trying to protect the newborns, but she blows them out of the air. It feels pretty good. A few shots go wild, and punch big holes in the side of the tank. Light streams in through them. Ripley sees -- and continues firing in that direction. She makes a big enough hole that she can run and SMASH through to INT. BY TANK - CONTINUOUS rolling and coming up in an instant. She looks around her. exit this way, but there is a vent above her. The newborn's head lunges at her, the small hole making it impossible for the creature to get all the way through. But it wriggles,pushing... Ripley jumps up, grabbing a pipe, and KICKS open the vent grate, throwing herself up the vertical shaft with astonishing ease. CUT TO: INT. BETTY - CONTINUOUS--- Vriess is scrambling away, knocking over things to avoid the baby alien. Johner SHOOTS at the creature as it speeds-towards Vriess. CALL Don't shoot it! Betty's hull is too thin! JOHNER Look out! it knocks over cannisters as it speeds across the table and behind some instruments. VRIESS Where'd it go? CALL Don't shoot it! JOHNER Fuck that! It LEAPS out of the darkness and heads straight for Call ,she stumbles back, trips -- it comes at her, leaps right at her face, she pulls her hand back -- and-flicks her wrist The stilletto pops out as the creatu flies at it, the blade slides right into its mouth, ramming eight inches through its innards before it pokes out the other end. Blood spurts on Call, on the floor. The creature wriggles and finally falls free as the stilletto melts inside it. JOHNER Vriess! Get behind the fucking wheel! CUT TO: INT. VERTICAL AIR SHAFT - CONTINUOUS Ripley is climbing up the cramped vent with the speed and agility of an alien. Unfortunately, so are the aliens, twenty feet below her. Two drones in front, with the newborn sqeezing close behind. Ripley grabs a pole and her hand begins to steam, it's so hot. She cries out, lets go... then looks down. Grabs the pole again and, ignoring the searing agony, pulls, pulls... RIPS out of the wall, burning steam GUSHING out below her, slowing down the aliens. She continues climbing, then kicks through a grate. CUT TO: EXT. SPACE The Auriga races toward: EARTH. But not as we've seen it. The planet is still blue, but almost two thirds of it is obscured by a giant orbitting latticework of metal, a part shell that rotates sligtly faster than the planet itself. The Auriga heads for a section of exposed earth. Not long now . CUT TO: INT. ANTE CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS Ripley drops to the ground and heads for the dock. CALL/SHIP Airlock doors closing. Stand clear. RIPLEY No! She doesn't bother to try the door, she HURLS herself through the window, landing INT. DOCKING BAY in a hail of glass. She is on the platform that. runs the length of the dock. Betty. is barely visible past the far end, - sinking into the airlock as the massive airlock doors. slide slowly shut. RIPLEY NO!! A SLAM against the metal door behind her tells her the aliens are here. She picks herself up and RUNS -- and she can run fast. Speeds across the platform, faster, faster, the Betty sinks of sight as the airlock doors move closer together, fifteen feet apart, ten... Ripley reaches the edge of the platform and LEAPS, just hurls herself off of the platform, sails through the air, thirty, forty feet, and down, the airlock doors thirty feet below almost closed She DROPS right through just before they close, falls another fifteen feet and lands -- WHAM!! -- on top of-the Auriga, hard, rolls, lies there in extremes of pain. CUT TO: INT. BETTY - CONTINUOUS The crew look up at the sound. VRIESS Something's on us! JOHNER Forget it! we'll shake it off on descent. Airlock secure. Outer doors opening... . CUT TO: INT. AIRLOCK - CONTINUOUS Ripley tries to pick herself up, is momentarily too wiped. breathes heavily, gets to her knees. ANGLE: FROM ABOVE- we see Ripley crawling toward the hatch, and the huge outer airlock door opening beneath the ship. Blue sky and wind the screen below. ANGLE: RIPLEY Struggling to get to the hatch. RIPLEY God'... And above her, through a window into the docking bay, we see the newborn appear. CUT TO: INT. BETTY - CONTINUOUS CALL Almost there... JOHNER We got about forty seconds till we kiss the ground! Go full thrust on the downdraft! We'llget clear! JOHNER It's gonna be fucking close. CALL\SHIP Warning. Procedural interruption. Ship not leveling for vertical drop. Braking system nonfunctional. Collision imminent. JOHNER No shit. CALL Almost there. CUT TO: INT. AIRLOCK - CONTINUOUS The airlock doors are almost.. completely open. Ripley has reached the hatch, but cannot get it open. She pounds on it frustration -- and the newborn SMASHES through the window, JUMPS DOWN onto the ship. RIPLEY NOO!! NOOO! CUT TO: INT. BETRY - CONTINUOUS CALL NOW!!! Vriess punches it CUT TO: INT. AIRLOCK\EXT. SKY CONTINUOUS and the Betty SHOOTS DOWN out of the airlock -- Ripley and the newborn just barely hold on, Ripley's body thrown straight up as she grips the hatch door for dear life. The newborn has a better grip -- it has more things to grip with but it too struggles with the sudden drop. ANGLE: THE ATJRIGA Speeding toward the earth. The Betty SHOOTS out the airlock and nearly smashes into the bottom of the ship as it passes, like trash thrown out of a speeding car. INT. BETTY The Akiriga passes, huge above them VRIESS Look out! CALL I am! EXT. THE BETTY The ship swerves as Call expertly avoids the Auriga -- and see Ripley and the newborn on top, still fighting for purchase The Betty gets clear, leveling out -- The Auriga still heads straight for earth, as the terrain below becomes clear - - deserted, snow covered mountains ANGLE: RIPLEY Hanging on ANGLE: CALL Fighting to control the Betty ANGLE: INSIDE THE AURIGA Deserted halls, passageways bodies, and,aliens milling here and there CALL\SHIP Collision in six seconds ... five... four... (softly) Here we go... ANGLE: THE ATJRIGA SMASHES INTO THE GROUND, a deafening exposion eating the massive ship in seconds, utter cacophony. ANGLE: THE BETTY Flying away, the thundering firestorm behind it. ANGLE: CALL An instrument panel suddenly SPARKS beside her warning lights flash, the ship shaking as if under massive turbulence CALL Johner! Fire! VRIESS Vector control's fucked! we gotta put down! CALL Find me a path! Johner sprays foam on the fire. There is a loud BANGING heard far overhead. What the fuck is that? ANGLE: RIPLEY is slamming her fist on the hatch doors, hanging on with her other arm. The ship continues to tremble and buck -- she's nearly thrown off. RIPLEY Godamnit! She looks around at the alien. It's almost on her. Working its way painfully toward her, gripping with its legs and tendrils. Hissing. It slams a tentacle down at Ripley, but she rolls, just holding on ANGLE: JOHNER Above the cockpit, looking at a fuzzy external monitor. JOHNER It's Ripley! Ripley's on the fucking hatch! In the cockpit, Call nearly goes white. CALL Let her in! JOHNER Fuck no! There's something else out there with her! VRIESS One of them. Johner looks at the image,. realizes how masive the newborn is . Awed fear creeps into his voice: JOHNER No. it's something else. Frustrated, Call jumps out of her seat.. Vriess fights to control the ship as she climbs up toward the hatch. VRIESS Goddamnit, Call! Johner grabs her, practically throws her at the monitor. JOHNER Look at that fucking thing! We can't open up! They both tumble as the ship jerks ANGLE: RIPLEY Is bucked OFF THE SHIP before she grabs the newborn's tentacle, holds on to it -- The newborn SMASHES it against he ship, trying to shake her again - - she grabs an external grate and starts climbing painfully away. ANGLE: CALL Pushes Johner aside as she makes for the hatch release sequence. ANGLE: VRIESS. Desperately pulling up as wooded, snowy mountains zoom dangerously close below. ANGLE: THE ALIEN Turns as the HATCH OPENS nearby, the door sliding slowly beast is torn between Ripley and this new distraction -- Ripley sees it too, starts climbing for it frantically, one on the newborn. The beast makes for the doorway -- and CALL POPS HALFWAY OUT pointing a GRENADE LAUNCHER at the thing.. She BLASTS it once , the beast roaring and starting back, hurt but not nearly enough. Call fires again but the ships rocking sends the shot wild. she flies back for all of a second The beast rears to attack but Ripley is at the hatch -- Call drags her in and closes the hatch, the beast just SLAMMING in it as it closes. INT. THE BETTY Ripley is hanging on Call, exhausted. Another BANG on the hatch, and they can see the door starting to give. VRIESS Call! NOW! Call and Ripley head into the cockpit.Johner continues looking at the vidscreen at the beast. VRIESS We can't to do a vertical setdown! Braking systems are shot! CALL Find me a patch of land! I'll put her down. Call jumps back into the pilot's seat by Vriess. He pulls up hard on the wheel, but the ship is still dangerously close to the ground. JOHNER That thing isn't going anywhere! VRIESS Johner, strap in! We're coming down hard! ANGLE: -BETTY Approaches the rough, wooded terrain, just above the trees. Hits a relatively clear patch, touches down -- bounces back up and then down again ANGLE: CALL Fighting the wheel -- she can't pull it up hard enough. ANGLE: THE BETTY The ship blasts through trees. The newborn moves to the back of the ship to avoid debris. JOHNER That things gone back behind the thrusters! Call and Ripley look at each other. RIPLEY Hit it. Call throws on the thrusters, the ship ROCKETS forward ANGLE: THE NEWBOM Engulfed in flame, losing its grip -- THE BETTY Going too fast -- Call can't control it VRIESS Kill thrust! Now! Call does. ANGLE: THE BETTY Skids, skids, throwing up enormous debris. It hits another wooded area RIPLEY is thrown bodily into the windshield -- THE BETTY mows down a half acre of trees before finally grinding to a halt. As soon as they've recovered, Call throws off her seatbelt. CALL Is everbody all right-? JOHNER Where're you going? Call opens the hatch. CALL To make sure that thing is really dead Its giant face LUNGES down at her, piston tongue shooting out . It has charred black skin -- in some places that skin has fallen off and wet pink flesh shows through. Call drops to the floor, the tongue just missing her. Johner scrambles for his gun as Ripley drags her out of the way. AS quickly as it came, the head lurches back out. JOHNER I think it's gone! VRIESS No, it's waiting for us to come out! Can we fly? VRIESS We can't fucking crawl! RIPLEY It's gone. Call looks at her. CALL Are you sure? JOHNER Good! Great! CALL No... Call grabs a grenade launcher. CALL I've got to stop it. VRIESS Call CALL That thing is thirty minutes old! In a few hours it'll grow up. If it reaches a place with people... She heads for the door but Ripley is on her way. They exchange a look. RIPLEY You'll never catch it. Call tosses her the grenade launcher. CUT TO: EXT. BETTY - MOMENTS LATER The ship sits silent in the woods, the trees around heavy with snow. Ripley comes out the top. She looks around her, sees the tracks in the snow. Huge, loping. She jumps.down off the ship. And runs. Through the blur of trees, she moves with the grace and speed of an animal, leaping from boulders, racing through the powdered brush this is Ripley at peak speed, and it is something to see. She starts going up, the way getting steeper and rockier, til she reaches a cliff face, and looks out on: A CITY. Sprawling, huge, a million tiny lights cutting through the darknes it's just before the horizon. The newborn RISES in front of Ripley, STRIKES her before she has a chance to aim her weapon. Its tentacle cuts deeply into her, sends her flying. The beast is on her in a second, its enormous jaws missing her head by an inch as she rolls, grabs the grenade launcher, FIRE The beast is thrown, but just grazed, back on her as she tries to get off another shot, it SLAMS a foot down RIGHT ON HER she SCREAMS, the launcher rolls free, the beast coming in for the kill and over the ridge FLIES THE HARVESTER, Call at the controls. aiming right for the newborn. It rears up to see it just as the girl RAMS it into the creatures head, it knocks it on its ass, the harvester shaking but not quite spinning out, as Call comes around for another shot. Ripley scrambles to safety as the Newborn prepares for the oncoming harvester, it whips its tentacles at it but Call swerves at the last second -- The monster spins with it, screaming, sees Ripley and slashes at her. KNOCKS HER OFF THE CLIFF -- She falls, grabs brush it snaps -- she starts slinding down rockface and she takes her hand, SLAMS her fingers into the smooth rock face like a pick axe -- it rips her nails bloody but she digs out purchase. ANGLE: CALL SLAMS into the newborn from behind, the girl nearly thrown out of the harvester, the newborn spins and grabs it, Call throws it into reverse but the newborn is too strong, holds on, bringing its head up to face Call herself. ANGLE: RIPLEY'S Bloody and torn, it SMASHES into the rockface, as she climbs back to the top ANGLE: THE NEWBORN SWINGS the harvester into a tree, Call nearly knocked loose again. The monster is jolted as well, lets go, Call pilots the machine back through the trees, the alien watching it, growling -- Call flies deftly through the trees, away, away, then spins out, heads back for the beast at TOP SPEED, the wind roars as she closes The newborn spins and she SLAMS into it, it goes flying, screaming in pain, the harvester bouncing off it, flipping over, CRASHING against the trees and landing tilted upside down, Call unconscious between it and the ground. The newborn shudders, rises, makes for the harvester -- it clearly pissed. Ripley pulls herself over the ridge, sees the situation, rushes toward them. Call awakens to see the monster approaching the machine. Terrified, but determined, she reaches for a lever RIPLEY No! Over here! Calling out to distract it, she runs, waving her arms. CALL Ripley! Let it come! Let it come! Tears run through her voice as she strains for the lever.The beast is torn, and for a moment doesn't move. Ripley looks over to where Call is, and understanding blooms on her face. She looks around and spots: ANGLE: THE GRENADE LAUNCHER Halfway between her and the newborn. For a moment neither of them moves. Then Ripley RUNS, the newborn comes at her with equal speed, like they're playing chicken, Ripley DIVES at the ground, rolls, comes up holdin the grenade launcher, and she FIPES! The newborn is hit up close and dead center this time, and it rears back, screaming - - Ripley FIRES and FIRES, driving it back toward the upended harvester. The alien rears up to its full height, and Ripley pulls.the trigger. There is a hollow click. Furious, Ripley stares a moment at the beast. A SSCREAM wells up in her throat and she THROWS herself at it, leaping impossibly high, smashing into it and sending both of them tumbling onto the Harvester. Call pulls the lever. In an instant the machine roars to life, a thousand blades grinding to top speed, pulverizing the beast, consuming it, sucking it down as layer upon layer of alien flesh is chopped into messes. And it SHRIEKS, a noise unheard before, as it thrashes frantically. Ripley tries to pull herself off it before the blades get too close -- but the beast grabs her, holds her. The blades ever closer as she struggles with it. ANGLE: CALL Still trapped below, she sees the aliens blood seeping through the machine all around her! She squirms, trying to get away, but she's stuck. A stream of blood lands on her shoulder, eating it away. Another on her leg, and panic blooms, bright in her. CALL RIPLEY! Galvanized by the cry, Ripley TEARS herself out of the beast's dying grasp, flips backwards off the Harvester as it begins to smoke and spark, blood eating through the controls. Call writhes, blood everywhere now. She is lost in primal terror. Ripley wriggles her way under, and, regardless of the streams of blood splattering her, wrenchs Call free. She drags her' out. A section of the harvester explodes, raining fire and debris or the dying alien. Call lies on the ground, Ripley behind her, arms wrapped tight around her. Covered in blood and grime, the two watch the alien go up in flames, breathing hard, holding each other as if their lives depended on it still. DISSOLVE TO.- ANGLE: THE NEWBORN'S SKULL Burning, hollowed out by the licks of flame that caress it. Collapsing gently on itself. WIDE ANGLE: EXT. SAME - LATER The four of them sit by the huge camp-fire, watching the flames. Vriess tosses 'Christie a bottle of whiskey. JOHNER The bitch takes her time in burning. VRIESS Well, it looks like she's finally giving it up. JOHNER Troopers should be finding our ship any time now. 1 don't much love the idea of being around when they do. Ripley gets up, looks out over the cliffs edge at the lights the city. Christie offers the bottle to Call. She takes it and drinks. VRIESS (to Call) I guess you won't want to be answering any official Questions either. CALL I guess not. She is grateful for the suggestion that they are in it together. VRIESS Well, we're on Earth, for Chrissake. Plenty of places to get lost here. CALL So I've heard. After a moment, she gets up as well, goes over to Ripley. She hands her the bottle. Ripley looks at it. CALL It's a drink. You drink it. RIPLEY (smiling) I remember. She drinks. CALL So, what do you think? RIPLEY Think? CALL What should we do now? RIPLEY I don't know. She looks out in the distance... RIPLEY I'm a stranger here myself The two of them stand side by side staring out at the unfamiliar horizon, as the newborn dwindles in the dancing flame. THE END

FADE IN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE - SPACE 1 Silent and endless. The stars shine like the love of God...cold and remote. Against them drifts a tiny chip of technology. CLOSER SHOT It is the NARCISSUS, lifeboat of the ill-fated star-freighter Nostromo. Without interior or running lights it seems devoid of life. The PING of a RANGING RADAR grows louder, closer. A shadow engulfs the Narcissus. Searchlights flash on, playing over the tiny ship, as a MASSIVE DARK HULL descends toward it. INT. NARCISSUS 2 Dark and dormant as a crypt. The searchlights stream in the dusty windows. Outside, massive metal forms can BE SEEN descending around the shuttle. Like the tolling of a bell, a BASSO PROFUNDO CLANG reverberates through the hull. CLOSE ON THE AIRLOCK DOOR Light glares as a cutting torch bursts through the metal. Sparks shower into the room. A second torch cuts through. They move with machine precision, cutting a rectangular path, converging. The torches meet. Cut off. The door falls inward REVEALING a bizarre multi-armed figure. A ROBOT WELDER. FIGURES ENTER, backlit and ominous. THREE MEN in bio-isolation suits, carrying lights and equipment. They approach a sarcophaguslike HYPERSLEEP CAPSULE, f.g. LEADER (filtered) Internal pressure positive. Assume nominal hull integrity. Hypersleep capsules, style circa late twenties... His gloved hand wipes at on opaque layer of dust on the canopy. ANGLE INSIDE CAPSULE as light stabs in where the dust is wiped away, illuminating a WOMAN, her face in peaceful repose. WARRANT OFFICER RIPLEY, sole survivor of the Nostromo. Nestled next to her is JONES, the ship's wayward cat. LEADER (voice over; filtered) Lights are green. She's alive. Well, there goes out salvage, guys. DISSOLVE TO: INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - TIGHT ON RIPLEY - GATEWAY STATION 3 She's lying in a bed, looking wan, as a female MED-TECH raises the backrest. She is surrounded by arcane white MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. The Med-Tech exudes practiced cheeriness. MED-TECH Why don't I open the viewport? Watch your eyes. Harsh light floods in as a motorized shield slides into the ceiling, REVEALING a breathtaking vista. Beyond the sprawling complex of modular habitats, collectively called GATEWAY STATION, is the curve of EARTH as seen from high orbit. Blue and serene. MED-TECH And how are we today? RIPLEY (weakly) Terrible. MED-TECH Just terrible? That's better than yesterday at least. RIPLEY How long have I been on Gateway station? MED-TECH Just a couple of days. Do you feel up to a visitor? Ripley shrugs, not caring. The door opens and a MAN enters, although Ripley sees only what he is carrying. A familiar large, orange TOMCAT. RIPLEY Jones! She grabs the cat like a life preserver. RIPLEY (cooing baby-cat talk) Come here Jonesy you ugly old moose...you ugly thing. Jones patiently endures Ripley's embarrassing display, seeming none the worse for wear. The visitor sits beside the bed and Ripley finally notices him. He is thirtyish and handsome, in a suit that looks executive or legal, the tie loosened with studied casualness. A smile referred to as "winning." MAN Nice room. I'm Burke. Carter Burke. I work for the company, but other than that I'm an okay guy. Glad to see you're feeling better. I'm told the weakness and disorientation should pass soon. Side effects of the unusually long hypersleep, or something like that. RIPLEY How long was I out there? They won't tell me anything. BURKE (soothing) Well, maybe you shouldn't worry about that just yet. Ripley grabs his arm, surprising him. RIPLEY How long? Burke gazes at her, thoughtful. BURKE All right. My instinct says you're strong enough to handle this...Fifty-seven years. Ripley is stunned. She seems to deflate, her expression passing through amazement and shock to realization of all she has lost. Friends. Family. Her world. RIPLEY Fifty-seven...oh, Christ... BURKE You'd drifted right through the core systems. It's blind luck that deep-salvage team caught you when they...are you all right? Ripley coughs suddenly as if choking and her expression becomes one of dawning horror. Burke hands her a glass of water from the nightstand. She slaps it away. It shatters with a SMASH. Jones dives, yowling. Ripley grabs her chest, struggling as if she is strangling. The Med-Tech hits a console button. MED-TECH (shouting) Code Blue! 415. Code Blue! 4-1-5! Burke and the Med-Tech are holding Ripley's shoulders as she goes into convulsions. A DOCTOR and TWO TECHS run in. Ripley's back arches in agony. RIPLEY No...noooo! They try to restrain her as she thrashes, knocking over equipment. Her EKG races like mad. Jones, under a cabinet, hisses wide-eyed. DOCTOR Hold her...Get me an airway, stat! And fifteen cc's of...Jesus! AN EXPLOSION OF BLOOD beneath the sheet covering her chest! Ripley stares at the SHAPE RISING UNDER THE SHEET. Tearing itself out of her. HER P.O.V. as the sheet rises. A GLIMPSE OF the CHITTERING HORROR...IT SCREECHES. TIGHT ON RIPLEY screaming, snapping up INTO FRAME. Alone in the darkened hospital room. She gasps for breath, clutching pathetically at her chest. There is no demented horror rigging itself out of her. Her eyes snap about wildly, slowly focusing on the reality of her safety. Shuddering, bathed in sweat, she kneads her breastbone with the heel of her hand and sobs. A VIDEO MONITOR beside the bed snaps on. A MED-TECH's face. MED-TECH Bad dreams again? Do you want something to help you sleep? RIPLEY (faint) No.. I've slept enough. The Med-Tech shrugs and switches off. Touching a button on the nightstand she opens the viewport, REVEALING Gateway and the turquoise Earth. She hugs Jones to her and rocks with him like a child, still shattered by the nightmare. Shivering. Sleep is far off. RIPLEY We made it, Jones. We made it. But at what price? CUT TO: EXT. PARK 4 Sunlight streams in shafts through a stand of poplars, beyond which a verdant meadow is VISIBLE. EXTREME F.G. Jones stalks toward a bird hopping among fallen leaves. He leaps. And smack into A WALL. RIPLEY (voice over) Dumbshit. WIDER ANGLE as Jones steps back confused from the HIGH-RESOLUTION ENVIRONMENTAL WALL SCREEN, a sort of cinerama video-loop. Ripley sits on a bench in what we now SEE is an ATRIUM off the medical center, still somewhere in the bowels of Gateway Station. Benches. Some unenthusiastic potted trees. The sterile corridors VISIBLE beyond glass doors b.g. Burke ENTERS in his usual mode, casual haste. BURKE Sorry...I've been running behind all morning. Ripley seems healthier now, but still a bit brittle. RIPLEY Have they located my daughter yet? BURKE Well, I was going to wait until after the inquest... He opens his briefcase, removing a sheet of printer hard copy, including a telestat photo. RIPLEY Is she...? BURKE (scanning) Amanda Ripley-McClaren. Married name, I guess. Age: sixty-six ...at time of death. Two years ago. (looks at her) I'm sorry. Ripley studies the PHOTOGRAPH, stunned. The face of a woman in her mid-sixties. It could be anybody. She tries to reconcile the face with the little girl she once knew. RIPLEY Amy. BURKE (reading) Cancer. Hmmmm. They still haven't licked that one. Cremated. Interred Parkside Repository, Little Chute, Wisconsin. No children. Ripley gazes off, into the pseudo-landscape, into the past. RIPLEY I promised her I'd be home for her birthday. Her eleventh birthday. I sure missed that one. (pause) Well...she has already learned to take my promises with a grain of salt. When it came to flight schedules, anyway. Burke nods, a simpatico presence. RIPLEY You always think you can make it up to somebody...later, you know. But now I never can. I never can. Let's get one thing straight...Ripley can be one tough lady. But the terror, the loss, the emptiness are, in this moment, overwhelming. She cries silently. Burke puts a reassuring hand on her arm. BURKE (gently) The hearing convenes at 0930. You don't want to be late. INT. CORRIDOR - GATEWAY 5 Elevator doors part and Ripley emerges, in mid-conversation with Burke. DOLLYING AHEAD OF THEM as they move rapidly down the corridor. RIPLEY You read my deposition...it's complete and accurate. BURKE Look, I believe you, but there are going to be some heavyweights in there. You got Feds, you got interstellar commerce commission, you got colonial administration, insurance company guys... RIPLEY I get the picture. BURKE Just tell them what happened. The important thing is to stay cool and unemotional. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - ON RIPLEY - GATEWAY 6 She's not cool. Not unemotional. RIPLEY Do you people have earwax, of what? We have been here three hours. How many different ways do you want me to tell the same story? She faces the EIGHT MEMBERS of the board of inquiry at a long conference table. Gray suits and grim faces. They aren't buying. Behind Ripley on a large VIDEO SCREEN, PARKER grins like a goon from his personnel mugshot. His file prints out next to it. BRETT's face and dossier replace it, and then the others as the SCENE continues... KANE, LAMBERT, ASH the android traitor, DALLAS. VAN LEUWEN, the ICC representative, steeples his fingers and frowns. VAN LEUWEN Look at it from our perspective. You freely admit to detonating the engines of, and thereby destroying, an M-Class star-freighter. A rather expensive piece of hardware... INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR (dryly) Forty-two million in adjusted dollars. That's minus payload, of course. VAN LEUWEN The shuttle's flight recorder corroborates some elements of your account. That the Nostromo set down on LV-426, an unsurveyed planet, at that time. That repairs were made. That it resumed its course and was subsequently set for self-destruct. By you. For reasons unknown. RIPLEY Look, I told you... VAN LEUWEN It did not, however, contain any entries concerning the hostile life form you allegedly picked up. Ripley sense the noose tightening. RIPLEY Then somebody's gotten to it... doctored the recorder. Who had access to it? The ECA (Extrasolar Colonization Administration) Representative (ECA REP) just shakes his head. ECA REP Would you just listen to yourself for one minute. Ripley glares at the ECA Rep, a woman on the ungenerous side of fifty. Van Leuwen sighs with exasperation. VAN LEUWEN The analysis team which went over your shuttle centimeter by centimeter found no physical evidence of the creature you describe... RIPLEY (losing it) That's because I blew it out the Goddamn airlock! (pause) Like I said. INSURANCE MAN (to ECA Rep) Are there any species like this 'hostile organism' on LV-426? ECA REP No. It's a rock. No indigenous life larger than a simple virus. Ripley grits her teeth in frustration. RIPLEY I told you, it wasn't indigenous. There was an alien spacecraft there. A derelict ship. We homed on its beacon... ECA REP To be perfectly frank, we've surveyed over three hundred worlds and no one's ever reported a creature which, using your words... (read from Ripley's statement) ...'gestates in a living human host' and has 'concentrated molecular acid for blood.' Ripley glances at Burke, silent at the far end of the table. His expression is grim. Her mouth hardens as a bit of the old nail-eating Ripley surfaces. RIPLEY Look, I can see where this is going. But I'm telling you those things exist. Back on that planetoid is an alien ship and on that ship are thousands of eggs. Thousands. Do you understand? I suggest you find it, using the flight recorder's data. Find it and deal with it -- before one of your survey teams comes back with a little surprise... VAN LEUWEN Thank you, Officer Ripley. That will be... RIPLEY (louder, stepping on him) ...because just one of those things managed to kill my entire crew, within twelve hours of hatching... Van Leuwen stands, out of patience. VAN LEUWEN Thank you, that will be all. Ripley stares him down, glowering at the board. RIPLEY That's not all, Goddamnit! If those things get back here, that will be all. Then you can just kiss it good-bye, Jack! Just kiss it goodbye. Ripley turns sharply away, trembling with frustration and anger. Dallas looks back at her from the video screen, his eyes burning from the photograph, as we: CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR 7 Ripley kicks the wall next to Burke who is getting coffee and donuts at a vending machine. BURKE You had them eating out of your hand, kiddo. RIPLEY They had their minds made up before I even went in there. They think I'm a head case. BURKE (cheerfully) You are a head case. Have a donut. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - TIGHT ON RIPLEY - LATER 8 Van Leuwen clears his throat. VAN LEUWEN It is the finding of this board of inquiry that Warrent Officer Ellen Ripley, NOC-14672. has acted with questionable judgment and is unfit to hold an ICC license as a commercial flight officer. Burke watches Ripley taking it on the chin, white-lipped but subdued. VAN LEUWEN Said license is hereby suspended indefinitely. No criminal charges will be filed at this time and you are released on own recognizance for a six month period of psychometric probation, to include monthly review by an ICC psychiatric tech... INT. CORRIDOR 9 DOLLY BACK as the conference room door bangs open and Ripley strides through. She shrugs off Burke's restraining arm and catches up to Van Leuwen walking down the corridor. RIPLEY (insistent) Why won't you check out LV-426? VAN LEUWEN (condescendingly) Because I don't have to. The people who live there checked it out years ago and they never reported and 'hostile organism' or alien ship. And by the way, they call it Acheron now. RIPLEY What are you talking about. What people? Van Leuwen steps into an elevator with some others, but Ripley holds the door from closing. VAN LEUWEN Terraformers...planet engineers. It's what we call a shake 'n' bake colony. They set up atmosphere processors to make the air breathable...big job. Takes decades. They've already been there over twenty years. Peacefully. The door tries to close. Ripley slams it back. People are getting annoyed. RIPLEY How many colonists? VAN LEUWEN Sixty, maybe seventy families. RIPLEY (low) Sweet Jesus. ELEVATOR PASSENGER Do you mind? Ripley's hand slides off the door, strengthless. TIGHT ON HER FROM INSIDE the elevator as the doors close like fate on her lost expression. EXT. ALIEN LANDSCAPE - DAY 10 A hideous, storm-blasted vista. Tortured rock forms. Bleak twilight at midday. PAN SLOWLY ONTO a CORRODED METAL SIGN set in concrete pylons, which reads: HADLEY'S HOPE - POP. 159 "WELCOME TO ACHERON" Some local has added below in spray-can graffiti "Have a nice day." Gale-force wind SCREECHES around the steel sign, driving a freezing rain. The COLONY, b.g., is a squat complex with lots of floodlights. EXT. COLONY COMPLEX 11 The town is a cluster of bunkerlike metal and concrete buildings connected by conduits. Neon signs throw garish colors across the vaultlike walls, advertising bars and other businesses. It looks like a sodden cross between the Krupps munitions works and a truckstop casino in the Nevada boondocks. Huge-wheeled tractors crawl toadlike in the rutted "street" and vanish down rampways to underground garages. ANGLE ON THE CONTROL BLOCK the largest structure. It resembles vaguely the superstructure of an aircraft carrier...a flying bridge. VISIBLE across a half kilometer of barren heath, b.g., is the massive complex of the nearest ATMOSPHERE PROCESSOR, looking like a power plant bred with an active volcano. Its fiery glow pulses in the low cloud cover like a steel mill. INT. MAIN CONCOURSE - NEAR CONTROL BLOCK 12 A central space, laid out like a scaled-down shopping mall with no styling flourishes. We SEE a cross section of the types of people who have come to live on Godforsaken Acheron. Tough. Pragmatic. "Grapes of Wrath" faces. Calloused hands. Not too many interior decorators. Some children race in the corridor on things that look suspiciously like "Big Wheels." INT. OPERATIONS ROOM - CONTROL BLOCK 13 Jammed with computer terminals, technicians, displays... most of the business of running the colony flows through here. It's high tech but used and scrungy. Papers piled up. Coffee cup rings. DOLLY AHEAD OF LYDECKER, the Assistant Operations Manager, as he catches up to the harried Operating Manager, SIMPSON. LYDECKER You remember you sent some wildcatters out to that plateau, out past the Ilium range, a couple days ago? SIMPSON Yeah. What? LYDECKER There's a guy on the horn, mom-and-pop survey team. Says he's homing on something and wants to know if his claim will be honored. SIMPSON Christ. Some honch in a cushy office on Earth says go look at a grid reference in the middle of nowhere, we look. They don't say why, and I don't ask. I don't ask because it takes two weeks to get an answer out here and the answer's always 'don't ask.' LYDECKER So what do I tell this guy? SIMPSON Tell him, as far as I'm concerned, he finds something it's his. EXT. ACHERON - THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE - A SIX-WHEELED 14 TRACTOR - DAY It roars across corrugated rock, blasting through soggy drifts of volcanic ash. INT. TRACTOR 15 At the controls, intent on a PINGING scope, is RUSS JORDEN, independent prospector. Beside him is his wife/partner ANNE and in the back their two kids are playing among the heavy sampling equipment. JORDEN (gloating cackle) Look at this fat, juicy magnetic profile. And it's mine, mine, mine. ANNE Half mine, dear. NEWT, their six-year-old daughter, yells from the back... NEWT And half mine! JORDEN I got too many partners. NEWT Daddy, when are we going back to town? JORDEN When we get rich, Newt. NEWT You always say that. I wanna go back. I wanna play 'Monster Maze.' Her older brother TIM sticks his jeering face close to hers. TIM You cheat too much. NEWT Do not. I'm just the best. TIM Do too! You go in places we can't fit. NEWT So! That's why I'm the best. ANNE Knock it off! I catch either of you playing in the air ducts again I'll tan your hides. NEWT Mom. All the kids play it... JORDEN (reverently) Holy shiiit! ANGLE THROUGH FRONT CANOPY ON a bizarre shape looming ahead. An enormous bonelike mass projecting upward from the bed of ash. The tractor slows. Canted on its side and buckles against a rock outcropping by the lava flow, it is still recognizable as an EXTRATERRESTRIAL SHIP. Bio-mechanoid. Nonhuman design. JORDEN Folks, we have scored big this time. EXT. TRACTOR 16 Jorden and Anne step down, wearing ENVIRONMENT SUITS. Carrying LIGHTS, PACKS, CAMERAS, TEST GEAR. Their breath clouds in the chill air. ANNE You kids stay inside. I mean it! We'll be right back. They trudge toward the alien derelict. ANNE Shouldn't we call in? JORDEN Let's wait till we know what to call it in as. ANNE (nervous) How about 'big weird thing'? They pause at a twisted gash in the hull. Blackness inside. INT./EXT. TRACTOR 17 Newt has her face pressed to the glass, steaming it. Watching her parents enter the strange ship. Tim GRABS HER from behind. She SHRIEKS. TIM Cheater! EXT. LANDSCAPE - NIGHT 18 The tractor and the derelict are dark and motionless. The wind HOWLS around them. Tim is curled up in the driver's seat. Newt shakes him awake, trying hard not to cry. NEWT Timmy...they've been gone a long time. Tim considers the night. The wind. The vast landscape. He bites his lip. TIM (quavering) It'll be okay, Newt. Dad knows what he's doing. CRASH! Newt SCREAMS as the door beside her is RIPPED OPEN. A dark shape lunges inside! Anne, panting and terrified, grabs the dash mike. ANNE Mayday! Mayday! This is Alpha Kilo Two Four Niner calling Hadley Control. Repeat. This is... As Anne shouts the mayday Newt looks past her, to the ground. Russ Jorden lies there inert, dragged somehow by Anne from inside the ship. There is SOMETHING ON HIS FACE. An appalling MULTILEGGED CREATURE, pulsing with obscene life. Newt begins to SCREAM hysterically, competing with the shrieking wind which rises to a crescendo as we: CUT TO: INT. RIPLEY'S APARTMENT - GATEWAY - DAY 20 Silence. Ripley, looking haggard, sits at a table in the dining alcove contemplating the smoke rising from her cigarette. The place is modest, to be charitable, and there are few personal touches. Though it's late in the day Ripley is still wearing a robe. The bed is unmade. Dishes in the sink. Jones prowls across the counter. The WALLSCREEN is on, blaring vapidly. VOICE FROM VIDEO (o.s.) Hey, Bob! I heard you and the family are heading off for the colonies! BON (o.s.) Best decision I ever made, Bill. We'll be starting a new life from scratch, in a clean world. No crime. No unemployment... The door BUZZES. Ripley jumps like a cat. Jones doesn't. INT. CORRIDOR 21 Carter Burke stands in the narrow, dingy corridor with LIEUTENANT GORMAN, Colonial Marine Corps. Young and severe in his officer's dress-black. The door opens slightly. BURKE Hi, Ripley. This is Lieutenant Gorman of the... SLAM. Burke buzzes again. Talks to the door... BURKE Ripley we have to talk. (pause) They've lost contact with the colony on Acheron. The door opens. Ripley considers the ramifications of that. She motions them inside. INT. RIPLEY'S APARTMENT - A LITTLE LATER 22 Burke and Gorman are seated, nursing coffee. Ripley paces, very tense. RIPLEY No. There's no way! BURKE Hear me out... RIPLEY I was reamed, steamed and dry-cleaned by you guys...and now you want me to go back out there? Forget it. We SEE that she's gut scared, covering it with anger. Burke sees it. BURKE Look, we don't know what's going on out there. It may just be a down transmitter. But if it's not, I want you there...as an advisor. That's all. GORMAN You wouldn't be going in with the troops. I can guarantee your safety. BURKE These Colonial Marines are some tough hombres, and they're packing state-of-the-art firepower. Nothing they can't handle...right, Lieutenant? GORMAN (cool) We're trained to deal with these kinds of situations. RIPLEY (to Burke) What about you? What's your interest in this? BURKE Well, the corporation co-financed that colony with the Colonial Administration, against mineral rights. We're getting into a lot of terraforming...'Building Better Worlds.' Burke is revealing his early days in sales. RIPLEY Yeah, yeah. I saw the commercial. BURKE I heard you were working in the cargo docks. RIPLEY (defensive) That's right. BURKE Running loaders, forklifts, that sort of thing? RIPLEY (shrugging) It's all I could get. Anyway, it keeps my mind off of... everything. Days off are worse. BURKE What if I said I could get you reinstated as a flight officer? And that the company has agreed to pick up your contract? RIPLEY If I go. BURKE If you go. (pause) It's a second chance, kiddo. And it'll be the best thing in the world for you to face this fear and beat it. You gotta get back on the horse... RIPLEY (frosty) Spare me, Burke. I've had my psych evaluation this month. Burke leans close, a let's-cut-the-crap intimacy. BURKE Yes, and I've read it. You wake up every night, sheets soaking, the same nightmare over and over... RIPLEY (shouting) No! The answer is no. Now please go. I'm sorry. Just go, would you. Burke nods to Gorman who rises with him. He slips a TRANSLUCENT CARD onto the table, heads for the door. BURKE Think about it. EXT. ACHERON LANDSCAPE - NIGHT 23 As the wind HOWLS through tormented rock, BUILDING IN PITCH until we: CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT 24 Ripley lunges INTO FRAME with an animal outcry. She clutches her chest, breathing hard. Bathed in sweat she lights a cigarette with trembling hands. Do we hear a faint, desolate wind? TIGHT ON PHONE CONSOLE as Ripley's hand inserts Burke's card into a slot. "STAND BY" prints out on the screen and is replaced by Burke's face, bleary with sleep. BURKE (on video phone) Yello? Oh, Ripley. Hi... RIPLEY Burke, just tell me one thing. That you're going out there to kill them. Not study. Not bring back. Just burn them out...clean ...forever. BURKE That's the plan. My word on it. CLOSEUP - RIPLEY taking a deep slow breath. It's time to look the demon in the eye. RIPLEY All right. I'm in. She punches off before Burke replies, before she can change her mind. She turns to Jones sitting on the bed and her tone becomes admonishing... RIPLEY And you my dear, are staying right here. Jones blinks, cynical cat eyes..."count me right out." CUT TO: EXT. DEEP SPACE - THREE WEEKS LATER 25 An empty starfield. Metal spires slice ACROSS FRAME. A mountain of steel following. A massive military transport ship, the SULACO. Ugly, battered... functional. INT. CORRIDOR TO CARGO LOCK 26 An empty corridor, seemingly miles long. No movement. The THRUMMING of hyperdrive engines. INT. CARGO LOCK 27 An enormous chamber, cavernous and dark. Squatting in the shadows are two orbit-to-surface shuttles. DROP-SHIPS. Heavy machinery all around them... cranes, loading equipment. INT. BRIDGE 28 Dark electronic womb. CAMERA DOLLIES SLOWLY among murmuring instrumentation. A sudden high-pitched TRILLING accompanies a sequence of lights. An alarm. INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT 29 Blackness, until a bank of indicators lights up. Hydraulics lift a grid of equipment from a row of horizontal HYPERSLEEP CYLINDERS. It reaches the ceiling. Locks. CLOSE ON RIPLEY'S CAPSULE as trickles of water run down the frosted canopy. DISSOLVE TO: INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT 30 Lit up, white and sterile. The canopies of the row of capsules are raised. Ripley sits up. Rubs her arms briskly. Next to her Gorman and Burke are stirring and beyond them the troopers, wearing shorts and dog tags. They are: MASTER SERGEANT APONE UNIT LEADER CORPORAL HICKS B-TEAM LEADER CORPORAL DIETRICH (female) MED-TECH PFC HUDSON COM-TECH PFC VASQUEZ (female) 'SMART-GUN' OPERATOR PRIVATE DRAKE 'SMART-GUN' OPERATOR PRIVATE FROST TROOPER PRIVATE CROWE TROOPER PRIVATE WIERZBOWSKI TROOPER CORPORAL FERRO (female) DROP-SHIP PILOT PFC SPUNKMEYER DROP-SHIP CREW CHIEF The ship is fully automated in interstellar flight so there is no crew, except for EXECUTIVE OFFICER (ECA) Bishop, who supervises planetary maneuvering. GROANS echo across the chamber. SPUNKMEYER Arrgh. I'm getting too old for this shit. SPUNKMEYER says this sincerely, though he must have enlisted underage not long ago. Looking surly, DRAKE sits up. He's young as well but street-tough. Nasty scar curling his lip into a sneer. DRAKE They ain't payin' us enough for this. DIETRICH Not enough to have to wake up to your face, Drake. DRAKE Suck air. Hey, Hicks...you look like I feel. HICKS, an older lifer-type who keeps his own counsel, just snorts good-naturedly. Ripley scans the group as they shuffle past her to a bank of lockers. Though not supermen they are lean and hardened...tough, capable, jaded. They combine the specialized techno-combat training of the twenty-first century fighting man with those qualities universal to "grunts" through the ages. SERGEANT APONE moves down the row of freezers. HUDSON This floor's freezing. APONE Christ. I never saw such a buncha old women. You want me to fetch your slippers, Hudson? HUDSON Would you, Sir? Ripley steps back as the troopers shuffle past nodding cursory hellos. She feels isolated by the camaraderie of this tightknit group. VASQUEZ eyes her coldly as she passes. Like Drake, Vasquez is younger then the rest and her combat-primer was the street in a Los Angeles barrio. She is tough even by the standards of this group. Hard-muscled. Eyes cunning and mean. HUDSON Hey, Vasquez...you ever been mistaken for a man? VASQUEZ No. Have you? She slaps Drake's open palm and it clenches into a greeting which is part contest. It gets rougher. Painful. Until she cuffs him hard and they break with vicious laughter. Dobermans playing. Conscripted from juvenile prison, the two of them were trained to operate the formidable "SMART-GUNS." That is part of their bond. BISHOP is helping everyone like a valet. As he passes close to her Ripley notices a strange TATTOO across the back of his left hand...an ALPHA-NUMERIC CODE. FROST Hey, hand job, you take my towel? SPUNKMEYER (overlapping) I need some slack, man. How come they send us straight back out like this? We got some slack comin', man. HICKS You just got three weeks. SPUNKMEYER I mean breathing, not this frozen shit. DIETRICH Yeah, 'Top'...what about it? APONE You know it ain't up to me. (louder) Awright! Let's knock off the grabass. First assembly's in fifteen...let's shag it. INT. SHOWERS 31 High pressure water jets and a blast of hot air when you step out...a drive through car wash for people. Through the swirling steam Hudson, Vasquez and FERRO are watching Ripley dry off. VASQUEZ Who's the fresh meat again? FERRO She's supposed to be some kinda consultant... (exaggerated) ...She was an alien once. HUDSON Whoooah! No shit? I'm impressed. APONE Let's go...let's go. Cycle through! INT. MESS HALL 32 An unconscious segregation takes place at the troopers assemble at one long table while Gorman, Burke, Bishop and Ripley sit at another. Everybody is nursing a coffee, waiting for eggs from the AUTOCHEF. Among the troopers dress discipline is lax...fatigues customized and emblazoned with patches. Drake's tunic is cut off to a vest and has "Eat the apple and fuck the Corps" stenciled on back. "Peace Through Superior Firepower," "Pray for War" and "I've Served My Time in Hell: Cetti Epsilon NC-104" are some others. HUDSON Hey, 'Top.' What's the op? APONE Rescue mission. There's some juicy colonists' daughters we gotta rescue from virginity. Apone is stocky, grizzled, with peregrine eyes. He runs it loose and fair, but only because he knows his people are the best. SPUNKMEYER Shee-it. Dumbass colonists. What's this crap supposed to be? WIERZBOWSKI Cornbread, I think. Hey, I wouldn't mind getting me some more a that Arcturan poontang. Remember that time? HICKS (low) Looks like that new Lieutenant's too good to eat with us grunts. WIERZBOWSKI (glancing over shoulder) Yeah. Got a corn cob up his ass, definitely. Across the room, at the other table, Gorman sits with his creases perfect...the consummate strack NCO. Bishop takes a seat beside Ripley, who pointedly gets up and moves to the far side of the table. He looks wounded. BISHOP I'm sorry you feel that way about Synthetics, Ripley. Ripley spins on Burke, her tone accusing. RIPLEY You never said anything about an android being here! Why not? BURKE Well, it didn't occur to me. It's been policy for years to have a synthetic on board. BISHOP I prefer the term 'artificial person' myself. Is there a problem? BURKE A synthetic malfunctioned on her last trip out. Some deaths were involved. BISHOP I'm shocked. Was it an older model? BURKE Cyberdyne Systems 120-A/2. Bishop turns to Ripley, very conciliatory. BISHOP Well, that explains it. The A/2's were always a bit twitchy. That could never happen now with out behavioral inhibitors. Impossible for me to harm or, by omission of action, allow to be harmed a human being. (smiling) More cornbread? WHAM! Ripley knocks the plate out of his hand, halfway across the room. RIPLEY Just stay away from me, Bishop! You got that straight? Burke and Gorman exchange glances. Wierzbowski, at the next table, shrugs and turns back to the other troopers. WIERZBOWSKI She don't like the cornbread either. INT. READY ROOM - TIGHT ON APONE - ARMORY 33 bellowing. APONE Tench-hut! WIDER ANGLE as the troops snap to from their lounging among the racks of high-tech weaponry. Gorman enters with Burke and Ripley. GORMAN At ease. I'm sorry we didn't have time to brief before we left Gateway but... HUDSON Sir? GORMAN (annoyed) Yes, Hicks? HUDSON Hudson, Sir. He's Hicks. GORMAN What's the question? HUDSON Is this going to be a stand-up fight, Sir, on another bug-hunt? GORMAN All we know is that there's still no contact with the colony and that a xenomorph may be involved. WIERZBOWSKI A what? HICKS (to Wierzbowski; low) It's a bug-hunt. (louder) So what are these things? Gorman nods to Ripley, who stands before the troops. She sets some RECORDING DISKETTES on the table. RIPLEY I've dictated what I know on these. APONE Tease us a bit. SPUNKMEYER Yeah...previews. RIPLEY Okay. It's important to understand this organism's life cycle. It's actually two creatures. The first form hatches from a spore...a sort of large egg, and attaches itself to its victim. Then it injects an embryo, detaches and dies. It's essentially a walking sex organ. The -- HUDSON Sounds like you, Hicks. RIPLEY (controlled) The embryo, the second form, hosts in the victim's body for several hours. Gestating. Then it... (with difficulty) ...then it...emerges. Moults. Grows rapidly -- VASQUEZ I only need to know one thing. RIPLEY Yes? VASQUEZ Where they are. Vasquez coolly points her finger, cocks her thumbs, and blows away an imaginary alien. DRAKE Yo! Vasquez. Kick ass! VASQUEZ Anytime. Anywhere. HUDSON Somebody said alien...she thought they said illegal alien and signed up. VASQUEZ Fuck you. HUDSON Anytime. Anywhere. RIPLEY (icy) Am I disturbing you conversation Mr. Hudson? Hudson settles down, smirking. Ripley locks eyes with Vasquez. RIPLEY I hope you're right. I really do. BURKE (to all) I suggest you study the disks Ripley has been kind enough to prepare for you. GORMAN Are there any questions? Hudson? HUDSON How do I get out of this chicken-shit outfit? Gorman scowls then, thanking Ripley with a nod, takes over the predrop briefing. GORMAN All right. I want this to go smooth and by the numbers. I want DCS and tactical database assimilation by 0830. (some groans) Ordnance loading, weapons strip and drop-ship prep details will have seven hours... EXT. SPACE - ACHERON 34 They have arrived. From orbit the planet looks serene ...Pearlescent cloud cover masking the environmental torment beneath. The SULACO floats, its MANEUVERING JETS FIRING. A bluish glow. Then twice more, rapidly. INT. BRIDGE 35 Bishop is installed in his command seat, hemmed in by instrumentation. BISHOP (into mike) Attention. This concluded final maneuvering operations. Thank you for your cooperation. You may resume work. INT. LOADING BAY - TIGHT ON MASSIVE FORKS - CARGO LOCK 34 sliding into a heavy ordnance rack with an echoing CLANG. PULL BACK as the rack of tactical missiles is lifted, REVEALING two powerful hydraulic arms. Spunkmeyer, seated inside a POWER LOADER, swings the ordnance up into a belly nacelle of the DROP-SHIP where it locks into place. As he exerts pressure with his hands against the servo-controls the hydraulic arms move correspondingly...but with a thousandfold increase in power. The forklift-style CLAWS on each arm can crush with tons of pressure. The loader has an open ROLL CAGE to protect the operator, and is supported by squat HYDRAULIC LEGS which also move correspondingly with the driver's movements. You have never seen anything like this before. Advanced as it is to us, it's only an old forklift to them...battered and well used. Covered with grease. Repainted many times. Across the back is stencilled "CATERPILLAR." Spunkmeyer's machine swings out from under the drop-ship and we become aware of the intense activity throughout the cavernous loading bay. Troopers on foot or driving TOW-MOWERS, OVERHEAD LOADING ARMS...all in motion. Hicks checks off items on an electronic manifest. INT. READY ROOM - ARMORY 37 Wierzbowski, Drake and Vasquez are fieldstripping light weapons with precise movements. Around them, in racks, is an arsenal of advanced personal artillery. Vasquez likes the feel of the guns, the weight...the authority. Her hands move without hesitation. CLACK. CLACK. CLACK. She swings one of the SMART-GUNS out on a work stand. Using a body brace and GYRO-STABILIZED SUPPORT ARM, it is a computer-aimed, video targeted automatic weapon. The futuristic equivalent of a .30 caliber light machine gun. Sort of a steadicam that kills. INT. LOADING BAY - ANGLE ON BURKE AND GORMAN 38 with pre-flight activity b.g. BURKE Still nothing from the colony? GORMAN Dead on all channels. Ripley watches the drop-ship being loaded. A cross between a Huey Aircobra gunship and the space shuttle might describe it. An orbit-to-surface troop carrier, heavily armed for the close support of ground missions. She watches a six-wheeled APC, ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER, being raised hydraulically into the ship's belly. Ripley looks around as Frost wheels a rack of incomprehensible equipment toward her. FROST Clear, please. Ripley jumps aside, nodding apologetically. She turns. Steps hastily back. Hudson cruises by with a laden forklift. HUDSON Excuse me. ANGLE ON APONE standing with Hicks, as Ripley approaches him RIPLEY I feel like a fifth wheel here. Is there anything I can do? APONE I don't know. Is there anything you can do? RIPLEY (pointing) I can drive that loader. I've got a Class Two rating. My latest career move. Apone turns. A SECOND POWER LOADER sits unused in an equipment bay. TWO SHOT APONE AND HICKS skeptical. Considering. TIGHT ON POWER SWITCH as Ripley's finger punches it on. A RISING WHINE of power. TIGHT ON THE HYDRAULICS as the massive machine stirs to life. FULL, as the loader starts. Ripley is strapped into the safety cage, her arms and legs inserted in the servo-sensor assemblies. She takes a step. BOOM! Two tons of hardened steel takes a step. Ripley spins the wrist servos. The huge claws swing, open...slide smoothly into lifting brackets on a cargo module, nearby. She raises it deftly. RIPLEY Where you want it? Hicks looks at Apone, cocks an eyebrow appreciatively. INT. READY ROOM - ARMORY 39 The troopers are suiting up for the drop. Strapping on their bulky COMBAT-ARMOR...interlocking plates like football padding. They tape their wrists. Draw on segmented boots. The sole cleats CLACK like hooves on the deck plates. Lockers SLAM. WEB BELTS. PACKS. HARNESSES. HELMETS. COM-SETS. Their fingers move methodically over the fastenings. It has its own rhythm...CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. APONE Let's move it, girls! On the ready line. Let's go, let's go. INT. DROP-SHIP - APC 40 Ripley, wearing a flight jacket and headset, files into the ship with the hulking troopers. Inside they pass directly into the APC we saw loaded earlier and take seats facing each other across a narrow aisle. They will drop already strapped into their ground vehicle for rapid deployment. A KLAXON SOUNDS, signalling depressurization of the cargo lock. Hudson prowls the aisle, his movements predatory and exaggerated. Ripley watches him working his way toward her. HUDSON I am ready, man. Ready to get it on. Check-it-out. I am the ultimate badass...state of the badass art. You do not want to fuck with me. Hey, Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you. Check-it-out... He slaps the SERVO-CANNON controls in the GUN BAY above them. HUDSON Independently targetting particle-beam phalanx. VWAP! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got tactical smart-missles, phased-plasma pulse-rifles, RPG's. We got sonic eeelectronic ballbreakers, we got nukes, we got knives...sharp sticks -- Hicks grabs Hudson by his battle harness and pulls him into a seat. His voice is low, but it carries. HICKS Save it. HUDSON Sure, Hicks. Ripley nods her thanks to Hicks. MOTORS WHINE and the craft lurches. Burke, next to Ripley, grins eagerly like this is a sport fishing trip. BURKE Here we go. She looks like she's in a gas chamber waiting for the pellet to drop. EXT. SULACO 41 The drop-ship lowers from the cargo-lock on a massive launch rig. The night side of Acheron yawns below... enigmatic. INT. COCKPIT 42 Ferro and Spunkmeyer run rapidly through the switches. FERRO Initiate release sequencer on my mark. Three. Two. One. Mark! EXT. SULACO - DROP-SHIP 43 Hydraulic WHINE. Clamps SLAM BACK. The ship drops. INT. DROP-SHIP - APC 44 Apone, stalking the aisle, snatches for a handhold. Bishop, Burke and Gorman groan at the sudden gees. Ripley closes her eyes...the point of no return. EXT. DROP-SHIP 45 It screams down through the stratosphere, plunging into dark turbulence. INT. COCKPIT 46 Beyond the canopy is gray limbo. The craft shudders and lurches. FERRO (icy calm) Switching to DCS ranging. SPUNKMEYER Two-four-o. Nominal to profile. Picking up some hull ionization. FERRO Got it. Rough air ahead. INT. HOLD - APC 47 TIGHT ON HICKS asleep in his harness. FERRO (voice over; filtered) Stand by for some chop. TIGHT ON GORMAN as the ship begins to buck, his eyes closed. Pale. Sweating. He rubs his hands on his knees repeatedly. RIPLEY How may drops is this for you, Lieutenant? GORMAN Thirty-eight...simulated. VASQUEZ How many combat drops? GORMAN Well...two. Three, including this one. Vasquez and Drake exchange do-you-believe-this-shit expressions. Ripley looks accusingly at Burke. INT. COCKPIT 48 FERRO Turning on final. Coming around to a seven-zero-niner. Terminal guidance locked in. Where's the damn beacon? EXT. DROP-SHIP 49 It emerges from the low cloud ceiling. From the twilight haze ahead the distant colony LANDING BEACONS become visible. INT. HOLD - APC 50 Stumbling as the ship pitches, Ripley makes her way forward to the MOBILE TACTICAL OPERATIONS BAY (MTOB), a control console lined with monitor screens. She joins Burke watching over Gorman's shoulder as the Lieutenant plays the board like a video director. TIGHT ON MONITOR CONSOLE REVEALING screens labelled with the names of the troopers. Two for each soldier. The upper screens show images from the IMAGE-INTENSIFIED VIDEO CAMERAS in their helmets. The lower screens are BIO-MONITORS: EEG, EKG, and other graphic life-function readouts. Other screens show EXTERIOR VIEWS. GORMAN Let's see. Everybody on line. Drake, check you camera. There seems to be a... CLOSE ON DRAKE as he whacks himself on the head with an ammo case. A familiar malfunction. GORMAN (o.s) ...that's better. Pan it around a bit. APONE Awright. Fire-team A. Gear up. Let's move. Two minutes. Somebody wake up Hicks. A clatter of activity as they don backpacks and weapons. Vasquez and Drake buckle on their smart-gun body harnesses. Ripley watches the AP station loom on the exterior screens. RIPLEY That the atmosphere processor? BURKE Uh-hunh. One of thirty or so, all over the planet. They're completely automated. We manufacture them, by the way. EXT. SHIP - AP STATION 51 The tiny ship circles the roaring tower. A metal volcano thundering like the engines on God's Lear jet. INT. HOLD - APC 52 Gorman plays with the controls, zooming the image of the colony. GORMAN (to Ferro via mike) Hold at forty. Slow circle of the complex. RIPLEY The structure seems intact. They have power. On the screen the colony buildings loom in and the low visibility like wrecks of freighters on the sea floor. GORMAN (to Apone) Okay, let's do it. APONE Awright! I want a nice clean dispersal this time. Ripley turns as Vasquez squeezes past her. VASQUEZ You staying in here? RIPLEY You bet. VASQUEZ (turning away) Figures. GORMAN (to Ferro via mike) Set down sixty meters this side of the telemetry mast. Immediate dust off on my 'clear,' then stay on station. APONE Ten seconds, people. Look sharp! EXT. COLONY COMPLEX 53 Landing beacons sweep harsh light across the wet Tarmac. The ship roars down, extending the loading ramp. Slams down on hydraulic LANDING LEGS. The APC hits the ground a moment later, pulling away from the ship as it leaps up in a cloud of spray and peels off, circling. The APC pulls to the edge of the complex. The CREW DOOR opens. Troopers hit the ground running. Spread out. They drop behind immediate cover. Apone scans with him image intensifier visor lowered. APONE'S P.O.V. through the starlight-scope visor. Bright as a sunny day, though contrasty and lurid, we SEE the colony buildings. Trash blows in the street. No other movement. GORMAN (voice over; filtered) First squad up, on line. Hicks, get yours in a cordon. Watch the rear. APONE Vasquez, take point. Let's move. Sprinting in a skirmish line, Apone's team advances on the colony main entry-lock. Parked tightly across the doors are two heavy-duty tractors. Vasquez reaches one of the tractors, looks inside. The controls are ripped out, as if by a crowbar or axe. She moves on. EXT. COLONY BUILDING 54 Vasquez reaches the main doors, Drake flanking on the right. Apone tries the door controls. Nothing. APONE Sealed. Hudson, run a bypass. Hudson, all business now, moves up and studies the door control panel. He pries off the facing and starts clipping on the bypass wires. APONE First squad, assemble on me at the main lock. The wind roars around the bleak structures. A neon sign creaks overhead. Hudson makes a connection. The door shrieks in its tracks and rumbles aside. It jams partway open. Apone motions Vasquez inside. She eases over the wrecked tractor, through the doors. The others follow. GORMAN (voice over; filtered) Second team, move up. Flanking positions. INT. COLONY - MAIN CONCOURSE 55 DOLLYING SLOWLY FORWARD, following Vasquez and Apone as they move into the broad corridor. A few emergency lights are still on. Wind moans along the concourse. Pools of water cover the floor. Farther down, rain drips through blast holes in the ceiling. Evidence of a fire fight with pulse-rifles. ON VASQUEZ moving forward. Taut. Alert. Her smart-gun cannon swinging slowly in an arc. She studies the video aiming monitor, looking down rather than ahead. Their footsteps echo. INT. APC 56 Ripley watches as the bobbing images reveal the empty colony building. GORMAN Quarter and search by twos. Second team move inside. Hicks, take the upper level. Use your motion trackers. INT. MAIN CONCOURSE - SECOND LEVEL 57 Hicks leads his squad up the stairwell to second level. They emerge cautiously. An empty corridor recedes into the dim distance. Hicks unslings a rugged piece of equipment. Aims it down the hall. He adjusts the "gain." It remains silent. HICKS Nothing. No movement. They pass rooms and offices. Through doors they see increasing signs of struggle. Furniture overturned. Papers scattered...floating sodden in the puddles. INT. APC 58 Ripley et al watching. BURKE Looks like my room in college. Nobody laughs. INT. SECOND LEVEL 59 Hicks' group passes several burnt-out rooms. There are no bodies. In several offices the exterior windows are blown out, admitting wind and rain. Hicks picks up a half-eaten donut beside a coffee cup overflowing with rainwater. INT. LOWER LEVEL - QUARTERS 60 Apone's men are searching systematically in pairs. They pass through the colonists' modest apartments, little more than cubicles. Hudson, on tracker, flanks Vasquez as they move forward. Hudson touches a splash of color on the wall. Dried blood. His tracker BEEPS. Vasquez whirls, cannon aimed. The BEEPING grows more frequent as Hudson advances toward a half open door. The door is splintered partway out of its frame. Holes caused by pulse-rifle rounds pepper the walls. Vasquez eases up to the door. Kicks it in. Tenses to fire. Inside, dangling from a piece of flex conduit, a junction-box swings like a pendulum in the wind from a broken window. It clanks against the rails of a child's bunkbed as it swings. INT. DROP-SHIP - APC 61 Ripley watches Hicks' monitor. RIPLEY Wait! Tell him to... (plugs in headset jack) ...Hicks. Back up. Pan left. There! TIGHT ON MONITOR as the image shifts, revealing a section of wall corroded almost through in an irregular pattern. TIGHT ON RIPLEY knowing what it is. HICKS (voice over; filtered) You seeing this okay? Looks melted. Burke raises an eyebrow at Ripley. BURKE Hmm. Acid for blood. HICKS (voice over; filtered) Looks like somebody bagged them one of Ripley's bad guys here. INT. FIRST LEVEL 62 Hudson is looking at something. HUDSON Hey, if you like that, you're gonna love this... WIDER ANGLE showing the trooper standing beneath a gaping hole. Another hole, directly beneath, is at his feet. The acid has melted right down through two levels into the maintenance level. Revealing pipes, conduit, equipment...eaten away by the ferocious substance. APONE Second squad? What's your status? HICKS (voice over; filtered) Just finished our sweep. Nobody home. APONE (to Gorman) The place is dead, Sir. Whatever happened, we missed it. INT. APC 63 Gorman turns to the others. GORMAN All right, the area's secured. Let's go in and see what their computer can tell us. (into mike) First team head for operations. Hudson, see if you can get their CPU on line. Hicks, meet me at the south lock by the up-link tower... INT. FIRST LEVEL 64 GORMAN (voice over) ...We're coming in. HUDSON (cupping his mike) He's coming in. I feel safer already. VASQUEZ (sotto voice) Pendejo jerkoff. EXT. COLONY COMPLEX 65 Lights arc across the dormant buildings as the APC turns onto the "main drag." It trundles down the rutted street, throwing up sheets of filthy water as the massive wheels hit pondlike potholes. Windblown rain lashes across the headlights. Hicks emerges from the south lock just as the APC rolls up close to the entrance. The crew-door slides back. Gorman emerges, followed by Burke, Bishop, and Wierzbowski. Burke looks back to see Ripley stop in the APC doorway, eyeing the ominous colony structure. She meets his eyes. Shakes her head "no." Not ready. HUDSON (voice over; filtered) Sir, the CPU is on-line. GORMAN Okay, stand by in operations. (to those present) Let's go. INT. APC 66 The crew-door cycles home with a clang. Ripley sits in the dark interior, lit by the tactical displays. The wind howls outside, an incredibly desolate sound. She hugs herself. Alone. Unarmed. She knows she's in a tank, but remembers the acid. Leaps up. Hits the door switch. EXT. APC - SOUTH LOCK 67 The crew-door opens and Ripley emerges. In time to see the lock doors rumbling closed. RIPLEY (shouting) Burke! The wind snatches her words away. The crew door whines shut behind her. She walks to the exterior lock door-controls and studies them. She punches some unfamiliar buttons. Nothing happens. She looks really nervous, alone in the howling wind. She hits another button. The door-motors come to life and she relaxes a little. Glances behind her. AND SCREAMS! There's a face right there! Right at her shoulder. She jumps back, gasping for breath. WIERZBOWSKI Scare you? RIPLEY Christ, Wierzbowski! WIERZBOWSKI Sorry. Hicks said to keep an eye on you. He gestures for her to precede him inside. INT. CONTROL BLOCK CORRIDOR 68 Ripley catches up with the others as they move into the bowels of the complex. GORMAN (to Burke) Looks like you company can write off its share of this colony. BURKE (unconcerned) It's insured. ON RIPLEY as they move along the corridor...reacting to the fact that she is back in alien country. She sees the ravaged administration complex. Fire-gutted offices. Hicks notices her looking around nervously. He motions to big Wierzbowski with his eyes and the trooper casually falls in beside her on the other side, rifle at ready. a two-man protective cordon. She glances at Hicks. He winks, but so fast maybe it's something in his eye. Trooper Frost emerges from a side corridor ahead. FRONT Sir, you should check this out... He leads the way into the corridor. INT. CORRIDOR 69 This wing is completely without power. The troopers switch on their pack lights and the beams illuminate a scene of devastation worse than they have seen. Her expression reveals that Ripley is about to turn and flee. FROST Right ahead here... They approach a barricade blocking the corridor, a hastily welded wall of pipes, steel-plate, outer-door panels. Acid holes have slashed through the floor and walls in several places. The metal is scratched and twisted by hideously powerful forces, peeled back like a soup can on one side. They squeeze through the opening. INT. MEDICAL WING 70 They pack-lights play over the devastation of the colonists' last ditch battle. The equipment of the med labs has been uprooted to add to the barrier. The walls are perforated by pulse-rifle fire and acid. Scorched by untended fires to bare metal. A few instruments glow with emergency power. WIERZBOWSKI Last stand. GORMAN No bodies? FROST No, Sir. Looks like it was a helluva fight. TIGHT ON RIPLEY transfixed by something. RIPLEY (low) Over there. The others turn and approach, seeing what she sees. She has entered a second room, part of the med lab area. In a storage alcove at near eye level stand seven transparent cylinders. STASIS TUBES. They glow faintly with an eerie violet light given off by the field which preserves the specimens inside. They look like jars containing SEVERED ARTHRITIC HANDS, the palsied fingers curled in a death-rictus. Structurally they are more like spiders with sickening translucent skin, a flacid scrotal body, gill-like organs underneath drifting in the suspension fluid. Something you definitely do not want on your face, for example. BURKE Are these the same...? Ripley nods, unable to speak. Burke leans closer in fascination. His face almost touching one cylinder, is lit by its glow. RIPLEY Watch it, Burke... The creature inside lunges suddenly, slamming against the glass. Burke jumps back. From the palm of the thing's handlike body emerges a pearl-escent TUBULE. like a tapered piece of intestine, which slithers tonguelike over the inside of the glass. Then it retracts into a sheath between the "gills." HICKS (to Burke) It likes you. Only two of the creatures seem to pulse with life. Burke taps the other stasis cylinders but the hand-things remain inertly clenched. BURKE These are dead. There's just the two alive. On top of each cylinder is a file folder. Ripley takes a folder from above one of the live specimens. Inside is a medical chart printout with handwritten entries. RIPLEY (reading) Removed surgically before embryo implantation. Subject: Marachuk, John L. Died during procedure. (looking up) They killed him getting it off. HICKS Poor bastard. They are startled by a LOUD BEEP. They turn. Hicks is intent on his motion tracker, aimed back toward the shattered barricade. BEEP. BEEP. HICKS Behind us. He gestures at the corridor they just passed through. RIPLEY One of us? GORMAN (into headset) Apone...where are your people? Anybody in D-Block? APONE (voice over; filtered) Negative. We're all in Operations. Vasquez swings the smart-gun to ready position on its support arm, locking it with an authoritative CLICK. She and Hicks head toward the source of the signal, the others following. INT. CORRIDOR 71 Hicks' tracker is reading out more rapidly. They turn into the kitchens, a stainless steel labyrinth. Ripley hangs back. Then realizes there is nothing behind her but darkness. She catches up to the group. INT. KITCHENS 72 The troopers enter, their lights bouncing around the stainless steel surfaces. HICKS It's moving. Vasquez is scanning, gaze intense. The other troops grip their weapons tightly. VASQUEZ Which way? Hicks nods toward a complicated array of food processing equipment. They move forward, weapons leveled. Ripley shuffles forward in the dark. Wierzbowski trips over a metal cannister, sending it CLANGING. Ripley half climbs the wall. Hicks' tracker beeps steadily. The beeps merge. Become a solid tone. CRASH. Something moves in the dark, toppling a rack of stockpots. ON VASQUEZ pivoting smoothly to fire. In the same instant Hicks' rifle slashes INTO FRAME. Slams Vasquez' barrel upward. A STREAM OF TRACER FIRE rips into the ceiling, the rounds SEARING LIKE LIGHTNING. VASQUEZ You fuck! Hicks ignores her, moving past and aiming his light under a row of steel cabinets. He gestures to Ripley, who steps forward. Trusting his judgment. She crouches beside him. RIPLEY'S P.O.V. lit by Hicks' pack-light...a tiny cowering figure. A very dirty, very terrified NEWT JORDEN. She clutches a plastic food packet in one hand, its top gnawed partway through. In the other hand she grips the HEAD OF A LARGE DOLL, holding it by the hair. Just the head. Eyes staring. Newt is pathetically emaciated...fragile-looking as Dresden china, her hair tangled and matted. RIPLEY (soothingly) Come on out. It's all right... Ripley moves toward her, reaching slowly under the cabinet. Newt backs away, trembling visibly, her vision fixated like a rabbit blinded by headlights. Ripley's hand almost reaches her. The kid bolts like a shot, scuttling along beneath the cabinetry. Ripley scrambles to follow...to keep her in sight. Crabbing frantically sideways. Hicks makes a grab, catching one tiny ankle. He snaps his hand out a moment later. HICKS Ow! Shit. Watchit, she bites. The girl reaches a ventilation duct set in the baseboard, its grille kicked out. She scrambles inside, her tiny body barely fitting, wriggling like a fish. In his bulky armor Hicks knows he'll never make it into the tiny duct. Ripley dives. She squirms into the duct without thinking. Just ahead she sees Newt enter a dark space and slam a steel hatch. Ripley pushes the hatch open before the child can latch it, and crawls in after her. Newt is backed into a cul-de-sac in the tiny steel chamber. Ripley shines her light around in amazement. It is a NEST. A nest built by a child. Wadded up blankets and pillows line the space, mixed up with a haphazard array of TOYS, STUFFED ANIMALS, DOLLS, CHEAP JEWELRY, COMIC BOOKS, EMPTY FOOD PACKETS, even a battery operated TAPE PLAYER. All foraged from the wrecked colony. Ripley marvels at the child's incredible adaptability, the ability to functions even in this nightmarish environment. Newt edges along the far wall and dives for the hatch. Ripley grabs her, controlling her in a bear hug. The kid struggles wildly, like a cat at the vets. Eyes wide, hands lashing out in a frenzy...but silent. No scream. RIPLEY It's okay, it's okay. It's over... you're going to be all right now... it's okay...you're safe... Newt goes limp, almost catatonic. CLOSE ON NEWT'S TRAUMATIZED, VACANT STARE her lips are white and trembling, her eyes track wildly and she flinches from unseen terrors. We READ a dark nightmare world in her eyes. Ripley's light falls on something amidst the debris... a FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH of Newt, dressed up and smiling, a ribbon in her hair. In embossed gold letters underneath it says: FIRST GRADE CITIZENSHIP AWARD REBECCA JORDEN INT. OPERATIONS - ON NEWT - MANAGER'S OFFICE 73 sitting huddles in a chair, arms around her knees. Looking at a point in space. GORMAN (o.s.) What's her name again? DIETRICH (o.s.) Rebecca. WIDER ANGLE REVEALING Gorman sitting in front of her while Dietrich watches the readouts from a BIO-MONITORING CUFF wrapped around Newt's tiny arm. GORMAN Now think, Rebecca. Concentrate. Just start at the beginning... No response. Ripley enters, carrying a coffee mug. GORMAN Where are your parents? You have to try... RIPLEY (sharply) Gorman! Give it a rest would you. Gorman stands with a sigh of dismissal. GORMAN Total brain-lock. DIETRICH (shrugs) Physically she's okay. Borderline malnutrition, but I don't think any permanent damage. She unsnaps the bio-monitoring cuff. GORMAN Come on, we're wasting our time. Gorman and the others exit, leaving only Ripley with Newt. Through the window of the office, out on the main floor of the operations room, we SEE Gorman join Burke and Bishop at a computer terminal. Ripley kneels beside Newt, brushing the girl's unkempt hair out of her eyes in a gentle, maternal fashion. RIPLEY Here, try this. A little instant hot chocolate. She wraps the child's hands around the cup. Raises it to her lips for her. The girl drinks mechanically, spilling down her chin. RIPLEY (soothing) Poor thing. You don't talk much do you? That's okay by me. Most people do a lot of talking and they wind up not saying very much. She sets the cup down and wipes the child's chin clean. RIPLEY Uh oh. I made a clean spot here. Now I've done it. Guess I'll just have to do the whole thing. She pours water from a squeeze bottle onto a small cloth and gently washes the little girl's face. Newt's eyes seem to focus on her for the first time. RIPLEY Hard to believe...there's a little girl under all this. And a pretty one at that. Newt gazes at her. Ripley smiles. INT. OPERATIONS 74 The ground teams are gathered around a terminal in the computer center. Hudson has the CPU main computer on-line and reading out. TIGHT ON MONITOR SCREEN as an abstract of the main colony ground plan drifts across the screen. Searching. Hudson bashes at the keyboard, his fingers dancing expertly. BURKE (to Gorman) What's he scanning for? GORMAN PDT'S. Personal-Data Transmitters. Every adult colonist had one surgically implanted. HUDSON If they're within twenty klicks we'll read it out here, but so far...zip. INT. OFFICE 75 Ripley is washing Newt's tiny hands with a cloth, pink skin emerging from black grime. RIPLEY I don't know how you managed to stay alive but you're one brave kid, Rebecca. Newt's voice is almost inaudible. NEWT N-newt. Ripley leans closer. Feels like she's breathing on coals. The sound was incomprehensible. RIPLEY What did you say? NEWT Newt. My n-name's Newt. Nobody calls me Rebecca except my dork brother. Ripley grins inanely, not wanting to move or speak... or break the spell. RIPLEY Well, Newt it is then. My name's Ripley...and people call me Ripley. Ripley picks up her tiny limp hand, shaking it formally. RIPLEY Pleased to meet you. And who is this? Does she have a name? Newt glances at the disembodied doll, still clutched in one filthy hand. NEWT Casey. She's my only friend. RIPLEY What about me? Newt's reply is flat, neutral. NEWT I don't want you for a friend. RIPLEY Why not? NEWT Because you'll be gone soon, like the others. Like everybody. You'll be dead and you'll leave me alone. Ripley gazes at her, chilled both by the ominous statement and by the situation which could have produced this outlook in a child. RIPLEY Oh, Newt. You mom and dad went away like that, didn't they? Newt nods, staring at her knees. RIPLEY (soothingly) They'd be here if they could, honey. I know they would. NEWT (with cold certainty) They're dead. RIPLEY Newt. Look at me...Newt. I won't leave you. I promise. NEWT You promise? RIPLEY Cross my heart. NEWT And hope to die? Ripley smiles grimly at the inadvertently macabre expression. RIPLEY (quietly) And hope to die. And because she's a child, the darkest terrors, even the ones seen and not imagined, can still be banished by a smile and a single promise. Newt's eyes brim as she gazes at Ripley. Her lower lip starts to tremble, and her face slowly deforms into an abject mask. She sobs as she clamps her arms around Ripley's neck. The sobs come in waves as Ripley rocks her, tears of suppresses terror and grief and hurt rolling down her face. It is a breakthrough. Ripley closes her eyes, hoping that this promise can be kept. INT. OPERATIONS 76 Everyone jumps as Hudson cries out triumphantly. HUDSON Hah! Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen! Found 'em. GORMAN Alive? HUDSON Unknown. But, it looks like all of them. Over at the processing station...sublevel 'C' under the south tower. TIGHT ON SCREEN showing an amoebalike cluster of flashing blue dots clumped tightly in one area. HICKS Looks like a Goddamn town meeting. GORMAN Let's saddle up. APONE Awright, let's go girls, they ain't payin' us by the hour. EXT. ACHERON - TWILIGHT 77 The APC roars across the stygian landscape, traversing the causeway which connects the colony to the ATMOSPHERE STATION a kilometer away. Behind it the drop-ship settles to the ground at the colony landing field. PAN WITH THE APC TO REVEAL the massive structure. Like a vast foundry the conical exhaust tower flickers with spectral light. INT. APC 78 The troopers sit, more subdued now, swaying and bouncing in the heavily sprung vehicle. Wierzbowski is in the saddle. Ripley and Newt sit side by side just aft of the driver's cockpit. NEWT I was the best at the game. I knew the whole maze. RIPLEY The 'maze'? You mean the air ducts? NEWT Yeah, you know. In the walls, under the floor. I was the ace. I could hide better than anybody. RIPLEY You're really something, ace. Ripley's gaze shifts out the windshield as the processing station looms ahead. EXT. APC/STATION 79 The vast structure towers above the parked personnel carrier. Deploying in front of the APC, backlit by its lights, the troopers cast long shadows. They look ominous. Hulking techno-samurai. The base of the station is a depthless maze of conduits and pressure vessels, like an oil refinery. Or a Dantean version of one. The THRUM of functioning machine systems echoes through the labyrinth. GORMAN (voice over; static) Forty meters in. Ramp on axial two-two. Access to sublevels. The troopers start down the open rampway. Light filters down through several levels of steel mesh floor, catwalks and pipes. Below that is darkness. GORMAN (voice over; static) B-Level. Next one down. The thrumming of machines grows louder as they descend. INT. APC 80 Huddles around the screens are Ripley, Burke and Gorman. Newt squeezes in from behind. Gorman is doing his video wizard bit, dancing on the buttons. GORMAN (to team) We're not making that out too well. What is it? HUDSON (voice over; static) You tell me. I only work here. INT. COMPLEX 81 The group stands before a bizarre tableau. Among the refinerylike lattice of pipes and conduits something new and not of human design had been added. It is a structure of some sort, extending from and crudely imitating the complex of plumbing, but made of some strange encrusted substance. It vaguely resembles the chambered nests of swallows on a much larger scale, and it attenuates so gradually into the original hardware that it is hard to see where one ends and the other begins. The alien structure seems to extend far back into the complex of machinery. The plant thrums loudly, its functioning seemingly not impaired. INT. APC 82 Ripley stares at the scene in dread fascination. GORMAN What is it? RIPLEY I don't know. GORMAN (to team) Proceed inside. INT. ALIEN STRUCTURE 83 They enter the organic labyrinth, playing their lights over the walls. Revealing a BIO-MECHANICAL LATTICE, like the marrow of some vast bone. The air is thick with STEAM. Trickling water. The place seems almost alive. INT. APC 84 They watch in various helmet-camera P.O.V.'s of the wall detail. RIPLEY (low) Oh God... CLOSE ON VIDEO as it PAN SLOWLY...REVEALING a bas-relief of detritus from the colony: furniture, wiring, human bones, skulls...Fused together with a translucent, epoxylike substance. DIETRICH (voice over; static) Looks like some sort of secreted resin. GORMAN They ripped apart the colony for building materials. RIPLEY And the colonists...When they were done with them. (turning) Newt, you better go sit up front. Go on. INT. ALIEN STRUCTURE 85 Steam swirls around them as the troopers move deeper inside. FROST Hotter'n hell in here. HUDSON Yeah...but it's a dry heat. INT. APC 86 Ripley leans forward suddenly, studying the graphic readout of the STATION GROUND PLAN. RIPLEY They're right under the primary heat exchangers. BURKE Yeah? Maybe the organisms like the heat, that's why they built... RIPLEY That's not what I mean. Gorman, if your men have to use their weapons in there, they'll rupture the cooling system. BURKE (realizing) She's right. GORMAN So. RIPLEY So...then the fusion containment shuts down. GORMAN (impatient) So? So? BURKE We're talking thermonuclear explosion. GORMAN Shit. (into mike) Apone, collect magazines from everybody. We can't have any firing in there. INT. ALIEN STRUCTURE 87 The troopers look at each other in dismay. WIERZBOWSKI Is he fucking crazy? HUDSON What're we supposed to use, man? Harsh language? GORMAN (voice over; static) Flame-units only. I want rifles slung. APONE Let's go. Pull 'em out. He walks among the troopers, collecting the magazines from each one's weapon. Vasquez turns hers over reluctantly. The three who are carrying them get out small incinerator units. When Apone moves on, Vasquez slips a spare magazine from concealment and inserts it in her weapon. Drake does the same. Hicks hangs back in the shadows. He opens a cylindrical sheath attached to his battle-harness. Slides out an old style PUMP TWELVE-GAUGE with a sawed-off butt stock. Chambers a round. HICKS (low, to Hudson) I always keep this handy. For close encounter. APONE (o.s.) Let's move. Hicks, back us up. INT. LARGER CHAMBER 88 The air is thick. Lights flare. GORMAN (voice over; very faint) Any movement? Hudson watches his tracker, scanning. HUDSON Nothing. Zip. Apone stops, his expression changing. They face a wall of living horror. The colonists have been brought here and entombed alive... COCOONS protrude from the niches and interstices of the structure. The cocoon material is the same translucent epoxy. The bodies are frozen in carelessly twisted positions. Macabre image of frozen agony. Many are disiccated. Skeletal. Rip-cages burst outward, as if exploded from within. Paralyzed, brought here, entombed in living death as hosts for the embryos growing within then. Dietrich moves close to examine one of the figures, perhaps the most "recent." A WOMAN, ghost-white and drained. The WOMAN'S EYES SNAP OPEN...They seem to plead. DIETRICH Sir! The woman's lips move feebly. WOMAN Please...God...kill me. INT. APC 89 Ripley watches the woman, white knuckled. The sound of RETCHING comes over the general frequency. INT. COCOON CHAMBER 90 The woman begins to convulse. She SCREAMS, a sawing shriek of mindless agony. APONE Flame thrower! Move! Frost hands it to him. Suddenly, the woman's chest EXPLODES in a gout of blood. A SMALL FANGED HEAD EMERGES, HISSING VICIOUSLY. Apone pulls the trigger. Then the other troopers carrying flame throwers open fire. An orgy of purging fire. The cocoons vanish in the shimmering heat. A SHRILL SCREECHING begins, like a siren made from fingernails on blackboards. ANGLE ON WALL as something begins to emerge. Dimly glimpsed, a glistening bio-mechanoid creature larger then a man. Lying dormant, it had blended perfectly with the convoluted surface of fused bone. The troopers don't see it. Smoke from the burning cocoons quickly fills the confined space. Visibility drops to zero. HUDSON Movement! APONE Position? HUDSON Can't lock up... APONE (with an edge) Talk to me, Hudson. HUDSON Uh, seems to be in front and behind. INT. APC 91 Gorman is plating with the gain controls on the monitors. GORMAN We can't see anything back here, Apone. What's going on? Ripley senses it coming, like a wave at night. Dark, terrifying and inevitable. RIPLEY (low) Pull you team out, Gorman. INT. COCOON CHAMBER - TIGHT ON SEVERAL WALLS AND 92 CEILING NICHES as they come alive. Bonelike, tubelike shapes shift, becoming emerging ALIENS. Dimly glimpsed...glints of slime. Silhouettes. APONE Go to infrared. Looks sharp people! The squad members snap down their image-intersifier visors. HUDSON Multiple signals. All round. Closing. Dietrich turns to retreat, her flamethrower held tightly. A nightmarish silhouette materializes out of the smoke behind her! It strikes like lightning. SEIZES HER. She fires reflexively, wild. The jet of flame engulfs Frost nearby. Apone spins as the double SCREAM. Can't see anything in the think smoke. INT. APC 93 Ripley watches Frost's monitor go black. His bio-readouts flatten. The other screens show glimpses of shimmering infrared silhouettes of the aliens, the images bobbing and panning confusedly. INT. COCOON CHAMBER 94 Vasquez nods to Drake with grim satisfaction. VASQUEZ Let's rock. They OPEN UP simultaneously, lighting up the smoke like welders' arcs. GORMAN (voice over; static) Who's firing? I ordered a hold fire, dammit! Vasquez rips off her headset. She is riveted to the targetting screen, moving ferret-quick in a pivoting dance. Thunder and lightning. Better than sex for her. FLASH-CRACK! An alien SCREECH from the darkness. INT. APC 95 The battle of phantoms unfolds on the video screens. Ripley flinches as another scream comes over the open frequency. Wierzbowski's monitor breaks up. His life signs plummet. Voices blend and overlap. HUDSON (voice over) Let's get the fuck out of here! HICKS (voice over) Not that tunnel, the other one! CROWE (voice over) You sure? Watch it...behind you. Fucking move, will you! Gorman is ashen. Confused. Gulping for air like a grouper. How could the situation have unravelled so fast? RIPLEY (to Gorman) GET THEM OUT OF THERE! DO IT NOW! GORMAN Shut up. Just shut up! CRASH! Crowe's telemetry cuts off like the plug was pulled. Flat line. GORMAN Uh,...Apone, I want you to lay down a suppressing fire with the incinerators and fall back by squads to the APC, over. APONE (voice over; heavy static) Say again? All after incinerators? Ripley watches it fall apart. GORMAN I said... INT. COCOON CHAMBER 96 Apone adjusts his headset. GORMAN (voice over; static) ...lay down (garbled) ...by squads to...(garbled) Gorman's voice breaks up completely. A SCREAM. Apone whirls, uncertain. APONE Dietrich? Crowe? Sound off! Wierzbowski? Nothing. He spins. Almost blows Hudson's head off. HUDSON (freaked) We're getting juked! We're gonna die in here! Apone hands him a magazine. Hudson slaps it home, looking truly terrified. APONE Yeah. Right. Right! Fuck the heat exchanger! He FIRES. Vasquez, nearby, is laying down a horrendous field of fire. Strobe-bright flashes sear the darkness. She pivots, firing mechanically in controlled bursts. Scoring points in her own private video game. She SPINS as Hicks approached laterally. WHAM! She fires "at" him. Hicks whirls...to see a nightmarish figure right behind him, catapulted backwards by Vasquez' blast. INT. APC 97 Apone's monitor SPINS CRAZILY AND GOES DARK. GORMAN (distantly) I told them to fall back... RIPLEY (viciously) They're but off! Do something! But he's gone. Total brain-lock. TIGHT ON RIPLEY as she struggles with a decision. She's terrified...of what she knows she's about to do. But more than that, she's furious. Shouldering past a paralyzed Gorman she runs up the aisle of the APC. RIPLEY (in passing) Newt, put your seatbelt on! Ripley jumps into the driver's seat of the APC. Takes a deep breath. Starts slapping switches. GORMAN Ripley, what the hell...? She slams the tractor into gear. EXT. APC 98 as the drive-wheels spin on the wet ground. The massive machine leaps forward. INT. APC 99 Ripley sees smoke pouring out of the complex ahead as she slides sideways onto the descending rampway. She slams the left and right drive-wheel actuators viciously, spinning the machine in a roaring pivot. Gorman lunges forward along the aisle, abandoning his command center. GORMAN (shrill) What are you doing? Turn around! That's an order! He claws at her, hysterical. Burke pulls him off. INT. ALIEN STRUCTURE 100 The APC roars down into the smoky structure, tearing away outcroppings of alien-encrustation. Ripley hits the floodlights. Strobe-beacon. Siren. She homes on the flash of weapons fire ahead. INT. COCOON CHAMBER 101 The APC crashes inside, showering debris. Hicks, supporting a limping Hudson, appears out of the smoke. The APC pulls up broadside and Burke gets the crew-door open. Drake and Vasquez back out of the dense mist, firing as they fall back. Drake goes empty, slams the buckles cutting loose his smart-gun harness, and unslings a flame thrower. Hicks pushes Hudson inside, leaps in after him and drags Vasquez inside, massive gear and all. She sees a DARK SHAPE lunge toward Drake. She fires one burst, prone. Clean body hit. The flash lights up the hideous inhuman grin, blowing open the thing's thorax. A spray of BRIGHT YELLOW ACID slashes across Drake's face and chest, eating into him like a hot knife through butter. He drops in boiling smoke, reflexively triggering his flame thrower. The jet of liquid fire arcs around as he falls, engulfing the back half of the APC. INT. APC 102 Vasquez rolls aside as a gout of napalm shoots through the crew-door, setting the interior on fire. Hicks is rolling the door closed when Vasquez lunges, clawing out the opening. He stops her, dragging her inside. VASQUEZ Drake! He's down! Hicks screams right in her face. HICKS He's gone! Forget it, he's gone! VASQUEZ (irrational) No.. No, he's not. He's -- Burke and Hudson help him drag her from the door. HICKS (to Ripley) Let's go! Ripley jams reverse. Nails the throttle. The APC bellows backward up the ramp. Hudson disappears under a pile of equipment as a storage rack breaks free. Hicks gets the door almost closed. Suddenly CLAWS appear at the edge. Newt screams. Against the combined efforts of Hicks, Burke and Vasquez the door is being SLOWLY WRENCHED OPEN FROM OUTSIDE. Hicks yells at a paralyzed Gorman. HICKS Get on the Goddamn door! Gorman backs away, eyes wide. Hicks jams his shoulder against the latching lever and frees one hand to raise his 12-gauge. An alien head wedges through the opening, its hideous mouth opening. And Hicks jams his SHOTGUN MUZZLE between its jaws and pulls the trigger! BLAM! The creature is flung backward, its shattered head fountaining acid blood. The spray eats into the door, the deck, hits Hudson on the arm. He shrieks. They slide the door home and dog it tight. EXT. APC 103 The armored vehicle roars backward up the ramp. Slams into a mass of conduit. Tears free. Ripley works the shifters, pivoting the massive machine. Everybody's shouting, trying to put out the fire. Pandemonium. INT./EXT. APC 104- 105 Something lands on the roof with a metallic clang. Gorman has plastered himself against a wall, as far from the door as possible. A latch lever behind his head turns. The small hatch against which he was leaning is ripped away and SOMETHING snatches him out the opening He disappears to the waist with a shriek, legs kicking. The alien clings to the roof, pulling him out. Its tail whips over, scorpionlike, and buries a four inch stinger in Gorman's shoulder. Hicks grabs a joy stick at the FIRE-CONTROL CONSOLE and turns it rapidly. On the roof the alien looks up as servo-motors whir. A remote control turret cannon, a 20mm chain-gun, swivels toward it in a curt arc. VOOM. The creature is blasted off the vehicle's armored back and tumbles away. Gorman, slumped unconscious, is dragged back inside. The APC rips away a section of catwalk and heads for clear air, its flank trailing fire like a comet. Ripley fights the controls as the big machine slews, broadsiding a control-room out-building. Office furniture and splintered wall sections are strewn in the APC's wake. Suddenly, an alien arm arcs down, right in front of Ripley's face. It smashes the windshield. Glistening, hideous jaws lunge inside... Ripley recoils. Face to face once again with the same mind-numbing horror. She reacts instinctively. Slams both sets of brakes with all her strength. The huge wheels lock. The creature flips off, landing in the headlights. Ripley hits full throttle. The APC roars forward, smashing over the abomination. Its skeletal body is crushed under the massive wheels. It rolls, tumbling...lost in the darkness behind as the machine thunders onto the causeway and away from the station. A sound like bolts dropped in a meat grinder is coming from the APC's rear end. Hicks eases Ripley's hand back on the throttle lever. Her grip is white knuckled. HICKS It's okay...we're clear. We're clear. Ease up. The grinding clatter becomes deafening even as she slows the machine. HICKS Sounds like a blown transaxle. You're just grinding metal. EXT. APC 106 The tractor limps to a halt. A HALF-KILOMETER from the atmosphere processing station. The APC is a smoking, acid-scarred mess. INT. APC 107 Ripley, still running on the adrenalin dynamo, spins out of her seat into the aisle. RIPLEY Newt? Where's Newt? Feeling a tug at her pants leg she looks down. Newt is wedged into a tiny space between the driver's seat and a bulkhead. She is trembling, and looks terrified, but it's not the basket case catatonia of before. RIPLEY You okay? Newt gives her a THUMBS-UP, wan but stoic. Ripley goes back to the others. Hudson is holding his arm and staring in stunned dismay at nothing, playing it all back in his mind. HUDSON Jesus...Jesus...I don't believe it. Burke tries to have a look at Hudson's arm. HUDSON (jerking away) I'm all right, leave it! Ripley joins Hicks who is bent over Gorman, checking for a pulse. HICKS He's alive. I think he's paralyzed. VASQUEZ He's fucking dead! She grabs Gorman by the collar, hauling him up roughly, ready to pulp him with her other fist. VASQUEZ (to Gorman) Wake up pendejo! I'm gonna kill you, you useless fuck! Hicks pushes her back. Right in her face. HICKS Hold it. Hold it. Back off, right now. Vasquez releases Gorman. His head smacks the deck. Ripley opens Gorman's tunic, revealing a bloodless purple puncture wound. RIPLEY Looks like it stung him. HUDSON Hey...hey! Look, Crowe and Dietrich aren't dead, man. They turn to see Hudson at the MTOB monitors, pointing at the bio-function screens. HUDSON They must be like Gorman. Their signs are real low but they ain't dead! Hudson is pale, panicky, and his voice echoes around the tiny metallic space and comes back to all of them as the near hysteria they all feel, fluttering just at the edges of their minds. RIPLEY You can't help them. Right now they're being cocooned just like the others. HUDSON (sagging) Oh, God. Jesus. This ain't happening. Ripley and Vasquez lock eyes. Ripley doesn't want it to be "I told you so" but Vasquez reads it that way. She turns away with a snap. INT. MED LAB 108 Bishop is hunched over an occular probe doing a dissection of one of the dead parasites. Spunkmeyer enters with some electronics gear on a hand truck and parks it near Bishop's work table. SPUNKMEYER Need anything else? Bishop waves "no" without looking up. EXT. COLONY - DROP-SHIP 109 Spunkmeyer emerges, crossing the Tarmac to the loading ramp of the ship. As he nears the top of the ramp, his boot slips...skidding on something wet. Kneeling, he touches a small puddle of thick slime. He shrugs, and hits the controls to retract the ramp and close the doors. INT. APC 110 ON VASQUEZ wired and intense. VASQUEZ All right, we can't blow the fuck out of them...why not roll some canisters of CN-20 down there. Nerve gas the whole nest? HUDSON Look, man, let's just bug out and call it even, okay? RIPLEY (to Vasquez) No good. How do we know it'll effect their biochemistry? I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. BURKE Now hold on a second. I'm not authorizing that action. RIPLEY Why not? Burke senses the challenge in her tone and backpedals flawlessly into conciliatory mode. BURKE Well, I mean...I know this is an emotional moment, but let's not make snap judgments. Let's move cautiously. First, this physical installation had a substantial dollar value attached to it -- RIPLEY They can bill me. I got a tab running. What's second? BURKE This is clearly an important species we're dealing with here. We can't just arbitrarily exterminate them -- RIPLEY Bullshit! VASQUEZ Yeah, bullshit. Watch us. HUDSON Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got out asses kicked, pal! Ripley faces Burke squarely and she's not pleased. RIPLEY Look, Burke. We had an agreement. Burke moves in, lowering his voice. He takes her aside from the others. BURKE I know, I know, but we're dealing with changing scenarios here. This thing is major, Ripley. I mean really major. You gotta go with its energy. Since you are the representative of the company who discovered this species your percentage will naturally be some serious, serious money. Ripley stares at his like he's a particularly disagreeable fungus. RIPLEY You son of a bitch. BURKE (hardening) Don't make me pull rank, Ripley. RIPLEY What rank? I believe Corporal Hicks has authority here. BURKE Corporal Hicks!? RIPLEY This operation is under military jurisdiction and Hicks is next in chain of command. Right? HICKS Looks that way. Burke starts to lose it and it's not a pretty sight. BURKE Look, this is a multimillion dollar operation. He can't make that kind of decision. He's just a grunt! (glances at Hicks) No offense. HICKS (coolly) None taken. (into mike) Ferro, you copying? FERRO (voice over; static) Standing by. HICKS Prep for dust-off. We're gonna need an immediate evac. (to Burke) I think we'll take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. He winks. Burke looks like a kid whose toy has been snatched. BURKE This is absurd! You don't have the authority to -- CLACK! The sound of a rifle bolt snapping home truncates his rant. Vasquez has a pulse-rifle cradled, not exactly aimed at Burke but not exactly aimed away either. Her expression is masklike. End of discussion. Ripley sits behind Newt, putting her arm around her. RIPLEY We're going home, honey. EXT. DROP-SHIP 111 The ship rises through the spray thrown up by the downblast of the VTOL jets, hovering above the complex like a huge insect, its searchlights blazing. EXT. APC 112 The group is filing out of the personnel carrier, which is clearly a write off. Hicks and Hudson have Gorman between them, and the others emerge into the wind. They watch the ship roar in on its final approach. INT. DROP-SHOP COCKPIT 113 Ferro flicks the intercom switch several times. Thumps her headset mike. FERRO Spunkmeyer? Goddammit. The compartment door behind her slides slowly back. FERRO (turning) Where the fu -- Her eyes widen. It's not Spunkmeyer. Am impression of leering jaws which blur forward, then a whirl of motion and a truncated scream. The throttle levers are slammed forward in the melee. EXT. APC - LANDSCAPE - STATION 114 They watch in dismay as the approaching ship dips and VEERS WILDLY. Its main engines ROAR FULL ON and the craft accelerates toward them even as it loses altitude. It skims the ground. Clips a rock formation. The ship slews, sideslipping. It hits a ridge. Tumbles, bursting into flame, breaking up. It arcs into the air, end over end, a Catherine wheel juggernaut. RIPLEY Run! She grabs Newt and sprints for cover as a tumbling section of the ship's massive engine module slams into the APC and it explodes into twisted wreckage. The drop-ship skips again, like a stone, engulfed in flames...AND CRASHES INTO THE STATION. A TREMENDOUS FIREBALL. The remainder of the ground team watches their hopes of getting off the planet, and most of their superior fire power, reduced to flaming debris. There is a moment of stunned silence, then... HUDSON (hysterical) Well that's great! That's just fucking great, man. Now what the fuck are we supposed to do, man? We're in some real pretty shit now! HICKS Are you finished? (to Ripley) You okay? She nods. She can't disguise her stricken expression when she looks at Newt, but the little girl seems relatively calm. She shrugs with fatalistic acceptance. NEWT I guess we're not leaving, right? RIPLEY I'm sorry, Newt. NEWT You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault. HUDSON (kicking rocks) Just tell me what the fuck we're supposed to do now. What're we gonna do now? BURKE (annoyed) May be could build a fire and sing songs. NEWT We should get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon. They come mostly at night. Mostly. Ripley follows Newt's look to the AP station looming in the twilight, the burning drop-ship wreckage jammed into its basal structure. EXT. CONTROL BLOCK - NIGHT 115 The wind howls mournfully around the metal buildings, dry and cold. INT. OPERATIONS 116 The weary and demoralized group is gathered to take stock of their grim options. Vasquez and Hudson are just setting down a scorched and dented packing case, one of several culled from the APC wreckage. Hicks indicates their remaining inventory of weapons, lying on a table. HICKS This is all we could salvage. We've got four pulse-rifles with about fifty rounds each. Not so good. About fifteen M-40 grenades and two flame throwers less than half full...one damaged. And We've got four of these robot-sentry units with scanners and display intact. He opens one of the scorched cases, revealing a high-tech servo-actuated machine gun with optical sensing equipment, packed in foam. RIPLEY How long after we're declared overdue can we expect a rescue? HICKS About seventeen days. HUDSON Man, we're not going to make it seventeen hours! Those things are going to come in here, just like they did before, man... they're going to come in here and get us, man, long before... RIPLEY She survived longer than that with no weapons and no training. Ripley indicates Newt, who salutes Hudson smartly. RIPLEY So you better just start dealing with it. Just deal with it, Hudson...because we need you and I'm tired of your bullshit. Now get on a terminal and call up some kind of floor plan file. Construction blueprints, maintenance schematics, anything that shows the layout of this place. I want to see air ducts, electrical access tunnels, subbasements. Every possible way into this wing. Hudson gathers himself, thankful for the direction. Hicks nods approval of her handling of it. HUDSON Aye-firmative. I'm on it. BISHOP I'll be in medical. I'd like to continue my analysis. RIPLEY Fine. You do that. INT. OPERATIONS 117 Burke, Ripley, Hudson and Hicks are bent over a large HORIZONTAL VIDEOSCREEN, like an illuminated chart table. Newt hops from one foot to the other to see. RIPLEY This service tunnel is how they're moving back and forth. HUDSON Yeah, right, it runs from the processing station right into the sublevel here. He traces a finger along the abstract ground plan. RIPLEY All right. There's a fire door at this end. The first thing we do is put a remote sentry in the tunnel and seal that door. HICKS We gotta figure on them getting into the complex. RIPLEY That's right. So we put up welded barricades at these intersections... (pointing) ...and seal these ducts here and here. Then they can only come at us from these two corridors and we create a free field of fire for the other two sentry units, here. Hicks contemplates her game plan and raises his hand, satisfied. HICKS Outstanding. Then all we need's a deck of cards. All right, let's move like we got a purpose. HUDSON Aye-firmative. NEWT (imitating Hudson) Aye-firmative! INT. SERVICE TUNNEL - SUBLEVEL 118 A long straight service tunnel, lined with conduit, seems to go on forever. Vasquez and Hudson have finished setting up two of the robot sentry guns on tripods in the tunnel. VASQUEZ (shouting) Testing! She hurls a wastebasket down the tunnel, into the automatic field of fire. The sentry guns swivel smoothly, the wastebasket bounces once...and is riddled by two quick bursts of EXPLODING 10MM ROUNDS into dime-sized shrapnel. They retreat behind a heavy steel FIRE DOOR which they roll closed on its track. Vasquez, using a PORTABLE WELDING TORCH, begins sealing the door to its frame, as Hudson paces nervously. HUDSON Hudson here. A and B sentries are in place and keyed. We're sealing the tunnel. INT. SECOND LEVEL CORRIDOR 119 Hicks pauses in his work. HICKS (into mike) Roger. He and Ripley are covering an air duct opening with a metal plate, welding it in place, showering sparks in the dark corridor. Behind them Burke and Newt are moving back and forth with cartons of food on a hand truck, stacking it inside the operations center. Hicks sets down his welder and pulls a small object out of a belt pouch. A braceletlike EMERGENCY LOCATING BEEPER. HICKS Here, put this on. Then I can locate you anywhere in the complex on this -- He indicates a tiny TRACKER hooked to his battle harness. He shrugs, a little self-consciously. HICKS Just a...precaution. You know. Ripley pauses for a moment, regarding him quizzically. RIPLEY (strapping it on) Thanks. HUDSON Uh, what's next? She consults a printout of the floor plan. EXT. CONTROL BLOCK 120 The wind has died utterly and in the even more eerie stillness a diffuse mist has rolled into shroud the complex. Visibility is low in the fog. Everything looks underwater. There is no movement. INT. CORRIDOR 121 In the barricaded corridor sentry-gun "C" sits waiting, its "ARMED" light flashing green. Through a hole torn in the ceiling at the far end of the corridor the fog swirls in. Water drips. An expectant hush. INT. MED LAB ANNEX - OPERATING ROOM 122 Ripley carries an exhausted Newt through the inner connecting rooms of the medical wing. She reaches an OPERATING ROOM which is small but very high-tech ...vaultlike metal walls, strange equipment. Several metal cots have been set up, displacing O.R. equipment which is pushed into one corner. Newt is resting her head on Ripley's shoulder, barely awake...out of steam. Ripley sets her on one of the cots and Newt lies down. RIPLEY Now you just lie here and have a nap. You're exhausted. NEWT I don't want to...I have scary dreams. This obviously strikes a chord with Ripley, but she feigns cheerfulness. RIPLEY I'll bet Casey doesn't have bad dreams. Ripley lifts the doll's head from Newt's tiny fingers and looks inside. It is, of course, empty. RIPLEY Nothing bad in here. Maybe you could just try to be like her. Ripley closes the doll's eyes and hands her back. Newt rolls her eyes as if to say "don't pull that five-year-old shit on me, lady. I'm six." NEWT Ripley...she doesn't have bad dreams because she's just a piece of plastic. RIPLEY Oh. Sorry, Newt. NEWT My mommy always said there were no monsters. No real ones. But there are. Ripley's expression becomes sober. She brushes damp hair back from the child's pale forehead. RIPLEY (quietly) Yes, there are, aren't there. NEWT Why do they tell little kids that? Newt's voice reveals her deep sense of betrayal. She's seen that the world can be just as terrifying as her most primal child's nightmare if not more so, and that's a lot worse than finding out there is no Santa. RIPLEY Well, some kids can't handle it like you can. NEWT Did one of those things grow inside her? Ripley begins pulling blankets up an tucking them in around her tiny body. RIPLEY I don't know, Newt. That's the truth. NEWT Isn't that how babies come? I mean people babies...they grow inside you? RIPLEY No, it's different, honey. NEWT Did you ever have a baby? RIPLEY Yes. A little girl. NEWT Where is she? RIPLEY (quietly) Gone. NEWT You mean dead. It's more statement than question. Ripley nods slowly. She turns, reaching for a PORTABLE SPACE HEATER sitting nearby, and slides it closer to the bed. She switches it on. It HUMS and emits a cozy orange glow. NEWT Ripley, I was just thinking... Maybe I could do you a favor and fill in for her. Just for a while. You can try it and if you don't like it, it's okay. I'll understand. No big deal. Whattya think? Ripley gazes at her a long time before answering... a conflict between the urge to crush the child to her in a forever hug and the knowledge that neither of them may see another dawn. RIPLEY I think it's not the worst idea I've heard all day. Let's talk about it later. She switches off the light and starts to rise. Newt grabs her arm. A plaintive voice in the dark. NEWT Don't go! Please. RIPLEY I'll be right in the other room, Newt. And look...I can see you on that camera right up there. Newt looks at the VIDEO SECURITY CAMERA above the door. Ripley unsnaps the TRACKER BRACELET given to her by Hicks and puts it on Newt's tiny wrist, cinching it down. RIPLEY Here. Take is for luck. Now go to sleep...and don't dream. Ripley walks away and Newt rolls on her side, hugging Casey and gazing at the hypnotically pulsing function light on the bracelet. The space heater hums comfortingly. INT. MED LAB 123 ECU Gorman, his eyelids slitted open like those of a corpse, but with the eyes tracking erratically. The only sign of life. RIPLEY (voice over) How is he? Ripley stands over the Lieutenant, who is lying motionless on an examining table. Bishop looks up from his instruments nearby, the light of a single gooseneck lamp giving his features a macabre cast. BISHOP I've isolated a neuro-muscular toxin responsible for the paralysis. It seems to be metabolizing. He should wake up soon. RIPLEY Now let me get this straight. The aliens paralyzed the colonists, carried them over there, cocooned them to be hosts for more of those... Ripley points at the stasis cylinders containing the face-hugger specimens. RIPLEY Which would mean lots of those parasites, right? One for each person...over a hundred at least. BISHOP Yes. That follows. RIPLEY But these things come from eggs...so where are all the eggs coming from. BISHOP That is the question of the hour. We could assume a parallel to certain insect forms who have hivelike organization. An ant of termite colony, for example, is ruled by a single female, a queen, which is the source of new eggs. RIPLEY You're saying one of those things lays all the eggs? BISHOP Well, the queen is always physically larger then the others. A termite queen's abdomen is so bloated with eggs that it can't move at all. It is fed and tended by drone workers, defended by the warriors. She is the center of their lives, quite literally the mother of their society. RIPLEY Could it be intelligent? BISHOP Hard to say. It may have been blind instinct...attraction to the heat of whatever...but she did choose to incubate her eggs in the one spot where we couldn't destroy her without destroying ourselves. That's if she exists, of course. Ripley ponders the ramifications of Bishop's analysis. RIPLEY (rising) I want those specimens destroyed as soon as you're done with them. You understand? Bishop glances at the creatures, pulsing malevolently in their cylinders. BISHOP Mr. Burke have instructions that they were to be kept alive in stasis for return to the company labs. He was very specific. Ripley feels the fabric of her self-restraint tearing. She slaps the intercom switch. RIPLEY Burke! INT. MED LAB ANNEX 124 In a small observation chamber separated from the med lab by a glass partition, Ripley and Burke have squared off. BURKE Those specimens are worth millions to the bio-weapons division. Now, if you're smart we can both come out of this heroes. Set up for life. RIPLEY You just try getting a dangerous organism past ICC quarantine. Section 22350 of the Commerce Code. BURKE You've been doing your homework. Look, they can't impound it if they don't know about it. RIPLEY But they will know about it, Burke. From me. Just like they'll know how you were responsible for the deaths of one hundred and fifty-seven colonists here -- BURKE Now, wait a second -- RIPLEY (stepping on him) You sent them to that ship. I just checked the colony log... directive dates six-twelve-seventy-nine. Signed Burke, Carter J. Ripley's fury is peaking, now that the frustration and rage finally have a target to focus on. RIPLEY You sent them out there and you didn't even warn them, Burke. Why didn't you warn them? BURKE Look, maybe the thing didn't even exist, right? And if I'd made it a major security situation, the Administration would've stepped in. Then no exclusive rights, nothing. He shrugs, his manner blase, dismissive. BURKE It was a bad call, that's all. Ripley snaps. She slams him against the wall, surprising herself and him, her hands gripping his collar. RIPLEY Bad call? These people are fucking dead, Burke! Well, they're going to nail your hide to the shed... and I'll be there when they do. She steps back, shaking, and looks at him with utter loathing, as if the depths of human greed are a far more horrific revelation than any alien. BURKE (sadly) I expected more of you, Ripley. I thought you would be smarter than this. RIPLEY Sorry to disappoint you. She turns away and strides out. The door closes. Burke stares after her, his mind a whirl of options. INT. CORRIDOR 125 Ripley is walking toward operations when a STRIDENT ALARM begins to sound. She breaks into a run. INT. OPERATIONS 126 Ripley double-times it to Hicks' TACTICAL CONSOLE where Hudson and Vasquez have already gathered. Hicks slaps a switch, killing the alarm. HICKS They're coming. They're in the tunnel. The TRILLING of the motion sensor remains, speeding up. TWO RED LIGHTS on the tactical display light up simultaneously with an echoing crash of gunfire which vibrates the floor. HICKS Guns A and B. Tracking and firing on multiple targets. The RSS guns pound away, echoing through the complex. Their separate bursts overlap in an irregular rhythm. A counter on the display counts down the number of rounds fired. HUDSON They must be wall to wall in there. Look at those ammo counters go. It's a shooting gallery down there. INT. SERVICE TUNNEL - TIGHT ON RSS GUNS 127 blasting stroboscopically in the tunnels. Their barrels are overheating, glowing cherry red. One CLICKS empty and sits smoking, still swiveling to track targets it can't fire upon. INT. OPERATIONS 128 The digital counter on B gun reads zero. HICKS B gun's dry. Twenty on A. Ten. Five. That's it. SILENCE. Then a GONGLIKE BOOMING echoes eerily up from sublevel. RIPLEY They're at the fire door. The BOOMING INCREASES in volume and ferocity. HUDSON Man, listen to that. Mixed with the echoing crash-clang is a nerve-wrecking SCREECH of claws on steel. The intercom buzzes, startling them. BISHOP (voice over) Bishop here. I'm afraid I have some bad news. HUDSON Well, that's a switch. INT. OPERATIONS - MINUTES LATER 129 Everyone, including Bishop, is crowded at the window, intently watching the AP station which is a dim silhouette in the mist. Suddenly a column of flame, like an acetylene torch, jets upward from the complex at the base of the cone. BISHOP That's it. See it? Emergency venting. RIPLEY How long until it blows? BISHOP I'm projecting total systems failure in a little under four hours. The blast radius will be about thirty kilometers. About equal to ten megatons. HICKS We got problems. HUDSON I don't fucking believe this. Do you believe this? RIPLEY And it's too late to shut it down? BISHOP I'm afraid so. The crash did too much damage. The overload is inevitable, at this point. HUDSON Oh, man. And I was gettin' short, too! Four more weeks and out. Now I'm gonna buy it on this fuckin' rock. It ain't half fair, man! VASQUEZ Hudson, give us a break. They watch as another gas jet lights up the fog-shrouded landscape. RIPLEY (to Hicks) We need the other drop-ship. The on one the Sulaco. We have to bring it down on remote, somehow. HUDSON How? The transmitter was on the APC. It's wasted. RIPLEY (pacing) I don't care how! Think of a way. Think of something. HUDSON Think of what? We're fucked. RIPLEY What about the colony transmitter? That up-link tower down at the other end. Why can't we use that? BISHOP I checked. The hard wiring between here and there was severed in the fighting. Ripley is wound up like a dynamo, her mind spinning out options, grim solutions. RIPLEY Well then somebody's just going to have to go out there. Take a portable terminal and go out there and plug in manually. HUDSON Oh, right! Right! With those things running around. No way. BISHOP (quietly) I'll go. RIPLEY What? BISHOP I'm really the only one qualified to remote-pilot the ship anyway. Believe me, I'd prefer not to. I may be synthetic but I'm not stupid. RIPLEY All right. Let's get on it. What'll you need? VASQUEZ Listen. It's stopped. They listen. Nothing. An instant later comes the HIGH-PITCHED TRILLING of a motion-sensor alarm. Hicks looks at the tactical board. HICKS Well, they're into the complex. INT. MED LAB 130 One of the acid holes from the colonists' siege has yielded access to subfloor conduits. Bishop lying in the opening, reaches up to graph the portable terminal as Ripley hands it down to him. He pushes it into the constricted shaft ahead of him. She then hands him a small satchel containing tools and assorted patch cables, a service pistol and a small cutting torch. BISHOP This duct runs almost to the up-link assembly. One hundred eighty meters. Say, forty minutes to crawl down there. One hour to patch in and align the antenna. Thirty minutes to prep the ship, then about fifty minutes flight time. Ripley looks at her watch. RIPLEY It's going to be closer. You better get going. BISHOP (cheerfully) See you soon. She squirms into the shaft, pushing the equipment along ahead of him with a scraping rhythm. The diameter of the conduit is barely larger than the width of his shoulders. Vasquez slides a metal plate over the hole and begins spot welding it in place. INT. CONDUIT 131 Bishop looks back as the welder seals him in. He sighs fatalistically and squirms forward. Ahead of him the conduit dwindles straight to seeming infinity. Like being in the bore of a very long Howitzer. INT. MED LAB 132 Ripley jumps as an ALARM suddenly blares through the complex. HICKS (voice over) They're in the approach corridor. RIPLEY (into mike) On my way. Ripley jumps up, unslinging a FLAMETHROWER from her shoulder in one motion, and sprints for Operations with Vasquez. The sound of SENTRY GUNS opening up in staccato bursts echoes from close by. INT. OPERATIONS 133 Ripley runs to the tactical console where Hicks is mesmerized by the images from the surveillance cameras. The flashes of the sentry guns flare out the sensitive video, but impressions of figures moving in the smoky corridor are occasionally visible. The robot sentries hammer away, driving streamers of tracer fire into the swirling mist. HICKS Twenty meters and closing. Fifteen. C and D guns down about fifty percent. The digital readout whirl through descending numbers. An inhuman SHRILL SCREECHING is audible between bursts of fire. RIPLEY Now many? HICKS Can't tell. Lots. D gun's down to twenty. Ten. It's out. Then the firing from the remaining guns stop abruptly. The video image is a swirling wall of smoke. Small fires burn, dim glows in the mist. There are black and twisted shapes, and pieces of twisted shapes, scattered at the edge of visibility. However, nothing emerges from the wall of smoke. The motion sensor TONE shuts off. RIPLEY They retreated. The guns stopped them. The moment stretches. Everyone exhales slowly. HICKS Yeah. But look... The digital counters for the two sentry guns read "0" and "10" respectively. Less than a second's worth of firing. HICKS Newt time then can walk right up and knock. RIPLEY But they don't know that. They're probably looking for other ways to get in. That'll take them awhile. HUDSON Maybe we got 'em demoralized. HICKS (to Vasquez and Hudson) I want you two walking the perimeter. I know we're all in strung out shape but stay frosty and alert. We've got to stop any entries before they get out of hand. The two troopers nod and head for the corridor. Ripley sighs and picks up a cup of cold coffee, draining it in one gulp. HICKS How long since you slept? Twenty-four hours? Ripley shrugs. She seems soul weary, drained by the nerve-wracking tension. When she answers, her voice seems distant, detached. RIPLEY (grimly) They'll get us. HICKS Maybe. Maybe not. RIPLEY Hicks, I'm not going to wind up like those others. You'll take care of it won't you, it if comes to that? HICKS If it comes to that, I'll do us both. Let's see that it doesn't Here, I'd like to introduce you to a close personal friend of mine. He picks up his pulse-rifle and with the casually precise movements of long practice he snaps open the bolt, drops out the magazine and hands it to her. HICKS M-41A 10mm pulse-rifle, over and under with a 30mm pump-action grenade launcher. Ripley hefts the weapon. It is heavy and awkward. But there is an irrational promise of security in its lethal cold steel lines, to at least the sense that she will be in some greater measure the master of her own fate. She raises it clumsily. RIPLEY What do I do? INT. CONDUIT 134 Bishop is in claustrophobic limbo between two echoing infinities. The pipe rings with his scraping advance. He approaches an irregular hole which admits a tiny shaft of light. He puts his eyes up to the acid-etched opening. HIS P.O.V. as drooling jaws flash toward us, SLAMMING against the steel with a vicious scraping SNAP. Bishop flattens himself away from the opening and inches along, looking pale and strained. He glances at his watch. INT. OPERATIONS 135 Ripley has the stock of the M-41A snugged up to her cheek and is awkwardly trying to keep up with Hicks' instructions. The Corporal is standing close behind her, positioning her arms. It's intimate but that's the last thing on their minds. HICKS Just pull it in real right. It will kick some. When the counter here heads zero, hit this... He thumbs a button and the magazine drops out, clattering on the floor. HICKS Just let it drop right out. Get the other one in quick. Just slap it in hard, it likes abuse. Now, pull the bolt. CLACK. HICKS You're ready again. Ripley repeats the action, not very smoothly. Her hands are trembling. She indicates a stout TUBE underneath the slender pulse-rifle barrel. RIPLEY What's this? HICKS Well, that's the grenade launcher ...you probably don't want to mess with that. RIPLEY Look, you started this. Now show me everything. I can handle myself. HICKS Yeah. I've noticed. INT. CORRIDOR 136 DOLLYING WITH Ripley walking down the corridor, now carrying the newfound friend, the M-41A. Gorman steps out of the door to the med lab, looking weak but sound. Burke is right behind him. RIPLEY How do you feel? GORMAN All right, I guess. One hell of a hangover. Look, Ripley... I... RIPLEY Forget it. She shoulders by him into the med lab. Gorman turns to see Vasquez staring at him with cold, slitted eyes. GORMAN You still want to kill me? VASQUEZ (turning away) It won't be necessary. INT. MED LAB - ANNEX 137 Ripley crosses the deserted lab, passing through the annex to the small O.R. where she left Newt. INT. MED LAB - O.R. 138 Entering the darkened chamber, Ripley looks around. Newt is nowhere to be seen. On a hunch she kneels down and peers under the bed. Newt is curled up there, jammed as far back as she can get, fast asleep. Still clutching "Casey." Ripley stares at Newt's tiny face, so angelic despite the demons that have chased her through her dreams and the reality between dreams. Ripley lays the rifle on top of the cot and crawls carefully underneath. Without waking the little girl, she slips her arms around her. Ripley becomes merely the larger of two children huddling together in the darkness under their bed. Newt's face contorts with the externalization of some tormented dreamscape. She cries out, a vague inarticulate plea. Ripley rocks her gently. RIPLEY There, there. Sssshh. It's all right. EXT. Up-LINK TOWER - VIEW OF AP STATION 139 A VIEW OF the processing station from the colony landing platform. A rising wind is clearing out the low fog and the silhouette of the station grows sharper. Several systems of high pressure conduits at the base of the conical tower are actually glowing dull red with heat in the darkness. High voltage discharges arc around the upper latticework, lighting the blighted landscape with irregular glaring flashes. PAN ONTO BISHOP, F.G. hunched against the wind at the base of the telemetry tower. He has a TEST-BAY PANEL open and the portable terminal patched in. His jacket is draped over the keyboard and monitor unit to protect it from the elements and he is typing frenetically. BISHOP (to himself) Now, if I did it right... He punches a key marked "ENABLE." INT. SULACO CARGO LOCK - IN ORBIT 140 The drop bay is empty and silent, with the remaining ship brooding in the shadows. A KLAXON sounds and rotating clearance lights come on. Hydraulics whine to life. Drop-ship two moves out on its overhead track and is lowered into the drop bay fro launch-prep. Service booms and fueling couplers move in automatically around the hull. A recorded announcement echoes across the huge chamber. FEMALE VOICE Attention. Attention. Automatic fueling operations have begun. Please extinguish all smoking materials. INT. OPERATING ROOM - TIGHT ON RIPLEY - MED LAB 141 as she awakens with a start. She checks her watch... an hour has passed. She gently disengages herself from Newt and is about to crawl out from beneath the cot when she sees something and FREEZES. Across the room, just inside the door to the med lab, are two innocuous but nonetheless chilling objects. TWO STASIS CYLINDERS. Their tops are hinged open, and the suspension fields are switched off. They are both EMPTY. Ripley feels a slow upwelling wave of terror rise through her in that silent frozen moment...the inescapable certainty of a lethal presence. Unable to move or breathe, she looks around frantically, assessing the situation. RIPLEY (whispers) Newt. Newt, wake up. NEWT Wah...? Where are...? RIPLEY (whispers) Sssh. Don't move. We're in trouble. Newt nods, now wide awake. They listen in the darkness for the slightest betrayal of movement. The scrabble of multiple legs across the polished floor, for example. There is only the droning HUM of the little space heater. Ripley reaches up and, clutching the springs of the underside of the cot, begins to inch it away from the wall. The SQUEAL OF METAL as the legs scrape across the floor is jarringly loud in the stillness. When the space is wide enough she cautiously slides herself up between the wall and the edge of the cot, reaching for the rifle she left lying on top of the mattress. Here yes clear the edge of the bed. The rifle is GONE. She snaps her head around. A SCUTTLING SHAPE LEAPS TOWARD HER from the foot of the bed! She ducks with a startled cry. The obscene thing hits the wall above her, legs moving lightning fast. Reflexively she slams the bed against the wall, pinning the creature inches above her face. Its legs and tail writhe with incredible ferocity and it emits a demented, piercing SQUEAL. Ripley heaves Newt across the polished floor and in a frenzied scramble rolls from beneath the cot. She flips it over, trapping the creature underneath. They back away, gasping. Ripley's eyes flash around the shadowed room where every corner of space between equipment holds lethal promise. The creature scuttles from beneath the bed and disappears under a back of cabinets in a blur. Ripley hugs Newt close and heads toward the door, moving as if every object in the room had a million volts running through it. She reaches the door. Hits the wall switch. Nothing happens. Disabled from outside. She tries the lights. Nothing. She pounds on the door. The acoustically dampened door panel thunks dully. She moves to the observation window, glancing frantically over her shoulder. The bare floor behind her is like a screaming threat. RIPLEY (shouting) Hey...hey! She pounds on the window. Through the double thickness window we can SEE that the lab is dark and empty. Ripley whirls, hearing a loathsome scrabbling behind her. Newt starts to whimper, feeding off her fear. She steps in front of the video surveillance camera and waves her arms in a circle. RIPLEY Hicks! Hicks! INT. OPERATIONS - TIGHT ON VIDEO MONITOR 142 showing Ripley waving her arms. There is no sound, a surreal pantomime. A hand ENTERS FRAME and switches off the monitor. Ripley's image vanishes. WIDER ANGLE as Burke straightens casually from the console. Hicks is talking via headset with Bishop and hasn't noticed Ripley's plight or Burke's action. HICKS (into mike) Roger. Check back when you've activated the ship. (turning) He's at the up-link tower. BURKE (calmly) Excellent. INT. OPERATING ROOM 143 Ripley picks up a steel chair and slams it against the observation window. It bounces back from the high-impact material. She tries again. REVERSE ANGLE from the med lab side, showing her futile efforts, the chair hitting with a dull THWACK barely audible through the double thickness pressure port. Ripley turns, studying the room. She fumbles through a clutter of equipment on a counter next to her and finds a SMALL EXAMINATION LIGHT. Snapping it on she plays the beam over the walls. Tall assemblies of surgical and anaethesiology equipment loom in the dark. She hears, ot thinks she hears, movements. The light spins across the room, swiveling and bobbing frantically. Like an indicator of her growing panic. Newt starts a thin, high wailing. NEWT Mommy...mommmyyyyy... Ripley steadies herself, realizing Newt's terror and the child's dependence on her. She plays the beam across the ceiling. Holds on something. Gets an idea. She removes her lighter from a jacket pocket and picks up some papers from the counter. Moving cautiously she boosts Newt up onto the SURGICAL TABLE in the center of the room and clambers up after her. NEWT Mommy...I mean, Ripley...I'm scared. RIPLEY I know, honey. Me too. Ripley lights the papers and holds the flaming mass under the temperature sensor of a fire control system SPRINKLER HEAD. It triggers, spraying the room from several sources with water. An ALARM sounds throughout the complex. INT. OPERATIONS 144 Hicks jumps at the sound of the alarm, finally identifying its source among the lights flashing on his board. He bolts for the door, yelling into his headset as he moves. HICKS Vasquez, Hudson, meet me in medical! We got a fire! INT. OPERATING ROOM 145 Ripley and Newt are drenched as the sprinklers continue to drizzle in the darkness. The SIREN hoots maniacally, masking all other sound. Ripley scans the room with her light, her hair plastered to her face, wiping water out of her eyes. She is eye level with a complex surgical MULTILIGHT. She looks into its tangle of arms and cables, inches away. Looks away. Her eyes snap back. SOMETHING LEAPS AT HER FACE. She SCREAMS and topples off the table, splashing to the floor. Newt shrieks and scrambles away as Ripley hurls the CHITTERING creature off of her. It slams against a wall of cabinets, clings for a moment, then leaps back as if driven by a steel spring. Ripley scrambles desperately, pulling equipment over on top of herself, clawing across the floor in a frenzy of motion. In a blurr of multijointed legs the creature scuttles up her body. She tears at it, but it is incredibly powerful for its size. It moves like lightning toward her head, avoiding her fumbling hands. Newt screams abjectly, backing away, until she is pressed up against a desk in one corner. Ripley has both hands up, forcing the pulsing body back from her face. The thing's tail whips around her throat and begins to tighten, forcing the underside of its body close to her. Ripley thrashes about, knocking over equipment, sending instruments CLATTERING. Water streams over her, into her eyes, blinding her and making it impossible to get a grip on the creature's body. ANGLE ON NEWT as crablike legs appear from behind the desk, right behind her. She sees it and, thinking fast, jams the desk against the wall, pinning the writhing thing. The desk jumps and shudders against all the pressure her tiny body can bring to bear on it. She wails between gritted teeth as the second creature gets one leg free, then another and another. Squeezing itself inexorably onto the desk top...toward her. The legs of the chittering thing claw at Ripley's head, getting a surer grip even as she whips her head from side to side. The obscene TUBULE extrudes wetly from the sheath on the creature's underside, forcing itself between the arms she has crossed tightly over her face. A figure appears at the observation window, a silhouette behind the misted-over glass. A hand wipes a clear spot. Hick's eyes appear. He steps back. WHAM! A burst of pulse-rifle fire shatters the tempered glass. Hicks dives into the crazed spider web pattern and explodes into the room in a shower of fragments. He hits rolling, his armor grinding through the shards, and slides across to Ripley. He gets his fingers around the thrashing legs of the vicious beast and pulls. Between the two of them they force is away from her face, though Ripley is losing strength as the tail tightens sickeningly around her throat. Hudson leaps into the room, flings Newt away from the desk to go skidding across the wet floor, and blasts the second creature against the wall. Point-blank. Acid and smoke. Gorman appears at Ripley's side and grabs the tail, unwinding its writhing length like a boa constrictor coil from her throat. All of them grip the struggling, SHRIEKING creature. HICKS The corner! Ready? HUDSON Do it! Hicks hurls the thing into the corner. It scrabbles upright in an instant and leaps back toward them. WHAM! Hudson gets it clean. Ripley collapses, gagging. The alarm and sprinklers shut off automatically. Hicks sees the stasis cylinders. RIPLEY (coughing) Burke...it was Burke. INT. OPERATIONS - ANGLE ON HUDSON 146 looking decidedly stressed-out. He grips his rifle tightly, AIMED RIGHT AT CAMERA. HUDSON (intense) I say we grease this rat-fuck son of a bitch right now! THE GROUP is gathered around Burke who sits in a chair, maintaining an icy calm although beads of sweat betray intense concealed tension. Only a few minutes have passes and everyone is still buzzed on adrenaline, as if the whole group is charged with high voltage. HICKS (pacing) I don't get it. It doesn't make any Goddamn sense. Ripley stands in front of Burke, every fiber of her being accusing him with absolute outrage. Burke tries to break Ripley's stare, which is like a diamond drill. He can't. RIPLEY He wanted an alien, only he couldn't get it back through quarantine. But if we were impregnated ...whatever you call it...and then frozen for the trip back at just the right time...then nobody would know about the embryos we were carrying. We and Newt. Ripley glances at the little girl, a frail figure sitting nearby, hugging her knees and watching the proceedings with somber eyes. She is all but lost in an adult jacket someone has found for her, and her still damp hair is plastered to her forehead and cheeks. HICKS Wait a minute. We'd know about it. RIPLEY The only way it would work is if he sabotaged certain freezers on the trip back. Then he could jettison the bodies and make up any story he liked. HUDSON Fuuuck! He's dead. (to Burke) You're dogmeat, pal. BURKE This is total paranoid delusion. It's pitiful. RIPLEY (wearily) You know, Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them screwing each other over for a fucking percentage. HICKS (serious) Let's waste him. (to Burke) No offense. Ripley shakes her head, the rage giving way to a sickened emptiness. RIPLEY Just find someplace to lock him up until it's time to -- THE LIGHTS GO OUT. Everyone stops in the sudden darkness, realizing instinctively it is a new escalation in the struggle. Hicks looks at the board. Everything is out. Doors. Video screens. RIPLEY They cut the power. HUDSON What do you mean, they cut the power? How could they cut the power, man? They're animals. Ripley picks up her rifle and thumbs off the safety. RIPLEY Newt! Stay close. (to the others) Let's get some trackers going. Come on, get moving. Gorman, watch Burke. Hudson and Vasquez pick up their scanners and move to the door. Vasquez has to slide it open manually on its track. INT. CORRIDOR 147 The two troopers separate and move rapidly to the barriers at opposite ends of the control block. DOLLYING WITH VASQUEZ as she moves forward with feral steps in the darkness. ON HUDSON scanning the med lab and the nearby barrier. RIPLEY (voice over) Anything? BEEP. Hudson's tracker lights up, a faint signal. HUDSON There's something. He pans it around. Back down the corridor. It beep again, louder. HUDSON It's inside the complex. VASQUEZ (voice over) You're just reading me. HUDSON No. No! It ain't you. They're inside. Inside the perimeter. They're in here. RIPLEY Hudson, stay cool. Vasquez? ANGLE ON VASQUEZ swinging her tracker and rifle together. She aims it behind her. BEEP. VASQUEZ (cool) Hudson may be right. INT. OPERATIONS 148 Ripley and Hicks share a look..."here we go." HICKS (low) It's game time. RIPLEY Get back here, both of you. Fall back to Operations. INT. CORRIDOR 149 Hudson backtracks nervously, peering all around. He looks stretched to the limit. HUDSON This signal's weird...must be some interference or something. There's movement all over the place... RIPLEY (voice over) Just get back here! Hudson reaches the door to operations at a run, a moment before Vasquez. They pull the door shut and lock it. INT. OPERATIONS 150 Hudson joins Ripley and Hicks, who are laying out their armament. Flamethrowers. Grenades. M-41A magazines. Hudson's tracker beeps. Then again. The tone continues through the SCENE, its rhythm increasing. HUDSON Movement! Signal's clean. He pans the scanner. Stops. The range display reads out, counting down. HUDSON Range twenty meters. RIPLEY (to Vasquez) Seal the door. Vasquez picks up a hand-welder and moves to comply. HUDSON Seventeen meters. HICKS Let's get these things lit. He hands one flamethrower to RIpley and begins priming the other himself. It lights with a muffled POP. Ripley's lights a moment later. Sparks shower around Vasquez as she begins welding the door. Hudson's tracker is beeping like mad now, as fast as their hearts. RIPLEY They learned. They cut the power and avoided the guns. They must have found another way in, something we missed. HICKS We didn't miss anything. HUDSON Fifteen meters. RIPLEY I don't know, an acid hole in a duct. Something under the floors, not on the plans. I don't know! She picks up Vasquez' scanner and aims it the same direction as Hudson's. HUDSON Twelve meters. Man, this is a big fucking signal. Ten meters. RIPLEY They're right on us. Vasquez, how you doing? Vasquez is heedlessly showering herself with molten metal as she welds the door shut. Working like a demon. HUDSON Nine meters. Eight. RIPLEY Can't be. That's inside the room! HUDSON It's readin' right. Look! Ripley fiddles with her tracker, adjusting the tuning. HICKS Well you're not reading it right! HUDSON Six meters. Five. What the fu -- He looks at Ripley. It dawns on both of them at the same time. She feels a cold premonitory dread as she angles her tracker upward to the ceiling, almost overhead. The tone gets louder. Hicks climbs onto a file cabinet and raises a panel of acoustic drop-ceiling. He shines his light inside. HICKS' P.O.V. 151 A soul-wrenching nightmare image. Moving in the beam of light are aliens. Lots of aliens. They are crawling like bats, upside down, clinging to the pipes and beams of the structural ceiling, not touching the flimsy acoustic panels. They glisten hideously as they claw their way forward in silence. They cover the ceiling of the operations room. The inner sanctum is utterly violated. ON HICKS 152 blasted by fear. Something moves...he snaps the light around. It's a meter behind him. IT LUNGES! He drops reflexively, the claws raking across his armor. Hicks falls into the room just as the creatures detach en masse from the handholds. THE CEILING EXPLODES, raining debris. Nightmare shapes drop into the room. Newt screams. Hudson opens fire. Vasquez grabs Hicks, pulls him up, firing one handed with her flamethrower. Ripley scoops up Newt and staggers back. Gorman turns to fire and Burke bolts for the only remaining exit, the corridor connecting to the med lab. In the strobelike glare of the pulse-rifles we SEE flashes of aliens, moving forward in the smoke from the flamethrower fires. They move like nothing human... leaping quick as insects at times or gliding with powerful, balletic grace. RIPLEY Medical! Get to medical! She dashes for the corridor. INT. MED LAB CORRIDOR 153 DOLLYING BEHIND HER as she sprints, the walls becoming a frenzied blur. Ahead of her Burke clears the door to the med lab. HE SLIDES IT CLOSED. Ripley slams into the door. Tries the latch. Hears it LOCK from the far side. RIPLEY Burke! Open the door! NEWT Look! Behind her an alien is moving down the corridor like a locomotive, a graceful skeleton shape as lethal and inhuman as you can imagine. Strobe flashes backlight the demented silhouette. Shaking, Ripley raises her rifle. She squeezes the trigger. NOTHING HAPPENS. The creature HISSES, baring its teeth as it advances. Ripley checks the SAFETY. The safety is off. The DIGITAL COUNTER. The magazine is full. Newt begins to wail. Ripley's hands, slick with sweat, are trembling so much she almost drops the rifle. Panic screams in her brain. The thing is almost on her, filling the corridor, when she remembers. She snaps the bolt back, chambering a round. Whips the stock to her shoulder. FIRES. FLASH-CRACK! A FLASHBULB GLIMPSE OF shrieking jaws as the silhouette is hurled back, screeching insanely. Ripley is slammed against the door by the recoil, blinded by the flash and deafened by the concussion. INT. OPERATIONS 154 Hicks looks up. Fires POINT-BLANK at a leaping silhouette. SCREEEECH! The fire-control system has tripped, with sprinklers spraying the room and a mindless SIREN wailing. Total pandemonium. HUDSON (hysterical) Let's go! Let's go! HICKS Fuckin' A! Hudson screams as floor panels lift under him, and clawed arms seize him lightning fast, dragging him down. Another skeletal shape leaps on him from above. He disappears into the subfloor crawlway. Hicks, Vasquez and Gorman make it to the med lab access corridor. INT. CORRIDOR Stunned, Ripley sees through dissipating smoke the creature rising to advance again. Flinching against blast and glare she drills it POINT-BLANK with a BLINDING BURST that carries the M-41A's muzzle right up toward the ceiling. Newt covers her ears against the CONCUSSION. HICKS (o.s.) Hold you fire! The troopers seem to materialize out of the smoke. RIPLEY (indicating door) Locked. HICKS Stand back. Hicks snaps the torch off his belt and cuts into the lock. Inhuman shapes enter the far end of the corridor. Vasquez hands her flamethrower to Gorman and unslings her rifle. She starts loading 30mm grenades into the launcher, like oversize 12-guage shells. GORMAN You can't use those in here! VASQUEZ Right. Fire in the hole! She pumps a round up and fires. The grenade EXPLODES and the blast almost knocks them down. Hicks kicks the door open, molten droplets flying. HICKS (shouting at Vasquez) Thanks a lot! Now I can't hear shit. VASQUEZ (shouting) What? INT. MED LAB ANNEX 156 Vasquez slides the door almost closed, then fires three grenades rapid-fire through the gap. She slams the door home as the grenades detonate, the explosion sounding gonglike through the metal. Ripley sprints across the room, trying the far door. Burke has locked it as well. Hicks switches his hand-torch from CUT to WELD and starts sealing the door they just passed through. INT. MED LAB 157 Burke, hyperventilating with terror, backs across the dark chamber. Gasping, almost paralyzed with fear, he crosses the chamber to the door leading to the main concourse. His fingers reach for the latch. It moves by itself. The door opens slowly. ON BURKE his eyes wide, transfixed by his fate. We hear the BULLWHIP CRACK of a tail-stinger striking as we: CUT TO: INT. MED LAB ANNEX 158 The door dimples with a clanging impact, separating slightly from its frame. Another crash, the squeal of tortured steel. Newt grabs Ripley by the hand and tugs her across the room. NEWT Come on! This way. She leads Ripley to an air vent set low in the wall and expertly unlatches the grille, swinging it open. Newt starts inside but Ripley pulls her back. RIPLEY Stay behind me. Ripley trades her rifle for Gorman's flamethrower before he can protest and enters the air shaft, which is a tight fit. Newt scrambles in behind, followed by Hicks, Gorman and Vasquez on rearguard. Glancing back fearfully Newt pushes on Ripley's butt as they crawl rapidly through the shaft. NEWT Come on. Crawl faster. RIPLEY DO you know how to get to the landing field from here? NEWT Sure. Go left. Ripley turns into a larger MAIN DUCT where there is enough room to crab-walk in a low crouch. She runs, scraping her back on the ceiling. The troopers' armor clatters in the confined space. They approach an intersection. She fires the flamethrower around the corner, the looks. Clear. NEWT Go right. They sprint into the narrow connecting duct, the maze becoming a blur. Ripley fires the flamethrower periodically, as they pass side ducts covered by louvered grilles or vertical shafts going to higher or lower levels. HICKS (into headset) Bishop, you read me? Come in, over. There is a long pause then Bishop's VOICE, almost unintelligible with interference, comes over the radio. BISHOP (voice over; static) Yes, I read you. Not very well... EXT. UP-LINK RELAY - LANDING FIELD 159 Bishop is huddled against the base of the telemetry mast, out of the wind which is now gusting viciously. BISHOP (yelling; over enunciating) The ship is on its way. ETA about sixteen minutes. I've got my hands full flying... the weather's come up a bit. Bishop's fingers are blurring over the terminal keys and he squints, watching the screen as the flight telemetry updates rapidly. In the b.g. the AP station has become a raging demon, wreathed in boiling steam and electrical discharges. INT. AIR DUCT 160 HICKS All right, stand by there. We're on out way. Over. The beam of Ripley's light wavers hypnotically in the tunnel ahead. She blinks, seeing something...not sure. A GLINTING OBSCENE FORM MOVING TOWARD THEM, filling the tunnel at the absolute limit of the light's power. RIPLEY Back. Go back! They try to crawl back, jamming together. Behind them, the way they have come, a GRATING is battered in with a FEROCIOUS CLANG and the deadly silhouette of a warrior flows into the duct. They are trapped. Vasquez uses her flamethrower, bathing the tunnel in fire. Hicks snaps out his hand-welder and cuts into the wall of the duct. Molten metal spatters him, as sparks fill the tunnel with lurid light. Vasquez' flamethrower sputters. VASQUEZ (icy) Losing fuel. Between eye-searing bursts of flame Ripley sees the glistening apparitions closing in. Hicks' torch feathers out. Empty. Bracing his back he kicks hard at the cherry-hot metal. It bends aside. Beyond is a narrow SERVICE WAY, lined with pipes and conduit. Hicks slides through the searing hole, lifting Newt safely through as Ripley hands her out. Ripley follows and turns to help Gorman. Vasquez' flamethrower goes dry. She draws her SERVICE PISTOL. Suddenly she looks up as a WARRIOR SCREECHES DOWN FROM A VERTICAL SHAFT, right above her. She fires with incredible rapidity...BAM! BAM! BAM! Rolls aside. It lands on her legs and she snaps her head to one side just as its TAIL STINGER buries into the metal wall beside her cheek. She fires again, emptying the pistol, kicking the thrashing shape away. Acid cuts through her chickenplate armor, searing into her thigh. She cries out, gritting her teeth against the white-hot pain. Gorman sees Vasquez hit, unable to move. Sees the creatures coming the other way...and turns away from the escape hole. He crawls back to her, grabs her battle harness and starts dragging her towards safety. Too late. The approaching alien warriors have reached and passed the opening. Vasquez sees him, barely conscious. VASQUEZ (hoarse whisper) You always were an asshole, Gorman. She seizes his hand in a deadly drip, but we RECOGNIZE it as the "power greeting" she shared with Drake... something for the chosen few. Gorman returns the grip. He hands her two grenades and arms two himself as the creatures are upon them. INT. SERVICE WAY 161 RUSHING WITH Ripley, Newt and Hicks as a full tilt run. The service way lights up with a POWERFUL BLAST behind them and they stumble with the shock wave. Newt breaks out ahead and it's all Ripley and Hicks can do to keep up. NEWT This way. Come on, we're almost there! RIPLEY Newt, wait! The kid moves like lightning, diving and dodging around obstacles. If it wasn't clear before it's clear now that we are on her turf, and she's the ace. Running on and on, their breathing loud and echoing...the walls a directionless blur. Newt never hesitates. They reach a junction with a narrow ANGLED CHUTE which runs upward at a steep 45 degrees. NEWT Here! Go up. INT. CHUTE 162 Ripley looks up the angles shaft, seeing light at the top...an exterior vent hood. The sound of wind booms down from above. Like blowing across a bottle top vastly amplified. Ripley enters, bracing her feet on perilously narrow side ribs in the shaft. She looks down. The chute descends far into the depths, lost in shadow. She starts to climb with Next behind/below her, and Hicks, just emerging from the side duct. NEWT Just up there -- Newt slips, a rusted rib collapsing under her foot. She slides...catches herself with one hand. Ripley reaches for her, dropping her light. The hand-light goes skittering and bumping down the chute, around a bend, and disappears. Ripley strains, reaching, her hand groping for Newt's. They miss, inches apart. NEWT Riiiiipppleee -- She slips. Hicks lunges, grabbing her oversized jacket. AND SHE SLIPS OUT OF IT. With an echoing scream Newt plummets, sliding down the chute into darkness. MOVING WITH HER, the walls racing by in a dizzy blur like a bobsled ride. THe shaft pitches left. Newt bounces, sliding halfway up the wall. The chute forks ahead. Newt tumbles into the right shaft, which drops at a steeper angle into the depths. Just disappearing down the LEFT SHAFT we SEE Ripley's light. Ripley looks Hicks in the eye. And kicks free...sliding down the chute after Newt. Ripley slams her feet into the side-ribs, bracing herself in a controlled descent. Ripley reaches the "V." Sees the glow of the light in the left fork. She goes left. RIPLEY Newt! She hears a plaintive reply, so echoey and distorted it has no direction. NEWT (o.s.) Mommy...where are you? Ripley reaches the bottom of the chute where it intersects with a HORIZONTAL SERVICE TUNNEL. The light is lying there, but no Newt. The echoing wail comes again. NEWT (o.s.) Moooommeeee... Ripley starts down the tunnel, answering. Newt's call comes again. Fainter? She can't tell. She spins in a growing panic, starts the other way. RIPLEY (to her headset) Hicks, get down here. I need that locator. INT. SUBBASEMENT 163 Newt is in a low grottolike chamber, filled with pipes and machines. It is flooded, almost up to Newt's waist. She looks up, seeing light streaming through a grating. Ripley's voice seems to come from there. RIPLEY (o.s.) Newt! Star wherever you are! Newt climbs some pipes, straining to reach the grating. INT. SERVICE TUNNEL 164 Hicks joins Ripley, unsnapping the emergency-locator from his belt. They follow the signal into a lighted area where the power apparently was not cut. HICKS This way. We're close... Following the signal they come to a grating set in the floor. NEWT Here! I'm here. I'm here. Ripley runs to the grating. Looking down she sees Newt's tearstreaked face. Newt reaches up. Her tiny fingers wriggle up through the bars of the grate. Ripley squeezes the child's precious fingertips. RIPLEY Climb down, honey. We have to cut through this grate. Newt backs away, climbing down the pipe as Hicks cuts into the bars with his hand-torch. INT. SUBBASEMENT 165 Newt, standing waist deep in the water, watches sparks shower blindingly as Hicks cuts. She bites her lip, trembling. Cold and terrified. Silently a glistening shape rises in one graceful motion from the water behind her. It stands, dripping, dwarfing her tiny form. Newt turns, sensing the movement...She SCREAMS as the shadow engulfs her. INT. SERVICE TUNNEL 166 Ripley panics, hearing screaming below, then splashing. She and Hicks kick desperately at the grating, smashing it down. Heedless of the cherry-hot edges Ripley lunges into the hole with her light. RIPLEY Newt! Newt! The surface of the water reflects the beam placidly. Newt is gone. Bobbing in the water, eyes staring, is "Casey" the doll head. In sinks slowly, distorting, vanishing in darkness. Hicks pulls Ripley away from the hole. She struggles furiously, trying to tear out of his grip. RIPLEY No! Noooo! He drags her back. It takes all of his strength. HICKS (intense) She's gone! Let's go! He sees something moving toward them through a lattice of pipes. Ripley is irrational. Hysterical. RIPLEY No! No! She's alive! We have to -- HICKS All right! She's alive. I believe it. But we gotta get moving! Now! He drags her toward an ELEVATOR not far away at the end of the tunnel. Gets her inside, slamming her against the back wall. Hits the button to go to surface level. An alien warrior leaps into the tunnel, starts toward them. The doors are closing. Not fast enough. The creature gets one arm through, the doors closing on it. THEY OPEN AGAIN, an automatic safety feature. THE WARRIOR HISSES, LUNGING. Hicks FIRES, POINT-BLANK. It spins away, SCREECHING. Acid sluices between the closing doors, across Hicks' armored chest plate, as he shields Ripley with his body. The lift starts upward. Hicks' fingers race with the clasps as the stuff eats its way toward his skin. Galvanized out of her hysteria, Ripley claws at his armor, helping him as much as she can. He screams as the acid contacts his chest and arm. He shucks out of the combat armor like a madman, dropping the smoking pieces to the floor. Acrid fumes fill the air, searing eyes and lungs. The elevator stops. The doors part and they stumble out, Ripley supporting Hicks who is doubled over in agony. RIPLEY Come on, you can make it. Almost there. EXT. LANDING FIELD 167 Drop-ship two descends toward the landing grid, side-slipping in hurricane gusts. Bishop stands, guiding it with the portable terminal. The ship sets down hard. Slides sideways. Stops. Bishop turns as Ripley and Hicks stumble out of a doorway in the colony building behind him. He goes to them, helping to support Hicks and they run toward the ship, buffeted by the gale. Ripley shouts, her words barely audible over the wind. RIPLEY HOW MUCH TIME? BISHOP PLENTY! TWENTY-SIX MINUTES! RIPLEY WE'RE NOT LEAVING! The loading ramp deploys and they run into the ship. EXT. PROCESSING STATION 168 An infernal engine, roaring out of control. Steam blasts and swirls, lightning zaps around the superstructure and columns of incandescent gas thunder hundreds of feet into the air. We APPROACH, hypnotically. The drop-ship ENTERS FRAME, moving toward the station. It pivots, hovering in the blasting turbulence, and settles onto a NARROW LANDING PLATFORM ten levels above the ground, or about a third of the way up the enormous structure. INT. DROP-SHIP 169 Ripley finishes winding tape around a bulky object and drops the roll. She has crudely fastened a M-41A assault rifle together, side by side, with a flamethrower. A massive, unwieldy package of absolute firepower. Her movements are curt, precise...determined. She works rapidly, snatching magazines, grenades, belts and other gear from the fully stocked ordnance racks of the drop-ship. Bishop comes aft from the pilot's compartment to help Hicks dress his injuries. Hicks is sprawled in a flight seat, the contents of a FIELD MEDICAL KEY strewn around him. He's out of the game...contorted with pain. BISHOP Ripley... RIPLEY She's alive. They brought her here and you know it. BISHOP In seventeen minutes this place will be a cloud of vapor the size of Nebraska. Ripley is stuffing gear rapidly into a satchel, her hands flying. RIPLEY Hicks, don't let him leave. HICKS (grimacing with pain) We ain't going anywhere. She hefts the hybrid weapon, grabs the satchel and spins to the door controls. The door opens. Wind and machine-thunder blast in. RIPLEY See you, Hicks. Hicks is holding a wad of gauze plastered over his face. HICKS Dwayne. It's Dwayne. Ripley grabs his hand. They share a moment, albeit brief. Mutual respect in the valley of death. RIPLEY Ellen. HICKS (nods with satisfaction) Don't be long, Ellen. Ripley runs down the ramp, crossing the platform to the open doors of a LARGE FREIGHT ELEVATOR. The doors close. INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR 170 The elevator descends. Bars of light move rhythmically across her as Ripley stands facing the doors, watching the landings go by. The heat grows more intense. Pipes glowing cherry-red pass by. Steam hisses and billows. The lift clatters in a steady beat. Hypnotic. Ripley removes her jacket and dons a battle harness directly over her T-shirt. Her hair is matted, and she glistens with sweat. Her eyes burn with a determination that holds the gut-panic in check. The elevator descends. She checks her weapon. Attaches a BANDOLIER OF GRENADES to her harness. Primes the flamethrower. Checks the rifle's magazine. Racks the bolt, chambering the first round. She checks the MARKING FLARES jammed in the thigh pockets of her jump pants. She drops an unprimed grenade, trembling, forcing herself to be strong. We SEE she doesn't know doodley about grenades. This is the most terrifying thing she has ever done. She begins to hyperventilate, soaking with sweat. Her fingers slick and slippery on the rifle. The elevator descends. The lift motors whine, slowing. It hits bottom with a bump. The safety cage retracts. Slowly, expectantly, the doors open. HER P.O.V. THROUGH the parting doors...an empty corridor. Dark, swirling with steam, a ruddy glow VISIBLE here and there. It seems to have been a descent into Dantean Hell. The air itself vibrates with heat distortion. Couplings groan. Machinery whines and throbs. Like the beating of a vast heart the pounding of massive pumps echoes through the station. INT. CORRIDOR 171 Ripley moves out of the lift, knuckles white on the rifle. Her eyes dart, straining to penetrate the lethal gloom. Behind her we SEE a SECOND ELEVATOR next to hers, its lift cage somewhere on a higher floor. Ahead the corridor is encrusted with the alien excressence and not far down the bio-mechanoid catacomb begins. She enters the maze, darting glances at Hick's LOCATOR, taped to the top of her kludge weapon. A VOICE echoes down the tunnels, calm and mechanical. VOICE Attention. Emergency. All personnel must evacuate immediately. You now have fourteen minutes to reach minimum safe distance. INT. CATACOMB 172 Range and direction read out in rapid-fire alpha-numerics on the locator display. Ripley blinks sweat out of her eyes, moving through the swirling steam of the alien maze. She approaches an intersecting tunnel. Flashing emergency lights illuminate the insane fresco of the walls. She spins, firing the flamethrower. Nothing there. She whirls back. Moves forward, trembling and adrenalized. Skeletal figures drown in the walls, frozen in macabre tormented positions like human insects in amber. Steam blasts, blinding her. The locator signal strengthens an she turns, crouches through a low passage, turns again. At each intersection she quickly lights a FIFTEEN-MINUTE MARKING FLARE and drops it. For the way back. She has to turn sideways, inching through a fissure between two walls of death...cocoon niches, human bas-relief sealed in resin. SUDDENLY SOMETHING SHOOTS OUT, GRABBING HER! A hand. She recovers , then recognizes the face sealed in the wall. Carter Burke. BURKE Ripley...help me. I can feel it...inside. Oh, God...it's moving! Oh gooood... She looks at him. No one deserves this. RIPLEY Here. She hands him a grenade, wrapping his fingers around the spoon, and pulls the primer. She moves on. VOICE You now have eleven minutes to reach minimum safe distance. Ripley moves ahead. The locator signals shows she is almost there. A CONCUSSION rocks the place, like an earthquake, jarring her almost off her feet. Then another. The whole station seems to shudder. A SIREN begins to wail a demented rhythm. Following the tracker she turns a corner and stops. The RANGE INDICATOR READS ZERO. She looks down, horrified to see Newt's tracer bracelet lying on the floor of the tunnel. All hope recedes, disintegrating into mindless chaos. INT. EGG CHAMBER 173 Newt is cocooned in a pillarlike structure at the edge of a cluster of upright OVOID SHAPES...alien eggs. Her eyelids flutter open and she becomes aware of her surroundings. The egg nearest her begins to move...opening like an obscene flower at its top to reveal something stirring within. Newt stares, transfixed by terror, as the jointed legs appear over the lip of the ovoid one by one. She SCREAMS. INT. CATACOMBS 174 Ripley hears the scream and breaks into a run. INT. EGG CHAMBER 175 Newt watches the face-hugger emerge and turn toward her. Ripley runs in just as it is tensing to leap, and FIRES, blasting it with a burst from the assault rifle. The flash illuminates the figure of an adult warrior, nearby. It spins, moving straight for Ripley. Firing from the hip she drills it with two controlled bursts which catapult it back. She steps toward it, FIRING AGAIN. Her expression is murderous. AND AGAIN. It spins onto its back. She unleashes the flamethrower and it vanishes in a fireball. Ripley runs to Newt and begins tearing at the fresh resinous cocoon material, freeing the child. She swings her up onto her back. NEWT (weakly) I knew you'd come. RIPLEY Newt, I want you to hang on, now. Hang on tight. Groggily Newt hooks her arms and legs through the belts of Ripley's battle harness as Ripley picks up her weapon. More warriors are moving toward her among the eggs. She fires the flamethrower. The eggs are engulfed. One of the warriors lunges forward, a living fireball. She blasts it in half with two bursts from the M-41A. Ripley retreats, ducking under a glistening cylindrical mass. A PIERCING SHRIEK fill the chamber. She turns. And there it is. A massive silhouette in the mist, the ALIEN QUEEN glowers over her eggs like a great, glistening black insect-Buddha. What's bigger and meaner than the Alien? His momma. Her fanged head is an unimaginable horror. Her six limbs, the four arms and two powerful legs, are folded grotesquely over her distended abdomen. The egg-filled abdomen swells and swells into a great pulsing tubular sac, suspended from a lattice of pipes and conduits by a weblike membrane as if some vast coil of intestine were draped carelessly among the machinery. Ripley realizes she ducked under part of it a moment before. Inside the abdominal sac can be SEEN the forms of countless eggs, churning their way toward the pulsating ovipositor where they emerge glistening, to be picked up by DRONES. The drones are tiny scuttling albino versions of the "warrior" aliens we have already seen. Ripley pumps the slide on her grenade launcher. She fires. Pumps and fires again. Four times. The grenades punch deep into the egg sac and EXPLODE, ripping it open from within. Eggs are tons of gelatinous matter pour across the chamber floor. The Queen goes berserk, SCREECHING like some psychotic steam whistle. Ripley lays about her with the flamethrower, igniting everything in sight with an insane fury. Eggs shrivel in the inferno, and figures of warriors and drones vanish in frenzied thrashing. Over all is the Queen's shrieking as she struggles in the flames. Two warriors emerge from the boiling smoke, closing on her. She pulls the trigger...an empty click. DIGITAL COUNTER flashing crimson zeroes. She drops the magazine, grabs another from her belt, rams it home and OPENS UP. The creatures vanish in rapid-fire flashes. Ripley backs away, venting her terror in a sustained orgy of fire as she blasts everything that moves in one long eye-searing expenditure of energy. Then she dashes into the catacombs, navigating by sheer primal instinct. INT. CATACOMBS 176 Ripley runs, blindly, with panting intensity verging on hysteria. Impressions crash upon her...the maze blurring by, sirens howling, the station rocking with explosions, emergency lights flashing, steam blasting, red-hot steel hissing. Reality itself is reduced to a concussive series of strobelike instants of relentless forward motion. She sees one of the flares she dropped and turns. Sees another, sprinting toward it as the foundations of the world shake. INT. EGG CHAMBER 177 Lashing in a frenzy, the QUEEN DETACHES FROM THE EGG SAC, ripping away and dragging torn cartilage and tissue behind it. SEEN DIMLY THROUGH swirling smoke, it rises on its powerful legs and steps forward. INT. CATACOMBS - CORRIDOR 178-179 Ripley uses the flamethrower ahead of her, firing bursts of pulse-rifle fire down side corridors at indistinct shapes and shadows. The weapon is empty when she reaches the freight elevators. A mass of debris, falling down the shaft from a higher level, has demolished the life cage she descended in. She slams the control for the other cage and hears the sound of the LIFT MOTOR'S WHINE as it begins its slow descent from several levels up. AN ENRAGED SCREECH ECHOES in the corridor. Ripley sees a silhouette moving in the smoke...a glistening black shape which FILLS THE CORRIDOR TO THE CEILING...THE QUEEN. Her last cartridge is reading zeroes. The flamethrower sputters uselessly when she tries that. The grenades are gone. Ripley drops the weapon and looks up the shaft to the descending lift...then at the approaching FIGURE. The elevator won't be in time. She runs to a ladder set in the wall as a horrendous screech beats in her ears. She scrambles up the rungs. INT. SECOND LEVEL 180 Ripley struggles up through a narrow hatch, Newt clinging to her. She dives aside as a POWERFUL BLACK ARM shoots up through the opening, its razor claws slamming into the grille-floor inches from her. Looking down through the grille she sees the great horrifying jaws directly below her, wet and leering. She scrambles up, running, as the grille-floor lifts and buckles behind her with the titanic force of the creature below. It hurls itself with insane ferocity against the metal, pacing her from below as she runs. INT. STAIRWELL 181 Ripley reaches an open-grid emergency stairwell and sprints upward. It rocks and shudders with the station's death throes. VOICE You now have two minutes to reach minimum safe distance. INT. CORRIDOR - ELEVATORS 182- 183 The lift reaches bottom, the doors rolling open. The Queen turns and freezes, as if contemplating the open lift cage. INT. STAIRWELL 184 Ripley stumbles, smashing her knees against the metals stairs. As she rises she hears the LIFT MOTORS start up. Looking down through the lattice work of the station she sees the life cage start ominously upward. She knows there is only one explanation for that. She runs on, the stairwell becoming a crazy whirl around her. EXT. LANDING PLATFORM 185 Ripley, with Newt still clinging to her, slams through the door opening onto the platform. Through wind-whipped streamers of smoke she sees...THE SHIP IS GONE. RIPLEY BISHOP! Her shouts become inarticulate screams of hatred, outrage at the final betrayal. She scans the sky. Nothing. RIPLEY (hysterical) BISHOP! Newt is sobbing. The lift rises ponderously INTO VIEW. Ripley turns, backing away from the doors toward the railing. There is no place to run to on the platform. EXPLOSIONS detonate in the complex far below and huge fireballs swell upward through the machinery. The platform bucks wildly. Nearby a cooling tower collapses with a THUNDEROUS ROAR and the SHRIEK OF RENDING STEEL. More EXPLOSIONS, one after another, rocketing up from below. Ripley stares transfixed as the lift stops. The safety cage parts. RIPLEY (to Newt; low) Close your eyes, baby. The lift doors begin to open. A glimpse of the apparition within. ANGLE ON RIPLEY AND NEWT as the drop-ship RISES RIGHT BEHIND THEM, its hovering jets roaring. VOICE You now have thirty seconds to reach... Ripley leaps for the loading boom projecting down from the cargo bay and it raises them into the ship. A TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION RIPS THROUGH THE COMPLEX nearby, slamming the ship sideways. Its extended landing legs foul in a tangle of conduit, grinding with a hideous squeal of metal on metal. INT./EXT. DROP-SHIP - STATION 186- 187 Ripley leaps into a seat with Newt, cradling her. Begins strapping in. Bishop wrestles with the controls. The landing legs retract, ripping free. Ripley slams her seat harness latches home. RIPLEY Punch it, Bishop! The entire lower level of the station disappears in a fireball. The air vibrates with intense heat waves and concussion. The drop-ship engines fire. Ripley is slammed back in her seat. The ship vaults out and up, Bishop standing it on its tail, pouring on the gees. Ripley and Newt see everything shake into a blur. EXT. STRATOSPHERE 188 The drop-ship lunges up and out of the cloud layer into the clear high night. Below, the clouds light up from beneath from horizon to horizon. A SUN HOT DOME OF ENERGY bursts up through the cloud layer, WHITING OUT THE FRAME. The tiny ship is slammed by the shockwave, tossed forward...and climbs, scorched but functioning, toward the stars. INT. DROP-SHIP 189 Ripley and Newt watch the blinding glare fade away and they sit, wide-eyed, trembling, realizing they are finally and truly safe. Newt starts to cry quietly, and Ripley strokes her hair. RIPLEY It's okay, baby. We made it. It's over. INT. SULACO CARGO LOCK - IN ORBIT - LATER 190 The scorched and battered ship once again sits in its drop-bay, steam blasting from cooling vents beside the engine. Rotating clearance lights sweep the dark chamber hypnotically. INT. DROP-SHIP 191 Bishop stands behind Ripley as she kneels beside a comatose Hicks. BISHOP I gave him a shot, for the pain. We'll need to get a stretcher to cart him up to medical. Ripley nods and, picking up Newt, precedes Bishop down the aisle to the loading ramp. BISHOP I'm sorry if I gave you a scare but that platform was just becoming too unstable... INT. CARGO LOCK - DROP-SHIP 192 Bishop continues as they move down the ramp. BISHOP I had to circle and hope things didn't get too rough to take you off. Ripley turns to him, stopping partway down the ramp. She puts her hand on his shoulder. RIPLEY You did okay, Bishop. BISHOP Well, thanks, I -- He notices a tiny innocuous drop of liquid splash onto the ramp next to his shoe. SSSSSS. Acid. SOMETHING BURSTS FROM HIS CHEST, spraying Ripley with milklike android blood. It is the razor-sharp scorpion TAIL of the alien QUEEN. Driven right through him from behind. Bishop thrashes, seizing the protruding section of tail in his hands, as is slowly lifts him off the deck. Above them the Queen glowers from its place of concealment among the hydraulic mechanisms inside one landing-leg bay. It blends perfectly with the machinery until it begins to emerge. Seizing Bishop in two great hands it rips him apart and flings him aside, shredded, like a doll. It descends slowly to the deck, the rotating lights glistening across its shiny black limbs, dripping acid and rage. Still smoking where Ripley half-fried it. The Queen is huge, powerful...and very pissed off. It descends slowly, its six limbs unfolding in inhuman geometries. Ripley moves with nightmarish slowness herself, staring hypnotized...terrified to break and run. She lowers Newt to the deck, never taking her eyes off the creature. RIPLEY (to Newt) Go! Newt runs for cover. The Alien drops to the deck, pivoting toward the motion. Ripley waves her arms, decoying. RIPLEY Here! Without warning it moves like lightning, straight at her. Ripley spins, sprinting, as the creature leaps for her. Its feet slam, echoing, on the deck behind her. She clears a door. Hits the switch. It WHIRRS closed. BOOM. The Alien hits a moment later. INT. DARK CHAMBER 193 Ripley moves ferret-quick among dark, unrecognizable machines. VARIOUS ANGLES VERY TIGHT ON what she is doing...her feet going into stirruplike mechanisms. Velcro straps fastened over them. Fingers stabbing buttons in a sequence. Her hand closing on a complex grip-control. The HUM of powerful motors. The WHINE of hydraulics. INT. CARGO LOCK 194 The Queen turns its attention from the doors to Newt as the little girl crawls into a system of trenchlike service channels which cross the deck. The channels are covered by steel grillework and barely big enough for her to crawl through. INT. CHANNEL 195 Newt scurries like a rabbit as the looming figure of the Alien appears above, seen through the bars. A section of grille is ripped away behind her. She scrambles desperately. Another section is ripped away right at her heels. Light pouring in. The next will be right above her. INT. CARGO LOCK 196 The Queen spins at the sound of door motors behind her. The parting doors REVEAL an inhuman silhouette standing there. Ripley steps out, WEARING TWO TONS OF HARDENED STEEL. THE POWER LOADER. Like medieval armor with the power of a bulldozer. She takes a step...the massive foot CRASH-CLANGS to the deck. She takes another, advancing. Ripley's expression is one you hope you'll never see... Hell hath no fury like that of a mother protecting her child and that primal, murderous rage surges through her now, banishing all fear. RIPLEY Get away from her, you bitch! The Queen SCREECHES pure lethality and leaps. WALLOP! A roundhouse from one great hydraulic arm catches it on its hideous skull and slams it into a wall. It rebounds into a massive backhand. CRASH! It goes backward into heavy loading equipment. RIPLEY (screaming) Come on! The Queen emerges as a blur of rage, lashing with unbelievable fury. The battle is joined. Claws swipe, tail lashes. Ripley parries with radical swipes of the steel forks. They circle in a whirling blur, demolishing everything in their path. The cavernous chamber echoes with nightmarish sounds...WHINE, CRASH, CLANG, SCREECH. They lock in a death embrace. Ripley closes the forks, crushing two of the creature's limbs. It lashes and writhes with incredible fury, coming within inches of her exposed body. She lifts it off the ground. The hind legs rip at her, slamming against the safety cage, denting it in. The striking teeth extend almost a meter from inside its fanged maw, shooting between the crash-bars. She ducks and the teeth slam into the seat cushion behind her dead in a spray of drool. Yellow acid foams down the hydraulic arms toward her. The creature rips at high-pressure hoses. Purple hydraulic fluid sprays ...machine blood mixing with alien blood. They topple, off balance. The Queen pins her. Ripley hits a switch. The power loader's CUTTING TORCH flares on, directly in the thing's face. They roll together, over the lip of a RECTANGULAR PIT, A VERTICAL LOADING AIRLOCK. INT. LOADING LOCK 197 They crash together four meters below, twisted in the loader's wreckage. The Alien shrieks, pinned. Ripley pulls her arm out of the controls of the loader and claws toward a panel of airlock actuating buttons. She slaps the red "INNER DOOR OVERRIDE" and latches the "HOLD" locking-key down. A KLAXON begins to sound. She hits "OUTER DOOR OPEN" and there is a hurricane shriek of air as the doors on which they are lying separate, REVEALING the infinite pit of stars, below. All this time the Alien has been lashing at her in a frenzy and she has been parrying desperately in the confined space. The airlock becomes a wind tunnel, blasting and buffetting her as she struggles to unstrap from the loader. The air of the vast ship howls past her into space as she claws her way up a service ladder. INT. CARGO BAY 198 Newt screams as the hurricane airstream sucks her across the floor toward the airlock. Bishop, torn virtually in two, his pastalike internal organs whipped by the wind, grips a stanchion and reaches desperately for Newt as she slides past him. He catches her arm and hangs on as she dangles, doll-like, in the airblast. INT. LOADING LOCK 199 The Alien seizes Ripley's ankle. She locks her arms around a ladder rung, feels them almost torn out of their shoulder sockets. The door opens farther, all of space yawning below. The loader tumbles clear, falling away. It drags the Alien, still clutching one of Ripley's lucky hi-tops, into the depths of space. Its SHRIEK fades, it gone. With all her strength Ripley fights the blasting air, crawling over the lip of the inner doorway. She releases the OVERRIDE from a second panel. The inner doors close. The turbulent air eddies and settles. She lies on her back, drained of all strength. Gasping for breath. Weakly she turns her head, seeing Bishop still holding Newt by the arm. Encrusted with his own vanilla milkshake blood. Bishop gives her a small, grim smile. BISHOP Not bad for a human. He winks. Ripley crosses to Newt. NEWT (weakly) Mommy...Mommy? RIPLEY Right here, baby. Right here. Ripley hugs her desperately. INT. CORRIDOR 200 Ripley limps along the corridor, carrying Newt on her hip. The ship's systems hum comfortingly. Newt's head rests on her shoulder. NEWT Are we going to sleep now? RIPLEY That's right. NEWT Can we dream? RIPLEY Yes, honey. I think we both can. HOLD ON THEM AS they recede down the long straight corridor. FADE OUT THE END

FADE IN: INT. DINING HALL - SARAH SIDDONS SOCIETY - NIGHT It is not a large room and jammed with tables, mostly for four but some for six and eight. A long table of honor, for about thirty people, has been placed upon a dais. Diner is over. Demi-tasses, cigars and brandy. The overall effect is one of worn elegance and dogged gentility. It is June. The CAMERA, as it has been throughout the CREDIT TITLES, is on the SARAH SIDDONS AWARD. It is a gold statuette, about a foot high, of Sarah Siddons as The Tragic Muse. Exquisitely framed in a nest of flowers, it rests on a miniature altar in the center of the table of honor. Over this we hear the crisp, cultured, precise VOICE of ADDISON deWITT: ADDISON'S VOICE The Sarah Siddons Award for Distinguished Achievement is perhaps unknown to you. It has been spared the sensational and commercial publicity that attends such questionable "honors" as the Pulitzer Prize and those awards presented annually by the film society... The CAMERA has EASED BACK to include some of the table of honor and a distinguished gentleman with snow-white hair who is speaking. We do not hear what he says. ADDISON'S VOICE The distinguished looking gentleman is an extremely old actor. Being an actor - he will go on speaking for some time. It is not important what you hear what he says. The CAMERA EASES BACK some more, and CONTINUES until it discloses a fairly COMPREHENSIVE SHOT of the room ADDISON'S VOICE However it is important that you know where you are, and why you are here. This is the dining room of the Sarah Siddons Society. The occasion is its annual banquet and presentation of the highest honor our Theater knows - the Sarah Siddons Award for Distinguished Achievement. A GROUP OF WAITERS are clustered near the screen masking the entrances of the kitchen. The screens are papered with old theatrical programs. The waiters are all aged and venerable. They look respectfully toward the speaker. ADDISON'S VOICE These hollowed walls, indeed many of these faces, have looked upon Modjeska, Ada Rehan and Minnie Fiske; Mansfield's voice filled the room, Booth breathed this air. It is unlikely that the windows have been opened since his death. CLOSE - THE AWARD on its altar, it shines proudly above five or six smaller altars which surround it and which are now empty. ADDISON'S VOICE The minor awards, as you can see, have already been presented. Minor awards are for such as the writer and director - since their function is merely to construct a tower so that the world can applaud a light which flashes on top of it and no brighter light has ever dazzled the eye than Eve Harrington. Eve... but more of Eve, later. All about Eve, in fact. THE CAMERA MOVES TO: CLOSE - ADDISON deWITT, not young, not unattractive, a fastidious dresser, sharp of eye and merciless of tongue. An omnipresent cigarette holder projects from his mouth like the sward of D'Artagnan. He sits back in his chair, musingly, his fingers making little cannonballs out of bread crumbs. His narration covers the MOVE of the CAMERA to him: ADDISON'S VOICE To those of you who do not read, attend the Theater, listen to uncensored radio programs or know anything of the world in which we live - it is perhaps necessary to introduce myself. My name is Addison deWitt. My native habitat is the Theater - in it I toil not, neither do I spin. I am a critic and commentator. I am essential to the Theater - as ants are to a picnic, as the ball weevil to a cotton field... He looks to his left. KAREN RICHARDS is lovely and thirtyish in an unprofessional way. She is scraping bread crumbs, spilled sugar, etc., into a pile with a spoon. Addison takes one of her bread crumbs. She smiles absently. Addison rolls the bread crumb into a cannonball. ADDISON'S VOICE This is Karen Richards. She is the wife of a playwright, therefore of the Theater by marriage. Nothing in her background or breeding should have brought her any closer the stage than row E, center... Karen continues her doodling. ADDISON'S VOICE ... however, during her senior year in Radcliffe, Lloyd Richards lectured on drama. The following year Karen became Mrs. Lloyd Richards. Lloyd is the author of 'Footsteps on the Ceiling' - the play which has won for Eve Harrington the Sarah Siddons Award... Karen absently pats the top of her little pile of refuse. A hand reaches in to take the spoon away. Karen looks as the CAMERA PANS with IT to MAX FABIAN. He sits at her left. He's a sad-faced man with glasses and a look of constant apprehension. He smiles apologetically and indicated a white powder with he unwraps. He pantomimes that his ulcer is snapping. Karen smiles back, returns to her doodling. Addison mashes a cigarette stub, pops it out of his holder. He eyes Max. ADDISON'S VOICE There are two types of theatrical producers. One has a great many wealthy friends who will risk a tax deductible loss. This type is interested in Art. Max drops the powder into some water, stirs it, drinks, burps delicately and close his eyes. ADDISON'S VOICE The other is one to whom each production mean potential ruin or fortune. This type is out to make a buck. Meet Max Fabian. He is the producer of the play which has won Eve Harrington the Sarah Siddons Award... Max rests fitfully. He twitches. A hand reaches into the SCENE, removes a bottle of Scotch from before him. The CAMERA follows the bottle to MARGO CHANNING. She sits at Max's left, at deWitt's right. An attractive, strong face. She is childish, adult, reasonable, unreasonable - usually one when she should be the other, but always positive. She pours a stiff drink. Addison hold out the soda bottle to her. She looks at it, and at him, as if it were a tarantula and he had gone mad. He smiles and pours a glass of soda for himself. ADDISON'S VOICE Margo Channing is the Star of the Theater. She made her first stage appearance, at the age of four, in 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. She played a fairy and entered - quite unexpectedly - stark naked. She has been a Star ever since. Margo sloshes her drink around moodily, pulls at it. ADDISON'S VOICE Margo is a great Star. A true Star. She never was or will be anything less or anything less... (slight pause) ... the part for which Eve Harrington is receiving the Sarah Siddons Award was intended originally for Margo Channing... Addison, having sipped his soda water, puts a new cigarette in his holder, leans back, lights it, looks and exhales in the general direction of the table of honor. As he speaks the CAMERA MOVES in the direction of his glance... ADDISON'S VOICE Having covered in tedious detail not only the history of the Sarah Siddons Society, but also the history of acting since Thespis first stepped out of the chorus line - our distinguished chairman has finally arrived at our reason for being here... At this point Addison's voice FADES OUT and the voice of the aged actor FADES IN. CAMERA is in MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT of him and the podium. AGED ACTOR I have been proud and privileged to have spent my life in the Theater - "a poor player ... that struts and frets his hour upon the stage" - and I have been honored to be, for forty years, Chief Promoter of the Sarah Siddons Society... (he lifts the Sarah Siddons Award from its altar) Thirty-nine times have I placed in deserving hands this highest honor the Theater knows... (he grows a bit arch, he uses his eyebrows) Surely no actor is older than I - I have earned my place out of the sun... (indulgent laughter) ... and never before has this Award gone to anyone younger than its recipient tonight. How fitting that it should pass from my hands to hers... EVE HANDS: Lovely, beautifully groomed. In serene repose, they rest between a demi-tasse cup and an exquisite small evening cup. AGED ACTOR Such young hands. Such a young lady. Young in years, but whose heart is as old as the Theater... Addison's eyes narrow quizzically as he listens. Then, slowly, he turns to look at Karen... AGED ACTOR Some of us a privileged to know her. We have seen beyond the beauty and artistry- Karen never ceases her thoughtful pat-a-cake with the crumbs. AGED ACTOR -that have made her name resound through the nation. We know her humility. Her devotion, her loyalty to her art. Addison's glance moves from Karen to Margo. AGED ACTOR Her love, her deep and abiding love for us- Margo's face is a mask. She looks down at the drink which she cradles with both hands. AGED ACTOR -for what we are and what we do. The Theater. She has had one wish, one prayer, one dream. To belong to us. (he's nearing his curtain line) Tonight her dream has come true. And henceforth we shall dream the same of her. (a slight pause) Honored members, ladies and gentlemen - for distinguished achievement in the Theater - the Sarah Siddons Award to Miss Eve Harrington. The entire room is galvanized into sudden and tumultuous applause. Some enthusiastic gentlemen rise to her feet... Flash bulbs start popping about halfway down the table of the Aged Actor's left... Eve rises - beautiful, radiant, poised, exquisitely gowned. She stands in simple and dignified response to the ovation. A dozen photographers skip, squat, and dart about like water bugs. Flash bulbs pop and pop and pop... THE WAITERS applaud enthusiastically... AGED ACTOR, Award in hand, he beams at her... EVE smiles sweetly to her left, then to her right... MAX has come to. He applauds lustily. ADDISON's applauding too, more discreetly. MARGO, not applauding. But you sense no deliberate slight, merely an impression that as she looks at Eve her mind is on something else... KAREN, nor is she applauding. But her gaze is similarly fixed on Eve in a strange, faraway fashion. ADDISON, still applauding, his eyes flash first at Margo and then at Karen. Then he directs them back to Eve. He smiles ever so slightly. The applause has continued unabated. EVE turns now, and moves gracefully toward the Aged Actor. She moves through applauding ladies and gentlemen; from below the flash bulbs keep popping... As she nears her goal, the Ages Actor turns to her. He holds out the award. Her hand reaches out for it. At that precise moment - with the award just beyond her fingertips - THE PICTURE HOLDS, THE ACTION STOPS. The SOUND STOPS. ADDISON'S VOICE Eve. Eve, the Golden Girl. The cover girl, the girl next door, the girl on the moon... Time has been good to Eve, Life goes where she goes - she's been profiled, covered, revealed, reported, what she eats and when and where, whom she knows and where she was and when and where she's going... ADDISON has stopped applauding, he's sitting forward, staring intently at Eve... his narration continues unbroken. ADDISON'S VOICE ... Eve. You all know all about Eve... what can there be to know that you don't know...? As he leans back, the APPLAUSE FADES IN as tumultuous as before. Addison's look moves slowly from Eve to Karen. KAREN, she leans forward now, her eyes intently on Eve. Her lovely face FILLS THE SCREEN as the APPLAUSE FADES ONCE MORE - as she thinks back: KAREN'S VOICE When was it? How long? It seems a lifetime ago. Lloyd always said that in the Theater a lifetime was a season, and a season a lifetime. It's June now. That was - early October... only last October. It was a drizzly night, I remember I asked the taxi to wait... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. NEW YORK THEATER STREET - NIGHT Traffic is not heavy, the shows have broken some half-hour before. The rain is just a drizzle. There are other theaters on the street; display lights are being extinguished. Going out just as Karen's taxi pulls up is: MARGO CHANNING in 'AGED IN WOOD'. The marquis display below includes "Max Fabian Presents" and "By Lloyd Richards." The taxi comes to a stop at the alley. Karen can be seen through the closed windows telling the driver to wait. Then she gets out. She takes a step, hesitates, then looks about curiously: KAREN'S VOICE Where was she? Strange... I had become so accustomed to seeing her there night after night - I found myself looking for a girl I'd never spoken to, wondering where she was... She smiles a little at her own romanticism, puts her head down and makes her way into the alley. EXT. ALLEY - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT Karen moves toward the stage door. She passes a recess in the wall - perhaps an exit - about halfway. EVE'S VOICE (softly) Mrs. Richards... Karen hesitates, looks. Eve is barely distinguishable in the shadow of the recess. Karen smiles, waits. Eve comes out. A gooseneck light above them reveals her... She wears a cheap trench coat, low-heeled shoes, a rain hat stuck on the back of her head... Her large, luminous eyes seem to glow up at Karen in the strange half-light. KAREN So there you are. It seemed odd, suddenly, your not being there... EVE Why should you think I wouldn't be? KAREN Why should you be? After all, six nights a week - for weeks - of watching even Margo Channing enter and leave a theater- EVE I hope you don't mind my speaking to you... KAREN Not at all. EVE I've seen you so often - it took every bit of courage I could raise- KAREN (smiles) To speak to just a playwright's wife? I'm the lowest form of celebrity... EVE You're Margo Channing's best friend. You and your husband are always with her - and Mr. Sampson... what's he like? KAREN (grins) Bill Sampson? He's - he's a director. EVE He's the best. KAREN He'll agree with you. Tell me, what do you between the time Margo goes in and comes out? Just huddle in that doorway and wait? EVE Oh, no. I see the play. KAREN (incredulous) You see the play? You've seen the play every performance? (Eve nods) But, don't you find it - I mean apart from everything else - don't you find it expensive? EVE Standing room doesn't cost much. I manage. Karen contemplates Eve. Then she takes her arm. KAREN I'm going to take you to Margo... EVE (hanging back) Oh, no... KAREN She's got to meet you- EVE No, I'd be imposing on her, I'd be just another tongue-tied gushing fan... Karen practically propels her toward the stage door. KAREN (insisting) There isn't another like you, there couldn't be- EVE But if I'd known... maybe some other time... I mean, looking like this. KAREN You look just fine... (they're at the stage door) ... by the way. What's your name? EVE Eve. Eve Harrington. Karen opens the door. They go in. INT. BACKSTAGE - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT Everything, including the doorman, looks fireproof. Eve enters like a novitiate's first visit to the Vatican. Karen, with a "Good evening, Gus -" to the doorman, leads the way toward Margo's stage dressing room. Eve, drinking in the wonderment of all the surveys, lags behind. Karen waits for her to catch up... EVE You can breathe it - can't you? Like some magic perfume... Karen smiles, takes Eve's arm. They proceed to Margo's dressing room. EXT. MARGO'S DRESSING ROOM - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT No star on the closed door; the paint is peeling. A type written chit, thumbtacked, says MISS CHANNING. As Karen and Eve approach it, an uninhibited guffaw from Margo makes them pause. KAREN (whispers) You wait a minute... (smiles) ... now don't run away- Eve smiles shakily. At the same moment: MARGO'S VOICE (loudly; through the door) "Honey chile," I said, "if the South had won the war, you could write the same plays about the North!" Karen enters during the line. INT. MARGO'S DRESSING ROOM - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT It is a medium-sized box, lined with hot water pipes and cracked plaster. It is furnished in beat-up wicker. A door leads to an old-fashioned bathroom. Margo is at the dressing table. She wears an old wrapper, her hair drawn back tightly to fit under the wig which lies before her like a dead poodle. Also before her is an almost finished drink. LLOYD RICHARDS is stretched out on the wicker chaise. He's in his late thirties, sensitive, literate. Between them, by the dressing table, is BIRDIE - Margo's maid. Her age is unimportant. She was conceived during a split week in Walla Walla and born in a carnival riot. She is fiercely loyal to Margo. Karen enters during the line Margo started while she was outside. Lloyd chuckles, Birdie cackles. KAREN Hi. (she goes to kiss Lloyd) Hello, darling- MARGO Hi. (she goes right on - in a think "Suth'n" accent) "Well, now Mis' Channin', ah don't think you can rightly say we lost the wah, we was mo' stahved out, you might say - an' that's what ah don' unnerstand about all these plays about love-stahved Suth'n women - love is one thing we was nevah stahved for the South!" LLOYD How was the concert? KAREN Loud. BIRDIE Lemme fix you a drink. KAREN No thanks, Birdie. Karen laughs with them. LLOYD Margo's interview with a lady reporter from the South- BIRDIE The minute it gets printed they're gonna fire on Gettysburg all over again... MARGO It was Fort Sumter they fired on- BIRDIE I never played Fort Sumter. She takes the wig into the bathroom. Margo starts creaming the make-up off her face. MARGO Honey chili had a point. You know, I can remember plays about women - even from the South - where it never even occurred to them whether they wanted to marry their fathers more than their brothers... LLOYD That was way back... MARGO Within your time, buster. Lloyd, honey, be a playwright with guts. Write me one about a nice, normal woman who shoots her husband. Birdie comes out of the bathroom without the wig. BIRDIE You need new girdles. MARGO Buy some. BIRDIE The same size? MARGO Of course! BIRDIE Well. I guess a real tight girdle help when you're playin' a lunatic. She picks up Lloud empty glass, asks "more"? He shakes his head. She pours herself a quick one. KAREN (firmly) Margo does not play a lunatic, Birdie. BIRDIE I know. She just keeps hearin' her dead father play the banjo. MARGO It's the tight girdle that does it. KAREN I find these wisecracks increasingly less funny! 'Aged in Wood' happens to be a fine and distinguished play- LLOYD - 'at's my loyal little woman. KAREN The critics thought so, the audiences certainly think so - packed houses, tickets for months in advance - I can't see that either of Lloyd's last two plays have hurt you any! LLOYD Easy, now... MARGO (grins) Relax, kid. It's only me and my big mouth... KAREN (mollified) It's just that you get me so mad sometimes... of all the women in the world with nothing to complain about- MARGO (dryly) Ain't it the truth? KAREN Yes, it is! You're talented, famous, wealthy - people waiting around night after night just to see you, even in the wind and rain... MARGO Autograph fiends! They're not people - those little beast who run in packs like coyotes- KAREN They're your fans, your audience- MARGO They're nobody's fans! They're juvenile delinquents, mental detectives, they're nobody's audience, they never see a play or a movie, even - they're never indoors long enough! There is a pause. Lloyd applauds lightly. KAREN Well... there's one indoors now. I've brought her back to see you. MARGO You've what? KAREN (in a whisper) She's just outside the door. MARGO (to Birdie; also a whisper) The heave-ho. Birdie starts. Karen stops her. It's all in whisper, now, until Eve comes in. KAREN You can't put her out, I promised... Margo, you've got to see her, she worships you, it's like something out of a book- LLOYD That book is out of print, Karen, those days are gone. Fans no longer pull the carriage through the streets - they tear off clothes and steal wrist watches... KAREN If you'd only see her, you're her whole life - you must have spotted her by now, she's always there... MARGO Kind of mousy trench coat and funny hat? (Karen nods) How could I miss her? Every night and matinee - well... She looks to Birdie. BIRDIE Once George Jessel played my hometown. For a girl, gettin' in to see him was easy. Gettin' out was the problem... They all laugh. Karen goes to the door, opens it. Eve comes in. Karen closes the door behind her. A moment. EVE (simply) I thought you'd forgotten about me. KAREN Not at all. (her arm through Eve's) Margo, this is Eve Harrington. Margo changes swiftly into a first-lady-of-the-theater manner. MARGO (musically) How do you do, my dear. BIRDIE (mutters) Oh, brother. EVE Hello, Miss Channing. KAREN My husband... LLOYD (nicely) Hello, Miss Harrington. EVE How do you do, Mr. Richards. MARGO (graciously) And this is my good friend and companion, Miss Birdie Coonan. BIRDIE Oh, brother. MARGO Miss Coonan... LLOYD (to Birdie) Oh brother what? BIRDIE When she gets like this... all of a sudden she's playin' Hamlet's mother... MARGO (quiet menace) I'm sure you must have things to do in the bathroom, Birdie dear. BIRDIE If I haven't, I'll find something till you're normal. She goes into the bathroom. MARGO Dear Birdie. Won't you sit down, Miss Worthington? KAREN Harrington. MARGO I'm so sorry... Harrington. Won't you sit down? EVE Thank you. She sits. A short lull. MARGO Would you like a drink? It's right beside you... KAREN I was telling Margo and Lloyd about how often you'd seen the play... They start together, and stop in deference to each other. They're a little flustered. But not Eve. EVE (to Margo) No, thank you. (to Lloyd) Yes. I've seen every performance. LLOYD (delighted) Every performance? Then - am I safe in assuming you like it? EVE I'd like anything Miss Channing played... MARGO (beams) Would you, really? How sweet- LLOYD (flatly) I doubt very much that you'd like her in 'The Hairy Ape'. EVE Please, don't misunderstand me, Mr. Richards. I think that part of Miss Channing's greatness lies in her ability to choose the best plays... your new play is for Miss Channing, isn't it, Mr. Richards? MARGO Of course it is. LLOYD How'd hear about it? EVE There was an item in the Times. i like the title. 'Footsteps on the Ceiling'. LLOYD Let's get back to this one. Have you really seen every performance? (Eve nods) Why? I'm curious... Eve looks at Margo, then drops her eyes. EVE Well. If I didn't come to see the play, I wouldn't have anywhere else to go. MARGO There are other plays... EVE Not with you in them. Not by Mr. Richards... LLOYD But you must have friends, a family, a home- Eve pauses. Then shakes her head. KAREN Tell us about it - Eve... Eve looks at her - grateful because Karen called her "Eve." Then away, again... EVE If I only knew how... KAREN Try... EVE Well... Birdie comes out of the bathroom. Everybody looks at her sharply. She realizes she's in on something important. She closes the door quietly, leans against it. EVE Well... it started with the play before this one... LLOYD 'Remembrance'. MARGO Did you see it here in New York? EVE San Francisco. It was the last week. I went one night... the most important night in my life - until this one. Anyway... I found myself going the next night - and the next and the next. Every performance. Then, when the show went East - I went East. BIRDIE I'll never forget that blizzard the night we played Cheyenne. A cold night. First time I ever saw a brassiere break like a piece of matzos... Eve looks at her unsmilingly, then back to her hands. KAREN Eve... why don't you start at the beginning? EVE It couldn't possibly interest you. MARGO Please... Eve speaks simply and without self-pity. EVE I guess it started back home. Wisconsin, that is. There was just mum, and dad - and me. I was the only child, and I made believe a lot when I was a kid - I acted out all sorts of things... what they were isn't important. But somehow acting and make-believe began to fill up my life more and more, it got so that I couldn't tell the real from the unreal except that the unreal seemed more real to me... I'm talking a lot of gibberish, aren't I? LLOYD Not at all... EVE Farmers were poor in those days, that's what dad was - a farmer. I had to help out. So I quit school and I went to Milwaukee. I became a secretary. In a brewery. (she smiles) When you're a secretary in a brewery - it's pretty hard to make believe you're anything else. Everything is beer. It wasn't much fun, but it helped at home - and there was a Little Theater Group... like a drop of rain in the desert. That's where I met Eddie. He was a radio technician. We played 'Liliom' for three performances, I was awful - then the war came, and we got married. Eddie was in the air force - and they sent him to the South Pacific. You were with the O.W.I., weren't you Mr. Richards? (Lloyd nods) That's what 'Who's Who' says... well, with Eddie gone, my life went back to beer. Except for a letter a week. One week Eddie wrote he had a leave coming up. I'd saved my money and vacation time. I went to San Francisco to meet him. (a slight pause) Eddie wasn't there. They forwarded the telegram from Milwaukee - the one that came from Washington to say that Eddie wasn't coming at all. That Eddie was dead... (Karen puts her hand on Lloyd's) ... so I figured I'd stay in San Francisco. i was alone, but couldn't go back without Eddie. I found a job. And his insurance helped... and there were theaters in San Francisco. And one night Margo Channing came to play in 'Remembrance'... and I went to see it. And - well - here I am... She finishes dry-eyes and self-composed. Margo squeezes the bridge of her nose, dabs at her eyes. BIRDIE (finally) What a story. Everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end... That breaks the spell. Margo turns to her- MARGO There are some human experiences, Birdie, that do not take place in a vaudeville house - and that even a fifth-rate vaudevillian should understand and respect! (to Eve) I want to apologize for Birdie's- BIRDIE (snaps in) You don't have to apologize for me! (to Eve) I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. It's just my way of talkin'... EVE (nicely) You didn't hurt my feelings, Miss Coonan... BIRDIE Call me Birdie. (to Margo) As for bein' fifth-rate - i closed the first half for eleven years an' you know it! She slams into the bathroom again. At that precise instant BILL SAMPSON flings open the door to the dressing room. He's youngish, vital, undisciplined. He lugs a beat-up suitcase which he drops as he crosses to Margo- BILL Forty-five minutes from now my plane takes off and how do I find you? Not ready yet, looking like a junk yard- MARGO Thank you so much. BILL Is it sabotage, does my career mean nothing to you? Have you no human consideration? MARGO Show me a human and I might have! KAREN (conscious of Eve) Bill... BILL The air lines have clocks, even if you haven't! I start shooting a week from Monday - Zanuck is impatient, he wants me, he needs me! KAREN (louder) Bill- MARGO Zanuck, Zanuck, Zanuck! What are you two - lovers? Bill grins suddenly, drops to one knee beside her. BILL (smiling) Only in some ways. You're prettier... MARGO I'm a junk yard. KAREN (yells) Bill! BILL (vaguely; to Karen) Huh? KAREN This is Eve Harrington. Bill flashes a fleeting look at Eve. BILL Hi. (to Margo) My wonderful junk yard. The mystery and dreams you find in a junk yard- MARGO (kisses him) Heaven help me, I love a psychotic. Bill grins, rises, sees Eve as if for the first time. BILL Hello, what's your name? EVE Eve. Eve Harrington. KAREN You've already met. BILL Where? KAREN Right here. A minute ago. BILL That's nice. MARGO She, too, is a great admirer of yours. BIRDIE Imagine. All this admiration in just one room. BILL Take your mistress into the bathroom and dress her. (Birdie opens her mouth) Without comment. Birdie shuts it and goes into the bathroom. In a moment we hear a shower start to run. Eve gets up. KAREN You're not going, are you? EVE I think I'd better. It's been - well, I can hardly find the words to say how it's been... MARGO (rises) No, don't go... EVE The four of you must have so much to say to each other - with Mr. Sampson leaving... Margo, impulsively crosses to Eve. MARGO Stick around. Please. Tell you what - we'll put Stanislavsky on his plane, you and I, then go somewhere and talk. EVE Well - if I'm not in the way... MARGO I won't be a minute. She darts into the bathroom. Eve sits down again. KAREN Lloyd, we've got to go- Lloyd gets up. Karen crosses to pound on the bathroom door. She yells - the shower is going... KAREN Margo, good night! I'll call you tomorrow! Margo's answer is lost in the shower noise. Karen crosses to kiss Bill. She's joined by Lloyd. KAREN Good luck, genius... BILL Geniuses don't need good luck. (he grins) I do. LLOYD I'm not worried about you. BILL Keep the thought. They shake hands warmly. Karen and Lloyd move to Eve. KAREN Good night, Eve. I hope I see you again soon- EVE I'll be at the old stand, tomorrow matinee- KAREN Not just that way. As a friend... EVE I'd like that. LLOYD It's been a real pleasure, Eve. EVE I hope so, Mr. Richards. Good night... Lloyd shakes her hand, crosses to join Karen who waits at the open dressing room door. EVE Mrs. Richards. (Karen and Lloyd look back) ... I'll never forget this night as long as I live. And I'll never forget you for making it possible. Karen smiles warmly. She closes the door. They leave. KAREN'S VOICE - and I'll never forget you, Eve. Where were we going that night, Lloyd and I? Funny the things you remember - and the things you don't... INT. MARGO'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Eve sits on the same chair. Bill keeps moving around. Eve never takes her eyes off him. He offers her a cigarette. She shakes her head. He looks at his watch. EVE You said forty-seven minutes. You'll never make it. BILL (grins) I told you a lie. We'll make it easily. Margo's got no more conception of time than a halibut. He goes to the dressing table, picks up Margo's pocketbook, opens it. He finds a letter. He glances at it, puts it back. BILL She's been carrying that letter around for weeks. I've read it three times... There's a sudden sharp yelp from the bathroom. MARGO'S VOICE You're supposed to zip the zipper - not me. BIRDIE'S VOICE Like tryin' to zip a pretzel - stand still! Bill grins. BILL What a documentary those two would make... like the mongoose and the cobra- He sprawls on the chaise, closes his eyes. A pause. EVE (finally) So you're going to Hollywood. Bill grunts in the affirmative. Silence. BILL Why? EVE I just wondered. BILL Just wondered what? EVE Why. BILL Why what? EVE Why you have to go out there. BILL I don't have to. I want to. EVE Is it the money? BILL Eighty percent of it will go for taxes. EVE Then why? Why, if you're the best and most successful young director in the Theater- BILL The Theatuh, the Theatuh- (he sits up) - what book of rules says the Theater exists only within some ugly buildings crowded into one square mile of New York City? Or London, Paris or Vienna? (he gets up) Listen, junior. And learn. Want to know what the Theater is? A flea circus. Also opera. Also rodeos, carnivals, ballets, Indian tribal dances, Punch and Judy, a one-man band - all Theater. Wherever there's magic and make-believe and an audience - there's Theater. Donald Duck, Ibsen, and The Lone Ranger, Sarah Bernhardt, Poodles Hanneford, Lunt and Fontanne, Betty Grable, Rex and Wild, and Eleanora Duse. You don't understand them all, you don't like them all, why should you? The Theater's for everybody - you included, but not exclusively - so don't approve or disapprove. It may not be your Theater, but it's Theater of somebody, somewhere. EVE I just asked a simple question. BILL (grins) And I shot my mouth off. Nothing personal, junior, no offense... (he sits back down) ... it's just that there's so much bushwah in this Ivory Green Room they call the Theatuh - sometimes it gets up around my chin... He lies down again. EVE But Hollywood. You mustn't stay there. BILL (he closes his eyes) It's only one picture deal. EVE So few come back... BILL Yeah. They keep you under drugs out there with armed guards... A pause. EVE I read George Jean Nathan every week. BILL Also Addison deWitt. EVE Every day. BILL You didn't have to tell me. Margo, putting on an earring, buzzes out of the bathroom followed by Birdie. Bill sits up. MARGO (en route) I understand it's the latest thing - just one earring. If it isn't, it's going to be - I can't find the other... She grabs her pocketbook, starts rummaging. Out comes the letter... BILL Throw that dreary thing away, it bores me- Margo drops it in the wastebasket, keeps rummaging. EVE (concerned) Where do you suppose it could be? BIRDIE It'll show up. MARGO (gives up) Oh well... (to Birdie) ... look through the wigs, maybe it got caught- BILL Real diamonds in a wig. The world we live in... MARGO (she's been looking) Where's my coat? BIRDIE Right where you left it... She goes behind the chaise. She comes up with a magnificent mink. BILL (to Margo) The seams. Margo starts to straighten them. MARGO (to Eve) Can't keep his eyes off my legs. BILL Like a nylon lemon peel- MARGO (straightens up) Byron couldn't have said it more graciously... here we go- By now she's in the coat and has Eve's arm, heading for the door. Bill puts his arms around Birdie. BILL Got any messages? What do you want me to tell Tyrone Power? BIRDIE Just give him my phone number, I'll tell him myself. Bill kisses her cheek. She kisses Bill. BIRDIE Kill the people. (to Margo) Got your key? MARGO (nods) See you home... Margo and Eve precede Bill out of the door... EXT. LAGUARDIA FIELD - NIGHT American Airlines baggage counter. The rain has stopped, but it's wet. Margo, Eve, and Bill are stymied behind two or three couples waiting to be checked in. Margo's arm is through Bill's. They become increasingly aware of their imminent separation. Eve senses her superfluity. A lull. Bill cranes at the passenger heading the line, in earnest conversation with the dispatcher. He sighs. MARGO They have to time it so everybody gets on at the last minute. So they can close the doors and let you sit. The man up ahead moves on. BILL Ah... EVE I have a suggestion. (they look at her) There's really not much time left - I mean, you haven't had a minute alone yet, and - well, I could take care of everything here and meet you at the gate with the ticket... if you'd like. BILL I think we'd like very much. Sure you won't mind? EVE Of course not. Bill hands Eve the ticket. Margo smiles gratefully at her. Eve smiles back. EXT. PASSAGE AND GATE - LAGUARDIA - NIGHT It's covered, with glass windows. Margo's arm is in Bill's. BILL She's quite a girl, that what's-her name... MARGO Eve. I'd forgotten they grew that way... BILL The lack of pretense, that sort of strange directness and understanding- MARGO Did she tell you about the Theater and what it meant? BILL (grins) I told her. I sounded off. MARGO All the religions in the world rolled into one, and we're Gods and Goddesses... isn't it silly, suddenly I've developed a big protective feeling for her - a lamb loose in our big stone jungle... Bill pauses and pulls her to one side. Some passengers go by. A pause. MARGO Take care of yourself out there... BILL I understand they've got the Indians pretty well in hand... MARGO Bill... BILL Huh? MARGO Don't get stuck on some glamour puss- BILL I'll try. MARGO You're not such a bargain, you know, conceited and thoughtless and messy- BILL Everybody can't be Gregory Peck. MARGO - you're a setup for some gorgeous wide-eyed young babe. BILL How childish are you going to get before you quit it? MARGO I don't want to be childish, I'd settle for just a few years- BILL (firmly) And cut that out right now. MARGO Am I going to lose you, Bill? Am I? BILL As of this moment you're six years old... He starts to kiss her, stops when he becomes aware of Eve standing near them. She has his ticket in her hand. EVE All ready. She hands Bill his ticket, they start toward the gate. INT. BOARDING GATE - LAGUARDIA - NIGHT The D.C. 6 in the b.g. A few visitors. Bill hands his ticket to the guard, turns to Eve. BILL Thanks for your help... good luck. EVE Goodbye, Mr. Sampson. Bill puts his arms around Margo. BILL Knit me a muffler. MARGO Call me when you get in... They kiss. Margo's arms tighten desperately. Bill pulls away, kisses her again lightly, starts for the plane. Margo turns away. Eve puts her arms through Margo's. Bill pauses en route to the plane. BILL Hey - junior... Margo turns to look at him with Eve. BILL Keep your eyes on her. Don't let her get lonely. She's a loose lamb in a jungle... Eve looks at Margo. Margo smiles. EVE Don't worry... Bill waves, climbs aboard. The door is closed behind him, the departure routine starts... Margo and eve turn to go. They walk down the passage. As they walk, Eve gently disengages her arm from Margo's and puts it comfortingly about her... MARGO'S VOICE That same night we sent for Eve's things, her few pitiful possessions... she moved into the little guest room on the top floor... INT. DINING HALL - NIGHT MARGO slides her fingers reflectively up and down the sides of the almost empty highball glass. MARGO'S VOICE ... she cried when she saw it - it was so like her little room back home in Wisconsin. ADDISON eyeing her quizzically. He offers her the whiskey. MARGO shakes her head, absently. She looks down at her glass again. Then, she raises her eyes to look at Eve. MARGO'S VOICE ... the next three weeks were out of a fairy tale - and I was Cinderella in the last act. Eve became my sister, lawyer, mother, friend, psychiatrist and cop - the honeymoon was on... INT. MARGO'S LIVING ROOM - DAY It's one floor above street level. A long narrow room, smartly furnished - including a Sarah Siddons Award. MARGO'S NARRATIVE overlaps into the scene which is a SILENT ONE. Eve sits at a smart desk. She is just arranging a stack of letters which she carries to Margo with a pen. Margo sits comfortably by the fire with a play script. She hands the scrips up to Eve, shakes her head and holds her nose. Eve smiles, takes the script, hands Margo the letters to sign. Birdie comes in with a tea tray which she sets on a low table before the fire. The phone rings. Birdie and Eve both go for it. Eve gets there first. By her polite but negative attitude, we know she is giving someone a skillful brush-off. Birdie glares first at her, then at Margo. Margo leans her head back, closes her eyes blissfully... Birdie slams the double door to the landing on her way out... INT. BACKSTAGE - CURRAN THEATER - DAY From the wings. The audience is never visible. Eve in the f.g. Margo and company taking a curtain call. Tumultuous applause... the curtain falls. The cast, except for Margo and two male leads, walk off. The curtain rises again... EVE, watching and listening to the storm of applause. Her eyes shine, she clasps and unclasps her hands... THE STAGE, Eve again in the f.g., but closer. Again the curtain falls. This time the two men go off. Curtain rises on Margo alone. If anything, the applause builds... EVE, that same hypnotic look... there are tears in her eyes. The curtain falls offscene, then rises again - MARGO, the curtain falls again between her and CAMERA... BACKSTAGE, the curtain just settling on the floor. Margo starts off. STAGE MANAGER One more? MARGO (shakes her head) From now on it's not applause - just something to do till the aisles get less crowded... She walks as she talks and winds up at Eve - still in the wings. Eve's eyes are wet, she dabs at her nose. MARGO What - again? EVE I could watch you play that last scene a thousand times and cry every time- MARGO (grins) Performance number one thousand of this one - if I play it that long - will take place in a well-padded booby hatch... She takes Eve's arm, they stroll toward her dressing room. EVE I must say you can certainly tell Mr. Sampson's been gone a month. MARGO You certainly can. Especially if you're me between now and tomorrow morning... EVE I mean the performance. Except for you, you'd think he'd never even directed it - it's disgraceful the way they change everything around... MARGO (smiles) Well, teacher's away and actors will be actors... EVE During your second act scene with your father, Roger Ferraday's supposed to stay way upstage at the arch. He's been coming closer down every night... MARGO When he gets too close, I'll spit in his eye. They're at her dressing room by now. Margo's been unhooking her gown, with Eve's help. They go in. INT. MARGO'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT It's undergone quite a change. A new carpet, chintz covers for the furniture, new lampshades, dainty curtains across the filthy barred window. Birdie waits within. She's listening to a fight; she shuts it off as they enter. MARGO (entering) You bought the new girdles a size smaller. I can feel it. BIRDIE Something maybe grew a size bigger. MARGO When we get home you're going to get into one of those girdles and act for two and half hours. BIRDIE I couldn't get into the girdle in two an' a half hours... Margo's out of her wig and dress by now. She gets into her robe, sits at the dressing table. Eve's on the chaise, by the discarded costume. EVE You haven't noticed my latest bit of interior decorating... MARGO (turns, looks) Well, you've done so much... what's new? EVE The curtains. I made them myself. MARGO They are lovely. Aren't they lovely, Birdie? BIRDIE Adorable. We now got everything a dressing room needs except a basketball hoop. MARGO Just because you can't even work a zipper. It was very thoughtful, Eve, and I appreciate it- A pause. Eve rises, picking up Margo's costume. EVE While you're cleaning up, I'll take this to the wardrobe mistress- MARGO Don't bother. Mrs. Brown'll be along for it in a minute. EVE No trouble at all. And she goes out with the costume. Birdie opens her mouth, shuts it, then opens it again. BIRDIE If I may so bold as to say something - did you ever hear the word "union"? MARGO Behind in your dues? How much? BIRDIE I haven't got a union. I'm slave labor. MARGO Well? BIRDIE But the wardrobe women have got one. And next to a tenor, a wardrobe woman is the touchiest thing in show business- MARGO (catching on) Oh-oh. BIRDIE She's got two things to do - carry clothes an' press 'em wrong - an' just let anybody else muscle in... As she talks, Margo hurries to the door and out after Eve. INT. BACKSTAGE - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT Margo pops out, looks for Eve, then stares in amazement. EVE, near the wings. She stands before a couple of cheval mirrors set up for cast members. She has Margo's dress held up against her body. She turns this way and that, bows as if to applause - mimicking Margo exactly... MARGO watches her curiously. Then she smiles. MARGO (calling) Eve- EVE, startled, whips the gown away, turns to Margo. MARGO smiles understandingly. MARGO (quietly) I think we'd better let Mrs. Brown pick up the wardrobe... Wordlessly, Eve brings it toward her... INT. MARGO'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Margo's asleep. A bedside clock with a luminous dial reads 3 A.M. exactly. The phone rings. Her head comes up out of the pillow, she shakes it. She fumbles, switches on a lamp, then picks up the phone. MARGO Hello.. OPERATOR'S VOICE We are ready with your call to Beverly Hills... MARGO Call, what call? OPERATOR'S VOICE It this Templeton 89970? Miss Margo Channing? MARGO That's right, but I don't understand- OPERATOR'S VOICE We are ready with the call you placed for 12 midnight, California time, to Mr. William Sampson in Beverly Hills... MARGO I placed...? OPERATOR'S VOICE Go ahead, please... BILL'S VOICE (a loud, happy squawk) Margo! What a wonderful surprise! Margo jumps at his vehemence. As she does so, the SCREEN WIPES DOWN DIAGONALLY LEFT TO RIGHT, so that Margo remains in the lower right-hand diagonal of the screen and Bill is disclosed in the upper left. He, too, is in bed, reading. His clock says midnight. BILL (continuing) What a thoughtful, ever-lovin' thing to do- MARGO (dazed) Bill? Have I gone crazy, Bill? BILL You're my girl, aren't you? MARGO That I am... BILL Then you're crazy. MARGO (nods in agreement) When - when are you coming back? BILL I leave in a week - the picture's all wrapped up, we previewed last night... those previews. Like opening out of town, but terrifying. There's nothing you can do, you're trapped, you're in a tin can- MARGO - in a tin can, cellophane or wrapped in a Navajo blanket, I want you home... BILL You in a hurry? MARGO A big hurry, be quick about it - so good night, darling, and sleep tight... BILL Wait a minute! You can't hang up, you haven't even said it- MARGO Bill, you know how much I do - but over the phone, now really, that's kid stuff... BILL Kid stuff or not, it doesn't happen every day, I want to heat it - and if you won't say it, you can sing it... MARGO (convinced she's gone mad) Sing it? BILL Sure! Like the Western Union boys used to do... Margo's eyes pop. Her jaw and the phone sag. MARGO Bill... Bill, it's your birthday. BILL And who remembered it? Who was there on the dot, at twelve midnight...? Margo knows damn well it wasn't she. MARGO (miserably) Happy birthday, darling... BILL The reading could have been better, but you said it - now "many happy returns of the day..." MARGO (the same) Many happy returns of the day... BILL I get a party, don't I? MARGO Of course, birthday and welcome home... who'll I ask? BILL (laughs) It's no secret, I know all about the party - Eve wrote me... MARGO She did...? BILL She hasn't missed a week since I left - but you know all that, you probably tell her what to write... anyway, I sent her a list of people to ask - check with her. MARGO Yeah... I will. BILL How is Eve? Okay? MARGO Okay. BILL I love you... MARGO (mutters) I'll check with Eve... BILL What? MARGO I love you too. Good night, darling- BILL See you... Margo hangs up. Bill hangs up. He replaces the phone, picks up his book... SLOW WIPE until ONLY MARGO is on screen. She puts her phone away. She gets a cigarette. She lights it. She rolls over on her back... INT. MARGO'S BEDROOM - DAY Margo is propped up in bed, still reflective. Birdie comes in with her breakfast tray and a "hi" which gets a "hi" from Margo. She starts on some petty chores. Margo takes a sip of orange juice... MARGO Birdie- BIRDIE Hmm? MARGO You don't like Eve, do you? BIRDIE Do you want an argument or an answer? MARGO An answer. BIRDIE No. MARGO Why not? BIRDIE Now you want an argument. MARGO She works hard. BIRDIE Night an' day. MARGO She's loyal and efficient- BIRDIE Like an agent with one client. MARGO She thinks only for me... (no answer from Birdie) ... doesn't she? BIRDIE (finally) Well... let's say she thinks only about you, anyway... MARGO How do you mean that? Birdie stops whatever it is she's doing. BIRDIE I'll tell you how. Like - let's see - like she was studyin' you, like you were a play or a book or a set of blueprints. How you walk, talk, think, eat, sleep- MARGO (breaks in; sharply) I'm sure that's very flattering, Birdie, and I'm sure there's nothing wrong with that! There is a sharp, brisk knock. Eve comes in. She's dressed in a smart suit. She carries a leather portfolio. EVE Good morning! Margo says "good morning," Birdie says nothing. Eve shows off the suit, proudly. EVE Well - what do you think of my elegant new suit? MARGO Very becoming. It looks better on you than it did on me. EVE (scoffs) I can imagine... you know, all it needed was some taking in here and letting out there - are you sure you won't want it yourself? MARGO Quite sure. I find it just a bit too - too "Seventeenish" for me... EVE (laughs) Oh, come now, as though you were an old lady... I'm on my way. Is there anything more you've thought of-? MARGO There's the script to go back to the Guild- EVE I've got it. MARGO - and those checks or whatever it is for the income tax man. EVE Right here. MARGO It seems I can't think of a thing you haven't thought of... EVE (smile) That's my job. (she turns to go) See you at tea time... MARGO Eve... (Eve turns at the door) ... by any chance, did you place a call from me to Bill for midnight California time? EVE (gasps) Oh, golly. And I forgot to tell you- MARGO Yes, dear. You forgot all about it. EVE Well, I was sure you'd want to, of course, being his birthday, and you've been so busy these past few days, and last night I meant to tell you before you went out with the Richards - and I guess I was asleep when you got home... MARGO Yes, I guess you were. It - it was very thoughtful of you, Eve. EVE Mr. Sampson's birthday. I certainly wouldn't forget that. You'd never forgive me. (she smiles shyly) As a matter of fact, I sent him a telegram myself... And she's gone. Margo stares at the closed door. Then at Birdie. Birdie, without comment, goes out. Margo, alone, looks down at her orange juice. Absently, she twirls it in its bed of shaved ice... INT. DINING HALL - SARAH SIDDONS SOCIETY - NIGHT MARGO, reflectively twirling her highball glass. The applause continues. She lifts her glass to drink. Her glance meets Karen's. She raises the glass in a silent toast. KAREN smiles wanly at Margo's toast. Then the smile fades as she looks reflectively back to Eve... KAREN'S VOICE I saw Eve quite often after our first meeting, but we never really talked again - until the party Margo gave for Bill when he returned from Hollywood... INT. MARGO'S BEDROOM - NIGHT It's January. The bed is littered with fur coats. Through the open door, from the floor below, the murmur of a party at a late hour. No hilarity. KAREN'S VOICE It's always convenient at a party to know the hostess well enough to use her bedroom rather than go where all the others have to go... Karen is making repairs at Margo's dressing table. Eve enters, carrying a magnificent sable coat which she drops on the bed. KAREN Now who's show up at this hour? It's time people went home - hold that coat up... (Eve holds it up; Karen whistles) ... whose is it? EVE Some Hollywood movie star, her plane got in late. KAREN Discouraging, isn't it? Women with furs like that where it never gets cold... EVE Hollywood. KAREN Tell me, Eve - how are things with you? Happy? Eve melts into warmth. She beams, sits on the bed. Karen has spun around on the dressing table stool. EVE There should be a new word for happiness. Being here with Miss Channing has been - I just can't say, she's been so wonderful, done so much for me- KAREN (smiles) Lloyd says Margo compensates for underplaying on the stage by overplaying reality... (she gets up, gets her coat) ... next to that sable, my new mink seems like an old bedjacket... (throws it over her shoulder) ... you've done your share, Eve. You've worked wonders with Margo... She starts out. EVE (hesitantly) Mrs. Richards. KAREN (pauses, smiles) Karen. EVE Karen... (she picks at the coverlet) ... isn't it awful, I'm about to ask you for another favor - after all you've already done. KAREN (crosses to her) Nobody's done so much, Eve, you've got to stop thinking of yourself as one of the Hundred Neediest Cases... what is it? EVE Well... Miss Channing's affairs are in such good shape... there isn't enough to keep me as busy as I should be, really - not that I've ever considered anything that would take me away from her... but the other day - when I heard Mr. Fabian tell Miss Channing that her understudy was going to have a baby, and they'd have to replace her... She looks down at the coverlet once more. KAREN ... you want to be Margo's new understudy. EVE I don't let myself think about it, even- (she looks up, rises as she speaks) - but I do know the part so well, and every bit of the staging, there'd be no need to break in a new girl- (suddenly afraid, she sits) - but suppose I had to go on one night? To an audience that came to see Margo Channing. No, I couldn't possibly... KAREN (laughs) Don't worry too much about that. Margo just doesn't miss performances. If she can walk, crawl or roll - she plays. EVE (nods proudly) The show must go on. KAREN No, dear. Margo must go on. (she sits beside Eve) As a matter of fact, I see no reason why you shouldn't be Margo's understudy... EVE Do you think Miss Channing would approve? KAREN I think she would cheer. EVE But Mr. Richards and Mr. Sampson- KAREN They'll do as they're told. Eve smiles a little. A pause. EVE Then - would you talk to Mr. Fabian about it? KAREN Of course. EVE You won't forget it? KAREN I won't forget. EVE I seem to be forever thanking you for something, don't I? She hugs Karen, leaves. She nearly collides with Birdie on her way in. BIRDIE The bed looks like a dead animal act. Which one is sables? KAREN (pointing) But she just got here... BIRDIE She's on her way. With half the men in the joint. (she hold up the coat) It's only a fur coat... KAREN What did you expect - live sables? BIRDIE A diamond collar, gold sleeves - you know, picture people... They start out. KAREN Bill says actors out there eat just as infrequently as here- BIRDIE They can always grab oranges off trees. This you can't do in Times Square... Through the open door, we see them go down the stairs and out of sight. INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING AND STAIRS - NIGHT Karen and Birdie come down the stairs to Bill, Max, Addison, a blonde young lady named MISS CASWELL (Addison's protegee-of the-moment) - and, at the feet of Bill and Addison... Eve. They are all seated on the steps. Birdie goes through and down the stairs to the first floor. Karen remains with the others. Addison is holding forth: ADDISON Every now and then, some elder statesman of the Theater or cinema assures the public that actors and actresses are just plain folk. Ignoring the fact that their greatest attraction to the public is their complete lack of resemblance to normal human beings. MISS CASWELL (as Birdie and the sables pass) Now there's something a girl could make sacrifices for. BILL'S VOICE And probably has. MISS CASWELL Sable. MAX (to Miss Caswell) Did you say sable - or Gable? MISS CASWELL Either one. ADDISON It is senseless to insist that theatrical folk in New York, Hollywood and London are no different from the good people of Des Moines, Chillicothe and Liverpool. By and large, we are concentrated gatherings of neurotics, egomaniacs, emotional misfits, and precocious children- MAX (to Bill) Gable. Why a feller like that don't come East to do a play... BILL (nods) He must be miserable, the life he lives out there- ADDISON These so-called abnormalities - they're our stock in trade, they make us actors, writers, directors, et cetera in the first place- MAX Answer me this. What makes a man become a producer? ADDISON What makes a man walk into a lion cage with nothing but a chair? MAX This answer satisfies me a hundred percent. ADDISON We all have abnormality in common. We are a breed apart from the rest of the humanity, we Theater folk. We are the original displaced personalities... BILL (laughs; to Eve) You don't have to read his column tomorrow - you just heard it. I don't agree, Addison... ADDISON That happens to be your particular abnormality. BILL Oh, I admit there's a screwball element in the Theater. It sticks out, it's got spotlights on it and a brass band. But it isn't basic, it isn't standard - if it were, the Theater couldn't survive... MISS CASWELL (to a passing butler) Oh, waiter... The butler goes right by. ADDISON That isn't a waiter, my dear. That's a butler. MISS CASWELL Well, I can't yell "Oh, butler," can I? Maybe somebody's name is Butler... ADDISON You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point. MISS CASWELL I don't want to make trouble. All I want is a drink. MAX (getting up) Leave me get you one... MISS CASWELL (pitching) Oh, thank you, Mr. Fabian. Max leaves with her empty glass. ADDISON Well done. I see your career rising in the East like the sun... (to Bill) ... you were saying? BILL I was saying that the Theater is nine-tenths hard work. Work done the hard way - by sweat, application and craftsmanship. I'll agree to this - that to be a good actor, actress, or anything else in the Theater, means wanting to be that more than anything else in the world... EVE (abruptly) Yes. Yes, it does. BILL (goes on) It means concentration of ambition, desire, and sacrifice such as no other profession demands... And I'll agree that the man or woman who accepts those terms can't be ordinary, can't be - just someone. To give so much for almost always so little... Eve speaks almost unaware of what she says. She looks at no one in particular, just off... EVE So little. So little, did you say? Why, if there's nothing else - there's applause. It's like - like waves of love coming over the footlights and wrapping you up. Imagine... To know, every night, that different hundreds of people love you... they smile, their eyes shine - you've pleased them, they want you, you belong. Just that alone is worth anything... She becomes aware of Addison's strange smile, of Bill's looks of warm interest. She's embarrassed, she turns away - then scrambles to her feet as Margo approaches with Lloyd from the direction of the pantry. Margo's had too much to drink. Her fake smile fades as Eve gets up. She's unpleasant and depressed. MARGO Don't get up. And please stop acting as if I were the queen mother. EVE (hurt) I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- BILL (sharply) Outside of a beehive, Margo, your behavior would hardly be considered either queenly or motherly! MARGO You're in a beehive, pal, didn't you know? We're all busy little bees, full of stings, making honey day and night- (to Eve) - aren't we, honey? KAREN Margo, really... MARGO Please don't play governess, Karen, I haven't your unyielding good taste, I wish I'd gone to Radcliffe too but father wouldn't hear of it - he needed help at the notions counter... (to Addison) I'm being rude now, aren't I? OR should I say "ain't I"? ADDISON You're maudlin and full of self pity. You're magnificent. Max has come up with Miss Caswell's drink. LLOYD How about calling it a night? MARGO And you pose as a playwright. A situation pregnant with possibilities - and all you can think of is everybody to go to sleep... BILL It's a good thought. MARGO It won't play. KAREN As a nonprofessional, I think it's an excellent idea. Undramatic, but practical... As she speaks, she makes her way to Lloyd's side. MARGO Happy little housewife... BILL Cut it out. MARGO This is my house, not a theater! In my house you're a guest, not a director-! KAREN Then stop being a star - start treating your guests as your supporting cast! ADDISON Hear, hear... LLOYD Now let's not get into a big hassle- KAREN It's about time we did! It's about time Margo realized that what's attractive on stage need not necessarily be attractive off. MARGO (suddenly) All right! I'm going to bed. (to Bill) You be the host. It's your party. Happy Birthday, welcome home, and we-who-are-about-to-die-salute-you. She starts upstairs. BILL Need any help? MARGO (pauses, smiles) To put me to bed? Take my clothes off, hold my head, tuck me in, turn off the lights, tiptoe out...? eve would. Wouldn't you, Eve? EVE If you'd like. MARGO I wouldn't like. She goes up, exits out of sight. A pause. Miss Caswell reaches up to take the drink out of Max's hand. MAX I forgot I had it. MISS CASWELL I didn't. Bill gets up and goes after Margo... ADDISON Too bad! We'll miss the third act. They're going to play it off stage. Eve turns away abruptly, in sudden tears. LLOYD Coming? KAREN In a minute... She crosses to Eve, puts an arm around her. KAREN You mustn't mind Margo too much, even if I do... EVE But there must be some reason, something I've done without knowing... KAREN The reason is Margo and don't try to figure it out. Einstein couldn't. EVE If I thought I'd offended her, of all people- KAREN Eve. I'm fond of Margo too. But I know Margo. And every now and then there is nothing I want to do so much as to kick her right square in the pants. EVE (smiles) Well - if she's got to pick on someone, I'd just as soon it was me. Karen smiles back. She joins Lloyd and Max. LLOYD Max is going to drop us... ADDISON I've often wondered, Max, why you bother with a chauffeur and limousine in New York City. MAX In my case it's necessary. Too many taxi drivers write plays. ADDISON And too many of them are produced. MISS CASWELL Let's go sit by the piano. ADDISON You have me confused with Dan Dailey. You go sit by the piano. (to Eve) And you come sit by me. (to the others) Good night. They laugh, say "good night," and start downstairs. As Eve crosses to Addison: EVE Karen... (Karen pauses) ... you won't forget, will you? What we talked about before? KAREN (smiles) No, Eve, I won't forget... She follows the men downstairs. CLOSE UP of an old engraving of Mrs. Siddons as 'The Tragic Muse' which hangs among other theatrical mementos on the stair wall... INT. DINING HALL - SARAH SIDDONS SOCIETY - NIGHT The applause continues. Margo sits back in her chair now, picking at a bit of fingernail polish... MARGO'S VOICE Bill's welcoming-home-birthday party... a night to go down in history. Like the Chicago Fire - or the Massacre of the Huguenots. Even before the party started, I could smell disaster in the air... INT. MARGO'S BEDROOM - NIGHT The same night as the previous sequence, but before the party has started. Margo is all dressed except for jewelry. She stands before her dressing table putting it on. She sips at an enormous Martini... MARGO'S VOICE I knew it, I sensed it even as I finished dressing for that blasted party... Birdie comes in. BIRDIE You all put together? MARGO My back's open. (Birdie goes to work on it) Did the extra help get here? BIRDIE There's some loose characters dressed like maids and butlers. Who'd you call - the William Morris Agency? MARGO You're not being funny, I could get actors for less. What about the food? BIRDIE The caterer had to back for hors d'oeuvres- (she zips Margo) Voila. MARGO (laughs) That French ventriloquist taught you a lot, didn't he? BIRDIE There was nothing he didn't know. (she starts tidying the room) There's a message from the bartender. Does Miss Channing know we ordered domestic gin by mistake? MARGO The only thing I ordered by mistake is the guests. (Birdie cackles) They're domestic, too, and they don't care what they drink as long as it burns... where's Bill? He's late. BIRDIE Late for what? MARGO Don't be dense. The party. BIRDIE I ain't dense. And he's been here twenty minutes. MARGO Well, I certainly think it's odd he hasn't even come up... Her glance meets Birdie's. She turns and strolls out. INT. THIRD FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT Margo speeds up going down the stairs. INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT Margo shows up again deliberately as she reaches the landing. Sound of Bill and Eve laughing together from the living room. Margo strolls toward it casually. We see Eve seated, looking up fascinated at Bill as he talks - out of the laughter... BILL "Don't let it worry you," said the cameraman, "Even DeMille couldn't see anything looking through the wrong end-" (Eve chuckles) So that was the first and last time- Eve sees Margo approach. She gets up. Bill turns. INT. MARGO'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT As Margo strolls up, very off-hand. MARGO Don't let me kill the point. Or isn't it a story for grownups? BILL You've heard it. About when I looked through the wrong end of a camera finder. MARGO (to Eve) Remind me to tell you about when I looked into the heart of an artichoke. EVE I'd like to hear it. MARGO Some snowy night in front of the fire... in the meantime, while we're on the subject, will you check about the hors d'oeuvres? The caterer forgot them, the varnish wasn't dry or something... EVE Of course. She leaves. A short lull. Margo looks into cigarette boxes. Bill eyes her curiosity, crosses to the fire. BILL Looks like I'm going to have a very fancy party... MARGO I thought you were going to be late- BILL When I'm guest of honor? MARGO I had no idea you were even here. BILL I ran into Eve on my way upstairs; she told me you were dressing. MARGO That never stopped you before. BILL Well, we started talking, she wanted to know all about Hollywood, she seemed so interested... MARGO She's a girl of so many interests. BILL It's a pretty rare quality these days. MARGO She's a girl of so many rare qualities. BILL So she seems. MARGO (the steel begins to flash) So you've pointed out, so often. So many qualities, so often. Her loyalty, efficiency, devotion, warmth, affection - and so young. So young and so fair... Bill catches the drift. Incredulously. BILL I can't believe you're making this up - it sounds like something out of an old Clyde Fitch play... MARGO Clyde Fitch, thought you may not think so, was well before my time! BILL (laughs) I've always denied the legend that you were in 'Our American Cousin' the night Lincoln was shot... MARGO I don't think that's funny! BILL Of course it's funny - this is all too laughable to be anything else. You know what I think about this - this age obsession of yours - and now this ridiculous attempt to whip yourself up into a jealous froth because I spent ten minutes with a stage-struck kid- MARGO Twenty minutes! BILL Thirty minutes, forty minutes! What of it? MARGO Stage-struck kid... she's a young lady - of qualities. And I'll have you know I'm fed up with both the young lady and her qualities! Studying me as if - as if I were a play or a set of blueprints! How I walk, talk, think, eat, sleep! BILL Now how can you take offense at a kid trying in every way to be as much like her ideal as possible! MARGO Stop calling her a kid! It so happens there are particular aspects of my life to which I would like to maintain sole and exclusive rights and privileges! BILL For instance what? MARGO For instance - you! BILL This is my cue to take you in my arms and reassure you - but I'm not going to. I'm too mad- MARGO - guilty. BILL Mad! Darling, there are certain characteristics for which you are famous - on stage and off. I love you for some of them - and in spite of others. I haven't let those become too important to me. They're part of your equipment for getting along in what is laughably called out environment - you've got to keep your teeth sharp. All right. But you will not sharpen them on me - or on Eve... MARGO What about her teeth? What about her fangs? BILL She hasn't cut them yet, and you know it! So when you start judging an idealistic dreamy-eyed kid by the barroom, Benzedrine standards of this megalomaniac society - I won't have it! Eve Harrington has never by word, look, thought or suggestion indicated anything to me but her adoration for you and her happiness at our being in love! And to intimate anything else doesn't spell jealousy to me - it spells a paranoic insecurity that you should be ashamed of! MARGO Cut! Print it! What happens in the next reel? Do I get dragged off screaming to the snake pit? EVE'S VOICE (quietly) Miss Channing? Bill and Margo look off. Eve is in the room. They have no way of knowing how long she's been there. EVE The hors d'oeuvres are here. Is there anything else I can do? MARGO Thank you, Eve. I'd like a Martini - very dry. BILL I'll get it. (he crosses to Eve) What'll you have? Eve, involuntarily, looks to Margo. MARGO A milkshake? Eve smiles, turns to Bill. EVE A Martini. Very dry, please... Bill smiles back and starts across the landing toward the pantry. As he crosses the stairs, Karen, Lloyd and Max come up from the street level below. General greetings. Bill continues up to pantry. Eve and then Margo come up to add their welcome... EVE (to Karen) May I have your coat? KAREN Don't bother, I can take it up myself... EVE Please... Karen yields with a "thank you, Eve-." Eve goes up with the coat. Lloyd looks after her approvingly. LLOYD I like that girl. That quality of quiet graciousness... MARGO ... Among so many quiet qualities. They start for the living room. KAREN Margo, nothing you've ever done has made me as happy as your taking Eve in... MARGO I'm so happy you're happy. MAX Look, you haven't been running a settlement house exactly - the kid's earned her way. You had a pretty mixed-up inventory when she took over - merchandise laying all over the shop... LLOYD You've got Margo mixed up with a five-and-ten-cent store... MARGO Make it Bergdorf Goodman... and now everything is on its proper shelf, eh, Max? Done up in little ribbons. I could die right now and nobody'd be confused. How about you, Max? MAX How about me what? They've come to a halt near the fireplace. MARGO Supposed you dropped dead. What about your inventory? MAX I ain't gonna die. Not with a hit. KAREN This is the most ghoulish conversation... Bill brings two Martinis. He hands one to Margo. MARGO (it drips ice) Thank you. BILL Nothing, really... MARGO The kid - junior, that is - will be right down. Unless you'd like to take her drink up to her... BILL (smiles) I can always get a fresh one. Karen - you're a Gibson girl... He hands Eve's drink to Karen. Max has wandered off. Other guests are arriving. Margo gulps her drink, hands Bill the empty glass. He puts it on a passing tray. Margo takes a fresh one at the same time. LLOYD The general atmosphere is very Macbethish. What has or is about to happen? MARGO (to Bill) What is he talking about? BILL Macbeth. KAREN (to Margo) We know you, we've seen you before like this. Is it over - or just beginning? Margo surveys them all. MARGO Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night. She downs the drink, hands the empty glass to Bill, and leaves them. She passes two women, gabbing by the piano. As they see her: WOMAN #1 Margo, darling! WOMAN #2 Darling! MARGO (passing) Darlings... She arrives at the landing just as Addison comes up with Miss Caswell. Margo takes a drink from a passing tray. MARGO (to Addison) I distinctly remember striking your name from the guest list. What are you doing here? ADDISON Dear Margo. You were an unforgettable Peter Pan - you must play it again, soon. You remember Miss Caswell? MARGO I do not. How do you do? MISS CASWELL We never met. That's why. ADDISON Miss Caswell is an actress. A graduate of Copacabana School of Dramatic Arts. (his glance is attracted by Eve coming downstairs) Ah... Eve. EVE (deferentially) Good evening, Mr. deWitt. MARGO I had no idea you knew each other. ADDISON This must be, at long last, our formal introduction. Until now we have met only in passing... MISS CASWELL That's how you met me. In passing. MARGO (smiles) Eve, this is an old friend of Mr. deWitt's mother - Miss Caswell, Miss Harrington... (the two girls say hello) Addison, I've been wanting you to meet Eve for the longest time- ADDISON (murmurs) It could only have been your natural timidity that kept you from mentioning it... MARGO You've heard of her great interest in the Theater- ADDISON We have that in common. MARGO Then you two must have a long talk- EVE I'm afraid Mr. deWitt would find me boring before too long. MISS CASWELL You won't bore him, honey. You won't even get to talk. ADDISON (icily) Claudia dear, come closer. (she does, and he points) This is Max Fabian. He is a producer. Go do yourself some good. MISS CASWELL (sighs) Why do they always look like unhappy rabbits? ADDISON Because that is what they are. Go make him happy. Miss Caswell drapes her coat over the rail, heads for Max. Addison puts Eve's arm in his. ADDISON (to Margo) You mustn't worry about your little charge. She is in safe hands. MARGO Amen. Eve smiles uncertainly at Margo as he leads her away. Margo looks after them. She downs her drink... INT. MARGO'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT It's many Martinis later. Most of the guests have gone. The party has reached that static state - everyone's assumed more or less permanent places. Birdie passes, carrying a cup of coffee. CAMERA FOLLOWS her to the piano where Margo sits on the bench beside the pianist. He is just finishing "Liebestraum" and she stares moodily into a Martini. Birdie halts beside her with the coffee. Margo looks up. Birdie holds out the coffee. Margo takes the onion out of the Martini, drops it into the coffee and waves Birdie away. Birdie goes. "Liebestraum" comes to an end. The pianist tries to ease into a more sophisticated rhythm. Margo stops him. MARGO (quietly) "Liebestraum." PIANIST I just played it. MARGO Play it again. PIANIST But that was the fourth straight time. MARGO Then this will be five. I suppose you think I'm too drunk to count. PIANIST No. You're just crazy about "Liebestraum." MARGO "Liebestraum." PIANIST Look, Miss Channing... it's kind of depressing. If you don't mind my saying so, everybody's kind of dying on the vine... MARGO My dear Horowitz. In the first place, I'm paying you union scale. Second, it's my piano. Third, if everybody doesn't like kind of dying on the vine, they can get off the vine and go home. "Liebestraum." Unhappily, he plays "Liebestraum." Margo sips her Martini, stares down into it again. Bill tiptoes up. BILL (whispers) Many of your guests have been wondering when they may be permitted to view the body. Where has it been laid out? MARGO (somberly) It hasn't been laid out, we haven't finished with the embalming. As a matter of fact, you're looking at it. The remains of Margo Channing. Sitting up. It is my last wish to be buried sitting up. BILL (trying to kid her out of it) Wouldn't you feel more natural taking a bow? MARGO You know nothing about feelings, natural or unnatural. BILL Then without feeling, your guests were also wondering whether the music couldn't be a shade more on the - shall we say, happier side? MARGO If my guests do not like it here, I suggest they accompany you to the nursery where I'm sure you will all feel more at home. Bill is about to get mad - when Max bustles up. MAX Margo. You by any chance got bicarbonate of soda in the house? MARGO (sympathetic) Poor Max. Heartburn? (Max nods) It's that Miss Caswell. I don't know why she doesn't give Addison heartburn. BILL No heart to burn. MARGO Everybody has a heart - except some people. (she finishes her drink, stands up) Of course I've got bicarb. There's a box in the pantry. We'll put your name on it. Max Fabian. It'll say there. Always. Just for you. MAX (touched) Let the rest of the world beat their brains out for a buck. It's friends that count. And I got friends. MARGO I love you, Max. I really mean it. I love you. Come to the pantry. She takes off. Max waits to set Bill straight. MAX She loves me like a father. Also, she's loaded. He starts off after Margo. As the CAMERA PANS with Bill we see Margo going into the pantry with Max following her. Bill joins Addison and Miss Caswell on the stairs. INT. PANTRY - NIGHT It's a good sized one. In the b.g., the caterers are packing dishes, glassware, etc. Margo crosses to a cupboard. She finds the bicarb. MARGO Here you are, Maxie dear. One good burp and you'll be rid of that Miss Caswell... MAX The situation I'm in ain't the kind you can belch your way out. I made a promise... MARGO Miss Caswell? (Max nods) What? MAX An audition for the part we're replacing. What's-her-name, your sister... He adds water to the bicarb. MARGO Well, if she can act, she might not be bad. She looks like she might burn down a plantation... MAX (mixing) I feel right now like there's one burning in me. MARGO When's the audition? MAX A couple of weeks. MARGO I tell you what. Why don't I read with her? MAX Would you? MARGO Anything to help you out, Max. MAX This is real cooperation. I appreciate it. MARGO Not at all. And you could do me a big favor, if you would- MAX All you got to do is name it. MARGO Give Eve Harrington job in you office. Max burps. MARGO You get quick action, don't you? MAX Margo, I wouldn't think of taking that girl away from you... MARGO You said yourself my inventory was in good shape - all of my merchandise put away. To keep her here with nothing to do - I'd be standing in her way... and you need her, Max. MAX But what could she do? MARGO She'd be a great help - read scripts, interview people you have to see, get rid of the ones you don't have to... you'd be a man of leisure- MAX Well... MARGO Think of your health, Max - more time to relax out in the fresh air at a race track... MAX I don't know if this would be a wise move... MARGO Promise. MAX I promise. MARGO (happily) That's my Max. Lloyd enters, looking for her. LLOYD There you are, both of you. Max, Karen has decided it's time to go. MARGO Where is she? LLOYD Up in the room. MAX If you'll excuse me- (to Margo) I'll tell Miss Caswell... He goes out. A pause. MARGO Who's left out there? LLOYD Too many. And you've got a new guest. A movie star from Hollywood. MARGO Shucks. And my autograph book is at the cleaners. Another pause. MARGO You disapprove of me when I'm like this, don't you? LLOYD Not exactly. Sometimes, though, I wish I understood you better. MARGO When you do, let me in on it. LLOYD I will. Another pause. MARGO How's the new one coming? LLOYD The play? All right, I guess... MARGO "Cora." She's - still a girl of twenty? LLOYD Twentyish. It isn't important. MARGO Don't you think it's about time it became important? LLOYD How do you mean? MARGO Don't be evasive. LLOYD Margo, you haven't got any age. MARGO Miss Channing is ageless. Spoken like a press agent. LLOYD I know what I'm talking about, after all they're my plays... MARGO Spoken like an author. (abruptly) Lloyd, I'm not twentyish. I am not thirtyish. Three months ago, I was forty years old. Forty. Four oh. (smiles) That slipped out, I hadn't quite made up my mind to admit it. Now I feel as if I'd suddenly taken all my clothes off... LLOYD Week after week, to thousands of people, you're as young as you want... MARGO ... as young as they want, you mean. And I'm not interested in whether thousands of people think I'm six or six hundred- LLOYD Just one person. Isn't that so? (Margo doesn't answer) You know what this is all about, don't you? It has very little to do with whether you should play "Cora" - it has everything to do with the fact that you've had another fight with Bill. A pause. Margo closes the box of bicarb. MARGO Bill's thirty-two. He looks thirty two. He looked it five years ago, he'll look it twenty years from now. I hate men. (she puts the box down) Don't worry, Lloyd. I'll play your play. I'll wear rompers and come in rolling a hoop if you like... let's go say good night. They exit into the dining room. As they open the swinging door, the CAMERA REMAINS in the doorway. Margo and Lloyd walk toward the stairs. In the b.g., Eve is talking to the group. How much she says is dependent on how long it takes Margo and Lloyd to reach her. EVE (in the b.g.) Imagine... to know, every night, that different hundreds of people love you... They smile, their eyes shine - you've pleased them, they want you, you belong. Anything's worth that. Just as before, she becomes aware of Margo's approach with Lloyd. She scrambles to her feet... MARGO Don't get up. And please stop acting as if I were the queen mother. And as Margo speaks - or before - we FADE OUT. FADE IN: EXT. N.Y. THEATER STREET - DAY Margo gets out of a cab in front of the theater and goes in. It's Friday afternoon - no performance. MARGO'S VOICE What was it the wise man said - "This, too, will pass away"? Two weeks later - the day of the audition - all was well with Bill and me, the world and me- INT. LOBBY AND FOYER - CURRAN THEATER - DAY Margo comes from the street through the lobby ( a few people buying tickets) and into the deserted foyer. She spots Addison sprawled on one of the sofas. MARGO Why so remote, Addison? I should think you'd be at the side of your protegee, lending her moral support... ADDISON Miss Caswell, at the moment, is where I can lend no support - moral or otherwise. MARGO The ladies' - shall we say - lounge? ADDISON Being violently ill to her tummy. MARGO It's good luck before an audition. She'll be all right once it starts. She heads for the auditorium. ADDISON Miss Caswell got lucky too late. The audition is over. MARGO (stops) Over? It can't be. I've come to read with her. I promised Max. ADDISON The audition was called for 2:30. It is now nearly four. MARGO (lightly) Is it really? I must start wearing a watch, I never do, you know... who read with Miss Caswell? Bill? (he shakes his head) Lloyd? (he shakes his head) Well, it couldn't have been Max! Who? ADDISON Naturally enough, your understudy. MARGO I consider it highly unnatural to allow a girl in an advanced state of pregnancy- ADDISON I refer to your new and unpregnant understudy. Eve Harrington. MARGO Eve! My understudy... ADDISON (keenly) Didn't you know? MARGO (quickly) Of course I knew. ADDISON It just slipped your mind. A moment of silence. MARGO How... how was Miss Caswell? ADDISON Frankly, I don't remember. MARGO Just slipped your mind. ADDISON Completely. Nor, I am sure, could anyone else present tell you how Miss Caswell read or whether Miss Caswell read or rode a pogo stick. MARGO Was she that bad? As Addison speaks, he rises with excitement. ADDISON Margo, as you know, i have lived in the Theater as a Trappist monk lives in his faith. I have no other world, no other life - and once in a great while I experience that moment of Revelation for which all true believers wait and pray. You were one. Jeanne Eagels another... Paula Wessely... Hayes - there are others, three or four. Eve Harrington will be among them... MARGO (flatly) I take it she read well. ADDISON It wasn't reading, it was a performance. Brilliant, vivid, something made of music and fire... MARGO How nice. ADDISON In time she'll be what you are. MARGO A mass of music and fire. That's me. An old kazoo and some sparkles. Tell me - was Bill swept away, too, or were you too full of Revelation to notice? ADDISON Bill didn't say - but Lloyd was beside himself. He listened to his play as if someone else had written it, he said, it sounded so fresh, so new, so full of meaning... MARGO How nice for Lloyd. And how nice for Eve. How nice for everybody. Addison, of course, knows exactly what she's doing. He senses the approaching typhoon, he whips it up... ADDISON Eve was incredibly modest. She insisted that no credit was due her, that Lloyd felt as he did only because she read lines exactly as he had written them. MARGO The implication being that I have not been reading them as written. ADDISON To the best of my recollection, neither your name nor your performance entered the conversation. Miss Caswell appears, uncertain, in the b.g. ADDISON Feeling better, my dear? MISS CASWELL Like I just swam the English Channel. Now what? ADDISON You next move, it seems to me, should be toward television. Margo, abruptly, starts for the auditorium. Addison smiles. He takes Miss Caswell's arm. MISS CASWELL Tell me this. Do they have auditions for television? ADDISON That's all television is, my dear. Nothing but auditions. He takes her toward the street. INT. THEATER - CURRAN THEATER - DAY The curtain is up; the set, covered, is a bedroom in a deteriorating Southern mansion. There is no one in the theater but Max, seated on the aisle about two-thirds down, and Eve with Lloyd and Bill on the stage. She is seated; they stand between her and auditorium. There is some ad lib talk among the three which we cannot make out. Margo marches down the aisle with a steady pace. She passes Max smiles a sickly, hopeful smile. She ignores him as if he were a used paper cup. She disappears through the door which leads backstage. Max whistles. Lloyd turns. Max indicated the door and puts his hands to his head in despair. Margo walks out of the wings on stage. Bill and Lloyd turn to her. Eve rises. MARGO (cheerily) Terribly sorry I'm late, lunch was long and I couldn't find a cab - where's Miss Caswell, shall we start? Oh, hello, Eve... EVE Hello, Miss Channing. MARGO How are you making out in Mr. Fabian's office? (over the footlights to Max) I don't want you working the child too hard, Max - just because you promised. As you see, I kept my promise, too... Max slumps in his seat. By the time Margo turns back to them, the others have exchanged swift looks. BILL It's all over. MARGO What's all over? BILL The audition. MARGO (pleased astonishment) Eve? (she turns to her) How enchanting... (to Lloyd and Bill) Wherever did you get the idea of having Eve read with Miss Caswell? LLOYD She's your understudy. MARGO Eve? Eve, my understudy? But I had no idea... LLOYD I thought you knew... She was put on over a week ago- MARGO It seems almost inconceivable that I haven't seen her backstage, but with so many people loitering around... well, well. So Eve is not working for Max after all- (out to Max again) - Max you sly puss. Max submerges further in his seat. EVE Miss Channing, I can't tell you how glad I am that you arrived so late. MARGO Really, Eve? Why? EVE Well, if you'd been here to begin with, I wouldn't have dared to read at all... MARGO Why not? EVE ... and if you'd come in the middle, I'd have stopped, I couldn't have gone on- MARGO (murmurs) What a pity, all that fire and music being turned off... BILL What fire and music? MARGO You wouldn't understand. (to Lloyd) How was Miss Caswell? LLOYD Back to Copacabana. But Eve. Margo, let me tell you about Eve- EVE (breaking in) I was dreadful, Miss Channing, believe me - I have no right to be anyone's understudy, much less yours... MARGO I'm sure you underestimate yourself, Eve. You always do. (to Lloyd) You were about to tell me about Eve... LLOYD You'd have been proud of her. MARGO I'm sure. LLOYD She was a revelation... MARGO To you, too? LLOYD What do you mean? MARGO (the ice begins to form) I mean, among other things, that it must have been a revelation to have your twenty-four-year-old character played by twenty-four-year-old actress... LLOYD That's beside the point. MARGO It's right to the point. Also that it must have sounded so new and fresh to you - so exciting to have the lines read as you wrote them! BILL Addison-! MARGO So full of meaning, fire and music! LLOYD You've been talking to that venomous fishwife, Addison deWitt- MARGO - in this case, apparently, as trustworthy as the World Almanac! LLOYD You knew when you came in that the audition was over, that Eve was your understudy! Playing that childish game of cat and mouse... MARGO Not mouse, never mouse! If anything - rat! LLOYD You have a genius for making barroom brawl out of a perfectly innocent misunderstanding at most! MARGO Perfectly innocent! Man have been hanged for less! I'm lied to, attacked behind my back, accused of reading your silly dialogue inaccurately - as if it were Holy Gospel! LLOYD I never said it was! MARGO Then you listened as if someone else had written you play - whom did you have in mind? Sherwood? Arthur Miller? Beaumont and Fletcher? Max has edged his way to the stage. MAX (from below) May I say a word? LLOYD No! (to Margo) What makes you think that either Miller or Sherwood would stand for the nonsense I take from you - you'd better stick to Beaumont and Fletcher! They've been dead for three hundred years! He stalks into the wings. Bill's reaction to the fight is typical. He lights a cigarette, stretches out on the covered bed. Eve stands frozen with fear. Margo yells after Lloyd into the wings. MARGO And they're getting better performances today than they ever got! All playwrights should be dead for three hundred years! Lloyd comes out of the door leading to the auditorium. The battle goes on without a pause. As he yells back, he crosses to Max at row A, center. LLOYD That would solve none of their problems - because actresses never die! The stars never die and never change! He starts up the aisle with Max. MARGO You can change this star any time you want! For a new, fresh, exciting one fully equipped with fire and music! Any time you want - starting with tonight's performance! Now it's Max who stops and shouts back at her. MAX This is for lawyers to talk about, this concerns a run-of-the-play contract, and this you can't rewrite or ad lib! MARGO (from the stage) Are you threatening me with legal action, Mr. Fabian? MAX Are you breaking the contract? MARGO Answer my question! MAX Who am I to threaten? I'm a dying man. MARGO I didn't hear you. MAX (yelling) I said I'm a dying man! MARGO Not until the last drugstore has sold its last pill! LLOYD (from the top of the aisle) I shall never understand the weird process by which a body with a voice suddenly fancies itself a mind! Just when exactly does an actress decide they're her words she's saying and her thoughts she's expressing? MARGO Usually at the point when she's got to rewrite and rethink them to keep the audience from leaving the theater! LLOYD It's about time the piano realized it has not written the concerto! Max has already walked out unhappily. Lloyd now slams out. Margo glares after him, then turns to Bill who smokes his cigarette peacefully on the bed. MARGO (quiet menace) And you, I take it, are the Paderewski who plays his concerto on me, the piano? (Bill waves his cigarette; he's noncommittal) Where is Princess Fire-and-Music? BILL Who? MARGO The kid. Junior. BILL (looks lazily) Gone. MARGO I must have frightened her away. BILL I wouldn't be surprised. Sometimes you frighten me. MARGO (paces up and down) Poor little flower. Just dropped her petals and folded her tent... BILL Don't mix your metaphors. MARGO I mix what I like. BILL Okay. Mix. MARGO I'm nothing but a body with a voice. No mind. BILL What a body, what a voice. MARGO The ex-ship news' reporter. No body, no voice, all mind! BILL The gong rang. The fight's over. Calm down. MARGO I will not calm down! BILL Don't calm down. MARGO You're being terribly tolerant, aren't you? BILL I'm trying terribly hard. MARGO Well, you needn't. I will not be tolerated. And I will not be plotted against! BILL Here we go... MARGO Such nonsense, what do you all take me for - little Nell from the country? Been my understudy for over a week without my knowing, carefully hidden no doubt- BILL (sits up) Now don't get carried away- MARGO (going right on) - shows up for an audition when everyone knew I'd be here... and gives a performance! Out of nowhere - gives a performance! BILL You've been all through that with Lloyd- MARGO The playwright doesn't make the performance - and it doesn't just happen! And this one didn't - full of fire and music and whatnot, it was carefully rehearsed I have no doubt, over and over, full of those Bill Sampson touches! BILL I am sick and tired of these paranoiac outbursts! MARGO Paranoiac! BILL I didn't know Eve Harrington was your understudy until half past two this afternoon! MARGO Tell that to Dr. Freud! Along with the rest of it... She turns away. Bill grabs her, pulls her down on the bed. He holds her down. BILL No, I'll tell it to you! For the last time, I'll tell it to you. Because you've got to stop hurting yourself, and me, and the two of us by these paranoiac tantrums! MARGO (struggling) That word again! I don't even know what it means... BILL (firmly) It's time you found out. I love you. (Margo says "Ha!") I love you. You're a beautiful and intelligent woman- (Margo says "A body with a voice") - a beautiful and intelligent woman and a great actress- (he waits; Margo says nothing) - at the peak of her career. You have every reason for happiness- (Margo says "Except happiness") - every reason, but due to some strange, uncontrollable, unconscious drive you permit the slightest action of a kid- (Margo sneers "Kid!") - kid like Eve to turn you into a hysterical, screaming harpy! Now once and for all, stop it! Margo seems quiet. He gets up. She sits up. MARGO It's obvious you're not a woman. BILL I've been aware of that for some time. MARGO Well, I am. BILL I'll say. MARGO Don't be condescending. BILL Come on, get up. I'll buy you a drink. MARGO (with dignity) I admit I may have seen better days, but I am still not to be had for the price of a cocktail - like a salted peanut. BILL (laughs) Margo, let's make peace. MARGO The terms are too high. Unconditional surrender. BILL Just being happy? Just stopping all this nonsense about Eve - and Eve and me? MARGO It's not nonsense. BILL But if I tell you it is - as I just did. Were you listening to me? (Margo nods) Isn't that enough? MARGO I wish it were. BILL Then what would be enough? (Margo doesn't answer) If we were married? MARGO I wouldn't want you to marry me just to prove something. BILL You've had so many reasons for not wanting to marry me... Margo, tell me what's behind all this. MARGO I - I don't know, Bill. Just a feeling, I don't know... BILL I think you do know but you won't or can't tell me. (Margo doesn't say) I said before it was going to be my last try, and I meant it. I can't think of anything else to do. I wish I could. (a pause) We usually wind up screaming and throwing things as the curtain comes down. Then it comes up again and everything's fine. But not this time. (he takes a breath) You know there isn't a playwright in the world who could make me believe this would happen between two adult people. Goodbye, Margo. No word from her. He starts away. MARGO Bill... (he stops) ... where are you going? To find Eve? BILL (smiles grimly) That suddenly makes the whole thing believable. He goes out. Margo, alone, sit for a moment sadly. Then she begins to cry... INT. RICHARDS' STUDIO APARTMENT - DAY One large room, a small foyer with a door to the corridor. A stair up one wall to a narrow balcony from which a couple of bedroom open. Karen is painting. Earnestly but badly. A still life of an orange, an avocado, an eggplant and three bananas. KAREN'S VOICE On the day of the audition, my biggest worry was to keep a banana looking part of an eggplant... then Lloyd came home. (in the b.g., Lloyd lets himself in) It was right after his brawl with Margo... Lloyd slams the door, flings his hat away, strides in, peeling off muffler and overcoat. KAREN Lloyd, what happened...? LLOYD Up to here! That's where I've got it - up to here! Of all the star ridden, presumptuous, hysterical- KAREN Margo, again... LLOYD And again and again! Two hours late for the audition, to begin with- KAREN That's on time for Margo. LLOYD Then a childish, heavy-handed routine about not knowing Eve was her understudy- KAREN It's just possible she didn't... LLOYD Of course she knew! For one thing, Addison told her how superbly Eve had read the part-! (suddenly softening) Karen, let me tell you about Eve. She's got everything - a born actress. Sensitive, understanding, young, exciting, vibrant- KAREN - don't run out of adjectives, dear. LLOYD - everything a playwright first thinks of wanting to write about... until his play becomes a vehicle for Miss Channing... KAREN Margo hasn't done badly by it. LLOYD Margo. Margo's great. She knows it. That's the trouble. She can play Peck's Bad Boy all she wants, and who's to stop her? Who's to give her that boot in the rear she needs and deserves? He starts up the stairs to the bedroom. KAREN (murmurs) It's going to be a cozy weekend. LLOYD (pauses) What is? KAREN We're driving out to the country tomorrow night. Just the four of us. Bill, Margo, you and I... LLOYD Well. We've spent weekends before with nobody talking... (continues up stairs) ... just be sure to lock up all blunt instruments and throwable objects... As he goes into one of the bedrooms, Karen sits thoughtfully on a couch. She muses... KAREN'S VOICE Newton - they say, thought of gravity by getting hit on the head by an apple. And the man who invented the steam engine, he was watching a tea-kettle... but not me. My Big Idea came to me just sitting on a couch... She lies down, folds her hands behind her head. KAREN'S VOICE That boot in the rear to Margo. Heaven knows she had one coming. From me, from Lloyd, from Eve, Bill, Max, and so on - we'd all felt those size fives of hers often enough... but how? The answer was buzzing around me like a fly... She sits up. She smiles. The smile fades... KAREN'S VOICE I had it. But I let it go. Screaming and calling names is one thing - but this could mean... She shakes her head, crosses to her easel, resumes work on the bananas. She slows down, then stops. KAREN'S VOICE Why not? Why, I said to myself, not? It would all seem perfectly legitimate. And there were only two people in the world who would know. Also, the boot would land where it would do the most good for all concerned- She puts the brush away and crosses to the phone which is by Lloyd's work chair. As she crosses: KAREN'S VOICE And after all, it was not more than a perfectly harmless joke which Margo, herself, would be the first to enjoy... She looks in a leather phone book, pick up the phone and dials. KAREN'S VOICE ... and no reason why she shouldn't be told about it - in time. There's an answer at the other end. KAREN (into phone) Hello... will you call Miss Eve Harrington to the phone, please? Not at all... thank you. And as she waits we... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT Open country. Preferably no houses in sight. Plenty of snow. Lloyd's car drives along. KAREN'S VOICE It was a cold weekend - outside and in. Bill didn't come at all. Margo didn't know where he was and didn't care - she kept saying. Somehow we staggered through Sunday - and by the time we drive Margo to the station late Monday afternoon, she and Lloyd had thawed out to the extent of being civil to each other... INT. COUPE - NIGHT Lloyd driving. All three in the front seat. KAREN What time is it? LLOYD When you asked a minute ago it was five-forty-two. It is now five forty-three. When you ask a minute from no, it will be- KAREN I just don't want Margo to miss her train. As it is, she'll barely make the theater... LLOYD Five-fifty-five. We'll be at the station in plenty of time... MARGO That little place just two hours form New York. It's on my list of things-I'll-never-understand. Like collecting shrunken Indian heads... KAREN Of all people you should know what it means to want some peace and quiet- MARGO Peace and quit is for libraries. The car swerves - suddenly and slightly. KAREN Lloyd, be careful... LLOYD Just a little skid, that's all. This road's like glass. MARGO Karen and I just don't want an accident- LLOYD I have no intention of having an accident! MARGO It's not important whether you do. We are wearing long underwear. They all laugh. Suddenly the car slows and stops - with that hissing sound that can mean only one thing - no gas. LLOYD Now what's this...? He tries to start it again. No luck. He turns on the dashboard lights. The gas gauge reads empty. LLOYD But it can't be! We can't be out of gas! I filled it myself yesterday! (to Karen) Wasn't it full when you drove to Brewster this morning? KAREN (very low) I guess I didn't look. You know I don't pay attention to those things... LLOYD Incredible. Futilely, he runs the started again. MARGO (crisply) How much time have we? KAREN Roughly ten minutes. MARGO How far to the station? KAREN Three or four miles... MARGO Any houses or farms around where we can borrow gas? KAREN (looking) None in sight, there aren't many along this back road... MARGO Not many car either, not much chance of a lift... A moment of silence. LLOYD Well. No sense my just sitting here. I'm going to walk up about half a mile, just in case. He starts out of the car. The cold comes in like a knife, the women react. KAREN You'll break your neck on that ice. LLOYD (grins) What a way to die - trying to get an actress to the theater in time. Tell Max I want to be buried with royalties... KAREN Don't joke about such things. MARGO (quietly) How fortunate that I have an understudy so ready, so willing and so able to go on. LLOYD The audience will want its money refunded, believe me. MARGO Thank you, Lloyd. Godspeed. Lloyd starts down the road. He slips once, recovers, waves and keeps going. KAREN He always looks so pathetic whenever he does anything physical- MARGO It seems to me that walking, for most people, is not very dangerous. KAREN (smiles) I just never think of Lloyd as anywhere but indoors and anything but sitting down. MARGO Be brave. He'll come back - with or without gas. They tuck the fur car robe around them. A pause. Margo turns on the radio... it's "Liebestraum." MARGO Do you want it on? KAREN It doesn't matter. MARGO I detest cheap sentiment. She turns it off. Another pause. MARGO Karen. (Karen says "hm?") I haven't been pleasant this weekend. KAREN We've all seemed a little tense lately... MARGO Come to think of it, I haven't been very pleasant for weeks. For that, I'm truly sorry. More than any two people I know, I don't want you and Lloyd to be angry with me... KAREN We're never deeply angry, we just get sore. The way you do. We know you too well... MARGO So many people - know me. I wish I did. I wish someone would tell be about me... KAREN You're Margo. Just - Margo. MARGO And what is that? Besides something spelled out in light bulbs, I mean. Besides something called temperament, which consists mostly of swooping about on a broomstick creaming at the top of my voice... infants behave the way I do, you know. They carry on and misbehave - they'd get drunk if they knew how - when they can't have what they want. When they feel unwanted and insecure - or unloved. There's a pause. KAREN What about Bill? MARGO What about Bill? KAREN He's in love with you. MARGO More than anything in this world, I love Bill. And I want Bill. I want him to want me. But me. Not Margo Channing. And if I can't tell they apart - how can he? KAREN Why should he - and why should you? MARGO Bill's in love with Margo Channing. He's fought with her, worked with her, loved her... but ten years from now - Margo Channing will have ceased to exist. And what's left will be... what? KAREN Margo. Bill is all of eight years younger than you. MARGO Those years stretch as the years go on. I've seen it happen too often. KAREN Not to you. Not to Bill. MARGO Isn't that what they always say? She turns the radio on again. A piano nocturne... MARGO I don't suppose the heater runs when the motor doesn't? KAREN Silly, isn't it? You'd think they'd fix it so people could just sit in a car and keep warm... Margo nods, get some cigarettes out of her bag. She offers one to Karen. They light up. MARGO About Eve. I've acted pretty disgracefully toward her, too. KAREN Well... MARGO Let's not fumble for excuses, not here and now with my hair down. At best, let's say I've been oversensitive to... well, to the fact that she's so young - so feminine and helpless. To so many things I want to be for Bill... funny business, a woman's career. The things you drop on your way up the ladder, so you can move faster. You forget you'll need them again when you go back to being a woman. That's one career all females have in common - whether we like it or not - being a woman. Sooner or later we've all got to work at it, no matter what other careers we've had or wanted... and, in the last analysis, nothing is any good unless you can look up just before dinner or turns around in bed - and there he is. Without that, you're not woman. You're something with a French provincial office or a book full of clippings - but you're not a woman... (she smiles at Karen) ... slow curtain. The end. A pause. There are tears in Karen's eyes. KAREN Margo. (she hesitates) Margo, I want you to know how sorry I am about this... MARGO About what? KAREN (indicating their predicament) This. I can't tell you how sorry I am! MARGO Don't give it another thought, one of destiny's many pranks. After all, you didn't personally drain the gasoline out of the tank... She snuggles down into her furs. Karen flashes an unhappy look at her. She, too, snuggles down... EXT. THEATER ALLEY - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT The snow has been shoveled to either side of the alley, making a lane. The performance is just over. Addison, his back to us, stands looking toward the stage door. A few actors, on their way out. ADDISON'S VOICE Eve, of course, was superb. Many of the audience understandably preferred to return another time to see Margo. But those who remained cheered loudly, lustily and long for Eve... how thoughtful of her to call and invite me - that afternoon... He starts to walk toward the stage door. ADDISON'S VOICE ... and what a happy coincidence that several representatives of other newspapers happened to be present. All of us - invited that afternoon to attend an understudy's performance... He goes in the stage door. INT. BACKSTAGE - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT More activity than last time, the performance being just over. Addison comes through the door, picks his way toward Margo's dressing room. ADDISON'S VOICE ... about which the management knew nothing until they were forced to ring up the curtain at nine o'clock. Coincidence. Also every indication of intrigue, skulduggery and fraud... The door tot he dressing room is open just a bit. Addison pauses beside the door to listen. BILL (from within) ... you were better than all right, kid, you gave a performance, you rang a bell- Addison uses his cane to swing the door open farther, so that both he and WE can see as well as hear. INT. MARGO'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Bill faces Eve, who wears Margo's costume. She is a ravishing sight. Her eyes shine up to his radiantly: BILL (continuing) - little things here and there, it doesn't matter. You can be proud of yourself, you've got a right to be. EVE (quietly) Are you proud of me, Bill? BILL I'll admit I was worried when Max called. I had my doubts. EVE You shouldn't have had any doubts. BILL - after all, the other day was one scene, the woods are full of one scene sensations. But you did it. With work and patience, you'll be a fine actress. If that's what you want to be. EVE Is that what you want me to be? BILL I'm talking about you. And what you want. EVE So am I. BILL What have I got to do with it? EVE Everything. BILL (lightly) The names I've been called. But never Svengali. (he pats her shoulder) Good luck. He starts out. Addison ducks. EVE Don't run away, Bill. BILL (stops) From what would I be running? EVE You're always after truth - on the stage. What about off? BILL (curiously) I'm for it. EVE Then face it. I have. Since that first night - here - in the dressing room. BILL (smiles) When I told you what every young actress should know. EVE When you told me that whatever I became, it would be because of you- BILL Your make-up's a little heavy. EVE - and for you. BILL (slowly) You're quite a girl. EVE You think? BILL I'm in love with Margo. Hadn't you heard? EVE You hear all kinds of things. BILL I'm only human, rumors to the contrary. And I'm as curious as the next man... EVE Find out. BILL (deliberately) Only thing, what I go after, I want to go after. I don't want it to come after me. Tears come to Eve's eyes. She turns away slowly. BILL Don't cry. Just score it as an incomplete forward pass. He walks out. Addison ducks to avoid being seen. Eve glares after Bill, tears the wig from her head, throws it on the dressing table. Her glance is caught by a pair of scissors. Swiftly, she snatches them up and in a sharp, vicious gesture she slashes the wig. Addison knocks politely at the door. Eve turns. ADDISON May I come in? EVE Certainly, Mr. deWitt... ADDISON (entering) I expected to find this little room overcrowded, with a theater full of people at your feet... EVE I consider myself lucky they didn't throw things. She starts creaming her face, removing make-up. ADDISON Of course your performance was no surprise to me. After the other day I regarded it as no more than - a promised fulfilled. EVE You're more than kind. But it's still Miss Channing's performance. I'm just a carbon copy you read when you can't find the original... ADDISON You're more than modest. EVE It's not modesty. I just don't try to kid myself. ADDISON A revolutionary approach to the Theater. However, if I may a suggestion... EVE Please do. ADDISON I think the time has come for you to shed some of your humility. It is just as false not to blow your horn at all as it is to blow it too loudly... EVE I don't think I've done anything to sound off about. ADDISON We all come into this world with our little egos equipped with individual horns. If we don't blow them - who will? EVE Even so. One isolated pretty good performance by an understudy. It'll be forgotten tomorrow. ADDISON It needn't be. EVE Even if I wanted to - as you say - be less humble, blow my own horn... how would I do it? I'm less than nobody. ADDISON I am somebody. Eve rises. She eyes him steadily. EVE You certainly are. She goes into the bathroom. ADDISON Leave the door open a bit, so we can talk. Eve does so. ADDISON After you change, if you're not busy elsewhere, we can have supper. EVE (from the bathroom) I'd love to! Or should I pretend I'm busy? ADDISON (smiling) Let's have a minimum of pretending. I'll want to do a column about you- EVE I'm not enough for a paragraph. ADDISON - perhaps more than one. There's so much I want to know. I've heard your story in bits and pieces... your home in Wisconsin, your tragic marriage, your financial attachment to Margo - it started in San Francisco, didn't it? (no answer; Addison smiles) I say - your idolatry of Margo started in San Francisco, didn't it? EVE That's right. ADDISON San Francisco. An oasis of civilization in the California desert. Tell me, do you share my high opinion of San Francisco? EVE Yes. I do. ADDISON And that memorable night when Margo first dazzled you from the stage - which theater was it in San Francisco? Was it - the Shubert? EVE (a slight pause) Yes. The Shubert. ADDISON (grins happily) A fine old theater, the Shubert. Full of tradition, untouched by the earthquake - so sorry - fire... by the way, what was your husband's name? EVE Eddie... ADDISON Eddie what? Eve sticks her head and naked shoulder around the door. EVE I'm about to go into the shower, I won't be able to hear you... ADDISON I can wait. Where would you like to go? We'll make this a special night... EVE (trustingly) You take charge. ADDISON I believe I will. She closes the door. He leans back, lights a cigarette. EXT. 52ND STREET - NEW YORK - NIGHT A cab drives up to "21." KAREN'S VOICE Some of the morning papers carried a little squib about Eve's performance. Not much, but full praise... I couldn't imagine how they found out about it - but Lloyd said Max's publicity man probably sent out the story... Karen gets out of the cab, pays and goes in. KAREN'S VOICE ... at any rate, I feel terribly guilty and ashamed of myself - and wanted nothing so much as to forget the whole thing. Margo and I were having lunch at "21" - just like girlfriends - with hats on... INT. LOBBY - "21" - DAY Karen consults her watch and the doorman as she enters. KAREN Has Miss Channing come in? DOORMAN Not yet, Mrs. Richards... Karen sees Eve who waits as Addison hands his hat, coat, and cane to an attendant. She smiles, crosses to her. KAREN Eve. I've heard the most wonderful things about your performance- EVE Mostly relief that I managed to stagger through it at all... ADDISON She was magnificent. KAREN (pleased) Then you've heard too. ADDISON I was there. An eyewitness. KAREN (staggered) You were there? At the play - last night? ADDISON (smiles) A happy coincidence. EVE (quickly) We're having lunch with a movie talent scout. KAREN They certainly don't waste much time. EVE Nothing definite yet - it's just to have lunch. ADDISON They'll be wasting this much of their time at any rate. Eve has no intention of going to Hollywood. He turns to Karen, changing the subject. ADDISON From the smartness of your dress, I take it your luncheon companion is a lady? KAREN (smiles) Margo. ADDISON Margo? Lunching in public? KAREN It's new Margo. But she's just as late as the old one. ADDISON She may be later than you think... As he speaks, he crosses to pick up an evening paper, opens it as he comes back. ADDISON (handing it to her) Why not read my column to pass the time? The minutes will fly like hours... (he takes Eve's arm) ... and now we must join our sunburned eager beaver. He goes up the stairs with Eve. Karen glances after them curiously, then at the column. It is headed: "Things I Promised Not To Tell" by Addison deWitt. He expression becomes increasingly horrified. She drops the paper and rushes out... INT. MARGO'S LIVING ROOM - DAY Addison's column quivers in Margo's hand as she strides about reading it. Karen sits miserably. MARGO (declaiming) "... my hat which has, lo, these many seasons become more firmly rooted about my ears, is lifted to Miss Harrington. I am once more available for dancing in the streets and shouting from the housetops." ... I thought that one went out with Woollcott... (she skips part of the column) Down here... here, listen to this- "... Miss Harrington had much to tell - and these columns shall report her faithfully - about the lamentable practice in our Theater of permitting, shall we say - mature - actresses to continue playing roles requiring a youth and vigor of which they retain but a dim memory-" KAREN I just can't believe it. MARGO It get better! "- About the understandable reluctance on the part of our entrenched First Ladies of the Stage to encourage, shall we say - younger - actresses; about Miss Harrington's own long and unsupported struggle for opportunity-" KAREN I can't believe Eve said those things! Margo crumples the paper as if it were Eve's neck. MARGO (pacing) In this rat race, everybody's guilty till they're proved innocent! One of the differences between the Theater and civilization... (she hurls the paper away) ... what gets me is how all of those papers in town happened to catch that particular performance! KAREN (weakly) Lloyd says it's a publicity release... MARGO The little witch must have had Indians runners out snatching critics out of bars, steam rooms and museums or wherever they hole up... well, she won't get away with it! Nor will Addison deWitt and his poison pen! If Equity or my lawyer can't or won't do anything about it, I will personally stuff that pathetic little lost lamb down Mr. deWitt's ugly throat... She pauses in midair to look at... Bill. He has come up the stairs tow at a time, stands at the landing. BILL (quietly) I came as soon as I read that piece of filth. I ran all the way... Margo suddenly starts to cry. She turns from him. Bill takes her in his arms. He holds her... BILL Bill's here, baby. Everything's all right, now... Margo says nothing, just hides in his embrace. He soothes her, pets her... he looks over at Karen. KAREN I guess at this point I'm what the French call 'de trop'... BILL (smiles) Maybe just a little around the edges. Karen smiles back, waves, and goes out. INT. RICHARDS' APARTMENT - DAY Karen's having some lunch. Lloyd, still in his robe, sits opposite her having some coffee and a cigarette. A copy of the interview before him. LLOYD (is saying) - it's Addison, from start to finish, it drips with his brand of venom... taking advantage of a kid like that, twisting her words, making her say what he wanted her to say- KAREN Where'd you get all that information? LLOYD (put out his cigarette) Eve. KAREN Eve? LLOYD She's been to see me, as a matter of fact she left just before you came in - you just missed her... KAREN That was a pity... LLOYD (gets up) She wanted to explain about her interview, wanted to apologize to someone - and didn't dare face Margo... KAREN I wonder why. Lloyd wanders about - he seems to be searching for words, for a position to maintain... LLOYD She started to tell me all about it - and she couldn't finish, she cried so... He's over by a window, his back to her. Karen eyes him curiously, waiting for the payoff... LLOYD (finally) You know, I've been going over our financial condition - if you'll pardon the expression... KAREN That's quite a change of subject. LLOYD (walks again) What with taxes coming up - and since I'm a playwright and not an oil well operator - well, I've been thinking... KAREN I'm trying hard to follow you. LLOYD If - instead of waiting until next season to do 'Footsteps on the Ceiling', which is in pretty good shape - and if Margo can be talked into going on tour with 'Aged in Wood' - we could put 'Footsteps...' into production right away... KAREN I'm beginning to catch up. LLOYD If we could cast it properly, that is... KAREN (carefully) Maybe get some younger actress for the part? Someone who'd look the part as well as play it? LLOYD (smiles) You've got to admit it would be a novelty. KAREN Now you're quoting Addison. Or Eve. A pause. LLOYD Eve did mention the play, you know. But just in passing - she's never ask to play a part like "Cora," she'd never have the nerve... KAREN Eve would ask Abbott to give her Costello. LLOYD No, I got the idea myself - while she was talking to me... KAREN With gestures, of course. LLOYD (wistfully) For once, to write something and have it realized completely. For once, not to compromise- Now Karen explodes. She rises. KAREN Lloyd Richards, you are not to consider giving that contemptible little worm the part of "Cora." LLOYD Now just a minute- KAREN Margo Channing has not been exactly a compromise all these years, half the playwrights in the world would give their shirts for that particular compromise! LLOYD (angry) Now just a minute! KAREN It strikes me that Eve's disloyalty and ingratitude must be contagious! Lloyd's full of anger and guilt. He snaps back. LLOYD All this fuss and hysteria because an impulsive kid got carried away by excitement and the conniving of a professional manure slinger named deWitt! She apologized, didn't she? KAREN On her knees, I have no doubt! Very touching, very Academy-of-Dramatic Arts! LLOYD That bitter cynicism of yours is something you've acquired since you left Radcliffe! KAREN The cynicism you refer to, I acquired the day I discovered I was different from little boys! The phone has been ringing. Lloyd snarls into it. LLOYD Hello! (he quiets down) ... hi, Margo... no, not at all, Karen and I were just chatting... hmm?... why - why, yes, I'm sure we can and I'm sure we'd love to... right... 11:45ish. See you then... He hangs up. He smiles - suddenly, there's peace. LLOYD Margo - and Bill - want us to meet them at the Cub Room tonight, after theater. For a bottle of wine. KAREN (smiles) Margo in the Cub Room. I couldn't be more surprised if she'd said Grant's Tomb. LLOYD I'm glad Bill's back. KAREN They'd die without each other. A pause. LLOYD Darling, I didn't promise Eve anything. Just said I thought she'd be fine for the part, but there were some practical difficulties... KAREN Such as? LLOYD (grins) You - for one. I told her you were set on Margo playing the part - and I certainly wouldn't make a change without your approval. Karen smiles happily. KAREN That's fine. Fine and dandy. I'd enjoy nothing more. Just refer all of Miss Harrington's future requests to me... INT. CUB ROOM - STORK CLUB - NIGHT Margo, Karen, Bill and Lloyd are ensconced happily at a table in the rear of the room. A bottle of fine wine is being poured. Their mood is equally bubbly. BILL The so-called art of acting is not one for which I have a particularly high regard... MARGO Hear, hear... BILL But you may quote me as follows. Quote. Tonight Miss Margo Channing gave a performance in your cockamamie play, the like of which I have never seen before and expect rarely to see again. Unquote. MARGO He does not exaggerate. I was good. BILL You were great. As they look at each other, they reflect the understanding that has hit them both at last. LLOYD It's been quite a night. I understand that your understudy - Miss Harrington - has given her notice. MARGO (eyes still on Bill) Too bad. BILL (eyes still on Margo) I'm broken up about it... The wine has been poured by now. LLOYD For some reason you can't just pick up champagne and drink it. Somebody's got to be very witty about a toast. (he lifts his glass) For instance... BILL (abruptly) I'm going to propose the toast. Without wit. With all my heart. Lloyd lowers his glass. There's a little pause. BILL To Margo. To my bride-to-be. MARGO Glory Hallelujah. LLOYD Well of all- KAREN Margo! BILL Drink. They drink, then burst into a flurry of questions. KAREN When? When are you going to do it? BILL Tomorrow we meet at City Hall at ten- (to Margo) - and you're going to be on time. MARGO Yes, sir. LLOYD City Hall, that's for prize fighters, and reporters - I see a cathedral, a bishop, banks of flowers... BILL It's only for the license. There's a three-day wait - blood tests, things like that... MARGO I'll marry you if it turns out you have no blood at all. LLOYD Three days, that's for the bourgeois - I see a midnight elopement, waking up a village person... KAREN (to Margo) What are you going to wear? MARGO Something simple. A fur coat over a nightgown... BILL The point is - in the cathedral, a ball park or a penny arcade - we want to have you two beside us our nearest and dearest friends. Lloyd fills all the glasses. LLOYD There are very few moments in life as good as this. Let's remember it. (he lifts his glass) To each of us and all of us... never have we been more close - may we never be farther apart. They drink. A waiter approaches with a note. WAITER Mrs. Richards? KAREN Yes? WAITER For you. Karen stares at it curiously, then opens it. LLOYD Very discreet. A note right out in the open like that. Next time tell your lover to blow smoke rings - or tap a glass... MARGO Lloyd, I want you to be big about this... the world is full of love tonight, no woman is safe... KAREN (angrily) This beats all world's records for running, standing and jumping gall! She whips the note to Margo, who reads it aloud. MARGO (reading) "Please forgive me for butting into what seems such a happy occasion - but it's most important that I speak with you. Please" - it's underlined - "meet me in the Ladies' Room. Eve." BILL I understand she is now the understudy in there. MARGO (looking about) Pass me the empty bottle. I may find her... why, look. There's Rasputin. Addison sits near the entrance, at a banquette table for two. A crumpled napkin and a wine glass indicate Eve's place. He nibbles daintily at some blini. Margo hails a passing captain. MARGO Encore du champagne. CAPTAIN More champagne, Miss Channing? MARGO That's what I said, bub. LLOYD (to Karen) After all, maybe she just wants to apologize... KAREN I have no possible interest in anything she'd have to say. BILL But what could she say? That's what fascinates me... LLOYD Go on - find out... MARGO Karen, in all the years of our friendship, I have never let you go to the Ladies' Room alone. But now I must. I am busting to know what goes on in that feverish little brain waiting there... KAREN Well... all right. She gets up and goes. The CAMERA takes her past Addison's table. He rises in polite surprise. ADDISON Karen! How nice... She walks past him without a word. He smiles, looks toward the group. He raises his glass in a toast. Margo responds to the toast by waving an onion with a grand flourish, then eating it. BILL Very effective. But why take it out on me? He eats one in self-defense. INT. LADIES' ROOM - STORK CLUB - NIGHT Never having been, I can't say what it looks like. It is to be hoped that there is an outer and inner room. We are concerned with the outer. There is an attendant in charge, and a constantly changing flow of ladies who pause to make various repairs. All cafe society - including one young drunk stretched out under a mink coat and a wet towel. There are two chairs - or a banquette - in a corner. Eve waits there. She rises as Karen approaches. EVE I was wondering whether you'd come at all.. KAREN Don't get up. (she smiles grimly) And don't act as if I were the queen mother. EVE I don't expect you to be pleasant. KAREN I don't intend to be. EVE Can't we sit down? Just for a minute... She sits down. Karen remains standing. EVE I've got a lot to say. And none of it is easy. KAREN There can't be very much- EVE Oh, but there is- KAREN - and easy or not, I won't believe a word. EVE Why shouldn't you? (a pause) Please sit down. Karen sits, reluctantly and rigidly. EVE You know, I've always considered myself a very clever girl. Smart. Good head on my shoulders, that sort of thing, never the wrong word at the wrong time... but then, I'd never met Addison deWitt. (another pause) I remember once I had a tooth pulled. They gave me some anaesthetic - I don't remember the name - and it affected me in a strange way. I heard myself saying things I wasn't even thinking... as if my mind were someplace outside of my body, and couldn't control what I did or said- KAREN (leading her on) - and you felt just like that talking to Addison. EVE (nods) In a way. You find yourself trying to say what you mean, but somehow the words change - and they become his words - and suddenly you're not saying what you mean, but what he means- KAREN (sharply) Do you expect me to believe that you didn't say any of those things - that they were all Addison? EVE No! I don't expect you to believe anything. Except that the responsibility is mine. And the disgrace. KAREN Let's not get over-dramatic. EVE (smiles grimly) You've really got a low opinion of me, haven't you? We'll I'll give you some pleasant news. I've been told off in no uncertain terms all over town. Miss Channing should be happy to hear that. To know how loyal her friends are - how much more loyal they are than she had a right to expect me to be... She turns away from Karen. Karen's embarrassed. KAREN Eve... don't cry. EVE (turned away) I'm not crying. KAREN Tell me. How did your lunch turn out - with the man from Hollywood? EVE Some vague promises of a test, that's all - if a particular part should come along, one of those things- KAREN But the raves about your performance- EVE - an understudy's performance. KAREN Well. I think you're painting the picture a little darker than it is, really. If nothing else - and don't underestimate him - you have a powerful friend in Addison. EVE He's not my friend. You were my friends... KAREN He can help you. EVE I wish I'd never met him, I'd like him to be dead... I want my friends back. This time she does cry. Softly, miserably. Karen looks about. A pause. She puts an arm around Eve. KAREN Eve. I - I don't think you meant to cause unhappiness. But you did. More to yourself, perhaps - as it turned out - than to anyone else... EVE I'll never get over it. KAREN (smiles) Yes, you will. You Theater people always do. Nothing is forever in the Theater. Love or hate, success or failure - whatever it is, it's here, it flares up and burns hot - and then it's gone. EVE I wish I could believe that. KAREN Give yourself time. Don't worry too much about what people think, you're very young and very talented... (she gets up, her hand still on Eve's shoulder) ... and, believe it or not, if there's anything I can do- Eve has reached up to take Karen's hand. She holds it now, as she turns slowly to face her. EVE There is something. Karen stares down at her. Eve's eyes burn into tears. Karen is caught, fascinated by them. KAREN I think I know... EVE Something most important you can do. KAREN You want to play "Cora." You want me to tell Lloyd I think you should play it. EVE If you told him so, he'd give me the part. He said he would. KAREN After all you've said... don't you know the part was written for Margo? EVE It could have been - fifteen years ago. It's my part now. KAREN You talk just as Addison said you did. EVE "Cora" is my part. You've got to tell Lloyd it's for me. KAREN I don't think anything in the world could make me say that. She turns away again, but Eve's grip is like a vise. EVE Addison wants me to play it. KAREN Over my dead body... EVE (cold, relentless) That won't be necessary. Addison knows how Margo happen to miss that performance - how I happened to know she'd miss it in time to call him and notify every paper in town... (Karen stops struggling) ... it's quite a story. Addison could make quite a thing of it - imagine how snide and vicious he could get and still write nothing but the truth. I had a time persuading him... (she smiles, now) ... you'd better sit down. You look a bit wobbly. (Karen sits) If I play "Cora," Addison will never tell what happened - in or out of print. A simple exchange of favors. And I'm so happy I can do something for you - at long last... (Karen covers her face with her hands) Your friendship with Margo - your deep, close friendship - what would happen to it, do you think, if she knew the chap trick you'd played on her - for my benefit? And you and Lloyd - how long, even in the Theater, before people forgot what happened - and trusted you again? (now Eve gets up) No... it would be so much easier on everyone concerned, if I were to play "Cora." And so much better theater, too... Karen looks up slowly. KAREN A part in a play. You'd do all that - just for a part in a play. EVE (smiles) I'd do much more - for a part that good. She leaves. Karen is alone. INT. CUB ROOM - NIGHT Eve enters and slides in beside Addison. ADDISON Hungry? EVE Just some coffee. ADDISON (pours) I'm not surprised. After all that humble pie... EVE Nothing of the kind. Karen and I had a nice talk. ADDISON Heart to heart? Woman to woman? Including a casual reference to the part of "Cora" - and your hopes of playing it. EVE I discussed it very openly. I told her that I had spoken to Lloyd - and that he was interested. ADDISON She mentioned, of course, that Margo expects to play the part? EVE Oddly enough - she didn't say a word about Margo. Just that she'll be happy to do what she can to see that I play the part. Addison puffs at his cigarette, bemused. ADDISON Just like that, eh? EVE Just like that. ADDISON (thoughtfully) Do you know, Eve - sometimes I think you keep things from me. Eve's feelings are hurt. EVE I don't think that's funny. ADDISON It wasn't meant to be. EVE I confide in you and rely on you more than anyone I've ever known! To say a thing like that now - without any reason - when I need you more than ever... ADDISON (breaks in) I hope you mean what you say, Eve. I intend to hold you to it. Their eyes meet. ADDISON We have a great deal in common, it seems to me... They both look as Karen passes them on her way back to her table. GROUP, as Karen joins them. Another bottle of champagne has come and almost gone - there's a fine, cheery feeling among them. Margo, in particular, is cheery. A pause. Karen downs a glass of champagne. LLOYD - well? What happened? KAREN Nothing much. She apologized. MARGO With tears? KAREN With tears. MARGO But not right away? First the business of fighting them off, chin up, stout fella... KAREN Check. MARGO Very classy stuff, lots of technique- LLOYD You mean - all this time - she'd done nothing but apologize? What'd you say? KAREN Not much. MARGO Groom- (Bill says "huh?") - may I have a wedding present? BILL What would you like? Texas? MARGO I want everybody to shut up about Eve. Just shut up about Eve, that's all I want. Give Karen more wine... (blissfully) ... never have I been so happy. Isn't this a lovely room? The Cub Room. What a lovely, clever name. Where the elite meet. Never have I seen so much elite - and all with their eyes on me. Waiting for me to crack that little gnome over the noggin with a bottle. But not tonight. Even Eve. I forgive Eve... there they go. They all look. ADDISON AND EVE, they get up and go without looking back. GROUP, they watch for an instant. MARGO There goes Eve. Eve evil, Little Miss Evil. But the evil that men do - how does it go, groom? Something about the good they leave behind - I played it once in rep in Wilkes Barre... BILL You've got it backwards. Even for Wilkes-Barre. MARGO You know why I forgive Eve? Because she's left good behind - the four of us, together like this, it's Eve's fault - I forgive her... Karen's reactions are, of course, most important. Knowing what she's done to Margo - wondering how to do what she must. MARGO ... and Bill. Especially Bill. Eve did that, too. LLOYD You know, she probably means well, after all... MARGO She is a louse. BILL (to Lloyd) Never try to outguess Margo. MARGO Groom. BILL Yes, dear. MARGO You know what I'm going to be? BILL A cowboy. MARGO A married lady. BILL With the paper to prove it. MARGO I'm going to have a home. Not just a house I'm afraid to stay in... and a man to go with it. I'll look up at six o'clock - and there he'll be... remember, Karen? KAREN (quietly) I remember. MARGO (to Bill) You'll be there, won't you. BILL (grins) Often enough to keep the franchise. MARGO A foursquare, upright, downright, forthright married lady... that's for me. And no more make believe! Off stage or on... remember, Lloyd. (Lloyd nods) I mean it, now. Grown-up women only, I might even play a mother - only one child, of course, not over eight... (they all smile) Lloyd, will you promise not to be angry with me? LLOYD (smiles) That depends. MARGO I mean really, deeply angry... LLOYD I don't think I could be. MARGO Well. I don't want to play "Cora." KAREN (explodes) What? Margo misinterprets her vehemence. MARGO (hastily) Now wait a minute, you're always so touchy about his plays, it isn't the part - it's a great part. And a fine play. But not for me anymore - not a foursquare, upright, downright, forthright married lady. LLOYD What's your being married got to do with it? MARGO It means I've finally got a life to live! I don't have to play parts I'm too old for - just because I've got nothing to do with my nights! (then quietly) I know you've made plans. I'll make it up to you, believe me. I'll tour a year with this one, anything - only you do understand - don't you, Lloyd? Lloyd never gets to answer. Because Karen, before anyone can stop her, bursts into hysterical laughter... LLOYD What's so funny? KAREN Nothing... BILL Nothing? KAREN Everything... everything's so funny... Margo removes the champagne glass from in front of Karen... FADE OUT. FADE IN: INT. THEATER - CURRAN THEATER - DAY Karen is seated unobtrusively in a rear lower box. Lloyd sits beside Max up front. On stage, the play is "on its feet." Eve plays a dramatic scene with a young man. They carry "sides" but do not consult them. As she speaks, Eve moves upstage, turns to face the young man who is forced to turn his back to the auditorium. Bill calls a halt. He indicates to Eve that she was to have remained downstage. Eve seems to be at a loss. She looks at Lloyd. Lloyd rises, says that he told her to make the change. Bill comes down to the footlights to tell him to stick to writing, he'll do the directing. It mounts swiftly to a screaming fight. Bill throws the script out into the auditorium, takes his coat and stalks off. Eve runs after him. Max retrieves the script. Lloyd remains adamant. Karen has risen in dismay. Eve drags Bill back. Without looking at Lloyd, he takes the script from Max, tells the actors to pick up where they left off. Eve whispers to Lloyd from the stage. Lloyd smiles, mollified, sits down again with Max. Karen walks up the side aisle, out of the theater... KAREN'S VOICE Lloyd never got around, somehow - to asking me whether it was all right with me for Eve to play "Cora"... Bill, oddly enough, refused to direct the play at first - with Eve in it. Lloyd and Max finally won him over... Margo never came to a rehearsal, too much to do around the house, she said. I'd never known Bill and Lloyd to fight as bitterly and as often... and always over some business for Eve, or a move or the way she read a speech... but then I'd never known Lloyd to meddle as much with Bill's directing - as far as it affected Eve, that is... somehow, Eve kept them going. Bill stuck it out - and Lloyd seemed happy - and I thought it might be best if I skipped rehearsals from then on... INT. RICHARDS' BEDROOM - NIGHT It is a lovely, large room. Two double beds, not alongside each other and each with an extension phone beside it. In addition to the door to the living room, there are two more - to separate dressing rooms and baths. Lloyd is asleep. But not Karen. She turns restlessly, finally sits up, lights a cigarette. KAREN'S VOICE It seemed to me I had known always that it would happen - and here it was. It felt helpless, that helplessness you feel when you have no talent to offer - outside of loving your husband. How could I compete? Everything Lloyd loved about me, he had gotten used to long ago... The phone jangles suddenly, startling her. It wakes Lloyd up. Karen answers. KAREN Hello... who?... who's calling Mr. Richards? INT. ROOMING HOUSE - NIGHT A girl, in a wrapper, at a wall phone. Her hair's in curlers. She's frightened. GIRL My name wouldn't mean anything. I room across the hall from Eve Harrington, and she isn't well. She's been crying all night and hysterical, and she doesn't want a doctor... RICHARDS' BEDROOM, Lloyd is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking over... LLOYD Who is it? What's it all about? KAREN (into phone) Did Miss Harrington tell you to call Mr. Richards? Lloyd picks up his phone. ROOMING HOUSE GIRL No, Eve didn't say to call him, but I remembered I saw Mr. Richards with her a couple of times - and I thought they being such good friends... RICHARDS' BEDROOM LLOYD (into phone) Hello...hello, this is Lloyd Richards. Where is Eve? Let me talk to her- ROOMING HOUSE GIRL She's up in her room, Mr. Richards. I really hate to bother you like this, but the way Eve's been feeling - I'm just worried sick what with her leaving for New Haven tomorrow, and everything... RICHARDS' BEDROOM LLOYD Tell her not to worry - tell her I'll be right over. ROOMING HOUSE GIRL I'll tell her, Mr. Richards. She hangs up. As she moves from the phone, the ANGLE WIDENS to disclose Eve at the foot of the stairs. The girls smile at each other. They go upstairs, arm in arm. RICHARDS' BEDROOM, Karen is still in bed, phone still in her hand. She hangs up, swings her legs out, puts out her cigarette, gets into a robe. The open door and light of the dressing room tell us where Lloyd is. Karen walks to the door, starts to say something, changes her mind. She crosses to a table, lights a fresh cigarette, comes back to the door. KAREN (finally) Aren't you... broadening the duties of a playwright just a bit? Rushing off in the middle of the night like a country doctor? No answer except the opening and closing of drawers. KAREN What would you do if, instead of Eve, the leading man had called up to say her was hysterical? Still no answer. Her tension increasing, Karen goes back to the table, snubs out the fresh cigarette, then strides swiftly back to the open door. KAREN Lloyd, I don't want you to go! Now Lloyd appears. He's in flannels, and a sport shirt with no tie. He's confused and guilty and tortured. LLOYD I didn't think you would! It seems to me, Karen, that for some tine, now, you've been developing a deep unconcern for the feeling of human being in general- KAREN I'm a human being, I've got some! LLOYD (goes right on) - and for my feelings in particular! For my play, my career - and now for a frightened, hysterical girl on the eve of her first night in the Theater! He goes back into his room. KAREN Have you forgotten about Eve? What she is, what she's done? LLOYD Old wives' tales, born of envy and jealousy! And a phobia against truth! KAREN Then tell me this isn't true! That your concern for your play and career is one thing - and that poor frightened hysterical girl another - and that your concern for her has nothing to do with either your play or your career! Lloyd comes out wearing a jacket. He crosses to the door, Karen after him. KAREN That first, last, and foremost - your reason for going now is that you want to be with Eve! Three in the morning or high noon - play or no play - wife or no wife! (Lloyd stops at the door) Isn't it true, Lloyd? Lloyd goes out. Karen looks after him, despairing. EXT. SHUBERT THEATER - NEW HAVEN - DAY The theater is but a few doors from the TAFT HOTEL. The marquee announces a new play by Lloyd Richards, presented by Max Fabian, opening tonight. Addison and Eve stand before the theater admiring her photo on a lobby display. None of the actors are starred. ADDISON'S VOICE To the Theater world - New Haven, Connecticut, is a short stretch of sidewalk between the Shubert Theater and the Taft Hotel, surrounded by what looks very much like a small city. It is here that managers have what are called out of-town openings - which are openings for New Yorkers who want to go out of town... They start for the hotel - Eve's arm through Addison's. EVE What a day - what a heavenly day... ADDISON D-day. EVE Just like it. ADDISON And tomorrow morning you will have won your beachhead on the shores of Immortality... EVE (grins) Stop rehearsing your column... Isn't it strange, Addison? I thought I'd be panic-stricken, want to run away or something. Instead, I can't wait for tonight to come. To come and go... ADDISON Are you that sure of tomorrow? EVE Aren't you? ADDISON Frankly - yes. They've arrived in front of the hotel. EVE It'll be a night to remember. It'll bring to me everything I've ever wanted. The end of an old road - and the beginning of a new one... ADDISON All paved with diamonds and gold? EVE You know me better than that. ADDISON Paved with what, then? EVE Stars. She goes in. Addison follows her. INT. CORRIDOR - TAFT HOTEL - DAY Addison accompanies Eve along the corridor to her door. EVE What time? ADDISON Almost four. EVE Plenty of time for a nice long nap - we rehearsed most of last night... ADDISON You could sleep, too, couldn't you? EVE Why not? They've arrived at her door. She opens it. ADDISON The mark of a true killer. (he holds out his hand) Sleep tight, rest easy - and come out fighting... EVE Why'd call me a killer? ADDISON Did I say killer? I meant champion. I get my boxing terms mixed. He turns to go. After a few steps- EVE (calling) Addison- (he pauses) - come on in for just a minute, won't you? There's... I've got something to tell you. Addison turns curiously, and enters behind her. INT. EVE'S SUITE - TAFT HOTEL - DAY Old-fashioned, dreary and small. The action starts in the living room and continues to the bedroom. Addison closes the door, crosses to a comfortable chair. ADDISON Suites are for expense accounts. Aren't you being extravagant? EVE Max is paying for it. He and Lloyd had a terrific row but Lloyd insisted... well. Can I fix you a drink? She indicates a table elaborately stocked with liquor, glasses, etc. Addison's eyebrows lift. ADDISON Also with the reluctant compliments of Max Fabian. EVE Lloyd. I never have any, and he likes a couple of drinks after we finish - so he sent it up... ADDISON Some plain soda. (Eve starts to fix it) Lloyd must be expecting a record run in New Haven... EVE That's for tonight. You're invited. We're having everyone up after the performance. ADDISON We're? EVE Lloyd and I. She carries the soda to him, sits on an ottoman at his feet. ADDISON I find it odd that Karen isn't here for the opening, don't you? He sips his soda and puts away, carefully avoiding a look at Eve. As he looks back- EVE Addison... ADDISON (blandly) She's always been so fantastically devoted to Lloyd. I would imagine that only death or destruction could keep her- EVE (breaks in) Addison, just a few minutes ago. When I told you this would be a night to remember - that it would bring me everything I wanted- ADDISON (nods) - something about an old road ending and a new one starting - paved with stars... EVE I didn't mean just the Theater. ADDISON What else? Eve gets up, crosses to look out over the Common. EVE (her back to him) Lloyd Richards. He's going to leave Karen. We're going to be married. For just a flash, Addison's eyes narrow coldly, viciously. Then they crinkle into a bland smile. ADDISON So that's it. Lloyd. Still just the Theater, after all... EVE (turns; shocked) It's nothing of the kind! Lloyd loves me, I love him! ADDISON I know nothing about Lloyd and his loves - I leave those to Louisa May Alcott. But I do know you. EVE I'm in love with Lloyd! ADDISON Lloyd Richards is commercially the most successful playwright in America- EVE You have no right to say such things! ADDISON - and artistically, the most promising! Eve dear, this is Addison. Eve drops her shocked manner like a cape. Her face lights up - she crosses back to the ottoman. EVE Addison, won't it be just perfect? Lloyd and I - there's no telling how far we can go... he'll write great plays for me, I'll make them be great! (as she sits) You're the only one I've told, the only one that knows except Lloyd and me... ADDISON ... and Karen. EVE She doesn't know. KAREN She knows enough not to be here. EVE But not all of it - not that Lloyd and I are going to be married. ADDISON (thoughtfully) I see. And when was this unholy alliance joined? EVE We decided the night before last, before we came up here... ADDISON (increasingly tense) Was the setting properly romantic - the lights on dimmers, gypsy violins off stage? EVE The setting wasn't romantic, but Lloyd was. He woke me up at three in the morning, banging on my door - he couldn't sleep, he told me - he's left Karen, he couldn't go on with the play or anything else until I promised to marry him... we sat and talked until it was light. He never went home... ADDISON You sat and talked until it was light... EVE (meaningly) We sat and talked, Addison. I want a run of the play contract. ADDISON (quietly) There never was, there'll never be another like you. EVE (happily) Well, say something - anything! Congratulations, skol - good work, Eve! Addison rises slowly, to his full height. As Eve watches him, as her eyes go up to his, her smile fades- ADDISON What do you take me for? EVE (cautiously) I don't know what I take you for anything... ADDISON (moving away) It is possible - even conceivable - that you've confused me with that gang of backward children you've been playing tricks on - that you have the same contempt for me that you have for them? EVE I'm sure you mean something by that, Addison, but I don't know what... ADDISON Look closely, Eve, it's time you did. I am Addison deWitt. I'm nobody's fool. Least of all - yours. EVE I never intended you to be. ADDISON Yes, you did. You still do. Eve gets up, now. EVE I still don't know what you're getting at. Right now I want to take my nap. It's important that I- ADDISON (breaks in) - it's important right now that we talk. Killer to killer. EVE (wisely) Champion to champion. ADDISON Not with me, you're no champion. You're stepping way up in class. EVE Addison, will you please say what you have to say plainly and distinctly - and then get out so I can take my nap! ADDISON Very well, plainly and distinctly. Although I consider it unnecessary - because you know as well as I, what I am about to say. (they are now facing each other) Lloyd may leave Karen, but he will not leave Karen for you. EVE What do you mean by that? ADDISON More plainly and more distinctly? I Have not come to New Haven to see the play, discuss your dreams, or to pull the ivy from the walls of Yale! I have come to tell you that you will not marry Lloyd - or anyone else - because I will not permit it. EVE What have you got to do with it? ADDISON Everything. Because after tonight, you will belong to me. EVE I can't believe my ears... ADDISON A dull cliche. EVE Belong - to you? That sound medieval - something out of an old melodrama... ADDISON So does the history of the world for the past twenty years. I don't enjoy putting it as bluntly as this, frankly I had hoped that you would, somehow, have known - have taken it for granted that you and I... EVE ... taken it for granted? That you and I... She smiles. Then she chuckles, then laughs. A mistake. Addison slaps her sharply across the face. ADDISON (quietly) Remember as long as you live, never to laugh at me. At anything or anyone else - but never at me. Eve eyes him coldly, goes to the door, throws it open. EVE Get out! Addison walks to the door, closes it. ADDISON You're too short for that gesture. Besides, it went out with Mrs. Fiske. EVE Then if you won't get out, I'll have you thrown out. She goes to the phone. ADDISON Don't pick it up! Don't even put your hand on it... She doesn't. Her back is to him. Addison smiles. ADDISON Something told you to do as I say, didn't it? That instinct is worth millions, you can't buy it, cherish it, Eve. When that alarm goes off, go to your battle stations... He comes up behind her. Eve is tense and wary. ADDISON Your name is not Eve Harrington. It is Gertrude Slescynski. EVE What of it? ADDISON It is true that your parents were poor. They still are. And they would like to know how you are - and where. They haven't heard from you for three years... EVE (curtly) What of it? She walks away. Addison eyes her keenly. ADDISON A matter of opinion. Granted. It is also true that you worked in a brewery. But life in the brewery was apparently not as dull as you pictured it. As a matter of fact, it got less and less dull - until you boss's wife had your boss followed by detectives! EVE (whirls on him) She never proved anything, not a thing! ADDISON But the $500 you got to get out of town brought you straight to New York - didn't it? Eve turns and runs into the bedroom, slamming the door. Addison opens it, follows close after her... he can be seen in the bedroom, shouting at Eve who is offscene. ADDISON That $500 brought you straight to New York - didn't it? INT. BEDROOM - DAY Eve, trapped, in a corner of the room. EVE She was a liar, she was a liar! ADDISON Answer my question! Weren't you paid to get out of town? Eve throws herself on the bed, face down, bursts in tears. Addison, merciless, moves closer. ADDISON Fourth. There was no Eddie - no pilot - and you've never been married! That was not only a lie, but an insult to dead heroes and to the women who loved them... (Eve, sobbing, puts her hands over her ears; Addison, closer, pulls them away) ... Fifth. San Francisco has no Shubert Theater and North Shore, you've never been to San Francisco! That was a stupid lie, easy to expose, not worthy of you... Eve twists to look up at him, her eyes streaming. EVE I had to get in, to meet Margo! I had to say something, be somebody, make her like me! ADDISON She did like you, she helped and trusted you! You paid her back by trying to take Bill away! EVE That's not true! ADDISON I was there, I saw you and heard you through the dressing room door! Eve turns face down again, sobbing miserably. ADDISON You used my name and my column to blackmail Karen into getting you the part of "Cora" - and you lied to me about it! EVE (into the bed) No-no-no... ADDISON I had lunch with Karen not three hours ago. As always with women who want to find out things, she told more than she learned... (he lets go of her hands) ... do you want to change your story about Lloyd beating at your door the other night? Eve covers her face with her hands. EVE Please... please... Addison get off the bed, looks down at her. ADDISON That I should want you at all suddenly strikes me as the height of improbability. But that, in itself, is probably the reason. You're an improbable person, Eve, and so am I. We have that in common. Also a contempt for humanity, an inability to love or be loved, insatiable ambition - and talent. We deserve each other. Are you listening to me? Eve lies listlessly now, her tear-stained cheek against the coverlet. She nods. ADDISON Then say so. EVE Yes, Addison. ADDISON And you realize - you agree how completely you belong to me? EVE Yes, Addison. ADDISON Take your nap, now. And good luck for tonight. He starts out. EVE (tonelessly) I won't play tonight. (Addison pauses) I couldn't. Not possibly. I couldn't go on... ADDISON (smiles) Couldn't go on? You'll give the performance of your life. He goes out. The CAMERA REMAINS on Eve's forlorn, tear stained face. Her eyes close... she goes to sleep. INT. DINING HALL - SARAH SIDDONS SOCIETY - NIGHT THE STOPPED ACTION of Eve reaching out for the award. The applause and bulb-popping still going on. ADDISON'S VOICE And she gave the performance of her life. And it was a night to remember, that night... THE ACTION picks up where it left off. Eve accepts the award from the Aged Actor, kisses him tenderly, folds the award to her bosom and waits for quiet. She speaks with assurance, yet modestly and humbly. EVE Honored members of Sarah Siddons Society, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: What is there for me to say? Everything wise and witty has long since been said - by minds more mature and talents far greater than mine. For me to thank you as equals would be presumptuous - I am an apprentice in the Theater and have much to learn from you all. I can say only that I am proud and happy and that I regard this great honor not so much as an award for what I have achieved, but as a standard to hold against what I have yet to accomplish. (applause) And further, I regard it as bestowed upon me only in part. The larger share belongs to my friends in the Theater - and to the Theater itself, which has given me all I have. In good conscience, I must give credit where credit is due. To Max Fabian- MAX sits erect, beaming proudly. EVE'S VOICE - dear Max. Dear, sentimental, generous, courageous Max Fabian - who took a chance on an unknown, untried, amateur... EVE, after applause greets Max. EVE And to my first friend in the Theater - whose kindness and graciousness I shall never forget... Karen - Mrs. Lloyd Richards... KAREN resumes her doodling as applause breaks out for her... EVE'S VOICE ... and it was Karen who first brought me to one whom I had always idolized - and who was to become my benefactor and champion. A great actress and a great woman - Margo Channing. MARGO, part of Eve's tribute has been over her CLOSE-UP. She smiles grimly in reaction to the applause. EVE looks to her right, waits for the applause to die. EVE My director - who demanded always a little more than my talent could provide- BILL, seated at the speakers' table. He has his award before him - a smaller one. He puts out a cigarette expressionlessly as the applause breaks out. EVE - but who taught me patiently and well... Bill Sampson. LLOYD sits beside Bill. He, too, has a smaller award. As Eve speaks, he throws her a brief glance. EVE'S VOICE And one, without whose great play and faith in me, this night would never have been. How can I repay Lloyd Richards? EVE waits for the applause to die. EVE Hoe can I repay the many others? So many, that I couldn't possibly name them all... ADDISON smiles approvingly. EVE'S VOICE ... whose help, guidance and advice have made this, the happiest night of my life, possible. EVE stares at the award for an instant, as if fighting for self-control. EVE Although I am going to Hollywood next week to make a film - do not think for a moment that I am leaving you. How could I? For my heart is here in the Theater - and three thousand miles are too far to be away from one's heart. I'll be back to claim it - and soon. That is, if you want me back. Another storm of applause. Much ad lib shouting as Bill and Lloyd are summoned to pose beside her for more pictures. People are thronging out. The Aged Actor shouts above the hubbub... AGED ACTOR A good night to all - and to all a good night! Eve disengages herself from the photographers, makes her way toward Addison's table... Bill and Lloyd follow. CAMERA FOLLOWS Lloyd to Karen. They kiss. He gives her the award. LLOYD For services rendered - beyond the whatever-it-is-of-duty, darling. Max bustles into the SHOT. MAX Come on! I'm the host, I gotta get home before the guests start stealing the liquor... She and Lloyd follow Max. Addison and Eve are on their way. Lloyd goes right by. Karen pauses at Eve. KAREN Congratulations, Eve. EVE Thank you, Karen. Karen goes. Eve is being constantly congratulated. Some ad lib about seeing her at Max's party... MAX (to Addison) I'm giving her a very high-class party. It ain't like a rehearsal, she don't have to be late. ADDISON As soon as the peasants stop pawing her. Max hurries out. Margo and Bill step into the SHOT. Eve turns from a well-wisher to face her. MARGO ... nice speech, Eve. But I wouldn't worry too much about your heart. You can always put that award where your heart ought to be. Eve looks at her wordlessly. Margo and Bill leave. Addison and Eve are alone. The tables about them are empty. Suddenly, her face becomes expressionless, her eyes dull... she glances at the table. EVE I don't suppose there's a drink left... ADDISON You can have one at Max's. EVE (sits) I don't think I'm going. ADDISON (sighs) Why not? EVE Because I don't want to. ADDISON (patiently) Max has gone to a great deal of trouble, it's going to be an elaborate party, and it's for you. EVE No, it's not. (she holds up the award) It's for this. ADDISON It's the same thing, isn't it? EVE Exactly. (she gives him the award) Here. Take it to the party instead of me. ADDISON You're being childish. A well-wisher rushes up to Eve with an "Eve, darling, I'm so happy!" Eve rises, thanks her graciously. Then she pulls her wrap over her shoulder. EVE I'm tired. I want to go home. ADDISON (curtly) Very well. I shall drop you and go on to the party. I have no intention of missing it... They exit from the room, now empty of everything but tables, waiters, and the usual banquet debris. EXT. PARK AVENUE - NIGHT Eve gets out of taxi in front of a fashionable apartment hotel. She doesn't say good night to Addison, she enters the hotel as the cab drives off. She hasn't the award with her. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE EVE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Smart, but not gaudy. Eve crosses from the elevator to her apartment. She lets herself in. INT. EVE'S HOTEL APARTMENT - NIGHT A small foyer, from which one door leads to the leaving room, another to the bedroom. The bedroom and living room do not connect except through the foyer. All the lights are out. Eve turns them on in the foyer, the same as she enters the bedroom. There are some new trunks, in various stages of being packed. Eve tosses her wrap on the bed, goes through the foyer to the living room. She turns on the light in the living room. CAMERA FOLLOWS her to a smart small bar where she fixes a stiff drink. As she turns from the bar, she stares - starts in fright - and drops the drink. A young girl, asleep in a chair, wakes with a jump. She stares at Eve, horror-stricken. EVE Who are you? GIRL Miss Harrington... EVE What are you doing here? GIRL I - I guess I fell asleep. Eve starts for the phone. The girl rises in panic. GIRL Please don't have me arrested, please! I didn't steal anything - you can search me! EVE (pauses) How did you get in here? GIRL I hid outside in the hall till the maid came to turn down your bed. She must've forgot something and when she went to get it, she left the door open. I sneaked in and hid till she finished. Then I just looked around - and pretty soon I was afraid somebody'd notice the lights were on so I turned them off - and then I guess, I fell asleep. EVE You were just looking around... GIRL That's all. EVE What for? GIRL You probably won't believe me. EVE Probably not. GIRL It was for my report. EVE What report? To whom? GIRL About how you live, what kind of clothes you wear - what kind of perfume and books - things like that. You know the Eve Harrington clubs - that they've got in most of the girls' high schools? EVE I've heard of them. GIRL Ours was one of the first. Erasmus Hall. I'm the president. EVE Erasmus Hall. That's in Brooklyn, isn't it? GIRL Lots of actresses come from Brooklyn. Barbara Stanwyck, Susan Hayward - of course, they're just movie stars. Eve makes no comment. She lies wearily on the couch. GIRL You're going to Hollywood - aren't you? (Eve murmurs "uh-huh") From the trunks you're packing, you must be going to stay a long time. EVE I might. GIRL That spilled drink is going to ruin your carper. She crosses to it. EVE The maid'll fix it in the morning. GIRL I'll just pick up the broken glass. EVE Don't bother. The girl puts the broken glass on the bar. She starts to mix Eve a fresh drink. EVE How'd you get all the way up here from Brooklyn? GIRL Subway. EVE How long does it take? GIRL With changing and everything, a little over an hour. She carries the drink over to Eve. EVE It's after one now. You won't get home till all hours. GIRL (smiles) I don't care if I never get home. The door buzzer sounds. EVE That's the door. GIRL You rest. I'll get it... She goes to the door, opens it. Addison stands there, the Sarah Siddons Award in his hands. ADDISON Hello, there. Who are you? GIRL (shyly) Miss Harrington's resting, Mr. deWitt. She asked me to see who it is... ADDISON We won't disturb her rest. It seems she left her award in the taxicab. Will you give it to her? She holds it as if it were the Promised Land. Addison smiles faintly. He knows the look. ADDISON How do you know my name? GIRL It's a very famous name, Mr. deWitt. ADDISON And what is your name? GIRL Phoebe. ADDISON Phoebe? GIRL (stubbornly) I call myself Phoebe. ADDISON Why not? Tell me, Phoebe, do you want some day to have an award like that of your own? Phoebe lifts her eyes to him. PHOEBE More than anything else in the world. Addison pats her shoulder lightly. ADDISON Then you must Miss Harrington how to get one. Miss Harrington knows all about it... Phoebe smiles shyly. Addison closes the door. Phoebe stares down at the award for an instant. EVE'S VOICE (sleepy; from the living room) Who was it? PHOEBE Just a taxi driver, Miss Harrington. You left the award in his cab and he brought it back... EVE'S VOICE Oh. Put it on one of the trunks, will you? I want to pack it... PHOEBE Sure, Miss Harrington... She takes the award into the bedroom, sets it on a trunk. As she starts out, she sees Eve's fabulous wrap on the bed. She listens. Then, quietly, she puts on the wrap and picks up the award. Slowly, she walks to a large three-mirrored cheval. With grace and infinite dignity she holds the award to her, and bows again and again... as if to the applause of a multitude. FADE OUT. THE END

Start with as few credits as possible. When they're over-- FADE IN ON: A TINY BLACK PIECE OF TAPE. We see it in the center of the large, dimly lit screen. As the tape is pressed around a door-- BEGIN THE BREAK-IN SEQUENCE. It's a major piece of action, running maybe five minutes and it's all as detailed and accurate as we can make it, with as many "if only's" included as possible. ("If only" the tape had been attached up and down instead of around the door, Wills wouldn't have spotted it and alerted the police; "if only" the first police car called had gone to investigate, Baldwin, watching from the Howard Johnson Motor Inn, would have seen their uniforms and radioed Hunt and Liddy in time for them to have gotten to the five burglars and then safely away.) The break-in ends when Leeper arrests the five men. He thought he only had one guy, so when ten hands were raised he was surprised. The hands are all encased in Playtex rubber surgical gloves. HOLD on the hands a moment; then-- GO TO: A DARK APARTMENT. The phone rings. WOODWARD fumbles for the receiver, turns on the bed light. He listens a moment. WOODWARD No, no trouble, Harry, be right down. (he hangs up) Son of a bitch. He lies back. The apartment is one room, a small terrace beyond. Not much of a place. WOODWARD lies still, staring at the ceiling. He blinks, blinks again. HOLD... CUT TO: THE ENORMOUS FIFTH FLOOR OF THE WASHINGTON POST. It looks, early of a Saturday morning, pretty deserted. Those reporters that are around are young, bright, and presently involved in nothing more taxing than drinking coffee and thumbing through the papers. HARRY ROSENFELD surveys the scene from his office doorway as WOODWARD approaches, hangs his coat at his desk, not far from where ROSENFELD is standing. ROSENFELD Where's that cheery face we've come to know and love? WOODWARD You call me in on my day off because some idiots have broken into local Democratic Headquarters--tell me, Harry, why should I be smiling? ROSENFELD As usual, that keen mind of yours has pegged the situation perfectly. (chomps on some Maalox tablets) Except (a) it wasn't local Democratic Headquarters, it was National Democratic Headquarters-- (WOODWARD is surprised-- he hadn't known) --and (b) these weren't just any idiots, these were special idiots, seeing as when they were arrested at 2:30 this morning, they were all wearing business suits and Playtex gloves and were carrying-- (consults a piece of paper) --a walkie-talkie, forty rolls of film, cameras, lock picks, pen-sized tear gas guns, plus various bugging devices. (puts paper down) Not to mention over two thousand dollars, mostly in sequenced hundred dollar bills. WOODWARD Preliminary hearing at Superior Courthouse? ROSENFELD (nods) Two o'clock, work the phones 'til you go. CUT TO: THE CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING. WOODWARD hurries along, goes inside as we CUT TO: A CORRIDOR INSIDE. WOODWARD comes down it, looks around, sees a door marked "Counsel's Offices" and heads toward it. Now-- CUT TO: A CLERK AT A DESK as WOODWARD comes up. Behind them, two lawyers are clearly angry about something, talking and gesticulating to each other. WOODWARD (to the COUNSEL'S CLERK) Could you give me the names of the lawyers for the men arrested in the Watergate. CLERK These two were appointed-- (indicates the angry men) --only now it turns out the burglars got their own counsel. (he starts to laugh) FIRST ANGRY LAWYER (to CLERK) When you gonna stop thinking it's so funny. SECOND ANGRY LAWYER (To CLERK) We wouldda done a terrific job protecting those guys. (neither lawyer, by the way, is Clarence Darrow) FIRST ANGRY LAWYER You think we're not as good as some hotshot fancy lawyer?-- CUT TO: THE COURTROOM and business is booming. Muggers, pimp, hookers, their families and friends. In the scene that follows, a constant counterpoint is what's going on up at the front as an endless succession of petty criminals caught the previous night, the aforementioned muggers, pimps, and hookers, are shuttled in, given a quick appearance before a JUDGE who sets bond, and then shuttled out. In the audience, one man stands out--DOUGLAS CADDY. He is extremely well-dressed and obviously successful. Beside him sits another smaller man, who is unshaven and squints. WOODWARD moves in, sits alongside CADDY. WOODWARD Mr. Caddy? My name's Bob Woodward, I'm from the Post and I wanted to ask about how you happened to come on this case-- CADDY --I'm not here. WOODWARD (nods) OK. He takes out a small notebook, writes, muttering aloud as he does. WOODWARD Douglas Caddy, the attorney of record, when questioned about his presence in the courtroom, denied he was in the courtroom, "I'm not here," Mr. Caddy said. CADDY (impatiently) Clearly, I am here, but only as an individual, I'm not the attorney of record. (indicating unshaven man) Mr. Rafferty has that position. Whatever you want, you'll have to get from him, I have nothing more to say. And as he gets up, walks off-- CUT TO: THE WATER FOUNTAIN IN THE CORRIDOR. There is a small line. CADDY waits at the end of it. WOODWARD (moving in behind him) Mr. Rafferty was very helpful. Four Cuban-Americans and this other man, James McCord. CADDY Look, I told you inside-- WOODWARD --you have nothing more to say, I understand that. CADDY turns away; WOODWARD goes right on. WOODWARD What I don't understand is how you got here. CADDY I assure you, there's nothing mysterious involved. WOODWARD Probably you're right, but a little while ago, I was talking to a couple of lawyers who'd been assigned to represent the burglars. CADDY So? WOODWARD Well, they never would have been assigned if anyone had known the burglars had arranged for their own counsel. And that could only mean the burglars didn't arrange for their own counsel--they never even made a phone call. (looks at CADDY) So if they didn't ask for you to be here, how did you know to come? Without a word, CADDY turns, leaves the line without getting a drink. Silently, WOODWARD watches. Now-- CUT TO: CADDY seated as before beside RAFFERTY. WOODWARD's voice come from behind him, and as CADDY turns, WOODWARD is seated one row back. WOODWARD Did you know to come because one of the other men involved in the break- in called you? CADDY (turning) There is no reason to assume other people were involved. WOODWARD Your clients were arrested with a walkie-talkie; they didn't need that to talk among themselves. CADDY looks at WOODWARD, turns back. CADDY (turning back) They are not my clients. WOODWARD You're a lawyer and you're here-- CADDY --I met one of the defendants, Mr. Barker, at a social occasion once-- (stops himself) --I have nothing more to say. WOODWARD (leaning forward as CADDY turns away again) A Miami social occasion? (explaining) Mr. Rafferty told me the Cubans were from Miami. CADDY (sighing) Barker's wife called me at three this morning; her husband apparently had told her to call if he hadn't called her by then. WOODWARD It was really nice of you to come, since you'd only met him once. CADDY Are you implying you don't believe me? WOODWARD I have nothing more to say. CADDY You don't mind getting on people's nerves, do you? WOODWARD considers this a moment. Then-- WOODWARD Nope. And on that word-- CUT TO: THE COURTROOM as without warning, it quiets. There is suddenly a tremendous air of expectancy, you can feel it. Now we see why as five men in dark business suits are led in; they've been stripped of belts, ties, and shoelaces. McCord is taller than the others. They stand, facing the JUDGE, backs to the audience. WOODWARD sits watching as the proceedings start, but it's hard to hear. He concentrates as the JUDGE starts speaking. JUDGE Will you please state your professions. The five men do not move or reply. Then, after a long pause, Barker says-- BARKER Anti-Communists. JUDGE Anti-Communists? (perplexed) That, sir, is not your average occupation. WOODWARD starts moving forward now, down an aisle, moving past kids and whores and all the rest, trying to hear what the hell's going on. At the front of the spectator's section is a fence-like wooden barricade about three feet high. As he approaches it-- The JUDGE indicates the bald burglar. JUDGE Your name, please. MCCORD James McCord. JUDGE Will you step forward, sir. (MCCORD obeys) WOODWARD at the bench is leaning forward, trying to hear but it's hard. JUDGE And what is your occupation, Mr. McCord? MCCORD (softly) Security consultant. JUDGE Where? MCCORD (softer) Government. Recently retired. JUDGE Where in government? MCCORD (we can't really make this out) ...Central... Intelligence... Agency... JUDGE (he can't either) Where? MCCORD (clearing his throat) The C.I.A. And on these words, ZOOM TO: CLOSE UP--WOODWARD leaning over the fence practically falling over it in a desperate straining effort to catch what's going on. WOODWARD (stunned) Holy shit. Now from the courtroom-- CUT TO: THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF WASHINGTON POSTS. We are at the end of the press run, the papers are all assembled and being cabled and sent off by machine to various places. As the papers continue to roll past-- A UNION TYPE EMPLOYEE grabs a paper, looks at the front page. The Watergate story, headlined whatever it was headlined, is visible. The byline was by Alfred E. Lewis. The union type Post employee glances at the article-- UNION POST EMPLOYEE (reading half-aloud) "Five men, one of whom said he is a former employee..." (stops reading, gives a shrug) Schmucks. And he turns happily to the sports section-- CUT TO: A CLOSE UP OF HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS. It's new money and looks as if it's been recently ironed. Someone is going through the cash, making a quick count. During this-- FIRST VOICE (V.O.) Hurry it, huh, Bachinski? BACHINSKI You said I could look at it-- PULL BACK TO REVEAL We're in a room in a police station and two men are present. One, a COP, is nervous as hell and constantly aware of the door. The other, BACHINSKI, is taking hurried notes in a reporter's type notebook as he examines the evidence. COP --I said look, not memorize-- BACHINSKI --almost done, give it a rest, all right... (and he looks at an address book, he stops) CUT TO: THE ADDRESS BOOK. Beside the name "Howard E. Hunt" is the notation "W.House." Now, BACHINSKI hurriedly opens the other book to the letter "H" and there is the same name, "Howard E. Hunt" and beside it, the letters, "W.H." COP (V.O.) What'd you find? BACHINSKI (V.O.) Beats me. These notebooks belonged to Cuban guys? COP (V.O.) S'right. BACHINSKI (V.O.) It's gotta mean either White House or whore house, one or the other. We HOLD on the HUNT name, and the address notations. Then-- CUT TO: WOODWARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT. The phone rings, waking him. He fumbles for the phone and the light, finally gets them both. WOODWARD Bachinski? (reaches for a notebook) What?--hold it-- (gets it open, starts to write) --OK, go on, go on... CUT TO: A BOX OF MAALOX TABLETS. ROSENFELD is opening them, we're in his office, WOODWARD sits across the desk, holding the notebook we saw him writing in. ROSENFELD ...go on, go on... WOODWARD That's everything Bachinski had, I think it's worth following up. ROSENFELD Don't know; who the hell's Howard Hunt? (crunches tablets) It's probably nothing but check it out. Just go easy, it could be crazy Cubans. HOWARD SIMONS sticks his head in the office. SIMONS Anything? ROSENFELD Woodward's onto a new wrinkle with the break-in thing--absolute page one stuff-- SIMONS --in other words, you got nothing, you're thumbsucking. ROSENFELD (shrugs) Could develop. SIMONS Let me see what you get, but don't jump--The New York Times thinks it's crazy Cubans. He moves on. ROSENFELD turns quickly to WOODWARD. ROSENFELD OK, get on this W.House guy and do a better job then you did on McCord. WOODWARD I did all right on McCord. ROSENFELD Then how come the Associated Press were the ones found out that Mr. McCord is security coordinator for the Committee to Re-elect the President, otherwise known as CREEP? WOODWARD (getting it straight) The head of security for the reelection of a Republican President got caught bugging the national offices of the Democrats? What the hell does that mean? ROSENFELD (hasn't the foggiest) Mr. John Mitchell, the head of CREEP, says it means nothing. (reads) "...This man and the other people involved were not operating on either our behalf or with our consent. These is no place in our campaign or in the electoral process for this type of activity, and we will not forget it or condone it." WOODWARD (getting up) You can't believe that. ROSENFELD As a rough rule of thumb, as far as I can throw Bronco Nagurski, that's how much I trust John Mitchell... Now-- CUT TO: A MOON-FACED MAN RINGING A TRIANGLE. CUT TO: THE NEWSROOM as the triangle sound echoes. HOWARD SIMONS leaves large Managing Editor's office, walks past another office, knocks twice on the glass wall. Inside the Executive Editor's office, BEN BRADLEE sits. As SIMONS knocks, he turns, nods. He appears, for the moment, deep in thought. HARRY ROSENFELD on the opposite end of the room hurries out of his office, following a bunch of editors, all of them heading across the huge room. As he passes WOODWARD's desk ROSENFELD pauses. ROSENFELD What'd you get on W.House? WOODWARD (massaging his neck) Lotsa hints-- ROSENFELD (not happy) I can't sell hints to Simons-- (stops, looks at piece of yellow paper) --you called everyone you know? (WOODWARD makes a nod) Call someone you don't know. WOODWARD continues to rub his neck as ROSENFELD hurries off, all the editors still moving toward the place where the moon- faced man intermittently rings the triangle. WOODWARD picks up the sheet of yellow paper from his desk. Lined, legal-sized, it is crammed with names and numbers and addresses. They are in no neat order; looking at them it's almost like following a path; chicken tracks in ink. WOODWARD mutters "to hell with it" and reaches for a thick book, flips it open. NOW WE SEE THE BOOK: It's the Washington Phone Directory and we're in the W's. As WOODWARD's finger stops, we can see he's looking at the White HOuse entry number. There it is, just like your name and mine. Listed. Now WOODWARD starts to dial, visibly nervous, a fact he tries very hard to keep out of his voice tone. WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.) White House. WOODWARD (casually) Howard Hunt, please. Throughout the following call, we stay on WOODWARD's face, hear the other voices. WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.) Mr. Hunt does not answer. WOODWARD is delighted he's even there. WOODWARD Thanks, anyway-- And he's about to hang up, when-- WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.) I'll bet he's in Mr. Colson's office. Let me connect you. SECRETARY (V.O.) Charles Colson's wire. WOODWARD (a little more excited) Howard Hunt, please. SECRETARY (V.O.) Mr. Hunt isn't here just now. WOODWARD Thanks, anyway. And he's about to hang up again when-- SECRETARY (V.O.) Have you tried Mullen and Company Public Relations? He works at Mullen and Company Public Relations as a writer. The number is 555-1313. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful. WOODWARD Listen, forget it. He hangs up, sits there. His hands are a little twitchy... HOLD. Now-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD hurrying (he always hurries) toward his office. WOODWARD, looking for something in his desk throughout this scene, speaks to him. WOODWARD Who's Charles Colson? ROSENFELD (stops dead) I would liken your query to being in Russia half a century ago and asking someone, "I understand who Lenin is and Trotsky I got too, but who's this yokel Stalin?" WOODWARD Who's Colson, Harry? ROSENFELD The most powerful man in America is President Nixon, probably you've heard his name. WOODWARD, unfazed by anything, continues to open drawers, close them, as ROSENFELD rolls on. ROSENFELD The second most powerful man is Robert Haldeman. Just below him are a trio: Mr. Erlichman is Haldeman's friend, and they protect the President from everybody which is why they are referred to as either The German Shepherds or the Berlin Wall. Mr. Mitchell we've already discussed. Mr. Colson is the President's special counsel. WOODWARD (rising) Thanks, Harry. (looks at ROSENFELD) Know anything about Colson? ROSENFELD Just that on his office wall there's a cartoon with a caption reading, "When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow." WOODWARD nods, heads back toward the files as we CUT TO: WOODWARD AT HIS DESK dialing the phone. He's got the Colson file spread out now, and we see pictures of the man and articles the Post had done on him. But basically what we see is WOODWARD plugging away on the goddamn phone and you'd think his finger would fall off from all the dialing and you know his voice is tiring as this montage goes on, you can hear it grow raspy. But a lot of what a reporter does he does on the phone, and that's what we're compressing here. The dialing never stops, the voices are continuous. WOODWARD Hello, I'm Bob Woodward of the Washing Post and... (beat) Mullen and Company Public Relations? Could you tell me when you expect Mr. Hunt? (surprised) He is? HUNT (V.O.) Howard Hunt here. WOODWARD Hi, I'm Bob Woodward of the Post and-- HUNT (V.O.) (impatient) --yes, yes, what is it? WOODWARD I was just kind of wondering why your name and phone number were in the address books of two of the men arrested at Watergate? HUNT (V.O.) (blind panic) Good God! And he bangs the phone down sharply-- --more dialing SOUNDS. Now snatches of conversation-- WOODWARD I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Bennett, but we're doing some investigating of one of your employees, Howard Hunt. BENNETT (V.O.) Well, if you've been doing some investigating then obviously it's no secret to you that Howard was with the C.I.A. WOODWARD (he hadn't known) No secret at all. More dialing. Then-- WOODWARD (tired, voice deeper) Hello, C.I.A. This is R.W. Woodward, of the Washington Post--get me Personnel-- Dialing again. WOODWARD's voice is showing genuine fatigue. WOODWARD Hi, I'm Bob Woodward of the Washington Post--and--what's that?--you've never heard of me?--I can't help that--you don't believe I'm with the Post?-- what do you want me to do, Madam, shout "extra--extra"? There is the SOUND of the phone being slammed down in his ear. Hard. Now-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD AND SIMONS approaching WOODWARD who is working at his desk. He has put in a lot of hours on this and looks it. ROSENFELD Whaddya got, whaddya got? WOODWARD Hunt is Colson's man-- (to SIMONS, explaining) --that's Charles Colson, Nixon's special counsel-- (SIMONS almost says something, decides against it) --they both went to Brown University-- (consulting his notes) --Hunt worked for the C.I.A. till '70, and this is on deep background, the FBI thinks he's involved with the break-in. SIMONS What else have you got? WOODWARD According to White House personnel, Hunt definitely works there as a consultant for Colson. But when I called the White House Press office, they said he hadn't worked there for three months. Then the P.R. guy said the weirdest thing to me. (reading) "I am convinced that neither Mr. Colson nor anyone else at the White House had any knowledge of, or participation in, this deplorable incident at the Democratic National Committee." He looks up at them. SIMONS Isn't that what you'd expect them to say? WOODWARD Absolutely. ROSENFELD So? WOODWARD (he's got something and he knows it) I never asked them about Watergate. I only said what were Hunt's duties at the White House. They volunteered that he was innocent when nobody asked was he guilty. ROSENFELD (to SIMONS) I think we got a White House consultant linked to the bugging. SIMONS (nods) Just be careful how you write it. CUT TO: WOODWARD TYPING LIKE MAD, makes a mistake, corrects it, types on muttering to himself, and-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD IN HIS OFFICE munching a handful of Maalox tablets and-- CUT TO: WOODWARD taking a sheet from his typewriter, hurrying off and-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD taking the sheet from WOODWARD-- WOODWARD Here's the first take-- ROSENFELD nods, shows him out and-- CUT TO: WOODWARD BACK AT HIS MACHINE typing faster then before, makes another mistake, starts to correct it, glances around and-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD IN HIS OFFICE gesturing to somebody but not WOODWARD and-- CUT TO: WOODWARD watching as BERNSTEIN appears in view from behind the wide pillar by WOODWARD's desk, heads toward ROSENFELD's office. WOODWARD shrugs, goes back to his typing, makes a typo immediately, glances over toward ROSENFELD's office, freezes as we-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD handing some papers to BERNSTEIN. They look, from this distance, suspiciously like WOODWARD's story. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN hurrying out of ROSENFELD's office, and-- CUT TO: WOODWARD watching BERNSTEIN until he disappears out of sight behind the pillar. WOODWARD hesitates, finally goes back to his typing, makes another mistake, fixes it, makes still another, his temper is shortly to make itself known-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD as WOODWARD hands him another sheet of paper. WOODWARD This is all of it, Harry. ROSENFELD NODS, takes it, immediately starts to read as we-- CUT TO: WOODWARD AT HIS DESK watching as ROSENFELD gestures again. There is a pause. Then BERNSTEIN appears from behind the pillar and-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD handing BERNSTEIN another sheet of paper. BERSTEIN nods, takes it, walks back toward his desk, disappears behind the pillar again. WOODWARD is starting to steam. Now-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN AT HIS DESK typing magnificently, his hands rising and falling like Rubinstein's. Behind him is the pillar and for a moment there is nothing--then, very slowly, a figure peers out from behind the pillar--it is WOODWARD. He watches. BERNSTEIN continues to type, then after a moment, rests, thinks, shifts around in his chair and as his glance starts toward the pillar-- CUT TO: THE PILLAR. WOODWARD is gone. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN typing madly away. THE PILLAR. WOODWARD is visible again, eyes very bright... now-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN finishing typing, his hands moving majestically. WOODWARD comes up behind him, stands looking a second. Then-- WOODWARD We have to talk. BERNSTEIN nods, grabs the papers both that he's been typing and that he's been copying from. And as he rises-- PAN TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN walking silently out of the newsroom then turning left down a darker corridor, passing bulletin boards and wall lockers and it's all nice and quiet as they amble on, nodding to the few people they pass on their way and after a while they turn right and enter the coffee lounge which is empty; the walls are lined with Norman Rockwell reproductions and various kinds of vending machines are visible, selling coffee or milk or fruit or sandwiches and there are some plastic tables and chairs and the minute they are alone, the silence ends. WOODWARD What the hell were you doing rewriting my story-- BERNSTEIN --I sure couldn't hurt it, could I?-- WOODWARD --it was fine the way it was-- BERNSTEIN --it was bullshit the way it was-- WOODWARD --I have to stand here and listen to the staff correspondent from Virginia?-- BERNSTEIN (a sore subject) --what have you been here, nine months?--I been in this business since I was sixteen-- WOODWARD --and you've had some fucking meteoric rise, that's for sure--by the time you turn forty you might be the head of the Montana bureau-- BERNSTEIN --you only got the job because both you and Bradlee went to Yale-- WOODWARD --Bradlee went to Harvard-- BERNSTEIN --they're all the same, all those Ivy League places--they teach you about striped ties and suddenly you're smart-- WOODWARD --I'm smart enough to know my story was solid-- BERNSTEIN --mine's better-- WOODWARD --no way-- BERNSTEIN (handing them over) --read 'em both and you'll see-- And as WOODWARD glances at the two stories-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN watching. Now-- CUT TO: WOODWARD. He glances from one story to the other. Then, disconsolately-- WOODWARD ...crap... And he sinks down in a chair. BERNSTEIN Is mine better? WOODWARD nods. WOODWARD (handing the stories back) What is it about my writing that's so rotten? BERNSTEIN (as he exits) Mainly it has to do with your choice of words. And as he goes, leaving WOODWARD just sitting there-- CUT TO: BERSTEIN, re-entering the newsroom, returning to his desk. He starts to insert some papers into his typewriter, hesitates, lights a cigarette. He inhales, as, behind him, WOODWARD briefly is visible going to his desk behind the pillar. Finally BERNSTEIN inserts the paper, starts to type as WOODWARD (V.O.) (from behind the pillar) Carl? BERNSTEIN (turns) Yeah? WOODWARD (pushing his chair briefly into view) Fuck you, Carl. And as he rolls forward again, out of sight-- CUT TO: RICHARD NIXON ON THE TUBE. (It's the June 22 Press Conference.) He talks on about something, it doesn't matter exactly what here, the point is, it should include that strange smile of his that kept appearing when the man should not have been smiling. Hints of pressure maybe, that's all, and once it's established-- PULL BACK TO REVEAL: WOODWARD sitting alone, gloomily staring at the set. We're in the Post Cafeteria, it's the next morning, and the place is pretty much empty. He sips the coffee, it tastes rotten. BERNSTEIN moves up behind him, carrying a cup of coffee of his own. He stands by WOODWARD briefly. BERNSTEIN You heard? (WOODWARD glances up) They put us both on the break-in thing. Simons liked the way we worked together. (WOODWARD nods, BERNSTEIN sits down) Listen, I'm sorry I said your story was bullshit. WOODWARD It's OK; I'm sorry I called you a failure. BERNSTEIN Forget it, the main thing-- (stops) --did you call me a failure? WOODWARD I was sure trying. CUT TO: WOODWARD, BERNSTEIN, AND NIXON. The way it's shot, it's almost as if they're watching each other; NIXON staring out from the TV set, answering questions. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN sip coffee. We don't know yet--or better, they don't know it yet, but these are our adversaries. CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN, without NIXON now. They sit at the table. Occasionally, NIXON is audible in the background. WOODWARD All right, what do we know? BERNSTEIN Let me lay a little theory on you-- WOODWARD (cutting him off) --I'm not interested in theory. What do we know? For example, Hunt's disappeared. BERNSTEIN Well, Barker tried to get blueprints of the Miami Convention Center and the air-conditioning system. WOODWARD And McCord was carrying an application for college press credentials for the Democratic convention. (to BERNSTEIN) The Times has got to be full of it-- it can't be crazy Cubans. BERNSTEIN What, though? (points to Nixon) It can't be the Republicans--he'd never allow something as stupid as this, not when he's gonna slaughter McGovern anyway. WOODWARD Right. Nixon didn't get where he got by being dumb-- (stops abruptly) --listen, that was a Watergate question-- CUT TO: NIXON ON THE TUBE. Serious now. NIXON The White House has had no involvement whatever in this particular incident. CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN staring at the set thinking... CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN walking toward BERSTEIN'S desk. WOODWARD Hey? BERNSTEIN Hmm. WOODWARD What do you think he meant, this particular incident? Were there others? How would we find out? You know anyone important? BERNSTEIN (sits, shakes his head) I lived here all my life, I got a million contacts, but they're all bus boys and bellhops. The reporter KEN RINGLE at the next desk watches them a moment. Then-- RINGLE What do you need? BERNSTEIN Someone inside the White House would be nice. RINGLE (writes down phone number) Call her. She worked for Colson, if that's any help. As BERNSTEIN grabs for the phone-- CUT TO: A SECRETARIAL POOL IN A LARGE OFFICE. BERNSTEIN is talking off to one side with an attractive girl. GIRL Kenny's crazy, I never worked for Colson, I worked for an assistant. Colson was big on secrets anyway. Even if I had worked for him, I wouldn't have known anything. BERNSTEIN Nothing at all you can remember? SECRETARY (headshake) Sorry. (pause) Now if it was Hunt you were interested in-- BERNSTEIN --Howard Hunt? SECRETARY Sure. Him I liked, he was a very nice person. Secretive too, traveled all over, but a decent man. BERNSTEIN Any idea what he did? SECRETARY Oh, the scuttlebutt for awhile was he was investigating Kennedy-- BERNSTEIN --Teddy Kennedy? SECRETARY Sure. I remember seeing a book about Chappaquiddick on his desk and he was always getting material out of the White House Library and the Library of Congress and-- And as she goes on, quickly-- CUT TO: THE NEWSROOM. BERNSTEIN is at his desk, telephoning. WOODWARD stands alongside. BERNSTEIN White House Library, please. We hear the other end of this phone call clearly. OPERATOR (V.O.) One moment. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) (elderly-sounding lady) Library. BERNSTEIN Hi. Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post. I was just wondering if you remember the names of any of the books that Howard Hunt checked out on Senator Kennedy. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) I think I do remember, he took out a whole bunch of material. Let me just go see. SOUND of the phone being laid down. BERNSTEIN --what do you think?-- WOODWARD --Hunt doesn't seem like your ordinary consultant. BERNSTEIN Maybe a political operative of some sort-- WOODWARD --a spy, you mean? BERNSTEIN It makes sense; Hunt worked for the C.I.A. and the White House was paranoid about Teddy Kennedy. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) Mr. Bernstein? BERNSTEIN Yes, ma'am. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) What I said before? I was wrong. The truth is, I don't have a card that Mr. Hunt took out any Kennedy material. (WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN listen, and now there is something in her voice that wasn't there before: fear) I remember getting that material out for somebody, but it wasn't Mr. Hunt. The truth is, I've never had any requests at all from Mr. Hunt. (beat) The truth is, I don't know Mr. Hunt. There is the SOUND of the phone being dropped into its cradle. BERNSTEIN continues to hold his. He and WOODWARD just look at each other. Now-- CUT TO: THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Now, as WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN get out of a cab, start inside-- CUT TO: A MALE LIBRARIAN IN HIS OFFICE. LIBRARIAN You want all the material requested by the White House? PULL BACK TO REVEAL WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN standing there. The nod. One of them maybe says "yessir," the other maybe "please." The LIBRARIAN moves out of his office into a corridor. They go with him. No one else is around. The LIBRARIAN looks at them, quickly-- LIBRARIAN All White House transactions are confidential. And just like that, he's back into his office, and as he shuts the door-- CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN walking along through the Library of Congress. WOODWARD You think they are confidential? I don't know anything about how this town works, I haven't lived here a year yet. BERNSTEIN We need a sympathetic face. On the word "face"-- CUT TO: A BEARDED YOUNG-LOOKING CLERK. We're in the reading room of the library, and WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN are with him. YOUNG CLERK You want every request since when? BERNSTEIN (to WOODWARD) When did Hunt start at the White House? WOODWARD July of '71. BERNSTEIN About the past year. CLERK (starts to smile) I'm not sure you want 'em, but I got 'em. Now-- CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN seated at a table with from anywhere between 10 to 20 thousand slips of paper. In front of them, seated at a high desk, the bearded clerk looks down on them, shaking his head. It's a staggering amount of work to thumb through. CLERK I can't believe you guys are actually doing this. WOODWARD (to the clerk) You do a lot of things when you're on a story. (to BERNSTEIN, quietly) Can you believe we're actually doing this? (BERNSTEIN can't) Now we have a series of shots of the two of them going through the slips; it took them hours and hours, and the afternoon darkened as they worked. And they're tired. Now-- CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN getting back into a cab. BERNSTEIN That was fun. (slams the door) What now? WOODWARD I met a Presidential aide once at a social occasion. BERNSTEIN (stunned) And you haven't called him?-- As the taxi pulls off-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD reading an article by BERNSTEIN's desk. WOODWARD sits on an adjacent desk. ROSENFELD (to BERNSTEIN) You got accurate notes on the White House librarian? (BERNSTEIN nods) OK, we'll leave space for the White House denial and we should be set. Suddenly he gestures and we-- CUT TO: BRADLEE STANDING ACROSS THE ROOM. Without a nod, he moves toward ROSENFELD. CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN, nervously watching BRADLEE come. As soon as BRADLEE is within earshot, ROSENFELD starts his sell. ROSENFELD Benjy, we got a present for you. Above the fold on page one for sure. It may not change our lives one way or the other. Just a good, solid piece of American Journalism-- (beat) --that The New York Times doesn't have. BRADLEE by this time has taken the story, grabbed an unoccupied chair, sat down, started to read. His only response to ROSENFELD is an intermittent "uh-huh, uh-huh." CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN, watching as the silence goes on. ROSENFELD too. He wants the story too, but he doesn't want it like WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN do. They were, as they said, proud of their work. The silence goes on. Finally BRADLEE looks up. BRADLEE You haven't got it. (before they can reply) A librarian and a secretary say Hunt looked at a book. (shakes his head) Not good enough. He begins editing the piece, slashing paragraphs out of it. WOODWARD I was told by this guy at the White House that Hunt was investigating Teddy Kennedy. BRADLEE How senior? WOODWARD (edgy) You asking me to disclose my source? Other reporters are watching now. BRADLEE is impatient, as always. BRADLEE Just tell me his title. WOODWARD I don't know titles. BRADLEE Is he on the level of Assistant to the President or not? WOODWARD doesn't know. BRADLEE continues to hack at their piece. Done, he stands, walks away. BRADLEE Get some harder information next time. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN watch him go, they are embarrassed, angry, crushed. HOLD on their faces. Then-- CUT TO: WOODWARD'S APARTMENT - MORNING He is in pajamas and lugging a flower pot out to the balcony, positioning it so it would be visible to anyone passing in the alley below. He takes a stick with a red flag, jams it into the flower pot. He's nervous and he makes several adjustments, making sure the red flag is secure and won't fall. CUT TO: WOODWARD down in the alley, staring up at his apartment. The flag is clearly visible. It's early. He checks his watch, hurries out of the alley. CUT TO: THE CITY ROOM - NIGHT Deserted except for a few older Front Page types, reporters whose legs have given out, playing cards in a corner of the room. WOODWARD is working at his desk until he glances up at a wall clock. It's almost one on the button and as he rises-- CUT TO: WOODWARD racing down the stairway of the Post; as he hits the lobby, he turns and we CUT TO: OUTSIDE THE POST - NIGHT WOODWARD appears in the side exit, walks off. When he gets out of sight of the paper, he starts to run. Now-- CUT TO: WOODWARD turning a corner, running on. Up ahead is a cab-- CUT TO: WOODWARD IN THE CAB sitting forward tensely. Occasionally, various monuments are briefly visible, lit up in the b.g. WOODWARD takes out some money as we CUT TO: THE CAB stopping. WOODWARD pays, gets out. The cab pulls away. When it is out of sight, WOODWARD starts to run again. CUT TO: A STREET as WOODWARD runs by. It's not the nicest area in the world. He is going faster now. CUT TO: A CAB GASSING UP AT A STATION. WOODWARD hurries to it, gets in and-- CUT TO: THE SECOND CAB roaring along some Washington streets. CUT TO: WOODWARD INSIDE THE CAB. He looks at his watch, tries not to seem nervous. But his fingers are drumming, drumming and-- CUT TO: THE SECOND CAB stopping, as WOODWARD gets out, pays. The cab starts off, but slowly. WOODWARD waits. The cab doesn't turn as the first one did. WOODWARD still waits. Finally the cab turns and the second it does, WOODWARD starts to run again and-- CUT TO: WOODWARD turning a corner, running on and-- CUT TO: ANOTHER CORNER as WOODWARD turns it, finally stops and catches his breath as we-- CUT TO: A GIGANTIC UNDERGROUND TYPE GARAGE CUT TO: WOODWARD ENTERING THE GARAGE. It's an eerie place, and his heels make noise and if you wonder is he edgy, yes he's edgy. He comes to the ramp leading down to lower levels, hesitates. CUT TO: THE RAMP. It seems to descend forever. CUT TO: WOODWARD starting down. HOLD on him as he walks. Down he goes, the shadows deepening, then disappearing, then covering him again. He continues on. He must be at least at the first underground level now but he doesn't stop, and we don't stop watching him as he continues to go down, turning, the SOUND of his shoes softer now and he's a smaller figure as we watch him circle around and around until we-- CUT TO: ANOTHER LEVEL UNDERGROUND. Dimly lit. A few cars parked here and there. WOODWARD hesitates on the ramp, looks around. THE GARAGE. Dark, dark, eerie. CUT TO: WOODWARD quietly stepping off the ramp, continuing to glance this way, that way. Now-- CUT TO: TWO CARS PARKED BESIDE EACH OTHER. Nothing unusual about that. But then some cigarette smoke appears, trailing up and disappearing from between the cars. As WOODWARD moves forward-- CUT TO: A MAN SITTING ON HIS HAUNCHES BETWEEN THE CARS, smoking. He leans with his back against the wall. DEEP THROAT I saw the flag signal--what's up? WOODWARD Nothing, that's the problem--the story's gone underground. DEEP THROAT You thought I'd help out on specifics? (headshake) I'll confirm what you get, try to keep you on the right track, but that's all. (looks at WOODWARD) Are you guys really working? (WOODWARD nods) How much? WOODWARD I don't know maybe sixteen, eighteen hours a day--we've got sources at Justice, the FBI, but it's still drying up. DEEP THROAT Then there must be something, mustn't there. Look, forget the myths the media's created about the White House-- the truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand. WOODWARD If you don't like them, why won't you be more concrete with me? DEEP THROAT Because the press stinks too--history on the run, that's all you're interested in. (inhales) You come up with anything? WOODWARD John Mitchell resigned as head of CREEP to spend more time with his family. That doesn't exactly have the ring of truth. (DEEP THROAT nods) Howard Hunt's been found--there was talk that his lawyer had 25 thousand in cash in a paper bag. DEEP THROAT Follow the money. Always follow the money. WOODWARD To where? DEEP THROAT (shakes his head "no") Go on. WOODWARD This man Gordon Liddy--he's going to be tried along with Hunt and the five burglars--we know he knows a lot, we just don't know what. DEEP THROAT (lights a new cigarette) You changed cabs? You're sure no one followed you? WOODWARD I did everything you said, but it all seemed-- DEEP THROAT --melodramatic? (headshakes) Things are past that--remember, these are men with switchblade mentalities who run the world as if it were Dodge City. WOODWARD What's the whole thing about--do you know? DEEP THROAT What I know, you'll have to find out on your own. WOODWARD Liddy--you think there's a chance he'll talk? DEEP THROAT Talk? Once, at a gathering, he put his hand over a candle. And he kept it there. He kept it right in the flame until his flesh seared. A woman who was watching asked, "What's the trick?" And he replied. "The trick is not minding." DEEP THROAT shakes his head, walks off. WOODWARD stands alone now, watching. Now the shadows have the other man. Just his footsteps are audible. WOODWARD stands there... HOLD. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN. It's morning and he's struggling to get his bike down the steps of his apartment building. CUT TO: WOODWARD driving up in his two-year-old red Karmann Ghia. He roars up alongside BERNSTEIN, waving a folded-up newspaper. BERNSTEIN What's that? WOODWARD The fucking New York Times. CUT TO: The Times spread somewhat tentatively over a mailbox. A small headline is visible, with the words "Barker," "Liddy," and "Telephone" in some kind of order. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN look at it the best they can. BERNSTEIN Goddamnit-- WOODWARD --see?-- BERNSTEIN --I'm trying-- WOODWARD --fifteen phone calls-- BERNSTEIN ---fifteen or more phone calls from the burglars in Miami to Gordon Liddy at CREEP-- WOODWARD Why didn't we get that? BERNSTEIN Christ, and I even know somebody at the phone company-- WOODWARD --you do?--with access to records? As BERNSTEIN nods-- CUT TO: A LITTLE CITY PARK. A guy shells peanuts. BERNSTEIN hurries up. BERNSTEIN Why couldn't you have just dialed me from the office, Irwin? IRWIN 'Cause I'm not calling out from the phone company anymore-- (drops his voice) --I think the place is bugged. BERNSTEIN (taking some peanuts) So tell me about the Times article. IRWIN What do you want to know? BERNSTEIN No games, Irwin; give. IRWIN (looks at BERNSTEIN) My big civil rights buddy-- (shakes his head) --boy, if John Mitchell was after your phone records, would you be screaming. (eats) What're you onto? BERNSTEIN Something maybe big. IRWIN And that makes anything you do OK, is that it? BERNSTEIN Just tell me about the goddamn article. IRWIN (shelling away) It was accurate, but I can't get a fuller listing for you--all Barker's phone records have been subpoenaed. BERNSTEIN Who by? IRWIN A Miami D.A. The guy doing the investigating is named Martin Dardis. (finishes his peanuts, starts off) BERNSTEIN Irwin? I really feel bad, doing something like this--you know that, don't you? IRWIN looks at BERNSTEIN for a long time. then-- IRWIN Don't give me any more of your liberal shit, OK, Carl? He walks off, doesn't look back. Now-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD at the water fountain on the 5th floor. He chews up a few Maalox tablets, notices BERNSTEIN steaming up. BERNSTEIN Harry, I just talked to a Miami investigator about Barker-- ROSENFELD --so? BERNSTEIN I think it might be helpful if you'd send me to Miami. ROSENFELD heads for his office, BERNSTEIN pursuing. ROSENFELD I'm the one sent you to Toronto, Bernstein-- BERNSTEIN (trying to head him off) --that was awhile ago-- ROSENFELD --"I think it might be helpful if you'd send me to Toronto." That was your spiel then. "The Lifestyles of Deserters." (whirls on BERNSTEIN) I'm still waiting for it. He enters his office, BERNSTEIN follows. BERNSTEIN Down to Miami and back--how much damage can I do? ROSENFELD You're the fella who forgot he rented a Hertz car, do I have to tell you they didn't forget to send us the bill? And he looks unsympathetically at BERNSTEIN-- CUT TO: SIMONS circling around the 5th floor. ROSENFELD falls into step. They keep moving throughout. ROSENFELD I can predict the next words you're gonna say: "anyone but Bernstein." (SIMONS gestures for ROSENFELD to continue) I want to send a reporter to Miami. SIMONS Anyone but Bernstein. ROSENFELD Howard-- SIMONS --remember Toronto, Harry. ROSENFELD That was awhile ago. SIMONS I don't get it--you were the one who wanted to fire him. ROSENFELD I know, I did, but damnit Howard-- (SIMONS looks at him) For the first time since I've known him, I think he's really humping... CUT TO: BERNSTEIN'S APARTMENT. A shambles. He is busy doing two things at once, studying notebooks and packing. Music plays, lovely stuff; the Bach Brandenburgs. As the phone rings-- BERNSTEIN (answering) Yeah? (pause) Yes, this is Carl Bernstein. (stunned) You're repossessing my bicycle? (softer) Listen, I'm sure I paid this month's installment, so why don't you check your records before you go around hassling people? (pause) Oh... And as he stands there-- AN ATTRACTIVE, EFFICIENT-LOOKING WOMAN of BERNSTEIN's age. She has just entered the apartment. Vivaldi is playing now. BERNSTEIN Hannah, I never would have bothered you but I'm off to Miami and they're gonna take away my ten speed unless I get it straightened out fast. HANNAH (glancing around the chaos) Where are your bills, Carl? BERNSTEIN Oh, they're here. (starts lifting debris from his desk) I'm keeping much better records now, Hannah. (grabbing a big manila envelope) See? (hands it to her) HANNAH (looks inside) Carl, it's a jungle. (sits at his desk, takes out a mass of papers--glancing at the top bill) I suggest you either pay this immediately or lay in a large supply of candles. (studies another bill) You'd give a stranger the shirt off your back--except it wouldn't be paid for. He smiles, gently begins massaging her shoulders as she studies his finances. BERNSTEIN Hey... very tense. HANNAH (nods) Lot of pressure at the Star. (looking at the bills) Carl, when we got married, you were four thousand dollars in debt; when we split, you were solvent. That may prove to be the outstanding single achievement of my life, and now look at this. (sighs) How much did the damn bike cost? BERNSTEIN Five hundred; six maybe. HANNAH (looking at paper) You're two months behind--you got enough to cover? BERNSTEIN I think. HANNAH Give me your checkbook then. BERNSTEIN It's right under that pile. He indicates a mound of papers. She pulls it out as he continues to massage her, more sensually now. She reaches back, puts her hand on his. HANNAH I thought you had to get to Miami. BERNSTEIN There's always a later plane. HANNAH You're a sex junkie, you know that, Carl? BERNSTEIN Nobody's perfect. (more rubbing now) I'm glad you're out of it, Hannah-- you're a terrific reporter and I turned you into a bookkeeper. HANNAH looks at BERNSTEIN a moment; then she smiles gently, shakes her head. HANNAH Aw baby, you can get it up... I just wonder if you'll ever be able to get it together. And quickly from that-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN seated perspiring on a hard bench in a stifling office. Outside: palm trees; we're in Miami. And judging from the number of cigarette butts strewn around the bench, BERNSTEIN's been there a while. Waiting. Nervous. And maybe he never will be able to get it together, who knows. At the front, a SECRETARY sits filing her nails. Behind her are a number of closed doors to offices. No one passes without her OK. The clock hits three in the afternoon as BERNSTEIN gets up from the bench, goes to the SECRETARY. BERNSTEIN Hi, it's me. I'm still here. SECRETARY (couldn't be nicer) I'm so glad. BERNSTEIN I'd really like to see Mr. Dardis. SECRETARY And you will. (smiles) But not now. BERNSTEIN I called him from Washington. He's the one who asked me to be here at eleven in the morning. SECRETARY I told you, he had to go out on a case. CUT TO: THE BENCH as BERNSTEIN slumps back down. He wipes his forehead with his sleeve, smokes a fresh cigarette, is kind of interested when a UNIFORMED COP walks up to the SECRETARY, who is now putting red polish on her nails. UNIFORMED COP Is it OK to go on back? She nods. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN watching as the cop walks past the SECRETARY, enters an office behind. CUT TO: THE CLOCK ON THE WALL. IT'S QUARTER OF FOUR NOW. PULL BACK TO REVEAL BERNSTEIN, approaching the SECRETARY again. She is working on her right hand now. BERNSTEIN Could you reach Mr. Dardis by car radio? SECRETARY He is not in the car. (Smiles; she's just so understanding) Sorry. CUT TO: ANOTHER UNIFORMED COP walking by the SECRETARY's desk. SECOND COP Hey, babe. He enters the same office the first COP did. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN. He lights another cigarette, puts it out, then lights another. CUT TO: THE SECRETARY finishing her manicure. It is almost five o'clock now. BERNSTEIN, his bench a sea of cigarette butts, slowly gets up and goes to the SECRETARY. BERNSTEIN Mr. Dardis does call in every so often? SECRETARY Well of course. BERNSTEIN (quietly) Good. Just tell him I was here, that I'm sorry I missed him-- He walks out the double doors. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN IN HALLWAY. He looks down the hall. At the end, opposite the SECRETARY's reception room, is a big glass door with a sign reading: Office of the Dade County Clerk. BERNSTEIN goes into a phone booth in the corridor from which he can see both offices. He puts in a dime, and dials. BERNSTEIN Mr. Dardis' office, please. CUT TO: SECRETARY. The phone RINGS and she punches the button on the phone console. SECRETARY Mr. Dardis' office. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN in phone booth. BERNSTEIN This is Mr. Tomlinson in the clerk's office. Could you come across the hall for a moment? We've got some documents your boss probably should see. He hangs up. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN watching from phone booth as the SECRETARY hurries across the hallway. As we see her open the door of the clerk's office, BERNSTEIN bolts out of the phone booth and runs into the reception room heading straight for the SECRETARY's desk. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN at her desk, looking at the telephone console, receiver in hand. He punches the button marked Intercom and we can hear it BUZZ somewhere. VOICE (V.O.) Dardis. BERNSTEIN Carl Bernstein's here to see you--I don't know why, but he seems angry-- CUT TO: DARDIS emerging through one of the doors behind BERNSTEIN. BERNSTEIN see him. BERNSTEIN (to DARDIS) Look, you've been jerking my chain all day. If there's some reason you can't talk to me--like the fact that you've already leaked everything to The New York Times--just say so. DARDIS Listen, I've got a dinner--can't we do this tomorrow? BERNSTEIN (headshake) I'm on deadline. CUT TO: DARDIS' OFFICE. He is fiddling with a combination lock at a filing cabinet. BERNSTEIN is seated across DARDIS' desk. DARDIS You want Barker's phone stuff or his money stuff? BERNSTEIN Whatever. He hands BERNSTEIN some papers, glances at his watch. DARDIS I'll never get out of here in time. BERNSTEIN (flying through what he's been handed) The telephone calls... we know about that. DARDIS The rest is Barker's bank records. It's mostly the eighty-nine thousand in Mexican cashier's checks-- BERNSTEIN --yeah, that was in The Times this morning. BERNSTEIN continues to fly through the papers. BERNSTEIN (continuing stops) What's this Dahlberg check? And as it's mentioned-- CUT TO: CLOSE UP--CASHIER'S CHECK. It's drawn on the First Bank and Trust Company of Boca Raton, Florida, it's dated April 10 and it's for 25 thousand dollars, payable to the order to Kenneth H. Dahlberg. DARDIS' VOICE That the twenty-five grand one?-- Don't know-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN starting to copy the check in a meticulous facsimile. DARDIS watches. DARDIS I never could figure just who this Dahlberg was. (watching BERNSTEIN) Think it might be anything? BERNSTEIN (casually) This? (shrugs) Naw... And from here quickly-- ZOOM TO: BERNSTEIN IN A PHONE BOOTH in the lobby of the Justice Building. Wildly excited-- BERNSTEIN --Woodward--Woodward, listen, I don't know what I got-- (holding the Dahlberg facsimile) --and I think the Times has it too-- (big) --but somewhere there's a Kenneth H. Dahlberg in this world and we've gotta find him-- And now comes THE HUNT FOR DAHLBERG. This is a compressed montage sequence in which we CUT from one reporter to the other, both of them desperately trying to locate a man names DAHLBERG. WOODWARD is maybe in the reference room of the Post, sweating, surrounded by Who's Who and Dictionary of American Biographies and phone books from dozens and dozens of cities-- BERNSTEIN is maybe in the phone booth of the Justice Building, sweating, with a pile of dimes as he dials away. This took them hours, and that effort should be visible to us. They tire, grow punchy, but they keep on, checking phone book and dialing numbers and God knows what else. The point is, we want to get to DAHLBERG in a reasonably short amount of time, but we also want people to know there was effort involved. CUT TO: WOODWARD, bleary, in the reference room, a girl comes in, a researcher librarian type. RESEARCHER Were you after the Dahlberg articles from the files? (WOODWARD nods) There aren't any, sorry. And now she drops a piece of paper, a photo-- WOODWARD Whazzis? RESEARCHER (shrugs) Our Dahlberg file. As she leaves-- CUT TO: The photo. It is a picture of Hubert Humphrey standing next to another man. The caption identifies that other man as KENNETH DAHLBERG. Now-- CUT TO: WOODWARD AT HIS DESK. The room is reasonably quiet. ROSENFELD is visible in his office. As WOODWARD picks up the phone, gets Minneapolis information-- CUT TO: ROSENFELD'S PHONE RINGING. He hurries in, grabs it. BERNSTEIN'S VOICE (V.O.) Harry--I know how to get Dahlberg-- ROSENFELD --Woodward's talking to him know. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN, drenched. There are no dimes left. He listens a moment more, then nods, hangs up, leans back against the glass, takes a deep breath, closes his eyes as we CUT TO: WOODWARD on the phone. WOODWARD --this should take only a minute, Mr. Dahlberg, but we're doing a follow- up on the break-in-- (pause) --and I was kind of curious about your check. DAHLBERG (V.O.) ...check...? WOODWARD The twenty-five thousand dollar one. (silence) The one with your name on it. (silence) In Bernard Barker's Florida account. (still nothing) Bernard Barker, the Watergate burglar-- DAHLBERG (V.O.) (struggling) ...you're definitely doing a story...? WOODWARD Yes, sir. DAHLBERG (V.O.) I'm a proper citizen, I'm a decent man, I don't do anything that isn't decent or proper. (WOODWARD waits, pen ready; tense as hell) I know I shouldn't tell you this... WOODWARD's lips are going "tell me, tell me." DAHLBERG (V.O.) That twenty-five thousand dollars is money I collected for Nixon in this year's campaign. WOODWARD I see. And how do you think it reached Miami? DAHLBERG (V.O.) I don't know; I really don't. The last time I saw it was when I was in Washington. I gave it to the Finance department of the Committee to Re- Elect the President. How it got to that burglar, your guess is as good as mine. WOODWARD (trying to keep his voice level) That checks out with our finding, thank you, Mr. Dahlberg. CUT TO: AN ARTICLE WITH WOODWARD'S NAME ON THE BYLINE. ROSENFELD holds it. ROSENFELD CREEP financed the Watergate break- in, Jesus Christ. He starts off. WOODWARD One sec'-- WOODWARD takes the story, scrawls BERNSTEIN's name in front of his on the byline. ROSENFELD watches. As WOODWARD finishes, he takes the story again, hurries off. Now-- CUT TO: THE HEADLINE OF THEIR STORY: "Campaign Funds Found in Watergate Burglar's Account." Now-- PULL BACK TO REVEAL that it isn't exactly a gigantic headline piece. As a matter of fact, as more and more of page one appears, we see that their story is tucked away at the bottom and as bigger and bigger headlines are visible-- PULL BACK TO REVEAL --the whole first page. Plastered across the top in giant letters is the following: "EAGLETON RESIGNS." And as you look at the whole page now, you can barely make out the tiny piddling Watergate story. The point is abundantly clear: nobody cared a whole lot. CUT TO: THE TRIANGLE being rung like crazy. And as it SOUNDS-- CUT TO: THE BUDGET MEETING SIMONS --OK, last go-round. Foreign, anything else? The foreign editor, an enormously thoughtful-looking and respected man, indicates "no." SIMONS (to another editor) National? NATIONAL EDITOR I'll stand with the Eagleton follow- ups and McGovern not being able to get a replacement--that's your page one stuff right there, Howard-- SIMONS --Metropolitan?-- ROSENFELD --you are ignoring the importance of the Dahlberg repercussions-- NATIONAL EDITOR --nobody gives a shit about the Dahlberg repercussions-- ROSENFELD (to NATIONAL EDITOR) --quit equivocating, say what you mean-- (to SIMONS and BRADLEE) --our story got Government Accounting to start an audit on CREEP's finances-- BRADLEE --and we printed that, didn't we, Harry? And when the frigging audit's done, we'll print that too-- NATIONAL EDITOR --let me tell what happened when I was having lunch today at the Sans Souci-- ROSENFELD --correction--when you were drinking your lunch at the bar of the Sans Souci-- NATIONAL EDITOR --this White House guy, a good one, a pro, came up and asked what is this Watergate compulsion with you guys and I said, well, we think it's important and he said, if it's so goddamn important, who the hell are Woodward and Bernstein? ROSENFELD Ask him what he's really saying--he means take the story away from Woodstein and give it to his people at the National Desk-- NATIONAL EDITOR --well, I've got some pretty experienced fellas sitting around, wouldn't you say so?-- ROSENFELD --absolutely--and that's all they do, sit sit sit--every once in a while, they call up a Senator, some reporting-- NATIONAL EDITOR --well, what if your boys get it wrong-- BRADLEE (after a beat) Then it's our asses, isn't it? SIMONS (indicates the meeting is over) And we'll all have to go to work for a living. As the men rise and head for the door, the FOREIGN EDITOR moves toward BRADLEE and SIMONS who remain seated as before. FOREIGN EDITOR I don't think either Metropolitan or National should cover the story. (BRADLEE and SIMONS look at him) I don't think we should cover the story, period. BRADLEE Go on. FOREIGN EDITOR It's not that we're using unnamed sources that bothers me, or that everything we print the White House denies, or that almost no other papers are reprinting our stuff. SIMONS What then? FOREIGN EDITOR I don't believe the goddamn story, Howard, it doesn't make sense. BRADLEE It will, it just hasn't bottomed out yet, give it time. FOREIGN EDITOR Ben, Jesus, there are over two thousand reporters in this town, are there five on Watergate? Where did we suddenly get all this wisdom? BRADLEE and SIMONS say nothing. They respect this guy. FOREIGN EDITOR Look--why would the Republicans do it? --my God, McGovern is self- destructing before our eyes--just like Muskie did, Humphrey, the bunch of 'em. (sits on the table, talks quietly on) Why would the burglars have put the tape around the door instead of up and down unless they wanted to get caught? Why did they take a walkie- talkie and then turn it off, unless they wanted to get caught? Why would they use McCord--the only direct contact to the Republicans? BRADLEE You saying the Democrats bugged themselves? FOREIGN EDITOR The FBI thinks it's possible--the Democrats need a campaign issue, corruption's always a good one. (rises, starts out) Get off the story, Ben--or put some people on McGovern's finances; fair is fair, even in our business. He leaves. BRADLEE and SIMONS stay where they are, both of them flattened by what the guy's said. Because they're not sure he's wrong... HOLD. Now-- CUT TO: THE PAPERS POURING OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY LINE. We're back with the UNION GUY from before. He pulls out a paper again, looks at a story on the front page-- CUT TO: THE WOODWARD/BERNSTEIN STORY that said the GAO found that CREEP has mishandled over $500,000 in campaign funds. UNION GUY (to another UNION GUY who's reading over his shoulder) What'd'ya think? SECOND UNION GUY Politics as usual, someone just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, that's all. UNION GUY (he's not so sure) Big fuckin' cookie jar. As he turns to the sports section-- CUT TO: GETTING THE CREEP LIST SEQUENCE. Either they get it as it is now, or as they really did, from a Post researcher who knew someone. In ant case, we see the list, with the columns of names and numbers meaning offices and phone extensions. We also see the two of them working, first, making long attempts at figuring out who worked for whom at CREEP. Then, once they have that, they begin using the cross- reference phone books, which are not familiar to moviegoers. And from these, they begin to get the home addresses of the various small-fry people who work for CREEP. Near the end alphabetically, there is a common female name, Jane Smith or something like that. As BERNSTEIN runs his finger down the addresses, something strikes him as familiar, and as he reaches for the phone-- CUT TO: A CRUMMY-LOOKING BAR - MID-DAY. BERNSTEIN enters, looks around, then smiles and moves to a lovely girl with a sweet face who probably weighs 200 pounds. She is sitting alone in a corner booth. She nods to BERNSTEIN, can't quite pull off a smile. BERNSTEIN (sits across) This is practically a high school reunion for us, Jane--I would have sprung for a classier place. JANE Anyplace really public, they'd know about it--they know everything at the Committee, Carl-- BERNSTEIN --you don't really think you're being followed? JANE This girlfriend of mine at the Committee, the other day she went back to the D.A. to tell the things the FBI didn't ask her. That night, her boss, he knew what she'd done. They control everything; that's how they know it all. BERNSTEIN FBI too? JANE You don't believe me? Well, I was working the weekend of the break-in and my God, all the executives were running around like crazy--you had to practically wait in line to use the shredding machine--and when the FBI came to investigate, they never even asked me about it. BERNSTEIN If you don't like it down there, why don't you quit? JANE I don't know what they'd do to me. BERNSTEIN (reaching over) Hey, easy... JANE (headshake) We're a long way from high school, Carl... (she looks at him) ...and I'm scared. HOLD on her frightened face a moment. Then-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN riding home on his bicycle. He gets to his building, starts lugging it up when-- JANE'S VOICE (O.S.) They found out I saw you-- (BERNSTEIN stops, glances around) --they wanted to know everything. (louder) Don't call me again. BERNSTEIN (moving toward her voice) I can help if you'll-- JANE (O.S.) --stay away from me, Carl! CUT TO: JANE IN THE DARKNESS. If she was scared earlier, it's panic- time now. She turns, hurries off. BERNSTEIN watches her. Suddenly a SOUND comes from the darkness behind him. He whirls. It was nothing but from the way he jumped when it happened you can tell the fear is spreading. Now from Washington, in darkness-- CUT TO: ESSEX HOUSE IN MANHATTAN - BRIGHT SUNSHINE. WOODWARD comes hurrying along, and as he enters the hotel-- CUT TO: A DESK CLERK shaking his head at WOODWARD. CLERK We have no one by the name of Mitchell registered. WOODWARD My mistake, sorry. And as he goes-- CUT TO: WOODWARD out on the street, in a phone booth near Essex House. WOODWARD Get me John Mitchell, it's urgent. OPERATOR (V.O.) That would be room 710, I'll connect you. WOODWARD waits anxiously as the connection is made. MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) The Mitchells. WOODWARD Can I speak to Martha Mitchell, please. MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Who is this? WOODWARD I've met Mrs. Mitchell in Washington, I'm Bob Woodward of the Post and tell her-- And the phone clicks dead-- CUT TO: AN ELEVATOR, the numbers of the floors being lit as it rises. 4--5--6-- WOODWARD stands alone in the elevator. As it reaches seven and the doors slide open, he steps out and CUT TO: THE MARRIOTT SUITE. It's numbered 710. WOODWARD approaches but as he does the door begins to open so he whirls, knocks on the door nearest him. Now 710 is wide open and several maids leave, watched by a large black man. FIRST MAID We'll be back after lunch. BLACK MAN (it's the voice from the phone) We'll be here. WOODWARD waits by his door as 710 slowly closes. The maids look at him a moment. He knocks again, louder. SECOND MAID I think they went out. WOODWARD (shrugs) I don't mind waiting. The maids nod, move out of sight. WOODWARD stands tense and still, watching the closed door numbered 710... Now-- CUT TO: NATIONAL AIRPORT IN D.C. - LATE AFTERNOON. People are getting off the shuttle, WOODWARD among them. BERNSTEIN waits. BERNSTEIN (as WOODWARD reaches him) See her? (WOODWARD nods) Get anything? WOODWARD For the paper, no; for us, plenty. (The two of them head for the terminal) I waited a long time and finally this big guy--I guess a bodyguard-- he left and I knocked and she remembered me, we talked awhile. BERNSTEIN And?--And?-- WOODWARD (looks at BERNSTEIN) --she was panicked, Carl--every time I mentioned Watergate, you could tell. BERNSTEIN Were you eyebrow reading? WOODWARD (shakes his head "no") It was there. I just don't get it; a CREEP secretary being scared, that's one thing. But what does the wife of one of the most powerful men in America have to be afraid of...? They look at each other, neither has a clue. HOLD. Now-- CUT TO: THE RED KARMANN GHIA moving along a residential area in Washington. It's later that night. CUT TO: INSIDE THE CAR - NIGHT. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN driving along. BERNSTEIN Left up ahead. WOODWARD nods. WOODWARD Who's first? BERNSTEIN Alphabetically, on the CREEP phone list, Miss Helen Abbott of South George Street. As WOODWARD turns left. BERNSTEIN Now hang your second right-- (explaining) --this was my turf when I was a kid. And on those words-- CUT TO: A DEAD END SIGN. We hear BERNSTEIN explaining-- BERNSTEIN (V.O.) I brought you over one street too many--go back and hang a left again. Now on those words-- CUT TO: ANOTHER DEAD END SIGN. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN pulled over to one side. BERNSTEIN, baffled, stares around; WOODWARD looks at a map with the aid of a flashlight. BERNSTEIN I don't get it... this really was my turf... WOODWARD (concentrating on the map) You're not a kid anymore. BERNSTEIN (shaking his head) My first day as a copy boy I was sixteen and wearing my only grown-up suit--it was cream colored. At 2:30 the head copy boy comes running up to me and says, "My God, haven't you washed the carbon paper yet? If it's not washed by three, it'll never by dry for tomorrow." (WOODWARD is getting interested in the story now) And I said, "Am I supposed to do that?" and he said, "Absolutely, it's crucial." So I run around and grab all the carbon paper from all the desks and take it to the men's room. I'm standing there washing it and it's splashing all over me and the editor comes in to take a leak, and he says, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" And I said, "It's 2:30. I'm washing the carbon paper." (BERNSTEIN looks at WOODWARD) Just wanted you to know I've done dumber things than get us lost, that's all. WOODWARD goes back to his map. BERNSTEIN continues to smoke, staring around at the night. CUT TO: WOODWARD - AT THE FRONT OF A HOUSE. A sweet old lady is looking out at him. WOODWARD Hi. I'm Bob Woodward of the Washington Post and I hate to bother you at home-- SWEET OLD LADY --I already get the Post. I don't need another subscription. WOODWARD No, I'm a reporter. I wanted to talk to you about the Committee to Re- Elect. SWEET OLD LADY The what to what? WOODWARD You work there, Miss Abbott. SWEET OLD LADY I'm not Miss Abbott. CUT TO: ANOTHER LADY - IN HER DOORWAY. This time both WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN are there. WOODWARD Miss Abbott? MISS ABBOTT Yes? WOODWARD We're from the Washington Post and we wanted to ask you some questions about the Committee. ZOOM TO: CLOSE UP - MISS ABBOTT MISS ABBOTT I'm sorry-- And from nowhere, suddenly she bursts into tears. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN as her door slams in their faces. They just look at each other, bewildered. And a little bit upset; their upset increases as the rejections go on. CUT TO: WHOLE SERIES OF FACES in quick succession--they're all in various doorways, men, women, young, old. The only thing in common is their fear. MIDDLE-AGED MAN (literally trembling) God, it's just so awful-- And as he closes the door CUT TO: A YOUNG GIRL --I can't--I'd like to but-- (that's all she'll say) And as her door starts to shut CUT TO: OLD MAN --go--you've got to go before they see you--please-- And as he almost starts to beg CUT TO: OLD WOMAN --no... good... She stands there, shaking her head back and forth, back and forth, pathetic and sad. Now-- CUT TO: WOODWARD. He is seated alone staring at his coffee cup, surrounded by junk food debris. We are in a Hot Shoppe, it's night, and as BERNSTEIN comes up with food, they're dressed differently from before. BERNSTEIN puts more junk food and coffee down. BERNSTEIN You had the Mighty Mo and the fries without gravy, right? (WOODWARD shrugs) BERNSTEIN passes over some food. They both look bleary and in foul moods. Silently, they start to eat, something they continue doing throughout. They're not hungry, they just eat. WOODWARD This is terrific work, if you like rejection. BERNSTEIN I never scared anyone before. WOODWARD It's not us, they were scared before we got there. (looks at BERNSTEIN) What do we know? BERNSTEIN Facts or theory? WOODWARD Anything you've got. BERNSTEIN We know there's got to be something or they wouldn't be so panicked. WOODWARD And that something's got to be more than just Hunt, Liddy, and the five burglars--those indictments are gonna be bullshit when they come down. What else do we know? BERNSTEIN I just wish we knew when someone would talk to us, that's all. The continue to eat, bleary and numb, as we CUT TO: A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN-- --kind of an honest, hard-working face. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN are standing in her doorway. WOODWARD A friend at the Committee told us to contact you-- WOMAN --who was it? BERNSTEIN We never reveal our sources, which is why you can talk to us. WOODWARD It's safe, try it, you'll see. She doesn't talk at first, but she doesn't slam the door either. BERNSTEIN We understand your problem-- WOODWARD --you believe in the President, you wouldn't ever want to do anything disloyal. BERNSTEIN We appreciate your position--really. And now she starts, at last, to talk, and they expect it to be their first breakthrough, but when it turns out to be the most withering onslaught yet, they are stunned. WOMAN You people--you think that you can come into someone's life, squeeze what you want, then get out. (to BERNSTEIN) You don't appreciate a goddamn thing, mister. (to WOODWARD) And you don't understand nothing. (voice rising) But the Committee's briefed us on you--so get the hell out of here-- (big) --do you like scaring the life out of decent people?--'cause if you don't, in the name of God--stop it! And she slams the door-- CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, slowly walking back in silence back to the car. WOODWARD At Yale once, they held an auction. There was this woman and her name was Lulu Landis. Her postcards came up for sale. She had 1400 postcards written to her and I'd never heard of her before but I knew I had to have those cards, I had to know why anyone would get so many messages. I paid sixty-five dollars for them... I got all crazy trying to work it out and first it was just a maze but then I found that her husband killed himself in Dayton, and once I had that, it all began to open, an evangelist had come to Dayton and his horses hit Lulu Landis at the corner of 13th and Vermillion and she was paralyzed. Permanently, and her favorite thing til then had been traveling and all her friends, whenever they went anyplace, they wrote her. Those cards, they were her eyes... They continue to walk; slowly. CUT TO: A MIDDLE-AGED MAN--IN HIS DOORWAY MIDDLE-AGED MAN I know who you are and I'm not afraid but that don't mean I'll talk to you either--you're just a couple Democrats out to stop Nixon getting re-elected. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, staring at the man. WOODWARD Democrats? MIDDLE-AGED MAN That's right. BERNSTEIN I hate both parties. WOODWARD And I'm a Republican. The middle-aged man looks at him. BERNSTEIN (surprised, turns to WOODWARD) Republican? WOODWARD Sure. BERNSTEIN Who'd you vote for? WOODWARD When? BERNSTEIN '68. WOODWARD Nixon. BERNSTEIN stares at him in silence as we-- CUT TO: ANOTHER SERIES OF CREEP EMPLOYEES. Only they aren't slamming doors, they're sitting in various rooms of their houses and apartments. We don't see the reporters or hear their questions but the answers they receive make it self-evident. We start with the middle-aged man seen above. MIDDLE-AGED MAN Mitchell never left the Committee-- he resigned, sure, but he was there as much as before-- CUT TO: YOUNGER MAN --oh, don't worry, Gordon Liddy will be happy to take the fall for everyone because, well, it's not that Gordon's crazy, he's... (pauses, looking for the right word) ...weird. I'll give you some Committee people who know about him--only don't tell it was me-- CUT TO: YOUNGER WOMAN --of course we were briefed on what to say--and never to volunteer anything-- CUT TO: OLD WOMAN --oh, we were never alone with the FBI, there was always someone from the Committee right there-- Smiles, talks on as we-- CUT TO: RICHARD NIXON'S SOMBER VISAGE. NIXON ...No one in this administration, presently employed, was involved in this very bizarre incident... PULL BACK TO REVEAL BERNSTEIN and WOODWARD in a crummy cafeteria, watching the evening news on the TV set high on the wall. WOODWARD eats a hamburger, BERNSTEIN smokes, sips coffee. It is night, as usual now. CUT TO: NIXON--on the tube. NIXON ...What really hurts in matters of this sort is not the fact that they occur, because overzealous people in campaigns do things that are wrong. What really hurts is if you try to cover it up. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN as the news commentator come on, begins introducing another story. WOODWARD Did he just say what I think he said? BERNSTEIN You voted for him. He gives WOODWARD a big smile. WOODWARD eats his hamburger in silence... CUT TO: A DIFFERENT TIME, A DIFFERENT PLACE--EARLY EVENING. BERNSTEIN gets out of his car, walks up, and knocks on the door of a small tract house in the D.C. suburbs. A woman opens the door. BERNSTEIN Hi, I'm Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post and-- WOMAN --oh, you don't want me, you want my sister. (calls out) For you. And we-- CUT TO: THE BOOKKEEPER approaching the door. She's younger than the clich� version of a bookkeeper. As she looks at her sister-- BOOKKEEPER'S SISTER This here is Carl Bernstein-- BOOKKEEPER --omigod, you're from that place, you've got to go. The sister is smoking and there is a pack on the dinette table. BERNSTEIN Could I bum one of your cigarettes?-- As the sister starts for the pack-- BERNSTEIN --don't bother, I'll get it. And he crosses ten feet inside the front door. BOOKKEEPER You've really got to go. BERNSTEIN Just let me get a match. He goes into the living room area, picks up a book of matches. This whole scene moves slowly, the tension building under it-- it's not like news people talking, nothing overlaps here. BERNSTEIN But I want you to know that I understand why you're afraid--a lot of good people down there at the Committee are afraid. I'm really sorry for what you're being put through. BOOKKEEPER All those articles you people write-- where do you find that stuff? BERNSTEIN We don't tell anyone that. Which is why you can talk to us. And if we can't verify what you say someplace else, we don't print it. That's another reason you can relax. BOOKKEEPER (tense) I'm relaxed--light your cigarette. BERNSTEIN lights the cigarette. BERNSTEIN You were Hugh Sloan's bookkeeper when he worked for Maurice Stans at Finance, and we were sort of wondering, did you go work for Stans immediately after Sloan quit or was there a time lapse? BOOKKEEPER I never worked for Sloan or Stans. BOOKKEEPER'S SISTER (out of the blue; to BERNSTEIN) Would you like some coffee or anything? As the BOOKKEEPER winces. BERNSTEIN (like a shot) Please, yes, thank you. (he looks at the BOOKKEEPER) Can I sit down for a minute? He is by a couch. BOOKKEEPER One minute but then-- BERNSTEIN --right, right, I've got to go. (he sits) Why did you lie just then? The BOOKKEEPER kneads her hands together silently. BERNSTEIN watches. BERNSTEIN I was just curious--you don't do it well, so I wondered. Have you been threatened, if you told the truth, is that it? BOOKKEEPER ...No... never in so many words... BERNSTEIN (gently) It's obvious you want to talk to someone--well, I'm someone. He takes out his notebook. CUT TO: The BOOKKEEPER. And she does want to talk. But the notebook scares her terribly and she can only stare at it. BERNSTEIN I'm not even going to put your name down. It's just so I can keep things straight. (beat) Start with the money, why don't you? BOOKKEEPER'S SISTER (returning with coffee) How do you like it? BERNSTEIN Everything, please. BOOKKEEPER'S SISTER (going again) I won't be a minute. BERNSTEIN (to the BOOKKEEPER, quietly) The General Accounting report said there was a 350 thousand cash slush fund in Stans' safe. Did you know about that from the beginning? BOOKKEEPER (about to fold) There are too many people watching me--they know I know a lot-- BERNSTEIN --it was all in hundreds, wasn't it? BOOKKEEPER A lot of it was. I just thought it was sort of an all-purpose political fund--you know, for taking fat cats to dinner, things like that. BERNSTEIN Could buy a lot of steaks, 350,000 dollars. BOOKKEEPER (her words are coming faster) I can't be positive that it was used for the break-in but people sure are worried. BERNSTEIN Which people? BOOKKEEPER The ones who could disburse the money. BERNSTEIN Who were they? BOOKKEEPER There were a group of them--I think five, I don't know their names. BERNSTEIN Sloan knew which five, didn't he? (she nods) BOOKKEEPER'S SISTER (back with cream and sugar) Here we are. BOOKKEEPER I don't want to say anymore. BERNSTEIN (indicating coffee) It's awfully hot-- (smiles) --and you haven't finished telling me about the money-- BOOKKEEPER (long pause; then--in a burst) --omigod, there was so much of it, six million came in one two-day period-- six million cash, we couldn't find enough places to put it. I thought it was all legal, I guess I did, til after the break-in, when I remembered Gordon got so much of it. BERNSTEIN (heart starting to pound) Gordon Liddy, you mean? BOOKKEEPER (nods) It was all so crazy--the day after the break-in he gave us a speech, bouncing up and down on his heels in that loony way of his--Gordon told us not to let Jim McCord ruin everything--don't let one bad apple spoil the barrel, he said. You just know that when Gordon Liddy's calling someone a bad apple, something's wrong somewhere. (more and more moved now) ...It's all so rotten... and getting worse... and all I care about is Hugh Sloan. His wife was going to leave him if he didn't stand up and do what was right. And he quit. He quit because he saw it and didn't want any part of it. BERNSTEIN Think Sloan's being set up as a fall guy for John Mitchell? Sometimes it looks that way. There is a pause. Then-- BOOKKEEPER If you guys... if you guys could just get John Mitchell... that would be beautiful... And now, as long last, she begins to cry. HOLD on her tears, then-- CUT TO: A TYPEWRITER clicking away. The words "INTERVIEW WITH X. SEPT. 14" are visible. There is music in the background, really blasting away, Rachmaninoff or worse. We are in WOODWARD's apartment and BERNSTEIN is dictating notes from the BOOKKEEPER interview. It's very late, and BERNSTEIN has notes on everything, matchboxes, and it's hard for him to read. They're both really excited, BERNSTEIN from his coffee jag, WOODWARD by what BERNSTEIN's dictating. BERNSTEIN I couldn't believe what she told me. Eight cups of coffee worth. WOODWARD Go on, go on-- BERNSTEIN --we've got to find out who the five guys are--the five with access to the slush fund--they were aware of the break-in. WOODWARD Then tomorrow's grand jury indictments will just be bullshit. BERNSTEIN It goes very high--we've got to find out where-- WOODWARD --we will-- BERNSTEIN --she was really paranoid, the bookkeeper. WOODWARD That happens to people. (he goes over, turns the hi-fi on even louder. Shouts--) OK, go on. The noise blasts away as BERNSTEIN and WOODWARD hunch over the typewriter. It's a moment of genuine exhilaration. Paranoid, sure, but for the first time, they're really on to something; it's all starting to split open... CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN They are driving through McLean, Virginia, a development of identical imitation Tudor houses. BERNSTEIN How do you want to handle Sloan? WOODWARD You mean, who's going to play the mean M.P. and who's going to be the nice one? (BERNSTEIN nods; WOODWARD shrugs) Whichever. BERNSTEIN He's another Ivy Leaguer so he'll probably expect you to be understanding--might surprise him if you're not. WOODWARD You want me to be the bastard. BERNSTEIN (nods) And I'll just shitkick in my usual way. As they drive on-- CUT TO: A PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN standing in the doorway of one of the Tudor houses. She is very pregnant. She knows instinctively who they are, and she dominates them in a genuinely proud female way. What I mean is, it's her scene, and they're suddenly embarrassed to be bothering her. WOODWARD To see Mr. Sloan. MRS. SLOAN He's out. (There is a pause. She studies them--) You're those two from the Post, aren't you. (they nod) I'll tell him. BERNSTEIN (as she's about to step back inside) This must be a difficult time for the both of you. MRS. SLOAN This is an honest house. WOODWARD That's why we wanted to see your husband. She studies them still; more silence. MRS. SLOAN That decision is up to him. BERNSTEIN (conspiratorially) Maybe you could put in a good word. WOODWARD We've got another appointment tonight in this area--we'll just stop back later, all right? MRS. SLOAN It's a free country-- (beat) --in theory. They nod, start back down the walk. She watches them. MRS. SLOAN (calling out) Be careful-- They turn, look back at her. CUT TO: CLOSE UP--MRS. SLOAN MRS. SLOAN --you can destroy lives. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN watching her. She seems like a terrific girl. And maybe they've upset her. Or maybe what she has said, coming from her, has more impact than otherwise. Quietly, they turn back, walk in silence toward the red Karmann Ghia... CUT TO: THE McLEAN McDONALD'S--DINNERTIME. Lots of very noisy, happy children. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN sit surrounded by their usual array of junk food. WOODWARD Think Sloan's back? (BERNSTEIN seems lost in thought) What's wrong? BERNSTEIN Nothing--I just found out that Jeb Magruder from CREEP is a bigger bike freak than I am. (sips coffee) I never like it when the other guy's human... They continue to sip coffee; outside it continues to rain. Now-- CUT TO: A YOUNG, SLENDER GUY answering his door. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN stand outside, their jackets over their heads, protecting themselves from the rain which is harder now. WOODWARD Mr. Sloan? SLOAN (nods) My wife told me to expect you. (softly) As you know, I haven't talked to the press. BERNSTEIN We were hoping that maybe now you could. We know why you left the Committee. We know you're not guilty of anything. But we know you know who is-- It has begun to rain even harder. SLOAN --look, come in. We'll have to be quiet--my wife's asleep. CUT TO: A CHRISTMAS CARD from the Nixons, they are standing in front of the White House Christmas tree. It is signed "To Hugh and Debbie Sloan, with thanks, Richard M. Nixon, Patricia Nixon." PULL BACK and we're in the living room. More coffee is being drunk; SLOAN endlessly stirs his. SLOAN I'd like to talk to you, I really would, but my lawyers say I shouldn't until after the Watergate trial. WOODWARD You handed out the money. Maybe there's a legitimate explanation for the way it was done-- BERNSTEIN --then again, maybe things are even worse than we've written-- SLOAN --they're worse. That's why I quit. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN wait as SLOAN is clearly going through a struggle with himself. Then-- SLOAN Try and understand this. I'm a decent Republican. I believe in Richard Nixon. I worked in the White House four years--so did my wife. What happened on June 17 I don't think the President knew anything about. Some of his men I'm not so sure of. BERNSTEIN Do you think the truth will come out at the trial? SLOAN That's another of the things I'm not so sure of. BERNSTEIN Because people at the Committee were told to lie to the prosecutors? SLOAN We were never told flat out "Don't talk." But the message was clear. BERNSTEIN To cover up? SLOAN Well, they sure didn't ask us to come forward and tell the truth. WOODWARD Does "they" mean the White House? SLOAN As opposed to the Committee? The Committee's not an independent operation. Everything is cleared with the White House. I don't think that the FBI or the prosecutors understand that. WOODWARD The report on the cash in Maurice Stans' safe, the three hundred fifty thousand, that's true? SLOAN No. It was closer to seven hundred thousand. WOODWARD And as treasurer, you could release those funds? SLOAN (nods) When so ordered. WOODWARD We're not sure we've got all the guys who could order you, but we know there were five. (SLOAN is silent) BERNSTEIN (ticking them off) Mitchell, Stans, Magruder, they're obvious-- SLOAN stirs his coffee. WOODWARD --there had to be a White House overseer-- BERNSTEIN --Colson. SLOAN Colson's too smart to get directly involved with something like that. WOODWARD (to BERNSTEIN) Haldeman. (to SLOAN) Right? SLOAN I won't talk about the other two. BERNSTEIN But they both worked at the White House? SLOAN (softly) I will not talk about the other two. BERNSTEIN (out of the blue) Kalmbach--Nixon's personal lawyer. SLOAN is shocked at the mention of Kalmbach. SLOAN I can't say anything, I'm sorry. (He starts to rise) WOODWARD One thing I'm not completely clear on--when you gave out the money to Liddy, how did that work? SLOAN Badly. (and now for the first time, he almost smiles) You don't realize how close all this came to staying undiscovered--I gave Liddy the Dahlberg check and he gave it to Barker who took it to Miami and deposited it. BERNSTEIN Right. SLOAN Then Barker withdrew the 25 thousand in hundred dollar bills and gave it back to Liddy who gave it back to me and I put it in the office safe which was crammed. WOODWARD Go on. SLOAN Well, when Liddy came and asked for money for what turned out to be the break-in funds, I went to the safe and gave him--out of this whole fortune--I happened to give him the same hundreds he gave me--banks have to keep track of hundreds. If the money had been in fifties, or if I'd grabbed a different stack, there probably wouldn't have been any Watergate story. BERNSTEIN Ordinarily, though, what was the procedure? SLOAN Routine--I'd just call John Mitchell over at the Justice Department and he'd say "go ahead, give out the money." WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN just look at each other--they hadn't known it, not remotely. SLOAN stands and as they head for the door-- CUT TO: THE THREE OF THEM heading across the foyer. BERNSTEIN What happens when the baby comes? SLOAN We're moving. (beat) I've been looking for a job but it's been... hard. My name's been in the papers too much. Sometimes I wonder if reporters understand how much pain they can inflict in just one sentence. I'm not thinking of myself. But my wife, my parents, it's been very rough on them. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN and WOODWARD looking very uncomfortable as SLOAN goes on. SLOAN I wish I could put down on paper what it's like--you come to Washington because you believe in something, and then you get inside and you see how things actually work and you watch your ideals disintegrate. (beat) The people inside, the people in the White House, they start to believe they can suspend the rules because they're fulfilling a mission. That becomes the only important thing-- the mission. It's so easy to lose perspective. We want to get out before we lose ours altogether. SLOAN opens the front door. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN pause, nod, almost an embarrassed pause. Then as they hurry out into the rain-- CUT TO: A NERFBALL flying toward a basket cupped to a picture window. When we PULL BACK we're in BRADLEE's office, SIMONS and ROSENFELD are also there, along with WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN. BRADLEE plays nerfball mostly; he hasn't got the worlds's longest attention span. BERNSTEIN Look--five men controlled that slush fund as CREEP--three of them we've got, Mitchell, Stans, Magruder, and we're pretty sure of Kalmbach. WOODWARD We'd like to wait til we have all five before we print it. BRADLEE This is a daily paper, we'll explain it tomorrow. (looks at them) You're certain on Mitchell? WOODWARD He approved the payments to Liddy while he was still Attorney General-- And all this now goes fast-- ROSENFELD --you got more than one source?-- BERNSTEIN --yes-- SIMONS --has any of them got an ax?-- ROSENFELD --political, personal, sexual, anything at all against Mitchell?-- WOODWARD --no-- SIMONS --can we use their names?-- BERNSTEIN --no-- BRADLEE --goddamnit, when's somebody gonna go on the record on this story-- ROSENFELD --who you got?-- WOODWARD --well, Sloan-- BERNSTEIN --and we got a guy in Justice-- BRADLEE --Deep Throat?-- WOODWARD --I saw him. He verifies. BRADLEE OK. (now after the burst of talk, a pause) You're about to write a story that says that the former Attorney General-- the man who represented law in America-- is a crook. (throws the nerfball) Just be right, huh? As WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN leave the office-- BRADLEE Leave plenty of room for his denial. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN AT HIS DESK ON THE PHONE. He has some papers in front of him an a notepad and pencil in his free hand. He is tired and very, very nervous. It is dark outside. In what follows, BERNSTEIN takes notes. OPERATOR'S VOICE (V.O.) Essex House, can I help you? BERNSTEIN John Mitchell, please. There is a BUZZING SOUND. Then-- JOHN MITCHELL'S VOICE (V.O.) Yes? BERNSTEIN Sir, this is Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post, and I'm sorry to bother you but we're running a story in tomorrow's paper that we thought you should have a chance to comment on. MITCHELL (V.O.) What does it say? BERNSTEIN (starting to read) John N. Mitchell, while serving as US Attorney General, personally controlled a secret cash fund that-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --fund that was used to gather information against the Democrats-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --according to sources involved in the Watergate investigation. Beginning in the spring of 1971-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --almost a year before he left the Justice Department-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --to become President Nixon's campaign manager on March 1, Mitchell personally approved withdrawals from the fund-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --all that crap, you're putting it in the paper? It's all been denied. You tell your publisher--tell Katie Graham she's gonna get her tit caught in a big fat wringer if that's published. Good Christ! That's the most sickening thing I ever heard. BERNSTEIN Sir, I'd like to ask you a few-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --what time is it? BERNSTEIN 11:30. MITCHELL (V.O.) Morning or night? BERNSTEIN Night. MITCHELL (V.O.) Oh. And he hangs up. CUT TO: BRADLEE and BERNSTEIN at BERNSTEIN's desk. BRADLEE is going over BERNSTEIN's notes. BRADLEE He really made that remark about Mrs. Graham? (BERNSTEIN nods) This is a family newspaper--cut the words "her tit" and run it. And now suddenly-- THE PRESSES OF THE POST rolling the story. They're modern and gigantic and CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN. They're in the lobby of the Post at night and through a thick-pane of glass they're watching their story roll and on their faces is something you don't expect to see: panic. BRADLEE comes up behind them, looks down at the presses, starts to talk. BRADLEE Once when I was reporting, Lyndon Johnson's top guy gave me the word they were looking for a successor to J. Edgar Hoover. I wrote it and the day it appeared Johnson called a press conference and appointed Hoover head of the FBI for life... And when he was done, he turned to his top guy and the President said, "Call Ben Bradlee and tell him fuck you." (shakes his head) I took a lot of static for that-- everyone said, "You did it, Bradlee, you screwed up--you stuck us with Hoover forever--" (looks at WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN) --I screwed up but I wasn't wrong. They all watch the presses now. BRADLEE You guys haven't been wrong yet, is that why you're scared shitless? (as WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN nod, BRADLEE starts away) You should be... CUT TO: THE PRESSES continuing to roll. The SOUND is incredible. Now-- CUT TO: A TELETYPE MACHINE clacking away like crazy. We can read the words, "The Senator finished by saying that although he was..." and from there-- DISSOLVE TO: A SENATOR and while the words "although he was" are still very fresh in our minds-- SENATOR Although I am a Republican, I would like to state in a pure bipartisan spirit that I feel only sadness that a once fine journal of record like the Post would have become merely the hysterical spokesman for the equally hysterical left wing of the Democratic Party-- The SOUND of the teletype doesn't stop in this little part and we see three people and it's very important that their voices are immediately recognizable and distinct. One, the SENATOR is from the West and will have that twang. The next two whom we are about to meet are PUBLIC RELATIONS PEOPLE from CREEP and the WHITE HOUSE. The CREEP voice is very southern, the WHITE HOUSE GUY sounds like an NBC announcer. The WESTERN SENATOR will be seen in a corridor of the Senate office building, talking to reporters, the CREEP P.R. SOUTHERNER will be talking to reporters in front of the CREEP office doors and so identified. The WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN will be standing on a platform with a flag visible off to one side. As the teletype goes on-- CUT TO: THE SOUTHERN CREEP P.R. MAN CREEP P.R. MAN (in mid-sentence) --hearsay, innuendo, and character assassination. I can only conclude that the so-called sources of the Washington Post are a fountain of misinformation-- CUT TO: THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN --the White House has long since stopped being surprised at this type of reporting by certain elements of the Eastern liberal press-- CUT TO: BRADLEE'S OFFICE A lot of activity. BRADLEE is at his desk reading the teletype dispatches. SIMONS and ROSENFELD are there, WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, too. A kid comes in with more teletype stuff. The editors look at it. SIMONS (reading) Same kind of crap-- BRADLEE (glancing through; nods) --all non-denial denials--we're dirty guys and they doubt we were ever virgins but they don't say the story is inaccurate. BERNSTEIN What's a real denial? BRADLEE If they ever start calling us goddamn liars-- (little pause) --it's time to start circling the wagons. CUT TO: THE UNION GUYS IN THE POST looking at a new headline: NIXON ELECTION AIDES CONCEALED FACTS FROM GOVERNMENT PROBERS FIRST UNION GUY You think they know what they're doing on the fifth floor? SECOND UNION GUY I got eight kids to support--they better. They start for the sports section, only this time, they stop, go back, stare at the headline again. From them watching-- CUT TO: SIMONS walking WOODWARD to the elevators. WOODWARD What do you think Mrs. Graham wants to see me for? SIMONS Maybe to fire you--since you two started on this story, the Post stock has dropped, what, 50 percent? (WOODWARD pushes for the elevator) And the word is some Nixon people are challenging her TV licenses. I'm not saying she's going on relief, but I don't think it's unreasonable for her to want to meet you. WOODWARD You think she wants us to ease up on the story? SIMONS (shrugs) I don't know, but I don't think that's unreasonable either, do you? The elevator opens. WOODWARD shakes his head "no" and steps inside as we CUT TO: MRS. GRAHAM in her office as a SECRETARY lets WOODWARD in. He's nervous. She's standing by the window, he crosses to her. MRS. GRAHAM I'm so glad you could come, Mr.-- WOODWARD --I'm Woodward. She nods. There's a pause. He waits. She's trying to say something, get something started, but it's difficult. Silence. She stares out again, quietly starts to talk. MRS. GRAHAM You know, the paper was my father's and my husband's when they were alive and I was thinking back a year or two ago when Ben called me and said he wanted to publish the Pentagon Papers the next day. The Times had already been stopped from publishing anymore of them and all my legal counsel said "don't, don't" and I was frightened but I knew if I said no, I'd lose the whole fifth floor. So we published, and that night, after I'd told Ben to go ahead, I woke up in the darkness and I thought, "Oh my Lord, what am I doing to this newspaper?" (She looks at WOODWARD) I woke up again last night with that same question. (WOODWARD says nothing, waits) Are we right on this story? WOODWARD I think so. MRS. GRAHAM Are you sure? WOODWARD No. MRS. GRAHAM When will you be, do you think?-- when are we going to know it all? WOODWARD It may never come out. MRS. GRAHAM Never? Please don't tell me never. (beat) Ben says you've found some wonderful sources. WOODWARD Some Justice Department lawyers and an FBI man, and some people from the Committee to Re-Elect, yes ma'am. MRS. GRAHAM And the underground garage one. (WOODWARD, more nervous now, nods) Would I know him? WOODWARD I couldn't say. MRS. GRAHAM But it's possible. WOODWARD (throat very dry) It is. MRS. GRAHAM You've never told anyone who he is? (WOODWARD shakes his head) But you'd have to tell me if I asked you. (WOODWARD nods) Tell me. WOODWARD (he is dying) I would, if you really ever wanted to know. MRS. GRAHAM I really want to know. CUT TO: WOODWARD caught between a rock and a hard place. He is silent until there is the SOUND of light laughter and we-- CUT TO: MRS. GRAHAM. The laughter came from her. MRS. GRAHAM I wasn't serious. I have plenty of burdens to carry around, I don't need another. WOODWARD tries not to exhale too audibly. MRS. GRAHAM We're going to need lots of good luck, aren't we? WOODWARD Nobody ever had too much. CUT TO: CLOSE UP--MRS. GRAHAM as abruptly she reaches out, touches WOODWARD on the arm. MRS. GRAHAM Do better. WOODWARD makes a nod. HOLD. Then-- CUT TO: BRADLEE in a state of anger, pacing around the tiny teletype room. WOODWARD hurries in. WOODWARD What? BRADLEE says nothing, just points to the AP teletype. WOODWARD looks at it, clearly is upset. BRADLEE I thought you guys were supposed to be working on this story-- (to BERNSTEIN who tears in--) --you think I like being aced out? BERNSTEIN --what?-- WOODWARD --The L.A. Times has a huge interview with Baldwin-- BERNSTEIN --the lookout in the Motor Inn?-- (WOODWARD nods) --he say anything we don't know?-- WOODWARD (headshake) --just that a lot of reports were sent to CREEP, but he doesn't name who, not here anyway-- BRADLEE --it would have been nice to have had this, I sure would have liked to have had this-- BERNSTEIN --there's nothing new in it-- BRADLEE --it makes the break-in real--it's a major goddamn story-- (starts out) --I'm not going to kick ass over this, but I'd like you to know I hate getting beat, I just hate it-- don't forget that I hate it-- And he stalks out. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN stand staring at the teletype which keeps on clacking and clacking as the L.A. Times story keeps getting longer. BERNSTEIN Goddamnit-- WOODWARD --shit-- BERNSTEIN --we gotta top the Times-- WOODWARD --I know, I know-- BERNSTEIN --if we could name the guys got the reports, we'd be ahead again-- WOODWARD --shit, who do we know?-- BERNSTEIN --I know a lawyer at Justice-- WOODWARD --has he got an ax?-- BERNSTEIN --almost every source we've used has been Republican, this guy's a card- carrying Democrat. WOODWARD Then he's got an ax. (beat) Call him anyway. As BERNSTEIN nods, takes off out of the room-- CUT TO: THE UNION GUYS studying the front page, on which one headline indicates that they're named the guys at CREEP who got the reports. FIRST UNION GUY Who is this Woodstein? (points to paper) Two stories on the front page. SECOND UNION GUY If he can't pick a winner at Pimlico, to hell with him. CUT TO: A HOT SHOPPE. WOODWARD is stirring his morning coffee as BERNSTEIN comes in, spots him, hurries over. BERNSTEIN is maybe more excited then we've yet seen him. BERNSTEIN --I want you to shut up and listen to me-- WOODWARD --I haven't said anything-- BERNSTEIN --for the first time I'm beginning to feel like a fucking reporter-- Woodward, I got a tip. A guy called me up with a tip-- (carefully) --someone named Donald Segretti contacted a bunch of lawyers and asked them if they'd like to go to work with him screwing up the Democrats, dirty tricks, shit like that. The FBI knows about Segretti-- Howard Hunt made a bunch of phone calls to him--they interrogated him, but on account of Segretti wasn't involved with the break-in, they didn't follow through. But Segretti did a lot of traveling--he called these lawyers from different places, and he told them the Republicans knew what he was doing. WOODWARD How high up, which Republicans? BERNSTEIN That's what we've got to find out, but Segretti went to Southern Cal. and so did a bunch of Nixon men-- WOODWARD --Haldeman I know, who else? BERNSTEIN Dwight Chapin, Nixon's appointments chief--he knew Segretti in school. Maybe I'm crazy, but this is the first time any of this starts to make sense. What were the three theories? WOODWARD The burglary was done by Cubans or Democrats or Republicans. BERNSTEIN Now the reason no one believed the Republicans is because there wasn't any reason, they were so far ahead. But Segretti was talking to these other lawyers a year before the break- in. WOODWARD So maybe Watergate wasn't really about Watergate--maybe that was just a piece-- BERNSTEIN --because a year before, the Republicans weren't ahead, not in the polls, Muskie was running ahead of Nixon then. Before he self- destructed. WOODWARD If he self-destructed. Now, from the two of them-- CUT TO: A MAZE OF CREDIT CARD RECEIPTS IN VARIOUS PILES. There is the SOUND of bad guitar music, which as we PULL BACK we see is BERNSTEIN playing. We are in his apartment, it's night, and the two of them, bleary, are studying the maze of receipts. WOODWARD Segretti criss-crossed the country over ten times in six months--and never stayed anyplace over a night or two. (glancing up) Switch to another station, huh? You're driving me crazy with that. BERNSTEIN Segovia begged me for me secret but I said, "No, Andres, you'll have to try and make it without me." He switches to another song which sounds a lot like the one he just finished playing. WOODWARD (pointing to the thickest stacks) California, Illinois, Florida, New Hampshire--all the major Democratic primary states. (whirling) Why does everything you play sound the same? BERNSTEIN --'cause I only know four chords-- CUT TO: THE CREDIT CARDS. The camera moves across the travels of Donald Segretti. There is the SOUND of BERNSTEIN's guitar. HOLD for a moment, then-- CUT TO: TINY, BABY-FACED MAN standing in his doorway. BERNSTEIN (V.O.) Donald Segretti? SEGRETTI That's right. CUT TO: BERNSTEIN--OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT DOOR. We are, it will soon be clear, in California now, Marina Del Rey. BERNSTEIN I'm Carl Bernstein. (SEGRETTI nods) My paper sent me out to see if I couldn't persuade you to go on the record. SEGRETTI You can't. BERNSTEIN Mind if I try? SEGRETTI shrugs, and as they enter his apartment-- CUT TO: INSIDE. They walk across to a small terrace outside, where they sit. The terrace has a glorious view of the water and lots of girls in bathing costume, below. BERNSTEIN According to what we've been able to verify, you've been busy. SEGRETTI I've got a lot of energy. BERNSTEIN Listen--we know you're involved in this--we're going to get the story, why not help? SEGRETTI They never told me anything except my own role--I had to find out the rest in the papers. BERNSTEIN By "they" you mean...? He waits; SEGRETTI just shakes his head. BERNSTEIN By "they" you mean the White House, don't you? (SEGRETTI makes no reply) Your buddy from USC, Dwight Chapin-- he works for the White House. SEGRETTI I know where Dwight works. BERNSTEIN When did he hire you? SEGRETTI shakes his head, stares out at the girls. BERNSTEIN Do you feel much about the things you did? SEGRETTI I didn't do anything wrong. BERNSTEIN Tell that to Muskie. SEGRETTI Oh, maybe nickel and dime stuff. BERNSTEIN During the Florida primary, you wrote a letter on Muskie stationery saying Scoop Jackson had a bastard child. You wrote another that said Hubert Humphrey was out with call girls. SEGRETTI Sometimes it got up to a quarter maybe-- (to BERNSTEIN) --off the record. BERNSTEIN You wrote the Canuck letter--the one where you claimed Muskie slurred the Canadians. SEGRETTI I didn't. BERNSTEIN But you know who did. SEGRETTI When you guys print it in the paper, then I'll know. (closes his eyes) I'm a lawyer, and I'll probably go to jail, and be disbarred, and what did I do that was so awful? BERNSTEIN says nothing, waits. SEGRETTI None of it was my idea, Carl--I didn't go looking for the job. BERNSTEIN Chapin did contact you then? SEGRETTI Sure--off the record. BERNSTEIN On the orders of Haldeman? SEGRETTI I don't know anything about Haldeman, except, Dwight's frightened of him-- everybody's frightened of him--Christ, I wish I'd never gotten messed around with this--all I wanna do is sit in the sun; sit, swim, see some girls. BERNSTEIN It gets interesting if it was Haldeman, because our word is that when Chapin says something, he's gotten the OK from Haldeman, and when Haldeman says something, he's gotten the OK from the President. SEGRETTI Can't help you. BERNSTEIN At USC, you had a word the this-- screwing up the opposition you all did it at college and called it ratfucking. (SEGRETTI half-smiles, nods) Ever wonder if Nixon might turn out to be the biggest ratfucker of them all? CUT TO: CLOSE UP--SEGRETTI staring at the girls and the blue water. SEGRETTI What would you have done if you were just getting out of the Army, if you'd been away from the real world for four years, if you weren't sure what kind of law you wanted to practice, and then one day you got a call from an old friend asking you to go to work for the President of the United States...? HOLD on the question, then-- CUT TO: WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN back in D.C., walking through the airport. BERNSTEIN What would you have done? WOODWARD You asking would I have been one of the President's men? (beat) I would have been. As they continue on-- CUT TO: WOODWARD alone in the underground garage. Tense, jumpy. He looks at his watch, paces around. It's all eerie as hell. Then, from the ramps, footsteps. CUT TO: DEEP THROAT moving out of the shadows, smoking, as always. DEEP THROAT My turn to keep you waiting. (approaches) What's the topic for tonight? WOODWARD Ratfucking. DEEP THROAT In my day, it was simply called the double cross. I believe the CIA refers to it as Mindfuck. In our context, it simply means infiltration of the Democrats. WOODWARD I know what it means--Segretti wouldn't go on the record, but if he would, we know he'd implicate Chapin. And that would put us inside the White House. DEEP THROAT (nods) Yes, the little ratfuckers are now running our government. WOODWARD Who?--be specific. How high up? DEEP THROAT You'll have to find that out, won't you. WOODWARD The slush fund at CREEP financed the ratfucking, we've almost got that nailed down, so-- He stops as suddenly DEEP THROAT dives down behind the nearest car. WOODWARD dropping beside him. WOODWARD What? DEEP THROAT Did you change cabs? (as WOODWARD nods) It didn't work, something moved there-- And as he points CUT TO: THE SHADOWS BY THE RAMP. You can't see a goddamn thing. But there is the SOUND, faint but distinct, of breathing. CUT TO: WOODWARD standing, staring into the darkness. He is scared, wipes his mouth. He doesn't move for a moment. Then he walks directly into the darkness and as he's gone-- ZOOM TO: A HORRID FACE IN CLOSE UP, red eyed, unshaven, beaten--there are half-formed scabs and cuts. He is leaning against a wall, shivering. He looks, for all the world, like a perpetual drunk. CUT TO: WOODWARD in the shadows, coming closer. CUT TO: THE DRUNK. He blinks slowly, tongue lolling outside his mouth. He watches WOODWARD approach. CUT TO: WOODWARD coming still closer. CUT TO: THE DRUNK. He blinks very slowly now. Maybe he isn't even certain WOODWARD's there. CUT TO: WOODWARD stopping in front of the drunk. They look at each other for a long time. Then: WOODWARD Who are you? CUT TO: THE DRUNK. Nothing, no reaction. CUT TO: WOODWARD studying the other man. CUT TO: THE DRUNK. And he blinks again, then slowly, shivering, begins sliding down the wall. WOODWARD reaches for him, holds him up. CUT TO: WOODWARD managing to get out his wallet, take out some bills. He starts up the ramp with the drunk, and as they disappear up the ramp out of sight, he gives the drunk the money. WOODWARD Here. (softly) Forget your troubles and just be happy. CUT TO: DEEP THROAT pacing and smoking. He is visibly upset; scared maybe. He glances over as WOODWARD comes back down the ramp alone. DEEP THROAT (self-mocking) I hope you noticed how coolly I behaved under the threat of discovery. WOODWARD (impatiently) Do Justice and the FBI know what we know, and why the hell haven't they done anything about it? DEEP THROAT They know, but they focused on the burglary--if it didn't deal with the break-in, they didn't pursue it. WOODWARD Why didn't they?--who told them not to? DEEP THROAT Someone with authority I'd imagine, wouldn't you? (coughs) Don't you know what you're onto? Come on. WOODWARD Mitchell knew then. DEEP THROAT Of course--my God, you think something this big just happens? The break-in and the cover up, of course Mitchell knew, but no more than Ehrlichman. WOODWARD Haldeman too? DEEP THROAT You get nothing from me about Haldeman? And from this tone, you know HALDEMAN scares him. WOODWARD Why did they do all this for Chrissakes?--what were they after? DEEP THROAT Total manipulation. I suppose you could say they wanted to subvert the Constitution, but they don't think along philosophical lines. WOODWARD Talk about Segretti-- DEEP THROAT --don't concentrate on Segretti or you'll miss the overall scheme too. WOODWARD There were more then. DEEP THROAT Follow every lead--every lead goes somewhere-- WOODWARD --the Canuck letter--was that a White House operation-- DEEP THROAT (nods, bigger) --don't you miss the grand scheme too. WOODWARD How grand? DEEP THROAT Nationwide--my God, they were frightened of Muskie and look who got destroyed--they wanted to run against McGovern, and look who they're running against. They bugged, they followed people, false press leaks, fake letters, they canceled Democratic campaign rallies, they investigated Democratic private lives, they planted spies, stole documents, on and on-- don't tell me you think this was all the work of little Don Segretti. WOODWARD And Justice and FBI know all this? DEEP THROAT Yes, yes, everything. There were over fifty people employed by the White House and CREEP to ratfuck-- some of what they did is beyond belief. WOODWARD (stunned) Fifty ratfuckers directed by the White House to destroy the Democrats? CUT TO: DEEP THROAT DEEP THROAT I was being cautious. (inhales) You can safely say more then fifty... SILENCE in the garage. HOLD... then-- CUT TO: THE FIFTH FLOOR OF THE POST and it's noisy. Not as noisy as it's going to get, but there is more tension around just now than there has been previously. CUT TO: AN ATTRACTIVE WOMAN IN HER MID-30s. On her desk is her name, MARILYN BERGER. She is watching BERNSTEIN who is standing by the water cooler nearby. As she gets up-- CUT TO: BERNSTEIN drinking water. BERGER Do you guys know about the Canuck letter? BERNSTEIN (nods, drinks) Um-hmm. (stops, looks at her) Why? BERGER I just wanted to be sure you knew who wrote it. As she speaks-- CUT TO: WOODWARD working at his desk, suddenly looking up as a SCREAM comes from the direction of the water cooler and as everyone turns to see, here comes BERNSTEIN dragging BERGER over to WOODWARD's desk. BERNSTEIN (hysterical) Tell him what you just told me. BERGER Just than Ken Clawsen--he used to be a reporter here before he went to work for Nixon--I had him over for a drink a few weeks ago and he told me he wrote the Canuck letter. (she looks from one of them to the other) You did want to know, didn't you? And now from her-- CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN in a corner of the room, talking low and fast. BERNSTEIN You think we're being set up?--Christ, Deep Throat tells you last night that the letter came from inside the White House and up traipses Marilyn naming names. WOODWARD It makes a crazy kind of sense-- remember that initiation rite they have at the White House? Each new member of the President's staff has to prove his guts by getting an enemy of Nixon. BERNSTEIN You think this was Clawsen's initiation? WOODWARD Could have won him a fraternity paddle with a White House seal. (beat) God knows it worked. CUT TO: A FROZEN SHOT OF MUSKIE IN THE SNOW in tears, standing on the flat-bed truck. This was in the New Hampshire primary, just after the Canuck letter was published. WOODWARD (V.O.) You claiming it was all a misunderstanding, Ken? CLAWSEN (V.O.) Absolutely--Marilyn's gotten it totally wrong-- CUT TO: WOODWARD ON THE PHONE WOODWARD She's an awfully good reporter--I can't remember her getting too much wrong before, can you? CLAWSEN (V.O.) That's a bullshit question, that's a question straight out of Wichita, Kansas. WOODWARD Sorry, Ken; listen, one last thing: where did your talk with Berger happen? CLAWSEN (V.O.) Where? (beat) What do you mean, where? WOODWARD Well, was it in a bar, her apartment, some restaurant-- CLAWSEN (V.O.) --I've completely forgotten where it was, except I know it wasn't her apartment. There is a sound of him hanging up the phone. Hard. WOODWARD hangs up quietly, rubs his eyes, calls out to BERGER who is at her desk-- WOODWARD Non denial-denial, Marilyn-- BERGER is about to answer when her phone rings. She picks it up, turns to WOODWARD, mouths "it's him" and we CUT TO: BERGER ON THE PHONE. Again Clawsen on the other end. CLAWSEN (V.O.) For Chissakes, don't tell them I came to your place. BERGER I already told them. CLAWSEN (V.O.) Oh, that's terrific, that's just so terrific, I'm thrilled you did that. BERGER I have a clear conscience. CLAWSEN (V.O.) Marilyn, I have a wife and a family and a cat and a dog. Now from this-- BRADLEE IN HIS OFFICE GESTURING And we CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN heading toward the office. As they enter-- BRADLEE I got Clawsen on hold-- WOODWARD --his dialing finger must be falling off-- BRADLEE --what do you think?-- WOODWARD --he went to her apartment and he told her-- BERNSTEIN --if he did it or just said he did it, God knows. BRADLEE I could care less about where it happened; what happened is what counts. (calling out to his SECRETARY) Put him on. (picks up the phone) Ken, I'm sorry, it was Goddamn Beirut and they were having a crisis, what's up, kid? (pause) Slow down, Ken, you sound frazzled. (pause) A wife and a family and a cat and a dog, right, Ken. (pause) Ken, I would never print that you were in Marilyn's apartment at night-- unless, of course, you force me to. CUT TO: CLOSE UP--BRADLEE. He is genuinely enjoying himself. Now, he puts his hand over the receiver-- BRADLEE It's like they taught us at Harvard: few things are as gratifying to the soul as having another man's nuts in a vise... Now, as he goes back to talking-- CUT TO: A BIG HEADLINE IN THE POST READING: NIXON AIDES SABOTAGED DEMOCRATS. Now we HOLD on that headline as the three deniers are visible through it in the same places they spoke before. WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN The story is based entirely on hearsay and-- CREEP P.R. MAN --we at the Committee are continually amazed at the creativity shown by the Washington Post-- WESTERN SENATOR --although I am a Republican, I would like to state in a pure bipartisan spirit that I am happy that this latest onslaught against the intelligence of the American people will be wrapping fish tomorrow. I offer my condolences to the fish... And now, the headline fades as we CUT TO: SIMONS IN ROSENFELD'S OFFICE WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN hurry in. ROSENFELD Speak. BERNSTEIN We've just been talking to Young-- SIMONS --which Young? WOODWARD Larry Young, a California lawyer-- BERNSTEIN --he was going to go into law practice with Segretti. ROSENFELD And?-- WOODWARD --and he says Chapin hired Segretti-- SIMONS --well and good, but when will he say it on the record. WOODWARD He just did. BERNSTEIN He'll give us a sworn statement. WOODWARD We're inside the White House now. ROSENFELD and SIMONS just look at each other. They should be happy, and maybe they are. But at the moment more then anything else they look scared... HOLD. Then-- THE MONTPELIER ROOM OF THE MADISON HOTEL. It's a very fancy restaurant and BRADLEE is at a corner table as WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN sit down. They are exhausted. BRADLEE Look, I wanted to talk because things are getting really hairy and there's a couple of things we've got to be careful of because-- A waiter is nearby. BRADLEE --either of you want a drink or should I order?-- (They don't) --because-- And suddenly he lapses into perfect French with the waiter, ordering lunch ann salad and as the waiter nods and goes BRADLEE --because our cocks are on the chopping block and you've got to be sure that you're not just dealing with people who hate Richard Nixon and want to get him through us. You see, I don't give a shit who's President--I really don't, it's an adversary situation between them and us and it's always gonna be. I never had a closer friend than Jack Kennedy and once I printed something that pissed him off and for seven months I didn't exist. A wine steward appears, hands BRADLEE the list. As he examines it, a man walks up to the table, stands there... MAN You none of you know who I am, do you? (they don't) You screw me up good, you don't even know what I look like. BRADLEE OK, you've had your preamble; who the hell are you? MAN Glenn Sedam--you wrote about me last week, you said I was one of the guys at the Committee who was sent reports. You were wrong. BERNSTEIN Baldwin told the FBI it was you. SEDAM Baldwin told the FBI it was someone whose first name sounded like a last name. They showed him a list and he picked me but it wasn't me, it was Gordon Liddy. (looks at the reporters) My phone hasn't stopped ringing, my wife's hysterical, my kids think I'm mixed up with the burglary, my friends don't like me around all of a sudden. CUT TO: CLOSE UP--SEDAM SEDAM You fucked around my life, you two. (starts off) I just wanted to say thanks. BRADLEE watching WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, who are clearly upset. BRADLEE That didn't sound to me like a non- denial denial; could you have been wrong? (they nod) You had a good source? (nod) Did he have an ax? (pause. Then another nod) CLOSE UP--BRADLEE BRADLEE All right, you made a mistake maybe, we all have, just don't make another. And watch your personal lives, who you hang around with. Someone once said the price of democracy is a bloodletting every ten years. (beat) Make sure it isn't our blood... Now from BRADLEE-- CUT TO: HUGH SLOAN holding a broom and dustpan at his front door. SLOAN I really can't talk now-- BERNSTEIN --this'll only take one second-- SLOAN --my wife just had the baby, my in- laws are arriving, I'm trying to get the house in some kind of shape. WOODWARD A boy or a girl? SLOAN A girl. Melissa. CUT TO: INSIDE THE HOUSE. WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN are helping SLOAN with the housework. WOODWARD has a dust mop, BERNSTEIN a dust cloth. We are mostly in the living room throughout, and also throughout, the three guys beaver away tidying. WOODWARD (holding up a cup) Where does this go? SLOAN points to a shelf. WOODWARD moves to put the cup in its proper place. WOODWARD --That cash fund that financed the sabotaging of the Democrats--five guys had control-- BERNSTEIN (ticking them off) --Mitchell, Stans, Magruder, Kalmbach-- WOODWARD --we're working on the last guy now and we're going all the way--that fifth man was Haldeman. SLOAN --I'm not your source on that-- BERNSTEIN --it's gotta be Haldeman--someone from the White House had to be involved-- WOODWARD --and it wasn't Ehrlichman or Colson or the President. SLOAN No, none of those. BERNSTEIN --that leaves Haldeman, period. SLOAN I'm not your source on that. He picks up a dust pan, starts sweeping it full. WOODWARD (taking the dust pan, helping out) --look, when the Watergate grand jury questioned you, did you name names? SLOAN Of course--everything they asked-- BERNSTEIN --if we wrote a story that said Haldeman controlled the fund?-- SLOAN --let me put it this way: I'd have no problem if you did. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN look at each other while SLOAN empties the dust pan into the trash and from there, quickly-- CUT TO: A LONG LONG LONG SHOT OF A COUPLE walking in the park. We can't really make them out clearly, we never do in this little sequence. But the guy is wearing a windbreaker and has a crew cut and the woman with him is dressed casually too. He has his arm around her, and they are deep in conversation. WOODWARD'S VOICE (V.O.) Hey? PULL BACK TO REVEAL WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN sitting on a park bench swilling down a six-pack. WOODWARD I think that's him. BERNSTEIN Who? WOODWARD Haldeman. CUT TO: THE COUPLE walking along. We just can't quite make them out. But it might be. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN staring after the couple, trying to focus. BERNSTEIN Nah. (squints hard) Maybe. WOODWARD What if I went up and introduced myself--think he'd slug me? BERNSTEIN Well, we are trying to ruin his life. WOODWARD It's nothing personal, though. (looks troubled) BERNSTEIN What's the matter? WOODWARD Same as Magruder, I don't like it when they turn out to be human. BERNSTEIN (nods) I wish we were investigating Attila the Hun. WOODWARD Maybe we are... CUT TO: THE SLOW-WALKING COUPLE. They continue on. We still don't see them quite clearly. HOLD... then-- CUT TO: A PUDGY LITTLE MAN HALF-HIDDEN BEHIND A MAGAZINE. PULL BACK TO REVEAL A DRUGSTORE-TYPE PLACE. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN are at the adjoining table. PUDGY MAN --Goddamnit, I'm not gonna say it again--you get nothing about Haldeman outta me-- WOODWARD --we don't need it now, because tomorrow's story is about the FBI-- BERNSTEIN --about how all you supposed experts really blew the whole investigation-- FBI GUY (stung) --we didn't miss so much-- WOODWARD --you never knew Haldeman had control of the slush fund-- FBI GUY --it's all in our files-- BERNSTEIN --not about Haldeman-- FBI GUY --yeah, Haldeman, John Haldeman. And he gets up quickly, goes. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN savor the moment but only briefly as it hits them-- BERNSTEIN --Jesus-- WOODWARD --he said John Haldeman, not Bob Haldeman-- And as they take off after the agent-- CUT TO: BRADLEE'S OFFICE. WOODWARD, BERNSTEIN, BRADLEE, SIMONS, ROSENFELD. Wild tension. The editors have a long story and they all read and pace, read and pace; the reporters look traumatized with fatigue. All this goes fast. BRADLEE (staring at the typed story) --I don't know, I don't know, it feels thin-- SIMONS --Christ, I wish I knew if we should print this-- ROSENFELD --listen, we didn't make them do these things--once they did, it's our job to report it-- SIMONS (to the reporters) --go over your sources again-- WOODWARD --Sloan told the Grand Jury--he answered everything they asked him-- that means there's a record somewhere-- BERNSTEIN --and the FBI confirms--what more do you need?-- ROSENFELD (whirling to BERNSTEIN) --listen, I love this country, you think I want to bring it down?--I'm not some goddamn zany, I was a hawk-- SIMONS --Harry, weren't you just arguing the opposite way?-- ROSENFELD --maybe I'm tense-- BRADLEE --well shit, we oughtta be tense-- we're about to accuse Mr. Haldeman who only happens to be the second most important man in America of conducting a criminal conspiracy from inside the White House-- (beat) --it would be nice if we were right-- SIMONS (to the reporters) --you double-checked both sources?-- They nod. BRADLEE --Bernstein, are you sure on this story? BERNSTEIN Absolutely-- BRADLEE (to WOODWARD) --what about you?-- WOODWARD --I'm sure-- BRADLEE --I'm not sure, it still feels thin-- (looks at SIMONS) SIMONS (to WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, after a puse) --get another source. Now quickly CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN huddling outside BRADLEE's office. BERNSTEIN How many fucking sources they think we got?-- WOODWARD --Deep Throat won't confirm--I never thought he was scared of anyone, but he's scared of Haldeman. BERNSTEIN I know a guy in the Justice Department who was around the Grand Jury. (looks at WOODWARD) WOODWARD --We got twenty minutes to deadline-- And as he speaks CUT TO: BERNSTEIN talking softly from a relatively private phone in the newsroom. The voice of the lawyer is also whispered and scared to death. LAWYER'S VOICE (O.S.) (barely audible) ...You shouldn't ever call me like this, Carl... BERNSTEIN Will you confirm that Haldeman was mentioned by Sloan to the Grand Jury? LAWYER'S VOICE (O.S.) ...I won't say anything about Haldeman... not ever... BERNSTEIN (desperate) All right--listen--it's against the law if you talk about the Grand Jury, right? But you don't have to say a thing--I'll count to ten--if the story's wrong, hang up before I get there--if it's OK stay on the line till after, got it? LAWYER (O.S.) Hang up, right? BERNSTEIN Right, right--OK, counting: one, two-- (he inhales deeply) --three, four, five, six-- (now he's starting to get excited) --seven, eight-- (inhales deeply) --nine, ten, thank you. LAWYER (O.S.) You've got it straight now? Everything OK? BERNSTEIN (on a note of triumph) Yeah! And on that shout CUT TO: A HEADLINE IN THE POST--A PHOTO VISIBLE OF HALDEMAN: "TESTIMONY TIES TOP NIXON AIDE TO SECRET FUND" CUT TO: THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN On the record let me say just this: the story is totally untrue. On background, I'd like to add that Bob Haldeman is one of the greatest public servants this country has ever had and the story is a goddamned lie. NOW FAST ZOOM TO: BRADLEE roaring out of his office doorway. BRADLEE Woodstein! CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN tearing into BRADLEE's office--he stands scowling at the TV set in a corner of the room-- outside, it is raining like hell. CUT TO: THE TV SET. SLOAN is walking along toward a large office building, he is flanked by a lawyer. A TV Reporter (it was DANIEL SCHORR) is walking alongside, mike in hand. SCHORR Mr. Sloan, would you care to comment on your testimony before the Grand Jury. SLOAN My lawyer says-- SLOAN'S LAWYER --the answer is an unequivocal no. Mr. Sloan did not implicate Mr. Haldeman in that testimony at all. CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN. They look sick. Desperate, tired, stunned, confused; there is nothing to say. CUT TO: BRADLEE glaring at them. HOLD ON BRADLEE... then CUT TO: THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION in the rain, and CUT TO: A CORRIDOR IN THE BUILDING AS THE PUDGY FBI MAN retreats down the hall. WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, soaked, chase after him. FBI MAN --I'll deny everything--everything-- I never talked to you about Haldeman-- I never talked to you about anything-- I'm not talking to you now-- BERNSTEIN --what went wrong?-- WOODWARD --for Chrissakes just tell that-- PUDGY FBI MAN --fuck you fuck you fuck you-- And he tears into an office, slams the door and as we hear it lock-- CUT TO: THIS IS WHERE THE SOURCE BURNING SCENE WOULD COME BUT I AM NOT WRITING IT FOR THIS VERSION. My reasons are as follows: (1) it is a complicated long scene to put down; (2) we are terribly late in our story; (3) it would mean, here, two hours into the movie, we are bringing in an entirely new character; the FBI agent's head to whom they go, and I think that is unnecessary and confusing; and (4) most important, I think the characters have been abused enough in this version--we have added the Sedam scene and they are berated more in this version by the CREEP people before things turn. (5) Finally, all this can show in reality is that they are desperate, and I would rather let the actors give that to us. I feel that it would be a genuine error at this time in the flick to go into the convolutions of how it's bad manners for a reporter to burn a source, if we've got anything going by this point, I can't conceive of much an audience will be less interested in than the reporters misbehaving. However, if the scene is requested next time through, I shall be only too happy to oblige. What I would like to do is cut from the FBI saying "fuck you fuck you fuck you" and locking his door to the following: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN walking in the rain. It's pouring as they leave FBI Headquarters and they are in anguish. BERNSTEIN (after a while) Woodward? WOODWARD Hmm? BERNSTEIN What was the mistake? Do you think it's been rigged, all along the way, leading us on so they could slip it to us when it mattered? They couldn't have set us up better; after all these months our credibility's gone, you know what that means? WOODWARD (nods) Only everything... They are soaked, Nearby is a garbage can, they grab papers, hold them over their heads, start to walk. Now-- CAMERA MOVES UP HIGHER TO REVEAL The papers they grabbed were the Post front page. (This happened.) And as they walked, the Haldeman story was on their heads. HOLD on the reporters walking miserably through the rain. Now-- CUT TO: THE POST. A tremendous pall has settled on the city room. People walk by, glancing at WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, who sit almost immobilized at their desks, wet, whipped; no energy left. CUT TO: BRADLEE'S OFFICE. SIMONS sits across from BRADLEE as ROSENFELD enters quietly with a bundle of teletype paper. SIMONS (indicating the papers) More denunciations? ROSENFELD (nods) One Senator just gave a speech slurring us 57 times in 20 minutes. BRADLEE has started typing something brief. When ROSENFELD's done, so is he. He hands it to SIMONS. SIMONS What's this? BRADLEE My non-denial denial. ROSENFELD We're not printing a retraction? CUT TO: CLOSE UP--BRADLEE. He is thoughtful for a while. Then, spinning around, staring out towards the newsroom: BRADLEE Fuck it, let's stand by the boys. And he stands, spins out of the room as we CUT TO: THE FLOWER POT ON WOODWARD'S TERRACE. The rain has stopped. The apartment is dark. It's late at night. Inside, the phone RINGS and CUT TO: WOODWARD'S APARTMENT in the dark as he manages to knock the phone off its cradle. WOODWARD Hello? BERNSTEIN'S VOICE (O.S.) What'd you find? WOODWARD Jesus Christ, what time is it? BERNSTEIN You overslept? WOODWARD Goddamnit!-- He fumbles for the lamp, as it falls with a CRASH-- CUT TO: WOODWARD--MOVING. Hair wild, clothes half-buttoned, he runs through the dark Washington streets as we CUT TO: TWO WELL-DRESSED MEN in the shadows across the street, going in the same direction and CUT TO: WOODWARD spotting them, picking up the pace and CUT TO: THE TWO MEN moving faster too and now CUT TO: A BUNCH OF CABS. WOODWARD jumps into the first and as it roars off CUT TO: THE TWO MEN getting into a cab also, roaring off in the same direction and CUT TO: WOODWARD'S CAB taking a corner fast and as it goes on, HOLD until the second cab takes the same corner, faster, and now CUT TO: WOODWARD jumping out of his cab, fumbling into his pockets for change as we CUT TO: THE TWO MEN getting out of their cab, paying, and as their cab drives off CUT TO: WOODWARD diving back into his cab and in a moment it is roaring again through the night and we CUT TO: THE TWO WELL-DRESSED MEN standing on the sidewalk, watching as WOODWARD disappears into the night and then suddenly, ZOOM TO: DEEP THROAT IN CLOSE UP AND MAD. DEEP THROAT --you were doing so well and then you got stupid, you went too fast-- Christ, what a royal screw up-- PULL BACK TO REVEAL DEEP THROAT and WOODWARD in the underground garage. WOODWARD --I know, I know, the pressure's off the White House and it's all back on the Post-- DEEP THROAT --you've done worse than let Haldeman slip away, you've got people feeling sorry for him--I didn't think that was possible. A conspiracy like this-- the rope has to tighten slowly around everyone's neck. You build from the outer edges and you go step by step. If you shoot too high and miss, then everybody feels more secure. You've put the investigation back months. WOODWARD We know that--and if we were wrong, we're resigning--were we wrong? DEEP THROAT You'll have to find that out, won't you?-- CUT TO: WOODWARD exploding. WOODWARD --I'm tired of your chickenshit games-- I don't want hints, I want what you know! CUT TO: DEEP THROAT. He blinks for a moment. Then he begins to whisper. DEEP THROAT It was a Haldeman operation--the whole business--he ran the money, but he was insulated, you'll have to find out how-- WOODWARD takes a breath, nods. DEEP THROAT --wait-- (almost a smile) --there's more... And from his weathered face CUT TO: WOODWARD walking up to his apartment house later that night. He sees, and then we see, BERNSTEIN, asleep at the front door. He comes awake as WOODWARD approaches. WOODWARD We gotta go see Bradlee--I'll fill you in in the car. CUT TO: BRADLEE IN HIS DOORWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. It's a house with a lawn and from somewhere there is the SOUND of dogs barking. BRADLEE You couldn't have told me over the phone? CUT TO: WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN moving up the walk to BRADLEE. WOODWARD We can't trust the phones, not anymore. Deep Throat says so. As WOODWARD beckons for him to move out into the lawn-- BRADLEE We can't talk inside either? WOODWARD (headshake) Electronic surveillance. CUT TO: THE THREE OF THEM MOVING OUT ONTO THE LAWN. It's October now. You can see their breaths as they speak. BERNSTEIN I finally got through to Sloan--it was all a misunderstanding that we had: he would have told the Grand Jury about Haldeman, he was ready to, only nobody on the Grand Jury asked him the goddamn question. WOODWARD So I guess you could say that we screwed up, but we weren't wrong. BRADLEE Anything else from Mr. Throat? WOODWARD Mitchell started the cover-up early, everyone is involved in the cover- up, all the way to the top. The whole U.S. intelligence community is mixed in with the covert activities. The extent of it is incredible. (little pause) And people's lives are in danger, maybe including ours. CUT TO: BRADLEE. He nods again, starts walking the two reporters back toward WOODWARD's car. BRADLEE He's wrong on that last, we're not in the least danger, because nobody gives a shit--what was that Gallup Poll result? Half the country's never even heard the word Watergate. CUT TO: THE RED KARMANN GHIA as the three approach. BRADLEE Look, you're both probably a little tired, right? (They nod) You should be, you've been under a lot of pressure. So go home, have a nice hot bath, rest up fifteen minutes if you want before you get your asses back in gear-- (louder now) --because we're under a lot of pressure, too, and you put us there-- not that I want it to worry you-- nothing's riding on you except the First Amendment of the Constitution plus the freedom of the press plus the reputation of a hundred-year-old paper plus the jobs of the two thousand people who work there-- (still building) --but none of that counts as much as this: you fuck up again, I'm gonna lose my temper. (pause; softer) I promise you, you don't want me to lose my temper. (shooing them off) Move-move-move--what have you done for me tomorrow...? And as they get back into the car-- CUT TO: THE NEWSROOM--EARLY MORNING and it's empty pretty much, except at their desks sit WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN, typing away. They type on and on and as they do, voices are HEARD, the same voices we've become familiar with, the WESTERN SENATOR, the CREEP P.R. MAN and the WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN. WESTERN SENATOR (O.S.) Although I'm a Republican, I would like to state in a pure bipartisan spirit tht the greatest political scandal of this campaign is the brazen manner in which, without benefit of clergy, the Washington Post has set up housekeeping with the McGovern campaign... CREEP P.R. MAN For twenty years, the Eastern liberal press has been trying to smear Dick Nixon. Fortunately, the American public is too smart to be fooled by... WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN I have been informed reliably by John Dean that no one connected with the White House... WESTERN SENATOR (coming in, overlapping) It is only our pathetic Post that deliberately tries to infuse the Watergate caper with a seriousness far beyond those shenanigans that have been the stock trade of political pranksters ever since... WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN work on. And now, as the voices continue condemning, we see them--all the President's men-- as their faces flash on the screen for an instant--only these aren't fashion portraits we're looking at, these are the mug shots of the men taken when they went to jail and they flash on, the mug shots and the name and across each the word CONVICTED. There's VIRGILIO GONZALES--CONVICTED, and EUGENIO MARTINEZ, CONVICTED, and FRANK STURGIS, CONVICTED, and BERNARD BARKER, CONVICTED, and JAMES McCORD, CONVICTED, and HOWARD HUNT, CONVICTED, and GORDON LIDDY, CONVICTED, and DONALD SEGRETTI, CONVICTED, and DWIGHT CHAPIN, CONVICTED, and now the denunciations are louder, shriller, briefer. WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN An insult to the American public-- CREEP P.R. MAN --the deplorable tactics employed by the Washington Post-- WESTERN SENATOR --I have been given access to evidence in possession of the White House and that evidence-- WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN type on. Their machines are the only SOUND in the enormous room. And now more mug shots appear-- JEB MAGRUDER, CONVICTED, EGIL KROGH, CONVICTED, JOHN DEAN, CONVICTED, JOHN EHRLICHMAN, CONVICTED, CHARLES COLSON, CONVICTED, HERBERT KALMBACH, CONVICTED, and LARUE and PORTER and MITCHELL and HALDEMAN--all, all the President's men-- CONVICTED. Now-- THE CAMERA STARTS TO MOVE toward the pillar, the one that separates the two reporters, and the denunciations are still going on, but not so loud now, not so fierce. WESTERN SENATOR Well, if I was wrong, I sure the hell wasn't alone-- CREEP --the fact remains that except for Watergate, we ran one hell of a great campaign... The CAMERA is almost at the pillar now. BERNSTEIN bums a cigarette from a cleaning lady. WOODWARD kicks his typewriter. Then they both go back to work. Now we're at the pillar. That's all we see. Just that. And all we HEAR is the two reporters working away, on and on until-- FINAL FADE OUT: THE END

1 FADE IN 1 A close-shot of a yellow legal tablet. A young hand comes into frame, holding a pencil. For a few moments, we hear only the soft scratching of pencil on paper, as credits are written in a series of dissolves. The hand carefully erases and corrects an error or two along the way. And then the sound of an old friend... the warm crackle of a vinyl record... as we now hear Alvin and the Chipmunks' "Christmas Song." 2 EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN -- DAY 2 A lone palm tree rises up into a yellow afternoon sky. Behind it, the sparkling blue of the Pacific Ocean and the city of San Diego. A dry, hot Southern California day. Even the wind is lazy, and a little bored. 3 EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING CENTER - DAY 3 Santa Claus wears shorts and sandals, ringing a bell as he collects for the Salvation Army. This is Christmas in the Southland. No snow, no winter wonderland. Just a pleasantly thick heat and an unchanging season, as music continues. Turning the corner, walking into frame is ELAINE MILLER, 35. She is a tall woman, consumed by the fevered conversation she's Having with her pale young son WILLIAM, late pre-teens. They stand apart from the other shoppers. All around them is the highly-charged salesmanship of the season... silver glittering fake Christmas trees. She hurries her son through the commercial juggernaut, continuing their lively intellectual conversation, when something stops her. A Workman is affixing letters to a store-front. He has already placed the MERRY... now he's finishing the XMAS. Elaine is strong, but always pleasant, always clear about her purpose in this life. ELAINE Excuse me, I'm a teacher. There is no word in The English Language -- "Xmas." It's either Merry Christmas... or Happy Holidays. The Workman nods thanks, with faux appreciation, as Mom turns away. The Workman shares a look with William, who shrugs - that's my Mom. TITLE: 1969 4 EXT. MINI-TRACT CONDO COMPLEX -- DAY 4 This is the new professional-class. It's a mini-condo community. Rows of Spanish-styled three-bedroom houses with common walls. Move in on one of these homes, the one without Christmas lights. At the door is a furtive 15 year-old Girl. She checks her cheek, straightens her hair. She hides something under her coat, and gathers the proper nonchalance to enter. Music fades. 5 INT. KITCHEN -- DAY 5 We now hear the dialogue between this lively Mother and her son, as she cooks a pan full of soy-based health-food cutlets. The meal simmers unappetizingly in the pan. Across the kitchen we see William. He's a great listener, with a calm and curious face that takes everything in. WILLIAM - so Livia - ELAINE -- killed everyone off so her son Tiberius could inherit the throne. (thoughtful pause) Just like Nixon. William nods, intrigued. He has a good disposition. The world of knowledge engages him, and he loves what it brings out in his Mom. There is a small clatter at the front door, as the girl we've just seen enters, barely brushing some chimes. She silently curses herself. ELAINE (cont'd) Anita, is that you? ANITA'S VOICE Hey Mom! I already ate. Mom moves to the living room to greet William's sister. William peers into the next room. 6 INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY 6 She's almost to her bedroom down the hall when mom catches her. We now discover ANITA, 16, up-close. She is an alluring young Natalie Wood, with a suspicious and sunny smile. ELAINE You sure? I'm making soy cutlets. The words "soy cutlets" sends a small shiver through the girl. ANITA I'm fine. Already ate. William stands in the doorway now, watching, monitoring, as Mom moves closer to his sister. She sees something curious about her daughter. ELAINE Wait. You've been kissing. ANITA (too quickly) No I haven't. ELAINE (peering at her lips) Yes... yes, you have... ANITA No I haven't. ELAINE Yes you have. I can tell. ANITA (boldly) You can't tell. Mom steps closer and examines the lips even more carefully. To her, everything is a quest for knowledge. ELAINE Not only can I tell, I know who it is. It's Darryl. Anita is stunned silent. She turns slightly to look at herself in a hall mirror, searching for clues, implicating herself immediately. ELAINE (cont'd) And what have you got under your coat? This is the booty Anita didn't want to give up. Mom picks at the corner of an album cover now visible under her jacket. She withdraws the album. It's Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends. ANITA (busted) It's unfair that we can't listen to our music! ELAINE (weary of the issue) Honey, it's all about drugs and promiscuous sex. ANITA Simon and Garfunkel is poetry! ELAINE Yes it's poetry. It's the poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex. Look at the picture on the cover... CLOSE ON BOOKENDS ALBUM COVER Mom's fingers at the edges. We examine the insolent faces on Richard Avedon's classic album cover. Even Simon and Garfunkle look guilty under her scholarly inspection. ELAINE (cont'd) ... honey, they're on pot. ANITA First it was butter, then sugar and white flour. (beat) Bacon. Eggs, bologna, rock and roll, motorcycles. Nearby, William squirms as he watches the gently escalating conversation. Anita glances at her brother. He silently urges her to downshift. She can't. ANITA (cont'd) Then it was celebrating Christmas on a day in September When you knew it wouldn't be "commercialized." ELAINE That was an experiment. But I understand - ANITA What else are you going to ban? ELAINE Honey, you want to rebel against knowledge. ELAINE (cont'd) I'm trying to give you the Cliff's Notes on how to live in this world. ANITA (simple and direct) We're like nobody else I know. These are the words that sting Mom most. ELAINE I'm a teacher. Why can't I teach my own kids? (pats chest) Use me. ANITA Darryl says you use knowledge to keep me down. He says I'm a "yes" person and you're trying to raise us in a "no" environment! ELAINE (immediately, can't help it) Well, clearly, "no" is a word Darryl doesn't hear much. Anita gasps. Ever the peacemaker, William weighs in. Nearby is a poster - "No More War." WILLIAM Mom -- ELAINE Everything I say is wrong. ANITA I can't live here! I hate you! Even William hates you! WILLIAM I don't hate her. ANITA (to William) You don't even know the truth! William looks vaguely confused. ELAINE Sweetheart, don't be a drama queen. Anita takes a breath and then out of her mouth comes the strangled-sounding words of a kid swearing at her parent for the first time. ANITA Feck you! All of you! ELAINE Hey! Anita runs down the hall to her room. Elaine turns to William, relating to him more as a fellow parent than a child. ELAINE (cont'd) Well, there it is. Your sister using the "f" word. WILLIAM I think she said "feck." ELAINE (sputtering) What's the difference? WILLIAM (encouraging) Well. The letter "u"... Shot moves in on the kid, as we hear the opening strains of The Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin." 7 INT. SCHOOL DANCE/GYMNASIUM BATHROOM -- NIGHT 7 Music continues. Shot moves along a row of very mature-looking male teenagers, examining themselves in the bathroom mirror. There's the kid with a very mature-looking moustache, the kid proudly sporting full-blown hormonal acne (he slaps on some Hai Karate), the guy to whom puberty has already delivered the face of an adult, complete with long jutting sideburns... and then a blank space at the mirror, as the shot moves down, down, down to find William. He is so much younger, without a zit in sight. Puberty is so very distant on his horizon. 8 INT. DANCE -- NIGHT -- UNDER-CRANKED 8 Song continues as we see William's perspective of these much- older looking kids. Girls now are visible, and they are even more mature than the boys we've just seen. They flirt and glow, arms trailing across the shoulders of the boys. Whispering in each other's ears, none of them looking down. It's a troubling experience, to be this close to the alluring world of older teenagers... and to be so invisible to them. VOICE (O.S.) Are you really in our grade? 9 INT. JUNIOR HIGH LOCKER ROOM -- DAY 9 VOICE (louder) Are you really in our grade? William turns to see tall, adenoidal TIM TOBIN. The most mature looking kid we've seen yet, he challenges William in a loud theatrical tone. It is a voice right out of Guys and Dolls, which incidentally is the school play in which Tobin had just starred. William answers in a respectful voice. He is desperate for acceptance. WILLIAM Yeah. TOBIN Hey guys! Check it out! William doesn't have any pubes! Others now begin to gather around, examining William. He has never been more naked. GUY # 1 How old are you man? TOBIN He's not a man, he's a little baby kid. He Doesn't even get zits yet. GUY # 2 How come you don't have any hair down there? TOBIN (in loud, funny voice) Where are your pubes???!! Their voices echo off the tiled walls. Now everyone is watching the hairless William. He is confused by their meanness. GUY # 2 Yeah. Where are your pubes? All eyes are on him, waiting for a response. The kid's mental wheels turn frantically. And from somewhere comes an attitude, a swagger, and somehow the perfect line arrives from what could only be a merciful deity. WILLIAM (cool, dismissive) I had 'em. I shaved 'em off. It is a new persona for the kid -- the witty guy. And it works. Guy #2 cracks up, then others. William's new accuser is suddenly surrounded by the impressed gales of laughter of these older boys. Others turn away, on to other things. Tobin stares at William, and then also turns away. 10 INT. FAMILY CAR -- DAY 10 William jumps into the backseat of the white Ford Country Sedan station wagon, carrying books. ("See ya pubes!") Mom continues driving William and Anita home from school. ELAINE (cheerfully, by rote, to William in back) Put on your seatbelt. I don't want you flying through the windshield. Anita examines her own un-fastened seatbelt, which Mom hasn't noticed. WILLIAM We got our annuals today -- ELAINE (cheerful, automatic) "Received" your annual. WILLIAM (looking at his photo) I look so much younger than everyone else. ELAINE Enjoy it while you can. Camera drifts from Mom to Anita, who can take it no longer. ANITA Mom. It's time. ELAINE (pleasant, pointed) Can this wait until we get home? ANITA Mom, pull over. Tell him the truth. Tell him how old he is. Mom pulls over, and stares straight ahead with deep irritation. ELAINE (as in "be quiet") He knows how old he is. ANITA The other kids make fun of him because of How young he looks. Nobody includes him. They call him "The Narc" behind his back... WILLIAM They do? ELAINE What's a "Narc?" ANITA (bleeding for her brother) A Narcotics Officer! ELAINE Well what's wrong with that? WILLIAM (ever the peacemaker) Come on you guys. It's no big deal. I'm 12. It's okay. She skipped me a grade, it's okay. Big deal. I'm a year younger. They're 13, I'm 12 -- (beat) Aren't I? Their silence is eloquent. ELAINE (confessing, in a rush) I also put you in first grade when you were five and never told you. WILLIAM (trembling) So... I'm... how old? A heavy quiet. She and his sister ignore him, as they now debate the subject with each other. ANITA You lied to him! You make such a big deal about the truth and you lied! ELAINE (that one hurts) He never asked. ANITA What -- like he's going to ask if he's as old as he thinks he is? Don't you realize, this is going to scar him forever? ELAINE Honey... sweetheart... don't be Cleopatra. We have to be his mother and his Dad. ANITA You put too much pressure on him! WILLIAM (apprehensive) How... old... ANITA And when he rebels in some strange and odd way, don't blame me. WILLIAM ... am I? ELAINE (matter of fact) I skipped you an extra grade. You're eleven. WILLIAM (horrified, voice crackling) ELEVEN? He looks at his body, the information affects him physically. New sounds come from way down deep inside. Mom now begins speed-rapping, trying to stem the leak. She starts the car. ELAINE So you skipped fifth grade. There's too much padding In the grades. I taught elementary school. 5th grade - unnecessary. Nothing happens in the 5th grade. All Teachers know it, no one talks about it. WILLIAM (still in shock) E - leven. ELAINE And you skipped kindergarten because I taught it to you when you were four. WILLIAM (still horrified, looking at his body) This explains... so much... ANITA You've robbed him of an adolescence! ELAINE Adolescence is a marketing tool. ANITA He's got no "crowd"... no friends... WILLIAM Okay! Anita reaches out to her brother. With the compassion of a saint, she offers this: ANITA Honey, I know you were expecting puberty. You're just going to have to shine it on for a while. Deeply embarrassed, William shrinks down in the seat. Mom monitors his face constantly. She is raw and sincere... and yes, inspiring: ELAINE Who needs a "crowd?" You're unique. You're two years ahead of everybody. Take those extra years and do what you want. Go to Europe for a year! Take a look around, see what you like! Follow your dream! You'll still be the youngest lawyer in the country. Your own great grandfather practiced law until he was 93. Your dad was so proud of you. He knew you were a pronominally accelerated child. ANITA What about me? ELAINE (heartbroken, can't help herself) You're rebellious and ungrateful of my love. ANITA Well, somebody's gotta be normal around here! WILLIAM (blinking, still can't believe it) Eleven. 11 INT. WILLIAM'S BEDROOM -- DAY 11 William finishes the last of many candy bars. A mound of wrappers sit just below the mirror. He examines his face hopefully for zits. Nothing coming. We begin to hear Simon and Garfunkel's "America." 12 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 12 Anita stands in the living room. The song continues playing on the stereo. ANITA I want to play you a song that explains why I'm leaving, and try to listen. ELAINE We can't talk? We have to listen to rock music? 13 EXT. FRONT LAWN -- DAY 13 William watches sadly. Anita's good-looking boyfriend DARRYL, a dead ringer for young Stephen Stills, loads her suitcases into a large turqouise Chevy. The suitcases are adorned with plastic stick-on flowers. All coolness is leaving William's life. Mom watches nearby, worried and helpless. (Their house is more austere, less "fun" than the other front lawns.) WILLIAM Take good care of her in San Francisco, man. Darryl gives the kid a sub-human look. He's invisible, too young to converse with. ELAINE How can she leave such a loving family? Anita turns and heads towards them. She focuses on William, placing her hands on his young shoulders. Her face is very close to him now, as she delivers this sage prediction of the future. ANITA One day you'll be cool. He nods stoically, hopefully. He is utterly lost. She leans forward and whispers in his ear. ANITA (cont'd) Look under your bed. It'll set you free. Anita shakes hands with Mom, and exits. As the car takes off: ELAINE She'll be back. In the distance we hear the whoop of her daughter. ANITA YEAHHHHH-HOOOOOOOO. ELAINE Maybe not soon... William watches wistfully. He moves away from his mother. She pulls him closer. Shot moves in on his slightly fearful face. 14 INT. DARRYL'S CAR - DAY 14 Anita looks back at the receding American Gothic-image of her mother and brother. Sister waves to brother. She feels for him. Music now shifts to The Who's "Sparks." 15 INT. BEDROOOM -- NIGHT 15 William locks the door. He reaches under his bed. It's a black leatherette travel bag, with tartan design. He unzips the bag -- it's filled with albums. He flips through the amazing, subversive cache of music. Cream's Wheels of Fire... the seminal Bob Dylan bootleg Great White Wonder... the Rolling Stones' Get Yer Ya Ya's Out... The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds... Abraxas by Santana... Jethro Tull's Stand Up... The Mother's of Invention's We're Only In It For The Money... Led Zeppelin... Crosby, Stills and Nash... Miles Davis' Bitches Brew... and The Who's Tommy... with a note taped to it. ANITA (V.O.) "Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future..." The heady effect of all these albums registers, as we see him lighting a candle. TITLE: 1973 DETAIL SHOT OF NOTEBOOK A blue school notebook, with ballpoint pen renderings of the names of groups like the Who and Led Zeppelin, complete with carefully drawn thunderbolts. Also, the name LESTER BANGS. 16 INT. JOURNALISM CLASS -- DAY 16 William, now 15, sits in class with book, Adventures in Journalism. His hair is shoulder-length. A dedicated teacher, PATRICIA DEEGAN, walks the aisles. Music continues. 17 EXT. FOOD MACHINES - DAY 17 William presses the food machine button, pulls an orange from a vending container. He still looks younger than most of the students... and these days, especially the girls. 18 EXT. LUNCH COURT -- DAY 18 William sits apart from all the others, under a tree. He reads intently, happily, as he eats the orange. It's a copy of Creem Magazine. Music continues. CLOSE ON PHOTOS IN MAGAZINE Camera moves across the photos, catching the expressions and fashions of the rock heroes of the day. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, eyes wide and hair flying as he plays flute. Neil Young, enigmatic with perfectly patched Levis. The Southern Rock Royalty of The Allman Brothers Band, posing and laughing in front of massive stacks of amps. Marc Bolan of T. Rex, his ringlet-hair backlit by stage lights. David Bowie in skin-tight Japanese one- piece attire, onstage with The Spiders From Mars. Pete Townsend of the Who, slashing windmill-style at his guitar. Drift down to a by-line - by Lester Bangs. 19 EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY 19 William walks through the parking lot after school. Everybody now congregates around the new arrival of their lives - their own cars. Arms suddenly clap William on the back, friendly faces smile strangely, laughing. He takes a few steps and looks up to see... a school official is hurriedly removing something from the high-school marquee. HIGH-SCHOOL MARQUEE which reads: WILLIAM MILLER IS TOO YOUNG TO DRIVE (OR FUCK) All are laughing. He laughs with them, and turns as his face goes slack. He shrugs, marches on. 20 EXT. DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO RADIO STATION -- DAY 20 The song we've been listening to is ripped off the turntable by a highly-active man in a red promotional t-shirt proclaiming the greatness of The Guess Who. He is a ferocious, lumbering, music- driven presence, and he fills this small radio studio to the very brim. This is LESTER BANGS, 25, the rarely-seen God of a then new art-form -- Rock Journalism. A Disc-jockey with long- long hair watches helplessly. William views all this through a glass window. He stands on the corner of a downtown side street, halfway up a steep incline. He is the only person on the streets this early Saturday morning. Reveal that he is watching a live radio show, audible to us through the small p.a. speaker overhead. DISC-JOCKEY Quite an honor to have the World's Greatest Rock Critic... and editor of Creem Magazine, back Home in San Diego for a few days -- Lester Bangs. LESTER BANGS What is this hippie station?! Where's Iggy Pop? Don't you have a copy of Raw Power?! DISC-JOCKEY Lester, isn't it a little early for this? Bangs searches for the album -- vinyl flying everywhere now, with no regard for album jackets. BANGS Found it!! 21 EXT. RADIO STATION -- DAY 21 William watches intently. Bangs thuds the needle onto a copy of Raw Power. We're rewarded with a blast of Iggy and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy." A closer shot on William now watching the whirlwind of anarchy inside. Lester does an Iggy Pop impression, acting out a story for the d.j. that we cannot hear, never noticing the kid soaking in everything from the other side of this double-glass window. 22 EXT. RADIO STATION -- DAY -- LATER 22 Bangs walks with William on this sharply inclined San Diego street. It's early, the streets are silent. Bangs is about fifteen beer pounds overweight. His jeans are loose, his paleness and messy moustache an emblem of the long days and nights spent writing. In there somewhere is a good-looking guy. His hands are thrust deeply into his pockets, and he takes big sweeping steps. BANGS So you're the one who's been sending me those articles from your school newspaper - WILLIAM I've been doing some stuff for a local underground paper, too. BANGS What are you like the star of your school? WILLIAM They hate me. BANGS You'll meet them all again on their long journey to the middle. The kid nods, they walk. BANGS (cont'd) Well, your writing is damn good. It's just a shame you missed out on rock and roll. WILLIAM I did? BANGS Oh yeah. It's over. WILLIAM Over? BANGS Over. You got here just in time for the death rattle, the last gasp, the last grope. WILLIAM Well. At least I'm here for that. Bangs looks at the much smaller kid, shaking his head. It's too late for newcomers. But if the kid's age is an issue, he doesn't mention it. Like a machine-gun: BANGS What do you type on? WILLIAM Smith-Corona Galaxis Deluxe. BANGS You like the new Lou Reed? WILLIAM (automatic) The early stuff. The new stuff, he's trying to be Bowie, he should be himself. I'm not a big Lou man. BANGS Yeah, but if Bowie's doing Lou, and Lou's Doing Bowie, Lou's still doing Lou. WILLIAM (standing his ground) If you like Lou. BANGS Take drugs? WILLIAM No. BANGS Smart kid. I used to do speed and sometimes Nyquil and stay up all night writing and writing, like 25 pages of dribble about, you know, the Guess Who, or Coltrane, just to write, you know, with the music blasting... WILLIAM Me too. The writing part... For a moment, the serious demeanor dissolves and the oddest thing happens. Bangs laughs. It's an odd and charming laugh, the kind a tough guy keeps well-hidden. It surprised the kid, who smiles back. Bangs stops at the corner, and offers a pleasant but very final nod of the head. BANGS Well, alright. It's been nice to meet you. I'll see you around. Keep sending me your stuff. WILLIAM Okay. See you. BANGS I can't stand here all day talking to my many fans. WIDE SHOT - SOLITUDE But neither have anywhere to go on this early downtown morning. They stand for a beat, hands in pockets, on this deserted street. They are alone together, there's nobody else in sight. 23 INT. DINER -- DAY 23 William listens intently as Lester eat a sandwich. His face is an open book filling with words. BANGS -- so anyway, you're from San Diego and that's good. Because once you go to L.A., you're gonna have friends like crazy but they'll be fake friends, they're gonna try to corrupt you. The publicists! The bands! You got an honest face, they're gonna tell you everything. But you CANNOT make friends with the rock stars. The kid takes out a green collegiate notebook and gestures -- can I make a note? Bangs nods. BANGS (cont'd) Cannot make friends with the rock stars. (savage bite) That's what's important. If you're a rock journalist, a true journalist -- first you will never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. The kid's eyes widen. Bangs, in direct conflict with his brutal writing style, is looking suspiciously like a compassionate softie. BANGS (cont'd) And they'll buy you drinks, you'll meet girls... they'll try to fly you places for free.... offer you drugs... I know. It sounds great. But they are not your friends. These are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of the rock stars and they will ruin rock and roll and strangle everything we love about it. Privately, William thrills. We. Our. It all sounds great to him. He listens to the grouping of the words, every one of them. He madly scribbles. BANGS (cont'd) They are trying to buy respectability for a form that is gloriously and righteously - The kid leans forward as Lester finds the right word. BANGS (cont'd) - dumb! And you're smart enough to know that. And the day it ceases to be dumb is the day it ceases to be real. Right? And then it will just Become an Industry of Cool. WILLIAM ... Industry... of... cool... BANGS And that's what they want! And it's happening right now. I'm telling you, you're coming along at a very dangerous time for rock and roll. The war is over. They won. 99% of what passes for rock now... SILENCE is much more compelling. It's over. I think you should turn around and go back and be... a lawyer or something... but I can see from your face that you won't. I can pay you thirty-five bucks. Gimme a thousand words on Black Sabbath. WILLIAM (attempting cool) An assignment. LESTER Yeah. And you should build your reputation on being honest... and unmerciful. WILLIAM (writing in notebook) Honest... unmerciful... BANGS And if you get into a jam -- call me. I stay up late. Bangs reaches across the table, and William watches as he scribbles his number on the back of the kid's green collegiate notebook. The notebook has just become valuable. They sit together, listening to the beautiful and compelling silence. 24 INT. FAMILY CAR -- NIGHT 24 Mom drives William to the San Diego Sports Arena. She looks out the window at the adrenalized concert-goers. She feels protective not just of her son, but an entire generation. William goes over his questions for Black Sabbath. ELAINE Look at this. An entire generation of Cinderellas and there's no slipper coming. William looks out the window at the sign: TONIGHT - SOLD OUT - BLACK SABBATH with special guest Stillwater. WILLIAM You can drop me off here. ELAINE Black. Sabbath. Just remember - you wanted to be Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. The kid doesn't answer. He silently goes over his questions. ELAINE (cont'd) As long as I know this is just a hobby, I'll go along with it. WILLIAM All I have to do is listen. That's what Lester Bangs said. ELAINE (dryly) I'll be waiting right here at eleven 'o clock sharp. If you get lost, use the family whistle. He unhooks his seatbelt, stuffs his questions into an orange canvas shoulder-bag and exits. Elaine watches her son disappearing into the stony rock-concert crowd. It's a windy night. Everything about this image troubles her. She fights with herself, and then uses the family whistle immediately. He turns. ELAINE (cont'd) (sweetly, too loud) Don't take drugs!! Fifteen concert-goers turn around instinctively, at the sound of a Mother, and then identify William as the object of her concern. All around him, we hear: HAPPY CONCERT GOERS Don't take drugs!! He winces, nods and moves forward. Music echoes from the open windows of many other cars. 25 EXT. SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA BACKSTAGE RAMP -- NIGHT 25 The kid tromps down the steep incline leading to a small steel backstage arena door. He rings the buzzer. The door wheezes open to reveal the keeper of the San Diego Sports Arena's backstage list. Famous to all those who attempt to enter, this is SCOTTY. He is a wiry, humorless man for whom powerlessness is the theme of his life -- except for those few hours he controls the list. Scotty is only forty but everything about him screams that he's an angry sixty. WILLIAM Hi. I'm William Miller and I'm here from Creem Magazine to interview the band Black Sabbath. Scotty, immediately suspicious, moves to a nearby podium and snaps through three clipboard pages. He moves back to the door and grabs the handle. SCOTTY Not on the list. He shuts the door with finality. The kid stands silently for a moment. He looks over his shoulder, at two chattering Groupies watching his dilemma from the top of the ramp. They look at him sympathetically, but he turns away. William rings the buzzer again, withdrawing a copy of Creem from his bag. The door opens. WILLIAM Sir, I'm a journalist, and here's a copy of the magazine. The magazine hangs in mid-air. SCOTTY You're not on the list. Go to the top of the ramp with the girls! Slam. William stands there for a moment. Unsure of what to do next, he looks back to the top of the ramp. Rejected by him just moments earlier, the groupies now feign disinterest. Bracing himself, William rings again. The door opens slowly this time. Scotty stands peering at him. WILLIAM (in a rush) What-happens-after-I-go-to-the-top-of- the-ramp with-the-gi - Slam. Lock. 26 EXT. TOP OF SPORTS ARENA RAMP -- NIGHT 26 William inches into the realm of the girls at the top of the ramp. The wind whips. It's just him, and two Groupies in their evening best. They now pretend to barely notice the young journalist who has been banished to stand with them. Chattering excitedly, with sophistication far beyond her 17 years, is ESTRELLA. She sports long unruly black hair. Her partner hangs in the shadows, adjusting shoes. Estrella turns to the kid with great disinterest. ESTRELLA Who are you with? WILLIAM (embarrassed to be alive) Me? I'm with myself. ESTRELLA No, who are you with? What band? WILLIAM I'm here to interview Black Sabbath. (beat) I'm a journalist. I'm not a... you know... Estrella stares at him. Moving into the parking lot light, introducing herself, is a luminous girl in a green faux-fur trimmed coat. This is PENNY LANE. There is an inviting warmth and real interest in the way she asks: PENNY LANE ... you're not a what? WILLIAM (enthralled) Oh... I'm just... not a... you know. PENNY LANE Not a "what"? WILLIAM (charmed) You know. A "groupie." The two girls are deeply insulted by the word. ESTRELLA Ohhh! WILLIAM Sorry, I - PENNY LANE We. Are not. "Groupies." Estrella indicates Penny with great reverence. ESTRELLA This is Penny Lane, man. Show some respect. WILLIAM -- sorry. Penny steps closer, focusing completely on the kid. Behind her, concert-goers throw a few woo-woos their way. She seems not to hear them. PENNY LANE "Groupies" sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. We are here because of the music. We are Band Aids. ESTRELLA She used to run a school for Band Aids. PENNY LANE We don't have intercourse with these guys. We support the music. We inspire the music. We are here because of the music. William is nodding like a doll in a dashboard window. Listening. ESTRELLA Marc Bolan broke her heart, man. It's famous. PENNY LANE It's a long story. I'm retired now. I'm just visiting friends. ESTRELLA She was the one who changed everything. She said "no more sex, no more exploiting our bodies and hearts... " WILLIAM Right. Right. ESTRELLA "... just blow-jobs, and that's it." WILLIAM Okay. Well, see, now I get the difference. Shot drifts off him and picks up, out of the darkness, another breathless girl teetering on tall shoes. She is in the vicinity of 16. Her black hair is cropped short and died red, just like the cover of Bowie's Aladdin Sane. She is POLEXIA, the voluptuous one, from Riverside. POLEXIA (the usual greeting) It's all happening. It's all happening. ESTRELLA Polexia!! Did you tell Sabbath we were going to be here? POLEXIA I talked to Dick with Stillwater, I talked with Sabbath. They're all dying to see us. It's all happening. PENNY LANE This is our journalist friend. Journalist Friend, meet Estrella Starr, and Polexia Aphrodisia. And you are -- WILLIAM William. Silent beat. His name lands like a thud. POLEXIA Here comes Sabbath! ESTRELLA Ozzy!!! Tony!!! It's us!! A long black limo with darkened windows swishes past, beeps twice. The metal backstage gate rises and the limo rolls inside. And then silence again. The girls do not discuss being rebuffed. ESTRELLA (cont'd) I think I saw Sapphire in there. POLEXIA (can't hold it in any longer) Okay. I was with Ian Hunter all night at Rodney's Last night. Wanna see his spoo? I saved it in a baggie. She opens her purse and shows the girls something inside. William edges away. ESTRELLA (peering into purse) I'm really happy he's doing so well. PENNY (regarding what's in purse) Yeah. I know he's such a talented guy. I mean, look at him. Who deserves it more? POLEXIA (looking in purse) Nobody -- he's so sweet. ESTRELLA (with compassion) Don't you just root for him, you know. To go that little distance between good and great? PENNY Wait. That's not his. I would know his. A very odd look on his face, William now cranes for a discreet look. What's in that purse? BAM -- THE BACKSTAGE DOOR OPENS Out steps SAPPHIRE, 19, a tall girl with taller platforms. Heavy eye-makeup. Her accent is Texan, with odd traces of English. In one hand is a half-drained bottle of champagne. In the other, a fistful of backstage passes. SAPPHIRE Does anybody remember laugh-tah? (as they turn) Come and GET 'EM! The girls scream and happily head down the ramp to Sapphire. Penny looks back and grabs William with a well-placed arm hooked around his. He joins the clacking sea of legs moving down the ramp. Sapphire slaps passes on the girls. As Scotty (The Keeper of the Backstage List) watches, Penny now slips William forward for a pass. SCOTTY Oh no. Not this one -- SAPPHIRE (off William) Who brought Opie? The kid looks over his shoulder. Who's Opie? PENNY He's with us. SCOTTY (hand blocking William) He wasn't with you. SAPPHIRE (to Scotty) Are you going to turn this into a Thing? SCOTTY All of you can wait outside! Top of the ramp! WILLIAM I don't want to cause a Thing. I'll wait. PENNY (privately, to William) I'll go take care of this. Sadly, they leave him behind. The thundering arena sound of the collecting crowd, the p.a. system blasting Yes' "Roundabout"... purposeful roadies carrying guitar cases... the glimpse of backstage rock and roll... everything he wants to be a part of is on the other side of this door. And then it shuts. He stands alone. At the top of the ramp, a tour bus unloads. It reads -- STILLWATER TOUR 73. Moving loudly out of the bus is the opening band. This is Stillwater. Four road-weary band members, and their road manager. Voices booming. RUSSELL HAMMOND, 27, presses the buzzer with the nose of his guitar-case. It's obvious from moment one. This is the star of the band, the charismatic one. He's tired. They're late. William recognizes him instantly, as the guitarist stretches. The buzzer goes unanswered. The kid is invisible to him, as the others now arrive behind Russell. Tour/band manager DICK ROSWELL, 27, follows, loudly banging on the steel door. He has the flaxen-haired look of a former hippie, but he carries the emblem of a real pro -- the newest silver Halliburton briefcase covered with backstage passes. His direction is always - forward. DICK Let us in, we're Stillwater! We're on the show!! William is surrounded by them now. They stand together under the single lightbulb, familiar faces, a live-action album cover. JEFF BEBE the singer, his shiny black hair hanging in sheets around his head. ED VALLENCOURT the quiet drummer, his long arms hanging limply at his sides. His is a face made for the background. LARRY TURNER the compact bass-player. Dick now kicks at the door with his foot, as William produces a copy of Creem Magazine. WILLIAM (to Dick) Hi, I'm a journalist. I write for Creem Magazine. Once again, the magazine hangs there. He can't give it away. JEFF The enemy! A rock writer! WILLIAM (struggling forward) I'd like to interview you or someone from the band. DICK (busy, running behind) I'm sorry but could you please fuck off? William blinks a little, takes it in stride. Russell sizes him up, moving in the background. WILLIAM Okay. Okay. I could do that. JEFF You guys never listened to our records. You're all just frustrated musicians. Do you know what your magazine SAID about us? What was it - "the singer's incessant cater walling distracts From an assault with no clear purpose." LARRY (in background) That was Rolling Stone. RUSSELL Yeah. Okay. Fuck off anyway. We play for fans, not critics. Stung, William shrugs. It's been a terrible night, but at least thrillingly so. WILLIAM Russell. Jeff. Ed. Larry. (can't help it) I really love your band. I think the song "Fever Dog" is a big step forward for you guys. I think you guys producing it yourselves, instead of Glyn Johns, was the right thing to do. And the guitar sound was incendiary. (gestures with fist) Way to go. He turns and leaves, beginning his long trek back up the ramp. Russell looks at the others. That kind of love is hard to give up. RUSSELL (good humored, yelling) Well don't stop there. JEFF Yeah, come back here!! Keep going! They wave him back, as the backstage door opens again. The kid moves back down the ramp. They herd him in with them, through the door. Scotty quickly spots the kid and squares off. Russell notes the kid's swirling emotional state, shoves him forward. SCOTTY Not this one. RUSSELL He's with us. SCOTTY He's not with you. He's not with them. He's not on the list. He's not coming in. And this is my arena. And furthermore - Russel craves the confrontation and moves forward closer to Scotty. SCOTTY (cont'd) - have a good time tonight. Welcome to San Diego. 27 INT. BACKSTAGE HALLWAY -- NIGHT 27 The band moves quickly down the hallway, with William moving to keep up. A young and grizzled red-haired roadie, RED DOG, catches them on the way. The band swarms around him. RUSSELL Red Dog! RED DOG We're playing here tomorrow night. JEFF (aside, to the kid) This is Red Dog, the Allman Brothers Band's number one roadie. Russel clamps an arm around Red Dog's neck. RUSSELL How're the guys? RED DOG Havin a ball, man. When we have a party, we have an Allman Brothers Band party. Everybody boogies. Everybody gets off. It's family, man. We all got These now. (flashes new mushroom tattoo on forearm) We'll see you guys in Boston, right? (specifically to Russell) Dicky and Gregg send you their love. Camera catches flash of envy on the face of Jeff Bebe, as Stillwater sweeps forward into a small dressing room. 28 INT. DRESSING ROOM -- NIGHT 28 Dressing room activity swirls around him, as William simply listens. He holds a small microphone. His stoic look gives away little of the full body rush he's experiencing. As the other band members drift across frame, Russell Hammond, a true rock and roll believer, speaks as he straps on his guitar and gets ready for the show. To the kid, every word is reckless gem. RUSSELL ... and it's okay, because rock and roll is a LIFESTYLE... and a way of thinking and it's not about money and "popularity!" JEFF Some money would be nice. Jeff sprays some shaving cream into his palm, and rubs it into his scalp - poor man's mousse. RUSSELL - but it's a voice that says here I am... and FUCK YOU if you can't understand me. Russell smooths the strings of his guitar with a small cloth from his guitar case. The kid notices all these close-up details of rock. RUSSELL (cont'd) And one of those people is gonna save the world and that means that ROCK AND ROLL CAN SAVE THE WORLD -- all of us together. The kid's eyes dance. He checks to make sure he's getting the recording. He listens intently. JEFF And the chicks are great. RUSSELL But we didn't do it for that! We are here because we needed to fuckin be here, not just 'cause we needed to away from Troy, Michigan, WHICH WE DID... but what it all comes down to is that thing. The Indefinable Thing, when people catch something from your music, the thing you put into it. I'm talking about... what am I talking about? WILLIAM (elegantly) The buzz? RUSSELL THE BUZZ! And the chicks, the whatever, is an off-shoot of THE BUZZ. And like -- you saying you liked "Fever Dog?" That is the fucking buzz, man. All we get are these fucking old-ass interviewers who don't understand, don't LISTEN, don't appreciate why we are here, which is the fuckin' BUZZ. William nods, holds his microphone steady. Russell tunes his guitar, ripping through unamplified guitar licks as he speaks. Jeff hustles to reclaim his own connection to the interviewer. JEFF The next album will be even better. More texture. RUSSELL But... it's not what you put in, is it? It's what you leave out. Listen to... listen to Marvin Gaye... Russell's face grows rapturous as he discusses this piece of music. RUSSELL (cont'd) A song like "What's Going On." That single "woo" at the end of the second verse - you know that woo - that single "woo." WILLIAM (proudly) I know that, "woo." RUSSELL (he does it) That's what you remember. The silly things, the little things... there's only one, and it makes the song. It's what you leave out. That's rock and roll. William nods, says nothing, keeps the microphone pointed. Activity surrounds him. JEFF (impressed) We used to talk more about this stuff. RUSSELL Okay. See, this is maybe the most honest we've ever been in an interview because you know our music. You're the first press guy we've made friends with. We don't normally talk like this to them. And you're supposed to be The Enemy! What are you - 18? WILLIAM Yeah. RUSSELL There you go. Still young enough to be honest. DICK (walkie talkie crackling) Ten minutes 'till showtime, anyone who isn't in the band -- out! Russell takes a last swig of beer. A roadie whisks his guitar away. DICK (cont'd) All this luggage is going to L.A.! William is swept out in the chaos of the pre-show ritual, past the pile of luggage by the door. It's a colorful heap of suitcases, featuring colorful laminated band tags, each with a number. 29 INT. BACKSTAGE STEPS -- NIGHT -- MINUTES LATER 29 William sits on the backstage steps, writing feverishly in his notebook. Behind him, two steps higher, Penny Lane scoots into place. PENNY LANE I found you a pass. WILLIAM (amped, distracted) Thanks. I got in with Stillwater. (as he writes) The guitarist, Russel Hammond, he just thoroughly opened up. He is by far the best and most honest interview I've ever done. (she nods) I've only done two, but you know. He's number one. PENNY LANE You're learning. They're much more fun on the way up. William nods, still scribbling. She eases down into place on the step next to him. Her proximity cause him to look at her, his eyebrows rising. She smooths them down with two single fingers. PENNY LANE (cont'd) How old are you? WILLIAM Eighteen. PENNY LANE Me too. (beat) How old are we really? WILLIAM Seventeen. PENNY LANE Me too. WILLIAM Actually I'm 16. PENNY LANE Me too. Isn't it funny? The truth just sounds Different. WILLIAM (confesses) I'm 15. PENNY LANE You want to know how old I really am? WILLIAM (immediately) No. She looks upstairs, soaking in the sound of another band tuning up. Music is her religion. WILLIAM (cont'd) How did you get started in all this? PENNY LANE It's a long story. WILLIAM (quick study) Right. Right. PENNY LANE We live in the same city. We should be friends. She takes his backstage pass form his shirt and puts it on his thigh - the cooler location. Nearby, the dressing room door opens, and the Stillwater exits. Excitement level rises as they mass in the hallway with instruments. We hear the amped voice of Russell growing nearer. RUSSELL The Enemy! He approaches, as William stands. Penny watches, hanging out of Russell's eyesight. Standing in the supercharged hallway, the kid is anxious to introduce his new friends. WILLIAM Russell, this is Penny Lane. PENNY LANE (stepping into view) Pleasure. RUSSELL Penny Lane? Like the song, right? PENNY LANE Have we met? THEY SHAKE And do not let go, for too long. There is history in their shake. Their eyes tell all. Shot takes us to William, who puts two and two together. It isn't hard. They clearly know each other. Well. WILLIAM Well, I guess you've... you've met. DICK Penny Lane! God's gift to rock and roll!! You're back! (privately) Marc Bolan. Please. Other band members pass, adjusting clothes for show time, waiting in the hallway... and now singing the Beatles song "Penny Lane." RUSSELL Come on, let's go. (noting kid's shyness) Both of you. 30 INT. BACKSTAGE -- NIGHT 30 House lights go down. Cheers rise. Dick's flashlight dances on the ground just in front of them, guiding their way in the dark to the stage steps. RUSSELL - get in the huddle. Russell pulls William into the band's huddle. SHOT LOOKING UP AT THEM Their band ritual, psyching together, arms on each other's shoulders in a circle. They sing a dew lines of the classic "Train Kept A-Rollin'" (or "Go See Cal" from the Cal Worthington ad) They all touch feet, and then break, heading for the stage. Russell directs Penny to his side of the stage. The kid follows. Plugging in, still in darkness, Russell hits a practice chord -- thwack. He steps on effects pedal. Applause. (Adlib onstage private patter, between members, goading each other -- the stuff no audience ever hears) Twenty feet away, Dick prepares to address the crowd from the darkened stage. It is his favorite moment of the evening, the highlight of his job. DICK From Troy, Michigan. Please welcome -- (importantly) Stillwater. Light hits the stage, and the band launches into their opening song, "If You Say Nothing." Audience response is strong. Shot lingers on the face of William as he soaks in the most undeniably exciting moment of any concert, the first thirty seconds. Jeff the singer grabs the microphone and launches into some vocal pyrotechnics. Russell looks over to Penny and William, at stage right, grinning, pretending to trip on his cord, an elegant show-off move of a musician who is now where he belongs... before seriously stepping forward for the first guitar lead of the night. The kid looks over to see Penny watching Russell. 31 EXT. BACKSTAGE -- NIGHT -- LATER 31 Cases are shut and rolled toward the trucks. Stillwater heads for their bus. Jeff the singer says goodbye to Estrella Starr, like a sailor leaving port. Russell lingers behind, saying goodbye to William, loading his own equipment. Black Sabbath passes with entourage, heading to the stage. RUSSELL (privately) So. You want to come up to L.A., we'll be at the "Riot House" all week. WILLIAM "The Riot House?" RUSSELL The Continental Hyatt House! It's on Sunset Strip. WILLIAM (attempting cool) Right. Right. All the while, just over the kid's shoulder, Russell scans the backstage crowd of hangers-on. Looking perhaps for Penny Lane. DICK Let's blow this burg! RUSSELL (exiting) Well tell your friend Miss Penny Lane to Call Me. Tell her "It ain't California without her. We want her around like last summer." Say it like that. WILLIAM Got it. RUSSELL (returns, whispers) Oh, I'm under the name - Harry Houdini. JEFF (exiting, to William) The Enemy!! Yeah!! Come to L.A., we'll take some more. Russell joins Jeff, exiting and laughing. A good show is still in the air. WILLIAM Later Jeff! See you, Dick. Larry. Ed. (and now the roadies) Mick, Gregg, Red Dog, Scully, Frosty, Estrella, The Wheel! ROADIES DICK Laterrrr! We'll see you down the line. William is deliriously happy, hands upraised. He turns to see Penny. WILLIAM PENNY! PENNY (calming him) Hey. Hey. Be cool. WILLIAM You just missed Russell! He says he's at the "Riot House" all week and to call him. He's under the name Harry Houdini. Do you know about the "Riot House?" PENNY LANE I think I've heard of it. WILLIAM He had a message for you! He said, "It's not California without you. We want you around like last summer." (consults notebook) Actually he said "ain't." "It ain't California - " PENNY LANE I get the gist. WILLIAM How well do you guys know each other? She smiles privately. WILLIAM (cont'd) I got it. No problem. Long story. Alright! I gotta go. Elsewhere in the arena, Black Sabbath is performing "Sweet Leaf." The kid could care less. He has bonded with Stillwater. He heads for the door. Penny walks with him. He's loving it. They pass a still-scowling Scotty, flashing passes, as they exit out into the ramp area. 32 EXT. SPORTS ARENA -- NIGHT 32 Penny takes out an eyeliner pencil, writes her number on the back of his green notebook. PENNY LANE Call me if you need a rescue. We live in the same city. WILLIAM I think I live in a different world. They stand in the night air. The parking lot is largely silent now, save for the thudding bass sounds of Black Sabbath. In the distance, we hear Elaine's insistent whistle. PENNY Speaking of the world. I've made a decision. (a very serious secret) I'm going to live in Morocco for one year. I need a new crowd. He nods. He is a rapt audience for this flashy girl. PENNY (cont'd) Do you want to come? WILLIAM Yes. In the distance, we hear the family whistle growing louder. PENNY It's a plan. You've got to call me. WILLIAM Okay. PENNY It's all happening. WILLIAM It's all happening. He nods cooly. He waits until she turns, and the sprints through the parking lot, to the distant family whistle. FADE OUT: FADE IN: 33 ON TAPE RECORDER 33 William's fingers work the clunky keys, pressing rewind. We hear a snippet of the intense and lively Stillwater interview, full of overlapping and barely discernible voices. Meticulously, he untangles the voices, especially Russell's, as he transcribes. INT. WILLIAM'S BEDROOM - DAY The work of a journalist, as William sits at his Smith-Corona Galaxis. There is a knock at the window, and William scoots back in his chair to see a familiar face. It is Darryl, his sister's old boyfriend. William opens the window. WILLIAM Hey Darryl. DARRYL Hey. Darryl climbs in the window, looks around the room that was once the site of his previous glory. DARRYL (cont'd) So she's a stewardess now. WILLIAM Yeah. She and Mom are still sorta... I'd say "not speaking," but I don't know if they ever did. DARRYL Your sister. A stewardess. (nods to himself) The things your sister and I did inside these four walls... WILLIAM That's okay. I don't want to know. It's my room now. DARRYL We flew the friendly skies - WILLIAM Okay - DARRYL I don't want to put you in the middle of anything. We don't have to talk about it. WILLIAM No. DARRYL You seem cooler. WILLIAM Yeah. I'm thinking about going to Morocco. DARRYL Lemme know if you need a little help with your Mom. WILLIAM A little might not be enough. DARRYL She still freaks me out. WILLIAM (nods, an old issue) Yeah - DARRYL She's famous. WILLIAM Listen - DARRYL Go ahead and do what you were doing. I just wanna hang in here for a moment. WILLIAM Cool. Alright. William nods and continues his work, self-consciously, as Darryl sits on his bed and soaks in the memories of the room. A long moment passes. Darryl pats his thighs, and rises. DARRYL Okay, man. WILLIAM Okay, man. 34 INT. LIVING ROOM -- EVENING 34 William slips on corduroy jacket, over a tie-dyed shirt. Well, it's definitely a look. Mom appears more nervous than her son. ELAINE I worry about the drunk drivers. WILLIAM Mom. I'm 15. (beat, vague panic) Right? ELAINE Yes, you're 15. "And here's that money I owed you." She reaches in a small box near the door, gives him twenty bucks. It's their routine. ELAINE (cont'd) Your dad's favorite joke. I don't do it as well. WILLIAM I thought it was pretty good. ELAINE Keep the small bills on the outside. And call me if anyone gets drunk. WILLIAM I will call you if anyone anywhere gets drunk. ELAINE Good. WILLIAM (anticipating her, like a parent) And don't take drugs. ELAINE (stoic) Ha ha. Very funny. See -- sense of humor. Have fun at the dance. I'm glad you're making friends. They move to the door, and he steadies her, as if to remind her she's not going. He opens the door. She's a wreck, and she knows it. WILLIAM Mom? ELAINE Yeah - WILLIAM (loving but firm, as if to a dog.) Stay. ELAINE Oh... okay. WILLIAM I-love-you-bye. He opens the door. Neil Young. "Sugar Mountain." Watching him leave is always a killer. She's not getting any better at it either. She folds her arms tightly across her chest. 35 EXT. WILLIAM'S HOUSE -- NIGHT 35 Penny waist by her car, down the hill, sporting a different more elegant look. She cups her hands and yells up to him. He hikes down the hill, squishing down the water plants, almost falling, the first time we've seen him happy in his own skin. 36 EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD -- LATER NIGHT 36 Miss Penny Lane's yellow Vega makes the big swing onto Sunset Boulevard. She sings along to the obscure words of Led Zeppelin's "Dancing Days." William takes it all in from the passenger seat. Huge billboards advertise not cigarettes or beer, but albums. It's a wondrous piece of geography for any rock fan. Shot moves in as William, watches, takes it all in. He moves his head outside the window to see fully. Her windshield is cracked along the side. PENNY LANE The Continental Hyatt House. Also known as The Riot House. (does tour guide voice) Every band stays here, all the ones that matter. The Who. Zeppelin. Alice. Bowie. English bands. American bands. We all know each other. Twenty- four hour room service. Like us, they were outsiders. They were so outside, they're inside, and insiders never even knew it, because they're outsiders and they are inside a place outsiders will never be. And why are we even talking about it? If you're really an insider, you're never gonna say it. You know what I mean? WILLIAM (beat, working it out) Yeah. Yes. She makes a swift turn into a secret parking spot near the hotel. PENNY And we're not gonna hang out with Russell. You can, but not me. WILLIAM What is it with you and Russell? 37 EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD -- NIGHT 37 Neil Young and Crazy Horse's "Cinnamon Girl" ricochets across the Strip. It's blasting from cars tuned into KMET. Penny now wears her green faux-fur trimmed coat. She grabs William's hand, steadying her hat at the same time. They dart across the busy street. She stumbles a little on her platforms. He steadies his taller date. They are a good team as they pass one of several humming tour busses parked out front. 38 INT. HYATT HOUSE LOBBY -- NIGHT 38 Penny blasts into the Continental Hyatt House, William on her arm. The lobby of this bastion of seventies rock is more alive than most clubs. It's a swirling mass of Roadies carrying Halliburton briefcases plastered with tour stickers, mingling Rockers, and more than a few Groupies with lower-ambitions and taller-platforms than Penny Lane. The feeling is communal, illicit, intoxicating. The secret community of rock. Penny attracts a hailstorm of friends and comrades. PENNY LANE It's all happening. (grabbing him like a shield) And I'm about to use you as protection. ROADIE # 1 Penny Lane!! PENNY LANE (aside) These guys are with Alice Cooper. I'm going to pretend I don't know them. ENGLISH ROADIE # 2 Penny!! Does Alice know you're here? PENNY LANE I'm just showing my very dear, very wonderful friend around. He's a very important writer - he knows Lester Bangs. (English accent) I'm responsible for his moral conduct while he's abroad. ROADIE # 3 (arriving, mock drama) Penny Lane!! God's gift to rock and roll!! PENNY LANE I'm retired. (uses English accent) And don't argue with me! ROADIE # 3 Again? PENNY LANE (moving, English accent) Have we met? Effortlessly touching an arm here and there, charming all - she had four men suddenly circling her. PENNY LANE (cont'd) I've made a decision. I'm going to go traveling in India. Then I'm going to learn how to play the violin. Then I'm going to go to college for one year. William looks at her, perplexed and a little hurt. What about Morocco? ROADIE # 2 (exiting, not buying it) There's nothing they could teach you in college, darling. (whispers) Call Alice. He's under the name Bob Hope. ROADIE # 1 I heard you were with Russell from Stillwater. PENNY Please. I throw the little ones back. Lusty laughs circle William. Overlapping this dialogue is the appearance of our friend Polexia. POLEXIA (in tears, in pieces, emotional) Ian Hunter is a fucking asshole! WILLIAM Polexia! POLEXIA Opie!!! She hugs him like a long-lost friend, knocking the air out of him. And now overlapping this action, appears Superfan RIC NUNEZ, 14. His eyes are forever moist, but he's oddly formal and never feels worthy of the rockers he idolizes. Tonight he wears a custom homemade t-shirt with iron-on block letters. It features the four Led Zeppelin symbols and the words: "TO BE A ROCK AND NOT TO ROLL." A felt-tip pen is still in his quivering hand. Nunez walks with them, backpedaling as he says: RIC It's all happening. I just saw them on the seventh floor! Mr. Jimmy Page... Mr. John Paul Jones... (displays squiggle on shirt) Mr. Robert Plant signed my shirt in the elevator!! Five minutes ago, he touched this pen. Please don't smear it. And Bonzo's gotta new motorcycle in the hotel! PENNY Ric is a Zeppelin fan. WILLIAM Yeah, I picked that up. PENNY He tours with them, but not "with" them. RIC They're on the 12th floor, but there's guards there! So you gotta go to the tenth floor and go up the back steps. PENNY LANE This is my very dear, very close, very wonderful friend William Miller, he is very close with Lester Bangs. RIC It's all happening!! See you in Cleveland! Ric rushes back to the elevators. PENNY LANE I'm retired! Doesn't anybody believe me!? 39 INT. HYATT HOUSE LOBBY PHONE -- NIGHT -- MINUTES LATER 39 Penny nearby as William picks up the house phone. He shouts over the din. WILLIAM Harry Houdini, please. As he waits, he discreetly pockets the matches, hotel pad and pencil next to the housephone. 40 INT. HALLWAY/RUSSELL'S HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT 40 William, Polexia and an ambivalent Penny walk the hallway, looking for the room. William looks in the passing open doors, each one a different window into another world. PENNY LANE Okay. Time to put on the lampshade. Up ahead, the door to their smallish hotel room is open. Inside, a band party in full swing. A clunky early-model boom box segues from James Brown's "Make It Funky" to Led Zeppelin's "Gallows Pole." Russell Hammond is the center of this party, jabbing out the chords, playing along on guitar. Much singing echoes all around. It's a hotel-room Hootenanny, and all members of the band are present. Penny Lane takes a breath and enters, with arms extended and pointing in opposite directions. She does a flawless stewardess imitation, with proper hand gestures, to a loud party ovation. PENNY LANE (cont'd) "Ladies and Gentlemen. Please extinguish all smoking materials and notice that the captain has turned on The No Smoking sign. Your seat and tray tables should be locked in their full and upright positions." RUSSELL/OTHERS PENNY!! PENNY LANE!! She is instantly and overwhelmingly, the life of this party. Russell joins William. RUSSELL (impressed to see him) Alright. WILLIAM (happy to be there) Alright. Russell places a beer in William's hands, and exits. PENNY LANE (continuing) "In the unlikely event of a water landing, the seat below you will serve as a -" (give up) Oh, the hell with it. They all applaud her, laughing. William watches her with wonder, as she turns his way and winks. Jeff approaches the alluring Polexia, and goes to get her a beer. Meanwhile, Polexia sidles up to William. She sees him watching Penny at the other side of the room. POLEXIA (privately) Act One, in which she pretends she doesn't care about him. POV shot travels to Russell, strumming the guitar that is always a part of his body. Russell is watching Penny Lane surreptitiously. POLEXIA (cont'd) Act Two, in which he pretends he doesn't care... and goes right for her. Russell moves towards Penny. POLEXIA (cont'd) Act Three, in which it all plays out the way she planned it. She'll eat him alive. WILLIAM (worried) We've got to stop them. POLEXIA Stop them? You were her excuse for coming here. ON PENNY PENNY I need ice! Penny disappears out the door, across the hallway. Russell follows a moment later. The kid's eyebrows rise. Polexia regards the kid with affection, adjusting his collar and peeling a hair off his jacket. POLEXIA I just worry about people using her. You know? 'Cause she brings out the good side in everybody else, but what do they do for her? Life kills me. Do you have any pot? WILLIAM Not on me. POLEXIA Do you smoke? WILLIAM No. (attempting to fit in) But I... I grow it. I grow it. Polexia looks at the kid, laughing at his poor job of lying. POLEXIA You're funny. You know, if you were only taller, English, rich, a guitar- player and older... WILLIAM I'd be someone else. POLEXIA Yeah. Good point. Jeff appears with her beer, and she whispers in the kid's ear before she exits with Jeff Bebe. POLEXIA (cont'd) Bless me father for I may sin tonight. The kid watches, as the boom box plays an obscure favorite of Russell's, Eddie Giles' "Losin' Boy." There is the sound of a motorcycle somewhere down the hallway. 41 INT. ICE ROOM -- NIGHT 41 The ice machine makes new cubes with a grinding noise. Penny puts ice in her glass. Behind her, Russell moves into frame, hands delicately riding the sides of her body. A motorcycle roars by, just outside the door, as Penny moves away from Russell's exploring hands. PENNY (with real indignation) How does it end? RUSSELL What? PENNY You know - the story about the girl who dumps the guy who has an ex-ex wife -- the one we don't talk about -- and gets a hundred... okay, five letters from him, and then doesn't even leave a pass in San Diego. Wake up! I'm retired and I never believed you anyway. You're too talented and too good-looking to be trusted and everybody knows it. RUSSELL (smiling, loves it) You're retired like Frank Sinatra is retired. She makes a scoffing noise. He moves to the ice machine, with a glass of his own. RUSSELL (cont'd) Miss Penny Lane. Let me tell you what rock and Roll will miss the day you truly retire. He tosses cubes in his glass, one by one. After the first cube: RUSSELL (cont'd) The way you turn a hotel room into a home. (cube) The way you pick up strays wherever you go. Like Pied Piper. (cube) The way you know the words to every song. Every song. Especially the bad ones. Mostly the bad ones. (cube) That green coat in the middle of summer. (cube) The real name you won't reveal. (cube) And. I'd keep going, but my glass if full. PENNY (quietly) Damn. He kisses her powerfully, hands at his sides. She fights to keep her hands off him. Bonham's motorcycle rips by, just outside the door. RUSSELL Come to Arizona. PENNY Never. RUSSELL We leave Thursday morning. 9 AM. And pack light this time. Jesus. They kiss. The motorcycle speeds by again, just outside. 42 INT. HALLWAY -- NIGHT 42 The hallways are crowded, as William looks at the closed door of the ice room. He leans against the wall, alone now. Trying to look like he belongs. Behind him, most of the band has disappeared into other rooms, leaving only hangers-on in their places. 43 INT. ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE -- DAY 43 Music. We pan across cubicles bustling with laid-back fervor. These are the San Francisco-based main offices of Rolling Stone Magazine. We have arrived for the waning days that this magazine could still be called, with a straight-face, an "underground" publication. Their mounting success crowds the edges of every frame. Camera catches the Annie Leibowitz portraits that hang on the walls -- Lennon, Jagger, Rod Stewart, James Taylor. We find editor BEN FONG-TORRES, 29, in his cramped cubicle. Sitting nearby is curly-haired and mustachioed Star Staff writer, DAVID FELTON, 32, who smokes his cigarettes with a long holder. Felton reads one of William's articles, chuckling. BEN FONG-TORRES William Miller? INTERCUT: INT. WILLIAM'S BEDROOM -- DAY William is on the phone in his own small room. WILLIAM This is he. BEN Crazy. William, this is Ben Fong- Torres. I'm the music editor at Rolling Stone Magazine. We've got a copy of your stories from the San Diego Door. This is the same William Miller? William instantly, nervously alters his voice to sound older. WILLIAM Yes it is. BEN (rifling through tearsheets) Voice of God, howling dogs, the spirit of rock And roll... this is good solid stuff. WILLIAM (immediately, suddenly deeper) Thanks... thanks. BEN You should be writing for us. Any ideas? WILLIAM (voice now to deep) How about Stillwater? BEN Crazy. New album... their third... starting to do something. Ben shuffles through papers, looking for a tour itinerary on his promotional-material laden-desk, automatically plotting the piece aloud. BEN (cont'd) (pleasant, terse) Stillwater. Hard-working band makes good. Get 'em to respond to the critics who dismissed the first two albums as workmanlike. Guitarist is the clear star of the band. Crazy. Let's do three- thousand words. You'll catch up to them on the road. We'll set up billing -- don't let the band pay for anything. WILLIAM (affecting casualness) Sounds good. BEN We can only pay -- lemme see, three- thousand words -- seven hundred dollars. The kid's eyes widen. BEN (cont'd) Alright, a grand. What's your background? You a journalism major? WILLIAM (deeply) Yes. BEN What college -- INT. ELAINE'S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS Elaine now gets on the extension. ELAINE Honey, I need you to do that thing that fixes the garbage disposal -- She hangs up. INT. WILLIAM'S BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS The kid is paralyzed. BEN Well, I know how my lady gets when I don't Snap to it - WILLIAM Crazy. BEN Crazy! I'll let you go. Call me at the San Francisco office tomorrow. 44 INT. LESTER BANGS HOME -- LATE NIGHT 44 The great Lester Bangs stands in the promotional album-clogged bedroom of his Birmingham, Michigan, home/office at Creem Magazine. There is nothing in frame that does not deal with music. In the background, a scratchy and chaotic Coltrane record. LESTER BANGS Beware Rolling Stone Magazine. They will change your story, they'll re- write it and turn it into swill. Beware!! WILLIAM But besides that, what would be wrong with it? LESTER BANGS (laughs, entertained) You have starry eyes, my friend. (beat) Look. Do the story. It's a good break for ya. But remember this -- The kid listens intently, and makes notes. LESTER BANGS (cont'd) ... don't do it to make friends with people who are trying to use you to further the big business desire to glorify worthless rock stars like Stillwater. And don't let those swill merchants re-write you. WILLIAM (still copying) ... swill merchants... LESTER BANGS Now. What are you listening to? 45 EXT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE -- DAY 45 William knocks on the teacher's lounge door. A Teacher answers, protective of their sanctuary. WILLIAM (urgently) I need to talk to Mrs. Deegan, from Journalism. Mrs. Deegan appears in the doorway. 46 EXT. WILLIAM'S HOME -- LATE AFTERNOON 46 The sun is still shining. It's late afternoon, as Elaine Miller exits her car and arrives home. She sees a few extra cars in the driveway, is immediately suspicious. 47 INT. LIVING ROOM -- LATE AFTERNOON 47 Elaine arrives to find William, Mrs. Deegan and Darryl awaiting her in the living room. It's a 1973-style intervention. They wear sunny, compassionate smiles. ELAINE Whatever it is, the answer is no. MRS. DEEGAN Elaine, we need to talk to you. Nothing is wrong. I am a teacher. You're a teacher. We speak the same language. Mom sits down. She is fully engaged and worried, her natural state. MRS. DEEGAN (cont'd) Now I'm not a jump-up-and-down person, but something wondrous has happened to William. And you have every reason to be happy... (knows her) ... and calm. Carefully gauging Elaine's face, the teacher continues. MRS. DEEGAN (cont'd) William has been gifted with a shining opportunity in the world of journalism. Through a love of music, and at an oddly-young age, he has received a major assignment from a national publication called Rolling Stone Magazine. Mrs. Deegan produces a copy, and places it on Elaine's lap. It sits there like the plague. MRS. DEEGAN (cont'd) Now you are rather famously not a fan of rock music, but such are the ironies of life, that happens to be the very topic of William's assignment - (cheerfully) - rock music. A band. ELAINE (warily, to Darryl) Honey, what are you doing here? DARRYL Moral support. Mom looks evenly at her son, seated opposite her in this small living room. ELAINE What's involved? MRS. DEEGAN Well. It's a great opportunity. He'll be well-paid, and published nationally -- (quickly) -- and he'll go on tour with a rock band for four days. No small planes... he travels on a bus. ELAINE Is it time for me to say something? MRS. DEEGAN Sure. ELAINE No. MRS. DEEGAN And in anticipation of that response - ELAINE No. MRS. DEEGAN -- William has prepared -- ELAINE (rueful) "Lo, that which I have feared has come upon me." WILLIAM (lightening fast) "He who jealously guards his fears, quietly yearns to bring them about!" Mrs. Deegan admires their high-strung intellectual parrying, makes an impressed noise. ELAINE (with compassion) No. I have raised him to be an honor student, which he is. We have agreed on all our goals. We raised him to be a lawyer, we moved here to be near the finest law school in the West. Plus, he has finals coming up, and in one week he graduates with all his friends - DARRYL He's got no friends!! WILLIAM Darryl. Please. Nearby, having anticipated all of the above, William nods to Mrs. Deegan, and stands. MRS. DEEGAN Elaine, may I present to you... your own son. William takes a lawyerly stroll, turns to face his mom. WILLIAM Lady of the Jury. (beat) I wish to disprove the prevailing false belief that rock music is based on drugs and sex. True, perhaps at one time... but rock music is different now. It is now performed by hard-working intellectuals, with... with blazing intellectual pursuits, and I am going to play for you a piece of music designed to show you that my thesis is correct. ELAINE This is going to be hell. Across the room, Darryl takes his position near the stereo. WILLIAM The song is based on the literature of Tolkien... and it's mystical attempt to elevate humanity has been successful throughout the world... this song will change your life. Mom stifles a cough. William nods to Darryl, who reverentially drops the needle with a thud. Mom is trapped, as we listen to silent static... and then... the opening notes of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." William gives his Mother the album cover's inner-sleeve with lyrics. WILLIAM (cont'd) We ask you only to listen. Camera passes across their serious and expectant faces. The intro in not short. We listen, just watching their faces, as Elaine becomes increasingly impatient. ELAINE WILLIAM When is it going to start - Soon. Immediately, overlapping, the vocal begins. ("There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold.") DISSOLVE TO: 48 SUN MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS THE SKY 48 Sprinklers click across the lawns. ("... and it makes me wonder... ") 49 INT. LIVING ROOM -- AFTERNOON 49 Mom adjust herself in the chair, listens politely, checks her watch. She looks at William. 50 EXT. HOME - AFTERNOON 50 Sprinklers continue. ("If there's a bustle in your hedgerow... ") 51 INT. LIVING ROOM -- AFTERNOON 51 Mom listens fitfully. The song continues. DISSOLVE TO: 52 EXT. HOUSE -- STILL LATER AFTERNOON 52 Sprinklers shut off. Music is now blasting. ("To be a rock, and not to roll... ") 53 INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER AFTERNOON 53 Mom's face remains stoic to the bitter end. ("... and she's buying the Stairway to Heaven.") The song ends. Silence. All look to Elaine. They wait on her response. We hear the turntable arm return to its cradle. ELAINE What am I supposed to say? You say it's Tolkien, fine. They sound like nice kids. Is it meant to elevate humanity? "Sure, let's elevate humanity. After we sell you drugs and sex." All I have is my honesty. That's what I believe, and that's what I know. (flipping through magazine) Oh. Here's a nice ad. She holds up the magazine. And ad reads, in large bold type: BUY THIS FUCKING ALBUM. ELAINE (cont'd) You've clearly ganged up on me, and I still say no. No no no no no no no. She shuts her eyes, and blurts out something against her better judgement. ELAINE (cont'd) NO MORE THAN FOUR DAYS AND I WANT A PHONE NUMBER FOR WHERE YOU ARE EVERY MINUTE AND I WANT YOU TO CALL ME TWICE A DAY AND YOU'D BETTER NOT MISS ONE TEST - AND NO DRUGS. William nods gratefully, and exits frame. Hold on the empty chair, as drums herald the beginning of the Allman Brothers Band's "Trouble No More" from Live at Fillmore East. SHOT MOVES IN ON ELAINE who feels a very particular kind of loneliness. It's the loneliness she got married, and then raised a family, to escape. 54 INT. STILLWATER TOUR BUS -- DAY 54 An empty Heineken beer bottle rolls up and down the aisle, taking us to William. William picks up the bottle and places it in the seat back pocket in front of him. He has joined the circus, and the feeling of being here is a lot more lonely and forbidding than he expected. The bus struggles to make it up the hill, back rows shuddering loudly, as music continues. DICK C'mon, Doris! Darling Bus. You can make it! 55 EXT. NEVADA DESERT HIGHWAY -- DAY 55 The Stillwater Tour Bus rumbles down the desert highway. The destination banner reads - ALMOST FAMOUS -- TOUR 73. Music continues. 56 INT. BUS - DAY 56 William strains for a look at Russell five rows up. He plays slide guitar, working out a part. Next to Russell is Penny Lane. Penny raises an early-model Polaroid camera and - flash - takes a picture of a nearby sleeping Jeff Bebe. PENNY Gotcha. Jeff grumbles from the depths of a hangover. Penny stuffs the shot in her pocket. William watches, his private heart pounds. Polexia appears and sits next to him, noticing his shyness. POLEXIA Do you have any pot? WILLIAM No. I'm a journalist. POLEXIA Well, go do your job then. You're on the road, man. It's all happening! Get in there. Go talk to 'em! Challenged, William rises and approaches Russell. He fixes the charismatic guitarist in his sights. Shot takes him down the aisle to the jamming star guitarist. He crouches in the aisle and talks to Russell who immediately seems moody. His mood is in the air. WILLIAM (very professional) Russell. Do you think we might be able to find some time to talk when we get to Phoenix? I want to interview everyone separately... and I felt we'd start with you and me. Nearby, Jeff now listens in, feeling immediately jealous. RUSSELL Absolutely. Russell turns away. The kid squats uncomfortably in the aisle, babbling on. WILLIAM Because I've got a thing in a couple days. RUSSELL What. WILLIAM (self-conscious) It's a... thing where... uhm... you go there to graduate. School. RUSSELL (sharply) I never graduated. And look what happened. You're here interviewing me. Good point. Laughs from everybody listening nearby. It's a good line. William makes a quick jot in his notebook. RUSSELL (cont'd) No no no. Don't put that in Rolling Stone. My bio says I graduated. We'll come up with something better later. Just enjoy the ride. Russell eyes the notebook suspiciously before turning away. Penny notices William's discomfort, laughing warmly, all while grabbing a Coke and giving one to nearby bassist Larry. LARRY How did you know I was thirsty? He didn't even realize he was thirsty, but he is. He nods thanks to Penny, the perfect road companion for all. And then Penny gives the other Coke, her Coke, to William. He accepts it too, and starts back to his seat. He's been blown off, and he knows it, but before he exits Penny grabs his arm and whispers in his ear: PENNY I may need to stay in your room tonight. Russell's in a bad mood. He's very Bob Dylan in Don't Look Back today. He's trying to write. William nods cooly -- they are comrades -- and returns to his seat. A large joint passes in front of him, across him, to Polexia, as everyone cheers Doris the Bus rumbling up another hill. POLEXIA (inhaling deeply) Want some? WILLIAM No thanks. A wall of pot smoke is exhaled, right into his face. It surrounds him like a cloud. The bus shudders, as Russell continues playing slide up ahead. 57 INT. WILLIAM'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 57 Elaine sits in her living room, filled with her books. Large Department store photos of her children on the wall. She feels her own loneliness, and his too, as she dials a phone number. ELAINE Has William Miller arrived yet? He hasn't. Could you give him a message as soon as you see him? - 58 INT. BUS -- NIGHT 58 Several hours later on this ride. Outside, night and desert. Inside, a few cigarettes, a joint of two glow in the darkness of the bus. The end of the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love" plays from the bus stereo, full blast. Everybody is free and anonymous in the dark. They sing at full-volume. William looks out the window in wonder. ZEPPELIN/ALL "Way down inside... (woman) woman... you need... " The ten-ton guitar chord of Jimmy Page. ZEPPELIN/ALL (cont'd) "Loooooooooooooooooooooooovvve... " John Bonham's drums thunder through the bus, everybody still singing as they dip down into the city ahead, Phoenix. William watches the living documentary around him. He writes furiously in the green notebook, scribbling in the dark, trying to steady his writing on the bumpy bus. Behind him, someone is beating along to the song on his seat. He never want to leave this world. 59 INT. ARIZONA RAMADA INN LOBBY -- NIGHT 59 All enter the lobby like warriors, in a pack. The hotel chairs are spotted with curious hangers-on, decked out and lounging. Dick is already stationed, as always, at the front desk. The sad state of hotel service grates on a road dog like Dick. He is forever teaching others their jobs. DICK Jeff, Tony... Keys... keys... keys... room list... (re: luggage, to hotel bellman) If it doesn't have a number on it, it ain't ours! He gives key and a stack of messages to Russell, and turns to William who he makes feel more important. Penny is nearby with her suitcase and tackle box purse. William watches Russell's guitars whisked away - they are luggage-numbered 1, 3, and 4. DICK (cont'd) The Enemy! Here you go, here's the key to your palatial suite, room list, plus let me give you a luggage tag. You're Number 42. CLERK Is this Mr. Miller? You have a message from Elaine. WILLIAM Thanks. CLERK (confidentially) She's a handful. WILLIAM I know. William cooly takes the folded message, doesn't look at it, and tries to pretend this embarrassing moment didn't happen. Jeff exchanges a look with Russell. Nearby, the walking commotion arrives, clacking through the lobby. It's Sapphire. Last night's clothes are now today's. She holds a travel case, and hanger with some odd blouses. SAPPHIRE Finally, you're here!! They kicked me out of my room! Fuck Ozzy! She hugs Penny Lane. Estrella appears, happy to have help with Sapphire. ON RUSSELL who approaches William. RUSSELL Come by in a few minutes. We'll do the interview. The kid exits and goes to join Penny, who is still comforting Sapphire. Russell looks through his messages. The guitar, now in a case, never leaves his hand. Jeff Bebe approaches, regarding William standing with Penny and the girls. Intrigue is swirling in the lobby. JEFF I'm worried, man. RUSSELL Naw, we can trust him. He's a fan. JEFF But it's Rolling Stone. He looks harmless, but he does represent the magazine that trashed Eric Clapton, broke up Cream, ripped Led Zeppelin, and wrote that lame story about the Allman Brothers Band that bummed Duane out before he died. Don't forget the Rules. This little shit is the Enemy. He writes what he sees. (beat) But it would be cool to be on the cover. RUSSELL Leave it to me. We'll get a good story. JEFF Plus our girlfriends read this magazine and - (looking at Band-aids) -- you know. RUSSELL You made your point. I'll take to him. ON WILLIAM BY ELEVATOR Penny speaks confidentially to him. If she is slightly bossy, it is only because she's good at logistics, emotional and otherwise. PENNY Can Sapphire stay in your room tonight? She had a big fight with Ozzy, and Polexia's not working out with Jeff Bebe. (to Sapphire and Polexia) You just have to remember... these guys are jealous, insecure, talented, egocentric, and manipulative geniuses... they're lead-singers. They can say "I love you" to 20,000 people... but any fewer is a real problem. (girls nod, comforted, she continues to the kid) Jeff Bebe has so much jealousy over Russell that he can't express. Plus, he never slept last night. You keep Sapphire and I'll stay with Russell. William covers his disappointment over losing Penny as a roommate. Cooly: WILLIAM Sure. I'll take her. POLEXIA Me too? WILLIAM Sure. Estrella arrives with travel bag, equally homeless, looking hopeful. WILLIAM (cont'd) If there's room - Penny squeezes him. He feels cool... but the girl he really wanted to stay in his room now joins Russell, disappearing into the elevator. He looks down at the message in his hand, and opens it. It reads: DON'T TAKE DRUGS! He snaps it closed quickly, before anyone can see. 59A IN. RUSSELL's ROOM -- NIGHT 59A Russell plays acoustic guitar, a notebook cradled on his lap. Trying to write. It's coming slowly. Shot moves off him, past a flickering television, onto Penny who silently and intently watches Russell as if he's a rare and beautiful bird. He looks over at her - she turns away quickly. He goes back to work. Tries to catch her watching him again. She turns away just in time. 60 INT. WILLIAM'S HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT 60 Stillwater's "Fever Dog" plays from the t.v. radio. William on the bed, a thick local phone book on his lap. His hotel room. He watches self-consciously as the girls go about the ritual of inhabiting a room on the road. Sapphire flutters a paisley scarf over the room lamp. Polexia puts a towel along the crack of the door, blows out the glowing embers on too- many sticks of incense, and moves to the phone. Estrella has joined them as well, complete with a bag full of shoes. Instantly, we have atmosphere and not much room left in this, the smallest room in the hotel. William thumbs through the phone book with fascination. WILLIAM All these people. (wondrous, off phone book) And they all live in Phoenix. POLEXIA (on phone) Hi Dad!! I can't talk long! I'm here in Paris. I'm staying in another Youth Hostel with no phone and no address for mail!! WILLIAM (still wondrous, from phone book) Alex. Lowbatz. SAPPHIRE (emerging from bathroom) I was the one who told him what to tattoo on his fingers, I was the one who made his shirts... I was there when his wife left him. WILLIAM Charles. C. Swoop. POLEXIA (on phone) I CAN SEE THE EIFFELL TOWER. DO YOU KNOW THERE ARE 578 STEPS TO THE TOP? She's reading from a European tour book. WILLIAM Paul and Debbie Finger. ESTRELLA (looking out window) Oh my God. Simon Kirke of Bad Company is by the pool. The girls mobilize by the window. William is increasingly aware that he is an outsider in his own tiny room. He tries to organize his stuff in the corner. POLEXIA I GOTTA GO! I'LL CALL FROM ROME! ESTRELLA Is anybody here as worried about Penny and Russell as I am? POLEXIA (the perfect daughter) AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MAGGIE!! I LOVE YOU!! She winks at William, who looks away. SAPPHIRE (to Polexia and William) Ooo, watch out - whoever you look at when you say that - that's who you really mean. Polexia hands up and throws a pillow at Sapphire, the kid watches these girls like a tennis match. 60A IN. PENNY AND RUSSELL'S ROOM - SAME TIME 60A Russell puts down his guitar. RUSSELL You know. We should talk about what we don't talk about. PENNY We don't have to. RUSSELL No, I - I went to Catholic school. I believe in guilt and... you know, if there's any to be had, I pretty much want to roll around in it. PENNY I don't believe in attachments. No boundaries. Just the music. RUSSELL I'm just saying, it's okay to talk about it. Penny stands and turns. She speaks the word. PENNY Leslie. Russell nods. The name is out in the open. PENNY (cont'd) Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. RUSSELL (somehow satisfied) Alright - now we're talking. But she continues, saying the name in a multitude of different ways, in different accents, and with different degrees of indifference and passion and lust and play-acting and mock- drama. PUSH IN ON HIS FACE As he listens and studies this ethereal creature for meaning. Is she mocking him? In love with him? Taunting him? Seducing him? PENNY Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Lesssssslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. Leslie. LESlie. Leslie... She continues saying it until it no longer has meaning. And finally she sits next to him. PENNY (cont'd) (beat) Now. Have I helped you get that off your chest? They kiss. 60B INT. WILLIAM'S HOTEL ROOM - SAME TIME 60B The girls continue their settling-in process. SAPPHIRE Opie, can I order room service? The nickname "Opie" re-opens a nagging wound. Polexia hangs up, and begins to dial again. WILLIAM Okay. You guys. Wait. Put down the phone, Polexia. (she does, sadly) First, this is my room... SAPPHIRE Come on, you're a fan like us. You're on our side of the line. WILLIAM Second. I'm not Opie. Alright? Opie is a little boy. I'm here to do a job. I am a professional. ESTRELLA (flipping luggage tag) Ooooooo, sorry, Mr. 42. WILLIAM Third! (has their attention now) ... this phone is a big, big deal. In a minute, I have to go interview Russell. Do not answer this phone if it rings. I have family members with severe anxiety Problems. She will not understand. POLEXIA (wounded) But what if Ozzy calls Sapphire? And I gave Jimmy Page this number. ESTRELLA Or a guy who looked like Jimmy Page. William looks at their troubled faces, full of too much-longing and too much make-up. WILLIAM Okay. I have a solution. Answer the phone. But if anyone without an English accent is on the phone... (winging it) Just hang up. Or say it's the wrong room. They nod. It's a good plan. 61 EXT. HALLWAY -- NIGHT 61 The hanging sign on the door reads: DO NOT DISTURB. William knocks on Russell's door. A maid pushes up against him with her cart, which now blocks the hallway. WILLIAM SHOULD I COME BY LATER? A group of golf conventioneers are now trapped behind the maid cart. They ease past William as he negotiates with Russell through the door. RUSSELL (O.S.) YES, I'M IN TOO TRUTHFUL A MOOD! WILLIAM MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD THING!! RUSSELL (O.S.) I'LL SEE YOU AT THE RADIO INTERVIEW LATER!! TEN-THIRTY IN THE LOBBY. WILLIAM OKAY! RUSSELL GO AWAY! WILLIAM OKAY! We hear Penny's giggle. Then the door opens, and it's Penny looking ravishing. In the background, Russell sits shirtless at the table. He playfully pelts the kid with crumpled up wads of hotel stationery. PENNY Don't worry. Some to the radio interview. WILLIAM No, I'm fine. I'll just interview Jeff Bebe some more. RUSSELL (as in "you're on of us") GO AWAY! She shuts the door quickly. It hurts a little. He picks up the wadded pieces of paper, stuffs them in his pocket. He leaves the door and helps himself to some soap and pencils and matches from the nearby maid's cart. Then he returns to Russell's door. He can't help but listen to the muffled sounds of laughter, just for a moment, escalating. He flips the sign over: HOUSEKEEPING PLEASE ENTER - CLEAN ROOM. 62 INT. OUTER RADIO STATION - NIGHT 62 Humble Pie. "Thirty Days in the Hole." Russell and band enter the radio station, passing through the now-empty front office. As always, Russell sets the tone. He's feeling good. Stillwater takes over -- they feel mighty, like the Beetles, as they climb across chairs, rearrange wall hangings and gold records and head down the small hallway to the control room interview. Rolling with the flow are William and Penny in her green coat. He tries to distance himself from her -- still a little stung by the earlier hallway rebuff -- but she will have none of it. She privately shares every great passing moment with him. He tries not to succumb to these charms. It's hard. Music segues to Stillwater's own "Fever Dog." 63 INT. RADIO CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT 63 Stillwater's own record spins, and it sounds good to everyone in this room. Russell takes a seat near the open mike. Jeff Bebe is quick to take the other seat, arranging himself to be just as close to the microphone as Russell. William watches all as he sits at the dark back of this control booth. Stillwater sits with late-night progressive disc-jockey QUINCE ALLEN, 25. Quince takes a long hit from a joint and does not pass it. The entire Stillwater band is now collected in the studio and ready for the interview. William can't avoid looking at Penny Lane, who looks great tonight. She catches him, and he barely looks away in time. Polexia, newly reconciled with Jeff, notices. The very mellow disc-jockey eases up to the microphone, as the finale of "Fever Dog" is just ending. QUINCE ALLEN The guitar of Russell Hammond. "Fever Dog"... The band is Stillwater. (beat) Watch with your mind as they materialize. Band members gets closer to the microphone, preparing to speak. Quince lowers his head, shutting his eyes and getting into the music as the song plays out. 64 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT 64 The phone rings. Estrella answers. ESTRELLA William's room. INT. ROLLING STONE OFFICE -- NIGHT Ben Fong-Torres is calling from Rolling Stone. BEN Can I please speak to him? This is Ben Fong-Torres at Rolling Stone. Estrella panics, hangs up quickly, as if the phone has just caught fire. ESTRELLA I think I just messed up! 65 INT. RADIO STATION -- NIGHT -- SAME TIME 65 Quince raises his head and continues on-the-air. The same song is still ending. QUINCE Look at the dogs, wearing the funny hats. Juggling just for you. Freaks and family... Penny shoots William a look. Do you believe this guy? QUINCE (cont'd) It's Quince, with Stillwater. Here. Live. It's the Night Circus. The band scoots closer to the microphone, ready to talk. Quince continues, looking meaningfully at the band. They are waiting... eager for a chance to speak. QUINCE (cont'd) Every minute a baby is born somewhere.. Life. Death. Hermetically sealed bags of human emotion. Bags of love... bags of kindness? (suddenly, turns) How'd you get together? As Jeff eagerly speaks, Quince lowers his head and listens... feels... the words of his guests. JEFF Well... not to get into a "me" thing... this is Jeff talking... but I did start the band, some time, actually, ago. This is back when we were the Jeff Bebe band, and I placed an ad in a magazine called Peaches looking for a guitarist and Russell Hammond answered. Quince nods, head bowed, swaying slowly. QUINCE (with deep understanding) Peaches. Jeff watches Quince's head lower. It's hard to know when to talk with Quince. The depth of his mellowness is tough to get in rhythm with. JEFF I think he was a gift from God, actually. Nobody plays like Russell Hammond. RUSSELL (sorta moved) Well, shit. Thank you. He instantly realizes he's slipped, on the air. RUSSELL (cont'd) Ooops. Better hit the delay button. All eyes turn to Quince, whose head stays down, grooving to some inner beat. He says nothing. The band looks at each other. We become increasingly aware that Quince may now be asleep. Long silence. William shares an amazed look with Penny. Quince is definitely asleep. Russell leans forward and continues talking quietly, with hilarious sincerity. RUSSELL (cont'd) Okay - we're talking now, right? Why the fuck do you wait until and interview in Arizona to say something nice about me. Why don't you say it to my fucking face sometime? Because I tell you every time I think you nailed something. JEFF Everybody pays you compliments. It's not my fucking job to kiss your fucking ass all the time. RUSSELL Well then who's fucking job is it? Because my ass is dying for a kiss. And I know yours is too. DICK It's my fucking job. You're all geniuses. And let me just add this thought - smegma. Penny covers her mouth as offers a look of absurdity to William. He offers one back, as laughs are stifled throughout the room. William shares a look. Quince is still deeply asleep, as the usually quiet tony leans forward to speak. TONY Feces. He cracks himself up, silently. Quince snaps awake, fully in- stride. QUINCE The dong is called "Love Thing." Your mind is Starting to take effect. They're all here to see you swallow fire. You scream soundlessly... on the Night Circus. It's Quince, with Stillwater. "Love Thing" takes over, as Quince swivels in the chair. QUINCE (cont'd) I thought that went well. 66 INT. RENTAL CAR -- NIGHT 66 Adrenalized laughter. The whole band is crammed into a medium- sized rental car. Penny half on William's lap, half on Russell's. RUSSELL (to William) See, this is what nobody writes about! The in-between times! This! Us! Right now!! 67 INT. WILLIAM'S HOTEL ROOM 67 The phone is ringing. Estrella emerges from the bathroom with no make-up and a t-shirt. She picks up the phone. Across the room, Sapphire signs for room service. Now she is far too made-up. The t.v. radio plays Free's "Fire and Water" in the b.g. ESTRELLA (suspiciously) Hello? INTERCUT: INT. WILLIAM'S HOUSE -- NIGHT It's Mom on the phone. ELAINE (measured, very proper) May I speak with William please? ESTRELLA (cheerfully) He's not here. I think he's in the bar with the Band. They just got back from the radio station. Is this Maryann with the pot? Silence. ESTRELLA (cont'd) Hello? ELAINE No this isn't Maryann with the pot. This is Elaine... his Mother. Estrella physically recoils. ESTRELLA (cringing) I thought you were English. ELAINE Could you please give him a message? Could you tell him to call home immediately? And could you also tell him - (at full power) I know what's going on. ESTRELLA Alright. Okay. But I'm just going to say this, and I'm going to stand by it. (can't help herself) You should be really proud of him. 'Cause I know guys... and I'll bet you do too. And he respects women, and he likes women, and let's just pause and appreciate a man like that. You created him out of thin air, and you raised him right, and we're all looking out for him. And that's more than I've ever said to my own parents, so there you go. (silence) This is the maid speaking, by the way. 68 INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- NIGHT 68 Russell and William sit in two large red-leatherette seats in the hotel lobby. William shuffles through many pages of questions written in small script. His tape recorder microphone sits balanced on the chair. WILLIAM (very professional) Now that you're starting to be successful, you had twenty-six years to write your first Album... and you'll have maybe four months for the second. Do you worry that the pressure of the business will get in the way of the original joy of making your music? Or - Russell blinks. The all-consuming issues of his life are right in front of him. RUSSELL Whoa! (laughing) I need three more beers and my guitar before I can answer that question. Let's take a walk. 69 EXT. HOTEL POOL AREA - NIGHT 69 Russell walks the outskirts of the pool area with William. William follows him through the sliding glass door to his room, facing the pool. Russell grabs his guitar. They stand for a moment, unheard by the others, and regard the living portrait twenty yards in front of them. The off-limits after-hours pool area has been overtaken by the Stillwater tour members. Jeff Bebe sits in a chair nearby. Dick laughs at a joke. Always the life of the party, Penny Lane dispenses stolen towels from a maid cart. And she is the first to slip into the pool for some after-hours, against-the-rules swimming. Effortlessly, she turns a collection of people into a party. They regard her, well out of earshot of the others. RUSSELL For a minute I thought you were actually a real journalist... which is... you know, it's great. (beat) Shut that thing off, and I'll tell you the truth. William shuts his tape recorder off. WILLIAM It's off. RUSSELL Look. I trust you. I'm going to lay this right on you. Just make us look cool. WILLIAM I will quote you warmly and accurately. RUSSELL That's what I'm worried about. See - some of us have girlfriends back home. Some of us have wives. And... some of the people you meet on the road are really amazing people... They both watch Penny Lane, sparkling, fresh from the pool. She places hotel furniture into the shallow end and inviting all, even other curious hotel guests, to join them in the pool. RUSSELL (cont'd) Like you. And some of the things that happen are good for just a few people to know about - as opposed to, say, a million people. Dawn is breaking for William. WILLIAM Ohhhh. Oh. Yeah. RUSSELL You know what I mean? WILLIAM Right. Yeah. RUSSELL See, you're dangerous. Most people are just waiting to talk, but you listen. WILLIAM Right. Right. RUSSELL So your question you asked me. I think about It every fucking night. The "business." I hate it! (quietly) I grew up with these guys, okay? I can't play all that I can play, I'm past these musicians, do you understand? WILLIAM I do. RUSSELL The more popular we get, the more I can't walk on them, the bigger their houses get, the more pressure... you forget, man. You forget what it was like to be real, to be a fan. You can hear it in a lot of bands who've been successful - it doesn't sound like music anymore. It sounds like... like lifestyle maintenance. (suddenly confessional) I used to be able to hear the sounds of the world. Everything, to me, used to sound like music. Everything. Now I don't hear it. You know what I'm trying to say? WILLIAM (ruefully) Yeah. RUSSELL Man, it feels good to say this stuff out loud. But what am I doing? I'm telling secrets to the one guy you don't tell secrets to. WILLIAM (feeling included) No, that's okay. We'll do the interview tomorrow. RUSSELL This is good. So there's the "friend" and then there's the "interview guy." WILLIAM Yeah. RUSSELL So tonight it's "friend".... and when we wake up tomorrow - "interview guy." We'll figure it out as we go, buddy. WILLIAM Hey - for whatever it's worth - you guys are really good. Russell laughs at the kid's easy naivete. He hands his guitar to the kid, and joins the party. William watches, part of the crowd... somehow feeling a little compromised. He doesn't care. Penny gestures for him to join them. 70 EXT. SUN STADIUM - AFTERNOON 70 William interviews Larry in the seats of the empty arena. On stage, Ed soundchecks his drums. WILLIAM How would you describe your role in Stillwater? What is the chemical that you add to the chemistry? LARRY I'm the bass-player. WILLIAM (pressing for some poetry) Right. And when you take that away... what would be missing? Stylistically? What chemical? LARRY (not getting it) The bass? Larry doesn't give him much. 71 EXT. SUN STADIUM - NIGHT 71 It's raining. The pre-show huddle breaks up, William a part of them. Penny Lane adjusts Larry's look. She takes the scarf from around his neck and ties it around his leg. He looks instantly better. William watches in the darkness as Dick takes the microphone. The best part of his day has arrived. In his important voice: DICK Good evening Phoenix. (applause) From Troy, Michigan. Please welcome, Stillwater. Lights come up, as the band launches into "Fever Dog." Jeff begins singing. Russell reaches to adjust the microphone for a back-up vocal and is hit with something unexpected. A sharp electrical shock. It's just a slight pop in the loud din of music, but within a moment something is clearly wrong. Russell holds onto the microphone stand with a surprised look, conducting high-voltage for two seconds and then he snaps his hand off the metal. His face is white, he takes off his guitar and walks off-stage, collapsing a couple steps later. 72 EXT. BACKSTAGE -- NIGHT 72 Dick is waving wildly for the band to board the bus, which has been pulled up into the backstage area. He guides a sagging Russell, assisted by Penny Lane, into the bus. DICK Get in, get in!! William boards the bus, as the extremely agitated PROMOTER arrives to confront Dick. PROMOTER Are you the manager of this band? DICK That, and more. Get in! PROMOTER You didn't even play a full set! Dick whirls and unleashes an anger we've not yet seen, gesturing with the silver briefcase that does not leave his hand. DICK Your shoddy stage set-up almost killed our guitarist! PROMOTER You trashed the dressing room - you didn't play your thirty-five minutes. You didn't fulfill your contract - DICK Everybody in! Get in the bus! PROMOTER I'll report you to every promoter in the country! I'm gonna talk to Frank Barcelona! DICK YOU DON'T FUCK WITH MY BAND'S SAFETY! PROMOTER I hope you have a good lawyer. DICK I AM A LAWYER! He swings into the bus, as the bus revs. PROMOTER LOCK THE GATE ON 'EM! 73 INT. BUS -- NIGHT 73 Russell sits, pale, next to Penny at the front of the bus. He examines his singed hand, shaking it a little to emphasize the positivity of her words. PENNY Don't worry. It's happened to all the greats. Thank God you didn't hold the mike stand with both hands, you'd still be holding it. This is a good thing. It's a good, good, good thing. William sits nearby, watching Russell, making notes out of eye- sight of others. The ever-wary Jeff, unseen by William, cranes to see that he's writing in his notebook. Dick swings into the seat across from Russell. The bus door shuts, as the promoter is still yelling. Doris is slow to gain speed, as Estrella appears, running alongside. She knocks on the window next to William. ESTRELLA I forgot to tell you! Your mom says to call home immediately. She says she knows what's going on! (receding) See you guys in Topeka! I'll catch a ride with Sabbath! William nods with embarrassment, waves to her, as the bus races toward the now closing gate. DICK (casually, to Russell) Wanna buy a gate? Before Russell can answer - BASH. Doris barrels through the steel-gate, snapping it like a chopstick to great cheers inside this bus. DICK (cont'd) You just bought a gate. (to the bus) C'mon Doris!! Get us out of town!! The bus struggles up a slight incline, everybody rooting for Doris, as she eases out of the parking lot and onto a thoroughfare. WILLIAM What did it feel like to be electrocuted? RUSSELL It burns. It feels like a dose of lead shooting through your body... and then you see God, and he says, "How bad do you want to be legendary?" And god damnit. I let go. (shaky grin as all laugh warmly) Rock and roll. Jeff watches this charisma with thinly veiled envy. The kid scribbles in his notebook. We hear Led Zeppelin's "That's the Way." 74 INT. BUS - EARLY MORNING 74 Song continues. Almost everybody is asleep. William takes the camera and snaps a Polaroid of a sleeping Penny. She wakes up. PENNY Give that to me. She grabs for it, they have a brief play-fight. He grabs some other Polaroids from her pocket. He hustles to the back of the bus, pockets the photo, and settles down to watch the passing landscapes. She chases him down the aisle. Music continues as she sits down next to him. Out the window, a long-distance running team of Girls keeps pace with the bus for a bit. They wave. Penny watches them over sunglasses, waves briefly to the real world. PENNY (cont'd) (breathing heavy, owning the world) When we go to Morocco, I think we should wear completely different clothes, and be completely different people. WILLIAM What will our names be? She snaps a Polaroid of a nearby sleeping Silent Ed, pockets the Polaroid. She regards Russell up ahead, also sleeping. Her attention has already wandered from Morocco. PENNY What do you think of Russell? WILLIAM I like him. PENNY You're coming to Cleveland, right? WILLIAM Cleveland, Ohio? Oh no no no. I gotta get my interview with Russell before Greenville. And you've got to help me. Okay? Friends... remember? Penny is still watching Russell. PENNY You should give him a break. There are real problems in the band. Off the record. Gravely noting the word "problems", the kid joins Penny in watching Russell, who is splayed haphazardly, sleeping restlessly up ahead. WILLIAM What problems? PENNY Okay. I got it. I think your name should be Spencer, and mine will be Jane. WILLIAM I can't keep up with you. PENNY No one can. WILLIAM What's your real name? She looks at him briefly. She puts her arm around him. It's intoxicating, but he doesn't quite know how to act. With her free hand, she gestures with a hanger. As they regard Russell sleeping nearby: PENNY Here's the thing about Russell. He's my last project. I only do this for a very few people. And I think we should do it together - he is almost great. We've got to take him there. You and me - we can do it. Deal? Because the other guys are good - but he could be great. He's my last project. He looks at her. She imitates his face back to him. PENNY (cont'd) It's all happening. 75 INT. TOPEKA ARENA BACKSTAGE -- NIGHT 75 William sits interviewing Silent Ed by some equipment cases. WILLIAM What do you love about music? Ed looks at him thoughtfully. It is an eloquent moment. He thinks. He shrugs. The kid tumbles with more questions. These interviews are not going well. 76 INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT 76 William, looking concerned over the state of his interviews, walks into the backstage bathroom. He makes a few surreptitious notes in his notebook before noticing that Jeff is standing there, clearly just finishing a quick hit of cocaine offered by a Local Hanger-On. Seeing the kid, he immediately hides the coke spoon. JEFF Hey. WILLIAM Hey. William pretends he sees nothing as he turns to the urinal, and shot stays on Jeff, who looks a little high and a little worried. 77 INT. BACKSTAGE PAY PHONE - NIGHT 77 William is on the pay phone with his Mother. The show booms in the background. WILLIAM I know. I know. I know. (beat) I know. Mom. Mom... Mom. 78 INT. STAGE - NIGHT 78 Stillwater on-stage. A great show. Russell on fire. 79 INT. BACKSTAGE PAY PHONE - NIGHT 79 William on the phone. Estrella leans on him, fixing her shoe. WILLIAM Right now -- Topeka. Then Greenville. Then home. He winces slightly, holds the phone away from his ear for a moment. WILLIAM (cont'd) I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday! It's not like you can just carry a phone around with you. 80 INT. ELAINE'S SCHOOL OFFICE -- AFTERNOON 80 Mom sits in her school office, a miniature version of her home - a fortress in which she is surrounded by books. The sun is going down. She can't resist a sentimental moment. ELAINE I guess I just miss you, and I don't understand why I've driven both my kids so far away from me. By all practical rules don't I get you for three more years? He is touched by her vulnerability, more visible now than ever, as music continues in b.g. ELAINE (cont'd) Was I not fun? 81 INT. BACKSTAGE PAY PHONE -- NIGHT 81 William has his finger in his ear. The din if Stillwater's set now blots out all other noise. It is not the time to answer this question. WILLIAM I missed the last thing you said. Mom takes a pause. ELAINE I LOVE YOU. Penny now enters, watching. WILLIAM WHAT? ELAINE (angry, louder) I MISS YOU AND I LOVE YOU! William now notices Penny standing nearby, picking at a salad from a paper dish. Looking at her, he lets loose with what he believes is a private confession. WILLIAM I LOVE YOU!! Penny smiles knowingly, collecting his affection like another backstage pass, and turns away. Camera stays on William. He is suddenly and deeply embarrassed. He's just told her that he loves her and she knows it. He hangs up, traumatized. 82 INT. TOPEKA DRESSING ROOM -- NIGHT 82 Russell's hair is slicked with sweat from a show just finished. He is shirtless with a towel around his shoulders. Luggage for the next city is stacked by the door. RUSSELL Fire away. I'm ready. I'm on the "You" Train. Take me there. The kid plugs in his microphone. Russell listens as he springs his first question. WILLIAM Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better if it really happened to you? Like, "If You Say Nothing"... where did you write that and how did it come about? Russell admires the many questions. Says nothing. He looks at his hand, thinks. RUSSELL When did you get so professional? In the background, Penny Lane irons Silent Ed's shirt. Grinning, she cuffs his shoulder. To the shirtless silent drummer, waiting for his shirt. PENNY I'm almost done with my shirt. Ed watches her appreciatively, drumming silently on a rubber pad. Penny kisses Russell, who swings her onto his lap. In the corner, Jeff watches them all with a vague feeling of being underappreciated. And now Dick enters with a large cardboard box. DICK Russell, your dad showed up again. And on a lighter note. (importantly) Gentlemen. Your first t-shirts have arrived. There is an immediate buzz in the room, as Dick yanks open the box filled with new white t-shirts. He untangles the first fresh shirt, and displays it proudly. A silent beat as all examine it - their first t-shirt. Faces fall. Ed stops drumming. There has been a mistake. It is a fuzzy band photo with the group name emblazoned below. Only Russell, who stand out front, is colored- in and emphasized on the shirt. He turns away, making a noise. Jeff stares at the t-shirt. He's just about in tears. There is a long silence and then... Ed resumes drumming on the rubber pad. DICK (cont'd) It's the record company's mistake. And they will pay. Shirts gone, band happy. He drops the offending shirt into the trash, as if it were contaminated, and exits with the box. William watches as the two men, Russell and Jeff, move to opposite sides of the room. Russell puts on a shirt, so does Jeff. The vibe is thick. Russel turns to see Jeff staring at him. RUSSELL Can we just skip the vibe and go straight to us laughing about this? JEFF (bitterly) Yeah. Okay. RUSSELL (trying for a joke) Because I can see by your face - you want to get into this - JEFF How can you tell? I'm just one of the out-of-focus guys. RUSSELL Here we go. William watches as Russell fishes the t-shirt out of the trash. RUSSELL (cont'd) Here. Take it. You LOVE this shirt - it lets you say everything you want to say. JEFF Well, it speaks pretty loudly to me. RUSSELL It's a t-shirt. Russell turns away. JEFF I'm always gonna tell you the truth. RUSSELL Are you doing coke again? JEFF Oh yeah. All the time. The kid looks down. JEFF (cont'd) This is big stuff, man. From the very beginning -- we said -- I'm the front man and you're the guitarist with mystique. That's the dynamic we agreed on -- Page, Plant... Mick, Keith. But somehow it's all turning around. We have got to control what's happening to us. There's a responsibility here - RUSSELL Excuse me, but didn't we all get into this to avoid responsibility? JEFF Forgive me. (continuing, on shirt) But this is the slow-moving train of compromise that will kill us. Russell makes a disgusted noise. Penny Lane exits discreetly, looking back at William. JEFF (cont'd) I can't say anymore with a writer here. RUSSELL You can trust him, you can say whatever you want. JEFF (eyes suddenly moist) I works as hard or harder than anybody on that stage. You know what I do - I connect. I get people off. I look for the guy who isn't getting off, and I make him get off. (beat) Actually, that you can print. (continues to Russell) And yet, why do I always end up feeling like I'm a joke to you? I feel nothing but love for you. We're a family. He looks at the t-shirt and starts to cry. Embarrassed, he grows angrier. JEFF (cont'd) You want to pretend this isn't going to be a very big band. Well it is. You call yourself a leader of this band, but your direction allowed the t-shirt, when you allowed Dick to manage us, 'cause he's your friend... don't you see? The t-shirt is everything. It's everything. RUSSELL Is it my turn? Because I think we should, for once, say what we really mean. JEFF Oh, this is the part where you quit - RUSSELL (stiffening) Right. I'm so predictable. JEFF No I gotta tell the truth -- I want you to like me. But sometimes I feel like you collect people who love you and then very skillfully... you make them feel bad that they're not good enough for you. RUSSELL Stick to singing, brother, 'cause you ain't gonna make it as a shrink. JEFF Deal with it! And let me just say what nobody Else wants to say to you - RUSSELL What? JEFF Your looks have become a problem. 82A EXT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT 82A Russell walks swiftly past a happy silver-haired man, who holds court with beer in hand. He dresses too young for his age, late fifties. He is DAD. DAD Son! RUSSELL (dutifully) Hello Harry. Dad introduces a woman much younger, who eyes Russell hungrily. DAD He got all the good genes, huh? Meet Deirdre. We're getting married in July. 83 EXT. ARENA -- NIGHT 83 Russell walks fast outside the arena. William hustles to catch up. The two men walk in long silent strides in the cold night air, beyond the backstage area. Fans begin to recognize and follow at a discreet distance. WILLIAM You okay? You alright? Russell doesn't answer. RUSSELL (resolute, wound up) From here on out, I'm only interested in what's real. The kid nods. They walk. RUSSELL (cont'd) Real feelings. Real people. That's all I'm interested in... From here on out. What is REAL? You're real. WILLIAM Thanks. A wave of warmth comes over Russell. RUSSELL You know, you know all about us and I don't know shit about you. (struggling to be personal) What's your... your family like? Tell me. WILLIAM Well, my dad died of a heart attack and my sister believes that my Mom is so intense that she might have contributed to it. Plus - RUSSELL (immediately) Okay, that's good. That's enough. WILLIAM It's good to talk about it. Really good. Russel now sees some hero worship in the kid's face, and it makes him nervous. WILLIAM (cont'd) Hey, man, maybe we should go back. RUSSELL If they want me, they can find me. William turns and sees nobody following but fans. WILLIAM So listen. I have to go home tomorrow. I know this is a bad time to finish our interview. RUSSELL Hey, man, you know what? Write whatever you want. I trust you. A big square Chevy van slows down. A CONCERT-GOER hands his head out the window. CONCERT-GOER (battle-cry) Woooooooooo!!! You're Russel from Stillwater!! RUSSELL On my better days, yes. I am "Woooooo, Russell from Stillwater!" CONCERT-GOER Wanna go to a party at my friend Aaron's house?! I know you're a big rock star, but do you want to hang with some people looking to have a good time? Russel regards the van full of kids. More fans crowding around. The kid behind the wheel unknowingly says the magic words. CONCERT-GOER (cont'd) We're just real Topeka people, man. He has said the magic word. A84 EXT. AARON'S PARTY - NIGHT A84 Russell arrives at the party in the rural outskirts of Topeka. William nearby. 84 INT. AARON'S HOUSE -- NIGHT 84 William watches as Russell slugs from a Jack Daniels bottle. They sit in the bedroom of a mindblown fan, 17 year-old AARON. He has long frizzy brown hair, tied in a spray behind him. Many from the neighborhood are now pouring into the home. RUSSELL (eyes glowing) You. Aaron. Are what it's all about. You are real. Your room is real. Your friends are real. You are more important than... than... all the silly machinery. And you know it! In eleven years it's gonna be 1984, man. Think about that! AARON Wanna see me feed a mouse to my snake? RUSSELL Yes. KID # 1 Can I have your belt? RUSSELL Take it! Russel whips off his belt, gives it to the fan. A joint goes by, headed for Russell. William intercepts it and passes it on. RUSSELL (cont'd) Aaron? Where's your bathroom? I want to live here. I want to eat your food, and live in your city and fuckin rock like I used to. I want to learn everything there is to know about your city and your town. And your way of being real. (stunning realization) I used to be you. AARON Down the hall by the washing machine. RUSSELL What? AARON The bathroom. RUSSELL Okay. Good to know. Russell rises and squeezes past fans and heads down the hall. 85 INT. AARON'S HALLWAY - NIGHT 85 William follows Russell protectively. PASSING FAN # 1 WOOOOOOO!! A QUIET GIRL, 14, turns and watches Russell pass. We linger on her face for just a moment, full of wonder. WILLIAM We should probably head back sometime. Russell ignores him. PASSING FAN # 2 (holding red cup) Watch out, there's acid in the beer that's in the Red cups. Russell looks at the cup in his own hand. It's white. Then, with his other hand, he grabs the red cup and drains it. William winces. They move on. RUSSELL Topeka. Check it out. Russell enters the bathroom. William stands guard. With a finger outstretched from each hand, he lectures the fans massing in the hallway. WILLIAM Please don't give him any more acid. 86 INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT -- TWENTY MINUTES LATER 86 William watches as a wobbly Russell Hammond, in sunglasses now, goes through Aaron's record collection. He places the albums over his face, like masks. RUSSELL Faces. Stones. Sa-weet Baby James!! None of these people are gonna be around in twenty years! Plastic begets plastic!! Black plastic. Partygoers are strangely fascinated by the rock star in their living room. INTERCUT: 87 INT. BACK BEDROOM -- NIGHT 87 William waits anxiously to use the phone, keeping an eye on Russell. Russell is now strangely twisting/dancing with four girls in the living room, as more cars arrive outside. KID ON PHONE He's here right now! Go ahead and put it Out over the radio, tell people to bring food And beer and chicks. We're at Rural Route # 4 - WILLIAM No no. Nope. No. William takes the phone and hangs up. Keeping an eye on Russell in the next room, he dials from a tour itinerary sheet. WILLIAM (cont'd) Dick Roswell, please? (beat) Dick!! I got him!! He's okay... I've been Looking after him. He's on acid, though. I can't Really tell. How do you know when it's "kicked in?" 88 EXT. AARON'S BACKYARD - NIGHT 88 Russel stands on the jutting corner of the house rooftop. The unlit, unheated greenish family pool beckons to him below. It's kicked in. RUSSELL (bellowing to the heavens) I AM A GOLDEN GOD!! Russell cackles at the joke of it all. William yells up from down below. WILLIAM Hey Russell - RUSSELL I AM A GOLDEN GOD!! WILLIAM Don't jump, okay? RUSSELL And you can tell Rolling Stone Magazine my last words were - He spreads his arms, and tries to think of last words. RUSSELL (cont'd) -- I'm on drugs!! The kids cheer. William looks around, remains cool. Yells upward in the cold night air. WILLIAM I think we should work on those last words. RUSSELL Critic!! WILLIAM No, I'm not - RUSSELL Okay I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. This is better. Last words - (spreads his arms, his greatest realization) I DIG MUSIC!! It gets a skimpy reaction from the partygoers. RUSSELL (cont'd) (immediately) I'm on drugs!! They applaud again. WILLIAM Just come on down!! RUSSELL (matter-of-fact) Okay. He jumps from the roof into the cold, algaed water below. He sinks immediately. One kid jumps in, then another, then more. Everybody wants to save Russell. 89 EXT. AARON'S NEIGHBORHOOD -- EARLY MORNING 89 It's getting lighter. Cars line the street. And now, finally turning the corner, is Doris the Bus. 90 INT. KITCHEN -- MORNING 90 William watches the effects of personal charisma. Wet partygoers surround Russell, bottle of Jack Daniels still in hand, wrapped in towels. Now a bond has passes between them, all of them. Algae drips from the corner of Russell's face and neck. RUSSELL Thanks for saving my life. I won't hold it against you. Twenty different kids thank him for the opportunity. ("Glad to do it," "Right on," "Damn straight.") 91 INT. LIVING ROOM/KITCHEN -- MORNING 91 Door opens. Dick enters. Finding the guitarist in the kitchen, he clicks into time-tested road-managerial maintenance. Easing Russell out of his towel, slipping his own jacket around him, from Russell's hands. DICK (privately) They've been crying for you like a bunch of whimpering pussies -- RUSSELL (woozy) The band is over. This is my family now. OTHERS Right on. He's staying with us. DICK (soothing) Definitely. It's all over. We'll just ride on to Greenville, listen to some great music, finish the tour, and leave those ungrateful fools behind. And then we'll come back here, where you'll live. RUSSELL I know what you're doing... and I like it. (noticing William) Look at him. He's taking notes with his eyes. (beat, to Dick) How do we know he's not a cop? William laughs painfully, as Russell moves in, eyes flaring with sudden paranoia. RUSSELL (cont'd) He could be selling information! DICK (to Russell) Easy. He's your Guardian Angel. Russell turns away. William shrugs with style, but his lingering look is filled with hurt. Dick guides Russell to the door, grabbing the kid and talking very directly to him as they move. DICK (cont'd) Don't worry. He only means half of what he says. WILLIAM Which half? DICK Good question. WILLIAM (very direct) I have a lot more. Just help me get my interview so I can go home from Greenville. I have to go home. (pulls him back) I have to go home. DICK Hey. You saved the tour. That's good enough for now. Frustrated but feeling important, William hands him some of Russell's wet clothes. William deftly retrieves Russell's shoes and smoothly plucks the guitarist's sunglasses from the partygoer who also wears his belt. They move to the door in a pack. We hear the beginning of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." Dick faces the crowd and addresses them in his "important" stage voice. DICK (cont'd) Ladies and Gentlemen, the evening is over! We hope you've enjoyed yourselves, and we'll See you again in 1974!! Good evening!! William gives Russell his sunglasses to face the sunlight. Russell stumbles out of the house to great cheers. The Quiet Girl breaks free to catch Russell on the way out. QUIET GIRL I'll never forget you. Dick pats William's arm one more time -- good work. They leave Aaron's house as legends. 92 INT. TOUR BUS -- MORNING - 5 AM 92 "Tiny Dancer" continues on the bus stereo. Russell sits up front, swathed in a large robe, alone and silent. The others have given him a wide berth. He feels silly, and they know it, and he hates that they know it, which makes him feel foolish. He sits silently. William watches him from four rows back, next to Penny. She kisses the top of his forehead, a hero's welcome. He yawns. The song's vocal begins. There is only more silence. Then, after a beat, we hear a voice or two, fighting the quiet and singing along. Then others... waking up... joining in. Then Jeff. Russell hears them and starts to sing along too, louder now, without turning around. It's a voice everyone wants to hear. Like it or not, this is his family. FADE OUT FADE IN: 93 EXT. HIGHWAY -- DAY 93 Passing signs announce Greenville, North Carolina. 94 INT. LESTER BANGS BEDROOM - DAY 94 Lester on the phone. He is paler than ever, in a room clogged with vinyl, happily listening to the MC5 in the background. LESTER How's it going? INTERCUT: 95 INT. WILLIAM'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY 95 It's a small wooden-walled hotel room in Greenville. Polexia tries on clothes. William barely notices as he talks to Lester on the phone. WILLIAM Rolling Stone is calling me. I don't have my key interview. I don't know what to say. LESTER BANGS (pacing, assembling thoughts with his hands) You're flipping out. That's good. Alright. This is how you blow their minds. He'll ask you - this is Ben Fong-Torres, right? - he'll ask you how the story's going. Here's what you do - let's fry his mind. Tell him "it's a think piece about a mid-level band struggling with their own limitations in the harsh face of stardom." Ha ha!! This is fun! William scrambles to make notes. WILLIAM (madly copying) ... think... piece... CLOSE ON WRITING Longhand small script on yellow legal tablets. 96 INT. HOTEL BATHROOM -- NIGHT 96 William sits in the tub, without water. It's his makeshift office, he's surrounded with scraps of notepaper. He writes savagely, and now, savagely throws it away. 97 INT. HOTEL BEDROOM -- NIGHT 97 In the bedroom, Sapphire, Polexia and Penny watch The Midnight Special. Sapphire looks at a room service menu. SAPPHIRE It says the food is hearty and adventurous. POLEXIA (yawns) Greenville. I'm bored. Penny yawns too, it's catchy, and rises to visit the bathroom. POLEXIA (cont'd) Hey let's deflower the kid. Now Sapphire yawns, looks in her purse. SAPPHIRE Who his the quaaludes from me? 98 INT. HOTEL BATHROOM -- NIGHT 98 Penny enters to see William writing in the tub. She sits on the toilet to pee. Flustered: WILLIAM Wait. I'll leave. He gets up, knocking his carefully organized notes onto the floor. He is brimming with things to say. More than he is even able to communicate. WILLIAM (cont'd) You know, I think this is going backwards for me. PENNY Backwards? WILLIAM (flustered) I don't know. I just thought we could hang out, maybe do some stuff back home, regular stuff, get to know each other better... and then I'd see you pee. I mean, that's the way I usually do it. PENNY You're one of us. It's no big deal. WILLIAM I'm not one of you. PENNY Oh! If you go to Cleveland, Bowie's going to be there at Swingo's, the greatest hotel in America. I'll introduce you to him, and his security guy Dennis. William stops at the door. WILLIAM Don't you have any regular friends? PENNY Famous people are just more interesting. He looks at her. Even sitting on the can, she's elegant and totally focused on him. WILLIAM (carefully) Well, I would be worried that they were using me. And not that anybody's using you, but - She swoons a little, touched and moved. PENNY Boy, if this was the real world and some guy talked to me like that - WILLIAM Let me finish. (continuing) I'm not famous.... but you could always use me. If anything happens. And I would never use you. Even if I got famous. So you know, you always have that from me... in the real world. If you ever have to go back there, for anything. She looks at him curiously, as the door blasts open. Sapphire and Polexia head for William. SAPPHIRE Your time has come. WILLIAM Did he call? (realizes their intention) What are you -- stop it -- we're talking here. SAPPHIRE Pants him. Opie must die. They swarm him, dragging him kicking into the bedroom. 99 INT. HOTEL BEDROOM -- NIGHT 99 Steely Dan, looking pale and somehow snappy, perform "Do It Again" on The Midnight Special. The girls force William onto the bed, and envelope him. Their sexuality is fun, untroubled. Shot moves past bodies crossing frame, onto William's face. ANGLE ON PENNY Across room, sitting and watching. SAPPHIRE Just relax. Take a vacation from yourself. Leave this to professionals. Estrella and Polexia kiss each other playfully. William looks confused. Across the room, Penny laughs, turns up the TV, blows him a kiss. Penny's eyes. Across the room. His eyes. His sexual awakening may be downtime amusement for them, but to him it's an embarrassingly intense moment he shares only with Penny Lane -- across the room. She turns away, smiling, disappears into the next room. ON STEELY DAN On the television. DISSOLVE TO: 99A INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT - TWENTY MINUTES LATER - HANDHELD 99A Post-sex pajama party. Sapphire, Estrella, and Polexia girltalk about their first rock and roll conquests. Penny is conspicuous by her absence. William is under the sheets, listening, feeling different, now a man and somehow one of the girls too. DISSOLVE TO: 100 INT. BEDROOOM -- NEXT MORNING 100 William is awake. Sunlight floods in from the corners of the window-shades. He is surrounded by the fallen cavalry of the night before... Sapphire and Polexia. The phone rings, and Sapphire instantly snaps it up, still asleep. Lost in her dreams, she offers the sexiest hello ever. SAPPHIRE (half-English accent) Hello. Hi, Ben-Fong-Torres from Rolling Stone. William snatches the phone. WILLIAM (lowers voice) Hello. 101 INT. BEN FONG-TORRES' KITCHEN -- SATURDAY MORNING 101 Ben Fong-Torres is up bright and early. BEN Hello William, this is your editor at -- He offers the name of the magazine with a swirl that implies high-level importance. BEN (cont'd) Rolling Stone. How's the story? INT. GREENVILLE HOTEL ROOM -- CONTINUOUS William snaps into his very professional tone of equally grave importance. WILLIAM I'm getting good stuff out here. BEN Sounds like it. Next to him, Polexia yawns herself awake. POLEXIA Man, I need some - He clamps a hand over her mouth. BEN (jocular but tough) Now listen. Get it together. We're both professionals, I don't have to tell you this. You're not out there to join the party -- we already have one Hunter Thompson. You're out there to interview and Report. You got me? This isn't Creem Magazine, it's Rolling Stone. We need this story in four days. Now I want to know how it's shaping up. WILLIAM It's a think-piece about a mid-level band grappling with their limitations in the face of the harsh glare of success. BEN (pause) I like what we're saying. Let me try and get you a thousand more words. It's in consideration for the cover, but don't tell the band. WILLIAM (conflicted) Crazy. The kid hangs up, now shouldering even more pressure. He unclamps Polexia's mouth. POLEXIA - coffee. SAPPHIRE Me too. Greenville is so boring. (to William) Any other city in the world and you'd still be a virgin. WILLIAM I'm going out to find Russell. SAPPHIRE Will you take the laundry? WILLIAM (to the girls) What am I to you? Tell me right now! What. Am. I. To. You. 102 INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - DAY 102 Circles have sprouted up under William's eyes. The orange bag strapped over his shoulder, he lugs a huge bag of laundry. He consults room list. A variety of noises and smells drift from the band rooms. He sees Room Service arrive at Dick's door, and it's Estrella who opens the door. (Dick in the background.) She smiles sweetly to William -- good morning -- as the door shuts. WILLIAM Houdini... Houdini... He arrives at Russell's door. Two exclamation points have been Sharpie-markered to the words Do Not Disturb on the sign is gaffer-taped to his door. He looks through the crack, at the bottom of the door. Carefully and politely, he knocks. Instantly: RUSSELL (O.S.) GO AWAY! Pissed, the kid flips off the door. He sits down on a chair directly across from the room. Push in on William, who is more pent-up than ever. He tries hard not to cry, taking gulps of air as a maid cart swishes past, revealing... he's failed. He cries. FADE UP FROM DARKNESS A super-energized Russell Hammond looks into William's sleepy face. William's eyes open. His own sleepy face is evident in Russell's sunglasses. The bag of laundry is still at his feet. RUSSELL (cont'd) We'll do the interview in Cleveland! WILLIAM No. I can't. You've got to help me. I have to go home. RUSSELL Come on man, we'll have more time there. Don't be tense!! He begins rubbing the kid's shoulders. He's waking up. There's Penny, also rubbing his shoulders. It is degrading... and somehow cool too. WILLIAM (to Penny) You said you'd help me. PENNY (massaging) Come to Cleveland. RUSSELL (massaging, hypnotically) Come to Cleveland... Come to Cleveland... WILLIAM I can't!! RUSSELL Can we help it if we like having you around! William is a bundle of nerves and exhaustion now. Embarrassed and frustrated. RUSSELL (cont'd) Cleveland, my man. You can't miss out on the Rock Mecca of the midwest - you're with us. It's all happening! PENNY Rock and roll! WILLIAM (weary) Rock and roll. We hear David Bowie's live version of "Waiting for the Man." 103 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- DAY 103 They sit together, hair askew, in sunglasses, resting against the headboard. Carefully, Russell identifies his thoughts. RUSSELL I feel... like his parents. Penny runs a worried hand through her hair. PENNY I know. RUSSELL I wonder how that happened. PENNY You ever notice that all our sentences begin with "I?" RUSSELL I hadn't, no. PENNY 'Cause we should work on that. He looks at her, plays the guitar a little. 104 EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT 104 Night. Doris rocks toward Cleveland on a muggy summer night. The windows of passing houses offer rich Edward Hopper glimpses of lives and people William will never meet. 105 INT. WILLIAM'S BUS BUNK - NIGHT 105 William watches from his bus bunk at the back, head on elbow. Looking up, he sees the rhythmic motion of bodies on the mattress above him, as music continues. William gets up, nods hello to the Roadie and his Date on the bunk above. He moves down the aisle... to the seats near the front. A sleeping Russell sits upright, hugging his guitar. Penny asleep next to him, Polaroid in her hand of... Russell sleeping. The kid moves on. He sits with the Bus Driver, whose CB crackles with chatter from other tour buses headed to Cleveland. ON THE FIRST SIGN - LATE NIGHT Cleveland signs. Music rises. Heads pop awake. RUSSELL Cleveland! 106 EXT. DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND - LATE NIGHT 106 Like a slow-moving shark, Doris pulls into empty downtown Cleveland. The streets are empty. They pass the Agoura Ballroom, where a man with a long stick arranges the letters Stillwater on the marquee. Applause in the bus. 107 INT. SWINGO'S CELEBRITY INN - LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING 107 Russell and band enter like warriors, in a pack. William sags with the heavy bags in hand and over his shoulder. Here, in the middle of the midwest, is an explosive rock mecca, just as promised. The feeling of belonging invades all those in this lobby. Fans and other touring rockers mingle together. Outside in the real world, everyone else is going to work. FAN It's Bowie! The lobby ignites, as William stands near Penny and Russell. Bowie races from a limousine through the lobby and into the elevators. He is shrouded by a jacket. Just the top of his electric red hair travels the lobby, as he's hustled by security man Dennis in the elevator. And out of the chaos comes... 108 INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY 108 Jeff Bebe and Polexia smash against the wall of the Swingo's hotel room, making love. 109 INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY 109 Russell and Penny Lane smash against their own wall. 109A INT. ARENA - NIGHT 109A Dick squats at the front of the stage, and talks to a few fans in the front row of this crowd. 110 INT. BACKSTAGE CLEVELAND PAY PHONE - NIGHT 110 A wild Cleveland crowd in the building. The cities on this tour are getting bigger, and so are the audiences. And there is a whiff of business now too. Men in satin tour jackets and some Disc-jockey types cruise the backstage. A Hysterical Fan is led screaming to the nearby medic room. Few even react - it's Cleveland - as the shot finds William, tired and yawning, on the backstage pay phone. He is absolutely ready for the worst. WILLIAM Hi Mom. I'm in Cleveland. He listens stoically. Larry and Ed watch nearby. INTERCUT: INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Moms sits in silence. WILLIAM (cont'd) (rehearsed) I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm flying back on Monday Morning. I'll only miss one test. I'll make it up. Russell listens in, holding his guitar, laughing. RUSSELL Tell her you're a slave to the groove - you can't help it! WILLIAM (covers phone) No. Russell grabs the phone, talks to the silent mother on the other end. RUSSELL Hi Mom! It's Russell Hammond, I play guitar in Stillwater! It's my fault. How does it feel to be the mother of the future of rock journalism? (beat) Hello? Silence. Penny passes and stands near William, smoothing her pass. They watch a new pack of groupies prowl the road-crew. They are more glam, more trashy and less selective. They glare insolently at Penny Lane. This is the future. RUSSELL (cont'd) You've got a great kid -- nothing to worry about! We're taking care of him! And you should come to a show sometime! Join the Circus! ELAINE Listen to me. Your charm does not work on me. I'm onto you. Of course you like him. RUSSELL Yes. ELAINE He worships you people and that's fine with you, as long as he helps make you rich. RUSSELL (a nerve is struck) Rich? I don't think so - ELAINE Listen to me. He's a smart, good- hearted, 15 year-old kid, with infinite potential. Russel looks over at the kid, eyes narrowing as he processes the truth. He's 15? ELAINE (cont'd) This is not some apron-wearing mother you're talking to. I know about your Valhalla of Decadence, and I shouldn't have let him go. He is not ready for your world of compromised values, and diminished brain cells that you throw away like confetti. Am I speaking clearly to you? RUSSELL Yes, ma'am. ELAINE If you break his spirit, harm him in any way, keep him from his chosen profession -- which is law, Something you may not value but I do -- you will meet the voice on the other end of this telephone. And it will not be pretty. Do we understand each other? RUSSELL Yes... yes... ELAINE (always the teacher) I didn't ask for this role, but I'll play it. Now go do your best. "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aide!" Goethe said that. It's not too late for you to be a person of substance. Get my son home safely, I'm glad we spoke. She hangs up. Russell hangs up, oddly affected and shook up. WILLIAM Some people get her. Some don't. Russell is still recovering. William feels embarrassed by his mother, once again. 111 ON THE HUDDLE 111 William with the band. He yawns, as the band breaks. Cleveland awaits. We follow Dick, who guides the band onto the stage platform, still in darkness. Already, stomping and applause is mounting. Russell turns to William before taking the stage: RUSSELL Your Mom kind of freaked me out. WILLIAM She means well. Still rattled, he takes the stage. We see the unbridled enthusiasm of the faces on the front row. A wave of cigarette lighters stretch out before them. DICK (importantly) From Troy, Michigan... Russell thwacks a couple chords. Audience thunders. He turns to other members, feeling chills. It's in these moments that everything else disappears. They bow and wave, still in darkness... each member seems to have his own fans. Dick lets all this play out before finally adding... DICK (cont'd) Would you please welcome to Cleveland... More applause. This is very very very very fun. DICK (cont'd) Stillwater. Lights come up. A full blast of audience love hits them right in the face, as they begin "Fever Dog." The band charges headlong into their set, as various fans are squeezed up out of the crowd and onto the stage. HANDHELD ON RUSSELL Who is in the middle of playing, as he smoothly whips off his guitar, and uses the instrument to send a Frenetic fan back into the crowd. He slips back under the strap, laughing. More stage climbers spring up where that fan came from, and Russell now watches as Jeff Bebe dodges a fan and comes over to Russell to lean on him. Russell turns to share the moment with Penny, dancing with arms in the air at the side of the stage. 112 INT. DRESSING ROOM -- NIGHT 112 William in the dressing room, eyes red with exhaustion, finally interviewing Russell. He holds the mike stoically. WILLIAM So when you play a great show like tonight... Dick enters with great urgency. DICK Okay. I need everybody's attention. The kid shuts his eyes. He knew this would happen. DICK (cont'd) Alright, well, the rumors are true. The record company has sent a big-time manager here to try and talk you into replacing me. His name is Dennis Hope. I know you've all heard of him. He's got all the big bands. He's right outside. He wants five minutes with you right now. I think we gotta do it. RUSSELL (pissed) Then bring him in. William shuts off his tape recorder. JEFF (arrogant) Bring him in! We'll send him out on a rail! RUSSELL (to William) We'll finish on the way to Boston. You can fly home from Boston. William nods, exhausted, as Dick opens the door. In walks a small general of a man in a baseball t-shirt, well-trimmed beard and bowl cut. He holds the super-new Halliburton briefcase. He is DENNIS HOPE, 25. A man from the midwest, with a vision of the future of rock and roll. Already in his head are all the things that will come to pass. Higher ticket prices. Merchandising deals. Greater distribution and accounting of album sales. He shrugs hello to the band. DENNIS HOPE (completely unthreatening) Hi. RUSSELL We already have a manager. He's been with us from the beginning. Hope appreciates the lack of small talk. He strides the room with the joyful enthusiasm of a kid who wants to build a fort. Russell watches, dismissive, holding his guitar. DENNIS HOPE Respectfully. We all have our roots. I believe in bands holding onto their roots. But those roots need to be augmented. I'm gonna tell you the truth - I may enrage some and enthrall others. I don't really give a fuck. Your manager here needs a manager. Example. If you hadn't run out on the contract in Phoenix, you could have sued over Russell's hand... but you left, negating the contract, forfeiting the deposit, and you effectively traveled a long way to pay that promoter... to electrocute you. Russell looks at his hand. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) We can all work together. Your damages have put you way into the hole for this tour. Right now you owe the record company more than you've got. But your record's selling, there's money to be made. So I've brought a plane in, we can add more shows to make-up the difference. Respectfully. RUSSELL (immediately) We travel by bus. JEFF Doris is the soul of this band! That bus has been our home since we were the Jeff Bebe Band. Dick watches his loyal band with admiration. DENNIS Hey man -- it's travel on a pogo stick if I thought we'd make more money. You can play more dates with a plane... 112A INT. CLEVELAND ARENA - NIGHT - SAME TIME 112A Penny Lane stands on stage facing the empty arena. The roadies have packed up and moved on. She is alone in the poetic and trash filled structure that was just hours ago filled with people. (Behavior to come) INTERCUT WITH: 112B INT. DRESSING ROOM -- NIGHT 112B The band meeting continues. RUSSELL (passionate) Hey man, it's not about the money! It's about Playing music, and turning people on! The band agrees. DENNIS HOPE (delicately) Yes, of course. Clearly. Respectfully. But on the distasteful subject of money. Just know. You're making it -- right now -- and it's all -- He gestures to infinity. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) -- out there. I'm just talking about bringing it -- Bringing his hand together in a fist, he returns it, close to his heart. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) -- back here. The band looks at Dick, who manages not to be speechless. DICK But why should we pay you for something we can do ourselves? DENNIS HOPE (immediately) Do you know how to keep from getting charged for the ice below the floorboards of Chicago Stadium? Do you know how to do a headlining tour, do you Claire Rothman at the L.A. Forum? Do you know Bobbi Cowan, Lisa Robinson, Jim Ladd, Frank Barcelona? (look around, amazed) This is Cleveland. Where's Kid Leo?? (basics) Do you know how you get a record not pressed but played? Do you know? I didn't invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella. He laughs. It's fun. Band members are now listening, curiously spellbound. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) Because as much as you may believe that it will last forever, it does not last forever... your biggest fan right now soon they're going to go to college, gonna wanna buy clothes, spend that money some other way, and you know what? (the final insult) They'll tape your record from a friend's copy. Russell stops fingering his guitar. Shot moves across the faces of the band members. Pain. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) You've got to take what you can, when you can, while you can. And you've got to do it now. That's what the big boys do. The band squirms, but listens. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) Because if you think Mick Jagger will still be out there trying to be a rock star at age fifty, you're sadly sadly mistaken. Now he's reaching them. Their slackened roar-weary faces stare back at the young dynamo. DICK (flustered) Yeah, well... we'll think about what you said. DENNIS HOPE (casually) No no. You don't understand. I'll think about it. I'm not auditioning. I came here to decide whether I want to represent you. So I'll stand outside for a moment, and think about whether I want to stay. He leaves the room with a pleasant shrug. Stunned silence. William watches their body language. No one wants to talk first. Their faces read as -- who was that guy, and how can we talk him into staying? 113 INT. PLANE -- DAY 113 William watches as the band stands inside the new plane. Dennis Hope looks on. RUSSELL This is not us. This is too much. He looks around for support. Grim nodding faces. RUSSELL (cont'd) (impressed at seat) This is too much. William watches as Russell reclines. Russell grabs Penny, and she falls into the seat next to him. We hear the loud oncoming sound of the plane in flight, as Dennis cooly asks for Penny's seat. DENNIS HOPE Do you mind? 114 EXT. PRIVATE AIRPORT -- DAY 114 Doris the bus stays behind in the parking lot, abandoned near a field. The new plane lifts off in the background, as the bus sits alone, as if crying steel tears. Bus Banner reads simply: CLEVELAND. Reprise ending of Whole Lotta Love. 115 INT. PLANE NIGHT 115 The girls sit on the jumper seats at the back of the plane, with William. 116 INT. BOSTON HOTEL ROOM HALLWAY -- DAY 116 William trudges the hallway with tape-recorder and notebook, trolling for Russell. He passes Boston travelogue posters on the walls. A few room doors are open, he looks for any sign of the guitarist. William veers into Dick's room, where a poker game full of Roadies is in progress. The room is thick with exotic smoke. They are a bunch of road-hardened snobs, smoking cigars and other items, famous to themselves, listening not to rock and roll... but Sarah Vaughn. WILLIAM Anyone seen Russell? DICK The Enemy! Door widens to reveal Russell. RUSSELL Hey! Welcome to the Road Crew Poker Party. This game's been going of for two years. DICK That's Mick - he's with The Who. That's John - with J. Geils. And that's Richard with the Eagles... and you know The Wheel. THE WHEEL Hey. Grumbling roadies continue playing. Like an old pro, the kid turns down a Cola-can hash-pipe. This hand is down to Dick, and a roadie named REG from Humble Pie. DICK Side proposition. For fifty dollars and a case of Heineken, I will put into the pot... three Lovely Ladies, Including the famous Penny Lane... the Band-Aids, who need to exit our tour before New York... REG It's a deal. Show 'em. Dick lays down three tens. Reg lays down three Kings. Dick loses. DICK Three Lovely Ladies... now in the custody of Humble Pie. REG Alright, so we owe you fifty dollars and a case of Heineken. Embarrassed, Russell notices the kids face. He leans over, and speaks confidentially to him. RUSSELL Look. Nobody's feelings are getting hurt here. She already knows Leslie's coming To New York tomorrow. They all understand. This is the Circus. Everybody's trying not to go home. Nobody's saying goodbye. WILLIAM No, I got it. RUSSELL These are the Rules that come with every electric Guitar and every amplifier. They're not just written anywhere. Rock and roll, brother. No attachments. No boundaries. But the kid feels bad, and Russell knows it. RUSSELL (cont'd) Quit looking at me like that. 116A INT. HALLWAY - AFTERNOON 116A The kid is still stuck on the road. He is in hell now. Wearily, with deep circles under his eyes, he shuts his eyes for a moment. Another band is moving through. SABBATH ROADIE Keep this hallway clear! 117 INT. BACKSTAGE TRAILER/DRESSING ROOM -- AFTERNOON 117 William and Penny sit on opposite ends of a blue locker-room bench. It's a small dressing room, crowded with roadies, guitars and men in stages of half-dress. Piles of luggage headed for New York sit by the door. The door suddenly opens and Dick arrives with champagne and a cake decorated with a sparkler. It is placed in Penny's lap. It reads: Unforgettable Penny... Age Unknown. Boston, 1973. They gather now as the cake sits before a surprised and enchanted Penny Lane. DICK Happy Birthday from us. William watches her face as she reads the message on the cake. It hasn't sunk in yet. Russell produces a piece of hotel stationery. He reads a poem. RUSSELL So Penny our friend has gained another year. But long ago, she threw it in gear. She rocked the south The East and West. Could you please get off this endless tour Where we're Black Sabbath's fucking special guest? Laughter. RUSSELL (cont'd) She says she's retired Though we've heard that before. She chose us... And in Penny Lane we trust She is a fan of this band. Much more so than us. William watches her face. Still enchanted, she hands out slices of the cake. DENNIS HOPE (to the point) Sorry the plane isn't bigger. It hits her. She looks at William for a clue. His truthful face does not look away. Now she knows. She turns to the others -- the plane isn't bigger? Shot moves in on Penny as she blinks just a little, cutting into the cake, still mugging for everybody, covering it all with a layer of sweet giddy laughter. Shot comes to rest behind her, her head turning to connect with band members. Each of them look away, nobody maintaining eye contact with her except the one she now doesn't look at. William. She blows out the candles, vamping Marilyn Monroe-style, and sucks off the frosting seductively, to cheers. Russell watches, as we push in on Penny. She notices all the luggage is gone, only her two cases remain by the door. 118 EXT. CONCORD PAVILLION BACKSTAGE -- EARLY MORNING 118 William exits a backstage Portosan. Penny catches him by the grilling area where catering is preparing for the outdoor event. Their laminated passes swing from around their necks. Thuding in the distance, Stillwater plays for a cheering outdoor crowd. The sound of summer insects in the air. PENNY So it wasn't a birthday party, it was a farewell. William doesn't answer. He looks at her, blowing some hair out of her face. PENNY (cont'd) You think you can fool me. I read you. I know what you're thinking. WILLIAM What's that? PENNY (touched) You're worried about me and Russell. WILLIAM Yeah. I gotta work on that. PENNY You're so sweet. God -- if there was more of you in him... WILLIAM Don't tell me this stuff. I want to like him. PENNY (concerned for him) Did you miss your test or something? He shakes his head. It's so beyond a test. PENNY (cont'd) I know I'm not on the plane, and I'm not going on some other band's bus. I mean, I could go with the Sabbath road crew, but that would be pathetic. The girls are all going with Humble Pie. If you could find out from Russell -- WILLIAM (quietly) Penny - PENNY (a decision) Forget it. I'm flying to New York myself. I have a bunch of partial tickets. I know his ex-wife, current girlfriend's going to be there - William's eyebrows rise. She examines his face for clues. WILLIAM -- I'm not sure that's a good idea. PENNY (overlapping) What? What are you saying? What do you know? Did Russell say something? WILLIAM I don't know anything. PENNY I know he wants me there. He gave me a cake. He wrote me that sweet poem. WILLIAM (loud) Wake up! Don't go to New York! PENNY What are you telling me? She looks so achingly beautiful to him. WILLIAM Because you're not who you said you were! I thought you were retired! PENNY You're right. I'm not who I said I was. I'm just like you. I love music, so this is my family. Some people like tractors, and they hang out with tractor people. What's the worst that could happen if I go to New York? (little girl) "I get my little heart broken?" WILLIAM Oh no. Never you! You eat people alive! She tears some leaves off a tree. He looks at her, unable to formulate a response. PENNY (accusatory) I'm sorry I told you so much. You have some way of making everybody tell you all their secrets. WILLIAM That's a good one. Tell me too much and make it my fault. He continues walking, she follows. They have ventured outside the backstage area, onto adjoining Boston farmland. The show booms in the background. PENNY Come on. You've seen what's happened. Russell and I fell in love. How much, I don't know... but this is the first time I've fallen for someone, really fallen... since Iggy, and I'm not happy about it. WILLIAM (beat) You slept with Iggy Pop!? She says nothing. WILLIAM (cont'd) (sputtering) Why don't you just tell me now, who else -- so when I go to the record store, I know who to be jealous of. Because right now, it's looking like the whole store! He's upset. She stares at him. PENNY (teasing, defiant) You'll remember me forever. I was there when you lost your virginity. WILLIAM (upset at the memory) So was Steely Dan! It was a crowded room. She laughs, can't help it. Then: PENNY You make me laugh. I think I'm gonna cry. WILLIAM (continuing) I thought we were going to Morocco! There's no Morocco. There's never been a Morocco. There's not even a Penny Lane. I don'teven know your real name. PENNY If I ever met a guy in the real world, who looked at me the way you just looked at me... WILLIAM When and where does the real world occur? I am really... confused here. Fuck! All these Rules And all these sayings... and nicknames... PENNY You know -- you're too sweet for rock and roll. WILLIAM Where do you get off... where do you get "sweet?" I'm not sweet. I'm dark and mysterious and pissed-off and I could be very dangerous to all of you... I'm not sweet, and you should know that about me! I am The Enemy. PENNY You're not any of those things and that's what I love about you. William stands there in disbelief, unable to look at her. WILLIAM You fall in love to keep from falling in love. PENNY I don't want to go home! WILLIAM Well, I have to go home. And you never helped me. PENNY Yes I did. WILLIAM That disc-jockey in Arizona got a better interview than me... and he was asleep. He starts walking back to the stage. She follows. They are two very young kids thrashed by the seas of rock and roll. His frustration increases. She just doesn't get it. Applause in b.g. She grabs his shirt. PENNY Look. You should be happy for me. You don't know what he says to me in private. Maybe it is love. As much as it can be with someone who -- WILLIAM (blurts) -- sold you to Humble Pie for fifty dollars and a case of beer? I was there! He is instantly sorry. Her world privately crumbles, but she tries to remain stoic and carefree. PENNY What kind of beer? 119 INT. HUMBLE PIE CREW TRUCK -- DAY 119 Sapphire, Polexia, and Estrella bump along to the music and the road. They strain to maintain dignity in these decidedly third-class surroundings. There's only one small blurry window. POLEXIA Who did this to us? 120 INT. WILLIAM'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT 120 Mom on the phone. ELAINE Then don't come home. Don't do this to me. If you're going to miss graduation, don't come home. She hangs up. 121 INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE -- NIGHT 121 William on the phone. Speechless. 122 INT. COLLEGE CLASSROOM -- DAY 122 Elaine faces her Humanities class. She stands in an amphitheater-style, inner-city college classroom, decorated with colorful unorthodox artifacts from her home. These earnest city college students listen to her. But she cannot continue. There is a thundering upset inside her. ELAINE I'm sorry. I can't concentrate. (beat, confesses, unhinged) Rock stars kidnaped my son. 123 INT. BAND PLANE -- DAY 123 Music. Russell and band bounces down in NYC. Russell listens to music on headphones plugged into large boom box. 124 INT. LIMOUSINE -- DAY 124 William watches, facing the band from the jump seat of their limousine, heading into New York. Up ahead, Manhattan looms, beautiful and scary. RUSSELL "New York. Just like I pictured it... " JEFF " ... skyscrapers and everything." RUSSELL (to William) We showed you America. We did everything but get you laid. Beat. They look at each other curiously. How much does the other guy know? 125 EXT. ST. REGIS -- DAY 125 Russell and band spill out of limo. The New York cluster of hardcore Stillwater fans wait outside. They hold collector's sleeves covering albums to be autographed, and fresh magic markers in hand. William in tow crawls out of the limo last. Dick goes to work, pulling luggage from the trunk. A serious- looking Fan (LENNY) approaches Russell with an autograph card. FAN I'm from the Church of Lenny. We bow to his will and all that it represents - The King of the King of Kings. RUSSELL Make it out to - ? FAN To Lenny. Russell nods -- of course. He signs, as Dick approaches with a well-placed word in his right ear. DICK She's here. William turns, expecting to see Penny. Instead we see the long-limbed, athletic, pretty and collegiate LESLIE. She holds a Nikon camera, and snaps their picture. JEFF Leslie! DICK Your room is completely stocked, far away from any noisy ice machines, elevators or maid quarters. The air- conditioning is already on. And here is your security key -- by the way, you look stunning. LESLIE (taking treatment for granted) ThanksI'llseeyoulater. Nearby, the young journalist studies the tour's subtle shift in welcoming Leslie. Dick's New York side is almost military. DICK Bags in five! Cars leave for the party at six! William studies Leslie, everyone saying hello to her, everyone knowing the subtext. Nobody saying a word. William pulls his heavy bag out of the back of the limousine. The bag breaks, and the contents spill out onto the New York sidewalk. Bars of soap, ashtrays, hotel keys, crumpled paper, the contraband t-shirt, "Do Not Disturb" signs, notes, towels and thick telephone books from every city. DICK (cont'd) You know. There are lighter souvenirs. WILLIAM (embarrassed) Well -- I kept thinking I was going home the next day -- DICK I did too. Fifteen years ago. All help him with his spilled souvenirs. Russell shares a private look with the kid. Nearby Leslie greets other band members. WILLIAM Ric! It's Super Zeppelin fan Ric Nunez. RIC (whispers) It's all happening. Zeppelin is at the Plaza. So's four other bands. They're partying up there right now. Sapphire, and Miss Penny Lane too... She wants you to call her. (William reacts) They're all staying under the name Emily Rugburn. William takes in the information, while regarding Ric's new custom shirt, which features the words to Zeppelin's "The Rain Song." RUSSELL (exiting with Leslie) After the party. I'll come to your room - I promise. We'll talk. This is Leslie, by the way. Leslie, this is our wayward friend from Rolling Stone. The Enemy. They shake, she smiles randomly. 126 INT. ST. REGIS FRONT DESK -- NIGHT 126 William checks in. CLERK William Miller? Sir, you have an urgent call from a Mr. "Ben Fong-Torres." He's holding for you, right now. William takes the phone. The Clerk watches curiously as the kid adopts a new persona. WILLIAM (deep voice) Hello. INTERCUT INT. JANN'S OFFICE -- SAN FRANCISCO -- AFTERNOON On a rainy day in San Francisco, Ben Fong-Torres stands in the copy-strewn office of the young editor/publisher JANN WENNER. Several other editors are also present in the background, including David Felton with cigarette-holder in mouth, and a prep-school Fact-Checker named ALLISON. BEN Congratulations. It's gonna be a cover. Neal Preston will shoot 'em next week in L.A. we need you back in San Francisco tomorrow. We'll finish the story here. William is overwhelmed with many emotions, fear topping the list. BEN (cont'd) You can tell the band. Allison, our fact checker, needs you to transmit whatever you have of the story, tonight, now, along with your notes. There is a mojo at the Daily News they'll let us use - WILLIAM Mojo? BEN A mojo. It's a very modern machine that transmits pages over the telephone. It only takes eighteen Minutes a page... 126A EXT. NEW YORK STREETS -- NIGHT 126A The sound of feet on pavement. William looks at addresses, hustling to the Daily News office. 126B INT. DAILY NEWS COPY STATION -- NIGHT 126B William tears pages from his notebook and feeds them into the large and clunky earliest model fax machine -- "The Mojo." We hear David Bowie. "The Jean Genie." A127 EXT. MAX'S KANSAS CITY -- NIGHT A127 William weaves, exhausted, into the Stillwater press party at this legendary New York nightspot. The Doorman, who checks i.d.s, sees the kid and expresses great doubt. DENNIS HOPE He's okay, he's with us - Hope shoves him past the Guard, and sends him into a very mature new world. 127 INT. MAX'S KANSAS CITY -- NIGHT 127 The famous hub of New York rock and roll. A strong whiff of decadence mixes with youthful naivete. Not a hippie in sight. William walks through, looking for familiar faces. Overhead we hear Stillwater. "If You Say Nothing." The party is filled with scenesters, long silver-haired glamsters, some British journalists, and many hunched young skinny bodies in leather jackets. Russell grabs him by the arm. RUSSELL Ah ha! There you are, ya little fucker. Come on -- WILLIAM I have some good news. RUSSELL -- I'll piss to that. Follow me. A128 INT. MAX'S BEDROOM A128 They enter the small bathroom. Russell bolts the door, faces the urinal and pees. His own music throbs in the next room. RUSSELL Dennis Hope took me aside, and wants to manage Me solo. Says to lose the band by February. Should I do it? I have no perspective anymore. William pees in silence. RUSSELL (cont'd) At what point do I just take the hint? Nobody Loves this band. People like us, do they love us? WILLIAM I do. RUSSELL (then pissed) Oh - get this - somebody told Penny Lane I sold her for beer. The network of these chicks! Like I would do that. It's Jeff who told her, right? Not you, right? None of these guys can just calm down and be a fuckin adult. Now she's here, freaking out. Leslie can smell it. WILLIAM (exiting) Wait. I've got something to tell - But he finds himself trailing Russell to the back room bar. 128 INT. GIRL'S BATHROOM - NIGHT - SAME TIME 128 Leslie in the bathroom. Penny enters and watches her discreetly. They stand together, side-by-side at the mirror. Leslie looks once, turns and then turns back at Penny. She knows. 129 INT. BACKROOM -- NIGHT 129 William sits with the band. Over Jeff's head, Penny hangs nearby, at the outskirts, drinking and dancing. They share a look, feigning casualty. WILLIAM You guys -- you guys -- (beat) You're gonna be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Stunned and overwhelmed, the band waits a beat, lets it sink in... and goes wild. Russell, stunned too, looks at the kid. It's big news. Jeff stands immediately, eyes moist, glass raised. JEFF (tears welling, instantly) The cover of Rolling Stone. And we made it together. They don't just put somebody with one little hit on the cover of Rolling Stone Fucking Magazine, man. We made it. The band nods solemnly, importantly. JEFF (cont'd) (continuing) Damn it -- I'm gonna enjoy this. The first time I bought that magazine The Beatles were on the cover. Four of them. Four of us. Together. TOGETHER! They begin singing the then-current Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show hit, "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" to William. LESLIE Who is that girl? She's creeping me out. She's not with any of you, is she? WILLIAM/DICK She's with me. And now Leslie has confirmation. A symphony of looks, as Dick gets to his feet and moves to confront Penny. Penny Lane's eyes fill and she runs out. Russell stands... and sees William also stand. William turns and follows her. Russell stands watching, and does not leave. We hear Elton John's "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters." 130 EXT. MAX'S KANSAS CITY -- NIGHT 130 William exits as a crush of Partygoers arrives. He doesn't know where she is. He takes off to examine the cabs stuck in traffic. Song continues. POV WILLIAM He looks in the backs of cabs. None of them her. Music continues. He runs down the streets, looking for her. Alone in New York City. 131 INT. PLAZA HOTEL -- NIGHT 131 William on the house phone. WILLIAM Emily Rugburn, please. 132 INT. HOTEL HALLWAY -- NIGHT 132 William approaches Suite 702. The door is open. He hears new band voices, and sees new faces. MUSICIAN # 1 intercepts him. WILLIAM Hi. I'm a friend of Penny Lane's. MUSICIAN # 1 Aren't we all - Musician types are leaving. WILLIAM Where is she? Room Service arrives. Some appetizers and a large expensive bottle of champagne on ice. ROOM SERVICE GUY Can somebody sign for this? William does. ROOM SERVICE GUY (cont'd) Thank you Mr. Rugburn. Two more Musicans (English) exit the back room party. The room is clearing out. ENGLISH MUSICIAN She's sick. Let's get out of here. ENGLISH MUSICIAN # 2 She used to be so much more together. William watches all, champagne in hand, and finds her in the backroom. She's addled and nearly passed out. WILLIAM What happened? PENNY LANE I'm not good at goodbyes. She sags. He grabs the phone. PENNY LANE (cont'd) You're the last of my old-time friends. Polexia went to England with Deep Purple... can you believe that? Even Sapphire's out someplace else. All she left was her quaaludes. WILLIAM Oh -- wonderful. (into phone) Front desk? Please send a doctor. Room... what room? 703. 702. Both rooms, either room. This is Mr. Rugburn, Yes. My wife's had an accident with some quaaludes. Yes - I'll do that. The room has emptied out. Just them, and the remnants of a movable party that has moved elsewhere. WILLIAM (cont'd) Wake up! He struggles to get her on her feet. She tips over on her strappy platform shoes. He struggles to untie them. 133 EXT. GRADUATION -- DAY 133 The School band plays "Colour My World." School PRINCIPAL at the podium. PRINCIPAL And now... out graduating class! Jane Abbott! A peppy student bounds up and grabs her diploma. Elaine Miller watches dolefully in the audience. 134 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT 134 William holds Penny in his arms. Finally she is close to him. 135 EXT. GRADUATION CEREMONY -- DAY 135 PRINCIPAL Victor Sanchez! Warm applause for another student who grabs his diploma. He takes off his mortar board to flash an American flag bandana. He raises his diploma in victory. 136 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT 136 William holds Penny Lane, and keeps her moving. It's a sagging, messy slow dance. WILLIAM "In the unlikely event of a water landing... " PENNY "... you will be required to wear a safety vest." WILLIAM Keep going. PENNY "Please place all stowable luggage in the overhead compartments... out in the seat in front of you." WILLIAM (prompting) "Seat and tray tables." PENNY "And seat-backs and tray-tables should be in their full and upright and locked positions... " 137 EXT. GRADUATION CEREMONY -- DAY 137 PRINCIPAL And now... out "Pending" Graduates! (pause) William Miller... not present. Elaine applauds her son, stoically. It is a dagger through her heart. A sympathetic look from a nearby Mother continues the pain. 138 INT. HOTEL - NIGHT 138 They move slowly, she's fading. WILLIAM "In the tragic event of a water landing..." 139 EXT. GRADUATION - DAY 139 The Principal shares a few thoughts: PRINCIPAL And to the class of 1973, we say -- (beat) Don't forget to remember yourself as you are today... Full of hope... and the dream that everything is possible... Remember this, twenty years from now, when we all own home computers and we all travel in shiny electrical cars that move swiftly, high above the city... (beat) They key to the future is keeping today alive forever. Elaine's head lowers slowly in a sea of happy parents. The day will never end. Mrs. Deegan slips into the seat next to her. MRS. DEEGAN First. Release the guilt. (Elaine nods) Second - ELAINE Please let there be only two, because I can't get past Number One. MRS. DEEGAN Second. Leave a little room for the other teachers in this world. He's out there looking for mentors. ELAINE He's got twelve of them. They're lined up. He's just tired of me. A140 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT A140 William holds Penny. She is very woozy. PENNY "... you will be required to..." (gives up) I'm tired. She is very groggy, as he holds her. WILLIAM Well. Now that I have your attention. And you may not remember this later, I just want to make it clear that... Hey! (she blinks, barely awake again) I know you've heard this before. And I have never said this to anybody, not really - well, nobody who didn't legally have to say it back to me, but - (tries to be casual) I love you. And I have a hard time sharing you with all of rock and roll because I - why am I nervous? - You'll never remember this - HEY! - (she blinks) I love you, and I'm about to boldly go where... Many men have gone before... He kisses her. A doctor and nurse come crashing into the room. They push past William and pull Penny into the bathroom. He sits on the edge of the bed, looking into the bathroom, as they work on her. We hear Stevie Wonder. "My Cherie Amor." 140 INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT 140 Doctor places a tube down Penny Lane's throat. A bored nurse holds a water-bag, lowering it to ground level. WILLIAM'S POV INTO BATHROOM Her feet sticking out, wriggling. He watches, as music continues. ON THE BATHTUB Her amber-colored stomach contents look like a Jackson Pollack portrait of the era, with three partially dissolved pills. Doctor hands enter frame and remove them. Music continues. 141 INT. HOTEL ROOM - LATER NIGHT 141 The Doctor re-appears, and sits down next to William, as the Nurse exits. The Doctor withdraws a three-page report form. DOCTOR Your wife will be okay for now - WILLIAM Thank you Doctor. DOCTOR However, she says you're her brother. WILLIAM (eyes report) She's a little confused. The ice shifts in the champagne bucket nearby. The Doctor sizes up the situation. DOCTOR Nice champagne. WILLIAM I don't have a driver's license. With me. DOCTOR Tomorrow's my wedding anniversary. I'd prefer to take care of this without facing the dawn at the police station. So if you can find a way to get this girl - your wife - back home to her parents, I'd let you pay me anything you can afford. Because you don't appear to be related to the famous Rugburns of Rhode Island. His eyes flick to the champagne. The kid takes a hint, reaches over to the champagne. WILLIAM Happy Anniversary. The Doctor puts the champagne in his bag. DOCTOR She won't be good company, but keep her awake for another four hours. 142 INT. AIRPORT TICKET COUNTER -- MORNING 142 Song continues. William and Penny drag themselves through the airport. He guides her to the ticket counter. Penny wears her green coat, large sunglasses. He sorts through her many partial tickets. They are both so tired. She shakes off her coat -- she's suddenly very hot -- and he grabs it and loops it through her bags. She's irritable, and ready to go home. 143 INT. AIRPORT GATE - MORNING 143 PENNY (baring her soul) When I was 14, my Mom and her boyfriend took me to a Rolling Stones concert - and I freaked out and I rushed up to the front of the stage and then a thousand people had the same idea at the same time and I was getting crushed. And I couldn't breathe and that thought flashed through me - almost like a car accident - I thought I might die. And it was in the middle of "Midnight Rambler" and Keith Richards saw me. And he came over, and came to the front of the stage, and he pulled me out. And they took me backstage and they gave me coke with ice and a - and a lemon. And I never went home. WILLIAM What about your Mom? PENNY She always said - "Marry Up." Marry someone grand. That's why she named me Lady. WILLIAM (horrified) She named you Lady? PENNY Lady Goodman. WILLIAM No. PENNY You never really get used to it, either. WILLIAM Well -- this -- this just explains everything. He wishes it did. She rubs her stomach. It's a rocky morning. WILLIAM (cont'd) See you back in the real world. PENNY See you back there. She kisses his forehead, and takes off down the accordian leading to her plane. She drops her coat again, bending down to retrieve it. WILLIAM Hey Lady! Four Woman turn, but not Penny. She disappears. 144 INT. AIRPLANE - DAY 144 Penny Lane settles into her seat on the airplane. She notices William watching from the terminal window, and waves. STEWARDESS Please extinguish all flammable items, and return all seats and tray tables to their full and upright locked positions. She mouths along with the words. There is no one to share the joke with. And then a few blurry memories come back to her. She gestures to him... understanding him more fully... as he disappears. 145 INT. AIRPORT TERMINAL - DAY 145 William walks alongside her plane, moving from terminal window to terminal window. Catching her glance again, he's picking up steam. What's she saying? 146 INT. PLANE - DAY 146 She keeps watching as he runs alongside, still keeping up with her plane. She now fully remembers, and places her outstretched fingers on the window. She mouths the words: I'll see you back home! ON WINDOW He us running through her fingers. CLOSE ON WILLIAM Who can run no further. FADE OUT FADE UP 147 INT. BAND PLANE -- DAY 147 Russell and William are in mid-interview. The kid's microphone is out. It's a little bit of a rough flight. William wears the same clothes. RUSSELL Why didn't you come back to the party? Bob Dylan showed up. He was sitting at our table for... had to be an hour, right? Just Rapping. Bob Dylan! I kept looking for you. I was going to introduce you. The kid feels pain. JEFF What happened to you last night? WILLIAM It's a log story. A sharp jolt of turbulence. Russell begins pounding on the card table in rhythm. RUSSELL (singing Buddy Holly) "Peggy Sure... Peggy Sue... " DICK Please. RUSSELL "Pretty pretty pretty pretty Peggy Sue... " A moment of laughter, and then bam. Jeff's drink rises and suspends briefly in mid-air. The plane takes another mighty knock. JEFF We shouldn't be here. RUSSELL Doris, we miss you! Fear is creeping in around the edges. William, already an uneasy flier, looks down. PILOT'S VOICE This is Craig, your pilot. It appears we've caught the edge of that electrical storm we were trying to outrun. Buckle up tight now. We're gonna do our best to getcha out of this. The rocking of the plane worsens, as all buckle up. JEFF "Electrical storm?" RUSSELL (strapping in for a roller coaster) Rock and roll. The sky darkens abruptly. William looks up, increasingly nervous, stares straight ahead. The plane suddenly drops and stabilizes. Everyone is silent but Russell. RUSSELL (cont'd) Wooooooo Baby! A moment later, an ashen-faced CO-PILOT emerges, balancing himself with hands on the ceiling of the shuddering plane. CO-PILOT We're gonna try to land in Tupelo. We're going to have to cut the inside lighting for the next several minutes. We found a field to land in. The kid notices Silent Ed is rubbing a small crucifix. DENNIS HOPE A field? JEFF I can't breathe. Push in on Russell. We hear a series of unfamiliar electrical sounds. The plane screwballs through the sky. CO-PILOT It might be a rough set-down. We should be fine. (cracking at the edges) But what we do say in a situation like this is - We would pass but before the plane ... disassembled. However, God help us, if there's anything you want to say to each other, any secrets, anything like that, now would be a good time. But just hang in there. We'll get you out of this. He returns to the cockpit. The weather worsens, as the hail suddenly pelts the plane, and it comes down hard. Inside lights shut off. William stares straight ahead, as the cockpit door swings open - total chaos visible inside - and then shuts again. DICK And everyone thinks it's so glamorous out here. LARRY (oddly detached) He just told us we're gonna die. JEFF (insecurities running wild) We're gonna crash in Elvis' hometown -- RUSSELL Shut up. JEFF -- we can't even die in an original city! RUSSELL C'mon Dennis, get us a better city. Nervous laughter. Another sheet of hail hits the plane. LESLIE Oh my God. PUSH IN ON WILLIAM Just shaking. Nearly in tears. Hyperventilating. RUSSELL If something should happen. I love all of you. I don't think we have to do the secrets thing. The plane shakes. Now lightening strikes very close. A flashing wall of electricity rolls through the plane and evaporates with a burning smell still in the air. In the darkness: DENNIS HOPE I once hit a man in Dearborn, Michigan. A hit-and-run. I hit him and kept on going. I don't know if he's alive or dead, but I'm sorry. LESLIE (gripped with fear) Oh my God. The plane wildly rises, and falls. It stops for a moment. A strange smooth patch. DICK I love you all too, and you're my family. Especially since Marna left me. But if I ever took an extra dollar or two, here and there, it was because I knew I'd earned it. RUSSELL I slept with Marna, Dick. JEFF I did too. LARRY I waited until you broke up with her. But me too. JEFF I also slept with Leslie, when you were fighting. RUSSELL You... slept with Jeff? LESLIE Yes, but it didn't count. It was the summer we decided to be free of all rules. RUSSELL (to Jeff) And you say you "love me." JEFF (the truth) I don't love you, man. I never did. RUSSELL Please. Enough. JEFF NONE of us love you. You act above us. You ALWAYS HAVE!! LARRY Finally. The truth. JEFF You just held it over us, like you light leave... like we're lucky to be with you. And we had to live with it. I had to live with you, and now I might die with you and it's not fucking fair. William watches, catatonic. RUSSELL (to Larry and Ed) You hate me? You too? Larry stares at him. Ed says nothing. RUSSELL (cont'd) All this love. All this loyalty. (incredulous, giddy) And you don't even like me. JEFF And I'm still in love with you Leslie. Bam. The plane is pulling sideways, and dropping altitude. LESLIE I don't want to hear anymore. Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! RUSSELL (to Jeff) Whatever happens, you're dead. JEFF Don't be self-righteous, Russell, not now. You were sleeping with Penny, that groupie. Last summer, and up until yesterday. Why don't you tell Leslie THAT? Russell tries to get up and attack him. The force keeps him in his seat. He yells. Loud. DENNIS (freaking out) I quit. The turbulence worsens. William finds his mouth saying emotional words he cannot control. WILLIAM "That groupie?" She was a Band-Aid. All she did was love your band. And you all -- you used her, all of you. You used her and threw her away. She almost died last night, while you were with Bob Dylan. You're always talking about the fans, the fans, the fans. She was your biggest fan and you threw her away. And if you can't see that, that's your biggest problem. Russell and Jeff stare at each other. The plane is rocking very very hard. Leslie is crying. ED I'm gay. They all turn to the silent drummer. (It's his first spoken dialogue of the movie.) Then. The plane pops out from below the clouds. Sunshine spikes through the embattled windows of the plane, as they float downwards to the city of Tupelo, Mississippi. A very very uneasy silence fills the plane. No one can look at each other. Out bursts the Co-Pilot, giddy with victory. CO-PILOT Thank God above, WE'RE ALIVE!! WE'RE ALIVE!! WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT!! Shot of all the occupants, ending with Russell. Suddenly, the alternative seems far more attractive. We hear Rod Stewart's "Jo's Lament" as music plays over their still-shocked faces. 148 INT. TUPELO AIRPORT CORRIDOR -- DAY 148 Music continues, as they walk together like ghosts in a long and very pregnant silence, ignoring the kid. Everything is different now. The kid peels off and throws up in a dumpster. We continue with the band, unhappily moving forward. William hustles back to catch up. They ignore him. There are much bigger thoughts in play. No one wants to speak. JEFF Well, I think we can build on this new honesty. Boom. Russell attacks him, and they're pulled apart. The band continues moving forward, arriving at a fork in the airport terminals. William stops. This is where he must part company. He stands at the mouth of the next terminal, as the band continues, unaware he's split off. He watches their backs, they've forgotten him. Then Russell turns, sensing something missing. William. All now stop and turn. Still shell-shocked, they summon a pre- occupied but heartfelt goodbye. William waves. Music continues. ON AIRPLANE DEPARTURE SCHEDULE William's finger finds San Francisco. 149 INT. CAB -- SAN FRANCISCO -- DAY 149 The kid checks the address as he arrives at the MJB Building, and its next-door neighbor, the San Francisco headquarters of Rolling Stone Magazine. He still wears the same clothes from last night in New York. 150 INT. ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE -- DAY 150 William arrives at the front desk, gets the once-over from a friendly RECEPTIONIST, a paragon of new cool. RECEPTIONIST Leave your package at the desk. WILLIAM I'm not a messenger. I'm one of your writers. William Miller. He is zombie-tired, with heavy duffel case and his orange bag. 151 INT. ROLLING STONE OFFICES -- DAY 151 William walks down the center aisle. Editors and writers look at him, standing at the front of their cubicles to see this exhausted 15 year-old writer. At the end of the aisle, like a human finish line, stand Ben Fong-Torres. BEN You're William Miller? The secret emerges not with a bang but with a slight and tired nod of the head. WILLIAM Yep. BEN (putting it all together) Oh baby. Ben leads him into the office of Jann Wenner, the editor- publisher. 152 INT. JANN WENNER'S OFFICE -- DAY 152 William sits. Editors are feverishly discussing the next issue. The big concerns of a national magazine are in the air. Everyone is focused and quick. The conversation is machine- gun like. Jann Werner turns to the kid. JANN We can't run this piece. The kid's eyes travel to his story -- a stack of fuzzy-looking sheets on the table. BEN You obviously saw more than you wrote about. After eight days on the road with these guys. DAVID FELTON Didn't anything happen? JANN And where are you in this piece? What did you want to write? Because this reads like what they wanted you to write. BEN What happened to your highly-touted think piece on limitations of a middle- level Band in the face of success? William sits speechless. It's sinking in. Failure. Conversation continues at a fast pace: JANN We can push up Chet's Who cover - FACT CHECKER Good 'cause it's going to take me three days to get through this research. It's all handwritten, on little slips. Plus, they all refer to woman as "chicks." I mean, as a woman I have a problem with that. I know it's a side issue. DAVID FELTON (sympathetic, loquacious) It's a "puff piece." you fell for 'em. It happens. A relationship forms. You want them to like you. (wistful, chewing cigarette holder) Happened with me and Charlie Manson. He was a very charming... lively... charismatic... Felton catches himself swooning. The other are staring at him. He snaps out of it. DAVID FELTON (cont'd) ... mass-murderer. WILLIAM Please let me finish it. Give me tonight to work on it. FACT CHECKER Chet's piece is all fact-checked and ready. JANN (to William) Get some sleep. We'll do another story sometime. We'll get you a kill fee. FACT CHECKER His research is all on little bits of paper. Did I say that? WILLIAM Ben. You told me to send what I had. It's not finished. FACT CHECKER That's being charitable. Ben looks at the kid, then at Jann. Jann scans the kid's face for a beat, nods. JANN Let him use the big office. It's where Hunter used to write. William rises, gratefully. He shakes Jann's hand. FACT CHECKER (pointed re: his age) You can type. WILLIAM Yes. It took it in grade school. 153 INT. BIG OFFICE -- NIGHT 153 William sits in the "big" office. It's a small white tank. After all the sound and fury, there is only the hum of a large electric typewriter. His research, transcripts and some band photos sit nearby. He takes a bite of a candy bar, a sip of coffee. He looks at the phone. INT. LESTER BANGS' BEDROOM -- NIGHT Crazy jazz is playing. Lester Bangs on the phone. LESTER BANGS Aw, man. You made friends with them! See, friendship is the booze they feed you. They want you to get drunk on feeling like you belong. INTERCUT: INT. ROLLING STONE -- NIGHT William in the empty Rolling Stone office. WILLIAM (ruefully) Well, it was fun. LESTER BANGS They make you feel cool. And hey. I met you. You are not "cool." WILLIAM I know. Even when I though I was, I knew I wasn't. LESTER BANGS That's because we are uncool! And while women will always be a problem for guys like us, most of the great art in the world is about that very problem. Good-looking people have no spine! Their art never lasts! They get the girls, but we're smarter. WILLIAM I can really see that now. LESTER BANGS Yeah, great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love... and let's face it, you got a big head start. WILLIAM I'm glad you were home. LESTER BANGS I'm always home! I'm uncool! WILLIAM Me too! LESTER BANGS (leveling) The only true currency in this bankrupt world if what we share with someone else when we're uncool. WILLIAM (distraught) I feel better LESTER My advice to you. I know you think those guys are your friends. You want to be a true friend to them? William takes a deep breath. Looks at the research cassettes and notebooks. The empty page. LESTER BANGS Be honest and unmerciful. (beat) You're doing great. Call me later is you want. I'm always up. 154 INT. ROLLING STONE OUTER OFFICE -- MORNING 154 Ben Fong-Torres and David Felton look at William's new manuscript with great interest. FELTON Read me the opening line. BEN (reads aloud) "I am flying high over Tupelo, Mississippi, with America's hottest band, and we are all about to die." FELTON Mmmmm. (as if sampling wine) Dark. Lively. BEN Yeah, and it gets better. (impressed) Did this all really happen? William sleeps restlessly nearby, mouth agape, sitting upright in a plastic chair. FACT CHECKER (jealously reaches for manuscript) Give it to me. I'll call and check the quotes. 155 INT. NEW TOUR BUS -- DAY 155 The band rides in a new tour bus. The palpable tone in the air is -- PANIC. JEFF Look. Let's just piece together our information... because the fact-checker asked us all about different parts of the story. TONY What did he write about? What's he using? JEFF It. All. He's using it all. RUSSELL So what? JEFF So what? (beat) We come off like amateurs... some average band... trying to come to grips, jealous and fighting and breaking up - we're buffoons! RUSSELL Maybe we just don't see ourselves the way we really are. JEFF He was supposed to be our friend. RUSSELL (ruefully, remembering) I told him to write what he wanted. All eyes look to Russell. TONY (to Russell) By the way, he has you on acid, screaming "I Am A Golden God" from a fan's rooftop. RUSSELL (immediately remembering) Oh my God. JEFF They used him to fuck us. RUSSELL (still back at "Golden God") I didn't say "Golden God." Or did I? DICK We never took him seriously, and now it's serious. RUSSELL I liked him as a person. JEFF He was never a "person!" He was a journalist! Russell nods. He looks at Silent Ed, drumming soundlessly on a rubber pad. RUSSELL You. You had the right idea all along. Ed silently nods thanks. DENNIS HOPE (nervously) How about the plane flight? DICK It's all in there. But don't worry, it's all unspecific who say what. No names are mentioned in the more embarrassing sequences, it's just completely obvious who's who! We're fucked! Silence. RUSSELL I forgot he was there. DENNIS HOPE Well, they haven't talked to Russell - he can always deny the key stuff to the fact checker. Then they can't print it. JEFF (brightening) Is that true? DENNIS HOPE It's war, my friend. If you'd met me earlier, he would have never been on the around. Dennis hands Russell the phone. DENNIS HOPE (cont'd) He'll live. 156 INT. ROLLING STONE OFFICES -- DAY 156 William is still being congratulated by his new peers. We see him woozy but beaming, as Allison the Fact Checker comes out of her office, waving the manuscript. She works her way through the cluster of editors. FACT CHECKER The band just denied 90% of the story. It's a fabrication. Everyone looks at William, who is speechless and confused. Their congratulations stop on a dime. The fact checker can't resist twisting the knife a little. FACT CHECKER (cont'd) You weren't honest. And worse, you wasted our time. WILLIAM Did you talk to Russell? FACT CHECKER Russell Hammond is the one who denied it. BEN (darkly) Crazy. FACT CHECKER (one last shot, to William) We're going with the Who - ! The kid has been sandbagged. The machine of a big-time magazine whirs into action on another story, as the cluster moves down the hall. SOMEONE'S VOICE He's just some fan... what did you expect? William sits there, as only David Felton stay behind, brandishing his cigarette-holder. He sits down next to the kid. FELTON Well, I believe you. He looks at the kid, decides to offer a personal parable. FELTON (cont'd) Jim Morrison once came to my house and drank a beer. The beer is still on my mantle. I'm 35 years old with Jim Morrison's beer as a shrine. I wanted to be Earnest Hemingway. Instead. I have Jim Morrison's beer. (shrugs, he's learned to live with it) If you didn't make your story up, good for you. If you did make it up... good for you. The kid looks at him, too tired and still in shock. FELTON (cont'd) Say something, so I know you're alive. WILLIAM Goodbye. He exits. FELTON Powerful word. Strong. Final. 157 INT. BACKSTAGE CREW MEAL - NIGHT 157 Russell Hammond sits down on a plastic chair with a paper-plate filled with buffet-style food - steak and baked potato. Preoccupied, and several seats away from other crew members. He drinks a glass of milk. Out old friend Sapphire takes the seat next to him, holding a skimpy paper plate of vegetables. RUSSELL I feel bad. SAPPHIRE Well, at least you feel. That puts you in a higher class of asshole. They eat in silence. Sapphire looks around. The new breed of groupies eye her, as they cruise Russell on the periphery. They're bolder, flashier. She eyes them back with seniority. RUSSELL What did I do? SAPPHIRE Well - you can do what the big boys do. (he looks at her) Nothing. RUSSELL Yeah. The girls still circle Russell nearby. He's unaware. SAPPHIRE You believe these new girls? None of 'em take birth control, and they eat all the steak. She looks sadly at her plate of vegetables. An ever-sharp mind in last night's clothes, she commands Russell's respect. SAPPHIRE (cont'd) They don't even know what it id to be a fan! To blindly love some silly piece of music... or some band so much that it hurts... please, they're all just after the money. Shoo -- (in their direction) Go rob a bank! It's more honest! RUSSELL Is Penny okay? SAPPHIRE The Quaalude Incident. Yeah, it wasn't pretty. She could have died. I always warned her about letting too many guys fall in love with her. I guess I was wrong. (shrugs) On of 'em saved her life. Russell nods. RUSSELL Well, it's finally over with Leslie. I'm going to call her. SAPPHIRE Let her retire. (he doesn't respond) You want to lock her up in a house in Michigan? Please. (he doesn't respond) Write her a song someday. She deserves it. Something about that girl brought out the best in a lot of... (looks around backstage) ... pretty average people. She deserves it... Russell stares into his crew meal, nodding a little. SAPPHIRE (cont'd) (forward thinking) ... because something tells me twenty years from now, we'll remember her... and not much else. Russell smiles to himself, knows it's true. Dick passes, placing hands on Russell's shoulders, massaging a little. DICK Have a good vacation. I hope the band stays together. Before it all went down the shitter, it was starting to get really good. Dick claps Russell on the back, and moves on. He turns to Sapphire. RUSSELL I'm not going to blame myself. I do make people happy. They just shouldn't get to know me... 'cause it appears to spoil everything. SAPPHIRE Don't be so easy on yourself. RUSSELL What gives you the right to get this personal with me. SAPPHIRE Let's not reminisce. 158 INT. SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT -- NIGHT 158 William moves like a zombie through the airport, and collapses in a seat. He sits still in the crowded flow of human traffic. A cluster of Flight Attendants pass. One stops, a stylish young woman wearing a tall bubble-shaped PSA hat with swirling colors. ANITA William? He looks at her. He feels like he's on Mars, and she looks like a Martian. ANITA (cont'd) You guys this is my brother! MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT (ad if meeting a celebrity) "The Narc?!" William looks woefully at them, like a dog who's been hit by a car. ANITA You guys, I'll deadhead back later. I think I'm needed. MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT Nice to finally meet you. FEMALE ATTENDANT You have a good day! Anita looks in her brother's face. ANITA You look awful, but that's great. You're living your life! You're finally free of... her. WILLIAM Yeah. ANITA Hey. I'll take off work. Let's have an adventure together. You and me, finally. Anywhere you want to go. Anywhere in the world. 159 EXT. WILLIAM'S HOME -- DAY 159 William whistles the family whistle. Sister and brother trudge up the steps. ANITA This is not my idea of a good time. WILLIAM Just get me to my bed. ANITA (resigned) I'll deal with her. William whistles again. Mom meets them at the door. She looks at her trashed son who has finally come home. For the first time, she hugs Anita first, and it's not lost on Anita. It's a clumsy neck-hug, neither wanting to commit. The kid passes to his Mother's left, with suitcase, intentionally nudging her into his sister. Anita takes this as an aggressive act of love, and hugs her mother back. Tears stream down Mom's face. Their cheeks touch. Mom pulls away, and sees her own tears on Anita's face. Thinking that she's also crying, she grabs a tissue for them both. 160 INT. ELAINE'S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS 160 The kid stands in the hallway listening, shaking his head, poised to enter his room, unseen by them. ANITA (so worried) What are we going to do about him? ELAINE I don't know. Whatever happened to him, I just wish it could have happened to me. ANITA The magazine killed his story. Now they really hug, Anita gulping back real tears. William watches them bonding over the oddest thing - his failure. William goes into the bedroom, the final three feet to sleep, and shuts the door. A hand places a hotel sign on the door - DO NOT DISTURB. Slight push in. ON BED He collapses with all his clothes on, almost instantly asleep. His walls, just as he left them, boast a pantheon of rock heroes... with a very lonely Abraham Lincoln (or Atticus Finch) in the center. 161 INT. ROLLING STONE OFFICES -- DAY 161 The elevator doors ding open, and out walks Russell Hammond. The Secretary has just finished answering the phone, "Straight Arrow Publishers." She puts the caller on hold. RUSSELL Hi, I'm Russel Hammond. SECRETARY You're here regarding? RUSSELL My life. 162 INT. EDITORIAL OFFICE - DAY 162 Russell stands with the editors, observing the fine portraits on the walls. He's behind enemy lines, and he knows it. Everything in the room fascinates him. RUSSELL I don't care what happens. I don't care if you put us on the cover. But you sent us a kid and... and he was a fan. And we all made friends with him - absolutely, to get a good story. But then we actually liked him. We thought he's... show us our lives in some mythic way and I guess... we're not mythic. We panicked. JANN You denied most of the story. RUSSELL Yeah, well, here's the problem with the truth. It's too true - BEN Well, we appreciate the visit. The last time an artist came here, it was Buddy Miles and he punched me. RUSSELL I'm not punching anybody. I am personally, as of 2 pm yesterday, on a voyage of self-reinvention. This is about William Miller. (counting off fingers) He lives with us, he lost his virginity, he saw us at our worst, appreciated our best, he saved two lives, including mine... he smuggled about a half-pound of pot into Boston, and we never even told him - Nearby, David Felton looks at another editor, raising an eyebrow. RUSSELL (cont'd) -- we told him too much, we told him everything... He almost died with us over Tupelo... if the band survives him, it'll be a miracle... but you know, he tried to keep up, and that's a journalist to me. JANN It's too late. We're going with a different cover. RUSSELL (immediately) Thank God. But Russell looks around at the numerous portraits if dead legendary rock stars, fixing on the one photo closest to all of them, a very vulnerable-looking Janis Joplin. A second thought. RUSSELL (cont'd) You tell me it's too late. But I could go back to my hotel room and... and O.D. tonight and something tells me you'd find a way to put me on the cover of the next issue. Am I right? He looks at their faces. They cannot disagree. RUSSELL (cont'd) I'm learning the game. (beat, shrug) We fucked up. We made friends with him. BEN Next time we'll all be more professional. RUSSELL Maybe so. (beat, an odd thought) But God forbid, the day comes when selling yourself is as important as the music you make. (rueful, to Hendrix on the wall) You might have died at the right time, my friend. JANN Thank you for visiting. Good luck. RUSSELL Do what you want, but the story is true. LONG SHOT RUSSELL at the entrance. Raises his hand. RUSSELL (cont'd) Good evening! 162A EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - DAY 162A Russell stands outside, a traveling man with no where to go. Oddly, and in a way that surprises him, the world begins to speak to him again... little noises everywhere, turning into a music of its own. It's a beautiful and compelling "silence." He thrusts his hands deep in his pockets, and takes a breath of life. His head filling again with the music of the world, he begins to walk down the street. Very naturally, and quite randomly, he is noticed by young passersby. They can't help it. He looks like a star. They can't quite figure out who it is, but it's someone, and they begin to follow him down the street. Unbeknownst to him as he walks along, deep in thought, a small crowd begins to form... following him. 163 INT. BREAKFAST TABLE - DAY 163 A quiet kitchen. Anita has been cooking. A substantial breakfast has been placed on the table. Sausage, orange juice... and now Anita sets down a plate of pancakes, with syrup and butter, in front of her mother. William watches his mother facing an old enemy - white sugar. ANITA They're called pancakes. Who knows when we'll be together again. Splurge. It's what most people call breakfast. Mom looks at her children, and takes a breath. ELAINE I went through your records. And I found a song to play for you. She goes to the stereo and puts on a record. The two children eye each other - what's coming next? (Song to be chosen) The two kids eye each other again. Self-consciously avoiding their gaze, Mom sits and toys with her breakfast. It's a song she clearly wants them to hear. It's a song from the heart. They look at her, amazed. Elaine looks up, regards her family. Somehow they're back at this table. They continue eating breakfast. 164 ON SIDEWALK 164 Bam. A bundle of bound Rolling Stone Magazines lands on the newsstand pavement with a thud. Someone reaches in to cut the cord, as the magazines puff up into view. It's the new issue, with Russell Hammond on the cover. The title: Stillwater Runs Deep. Just another stack of magazines waiting to be places in the racks. FADE OUT Music segues to Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks." Penny Lane's sleeping Polaroid shots of our characters, featuring a few self-portraits. THE END

1 INT. STAIRCASE OUTSIDE OLD SALIERI'S SALON - NIGHT - 1823 1 Total darkness. We hear an old man's voice, distinct and in distress. It is OLD SALIERI. He uses a mixture of English and occasionally Italian. OLD SALIERI Mozart! Mozart! Mozart. Forgive me! Forgive your assassin! Mozart! A faint light illuminates the screen. Flickeringly, we see an eighteenth century balustrade and a flight of stone stairs. We are looking down into the wall of the staircase from the point of view of the landing. Up the stair is coming a branched candlestick held by Salieri's VALET. By his side is Salieri's COOK, bearing a large dish of sugared cakes and biscuits. Both men are desperately worried: the Valet is thin and middle-aged; the Cook, plump and Italian. It is very cold. They wear shawls over their night-dresses and clogs on their feet. They wheeze as they climb. The candles throw their shadows up onto the peeling walls of the house, which is evidently an old one and in bad decay. A cat scuttles swiftly between their bare legs, as they reach the salon door. The Valet tries the handle. It is locked. Behind it the voice goes on, rising in volume. OLD SALIERI Show some mercy! I beg you. I beg you! Show mercy to a guilty man! The Valet knocks gently on the door. The voice stops. VALET Open the door, Signore! Please! Be good now! We've brought you something special. Something you're going to love. Silence. VALET Signore Salieri! Open the door. Come now. Be good! The voice of Old Salieri continues again, further off now, and louder. We hear a noise as if a window is being opened. OLD SALIERI Mozart! Mozart! I confess it! Listen! I confess! The two servants look at each other in alarm. Then the Valet hands the candlestick to the Cook and takes a sugared cake from the dish, scrambling as quickly as he can back down the stairs. 2 EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE SALIERI �S HOUSE - VIENNA - NIGHT 2 The street is filled with people: ten cabs with drivers, five children, fifteen adults, two doormen, fifteen dancing couples and a sled and three dogs. It is a windy night. Snow is falling and whirling about. People are passing on foot, holding their cloaks tightly around them. Some of them are revelers in fancy dress: they wear masks on their faces or hanging around their necks, as if returning from par- ties. Now they are glancing up at the facade of the old house. The window above the street is open and Old Salieri stands there calling to the sky: a sharp-featured, white-haired Italian over seventy years old, wearing a stained dressing gown. OLD SALIERI Mozart! Mozart! I cannot bear it any longer! I confess! I confess what I did! I'm guilty! I killed you! Sir I confess! I killed you! The door of the house bursts open. The Valet hobbles out, holding the sugared cake. The wind catches at his shawl. OLD SALIERI Mozart, perdonami! Forgive your assassin! Piet�! Piet�! Forgive your assassin! Forgive me! Forgive! Forgive! VALET (looking up to the window) That's all right, Signore! He heard you! He forgave you! He wants you to go inside now and shut the window! Old Salieri stares down at him. Some of the passersby have now stopped and are watching this spectacle. VALET Come on, Signore! Look what I have for you! I can't give it to you from down here, can I? Old Salieri looks at him in contempt. Then he turns away back into the room, shutting the window with a bang. Through the glass, the old man stares down at the group of onlookers in the street. They stare back at him in confusion. BYSTANDER Who is that? VALET No one, sir. He'll be all right. Poor man. He's a little unhappy, you know. He makes a sign indicating �crazy,' and goes back inside the house. The onlookers keep staring. CUT TO: 3 INT. LANDING OUTSIDE OLD SALIERI �S SALON - NIGHT 3 The Cook is standing holding the candlestick in one hand, the dish of cakes in the other. The Valet arrives, panting. VALET Did he open? The Cook, scared, shakes his head: no. The Valet again knocks on the door. VALET Here I am, Signore. Now open the door. He eats the sugared cake in his hand, elaborately and noisily. VALET Mmmm - this is good! This is the most delicious thing I ever ate, believe me! Signore, you don't know what you're missing! Mmmm! We hear a thump from inside the bedroom. VALET Now that's enough, Signore! Open! We hear a terrible, throaty groaning. VALET If you don't open this door, we're going to eat everything. There'll be nothing left for you. And I'm not going to bring you anything more. He looks down. From under the door we see a trickle of blood flowing. In horror, the two men stare at it. The dish of cakes falls from the Cook �s hand and shatters. He sets the candlestick down on the floor. Both servants run at the door franti- cally - once, twice, three times - and the frail lock gives. The door flies open. Immediately, the stormy, frenzied opening of Mozart's Symphony No. 25 (the �Little G Minor) begins. We see what the servants see. 4 INT. OLD SALIERI'S SALON - NIGHT 4 Old Salieri lies on the floor in a pool of blood, an open razor in his hand. He has cut his throat but is still alive. He gestures at them. They run to him. Barely, we glimpse the room - an old chair, old tables piled with books, a forte-piano, a chamber-pot on the floor - as the Valet and the Cook struggle to lift their old Master, and bind his bleeding throat with a napkin. 5 INT. BALLROOM - NIGHT 5 Twenty-five dancing couples, fifty guests, ten servants, full orchestra. As the music slows a little, we see a Masquerade Ball in progress. A crowded room of dancers is executing the slow portion of a dance fashionable in the early 1820's. 6 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE SALIERI'S HOUSE - NIGHT 6 As the fast music returns, we see Old Salieri being carried out of his house on a stretcher by two attendants, and placed in a horse-drawn wagon under the supervi- sion of a middle-aged doctor in a tall hat. This is DOCTOR GULDEN. He gets in beside his patient. The driver whips up the horse, and the wagon dashes off through the still-falling snow. 7- MONTAGE: 7- EXT. FOUR STREETS OF VIENNA AND 11 INT. THE WAGON - NIGHT 11 The wagon is galloping through the snowy streets of the city. Inside the con- veyance we see Old Salieri wrapped in blankets, half-conscious, being held by the hospital attendants. Doctor Gulden stares at him grimly. The wagon arrives out- side the General Hospital of Vienna. CUT TO: 12 INT. A HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - LATE AFTERNOON 12 A wide, white-washed corridor. Doctor Gulden is walking down it with a priest, a man of about forty, concerned, but somewhat self-important. This is Father VOGLER, Chaplain at the hospital. In the corridor as they walk, we note several patients -- some of them visibly disturbed mentally. All patients wear white linen smocks. Doctor Gulden wears a dark frock-coat; Vogler, a cassock. DOCTOR GULDEN He's going to live. It's much harder to cut your throat than most people imagine. They stop outside a door. DOCTOR GULDEN Here we are. Do you wish me to come in with you? VOGLER No, Doctor. Thank you. Vogler nods and opens the door. 13 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON 13 A bare room - one of the best available in the General Hospital. It contains a bed, a table with candles, chairs, a small forte-piano of the early nineteenth century. As Vogler enters, Old Salieri is sitting in a wheel-chair, looking out the window. His back is to us. The priest closes the door quietly behind him. VOGLER Herr Salieri? Old Salieri turns around to look at him. We see that his throat is bandaged ex- pertly. He wears hospital garb, and over it the Civilian Medal and Chain with which we will later see the EMPEROR invest him. OLD SALIERI What do you want? VOGLER I am Father Vogler. I am a Chaplain here. I thought you might like to talk to someone. OLD SALIERI About what? VOGLER You tried to take your life. You do remember that, don't you? OLD SALIERI So? VOGLER In the sight of God that is a sin. OLD SALIERI What do you want? VOGLER Do you understand that you have sinned? Gravely. OLD SALIERI Leave me alone. VOGLER I cannot leave alone a soul in pain. OLD SALIERI Do you know who I am? You never heard of me, did you? VOGLER That makes no difference. All men are equal in God's eyes. OLD SALIERI Are they? VOGLER Offer me your confession. I can offer you God's forgiveness. OLD SALIERI I do not seek forgiveness. VOGLER My son, there is something dreadful on your soul. Unburden it to me. I'm here only for you. Please talk to me. OLD SALIERI How well are you trained in music? VOGLER I know a little. I studied it in my youth. OLD SALIERI Where? VOGLER Here in Vienna. OLD SALIERI Then you must know this. He propels his wheelchair to the forte-piano, and plays an unrecognizable melody. VOGLER I can't say I do. What is it? OLD SALIERI I'm surprised you don't know. It was a very popular tune in its day. I wrote it. How about this? He plays another tune. OLD SALIERI This one brought down the house when we played it first. He plays it with growing enthusiasm. CUT TO: 14 INT. THE STAGE OF AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 14 We see the pretty soprano KATHERINA CAVALIERI, now about twenty-four, dressed in an elaborate mythological Persian costume, singing on stage. She's near the end of a very florid aria by Salieri. The audience applauds wildly. 15 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON - 1823 15 OLD SALIERI (taking his hands off the keys) Well? VOGLER I regret it is not too familiar. OLD SALIERI Can you recall no melody of mine? I was the most famous com- poser in Europe when you were still a boy. I wrote forty operas alone. What about this little thing? Slyly he plays the opening measure of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The priest nods, smiling suddenly, and hums a little with the music. VOGLER Oh, I know that! That's charming! I didn't know you wrote that. OLD SALIERI I didn't. That was Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. You know who that is? VOGLER Of course. The man you accuse yourself of killing. OLD SALIERI Ah - you've heard that? VOGLER All Vienna has heard that. OLD SALIERI ( eagerly) And do they believe it? VOGLER Is it true? OLD SALIERI Do you believe it? VOGLER Should I? A very long pause. Salieri stares above the priest, seemingly lost in his own private world. VOGLER For God's sake, my son, if you have anything to confess, do it now! Give yourself some peace! A further pause. VOGLER Do you hear me? OLD SALIERI He was murdered, Father! Mozart! Cruelly murdered. Pause. VOGLER (almost whispering) Yes? Did you! do it? Suddenly Old Salieri turns to him, a look of extreme innocence. OLD SALIERI He was my idol! I can't remember a time when I didn't know his name! When I was only fourteen he was already famous. Even in Legnago - the tiniest town in Italy - I knew of him. CUT TO: 16 EXT. A SMALL TOWN SQUARE IN LOMBARDY, ITALY - DAY - 1780's 16 There are twelve children and twenty adults in the square. We see the fourteen- year-old Salieri blindfolded, playing a game of Blindman's Bluff with other Italian children, running about in the bright sunshine and laughing. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) I was still playing childish games when he was playing music for kings and emperors. Even the Pope in Rome! CUT TO: 17 INT. A SALON IN THE VATICAN - DAY - 1780's 17 We see the six-year-old MOZART, also blindfolded, seated in a gilded chair on a pile of books, playing the harpsichord for the POPE and a suite of CARDINALS and other churchmen. Beside the little boy stands LEOPOLD, his father, smirk- ing with pride. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) I admit I was jealous when I heard the tales they told about him. Not of the brilliant little prodigy himself, but of his father, who had taught him everything. The piece finishes. Leopold lowers the lid of the harpsichord and lifts up his little son to stand on it. Mozart removes the blindfold to show a pale little face with staring eyes. Both father and son bow. A Papal Chamberlain presents Leopold with a gold snuff box whilst the cardinals decorously applaud. Over this scene Old Salieri speaks. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) My father did not care for music. He wanted me only to be a merchant, like himself. As anonymous as he was. When I told how I wished I could be like Mozart, he would say, �Why? Do you want to be a trained monkey? Would you like me to drag you around Europe doing tricks like a circus freak? How could I tell him what music meant to me? CUT TO: 18 EXT. A COUNTRY CHURCH IN NORTH ITALY - DAY - 1780's 18 Serene music of the Italian Baroque - Pergolesi's Stabat Mater - sung by a choir of boys with organ accompaniment. We see the outside of the 17th-century church sitting in the wide landscape of Lombardy: sunlit fields, a dusty, white road, poplar trees. 19 INT. THE CHURCH AT LEGNAGO - DAY - 1780's 19 The music continues and swells. We see the twelve-year-old Salieri seated between his plump and placid parents in the congregation, listening in rapture. His father is a heavy-looking, self-approving man, obviously indifferent to the music. A large and austere Christ on the cross hangs over the altar. Candles burn below his image. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) Even then a spray of sounded notes could make me dizzy, almost to falling. The boy falls forward on his knees. So do his parents and the other members of the congregation. He stares up at Christ who stares back at him. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) Whilst my father prayed earnestly to God to protect commerce, I would offer up secretly the proudest prayer a boy could think of. �Lord, make me a great composer! Let me celebrate your glory through music - and be celebrated myself! Make me famous through the world, dear God! Make me immortal! After I die let people speak my name forever with love for what I wrote! In re- turn I vow I will give you my chastity - my industry, my deepest humility, every hour of my life. And I will help my fellow man all I can. Amen and amen! The music swells to a crescendo. The candles flare. We see the Christ through the flames looking at the boy benignly. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) And do you know what happened? A miracle! 19A INT. DINING ROOM IN THE SALIERI HOUSE - DAY - 1780's 19A CU, a large cooked fish on a thick china plate. Camera pulls back to show the Salieri family at dinner. Father Salieri sits at the head of the table, a napkin tucked into his chin. Mother Salieri is serving the fish into portions and handing them round. Two maiden aunts are in attendance, wearing black, and of course the young boy. Father Salieri receives his plate of fish and starts to eat greedily. Suddenly there is a gasp - he starts to choke violently on a fish bone. All the women get up and crowd around him, thumping and pummeling him, but it is in vain. Father Salieri collapses. 20 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON - 1823 20 OLD SALIERI Suddenly he was dead. Just like that! And my life changed for- ever. My mother said, �Go. Study music if you really want to. Off with you! And off I went as quick as I could and never saw Italy again. Of course, I knew God had arranged it all; that was obvious. One moment I was a frustrated boy in an obscure little town. The next I was here, in Vienna, city of musicians, sixteen years old and studying under Gluck! Gluck, Father. Do you know who he was? The greatest composer of his time. And he loved me! That was the wonder. He taught me everything he knew. And when I was ready, introduced me personally to the Emperor! Emperor Joseph - the musical king! Within a few years I was his court composer. Wasn't that incredible? Imperial Composer to His Majesty! Actually the man had no ear at all, but what did it matter? He adored my music, that was enough. Night after night I sat right next to the Emperor of Austria, playing duets with him, correcting the royal sight-reading. Tell me, if you had been me, wouldn't you have thought God had ac- cepted your vow? And believe me, I honoured it. I was a model of virtue. I kept my hands off women, worked hours every day teaching students, many of them for free, sitting on endless committees to help poor musicians - work and work and work, that was all my life. And it was wonderful! Everybody liked me. I liked myself. I was the most successful musician in Vienna. And the happiest. Till he came. Mozart. CUT TO: 21 INT. THE ARCHBISHOP OF SALZBURG'S RESIDENCE - 21 VIENNA - DAY - 1780's A grand room crowded with guests. A small group of Gypsy musicians is playing in the background. Thirteen members of the Archbishop's orchestra - all wind players, complete with 18th-century wind instruments: elaborate-looking bassoons, basset horns, etc. and wearing their employer's livery - are laying out music on stands at one end of the room. At the other end is a large gilded chair, bearing the arms of the ARCHBISHOP OF SALZBURG. A throng of people is standing, talking, and preparing to sit upon the rows of waiting chairs to hear a concert. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) One day he came to Vienna to play some of his music at the resi- dence of his employer, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Eagerly I went there to seek him out. That night changed my life. We see Salieri, age thirty-one, a neat, carefully turned-cut man in decent black clothes and clean white linen, walking through the crowd of guests. We follow him. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) As I went through the salon, I played a game with myself. This man had written his first concerto at the age of four; his first symphony at seven; a full-scale opera at twelve. Did it show? Is talent like that written on the face? We see shots of assorted young men staring back at Salieri as he moves through the crowd. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) Which one of them could he be? Some of the men recognize Salieri and bow respectfully. Then suddenly a servant bearing a large tray of cakes and pastries stalks past. Instantly riveted by the sight of such delights, Salieri follows him out of the Grand Salon. 22 INT. A PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1780's 22 The servant marches along bearing his tray of pastries aloft. Salieri follows him. The servant turns into: 23 INT. BUFFET ROOM IN THE PALACE - DAY - 1780's 23 Salieri's POV: several tables, dressed to the floor with cloths are loaded with many plates of confectionery. It is, in fact, Salieri's idea of paradise! The servant puts his tray down on one of the tables and withdraws from the room. 24 INT. A PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1780's 24 Salieri turns away so as not to be noticed by the servant. As soon as the man disap- pears, Salieri sneaks into the buffet room. 25 INT. BUFFET ROOM IN THE PALACE - DAY - 1780's 25 Salieri enters the room and looks about him cautiously. He is salivating with antic- ipation as he stares at the feast of sweet things. His attention is attracted in particular by a huge pile of dark chocolate balls arranged in the shape of a pineapple. He reaches out a hand to steal one of the balls, but at the same moment he hears giggling coming toward him. He ducks down behind the pastry table. A girl - CONSTANZE - rushes into the room. She runs straight across it and hides herself behind one of the tables. After a beat of total silence, MOZART runs into the room, stops, and looks around. He is age twenty-six, wearing a fine wig and a brilliant coat with the in- signia of the Archbishop of Salzburg upon it. He is puzzled; Constanze has disap- peared. Baffled, he turns and is about to leave the room, when Constanze sud- denly squeaks from under the cloth like a tiny mouse. Instantly Mozart drops to all fours and starts crawling across the floor, meowing and hissing like a naughty cat. Watched by an astonished Salieri, Mozart disappears under the cloth and ob- viously pounces upon Constanze. We hear a high-pitched giggle, which is going to characterize Mozart throughout the film. CUT TO: 26 INT. PALACE GRAND SALON - DAY - 1780's 26 The throng is mostly seated. The musicians are in their places, holding their vari- ous exotic-looking wind instruments; the candles are all lit. A Majordomo appears and bangs his staff on the floor for attention. Immediately COLLOREDO, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg enters. He is a small self-important figure of fifty in a wig, surmounted by a scarlet skullcap. He is followed by his Chamberlain, the Count ARCO. Everyone stands. The Archbishop goes to his throne and sits. His guests sit also. Arco gives the signal to start the music. Nothing happens. Instead, a wind musician gets up, approaches the Chamberlain and whispers in his ear. Arco in turn whispers to the Archbishop. ARCO Mozart is not here. COLLOREDO Where is he? ARCO They're looking for him, Your Grace. 27 INT. A PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1780's 27 Three servants are opening doors and looking into rooms going off the corridor. CUT TO: 28 INT. PALACE GRAND SALON - DAY - 1780's 28 The guests are turning around and looking at the Archbishop. The musicians are watching. There is puzzlement and a murmur of comment. The Archbishop tightens his lip. COLLOREDO (to Arco) We'll start without him. 29 INT. PALACE BUFFET ROOM - DAY - 1780's 29 Mozart is on his knees before the tablecloth, which reaches to the floor. Under it is Constanze. We hear her giggling as he talks. MOZART Miaouw! Miaouw! Mouse-wouse? It's Puss-wuss, fangs-wangs. Paws-claws. Pounce-bounce! He grabs her ankle. She screams. He pulls her out by her leg. CONSTANZE Stop it. Stop it! They roll on the floor. He tickles her. CONSTANZE Stop it! MOZART I am! I am! I'm stopping it - slowly. You see! Look, I've stopped. Now we are going back. He tries to drag her back under the table. CONSTANZE No! No! No! MOZART Yes! Back! Back! Listen - don't you know where you are? CONSTANZE Where? MOZART We are in the Residence of the Fartsbishop of Salzburg. CONSTANZE Fartsbishop! She laughs delightedly, then addresses an imaginary Archbishop. CONSTANZE Your Grace, I've got something to tell you. I want to complain about this man. MOZART Go ahead, tell him. Tell them all. They won't understand you anyway. CONSTANZE Why not? MOZART Because here everything goes backwards. People walk backwards, dance backwards, sing backwards, and talk backwards. CONSTANZE That's stupid. MOZART Why? People fart backwards. CONSTANZE Do you think that's funny? MOZART Yes, I think it's brilliant. You've been doing it for years. He gives a high pitched giggle. CONSTANZE Oh, ha, ha, ha. MOZART Sra-I'm-sick! Sra-I'm sick! CONSTANZE Yes, you are. You're very sick. MOZART No, no. Say it backwards, shit-wit. �Sra-I'm-sick Say it backwards! CONSTANZE (working it out) Sra-I'm-sick. Sick - �kiss I'm - �my �Kiss my! Sra-I'm- sick - �Kiss my arse! MOZART Em iram! Em iram! CONSTANZE No, I'm not playing this game. MOZART No, this is serious. Say it backwards. CONSTANZE No! MOZART Just say it - you'll see. It's very serious. Em iram! Em iram! CONSTANZE Iram - �marry Em - �marry me! No, no! You're a fiend. I'm not going to marry a fiend. A dirty fiend at that. MOZART Ui-vol-i-tub! CONSTANZE Tub - �but i-tub - �but I vol - �love �But I love ui - �you. I love you! The mood becomes suddenly softer. She kisses him. They embrace. Then he spoils it. MOZART Tish-I'm tee. What's that? CONSTANZE What? MOZART Tish-I'm-tee. CONSTANZE �Eat MOZART Yes. CONSTANZE Eat my - ah! Shocked, she strikes at him. At the same moment the music starts in the salon next door. We hear the opening of the Serenade for Thirteen Wind Instruments, K. 361. MOZART My music! They've started! They've started without me! He leaps up, disheveled and rumpled and runs out of the room. Salieri watches in amazement and disgust. CUT TO: 30 INT. PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1780's 30 The music is louder. Mozart hastens towards the Grand Salon away from the buf- fet room, adjusting his dress as he goes. 31 INT. GRAND SALON - DAY - 1780's 31 The opening of the Serenade is being tentatively conducted by the leader of the wind-musicians. Guests turn around as Mozart appears - bowing to the Archbishop - and walks with an attempt at dignity to the dais where the wind band is playing. The leader yields his place to the composer and Mozart smoothly takes over conducting. Constanze, deeply embarrassed, sneaks into the room and seats herself at the back. 32 INT. PALACE BUFFET ROOM - DAY - 1780's 32 The music fades down. Salieri stands shocked from his inadvertent eavesdropping. After a second he moves almost in a trance toward the door; the music dissolves. 33 INT. GRAND SALON - DAY - 1780's 33 Mozart is conducting the Adagio from his Serenade (K. 361), guiding the thirteen wind instrumentalists. The �squeezebox opening of the movement begins. Salieri appears at the door at the back of the salon. He stares in disbelief at Mozart. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) So that was he! That giggling, dirty-minded creature I'd just seen crawling on the floor. Mozart. The phenomenon whose legend had haunted my youth. Impossible. The music swells up and Salieri listens to it with eyes closed - amazed, trans- ported - suddenly engulfed by the sound. Finally it fades down and away and changes into applause. Salieri opens his eyes. The audience is clearly delighted. Mozart bows to them, also delighted. Colloredo rises abruptly, and without looking at Mozart or applauding and leaves the Salon. Count Arco approaches the composer. Mozart turns to him, radiant. ARCO Follow me, please. The Archbishop would like a word. MOZART Certainly! He follows Arco out of the room, through a throng of admirers. 34 INT. ANOTHER PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1780's 34 Mozart and Arco walk side by side. They pass Salieri who is staring at Mozart in fascination. As they disappear, he steals toward the music stands, unable to help himself. MOZART Well, I think that went off remarkably well, don't you? ARCO Indeed. MOZART These Viennese certainly know good music when they hear it. ARCO His Grace is very angry with you. MOZART What do you mean? They arrive at the door of Colloredo's private apartment. ARCO You are to come in here and ask his pardon. Arco opens the door. 39 INT. ARCHBISHOP'S PRIVATE ROOM - DAY - 1780's 39 The Archbishop is sitting, chatting to quests. Among them are several ladies. Arco approaches him obsequiously. ARCO Your Grace. COLLOREDO Ah, Mozart. Why? MOZART Why what, sir? COLLOREDO Why do I have to be humiliated in front of my guests by one of my own servants? MOZART Humiliated? COLLOREDO How much provocation am I to endure from you? The more li- cense I allow you, the more you take. The company watches this scene, deeply interested. MOZART If His Grace is not satisfied with me, he can dismiss me. COLLOREDO I wish you to return immediately to Salzburg. Your father is waiting for you there patiently. I will speak to you further when I come. MOZART No, Your Grace! I mean with all humility, no. I would rather you dismissed me. It's obvious I don't satisfy. COLLOREDO Then try harder, Mozart. I have no intention of dismissing you. You will remain in my service and learn your place. Go now. He extends his hand to be kissed. Mozart does it with a furious grace, then leaves the room. As he opens the door we see: 40 INT. PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1780's 40 A group of people who have attended the concert, among them Constanze, are standing outside the private apartment. At sight of the composer they break into sustained applause. Mozart is suddenly delighted. He throws the door wide open so that the guests can see into the private apartment where the Archbishop sits - and he can see them. Colloredo is clearly discomfited by this reception of his employee. He smiles and bows uneasily, as they include him in the small ovation. Mozart stands in the corridor, out of the Archbishop's line of sight, bowing and giggling, and encouraging the applause for the Archbishop with conducting ges- tures. Suddenly irritated, Colloredo signs to Arco, who steps forward and shuts the door, ending the applause. 41 INT. PALACE GRAND SALON - DAY - 1780's 41 Salieri, in this vast room, is standing and looking at the full score of the Serenade. He turns the pages back to the slow movement. Instantly, we again hear its lyrical strains. CU, Salieri, reading the score of the Adagio in helpless fascination. The music is played against his description of it. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) Extraordinary! On the page it looked nothing. The beginning simple, almost comic. Just a pulse - bassoons and basset horns - like a rusty squeezebox. Then suddenly - high above it - an oboe, a single note, hanging there unwavering, till a clarinet took over and sweetened it into a phrase of such delight! This was no composition by a performing monkey! This was a music I'd never heard. Filled with such longing, such unfulfillable longing, it had me trembling. It seemed to me that I was hearing a voice of God. Suddenly the music snaps off. Mozart stands before him as he lays down the score. MOZART Excuse me! He takes the score, bows, and struts briskly out of the room. Salieri stares uncom- prehendingly after the jaunty little figure. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) But why? 41A INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 41A OLD SALIERI Why? Would God choose an obscene child to be His instrument? It was not to be believed! This piece had to be an accident. It had to be! 42 INT. PALACE DINING ROOM - DAY - 1780's 42 At the table sits the EMPEROR JOSEPH II, eating his frugal dinner and sipping goat's milk. He is an intelligent, dapper man of forty, wearing a military uniform. Around him but standing, are his Chamberlain, JOHANN VON STRACK: stiff and highly correct. COUNT ORSINI-ROSENBERG: a corpulent man of sixty, highly conscious of his position as Director of the Opera. BARON VON SWIETEN, the Imperial Librarian: a grave but kindly and educated man in his mid-fifties. FIRST KAPELLMEISTER GIUSEPPE BONNO: very Italian, cringing and time-serving, aged about seventy. And Salieri, wearing decorous black, as usual. At a side-table, two Imperial secretaries, using quill pens and inkstands, write down everything of importance that is said. JOSEPH How good is he, this Mozart? VON SWIETEN He's remarkable, Majesty. I heard an extraordinary serious opera of his last month. Idomeneo, King of Crete. ORSINI-ROSENBERG That? A most tiresome piece. I heard it, too. VON SWIETEN Tiresome? ORSINI-ROSENBERG A young man trying to impress beyond his abilities. Too much spice. Too many notes. VON SWIETEN Majesty, I thought it the most promising work I've heard in years. JOSEPH Ah-ha. Well then, we should make some effort to acquire him. We could use a good German composer in Vienna, surely? VON STRACK I agree, Majesty, but I'm afraid it's not possible. The young man is still in the pay of the Archbishop. JOSEPH Very small pay, I imagine. I'm sure he could be tempted with the right offer. Say, an opera in German for our National Theatre. VON SWIETEN Excellent, sire! ORSINI-ROSENBERG But not German, I beg your Majesty! Italian is the proper lan- guage for opera. All educated people agree on that. JOSEPH Ah-ha. What do you say, Chamberlain? VON STRACK In my opinion, it is time we had a piece in our own language, sir. Plain German. For plain people. He looks defiantly at Orsini-Rosenberg. JOSEPH Ah-ha. Kapellmeister? BONNO (Italian accent) Majesty, I must agree with Herr Dirretore. Opera is an Italian art, solamente. German is - scusate - too bruta for singing, too rough. JOSEPH Ah-ha. Court Composer, what do you say? SALIERI I think it is an interesting notion to keep Mozart in Vienna, Majesty. It should really infuriate the Archbishop beyond mea- sure - if that is your Majesty's intention. JOSEPH You are cattivo, Court Composer. (briskly, to Von Strack) I want to meet this young man. Chamberlain, arrange a pleasant wel- come for him. VON STRACK Yes, sir. JOSEPH Well. There it is. 43 INT. BEDROOM IN SALIERI'S APARTMENT - DAY - 1780's 43 A somber room which serves both as a bedroom and a study. We see a four-poster bed. Also, a marble mantelpiece above which hangs a handsome cross in olive- wood, bearing the figure of a severe Christ. Opposite this image sits Salieri at his desk, on which stands a pile of music paper, quill pens and ink. On one side of him is an open forte-piano on which he occasionally tries notes from the march he is composing, with some difficulty. He scratches notes out with his quill, and ruf- fles his hair - which we see without a powdered wig. There is a knock at the door. SALIERI Si. A servant admits LORL, a young lower-class girl, who appears carrying a basket in which is a box covered with a napkin. She has just come from the baker's shop. SALIERI Ah! Here she comes. Fra�lein Lorl, good morning. LORL Good morning, sir. SALIERI What have you got for me today? Let me see. Greedily he unwraps the napkin and lifts the lid on the box. SALIERI Ah-ha! Siena macaroons - my favourites. Give my best thanks to the baker. LORL I will, sir. He takes a biscuit and eats. SALIERI Thank you. Are you well today, Fra�lein Lorl? LORL Yes, thank you, sir. SALIERI Bene! Bene! She gives a little curtsey, flattered and giggling and is shown out. Salieri turns back to his work, chewing. He plays through a complete line of the march. He smiles, pleased with the result. SALIERI Grazie, Signore. He inclines his head to the Christ above the fireplace, and starts to play the whole march, including the phrase which pleased him. 44 INT. A WIGMAKER'S SHOP - VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 44 The march continues on the forte-piano as we see Mozart, seated in front of a mir- ror, wearing an extravagant wig. On either side of him stands a SALESMAN, one of them holding another wig, equally extravagant. Mozart takes off the first wig, to reveal his own blonde hair, of which he is extremely proud, and hands it back. MOZART And the other one? The Salesman puts the second wig on his head. Mozart pulls a face of doubt in the mirror. MOZART And the other one? He takes it off and the other Salesman replaces it with the first wig on his head. MOZART Oh, they're both so beautiful, I can't decide. Why don't I have two heads? He giggles. The music stops. 45 INT. GRAND SALON - THE ROYAL PALACE - DAY - 1780's 45 A door opens. We glimpse in the next room the Emperor Joseph bidding goodbye to a group of military officers standing around a table. JOSEPH Good, good, good. He turns and comes into the salon, where another group awaits him. It consists of Von Strack, Orsini-Rosenberg, Bonno, Von Swieten and Salieri. The room con- tains several gilded chairs dotted about, and a forte-piano. JOSEPH Good morning, gentlemen. All bow and say, �Good morning, Your Majesty! JOSEPH (to Von Strack) Well, what do you have for me today? VON STRACK Your Majesty, Herr Mozart - JOSEPH Yes, what about him? VON STRACK He's here. JOSEPH Ah-ha. Well. There it is. Good. SALIERI Majesty, I hope you won't think it improper, but I have written a little March of Welcome in his honour. He produces a paper. JOSEPH What a charming idea. May I see? SALIERI (handing it over) It's just a trifle, of course. JOSEPH May I try it? SALIERI Majesty. The Emperor goes to the instrument, sits and plays the first bars of it. Quite well. JOSEPH Delightful, Court Composer. Would you permit me to play it as he comes in? SALIERI You do me too much honour, Sire. JOSEPH Let's have some fun. (to the waiting Majordomo) Bring in Herr Mozart, please. But slowly, slowly. I need a minute to practice. The Majordomo bows and goes. The Emperor addresses himself to the march. He plays a wrong note. SALIERI A-flat, Majesty. JOSEPH Ah-ha! 46 INT. PALACE CORRIDOR - VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 46 Taking his instructions literally, the Majordomo is marching very slowly toward the salon door. He is followed by a bewildered Mozart, dressed very stylishly and wearing one of the wigs from the perruqier. 47 INT. ROYAL PALACE GRAND SALON - DAY - 1780's 47 Joseph finishes the march. The door opens. MAJORDOMO Herr Mozart. Mozart comes in eagerly. Immediately the march begins, played by His Majesty. All the courtiers stand, listening with admiration. Joseph plays well, but applies himself fiercely to the manuscript. Mozart, still bewildered, regards the scene, but does not seem to pay attention to the music itself. It finishes and all clap obse- quiously. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Bravo, Your Majesty! VON STRACK Well done, Sire! The Emperor rises, pleased with himself. He snatches the manuscript off the stand and holds it in his hand for the rest of the scene. JOSEPH Gentlemen, gentlemen, a little less enthusiasm, I beg you. Ah, Mozart. He extends his hand. Mozart throws himself to his knees, and to Joseph's discom- fort kisses the royal hand with fervour. MOZART Your Majesty! JOSEPH No, no, please! It is not a holy relic. (raising Mozart up) You know we have met already? In this very room. Perhaps you won't re- member it, you were only six years old. (to the others) He was giving the most brilliant little concert here. As he got off the stool, he slipped and fell. My sister Antoinette helped him up herself, and do you know what he did? Jumped straight into her arms and said, �Will you marry me, yes or no? Embarrassed, Mozart bursts into a wild giggle. Joseph helps him out. JOSEPH You know all these gentlemen, I'm sure. Von Strack and Bonno nod. JOSEPH The Baron Von Swieten. VON SWIETEN I'm a great admirer of yours, young man. Welcome. MOZART Oh, thank you. JOSEPH The Director of our Opera. Count Orsini-Rosenberg. MOZART (bowing excitedly) Oh sir, yes! The honour is mine. Absolutely. Orsini-Rosenberg nods without enthusiasm. JOSEPH And here is our illustrious Court Composer, Herr Salieri. SALIERI (taking his hand) Finally! Such an immense joy. Diletto straordinario! MOZART I know your work well, Signore. Do you know I actually com- posed some variations on a melody of yours? SALIERI Really? MOZART Mio caro Adone. SALIERI Ah! MOZART A funny little tune, but it yielded some good things. JOSEPH And now he has returned the compliment. Herr Salieri composed that March of Welcome for you. MOZART (speaking expertly) Really? Oh, grazie, Signore! Sono commosso! E un onore per mo eccezionale. Compositore brilliante e famossissimo! He bows elaborately. Salieri inclines himself, dryly. SALIERI My pleasure. JOSEPH Well, there it is. Now to business. Young man, we are going to commission an opera from you. What do you say? MOZART Majesty! JOSEPH (to the courtiers) Did we vote in the end for German or Italian? ORSINI-ROSENBERG Well, actually, Sire, if you remember, we did finally incline to Italian. VON STRACK Did we? VON SWIETEN I don't think it was really decided, Director. MOZART Oh, German! German! Please let it be German. JOSEPH Why so? MOZART Because I've already found the most wonderful libretto! ORSINI-ROSENBERG Oh? Have I seen it? MOZART I - I don't think you have, Herr Director. Not yet. I mean, it's quite n - Of course, I'll show it to you immediately. ORSINI-ROSENBERG I think you'd better. JOSEPH Well, what is it about? Tell us the story. MOZART It's actually quite amusing, Majesty. It's set - the whole thing is set in a - in a - He stops short with a little giggle. JOSEPH Yes, where? MOZART In a! Pasha's Harem, Majesty. A Seraglio. JOSEPH Ah-ha. ORSINI-ROSENBERG You mean in Turkey? MOZART Exactly. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Then why especially does it have to be in German? MOZART Well not especially. It can be in Turkish, if you really want. I don't care. He giggles again. Orsini-Rosenberg looks at him sourly. VON SWIETEN (kindly) My dear fellow, the language is not finally the point. Do you really think that subject is quite appropriate for a national theatre? MOZART Why not? It's charming. I mean, I don't actually show concu- bines exposing their! their! It's not indecent! (to Joseph) It's highly moral, Majesty. It's full of proper German virtues. I swear it. Absolutely! JOSEPH Well, I'm glad to hear that. SALIERI Excuse me, Sire, but what do you think these could be? Being a foreigner, I would love to learn. JOSEPH Cattivo again, Court Composer. Well, tell him, Mozart. Name us a German virtue. MOZART Love, Sire! SALIERI Ah, love! Well of course in Italy we know nothing about that. The Italian faction - Orsini-Rosenberg and Bonno - laugh discreetly. MOZART No, I don't think you do. I mean watching Italian opera, all those male sopranos screeching. Stupid fat couples rolling their eyes about! That's not love - it's just rubbish. An embarrassed pause. Bonno giggles in nervous amusement. MOZART Majesty, you choose the language. It will be my task to set it to the finest music ever offered a monarch. Pause. Joseph is clearly pleased. JOSEPH Well, there it is. Let it be German. He nods - he has wanted this result all the time. He turns and makes for the door. All bow. Then he becomes aware of the manuscript in his hand. JOSEPH Ah, this is yours. Mozart does not take it. MOZART Keep it, Sire, if you want to. It is already here in my head. JOSEPH What? On one hearing only? MOZART I think so, Sire, yes. Pause. JOSEPH Show me. Mozart bows and hands the manuscript back to the Emperor. Then he goes to the forte-piano and seats himself. The others, except for Salieri, gather around the manuscript held by the King. Mozart plays the first half of the march with deadly accuracy. MOZART (to Salieri) The rest is just the same, isn't it? He plays the first half again but stops in the middle of a phrase, which he repeats dubiously. MOZART That really doesn't work, does it? All the courtiers look at Salieri. MOZART Did you try this? Wouldn't it be just a little more -? He plays another phrase. MOZART Or this - yes, this! Better. He plays another phrase. Gradually, he alters the music so that it turns into the celebrated march to be used later in The Marriage of Figaro, �Non Piu Andrai. He plays it with increasing abandon and virtuosity. Salieri watches with a fixed smile on his face. The court watches, astonished. He finishes in great glory, takes his hands off the keys with a gesture of triumph - and grins. 48 INT. BEDROOM IN SALIERI'S APARTMENT - DAY - 1780's 48 We see the olivewood cross. Salieri is sitting at his desk, staring at it. SALIERI Grazie, Signore. There is a knock at the door. He does not hear it, but sits on. Another knock, louder. SALIERI Yes? Lorl comes in. LORL Madame Cavalieri is here for her lesson, sir. SALIERI Bene. He gets up and enters: 49 INT. MUSIC ROOM IN SALIERI'S APARTMENT - DAY - 1780's 49 KATHERINA CAVALIERI, a young, high-spirited soprano of twenty is waiting for him, dressed in a fashionable dress and wearing on her head an exotic turban of satin, with a feather. Lorl exits. CAVALIERI (curtseying to him) Maestro. SALIERI Good morning. CAVALIERI (posing, in her turban) Well? How do you like it? It's Turkish. My hairdresser tells me everything's going to be Turkish this year! SALIERI Really? What else did he tell you today? Give me some gossip. CAVALIERI Well, I heard you met Herr Mozart. SALIERI Oh? News travels fast in Vienna. CAVALIERI And he's been commissioned to write an opera. Is it true? SALIERI Yes. CAVALIERI Is there a part for me? SALIERI No. CAVALIERI How do you know? SALIERI Well even if there is, I don't think you want to get involved with this one. CAVALIERI Why not? SALIERI Well, do you know where it's set, my dear? CAVALIERI Where? SALIERI In a harem. CAVALIERI What's that? SALIERI A brothel. CAVALIERI Oh! SALIERI A Turkish brothel. CAVALIERI Turkish? Oh, if it's Turkish, that's different. I want to be in it. SALIERI My dear, it will hardly enhance your reputation to be celebrated throughout Vienna as a singing prostitute for a Turk. He seats himself at the forte-piano. CAVALIERI Oh. Well perhaps you could introduce us anyway. SALIERI Perhaps. He plays a chord. She sings a scale, expertly. He strikes another chord. She starts another scale, then breaks off. CAVALIERI What does he look like? SALIERI You might be disappointed. CAVALIERI Why? SALIERI Looks and talent don't always go together, Katherina. CAVALIERI (airily) Looks don't concern me, Maestro. Only talent interests a woman of taste. He strikes the chord again, firmly. Cavalieri sings her next scale, then another one, and another one, doing her exercises in earnest. As she hits a sustained high note the orchestral accompaniment in the middle of �Martern Aller Arten from Il Seraglio comes in underneath and the music changes from exercises to the exceed- ingly florid aria. We DISSOLVE on the singer's face, and she is suddenly not merely turbaned, but painted and dressed totally in a Turkish manner, and we are on: 50 INT. OPERA STAGE - VIENNA - 1780's 50 The heroine of the opera (Cavalieri) is in full cry addressing the Pasha with scorn and defiance. The house is full. Watching the performance - which is conducted by Mozart from the clavier in the midst of the orchestra - we note Von Strack, Orsini- Rosenberg, Bonno and Von Swieten, all grouped around the Emperor, in a box. In another box we see an overdressed, middle-aged woman and three girls, one of whom is Constanze. This is the formidable MADAME WEBER and her three daughters, Constanze, JOSEFA and SOPHIE. All are enraptured by the spectacle and Madame Weber is especially enraptured by being there at all. Not so, Salieri, who sits in another box, coldly watching the stage. Cavalieri is singing �Martern aller Arten from the line Doch du bist entschlossen. CAVALIERI �Since you are determined, Since you are determined, Calmly, with no ferment, Welcome - every pain and woe. Bind me then - compel me! Bind me then - compel me! Hurt me. Break me! Kill me! At last I shall be freed by death! After a few moments of this showy aria, with the composer and the singer staring at each other - he conducting elaborately for her benefit, and she following his beat with rapturous eyes - the music fades, and Salieri speaks over it. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) There she was. I had no idea where they met - or how - yet there she stood on stage for all to see. Showing off like the greedy songbird she was. Ten minutes of ghastly scales and arpeggios, whizzing up and down like fireworks at a fairground. Music up again for the last 30 bars of the aria. CAVALIERI (singing) Be freed at last by death! Be freed at last by death! At last I shall be freed By! Death! BEFORE THE ORCHESTRAL CODA ENDS, CUT TO: 51 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 51 Through the window we see that night has fallen. OLD SALIERI Understand, I was in love with the girl. Or at least in lust. I was- n't a saint. It took me the most tremendous effort to be faithful to my vow. I swear to you I never laid a finger on her. All the same, I couldn't bear to think of anyone else touching her - least of all the Creature. CUT BACK TO: 52 INT. THE OPERA HOUSE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 52 The brilliant Turkish finale of Seraglio bursts over us. All the cast is lined up on stage. Mozart is conducting with happy excitement. CAST OF SERAGLIO (singing) �Pasha Selim May he Live forever! Ever, ever, ever, ever! Honour to his regal name! Honour to his regal name! May his noble brow emblazon Glory, fortune, joy and fame! Honour be to Pasha Selim Honour to his regal name! Honour to his regal name! The curtains fall. Much applause. The Emperor claps vigorously and - following his lead - so do the courtiers. The curtains part. Mozart applauds the singers who applaud him back. He skips up onto the stage amongst them. The curtains fall again as they all bow. In the auditorium, the chandeliers descend, filling it with light. 53 INT. OPERA HOUSE STAGE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 53 The curtains are down, and an excited hubbub of singers in costume surround Mozart and Cavalieri, all excited and chattering. Suddenly a hush. The Emperor is seen approaching from the wings, lit by flunkies holding candles. Von Strack, Orsini-Rosenberg and Von Swieten, amongst others, follow him. Also Salieri. The singers line up. Joseph stops at Cavalieri who makes a deep curtsey. JOSEPH Bravo, Madame. You are an ornament to our stage. CAVALIERI Majesty. JOSEPH (to Salieri) And to you, Court Composer. Your pupil has done you great credit. 54 INT. BACKSTAGE CORRIDOR - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 54 MADAME WEBER Let us pass, please! Let us pass at once! We're with the Emperor. FLUNKY I am sorry, Madame. It is not permitted. MADAME WEBER Do you know who I am? (pointing to Constanze) This is my daughter. I am Frau Weber. We are favoured guests! FLUNKY I am sorry, Madame, but I have my orders. MADAME WEBER Call Herr Mozart! You call Herr Mozart immediately! This is insupportable! CONSTANZE Mother, please! MADAME WEBER Go ahead, Constanze. Just ignore this fellow. (pushing her) Go ahead, dear! FLUNKY (barring the way) I am sorry, Madame, but no! I cannot let anyone pass. MADAME WEBER Young man, I am no stranger to theatres. I'm no stranger to insolence! CUT BACK TO: 55 INT. OPERA HOUSE STAGE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 55 All are applauding Cavalieri. The Emperor turns to Mozart. JOSEPH Well, Herr Mozart! A good effort. Decidedly that. An excellent effort! You've shown us something quite new today. Mozart bows frantically: he is over-excited. MOZART It is new, it is, isn't it, Sire? JOSEPH Yes, indeed. MOZART And German? JOSEPH Oh, yes. Absolutely. German. Unquestionably! MOZART So then you like it? You really like it, Your Majesty? JOSEPH Of course I do. It's very good. Of course now and then - just now and then - it gets a touch elaborate. MOZART What do you mean, Sire? JOSEPH Well, I mean occasionally it seems to have, how shall one say? (he stops in difficulty; to Orsini-Rosenberg) How shall one say, Director? ORSINI-ROSENBERG Too many notes, Your Majesty? JOSEPH Exactly. Very well put. Too many notes. MOZART I don't understand. There are just as many notes, Majesty, as are required. Neither more nor less. JOSEPH My dear fellow, there are in fact only so many notes the ear can hear in the course of an evening. I think I'm right in saying that, aren't I, Court Composer? SALIERI Yes! yes! er, on the whole, yes, Majesty. MOZART (to Salieri) But this is absurd! JOSEPH My dear, young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is inge- nious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Cut a few and it will be perfect. MOZART Which few did you have in mind, Majesty? Pause. General embarrassment. JOSEPH Well. There it is. Into this uncomfortable scene bursts a sudden eruption of noise and Madame Weber floods onto the stage, followed by her daughters. All turn to look at this amazing spectacle. MADAME WEBER Wolfi! Wolfi, my dear! She moves toward Mozart with arms outstretched in an absurd theatrical gesture, then sees the Emperor. She stares at him, mesmerized, her mouth open, unable even to curtsey. MADAME WEBER Oh! Mozart moves forward quickly. MOZART Majesty, this is Madame Weber. She is my landlady. JOSEPH Enchanted, Madame. MADAME WEBER Oh, Sire! such an honour! And, and, and these are my dear daughters. This is Constanze. She is the fiancee of Herr Mozart. Constanze curtsies. CU, of Cavalieri, astonished at the news. CU, of Salieri, watching her receive it. JOSEPH Really? How delightful. May I ask when you marry? MOZART Well - Well we haven't quite received my father's consent, Your Majesty. Not entirely. Not altogether. He giggles uncomfortably. JOSEPH Excuse me, but how old are you? MOZART Twenty-six. JOSEPH Well, my advice is to marry this charming young lady and stay with us in Vienna. MADAME WEBER You see? You see? I've told him that, Your Majesty, but he won't listen to me. Cavalieri is glaring at Mozart. Mozart looks hastily away from her. MADAME WEBER Oh, Your Majesty, you give such wonderful - such impeccable - such royal advice. I - I - May I? She attempts to kiss the royal hand, but faints instead. The Emperor contemplates her prone body and steps back a pace. JOSEPH Well. There it is. Strack. He nods pleasantly to all and leaves the stage, with his Chamberlain. All bow. Cavalieri turns with a savage look at Mozart and leaves the stage the opposite way, to her dressing room, tossing her plumed head. Salieri watches. Mozart stays for a second, indecisive whether to follow the soprano or help Madame Weber. CONSTANZE (to Mozart) Get some water! He hurries away. The daughters gather around Madame Weber. 56 INT. CAVALIERI'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 56 Katherina sits fuming at her mirror. A dresser is taking the pins out of her wig as she stares straight ahead of her. Mozart sticks his head round the door. MOZART Katherina! I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to write another aria for you. Something even more amazing for the sec- ond act. I have to get some water. Her mother is lying on the stage. CAVALIERI Don't bother! MOZART What? CAVALIERI Don't bother. MOZART I'll be right back. He dashes off. 57 INT. OPERA HOUSE STAGE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 57 Constanze and Mozart make their way quickly through a crowd of actors in tur- bans and caftans, and stagehands carrying bits of the dismantled set of Seraglio. We see all the turmoil of backstage after a performance. A fireman passes Mozart carrying a small bucket of water. Mozart snatches it from him and pushes his way through the crowd to Madame Weber, who still lies prone on the stage. Mozart pushes through the crowd surrounding her and throws water on her face. She is in- stantly revived by the shock. Constanze assists her to rise. CONSTANZE Are you all right? Instead of being furious, Madame Weber smiles at them rapturously. MADAME WEBER Ah, what an evening! What a wise man we have for an Emperor. Oh, my children! (with sudden, hard briskness) Now I want you to write your father exactly what His Majesty said. The activity continues to swirl around them. MOZART You should really go home now, Frau Weber. Your carriage must be waiting. MADAME WEBER But aren't you taking us? MOZART I have to talk to the singers. MADAME WEBER That's all right; we'll wait for you. Just don't take all night. 59 INT. CAVALIERI'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 59 Cavalieri, still in costume, is marching up and down, very agitated. CAVALIERI Did you know? Had you heard? SALIERI What? CAVALIERI The marriage! SALIERI Well, what does it matter to you? CAVALIERI Nothing! He can marry who he pleases. I don't give a damn. She catches him looking at her and tries to compose herself. CAVALIERI How was I? Tell me honestly. SALIERI You were sublime. CAVALIERI What did you think of the music? SALIERI Extremely clever. CAVALIERI Meaning you didn't like it. Mozart comes in unexpectedly. MOZART Oh - excuse me! CAVALIERI Is her mother still lying on the floor? MOZART No, she's fine. CAVALIERI I'm so relieved. She seats herself at her mirror and removes her wig. SALIERI Dear Mozart, my sincere congratulations. MOZART Did you like it, then? SALIERI How could I not? MOZART It really is the best music one can hear in Vienna today. Don't you agree? CAVALIERI Is she a good fuck? MOZART What?? CAVALIERI I assume she's the virtuoso in that department. There can't be any other reason you'd marry someone like that. Salieri looks astonished. There is a knock on the door. CAVALIERI Come in! The door opens. Constanze enters. CONSTANZE Excuse me, Wolfi. Mama is not feeling very well. Can we leave now? MOZART Of course. CAVALIERI No, no, no, no. You can't take him away now. This is his night. Won't you introduce us, Wolfgang? MOZART Excuse us, Fra�lein. Good night, Signore. Mozart hurries Constanze out of the door. Cavalieri looks after them as they go, her voice breaking and rising out of control. CAVALIERI You really are full of surprises, aren't you? You are quite extraor- dinary, you little shit! She turns and collapses, crying with rage, into Salieri's arms. We focus on him. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) At that moment I knew beyond any doubt. He'd had her. The Creature had had my darling girl. 60 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1820's 60 The old man speaks passionately to the priest. OLD SALIERI It was incomprehensible. What was God up to? Here I was denying all my natural lust in order to deserve God's gift and there was Mozart indulging his in all directions - even though engaged to be married! - and no rebuke at all! Was it possible I was being tested? Was God expecting me to offer forgiveness in the face of every offense, no matter how painful? That was very possible. All the same, why him? Why use Mozart to teach me lessons in humility? My heart was filling up with such hatred for that little man. For the first time in my life I began to know re- ally violent thoughts. I couldn't stop them. VOGLER Did you try? OLD SALIERI Every day. Sometimes for hours I would pray! 61 INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY - 1780's 61 The young Salieri is kneeling in desperation before the Cross. SALIERI Please! Please! Send him away, back to Salzburg. For his sake as well as mine. CU, Christ staring from the Cross. CUT BACK TO: 62 INT. AUDIENCE HALL - ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE - SALZBURG - 62 DAY - 1780's We see Leopold kneeling now not to the Cross but to Archbishop Colloredo, sit- ting impassively on his throne. Count Arco stands beside him. Leopold is a des- perate, once-handsome man of sixty, now far too much the subservient courtier. COLLOREDO No! I won't have him back. LEOPOLD But he needs to be here in Salzburg, Your Grace. He needs me and he needs you. Your protection, your understanding. COLLOREDO Hardly. LEOPOLD Oh sir, yes! He's about to make the worst mistake of his life. Some little Viennese slut is trying to trick him into marriage. I know my son. He is too simple to see the trap - and there is no one there who really cares for him. COLLOREDO I'm not surprised. Money seems to be more important to him than loyalty or friendship. He has sold himself to Vienna. Let Vienna look out for him. LEOPOLD Sir - COLLOREDO Your son is an unprincipled, spoiled, conceited brat. LEOPOLD Yes, sir, that's the truth. But don't blame him. The fault is mine. I was too indulgent with him. But not again. Never again, I promise! I implore you - let me bring him back here. I'll make him give his word to serve you faithfully. COLLOREDO And how will you make him keep it? LEOPOLD Oh, sir, he's never disobeyed me in anything. Please, Your Grace, give him one more chance. COLLOREDO You have leave to try. LEOPOLD Oh, Your Grace - I thank Your Grace! I thank you! In deepest gratitude he kisses the Archbishop's hand. He motions Leopold to rise. We hear the first dark fortissimo chord which begins the Overture to Don Giovanni: the theme associated with the character of the Commendatore. LEOPOLD (V.O.) My dear son. The second fortissimo chord sounds. 63 INT. A BAROQUE CHURCH - DAY - 1780's 63 We see a huge CU, of Mozart's head, looking front and down, as if reading his fa- ther's letter. We hear Leopold's voice over this image, no longer whining and anxious, but impressive. LEOPOLD (V.O.) I write to you with urgent news. I am coming to Vienna. Take no further steps toward marriage until we meet. You are too gullible to see your own danger. As you honour the father who has devoted his entire life to yours, do as I bid, and await my coming. MOZART I will. The camera pulls back to see that he is in fact kneeling beside Constanze. A PRIEST faces them. Behind them are Madame Weber, Josefa and Sophie Weber, and a very few others. Among them, a merry looking lady in bright clothes: the BARONESS WALDSTADTEN. PRIEST And will you, Constanze Weber, take this man, Wolfgang to be your lawful husband? CONSTANZE I will. PRIEST I now pronounce you man and wife. The opening kyrie of the great Mass in C Minor is heard. Mozart and Constanze kiss. They are in tears. Madame Weber and her daughters look on approvingly. The music swells and continues under the following: 64 INT. A ROOM IN LEOPOLD'S HOUSE - SALZBURG - NIGHT - 1780's 64 There is a view of a castle in background. Leopold sits alone in his room. He is reading a letter from Wolfgang. At his feet are his trunks, half-packed for the journey he will not now take. We hear Mozart's voice reading the following letter and we see, as the camera roves around the room, mementos of the young prodi- gy's early life: the little forte-piano made for him; the little violin made for him; an Order presented to him. We see a little starling in a wicker cage. And we see por- traits of the boy on the walls, concluding with the familiar family portrait of Wolfgang and his sister Nannerl seated at the keyboard with Leopold standing, and the picture of their mother on the wall behind them. MOZART (V.O.) Most beloved father, it is done. Do not blame me that I did not wait to see your dear face. I knew you would have tried to dis- suade me from my truest happiness and I could not have borne it. Your every word is precious to me. Remember how you have al- ways told me Vienna is the City of Musicians. To conquer here is to conquer Europe! With my wife I can do it. I vow I will be- come regular in my habits and productive as never before. She is wonderful, Papa, and I know that you will love her. And one day soon when I am a wealthy man, you will come and live with us, and we will be so happy. I long for that day, best of Papas, and kiss your hand a hundred thousand times. The music of the Mass fades as Leopold crumples the letter in his hand. 65 EXT. THE IMPERIAL GARDENS - VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 65 Salieri stands waiting, hat in hand. Beside him stands a royal servant. Behind him, gardeners are glimpsed tending the shrubs and bushes along a grassy ride. Down this ride are seen cantering two people on horseback: the Emperor Joseph and his niece, the PRINCESS ELIZABETH. They are mounted on glossy horses. The Princess rides side-saddle. Running beside her is a panting groom. The Emperor rides elegantly; his niece, a dumpy little Hapsburg girl of sixteen, like a sack of potatoes. As they draw level with Salieri they stop, and the groom holds the head of the Princess' horse. Salieri bows respectfully. JOSEPH Good morning, Court Composer. This is my niece, the Princess Elizabeth. SALIERI Your Highness. Out of breath, the Princess nods nervously. JOSEPH She has asked me to advise her on a suitable musical instructor. I think I've come up with an excellent idea. He smiles at Salieri. SALIERI Oh, Your Majesty, it would be such a tremendous honour! JOSEPH I'm thinking about Herr Mozart. What is your view? Salieri's face falls, almost imperceptibly. SALIERI An interesting idea, Majesty. But - JOSEPH Yes? SALIERI You already commissioned an opera from Mozart. JOSEPH And the result satisfies. SALIERI Yes, of course. My concern is to protect you from any suspicion of favouritism. JOSEPH Ah-ha. Favouritism. But I so want Mozart. SALIERI I'm sure there is a way, Majesty. Some kind of a little contest. I could perhaps put together a small Committee, and I could see to it naturally that it will select according to Your Majesty's wishes. JOSEPH You please me, Court Composer. A very clever idea. SALIERI (bowing) Sire. JOSEPH Well. There it is. He rides on. The groom releases her horse's head, and runs on after the Princess. CUT TO: 66 INT. CHAMBERLAIN VON STRACK'S STUDY - DAY - 1780's 66 Von Strack sits stiffly behind his gilded desk. Mozart stands before him, trem- bling with anger. MOZART What is this, Herr Chamberlain? VON STRACK What is what? MOZART Why do I have to submit samples of my work to some stupid committee? Just to teach a sixteen-year-old girl. VON STRACK Because His Majesty wishes it. MOZART Is the Emperor angry with me? VON STRACK On the contrary. MOZART Then why doesn't he simply appoint me to the post? VON STRACK Mozart, you are not the only composer in Vienna. MOZART No, but I'm the best. VON STRACK A little modesty would suit you better. MOZART Who is on this committee? VON STRACK Kapellmeister Bonno, Count Orsini-Rosenberg and Court Composer Salieri. MOZART Naturally, the Italians! Of course! Always the Italians! VON STRACK Mozart - MOZART They hate my music. It terrifies them. The only sound Italians understand is banality. Tonic and dominant, tonic and domi- nant, from here to Resurrection! (singing angrily) Ba-ba! Ba-ba! Ba-ba! Ba-ba! Anything else is morbid. VON STRACK Mozart - MOZART Show them one interesting modulation and they faint. �Ohime! Morbidezza! Morbidezza! Italians are musical idiots and you want them to judge my music! VON STRACK Look, young man, the issue is simple. If you want this post, you must submit your stuff in the same way as all your colleagues. MOZART Must I? Well, I won't! I tell you straight: I will not! CUT TO: 67 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 67 The room is very small and untidy. Constanze is marching up and down it, upset. Mozart is lying on the bed. CONSTANZE I think you're mad! You're really mad! MOZART Oh, leave me alone. CONSTANZE One royal pupil and the whole of Vienna will come flocking. We'd be set up for life! MOZART They'll come anyway. They love me here. CONSTANZE No, they will not. I know how things work in this city. MOZART Oh yes? You always know everything. CONSTANZE Well, I'm not borrowing any more money from my mother, and that's that! MOZART You borrowed money from your mother? CONSTANZE Yes! MOZART Well, don't do that again! CONSTANZE How are we going to live, Wolfi? Do you want me to go into the streets and beg? MOZART Don't be stupid. CONSTANZE All they want to see is your work. What's wrong with that? MOZART Shut up! Just shut up! I don't need them. CONSTANZE This isn't pride. It's sheer stupidity! She glares at him, almost in tears. CUT TO: 67A INT. SALIERI'S MUSIC ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON - 1780's 67A Salieri is giving a lesson to a girl student, who is singing the Italian art song, Caro Mio Ben. There is a knock on the door. SALIERI Yes. A SERVANT enters. SERVANT Excuse me, sir, there is a lady who insists on talking to you. SALIERI Who is she? SERVANT She didn't say. But she says it's urgent. SALIERI (to the pupil) Excuse me, my dear. Salieri goes into the salon. CUT TO: 68 INT. THE SALON - LATE AFTERNOON - 1780's 68 Constanze stands, closely veiled, holding a portfolio stuffed with manuscripts. The singing lesson ends, with two chords on the instrument. Salieri enters the sa- lon. Constanze drops him a shy curtsey. CONSTANZE Excellency! SALIERI Madame. How can I help you? Shyly, she unveils. SALIERI Frau Mozart? CONSTANZE That's right, Your Excellency. I've come on behalf of my hus- band. I'm - I'm bringing some samples of his work so he can be considered for the royal appointment. SALIERI How charming. But why did he not come himself? CONSTANZE He's terribly busy, sir. SALIERI I understand. He takes the portfolio and puts it on a table. SALIERI I will look at them, of course, the moment I can. It will be an honour. Please give him my warmest. CONSTANZE Would it be too much trouble, sir, to ask you to look at them now? While I wait. SALIERI I'm afraid I'm not at leisure this very moment. Just leave them with me. I assure you they will be quite safe. CONSTANZE I - I really cannot do that, Your Excellency. You see, he doesn't know I'm here. SALIERI Really? CONSTANZE My husband is a proud man, sir. He would be furious if he knew I'd come. SALIERI Then he didn't send you? CONSTANZE No, sir. This is my own idea. SALIERI I see. CONSTANZE Sir, we really need this job. We're desperate. My husband spends far more than he can ever earn. I don't mean he's lazy - he's not at all - he works all day long. It's just! he's not practical. Money simply slips through his fingers, it's really ridiculous, Your Excellency. I know you help musicians. You're famous for it. Give him just this one post. We'd be forever indebted! A short pause. SALIERI Let me offer you some refreshment. Do you know what these are? He indicates a dish piled high with glazed chestnuts. SALIERI Cappezzoli di Venere. Nipples of Venus. Roman chestnuts in brandied sugar. Won't you try one? They're quite surprising. He offers her the dish. She takes one and puts it in her mouth. He watches carefully. CONSTANZE Oh! They're wonderful. He takes one himself. We notice on his finger a heavy gold signet-ring. CONSTANZE Thank you very much, Your Excellency. SALIERI Don't keep calling me that. It puts me at such a distance. I was not born a Court Composer, you know. I'm from a small town, just like your husband. He smiles at her. She takes another chestnut. SALIERI Are you sure you can't leave that music, and come back again? I have other things you might like. CONSTANZE That's very tempting, but it's impossible, I'm afraid. Wolfi would be frantic if he found those were missing. You see, they're all originals. SALIERI Originals? CONSTANZE Yes. A pause. He puts out his hand and takes up the portfolio from the table. He opens it. He looks at the music. He is puzzled. SALIERI These are originals? CONSTANZE Yes, sir. He doesn't make copies. CUT TO: 69 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 69 The old man faces the Priest. OLD SALIERI Astounding! It was actually beyond belief. These were first and only drafts of music yet they showed no corrections of any kind. Not one. Do you realize what that meant? Vogler stares at him. OLD SALIERI He'd simply put down music already finished in his head. Page after page of it, as if he was just taking dictation. And music fin- ished as no music is ever finished. 70 INT. SALIERI'S SALON - LATE AFTERNOON - 1780's 70 CU, The manuscript in Mozart's handwriting. The music begins to sound under the following: OLD SALIERI (V.O.) Displace one note and there would be diminishment. Displace one phrase, and the structure would fall. It was clear to me. That sound I had heard in the Archbishop's palace had been no acci- dent. Here again was the very voice of God! I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink-strokes at an absolute, inimitable beauty. The music swells. What we now hear is an amazing collage of great passages from Mozart's music, ravishing to Salieri and to us. The Court Composer, oblivious to Constanze, who sits happily chewing chestnuts, her mouth covered in sugar, walks around and around his salon, reading the pages and dropping them on the floor when he is done with them. We see his agonized and wondering face: he shudders as if in a rough and tumbling sea; he experiences the point where beauty and great pain coalesce. More pages fall than he can read, scattering across the floor in a white cascade, as he circles the room. Finally, we hear the tremendous �Qui Tollis from the Mass in C Minor. It seems to break over him like a wave and, unable to bear any more of it, he slams the port- folio shut. Instantly, the music breaks off, reverberating in his head. He stands shaking, staring wildly. Constanze gets up, perplexed. CONSTANZE Is it no good? A pause. SALIERI It is miraculous. CONSTANZE Oh yes. He's really proud of his work. Another pause. CONSTANZE So, will you help him? Salieri tries to recover himself. SALIERI Tomorrow night I dine with the Emperor. One word from me and the post is his. CONSTANZE Oh, thank you, sir! Overjoyed, she stops and kisses his hand. He raises her - and then clasps her to him clumsily. She pushes herself away. SALIERI Come back tonight. CONSTANZE Tonight? SALIERI Alone. CONSTANZE What for? SALIERI Some service deserves service in return. No? CONSTANZE What do you mean? SALIERI Isn't it obvious? They stare at one another: Constanze in total disbelief. SALIERI It's a post all Vienna seeks. If you want it for your husband, come tonight. CONSTANZE But! I'm a married woman! SALIERI Then don't. It's up to you. Not to be vague, that is the price. He glares at her. SALIERI Yes. He rings a silver bell for a servant and abruptly leaves the roam. Constanze stares after him, horrified. The servant enters. Shocked and stunned, Constanze goes down an her knees and starts picking up the music from the floor. CUT TO: 71 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 71 CU, Father Vogler, horrified. OLD SALIERI Yes, Father. Yes! So much for my vow of chastity. What did it matter? Good, patient, hard-working, chaste - what did it mat- ter? Had goodness made me a good composer? I realized it ab- solutely then - that moment: goodness is nothing in the furnace of art. And I was nothing to God. VOGLER (crying out) You cannot say that! OLD SALIERI No? Was Mozart a good man? VOGLER God's ways are not yours. And you are not here to question Him. Offer him the salt of penitence. He will give you back the bread of eternal life. He is all merciful. That is all you need to know. OLD SALIERI All I ever wanted was to sing to Him. That's His doing, isn't it? He gave me that longing - then made me mute. Why? Tell me that. If He didn't want me to serve Him with music, why im- plant the desire, like a lust in my body, then deny me the talent? Go on, tell me! Speak for Him! VOGLER My son, no one can speak for God. OLD SALIERI Oh? I thought you did so every day. So speak now. Answer me! VOGLER I do not claim to unravel the mysteries. I treasure them. As you should. OLD SALIERI (impatiently) Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Always the same stale answers! (intimately to the priest) There is no God of Mercy, Father. Just a God of torture. CUT TO: 72 INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 72 Salieri sits at his desk, staring up at the cross. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) Evening came to that room. I sat there not knowing whether the girl would return or not. I prayed as I'd never prayed before. SALIERI Dear God, enter me now. Fill me with one piece of true music. One piece with your breath in it, so I know that you love me. Please. Just one. Show me one sign of your favour, and I will show mine to Mozart and his wife. I will get him the royal posi- tion, and if she comes, I'll receive her with all respect and send her home in joy. Enter me! Enter me! Please! Te imploro. A long, long silence. Salieri stares at the cross. Christ stares back at him impas- sively. Finally in this silence we hear a faint knocking at the door. Salieri stirs him- self. A servant appears. SERVANT That lady is back, sir. SALIERI Show her in. Then go to bed. The Servant bows and leaves. We follow him through: 73 INT. MUSIC ROOM IN SALIERI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - 1780's 73 The Servant crosses it and enters: 74 INT. SALON IN SALIERI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - 1780's 74 Constanze is sitting on an upright chair, veiled as before, the portfolio of music on her lap. Through the far door leading from the hall, another servant is peering at her. The first servant joins him and shuts the door on the girl, leaving her alone. We stay with her. The clock ticks on the mantelpiece. We hear an old carriage pass in the street below. Nervously she lifts her veil and looks about her. Suddenly Salieri appears from the music room. He is pale and very tight. They regard each other. She smiles and rises to greet him, affecting a relaxed and warm manner, as if to put him at his ease. CONSTANZE Well, I'm here. My husband has gone to a concert. He didn't think I would enjoy it. A pause. CONSTANZE I do apologize for this afternoon. I behaved like a silly girl. Where shall we go? SALIERI What? CONSTANZE Should we stay here? It's a charming room. I love these candle- sticks. Were they here earlier? I didn't notice them I suppose I was too nervous. As she talks, she extinguishes the candles in a pair of Venetian candelabra and sub- sequently other candles around the room. CONSTANZE Wolfgang was given some candlesticks by King George in England, but they were only wood. Oh, excuse me. Let's not talk about him. What do you think of this? It's real lace. Brussels. She turns and takes off her shawl. CONSTANZE Well, it's much too good for every day. I keep saying to Wolfi, �don't be so extravagant. Presents are lovely, but we can't afford them. It doesn't do any good. The more I tell him, the more he spends. Oh, excuse me! There I go again. She picks up the portfolio. CONSTANZE Do you still want to look at this? Or don't we need to bother anymore? I imagine we don't, really. She looks at him inquiringly, and drops the portfolio on the floor; pages of music pour out of it. Instantly we hear a massive chord, and the great �Qui Tollis from the Mass in C Minor fills the room. To its grand and weighty sound, Constanze starts to undress, watched by the horrified Salieri. Between him and her, music is an active presence, hurting and baffling him. He opens his mouth in distress. The music pounds in his head. The candle flickers over her as she removes her clothes and prepares for his embrace. Suddenly he cries out. SALIERI Go! Go! Go! He snatches up the bell and shakes it frantically, not stopping until the two servants we saw earlier appear at the door. The music stops abruptly. They stare at the ap- palled and frightened Constanze, who is desperately trying to cover her nakedness. SALIERI Show this woman out! Constanze hurls herself at him. CONSTANZE You shit! You shit! You rotten shit! He seizes her wrists and thrusts her back. Then he leaves the room quickly, slam- ming the door behind him. Constanze turns and sees the two servants goggling at her in the room. CONSTANZE What are you staring at? Wildly, she picks up the candelabrum and throws it at them. It shatters on the floor. 75 INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 75 CU, Salieri standing, his eyes shut, shaking in distress. He opens them and sees Christ across the room, staring at him from the wall. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) From now on, we are enemies, You and I! CUT TO: 76 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 76 The old man is reliving the experience. Vogler looks at him, horrified. OLD SALIERI Because You will not enter me, with all my need for you; because You scorn my attempts at virtue; because You choose for Your in- strument a boastful, lustful, smutty infantile boy and give me for reward only the ability to recognize the Incarnation; because You are unjust, unfair, unkind, I will block You! I swear it! I will hin- der and harm Your creature on earth as far as I am able. I will ruin Your Incarnation. CUT BACK TO: 76A INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 76A CU, the fireplace. In it lies the olive wood Christ on the cross, burning. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) What use after all is Man, if not to teach God His lessons? The cross flames up and disintegrates. Salieri stares at it. CUT TO: 77 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 77 The front door bursts open. Mozart stumbles in, followed by EMMANUEL SCHIKANEDER, three young actresses, and another man, all fairly drunk. Schikaneder (who appears everywhere accompanied by young girls) is a large, fleshy, extravagant man of about thirty-five. MOZART Stanzi! Stanzi! Stanzi-Manzi! The others laugh. MOZART Sssh! SCHIKANEDER (imitating Mozart) Stanzi-Manzi-Banzi-Wanzi! MOZART Sssh! Stay here. He walks unsteadily to the bedroom door and opens it. SCHIKANEDER (to the girls, very tipsy) Sssh! You're dishgrashful! 78 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 78 Constanze lies in bed, her back turned to her husband, who comes into the room and shuts the door. MOZART (playfully) Stanzi? How's my mouse? Mouse-wouse? I'm back - puss-wuss is back! She turns around abruptly. She looks dreadful; her eyes red with weeping. Mozart is shocked. MOZART Stanzi! He approaches the bed and sits on it. Immediately she starts crying again, desperately. MOZART What's the matter? What is it? Stanzi! He holds her and she clings to him in a fierce embrace, crying a flood of tears. MOZART Stop it now. Stop it. I've brought some friends to meet you. They're next door waiting. Do we have anything to eat? They're all starving. CONSTANZE Tell them to go away. I don't want to see anybody. MOZART What's the matter with you? CONSTANZE Tell them to go! MOZART Sssh. What is it? Tell me. CONSTANZE No! MOZART Yes! CONSTANZE I love you! I love you! She starts crying again, throwing her arms around his neck. CONSTANZE I love you. Please stay with me. I'm frightened. 81 INT. THE ROYAL PALACE - DINING ROOM - DAY - 1780's 81 Joseph sits eating. A butler serves him goat's milk to drink. Joseph is holding a memorandum from Salieri in his hand. Salieri stands before him. JOSEPH I don't think you understand me, Court Composer. SALIERI Majesty, I did. Believe me, it was a most agonizing. decision. But finally, I simply could not recommend Herr Mozart. JOSEPH Why not? SALIERI Well, Sire, I made some inquiries in a routine way. I was curious to know why he had so few pupils. It is rather alarming. JOSEPH Oh? With a gesture Joseph dismisses the butler, who bows and leaves the room. SALIERI Majesty, I don't like to talk against a fellow musician. JOSEPH Of course not. SALIERI I have to tell you, Mozart is not entirely to be trusted alone with young ladies. JOSEPH Really? SALIERI As a matter of fact, one of my own pupils - a very young singer - told me she was - er - well! JOSEPH Yes? SALIERI Molested, Majesty. Twice, in the course of the same lesson. A pause. JOSEPH Ah-ha. Well. There it is. 81A INT. SALIERI'S HOUSE - STAIRCASE - VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 81A Salieri has just returned from the palace and is coming up the staircase. He is met by his servant. SERVANT Sir, there is a Herr Mozart waiting for you in the salon. Salieri is plainly alarmed. SALIERI What does he want? SERVANT He didn't say, sir. I told him I didn't know when you would be back, but he insisted on waiting. SALIERI Come with me. And stay in the room. He mounts the stairs. 82 INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - SALON - DAY - 1780's 82 Mozart is waiting for Salieri, holding a portfolio. Salieri approaches him nervously. Mozart stands not belligerently, but humbly. SALIERI Herr Mozart, what brings you here? MOZART Your Excellency, you requested some specimens of my work. Here they are. I don't have to tell you how much I need your help. I truly appreciate your looking at these. I have pressures on me - financial pressures. As you know, I'm a married man now. SALIERI So you are. How is your pretty wife? MOZART She is well. She is - well, actually, I'm about to become a father! She only told me last night. You are the first to know. SALIERI I'm flattered. And congratulations to you, of course. MOZART So you see, this post is very important to me right now. Salieri looks at him in distress. SALIERI Why didn't you come to me yesterday, Mozart? This is a most painful situation. Yesterday I could have helped you. Today, I can't. MOZART Why? Here is the music. It's here. I am submitting it humbly. Isn't that what you wanted? SALIERI I have just come from the palace. The post has been filled. MOZART Filled? That's impossible! They haven't even seen my work. I need this post. Please, can't you help me? Please! SALIERI My dear Mozart, there is no one in the world I would rather help, but now it is too late. MOZART Whom did they choose? SALIERI Herr Sommer. MOZART Sommer? Herr Sommer? But the man's a fool! He's a total mediocrity. SALIERI No, no, no: he has yet to achieve mediocrity. MOZART But I can't lose this post, I simply can't! Excellency, please. Let's go to the palace, and you can explain to the Emperor that Herr Sommer is an awful choice. He could actually do musical harm to the Princess! SALIERI An implausible idea. Between you and me, no one in the world could do musical harm to the Princess Elizabeth. Mozart chuckles delightedly. Salieri offers him a glass of white dessert and a spoon. Mozart takes it absently and goes on talking. MOZART Look, I must have pupils. Without pupils I can't manage. SALIERI You don't mean to tell me you are living in poverty? MOZART No, but I'm broke. I'm always broke. I don't know why. SALIERI It has been said, my friend, that you are inclined to live somewhat above your means. MOZART How can anyone say that? We have no cock, no maid. We have no footman. Nothing at all! SALIERI How is that possible? You give concerts, don't you? I hear they are quite successful. MOZART They're stupendously successful. You can't get a seat. The only problem is none will hire me. They all want to hear me play, but they won't let me teach their daughters. As if I was some kind of fiend. I'm not a fiend! SALIERI Of course not. MOZART Do you have a daughter? SALIERI I'm afraid not. MOZART Well, could you lend me some money till you have one? Then I'll teach her for free. That's a promise. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being silly. Papa's right - I should put a padlock on my mouth. Seriously, is there any chance you could manage a loan? Only for six months, eight at most. After that I'll be the richest man in Vienna. I'll pay you back double. Anything. Name your terms. I'm not joking. I'm working on something that's going to ex- plode like a bomb all over Europe! SALIERI Ah, how exciting! Tell me more. MOZART I'd better not. It's a bit of a secret. SALIERI Come, come, Mozart; I'm interested. Truly. MOZART Actually, it's a big secret. Oh, this is delicious! What is it? SALIERI Cream cheese mixed with granulated sugar and suffused with rum. Crema al Mascarpone. MOZART Ah. Italian? SALIERI Forgive me. We all have patriotic feelings of some kind. MOZART Two thousand, two hundred florins is all I need A hundred? Fifty? SALIERI What exactly are you working on? MOZART I can't say. Really SALIERI I don't think you should become known in Vienna as a debtor, Mozart. However, I know a very distinguished gentleman I could recommend to you. And he has a daughter. Will that do? 84 INT. MICHAEL SCHLUMBERG'S HOUSE - MORNING - 1780's 84 Hysterical barking and howling. The hall is full of dogs, at least five, all jumping up and dashing about and making a terrific racket. Mozart, dandified in a new coat and a plumed hat for the occasion, has arrived to teach at the house of a pros- perous merchant, MICHAEL SCHLUMBERG. Bluff, friendly and coarse-look- ing, he stands in his hall amidst the leaping and barking animals, greeting Mozart. SCHLUMBERG Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! Down there, damn you. (to Mozart) Welcome to you. Pay no attention, they're impossible. Stop it, you willful things! Come this way. Just ignore them. They're perfectly harmless, just willful. I treat them just like my own children. MOZART And which one of them do you want me to teach? SCHLUMBERG What? Ha-ha! That's funny - I like it. Which one, eh? You're a funny fellow. (shouting) Hannah! Come this way. He leads Mozart through the throng of dogs into a salon furnished with comfort- able middle-class taste. SCHLUMBERG Hannah! FRAU SCHLUMBERG appears: an anxious woman in middle life. SCHLUMBERG (to Mozart) You won't be teaching this one either. She's my wife. MOZART (bowing) Madame. SCHLUMBERG This is Herr Mozart, my dear. The young man Herr Salieri rec- ommended to teach our Gertrude. Where is she? FRAU SCHLUMBERG Upstairs. SCHLUMBERG Gertrude! FRAU SCHLUMBERG You can't be Herr Mozart! MOZART I'm afraid I am. SCHLUMBERG Of course, it's him. Who do you think it is? FRAU SCHLUMBERG I've heard about you for ages! I thought you must be an old man. SCHLUMBERG Gertrude! FRAU SCHLUMBERG It's such an honour for us to have you here, Herr Mozart. And for Gertrude. SCHLUMBERG People who know say the girl's got talent. You must judge for yourself. If you think she stinks, say so. FRAU SCHLUMBERG Michael, please! I'm sure you will find her most willing, Herr Mozart. She's really very excited. She's been preparing all morning. MOZART Really? FRAU SCHLUMBERG Ah, now! Here she comes. GERTRUDE SCHLUMBERG appears in the doorway: an awkward girl of fifteen in her best dress, her hair primped and curled. She is exceedingly nervous. MOZART Good morning, Fra�lein Schlumberg. SCHLUMBERG Strudel, this is Herr Mozart. Say good morning. Gertrude giggles instead. FRAU SCHLUMBERG (to Mozart) Perhaps a little refreshment first? A little coffee, or a little choco- late? MOZART I'd like a little wine, if you have it. FRAU SCHLUMBERG Wine? SCHLUMBERG Quite right. He's going to need it. (calling and clapping his hands) Klaus! A bottle of wine. Prestissimo! Now let's go to it. I've been waiting all day for this. He leads the way into: 85 INT. MUSIC ROOM - DAY - 1780's 85 A forte-piano is open and waiting. All the dogs follow him. After them come Mozart Frau and Fra�lein Schlumberg. To Mozart's dismay, husband and wife seat themselves quite formally on a little narrow sofa, side by side. SCHLUMBERG (to the dogs) Now sit down all of you and behave. Zeman, Mandi, absolutely quiet! (to a young beagle) Especially you, Dudelsachs - not one sound from you. The dogs settle at their feet. Husband and wife smile encouragingly at each other. SCHLUMBERG Come on, then. Up and at it! Mozart gestures to the music bench. Reluctantly, the girl sits at the instrument. Mozart sits beside her. MOZART Now, please play me something. Just to give me an idea. Anything will do. GERTRUDE (to parents) I don't want you to stay. FRAU SCHLUMBERG That's all right, dear. Just go ahead, as if we weren't here. GERTRUDE But you are here. SCHLUMBERG Never mind, Strudel. It's part of music, getting used to an audi- ence. Aren't I right, Herr Mozart? MOZART Well, yes! on the whole. I suppose. (to Gertrude) How long have you been playing, Fra�lein? FRAU SCHLUMBERG Just one year. MOZART Who was your teacher? FRAU SCHLUMBERG I was. But she quite outgrew the little I could show her. MOZART Thank you, Madame. (to Gertrude) Come on now - courage. Play me something you know. In response the wretched girl just stares down at the keyboard without playing a note. An awkward pause. MOZART Perhaps it would be better if we were left alone. I think we're both a little shy. Husband and wife look at each other. SCHLUMBERG Nonsense. Strudel's not shy. She's just willful! You give into her now, you'll be sorry later. Strudel - play. Silence. The girl sits unmoving. Schlumberg bellows: SCHLUMBERG I said play! FRAU SCHLUMBERG Michael! MOZART Perhaps if I were to play a little first, it might encourage the Fra�lein. (to the girl) Why don't you let me try the instrument? All right? Suddenly the girl rises. Mozart smiles at the parents. They smile nervously back. Mozart slides along the bench, raises his hands and preludes over the keys. Instantly a dog howls loudly. Startled, Mozart stops. Schlumberg leaps to his feet and goes over to the beagle. SCHLUMBERG Stop that, Dudelsachs! Stop it at once! (to Mozart) Don't let him disturb you. He'll be all right. He's just a little willful too. Please, please - play. I beg you. Mozart resumes playing. This time it is a lively piece, perhaps the Presto Finale from the K. 450. The dog howls immediately. SCHLUMBERG Stop it! STOP! Mozart stops. SCHLUMBERG No, not you. I was talking to the dog. You keep playing. It's most important. He always howls when he hears music. We've got to break them of the habit. Play, please. Please! Amazed, Mozart starts to play the Rondo again. The dog howls louder. SCHLUMBERG That's it. Now keep going, just keep going. (to the beagle) Now you stop that noise, Dudelsachs, you stop it this instant! This in- stant, do you hear me? Keep going, Herr Mozart, that's it. Go on, go on! Mozart plays on. Suddenly the dog falls silent. Schlumberg smiles broadly. SCHLUMBERG Good, good, good! Very good dog! Very, very good Dudelsachs. (to his wife, snapping his fingers) Quick, quick, dear, bring his biscuit. The wife scurries to get a jar of biscuits. A servant brings in an open bottle of wine and a full glass on a tray. He puts it down beside Mozart as Schlumberg addresses the silent dog with deepest affection. SCHLUMBERG Now guess who's going to get a nice reward? Clever, clever Dudi. He gives the biscuit to the dog who swallows it greedily. Mozart stops playing and stands up. SCHLUMBERG It's a miracle, Herr Mozart! MOZART (barely controlling himself) Well, I'm a good teacher. The next time you wish me to instruct another of your dogs, please let me know. Goodbye, Fra�lein, goodbye, Madame! goodbye, Sir! He bows to them and leaves the room. They look after him in puzzled astonishment. FRAU SCHLUMBERG What a strange young man. SCHLUMBERG Yes. He is a little strange. 86 EXT. A BUSY STREET IN VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 86 A cheerful scene. We see Mozart strutting and beaming, making his way through the crowd of porters, carriers and hawkers, sellers of sausages and pastries, vendors of hats and ribbons. Horses and carriage clatter past him. His mood is best ex- pressed by a bubbling version of Non piu Andrai played on the forte-piano. Still in the same mood, he enters the door of his own house. 87 INT. MOZART'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY - 1780's 87 Suddenly, he stops. He looks up the stairs. The grim opening chords from the Overture to Don Giovanni cut across the march from Figaro. What he sees, looking up the stairs, is a menacing figure in a long, grey cape and dark grey hat, standing on the landing. The light comes from behind the figure so that we see only its sil- houette as it unfolds its arms towards Mozart in an alarming gesture of possession. It takes a beat in which the air of sinister mystery is held before Mozart realizes who it is. Then, as the music continues, he hastily sets down the bottle of wine and rushes joyfully up the stairs and hurls himself into the figure's arms. MOZART Papa! PAPA! Both men embrace. The music slowly fades. 88 INT. MOZART'S LIVING ROOM - DAY - 1780's 88 A cramped, low-ceilinged little room which nobody has tidied for ages. We see music lying everywhere. Also there are many empty wine bottles; musical instru- ments - among them a mandolin, a viola, a forte-piano with the black and white keys reversed - books and abandoned plates of food. Mozart clasps his father's arms. Leopold is now seen as an aging, travel-stained man in clothes that need re- pair. His face is lined, and he is obviously not in perfect health. MOZART Why are you here? LEOPOLD Am I not welcome? MOZART Of course, welcome! Welcome ten thousand times. Papa! my Papa! He kisses his hands. LEOPOLD You're very thin. Does she not feed you, this wife of yours? Mozart ducks away and fetches his father's bags from the landing. MOZART Feed? Well, of course she feeds me. She stuffs me like a goose all day long. She's the best cook in the world. I mean, since Mama. Just wait, you'll see. LEOPOLD Is she not here? MOZART I don't know. Stanzi? Stanzi! Leopold looks about him at the mess in the room. LEOPOLD Do you always live like this? MOZART Oh, yes. Oh, I mean no - not exactly like this. I mean today - just today, Stanzi - I remember now. She had to go - yes! She had to help her mother. Yes, she's like that. Her mother's a very sweet woman, you'll see. He carries the bag across the room and opens the door of the bedroom. Constanze lies in bed. She sits up, startled. MOZART Oh! I didn't know you were home. Stanzi, this is my father. Constanze, who looks ill and tired, stares at Leopold. Leopold stares back from the doorway. MOZART We'll wait, we'll wait. Why don't you get up now, darling? He closes the door again. MOZART She's very tired, poor creature. You know me: I'm a real pig. It's not so easy cleaning up after me. LEOPOLD Don't you have a maid? MOZART Oh we could, if we wanted to, but Stanzi won't hear of it. She wants to do everything herself. LEOPOLD How is your financial situation? MOZART It couldn't be better. LEOPOLD That's not what I hear. MOZART What do you mean? It's wonderful. Really, it's - it's marvelous! People love me here. LEOPOLD They say you're in debt. MOZART Who? Who says that? Now that's a malicious lie! LEOPOLD How many pupils do you have? MOZART Pupils? LEOPOLD Yes. MOZART Yes. LEOPOLD How many? MOZART I don't know. It's not important. I mean, I don't want pupils. They get in the way. I've got to have time for composition. LEOPOLD Composition doesn't pay. You know that. MOZART This one will. He picks up some pages of manuscript. LEOPOLD What's that? MOZART Oh, let's not talk about it. LEOPOLD Why not? MOZART It's a secret. LEOPOLD You don't have secrets from me. MOZART It's too dangerous, Papa. But they're going to love it. Ah, there she is! Constanze comes into the room. She is wearing a dressing gown and has made a perfunctory attempt to tidy her hair. We see that she is clearly pregnant. MOZART My Stanzi - look at her! Isn't she beautiful? Come on now, con- fess, Papa. Could you want a prettier girl for a daughter? CONSTANZE Stop it, Wolfi. I look dreadful. Welcome to our house, Herr Mozart. MOZART He's not Herr Mozart. Call him Papa. LEOPOLD I see that you're expecting. CONSTANZE Oh, yes. LEOPOLD When, may I ask? CONSTANZE In three months! Papa. MOZART Isn't that marvelous? We're delighted. LEOPOLD Why didn't you mention it in your letters? MOZART Didn't I? I thought I did. I'm sure I did. He gives a little giggle of embarrassment. CONSTANZE May I offer you some tea, Herr Mozart? MOZART Tea? Who wants tea? Let's go out! This calls for a feast. You don't want tea, Papa. Let's go dancing. Papa loves parties, don't you? CONSTANZE Wolfi! MOZART What? How can you be so boring? Tea! CONSTANZE Wolfi, I think your father's tired. I'll cook us something here. LEOPOLD Thank you. That'll be fine. Don't spend any money on me. MOZART Why not? Oh, come, Papa! What better way could I spend it than on you? My kissable, missable, suddenly visible Papa! The jaunty tune of Ich Mochte Wohl Der Kaiser sein (K.539) sounds through all the following. This is an alternate song from Il Seraglio: a very extroverted tune for baritone and orchestra and a prominent part for bass drum. The vocal part should be arranged for trumpet. 89 EXT. STREET IN VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 89 Mozart and Constanze with Leopold between them. We see couples shopping. 90 INT. A COSTUME SHOP - VIENNA - DAY - 1780's 90 This is a shop where one can buy costumes for masquerades. It is filled with ex- travagant costumes of various kinds. Wolfgang is wearing a costume, a mask pushed up on his forehead; Constanze is wearing a little white velvet mask. Amidst the merriment, Leopold is helped by two assistants to put on a dark grey cloak and a dark grey tricorne hat, to which is attached a full mask of dark grey. Its mouth is cut into a fixed upward smile. He turns and looks at his son through this mask. CUT STRAIGHT TO: 91 INT. A LARGE PARTY ROOM - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 91 We are in the full whirl of a Masquerade Ball. Couples are dancing around dressed in fantastic costumes. The music of Ich Mochte Wohl Der Kaiser sein increases in volume and persists. We see the musicians thumping it out on a balustrade above the dancers. A steer is being roasted. Through the bobbing crowd we see a group, headed by the figure of Bacchus: this is Schikaneder in a Greek costume, wearing vine leaves in his hair. He is accompanied by his usual trio of actresses and three other men. Constanze as Columbine and Mozart as Harlequin are pulling Leopold by the hand of his dark cloak and smiling mask. This whole group threads its way across the crowded room and disappears through a door. As they go, they are watched by Salieri, standing alone in a corner, wearing ordinary evening clothes. He turns away hastily to avoid being seen by them. As soon as they disappear into the far room, Salieri goes quickly to a lady in the corner who is giving guests domino masks off a tray. He quickly takes a small black mask and puts it on. CUT TO: 92 INT. A GROTTO ROOM NEXT DOOR - NIGHT - 1780's 92 A fantastic room designed as a rocky grotto, lit by candles. A forte-piano to one side is being played by Schikaneder: the music of Ich Mochte Wohl Der Kaiser sein cross-fades to another tune. This is Vivat Bacchus from Il Seraglio which Schikaneder, dressed as Bacchus, is humming as he plays. The music is actually ac- companying a game of Forfeits, which has begun. Five couples (the group we have just seen) are dancing in the middle of a ring made by nine chairs. When the mu- sic stops they will each have to find a chair, and the one who fails must pay a forfeit. Constanze is dancing with Leopold; Mozart is dancing with one of the actresses; the two other actresses are dancing with two other gentlemen; and two children dance together - a little boy and a little girl. The scene is watched by a circle of bystanders; among them - from the doorway - is Salieri. Schikaneder stops playing. Immediately the couples scramble for the chairs. Leopold and Constanze meet on the same chair, bumping and pushing at each other to get sole possession of it. To the amusement of the people around, the chair over-balances and they both end up on the floor. Constanze immediately gets up again, sets the chair on its feet, and tries to pretend she was sitting in it all the time. But Schikaneder calls out from the forte-piano. SCHIKANEDER No, no! You both lost. You both lost. �You both have to forfeit. And the penalty is! you must exchange your wigs. People are delighted by the idea of this penalty. The children jump up and down with excitement. The three actresses immediately surround Leopold, reaching for his hat and mask and wig, whilst he tries to hold on to them. Mozart takes off Constanze's wig - an absurd affair with side-curls. Constanze laughingly surren- ders it. LEOPOLD No, please! This is ridiculous! No, please! Despite his protests an actress takes off his hat, to which the smiling mask is at- tached, to reveal his outraged face showing a very different expression underneath. Another actress snatches off his wig to reveal very sparse hair on the old man's head. The third actress takes Constanze's wig from Mozart and attempts to put it on his father's head. LEOPOLD No, really! MOZART (calling to him) This is just a game, Papa. Constanze echoes him with a touch of malice in her voice. CONSTANZE �This is just a game, Papa! Laughingly, the bystanders take it up, especially the children. BYSTANDERS �This is just a game, Papa! As Leopold glares furiously about him, the actress succeeds in getting Constanze's wig firmly onto his head. Everybody bursts into applause. Delightedly, Constanze puts on Leopold's wig, hat and mask: from the waist up she now looks like a weird parody of Leopold in the smiling grey mask, and he looks like a weird parody of her in the silly feminine wig. Schikaneder starts to play again, and the couples start to dance. Leopold angrily takes off Constanze's wig and leaves the circle; his partner, Constanze, is left alone. Seeing this, Mozart leaves his partner and catches his father entreatingly by the arm. MOZART Oh no, Papa, please! Don't spoil the fun. Come on. Here, take mine. He takes off his own wig and puts it on Leopold's uncovered head. The effect, if not as ridiculous, is still somewhat bizarre, since Wolfgang favours fairly elaborate wigs. He takes Constanze's wig from his father. As this happens, the music stops again. Mozart gently pushes his father down onto a nearby chair; the others scramble for the other chairs; and he is left as the Odd Man Out. He giggles. Schikaneder calls out to Leopold from the keyboard. SCHIKANEDER Herr Mozart, why don't you name your son's penalty? Applause. MOZART Yes, Papa, name it. Name it. I'll do anything you say! LEOPOLD I want you to come back with me to Salzburg, my son. SCHIKANEDER What did he say? What did he say? MOZART Papa, the rule is you can only give penalties that can be performed in the room. LEOPOLD I'm tired of this game. Please play without me. MOZART But my penalty. I've got to have a penalty. All the bystanders are watching. SCHIKANEDER I've got a good one. I've got the perfect one for you. Come over here. Mozart runs over to the forte-piano, and Schikaneder surrenders his place at it. SCHIKANEDER Now, I want you to play our tune - sitting backwards. Applause. MOZART Oh, that's really too easy. Any child can do that. Amused sounds of disbelief. SCHIKANEDER And a fugue in the manner of Sebastian Bach. Renewed applause at this wicked extra penalty. Mozart smiles at Schikaneder - it is the sort of challenge he loves. He defiantly puts on Constanze's wig and seats himself with his back to the keyboard. Before the astonished eyes of the company he proceeds to execute this absurdly difficult task. His right hand plays the bass part, his left hand the treble, and with this added difficulty he improvises a bril- liant fugue on the subject of the tune to which they have been dancing. Attracted by this astonishing feat, the players draw nearer to the instrument. So does Salieri, cautiously, with some of the bystanders. Constanze watches him approach. Only Leopold sits by himself, sulking. The fugue ends amidst terrific clapping. The guests call out to Mozart. GUESTS Another! Do another! Someone else. MOZART Give me a name. Who shall I do? Give me a name. GUESTS Gluck! Haydn! Frederic Handel! CONSTANZE Salieri! Do Salieri! SMASH CUT: Salieri's masked face whips around and looks at her. MOZART Now that's hard. That's very hard. For Salieri one has to face the right way around. Giggling, he turns around and sits at the keyboard. Then, watched by a highly amused group, he begins a wicked parody. He furrows his brow in mock concentration and closes his eyes. Then he begins to play the tune to which they danced, in the most obvious way imaginable, relying heavily on a totally and offensively unimaginative bass of tonic and dominant, endlessly repeated. The music is the very essence of banality. The bystanders rock with laughter. Mozart starts to giggle wildly. Through this excruciating scene, Salieri stares at Constanze, who suddenly turns her head and looks challengingly back at him. Mozart's parody reaches its coarse climax with him adding a fart noise instead of notes to end cadences. He builds this up, urged on in his clowning by everyone else, until suddenly he stops and cries out. The laughter cuts off. Mozart stands up, clutching his behind as if he has made a mess in his breeches. The momentary hush of alarm is followed by a howl of laughter. CU, Salieri staring in pain. 93 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 93 CU, The old man is shaking at the very recollection of his humiliation. OLD SALIERI Go on. Mock me. Laugh, laugh! CUT BACK TO: 94 INT. GROTTO - NIGHT - 1780's 94 A repetition of the shot of Mozart at the forte-piano, wearing Constanze's wig and emitting a shrill giggle. CUT TO: 95 INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 95 Salieri sits at his desk. He holds in his hand the small black party mask and stares in hatred at the place on the wall where the crucifix used to hang. Faintly we see the mark of the cross. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) That was not Mozart laughing, Father. That was God. That was God! God laughing at me through that obscene giggle. Go on, Signore. Laugh. Rub my nose in it. Show my mediocrity for all to see. You wait! I will laugh at You! Before I leave this earth, I will laugh at You! Amen! 97 INT. MOZART'S WORKROOM - DAY - 1780's 97 It is littered with manuscripts. In the middle stands a billiard table. The beautiful closing ensemble from Act IV of Figaro: Ah, Tutti contenti! Saremo cosi plays in the background. Standing at the billiard table, Mozart is dreamily hearing the music and playing shots on the table. From time to time he drifts over to a piece of manuscript paper and jots down notes. He is very much in his own world of com- position and the billiard balls are an aid to creation. Presently, however, we hear a knocking at the door. CONSTANZE (outside the door) Wolfi! Wolfgang! The music breaks off. MOZART What is it? He opens the door. CONSTANZE There's a young girl to see you. MOZART What does she want? CONSTANZE I don't know. MOZART Well, ask her! CONSTANZE She won't talk to me. She says she has to speak to you. MOZART Oh, damn! 99 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY - 1780's 99 Mozart comes out. Framed in the doorway from outside stands Lorl, the maid we noticed in Salieri's house. From his bedroom Leopold peeps out to watch. Mozart goes to the girl. Constanze follows. MOZART Yes? LORL Are you Herr Mozart? MOZART That's right. LORL My name is Lorl, sir. I'm a maidservant. I was asked to come here and offer my services to you. MOZART What? LORL They'll be paid for by a great admirer or yours who wishes to re- main anon - anonymous. CONSTANZE What do you mean? What admirer? LORL I can't tell you that, ma'am. MOZART Are you saying that someone is paying you to be our maid and doesn't want us to know who he is? LORL Yes. I can live in or out just as you wish. Mozart turns to his father. MOZART Papa, is this your idea? LEOPOLD Mine? The old man emerges from his bedroom. His son looks at him delightedly. MOZART Are you playing a trick on me? LEOPOLD I never saw this girl in my life. (to Lorl) Is this a kind of joke? LORL Not at all, sir. And I was told to wait for an answer. LEOPOLD Young woman, this won't do at all. My son can't possibly accept such an offer, no matter how generous, unless he knows who is behind it. LORL But I really can't tell you, sir. LEOPOLD Oh, this is ridiculous. CONSTANZE What is ridiculous? Wolfi has many admirers in Vienna. They love him here. People send us gifts all the time. LEOPOLD But you can't take her without reference. It's unheard of! CONSTANZE Well, this is none of your business. (to Lorl) Whoever sent you is going to pay, no? LORL That's right, ma'am. LEOPOLD So now we are going to let a perfect stranger into the house? Constanze looks furiously at him, then at Lorl. CONSTANZE Who is �we? Who is letting who? (to Lorl) Could you please wait outside? LORL Yes, ma'am. Lorl goes outside and closes the door. Constanze turns on Leopold. CONSTANZE Look, old man, you stay out of this. We spend a fortune on you, more than we can possibly afford, and all you do is criticize, morning to night. And then you think you can - MOZART Stanzi! CONSTANZE No, it's right he should hear. I'm sick to death of it. We can't do anything right for you, can we? LEOPOLD Never mind. You won't have to do anything for me ever again. I'm leaving! MOZART Papa! LEOPOLD Don't worry, I'm not staying here to be a burden. MOZART No one calls you that. LEOPOLD She does. She says I sleep all day. CONSTANZE And so you do! The only time you come out is to eat. LEOPOLD And what do you expect? Who wants to walk out into a mess like this every day? CONSTANZE Oh, now I'm a bad housekeeper! LEOPOLD So you are! The place is a pigsty all the time. CONSTANZE (to Mozart) Do you hear him? Do you? Explosively she opens the door. CONSTANZE (to Lorl) When can you start? LORL Right away, ma'am. CONSTANZE Good! Come in. You'll start with that room there. (indicating Leopold's room) It's filthy! She leads the maid into Leopold's room. Mozart steals back into his workroom and gently closes the door. Leopold is left alone. LEOPOLD Sorry, sorry! I'm sorry I spoke! I'm just a provincial from Salzburg. What do I know about smart Vienna? Parties all night, every night. Dancing and drinking like idiot children! 101 INT. MOZART'S WORKROOM - DAY - 1780's 101 Mozart stands trying to blot out the noise of his father's shouting from the next room. LEOPOLD (O.S.) Dinner at eight! Dinner at ten! Dinner when anyone feels like it! if anyone feels like it! The ensemble of Ah, Tutti contenti! Saremo cosi from Act IV of Figaro resumes, coming to his aid and rising to greet the listener with its serene harmonies. Relieved, Mozart languidly picks up his cue and plays a shot on the billiard table: he is sucked back into his own world of sound. 102 INT. SALIERI'S SALON - NIGHT - 1780's 102 The music fades. We see Lorl, dressed in a walking cloak, sitting before a desk, talking to someone confidentially. LORL They're out every night, sir. Till all hours. A hand comes into frame offering a plate of sugared biscuits. On its finger we see the gold signet ring belonging to Salieri. LORL (taking one) Oh, thank you, sir. SALIERI Do any pupils come to the house? LORL Not that I've seen. SALIERI Then how does he pay for all this? Does he work at all? LORL Oh, yes, sir, all day long. He never leaves the house until evening. He just sits there, writing and writing. He doesn't even eat. SALIERI Really? What is it he's writing? LORL Oh, I wouldn't know that, sir. SALIERI Of course not. You're a good girl. You're very kind to do this. Next time you're sure they'll be out of the house, let me know, will you? Confused, the girl hesitates. He hands her a pile of coins. LORL Oh, thank you, sir! She accepts them, delighted. 103 EXT. MOZART'S HOUSE - VIENNA STREET - AFTERNOON - 1780's 103 The final movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in E-flat (K. 482) begins. To its lively music, the door of the house bursts open and a grand forte-piano augmented with a pedal is carried out of it by six men, who run off with it down the street. Following them immediately appear Wolfgang, Constanze and Leopold, all three dressed for an occasion. They climb into a waiting carriage which drives off after the forte-piano. As soon as it goes, Lorl appears in the doorway, peering slyly around to see that they are out of sight. Then she shuts the door and hurries off in the opposite direction. CUT TO: 104 EXT. AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN - VIENNA - AFTERNOON - 1780's 104 An outdoor concert is being given. Mozart is actually playing the final movement of his E-flat concerto with an orchestra. Listening to him is a sizable audience, in- cluding the Emperor, flanked by Strack and Von Swieten. The crowd is in a happy and appreciative mood: it is a delightful open-air scene. We hear the gayest and most complex passage. Leopold and Constanze listen to Mozart, who plays his own work brilliantly. We stay with this scene for a little while and then CUT TO: 105 EXT. VIENNA STREET - AFTERNOON - 1780's 105 A carriage clopping through the streets. Lorl is sitting up on the box beside the driver. Inside the vehicle, we glimpse the figure of Salieri. 106 EXT. AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN - VIENNA - 1780's 106 We hear more of the concerto. Perhaps the slow interlude in the last movement of K. 482. Mozart is conducting and playing in a reflective mood. Abruptly we CUT TO: 107 EXT. MOZART' S APARTMENT - AFTERNOON - 1780's 107 Lorl is opening the door admitting Salieri. They go in. The door shuts. 108 INT. MOZART'S LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON - 1780's 108 The room is considerably tidier as a result of Lorl's ministrations. Salieri stands looking about him with tremendous curiosity. LORL I think I've found out about the money, sir. SALIERI Yes what? She opens a drawer in a sideboard. Inside we see one gold snuff box: it is the one we saw Mozart being presented with as a child in the Vatican. LORL He kept seven snuff boxes in here. I could swear they were all gold. And now look there's only one left. And inside, sir, look - I counted them - tickets from the pawnshop. Six of them. Salieri turns to look around him. SALIERI Where does he work? LORL In there, sir. She points across the room to the workroom. Salieri crosses and goes in alone. 109 INT. MOZART'S WORKROOM - AFTERNOON - 1780's 109 Salieri enters the private quarters of Amadeus. He is immensely excited. He moves slowly into the �holy of holies' picking up objects with great reverence - a billiard ball; a discarded wig; a sock; a buckle - then objects more important to him. Standing at Mozart's desk, strewn with manuscripts, he picks up Mozart's pen and strokes the feather. He touches the inkstand. He lays a finger on the candlestick with its half-expired candle. He touches each object as if it were the memento of a beloved. He is in awe. Finally his eye falls on the sheets of music themselves. Stealthily he picks them up. CU, The pages. We see words set to music. Against each line of notes is the name of a character: �Contessa, �Susanna, �Cherubino. Then another page - the title page - writ- ten in Mozart's hand. Le Nozze di Figaro Comedia per musica tratta dal Francese in quattro atti CU, The word �Figaro. CU, Salieri. He stares amazed. CUT TO: 110 EXT. ORNAMENTAL GARDEN - VIENNA - AFTERNOON - 1780's 110 Mozart is playing the cadenza and coda of Piano Concerto (K. 482). He completes the work with a flourish. There is loud applause. The Emperor rises and all follow suit. Mozart comes down to be greeted by him. JOSEPH Bravo, Mozart. Most charming. Yes, indeed. Clever man. MOZART Thank you, Sire! VAN SWIETEN Well done, Mozart. Really quite fine. MOZART Baron! He sees his wife and father standing by in the crowd. Leopold is signaling insistently. MOZART Majesty, may I ask you to do me the greatest favour? JOSEPH What is it? MOZART May I introduce my father? He is on a short visit here and return- ing very soon to Salzburg. He would so much like to kiss your hand. It would make his whole stay so memorable for him. JOSEPH Ah! By all means. Leopold comes forward eagerly and fawningly kisses the royal hand. LEOPOLD Your Majesty. Constanze curtsies. JOSEPH Good evening. (to Leopold) We have met before, Herr Mozart. LEOPOLD That's right, Your Majesty. Twenty years ago. No, twenty- two! twenty-three! And I remember word for word what you said to me. You said - you said -- He searches his memory. JOSEPH �Bravo?' LEOPOLD No! Yes, �bravo,' of course �bravo'! Everybody always says �bravo' when Wolfi plays. Like the King of England. When we played for the King of England, he got up at the end and said, �Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! three times. Three bravo's. And the Pope four! Four bravo's from the Holy Father, and one �bellissimo.' All the courtiers around are looking at him. MOZART Father - LEOPOLD Hush! I'm talking to His Majesty. Your Majesty, I wish to ex- press only one thing - that you who are the Father of us all, could teach our children the gratitude they owe to fathers. It is not for nothing that the Fifth Commandment tells us: �Honour your Father and Mother, that your days may be long upon the earth.' JOSEPH Ah-ha. Well. There it is. CUT TO: 111 INT. ORSINI-ROSENBERG'S STUDY - DAY - 1780's 111 The Director sits at his table with Salieri and Bonno. SALIERI I've just learned something that might be of interest to you, Herr Director. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Yes? SALIERI Mozart is writing a new opera. An Italian opera. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Italian? BONNO Aie! SALIERI And that's not all. He has chosen for his subject, Figaro. The Marriage of Figaro. ORSINI-ROSENBERG You mean! that play? SALIERI Exactly. ORSINI-ROSENBERG He's setting that play to music? SALIERI Yes. ORSINI-ROSENBERG You must be mad. BONNO What is this Marriage of Figaro? ORSINI-ROSENBERG It's a French play, Kapellmeister. It has been banned by the Emperor. BONNO Hah! He crosses himself, wide-eyed with alarm. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Are you absolutely sure? SALIERI I've seen the manuscript. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Where? SALIERI Never mind. CUT TO: 112 INT. CHAMBERLAIN VON STRACK'S STUDY - DAY - 1780's 112 VON STRACK I know we banned this play, but frankly I can't remember why. Can you refresh my memory, Herr Director? ORSINI-ROSENBERG For the same reason, Herr Chamberlain, that it was banned in France. VON STRACK Oh yes, yes. And that was? ORSINI-ROSENBERG Well, the play makes a hero out of a valet. He outwits his noble master and exposes him as a lecher. Do you see the implications? This would be, in a grander situation, as if a Chamberlain were to expose an Emperor. VON STRACK Ah. CUT TO: 113 INT. THE EMPEROR'S STUDY - DAY - 1780's 113 The Emperor stands in the middle of the room in close conversation with Von Strack, Orsini-Rosenberg, Von Swieten, and Bonno. Salieri is not present. A door opens and a lackey announces: LACKEY Herr Mozart. They all turn. Mozart approaches, rather apprehensively, and kisses Joseph's hand. JOSEPH Sit down, gentlemen, please. They all sit, save Mozart. The room suddenly looks like a tribunal. Joseph is in a serious mood. JOSEPH Mozart, are you aware I have declared the French play of Figaro unsuitable for our theatre? MOZART Yes, Sire. JOSEPH Yet we hear you are making an opera from it. Is this true? MOZART Who told you this, Majesty? JOSEPH It is not your place to ask questions. Is it true? MOZART Well, yes, I admit it is. JOSEPH Would you tell me why? MOZART Well, Majesty, it is only a comedy. ORSINI-ROSENBERG What you think, Mozart, is scarcely the point. It is what His Majesty thinks that counts. MOZART But, Your Majesty - JOSEPH (motioning him to be silent) Mozart, I am a tolerant man. I do not censor things lightly. When I do, I have good reason. Figaro is a bad play. It stirs up hatred between the classes. In France it has caused nothing but bitterness. My own dear sister Antoinette writes me that she is beginning to be frightened of her own people. I do not wish to see the same fears starting here. MOZART Sire, I swear to Your Majesty, there's nothing like that in the story. I have taken out everything that could give offense. I hate politics. JOSEPH I think you are rather innocent, my friend. In these dangerous times I cannot afford to provoke our nobles or our people simply over a theatre piece. The others look at their king solemnly, all save Mozart. MOZART But, Majesty, this is just a frolic. It's a piece about love. JOSEPH Ah, love again. MOZART But it's new, it's entirely new. It's so new, people will go mad for it. For example, I have a scene in the second act - it starts as a duet, just a man and wife quarreling. Suddenly the wife's scheming little maid comes in unexpectedly - a very funny situ- ation. Duet turns into trio. Then the husband's equally scream- ing valet comes in. Trio turns into quartet. Then a stupid old gardener - quartet becomes quintet, and so on. On and on, sex- tet, septet, octet! How long do you think I can sustain that? JOSEPH I have no idea. MOZART Guess! Guess, Majesty. Imagine the longest time such a thing could last, then double it. JOSEPH Well, six or seven minutes! maybe eight! MOZART Twenty, sire! How about twenty? Twenty minutes of continuous music. No recitatives. VON SWIETEN Mozart - MOZART (ignoring him) Sire, only opera can do this. In a play, if more than one person speaks at the same time, it's just noise. No one can understand a word. But with music, with music you can have twenty individu- als all talking at once, and it's not noise - it's a perfect harmony. Isn't that marvelous? VON SWIETEN Mozart, music is not the issue here. No one doubts your talent. It is your judgment of literature that's in question. Even with the politics taken out, this thing would still remain a vulgar farce. Why waste your spirit on such rubbish? Surely you can choose more elevated themes? MOZART Elevated? What does that mean? Elevated! The only thing a man should elevate is - oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. I'm stupid. But I am fed up to the teeth with elevated things! Old dead leg- ends! How can we go on forever writing about gods and legends? VON SWIETEN (aroused) Because they do. They go on forever - at least what they repre- sent. The eternal in us, not the ephemeral. Opera is here to en- noble us. You and me, just as much as His Majesty. BONNO Bello! Bello, Barone. Veramente. MOZART Oh, bello, bello, bello! Come on now, be honest. Wouldn't you all rather listen to your hairdressers than Hercules? Or Horatius? Or Orpheus? All those old bores! people so lofty they sound as if they shit marble! VON SWIETEN What? VON STRACK Govern your tongue, sir! How dare you? Beat. All look at the Emperor. MOZART Forgive me, Majesty. I'm a vulgar man. But I assure you, my music is not. JOSEPH You are passionate, Mozart! but you do not persuade. MOZART Sire, the whole opera is finished. Do you know how much work went into it? BONNO His Majesty has been more than patient, Signore. MOZART How can I persuade you if you won't let me show it? ORSINI-ROSENBERG That will do, Herr Mozart! MOZART Just let me tell you how it begins. VON STRACK Herr Mozart - MOZART May I just do that, Majesty? Show you how it begins? Just that? A slight pause. Then Joseph nods. JOSEPH Please. Mozart falls on his knees. MOZART Look! There's a servant, down on his knees. Do you know why? Not from any oppression. No, he's simply measuring a space. Do you know what for? His bed. His wedding bed to see if it will fit. He giggles. CUT TO: 114 INT. OPERA HOUSE - DAY - 1780's 114 Mozart sits on stage at a harpsichord rehearsing the singers taking the parts of Figaro and Susanna in the opening bars of the first act of The Marriage of Figaro. We watch Figaro measuring the space for his bed on the floor, singing and Susanna looking on, trying on the Countess' hat. CUT TO: 115 INT. SALIERI'S SALON - DAY - 1780's 115 Orsini-Rosenberg and Bonno are sitting with Salieri. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Well, Mozart is already rehearsing. SALIERI Incredible. ORSINI-ROSENBERG The Emperor has given him permission. BONNO Si, si! Veramente. SALIERI Well, gentlemen, so be it. In that case I think we should help Mozart all we can and do our best to protect him against the Emperor's anger. ORSINI-ROSENBERG What anger? SALIERI About the ballet. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Ballet? What ballet? SALIERI Excuse me - didn't His Majesty specifically forbid ballet in his opera? ORSINI-ROSENBERG Yes, absolutely. Is there a ballet in Figaro? SALIERI Yes, in the third act. CUT TO: 116 INT. THE OPERA HOUSE - DAY - 1780's 116 It is a full orchestral rehearsal. Mozart is conducting from the harpsichord with his hands; he does not use a baton. The singers are all in practice clothes, not cos- tumes. We are in the Act III and we hear the recitativo exchange just before the march begins. Orsini-Rosenberg and Bonno sit watching chairs. Suddenly the march starts. Peasants and friends start to dance in and at the same moment, Orsini-Rosenberg gets up and comes down to Mozart. He is accompanied by an anxious Bonno. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Mozart! Herr Mozart, may I have a word with you please. Right away. MOZART Certainly, Herr Director. He signals to the cast to break off. MOZART Five minutes, please! The company disperses, curious. The musicians look at Orsini-Rosenberg. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Did you not know that His Majesty has expressly forbidden bal- let in his operas? MOZART Yes, but this is not a ballet. This is a dance at Figaro's wedding. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Exactly. A dance. MOZART But surely the Emperor didn't mean to prohibit dancing when it's part of the story. ORSINI-ROSENBERG It is dangerous for you to interpret His Majesty's edicts. Give me your score, please. Mozart hands him the score from which he is conducting. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Thank you. He rips out a page. Bonno watches in terror. MOZART What are you doing? He rips out three more. MOZART What are you doing, Herr Director? ORSINI-ROSENBERG Taking out what you should never have put in. He goes on tearing the pages determinedly. CUT TO: 117 INT. SALIERI'S SALON - DAY - 1780's 117 A servant opens the door to announce. SERVANT Herr Mozart. Mozart brushes past him straight towards Salieri, who rises to greet him. The little man is near hysterics. MOZART Please! Please. I've no one else to turn to. Please! He grabs Salieri. SALIERI Wolfgang, what is it? Sta calmo, per favore. What's the matter? MOZART It's unbelievable! The Director has actually ripped out a huge section of my music. Pages of it. SALIERI Really? Why? MOZART I don't know. They say I've got to re-write the opera, but it's per- fect as it is. I can't rewrite what's perfect. Can't you talk to him? SALIERI Why bother with Orsini-Rosenberg? He's obviously no friend of yours. MOZART Oh, I could kill him! I mean really kill him. I actually threw the entire opera on the fire, he made me so angry! SALIERI You burned the score? MOZART Oh no! My wife took it out in time. SALIERI How fortunate. MOZART It's not fair that a man like that has power over our work. SALIERI But there are those who have power over him. I think I'll take this up with the Emperor. MOZART Oh, Excellency, would you? SALIERI With all my heart, Mozart. MOZART Thank you! Oh, thank you. He kisses Salieri's hand. SALIERI (withdrawing it; imitating the Emperor) No, no, no, Herr Mozart, please. It's not a holy relic. Mozart giggles with relief and gratitude. 118 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 118 OLD SALIERI I'm sure I don't need to tell you I said nothing whatever to the Emperor. I went to the theatre ready to tell Mozart that His Majesty had flown into a rage when I mentioned the ballet, when suddenly, to my astonishment, in the middle of the third act, the Emperor - who never attended rehearsals - suddenly appeared. 119 INT. OPERA HOUSE - DAY - 1780's 119 In the background the same recitativo before the March. The Emperor steals in sur- reptitiously with Von Strack, his finger to his lips. He motions everyone not to rise, and slips into a chair behind Salieri, Orsini-Rosenberg and Bonno. The three conspirators look at each other wide-eyed. The recitativo summons up the march, but instead there is silence. Mozart lays down his baton. The musicians lay down their instruments. The celebrants of Figaro's wedding come in with a few pitiful dance steps, in procession, only to come presently to a halt, lacking their music. The singers try to go on singing, but they have no cues from their conductor or from the accompaniment. Everyone on stage looks lost, though they attempt to go on with the story for a while. Consternation grows on the faces of the conspirators. Mozart glances back at the group seated in the theatre. Finally, the Emperor speaks, in a whisper. JOSEPH What is this? I don't understand. Is it modern? BONNO Majesty, the Herr Director, he has removed a balleto that would have occurred at this place. JOSEPH Why? ORSINI-ROSENBERG It is your regulation, Sire. No ballet in your opera. Mozart strains to hear what they are saying but cannot. JOSEPH Do you like this, Salieri? SALIERI It is not a question of liking, Your Majesty. Your own law decrees it, I'm afraid. JOSEPH Well, look at them. We do look at them. The spectacle on stage has now ground to a complete halt. JOSEPH No, no, no! This is nonsense. Let me hear the scene with the music. ORSINI-ROSENBERG But, Sire - JOSEPH Oblige me. Orsini-Rosenberg acknowledges his defeat. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Yes, Majesty. Orsini-Rosenberg rises and goes down to where Mozart sits anxiously with the musicians, watching his approach. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Can we see the scene with the music back, please? MOZART Oh yes, certainly. Certainly, Herr Director! He looks back deliriously at Salieri, trying to indicate his gratitude. Salieri ac- knowledges with a slight and subtle nod. Orsini-Rosenberg returns to his king. MOZART Ladies and gentlemen, we're going from where we stopped. The Count: Anches so. Right away, please! The singers scatter offstage to begin the scene again. JOSEPH (to Orsini-Rosenberg) What I hoped by that edict, Director, was simply to prevent hours of dancing like in French opera. There it is endless, as you know. ORSINI-ROSENBERG Quite so, Majesty. CUT BACK TO Mozart at the forte-piano, raising his hands. The musicians raise their bows. With a flourish the happy composer begins a reprise of the scene which had been cut out. The music of the march begins faintly; the celebrants of Figaro's wedding start to enter as the Count and the Countess sit in their chairs. In the theatre we see increasing pleasure on the Emperor's face, sullenness and de- feat on the courtiers'. Then, suddenly, without interruption, on a crescendo repeat of the march, we CUT TO: 120 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 120 The theatre is brilliantly lit for the first public performance of Figaro. Everybody is there: the Emperor, Von Strack, Bonno Orsini-Rosenberg, Von Swieten, even Madame Weber and her daughters in a box. The musicians all wear imperial liv- ery; the actors on stage are now in costume. Mozart, conducting, wears his Order of the Golden Spur. The company wheels in and around to the music of the re- stored march, which reaches a triumphant climax. CUT TO: 121 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 121 OLD SALIERI (to Vogler) So Figaro was produced in spite of me. And in spite of me, a wonder was revealed. One of the true wonders of art. The re- stored third act was bold and brilliant. The fourth was a miracle. The descending scale of strings in the final ensemble (Ah, Tutti contenti. Saremo cosi) fades in. 122 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 122 We see the tableau on stage with the Count kneeling to the Countess. All are singing. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) I saw a woman disguised in her maid's clothes hear her husband speak the first tender words he has offered her in years, only be- cause he thinks she is someone else. I heard the music of true forgiveness filling the theatre, conferring on all who sat there a perfect absolution. God was singing through this little man to all the world - unstoppable - making my defeat more bitter with each passing bar. CU, Salieri in his box, tears on his cheeks. He watches the ensemble and we listen to it for a long moment. Finally it fades, but continues underneath the following: 123 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 123 OLD SALIERI And then suddenly - a miracle! CUT BACK TO: 124 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 124 The ensemble reaches its climax, and fades away to the very quiet, slow chords immediately preceding the boisterous final chord. Salieri becomes aware that some of the audience are asleep and many mare are apathetic. In the near silence we see the Emperor yawn behind his hand. Those nearby look at him. Orsini- Rosenberg smiles. CUT BACK TO: 125 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 125 OLD SALIERI Father, did you know what that meant? With that yawn I saw my defeat turn into a victory. And Mozart was lucky the Emperor only yawned once. Three yawns and the opera would fail the same night; two yawns, within a week at most. With one yawn the composer could still get - CUT TO: 126 INT. SALIERI'S SALON - DAY - 1780's 126 Mozart is pacing up and down. Salieri is listening sympathetically. MOZART Nine performances! Nine! That's all it's had - and withdrawn. SALIERI I know; it's outrageous. Still, if the public doesn't like one's work one has to accept the fact gracefully. MOZART But what is it they don't like? SALIERI Well, I can speak for the Emperor. You made too many demands on the royal ear. The poor man can't concentrate for more than an hour and you gave him four. MOZART What did you think of it yourself? Did you like it at all? SALIERI I think it's marvelous. Truly. MOZART It's the best opera yet written. I know it! Why didn't they come? SALIERI I think you overestimate our dear Viennese, my friend. Do you know you didn't even give them a good bang at the end of songs so they knew when to clap? MOZART I know, I know. Perhaps you should give me some lessons in that. SALIERI (fuming) I wouldn't presume. All the same, if it wouldn't be imposing, I would like you to see my new piece. It would be a tremendous honour for me. MOZART Oh no, the honour would be all mine. SALIERI (bowing) Grazie, mio caro, Wolfgang! MOZART Grazie, a lei, Signor Antonio! He bows too, giggling. CUT TO: 127 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 127 A performance of Salieri's grand opera, Axur: King of Ormus. Deafening ap- plause from a crowded house. We see the reception of the aria which we saw Cavalieri singing on the stage near the start of the film. Cavalieri, in a mythologi- cal Persian costume, is bowing to the rapturous throng; below her is Salieri. We see the Emperor, Von Strack, Orsini-Rosenberg, Bonno and Von Swieten, all applaud- ing. We hear great cries of �Salieri! Salieri! and �Bravo! and �Brava! CU, Salieri looking at the crowd with immense pleasure. Then suddenly at: CU, Mozart standing in a box and clapping wildly. Behind him, seated, are Schikaneder and the three girls we saw before in Mozart's apartment. CU, Salieri staring fixedly at Mozart, then Mozart still clapping, apparently with tremendous enthusiasm. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) What was this? I never saw him excited before by any music but his own. Could he mean it? 128 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 128 OLD SALIERI (to Vogler) Would he actually tell me my music had moved him? Was I re- ally going to hear that from his own lips? I found myself actually hurrying the tempo of the finale. CUT BACK TO: 129 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 129 Salieri conducting the last scene from Axur: King of Ormus. On stage we see a big scene of acclamation: the hero and heroine of the opera accepting the crown amidst the rejoicing of the people. The decor and costumes are mythological Persian. The music is utterly conventional and totally uninventive. CU, Mozart watching this in his box, with Schikaneder and the three actresses. He passes an open bottle of wine to them. He is evidently a little drunk, but keeps a poker face. The act comes to an end. Great applause in which Mozart joins in, standing and shouting �Bravo! Bravo! Then he leaves the box with Schikaneder and the girls. 130 INT. CORRIDOR OF THE OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 130 MOZART (to Schikaneder) Well? SCHIKANEDER (mock moved) Sublime! Utterly sublime! MOZART That kind of music should be punishable by death. Schikaneder laughs. CUT TO: 131 INT. STAGE OF THE OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 131 A crowd of people rings Salieri at a respectful distance. The Emperor is holding out the Civilian Medal and Chain. JOSEPH I believe that is the best opera yet written, my friends. Salieri, you are the brightest star in the musical firmament. You do honour to Vienna and to me. Salieri bows his head. Joseph places the chain around his neck. The crowd claps. Salieri makes to kiss his hand, but Joseph restrains him, and passes on. Cavalieri, smiling adoringly, gives him a deep curtsey, and he raises her up. The crowd all flock to Salieri with cries and words of approval. All want to shake his hand. They tug and pat him. But he has eyes for only one man - he looks about him, searching for him and then finds him. Mozart stands there. Eagerly Salieri moves to him. SALIERI Mozart. It was good of you to come. MOZART How could I not? SALIERI Did my work please you? MOZART How could it not, Excellency? SALIERI Yes? MOZART I never knew that music like that was possible. SALIERI You flatter me. MOZART Oh no! One hears such sounds and what can one say, but - Salieri! Salieri smiles. CUT TO: 132 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 132 Explosive laughter as Mozart and Schikaneder enter the apartment, very pleased with themselves and accompanied by the three actresses. The front door opens, very gingerly. Mozart, still rather drunk, sticks his head into the room, anxious not to make a noise. He sees the strangers and breaks into a smile. MOZART Oh. Everybody's here! We've got guests. Good. I've brought some more. He opens the door wide to admit Schikaneder and the girls. MOZART We'll have a little party. Come in. Come in. You know Herr Schikaneder? (to a girl) This is! a very nice girl. CONSTANZE (standing up) Wolfi. MOZART Yes, my love? CONSTANZE These gentlemen are from Salzburg. MOZART Salzburg. We were just talking about Salzburg. (to the two men, jubilantly) If you've come from my friend the Fartsbishop, you've arrived at just the right moment. Because I've got good news for him. I'm done with Vienna. It's over, finished, done with! Done with! Done with! CONSTANZE Wolfi! Your father is dead. MOZART What? CONSTANZE Your father is dead. The first loud chord of the Statue scene from Don Giovanni sounds. Mozart stares. 133 INT. AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 133 The second chord sounds. On stage we see the huge figure of the Commendatore in robes and helmet, extending his arms and pointing in accusation. 133A INT. AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 133A The second chord sounds. On stage we see a huge nailed fist crash through the wall of a painted dining room set. The giant armoured statue of the COMMENDATORE enters pointing his finger in accusation at Don Giovanni who sits at the supper table, staring - his ser- vant Leporello quaking with fear under the table. THE COMMENDATORE (singing) Don Giovanni! The figure advances on the libertine. We see Mozart conducting, pale and deeply involved. Music fades down a little. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) So rose the dreadful ghost in his next and blackest opera. There on the stage stood the figure of a dead commander calling out �Repent! Repent! The music swells. We see Salieri standing alone in the back of a box, unseen, in semi-darkness. We also see that the theatre is only half full. Music fades down. OLD SALIERI (V.O.) And I knew - only I understood - that the horrifying apparition was Leopold, raised from the dead. Wolfgang had actually summoned up his own father to accuse his son before all the world. It was terrifying and wonderful to watch. Music swells up again. We watch the scene on stage as the Commendatore ad- dresses Giovanni. Then back to Salieri in the box. Music down again. 134 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 134 OLD SALIERI Now a madness began in me. The madness of a man splitting in half. Through my influence I saw to it Don Giovanni was played only five times in Vienna. But in secret I went to every one of those five - all alone - unable to help myself, worshipping sound I alone seemed to hear. 135 INT. AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 135 OLD SALIERI (V.O.) And hour after hour, as I stood there, understanding even more clearly how that bitter old man was still possessing his poor son from beyond the grave, I began to see a way - a terrible way - I could finally triumph over God, my torturer. Music swells. On stage Don Giovanni is seized and gripped by the Statue's icy hand. Flames burst from obviously artificial rocks. Demons appear and drag the libertine down to Hell. The scene ends. CU, Salieri, staring wide-eyed. CUT TO: 135A EXT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 135A We see huge and attractive posters and billboards advertising Schikaneder's troupe. The camera concentrates on the one which reads as follows: EMMANUEL SCHIKANEDER Impresario de luxe Presents The Celebrated SCHIKANEDER TROUPE OF PLAYERS in An Evening of PARODY Music! Mirth! Magic! ALL SONGS AND SPEECHES WRITTEN BY EMMANUEL SCHIKANEDER who personally will appear in every scene! CUT TO: 136 INT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1780's 136 Noise; smoke; the audience is sitting at tables for an evening of vaudeville. Mozart, Constanze and their son Karl, now about two years old, and sitting on his mother's lap, are watching a parody scene by Schikaneder's troupe. They are rowdy, bawdy and silly, incorporating motifs, situations and tunes from Mozart's operas which we have seen and heard. Before them on the table are bottles of wine and beer, plates of sausages, etc. THE PARODY On stage we see a set which parodies the dining room in Don Giovanni's palace, shown before. Schikaneder as Don Giovanni is dancing with the three actresses to the minuet from Don Giovanni (end of Act I), played by a quartet of tipsy musicians. Leporello is handing around wine on a tray. Suddenly there is a tremendous knocking from outside. The music slithers to a stop. All look at each other in panic. Leporello drops his tray with a crash. All go quiet. One more knock is heard. Then all musicians, actresses, Don Giovanni and Leporello make a dash to hide under the table which is far too small to accommo- date them all. The table rocks. Schikaneder is pushed out. He is terrified. He shakes elaborately. Three more knocks are heard; louder. SCHIKANEDER Who is it? One more knock. SCHIKANEDER C-c-c-come in! In the pit a chromatic scale from the Overture to Don Giovanni turns into a antici- patory vamp. This grows more and more menacing until the whole flat represent- ing the wall at the back falls down. An absurd pantomime horse gallops in. It has a ridiculous expression, and is manned by four men inside. Standing precariously on its back is a dwarf, wearing a miniature version of the armour and helmet worn by the Commendatore. He sings in a high, nasal voice: COMMENDATORE (singing) Don Giovannnnnnnnnni! He tries to keep his balance as he trots in, but fails. He falls off onto the stage. He beats at the horse, trying to get back on. COMMENDATORE Down! Down! Bewildered, the horse looks about him, but cannot see his small rider who is below his level of sight. COMMENDATORE I'm here! I'm here! The horse, amidst laughter from the audience, fails to locate him. Exasperated, the dwarf signals to someone in the wings. A tall man strides out carrying a see- saw; on his shoulders stands another man. The dwarf stands on the lowered end of the see-saw. There is a drum roll and the man above jumps down onto the raised end and the Commendatore is abruptly catapulted back onto the horse, only backwards so that he is facing away from Don Giovanni. The two men bow to the applauding audience, and retire off-stage. The Commendatore tries to extend his arms in the proper menacing attitude, and at the same time turn around to face Don Giovanni. This he finds difficult. COMMENDATORE (singing) Don Giovannnnnnnni! SCHIKANEDER Who the devil are you? What do you want? COMMENDATORE (singing) I've come to dinnnnnner! SCHIKANEDER Dinner? How dare you? I am a nobleman. I only dine with people of my own height. COMMENDATORE Are you drunk? You invited me. And my horse. Here he is. Ottavio! The horse takes a bow. The dwarf almost falls off again. COMMENDATORE Whoa! Whoa! Stop it! The three girls rush to his aid and reach him just in time. They sing in the manner of the Tree Ladies later to be put into The Magic Flute. FIRST LADY (running and singing) Be careful! SECOND LADY (running and singing) Be careful! THIRD LADY (running and singing) Be careful! ALL THREE TOGETHER (close harmony) Hold tight now! They grab him. COMMENDATORE (angry) Leave me alone! Stop it! I'm a famous horseman. OTTAVIO And I'm a famous horse! He gives the ladies a radiant smile. The three ladies sing, as before, in close harmony. FIRST LADY (singing) He's adorable! SECOND LADY (singing) Adorable! THIRD LADY (singing) Adorable! An orchestral chord. The three ladies turn to Ottavio and sing to him. THREE LADIES (singing together) Give me your hoof, my darling, And I'll give you my heart! Take me to your stable, And never more we'll part! OTTAVIO (singing: four male voices) I'm shy and very bashful. I don't know what to say. THREE LADIES (singing together) Don't hesitate a second. Just answer yes and neigh. Ottavio neighs loudly, and runs at the girls. COMMENDATORE (speaking) Stop it. What are you doing? Remember who you are! You're a horse and they are whores. Boos from the audience. SCHIKANEDER (speaking) This is ridiculous. I won't have any of it. You're turning my house into a circus! A trapeze sails in from above. On it stands a grand soprano wearing an elaborate Turkish costume, like a parody of Cavalieri's in Il Seraglio. She comes in singing a mad coloratura scale in the manner of Martern aller Arten. SCHIKANEDER (speaking) Shut up. Women, women, women! I'm sick to death of them. He marches off stage. SOPRANO (singing dramatically) Dash me! Bash me! Lash me! Flay me! Slay me! At last I will be freed by death! COMMENDATORE Shut up. SOPRANO (swinging and singing) Kill me! Kill me! Kill me! Kill me! At last I shall be freed by death. At last I shall be freed by dea - The Commendatore pulls out his sword, reaches up and thrusts her through with it. The soprano collapses on the bar of the trapeze. The audience applauds. At the same moment eight dwarves march in bearing a huge cauldron of steaming water. They sing as they march to the sound of the march that was cut from Act III of Figaro. They are dressed as miniature copies of the chorus in that scene except that they are wearing cooks' hats. EIGHT DWARVES (singing) We're going to make a soprano stew! We're going to make a soprano stew! And when you make a soprano stew! Any stupid soprano will do! Any stew-stew-stew-stew-stew! Any stewpid soprano will do! They set the giant pot down in the middle of the stage. The trapeze with the dead soprano is still swinging above the stage. We hear the chromatic scale from the Don Giovanni overture again, repeated and repeated, only now fast and tremolando. To this exciting vamp Schikaneder sud- denly rides in on a real horse, waving a real sword. With this he cuts the string of the trapeze, and the soprano falls into the pot. A tremendous splash of water. Schikaneder rides out. More applause. All the dwarves produce long wooden cooking spoons and climb up the sides of the pot. The three girls produce labeled bottles from under their skirts. The first is SALT. FIRST LADY (singing) Behold! PEPPER SECOND LADY (singing) Behold! She sneezes. And SCHNAPPS THIRD LADY (singing) Behold! She hiccups. They throw them into the pot. COMMENDATORE (speaking to the dwarves) How long does it take to cook a soprano? DWARVES (all together) Five hours, five minutes, five seconds. COMMENDATORE (speaking) I can't wait that long. I'm starving! OTTAVIO (speaking; four voices) So am I. Schikaneder marches in as Figaro. SCHIKANEDER (singing to the tune of Non piu ante) In the pot, I have got a good dinner. Not a sausage or stew, but a singer. Not a sausage or stew but a singer. Is the treat that I'll eat for my meat! COMMENDATORE Oh shut up. I'm sick to death of that tune. CU, Mozart laughing delightedly with the audience. THE THREE GIRLS (singing again to the horse) Give me your hoof, my darling, and I'll give you my heart. COMMENDATORE Shut up. I'm sick of that one too. All the dwarves climb up the rim of the pot. As they climb, they all hum together the opening of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. COMMENDATORE And that one, too! The soprano rises, dripping with water in the middle of the pot. SOPRANO (singing) Oil me! Broil me! Boil me! All the dwarves beat her back down into the pot with their long wooden spoons. SOPRANO (from inside the pot) Soil me! Foil me! Spoil me! HORSE I can't eat her. Sopranos give me hiccups. I want some hay! FIRST LADY (singing to Schikaneder) Hey! SECOND LADY (singing to Schikaneder) Hey! THIRD LADY (singing to Schikaneder) Hey! SCHIKANEDER Hey what? ALL THREE LADIES (singing to La oi daram) Give him some hay, my darling, and I'll give you my heart! COMMENDATORE Shut up. SCHIKANEDER Leporello! We want some hay - prestissimo! Leporello - where are you? The table is raised in the air by Leporello sitting under it on a bale of hay. FIRST LADY (singing to horse) Behold! SECOND LADY (singing to horse) Behold! THIRD LADY (singing to horse) Behold! Ottavio the horse gives a piercing neigh and runs down to the hay. COMMENDATORE (holding on) Hey! Hey! Watch out! The vamp starts again vigorously. The horse's rear-end swings around on a hinge to turn his hind-quarters straight on to the audience. The rest of him stays side- ways. His tail springs up in the air to reveal a lace handkerchief modestly hiding his arsehole. Schikaneder offers him a handful of hay. The horse eats it, and out the other end comes a long Viennese sausage. The audience roars with laughter. Another hand- ful of hay and out of the other end falls a string of sausages. Then a large pie, crust and all. Then a shower of iced cakes! Suddenly - silence. Schikaneder produces an egg from his pocket. Ottavio the horse rears up in disgust. COMMENDATORE Whoa! Whoa, Ottavio! Whoa! Leporello pries open the horse's mouth. Schikaneder pops�the egg into it. A breathless pause as a drum roll builds the tension, up and up and up, and then sud- denly out of the horse's rear-end flies a single white dove. Wild applause. It flies into the audience. Immediately all the cast start humming the lyrical finale from Figaro: Tutti Contenti. More and more doves fly out from the wings and fill the theatre. Everybody picks up the sausages and cakes and begins to eat. The end of the sketch is unexpectedly lyrical and magical, and then, suddenly, the tempo changes and the coarse strains of Ich Mochte wohl Der Kaiser take over and the whole company is dancing, frantically. A general dance as the curtain falls. It rises immediately. The audience - including Mozart - is delighted. They ap- plaud vigorously. Schikaneder takes a bow amongst his troupe. Among much whistling and clapping, he finally jumps off the stage and strides through the audi- ence toward the table where Mozart sits with his family. On stage, a troupe of bag pipers immediately appears to play an old German tune. Some of the audience joins in singing it. SCHIKANEDER Well, how do you like that? Mozart is smiling; he has been amused. Constanze has been less amused and is looking apprehensive. MOZART Wonderful! (indicating his baby son) He liked the monkey, didn't you? SCHIKANEDER Yes, well, it's all good fun. MOZART I liked the horse. Schikaneder sits at the table, and drinks from a bottle of wine. SCHIKANEDER Isn't he marvelous? He cost me a bundle, that horse, but he's worth it. I tell you, if you'd played Don Giovanni here it would have been a great success. I'm not joking. These people aren't fools. You could do something marvelous for them. MOZART I'd like to try them someday. I'm not sure I'd be much good at it. SCHIKANEDER �Course you would. You belong here, my boy, not the snobby Court. You could do anything you felt like here - the more fan- tastic the better! That's what people want, you know: fantasy. You do a big production, fill it with beautiful magic tricks and you'll be absolutely free to do anything you want. Of course, you'd have to put a fire in it, because I've got the best fire ma- chine in the city and a big flood - I can do you the finest water effects you ever saw in your life. Oh, and a few trick animals. You'd have to use those. MOZART Animals? SCHIKANEDER I tell you I picked up a snake in Dresden last week - twelve foot long - folds up to six inches, just like a paper fan. It's a miracle. Mozart laughs. SCHIKANEDER I'm serious. You write a proper part for me with a couple of catchy songs, I'll guarantee you'll have a triumph-de-luxe. Mind you, it'll have to be in German. MOZART German! SCHIKANEDER Of course! What else do you think they speak here? MOZART No, no, I love that. I'd want it to be in German. I haven't done anything in German since Seraglio. SCHIKANEDER So there you are. What do you say? CONSTANZE How much will you pay him? SCHIKANEDER Ah. Well. Ah, (to Mozart) I see you've got your manager with you. Well, Madame, how about half the receipts? MOZART Half the receipts! Stanzi! CONSTANZE I'm talking about now. How much will you give him now? Down payment? SCHIKANEDER Down payment? Who do you think I am? The Emperor? Whoops, I have to go. He rises in haste for his next number. SCHIKANEDER Stay where you are. You're going to like this next one. We'll speak again. Triumph-de-luxe, my boy! He winks at Mozart and disappears toward the stage. Mozart looks after him, enchanted. CONSTANZE You're not going to do this? MOZART Why not? Half the house! CONSTANZE When? We need money now. Either he pays now, or you don't do it. MOZART Oh, Stanzi. CONSTANZE I don't trust this man. And I didn't like what he did with your opera. It was common. MOZART (to Karl) Well, you liked it, didn't you? Monkey-flunki-punki. CONSTANZE Half the house! You'll never see a penny. I want it here, in my hand. MOZART (dirty) Stanzi-manzi, I'll put it in your hand! CONSTANZE Shut up! I'll not let you put anything in my hand until I see some money. He giggles like a child. CUT TO: 137 INT. SCHLUMBERG HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY� 1780's 137 Dogs are barking wickedly. Michael Schlumberg comes in from his salon. Mozart stands there looking very unwell and bewildered. He is also drunk, but making a careful attempt to keep his composure. SCHLUMBERG Herr Mozart. What a surprise. What can I do for you? MOZART Is my pupil still anxious to learn the art of music? SCHLUMBERG Well, your pupil is married and living in Mannheim, young man. MOZART Really? Perhaps your dear wife might care to profit from my instruction? SCHLUMBERG What is this, Mozart? What's the matter with you? MOZART Well. Since it appears nobody is eager to hire my services, could you favour me with a little money instead? SCHLUMBERG What for? MOZART If a man cannot earn, he must borrow. SCHLUMBERG Well, this is hardly the way to go about it. MOZART No doubt, sir. But I am endowed with talent, and you with money. If I offer mine, you should offer yours. Pause. SCHLUMBERG I'm sorry. No. MOZART Please. I'll give it back, I promise. Please, sir. SCHLUMBERG My answer is no, Mozart. CU, Mozart. His voice becomes mechanical. MOZART Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. CUT TO: 138 INT. THE IMPERIAL LIBRARY - DAY - 1790's 138 Von Swieten and Salieri stand close together. Several scholars and students are ex- amining scrolls and manuscripts at the other end of the room. VON SWIETEN (keeping his voice down) This is embarrassing, you know. You introduced Mozart to some of my friends and he's begging from practically all of them. It has to stop. SALIERI I agree, Baron. VON SWIETEN Can't you think of anyone who might commission some work from him? I've done my best. I got him to arrange some Bach for my Sunday concerts. He got a fee - what I could afford. Can't you think of anyone who might do something for him? SALIERI No, Baron, no. I'm afraid Mozart is a lost cause. He has man- aged to alienate practically the whole of Vienna. He is constantly drunk. He never pays his debts. I can't think of one person to whom I dare recommend him. VON SWIETEN How sad. It's tragic, isn't it? Such a talent. SALIERI Indeed. Just a moment - as a matter of fact I think I do know someone who could commission a work from him. A very appro- priate person to do so. Yes. The opening measures of the Piano Concerto in D Minor steal in. CUT TO: 139 INT. THE COSTUME SHOP - VIENNA - DAY - 1790's 139 This is exactly the same shop which Mozart and Constanze visited with Leopold. Now Salieri's servant stands in it, waiting. We see a few other customers being served by the staff: renting masks, costumes, etc. One of the staff emerges from the back of the shop carrying a large box, which he hands to Salieri's servant. The servant leaves the shop. Through the window we see him hurrying away through the snowy street full of passers-by, carriages, etc. 139A INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - DUSK - 1790's 139A The D Minor Concerto continues. Salieri, alone, eagerly opens the box from the costume shop and takes out the same dark cloak and hat that Leopold wore to the masquerade, only now attached to the hat is a dark mask whose mouth is cut into a frown, not a laugh. It presents a bitter and menacing expression. He puts on the cloak, the hat and the mask and turns his back. Suddenly we see the assembled and alarming image reflected in a full-length mirror. The music swells darkly. CUT TO: 140 EXT. A SNOWY STREET IN VIENNA - DUSK - 1790's 140 As the tutti of the D Minor Concerto continues, we see Salieri, dressed in this men- acing costume, dark against the snow, stalking through a street which is otherwise lively with people going to various festivities. Some of them wear frivolous carnival clothes. 141 INT. MOZART'S LIVING ROOM - DUSK - 1790's 141 Mozart sits writing at a table. He appears now to be really quite sick. His face ex- presses pain from his stomach cramps. There is a gentle knock at the door. He rises, goes to he door and opens it. Immediately there is a SHOCK CUT: The dark, frowning mask stares at him and at us. The violent D Minor chord which opens Don Giovanni is heard. Salieri in costume stands in the doorway. SALIERI Herr Mozart? The second chord sounds and fades. Mozart stares in panic. SALIERI I have come to commission work from you. MOZART What work? SALIERI A Mass for the dead. MOZART What dead? Who is dead? SALIERI A man who deserved a Requiem Mass and never got one. MOZART Who are you? SALIERI I am only a messenger. Do you accept? You will be paid well. MOZART How much? Salieri extends his hand. In it is a bag of money. SALIERI Fifty ducats. Another fifty when I have the Mass. Do you ac- cept? Almost against his will, Mozart takes the money. MOZART How long will you give me? SALIERI Work fast. And be sure to tell no one what you do. You will see me again soon. He turns away. Mozart closes the front door. Instantly we hear the opening of the Requiem Mass (also in D Minor). Mozart turns and looks up at the portrait of his father on the wall. The portrait stares back. Constanze opens the door from the bedroom. She sees him staring up. CONSTANZE Wolfi? Wolfi! He looks at her with startled eyes. The music breaks off. CONSTANZE Who was that? MOZART No one. CONSTANZE I heard voices. He gives a strange little giggle. CONSTANZE What's the matter? She sees the bag of money. CONSTANZE What's that? Oh! (pouncing on it) Who gave you this? How much is it? Wolfi, who gave you this? MOZART I'm not telling you. CONSTANZE Why not? MOZART You'd think I was mad. He stares at her. She stares at him. 142 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 142 Old Salieri is now wildly animated, totally driven by his confession to Vogler. OLD SALIERI My plan was so simple, it terrified me. First I must get the Death Mass and then achieve the death. Vogler stares at him in horror. VOGLER What? OLD SALIERI His funeral - imagine it! The Cathedral, all Vienna sitting there. His coffin, Mozart's little coffin in the middle. And suddenly in that silence, music. A divine music bursts out over them all, a great Mass of Death: Requiem Mass for Wolfgang Mozart, com- posed by his devoted friend Antonio Salieri. What sublimity! What depth! What passion in the music! Salieri has been touched by God at last. And God, forced to listen. Powerless - power- less to stop it. I at the end, for once, laughing at Him. Do you understand? Do you? VOGLER Yes. OLD SALIERI The only thing that worried me was the actual killing. How does one do that? How does one kill a man? It's one thing to dream about it. It's very different when you have to do it, with your own hands. He raises his own hands and stares at them. The raging Dies Irae from Mozart's Requiem Mass bursts upon us. CUT TO: 143 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 143 Mozart sits working frantically at this demonic music. His whole expression is one of wildness and engulfing fever. He pours wine down his throat, spilling it, and grimaces as it hits his stomach. All around him are manuscripts. There is a bang- ing at the front door. Mozart does not hear it; the music raves on. Another knocking comes, louder. Constanze appears from the bedroom and stares at her distracted husband. The knocking is repeated again, even more violently and insistently. CONSTANZE Wolfi. Wolfi! He looks at her. The music breaks off. Silence. An enormous bang at the door startles him. Constanze moves to open it. MOZART No. Don't answer it! CONSTANZE Why? Mozart springs up. He is clearly terrified. MOZART Tell him I'm not here. Tell him I'm working on it. Come back later. He runs out of he room, into his workroom, and shuts he door. Now a little scared herself, Constanze goes to he front door and opens it cautiously. Schikaneder stands there, floridly dressed as usual. Lorl is seen peeking out from the kitchen. SCHIKANEDER Am I interrupting something? CONSTANZE Not at all. SCHIKANEDER (peering into he room) Where's our friend? CONSTANZE He's not in. But he's working on it. He said to tell you. SCHIKANEDER I hope so. I need it immediately. He pushes her into the room. SCHIKANEDER Is he happy with it? He sees he manuscript on the table, and goes to it eagerly. SCHIKANEDER Is this it? He picks up a page without waiting for a reply. SCHIKANEDER What the devil is this? Requiem Mass? Does he think I'm in the funeral business? Mozart opens he workroom door. We see him as Schikaneder sees him: wild-eyed, extremely pale and strange. MOZART Leave that alone! SCHIKANEDER Wolfi! MOZART Put it down! SCHIKANEDER What is this? MOZART Put it down, I said! It's nothing for you. SCHIKANEDER Oh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! What have you got for me? Is it finished? MOZART What? SCHIKANEDER �What? The vaudeville, what'd you think? MOZART Yes. SCHIKANEDER Can I see it? MOZART No. SCHIKANEDER Why not? MOZART Because there's nothing to see. He giggles triumphantly. Schikaneder stares at him. SCHIKANEDER Look, I asked you if we could start rehearsal next week and you said yes. MOZART Well, we can. SCHIKANEDER So let me see it. Where is it? Mozart, with a bright, rather demented smile presents his head to Schikaneder. MOZART Here. It's all right here, in my noodle. The rest is just scribbling. Scribbling and bibbling. Bibbling and scribbling. Would you like a drink? He giggles. Schikaneder suddenly grabs his lapels. SCHIKANEDER Look, you little clown, do you know how many people I've hired for you? Do you know how many people are waiting? CONSTANZE Leave him alone! SCHIKANEDER I'm paying these people. Do you realize that? CONSTANZE He's doing his best. SCHIKANEDER I'm paying people just to wait for you. It's ridiculous! CONSTANZE You know what's ridiculous? Your libretto, that's what's ridiculous. Only an idiot would ask Wolfi to work on that stuff! SCHIKANEDER Oh yes? And what's so intelligent about writing a Requiem? CONSTANZE Money! Money! SCHIKANEDER You're mad! She's mad, Wolfi. CONSTANZE Oh yes, and who are you? He's worked for Kings. For the Emperor. (shouting) Who are you? Schikaneder suddenly takes Mozart by the arms, and speaks to him with intense appeal. SCHIKANEDER Listen, Wolfi. Write it. Please. Just write it down. On paper. It's no good to anyone in your head. And fuck he Death Mass. 144 INT. SALIERI'S SALON - DAY - 1790's 144 A frightened and tearful Lorl sits before Salieri. SALIERI Now calm yourself. Calm. What's the matter with you? LORL I'm leaving. I'm not working there anymore. I'm scared! SALIERI Why? What has happened? LORL You don't know what it's like. Herr Mozart frightens me. He drinks all day, then takes all that medicine and it makes him worse. SALIERI What medicine? LORL I don't know. He has pains. SALIERI Where? LORL Here, in his stomach. They bend him right over. SALIERI Is he working? LORL I'm frightened, sir. Really! When he speaks, he doesn't make any sense. You know he said he saw - he said he saw his father. And his father's dead. SALIERI Is he working? LORL I suppose so. He sits there all he time, doing some silly opera. SALIERI (startled) Opera? Opera! LORL Please don't ask me to go back again. I'm frightened! I'm very, very frightened. SALIERI (insistently) Are you sure it's an opera? The Overture to The Magic Flute begins grandly. To the music of the slow intro- duction, we see: 145 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 145 The room, lit by a few candles, appears dirty. The camera shows us again Leopold's portrait on the wall, looking down upon a scene of disorder. Papers lit- ter the table; dirty dishes are piled in the fireplace; on the forte-piano lies Mozart's Masonic apron, woven with symbols. To the more lyrical passage of the introduc- tion, we see Mozart take up a candle and enter: 146 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 146 We watch him stand beside Constanze, who lies asleep. Mozart now looks very ill; his wife appears worn out. Tenderly he touches her hair. Then he moves to the cot where his son Karl lies asleep and kneels, pulls up the child's little blanket and for a moment lays his own head down beside the boy's. Constanze opens her eyes and stares at him. Mozart rises and returns to: 147 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 147 The Introduction ends and suddenly the brilliant fast fugue begins. Instantly Mozart starts to dance to it, all alone: gleefully, like a child. He looks up at his fa- ther's portrait, and makes a silly, rude gesture at it. He is, briefly, an irresponsible and happy boy again. Then suddenly there is a gentle knocking at the door. The music fades down. Warily, Mozart crosses and opens he door. The familiar dark chords from Don Giovanni cut across the happy music. It ends. Before him stands the masked stranger. MOZART I don't have it yet. It's not finished. I'm sorry, but I need more time. SALIERI Are you neglecting my request? MOZART No, no! I promise you, I'll give you a wonderful piece - the best I ever can! He turns and looks. Constanze has come into the living room. Nervously, Mozart indicates her. MOZART This is my wife, Stanzi. I've been sick, but I'm all right now. Aren't I? CONSTANZE Oh yes, sir. He's all right. And he's working on it very hard. MOZART Give me two more weeks. Please. Salieri contemplates them both. SALIERI The sooner you finish, the better your reward. Work! He turns and goes down the stairs. Mozart shuts the door; he closes his eyes in fear. CONSTANZE Wolfi, I think you really are going mad. You work like a slave for that idiot actor who won't give you a penny and here. This is not a ghost! This is a real man who puts down real money. Why on earth don't you finish it? He will not look at her or reply. CONSTANZE Give me one reason I can understand. MOZART I can't write it! CONSTANZE Why not? MOZART It's killing me. He looks at her suddenly. CONSTANZE No, this is really awful. You're drunk, aren't you? Be honest - tell me - you've been drinking. And I'm so stupid I stay here and listen to you! Suddenly she starts to cry. CONSTANZE It's not fair! I worry about you all the time. I try to help you all I can and you just drink and talk nonsense and - and frighten me! It's not fair! Her tears flow. Mozart looks at her helplessly. MOZART Go back to bed. CONSTANZE Please! Let me sit here. Let me stay here with you. I promise I won't say all word. I'll just be here, so you know no one's going to hurt you. Please, please! She sits down tearfully, staring at him. We hear the Rex Tremendai Majestatis from the Requiem and see on the wall the portrait of Leopold Mozart looking down. The camera pans slowly downward from it back to the table. Mozart is writing the music. He looks up and sees that Constanze is fast asleep in her chair. Mozart gets up quietly. He puts on his hat and cloak, takes a bottle of wine and tiptoes from the house. Without stopping, the music changes from the heavy Requiem to the light-hearted patter of the Papa- Papa duet from The Magic Flute. CUT TO: 148 INT. SCHIKANEDER'S SUMMER HOUSE - NIGHT - 1790's 148 This little wooden structure stands in a courtyard in the tenement by the Weiden. Inside, we see a table, chairs, a forte-piano, bottles and a chaos of papers. Strewn about in the chairs are the three actresses, giggling. Schikaneder and Mozart, both drunk, are singing the duet of the two bird-people. The actor sings Papageno and the composer, in a soprano voice, sings Papagena at the keyboard. Absurdly, they end up rubbing noses and fall on each other' s necks. 148A EXT. VIENNA STREET - NIGHT - 1790's 148A Mozart, drunk and happy, staggers back through the snow. There are a few people about. He goes into his apartment building. 150 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - DAY - 1790's 150 He comes through he door and stares across the living room at an open bedroom door. Puzzled, he crosses. The bedroom is also empty. We see Constanze's empty bed; Karl's empty bed; empty closets. MOZART Stanzi? Stanzi-marini-bini? He looks about him, puzzled. 151 INT. FRAU WEBER'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY - 1790's 151 Frau Weber sits grimly talking. Mozart sits also, completely exhausted and passive under the rain of her constant speech. FRAU WEBER She's not coming back, you know. She's gone for good. I did it and I'm proud of it. �Leave, I said. �Right away! Take he child and go, just go. Here's the money! Go to the Spa and get your health back - that's if you can. I was shocked. Shocked to my foundation. Is that my girl? Can that be my Stanzi? The happy little moppet I brought up, that poor trembling thing? Oh, you monster! No one exists but you, do they? You and your music! Do you know how often she's sat in that very chair, weeping her eyes out of her head because of you? I warned her. �Choose a man, not a baby, I said. But would she listen? Who listens? �He's just a silly boy, she says. Silly, my arse. Selfish - that's all you are. Selfish! Selfish, selfish, selfish, selfish, selfish. And with a scream Madame Weber's voice turns into the shrill packing coloratura of the second act aria of the Queen of the Night, in The Magic Flute. DISSOLVE TO: 152 INT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790's 152 On stage we see the QUEEN OF THE NIGHT fantastically costumed, furiously urging her daughter to kill Sarastro. As she sings, we see the interior of the theatre, now re-arranged from when we last visited it to watch the Cabaret. An audience of ordinary German citizens stands in the pit area, or sits: they are rapt and excited. The theatre also possesses boxes; some of these show closed curtains - their inhabi- tants presumably engaged in private intimacies. In one of them sits Salieri. QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (singing furiously) A hellish wrath within my heart is seething! Death and destruction Flame around my throne! If not by thee Sarastro's light be extinguished. Then be thou mine own daughter never more! Rejected be forever! So sundered be forever All the bonds of kin and blood! Hear! Hear! Hear God of Vengeance! Hear thy Mother's vow! Thunder and lightning. She disappears amidst tremendous applause from the audience. CUT TO: 153 EXT. OUTSIDE THE THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790's 153 On the poster for The Magic Flute, the name Emmanuel Schikaneder should ap- pear very, very large and the name of Mozart quite small: I. & R. priv. Weiden Theatre The Actors of the Imperial and Royal privileged Theatre of the Weiden have the honour to perform THE MAGIC FLUTE A Grand Opera in Two Acts by Emmanuel Schikaneder (The Cast List) The music is by Herr Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Herr Mozart out of respect for a gracious and honourable Public, and from friendship for the author of this piece, will today direct the orchestra in person. The book of the opera, furnished with two copperplates, of which is engraved Herr Schikaneder in the costume he wears for the role of Papageno, may be had at the box office for 30 kr. Prices of admission are as usual To begin at 7 o'clock 154 INT. STAGE, AUDITORIUM AND WINGS OF SCHIKANEDER'S 154 THEATRE - NIGHT -1790's We CUT TO the scene immediately before Papageno's song, Ein Madchen oder Weibchen. Papageno, played by Schikaneder, dressed in his costume of feathers, is trying to get through a mysterious door. A voice calls from within. VOICE Go back! Papageno recoils. PAPAGENO Merciful Gods! If only I knew by which door I came in. (to audi- ence) Which was it? Was it this one? Come on, tell me! VOICE Go back! Papageno recoils. PAPAGENO Now, I can't go forward and I can't go back. Oh, this is awful! He weeps extravagantly. In the pit, Mozart indicates to the first violinist to take over as conductor. He slips from his place and goes stealthily backstage. We follow him. Over the scene we hear Papageno being addressed by �the First Priest in stern tones. FIRST PRIEST (on stage) Man, thou hast deserved to wander forever in the darkest chasms of the earth. The gentle Gods have remitted thy punishment, but yet thou shalt never feel the Divine Content of the consecrated ones. PAPAGENO Oh well, I'm not alone in that. Just give me a decent glass of wine - that's divine content enough for me. Laughter. An enormous goblet of wine appears out of the earth. We follow Mozart into the wings. Actors and actresses stand around in fantastic costumes. We see a flying chariot and parts of a huge snake lying about. Also the scenery door of a temple with the word �Wisdom inscribed on the pediment. Mozart walks to where there stands a keyboard glockenspiel with several manuals, and a musician waiting to play it. Silently Mozart indicates that he wishes to play the instrument himself. On stage Schikaneder is being addressed haughtily by the First Priest. FIRST PRIEST Man, hast thou no other desire on earth, but just to eat and drink? PAPAGENO (Schikaneder) Well! Laughter from the audience. PAPAGENO Well, actually I do have a rather weird feeling in my heart. Perhaps it's just indigestion. But you know, I really would like - I really do want - something even nicer than food and drink. Now what on earth could that be? He stares at the audience and winks at them. They laugh. Now Papageno's aria (Ein Madchen oder Weibchen) begins. It is interpolated, as he pretends to play his magic bells, with the glockenspiel actually being played off- stage by Mozart. Schikaneder looks into the pit and does not see Mozart conduct- ing. He looks into the wings and realizes the situation with amusement. He sings joyfully and the audience watches entranced. PAPAGENO (singing, lightly) ANDANTE A sweetheart or a pretty little wife is Papageno's wish. A willing, billing, lovey dovey Would be My most tasty little dish. Be my most tasty little dish! Be my most tasty little dish! ALLEGRO Then that would be eating and drinking I'd live like a Prince without thinking. The wisdom of old would be mine - A woman's much better than wine! Then that would be eating and drinking! The wisdom of old would be mine - A woman's much better than wine. She's much better than wine! She's much better than wine! ANDANTE (encore, lightly, as before) A sweetheart or a pretty little wife is Papageno's wish. A willing, billing, lovey dovey Would be My most tasty little dish. ALLEGRO I need to net one birdie only And I will stop feeling so lonely. But if she won't fly to my aid, Then into a ghost I must fade. I need to net one birdie only But if she won't fly to my aid, Then into a ghost I must fade. To a ghost I must fade! To a ghost I must fade! ANDANTE (encore) A sweetheart or a pretty little wife is Papageno's wish. A willing, billing, lovey dovey Would be My most tasty little dish. ALLEGRO At present the girls only peck me. Their cruelty surely will wreck me. But one little beak in my own, And I'll up to heaven be flown! At present the girls only peck me. But one little beak in my own, And I'll up to heaven be flown. Up to heaven be flown! Up to heaven be flown! At certain moments we see the stage from Salieri's point of view: Schikaneder singing, then pretending to play; and then we see Mozart playing the glockenspiel with great flourishes in the wings. Then, suddenly, the actor mimes playing, and no sound comes. He mimes again, but still nothing comes. He looks offstage in anxiety; there is evidently some commotion. People are looking down on the floor. The song comes to a near-halt. Schikaneder stares. Then the comedian sig- nals to the deputy conductor to pick up the song and finish it. At this moment Salieri gets up and hastily leaves his box. CUT TO: 155 INT. WINGS OF SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790's 155 We see the actress playing Papagena, wearing an old tattered cloak and about to tie a little painted cloth representing a hideous old woman over her face. She is look- ing worriedly down at Mozart, who is lying unconscious on the floor. A few peo- ple around him are trying to revive him. One has put a wet handkerchief around his temples. Another is holding a small bottle of smelling salts. There are voices saying, �Doctor! Take him to a dressing room. Someone call a carriage. Take him home. etc. Papagena is urged to go on stage by a distracted stage manager. Suddenly we hear the voice of Salieri. SALIERI I'll take care of him. He steps forward. SALIERI I have a carriage. Excuse me. The actors step back respectfully. He stoops and picks up the frail composer in his arms. Mozart is quite limp and Salieri has to fling his arms around his own neck. All this is watched nervously by Schikaneder on stage whilst performing his scene with Papagena as an ugly old woman. UGLY OLD WOMAN Here I am, my angel. PAPAGENO (appalled) What? Who the devil are you? UGLY OLD WOMAN I've taken pity on you, my angel. I heard your wish. PAPAGENO Oh. Well, thank you! How wonderful. Some people get all the luck. Audience laughter. The actress raises the little painted cloth with the ugly old face on it to show her own pretty young one to the audience. More laughter. UGLY OLD WOMAN Now you've got to promise me faithfully you'll remain true to me forever. Then you'll see how tenderly your little birdie will love you. PAPAGENO (nervous) I can't wait. UGLY OLD WOMAN Well, promise then. PAPAGENO What do you mean - now? UGLY OLD WOMAN Of course now. Right away, before I get any older. Laughter. PAPAGENO Well, I don't know! I mean you're a delicious, delightful, delectable little bird, but don't you think you might be just a lit- tle tough? UGLY OLD WOMAN (amorously) Oh, I'm tender enough for you, my boy. I'm tender enough for you. Laughter. 156 EXT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790's 156 A waiting sedan chair. Mozart has recovered consciousness, but looks exceedingly ill. Salieri has set him down in the winter's night. Snow is falling. MOZART What happened? Is it over? SALIERI I'm taking you home. You're not well. MOZART No, no. I have to get back. I have - He starts to collapse again. Salieri helps him into the sedan. The door is shut. The chair sets off and Salieri strides beside it, through the mean street. A lantern with a candle swings from the chair. 157 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 157 The door opens. Salieri enters carrying the lantern from the sedan chair. He is followed by Mozart, carried in the arms of one of the porters. The room is now really in complete disarray. The table is piled high with music: the pages of the Requiem lie amongst many empty wine bottles. The porter carries Mozart into 158 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 158 This room is miserably neglected. The bed is unmade, clothes lie about on the floor. A sock has been stuck into the broken pane of one window. The porter lays Mozart down on the bed as Salieri lights candles from the lantern to reveal plates of half-eaten food and other signs left by a man whose wife has departed. It is ob- viously very cold. Another very small bed nearby belongs to the child, Karl. SALIERI (handing the porter the lantern) Thank you. Go. The porter leaves the room. Mozart stirs. MOZART (vaguely singing) Papa! Papa! He opens his eyes and sees Salieri staring down at him. He smiles. SALIERI Come now. He helps him to sit up and takes off his coat and his shoes and puts a coverlet around him. SALIERI Where is your wife? MOZART Not here! She's not well, either. She went to the Spa. SALIERI You mean she's not coming back? MOZART You're so good to me. Truly. Thank you. SALIERI No, please. MOZART I mean to come to my opera. You are the only colleague who did. He struggles to loosen his cravat. Salieri does it for him. SALIERI I would never miss anything that you had written. You must know that. MOZART This is only a vaudeville. SALIERI Oh no. It is a sublime piece. The grandest operone. I tell you, you are the greatest composer known to me. MOZART Do you mean that? SALIERI I do. MOZART I have bad fancies. I don't sleep well anymore. Then I drink too much, and think stupid things. SALIERI Are you ill? MOZART The doctor thinks I am. But - SALIERI What? MOZART I'm too young to be so sick. There is a violent knocking at the front door. Mozart starts and looks around wildly. SALIERI Shall I answer it? MOZART No! No, it's him! SALIERI Who? MOZART The man. He's here. SALIERI What man? The knocking increases in loudness, terrifying Mozart. MOZART Tell him to go away. Tell him I'm still working on it. Don't let him in! Salieri moves to the door. MOZART Wait! Ask him if he'd give me some money now. Tell him if he would, that would help me finish it. SALIERI Finish what? MOZART He knows. He knows! Salieri leaves the room. 159 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 159 Salieri goes to the front door and opens it to reveal Schikaneder, who has obviously come straight from the theatre. He still wears his bird make-up and under his street cloak, his feathered costume is clearly seen. He has with him the three ac- tresses, also looking anxious and also in make-up as the three attendants in The Magic Flute. SCHIKANEDER Herr Salieri. SALIERI Yes, I am looking after him. SCHIKANEDER Can we come in? SALIERI Well, he's sleeping now. Better not. SCHIKANEDER But he's all right? SALIERI Oh, yes. He's just exhausted. He became dizzy, that's all. We should let him rest. SCHIKANEDER Well, tell him we were here, won't you? SALIERI Of course. SCHIKANEDER And say everything went wonderfully. A triumph-de-luxe - say that! Tell him the audience shouted his name a hundred times. SALIERI Bene. SCHIKANEDER I'll call tomorrow. SALIERI Yes. (to the actresses) And congratulations to all of you. It was superb. ACTRESSES Thank you! Thank you, Excellency! Schikaneder produces a bag of money. SCHIKANEDER Oh, by the way, give him this. This is his share. That should cheer him up, eh? SALIERI Yes, indeed. Goodnight to you all now. It was perfection - truly! ACTRESSES (delighted) Goodnight, Your Excellency. Goodnight! They bob and curtsey. Schikaneder stares at Salieri, uneasily, vaguely suspicious. Salieri smiles back at him and shuts the door. He stays for a moment, thinking. He contemplates the money. 160 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 160 Mozart is sitting up in bed, staring at the door. It opens. Salieri returns. He holds in his hand the bag of money. MOZART What happened? Salieri pours the coins out of the bag onto the coverlet. SALIERI He said to give you this. And if you finish the work by tomorrow night, he will pay you another hundred ducats. Mozart looks at the coins astonished. MOZART Another? But that's too soon! Tomorrow night? It's impossible! Did he say a hundred? SALIERI Yes. Can I - could I help you, in any way? MOZART Would you? Actually, you could. SALIERI My dear friend, it would be my greatest pleasure. MOZART But you'd have to swear not to tell a soul. I'm not allowed. SALIERI Of course. MOZART You know, it's all here in my head. It's just ready to be set down. But when I'm dizzy like this my eyes won't focus. I can't write. SALIERI Then, let us try together. I'd regard it as such an honour. Tell me, what is this work? MOZART A Mass. A Mass for the Dead. CUT TO: 161 INT. A SMALL DANCE HALL - BADEN - NIGHT - 1790's 161 Trivial dance music is playing. Constanze is doing a waltz with a young OFFICER in military uniform. At the moment we see her, she stops abruptly, as if in panic. OFFICER What is it? CONSTANZE I want to go! OFFICER Where? CONSTANZE I want to go back to Vienna. OFFICER Now? CONSTANZE Yes! OFFICER Why? CONSTANZE I feel wrong. I feel wrong being here. OFFICER (laying a hand on her arm) What are you talking about? CUT TO: 162 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 162 Mozart is sitting up in bed, propped against pillows. The coins lie on the coverlet; many candles burn in the necks of bottles. Salieri, without coat or wig, is seated at an improvised worktable. On it are blank sheets of music paper, quills, and ink. Also the score of the Requiem Mass as so far composed. Mozart is bright-eyed with a kind of fever. Salieri is also possessed with an obviously feverish desire to put down the notes as quickly as Mozart can dictate them. MOZART Where did I stop? SALIERI (consulting the manuscript) The end of the Recordare - Statuens in parte dextra. MOZART So now the Confutatis. Confutatis Maledictis. �When the wicked are confounded. Flammis acribus addictis. How would you translate that? SALIERI �Consigned to flames of woe. MOZART Do you believe in it? SALIERI What? MOZART A fire which never dies. Burning one forever? SALIERI Oh, yes. MOZART Strange! SALIERI Come. Let's begin. He takes his pen. SALIERI Confutatis Maledictis. MOZART We ended in F Major? SALIERI Yes. MOZART So now - A minor. Suddenly. Salieri writes the key signature. MOZART The Fire. SALIERI What time? MOZART Common time. Salieri writes this, and continues now to write as swiftly and urgently as he can, at Mozart's dictation. He is obviously highly expert at doing this and hardly hesi- tates. His speed, however, can never be too fast for Mozart's impatient mind. MOZART Start with the voices. Basses first. Second beat of the first mea- sure - A. (singing the note) Con-fu-ta-tis. (speaking) Second mea- sure, second beat. (singing) Ma-le-dic-tis. (speaking) G-sharp, of course. SALIERI Yes. MOZART Third measure, second beat starting on E. (singing) Flam-mis a- cri-bus ad-dic-tis. (speaking) And fourth measure, fourth beat - D. (singing) Ma-le-dic-tis, flam-mis a-cri-bus ad-dic-tis. (speaking) Do you have that? SALIERI I think so. MOZART Sing it back. Salieri sings back the first six measures of the bass line. After the first two measures a chorus of basses fades in on the soundtrack and engulfs his voice. They stop. MOZART Good. Now the tenors. Fourth beat of the first measure - C. (singing) Con-fu-ta-tis. (speaking) Second measure, fourth beat on D. (singing) Ma-le-dic-tis. (speaking) All right? SALIERI Yes. MOZART Fourth measure, second beat - F. (singing) Flam-mis a-cri-bus ad-dic-tis, flam-mis a-cri-bus ad-dic-tis. His voice is lost on the last words, as tenors engulf it and take over the soundtrack, singing their whole line from the beginning, right to the end of the sixth measure where the basses stopped, but he goes on mouthing the sounds with them. Salieri writes feverishly. We see his pen jotting down the notes as quickly as possible: the ink flicks onto the page. The music stops again. MOZART Now the orchestra. Second bassoon and bass trombone with the basses. Identical notes and rhythm. (he hurriedly hums the open- ing notes of the bass vocal line) The first bassoon and tenor trombone - SALIERI (labouring to keep up) Please! Just one moment. Mozart glares at him, irritated. His hands move impatiently. Salieri scribbles frantically. MOZART It couldn't be simpler. SALIERI (finishing) First bassoon and tenor trombone - what? MOZART With the tenors. SALIERI Also identical? MOZART Exactly. The instruments to go with the voices. Trumpets and timpani, tonic and dominant. He again hums the bass vocal line from the beginning, conducting. On the sound- track, we hear the second bassoon and bass trombone play it with him and the first bassoon and tenor trombone come in on top, playing the tenor vocal line. We also hear the trumpets and timpani. The sound is bare and grim. It stops at the end of the sixth measure. Salieri stops writing. SALIERI And that's all? MOZART Oh no. Now for the Fire. (he smiles) Strings in unison - ostinato on all - like this. He sings the urgent first measure of the ostinato. MOZART (speaking) Second measure on B. He sings the second measure of the ostinato. MOZART (speaking) Do you have me? SALIERI I think so. MOZART Show me. Salieri sings the first two measures of the string ostinato. MOZART (excitedly) Good, good - yes! Put it down. And the next measures exactly the same, rising and rising - C to D to E, up to the dominant chord. Do you see? As Salieri writes, Mozart sings the ostinato from the beginning, but the unaccom- panied strings overwhelm his voice on the soundtrack, playing the first six bars of their agitated accompaniment. They stop. SALIERI That's wonderful! MOZART Yes, yes - go on. The Voca Me. Suddenly sotto voce. Write that down: sotto voce, pianissimo. Voca me cum benedictis. �Call me among the blessed. He is now sitting bolt upright, hushed and inspired. MOZART C Major. Sopranos and altos in thirds. Altos on C. Sopranos above. (singing the alto part) Vo-ca, vo-ca me, vo-ca me cum be- ne-dic-tis. SALIERI Sopranos up to F on the second �Voca'? MOZART Yes, and on �dictis'. SALIERI Yes! He writes feverishly. MOZART And underneath, just violins - arpeggio. He sings the violin figure under the Voca Me (Bars 7,8,9). MOZART (speaking) The descending scale in eighth notes, and then back suddenly to the fire again. He sings the ostinato phrase twice. MOZART (speaking) And that's it. Do you have it? SALIERI You go fast! MOZART (urgently) Do you have it? SALIERI Yes. MOZART Then let me hear it. All of it. The whole thing from the begin- ning - now! The entire Confutatis bursts over the room, as Mozart snatches the manuscript pages from Salieri and reads from it, singing. Salieri sits looking on in wondering astonishment. The music continues right through the following scenes, to the end of the movement. 163 EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD - WINTER NIGHT - 1790's 163 A carriage is driving fast through the night. Snow lies on the countryside. 164 INT. THE CARRIAGE NIGHT - 1790's 164 The carriage is filled with passengers. Among them Constanze and Karl, her young son. They are sleepless and sway to the motion of the vehicle. 165 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 165 Mozart lying in bed exhausted, but still dictating urgently. We do not hear what he is saying to Salieri, who still sits writing assiduously. Mozart is looking very sick: sweat is pouring from his forehead. 166 EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD - WINTER NIGHT - 1790's 166 The carriage, moving through the night, to the sound of the music. 167 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 167 Mozart still dictating; Salieri still writing without stop. 168 EXT. VIENNA STREET - DAWN - 1790's. 168 The carriage has arrived. Constanze and her son alight with other passengers. Postillions attend to the horses. She takes her boy's hand. It is a cold wintry dawn. The music stutters to a close. End of the Confutatis. 166A INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790's 166A MOZART Do you want to rest a bit? SALIERI Oh no. I'm not tired at all. MOZART We'll stop for just a moment. Then we'll do the Lacrimosa. SALIERI I can keep going, I assure you. Shall we try? MOZART Would you stay with me while I sleep a little? SALIERI I'm not leaving you. MOZART I am so ashamed. SALIERI What for? MOZART I was foolish. I thought you did not care for my work - or me. Forgive me. Forgive me! Mozart closes his eyes. Salieri stares at him. 168B EXT. VIENNA STREET - WINTRY DAWN - 1790's 168B Constanze and Karl approach along the cobbled street, hand in hand toward their house. Snow lies in the street. 168C INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAWN - 1790's 168C Mozart lies asleep in the bed, holding the last pages of the manuscript. Salieri lies across from him on Karl's small bed in his shirt sleeves and waistcoat. The child's bed is obviously too small for him and he is forced in to a cramped position. 169 EXT. MOZART'S APARTMENT HOUSE - DAWN - 1790's 169 Constanze and Karl arrive at the door. They enter. 170 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAWN - 1790's 170 It is as disordered as before, save that the table, previously littered with pages, is now completely bare. Constanze looks at it with surprise and enters the bedroom. 171 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAWN - 1790's 171 Mozart is asleep in the bed. Salieri is dozing on the nearby child's bed. The room is full of the trailing smoke from guttering and guttered candles. Startled by Constanze's entrance and her young son, Salieri scrambles up. As he does so, he at- tempts to button his waistcoat, but does it ineptly, so that the vestment becomes bunched up, making him look absurd. CONSTANZE What are you doing here? SALIERI Your husband is ill, ma'am. He took sick. I brought him home. CONSTANZE Why you? SALIERI I was! at hand. CONSTANZE Well, thank you very much. You can go now. SALIERI He needs me, ma'am. CONSTANZE No, he doesn't. And I don't want you here. Just go, please. SALIERI He asked me to stay. CONSTANZE And I'm asking you - She notices a movement from the bed. Mozart wakes. He sees Constanze and smiles with real joy. Forgetting Salieri, she goes to her husband. CONSTANZE Wolfi, I'm back. I'm still very angry with you, but I missed you so much. She throws herself on the bed. CONSTANZE I'll never leave you again. If you'll just try a little harder to be nice to me. And I'll try to do better, too. We must. We must! This was just silly and stupid. She hugs her husband desperately. He stares at her with obvious relief, not able to speak. Suddenly she sees the manuscript in his hand. CONSTANZE What is this? She looks at it and recognizes it. CONSTANZE Oh no, not this. Not this, Wolfi! You're not to work on this ever again! I've decided. She takes it from his weak hand. At the same moment Salieri reaches out his hand to take it and add it to the pile on the table. She stares at him, trying to under- stand - suspicious and frightened and at the same time unable to make a sound. Mozart makes a convulsive gesture to reclaim the pages. The coins brought by Salieri fall on the floor. Karl runs after them, laughing. CONSTANZE (to Salieri) This is not his handwriting. SALIERI No. I! was assisting him. He asked me. CONSTANZE He's not going to work on this anymore. It is making him ill. Please. She extends her hand for the Requiem, as she stands up. Salieri hesitates. CONSTANZE (hard) Please. With extreme reluctance - it costs him agony to do it - Salieri hands over the score of the Requiem to her. CONSTANZE Thank you. She marches with the manuscript over to a large chest in the room, opens it, throws the manuscript inside, shuts the lid, locks it and pockets the key. Involuntarily Salieri stretches out his arms for the lost manuscript. SALIERI But - but - but - She turns and faces him. CONSTANZE Good night. He stares at her, stunned. CONSTANZE I regret we have no servants to show you out, Herr Salieri. Respect my wish and go. SALIERI Madame, I will respect his. He asked me to stay here. They look at each other in mutual hatred. She turns to the bed. Mozart appears to have gone to sleep again. CONSTANZE Wolfi? (louder) Wolfi? She moves to the bed. The child is playing with the coins on the floor. Faintly we hear the start of the Lacrimosa from the Requiem. Salieri watches as she touches her husband's hand. As the music grows, we realize that Mozart is dead. CU, Constanze staring wide-eyed in dawning apprehension. CU, Salieri also comprehending hat he has been cheated. The music rises. CU, The child on the floor, playing with the money. CUT TO: 172 EXT. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL - VIENNA - A RAINY DAY - 1790's 172 The Lacrimosa continues through all of the following: a small group of people emerges from the side door into the raw, wet day, accompanying a cheap wooden coffin. The coffin is borne by a gravedigger and Schikaneder in mourning clothes. They load it onto a cart, drawn by a poor black horse. All the rest are in black, also: Salieri, Von Swieten, Constanze and her son, Karl, Madame Weber and her youngest daughter Sophie, and even Lorl, the maid. It is drizzling. The cart sets off. The group follows. CUT TO: 173 EXT. OUTSIDE THE CITY WALLS OF VIENNA - RAINY DAY - 1790's 173 The group has already passed beyond the city limits following the miserable cart. The Lacrimosa accompanies them with its measured thread. The drizzle of rain has now become heavy. One by one, the group breaks up and shelters under the trees. The cart moves on toward the cemetery, alone, followed by nobody, growing more and more distant. They watch it go. Salieri and Von Swieten shake hands mournfully, the water soaking their black tall hats. Schikaneder is in tears. Constanze is near collapse. Salieri moves to assist her, but she turns away from him, seeking the arm of Cavalieri. Madame Weber takes Karl's hand. The music builds to its climax on Dona Eis Pacem! We CUT back to: 174 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING - 1823 174 Morning light fills the room. Old Salieri sits weeping convulsively, as the music stops. Tears stream down his face. Vogler watches him, amazed. VOGLER Why? Why? Why? Why add to your misery by confessing to murder? You didn't kill him. OLD SALIERI I did. VOGLER No, you didn't! OLD SALIERI I poisoned his life. VOGLER But not his body. OLD SALIERI What difference does that make? VOGLER My son, why should you want all Vienna to believe you a mur- derer? Is that your penance? Is it? OLD SALIERI No, Father. From now on no one will be able to speak of Mozart without thinking of me. Whenever they say Mozart with love, they'll have to say Salieri with loathing. And that's my immortal- ity - at last! Our names will be tied together for eternity - his in fame and mine in infamy. At least it's better than the total oblivion he'd planned for me, your merciful God! VOGLER Oh my son, my poor son! OLD SALIERI Don't pity me. Pity yourself. You serve a wicked God. He killed Mozart, not I. Took him, snatched him away, without pity. He destroyed His beloved rather than let a mediocrity like me get the smallest share in his glory. He doesn't care. Understand that. God cares nothing for the man He denies and nothing either for the man He uses. He broke Mozart in half when He'd finished with him, and threw him away. Like an old, worn out flute. 175 EXT. CEMETERY OF ST. MARX - LATE AFTERNOON - 1790's 175 The rain has eased off. A LOCAL PRIEST with two boy acolytes is standing be- side an open communal grave. Mozart's body is lifted out of the cheap pine box in a sack. We see that the grave contains twenty other such sacks. The gravedigger throws the one containing Mozart amongst the others. An assistant pours quick- lime over the whole pile of them. The acolytes swing their censers. LOCAL PRIEST The Lord giveth. The Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. CUT BACK TO: 176 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING - 1823 176 OLD SALIERI Why did He do it? Why didn't He kill me? I had no value. What was the use, keeping me alive for thirty-two years of tor- ture? Thirty-two years of honours and awards. He tears off the Civilian Medal and Chain with which the Emperor invested him and has been wearing the whole time and throws it across the room. OLD SALIERI Being bowed to and saluted, called �distinguished - �Distinguished Salieri - by men incapable of distinguishing! Thirty-two years of meaningless fame to end up alone in my room, watching myself become extinct. My music growing fainter, all the time fainter, until no one plays it at all. And his growing louder, filling the world with wonder. And everyone who loves my sacred art crying, �Mozart! Bless you, Mozart. The door opens. An attendant comes in, cheerful and hearty. ATTENDANT Good morning, Professor! Time for the water closet. And then we've got your favourite breakfast for you - sugar-rolls. (to Vogler) He loves those. Fresh sugar-rolls. Salieri ignores him and stares only at the priest, who stares back. OLD SALIERI Goodbye, Father. I'll speak for you. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint. On their behalf I deny Him, your God of no mercy. Your God who tortures men with longings they can never fulfill. He may forgive me: I shall never forgive Him. He signs to the attendant, who wheels him in his chair out of the room. The priest stares after him. 177 INT. CORRIDOR OF THE HOSPITAL - MORNING - 1823 177 The corridor is filled with patients in white linen smocks, all taking their morning exercise walk in the care of nurses and nuns. They form a long, wretched, strange procession - some of them are clearly very disturbed. As Old Salieri is pushed through them in his wheelchair, he lifts his hands to them in benediction. OLD SALIERI Mediocrities everywhere, now and to come: I absolve you all! Amen! Amen! Amen! Finally, he turns full-face to the camera and blesses us the audience, making the Sign of the Cross. Underneath we hear, stealing in and growing louder, the tremendous Masonic Funeral Music of Mozart. On the last four chords, we FADE OUT

FADE IN: INT. JAIL CELL - DAY EXTREME CLOSE-UP on a DROP OF WATER, gathering at the tip OF a faucet, a FLASH OF LIGHT refracting through it just before it FALLS....... PULLING BACK slowly, we see ANOTHER DROP OF WATER gather and FALL... and then ANOTHER... into a METAL SINK BASIN filled with water, rippling in concentric circles with each DROP, which we HEAR in a steady rhythm: DRIP... DRIP... DRIP... RICKY (O.C.) (singing in time to the water dripping) I'M FIXING A HOLE... WHERE THE RAIN GETS IN.... REVERSE ANGLE on the face OF a YOUNG MAN with his hair cut short, military-style, watching the dripping water as if hypnotized. We ZOOM slowly toward him... This is RICKY FITTS. He's twenty, but his eyes are much older. Underneath his Zen-like tranquility lurks something wounded... and dangerous. He SINGS softly to himself: RICKY (cont'd) AND STOPS MY MIND FROM WANDERING... Through the bars OF his CELL we see RICKY is seated on the edge of a solitary cot in a JAIL CELL, staring intently at the metal sink on the wall across from him.. RICKY (cont'd) WHERE IT WILL GO... ON TELEVISION: INT. COURTROOM - DAY A sullen TEENAGE GIRL sits at a table in a COURTROOM, surrounded by lawyers. SUPERIMPOSED across the bottom of screen: TEENAGE GIRL ACCUSED OF HIRING FATHER'S KILLER. At the lower right corner is the JUSTICE TV logo. In the upper right corner: LIVE. This girl is JANE BURNHAM. Seventeen-years-old, with dark, intense eyes. She stares blankly at the table in front of her. D.A. (O.C.) Would you please tell the court how long you and the defendant have been friends? ANGELA (O.C.) Uh, we've known each other since like, fifth grade? But we didn't really become friends until this past year? Jane looks up, her eyes hostile, at: Seated on the witness stand is seventeen-year-old ANGELA HAYES. Strikingly beautiful, with perfect, even features, blonde hair, and a nubile young body, she's the archetypal American dream girl. She is being questioned by a DISTRICT ATTORNEY. D.A. During that time, did Jane ever say she disliked her father? INT. COURTROOM - CONTINUOUS We're now in the courtroom, where the JUSTICE TV CAMERAS focus on Angela as the D.A. questions her. ANGELA Yes. D.A. Exactly how did she say it? ANGELA (cont'd) Uh, she said she hated his guts, and wished he was dead. D.A. Did she tell you why? Angela hesitates, hot eager to answer this. Finally: ANGELA (cont'd) She said he was just too embarrassing to live, okay? ANGELA looks at JANE, who stares at her with absolute hatred. ANGELA (cont'd) She said both of her parents were totally embarrassing, but her dad was like, way beyond? And somebody had to take him out. But she said her mom was just pathetic and probably didn't deserve to like, die. Elsewhere IN the COURTROOM, a very well-put-together WOMAN OF forty stifles a SOB. This is Jane's mother, CAROLYN BURNHAM. BACK on the witness stand, ANGELA looks contrite. ANGELA (cont'd) I'm sorry, Mrs. Burnham, but she did. At her table, JANE buries her face IN her hands. ANGELA (cont'd) You did. You said it. INT. POLICE STATION - LOBBY - DAY A suburban POLICE station. PHONES RINGING, officers with clipboards, lowlifes being booked. The usual. The front door opens and COLONEL FRANK FITTS enters, carrying a MANILA ENVELOPE. He's fifty, quite handsome, his graying hair cut short, military-style. He still moves like the athlete he once was, but his eyes tell us he's not happy, and hasn't been for some time. As he approaches the front desk, the uniformed clerk behind it looks up at him impassively. COLONEL I need to speak to Detective Fleishman. INT. POLICE STATION - DETECTIVE'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER DETECTIVE FLEISHMAN, paunchy and constantly exhausted, opens the door to his office and motions Colonel Fitts inside. FLEISHMAN Colonel Pitts. How goes it? (off his look) Forgive me. That was a stupid question, after everything you've been through. He shows the COLONEL to a chair, then sits behind his desk. FLEISHMAN (cont'd) So what can I do for you? The COLONEL sighs, looking at the MANILA ENVELOPE He holds. COLONEL I found something. I think you should take a look at it. FLEISHMAN Okay. But the COLONEL just sits there, holding the envelope. COLONEL I don't want to do this. (fighting back tears) But I was taught a little thing called duty. Something I wasn't able to teach my own son... He breaks down. FLEISHMAN crosses to him and places his hand on his shoulder. The Colonel shrugs it off, violently. COLONEL (cont'd) No. Respectfully, FLEISHMAN steps back. the COLONEL pulls himself together and hands over the envelope, without looking up. Fleishman studies the envelope as he walks back to his desk, then opens it and takes out an unmarked HI-8 VIDEOCASSETTE. He looks at the Colonel quizzically. INT. JAIL CELL - DAY RICKY sits motionless, still focused on the DRIPPING water. RICKY (singing softly) I'M FILLING THE CRACKS THAT RAN THROUGH THE DOOR... ON TELEVISION: A rapid-fire MONTAGE OF VIDEO IMAGERY taken from recent news footage, intercut with CELEBRITIES and scantily-clad MODELS of both sexes, accompanied by HEADBANGER MUSIC. THE REAL DIRT logo spins quickly into place, with exaggerated SOUND EFFECTS. ON TELEVISION: INT. TABLOID news SHOW SET A telegenic ANCHORPERSON addresses us. SUPERIMPOSED at lower left is THE REAL DIRT logo. Behind the Anchorperson is an INSET GRAPHIC of Jane and Ricky. ANCHORPERSON (Australian accent) Lester Burnham. Brutally murdered in cold blood, allegedly the victim of a teenage psychopath hired by his own daughter, Jane. The case that has outraged America, has now become even more shocking. Tonight on The Real Dirt, we'll show you - for the first time anywhere - an astonishing videotape in which Jane and alleged killer Richard Fitts actually make their unholy pact. ON VIDEO: INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY JANE is leaning BACK IN bed, naked, smoking a joint. still SUPERIMPOSED at lower left is THE REAL DIRT logo, and Jane's breasts have been digitally BLURRED. JANE I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts whenever I bring a girlfriend home from school. (snorts) Like he'd ever have a chance with her. What a lame-o. Somebody really should put him out of his misery. A beat. JANE plays with her hair, lost IN thought. RICKY (O.C.) Want me to kill him for you? JANE stares at the camera incredulously, then LAUGHS. JANE Yeah, would you? INT. COURT - DAY We're TRACKING slowly across the mesmerized faces of the jury as they watch the videotape. RICKY (O.C.) It'll cost you. JANE (O.C.) I've been baby-sitting since I was ten, I've got almost three thousand dollars. We see the tape as it plays on the VIDEO MONITOR SET UP IN the front of the courtroom. This time there is no THE REAL DIRT logo nor any digital blurring of Jane's nudity. ON THE MONITOR: JANE sits UP IN bed, smiling. JANE (cont'd) I was saving it for a boob job. ON THE MONITOR: JANE stands and shakes her breasts. In the courtroom, Jane's mother Carolyn watches, stunned, gripping the arm of a well-dressed, silver-haired MAN at her side. JANE (O.C.) (cont'd) But my tits can wait. Jane watches from her seat, her face a mixture of anger, disbelief and helplessness. We ZOOM toward her slowly. RICKY (O.C.) You know, that's not a very nice thing to do, hiring somebody to kill your dad. Tears spill from her blinking eyes, But she remains silent. ON THE MONITOR: Jane is back on the bed. JANE Well, I guess I'm just not a very nice girl, then, am I? ON THE MONITOR: she leans BACK and smiles dreamily at us. INT. JAIL CELL - DAY CLOSE on Ricky as he leans back on his cot, staring up at us, the same dreamy smile on his face. RICKY (singing softly) I'M TAKING THE TIME FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS... THAT WEREN'T IMPORTANT YESTERDAY... FADE to BLACK. In darkness, we HEAR Vic Damone singing "I'M NOBODY'S BABY," as the words "ONE YEAR EARLIER" FADE IN AND OUT. FADE IN: EXT. SUBURB - EARLY MORNING We're FLYING high above an upper middle class SUBURB. The wide streets are lined with stately elms and sycamores; the homes are traditional and well-kept. Coming closer to the ground, we pick out a couple of male JOGGER. A DIFFERENT ANGLE on the Joggers. We're at level now, MOVING alongside them. They're both in their thirties, athletic, blandly handsome. They pass a STREET SIGN that reads Robin Hood Trail. Suddenly, a MAN comes into view, FLYING Superman-style about three feet above their heads. He's wearing old-fashioned PAJAMAS, and a plaid flannel ROBE. As he passes overhead, the Joggers look up and wave excitedly, like children. He flashes them a grin and waves back, then he speeds up, leaving them behind. As the MAN flies down the street, a BARKING DOG runs along beneath him, jumping into the air, trying to catch him. The Man swoops and dips effortlessly, teasing the dog, then spots, at the end of the street, a young boy on a bicycle tossing newspapers onto people's porches, or as close as he can get. Seeing the flying Man, the boy tosses a paper high into the air. The dog tears off to catch the paper. The flying Man LAUGHS and shoots upward like he's been blown out of a cannon, grabs the paper, and swoops down, dropping it lightly on the front porch of a well-appointed, two-story HOUSE with distinctive CEDAR SHINGLE SIDING and a RED FRONT DOOR. The boy on the bike watches IN admiration. the MAN slowly floats by above him and tousles his hair. The dog BARKS. The boy throws another newspaper into the air, this time even higher than before, and the Man grins as he prepares to shoot up after it: this is going to be fun... and we SMASH CUT TO: INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - DAY We HEAR the harsh BUZZ OF an ALARM CLOCK. Vic Damone still sings "I'M NOBODY'S BABY" elsewhere in the house. Outside, a dog is still BARKING The MAN we just saw FLYING Through the streets lies sleeping amidst expensive bed linens, wearing the same PAJAMAS. His hand reaches over and shuts the ALARM CLOCK OFF; his eyes remain clamped shut as he tries to hang onto his dream.... but it's gone. He sighs and opens his eyes. This man is LESTER BURNHAM, Carolyn's husband and Jane's father. He's forty-two, with a wide boyish face that's just beginning to droop around the edges. He sits up in bed and rubs his face. We're in a large, comfortable bedroom that's tastefully decorated but not overdone - it could be a spread from Metropolitan Home. Lester gets out of the king-sized bed, crosses to a bay window covered with stylish wooden blinds, lifts one of the slats with his finger and peers through it. His POV: A DOG - the same dog from Lester's flying dream - BARKS excitedly at us from behind a white picket fence surrounding the front yard of the house across the street. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS The dog's POV: Lester looks down at us through the bay window of the HOUSE from his dream - we recognize the distinctive CEDAR SHINGLE SIDING. The dog continues to BARK. LESTER (V.O.) My name is Lester Burnham. I'm forty two-years old. In less than a year, I'll be dead. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BATH - MOMENTS LATER We're in the shower with Lester. A waterproof RADIO plays COUNTRY MUSIC. He stands with his face directly in the hot spray1 eyes shut. LESTER (V.O.) In a way, I'm dead already. ANGLE from outside the shower: we see Lester's naked body silhouetted through the steamed-up glass door. It becomes apparent he is masturbating. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) (amused) Look at me jerking off while I listen to country music. I hated this shit when I was growing up. (then) Funny thing is, this is the high point of my day. It's all downhill from here. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE front YARD - MOMENTS LATER CLOSE on a single, dewy AMERICAN BEAUTY ROSE, perfect IN shape and color. As we PULL BACK, a pair of gloved hands with CLIPPERS appear and SNIP the flower off. We continue PULLING BACK to discover Carolyn BURNHAM IN her rose garden in front of the house, cutting flowers and placing them in a basket, a determined, humorless look on her face. Even now, she is perfectly put-together; she wears color- coordinated gardening togs and has lots of useful and expensive tools. LESTER (V.O.) That's my wife Carolyn. See the way the handle on those pruning shears matches her gardening clogs? That's not an accident In the fenced front YARD OF the HOUSE across the street, the familiar dog is still BARKING. A well-groomed, athletic MAN in a conservative suit rolls a blue plastic city GARBAGE CONTAINER up the driveway to the curb. JIM #1 Bitsy. Hush. LESTER (V.O.) That's our next-door neighbor Jim. A second well-groomed, athletic MAN IN a conservative suit comes out the front door. JIM #2 What in the world is wrong with her? She had a walk this morning. JIM #1 And a jerky treat. JIM #2 (frowns) You spoil her. LESTER (V.O.) (re: the second man) And that's his lover Jim. We recognize the two Jims as the joggers from Lester's dream. JIM #2 (sternly) Bitsy. No bark. Come inside. Now. Bitsy, suddenly subdued, allows Jim #2 to usher her inside. LESTER (V.O.) It's weird they have the same name, but that's really no fault of their own. As Jim #2 gets into a Ford Taurus, Jim #1 crosses the street to greet Carolyn. JIM #1 Morning, Carolyn. CAROLYN (overly friendly) Good morning, Jim! I just love your tie! That color! JIM #1 And I just love your roses. How do you get them to flourish like that? CAROLYN Well, I'll tell you. Egg shells and Miracle Grow. ANGLE on the second floor bay window of the Burnham's house, where Lester stands in a bathrobe, drying his hair as he looks down at them. LESTER (V.O.) Man. I get exhausted just watching her. His POV: We can't hear what they're saying, but Carolyn's facial expressions remain overly animated and cheerful, like those of a TV talk show host. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) She wasn't always like this. She used to be happy. We used to be happy... Jim #2 pulls the Ford Taurus into the street; Jim #1 waves to Carolyn, jumps inside and they drive off. Carolyn immediately reverts to her previous resolute expression as she continues cutting flowers. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) But she doesn't have much use for me anymore. About the only thing that gets her excited now is money. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS CLOSE on a young woman's hands counting DOLLAR BILLS. PULLING BACK, we see JANE BURNHAM, seated at a desk in her bedroom, wearing jeans and a tight cotton top with straps. As she counts, she has the same resolute expression as her mother. LESTER (V.O.) And this is my daughter Jane. Only child. She takes after her mother in a lot of ways, although she'd never admit it. Having finished counting, JANE paper-clips the money together then types something into a computer. CLOSE on the COMPUTER MONITOR: Personal banking software. We see the word DEPOSIT and the amount $38.00 as they're entered, then a new total in the balance column: $2,853.06. JANE smiles, pleased. she stuffs the money into a KNAPSACK hanging on her closet door, then looks at herself in a full- length MIRROR. A beat, she turns sideways and arches her back so her breasts protrude as much as possible She frowns, then turns so she's facing the mirror, and hugs her herself tightly, to enhance the appearance of cleavage. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) Janie is a pretty typical teenager. Angry, insecure, confused. I wish I could tell her all that's going to pass. (then) But I don't want to lie to her. We HEAR a CAR HORN from outside. JANE grabs her KNAPSACK and a too-large flannel shirt from her closet and starts out. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOS A bright blue GARBAGE TRUCK fills the screen, as its MECHANICAL ARM lifts a matching blue city GARBAGE CONTAINER from the curb, emptying its contents into the truck. On the side of the truck: CITY OF ROCKWELL DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION Let's Recycle! In the Burnham's driveway: Carolyn1 now dressed for work in a completely different but equally well-coordinated outfit, stands next to a platinum-colored MERCEDES-BENZ ML320, reaching in through the drivers' window to blow the HORN again. Her POV: LESTER comes out the front door, dressed IN a business suit and carrying a briefcase, fumbling with his tie. Jane is close behind him, buttoning her flannel shirt, her knapsack slung over her shoulder. Carolyn frowns at both OF them. CAROLYN Jane. Honey. Are you trying to look unattractive? JANE Yes. CAROLYN Well, congratulations. You've succeeded admirably. Lester's briefcase suddenly springs open, his papers and files spilling onto the driveway. As he drops to his knees to gather everything, Jane sidesteps around him. JANE Nice going, Dad. LESTER looks UP her sheepishly, then at Carolyn. His POV: she looks down at us, slightly contemptuous But also bored, as if she gave up expecting anything more long ago. LESTER I keep meaning to get this thing fixed... He smiles, trying to lighten the moment, but Carolyn's expression doesn't change. She opens the door and gets into the drivers seat. Jane takes the passenger seat, and Lester climbs into the back. The Mercedes-Benz ML320 starts to slowly back out of the driveway. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) So that's my family... and this is my life. (laughs) You'd think I wouldn't miss it so much... INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - a SHORT TIME LATER Carolyn is driving; Jane stares out the window. Lester is asleep in the back seat. Clint Black sings "DESPERADO" on the STEREO. JANE Why are we listening to this whiny-ass music? CAROLYN It's just what was on. JANE fiddles the tuner, searching FOR ANOTHER station. Something suddenly catches Carolyn's eye: Her POV: An ADVERTISEMENT on a BUS STOP BENCH shows a slick- looking, silver- ~ MAN smiling a toothy smile. It reads: Leonard Kane - The Real Estate King - Rockwell's Highest Sales Record Three Years Straight. We recognize him as the man seated next to Carolyn in court during Jane's trial. Carolyn glare at the ADVERTISEMENT as she drives past. it obviously bothers her. JANE I don't see how you people can listen to that hillbilly crap. It makes me want to buy a gun and shoot up a Burger King. CAROLYN Well, your father was the last one to drive this car. You know I don't like country music myself. It's so... common and twangy. I much prefer the old ~b)V standards. Sinatra, Bobby Darin Doris Day... JANE Finally finds a STATION she likes: MOODY ALTERNATIVE ROCK. They drive along without speaking for a moment, then: JANE Wake up, Dad, we're here. No response from Lester. JANE (cont'd) Dad, look. It's Garth Brooks, and he's wearing that groovy cowboy hat. Maybe you can get his autograph. CAROLYN (chuckling) Jane. Hush. INT. COMMUTER TRAIN - a SHORT TIME LATER LESTER sits IN the crowded TRAIN, his head UP against the window. He's fast asleep. LESTER (V.O.) Both my wife and my daughter think I'm this gigantic loser. He has a paper CUP OF COFFEE IN one hand, haphazardly holding it against his knee. Slowly, it tips over, spilling onto his pants leg. He remains asleep. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) And they're right. I've lost something very important. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I know I didn't always fell this... sedated. Finally, LESTER opens one eye. POV: from the front of the PATH train: We're ZOOMING along aboveground, unnaturally FAST heading toward a TUNNEL. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) But you know what? It's never too late to get it back. And we accelerate into the tunnel, and BLACKNESS. INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY CLOSE on a COMPUTER MONITOR, SCROLLING COPY. It's MOVING by too quickly for us to read, but we can make out WORDS here and there: marketing... profits... strategy... etc. Lester sits at his workstation, in a BEIGE CUBICLE, surrounded by several IDENTICAL BEIGE CUBICLES. He's staring at the monitor and talking on a HEADSET PHONE. The light, friendly tone of his voice is at odds with the beleaguered expression on his face. LESTER Hello, this is Lester Burnham from Media Monthly magazine calling for Mr. Keene... actually, I've already left a message, about four messages to be exact... I understand, but I have questions about the new product launch that your press release didn't quite cover... BRAD, an affable MAN IN his EARLY thirties, appears behind Lester. Lester is immediately aware of his presence. LESTER (cont'd) I've already given you my number... (sighs) 555-5419. Yes. Lester Burnham. Thank you. He punches a button on his keyboard, then turns to Brad, smiling perfunctorily. BRAD Les. Got a minute? LESTER For you, Brad? I've got five. BRAD Good. Why don't we talk in my office? He smiles and crosses off. LESTER watches him go, frowning. INT. BRAD'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER BRAD is seated behind his desk. BRAD ...so I'm sure you can understand the need to cut corners around here. Lester sits across from him, scowling like a teenager who's been sent to the principal's office. LESTER Sure. Times are tight, and you need to free up cash. Gotta spend money to make money. BRAD Exactly. BRAD stands, ready to usher LESTER out, But LESTER remains seated. LESTER (blurts) Like when our editorial director used the company MasterCard to pay for a hooker, and then she used the card number to stay at the St. Regis for, what was it, three months? BRAD (startled) That's unsubstantiated gossip. LESTER That's fifty thousand dollars. That's somebody's salary. Somebody who's probably gonna get fired because Craig has to pay women to fuck him! BRAD Jesus. Calm down. Nobody's getting fired yet. That's why we're having everyone write a job description, mapping out in detail how they contribute. That way, management can assess who's valuable and who's LESTER Expendable. BRAD It's just business. LESTER (angry) I've been writing for this magazine for fourteen years, Brad. You've been here how long, a month? BRAD (frank) I'm, one of the good guys, Les. I trying to level with you. This is your one chance to save your job. LESTER leans BACK IN his chair, incredulous. INT. COMMUTER TRAIN - a SHORT TIME LATER Once again, LESTER sits IN the crowded TRAIN, his head UP against the window. But this time, he's not asleep; he glares darkly out at the tunnel walls as they fly by. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - THAT NIGHT The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 pulls into the driveway, driven By Carolyn. A MOVING VAN is parked in front of the pale blue COLONIAL HOUSE next door. A couple of Movers carry a couch down the driveway toward the house. As LESTER and Carolyn get out OF the ML320 and head toward their front door: CAROLYN There is no decision. Just write the damn thing! LESTER You don't think it's weird and kinda fascist? CAROLYN possibly. But you don't want to be unemployed. LESTER Oh, okay. Let's all sell our sols to Satan, because it's more convenient that way. CAROLYN (sighs) Could you be just a little bit more dramatic, please? Carolyn scopes out the MOVING VAN next door. CAROLYN (cont'd) Well. We've finally got new neighbors. It's about time. If the Lomans had let me represent them, instead of... (heavy disdain) The Real Estate King, that house would have sold within a week, instead of sitting on the market for six months. LESTER They were still mad at you for cutting down their sycamore. CAROLYN Their sycamore? It was on our property! INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - DINING ROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT We HEAR John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman's rendition of "YOU ARE TOO BEAUTIFUL" on the STEREO. LESTER, Carolyn and JANE are seated at dinner IN the formal dining room. They eat by CANDLELIGHT, and a profusion of RED ROSES spills from a vase at the center of the table. We CIRCLE them slowly, as they eat. Nobody makes eye contact, or even seems aware of anybody else's presence, until... JANE Mom, do we always have to listen to this elevator music? CAROLYN (considers) No. No, we don't. As soon as you've prepared a nutritious yet flavorful meal that I'm about to eat, you can listen to whatever you like. A long beat. LESTER Suddenly turns to Jane. LESTER So Janie, how was school? JANE (suspicious) It was okay. LESTER Just okay? JANE No, Dad. It was spec-tac-ular. a beat. LESTER Want to know how things went at my job? Now she looks at him as if he's lost his mind. LESTER (cont'd) They've hired this efficiency expert. He's really friendly, and I really hate his guts. See, they're going to lay somebody off, but in the interest of being democratic, everybody gets to write a "job description" for him, in the hopes the assholes in management will read it and say, "Whoa, we can't do without this guy..." He trails off, obviously waiting FOR a response from Jane. LESTER (cont'd) (finally) You couldn't possibly care any less, could you? Carolyn is watching This closely. JANE (uncomfortable) Dad, what do you expect? You can't all of a sudden be my best friend, just because you've got a problem. She gets UP and heads toward the kitchen. JANE (cont'd) I mean, hello. You've barely even spoken to me for months. She's gone. Lester notices Carolyn looking at him critically. LESTER Oh, what, you're mother-of-the- year? You treat her like a employee. CAROLYN (shocked) what?! He gets UP and starts after Jane. LESTER You treat us both like employees. Carolyn looks after him, slack-jawed. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS A huge faux industrial KITCHEN, with floor-to-ceiling WHITE CERAMIC TILE, brushed steel appliances and antique hardware and lighting. This is one of those "back-to-a-simpler-time" designer kitchens that cost a fortune. Jane stands at the sink, rinsing off her plate. Lester enters. LESTER Honey, I'm sorry I... JANE turns and stares at him, waiting FOR him to finish. LESTER (cont'd) I'm sorry I haven't been more available, I just... I'm... He's looking to her for a little help here, but she's too uncomfortable with this sudden intimacy to give him any. LESTER (cont'd) You know, you don't always have to wait for me to come to you... JANE 0h, great. So now it's my fault. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ON VIDEO: We're looking at Lester and Jane through GREENHOUSE WINDOWS into the kitchen. We can't hear what they're saying, but it's obvious it's not going well. Jane puts her plate in the dishwasher and leaves. We follow her out the door, then the camera JERKS back to Lester calling after her. CLOSE on the LENS OF a high-tech portable VIDEO CAMERA. as we PULL BACK, the camera drops down to reveal RICKY FITTS, whom we recognize as the young man in jail at the beginning. His short hair and starched clothes give him a hyper-conservative appearance. We linger on his placid face for a moment, then... INT. BURNHAM - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS LESTER stands at the sink, rinsing off his plate, his face dark. His head suddenly jerks up and he looks out the window, as if he realizes he 's being watched. His POV: We're looking at the pint where Ricky was just standing, but he's no longer there. LESTER frowns, then turns off the faucet, grabs a towel and dries his hands. He tosses the towel on the snack bar on his way out, where it lands next to a FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH. We ZOOM slowly toward the PHOTOGRAPH: It's of Lester, Carolyn, and a much-younger Jane, taken several years earlier at an amusement park. It's starling how happy they look. We HEAR CHEERING and APPLAUSE. INT. high SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - NIGHT We're at a high-school BASKETBALL GAME. Teenage boys, mostly black, play a fast and furious game. One team, dressed in light blue and white uniforms, scores a basket. The CROWD goes wild. Seated IN the bleachers, next to the high SCHOOL BAND, is a group of about twenty teenage girls, dressed in short light blue and white uniforms that manage to be both revealing and chaste. Among them, Jane sits next to ANGELA HAYES, whom we recognize from the witness stand at the beginning. Jane stands and scans the bleachers. ANGELA Who are you looking for? JANE My parents are coming tonight. They're trying to, you know, take an active interest in me. ANGELA Gross. I hate it when my mom does that. JANE They're such assholes. Why can't they just have their own lives? INT. MERCEDES - BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS Carolyn drives. LESTER is slumped IN the passenger seat. LESTER What makes you so sure she wants us to be there? Did she ask us to come? CAROLYN Of course not. She doesn't want us to know how important this is to her. But she's been practicing her steps for weeks. LESTER Well, I bet you money she's going to resent this. And I'm missing the James Bond marathon on TNT. CAROLYN Lester, this is important. I'm sensing a real distance growing between you and Jane. LESTER Growing? She hates me. CAROLYN She's just willful. LESTER She hates you too. Carolyn stares at him, unsure OF how to respond. INT. high SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - LATER The uniformed girls we saw earlier are Now standing IN formation on the gymnasium floor. ANNOUNCER (over P.A.) And now, for your half-time entertainment, Rockwell High's award-winning Dancing Pantherettes! IN the crowded stands, LESTER and Carolyn search FOR seats. LESTER We can leave right after this, right? The HIGH SCHOOL BAND plays "TOP OF THE WORLD." On the gym floor, the girls perform synchronized dance steps, smiling energetically. They're well-rehearsed, but too young to carry off the ambitious Vegas routine they're attempting. LESTER, watching from the stands, picks out his daughter. His POV: JANE performs well, concentrating hard. Dancing next to her is Angela; she moves awkwardly, grace obviously not being her strong point. Suddenly she looks right us and smiles, a lazy, insolent smile. LESTER leans forward IN his seat. His POV: We're focused on Angela now. Everything starts to SLOW DOWN, almost imperceptibly... the MUSIC acquires an eerie ECHO... and she keeps sneaking knowing looks at us... We ZOOM slowly toward LESTER as He watches, transfixed. His POV: The light on Angela is brighter than on the others, somehow, and her awkwardness gives way to a fluid grace. "TOP OF THE WORLD" FADES into dreamy, hypnotic TRIPHOP MUSIC. The light on Angela grows even stronger, and the other girls around her DISAPPEAR entirely... LESTER is spellbound. His POV: ANGELA looks directly at us Now, Dancing ONLY FOR Lester. Her movements take on a blatantly erotic edge as the MUSIC increases in intensity. She starts to seductively unzip her uniform, teasing us with an expression that's both innocent and knowing, then... she pulls her uniform OPEN and a profusion of RED ROSES spills forth... and we SMASH CUT TO: INT. HIGH SCHOOL ~ - CONTINUOUS ANGELA, fully clothed, is Once again surrounded By the other girls. The HIGH SCHOOL BAND plays its last note, the Dancing Pantherettes strike their final showgirl pose, and the audience bursts into APPLAUSE. Carolyn claps along with the rest OF the audience. LESTER just sits there, unable to take his eyes off Angela. EXT. high SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - LATER The game is over. LESTER and Carolyn stand near the main door, as people trickle out of the gym. CAROLYN (after a beat) Okay, I can't wait any longer. I've got a killer day tomorrow - LESTER (emphatic) We don't leave without seeing her. Carolyn gives him an odd look. LESTER (cont'd) Hey, this was your idea. (then calls out) Janie! JANE and ANGELA, IN street clothes, have just come out OF the gym. Jane rolls her eyes and crosses reluctantly toward her parents, followed by Angela. LESTER (cont'd) You were really great, honey. Congratulations. JANE I didn't win anything LESTER (to Angela) Hi, I'm Lester. Jane's dad. ANGELA Oh. Hi. An awkward beat. JANE This is my friend Angela Hayes. LESTER Okay, good to meet you. You were also good, tonight. Very... precise. ANGELA (warming) Thanks. CAROLYN (hugs Jane) Honey, I'm proud of you. I watched you very closely, and you didn't screw up once. (then, to Lester) Okay, we have to go. She starts toward the parking lot. LESTER stays behind. LESTER What are you girls doing now? JANE Dad. ANGELA We're going out for pizza. LESTER Well, can we give you a lift? ANGELA Thank s, but I have a car. LESTER That's great! Uh, Janie's hoping to get a car soon, aren't you honey? JANE (you freak) Dad. Mom's waiting for you , and she look like she's about to start chewing her hair. LESTER Well, it's great to meet you, Angela. Any, uh, friend of Janie's is a friend of mine. ANGELA smiles at him, fully aware OF the powers she has over him. He is mesmerized; grateful, even. LESTER (cont'd) So... I guess I'll be seeing you around. I guess. ANGELA LESTER waves awkwardly as He crosses off. JANE Could he be any more pathetic? ANGELA I think it's sweet. (then) And I think he and your mother have not had sex for a long time. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - a FEW HOURS LATER CLOSE on a solitary red ROSE PETAL as it falls slowly and silently through the air1 like a feather. We're in Lester and Carolyn's room, looking down on their bed from OVERHEAD. Even in sleep, Carolyn still looks determined. Lester, however, is wide awake and stares up at us. LESTER (V.O.) It's the weirdest thing. The ROSE PETAL drifts into view, landing on his pillow. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) I feel like I've been in a coma for about twenty years, and I'm just now waking up. More ROSE PETALS fall onto the bed. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) I feel younger... lighter... He smiles UP at... his POV: ANGELA, naked, FLOATS directly above us as if IN water, kicking lazily as a deluge of ROSE PETALS falls around her. Her hair fans out around her head and GLOWS with a subtle, burnished light. She looks down at us with a smile that is all things: compassion... invitation... lust... LESTER smiles BACK and LAUGHS, as ROSE PETALS cover his face. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) Spec-tac-ular. EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS A WHITE BMW 328si CONVERTIBLE winds its way down the street and pulls close to, but not into, the Burnham's driveway. INT. ANGELA'S BMW - CONTINUOUS ANGELA is driving, JANE is IN the passenger seat. both girls are stoned and LAUGH hysterically. Gradually, their LAUGHTER dies down. Iggy Pop sings "CANDY" on the RADIO. JANE I'm sorry my dad was so weird tonight. ANGELA It's okay. I'm used to guys drooling over me. (lights a cigarette) It started when I was about twelve. I'd go out to dinner with my parents. Every Thursday night, Red Lobster. And every guy there would stare at me when I walked in. And I knew what they were thinking. Just like I knew guys at school thought about me when they jerked off... JANE Vomit. ANGELA No I liked it. And I still like it. If people I don't even know look at me and want to fuck me, it means I really have a shot at being a model. Which is great, because there's one thing worse in life than being ordinary. An awkward beat. JANE stares at the floor. JANE I really think it'll happen for you. ANGELA Oh, I know. Because everything that was meant to happen, does. Eventually. (then) Maybe I should come in a say good night to your dad. The two girls break into a fresh round OF stoned LAUGHTER. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS On VIDEO: JANE gets out OF the CAR, still LAUGHING, and waves as Angela pulls away. We ZOOM in on Jane as she walks toward the house. She turns suddenly, sensing our presence, and looks directly at us. Her POV: We're looking at the pale blue COLONIAL HOUSE next door where the moving van was parked earlier. The front porch is shrouded in darkness... then a PORCH LIGHT abruptly reveals Ricky, perched on a white-washed Adirondack chair, having just turned on the overhead light. As usual, he wears very conservative clothes. There is a BEEPER attached to his belt, and his VIDEO CAMERA dangles loosely around his neck. Irritated, JANE stares at him, hard. JANE Asshole. He looks BACK at her curiously, then raises his VIDEO camera and starts to videotape her. His POV, on VIDEO: JANE, angry and self-conscious, turns and walks quickly toward her house, flipping us off as she goes. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FOYER - CONTINUOUS JANE enters, closes and locks the door, quickly turns off the LIGHT that's been left on for her, then peeks through a window.. Her POV: The Fitts' porch light is still on, but there's no sign of Ricky. Jane starts quietly up the stairs. Then, just as she's almost out of sight, she smiles, a schoolgirl thrilled to discover she's the object of a schoolboy's crush. FADE to BLACK. FADE IN INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - THE NEXT MORNING CLOSE on an ADDRESS BOOK. A man's hand flips to the H page and then his finger runs down the names on it, stopping at the name Angela Hayes... Lester, already dressed for work, sits at Jane's desk, going through her address book. We HEAR the SHOWER running in the adjacent bathroom, and Jane SINGING "CANDY" at the top of her lungs. Lester grabs her phone and dials. JANE (O.C.) I'VE HAD A HOLE... IN MY HEART... FOR SO LONG... CLOSE on LESTER, with the receiver to his ear, nervous. ANGELA (O.C.) (over phone line) Hello? Hello? LESTER is frozen, unable to speak. Suddenly, the shower is turned off in the next room, and Jane's singing stops. Lester hangs up and exits quickly. A moment, then the PHONE RINGS. Jane emerges from the bathroom, dripping wet, and answers it. JANE Hello? INT. HAYES HOUSE - ANGELA' S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS ANGELA is sprawled across her bed, on the phone. the walls OF her room are covered with pictures of SUPERMODELS. ANGELA Why'd you call me? Intercut with Jane in her bedroom: JANE I didn't. ANGELA Well, my phone just rung and I answered it and somebody hung up and then I star sixty-nined and it called you back. JANE I was in the shower. Then JANE notices her ADDRESS book open to the H page. JANE (cont'd) Oh, gross EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ON VIDEO: We're across from Jane's WINDOW, peering in. Jane picks up the address book, frowning. She speaks into the one, but we can't hear her. WOMAN'S VOICE (O.C.) (sing song) Rick-y! Break-fast! INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Ricky, dressed for school, stands at his open window, videotaping. He lowers his CAMERA, but his eyes remain locked on Jane across the way. RICKY Be right there. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER BARBARA FITTS stands at the stove, frying bacon. She's in her fifties; pretty, in a slightly childish way. She flips the bacon strips mechanically, her eyes focused elsewhere. Her husband, COLONEL FRANK FITTS (whom we recognize from his run- in with Detective Fleishman at the beginning), sits at a dinette reading The Wall Street 'Journal. They're each off in their own little world, which they vastly prefer to this one, then: RICKY (entering) Mom. Startled, BARBARA turns to him. BARBARA Hello. RICKY I don't eat bacon, remember? BARBARA (unnerved) I must have forgotten. I'm sorry. RICKY serves himself scrambled eggs from ANOTHER pan, then joins his father at the table. RICKY What's new in the world, Dad? COLONEL This country is going straight to hell. RICKY So nothing's changed. A DOORBELL rings. the COLONEL and BARBARA look at each other, alarmed. COLONEL Are you expecting anyone? BARBARA No. (things) No. The COLONEL rises and heads toward the living ROOM, a little puffed up. Curious, Ricky follows. Barbara just stands there, frightened. INT. FITTS HOUSE - FOYER - CONTINUOUS The COLONEL opens the front door to reveal the two JIMS. JIM #1 Hi. JIM #2 Welcome to the neighborhood. Jim #1 holds out a basket filled with flowers, vegetables and a small white cardboard box tied with raffia. JIM #1 Just a little something from our garden. RICKY watches from the BACK OF the foyer. JIM #2 Except for the pasta, we got that at Dean and Deluca. JIM #1 It's unbelievably fresh. You just barely drop it in the water and it's done. The COLONEL stares at them, suspicious. JIM #1 (cont'd) (offers his hand) I'm Jim Olsen. I live across the street. Welcome to the neighborhood. COLONEL (shakes) Colonel Frank Fits, U.S. Marine Corps. JIM #1 Nice to meet you . And this is my partner... JIM #2 (offers his hand) Jim Boyd, but my friends call me J.B. COLONEL Let's cut to the chase, okay? What are you guys selling? A beat. JIM #2 Nothing. We just wanted to say hi to our new neighbors - COLONEL Yeah, yeah, yeah. You said you're partners. So what's your business? A beat. the Jims look at each other, then BACK at the Colonel. JIM #1 Well, he's an entertainment lawyer. JIM #2 And he's an anesthesiologist. They're trying not to laugh. The Colonel looks at them, confused, then it dawns on him. INT. COLONEL' S FORD EXPLORER - LATER The COLONEL drives, staring darkly at the road ahead. IN the passenger seat, Ricky is using a CALCULATOR and jotting numbers down in a NOTEBOOK. COLONEL (suddenly) How come these faggots always have to rub it in your face? How can they be so shameless? RICKY That's the whole thing, Dad. They don't feel like it's anything to be ashamed of. The COLONEL looks at RICKY sharply. COLONEL Well, it is. A beat, as RICKY continues his calculations, before He realizes a response is expected from him. Then: RICKY You're right. The Colonel's eyes flash angrily. COLONEL Don't placate me like I'm your mother, boy. RICKY sighs, then looks at his father and speaks with sincere hatred. RICKY Forgive me sir, for speaking so bluntly, but those fags make me want to puke my fucking guts out. The COLONEL is taken aback, But quickly covers. COLONEL Me too, son. Me too. Case closed, RICKY goes BACK to his calculations. CLOSE on the pencil in his hands... he's totaling two columns of NUMBERS. Under the column "Income" he writes in swift, bold strokes: $24,950.00. EXT. high SCHOOL CAMPUS - a FEW MINUTES LATER JANE and ANGELA are seated with two other TEENAGE GIRLS. They're all smoking. ANGELA I'm serious, he just yanked it out and showed it to me. You know, like the President did to that woman. TEENAGE GIRL #1 Gross ANGELA It wasn't gross. It was kind of cool. TEENAGE GIRL #1 So did you do it with him? ANGELA Of course I did. He is a really well-known photographer? He shoots for Elle on like, a regular basis? It would have been so majorly stupid of me to turn him down. TEENAGE GIRL #2 You are a total prostitute. ANGELA Hey. That's how things really are. You just don't know, because you're this pampered little suburban chick. TEENAGE GIRL #2 So are you. You've only been in Seventeen once, and you looked fat, so stop acting like you're goddamn Christy Turlington. The two TEENAGE girls move away from JANE and Angela. ANGELA (calling off) Cunt! (then) I am so sick of people taking their insecurities out on me. The Colonel's Ford Explorer pulls up, and Ricky gets out. The creases on his trousers are sharp enough to cut glass. JANE Oh my God. That's the pervert who filmed me last night. ANGELA Him? No way. Jane, he is a total lunatic. JANE You know him? ANGELA He was in my earth science class in eighth grade, and he always said the creepiest things, and then one day, he was just, like, gone. And then Connie Cardullo told me he his parents had to put him in a mental institution. JANE Why? What did he do? ANGELA What do you mean? JANE Well, they can't put you away just for saying creepy things. ANGELA stares at JANE, then her mouth widens into a smile. ANGELA You total slut. You've got a crush on him. JANE What? Please. ANGELA You were defending him! You love him. You want to have, like, ten thousand of his babies. JANE Shut up. JANE Suddenly finds RICKY standing IN front OF her, looking at her intensely. RICKY Hi. My name's Ricky. I just moved next door to you. JANE Uh, yeah. I know. I kinda remember this really creepy incident when you were filming me last night? RICKY I didn't mean to scare you. I just think you're interesting. ANGELA shoots a wide-eyed look at JANE, who ignores it. JANE Thanks, but I really don't need to have some psycho obsessing about me right now. RICKY I'm not obsessing. I'm just curious. He looks at her intently, his eyes searching hers. JANE is unnerved and has to look away. Ricky smiles and walks off. ANGELA What a freak. And why does he dress like a Bible salesman? JANE He's like, so confident. That can't be real. ANGELA I don't believe him. He didn't even like, look at me once. EXT. suburban NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY CLOSE on a wooden SIGN that reads: Open HOUSE TODAY BURNHAM & ASSOCIATES REALTY 555-1618 Carolyn BURNHAM the SIGN is planted IN front OF a RUN-down HOME in a run-down middle-class neighborhood. The Mercedes- Benz ML320 is parked in front of the house. Carolyn, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, unloads a box filled with cleaning supplies, a BOOMBOX and a garment bag from the back. Something across the street catches her eye. Her POV: IN front OF a DIFFERENT HOUSE with much More curb appeal is another SIGN, with a picture of the same silver- haired MAN we saw on the bus stop bench earlier. It reads: FOR SALE Call Leonard Kane - the Real Estate King 555-1957 Carolyn frowns and slams the BACK OF the MERCEDES shut, a little harder than necessary. INT. SALE HOUSE - living ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Carolyn enters, hangs her garment bag IN the hall closet and inspects the empty living room. The cathedral ceiling is painted an alarming burnt orange, and the native stone fireplace has shed a couple of stones onto the floor, which she quickly picks up and wedges back into the fireplace. CAROLYN (quietly) I will sell this house today. She plugs IN the BOOMBOX, presses a button and we HEAR Tony Bennett singing "WITH PLENTY OF MONEY AND YOU," which plays throughout the following MONTAGE We see Carolyn, working with fierce concentration as she: Doggedly scrubs countertops in the kitchen; Perches on a stepladder to dust a cheap-looking white ceiling fan in the mater bedroom; Cleans glass doors that overlook the patio and pool; Skims leaves off the surface of the pool; Sweeps the patio with a broom; And vacuums a dirty carpet that will never be clean. Throughout all this, she keeps repeating to herself: CAROLYN I will sell this house today. I will sell this house today. I will sell this house today... She says This as if she believes she can actually will This house into being something more than the dump it is. INT. SALE HOUSE - BATHROOM - LATER Carolyn stands IN front OF the mirror, Now dressed IN a stylish but not-too-formal business suit. She finishes applying lipstick, then stares at her reflection, critically. CAROLYN I will sell this house today. She says This as if it were a threat, then turns to go. on her way out, she notices a smudge on the glass shower door and pulls off a piece of toilet paper to clean it. EXT. SALE HOUSE - front YARD - LATER CLOSE on the front door, as it opens to reveal Carolyn, greeting us with her most winning smile - the smile she thinks could sell ice to an Eskimo. CAROLYN Welcome. I'm Carolyn Burnham! MUSIC ENDS. INT. SALE HOUSE - FOYER - CONTINUOUS Smiling, Carolyn leads a MAN and WOMAN into the living room. They're thirtyish, and they've seen a lot of houses today. MAN (looking up) How high is that ceiling? CAROLYN Over twenty feet. WOMAN That color is hideous. CAROLYN a simple cream would really lighten things up. You could even put in a skylight. The WOMAN wrinkles her face, skeptical. CAROLYN (cont'd) Wait 'til you see the kitchen. INT. SALE HOUSE - KITCHEN - LATER Carolyn enters, still Smiling, followed By a DIFFERENT COUPLE in their fifties. CAROLYN As you can see, it's been completely remodeled. MAN (opening cabinet) These have just been refaced. no new construction. WOMAN (re: faucet) What is this, gold? CAROLYN No, it's solid brass. WOMAN Kinda gaudy, isn't it? INT. SALE HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - LATER Carolyn stands with a different COUPLE: African American, late twenties. The woman is pregnant. CAROLYN ...and you'll be surprised how much a ceiling fan can cut down on your energy costs. MAN I got a cousin, he was a ballplayer. Ceiling fan fell on him in a bar and severed a tendon in his shoulder. Never fully regained use of that arm. Ruined his career. Carolyn just stares at him, still smiling. EXT. SALE HOUSE - BACK YARD - LATER Carolyn stands By the pool next to two thirtyish WOMEN with identical haircuts. WOMAN The ad said this pool was "lagoon- like." But there's nothing "lagoon- like" about it. Except for maybe the bugs. (slaps her arm) There's not even any plants out here. CAROLYN I have an excellent landscape architect - WOMAN I mean, I think "lagoon," and I think waterfall, I think tropical. This is just a cement hole. A beat. CAROLYN There are some tiki torches in the garage. The Women stare at her; she just keeps smiling. INT. SALE HOUSE - SUN ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Carolyn enters, alone. She's furious, much more furious than she should be. She locks the sliding glass door and starts to pull the vertical blinds shut, then stops. Standing very still, with the blinds casting shadows across her face, she starts to cry: brief, staccato SOBS that seemingly escape against her will. Suddenly she SLAPS herself, hard. CAROLYN Stop it. But the Tears continue. she SLAPS herself again. CAROLYN (cont'd) Weak. Baby. Shut up. Shut up! She SLAPS herself repeatedly until she stops crying. she stands. there, taking deep, even breaths until she has everything under control, then she finishes pulling the blinds shut, once again all business. She walks out calmly, leaving us alone in the dark, empty room. INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT We HEAR a jazzy rendition of "DESAFINADO" under the cacophonous and oddly comforting DIN of a room full of people all talking at once. SIGN NEAR THE DOOR READS: GREATER ROCKWELL REALTOR RESOURCES GROUP Well-dressed professionals stand IN clumps, chatting. Catering waiters serve hors d'eouvres. We discover Lester and Carolyn, with cocktails, MOVING through the crowd. CAROLYN Lester, listen to me. This is an important business function. Now, as you know, my business is selling an image. And part of my job is to live that image - LESTER (in unison with her; he's heard this before) is to live that image - (then) Just say whatever you want to say, okay? Spare me the propaganda. CAROLYN (sighs) Will you please do me a favor and act happy tonight? LESTER (grins stupidly) I am happy, honey. Carolyn's jaw tightens, then: CAROLYN (spots someone) Leonard! She drag. LESTER toward a distinguished silver-haired MAN and his much younger WIFE. We recognize the Man as LEONARD KANE The Real Estate King. CAROLYN (cont'd) (shakes Leonard's hand) It's good to see you again. LEONARD (friendly) It's good to see you too, Catherine. CAROLYN Carolyn. LEONARD Carolyn! Of course. How are you? CAROLYN Very well, thank you. (to his wife) Hello, Christy. CHRISTY Hello CAROLYN This is my husband, Lester - LEONARD (shakes Lester's Hand) It's a pleasure. LESTER We've actually met. At this same thing last year? Wait - maybe it was that Christmas thing at the Sheraton. LEONARD Oh, yes. LESTER (friendly) It's okay. I wouldn't remember me either. He LAUGHS. a little too loudly. Carolyn quickly joins in. CAROLYN (forced gaiety) Honey. Don't be weird. She smiles her winning smile at him. He knows This persona well, only it's never pissed him off as much as it does right now. LESTER All right, honey. I won't be weird. He moves IN Suddenly, his face CLOSE to hers. LESTER (cont'd) I'll be whatever you want me to be. And He kisses her - a soft, warm kiss THAT speaks unmistakably of sex - then turns to the others and grins. LESTER (cont'd) We have a very healthy relationship. Carolyn's smile is frozen on her face, and we can see just about every vein in her neck. LESTER (cont'd) Well. I don't know about you, but I need another drink. He crosses off. Carolyn, Leonard and Christy watch him go. INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - MOMENTS LATER LESTER stands at the bar. the bartender pours him a scotch. LESTER Whoa. Put a little more in there, cowboy. The bartender complies. LESTER takes his drink and turns to face the center of the room. His POV: Carolyn is talking to Leonard and Christy. She's on: smiling, animated, LAUGHING too loud at their jokes. Lester smiles and shakes his head. Ricky approaches him, wearing a waiter's uniform, carrying a tray of empty glasses. RICKY Excuse me - don't you live on Robin Hood Trail? The house with the red door? LESTER (suspicious) Yeah. RICKY I'm Ricky Fitts. I just moved into the house next to you. LESTER Oh. Hi, Ricky Fitts. I'm Lester Burnham. RICKY Hi, Lester Burnham. A beat. LESTER looks away, scans the crowd, then downs the rest of his drink in one gulp. Ricky just stands there, watching him. Finally Lester turns back to Ricky: what does this kid want? RICKY (cont'd) Hey, do you party? LESTER I'm sorry? RICKY Do you get high? Lester's surprised, but instantly intrigued. INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - MOMENTS LATER Carolyn and Leonard are deep IN conversation. Christy has wandered off. Carolyn is nervous; Leonard seems amused. CAROLYN I probably wouldn't even tell you this if I weren't a little tipsy, but... I am in complete awe of you. Your firm is, hands down, the Rolls Royce of local Real Estate firms, and, well, your personal sales record is, is, is very intimidating. I'd love to sit down with you, just to pick your brain, if you'd ever be willing. I suppose, technically, I'm the competition, but... I mean, I don't flatter myself that I'm even in the same league as you... LEONARD I'd love to. CAROLYN (shocked) Really? LEONARD Absolutely. Call my secretary and have her schedule a lunch. CAROLYN I'll do that. Thank you. She smiles at him, and He smiles back. This situation is loaded and they both know it. EXT. HOTEL - LATER RICKY and LESTER stand next to a dumpster behind the service entrance to the hotel, smoking a JOINT. LESTER What about... did you ever see that one movie, with the body walking around holding its own head? And then the head went down on that babe? RICKY Re-Animator. It was okay. Suddenly, the service entrance opens, and a serious YOUNG MAN in a cheap suit peers out at them. Ricky hides the joint. Suddenly, the service entrance opens, and a serious YOUNG MAN in a cheap suit peers out at them. Ricky hides the joint. MAN (to Ricky) Look. I'm not paying you to... (eyes Lester, suspiciously) ...do whatever it is you're doing out here. RICKY Fine. Don't pay me. MAN Excuse me? RICKY I quit. So you don't have to pay me. Now, leave me alone. A beat. MAN Asshole. He goes BACK inside. LESTER looks at RICKY, who shrugs as He stubs out the joint. LESTER I think you just became my personal hero. (then) Doesn't that make you nervous, just quitting your job like that? Well, I guess when you're all of, what? Sixteen? RICKY Nineteen. (off Lester's look) I was held back a few years in school. (then) I just do these gigs every now and then as a cover. I have other sources of income. But my dad interferes a lot less in my life when I pretend to be an upstanding young citizen with a respectable job. CAROLYN (O.C.) Lester? Carolyn is standing IN the open service entrance, staring at Lester and Ricky curiously. CAROLYN (cont'd) What are you doing? LESTER Carolyn, this is Ricky Fitts. RICKY Hi, I just moved next door to you. I also go to school with your daughter. LESTER With Jane? Really? RICKY Yeah. Jane. CAROLYN Hi (then to Lester) I'm ready to leave. I'll meet you out front. And she goes BACK inside. LESTER Uh-oh. I'm in trouble. Well, nice to meet you, Ricky. Thanks for the, uh, thing. RICKY Any time. LESTER goes inside. RICKY (cont'd) (calls after him) If you want any more, you know where I live. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT JANE and ANGELA are watching TV. we HEAR the BACK door open. JANE Oh, God. They're home. Quick, let's go Up to my room. JANE switches off the TV and starts UP the stairs. ANGELA I should say hi to your dad. (off Jane's look) I don't want to be rude. She starts toward the kitchen. JANE comes BACK down the stairs. She doesn't like this. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS LESTER enters and opens the refrigerator, surveying the choices inside. ANGELA (O.C.) Nice suit. He turns, and is instantly transfixed by: His POV: ANGELA leans against the counter, twirling her hair. ANGELA (cont'd) You're looking good, Mr. Burnham. (off his look) You look all relaxed. She starts toward him ANGELA (cont'd) Last time I saw you, you looked kind of wound up. (spots something) Oo, is that root beer? She reaches inside the refrigerator to grab a bottle. as she does, she moves to place her other hand casually on Lester's shoulder. He sees it coming. Everything SLOWS DOWN, and all sound FADES... EXTREME CLOSE UP on her hand as it briefly touches his shoulder in SLOW MOTION. He HEAR only the amplified BRUSH of her fingers against the fabric of his suit, and its unnatural, hollow ECHO... BACK IN Real TIME: she grabs the root beer and looks UP at him; smiling. CLOSE on LESTER: his eyes narrow slightly, then: He takes the root beer from ANGELA and puts it on the counter. Then he cups her face in his hands and kisses her roughly. She seems shocked, but doesn't resist as he pulls her toward him with surprising strength. He breaks the kiss, looking at her IN awe, then He reaches UP and touches his lips. His eyes widen as he pulls a solitary ROSE PETAL from his mouth right before we SMASH CUT TO: INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS ANGELA is BACK against the counter, drinking the root beer. Lester stands by the refrigerator, gazing at her, still lost in his fantasy. ANGELA I love root beer, don't you? JANE watches from the doorway to the FAMILY ROOM, staring at her father and feeling incredibly awkward in her own home. Carolyn enter from the dining room. Lester snaps out of it and grabs a root beer from the refrigerator. JANE Mom, you remember Angela. CAROLYN (her sales smile) Yes, of course! JANE I forgot to tell you, she's spending the night. It that okay? LESTER Sure! He takes a sip OF his root beer, But it goes down the wrong way and he starts COUGHING violently. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT ANGELA lays on the bed, IN her bra and panties, flipping through a fashion magazine. Jane, in an oversized T shirt, plays a video game on her computer. JANE I'm sorry about my dad. ANGELA Don't be. I think it's funny. JANE Yeah, to you, he's just another guy who wants to jump your bones. But to me... he's just too embarrassing to live. ANGELA Your mom's the one who's embarrassing. What a phony. JANE glances at ANGELA, irritated. ANGELA (cont'd) But your dad is actually kind of cute. JANE Shut up. Lester, still in his suit, stands outside Jane's room, his ear up against the door. He can't believe what he's hearing. ANGELA (O.C.) He is. If he just worked out a little, he'd be hot. JANE (O.C.) Shut up. ANGELA (O.C.) Oh, come on. Haven't you ever sneaked a peek at him in his underwear? INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS ANGELA I bet he's got a big dick. JANE You are so grossing me out. ANGELA (really enjoying this) If he built up his chest and arms, I'd totally fuck him. JANE covers her ears and starts singing to drown her out. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Lester, still listening, looks like he's about to implode. ANGELA (O.C.) (laughs) I would! I would suck your dad's big fat dick, and then I would fuck him 'til his eyes rolled back in his head! (then) What was that noise? Jane. Jane's SINGING stops. ANGELA (O.C.) (cont'd) I swear I heard something. Panicked, LESTER scurries down the hall. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS JANE Yeah, it was the sound of you being a huge disgusting pig. ANGELA I'm serious. We HEAR the sharp TAP OF a penny being thrown against glass. ANGELA (cont'd) See? ANGELA crosses to the window and looks out. ANGELA (cont'd) (spots something) Oh my God. Jane EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS We see Angela standing at the window in her underwear, looking down at us. Jane joins her and is immediately unnerved by what she sees: Their POV: In the Burnham's DRIVEWAY, the word "JANE" is spelled out in FIRE. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS JANE What is it? ANGELA It's that psycho next door. Jane, what if he worships you? What if he's got a shrine with pictures of you surrounded by dead people's heads and stuff? JANE Shit. I bet he's filming us right now. ANGELA (intrigued) Really? EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ON VIDEO: We're across from Jane's window, peering in. Jane tries to shut the drapes, but Angela won't let her. Irritated, Jane retreats into the room. We ZOOM toward her, even as Angela poses in the window, waving, but we're clearly not interested in Angela. The ZOOM continues, searching for Jane, who has disappeared. Finally, we settle on the full-length MIRROR on the open closet door, where we see a REFLECTION of Jane, back at her computer. She's smiling. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS RICKY sits IN darkness with his VIDEO camera, videotaping through the open window. He lowers his camera and smiles... then something below catches his attention. He leans out the window to get better look at: EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE -GARAGE - CONTINUOUS Ricky's POV: Through a WINDOW on the front of the Burnham's GARAGE DOOR, we see Lester, still in his suit, digging through shelves against the back wall. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS LESTER pulls aside old board games, badminton racquets, and strings of Christmas lights, searching for something as if his very life depended on it. LESTER Shit. Shit! Then He yanks aside a box OF wallpaper scrap, and his face lights up at what he finds: A pair OF DUMBBELLS, obviously unused FOR many years. LESTER rips off his jacket and tie and unbuttons his shirt. He glances around, finding his REFLECTION in the WINDOW as he pulls off his shirt, then the T-shirt underneath. He eyes himself critically: Angela was right, he's not in bad shape. Naturally broad-shouldered, with just a few extra pounds around his middle that wouldn't be hard to shed. He kicks off his shoes and begins to step out of his pants. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS RICKY holds his camera UP and starts to videotape. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS Ricky's POV, on VIDEO: Through the GARAGE DOOR WINDOW, we see Lester stepping out of his pants. He then pulls off his briefs, and stands there naked, except for black socks. He grabs the dumbbells and starts lifting them over his head; although he's watching his reflection in the window, it looks like he's watching us as we're watching him... INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS RICKY stands at the open window, videotaping. RICKY Welcome to America's Weirdest Home Videos. Suddenly we HEAR someone trying to open the door from the other side - it's locked. COLONEL (O.C.) Ricky! MOVING swiftly, RICKY pulls the drapes shut and switches on a light. His room is a haven of high-tech. A state-of-the-art multimedia COMPUTER crowds his desk, and high-end STEREO and VIDEO EQUIPMENT line the shelves, as well as HUNDREDS OF CDs. There is easily twenty thousand dollars worth of equipment in this room. RICKY Coming, Dad. COLONEL (O.C.) You know I don't like locked doors in my house, boy. RICKY grabs a REMOTE and switches on his wide-screen TV just before he opens the door. RICKY I must have locked it by accident, sorry. So what's up? The COLONEL holds out a small PLASTIC CUP with a CAP. COLONEL I need a urine sample. RICKY Wow. Is it six months already? Can I give it to you in the morning? I just took a whiz. The Colonel doesn't respond. His eyes are focused on: On the TV: the shower scene from Top Gun plays. Seminude young MALE BODIES, artfully lit. COLONEL What the hell is that? RICKY turns to the TV. RICKY Top Gun. It's about pilot training in the Air Force. You never saw it? The COLONEL shakes his head, eyes glued to the screen. RICKY (cont'd) Oh, you would love this movie, Dad. Want to watch it with me? The COLONEL looks at him sharply, then: COLONEL No. He quickly walks down the hall. RICKY smiles, shuts and locks his door. He puts the plastic cup on the shelf, then crosses to a MINI REFRIGERATOR in the corner of his room and opens it. He takes out a cup-sized TUPPERWARE CONTAINER from the freezer, already filled with urine, albeit frozen, and places it on a saucer to thaw overnight. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT Carolyn lies sleeping; Lester is awake, staring at the ceiling. After a moment, he gets up taking care not to disturb Carolyn, and walks toward the bathroom. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BATH - CONTINUOUS LESTER enters and switches on the LIGHT. the ROOM is filled with STEAM. Lester looks around, confused, then focuses on: His POV: across from us, IN a PEDESTAL BATHTUB, is Angela. She smiles and beckons us, and we MOVE CLOSER. ROSE PETALS float on the surface of the water, obscuring her naked body. ANGELA I've been waiting for you. LESTER kneels By the BATHTUB like a MAN IN church. ANGELA reaches out and feels his biceps. ANGELA (cont'd) Oh! You've been working out, haven't you? I can tell. She arches her BACK, and her breasts protrude Through the surface of the water. She looks up at Lester. ANGELA (cont'd) I was hoping you'd give me a bath... I'm very, very dirty. LESTER gives her a hard look, then slowly slips his hand into the water between her legs. Her eyes widen and she throws her head back... and we SMASH CUT TO: INT. BURNHAM HOUSE 0- MASTER BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS CLOSE on Carolyn, her eyes wide, listening to the rhythmic BRUSH of Lester's hand as he masturbates under the covers. She flips over and faces him. CAROLYN What are you doing? A beat. LESTER What does it look like I'm doing? I'm whacking off. CAROLYN What?! She switches on the bedside light and gets out OF bed. Lester LAUGHS. LESTER Spanking the monkey. Flogging the bishop. Choking the chicken. Jerking the gherkin. CAROLYN How disgusting. LESTER Oh. Well, forgive me, but I still have blood pumping through my veins! A beat. Carolyn sits IN a chair across the ROOM from him. CAROLYN Lester. I refuse to live like this. This is not a marriage. LESTER This hasn't been a marriage for years. But you were perfectly happy as long as I kept my mouth shut. Well, guess what? I've changed. And the new me whacks off when he feels horny, because you're obviously not going to help me out in that department. CAROLYN (furious) Don't mess with me, mister, or I will divorce you so fast it'll make your head spin! LESTER On what grounds? I'm not a drunk, I don't fuck other women, I've never hit you, or mistreated you, or even tried to touch you since you made it clear just how unnecessary you consider me to be. But. I did support you while you got your license. And some people might think that entitles me to half of what's yours. She's stunned - it's clear he knows where she's most vulnerable. He sees this, and likes it; it feels good to win for a change. He curls up under the covers contentedly. LESTER (cont'd) Turn the light off when you come to bed, okay? Carolyn just sits there, staring at him with absolute hatred. FADE to BLACK. FADE IN: EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - EARLY MORNING We're FLYING high above the neighborhood, like in Lester's dream at the beginning. Below us we see the two Jims, jogging. We approach them steadily. LESTER (V.O.) It's a great thing to realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about... EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS We're now at street level, FOLLOWING the two Jims. LESTER (O.C.) Hey! You guys! Still running, the Jims turn back in perfect unison to see: Their POV: LESTER, IN a baggy sweatshirt and a pair OF faded old Ithaca College sweatpants, runs toward them. They slow down until He catches UP, then the three men RUN together in the early morning light. JIM #2 Lester, I didn't know you ran. LESTER (panting) Just started. JIM #1 Good for you. LESTER I figured you guys might be able to give me some pointers. I need to shape up. Fast. JIM #1 Well, are you just looking to lose weight, or do you want increased strength and flexibility as well? LESTER I want to look good naked. EXT. FITTS HOUSE - LATER The COLONEL is washing his Ford Explorer, squatting to scrub the bumper, when something catches his eye: His POV: LESTER and the Jims jog down the street. The Colonel stands, scowling. Ricky comes out of the house, holding the URINE SPECIMEN CUP in front of him. RICKY Here you go, Dad. Fresh-squeezed. But the Colonel doesn't take it; he just keeps staring at the joggers, frowning. COLONEL What is this, the fucking gay pride parade? Just then, LESTER sees RICKY and waves. LESTER Yo! Ricky! He breaks off from the two Jims, slapping one OF them on the back as he does, then heads down the Fitts' driveway. The Colonel turns and looks at Ricky, uneasy. RICKY That's Mr. Burnham. He lives next door. LESTER jogs UP to them, out OF breath. He grabs hold OF his knees and bends over, panting. LESTER My entire e life is flashing in front of my eyes, and those two barely broke a sweat. He LAUGHS, and extends his hand to the Colonel. LESTER (cont'd) Hi, I'm Lester Burnham. COLONEL (shakes) Colonel Frank Fitts, U.S. Marine Corps. LESTER Whoa. Welcome to the neighborhood, sir. He salutes the COLONEL good-naturedly, grinning. the COLONEL doesn't think it's funny. An awkward beat. LESTER (cont'd) So, Ricky, uh, when you get a chance, I just... (stalls, then, pointed) I just was thinking about that movie you told me about... RICKY (quickly) RE-ANIMATOR. Yeah. I've got it on tape. Want to borrow it? (before Lester can answer) It's up in my room. Come on. He heads into the house. LESTER smiles at the COLONEL, then follows him. The Colonel watches them go, his eyes dark. INT. FITTS HOUSE - living ROOM MOMENTS LATER CLOSE on a TV: We're watching a NATURE DOCUMENTARY. Pale, swollen ocean-bottom creatures lunge toward their unsuspecting prey in SLOW MOTION. BARBARA FITTS sits across from the TV, looking somewhere IN its general direction. Ricky and Lester enter. RICKY Mom. This is Lester. He lives next door. BARBARA (distant) All right, be careful. RICKY and LESTER head UP the stairs. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER RICKY enters, followed By Lester. RICKY Can you hold his for a sec? He gives the URINE SPECIMEN to LESTER, then locks the door. RICKY (cont'd) I don't think my dad would try to come in when somebody else is here, but you never know. RICKY crosses to a bureau and opens a DRAWER. He takes clothing out and piles it on his bed. LESTER (re: urine cup) What is this? RICKY Urine. I have to take a drug test every six months to make sure I'm clean. LESTER Are you kidding? You just smoked with me last night. RICKY It's not mine. One of my clients is a nurse in a pediatrician's office. I cut her a deal, she keeps me in clean piss. LESTER Sweet. Lester picks up a CD case from a shelf and examines it: it's The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. LESTER (cont'd) You a Beatles fan? RICKY I like a lot of music. LESTER (mockingly) When everybody else in junior high was listening to the Beatles, I was into Three Dog Night. He shakes his head, then puts the CD Case down. RICKY, Having emptied the drawer, now removes a FALSE BOTTOM, revealing rows of MARIJUANA tightly packed in ZIP-LOC BAGS. RICKY How much do you want? LESTER Uh, I'm not sure. It's been a while. How much is an ounce? RICKY (indicates bag) Well, this is totally decent, and it's three hundred. LESTER Wow. RICKY (indicates another bag) But this shit is top of the line, It's called G-143. Genetically engineered by the U.S. Government. Extremely potent. But a completely mellow high, no paranoia. LESTER Is that what we smoked last night? RICKY This is all I ever smoke. LESTER How much? RICKY Two grand. LESTER Jesus. Things have certainly changed since 1973. RICKY You don't have to pay now. I know you're good for it. A beat. LESTER Thanks. RICKY hands him a bag OF the Top-OF-the-line dope. RICKY There's a card in there with my beeper number, feel free to call me anytime day a or night. Oh, and I only accept LESTER (looks around room) Well, now I know how you can afford all this equipment. When I was your age, I worked at McDonald's all summer just to buy an eight track. RICKY That sucks. LESTER Actually, it was probably the best time of my life. All I did was party and get laid. RICKY starts putting the DRAWER BACK together. RICKY My dad thinks I paid for all this with catering jobs. (laughs) Never underestimate the power of denial. ANGLE ON Lester, smiling. This kid's cool. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - LATER THAT DAY Carolyn, carrying a basket OF fresh cut ROSES, passes By the GARAGE DOOR WINDOW. From inside the garage, we HEAR The Beatles' "COME TOGETHER." Carolyn stops and SNIFFS the air, frowning. She peers through the window. Her POV: LESTER, IN a T- shirt and gym short.9, lies on a new WEIGHT BENCH, doing bench presses with shiny new BARBELLS. INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS Come together blasts from a new BOOMBOX on the floor. LESTER finishes his last rep, straining, then puts the weights in their rack on the bench and sits up, sweaty and out of breath. He takes a drag off a joint, then picks up a BOOK off the floor, a bodybuilding manual titled THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CHEST AND ARMS. Suddenly, the GARAGE DOOR starts to open. Lester looks up, squinting at: His POV: the door raises to reveal Carolyn, silhouetted against the bright sunlight outside, standing in front of the Mercedes-Benz ML320, pointing a REMOTE at us. LESTER just LAUGHS. Carolyn strides IN, still holding her basket of roses, angry. She tries to turn off the BOOMBOX, but every time she pushes a button, it skips to the next song, or he FM tuner, she yanks the power cord out of the wall. LESTER Ooh. Mom's mad. CAROLYN What the hell do you think you're doing? LESTER Bench presses. I'm going to wail on my pecs, and then I'm going to do my back. CAROLYN You're smoking pot now? That's a fine example to set for our daughter. LESTER You're one to talk, you bloodless, money-grubbing freak. Carolyn is furious, But unable to think OF a response, Having accepted that reason is no longer an option with him. CAROLYN (finally, re: equipment) You took the Mercedes to get all this stuff? LESTER Of course I did. The Camry's too small. CAROLYN Were you stoned then? LESTER What are you going to do, ground me? CAROLYN Lester, that is a forty-thousand dollar car. I don't want you driving it when - LESTER Fine. I'll never drive your precious Mercedes again. Big whoop. It's just a glorified station wagon that you paid way too much for because you want to impress people. A beat. Carolyn stands there, powerless and hating it. LESTER (cont'd) Do you mind? I'm trying to work out here. (then, suggestively) Unless you want to spot me. Struggling FOR dignity, Carolyn turns and walks out, then stops at the garage door and turns back to him. CAROLYN You will not get away with this, mister! I promise you! And she's gone. Lester smiles, then leans back on the bench and grabs the weights. LESTER (as he lifts) That's. What. You. Think. INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY CLOSE on a COMPUTER MONITOR: We're in some sort of virtual- reality post-apocalyptic environment. Hideous armed MUTANTS approach from all angles, shooting at us. One by one, they're blown away, their heads EXPLODING in geysers of BLOOD. LESTER (O.C.) Take that, alien bitches! Lester sits in his cubicle at work, glued to his monitor, feverishly handling a JOYSTICK. LESTER (cont'd) Woo-hoo! From the surrounding cubicles, his co-workers watch blankly. INT. BRAD'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER BRAD is seated behind his desk, reading a document. LESTER sits across from him, smiling. BRAD (reads) ...my job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn't so closely resemble hell. (looks up at Lester) Well, you obviously have no interest in saving yourself. LESTER (laughs) I've spent fourteen years being a whore for the advertising industry. The only way I could save myself now is to start firebombing. BRAD Whatever. Management wants you gone by the end of the day. LESTER Whoa. What kind of severance package is "management" prepared to give me? Considering the information I have about our editorial director buying pussy with company money. A beat. LESTER (cont'd) Which I'm sure would interest the I.R.S., since, technically, it does constitute fraud. And some of our advertisers and rival publications might like to know about it as well. Not to mention Craig's wife. A beat. BRAD sighs. BRAD What do you want? LESTER One year's salary, with continued benefits. BRAD That's not going to happen. LESTER What if I throw in a little sexual harassment charge? BRAD LAUGHS. BRAD Against who? LESTER Against you. BRAD stops LAUGHING. LESTER (cont'd) Can you prove you didn't offer to save my job if I'd let you blow me? BRAD leans BACK IN his chair, studying Lester. BRAD Man. You are one twisted fuck. LESTER (standing) Nope. Just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose. LESTER starts toward the door, then: LESTER (cont'd) I hope you and I can still be friends, Brad. And even though you didn't save my job... (smiling) You can still blow me, asshole. And He exits. INT. RESTAURANT - the same DAY Carolyn sits at a table By herself, lost IN thought. there are two menus on the table. After a moment, Leonard Kane, the Real Estate King, joins her. Upon seeing him, Carolyn immediately becomes warm and gracious. CAROLYN Leonard. LEONARD Carolyn. Carolyn smiles, genuinely touched THAT He remembers her name. LEONARD (cont'd) I'm so sorry I kept you waiting. Christy left for New York this morning, and... let's just say things were very hectic around my house. CAROLYN What's she doing in New York? LEONARD She's moving there. (off Carolyn's look) We're splitting up. CAROLYN Leonard. I'm so sorry. She places her hand on his, Suddenly deeply concerned. LEONARD (bitterly) Yes, according to her1 I'm too focused on my career. As if being driven to succeed is some sort of character flaw. Of course, she certainly took advantage of the lifestyle my success afforded her (then laughing) Believe me, it's for the best. CAROLYN But when I saw you two at the party the other night, you seemed perfectly happy. LEONARD Well, call me crazy, but... it's my philosophy that to actually be successful, one must project an image of success, at all times. He smiles, then opens his menu. Carolyn picks hers UP mechanically, but continues to stare at him, enraptured, like a fervent Christian who's just come face to face with Jesus. EXT. high SCHOOL CAMPUS - LATER THAT DAY Students pour out OF the BUILDING at the end OF the day. we follow Jane and Angela as they head toward the parking lot. A handsome teenage JOCK walks past them. JOCK (to Angela, grabbing his crotch) Just say the word, baby, and it's yours. ANGELA Great. Wrap it up and I'll take it home. Oh, and I'd like thin slices, please. JOCK (laughs) You know you want it, you stuck-up bitch. And he's gone. JANE What is with you? Everyone I know is dying to do it with him. ANGELA Oh, please. I would totally fall asleep. Trust me, Jane, once you've fucked that black guy who does the Polo ads, you're a little spoiled. She spots something and grabs Jane's arm. JANE Ow. ANGELA Look. Her POV: RICKY stands at the edge OF the parking lot with his VIDEO CAMERA, videotaping something on the ground at his feet. ON VIDEO: A dead BIRD lays on the asphalt, decomposing, covered with ants and flies. ANGEL (O.C.) (cont'd) What are you doing? On VIDEO: the camera JERKS UP to discover JANE and ANGELA staring at us. RICKY (O.C.) I was filming this dead bird. ANGELA Why? RICKY (O.C.) Because it's beautiful. On VIDEO: ANGELA looks at JANE, trying not to laugh. ANGELA I think maybe you forgot your medication today, mental boy. On VIDEO: she falls out OF frame as we ZOOM IN on Jane. RICKY (O.C.) Hi, Jane. JANE (uncomfortable) Look. I want you to stop filming me. RICKY lowers the CAMERA. RICKY Okay. He looks at her, curious, his eyes searching hers. she finally has to look away. ANGELA Hey, I have an idea! Let's all go to the mall together. (off Jane's look) He can film us doing things. JANE What kind OF things? ANGELA I don't know. (to Ricky, suggestive) What kind of things do you like to film? RICKY (looking at Jane) Things that are beautiful. ANGELA Okay. We can take my car. ANGELA starts off. JANE looks doubtful, But follows. RICKY (to Jane) Do you do everything she says? JANE (defensive) No. I want to go. RICKY Okay. Just making sure. EXT. Top HAT MOTEL - the same DAY Carolyn's Mercedes-Benz ML320 is parked next to a forest green JAGUAR CONVERTIBLE with a VANITY LICENSE PLATE that reads "R E KING." INT. Top HAT MOTEL - CONTINUOUS Carolyn and Leonard are in the middle of sex. Dramatic, pyrotechnic, vocal sex. CAROLYN Yes! Oh, God, yes! LEONARD You like getting nailed by the king? CAROLYN Yes! I love it! Oh, yes! Fuck me, your majesty! INT. TOYOTA CAMRY - the same DAY LESTER drives, smoking a joint. He SINGS along to the Beatles' "GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE" on the STEREO. LESTER I WAS ALONE, I TOOK A RIDE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD FIND THERE... ANOTHER ROAD, WHERE MAYBE I COULD SEE ANOTHER KIND OF MIND THERE... He trails off, as something outside catches his attention: His POV: A FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT called SMILEY'S. The logo on the sign features a yellow SMILEY-FACE with a red tongue licking its smiling lips. Underneath it, plastic letters spell out: NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS. Lester's face suddenly takes on a far-away expression. INT. SMILEY'S - MOMENT LATER A slightly overweight TEENAGE GIRL mans the counter; behind her, a couple of slow-moving teenagers work... vaguely. They all wear bright yellow uniforms and white BASEBALL CAPS which feature the SMILEY'S logo. Lester enters, straightening his tie, and crosses to the counter. COUNTER GIRL (zombie like) Smile, you're at Smiley's Would you like to try our new bacon and egg fajita, just a dollar twenty- nine for a limited time only? LESTER Actually, I'd like to fill out an application. She stares at him, confused By his age and attire. COUNTER GIRL There's not jobs for manager, it's just for counter. LESTER Good. I'm looking for the least possible amount of responsibility. INT. SMILEY'S - LATER LESTER sits at a booth with the MANAGER, a greasy kid wearing a white short sleeve shirt and a tie covered with the Smiley's logo. He looks over Lester's application baffled. MANAGER I don't think you'd fit in here. LESTER I have fast food experience. MANAGER Yes, like twenty years ago. LESTER Well, I'm sure there have been amazing technological advancements in the industry, but... surely you have some sort of training process. It seems unfair to presume I won't be able to learn. The Manger frowns, unconvinced. LESTER (cont'd) Should you choose not to hire me, I have to assume it's because of my age, which I can only interpret as discrimination and would have to take up with my attorney. The Manager sighs and runs an hand through his greasy hair, wondering what he could possibly have done to deserve this. EXT. HIGHWAY - LATER Artificial Joy Club's "SICK AND BEAUTIFUL" blasts as Angela's BMW speeds down the highway. INT. ANGELA'S BMW - CONTINUOUS ON VIDEO: Angela is driving; Jane is in the passenger seat. We're watching from the back as they pass a JOINT. Angela spots us in the REAR VIEW MIRROR and turns back to us. ANGELA Hi. I'm Angela, and welcome to my car. My guest today is Jane Burnham. Jane, why don't you tell us about yourself? JANE No ANGELA Oh, come on. (a pointed look to us) I'm sure our audience wants to know all about you. JANE Angela, look out! ANGELA turns BACK around to see THAT traffic has Suddenly backed up in front of her. She slams on the BRAKES. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Angela's BMW SCREECHES to halt, almost colliding with the car in front of her. INT. ANGELA'S BMW - CONTINUOUS ANGELA and JANE sit there, stunned, breathing heavily. RICKY seems completely unaffected. RICKY What's going on? JANE I think there's been a wreck. RICKY Really? A big one? He rolls down a window, then starts to climb out OF it. ANGELA What are you doing? EXT. ANGELA'S BMW - CONTINUOUS RICKY hangs out OF the CAR window, focusing his VIDEO camera as the traffic inches forward. On VIDEO: over the roofs OF the cars IN front OF us, we see the flashing LIGHTS of police cars and an ambulance, as well as FLARES on the pavement. One car is completely totaled, and PARAMEDICS are utilizing MACHINERY to release the driver. BACK on RICKY, hanging out the window. RICKY Wow. I've always wanted to see the Jaws of Life. INT. ANGELA'S BMW - CONTINUOUS ANGELA What the fuck is he talking about? They're pulling up alongside the accident now. Jane cranes her neck to look. Her POV: the paramedics pull the bloody, broken BODY OF a young man out of the car. JANE (disgusted) Oh God. ANGELA Gross. There goes dinner. Past the accident Now, They return to normal speed with the rest of the traffic. Ricky climbs back into the car. RICKY That was amazing. JANE (snort) What was amazing about it? A beat. RICKY When you see something like that, it's like God is looking right at you, just for a second. And if you're careful, you can look right back. ANGELA rolls her eyes. But JANE looks at RICKY, intrigued. JANE And what do you see? RICKY Beauty. JANE (after a beat) Is it only dead things? RICKY seems surprised By This question. RICKY No. Not at all. No, it's everywhere. You just have to be open to it. He looks at her, curious, his eyes searching hers. This time, she doesn't look away. He smiles. Jane almost smiles back... then: JANE (to Angela) You know what? Let's bag the mall. It's boring. She glances BACK over her shoulder at RICKY and smiles. ANGELA Whatever. (to Ricky) Hey, turn that camera back on, and do like it's my talk show again. That was fun. RICKY I'd rather not. His POV: ANGELA glares at us IN REAR view MIRROR. INT. Top HAT MOTEL - the same DAY Carolyn and Leonard are IN bed, post-sex, eating Club sandwiches from room service. CAROLYN That was exactly what I needed. The royal treatment, so to speak. She HOWLS, as if This were the funniest thing ever said. CAROLYN (cont'd) I was soooo stressed out. LEONARD Know what I do when I get that way? Carolyn sits UP FOR This, eager to learn from the master. LEONARD (cont'd) I fire a gun. CAROLYN (intrigued) Really. LEONARD Yep. I go to this little firing range downtown, pop off a few rounds, and it always makes me feel better. CAROLYN (embarrassed) I've never fired a gun before. LEONARD Oh, you have to try it. Nothing makes you feel more powerful. He grins, then reaches FOR her. LEONARD (cont'd) Well, almost nothing. Carolyn GASPS as his hand reach her neck. She's living some kind of dream here, and she makes her most seductive face as he pulls her to him... INT. RECORD STORE - the same DAY LESTER, still IN his business suit, But Now wearing a Smiley's BASEBALL CAP, approaches the checkout counter with a stack of about twenty CDs. The CLERK, a young, trendy kid wearing a BACKWARD BASEBALL CAP, starts going through the CDs. We see the covers as he scans them: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix... CLERK Catching up? LESTER Yep. LESTER stands there, Smiling, as the clerk rings UP his sale. After a beat, he flips his baseball cap around so it's backwards. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - LATER Angela's BMW pulls close to, but not into, the Burnham's driveway. Jane and Ricky climb out, and Angela pulls off, her tires SQUEALING as she goes. JANE What's her problem? RICKY She doesn't like when you're not totally focused on her. They start down the driveway. JANE So, what's the most beautiful thing you've ever filmed? A beat. RICKY I'll show it to you. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER Barbara Fitts sits absolutely still at the kitchen table, staring off into space as if hypnotized. Behind her, Ricky enters through the back door, followed by Jane. Barbara doesn't seem to hear them. Ricky quietly takes his VIDEO CAMERA out of his backpack and focuses it on his mother. ON VIDEO: We CIRCLE Barbara slowly until we're focused on her face. We stay on her for a long beat, then: RICKY (O.C.) Mom (no response) Mom ON VIDEO: Barbara's eyes flutter and she turns to us slowly. BARBARA (pleasant) Yes? RICKY (O.C.) What were you just thinking about? BARBARA I... (thinks) No. Nothing. RICKY (O.C.) Wow. People study meditation for years to be able to reach that same state of mind. BARBARA Huh. What do you know. RICKY (O.C.) Mom, I want you to meet somebody. She's standing behind you. ON VIDEO: Barbara turns to Jane, who's embarrassed by this. RICKY (cont'd) This is Jane. BARBARA Oh, my. I apologize for the way things look around here. On VIDEO: JANE glances around. the KITCHEN is spotless. INT. FITTS HOUSE - THE COLONEL'S STUDY - MOMENTS LATER We HEAR KEY TURNING IN the lock, then the door opens and Ricky enters, holding a RING OF KEYS, followed by Jane. RICKY This is where my Dad hides out. GLASS CASES filled with GUNS line the walls. JANE Wow. I take it he's got a thing for guns. RICKY crosses to a built-IN CABINET behind the desk. RICKY You got to see this one thing... He unlocks the CABINET and opens it, revealing shelves stacked with WAR MEMORABILIA. RICKY (cont'd) Man, he would kill me if he knew I was in here... JANE Did you steal his keys? RICKY No. One of my clients is a locksmith. He was short on cash so I let him pay me in trade. He reaches into the CABINET and carefully removes an oval CHINA PLATTER which he hands to Jane. She examines it RICKY (cont'd) Turn it over. CLOSE on the bottom OF the plate: a small SWASTIKA is imprinted in the center, surrounded by GERMAN LETTERING. JANE Oh my God. RICKY It's like official state china from the Third Reich. There's like this whole subculture of people who collect this Nazi shit. But my dad just has this one thing. He puts the platter back into the cabinet and shuts the door, then notices Jane looking at him oddly. RICKY (cont'd) What's wrong? JANE Nothing. RICKY (concerned) No, you're scared of me. JANE No I'm not. But she is. RICKY studies her. RICKY Come on, let's go to my room INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER RICKY enters, followed By Jane. He shuts the door, then takes his VIDEO CAMERA out of his backpack. Jane looks around at all the AUDIO/VIDEO EQUIPMENT. JANE So let me guess: you want to be, like a movie director or something. He doesn't answer, he just starts to videotape her. JANE (cont'd) (irritated) Ha. I should have known. You're just like every other dweeb who worships Quentin Tarantino for the same reason you can't let go of that camera: because you don't know how to be a real person in real life. It's so obvious. RICKY You think you're not obvious? You sit in front of your mirror, wondering what it would be like to be beautiful, like Angela. But the truth is, you're more beautiful than she'll ever be. Because you're more real. Because you... He starts to SING, IN a clear, deep voice. RICKY (cont'd) YOU... LIGHT UP MY LIFE... JANE stares at him, unsure whether she should laugh or run. RICKY (cont'd) YOU GIVE ME HOPE... TO CARRY ON... She Finally LAUGHS. He lowers the camera and smiles. RICKY (cont'd) Want to see the most beautiful thing I've ever filmed? INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - LATER On VIDEO: were IN an empty parking lot on a cold, gray day. Something is floating across from us... it's an empty, wrinkled, white PLASTIC BAG. We follow it as the wind carries it in a circle around us, sometimes whipping it about violently, or, without warning, sending it soaring skyward, then letting it float gracefully down to the ground... Jane sits on the bed. She watches Ricky's WIDE-SCREEN TV, her brow furrowed, trying to figure out why this is beautiful. From a chair across the ROOM, RICKY watches, smiling. RICKY It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it, right? And this bag was like, dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. And that's the day I knew there was this entire life behind things, and ... this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid. Ever. A beat. RICKY (cont'd) Video's a poor excuse. But it helps me remember... and I need to remember... Now JANE is watching him. RICKY (cont'd) (distant) Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in. He points a REMOTE at the TV and switches it off, then just sits there lost in thought, not unlike his mother. After a moment, JANE gets up. RICKY watches impassively as she kneels in front of him and takes his hands and kisses them. Then she leans up and kisses him softly on the lips. His eyes scan hers, curious to see how she reacts to this... JANE (suddenly) Oh my God. What time is it? INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - DINING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER We HEAR Jack Jones singing "YOU'D BETTER LOVE ME." Lester is seated at the dining table, in a T-shirt and jeans, eating his dinner voraciously and drinking beer from a bottle. Across from him, Carolyn picks at her food, watching him with contempt. He HEAR the back door SLAM, then Jane enters and quickly takes her seat at the table. JANE Sorry I'm late. CAROLYN That's quite all right, dear. Your father and I were just discussing his day at work. (to Lester) Why don't you tell our daughter about it, honey? JANE stares at both her parents, apprehensive. LESTER looks at Carolyn darkly, then flashes a "you-asked-for-it" grin. LESTER Janie, today I quit my job. I also told my boss to fuck himself, and then blackmailed him for almost sixty-thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus. CAROLYN Your father seems to think this kind of behavior is something to be proud of. LESTER And your mother seems to prefer I go through life like a fucking prisoner while she keeps my dick in a mason jar under the sink. CAROLYN (ashen) How dare you speak to me like that in front of her? LESTER Will someone please pass me the asparagus? CAROLYN (to Lester) I hope you don't think for one minute I'm going to support you LESTER I already have another job. JANE (rises Okay, guys? I'm not going to be a part of this. LESTER (means it) Sit down. JANE does So immediately, surprised and intimidated By the power in her father's voice. Lester gets up, crosses to the other side of the table to get a PLATE OF ASPARAGUS, then sits again as he serves himself. LESTER (cont'd) I'm sick of being treated like I don't exist. You both do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it and I don't complain. All I want is the same courtesy - CAROLYN (overlapping) Do you really think - LESTER hurls the plate OF asparagus against the wall with such force it SHATTERS, frightening Carolyn and Jane. LESTER Don't interrupt me, honey. He goes BACK to eating his meal, as if nothing unusual has happened. Carolyn sits in her chair, shivering with rage. Jane just stares at the plate in front of her. "YOU'D BETTER LOVE ME" continues to play on the STEREO. LESTER (cont'd) Oh, and another thing. From now on, we're going to alternate our dinner music. Because frankly, and I don't think I'm alone here, I'm really tired of this Lawrence Welk shit. EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS The Colonel's Ford Explorer winds down the street. INT. COLONEL'S FORD EXPLORER - CONTINUOUS The COLONEL drives, stoic as always. something outside catches the Colonel's eye. His POV: We're driving past the two Jims' house. They're reclining in their SWING, their dog Bitsy curled up at their feet. One Jim runs his hand through the other's hair and kisses him lightly. The Colonel stares, 0utraged. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - LATER JANE is sprawled on her bed, talking on the phone. JANE Oh my God, Angela, it was like they both turned into maniacs right in from of me. And I think my ad was high... There is a KNOCK at the door. JANE (cont'd) I'll have to call you back. She hangs up the phone, then calls out: JANE (cont'd) Go. Away. CAROLYN (O.C.) Honey, please let me in. JANE rolls her eyes, crosses to the door and opens it. CAROLYN (cont'd) (entering) I wish you hadn't witnessed that awful scene tonight. But in a way, I'm glad. JANE Why, so I could see what freaks you and Dad really are? CAROLYN Me? She stares at JANE, then starts to cry. JANE Aw, Christ, Mom. CAROLYN (tearful) The reason I'm glad is because you're old enough to learn the most important lesson in life: you cannot count on anyone except yourself. It's sad, but the and the sooner you learn it, the better off you'll be. JANE Look, I really don't feel like having a Kodak moment, here - Carolyn Suddenly SLAPS JANE, hard. CAROLYN You ungrateful little brat. Just look at everything you have. When I was your age, I lived in a duplex. We didn't even have our own house. Embarrassed By her behavior, she quickly leaves. JANE sits on the bed for a moment, rubbing her cheek. Then crosses to the window and looks out. EXT. FITTS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Jane's POV: We're across from Ricky's room, peering in. He's moved his desk chair over by the window, where he sits with his VIDEO CAMERA, videotaping us. On the WIDE ~ TV behind him, we see Jane standing in her window as she looks across at him. She waves. Ricky just keeps videotaping. A beat, then she starts to unbutton her shirt. INT. FITTS HOUSE - THE COLONEL'S STUDY - CONTINUOUS We HEAR KEYS TURNING, then the door opens and the COLONEL enters, still disturbed by what he just saw. He places his briefcase and KEYS on the desk, then sits and tries to sort through the mail in his hand. Unable to concentrate, he throws the mail down, angry. He sits very still for a moment, some internal struggle obviously taking place, then grabs his KEYS off the desk and turns to unlock the built-in CABINET behind the desk, only to find that it's already open... INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS We're behind Ricky, as he videotapes Jane in her window. She has now removed her shirt and jeans. She stands there in her bra and panties, then reaches behind her back to unhook the bra... On VIDEO: we ZOOM toward JANE as she takes off her bra clumsily. She's obviously embarrassed, but she's gone this far and there's no turning back. She stands there with her breasts exposed, trying to look defiant, but she's achingly vulnerable. We continue ZOOMING toward her face, as close as we can get to the desperate yearning in her eyes... Suddenly, the door is thrown open and the Colonel enters, incensed, carrying his KEYS. Startled, Ricky turns around. As soon as his eyes meet his father's, he knows what's up. RICKY Dad, I just wanted to show- COLONEL You little bastard - He lunges toward RICKY, who scrambles to dodge him. But the Colonel is too fast and too agile; he quickly grabs the boy by the throat and shoves him up against the wall. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Jane's POV: In the WINDOW across from us, the Colonel proceeds to give Ricky a serious beating, punching his face. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - Continuous Ricky's lip is bleeping, but he maintains a clear steady gaze at this father during this violence. COLONEL (unnerved) Fight back you little pussy! RICKY No, sir. I won't fight you. Gradually, the COLONEL winds down. He lets go OF RICKY and sinks into a chair, breathing hard. COLONEL How did you get in there? RICKY I picked the lock. COLONEL What were you looking for? Money? Are you on dope again? RICKY No sir. I was showing my girlfriend your Nazi plate. A beat. COLONEL Girlfriend? RICKY Yes, sir. She lives next door. The Colonel glances toward the window. His POV: IN the window across from us, JANE peeks out from behind the curtain. She quickly pulls it shut. RICKY (cont'd) Her name's Jane. A beat. the COLONEL is Suddenly, deeply shamed. COLONEL This is for your own good, boy. You have no respect for other people's things, for authority, for... anything. RICKY I know. I'm sorry. COLONEL You need structure, you need discipline - RICKY (simultaneous) Discipline. I know. Thank you for trying to teach me. (then) Don't give up on me, Dad. The COLONEL, still breathing heavily, regards his son. FOR the briefest moment, we see a flash of tenderness across his face, but then it's gone. He gets up. COLONEL You stay out of there. He leaves, quickly, glancing BACK toward the window on his way out. Ricky then gets up and goes into his bathroom, where he starts to calmly wash the blood from his face. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE' S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS JANE sits on her bed crying, shaken By What she just saw. INT. FITTS HOUSE - THE COLONEL'S STUDY - CONTINUOUS The COLONEL enters, still breathing heavily, and locks the door behind him. He paces for a moment, agitated, then crosses to the built-in CABINET behind his desk and opens it. He removes the Nazi platter and gingerly places it on the desk, then does the same with several other items until he uncovers a small METAL BOX. He sits behind the desk, staring at the box, troubled. He finally opens it. ANGLE ON the open box: it's filled with PHOTOGRAPHS. The Colonel pulls one from the bottom of the box... CLOSE on the grainy BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPH IN his callused hands: it's of TWO YOUNG SERVICEMEN standing in front of a Jeep, both shirtless and wearing fatigues. Their muscular arms are draped lazily around each other's shoulders as they grin for the camera. One of these men is the Colonel himself, albeit much younger - almost thirty years younger. CLOSE on the Colonel's face as he studies the photo. His breathing has finally relaxed; his face has gone vacant. INT. FITTS HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT It's late at night. We're looking down on the Colonel and Barbara in bed. She SNORES softly, but the Colonel is awake, staring straight up at us. After a moment he pushes the covers back, gets out of bed and exits the room noisily, but Barbara is sleeping the sleep of the dead and doesn't wake. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER The COLONEL enters, agitated. He flips on the LIGHTS, then opens the refrigerator, scans its contents, and closes the door without having noticed what was inside. He paces around the kitchen, then stops in his tracks when he sees: His POV: Through the window over the sink, we can see Through the GARAGE DOOR WINDOW of the Burnham house next door. Inside the garage, Lester, wearing only briefs, stands doing shoulder presses. His upper body, glistening in sweat, is pumped. The COLONEL quickly crosses to the light switch and switches the LIGHTS OFF. He stands absolutely still for a moment, then drags a chair from the kitchen table over to the sink and sits in the dark, watching Lester. FADE to BLACK. IN darkness, we HEAR repetitive GUNSHOTS. FADE IN: INT. INDOOR FIRING RANGE - DAY Carolyn, wearing PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR, is holding a GLOCK 19 AUTOMATIC REVOLVER with both hands, FIRING it directly at us. A DIFFERENT ANGLE reveals she is at an INDOOR FIRING range. She empties a round and stands there, exhilarated by the experience. An ATTENDANT approaches with a new round of ammunition. ATTENDANT (loading gun) I gotta say, Mrs. Burnham, when you first came in here, I thought you would be hopeless. But you're a natural. CAROLYN Well, all I know is... She starts FIRING again. CAROLYN (cont'd) I love shooting this gun! INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML3020 - LATER Ella Fitzgerald sings "GET HAPPY" on the RADIO. Carolyn drives SINGING along. Her face has dropped the resolute determination we're used to; she's actually enjoying herself spontaneously, and the lack of her usual self-consciousness allows us to see just how beautiful she is. She reaches over suddenly and opens the glove compartment. ANGLE ON the open glove compartment: Carolyn's GLOCK 19 rests on top of some CDs. Carolyn takes the gun out and holds it at arm's length, admiring it as she continues to SING. EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 turns onto ROBIN Hood Trail. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS Carolyn's POV: We approach the Burnham house and turn into the driveway. A red 1972 PONTIAC GTO with black racing stripes blocks our access to the garage. We come to a stop. ANGLE ON Carolyn's face as she stares at the GTO. She doesn't like having things in her way. ANGLE ON Carolyn's face as she stares at the GTO. She doesn't like having things in her way. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER CLOSE on the TV screen: The "FLINTSTONES" THEME SONG plays, and Fred Flintstone bangs on the door of his prehistoric home, yelling, "Wilma!" as the closing credits scroll past. LESTER is sprawled on the couch IN his underwear, drinking a beer and watching TV. His working out is beginning to produce results. Carolyn enters through the kitchen. She stands there, staring at Lester. After a moment, he looks up at her. LESTER What? CAROLYN Whose car is that out front? LESTER Mine. 1972 Pontiac GTO. The car I always wanted and now I have it. I rule! CAROLYN Where's the Camry? LESTER I traded it in. CAROLYN Shouldn't you have consulted me first? LESTER Hm. Let me think... No. (off her look) You never drove it. A beat. CAROLYN Where's Jane? LESTER (mimicking her) Where's the Camry? Where's Jane? Where's my butt? (then) I don't know where Jane is. She's probably as far away from you as she could get. Carolyn regards him Through narrow eyes, filled with hate. CAROLYN (quietly) I'm not as helpless as you think I am. He looks UP at her. Carolyn holds his gaze FOR a beat, then turns and walks out of the room. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS We HEAR Babybird's "ATOMIC SODA." ON VIDEO: We're outside, in a wooded area, looking up at the sun through tree branches, then we PAN down to see a path through the trees in front of us. SOMETHING OUT OF FOCUS crosses by in front us, obscuring our view. We slowly ZOOM back and see that it's Jane, or rather, just a corner of her face, as she looks at us, her eyes shining. Her hand brushes the hair off her face and we stay on her hand. It swings back and forth gracefully she walks ahead in front of us... we JUMP CUT to: ON VIDEO: CLOSE on Jane's naked calves, her jeans rolled up, as she dangles her feet in a pond. The water RIPPLES in concentric circles every time she dips her toes in, not unlike the water in the jail cell sink at the beginning... we JUMP CUT to: ON VIDEO: We're MOVING in a circle, as Jane runs around us in the opposite direction, so that we see only FLASHES OF HER RUNNING by, LAUGHING... JUMP CUT to: On VIDEO: JANE IN profile, looking toward the sky, her yes shut, enjoying the sun on her face. RICKY (O.C.) Jesus, you're beautiful. She looks at us and smiles, her guard down, her face empty OF its usual vaguely contemptuous expression, and, indeed, she is beautiful: young, happy, hopeful. We linger on her face for a moment. She brings her hand up to caress her cheek, and then, still smiling, she slowly flips us the bird... we JUMP CUT to: ON VIDEO: We're looking at Jane's SHADOW, clearly delineated by the bright sun against a textured carpet of fallen leaves on the forest floor. We HEAR her GIGGLE as she makes shadow puppets with her hand, then we MOVE around so that we're looking up at her, silhouetted against the Bun. Even though we can't make out her features, this image seems transcendent, almost religious. ON VIDEO: Jane in Ricky's bed, naked. She quickly pulls a sheet up over her breasts. JANE (shy) Don' t. PULLING BACK, we see we've been watching the WIDE-SCREEN TV in Ricky's room. A CORD leads from the TV to Ricky's VIDEO CAMERA. Ricky holds the camera, sitting naked in his desk chair. It's been almost a month since he was beaten up by his father, and there are a couple of slight SCARS on his face. He's focusing his camera on Jane, who's lying in his bed. We see her image on the TV. Babybird's "ATOMIC SODA" plays on the STEREO. RICKY Why? JANE (re: image on TV) It's okay when you're just filming me, because that's just you, looking at me. But it's weird, watching myself. I don't like how I look. RICKY I can't believe you don't know how beautiful you are. JANE Look, I'm not going to sit here for that shit. She gets out OF bed, takes his camera and focuses it on him. We see his image on the TV as she videotapes. JANE (cont'd) Ha. How does it feel now? RICKY Fine. JANE You don't feel naked? RICKY I am naked. JANE You know what I mean. Jane ZOOMS in on his face, which remains placid, still, expressionless. JANE (cont'd) Tell me about being in the hospital. RICKY smiles. RICKY When I was fourteen, my dad caught me smoking dope. He totally freaked and sent me to military school. I told you his whole thing about structure, and discipline, right? (laughs) Well, of course, I got kicked out. Dad and I had this huge fight, and he hit me... and then the next day, at school, some kid made a crack about my haircut, and I just... snapped. I wanted to kill him. And I would have, if they hadn't pulled me off him. (then) That's when my dad put me in the hospital. They drugged me up and I was there for almost two years. JANE You must really hate him. RICKY He's not really a bad man. He's just one of those people who needs everybody to make the same choices he did. So he can feel good about himself. JANE Yeah, but you lost two whole years of your life. RICKY I didn't lose them. It taught me how to step back, and just... watch, and not take everything so personally. And that's something I needed to learn. That's something everybody needs to learn. He grabs a half-smoked JOINT from an ashtray and LIGHTS it. JANE Well... you better believe I'd hate my father if he did something like that to me. (laughs) Wait. I do hate my father. RICKY Why? He passes her the JOINT, then takes the camera and focuses it on her. We see her image on the TV as he videotapes. JANE He's a total asshole and he's got the hots for my friend Angela and it's disgusting. RICKY What, you'd rather he had the hots for you? JANE Gross, no! (then) But it'd be nice if I was anywhere near as important to him as she is. She LAUGHS, then leans BACK and takes a drag off the joint. JANE I know you think my dad's harmless, but you're wrong. He's doing massive psychological damage to me. RICKY How? JANE looks into the camera, a loopy, stoned grin on her face. JANE Hey. I need structure, okay? I need discipline. She LAUGHS. So does Ricky, and Jane's image on the TV SHAKES a little. She takes a deep drag off the joint, and Ricky ZOOMS in on her face as she exhales. JANE (cont'd) I'm serious, though. How can he not be damaging me? I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts whenever I bring a girlfriend home from school. (snorts) Like he'd ever have a chance with her. What a lame-o. Somebody really should put him out of his misery. A beat. JANE plays with her hair, lost IN thought. RICKY Want me to kill him for you? JANE stares at him incredulously, then LAUGHS. JANE Yeah, would you? RICKY It'll cost you. JANE I've been baby-sitting since I was ten, I've got almost three thousand dollars. I was saving it for a boob job. She stands and shakes her breasts, then falls BACK on to the bed, LAUGHING. JANE (cont'd) But my tits can wait. RICKY You know, that's not a very nice thing to do, hiring somebody to kill your dad. JANE Well, I guess I'm just not a very nice girl, then, am I? She smiles dreamily at him. He turns other camera off and the TV screen goes BLUE. He lowers the camera and looks at her intently. JANE (cont'd) (suddenly nervous) You know I'm not serious, right? RICKY Of course. He puts the camera down and joins JANE on the bed. a long moment where neither of them speaks. He caresses her hair, gazing into her eyes. Jane touches one of the scars on his face. He smiles. RICKY (cont'd) Do you know how lucky we are to have found each other? EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - EARLY MORNING We re FLYING high above ROBIN HOOD TRAIL, just as we were at the beginning, during Lester's dream. We see the BURNHAM1S HOUSE below us as we approach it steadily. The Jims' dog Bitsy looks up at us and BARKS from their yard across the street. LESTER (V.O.) Remember those posters that said, Today is the first day of the rest of your life? Well, that's true of every day except one. (a beat) The day that you die. We're almost on top of the Burnham house now, as Lester, wearing sweatpants and running shoes, bursts out of the front door and dashes up the driveway. EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - a SHORT TIME LATER We're now at street level, BACKING down Robin Hood Trail as Lester runs toward us. He carries a WALKMAN and wears EARPHONES, and we HEAR The Beatles singing "BACK IN THE U.S.S.R." as he runs. The endorphins have kicked in, and Lester grins, reveling in the sheer physical pleasure of his body. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - a SHORT TIME LATER The blender GRINDS as LESTER, still IN his sweatpants, makes himself a high-protein shake. He's in excellent shape - even his posture has changed and he moves with the confident, easy swagger of an athlete. Jane watches him blankly from the kitchen table. Carolyn enters. By now, she hates Lester so much she won't even look at him. As she rinses out a coffee cup, Lester leans against the counter, drinking his shake directly form the blender pitcher, eyeing her. He's got newfound sexual energy that makes her uncomfortable, and he knows it. Carolyn quickly dries off the coffee cup and starts out. CAROLYN Jane, Hurry up. I have a very important appointment - JANE Mom, is it okay if Angela sleeps over tonight? Jane looks at Lester to see how he reacts. He doesn't. CAROLYN Of course it's okay. She's always welcome here. (on her way out) I thought you and Angela might have had a fight. We haven't seen her in a while. And she's gone. Jane continues staring at her father. Finally, he glances over at her. JANE (nervous) I've been too embarrassed to invite her over. Because you always hang around when she comes over, and you, you -stare at her all the time, like you're drunk. It's disgusting. A beat. LESTER If you don't watch out, you're going to turn into a real bitch, just like your mother. JANE is stunned. she quickly rises, trying to get out OF the kitchen before he can see her crying. As she goes, we see the immediate regret in Lester's eyes. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - the same TIME RICKY and the COLONEL sit at the table, eating IN silence. Barbara glides back and forth behind them like a ghost. The Colonel glances at the scars on his son's face... and for a moment, we see the depth of his love for this boy. Then Ricky looks up at him, and the Colonel is suddenly self-conscious. COLONEL How's your food? RICKY It's good. (then) Oh, Dad. I don't need a ride this morning. I'm going to go in with Jane and her mom. COLONEL (startled) Jane? RICKY My girlfriend. Just then, BARBARA leans IN, serving bacon out OF a pan. RICKY (cont'd) Mom. Bacon? BARBARA (cheerful) I know, I remember what you told me, so I made it extra crispy! She crosses off. from outside, we HEAR a CAR HORN, and RICKY gets up from the table. RICKY Gotta go. EXT. FITTS HOUSE - front PORCH - MOMENTS LATER RICKY emerges from the HOUSE, followed By the COLONEL, who watches his son as he heads toward the Burnham house. His POV: Carolyn waves from the MERCEDES-BENZ ML320, flashing an insincere smile. Jane leans forward from the passenger seat and glares at us. As Ricky starts to get in the car, Lester emerges from the house in his sweatpants. LESTER Yo, Ricky. How's it going? RICKY Pretty decent, Mr. Burnham. Then RICKY pulls his door shut, But not before LESTER mouths call me and Ricky gives a slight nod in acknowledgment. CLOSE on the Colonel's face: he looks confused. His POV: The car backs out of the driveway. Lester yawns, stretches and runs his hands up and down his torso absentmindedly...and then he glances at us, suddenly aware he's being watched. He studies us for a beat, then grins and salutes. He LAUGHS as he turns to go inside the house. CLOSE on the Colonel transfixed by what he's just seen, not unlike Lester was when he first saw Angela. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER The door swings open silently and the COLONEL enters. He looks through the stuff on top of Ricky's bureau then opens the drawers, sifting through clothing inside. He opens the DRAWER in which we know Ricky keeps his stash of marijuana, but he doesn't discover its false bottom. He stands and looks around, his eyes finally landing on: A stack of HI-8 VIDEOCASSETTES next to Ricky's computer. The COLONEL turns on the TV: we see Matlock, without sound. The Colonel grabs a random VIDEOCASSETTE from the stack, pops it into the VIDEO CAMERA, which is still connected to the TV, and, after examining the camera, presses the play button. On the TV, Matlock suddenly gives way to... ON VIDEO: Through the Burnham's GARAGE DOOR WINDOW, we see Lester stepping out of his pants. He then pulls off his briefs, and stands there naked, except for black socks. He grabs some dumbbells and starts lifting them over his head; although he's watching his reflection in the window, it looks like he's watching us as we're watching him... The Colonel sinks slowly onto Ricky's bed, mesmerized. EXT. parking lot - LATER THAT DAY Carolyn walks across a parking lot with Leonard Kane, the Real Estate King. CAROLYN You know, I rarely frequent places like this, but... Leonard opens the door OF a BUILDING FOR her. CAROLYN (cont'd) I think I can allow myself junk food, after the workout we had this morning. She SQUEALS with LAUGHTER as They go inside. the door shuts behind them. On it we see the SMILEY'S LOGO. INT. SMILEY'S - CONTINUOUS A FEW people stand IN line at the counter. Carolyn enters with Leonard. He whispers something to her and she LAUGHS uproariously. IN the KITCHEN, which is separated from the counter By a partition made up of various food service equipment, we see Lester, in a Smiley's uniform and baseball cap, flipping burgers on a grill. He recognizes Carolyn's LAUGH and peers over the partition. His POV: Carolyn and Leonard stand at the counter, scanning the menu overhead. She leans against him affectionately. Lester's face darkens, and then... he smiles. He adjusts his cap, and crosses toward the counter. CLOSE on Carolyn and Leonard, peering UP at the menu. CAROLYN What's good here? LEONARD (a grin) Nothing. CAROLYN (turns to him) Then I guess we'll just have to be bad, won't we? And just as they're about to kiss... LESTER (O.C.) Smile, you're at Smiley's. Carolyn almost jumps out of her skin. She stares at us, startled, and quickly disengages herself from Leonard. Her POV: LESTER leers at us, DRIPPING with sarcasm. LESTER (cont'd) Would you like to try our new beef and cheese pot pie on a stick, just a dollar ninety nine, for a limited time only? Carolyn struggles to appear nonchalant. CAROLYN (re: Leonard) We just came from a seminar. (then, all business)) Leonard, this is my - LESTER Her husband. We've met before, but something tells me you're going [to] remember this time. CAROLYN Lester, please don't - LESTER (loving this) Uh-un, You don't get to tell me what to do. Ever again. Carolyn closes her eyes, defeated, then turns and walks out. Leonard glances at Lester, embarrassed, then follows Carolyn. LESTER (cont'd) (calls after them) Smile! You're at Smiley's! EXT. Top HAT MOTEL _ a SHORT TIME LATER The sky is filled with ominous gray clouds, and the wind whips garbage across the parking lot as Carolyn's Mercedes- Benz ML320 pulls in next to Leonard's Jaguar. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS The engine is still running. Carolyn sits IN the driver seat, gripping the wheel tightly and staring straight ahead. Leonard looks at her unhappily. LEONARD I'm sorry. I just think we should cool it for a while. I'm facing a potentially very expensive divorce. CAROLYN Oh, no. I understand completely. (sarcastic) In order to be successful, one must project an image of success. At all times. She regrets it the second it's out of her mouth, and turns to him. He just looks at her sadly, then gets out of the car and shuts the door. She starts to CRY. As before, she SLAPS herself, hard. CAROLYN (cont'd) Stop it. Stop it! She closes her eyes tight, trying to STOP the Tears, then suddenly SCREAMS as loud as she can until she runs out of breath. She opens her eyes, gasping, trying with all her might to overcome this flood of emotion, and then her eyes wander over to... Her POV: the closed glove COMPARTMENT. we ZOOM toward it slowly, knowing that's where she keeps her GLOCK 19. Carolyn takes a breath, shifts into REVERSE and starts to back out of the motel parking lot just as it starts to RAIN. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - THAT NIGHT Jimi Hendrix's "PURPLE HAZE" blasts from the BOOMBOX as Lester, wearing only sweatpants, does a set of preacher curls with dumbbells. He strains as he finishes his last rep, then puts the weights down and looks at his REFLECTION in the window: His POV: his arms are pumped. He smiles. He reaches under the exercise BENCH and grabs a CIGAR BOX. Opening it, he digs through ROLLING PAPERS, a PIPE, and other MARIJUANA PARAPHERNALIA, only to pull out an empty ZIP-LOC BAG. He's really not happy about this. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER RICKY sits at the dinette with his mother and father, eating dinner in silence. BARBARA (out of the blue) I'm sorry, what? RICKY Mom. Nobody said anything. BARBARA Oh. I'm sorry. We HEAR a BEEPING noise. RICKY pulls his BEEPER off his belt and checks it. RICKY (getting up) I have to run next door. My girlfriend left her geometry book in my backpack, and she needs it to do her homework. He heads into the hall. the COLONEL watches him go, uneasy. INT. ANGELA'S BMW - THE SAME TIME It's now RAINING HARD outside. The Smithereens' "BLOOD AND ROSES" BLASTS from the STEREO. Angela drives, squinting through the windshield as the wipers move back and forth. ANGELA So you and psycho boy are fucking on a regular basis now, right? JANE (irritable) No. ANGELA Oh, come on. You can tell me. Does he have a big dick? JANE Look, I don't want to talk about his dick with you. It's not like that. ANGELA Not like what? Doesn't he have one? (then) Jane, don't be a sap and fall for the first guy you have sex with. That is so stupid. JANE You know what's stupid? Only fucking people because you think it'll get you something! That's pathetic. ANGELA rolls her eyes. ANGELA We gotta get you a real man. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS The COLONEL stands at the sink, rinsing off his dinner plate. Something outside catches his eye, and he cranes his neck to get a better look at... His POV: Through the window over the sink, we can see into the Burnham's GARAGE DOOR WINDOW. Our view is slightly blurred by the pouring RAIN, but we see Lester, walking back and forth. his upper body pumped and glistening in sweat as he counts out a wad of BILLS... and then Ricky walks into view. The Colonel's face tightens. His POV: LESTER drapes his arm around RICKY as He gives him the money. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS RICKY, his hair wet from the rain, puts the cash IN his pocket. Lester's arm remains draped around his shoulder. LESTER Wanna smoke some now? RICKY I ought to get back home. LESTER Aw, come on. Just one... RICKY (grins) Got any papers? LESTER Cigar box, under the bench. (laughs) Dude! Put up a fight! You are a total pushover. And He SLAPS RICKY playfully on the chest. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS The Colonel's POV: Lester lets go of Ricky and dances around goofily, still laughing. Ricky sits on the bench and bends over to reach under it. From our perspective, it looks like he's untying his shoes. The COLONEL watches, incredulous. then we HEAR a CAR APPROACHING, and the Colonel glances over at: His POV: Angela's BMW pulls into the driveway, stopping behind Lester's GTO. As Angela and Jane get out and run toward the house, our focus MOVES back to the GARAGE DOOR WINDOW. Lester, hearing the car door SLAM, looks panicked. He says something to Ricky. Ricky stands and shrugs. Lester pulls on his T-shirt and both he and Ricky cross out of view. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FOYER - CONTINUOUS JANE and ANGELA enter Through the front door, wet from the pouring rain, arguing. ANGELA Apparently, dating a psycho makes you totally lose your sense of humor. JANE Yeah, well, apparently, fucking everything that walks turns you into a total bitch. They head BACK toward the kitchen. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS LESTER holds the BACK door open as RICKY leaves. LESTER Thanks RICKY Anytime LESTER closes the door, crosses to the refrigerator and grabs a beer. Jane and Angela enter. Jane frowns when she sees him. JANE Where's Mom? Lester Don't know. ANGELA Hi, Mr. Burnham. LESTER Hi. He's trying to remain cool, and doing a pretty good job. ANGELA Wow. Look at you. Have you been working out? LESTER Some. JANE rolls her eyes and exits. ANGELA walks over to Lester. ANGELA Well, you can really tell. Look at those arms. She places her hand on his arm flirtatiously, looks UP at him and smiles, fully expecting to intimidate him by doing so. But something has changed, and he isn't intimidated at all. He looks directly back at her, leans in and smiles slowly. LESTER You like muscles? His voice is low and intense, and the moment is charged with erotic tension. ANGELA (unnerved) Uh, sure. I guess. She moves away, Suddenly insecure. ANGELA (cont'd) I - I should probably go see what Jane's up to. And she heads out quickly. Lester watches her go, bewildered. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS RICKY enters, wet from the pouring rain, and crosses to his bureau, pulling the wad of CASH out of his pocket as he goes. COLONEL (O.C.) Where'd you get that? RICKY turns, startled. His POV: The Colonel steps out of the shadows. He's staring at us, his eyes blazing. RICKY takes a step back. RICKY From my job. COLONEL Don't lie to me. I saw you with that faggot next door. RICKY (incredulous) What? Are you spying on me? COLONEL What did he make you do? RICKY Dad, you don't really think I... me and Mr. Burnham? He LAUGHS. COLONEL (furious) Don't you laugh at me! And He BACKHANDS RICKY So hard it sends the boy sprawling. COLONEL (cont'd) I will not sit back and watch my only son become a cocksucker! RICKY Jesus Christ! What is it with you and gays? You're like, obsessed - The COLONEL grabs RICKY By the throat and screams into his face. COLONEL Shut up! I'm not the one going next door to meet my "girlfriend!" RICKY Dad, you've got it all wrong - COLONEL I swear to God, I'll throw you out of this house and never look at you again. RICKY (taken aback) You really mean that? COLONEL Damn straight I do. I'd rather you were dead than be a fucking faggot. A beat. RICKY Suddenly smiles. RICKY You're right. I suck dick for money. Look at this, two thousand dollars. I'm that good. The COLONEL pushes RICKY away from him IN disgust. COLONEL Get out. RICKY And you should see me fuck. I'm the best piece of ass in three states. COLONEL (explodes) Get out!! I don't ever want to see you again!! Ricky stands there, eyeing the Colonel. He's finally discovered a way to break free from his father, and he can't believe it was this simple. RICKY What a sad old man you are. He grabs his backpack, turns and walks out the door, leaving the Colonel standing there, glassy-eyed and breathing heavily. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS BARBARA stands at the sink, rinsing one dish FOR an inordinately long period of time. Ricky enters from the hall. RICKY Mom leaving. BARBARA Okay, wear a raincoat. RICKY (hugs her) I wish things had been better for you. Take care of Dad. Frightened, Barbara looks into his face, sensing something's up. He kisses her cheek softly, then exits out the back door, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room, clutching her dish. INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS The Colonel's POV: Below us, Ricky dashes through the rain to the Burnham's aback door and knocks. After a moment, Lester opens it and lets him in. EXT. FITTS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS The Colonel looks coldly down at us from Ricky's bedroom window, and then he pulls the drapes shut. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER BARBARA still stands IN the middle OF the ROOM, clutching her dish. The Colonel enters, opens a cabinet and takes out a BOTTLE OF BOURBON. His hands shake as he pours himself a shot. He sits at the table and drinks. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S ROOM - MOMENT5 LATER JANE and ANGELA are sprawled across the bed, watching Melrose Place. ANGELA Why do you even care? You are way too uptight about sex. JANE Just don't fuck my dad, okay?' Please? It's too weird. I don't think we could be friends anymore. ANGELA Why not? There is a KNOCK on the door. JANE sits UP, alarmed. JANE (angry) Dad! Leave us alone! RICKY (O.C.) It's me. JANE jumps UP and opens the door and lets him in. an awkward beat, as Ricky and Angela stare at each other, then: RICKY (cont'd) (to Jane) If I had to leave tonight, would you come with me? JANE What? RICKY If I went to New York. To live. Tonight. Would you come with me? A beat. JANE Yes. ANGELA You guys can't be serious. (to Jane) You're just a kid. And he's like, a mental case. You'll end up living in a box on the street. JANE I'm no more a kid than you are. Just because you've fucked way more people than I have. And we can use my plastic surgery money. RICKY We won't have to. I have over forty thousand dollars. And I know people in the city, they can help us get set up. ANGELA What, other drug dealers? RICKY Yes. ANGELA Jane, you'd be out of your mind to go him. JANE Why do you even care? ANGELA Because you're my friend. RICKY She's not your friend. She's somebody you use to feel good about yourself. ANGELA Go fuck yourself, psycho. JANE You shut up, bitch! ANGELA Jane! He is a freak! JANE So am I! And we'll always be freaks and we'll never be like other people. And you'll never be a freak because you're like, too perfect. ANGELA Oh, yeah? Well, at least I'm not ugly. RICKY Yeah, you are. And you're boring. You are totally ordinary. And you know it. ANGELA stares at him, stunned, then starts toward the door. ANGELA You two deserve each other. And she exits. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS We're MOVING SLOWLY toward the Burnham's GARAGE DOOR WINDOW through the. RAIN. Through the window, we see Lester, wearing only his sweatpants, performing bench presses. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS Through the window, we see the COLONEL, standing outside IN the pouring rain, watching. We ZOOM slowly in on him as he watches, transfixed. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS His POV: LESTER finishes his last rep, straining, then racks the weights and sits up, sweaty and out of breath. He lights a half finished JOINT and inhales deeply, running his free hand over his chest... and then he glances at us, suddenly aware he's being watched. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS LESTER and the COLONEL stare at each other Through the window. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - MOMENTS LATER The rain is coming down IN sheets Now, and there is a sharp CLAP of THUNDER. We're directly outside the GARAGE DOOR as it slowly lifts to reveal Lester smiling at us. LESTER Jesus, man. You're soaked. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS LESTER pulls the COLONEL inside. the COLONEL moves stiffly and seems preoccupied, slightly disoriented. LESTER You want me to get Ricky? He's up in Jane's room. The COLONEL just stands there, looking at Lester. LESTER (cont'd) You okay? COLONEL (his voice thick) LESTER Uh... Probably off fucking that dorky prince of real estate asshole. And you know what? (laughs) I don't care. EXT. FREEWAY - CONTINUOUS The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 is parked IN the breakdown lane, its HAZARD LIGHTS BLINKING. Cars ZOOM past in the rain. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS Carolyn sits behind the wheel, holding her GLOCK 19, listening to a MOTIVATIONAL TAPE on the STEREO. Her PURSE lies open on the passenger seat. TAPE VOICE ...only by taking full responsibility for your problems - and their solutions - will you break free from the constant cycle of victimhood. Remember: you are only a victim if you choose to be. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS The COLONEL and LESTER, as before COLONEL Your wife is with another man and you don't care. LESTER Nope. Our marriage is just for show. It's a commercial, proving how normal we are, when we are anything but. He grins... and So does the Colonel. LESTER realizes the Colonel is shivering. LESTER (cont'd) Dude. You're shaking. He places his hand on the Colonel's shoulder. The Colonel closes his eyes. LESTER (cont'd) We really should get you out of these clothes. COLONEL (a whisper) Yes... He opens his eyes and looks at LESTER, his face Suddenly filled an anguished vulnerability we wouldn't have thought possible from him. His eyes are brimming with tears. Lester leans in, concerned. LESTER It's okay. COLONEL (hoarse) I... LESTER (softly) Just tell me what you need. The Colonel reaches up and places his hand on Lester's cheek... and then kisses him. Lester is momentarily stunned, and then he pushes the Colonel away. The Colonel's face crumples in shame. LESTER (cont'd) Whoa. You got the wrong idea, pal. I do not go there. The COLONEL stares at the floor, blinking, and then He turns and runs out the open garage door into the rainy night. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS Carolyn is at the wheel, as before. she Suddenly switches off the MOTIVATIONAL TAPE on the STEREO, her face resolute. CAROLYN I refuse to be a victim. She puts the Gun IN her PURSE, and pulls out into traffic. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS LESTER enters, still clad ONLY IN sweatpants, and opens the refrigerator and grabs a BEER. Suddenly we HEAR the opening strains of Etta James singing "AT LAST." Lester opens his beer and starts toward the family room. INT. BURNER HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - CONTINUOUS His POV: as we move slowly around a corner, ANGELA comes into view, standing at the STEREO, holding a CD case. She looks up at us. She's been crying; her face is a little puffy, and her hair mussed. She regards us apprehensively... then puts on a slightly defiant smile. ANGELA I hope you don't mind if I play the stereo... LESTER leans against the wall and takes a swig OF his beer. LESTER Not at all. They stand there in silence; the atmosphere is charged. ANGELA Jane and I had a fight. (after a beat) It was about you. She's trying to be seductive as she says this, but she's pretty bad at it. Lester raises his eyebrows. ANGELA (cont'd) She's mad at me because I said I think you're sexy. LESTER grins. He is sexy. ANGELA (cont'd) And she doesn't want anything to happen between us. LESTER I'm not that interested in what she wants. He takes ANOTHER swig OF beer, then moves toward her. LESTER (cont'd) What you want, however... I wouldn't mind hearing about. ANGELA I... He reaches her, and takes the CD Case from her hands. LESTER (offering his beer) Would you like a sip? ANGELA Sure... He holds the bottle UP to her mouth, and she drinks clumsily. LESTER So... are you going to tell me? What you want? ANGELA I don't know. LESTER You don't know? His face is very close to hers. She's unnerved - this is happening too fast... ANGELA What do you want? LESTER Are you kidding? I want you. (his voice husky) I've wanted you ever since I saw you. He holds the beer UP to her lips again. she sips, and This time some dribbles down her chin. Lester gently wipes her chin with his fingertip, then licks the beer off it. LESTER (cont'd) You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. ANGELA You don't think I'm ordinary? LESTER You couldn't be ordinary if you tried. ANGELA Thank you. ANGELA takes a deep breath just before LESTER leans IN to kiss her cheek, her forehead, her eyelids, her neck... ANGELA (cont'd) (far away) I don't think there's anything worse than being ordinary... And He kisses her on the lips. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS Carolyn drives, her face resolute. CAROLYN I refuse to be a victim. I refuse to be a victim. I refuse to be a victim... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Angela lays back on the couch as Lester moves in over her, unbuttoning her blouse'. She seems disconnected from what's happening - not fighting it, but not really taking part in it either. Lester pulls her blouse open, exposing her breasts. He kisses her neck and starts working his way down... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE' S ROOM - CONTINUOUS Ricky and Jane, fully clothed, lie curled up on Jane's bed. JANE Are you scared? RICKY I don't get scared. JANE My parents will try to find me. RICKY Mine won't. And I always figured I'd have to wait until I was twenty-one. (then) We could go further than New York. Chicago, L.A., Europe even. JANE I've always wanted to go to Spain. RICKY Let's do it. We're not living for anybody but ourselves. Not any more. JANE smiles contentedly. RICKY strokes her hair. JANE You really think we could have a normal life somewhere? RICKY Yeah. We're totally free. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - CONTINUOUS We're CLOSE on Lester and Angela, in profile, his face above hers. Her eyes are shut. Lester looks down at her, grinning, unable to believe he's actually about to do what he's dreamed of so many times... and then Angela opens her eyes and looks up at him. ANGELA This is my first time. Lester LAUGHS. LESTER You're kidding. ANGELA (a whisper) I'm sorry. A beat. LESTER looks down at her, his grin fading. His POV: ANGELA lies beneath us, Embarrassed and vulnerable. This is not the mythically carnal creature of Lester's fantasies; this is a nervous child. ANGELA (cont'd) I still want to do it... I just thought I should tell you... you know, in case you wondered why I wasn't... better... LESTER (compassionate) Aw honey. He smiles and brushes a lock OF hair from her forehead. after a moment, she smiles back, shyly. He lingers above her, drinking in this vision of her... oh, man... and then he sighs and moves off of her. She looks bewildered. ANGELA What's wrong? LESTER gathers her clothes form the floor and hands them to her. Angela is stunned. ANGELA (cont'd) I thought you said I was beautiful. LESTER You are beautiful. LESTER grabs a blanket from the BACK OF the couch and drapes it around her shoulders, covering her nakedness. LESTER (cont'd) You're so beautiful... and I would be a very lucky man, but... He smiles and shakes his head. Humiliated, she starts to cry. ANGELA I feel so stupid... LESTER Don't... He hugs her, letting her put her head on his shoulder, stroking her hair and rocking her gently. ANGELA I'm sorry. LESTER takes her By the shoulders and looks at her, serious. LESTER You have nothing to be sorry about. But she keeps crying. LESTER hugs her again. we HEAR a loud CLAP of THUNDER outside. LESTER (cont'd) It's okay... everything's okay... EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - the same TIME The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 pulls onto ROBIN Hood Trail. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS CLOSE on Carolyn's eyes, reflected in the REAR-VIEW MIRROR. CAROLYN I refuse to be a victim... IN the mirror, we see her turn her head. Her POV: We're driving in SLOW MOTION past the Burnham house... the RED DOOR, illuminated by the craftsman-style PORCH LIGHT, stands out, even in the pouring rain. EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS CLOSE on ANGELA, eating a turkey sandwich. ANGELA (mouth full) Wow. I was starving... She's seated at the snack bar in the kitchen, once again fully dressed. From the TV in the next room, we can hear a sitcom's CANNED LAUGHTER. LESTER, IN his sweatpants and a T-shirt, puts a jar OF mayonnaise back in the refrigerator, then crosses to the sink to rinse off a knife. LESTER Want me to make you another one? ANGELA No, no, no. I'm fine. He turns to her and cocks an eyebrow. LESTER (concerned) Really? ANGELA Yes. Stop asking me that. LESTER Okay, just checking. He turns off the faucet and joins her at the snack bar. Angela reaches for the beer and takes a swig, then passes it to Lester. He takes it but doesn't drink. ANGELA I mean, yeah, I'm still a little weirded but... (sincerely) ...but feel better. Thanks. A long beat, as LESTER studies her, then: LESTER How's Jane? ANGELA What do you mean? LESTER I mean, how's her life? Is she happy? Is she miserable? I'd like to know, and she'd die before she'd ever tell me about it. ANGELA shifts uncomfortably. does she tell him about JANE and Ricky? Finally: ANGELA She's...she's really happy. She thinks she's in love. ANGELA rolls her eyes at how silly This is. LESTER just smiles. LESTER (quietly) Good for her. An awkward beat. ANGELA How are you? LESTER seems somewhat taken aback By This question. LESTER (laughs) It's been a long time since anybody asked me that. I'm... (thinks about it) I'm great. They just sit there, Smiling at each other, then: ANGELA (suddenly) I have to go to the bathroom. She jumps UP and crosses off. LESTER watches her go, then rubs his face, suddenly tired. LESTER I'm great... Something at the edge OF the snack bar Suddenly catches his eye, and he reaches for... CLOSE on a framed PHOTOGRAPH as he picks it up: It's the same one we saw earlier of him, Carolyn, and a much-younger Jane, taken several years ago at an amusement park. It's startling how happy they look. CLOSE on Lester as he studies the picture - he's spellbound, just as the Colonel was when looking at the photo of himself and the other young serviceman. We suddenly become aware of the SOUND of water DRIPPING. Pulled out of his reverie, Lester glances up at: WATER DRIPPING slowly from the KITCHEN faucet. ANGLE ON Lester, in profile. He puts the photograph down, props his elbows on the snack bar, clasps his hands together and rests his chin on them, thinking. This almost gives him the appearance of praying, and he suddenly appears older, more mature... and then he smiles: the deep, satisfied smile of a man who just now understands the punch line of a joke he heard long ago... After a beat, the barrel OF a Gun rises UP behind his head. ANGLE on an arrangement OF fresh-cut ROSES IN a vase on the opposite counter, deep crimson against the WHITE TILE WALL. From the TV in the next room, we still hear CANNED LAUGHTER. Then a GUNSHOT suddenly rings out, ECHOING unnaturally. Instantly, the tile is sprayed with BLOOD, the same deep crimson as the roses. The CANNED LAUGHTER continues, and then the SOUND FADES as everything starts to BRIGHTEN, and the SCREEN GOES WHITE. We HEAR a RUSH OF WIND. FADE IN: EXT. sky - DAY We're FLYING, above a snowy white blanket of clouds. Lester comes into view below us, FLYING Superman-style. He's wearing the same old-fashioned PAJAMAS and plaid flannel ROBE he wore in his dream at the beginning. LESTER (V.O.) They say your entire life flashes in front of your eyes when you die. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT We're looking down at Ricky and Jane, curled up on Jane's bed, the night of Lester's murder. We HEAR a GUNSHOT from downstairs. Ricky and Jane look at each other, alarmed. LESTER (V.O.) It's not really your entire life... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - POWDER ROOM - NIGHT ANGELA stands IN front OF the mirror, brushing her hair. we HEAR the GUNSHOT again. Angela freezes, frightened. LESTER It's just the moments that stood out... EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - NIGHT We're MOVING slowly through the pouring rain toward the Burnham's RED FRONT DOOR... A REVERSE ANGLE reveals Carolyn, walking slowly toward us, drenched to the bone, clutching her PURSE tightly. LESTER (V.O.) And they're not the ones you'd expect, either... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FOYER - NIGHT RICKY comes down the stairs, followed By Jane. Finding nothing in the family room, he starts toward the kitchen. Ricky's POV: Through the doorway, we see a slowly spreading POOL OF BLOOD on the WHITE TILE FLOOR beyond. MOVING closer, we see Lester's lifeless arm splayed across the floor, and a .44MAGNUM REVOLVER positioned on the floor next to it. RICKY stares wide-eyed, But not afraid. behind him, JANE stands shaking, in shock. JANE Oh God... Ricky kneels next to the body, gazing reverently at what's left of Lester's face. A woman's high-pitched SCREAM suddenly cuts through the silence. Ricky looks up at: His POV: Carolyn stands in the doorway to the dining room, soaking wet, still clutching her PURSE. CAROLYN (ashen) My kitchen... Just then, we HEAR another high-pitched SCREAM: ANGELA stands IN the doorway to the FAMILY ROOM, holding herself tightly. She starts to cry. The pool of BLOOD spreads closer to the .44 MAGNUM. Ricky picks the gun up and moves it across the floor. RICKY (after a beat) Man, I wish I had my video camera. INT. FITTS HOUSE - COLONEL' S STUDY - NIGHT The Colonel enters, still wet. He's wearing LATEX GLOVES. Flecks of BLOOD cover the front of his T-shirt. He paces nervously in front of one of his GUN CASES; the GLASS DOOR is open, and a gun is conspicuously missing from inside. The Colonel suddenly looks down at the BLOOD on his T-shirt. He pulls the shirt off and wads it into a ball. LESTER (V.O.) The moments you remember are tiny ones, some you haven't thought of in years... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BATHROOM - NIGHT Carolyn enters, terrified, still clutching her PURSE. she shuts the door and locks it, then takes the GLOCK 19 out of her purse and shoves it into the LAUNDRY HAMPER, pushing it far down underneath the dirty clothes. LESTER (V.O.) If you've thought of them at all... INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S ROOM - NIGHT The COLONEL, still wearing GLOVES, enters with a DUFFLEBAG. He starts stuffing Ricky's VIDEOCASSETTES into the bag. LESTER (V.O.) But in the last second of your life, you remember them with astonishing clarity... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT The POLICE have arrived. JANE and RICKY watch as a DETECTIVE wearing LATEX GLOVES picks up the .44 MAGNUM and places it in a PLASTIC BAG. Through the doorway1 we see into the family room where Detective Fleishman, whom we recognize from the beginning1 questions Angela, who can't stop crying. LESTER (V.O.) Because they're just so... beautiful... Carolyn enters, Having freshened UP and put on a little lipstick. She starts to make coffee. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) ...that they must have been imprinted, on like a cellular level... INT. FITTS HOUSE RICKY'S ROOM - DAY The COLONEL stands IN the doorway watching as a DETECTIVE searching through Ricky's BUREAU DRAWERS discovers the FALSE BOTTOM and the bags of MARIJUANA beneath it. LESTER (V.O.) For me it was, lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... EXT. WOODS - NIGHT We FLASH on an image, in HIGH-CONTRAST BLACK & WHITE: eleven- year-old Lester looks up, point excitedly at: His POV: a single DOT OF light falls across an unbelievably starry sky... On TELEVISION: LOCAL news SET - NIGHT A LOCAL NEWSCASTER sits behind a desk, addressing us IN THAT earnest, stilted manner all local newscasters seem to have. NEWSCASTER ... police have identified the suspect as nineteen-year-old Richard Anthony Fitts, an alleged drug dealer with a history of mental illness... INT. POLICE STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY RICKY sits at a table, being questioned By DETECTIVE Fleishman and another detective. LESTER (V.O.) And yellow leaves from the ginkgo trees that lined our street... EXT. suburban street - NIGHT Again, we FLASH on an image, IN BLACK & WHITE: Ginkgo trees in autumn, and ghostly LEAVES FLUTTERING slowly toward pavement... INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S ROOM - DAY The Colonel sits on Ricky's bed in his bathrobe, holding a REMOTE. Beside him is a stack of HI-8 VIDEOCASSETTES. On the WIDE-SCREEN TV, we see Jane in Ricky's bed. JANE ...Like he'd ever have a chance with her. What a lame-o. Somebody really should put him out of his misery. On the TV: JANE plays with her hair, lost IN thought. RICKY (O.C.) Want me to kill him for you? CLOSE on the Colonel's face, as he watches this. JANE (O.C.) Yeah, would you? RICKY (O.C.) It'll cost you. JANE (O.C.) I've been baby-sitting since I was ten, I've got almost three thousand dollars. INT. POLICE STATION - LOBBY - DAY The same suburban POLICE STATION from the beginning. the Colonel enters, carrying a MANILA ENVELOPE. As he approaches the front desk, the uniformed clerk behind it looks up at him impassively. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FOYER - DAY Carolyn opens the front door to reveal Detective Fleishman, with a pained expression on his face. LESTER (V.O.) Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... INT. suburban HOUSE - DAY Another FLASH, in BLACK & WHITE: CLOSE on an ancient woman's papery HANDS as they button a cardigan sweater... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER JANE lies on her bed, staring at the ceiling. DETECTIVE Fleishman enters, looking at her gravely. Carolyn is behind him, crying, and Jane sits up, apprehensive. LESTER (V.O.) And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new GTO... EXT. SUBURB - DAY Another FLASH, in BLACK & WHITE: A 1968 PONTIAC GTO in the driveway of a suburban home. The SUN'S REFLECTION in the windshield FLASHES BRILLIANTLY... EXT. NEWSSTAND - DAY CLOSE on the cover OF the new York post, atop a stack OF papers at a NYC newsstand. On the first page is a grainy PICTURE of Jane in court. The HEADLINE screams: VIDEOTAPE SHOCKER! JANE PAID DAD'S KILLER WITH BABY-SITTING MONEY ON TELEVISION: INT. COURTROOM - DAY ANGELA is on the witness stand. at the lower right corner OF the screen is the JUSTICE TV logo. ANGELA ...he was obsessed with like, dead things. Whenever he saw something dead, he'd film it on that stupid video camera. He said it was beautiful. EXT. high SCHOOL CAMPUS - DAY ON VIDEO: A dead BIRD lays on the asphalt, decomposing, covered with ants and flies. The camera JERKS up to discover Jane and Angela staring at us. LESTER (V.O.) And the way I felt when Angela first smiled at me... EXT. high SCHOOL gym - NIGHT Another FLASH in BLACK & WHITE: Lester's POV, from the. night he was first introduced to Angela: She looks at us and smiles. INT. COURTROOM - DAY JANE and her lawyers stand as the JURY FOREMAN reads the verdict. JURY FOREMAN We find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree. CLOSE on Jane1 utterly unable to comprehend how her life is being taken away from her like this. In the courtroom, Carolyn starts to WEEP. She's comforted by Leonard Kane, the Real Estate King. LESTER (V.O.) Carolyn... EXT. AMUSEMENT PARK - DAY Another FLASH in BLACK & WHITE: Carolyn sits across from us IN one OF those SPINNING-TEACUP RIDES, laughing uncontrollably as she twists the wheel in front of her, making us SPIN even faster... ON TELEVISION: EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY The COLONEL stands on the steps OF a COURTHOUSE, surrounded by reporters thrusting MICROPHONES at him. Barbara stands at his side, smiling. COLONEL I'm here to support my son. He's my son and I love him. No matter what he did. He walks away stiffly. it takes BARBARA a moment to realize he's gone. INT. COURTROOM - DAY CLOSE on Ricky at the defendant's table, calm and composed. DIFFERENT JURY FOREMAN (O.S.) ... find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree. Ricky smiles slightly but doesn't blink. LESTER (V.O.) And Janie. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - NIGHT Another FLASH in BLACK & WHITE: 7-YEAR-OLD JANE, dressed for Halloween in a princess costume, holds her mask in front of her face, peeking out from behind it, smiling at us shyly as Carolyn makes adjustments to her costume. EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - DAY The two Jims jog by in front of the Burnham House. A "FOR SALE" SIGN in the front lawn reads: Contact LEONARD KANE/CAROLYN BURNHAM "The King & Queen of Real Estate Kane/BURNHAM REALTY 555-1957 INT. JUVENILE PRISON FACILITY - DAY A DAY room. Guards keep watch on a GROUP OF TEENAGE GIRL inmates .Jane sits huddled in a corner, staring blankly into space, numb. ON TELEVISION: EXT. CALIFORNIA BEACH - DAY We're watching the credits for a Melrose Place-type TV SHOW. Angela, in a bikini, runs out of the surf toward us. The words "and ANGELA HAYES as Julie" appear SUPERIMPOSED over this. LESTER (V.O.) And Carolyn's roses.. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT Another FLASH, in BLACK & WHITE: LESTER'S POV, from the night he died: We're looking at fresh- cut ROSES in a vase on the kitchen counter. INT. FITTS HOUSE - DEN - NIGHT CLOSE on a fire, burning IN a fireplace. Suddenly, a PHOTOGRAPH drops onto the flaming logs. It's the Colonel's PHOTOGRAPH we saw earlier, of him and the other young serviceman standing in the front of a Jeep. It CRACKLES and blackens, and then it's gone. The Colonel sits in a leather wing chair by the fireplace, staring into the fire. He looks older than before, and his eyes are blank, like Jane's. INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY BARBARA stands at an ironing board, ironing a WHITE T-shirt. She HUMS softly as she meticulously folds the T-shirt and places it atop a stack of equally obsessively folded clothing. She then reaches into a laundry basket and gets another T- SHIRT to iron... CLOSE on her hands as she spreads the T-shirt out on the ironing board: it's FLECKED WITH DRIED BLOOD. BARBARA stops HUMMING, confused. she stares at the shirt FOR a long beat, then glances around, opens a kitchen drawer and stuffs the T-shirt inside. She then resumes ironing, without humming. INT. JAIL CELL - DAY CLOSE on RICKY, staring at us, smiling. we HEAR WATER DRIPPING steadily. We start PULLING BACK... RICKY (singing softly) AND IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M WRONG I'M RIGHT... His POV: we ZOOM slowly toward the faucet as drops OF WATER gather at the tip, A FLASH OF LIGHT refracting through each one momentarily before it falls... as WE GET CLOSER, time seems to SLOW DOWN, an the last drop we see seems huge, a shining sphere filled with LIGHT... And beauty... RICKY (cont'd) WHERE I BELONG I'M RIGHT... WHERE I BELONG... INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT Another FLASH in BLACK & WHITE: Lester's POV, from the night he died: Angela's lying naked on the couch beneath us, embarrassed by her virginity. ANGELA (a whisper) I'm sorry. EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY ON VIDEO: We're watching the video Ricky showed Jane earlier, of the empty white PLASTIC BAG being blown about. The wind carries it in a circle around us, sometimes whipping it about violently, or, without warning, sending it soaring skyward, then letting it float gracefully down to the ground... LESTER (V.O.) I guess I could be pretty pissed of f about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... EXT. SKY - DAY LESTER continues to FLY above the clouds, LAUGHING. LESTER (V.O.) And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... He's SOARING higher and higher... LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure... but don't worry... And He SOARS out OF sight. LESTER (V.O.) (cont'd) You will someday. FADE to BLACK.

INT. HOUSE - CLOSED EYES A young man's blue eyes slowly open. A girl moans from the next room. EXT. STREET CORNER - A LARGE TIRE turns the corner and splashes through a puddle from an earlier rain. TUPAC SHAKUR blares from inside. INT. HOUSE - TIGHT ON THE EYES They snap wide as the young woman in the next room MOANS even louder. EXT. VENICE BEACH HOUSE - A WET NIGHT A slight buzz emanates from the power lines and street lights above the humble VINYARD household. A black FORD BRONCO rests in the driveway. EXT. WET STREET - A GRAY TRANS AM TUPAC'S rapping builds. The window-tinted drive-by slowly heads down the residential street, cruises past the Bronco in the driveway, and slows to a stop. The music stops and TWO BLACK MEN spring from the car. They move with purpose. The larger figure, crowbar in hand, moves to the truck. The GUN wielding passenger hurries to the front door and stands guard. Inside the car, another man methodically waits. INT. BEDROOM - DANNY VINYARD'S EYES The sex happening in the next room makes it difficult for Danny to sleep. Next to a digital clock that reads 3:07AM, the clean cut 14-year-old flips to his side. A poster of Lee Ving of FEAR onstage, taped to the wall. Pre-Calculus and Biology books on the floor. Cassettes scattered on his tiny desk. A stereo in the corner. The off-screen sound of breaking glass grabs Danny's attention. He sits up and looks through the blinds. EXT. HOUSE - SAME Danny SEES a man reach through the broken window and unlock the door. He quickly. pans to the idling Trans Am. INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM - TIGHT ON DANNY His fearful expression says it all. DANNY Holy shit. Danny quickly bolts out of his room and into the adjacent bedroom down the hall. He barges through the door. INT. DEREK'S BEDROOM - A NAZI IRON EAGLE BATTLE FLAG It hangs above a serious computer and next to a giant, tome-filled bookshelf. The moans, meanwhile, approach orgasm. TIGHT ON DEREK VINYARD. The young man has a shaved head, a thick goatee, and a well-crafted SWASTIKA on his left tit. On top of Derek in the bed is his barely-of-age girlfriend, STACEY. The covers are completely off and a BLACK ROSE is tattooed across her right shoulder blade. Danny watches her fuck, only for a second. DANNY (softly) Der ! Danny walks over and shakes him. Startled, Derek forcefully grabs his little brother's arm. DEREK (controlled) What? Stacey stops and looks over. Frustated, she rolls off Derek and onto her side. STACEY Fucking pervert, Dan! DANNY There's a black guy outside Der... breaking into your car. Derek, muscled and tattooed, jumps out of the bed and quickly puts on his skivvies. He reaches under his mattress, pulls out a SIG .45 semi-automatic pistol, and shoves in a clip. DEREK How long has he been out there? DANNY Not long. STACEY Who? DEREK Nobody. Relax. Stacey sits up quickly from the bed as Derek pulls on his black combat boots. STACEY Who's out there, Derek? DEREK Not right now, honey. (to Danny) How many? DANNY One...I think. DEREK Is he strapped? DANNY Hunh? DEREK Does he have a fucking gun, Dan? DANNY I'm not sure. DEREK Is there a driver? Danny nods his head yes. DEREK Okay. Stay the luck here. STACEY Derek? Be careful. He looks at his girlfriend and walks off. INT. HALLWAY - SAME TIGHT ON DEREK. He walks down the hall. The intensity on his face is alarming. He stops at the front door and grabs the doorknob. Before he turns the knob, he peeks through the eye hole on the door. EXT. HOUSE - DEREK'S EYE POV THE BLACK GUARD carelessly turns toward the driveway to see what's taking his partner so long with the wires. INT. HOUSE - DEREK AT THE DOOR The guard has his back to him. Derek goes. EXT. HOUSE - THE DUEL Derek throws open the door and the black man standing guard wheels and fires a shot into the front door. Derek buries two bullets in his chest. DEREK Fuck you! The force propels the man six feet backwards. INT./EXT. BRONCO - THE OTHER MAN Stunned by the gunfire, he charges back to the getaway Tranny. Derek buries a bullet into his shoulder. The car splits and Derek fires a shot through the side window. He then walks towards the car and fires shot after shot at it until it disappears. INT. VINYARD HOUSEHOLD - DARKNESS Davina and Doris Vinyard yell in the background like they were in Vietnam. They meet in the hallway, still not able to place the direction of the gunfire. DAVINA MOM!!!! DORIS STAY DOWN, HONEY! DANNY?! They stay down on the carpet together. EXT. BEDROOM - DANNY'S POV From the rain-soaked window he watches Derek face his wounded prey - crawling on the ground. Sirens sound from a distance. STACEY (O.S.) Get down, Danny! Jesus! TIGHT ON DANNY. His gaze is locked on his brother from his bedroom window. Derek cocks his piece, points it and walks toward the man. TIGHT ON DEREK'S FACE. Eyes blistering. FADE TO BLACK: THREE YEARS LATER EXT. POLICE STATION - EARLY MORNING A black man in a suit and tie, ROBERT SWEENEY, goes through the automatic doors and into the station. He approaches a DESK SERGEANT. A daily calendar on her desk reads MONDAY. MARCH 3. 1997. SWEENEY Captain Rasmussen? DESK SERGEANT Briefing room. Down that hall...third door on the left. INT. BRIEFING ROOM - A MEETING Cops and detectives sit attentively and a few sip coffee. The clock on the wall above reads 7:38 AM. Middle-aged with slicked-back hair, CAPTAIN JOHN RASMUSSEN finishes a thought. He spots Sweeney as he enters and aimlessly reaches for a file. RASMUSSEN All right. Moving on-- (acknowledging) Good Morning, Doctor. The group looks over and meets Sweeney's hard glare. SWEENEY Good morning. RASMUSSEN Gentlemen, this is Dr. Bob Sweeney. He's Principal over at Venice High and for some time now he's done a load of outreach work with gangs...in and out of the can. Sweeney nods as Rasmussen cough. He sips water and continues. RASMUSSEN Three years ago a local kid named Derek Vinyard gets sent up for murdering a couple of Crips who were trying to jack his car. Bob taught Vinyard back in high school and has followed the case closely. YOUNG COP He was a skinhead, right? SWEENEY Derek was more like...the skinhead. He and Cameron Alexander. COP #2 Who? Rasmussen opens a FILE in front of him. There rests Derek's mug shot. He flips it over and reveals CAMMERON'S MUG SHOT. Front and side view. RASMUSSEN Cammeron Alexander is probably the biggest writer and distributor of white power literature in LA County. He promotes white power bands, writes reviews, columns, all at the ripe age of forty. YOUNG COP (smiling) He's forty? Jesus. RASMUSSEN Pretty clean record...runs everything out of his house down by the beach. SWEENEY There weren't any organized white gangs around Venice before those two hooked up. Very few, if any. It was mostly just black and Mexican. But it was tiny. They hit it off though... and Alexander hit the jackpot with Derek. Rasmussen reaches over and pushes play on a VCR. RASMUSSEN We got some uncut footage here. Courtesy of NBC. ON THE TELEVISION-- REPORTER Earlier this evening...LA County Firefighter Dennis Vinyard was shot and killed while putting out a fire in a suspected Compton drug den. RASMUSSEN (to the group) This being February of '90. EXT. VINYARD HOUSEHOLD - A LIVE BROADCAST - VIDEOTAPE A YOUNGER DEREK, short haired with no tattoos, stands next to the reporter. Derek wears a Venice High Basketball jersey drenched in sweat. Towel around neck, he thinks to himself as the man speaks into the camera. REPORTER To my right I have Lieutenant Vinyard's oldest son Derek. (to Derek) How do you feel about all this, son? DEREK How do I feel? How do you think I feel? It's typical. REPORTER Typical how, Derek? DEREK Well...look at our country. It's a haven for criminals. Black...brown... yellow...whatever. REPORTER So you're saying the murder of your father is "race" related? DEREK Every problem in this country is "race" related. Every problem, not just crime. These problems are rooted in the black community, the Hispanic community, the Asian...every non- Protestant group in our society. (then) Look at the shit. Immigration... welfare...AIDS...they're all the problems of the non-white. Look at the statistics. REPORTER Most of these issues you're referring to though son are related to-- DEREK (interrupting) No no no! Don't say poverty right now cause that's not it. They're not a product of our fucking environment either! Minorities don't give two shits about this country! They're here to exploit...not embrace. RASMUSSEN (O.S) (over reporter's question) When Alexander got his hands on this segment...he copied it, sent it out and it became the Gettysberg Address for hate groups across the country. BACK TO THE TELEVISION. DEREK Millions of white Europeans came to this country and flourished within a generation! A generation! So what the fuck is wrong with these people?! REPORTER What does any of this have to do with your father? DEREK Because my father was doing his fucking job! Saving a nigger neighborhood he didn't give two shits about! And he got killed by some drug dealer who still collects a fucking welfare check. Derek looks at the man and walks over to HIS MOTHER DORIS, who smokes a cigarette. The camera follows him as he puts his arm around her and escorts her back inside their Venice Beach residence. The camera pans back to the reporter who just stands there, speechless. INT. BRIEFING ROOM - SAME Rasmussen ejects the tape, the screen turns to fuzz, and he turns it off. RASMUSSEN Vinyard was quietly released from Chino on Saturday after three and some odd years. And I think it's something we might want to keep an eye on for a few days. SWEENEY I don't wanna be an alarmist. But payback is out there. I know it is. And in this particular case...if Vinyard gets popped...more people will get popped. RASMUSSEN It's not exactly LAPD policy but I want 24-hour surveillance on Vinyard for a few days. COP #2 (smiling in disbelief) Twenty-four hour surveillance, sir? RASMUSSEN Just for a few days. ANOTHER COP He doesn't sound like Mr. Lovely here, Captain. You want us to bust him or protect him? Rasmussen offers Sweeney a look that it's his question. SWEENEY I don't think Vinyard's gonna be the one to start anything. It's his following. RASMUSSEN Either way...let's keep it low. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE BEACH BOARDWALK - MORNING PEACEFUL DAY by PENNYWISE blasts from Danny's walkman headphones. The day is cloudy and overcast but that doesn't bother the local SURFERS. A twosome paddles north to get a better break on the next set. Danny watches as he skateboards down the strand. His appearance is changed, now resembling a younger, softer Derek. Head shaved to a quarter of an inch, he wears a PLAIN WHITE BACKPACK with punk/white power bands scribbled all over it. Your standard Sex Pistols, DK, Germs, G.B.M., and Adolescents in black. Cro-Magnons and Skrewdriver off to the left. In red is the largest name, DICK NIXON. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE HIGH SCHOOL - THE BIKE CORRAL Kids from all walks of life park their cars, lock their bikes and head off to class. EXT. HALLWAY - TIGHT ON A THRASHED LOCKER Danny throws his SKATEBOARD in, slams the door, and turns to face LIZZY, a pretty, redheaded freshman. LIZZY Hi Danny. DANNY Hey Lizzy. The two smile at one another as the FIRST BELL RINGS. CUT TO: INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM - A URINAL Danny takes a piss. Outside, a voice pleads "It wasn't me!" DARYL DAWSON, pale and thin, is shoved into the bathroom and he trips into the sink. LITTLE HENRY, a young black kid, enters with two of his buddies. Danny zips up and faces them. LITTLE HENRY (to a terrified Daryl) Tellin' Baker I'm fuckin' cheatin'? I've never cheated in my life. BUDDY #1 Beat his ass, Henry! LITTLE HENRY Why you trippin' on me? DARYL I didn't say anything, Henry. I swear. BUDDY #2 He's lying, man! I was right there! Little Henry cracks Daryl in the face and practically knocks him down with one shot. A bleeding Daryl struggles to his hands and knees behind Danny. LITTLE HENRY Next time, man. Danny stares into Henry's eyes and the trio exits. Dannv helps Daryl back up to the sink. THE SECOND BELL RINGS. CUT TO: INT. CLASS - SAME Kids have just settled into their seats. Danny walks in and tries to be discrete. OFFSCREEN VOICE Vinyard!? An OLDER TEACHER writes an Algebra problem on the board for the students to solve. OLDER TEACHER You're late. The man grabs a pink slip off his desk and hands it to Danny. OLD TEACHER But it looks like you got bigger problems. DANNY (reading the slip) Oh, man! Come on. Get a job. The teacher stares at him. CUT TO: INT. PRINCIPAL LOBBY - DANNY He sits in a chair next to an office door marked DR. ROBERT SWEENEY - PRINCIPAL. Danny glances at the secretary as she types and talks on the phone. TIGHT ON DANNY. He listens to the conversation through the the crack in the door as his eyes swell. MURRAY (O.S.) I do not have a problem with him as an individual, alright!? SWEENEY (O.S.) Oh shit Murray sure you do. You hate this kid. INT. OFFICE - THE CONVERSATION The bespectacled, short-haired MURRAY ROSENBERG, 48, looks over and spots Danny listening outside. Murray walks over and shuts the door. He looks at DR. SWEENEY, who now has his jacket off. He points to a typewritten report on the desk and smiles in horror. It is titled BOOK REPORT--MEIN KAMPF. "Daniel Vinvard - American History" is in the upper left hand corner. MURRAY This paper is a travesty, Bob! Arguing for Hitler as a civil rights hero?! You've gotta draw a line. SWEENEY Murray...it says in your syllabus that they could do their report on any book related to the struggle for Civil Rights. MURRAY Oh come on, Bob! SWEENEY Let me finish! He needs help...I'm not disputing that. But I read it and I'm not going to throw him out. MURRAY His brother probably put him up to it. SWEENEY I can guarantee you his brother didn't have anything to do with it, Murray. Murray sighs and takes off his glasses. MURRAY Don't let him walk scot-free here. For his sake...not mine. You might be all he has left. Sweeney stares at the younger teacher and nods. CUT TO: EXT. OFFICE - THE DOOR OPENS Murray walks out and turns back to Sweeney. MURRAY Thanks, Bob. SWEENEY (O.S.) Okay. Get in here, Dan! Danny and Murray make hostile eye contact. DANNY I knew it was you. SWEENEY (O.S.) Shut up and get your ass in here! INT. OFFICE - DANNY ENTERS Before he even gets through the door he's chastised. SWEENEY What's it gonna be, Dan? DANNY What's what going to be? SWEENEY This petty shit you're pullin'. DANNY Well...I don't know. SWEENEY You said it, all right. Sit down. Danny does what he's told. Sweeney stares at the teenager and leans back in his chair. SWEENEY Are you okay? DANNY Yeah. SWEENEY Any time you wanna talk, Dan-- DANNY Okay. SWEENEY How's Derek? DANNY Fine. SWEENEY Adjusting okay? DANNY Yeah. SWEENEY He was a student of mine. Honors English. He was a great student... like you...but he hung out with scumbags. Also like you. That's why he ended up in the pen, hunh? No answer. Sweeney holds up Danny's paper. SWEENEY Great writing. I can't correct it though. It wreaks too much of shit. DANNY Come on, man! I followed directions and wrote an "A" paper. It's got nothing to do with Derek. SWEENEY Everything you do now has something to do with Derek. Who told you to do this? DANNY Let us get on with our lives, man! SWEENEY Hey, I'm not worried about Derek--he can take care of himself. I'm worried about his little brother. (softly) Mein Kampf, Dan? I should expel you! DANNY Do it. What? You don't think I could handle it? SWEENEY (smiling in disbelief) The street would kill you, Danny. You're not tough. The second a brother pulls a gun on your ass you'll be holierin' for Doris. (pondering to himself) So here's the drill. Take it or leave it cause I'm sick of babysitting. I'm your history teacher from here on out. We're gonna deal with shit happening right now. Call it American History...X. I see your ass once a day. Any more, any less, and you're a memory at Venice High. Clear? DANNY It took me a week to read Mein Kampf. Come on, Sweeney. SWEENEY My name is Dr. Sweeney. And I want a another paper on my desk tomorrow. DANNY What am I doing it on then? SWEENEY It'S not a "what", it's a "who." (after a beat) Derek. SMASH TO: EXT. VENICE SHORELINE - LATE AFTERNOON A series of intercuts shows activity in and around the pier. A HOMELESS LATINO MAN searches a trash dumpster. OPEN VENDORS sell tie-dye and water bong paraphernalia. A FAT WOMAN walks past eating a hot dog. BLACK GANG MEMBERS play basketball in their low-rider shorts and boxers. TIGHT ON DANNY. He skateboards down the boardwalk, performing tricks and spinning the board. He eats shit, recovers, and looks off into the distance. DANNY (V/O) People look at me...and they see my brother. That's how things have gone since the murder of our father. EXT. BOARDWALK - NEAR THE BASKETBALL COURT From afar, he spots a group of black gang members shoot hoops. He and Little Henry from earlier exchange a cold glance. DANNY (V/O) Little Henry Hastings and his older brother Jerome. Jerome's a Shoreline Crip...Henry's on his way. Little Henry and older brother JEROME catch their breath and stare down Dan. Danny doesn't flinch. Jerome sips from a 40 oz. beer and resumes playing. DANNY (V/O) Venice Beach, man. It didn't always look like this. I mean...our Dad used to take us down here to run...and it was cool. Derek fucking owned this place. Since then though...the gangs, man-- TIGHT ON DANNy. He watches the basketball action as he takes a drag off his Marlboro Red. DANNY (V/O) --they've moved west from Inglewood and South Central and have really just...taken over. Especially at my high school. The Venice Locos are big too but they hang out in bumluck Mar Vista. It's scary. (then) And then there's The Disciples of Christ. The D.O.C. Jerome and Little Henry joke and argue with eight extra players and spectators. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BASKETBALL COURT - A GAME - FLASHBACK DANNY'S POV. The teams are a mixed assemblage of 3 blacks and 2 Latinos and 3 whites and 1 black and 1 Latino. SKINHEAD FAT SETH RYAN, early twenties, and his two skinhead buddies, can't compete against the better, predominantly black team. One of the skins, CURTIS, has a shaved head, a light beard and an M-16 RIFLE tattooed on his head. JEROME and LITTLE HENRY sit together to the right of the court and monitor closely. Danny looks over his left shoulder and sees Derek and Stacey sit with CAMMERON. Cowboy hat and BRONCO JERSEY, they sit and converse on the bleachers. LAWRENCE Seven-six. Let's go! Set some picks! SETH Bring it on, boy. Derek quickly moves his eyes to the court. LAWRENCE Boy? Lawrence quickly pivots past Seth, dunks it, and yells as he hangs on the rim. The crowd cheers. SETH Lucky piece of shit! I'm through "monkeying" around with your ass! Lawrence spins around and challenges Seth. LAWRENCE Fat, pasty, pale, pastrami eating, cracker, motherfucker. A hundred bucks says I make you my bitch. SETH (to the crowd) Here we go! Trying to make ends meet for that cut in welfare. He makes a scene and passes Danny on the sideline. Lawrence waits for Seth to take it further. Danny looks at him, concerned. DANNY It's eight-six, Seth. SETH When I want your fucking opinion I'll ask for it, fuckhead. (to Derek and Cam) Help me cover here, guys. Derek and Cameron stare at Seth, knowing Seth will lose and embarrass them. CAMMERON You got a big fucking mouth, fat kid. SETH I'll take this negro down. DEREK You can't take a shit, Seth. Shut up. Derek shoots a look to Cameron, comes to a decision, and stands. He shouts for all to hear. DEREK I got a bet. Lawrence stares at him, sensing something harder. DEREK I come in, same score now, first one to eleven. Black boys against the white boys. Lawrence looks back to his boys in disbelief. LAWRENCE Name your price, Cracker. DEREK No money...for the court. We win, you grab your shit and find a different place to run. Not just today... forever. You win, and we don't come back. No hitching, no fighting, here in front of everyone. Six-eight, our ball. The action around the court gets very still. Finally, Lawrence nods. LAWRENCE You got a lot of fucking balls, man. Bring it. Right now. Derek pulls off his sweatshirt and gives it to Stacey. Lawrence gets his team together. CUT TO: EXT. COURT - BLACK VERSUS WHITE No more mixed assemblage of players. One team is white, one team is black. A SERIES OF SMOTS Derek blows by Lawrence for a left handed layup. Derek hits a thirty looter. Curtis grabs a rebound and uses his elbows to get defenders off him. Big Lawrence fouls Derek hard and Derek stares at him. Big Lawrence makes a twenty foot turnaround. Lawrence advances on a three on two and dunks it. Derek pump fakes three times and uses the glass for a deuce. Finally, Derek drives the lane and dishes to Seth at the last minute for a bucket. SETH Yes! Ten a piece! Nice fucking dish. SETH and CURTIS slap Derek's hand as they get back on transition. Derek stares at Lawrence. CAMMERON watches intently. CAMMERON It's all you, Der! LAWRENCE Fuckin' BYU, man! All right! All we need is one now! Lawrence and Derek lock eyes, a look exceeding competitive boundary. A look filled with rage. CAMMERON Use that fat ass and keep him out, Seth! Seth and the opposing player bang to get position underneath. LAWRENCE I ain't losin' in my house! Clear it out! The POWER FORWARD dribbles beautifully up the court -- his teammates clearing out the key. Defensively, Derek is solid. He tries to pass Derek but Derek's defense is stifling. Again. With another tricky move, Lawrence inadvertently puts his LEFT ELBOW into Derek's face, sending him quickly to the pavement. EVERYBODY STOPS. CURTIS That's fuckin' offense! LAWRENCE Get the fuck outta here! He was movin' his feet! Derek, teeth bloodied, rises. The two have a stare down. DEREK (threateningly) I'll go if you want to. LAWRENCE You wanna piece! Bring it! Players quickly rush to restrain the two even though the teams hate each other. DEREK If you wanna go...I'm ready. Don't be throwin' fuckin' elbows. LAWRENCE Fuck you! Derek walks over to Cammeron, Danny and Stacey standing courtside. She has a water bottle and a towel waiting for him. He wipes his BLOODY LIP and takes a sip. Cameron stares at Derek. CAMMERON Hey. Are you copacetic? Derek nods and looks at Danny and Stacey. CAMMERON He's gonna do that 180 spin move. DEREK I know what he's gonna do. DANNY You gotta call offense on that shit. DEREK Not on point game you don't. STACEY Fuck that, D. That chucker can't pull that shit. It's fucking- DEREK Not on point, honey. He turns back to the court and walks over to Lawrence. He stands in front of him and checks the ball in. DEREK Tens! Lawrence takes the ball, passes it to the wing, and quickly gets it back. Lawrence dribbles up top, makes a marvelous 180 spin with the ball, and pulls up for a ten foot jumper. Derek reads it perfectly and REJECTS IT. Lawrence trips to the ground, Derek grabs the ball off the fast break and DUNKS IT. DANNY (amazed by the dunk) Holy shit! Everybody courtside goes nuts. Derek walks to the sideline, ignoring all the hand slaps being offered. Everyone is riveted on Derek. SETH (to the other team) Get off my fucking court! This is my house! DANNY Yeah! Fuck...yeah! A sweaty Derek pulls his little brother close. He takes a drink of water, spits out more blood, looks at his bitter opponent, and says nothing. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - BY THE COURT Derek, Danny, Seth, Cammeron, Curtis and Stacey stand outside the Bronco. The doors are all open and the stereo softly plays music in the b.g. Derek dries off. DANNY'S POV. Derek throws a shirt and tie over his sweaty, tattooed body. Danny watches the tats disappear, and it's almost like his brother is normal. A name tag reads LA COPY CENTER - DEREK - ASSISTANT MANAGER. Derek looks at JEROME and LAWRENCE from afar. Danny notices the two men stare at his brother, ready to kill. Derek meets their gaze. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE BOARDWALK - PRESENT - DANNY'S POV Danny awakens from his daydream. The black players now stare at him. Danny puts his board down and skates down the boardwalk. DANNY (V/O) It was only the beginning. (then) Derek once told me that minorities would take America over one day. That white people are too afraid. Maybe he was right. CUT TO: EXT. SMALL BEACH HOUSE - A PATIO Danny skates up to the gate and kicks his board up to his hand. He passes two SURFBOARDS on his way towards the back. EXT. SIDE ENTRANCE - TWO 14-YEAR-OLDS LIZZY, the redhaired beauty from earlier, and her blond friend KAMMI, sturable out and laugh. They're stoned. KAMMI Hey! Danny! DANNY (smiling) Hey. LIZZY You're going tonight, right? DANNY Where? LIZZY That party. Go there. The two young girls giggle and take off. INT. TINY, MESSY BEDROOM - SAME JASON and CHRIS, two 17-year-old skinheads with shaved heads, prepare to hit the surf. Chris sings to INSTITUTIONALIZED BY SUICIDAL TENDENCIES on the stereo while Jason throws on a ZOG T-SHIRT, the tops of their fullsuits hang down. DANNY (O.S) There's dick for waves. CHRIS I don't care. I just wanna get wet. TIGHT ON DANNY. He flips through a book titled TURNER DIARIES. On the nightstand to his left is a digital clock that reads 4:47 p.m. DANNY I've been trying to buy this. You can't find it anywhere. The two look at Dan. JASON Cammeron dropped us off a copy. Dope fucking shit, man. It's all about reclaiming the country. I'll let you read it when I'm done. DANNY Fuck that. I just read Mein Kampf. JASON There you go. CHRIS Hey? What was this Daryl shit you were talking about? DANNY Henry Hastings almost kicked Daryl Dawson's ass. He would're too if-- CHRIS Little Henry the negroid? Danny nods. DANNY Everyday there's something over there, man. CHRIS Why do you think we fuckin' quit? DANNY I hear you. JASON Daryl Dawson's a pussy faggot. CUT TO: EXT. BOARDWALK - DANNY, JASON AND CMRIS - LATER The three skateboard down the strand, Jason and Chris with their surfboardS and suits. Chris looks at Jason's shirt. CHRIS What's ZOG again? JASON Zionist somethin'. DANNY Zionist-Occupational-Government. Ahead an OLD ASIAN WOMAN tows a succession of SHOPPING CARTS. As Jason passes, he smacks her with his surfboard and knocks her to the ground. They all laugh and Danny breaks off and heads east on Rose. CUT TO: INT. DUMPY APARTMENT - TIGHT ON TEARY EYES DAVINA VINYARD, in a UCLA T-SHIRT and panties, cries on the couch as she hugs a LONG HAIRED Derek. DORIS sobs as she lays under a pink blanket, burdened by the flu. Shirtless Derek grabs Doris' hand and leans over to kiss her. DEREK It's gonna be fine. EXT. DUMPY APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Danny skates up to his residence and looks at a car across the street. Two plainclothes cops from the earlier meeting sit in their car and stare from afar. Danny goes through the gate. iNT. HOUSE- SAME Danny walks in on the tearful family conclave. He stands there, wishing the day would just end. DANNY Oh man--! Come on! What are you crying about now? THE PHONE RINGS and Derek rushes down the hall to get it. DEREK I got it. Danny looks to his mother. DANNY Are you feeling better at all? DORIS I need a kiss. Danny wipes away her tears, kisses her, and moves away quickly so he won't get sick. INT. BEDROOM - DEREK ON THE PHONE He listens to the man on the other line. DEREK Unhuh. Unhuh. Did you expel him? INT. LIVING ROOM - SAME There's a knock on the front door and Davina answers. She opens the door and tries to shut it immediately. SKINHEAD FAT SETH, from the game earlier, wears a GOOD GUYS STEREO UNIFORM. He pushes the door back open. DAVINA What do you want!? SETH Open up, bitch! Davina relents and Seth enters. DAVINA (examining him) Jesus! Are you sure you can fit through the door? SETH Fuck off. (excited) Where is he? DAVINA Back in his bedroom. Seth pushes Danny to the side, passes Doris and yells. SETH (smiling) Where are you, you free motherfucker? Seth moves down the hall and bangs on Derek's door. SETH Vinyard! DAVINA He's on the phone, asshole! SETH Fuck off. DEREK (O.S.) I'll be out in a minute! Without pushing it, Seth undoes his pants and moves into the bathroom. Danny walks down the hall. INT. BATHROOM - THE CAN Seth sits on the toilet. Danny pushes the door slightly and stares at Seth's GUN on the bathroom counter. Danny looks at him. After a few seconds-- SETH What are you lookin' at? DANNY I'm still trying to figure it out. SETH Come in here and I'll show you, maggot. DANNY Fuck off. When'd you start carryin'? SETH I'm dropping the kids off at the pool, junior. Shut the fuckin' door! Danny grabs his nose and turns to the door behind him. DANNY Jesus! Chew your food, dude! INT. BEDROOM - DEREK He continues into the phone receiver. DEREK All right. Thanks. I'll take care of it. Yeah. DANNY'S POV. He opens the door and sees Derek on the phone with his back to him. Above Derek is Danny's surfboard, hanging on ropes hooked to the ceiling. Blue jeans, black boots and slicked back hair, Derek holds his hand up and motions for Dan to be quiet. The sleeves of tats covering his arms, shoulders and back (D.O.C.) define the hatred that has engulfed his past. DEREK (into the receiver) Okay. Okay. I'm what? What channel? He covers the receiver, turns on a ten inch TV, and flips to the correct channel. DEREK (without turning) What is it, Danny? DANNY You got pigs outside. DEREK I know. Derek leans over the computer to check it out. INT./EXT. BEDROOM - DEREM'S POV He looks through the blinds and stares at the UNMARKED CAR. Danny throws his backpack on the bed and exits. TIGHT ON DEREK. He listens to the television. TV ANCROR (O.S.) Saturday's prison release of a former skinhead gang leader has many community leaders up in arms tonight. INT. BATHROOM - TIGHT ON SETH He points his Glock 9mm at the mirror. SETH Drop the t.v., nigger. He laughs to himself and exits. INT. HALLWAY - SETH CONTINUED He bangs on Derek's door once more, pissed that Derek didn't open it earlier. He heads for the living room. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUE TV ACTION Danny, Davina, and Doris are glued to the news story on the same station. Doris, once beautiful, is now aged and graying. NYQUIL, PEPTO BISMOL, two PRESCRIPTION CONTAINERS, and a spoon rest on the coffee table. TIGHT ON THE TELEVISION. A WELL-DRESSED BLACK WOMAN speaks angrily to the reporter covering the story. Random black protestors nod and comment in the background. BLACK WOMAN Maybe now whites will understand the motives behind people like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. Just put the shoe on the other foot. FLASH TO: EXT. CHINO PRISON - THE VINYARDS ON NEWS FOOTAGE Danny walks' towards Derek and they smile and hug. Davina and Doris soon join in. Davina BLACK WOMAN (V/O) Derek Vinyard deserved the death penalty for what he did to that young man! And now he walks the street as free as you and I. DANNY {to the tv) What about OJ, bitch!? INT. VINYARD HOUSE - TIGHT ON THE TV The news segment winds down. BLACK WOMAN (fed up, to the camera) They've done it to us again. A hand reaches over to turn the channel. IT'S SETH. Doris, in an awful state, lays back down. TIGHT ON SETH. Tattoos cover his forearms. A BLOODY SNAKE is halfway tucked under his rolled-up sleeves. SETH Nigger lovin' Jew media calling the shots. Watch cartoons. It's the only t.v. that's safe nowadays. DORIS No one's safe--until we all are. Seth looks at the woman like she's from another planet. He laughs and goes into the kitchen. INT. KITCHEN - SETH'S POV He looks through the fridge but finds nothing. He closes the door and looks at the family pictures on the door. A FAMILY SHOT of Doris, Derek, Danny, Davina, and DENNIS VINYARD in front of church. Seth appreciates Dennis in a coat and tie. Below that, a picture of a dirty and rugged Dennis and a young Davina, wearing her father's FIRE HELMET. Danny with Doris. SETH Come in here, Dan. INT. SMALL KITCHEN - SAME He sits and comes upon Davina's revealing CROTCH. She studies and so does he. Danny walks in the kitchen and looks through the fridge. He pulls out a leftover piece of steak and gnaws on it. Seth looks over at Dan SETH Where the fuck you find that? DANNY Goin' to Cam's party tonight? SETH Is Davina's ass water tight? Danny laughs. DAVINA Hurry up and leave, Goodyear. You've taken your dump now go. SETH Listen to you. You callin' me a blimp, you fuckin' Democrat?! DAVINA Yes! I am! Danny takes a bite and laughs at Seth. DANNY I'm there tonight. SETH Oh yeah? You ask Derek? DANNY Noo...but he's got two kegs. SETH Well...you can think of me drinkin' 'em then when you're studying with fuckin'... White Trash in there. Davina scoffs and Seth looks up her shirt. SETH Where is the fucker, by the way!? He's hiding from us. Davina looks up from her homework and catches the pervert looking at her. DAVINA You're not even human. Seth erupts with laughter. DANNY Is Cam playing sticks? SETH Of course, man. Seth drums on the table as Danny shoves the last bite into his mouth. SETH Sit down. I wanna ask you some questions. DANNY I got homework, Seth. SETH Two fucking seconds, dude! Danny sits and looks at Seth. SETH Tell me your convictions. DANNY Fuck off. SETH Tell me some of the shit you've learned luckbrain or I'll pistol-whip you. DANNY About Adolf? SETH About anything. What do you believe in? Danny thinks to himself and smiles. DANNY I believe in filth and destruction and chaos and death and greed. SETH What else? DANNY I believe in my family. SETH Why? DANNY "Respect your father and your mother. Whoever curses your mother and father... is to be put to death." Matthew 15-4. SETH Good. What else? Tell me what I want to hear, asshole. DANNY You mean that stuff about your mother? Davina CACKLES in the background. SETH You wanna get beaten? DANNY No. SETH Then tell me about Adolf and Mein. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAVINA She puts down her homework and looks over at Seth. DAVINA Hey Seth? Cut the shit. SETH I'm not fuckin' talkin' to you, Davina, shut up! Do you believe in Adolf? DANNY Yeah, man. I believe in Adolf. Seth smiles at the youth and speaks intimately. SETH What do you hate, Danny? DANNY I hate everyone that isn't white Protestant. SETH Why? And say it with some fucking conviction! DANNY Because they're a burden to the advancement of the white race. Some of them are all right-- SETH None of them are all right, Danny. They're all a bunch of fucking freeloaders. (after a beat) Remermber Canuneron. "We don't know them, we don't want to know them, they're the fucking enemy." What don't you like about them? DANNY I don't know. I feel threatened by them. DAVINA They feel threatened by you! SETH (ignoring her) What else, Danny? And speak intelligently you little queer faggot. Davina's attention is rapt on her little brother. DANNY I hate the fact that it's cool to be black these days. SETH Good. DANNY I hate this hip hop influence on white fuckin' suburbia. SETH Good! DANNY I hate Hilary Clinton and all of her Zionist MTV pigs telling us we should get along. Save the rhetorical bullshit honey, it ain't gonna happen. Seth looks at the young man. He smiles at him with distinct revelation. SETH That's the best shit I've ever heard come out of that mouth. TIGHT ON DAVINA. She stares at the two hate mongers. DAVINA I feel.sorry for you, Danny. SETH Shut up, Davina. DAVINA You shut up, you poison to fuckin' society! Get out of our house! SETH (laughing) Is this any way to treat a guest? DAVINA Derek hates you, Seth. DEREK (O.S.) How do you know who I hate, Davina? TIGHT ON DEREM VINYARD - SILENCE. He's a striking presence with his scruff, tight t-shirt and tats hanging down his arm. A black jacket wraps around his waist. DAVINA (O.S) What do you mean? Seth stands and smiles. SETH Hey! How are you, man? Fuckin' A. Long time no see. Look at that hair. Seth moves to hug his old friend but Derek offers a reluctant hand instead. DEREK Gimme just one second, okay? Seth nods as Derek stares at Danny. DEREK Did you do a book report on Mein Kampf? DANNY What's it to you? DEREK (ready to kill) What's it to me? DANNY (seeing this) I mean...how'd you find out? DEREK None of your fucking business how I found out. SETH I thought it was a great idea. DEREK That figures. You're more stupid than he is. SETH It's nice to see you too, man. DEREK Why'd you do it, Dan? Because of Seth. DANNY No. DEREK Cammeron? DANNY I did it cause I felt like it. DEREK Oh, you do everything you feel like? I feel like smacking you in the fucking head. Would you mind if I did a report on that? DANNY Uhhh...yeah. DEREK Get a clue, you dumbshit. Hey! Look at me! Don't be a dickhead. Sweeney cares about you. SETH (smiling) Sweeney does? Since when? DANNY Was that him on the phone? DEREK Yep. So wise up. You hear me? SETH Sweeney's a fuckin' nigger on a power trip, Vinyard. That's what he was like when we were there and that's how he is now. It'll never change either. A nigger is a nigger. Derek stares at Seth, ready to beat the fuck out of him. Suddenly, Doris starts in with a COUGHING ATTACK. Derek quickly fills a glass of water and goes in there. INT. LIVING ROOM - THE PINK BLANKET She coughs incessantly. Derek sits down beside her, hands her the water, and caresses her head. The others stare at her in the background. DORIS Just put me out of my mercy. DEREK You'll be okay. You want me to pick you up any more medicine? Together they look at all the bottles and laugh. Derek checks out the couch. DEREK Jesus. I can't believe I ever let it get this bad. DORIS It's not that uncomfortable. DANNY Are you gonna to live or what, Mom? DORIS I need a cigarette. DEREK My ass. You smoke two packs a day. That's why you're spittin' phlegm. Doris coughs once again and spits green into her napkin. SETH (astonished) Jesus, Mrs. Vinyard. I think a lung just came up. Everybody laughs -- including Doris. Derek tenderly puts his hand on his mother's cheek. DORIS I'm high as a kite. DANNY You got any more? DORIS Daniel? I know you got homework. DANNY I'm goin' in a second. Relax. SETH (interjecting to Derek) Hey. I'm gonna re-wipe and we're out of here. Seth laughs as he walks down the hall. DAVINA You're a pig. DORIS I don't like him in this house. DEREK I knew. DAVINA He ' s a fuckin ' loser, Nazi scumbag. DANNY No he's not. DEREK Yes he is. Open your eyes. Danny looks at Derek and smiles. DANNY Whatever, dude. I'm gonna go power that shit and I'll see you later. He pats his brother on the shoulder and walks off. DEREK Not at Cammeron's you won't see me. DANNY (turning back) Come on, Der! It's gonna be fuckin'-- DEREK Forget it, Danny! It ain't gonna happen for you tonight. Danny walks off, frustrated. He crosses Seth's path, gets shoved into the wall, and reacts like it's an everyday occurrence. Seth moves out the side window and climbs out. SETH Hurry up. I'm starving. DAVINA What else is new? Derek nods, looks at his mother and kisses her on the forehead. DEREK I'll see ya. DORIS Okay. Be careful. DEREK I will. Derek follows Seth out the SIDE WINDOW and goes down the alley. INT. APARTMENT - TIGHT ON DORIS She thinks to herself and closes her eyes. EXT. SIDE STREET - SETH'S TRUCK Derek looks at the oblivious cops and drops into the passenger's seat. Seth starts the engine and drives away. As the truck disappears, we pick up on a WHITE SOUPED UP JEEP CHEROKEE turning the corner. Tinted windows, it cruises past the apartment complex. INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM - A DESK CUT TO: Danny's attention is everywhere except on his homework. DANNY This sucks. He walks back out of his bedroom. INT. HALLWAY/LIVING ROOM - DANNY'S POV He watches Davina complete her homework on the couch. Doris, on the sofa opposite, tries to sleep. DANNY Hey. DAVINA Hey what? DANNY Come here. DAVINA What!? DANNY Come here for a second! The scholar sets her homework aside and impatiently follows him down the hall. INT. BEDROOM - TWO SINGLE BEDS She sits on the edge of DANNY'S bed. Danny hands her his assignment instructions. DAVINA I got shit to do, Dan. DANNY Just read it. She sighs and begins to read it out loud. DAVINA "American History X? Take home paper as assigned by Principal Robert Sweeney?" (to Danny) Why is he giving you homework? What happened to Murray? DANNY Asshole turned me in. DAVINA Why? DANNY Just read. DAVINA "Describe in detail your opinion of -the historical event that took place in the early morning of October 4th, 1993." What's that? DANNY The night Derek wasted those guys. Davina takes a moment. DAVINA Sweeney gave you this? DANNY Yep. DAVINA (continuing her reading) "Before and after...how has this event helped or hurt your present perspective concerning life in contemporary America. Use the standard five paragraph format, blab blab blah--this'll be good for you.. DANNY Nooo...it'll be good for you. She stares at him for a good three seconds. DAVINA Eat me, Dan. DANNY Come on! Dick Nixon's playin' at Cammeron's tonight. You owe me. DAVINA I'm not doing your homework for you! I gotta spreadsheet due! DANNY Goddammit! Davina walks to the door and looks back to her brother. DAVINA What's the matter with you? You wanna be a fuckin' loser your whole life? Not receiving a response, she walks out the door. DANNY Asshole Sweeney. He slowly begins to strike the computer keys. The screen reads "People look at me and they see my brother. That's the way things have gone since the murder of our father," TIGHT ON DANNY. The frustated kid sits and thinks to himself. himself. QUICK CUT TO: EXT. ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHT - FLASHBACK THE BROAD EXPANSE OF AN EMPTY, DIMLY LIT PARKING LOT. In the distant corner we see a few parked cars and a group of skins gathering. DANNY (V/O) It was lunacy after he left us. All the time. Derek believed in Cammeron...he was angry...that combination gave them bodies. White punks...sick of gettin' their asses kicked by black and mexican gangs at school. TIGHT ON DANNY LEANING AGAINST AN ADJACENT CAR. Seven skins, including Seth and Curtis, smoke and wait. DANNY'S POV. Danny looks to his left and sees Derek with Cammeron, who sits in the driver's seat of the BRONCO. Stacey leans in from the backseat. STACEY I hope you kill that fucker. Derek looks back at her and straight to Cameron. CAMMERON He might have a gun. DEREK Are you going in or not? CAMMERON You know I got the cops on me. If I come up on one of those cameras I'm a dead man. Derek stares at the older man, who appears nervous. CAMMERON Somebody needs to drive, Derek. DEREK (referring to his mouth) All right. You can turn it off now. (back to Stacey) You're right on his tail, right? STACEY (nodding) I hate that fucking Korean. I hope you smash his face in. DEREK Just be ready, okay? She nods and Derek gets out. The group is silent. DEREK Come on. Let's pull it together. Hey! We're not playing fuckin' games here. Let's go. The group snaps to attention behind him as Seth toys with the camera. CURTIS from earlier takes a hit off a joint and makes Derek wait for him. Derek walks over to the crazy man, takes the joint, and throws it onto the ground. DEREK What the fuck, Curtis? You a fuckin' nigger now? Want some crack? CURTIS No. DEREK (grabbing his neck) Pull your fucking stupid head out of your ass then. CURTIS Okay. Jesus. DEREK (to the group) We're here tonight cause we got immigration problems spiralling out of control. We got Asians up the ass... taking over our land with their fucking Yen. Mexicans...flocking into this place like some giant fucking Pinata was shattered. The group busts up. Cammeron watches Derek and smiles. DEREK Don't laugh. It's tragic. On the Statue of Liberty it says "Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor, your huddled masses...yearning to be free." It does not say give me your shiftless, your greedy, your indolent, your criminals, looking for a free ticket. The group agrees. DEREK We're here tonight to show the government how we feel about minorities taking over our country. The treat us like criminals while they reward them with jobs and fucking welfare checks. And it's only getting worse. ET AL (nodding) Fuck yeah it is. DEREK Are you ready to do something about it? ET AL Yeah. DEREK Okay then. AND THEY'RE MOVING. In formation. Fast. Directly at us. Angry. As the camera swings into line, TRACKING WITH THEM, Derek reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a STOCKING MASK. He pulls it down over his face. The foot soldiers follow him in unison. DEREK (back to his troops) Remember. No names. Danny? Stay right on my fucking ass, man. And now they're getting ahead of us. As the CAMERA SWINGS behind them, we see their destination. EXT. LIGHTED GROCERY STORE - SAME They storm the front entrance. The few people who are in there scream and scramble for cover. Derek grabs a Mexican boxboy and throws him to the ground. Seth catches up to another and gets him on the ground. SETH Wheto's your fucking green card, asshole? Seth kicks the young man in the face with a blatant shot and continues. DEREK leaves a terrified white woman alone like she's not even there and pushes over an adjacent shelf, knocking over another worker with CANS OF BEANS. DEREK (referring to the border) Can't hide from me, motherfucker! He kicks the man and looks around the market for more. Danny watches in awe. Curtis breaks a giant jelly jar over a head. Another skin throws a BLACK CHECKER into a shelf of POTATO CHIPS. DEREK'S POV. He looks up at one of the aisle mirrors. INT. BACK STOCK AREA - THE 55-YEAR-OLD KOREAN OWNER He rushes out with a pistol. He takes aim on Curtis and-- FROM OUT OF NOWHERE, DEREK TAKES A MOP TO THE OWNER'S HEAD AND PROCEEDS TO KICK HIM. Danny looks at Derek like he's Superman. Derek looks to his watch and straightens up. DEREK Let's go! We're outta here! Move ! From just inside the door we see skins get in their last blows and pour out the aisles and pass us through the doors. TIRES SCREECH. THE CAMERA HOLDS ON THE WRECKAGE OF THE MARKET AND THE MOTIONLESS BODIES ON THE FLOOR; INT. BRONCO - TIGHT ON DANNY He takes off his stocking mask and stares at his stone- faced brother. DANNY (V/O) And before Derek could even blink...he had a crazed army behind him. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - PRESENT - THE COMPUTER Danny sparks up a cigarette and types on the screen. DANNY (V/O) Willing to follow his word like it was the word of God. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE BEACH HOUSE - A RAINY NIGHT - FLASHBACK As the rain falls, we see the Vinyards sitting at the table. Stacey and Murray Rosenberg, Doris' then boyfriend who we met earlier, round out the clan. Stacey sits close to Derek. DANNY (V/O) And then came October 4th, 1993. INT. BEACH HOUSE - THE DINING ROOM Doris looks wonderful while Murray, mustache and beard, shakes his head at Derek as he chatters away. DANNY (V/O) Things were fine on the homefront. My Mom had a good job but a below average boyfriend. We had a four-bedroom house that Dad left us with. Everyone was happy. TIGHT ON DEREK. Shaved head, rolled-up sleeves, tattoos, loosened tie, LA COPY CENTER name tag from earlier. His charisma draws their attention as he rambles over the crackling rainfall. DANNY (V/O) Everyone but Derek. DEREK Fuck you, Murray. White men don't cruise the streets of LA killing each other. MURRAY No. You guys make bombs. Derek stares at the man, eyes filled with homicide. DEREK You're so fucking lame. A couple of cranks in cabins in Montana is not statistically significant. (then) White Americans don't take PCP and drink and drive a hundred and twenty fuckin' miles an hour! We pull over and trust the law. MURRAY You're kidding, right? DAVINA (sarcastically) Don't you know, Murray? White people never break the law. We're perfect little angels. DEREK That's not what I said, Davina. (to the group) Three different times Rodney King comes at those officers with the intent to hurt them. To hurt them! Three times! But since we see it on some fucking tampered videotape...the bleeding heart media makes you believe that he only comes at them once. All we see is Powell, Koon and Wind hittin' him and-- (busting up laughing) Briseno kickin' him in the back of the fuckin' skull with his boot. Still, the dumbfuck's tryin' to get up and kick their asses! That's how stupid that motherfucker is. Those cops used textbook-solid tactics and if Dad were still here he'd say the same damn thing. DORIS That doesn't make it right. DEREK Yes it does. Yes it does. They're cops! They are taught to use that stick and they did. MURRAY Excessively. DEREK No. Appropriately. Appropriately! Cops have been granted a certain amount of authority by society and white people, unfortunately, are the only ones who acknowledge it. I acknowledge a cop's authority. Davina starts to laugh. DAVINA Look who's talking about respecting the law? Mr. K.K.K. here. DEREK That's two errors in one sentence, Davina, so take a fucking course in semantics. First error--I didn't say I respect the law. I said I respect a cop's authority. Second error...I'm not a member of the fuckin' low rent, disorganized, redneck Ku Klux Klan.. Pull your head outta your ass and look at who you're dealing with. MURRAY Don't speak to her that way, Derek. DEREK Murray, stay out of it. You're not a member of this family and you never will be. MURRAY What the hell does that have to do with anything? DORIS (to Derek) You know...sometimes it's hard to believe I gave birth to you. DEREK Give thanks to the food on the table and then believe it, Doris. DORIS We both put food on this table, fella. DEREK True enough. The point is...if Dan was walking across the street that night and Rodney King plowed into him-- DORIS Can we forget about Rodney King for chrissake?! DEREK (fiercely continuing) --while hopped up on Chivas and P.C.P...you'd consider the force those cops used to be justified! DORIS He didn't hit anybody! DEREK If he did though! If that shithead killed Dan...you would have believed the beating to be justified and so would everybody else. But since he didn't hit anyone...it's "Hands Across America" for the son of a bitch. Derek takes a bite of food. DEREK We are still so hung up in this notion that we have an obligation to help the struggling black man and all you contribute to it! Lincoln freed the slaves a hundred and thirty years ago! Get off your fucking asses! STACEY I'm with you, honey. All the way. It's one...giant...ploy. DAVINA Here we go. STACEY I mean...nobody likes Chief whatever his name is, right? DAVINA Gates. STACEY Yeah. So here comes this filthy piece of garbage in his Hyundai. He pulls over in front of a perfectly lighted area where a video camera is sitting there...fucking waiting for him, man. What happens next? Chief Gates is dust. It's total-- Davina drops her silverware on the plate with a clatter and looks at her mother. Everyone stares at Davina. DAVINA (to Doris) May I be excused please? DEREK Don't interrupt, Davina. DAVINA I didn't interrupt shit. DEREK The hell you didn't. I was listening to Stacey and then I heard you. That's called interrupting. Wait 'til she's finished and you can be excused. DAVINA Who the hell do you think you are? Derek jumps up from the table and grabs her by the back of the hair. The table JOLTS and plates tumble to zhe floor. DEREK You don't know when to shut up. DORIS Dammit Derek! MURRAY What are you trying to prove, man?! Derek turns and laughs at Murray. DEREK I'm trying to teach my sister some respect, Murray. DAVI NA Let go of my fucking hair! DEREK (to Murray) See! See the way she speaks! Tell me you're gonna shut up and I'll let go. DORIS Derek! Let go of her hair and sit down! DEREK I will when I hear an answer, Doris. Are you going to shut up, Davina? TIGHT ON DANNY. He gets up quickly and tries to pull Derek off. Derek turns and cracks Danny in the face with a BACKHAND, dropping him back into a cabinet. A crystal vase with flowers crashes to the floor, just missing Danny's head. MURRAY Jesus! DEREK (to Danny) What are you thinkin'? DORIS Danny?! Are you okay?! Danny nods his head as everyone looks at Derek. DEREK It's a real easy question, Davina. A simple yes or no will suffice. Tell me what I want to hear and I'll let go. DAVINA Fuck...you. Derek takes a piece of roast beef off her plate and shoves it in her mouth. Me holds the whole piece inside so she can't spit it out. Davina cries as she chokes on the meat. MURRAY She can't breathe, Derek! DEREK Stay back, both of you! It's her bed, she's gotta lie in it. (grabbing harder) You can cry all you want, Davina. I'm not gonna let go until you tell me what I wanna hear! Are you going to shut that fat fucking mouth of your's and let my girlfriend tell her opinion? Are you?! DORIS grabs him from behind and he aggressively turns on her. Derek curls his tongue behind his teeth and raises his arm like he's actually going to smack his mother. She grabs his arm though, forcefully. DORIS Let go of her hair and get out. Derek releases his grip on his sister and she spits the roast beef onto the floor. She runs into the back bedroom crying, choking and coughing. DAVINA (O.S) I hate you, you fucking asshole! The door slams shut in the background. Doris, Murray, Danny, and Stacey all stare at Derek. Derek calmly faces his brother. DEREK You okay? Danny nods. MURRAY (softly) Psycho. IN SLO MO--Time FREEZES as Derek slowly turns his head back to Murray. ON THE TRACK we hear a few keys being typed and then silence. A cigarette sizzles. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - DANNY THINKING - PRESENT He takes a long drag off his cigarette and exhales. He slowly runs his hands over his stubbly head, marveling at the past. BACK QUICKLY TO: INT. DINING ROOM - TIGHT ON DEREK - FLASHBACK CONT. Derek smiles at Murray in wonder and disbelief. DEREK Would you care to repeat that, Murray? I'm not sure I got all of it. STACEY (smiling) He called you a "psycho", honey. DEREK (smiling back) Was that it? Thanks Murray. MURRAY See. Here we go again with this, Derek. Making me out to be the bad guy again. STACEY You callin' me a liar, RosenKike? MURRAY (to Stacey) Hey goddammit! You talk to me with respect or--! DEREK Or what, Murray!? What're you gonna do? Give her fucking detention? DORIS Both of you get out right now. Murray stares at Derek with pity. Doris becomes emotional. DORIS (to Derek) Do you think you're the only one who's affected around here? Derek focuses on his mother for a moment. A captivated Danny watches and waits as Derek turns to Murray. DEREK Out of respect for my mother...I'm gonna let that comment go, Murray. I won't bash your face in. But let me tell you somethin'...man to fuckin' mouse here. Normally in a situation like this I'd take my steel-tips to your fucking Jewish temple. That goes for anyone making comments about me, my family, Stacey, whomever. You know and I know that I could crush that puny fuckin' skull of yours in a second. So it's beyond me why you would say something like that without being able to back it up? What's worse, you sack of shit, is you calling the woman I love a liar. MURRAY I never said she was a liar. DEREK Weasel like that again Murray...you fuckin' ponytail, pussy, bagel eating, teacher, faggot...and I'll cut your shylock nose off. Make no mistake. Murray silently walks out of the house. Derek claps and sings the Jewish celebration song "Hava Naghila." Stacey joins in and the two laugh. Doris goes after Murray. STACEY Murray Rosenberg...International Jew. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Murray goes to his car and Doris follows. Danny watches from the door. DORIS He's a stupid kid, Murray! I'm sorry! MURRAY He's not a kid, Doris. We were kids. We didn't call people kikes. DORIS It's just gonna take some time with him. What can I do? MURRAY You don't know your children, Doris! You have no clue about the world they live in. Your son is a terrorist. DORIS He's not a terrorist, Murray. Jesus! MURRAY He's a member of the Disciples of Christ. You remember that grocery store incident?! DORIS Murray? MURRAY My sister and her two kids got evacuated from her Temple in Woodland Hills! DORIS Murray! Please! Derek would never have anything to do with bombs, okay?! You don't know him like I do. MURRAY And I wouldn't want to. Goodbye. Murray gets inside and goes down the street. INT. HOUSE - SAME DANNY'S POV -- He watches Doris stand alone, her face in her hands, crying. BEHIND Dan a humiliated Davina storms towards Derek, now wielding a BASEBALL BAT. DANNY Davina? Derek hears Dan and looks out of the corner of his eye. He spots her at the last moment. DAVINA Take this, you fucking dick! Derek pops up quickly, disarms her, and pulls her close. DEREK Davina! It's okay! Calm down. Please. DAVINA Fuck you! Let go! DEREK (whispering in her ear) I'm sorry, Davina. Come on. DAVINA Let go of me! DEREK Come on, Davina. I'm sorry. I lost control. Please. I screwed up. Derek holds tight until the crying girl settles down. He's gripped as desperately by remorse as he was moments before by rage. He kisses and repeats his apology over and over. Finally, she succumbs and puts her arms around him. Derek looks to Danny. DEREK (hugging Davina) You guys are my life and I'd do anything for you. You do know that? DAVINA (wiping her tears) I don't believe you anymore. DEREK I swear to God I would, Davina. Please. DANNY I believe you, Der. Derek smiles at his little brother, lovingly. DEREK Davina? Please forgive me. Please. I'm sorry. DAVINA (nodding, after a beat) That fuckin' sucked, Derek. DEREK I know it did. And I'm sorry. I just really hate that guy. DAVINA You couldn't tell. A RAINSOAKED DORIS walks through the front door. DORIS Find an apartment because I want you out of here. DEREK Morn, I'm sorry but that guy's-- DORIS I don't wanna hear it anymore! I want you out! STACEY He can move in with me. DORIS When? STACEY Tomorrow. DORIS Good. She walks past Derek and into the back bedroom. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BEDROOM - TIGHT ON DANNY'S EYES - PRESENT He rises from the computer and PEEKS out the blinds. The two cops supposedly watching Derek are now eating in the car. One of them looks up. Danny flips the blinds down. From the other room, he hears Doris break into another coughing fit. INT. LIVING ROOM - DANNY He sits beside her and hands her a glass of water. DANNY Here. DORIS Thank you, honey. She coughs, recovers, and sips. Danny walks away. DORIS Hey. Come here. Sit with me. DANNY I've got this thing to do. DORIS You can sit down for two seconds. He looks at her and sits beside her. DANNY Don't breathe on me. DORIS I won't. They share a smile. DANNY It's cold in here, no wonder your sick. She stares and smiles at him for a few moments. DANNY What? DORIS What? I'm not allowed to look at you anymore? He smothers her face with his hand, jokingly. DANNY No. You're not. DORIS (laughing) Daniel Patrick! Stop it! Are you ever gonna let that beautiful hair grow back? DANNY Nope. Never. DORIS I bet you will. He smiles and locks eyes with his mother for several moments. He finally rises and walks back to his room. DANNY Get some sleep. DORIS If you need me to proof anything for you I will. DANNY I'll be all right. DORIS Wake up early if you get tired. Doris watches him disappear down the hall, distant thoughts creeping back slowly. INT. BEDROOM CLOSET - DANNY He grabs a flannel and throws it on. He sees a cigar box that rests on the right shelf. He grabs it and looks inside. The rolled-up LA TIMES clipping reads "Prominent Skinhead Charged with Murder." The accompanying picture of Derek is near evil. TIGHT ON HIS EYES. Danny stares at the clipping. ON THE TRACK--GUNSHOTS. MATCH CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM WINDOW - THE EYES - FLASHBACK He watches Derek fire his gun at the TRANS AM as it blazes down the street. He walks over to the wounded man on the lawn and points his weapon. STACEY (O.S.) Get on the floor, Danny! Jesus! Danny looks down at her and hurries out of his room. EXT. HOUSE - TIGHT ON DEREK He hovers over big Lawrence. Gun pointed steadily, he kicks him in the stomach over and over -- tongue pressed against teeth. Hot air flows from Derek's breath and into the cold. DEREK You fucked with the wrong bull. LAWRENCE Goddamn, man! Danny watches his brother from the front porch. DANNY Let the cops handle it, Der! DEREK Fuck that. The cops will let him walk. Derek grabs Lawrence and drags him to the CURB. DEREK Ever shoot at firemen, you fuck? (then) Open your mouth and put it on the corner of the curb. I'm gonna teach you a little lesson. DANNY Derek!? DEREK Get in the fucking house, Dan! Danny doesn't move. LAWRENCE Come on, man. Call an ambulance. DEREK My dad gave me that truck, motherfucker. Couldn't leave well enough alone. Put your mouth on the corner of the fucking curb! Derek cocks his piece and Lawrence complies--his teeth now scraping concrete. SIRENS sound from afar. Danny walks out into the middle of the street to check it out. DANNY The cops are comin' Der' Lawrence mumbles something unintelligible from his outstretched mouth. DEREK What the fuck did you say? You just threaten me? Hunh? Hunh? Hunh? DANNY (anticipating) No! Derek STOMPS his foot on the back of LAWRENCE'S head - completely tearing his jaw in half on the curb's corner. DANNY (crying) Holy fucking shit! Derek! What the hell was that for?! Jesus! The two lock eyes. Derek does not flinch. Helicopter lights shine on the house. COP CARS SCREECH TO A HALT. DANNY'S POV. Two cops take cover behind their door, draw their guns, and shout instructions. Derek puts the gun down, puts his arms behind his head, and drops to his knees. His eyes are remorseless. DANNY (V/O) Joseph Conrad once wrote that "murder is always with us. It's almost an institution." That couldn't rang more true than with me. CUT TO: EXT. WET STREET - THE CRIME SCENE - LATER FIVE PATROL CARS, a FIRE TRUCK, TWO AMBULANCES, and a throng of terrified NEIGHBORS strangle the front of the house. Clothed and handcuffed, Derek is escorted from the house by two uniformed cops and RASMUSSEN. DANNY (V/O) Bobby Lawrence died of massive head trauma early that morning. Derek marches past the bodies -- which are being tended to thoroughly. DANNY (V/O) Six months after that...Derek was convicted and sentenced to seven years for voluntary manslaughter...to be served at the California State Penitentiary in Chino. Rasmussen forces Derek's head down and he gets in the car. He stares at his brother and sister as police lights flash on him. Then to Stacey. Finally, to a lifeless Doris. They lock eyes as the patrol car takes off down the street. DANNY (V/O) Prosecutors wanted murder one for my brother's torture method...but there wasn't enough "premeditated" evidence. CUT TO: OMIT INT. BEDROOM - DANNY'S EYES They clearly focus on the computer. HIGHLIGHTED is the sentence "There might have been if I testified." Only when he hits the DELETE KEY does it disappear. He continues typing. DANNY (V/O) (continuing) Over the next year we'd lose our house and the rest of our father's pension to attorney fees. My mother...much to all of our surprise...stood by Derek. Danny's interrupted by a LOUD KNOCK on the front door. INT. FRONT HALL - DANNY'S POV He looks through the PEEPHOLE and sees it's CHRIS AND JASON. He sighs in relief and opens the door. JASON We're here, dude. CHRIS Drop your dick and grab your stick. DANNY I told you I can't tonight. DORIS (O.S.) (from the couch) Danny? DANNY It's okay, Mom. The two punks laugh as Danny pushes them and their boards back to his bedroom. He shuts his bedroom door. INT. BEDROOM - THE THREESOME Danny looks at the two. DANNY If I don't finish this thing I'm dead. CHRIS Just tell 'em you'll do it tomorrow. You can't miss the party. JASON Fire pie Lizzy called and told us to grab your ass. DANNY She did? CHRIS (nodding) You gotta hit that shit. It's the only fun thing that's legal anymore. The PHONE RINGS and Danny grabs it. DANNY Hello? INT. DARK OFFICE - TIGHT ON SWEENEY The only illumination shines through the window from the street. Holding his briefcase, he stands over his desk phone, all packed up and almost out the door. SWEENEY Dan? DANNY (O.S.) Yeah? SWEENEY Dr. Sweeney. INTERCUT THE CONVERSATION DANNY (worried) What's going on? SWEENEY Nothing here. Is everything all right over there? DANNY Everything's fine. SWEENEY How's it comin'? DANNY I'm doing it right now. CMRIS Who is it, dude? DANNY (covering the receiver) It's Sweeney. CHRIS Who?! Why is he calling here!? Fuck you, Sweeney! Asshole! JASON (grabbing the receiver) Get a fucking job, you reggie! Danny grabs the receiver back and yells at his friends. DANNY You fuckers are going to get me booted! (into the receiver) Dr. Sweeney? I'm sorry, man. SWEENEY Just make sure it's on my desk tomorrow, Danny. DANNY It'll be there, alright!? SWEENEY It better be. Sweeney hangs up abruptly. Danny slams the phone on the hook, gives it TME FINGER, and looks at his friends. DANNY Let's go. CUT TO: EXT. CAMMERON'S HOUSE PARTY - NIGHT A TRUCK sits across the street. INT. TRUCK - DEREK AND SETH They sit in the car as a band JAMS from Cam's house. Shiftless Seth throws on a black CRO-MAG t-shirt and tosses his work shirt in the back. He wolfs down a burger as Derek rolls his foot on a basketball on the floor. SETH You're an idiot if you ask me. DEREK I'm not asking you. SETH What if he writes something stupid and that nigger turns you in? Jesus. He didn't testify, Der. They can use that shit and re-try you. Derek takes a long stare at Seth, who devourshis burger. DEREK Sweeney's not gonna do anything, Seth. He helped get me released. Seth is a pathetic vision to Derek. Derek stares at him for several moments. DEREK I'm out, Seth. Seth wipes his mouth and casually meets eyes with Derek. DEREK I'm only going to tell you this once so pay attention. I'm done, Seth. I don't want you to come near me...near Dan...I want you to leave my family alone. Seth stares and laughs at Derek. SETH You're serious. DEREK I'm dead fucking serious. No more phone calls, no more visits, no more nothing. Seth doesn't know what to say. DEREK We don't exist as far as you're concerned, Seth. SETH I can't believe I'm hearing this shit come out of your mouth. DEREK Believe it, Seth. Believe it. I spent over three years away from my family. My family, Seth. For what? SETH For your country, fuckhole, that's what. I'd do a hundred years before I felt like that. Seth gets out, slams the door, and walks to the party. SETH You're a motherfucking traitor! Derek stares out the window and sighs. EXT. STREET - DEREK'S POV He watches the house. Suddenly, Danny, Chris and Jason skate up to the residence and follow Seth inside. DEREK What the--? Shit. INT. CAMMERON'S HOUSE - THE FRONT DOOR CUT TO: DICK NIXON plays a punk version of WHITE CHRISTMAS as skins slam dance. EXT. CAMMERON'S BACK PATIO - A SKINHEAD His face is tattooed with crow's feet and prison ink. CASSANDRA, a frail, older, English woman with green hair and multiple piercings, approaches JASON at the keg. CASSANDRA You're full of shit! JASON If he ain't here, he's comin'. INT. HOUSE - MORE SLAMMING Chris, Danny and Jason pound beer and huck DARTS at a picture of O.J. SIMPSON. Seth violently slams past the kids. Derek walks in. CHRIS Yo! What's up, Fat Seth!? Seth throws Chris against the wall. SETH I'm not fat, cockwart! I'm husky! CMRIS Okay! I'm sorry, bro! DANNY Take it easy, dude! Seth then grabs Danny hard by the shirt. Chris and Jason stare at him like he's gonna hurt him. DANNY What're you doin'?! DEREK Your brother's a piece of shit! Seth sees Derek enter and he releases Danny. Seth mixes into the party and SLAM DANCES into ten other skins. Danny follows Seth towards the keg. DEREK'S POV. He analyzes the crowd. Quickly, Chris recognizes him. CHRIS Holy shit. Father Vinyard!? JASON Son of a bitch. Derek looks at the two kids. JASON I'm Jason and that's Chris! We're friends with your brother! They stick out their hands but Derek prefers to check the scene. CHRIS You're a fuckin' god, man! JASON No shit! DEREK Do me a favor. Grab Danny and get outta here! The two boys look at each other and LAUGH. CHRIS We just got here, man! DEREK You what!? Chris looks at Derek like he's dead. DEREK You don't have any homework?! JASON School doesn't exist anymore, Father. Derek stares at him, not really knowing what to do. CHRIS I wrote you. Two letters while you were in there! Did you get them?! Derek ignores them and weaves his way through the crowd, causing many an individual to double-take. Chris and Jason look on in wonderment. EXT. LARGE, OPEN SHED AREA - A CROWD TIGHT ON CAMMERON ALEXANDEr. The older, white trash skin furiously bangs his sticks on the drums to the song. Cam's hair is still long but now he's got a swastika between his eyebrows like CHARLES MANSON. He wears TROY AIKMAN'S DALLAS JERSEY and a BLACK COWBOY HAT. DEREK'S POV. He pans right to check out the crowd. A man pisses out the window. Then to a distinct woman. IT'S STACEY. Her head is now completely SHAVED but she's still gorgeous as ever. Derek indulges her for a few moments until he turns and walks away. He bumps into a girl and knocks her drink. CASSANDRA Excuse fuckin' me! DEREK Sorry. She smiles at Derek as the SONG comes to a close. CASSANDRA Derek? DEREK Cassandra. CASSANDRA Oh my God! They said you might be here but I didn't fucking believe 'em! CURTIS, the M-16 on the side of his head perfectly intact, walks by Derek. He walks past Derek with his young son on his shoulders. CURTIS I hope what I heard ain't true, man. You better hightail it the fuck outta here if it is. After a moment, Derek looks away and Curtis heads off. CASSANDRA You gotta chop that mop, Der! Cassandra lights a brown menthol cigarette. CASSANDRA (exhaling) Stacey's meandering around here somewhere! Have you seen the bitch?! Derek shakes his head. DEREK The only person I've seen is Seth. CASSANDRA Oh God. I'm sorry. DEREK'S POV. He sees Cameron puts his arm around her and kiss her. Cameron sticks his hand down the back of her pants, smiles, pulls it out, and licks his finger. Derek watches as Danny delivers a beer to Cammeron. Ca puts his arm around Dan and they go into the bedroom. Stacey looks at Derek and follows them. LIZZY (0. S. ) Are you going in there? Derek looks down to see Lizzy and Kammi. LIZZY Can you tell Danny that Lizzy's looking for him? Derek can only stare at the girl's youth. INT. LARGE BEDROOM/OFFICE - A SHRINE TO HITLER DEREM'S PoV. He stands in the doorwell and listens. White Power paraphernalia cover the walls. Articles, posters, everything. The room has a bed, a couch, a glass coffee table and a desk with a computer on it. Organized stacks of papers, pamphlets and magazines are strewn throughout the floor. Cameron sips a beer and talks with Dan. Stacey listens in the background. CAMMERON He won't do anything'drastic I hope. DANNY I gotta do that paper though. CAMMERON I thought you already turned that fucker in? DANNY My teacher cried to Sweeney, man. have to do another one. Cammeron laughs. CAMMERON Oh man. Fucking Sweeney. STACEY (chiming in) Meanwhile, niggers and spics do their reports on Malcolm X and fucking Fidel Castro. Cameron laughs again but then becomes quickly serious. CAMMERON Sweeney's got an agenda, Danny. And it's all a load of crap. You hear me? He's all about brainwashing. Don't get fucking fooled by it. DEREK (O.S.) What the hell are you doing here, Dan? They all look over. CAMMERON (smiling) Hey. I was wondering when he was going to show his face. Derek doesn't lift his eyes from Danny. DEREK What did I tell you, Dan? DANNY I had to check it out, Der. Come on. CAMMERON He'll be all right, Derek. Derek shoots Cameron a look and tries another way. DEREK There's a redhead out there looking for you. Go talk to her. Danny gets up and walks out. Cam looks to Stacey. CAMMERON You go with. Derek seizes his brother with the eyes as he exits. Then Stacey. STACEY Welcome back. He just closes the door on her. Cammeron looks for his cigarettes. CAMMERON You made it, man. When I heard they threw you in General Population I thought it was curtains. DEREK It wasn't too bad. CAMMERON So what's all this self-righteous, born-again shit I'm hearing then? Derek doesn't blink. Cameron smiles and points to a chair. CAMMERON Have a seat, Derek. Relax. TIGHT ON CAMMERON. He sparks up a cigi to break Derek's uncomfortable stare. CAMMERON How was it in there with all those fuckin' monkeys, man? You're lucky they didn't kill you. DEREK I agree. CAMMERON Who runs the place? The monkeys or the wetbacks? DEREK The Mexicans. CAMMERON It's a fuckin' vacation for them in there, hunh? DEREK They were really organized. I'll tell ya...it was impressive. They-- INT. HOUSE BATHROOM - DANNY AND LIZZY CUT TO: The two make out. She sits on the sink and wraps her legs around him. They stop and smile at each other. LIZZY I like you. DANNY I like you, too. CUT TO: INT. CAMMERON BEDROOM - SAME Derek and Cam converse over the coffee table. CAMMERON They're fuckin' peasants, Derek. All of them. (then) So what's up, man? I'm hearing a lot of shit about you. DEREK Be careful with me, Cam. You don't know what's going on with me. CAMMERON Fuckin' talk to me then. We're family here. Let's work it out whatever it is. DEREK I'm family, Cam? Is that why you came to see me all the time up there? Cameron smiles but doesn't know what to say. CAMMERON I had to distance myself from you after that. DEREK Fuck you, Cameron. You're a fucking chicken hawk...praying on kids. CAMMERON I don't pray on fucking anyone. DEREK No. You fucking use them. To filter your insanity. Cameron smiles in disbelief. CAMMERON You and Danny are like brothers to me, Derek. Come on, man. DEREK He's not your brother, Cameron. All right? He's my brother. (after a beat) You hear me, Cam? CAMMERON (exploding) Fuck you, Derek! Fuck you! Don't think you can threaten me with this shit for a fuckin' second! I'm more important to him now then you ever were. Derek EXPLODES. With his feet, he pushes the GLASS COFFEE TABLE hard into Cammeron's knees. Cam screams in agony. Derek SLUGS him in the face and Cam RETALIATES with two of his own. They wrestle around the room and push their way into the BATHROOM. INT. TINY BATHROOM - DEREK AND CAM Derek takes Cam by his long hair and SMASHES his face into the mirror. IT SHATTERS. Derek follows with a solid punch to the kidney. DEREK You gonna listen?! CAMMERON I'm gonna fuckin' kill you. Derek bangs Cam's face against the mirror ONCE MORE. DEREK Shut the fuck up! You're gonna stay away! That's what you're gonna do! Derek rinses Cam's bloody face off by PLUNGING it into the toilet. He pulls him back up and they face the mirror. DEREK It's over. Derek stares at him in silence. CAMMERON RETALIATES. He forcefully backs Derek into the wall behind him. He throws two punches at Derek -- one in the stomach and one to the face that opens his lip. He misses on his third and Derek gets the upper hand. BACK TO THE MIRROR. Derek prepares to crash Cam's face into the shards of glass one last time. The final blow. As Cam screams, Derek launches him forward then pulls back at the very last moment. Derek, noticing Cam's condition, throws him into the tub. Derek throws him a towel, grabs one for his lip, and exits. EXT. SHED AREA - A GROUP OF 20 NAZI'S They SALUTE the band and chant as they tune up for another set. The singer inquires about his DRUMMER. Derek pushes his way through and spills a few beers cn the way. Cassandra smokes a cigarette with a few random skins as Derek passes by. RANDOM SKIN Hey Derek!? DEREK What?! CASSANDRA (exhaling) Jesus, Der. What happened? CURTIS (psychotically) Where's Cammeron, man?! DEREK I haven't seen him. Cassandra looks at him curiously and then focuses her attention to the bedroom. STACEY (O/S) Hey! Derek turns around and faces her. DEREK (pointing his finger) Stay away from me. STACEY Don't point your fucking finger at me. DEREK I'm serious, Stacey! Stay away! She grabs and pulls on his shirt. STACEY What are you gonna do?! Hunh?! Hit me?! Kick me as I roll on the fuckin' ground screaming?! (then) That bullshit with Cammeron is nothing, Derek! DEREK I don't care. Stacey looks deep into his eyes and can feel it. STACEY Goddamn you, Derek! Those two niggers deserved what they got. They deserved to die! And just like Cameron and Seth and a million others out there...I'll believe that 'til the day I fucking die. I will. Nothing will ever change that either. Derek breaks from her grasp and walks away. EXT. PATIO - DEREM'E POV He looks over to the kegs. Through the sliding glass window, he sees Seth taking a "tap hit" off the keg. All the guys in the b.g., INCLUDING DANNY, count and cheer. Seth sucks the tap while skins count in the background. Derek walks out and watches Dan pump the keg. ET AL Forty-five! Forty-six! Forty- seven...! Seth removes his mouth from the tap and belches like a pig. All the guys laugh. SETH (grabbing Danny) Why the fuck did you pump it?! I coulda gone for a minute at least! Danny looks over and meets eyes with a bloody Derek. He FREEZES while everyone turns to look Derek over. DEREK Let him go, Seth. Seth sees blood on Derek's face and shirt and takes a moment to identify the source. He draws his 9mm Baretta and points it at Derek's head from four feet away. SETH Where's Cameron? Derek stares directly into the BARREL. DANNY (frightened) Seth, man!? Come on! Seth puts the gun directly to Derek's cool head. SETH I'd be doing America a great fucking favor, let me tell you. STACEY Do it, Seth. Seth glances at her and Derek quickly GRABS the pistol. A shot goes off and people hit the deck. Derek wrestles the pistol away and punches Seth in the STOMACH. Falling to the ground in pain, Derek cracks him in the face once more and it's over. INT. CAM'S BATHROOM - CASSANDRA AND CURTIS They walk in and look at Cammeron, bleeding in the tub. Curtis pulls the METAL TOWEL HOLDER off the wall and storms after Derek. Cassandra laughs. CASSANDRA You got fuckin' guests out there, Cam. EXT. PATIO - SAME Derek tosses the gun over the fence and looks to Danny. DEREK Come with me right now. He looks at his brother. He then sees Curtis and three other skins come through the house. Derek stares at Dan and hauls ass down the back alley. DANNY'S POV. Curtis arrives and tends to Seth rather than go after Derek. Confused and mildly embarrassed, Danny bolts back into the house to get his board. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE BLVD. - SLEEPING HOMELESS Danny passes them on his board as he conguers the cracks in the street at an incredible rate. He turns the tight corner and cuts off a turning car. The man yells. Danny spots his brother walking twenty yards up on the left-hand side of the street and crosses. Approaching quickly, he skates faster and faster as Derek nears a BUS STOP BENCH. Hearing the board, Derek turns to face the clickity clack behind him. DANNY LUNGES FROM HIS BOARD AND TACKLES DEREE. The two crash into the street as a car henks from the inside lane, barely missing the duo. Danny punches his brozher in the face. DANNY Fucking asshole! Derek gets on top of his brother, spots a speeding car heading right for him, and pulls his brother to the sidewalk. Just in time. DEREK What the luck are you thinking!? DANNY What are you thinking!? Friends don't fight friends, Der! They stick together! DEREK They're not friends, Dan! DANNY What the hell are they then?! Derek picks his brother up and sits him on a BUS STOP BENCH. DEREK Just sit there and relax for a second. DANNY I don't wanna relax! You looked like an idiot back there! Derek stares and sits next to him. Cars and homeless randomly pass in the b.g. Danny looks at his brother, transfixed in thought. DANNY What's happened to you, Derek? TIGHT ON DEREK. He looks into his brother's eyes. DISSOLVE TO BLACKNESS: INT./EXT. CHINO PRISON - ESTABLISHING SHOTS FILING OUT OF THE CELL. The morning drill. His roommate, an old Latino guy, right behind. Derek's eyes cast among the inmates, noting everyone and looking for a friendly face. He notes a familiar tattoo, catches the guy's eye and nods. WALKING THROUGH THE CAFETERIA. Derek with his tray. A sea of tables divided by race. He spots a tiny island of white guys at a distant table. He looks at STEVIE THE LEADER, but gets a nod from the HUGE ARYAN next to him. Derek moves to sit with them. A WIDE SHOT OF THE YARD. From a distance, he approaches the Aryan corner. They casually greet each other. Derek then looks over to the HUGE ARYAN from the cafeteria and to STEVIE MCCORMICK, the crazy looking leader. Derek walks over and shakes their hands. CUT TO: INT. PRISON LAUNDRY ROOM - MORNING Derek quietly folds towels with a young, chattering black man. YOUNG MAN You got lucky, man. I was in the kitchen for a year before making it in here. Pots and motherfucking pans... disgusting beef stroganoff shit... boiling hot water...fuck that! (looking over) My name's Lamont, man. Derek doesn't even look at LAMONT. Stone cold, he continues folding. LAMONT I got your back. Righteous white Cracker with attitude. Just like the Judge who sentenced me, man. Lamont laughs but then becomes serious. LAMONT If your smart though you'll remember one thing. You're the nigger in here. Not me. CUT TO: EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY DEREK'S POV. He sees Stevie McCormick conferring with a Mexican gang leader. The Mexican hands Stevie a joint through a handshake. Derek turns and talks to two white guys who seem impressed. Stevie walks up and takes a hit off his joint. STEVIE I was just talking about you. You're Cammeron's boy? Derek turns and stares at him. DEREK His boy? No, I don't think so, man. I'm not anybody's boy. STEVIE Well...you know what I mean. DEREK Nooo, I don't know what you mean. Derek and Stevie lock eyes. Stevie sneaks a hit and offers Derek. STEVIE Here, man. Relax and have a hit. Derek stares at him. DEREK Nooo...how about you getting that fucking shit awax from me? Stevie looks at him, ready to kill. The other two can't believe Derek's gall. Stevie shrugs. STEVIE You got a problem, man? DEREK Excuse me? Do I have a problem? No, I don't have a problem. Do you have a problem? STEVIE No. I don't. Stevie stares at Derek and walks off. He turns back again and he and Derek lock eyes. He walks back to his group. DEREK Who the fuck are you? Derek turns back to the other two and they are already walking away. Derek looks at the two and back to Stevie. Stevie sits with HUGE ARYAN and says something to him. CUT TO: INT. PRISON LAUNDRY ROOM - EARLY MORNING Lamont in mid-conversation. LAMONT But I won't go down on that shit. No way, no how. You ever been with a soul sister? Derek looks over and meets his eyes. Lamont sees this and laughs. Just for a second. LAMONT Oh shit! Sorry, man! Forgot who the luck I was talking to there for a second. (after a beat) Let me ask you this one though cause I don't know the white man's take. You like eating pussy? Derek can't help but smile. LAMONT Oh man! You sick fucking bastard! You sick pig! DEREK And you don't!? Shut up. LAMONT Man...you don't know shit about the brothers. We won't go down on that shit if the bitch was holding a gun to our fucking head. Derek laughs and the two continue to converse. CUT TO: EXT. PRISON QUAD - DAY A group of White Aryans are gathered in the yard. Derek plays basketball with a mixed assemblage, including Lamont. Derek continues to look over every now and then at Stevie and his group. Stevie suddenly smiles towards Derek. Not understanding what it's all about, Derek turns 'around. Standing there is HUGE ARYAN and his STOCKY FRIEND.. They proceed to beat the shit out of Derek right in the middle of the court. The players circle as Derek rolls on the ground. He gets bombarded with kicks and punches, a few even coming from randoms on the court. CUT TO: INT. LAUNDRY ROOM - MORNING A beat-up Derek quietly folds. Lamont stays quiet. He glances over but knows Derek isn't in the mood. CUT TO: EXT. CAFETERIA - AFTERNOON LUNCH Derek looks over to the white table and they something amongst themselves. They break into laughter. Derek thinks about eating somewhere else, but there's nowhere to go. He walks BACK over to the white table and looks at STEVIE. STEVIE How's your face, man? Everyone laughs. Derek sits and eats, his tail between his legs. STEVIE That'll teach you. Don't be a prick to your superiors. CUT TO: EXT. NARROW PRISON CORRIDOR - LATE AFTERNOON Stevie walks by himself and smokes a cigarette. He turns a corner and standing there waiting for him is DEREK. Derek stares him down. STEVIE What do you want? DEREK I'm right here, man. You wanna have it out with me, let's go. Just me and you though. STEVIE Man...you are a stupid motherfucker. You know that? When are you--? Derek cracks him in the face and Stevie falls to the ground. DEREK Stupid?! You have anything else to say, you little pussy! Hunh?! STEVIE Fuck you! Derek kicks the man a few more times and takes off. A few black prisoners laugh at Stevie from the PING PONG TABLE. CUT TO: INT. PRISON SHOWER - MORNING Derek puts his head down under the warm water and closes his eyes. From out of nowhere, he is slammed out of frame to the floor. HUGE ARYAN'and his STOCKY BUDDY from earlier proceed to beat him. Bathers leave and after a few moments, Stevie's boys drop their TOWELS. HUGE ARYAN Well well well. A virgin. DISSOLVE TO: INT. SHOWER - LATER Derek lies on the tile floor, bloody and beaten. HUGE ARYAN You ain't so tough now, are you? The two men smile at each other, kick him and exit. After a few seconds, LAMONT enters with the cart and picks up dirty towels. He spots Derek laying on the tile. LAMONT Motherfucker. What now, man? He tends to Derek. He picks him up, throws him over his shoulder, and carries him off. LAMONT Shit, holmes. (carrying him) Hang on to me, man. You're heavy. INT. PRISON INFIRMARY - EVENING Derek lies on a table, silent. A Mexican DOCTOR examines his ass. DOCTOR Well, you do have some tearing down here. Christ. Okay. I'm gonna have to stitch you up so I'll be back. The doctor passes Dr. Sweeney on his way out. Derek hears Sweeney talk to the doctor and turns his head. The two look at each other for a long moment. Sweeney sits down next to him and puts his hand on Derek's shoulder. Derek finally breaks down and sobs. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL - LATE NIGHT Sweeney and Derek in mid-conversation. A small lamp shines off their faces. SWEENEY Honor and loyalty run thick, Derek. Not skin color. Skin is thin. I don't get you, man. I don't. (after a beat) I got my Doctorate in Education...not in medicine. But if you think babies come into this world evil...you're fucked up, Derek. You're way to smart to believe that shit. (then) There's nothin' more beautiful Derek, nothin' more pure, nothin' more innocent...than a baby. DEREK They killed my father, Sweeney. SWEENEY Jesus Derek. Use that brain God gave you for chrissake. What are you gonna do? Seek revenge your whole life and become a lifer in here. That's what these guys are like, you wanna be like them? Fucking little boys in prison? Think, man. None of your guys back home give a shit about you. (after a beat) They only care about your brother. The new blood. And he sure as hell can't take care of himself like you could. Derek looks at the man with regret. DEREK Get me outta here, Sweeney. Sweeney looks at the young man, heavily weighing his options. The two lock eyes. CUT TO: EXT. PRISON QUAD - DAY Derek reads by himself on the cement stairs by himself. A shadow approaches from behind. VOICE How you doin', man? Derek turns his head and sees LAMONT standing there. DEREK All right. (after a beat) How are you? LAMONT I'm fucking incarcerated, man. With a bunch of faggots. How you think I'm doin'? Derek looks at the young man and can't help but laugh. Derek slowly gets up and limps past Lamont. LAMONT What are you gonna do, man? Derek looks at him for a few moments, still shaken. DEREK I'm not going to do anything. CUT TO: INT. PRISON VISITING ROOM He looks through the window at his mother. Together they pick up the phone. TIGHT ON DEREK. He can feel her pain more than he can feel his own. He forces a smile. DEREK Hey Mom. DORIS Hello. The two sit there and stare at each other for a few moments. DORIS Dr. Sweeney called me. He spoke with a guy on the parole board here. (then) He thinks you might be getting out soon. Derek nods and stares at his mother, broken. DEREK How are the others? DORIS Davina's good. UCLA Math major. (frustrated) All three of you have always been so great in school. I wonder why all this-- DEREK What about Dan, Mom? How's he? DORIS He's doing the same stuff you were doing, Derek. Hanging out with Cammeron, getting into trouble. It brings back a lot of sad memories. And I can't do anything...he won't listen to me. He needs you. Derek stares at his mother like it's the last thing he wanted to hear. DISSOLVE TO: INT. PRISON CHECK-OUT - DAY Derek gives back his prison garb. LAMONT APPEARS. Through the partition we see Derek say goodbye to Lamont: and walk out to his awaiting family. DISSOLVE BACK TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT - PRESENT Danny tearfully stares at his brother, speechless. DEREK (after a long beat) You're my best friend, Danny. You're my only friend. And I just want what's best for you. The two rub heads as DEREK puts his arm around him. Danny squeezes back and Derek kisses him on the top of the head. CUT TO: EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - THE COPS Danny skates up to the front gate and looks at them. COP #1 How the hell...? Derek slaps the roof on the passenger side and scares the hell out of the officers. COP #2 Son of a bitch. DEREK Pretty shitty assignment you got. COP #1 Out of respect for your father. DEREK Oh yeah? What the hell do you know- about my father? The two men sit there speechless as Derek walks over to an awaiting Danny. INT. VINYARD HOUSEHOLD - A SLEEPING DORIS She snores on the couch. The clock on the wall reads eleven as the boys ENTER. Danny goes to his room whale Derek heads for the girls in the living room. He genzly shakes Davina. DEREK Hey. Wake up. She looks at him, delirious. DAVINA What? DEREK Time for bed. INT. OPEN BEDROOM - DEREK'S POV Dan types at the computer as Derek escorts Davina and Doris to bed. INT. DAVINA BEDROOM - SAME Davina plops herself down and falls asleep instantly. DORIS Goodnight. DEREK Goodnight, Mom. CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - LATE NIGHT Derek stares at himself in the mirror. A million thoughts race through his head as computer keys echo in the b.g. He looks at all of his tattoos and SCARS. TIGHT ON HIS UPPER BODY. He stares at the SWASTIKA on his tit. He puts his hand over the tattoo to see what he looks like without it. He turns on the shower and gets inside. 129 INT. SHOWER - TIGHT ON DEREE As he soaps himself down, the soap slips out of his hand and sits on.the bottom of the tub. He looks at it a long time before he bends over to pick it up. He immerses his face into the shower faucet and thinks to himself. INT. BEDROOM - TIGHT ON DANNY He sits back down at the computer and looks back at his brother as he dries off. Danny thinks to himself and types a sentence. DANNY (V/O) There was only one person who loved Derek more than me. DISSOLVE TO: INT. VINYARD HOUSEHOLD - MORNING - FLASHBACK The place is immaculate. DENNIS VINYARD, the father of the household, eats his breakfast in his LA COUNTY FIREFIGHTER UNIFORM. Vintage fireman material: muscular, receding hairline, zero facial hair. Handsome. A pretty and well-dressed Doris SINGS while she scrambles eight eggs with mushrooms and peppers. DANNY (V/O) That was Dad. They were best friendS. Fathers and sons are never best friends...but they were.. YOUNGER DANNY stares at his larger-than-life father with a cap turned backwards. Doris breaks from song and yells to the back. DORIS Breakfast! DENNIS Okay! Let's go, Davina! Derek! DORIS So what's this all about, Dennis? Dennis doesn't hear because his attention is on Danny. YOUNGER DEREK, donning a flat-top haircut and no tattoos, walks into the kitchen. The smiling athlete has his backpack and blue VENICE HIGH gym bag. He drops it all onto the ground and sits at the table. DENNIS Good morning. DEREK Good morning. Doris sets food in front of her two sons and they both go to work. Young Danny eats quietly. DORIS What about this gang stuff? DENNIS Jesus Doris...it's not that big of a deal. All departments have to take a precaution class on gang patrol today. DEREK What for? DENNIS A guy was shot yesterday in Inglewood...changin' a valve on a hydrant. LAPD is worried that more firefighters will become targets. That's what this bullshit is about. (sipping his coffee) A good father this guy was though and now he's in intensive care because of some goddamn--! They've pretty much declared war on LAPD and us. DORIS Why you guys though? I can see them but the fire department? DENNIS They think we would rather let a building burn down over there than fight it. So now we got two fights goin' on at one goddamn time. Dennis takes a bite of his eggs and explodes. DENNIS (to the bedroom) Dayins! Get in here! DAVINA (O.S.) I'm coming right now! Jesus! DENNIS I'll tell you one more thing. This "affirmative blaction" shit is driving me up the fucking wall. Firefighters gettin' 99's on their tests while rappers who score a goddamn 62 walk away with the job. DANNY Don't we have to have "affirmative action?" DENNIS Not when a job requires ability. No. DORIS A lot of people say otherwise, Danny. Including me. DENNIS A lot of people don't know shit, either. Doris just stares at the back of her husband's head like she wants to smack it. He turns back and disarms her with a look. DENNIS If I'm fightin' a brush fire... surrounded by thousand degree flames...who would I want watchin' my back? A guy who scores a 99 or a guy who scores a sixty? (then) You don't see half the NBA with whites, gooks and spics. DORIS Nooo...what you don't see are minorities on the boards of Fortune 500 companies cause whites won't stand for it. DENNIS Doris! I'm tired of your damn argument! You sound like an idiot! DEREK Sweeney actually had a pretty good take on affirmative action the other day. DENNIS (smiling) Really? I didn't know you spoke "African", Derek? Where'd you learn that shit? Johannesberg? Dennis laughs and Derek eventually smiles. Danny looks at them, not really understanding. Doris stares down Dennis. DORIS Honey? Please don't speak that way. They don't-- DENNIS How am I speaking, Doris!? Hunh?! I'm speakin' fineP (quickly to Derek) Hey. Don't let that him confuse you over there, Derek. Look at me. This shit he's pulling is a load of crap. Hey. Look at me, Derek. I mean it. If we keep givin' niggers everything, there'll be nothing left for us. Derek and Danny stare at their father, not knowing how to react. DORIS You can be a stupid son of a bitch sometimes. DENNIS And then we have naive fools like her. DORIS I really hate you with a passion some times. An upset Doris exits the room past YOUNG DAVINA. Dennis looks to Derek. DENNIS You know what I mean though, right? DEREK (nodding) Yeah. DAVINA (to the family) Good morning. She sits. Her lips glare excessively this morning. DENNIS Well...good morning, Miss Monroe! (smiling) Look at you. You look like a star. DEREK I like that color, Davina. DAVINA Thanks DENNIS You did like it. Dennis reaches over and wipes it off with his napkin. DAVINA (whining) Come on, Dad. DENNIS Yeah. Well you're lucky I'm letting you wear that crap on your eyes. I love you but you're too young. DAVINA That sucks, man. DENNIS It totally sucks. And we all sympathize with you, too. Everyone laughs but Dan, still shaken over his mother. DENNIS (Shifting to Danny) You got practice today? Danny shakes his head no. DANNY Coach's sick. DENNIS You wanna go to Der's game with me? DANNY Sure. DENNIS (quickly to Derek} Santa Monica High tonight, right? DEREK Yep. DENNIS Perfect. (to Danny) Ben'll whip us up a couple of double deckers and we'll head over. DANNY (smiling) Okay. Dennis smiles, reaches over with a fatherly hand, and messes up his hair. BACK QUICKLY TO: INT. BEDROOM - DANNY - PRESENT He stops typing and almost cries. He leans back in his chair and and stares himself in the side mirror. He feels his bald head, almost exploring. CUT TO: EXT. BEN'S BURGER SHOP - LATE NIGHT A white homeless man in an ARMY JACKET sits outside begging for change. Seth and Cameron, both beat-up, drunk and bloody, stare at the man. HOMELESS MAN Spare change for a cheeseburger? SETH Get a job and buy one why don't you. HOMELESS MAN God bless you. SETH Fuck you. Seth stumbles into the shop. Cam stares at the homeless man, psychotically. HOMELESS MAN Fifty cents is all I ask. Vietnam, man. I was in CAMMERON Really? So you've had what? Thirty years to get your shit together? HOMELESS MAN All I want is something to eat. CAMMERON There are plenty of fuckin' dishwashing jobs out there, Vietnam boy. Go get yourself one. In the background, BEN THE OWNER and Seth shake hands. HOMELESS MAN Did I do something? CAMMERON You're a disgrace to the white race. If Adolf Hitler was alive...God bless his soul...he would have you shot. HOMELESS MAN Fuck you then. Now and forever. Fuck you. Cameron knees the weaker man square in the face. The man slopes down to his side, unconscious. As an afterthought, Cameron kicks him several more times. CAMMERON Noooo. Fuck you. QUICKLY TO ACROSS THE STREET. Little Henry and two of his friends watch Cammeron's brutality from their bikes. They turn in the opposite direction and hurry off. INT. BURGER SHOP - CAMHERON AND SETH CUT TO: Seth eats a burger and chili fries at the same time. Cameron smokes across from him and watches Seth eat like a pig. He takes a look at the homeless man outside who still lays motionless. Cam feels his BANDAGED FACE. CAMMERON I think I need to go to the hospital. SETH Seriously? CAMMERON I don't know. I think so. SETH Where's Stacey? CAMMERON Who gives a fuck? Seth takes a bite and chews. SETH Derek's a fuckin' traitor pussy. CAMMERON Well...we might be pussies too if we got treated the way he did. SETH What do you mean? CAMMERON Stevie McCormick called...old school Venice bro. He's at Chino...doin' life. He hated Derek. (exhaling) Said he was a fucking blow-up doll in there. SETH (overwhelmed) Fucking A. Seth continues to eat. Cammeron looks out the window and hates what he sees. CAMMERON Oh Christ. You gotta be kidding me? SETH What? CAMMERON'S POV. A large, mature and sharp-looking BLACK MAN helps A BEAUTIFUL BLOND out of a RED BMW. THEY KISS. Cammeron is at a loss for words. Cam puts out his cigarette as the couple ENTERS. CAMMERON (looking at the two) Is there anything sacred in this country anymore? Jesus Christ. Hey. Stop feeding your face for a second and look behind you. Seth turns his head and stares at the interracial couple. He turns back to Cam and sings a verse from the famous atevie Wonder song, EBONY AND IVORY. Cameron laughs. The black man turns and looks at the two. CAMMERON Can we help you with something? Do you have any questions about the menu? BLACK MAN No questions. CAMMERON I recommend either the "Big Ben Burger" or the "Chicken Taco Special." Ben'll replace the dark meat with the white meat if you ask nicely. BLACK MAN (fed up) What's your problem, pal? CAMMERON I ain't your fucking pal first of all. Secondly...I don't have problems. People who luck with me have problems. WHITE GIRL Come on. Let's get out of here. CAMMERON Hey! What a great idea! You got a clever little whatever it is there. I'd listen to it if I were you. BLACK MAN You're not me. CAMHERON (smiling) And I thank God Almighty every day for that, believe me. SETH Excuse me? Tyrone? BLACK MAN My name's not Tyrone either. SETH Whatever. Why can't you stick to your own race? WHITE GIRL (disgusted) Jesus Christ! Where do you assholes come from?! CAMMERON What the luck difference does it make where we come from, bitch? I'm from a place called America. A place that used to be a nice place to live before it became fuckin' Africa-America. BLACK MAN You ignorant mother-- Seth quickly gets out of his chair and makes his gun totally visible to the couple. SETH You got a fuckin' death wish, asshole? Do you? Make your move now if you do. If you don't...get the luck out of my sight. Cause I'm real close to shoving my piece up your girlfriend's stinky pussy. The black man stares at the gun sticking out of Seth's belly. He grabs his girlfriend and walks out of the joint. Seth sits back down and the two laugh. Cameron looks over at Ben and raises his hands in the air. CAMMERON (smiling) Everything's hunky dory, Ben! No problemo. Only us white folk. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - A DIGITAL CLOCK It reads 2:36 a.m. Shiftless Derek lifts a sleeping Danny off the computer keyboard. He helps him into the bottom bunk, tucks him in, and watches him snooze. DEREK (softly) Did you "save" it? An asleep Danny nods. Derek slowly walks back into the bathroom to grab his towel off the floor. He looks at his SWASTIKA TAT in the mirror and sighs to himself. He turns off the light and exits. CUT TO: INT. BURGER JOINT - SETH AND CAMMERON Seth finishes his display of gluttony. CAMMERON It wouldn't irritate me so much if the ratio was a little more even. SETH What's that? CAMMERON (going mad) Ebony and Ivory back there! Almost all of those orange kid relationships are black man and white women and I'm fucking sick of seein' it! I wouldn't mind so much if it were more even. SETH Huge dicks, Cam. That's all it is. CAMMERON I used to think that too but...it's gotta be more, man. It has to be more than the fact they they carry a big load. Chicks aren't that shallow, are they? It's politically correct... that's what it is. White women...bein' seen with the coloreds...it's great for their image. Bitches today want to be known as bein' fuckin' color blind. SETH They get off on it. CAMMERON And you can't really blame Tyrone. SETH Why the fuck not? CAMMERON Well...how'd you like to drag around some fat fly girl? I wouldn't. SETH No shit. (imitating) Oh go girlfriend! Don't be puttin' up wid dat, girl! Oh stop girl! Seth and Cammeron laugh and head outside--leaving a mess on the table. EXT. ACROSS THE STREET - THE CHEROKEE FROM EARLIER The white vehicle gets passed by cars left and right. INT. CHEROKEE - HENRY'S POV Henry sits up front with JEROME, nervous and scared. The three thugs in back lock and load. LITTLE HENRY You gonna waste 'em? JEROME Only if we have to. Jerome grabs a baseball bat and they quietly get out. INT. VAN - TIGHT ON LITTLE HENRY Me bites his nails and watches the foursome sneak up on an oblivious Seth and Cammeron. EXT. GRAVEL PARKING LOT - HENRY'S POV The men close in. Seth and Cam are blind to it. Jerome raises the bat as they close in and we-- FADE TO: INT. BATHROOM - EARLY MORNING - BIRDS CHIRPING Danny stares at himself in the mirror and tries to find some stubble on his chin. INT. BEDROOM - A SLICK DEREK He stares into the mirror in a coat and pants. Danny rushes to get his things together. DANNY I'm printing it up and we're out of here. DEREK Hurry up. Derek walks out into the living room. INT. MESSY LIVING ROOM - DORIS She's on the couch watching cartoons. She takes a jar of Vick's Vapor Rub and puts some on her chest. Derek walks in the room, bends over and kisses her on the forehead. Davina sits on the couch and writes. Derek just smiles. DORIS Wow. What happened? DEREK I gotta see my parole officer. DAVINA Hey Der? Do you have Excel on disk? DEREK I've got everything on disk. Davina smiles and walks into the back bedroom. Doris looks at Derek. DORIS You look good. Derek smiles and caresses his mother's cheek. DEREK We're getting out of here soon. Is that okay with you? DORIS I'd love it. (after a beat) Do you think I should color my hair? DEREK Yes. He sits beside his mother and enjoys the moment. He thinks to himself. DORIS I'm glad you made it back. I wasn't too sure I was going to see you again. You know how I get. Filled with regret, he nods. DEREK You think you'll be able to forgive me? Someday maybe? DORIS You're my son. Of course I will. Derek smiles and can't believe his tearful reaction. DEREK Look at me. I'm such a pussy. DORIS No you're not. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE BLVD. - A NEWSPAPER MACHINE Derek plunks a quarter down the slot and removes a copy of the LA TIMES. Danny continues to skate ahead of him. Sensing danger, Derek looks back behind him. With no one in sight, he walks into a doughnut shop. INT. DOUGHNUT SHOP - DEREK'S POV He takes a guarded look outside. Everything seems normal. A bus drives by. A group of Mexican laborers, dressed for work and smiling, walk past in the other direction. Inside, a black woman orders a dozen doughnuts from a short Korean.man behind the counter. Her young daughter grabs her leg. Danny sits down and reads Derek's paper. DEREK What do you want? DANNY Maple bar and a...large milk. Derek smiles at the little girl while he waits. She wanders from her mother's leg and over towards Derek. DEREK (to the girl) You look pretty. She laughs. TISHA Thank you. DEREK How do I look? BLACK GIRL (bashfully) Fine. DANNY'S POV. He looks up from the paper. He watches the girl together with his brother. DEREK What's your name? BLACK GIRL Tisha. DEREK How old are you, Tisha? She holds up four fingers. Derek smiles. BLACK MOTHER (staring at Derek) Come here, Tisha. Tisha returns to her mother and they quickly exit. Derek watches the girl as she continues to stare at him as they make their way down the street. Outside, a BLUE FORD screeches out front. Rasmussen and the Young Mark Fuhrman type from earlier get out and wait. Dr. Sweeney meets the duo and together they walk inside. DEREK What's goin' on? SWEENEY We need to talk, Derek. DEREK How'd you find out I was here? SWEENEY We were just at your apartment. RASMUSSEN Cammeron and Seth are in the ICU at St. Johns, Derek. They were jumped in front of Ben's Burgets early this morning. Derek thinks to himself for a few more seconds. DEREK How bad? RASMUSSEN They'll live. (then) They must have been looking for somebody else. Derek stares at Rasmussen and walks away. Sweeney, who knows to walk over to him. He eyes TIGHT ON SWEENEY AND DEREK. The two lock eyes. SWEENEY Are they coming after you? DEREK Fuckin' A. Sweeney sighs. SWEENEY I don't know. (after a long beat) You might have to talk to your old crew though. Derek looks over and analyzes the innocence of his brother. DEREK I can't, Sweeney. SWEENEY Try, Derek. Okay? Derek senses the danger in his voice. SWEENEY Okay? Before it explodes. Sweeney walks away and then turns back to Derek. SWEENEY And watch your back. Derek nods. SWEENEY (back to Danny) You showing up today? Danny looks at Sweeney and nods his head yes. SWEENEY Good. CUT TO: EXT. VENICE HIGH - DEREK AND DANNY They are outside the fence surrounding the field. Students head off to morning class. DEREK Hey. Keep your head up, alright? I'm going to take care of this. DANNY How? DEREK I don't know. I'll figure it out though. You gonna be okay? DANNY Yeah. The two stare at each other as THE BELL RINGS. DANNY I gotta turn that paper in. Danny hops the fence with his backpack on. He looks back at Derek. Cops #1 and #2 sit in their car in the b.g. DEREK Hey. DANNY What? DEREK Come here. Derek puts his hand over the fence. Danny walks up and clasps it -- FINGERS INTERTWINED. Derek wants to say one thing but something else comes out. DEREK I'll see you at home. Danny smiles at his brother and nods. Danny puts his ear phones on and heads to class. Derek watches his brother through the chain-link fence. Danny meets up with Lizzy and they soon disappear from Derek's sight. Derek turns and walks down the street. COP #1 You need a lift anywhere? DEREK Nope. Derek stops in his tracks, walks back over to the fence, and stares at the school. INT. MESSY HALLWAY - DANNY AND LIZZY Students rush past them. Danny kisses Lizzy and she hurries off to class. He pushes on the men's room door. INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM - SAME Danny enters, sets his "AMERICAN HISTORY X" PAPER on top of the sink, and takes an unearthly long piss at the urinal. He finishes, flushes and turns. Standing there is LITTLE HENRY. A GUN IN HIS HAND. DANNY Jesus Christ. What are you doing, Henry? LITTLE HENRY (afraid) What does it look like I'm doin'? DANNY Come on, man, no. You don't want to do this. Come on. Henry? THE DOOR SMACKS OPEN and Danny moves to grab the pistol. It discharges and a bullet rockets into Danny's chest. He SLAMS back into the URINAL and gasps for air. The force of the pistol knocks Henry to the ground. The two kids who just entered bolt for help. Danny slides to the tile, leaving a bloody trail. The two stare at each other - EYE TO EYE. THE BLOODSTAINED PAPER falls into the DAMP SINK. Danny inhales like glass is raking his lungs. LITTLE HENRY (terrified) Danny? Danny's breathing slows to a choked whisper. He blinks, coughs, twitches. And dies. LITTLE HENRY Vinyard? Danny? Henry watches teary-eyed with the same altered look Derek had after killing Lawrence. Together they FREEZE on the cold tile floor. CUT TO: INT. HALL AT VENICE HIGH BATHROOM - YELLOW POLICE TAPE Officers and detectives monitor the area. Young students, including Lizzy and her friends, stand around and cry. Rasmussen brings THE BLOODY PAPER over to Sweeney. Sweeney looks at it for a moment but is interrupted. RASMUSSEN He won't let go. Will you talk to him? INT. BATHROOM - TIGHT ON DEREK AND DANNY Derek cradles his bloody brother. Sweeney walks over, crouches, and talks to Derek's back. SWEENEY Derek? You gotta let him go, man. They gotta get him outta here. DEREK I can't. Derek begins to cry outright. He can't control himself. He lets go of Danny's corpse and charges out into the hall. INT. HALLWAY - DORIS AND DAVINA Derek embraces them. Doris grabs his face -- torn between love and hate. Guilt-ridden, Derek tears from them and storms down the hall with Sweeney soon in tow. SWEENEY Derek! I know what you're thinkin' right now and I want you to forget about it! DEREK How the luck do you know what I'm thinkin', Sweeney!? SWEENEY Cause I'm thinkin' the same damn thing! Drowning in rage, Derek turns back to a misty eyed Sweeney. DEREK They shot him in a fucking...pisshole! SWEENEY And goin' after them won't bring him back. Don't do it, Derek. Please, man. You've come too far. The war is over. Derek contemplates the situation and presses his tongue against his teeth, crackbrained. Sweeney slowly approaches and cautiously wraps his arms around the young man. Derek buries his tearing face in Sweeney's shoulder. DEREK It stops now, Sweeney. Sweeney nods and the two lock eyes. Derek makes his way back to Doris and Davina and together, they grieve. DANNY (V/O) We've heard it a million times, a Bible quote become cliche: "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord." DISSOLVE TO: INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM - DANNY AND HENRY A still of the two immediately after the murder. We move in tighter and tighter until we get close on Danny. DANNY (V/O) Vengeance brought about by hate...and fear. When it points its head in our direction, we take notice and everything changes. The way we choose our friends, the way we protect our families, the way we create enemies out of strangers. (then) Welcome to America. TIGHT ON DANNY'S EYES. They are gently pushed shut by Henry's two small BLACK FINGERS. THE END

FADE IN: EXT. WOODS The Rangers plunge into thick woods. Branches slap at them, but the sound of gunfire keeps them going. Captain Malcolm is still in the lead, flanked by two young men who are obviously brothers. The big, handsome one is COLE YOUNGER; the skinny one with the lopsided hair is BOB YOUNGER. EXT. WOOD'S EDGE They break through the other side of the woods, emerging behind a rickety set of fence-post fortifications. Instantly GUNFIRE tears apart the trees around them. The Captain's horse goes down, and the Younger brothers dive and roll to hide beneath the palisade. The Captain, still alive, has fallen beyond the wooden shield. Cole scrambles through the savage rifle fire, grabs Captain Malcolm, and hauls him behind the fortification. CAPTAIN MALCOLM (bellowing) Fall back into the woods! Out of your saddles before you're shot out of 'em! The Rangers leap from their saddles as a new sound starts -- a dull roar that grows and approaches and BBRRRRAPPPPP as, unbelievably, trees EXPLODE INTO SPLINTERS and horses and men go down in a heap! COLE Gatling! They've got a Gatling! BOB Dammit, this stopped being fun about two years ago! Some men are crawling to the fortifications, others are staying in the woods. The Captain pokes his head up to take a look. With him WE SEE EXT. ANOTHER HILLSIDE At the top of which, about a hundred fifty yards off, is a three man Gatling crew. Squads of Union soldiers are beginning to make their way down the hillside. And just to their right is an EIGHT INCH CANNON with a burning fuse -- EXT. FORTIFICATIONS CAPTAIN MALCOLM DOWN! BOOM! And with a whistle the cannonball TEARS THROUGH the forest and EXPLODES just behind the Rangers. Some of the men are screaming from injury and panic. CAPTAIN MALCOLM (CONT'D) Cole! Bob! You boys okay? COLE Hell, take more than a cannon to kill the Younger brothers, sir! BOB I think the cannon's doing a pretty good job, Cole. A full-blooded Indian, COMANCHE TOM, crawls up next to them. COLE Some Indian tracker you turned out to be, Tom. COMANCHE TOM You pay me to find you Bluecoats. There they are. ANOTHER ROUND from the Gatling chews up the trees and fencing, driving their heads down. CAPTAIN MALCOLM They're using the Gatling and the cannon to cover their advance. We're pinned unless we take them out! Cole peers through the rails. COLE Those gunners are too far away... CAPTAIN MALCOLM Get me the James boy. COMANCHE TOM You want Jesse? CAPTAIN MALCOLM Not Jesse, the one who can shoot. Comanche Tom rolls back to the edge of the woods. COMANCHE TOM FRANK! EXT. WOODS - A FEW YARDS BACK Among the squatting men a single one STANDS UP. FRANK JAMES is tall with a dark, thoughtful face. He looks sadder than his 23 years should allow. His hand is wrapped around a longbarrel Enfield 30. FRANK Jesse. The long rider behind him turns around. He's JESSE JAMES, 20. He's too damn good-looking and he's got your best friend's eyes. There's a coiled energy to him, and right now he seems more angry than afraid. Next to him is WEB MIMMS, 15, who is terrified and trying not to show it. FRANK (CONT'D) Watch Web. WEB I don't need watchin'! JESSE Web, I bring you back dead and your sister'll kill me. Now shut up and lie there. (then) Careful, Frank. And make sure Bob and Cole are okay. EXT. FORTIFICATIONS Loose shots spitting up dirt and wood chips everywhere. Frank crawls up, nods to the Youngers, peers through the stacked wood. Another EXPLOSION from the cannon. FRANK Cannon or Gatling? COLE Both would be nice. FRANK Soon as I hit one, the other'll know and beat us up. CAPTAIN MALCOLM Cannon. Frank raises his head just high enough to poke the Enfield over the stacked fenceposts. Everyone else is flinching from the suppressing fire. Frank is perfectly still. Squinting, aiming, perfectly centered ... BANG. CUT TO: EXT. CANNON STATION As the Captain of the six man crew SNAPS BACK and hits the ground dead. Before the others can react, two more grab their throats and drop. The remaining soldiers bolt from the cannon. But the Gatling crew swings the gun around and the barrels BLAZE. CUT TO: EXT. FORTIFICATIONS Frank and the others hit the dirt as the Gatling shreds the fenceposts, fells trees, churns the ground, stitching a path of destruction across the bulwarks and into the woods where EXT. WOODS The Gatling rounds are everywhere. Rangers jerk as the Gatling tears them apart. Jesse grabs Web to his chest and swings around, shielding the boy with his own body. When the fire pauses for a moment. Jesse looks down -- he's covered in blood. He lets Web fall away. Blood bubbles up from where the boy's chest used to be. JESSE Hell no... Jesse's trying to stop the blood with his bare hands. WEB Aw, Jesse. (crying) I never even got to be with a girl. Web dies. Jesse sighs. He's seen too much death to cry anymore. He stands up, pivots, and strides for the fencepost barrier. Rifle fire is zipping through the air all around him, but he keeps walking. EXT. FORTIFICATIONS Frank, the Younger brothers, Comanche Tom and the Captain are all still there. Captain Malcolm peers through the wall. CAPTAIN MALCOLM They're getting closer. Jesse arrives, slaps Cole's shoulder. Cole grins grimly. COLE 'Bout time you got here, buddy. JESSE What's going on? FRANK Every time I put my head up to hit that Gatling, they try to shoot it off. JESSE So we got a plan? BOB My plan of lying here pissing myself seems to be working mighty fine, thank you. FRANK I can hit those boys from here. We just need a distraction. JESSE (smiling) A distraction? Well, why the hell didn't you just say so? Jesse sprints back into the woods. Cole, Bob, and Frank exchange looks. BOB He's smiling. COLE Never a good thing. FRANK This ought to be interesting. ANOTHER ROAR from the Gatling pushes their heads down, but as that sound fades, another blends in, growing louder and louder, the SOUND OF HOOFBEATS ANGLE ON The men at the fortification, turning to face the woods, their faces stunned as JESSE JAMES ON HORSEBACK AT FULL GALLOP EXPLODES from the woods, heading straight at his own men and at the last second LEAPS OVER THE BARRIER, and as he does Jesse leans back in the saddle to let the wind strip off his longrider coat, revealing for the first time his GUNS -- two Colts at the hip, a crossed bandolier on his chest with two cross-holstered Colts at the shoulders, and two Colts in the small of his back. And for that one second as Jesse and the horse are in mid-air and the longrider coat trails behind him like leather wings and his guns gleam blue in the sunlight, Jesse James is the Angel of Death. EXT. HILLSIDE The horse hits the ground running. The Union troops are in shock as Jesse draws both his hip Colts and starts firing. JESSE Come on, ya Yankee bastards! His GUNS BLAZING, Jesse rides straight at the Bluecoats. Five, six are down before they can even react. They start firing back, but they can't draw a bead. Two more are down. Jesse's making every bullet count. ANGLE ON The Gatling gun as the crew swings it around and FIRES, hundred of rounds tearing straight at Jesse ANGLE ON Jesse who incredibly cuts the horse hard left using just his knees, still shooting as the Gatling volley goes wide, actually killing two of the Union soldiers behind Jesse. But then the arc of fire takes Jesse's horse in the rump. The horse falls, but Jesse dives off, still firing, killing another two soldiers. Then he hits the ground, rolls, and is up and running, dropping the spent Colts and drawing the two shoulder guns in one smooth motion, never interrupting his shooting. EXT. FORTIFICATIONS Frank sees the Gatling swing away from him. He stands and -- EXT. HILLSIDE -- BANG as the Gatling triggerman drops, BANG as the ammo-feeder goes down, and BANG as the third man falls before the echo of the first shot clears. EXT. FORTIFICATIONS Cole is the first one on his feet. COLE WAAAHHHHOOOO!! We're coming Jesse! CAPTAIN MALCOLM Charge! With a ragged cheer the RANGERS ERUPT FROM THE FOREST, some actually on horseback, firing at the exposed Union troops. EXT. HILLSIDE Soldiers are swarming Jesse, but he's moving, turning, an untouchable blur in the chaos. As he drops two more empty Colts and reaches for the last two at his back, a SOLDIER just an arm's length away BRINGS UP A RIFLE. JESSE Oh, you do not! Jesse grabs the rifle barrel and drives the butt straight back into the soldier's nose. The Union boy falls, releasing the gun. Jesse swings the rifle in a smooth arc, bashing another soldier in the jaw, and then spins it effortlessly into his opposite hand and FIRES it point blank into another Union soldier. ANGLE ON The Rangers PLOWING INTO the Union soldiers. Rattled, the Union troops are beginning to break and fall back. ANGLE ON Jesse as another nearby soldier draws a revolver. Jesse snags his hand, twists it, wrapping the man's arm backward around Jesse's waist. With the other man still gripping the weapon, Jesse FANS THE HAMMER as he turns, shooting six more Union soldiers as they try to rush him. With a final yank, Jesse pulls the Colt from the man and crashes it down on his skull. ANGLE ON the Union soldiers in full retreat. EXT. THE GATLING STATION The few remaining Bluecoats break and run as Jesse reaches the Gatling. Suddenly a FIGURE LEAPS UP from behind the Gatling and FIRES his rifle. A bloody streak tears Jesse's cheek and he stumbles onto his back. With a cry, the figure jumps forward and buries his bayonet in Jesse's chest! Jesse gasps, then, puzzled, looks down. The bayonet has lodged right in the "X" of the ammo belts on his chest, stopped by the bullets and leather. Jesse kicks. As the Union soldier is knocked back, Jesse smoothly snap-kicks to his feet and draws both remaining Colts. He pulls up short. It's a fifteen year old boy, Web Mimms in a blue uniform. There's a deadly pause. JESSE You ain't even been with a girl, have you? The boy shakes his head. Jesse waves him off with the guns. JESSE (CONT'D) Git. The boy scurries off. Jesse turns and lopes down the hill. Instantly he's surrounded by cheering Missouri Rangers. EXT. HILLSIDE The Rangers move past Jesse. Jesse suddenly realizes Frank is there. They fall into step together. JESSE Distracting enough for you? FRANK Pff. They hardly even noticed you. JESSE So you're saying I could have done more to attract their attention. FRANK Mm-hmm. JESSE Such as? FRANK You could have worn one of those big, floppy woman's Easter Sunday hats. JESSE That would have made an impression. FRANK I figure. JESSE See, that's your problem, Frank. By the time you finish figuring out stuff, I'm already finished doing it. FRANK No, Jesse, your problem is you're always doing stuff before I'm finished figuring it out. Cole, Bob, and Comanche Tom RIDE UP on their recovered horses. Cole jumps down and picks up Jesse in a bear hug. COLE Wait'll we get back to Missouri, start telling those gals about how little Jesse James charged the whole Union Army by himself! COMANCHE TOM You ride like a Comanche. BOB You can ride like that? COMANCHE TOM I said like a Comanche, not this Comanche. Cole mounts up, reaches down a hand to Jesse. COLE Ride with me, cousin? JESSE I could use the walk. COLE Suit yourself. We'll have some horses waiting for you at the road. (then) Let's ride, Rangers! Cole slaps leather and the Rangers canter off. As they disappear we hear: BOB (low) Now, I would just sound stupid saying something like that... Jesse and Frank watch them go, then start walking again. JESSE (finally) Web's dead. FRANK I reckoned. JESSE Hell of a war. FRANK I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. EXT. ROAD - DUSK The James brothers, the Youngers, and the other Rangers ride down a dirt road toward a ragtag column of Confederate soldiers. The grey uniforms are ghostlike in the twilight. The men are obviously broken, dispirited. The column stretches down the road and around a bend as far as the eye can see. Jesse and the other Rangers ride into the midst of the Confederates who part and flow around the horsemen like a slow-moving river. For a moment, nobody speaks while the whole eerie procession glides past. COLE Where you boys going? JESSE There's Yankees back there. Lot's of 'em. One grizzled Confederate VETERAN, his arm in a bloody sling, looks up at Jesse. VETERAN War's over, son. General Lee surrendered yesterday at Appomattox. The soldiers move on. The Rangers stare into the middle distance of despair. Cole rubs his hands across his face. FRANK Yesterday. BOB Well, somebody better go tell THE DAMN YANKEES! COLE What do we do now? Jesse seems to be the only one with a clear head. JESSE Home. We go home. We ride like hell to get there, and we kill anything or anyone that comes between us and our homes. And when we get there we stay there and God help any fool who tries to get me to leave my farm again. BOB (pause) Best damn plan I heard all war. Jesse jerks his reins, and the last remaining survivors of the Missouri Rangers trot off into the sunset. MONTAGE -- Jesse, Frank, the Youngers and Comanche Tom riding hard down country roads, past burned out farms. THE RIDERS Are struggling through a downpour in a pitch black night, one of the horses slipping, going down. BLAZING SUN On a dusty road, the Youngers sharing a horse now, everybody just trying to keep moving. EXT. HILLTOP - DAY Jesse, Frank, Cole, Bob, and Comanche Tom are looking down on the frontier town of Liberty, Missouri. FRANK Hello, Liberty Missoura! JESSE All this time in the saddle... We get to the farm, I'm going to shoot this damn horse just on principle. COLE Never thought that pissant town would look so pretty. BOB Anywhere nobody's shooting at me is pretty. JESSE Home, boys. Back to our farms. COLE Planting corn. Harvesting corn. Year after year. BOB Corn gonna shoot at me? FRANK Nope. BOB Then I love it. They start to ride down into town. COLE Tom, why don't you stop at our spread before you head on out to the reservation? Figure we might have some work for you, if you want. COMANCHE TOM Hmm. Go back to the reservation and get drunk in a dirt shack, or work for you... COLE Well? COMANCHE TOM I'm thinking... Cole throws a playful punch at Comanche Tom. EXT. LIBERTY STREET - DAY The gang is riding into the main stretch of town. They're grinning, happy to be home, until -- JESSE We got problems. DOZENS OF UNION SOLDIERS are walking along the boardwalk, lingering near the saloon, all suddenly staring at the riders. COLE What the -- FRANK Must be a garrison in town. We're in occupied territory, boys. Cole is returning stares. JESSE Hands off your hip, Cole. COLE You're not scared, are you? JESSE Pick your fights, cousin. You taught me that. BOB It gets worse. There in the center of town, is a brand new scaffold. Three bodies, fresh ones, are hanging from the nooses. FRANK Jesus mercy, that's Charlie Higgins, Dave Laller ... BOB ... Will Perry ... COLE They rode with Quantrill's Rangers. The riders stop at the scaffold, take off their hats. JESSE Looks like Web Mimms wasn't the only casualty this town's got. FRANK We better go to Doc's, see what's going on here. COLE I'm cutting them down. Cole starts to dismount. Jesse grabs his arm. The Union Soldiers have started to form a crowd JESSE Not now. COLE What is wrong with you? JESSE (low) In case we have to kill these sonofabitches, I don't want them to see us coming. Cole thinks, nods. They ride away from the scaffold. BOB Cole, I want to get to the farm, make sure Little Jim and the girls are okay. FRANK Stop by our spread after that, tell our Ma we're all right. We'll go to Doc Mimms. The Youngers and Comanche Tom split off, start to trot away. COMANCHE TOM I think I may just go on to the reservation. BOB Tom, I'm this close to coming with you... EXT. MIMMS HOME - DAY Jesse and Frank ride toward a handsome white two-story frame house that stands in a grove of elm trees. ANOTHER ANGLE They dismount and walk up to the porch. A FARM HAND in a cowboy hat is nailing a rail onto the porch. JESSE Scuse me, we're here for the Doctor. The farm hand turns and pulls off his hat -- her hat. She's a chestnut-haired beauty in her late teens, ZERELDA MIMMS. ZEE Jesse! Frank! She hugs both of them enthusiastically. Jesse is obviously, immediately smitten. JESSE Zerelda? Little Zee Mimms? ZEE You were little Jesse James when you left. JESSE But you got big! Zee arches an eyebrow. JESSE (CONT'D) I mean, you aged -- Zee arches both eyebrows. JESSE (CONT'D) I mean, I mean, in a good way you got big and older. Zee tilts her head. Jesse's mouth moves, but nothing comes out, until JESSE (CONT'D) Frank, don't you have something to say? FRANK You're doing just fine. JESSE (pulling it together) Zee, we got to talk to you and your father. DOC MIMMS, a grey-haired man wearing rimless spectacles, steps out of the doorway. DOC MIMMS Frank, Jesse. (looking) Where's Web? ANGLE ON A LONG SHOT of the Mimms house. We can see, but not hear, Jesse talking. A beat, then we hear Zee CRY OUT. Doc Mimms staggers, SLUMPS DOWN in the door frame. Jesse and Frank rush to help him. DISSOLVE TO: INT. PARLOR - A WHILE LATER The room is comfortable and elegant in a simple way. Doc Mimms is slumped in a big chair. Zee, her eyes red, is pushing a glass of sherry into his hands. Jesse and Frank sit across from him. JESSE -- rode right into them, screaming like a banshee. DOC MIMMS My little Web did that? JESSE Pff. He jumped his horse clear over our heads, killed a dozen Union soldiers before they knew what hit them. Jesse looks at Frank, urging him on. FRANK Whyyyy... he took down the Gatling gun and the cannon all by himself. JESSE Saved all our lives, Doc. None of the Liberty boys would have come home if not for Web Mimms, Doc. God's honest truth. Doc is fighting back tears, but proud. DOC MIMMS Web died fighting? JESSE Died a hero. ZEE (quietly) But still died. JESSE If there's anything we can do for you, Dr. Mimms. We want to help. DOC MIMMS Start thinking about yourselves. You, the Youngers, Clell Miller, all of you. Don't end up like Charlie. They found out Charlie rode with Quantrill's Raiders. They arrested him, tried him by military tribunal and hanged him this morning. FRANK I thought there was general amnesty. DOC MIMMS For soldiers, yes. But if you rode in one of the partisan bands, they'll hang you for treason. And you boys are in more danger, because you've got a farm. Jesse and Frank don't understand. ZEE Daddy, don't start with this again. DOC MIMMS Zerelda, it's no coincidence. The railroad men come through, offering to buy up land. Nobody sells. Then they start hanging men who own farms for treason? FRANK You're saying the railroad's got the Army doing it's dirty work? DOC MIMMS Rich men in Washington, don't matter if they wear a tie or a uniform, they're all the same. JESSE All we thought about was coming home. I swore I'd kill anybody who tried to get me off my farm again. If I have to go to war with the railroad to stay, fine by me. FRANK Think about this. If we just come up with a story and stick to it, we should be all right. JESSE What kind of story are they going to believe? ZEE Hmm. You were in the Confederate Army with General Hood's Texas Army until... say Sharpsburg, then you were reassigned to General Jeb Stuart's cavalry until you surrendered in Tennessee. Pause. The men stare at Zee. Up goes the eyebrow again. JESSE That just might work. FRANK Maybe, maybe... DOC MIMMS Now go on to see your Ma. She'll be glad to see her sons alive. (choking) And for her sake, stay that way. EXT. MIMMS HOME - MINUTES LATER We see Frank and Jesse mount up. Zee is at the door seeing them off. FRANK We'll be back on Saturday with Cole and Bob, give you a hand with the repairs. ZEE Thank you. For everything. Especially that story you told my father. Jesse is about to object, but Zee raises a hand. ZEE (CONT'D) I'm going to go cry now, so I don't have time for your lies. But I'll see you Saturday. Zee kisses her fingertips and extends them to the boys, then disappears into the house. CLOSE ON: Frank shaking his head as they ride away. FRANK That Zerelda turned into a hell of a woman, eh -- WIDEN TO REVEAL Jesse's not next to him. Frank turns. Jesse's still staring at the door. Frank rides back, takes Jesse's horse by the reins. As Frank turns Jesse's horse and leads it away, Jesse's head keeps pivoting, fixed on the door. After a moment, Jesse turns to look forward, taking his reins. The brothers ride away slowly. FRANK (CONT'D) "Big and older"? JESSE You can shut up now. FRANK You are a charmer. JESSE I swear I'll shoot you in your sleep. FRANK Next time try "fat and haggard." Jesse pulls down his hat and groans into it. EXT. JAMES FARM - DAY Jesse and Frank ride up. Out of the farmhouse bursts MA JAMES, a big, rugged frontier woman who is absolutely hysterical. MA My boys! My boys! She hauls Jesse and Frank clean out of their saddles. MA (CONT'D) My boys are alive! FRANK (strangling) Not if you don't ease up a bit, Ma... She looks at both at arm's length. MA Did you kill Yankees? JESSE A fair number, Ma. MA Say your prayers? FRANK Every night, Ma. MA Good. Now get inside and wash up for dinner. INT. JAMES HOME Jesse and Frank enter, surprised to find Cole, Bob, Comanche Tom, and a gawky 15 year old JIM YOUNGER all eating at their kitchen table. FRANK Well look at Jimmy Younger. You're all grown up. JIM (mouth full) Mmmph-hmpph. BOB (sheepishly) Your Ma wouldn't let us leave until we ate something. COLE That was two hours ago. MA I don't see clean plates. The men dutifully return to the meal. Jesse nods his head at Comanche Tom. JESSE (quiet) Ma, I'm glad to see you being nice to our Injun friend. MA He's a good Christian and he killed Yankees. Jesus told me that made him an all right boy. Ma WALKS OFF. FRANK She's still talking to Jesus. JESSE What worries me is that Jesus is talking back. EXT. JAMES FARM We can hear the laughter from inside the lit house. Night falls and DISSOLVE TO: EXT. JAMES FARM - DAY - A FEW WEEKS LATER Like a time-lapse film we see the surrounding trees have filled out, the stone fence is repaired, the shabby paint redone in sparkling white. Jesse and Cole, shirtless, are driving a post into a hole. Frank STEPS OUT of the house and joins them. JESSE You ever notice Zerelda's eyes? COLE She got two of them. FRANK I think one of 'em's glass. COLE Which one, right or left? FRANK The brown one. JESSE (to Cole) You talk big for a man who screwed another man back in Atlanta. Frank laughs as Cole raises the shovel to strike Jesse. FRANK Oh, Lord, the dance hall girl at Bunty's... COLE Sadie was not a man! JESSE She had a moustache. COLE She was European! JESSE All right, calm down. I'll agree Sadie was a woman -- Jesse and Frank swallow their laughs. JESSE (CONT'D) -- if you stop saying things about my Zee. FRANK Your Zee? Hmm. (quoting) "From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: they sparkle still the right Promethean fire; They are the books, the arts, the academes, that show, contain, and nourish all the world." COLE I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded real nice. FRANK Shakespeare. (pause) He's European. COLE Ah. JESSE You want to write that down for me so I can say it to Zee? The post finally drops straight into the hole. Jesse and Cole shrug into shirts and grab a pitcher of lemonade. JESSE (CONT'D) Thanks for the help. COLE After all you did on our farm? (sips, then) You miss it, don't you Jesse? JESSE The war? What, are you crazy? (beat) There are things I miss about it. COLE It was exciting. JESSE But it was a whole lot of killing. Why should we miss that? COLE Because we were good at it? Hell, we were great at it. Jesse, don't tell anyone I said this, because everybody knows I'm the toughest man in this town, but you are one terrifying sonofabitch with those guns. JESSE (regretful, but not) Yeah. Frank looks at Jesse thoughtfully. Then all three notice ANGLE ON A BUGGY that stops at the edge of the property. Ma STEPS OUT onto the porch next to Frank to meet: A man in a suit, ROLLIN PARKER, and three riders who dismount and flank Parker: two DETECTIVES and a big Scot with a beard and no moustache, ALAN PINKERTON. Pinkerton is wearing a suit and a gun in a high waistband. All four advance to the house. PARKER Howdy, folks. How are you this afternoon? COLE "Howdy"? JESSE Easterners. MA We're just fine, thank you, sir. PARKER I am Rollin H. Parker, personal emissary of Mr. Thaddeus Rains, president of the Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. These two gentlemen are Pinkerton detectives, working for Mr. Thaddeus Rains, president of the Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, and this gentleman here is the famous Alan Pinkerton, founder of the Secret Service and now working under contract to Mr. Thaddeus Rains. JESSE Would that be Thaddeus Rains, president of the Rock Island and Pacific Railroad? FRANK You know him? JESSE Heard of him. PARKER (trying to regain control) As you have no doubt heard from your neighbors, our railroad is moving west. JESSE That makes sense, as east would put you underwater. Pinkerton coughs a laugh. Parker glares at him and continues. PARKER ... moving west, opening the frontier for folks such as yourself. Your acreage here is on the proposed right of way. Parker produces a piece of paper. Ma takes it. PARKER (CONT'D) I'm here for your signature on this land sales contract. I'm authorized to pay you two dollars an acre. MA Two dollars? PARKER That's right. That's the price authorized by the railroad's board, and approved by the Department of the Interior of the Government of the United States of America. MA This land ain't for sale. Pinkerton steps forward. PINKERTON Ma'am, I can understand how you might feel that way -- you've made a lovely home here. But it's really not up to me or you. Are you familiar with the legal concept of the Right of Eminent Domain? FRANK Yeah, I am. What about it? Parker is surprised. Pinkerton has become interested in these farmers. PINKERTON Well, this land is about to be condemned. PARKER I'm doing you folks a favor -- COLE Said the skinner to the mule. PARKER -- with a price of two dollars an acre for this one time only offer. After today the price goes down. So if I were you, I'd just sign the contract, and I'll be on my way. Frank takes the contract from Ma and hands it back to Parker. FRANK Good day, Mr. Parker You can tell Mr. Thaddeus Rains to put this where the sun don't shine. (to the boys) Shakespeare. JESSE/COLE Ah. Parker flushes with anger. Pinkerton and his men rest their hands on their guns. PINKERTON I don't think you understand. You don't have a choice. CLICK CLICK and we see Jesse's drawn and cocked two Colts from out of thin air. Frank has pulled his rifle from the doorway. Parker and the detectives are furious, but Pinkerton seems no more than curious. PARKER (to Ma) Ma'am. You have to look in your heart and do what you know is right here. MA Let me ask the Lord. Ma bows her head for a moment. She then nods and looks up. MA (CONT'D) The Lord says we can bury 'em out back in the orchard, nobody'll ever find them. JESSE Somebody's in a vengeful smiting mood today. FRANK Why don't we just let them go for today, Ma. We'll bury them out back next time. MA Oh all right. Parker, and the detectives are stepping backward to the buggy. PARKER You people are making a serious mistake! Pinkerton himself has lingered, taking in the group. PINKERTON (nodding) Nicely played. Parker, Pinkerton and the detectives RIDE OFF. The group at the James house watches them go, then Cole turns to Jesse. COLE Where the hell did you get those guns? OFF JESSE'S SHRUG WE DISSOLVE TO: INT. SCHOOL HOUSE - NIGHT Dozens of men and a few women are packed into the one room school house. Among them are Frank and Jesse. Doc Mimms is leading the meeting. FRANK I went up to the courthouse and looked at the right of way documents for the rail bed. The railroad doesn't even need our land, they're just taking the land on both sides for as far as they can. JESSE Damn. All that reading paid off. DOC MIMMS Floor recognizes Clell Miller. CLELL MILLER, tall and blond, steps forward. CLELL They're saying we don't sell, we might end up with nothing! FRANK That's only if we don't stick together. DOC MIMMS (pointing) Loni Packwood. LONI PACKWOOD, a sad, scruffy man stands up. LONI I say this is the last straw. I came back from the war, I found my house burned down. My cows was dead. Now my wife's run off with my cousin, Jeb, that sonofabitch. (tearing up) Took my dog-- DOC MIMMS Ah, Loni, about the railroad. LONI I forget. (almost weeping) Took my dog... Another FARMER steps up. FARMER I signed. FRANK Harlan, you can't. FARMER I'm tired of fighting. I'm just gonna take my family and move west. CLELL Maybe we should hire a lawyer. FARMER 2 That's a good idea! FRANK It would be, if the courts were on the up and up. CLELL So what do we do? ANGLE ON the school house door as it BANGS open and Bob Younger STUMBLES IN, bleeding from a cut on his forehead, being supported by Zee. BOB They got Cole. He collapses into a seat. The crowd surrounds him. ZEE He came to our house, Daddy. I figured you'd all want to hear this. Jesse and Frank are next to Bob. Zee puts a hand on Jesse's shoulder. He notices. BOB They came up, made the same offer they made you folks. Our little brother Jim tried to chase 'em off, one of those detectives hit him in the head, knocked him out. Cole lost his temper. FRANK (rubbing his forehead) Oh no... BOB He just lost his temper a little. JESSE (sighing) How many of them did he kill? BOB Two. FRANK Damn! BOB They said because the detectives were working for the Department of the Interior -- FRANK The Army can hang him. BOB Tomorrow. CLELL What do we do? JESSE Nothing. The crowd stares at Jesse. JESSE (CONT'D) You folks are going to do nothing. You're all going to go home right now. So you're going to be able to swear on a Bible that you don't know anything about what's going to happen tomorrow. Jesse's gaze is at once noble and terrifying. The crowd quietly begins to disperse. DOC MIMMS Boys... JESSE Go home, Doc. (softly) They ain't gonna hang no more Liberty boys. Doc Mimms nods, EXITS. Jesse walks to the other end of the school house. Bob, Frank, Clell and Loni fall in behind him. The door SWINGS OPEN again and Comanche Tom enters with Jim Younger sporting six-guns way too big for him. COMANCHE TOM I couldn't lose him. BOB Jim Younger, I told you-- JIM It's my fault they're gonna hang Cole. I want in. FRANK Jim, it was just a matter of time before they tried to hang somebody else to scare off the other farmers. JESSE And you're too young. JIM (to Jesse) I'm the same age you were when you went off to war. JESSE And the same age Web was. No. ZEE (O.S.) You're wasting time. Zee joins them. JESSE Zee, go home. Zee's eyebrows go up. ZEE Who else was there when they hanged the others? The men look at each other. Nothing. ZEE (CONT'D) You need to know how they do it. Which way they walk up. What order they do things in. And if you mess up rescuing Cole because you won't listen to a woman, then God damn you all. Pause. JESSE All right. Seven of us against a Union regiment and Pinkerton detectives in broad daylight in the middle of Main Street. Jesse smiles. BOB He's smiling. JIM Is that bad? FRANK Very. EXT. LIBERTY CITY GALLOWS - THE NEXT DAY Soldiers flank the gallows, which stand at the bottom of the stairs to City Hall. A small drum corps beats a stark rhythm. Parker is watching this like a sideshow. Pinkerton is next to him, scanning the crowd of locals which is getting larger and surlier by the minute. PARKER Relax, Alan. The Army has this all in hand. And Mr. Thaddeus Rains will be very pleased with this news. Nothing like a hanging to motivate the populace to relocate. PINKERTON It's not my job to relax. I've put men facing out both ways down Main Street, so nobody can ride in shooting. I've got a sharpshooter up on the water tower just in case. Pinkerton WAVES to a FIGURE in a suit atop the water tower. CUT TO: EXT. WATER TOWER We see it is FRANK JAMES in the suit, who WAVES BACK and then kneels and sights down his long rifle. Tucked away behind him, out of sight from the street, is a bound-and-gagged PINKERTON SNIPER in his underwear. CUT TO: EXT. GALLOWS Cole, his face swollen from a beating, is marched up the stairs of the gallows toward the waiting hangman. LONG SHOT of the gallows, detectives and soldiers down the street on both sides, guns ready. The position is completely unassailable. Cole is at the platform. His hands are tied in front of him. The noose is placed on his neck. BACK TO The gallows. Parker leans forward in anticipation. A UNION LIEUTENANT approaches with the black hood. Cole spits in his face. The CROWD ROARS. The Lieutenant angrily motions to the HANGMAN, who grabs the lever -- The drums STOP -- But the drumming doesn't. The drum corps look at each other, confused. The Army men and the Pinkertons squint in concentration. There's definitely some sort of rhythmic DRUMMING, coming closer... The CROWD, sensing something, easing back from the gallows... The drumming gets LOUDER ... EXT. STREET REVEAL Fifty-odd CATTLE suddenly STAMPEDING from down the street, their hooves creating the drumming! REACTION SHOTS as the Pinkertons and Army men start to scatter, the cattle surging around them -- EXT. VIEWING STAND ANGLE ON Parker and Alan Pinkerton running for cover, Pinkerton half-turned to watch the action. PINKERTON Brilliant... Pinkerton suddenly spots something confusing. We FOLLOW his stare to see -- ANGLE ON a HORSE in the middle of the cattle, cutting through the steer, towards the gallows. THE HANGMAN REACHES FOR THE LEVER AGAIN, BUT JUST AS HE DOES - Jesse -- masked -- appears from the side of the horse, where he's been hanging on Indian-style. He gets a leg up on the horse's back and LEAPS -- SLAMMING into the Hangman, bringing him down! The cattle pass the gallows, revealing that the tight ranks of the Army and Pinkertons are now spread out -- EXT. GENERAL STORE SMASH! From the nearby GENERAL STORE, the other masked rescuers CRASH through the big front window on horseback and ride into the Army men, FIRING AWAY. TOTAL CHAOS! The Army men and Pinkertons fight towards the gallows. As Jesse untangles himself from the Hangman, the Union Lieutenant reaches for the lever but BANG drops as Frank opens fire. Frank starts picking off soldiers. The detectives and remaining soldiers are completely disoriented. EXT. GALLOWS Jesse flashes a knife and the noose drops away from Cole's neck. Facing Cole, he cuts the rope on Cole's wrists -- Cole instantly draws Jesse's guns from his waist holster, spin-reverses them and SHOOTS two Union soldiers climbing the stairs behind Jesse's back. Jesse and Cole exchange a look, then Jesse steps away -- As Bob rides by he TOSSES JESSE'S GUNBELT into the air. Jesse draws both guns from the belt as it flies by, spins and starts shooting. EXT. MAIN STREET The soldiers have totally broken ranks. One riderless horse led by Comanche Tom pulls up by the scaffold. Jesse LEAPS ON and Cole jumps on behind him. Jesse puts the spurs to it and the horse SURGES into a gap in the crowd. Allen Pinkerton steps past the panicking troops, squarely in the path of the charging horse. He draws his gun and FIRES. The bullet PLOWS into Jesse just as the terrified horse lurches forward, TRAMPLING Pinkerton. Cole holds Jesse up and the riders take off down the street. We see Frank has disappeared from the water tower. The soldiers fire at the fleeing liberators. One of the detectives runs over to the injured Alan Pinkerton. DETECTIVE Sir, are you all right? (shout) Somebody get a doctor! EXT. MIMMS HOME - NIGHT WE SEE one window upstairs with a light on. INT. BEDROOM Doc Mimms has just finished bandaging Jesse, who lies unconscious beneath the sheets. Zee is holding an oil lamp. ZEE He's going to be fine, right Daddy? DOC MIMMS The bullet came out clean, but he lost a whole lot of blood. Praying wouldn't hurt. The SOUND OF HOOFBEATS APPROACHES from outside. INT. LIVING ROOM Doc Mimms opens the door. A UNION OFFICER and a squad of soldiers push in. OFFICER Good evening, sir, we're looking for a fugitive. DOC MIMMS A fugitive? Who? OFFICER We don't know, but he was very badly wounded. We're checking all the houses in the area. INT. BEDROOM Zee hears her father protesting, then FOOTSTEPS on the stairs. Quickly she undresses, grabs a quilt from a chest and jumps into bed with Jesse. She pulls the quilt up to her neck, completely hiding him. At that moment, the Officer barges in. Zee lets out a little gasp as if startled awake. She covers herself with the quilt. ZEE Sir! Who are you? OFFICER Oh. Sorry ma'am. ZEE I should hope so. The Officer EXITS. Zee watches the door for a moment, then looks down fondly at Jesse. ZEE (CONT'D) Jesse, are you awake? JESSE (groggy) Mmmm. Zee gently pushes his hair off his face. Then her expression changes. ZEE Jesse, is that your hand? JESSE Nuh-huh ... Jesse smiles in his sleep. Zee jumps out of the bed and wraps a dressing gown around herself. Doc Mimms enters. DOC MIMMS They're gone. What are you -- ZEE I fooled them into thinking I was alone. DOC MIMMS Well, I hope the boy pulls through. We should know in the morning. ZEE (with a little smile) I think he's already feeling better. A puzzled Doc Mimms follows her out. EXT. LIBERTY MAIN STREET - AFTERNOON - TWO WEEKS LATER A lavishly appointed carriage rolls up to the front of the nicest hotel in town. Rollin Parker and his retinue of Pinkerton detectives scurry to the door. The DOOR OPENS. Out steps THADDEUS RAINS, wearing an elegant suit he bought in London last year and a scowl he picked up in Boston three decades ago. The scowl fits him better. PARKER Mr. Thaddeus Rains, sir, it is a pleasure to have you join us in the field. RAINS And it is my pleasure to be here. PARKER Really! RAINS NO! It is NOT my pleasure to have to leave my board room to come to this godforsaken piece of dirt to discover why in the name of all that is holy you cannot seem to evict a few simple farmers from their PATHETIC LITTLE MUDHOLES so that I may build the GREATEST railroad that this country has ever seen! PARKER I can completely understand your distress, sir. Rains sighs. As he speaks, he checks a heavy, gold, ornate and ever-present POCKETWATCH on a GOLD CHAIN. RAINS Parker, tell me what's going on so I can return as quickly as possible to Boston and my whores and cigars, not necessarily in that order. PARKER Two weeks ago, we managed to arrange to have the Army hang one of the local farmers. RAINS Good. PARKER Unfortunately not, sir. A gang of local thugs managed to rescue him from the gallows. Not only has this inspired resistance from the other farmers, the redoubtable Mr. Alan Pinkerton was seriously injured during the incident. RAINS Leaving you in charge of operations until he recovers. PARKER (puffing with pride) Yes sir. RAINS Just perfect. PARKER A further impediment is that the Army garrison has been ordered to move on from Liberty. We will no longer have that particular stick with which to threaten the farmers. RAINS You see the Army leaving and you see the loss of a tool. I see a power void to be filled. As we have the most power, we may move with impunity. PARKER I see. I'll get together four patrols of our detectives for action tonight. RAINS I'll teach these podunks what happens when they challenge the righteousness of progress. EXT. MIMMS HOME - AFTERNOON - THAT SAME DAY Zee is on the porch. Jesse COMES THROUGH the door, moving gingerly. Zee immediately moves to support him. ZEE You shouldn't be up. JESSE I've been on my back two weeks. I'm sick of it. ZEE You're sick of my company? JESSE No! I mean, of course not. No. ZEE Teasing you is completely unfair. JESSE What you do to me is unfair. The teasing, I mean. ZEE I shouldn't tease a hero. JESSE What? ZEE Everybody in the county knows it was you who rescued Cole. We're all so proud of you, Jesse. And not a single farm's been sold to the railroad since. You're everybody's hero. JESSE I wasn't the only one risking my neck that day. ZEE So you're saying I should leave you alone and go spend time with Jimmy Younger? JESSE Unfair. You are completely unfair. They look at each other warmly. Frank DRIVES UP in a carriage. FRANK You ready to stop loafing around with this young lady and get back to farming? JESSE What do you think? FRANK Would you get in the carriage? Until Ma has you home so she can fuss over you herself, she's gonna make me miserable. Doc Mimms COMES OUT onto the porch. JESSE What do you say, sir? DOC MIMMS Go on. You're pretty much all healed up. Jesse and Zee exchange glances. Zee withdraws demurely into the house. Jesse straightens up and hops easily into the carriage. FRANK You're looking a bit more spry now that somebody -- JESSE (to Frank) Shut up. (to Doc Mimms) Uh, Doc, I was wondering if, uh, this evening, I could come by? DOC MIMMS You know you're welcome any time! JESSE (unusually awkward) Yesss, but I was thinking, I could come by, and then take Zee out. Some place near. With other folk. Near. Here. (beat) But out. DOC MIMMS (bemused) It's fine by me, Jesse. FRANK Don't worry, sir, I'll make sure they're always properly chaperoned. Jesse slooooowly turns to glare at Frank. DOC MIMMS (grinning) Why, that hadn't even occurred to me, Frank. I am deeply in your debt. FRANK Army's leaving town, so Cole can stop hiding up in the woods and come back to his farm. Everybody's getting together at the Younger place for a to-do. Frank tips his hat, and the carriage MOVES OFF. EXT. BARNYARD - NIGHT Dozens of people are milling about happily in the lantern light of a Western party. Some are dancing to the small banjo-led band. A small knot of men are comparing war stories. Cole Younger is wandering among them, people clapping his shoulder, shaking his hand. Jesse -- formally accompanying Zee -- and Frank arrive at the edge of the light. Immediately the entire group bursts into applause and crowds Jesse. Cole cuts through and bear hugs Jesse, making him wince. COLE Here's Liberty's favorite son! (quietly) I'll never forget what you did, cousin. BOB Zee, I'm pleased you came. ZEE Why thank you, Bob. BOB I'm especially pleased you came with Jesse. (off her look) Seeing as right now there's a gaggle of girls hoping to dance with Jesse who are just going to have to settle for the many charms of Bob Younger. ANGLE ON A group of obviously disappointed, beautiful young women. Bob runs a hand through his hair. JESSE You have no shame. BOB Not yet. But I'm hoping. The party starts up again, and everyone is caught up in the good times. ANGLE ON Jesse SWINGING Zee into a group of dancers. They join in the Two-Step, and Jesse's as smooth as silk. EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT - A WHILE LATER Jesse, carrying a lantern, and Zee are walking. We can hear the party still going just a little ways away. They reach a tree at the hilltop with a beautiful view of the stars and the river. They sit down, their backs against the tree. JESSE I used to come to this tree when I was a kid and imagine what my life would be like when I got older. ZEE You didn't want to farm? JESSE I was thinking more along the lines of being a river pirate. ZEE A river pirate. JESSE Arr. Hand over your jewels, Missy. ZEE Thank God you grew out of that. (pause) You did grow out of that, didn't you? JESSE Mostly. It would be an all right life, for a bachelor. ZEE You planning on being a bachelor your whole life, Jesse James? JESSE Not if I find the right girl. ZEE And what's this right girl like? JESSE Smart. Funny. Bossy. Always makes me think she's two steps ahead of me. And big buck teeth. ZEE Where will you find such a girl? JESSE Honestly, you'd do if only you had the buck teeth. Zee fakes a monstrous overbite. JESSE (CONT'D) (dreamy) Finally. The two move a little closer. Eye contact. JESSE (CONT'D) Ahem. "From this doctrine..." No, ah... "From women's eyes this doctrine I derive, they sparkle still like ... shiny... sparkling rocks..." ZEE Sparkling rocks? JESSE Little ones. ZEE Is this one of Frank's Shakespeare poems you're trying to quote? JESSE Yep. ZEE Were you planning on kissing me when you finished quoting? JESSE I've been planning on kissin' you for a very long time. They kiss. It's everything it should be. BOOM! Jesse and Zee are startled by a flash of light and sound. They turn to look back -- EXT. YOUNGER BARN The partygoers are RUNNING from the YARD to the BARN, which is ON FIRE in several different places. As the Younger brothers and Frank get close, they see a squad of masked riders disappearing down the road. Some of the men SHOOT at the riders, but the distance is too great. Jim makes a run for the BARN, but Bob grabs him. COLE BASTARDS! Come back here and face me! FRANK Get buckets! Some of the crowd starts to form a bucket line to the well. Jesse and Zee RUN UP. Frank turns to him. FRANK (CONT'D) Pinkertons. It's the railroad. JESSE Ma. Frank and Jesse bolt for their horses, swing into the saddles and GALLOP OFF. EXT. JAMES HOUSE From a bit down the road, looking just fine. Jesse and Frank reign in as relief rushes across their faces -- AN EXPLOSION tears the house apart like a pile of matchsticks! Jesse and Frank urge their horses into a full gallop. EXT. YARD Jesse and Frank leap from their mounts, trying to get close to the house. The flames are too strong. JESSE Ma! Ma! Jesse's ventured so close his coat catches fire. Frank tears it from him and stamps it out. Jesse ignores him, still pacing back and forth in front of the inferno. JESSE (CONT'D) Ma! Please! MA (O.S.) (weakly) Boys? The brothers turn and nearly drop from shock. Ma is stumbling toward them, half her hair singed off, brutally BURNED. FRANK Jesus mercy -- They reach her just as she collapses. Jesse is cradling her, Frank with his arms around both of them. MA Riders -- JESSE We know, Ma. Now we got to get you to Doc Mimms. MA Take care of each other, boys. You say your prayers. Jesse is openly crying. Frank has tears silently streaming down his face. JESSE Doc Mimms will -- MA Shush. Ma's eyes turn up, and she half-smiles. MA (CONT'D) Well look at that. The Good Lord's a bit shorter than I reckoned. Ma gently stops breathing. ANGLE ON The boys holding Ma, framed by the roaring flames of their home. Jesse leans his head back and lets out a HOWL OF RAGE AND PAIN AND HATE that goes on and on and on... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. JAMES FARM - MORNING Frank and Jesse are staring at the smoking ruins of their lives. Other townsfolk are milling nearby, including Zee and the Youngers. FRANK ... We could move on. Rebuild. Make a decent life someplace else. JESSE Don't care. FRANK Didn't think you would. (turning away) I'm going to go make the coffin. JESSE Make a thousand of 'em. Still won't be enough by the time I'm through. Frank is gone. COLE Our place, Clell Miller's, Sammy Johnston, the Creeders. Will Hite. BOB The sheriff says it was a gang of drunk Kansas boys. COLE I say we ride into town and kill us some Pinkertons and railroad men. JIM I like that. JESSE No. They stare at him. JESSE (CONT'D) This isn't a feud, this is war. They've got more men than we do. We kill detectives, they can replace 'em in a day. COLE (snapping) So what do we do, General Lee? JESSE Just like in the war. Harass their supply lines. We kill the railroad's men, they won't care. BOB But if we take their money and supplies... JESSE Exactly. JIM That's a great plan, Jesse! Cole nods grudgingly. BOB I'll get us a few more men, and Comanche Tom'll ride with us. JIM Where do we hit first, Jesse? COLE I'll pick the first job! I mean... I know a girl down at the bank. See if she can't get a list of towns where the railroad keeps its money. JESSE Perfect, Cole. COLE Let's ride. The Youngers mount up. Jesse walks to the ruined house, pulls a big iron trunk from the wreckage. He KICKS it open, reaches in, and pulls out his gun belts. Zee appears behind him in what remains of the doorway. ZEE I am so sorry, Jesse. JESSE Frank and me have to go away for a while. Zee considers this, puts her head in close to Jesse's. ZEE You and I, we've started... something, you know? (Jesse nods) I don't know what'll happen if you do this. JESSE Me neither. ZEE Let the law -- JESSE Laws don't touch men like Thaddeus Rains. Only justice does. ZEE Whose justice? Yours or God's? (no answer) When will you stop? JESSE When my name makes them cry in their sleep. When I've brought them to ashes. Jesse kisses her gently, turns and walks to where the Youngers are standing. Zee can barely conceal her anger and heartbreak. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. FIDELITY BANK AND TRUST - DAY ESTABLISHING SHOT of a Midwestern bank on a quiet street. INT. FIDELITY BANK There are two teller windows, a couple of male customers and a MOTHER and CHILD. Jesse and Cole ENTER dressed for the trail, longrider coats and spurs. Saddlebags are slung over their shoulders. JESSE Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but I have bad news. The railroad payroll has been stolen. The BANK MANAGER steps out from behind his desk. MANAGER What are you talking about? The railroad's money is right over there in that safe. Jesse draws two guns, Cole produces a shotgun from his coat. JESSE That safe? MANAGER Ah. EXT. FIDELITY BANK Frank James, Bob and Jim Younger, Clell Miller, Loni Packwood, Comanche Tom and several new GANG MEMBERS wait along both sides of the street in this medium sized mid-western town. Some are standing next to their horses, some mounted. ANOTHER ANGLE An OLD MAN with a cane is walking shakily towards the bank. Frank jerks his head and Jim intercepts him. JIM Hold on there, sir. Bank's closed today. OLD MAN Wha? JIM Bank holiday! Bank's closed! Jim tries to steer the old man away. The old man starts batting at him with the cane. OLD MAN Get off me! JIM Ow! Ow! Frank sighs. INT. FIDELITY BANK Jesse and the Bank Manager are having a staredown. MANAGER This is outrageous. Who are you people? JESSE The James Gang. COLE (annoyed) The James-Younger Gang. JESSE Sorry. COLE Don't let it happen again. EXT. FIDELITY BANK The old man is still smacking Jim with the cane. Bob crosses to help. BOB Sir, it's a bank holiday -- SMACK SMACK and now the old man's laying the cane on both Bob and Jim. JIM Ow! BOB Ow ow! Frank hangs his head. INT. FIDELITY BANK Cole turns to the Woman and Child. COLE Ma'am, kindly cover that child's eyes. WOMAN Why? COLE I don't want her to see me shoot this man. The woman covers the child's eyes. Cole raises the shotgun. Jesse half covers his eyes and turns his head. The Manager swallows. EXT. FIDELITY BANK Comanche Tom walks over to where the old man is still SMACKING Jim and Bob. OLD MAN I know it ain't no durned bank holiday! COMANCHE TOM You're right, sir. OLD MAN Then why can't I go in there? COMANCHE TOM On account of we're robbing it. OLD MAN Oh. Why didn't you just say so? COMANCHE TOM It's a secret. OLD MAN Fine. I'll just wait here. COMANCHE TOM I'd appreciate that. The old man settles against the wall. Comanche Tom moves back to his horse. Bob and Jim walk off, glaring at the old man. INT. SHERRIFF'S OFFICE A lean, middle-aged SHERRIFF is walking by his window. His DEPUTY is whittling at the desk. The Sherriff pulls up short. SHERRIFF What the -- DEPUTY What is it? SHERRIFF Old Man Tucker is just standing quiet outside the bank. DEPUTY So? SHERRIFF When have you ever known Old Man Tucker not to be yelling at everybody? He takes in the group of riders, reaches for his rifle. EXT. FIDELITY BANK Jesse and Cole RUN FROM the bank with full saddlebags. Everybody MOUNTS UP and starts riding down main street. FRANK How'd it go in there? JESSE Fine. How'd it go out here? FRANK We're gonna have to talk... BANG! The gang flinches as a chunk of wood splinters from a post. They turn to see the Sherriff running out in front of them, raising his rifle -- The entire Gang draws their guns. Jesse raises a hand. JESSE Sir, you can do this the smart way, or the stupid way. Only one way ends with you still breathin'. The Sherriff takes in the Gang's firepower. He lowers the rifle. JESSE (CONT'D) (to the Gang) Just 'cause we're robbing a bank, no reason not to be civil about it. The Gang turns and RIDES OFF hard. The DEPUTY walks up to the Sherriff a beat later. SHERRIFF Where the hell were you? DEPUTY I had you covered. (beat) From back there. SHERRIFF Shit. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. CAMP - NIGHT A bonfire burns in the middle of a rough camp in the woods. The Gang members are sitting around, relaxing and drinking coffee. All eyes are on Jesse and Cole as they finish counting the money. JESSE I got seven thousand. COLE I got three. BOB Ten thousand dollars! That's almost a thousand apiece! The men HOOT AND HOLLER. LONI My luck is changing at last! Cole holds up a pile of papers. COLE These are deeds and mortgages of farms the bank was holding for the railroad. BOB Better pass them over here before something happens to 'em. Cole goes to hand the papers to Bob and "accidentally" drops them in the fire. The men CHEER again. JESSE All right, settle down. All this money ain't ours. BOB Well, no, Jesse, it was the bank's. That's why we had to go to all that trouble of stealing it. (to Frank) You explain it to him. JESSE We oughta take some of this, give it to our neighbors in Liberty. Lot of people hurting up there. CLELL None of them risked their necks for this. FRANK Now, let's think about this. We create some good will with the folks hereabouts, make it easier to dodge the law. JESSE See, Frank's being smart about this. COLE Just because he reads all those books and knows all those big words doesn't make him smart. BOB Uhh, yeah it does. COLE You stay out of this, Bob. JIM I think Jesse's got a good idea -- COLE You stay out of this too, Jim. (to Jesse) Who put you in charge of this gang, anyway, Jesse? I did mighty fine leading us during the War. JESSE And I planned getting you off the hangman's deck -- FRANK And that's why you both lead the gang. Two of you went into that bank together, right? Jesse and Cole nod, still watching each other. FRANK (CONT'D) Two heads are better than one. All Jesse was doing was making a suggestion. Jesse nods, his face giving nothing up. FRANK (CONT'D) So we're waiting to hear what you think of the suggestion. As the other leader of the gang. Cole considers this. COLE I reckon it's the smart thing to do. The other Gang members grumble. Cole whirls on them. COLE (CONT'D) Hey! We decide something, that's it! We're in this for the long haul, and this idea of me and Jesse's will help give us more places to hide out without worrying about some farmer with a shotgun sneakin' up on us in our sleep. We've got to think -- FRANK Strategically. COLE -- Exactly. Because this is a war. CLELL This ain't no war. The Gang is taken aback by this blatant contradiction. Then a smile spreads across Clell's face. CLELL (CONT'D) Nobody paid me no thousand dollars to fight in the War! The Gang LAUGHS, and the tension is broken. Jesse and Cole slap each other's shoulders, and everyone starts counting their money and talking all at once. INT. SALOON - DAY The crowded saloon is alive with music, card-playing, and dancing girls. Various James Gang members are playing cards and drinking. Jesse, Cole, and Frank are at the bar. COLE It's not a bank. JESSE It's better. It's a construction depot. They'll have the strongbox and some ammo and explosives for us to take. That way we can take on a bigger job. FRANK And it's guarded by Pinkerton detectives. JESSE And I do so want to shoot some Pinkerton detectives. Jesse and Cole grin and slap each other on the back. Jim BURSTS in waving a newspaper. He quickly runs to the bar. JIM (stage whispering) We're famous! Jesse takes the paper. JESSE I'll be damned! The other Gang members drift over to the bar. JESSE (CONT'D) (reading) "The Fidelity Bank and Trust was robbed on Tuesday by a gang of twenty heavily armed men." COLE Twenty?! LONI What are the odds, another gang robbing the same place right after we did. BOB Yeah, Loni, that's exactly what happened. JESSE "The outlaws calling themselves the James-Younger Gang shot their way out of town, wounding the Sherriff and three other townsfolk." BOB Hey! JESSE "Bank officials estimate the loss at fifty thousand dollars." CLELL We only got ten thousand. COMANCHE TOM This happens all the time when you let the white man count the money. JESSE "The U.S. District Marshal at St. Louis called this the first daylight bank robbery in American history." Jim whistles. JIM We made history. That's something to be proud of. COLE The rest of this is all lies. JESSE That just means the next time, we'll have to set the record straight ourselves. The Gang looks at him. EXT. THAXTON SWITCH DEPOT - NIGHT Half finished railroad tracks run alongside a few sheds and an office building. ANGLE ON The TRAIN TRACKS as the James-Younger Gang rides at full gallop. A rapid series of SEQUENTIAL EXPLOSIONS follows them, destroying the track for hundreds of yards. EXT. THAXTON SWITCH DEPOT - MORNING The entire work camp is DESTROYED. SMOKE still hangs over the twisted wreckage, a few wagons smolder, it looks like Omaha Beach at D-DAY plus 20. Thaddeus Rains is surveying the damage with Parker. PARKER They exchanged fire with the Pinkerton Guards, killing several of them. Then they raided the payroll office and blew the tracks for half a mile. RAINS How much did they get from the safe? PARKER Thirty-five thousand, sir. Coins and currency. And the delay from the miles of destroyed track -- RAINS I'll kill them for blowing up my railway! PARKER To be precise, they didn't blow up the tracks. RAINS THEN WHO DID?! PARKER We did. Rains stares at him. Parker swallows. PARKER (CONT'D) ... I mean, our men. Our own workers planted the dynamite. (beat) They were under duress. Rains controls his cerebral hemorrhage through sheer force of will. He checks his pocket watch, then says through gritted teeth: RAINS Where the hell is Pinkerton? The SOUND OF HORSES makes them turn. ANGLE ON A fancy carriage that pulls up. WE SEE the ground beneath the carriage. A boot hits the ground. Then another. Then the tip of a cane. REVEAL Alan Pinkerton now moving toward Rains and Parker, limping from when Jesse's horse trampled him. He has a newspaper folded up under one arm. RAINS (CONT'D) Look at this, Pinkerton! They got the payroll, and this damage will set construction back two months at least. PINKERTON (surveying) Not to mention my men who lost their lives. PARKER Your men knew the risks. RAINS What is going on here, man? PINKERTON My professional opinion is that you have managed to piss off the wrong bunch of farm boys this time. PARKER They had to be dealt with! PINKERTON By burning down their homes? RAINS You wouldn't have done that? PINKERTON Oh no, I would have done that. But I would have made sure I killed them, too. RAINS I want them arrested and hanged! PINKERTON Would a jury around here convict their own? I think not. We're beginning an interesting game here, Mr. Rains. RAINS This is no game. PINKERTON I'm afraid our adversaries don't agree. He hands Rains the paper. Rains' eyes bug out. He begins to read aloud. RAINS (reading) "A Rock Island and Pacific Railroad depot was robbed two nights ago just outside St. Louis, Missouri. The brave and daring James-Younger Gang was heavily outnumbered by Pinkerton detectives, but the city lawmen were no match for the guns of the West." PINKERTON It is a nice piece of writing. RAINS "The gang made off with thirty-five thousand dollars and also destroyed the Thaxton Switch construction, meaning that for a few months honest farmers will be able to sleep without fearing the railroad is coming to steal their land!" (he slams the paper into Parker's chest) Who wrote this!? I'll see him hanged every Tuesday for a month! PINKERTON Oh, that's the best part. He points Rains to the bottom of the article. RAINS "The foregoing article was sent to the newspaper. It was reputedly written by the outlaw -- (exploding) Jesse James himself!" Rains crushes the paper in his hands, raging as he surveys his destroyed rail tracks. CUT TO: INT. MIMMS HOME - DAY Doc Mimms is reading a paper to Zee. DOC MIMMS "...written by the outlaw Jesse James himself." Zee is pacing. ZEE He thinks this is some kind of game! DOC MIMMS I'm upset too, Zee, but Jesse and Cole know what they're doing. I'm sure they won't press their luck. Zee looks at him. Doc Mimms sighs. DOC MIMMS (CONT'D) I know. But the Lord protects madmen and prophets, and Jesse's...one of them. I'm just not sure which. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. RAILROAD TRACKS - DAY A freight train is coming. We can see "Rock Island and Pacific Railroad" written across the side. INT. ENGINE CAB The ENGINEER nudges the fireman. ENGINEER Look at that. Outside, along the railbed, members of the James Gang are holding a series of signs, each one a dozen yards after the other. The engineer reads each one as they pass. ENGINEER (CONT'D) (reading) "Better... slow... down... dynamite... ahead... too late... you're dead!" The engineer and the fireman look up. Ahead of them on the track is an overloaded wagon with barrels marked "TNT". The engineer slams on the brakes. The high pitched scream of steel on steel sounds out over the avalanche of sparks flying from the wheels. EXT. TRAIN TRACKS The train stops juuuuust in time. The front of the engine is inches away from the wagon. INT. ENGINE Jesse sticks his head in, guns drawn. JESSE That was a fine piece of driving, yes sir. He looks at the wagon. The engineer and fireman follow his gaze. EXT. TRAIN TRACKS Comanche Tom and Jim Younger climb on top of the wagon, kick over some barrels. They're empty, without even a top or bottom. INT. ENGINE Jesse grins as the engineer and fireman hang their heads. INT. BANK - DAY Jesse and Frank walk into a large bank dressed in suits. Just inside the door, Frank notices something odd and nudges Jesse. It's a "Wanted" poster. "Frank and Jesse James. $5,000 reward." They look back and forth at the artist's sketches and each other. They shake their heads "no." Jesse walks over to the teller's window. He hands a bill to the TELLER. JESSE Could you change this please? TELLER (studying it) Sir, this bill is counterfeit! Jesse draws. Frank whistles and Cole, Bob and Jim burst in. JESSE I don't think it's counterfeit. Do you mind if I take a look at all your real bills to compare? FRANK It's the scientific method. It's all the rage. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY IN a richly paneled conference room, a group of BANKERS, POLITICIANS and RAILROAD OFFICIALS are gathered around a large table. On the table is a map with a dozen red markers. Thaddeus Rains and Alan Pinkerton are studying the map. RAINS Senator, can't you do anything? A Missouri SENATOR shakes his head. SENATOR The people see the James-Younger Gang as heroes against the Eastern businessmen. This is not an area where men in suits are much loved. RAINS Pinkerton, why can't you get these outlaws? PINKERTON It's early in the game yet, Mr. Rains. Jesse James and I are just learning how each other moves, feeling out each other's patterns. RAINS I'm losing millions of dollars and months of time while you play chess with these farmers! PINKERTON Hardly farmers. I've done some checking. All these were in the War. These men know sabotage, tactics, and have four years of bloody fighting experience behind them. They are disciplined, well-trained and have a charismatic leader. If I were to design the perfect outlaw band, this gang is what I would create. RAINS So you can't tell me anything? PINKERTON It's going to be a long winter. Rains pounds the table. MONTAGE: VARIOUS SHOTS -- THE GANG On horseback, firing back at a posse. -- THE GANG RIDES THROUGH A FIELD Where dozens of sharecroppers are sweating away. They leave a wake of twenty dollar gold certificates fluttering in the furrows and hanging in the corn. -- PINKERTON, LEADING TWENTY DETECTIVES, RIDING HARD up to a crossroad. With a wave of his hand, never stopping, he splits one group off to head East, and he and the others head West. WALL OF "WANTED" POSTERS Marked the "James-Younger Gang." The James brothers and Younger brothers nod at the likenesses, which are getting better. All except Bob, who stares at his in disbelief. It looks nothing like him. Jesse tears down his poster and autographs it for a young boy. EXT. OPEN RANGE The Gang is riding hard. Cole and Jesse look over their shoulders, nod to each other, and WHISTLE. The men bring their horses down to an easy pace. JIM I never thought that posse was gonna give up. FRANK They were admirably persistent. COLE Jesse, we got to have a word. JESSE Sure, cousin. COLE All the posters and newspapers are calling this bunch the "James-Younger Gang." JESSE Yep. COLE Why aren't we the "Younger-James Gang"? I mean, there's three Younger brothers and only two James brothers here. JIM I kinda like the sound of the James-Younger Gang. COLE (bristling) Whose side you on? BOB No, Jimmy has a point. The Younger-James Gang could be confusing. COLE How? BOB Say we bust into a bank. We yell "We're the Younger-James Gang!" People are gonna be thinking, "The younger James Gang? Is there an older James Gang? How come we never heard of the older James gang?" So people are trying to figure that out instead of raising their arms. JESSE Can't argue with that. Cole rolls his eyes. COLE I think you boys are missing the point here... They continue to argue as they ride off. JIM How about "James-Younger" for the bank jobs and "Younger-James" for the train robberies? BOB See, that's even more confusing, people'll think there's two gangs... EXT. WESTERN STREET - DAY Comanche Tom RIDES UP to the building marked Marshall's Office. A MARSHALL and a dozen PINKERTON DETECTIVES are sitting around the porch. Tom leaps off his horse. COMANCHE TOM You 'um big lawman? MARSHALL Yeah, Injun. What do you want? COMANCHE TOM Great Chief of St. Louis send me. MARSHALL The District Marshall MARSHALL (CONT'D) Of St. Louis? COMANCHE TOM Ho-yah. Him say tell Big Lawman in Carville that badman Jesse James riding toward Rising Sun, above Great River, near Eagle Rock. MARSHALL East? East above the river heading for the Eagle Pass? COMANCHE TOM Ho-yah! The Marshall turns to his men. MARSHALL I want every man in town! We can cut off Jesse James before he crosses out of my territory! Let's go! The posse quickly mounts up. The Marshall tosses Comanche Tom a coin. MARSHALL (CONT'D) Go ahead to the saloon. But don't get too drunk! COMANCHE TOM Me get heap firewater -- The posse RIDES OFF. COMANCHE TOM (CONT'D) -- you cretins. Comanche Tom flips the coin over his shoulder. From around the corner THUNDERS the James Gang. They ride up to the building marked "Bank" right next to the Marshall's office. The Gang dismounts, runs in. An improbably short time later, the Gang members run back out with full saddlebags and mount up. Comanche Tom RIDES OFF with them. FRANK Nice performance, Tom. COMANCHE TOM I feel dirty. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY - MONTHS LATER The same men in suits and the same map, only now with more red markers on it. In the center of the group are Thaddeus Rains, Rollin Parker and Alan Pinkerton. RAINS Pinkerton. It's been eight months. I see robberies. I see hold ups. But I do not see men on the end of nooses. PINKERTON All of the James Gang's encounters have been with local law enforcement who, quite frankly, are no match for this group's cunning. PARKER What about your detectives? They haven't -- Pinkerton suddenly CLOSES on Rains and Parker. Rains doesn't back down, but we are acutely aware of the fact that Alan Pinkerton is a big, violent Scotsman. He never raises his voice here, but then again -- he doesn't have to. PINKERTON (to Parker) First of all: you, shut up. (to Rains) Now, you've given me a thousand miles of railroad to cover. Every time the James Gang strikes, we shift a hundred detectives to that area. But there's just too much open land, too many riverbeds to ride, caves to hide in. This gang operates across four states, often riding a hundred miles between jobs. RAINS I can't believe this. PINKERTON And there are some towns in Missouri where James and his men can walk openly, as heroes. PARKER How can that be? PINKERTON They donate money to farmers, to churches. Rumor has it they gave the sharecroppers of Maddox so much money they were able to build a school. RAINS With my money! PARKER We should go burn that school to the ground, sir! PINKERTON (dryly) Yes, that's the way to win the locals back to our side. RAINS I demand action. PINKERTON No, you demand results. They are not the same thing. And if you want results, you will let me do my job as I see fit. Unless of course, (jerking his head at Parker) You want this fool to saddle up and take another run at it? RAINS Can't you tell me anything? PINKERTON It's going to be a long spring. MONTAGE: VARIOUS SHOTS -- THE GANG RIDES ALONGSIDE A PAYROLL COACH, The COACH is marked with the "Rock Northern Railroad" logo. Suddenly Pinkerton guards leap up from hiding places in the coach and start firing! The gang fires back dropping two of the men. BANK WINDOW Old "Wanted" posters are replaced by a new set. THE COACH IS STOPPED Jesse and Frank are pulling the payroll off as the rest of the Gang keeps their guns on the remaining Pinkertons. Two dead Pinkertons lie on the ground. JESSE See, that's a shame. If people would just hand over the money and not shoot at us -- Loni looks at something in his hand. BOB What's that? LONI Lucky Rabbit's foot. Took it off that dead fella over there. BOB I don't think that one's working, Loni. Loni pockets the charm. -- JESSE, FRANK, AND THE YOUNGER BROTHERS Sit heads bowed in a small country church as the collection plate is passed. Jesse drops in a handful of twenty dollar gold pieces. -- A GROUP OF BOYS SWARM AROUND JESSE, Getting him to autograph his "WANTED! $10,000 REWARD DEAD OR ALIVE!" Poster. The Gang is all there, admiring the new posters. The likenesses are remarkable -- except for Bob's. It still looks nothing like him. And we can see Cole is not pleased at all the attention Jesse's getting. -- PINKERTON IN THE BOARD ROOM WITH HIS MAP, Directing his lieutenants on how to cover the territory. -- THE GANG CAROUSING IN A SALOON. Jesse is off to one side, writing a letter on fancy stationery. Frank is coaching him. AT THE MIMMS HOME, Doc Mimms hands Zee the envelope we just saw Jesse working with. Zee takes the envelope and tosses it into the burning fireplace. INT. WHITTLY BANK - DAY Jesse, Cole, Frank, and Bob are in the middle of a stick-up. All the BANK PATRONS have their hands up. JESSE Okay, folks, I think we know how this is going to go... BOB One false move and I'll blow your heads off! Jesse, Frank, and Cole look at Bob. JESSE Beg pardon? BOB You heard me, Jesse. You know how crazy I get! Jesse and Cole turn to the HEAD TELLER. JESSE 'Scuse us. HEAD TELLER Think nothing of it. Jesse and Cole cross to Bob. COLE We got a problem here, brother? BOB (low) Frankly, yes. I'm feeling a little left out. JESSE (sighing) This is about the "Wanted!" Posters, isn't it. BOB Yes. I am obviously not standing out in people's minds at the robberies. COLE (to Jesse) This is your fault for hogging all the publicity. JESSE Hold on, hold on, we all know Bob is an important part of the gang. Frank arrives. FRANK Gents, we are in the middle of something here. JESSE Bob's upset. FRANK The posters? JESSE/COLE Yeah. BOB Don't say "yeah" in that voice. This is important. Frank, Jesse, and Cole exchange looks. They turn back to the now puzzled crowd. FRANK Pardon the delay, folks, but we had to get Mad Bob Younger under control! JESSE Bob here'll kill a man for sneezing, and he's the best shot in the gang. HEAD TELLER Better than you, Jesse? JESSE Bob Younger taught me how to shoot! The crowd MURMURS APPRECIATIVELY. FRANK Now, we would like to get back to the robbery. HEAD TELLER Of course. The Head Teller starts filling a saddlebag with money. Bob glares at a few people, then nods at Jesse. Jesse winks back. DISSOLVE TO: INT. SALOON - NIGHT The place is alive with song, gambling, and the money the James Gang is dropping. At one table, Loni Packwood lays down his poker hand. As the other players moan, he rakes in the pot. CLELL Damn, Loni, you're lucky. LONI Luckiest man in the West, now that I'm riding with Jesse James! He raises his lucky rabbit's foot in toast to Jesse, who is at the bar nursing a bottle of whisky with Frank. ANGLE ON Jesse and Frank at the bar. JESSE This has been a good year. FRANK Jesse, we're outlaws. JESSE And we're good at it. FRANK It got to you, didn't it. All the killing in the war. You need it now. JESSE You've killed your fair share of men. FRANK If I could go back to farming -- JESSE That's a lie. You could've bought a dozen farms with the money we've stolen. FRANK I can't quit and leave you alone. I can't quit until you quit. Ma would've wanted it that way. JESSE We're doing this for Ma. FRANK Maybe it started out that way. But now... JESSE What do you want me to say, Frank? I was killing men when I was fifteen. I like getting shot at. I like riding out of town with a posse at my back. This is a helluva better life than farming. FRANK A better life than the one you could have had with Zee? Jesse HURLS the whisky bottle against the wall. At the CRASH the saloon falls silent. Every eye turns to the James boys. Frank stands up. FRANK (CONT'D) I'll bet you every dollar we've stolen that she hasn't read a single one of the letters you've sent her. Jesse is boiling. His hand twitches. FRANK (CONT'D) You going to throw down on me, Jesse? Jesse's jaw is grinding. JESSE Don't do this, Frank. You know I love you. Frank nods, embraces his brother. The saloon noise STARTS UP again. Frank steps away. FRANK We're drunk. JESSE Oh yeah. FRANK Just do me a favor. Think about what this is costing everybody. Not just the railroad. Jesse nods and Frank EXITS. Jim Younger, also drunk, steps up. JIM You okay, Jesse? JESSE Yeah. Hey, are you drinking whisky? You're too young to be drinking whisky. JIM Not too young to shoot a man, not to young to drink. JESSE (jolted) I guess so. JIM I was always jealous Web Mimms got to go off and fight with you and Cole. Now it's my turn. Jesse takes this in silently. JESSE Jim, you been with a girl yet? JIM Tonight? Why, I'm just getting ready to turn on the Younger charm. Jesse raises an eyebrow. JIM (CONT'D) Well, not exactly. JESSE You been with a girl ever? JIM (insulted) Hell yeah! I been with... (sighs) Uh, not exactly. It's just, I don't want to get one of these paid ladies, you know? JESSE I think so. JIM You and Frank and Cole, and even Bob, get all these girls because you're good looking and famous. You don't have to pay. They just look at me like I'm the baby brother. (then) Don't tell anyone, okay Jesse? JESSE I swear. JIM (whispering) Tell you something else. (belches) I can't drink that good neither. I'm going to go outside and throw up. JESSE You do that. Jim stumbles away and OUT THE DOOR. We hear him THROWING UP ENERGETICALLY a moment later. Jesse thinks for a moment, beckons over the bartender. INT. SALOON - A FEW MINUTES LATER Jim stumbles back in. A pretty young woman, LYLA, approaches him. LYLA Excuse me. Are you Jim Younger? Jim pulls himself together. JIM Why, yeah. LYLA I hope you don't mind, Jesse James told me your name. JIM (crestfallen) Oh, you were talking to Jesse. LYLA Yes, but just so I could find out who you were. Jim brightens. JIM Really? LYLA I hope I'm not being too forward. JIM Not at all. LYLA I just though you were awful cute. JIM Thank you, Miss -- ? LYLA Lyla Devereux. JIM Gosh, that's a pretty name. Buy you a drink? LYLA Could we go upstairs and talk? It's so loud down here. JIM (trying to stay smooth) Why don't we get a bottle of sherry to sip while we talk? LYLA That is so gentlemanly of you. As they head to the bar, WE SEE Jesse slide some money to the bartender. JIM (crossing) Devereux. My brother Cole dated a European girl once. LYLA Really? JIM Don't talk about it much, though. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM Parker is leading Rains into the room. Rains SNAPS SHUT his ever-present Pocketwatch. PARKER The final route for the railroad is complete. RAINS I look forward to seeing it. A group of RAILROAD MEN wait around, wearing forced smiles. Parker shows Rains the map. REVEAL the wall-sized map of the United States. The plainly marked RAIL LINE extends due west from New York, through Philadelphia, a straight shot west -- -- until it reaches Missouri, where it takes a painfully obvious swing in a large semi-circle south of the state, then swings up again and continues due west. Rains takes this in. Parker and the railroad men are trying to look casual. RAINS (CONT'D) Parker. PARKER Sir? RAINS What is that? PARKER What, sir? Suddenly, viciously, Rains GRABS PARKER BY THE NECK and SLAMS his face against the map. RAINS (calmly) That. PARKER (strangled) Oh, that. I'll let Jenkins explain. Rains drops Parker, who slides to the floor stunned. He turns to JENKINS, who is suddenly in an open area cleared by the retreating railroad men. JENKINS Sir. RAINS Jenkins. JENKINS We've done a financial study of the construction costs projected into -- RAINS Jenkins. JENKINS It's cheaper to go around Jesse James, sir. Even with the detour and the extra track. It's just cheaper. Rains turns to look at the map. RAINS So he's won. PINKERTON (O.S.) No. ANGLE ON The entire group looking at a serene Pinkerton staring at the James Gang tracking map, which is now festooned with red markers. PINKERTON (CONT'D) Every three months, the James Gang circles back to the vicinity of Liberty, Missouri. They always pull a job right before they return, probably to have extra money to give family and friends. RAINS In English, Pinkerton. PINKERTON There are only four banks within that travel radius which they have not robbed. RAINS Can you put men at all four? PINKERTON No need. I have another tool at my disposal which will narrow it down to one bank. RAINS What is that? PINKERTON (smiling) Why, their intense hatred of you, of course. The room holds its breath. Rains begins to smile back. EXT. WESTERN TOWN - EVENING A populous town with the fanciest SALOON we've seen yet. EXT. SALOON - SIDEWALK - EVENING Out on a sidewalk, Jesse stands alone at the edge of the building. He's holding an envelope. HIS POV reveals the address: "Miss Zerelda Mimms, Liberty, Missouri." BACK TO SHOT as Jesse reaches up to the street lantern and lights the envelope on fire. He drops it to the ground and watches it smolder. Bob Younger walks up, holding a "Wanted" poster. BOB Finally. Jesse looks, grins. The sketch is a dead ringer for Bob. BOB (CONT'D) The things a fella has to do to get a little respect around here... JESSE You are a fine figure of a man. BOB Listen, Jesse, we've got a problem. (off his look) It's Cole. JESSE He's been full of vinegar lately. BOB He's planning a job. JESSE What? BOB Listen, he's my brother and I don't want to start trouble... JESSE Tell me. INT. SALOON - GAMBLING ROOM Back in a semiprivate card room, Cole is talking to the rest of the Gang. COLE It'll be the biggest score yet. JESSE (O.S.) What will be? Jesse and Frank step from the shadows. Cole tosses them a newspaper. COLE Hyperion Bank, two day's ride from Liberty. They've got a hundred thousand dollars in railroad money just sitting there. Jesse tosses the paper aside. JESSE Smells funny, it being mentioned in the paper. COLE If you'd read about it first, you'd have no problems. JESSE What are you saying? COLE I've robbed just as many banks as you have! I know this town, and I know this bank, and I say it's an easy job. JESSE You're forgetting who's in charge -- FRANK (calming him) Jesse. COLE Oh, you're in charge? We ain't partners any more, Jesse? You tell Cole Younger where and when to ride? FRANK Cole, he didn't mean that. JESSE You taking sides against me, now, Frank? FRANK No, I -- COLE So being with me is being against you? Well, we don't want to do that! None of us poor idiots want to go up against the famous Jesse James, greatest outlaw who ever lived! Jesse glares at Cole. The Gang is murmuring amongst themselves. COLE (CONT'D) That's what the newspapers say. Weren't for Jesse James, this gang wouldn't be able to find a goat's ass with a stick. BOB What? Clell Miller leans forward. CLELL You have got mighty full of yourself lately, Jesse. JESSE You think so. You all do? (to Frank) You? Frank hesitates a half-second too long. JESSE (CONT'D) (spitting) Beautiful. COLE Now the one time one of us comes up with an idea -- JESSE A bad idea. COLE I got us through the War all right. JESSE And almost got hanged in peacetime. COLE That's it. Cole LUNGES for Jesse, and in a flash they're streetfighting, all elbows and knees and rib punches, GRUNTING and SWEARING. Frank and Bob try to break it up, but it's too fierce. COMANCHE TOM Let them fight it out. The poison needs to leave the wound, to heal. Jesse lands a ROUNDHOUSE, knocking Cole away. Cole goes for his gun, and in a blur they've both DRAWN and stand facing each other with cocked six-guns. The Gang watches in stunned silence. BOB This is healing? COMANCHE TOM Sometimes a wound will kill. BOB Now you tell us. FRANK (edging in) Boys, we don't want this. Neither Jesse nor Cole will back down. They circle, still keeping their guns up. COLE (gritted teeth) I'm the better soldier, Jesse. JESSE And I'm the better outlaw. Jim steps up. JIM And you both hate the railroad. That's what's important. We do this job, and Thaddeus Rains won't dare come West again. Jesse's gaze slides to Jim. JESSE What about that Rock Island bastard? JIM It's his money. He's putting up the payroll out of his own fortune. You do want to hurt Thaddeus Rains, don't you Jesse? Jesse and Cole stare at each other again. JESSE Still smells fishy. COLE Then let me run the show, General Lee. Jesse thumbs down the hammer of his Colt. Cole does the same. The entire Gang breathes out as one. JESSE Fine. We hit this bank. COLE You'll be smiling once you've got all that money to spend, cousin. (to Gang) Cole Younger's going to make everybody rich! The Gang CHEERS. Frank watches Jesse cross to the WINDOW and sag against it, exhausted. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HYPERION BANK - DAY The James Gang rides up to the bank. A WATER TOWER can be seen behind the building opposite the bank. Jesse, Cole and Frank dismount and move swiftly to the bank doors. Comanche Tom, Jim Younger, Clell Miller and Loni Packwood dismount and take defensive positions. The few other Gang members stay on their horses, looking sharp. ANGLE ON Cole holds up at the door, produces his shotgun. Frank and Jesse draw six guns. On Cole's lead, they KICK OPEN THE DOORS AND RUSH IN. INT. HYPERION BANK Cole and the James brothers stride in. COLE Nobody move! This is a robbery! The dozen or so farmers and tellers raise their hands. EXT. HYPERION BANK Loni is whistling away, rubbing his lucky rabbit's foot. He squints up at the sun, turns, then stops. He slowly turns back... HIS POV reveals a dozen men APPEARING at the edge of the opposite rooftop, aiming rifles... Loni lets his rabbit's foot drop... The FIRST GUNSHOTS PLOW INTO LONI! As he falls back, we see the rabbit's foot hit the dusty ground... The Gang leaps for cover as a HAIL OF BULLETS begins to tear up the bank face around them. INT. HYPERION BANK Jesse, Frank and Cole whirl to face the door. COLE What the -- JESSE'S POV in a mirror by the door reveals all twelve of the men in the bank drawing guns, shotguns, one rifle -- Jesse shoves Cole and Frank down. He KICKS a stool at the man with the rifle, dives right and ROLLS across a big oak desk. The men begin to FIRE. As BULLETS PING around him, Jesse FIRES from between his legs as he rolls across the desk. The assassins start to drop. Jesse completes his roll at a railing separating the manager's area from the bank floor. In one smooth move he's up and RUNNING ALONG THE RAILING, defying gravity, drawing his shoulder Colts and shooting... The gunmen are crossing into each other's line of fire, Jesse's movement confusing them. Jesse's killed another five, only four left, but he's out of railing and -- CRASH! Through a teller's cage, disappearing behind the counter. The gunmen turn and BLAST the wooden counter, some screaming in panic. CLICKS are heard as hammers fall on empty magazines. The gunmen stare at where Jesse disappeared, panting heavily. CLICK. They forgot about Cole and Frank. EXT. HYPERION BANK The Gang is scrambling for cover. Loni's body lies in the street, his rabbit's foot lying in a pool of his blood. The Gang is returning fire, hiding behind water troughs, dead horses, barely staying alive. The ROAR OF GUNFIRE is deafening. COMANCHE TOM Head for the end of the street! JIM Look! At both ends of the street, WAGONS ROLL into position, each manned by two armed Pinkertons. The Gang is trapped. INT. HYPERION BANK A shot of the open, empty VAULT. COLE Dammit! JESSE (O.S.) A trap. Cole turns. Jesse is moving the surviving cowboys into the Vault. As the last one steps in, Jesse SLAMS the door closed. WE HEAR MORE GUNFIRE. Frank runs in from the back of the bank. FRANK Another dozen out back. COLE They gonna rush us? FRANK They're just insurance in case we run. Jesse crosses to the front door. EXT. HYPERION BANK Jesse sticks his head out the door. JESSE Get inside, you -- Gunfire chews up the doorframe. Jesse pulls back inside. INT. HYPERION BANK Frank and Cole are shooting through the windows. JESSE They're all pinned down. Can't even get to the door. FRANK Got any ideas, little brother? Jesse thinks, then smiles. FRANK (CONT'D) Oh Lord. EXT. HYPERION BANK Jesse comes CRASHING through a window! He rolls to a stop next to one of the horses, grabs a saddlebag, then -- to the disbelief of the Gang -- he pivots and CRASHES right back into the Bank! INT. HYPERION BANK Jesse stumbles to his feet, yanks open the bag. Sticks of dynamite tumble out. FRANK/COLE Oh Lord. EXT. HYPERION BANK WE PAN across the trapped Gang, still under fire, to the front of the next door Saloon, and then WE ZIP INT. SALOON Where wary patrons have taken cover from the gunfire. Suddenly -- BOOOM! One wall EXPLODES into dust! In the hole we see the interior of the Bank and -- Jesse James running through, already readying another stick of dynamite -- EXT. ROOFTOP Where the Pinkerton gunmen are shooting at the Gang. Some of the gunmen look curiously as the windows to the building two doors down from the bank BLOW OUT. EXT. STREET As the two Pinkerton detectives at the wagon barricade turn in shock as Jesse James LEAPS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR of a building he can't possibly be in, lands on the wagon, rolls off and DASHES INTO a blacksmith shop across the street. They suddenly notice a HISS. They stand, look in the wagon. Jesse left a burning stick of dynamite in the wagon. ANGLE ON the wagon EXPLODING into matchsticks. INT. BLACKSMITH SHOP The blacksmith is gone, but there's a fire in the FORGE. Jesse leaps and KICKS OVER the forge -- ANGLE ON The white-hot coals IGNITING everything. EXT. ROOFTOP The Pinkertons firing on the gang notice SMOKE rising from below them. They look down ... REVEAL bellowing FLAMES and SMOKE enveloping the entire row of buildings below them. BACK TO The roof as a PINKERTON COMMANDER runs to ledge and looks at the rising flames himself. A HUGE EXPLOSION is heard O.C. A large SHADOW creeps over the snipers. They turn and look up -- -- at the Water Tower TOPPLING towards them! The Pinkertons dive out of the way as the tower SMASHES onto the roof, unleashing a TIDAL WAVE of water! EXT. STREET UPSHOT of the sniper's ledge as the Pinkertons leap off, followed by a WALL OF WATER -- WIDEN to see the water POURING into the building from above -- Cowboys FLY out the windows, followed by TORRENTS of water -- One Pinkerton SWEPT UP and carried off the roof, BOUNCES off a second floor balcony and lands in a puddle on the dirt street below. FOLLOW the water rushing across the dirt street to the feet of -- EXT. HYPERION BANK Jim, Tom and the Gang staring in disbelief at the total destruction Jesse has wrought. EXT. STREET Jesse rides out from a stable leading a team of horses. He reaches the bank. JESSE No time to gawk, boys, we got somewhere else to be! Frank and Cole rush out from the bank. The Gang leaps onto the horses and put the spurs to them hard. ANGLE ON the Gang galloping past the shattered wagon barricade, heading for the edge of town. Pinkerton riflemen run out of the bank and from behind the other barricade. One SHARPSHOOTER with a rifle drops to one knee, lines up... HIS POV shows Jesse in his sights. He tightens on the trigger, and just as he pulls -- -- Jim Younger rides into the line of fire! With a CRACK the bullet hits Jim square in the back. He slumps forward on his horse. Comanche Tom leaps from his horse onto Jim's and urges it on. ANGLE ON The James Gang disappearing past the edge of town. The Pinkertons stand stunned amongst the ruin of their ambush. Alan Pinkerton himself walks up, shaking his head. EXT. HILL COUNTRY - EVENING The Gang rides up onto a wooded hill where huge rocks jut from the earth. They all dismount, Jesse and Cole supporting Jim's limp form as they pull him from the saddle. Jim is drenched in blood. JESSE Okay, you're gonna rest here. COLE Clell, Tom, go get Doc Mimms in Liberty! CLELL That's a long ride, Cole. We won't be back 'til morning. JESSE Then you better get going! Cole and Jesse are united again in their grief over Jim. COLE Bob, rip up some bandages. JESSE Pass me some whisky. Jim's eyes flutter open for the first time. JIM ... too young for whisky... JESSE This time we'll make an exception. JIM Jesse, you explain to Lyla. My girl, you know, from that time... JESSE You're gonna tell her when you're resting up in bed with her, Jimmy. COLE Jim, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. JIM Best time of my life. (weakly) I was famous, y'know... Jim dies. Cole cradles the body, begins rocking. Comanche Tom puts a hand on Bob's shoulder as Bob slumps against a rock. Jesse stands, walks away heavily. EXT. HILLTOP - A WHILE LATER Sunset is heavy in the sky. Jesse stares off at it. His anguish is palpable. Frank comes over. JESSE Shoulda learned with Web. Made it look fun, made it look like an adventure. Got Web killed. Now Jim. FRANK Jim was old enough... JESSE (snorts) He was a boy riding with the most famous outlaws in the West. How was he supposed to say no to that? FRANK Railroad burned him out too. You couldn't have stopped him. JESSE You're a piss-poor liar for the smartest man I know. FRANK Yeah. JESSE A war against the railroad. What the hell were we thinking? FRANK I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. Jesse remembers the first time Frank said that. He crosses BACK TO the Gang. ANGLE ON the Gang -- what's left of them -- waiting by the horses. The unspoken knowledge of whose fault this is hangs in the air. Cole is covered in Jim's blood. COLE We'll make them pay for this. JESSE I'm out. COLE WHAT?! We follow you for a year, and now that our blood's been spilled, you're gonna quit?! JESSE Who's next? You? Me? Bob? Cole can't answer. CLELL We can't exactly go back to our lives, Jesse. JESSE I'm not telling you what to do. You want to keep on following Cole, fine by me. BOB Frank? Frank nods. He's leaving too. COLE Go ahead. Ride on. But don't come back when you figure out you can't farm with a six-gun. Bob embraces Frank. Jesse goes to shake hands with Cole, but the guilt and rage make his once-best friend unapproachable. Jesse smiles sadly and walks away. EXT. MIMMS HOME - EARLY MORNING Zee is letting a dog out. She looks up, freezes. Entranced, she walks out onto the porch. ANGLE ON A figure appearing out of the early morning fog. It's Jesse, riding slow. He reins his horse in at the porch, dismounts. He stands staring at Zee. JESSE Zee. ZEE Jesse. What are you thinking? There are bounty hunters and lawmen all over this county! JESSE I had to see you. I'm getting married. Zee is shocked. Jesse looks serious. ZEE I don't understand. JESSE She's the most wonderful woman in the world. Can't get her out of my mind. ZEE That's... wonderful. It's just... I thought... JESSE She's beautiful. Smart. And has the biggest... buck teeth in all of Missouri. It takes Zee a second. Before she can process it all, Jesse drops to one knee. JESSE (CONT'D) I've quit my outlaw ways. Come live in my home and in my heart. Zee takes the hat off Jesse's head, tosses it into the yard and smiles. Jesse stands up and they kiss. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HORSE DRAWN TAXI - DAY Victorian wooden houses with tin roofs and palm trees line the street. Jesse and Zee ride in the back of the open carriage. They can't take their eyes off each other. ZEE I would never have imagined us in a place like this. JESSE That's why I picked it. We can start a whole new life down here. ZEE Are you going to be happy here, Mr. James? Without all that excitement? JESSE I've got you. You keep me busy. I figure we'll get over to the hotel... get checked in, cleaned up... then I'd like to do something I've been thinking about for a long time. ZEE Now wait a minute. There are certain things that have to wait until after the wedding. Jesse leans forward to the DRIVER. JESSE Driver, change of plans. Take us to the nearest church. DRIVER What religion? JESSE Whichever one has God in it, that'll do fine. INT. CHURCH RECTORY - DAY A PASTOR sits at his desk while Jesse finishes filling out a marriage license. PASTOR This is unusual. Most of our marriages are members of the congregation. JESSE You don't think God'll mind, do you? Jesse slides him two twenties with the license. PASTOR The Lord is remarkably tolerant of the charitable. (reading the license) "Jesse Woodson James." Jesse James? The Jesse James? JESSE I could have lied I suppose, but I want this marriage to be legal. I just want you to know, I'm trying to start a new life here. I'm depending on your... PASTOR Discretion? Sir, I am a man of the cloth. JESSE Thank you. PASTOR Who needs to repair a leaky church roof. Grinning, Jesse slides over another forty. PASTOR (CONT'D) Now let's have a drink. JESSE Right here in church? PASTOR Communion. The Pastor pours. They drink. EXT. CHURCH - DAY The BELLS RING as Jesse and Zee walk out the front door arm in arm. The Pastor and his wife appear in the doorway, waving. Jesse and Zee hop in a waiting carriage. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BANK - DAY Various townsfolk are lined up at the TELLER'S window. Cole, Bob, Comanche Tom, Clell and some NEW GANG MEMBERS BURST IN. COLE Nobody move! This is a robbery. Everybody's hands reach for the ceiling. Cole gestures to the Teller. COLE (CONT'D) The safe. Now. TELLER Of course! (pause) Uh, sir? COLE What? TELLER Where is Jesse James? COLE This here is the Younger Gang! A MAN speaks out timidly. MAN But the Youngers ride with Jesse James. COLE Did ride. No more. The crowd grumbles, plainly disappointed. COLE (CONT'D) OPEN THE DAMN SAFE! TELLER All right, all right. (muttering) Jesse James never yelled at folk... Bob and Comanche Tom exchange looks behind a fuming Cole. INT. SALOON - NIGHT The new Gang is spending its booty. Cole is putting a healthy dent in a bottle of rotgut. Bob is consoling him. BOB This is the best score yet. COLE It's still taking too long. The people used to snap to. BOB That was because of... the reputation the gang had. COLE As long as people think Jesse's still riding, we will never get the respect we deserve. BOB Cole, we're outlaws. Not exactly the most respectable job, if you know what I mean. COLE Leave me alone, Bob. Even Bob can't reach Cole now. He walks sadly away. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BEACH - DAY A deserted Keys beach -- coconut palms and Australian pines. Clear water like glass stretching off forever. Jesse and Zee are having a picnic on the white sand. Both are in the latest in beach attire. He's in a one-piece that goes from his neck to his knees. Zee's in what is basically a dress with long pantaloons. Zee is reading. Jesse is stretched out on the sand. ZEE Hmm. JESSE "Hmm" what? ZEE (reading) "But the life of the James Gang wasn't all robbing and shooting and killing, for these young Missouri bucks had a taste for the ladies... especially the handsome and charismatic Jesse James." Jesse sits up. JESSE I beg your pardon? ZEE (showing him the cover) "Blazing Guns of the West. True Stories of Jesse James." Only a dime in the hotel lobby. JESSE Let me see that. ZEE Oh, I'm not finished. (reading) "When he sauntered into a saloon, his spurs jangling and his pockets full of gold, the ladies flocked around him like flies to a candied apple." (looking at him) As I said. Hmm. JESSE Now, sweetie, y'all wouldn't go believing one of them silly dime novels, would you? ZEE Jesse, have you ever noticed that when you're trying to charm your way out of trouble, your accent gets all farm boy? JESSE Aw, shucks, ma'am... ZEE Stop it. This is just sad. JESSE Swimming. Swimming is good. Jesse jumps up and OUT OF FRAME. A second later, he reaches down and PULLS a chuckling Zee up out of the sand. EXT. OCEAN - DAY Jesse chases Zee out into the surf. They splash around until the water gets shoulder-deep, then both submerge. They reappear, locked in a kiss. CLOSE ON Zee's face as they break the kiss and embrace. She's in heaven. She opens her eyes, facing the beach. Something passes over her face. ANGLE ON the beach, where fifty Pinkerton detectives with rifles are lined up like a firing squad. BACK TO Zee's face. She squeezes Jesse tighter. ZEE Don't turn around. JESSE What? ZEE If you don't see it, it's not real... Jesse turns around to see -- EXT. BEACH A familiar figure walking along the sand. When the figure reaches the center of the line of detectives, he turns to the couple and -- PINKERTON Jesse James, you are under arrest! Jesse takes one longing gaze at the open ocean. He heads for shore. DISSOLVE TO: INT. SALOON Cole and the Gang are killing time. Bob runs in. BOB They arrested Jesse! He throws the paper to the other Gang members, but walks straight to Cole. The two brothers stare at each other. COLE How'd they -- BOB What have you done? COLE I ain't done -- BOB WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! Bob draws on Cole. Cole is shattered. COLE Bob. I didn't... BOB Swear. COLE I swear -- BOB Swear on Jimmy's grave. Cole hesitates. Bob thumbs back the hammer. Comanche Tom's hand closes over Bob's gun. COMANCHE TOM Bob. You know Cole would never do such a thing. He and Jesse are best friends. They are cousins, blood brothers. Bob considers it, lowers the gun. BOB I'm sorry, Cole. COLE You're just upset about Jesse. We all are. Bob walks off. Comanche Tom speaks, but keeps his eyes on Bob. COMANCHE TOM My people know that when a brother kills a brother, a great curse comes down on that man, and when he dies he walks the desert as a dark spirit. I like Bob too much to let that happen. (looking at Cole) If I find out you turned in Jesse, I'll kill you myself. Comanche Tom moves off. Cole's thoughts are his own. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. FORT JEFFERSON - NIGHT An establishing shot of the Florida fort being lashed by rain. INT. CELL A dank, black cell far in the bowels of Fort Jefferson. WE HEAR CLANKING. WIDEN TO REVEAL Jesse doing push-ups. They come easily, despite Jesse being chained up like the Frankenstein monster. The DOOR OPENS. Jesse looks up in mid-push-up. Alan Pinkerton is looking down at him. Jesse moves to the bed. Pinkerton, flanked by two guards, ENTERS. He sits on a stool provided by one of the guards. PINKERTON We're moving you tomorrow. JESSE But I like the presidential suite. PINKERTON Oh, it's a similar room. But the hotel is in Washington D.C. You're not going to get a fair trial down here, in front of a jury of Jesse James sympathizers. JESSE So I'll get a fair trial in front of a jury bought off by Thaddeus Rains? PINKERTON That's the idea. Pinkerton produces two cigars, presenting one to Jesse. JESSE Did you order our houses burned down? PINKERTON Not that day. I am guilty of many things, but that was Mr. Thaddeus Rains and Parker, that day. Jesse takes the cigar, and Pinkerton lights both. They puff for a moment. PINKERTON (CONT'D) (tapping bad leg) Was this you, by the way? Jesse exposes his scar. JESSE You almost ended my career before it began. PINKERTON Pity. Pause. PINKERTON (CONT'D) How did you spot the ambush in Torrell? JESSE Last February? PINKERTON Mmm. JESSE You had all those cattle there, so I'd think the extra men were in town from the cattle drive? PINKERTON Yes? JESSE The cows had a brand from a farm just five miles out of town. PINKERTON Damn. Pause. JESSE Almost got me in Billings. I saw you there, shooting at me. PINKERTON I went myself to oversee the operation. Didn't help much. JESSE No, that one was close. A couple fellas quit after that one. PINKERTON Oh. That's nice to know. (then) We're going to hang you, you know. JESSE I figured. PINKERTON Was it worth it? JESSE Should have just killed Thaddeus Rains and been done with it. PINKERTON That's what I would have done. JESSE I'm not hanged yet. PINKERTON (shaking his head) You cocky little bastard. JESSE Ahh, you'll miss me. PINKERTON No, I'll hang you. (then) But I may miss you just a bit. As Jesse and Pinkerton smoke and discuss the past year... EXT. TRAINYARD Two guards are leading Jesse, who is in heavy arm irons, toward a prison car at the end of a waiting train. Pinkerton, Thaddeus Rains, and Parker walk up. RAINS This is him. PARKER I remember you. JESSE You're Parker. I remember you, too. You killed my Ma. Parker is set back by Jesse's voice. To cover his fear -- PARKER How did you know? RAINS Not such a menace now, is he, Pinkerton? PINKERTON If you feel that way, I could always take off the irons. Rains glares at Pinkerton, then turns back to Jesse. RAINS You stole thousands. You cost me tens of millions of dollars, months of lost construction. I wish I could hang you every single morning for a century. Rains checks his Pocketwatch, spots Jesse eyeing it. RAINS (CONT'D) You like that? Solid gold, my father had it made when he started this railroad. He gave it to me when I took over, I'll give it to my son when he runs this company, and he'll give it to his son -- The right type of men will always run this country, Jesse James, and little men like you will always suffer. You have stopped nothing. JESSE Made you think twice about burning folks' homes down now, didn't I? Jesse winks. With that Parker reaches back and SUCKER PUNCHES Jesse. Rains gloats as Jesse gets his breath back. RAINS We'll speak again in Washington, you insect. JESSE You're coming on the same train? Rains involuntarily looks behind Jesse. Jesse cranes his head and spots a CLUB CAR at the front of the train, several cars away from his prison car. The other cars are packed with Pinkerton detectives. JESSE (CONT'D) Well, tell you what. I'm going to have to pay you a visit. RAINS Big words. JESSE It's a promise. Everyone is a little shaken by the steel in Jesse's voice. The guards DRAG JESSE OFF. INT. PRISON CAR The guards turn Jesse over to a BURLY DETECTIVE. Pinkerton enters just behind him. There are ten detectives in total in the car. PINKERTON Hook him up. The Burly Detective brings Jesse's arms above his head. He loops Jesse's chain over a rail that runs the length of the car. Two other detectives walk Jesse down the car, Jesse's hands suspended over his head. Jesse can just barely sit down. PINKERTON (CONT'D) Now the guns. BURLY DETECTIVE I don't like it. We can handle him. PINKERTON In the ten seconds we have been in this car, I have seen you get close enough for Jesse James to grab your guns at least three times. And I assure you, if he gets his hands on one of your guns, you are all, and I mean all dead men. BURLY DETECTIVE He's chained up. PINKERTON I'll put that on your tombstone. The guns. Grumbling, the detectives deposit their pistols in a box near the front of the car. Pinkerton walks out. The Burly Detective slides a Colt into his waistband. ANGLE ON Jesse, alone, surrounded by ten Pinkerton guards. The train LURCHES, and they're off. EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY The prison train highballs through the wooded, rolling hills. We see the engine, the coal car, a detective car, then the private salon car, two more cars of guards, and then the prison car. INT. PRISON CAR Five guards are playing poker. Five others are standing along the length of the car. Jesse looks at the gun box waaay down the other end of the car. Things shift, and we (and Jesse) realize the train is going downhill. JESSE Hey, fatty. The Burly Detective looks up. BURLY DETECTIVE What? JESSE You, ya barrel of pork lard. Here piggy piggy! The detectives close on Jesse. Jesse stands as the Burly Detective moves right up on him. BURLY DETECTIVE What you sayin' boy? JESSE I think I recognize you. BURLY DETECTIVE How? JESSE I think I saw you leavin' by the front door just as I was coming in the back. The other detectives try to hide grins. BURLY DETECTIVE You shut up now, boy. JESSE No, really. You're wife said she needed some help, seeing as you were so fat you couldn't find your -- Burly Detectives BACKHANDS Jesse. Jesse spits blood and grins. JESSE (CONT'D) Yeah, she said you did that to her too. Burly draws, points the gun right at Jesse's face. The other detectives GASP. Jesse stares down the barrel, then raises his eyes and speaks in a voice that is low and terrifying. JESSE (CONT'D) Y'know, I could do this without the gun, but it just makes things easier. SLAM as Jesse KICKS Burly in the crotch! The gun FIRES, missing Jesse's head only because he jerks it like a mongoose. Jesse BACKHANDS the detective with the heavy chain! The gun drops right into Jesse's hands -- The guards are running for the gun box -- Jesse flips the chain TIGHT, TUCKS UP and KICKS OFF from the back wall and SLIDES THE LENGTH OF THE RAIL over the detectives' heads! As he reaches the end he FIRES the gun, blowing open the gun box. Jesse then SHOOTS the rail's ceiling strut, and then KICKS at the roof. The rail WRENCHES FREE, dropping Jesse to the floor. In a blur he's up, reaching into the gun box. He tosses one gun INTO THE AIR, then FANS THE HAMMER of another. Half the guards drop, but the other half are right on top of him and nobody's that fast -- Jesse drops the spent gun, CATCHES the other gun in the opposite hand and FANS THAT HAMMER all in a single breath! As the smoke clears, the last of the detectives falls with a THUD. EXT. TRAIN Jesse pops open the door to his car. He's improvised a gunbelt like his old one, holding six Colts. He's still holding the chain from his restraints. Now that they're no longer wrapped around Jesse, we see they're at least a few yards long. INT. THIRD TROOP CAR Some Pinkertons LOOK UP as a BANG sounds from on top of the car. EXT. TRAIN And Jesse JUMPS OFF THE ROOF and -- CLANK as the chains -- fastened to the roof -- go taut and Jesse is at window level and he's FIRING AND FIRING into the car! INT. THIRD TROOP CAR Pinkertons falling, drawing their guns, not able to get a bead on Jesse because -- EXT. TRAIN Jesse is running along the side of the car, supported by the chain! Still shooting, he reaches the end, KICKS UP and is on the roof again. ANGLE ON one Detective, barely alive, stumbling through the door, opening the door to the next INT. SECOND TROOP CAR The detectives inside start as the wounded man falls into the doorway. EXT. TRAIN Jesse looks down and sees heavily armed Pinkertons coming out of the doorway. JESSE Shit. But there's no turning back and he jumps to the top of the EXT. SECOND TROOP CAR Jesse's running and the Pinkertons start SHOOTING THROUGH the roof. Jesse miraculously is untouched, almost to the CLUB CAR... INT. CLUB CAR Pinkerton is already moving as Parker and Thaddeus Rains look around. RAINS What the hell is that sound? PINKERTON Vengeance. INT. FIRST TROOP CAR Pinkerton bursts in. The men snap to. PINKERTON Outside! Get up on top! Go GO! EXT. CLUB CAR Jesse JUMPS onto the club car, but pulls up short as detectives appear ahead of him. He turns to see other detectives climbing up behind him. He's trapped. BUT WE HEAR A LOW WHISTLE AND EXT. TRAIN ENGINE The engine EXPLODES! Sparks fly as the twisted engine GRINDS onto the tracks! EXT. TRAIN The momentum carries everyone off their feet! Some detectives are torn from the train. Jesse slides across the roof of the Club Car -- CUT TO: EXT. TRAIN TRACK CLOSE ON a smoking CANNON sitting on the tracks. WIDEN TO REVEAL Frank and Cole on horseback shading their eyes. Zee is daintily blowing out a fuse lighter. FRANK Nice shot. ZEE Thank you. Now go get my husband. The two men start to gallop toward the train. EXT. TRAIN Jesse, Pinkerton, and the detectives look down the track and see... EXT. TRAIN TRACK Frank and Cole riding toward them. From the woods ride Comanche Tom and Bob Younger, folding into perfect formation. The four THUNDER toward the train. INT. CLUB CAR Pinkerton rushes back in. Parker and Rains are looking out the window. PARKER There's only four of them... PINKERTON Move you fools! He grabs the two businessmen and heads them to the rear of the train. EXT. TRAIN TRACK Frank draws a gun and FIRES. EXT. WOODS TWO DOZEN RIDERS pour out of the woods, all firing at the Pinkerton! The Pinkertons return fire, taking shelter in the train cars as the riders strafe the train. EXT. TRAIN Jesse swings over the edge of the train, looks through the window. Rains is gone. He turns and starts running back along the top of the train. EXT. PRISON CAR Pinkerton, Rains and Parker tumble out of the door and run for the woods. Jesse LEAPS DOWN from the top of the train onto Pinkerton! They wrestle, separate. Pinkerton stands, reaching for his gunbelt. Empty. With almost a resigned sigh, he looks up. Jesse's pointing the gun at Pinkerton's head. PINKERTON Do it. Jesse FIRES. ANGLE ON Pinkerton, stunned to realize he's still alive. He turns to see Parker, fall to the ground, his own gun half-drawn, Jesse turns the gun on Rains. JESSE That was for my Ma. Now this is for everybody else. PINKERTON He's too important, James. They'll set the army on you. You and your wife. Jesse stares at Rains, Rains stares back, the tension building...Jesse's about to shoot...and says: JESSE That is a nice watch you got there. Rains looks down at the fob, back up. The tension isn't broken. JESSE (CONT'D) I tell you what, I'll buy that watch from you, for the fair market price approved by the Department of the Interior: one dollar. Rains hesitates. Jesse thumbs the hammer back JESSE (CONT'D) If I were you, I'd sell. After this, the price goes...down. Rains tosses the Watch to Jesse as Jesse simultaneously FLIPS Rains a dollar coin with his free hand. Jesse holds up the Watch. JESSE (CONT'D) Now every time you go to look at this watch and it's not there, you'll remember: You can be stopped. Pass that down to your son, instead. Jesse thumbs the hammer forwards, lowers the gun. Rains falls to his knees, numb from the tension. Frank rides up. Jesse empties Pinkerton's gun and hands it to him. Pinkerton holds him for a second. PINKERTON (low) Tennessee. Jesse doesn't understand. PINKERTON (CONT'D) The railroad has no business in Tennessee. Therefore I have no interest in the state of Tennessee. JESSE Thanks. PINKERTON I'd just as soon kill you, Jesse James. But chasing you takes up too much of my time. JESSE Fair enough. Zee RIDES UP. Jesse SWINGS UP onto her horse, and then they RIDE OFF with Frank. We PULL UP AND AWAY, centering on Pinkerton, Rains, and revealing the smoking, burning wreckage of the train. EXT. HILLSIDE FIELDS - DAY Most of the Gang is mounted. Frank, Cole and Bob are standing there, watching. ANGLE ON Jesse and Zee riding up on one horse. ZEE You get arrested again, I'll kill you. JESSE Yes ma'am. ZEE I can't believe I had to blow up a train for you. JESSE You are a hell of a woman. ZEE Don't swear. JESSE Yes ma'am. They reach the Gang. Jesse SWINGS OFF his horse, gets one of Cole's BEAR HUGS. COLE Missed you, cousin. JESSE Missed you too, cousin. Jesse notices Cole is oddly emotional, but can't quite figure out what's going on. COLE You know, you gettin' caught, right after leaving us, some people thought -- JESSE Pff. All we been through, the thought never crossed my mind. The two clasp hands. BOB Things changed when you quit the gang. For example, I'm now the one who says "Let's ride." COLE He's not bad at it. BOB It's tougher than it looks. JESSE Where'd you get all these riders? COLE We didn't. Zerelda did. Turns out your wife makes a hell of an outlaw. BOB So what's the plan? Jesse looks at Zerelda and Frank. JESSE I think my wife and I might go down Tennessee way, buy a farm. (pause) Goodbye, boys. The Youngers smile sadly, but NOD. As the Younger brothers SADDLE UP, Comanche Tom leans down from the saddle and shakes Jesse's hand. COMANCHE TOM You stay out of trouble, Jesse. Nobody has as much luck as you used up today. ANGLE ON Jesse getting back on his horse with Zee. Frank stands there and watches them. FRANK I'll meet you down there in a few weeks. JESSE See you soon. Oh, and I appreciate the distraction back there. FRANK Hell, they hardly even noticed us. Jesse and Frank grin. BOB Let's ride! Jesse flips the reins and he and Zee RIDE OFF, the GANG with the Youngers RIDES OFF in the opposite direction. Frank watches them ride away. WE HEAR faintly: ZEE Tennessee? JESSE I'll explain on the way. Then it's Frank alone on the hill. WE CIRCLE around behind him, come around, see he's AGED a little, CIRCLE AGAIN and now he's AGED MORE, we come around one more time and... EXT. HILLSIDE NEAR LIBERTY - DAY - TWENTY YEARS LATER ...we COMPLETE THE CIRCLE and see young Frank James is now an older FRANK JAMES. Still lean, a few wrinkles, a little grey in the hair, dressed in expensive turn-of-the-century western clothes. A young man who looks remarkably like Jesse, JIMMY JAMES, 16 years old, is waiting patiently. The two are looking down on the town of Liberty, Missouri, which is now swollen five sizes larger. The Wild West is disappearing under roads and telegraph wire. JIMMY Y'know, Uncle Frank... FRANK Yeah, Jimmy? JIMMY (genially chiding) ...every time you tell that story, you stop there. That's not how it ended. I was five when my dad got shot. FRANK I know. But that's how it should have ended. Your Dad and Mom, riding off into a new life, growing old together, happy. They start to walk back to the edge of town. FRANK (CONT'D) Allow a man his version of the past. When you get to be my age, you've got enough painful memories, you're allowed to soften a few of the edges up. JIMMY Sounds like he was a hell of a man. FRANK (chuckling) That he was. JIMMY They're making him a hero now. FRANK Saved a lot of folk from the railroad. JIMMY But he killed a lot of men, too. FRANK Can't argue that. JIMMY So what was he? FRANK I think... he was just a real interestin' fella to have around. Frank chuckles again at the memories, claps his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. FRANK (CONT'D) Come on, your Ma's probably holding dinner for us. Once saw the woman blow up a train, don't want to tick her off... Jimmy grins and the pair walk down the hill. We stay ON THEIR BACKS as they continue talking. JIMMY (O.S.) Uncle Frank? FRANK (O.S.) Yeah Jimmy? JIMMY (O.S.) How much of that story is true? FRANK (O.S.) Everything but the boring parts. FADE OUT: END OVER CREDITS: SEPIA TONED PHOTOGRAPHS of JESSE and ZEE enjoying their years as farmers, with VISITORS like FRANK, and the YOUNGERS also included.

INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - NIGHT PAN across details in a bedroom...we see discarded shirts...pants...socks...and hear PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) Oooh, yeah. Oh, baby, you're so good. JIM (O.S.) Yeah, I'm the best, baby. Now we see a TV...but the picture isn't clear. Or, more appropriately, the picture is scrambled -- it phases in and out. Bars scroll across it. And we get occasional glimpses of what looks like -- JIM (O.S.)(CONT'D) ...oh -- that was a tit, tits... As most high-school guys know (but few will admit), it is possible to watch the pay channels while they're scrambled. You just need a decent imagination to fill in the rest of the picture. We PULL BACK to see JIM -- 17, short, horny. PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) Give it to me! Yes! JIM Oh yeah, baby, I'll give it to you. Jim is, uh, physically involved with the scrambled babe. We TILT DOWN to see a small multimedia presentation next to Jim on his bed. "Cosmopolitan" is open to a sexy model...a yearbook is open to the "girl's swim team" section...and a dictionary next to Jim, open to the "Vagina" listing, accompanied by a big vagina diagram. PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) Don't you love my sexy body?! JIM I do, baby, I do. He frantically looks around...and grabs a tube sock off the floor. PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) You're so big! JIM Yeah, that's right. PORNO-CHANNEL STUD (V.O.) (deep macho voice) Ohhh, tell me you're a nasty girl! Jim is thrown off. PORNO-CHANNEL STUD (V.O.)(CONT'D) Yeahhh, you been bad, real bad! JIM Man, shut up! Suddenly there's a KNOCK at the door, immediately after which JIM'S MOM enters. Jim scrambles and quickly covers himself and the dictionary with a pillow. She's oblivious to his doings. JIM'S MOM Hey, Jimmy. I just wanted to say sweet dreams. JIM Yep, okay Mom, 'night. JIM'S MOM (leans in to Jim) Kiss goodnight. Jim is revolted. Very reluctantly he gives her a kiss. She turns to leave, and notices the TV. JIM'S MOM (CONT'D) Is something wrong with the reception? JIM Yeah. Damn cable. There's this nature show that I'm trying to watch. PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) Fuck me! Yes! JIM Uh... He hurriedly tries to change the channel with the REMOTE, but instead the VOLUME GOES UP. PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) BLOW YOUR WAD ON MY TITS!! Jim panics as his mom reacts, shocked. JIM (choking) Must...be...broken... JIM'S DAD enters. JIM'S DAD What the heck is this? JIM Nothing! JIM'S MOM I think he's trying to watch one of the illegal channels. JIM Jesus, Mom! They're not illegal! They're pay channels. How could a television channel be illegal?! God, get a clue! JIM'S DAD James, don't speak that way to your mother! PORNO-CHANNEL STUD (V.O.) Play with my hairy balls! JIM'S DAD Turn that garbage off! Give me that! Jim's Dad grabs for the remote, which is sitting on the pillow that's been covering Jim. The pillow gets brushed aside -- revealing the Big Vagina Diagram, Jim with his shorts down, and a very strategically placed tube sock. JIM'S MOM Oh my God! JIM'S DAD Honey, why don't you let me handle this one. He ushers her out. Jim's Dad is stuck there with his half-naked son. Horrible, awful embarrassment. A long, strained beat. JIM'S DAD (CONT'D) Jesus Christ. The dictionary? Hell, son, I'll buy you some dirty magazines. Jim's Dad exits, shaking his head. Jim sits agape, humiliated. PORNO-CHANNEL CHICK (V.O.) Oooh, spank me, daddy, spank me! EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS - DAY We see a Honda Accord drive by a sign at the city limits: "Welcome to East Great Falls, Michigan -- A Great Place To Be" EXT. FRONT OF SCHOOL - DAY The front of the school. KEVIN drives up in his Accord. He's a good-humored, good-enough-looking high school senior. VICKY rides shotgun -- pretty, smart, confident. She's holding a large, thick envelope, with a big "Vanderbilt" return address on it. KEVIN It's a big, thick envelope, Vicky. You got in. VICKY You think so? She tears it open. Pulls out a course catalog, various forms, and a letter which she hands to Kevin. KEVIN "Dear Ms. Hughes. We're sorry, but after keeping you on the wait list for the past couple months, we've decided you are now rejected. Enclosed is a 100-page, full-color brochure on how rejected you are." VICKY Kevin, this is serious! KEVIN You got in. Vicky SCREAMS in excitement, like a girl at a Beatles concert. Then she LAUGHS, and gives Kevin a big kiss and hug. VICKY I love you! She hugs Kevin tighter -- as he looks a little frazzled, almost perfunctorily returning the hug. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD - MORNING Jim has met up with CHRIS OSTREICHER -- "OZ" -- a cocky senior with a football-player build. He cradles a ball in a lacrosse stick. OZ Illegal channels? Shit, if there's any channel that should be illegal, it's whatever that women's channel is. Lifetime Supply of Pantyhose, or some shit. JIM Yeah -- hey, did you see The Little Mermaid on TV the other night? That Ariel, whew. OZ She's a mermaid, dude. JIM (trumping him) Yeah, Oz, but not when she's on land. OZ She's a cartoon, dude. JIM A hot cartoon. OZ Is there anything you don't jerk off to? JIM C-Span? INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MAIN HALLWAY - DAY Jim and Oz, now joined by Kevin, walk down the hall. Oz bounces the lacrosse ball off a locker, catching it again. Kevin speaks a little distantly, unnerved. KEVIN Then she said -- she loves me. OZ Oh shit dude, the L-word! JIM And you said... KEVIN Nothing, I just hugged her back. JIM You think she was serious? KEVIN I couldn't tell -- She could've meant like, "I love you grandma" or "I love you Vanderbilt." OZ Just don't bring it up, hang low, maybe she won't mention it again. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - SENIOR LOCKERS - DAY The guys pass by a GROUP OF BAND DORKS, most notable of which is MICHELLE, who proudly polishes her flute. MICHELLE And what we should do today, in band? Instead of playing our instruments regularly? We should play them backwards! That'll be so funny! The Band Dorks LAUGH and agree, "hilariously" attempting to play their instruments from the wrong end. The guys shudder. OZ (to Jim) You guys got the Latin homework? JIM No -- Kevin, you? KEVIN (offended) Please. (then) We're all golden, we're college bound. I figured it out -- I can get a c- minus in every class, and it's not gonna make a difference. U of M, here I come. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MAIN HALL NEAR POP MACHINE - DAY Vicky is talking with JESSICA, a friend of hers, getting a pop (we're in the Midwest now, gang) from the machine. VICKY Vanderbilt's not that far from U of M. JESSICA Yeah right. VICKY What? We both have cars. JESSICA Yeah but, no offense, you're talking about a post-high school, long- distance relationship, and you and Kevin haven't even done it yet. VICKY That's not why we're going out. JESSICA What the hell are you expecting him to drive to Vanderbilt for? Milk and cookies? VICKY Jessica! He'll drive there for me, and I'll drive to Ann Arbor for him. We're going to have sex when he's ready and I'm ready. It's got to be completely perfect. I want the right place, the right time, the right moment. JESSICA Vicky, it's not a space shuttle launch, it's sex. So did you do the physics write-up? VICKY (offended, a la Kevin) Please. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS - SENIOR LOCKERS - DAY Kevin, Jim, and Oz are still walking down the hall. PAUL FINCH, preppy, eccentric, is sitting on a bench. JIM There's our man. KEVIN Finch, you got the Latin homework? FINCH Non habeo. Canis meus id comedit. The guys keep staring. A beat. KEVIN Whatever. Someone is HOLLERING down the hall. Running towards Oz is STEVE STIFLER -- very clean-cut and preppy, he's a maniac, a jackass, much worse than Oz. Not really part of the group. STIFLER (yelling) NOVA!! OZ Stifler!! Stifler runs full-force into Oz, grabbing him in a bear hug. STIFLER You coming to party tonight, Ostreicher, ya fuckface? OZ Depends if my date wants to stop by. STIFLER That junior chick? OZ Nah, gave her the Heisman. I'm working on something new. STIFLER Yeah right. I got an idea for something new. How 'bout you guys actually locate your dicks, remove the shrink wrap, and fuckin' use 'em. OZ Dude, it's gotta happen -- she's a college chick! STIFLER Bullshit. From where? OZ She works part-time at my dad's store. STIFLER Hah! Yeah, Oz, I bet it's more like your dad works at her store. OZ Dude, he does not. KEVIN Really, Stifler. He's the manager. Oz gives a little nod, avoiding the issue. STIFLER Hey, man, I'm not making fun. I'm fuckin' impressed. I mean, "Footlong or six-inch, white or wheat," that's some serious shit to master. Oz musters a little LAUGH. KEVIN (half-joking) Stifler, you're such an asshole. STIFLER Meyers, what's the deal with you and Vicky, anyway? You've been going out since Homecoming and all she'll do is blow you? Shit, I'd drop her like a steaming turd. FINCH Do you commonly grasp warm pieces of stool? STIFLER (momentarily puzzled) I do when I'm throwing them at your mom, you damn freak. (then) Alright then, see you guys tonight. I'll look for you in the No Fucking section. The guys all take this little too seriously to have a comeback. Stifler just LAUGHS OBNOXIOUSLY as he walks off. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY Kevin is on the phone. Hanging near his closet is a tuxedo. INTERCUT with KEVIN'S OLDER BROTHER -- 25, on his cell phone, traveling down a California road. KEVIN'S BROTHER You called me to ask me how to get laid? KEVIN What was I gonna do, call dad? I don't even know his number. KEVIN'S BROTHER Just dial 976-Asshole. KEVIN Yeah, well anyway...I thought you might have some advice, brother to brother. I mean, I think tonight she might, we might really, there's a chance that -- you know. KEVIN'S BROTHER Have you ever heard of the bible? KEVIN What? Not the Bible? KEVIN'S BROTHER Well, that's not really the name, but we always called it that. KEVIN Does it tell me how to get laid? KEVIN'S BROTHER You know what, nevermind. You're not ready. KEVIN Ready for what? KEVIN'S BROTHER Whoop, you're fading out. Good luck at that party. INT. DOG DAYS - LATE AFTERNOON A small, nostalgia-themed dive. Despite the theme, CLASSIC ROCK plays. Kevin, Oz, Jim and Finch sit at a table. They munch on hot dogs piled high with condiments. KEVIN You ever hear of something called The Bible? OZ Once, in church, dude. Jim is paging through Great Falls' equivalent of the LA Weekly. JIM Ooh, here's an easy one: "Attractive SWF, fun loving and a youthful mind seeks outgoing companion." Okay..."Attractive"...ugly. OZ "Fun loving" -- insane. KEVIN Unlisted age, plus "youthful mind," equals old. JIM No, "Charming" is old. "Older" is really old. "Youthful mind" is dead. FINCH Perhaps you should consider actually answering an ad. JIM Finch, you can be the one to date a nearly-dead insane chick. Eat your damn imitation hot dog. FINCH ("for the hundredth time") This is no imitation. Removing the hot dog from the Ultradog yields a better dog. Behold -- Ultradog, no dog. Finch displays the cross-section on his hot dog. It's all condiments. The guys react with rehearsed offense. KEVIN (checks his watch) Alright...I'm shooting for a nine o'clock ETA. Beer in hand by five after. JIM You can crash at Stifler's? KEVIN It's all good. (He pulls out some gum) Breath check. He hands out a stick of gum to each guy, automatically skipping Finch, who pulls out a small, hotel-bottle of Scope. Gargles with it. Spits it into his drink cup. OZ (repulsed) Dude, I wish you wouldn't do that. KEVIN You got something up your sleeve for tonight, Finch? FINCH A foolproof plan, my friend. You shall see. Oz has tuned into the song in the background -- "Blinded by the Light" [the original Springsteen version, not the Manfred Mann remake]. OZ (sings along) And little hurly-burly came by in her curly-wurly, and asked me if I needed I ri-hide -- KEVIN How the hell do you know all these random songs? OZ It's early Springsteen, dude, this is classic. This was before the cheesy remake. JIM This was remade? Into what? OZ (chiming in as the chorus hits) Bli-hinded by the light -- cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night, blinded... KEVIN At least now I know what the hell they're saying. JIM So, does my hair look better -- (flips a small lock of hair onto his forehead) like this, or... (flips it back up) like this? OZ Who cares? JIM Nadia does, that Czechoslovakian chick, she might be there tonight. Now, do you think she'd prefer -- (flips hair down again) Cool Hip Jim... (flips it back up) or Laid Back Jim? KEVIN The difference is so phenomenal, I can't decide. EXT. DOG DAYS - MAGIC HOUR - CONTINUING They exit the restaurant. JIM What about you? You're the one with the girlfriend and you're still stranded on third base. KEVIN You know, I've never got that shit. What exactly constitutes third base? OZ (holds up a couple fingers) Contact, dude. KEVIN Then where does a blowjob figure in? They ponder this for a moment. OZ Shortstop. 'Course, you don't make it to third, and you're out. JIM So let's say you get there...what's uh, third base feel like? KEVIN Oh, man, that's kind of sad. Jim shrugs, embarrassed. OZ Feels like warm apple pie, dude. JIM Apple pie... (then) McDonald's or homemade? They just look at him. Finch hops on his scooter. FINCH Gentlemen, see you at the Bacchanalia. He MEEPS his horn and buzzes away. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - NIGHT For a high-school party, it's pretty good. The house is peppered with ALL TYPES OF HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. MUSIC blends with the din of excited conversation. Kevin and Jim are drinking beers. Around them, students mingle and flirt. CHUCK SHERMAN comes up. SHERMAN What's up, fellas? JIM Hey Sherman. Scopin' the babes. SHERMAN Indeed. Some fine ladies here, boys. Confidence is high, repeat, confidence is high. Sherman is moving to DefCon Two, full strategic arsenal ready for deployment. JIM You've got something going? SHERMAN Did you see that Central chick? Brunette? KEVIN/JIM No. SHERMAN She's around. Seems that she's taken a liking to me. Fellas, it's time that she experienced -- The Sherminator. KEVIN Yeah, okay Sherman, whatever. SHERMAN I'm a sophisticated sex robot, sent back through time...to change the future for one lucky lady. KEVIN Yeah man, right on! Sherman saunters off into the party. KEVIN (CONT'D) (shakes his head) Hopeless. Vicky approaches, having a good time, joining the guys, EXCHANGING GREETINGS. Jim spots NADIA across the room. She's beautiful, a masterpiece of a woman. JIM Oh, shit! There she is. Nadia. VICKY You like her? Her sponsor family lives on my block. Why don't you talk to her? JIM What would I say? VICKY Just tell her what's on your mind. And smile, you've got a good smile. (then to Kevin) Come on. KEVIN (to Jim) Gotta go. JIM But -- Kevin and Vicky disappear into the crowd -- just as Jim sees Nadia approaching him. He freaks. JIM (cont'd) Kevin, get back here! But he's gone. And Nadia is now in front of him. With no other alternative, Jim readies himself, smiling big. NADIA (with a really sexy accent) You are in my English class, no? Jim smiles. JIM (barely) Yes. NADIA I thought so. Jim's smile grows even bigger, almost stupid. A beat. NADIA (cont'd) So you are having fun? Jim nods, still smiling away. Staring right through her head. NADIA (cont'd) I said, you are having fun? A little SQUEAK escapes his throat. Jim is on mental vacation. NADIA (cont'd) Me too. A beat. Jim's expression is now plasticized. Eyes vacant. A frozen, completely artificial smile. Nadia is confused. NADIA (cont'd) Well...I am going to get another beer. You want one? Jim strains to speak, through his smile. JIM No...you...go...ahead. NADIA Okay. She walks off. Jim SIGHS, completely relaxing, like a huge burden is now off of him. He wipes his brow. Then, realizing -- JIM Oh, shit. No! Shit! He pounds his head with his fist. EXT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - NIGHT A group of band dorks is on the porch, including Michelle. Stifler stands in the doorway, staring at them in disbelief. MICHELLE We're here for the party? STIFLER What party? There's no party. MUSIC blares from inside. A drunken HAND reaches through the door and ruffles Stifler's hair. PARTY GUY (O.S.) Stiff-lerrr! Par-tyyy!! The hand disappears back into the house. A beat. STIFLER Try the house down the street. Stifler slams the door. The dorks wait a moment. BAND DORK Ring the bell again. MICHELLE Ringing the bell is dorky -- let's just go in. We hear a CLICK OF A DEADBOLT. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT Kevin and Vicky are on the bed, making out. VICKY Oh, Kev. KEVIN Vicky -- do you think, maybe...it's time for us to take the next step in our relationship? VICKY Tonight? KEVIN Yeah, it's such a perfect evening. Isn't this how you've always pictured it? PARTY GUY (O.S.) (yelling) Dude, my farts fuckin' stink! PARTY GUY #2 (O.S.) You reek like a fuckin' Yeti, dude! Go take a shit or something! Kevin and Vicky exchange a glance. KEVIN Or not. Vicky pushes him onto his back. VICKY Just relax. INT. CAR - NIGHT Oz is in the passenger seat, making out with the aforementioned COLLEGE CHICK. She's attractive and older- looking (from a high-school perspective). They are parked near the river that flows through downtown Great Falls. OZ Great evening, isn't it? COLLEGE CHICK Sure. OZ There's something about the spring that's just cool. Like the smell of fresh rain or something. At this, she snuggles up to him. Oz smiles confidently. OZ (CONT'D) Suck me, beautiful. The College Chick backs off, confounded. COLLEGE CHICK What did you just say? OZ (not so confidently) Suck me...beautiful? The College Chick's eyes flutter in disbelief. She tries to keep her cool -- but can barely restrain her laughter. COLLEGE CHICK What?! Oz attempts to maintain a suave exterior, but he's just had the rug pulled from under him. OZ Uh...you know, my friends call me Nova -- as in Casanova. COLLEGE CHICK You need some work, buddy! She bursts into laughter. Oz is ill. OZ Well...jeez, don't laugh at me. Seeing Oz's defeated expression, she collects herself. COLLEGE CHICK Look, Chris. There are just some things you need to learn, that's all. OZ Like what? She sees that he's lost. Almost feels sorry for him. COLLEGE CHICK Alright, well...you've got to tone it down. You don't need to go to Lookout Point and spout cheeseball lines to be romantic. OZ ...okay... COLLEGE CHICK You have to pay attention to a girl. Be sensitive to her feelings. Relationships are reciprocal. OZ I'm not good in math. She's trying not to laugh again. COLLEGE CHICK Come on, I'll drop you off at your friends'. Oz couldn't be humiliated any further. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT - SAME TIME Oz is nursing a beer, having just told the story to Jim, Stifler, and some guys. STIFLER (hysterical, toppling over) You actually said that?! Haaaah!! OZ Shut the fuck up. JIM Hey, you did better than I did, Nova. OZ Oh that's really reassuring. And don't call me Nova anymore. I'm a fraud. STIFLER This is pathetic. I'm gonna find me a little hottie. Stifler strides into another room. STIFLER (O.S.)(cont'd) (yelling) Suck me, beautiful! Oz wallows in his beer can, beaten. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT Vicky is pleasuring Kevin...you know. VICKY (brief pause) Let me know. KEVIN Okay, don't stop. She resumes. A moment more -- and then Kevin is about to lose it. KEVIN (cont'd) Oh -- Now! With awkward hurriedness, Vicky stops as Kevin frantically searches for a receptacle. He grabs a nearby cup of beer. EXT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BACK PORCH, BY THE KEG - NIGHT Insert -- A hand pumping up the keg. A fresh beer foams out into the cup. GUY #1 There we go. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER Vicky is buttoning up her shirt. Kevin tentatively sets down the beer and buttons his pants. Suddenly the DOOR BURSTS OPEN. Stifler is standing there. A coat hanger sticks out of the doorknob. STIFLER SUCK ME, BEAUTIFUL! KEVIN God dammit, Stifler! STIFLER Check-out time! Please vacate the room. VICKY Stifler, you're such a jerk. She runs out, grabbing her clothes. Kevin runs after her. KEVIN Vicky, wait! Stifler enters the bedroom, laughing, pulling a SOPHOMORE CHICK behind him. He closes the door. SOPHOMORE CHICK God, I can't believe there are so many cool people at this party. STIFLER Yep. SOPHOMORE And you got a keg, too, wow. (realizing) Oh, wait, I left my beer downstairs. Stifler notices Kevin's beer sitting on the night table. He hands it to her. STIFLER Here, babe. SOPHOMORE CHICK Thanks. She's about to take a sip. STIFLER (gazing into her eyes) You're really beautiful. Thrown off, she sets the beer down. SOPHOMORE CHICK Really? STIFLER Uh huh. She's totally enthralled. Nervous, she raises the beer again to take a sip. Then Stifler moves in. Takes the beer from her and sets it down. Starts kissing her. She breaks it off. SOPHOMORE CHICK I don't know if I want to be doing this. STIFLER (sighs) Doing what? Stifler looks inconvenienced. He picks up the beer, annoyed. SOPHOMORE CHICK You know. If we hook up, tomorrow I'll just be some girl you go telling all your friends about. STIFLER (shifty) No way. Avoiding her look, he raises the beer to take a sip. SOPHOMORE CHICK (a little angry) Steve! You could at least look at me when you say that. Stifler stops and SIGHS, the beer inches from his mouth. Lowers it. Stares her in the eye. STIFLER Look... (searching, remembers) ...Sarah. I wouldn't go telling stories or whatever about you. I promise. Smiling, he raises the beer... INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUING Jim and some OTHER GUYS are pounding shots of vodka. JIM What the hell? I should be able to talk to chicks. I'm articulate. I got a 720 on my SAT verbal. (starts listing off words) Copious. Verisimilitude. A GUY SCREAMS upstairs. JIM (CONT'D) (unaffected) Intransigence. A GIRL SCREAMS upstairs. The SOPHOMORE CHICK comes running through the kitchen. SCREAMING. And indeterminate stain is on her shirt. She bolts out the door and into the night. A moment passes. JIM (CONT'D) Regurgitation. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT Stifler is on his knees, barfing in the toilet. Jim and a few other guys rush in. GUY #1 Oh, gross. JIM Jesus, what did you eat? Stifler just keeps hurling. Kevin enters, holding the remains of the tainted beer. KEVIN Stifler, how's the man chowder?! Stifler barfs even more violently. EXT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BACK PORCH, BY THE KEG - NIGHT Jessica and Vicky are refilling their beers at the keg. Nadia waits patiently beside them with an empty cup. VICKY He likes it. JESSICA Of course he does. What about you? Have you just never had one with Kevin -- or have you never had one, period? VICKY I think I've had one. JESSICA Well that's a no. No wonder you're not psyched about sex. (starts filling Vicky's beer) You've never even had one manually? VICKY ...I've never tried it. JESSICA Are you kidding? You've never double- clicked your mouse? Vicky shrugs. JESSICA (CONT'D) Hell, just a pair of tight pants will set me off. (noticing Nadia next to them, she passes the tap along) Am I right or what, Nadia? NADIA (no bones about it) You are right. The hands are not always necessary. JESSICA (to Vicky) See? NADIA In fact -- I should teach you my own special method. I developed it myself at the ballet institute in Prague. You use nothing but the muscles of the inner thigh. Nadia walks off. JESSICA No wonder she never pays attention in class. Vicky nods, traumatized. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - LATER Kevin and Jim are looking at a PICTURE OF STIFLER'S MOM on the wall. Very attractive, late 30's. JIM Shit, I can't believe a fine woman like this produced a guy like Stifler. TWO FRESHMAN GUYS are walking by as Jim says this. FRESHMAN GUY Dude! That chick -- is a MILF! FRESHMAN GUY #2 What the hell is that? FRESHMAN GUY M-I-L-F! Mom I'd Like to Fuck! Suddenly, a bedroom door opens a couple inches. Sherman pokes his head out. SHERMAN (hushed, to guys) Don't you think you fellas could try a little tact? I've got company. Know what I mean? In the bedroom in the background, we see the Central Girl. Sherman closes the door, leaving the guys there, dumbstruck. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - STAIRWAY - NIGHT Jim and Kevin are coming down the stairs. KEVIN (snapping) Dammit! If Sherman has sex before I do, I'm gonna be really fucking pissed. They turn the corner into the kitchen. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUING KEVIN Man, I just gotta get laid already! This blowjob thing is bullshit! He stops. Vicky is there with Jessica. Staring at him. Vicky quietly grabs her purse. Hurt. OTHER STUDENTS watch, silently. Kevin doesn't know what to say. VICKY Jessica, can you drive me home? JESSICA Sure. The guys watch as the girls head for the door. KEVIN Vicky, wait. VICKY Not for you. The girls exit. Nobody says anything. Kevin is in shock. PARTY GUY (O.S.) Yeti! I am the Yeti! INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - DAY The next morning. The party is long over. Plastic beer cups and various bottles litter the house, but it's not trashed. Jim is wandering around in a daze, holding his head. He stumbles over a body. It's Kevin. KEVIN Ow, what the hell? JIM Sorry, I thought you were dead. They walk over to the other side of the room. Finch is sitting on the couch. FINCH Good morning gentleman. JIM Finch! Where were you last night? What happened to the foolproof plan? FINCH I thought a fashionably late entrance would enhance my appearance. (off their looks) When I got here, the Bacchanalia was over and the nymphs had left. Oz wanders in, still sullen. Takes a seat, sulking. KEVIN Feeling better, Oz? OZ I'm such a loser. KEVIN That's the spirit. We hear FOOTSTEPS coming down the stairs. It's the CENTRAL GIRL. She wears a "Central" sweatshirt. Sherman follows behind her. The guys watch in disbelief as Sherman and the girl speak hushed, intimately. SHERMAN (snippets of conversation) ...I'll never forget...thank you. The Central Girl smiles. Notices the other guys watching. Just gives Sherman a kiss on the cheek. CENTRAL GIRL Bye. She exits. The guys are dumbfounded. Jaws hang. Sherman looks triumphant. Strides over to the guys. JIM You did it. SHERMAN Fellas, say goodbye to Chuck Sherman, the boy. I am now a man. The guys are shocked and amazed. SHERMAN (CONT'D) I highly recommend you join the club. KEVIN I -- I don't get it, how the hell did you do that? SHERMAN It was just my time, fellas, it was just my time. Best of luck to you, boys. Sherman exits. Silence. The guys look like they just lost the World Series on errors. They slowly take seats, ruined. KEVIN I put in months of quality time with Vicky. Sherman meets a chick for one night and scores? This is just wrong. OZ No shit, I'm never gonna get laid. How the hell am I gonna become this Mr. Sensitive Man? JIM Jesus, we're all gonna go to college as virgins. They've probably got special dorms for people like us. A long beat as they give this serious consideration. Then, Kevin strides purposefully to the front of the group. KEVIN Alright, I got an idea. But it stays between us. Agreed? They do. KEVIN (cont'd) Okay. It's really simple. We make an agreement -- no wait, more than an agreement. JIM Like a bet? KEVIN No, a pact. No money involved. This is more important than any bet. Now here's the deal: We all get laid before we graduate. A beat OZ Dude, it's not like I haven't been trying to get laid. KEVIN This is different. This is better. Think of when you're working out, Oz. You need a partner, someone to spot you. Someone to keep you motivated. Oz nods, getting into it. Kevin smiles and continues, arms outspread. KEVIN (CONT'D) That's what we are, we keep each other on track. Prior to this day, we've postured. We've procrastinated. We've pretended. We've -- well I can't think of other p-words, but we've probably done them too. JIM Pontificated. KEVIN (ignoring him) Separately, we are flawed and vulnerable. But together, we are the masters of our sexual destiny! JIM (kung fu voice) Their tiger-style kung-fu is strong; but our dragon style will defeat it! OZ (going on) The Sha-lin masters from east and west must unite! KEVIN Guys, guys -- you're ruining my fucking moment here. Now think about it -- Kevin jumps up on a chair. KEVIN (CONT'D) No longer will our penises remain flaccid and unused! From now on, we fight for every man out there who isn't getting laid when he should be! This is our day! This is our time! And, by God, we're not gonna let history condemn us to celibacy! We will make a stand! We will succeed! We will get laid! Kevin jumps down off the chair, and puts his hand out in front of him. One by one, the guys pile their hands on top, in between them -- it's a pact! They break with a CHEER. Woo-hoo! STIFLER (wandering down from upstairs) What the hell are you losers doing? They all stop. Stifler has a toothbrush hanging from his mouth. A goatee of dried toothpaste. FINCH If I might ask, when you brush your teeth, do you spit or swallow? Stifler tries to give a retort to Finch, but turns green and heads back upstairs. INT. DOG DAYS - DAY The guys are finishing up breakfast. Hot dogs & eggs. KEVIN Now, the sex -- it's got to be valid, consensual sex. No funny stuff. And no prostitutes, if you were thinking about that, Finch. Finch gives a wistful "Who, me?" KEVIN (CONT'D) So, I'm thinking prom is basically our last big chance. OZ Dude, prom sucks. KEVIN I know, but think about it -- At the parties that night. Chicks are gonna want to do it. JIM Yeah, it's like tradition or something. KEVIN Right. That gives us... JIM Exactly three weeks to the day. They take this in with some trepidation. KEVIN Alright then. It's official. Any questions? There are none. Kevin raises his Pepsi. KEVIN (cont'd) To the next step. The guys raise their drinks. ALL To the next step. They toast. And from this, we go into our STRATEGIZING FOR SEX MONTAGE: INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim sits in the room as Kevin goes through the yellow pages. Finds a "Floral Delivery" listing. Kevin dials. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - SENIOR LOCKERS - DAY Kevin, Jim, and Oz are pooling a few dollars together, which Kevin takes. They part ways. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Oz is watching the Lifetime Channel as Jim looks on in confusion. A Martha Stewart-type thing where they pain pottery with little sponges. Oz looks dubious. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - CAFETERIA - DAY Finch is unpacking his lunch. He carefully unfolds a napkin to reveal a sandwich, crust removed. Other than that, he's doing absolutely nothing. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim is fiddling with a small, golfball-like camera attached to his computer. The computer screen reads, "E- DATE: We Make Love Happen." As Jim fiddles with the camera, a window on the screen shows his real-time image. He clicks an onscreen-button labeled "FREEZE IMAGE" -- the image freezes, showing Jim with an awkward grimace. The screen reads, "IMAGE SENT." INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGHS - LIBRARY - DAY Kevin holds a copy of the HOLY BIBLE. We see he's in the "Religion" section. Surrounded by piles of different bibles. No luck. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - CAFETERIA - DAY Finch pulls out a small mustard packet. He neatly snips the end with scissors. Then rolls the packet, like a tube of toothpaste, economically dispensing every last bit of mustard. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Jim is on his computer. The screen reads "YOU HAVE 00 REPLIES." Jim is nonplussed. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - SENIOR LOCKERS - DAY Kevin, Oz, and Jim are closely gathered around Kevin's locker, holding their backpacks open. Kevin holds a big shopping bag, which he turns over, and a box of condoms falls out. He hands it over to Jim...and we see that the guys' packs are full of various condom boxes. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim has unraveled a bunch of condoms and is curiously examining them. And THE MONTAGE COMES TO AN ABRUPT END with a KNOCKING. JIM (shoving the rubbers into his night table) Just a minute! He opens the bedroom door. Jim's Dad is standing there. JIM'S DAD (trying not to look inside) Can I come in? JIM Yeah, sure. JIM'S DAD You're not...busy? JIM Dad, come in. Jim's Dad reluctantly enters, carrying a brown paper bag. He takes a seat on Jim's bed. JIM'S DAD (fatherly attempt) Sit down, Jim. Let's talk. Jim takes a seat next to his dad. JIM Okay. JIM'S DAD These are for you. From father to son. Jim looks at the bag. Uncomfortable. Hesitantly, he takes it. Slowly, dreadfully, he pulls out a copy of PERFECT 10. JIM Uh...dad... Jim's Dad is doing his best to be the good father. JIM'S DAD Go ahead son, there's more. Beyond embarrassed, Jim reaches into the bag. Cringes. Pulls out a PENTHOUSE. JIM'S DAD (cont'd) Now, that one's a little more...a little more...graphic. JIM I know, Dad. JIM'S DAD Oh, okay. Here's let me show you. Jim's Dad takes the bag back. Pulls out a copy of SHAVED. JIM'S DAD (cont'd) This, son, is your more exotic dirty magazine. JIM Dad! I know! JIM'S DAD Do you know about the clitoris? JIM (through clenched teeth) Yes dad. JIM'S DAD Sometimes it can be pretty hard to locate. JIM (interrupting, hand up) Thank you, dad, I got it. JIM'S DAD Okay, well that about covers it. Jim MURMURS something incomprehensible. JIM'S DAD (cont'd) Now, let's put these somewhere where your mother won't find them. Jim's Dad takes the stack of magazines. He goes to open Jim's night table. Jim freaks. JIM Wait! But it's too late. Jim's Dad is face-to-face with the unraveled prophylactics. He sours. JIM'S DAD (beaten) I'll have to save this speech for another day. I'm too worn out. Jim's Dad exits, a condom stuck to the back of his pants. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - NEAR THE HALL OF FAME - DAY Kevin is trying to talk to Vicky. KEVIN Did you get the flowers? (no response) What about the poem? She doesn't care. KEVIN (cont'd) Vicky, please don't do this. Vicky stares him right in the eye. Strong. VICKY I'll think about it. She slams her locker and walks off. Jessica is nearby. She's overheard. JESSICA Ah, you'll get her back soon enough. That's easy, she likes you. What you need to do is learn to press a girl's buttons. You gotta give her what she's never had. KEVIN What? JESSICA I'll give you a hint. (hot, orgasmic) "Ohhh, yeah, yeah!" (flat) Comprende? KEVIN You mean...and orgasm? JESSICA You got it, stud. KEVIN Well...I'm pretty sure I've -- JESSICA (interrupts authoritatively) No you haven't. KEVIN But that one time -- JESSICA (shaking head) No. KEVIN Well of course I'd want to give her that. I mean, what do you think, I don't care about her? JESSICA Do you? KEVIN Of course. JESSICA Do you love her? Kevin squirms. KEVIN I -- I don't know, you can't ask me that. JESSICA Well, if you want to get her in the sack, tell her you love her. That's how I was duped. KEVIN I don't want to dupe her, Jessica. If I say it, I have to be sure I mean it. JESSICA Well it's up to you. The Big L, or the Big O. Suddenly Stifler comes running up, breathless. STIFLER Dickhead! You gotta see this. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - LITTLE AUDITORIUM - MOMENT LATER The VOCAL JAZZ GROUP is practicing, singing one of those doo-wop, Acapella love songs (i.e. "Love You Like I Do"). Singing with the group is none other than Oz. He's not doing too badly, but mainly he's checking out the various vocal jazz girls. Smiling at them, giving suave little waves. Kevin, Stifler, and Jim take seats in the back of the auditorium, listening. JIM This is unexpected. STIFLER What did you cocks do to him? Shit, if Coach Marshall sees this, he'll kick Oz off the team on principle alone. The song finishes. Oz bounds up to the other guys. OZ Hey guys, you came to watch me in action? JIM Yeah, I think you sounded pretty good. STIFLER I think you need your balls reattached. OZ Keep it down, dude. STIFLER What the fuck are you doing here? OZ This place is an untapped resource. Check it out, dude, these vocal jazz girls are hot. ANGLE ON SOME VOCAL JAZZ GIRLS A few of the girls are gathering their stuff, one of whom is HEATHER -- conservative-looking, cute. VOCAL JAZZ GIRL #1 Hey, we've got Conan the Barbarian singing with us. VOCAL JAZZ GIRL #2 Maybe he'll crush some beer cans on his forehead. HEATHER I think he's got a nice voice. VOCAL JAZZ GIRL #1 (ribbing her) Go talk to him, maybe you can teach him how to read. Heather shakes her head. BACK TO: STIFLER You dipshit, you're expecting to score with some goody-goody choir-girl priss? OZ Dude, watch me work. They go for sensitive studs like me. Oz waves goodbye to a final choir girl. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD - LATER Finch is sitting on a bench, reading the paper, carefree. Kevin and Jim approach. KEVIN This is your plan, Finch? FINCH Yep. He turns a page. Skims the articles. A beat. KEVIN This. Right now. FINCH Uh-huh. JIM You're just gonna sit there and drink your coffee? FINCH Mochaccino. (then) Actually, in the spirit of the pact, I do need to ask for your cooperation in one small matter. KEVIN Of course, Finch. What? FINCH Whatever you hear about me, you agree. KEVIN What are we gonna hear? FINCH You'll see. Gotta go. Sixteen minute round trip. JIM Finch, don't you think it's about time you learned to take a dump at school? FINCH When was the last time you looked at the facilities here? KEVIN Fifteen minutes ago. Finch shudders and walks away. Kevin and Jim stand there, dumbfounded. An ENTHRALLED GIRL approaches. ENTHRALLED GIRL Uh, guys? Was that Paul Finch? KEVIN Yeah. ENTHRALLED GIRL You guys have like, seen him in the locker room, right? KEVIN Yeah. ENTHRALLED GIRL Is it true that he's really...huge? JIM I have no idea. Finch showers in a bathing suit. KEVIN (forced) No -- it's true. He is...really... big. JIM (loving it) Yeah, enormous. ENTHRALLED GIRL Woah. Does he have a date for prom yet. JIM Definitely not. ENTHRALLED GIRL No way! She hurries off to a GROUP OF GIRLS, sharing the gossip. They all seem very interested. KEVIN (dumbfounded) Finch hasn't done a damn thing, and he's got girls lining up already. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY Kevin is on the phone. KEVIN'S BROTHER (V.O.) Say that again, Kevin? KEVIN Uh...I thought you might know a trick or something. To make her, you know... INTERCUT WITH INT. SUSHI BAR - DAY Kevin's brother is on his cell phone. A SUSHI CHEF prepares food behind the counter. KEVIN'S BROTHER Orgasm? The Sushi Chef looks up. Kevin's Brother turns away. KEVIN Yeah. SUSHI CUSTOMER (to Kevin's Brother) What's good here? KEVIN'S BROTHER Try the spicy tuna hand roll. KEVIN What?! How do I do that? KEVIN'S BROTHER Uh -- forget that. Look, is that all you're interested in? Ways to get your girlfriend into bed? KEVIN Well, no. I think...I guess it would be good to be able to return the favor. I mean, it would be nice to know she enjoys things as much as I do. KEVIN'S BROTHER That's good, that's what I needed to hear. Now you qualify. KEVIN Qualify for what? KEVIN'S BROTHER You've just inherited The Bible. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BACK OF LIBRARY - DAY Kevin is walking through the "Religion" Section. He carefully looks about, making sure nobody's watching. KEVIN'S BROTHER (V.O.) It originally started as a sex manual, this book that some guys brought back from Amsterdam in the early eighties. What to do with your tongue, things like that. And each year, it got passed on to one East student who was worthy of it. Kevin kneels down on the floor, near a section of various bibles on the bottom shelf. KEVIN'S BROTHER (V.O.)(cont'd) After a couple years, guys started adding their own techniques. Things they figured out themselves. Kevin slides out the section of bibles from the bottom shelf. Pulls out a pocket knife. Flips up the bottom of the shelf. Slides it out. KEVIN'S BROTHER (V.O.)(cont'd) You have to keep it a secret, and return it at the end of the year. So, now you know. Good luck. There, a bit dusty, is an old book. Many extra pages of notebook paper have been tucked into it, nearly breaking the binding. The original title is now obscured -- over it, someone has written "The Bible." Remember when Indian Jones found that gold statue? It's like that right now. Kevin carefully pulls it out. Reverently flips through it. Full of details. Explicit diagrams. Anecdotes. And atop each handwritten page is a year, indicating the date it was added. Kevin reaches the last page. It's blank. He lightly runs his hand down the empty page. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY Jim enters his house, slinging his backpack off his shoulder. JIM (yells) Mom?! I'm home! No response. Jim walks into the kitchen, noticing a fresh-baked pie on the counter. Next to it is a note: "Jimmy - Apple, your favorite. I'll be home late. Enjoy! Love Mom." Jim sniffs the pie, taking in the aroma. Then stops...as a quizzical look spreads across his face. After a moment of thought, he slides a finger into the pie. Moves it around a bit, studying the consistency. Then Jim becomes more curious. We can see the gears in his head start to turn. He looks down at the pie like it's... well, not a pie. EXT. JIM'S HOUSE - DAY Jim's dad gets out of his car, carrying his briefcase. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - CONTINUING Jim's dad comes in the door and stops dead in his tracks. His face drops, appalled. JIM'S DAD Jim? JIM It's not what it looks like! CUT TO: INT. JIM'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY Jim and his Dad sit in silence, opposite each other at the table. Jim stares into his lap, humiliated. Jim's dad is crushed. You've never seen such disappointment... but he's trying to keep his chin up for Jim's sake. In the middle of the table is the pie. It's decimated. Mushed up, ruined...violated. JIM'S DAD (fighting back tears) I guess...we'll just tell your mother...that we ate it all. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Late. Kevin sits on his bed, reading a book -- the Bible. If all students studied the way Kevin's studying this book, we'd have a nation of geniuses. He's scrutinizing it. Turning it sideways and upside down as if trying to decipher cave paintings. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - LITTLE AUDITORIUM - DAY The Vocal Jazz Group is doing a song. Oz is singing along, really making it look like he's into it. He closes his eyes, singing with even more enthusiasm. As the song ends, Oz continues just a moment more with his shtick -- a little, heartfelt vocal "scat" to tag the number. The thing is, it actually sounds really good. Oz opens his eyes...to see the whole group -- especially the girls -- looking at him, somewhat awed. The CHOIR TEACHER is a smartly-dressed black woman. CHOIR TEACHER What the hell was that? OZ Sorry. CHOIR TEACHER No, it was good. OZ Oh, well... (noticing Heather looking at him, he acts "sensitive") It came from the heart. CHOIR TEACHER Well then keep it coming. (to everyone) Alright, people, good work! Keep it up and we'll do great at the state competition. Rehearsal wraps up, and Heather comes up to Oz. HEATHER Not bad, Chris. OZ (surprised himself) Really? Hey, thanks -- Heather, right? HEATHER Yeah...so...you've got this sort of... Bobby McFerrin thing going there. OZ (no idea) Yeah. Right, uh-huh. (then, back into it) I feel like I've discovered this whole new side of me. Music is so expressive. HEATHER (amused) Okay. (then) I mean, I agree, but...aren't you supposed to be out, like, trying to decapitate someone with your lacrosse stick or something? Oz "gets serious" at this. OZ Oh sure. I know what people think. It's like, Oz, he's just this kickass lacrosse player -- I also play football, by the way -- But that's like...not all that I am. HEATHER Of course, I didn't -- OZ (cutting her off) I mean it really bothers me when people try to pigeonhole me like that. HEATHER (sparking to this) You? You think I don't get that? God, it's like just because I don't get drunk and barf every weekend, people say "Oh, here's this goody-two- shoes choir-girl priss." Of course, this is what Stifler said about her. And for a moment, this catches Oz off guard. OZ Yeah...so like, what else do you do? HEATHER (offended) Well the same things you do. Hang out with friends and stuff, you know, whatever. (then) What do you think I do? OZ (genuine) I just -- realized that I didn't know anything about you. I was interested. HEATHER Oh...well that's okay. Cool. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - DAY Kevin is walking home with Vicky. He's a couple paces behind her, almost tagging along. KEVIN I was being selfish. And majorly insensitive. And I'm a total idiot. VICKY I think "shithead" really says it. KEVIN Yes! I'm a shithead! I'm a complete and total shithead! She cracks a little smile. KEVIN (CONT'D) And I want to try to make it up to you. VICKY How? Vicky stops walking. Looks at Kevin. EXT. VICKY'S HOUSE - DAY Vicky's perfect suburban home...as we hear VICKY MOANING IN ECSTASY. VICKY (V.O.) Oh...ungghhhhh! KEVIN (V.O.) Shhhh. Your parents are downstairs. INT. VICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Tight on Vicky's face, in sexual bliss, writhing. VICKY Oh Kevin -- don't stop! KEVIN Just a second! We see that Kevin is kneeling on the floor. Vicky's legs are to both sides of him -- he's ducking down, consulting the bible, which is hidden beneath the bed. It's open to a page titled "The Tongue Tornado." Kevin resumes, out of frame. Vicky goes nuts. VICKY (cont'd) (a little too loudly) Oh, God! Vicky reaches blindly for a pillow. She squeezes it over her face, moaning into it. VICKY (cont'd) Moly shmmmt! Fmmkkkk! Noticing that Vicky now can't see him, Kevin cautiously pulls out The Bible from under the bed. Sets it next to her. He constantly refers from the book to Vicky, and back again. INT. VICKY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY VICKY'S MOM is straining some pasta. On the fridge, we see a collage in tribute to Vicky -- her senior portrait, National Honor Society certificate, a report card. VICKY'S MOM (yells to Vicky's Dad) Hon? Can you tell Vick to come on down for supper? VICKY'S DAD is at the table reading the paper. He gets up with a GRUNT. INT. VICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Vicky can barely control herself. She SCREAMS into the pillow. KEVIN Vicky, shhh, you know there's no lock on your door. INT. VICKY'S HOUSE - STAIRWELL - DAY Vicky's dad is trudging up the stairs. INT. VICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Vicky wrestles with her own ecstacy. Groans. Kevin keeps referencing The Bible. Whatever he's doing, it's working. INT. VICKY'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY Vicky's dad approaches the bedroom door. INT. VICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Vicky is about to explode. She pulls the pillow off her face, gasping. INT. VICKY'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY Vicky's dad reaches for the doorknob. VICKY (O.S.) I'M COMING! Vicky's dad shrugs, turns around, and heads back downstairs. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - NIGHT Jim's door opens...he winces...REVERSE to see Jim's dad looking at the family portrait of Jim's family in the hallway outside Jim's room, his back turned to Jim's door. JIM Hey, dad. Did you knock? Jim's dad continues to study the picture. A beat. Then he turns around, like he just realized the door was open. JIM'S DAD Oh, Jim! I'm looking at the ol' family portrait, here. Yep. It's a good one. Jim can only shrugs in response. He goes into the hall and looks at the portrait. A beat. JIM'S DAD (CONT'D) Son, I wanted to talk to you about what I think you were trying to do the other day. Jim's face drops, seeing his death unfold. JIM'S DAD (CONT'D) (continuing with his prepared speech) Now, you may have tried it in the shower, or maybe in bed at night, and not even known what you were doing. Or perhaps you've heard your friends talking about it in the locker room. Jim's eyes dart about, looking for a place to hide. JIM Dad, please stop. Please. I'm sure I know what you're talking about. JIM'S DAD Sure you know, son, but I think you've been having a little problem with it. It's okay, though. What you're doing is perfectly normal. It's like practice. Like when you play tennis against a wall. Some day, there'll be a partner returning the ball. (a beat) You do want a partner, don't you son? JIM (through clenched teeth) Yes. JIM'S DAD That's great. Now remember, it's okay to play with yourself. Or, as I always called it -- (elbows Jim) "Stroke the salami!" (chuckles) Ho-ho, Jim. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Hell, I'm fifty-two, and I still enjoy masturbating. Uncle Mort masturbates. We all masturbate. Nauseated and entirely disoriented, Jim tries to stumble back into his room. He SMACKS the doorframe. Keeps going, slamming the door behind him. A beat. JIM'S DAD (cont'd) Poor guy thought he was the only one. EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY The football field also doubles as the lacrosse field. East Great Falls is battling Central. It's a rough game, muddy, brutal. We see Oz grunting and groaning, playing very tough. On the sidelines, we see Heather has shown up. She's watching the game -- and is impressed as she watches Oz's agility and domination. Oz runs up the field, cradling the ball in his stick. A couple CENTRAL PLAYERS try to check him. Heather cringes with each impact, and is then excited to see Oz dodge his opponents. Finally, Oz scores with a triumphant YELL. Heather CHEERS with the crowd as the EGF players congratulate each other. EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY After the game. Oz sees Heather waiting for him on the sidelines. He's about to run over when COACH MARSHALL snags him -- COACH MARSHALL Good work, Ostreicher. OZ Thanks coach. COACH MARSHALL You're a killer, Ozzy! OZ (trying to get away) -- Thanks, coach -- FOLLOW WITH OZ as he trots over to Heather, covered in mud. OZ Hey, what're you doing here? HEATHER Just enjoying my exhilarating first lacrosse experience. You like, "kicked butt." A clod of mud falls from Oz's uniform onto Heather's skirt. OZ (brushing it off her skirt) Whoops, excuse me... Oz wipes the mud from his hands. A beat. Heather has something to say that's not quite coming out. HEATHER Um...Chris -- OZ You can call me Oz. HEATHER Do I have to? OZ You can call me Ostreicher. HEATHER What's your middle name? OZ Forget it. HEATHER Come on! I won't tell. OZ Neither will I. HEATHER Okay. (pause) So I had this...thought, and...this may seem like it's out of left field, and I don't know if you can, but since I'm not going with anyone -- Before she can finish, Stifler runs up, sweaty and excited. STIFLER Hah! Central sucks! (noticing Heather) Choir Chick? What the hell are you doing here? HEATHER Well, I uh, I was -- (decides to stand her ground) I was asking Chris to prom. (turns to Oz) So do you wanna go? Oz is surprised at her directness. Impressed. OZ Yeah! STIFLER Well, just don't expect Oz to pay for the limo. OZ Stifler, fuck -- (noticing Heather, "sensitive") ...man, you don't have to be so insensitive. A beat. STIFLER What?? (he dismisses it) Whatever -- look uh, don't forget -- my cottage after prom. On Lake Michigan. Stifler joins some other LACROSSE BUDDIES. OZ Alright, cool. I gotta hit the showers, but...I think this'll be really good. HEATHER Yeah, me too, okay, cool. They share a smile. Then Heather walks off towards her car. Oz trots off to Stifler and the other lacrosse guys. STIFLER My man Oz, working it with the choir babes? LACROSSE BUDDIES (cheering, slapping him) Yeah, go Oz! etc. Oz laughs, embarrassed. OZ (pandering to them) Hey, you know, what can I say, I dig those cute little sweaters she wears. STIFLER I'll bet you do, you little horndog, she's givin' you fuckin' stiffies, right? Stifler goes into what can only be described as the Spank- Me-And-Fuck-Me-Like-A-Whore-Dance. STIFLER (CONT'D) Yeah! Sing for me! yes! The other guys LAUGH. Oz joins in, laughing in spite of himself. They all high-five. And from the other side of the field, we see Heather peering over at them. Hardly believing it as Oz joins in the laughter. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - CLASSROOM - DAY English class. The TEACHER is wrapping up a lecture. TEACHER So once Hal becomes king, he has to take on the responsibilities of leadership, and turn his back on his old, drunken friend, Falstaff. You see, Hal was going through a rite of passage, much like you all are. Make the most of the time you've got left together. You'll miss it later. Jim, Kevin, and Oz sit in the back of the classroom in one corner. OZ So does your tongue cramp up? KEVIN Nah, you get kind of dizzy though. JIM Wow, that's amazing, she's probably gonna want to do it soon. Kevin shrugs as the BELL RINGS. Sherman passes by. SHERMAN Still questing after the holy grail, eh guys? He CHUCKLES and exits. The guys stand up, exiting the classroom. JIM Hey, where's Finch? KEVIN Went home to shit. JIM I don't get it. How does a guy like that get this sudden reputation? OZ What reputation? KEVIN Observe. He taps a passing RANDOM CUTE GIRL on the shoulder. KEVIN (cont'd) Excuse me. Do you know who Paul Finch is? RANDOM CUTE GIRL Of course! Have you guys seen his tattoo? KEVIN ...Yes? RANDOM CUTE GIRL Is it cool? I heard it was like an eagle, blazing in fire and stuff. JIM (nods, loving it) Actually, it's an eagle and this big python. RANDOM CUTE GIRL Really?! JIM Yeah, see it's on his stomach, here, and the eagle -- the eagle is actually grasping the python in its talons, so the snake is like his -- KEVIN (interrupting) That's good, Jim. RANDOM CUTE GIRL Woah, no way! That guy is so cool! She hurries off to tell her friends. The guys exit the classroom. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - SENIOR HIGH LOCKERS - CONTINUING OZ Okay, explain. KEVIN I can't, I have no idea how he's doing it. And that leaves you trailing, Jim. You gotta get your act together. JIM (a little aggravated) Yeah, I know. I'm working on it. Jim turns around -- to find Nadia is standing right in front of him. Jim says nothing. Stuck. Staring. Oz elbows him. Jim gives a startled GRUNT. NADIA You are very good in the world history class, yes? JIM (gulps) Me? Jim looks over to Kevin and Oz, who excitedly give him encouraging looks and gestures. JIM (CONT'D) (trying to decipher the guys' signals) Yes. No. Yes. NADIA Perhaps you can help me with my studies? The guys nod, "Yes! Yes!" JIM Okay...that would be cool sometime. (sees the guys gesticulating) How 'bout tomorrow? NADIA Well, I do have ballet practice. Perhaps I can come by your house afterwards. I can change clothes at your place? JIM (barely, overwhelmed) I suppose that would be okay. Nadia walks off. Jim collapses into Oz's and Kevin's arms, like a marathon runner at the end of a race. They pat him heartily in congratulations. EXT. RAST GREAT FALLS - SIDE OF SCHOOL - DAY After school. Oz is there as Heather pulls up in a new Saab. OZ Nice car. HEATHER I'm glad you think so. OZ You don't like it? HEATHER No, I like the car. (then, direct) By the way, though, about prom? That was like a bad idea. Sorry I invited you. She hastily walks towards the school. OZ What?! HEATHER Oh, please. I asked you because I thought you might actually be worth going with. But you are just a jock. No wait. You're a jerk. OZ What? No I'm not. HEATHER I saw you making fun of me with your lacrosse buddies. OZ I wasn't making fun of you. HEATHER Give me a break, you're so full of it. She hurries up more, breaking off from Oz, and enters the school. After a moment, he slowly heads in. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - LITTLE AUDITORIUM - LATER Oz and Heather are singing with the group, at opposite ends of the room. It's a pop, contemporary arrangement of "HOW SWEET IT IS." It sounds jazzy, cool. Oz looks dazed, like the wind's taken out of him. He sings along, distant. Heather, almost defiantly, sings clearer and better than ever. Oz watches her, though she never looks his way. At the bride of the song, Heather breaks into a solo. She sings beautifully. Oz is hooked. The Choir Teacher halts the song. CHOIR TEACHER Okay, Heather, that was good, but I want to thicken up that solo. Michigan State is this Saturday, and I want that part to smoke. HEATHER I know, my timing's off. CHOIR TEACHER A little, but I think it'll work better as a duet. With a tenor part. OZ (interrupting) I'll do it. A beat as the Choir Teacher is impressed and Heather looks indifferent. OZ (CONT'D) I'll do it. CHOIR TEACHER Okay then. The rest of you okay with that? The rest of the choir agrees, as Heather looks to Oz with skepticism. CHOIR TEACHER (CONT'D) Great. See you tomorrow. The group starts packing up. HEATHER (annoyed) Why are you doing this? OZ Because I want to. HEATHER Yeah? Well you can't fake your way through this. You better practice. She leaves. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS - LIBRARY - DAY Jim, Kevin, Oz, and Stifler. STIFLER Fuck me! You're gonna have a naked Eastern-European chick in your house, and you're telling me you're not gonna take advantage of that? JIM What am I gonna do, broadcast her over the internet? OZ You can do that? JIM (off their looks) Oh -- no way. I can't do that to her. STIFLER Dammit, Jim, get some fucking balls. If you don't have the guts to photograph a naked chick in your room, how are you ever gonna sleep with one? Now all you gotta do is set up some sort of private link or whatever on the net, and tell me the address. The guys ponder this. KEVIN You can send me the address too. JIM Well...dammit, if I'm doing this, how the hell am I gonna watch? KEVIN I'll save you a seat. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim is setting the computer camera on top of the monitor. The computer BINGS. COMPUTER VOICE "You have established an internet connection." Jim sits. Types a quick E-mail. It reads: "OH YEAH! 128.220.27.102/tempt/NadiaVision. ENJOY!" Jim scrolls through his list of E-mail addresses. Highlights a listing. Clicks "Send." INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY Kevin and Finch sit in front of a computer. Kevin is unloading beer and chips from a grocery bag. We see an image of Jim's bedroom on the computer screen. It's a little strobed, but easily watchable. Suddenly Jim's face pops into frame. He's adjusting the camera. KEVIN There we go. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY We see the same image on Jim's screen. Jim turns off just the monitor. It looks like the computer is off -- the ruse is undetectable. Jim's dad enters with Nadia. She's in sweats and a leotard, carrying a duffel bag over her shoulder. Jim's dad is delighted, fidgety, almost giddy. JIM'S DAD Son. This lady's here for you. JIM (like it's no big deal) I know. Hey Nadia. NADIA Hello James. Ready to study. JIM'S DAD Oh, you bet he is. Jim's quite the bookworm. JIM Dad. JIM'S DAD Oh, no, not too much of a bookworm. He's a good little kid. Er, guy. Man. JIM Dad!! JIM'S DAD Okay, okay. I'll let you hit those books. Jim's dad gives a knowing look and exits. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BROTHER'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME STIFLER'S YOUNGER BROTHER, 11, a monster, is tugging at Stifler, who sits at the computer, watching Jim's room. STIFLER'S BROTHER Steve! Steve! It's my computer and I wanna use it! STIFLER Shut up and watch this, you might learn something. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY JIM So you need to change, right? NADIA Do you mind? This fabric is so uncomfortable. She sets her duffel on Jim's bed. JIM No, go right ahead and get dressed. I'll just be downstairs, studying up. Get me when you're ready. Jim exits, closing the door behind him. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME KEVIN Here we go. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUING He's off! Jim sprints down the hall. Thunders down the stairs. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - CONTINUING Jim's Mom and Dad are sitting downstairs. Jim bolts through the room. JIM Be back in a sec! He practically crashes through the door on his way out. JIM'S MOM Jim? Honey, where are you going? She turns and looks at her husband. Both perplexed. EXT. STREET - CONTINUING Jim runs like hell. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME Nadia unzips her duffel, pulling some clothes out. EXT. KEVIN'S HOUSE - CONTINUING Jim trucks across the lawn to the door. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY Kevin and Finch are watching the computer screen. KEVIN Want a beer? Finch simply waves off the question. He's glued to the screen. Jim bursts into the room, breathless. JIM Did I miss anything?! KEVIN Just in time. Jim grabs a seat by the computer. All three guys watch, transfixed. Nadia is slipping out of her leotard. JIM Woah! Nadia's leotard is off. Bra and panties. Outstanding body. INTERCUT BETWEEN JIM'S BEDROOM and the guys around the computer screen in Kevin's Bedroom. Nadia pauses. Looks in Jim's full-length mirror. Admiring her body. KEVIN Oh, man! This is incredible. And...yes! Nadia peels off her sportsbra. Supple breasts. The guys are awestruck. KEVIN (CONT'D) I can't believe Oz had to work. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - LITTLE AUDITORIUM - DAY Oz sits alone in the empty vocal jazz rehearsal area. He sighs, leafing through some sheet music. It's as quiet and boring as can be. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BROTHER'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME Stifler and his brother are awestruck. STIFLER'S BROTHER This is like the coolest thing I've ever seen. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY - CONTINUING JIM Oh, thank you Lord, for this wonderful day. Nadia still primps in the mirror. Then she looks around. Very carefully, she pokes through the stuff on Jim's night table. JIM (cont'd) Hey! You can't touch my stuff! Nadia opens the night table. Stops. Jim flushes. Nadia delicately reaches into the night table as Jim crumbles. JIM (cont'd) Oh no no no. She pulls out the stack of porno magazines. KEVIN Nice collection there, Jim. Nadia takes a PENTHOUSE. Starts thumbing through it. She sits on Jim's bed. Lingering on some pages. Getting aroused. JIM Dear God -- she's -- she's -- she's -- Welcome to every man's fantasy. Nadia's hand wanders into her panties. JIM (cont'd) Gentlemen, I'd like to make an announcement. There is a gorgeous woman masturbating on my bed. The guys watch, completely blown away. Nadia's lost herself. KEVIN You know, Jim...you could go back there...and... FINCH (nodding) Seduce her. JIM But, but -- what would I do? KEVIN Anything! Just tell her it looks like she needs an extra hand or something. JIM That's stupid. KEVIN No, you're stupid. Get going! Right now! She's primed! JIM Oh...oh...oh, shit! He BOLTS across the room. EXT. KEVIN'S HOUSE - DAY Jim sprints across the lawn. EXT. STREET - DAY - CONTINUING Jim leaps over a row of bushes. Wipes out. Gets up and keeps running. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUING Jim crashes into the house and runs past his bewildered parents. JIM Hey mom hey dad! He rushes up the stairs. Jim's Dad looks hopeful. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUING Jim stops outside his door, catching his breath. He can hear FAINT MOANING from inside. He's hesitating. JIM Oh boy oh God oh crap oh no. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME KEVIN Come on, Jim. Where are you? The PHONE RINGS. Kevin answers. KEVIN (cont'd) (into phone) Hello? Hey Sherman...what?! How did you know? INT. SHERMAN'S HOUSE - CONTINUING Sherman sits in front of a computer. SHERMAN (into phone) Jim must've addressed that E-mail wrong. It went out to every mailbox in the East High directory. God, how juvenile. INT. COMPUTER NERD'S BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME A COMPUTER NERD, 14, is at his computer. Watching NadiaVision. Mouth open. Braces shining. INT. BASEMENT - DAY - SAME TIME A GROUP OF STONERS log onto the page. A LITTLE MONKEY hops around in a cage. STONER #1 Whoa. STONER #2 Kind. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUING Jim still waits outside his bedroom door. Takes a deep breath. Looks upwards to the sky. JIM Please, God. Let this be it. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY KEVIN He's going in! INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - DAY We see a bedroom full of GUYS. GUY #1 There's somebody going in there! INT. BASEMENT - DAY - SAME TIME STONER #1 Hey, that guy's in my trig class. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim stands there, bewildered. Nadia hasn't noticed him, eyes closed, still pleasuring herself. Jim stands there, watching, faltering. Gathers his courage. Finally, he rolls his eyes and says -- JIM Looks like you could use an extra hand. Nadia's eyes flash open. NADIA (chastising) James! You have come in here on purpose?! JIM Well...uh... NADIA Shame on you! JIM Uh...yeah...sorry. NADIA Well. You have seen me. Now it is my turn to see you. Strip. JIM Strip? NADIA Yes, slowly. Jim sneaks a nervous glance over to the QuickCam. JIM You mean like, strip strip? NADIA (irresistably sexy) For me? INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME FINCH What do you suppose they're saying? KEVIN No idea. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY - CONTINUING Nadia leans over to Jim's clock radio. Turns it on. We hear COUNTRY MUSIC. She flips the dial, and we hear A FEW STATIONS FLIP BY. Then a DRIVING, EURO-TECHNO SONG. NADIA Perfect. She turns to Jim. JIM Uh... NADIA Move with the music. JIM Um...okay... He struts clumsily back and forth. Takes his shirt off. Swings it in a circle around his head...and lets go of it, aiming for the QuickCam, where it lands. NADIA No, no, you must put your whole body into it. JIM Nadia, I can't -- NADIA Can't what? Do you not want to be with me? I wish to be entertained, James. Jim nods eagerly. Concentrates on the music...as we see the shirt slide off the camera. Jim starts writhing to the beat. Like a hyperactive chicken. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BROTHER'S BEDROOM - CONTINUING STIFLER What the fuck is this? INT. SHERMAN'S BEDROOM - CONTINUING SHERMAN The horror, the horror. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY - CONTINUING Jim is into it now. Possibly the worst dancer in the world. No rhythm. No soul. INT. BASEMENT - DAY - SAME TIME STONER #2 God, what a buzzkill. INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME A GROUP OF GIRLS watches in amusement. GIRL IN BEDROOM Work it, baby! The LAUGH and dance mockingly along with Jim. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY - CONTINUING Jim tugs off his pants, dancing and tripping on them. NADIA (turned on) More sexy, Jim, more sexy. Jim is clearly excited by Nadia's prodding. He does some pathetically ridiculous move with his pants, sliding them around his chest and neck. INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM - CONTINUING A GROUP OF GIRLS is watching. DISINTERESTED GIRL He's no Paul Finch. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME Kevin and Finch are now completely sickened. FINCH This is truly revolting. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY - CONTINUING Jim is straddled over a chair, grinding against the chair back, in his boxers and shorts. NADIA (getting really turned on) More, more, you bad boy! Jim starts spanking his ass as he gyrates. INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME The guys are all trying not to watch, yet still drawn to the computer. GUY #1 Ugh...God... INT. JIM'S COMPUTER - DAY - CONTINUING NADIA Now! Hames, come to me. JIM Oh yeah! Jim dances over to her. She pulls him onto the bed. Kisses his neck. Takes his hand. Places it on her thigh. NADIA Be gentle. Jim GULPS. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY KEVIN Ho-lee shit. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BROTHER'S BEDROOM - DAY - SAME TIME STIFLER This just got a hell of a lot better. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim's hand wanders up Nadia's leg. She does the same to him. Blows in his ear. Her hand is about to enter his shorts. And Jim is done. Bang. That's it. He looks down at himself in terror. Nadia sees. Backs away. NADIA Jim... JIM Oh no. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY KEVIN Oh no. INT. BASEMENT - DAY - SAME TIME The stoners look...well, stoned. STONER #1 Bummer. INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME The girls are LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY. INT. STIFLER'S HOUSE - BROTHER'S BEDROOM - DAY STIFLER'S BROTHER What happened?! What happened?! STIFLER He blew it. Literally. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Nadia is getting dressed. NADIA You are done, James. Perhaps I should be going now. JIM No, no, I'm not done! I've got reserves! Nadia, please please please. I'm begging you. She sees the desperation in his eyes. Thinks about it. Smiles. NADIA I do like your dirty magazines. Jim digs into the stack of pornos. Grabs SHAVED. JIM Did you see this? This is your more exotic dirty magazine. NADIA Yes...James, it is knowing that these beautiful women arouse you that arouses me... JIM Oh yes. Very arousing women. They arouse me very much. But not as arousing as you. She goes for this line. Gives in. NADIA Oh Jim... She grabs him. Starts caressing his body. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY KEVIN/FINCH Yes!! INT. BASEMENT - DAY - SAME TIME STONER #1 Alright, dude! INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - DAY GUY #1 He's re-engaging! A CHEER goes up as the guys CELEBRATE. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Groping. They're tangled in each other. Nadia backs off for a moment. Slowly, teasing, she hooks her thumbs in the sides of her panties. Starts sliding them down. NADIA So, "shaved" is the expression? CLOSE UP on Jim as his eyes bug out. Yep, it is, and she is. JIM (mutters) Holy shit. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY KEVIN Holy shit! INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - DAY ALL THE GUYS (unison) HOLY SHIT! INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim is stuck. Staring at Nadia. She moves towards him. Nadia is inches from his face. NADIA Touch me Jim...here. Jim is trembling, straining with himself. A shudder runs through him. And it's over, again. INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM - CONTINUING The girls are LAUGHING again. GIRLS Again? INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY KEVIN Not again. INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY JIM No, not again. NADIA (sighs) I am sorry, Jim. I suppose we will not be doing any studying now. JIM No! I've got...reserve reserves! Nadia starts getting dressed. Jim is whimpering. NADIA It is too bad. I was at first hoping you would ask me to the prom. But... She gathers her things. Eyes Jim over. NADIA (cont'd) You should change your shorts. JIM ...okay. Jim is stunned. Ruined. Nadia exits. CLOSE on Jim's tormented face as we hear... COMPUTER VOICE "You have lost your internet connection. Click 'okay' to reconnect." EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD - DAY Jim is walking through the courtyard, a bit dazed. A COUPLE GIRLS pass by him, giggling. He trudges along...noticing a CLIQUE OF GIRLS staring at him as he passes by...and Stoner #1 giving him a peace sign...and the Computer Nerd staring at him like a celebrity...... Jim's pace slows. He hears a SNICKER behind him...he slows even more, taking very careful steps...as he sees a GIRL doing a really strange dance -- and his eyes pop out as he sees that, yes, it's his dance. He stops. ALMOST EVERYONE is staring at him. Jim pulls his coat up over his face and hurries off into the school, like a fugitive avoiding the media. People APPLAUD and LAUGH. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MAIN HALLWAY - DAY Kevin and Oz catch up to Jim. Here and there, people still give Jim funny looks. KEVIN Hey, minuteman. JIM Shut up. You're supposed to be supportive. OZ You've still got a chance with Nadia, right? JIM No. Her sponsors here saw the thing on the net. I don't think they liked it. KEVIN How do you know that? JIM She's already on a plane back home. Kevin winces. JIM (cont'd) You know, maybe I'm just not good with girls, period. Like I was born without that part of the brain. I mean, I can't talk to girls. And when I do talk to them, I screw it up. KEVIN Yeah? Well come prom night, those excuses aren't going to do you much good. JIM Jesus, Kevin, rub it in. A nearby OLD JANITOR starts GUFFAWING at Jim as he walks by. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - CLASSROOM - DAY Jim sits, waiting for class to start. Miserable. Some students are obviously talking about him in the background. Others study and chat. Next to Jim is Michelle -- the reject, band dork that we've seen earlier. She's got a flute case on her desk. She's blabbering to Jim. The kind of blabbering where every other sentence sounds like a question, even though it isn't. MICHELLE And so, one time? I was at band camp? And we weren't supposed to have pillow fights? But we had a pillow fight! And it was so much fun! Jim couldn't care. MICHELLE (cont'd) And one time, we all lost our music? And we were supposed to play this song? But we didn't know it. So we just made it up! And we kept playing and playing but the conductor didn't know what we were doing and it was so funny! Jim looks wistfully over at Nadia's empty desk. MICHELLE (cont'd) So you're pissed about something, huh? You know what I do when I'm angry? I just play some Bach on my flute. It's so relaxing. I learned to do that at band camp. Jim perks up the slightest bit. JIM Hold on. You have no idea why I'm angry? MICHELLE Is it because we have a test tomorrow? Sometimes I get cranky when I know I have a big test to study for. JIM Yeah, that's pretty much it. MICHELLE I thought so. Because, one time? I was at this -- JIM (interrupting) What was your name again? MICHELLE Michelle. JIM Okay. Michelle, do you want to be my date for the prom? MICHELLE Really? You seriously want to go with me? JIM (so forced) Yes. Seriously. MICHELLE Are we going to Steve Stifler's party afterwards? That would be so cool. JIM Whatever you want. MICHELLE Cool! We're gonna have so much fun! It's like this one time, at band camp... INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - HALLWAY - A LITTLE LATER Heather is walking down the hall. She turns to go into the Little Auditorium -- and through the window in the door she sees Oz. She stops. Oz is singing, working through the solo. Determined to get it right. He bounces his lacrosse ball off the floor, in rhythm, keeping time. There's one point that he keeps getting stuck at and going back over. Heather watches this, softening as she sees that Oz is actually putting his heart into it. Finally he's frustrated -- OZ Dammit! He whips the lacrosse ball at the wall. Heather recoils, still watching, unseen by Oz. After a moment, Oz cools off. He gets the ball, and diligently starts up again. Heather is impressed. INT. VICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Vicky is doing calculus homework, as Kevin looks on, rubbing her shoulders. KEVIN You're not doing the extra credit problems. VICKY No, I'm not. I'm writing a sequence of random numbers that look like I'm doing the extra credit problems. Mr. Bender doesn't bother to check homework past April. KEVIN That's my trick! VICKY It's everyone's trick, Kevin. (she turns to him) But I did pick it up from you. She gives him a little kiss on his hand, continuing with her work. Kevin keeps rubbing her back, more serious. KEVIN We've come a long way since Homecoming. VICKY (playful) Yeah, we have. You corrupted my four- point into a three-nine-five. KEVIN Indeed I did. But, our relationship. It's progressed a lot. It's time for us to...express ourselves in new ways. Vicky stops working and turns, sitting up on the desk, facing him. Her mood has shifted, more romantic. VICKY Like how? KEVIN Well, I feel that...things are getting to that point in a relationship. When two people share...a special moment between them. VICKY I think you're so right, Kevin. KEVIN (pause) You want to do it? VICKY Yes -- She takes his hand. Readies herself, and declares. VICKY (CONT'D) I love you. Kevin falters. This is definitely not what he was expecting. He's caught. Trying to formulate a response. VICKY (CONT'D) Kevin? Do you not love me? KEVIN No, I don't not love you. I like, I know that we've definitely got something between us. Something good. Something special. VICKY But you don't love me. KEVIN I didn't say that. I mean, love, it's like a term that gets thrown around. People say things, they get married, have kids, and then what? It's like they call it off, going "I was wrong." A beat. Vicky seems to know where he's coming from. VICKY Kevin...you're not your dad. The two of us, we're not your parents. KEVIN I know, Vick. I'm just not ready yet, okay? VICKY Okay. INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT Oz is closing up the store. He looks up to see Heather at the door. Oz goes and opens it, surprised, embarrassed. The air is awkward between them. HEATHER Hi... OZ How did you know I was here? HEATHER Stifler told me. OZ You talked to Stifler? HEATHER Well...I needed to find you. We are gonna have to practice that song. OZ ...okay. Cool then. I'm um, I'm glad you came by. I mean, really. She smiles. Oz lets her in. HEATHER So you like, work nights? An uncomfortable moment for Oz. OZ Uh...my dad's the manager. HEATHER Really? Cool. Tell him his subs are great. OZ Ah, he's always too heavy on the vinegar. If you really want a good one, you gotta let me make it. INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER Oz is behind the counter. Heather walks down the other side as Oz assembles a sub. OZ My dad's always here running the store, busy and stuff...and I fill in once a week so he can get a night off. HEATHER (pause) That's nice. OZ (shrugs) So you're going to Michigan? HEATHER Yeah, well my parents wanted me to go to Northwestern. I didn't want to write all those extra essays they make you do -- I mean, how am I supposed to know what my "most emotionally significant moment" was? So when my U of M acceptance came in December, I said the hell with it. OZ Onions? HEATHER What? OZ You want onions? HEATHER Oh, yeah. So what're you gonna major in? OZ Well, State's got a good business school. And I can probably walk onto the lacrosse team. Green peppers? HEATHER Yeah. So wow, you've got it figured out. OZ (dismissive) Well, I mean, business is okay, and lacrosse is awesome, but what am I gonna be, a pro lacrosse player? I really have no idea. HEATHER Oh thank God, I thought I was the only one. OZ Well, you're not. Oil and vinegar? HEATHER Yeah. You know, people are always like, "What're you gonna major in?" And I don't know. And they're like, "You'll figure it out." Yeah? When? OZ I know. Salt and pepper? HEATHER Sure. Oz cuts the sub in half with a flourish and puts it on a tray. HEATHER (CONT'D) So we're gonna be close next year? OZ You -- oh, you mean -- yeah, East Lansing and Ann Arbor. HEATHER (smiles) ...yeah. A beat...a little uncomfortable, but nice. OZ Wanna swap your chips for cookies? EXT. SUBWAY - NIGHT - LATER The remains of a couple subs are on a table. Oz and Heather are doing their song...it's rough, but they're working through it. And when they're in sync, they sound really good together. We SLOWLY PULL BACK as they sing into the night. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MURAL STAIRCASE - DAY A GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH talks to Stifler. GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH I'm sorry, I really can't go with you...I'm holding out for someone else. STIFLER You gotta be fucking kidding. GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH I know it's a long shot, but I figure Paul Finch might ask me. STIFLER FINCH? SHITBREAK?!! GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH Oh gosh, I forgot -- you uh, you look okay...I mean you can't even tell... Flustered, she heads down the stairs. Stifler, entirely confused, heads off into the second floor. As the Girl Holding Out For Finch descends, Kevin catches up with her. KEVIN Hey...what was that all about? GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH He's still embarrassed because Finch kicked his ass. Knocked out a tooth, but you can't see it. KEVIN Right, and who told you that? EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD - DAY Kevin is talking to GRETA. She points offscreen. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - LIBRARY - DAY Kevin is talking to SOME CHICK. Taking notes. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - OUTDOOR MURAL - DAY Kevin is talking to YET ANOTHER GIRL. We see that his notepad is a spiderweb of girl's names, all interlinked with arrows. They all point to one girl's name in the center of the page -- Jessica. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - CAFETERIA - DAY Kevin follows Jessica down the cafeteria line. JESSICA No comment. KEVIN No comment?! Are you kidding me?! I've never seen someone's image change so...so drastically! JESSICA Thanks. It was my idea. KEVIN Did you guys hook up or something? JESSICA Are you kidding? No. KEVIN Then what the hell are you talking about? JESSICA Well...I guess it's okay for me to tell you now. That reputation of his isn't going anywhere. (then) Finch comes to me and says, "Jessica, I need help with this, blah blah, etcetera." So I told him, pay me two- hundred bucks, and I'll tell a couple girls that you're dynamite in bed. So he did, and I did. KEVIN I don't get it, that really works? JESSICA Duh. Of course. Naturally, I embellished a little bit. Hey, did you hear that Finch had sex with an older woman? Kevin is speechless. JESSICA (CONT'D) No? Damn, that one was my favorite. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - GUY'S SHOWERS/LOCKER ROOM - DAY Toweled guys exit the steamy showers, doing a macho GREAT FALLS LACROSSE CHANT. They exit frame, and we remain on the showers, to hear -- OZ (singing happily) ...I needed the shelter of someone's arms...there you were -- woo-hoo- hoo... He exits in a towel and goes to his locker, next to Stifler. OZ (CONT'D) (still singing) ...I needed someone to understand my ups and my downs, oh baby there you were... Stifler is staring at Oz, horrified. STIFLER Oh my fucking God. You're gay. OZ (cheery) Come on, you know the words, sing along. STIFLER No thanks, you've been singing that shit all week. If you try that at MSU this Saturday, I'm pretending I don't know you. Oz stops. OZ Our last game is this Saturday. STIFLER No shit. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD, A BENCH - LATER Heather is studying outside. Oz stands before her, breathless, his hair still wet. OZ ...I've got this lacrosse game. It's really important, it's our last game. And you know, Central almost beat us last time, so I really want to kick their ass, and it's like cool because we're gonna get to play at State, which means that after the game I might be able to stop by... HEATHER (pause) You can't sing at the competition. OZ I'm sorry, I totally spaced. I just...I didn't realize it... HEATHER (upset but trying to be cool) ...it's okay, you should do whatever makes you happy. OZ Alright...yeah...thanks for understanding. (a beat) So I guess...I'll see you later. An uncomfortable moment. Oz walks off. Heather looks let down. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - ENTRANCE TO SENIOR LOCKERS - DAY Kevin is at his locker, getting ready for class. Stifler comes running up with a wicked grin on his face. STIFLER Kevin! You seen Shitbreak lately? KEVIN (immediately sensing danger) Oh no, Stifler, what did you do? STIFLER Me? Nothing. I'm the one whose ass he kicked. (off Kevin's look) I'll tell you one thing, though. I don't think he's gonna have a problem shitting in school anymore. Stifler pulls out an empty bottle of PRESCRIPTION LAXATIVE, maniacally LAUGHING. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - CAFETERIA - DAY Finch is sitting at a table, reading his paper. Kevin comes tearing around the corner and runs up to him. KEVIN Finch! Get to the bathroom! Now! FINCH Easy, tiger. What's in there? KEVIN Just go! FINCH Why is this? KEVIN You're gonna shit your pants! FINCH Charming. KEVIN Finch, listen -- Stifler slipped some sort of laxative in your Mocash-chino or whatever. It's fast acting. I mean really fast. FINCH First of all, it's Mochaccino, and secondly...Oohhhh! Finch jumps up and sprints down the hallway. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MAIN HALL - CONTINUING We FOLLOW with Finch. We see Stifler down the hall, holding open the bathroom door like a pleasant doorman. STIFLER This way, sit. Finch darts into the bathroom. Stifler LAUGHS hysterically. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM - DAY Finch leaps into a stall and slams the door behind him. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM STALL - DAY Finch has stopped. He's staring down at the toilet. It looks entirely uninviting. But he's straining, struggling, starting to dance around, moaning as he cramps up. He grabs a length of toilet paper and lines the seat with it. Then another, and another. Sweat drips off his forehead. FINCH Come on come on come on... He's got the seat lined with at least three layers of toilet paper. Notices a spot where there's still bare toilet seat. He tears off one square of toilet paper, placing it on the spot. He steps back and looks it over, still wriggling to contain his bowels. FINCH (CONT'D) Okay. You can do this. He unbuckles his pants. Sits down -- just as we hear someone enter the bathroom. Finch, still restraining, listens for a moment...only to hear the CLICK-CLICK-CLICK of heels. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MAIN HALL - DAY The bathroom door swings closed to reveal the universal symbol for "Women." Stifler is there, LAUGHING even harder. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM STALL - DAY Finch is terrified. Through the crack between the stall door and the frame, Finch catches glimpses of bright colored skirts and dresses. He grits his teeth, straining. And a GURGLE comes from Finch's stomach. His eyes bulge. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM - DAY A GROUP OF GIRLS is at the mirror, including the Girl Holding Out for Finch, fixing their hair. GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH You know it's just gonna be some crappy band and stupid decorations. GIRL #2 You're just saying that cause prom's a week away and you don't have a date. GIRL HOLDING OUT FOR FINCH No, I don't want a date... (increasingly dreamy) Finch is going stag...and so am I...the guy is like so...debonair. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM STALL - DAY Finch is in hell. Desperately trying not to shit. Holding it in for all he's worth. INT. BATHROOM - DAY GIRL #2 Do you think that "older woman" thing is true? GIRL #3 Of course, it was Stifler's mom. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM STALL - DAY Pure agony. Finch is sweating badly. Every muscle in his body is tensed. Tears stream from his fiercely shut eyes. A gastric RUMBLING. Finch's eyes flash open in terror. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM - DAY We hear another, deeper RUMBLING. Girl #2 turns to her friend in surprise. GIRL #2 Joanie, was that you? INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM STALL - DAY Finch is struggling. Rocking back and forth. But it's no use. He's at his limit. FINCH Aaaaaaarrrgghhhh! INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM - DAY The girls at the mirror freeze -- and we hear what can only be the SOUND OF DIARRHEA exploding into a toilet bowl. The girls run out SCREAMING and LAUGHING. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BATHROOM - DAY - MOMENTS LATER Finch exits the stall with trepidation, pulling up his pants. Slowly, slinking, he approaches the door. Grabs the handle. Composes himself. And like nothing ever happened, he opens it. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - MAIN HALL - DAY Finch comes out of the bathroom. Stops. His eyes register complete disbelief. A SEMI-CIRCLE OF GIRLS, including the ones we have seen gossiping about him, has crowded around the door. All staring at him with complete repugnance, open-mouthed. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. LACROSSE FIELD (MSU) - DAY Oz is playing in the final lacrosse game. The team scores -- they're beating Central. Everyone cheers, except Oz. We see Jim and Kevin in the stands, CHEERING. EXT. MUSIC HALL (MSU) - DAY Establishing. The campus of Michigan State University. Students pass in front of an older, impressive university building. A sign out front reads, "MICHIGAN STATEWIDE VOCAL COMPETITION." INT. BACKSTAGE (MSU) - DAY Heather and the rest of the vocal jazz group are behind the curtain. They all wear flashy, borderline cool outfits. Heather looks worried, lost. Looking to the door, as if Oz might come running in. VOCAL JAZZ TEACHER Okay. Albert, you ready? ALBERT steps next to Heather. He's kind of funny- looking, with an overly-suave attitude that comes off as plain weird. ALBERT No problemo. He SINGS a couple lines. Way too melodramatic and cheesy. Heather looks trapped. EXT. LACROSSE FIELD (MSU) - DAY A scoreboard shows that East is leading by five goals. Oz is running up the field, towards the goal, cradling the ball in his stick. He seems to have a good lead. Suddenly he is tumbling, falling, losing the ball. Someone has checked him. He lays stunned on the ground, as Stifler recovers the ball and scores. The players run back to the sidelines to reset for the face-off, and gather around the coach. COACH MARSHALL Alright! Good hustle, guys, but we can still lose. You all saw what happened to Oz out there. I don't ever want to see you guys thinking you're gonna score. You don't score until you score, period. The team is getting into it. Shouts of "Hell yeah!" But Oz's got a quizzical look on his face. INT. BACKSTAGE (MSU) - DAY Heather waits with the group to go onstage. Albert paces like a Shakespearean actor, psyching himself. ALBERT Focus on the music. Think melody. Let the music be my guide. HEATHER That would be a start. EXT. LACROSSE FIELD (MSU) - DAY Oz shows some emotion peeking through. Confused. COACH MARSHALL It all boils down to today. For you seniors, this marks the culmination of your past four years. Think of what that means to you. Are you guys gonna look back on your days at East and know that you made the most of the time you had? A wave of realization washes over Oz. He stands up tall. COACH MARSHALL (cont'd) Now that's the attitude, Ostreicher! Oz collects himself. Takes a deep breath. OZ Good luck, guys. he sets his lacrosse stick down and starts to leave. COACH MARSHALL Christ! I didn't say you were out of the game! OZ Sorry, coach. COACH MARSHALL What the fuck is this? You got someplace more important to be? Coach Marshall is fuming. The entire team is staring at Oz. OZ Yeah. He runs off. ANGLE ON JIM AND KEVIN IN THE STANDS A beat of confusion. Then they stand up. EXT. MSU CAMPUS - DAY Oz runs through a gate. INT. BACKSTAGE - DAY The vocal jazz group is on their feet, lined up, waiting to go onstage. Oz bursts into the room, still in his lacrosse gear. VOCAL JAZZ GUYS Oz -- You're back -- Yeah -- ALBERT -- Oh, great. Oz rushes up to Heather. She's happy but confused. HEATHER What about the game?! OZ I'm not playing. HEATHER You're missing the game for us?! OZ No. I'm missing the game for you. Heather melts. Oz pulls her close. And they kiss. VOCAL JAZZ TEACHER Okay, okay. You guys got about a minute to go. Spend it warming up, not making out. This ain't the prom yet. Oz and Heather share a smile. INT. MUSIC HALL STAGE - DAY The vocal jazz group is belting their hearts out, singing "How Sweet It Is." Oz sings with them now in his vocal jazz outfit...we TILT DOWN to see he's still wearing his cleats. He and Heather sound great, backed by the vocal jazz group. They sail through their duet, join hands, and finish perfectly. The audience APPLAUDS with enthusiasm -- and we Kevin and Jim, WHOOPING AND CLAPPING, loving it, like they're at a rock concert. JIM Yeeeeeeeaaaawwwwww! KEVIN (gives that "You rock!" hand sign) You fuckin' rule! INT. EAST GREAT FALLS - CLASSROOM - DAY Class has just ended, students are filing out of the classroom. A teacher grades papers in the back of the room, routinely writing "A, A-, A, A-" on each paper. Vicky is studying a pull-down map hanging over the chalkboard. Kevin comes up next to her. KEVIN Hey... VICKY Did you know that it's...450 miles from Ann Arbor to Nashville? KEVIN It's like a six or seven hour drive. That's easy, I don't mind driving. A beat. Kevin looks back over his shoulder to the inattentive teacher. Moves closer to Vicky. KEVIN (CONT'D) About the other day...I've been thinking. VICKY So have I. And I know you want to make things perfect for me. And I understand that you really wouldn't tell me that until you were 100% comfortable with it. Vicky looks over to the teacher, who COUGHS. She steps closer. Kevin, somewhat nervous, takes the bottom of the map, fidgeting with it a little. VICKY (CONT'D) And I want to make things perfect for you. You're right, Kev, we do have something good...and special. KEVIN Yeah, we have something great, Vick. VICKY Kevin... (very close, whispered) I want to have sex with you. The map goes FLAPPING upwards. The teacher looks up. KEVIN (almost frightened) Now?! VICKY No...I know the perfect time... She looks to the calendar on the wall...and taps next Saturday -- "Prom." Kevin can't believe it...MUSIC UP for PRE-PROM MONTAGE -- INT. TUXEDO LAND - DAY Jim is trying on a tux. he shrugs, like it fits well enough. He turns to see Oz trying on his -- Oz is fidgeting, trying on different ties, vests, shoes, very sincere and focused. INT. VICKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Vicky is trying on a rather elegant dress, looking to Jessica for support, showing it off. Jessica jokingly does the same, showing off her shorts and T-shirt, as if she could care. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD - DAY Finch sits alone. Not like alone. More like Forrest Gump. INT. TUXEDO LAND - DAY Jim is paying for his tux. We see Oz trying to decide on a cumberbund. There are about ten of them scattered around him that he's already tried. In the background, an ATTENDANT looks impatient. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - COURTYARD - DAY Finch still sits. His head is cocked at a different angle. INT. JIM'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY Jim's dad fixes Jim's bow tie. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT (END MONTAGE) Kevin is in his tux. He's staring at himself in the mirror. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - NIGHT The parking lot is full. VARIOUS FORMALLY DRESSED STUDENTS make their way into the school. One group piles out of a stretch limo. We see a STEALTHY STUDENT slip a bottle of liquor into his tux. A FLUSTERED GUY struggles to re-attach his date's corsage. This is the prom. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - GYM - NIGHT The gym is decorated in a clashingly festive manner. Like a combination of Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve, and somebody's bar mitzvah. A CRAPPY BAND plays CRAPPY IMITATION ROCK MUSIC. Most students mill about, talking, generally bored. The only people who are enjoying themselves are the OBVIOUSLY DRUNK STUDENTS, slam-dancing with the obviously drunk Stifler in a corner. CHAPERONE PARENTS try to calm them down, futilely. The band breaks into a CHEESY BALLAD. Couples lock together and sway back and forth like zombies. ANGLE ON JIM AND MICHELLE They're dancing at arm's length. Jim is not enthused. MICHELLE You know, at band camp? We have dances like this. Only they're way funner. Don't you think prom is just highly overrated? JIM Highly, highly overrated. ANGLE ON KEVIN AND VICKY They dance. Both looking a little nervous. Anxious. ANGLE ON OZ AND HEATHER Dancing much slower than anyone else. Tight embrace. Heather's got her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. ANGLE ON STIFLER Dancing with the Girl Holding out For Finch. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - A CORNER OF THE GYM - NIGHT Kevin, Oz, Jim, and Finch are hanging out. Finch is drunk. FINCH Okay. I'm here for your dumb...dumb meeting. Sherman passes by. SHERMAN I'm on the offensive, boys. The Sherman Tank is going back in. The guys are impassive. Sherman indicates the Central Girl nearby. SHERMAN (CONT'D) Locked on target, flying in stealth mode under enemy sex radar. Ready to drop the payload...again. Sherman confidently walks off. KEVIN Alright, how do you guys stand? Well, Finch, I know where you are, but you can't use that as an excuse. Jim? JIM My date's a flute-toting band dork. That answer your question? KEVIN Oz, how about you and Heather? Now you guys are a couple or something? OZ (getting ticked) Dammit, Kevin, what's with the attitude? KEVIN Attitude? Me? I think that you guys should be more enthusiastic. Shit, we've been trying to get laid forever, and tonight's the night we've been waiting for. We're in this together. Don't back out on me now! JIM Back out? You don't need us to get laid. You afraid or something? KEVIN No, but come on guys, we made a pact! OZ Kevin, it was just a -- KEVIN It was a pact. You break it and there are no excuses. You guys have to -- JIM (interrupting, pissed) I don't have to do shit! Forget it already! Kevin is taken aback. JIM (cont'd) I'm tired of all this bullshit pressure! I mean, I've never even had sex and already I can't stand it! I hate sex! I don't want it, I've never wanted it, and I'm not gonna sit here busting my balls over something that just isn't that damn important! So fuck this stupid pact, fuck you, and fuck sex! Now, I'm gonna go hang out with that geek over there, 'cause at least she's got something else to talk about besides sex! God damn! Kevin storms off. A beat. FINCH At least I learned how to shit in school. Jessica approaches. She's dressed well, but not lavishly. JESSICA Hey, Finch. Wanna dance? Finch looks to the guys. They shrug. We FOLLOW WITH Jessica and Finch as they dance out onto the floor. FINCH How come you have no date? JESSICA I like to keep my options open. And let me just clarify that you have no chance of scoring with me, Finch. FINCH No, of course not, don't be ridiculous. ANGLE ON VICKY AND CENTRAL GIRL VICKY So, I guess you and Sherman are pretty close. You met at that party a while back? CENTRAL GIRL Yeah, we were up the whole night together. We had one of those amazingly deep conversations, where you really feel like you get to know someone. VICKY (nudge, nudge) "Deep conversation," huh? Is that what you guys call it? CENTRAL GIRL What else would I call it? EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - NIGHT Kevin sits on the steps into the school, depressed. INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - GYM - NIGHT The Central Girl has taken over the band's microphone. CENTRAL GIRL Excuse me, everyone, sorry to interrupt. Her voice reverberates throughout the gym. A couple WOLF- WHISTLES. CENTRAL GIRL (cont'd) I just wanted to let you all know this: Chuck Sherman is a liar. I never had sex with him. He's never had sex with anyone -- I know because he told me. Once, he tried to screw a grapefruit, but that's it. Oh, and he also told me that sometimes when he gets nervous he wets his pants. Thank you for your attention. Girls around the gym CHEER and APPLAUD. ANGLE ON SHERMAN Pissing his pants. ANGLE ON JIM Shocked. He looks back to Oz, who shares his expression. EXT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - NIGHT Kevin still sits there. Jim, Oz, and Finch come out of the school. Slowly they walk up to Kevin. OZ ...Guess what? KEVIN I don't care. JIM Kevin, come on, the bus to Stifler's is gonna be here soon. KEVIN I'm not going. A beat as the guys don't know what to say. Kevin's speech is halting, downbeat. KEVIN (CONT'D) This isn't how I wanted things to turn out. Making the pact wasn't just about getting laid. It was about doing one last thing with you guys before we graduated. But now I've just wasted my last few weeks here trying to do what? I don't even know. All I managed to do was fuck up our friendship. A beat. Oz shrugs. OZ I still think you're okay. JIM So do I, Kev. FINCH Me too. For the most part. KEVIN Nah. Fuck, you guys are right, I don't know what I'm doing. I mean I'm acting like I've got it all together tonight. But I know Vicky is gonna ask me if I love her. And I don't know what I'm gonna say. So now it's like, maybe I'll just wimp out on the whole thing. JIM Come on man. Tonight is the night. We're finally going to a post-prom party on the lake. We've been waiting to do this for the last four years. Why else are we still friends with Stifler? You gotta go. A beat as Kevin ponders this. OZ And by the way, Sherman didn't even get laid. KEVIN He didn't? FINCH Nope. He pissed himself. The guys LAUGH as Kevin is puzzled. THEY are suddenly illuminated by the glare of headlights. A charter bus pulls in front of the school. JIM There it is. I want to grab my bag. Oh, and my date. OZ Come on, Kevin. Vicky's looking for you. Jim holds out a helping hand. Kevin looks at it. Grabs it, and Jim pulls him up. EXT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - NIGHT A beautiful cottage on the shore of Lake Michigan. Students are filing out of the charter bus. Jim and Michelle are walking up to the cottage. JIM Stifler's mom got it in the divorce. MICHELLE It reminds me of this one time -- (changing thoughts) Hey, can I ask you a question? How come you don't have any stories? I've got lots of stories, and you don't have any. JIM Oh, I've got stories, believe me. They're a little more risque than tales of Band Camp. MICHELLE Are they gross or something, like guy stuff? Tell me. JIM Okay. You want a story? Here's a story. Stifler finds this beer, right? And... INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BEDROOM Kevin leads Vicky into the bedroom. A large bay window overlooks moonlit Lake Michigan. KEVIN See -- this is the nicest room. VICKY Wow, Kev...it's perfect. Vicky opens a closet -- to find Stifler's Little Brother inside, grinning. STIFLER'S BROTHER You guys are gonna fuck, aren't you!? KEVIN No! Get out of here! STIFLER'S BROTHER (running out of the room) Fuckers fuckers fuckers fuckers! Stiflers brother is gone. They LAUGH...and Vicky closes the door. EXT. BEACH - NIGHT Oz and Heather are walking down the beach. Holding hands. Deep in the background, we see kids partying. OZ There's something I've been meaning to tell you, Heather. HEATHER What's that? OZ It's gonna sound really bad, but I want you to know. She nods. They stop walking. Oz swipes his feet around in the sand. OZ (cont'd) See, uh, I'm a virgin. And me, Kevin, Jim, and Finch, we all made this pact. That we would...lose our virginity... before high school was over. Heather is listening. OZ (cont'd) And, see, tonight is supposed to be the night we all do it. HEATHER This isn't the best way to proposition me. OZ No, that's not what I mean. I mean -- look. You know what made me leave that game? Coach was giving this speech, about not slacking off when you see the opportunity to score. HEATHER This isn't any better, Chris. OZ No, see Heather, what I realized is that...with you, it's not like I'm running towards the goal, trying to figure out the best way to score. And this may sound corny, but -- He takes her hand. OZ (cont'd) I feel like I've already won. Heather softens, taken off guard. OZ (cont'd) And, well, I really care about you. A lot. And I want you to know that. HEATHER Oz, it's okay, I know. OZ You called me Oz. HEATHER Well, that's what your friends call you. I mean...I feel like I'm one of your friends now...and also...your girlfriend. Oz seems truly touched. OZ Dieter. My middle name is Dieter. Heather nods, and speaks pensively. HEATHER Hmm. You know that's (cracking up) really a shitty middle name! OZ (laughing) I know, it sucks! Through their laughter, they kiss. After a moment, it grows more passionate. Lost in each other. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BASEMENT - NIGHT The party rages in the rest of the cottage, but the basement is empty. STIFLER'S MOM sits in the corner, smoking a cigarette. She's as attractive as her photo we once saw, but the divorce has replaced her sexy smile with a bitter smirk. Finch stumbles in. FINCH Ah, Stifler's mom! Thank you for letting us have a great party. STIFLER'S MOM (dry) As if there were any alternative in the matter. Are you enjoying yourself? FINCH I'm three sheets to the wind, ma'am! STIFLER'S MOM (deadpan) I'm so happy for you. Takes the edge off, doesn't it? And where might your date be? FINCH Oh no, no date. Bathroom incident. STIFLER'S MOM Pardon me? Finch pauses a moment. He's got an idea. FINCH ...Nevermind. You have anything to drink? STIFLER'S MOM I believe the kegs are upstairs. FINCH No, no, that's what the cretins drink. I mean alcohol, liquor -- good stuff. She considers him as she drags off her cigarette. STIFLER'S MOM All right, I got some scotch. FINCH Single malt? STIFLER'S MOM Aged eighteen years. (she gives him a look) Why don't you get the glasses. Behind the bar. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - PARTY ROOM - NIGHT It's a great party. Stifler is with a group of guys drinking a beer, which he inspects very carefully before every sip. ANGLE ON JIM AND MICHELLE Both drinking and talking, almost enjoying themselves. MICHELLE That is a nasty story! JIM I told you. MICHELLE You wanna hear a nasty story of mine? It's kind of sexual. Ding! A light goes off in Jim's head. JIM Yeah, bring it on! MICHELLE Well, this one time? At band camp? We were playing this game, I don't know if you know it? But it's called spin the bottle? And I had to kiss this guy named Marc Wander on the lips? And... Jim's expression sinks. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BEDROOM - NIGHT The lights are down. Vicky and Kevin are in bed. KEVIN You comfortable? VICKY Yeah, are you? KEVIN Yeah. A beat. VICKY You sure you're comfortable? KEVIN Yeah. Are you sure? VICKY Yeah. KEVIN Me too. VICKY Okay. (a beat) Did you bring a condom? KEVIN Yeah, right here. He pulls out a condom. A beat as they contemplate it. KEVIN (CONT'D) So, do you want to be -- I mean, how do you want to do it? VICKY I don't know. How do you? KEVIN Like, normal style. The...missionary position. VICKY Okay. A moment as they realize there's nothing left to do, but - VICKY (cont'd) Kevin... KEVIN Yeah Vick? VICKY I want to hear you say it. KEVIN Okay. Kevin swallows hard. And says -- KEVIN (CONT'D) Victoria...I love you. VICKY I love you. They both take a deep breath. EXT. BEACH - NIGHT Oz and Heather lay in a secluded spot in the dunes, surrounded by tall beach grass that swishes in the spring breeze. Stars and a lustrous moon above. The silence speaks. We can see it in their eyes. Yearning. OZ I can't think of anything to say that's not cheesy. HEATHER Then don't. They kiss. It's time. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BEDROOM - NIGHT A brief moment of uncertainty. Kevin shifts around a bit, trying to position himself. Vicky's hand goes under the sheets. VICKY Here. We know what she's doing. They both maintain eye contact... EXT. BEACH - NIGHT Heather and Oz are re-inventing the idea of passion. Discovering love. This is the stuff that you thought only existed in romance novels. Seriously. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - PARTY ROOM - NIGHT Jim is trying to stay interested in Michelle's drivel. JIM So, the end of the story is...you had to kiss the guy for twenty seconds? MICHELLE Yes! And he was such a dork! And everyone laughed at me, but I didn't care? Because it was so funny! JIM (flat) Okay, I get it. MICHELLE Oh! And then this one time? At band camp? I stuck a flute in my pussy. Jim CHOKES on his beer. Michelle considers her revelation no big deal, watching with some amusement as Jim struggles to recover. JIM ...excuse me?! MICHELLE What, you think I don't know how to get myself off? Hell, that's what half of band camp is! Sex ed! Jim is ga-ga. He watches in disbelief as she lets her hair down. And wouldn't you know it, she's pretty cute. MICHELLE (cont'd) So are we gonna screw soon? I'm getting kind of antsy. Jim pauses in disbelief. Then -- INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - STIFLER'S BROTHER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Michelle and Jim burst in and slam the door. A toy basketball hoop falls off the back of the door. They are standing in a cluttered, toy-strewn, pit of a kid's room. One of those stupid plastic airplanes on a string hangs from the ceiling, flying in circles. JIM This'll do. MICHELLE Now, I have two rubbers. Wear them both, it'll desensitize you. I don't want you coming so damn early. JIM Why, uh, what makes you think that I -- MICHELLE Come on. I saw you on the net. Why do you think I accepted this date? You're a sure thing! Jim heartily agrees. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BASEMENT - NIGHT The scotch bottle is almost empty. Stifler's Mom and Finch are smoking cigarettes. FINCH So...would you object if I said you're quite striking? STIFLER'S MOM Mister Finch -- are you trying to seduce me? FINCH Yes ma'am, I am. One look between them, and we know it's all over. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Kevin and Vicky. Silently doing it. Curious looks on their faces. The look you get when your waiter delivers your food in a fancy restaurant, and you look at the creation on the plate, and secretly you're not sure if it's really what you ordered. But you don't say anything, and you just eat it. EXT. BEACH - NIGHT Oz and Heather. Souls entwined. Making love. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - STIFLER'S BROTHER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT We can hear Jim and Michelle going at it like a couple of HOWLING BANSHEES over a SERIES OF SHOTS: -- A piggy bank gets knocked over and shatters. -- An x-wing fighter flies across the room. -- A pillow explodes in a cloud of feathers. -- One of the legs on the bed breaks. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - OUTSIDE BASEMENT DOOR - NIGHT The Basement door is closed. We hear from the inside... STIFLER'S MOM (O.S.) I had no idea you'd be this good! FINCH (O.S.) Neither did I! INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - STIFLER'S BROTHER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Jim and Michelle going at it. Again, we HEAR but can't see them. The room is more trashed than before. And as we PAN across the disaster area they've created -- JIM (O.S.) Are you gonna do what I think you're gonna do? MICHELLE (O.S.) Don't you want me to? JIM (O.S.) Oh yeah! Put it in your mouth! MICHELLE (O.S.) Okay! We see her...on top of Jim. She clears her throat. And then we see her raise a children's plastic recorder to her lips -- and she whistles THE MICHIGAN FIGHT SONG. On cue, Jim chimes in -- JIM Hail, hail, to Michigan, the leaders and best! EXT. BEACH - NIGHT Oz could be coming. Heather could be coming. But it's all so darn passionate that the whole thing looks like one big orgasm anyway. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - STIFLER'S BROTHER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Jim and Michelle lay on the floor, tangled in sheets and each others' clothing. Exhausted, gasping. And then we see the closet door is open, just a crack. It swings open. Standing there is Stifler's Little Brother. Jaw hanging. STIFLER'S BROTHER That was awesome! Jim and Michelle are stunned. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BASEMENT - NIGHT Finch and Stifler's Mom are just off-camera. We can't see it, but we can tell Finch's status from his ORGASMIC MOANING. What we do see is the kitchen door handle rattling. The chair falling out of place. And the door opening as Stifler walks in. He stops, horrified. STIFLER Ugh...oh no... He looks like he's going to barf. Instead, he passes out. EXT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - SUNRISE - ESTABLISHING The sun rises over Lake Michigan. A brand new day. Various students are passed out here and there. EXT. BEACH - DAY Oz holds Heather in his arms. Completely peaceful. SEAGULLS CALL to each other. WAVES BREAK on the shore. Oz has lost all pretense. Smiling to himself, or maybe to the world. INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - STIFLER'S BROTHER'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim wakes up in bed, alone. He looks around. JIM She's gone. He considers this. JIM (cont'd) Oh my God. She used me. He considers this further. Smiles. JIM (cont'd) Wow! I was used! Cool! He jumps up and does a little dance, SINGING... JIM (CONT'D) Hail! to the victors, valiant; Hail! to the conquering heroes, hail... INT. STIFLER'S COTTAGE - BEDROOM - DAY Kevin and Vicky lie next to each other in bed, staring at the ceiling. Though they're trying to conceal it, we can see a bit of dissatisfaction, uncertainty, peeking through. KEVIN That was a great night. VICKY Yeah. A beat. KEVIN I can't believe we just had our senior prom. VICKY Yeah, the time went by so fast. KEVIN It did. Another beat. VICKY Kevin, next year...with you in Ann Arbor, and me in Nashville...it's not gonna work, is it. KEVIN Don't say that, we can do it somehow. It might not be perfect, but -- VICKY (interrupting) No, Kevin -- (she sits up) That's the whole thing, that's what I've been realizing. That nothing's perfect, that you can't plan everything. Kevin thinks this over. KEVIN It is far away...and we'll be on our own...meeting new people... A moment as they think this over. KEVIN (CONT'D) Vicky...last night...I wasn't lying. VICKY I know. (a beat) Let's go. Don't you have something to tell your friends? KEVIN What? VICKY Your little pact. Jessica told me all about it. (hits him lightly) Way to go, Kev! Kevin gives an embarrassed smile. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. DOG DAYS - DAY A sign on the window reads, "Congratulations Seniors!" INT. DOG DAYS - DAY The four, newly non-virgins munch on hot dogs. Kevin's LAUGHING. KEVIN (to Jim) I guess we'll call you two-ply. OZ Yeah. So you want double condiments on that? JIM No, no that's fine. (then, to Kevin) So you doing okay? KEVIN (a wistful smile) Yeah. FINCH I'll tell you, I've learned one thing: women, like wine, get better with age. (a beat) Of course, I have no frame of reference for this comparison. KEVIN So Oz, you almost made it, huh? OZ (smiles) I'll just say that we had a great night together. JIM Hang in there, buddy, you'll get there. OZ I know. KEVIN Wow. You two really have something going, don't you? OZ I think we're falling in love. They GROAN. Oz just smiles. KEVIN You know what the coolest thing is? This, right now. They guys keep eating, uncertain what to say. OZ It's true. I mean, after this, everything'll be different. JIM After getting laid? OZ After high school. KEVIN Yeah, but we'll still see each other. OZ Fuck yeah we will. A beat. Kevin raises his Pepsi. KEVIN To the next step. ALL To the next step. They all toast. INT. KEVIN'S BEDROOM - DAY Kevin is on the phone. KEVIN (into phone) Hey. I got another question for you. KEVIN'S BROTHER (V.O.) What's that? INT. EAST GREAT FALLS HIGH - BACK OF LIBRARY - DAY Kevin arrives in the back of the library. Kneels down to put the bible back. KEVIN (V.O.) Um...I'm sort of wondering about...love. We hear Kevin's Brother CHUCKLE knowingly. KEVIN'S BROTHER (V.O.) That's the next book, Kevin. That's the next book. He puts the bible back without the reverence he once had for it. Stands up with some new confidence. We FOLLOW WITH HIM as he walks out of the library...and enters the courtyard, crowded with students. He disappears into them as we... FADE TO BLACK ROLL CREDITS INT. JIM'S BEDROOM - DAY Jim's dad sits across from Jim. JIM'S DAD (eyes tearing) Son. That's the best damn story I ever heard. Jim beams proudly. JIM'S DAD (CONT'D) You know, after I graduated high school, my parents let me do some traveling... INT. A HOTEL HALLWAY SUPER: "PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC" A WAITER ascends a beautiful, red-carpeted staircase, carrying a tray with bottle of champagne and a rose. He arrives in front of a hotel door. KNOCKS. A BELLBOY passes by, noticing the waiter. And HE SPEAKS TO HIM IN AUTHENTIC, THICK CZECH. BELLBOY (subtitled) Another bottle? WAITER (subtitled) He knows how to treat a woman. The door opens -- to reveal Jim, sweaty but not the least bit tired, tying on a robe. JIM Thanks guys. A pair of arms wraps around him from behind. And -- Nadia peeks her head over Jim's shoulder. NADIA Come back to bed, James. Jim smiles to the guys and takes the tray, as Nadia pulls him back in and closes the door. WAITER (subtitled) That is one lucky man. BELLBOY (subtitled) Funny -- I swear I have seen those two somewhere before. The boy is some sort of dancer. They head off. FADE TO BLACK

American Psycho (2000) by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Fourth Draft, November 1998. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY INT. PASTELS RESTAURANT- NIGHT An insanely expensive restaurant on the Upper East Side. The decor is a mixture of chi-chi and rustic, with swagged silk curtains, handwritten menus and pale pink tablecloths decorated with arrangements of moss, twigs and hideous exotic flowers. The clientele is young, wealthy and confident, dressed in the height of late-eighties style: pouffy Lacroix dresses, slinky Ala�a, Armani power suits. CLOSE-UP on a WAITER reading out the specials. WAITER With goat cheese profiteroles and I also have an arugula Caesar salad. For entr�es tonight I have a swordfish meatloaf with onion marmalade, a rare-roasted partridge breast in raspberry coulis with a sorrel timbale... Huge white porcelain plates descend on very pale pink linen table cloths. Each of the entrees is a rectangle about four inches square and look exactly alike. CLOSE-UP on various diners as we hear fragments of conversation. "Is that Charlie Sheen over there?" "Excuse me? I ordered cactus pear sorbet." WAITER And grilled free-range rabbit with herbed French fries. Our pasta tonight is a squid ravioli in a lemon grass broth... CLOSE-UP on porcelain plates containing elaborate perpendicular desserts descending on another table. PATRICK BATEMAN, TIMOTHY PRICE, CRAIG MCDERMOTT and DAVID VAN PATTEN are at a table set for four. They are all wearing expensively cut suits and suspenders and have slicked-back hair. Van Patten wears horn-rimmed glasses. The camera moves in on Bateman as his narration begins: BATEMAN (V.O.) We're sitting in Pastels, this nouvelle Northern California place on the Upper East Side. The Waiter sets down plates containing tiny, elaborately decorated starters. As he does so we hear Bateman's description of each of the men at the table. BATEMAN (V.O.) You'll notice that my friends and I all look and behave in a remarkably similar fashion, but there are subtle differences between us. McDermott is the biggest asshole. Van Patten is the yes man. Price is the most wired. I'm the best looking. We all have light tans. Right now I'm in a bad mood because this is not a good table, and Van Patten keeps asking dumb, obvious questions about how to dress . VAN PATTEN What are the rules for a sweater vest? McDERMOTT What do you mean? PRICE Yes. Clarify. McDERMOTT Well, is it strictly informal- BATEMAN Or can it be worn with a suit? McDERMOTT (Smiling) Exactly BATEMAN With discreet pinstripes you should wear a subdued blue or charcoal gray vest. A plaid suit would cal I for a bolder vest. McDERMOTT But avoid matching the vest's pattern with your socks or tie. Wearing argyle socks with an argyle vest will look too studied. VAN PATTEN You think so? PRICE You'll look like you consciously worked for the look. VAN PATTEN Good point. Excuse me, gentlemen. Van Patten leaves the table. As he does so, a busboy discreetly removes their largely untouched plates. BATEMAN Van Patten looks puffy. Has he stopped working out? PRICE It looks that way, doesn't it? McDERMOTT (Staring at retreating waiter) Did he just take our plates away? PRICE He took them away because the portions are so small he probably thought we were finished. God, I hate this place. This is a chicks' restaurant. Why aren't we at Dorsia? McDERMOTT Because Bateman won't give the maitre d' head. (He guffaws) Bateman throws a swizzle stick at him. McDermott scans the room, settling on a handsome young man with slicked-back hair and horn-rimmed glasses. McDERMOTT Is that Reed Robinson over there? PRICE Are you freebasing or what? That's not Robinson. McDERMOTT Who is it then? PRICE That's Paul Owen. BATEMAN That's not Paul Owen. Paul Owen's on the other side of the room. Over there. He points to another handsome young man with slicked-back hair and horn-rimmed glasses. McDERMOTT Who is he with? PRICE (Distracted by the waitress's cleavage as she bends over to uncork a bottle of wine � the waitress glares at him) Some weasel from Kicker Peabody. Van Patten returns. VAN PATTEN They don't have a good bathroom to do coke in. McDERMOTT Are you sure that's Paul Owen over there? PRICE Yes. McDufus, I am. McDERMOTT He's handling the Fisher account. PRICE Lucky bastard. McDERMOTT Lucky Jew bastard. BATEMAN Oh Jesus, McDermott, what does that have to do with anything? McDERMOTT Listen. I've seen the bastard sitting in his office on the phone with CEOs, spinning a fucking menorah. The bastard brought a Hanukkah bush into the office last December. BATEMAN You spin a dreidel, McDermott, not a menorah. You spin a dreidel. McDERMOTT Oh my God. Bateman, do you want me to fry you up some fucking potato pancakes? Some latkes? BATEMAN No. Just cool it with the anti-Semitic remarks. McDERMOTT Oh I forgot. Bateman's dating someone from the ACLU. Price leans over and pats Bateman on the back. PRICE The voice of reason. The boy next door. And speaking of reasonable... He shows McDermott the bill for the meal. McDERMOTT Only $470. VAN PATTEN (Without irony) Not bad. The others murmur agreement. Four platinum Amex cards slap down on the table. INT. LIMOUSINE - NIGHT Bateman is pouring vintage champagne into flutes. Price is lighting up a cigar. McDERMOTT Last week I picked up this Vassar chick- VAN PATTEN Oh God, I was there. I don't need to hear this story again. McDERMOTT But I never told you what happened afterwards. So okay, I pick up this Vassar chick at Tunnel-hot number, big tits, great legs, this chick was a little hardbody-and so I buy her a couple of champagne kirs and she's in the city on spring break and she's practically blowing me in the Chandelier Room and so I take her back to my place- BATEMAN Whoa, wait. May I ask where Pamela is during all this? McDERMOTT Oh fuck you. I want a blowjob, Bate-man. I want a chick who's gonna let me- VAN PATTEN (Putting his hands over his ears) I don't want to hear this. He's going to say something disgusting. McDERMOTT You prude. Listen, we're not gonna invest in a co-op together or jet down to Saint Bart's. I just want some chick whose face I can sit on for thirty, forty minutes. Price throws a cigar at McDermott, who catches it. McDERMOTT Anyway, so we're back at my place and listen to this. She's had enough champagne by now to get a fucking rhino tipsy, and get this- VAN PATTEN She let you fuck her without a condom? McDERMOTT This is a Vassar girl. She's not from Queens. She would only-are you ready? (Dramatic pause) She would only give me a handjob, and get this...she kept her glove on. The men sit in shocked, horrified silence. ALL IN UNISON Never date a Vassar girl. EXT. TUNNEL NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT The limo pulls up to the sidewalk outside the Tunnel. McDermott holds the door open for a passing HOMELESS MAN, who looks confused. McDERMOTT I suppose he doesn't want the car. Price, ask him if he takes American Express. PRICE (Offering card) You take Amex, dude? The man stumbles away. The club DOORMAN, seeing the limousine, unhooks the velvet rope and welcomes them inside. INT. LADIES ROOM, TUNNEL - NIGHT Brilliant white light, a bemused elderly female attendant in a black-and-white maid's uniform trying to give out paper towels. MUSIC thuds through an open doorway. Trashed-looking girls stare into mirrors repairing their eye make-up or sit on the counter chatting to friends. There are almost as many men as women in the room. Couples stand in line, twitching as they wait to do coke. As soon as one bathroom door opens, a couple lurches out rubbing their noses while another couple rushes past them and slams the door. PRICE There's this theory out now that if you can catch the AIDS virus through having sex with someone who is infected, then you can also catch anything-Alzheimer's, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, leukemia, diabetes, dyslexia, for Christ's sake-you can get dyslexia from pussy- BATEMAN I'm not sure, guy, but I don't think dyslexia is a virus. PRICE Oh, who knows? They don't know that. Prove it. Price and Bateman finally get a stall and rush in. Price is sweating. PRICE I'm shaking. You open it. Bateman opens a tiny packet of coke. PRICE Jeez. That's not a helluva lot, is it? BATEMAN Maybe it's just the light. PRICE Is he fucking selling it by the milligram? (He dips the corner of his Amex card in the packet and takes a snort) Oh my God... BATEMAN What? PRICE It's a fucking milligram of Sweet'n Low! Bateman dips his Amex in the envelope and snorts. BATEMAN It's definitely weak but I have a feeling if we do enough of it we'll be okay. PRICE I want to get high off this; Bateman, not sprinkle it on my fucking All-Bran. The GUY IN STALL next door yells at them in an effeminate voice: GUY IN STALL Could you keep it down, I'm trying to do drugs! Price pounds his fist against the stall. PRICE (screaming) SHUT UP! BATEMAN Calm down. Let's do it anyway PRICE I guess you're right... (Raising his voice) THAT IS, IF THE FAGGOT IN THE NEXT STALL THINKS IT'S OKAY! GUY IN STALL Fuck you! PRICE (Trying to climb up against the aluminum divider) No, FUCK YOU!! (He collapses, panting against the stall door) Sorry, dude. Steroids...Okay, let's do it. BATEMAN That's the spirit. They both dig their platinum Amex cards into the envelope of white powder, shoveling it up their noses, then sticking their fingers in to catch the residue and rubbing it into their gums. INT. NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT Bateman saunters toward the bar as "Pump Up the Volume" plays in the background. BATEMAN (to BARGIRL) Two Stoli on the rocks. He hands her two drink tickets. BARGIRL It's after eleven. Those aren't good anymore. It's a cash bar. That'll be twenty-five dollars. Bateman pulls out an expensive-looking wallet and hands her a $50. She turns her back and searches the cash register for change. BATEMAN You are a fucking ugly bitch I want to stab to death and then play around with your blood. The music muffles his voice. She turns around. He is smiling at her. She gives him his change impassively. INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT- MORNING Tableaux of Bateman's apartment in the early morning light. A huge white living room with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Manhattan, decorated in expensive, minimalist high style: bleached oak floors, a huge white sofa, a large Baselitz painting (hung upside down) and much expensive electronic equipment. The room is impeccably neat, and oddly impersonal - as if it had sprung straight from the pages of a design magazine. BATEMAN (V.0.) My name is Patrick Bateman. I am twenty-six years old. I live in the American Garden Buildings on West Eighty-First Street, on the eleventh floor Tom Cruise lives in the penthouse. Bateman walks into his bathroom, urinates while trying to see his reflection in a poster for Les Miserables above his toilet. BATEMAN (V.0.) I believe in taking care of myself, in a balanced diet, in a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. Bateman ties a plastic ice pack around his face. Bateman does his morning stretching exercises in the living room wearing the ice pack. CUT TO: A mirror-lined bathroom. Bateman is luxuriating in the shower steam, scrubbing his body, admiring his muscles. BATEMAN (V.O.) After I remove the icepack, I use a deep pore-cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey-almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Bateman stands in front of a massive marble sink applying a gel facial masque. BATEMAN (V.O.) Then I apply an herb mint facial masque which I leave on for ten minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. Bateman opens the door of a mirrored cabinet, which is stocked with immaculate rows of skin care products. He begins selecting bottles jars and brushes, laying them in readiness on the marble counter. BATEMAN (V.O.) I always use an after-shave lotion with little or no alcohol because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by a final moisturizing "protective" lotion... Bateman stares into the mirror. The masque has dried, giving his face a strange distorted look as if it has been wrapped in plastic. He begins slowly peeling the gel masque off his face. BATEMAN (V.O.) There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, hut there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping you and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there. INT. BATEMAN BEDROOM - MORNING Another huge white room, equally minimal: a futon, rumpled white sheets, a bedside lamp with a halogen bulb, and a large expensive painting (Eric Fischl or David Salle) chosen by Bateman's interior decorator. Dressed in silk boxer shorts, Bateman stands in front of a huge walk-in closet, filled with rows of expensive shirts, shoes and designer suits, organized according to color and tone. BATEMAN (V.O.) It is hard for me to make sense on any given level. My self is fabricated, an aberration. My personality is sketchy and unformed, my heartlessness goes deep and is persistent. Fully dressed in Armani, Bateman stands in front of a full-length mirror in the middle of his vast bedroom, adjusting his cuff-links. BATEMAN (V.0.) My conscience, my pity, my hopes disappeared a long time ago, if they ever did exist. He gives a last look at the mirror and likes what he sees. He gives his reflection a smile. INT. OFFICES OF PIERCE & PIERCE - DAY As Bateman walks down the corridor, he passes another MAN who looks just like him. MAN Morning, Hamilton. Nice tan. Bateman walks past the desk of JEAN, his secretary, pulling his Walkman from around his neck. Jean is attractive, wholesome, earnest. She smiles shyly. She loves him. JEAN Late? BATEMAN Aerobics class. Sorry. Any messages? JEAN Ricky Hendricks has to cancel today. He didn't say what he was canceling or why. BATEMAN I occasionally box with Ricky at the Harvard Club. Anyone else? JEAN And...Spencer wants to meet you for a drink at Fluties Pier 17. BATEMAN When? JEAN After six. BATEMAN Negative. Cancel it. Jean follows him into his office. JEAN Oh? And what should I say? BATEMAN Just...say...no. JEAN Just say no? Jean stands at his desk, waiting for instructions. BATEMAN Okay, Jean. I need reservations for three at Camols at twelve-thirty, and if not there, try Crayons. All right? JEAN (Playfully) Yes, sir. She turns to leave. BATEMAN Oh wait. And I need reservations for two at Arcadia at eight tonight. Jean turns around. JEAN Oh, something. . romantic? BATEMAN No, silly. Forget it. I'll make them. Thanks. JEAN I'll do it. BATEMAN No. No. Be a doll and just get me a Perrier, okay? JEAN You look nice today. Jean exits. Bateman straightens some magazines in his office, lifts a painting off the wall and puts it back at a slightly different angle. He fiddles with some pencils in a beer stein. He puts on some MUSIC and flips through a Sports Illustrated. He buzzes Jean. She comes in a moment later with the Perrier and a file. JEAN Yes? BATEMAN Is that the Ransom file? Thanks. Don't wear that outfit again. JEAN Ummm...what? I didn't hear you. BATEMAN I said "Do not wear that outfit again." Wear a dress. A skirt or something. Jean stands there, then looks down at herself. JEAN (Smiling bravely) You don't like this, I take it? BATEMAN Come on, you're prettier than that. JEAN (Sarcastically) Thanks, Patrick. The phone RINGS and Jean turns to leave. BATEMAN I'm not here. And high heels. I like high heels. As Jean leaves, Bateman clicks on the TV set in one corner of the room and starts watching Jeopardy! INT. TAXI - EVENING EVELYN WILLIAMS, Patrick Bateman's fianc�e, is making notes with a gold Cross pen and sipping a bottle of mineral water. Evelyn is blonde, classically beautiful, expensively educated, and utterly pleased with herself. She usually addresses Patrick as if he were a small child. EVELYN I'd want a zydeco band, Patrick. That's what I'd want, a zydeco band. Or mariachi. Or reggae. Something ethnic to shock Daddy Oh, I can't decide...And lots of chocolate truffles. Godiva. And oysters on the halfshell. CLOSE-UP on Bateman, who is wearing a Walkman and staring out the window. BATEMAN (V.O.) I'm trying to listen to the new George Michael tape but Evelyn-my supposed fianc�e-keeps buzzing in my ear. Evelyn continues to make notes. EVELYN Marzipan. Pink tents. Hundreds, thousands of roses. Photographers. Annie Leibovitz. We'll get Annie Leibovitz. And we'll hire someone to videotape. Patrick, we should do it. BATEMAN (Removing his Walkman) Do...what. EVELYN Get married. Have a wedding. BATEMAN Evelyn? EVELYN Yes, darling? BATEMAN Is your Evian spiked? EVELYN We should do it. BATEMAN No-I can't take the time off work. EVELYN Your father practically owns the company. You can do anything you like, silly. BATEMAN I don't want to talk about it. EVELYN Well, you hate that job anyway. Why don't you just quit? You don't have to work. BATEMAN Because I...want...to...fit...in. The taxi bumps to a halt. INT. ESPACE RESTAURANT- NIGHT A cavernous garage, harshly spot-lit, decorated in self-conscious brutalist chic. Iron girders, walls of waxed plaster featuring exposed rusted pipes, a huge Schnabel smashed-plate painting on one wall. The tables and chairs are made of extremely uncomfortable bolted steel. BATEMAN (V.O.) I'm on the verge of tears by the time we arrive at Espace since I'm positive we won't have a decent table, but we do, and relief washes over me in an awesome wave. Tm Price and two downtown types, STASH and VANDEN, are already seated. Vanden is about twenty, pretty and sullen, with green streaks in her black hair. Stash is pale, with ragged black hair and bad skin. They are all trying to read large stainless steel menus that look like minimalist art. PRICE The menu's in braille. He gets up to greet them, giving Evelyn a suspiciously long kiss. PRICE I have to talk to you. He drags her away, half giggling and protesting. EVELYN (Over her shoulder) Pat, this is my cousin Vanden and her boyfriend Stash. He's an artist. BATEMAN (After smiling at his own reflection in the mirror and checking his hair) Hi. Pat Bateman. Vanden takes his hand reluctantly, says nothing. BATEMAN Let me guess-you live in the East Village? Pause. STASH SoHo. COURTNEY RAWLINSON and LUIS CARRUTHERS arrive at the table. Courtney is blonde, classically beautiful and from precisely the same social background as Evelyn, but she is considerably more fragile and neurotic. Luis is half-English, half-Argentinean, slightly overweight (a rarity in this crowd), puppyish and eager to please. He wears the same type of designer clothes as Price and Bateman, but with foppish tendencies: velvet jackets, bow-ties, boldly patterned vests. They exchange air kisses. As soon as Luis turns his back, Bateman sneaks a kiss on Courtney's neck. COURTNEY (Whispering) Stop it! Stash and Vanden watch them in silence. LATER: Price is whispering in Evelyn's ear. Everyone else is quietly eating, except Bateman, who is drinking and watching Evelyn and Price. BATEMAN (V.O.) I am fairly sure that Timothy and Evelyn are having an affair. Timothy is the only interesting person I know. Courtney is almost perfect looking. She s usually operating on one or more psychiatric drugs. Tonight I believe it's Xanax. More disturbing than her drug use, though, is the fact that she's engaged to Luis Carruthers, the biggest dufus in the business. Courtney rouses herself from her drug haze. COURTNEY Tell me. Stash...do you think SoHo is becoming to...commercial? CARRUTHERS Yes, I read that. PRICE Oh, who gives a rat's ass? VANDEN Hey. That affects us. PRICE (Wired on coke) Oh ho ho. That affects us? What about the massacres in Sri Lanka, honey? Doesn't that affect us, too? I mean don't you know anything about Sri Lanka? About how the Sikhs are killing like tons of Israelis there? Doesn't that affect us? BATEMAN Oh come on. Price. There are a lot more important problems than Sri Lanka to worry about. Sure our foreign policy is important, but there are more pressing problems at hand. PRICE Like what? BATEMAN Well, we have to end apartheid for one. And slow down the nuclear arms race, stop terrorism and world hunger. But we can't ignore our social needs. either We have to stop people from abusing the welfare system. We have to provide food and shelter for the homeless and oppose racial discrimination and promote civil rights while also promoting equal rights for women but change the abortion laws to protect the right to life yet still somehow maintain women's freedom of choice. The table stares at Bateman uncomfortably. BATEMAN We also have to control the influx of illegal immigrants. We have to encourage a return to traditional moral values and curb graphic sex and violence on TV, in movies, in pop music, everywhere. Most importantly we have to promote general social concern and less materialism in young people. Price chokes on his drink. Everyone is silent and mystified. CARRUTHERS Patrick, how thought-provoking. INT. EVELYN'S BEDROOM - LATER THE SAME EVENING Bateman and Evelyn are lying on her bed watching television. BATEMAN Why don t you just go for Price? EVELYN Oh God, Patrick. Why Price? Price? BATEMAN He's rich. EVELYN Everybody's rich. BATEMAN He's good-looking. EVELYN Everybody's good-looking, Patrick. BATEMAN He has a great body EVELYN Everybody has a great body now. Bateman unbuttons his shirt and makes advances to get Evelyn to have sex with him. She ignores him, watching the Home Shopping Channel with the remote in her hand. Finally, he straddles her, penis close to her face. She tries to look around him at the TV, then takes notice. EVELYN What do you want to do with that, floss with it? Bateman flops back down beside her and stares at the television. EVELYN Are you using minoxidil? BATEMAN No. I'm not. Why should I ? EVELYN Your hairline looks like it's receding. BATEMAN It's not. EXT. STREET - LATER THAT NIGHT It is 3 a.m. Bateman is standing at an ATM, listening to the comforting sound of fresh bills thudding out of the machine. Bateman turns around and watches a solitary young woman walk past him. He collects his money, placing it carefully in his wallet, and then walks toward her, whistling. He catches up to her as she pauses at a red light. BATEMAN Hello. The woman looks suspicious for a moment and then, seeing his smile, smiles back. INT. DRY CLEANERS - DAY Bateman, dressed in an Armani suit with an unlit cigar between his teeth is standing in a dry cleaners, arguing with the Chinese woman behind the counter. BATEMAN Listen, wait. You're not...shhh wait... you're not giving me valid reasons. The woman continues to speak to him in another language, grabbing at the sleeve of the jacket. BATEMAN What are you trying to say to me? Her husband has taken Bateman's horribly bloodstained sheets out of the bag and is staring at them. BATEMAN Bleach-ee? Are you trying to say bleach-ee? Bleach-ee. Oh my God. She keeps pointing to the jacket and talking. BATEMAN (Talking over her) Two things. One. You can't bleach a Soprani. Out of the question. Two. (Louder) Two. I can only get these sheets in Santa Fe. These are very expensive sheets and I really need them clean. She keeps talking and Bateman leans into her. BATEMAN If you don't shut your fucking mouth I will kill you, are you understanding me? She talks faster. BATEMAN Now listen-I have a very important lunch meeting (Checks Rolex) at Hubert's in thirty minutes, and I need those ...no wait, twenty minutes. I have a lunch meeting at Hubert's in twenty minutes with Ronald Harrison and I need those sheets cleaned by this afternoon. She keeps talking. BATEMAN Listen. I cannot understand you. Bateman starts laughing, slaps his hand down on the counter. BATEMAN This is crazy. You're a fool. I can't cope with this. Bateman is on the verge of tears. BATEMAN Stupid bitchee! Understand? Oh Christ! Someone enters the store behind him. It's VICTORIA, late-twenties, attractive but a little overweight, wearing a tailored business suit with white sneakers and sports socks. VICTORIA Patrick? She takes off her sunglasses. VICTORIA Hi, Patrick. I thought that was you. BATEMAN Hello (Mumbles un incomprehensible name) Awkward pause. BATEMAN Well. VICTORIA Isn't it ridiculous? Coming all the way up here, but you know. They really are the best. BATEMAN Then why can't they get these stains out? I mean can you talk to these people or something? I'm not getting anywhere. Victoria moves toward the sheet that the old man is holding up. She touches it and the woman behind the counter begins talking again. VICTORIA Oh my, I see. What are those? Oh my. BATEMAN Um, well...it s cranberry juice. Cranapple. VICTORiA (Skeptically) Really? BATEMAN Well, I mean, um, it s really...Bosco. You know, like... like a Dove Bar. It's a Dove Bar...Hershey's Syrup? VICTORIA (As if sharing a secret joke) Oh yeah. Oh I get it. Fun with chocolate. BATEMAN Listen, if you could talk to them (He yanks the sheet out of the man's hand) I would really appreciate it. I'm really late. I have a lunch appointment at Hubert's in fifteen minutes. Bateman turns to leave. VICTORIA Hubert's? Oh really? It moved uptown, right? BATEMAN Yeah, well, oh boy, listen, I've got to go. Thank you, uh... Victoria? VICTORIA Maybe we could have lunch one day next week? You know, I'm downtown near Wall Street quite often. BATEMAN Oh, I don't know, Victoria. I'm at work all the time. VICTORIA Well, what about, oh, you know, maybe a Saturday? BATEMAN (Checking his watch) Next Saturday? VICTORIA (Shrugging) Yeah. BATEMAN Oh, can't, I'm afraid. Matin�e of Les Miserables. Listen, I've really got to go. I'll-Oh...Christ...I'll call you. VICTORIA Okay. Do. Bateman glares at the woman behind the counter and rushes out the door. Victoria stares after him as we hear the sound of the bell on the closing door. INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - DAY Bateman is sitting on the sofa watching a video, talking to Courtney on a portable phone. He's holding a video box in one hand, perusing the title: Inside Lydia's Ass. Offscreen we hear the sounds of the porn movie as he talks. BATEMAN Listen, what are you doing tonight? COURTNEY What? Oh, I'm...busy. BATEMAN Listen, you're dating Luis, he's in Arizona. You're fucking me, and we haven't made plans. What could you possibly be up to tonight? COURTNEY Stop it. I'm... BATEMAN On a lot of lithium? COURTNEY Waiting for Luis to call me. He said he'd call tonight. Oh don't be difficult, Patrick. BATEMAN You should come have dinner with me. COURTNEY But-when? BATEMAN Am I confused or were we talking about tonight? COURTNEY Ummm . . yeah. Luis is calling me tonight. I need to be home for that. BATEMAN Pumpkin? COURTNEY Yes? BATEMAN Pumpkin you're dating an asshole. COURTNEY Uh huh. BATEMAN Pumpkin you're dating the biggest dickweed in New York. COURTNEY I know. Stop it. BATEMAN Pumpkin, you're dating a tumbling, tumbling dickweed. COURTNEY Patrick don't call me pumpkin anymore, okay? I have to go. BATEMAN Courtney? Dinner? COURTNEY I can't. BATEMAN I'm thinking Dorsia. COURTNEY Dorsia's nice. BATEMAN Nice? COURTNEY You like it there, don't you? BATEMAN The question is do you like it, Courtney? And will you blow off a fucking phone call from your sad excuse for a boyfriend to eat there tonight. COURTNEY Okay. Yeah. What time? BATEMAN Eight? COURTNEY Pick me up? BATEMAN Sounds like I'll have to. Don't fall asleep, okay? Wear something fabulous. Dorsia, remember? Bateman hangs up, opens up the Zagat's guide and dials the number for Dorsia with trembling fingers. It's busy and so he puts it on speakerphone, constant redial. He waits with his head in his hands, sweating with anxiety, until there is finally an answer. MAITRE D' Dorsia. Please hold. He is on hold for a long time, getting very tense. MAITRE D' Dorsia. BATEMAN (Both of his eyes are closed) Umm...yes...I know it's a little late but is it possible to reserve a table for two at eight or eight-thirty perhaps? Long pause. The Maitre D' starts giggling quietly and then more loudly until the laughter is almost hysterical and he hangs up the phone. INT. TAXI- NIGHT Bateman and Courtney are in the back of a cab. Courtney is heavily medicated. COURTNEY A facial at Elizabeth Arden, which was really relaxing, then to the Pottery Bam where I bought this silver muffin dish. (She starts to pass out) BATEMAN Is that Donald Trump's car? COURTNEY (Thickly) Oh God, Patrick. Shut up. BATEMAN You know, Courtney, you should take some more lithium. Or have a Diet Coke. Some caffeine might get you out of this slump. COURTNEY I just want to have a child. Just...two... perfect...children... (Her voice trails as she descends back into a drug haze) The cab draws up outside a restaurant. The awning reads "Barcadia." INT. BARCADIA - NIGHT An insanely expensive nouvelle Italian restaurant all polished natural brick, spotless white tablecloths, minimalist flower arrangements, discreet lighting. A waiter has come to take their drink orders. BATEMAN J&B. Straight. COURTNEY Champagne on the rocks. Oh-could I have that with a twist? She starts to sink back in her chair and Bateman leans over and pulls her back up. COURTNEY Are we here? BATEMAN Yes. COURTNEY This is Dorsia? BATEMAN (Examining a menu that says "Barcadia" in large script) Yes, dear. Courtney almost falls asleep while looking at her menu, and starts to slide off of her chair. Bateman grabs her by both shoulders and props her up. BATEMAN Courtney, you're going to have the peanut butter soup with smoked duck and mashed squash. New York magazine called it a 'playful but mysterious little dish." You'll love it. And then...the red snapper with violets and pine nuts. I think that'll follow nicely. COURTNEY Mmmm...thanks, Patrick. She falls asleep at the table. INT. COURTNEY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Bateman and Courtney are in Courtney's bed. Bateman is on top of her, reaching for a condom in the ashtray. He tears it open with his teeth, puts it on. COURTNEY (Dazed on lithium) I want you to fuck me. Bateman gets on top of her, starts to fuck her. COURTNEY Luis is a despicable twit. BATEMAN Yes, Luis is a despicable twit. I hate him. He keeps fucking her. COURTNEY No, you idiot. I said "Is it a receptacle tip?" Not, is Luis a despicable twit. Is it a receptacle tip? Get off me. BATEMAN Is it a what? COURTNEY Pull out. BATEMAN I'm ignoring you. COURTNEY (screaming) Pull out, goddamnit! BATEMAN (Slowing down but not stopping) What do you want, Courtney? She pushes him away from her. BATEMAN It's a plain end. I think. COURTNEY Turn the light on. She tries to sit up. BATEMAN Oh Jesus. I'm going home. COURTNEY Patrick. Turn on the Light. He turns on the light. BATEMAN It's a plain end, see? So? COURTNEY Take it off. BATEMAN Why? COURTNEY Because you have to leave half an inch at the tip � (She covers herself with her comforter) to catch the force of the ejaculate! BATEMAN I'm getting out of here. Where's your lithium? Courtney throws a pillow over her head and starts crying. COURTNEY (Screaming) Do you think you're turning me on by having unsafe sex? Bateman pulls the pillow off her and slaps her face. BATEMAN Oh Christ, this really isn't worth it. And see, Courtney, it's there for what? Huh? Tell us. (He slaps her again lightly) Why is it pulled down half an inch? So it can catch the force of the ejaculate! COURTNEY (Choking crying) Well, it's not a turn-on for me. I have a promotion coming to me. I don't want to get AIDS. Bateman grabs her head and makes her look at the condom. BATEMAN See? Happy? You dumb bitch? Are you happy, you dumb bitch? COURTNEY Oh God, just get it over with. He fucks her quickly until he has a mediocre orgasm and falls down next to her. They lie side by side with their bodies not touching, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, PIERCE & PIERCE - DAY Bateman and Luis Carruthers are seated at a long table in the conference room at Pierce & Pierce, which looks out onto a spectacular view of Manhattan. CARRUTHERS Patrick, thanks so much for looking after Courtney. Dorsia, how impressive! How on earth did you get a reservation there? BATEMAN Lucky, I guess. CARRUTHERS That's a wonderful jacket. Let me guess, Valentino Couture? BATEMAN Uh huh. CARRUTHERS (Reaching out to touch it) It looks so soft. BATEMAN (Catching Luis hand) Your compliment was sufficient Luis. Carruthers is distracted by a question from the colleague on his left.Paul Owen enters, carrying the Wall St. Journal under his arm. He is handsome, supremely confident and self-satisfied; he sees himself as a leader among men. OWEN (To Bateman) Hello, Halberstam. Nice tie. How the hell are you? BATEMAN I've been great. And you? Their conversation fades down as we hear Bateman's thoughts. BATEMAN (V.O.) Owen has mistaken me for this dickhead Marcus Halberstam. It seems logical because Marcus also works at P&P and in fact does the same exact thing I do and he also has a penchant for Valentino suits and Oliver Peoples glasses. Marcus and I even go to the same barber, although I have a slightly better haircut. During this voiceover the CAMERA WANDERS over to MARCUS HALBERSTAM, who is conferring with a colleague in the opposite corner of the room. He bears a superficial resemblance to Bateman. OWEN How's the Ransom account going, Marcus? BATEMAN (Nervous) It's...it's...all right. OWEN Really? That's interesting. (He stares at Bateman, smiling) Not great? BATEMAN Oh well, you know. OWEN And how's Cecilia? She's a great girl. BATEMAN Oh yes. I'm very lucky. McDermott and Price enter. McDERMOTT Hey. Owen! Congratulations on the Fisher account. OWEN Thank you, Baxter. PRICE Listen, Paul. Squash? OWEN Call me. (Hands him a business card) PRICE How about Friday? OWEN No can do. Got a res at eight-thirty at Dorsia. Great sea urchin ceviche. There is a stunned silence as he walks away and sits in a corner of the room, ostentatiously studying papers. CLOSE-UP on Bateman's face, cold with hatred. PRICE (Whispering) Jesus. Dorsia? On a Friday night? How'd he swing that? McDERMOTT (Whispering) I think he's lying. Bateman takes out his wallet and pulls out a card. PRICE (Suddenly enthused) What's that, a gram? BATEMAN New card. What do you think? McDermott lifts it up and examines the lettering carefully. McDERMOTT Whoa. Very nice. Take a look. He hands it to Van Patten. BATEMAN Picked them up from the printers yesterday VAN PATTEN Good coloring. BATEMAN That's bone. And the lettering is something called Silian Rail. McDERMOTT (Envious) Silian Rail? VAN PATTEN It is very cool, Bateman. But that's nothing. He pulls a card out of his wallet and slaps it on the table. VAN PATTEN Look at this. They all lean forward to inspect it. PRICE That's really nice. Bateman clenches his fists beneath the table, trying to control his anxiety. VAN PATTEN Eggshell with Romalian type. (Turning to Bateman) What do you think? BATEMAN (Barely able to breath, his voice a croak) Nice. PRICE (Holding the card up to the light) Jesus. This is really super. How'd a nitwit like you get so tasteful? Bateman stares at his own card and then enviously at McDermott's. BATEMAN (V.O.) I can't believe that Price prefers McDermott's card to mine. PRICE But wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet. He holds up his own card. PRICE Raised lettering, pale nimbus white... BATEMAN (Choking with anxiety) Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Owen's card. Price pulls a card from an inside coat pocket and holds it up for their inspection: "PAUL OWEN, PIERCE & PIERCE, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS." Bateman swallows, speechless. The sound in the room dies down and all we hear is a faint heartbeat as Bateman stares at the magnificent card. BATEMAN (V.O.) Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark... His hand shaking, Bateman lifts up the card and stares at it until it fills the screen. He lets it fall. The SOUND RETURNS TO NORMAL. CARRUTHERS Is something wrong? Patrick...you're sweating. EXT. STREET- EVENING The financial district. The streets are eerily deserted. Bateman stands at an ATM, enjoying the reassuring sound of $500 in fresh bills thudding from the machine. As he turns to leave, he notices someone across the street. A HOMELESS MAN is lying in a doorway on top of an open grate, surrounded by bags of garbage and a shopping cart. A cardboard sign is attached to the front of the cart: I AM HOMELESS AND HUNGRY PLEASE HELP ME. A small, thin dog lies next to him. He is black, dressed in a stained, torn, lime-green polyester pants suit with jeans worn over the pants. BATEMAN (Offering his hand) Hello. Pat Bateman. The Homeless Man stares at Bateman, struggling to sit up. BATEMAN You want some money?. Some...food? The Homeless Man nods and starts to cry. Bateman reaches into his pocket and pulls out a $I 0 bill, then changes his mind and holds out a $5 instead. BATEMAN Is this what you need? The Homeless Man nods, looks away, wipes his nose. HOMELESS MAN I'm so hungry. BATEMAN It's cold out, too, isn't it? HOMELESS MAN I'm so hungry. BATEMAN (Holding the bill just out of the man's reach) Why don't you get a job? If you're so hungry, why don't you get a job? HOMELESS MAN (Shivering and sobbing) I lost my job... BATEMAN Why? Were you drinking? Is that why you lost it? Insider trading? Just joking. No, really-were you drinking on the job? HOMELESS MAN I was fired. I was laid off. BATEMAN Gee, uh, that's too bad. HOMELESS MAN I'm so hungry. The dog starts to whimper. BATEMAN Why don't you get another one? Why don't , you get another job? HOMELESS MAN I'm not... BATEMAN You're not what? Qualified for anything else? HOMELESS MAN I'm hungry BATEMAN I know that, I know that. Jeez, you're like a broken record. I'm trying to help you. HOMELESS MAN I'm hungry. BATEMAN Listen, do you think it's fair to take money from people who do have jobs? From people who do work? HOMELESS MAN What am I gonna do? BATEMAN Listen, what's your name? HOMELESS MAN Al. BATEMAN Speak up. Come on. HOMELESS MAN Al. BATEMAN Get a goddamn job, Al. You've got a negative attitude. That's what's stopping you. You've got to get your act together. I'll help you. HOMELESS MAN You re so kind, mister. You're kind. You're a kind man. I can tell. BATEMAN (Petting the dog) Shhhh...it's okay. HOMELESS MAN (Grabbing Bateman's wrist) Please...I don know what to do. I'm so cold. BATEMAN (Stroking his face, whispering) Do ,you know how bad you smell? The stench, my God. HOMELESS MAN I can't...I can't find a shelter BATEMAN You reek. You reek of...shit. Do you know that? (Shouting) Goddammit, Al-look at me and stop crying like some kind of faggot. Al...I'm sorry. Bateman carefully puts the money back in his wallet. BATEMAN It's just that...I don't know I don't have anything in common with you. He opens his briefcase and pulls out a long thin knife with a serrated edge. He pushes up the sleeve of his jacket to protect it. BATEMAN Do you know what a fucking loser ,you are? HOMELESS MAN'S POV as Bateman lunges at him with the knife. EXTREME WIDE SHOT of the street. Bateman's shadowed figure is hunched over the Homeless Man, stabbing him in the stomach. The dog barks wildly and Bateman stomps on it until it is silent. LOW ANGLE shot of Bateman as he throws a quarter on the ground. BATEMAN There's a quarter. Go buy some gum. Bateman walks calmly into the empty caverns of Wall Street. Cars drift past, their headlights momentarily illuminating the body left twitching on the ground. INT. BEAUTY SALON - DAY CLOSE-UP on Bateman's face and torso. His eyes are closed as a woman's hands rub cream into his face. FACIALIST What beautiful skin you have, Mr Bateman. So fine, so smooth... His eyes open to look up at the facialist and then he closes them again. BATEMAN (V.O.) I have all the characteristics of a human being- flesh, blood, skin, hair-but not a single clear, identifiable emotion except for greed ,und disgust. Something horrible is happening inside me and I don't know why. CUT TO: Bateman sitting in a chair, looking down at the MANICURIST who is giving him a pedicure. She is cutting his nails with tiny sharp scissors. He stares at them longingly. BATEMAN (V.O.) My nightly bloodlust has overflowed into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. CUT TO: Bateman lying irradiated by ultraviolet light on a tanning bed, wearing goggles. BATEMAN (V.O.) I think my mask of sanity is about to slip. INT. TEXARKANA RESTAURANT - NIGHT An insanely expensive nouvelle Tex-Mex restaurant, with an ironic Southwestern decor: Santa Fe colors, Navajo blankets, naive cowboy art, rawhide banquettes. Bateman bursts in the door, late, and approaches the MAITRE D'. BATEMAN Marcus Halberstam. For two at eight? MAITRE D' Your friend has already been seated. Follow me, Mr. Halberstam. Paul Owen is seated at a table underneath an enormous pair of ram's horns. He is arguing with the WAITER. OWEN No, I want to know. I came here for the cilantro crawfish gumbo, which is after all the only excuse one could have for being in this restaurant, which is by the way, almost completely empty. Am I to believe that all ten people in this restaurant have eaten your entire supply of cilantro crawfish gumbo? WAITER I'm very sorry sir. There was a fire in the kitchen earlier today, and- BATEMAN J&B, straight. And a Dixie beer. WAITER Would you like to hear- OWEN Double Absolut martini. WAITER Yes, sir. Would you like to hear the specials? BATEMAN Not if you want to keep your spleen. The Waiter leaves. OWEN This is a real beehive of, uh, activity, Halberstam. This place is hot, very hot. BATEMAN Listen, the mud soup and the charcoal arugula are outrageous here. OWEN Yeah, well, you're late. BATEMAN Hey, I'm a child of divorce. Give me a break (Studying the menu; he's in a surprisingly good mood) Hmmm, I see they've omitted the pork loin with lime jello. OWEN We should've gone to Dorsia. I could've gotten us a table. BATEMAN Nobody goes there anymore. There is a long disgruntled silence. BATEMAN Is that Ivana Trump over there? (Laughs) Jeez Patrick I mean Marcus, what are you thinking? Why would Ivana be at Texarkana? Another pause. BATEMAN So, wasn't Rothschild originally handling the Fisher account? How did you get it? OWEN I could tell you that, Halberstam, but then I'd have to kill you. He guffaws. Bateman laughs politely. LATER: Paul Owen is very drunk. BATEMAN cold sober. BATEMAN I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane? Owen continues laughing and motions to the waiter for another drink. OWEN Great tan, Marcus. Really impressive. Where do you tan? BATEMAN Salon. OWEN I've got a tanning bed at home. You should look into it. Bateman nods, agitated. OWEN And Cecelia, how is she? Where is she tonight? BATEMAN Cecelia is, well...you know (Cecelia. I think she's having dinner with...Evelyn Williams. OWEN Evelyn. Great ass. Goes out with that loser Patrick Bateman. What a dork. BATEMAN Another Martini, Paul? Owen nods drunkenly. LATER: The end of the meal. Owen is squeezing a lime onto the table, missing his beer, incredibly drunk. The check is laid down. BATEMAN (Talking to Owen like a child) Paul, give me your Amex card. Good boy. Bateman slaps the card down, looks at the check. BATEMAN Two-hundred-and-fifty. Very reasonable. Let's leave a big tip, shall we? My place hr a nightcap? OWEN No, man. I'm gonna bail. BATEMAN Come on, you dumb son of a bitch. (Helping him into his jacket) I've got a preview of the Barneys catalogue and a bottle of Absolut waiting for us. INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The living room floor has been meticulously covered with newspaper. Owen is slumped drunkenly in a white Eames chair, a glass in his hand. Bateman is looking through his CDs. BATEMAN You like Huey Lewis and the News? OWEN They're okay. BATEMAN Their early work was a little too New Wave for my taste. But then Sports came out in 1983, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. Bateman walks to his bathroom, taking a large ax out of the shower. He takes two Valium. BATEMAN (Said partly from the bathroom) The whole album has a clear, crisp sound and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that gives the songs a big boost. Bateman comes back out and leans the ax against the wall. He walks to the foyer and puts on a raincoat, watching Owen from behind ail the time. BATEMAN He's been compared to ELvis Costello but I think Huey has a more bitter, cynical sense of humor. Owen is absent-mindedly leafing through the Barneys catalogue. OWEN Hey, Halberstam? BATEMAN Yes, Owen? OWEN Why are there copies of the Style section all over the place? Do you have a dog? A chow or something? BATEMAN No, Owen. OWEN (Confused) Is that a raincoat? BATEMAN Yes, it is. Bateman moves to the CD player. He takes a CD out of its case and slides it in the machine. BATEMAN In 1987 Huey released this, Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think I heir undisputed masterpiece is "HiP To Be Square," a song so catchy that most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends. It's al~ a personal statement about the band itself. Bateman puts on "Hip To Be Square." BATEMAN crosses the room and picks up the ax. We follow BATEMAN from behind as he walks up to Owen, the ax raised over his head. BATEMAN Hey, Paul? As Owen turns around, FROM OWEN'S POV we see Bateman swing the ax toward his face. Blood sprays onto the white raincoat. FROM BEHIND OWEN, we see BATEMAN as he yanks the ax out. Owen drops to the floor. His body falls out of the frame. We stay on his legs twitching mechanically. Blood pulses onto the newspaper-covered floor. BATEMAN (Raising the ax and screaming) Try getting a reservation at Dorsia now, you fucking stupid bastard! LOW ANGLE ON BATEMAN as he beats Owen with the back of the ax. OFFSCREEN, the sound of the ax hitting Owen. BATEMAN (Panting) Fucking bastard... Bateman takes his raincoat off, still panting. He folds the coat carefully in half, bloody side in, and drapes it neatly over the back of a chair. He sits back on the white sofa and surveys the scene. He checks his Rolex and lights a cigar. OFFSCREEN, Paul Owen's last faint sighs are heard. INT. LOBBY - NIGHT BATEMAN drags a large, blood-soaked sleeping bag through the lobby, past the bored doorman, who looks up from the Post for a moment. EXT. STREET - NIGHT BATEMAN is trying to hail a cab. Owen's body is at his feet. Luis Carruthers and a Japanese girl walk up to him. CARRUTHERS Patrick? Is that you? BATEMAN No, Luis. It's not me. You're mistaken. CARRUTHERS This is Gwendolyn Ichiban. This is my very good friend Patrick Bateman. Where are you going? We're going to Nell's. Gwendolyn's father's buying it. (Looking down at the body) Where did you get your overnight bag? BATEMAN Commes des Garcon. A cab stops. BATEMAN opens the door and manages to get Owen's body into the backseat. Bateman gets into the cab. CARRUTHERS Call me please, Patrick. BATEMAN Jesus lives, Luis. INT. BATEMAN'S HELL'S KITCHEN APARTMENT - NIGHT A bare room, lit by one light bulb. The walls are blank except for a Les Miserables poster. There is one ratty chair. Bateman pours lime over Paul Owen's body, which is lying in a bathtub. He plays Huey Lewis, smokes a cigar, watches the body dissolve. INT. PAUL OWEN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Bateman is letting himself into the apartment. It is very similar to Bateman's, but even more minimalist. The walls are white-pigmented concrete with a large minimalist painting on the wall. One wall is covered in a trendy, large-scale scientific drawing above a long, black leather couch. BATEMAN Where to send the bastard? Dallas? Pans? He throws some clothes into a suitcase, randomly grabbing toiletries and shoving them in. BATEMAN Singapore? London. I'll send the asshole to London. He puts some music on to help muffle his voice, then leans over the answering machine. He does a passable imitation of Owen's speech. BATEMAN Hi, this is Paul. I've been called away to London for a few days. Meredith, I'll call you when I get back. Hasta la vista, baby. INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - MORNING Bateman is sitting at his desk, with the latest copy of Sports Illustrated in front of him and his Walkman playing Kenny G. We hear the MUSIC until Jean enters and he takes the Walkman off. BATEMAN (Faintly irritable) What is it? JEAN Patrick? BATEMAN (Condescendingly) Ye-es, Je-an? JEAN Patrick, a Mr. Donald KIMBALL is here to see you. BATEMAN Who? JEAN Detective Donald KIMBALL? Silence. Bateman stares out the window, then down at the drawing of a headless woman he's been doodling on the back cover of Sports Illustrated. BATEMAN Tell him I'm at lunch. JEAN (whispering) Patrick, I think he knows you're here. It's only ten-thirty. Silence. BATEMAN Send him in, I guess. As she exits, he picks up the cordless phone and pretends to talk to someone at the other end. BATEMAN Now, John, you've got to wear clothes in proportion to your physique. There are definite do's and don'ts, good buddy, of wearing a bold-striped shirt. A hold-striped shirt calls for solid-colored or discreetly patterned suits and ties... The door to the office opens and he waves in DETECTIVE DONALD KIMBALL. KIMBALL is surprisingly young - about Bateman's age - and good-looking, dressed in a crumpled linen Armani suit of the type Bateman and his friends might wear. Kimball sits down and crosses his legs with a self-assurance that makes Bateman so nervous he forgets to carry on with his fake conversation. Kimball looks up at him curiously, noticing the silence. BATEMAN (Realizing that Kimball is staring at him) Right. And yes...always tip the stylist fifteen percent. Bateman shrugs at the detective, rolling his eyes in exasperation. KIMBALL nods understandingly. BATEMAN Listen, John, I've got to go. T Boone Pickens just walked in... (He laughs inanely) Just joking... (Pause) No don't tip the owner of the salon. Okay, John, right, got it. (He hangs up the phone and pushes the antenna in) Sorry about that. KIMBALL No, I'm sorry. I should've made an appointment. (Gesturing toward the phone) Was that anything important? BATEMAN Oh that? Just mulling over business problems. Examining opportunities...Exchanging rumors... Spreading gossip. They laugh politely. KIMBALL (Holding out his hand) Hi. I'm Donald KIMBALL BATEMAN (Shaking firmly) Hi. Pat Bateman. Nice to meet you. KIMBALL I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. but I was supposed to talk to Luis Carruthers and he wasn't in and...well, you're here, so...I know how busy you guys can get. KIMBALL stares at the three open copies of Sports Illustrated and the Sony Walkman lying on Bateman's desk. Bateman sees the look and sweeps the magazines into the top drawer along with the Walkman, which is still running. BATEMAN (Forcing himself to sound friendly and relaxed) So, what's the topic of discussion? KIMBALL I've been hired by Meredith Powell to investigate the disappearance of Paul Owen. BATEMAN You're not with the FBI or anything, are you? KIMBALL Nothing like that. I'm just a private investigator. BATEMAN Ah, I see...Yes. Paul's disappearance...Yes. KIMBALL So it's nothing that official. I just have some basic questions. About Paul Owen. About yourself- BATEMAN Coffee? KIMBALL No. I'm okay. BATEMAN Perrier? San Pellegrino? KIMBALL No, I'm okay. KIMBALL takes out a small black notepad and the same gold Cross pen that Bateman and his friends all use. Bateman buzzes Jean. JEAN (O.S.) Patrick? BATEMAN Can you bring Mr... KIMBALL KIMBALL. BATEMAN Mr. Kimball a bottle of San Pelle- KIMBALL Oh no, I'm okay. BATEMAN It's no problem Bateman watches intently as KIMBALL writes something down in his notebook, then crosses something out. Jean enters and places the bottle of San Pellegrino and a Steuben etched glass on the table, shooting a concerned glance at Bateman. He glares at her. KIMBALL smiles and nods at Jean as she leaves. BATEMAN Well, what's the topic of discussion? KIMBALL The disappearance of Paul Owen. BATEMAN Oh right. Well, I haven't heard anything about the disappearance or anything... (Trying to laugh) Not on "Page Six" at least. KIMBALL I think his family wants this kept quiet. BATEMAN Understandable. (Staring at the untouched bottle of San Pellegrino) Lime? KIMBALL No, really. I'm okay. BATEMAN You sure? I can always get you a lime. A pause. KIMBALL Just some preliminary questions that I need for my own files, okay? BATEMAN Shoot. KIMBALL How old are you? BATEMAN Twenty-six. I'll be twenty-seven in October. KIMBALL (Scribbling in his notebook) Where did you go to school? BATEMAN Harvard. The Harvard Business School. KIMBALL Your address? BATEMAN Fifty-five West Eighty-First Street. The American Gardens Building. KIMBALL (Looking up, impressed) Nice. Very nice. BATEMAN (Flattered) Thanks. A pause as KIMBALL studies his notebook. Bateman closes his eyes, as if in pain. KIMBALL Pardon me, but are you okay? BATEMAN Who do you ask? KIMBALL You seem...nervous. Bateman reaches into his desk drawer and brings out a bottle of aspirin. BATEMAN Nuprin? KIMBALL Uh...no, thanks. Kimball takes out a pack of Marlboro's and lays it on the desk. BATEMAN Bad habit. KIMBALL I know. I'm sorry. A pause, as Bateman stares at the cigarettes. KIMBALL Would you rather I not smoke? BATEMAN No, I guess it's okay. KIMBALL You sure? BATEMAN No problem. (Buzzing Jean) JEAN (O.S.) Yes, Patrick? BATEMAN Bring us an ashtray for Mr. KIMBALL, please. She whisks in with a crystal ashtray as they sit in silence. KIMBALL What can you tell me about Paul Owen? BATEMAN Well... He coughs, shakes two Nuprin into his hand and swallows them dry. KIMBALL How well did you know him? BATEMAN I'm...at a loss. He was part of that whole...Yale thing, you know. KIMBALL Yale thing? A pause. BATEMAN Yeah...Yale thing. KIMBALL What do you mean...Yale thing? A pause. BATEMAN Well, I think for one that he was probably a closet homosexual. Who did a lot of cocaine...that Yale thing. A silence during which the sound of the air conditioner becomes deafening. KIMBALL So...there's nothing you can tell me about Paul Owen? BATEMAN He led what I suppose was an orderly life. He... ate a balanced diet. KIMBALL What kind of man was he? Besides... (He hesitates tries to smile) the information you've just given. BATEMAN I hope I'm not being cross-examined here. KIMBALL Do you feel that way? BATEMAN No. Not really. KIMBALL (As he writes without looking up) Where did Paul hang out? BATEMAN Hang...out? KIMBALL Yeah. You know...hang out. BATEMAN Let me think. The Newport. Harry's. Fluties. Endochine. Nell's. Comell Club. The New York Yacht Club. The regular places. KIMBALL He had a yacht? BATEMAN No, he just hung out there. KIMBALL And where did he go to school? A slight pause. BATEMAN Don't you know this? KIMBALL I just wanted to know if you know. BATEMAN Before Yale? If I remember correctly, Saint Paul's... Listen, I just...I just want to help. KIMBALL I understand. He makes another note. KIMBALL Anything else you can tell me about Owen? BATEMAN We were both seven in 1969. KIMBALL (Smiles) So was I. BATEMAN Do you have any witnesses or fingerprints? KIMBALL Well, there's a message on his answering machine saying he went to London. BATEMAN Well, maybe he did, huh? KIMBALL His girlfriend doesn't think so. BATEMAN But...has anyone seen him in London? KIMBALL Actually, yes. BATEMAN Hmmm. KIMBALL Well, I've had a hard time getting an actual verification. A Stephen Hughes says he saw him at a restaurant there, but I checked it out and what happened is, he mistook a Hubert Ainsworth for Paul, so... BATEMAN Oh. KIMBALL Was he involved at all , do you think, in occultism or Satan worship? BATEMAN What? KIMBALL I know it sounds like a lame question, but in New Jersey I know this sounds like a lame question, but last month-I don't know if you've heard about this, but a young stockbroker was recently arrested and charged with murdering a young Chicano girl and performing voodoo rituals with various body parts- BATEMAN Yikes! No. Paul wasn't into that. He followed a balanced diet and- KIMBALL Yeah, I know, and was into that whole Yale thing. A pause - the longest so far. BATEMAN Have you consulted a psychic? KIMBALL No. BATEMAN Had his apartment been burglarized? KIMBALL No, it actually hadn't. Toiletries were missing. A suit was gone. So was some luggage. That's it. BATEMAN I mean no one's dealing with the homicide squad yet or anything, right? KIMBALL No, not yet. As I said, we're not sure. But... basically no one has seen or heard anything. BATEMAN That's so typical, isn't it? KIMBALL It's just strange. (He stares out the window, lost in thought) One day someone's walking around, going to work, alive, and then... BATEMAN Nothing. KIMBALL People just...disappear. BATEMAN The earth just opens up and swallows people. (He checks his Rolex) KIMBALL Eerie. Really eerie. Silence. BATEMAN (Standing up) You'll have to excuse me. I have a lunch meeting with Cliff Huxtable at Four Seasons in twenty minutes. KIMBALL Isn't the Four Seasons a little far uptown? I mean aren't you going to be late? BATEMAN Uh, no. There's one...down here. KIMBALL Oh really? I didn't know that. Bateman leads him to the door. BATEMAN Yes. It's very good. KIMBALL turns to face him. KIMBALL Listen, if anything occurs to you, any information at all... BATEMAN Absolutely, I'm 100% with you. KIMBALL Great, and thanks for your, uh, time, Mr. Bateman. Bateman closes the door firmly on KIMBALL. He closes his eyes and leans against the door, sweating. INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - AFTERNOON A perfectly lit kitchen still-life - a bottle of Evian, a white porcelain plate on which sits a sliced kiwi, some perfect green grapes, a few berries. OFFSCREEN, the SOUND OF SCREAMS AND A CHAINSAW can be heard from the living room. The living room: Bateman is maniacally doing abdominal crunches as the television plays a video of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There is a pile of horror videos on his coffee table, next to a copy of GQ. LATER: Bateman is sitting in his armchair, phone book in hand, jerking off. He is squealing into the phone and breathing. BATEMAN You like that, slut? The person on the other end clearly hangs up. CLOSE-UP on his fingers dialing the phone. BATEMAN You want to know what I'm wearing? Sixty-dollar boxer shorts by Ralph Lauren, a hundred-and-fifty-dollar white cotton T-shirt by Commes des Garcons. (He snorts like a pig) My Rolex cost- Another hang-up. He dials again. BATEMAN (Whipering) I'm a corporate raider. I orchestrate hostile takeovers. What do you think of that? (Makes disgusting sucking noises and grunts) Huh, bitch? GIRL (O.S.) Dad, is that you? Bateman hangs up, frustrated. EXT. STREET/INT. LIMOUSINE - NIGHT Bateman cruises around in the limo. It pulls up alongside CHRISTIE, a pretty blonde hooker in shorts and leather jacket. Bateman opens his window to speak to her. BATEMAN I haven't seen you around here. CHRISTIE You just haven't been looking. BATEMAN Would you like to see my apartment? Bateman flips on the light inside the limo. He's wearing a tuxedo. CHRISTIE (looking away to some dark corner) I'm not supposed to. Bateman is holding out a $100 bill, which Christie now notices, then takes. BATEMAN Do you want to come to my apartment or not? CHRISTIE I'm not supposed to. (She pockets the bill) But I can make an exception. BATEMAN Do you take American Express? Christie is still looking out behind her. BATEMAN Do you take American Express? Christie looks at him like he's crazy. BATEMAN I'm joking. Come on, get in. As they drive uptown, Bateman dials the cell-phone. He reads off a credit card number. BATEMAN I'd like a girl, early twenties, blonde, who does couples. Couples. Fifty-five West Eighty-First, the American Gardens Building. Apartment 7C. And I really can't stress blonde enough. Blonde. He hangs up. BATEMAN I'm Paul. My name is Paul 0wen, have you'got that? You are Christie. You are to respond only to Christie. Is that clear? INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Christie is in the bathtub, Bateman is pouring in white milky bath oil. BATEMAN That's a very fine Chardonnay you're drinking. Long pause, in which Christie is luxuriating in the tub and Bateman is casually touching her breast. BATEMAN I want you to clean your vagina. Christie reaches for a washcloth. BATEMAN No. From behind. Get on your knees. Christie shrugs. BATEMAN I want to watch. You have a very nice body. The doorman RINGS. Bateman answers. BATEMAN Thank you. Send her up. Christie, get out and dry off, choose a robe-not the Bijan and come and meet me and our guest in the living room for drinks. Bateman answers the door. BATEMAN You've arrived! How lovely, let me take your coat. I'm Paul. How good of you to come. The escort girl looks somewhat bewildered. Bateman takes her coat and inspects her body and face. BATEMAN Not quite blonde, are you? More dirty blonde. I'm going to call you Sabrina. I'm Paul Owen. Bateman escorts her into the living room and brings her a glass of wine. Christie enters, sitting next to Sabrina on the couch, and Bateman sits across from them. There is a long silence. BATEMAN So, don't you want to know what I do? The two girls look at each other with uncomfortable smiles. Christie shrugs. CHRISTIE No. SABRINA (Smiling) No, not really. Bateman is visibly irritated, recrosses his legs. BATEMAN Well, I work on Wall Street. At Pierce & Pierce. (Long pause) Have you heard of it? Another long pause. They shake their heads. Christie stands up and goes over to the CD collection. CHRISTIE You have a really nice place here...Paul. How much did you pay for it? BATEMAN Actually, that's none of your business, Christie, hut I can assure you it certainly wasn't cheap. Bateman leaves to refill his wine glass and Sabrina takes a pack of cigarettes out of her purse. Bateman returns, carrying a tray of chocolates. BATEMAN No, no smoking. Not in here. He walks over to Christie. BATEMAN Varda truffle? Christie stares at the plate and shakes her head. Sabrina takes one. BATEMAN I don't want you to get drunk, but that's a very fine Chardonnay you're not drinking. Bateman goes over to his CDs and scans his vast collection. He takes one out and examines it. BATEMAN Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that I really didn't understand any of their work. It was too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. He puts aside the CD and takes out another one. BATEMAN I think "Invisible Touch" is the group's undisputed masterpiece. He puts on the song and gestures for them to follow him into the bedroom. BATEMAN It's an epic meditation on intangibility, at the same time it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Christie, take off the robe. Bateman puts out a lace teddy. He motions to Christie to put it on. BATEMAN Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. Sabrina, remove your dress. Bateman starts to undress. BATEMAN In terms of lyrical craftsmanship and sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Sabrina, why don't you dance a little? Sabrina dances awkwardly. Christie sits on the bed. BATEMAN Take the lyrics to "Land of Confusion." In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problem of abusive political authority. Bateman knots a silk scarf around Christie's neck - rather menacingly - then helps her into some suede gloves. BATEMAN "In Too Deep" is the most moving pop song of the 1980s about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock. He turns on the video camera. BATEMAN Christie, get down on your knees, so Sabrina can see your asshole. Bateman looks through the viewfinder. BATEMAN Phill Collins solo efforts seem to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying in a narrower way, especially songs like "In the Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds." Sabrina, don't just stare at it. Eat it. He walks over to the sound system in his bedroom and slides in the CD. BATEMAN But I also think that Phill Collins works better within the confines of the group than as a solo artist-and I stress the word artist. This is "Sussudio," a great, great song, a personal favorite. SEX MONTAGE CUT TO "Sussudio." We see this in WIDE SHOT, or through the LENS OF THE VIDEO CAMERA. CUT TO: Bateman asleep in his bed with Christie and Sabrina on either side of him. Sabrina accidentally touches his wrist. Bateman's eyes open. BATEMAN Don't touch the Rolex. Bateman gets up from his bed and goes over to his armoire. He opens the drawer in which are a nail gun, a coat hanger, a rusty butter knife and a half-smoked cigar. He turns around to see Christie and Sabrina both starting to get up and get dressed. He takes the coat hanger. BATEMAN We're not through yet... CUT TO: Bateman ushering them out the door impatiently. They are both sobbing, badly bruised and bleeding. Bateman has a deep scratch on his hand and one on his shoulder. In the b.g. Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" is playing. INT. YALE CLUB � DAY McDermott, Van Patten and Bateman are having drinks. Price walks by with a gorgeous girl and gives them the finger. BATEMAN What an asshole. McDERMOTT Why is Laurie Kennedy dating Price? He's a fucking drug addict. No self-control. VAN PATTEN But Laurie Kennedy is a total hardbody. What do you think, Bateman? BATEMAN I know her. I knew her. McDERMOTT Why do you say it like that? Why does he say it like that? VAN PATTEN Because he dated her. BATEMAN How did you guess? VAN PATTEN Girls dig Bateman. He's CQ. You're total CQ, Bateman. BATEMAN Thanks, guy, but...she's got a lousy personality. McDERMOTT So what? It's all looks. Laurie Kennedy is a babe. Don't even pretend you were interested for any other reason. VAN PATTEN If they have a good personality, then something is very wrong. McDERMOTT If they have a good personality and they are not great looking-who fucking cares? BATEMAN Well, let's just say hypothetically, okay? What if they have a good personality? (He smiles giving up) I know, I know- ALL IN UNISON There are no girls with good personalities! (They laugh and high-five each other) VAN PATTEN A good personality consists of a chick with a little hardbody who will satisfy all sexual demands without being too slutty about things and who will essentially keep her dumb fucking mouth shut. McDERMOTT Listen, the only girls with good personalities who are smart or maybe funny or halfway intelligent or even talented-though God knows what the fuck that means-are ugly chicks. VAN PATTEN Absolutely. McDERMOTT And this is because they have to make up for how fucking unattractive they are. Pause. BATEMAN Do you know what Ed Gein said about women? VAN PATTEN Ed Gein? Maitre d' at Canal Bar? BATEMAN No, serial killer, Wisconsin in the fifties. He was an interesting guy. McDERMOTT So what did Ed say? BATEMAN He said, "When I see a pretty girl walking down the street I think two things. One part of me wants to take her out and talk to her and be real nice and sweet and treat her right." Pauses, finishes his drink. McDERMOTT What does the other part of him think? BATEMAN What her head would look like on a stick. McDermott and Van Patten look at each other and then back at Bateman. Bateman starts to laugh, and the other two uneasily join In. Luis Carruthers walks up to the table. CARRUTHERS (Shyly) Hi, guys. I wanna get your opinion on something. McDermott rolls his eyes at the rest of the table. McDERMOTT If it's about the bow-tie you're wearing, you know how we feel about it. Luis laughs good-naturedly. CARRUTHERS Yes, I do. No, it's my business card-I decided to get a new one too. He pulls out something incredibly tasteful. Everyone compliments Luis except Bateman. The SOUND DROPS and all we hear is the beating of his heart as he stares at the card enviously. Luis plucks it from his hand and walks away, pleased with himself. VAN PATTEN Listen, what about dinner? BATEMAN (Suddenly angry) Is that all you ever have to contribute, Van Patten? "What about fucking dinner?" McDERMOTT Ah, cheer up, Bateman. (Slaps him on the back, massages his neck) What's the matter? No shiatsu this morning? BATEMAN (Watching Luis going into the men's room) Keep touching me like that and you'll draw back a stump. McDERMOTT Whoa, hold on there, little buddy. BATEMAN Excuse me. He gets up from the table. As Bateman walks away, Van Patten grabs a waiter. VAN PATTEN Is this tap water? I don't drink tap water Bring me an Evian or something, okay? INT. MEN'S ROOM - DAY Bateman pulls on his gloves as he enters the men's room. Carruthers is standing in a stall with his back to Bateman. The sound of his urinating is heard until Bateman approaches, then abruptly stops. Slowly, Bateman brings his hands up over the collar of Carruthers' cashmere jacket, circling his neck until both thumbs and index fingers meet. All we can hear is the sound of Bateman's heavy breathing. Slowly he starts to squeeze. Almost in slow motion, Carruthers turns around. Carruthers looks down at Bateman's wrists as if lost in thought. Then he lowers his head and kisses Bateman's wrist. He looks back at Bateman with a shy, love-struck expression, then reaches up and tenderly touches the side of his face. CARRUTHERS God, Patrick. Why here? He strokes Bateman's hair. CARRUTHERS I've seen you looking at me. I've noticed your hot body. Carruthers tries to kiss him on the lips but Bateman backs away. He drops his hands from Carruthers' neck. Carruthers immediately takes them and places them back. Bateman drops them again. CARRUTHERS Don't be shy. Bateman takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and tries to lift his hands again, but abandons the attempt. CARRUTHERS You don't know how long I've wanted it. Ever since that Christmas party at Arizona 206. You know the one, you were wearing that red-striped paisley Armani tie. Bateman looks down and sees that Carruthers' pants are still unzipped. He moves past him out of the stall and stands by the sink and pretends to wash his hands until he realizes he still has his gloves on. Carruthers comes up behind him. CARRUTHERS I want you. I want you...too. Bateman storms out of the men's room, bumping into a waiter and several customers and cursing. Noticing the maitre d' and another waiter conferring and looking at him strangely, Bateman straightens up and smiles and waves cheerfully at them. Carruthers walks up behind him. BATEMAN (Hissing) What...is...it? CARRUTHERS Where are you going? BATEMAN (Stumbling away from him) I've gotta...I've gotta...return some videotapes. CARRUTHERS Patrick? BATEMAN What? CARRUTHERS (Silently mouthing the words) I'll call you. Bateman storms out of the restaurant. INT. COURTNEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Bateman is lying on top of Courtney in her bed, after sex. Still panting, he rolls off her, onto his back. He feels something lumpy underneath him and pulls out a stuffed toy, a black cat with blue jewel eyes. There is silence. COURTNEY Will you call me before Thanksgiving? BATEMAN Maybe. Courtney sighs and reaches for a bottle of pills on her nightstand, swallowing several. Bateman gets up and begins to dress, admiring himself in the mirror. Courtney watches the TV at low volume. COURTNEY What are you doing tonight? BATEMAN Dinner at the River Cafe. Au Bar afterwards, maybe. COURTNEY That's nice. BATEMAN You and...Luis? COURTNEY (Lighting a cigarette) We were supposed to have dinner at Tad and Maura's, but-you know how Luis is... BATEMAN I never knew you smoked. COURTNEY (Smiling sadly) You never noticed. Bateman is making final adjustments to his tie. COURTNEY Listen...Patrick. Can we talk? BATEMAN You look marvelous. There's nothing to say. You're going to marry Luis. Next week, no Less. COURTNEY (Sarcastically) Isn't that special? (A pause) Patrick? BATEMAN Yes, Courtney? C0URTNEY If I don't see you before Thanksgiving, have a nice one, okay? BATEMAN (Flatly) You too. Courtney picks up the black cat and starts petting its head. Bateman heads down the hallway to the front door. COURTNEY Patrick? BATEMAN Yes? COURTNEY Nothing. INT. NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT A big eighties nightclub with a mixed crowd: hip-hop kids, visitors from Jersey, downtown art people, yuppies. I Bateman makes his way through the crowd to the bar, and tries to attract the bartender's attention. He is wearing a suit and his tie is loosened. Kimball approaches him. KIMBALL Mr. Bateman? Bateman gasps and recovers. BATEMAN Detective Kendall...uh Campbell? KIMBALL Kimball. (Extending his hand) Call me Don. BATEMAN Don. KIMBALL So...you hang out here a lot? BATEMAN Uh, yes...I mean...whenever necessary. You know. Pause. BATEMAN How's the investigation going? Taken anyone in for "formal questioning?" (He makes quotation marks in the air and laughs a not-so-relaxed laugh) KIMBALL 0h no. Informal conversations, mostly. What's that, Stoli? BATEMAN Yeah. No Finlandia, as usual. Fucking dump. KIMBALL (Looking at his glass) Too true. You know, Bateman-people tend to reveal so much more about themselves when they're in a relaxed setting, don't you think? Bateman is nodding nervously, idiotically. KIMBALL Some people just can t help themselves. Another Stoli? Bateman shakes his head. KIMBALL I mean they want to get caught. BATEMAN Dan, great to see you again. Like I said, you need anything at all, I'm your man. I don't envy your job. I mean Owen was a...complex man. Bateman wanders away. He looks back uneasily at KIMBALL, who is watching him from the bar. A GUY WITH DREADLOCKS walks by. BATEMAN (Holding up his hand to high-five) Rasta Man! The man stares at him. BATEMAN I mean-Mon. We be jammin'... The man walks by, shaking his head. Bateman wanders into the next room, which is filled with a more familiar crowd: young men in designer suits, girls in black designer dresses. Across the room he spots McDermott and Price sitting with three models, all wearing black mini-dresses. Price and McDermott are having a whispered argument. PRICE I have to talk to these girls? They're models. McDERMOTT Someone has to get the Bolivian marching powder. You went last time. Stay here. McDermott waves gaily to the girls and disappears. Bateman looks at the models. DAISY and CARON are staring into space, smoking. LIBBY is trying to work out how to unfold her napkin. Price signals to Bateman for help. PRICE (Clapping his hands together) Let's have a conversation. So...it was hot out today, no? Silence. LIBBY Where did Craig go? PRICE Well, Gorbachev is downstairs. McDermott is going to sign a peace treaty with him between the United States and Russia. McDermott's the one behind glasnost, you know. LIBBY Well...yeah. But he told me he was in mergers and acquisitions. PRICE You're not confused, are you? LIBBY No, not really. CARON Gorbachev's not downstairs. DAISY (Smiling) Are you Iying? PRICE Yes, Caron's right. Gorbachev's not downstairs. He's at Tunnel. BATEMAN (To Daisy) Ask me a question. DAISY So, what do you do? BATEMAN What do you think I do? DAISY A model? An actor? BATEMAN No. Flattering, but no. DAISY Well... BATEMAN I m into, well, murders and executions mostly. DAISY (Unfazed) Do you like it? BATEMAN Welt...it depends, why? DAISY Well, most guys I know who work in mergers and acquisitions don't really like it. Silence. BATEMAN So, where do you work out? MUCH LATER IN THE EVENING: The club is half-empty now. Price is leaning over a balcony, messed-up on drugs. Bateman comes up behind him in a menacing way that suggests he might push him over the railing. Price turns around, wild-eyed, just as Bateman is reaching for him. PRICE (Shouting) I'm leaving. I'm getting out. BATEMAN Leaving what? PRICE This. Bateman is confused, he thinks Price is referring to his drink. BATEMAN Don't, I'll drink it. PRICE (Screaming) Listen to me, Patrick. I'm leaving. BATEMAN Where to? Are you going to go get a gram? PRICE I'm leaving! I...am...leaving! BATEMAN Don't tell me...merchant banking? PRICE No, you dumb son of a bitch. I'm serious. I'm disappearing. BATEMAN (laughing) Where to? Morgan Stanley? Rehab? What? Price looks away. McDermott and Daisy walk up to them. McDERMOTT Hey-don't worry, be happy. Price lifts his arms up as if greeting the crowd and is shouting something that can't be heard, then PRICE Goodbye! Fuckheads! He climbs over the railing. DAISY What is he doing? BATEMAN Price! Come back! Price leaps from the balcony. He disappears for a moment then resurfaces and runs off into the crowd. EXT. CLUB - NIGHT Bateman and Daisy are waiting for a cab. DAISY My ex-boyfriend, Fiddler, who was in there, he plays in this band that just opened for U2-he couldn't understand what I was doing with a yuppie. BATEMAN Oh really? DAISY He said... (She laughs) He said you gave him bad vibes. BATEMAN That's...that's too bad. DAISY You think I'm dumb, don't you? BATEMAN What? DAISY You think I'm dumb. You think all models are dumb. BATEMAN (insincerely) No. I really don't. DAISY That's okay. I don't mind. There's something sweet about you. She takes his hand as they get into a cab. INT. DAISY'S HALLWAY - LATER THAT NIGHT Bateman leaves Daisy's apartment carrying a suitcase. He pauses in the hallway and tucks some long blonde hair back inside the case. INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON Bateman sits at his desk wearing Wayfarers doing the New York Times crossword puzzle at dusk. Jean knocks gently on the half-open door and walks in with a folder in her hand. Bateman ignores her. JEAN Doin' the crossword? Bateman nods without looking up. JEAN Need help? BATEMAN doesn't respond. We see that every space on the puzzle has been filled in with the words MEAT or BONE. Jean drops the folder on his desk and then walks out. BATEMAN Jean? JEAN (Re-enters office) Yes, Patrick? BATEMAN Would you like to accompany me to dinner? He erases one of the M's on the crossword puzzle. BATEMAN That is...if you're not doing anything. JEAN Oh no. I have no plans. BATEMAN (Lowering his Wayfarers) Well, isn't this a coincidence. A pause. BATEMAN Listen, where should we go? He leans back and pulls a Zagat's from the desk drawer. JEAN Anywhere you want? BATEMAN Let's not think about what I want. How about anywhere you want. JEAN Oh Patrick, I can't make this decision. BATEMAN No, come on. Anywhere you want. JEAN Oh, I can't. (Sighs) I don't know. BATEMAN Come on. Where do you want to go? Anywhere you want. Just say it. I can get us in anywhere. A long pause. JEAN What about...Dorsia? Bateman stops looking through the Zagat's guide and smiles at her. BATEMAN Soooo...Dorsia is where Jean wants to go... JEAN Oh, I don't know. No, we'll go anywhere you want. BATEMAN Dorsia is...fine. He dials the number. MAITRE D' Dorsia, yes? BATEMAN Yes, can you take two tonight, oh, let's say at nine o'clock? He checks his Rolex and winks at Jean. MAITRE D' We are totally booked. BATEMAN Oh really? That's great. MAITRE D' I said we are totally booked. BATEMAN Two at nine? Perfect. MAITRE D' There are no tables available tonight. The waiting list is also totally booked. BATEMAN See you then. He hangs up the phone. He walks over to the coat rack. He glances over at Jean, who is still standing in front of the desk, confused. BATEMAN Yes? You're dressed...okay. JEAN You didn't give them a name. BATEMAN They know me. Pause. BATEMAN Why don't you meet me at my house at seven o'clock for drinks, okay? She turns to leave. BATEMAN And Jean? You'll want to change before we go out. INT. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - EARLY EVENING Jean stands by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out. JEAN Patrick, it's so...elegant. What a wonderful view. Bateman opens up the freezer where Daisy's head is cleady visible. BATEMAN Jean? Sorbet? JEAN Thanks, Patrick. I'd love some. Bateman walks in with a bottle of wine and a corkscrew in his hand and hands her the sorbet. Jean is eating the sorbet. JEAN Want a bite? BATEMAN I'm on a diet. But thank you. JEAN You don't need to lose any weight. You're kidding, right? You look great. Very fit. BATEMAN (Weighing the corkscrew examining the point for sharpness) You can always he thinner. Look...better. JEAN Well, maybe we shouldn't go out to dinner. I don't want to ruin your willpower. BATEMAN No. It's all right. I'm not very good at controlling it anyway. Silence, as Bateman walks around his apartment, opens up his knife drawer, looking at the knives. BATEMAN So listen, what do you really want to do with your life? Pause. BATEMAN And don't tell me you enjoy working with children, okay? JEAN Well, I'd like to travel. And maybe go back to school, but I really don't know...I'm at a point in my life where there seems lo be a lot of possibilities, but I'm so... I don't know...unsure. Bateman is touching a knife in the drawer, feeling the edge of the blade. BATEMAN Do you have a boyfriend? JEAN No, not really. BATEMAN Interesting. JEAN (Shyly) Are you seeing anyone? I mean, seriously? BATEMAN Maybe. I don't know Not really. Bateman opens up a cupboard where there are a lot of very Bateman opens a cupboard where there are a lot of neatly ordered weapons - an ax, a rifle, a chain saw, duct tape, twine and a nail gun. BATEMAN Jean, do you feel...fulfilled? I mean, in your life? JEAN Well, I guess I do. For a long time I was too focused on my work, I think, but now I've really begun to think about changing myself, you know, developing, and...growing. BATEMAN Growing. I'm glad you said that. Bateman picks up the duct tape. BATEMAN Did you know that Ted Bundy's first dog, a collie, was named Lassie? Had you heard this? JEAN Who's Ted Bundy? BATEMAN Forget it. JEAN What's that? BATEMAN Oh. Uh, tape. Duct tape. I...need it for... taping something. Bateman goes back to the cupboard for the nail gun. JEAN Patrick, have you ever wanted to make someone happy? Jean puts her spoon down on the table. BATEMAN (Looking up from loading nails into the gun) What...No! Put it in the carton. JEAN Sorry. (She puts the spoon in the carton) BATEMAN Jean? What? JEAN Make someone happy-have you ever wanted to? From behind, we follow Bateman as he walks across the room and stands behind the couch. BATEMAN I'm looking for...I guess you could say I just want to have a meaningful relationship with someone special. JEAN Hmmmm. He points the nail gun at the back of Jean's head. The phone RINGS. Startled, Bateman hides the nail gun behind his back. The answering machine picks up. As Bateman listens he discreetly places the nail gun behind the couch. He sits down opposite Jean, enjoying her discomfort as she listens to the message. EVELYN Patrick I know you're there. Pick up the phone, you bad boy. What are you up to tonight? It's me. Don't try to hide. I hope you're not out with some little number you picked up because you're my Mr. Bateman. My boy next door. Anyway you never called me and you said you would and I'll leave a message for Jean about this too to remind you but we're having dinner with Melania and Taylor-you know Melania, she went to Sweet Briar, auld Taylor, he went to Cornell-and we're meeting at the Cornell Club, so l'll call you tomorrow morning probably-bye, honey-oopps! You hate that. Bye Mr. Big Time CEO Patrick. Bye. Bye. Silence. Jean is obviously embarrassed and upset. JEAN Was that...Evelyn? Silence. JEAN Are you still seeing her? Silence. JEAN I'm sorry, I have no right to ask that. Silence. JEAN Do you want me to go? A long pause. BATEMAN Yes. I don t think I can...control myself. JEAN I know I should go. I know I have a tendency to get involved with unavailable men, and...I mean, do you want me to go? Another long pause. BATEMAN If you stay, I think something bad will happen. I think I might hurt you. (Almost hopefully) You don't want to get hurt, do you? JEAN No. No, I guess not. I don't want to get bruised. You're right, I should go. She gets up to leave. JEAN And don't forget you have a breakfast meeting with Frederick Bennet and Charles Rust at '21. BATEMAN Thanks. It slipped my mind completely. He sinks back on the sofa and shuts his eyes. INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - DAY Bateman enters P&P, walks up the corridor and pauses outside the door to his office. He sees KIMBALL in conversation with Jean, and Jean looking through her date book. He watches for a moment, frozen with anxiety. He then bursts in, shutting the door behind him. BATEMAN Kimball-I've been wanting to talk with you, Come into my office. Jean, great jacket. Matsuda? Jean looks flustered. Kimball follows Bateman into his office. KIMBALL I actually came to see Timothy Price, but he's taken a leave of absence. BATEMAN Yeah, gone into rehab. Shame. (Hopefully) Is he a suspect? KIMBALL Not really. A pause. KIMBALL Do you remember where you were on the night of Paul's disappearance? (He checks his notebook) Which was on the twentieth of December? BATEMAN God...I guess...I was probably returning videotapes. He opens his desk drawer and pretends to search through his diary. BATEMAN I had a date with a girl named Veronica. KIMBALL Wait. That's not what I've got. BATEMAN What? KIMBALL That's not the information I've received. BATEMAN Well...I...Wait...What information have you received? KIMBALL Let's see... (He flips through his notebook) That you were with- BATEMAN Well, I could he wrong. KIMBALL Well...When was the last time you were with Paul Owen? BATEMAN (Clearly nervous and under pressure) We had...gone to a new musical called...Oh Africa, Brave Africa. It was...a laugh riot...and that's about it. I think we had dinner at Orso's. No, Petaluma. No, Orso's. The...last time I physically saw him was...at an automated teller. I can't remember which...just one that was near, um, Nell's. Kimball is clearly giving up on Bateman for now. He opens his briefcase to put away his notebook. KIMBALL Well, thank you, Mr. Bateman. BATEMAN Patrick, please. I hope I've been informative. Long day-a bit scattered. KIMBALL Listen, I'm a little spent for now but how about lunch in a week or so when I've sorted out all this information? BATEMAN Great, yes, I'd like that. KIMBALL And if you could try and pin down where you were the night of Owen's disappearance, it would make my job a lot easier. BATEMAN Absolutely. I'm with you on that one. Kimball is rifling through his briefcase. He pulls out a new shrink wrapped CD and holds it up. KIMBALL Huey Lewis and the News. Great stuff. Heard it? I just bought it on my way here. Bateman stares at the CD - stunned, terrified. BATEMAN Never. I mean...I don't really like... singers. KIMBALL Not a big music fan, eh? BATEMAN No, I like music. Just-they're-Huey's too... black sounding. For me. KIMBALL Well, to each his own. So-lunch, Thursday? I'll call your secretary about reservations. BATEMAN I'll be there. EXT. MEAT PACKING DISTRICT/INT. LIMOUSINE - NIGHT The same street corner where Bateman found Christie before. The limo is kept idling as he talks to her through a half-opened window. CHRISTIE I'm not so sure about this. I had to go to Emergency after last time... BATEMAN Oh this won't be anything like last time, I promise. CHRISTIE I don't think so. He hands her a $500 bill. BATEMAN Just come in the limo and talk to me for a minute. The driver's here, you'll be safe. Christie gets in hesitantly. BATEMAN Nothing like last time, promise. CHRISTIE Alright. He pours her a shot of vodka and makes her drink it. BATEMAN (Chatting as if they were at a cocktail party) So, you're looking great, how have you been? CHRISTIE (A little confused) Well, I actually might need a little surgery after last time. BATEMAN (Mock shock) Really? CHRISTIE My friend told me I should maybe even get a lawyer. BATEMAN Oh, lawyers are so complicated-don't do that. Here. He writes her a check for $I ,000 to cash and hands it to her. She snatches the check out of his hand and gets quickly out of the limo, walking hurriedly down the street. BATEMAN Bitch. He follows alongside her slowly in the limo, waving a huge wad of cash at her. She hesitates; he uses the money to lure her into the car. As she reluctantly gets into the limo, she reaches for the money. He snatches it away. BATEMAN Uh uh uh. Half now, half later. She takes the money and puts it inside her shirt. BATEMAN Okay, your name is Christie. We're meeting a friend of mine, Elizabeth. She'll be joining us in my new apartment shortly. You'll like her. She's a very nice girl. Don't say anything about yourself. Is that clear. Christie? Christie nods. INT. PAUL OWEN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The living room: ELIZABETH has kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the couch underneath the Baselitz. Elizabeth is an attractive, dark-haired society girl who models occasionally. Christie is sitting on the couch opposite her, pretending to examine a CD. ELIZABETH You look really familiar. Did you you go to Dalton? Christie shakes her head. The kitchen: Bateman is grinding up tabs of Ecstasy and putting them in a bottle of wine. In the living room, Elizabeth is still staring at Christie as if she came from Mars. ELIZABETH I think I met you at Au Bar, didn't I ? With Spicey? Christie looks blank. ELIZABETH Well, maybe not with Spicey but it was definitely at Au Bar. Christie still blank. ELIZABETH You know, Au Bar? Christie shakes her head. ELIZABETH Anyway, Au Bar sucks now, it's terrible. I went to a birth day party there for Malcolm Forbes. Oh my God, please. Bateman enters carrying the bottle of wine and two glasses. Christie, who seems frightened, sips her wine and stares at the floor. There is an awkward silence. CHRISTIE This is nicer than your other apartment. BATEMAN (Offended that she prefers Owen's apartment) It's not that nice. Silence. CHRISTIE Where did you two meet? ELIZABETH Oh God! I met him at, oh God, the Kentucky Derby in '86-no, '87, and... (Turning to Patrick) You were hanging out with that bimbo Allison Poole. (Sarcastically) Hot number. BATEMAN What do you mean, she was a hot number. ELIZABETH If you had an American Express card she'd give you a blowjob. (To Christie) Listen, this girl worked in a tanning salon, need I say more?...What do you do? A long silence. Christie reddens and stares at the floor. BATEMAN She's my...cousin. ELIZABETH (Skeptically) Uh huh? BATEMAN She's from...France. A pause. Elizabeth looks at Bateman dubiously. ELIZABETH Where's your phone? I've got to call Harley. Bateman hands her a cordless phone. She dials, and stares At Christie while she waits for someone to answer. ELIZABETH Where do you summer? Southampton? Christie looks at Bateman and then back at Elizabeth. CHRISTIE No. ELIZABETH (Listening to the receiver) Oh God, it's his machine. BATEMAN Elizabeth, it's three in the morning. ELIZABETH He's a goddamn drug dealer! These are his peak hours. BATEMAN Don't tell him you're here. ELIZABETH Why would I? Bateman has poured her another glass of wine. She downs the whole glass, making a face. ELIZABETH This tastes weird. (She examines the label and shrugs) Harley? It's me. I need your services. Translate that anyway you'd like. I'm at- BATEMAN (Whispering) You're at Paul Owen s. ELIZABETH Who? BATEMAN (Whispering) Paul Owen. ELIZABETH I want the number, idiot. (She waves him away and continues into the reciever) Anyway, I'm at Paul Norman's and I'll try you later and if I don't see you at Canal Bar tomorrow night I'm going to sic my hairdresser on you. She hangs up. ELIZABETH Did you know that guy who disappeared? Didn't he work at Pierce & Pierce, too? Was he a friend of yours? BATEMAN No. ELIZABETH Do you have any coke? Or Halcyon? I'd take a Halcyon. Bateman sits next to Elizabeth on the couch and pours her another glass of the drugged wine. BATEMAN Listen, I would just like to see...the two of you...get it on. What's wrong with that? It's totally disease-free. ELIZABETH (Laughing) Patrick, you re a lunatic. BATEMAN Come on. Don't you find Christie attractive? ELIZABETH Let's not get lewd. (Flirty) I'm in no mood to have a lewd conversation. BATEMAN Come on. I think it would be a turn-on. ELIZABETH (To Christie) Does he do this all the time? Christie shrugs. BATEMAN Christie, you're not drinking your wine. Christie looks at her wine and gingerly takes a sip. BATEMAN (To Elizabeth) Are you telling me you've never gotten it on with a girl? ELIZABETH No! I'm not a lesbian. Why do you think I'd be into that? BATEMAN Well, you went to Sarah Lawrence for one thing. ELIZABETH Those are Sarah Lawrence guys, Patrick. You're making me feel weird. LATER: Elizabeth is now writhing around on the couch and making out with Christie. Bateman holds up a Whitney Houston CD, showing them the picture of Whitney on the cover. BATEMAN Did you know that Whitney Houston's debut LP called simply Whitney Houston had four number-one singles on it? Did you know that, Christie? Whitney's voice leaps across so many boundaries and is so versatile-though she's mainly a jazz singer-that it's hard to take in the album on a first listening. ELIZABETH You actually listen to Whitney Houston? You actually have a Whitney Houston CD? More than one? She giggles, rolling off the sofa onto the floor. BATEMAN (Ignoring her) It's hard to choose a favorite track among so many great ones, but "The Greatest Love of All" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation and dignity. It's universal message crosses all boundaries, and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. to act kinder. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in the world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. As he speaks, he opens the case and carefully places the CD in the player, admiring its pristine silver surface, and watches it slide into the machine. BATEMAN It's an important message, crucial, really, and it's beautifully stated on the album. INT. BEDROOM - LATER AN OUT-OF-FOCUS HOME VIDEO SHOT of Elizabeth, Christie and Bateman in the throes of sex, in the master bedroom. CUT BACK TO WIDE SHOT of the bedroom, partially blocked by the video camera in the foreground. Their bodies are an incoherent tangle of arms and legs. The only sounds are moans, heavy breathing and the slapping of flesh against flesh. CLOSE ON Christie's head and shoulders. Her eyes are shut as she grimly concentrates on giving a good professional performance, turning her head every so often to check the progress of her partners. OFFSCREEN WE HEAR Elizabeth panting in genuine pleasure, moaning loudly. Her voice gets louder and louder and then shifts to actual pain. Bateman rises up off the bed, suddenly appearing behind Christie. There is blood on his face. Christie turns her head and sees him. She screams and leaps off the bed, running out of the room. She slams the mirrored door behind her, and as it swings shut for a split second we see Elizabeth writhing in pain on the bed. We follow Christie out of the room, panicking, screaming. Christie runs down a darkened hallway, frantically opening doors, looking for an escape. She hears the SOUND OF A CHAINSAW coming from the bedroom. She opens a closet. The closet lights up as she opens the door and sees two dead, women hanging inside. She screams, then claps a hand over her mouth. She stops and listens. THE DISTANT SOUND OF THE CHAINSAW. She backs away slowly, into another dark room, lit only by the light from a television set. Through the darkness she sees a head on the top of the TV and starts to whimper. She runs toward the nearest door. Finding herself in the main hallway, she begins to jog toward the front door, then runs. Bateman appears from nowhere, holding the chainsaw, spattered with blood. Christie screams and changes direction. Bateman leaps at her, bellowing. They run through the bedroom and into the bathroom. Christie trips over Elizabeth's body, which is half in the bathtub. Both are slipping on the floor, which is slick with blood. Christie falls, tries to get up. Bateman grabs her leg. He tries to bite it. She kicks him in the face and gets up, running toward the front door. He runs after her. BATEMAN Not the face, you bitch. Not the fucking face, you piece of bitch trash! Christie, screaming, makes it out the front door. Bateman runs after her. She runs down the hall screaming and banging on doors. She moves to the elevator, pounding hysterically on the buttons. She sees the stairwell and runs for it. Bateman sees this and runs after her, revving the chainsaw. She runs down the stairs, Bateman two flights behind her. He stops, leans over the railing to look at her, then aims the chainsaw at her and drops it. Christie SCREAMS OFFSCREEN, then is suddenly silent. FROM BATEMAN'S POV we see Christie's body sprawled facedown at the bottom of the stairwell. The chainsaw sticks out of her back like a sword. INT. CRAYONS - EARLY EVENING An insanely expensive restaurant with a childhood motif: paper tablecloths and jars of crayons for drawing, lots of primary colors, and a goldfish bowl on each table. Bateman is at a table with Evelyn. They are both drawing on the tablecloth. Bateman is drawing Christie with the chainsaw in her back. EVELYN I want a firm commitment. BATEMAN I think, Evelyn, that we've...lost touch. Evelyn waves to a couple across the room. EVELYN (Distracted) Why? What's wrong? BATEMAN (Speaking very carefully, measuring each word) My need to engage in homicidal behavior on a massive scale cannot be, um, corrected, but I have no other way to fulfill my needs. The woman across the room holds up her hand, displaying a new bracelet. Evelyn smiles and nods approvingly. BATEMAN We need to talk. EVELYN Talk about what, Patrick? What is there to talk about? BATEMAN It's over, Evelyn. It's all over EVELYN (Motioning to the waiter for water) Touchy, touchy. I'm sorry I brought the wedding up. Let's just avoid the issue, alright? Now, are we having coffee? BATEMAN I'm fucking serious. It's fucking over. Us. This is no joke. I don't think we should see each other anymore. EVELYN But your friends are my friends. My friends are your friends. I don't think it would work. (Reaching over to dab his face with a napkin) You have a little something on your upper lip. BATEMAN (Brushing her hand away) I know that your friends are my friends. I've thought about that. You can have them. Evelyn stares at him, suspicious and bewildered, a realization dawning. EVELYN You're really serious, aren't you? BATEMAN Yes, I am. EVELYN But what about the past? Our past? BATEMAN We never really shared one. EVELYN You're inhuman. BATEMAN I'm...in touch with humanity. Evelyn, I'm sorry. (He pauses, as if searching for the right words) You're just not terribly important to me. Evelyn begins to cry. EVELYN No, no, no. BATEMAN I know my behavior is...erratic sometimes. She reaches desperately across the table and takes his hand. Bateman pulls his hand away. EVELYN (Sobbing) What do you want me to do, what is it you want? The occupants of nearby tables begin to stare. Bateman is becoming increasingly agitated and embarrassed. BATEMAN (Looking uncomfortably around the room) If you really want to do something for me, you can stop making this scene right now. EVELYN Oh God, I can't believe this. BATEMAN I'm leaving now. I've assessed the situation and I'm going. Evelyn makes an effort to compose herself. She blots the tears so they will not affect her make-up. EVELYN (Surprisingly calm) Where are you going? BATEMAN I'm just leaving. EVELYN But where? BATEMAN I have to return some videotapes. He rushes out of the room. EXT. TRIBECA STREET - EVENING Bateman wanders into misty Tribeca streets, sees a stray cat. BATEMAN Here kitty, kitty. The small mangy cat rubs against him. He picks it up and walks toward an ATM, holding the cat. He puts his card in the machine. The screen reads: FEED ME A STRAY CAT. Bateman begins to attempt to shove the kitten into the deposit slot with some difficulty. The kitten squeals. He takes a gun from out of his pocket and points it at the kitten. He doesn't notice the woman waiting behind him. WOMAN Oh my God! Stop that! What are you doing? Bateman wheels around and shoots her. She falls screaming to the floor. Responding to the gunshot, A POLICE CAR SIREN WAILS in the distance. Bateman breaks into a run. The police car screeches after him. COP CAR (O.S.) HALT STOP. PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON. Bateman ducks down an alley. EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT A COP rushes toward him, seemingly from out of nowhere, and tackles him, trying to get the gun away from him. Bateman manages to shoot the cop in the face while both of them have their hands on the gun, then shoots him again. He reloads the gun. The sound of more COP CARS arriving. He runs out of the alley. EXT. STREET - NIGHT As he reaches the street, he finds A PHALANX OF POLICE CARS approaching. COP CAR Halt. Put down your weapon. The cops leap out and fire a warning shot in the air. Bateman shoots at them. The police return fire. Bateman ducks down behind a parked car and continues shooting wildly. A bullet hits the gas tank of one of the police cars. It catches fire and explodes. The flames light up the scene, illuminating the bodies of policemen both living and dead. NEW ANGLE: Bateman flees from the scene. The camera follows him as he runs along a row of Porsches, trying to open each one, setting off a cacophony of CAR ALARMS. THE SOUND OF POLICE SIRENS draws near. NEW ANGLE: He runs, panting, until he ends up in front of a tail, brilliantly lit office building. As he approaches, the lights in the building are going off floor by floor. INT. OFFICE BUILDING - NIGHT He rushes into the lobby, running for the elevator. NIGHT WATCHMAN Burning the midnight oil, Mr. Smith? You forgot to sign in. Bateman wheels around and shoots him. He runs toward the revolving doors. As he swings around in the doors, he notices a JANITOR who has witnessed the shooting. He revolves back into the lobby and shoots the janitor. NEW ANGLE: He runs out of the building and across the street to an identical office building, the one that houses Pierce & Pierce. INT. PIERCE & PIERCE LOBBY - NIGHT Bateman nods at the Pierce & Pierce NIGHT WATCHMAN and signs in. He breathes a sigh of relief as the elevator doors close behind him. INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Bateman stands looking out through the floor-length windows at a panoramic night view of the city and the river. Below him he sees a SWAT TEAM swarming over the roof of the opposite building. There are ambulances standing by, flares everywhere, distant sirens. Suddenly, THE SOUND OF A HELICOPTER draws near. Frightened, he drops to the floor behind his desk. Helicopter searchlights scan the building, illuminating Bateman's office for a few moments with a blaze of light. He is crouched in one corner, half-sobbing, talking into the phone, as the searchlight keeps circling. BATEMAN Harold, it's Bateman. Patrick Bateman. You're my lawyer so I think you should know-I've killed a lot of people. Some escort girls, in an apartment uptown, some homeless people, maybe five or ten, an NYU girl I met in Central Park. I left her in a parking lot, near Dunkin' Donuts. I killed Bethany, my old girlfriend, with a nail gun. and a man, some old faggot with a dog. Last week I killed another girl with a chainsaw-I had to, she almost got away There was someone else there, maybe a model, I can't remember but she's dead too. And Paul Owen. I killed Paul Owen with an ax, in the face. His body is dissolving in a bathtub in Hell's Kitchen. I don't want to leave anything out here...I guess I've killed 20 people, maybe 40-I have tapes of a lot of it. Some of the girls have seen the tapes, I even... well, I ate some of their brains and I tried to cook a little. Tonight I just, well, I had to kill a lot of people and I'm not sure I 'm going to get away with it this time-I mean I guess I'm a pretty sick guy. So-if you get hack tomorrow, I may show up at Harry's Bar, so, you know, keep your eyes open. Bateman hangs up the phone. The helicopter searchlight circles back, briefly illuminating the room. The camera rises up over Bateman huddled in the corner, staring blankly at the sky. INT. SMITH AND WOLLENSKY RESTAURANT - DAY KIMBALL and Bateman are sitting at a corner table. KIMBALL (Very surprised) No hash browns? BATEMAN Not in the mood, I guess. KIMBALL But...everyone orders the hash browns here. I mean- it's-have you been here before? BATEMAN (Deliberately nonchalant) Yes, of course. The hash browns are delicious. I'm just...not... ordering them. KIMBALL (Looking at him like he's nuts) Suit yourself, I guess. Pause. KIMBALL So, the night he disappeared? Any new thoughts on what you did? BATEMAN I'm not really sure. I had a shower...and some sorbet? KIMBALL I think maybe you've got your dates mixed up. BATEMAN But how? Where do you place Paul that night? KIMBALL According to his date book, and this was verified by his secretary, he had dinner with...Marcus Halberstam. BATEMAN And? KIMBALL I've questioned him. BATEMAN Marcus? KIMBALL Yes. And he denies it. Though at first he couldn't be sure. BATEMAN But Marcus denied it? KIMBALL Yes. BATEMAN Well, does Marcus have an alibi? KIMBALL Yes. A pause. BATEMAN He does? You're sure? KIMBALL (smiling) I checked it out. It's clean. BATEMAN Oh. KIMBALL Now where were you? (He laughs) BATEMAN (Laughing with him) Where was Marcus? KIMBALL He wasn't with Paul Owen. BATEMAN So who was he with? KIMBALL He was at Atlantis with Craig McDermott, Frederick Dibble, Harry Newman, George Butner and � (He pauses, Then looks up) - you. A moment of stunned silence. BATEMAN Oh, right. Of course...We had wanted Paul Owen to come. But he said he had plans...I guess I had dinner with Victoria...the following night. KIMBALL Personally I think the guy went a little nutso. Split town for a while. Maybe he did go to London. Sightseeing. Drinking. Whatever. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he'll turn up sooner or later. (A pause) I mean, to think that one of his friends killed him, for no reason whatsoever would be too ridiculous. Isn't that right, Patrick? McDermott stops by the table. McDERMOTT KIMBALL! How's the investigation? Talking to Bateman? Don't believe a word he says. (Laughs uproariously slapping him on the back) Bateman, what's wrong with ,you? Bateman looks at him in silence, panicking. McDERMOTT You can't eat at Smith and Wollensky without ordering the hash browns. Jesus, Bateman, you're a raving maniac. Been at Pierce & Pierce too long. (He wanders off muttering) No fucking hash browns... INT. PAUL OWEN'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY Bateman walks into the lobby of Paul Owen's building. He has a surgical mask in one hand. DOORMAN What can I do for you, sir? BATEMAN 20B. DOORMAN Of course. Mrs. Wolfe is up there right now. BATEMAN Mrs. Wolfe? DOORMAN The real estate agent? You do have an appointment, don't you? Bateman steps out of the elevator and walks cautiously down the hallway. Owen's door is open. The apartment is freshly painted and has been immaculately redecorated in English country-house style: overstuffed sofas, lots of chintz. There are flowers everywhere, and a YOUNG YUPPIE COUPLE stands admiring the place talkingto the realtor, MRS. WOLFE. Bateman wanders down the hallway, looking for familiar signs. He stops at the closet where we last saw two dead girls hanging. He opens the door and the light switches on, but it is empty. Mrs. Wolfe approaches, smiling. MRS. WOLFE Are you my two o'clock? BATEMAN No. Mrs. Wolfe eyes him strangely, then looks down at the surgical mash clutched in his hand. Her expression changes. MRS. WOLFE Can I help you? BATEMAN I'm looking for...Paul Owen's...place. She stares at him impassively. BATEMAN Doesn't he live here? MRS. WOLFE No, he doesn't. BATEMAN Are you sure? MRS. WOLFE You saw the ad in the Times? BATEMAN No. Yes. I mean yes, I did. In the Times. But... doesn't Paul Owen still live here? MRS. WOLFE There was no ad in the Times. Bateman is shaking as they continue to stare at each other. MRS. WOLFE I think you should go now. BATEMAN But I think...I want to know what happened here. MRS. WOLFE Don't make any trouble. Please. I suggest you go. Bateman backs away slowly. MRS. WOLFE Don't come back. BATEMAN I won't...don't worry. Mrs. Wolfe glares at him as he walks down the hall, rattled, and gets into the elevator. EXT. DEPARTMENT STORE - DAY Bateman enters the revolving door of an office building, panicking and breathing heavily. He is sweating, his hair is wild, and he looks deranged. He goes around the revolving door twice and comes out onto the street again, where he bumps smack into a GUY just like him. GUY Hey, Kinsley. Bateman looks up at him wild-eyed. GUY See you at Fluties, okay? The guy walks away, utterly unfazed. Bateman wanders down the street, banging his briefcase against walls, garbage cans, etc. EXT. MIDTOWN PHONE BOOTH - DAY Bateman searches his pockets for pills. He finds three different pills and swallows them. He's sweating, and takes his jacket off to wipe his face, dialing a number. JEAN (O.S.) Patrick Bateman's office. BATEMAN Jean? Hello? Jean? JEAN (O.S.) Patrick? Is that you? BATEMAN Hello? Jean, I need help! JEAN (O.S.) Where are you? BATEMAN Jean-I'm not- JEAN (O.S.) Craig McDermott called. He wants to meet you and David Van Patten and Tim Price at Harry's for drinks. BATEMAN Oh God, what did you say, you dumb bitch? JEAN (O.S.) Patrick? I can't hear you. BATEMAN What are I doing? JEAN (O.S.) Where are you? Patrick, what's wrong? BATEMAN I don't think I'm gonna make it, Jean. Pause. BATEMAN ...to the office this afternoon. JEAN (O.S.) Why? BATEMAN (Screaming) Just...say...no! JEAN (O.S.) What is it, Patrick? Are you alright? BATEMAN Stop sounding so Fucking sad! Jesus! He hangs up. He throws the Walkman which is around his neck into a nearby trash can, and wipes his face with his jacket. INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE- SAME DAY Jean sits at Bateman's desk. She looks around, and then opens his desk drawer and tentatively begins to search through it. INT. HARRY'S BAR - EVENING Bateman comes into the bar, a little cleaned up from the previous scene (he's smoothed his hair), but still panicking and disheveled. He spots his friends in a corner, sits down, still breathing heavily. Price is on his cell-phone, trying to get reservations. McDERMOTT Bateman, you're looking a little wild-eyed rough day at the office? They all laugh. McDERMOTT Hey, look-Price is back. And he's drinking Perrier. He s a changed man. Except...he still can't get a reservation to save his life. Bateman sits down silently. McDERMOTT Why don't you try I 50 Wooster? Just fucking call them. BATEMAN (On automatic) I'm not going anywhere unless we have a reservation. VAN PATTEN Le Cirque, Flamingo East, Oyster Bar, come on, faggots-just get a res. PRICE Keep your shirt on. Maybe lose the suspenders. Bateman spots HAROLD CARNES at the bar, tenses. BATEMAN (He downs his drink) Excuse me, gentlemen. Right back. He approaches Carnes cautiously. CARNES Face it-the Japanese will own most of this country by the end of the '90s. Bateman approaches, trying to act casual. BATEMAN Shut up, Carnes, they will not. Carnes is surprised, turns around, looks vaguely confused. BATEMAN So, Harold, did you get my message? Carnes lights a cigarette, stalling. Then laughs. CARNES Jesus, Davis. Yes. That was hilarious. That was you, wasn't it? BATEMAN (Waving smoke out of his face) Yes, naturally. CARNES Bateman killing Owen and the escort girls? Oh that s fabulous. That's rich... Pause CARNES It was a pretty long message, wasn't it? BATEMAN What exactly do you mean? CARNES The message you left. Carnes is distracted, waving at people. CARNES By the way Davis, how is Cynthia? You're still seeing her, right? BATEMAN But wait, Harold, what do you mean? Carnes isn't really listening. CARNES Excuse me. Nothing. Good to see you. Is that Edward Towers? He turns to go. BATEMAN Carnes? Wait. CARNES (Sighing) Davis. I'm not one to bad-mouth anyone, your joke was amusing. But come on, man, you had one fatal flaw: Bateman's such a dork, such a boring, spineless lightweight, that I couldn't fully appreciate it. I wasn't fooled for a second. Now, if you'd said Price, or McDermott...Otherwise, it was amusing. Now, let's have lunch or dinner or something. Hilarious, Davis. A killer. BATEMAN What are you talking about? Bateman is what? CARNES Oh Christ. He can barely pick up an escort girl, let alone...what was it you said he did to her? Carnes looks around the club, raises his glass to a passing couple. He laughs politely. CARNES Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must... BATEMAN (Desperate, shouting) Wait. Stop. You don't seem to understand. You're not really comprehending any of this. I killed him. I did it, Carnes. I'm Patrick Bateman. I chopped Owen's fucking head off. I tortured dozens of girls. The whole message I left on your machine was true. CARNES Excuse me. I really must he going. BATEMAN No! Listen, don't you know who I am? I'm not Davis, I'm Patrick Bateman! I talk to you on the phone all the time! Don't you recognize me? You're my lawyer. Carnes stares at him in confusion and annoyance. BATEMAN Now, Carnes, listen to me. Listen very, very carefully. I killed Paul Owen and I liked it. I can't make myself any clearer CARNES But that's simply not possible. And I don't find this funny anymore. BATEMAN It never was supposed to he! Why isn't it possible? CARNES (Eyeing Bateman worriedly) It's just not. BATEMAN Why not, you stupid bastard? Carnes stares at him. CARNES Because I had dinner with Paul Owen twice in London...just ten days ago. BATEMAN No, you...didn't? CARNES Now, if you'll excuse me. Bateman returns back to his friends' table, in a daze. They are all looking at the television, where Ronald Reagan is giving a speech about Iran Contra. They are halfheartedly arguing about whether or not he's lying. PRICE How can he lie like that? How can he pull that shit? VAN PATTEN What shit? Now where do we have reservations at? I mean I'm not really hungry, but I would like to have reservations somewhere. PRICE (To Bateman) I don't believe it. He looks so...normal. He seems so... out of it. So...undangerous. McDERMOTT He is totally harmless you geek. Was totally harmless. Just like you are totally harmless. But he did do all that shit and you have failed lo get us into I 50, so, you know, what can I say? PRICE I just don't see how someone, anyone, can appear that way and yet be involved in such total shit. How can you be so fucking, I don't know, cool about it? VAN PATTEN Some guys are just born cool, I guess. Bateman laughs at this. Price shoots him a look. PRICE And Bateman, what are YOU SO fucking zany about? BATEMAN I'm just a happy camper. Rockin' and a-rollin'. VAN PATTEN (To Price) Rehab's done wonders for you, pal. Working for UNICEF now? McDERMOTT Do you want another Perrier Timothy? Some seltzer water? PRICE Oh brother look-he presents himself as a harmless Old codger. But inside... Pause. PRICE But inside... The SOUNDS OF THE BAR FADE AWAY and we hear Bateman's thoughts: BATEMAN (V.O.) But inside doesn't matter... THE SOUNDS OF THE BAR RETURN. McDERMOTT (Bored) Inside? Yes, inside? Believe it or not, Price we're actually listening to you. PRICE Bateman? Come on, what do you think? Bateman looks up and smiles at Price. Then shrugs. BATEMAN Whatever. The conversation breaks up as Van Patten takes out his phone. VAN PATTEN Whose moronic idea was it to drink dry beers? I need a Scotch. The sounds of the bar fade down. The following voiceover runs over images of Bateman and his friends ordering drinks, talking on portable phones, talking, laughing - combined with images of other very similar young men at other tables drinking, talking on portable phones, talking, laughing, BATEMAN (V.O.) There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it, I have now surpassed... INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - DAY Jean is alone in Bateman's office, looking through his diary. We see the pages that she is looking at. They are filled with doodles of mutilated women and their names...Jean looks lost and frightened, and begins to cry. BATEMAN (V.O.) My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. I fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no escape. INT. HARRY'S BAR - EARLY EVENING As the film ends the camera moves CLOSE on Bateman. He is leaning back in his leather armchair, drinking a double Scotch, his eyes blank. BATEMAN (V.O.) But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis. I gain no deeper knowledge about myself, no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. There has been no reason for me to tell you any of this. This confession has meant nothing... The camera moves up to a sign on the wall behind him: "THIS IS NOT AN EXIT." CREDITS ROLL

FADE IN 1 MAN'S FOOTPRINT on the moon. EXT. MOON Camera begins to pull back slowly, straight up - the song "Moon Shadow" by Cat Stevens begins. Once we are high enough to see the entire moon, the main title is superimposed. An American Werewolf in London We continue to retreat from the moon, looking on as it grows farther from us, continuing credits until the full moon is the size it appears to us from earth. 2 EXT. CROSSROADS ON THE MOORS - NIGHT Tree branches enter into the frame, the camera pans down and we see a truck approaching. We are at a crossroads in the moors, looking sinister enough to have earned their literary reputation. The truck stops at the crossroads, the DRIVER, mustached and wearing tweeds, boots, and a muffler, climbs down. "Moon Shadow" ends. CUT TO: Loud bang of the back grating on the truck as it slams down. Revealed among the sheep are two rudely-awakened young American boys. They look exhausted. They both carry backpacks, two American kids on a jaunt in Europe. They are both in their late twenties. It is very cold and they clamber out of the truck none too happily. Pushing sheep aside they step out and stretch. JACK GOODMAN AND DAVID KESSLER They've been cramped for hours. TRUCK DRIVER Here, lads, East Proctor and all about are the moors. I go east here. JACK Yes, well thank you very much for the ride, sir. You have lovely sheep. TRUCK DRIVER (as he clambers back up on his truck) Boys, keep off the moors. Stay on the road. Good luck to you. DAVID Thanks again! He drives off. LONG SHOT of the two boys as the lorry pulls away. Surrounding them are the moors. They put on their packs, David points to the signpost pointing towards East Proctor. EXT. ROAD ON THE MOORS - NIGHT As they walk, their breath visible: JACK Are you cold? DAVID Yes. JACK Good. They walk on, finally: DAVID Jack. JACK David. DAVID You're not having a good time are you? JACK Oh, I don't know. I mean look around. Isn't this a fun place? The camera shows us the moors - desolate, cold, foreboding. DAVID Well, I like it here. JACK I'm sorry. Northern England first, Italy later. DAVID Right. They walk on. JACK Do you think she'll meet me in Rome? DAVID I think Debbie Klein is a mediocre person with a good body. JACK Debbie is not mediocre and she has one of the great bodies of all time. DAVID She's a jerk. JACK You're talking about the woman I love. DAVID I'm talking about a girl you want to fuck, so give me a break. JACK Well, anyway, do you think she'll be there? DAVID I don't know. JACK (like an announcer) Rendezvous in Rome starring Jack Goodman and Debbie Klein. The love affair that shocked Europe! See torrid lovemaking at its most explicit! See Jack and Debbie expose their lust in the sacred halls of the Vatican! Never has the screen dared.... DAVID If you don't stop, I'm going to kill you. JACK I have to make love to her. It's very simple. She has no choice really. DAVID It just fascinates me that you can spend so much energy on someone so dull. JACK It is impossible for a body like that to be dull. DAVID We've known Debbie what, since the eighth grade? How many years of foreplay is that? JACK She says she `likes me too much'. David just laughs and laughs and laughs. DISSOLVE TO: 3 EXT. EAST PROCTOR MAIN STREET - NIGHT David and Jack entering East Proctor. It is brightly moonlit. East Proctor consists of a few shops, all closed, a petrol pump and a pub. East Proctor has a very small population and the place looks empty. David and Jack enter the middle of town and look about. The camera sees what they see. A few shops, dark and shuttered. Light and laughter come from the pub. 4 EXT. THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB - NIGHT Its traditional shingle shows a ferocious wolf's bloody head on a pike, and tells us the pub's name, "The Slaughtered Lamb". JACK The Slaughtered Lamb? DAVID Of course, The Slaughtered Lamb. Why else would they have a severed fox head on a spear as their symbol? JACK That's a wolf's head. DAVID Of course, The Slaughtered Lamb. Why else would they have a severed wolf's head on a spear as their symbol? JACK That's not a spear. It's a pike. DAVID A severed wolf's head on a pike as their symbol. JACK David, before we go in there I want you to know that - no matter what happens to us - it's your fault. DAVID I assume full responsibility. JACK Okay. DAVID Shall we? 5 INT. THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB - NIGHT The pub was apparently "modernized" sometime in the mid- fifties. Its traditional Englishness combines with greasy stainless steel and glass. It is populated by mostly pale young men with longish hair. Several older men are ruddy complexioned and sport large mustaches. Four or five are watching a chess game. Two men are playing darts. The conversation is loud and there is often laughter. But there is something unsavory about these people. A look of leanness and poverty. They seem inbred and somehow sullen. We establish the types and the general level of noise in the room. The door opens revealing David and Jack. There is dead silence and all are staring in a not friendly way at the two boys who are made uncomfortable by all the strange attention. They give each other a "what?" look, then turn to the assembled populace. DAVID Hello. JACK Nice to see you. FACES Silent and staring. CUT TO: DAVID AND JACK DAVID (smiles) It's very cold outside. May we come in? The WOMAN BARKEEP nods. The boys walk carefully over to a table and very self-consciously remove their packs, place them on the floor, and sit down at the table. There is a long, awkward wait. The Woman finally comes over to them. JACK Do you have any hot soup? WOMAN No. DAVID Well, do you have any coffee? WOMAN No. JACK Hot chocolate? WOMAN We've got spirits and beer. If it's something hot you want, you can have tea. JACK Then you have some hot tea? WOMAN No. JACK Oh. WOMAN But I can heat some up for you if you'd like. DAVID & JACK Yes, please. As the Woman turns to prepare the tea, everyone resumes what they were doing; talking, drinking, playing chess and darts, and the boys breathe easier. JACK Nice looking group. DAVID Listen, at least it's warm in here. JACK Look at that. CUT TO: JACK'S P.O.V. On the wall is painted a red pentangle (a five-pointed star) and on either side burns a yellow candle. DAVID What about it? JACK It's a five-pointed star. DAVID Maybe the owners are from Texas. The Woman brings them their tea. JACK (to Woman) Remember the Alamo? WOMAN I beg your pardon? DAVID He was joking. Thank you. WOMAN Joking? I remember The Alamo. I saw it once in London, in Leicester Square. Jack and David look startled. One of the CHESS PLAYERS explains: CHESS PLAYER She means in the cinema, that film with John Wayne. (turns to board) Checkmate. DAVID Oh, yes, of course. JACK Right, with Laurence Harvey and everybody died in it. It was very bloody. CHESS PLAYER Bloody awful if you ask me! This sends everyone into gales of laughter. Jack and David smile politely. CHESS PLAYER Here, Gladys, Tom. Did you hear the one about the crashing plane? WOMAN No, but we're about to. Laughter. CHESS PLAYER You be quiet, woman, and let me speak. WOMAN (heavy sarcasm) Quiet, everyone! Hush! Shhh! Uproarious laughter. CHESS PLAYER All right, laugh then. I shan't tell it. WOMAN Oh, come on, tell us. CHESS PLAYER No. You've had your chance. The men all coax him to tell the joke. JACK (to David) Ask them what the candles are for. DAVID (to Jack) You ask them. JACK (to David) Listen, that's a pentangle, a five-pointed star. It's used in witchcraft. Lon Chaney, Jr. and Universal Studios maintain it's the mark of the wolf man. DAVID (to Jack) I see. You want me to ask these people if they're burning candles to ward off monsters. JACK (to David) Right. DAVID (to Jack) Wrong. The drinkers have gotten the Chess Player to tell the joke as everyone knew he would. CHESS PLAYER Oh, all right. There was this airplane over the Atlantic on its way to New York. It was full of men from the United Nations. WOMAN That's very funny, that is. Uproarious laughter. JACK (to David) Go on, ask them. DAVID (to Jack) You ask them. CHESS PLAYER Here now, let me finish! So halfway over the ocean the engines run low on petrol so they have to lighten the plane. So they heave out all the baggage, but it's still too heavy. So they chuck out the seats, but it's still too heavy! Finally this Froggy steps up and shouts "Viva la France" and leaps out. Then an Englishman.... DART PLAYERS Hear! Hear! CHESS PLAYER (undaunted) ...steps up and shouts `God save the Queen!' and leaps out. But the plane is still too heavy. So the Yank delegate from Texas steps up, shouts, `Remember the Alamo!' and chucks out the Mexican. This is apparently the funniest joke the inhabitants of East Proctor have ever heard. The laughter is uproarious, choking, knee-slapping, incredible. As the Chess Player goes to take a drink of beer, the Dart Player gasps out... DART PLAYER Remember the Alamo! ...causing the Chess Player to spit out his beer causing even harder laughter. Complete hilarity. JACK Excuse me, but what's that star on the wall for? Dead silence. A dart lands in the wall. David and Jack are understandably bewildered. The villagers look hard indeed. DART PLAYER (angry) You've made me miss. JACK I'm sorry. DART PLAYER I've never missed the board before. DAVID Jack, we'd better go. JACK What do you mean? I'm starving. DART PLAYER There's no food here. The villagers look threatening and David's voice is a bit urgent. DAVID Come on, Jack, shall we go?!! JACK Apparently so. The boys pick up their backpacks and move uncertainly for the door. WOMAN (to men) You can't let them go. DAVID (worried) How much do we owe you? CHESS PLAYER Nothing, lads. Go, God be with you. DAVID Uh, thank you. WOMAN Wait! You just can't let them go! DART PLAYER Go! And stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors. DAVID Yes, well, thanks again. CHESS PLAYER Beware the moon, lads! David pushes Jack out. 6 EXT. THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB - NIGHT It is very cold. JACK What the hell was that all about? DAVID I don't know. Let's see if there's an inn or something up the road. JACK Beware the moon? DAVID Come on, I'm freezing. They start up the road into the night. 7 INT. THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB - NIGHT It is quiet. WOMAN You can't let them go. DART PLAYER (angry) Should the world know our business?! CHESS PLAYER It's murder then. DART PLAYER Then murder it is! It's in God's hands now. The wax drips from the Pentangle's candles onto the floor. DISSOLVE TO: 8 EXT. A ROAD ON THE MOORS - NIGHT - DAVID AND JACK walking on the road surrounded by darkness. DAVID That was weird. I guess leaving was the best idea. JACK I don't know. Now that we're out here and it's three degrees, I'm not so sure I wouldn't rather face a blood- thirsty mob. DAVID Well, not quite a blood- thirsty mob. They keep walking. JACK What do you think was wrong? DAVID I have no idea. JACK Maybe that pentangle was for something supernatural. DAVID I see and they were too embarrassed to talk about it, because they felt so silly. There is a flash of lightning that sends a ghostly illuminating sheet of light over the boys' faces. The clap of thunder follows loud and rumbling. DAVID Please don't rain. Downpour. The boys are walking in a deluge. DAVID Of course. They walk getting soaked. JACK Say, David.... DAVID I'm well aware of how pleasant the weather is in Rome at the present time thank you. Jack spreads his arms and sings. JACK Santa Lucia...Santa Lucia. 9 INT. THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB - NIGHT The rain is loud on the roof and beating on the windows. The gathered continue to drink, play chess and darts, but all are silent and contemplative. WOMAN Perhaps they'll be safe in the rain. The Chess Player slams his hand on the table. Shouts: CHESS PLAYER No one brought them here! No one wanted them here! WOMAN You could have told them! DART PLAYER Are you daft? What do you think they'd say? They'd think us mad. WOMAN Listen! The rain is subsiding. There is a very faint howl. WOMAN Did you hear it? We must go to them. DART PLAYER I heard nothing. CHESS PLAYER Nor I. The camera lingers as the Chess Player's hard face shows the man's struggle. Another howl. The Chess Player turns suddenly. 10 EXT. ROADSIDE ON THE MOORS - NIGHT David and Jack are now completely out of sight from East Proctor surrounded by darkness and wet. There is a light drizzle. They are standing, listening. The drizzle stops. JACK Did you hear that? DAVID I heard that. JACK What was it? David begins to walk, Jack with him. DAVID Could be a lot of things. JACK Yeah? DAVID A coyote. JACK There aren't any coyotes in England. DAVID The Hound of the Baskervilles. JACK Pecos Bill. DAVID Heathcliffe. JACK Heathcliffe didn't howl. DAVID No, but he was on the moors. JACK It's a full moon, `beware the moon'. Another howl, this one long and loud. It is a very inhuman noise, terrifying, and closer this time. JACK I vote we go back to The Slaughtered Lamb. DAVID Yeah. They are both visibly worried and walk briskly back from where they just came. Although after a bit of fast walking they are getting nowhere. They stop out of breath. DAVID We're lost. Another bloodcurdling howl. JACK Shit! David, what is that? DAVID I don't know. Come on. JACK Come on, where? DAVID Anywhere! I think we should just keep moving. A growl. A low guttural growl comes from out of the darkness. We stay on the boys, but we hear something out there. It starts to walk. DAVID It's moving. JACK It's circling us. And indeed it is. The boys strain to hear its four footfalls and they turn slowly, following it. A snarl. JACK Fuck. We hear the wolf-monster stop (for that's what it is - we know it's there even though we've not seen it). It sits breathing heavily. DAVID What's the plan? JACK (nervously) Plan? DAVID (not too relaxed himself) Let's just keep walking. They do and David keeps talking as they walk. DAVID That's right, a lovely stroll in the moors. Tra-la-la, isn't this fun? The thing stalking them seems to speed up. The boys hesitate as they sense it run past them. It stops. DAVID It's in front of us. JACK Do you think it's a dog? Jack and David strain to see what waits ahead of them. BOYS' P.O.V. Something is waiting in the darkness. Its hulking shape is barely discernible, but its eyes glow eerily and its breath is visible. JACK Oh shit. What is that? DAVID A sheep dog or something. Turn slowly and let's walk away. The boys keep talking as they move faster and faster. JACK Nice doggie. Good boy. DAVID Walk away, Jack. JACK Walking away, yes, sir. Here we are walking away. They are in a full-out run by now. After a few minutes flight they stop, panting. DAVID See anything? JACK No. A moment of quiet, then a howl. DAVID It sounds far away. JACK Not far enough. Come on. They walk briskly. DAVID Jack? JACK Yeah. DAVID Where are we going? JACK I'll tell you when we get there. DAVID Well. I'm glad we...WHOAA!! David shouts as he slips suddenly in the mud, scaring Jack, and us, and himself a great deal. He lays startled on the wet ground for a moment, then he and Jack laugh. JACK You really scared me, you shithead. DAVID Are you going to help me up? Jack takes David's extended hand to help him up when THE WOLF MONSTER SPRINGS! EXT. MOORS - NIGHT The lunging beast brings Jack down in one fell swoop. David falls back on his ass. Jack is screaming and struggling as he is torn to shreds. David scrambles to his feet and runs in complete panic. Jack's screams and the wolf's roars combine. JACK Jesus fuck! David! Please help me! Please! David! Shit! Help me! Oh God! EXT. ROADSIDE ON THE MOORS - NIGHT David runs and runs. Finally he falls, out of breath. DAVID Jack? Oh my God, Jack! He gets up and runs back to find Jack a torn and bloody mess on the ground. He stares in horror. DAVID Jack.... EXT. NIGHT - VARIOUS FLASH CUTS THE WOLF SPRINGS! The camera adopts David's P.O.V. as he fights the dark savage shape on top of him. Fangs clamp down on his shoulder when shots ring out and the hulking form rolls off of him. EXT. ROADSIDE ON THE MOORS - NIGHT David, dazed and bloody, looks and sees the men from The Slaughtered Lamb armed with shotguns and torches running towards him. Looking over at his attacker, instead of a wolf he sees a very old, naked man laying in the mud riddled with bullet holes. As the villagers crowd around, David falls back and faints. FADE OUT FADE IN 11 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY David is in a small, clean and very white hospital room. He lays on his back in bed, his shoulder bandaged and his arm plugged into a bottle of plasma. There are several cuts and abrasions on his arms and face, but he really doesn't look too bad. He opens his eyes slowly, blinks, and tries to sit up and look around, but is unable to because of the pain. He calls out.... DAVID Jack?! ...and passes out. However his shout has fetched a nurse. She is ALEX PRICE, very English, very beautiful. She goes to the bed. ALEX Mr. Kessler? She looks into his eyes, lifting the lids with her thumb, and then checks his chart at the end of the bed. ALEX Mr. Kessler? David remains unconscious. Another young nurse, MISS GALLAGHER, comes in. MISS GALLAGHER He all right? ALEX Yes, I should think. He called out just now. MISS GALLAGHER He's an American, you know. Dr. Hirsch is going to fetch round one of those Embassy fellows to see him. ALEX Chart says he's from New York. MISS GALLAGHER I think he's a Jew. ALEX Why on earth do you say that? MISS GALLAGHER I looked. ALEX (smiles) Really, Susan, I don't think that was very proper, and besides, it's common practice now. A voice startles the girls. DR. HIRSCH Yes, Miss Gallagher, Miss Price is quite right. DR. HIRSCH enters. He is an older man wearing the customary lab coat. A very commanding and reassuring presence. The girls are embarrassed. ALEX Dr. Hirsch, Mr. Kessler cried out a minute ago. DR. HIRSCH Miss Gallagher, surely you must perform some function here at the hospital. MISS GALLAGHER Yes, Doctor. DR. HIRSCH Then get on with it. MISS GALLAGHER Yes, Doctor. She exits. Dr. Hirsch begins to examine David. Alex watches. Dr. Hirsch turns to Alex. DR. HIRSCH Can I be of service, Miss Price? ALEX Dr. Hirsch? DR. HIRSCH Go about your duties. ALEX Yes, Doctor. She starts to exit. DR. HIRSCH Oh, Miss Price? ALEX Yes, Doctor? DR. HIRSCH What exactly did he call out? ALEX He said `Jack'. DR. HIRSCH That would be Jack Goodman, the boy who was killed. ALEX What happened to them? DR. HIRSCH The police report said an escaped lunatic attacked them. He must have been a very powerful man. Although I really don't see that it is any of your concern, Miss Price. ALEX No, sir. Of course, sir. Good day, Doctor. She exits as Dr. Hirsch continues his examination, looking into David's eyes. 12 EXT. DENSE FOREST - DAY The camera is handheld, running furiously through the almost dense greenery. On the soundtrack are the footfalls and heavy breathing of the runner. The camera abruptly stops and turns, sharply looking about, the panting continuing. The breathing gets louder and harder, then too loud when we: CUT TO: 13 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY David opens his eyes quickly, the silence and whiteness contrast sharply with the preceding fantasy. Standing beside the bed are Dr. Hirsch and MR. COLLINS. Mr. Collins wears a bow tie and is holding a briefcase. DR. HIRSCH Hello, David. I am Dr. Hirsch and this is a countryman of yours, Mr. Collins. DAVID Where am I? DR. HIRSCH You're in a hospital in London. DAVID London? Where's Jack? I had a strange dream. DR. HIRSCH I should think so after your recent traumatic experiences. DAVID The guy I was with. Is he all right? How did I get to London? DR. HIRSCH (quietly) Now, David, I want you to prepare yourself; your friend is dead. David jolts up in bed and shouts. DAVID What? The sudden exertion and strain hurt. DAVID Ow, shit! He sinks back down. DAVID Jack's dead? MR. COLLINS Mr. Kessler, I am Mr. Collins of the American Embassy here in Grosvenor Square. Both Mr. Goodman's parents and your parents have been notified of your injuries and everything's in order. DAVID Everything's in order? What are you talking about? MR. COLLINS Mr. Goodman's body has been air-freighted back to New York for burial and your parents have wired funds for your stay in the hospital until you are well enough to fly home. DAVID (controlled tears) You don't crate and ship Jack like some side of beef. (approaching hysteria) Who the hell are you people? What's going on here? Where is Jack? I demand to see him! DR. HIRSCH (holds David down, calls out) Miss Price! Miss Price, please! DAVID (shouting) Get your fucking hands off me! What the hell is going on here? Alex enters amidst David's shouting and confusion. MR. COLLINS (distraught, clutching his briefcase) I realize how upsetting this must be for you, Mr. Kessler, but please try to refrain from hysterics. David continues shouting and struggling. DR. HIRSCH Prepare a hypodermic, please, Miss Price. The shot is administered and David is held down by Dr. Hirsch and Alex until his breathing becomes more normal. MR. COLLINS Now, Mr. Kessler, try not to excite yourself. Everything has been arranged. I shall come back to check on your progress and send a report to your parents. The police have requested to interview you and I have given them permission to do so. Dr. Hirsch walks Mr. Collins to the door. DR. HIRSCH Thank you very much, Mr. Collins. He'll rest now and I'm sure everything will be fine once he's adjusted. He's had quite a shock. MR. COLLINS These dumb-ass kids never appreciate anything you do for them. Mr. Collins exits. Dr. Hirsch crosses back to the bed. DAVID How long have I been here? DR. HIRSCH You've been unconscious since you were brought in two weeks ago. DAVID Two weeks? DR. HIRSCH You've suffered some rather severe cuts and bruises, lost a bit of blood, but nothing too serious; black and blue for a while. You'll have some dueling scars to boast of. That lunatic must have been a very fierce fellow. They say a mad man has the strength of ten. DAVID (softly, as the drugs take hold) Lunatic? DR. HIRSCH Now we've just given you a pretty strong sedative, so try to get some rest now. Miss Price will see to your needs. Rest now. Dr. Hirsch watches as Alex straightens David's covers. DAVID (softly) It wasn't a lunatic. ALEX (puzzled) I beg your pardon? DAVID It was a wolf. ALEX (bends down close to hear) What? DAVID A wolf. David passes out. Alex looks to Dr. Hirsch. DR. HIRSCH Did he say a wolf? ALEX Yes, I believe he did. Dr. Hirsch regards David thoughtfully. 14 INT. DR. HIRSCH'S OFFICE - DAY Dr. Hirsch is on the phone, he is referring to a desk calendar. DR. HIRSCH But Roger is so terribly boring. Yes, dear, but couldn't we...I see. (he makes a note) Thursday at eight, dinner with boring Roger. Yes, I'm sure I will; if I survived Rommel, I suppose I'll survive another excruciating evening with Roger Mathison. Be a good girl. Bye. He hangs up very disgruntled. The intercom buzzes. DR. HIRSCH Yes? SECRETARY (V.O.) Lt. Villiers and Sgt. McManus are here to see you, Doctor. DR. HIRSCH Send them in. He rises to greet the two police officers, one tall, the other rather pudgy. LT. VILLIERS Dr. Hirsch? DR. HIRSCH Come in, come in. Please sit. Some tea? The cops sit down, Lt. Villiers immediately produces a small notebook. LT. VILLIERS No, thank you. SGT. McMANUS I'd like some tea, please. Lt. Villiers shoots the sergeant a withering look. SGT. McMANUS Maybe not. No thanks. Maybe later. DR. HIRSCH It's no problem. LT. VILLIERS No, thank you, Doctor. DR. HIRSCH Well, then, what can I do for Scotland Yard? SGT. McMANUS We understand the Kessler boy has regained consciousness. Lt. Villiers glares at McManus. SGT. McMANUS Sorry. LT. VILLIERS Has Mr. Kessler said anything regarding the attack on the moors? The intercom buzzes. DR. HIRSCH Excuse me. Yes? SECRETARY (V.O.) Roger Mathison, Doctor. DR. HIRSCH What here? SECRETARY (V.O.) He's on the telephone. DR. HIRSCH Tell him I'm out. No, tell him I've passed away. An old war wound or something. Tell him I'm dead. And no more calls! He turns from the intercom back to the cops. DR. HIRSCH You were saying? LT. VILLIERS Has David Kessler anything to say concerning the attack on the moors? DR. HIRSCH Why don't we ask him? 15 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY David sits up in bed. Lt. Villiers and Sgt. McManus stand by his side. Dr. Hirsch sits observing. DAVID I'm sorry if I conflict with your report, but Jack and I were not attacked by a man. LT. VILLIERS So you've said. SGT. McMANUS He may have a point, Lieutenant. Two strong boys would be able to defend themselves against one man. LT. VILLIERS Sgt. McManus, are you suggesting that David and Jack were, in fact, attacked by some animal and that the officialdom of East Proctor has conspired to keep it a secret? We have an autopsy report on the murderer who was shot in the act by the local police. We have two witnesses to the crime. You'll forgive me, Mr. Kessler, if I consider your testimony as coming from someone who has gone through a terrible shock. SGT. McMANUS Lieutenant, the boy seems pretty lucid to me and.... LT. VILLIERS And what, Sergeant? SGT. McMANUS (defeated) I don't rightly know, sir. LT. VILLIERS That is precisely my point. David, as far as we are concerned, the matter is closed. We won't trouble you any further. Good day. The lieutenant goes for the door. The sergeant smiles at David and follows. LT. VILLIERS Doctor. The cops exit. Dr. Hirsch crosses to David's bed. DAVID There were witnesses? DR. HIRSCH So they said. DAVID How could there have been witnesses? It was so dark. We were running and I fell and Jack went to help me up and this thing came from nowhere...I don't understand what they're talking about. DR. HIRSCH In time I'm sure it will all come back to you. DAVID Doctor, my memory is fine. It's my sanity I'm beginning to worry about. CUT TO: 16 EXT. DENSE FOREST - DAY Again the handheld camera is running furiously through the woods. Heavy breathing and the sounds of the runner crashing through the foliage. The camera runs for a while then suddenly stops short near a tree. David abruptly enters frame, animal-like, the tenseness of a startled cat. His head makes sudden movements, looking about. CLOSEUP of his flared nostrils and perked up ears accenting his animalness. DAVID takes off and now we run with him. He runs fast and gracefully, taking long strides and leaps. We run with him faster and faster sharing in his exhilaration. We see him completely as the animal, study his movement and grace as if watching a gazelle. Suddenly he stops again, alert, listening. He moves with stealth, slowly he pushes some leaves aside. CLOSEUP of his eyes. DAVID'S P.O.V. Several deer in the forest; they sense something and freeze, the camera noting a fawn next to a doe. The buck turns his head, feeling the danger. CUT TO: DAVID Shots showing the muscles in his legs and shoulders tensing. CLOSEUP of David's eyes. CLOSEUP of the frightened deer. CUT BACK TO: CLOSEUP of David's eyes. CUT BACK TO: THE FAWN as it is leapt upon, its terrified face leaving frame as David forces it down. David's head reenters frame, his mouth full of flesh, his face and hands covered with blood. He howls in triumph. 17 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT The lights are subdued and David's asleep. The door opens, a shaft of light penetrates the room. Miss Gallagher enters with a small tray. She crosses to David, turns on the bed light and touches him. MISS GALLAGHER Mr. Kessler? Wake up, please. DAVID (awakened) I was having a nightmare. Miss Gallagher is very efficient in administering the pills and pouring a glass of water. MISS GALLAGHER Yes, well these should help that. That's right, drink up. David takes the pills. MISS GALLAGHER Now go back to sleep so you'll be fresh for Dr. Hirsch in the morning. DAVID What time is it? MISS GALLAGHER It's nearly eight. I'm off duty shortly, then I'm off to the films with Alex. DAVID Alex? MISS GALLAGHER Miss Price, the other nurse that attended you. DAVID What are you going to see? MISS GALLAGHER An American film about the Mafia called `See You Next Wednesday', and I want to see it badly, so you give me no problems and go to sleep. DAVID (dropping off) Do you have bad dreams, too? MISS GALLAGHER Some, everyone does. DAVID Yes, but does everyone kill Bambi? MISS GALLAGHER Bambi? David has fallen asleep. Miss Gallagher turns off the light, picks up her tray and pauses in the doorway. MISS GALLAGHER Kill Bambi? She exits, closing the door plunging the room into darkness. 18 INT. HOSPITAL NURSES' STATION - DAY The corridor is busy with orderlies pushing gurneys about, doctors, visitors, and patients all performing appropriate background actions. Behind the Nurses' Counter, Alex is typing some forms and an older, obviously senior nurse is filling some paper cups with different sizes and colors of pills she is taking from the drug cabinet. She is MRS. HOBBS, the chief nurse. MRS. HOBBS Miss Price. ALEX Yes, Mrs. Hobbs. MRS. HOBBS Take these round now, will you please? The American boy in twenty-one is only to have these after he's eaten. Will you be sure of that? ALEX Has he been refusing food? MRS. HOBBS Nothing quite as dramatic as that, Miss Price. He just doesn't eat enough of what is put before him. He suffers from nightmares. I'd think he just needs a hand to hold. ALEX Yes, Mrs. Hobbs. Alex takes the cups handed to her and makes her way down the hallway, pausing a moment to straighten her appearance. She enters. 19 INT. CHILDREN'S WARD - DAY A ward with seven or eight beds in it, all occupied. She goes to a little Pakistani boy named BENJAMIN. ALEX Hello, Benjamin. BENJAMIN No. ALEX No what? BENJAMIN No. ALEX Well, all right then, be that way. Here, swallow this. BENJAMIN No. Alex pours a glass of water, gives the pill to Benjamin who promptly takes it and then drinks the water, handing Alex back the glass. ALEX Feeling better? BENJAMIN No. ALEX The doctor will be round later. Would you like a picture book to look at? We have some lovely funny Beanos. BENJAMIN No. ALEX Right. She exits, pausing in the hall to speak to a black Jamaican ORDERLY pushing a cart of lunch trays into Benjamin's ward. 20 INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY ALEX Has the patient in twenty-one gotten his tray yet? ORDERLY The American? Yes, duck. ALEX How did he look? ORDERLY What do you mean, `how did he look'? ALEX You know, did he seem depressed? Do you think he'll eat the food? ORDERLY (annoyed) I'm an orderly, not a bleeding psychiatrist! I push things about, but I've little say what happens to them. ALEX Thank you. Alex holds up her head and proceeds to David's room. She hesitates, then peeks in. 21 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY The curtains are drawn and David's lunch waits patiently on its tray alongside of the bed. David is apparently asleep. Alex enters softly. ALEX (softly) Mr. Kessler? DAVID (lifeless) Yes? ALEX You haven't eaten your lunch. DAVID I'm not very hungry, thank you. ALEX I'm afraid you have to eat something. DAVID Please, really. I'm not hungry. ALEX You put me in an awkward position, Mr. Kessler. DAVID How is that? ALEX (she shakes the paper cup) Well, you're to take these after you've eaten. Now what kind of nurse would I be if I failed in so simple a task as giving out some pills? DAVID Leave the pills. I'll take them later. ALEX Sorry. She opens the curtains, daylight fills the room. DAVID Aw come on, Miss Price! ALEX Call me Alex. DAVID Aw come on, Alex! ALEX Shall I be forced to feed you, Mr. Kessler? David is getting interested. DAVID Call me David. ALEX Shall I be forced to feed you, David? DAVID This is absurd. I'm not hungry. I don't want any food. ALEX Right. Alex efficiently removes the covers from the dishes and sits on the edge of the bed. Taking knife and fork in hand, she neatly cuts David's food into pieces. David watches all this amused. She places a napkin under David's chin and holds up his first bite on his fork. David folds his arms and refuses to open his mouth. ALEX Let's try a little harder, shall we? DAVID Will you give me a break? Alex grabs David's nose forcing his mouth open quickly, shoving the fork in it. David is startled, but amused and chews his food slowly and swallows it. Alex holds up another bite. ALEX Will I have to take such drastic action again, David? David opens his mouth obediently. Alex almost smiles. She feeds him for a while; they are both sizing each other up. Finally: DAVID May I have a glass of milk? Alex smiles. FADE OUT FADE IN 22 EXT. DENSE FOREST - DAY Again we are running fast and faster. David again running naked, flying through the green forest. He stops suddenly, ears perked, he looks about and then we hear Jack's o.s. screams. The voice of Jack screams: JACK (O.S.) David! David! Please help me! Oh God! David! Oh my God! David turns in blind panic, he runs (and we run with him) desperately trying to find the source of Jack's screams. He comes to a clearing in the woods, light streaming through the tall trees. Jack's screams halt in mid- word. David looks in disbelief at the clearing. There is a hospital bed with someone in it. It is the same as David's. David walks toward it slowly. The figure in the bed lays still. It grows dark, very dark, and David looks up at the full moon. There is a howl identical to the one heard earlier back on the moors. David approaches the bed slowly, fearfully. We hear ocean noises on the soundtrack, the sound of crashing surf. David reaches out to pull back the covers, lightning and thunder cause him to hesitate for a second. Silence. The camera remains on David as he pulls off the covers. His face registers total disbelief and increasing horror. We cut to the bed to find - DAVID. He lies there, pale white with purple lips and death pallor. The camera begins to move in on the corpse of David. Cut back to the standing David's terrified face; then continue until David's death mask fills the screen. The face remains still for several beats, then suddenly opens its bright yellow eyes and red mouth revealing fangs in a bloodcurdling wail which carries over in the.... CUT TO: 23 INT. HOSPITAL NURSES' STATION - NIGHT Mrs. Hobbs hears David's screams and efficiently calls out.... MRS. HOBBS Orderly! Miss Gallagher! Miss Gallagher and an ORDERLY appear at once. MRS. HOBBS Orderly, go at once to twenty- one and restrain the patient. The orderly exits. MRS. HOBBS Miss Gallagher, remain here at the desk. I'll be in twenty- one. She exits. 24 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY It is bright, daylight, and Dr. Hirsch gazes thoughtfully out the window. DR. HIRSCH You've never had bad dreams before? DAVID (upset) Sure, as a kid. But never so real. Never so bizarre. Dr. Hirsch crosses over and sits on a chair by the bed. DR. HIRSCH Did you get a good look at the man who attacked you? DAVID I've told you, it wasn't a man. It was an animal. A big wolf or something. A rabid dog. DR. HIRSCH (chewing on his glasses) Yes. DAVID Look, Dr. Hirsch, I know I've been traumatized, but Jack was torn apart. I saw him. A man can't do that to someone with his bare hands. DR. HIRSCH You'd be surprised what horrors a man is capable of. DAVID Did you see Jack? DR. HIRSCH No. In fact, your wounds were cleaned and dressed before you arrived here. DAVID Did you talk to the police in East Proctor? Did the cops go to The Slaughtered Lamb? DR. HIRSCH I really don't know. DAVID Then why the hell are you so quick to disbelieve me? You yourself said it must have taken incredible strength to tear apart a person like that. DR. HIRSCH (rubs his forehead) David, please. The police are satisfied. I'm certain that if a monster were out roaming northern England we'd have seen it on the telly. DAVID You really think I'm crazy, don't you? DR. HIRSCH Believe me. The Hound of the Baskervilles was an invention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's. And if you'd read the bloody book, you'd find that Holmes discovered your house of hell a fraud, a fake. There is an awkward silence as David sits and Dr. Hirsch is embarrassed at raising his voice. DR. HIRSCH Now really, David. You're far too intelligent to go on this way. When you return to America I want you to seek out a competent psychiatrist or psychologist or something and stop this nonsense. You'll be leaving this hospital in three or four days, please remain sane. At least until you are no longer our responsibility. Dr. Hirsch goes to the door. DAVID Dr. Hirsch? (pause) I'd rather not be by myself. DR. HIRSCH Of course not, David. I'll fetch in young Miss Price. DISSOLVE TO: 25 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Alex sits next to David's bed. Her shoes are off and she has her feet tucked up under her legs on the chair. The room is dark except for the lamp by which she reads. She is reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain. David is asleep. Alex reads for a bit, then puts down the book and yawns. She gets up and stretches, a big spreading arms and feet, fingers and toes stretch. DAVID (quietly) You're a very beautiful girl. ALEX (embarrassed) I thought you were asleep. DAVID I was. What are you reading? ALEX `A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' by Mark Twain. DAVID Do you like it? ALEX I've just started it. My friend gave it to me. They look at each other. ALEX What do you dream about? DAVID I dream of death mostly. ALEX I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you. DAVID It's okay. I want to talk to you. They sit and look at each other for a while longer. DAVID How old are you? ALEX That's not really a very proper question. DAVID How old are you? ALEX Twenty-eight. DAVID I'm twenty-seven. ALEX I know. DAVID Now what do you want to talk about? ALEX Was Jack Goodman your good friend? DAVID (seriously) My best friend. My very best friend. ALEX (embarrassed) Shall I read to you? DAVID What? Oh, yes, please. ALEX (opens book) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Samuel L. Clemens. This is after the preface but before chapter one: A Word of Explanation. You all right? DAVID (settles back) Yes, go on. ALEX (clears her throat) Ahem, A Word of Explanation. It was in Warwick Castle that I came across the curious stranger whom I am going to talk about. He attracted me by three things: his candid simplicity, his marvelous familiarity with ancient armor, and the restfulness of his company - for he did all the talking. We fell together as modest people will in the tail of the herd.... DISSOLVE TO: 26 INT. KESSLER HOME - NEW YORK - NIGHT We are at David's parents' house in New York. His FATHER sits reading the paper in the living room as his younger BROTHER and SISTER watch "The Muppet Show" on television. We can see past the small dining nook where David sits doing homework and into the kitchen where his MOTHER is washing the dishes. A peaceful lower, middle class setting. All is tranquil and secure. There is a loud pounding on the front door. FATHER I'll get it. The pounding continues. FATHER All right, all right! Hold your horses. (The following happens with shocking speed.) When he opens the door, four beings open fire with machine guns, blowing him away. The sudden burst of violence is terrifying and unrelenting. The four rush into the room and the family looks at them in fearsome surprise for these men are not human at all, but loathsome, bestial demons dressed as Storm Troopers. One kicks in the television and fires into the kitchen, blasting David's mother. David rises but is forced back into his chair by one of the things and held there. DAVID Stop! He watches in horror as his little brother and sister scream in terror before they are brutally murdered. The monstrous Storm Troopers then set fire to the rooms. The one holding David pulls a knife and quickly slits David's throat. CUT TO: 27 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT David bolts upright in bed and looks around, trying desperately to gain his bearings. He sees that Alex is asleep in the chair by his bed, Connecticut Yankee folded on her lap. He makes a deliberate effort to calm himself. He considers waking her, then decides against it. He turns on the lamp by his bed and reaches over to take the book from Alex's lap. David takes the book as gently as possible, but Alex wakes up anyway. ALEX (yawns, smiles) Hello. You all right? DAVID I'm sorry I woke you up. ALEX Don't be silly. Can I get you something? DAVID No, thank you. Just keep me company for a while. ALEX That's easy enough. DAVID I keep having these really terrible dreams. They are getting worse and I can't seem to stop them. ALEX David, your dreams will stop. You'll leave England and your bad memories; and then this will all fade away. DAVID Will you come with me? ALEX (taken aback) What? DAVID (smiling) I'm serious. You don't know me and I know nothing about you. We have a perfect relationship. ALEX Now, David, I said I would keep you company, but I meant right here and now. DAVID Will you think about it? ALEX How did we get from your bad dreams to my taking a holiday with a patient? DAVID (big grin) Not just a patient -- me. ALEX You're being awfully forward, aren't you? DAVID Forgive me, I'm trying to cheer myself up and an affair with a beautiful nurse seemed like just the thing to do it. ALEX (smiles) All I am to you is a sex fantasy then? DAVID Now I'm embarrassed. ALEX Good. I thought for a moment I was the only embarrassed one in the room. There is an awkward pause. DAVID Where were we in the book? Alex is relieved for something to break the tension. ALEX (looking through the book) Let me see here. FADE OUT FADE IN 28 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING The black Orderly hustles in with David's breakfast tray, busily setting up the tray on the table over the bed. He awakens the sleeping David with his activity. ORDERLY Ah you're up. Good morning and a good day to you. We've quite a meal for you here this morning. Bacon, oatmeal, orange juice, and toast with jam. Good stuff there. Now eat it up and I'll be back for the dishes when you've finished. The Orderly exits. The drowsy David, who has been trying to fully wake up during the Orderly's speech, notices his exit. DAVID Good morning. He looks at his food none too happily. He sticks a spoon into the bowl of oatmeal and tastes is gingerly. DAVID (in mock English accent) Please, sir, I want some more. He settles down to eating, reaches over to butter his toast and drink his juice. While he eats, we hear Jack's o.s. voice. JACK (O.S.) Can I have a piece of toast? David looks over to the o.s. Jack. Jack, behaving relaxed and normal, sits in the chair last occupied by Alex. However, Jack's appearance makes his casual manner all the more surreal. He is as we left him butchered on the moors. He is covered with dried mud and open wounds. Huge glistening gashes abound on his body. His face is scratched, his throat is badly torn, and his hair is matted with blood. In several spots he has already begun to rot. He is a remarkably gruesome sight, but his physical state seems not to affect him at all. JACK (pleasantly) Nice to see you. DAVID (unbelieving) Get the fuck out of here, Jack. JACK Thanks a lot. DAVID (horrified) This is too much. I can't handle this. JACK I'm aware that I don't look so great, but I thought you'd be glad to see me. Jack gets up and takes a piece of toast from David's tray as David watches amazed. Jack returns to his seat and takes a bite out of his toast. David stares at Jack horrified. JACK David! You're hurting my feelings. DAVID (astounded) Hurting your feelings? Has it occurred to you that it may be unsettling to have you rise from your grave to visit me? Listen to me, I'm talking to a hamburger! JACK I'm sorry to be upsetting you, David, but I had to come. DAVID (aghast) Aren't you supposed to be buried in New York someplace? JACK Yeah. Your parents came to my funeral. I was surprised at how many people came. DAVID (resigned) Why should you be surprised? You were a very well-liked person. JACK Debbie Klein cried a lot. DAVID I can't stand it. JACK So you know what she does? She's so grief stricken she runs to find solace in Rudy Levine's bed. DAVID Rudy Levine the shmuck? JACK Life mocks me even in death. Jack takes another bite of toast. DAVID (to himself) I'm going completely crazy. JACK (loud) David! DAVID (louder) What?! JACK David, now I know this may be hard for you, but I have to warn you. DAVID (shouting) Warn me? Will you get out of here, you meat loaf? JACK I'm a grisly sight, it's true; but I love you and that's why I'm here. You've got to know. DAVID If you love me so much, Jack, you'll realize how disconcerting it is to share one's breakfast with the living dead! JACK We were attacked by a werewolf. DAVID (covers his ears) I'm not listening! JACK On the moors, we were attacked by a lycanthrope, a werewolf. DAVID Shut up, you zombie! JACK I was murdered, an unnatural death, and now I walk the earth in limbo until the werewolf's curse is lifted. DAVID (incredulous, furious) What's wrong with you? Shut up! JACK The wolf's bloodline must be severed. The last remaining werewolf must be destroyed. DAVID Will you be quiet?! Jack rises and comes closer to David. JACK It's you, David. DAVID What?! JACK You survived and now you shall continue the curse. DAVID What are you talking about? I won't accept this! Get out! God damit! JACK Remember what that guy at The Slaughtered Lamb said? `Beware the moon.' DAVID (quietly) Stop it, Jack. JACK Beware the moon. The full moon, David. You've got two days. DAVID (quietly) Jack, please go away. Please go away. JACK You'll stalk the streets of London a creature of the night. DAVID (flares up) You're talking like Boris Karloff! It's movie dialogue! JACK David, please believe me. You will kill people, David. You've got to stop the bloodshed before it begins. DAVID (yells) Nurse! JACK Listen to me! Take your own life, David. It's our only chance. DAVID Nurse! JACK The supernatural! The powers of darkness! It's all true. Take your own life! Suicide, David. Join me. DAVID (losing it) Nurse! Oh God! Alex! JACK It's cold, David, and I'm so alone. The undead surround me. Have you ever talked to a corpse? It's boring! I'm lonely! Kill yourself, David, before you kill others. 29 INT. HOSPITAL - NURSES' STATION - DAY Alex rushing down the hospital corridor. 30 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY David rocking back and forth weeping. JACK Don't cry, David. 31 INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY Alex rushing down hospital corridor. 32 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY JACK Please don't cry. 33 INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY Alex rushing to the door. 34 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY - CLOSEUP JACK (softly in looming closeup) Beware the moon, David. CUT TO: ALEX as she bursts into the room. CUT TO: DAVID laying in bed rocking from side to side, crying softly. He is alone. Alex rushes over, removes the tray, sits on the bed and hugs David. ALEX David? David! David pulls away sharply, his head jerking about wildly until he focuses on Alex's face and begins to breathe easier. ALEX David, what's wrong? David smiles and kisses her, a real kiss. DAVID (quietly) I'm a werewolf. ALEX A werewolf? Alex holds David a moment then realizes where she is and backs off a little. David composes himself. ALEX Are you better now? DAVID I'll let you know the next full moon. ALEX You're to be discharged tomorrow. Will you be all right? David takes Alex's hand. DAVID My friend Jack was just here. ALEX Your dead friend Jack? DAVID Yeah. He says that I will become a monster in two days. What do you think? ALEX What do I think? You mean about the possibility of your becoming a monster in two days or about visits from dead friends? DAVID I was dreaming again? ALEX I would think so. DAVID (resigned) Yeah, I would think so, too. Alex considers for a while, finally.... ALEX Do you have a place to stay in London? CUT TO: 35 EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY David and Alex walking down the street. Alex points out her flat and leads David up the front steps. She gives him a conspiratorial look and unlocks the door. 36 INT. ALEX'S FLAT - DAY Alex enters and David follows. A small, utilitarian apartment, she flicks on the kitchen light. David puts his backpack on the floor. ALEX The kitchen. DAVID Very nice. She proceeds to give the tour. ALEX Closet. DAVID Charming. ALEX Bathroom. DAVID Lovely. ALEX The bedroom. DAVID There is only one bed. ALEX (makes a face) David, perhaps you'd like to watch the telly while I take a shower. Alex enters the room and David whistles softly, rocking on his heels. 37 INT. BATHROOM - DAY David and Alex stand facing each other under the stream of water in the shower. DAVID It's nice to see you. ALEX It's nice to see you. MONTAGE IN SHOWER - DAY A sequence of soap and flesh. Van Morrison's "Moondance" plays. A montage of soapy hands on slippery skin. Thighs rubbing thighs, arms and shoulders. David and Alex kiss again and again and.... 38 INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - DAY David and Alex in a passionate, orgasmic kiss in Alex's bed. David pulls out and they lay holding each other. After a moment.... DAVID Alex? ALEX Yes? DAVID Will you be here in about fifteen minutes? ALEX Of course. DAVID (leers) Good. Alex props herself up on one elbow. ALEX David, you don't honestly believe that in reality your friend Jack rose from the grave to breakfast with you? Do you really? DAVID I was awake and he was in my room. ALEX But, David. DAVID (firm) I wasn't hallucinating. Pause. ALEX (smiles) Tomorrow is the full moon. DAVID That's good, Alex. Reassure me. Alex begins kissing David's neck. DAVID It's all right, I know I'm being insane. She kisses his shoulders, then his chest. DAVID Okay, okay. I'm properly reassured! Alex is now kissing his stomach, her head gradually lowers from frame. David reaches back over his head to hold onto the headboard of the bed. DAVID (closing his eyes) This is very reassuring. I'm feeling very reassured. DISSOLVE TO: INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Alex is asleep holding David. David carefully lifts her arm and gets out of bed. He is naked. He tiptoes out of the room and goes to the bathroom. 39 INT. ALEX'S BATHROOM - NIGHT David lifts the toilet seat and pees. He winces, hoping the steady stream doesn't awaken Alex. When he's finished peeing he goes to the sink. The medicine cabinet door over the sink is open. When David closes it he (and the audience) is terrified to see Jack reflected standing behind him. (Note: This is a big scare.) Bloodied and horrible, Jack has continued to rot and looks even worse than when we last saw him. David chokes out a strangled cry, closes his eyes tightly and then reopens them. Jack is still there in the mirror. When David turns around Jack is standing in the doorway. DAVID (points a trembling finger) You're not real. JACK Don't be an asshole, David. Come here. David, clearly troubled, follows Jack into the living room. 40 INT. ALEX'S LIVING ROOM Jack sits down and motions for David to sit also. He does. David's conversation is in whispers, so as not to wake up Alex. DAVID What are you doing here? JACK I wanted to see you. DAVID Okay, you've seen me. Now go away. JACK David, I'm sorry I upset you yesterday, but you must understand what is going on. DAVID I understand all right. You're one of the undead and I'm a werewolf. JACK Yes. DAVID Get out of here, Jack! JACK David, tomorrow night is the full moon. You'll change, you'll become.... DAVID (interrupting) A monster. I know, I know. JACK You must take your own life now, David, before it's too late. DAVID Jack, are you really dead? JACK What do you think? DAVID I think I've lost my mind. I think you're not real. I think I'm asleep and you're a part of another bad dream. JACK You must believe me. DAVID What, Jack? That tomorrow night beneath the full moon I'll sprout hair and fangs and eat people? Bullshit! JACK The canines will be real. You'll taste real blood! God damit, David, please believe me! You'll kill and make others like me! I'm not having a nice time, David! Don't allow this to happen again! You must take your own life! DAVID (shouts) I will not accept this! Now go away! 41 INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Alex wakes up from the shouting. ALEX David? 42 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT JACK (quietly) This is not pretend, David. DAVID (righteous) I will not be threatened by a walking meat loaf! Alex enters the room. ALEX David, what's wrong? I heard voices. David turns and sees that Jack is gone. DAVID (triumphant) It was just me, Alex. It was just me. 43 EXT. EAST PROCTOR - DAY Dr. Hirsch is driving down the main street in his red M.G. He parks in front of The Slaughtered Lamb. 44 INT. THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB - DAY The pub is less crowded than when we were here last. The Dart Player is behind the bar cleaning glasses, the Chess Player is still at the chessboard. Dr. Hirsch enters and crosses to the bar. As he removes his gloves: DR. HIRSCH A drink for a very cold man? The Woman comes in from the back. WOMAN Hello, there. What can I get you? DR. HIRSCH Campari and soda would do nicely. WOMAN Sorry, love. DR. HIRSCH I suppose Guinness will suffice. She serves him his beer. As he lays down his money... DR. HIRSCH A thousand thanks. After a few sips. DR. HIRSCH Nasty bit of business with those two young American boys. The Dart Player stops his wiping. DART PLAYER I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, sir. DR. HIRSCH Yes, I'm sure that's right. A few weeks ago, the last full moon wasn't it? The Chess Player turns in his chair to get a good look at Dr. Hirsch. DR. HIRSCH I mean that escaped lunatic. The one that killed the boy. Wasn't that near here? CHESS PLAYER (concerned) And where are you from, sir? Dr. Hirsch crosses and joins the Chess Player at his table. DR. HIRSCH London. Knight takes pawn. CHESS PLAYER What? Sees that Dr. Hirsch was talking about his game.... CHESS PLAYER Oh, yes, yes. Dr. Hirsch points to the pentangle on the wall. DR. HIRSCH What's that? WOMAN (nervously) Oh, that's been there for two hundred years. We were going to paint it out, but it's traditional, so we left it. DR. HIRSCH I see. You've heard nothing about the incident? DART PLAYER Incident? DR. HIRSCH The murder? CHESS PLAYER Are you a police officer? DR. HIRSCH (smiles) No, no, hardly. I work in the hospital where the Kessler boy was brought. The Dart Player and Chess Player exchange a look. DR. HIRSCH He was talking about werewolves and monsters and as I was near here I thought.... DART PLAYER You thought what? DR. HIRSCH I thought I'd look into the boy's story. CHESS PLAYER (scoffs) A story about werewolves - now really, sir. Dr. Hirsch eyes the Chess Player. DR. HIRSCH Would you like a game of chess? 45 INT. ALEX'S FLAT - DAY We find Alex and David in an embrace by the front door. Alex is dressed in her nurse's uniform and David has jeans and a T-shirt on. He is shoeless and obviously not going out. Alex pulls away. ALEX Let me go now, you'll make me late. DAVID Do me an enormous favor? ALEX Anything. DAVID Tell me that it's silly of me to be apprehensive. ALEX It's silly of you to be apprehensive. DAVID Werewolves simply do not exist. ALEX (serious) David, do you want me to stay here tonight? DAVID Yeah, I do, but go to work. He opens the door and they both go outside. 46 EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - LATE AFTERNOON - ALEX AND DAVID walk to the sidewalk. It is rather chilly. ALEX Listen, if you get too anxious, call me at the hospital, okay? DAVID Okay. ALEX I've left those pills for you. DAVID A doper werewolf. They kiss again. ALEX I'm off. There's food in the fridge. DAVID See you later. Alex goes off, turning for a last wave. David stands looking after her when a LITTLE GIRL walking a dog passes by. The dog, on seeing David, begins to growl and snarl. DAVID (to dog) What did I do? The dog begins barking ferociously, the little girl tugging on his leash. DAVID Thanks a lot, dog. He realizes just how cold he is outside and runs back up the steps to find the door locked. DAVID Wonderful. Cut to shot of David's bare feet on the cold stone. He mutters to himself, imitating a newscaster. DAVID An American werewolf was found frozen to death today in the heart of London, England. He looks around and sees that there is a small window ajar on the side of the flat about eleven feet off the ground, which can be reached by climbing a brick wall, which he does but not without damage to his bare toes. At the top of the wall is a cat that begins to hiss on seeing David. The hair stands up on its arched back and it glares at David, hissing and spitting. David is disturbed by the cat's hostile behavior. DAVID What did I do, cat? The cat is really acting fierce. When David goes to pat it cautiously, it screeches and runs away. David is, by this time, not amused. David manages to pull himself into the window. 47 INT. ALEX'S BATHROOM - DUSK David awkwardly enters the bathroom through the tiny window. Finally getting both feet on the ground, he steps to the sink and regards himself in the mirror. DAVID (weakly) Snarl. Growl. Grrrr. He examines his mouth, touching his canines carefully. After a while he sighs and goes into the kitchen. 48 INT. ALEX'S KITCHEN - DUSK David goes straight to the fridge and opens it. He closes the fridge and walks into the bedroom. 49 INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - DUSK He lays down on the bed. After a few beats of staring at the ceiling, he rises and goes back into the kitchen. 50 INT. ALEX'S KITCHEN - DUSK He reopens the fridge. DAVID I'm not hungry. He closes the fridge and walks into the living room. 51 INT. ALEX'S LIVING ROOM - DUSK David turns on the television. On Thames is a soccer match. On BBC 1 is some truly insipid children's program, and on BBC 2 is a soccer match. David switches off the television. He sits on the chair nervously, drumming his fingers and humming. DAVID (singing) `Moon River, wider than a mile I'm crossing you in style, Someday....' David gets up, goes to the front door, and flings it open. It is getting dark. David views this fearfully, but still not completely convinced. He goes back inside and we note that the front door is not completely closed. He goes back into the bathroom and looks into the mirror. DAVID Fee fi fo fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. He goes back into the living room and paces round and round the room like a caged animal. 52 INT. CHILDREN'S WARD - NIGHT Alex is back with Benjamin, the little Pakistani. ALEX How are we feeling tonight? BENJAMIN No. ALEX No what? BENJAMIN No! ALEX (smiling) Benjamin, have you ever been severely beaten about the face and neck? BENJAMIN No. ALEX I thought not. She tucks him in. ALEX You sleep now and have sweet dreams. BENJAMIN & ALEX No! For the first time, Benjamin smiles. As Alex tucks him in, we can clearly see the full moon outside through the window. 53 INT. ALEX'S FLAT - NIGHT David sits reading Connecticut Yankee when he suddenly clutches his head in pain. DAVID Jesus Christ! He stands in agony, the book falls to the floor. DAVID (screams) What? Christ! What? He begins sweating profusely, clinging to the sides of his head. He trembles violently. DAVID I'm burning up! Jesus! He rips at his shirt, tearing it off. His body is dripping wet. DAVID (shouts out in pain and fear) Jack!? Where are you now, you fucker!?! As a new spasm of pain wracks his body, he cries out in anguish. DAVID Help me! Somebody help me, please! Jack!! David's hair is wringing wet. He screams and grabs at his legs. DAVID (pleading, whimpering) I'm sorry I called you a meat loaf, Jack. New bolts of agonizing pain wrack through David's body. He grabs at his pants, pulling them off as if they are burning him. Standing naked in the center of the room, David gasps for air. He falls to his knees and then forward on his hands. He remains on his hands and knees, trying to master his torment; but it's no use. On all fours he gives himself over to the excruciating hurt and slowly begins to change. The metamorphosis from man into beast is not an easy one. As bone and muscle bend and reform themselves, the body suffers lacerating pain. We can actually see David's flesh move, the rearranging tissue. His mouth bleeds as fangs emerge. His whole face distorts as his jaw extends, his skull literally changing shape before our eyes. His hands gnarl and his fingers curl back as claws burst forward. The camera pans up to show the full moon outside through the window. David's moans change slowly into low guttural growls. We hear the four footfalls as the WOLF begins to walk. As the camera pans back over the room, we see the front door pushed open and hear the Wolf padding off into the darkness. 54 EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET - NIGHT A taxi pulls up in front of a block of flats. An attractive couple gets out. The Man pays the driver and the cab drives off. WOMAN Which one, Harry? MAN Number thirty-nine, but let's go `round the back. WOMAN Why? MAN Come on, we'll give Sean a scare. WOMAN You're crazy, Harry. HARRY Come on. Harry takes her hand and leads her around the side of the flats. The apartments back up to a park and the two walk around to the rear. The park is dark and quiet. 55 EXT. PARK - NIGHT WOMAN Did you hear something? HARRY Just now? WOMAN Yes. HARRY No. Here we are, Sean's is the one.... THE WOLF SPRINGS! Before the Woman can scream, the Wolf whirls around and goes for her throat. We can't see clearly, but we see enough to realize how large the Wolf is and that its wolfen features are twisted and demonic. The Wolf savagely devours its two victims. 56 INT. SEAN'S FLAT - NIGHT Sean's wife is looking through their French windows out onto the park - a middle-aged couple. WIFE Sean, those hooligans are in the park again. SEAN Aren't you ready yet? They'll be here any minute. WIFE Something's going on out there. 57 INT. HOSPITAL - NURSES' STATION - NIGHT Miss Gallagher is helping Mrs. Hobbs dispense medication into paper cups when Dr. Hirsch approaches. He is still wearing his overcoat. DR. HIRSCH Is Miss Price on duty this evening? MRS. HOBBS Yes, Doctor. DR. HIRSCH Miss Gallagher, do you know if Miss Price has seen the Kessler boy since his release? Miss Gallagher is not sure how to answer. MISS GALLAGHER Uh, I don't know if.... Alex has walked up and overheard the last. ALEX It's all right, Susan. Yes, Doctor, I have. DR. HIRSCH Come to my office, Miss Price. Alex and Susan exchange glances as she obediently follows Dr. Hirsch down the hallway. 58 EXT. PARK - NIGHT Sean has exited the back of his flat to investigate his wife's complaints. She hangs by the door. He walks deeper into the park. SEAN (calls out) Is anyone there? 59 INT. DR. HIRSCH'S OFFICE - NIGHT Dr. Hirsch hangs up his overcoat. DR. HIRSCH Sit down, Alex. Alex sits and Dr. Hirsch leans against his desk. DR. HIRSCH I was in East Proctor today. Alex looks confused. Dr. Hirsch realizes the cause of her concern. DR. HIRSCH Oh dear girl, your extracurricular activities are of no consequence to me. I don't give a damn who you sleep with. I'm concerned about David. ALEX Yes, sir. DR. HIRSCH It's a full moon. Where is he? ALEX At my flat. I'm off at midnight and.... Dr. Hirsch picks up the phone. DR. HIRSCH The number, Alex. Your number! 60 EXT. PARK - NIGHT Sean carefully approaches something near the trees. He steps on something and looks down to see what it is. It is an arm. 61 INT. ALEX'S FLAT - NIGHT - EXTREME CLOSEUP - THE TELEPHONE rings loudly. (This is a scare.) It continues to ring unanswered. 62 INT. DR. HIRSCH'S OFFICE - NIGHT Dr. Hirsch waits on the phone, finally hanging up. DR. HIRSCH He's not there. Alex grows worried. ALEX He's not? DR. HIRSCH Alex, has David persisted in his werewolf fantasies? ALEX Well, yes, but he seems to be more upset by the death of his friend. DR. HIRSCH Has his friend appeared to him again? ALEX Yes. DR. HIRSCH What did he say? ALEX David says Jack comes to warn him. DR. HIRSCH Warn him? ALEX Dr. Hirsch, what's wrong? Is this more serious than I know? DR. HIRSCH I tried to investigate the attack. There are no records. The case was closed and now they've `misplaced' the file. David's lacerations were cleaned and dressed when he arrived here and yet supposedly no doctor examined him before I did. The Goodman boy is already in the ground so he's no good to us. So I went to the pub in East Proctor where I was convinced of two things. ALEX Yes. DR. HIRSCH They were lying. There were no witnesses, no escaped lunatic. The whole community is hiding the truth of what actually happened up there. ALEX And what else? DR. HIRSCH I think the village of East Proctor is hiding some dark and terrible secret. I'm convinced that, like David, they believe in this werewolf. Alex is flabbergasted. DR. HIRSCH You've absolutely no idea where David might be? ALEX No. He knows no one in London, besides me. I shouldn't have left him alone. Suddenly. ALEX Surely you're not suggesting.... DR. HIRSCH David has suffered a severe trauma. I myself witnessed some form of mass neurosis in East Proctor. If all the villagers believe that Jack Goodman was killed by a werewolf, why shouldn't David? And then it follows that if he survived an attack by a werewolf, wouldn't he himself become a werewolf the next full moon? ALEX (bewildered) Dr. Hirsch? DR. HIRSCH Oh, I don't mean running about on all fours and howling at the moon. But in such a deranged state he could harm himself, or perhaps others. ALEX What shall we do? DR. HIRSCH Let's call the police and see if they can help us find our wandering boy. 63 EXT. BRICK LANE - NIGHT The bombed-out ruins of this unsavory part of London are stark and uninviting in the moonlight. Three old DERELICTS are huddled around a trash can fire trying to keep warm. A skinny dog is tied up beside them. Its ears perk up and he growls in warning. DERELICT #1 Old Winston smells something. DERELICT #2 (calls out) Who's there? The dog begins to whine. DERELICT #2 Let `im go. Derelict #1 unties Winston who takes off running in terror. DERELICT #3 Brave dog that. DERELICT #1 (worried) Here - who's there? An unearthly howl shatters the night. We've heard this sound on the moors. DERELICT #2 That's not Winston. DERELICT #3 Look there. He points out into the night. They strain their eyes - something is approaching them. They can just make out its size. DERELICT #1 Mother Mary of God. 64 INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT A train SCREECHES to a halt. (A scare.) We are in the tubes of London. Only one passenger disembarks and the train goes off, leaving him alone in the cavernous hallways. The PASSENGER is a young man, rather well- dressed. He looks about the platform, then at his watch. He walks up to a vending machine to buy a Cadbury Chocolate Bar. CUT TO: INT. SUBWAY STATION - LONG SHOT as the Passenger puts his coin in the vending machine. The camera is on ground level and as we watch the Passenger, the Wolf's legs flash by us. CUT TO: CLOSEUP of the Passenger eating his chocolate bar. He turns thoughtfully, wondering if he had heard something. Satisfied that he is alone, he begins his walk down one of the long serpentine tunnels that make up London's tubes. He feels he's being followed and turns slowly to look. There is no one and he continues, concerned about his imagination. CUT TO: CLOSEUP - WOLF'S EYES watching in the darkness. BACK TO SCENE Our Passenger approaches the first escalator, pauses, then gets on going swiftly and silently up the moving stairway. CUT TO: CLOSEUP - WOLF'S SNOUT In profile we can see its ragged, razor-sharp fangs and black tongue. It waits, panting, drool falls from its mouth. BACK TO SCENE The Passenger reaches the landing and walks briskly down the long tunnel marked "Escalator to Street Level". He is being followed. He hears it and we hear it. He stops, frightened. PASSENGER Hello? CUT TO: TUNNEL Long and empty. THE PASSENGER PASSENGER Is there someone there? We hear the Wolf's heavy breathing. The Passenger is beginning to panic. PASSENGER I can assure you that this is not in the least bit amusing! He looks around wildly. PASSENGER I shall report this! PASSENGER'S P.O.V. We see the Wolf at a great distance trotting down the tunnel towards us. PASSENGER Good Lord. THE PASSENGER turns to flee, his jog becoming a run. He is terrified. WOLF - CLOSEUP of the Wolf's running steps. THE PASSENGER frantically running, falls to the ground hard bloodying his nose. He scrambles to his feet crying out in fear. Reaching the escalator, he begins to run up the moving stairs, falling several times. He sits, panting and defeated, the blood trickling from his nose. CUT TO: WOLF'S P.O.V. as it begins to climb the stairs. The camera tracks slowly in on the increasingly horrified Passenger until we are in an extreme closeup of his eyes, when we: CUT TO: 65 CLOSEUP - A TIGER ROARING (A scare.) The tiger paces in its cage and roars again. We are at: EXT. LONDON ZOO - DAY It is early morning and all the animals are aroused. We cut around to roaring cats, screeching monkeys, and panicky birds, etc., until we come to the Wolves' cage where we find David, naked and curled up on the ground by the cage, asleep. David wakes up slowly. He is completely naked, his body dirty, with several scratches on his torso and legs. He yawns and stretches, makes a face, and with his finger picks something distasteful from his teeth. He also notices something under his fingernails and as he goes to clean them, he suddenly does a complete Stan Laurel discovering where he is. He puts his hands over his eyes. DAVID Wake me up, Alex. He slowly peaks through his fingers; he's still there. He stands up and looks around. The zoo opens and women with prams and children hustle about. David sees them coming towards him, notes his lack of clothes, and decides it would be better for all concerned if they did not meet. He looks around for a suitable hiding place and dashes behind some bushes. He crouches down so that he can't be seen, scratching himself on a thorn. DAVID Ouch! 66 INT. ALEX'S FLAT - DAY Alex sits holding David's torn T-shirt. She is trying to read her book, but is just too distracted. The phone rings and she runs for it. ALEX (excited, then disappointed) Hello? No, Dr. Hirsch, he hasn't come back yet. Yes, I will, doctor, but I just feel so helpless sitting here doing nothing. Thank you, yes, goodbye. She hangs up and looks around the empty flat. She is now more worried than ever. 67 EXT. LONDON ZOO - DAY David is still behind the bushes. He looks to see if the coast is clear, then stands up and parts the bushes. He steps out to confront a DOWAGER LADY. DAVID Hello. CUT TO: DOWAGER'S FACE Dumbfounded. DAVID Excuse me, won't you? He returns to the bushes. CUT TO: CLOSEUP - A GORILLA EATING A LITTLE BOY with four helium balloons on a string is staring intently at the gorilla. The Little Boy leaves the monkey house and we travel with him as he looks at several other animals. Eventually he comes to the Wolf cage. DAVID (O.S.) Pssst! The Little Boy looks around. DAVID (O.S.) Hey, kid! Pssst. Little boy with the balloons. The Little Boy pantomimes, "who me?" CUT TO: THE BUSHES David cannot be seen. DAVID (O.S.) Come over here. The Little Boy shakes his head. The bush replies: DAVID (O.S.) If you come over here, I'll give you a pound. The Little Boy shakes his head. The bush pleads. DAVID (O.S.) Two pounds? The Little Boy shakes his head. The bush reasons: DAVID (O.S.) Listen, two pounds is a lot of money. It's almost five dollars. LITTLE BOY (very English) I don't know who you are. DAVID (O.S.) I'm the famous balloon thief. LITTLE BOY Why would a thief want to give me two pounds? DAVID (O.S.) (losing patience) Come here and I'll show you. The Little Boy starts cautiously towards the shrubbery, but stops a few feet away. DAVID (O.S.) (pleading) Come on! The Little Boy edges forward. DAVID (O.S.) A little closer. When the Little Boy gets within reach, David grabs his balloons and uses them to cover his crotch. DAVID Thank you. David runs off through the zoo, naked but for his balloons, startling several animal lovers. 68 EXT. PARK - DAY An ELDERLY COUPLE sits feeding birds, their coats folded nearly over the park bench. A naked blur darts by, grabbing the top coat as it passes, scaring off the birds. 69 EXT. LONDON ZOO - DAY The Little Boy tugs at his MOTHER'S coat. MOTHER Yes, love? LITTLE BOY A naked, American man stole my balloons. MOTHER What? LITTLE BOY A naked, American man -- the famous balloon thief. 70 EXT. NEWSSTAND - DAY The signs they always have on London newsstands proclaim "Man or Monster?" Dr. Hirsch picks up a newspaper with its headline, "London Murder Victims Found Partially Devoured". DR. HIRSCH I'll have one of those, too. He pays for the papers. The second one's headline, "Death Toll Up To Six - New Jack The Ripper?" 71 EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY - BUS STOP in another part of town. The camera is on the crowd of fifteen or twenty people waiting for the bus. When the bus pulls up, they all crowd in. The camera goes to floor level and slowly examines the footwear of the crowded bus. Passengers are standing in the aisle and the camera slowly pans on their galoshes, boots, high heels, rubbers, etc., until it comes to rest on a conspicuous pair of bare feet. We pan up to find David clad only in a woman's rain coat with a fur collar trying to look as nonchalant as possible. A man looks at him oddly. DAVID (cheerfully) A lot of weather we've been having lately. The man studies David carefully. 72 INT. ALEX'S FLAT - DAY Alex sits in the kitchen drinking tea and reading. There is loud knocking on the door. Alex rushes to open it and David enters quickly, closing the door behind him. He is still wearing the woman's coat. ALEX David! Where on earth have you been!?! DAVID I'm freezing. He goes into the bedroom and takes off the coat and gets dressed as Alex watches in amazement. David is excited, even euphoric. DAVID Alex, I've lost my mind. I woke up at the zoo! But you know what? I feel terrific! ALEX The zoo? DAVID Waking up at the zoo, that's not so insane. Having no clothes on? That's insane. What did I do last night, Alex? ALEX Don't you remember? DAVID I said goodbye to you. I was locked out of the flat. I climbed the wall and came in through the bathroom window. I started to read and then I was naked at the zoo! (big smile) I guess I am out of my fucking mind. Alex sits next to him and puts her arm around his shoulders. ALEX I worried about you. We didn't know where you were. David kisses her, a desperate kiss, and she kisses back with equal passion. ALEX Where did you get that coat? David laughs. 73 INT. DR. HIRSCH'S OFFICE Dr. Hirsch is dialing the phone. 74 INT. ALEX'S FLAT The phone rings. ALEX I'll get it. Alex goes to the phone. ALEX Hello? The telephone conversation is intercut between Alex and Dr. Hirsch. DR. HIRSCH Alex, have you heard anything? Alex speaks softly so that David won't hear her. ALEX He's here. DR. HIRSCH (excited) Is he all right? Why didn't you call me? Where was he? ALEX He doesn't remember. He woke up at the zoo. DR. HIRSCH The zoo? Is he rational? ALEX Yes, he is. He's very excited and confused, but he's not crazy, if that's what you mean. DR. HIRSCH Have you read the papers today? Have you listened to the radio or television? ALEX No, why? DR. HIRSCH Is David acting strangely? ALEX No, not really. Dr. Hirsch considers. DR. HIRSCH Could you get here without any trouble? ALEX Yes, I should think so. DR. HIRSCH Right. Now listen carefully. I want you to bring David here. I want him in my care. I'll notify the police that we've found him. It is imperative that you bring him straight to the hospital. Do you understand? ALEX Yes, Doctor. DR. HIRSCH You're certain he's lucid? You won't need any help? ALEX He's fine. We'll come right over. DR. HIRSCH Shall I send a car? ALEX No, a cab will be faster. DR. HIRSCH I expect you shortly. Dr. Hirsch hangs up, checks a piece of paper, and then dials again. DR. HIRSCH Yes, Scotland Yard? 75 EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY Alex and David are walking. ALEX The next corner we can get a cab. DAVID (grins) I should be committed. ALEX Dr. Hirsch will know what to do. DAVID (stretches) I don't know why I feel so good. I haven't felt this good in a long time. Alex is signaling for a taxi. DAVID My body feels alive, alert. I feel like an athlete. A taxi pulls up; Alex opens the door. ALEX Get in. 76 INT. TAXI - DAY ALEX Saint Martin's Hospital. DRIVER Right. As they drive. DRIVER It's like the days of the Mad Barber of Fleet Street, isn't it? ALEX I beg your pardon? DRIVER The murders. DAVID (concerned) What murders? DRIVER Last night. Haven't you heard? Six people in different parts of the city mutilated. A real maniac this one. DAVID Pull over. ALEX But.... DAVID (adamant) Pull over. 77 EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY The cab pulls to the sidewalk. DAVID Pay the man. David gets out of the cab. ALEX David, wait! She hurriedly hands the Driver some money and takes off after David. ALEX David, what are you doing? DAVID Six people mutilated? It had to be me, Alex. ALEX David, stop! He turns and faces her. DAVID I am going to the cops. There's a full moon tonight. Jack was right. I.... ALEX (angry) Jack is dead! DAVID Jack is dead. Look, six people have been killed. I'm going to the police. David takes off walking briskly down the street. Alex has to jog to keep up with him. ALEX David, please be rational. Let's go to Dr. Hirsch. DAVID Rational!?! I'm a fucking werewolf, for Christ's sake! He strides up to a Bobbie on the corner. DAVID Officer, I killed those people last night. BOBBIE (interested) You did, did you? Alex runs up. ALEX He's playing a stupid joke, sir. DAVID (dumbfounded) What? ALEX We had an argument. He's being silly. DAVID (desperate) I swear, I don't know this girl. BOBBIE All right, you two, move along. DAVID Hey, you asshole! I want you to arrest me! BOBBIE There's no call for that kind of language. DAVID (shouts) Queen Elizabeth is a man! Prince Charles is a faggot! Winston Churchill was full of shit! BOBBIE (losing patience) Now see here young man. DAVID Shakespeare was French! The Queen Mother sucks cocks in hell! Shit! Fuck! Piss! The Bobbie takes David's arm roughly as pedestrians start to gather. BOBBIE That's quite enough! ALEX (pleading) David, please! DAVID Who is this girl? BOBBIE You're going to have to stop this disturbance or I shall arrest you. DAVID (frustrated, yelling) That's what I want you to do, you moron! ALEX (to Bobbie) Sir, he's very upset. His friend was killed and.... DAVID Will you shut up!?!! BOBBIE (losing his temper) That's enough! Now go about your business. ALEX Yes, David, let's go. DAVID (disbelief) You're not going to arrest me? David approaches one of the ONLOOKERS. DAVID Don't you think he should arrest me? ONLOOKER Well, I'm not sure. How does he know this isn't a prank? DAVID (despair) A prank? ALEX (urgently) David.... The Bobbie has lost all patience. BOBBIE I've no time for this foolishness. (to onlookers) Nothing to look at. Move along. The Bobbie walks away. David is beside himself. DAVID Hopeless. It's hopeless. ALEX (softly) David, let's go now. David turns in a rage. DAVID Leave me alone, dammit! You people are crazy! I've got to get away from here! I've got to do something! ALEX (worried) David, don't lose control. DAVID (approaching, hysteria) Control!?! What control!?! Get away from me! He begins to cry. DAVID Leave me alone! He runs out into the street. Cars slam on their brakes, just missing him. ALEX David, wait! It's too late. He's lost in traffic. Alex stands for a moment not knowing which way to turn. 78 EXT. ALLEY - DAY David is running in panic. He finally comes to rest in an alley. He sits down and sobs uncontrollably. 79 INT. DR. HIRSCH'S OFFICE - DAY Alex sits distraught in the chair opposite the desk. Dr. Hirsch is talking to Lt. Villiers and Sgt. McManus. LT. VILLIERS The forensic lads seem to feel that some sort of animal was involved, that's true, but I hardly think.... DR. HIRSCH (interrupts) Regardless of what you think, Lieutenant, the fact remains that David is missing and that we must find him. SGT. McMANUS Before nightfall. DR. HIRSCH Precisely. LT. VILLIERS (harried) Gentlemen, please. We shall find Mr. Kessler as quickly as we're able. ALEX He tried to have himself arrested. He.... LT. VILLIERS (interrupts) Getting arrested isn't all that difficult, Miss Price. ALEX He wants help. He.... DR. HIRSCH (interrupts) What can we do to assist you? LT. VILLIERS (rising) Stay here. If we need you, we'll know where to reach you. He and Sgt. McManus pause by the door. LT. VILLIERS I cannot accept a connection between David Kessler and last night's murders. We will find him, however. I can assure you of that. SGT. McMANUS We'll find him, not to worry. The two policemen exit. Dr. Hirsch looks at Alex. ALEX (distraught) What shall we do? DR. HIRSCH (comforting) Tea would be nice. 80 EXT. LEICESTER SQUARE - DAY David is in a telephone booth. DAVID Yes, operator. I'd like to call the United States and reverse the charges. David Kessler for anyone. Yes, I'll wait. Hello? Yes, area code 315/472-3402. Thank you. (pause) Hello? Rachel? Just say yes, you'll accept the charges. Just say yes, Rachel. Is Mom or Dad home? Where are they? Where's Max? You're all alone? Mom and Dad wouldn't leave me alone when I was ten. No, not ten and a half either. I'm still in London. I'm all better. Look, would you tell Mom and Dad that I love them? I don't care, Rachel, just do it for me. Okay? Good. And, Rachel, don't fight with Max. Well, try. Look, kid, please don't forget to tell Mom and Dad I love them. I love Max and you, too. Well, I do. No, I'm not being weird, you little creep. You promise? Okay. Be a good girl. I love you. Bye. He hangs up in profound depression. Leaving the booth he sees an outdoor clock. It is 4:15. He sighs, then catches sight of something. 81 EXT. CINEMA - DAY - DAVID'S P.O.V. There stands Jack, now truly rotted and ghastly. He's pretty much dried out, a third of his face gone revealing the grinning skull. He waves to David. Jack points inside the theater and goes in. David smiles, walks across the intersection, and up to the box office. TICKET LADY Two and a half quid, please. David reaches in his pocket. All he has are traveler's checks. DAVID Will you take a traveler's check? TICKET LADY No, sorry. David signs a $100 check and hands it to her. DAVID Keep the change. TICKET LADY Well, thank you, sir! She gives him a ticket. David goes in. 82 INT. CINEMA - DAY A film (to be determined) plays on screen. The small theater is mostly empty. A few snoring BUMS and wide- eyed CHILDREN are scattered about. Jack sits in the last row in the shadows. He waves to David. David goes and sits next to him. DAVID Hi, Jack. JACK Hi, David. They sit for a while watching the screen. DAVID What can I say, Jack? JACK You don't have to say anything. DAVID Aren't you going to say, `I told you so'? JACK If I was still alive, I probably would. DAVID You look awful. JACK Thank you. DAVID (apologizes quickly) I didn't mean it. I don't know what I'm saying. I'm not even sure it was me who killed those people. I don't remember doing it. JACK What about the zoo? DAVID Well, even if I'm not the wolfman, I am crazy enough to do something like that. I mean, here I sit in Leicester Square talking to a corpse. I'm glad to see you, Jack. JACK I want you to meet some people. Sitting down the row from Jack is a man, GERALD BRINGSLY, completely in the shadow. JACK David Kessler, this is Gerald Bringsly. DAVID Hello. JACK Gerald is the man you murdered in the subway. We thought it best you didn't see him as he's a fresh kill and still pretty messy. BRINGSLY (in shadow; very English) Yes, I do look most unpleasant. The camera pans down to show the blood dripping from the seat to a puddle on the floor. DAVID (horrified) Why are you doing this to me, Jack? BRINGSLY This isn't Mr. Goodman's idea. He is your good friend, whereas I am a victim of your carnivorous lunar activities. DAVID (appalled) Mr. Bringsly, I'm sorry. I have absolutely no idea what to say to you. BRINGSLY You've left my wife a widow and my children fatherless. And I understand that I am to walk the earth one of the living dead until the wolf's bloodline is severed and the curse lifted. Bringlsy leans forward almost into the light, he glistens. BRINGSLY You must die, David Kessler. JACK David, this is Harry Berman and his fiancee Judith Browns. The two victims lean forward from their seats next to Mr. Bringsly. We can just make out that Harry has one arm missing. JACK And these gentlemen are Alf, Ted, and Joseph. The Three Derelicts sit next to Harry and Judith. All are slick in the darkness, the light from the screen illuminating their gore. DERELICT #2 Can't say we're pleased to meet you, Mr. Kessler. DAVID (defeated) What shall I do? JACK Suicide. HARRY (adamantly) You must take your own life! DAVID That's easy for you to say - you're already dead. BRINGSLY No, David. Harry and I and everyone you murder are not dead. The undead. DAVID (to Jack) Why are you doing this to me? JACK Because this must be stopped. DAVID How shall I do it? JUDITH Sleeping pills? DERELICT #1 Not sure enough. DAVID I could hang myself. JACK If you did it wrong, it would be painful. You'd choke to death. DERELICT #3 So what? Let `im choke. JACK Do you mind? The man's a friend of mine. DERELICT #3 Well he ain't no friend of mine. BRINGSLY Gentlemen, please. HARRY A gun. DERELICT #1 I know where he can get a gun. DAVID Don't I need a silver bullet or something? JACK Be serious, would you? David puts his head in his hands. DAVID Madness. I've gone totally mad. HARRY A gun is good. JUDITH You just put the gun to your forehead and pull the trigger. BRINGSLY If you put it in your mouth, then you'd be sure not to miss. DAVID Thank you, you're all so thoughtful. As the conversation continues, the camera pulls back from the grisly tableau. David grabs his head suddenly. CUT TO: 83 EXT. BIG BEN - NIGHT The clock strikes eleven. The full moon is up. 84 INT. CINEMA - NIGHT David is dripping wet and shaking violently. Three small children, the oldest nine, stand in the aisle staring at him. DAVID (gasps out in anguish) Go away! Please! Go away! The children watch, fascinated as David's seizures grow more severe. DAVID (his face contorting) Run! Please...run. His hands clutch the arms of his chair. Coarse thick hair splits his skin. The children's eyes widen in fascination. 85 EXT. CINEMA - NIGHT Roars and screams come from inside the theater. The TICKET TAKER at the door says to the Ticket Lady: TICKET TAKER I'll check on the house. He goes inside the theater. 86 INT. CINEMA - NIGHT The Ticket Taker enters the theater. The movie continues on screen, but all else is quiet. He cautiously continues down the aisle. He sees something and makes his way towards it. He looks down in horror. THE WOLF SPRINGS! CUT TO: 87 EXT. LEICESTER SQUARE - NIGHT From way up high we look down on the sidewalks and single out TWO BOBBIES running furiously to the cinema through the busy traffic. 88 EXT. CINEMA - NIGHT The two cops run up, the Ticket Lady is hysterical. TICKET LADY It's horrible, horrible! There's a beast! A mad dog! It's killing people in there! One cop stays with the lady, the other rushes inside. 89 INT. CINEMA - NIGHT The cop enters a side door to find several bloodied corpses. He hears something, looks over to see the Wolf hunched over a victim. The Wolf turns, eyes blazing, mouth dripping with blood. We see it clearly for the first time. It is truly a hound from hell, its wolfen features a hideous sight. Its eyes fierce, burning green. The Wolf roars and starts for the cop. The cop rushes out and slams the door behind him. 90 EXT. CINEMA As the cop bolts the door shut. COP #1 For God's sake, Tom, there's a monster in there! The doors shudder as the Wolf begins to batter them down. The cops strain to keep them shut. COP #1 Call for assistance and tell them to bring guns. Pedestrians start milling around. The door is bulging. The Wolf's roars continue. COP #2 Keep moving! Will you people get out of the way! 91 INT. DR. HIRSCH'S OFFICE - NIGHT Alex is asleep. Dr. Hirsch wakes her. DR. HIRSCH Nurse Hobbs said there's a disturbance in Leicester Square involving some sort of mad dog. ALEX David? DR. HIRSCH I doubt it. But it's something to do. 92 INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT An officer unlocks a rack of rifles which are distributed to uniformed men. 93 INT. CINEMA - NIGHT Police cars arrive, sirens blaring. Officers are pushing the crowd back as other men help hold the door closed against the Wolf's battering. Another police car pulls up and out steps Lt. Villiers and Sgt. McManus. LT. VILLIERS What the hell is going on here? COP It's some kind of animal, sir. We.... Suddenly the doors splinter apart and there stands the Wolf, eyes blazing. It leaps on Lt. Villiers, savaging him. The crowd falls back in panic. The Wolf runs into traffic, a cab swerves to avoid hitting it and plows into fleeing pedestrians hurling one through a shop window. Mass confusion as orders are shouted and the police pursue the Wolf. It runs down an alleyway into a cul de sac. It stops in the darkness, blocked by a brick wall. The Wolf whirls around, defiant, roaring. The cops quickly barricade the entrance to the alley. 94 INT. TAXI - NIGHT The taxi is halted by the traffic jam in Leicester Square. Police vehicles roar past. ALEX David! It's David! She jumps from the car before Dr. Hirsch can stop her. 95 EXT. CUL DE SAC - NIGHT The police arrive with weapons and efficiently ring the alley. Alex runs to them. ALEX Let me through! COP Stand clear, miss! ALEX I must get through! Alex dodges the cop and runs into the alley. The officers shout after her. Dr. Hirsch reaches the police line. DR. HIRSCH Alex! Alex walks towards the dark end of the alley. ALEX David? Is it you? Is it true, David? She's almost to the end. The Wolf lays in wait in the shadows. The police raise their weapons. ALEX David? THE WOLF REARS UP. In that brief instant, Alex realizes it will kill her. OFFICER Fire! The guns blaze. The Wolf falls dead. Alex leans on the wall, numb. The cops, Dr. Hirsch, and Sgt. McManus run to the dead Wolf only to find David, naked and riddled with bullets. Alex begins to weep. FADE TO: BLACK END CREDITS OVER BLACK SONG: The fifties rock version of "Blue Moon". THE END

An American Tragedy (1931) by S. M. Eisenstein, G. V. Alexandrov and Ivor Montagu. Based on the Novel by Theodore Dreiser. Unproduced first draft screenplay, circa September 1930. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY Memo from David O. Selznick To: Mr. B. P. Schulberg (General Manager, Paramount) October 8, 1930 I have just finished reading the Eisenstein adaptation of [Theodore Dreiser's novel] An American Tragedy. It was for me a memorable experience; the most moving script I have ever read. It was so effective, it was positively torturing. When I had finished reading it, I was so depressed that I wanted to reach for the bourbon bottle. As entertainment, I don't think it has one chance in a hundred. ... Is it too late to persuade the enthusiasts of the picture from making it? Even if the dialogue rights have been purchased, even if Dreiser's services have been arranged for, I think it an unexcusable gamble on the part of this department to put into a subject as depressing as this one, anything like the cost that an Eisenstein production must necessarily entail. If we want to make An American Tragedy as a glorious experiment, and purely for the advancement of the art (which I certainly do not think is the business of this organization), then let's do it with a [John] Cromwell directing, and chop three or four hundred thousand dollars off the loss. If the cry of "Courage!" be raised against this protest, I should like to suggest that we have the courage not to make the picture, but to take whatever rap is coming to us for not supporting Eisenstein the artist (as he proves himself to be with this script), with a million or more of the stockholders' cash. Let's try new things, by all means. But let's keep these gambles within the bounds of those that would be indulged by rational businessmen; and let's not put more money than we have into any one picture for years into a subject that will appeal to our vanity through the critical acclaim that must necessarily attach to its production, but that cannot possibly offer anything but a most miserable two hours to millions of happy-minded young Americans. David O. Selznick An American Tragedy REEL 1 1. Darkness. The low inspired voice of a woman is heard rising and falling in the singsong of a chanted sermon. Gradually there mingles with the voice the sounds of the city and the noises of the street. The siren of an ambulance -- the anxious ringing of a streetcar. The characteristic cries of newsboys. The tooting of automobiles. Gruff music through radio horns. With the ever-increasing sound of the various noises, views of the city flash upon the screen. Views that express a well-defined contrast. The infinite contrast between the chant of the sermon and the life of the city. And the woman's voice continues, exalted, speaking of the harm of drink, of the horror of sin and of the love of Jesus Christ. A small thin chorus follows the voice of the woman as she starts singing the 27th hymn: "How sweet is the love of Jesus." As yet we see neither the woman whose voice is heard, nor those who sing with her. 2. Of the many indifferent passers-by, there are one or two who listen to the sound of the song.... Persons slow their walk and look in the direction of the hymn. 3. A group of curiosity seekers gathered at the corner of a narrow street, they are busy watching. 4. The crowd watches pityingly. Various of its members speak of them in varying ways. Some mock them -- "You'd think they could find a better racket than this." Others pity them... Yet others patronise them .... 5. Finally -- the street missionaries. An old man with thick grey hair; a woman large, heavily built; and their children, two little girls and a boy of about seven -- CLYDE GRIFFITHS. It is they who are singing the psalms. 6. One woman wishes to know why they drag their children along with them. And a second woman clinches the comment by adding: "Better for them to be sent to school." The children, uninterested, listless, devoid of enthusiasm, their eyes astray, sing their hymns of praise while their parents try to gather alms from the little group of curiosity seekers. No alms are given. 7. The bystanders disperse, and the missionaries, folding up their music, pick up their small organ and move away into the cavernous darkness of the towering narrow street. 8. Seven-year-old Clyde -- sensitive and ashamed of his surroundings -- looks no one directly in the eyes. 9. The family of missionaries moves slowly down the street. "I think they were kinder today," says the mother. 10. They approach a dingy low-built odd-fashioned building, over the door of which hangs a sign Bethel Independent Mission. The rest of the family disappears within the small doors of this building and only Clyde remains on the threshold. He hangs back because street urchins are making fun of him and his family -- because he irks to answer them and pay them out for their mockery. But no words come to him, and with a typical movement he shrinks into himself. 11. In sorrow, and hurt by the insults, he turns from the laughing children and runs across a dark and dirty courtyard towards an old, steep iron fire staircase at the back of the mission; like some small hunted animal he runs up the staircase to a platform. By the platform, crouched on the steps, is his sister, seated there motionless. 12. Esta, his elder sister, who played the harmonium on the street corner, is crouched on the steps; she peers through a stone gap between the houses onto the street, alive, bathed in light. Clyde sits down beside her as though hypnotised; as though enchanted, the children stare at this tiny piece of noisy life, listen rapt to the sound of an odd waltz, the strains of which float up from an unseen restaurant. They look, listen and dream. FADE OUT 13. And again in the darkness the same feminine voice rising and falling in the cadences of a singsong sermon. Now Clyde's mother is speaking of the Life of Man -- the child that becomes a youth -- and the years that pass and the youth that becomes a man; and again the darkness dissolves and we see the favourite nook of the children, but now in their places are sitting a youth and a young girl. Clyde is now about sixteen or seventeen years old, and the girl a year or so older, but the impression remains enchanted as before. There are more lights on the street, its noises are louder, its movement more bustling. From the restaurant we now hear the quick lively tune of a foxtrot, but the expression on the youth's face has remained the same and there is the same weary sadness in the eyes of the girl.... 14. In the restaurant is being played the well-known dance the chorus of which is formed from the hackneyed repetition of a cry of Hallelujah, and from below, in the mission building, rise, interrupting the woman's sermon, the same cries but with another intonation and another feeling -- Hallelujah. And as the same yet different cries of Hallelujah clash, the tremendous contrast forms a discordant dissonance that rouses Esta and the boy Clyde, who start at its sound. They descend the iron stairs. 15. Opening the yard door into the mission, they pause just within it.... The mother has finished her sermon and, with sincere exaltation and faith, bids her listeners sing the last psalm: "If ye have faith -- as a grain of mustard seed, Ye shall say unto this mountain; Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall move; And nothing shall be impossible unto you." Finished, she asks her followers to sing the chorus. 16. Clyde is miserable. He wishes to leave. His sister presses his hand and, though equally unhappy, she nevertheless goes docilely towards the harmonium. The congregation gets ready to sing.... They clear their throats -- (cough!) .... They blow their noses and shuffle their feet. Clyde, hatred in his eyes, turns his head from the spectacle, and goes into his own room, slamming the door behind him. His mother looks up in concerned surprise. 17. Inharmoniously and out of tune the congregation begins to sing. 18. Clyde sits down on the bed, hiding his face in his hands. 19. The mother sings with deep faith and religious feeling. Sleepily, droningly sings the father .... The congregation sings hoarsely and out of tune. 20. Clyde jumps off his bed, grabs his hat, brushes the dust off it with his sleeve, and leaves the room with decision.... With firm steps he walks past the crowd of singers, and his anxious mother, continuing to sing, follows him with surprised eyes. Esta at the harmonium is likewise startled by his behaviour. Clyde goes out into the street and moves, firmly resolved, in the direction of Life -- in the direction of light and movement; and the further away he gets from the mission the less clearly does he hear the discordant tune, and the stronger grows the sound of the street and the brighter grow its lights. 21. He passes the show windows of a sports-goods store.... The windows, and glass showcases set out into the street, crowded by dummy figures of the well-dressed in white bathing suits, tennis dresses, white golf suits -- brandishing all manner of sports weapons. Clyde drifts amid the maze of these white society dummies. 22. He passes a drug store, where, amidst dazzling shine of metal and white porcelain, the soda fountain is being manipulated by a youth of his own age clad in white cap, tunic and apron. Clyde stops, as a group of young girls, laughing and joking, take all the seats at the counter. The youth jokes with them as he mixes his syrups and creams like a circus magician, flipping his glasses and spoons like a juggler. Clyde sees that one of the places at the counter is empty. The young girls smile enticingly, but the fewness of the copper coins he has extracted from his pocket make him turn and go in the opposite direction. Now he passes close to a gasoline station, where boys of his own age, in white dungarees, are cleaning the windshields of magnificent cars, filling the radiators with water and pouring gasoline into the tanks. 23. His path lies past the bright entrance of a cinema. Boys of his own age in ushers' uniforms of white, trimmed with gold, like those of lion tamers, stand there seeming to him more magnificent and splendid than generals in uniform. Past all these boys, so beautifully groomed, so proud and self- assured, slinks Clyde in his little darned old suit, his haircut as of a day long past, his manner as of a crushed, maimed soul. 24. Suddenly the sad weariness leaves his bearing, and alert attention enters his expression.... At first a little cautious, then musingly uncertain, then resolute, he looks at a sign glued to the glass pane of the door of a store. The sign reads Boy Wanted. Clyde is undecided but at last he takes hold of the doorknob to turn it. The door is locked, and now Clyde sees a postscript on the sign Apply before 6 p.m. He looks around him and sees on the clock of the city hall -- 10. 25. Out of the mission, straggling, the last remnants of the congregation are making their way onto the street. Clyde enters the building, he passes through the hall, there is no one at the harmonium, the harmonium seat is empty, the mother is talking to a miserable group of persons about to leave. 26. The deserted harmonium. 27. The father preparing dinner. 28. The deserted harmonium. 29. Clyde enters his room. Approaching the chest of drawers he takes out his money box and jingles it next his ear. It is of papier m�ch�, a worn child's money box in the form of a pig; it contains only a few pennies. Now he takes out of his pocket the money that was insufficient to buy him a soda and thrusts it, coin by coin, into the slot. As he restores the money box to the chest, he catches sight of himself in a mirror, approaches it and scrutinises his reflection. 30. From under the bed he pulls out an old album with a collection of illustrated newspaper clippings on which are represented heroes of the world of sport -- of fashion -- dancers -- entertainments in which girls and boys of his own age participate. He looks back into the mirror and compares himself with the pictures. 31. The mother, a coffee pot in one hand and a mug in the other, approaches his door offering him his dinner. 32. Clyde starts at her voice, hides the pictures, and, having learnt the object of her knock, refuses his dinner. When the steps of his mother have died away, and the squeak of the closing kitchen door has reached him, Clyde proceeds with his strange occupation. He combs his unruly hair, pours on it some oil out of a bottle, and then parts it like that of one of the boys in the pictures. He ties his tie into a bow, and, tearing a little piece of material from the curtain, tucks it into his breast pocket. When he now surveys himself again in the mirror, he smiles in satisfaction at the marvellous change in his appearance. At this moment comes an anxious knock at the door. Clyde neither starts nor shrinks in the manner customary to him. With firm step he goes to the door and he asks what is the matter without hesitation. From behind the door in a voice uneasy and trembling, unusual to her, his mother asks him to let her in. Clyde half-opens the door, and his mother looks into the room over his arm, asking him whether he has seen Esta. Clyde is surprised at her question and her manner. "We can't find her," says his mother. At that moment enters the father, and, as though confirming the words of his wife, says that he has hunted through all the places outside, where she usually goes and he can't think where she can have got to. 33. The deserted harmonium. 34. Clyde dashes into the little room of his sister.... Her things are in disorder. The signs of a hasty packing. 35. The parents are speaking of asking help from the police. 36. From out of the bed in the room next door peep the frightened younger children. 37. On the pillow of his sister's bed is pinned a small note. Clyde finds it. Before he has time to unfold it, his mother stretches out her hand for it. Having read it, she pales and says: "She's run away with someone. I thought she was happy here, but evidently I was wrong." Only now does the mother notice the change in her son. Only now does she notice his changed way of dressing his hair, his tie, and his grown-up appearance. And Clyde suddenly, in an unfamiliar voice, speaks. An outburst full of bitterness. He speaks of the futility of his existence. He says he wishes to work, but he doesn't know how to do anything because he hasn't been taught anything. He says his parents have done nothing for him, not even written to his Uncle Samuel who has a big collar factory and might have taught him to work. They haven't even done that. He raises his voice and says that he won't go on living like this, that he wants to work and he will work. 38. While he is engaged in this outburst the younger children creep out of bed and approach their mother. She drops wearily into an armchair. Clyde stops suddenly and runs out of the room. The mother is quiet under the blow of these unexpected events. She notices the children, puts her heavy arms around them, and tells them what they should say if anyone should ask where Esta is. She has left to visit relatives in Tonawanda. This will not be quite true but we may say it because we ourselves do not know the whole truth. Go pray to the Lord and go to sleep. 39. And in the yard, on the platform of the fire escape, trembling with emotion at the scene he has just gone through, Clyde -- now alone-- stands gazing out over the town, the mysterious town that has swallowed up his sister, where one by one the lights twinkle and go out. REEL 2 1. Dawn creeps up over the city. 2. And already Clyde stands, in the pale light of the dawn, in front of the store with the notice Boy Wanted. The store is not yet open. Clyde waits and waits, until life begins slowly to waken on the street. At last the door of the store is opened from within, and a youth appears, wearing spectacles and clad in a white smock. Clyde asks him: "Is this where the boy's wanted?" The youth shakes his head and grins. Clyde, disappointed, points to the notice. The youth laughs, takes it down from the glass doorpane and explains that he's the boy that was wanted; he got taken on yesterday. The fortunate youth withdraws into the store closing the door behind him and Clyde, discouraged, sits listlessly down upon the steps. An angry-looking individual opens the door and comes out: "What do you want?" -- he asks of Clyde. Clyde explains again that he wants work. Crossly, the man replies that he has nothing for him. Taking a second glance at the boy, he notices his good looks and offers him a hint: "You look a smart lad. Why not try the hotel round the block?" He gives Clyde the name -- Squires -- of the staff manager, but warns him not to say who sent him, and as Clyde, his spirits soaring, moves away, the storekeeper calls out: "But don't give them my name." 3. Clyde stops at the corner to write down the name Squires. As he does so we see that he makes orthographical mistakes indicating the imperfection of his education. 4. Across a yard into which the hotel garbage is being thrown and where coal is being unladen for the heating of the building -- through the door where dirty linen is being checked into a van and by sculleries where dishes are being washed, Clyde passes into the office of Mr. Squires. 5. "We need good-looking boys," says Mr. Squires to a redheaded youth with freckles all over his face standing before his desk. "Sorry," says the boy. "Next." From Mr. Squires. Clyde, entering the private office, plunges into the midst of telephone calls, the signing of cheques and forms. Mr. Squires' every attention is wrapped up in calls and errand boys. He looks up at Clyde standing there and sees in a glance all he desires to know about him. He tells him rapidly the conditions of work, calls a boy and sends Clyde with him to be fitted for his uniform. 6. As Clyde takes off his shoes with their patched soles, he is ashamed of them and of his darned socks ashamed of his soiled and mended underwear as they take his measurements. The youth who is his guide looks superciliously at him, and keeps his eyes fixed upon him, which tends only to increase Clyde's embarrassment. The name of the boy is Ratterer. "You gotta be back ready to start at a quarter to eight this evening," says the boy. FADE OUT 7. FADE IN Clyde's hand is seen grasping the papier m�ch� money box and breaking it against the window sill -- the fragments tumble, and the hand picks up the coins from among the fragments. 8. Active hands, busy hands cleaning all manner of people in all manner of ways. Hands stropping, shaving the razor blade down a soap-buried cheek, trimming the hair with great snips of the scissors -- hands busy polishing boots with a boot brush, and the great hand of the city clock pointing to 7:35. 9. The basements where the hotel boys get dressed, little elbowroom and plenty of noise. Boys are busily slicking their hair down -- scenting themselves with a dash of eau-de-Cologne -- giving an extra shine to their shoes -- tilting their caps at an angle, just so -- and smoking cigarette after cigarette. In a corner sits Clyde, uneasy and bashful. He is washed, his hair is cut, he is spick and span in his new uniform. He is terribly anxious, as a schoolboy before an examination -- as a soldier going into battle. Ratterer enters towards him, looks him over authoritatively with the air of a superior being -- fixes Clyde's tie, pulls at his uniform -- fixes his cap at the right slant over his eyebrow and then starts to give him instructions. Having adjusted Clyde's clothes, unconsciously noticing him as clean and neat, Ratterer becomes friendly. He sits there at his ease, his knees crossed, flicking the ash off his cigarette with a finger of the hand that holds it. Clyde sits on the very edge of the bench, his knees apart, striving to control his anxiety. Ratterer begins: "In the morning the blinds have to be pulled up -- at night they have to be let down -- at sundown switch on the small light and always put fresh water in the closet." 10. As Ratterer speaks we see on the screen the mechanical routine of an hotel boy's duties. A day-boy pulling up the blinds. A night-boy letting down the blinds. Ratterer continues: that when the room is ready one can stay by the door a few moments before leaving, and if this procedure results in a tip it must be gratefully acknowledged -- and if it doesn't one must show no trace of disappointment and bow oneself out. And as he continues we continue to see the illustrations of the routine. And Ratterer continues: that no matter what happens, the guest is always right, and he adds that, in a good day, if all goes well, Clyde may possibly make as much as six or seven dollars in tips. 11. Six or seven dollars! Clyde is speechless with joy. 12. The signal bell, and Clyde stands in single file with the other boys ready for duty .... A second bell and the boys go through a small door, through which as it opens is heard penetrating a buzz of voices and the distant music of the hotel orchestra. The army of boys approaches large gilt doors and, as these are flung back, Clyde is plunged into the maelstrom and dazzle of a gorgeous gilt and mirror hall decorated for a ball. 13. Immediately by the doors whence he has emerged is a cloakroom. Piles of rich furs heap upon the counter. A woman beside him flings back her mantle and emerges from it, white and naked by contrast. The silks, the exquisite dresses, the precious stones and elegance bewilder and increase the anxiety of Clyde. 14. On the highly polished floor of the vestibule of this hall stands the file of boys ready for orders. 15. To Clyde, these are not boys on duty but almost the Guards at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. He feels that this is a parade, at which he will be promoted general at least. 16. The parade is finished, groups of the boys disperse in their several directions, Clyde is in a group that sits down on a long bench waiting for calls. 17. Barely have they sat down when a bell rings -- from out of a small window an order is given, and the first boy in the line runs off to fulfil it. 18. Bell after bell, order after order, boy after boy -- the long line of boys keeps moving up as those at the head move up, returning to sit at the tail when their tasks are completed. As, little by little, Clyde sees himself approaching the head of the bench his anxiety grows stronger and stronger. His movements are more nervous and there is a bewildered expression in his eyes. 19. And on the background of the accompaniment -- of bells of orders being cried out -- of the music from the restaurant and the laughter of the guests -- occasional fragments of Ratterer's continued instructions continue to penetrate to us: "You gotta use the employees' elevator" -- "Even numbers are on the left of the corridor, odd numbers on the right." 20. And Clyde approaches nearer and ever nearer to the end of the bench -- and the bells ring ever more frequently and the tempo of everyone's movements hastens and speeds. It is his turn now. He trembles in his anxiety like a race horse at the "Off". A bell. An order rings out: "Number 500" -- Clyde dashes up the short flight of steps to the gates of the elevators on the Bel-�tage. 21. The employees' elevator is full. 22. At the last moment he squeezes into a neighbouring elevator. The doors shut to, deadening the sound of the orchestra, the laughter and noises of the great hall. 23. The elevator is packed with men in evening dress. Clyde is wedged into the midst of satin lapels and stiff white cuffs. The elevator goes up and up, leaving behind it the sound of the ever receding music. The glitter of the evening dress suits and the polish of the men only increase the anxiety of Clyde. The elevator stops. Clyde squeezes aside to let someone in and then darts out himself. 24. The doors of the elevator swing to behind him, and Clyde is left, solitary, in the carpeted silence of a long empty corridor. At first he runs quickly, but then more slowly for it seems sacrilege to run on the soft sinking pile of this carpet. 25. He stops before the big double doors of No. 500, brushes his hands over his hair, gives a twist to his tie, to his cuffs, and knocks. "Come in," is heard from behind the door. 26. Clyde opens the door. It is dark in the room; only one light shines from behind a screen. A man's hand with money in it reaches out from behind the screen and a masculine voice is heard telling him to go buy a pair of garters. "Pink ones," adds suddenly a woman's voice from behind the screen. "Yes, sir," stammers Clyde in his confusion and runs down the corridor towards the elevator. 27. A Negro boy is in it, guiding the elevator, and together they start going down. "New?" enquires the Negro. "You'll soon get used to it," and, learning his errand gives him directions for finding the hotel shops. 28. The doors of the elevator slide open, Clyde rushes out. The doors close behind him. 29. Clyde is in the shop. The woman behind the counter is finishing wrapping the garters and hands Clyde, together with the package, a bill and a ten-cent tip. Noticing his pleased surprise she tells him that every time he buys anything there he will receive 10 per cent commission. 30. Clyde rushes out of the shop. He is lost in the series of great halls. Through Morocco -- through Venice -- through rooms in Empire and in Gothic style, through samples of all the world he hurries frantically. At last he is back in the main entrance hall, filled with guests in their gorgeous dresses. He threads his way through the great crowds, and once again at the last moment manages to squeeze into the elevator. 31. The elevator is crowded with ladies. Amidst the expensive dresses and perfumes and the nudity of the bared backs stands the trembling Clyde, his excitement having passed all bounds. 32. A bell. Clyde dives through the bevy of ladies and stops before No. 500. The door opens, and in front of the decorated screen stands a man in radiantly glittering dressing gown. Clyde bends and obsequiously hands him the package, the bill and the change. The man absent-mindedly takes the package, puts the change into his pocket, and screws up and throws away the bill--then he looks at the garters and then at Clyde. Exactly as instructed, Clyde stands in the same place, shifting from foot to foot. The man throws open his dressing gown with a gesture, takes a fifty-cent piece out of his vest pocket and gives it to Clyde. Clyde cannot believe it. He is numb with astonishment. To look at the garters the man turns on the light, and with the click of the switch the room suffuses with brilliance, as the glow of happiness suffuses Clyde's face. "Fifty cents." An unknown voice is heard screaming it and a smile almost of exaltation brightens the whole face of Clyde. "Fifty cents." Still louder screams the strange voice, and together with the cry the orchestra is heard playing a wild, happy march. As though at High Mass the music peals forth, and the hotel resembles a mighty cathedral. Like an organ swells forth the huge proud volume of music and a tremendous chorus of human voices rends the air asunder behind the whole small being of the youthful Clyde, clasping in his fists his fifty-cent piece. 33. And as the screen fades and grows darker, so the mighty notes of the music grow fainter and their sound slowly fades -- 34. And there rises the image of the poor mission hall and the sound of its congregations singing psalms. 35. Clyde runs through the mission hall into his room, closing the door behind him. 36. He goes to pick up his money box but it is there no longer. Only the fragments of it are upon the sill. Then he unclenches his fist and in the palm of his hand are to be seen silver coins to the amount of several dollars. And with the same gesture as that with which the man had thrown back his dressing gown and given Clyde his first tip, Clyde now throws back his coat and thrusts the money into his vest pocket. Then, slapping his pocket with his hand he looks at himself in the mirror and smiles his first smile. And together with this first smile are heard from behind the door the strains of a joyous song such as "Everybody's happy." REEL 3 1. It is a morning, and boys are filing through the office of Mr. Squires. Mr. Squires sits at his desk and each as he passes lays a dollar on the table, to be greeted sometimes by a nod. Mr. Squires appears casual, but we can see from his glance that he is watching carefully to make sure of his tribute. The little dollar pile grows and Clyde adds his quota. "Quite at home now, eh!" -- greets Squires as he pockets the money. "Yes, sir," replies Clyde and goes. 2. Clyde goes into the dressing room, smokes a cigarette, and in a carefree knowing way, dons his hotel uniform. With a practised hand he smooths his hair, flips the ashes off his cigarette, ties his tie and laughs at the cracks of his colleagues, among whom is Ratterer. A bell is heard, and the boys get into line. 3. As on the first day, they all go into the hall, but the hall now no longer seems as grand to Clyde. A morning, businesslike atmosphere pervades it -- emptiness -- severity. The tempo of the successive bell-ringings is no longer frenzied, but slower, deliberate. And as bell follows bell, there passes before us, in glimpse after glimpse, the fragments of life as they pass before a bellhop, the moral face that society presents to him. The boys seated on the bench are quietly yawning and bored. 4. A bell. Clyde jumps up and runs to the office. A happy and bright couple of newlyweds ask for a room. The clerk tells them the number, and gives Clyde the keys. Clyde takes their luggage and leads them to the elevator. 5. In the room, obedient to Ratterer's instructions, Clyde goes through all the necessary operations. He opens the blinds in the windows, checks the electric bulbs, sees if there is ink in the inkpot, water in the pitcher, and goes into the bathroom. Left alone, the couple kiss. Obeying Ratterer's instructions, Clyde changes the water in the carafe. At the sound of the running water, the newlyweds start and look guiltily at Clyde, standing in the doorway. He smiles back in answer to their smile. 6. A bell. A second boy on duty jumps up. He carefully knocks on the door of another room. "Come in," a voice is heard to call out. The boy enters. He is carrying a large bundle of newspapers Once in the room he sees through the half-open door into the bathroom. In the bath, her back to him, sits a woman combing out her wet hair. "It's our wedding day today," says the woman. Her husband grunts unintelligibly in answer, and starts picking out the papers he wants from the boy. The woman, seeing a youth, gives a scream. The man laughs at her fright and hides himself behind the paper with the callous expression a one who thinks such modesty from her unnecessary at her age. 7 A third bell. A third boy on duty jumps up. With a tray on which are bottles of soda water he enters the room. Within it, all is in dreadful disorder. A gramophone -- empty bottles -- cards -- and from behind the back of an armchair can be seen the feet of a sleeping man. A woman is lying in bed and abusing a second man who is pouring a drink for himself out of a hip-flask. The woman, having said what she wanted to, turns her back on him. "Behave yourself," the man says, as he sees the boy enter. The woman in irritation, to spite him, throws her blankets off her, sits up and chucks the boy under the chin. Sensing a quarrel, the man gestures for the boy to get out. 8. A fourth bell. A fourth boy on duty, handsome, sunburnt, closes the door behind him. In the foreground of the room he has entered are baskets of flowers. He hears a woman's voice, as if calling out his name. He straightens up, and smiles a knowing smile. Sitting in an armchair, the woman motions with her hand. On it are numerous bracelets, rings, and her fingers hold a long cigarette holder. The fourth boy on duty approaches her. 9. Three bells ring one after the other. Three boys jump up and run off. In a room stands a woman, who is sobbing in terrible distress. Mr. Squires is annoyed, he is scolding her as she packs her things into a trunk. The woman says: "What a fool I've been -- and he walking straight out like that and leaving me," and at that moment the three boys enter. The woman finishes writing out a telegram, and a boy takes it, then waits for the money. The sobbing woman searches in her purse and cannot find any money. Mr. Squires takes the money out of his own pocket and the boy runs out into the corridor. 10. The fourth boy circumspectly leaves the room of the woman with the cigarette holder, and, folding a bundle of dollars, hides them in his pocket. 11. "We can wait two or three days, but you will have to change your room," Squires motions to the other two boys to take away the sobbing woman's luggage. In another part of the room two stout Negro women are pulling the bedding and table cloths off the beds and tables. 12. Clyde and Ratterer are going down the stairs carrying trunks. "You haven't forgotten," says Ratterer, "that we're going out tonight?" "Oh, no," answers Clyde. 13. From the room vacated by the deserted woman we can hear the laughter of the Negro maids, changing the linen. One of the plump women pinches a bellhop who has just come into the room. 14. In the room where they undress, the boys, finished with their duties, are changing their clothes, and laughing at one of their number who is imitating the sobbing woman. Ratterer is biting his lips in anticipation of the night-out; showing an imitation of the "Danse du Ventre" to Clyde, comically exaggerating the snake-like movement, as a sample of what he is to see that evening. "And gee, next week, Clyde, that will be a time. I know a fellow who's a gardener and the people there will be away. We can take their car easy, one of the fellows here can drive. And we'll get some girls and we will have a time! Don't forget." Having divested themselves of uniform vests and caps, the boys are dressing in smart evening dress, hats, fastening up the fancy bows of their ties, fixing their silk pocket handkerchiefs, and fastening the laces of their shoes in extravagant bows. They powder, scent themselves with eau-de-Cologne, oil their hair, put cigars into the pockets of their vests and, in such a costume, Clyde looks like an illustration for a fashion magazine. At the back of the huge hotel, with merry jokes and an important stride, a group of the boys goes but dressed up like men. The group disappears in the darkness. 16. The window of Clyde's room. Dawn behind the window. And in the room a lamp is burning and in a sitting position on the bed, his mother has fallen asleep waiting for him. 17. Clyde, coming in from the street, cautiously opens the door to the mission building, over which hangs a sign: How Long Since You Wrote to your Mother? 18. On tiptoe Clyde walks through the big empty hall, past the empty harmonium. He quietly enters his room, goes to the mirror and studies his dishevelled look consequent in the riotously spent evening. Suddenly he notices the lighted lamp, turns to the bed and sees his mother. Her open eyes seem to have been watching him. But they had been unseeing, she had other thoughts. Startled, he is confused by awareness of his appearance, and quickly starts to take out the bright links from his cuffs. "Clyde," he hears his mother's voice. The mother is sitting on the bed, she looks long at him with strange eyes. Clyde is worried. He hides the bright cuff links, but the mother remarks nothing about him, she says: "Clyde, couldn't you help me find some money?" And her rough, big, coarse hand passes over her face. "You see -- Esta -- has been left by the man who ... by her husband.... She is in a terrible plight -- I will sell your father's ring, then you know -- we have -- a silver jug and plate -- but it won't be enough." Clyde's surprise and worry pass. He begins to feel the superiority of his position. He puts his cuff links back, and with an intonation which is still humble but has a different ring in it, promises to find money for his mother. His mother asks him to add five dollars a week for the rent of his room, so that with this money she can pay back the money she has borrowed. Clyde agrees half-heartedly and makes a sour face. "You see, mother, I don't earn very much and then I wanted money rather specially next week," he says. FADE OUT 19. A luxurious open Packard drives out of a garage. Ratterer, dressed in smart evening dress, closes the garage doors. At the wheel sits a boy of about sixteen or seventeen years, dressed as elegantly as Ratterer. Looking about them, they turn into an alley where two of their companions (one of them Clyde) and four young girls, powdered and dressed up, are waiting for them. They take their places in the car, and Ratterer says to the boy at the wheel: "Well, there -- no one saw us -- I told you it would be safe as houses." And, with a grinding of gears, the Packard starts off. 20. A young girl is sitting on Clyde's knees. She presses close to him, and he derives from her contact a trembling sense of pleasure. But Clyde is inexperienced, he is shy. The car goes rushing by pretty roads, the girls squeal at every turn, pressing closer to the boys. Time passes. They have gone far. The sun is setting, and the boys look at their watches. "We must be getting back now," says Ratterer, "or we shall be late for work." And with a risky movement the Packard is headed round. Looking at his colleagues, Clyde slowly grows more certain of himself and, seeing how they press the girls closer to them and boldly kiss them, Clyde embraces his companion who, helping him, kisses him herself. The car stops at a railway crossing, letting a long freight train pass by. Ratterer is nervous and tells the driver: "Step on it -- there'll be a fearful bawling-out." When the last freight wagon opens up the road for them, the car at a mad speed dashes through the evening darkness, along the wet roads. 21. The first snow is falling. The wet flakes cover the windshield and close the eyes of those in the car. At a street crossing they cannot pass because of the steady traffic across. It is five minutes to six on the watch. The boys no longer embrace the girls, they are anxious, nervous, beat their knees with their hands, twist their watches in their hands, stamp their feet on the boards, and wait for the moment to get across the crossing. At the very first opportunity, at high speed, the car flashes past and dashes into an alley. At the turning, from out of a corner, a little girl comes out, and the car knocks her down. Terrified, the driver, his face livid with fright, accelerates his speed, and the car, humming like an aeroplane, dashes past. "Stop that car" -- "He's killed a child" -- "Stop, stop!" "Stop them!" Cries and whistles are heard from the alleys, and, humming ever louder, the Packard goes ever quicker with its terrified occupants. "Switch off the lights!" cries Ratterer, and the driver turns the switch to off. Without lights, through the dark alleys, the car dashes on. The sirens of police motorcycles are heard behind them. Hearing these sirens, the driver pushes the speed up to the very highest the car can go. 22. The sirens are heard ever nearer and a group of motorcyclists come dashing into the camera. 23. Skidding at a turning, the Packard is thrown against the pavement, jerks sideways, cuts into a mound of stones and wooden boards, and, crackling with a loud noise, it turns on its side. 24. Clyde jumps to his feet, having been thrown out through an open door, and, trembling with fear and foreboding, looks around him. The roar of the police sirens approaches nearer, becomes more and more terrifying. Wiping the blood off his face, Clyde runs into a narrow alley between tall buildings, climbs over a fence, over a mound of bricks, runs through a lot of dust and rubbish and reaches the outskirts of the town, where the prairie begins. Looking back, he sees, through the curtain of falling snow, the lights of the city, hears the roar of the police sirens, the whistles, the cries. He sees behind him the ruin of his job, the scandal that cuts him from his home. Clyde trembles and, turning, goes away into the fields, hiding in the thickly, fast falling snow. REEL 4 1. The darkness lightens to disclose the anxious family of Clyde intent upon a letter. The letter is the first news they have received from him for a year. In it he has related something of his difficulties and fears following the Packard accident, his scraping of an existence from town to town. Now he is working in Chicago, a small job and he is sorry he cannot yet send money. The family is deeply moved. The father stares in front of him. Clyde's mother pauses, and puts down the letter. She cannot finish it. The little girl ends the reading of the letter. At the end of the letter is set Chicago, the date and the year. 2. The letter fades out and we see the city of Chicago and, resplendent on one of the buildings, is an electric sign. The sign outlines a collar, a collar gorgeous, in apotheosis -- straight lines of light, like a fiery star, like a halo, shoot out around it, bursting and extinguishing like the opening and shutting of a fist. And ever and anon, beneath it, shows the illuminated signature: Samuel Griffiths. 3. The camera pans down, and we see a man with a travelling bag beside him on the pavement and an umbrella. His head strikes the background of the lighted collar and over his shoulders bursts out the illuminated sign: Samuel Griffiths. He is standing outside a sort of residential club, a hostelry much more sober of exterior than the hotel of previous reels. A porter runs up to him, takes his grip away from him, and follows him through the doors of the club. 4. Having checked-in for a room, he hands a visiting card to the clerk. The name on it is: Samuel Griffiths. 5. Once in his room he rings down, asking that newspapers be brought him, and, while waiting for them, he looks out of the window, pondering upon the advertisement of his wares. A boy comes in with the papers. He offers him a tip, but the boy, shifting as if embarrassedly on his feet, refuses to accept the money, saying: "Excuse me, sir, but are you Mr. Samuel Griffiths?" "Yes," answers the surprised guest. "Well, excuse me, sir, my name is Clyde Griffiths. My father is your brother." "Oh, indeed!" exclaims Samuel Griffiths, glancing at him shrewdly. Clyde bears this inspection. He has been through a good deal. He is thinner and more subdued, but still sensitive-looking and handsome. 6. In the corridor an employee of the club, in the same uniform as Clyde, is vacuuming the carpets. On the stairs, a second servant in uniform is polishing the brass balusters. A third servant is washing a large windowpane, through which can be seen the city, and the advertisement of the collars. 7 Clyde is standing deferentially before Samuel Griffiths, who, patronising and seated, is bringing a homily to an end: "If you want to get out of the rut and be somebody, and care to come down to our part of the world, I think I should be ready to give you a chance to show what you have in you and what you are capable of." Clyde, but still deferential, thanks him with warmth and then, hearing a bell in the corridor, hurries out of the room. 8. The interior of the Griffiths' household. The family -- his wife, son Gilbert, and daughter Bella, are breakfasting. "Well, what is he doing now," Gilbert, displeased, desires to know. "He serves in a club in the capacity of a messenger boy," Mr. Griffiths answers. "But father says he is very, very much like you, and much handsomer than any of our other cousins." "Bella!" -- her mother stops her. "I still can't understand," says Gilbert, who really has a strong resemblance to Clyde, only looking a little more sullen and less docile, "why father takes on people when we have difficulty in keeping those who already work for us. Besides I can imagine what will be said when people know this messenger boy is a relative of ours." "It is too late now to do anything," says the mother. "He's arriving, and you had better try to control your rudeness." 9. Neatly, if inconspicuously dressed, with a small grip in his hand, Clyde approaches the gates of the Griffiths factory. The watchman takes him for Gilbert, opens the gates for him, and greets him: "Good day, Mr. Gilbert." "Excuse me, my name is Clyde. But I should like to see Mr. Gilbert," Clyde answers with an embarrassed smile. He passes through the gates. "Well, what do you want?" the secretary asks, without lifting her head. "My name is Clyde Griffiths. I have a letter with me from my Uncle." And the secretary, lifting her head, does not know how to act, so surprised is she at the extraordinary likeness of Clyde and Gilbert, whom she quickly rings on the telephone. Having heard the answer, she says: "You may enter," and leads him to a door, with the sign: Mr. Gilbert Griffiths. And having entered, Clyde sees himself as he likes to imagine himself. It is Gilbert -- his cousin. Both lose poise at the resemblance. 10. Telephone bells ring -- machines are working -- the collars run along endless bands -- men and women are busy with different kinds of work -- smoke comes out of the factory chimneys -- the typewriters click in the Griffiths factory. 11. The discomfort of Gilbert shows itself in an icy coldness, the discomfort of Clyde shows itself in a nervousness and hesitation in speech. The gulf between them has grown wider with the advance of the conversation. In Gilbert's office, the conversation continues. Gilbert: "Father tells me you've had no practical experience. You don't know accounting?" Clyde: "I am sorry to say I do not." Gilbert: "You don't take down shorthand, or something like that?" Clyde: "No, sir, I do not." Gilbert: "In that case it will perhaps be best for you to start working in the shrinking room; that is the department in which the first stage of the business takes place. By this means you will be able to learn our trade from the very beginning." Gilbert presses a button, and in answer to it a well-dressed young woman with a scowl on her face enters. Gilbert: "And so, good-bye, Clyde. Mrs. Bradley will tell you all you want to know, and tomorrow you must be at work by 7 a.m." And without shaking hands, Gilbert bows officially to Clyde. 12. Clyde comes out of the factory gates and walks in leisurely fashion along the streets. 13. And all at once he finds himself before an imposing mansion, with bronze deer in the garden and marble lions over the entrance gate. It attracts his admiration. "Can you tell me please -- whose house is this?" he asks of a passer-by. "You don't know? Why that's the home of Samuel Griffiths, one of our leading citizens." "Thank you," answers Clyde and, though rendered puny by the contrast, yields himself to the luxury of reflecting on his connection, however humble, with this gorgeous family. The mansion slowly fades in the darkness. 14. And in the darkness the factory looms roar, and the steam machinery hisses, and out of the clouds of steam appears working a perspiring, wet, miserable-looking Clyde. He seems unable to get the hang of his work. The material boiling in the kettle keeps falling off his tongs, and spraying his chest with boiling water; he is despairing, lost, and helplessly looks around him. The foreman comes to his help. He emphasizes the name "Mr. Griffiths," sits by him and starts to explain and show him how to handle his work. Around Clyde are working experienced men, their movements are calm and sure. And, after seeing them, we realise how little suited Clyde is to this work, how unhandy he is in character, how difficult he finds it to be in this low-built, stuffy room, among red-hot kettles, clouds of steam and the roar of the machines. And when the factory whistle blows, Clyde sighs deeply with relief. 15. Weary and exhausted he comes into his room and sits down on the bed. The furnishings of his room express everything that is dingy and horrible in a boardinghouse existence. No more comfortable, in reality, than those of his room in the mission, they differ only in being more oppressive. A knock at the door, his landlady enters, asks him if there is anything he wants. She accents his name "Griffiths" in snobbery. "There's a letter for you, Mr. Griffiths," she adds, and hands it to him. The letter is an invitation. Dear nephew, Ever since your arrival, my husband has been away or busy. Now, he is less occupied and we should be very glad to see you if you could come to dine tomorrow, Sunday. We will be quite alone, no guests. And there will be no need to dress. Your aunt, Elizabeth Griffiths. 16. Once more Clyde stands before the gate with the marble lions and the gardens with the bronze deer. But now he feels as though possessed of the magic key. He brushes his hair back, flicks a speck of dust off his carefully pressed dark suit, fixes his tie and rings. A maid opens the door and leads him to the drawing room. The room -- filled with different kinds of furniture, bronzes, candelabras, little statuettes, flowers, covered in carpets, with beautiful draperies -- amazes Clyde. He looks about him, and hears the swish of a silk skirt. The swish approaches. Coming down the wide staircase can be seen a pair of feet, and the swishing of the silk dress increases. Mrs. Griffiths is coming down the stairs, a thin, faded, sweet-tempered woman. "So you are my nephew," she says, coming up to Clyde. "Yes," answers Clyde. "I am very happy to meet you -- welcome," Mrs. Griffiths greets him in formal manner. "How do you like our city? We are very proud of our street." -- begins Mrs. Griffiths to the embarrassed youth. She is interrupted by the arrival of Griffiths himself, who takes Clyde in with a penetrating look, and says: "Well, it's good you came. It means you got fixed up. Everything was done for you without me?" "Yes, sir," answers Clyde. "Well, that's perfect. I'm glad. Sit down, sit down." The rattle of feet fast descending the staircase, and Gilbert, in evening dress with a coat on, plunges into the hall. He speaks to his parents, ignoring Clyde except for a nod. "Well, I'm going out now, mother," he says in an even voice. "Are you sure you have to go? You know Sondra Finchley is coming back with Bella and she wants to see you." "No, I have to go." He gives a quick side look at Clyde as if to tell his mother: You know why I'm dining out tonight, pecks her forehead and hastily goes out. The signal neither escapes Clyde nor increases his self-confidence. Dinner is announced, and Clyde walks with his aunt and uncle through several large rooms, all satin and mahogany, each stiffer than the last. Dinner is not a success. Conversation flags, and Clyde is painfully uncertain in the various social graces such as bestowal of the napkin and correct selection of the fork. As unobtrusively as possible he endeavours to wait for the example of his relatives, but he is conscious that they are conscious he is waiting. Dessert has been reached when there is the sound of a car drawing up at the door, of the doors being opened and a burst of laughter and barking comes into the room. Gaily into the dining room come three girls, and pause in the doorway. They still wear their wraps, one of them is Bella, and one, in the centre, holds two wolfhounds on a leash. The newcomers had checked at the sight of the stranger, but Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths rise and welcome them. Mrs. Griffiths explains to the centre figure -- Sondra Finchley -- that Gilbert is not in, he had to go out, at which news Sondra makes a movement of annoyance. Never has so gorgeous a being previously appeared before Clyde. Her white dress, the orchids on her shoulder, the straining wolfhounds make her appear as a being from another world. He of course had risen too, and hovered, partly expectant that he would be introduced. But most certainly not. Perhaps not consciously, but certainly inwardly relieved at escaping for a moment from the need to entertain him, uncle and aunt have forgotten his existence. He is supremely conscious of his ostracism, of the gulf that yet separates him from such incomparable denizens of Paradise, as he gazes at this girl, like a firework bursting in the darkness, like a saint glowing upon an altar. And her figure is covered in mist, growing thicker every moment, and whirling upwards in its movement. She is hidden in white clouds, and these clouds expand. 17. And now they are the cloudy bundles of hot steam coming out of the factory kettles, and in this steam Clyde is working, perspiration running down him, and frightened by the noise of the machines. Samuel Griffiths, surrounded by his managers and secretaries, is coming down the factory stairs into the cellar. He makes a wry face, as he sees how one of the workmen, bent over the can, is stirring small pieces of material in the boiling water. The workman has little strength left, his face is burnt mercilessly as well as his hands, he groans from his efforts and his pain. When the workman turns away from the can, and turns to Samuel Griffiths, he recognises the workman -- Clyde. Wet with perspiration, in a torn shirt, his chest bare, with hands swollen and red from the steam -- the nephew stands before the uncle. The uncle turns his head and sees Gilbert, who looks so like Clyde, but crimped and elegant. 18. Embarrassed and not knowing how to act, the uncle goes upstairs. Entering the director's office, he turns to Gilbert and says to him: "We must transfer Clyde to another department. After all he is a relative of ours and we cannot keep him there. Heaven knows what people will be saying about us." Gilbert is abut to disagree. The uncle adds: "Besides, he looks so much like you." Gilbert no longer dissents, and taking his hat and coat, Samuel leaves the office. 19. In the outer office the telephone rings. The secretary listens with the receiver, and says: "I understand. From the cellar department, workman 70 is to be transferred to you? I understand. Yes, Mr. Gilbert." 20. The foreman approaches Clyde and tells him to go to the director's office. Clyde takes off his wooden shoes, his leather jacket: over his torn shirt he puts on his coat, and then goes up the stairs. 21. He enters Gilbert's office. Gilbert, more kindly than before, tells Clyde that he has given permission to have him transferred to another department, as he feels he has gained enough experience in the cellar. "Instead of fifteen dollars weekly -- you will now receive twenty-five dollars. My father, your uncle, wishes it to be so." Clyde mops the perspiration off his forehead, and his face brightens. Gilbert, as distant as ever: "We have decided to give you a trial as manager of the stamping department. The work is easy and does not require any technical knowledge. But you must show qualities of character. There are twenty-five girls working in that department and you are responsible for its moral tone. Our rules absolutely forbid any relationship outside the factory with any female employee and we expect you to set an especially high example by your conduct owing to the fact that you are related to us. Now you have got your chance, do not allow yourself to be disturbed by working in the presence of so many girls." At the very first words pronounced by Gilbert, his office disappears from the screen, and in its place we see girls stamping collars. Slowly they all drop their work, and their heads become turned in one direction. And as Gilbert's words are heard, on the screen we see more and more of them, and the stronger grows their coquettishness, and the more concentrated their gaze -- And as the gaze of twenty-five pairs of eyes flirtatiously centres on one spot, we hear Gilbert's voice -- "You must not get acquainted with these girls, and must never meet them after working hours. Have you understood all I have told you? Do you promise to do as you have been told?" And at that moment all the girls turn. "Yes, sir," answers Clyde's voice, and on the screen we see his figure, elegantly dressed and severe. In a pose of expectation Clyde stands face to face with twenty-five young girls. "How do you do?" the chorus of young girls greets him. "How do you do," answers Clyde. REEL 5 1. Springtime. On the ledges of the factory windows coo pigeons, through the panes a river is sparkling in the sun, and within the factory is the noise of looms and the hissing of steam machinery. 2. Five and twenty girls of differing characters, of differing types, are working behind long tables stamping mountains of snow-white collars. One of the young girls throws open a window -- startled, the pigeons fly away flapping their wings, and the mechanical noise of the looms has become softer as its sound loses itself through the open window in the spring-clad gardens and fields. 3. As a breath of sweet fresh spring air enters the room the girls breathe in deeply its freshness and sigh with relief ... They are all young, all in their own way are charming and pretty ... And the eyes of all of them are constantly focussed in one direction. Thither, where stands the head of the department. The twenty-year-old Clyde Griffiths. 4. He is dressed in a well-cut suit with a smart modern tie. He is handsome, and that is why the girls' eyes are so often directed towards him. But Clyde tries not to look at the young girls. He remembers Gilbert's warning and with all his strength tries to be indifferent and unapproachable. But the sweet spring breeze is coming through the open window and fills the room. The pigeons return to the window ledge, joyously the looms work on, and because of the spring warmth the girls open up the collars of their blouses and turn up their sleeves, but Clyde tries to remain cold and severe. 5. Noticing the light-heartedness of his workers he goes to the window and shuts it in order to emphasize his severity. His movements are clumsy and cramped for he feels upon himself the gaze of five and twenty pairs of youthful eyes. 6. One of the girls, Roberta, while watching Clyde, makes a mistake, stamps the number on the wrong side of the collar. She nervously approaches Clyde with the spoilt article in her hand and tells him of her error. Clyde tries to be serious and reserved. He dares not look into the young girl's face -- he gives her instructions with face averted -- but when the girl's naked arms come forward in passing him the collar he cannot help but lift his head and meet the shy admiring look of Roberta. 7. The factory whistle blows. The joyous crowd of girls comes out of the factory gates, runs up and down the stairs. Some of the girls are being met by their sweethearts, but Clyde, looking out of the window, notices that Roberta moves down the street unaccompanied, alone. 8. Over the factory chimney in the evening mist a full moon rises. Alone, Clyde strolls along the boulevard. 9. Alone, Roberta sits on the river bank. 10. At the entrance to a cheap dance hall Clyde stops, hesitating and thinking to enter, but at that moment the foreman of the shrinking room greets him: "Good evening, Mr. Griffiths." The foreman goes on his way but his respectful "Mr. Griffiths" still lingers in Clyde's mind, and it brings before him the image of the wealthy house of his uncle with its bronze deer in the garden, and its marble lions on the gates .... And accordingly he does not enter the cheap dance hall, but, turning around, moves off. 11. Roberta is in her room.... She turns off the light and looks out of the window at the smiling spring moon. 12. And Clyde is sitting at his window sill and likewise looks at the same moon as it gently hovers over the chimneys of the factory. 13. And again the machines beat. Once again five and twenty young girls are busy stamping collars ... Again the girlish eyes embarrass Clyde. It is hot in the building. From the heat and the sweat and the thickness of the air, everyone is filled with languor and weariness, languor is in the heat of the machines, languor fills the eyes that grow more amorous and Clyde with greater difficulty holds himself in hand; and when suddenly his gaze meets that of Roberta he does not lower his eyes but smiles, in a sudden unexpected smile. And to his smile answers a smile of Roberta. 14. And the machines beat on. And in their work the girls' hands flit to and fro, and on the bench float mountains of snow-white collars, and more and more often Clyde's eyes meet Roberta's. They meet in those moments when the other girls are not looking. They steal seconds from the quick tempo of factory work and, accompanied by the dull roar of the machines, the monotonous beat of the stamps, the hissings of the steam, their gaze speaks a dumb language miming the sympathy reciprocated. 15. The heat of the sun grows stronger. It is hot in the building .... The girls languidly speak of young Clyde and build fantastic tales around him and his wealthy relatives, tales of his imagined luxurious life, the while Roberta listens, looking with pride and affection at his handsome figure, and flashing a happy smile at him at a convenient moment. 16. And on the white ceiling, and on the whitewashed walls of the factory the sunlight plays in bright pools reflected from the river. These pools of light leap and dance to the sound of the machine in quick rhythm and fantastic composition, and then slowly the noise of the machines dies and in the water we see the calm surface of a lake on which is reflected Clyde as he comes rowing in a skiff. 17. And on this body of water the same exquisite rays of light dance their way. Also on Clyde's face, and on the sides of his little boat, just as they did on the walls and ceiling of the factory. 18. Boats pass by with couples in them, with singing, with the strumming of a banjo, or guitar, and through this atmosphere of love Clyde drifts along alone and lonely. His boat drifts slowly along through the tangle of water lilies, quite near the shore. And on the shore, at the very brink of the water, stands a young girl; her hat is off and she is admiring flowers. 19. Clyde stops rowing and watches her. And when the boat comes abreast of her she lifts her head and Clyde sees her smiling face. "Miss Alden! Is that really you?" "Why, yes. It's me," smilingly answers Roberta, but she is startled and seems a little afraid. "Are you spending the day here?" asks Clyde. And noticing that she is watching the water he adds: "Would you like some of these flowers?" "Oh, yes," answers the girl and looks surprised. The dark hair of Clyde is wind-blown, he wears a sports vest short-sleeved and open at the neck, and one of the oars is lifted high above the water. All this makes the girl inwardly tremble, and in order to cover her confusion she gives him a charming smile. 20. She looks out onto the lake and sees a boat pass by in which are sitting a youth like Clyde and a girl like herself .... And all over this lake similar boats drift by and in each one of them are just such identical couples. "Oh, please take a seat in the boat," she hears Clyde invite her. "Why yes, only I have a friend with me here and besides it might be better for me not to, it may not be quite safe." "Oh, but of course, it's safer to sit on dry land," laughingly Clyde answers her. 21. Boat after boat... Couple after couple ... Song after song float down the water past them. And, suddenly anxious, Roberta cries out: "Grace, Grace. Where are you?" From the woods in the background a voice is heard answering: "Hallo. What's the matter?" "Come here, I want to tell you something." "No, you'd better come here. There are marvellous anemones over here." "You know what we'll do? We'll row down to where she is. What do you think of that?" asks Clyde. "Why yes, certainly," answers Roberta, and suddenly bashful, in concern, once more asks him: "You're sure it's safe?" "Quite safe." 22. Roberta jumps into the boat and Clyde helps her so that she shall not fall. "Do you know, I had just been thinking of you .... I had been thinking how nice it would be if we were rowing together on this lake." "Is that true, Mr. Griffiths?" Roberta wants to know. And Clyde, shyly reaching forward, strokes her hair. "Don't!" Roberta says, frightened, and becomes more reserved and colder towards him. 23. And, together with a crowd of other boats, their boat drifts along among rushes under the shade of thick-leaved boughs into nooks by the shore. 24. And along the water's edge are heard youthful songs the chords of guitars .... And the sun begins to set. Evidently Roberta feels cold for she has come to sit next to Clyde.... Evidently he has not noticed how their boat has become tangled in the rushes and that they are now left alone.... And, as in the hotel, on the long bench of waiting bellboys, Clyde was filled with trepidation, so now once more he is filled with trepidation, from the fullness of his youth, from the presence of the young girl by his side, from the secluded nook ... And he kisses her. She tears herself away from him, frightened, saying: "Mr. Griffiths." But Clyde, made happy by his daring, excited by his conquest, smiles as he smiled that day when he earned his first money, and heard that grand music, that majestic -- swelling -- hymn in the hotel. And the echo of that music rises in the tune of a dance hall distant on the other side of the lake. 25. And paying no attention to her exclamation, to her fright ... at the sound of that conquering march he turns his boat to the shore where Roberta's friend is waiting. 26. Forgetting all, forgetting where he is and what he is... he wanders through the woods and across the fields, through streets and alleys, walking to the tempo of the ever swelling march .... 27. And when he has shut the door of his room, he speaks quietly but exaltedly: "To live! To live! How good that is." REEL 6 1. No longer does the river glisten behind the factory windows. The long factory windows are closed -- to shut out the cold, whistling wind.... 2. Silently the girls go about, stamping their endless train of collars. Silently, with concentration, Clyde is working in his little office. No longer do Roberta's eyes and his meet in affectionate understanding -- they are like strangers -- at least as such they conduct themselves. 3. The factory whistle.... From out the gates, the hands make their way .... In the jostling crowd, Clyde and Roberta come face to face with each other, but they do not wish to acknowledge each other's presence. They look past each other. And they separate, each going his and her separate way.... Clyde to the right.... Roberta to the left.... 4 The gates of the factory close.... And its lights are turned out.... 5. The tower bells play in the evening air and the street lamps light up one after the other.... And when one of these lamps goes on -- it throws its light on the shivering figure of Clyde. He lowers his hat over his eyes, and walks into the mist. He is waiting -- back and forth by the railing he walks, wrapping himself tighter in his coat to save himself from the severe gusts of cold wind. 6. Into the light of the lamp Roberta enters. She carefully looks around her. 7. Clyde calls her by a tender intimate little name. 8. He gives a peck of greeting on her cheek. Not because he is indifferent but because he is still shy and respectful. He kisses her once more and whispers to her. When, across the pavement, the figure of some passer-by goes past, they stop their love-making and press against the dark corner, remaining motionless until the figure has disappeared. "It's getting very cold," Clyde says. "I don't know what we're going to do. Isn't there some place where we could sit down?" "Couldn't we go to a movie or a cafe?" asks Roberta. Clyde shakes his head and answers: "They might see us." 9. Another passer-by. Once again they stand still in their dark corner. 10. When the steps of the stranger die away, a new gust of wind makes Roberta and Clyde shiver from the could and he says: "What do you think? Couldn't we go to your room for a little while?" "No, no, no, that wouldn't be right." Shaking her head and frightened, Roberta answers him. Clyde takes out his watch and lights a match -- 11.30. "No, no, we might be seen," continues Roberta. But Clyde is excited and resolved. He links his arm through hers and together they go down the street towards her home. 11. Roberta begs him not to come near her house but Clyde is insistent and stubbornly leads her towards it. "I can't see why we shouldn't go in out of the cold." "No, you oughtn't to come in, Clyde. It may be all right in your set, but I know what's right and what's wrong, and I don't want it." Clyde's face sombres and Roberta looks at him, scared at her own firmness. The tense minute-long pause is broken by the hysterical bark of a little dog. Clyde: "If you don't want to let me come in and sit down a few minutes ...." Roberta: "Oh, it isn't that, but I can't. I'd like to but I can't. You know it's not right," and she puts her hand on his shoulder. Clyde shrugs his shoulders, turns away and says "Well, all right, let it be so, if that's how you want it," and he makes a movement with his shoulders throwing off her hand. "Don't go away. I love you so Clyde. I'd do anything for you I could," and she embraces him. "Yes, yes," roughly answers Clyde, and tearing himself from her embrace he goes off into the darkness. And at that moment someone kicks the little dog and it gives out a long painful wail. 13. Roberta, bewildered at his departure, cries out loudly to him in despair: "Clyde, Clyde!" 14. But he does not turn back. 15. Filled with despair the girl, not knowing what to do, remains standing stock-still in the same place. Clyde has not stopped. Quietly the door of the house opens and a woman looks out inquisitively while her hand pushes the wailing dog away. 16. Further and further away, fainter and fainter, Clyde's footsteps are heard disappearing. 17. "Don't leave me," Roberta cries out to him in a voice full of tears. Then she runs after him. But after running a few steps she stops and, frightened, looks around her. The footsteps are no longer to be heard, nor the dog's wail. Roberta feels weak, she sits dawn, sobbing, upon the ground. One by one the street lamps fade and her sobbing grows weaker. 18. Rain lashes the factory windows -- The looms beat harshly and unpleasantly -- Heavily hisses the steam machinery -- And even and anxious in the hands of the girls is the sound of the stamp as it falls. 19. Pale, Roberta is working nervously and uncertainly. Motionless, Clyde sits over his papers. It is no longer cosy in the stamping department. It is bare and empty.... Not many hands remain.... Little merchandise .... Empty tables.... Empty shelves.... And that is the reason why the sound of the machines is so unpleasantly grating. 20. Rain falls behind the windows. 21. Roberta tries by every means to catch Clyde's attention, but she herself does not look at him. There is an increasing nervousness in her movements and an increasing number of mistakes in her work. She is nearer and nearer to complete despair, and suddenly she sees -- Clyde is smiling to the other girls. Clyde is flirting with her neighbour. Her head is spinning. The roar of the machines fills her ears. The beat of the motors is as fast as the beat of her heart. She is unable to hold out. She runs off to the girls' rest room, where, on a little piece of paper torn from off the table, she writes a note: Come. And they go to her home. 22. As they come in together, she switches on the light and it floods the dingy parlour that is her apartment. "Oh, this is nice," says Clyde. "I never thought it would be so cosy." She takes off her coat. "We'll have a fire in a minute," she says and kneels to adjust the coals before setting light to it. He kneels on the mat to help her. They are close together. So close their elbows touch. She half turns. He lets his head drop on her shoulder and raises his hand to stroke her hair. Putting her arm round his neck, she presses her lips to his head and then speaks: "Dear...." 23. And when in their embrace the two young bodies come into contact and the hands grope for one another in a sudden new desire, that majestic music that Clyde hears in the happiest moments of his life bursts forth once again. And when they stop their kisses for a moment, behold, the ceiling of her little room has opened to the heavens and so have the walls. Marches of victory. Hymns of happiness are rending the air asunder. And they no longer know where they are because fantastically beautiful but absolutely incomprehensible things crowd in upon them, and they laugh a young and infectious happy laugh. And while the fantastical compositions with the underlining of music change from one to another, her voice, in an anxious whisper, is heard to say: "But never, never! If anything should happen... You won't leave me?" And Clyde likewise in a whisper, answers her: "Never -- I'll never leave you." 24. And again they are standing facing each other at the door of her little room; now they are saying goodbye, and once again Clyde repeats: "I will never, never leave you." Kissing her before he leaves, he goes out into the street. 25. But still Roberta's face holds traces of anxiety as, through the window, she watches his disappearing figure. 26. And for the first time Clyde walks off like "a real man." His head is proudly held up and his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his coat. 27. He passes by a big luxurious automobile. "Hallo! Are you walking?" he hears a voice. "If you like I can give you a lift." Sondra Finchley is saying these words, looking out of the window of the automobile. Clyde turns away. Sondra, astonished, says, "Oh, excuse me. I thought it was Gilbert." "I beg your pardon, it is I," he answers, taking off his hat. "There's no need for excuses, I'm very glad to see you. Please get in and let me take you wherever you are going." He would like to leave and takes a few steps backwards, but Sondra, desiring to cover the mistake she has made, insists: "But do come, Mr. Griffiths." Embarrassed he goes to the car and sits beside her. 28. At that moment the chauffeur returns with a package and she asks Clyde where she can take him. 29. The car makes its way quickly along the road. "I didn't realise that you were mistaking me for my cousin," Clyde says in his embarrassment. "Don't speak about that any more. Tell me rather why do you never go any place?" "I'm working in the factory and have very little time," answers Clyde. Sondra's conversation, flirtatious and flippant, ends in her promising Clyde to get him an invitation to a dance that is to be attended by the very best society of the town. The beauty, charm, dress and manner of the rich girl overwhelm Clyde with admiration and he cannot take his eyes off her all the ride long. And Sondra, looking at him, notices his charm and good looks. They smile at each other, but at that moment the car comes to a stop at the corner of his street. 30. The chauffeur opens the door of the car and Clyde steps out. "Till soon," answers Sondra in reply to his thanks. 31. And the car disappears behind the bend. 32. Clyde remains standing still on the empty street and listens to the ever fainter noise of the car. "Mr. Griffiths," he hears once again the name as she pronounces it. "Griffiths", repeats Clyde to himself, standing there frozen between embarrassment and a new pride. REEL 7 1. Hands are fastening the laces of patent leather shoes -- then the same hands lift higher, dusting an almost invisible speck off the crease of the trousers -- then higher still, as they button a black dinner vest. At last they give a final twist to the black bow tie, and in all the glory of his new tuxedo, drawn to full height, we see the figure of proud Clyde, polished, smartened and finished by Roberta. Now she is giving a final comb to his hair. As she lays down the comb she says: "If I can't keep you all to myself, if I must share you with the Griffiths, I'll make you as beautiful as I can." She helps him on with his coat and white silk muffler, hands him his brand-new silk hat, and escorts him to the door. As she hugs him in a kiss: "You'll think of me tonight, won't you dear?" she says. He is gone. 2. The first snow of the year is falling, and Clyde, to protect his new suit, opens his umbrella. He pauses beneath a lamp, takes a card from his vest pocket and rereads the text: The Now and Then Club Will hold its First Winter Dinner Dance At the Home of Douglas Trumbull 135 Wykeagy Avenue On Thursday, November 4. You are Cordially Invited Will you Kindly Reply to Miss Jill Trumbull. It is to this address he is going, not to the Griffiths. Turning it over, Clyde rereads a note written on its blank side: Dear Mr. Griffiths: Thought you might like to come. It will be quite informal. And I'm sure you'll like it. If so, will you let Jill Trumbull know? Sondra Finchley. Having read the note, Clyde tucks it away carefully in the pocket of his vest and resumes his way. Past the amazed inhabitants of the poor quarter, Clyde walks beneath his umbrella, filled with pride and self- satisfaction. 3. Handsome-looking cars stand before the entrance to Jill Trumbull's home. A group of chauffeurs, chatting among themselves, make room for Clyde to pass through. He rings at the front door. Behind it can be heard happy laughter and conversation. The door is opened. The servant takes his hat, coat and umbrella from him and, once inside, Clyde finds himself face to face with Jill Trumbull. "I know you. You're Mr. Griffiths. I'm Jill Trumbull." -- and on this they shake hands. "Miss Finchley hasn't arrived yet, but I'll do my best as hostess until she comes." 4. She leads Clyde through several rooms, introducing him to various girls on her way. "This is Mr. Clyde Griffiths, a cousin of Gilbert Griffiths, you know." The girls, who are speaking to attendant swains or otherwise engrossed, nod and smile politely with a -- "How do you do" -- "So pleased to meet you," and turn back to their companions, completely uninterested. 5. Finally, guided by Jill, Clyde arrives at a big fireplace at the end of the room where stands, resplendent in white waistcoats and tails, a group of unoccupied males. Here, with another muttered introduction or two, a little laugh and an "excuse me" she leaves him to return to her welcome of other newcomers. Clyde stands on the rug in front of the fireplace. Beside him on the rug stand the males, tall, wide-chested and stiff, their hands behind their backs and their feet separated. They survey him dully, while he endeavours to control his nervousness. 6. Into another room, adjoining at some distance by wide-opened doors, Sondra enters in a dazzling white dress. Her entry causes a stir, Sondra is always a centre of movement. "Is Griffiths here yet?" she asks eagerly. Through the intersecting doors Clyde can be seen on his rug. He shifts about nervously, the stiff society young men are reminiscent of the maze of society dummies in the glass window cases between which, earlier, he drifted. Sondra calls Jill and her friends to her. "He's presentable, isn't he?" she says. "He's better-looking than Gilbert. We must take him around a bit. Gilbert will be furious. Oh, what a lark!" A rustle of silks and satins, gay approval and the group starts laughing forward. 7. Clyde looks up. Across the room he sees Sondra advancing, more beautiful and resplendent than ever. He feels a thrill at her approach. Sondra greets him and surrounds him with a bevy of girls, who have crossed the room in her train. He is at once the centre of the whole group. All are eager to cultivate Clyde, the idea of spiting someone else through him appeals to them. "We shall have the first and the eighth dances," says Sondra with authority. "And I want you to dance with Jill, Betty, Clara...." naming several of those around. 8. The strains of the first foxtrot are heard coming from the ballroom and Sondra leads him to the floor for the first dance. The orchestra plays rapidly; embracing Sondra, adoringly but gingerly, as if he held something too precious to be real, Clyde allows himself to be swept into the dance among the crowding couples. Rapt by the rhythm, he is beginning to stammer his appreciation to Sondra, when she gently disengages herself and he is swept up, first by one of the girls whom she led to greet him -- then by another -- -- from one to the other he is swept, dancing with each a bare moment. Snatches of their conversation reach us. His partners pretend a roguishness. One: "You're better-looking than Gilbert." Another: "I saw you going into the confectioner's on Central yesterday. Were you getting something for your girl?" (This one alarms him.) And another: "Sondra thinks you're handsome." (Clyde thrills.) "She told us she means to see a lot of you." 9 And once again Sondra is with him. The jazz continues. 10. The jazz diminishes and dies. In the factory rest room. A gust of giggles. Roberta is taking down her coat from a peg. The other girls, also preparing to leave, are laughing and gossiping. "No wonder Mr. Griffiths looks tired. I'll bet they stay up late at those parties. Dancing night after night." Roberta starts, and, concealing her interest, asks a question: "Don't you never read the papers? Why those young society people all went to two dances last night, on from one to the other. And they had Mr. Clyde's name down," is the answer. Roberta, the gossips turned aside, glances at a note crumpled in her hand: Dear, I have to dine with my uncle again tonight. You understand, don't you. Her fist grips round it. She bites her lip, her face is white. And the music of the dance begins to rise again. 11. Clyde is still with Sondra. The growing band music rises abruptly to sound ever faster and more gay, now fortissimo. To the fortissimo of the band, he whirls into a poem of the days that follow. A poem of dancing, laughter, joy. A poem of loving glances, smiles, hinted caresses. A poem of Sondra's gorgeous wardrobe. Today she is clad in black silk, tomorrow in fluffy white, or again in glittering silver. And always Clyde is dancing with her. Or they sit on a couch, or they stand in a glassed winter garden, or they dance together in a lighted ballroom or in an intimate club. And as their poem of love progresses, its rhythm becomes ever happier, with the happier tempo of the music and the increasing brightness of the light. 12. In his top hat, in his muffler, in company with a wealthy youth and girls, Clyde is passing, in a luxurious car, through the streets of the town. With a wave of laughter the car stops under a street lamp at a corner, and, excited, dishevelled, Clyde jumps out. Another burst of laughter and the car disappears. 13. Clyde turns the corner and sees a light in Roberta's room. 14. Sighing wearily, Roberta drops onto the bed. 15. Clyde, standing on the porch, starts to push the outer door, it opens. 16. Quietly Clyde enters Roberta's room. She turns a tear- stained face to him. "Clyde, where have you been? We haven't been alone together for weeks. What has happened?" Clyde feels uncomfortable, so makes a show of irritation. "I told you, I've had to go to see my uncle. You know what it means to me. You know I can't possibly refuse." Suddenly, unexpectedly, she jumps up, grabs a bundle of newspapers and turns towards him. "You're lying to me, Clyde." With difficulty keeping back her sobs, she shows Clyde the chronicle of his social life. One, two, three balls, more -- and in each among those present appears his name. Scared lest they wake the family of the proprietors, they quarrel in whispers. Whispers of passion, but now not of passionate love. "You were with Miss Finchley," says the girl, and this drives Clyde to lose his head. He runs up to Roberta, takes hold of her shoulders and brings her face nearer to his, looking straight into her eyes. And, seeing his face, his dear face, so close to her own, Roberta involuntarily forgets his neglect, and the old joy and tenderness for him appear in her expression. And as the familiar charm reawakens, Clyde, instead of striking her or scolding her as he had intended, kisses Roberta. And when she throws back her head it seems to him as though he is being held in the arms of Sondra. His fingers clenched in her hair, with new strength and new passion he kisses Roberta. 17. From the street we see the light go out behind Roberta's window. Nearby, from some source unknown, the laughter of a little child is heard in childish glee. FADE OUT 18. FADE IN Once more the noise of the looms in the factory, the hissing of the steam machines, and the sound of the stamps marking the collars. It is dark outside and the electric light is searing. It outlines sharply unusual shadows on the faces of those working. Roberta at her worktable is pale, sad and anxious. She watches Clyde, striving to catch his eye. But Clyde will not look at her. Roberta takes a torn slip of paper and writes upon it a note: Clyde, I absolutely, absolutely must see you today. Please come to see me after work or meet me somewhere. It is essential. Roberta. Taking a basket of collars she passes by his desk and, unseen by the others, throws him her note. As Clyde finishes reading the note he sees Roberta's face, nervous and full of anxiety. With a slight nod of the head he agrees to meet her. He glances at a memorandum pad on his table, inscribed: 10th January, Dinner at the Griffiths, and once again nods to Roberta. 19. Slowly the noise of the machines dies and the jigging melody of an old-fashioned dance fills the air. 20. Clyde and Sondra are dancing one of those old-fashioned, rapid jig-time dances in which everyone has to take part together, and which consist of circles and pairs. A Christmas tree and Christmassy decorations are in evidence. To the sound of handclaps beating with the music, Clyde -- now in tails -- and Sondra advance, jigging, towards the centre of the room, and circle hands on hips and back to back in one of the figures of the dance. By the walls a group of old ladies, made-up, powdered, overdressed, scrutinise Clyde and criticise his manners and success in society. They say that the Griffiths have started receiving him only because it became impossible for them not to do so when he was received by everyone else. Their smiles at the Griffiths' discomfiture are vinegar. To the merry, frantic children's tune, Clyde and Sondra whirl round in the frenzied closing figures of the dance. 21. The music stops with a burst of laughter. Clyde and Sondra run out into the hall and throw on their wraps and coats. 22. Outside the snow is pouring down and is slushy underfoot. Cars move away from the entrance. 23. Sondra and Clyde are in a car together. Sondra is driving. The car pulls up outside her house. She looks at him through half-closed lids and proposes: "Why don't you come in, Clyde. I'll fix you up a cup of hot chocolate before you go home. Do you like chocolate?" "Oh, yes," says Clyde. 24. The kitchen amazes Clyde by its luxury, its cleanliness, the glitter of its copper dishes and the large Norman-style fireplace with bright logs burning in it. And Clyde says, spontaneously and sincerely: "What a marvellous kitchen!" "Do you think so? Aren't all kitchens the same?" Sondra asks as she busies herself with the chocolate. She also looks around the walls of the kitchen and brings her gaze to a stop before the closed dresser. Having thought for a moment she goes to the dresser and opens wide its little doors. An arsenal of crystal and silver services. Tumblers and goblets that amaze Clyde by their number and glitter. And Sondra picks out the handsomest tumbler for chocolate, pouring the chocolate out of a jug into the tumbler, she sits down beside Clyde, near the fireplace, and says: "Isn't it cosy here?" "It's very lovely with you here, Sondra," says Clyde. "I'm pleased you're satisfied," Sondra answers smiling tenderly, and each notices the good looks of the other and both keep silent, not knowing what to say or what to do. "You've been very anxious to tell me something," Sondra asks in a very low voice. "I'd like to tell you a lot, but you forbid me to." "I know what you'd like to tell me." Both get off the bench and he takes her hand in both of his. Clyde looks at her as a faithful believer would look at a holy relic and under this gaze she lowers her eyes and Clyde, who has never done so before, puts his arm about her and kisses her. At the moment of this kiss the silver seems to glitter dazzlingly on the open dresser -- the burning logs crash throwing up sparks like fireworks, and for a few seconds Sondra allows herself to be embraced. Then she gently pushes him away without any anger and smilingly says: "Now you must leave, do you hear?" "Are you angry?" asks Clyde. Smiling, she shakes her head: "It is very late." And Clyde makes a gesture with the hand, as does a sportsman answering the ovations of a many-thousand crowd. 25. The handsome crystal tumbler stands on the table filled with the untouched chocolate. 26. With a firm tread, humming the melody of that "hymn of happiness", that same melody which passes as a theme motif through all his happy days, Clyde walks down the street, already deep in snow, smiling to passers-by. The snow is whirling down and pouring, a frenzied whirling blizzard. 27. He carefully enters the porch of Roberta's home and knocks at the door. The door is immediately opened and Roberta, still dressed in her day-dress, lets him into her room. 28. Her face is so very sad and frightened that it makes Clyde scrutinise her closely. "Do you remember, Clyde, you said that if ever a misfortune happened to me ... you would help me?" "A misfortune?" asks Clyde, and he sees how Roberta sits down on the bed lifting her hands to the waist of her dress. And again from some unknown source is heard the mocking joyous laughter of a child. REEL 8 1. A druggist's sign. The show window of a drug store. In it, among the array of medicine and bottles, the cardboard cutouts of nurses' figures and happy feeding children; this is an advertisement for milk, that for purgatives or candy. Hanging over the glass of the drug store doors, a bright illustrated sign of a naked little boy and his sympathetic father. Looking through the window is a nurse and her little charges, the children laughing, their attention caught by a gaily-coloured advertisement. And at the entrance to the drug store stands Clyde, uncertain and embarrassed. He looks through the glass, trying to inspect the clerk behind the counter, and he sees -- 2. -- a woman stands behind the counter, a saleslady. 3. Clyde grits his teeth, looks around him, and crosses the road, stopping at another drug store. Looking inside, he sees a man. Trembling with anxiety, he enters, and at the same time through the radio loudspeaker is heard a song sung by children in a treble. Through the window we are able to see Clyde approach the counter, take off his hat, and, embarrassed, ask something of the druggist. And as Clyde's embarrassment increases, so does the volume of the children's voices increase in the song over the radio. The druggist having listened to Clyde, shakes his head, and Clyde comes out onto the street. And at that moment, as Clyde opens the door of the drug store, the radio children finish singing, and are heard laughing over something in sheer exuberance. 4. With quick steps, Clyde crosses past some little knots of children playing on the street. He stops at yet another drug store, and looks in through the window. 5. A grey-haired, bewhiskered man is sitting there reading the newspaper. Next to the drug store is a phonograph shop. In its show window are cutouts of children and dogs listening to a record. And, within the shop, a record is being played of a child's recitation, touching and yet at the same time slightly comical. Turning away from the window, Clyde enters the drug store and -- While the child's voice from the radio shop continues declaiming how it loves its father and its mother, the sunshine and the forest, Clyde once again takes off his hat, bends over the counter, and he repeats his question to the elderly man. And we see the greyhaired man grow angry, wave his hands about and raise his voice at Clyde; what he says we cannot hear through the glass of the window, but we do see Clyde grow confused, excuse himself and come out onto the street again. 6. With quick steps Clyde makes his way through the noisy, busy streets. The lights are now lit. Gleams of light appear from the buildings, as lamps are turned on, illuminating the various signs, advertisements and illustrations in the shops. In the background is an enormous advertisement for milk, the huge, laughing head of a child. Clyde stops before it, thinking where to go. He looks around him -- on the roof of a tall building a children's jelly is being advertised. 7. As though feeling pursued by all these advertisements and signs, Clyde retreats into a dark alley. He still walks slowly, not knowing where he should turn. He has to stop at the corner of the street to let a heavy truck pass by, and as the truck passes, he notices that he is facing an obscure little drug store. Something, perhaps a man-of-the-world air in the bearing of the druggist, inspires him with confidence. An expression of resolution comes into his face, and he enters.... 8. An ambulance with its red cross and long whining siren dashes through the little street. The whine of the siren dies away. Clyde comes out of the drug store; as soon as he has passed from the view of the druggist he thrusts a small packet that he is holding deep into his coat pocket. He looks happier and his walk is firmer. He goes back through the streets he has passed, his hand firmly gripping the package inside his pocket. It is late. The lights fade, and in the growing darkness the laughing posters of the children are no longer visible. 9. Clyde goes into Roberta's room. She is so frightened and worried over what has befallen her that she no longer pays any attention to her looks. She is untidy, dressed in a provincial-looking dressing gown and her movements are bewildered and absent-minded. Clyde opens up the package, and takes out a bottle from it. Roberta snatches it from his hands, lifts it to the light, and reads the instructions on it. "We must hope that it will all plan itself out," Clyde says. They arrange that the following day, on his way to the factory, he will pass Roberta's house, and if everything works out well, she will raise the blinds, if not, the blinds will only be drawn halfway. He kisses her, but his tender words are only mumbled. "Oh, Clyde, Clyde!" Roberta cries, as she is left alone. 10. A Clyde who now appears much relieved enters his own room, to find waiting for him on his table several small packages from a smart shop. He reads an accompanying note from Sondra, her good wishes and greetings. These parcels she has sent him in token of their friendship, and in them he finds the smartest ties, and dainty handkerchiefs to be worn in the pocket. 11. Roberta is lying on the couch in her room. Her cheeks have fallen in -- the pupils of her eyes have grown immensely large -- her face is as white as linen -- there are deep blue circles under her eyes and the lips are parched. Suffering terrible pain, Roberta lies there on the couch. 12. The blinds of Roberta's room are drawn only halfway. 13. And Clyde stands looking at them on the other side of the street in horror and consternation. 14. The blinds are drawn only halfway. 15. Clyde goes down the street and stops at a men's goods store. He stands for a few seconds before the door, obviously nerving himself for a terrific effort, and suddenly goes in. 16. He pleasantly greets the salesman, clearly an old acquaintance. Absent-mindedly picking out a tie, he lets drop, as though a matter of little importance -- "By the way -- I wanted to ask you about something. Perhaps you could tell me. One of the workmen at the factory, a young fellow recently married, is very much worried over the condition of his wife." The salesman's face has grown annoyed; Clyde goes on, his nervousness, which he still endeavours to conceal, increasing: "I don't know why they always come to me about such things -- they seem to think I am very experienced --" But Clyde's laugh rings false. The salesman continues to smile with that smile that clearly covers annoyance, and he gives an even greater attention to Clyde, who adds: "I'm new in this city, I don't know anyone, and so I can't help him. But you've been here a long time, so I thought you might be able to put me in a position to advise him." The salesman looks around him, then comes nearer to Clyde and says: "Of course, I will be glad to help you, Mr. Griffiths. Continue, what is the matter?" And they start to whisper in very low voices, too low for the words to be distinguishable. Clyde is seen taking out a notebook, and writing down an address. Then he sighs with relief. "I'll tell the man not to mention anyone's name," Clyde says as he thanks the salesman and exits from the shop. Left alone, the salesman opens his eyes wide and whistles. He is in possession of a fine piece of gossip and he knows it. 17. Stealthily, to avoid remark, Clyde once more enters the house of Roberta. A lamp is turned on in her room. From outside the window, we hear Roberta's voice speaking: "No, Clyde, I won't go alone. I'm too afraid. I shouldn't be able to explain anything to him. I shouldn't know what to do, nor how to begin or anything. You must go with me and we'll tell him everything together -- or I won't go at all. No matter what happens." "Hush! Hush!" Clyde is heard to say, and then the words grow indistinguishable. And indistinctly, maybe from one of the top floors, are heard the feeble cries of a sick child. The child moans pitifully. And against the light of the room lamp of Roberta, Clyde's silhouette is seen as he pulls down the blinds, and it grows dark all round. 18. Roberta is half lying on the bed. Clyde sits opposite her on the couch. Pale, thin, Roberta stares at the light of the lamp, and says slowly: "I'll let you go." But, having said this, she is unable longer to restrain herself and large tears trickle down her wan face. In the painful pause that follows we hear that someone is walking down the corridor, shuffling in bedroom slippers. Doors creak and we hear that an attempt is being made to soothe the child. Roberta turns off the light. A pause. In the darkness, they continue their conversation. She must not be a drag on him, Roberta says, she is ready to face it and afterwards she will try to make her way alone in the world. Not quite alone, says Clyde, he will earn more money and be able to help her. No, says Roberta, she knows it will be alone and she is ready. But what if the doctor be unwilling?... Again they hear the wailing of the sick child, a monotonous, low wail and sit silent, staring unseeing. 19. And they still stare unseeing, but now they travel in a streetcar, and their stare is at the blank unreflecting windows, behind which lies the town in darkness. "Did you find out where the streetcar stops -- we won't have to walk far?" asks Roberta. "It's quite near. A quarter of a mile, not more," answers Clyde. An atmosphere of misery surrounds them as they sit in the streetcar. That cold and cut-off feeling of being the only passengers in a streetcar passing through dark and isolated streets. The hoarse clanging of the streetcar bell. "Is he old or young -- do you know?" asks Roberta. Clyde shakes his head. "It would be easier for me if he were old." They are silent again. Again the coldness and the enervating clanging of the bell. "Oh," moans Roberta, "if only the doctor is willing." The streetcar passes into the darkness. 20. Roberta is seated in the depths of a huge armchair in the doctor's room. Through the half-opened door of his consulting room the doctor and his family can be seen finishing a copious dinner. Roberta is nervous. Now the doctor is washing his hands in an adjoining room. Roberta closes her eyes. The old doctor is in the room. He is absent-minded "What is your complaint, how can I help you?" he asks. Roberta opens her eyes. She makes as if to answer, then, abashed, drops her head. "Calm yourself, child," says the old doctor and, passing the table, he comes and sits down beside her. "Your name? Mrs ...?" She answers: "Howard." "Wife of Mister...?" 21. Clyde, nervously walking up and down the pavement, before the doctor's railing. He stops, bites his lips, rubs his hands and nervously looks up at the house. 22. The doctor stands in the centre of the room, and says to the confused Roberta: "To start with, my conscience will not permit me to comply with your request. Secondly, such an operation is dangerous from a medical point of view, without even taking into consideration that I should be breaking our State laws as well as ethical laws ...." With an effort Roberta stands erect, she presses her hands together in anguish. "You do not understand! You do not understand!" Roberta says, trying to keep her tears back. "I told you an untruth, I have no husband; it must be done, it must be done!" 23. Clyde feels as though he had been lashed by a whip; he slips behind some shrubs with panicky, quick movements, as he sees an automobile pass by. 24. The doctor's door slowly opens, and Roberta, broken by his refusal, comes out. Mechanically she goes out into the street and goes past the shrubs behind which Clyde is concealed. He watches her, and from the way she is walking, and the expression of her face, he realises what has happened. But he dare not leave his hiding place, because of the cars passing down the street, and the pedestrians on the pavements. 25. Roberta, as though hypnotised, goes further and further down the street, unseeingly, having forgotten about Clyde. 26. When the street empties, Clyde runs after her and joins her at a deserted spot. At his question, Roberta only shakes her head, and wipes the tears from her eyes. Completely bewildered and helpless, they both stand there. "You can leave me after, but now -- you have to help me -- you have to --" And she starts to cry again. Clyde does not answer, and merely drops his head. Roberta is wringing her hands, she shakes her head and continues pitifully: "Oh, don't you see, I can't be alone with a child on my hands, and no husband!" 27. And around them, a new spring. Over the factory chimneys appears a soft, full May moon. 28. They reach Roberta's house. "You said yourself you don't know anything else we can do and every extra day is dangerous for me. There's nothing left for it, you must marry me -- right away." Cowardly, and in his anxiety really sorry for her, Clyde nods his head in confirmation of her words. In agony of realisation he closes his eyes. His eyes closed, standing alone in another place, on another street, Clyde nods his head. REEL 9 1. In a ravine, near the road, a miserable, half-fallen-in, poor farmer's house. An old woman is washing the laundry by the porch of this house; behind the open window Roberta finishes a hat she has been making. She tries it on, and talks to the old woman: "What would you say, mother, if I suddenly got married?" Continuing with her washing, the woman laughs at Roberta's question, and shakes her head. "Oh, now I understand why you needed a new dress. Who is he?" "I can't name him -- yet, mother. But I think it will be soon." "Oh!" says the mother, surprised and pleased. 2. And at this moment an old, broken-down cart to which a thin, bony horse is harnessed, comes up to the house. "Good day, Father," says Roberta. "Hello, Bobby," answers a tall thin man, his tired worn face smiling up at his daughter. The mother leaves her washing and goes across the dirty yard towards her husband. And Roberta, resting a piece of paper on the window sill, starts a letter. 3. But when she begins to think, the happiness fades from her face, there is sorrow in her eyes and for a long while she looks through the window, her hand holding up her head. Misery, dirt and poverty are to be seen through the window. The letter: Darling Clyde -- It was hard for me to leave alone -- as you know. But I am trying to calm myself, and now that we have decided everything, and you will come for me -- -- is written on the sheet of paper. Along the dirty glass of the window, buzzing, crawl flies trying to escape into freedom. But everything here is lovely -- green trees, everything is blooming. And again Roberta looks with sorrowful eyes through the window of the poverty stricken house. Among the darkness and the dirt of the yard one thin flowering plant is blooming. Several weak little trees are visible behind the fence. I can hear the buzzing of bees in the garden under my window. Roberta whispers to herself what she has written. 4. "Bobby, you are wanted at the telephone," she hears her mother's voice from the street. She runs out of the house, crosses the road, runs into the entrance of a post office. Excited, gasping or breath, she asks over the telephone: "Clyde, is it you? Oh, it's terrible, terrible, Clyde. I can't stand it any longer." -- and, after hearing his answer, made in a voice of excuses, she continues the conversation: "Oh, don't be angry. Clyde, don't be angry. I don't know how to control myself. But whatever happens, you must, you must do what we planned, Clyde. I'll write you a long letter, because it helps me when I write to you. Clyde!... Clyde!..." She hears no answer through the phone, calls him several times, calls out his name, then, disappointed at the unfinished conversation, hangs up the receiver and closes her eyes, because the tears are rolling down her cheeks. 5. Slowly Clyde hangs up the receiver, and exits from the telephone booth onto the verandah of the restaurant of a summer resort. He is in white tennis kit, a flower in his buttonhole, well-combed and handsome. "Hurry, hurry, Clyde," Sondra cries out from a sports model standing in the road by the restaurant. Clyde's dark expression is replaced by one of pleasure, and on the run he jumps into the centre of the car, into a group of young girls, merry and bright. 6. Roberta returns, entering the door of the decaying farm. 7. As the car drives, it drives into a new dream with Sondra, this time a dream of the joys of sport and the bright outdoors. Swimming, dancing, diving, racing, shooting, golf, tennis all are blended into a pictorial symphony that matches with a symphony of music, laughter and the natural sounds. And each is instinct with Sondra, and the personality of Sondra, and contributes to her growing charm for Clyde. Each scene, also, occasions some opportunity for intimacy. Now, on a tennis court, 15-love, 30-love, 40-love rings out, the syllable of "love" accentuated. Now he is pleading with her, on the crests of the waves, as they swim side by side, to run away with him, now immediately and, though she refuses, the coquetry of her refusal chases the gloom from his eyes. Ever the composition of the symphony rises, increasing their intimacy, and at last, as final movement, they are once more in a car, and we see flash past a white roadster, in the front seats Clyde and Sondra. 8. In the back seats is a group of laughing young people. The car stops at a crossroads, and Sondra asks Clyde to find out the road from someone. 9. Clyde goes down into the ravine, to a miserable, dilapidated house; on the post in front of it he sees the proprietor's name written in printed capitals TITUS ALDEN on a small board. Clyde is scared, hesitates and is about to flee, but Roberta's father comes up to him and asks him how he can be of help. "How can we get to Twelfth Lake?" Clyde asks hurriedly, impatient to retreat. And the sickly old man starts a long, slow, detailed explanation. And Clyde, barely hearing him, sees the pitiful ruins of the old house, and then, averting his head from it, he sees at the crossroads the dazzling car, and the laughing Sondra. 10. Without waiting to hear the end from Alden, he runs back to the car, white and with compressed lips. He is anxious, and his hand trembles as he points the way, and Sondra surprised at his alarm quickly starts up the car. 11. The car, with a roaring of its powerful engine, flies past the house. The father stamps heavily in. Roberta looks up from her letter and asks casually: "Father, who was it?" "I don't know, Bobby. Some rich no-accounts who lost their road." The sound of the engine fades as the car recedes ever farther away. FADE OUT 12. Clyde throws open the door of his rooms. He is still white, still worried, still distressed. He goes up to the table and sees on it a letter, in Roberta's handwriting. Annoyed and without pleasure he opens the envelope, and turns immediately to the last lines: We must get married. I insist on it. I have the right to. You have allowed all this time to pass in silence and unless I hear from you before noon Friday all your friends shall know how you have treated me. But I will not wait and suffer one hour more. Dazed, he stares at the letter, then lets his head drop forward onto it, his eyes closed. Then he raises his head again. His hands pull the letter towards him. And as it moves it discloses a newspaper that lay beneath it. Immediately in front of him is the paragraph: ACCIDENTAL DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT LAKE PASS UPTURNED CANOE AND FLOATING HATS REVEAL PROBABLE LOSS OF TWO LIVES. He reads it at first mechanically, without comprehending. The girl's body has been found but remains unidentified. The second victim has not yet been recovered. Fifteen years ago in this spot a similar accident occurred, but the body of the man was never found. 13. Clyde finishes reading the article, throws the paper off the table, turns out the lamp, and sits wearily down on the couch. And suddenly he hears a whisper: "And what if Roberta and you --" And in the dark corner, he imagines he sees an overset boat. Jumping up, Clyde turns on the light. He sits down on the couch again, nervous and shivering, he picks up the paper he had thrown away and rereads the article. And while he is rereading it with wide-open eyes, the whisper from afar gradually creeps up till it forms the word: "KILL". In a strange, gradual way the phrase spoken by the whisper forms and forms until at last it pronounces and repeats the whole word: "KILL! KILL!" And from this moment the action begins to work along the line of the thoughts of a distracted man, leaping from one fact to another, suddenly stopping -- departing from sane logic, distorting the real union between things and sounds; all on the background of the insistent and infinite repetition of scraps of the description in the newspaper. In this scene, in which the idea of murder is born to Clyde, he acts separately from the background, which keeps changing after him, either dashing in a mad tempo when the background is slow, then falling when there is no reason to fall, then unsteady on a rock, then transformed into stone-like motionlessness in the midst of a busy street. With the aid of the technical use of transparencies this effect of an inharmony between the actions of Clyde and his surroundings can be attained. Around him is first his room, then a street in busy movement, or the lake, or the mean dwelling of Roberta, or the summer residence of Sondra at Twelfth Lake, or the machines in the factory, or running trains, or the stormy sea, in each setting of which he moves, his movements being discordant with the scene. And the same with the sounds. These are likewise distorted, and a whisper becomes the whistle of a storm, and the storm cries out "Kill", or the whistle of the storm becomes the movement of the street, the wheels of a streetcar, the cries of a crowd, the horns of motorcars, and all beat out the word: "Kill! Kill!" And the street noises become the roar of the factory machines, and the machines also roar out "Kill! Kill!" Or the roar of the machines descends to a low whisper and it whispers again: "Kill! Kill!" And at this moment a pleasant, unemotional voice slowly reads the newspaper article: Fifteen years ago a similar accident occurred, but the body of the man was never found. 14. And at the climax of this symphony of madness Clyde jumps out of his nightmare, perspiring, dishevelled, excited. He runs to a telephone booth and calls up Roberta. Through the phone he speaks to her in a hoarse voice. "This is Clyde." He tries to put tenderness into his voice but in his effort there is too much affection. His voice, through the phone, sounds loving and soft; it seems unbelievable that a man in his state of frenzy could be so kind. "I'll come to you, Roberta darling. You must wait for me two days. The 3rd of July I'll meet you at 15th Station at eleven o'clock, and we'll go rowing on the lake, and we'll get married, we'll get married." And with trembling hand Clyde hangs up the receiver, and he leans against the wall, so as not to fall, while Roberta's sorrowful face lights up in trust and happiness. REEL 10 1. On a small railway station, away from the crowds of people, Roberta is sitting on her trunk. 2. Clyde is seen coming along a side street leading to the station. He is walking slowly, carefully, making himself inconspicuous behind the trucks of baggage, pausing behind large baskets -- he sees Roberta and, concealed, watches her. 3. Roberta is pale and thin. She looks pathetic, and is dressed in a new, homemade costume. Her hat is also new. Clyde's face expresses both shame and dislike. Nevertheless, he takes a few steps forward, so that she may catch sight of him. Roberta sees him. A happy look comes into her face and she goes to the ticket office to buy her ticket. And as she leaves the office -- Clyde approaches it, and buys his own ticket. She watches him, notices his light-grey suit, his new straw hat, the highly polished shoes, his grip and his portable camera. And a feeling of pride floods her at the sight of him. She smiles, and turns her head away from him, pretending to be a stranger, as though she did not know him. Clyde starts, because it seems to him that an old man in a worn suit, with a bird cage wrapped up in paper, is looking at him with suspicion, not taking his eyes off him. Clyde's knees are weak, and his hands are trembling. While waiting for the train he paces up and down the platform, starting nervously at every engine whistle. 4. With a great roar the train pulls in. Roberta gets off her trunk, lifts it. In her present condition it is heavy for her. Besides, the day is very hot. Clyde sees this, but, turning away, he enters the first carriage. Roberta gets into the last carriage. 5. Clyde places his grip on the rack, hiding its initials C.G. 6. Roberta, smiling happily, sits down by the window, in the sunlight. 7. The piston on the engine wheels starts to shadowbox in the shadow of the engine on the platform as the train starts to move. It leaves the station. 8. The wheels of the train beat out their usual rhythm, and to Roberta they sing joyfully. She likens it to the rhythm of the wedding march. She smiles up at the sun, the fields, the rivulets that fly past. 9. Clyde is sitting in a dark corner of the compartment. He is quite near the engine, and its roar, its hiss and the chime of its bells fill him with dread -- their sounds appear dark and sinister to him -- and in their rhythm he can only hear the awful word "Kill -- Kill --" 10. The rhythm of the wedding march, the joyous beat, struggles with the rhythm of death. "Kill -- Kill --" beats the engine to Clyde. Full of hope is the rhythm to Roberta. The conflict rises, the tension grows faster, faster -- until, suddenly -- 11. A long and piercing whistle of the engine. The rhythm ceases and the train stops at a station. Clyde gets out of the first carriage. Roberta gets out of the last one. By different paths they leave the station, and meet in a deserted alley, where there are no passers-by. 12. Clyde smiles, and the artificial, difficult smile makes his face look like a mask. Roberta is radiant, and trustingly she approaches him. "We could get married here. There's a mission down the street. What do you think?" asks Roberta. And Clyde listens to her, and in listening he hears the voice of the preacher at the mission. The cadences intoned are as the singsong of the mission of his youth, and as he listens it changes to the singing of a hymn, and the thin voices of bystanders take it up as in his youth, and this fills him at once with a great shame and disgust and the desire to move further away. "No, let's wait till Sharon, after we've been to the lakes," he answers. And Roberta is so happy she does not think of opposing him, nor does his conduct seem peculiar to her, and she follows him. 13 A large bus is travelling along a wooded road, it slows down at the turns and enters second gear as it goes up the hills. 14. Roberta and Clyde are sitting side by side in the bus. Roberta is bright with joy and, even in her simple costume, looks like a bride on her way to the altar. Clyde's face is also smiling, but his knees tremble and he is unable to calm himself. The bus conductor approaches with the tickets. Clyde purchases two, exactly counting his money. 15. The bus plunges into a deep forest. Its wheels cross the quick-running streams, its noise frightens the young rabbits and chipmunks as they run across the road, its horn echoes loud in the forest. 16. The bus conductor asks him: "First time here?" But Clyde, in his nervousness, is unable to answer. "Yes, we're here for the first time," Roberta answers for him. "Going to the lake at Big Bittern?" asks the conductor. And suddenly Clyde breaks into the conductor's question, apparently for no reason at all. "Tell me, are there many people there today?" And, having asked this strange question, Clyde, embarrassed, does not hear the conductor's answer to it. 17 The surface of Big Bittern. Pools of the inky black surface of the silent water. The dark reflection of the pines. Boats trembling on the motionless surface of the water. Their gunwales against a rude landing stage at the foot of steps rising to the small hotel. The beautiful panorama of the lake. 18. Standing by the landing stage are Clyde and Roberta. They have just descended from the bus. "How pretty -- how beautiful it is!" exclaims Roberta. Suddenly the hotel proprietor appears from behind the bus. Sprung into view as if by magic, he busily praises the weather, greets his guests. Clyde notices that there are few people about and none to be seen upon the lake. Too late, he notices that the proprietor, praising his kitchen, has taken his grip from him and that Roberta is following the proprietor into the hotel. He makes a movement as if to get the grip back, but thinks better of it, and with a strange, hypnotised step, follows them. 19. Open, the white pages of the hotel register stare threateningly at him. Clyde grows paler; setting himself, he signs a fictitious name -- Carl Golden -- keeping his initials (C.G.) and adding and wife. Roberta, noting this, feels a pang of joy that she hides before those in the hotel. "It's very hot. I'll leave my hat and jacket here -- we'll be coming back early," says Roberta and she leaves both on a hanger in the hall. 20. Losing his head and ignoring these incidents, Clyde takes his grip from the surprised proprietor and goes towards the boat stand. As he places the grip in a boat, he explains to the man: "We have our lunch in it." Too preoccupied to note a remark by the boatman, he helps Roberta in and, taking hold of the oars, pulls off from the shore. 21. Thick pine forests line the shore, and behind them are to be seen the tops of the hills. The water of the lake is calm and dark. "What peace, what tranquillity" -- says Roberta. Rowing, then stopping, Clyde listens to this silence, looks about him. There is no one around. 22. As the boat glides into the darkness of the lake, so Clyde glides into the darkness of his thoughts. Two voices struggle with him -- one: "Kill -- kill!" the echo of his dark resolve, the frantic cry of all his hopes of Sondra and society; the other: "Don't -- don't kill!" the expression of his weakness and his fears, of his sadness for Roberta and his shame before her. In the scenes that follow, these voices ripple in the waves that lap from the oars against the boat; they whisper in the beating of his heart; they comment, underscoring, upon the memories and alarums that pass through his mind; each ever struggling with the other for mastery, first one dominating, then weakening before the onset of its rival. They murmur as he pauses on his oars to ask: "Did you speak to anyone in the hotel?" "No. Why do you ask?" "Nothing. I thought maybe you might have met someone." 23. The voices shudder as Roberta smiles and shakes her head in answer, playfully letting her hand fall into the water. "It isn't cold," she says. Clyde stops rowing and also feels the water. But his hand springs back as though it had received an electric shock. 24. As he photographs her, they preoccupy him. While they picnic, or pick water lilies, they possess him. As he jumps ashore a moment to put down his grip, they rise and torment him. 25. "Kill -- kill," and Roberta, happy, freshened by her faith in him, is radiant with the joy of living. "Don't kill -- don't kill," and as the boat drifts almost soundlessly by the dark pines and Clyde's face is racked by the struggle within him, there rises the long-drawn-out booming cry of a water bird. 26. "Kill -- kill" triumphs and there passes through his mind the memory of his mother. "Baby -- baby" comes his childhood and as "Don't kill -- don't kill" rises he hears "Baby boy -- baby boy" in the so different voice of Sondra, and at the image of Sondra and the thought of all that surrounds her "Kill -- kill" grows harder and insistent, and with the thought of Roberta importunate it grows still harsher and shriller, and then the face of Roberta now, aglow with faith in him and her great relief, and the sight of the hair he has so loved to caress and "Don't -- don't kill" grows and tenderly supplants the other and now is calm and firm and final. Ending the conflict. Sondra is lost forever. Never, never now will he have the courage to kill Roberta. 27. And we see Clyde as he sits in blank despair and the misery of renunciation. He raises his face from his hands. An oar drags in the water. In his left hand he holds the camera. And Clyde's face is so wild with misery and so stricken by the struggle that has passed behind it that Roberta crawls anxiously towards him and takes his hand in hers. 28. Clyde opens his eyes suddenly and sees near him her anxious, tender face. With an involuntary movement of revulsion he pulls back his hand and jumps up quickly. As he does so the camera, quite accidentally, strikes her in the face. Roberta's lip is cut; she cries out and falls back in the stern of the boat. "I'm sorry, Roberta, I didn't mean to," and he makes a natural movement towards her. Roberta is afraid. She tries to get up, loses her balance, and the boat oversets. 29. Once more rings out the long-drawn booming cry of the bird. The overset boat floats slowly on the surface of the water. Roberta's head appears above the surface. Clyde comes up. His face showing terrible fright, he makes a movement to help Roberta. Roberta, terrified by his face, gives a piercing cry and, splashing frantically, disappears under the water. Clyde is about to dive down after her, but he stops, and hesitates. 30. And a third time the long-drawn booming cry of the faraway bird. On the mirror-like calmness of the water floats a straw hat. The wilderness of forest, the motionless hills. Dark water barely lapping against the shore. 31. A noise of water is heard and Clyde is seen swimming to the shore. Reaching it, he first lies down upon the earth, then slowly sits up, forgetting to lift one foot out of the water. Gradually he begins to shiver, the shivering increases, he pales and makes a familiar gesture, that gesture that he makes when frightened or suffering. He shrinks into himself and hides his head in his shoulders. He notices the foot in the water and lifts it out. He begins to think, and with that, stops trembling. And the voice of his thought: "Well, Roberta is gone -- as you desired -- and you didn't kill her -- an accident -- liberty -- life --" And then very low, tenderly, as if whispering into his ear, the voice says: "Sondra." And Clyde closes his eyes. And in the darkness: "Sondra." Her laughter and her tender voice. "Sondra." 32. Clyde is feverishly clothing himself in the dry suit from his grip. Into the grip he packs the soaked suit, and then, getting up from his knees, he stretches to his full height, standing in the rays of the setting sun. 33. The sun hides behind the hills, behind the forest. The reflection vanishes from the lake, and all becomes darker and darker. 34. Through the increasing dread of the darkling forest, Clyde is making his way, his grip in his hand. He starts, alarmed by every noise, he is frightened by the cries of the night birds, he fears the moonlight penetrating between the thick branches of the trees, he fears his own shadow and the shadows of the fantastic forest. He desires to see the time on his watch in the moonlight, but, when the lid is opened, water falls from it and he finds out that it has stopped. He plunges ever deeper into the thickening darkness of the forest, when, as he stumbles from behind a massive tree trunk, he comes suddenly upon three distorted gigantic obscure figures of men. Yet more suddenly a lantern flashes out upon him. In its beam his face shows the extremity of terror, fixed with the horror of the damned. A boy's voice calls cheerily: "Hello," but, without giving himself time to realise the lack of menace in it, he plunges frantically into the brushwood. The light is extinguished, but not before its movement has given us a fleeting glimpse of peaceful creels and fishing rods. While the trampling of Clyde's feet, the cracking of twigs, hurriedly grows ever distant and more distant, as he vanishes in the blackness of the night. SLOW FADE OUT REEL 11 1. The prows of motorboats. The prows of motorboats filling the screen as they dash past throwing up clouds of spray. Bright sunlight -- glittering water -- happy songs -- the sound of banjoes and harmonicas -- laughter, shouting and the sound of the engines of motorboats. A small fleet of motorboats, with bunting gaily flying, cuts through the water. The boats leave behind them a foaming track. In the boats are young people; in bathing costumes, singing, laughing, playing. 2. On the deck of one of the boats Sondra is lying. Clyde, in white, sits by her side. Sondra's attitude is the incarnation of serene, carefree happiness. Clyde is gloomy; weighed down by terrible oppression, he is trying to appear normal, but his thoughts are elsewhere. Sondra sits up. For a moment she forces herself to be serious. She says gently: "You haven't been yourself, Clyde. All yesterday and today." Then she bends forward and whispers: "I know why you're worried. You're embarrassed about money. Please don't tell me about it. Just take this. I've got it ready specially for you." And she presses into his hand a small folded roll of dollar bills. Clyde categorically shakes his head in refusal, but Sondra stops him by kissing him, and, profiting by the moment, slips the money into his pocket. With an effort, Clyde is trying to take the opportunity to shake off his depression. They are engrossed in each other. 3. A young man playfully rocks the motorboat from side to side, and water pours in over the gunwale. Neither Sondra nor Clyde notices the water. A shrill girl's voice screams out in mock fright: "You crazy fellow, do you want to drown us?" This sudden scream startles Clyde off his balance. He pales and tries to keep his eyes away from everyone. A young man calls from another boat: "By the way, has anyone read yesterday's papers?" Clyde becomes tense, he raises himself on one elbow. The two boats run parallel. The young man reads out loud from the paper. His reading fluctuates, as the relative level of the boat fluctuates. "Two persons rowing on the south side of Big Bittern were drowned yesterday. The body of the girl has been recovered, but up to a late hour last night the body of the man had not been found. Someone asks: "Anyone we know?" Clyde's head is spinning, the sounds around him grow chaotic and only the throb of the engine accompanies the throbbing of his heart. He lets himself fall back on a cushion by Sondra's side. "What has happened to my boy? Why is he so pale?" Sondra asks of him, as she strokes his hair. 4. The two boats are joined by others that try to outrace them. Happy shouts of excitement, and all aboard concentrate on the effort of the race. The first boat cuts into the sandy shore, and everyone on board topples one into the other. Noisily, with exaggerated complaint, they get into the shallow water and clamber ashore. Boat after boat lands on the island. 5. It is evening -- and on the sandy shore a camp has been built. Tents have sprung up -- great fires have been lit -- and the whole young crowd is merry and sentimental. The camp makes one think of Indians and the flares of the fires are reflected in the night water. Clyde and Sondra are sitting together on the shore. They are kissing each other and have forgotten all else in their own happiness. They are part of a group round an immense fire. The night is warm and this, combined with the warmth of the fire, has enabled the party to keep on their bathing suits. At one end of the group a chorus of gay voices is singing an harmonious song, and the song re-echoes faraway along the lake and in the surrounding forest. And as on the occasion of their first intimacy, during the talk in Sondra's kitchen -- The burning logs splutter, and numerous sparks fly up into the air towards the stars. The gloaming, the flittering firelight, the nearness of Sondra, combine to lull Clyde into a sense of peace. The echoes of a new song float across the lake and off into the woods. Sondra and Clyde kiss again. Keeping her head near to him, Sondra whispers.... At last she has come to a decision: "I've made up my mind, dear. Come what may, we shall run away, we'll run away together." 6. They stand up. Of a sudden, all his fears are reawakened. Realisation of what the morrow may bring floods back in full force. He stands cold, perplexed. Sondra leaning on his shoulder, her arm in his, they walk over to the outside of her tent. "Darling, says Sondra, and they embrace. Standing at the door of her tent, a long embrace, clasped in each other's arms and mouth on mouth. Clyde feels it is the last time he will ever kiss her. Sondra detaches herself and stoops into the tent. Clyde stands still for a fraction of a moment, then turns and stumbles frantically away, out of the firelight, into the further circle of the wood. His strength leaves him, and he lowers himself on the ground, resting rigid where he sits. 7. Dawn. His back against a tree, in the selfsame position, sits Clyde, sleeping. He stirs stiffly, his eyes open. A few paces away, his back also against a tree, leans a tall bony man with enormous whiskers and a large felt hat. His chin is resting on his chest. As Clyde stirs, the large man speaks. His voice is slow and calm: "Your name is Clyde Griffiths, I suppose." And as he speaks he holds an enormous revolver gently dangling. Clyde, rousing, looks desperately about him, at the paths, at the lake, at the revolver and, after a moment's reflection, says: "Yes, that's my name." The man raises the revolver and shoots in the air. Clyde is still. The man is listening. Faraway comes the sound of an answering shot. 8. Two young men, bathing in the water at this early hour, pause. One says: "Hey, listen to the guys shooting game out of season." 9. "Fine, Mr. Griffiths. Excuse the revolver. My name is Kraut -- deputy sheriff of Cataraqui," says the tall man. He puts the revolver back in its holster and adds: "I have an order to arrest you." Clyde, inwardly sick, does his best to assume a surprised and disinterested expression: "I don't understand," he says. 10. A boat touches the shore not far below where they are standing. A man jumps out of it. A thick-set man who knows what he is about. Others follow him. 11. Clyde goes on: "But of course, if you have an order to arrest me. I will follow you, but I -- I don't understand." The thick-set, energetic man has approached, he seizes on Clyde's remark: "You don't, eh? And you don't know anything about a drowning on Big Bittern, do you, or Miss Roberta Alden of Biltz?" "No no," Clyde answers nervously, terrified at the question. "My name is Orville Mason. I represent the law," says the thick-set man, aggressively. In a barely audible voice, Clyde replies: "You're suspecting me of murder. I wasn't there ...." "And you never met three people, Thursday night, coming from Big Bittern, going towards the harbour three miles away?" says Mason. "No, sir, I wasn't there." The attorney takes one of Roberta's letters from his pocket, flourishes it in the air and waves it before Clyde. "And you don't know anything about it, eh? And this letter eh? Found in your trunk, among your belongings, in your room -- you don't deny it's a letter from Miss Alden, eh!" With a tremendous effort and outward calm, Clyde replies: "Yes, I knew Miss Alden, I don't deny that. But I had nothing to do with the drowning at Big Bittern, I wasn't there." At this, Mason, irritated beyond measure, exclaims: "Oh, very well then, you've decided not to talk, have you." And to Kraut: "Take him away." Kraut takes out a pair of handcuffs. "No, you don't need those. I'll follow you," says Clyde hastily. 12. Kraut takes a step down the path towards the camp. Clyde makes as if to follow him, but at the second step he pauses, rooted. Mason looks at Clyde, then at the camp and sizes up the situation: "Oho, so that's how the wind blows, is it? Too thin-skinned to be shown up before his lady and gentlemen friends. Well, there's nothing for it but to see if any of them know more about it than he does. Take him to the camp." Kraut puts his hand on Clyde's shoulder. Clyde struggles and says, "No, no, you don't need to take me down there." "Bring him along, boys," says Mason. Kraut grips Clyde. Mason approaches and thrusts his face towards Clyde: "Well then, suppose you answer some of my questions -- come clean and quick, and at once, or down there you go!" Clyde wilts and, his lips trembling, nervously admits: "It was an accident, that's all. I didn't kill her. I didn't turn the boat over." Mason puts his hands on his hips and exclaims: "Ah, now we're getting somewhere," and attacks him with a new question. 13. A sheriff's officer amid a group of young people in the camp. The young people are in various stages of early morning undress, some in sweaters after bathing, a girl in pyjamas with hair uncombed, and so forth. Steam rises from cooking utensils. The officer is explaining that they have come for Mr. Griffiths. 14. Sondra peeps out of her tent and overhears. She comes nearer. 15. The officer explains that the case is as clear as daylight, there's absolutely no doubt about it. They have letters from the dead girl, and letters from another girl too, which gave them the hint to follow him to the camp. 16. Sondra's eyes are open, she is frozen in horror. 17. Just beside the camp, not far from where they stand, Mason, and Kraut with his hand on Clyde's arm, are getting into a boat. 18. Sondra screams: "It's not true -- it couldn't be -- Oh, Clyde --" and, turning white, she faints. 19. The cry reaches Clyde, where he sits in the boat between two officers, opposite Mason. At the sound of it, he shuts his eyes and lowers his head. 20. There is a bustle of movement in the camp. A young man beside the unconscious Sondra says: "Well, that puts the lid on our party." 21. The boat with Mason and Clyde is small in the distance, speeding across the lake. Within it Mason is still attacking Clyde with questions. Clyde is still stubborn. 22. The camp is being dismantled. Tent pegs are uprooted, tents are coming down. 23. A private apartment in the hands of the police. In a distant corner of the kitchen, which has been transformed into a temporary morgue, the presence of the body of Roberta under an obscure linen sheet can be rather guessed than distinguished. Two doctors in black stand nearby it, having completed their postmortem. Titus Alden, the father of Roberta, stands, in set and savage grief, against the wall. Others are in the room. One doctor says to another: "The wounds on her face were not of sufficient depth to be fatal." Then the first doctor turns to Titus: "Was your daughter married, Mr. Alden?" "No, doctor, she wasn't -- why do you ask? ..." And from the expression of the doctor everyone realises that she was about to become a mother. 24. At this moment heavy footsteps sound in the corridor, the door opens and in comes Clyde, followed by the sheriff's officers and Mason, who goes over to the table. A gasp. All those who were within the room: Roberta's father, the assistants, the doctors, the secretaries turn and glare at Clyde. A murmur. Titus Alden rushes forward and raises his arm to strike Clyde, he is restrained. "Murderer!" he cries out. Mason is examining the evidence like a wolf upon a scent. At the sound, he half-turns, still intent upon his examination and calls to the officers: "Take him out of here." The door shuts behind Clyde and his escort. 25. Titus Alden steps into the centre of the room towards Mason and speaks in a low voice, desperately. At first Mason has his back turned to him, but as soon as he has heard a sentence he turns and listens with marked attention. The old man: "I want you, Mr. Mason, to punish the scoundrel. I want to see him suffer as my poor child was made to suffer. He killed her. I have no money to help prove it. But I will work. I'll sell my farm." Mason has risen and now stands majestically before the father; speaking to him but in reality addressing the crowd behind him, he pronounces: "Go home, Mr. Alden. I promise you, as the representative of the law in this country, that no time or money or energy on my part will be spared to bring this crime home to the murderer and to see that he reaps his just reward. And you won't need to sell your farm, either." A member of the crowd calls enthusiastically: "You are right, Mr. Attorney. You're the kind of judge we all need." And several persons approach Mason and shake his hand, saying: "You must have greater authority, Mr Mason. We shall do all in our power to see you get it." Slapping him on the back and encouraged by Mason's smiles, the people leave the room. 26. Mason is left with his assistants and detectives. They go to a cupboard and bring out milk and sandwiches, talking among themselves as they do so. An assistant says to Mason: "This case will be the making of you Mr. Mason. You'll walk away with the fall election for judge." "You mustn't speak like that, Fred," says Mason. "We mustn't mix up politics with things like this, but of course fate can be very convenient." He wipes his mouth and puts down the milk glass. "To work," he says and goes out of the room. 27. Only one of the detectives now remains in the room. He is a thin man with a lugubrious countenance. He approaches Roberta, pulls a corner of the sheet off her face and admires her beauty. He passes his hand over her hair, looks long at it, and something like a tear seems to glisten in his eye. With one finger he plays with a curl, then, he severs it with a knife and tucks it away reverently into his pocketbook. As he leaves the room, he turns out the light. REEL 12 1. Gilbert lifts his head from the newspaper, curls his lips in a sneer and says: "I said so -- I said so." 2. In the factory, the girls who worked with Clyde are reading another newspaper, and in this paper is a portrait of Clyde, and, in headlines, the news of his arrest. 3. On the tennis court, friends of Clyde's are reading a third newspaper, and in this one too there is a portrait of him, and the details of his arrest. 4. Gilbert, having read another article on the same subject, hands the paper to his mother. She glances at Clyde's portrait in it and hands it to her husband. He lets the paper fall onto his knees and, turning to Mr. Smillie, the advising attorney to his firm, says: "What can you do about it?" Smillie, a little old man, quiet with quick movements. Next to him is Katchuman, important looking, in a frock suit, with a dull face, and brilliantined hair. The family conference of the Griffiths is taking place in the hall of their luxurious home. Piles of newspapers are heaped about the place, on chairs and on carpets, and on the first page of each is Clyde's portrait, the family name Griffiths and the dreadful word arrest. Samuel Griffiths speaks, with his usual slight self- importance: "If he be innocent, he shall have every possible aid in proving himself so, but if he be guilty I have no wish to aid him in any way." Smillie talks: "As far as I have been able to find out, it will be very difficult to prove his innocence. All the circumstances are against him." Katchuman rises importantly and, with the expression of genius making a fundamental contribution to human knowledge, makes a proposition: "There is one certain way of extricating him from this case. We must prove him insane --" "You mean mad?" asks the frightened Mrs. Griffiths looking at Gilbert. Katchuman answers: "Yes, mad, if you like." "No, I will never allow that. There has never been any madness in our family, and we do not desire that there should be!" says Mr. Griffiths. Katchuman helplessly gestures with his hands, as he sits down on his chair. An awkward pause. Then Smillie makes a suggestion. He points out that the prosecuting attorney is running for office in the next elections and is sure to endeavour to use the case to advance his political career. If strong political opponents of his can be obtained, they can be relied on to spare no effort to discover the truth. And he knows two such men. They are Belknap and Jephson. "And how much will that cost," asks Gilbert ironically. And from the haughty, ironical face of Gilbert -- 5. -- We turn to the bewildered, harassed face of Clyde -- a replica in feature but so different in expression -- with bars across it, in the prison. He sits in his cell and, as he sits, in some degree exposed by the light of the window, a stream of curious visitors passes, staring from the greater shadow of the corridor. Different people look at him with different eyes. Some with pity, others sadly, others smile at him, others again ask him about his health, want to know his age, to know about his parents. Some ask him what psalms he sings in the evening, does he go to church, does he think of God. All, all are selfish. Three girls titter and ask: "Was there another girl in it?" A psychologist taps the bars to make him jump and notes the reactions in a notebook. These constant stares and questions annoy Clyde. He nervously and ungraciously gives his answers, turns away from the pitying looks, and hides his head in his hands. By the opposite wall stand two men. They watch the visitors, listen to their questioning and, dissatisfied with Clyde's behaviour, shake their heads .... They are Belknap and Jephson. Presently the corridor grows deserted, but the men do not come out of their hiding place. Clyde, seeing that he is alone, throws himself onto his bunk, and is shaken with sobs. Now one of the men approaches his cell, looks at him, gestures to the guard to open the cell up for him. The man throws away his finished cigarette, and, taking off his hat, enters the cell. He sits down on the edge of the bunk, and slapping Clyde on the back, says kindly: "Come, come now --" Clyde turns his surprised and tear-stained face to him. The man speaks: "Hello, Clyde, my name is Belknap. Your Uncle Griffiths has entrusted me with your defence. You and I must be friends." The kind words calm Clyde, and he stops shivering, rises on the bed. The defence attorney continues: "And listen -- you must be more courteous to visitors, it is important for you." The second man has come over close beside the cell, listening. Clyde pulls nervously at his cigarette. Belknap stops him, takes the cigarette away, and just as kindly continues: "You must not smoke now, that also is very important. And you must attend church regularly." And like a father, he strokes Clyde's hair. "And now, dear friend, tell me the whole truth." Clyde turns his trusting face to him. FADE OUT 6. The exultant Mason sits in his study, surrounded by newspaper men, photographers, artists and secretaries. He opens the drawer of his desk, where two bundles of letters are lying -- one tied with string the other with ribbon, on them are initials. Mason takes the second bundle, puts it before him, plays with the ribbon, and, having awakened the interest of the reporters, says mysteriously: "Tomorrow -- I will read these letters to you, they'll be a sensation." The reporters, journalists and photographers rise from their places. "And today," says Mason, "I will read you these." -- and he takes a letter from the first package. Dear Clyde, it was hard for me to come here by myself, but it is very lovely here. The trees are all green, and everything is in bloom. I can hear the buzzing of the bees under my window. 7. Mason's study disappears, and its place on the screen is taken by the quiet home of Roberta's family. Her mother, still more stooped, yet more bowed, is washing the laundry on a porch as old as the whole house. The same journalists who were in Mason's study surround Roberta's mother, photograph her, sketch her, question her and jot down in their notebooks her clumsy, peasant answers. They are interviewing her for their papers. 8. Clyde's mother is singing a prayer surrounded by the congregation of her mission. And while we hear their voices, to the door of the mission are seen approaching photographers and reporters. They place their cameras, check their fountain pens. The prayer is finished. The mother lifts her hands to heaven in the last words of the psalm; as she does so she is illumined and the magnesium flashes of the photographers embarrass the congregation. They stop singing, and leave looking suspiciously at the journalists. The newspaper men surround the woman preacher, and rain questions at her. She speaks of Clyde as of her good little boy, as of a child, as of her son. From out of an old cardboard folder, in which she keeps documents and souvenirs, she brings out old photographs of Clyde in his childhood days, and as a youth. The men are interested in a photograph taken of the whole family on the street while singing psalms and preaching. 9. And as soon as this photograph falls into the reporter's hands, a printing press is seen turning out copy after copy of it, and soon thousands of copies are to be seen pouring out of the machines. 10. A page of the newspaper full screen size is to be seen, with this photograph in it. The newspaper is lowered, and Sondra takes her eyes away from it. My Clyde is a good boy is written in heavy print under the photograph in the paper. Crying, in tears, Sondra drops her head onto the paper. It lies on the carpet on the floor, and Sondra lies on it. Over Sondra stands her father, worried, perturbed and nervous. "How could you write to him? Why didn't you tell us of your stupidity sooner?" Sondra sobs. Sondra can say nothing. "A scandal, a scandal," says her father, as he goes to the telephone, looks long at the dial and, while Sondra sobs, dials a number. 11. Somewhere in the sleeping city in the night a telephone bell is heard to ring. In one of the houses the windows are seen to light as the lamp inside is turned on. And the voice through the telephone can be heard. "It must be seen to that the name of our family is not brought into the papers. You have pull. Please see to this." And another telephone bell rings over the city, and in another house the lights go on, and again there is a conversation in which the request is made that Sondra's name and the name of Finchley should not appear in the case. And still some telephone bells over the city and several similar conversations. And as the scene continues, the houses become more and more luxurious and larger and larger. The last light is turned on in the house grandest of all, and from this house can be heard the wanted promise. 12. Mason is pulling up the blinds in his study -- the morning light pours in. The newspaper men are waiting in an agony of anticipation.... Mason comes up to the desk, and takes out the bundle of Sondra's letters. He unties the ribbon holding the letters together, opens the first letter, with his finger passes over the initials embossed on the letterhead, smiles, with his eyes goes over all the tense, concentrated men, then takes a deep breath in order to start the reading, but a telephone bell interrupts him. "Excuse me," Mason says, and he listens to the indistinguishable murmurings coming out of the receiver. His face becomes serious. "I understand, I understand," Mason says into the phone. "Yes, sir, it will be done," and, bewildered, he hangs the receiver back. "Excuse me," he says to the newspaper men once more, and ties the bundle of letters up again with the ribbon. The journalists look at each other in amazement, and Mason, to get out of an uncomfortable spot, explains: "I am sorry, but I shall have to disappoint you. These documents, by instruction of higher authorities in the interests of the case, are to be considered confidential, and if they are required as evidence their author will be named Miss X. Q." and his hand puts the letters back into the drawer, and locks it. 13. Sondra's father sighs with relief, and the sigh is repeated by Sondra. The summer residents are closing their houses, the season has broken. Everywhere are to be seen moving vans, packed with trunks and travelling cases. The shutters are closed -- the gates are locked -- the blinds are pulled down and the watchmen take their places. Sondra, in a dark veil, gets into the limousine between her father and mother. Along the wet rain-soaked road, spattering mud, the car moves off. The reporters come, and come up to the gates of the summer residence, and look, disappointed, at the disappearing cars.... The barking of the watchdogs is to be heard behind in the grounds, and a large lock hangs on the gates of the estate. And the locks on the gates. 14. And on the lake, on the spot where Roberta drowned, it is raining too. The detective with the lugubrious expression is sitting in a boat, under an umbrella, watching two youths as they dive into the water, searching for something. 15. Rain is falling in the village cemetery too, and, to the grave marked Roberta Alden, its gears rattling and hooting its horn, splashing through the mud, comes up a truck. The workmen, in raincoats, with hoods over their heads, throw out their shovels, and sighing and groaning get out of the truck. Along the cemetery pathway, their collars up and under umbrellas, walking gingerly on the autumn leaves, Belknap and Jephson approach. They are talking to each other. "I don't believe this opening-up of Roberta's grave will help in any way," Belknap tells Jephson. "Yes, but we have to do this for the moral effect," interrupts Jephson. "We must do everything we can to postpone the beginning of the trial so as to prevent Mason using it to his advantage in the coming elections." They approach Roberta's grave, where the workmen are preparing their tools. 16. And on the lake, under the umbrella in the boat, the detective sits and watches the diving boys. The despairing youths dive in again. With tired eyes, the detective watches the increasing circles of water. And suddenly, from out of the water, a hand comes up with a camera in it. The detective jumps up, throws down the umbrella, and forgets about the rain. The boy swims up to the boat, and hands the camera to the detective. 17. At the grave, under the umbrellas stand groups. The grave is being dug up. Jephson, Belknap, three doctors, police officers. The grave is half dug open, and from the hole spadefuls of earth fall with a wet thud onto the soil. Jephson and Belknap, against the background of these wet thuds and the pit-pat of the rain, are talking. Jephson has devised a plan. He declares that the safest possible defence and the one that would best fit Clyde's own suspicious actions would be that he had never contemplated murder. "Listen," he says. "He goes up there with her, frightened, and not to marry her or to kill her but to get her to agree to go away." With wet thuds, the earth is ever being thrown up out of the grave. Jephson is eager, his idea allures him. "But once up there, and he sees how sick she is, and tired, and sad -- he experiences a change of heart." Belknap is not altogether convinced. "Why? For what reason?" Jephson catches him up: "But why? Why? Do you want to know why? I'll tell you! He felt sorry for her, see, and he wanted to marry her, or at least he wanted to do the right thing by her at the very last there." Belknap is grudging. The pit-pat of the rain pours down. The wet earth is being flung from the grave by the constant motion of the spades. "But it fits everything. First he wants a quiet place where they can sit and talk." "Ye -- es." This slowly. "So they go out on the lake." "Yes." "And he begins to tell her about how he loves the other girl but will marry her if she still wants him to." "I see." "And she does want him." "Yes." "And he agrees." "Sure." "And she's so grateful that in her excitement, or gratitude, she jumps up." "Yes." "And that's what makes the boat rock." Jephson looks at Belknap. Belknap whistles between his teeth. "And now he could either have the camera in his hand or not, just as we wanted him." "I see what you're driving at." "And then whether he has it or hasn't, a misstep or just the motion of both of them causes them to go over and he strikes or not, as you think fit, but accidentally of course." "Yes, I see and I'll be damned," exclaims Belknap enthusiastically. "Fine, excellent, Reuben. Wonderful really." The rain patters, the spades delve, the wet sods and the fresh-turned earth melt in the raindrops. "Anyway," says Jephson, mopping his forehead, "I don't see how we can find a better. That's his story and we must coach him in it. It might get him off with twenty years at the worst." The doctors approach nearer to the grave, and look down. "Good luck," says Belknap. FADE OUT 18. "This is your Bible," Jephson is telling Clyde, sitting with him in the cell. "This is the list of questions which you must learn by heart, and which you must answer the judge, as I shall teach you." He smooths the sheet of paper out on the bed. On it, numbered, are the questions. Both bend over the pages. 19. On the edge of Mason's desk, stands the camera found in the lake. The man who brought it, reverently extracts from his pocket his pocketbook, and takes out of it the strand of hair cut from Roberta's head. He looks at the camera, he looks at the hair, meditatively gazing. Satisfied, Mason is rubbing his hands together.... 20. Roberta's mother is sitting on the ramshackle porch of her house weighed down by grief. 21. In the empty mission sits the suffering mother of Clyde. 22. Roberta's mother looks at a picture of a young girl, happy and carefree. 23. Clyde's mother is looking at his picture. He looks youthful and innocent. 24. The attorney Mason opens a brief case, in which are lying photographs taken of each other by Roberta and Clyde on the day of her death and now extracted from the recovered camera. He brings the photographs of the two nearer together, gives a self-satisfied wink to his secretaries, hides the photographs back in the brief case and pats it with his hand, as he says: "This will be a sensation." REEL 13 1. In the autumn wind, the naked boughs of the trees are trembling... it sweeps and whirls dead leaves along the pavements... stirs the water in the fountain, around which people are sitting... and on its wings we hear the cry of newsboys yelling out their news, and selling copies of small booklets.... "Get the story of Clyde Griffiths, with all the letters of Roberta Alden, only twenty-five cents. The whole murder story." Before the court building, a large crowd of farmers, arrived for the trial. 2. In the courtroom filled with people is Mason (the attorney) and his assistants on their seats. The old judge takes his place. A small fellow on the left side of the tribunal cries out in a thin, little voice: "Oyez! Oyez! All persons having business before the honourable the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Cataraqui, draw near and give attention. The court is now in session." The movement of the crowds quietens in the courtroom and everyone becomes concentrated. And the same little man gets up again, and pronounces: "The State of New York against Clyde Griffiths." Clyde as seen by his attorneys, nervous and hunted. Mason gets up, and says: "The People are ready." Belknap stands up, bows gracefully, and says: "The defence is ready." Jephson bends over to Clyde, and calmly tells him: "Whenever you feel weak or nervous, look at me, and do not forget what I told you, and what you have to do, and what you have to say. Look at me." 3. A crowd of people who have been unable to enter the courtroom, is milling on the pavement outside. "Full murder story -- twenty-five cents." -- sound the voices of the newsboys. A lottery bowl is turning, and hands are taking out of it slips of paper with the names of the jurors. "Simeon Dinsmore." -- a clerk calls out the name on the paper. A small, hunched man, resembling a ferret, goes to the jurors' bench, and sits down. Mason, looking aggressive, in a loud voice asks Dinsmore questions: "How old are you? Married? How many children?" The answers to each of these are mumbled perfunctorily. "Do you believe in capital punishment?" Clyde shivers, and the man, who looks like a ferret, looks at him and shoots out with emphasis: "I most certainly do -- for some people." "With the consent of the Court, the People will excuse the talesman," -- says Mason, who feels this is a little too emphatic. The judge glances at Belknap and grants the request. "Foster Lund." -- cries out the clerk, and a tall, dried up individual gets up and goes to the jurors' bench. "Who are you?" asks Mason. "Foster Lund and Son, suppliers of cement, plaster and bricks." But for Lund, the long jurors' bench is empty. FADE OUT 4. In the darkness, Mason's voice is heard: "Gentlemen, it has been no light matter to find twelve men who could weigh the marshalled facts of this astonishing case with all the fairness and understanding that the law commands. Gentlemen, this care has been dictated only by one motive... that right should triumph. I have no prejudices, no aforethoughts." And under his words, from out of the darkness, we fade in on three persons, and by means of four cuts -- to twelve stolid, iron individuals. "Gentlemen, the life and death of this man is in your hands." Clyde shrinks under the gaze of twelve enormous, sunburnt, merciless-looking farmers. Twelve huge men, looking as if carved out of wood, sit on the jurors' bench. Mason begins his accusations, speaking with importance. The State of New York accuses Clyde Griffiths of having deliberately thought out and planned the cruel murder of, and of having finally drowned, Roberta Alden, daughter of a farmer in the County of Mimiko. 5. Clyde looks out around the courtroom, and sees Roberta's family. He sees the father, a sorrowful old man, he sees her grief-stricken mother, and then suddenly his eyes open wide, and his hands clutch the arms of his chair. He sees Roberta sitting between her mother and father, a veil of mourning drawn over her pale face. "That's her sister -- that must be her sister," whispers Clyde, stealing a glance at Jephson. Then, nerveless, he drops lower in his chair. 6. "The State of New York will produce before you substantiations of every one of these charges. You will be given facts, and of these facts, you, not I, are to be the sole judge." Mason continues, and he starts telling his gruesome story, bringing out the highlights in sinister and dreadful colours. And under his majestic declamation, short scenes of what he is relating flash on the screen. In endless contre-danse, each is preceded by the stony face of its witness, seated in the court. Roberta's friend: And we see her watching Clyde and Roberta float by her on the boat the day of their first meeting. Roberta's landlady: And we see her as she thrusts her head out of the door to get rid of the yelping little dog, the day Roberta called out after the disappearing and angry Clyde. The three druggists: And their refusal to comply with Clyde's wish. The haberdasher: And Clyde's consultation with him. The doctor: And his lecture to Roberta. The conductor of the autobus: And the questions of Clyde. The hotel proprietor: And Clyde and Roberta are in the boat. The three men in the wood: And the lantern flashing in the darkness. A Chinese cook: And he looks from his tent upon Clyde and Sondra's passionate kiss. All these scenes pass beneath the accompaniment of Mason's words, each taking on a sombre hue. A different lighting, a different composition, and though to all appearances the same, yet in the movements and in the actions it is a different Clyde. 7. "Not only did he kill her, he made her suffer -- long and in dreadful agony. Listen to the documents that bear witness to this suffering." Mason takes out of his brief case a bundle of letters, and picking one from them, starts to read: "Letter No. 1 -- 3rd July of this year --" "The defence protests against this illegal playing on the emotions," says Belknap, jumping up. "Who is leading this prosecution?" Mason wants to know of Belknap. Then Belknap smiles, and with a movement of his hands, answers: "The candidate for judge, who will be chosen at the approaching elections if he can make himself popular enough at this trial." Mad with rage, Mason interrupts Belknap and hurls an insult at him and Clyde. Belknap at once demands that an apology be tendered to himself and the defendant before the trial is continued. There is nearly a battle, but Judge Oberwaltzer forces them to apologize to one another. They control their rage, and officially make the necessary excuses. The Judge approves Mason continuing to read the letter:-- 8. Clyde, if I could only die. That would solve all this. And I have prayed and prayed that I would, lately, yes I have. For life does not mean as much to me now as when I first met you and you loved me. Oh, those happy days! If only things were different. If only I were out of your way. The sun sets. Its low rays fall through the large windows of the courtroom, effectively lighting Mason as he reads. The people, affected, wipe the tears from their eyes, little old ladies put up their handkerchiefs, the old men are shaking their heads in sign of horror. But all sit still, keeping back their breath, giving way, as Mason reads, to the sentimental mood which has seized them. The sun has set. Behind the windows it is dark. In the courtroom, the lamp under its big shade has been lit, and Mason still continues reading the letters, which become ever more and more pathetic and despairing. And Roberta's mother, unable to withstand the strain any longer, gives a low cry, and falls in a faint. The sister and father hastily bend over her. Mason, taking a deep breath, says solemnly and distinctly: "The People rest." He sits down -- the screen grows faint, and in the darkness can be heard the ever fainter noise of the people. 9. And when the screen fades in once more, we can see slow, flaky snow falling behind the windows, and this snow carpets the roofs of the houses, the bare boughs of the trees, the streets.... And reflecting this white snow, a ghost-like white light fills the courtroom, and in this light, whiter than usual, is Clyde. In a white, blank voice, the defence is finishing its speech -- "If I were not positive, to the very depths of my being of his innocence, I should not spend hours here trying to convince you of it. He has been called a criminal, a bearded man steeped in crime seducing an innocent girl. Take a look at him, gentlemen, this twenty-year-old-boy accused of the murder of a girl who, when he met her, was twenty-three. And did he kill her? No! And again No! And in order that you may be convinced I propose to produce before you the only living eyewitness, one who was actually present and hence knows how she met her death." The crowd starts moving, whispering, concentrated. Everyone cranes forward. And Belknap continues as easily as before: "Clyde Griffiths, take the witness chair." Disappointed, the people look darkeningly in the courtroom. The whispering dies off and the crowd sits back. 10. And the heavy snow falls, falls evenly behind the courtroom windows. The thick locks of the farmers in the courtroom are silvered with frost. Jephson starts to examine Clyde, asking him questions to which he has taught him the answers. "How was it, if you thought so highly of her at first, that you could so soon afterwards descend to a relationship that all men -- and women also --" Here Jephson looks boldly round the courtroom -- "so justly deplore?" A murmur runs round the courtroom at the hinted irony. What a way to speak! Trying to remember what he has been taught, Clyde answers: "Well, I didn't try to seduce her any time, really. I was in love with her." Jephson: "Very much?" Clyde: "Yes, very much." Jephson interrupts him: "So -- you loved her, but did you not think of marrying her, and strengthening your love by such a union?" "No -- I just only kind of felt that I never wanted her to leave me," slowly and uncertainly Clyde answers. "And yet so soon after this terrible accident you were with Miss X?" And Clyde: "Well, you see, sir, she's so beautiful, ever after seeing her I couldn't sort of think of Miss Alden in the same way." Belknap: "I see, you were infatuated by Miss X -- we might say, bewitched." 11. The faces of three girls in the audience. Their eyes are open wide, they sigh with sentiment. 12. Mason beside his assistants. He ejaculates: "So that's his line, is it?" 13. Jephson: "And yet, in spite of the charms of Miss X, you decided after all to marry Miss Alden?" And Clyde sees how all the heads are turned upon him, how the eyes of Roberta's father seem to bore into him. And Roberta's mother, her eyes dry with weeping, watching him. And Clyde, with difficulty, and a tremble in his voice, keeping his gaze fixed on Jephson, repeats the phrases learned so well. "Well, you see, when we met and she was so unhappy, and being together I sort of -- I -- I --" "Ah, I see," says Jephson -- "a change of heart." An elderly lady dabs her eyes with a handkerchief. "Well of all the bunk!" exclaims Mason. Someone looks round at him sharply. The faces of several members of the crowd are relaxed. But -- The twelve members of the jury sit, stone as ever. 14. The snow falls behind the windows in soft flakes, and the window becomes frosted, so that nothing can be seen through it. And the window becomes more and more frosted. Jephson is speaking: "Now Clyde, don't shade it or try to make yourself look any better or any worse. This girl is dead, and you may be eventually if these twelve gentlemen here finally so decide." (Clyde shivers.) "Tell me now, in the shadow of the electric chair, before all these people and before your God, did you strike Roberta Alden?" "I swear before God I did not." A grim face in the audience relaxing in doubt. "Nor throw her into the lake?" "I swear it. I did not." Sympathetic faces. A woman sobs. "You swear that it was an accident -- unpremeditated and undesigned by you?" "I do," lies Clyde. And even the face of Roberta's mother seems to show sympathy. But her father is ever fanatical. Jephson looks round condescendingly and announces: "The prosecution may take the witness." 15. Mason gets up like a bull to the charge. There is menace in his pause as he fixes his glance terrifyingly upon Clyde. "Griffiths," begins Mason, in a firm and masterful voice, "you told us just now that you had a camera with you on that lake?" "Yes, sir." "I don't suppose in your truthful and honest way you remember telling me at your first examination that you never had a camera?" "Yes, sir -- I remember that." "That was a lie, then?" "Yes, sir." And Mason's voice rises to a roar: "So, because you lied then, because you have lied again and again ever since this case opened, you expect to be believed now, do you?" The faces in the audience that had relaxed resume their hostility with a snap. The faces of the jury remain stone and impassive. Clyde shrinks and -- 16. -- at that moment we hear a voice, speaking with sincerity and agony. "Alone -- all alone -- Oh, Lord, help him." The voice booms out louder, and we can see the building of the familiar mission and the mother's heavy figure, praying on her knees. "You are alone, Clyde, quite alone. I should be by you. The Lord will not forsake us. You must have faith. 'If ye have faith -- as a grain of mustard seed, Ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall move; And nothing shall be impossible unto ye.' Oh, Lord, You know my madness and my sins are not hidden from You." Full of faith, strong with a religious strength, big and strong she raises her hands up to heaven; then falls face downwards on the wooden floor. 17. The large and furious Mason comes into the camera. He stops beside Clyde. Clyde is afraid of him. Clyde trembles. He is pale and sweating now, worn to rags. Behind Mason stands the lugubrious detective. Mason turns to him, and the man hands him the strand of hair that he cut off. The strand of hair. "Griffiths, you were intimate enough with Miss Alden to know the feel and colour of her hair fairly well, weren't you?" Mason passes the hair before Clyde's face. "Is that her hair?" Clyde looks questioningly at his defenders, sees their bewilderment, and stumblingly, says: "I think so. Maybe, yes. I don't know...." "Yes, that is her hair," roars Mason, "it came out of your camera. That same camera, gentlemen," Mason continues, "which he tried to hide at his first examination. And what does this hair prove, gentlemen, tangled in the camera? It proves that not only did he not try to rescue her, but that he struck her in the face with it, before throwing her in the water." Belknap leaps to his feet and, pulling out a hair from his own head and waving it, cries out: "A hair can prove nothing." Like a roar of thunder is to be heard the roar of the crowd, a mocking, contemptuous roar. Oberwaltzer hammers on his desk. 18. Mason comes even nearer to Clyde, and still more energetically questions him: "How much money did you have on you?" "About eighteen dollars" -- answers Clyde. Mason: "You are sure you had no more? Weren't you ready to run away afterwards?" Clyde: "No. Mason: "How then do you explain the one hundred and twelve dollars found on you at the time of your arrest?" In the courtroom is a tense silence of expectancy. And the only sound is the wail of a rising storm outside the windows. And in this silence, quietly, bewildered, Clyde gets tangled. "I -- I borrowed them -- later --" Mason: "Borrowed them? From whom?" Again the silence and again the wail of the storm. Clyde: "From -- from -- a friend." Mason: "His name?" Clyde: "I can't tell!" Together with the howling wind, through the courtroom can be heard the whisper of the crowd, from which one can make out the sense -- "Got him -- Got him --" Mason: "From whom?" A new wail from behind the windows. And suddenly Clyde grows bolder. He lifts his head, and hysterically cries out: "I won't tell." "How dare you, you urchin!" Mason yells, and lifting his hand, marches on Clyde. Confusion, many rise up from their seats. Oberwaltzer hammers on his table. 19. Mason subdues his anger, and businesslike, asks: "How much was the hire of your boat on the lake?" Clyde, not knowing what to say, tries to evade the question: "I -- I -- Mason: "The prosecution has full knowledge of all your expenditures and thriftiness in money --" Clyde: "Yes, my pay wasn't much." Mason: "Come, then, remember, how much was the hire of your boat?" A wearying pause. The suffering Clyde tries to recollect, and cannot: "I think -- it was thirty-five cents .... Yes, I remember -- thirty- five cents." Suddenly Mason knocks his fist on the railing, and cries out: "A lie! It was fifty!" And turning to the public, he says: "Get up, Mr. Sissel." From the crowd rises that same boatman who helped push their boat off the shore. "More than that," says Mason, "You never even asked him!" And again the mocking roar of the crowd echoes through the courtroom. Mason continues: "And why should you have asked? You had no intention of paying." "Ah... ah... ah...." is heard from the crowd, for it understands the trend of Mason's questioning. "You had murder in your heart!" dramatically concludes Mason. And suddenly, from the back row of the courtroom, a hoarse voice, the voice of a boxing M.C., cries out: "And when will you finish with this bird?" And another more thinly: "Hang him!" All Clyde's strength leaves him, and he drops back onto his seat. Judge Oberwaltzer hammers on his table. The police run up to the disturbers, and the yelling, the noise and the hammering die away in the FADE OUT 20. FADE IN The interior of a restaurant. In different corners of the restaurant three different groups are dining. In one corner, Judge Oberwaltzer looks at his watch, he is eating a vegetarian meal and has a book about gardening propped open before him. In another corner are Jephson and Belknap, and in a third Mason with his detectives and secretary. "They've been hours on that verdict now," says Jephson, and through the window he looks at the building of the law courts. 21. In a smoke-filled room, twelve jurymen, weary, perspiring and silent, deliberate on the verdict. 22. Mason is reading a newspaper while gulping hot soup, and all his assistants and detectives keep showing him various articles out of various papers about the progress of the elections, carrying the news of the discomfiture of his rivals. The lugubrious detective says: "As a matter of fact, it doesn't much matter now what the verdict is." Mason interrupts him, lifting his eyes from the paper: "You forget about justice, Mr.--" "That's right, that's right," says a second man. "We forget we have before us no longer Mr. Attorney Mason, but Mr. Justice Mason!" 23. And in the smoky room where the jurors are, Foster Lund, at the head of them, asks a man standing in front of him: "And against all our opinions, you still maintain he's not guilty?" "Yes" -- answers the man -- --and the jurors whisper among themselves, pantomiming their annoyance. And in this whispering, the phrases can be heard: "Who? A dealer in hardware -- he's a personal friend of Jephson." "So," insists Lund, "you're positive?" And, slowly emphasising each word, he continues: "Perhaps you haven't considered the effect your opinion may have on your customers...." Lund hisses the last word. And, having understood the warning, the man becomes nervous, plays with the pencil in his hand, and sits down. Eleven focus their eyes on him, and under their gaze the man nods his head in sign of agreement. Then the supplier of cement, plaster and bricks goes to the door, and knocks against it with his heavy fist. Three times he knocks against it.... And the jurors rise heavily from their seats, and their heavy feet move along the soiled boards of the floor. 24. And the echo of these three knocks reaches the courtroom. And quickly feet are seen running along the parquet floor, newspapers are flung aside, chairs are moved -- napkins fall by the restaurant tables. People are taking their places in the courtroom; it is filling rapidly. The pale Clyde, and his defence encouraging him. Accompanied by newspaper men, artists and photographers, the Judge, Mason and the latter's suite of followers enter. 25. The clerk majestically opens the side door, and twelve heavy men stamp in. They come in soberly, their heads lowered, looking down on the floor, and, seeing this, Belknap whispers to Jephson: "It's all up ...." The jurors have sat down on their bench, in order to rise once again. Jephson whispers to Clyde: "Only don't let them see you're worried.... Keep going --" -- and then turning away from him, he bends over Belknap: "We might still get him twenty years." "Gentlemen, have you agreed upon your verdict?" "Yes, Your Honour," answers the foreman. "We find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree." Clyde drops into his chair, and in his imagination "Yes" sounds in his ears eleven separate times as though in confirmation of the decision. Only the eleventh, a "Yes, yes" as though from the hardware dealer sounds out of tune with the others, coming a tiny bit too quickly and too eagerly. 26. And by degrees, as the human voices in the courtroom grow fainter, the noise on the square before the court building grows stronger, and when, out of the doors of the building, Mason appears, a thunderous "Hurrah" is heard, and greetings are roared out by the crowd. Mason is carried across the square on their shoulders. "Hurrah for justice!" -- "Hurrah for the new Judge!" -- "Hurrah for Mason!" 27. And in an empty room of the courthouse, from whence the joyous cries of the crowd can be heard, Clyde is dictating a telegram to Jephson. Mother, I have been found guilty. Come. Clyde. 28. And fresh yells are to be heard: "Hurrah for Orville!" -- "God is with you, Judge!" -- "Hurrah -- Hurrah -- Hurrah!" -- REEL 14 1. A train pulls into the dark station. The lonely figure of Clyde's mother descends the steps of the carriage. She goes through the empty station -- the dark empty street -- the dark courtyard. 2. The dark building of the prison. A lantern over the prison gates, and the mother enters, and once again it is dark on the screen. Out of the darkness appears a prison cell, in which Mrs. Griffiths is sitting, holding her son's head in her huge hands. Like a little boy, Clyde sobs, as he says: "I -- didn't do it --" And the mother's large hand strokes the boy's hand, and tears well up in her eyes. 3. The barely visible structure of the prison building fades out completely in the darkness. 4. And a train comes directly forward into the camera. And the wheels are beating their normal rhythm, and its bell chimes out in its normal way, but it seems as though the wheels were repeating "Death -- death -- death" and as though the bell were tolling at a funeral. And in a compartment Clyde is sitting, joined to a guard by manacles. 5. The train stops at a station. Clyde looks out of the window and a crowd of young girls and boys assemble, snapping him with their cameras, bringing him bouquets of flowers, and greeting him. The girls look at him with admiration -- is he not the hero of a tragedy of love? "Good luck, Mr. Griffiths." "Good luck, Clyde." And Clyde smiles at them, smiles a boyish smile. "Your mother will help," someone cries out from the crowd. Smiling proudly in their importance, the two detectives pull Clyde away from the window. The train leaves.... 6. In the office of Belknap and Jephson. Belknap is seated, Jephson standing. Before them is Clyde's mother. The crudeness of her clothes has been effaced for them by the earnestness of her manner. Jephson is explaining to her that there are no funds for appeal. The Griffiths of Lycurgus have withdrawn their support. She listens taking in only a part of what they are saying. Then suddenly rises to her feet: "The Lord will not desert me. I know it. He has declared himself to me. I will trust him and he will guide me." In pagan astonishment and some admiration Belknap and Jephson are taken aback by this evangelistic fervour. Then -- Why not? Jephson strikes his hand to his head, and speaks animatedly to Belknap. It could be done. Why not? The only chance to raise the money. There are religious people, people of faith, everywhere. Let her speak for her son and take a collection. FADE OUT 7. "I am trying to gather enough money to pay or an appeal for my son." -- says Clyde's mother, turning to two men. She sits in the small confirmation room of a church. "I should like to preach in your church." "We cannot help you," answers a grey-haired man. "Even if he is innocent of murder -- there is the adultery -- that we cannot endorse in our community." 8. Out of the doors of another church comes the sorrowful mother. And within two grey-haired women talk of her. "Her teaching is suspicious. She belongs to no congregation of any official church and we did right in refusing to let her preach." 9. "I am sorry, sister," a well-built Negro preacher says to Clyde's mother. "Our church cannot give you its hall. It is only for coloured people." And, ever more discouraged, she leaves the room. 10. The apple trees are in blossom -- ivy is crawling up the walls -- the grapevine curls itself about the iron railing. The white flowers of sweet peas and the yellow of nasturtiums crowd around the prison-cell window. The white building of the prison is set in the midst of green shrubs and moss. 11. Again the moss-covered window, and behind the window, in his cell, sits Clyde. He is dressed in the striped uniform of a prisoner, and on his back is number 772. He feels his shaved head, his sunken cheeks and trembles as if cold. "Where am I?" -- asks Clyde. And from the next cell a voice is heard: "In the Death House, on Murderers' Row." And Clyde shuts his eyes, and helplessly falls on his bunk. 12. Over the sign Burlesque Show, above the undraped figures of women, workmen are suspending a cloth sign, on which is written: A Mother's Appeal for her Son. And boys in the street are handing out leaflets on which is advertised the plea of Clyde's mother. 13. A sombre, serious crowd of people pass through the tawdry entrance of the Burlesque theatre, pass the posters of indecent, undraped women. And on the scene, with a background of the Burlesque drops on the stage, among plaster statues of gaudy women, Clyde's mother speaks in her sincere way, her large figure in bleak contrast with the surrounding atmosphere. She speaks with faith, feelingly, touchingly, as a mother can speak of her son, and it makes the Burlesque girls clad in their sparkles and feathers cry as they wait at the back for rehearsal; even the electrician at his signal board is intent. A tray is passed through the congregation for offerings. "What is this -- a church?" asks a merry young girl, coming late for rehearsal, as she enters backstage. "Hush," the others quiet her, as they blow their noses. 14. And when Clyde's mother leaves the theatre, she has to pass a row of burlesque girls ready for the rehearsal. In her hands she holds the bag of money, two girls break line and ask respectfully to offer coins. Clyde's mother smiles as she passes through the exit door and she hears neither the cheap music, nor the hoarse singing of the rehearsal which has started. 15. "Clyde," a voice is heard saying in the dark. Clyde jumps off his bunk in his cell. "A note for you," a voice says, and a hand gives him an envelope. 16. He unfolds the note. It is typewritten and reads: Clyde -- This is so that you will not think that someone once dear to you has utterly forgotten you. She has suffered much, too -- Sondra. He presses it to his lips, runs up to the window, looks out at the sun and repeats words that he said once before, long ago: "To live -- how good it is." 17. "Hello, Clyde, hello, son," he hears his mother's voice and sees her come to him. His mother forces herself to show no anxiety, she says: "The Governor has promised to see us, son, and we have a little money together, not much --" He throws himself into her arms, and presses his head upon her lap, once more a boy. "Everything will be all right, Clyde," she croons, stroking the head in her lap. "Everything will be all right. You didn't do it. You didn't do it." "Yes, mummy, I didn't do it." The warmth of her faith, the tenderness of her protecting hand, her soothing voice envelop Clyde. He is a child of years ago. "You didn't do it -- the Lord will deliver you," soothes the mother. "My boy could never think of such a thing." Clyde snuggles closer. Gone is the tension of his long ordeal. His soul relaxes. The comforting hand caresses him. "I did -- think of it, mummy," says Clyde. And the mother's caress slows, her fingers have become stiff and her face set. And Clyde rubs his cheek against the hands that are now of wood. "But I never -- never -- never did it, mummy." 18. The door opens and Jephson enters. He speaks hurriedly to Mrs. Griffiths. "We must go now. We are due at the Governor's. Come." The mother rises, she presses Clyde in her great protecting arms and responds to his kiss. With a trace of absentness she leaves the cell with Jephson. "Good luck, mother, good luck," Clyde calls after her. And once more Clyde goes to the window, Sondra's note in his hand and tears of happiness in his eyes. 19. The unfriendly house of the Governor. 20. The great study of the Governor. In front of a great desk stands the Governor compassionately by the side of the mother. Quietly he asks: "Can you, Mrs. Griffiths, can you from the bottom of your soul tell me that you believe him innocent?" She turns to him to say "Yes", but having said: "My son ...." she stops. Her eyes open wide as she hears the voice of Clyde, softly: "I did -- think of it, mummy --" -- and she closes her eyes. Her head drops on her chest, there is silence in the room. The shrill sound of a bell. The mother starts, opens her eyes. The Governor removes his hand from the bell. He stands on the other side of the desk. He is important, full of power and unapproachable. "Excuse me," he says, "but there is no reason to reopen the case. God will help you, mother. My prayers go with you." The door is opened and automatically she leaves the room, but, as the door closes behind her, she comes to herself, cries out, and turns back towards the door. "My son is innocent," she says. But the door does not open. 21. Darkness spreads over the screen, and at the same time, with a fierce rattle, an iron shutter is drawn up, disclosing a cell window. On the floor is a clean brass cuspidor. A soft broom is carefully cleaning the space around it. The broom is sweeping between the feet of the chair. And -- -- on these feet hang leather thongs with heavy buckles, and from the chair onto the floor falls a shadow. There is a heavy iron door in this room. And from behind the door can be heard a song. Clyde and his mother are singing psalms. In the condemned cell, clad in black, sing Clyde and his fanatically exalted mother. And suddenly Clyde breaks off in his singing, and at the knees of his mother he clasps her with a cry: "To live -- I want to live!" And through the window is the bright sunlit courtyard of the prison, all in green and in flowers, and on it is heard: "To live --" And again we see the cell window, and within it is the mother praying, and the camera receding discloses to us that now she is alone, on her knees and singing; more faintly now, but more majestically. Slowly the heavy iron door closes. And against the background of the spring fields and sky slides from left to right the barred gate of the prison. And from right to left the solid inner gate of the prison. And the blinds and shutters of the windows come sliding down and sliding down, shutting out the landscapes and the sky -- light -- life -- And with their closing, cease the trilling of grasshoppers in the meadows, the singing of the birds and the sound of human voices, and as the last sound is gone the last shutter descends closing out the prison bars against the white and there is blackness. Blackness and quiet. A sharp crackle and the sharp light of an electric contact -- and again quiet -- again blackness. 22. Grey smoke rises against the dull sky and loses itself in the quiet air. A tall chimney, a roof; the camera descends past the windows and balconies of a mean building, and the lower descends the camera the stronger sound the voices of a little choir singing psalms. In a dirty lane by a mission, surrounded by a crowd of curiosity seekers, to the sound of a harmonium, some street preachers are singing, as at the beginning of the picture. There they stand, but now the hair of the mother is white as snow, the father is old and ailing, and Esta is grown to a sickly woman and, instead of Clyde, as small as when we first saw him and resembling him, is her little seven-year-old son. How long since you wrote to Mother? -- says a notice by the entrance to the mission. "Everybody's happy" -- sings the white-haired, broken mother. Pitifully wheezes the harmonium and the strains of "Everybody's happy" fade distantly as the scene FADES OUT.

Analyze That (2002) by Peter Steinfeld and Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan. Based on characters created by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. Transcript Mobster Paul Vitti is released into Dr. Ben Sobol's care, where only more chaos ensues. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY How did he know about the money? And how did he know that Tony Cisco got popped? We didn't find out about it till this morning. - I don't know. - It was Peezee. Gotta be. He hates your fucking guts. - I don't know. - What is so hard to understand here? You said Peezee was a mamaluke and couldn't be trusted. Now all of a sudden you got a soft spot for this guy. - I just don't think it was him. - Okay, I'll buy it. If not Peezee, then who? Who? Tell me. I think it was you, Ducks. You gotta be kidding. Caesar? Caesar, you know me. What kind of fucking idiot would I have to be to try that with you? - A dead fucking idiot. - Come on, Caesar. Caesar. Caesar! - This is garbage. Change the channel. - Okay, Paul. No. Hey! What are you doing, asshole? Sorry, Mr. Vitti. Didn't mean any disrespect. Oh, man. - Forget about it. - Punks. Let them watch what they want. I'm going to bed. - Good night, Paul. - Good night. - All right, what do youse wanna watch? - Little Caesar! All right, all right. Step out. - Hey, Earl, what's up? - They're transferring me. - Did you ask to be transferred? - Not me. - What's up? - I don't know. Anyway, thanks for looking out for me, Paul. - I'll see you around. - Sure. Isaac Sobel was a man of rigorous belief and unflinching honesty. A patriarch with an almost biblical sense of integrity and conviction. A man of faith and courage, of spirit and humor. A rock and a tree. A good friend who will be deeply missed. I'd like to call on Isaac's son, Dr. Ben Sobel, who would like to say a few words. It's not easy for me to talk about my father... ...because, in a sense, I'm talking about two people. One is the public Isaac Sobel... ...the eminent psychotherapist... ...and popular author known to millions of readers across the world. The second is the private man. My father. Dad. And for those of you who knew him well... ...and know our family, well, I don't have to tell you. He was a psychotic, mind-fucking prick. An arrogant, ego-inflated son of a bitch. I wish you were alive so I could kill you. Rot in hell! Now I'd like to call on Isaac's son, Dr. Ben Sobel... ...who would like to say a few words. Who the hell would have a cell phone in here? It's yours. Answer it before they notice. - Hello? - Guess who, you fuck? - I have to take this. - What? I'm sorry. It's mine. I have to take this. - Yes? - I left three fucking messages. - You don't call me back? - This is not a good time. Not a good time? Let me explain something, I'm in fucking hell right now. - This is not a good time. - This is a very bad time. My father died. Get off. - I have to go. - Don't you hang up on me, you... - Call back. - They're trying to kill me. Hey, Fredo. Yeah, you, Guido. Come over here. I've got something to show you. You're a dead man. - Thanks, Lorenzo. - Thank you. I can't believe he's gone. I can't believe what you said. "Cold and withholding"? - You had to tell everybody? - Why didn't you take a swing at the casket? I might have strayed from my notes a little bit. I'm grieving. It's a big loss, and grief is a process. Mr. And Mrs. Sobel, your housekeeper let us in. I'm Agent Miller, this is Special Agent Cerrone. Federal Bureau of Investigation. - We'd like to ask you a few questions. - Can I ask what this is about? We've just come from a funeral. We know this is a difficult time for you. It will only take a minute. Sure, sit down. - Sorry about your father. - Thank you very much. It's very, very difficult. I'm gonna miss him terribly. I mean, there were issues, like there are in any father-and-son relationship. He wasn't a very warm man. - Ben. - Yeah? Once today. Enough. Okay. No, I'm just saying that even so, he was a... ...great, great legs... Man. Dr. Sobel, you received a call this morning from Paul Vitti. Why would you say that I got a call from Paul Vitti? Because we monitor all his phone calls from Sing Sing. Then, yes, I did. - That was him? On the phone? - Yes. - Why didn't you tell me? - Well, talk about withholding. - Michael. - You told her at the drop of a hat. Well, she's in the FBI. She needs to know this information. Okay, I see, and I don't. I don't need to know these things. No, don't tell Laura. She can't possibly handle a phone call. Did I say that? Did I say that? - You folks need a minute? - No, we're fine. Yeah, we're phenomenal. Listen, I'm gonna go to the kitchen. Just two words of advice, as one professional woman to another: Pants suit. She's grieving. You know, it's a process. Vitti? We were involved in some organized-crime activity a few years ago. I mean, I wasn't, you know, "involved." He was involved. But I was treating him therapeutically at the time... ...and then some people tried to kill us. It was really nothing. Shortly after you two spoke, he seemed to have some kind of breakdown. Really? What kind of breakdown? I think you had better go up there and see for yourself. I'm treating him with Thorazine. Seems to keep him pretty calm. That would keep the Middle East pretty calm. And he just keeps singing West Side Story songs? "Tonight." "Maria." The balcony scene. You should get him to do "Officer Krupke." It's really good. - Paul? - Maria? Paul, it's me. Dr. Sobel. Maria? Tony? Maria! Oh, Maria! - Oh, my God! Thank God you've come! - Yes. - You've got to get me out of here! - Okay. - Do you promise? - I promise. - Te adoro. - Te adoro. This is how it's been. He sings for a while, then he goes completely catatonic. And you did a neurological workup? Yeah. No tumors, no seizures, no sign of stroke. Paul? If you're faking, Paul, I'm gonna know. When I was a resident, we used to play with the catatonics. Well, I don't think he's faking. I don't think he's smart enough. Street smart, yeah... ...but we're talking about an IQ just north of a bedroom slipper. So if he is truly... ...catatonic, if I stuck him with this needle... - This is just plain saline, isn't it? - Yeah. Yeah. Then he shouldn't feel a thing. Right? That's gotta hurt. No reaction at all. I want to do some neuropsychological testing, okay? Sure. Paul, I'm gonna give you some tests to assess your mental condition, okay? Now, do I have your consent to share the results of the tests? Mommy is mad at me because I made a boom on the rug. - I'm gonna take that as a yes. - Good. Okay. Paul, I have 10 cards, each with a picture of an inkblot on it, okay? Here's the first card. Now look at it, and tell me what you see. I see a bat. A bat or a weasel. - A bat or a weasel? - Yeah. Bat. Bat-weasel. Do you see anything else? Just a pussy with teeth. - Pussy with teeth. - Yeah. Next card. Excellent, Paul. One hour and 12 minutes. I want you to take a look at this picture and tell me what's happening. I think we got a picture of a guy, nice, hardworking fella. Comes home, sees his wife is in bed with a midget... ...and she's been fucking him while he's out of town. So she's having intercourse...? With a midget. Very good. It doesn't matter who they know downtown. Tell them they got no leverage. - Mr. Chapin? - Come in. Come in. All right. - Hi, I'm Dr. Ben Sobel. - Hi. Thanks for coming in. I appreciate it. - My pleasure. - So, what have we got? Okay... Based on his symptoms and his test results, I would call it brief psychotic disorder... ...and if it persists, schizophreniform disorder. And Dr. Kassam, the psychiatrist at Sing Sing, concurs with the diagnosis. - So he's crazy. - Not crazy. No. At least not permanently. See, in certain people, prolonged exposure to extremely stressful situations... ...like soldiers in combat, for instance, or disaster victims or hostages... ...can produce a temporary psychotic state. - How temporary? - A day, a week, a month... ...if the precipitating stresses are removed. Which means he's not gonna get better as long as he's in the can. He could conceivably get worse. Right now he thinks somebody is trying to kill him. And he could deteriorate to the point where he's permanently schizophrenic. Then he's got a real problem. He goes before the parole board in four weeks. Would they actually release him? Oh, yeah. I'm sure they'll want to release a major Mafia figure... ...who's now certifiably deranged on top of it. Why don't they release him to a halfway house... ...or a center where he can get the care he needs? Based on my earlier work with him, I don't think he's dangerous... ...and I think he's making a strong effort to reform himself. Okay... ...I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna release him into your custody. Mine? Oh, no. No, I couldn't... No. No. No. Mr. Chapin, thank you, anyway, but this is a very bad time for me. - See, my father just died. - I'm sorry. And I'm grieving. It's a process. And I have a bulging disk in my neck. And I have this burning sensation when I urinate... - Yeah, I've had that too. - We're redecorating, which is a nightmare. - You wanna see him killed in prison? - No. Or sent to a facility for the criminally insane? - Of course not. - Then he's all yours. I told my son we couldn't have a dog. I'm gonna bring home Paul Vitti? I'm gonna talk to the Bureau of Prisons... ...and get you certified as a temporary federal institution. I can't be an institution. I work in the suburbs. I handle neurotic soccer moms and alcoholic Gentiles... You have got 30 days to get him into shape for his parole hearing. That means sane, sober and gainfully employed. Now I'm warning you, doctor. If he screws up in any way, if he flees... ...or if I find out this was a setup to get him on the street... ...I will hold you totally responsible. And you will pay dearly. You'll be stripped of your license and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Are we clear? Yes. Do you want him or not? - Yes. - Good choice. We'll be in touch. - Tony. - Hi, how are you? You okay? - Doctor, sign here and here, please. - Okay. Okay, thank you very much. You fucking piece of shit! I tell you someone is trying to kill me and you hang up on me?! - I knew it. I knew it! You faked! - You stuck me with a fucking needle! - You used me to get you out of prison. - It took you long enough. I'm singing West Side Story for three days. I'm half a fag already. - What were you doing? - I was in a funeral home! What's that got to do with somebody trying to kill me? You're my doctor! - My father died. - So? With you, it's always, "Me, me, me." He's dead, so get over it. That's life. Are you hearing this? Are you hearing you? - I'm deeply sorry for your loss, okay? - Yeah, I can see how touched you are. - All right. Who's after you? - You tell me. Could be my old crew, could be the Rigazzis, Lou the Wrench. Lou the Wrench? Why "the Wrench"? The guy's a maniac. He twisted some guy's head off once. - Off? - Off. Totally off. The feds are putting pressure on everybody. All the families are fighting each other. It's like the fall of the Roman Empire. WWIII. - What does this have to do with you? - They knew I was getting out. The last thing they want to do is see me get into it. Just explain to them that you're out of it now and you're starting a new life. That's a really imaginative thought. I wish I could have thought of that. Maybe they'd throw a party and give me a gold watch. What, are you kidding me? Believe me, nobody's happy that I'm getting out. Nobody. - Wanna grab your stuff? - No. Jelly's gonna pick me up in an hour. I don't think you understand. You're in my custody. You stay here. Therapy every day. You can't leave without permission. You gotta be kidding me. Are you coming in, or do I have to make a phone call? Some fucking life this is gonna be. Get my bags. Do you really think he's crazy? Don't you wanna get a second opinion? If he thinks I think he's crazy, he's crazier than I think he is. Locked up, he's of absolutely no use to us. But back on the street, Vitti has enough juice to be a threat to both families. It's like throwing gasoline on a fire. - That's if he goes back to his old life. - People like Paul Vitti don't change. He's been a menace to society since he was 12 years old. - Being a criminal is all he knows. - He's gonna head straight back for trouble. Then all we have to do is sit back and pick up the pieces. We need to stay on Vitti. How could you? How could you bring him here? That mobster in my house, eating off of my dishes. It's not like I had a lot of choice. It's a new law? You have to bring home a gangster? He's in my custody. I am a temporary federal institution. - Why couldn't he just go home? - Because his wife and his family are in Ohio. Sure, yeah, everybody gets to go to Ohio except me. - You wanna go to Ohio? - That's not the... Shut up! His life was threatened. He didn't want to endanger his family. How thoughtful. But it's okay to endanger our family? I know this is a terrible imposition, but it's not like I wanted him here. Well, you didn't want him, and I didn't want him, but here he is. Here he is. Hey, you. - Coffee? - What? Somebody said something about coffee. Yeah, that was you. You said you wanted some. So, what's the holdup? Ben, why don't you make your friend some coffee. I'm gonna take a long bath. And hopefully drown. Excuse her, usually she is a wonderful hostess... ...but she's grieving. It's a process. Hey, doc, listen. I got a friend coming over, so I don't want you to be surprised. What kind of friend? Because if it's the Wrench, or the Pliers... - No, it's a personal thing, you know? - Oh, yeah? They won't be staying late, will they? - Are you that fucking pussy-whipped? - I'm not... - This has nothing to do with Laura. - I just heard her busting your balls. We were having a disagreement, yes. But some conflict is normal in a marriage. - Or? - Or what? - You're pussy-whipped. - Paul, I am not... When the coffee's ready, I'll be upstairs. Good night, whippy. Forty minutes. - How long are you gonna let them go on? - Let them? How much longer can they go on? Another five minutes, I'll break it up or I'll call the Guinness Book of Records. Oh, God. Oh, God. Give me a break. She's faking. What? Nobody sounds like that. Oh, yeah. Oh, God. Oh, God! Come on, nobody sounds like that. - I don't know. - "I don't know." Yeah? - Paul, I have to talk to you. - What's up? - I have to talk to you. - Talk later? Now. Hold on. - Yeah? - I have a 17-year-old son. I'll ask her. That's not what I'm talking about. I need to speak to you. Actually, I'm right in the middle of somebody. Can't you see? Paul, now. And, miss, there's no smoking in my house. Thank you. Okay, Paul, what do you think you're doing? Minding my own business, like you should be doing. That's difficult to do with The VaGina MonoloGues in the guest room. I been in the can for two and a half years. - What am I supposed to do? - Go to a hotel. That's what I wanted. You told me I can't. You said it's either here or Sing Sing. I'm not trying to punish you, but I do have some responsibilities. I thought you might appreciate a nice home-cooked meal after being in prison. Yeah, that's what I've been jerking off to for the last 850 nights in a row. A fucking home-cooked meal. Tuna casserole! - All right, Paul? - Doc? - The girl's gotta go. - The girl? You know, I bet you're jealous. Yes, I'm very... And what might I be jealous of? I didn't hear nothing out of your room. We don't think it's necessary to wake the neighbors every time we have sex. If you're quiet, you could do it without even waking your wife. Paul, that is not funny. What is that? I told her if I wasn't back in two minutes to start without me. I gotta go. - This is not a good start. - It was for me till you knocked on my door. - Here, Aunt Esther. - Thank you. And again, I'm so sorry we had to put you up at a hotel. We would've loved to have you stay with us, but we had an unexpected houseguest. His father always had room for us. - Don't say that to me. - Shut up. You go to hell! I am so out of here! Go on, get out of here, you fucking pain in the ass! You crazy pain in the ass! Get the fuck out of here! Go ahead, go back to turning tricks in Hoboken, you pain in the ass! How's it going? Food. Paul? - Paul, what are you doing? - Hey, doc. I'm just looking for something to eat over here. This all you got? Who do you have to fuck to get some bacon around here? Not you, I hope. He's new in town. Let's go in the office, I'll make you a plate. - What's in the office? - We're gonna go to the office and talk first. Hey, doc, what's up with your family? They tend to overreact a little. I know. All you did was flash everybody in the dining room. By the look of some of them broads, they ain't seen the old salsicc' for a long time. - It's good for them. - Good for them? Well, when the paramedics revive my aunt Golda, I'll be sure to ask her, okay? Sit down. So... Paul, do you mind? I think we've seen enough of the old salsicc' for one day. Thank you. So, what are you gonna do, Paul? I'm gonna find out who's trying to kill me. I'm a target. They could shoot through that window and blow my fucking head off. Then what? - So I gotta deal with that. - That would be a priority, I understand that. I'm talking about a job, work. There's gotta be something that you like to do. I like hitting guys over the head with a baseball bat. That's good. So sporting goods. - Yeah, exactly. - That's interesting. So who are you? - Who am I? - I just wanna know how you see yourself. I'm Paul Vitti. I'm the boss. The boss of what? The boss of Jelly? Because you're not the boss of me. So, what are you the boss of? I see what you're doing, you. I see. I get it. - What am I doing? - You're pissing me off. That's what. Look at me. I'm starting to get anxious. It's very understandable that you're anxious. I mean, you spent your whole life becoming something that you were... ...and now you can't be that anymore, so it's scary. I mean, if you're not Paul Vitti "the boss," who are you? Let me ask you this way. When you were a kid, what did you want to be? - I was a kid. Who remembers that shit? - But you had to want to be something. - Did you want to be a baseball player? - No. A fireman? An astronaut. Come on, what did you wanna be? - It was stupid. - It's not stupid. - What, are you afraid to tell me? - Yeah, I'm afraid. So tell me. I'm not here to judge you. What did you want to be? There was one time when I was about... ...maybe 6, 6 and a half, 7. Right in there. Right in that time. I thought that I wanted to be a... I wanted to be a... For a second... You know, a little kid. - What? - Maybe... I was a kid, you know? Little kid. What? - Tell me. - I wanted to be a cowboy. - A cowboy, really? - Would you believe that? Well, that's interesting. How did that start? I was watching television with my mother, father. You know, we watched those cowboy shows. And my... My father got me the whole outfit. He got me a 10-gallon white hat... ...the boots, the spurs, the cap guns... ...the whole bit. Then he took me upstate to my uncle's farm and led me around on this little pony. And there was cows and all that stuff. It was like, to me, the Wild West. And it was all "yippee kai-ay" and all that stuff. You happy now? So, what happened? - I don't know. What happened? - Why didn't you try to be a cowboy? I was in East Harlem. I joined a street gang when I was 12 years old. "Why didn't I become a cowboy?" Something else happened when you were 12 that was very difficult for you. Yeah. That's when your father was murdered. Yeah, I think about it every day. - What's that got to do with anything? - It has a lot to do with things. It's very interesting because your father was the one who got you the white hat. He was in the Mob, but yet he wanted you to be a hero. Yeah, he did. Your father wanted you to have a better life than he did. He did, yeah. He wanted me to go to college. I didn't even go to high school, hardly. That's because he had died and he wasn't around to guide you. See, Paul, before, you said, "I'm Paul Vitti, the boss"... ...but when I look at you, I see Paul Vitti the 12-year-old kid... ...who's scared and confused with a lot of hard choices to make. You. - You. You're good, you. - No, Paul... - No, you're good. You're better than good. - It's just the beginning. You're real good. You made me realize I'm a little fucking kid. That's all I wanted. I never could figure it out with my father. That's great. - But you have to... - It's clear now. New choices, new things. New beginnings. I'm ready. I'm here, front and center. Let's go. There's somebody that I work with. He's a career counselor. - He places people in jobs. He's excellent. - I'm ready. Sign me up. I'm ready to go. - I'm ready to jump in with both feet. - That's great. - I'm ready! - Down! That was not a good thing. Hi, doc. - Jelly, what are you doing here? - Hey, doc. It's been a while. - I thought you were in prison. - It would appear not. - Well, how did you get out? - I had a new trial. It turns out the evidence in my first trial was, you know, tainted. I see. Anyway, two of the witnesses decided not to testify, and the third guy... ...he committed suicide. How? He stabbed himself in the back four times and threw himself off a bridge. Very unfortunate. Good to have you back. We're in a war, Paul. It's not safe out there. The Rigazzis are walking all over us. We need you, Paul. You know, Sally, I'm out of it. - It's over for me. I don't do this no more. - The family needs you. What are you talking about? No one did the big jobs like you. Air France, they're still talking about it. Paul, think about it. For me? - I'll think about it. - Okay. Come on, what is this? A fucking funeral? You just got out of college, for chrissakes. Let's have a party. I'll have one drink, and then I gotta go see the boss. - Yeah, what? - "Yeah, what?" That's how you answer the door, you? "Yeah, what?" You got a problem with that? - Yeah, what? - Don't bother getting up on our account. Paul, what a nice surprise. - Yeah, Patti, how's it going? - It's good. Come here, you. Give me a kiss. Get over here. Come on, what did I do? What did I do that you're mad at me? Come on. - How are you, Paul? - All right. - You missed a spot. - You can't be too careful. Hey, I know. Sorry to hear about Carmine. - He was a good man. - Yeah, I know. You live with someone for 21 years. Then one day they pull his torso out of the river. - It's hard. - Yeah, I'll bet. Especially since the talk was that you were the one that put him there. - That's why I try not to gossip. It's ugly. - Yeah, it is. Just a sec. Michelle, Theresa, it's 10:30. Stop fucking around and get ready for ballet! It's so hard being a single parent and a career woman. For instance, a lot of people are saying now that you're out... ...that you're gonna try and take the family from me. I said, "No, Paul would never do that to me." - Never. Not me. - Good. So you look good. What, have you been working out? Yeah, I been working out who's been trying to kill me. Got any ideas? It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. And you know nobody will be safe unless we end this thing with the Rigazzis. - So you had nothing to do with it? - Paul, calm down, okay? I did not try and kill you. All right? Look, I want us to be friends, you know? Who knows? Maybe we'll be more than friends. You wanna lick my beaters? Patti, let's get serious. I wanna be left alone, okay? I'm not doing anything, I'm just taking care of my own self... ...which is what I should always be doing, and that's it. - Sure, I understand, okay? - You understand? I do. I understand. Relax. Sit down, I'll make you a cup of coffee. No, I gotta go. I got a business thing with some guy. If you get something going, we'd expect some kind of consideration. A little taste. - No, this is a legitimate thing. It's different. - You gave me a chill. Yeah, well, you'll get over it. Give me a kiss. Come on, give me a kiss, you. - Take care of yourself, huh? - You too. All right. - Don't be a stranger, Paul. - Yeah, I'll see you around. Watch him like a hawk. It would break my heart, but if he steps out of line, shoot him in the fucking head. It'll be my pleasure. Look at the size of that trunk. You could put three bodies in there. Just kidding. Just trying to levitate the situation. - Okay, thank you. We appreciate it. - Sure. - Hey, what kind of car youse drive, anyway? - It's a Lexus 430 LS. That's like a Toyota. - It's a Lexus. - Yeah, Toyota, Lexus, same thing. Japanese, right? Let's not forget Pearl Harbor. Anyway, let's get serious. You wanna buy this car, or what? - We have to think about it. - What's to think about? You told me you liked it. You asked me You drove it. You love it. What more do you need to know? You know, it's a lot of money, and we need time to consider it. Consider it? Why don't you consider this. You been breaking my balls for an hour... ...asking me about every goddamn accessory in this car. - "What about the light?" - You cannot talk to customers like that. You're not a customer as far as I'm concerned. - You want to buy the car or not? - Not from you. I wanna see the manager. You wanna see the manager? I'll show you the manager. - Here's the manager. Right here. - Unbelievable. - Come on. - Wanna talk to him? What should I do? Throw them out! You hear him? He just said, "Throw them out." What should they get? Tell them to get a Honda! Hey, he just said it. He's the boss. So tell me, how was your first day? Good. Good. Good. That's great, Paul. That's great. Did you sell any cars? Almost. - Paul, thanks for everything. - We have been waiting here 20 minutes. I only got two hands, left and right. I can slap you with either one. Now get out of here. You're a pain in the ass. Come on. - Mr. Torre. Mr. Torre. Let him through. - Hey, Paul. Glad you're out. - How are you? My son Michael. - Hey, Michael, nice to meet you. - I wanted to ask you something. - Yeah? You think the Yankees are gonna go all the way? - We'll do our best. - It would be very important to me personally. Very important. - Try. - I'll talk to the team. - Go eat. - Joe, good to see you. - Welcome back. - Thank you, Charlie. Hey, Paul. - Hey, Joey. - How are you? I heard you was out. - Yeah, well, you know... - The table for six isn't ready. I'm gonna take the four now. When Mr. Arnold comes in bring him right back. So, what are you doing? You working here? You know, I'm on parole. I gotta be a good boy, you know? I got a piece of the joint. So, what am I going to do? I gotta... I get it. We're gonna have a drink at the bar. - All right, okay. I'll see you, Joe. - Nice to meet you. Big smiles, everybody. Thanks, Paul. Appreciate it. Hey, can you get us a Pelligrino, round of drinks... ...and more bread when you get a chance? Thanks. - You want more bread? - Yeah. Bread. There you go. I'll get your drinks now. This stone is supposed to be a G color. It looks a little yellow, doesn't it? That's the fluorescent light. It makes everything look yellow. No, I thought fluorescent light makes everything look blue. What am I, Edison? That's a fuck... It's the fluorescent light doing that. That's a G. Well, maybe. Look from that angle. What do you think? I don't... I don't know. - It's a little... - Yeah. Could we look at it with a lens? That might help us out. Do you have a lens? We just asked for a lens. - Where do you think you're going? - Where am I going? The orphanage found my real parents. I'm going to Jelly's house. No, you're not. You're in my custody. And we have therapy to do. For what? The more we talk, the worse I get. Look at me. I'm a fucking wreck. - I had that dream again. - The one where you're Mussolini? No, the other one. You know, I'm 16, you're Freud. And then I'm scared out of my mind... ...and these giants are coming at me with guns. And I'm fighting them off. Too bad. - The limp-sword dream? - Yeah. - I probably shouldn't be listening to this. - Well, then don't. Paul? Sorry. Let's talk about it. And you don't think this dream is sexual? You're thinking the sword is my cock, I can't get it up. That ain't it. Because I was with Sheila last night, I had a hard-on you could swing from. - I don't need to know that. - You could hang wet towels on this one. Congratulations. It's a nice thing to have. - He's built like a racehorse in that area. - Thank you. I get it. - I've seen it. - Hey, wait in the car, you. - So, what does it mean? - Sex can mean a lot of things. I think, in this case, it's about performance anxiety. You're under a lot of pressure. You're changing your life, you're trying to find a job that fits you. Doc, nothing is gonna fit though. This 9 to 5 bullshit? Forget about it. I'll fucking kill myself. You know they take taxes out of your paycheck? What the fuck is that? Like, I'm doomed. I'll wind up selling hot dogs on the street. Take a deep breath, Paul. - I mean, my heart's beating like a rabbit! - Just relax. You're hyperventilating. That's all it is. Here, breathe into this bag. And breathe in and then breathe out. In, out. - This is your fault. - Excuse me? - This is all your fault. - My fault? You tell me to get a job like I'm a fucking nobody. It's humiliating. Really? Is it? You know what, I'm doing the best that I can. All right? If it's not appreciated, or if my best isn't good enough for you... ...then find somebody else to talk to, you selfish son of a bitch! Because I didn't ask to be born! What the hell is that about? I'm sorry. I'm grieving. It's a process. All right, I'm the patient. That's enough. Now what are you taking? Echinacea, goldenseal. Immune system. There's a lot of plants and ticks. Okay. Do you know the television show Little Caesar? Yeah, I know it. The producer of the show is a man named Raoul Berman. A mutual friend told him I know you, so Mr. Berman called me this morning... ...and said that he would like to meet you. - For what? I don't know. Why don't you meet him and find out? We just got him out of our house. Now we're having dinner with him? - That's not very professional, is it? - It's social. He's meeting a television producer who could give him a job. He's very nervous about it, and he asked me to buffer. I'm here to buffer. He's a grown man. Why does he need a chaperone? He doesn't. He needs a buffer. That's me. I'm here in a buffering capacity. If you say "buffer" one more time... We're gonna go eat something. We'll be back before they finish dinner. Didn't you just take two of those? Did I? No, that was the other... The Chinese herb enzyme thing. This is different. Just don't drink anything. Drink? Honey, I'm a doctor, I know what I'm doing. I adore this place. It is the best sushi in town. Yeah, it smells good. Did you try the yellowtail, Paul? They got any real food around here? I mean, this is like eating fucking bait. Raoul, what's very interesting about Paul is that he was born without a filter. He has no filter. He says whatever comes through his mind. He never edits himself. - What's with you? - What do you mean? - You sound like a fucking retard. - I took a pill. I took an ibuprofen pill. I probably shouldn't have had the mai tai or the sake. It interacted, and it's giving me a little problem with my upper lip. That's all. - It will be gone in about an hour. - Will you shut the fuck up? See that? He just told me to shut the fuck up! I love it! I absolutely love it. In two seconds, I'm gonna stick this fork in your fucking eye. He will stick a fucking fork in my eye! What did I tell you? Unfiltered. Could I get another one of these, please? Me too. I'd like a cosmopolitan. - No. No. No. - Why not? - The buffer has had too much. - Okay. Mr. Berman, I love your show. Thank you. And Anthony Bella, the guy that plays Nicky Caesar? He grew up in Bensonhurst, right next door to my cousin's friend's husband. I hate to bust your bubble, but there's no way he's from Bensonhurst. He's, like, a professional Italian from Connecticut or someplace. Listen, Paul, I have to ask, would you be interested in working on Little Caesar... ...as a consultant and technical advisor, you know, coaching the actors? Making sure the dialogue rings true. - Yeah, whatever. - Oh, my God! This is so exciting! Fantastic! How about a toast? A toast to Paul and Little Caesar. Down! That restaurant was really good. I liked it up until the attempted whacking. Now, is that the right terminology, Mafia shrink? Sorry. Do you know that you were muttering and drooling like one of your relatives tonight? What are those pills? What are you taking? You know, at this point, anything I can get my hands on. Okay? Because I am staring into a big hole that I can't fill up. You don't need this. You don't need this Paul Vitti thing in your life right now. Especially not right now. I think you need to be grieving for your father. You know, it's just, I'm finding the whole thing just a little confusing. You know, I became a therapist... ...because he was a therapist. I mean, it was that easy. Because his approval was so important to me. I mean, it was everything. And I never really got it. So now I'm thinking, is this...? Is this the reason I did it? And now that he's gone, do I still wanna do this? Because I don't know. Come here, baby. I just want you to be happy. Hey, pal. - I'll ask you once. Who are you working for? - I'm working for your mother. - Fuck you. - Fuck me? Yeah. No, no, no, wait, wait! Stop! Wait! Wait! - Stop! - Who are you working for? Get me up! Stop! Get me up! Drop him. I'm working for Lou the Wrench. Rigazzi. - The Wrench? - Yeah, the Wrench. - How do you spell his name? - I don't know how to spell it. R-I-Z-A-Z-Z... Can't even spell his fucking name right, you fucking moron. Pull him up. What's the matter with you? You said drop him. - I said pull him back up. - That ain't what I heard. Then you heard what you wanted to hear. I guess you got me there. What the hell happened to you? Vitti threw me off a roof. Vitti? You talked to Vitti? Yeah, I talked to Vitti. - What did you say to him? - Nothing. - You sure you didn't tell him anything? - I didn't say anything, Mr. Rigazzi. Can I go now? I think my leg's broken. That must hurt, huh? Wait a minute. I have something for that. I hate to see people in pain. Get him out of here. What about Vitti? He's a hard man to kill. But he's not immortal. Our time will come. - Okay, roll film. - Background. Hey, I like my sausage burnt. I don't know how you like your sausage? I been doing this 20 fucking years. - You got the money? - I almost got it. I'm still light 15 large. But don't worry about it, I got it covered. All I gotta... All I gotta... Cut! Cut! Can you do something about the goddamn smoke? Cut! Can you do something about the damn smoke? This is the trouble with shooting on location... ...although it's worth it for the authenticity. Well, it looks authentic. Hey, Tony! Tony. Anthony Bella, Nicky Caesar. - This is Paul Vitti. - You don't have to tell me who he is. - It's a pleasure to meet you, mate. - Hey, mate. I don't believe this. An English guy. - You ain't even Italian. - Australian-Italian. - There's a lot of paisans down under. - Down under what? - You like to laugh, don't you? - It's a nervous defense mechanism. I don't have to do it if it bothers you. So I'll just... So, Paul, are you gonna join us? I'm thinking I might. I like the whole setup here. Sensational, mate. I can't wait to work with you. I got a lot of questions for you. - All right, mate. - All right. - Can we get this fucking shot? - Yes, yes. Paul, thank you. And welcome. Welcome aboard. Couple of things. I don't know who makes these decisions... ...but there are things that I see that don't look right. Yes, I sensed this myself. Which elements strike you as wrong? Well, the people, mainly. I mean, you got a boss who speaks Australian. - What the fuck is that about? - Not my first choice. - And your background is what? - Theater, mostly. That figures. I got some people I could bring around... ...that will add a certain authenticity to the whole thing. I would be eternally grateful to you if you could. Is there anything else that you would need? I'd like one of those trailers like the stars got. Done! Done! I am gonna go put that in the works right now. Right. Brian! - Hey, Paul. You really gonna do this? - Yeah, I'm really gonna do this. Are you out of your fucking mind? I'm going nuts already with this job thing. In a week, I'll fucking kill this Raoul or I'll kill myself. This is just a good cover till I figure out what I'm gonna do. But call the guys. - You know, there's a line here. - Yeah, it's in back of me. Take the chicken and the two pastas. You must be a teamster. Youse don't stop eating. "Tell me why I'd give a shit about your wife's cousin?" - No, no good. - It's not good? What about this line? "Stevie Wonder sees more shit than you do!" - No. Never. - It's not good? Never. "How much does the chosen snitch want for this?" - No? - No. - It's no good. - No good. Jesus. That's it. That's... That's the end of the scene. - There's no dialogue in the scene. - You're better off. Get in the car. - We going to the prom? - Shut up and get in the car. I know. Sit down. Careful. The eggs are on the bottom. - Oh, yeah? - Yeah. You the shrink taking care of Paul Vitti? - Yes, I am. - So is he nuts, or what? I'm sorry, I don't discuss my patients' cases with anyone. Discuss it. He's suffering from a chronic anxiety, and... And what? Antisocial personality disorder. Sociopathy. I'm getting a fucking headache here. What are you trying to say? He has a criminal temperament. He's a criminal? This is news? And for that you need a doctor degree? What do you do for him? I try to get him to see the possibility of change. Wrong. You do not want him to change. That's Mrs. LoPresti. Patti. Patti, I'm Ben Sobel. Paul Vitti is very important to this family. We don't want to see you turning him into a stromboni. Stromboni? The thing they clean the ice with at the hockey games? That's a Zamboni, asshole. Stromboni. It's a bull with his balls cut off. - No, we don't want to see that happen. - Not unless you want to be one too. No, I'm very attached to my balls. As you can probably tell. Then do the right thing. Understand? Yes. Yes, I do. Goodbye. No hard feelings. No, and probably never again. We're gonna need a grapple or a crane. Fifty-foot boom, at least. I seen one in Bayonne, but I'll call around. All right, see what you can do. And we're gonna need a city bus. Anybody got ideas about that? I got a guy in the Transit Authority. He owes me big. - Let me know when you want me to call. - Hello, Paul. - Hey. How you doing? - Hi, guys. How are you? - Patti, how you doing? - Good. I guess everyone's gone Hollywood. Excuse me. This is a closed set. We're about to start shooting. Yeah? So am I. Let's walk. Come on. - I heard you had some more trouble. - Yeah, Lou the Wrench took a shot at me. I don't have to tell you, Paul. Alone on the streets, you don't stand a chance. That's what the family is all about. Since the old days when the grandfathers first came over. It's not something you walk away from. When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. - What? - Nothing. So you wanna tell me what's going on? I see you have your whole crew back together. Nothing's going on. They're actors now. Don't bullshit me, Paul. I know you're planning something, and I'm feeling left out. All right. All right, I'll tell you. Something's going down. You'll get your end. Just let us do what we gotta do. It'll be fine. Okay? You're a good friend. I would never insist on something like this... ...but I'd feel better if you'd bring Eddie and a couple of my guys in... ...you know, to help you with the job. Eddie "Yeah, what?" - He's a good man. - He's a fucking jerk-off. He's young. He's got a lot to learn. What is this, crime school? This is a serious thing we're doing here. Check him out. Talk to Frankie Brush. Talk to Jackie the Jew. He's worked jobs with them before. They'll vouch for him. Paul, please. For me. He does what I tell him, stays out of the way, and he keeps his fucking mouth shut. All right. Fine. Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate this. Oh, God. Dear God. Look, sweetheart... Sweetheart, first of all... ...we're not shooting the hooker scene until tomorrow. And the hair, please, what is it? Something from the cliche store? Raoul. This is a friend of mine. Patti. This is Patti Lo. This is Raoul. Patti Lo...? Patti LoPresti? I am so very, very sorry. How dare you not inform me that Mrs. LoPresti is on the set today! You are fired! Get out! That is why I'm... Please, enjoy your visit with us. And if there is anything at all that I can do... Go fuck yourself. Immediately. Immediately. He's from the theater. - Should I wait here, Mr. Rigazzi? - No, pull the car up your ass and wait there. Get over your hurt feelings, okay? Tell me. Was she angry? Am I in danger? Don't worry about it. I just wouldn't start my car for a couple of weeks if I were you. I'll have Brian do it. He's new. Hey, Paul. Hey, Lou. This is Lou Rigazzi, Lou the Wrench. The Wrench? Brian? Sorry. Start my car! Now! Come on, I wanna talk to you. The guy who shot at you, he was acting on his own. - I never gave the order. - Yeah? He's been taken care of. There won't be another incident. Unless you're thinking of working for Patti Lo. Me? No. Good. Then I got no beef with you. Good, I can sleep better. Let me tell you, because that's not the way to go. You wanna back a winner, which is gonna be me, okay? It only makes sense. So you come work for me. I'll treat you right. No, thanks. So much for sleeping better. You be careful. Listen, Jelly, you just pick numbers. - You know why? It's an open race. - Jelly. - Hey, doc! How you doing? - How you doing? How are you? How are you, Yo-Yo? Mo-Mo. Mo-Mo, right. I was thinking of the cellist. Jelly, where's Paul? He's in his camper. Yeah. Doc, what are you doing here? What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I came to tell you that you had a meeting with your parole officer, and who do I see? Patti LoPresti! Patti who? Stop lying to me. Your whole gang is here. Who says I'm lying? I finally get a straight job, I start getting my life together... ...and you start accusing me? That's how much you trust me? Paul, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that I don't trust you. This is what's so hard about being an ex-con. You make one mistake and nobody lets you forget it. So now you're the victim? Paul, I want the truth. Wait a second. - Say that again. - Say what? - What you just said. "I want the truth." - I want the truth. - No, strong, like before. - Paul, I want the truth! That's it. That's good. - What? - I'm serious, that had power. - I believed you. You could be an actor. - Paul, I am not an actor. You're better than the bums here. - There's this part you could do. - I can't. We have this meeting. We're shooting now. There's this part, you could do it. I'm telling you, it's you. I did do Music Man in high school. People thought I was quite good. Jelly, what are you...? Help! Help! Hey, help me! I don't wanna do this! - Does that screaming sound real to you? - Yeah, that sounds pretty real to me. That was not funny at all. There was no harness. They could've dropped me. If you didn't wanna do it, you should've said. You said a scene on the roof. I didn't know they would throw me off. They didn't throw you off. They hung you over the side. That's it. I know what you're doing. You're upset that I have custody of you... ...so you passive-aggressively make me look like a fool. Come on. You were great. You were great. Second take, I thought, was better than the first. Jelly wasn't giving me much, honestly. So I... Screw you, Paul. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. That's it. Okay. - What are you doing, self-medicating again? - No. Don't give me that decongestant, multivitamin shit. - Come on, what are you doing? - Ginkgo biloba. Helps my memory... ...and I forget what else. But don't worry about me. Worry about what you're gonna say to this parole officer. I mean, what are you gonna tell him? That you left my house? That you got your gang back together? And for what? A high-school dropout reunion? - You recognize that car? - Which car? The one that's been following us for the last few miles. That? Oh, yeah. I know that car. That's a Mercedes S500. That is one sweet machine. It's an eight bore. It comes in a 12, which is a beast. - Lose them. - What? - Lose them. - What? - Lose them! - Lose that car? You can't... I'm gonna stop, Paul. This could be the FBI. The FBI is two cars back. You gotta be more observant. Left. I'm pulling over. They won't shoot us. It's daylight. Broad daylight is the best time. They can see better. Right! We gotta stop. This is a lease. Hey, it's a goddamn lease! - Move over. I'll drive. - Move over where? - Get in the back seat. Back seat! - Damn seat belt. Get over! - Buckle up, doc. - It's gonna get worse? It ain't gonna get better. Stop it! Oh, my God. You think they'll get out? Yeah, that's James Bond and that Sea Hunt guy, so they got a good shot. - I feel bad. Where are you going? - I gotta take care of this. - Paul, your parole officer... - Send him my regards. - Paul, I'm warning you. If you leave now... - So long, doc. That's it. You're on your own now, pal. That's it. I'm done. I'm... ...screwed. So where is he, doctor? I wish I knew. Considering I released him into your custody, that's not quite the answer I was looking for. He's got something in the works. Care to tell me what you know? I don't know anything. I really feel he's making an effort to go straight. - Oh, yeah? - Yes. That's why we got two corpses in the bottom of the river? Here. Vitti with Sal Masiello. Vitti with Patti LoPresti. Vitti with Eddie DeVol. Let me know. I can order you some wallet-size. I am giving you 24 hours to find him and deliver him to me. Otherwise, you're looking at obstruction of justice and accessory to manslaughter. - Can I go? - Sure, but you can't take your car. We're impounding it as evidence. - Can I get a ride? - Have a nice day. I don't got a lot of time. They're probably gonna come looking for me, so we'll go over everything at the club. Paul, not that I'm questioning or anything, but what do we need with this Eddie DeVol? The guy is like a petty larceny scumbag. Hey, I ain't happy about it either. But if he keeps Patti off my back, so be it. - Yeah? - Mr. Vitti? - Mr. Bella asked to meet you in makeup. - Can't. Gotta go. - It's important. - I'll talk to him tomorrow. Here, here. Tell him you never saw me, okay? - Paul, excellent, mate. Come here, please. - I can't talk right now, mate. I've gotta ask you a question. Two seconds? Come on. - I gotta... - Come on. - Can we do it later? - Please. It's important. Paul, I'm looking for something to do when my character finds out he's being indicted. And I was thinking of punching the wall. But I did that when they killed Uncle Lenny, and I punched a car... ...actually, it was a van, when Peezee screwed up the big drug-deal. So I'm looking for something different this time. Something that doesn't involve, you know, punching anything. Kick something. Let me know how it works out. I gotta go. Paul, wait. That's really interesting. - Kick what? - I don't know. Like, kick a guy in the face. - Who? - Anybody, just some guy. Knock him down, give him a couple shots in the head and walk away. - Why? - Why not? You're pissed, he's there. I got friends waiting for me. My character wouldn't do that. What else you got? - I don't know. You could yell real loud. - Yell real loud? That's really original. Shut your fucking mouth. I don't care what you do. I gotta go. Shut your fucking mouth. I don't care what you do. I gotta go. - What'd you say? - What'd you say? - Wait. What are you doing? - Wait. What are you doing? - You can cut that shit out right now. - You can cut that shit out right now. That was bloody great! My character could do that. Thank you. Jelly? Where's Paul? Michael. What are you doing? I'm working for Mr. Vitti. Yeah, I'm his driver now. Oh, no. No. No. No, Michael, you are not doing that. Sorry. - You keep telling me to get a job. - Making sandwiches at the Subway... ...not driving a getaway car. Dad. No "Dad" about this. He should have spoken to me before he spoke to you. All right. Where is he? I cannot give you that information. You cannot give me that information? Look, I promised not to repeat anything I heard in the car, okay? I took an oath. You took an oath? Was there blood involved? Ben? What...? What happened? Where were you? I'll tell you the truth. I was involved in a high-speed car chase. - What? - My car was totally shot out... ...and the men who were chasing us probably drowned. - Oh, my God! - It's not as bad as it sounds. - When is this all gonna end? - Tonight. I just have to find him. Why? A few days ago you weren't even sure you wanted to be a therapist. Honey, I have to finish this. I have to. Understand? Go. - Go. Just don't get shot. - Okay. - Please. - All right. - Hey, Clemenza. Where is he? - I can't. You are gonna tell your father... ...or so help me God, I'll kick the ever-Ioving shit out of you. Little Darlings, okay? It's a club in Queens. - Give me the keys to the car. - I'm responsible for the Town Car. - Give me the fucking keys! - Take my car. - Okay. - Here. Thank you. Bye. Hi. Excuse me. Excuse me. Jelly. - Hey, doc, what are you doing here? - Where's Paul? - I think she likes you. - I have to talk to Paul. Man, give her a few dollars. Hi. I only have a 20, so could I get change? Ten, five, singles would be great. Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much for giving me this. Thank you. Listen, this is my meter money, I don't have any more bills, so... Where's Jelly? What are you doing? What do you mean? Blowing off a little steam. What's the big deal? Here he is. - How's it going, Paulie? - It's going all right. You know my guys? Enormous Bobby and Al Pacino? Al Pacino? That's your real name? No. They call me that because I look like Al Pacino. - The actor. - Anybody ever call you Carol Burnett? Why? Because you look as much like Carol Burnett as you do Al Pacino. - What are you looking at? - I actually see it. It's, like, right through here, it's just very much Pacino. So we're all here? - We're all here. - Then let's do this, all right? - Let's do what? - Let's go. - Let's do what? - Let's go. You're not telling me something. You're not telling me something. I want to know what's going on. - I'm not leaving till you tell me... - Get out of here. You're gonna get hurt. Okay, this is big. We only got one shot, and there's a million ways this fucking thing can go wrong... ...so everybody listen carefully. The Federal Gold Depository in downtown Manhattan. Three times a year, a shipment of Gold bars Goes in a heavily Guarded armored truck... ...from the depository to a vault in the Federal Reserve... ...to hold for foreiGn Governments that trade in Gold bullion. Three o'clock in the morninG, about eiGht hours from now... ...we're gonna hijack that truck. All right, everybody look at the map. This is where we're gonna be. - What the fuck is this? - He was listening by the door. - Hi, guys. - Get rid of him. - Hi, Carol. - You're a dead man, asshole. Put the gun down. Put the fucking gun down! Put the fucking gun down, okay? - What are you doing? - What do you think? - He can make every guy in this room. - Keep your hands off him. He's with me. Yeah? What, on the job? - Gonna start that "yeah, what?" shit again? - Either he's in or he's dead. Which is it? I think in is better. If I had a vote, I would vote in. - He's in. He's my responsibility. - Okay. No more surprises. And from this moment on, no one leaves my sight. Got it? Here, try this on. - Is this bulletproof? - You better hope so. See if it fits under your shirt. I could fit you under my shirt. Got anything smaller? What are we, a Bloomingdale's? Hey, nobody knew you were coming down. You're lucky to be alive, you know. We're all gonna be lucky to be alive. This plan is crazy. It's stupid. Hey, hey, watch it. Crazy, but not stupid. You wanna stay alive? You do everything I tell you, keep your mouth shut, and try not to pee your pants. - Can you handle an M-16? - You mean shoot it? No, twirl it like a fucking baton. - AK? - No. - Kalashnikov? - Jelly. - Stop me when something hits your fancy. - Well, can't I just use that? Yeah. This brings back fond memories. - Use it in good health. - Thanks. Great. Cold. Cold. - Check everything in there. - Talk to the doc, I think he's caving in. - You okay? - Yeah, I'm great. I'll try to get you out before the shit goes down. - Just don't flip out on me, okay? - Right. Here they come. Big, big mistake. - They're here. - Go. Go! Go! Go! Are you fucking kidding me? Move the truck! Where you going? It's a setup! Everybody get down, watch the walls! Watch the walls and the gates! On my command, get the drivers back in the trucks. You're gonna take the rear. I'm gonna take the point. We're gonna back these fuckers out of here. - What the fuck? - They're lifting the truck! They're lifting the fucking truck! Son of a bitch! Hold on! Hold on, Harold! Hold on! Going over. You have got to be fucking kidding me! Hang on! - It's not too late. You don't have to do this. - Let's go. Let's go. What a day for my balls. Open the fucking door. - Where's the keys? - We don't have the keys. They've got the keys at the bank. Keep your fucking head down. Get over here! Move. Get the fuck in there. Here we go. Take the gate. You guys take the gate. Get the wall. Climb the wall. On the wall, guys. Get up on the wall! Get the gate! Move. Move. Move. Break through the gate. Get the ramp. You know, this might just fucking work. Go! Go! Go! Get over the wall. Come on. Need some backup. Move! Move! Move! Over the wall! - Get over the goddamn wall! - You get over the fucking wall! Fifty bars. Fifty bars is all we need. Fifty bars. - Let's go. - How much is that? - 22,995,000. - What? Give or take. Hit it again! They're breaking down the door. Bobby, move up the Payloaders. Move them up. So much for not peeing in my pants. - That's 50. - All right, pack it up. - Come on. Let's go. - Let's get out of here. We're moving out. We're moving out. Paul, remember what you said about not flipping out? - Yeah. - Sorry. What have I done? I had a perfect life, and I threw it away! I'm going to prison. That'll be bad. I have delicate features. - I'm small. I'm gonna be popular. - You gotta calm down! - I can't calm down. I'm gonna die. - Calm down! - I can't breathe! I'm suffocating! - Listen. Relax. - Get a hold of yourself! - I can't! We're gonna die! - We're not gonna die. - We are! We're all gonna die! - You feel better now? - This is all my fault. I wanted to be there for you. I really wanted to help you. I want... But I couldn't because I'm not good enough. Ever since my father died, I lost my way. I didn't think this would hit me this hard. But, Paul, now I know how you felt when your father was killed. We don't have time for this. - But it's... - I'm telling you. - Don't do this. - It was 10 times worse for you. - Don't do this. - He was killed right in front of you. - You were just a little kid. - Don't go there. - But it's so sad. - Don't go there. I'm telling you... - All of his dreams for you died with him. - There I go. You happy now? - He loved you, Paul. He really loved you. - I know he did, and I loved him too. - Loved him too. - I know. I know. Oh, boy, this is bad. How's the heist going? Did you really think you were gonna live through this? - Yeah. I had my hopes. - Well, nice work. - Mr. Rigazzi will be very grateful. - I thought he worked for Patti LoPresti. Patti thought so too, but he played both sides against the middle. There's only one side as far as I'm concerned: mine. What did you think? I was gonna stand by... ...and let some fucking broken-down valise like you move back in? So long, Mr. Vitti. I can't take it anymore! That's what I hate about you fucking sociopaths! You keep changing the rules to suit yourselves! Well, not this time, you antisocial, misfit piece of shit! This time you fucked with the wrong shrink! You want a fresh one? This session is over. Son of a bitch. Ram it! Take them up and leave them there. - Nice going. Good plan. - Shut up. - Bye. - Yeah, what? What's a sociopath? I don't know. - Somebody! - Come on, help us out here. Come on! This way! Come on! - They're getting away! Come on. - Let's go! Drop your guns! Drop your guns! Drop your fucking guns! Drop your weapons, now! - Who the hell is this? - Cut. Cut. Cut! What the hell is going on? Drop your fucking guns. Nobody move! Raoul! Look, if you're gonna change the script, you have to tell us. Who are these people? What are they doing in my shot? - What are you doing on my street? - I have a permit! - Take your permit and stick it up your ass! - Oh, my friend. Release traffic, please. Release traffic. This is like a bloody Chinese fire drill... Jesus! - You are in trouble. You are in trouble! - You are gonna be in federal prison! Prison? You think I'm powerless? - Enough. I'm going back to my trailer. - No, you've gotta stay. - Move these cars, goddamn you! - You, please be quiet. I'm trying to think. - Is there a problem, officer? - Keep your hands where I can see them. That's it, we're screwed. We are so screwed. You. Me? - You're one tough shrink. - All right. - Feeling pretty good, huh? - Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. What are you thinking? I mean, what's next? Do you go on the run for the rest of your life? Do you just go back to Sing Sing? Or maybe they find you dead in an alley? - How does this work now? - Those are my choices? Hey, doc. Can't you let me enjoy this for five fucking minutes? - Must you always be a fucking killjoy? - Five minutes? - Five minutes. - Okay. Five minutes. - And then what? - And then what? - And then you'll see what. - I'll see. WWEN news time, 8:06. Seventy-two deGrees. A quick resolution to last niGht's spectacular armored-car hijackinG. FBI aGents, actinG on a tip from an unnamed source... ...raided the RiGazzi PlumbinG Company early this morninG... ...and recovered the 50 Gold bars stolen in the darinG robbery. Arrested in the raid were reputed crime family boss Louis "the Wrench" RiGazzi... ...and 11 other hiGh-rankinG RiGazzi family associates. The rest of the stolen bullion was recovered at the crime scene... ...alonG with three hiGh-flyinG hijackers apparently stranded... OrGanized crime has been dealt a serious blow... ...and I'm happy to report to the people of New York and to the entire nation... ...that this Great city is today a safer place to live and work. Questions? Hey, doc. - Did you see Patti? - Yeah. I saw her. - You gonna be okay? - Yeah. It's okay. - She's glad the Wrench is out of the way. - Good. Good. I spoke to the U.S. attorney. - What did he say? - He's happy about the gold... ...and he said he won't come after you. But you gotta stay out of trouble. Fuck him. So one big happy ending, right? - You gotta admit you feel better. - Yeah. I feel better. Sure. Twenty million down the drain. Why shouldn't I feel better? - You're grieving, Paul. It's a process. - It's a process, I know. It's not easy. But you gotta know you did the right thing. You too, doc. - You hung in there. It took a lot of balls. - I did what I had to. You were a monster. I seen the beast in you. - A lot of misplaced aggression, that's all. - Listen. I'm gonna send you after people that I don't like. Give them a little psychology, then beat them up. I wanna thank you, doc. - You don't have to thank me, Paul. - You helped me out a lot. You. - You're good, you. - No, I'm okay. No, no, no. You're very, very good. You got a gift, my friend. I'm telling you, you got a gift. All right, I have a gift. All right. - Okay. Okay, doc. - Thanks. - Yeah. - Take it easy. - I'll see you. - All right. Hey, doc. When I was a resident, we used to actually play with the catatonics. Just to have a little fun, it's just so dreary. Okay, let's just... Okay. When I was a resident at Downstate... ...we used to play with the catatonics, just for a few laughs. Okay. I'm not hurting you. - Sorry. - Marker. You told her at the drop of a hat. She's with the FBI. She needs this information. I see. And I don't need this information. Okay. No. No. Why? Why tell Paula? She couldn't possibly handle a phone call. But your name's not Paula. - Who am I? - Laura. Okay. - Hey, you. - Coffee? - What? - Somebody said something about coffee. Yeah. That was you. You said you wanted some. Yeah. - "So, what's the holdup?" - I know. I'm taking a long time. I'm taking my moment. You also took mine. Here you go. Thank you very much. Hey, Michael. Jelly. Michael! If I could only get out of this car! Come on. Who would you...? Who are we kidding? - You hated your father. - I didn't hate my father. - No, I loved him. - You hated your father. You hated him. You fucking hated him. What the fuck we talking about? - All right. I got it. I'll stop. - Good, that was good. - "Yeah. I can see how touched you are." - Yeah, I can see how touched... - That's my line. - That's your line. What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I came here to tell you that you have a preliminary... - Come back and try again. - I will. Preliminary meeting. Preliminary meeting. You have a preliminary meeting with your parole officer. Fuck you. Fuck you. It's "preliminary." I'm from the Bronx, and it's 4:00 in the morning. Come in. Hey, doc, what are you doing here? - Preliminary. - Yeah, preliminary. Come in. - No. - All right. A marker. You know who was always a favorite of mine? The late, great Groucho Marx. Because he would put stuff on his, on his... He would draw them in on his eyebrows and then... "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard." He would do stuff like that. Hey, look. I'm the sheriff of the undersea club. Salute me, I'm Captain Midnight. Ultimately, it's just sad. That's what I've been jerking off to the last 850 nights, a home-cooked meal. Yeah, like a nice fucking lamb chop. A nice home-cooked meal. Like... - Let me think of a good one. - A tuna casserole? Help me. I just wanted to see it again. - We still going? - We're good? Okay. We'll beat it to death. All right. That was great. I think we can move on.

(Sound and Woody Allen monologue begin) FADE IN: White credits dissolve in and out on black screen. No sound. FADE OUT: credits FADE IN: Abrupt medium close-up of Alvy Singer doing a comedy monologue. He wearing a crumbled sports jacket and tieless shirt; the background is stark. ALVY There's an old joke. Uh, two elderly women are at a Catskills mountain resort, and one of 'em says: "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know, and such ... small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life. Full of loneliness and misery and suffering and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly. The-the other important joke for me is one that's, uh, usually attributed to Groucho Marx, but I think it appears originally in Freud's wit and its relation to the unconscious. And it goes like this-I'm paraphrasing: Uh ... "I would never wanna belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member." That's the key joke of my adult life in terms of my relationships with women. Tsch, you know, lately the strangest things have been going through my mind, 'cause I turned forty, tsch, and I guess I'm going through a life crisis or something, I don't know. I, uh ... and I'm not worried about aging. I'm not one o' those characters, you know. Although I'm balding slightly on top, that's about the worst you can say about me. I, uh, I think I'm gonna get better as I get older, you know? I think I'm gonna be the- the balding virile type, you know, as opposed to say the, uh, distinguished gray, for instance, you know? 'Less I'm neither o' those two. Unless I'm one o' those guys with saliva dribbling out of his mouth who wanders into a cafeteria with a shopping bag screaming about socialism. (Sighing) Annie and I broke up and I-I still can't get my mind around that. You know, I-I keep sifting the pieces of the relationship through my mind and-and examining my life and tryin' to figure out where did the screw-up come, you know, and a year ago we were... tsch, in love. You know, and-and-and ... And it's funny, I'm not-I'm not a morose type. I'm not a depressive character. I-I-I, uh, (Laughing) you know, I was a reasonably happy kid, I guess. I was brought up in Brooklyn during World War II. CUT TO: INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE-DAY Alvy as young boy sits on a sofa with his mother in an old-fashioned, cluttered doctor's office. The doctor stands near the sofa, holding a cigarette and listening. MOTHER (To the doctor) He's been depressed. All off a sudden, he can't do anything. DOCTOR (Nodding) Why are you depressed, Alvy? MOTHER (Nudging Alvy) Tell Dr. Flicker. (Young Alvy sits, his head down. His mother answers for him) It's something he read. DOCTOR (Puffing on his cigarette and nodding) Something he read, huh? ALVY (His head still down) The universe is expanding. DOCTOR The universe is expanding? ALVY (Looking up at the doctor) Well, the universe is everything, and if it's expanding, someday it will break apart and that would be the end of everything! Disgusted, his mother looks at him. MOTHER (shouting) What is that your business? (she turns back to the doctor) He stopped doing his homework. ALVY What's the point? MOTHER (Excited, gesturing with her hands) What has the universe got to do with it? You're here in Brooklyn! Brooklyn is not expanding! DOCTOR (Heartily, looking down at Alvy) It won't be expanding for billions of years yet, Alvy. And we've gotta try to enjoy ourselves while we're here. Uh? He laughs. CUT TO: Fall shot of house with an amusement-park roller-coaster ride built over it. A line of cars move up and then slides with great speed while out the window of the house a band shakes a dust mop. ALVY'S VOICE My analyst says I exaggerate my childhood memories, but I swear I was brought up underneath the roller- CUT TO: INT. HOUSE Alvy as a child sits at the table eating soup and reading a comic book while his father sits on the sofa reading the paper. The house shakes with every move of the roller coaster. ALVY'S VOICE -coaster in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. Maybe that accounts for my personality, which is a little nervous, I think. CUT TO: Young Alvy at the food-stand concession watching three military men representing the Army, the Navy and the Marines arm in arm with a blond woman in a skirted bathing suit. They all turn and run toward the foreground. The girl stops before the camera to lean over and throw a kiss. The sign over the concession reads "Steve's Famous Clam Bar. Ice Cold Beer, "and the roller coaster is moving in full gear in the background. ALVY'S VOICE You know, I have a hyperactive imagination. My mind tends to jump around a little, and have some trouble between fantasy and reality. CUT TO: Full shot of people in bumper cars thoroughly enjoying bumping into each other as Alvy father stands in the center of the track directing traffic. ALVY'S VOICE My father ran the bumper-car concession. (Alvy as a child moves into the frame driving a bumper car. He stops as other cars bombard him. His father continues to direct the traffic) There-there he is and there I am. But I-I-I-I used to get my aggression out through those cars all the time. Alvy backs up his car off screen. INT. SCHOOLROOM - DAY The camera pans over three austere-looking teachers standing in front of the blackboard. The chalk writing on the board changes as each teacher lectures. While Alvy speaks, one of the male teachers puts an equation on the blackboard. - "2 X 10 = 20 " and other arithmetic formulas. ALVY'S VOICE I remember the staff at our public school. You know, we had a saying, uh, that "Those who can't do, teach, and those who can't teach, teach gym." And ...uh, h'h, of course, those who couldn't do anything, I think, were assigned to our school. I must say- CUT TO: A female teacher standing in front of an old-fashioned schoolroom. The blackboard behind her reads "Transportation Administration. The camera pans her point of view: a group of young students sitting behind their desks. Alvy as a child sits in a center desk wile all around him there is student activity; there is note-passing, ruler-tapping, nose-picking, gumchewing. ALVY'S VOICE I always felt my schoolmates were idiots. Melvyn Greenglass, you know, fat little face, and Henrietta Farrell, just Miss Perfect all the time. And-and Ivan Ackerman, always the wrong answer. Always. Ivan stands up behind his desk. IVAN Seven and three is nine. Alvy hits his forehead with his hand. Another student glances over at him, reacting. ALVY'S VOICE Even then I knew they were just jerks. (The camera moves back to the teacher, who is glaring out at her students) In nineteen forty-two I had already dis- As Alvy talks, the camera shows him move from his seat and kiss a young girl. She jumps from her seat in disgust, rubbing her cheek, as Alvy moves back to his seat. 1ST GIRL (Making noises) Ugh, he kissed me, he kissed me. TEACHER (Off screen) That's the second time this month! Step up here! As the teacher, really glaring now, speaks, Alvy rises from his seat and moves over to her. Angry, she points with her band while the students turn their heads to watch what will happen next. ALVY What'd I do? TEACHER Step up here! ALVY What'd I do? TEACHER You should be ashamed of yourself. The students, their heads still turned, look back at Alvy, now an adult, sitting in the last seat of the second row. ALVY (AS ADULT) (First off screen, then onscreen as camera moves over to the back of the classroom) Why, I was just expressing a healthy sexual curiosity. TEACHER (The younger, Alvy standing next to her) Six-year-old boys don't have girls on their minds. ALVY (AS ADULT) (Still sitting in the back of the classroom) I did. The girl the young Alvy kissed turns to the older Alvy, she gestures and speaks. 1ST GIRL For God's sakes, Alvy, even Freud speaks of a latency period. ALVY (AS ADULT) (Gesturing) Well, I never had a latency period. I can't help it. TEACHER (With young, Alvy still at her side) Why couldn't you have been more like Donald? (The camera pans over to Donald, sitting up tall in his seat, then back to the teacher) Now, there was a model boy! ALVY (AS CHILD) (Still standing next to the teacher) Tell the folks where you are today, Donald. DONALD I run a profitable dress company. ALVY'S VOICE Right. Sometimes I wonder where my classmates are today. The camera shows the full classroom, the students sitting behind their desks, the teacher standing in the front of the room. One at a time, the young students rise u from their desks and speak. 1ST BOY I'm president of the Pinkus Plumbing Company. 2ND BOY I sell tallises. 3RD BOY I used to be a heroin addict. Now I'm a methadone addict. 2ND GIRL I'm into leather. INT. ROOM Close-up of a TV screen showing Alvy as an adult on a talk show. He sits next to the show, host, Dick Cavett, a Navy man sits on his right. Static is heard throughout the dialogue. ALVY I lost track of most of my old schoolmates, but I wound up a comedian. They did not take me in the Army. I was, uh ... Interestingly enough, I was-I was four-P. Sounds of TV audience laughter and applause are heard. DICK CAVETT Four-P? ALVY Yes. In-in-in-in the event of war, I'm a hostage. More audience laughter joined by Dick Cavett and the naval officer. INT. THE HOUSE WHERE ALVY GREW UP Alvy's mother sits at the old-fashioned dining-room table peeling carrots and talking as she looks off screen. MOTHER You always only saw the worst in people. You never could get along with anyone at school. You were always outta step with the world. Even when you got famous, you still distrusted the world.' EXT. MANHATTAN STREET-DAY A pretty Manhattan street with sidewalk trees, brownstones, a school; people mill about, some strolling and carrying bundles, others buried. The screen shows the whole length of the sidewalk, a street, and part of the sidewalk beyond. As the following scene ensues, two pedestrians, indistinguishable in the distance, come closer and closer toward the camera, recognizable, finally, as Alvy and his best friend, Rob, deep in conversation. They eventually move past the camera and off screen. Traffic noise is heard in the background. ALVY I distinctly heard it. He muttered under his breath, "Jew." ROB You're crazy! ALVY No, I'm not. We were walking off the tennis court, and you know, he was there and me and his wife, and he looked at her and then they both looked at me, and under his breath he said, "Jew." ROB Alvy, you're a total paranoid. ALVY Wh- How am I a paran-? Well, I pick up on those kind o' things. You know, I was having lunch with some guys from NBC, so I said ... uh, "Did you eat yet or what?" and Tom Christie said, "No, didchoo?" Not, did you, didchoo eat? Jew? No, not did you eat, but Jew eat? Jew. You get it? Jew eat? ROB Ah, Max, you, uh ... ALVY Stop calling me Max. ROB Why, Max? It's a good name for you. Max, you see conspiracies in everything. ALVY No, I don't! You know, I was in a record store. Listen to this -so I know there's this big tall blond crew-cutted guy and he's lookin' at me in a funny way and smiling and he's saying, "Yes, we have a sale this week on Wagner." Wagner, Max, Wagner-so I know what he's really tryin' to tell me very significantly Wagner. ROB Right, Max. California, Max. ALVY Ah. ROB Let's get the hell outta this crazy city. ALVY Forget it, Max. ROB -we move to sunny L.A. All of show business is out there, Max. ALVY No, I cannot. You keep bringing it up, but I don't wanna live in a city where the only cultural advantage is that you can make a right turn on a red light. ROB (Checking his watch) Right, Max, forget it. Aren't you gonna be late for meeting Annie? ALVY I'm gonna meet her in front of the Beekman. I think I have a few minutes left. Right? EXT. BEEKMAN THEATER-DAY Alvy stands in front of glass doors of theater, the ticket taker behind him just inside the glass doors. The sounds of city traffic, car horns honking, can be heard while he looks around waiting for, Annie. A man in a black leather jacket, walking past the theater, stops in front of, Alvy. He looks at him, then moves away. He stops a few steps farther and turns around to look at Alvy again. Alvy looks away, then back at the man. The man continues to stare. Alvy scratches his head, looking for Annie and trying not to notice the man. The man, still staring, walks back to Alvy. 1ST MAN Hey, you on television? ALVY (Nodding his head) No. Yeah, once in a while. You know, like occasionally. 1ST MAN What's your name? ALVY (Clearing his throat) You wouldn't know it. It doesn't matter. What's the difference? 1ST MAN You were on ... uh, the ... uh, the Johnny Carson, right? ALVY Once in a while, you know. I mean, you know, every now- 1ST MAN What's your name? Alvy is getting more and more uneasy as the man talks; more and more people move through the doors of the theater. ALVY (Nervously) I'm ... I'm, uh, I'm Robert Redford. 1ST MAN (Laughing) Come on. ALVY Alvy Singer. It was nice nice ... Thanks very much ... for everything. They shake hands and Alvy pats the man's arm. The man in turn looks over his shoulder and motions to another man. All excited now, he points to Alvy and calls out. Alvy looks impatient. 1ST MAN Hey! 2ND MAN (Off screen) What? 1ST MAN This is Alvy Singer! ALVY Fellas ... you know-Jesus! Come on! 1ST MAN (Overlapping, ignoring Alvy) This guy's on television! Alvy Singer, right? Am I right? ALVY (Overlapping 1st man) Gimme a break, will yuh, gimme a break. Jesus Christ! 1ST MAN (Still ignoring Alvy's protestations) This guy's on television. ALVY I need a large polo mallet! 2ND MAN (Moving into the screen) Who's on television? 1ST MAN This guy, on the Johnny Carson show. ALVY (Annoyed) Fellas, what is this-a meeting o' the teamsters? You know.. . 2ND MAN (Also ignoring Alvy) What program? 1ST MAN (Holding out a matchbook) Can I have your autograph? ALVY You don't want my autograph. 1ST MAN (Overlapping, Alvy's speech) Yeah, I do. It's for my girl friend. Make it out to Ralph. ALVY (Taking the matchbook and pen and writing) Your girl friend's name is Ralph? 1ST MAN It's for my brudder. (To passersby) Alvy Singer! Hey! This is Alvy- 2ND MAN (To Alvy, overlapping 1st man's speech) You really Alvy Singer, the ... the TV star? Nodding his head yes, Alvy shoves 2nd man aside and moves to the curb of the sidewalk. The two men follow, still talking over the traffic noise. 1ST MAN -Singer! 2ND MAN Alvy Singer over here! A cab moves into the frame and stops by the curb. Alvy moves over to it about to get in. ALVY (Overlapping the two men and stuttering) I-i-i-i-it's all right, fellas. (As Alvy opens the cab door, the two men still behind him, Annie gets out) Jesus, what'd you do, come by way of the Panama Canal? ANNIE (Overlapping Alvy) Alright, alright, I'm in a bad mood, okay? Annie closes the cab door and she and Alvy move over to the ticket booth of the theater as they continue to talk. ALVY Bad mood? I'm standing with the cast of "The Godfather." ANNIE You're gonna hafta learn to deal with it. ALVY Deal! I'm dealing with two guys named Cheech! ANNIE Okay. (They move into the ticket line, still talking. A billboard next to them reads "INGMAR BERGMAN'S 'FACE TO FACE ,'LIV ULLMANN") Please, I have a headache, all right? ALVY Hey, you are in a bad mood. You-you- you must be getting your period. ANNIE I'm not getting my period. Jesus, every time anything out of the ordinary happens, you think that I'm getting my period! They move over to the ticket counter, people in front of them buying tickets and walking off screen. ALVY (Gesturing) A li-little louder. I think one of them may have missed it! (To the ticket clerk) H'm, has the picture started yet? TICKET CLERK It started two minutes ago. ALVY (Hitting his hand on the counter) That's it! Forget it! I-I can't go in. ANNIE Two minutes, Alvy. ALVY (Overlapping Annie) No, I'm sorry, I can't do it. We-we've blown it already. I-you know, uh, I-I can't go in in the middle. ANNIE In the middle? (Alvy nods his head yes and let's out an exasperated sigh) We'll only miss the titles. They're in Swedish. ALVY You wanna get coffee for two hours or something? We'll go next- ANNIE Two hours? No, u-uh, I'm going in. I'm going in. She moves past the ticket clerk. ALVY (Waving to Annie) Go ahead. Good-bye. Annie moves back to Alvy and takes his arm. ANNIE Look, while we're talking we could be inside, you know that? ALVY (Watching people with tickets move past them) Hey, can we not stand here and argue in front of everybody, 'cause I get embarrassed. ANNIE Alright. All right, all right, so whatta you wanna do? ALVY I don't know now. You-you wanna go to another movie? (Annie nods her head and shrugs her shoulders disgustedly as Alvy, gesturing with his band, looks at her) So let's go see The Sorrow and the Pity. ANNIE Oh, come on, we've seen it. I'm not in the mood to see a four-hour documentary on Nazis. ALVY Well, I'm sorry, I-I can't ... I-I-I've gotta see a picture exactly from the start to the finish, 'cause-'cause I'm anal. ANNIE (Laughing now) H'h, that's a polite word for what you are. INT. THEATER LOBBY. A lined-up crowd of ticket holders waiting to get into the theater, Alvy and Annie among them. A bum of indistinct chatter can be heard through the ensuing scene. MAN IN LINE (Loudly to his companion right behind Alvy and Annie) We saw the Fellini film last Tuesday. It is not one of his best. It lacks a cohesive structure. You know, you get the feeling that he's not absolutely sure what it is he wants to say. 'Course, I've always felt he was essentially a-a technical film maker. Granted, La Strada was a great film. Great in its use of negative energy more than anything else. But that simple cohesive core ... Alvy, reacting to the man's loud monologue, starts to get annoyed, while Annie begins to read her newspaper. ALVY (Overlapping the man's speech) I'm-I'm-I'm gonna have a stroke. ANNIE (Reading) Well, stop listening to him. MAN IN LINE (Overlapping Alvy and Annie) You know, it must need to have had its leading from one thought to another. You know what I'm talking about? ALVY (Sighing) He's screaming his opinions in my ear. MAN IN LINE Like all that Juliet of the Spirits or Satyricon, I found it incredibly ... indulgent. You know, he really is. He's one of the most indulgent film makers. He really is- ALVY (Overlapping) Key word here is "indulgent." MAN IN LINE (Overlapping) -without getting ... well, let's put it this way ... ALVY (To Annie, who is still reading, overlapping the man in line who is still talking) What are you depressed about? ANNIE I missed my therapy. I overslept. ALVY How can you possibly oversleep? ANNIE The alarm clock. ALVY (Gasping) You know what a hostile gesture that is to me? ANNIE I know-because of our sexual problem, right? ALVY Hey, you ... everybody in line at the New Yorker has to know our rate of intercourse? MAN IN LINE - It's like Samuel Beckett, you know- I admire the technique but he doesn't ... he doesn't hit me on a gut level. ALVY (To Annie) I'd like to hit this guy on a gut level. The man in line continues his speech all the while Alvy and Annie talk. ANNIE Stop it, Alvy! ALVY (Wringing his hands) Well, he's spitting on my neck! You know, he's spitting on my neck when he talks. MAN IN LINE And then, the most important thing of all is a comedian's vision. ANNIE And you know something else? You know, you're so egocentric that if I miss my therapy you can think of it in terms of how it affects you! MAN IN LINE (Lighting a cigarette while he talks) Gal gun-shy is what it is. ALVY (Reacting again to the man in line) Probably on their first date, right? MAN IN LINE (Still going on) It's a narrow view. ALVY Probably met by answering an ad in the New York Review of Books. "Thirtyish academic wishes to meet woman who's interested in Mozart, James Joyce and sodomy." (He sighs; then to Annie) Whatta you mean, our sexual problem? ANNIE Oh! ALVY I-I-I mean, I'm comparatively normal for a guy raised in Brooklyn. ANNIE Okay, I'm very sorry. My sexual problem! Okay, my sexual problem! Huh? The man in front of them turns to look at them, then looks away. ALVY I never read that. That was-that was Henry James, right? Novel, uh, the sequel to Turn of the Screw? My Sexual ... MAN IN LINE (Even louder now) It's the influence of television. Yeah, now Marshall McLuhan deals with it in terms of it being a-a high, uh, high intensity, you understand? A hot medium ... as opposed to a ... ALVY (More and more aggravated) What I wouldn't give for a large sock o' horse manure. MAN IN LINE ... as opposed to a print ... Alvy steps forward, waving his hands in frustration, and stands facing the camera. ALVY (Sighing and addressing the audience) What do you do when you get stuck in a movie line with a guy like this behind you? I mean, it's just maddening! The man in line moves toward Alvy. Both address the audience now. MAN IN LINE Wait a minute, why can't I give my opinion? It's a free country! ALVY I mean, d- He can give you- Do you hafta give it so loud? I mean, aren't you ashamed to pontificate like that? And-and the funny part of it is, M-Marshall McLuhan, you don't know anything about Marshall McLuhan's...work! MAN IN LINE (Overlapping) Wait a minute! Really? Really? I happen to teach a class at Columbia called "TV Media and Culture"! So I think that my insights into Mr. McLuhan-well, have a great deal of validity. ALVY Oh, do yuh? MAN IN LINE Yes. ALVY Well, that's funny, because I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here. So ... so, here, just let me-I mean, all right. Come over here ... a second. Alvy gestures to the camera which follows him and the man in line to the back of the crowded lobby. He moves over to a large stand-up movie poster and pulls Marshall McLuban from behind the poster. MAN IN LINE Oh. ALVY (To McLuban) Tell him. MCLUHAN (To the man in line) I hear-I heard what you were saying. You-you know nothing of my work. You mean my whole fallacy is wrong. How you ever got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing. ALVY (To the camera) Boy, if life were only like this! INT. THEATER. A CLOSE-UP OF THE SCREEN SHOWING FACES OF GERMAN SOLDIERS. Credits appear over the faces of the soldiers. THE SORROW AND THE PITY CINEMA 5 LTD., 1972 MARCEL OPHULS, ANDRE HARRIS, 1969 Chronicle of a French town during the Occupation NARRATOR'S VOICE (Over credits and soldiers) June fourteenth, nineteen forty, the German army occupies Paris. All over the country, people are desperate for every available scrap of news. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM-NIGHT Annie is sitting up in bed reading. ALVY (Off screen) Boy, those guys in the French Resistance were really brave, you know? Got to listen to Maurice Chevalier sing so much. ANNIE M'm, I don't know, sometimes I ask myself how I'd stand up under torture. ALVY (Off screen) You? You kiddin'? (He moves into the frame, lying across the bed to touch, Annie, who makes a face) If the Gestapo would take away your Bloomingdale's charge card, you'd tell 'em everything. ANNIE That movie makes me feel guilty. ALVY Yeah, 'cause it's supposed to. He starts kissing Annie's arm. She gets annoyed and continues to read. ANNIE Alvy, I ... ALVY What-what-what-what's the matter? ANNIE I-you know, I don't wanna. ALVY (Overlapping Annie, reacting) What-what-I don't ... It's not natural! We're sleeping in a bed together. You know, it's been a long time. ANNIE I know, well, it's just that-you know, I mean, I-I-I-I gotta sing tomorrow night, so I have to rest my voice. ALVY (Overlapping Annie again) It's always some kind of an excuse. It's- You know, you used to think that I was very sexy. What ... When we first started going out, we had sex constantly ... We're- we're probably listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. ANNIE (Patting Alvy's band solicitously) I know. Well, Alvy, it'll pass, it'll pass, it's just that I'm going through a phase, that's all. ALVY M'm. ANNIE I mean, you've been married before, you know how things can get. You were very hot for Allison at first. CUT TO: INT. BACK STAGE OF AUDITORIUM - NIGHT. Allison, clipboard in band, walks about the wings, stopping to talk to various people. Musicians, performers and technicians mill about, busy with activity. Allison wears a large "ADLAI" button, as do the people around her. The sounds of a comedian on the stage of the auditorium can be heard, occasionally, interrupted by chatter and applause from the off screen audience. Allison stops to talk to two women; they, too, wear "ADLAI" buttons. ALLISON (Looking down at the clipboard) Ma'am, you're on right after this man ... about twenty minutes, something like that. WOMAN Oh, thank you. Alvy moves into the frame behind Allison. He taps her on the shoulder; she turns to face him. ALVY (Coughing) Excuse ... excuse me, when do I go on? ALLISON (Looking down at the clipboard) Who are you? ALVY Alvy ... Alvy Singer. I'm a comedian. ALLISON Oh, comedian. Yes. Oh, uh ... you're on next. ALVY (Rubbing his hands together nervously) What do you mean, next? ALLISON (Laughing) Uh ... I mean you're on right after this act. ALVY (Gesturing) No, it can't be, because he's a comic. ALLISON Yes. ALVY So what are you telling me, you're putting on two comics in a row? ALLISON Why not? ALVY No, I'm sorry, I'm not goin'- I can't ... I don't wanna go on after that comedian. ALLISON It's okay. ALVY No, because they're-they're laughing, so (He starts laughing nervously) I-I-I'd rather not. If you don't mind, I prefer- ALLISON (Overlapping) Will you relax, please? They're gonna love you, I know. ALVY (Overlapping) I prefer not to, because ... look, they're laughing at him. See, so what are yuh telling me- They move closer to the stage, looking out from the wings. ALLISON (Overlapping) Yes. ALVY (Overlapping) -that I've got to ... ah ... ah ... They're gonna laugh at him for a couple minutes, then I gotta go out there, I gotta ... get laughs, too. How much can they laugh? (Off screen) They-they they're laughed out. ALLISON (Off screen) Do you feel all right? As Allison and Alvy look out at the stage, the camera cuts to their point of view: a comedian standing at a podium in front of huge waving pictures of Adlai Stevenson. The audience, laughing and clapping, sits at round tables in clusters around the room. The camera moves back to Allison and Alvy watching the stage. Alvy is swinging his hands nervously. COMEDIAN (Off screen, onstage) You know ... Alvy starts looking Allison up and down; people in the background mill about. ALVY (Above the chatter around him) Look, what's your-what's your name? COMEDIAN (Off screen) ... General Eisenhower is not ... ALLISON (Looking out at the stage) Allison. ALVY Yeah? Allison what? ALLISON (Still looking off screen) Portchnik. COMEDIAN ... a group from the ... ALVY (Coughing) Thank you. I-I don't know why they would have me at this kind of rally 'cause ... (He clears his throat) Excuse me, I'm not essentially a political comedian at all. The audience starts to laugh. ALVY I ... interestingly had, uh, dated ... a woman in the Eisenhower Administration ... briefly ... and, uh, it was ironic to me 'cause, uh . . . tsch . . . 'cause I was trying to, u-u-uh, do to her what Eisenhower has been doing to the country for the last eight years. The audience is with him, laughing, as Allison continues to watch offstage. INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM. Allison and, Alvy are on the bed, kissing. There are books all over the room; a fireplace, unlit, along one of the walls. Alvy suddenly breaks away and sits on the edge of the bed. Allison looks at him. ALVY H'm, I'm sorry, I can't go through with this, because it-I can't get it off my mind, Allison ... it's obsessing me! ALLISON Well, I'm getting tired of it. I need your attention. Alvy gets up from the bed and starts walking restlessly around the room, gesturing with his hands. ALVY It-but it-it ... doesn't make any sense. He drove past the book depository and the police said conclusively that it was an exit wound. So-how is it possible for Oswald to have fired from two angles at once? It doesn't make sense. ALLISON Alvy. Alvy, stopping for a moment at the fireplace mantel, sighs. He then snaps his fingers and starts walking again. ALVY I'll tell you this! He was not marksman enough to hit a moving target at that range. But ... (Clears his throat) if there was a second assassin ... it- That's it! Alvy stops at the music stand with open sheet music on it as Allison gets up from the bed and retrieves a pack of cigarettes from a bookshelf. ALLISON We've been through this. ALVY If they-they recovered the shells from that rifle. ALLISON (Moving back to the bed and lighting a cigarette) Okay. All right, so whatta yuh saying, now? That e-e-everybody o-o-on the Warren Commission is in on this conspiracy, right? ALVY Well, why not? ALLISON Yeah, Earl Warren? ALVY (Moving toward the bed) Hey ... honey, I don't know Earl Warren. ALLISON Lyndon Johnson? ALVY (Propping one knee on the bed and gesturing) L-L-Lyndon Johns Lyndon Johnson is a politician. You know the ethics those guys have? It's like-uh, a notch underneath child molester. ALLISON Then everybody's in in the conspiracy? ALVY (Nodding his head) Tsch. ALLISON The FBI, and the CIA, and J. Edgar Hoover and oil companies and the Pentagon and the men's-room attendant at the White House? Alvy touches Allison's shoulder, then gets up from the bed and starts walking again. ALVY I-I-I-I would leave out the men's-room attendant. ALLISON You're using this conspiracy theory as an excuse to avoid sex with me. ALVY Oh, my God! (Then, to the camera) She's right! Why did I turn off Allison Portchnik? She was-she was beautiful. She was willing. She was real ... intelligent. (Sighing) Is it the old Groucho Marx joke? That-that I-I just don't wanna belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member? EXT. BEACH HOUSE - DAY Alvy's and Annie's voices are heard over the wind-browned exterior of a beach house in the Hamptons. As they continue to talk, the camera moves inside the house. Alvy is picking up chairs, trying to get at the group of lobsters crawling on the floor. Dishes are stacked up in a drying rack, and bags of groceries sit on the counter. There's a table and chairs near the refrigerator. ANNIE Alvy, now don't panic. Please. ALVY Look, I told you it was a ... mistake to ever bring a live thing in the house. ANNIE Stop it! Don't ... don't do that! There. The lobsters continue to crawl on the floor. Annie, bolding out a wooden paddle, tries to shove them onto it. ALVY Well, maybe we should just call the police. Dial nine-one-one, it's the lobster squad. ANNIE Come on, Alvy, they're only baby ones, for God's sake. ALVY If they're only babies, then you pick 'em up. ANNIE Oh, all right. All right! It's all right. Here. She drops the paddle and picks up one of the lobsters by the tail. Laughing, she shoves it at Alvy who jerks backward, squeamishly. ALVY Don't give it to me. Don't! ANNIE (Hysterically) Oooh! Here! Here! ALVY (Pointing) Look! Look, one crawled behind the refrigerator. It'll turn up in our bed at night. (They move over to the refrigerator; Alvy moves as close to the wall as possible as Annie, covering her mouth and laughing hysterically, teasingly dangles a lobster in front of him) Will you get outta here with that thing? Jesus! ANNIE (Laughing, to the lobster) Get him! ALVY (Laughing) Talk to him. You speak shellfish! (He moves over to the stove and takes the lid of a large steamer filled with boiling water) Hey, look ... put it in the pot. ANNIE (Laughing) I can't! I can't put him in the pot. I can't put a live thing in hot water. ALVY (Overlapping) Gimme! Gimme! Let me do it! What-what's he think we're gonna do, take him to the movies? Annie hands the lobster to Alvy as he takes it very carefully and drops it gingerly into the pot and puts the cover back on. ANNIE (Overlapping Alvy and making sounds) Oh, God! Here yuh go! Oh, good, now he'll think- (She screams) Aaaah! Okay. ALVY (Overlapping Annie) Okay, it's in. It's definitely in the pot! ANNIE All right. All right. All right. She moves hurriedly across the kitchen and picks up another lobster. Smiling, she places it on the counter as Alvy stands beside the refrigerator trying to push it from the wall. ALVY Annie, there's a big lobster behind the refrigerator. I can't get it out. This thing's heavy. Maybe if I put a little dish of butter sauce here with a nutcracker, it will run out the other side, you know what I mean? ANNIE (Overlapping) Yeah. I'm gonna get my ... I'm gonna get my camera. ALVY You know, I-I think ... if I could pry this door off ... We shoulda gotten steaks 'cause they don't have legs. They don't run around. Annie rushes out of the room to get her camera as Alvy picks up the paddle. Trying to get at the lobsters, he ends up knocking over dishes and hitting the chandelier. Holding the paddle, he finally leans back against the sink. Annie, standing in the doorway, starts taking pictures of him. ANNIE Great! Great! (Screaming) Goddammit! (Screaming) Ooooh! These are ... p-p-p-pick this lobster up. Hold it, please! ALVY All right! All right! All right! All right! Whatta yuh mean? Are yuh gonna take pictures now? ANNIE It'll make great- Alvy, be- Alvy, it'll be wonderful ... Ooooh, lovely! ALVY (Picking up the lobster Annie placed on the counter earlier) All right, here! Oh, God, it's disgusting! Alvy drops the lobster back down on the counter, sticking out his tongue and making a face. ANNIE Don't be a jerk. One more, Alvy, please, one more picture. (Reluctantly Alvy picks up the lobster again as Annie takes another picture) Oh, oh, good, good! EXT. OCEAN FRONT-DUSK. The camera pans Annie and Alvy as they walk along the shore. ALVY So, so-well, here's what I wanna know. W-what ... (He clears his throat) Am I your first big romance? ANNIE Oh ... no, no, no, no, uh, uh. No. ALVY Well, then, w-who was? ANNIE Oh, well, let's see, there was Dennis, from Chippewa Falls High School. CUT TO: FLASHBACK OF DENNIS LEANING AGAINST A CAR - NIGHT Behind him is a movie theater with "MARILYN MONROE, 'MISFITS' " on the marquee. He looks at his watch as the younger Annie, in a beehive hairdo, moves into the frame. They kiss quickly and look at each other, smiling. ALVY'S VOICE (Off screen) Dennis-right, uh, uh ... local kid probably, would meetcha in front of the movie house on Saturday night. ANNIE'S VOICE Oh, God, you should've seen what I looked like then. ALVY'S VOICE (Off screen, laughing) Oh, I can imagine. P-p-probably the wife of an astronaut. ANNIE'S VOICE Then there was Jerry, the actor. CUT TO: FLASHBACK OF BRICK-WALLED APARTMENT - NIGHT The younger, Annie and Jerry lean against the wall. Jerry is running his band down Annie's bare arm. Annie and Alvy walk into the room, observing the younger Annie, in jeans and T-shirt, with Jerry. ALVY'S VOICE (Laughing) Look at you, you-you,-re such a clown. ANNIE'S VOICE I look pretty. ALVY'S VOICE Well, yeah, you always look pretty, but that guy with you ... JERRY Acting is like an exploration of the soul. I-it's very religious. Uh, like, uh, a kind of liberating consciousness. It's like a visual poem. ALVY (Laughing) Is he kidding with that crap? YOUNGER ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, right. Right, yeah, I think I know exactly what you mean, when you say "religious." ALVY (Incredulous, to Annie) You do? ANNIE (Still watching) Oh, come on-I mean, I was still younger. ALVY Hey, that was last year. JERRY It's like when I think of dying. You know how I would like to die? YOUNGER ANNIE No, how? JERRY I'd like to get torn apart by wild animals. ALVY'S VOICE Heavy! Eaten by some squirrels. ANNIE'S VOICE Hey, listen-I mean, he was a terrific actor, and look at him, he's neat-looking and he was emotional ... Y-hey, I don't think you like emotion too much. Jerry stops rubbing the younger Annie's arm and slides down to the floor as she raises her foot toward his chest. JERRY Touch my heart ... with your foot. ALVY'S VOICE I-I may throw up! CUT BACK TO: EXTERIOR. BEACH-DUSK It's now sunset, the water reflecting the last light. The camera moves over the scene. The off screen voices of Alvy and Annie are heard as they walk, the camera always one step ahead of them. ANNIE He was creepy. ALVY Yeah, I-I think you're pretty lucky I came along. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, really? Well, la-de-da! ALVY La-de-da. If I-if anyone had ever told me that I would be taking out a girl who used expressions like "la-de-da" . . . ANNIE Oh, that's right. That you really like those New York girls. ALVY Well, no ... not just, not only. ANNIE Oh, I'd say so. You married- CUT TO: INT. NEW YORK CITY APARTMENT-NIGHT A cocktail party is in progress, the rooms crowded with guests as Alvy and Robin make their way through the people. A waiter, carrying a tray, walks past them. Alvy reaches out to pick up a glass; Robin reaches over and picks it of the tray first. There is much low-key chatter in the background. ANNIE (Off screen) -two of them. ROBIN There's Henry Drucker. He has a chair in history at Princeton. Oh, the short man is Hershel Kaminsky. He has a chair in philosophy at Cornell. ALVY Yeah, two more chairs and they got a dining-room set. ROBIN Why are you so hostile? ALVY (Sighing) 'Cause I wanna watch the Knicks on television. ROBIN (Squinting) Is that Paul Goodman? No. And be nice to the host because he's publishing my book. Hi, Doug! Douglas Wyatt. "A Foul-Rag-and-Bone Shop-of-the-Heart." They move through the rooms, Robin holding a drink in one hand, her arm draped in Alvy's; the crowd mills around them. ALVY (Taking Robin's hand) I'm so tired of spending evenings making fake insights with people who work for Dysentery. ROBIN Commentary. ALVY Oh, really, I heard that Commentary and Dissent had merged and formed Dysentery. ROBIN No jokes-these are friends, okay? INT. BEDROOM Alvy sits on the foot of the bed watching the Knicks game on television. TV ANNOUNCER (Off screen) Cleveland Cavaliers losing to the New York Knicks. Robin enters the room, slamming the door. ROBIN Here you are. There's people out there. ALVY Hey, you wouldn't believe this. Two minutes ago, the Knicks are ahead fourteen points, and now ... (Clears his throat) they're ahead two points. ROBIN Alvy, what is so fascinating about a group of pituitary cases trying to stuff the ball through a hoop? ALVY (Looking at Robin) What's fascinating is that it's physical. You know, it's one thing about intellectuals, they prove that you can be absolutely brilliant and have no idea what's going on. But on the other hand ... (Clears his throat) the body doesn't lie, as-as we now know. Alvy reaches over, pulls Robin down onto the bed. He kisses her and moves farther up on the bed. ROBIN Stop acting out. She sits on the edge of the bed, looking down at the sprawled-out Alvy. ALVY No, it'll be great! It'll be great, be-because all those Ph.D.'s are in there, you know, like ... discussing models of alienation and we'll be in here quietly humping. He pulls Robin toward him, caressing her as she pulls herself away. ROBIN Alvy, don't! You're using sex to express hostility. ALVY "'Why-why do you always r-reduce my animal urges to psychoanalytic categories?' (Clears his throat) he said as he removed her brassiere..." ROBIN (Pulling away again) There are people out there from The New Yorker magazine. My God! What would they think? She gets up and fixes the zipper on her dress. She turns and moves toward the door. INT. APARTMENT-NIGHT Robin and Alvy are in bed. The room is in darkness. Outside, a siren starts blaring. ROBIN Oh, I'm sorry! ALVY Don't get upset! ROBIN Dammit! I was so close. She flips on the overhead lamp and turns on her side. Alvy turns to her. ALVY (Gesturing) Jesus, last night it was some guy honking his car horn. I mean, the city can't close down. You know, what-whatta yuh gonna do, h-have 'em shut down the airport, too? No more flights so we can have sex? ROBIN (Reaching over for her eyeglasses on the night table) I'm too tense. I need a Valium. My analyst says I should live in the country and not in New York. ALVY Well, I can't li- We can't have this discussion all the time. The country makes me nervous. There's ... You got crickets and it-it's quiet ... there's no place to walk after dinner, and... uh, there's the screens with the dead moths behind them, and... uh, yuh got the-the Manson family possibly, yuh got Dick and Terry- ROBIN (Interrupting) Okay, okay, my analyst just thinks I'm too tense. Where's the goddamn Valium? She fumbles about the floor for the Valium, then back on the bed. ALVY Hey, come on, it's quiet now. We can-we can start again. ROBIN I can't. ALVY What- ROBIN My head is throbbing. ALVY Oh, you got a headache! ROBIN I have a headache. ALVY Bad? ROBIN Oswald and ghosts. ALVY Jesus! He begins to get out of bed. ROBIN Where are you going? ALVY Well, I'm-I'm gonna take another in a series of cold showers. EXT. MEN'S LOCKER ROOM OF THE TENNIS CLUB. Rob and Alvy, carrying tennis rackets, come through the door of the locker room to the lobby. They are dressed in tennis whites. They walk toward the indoor court. ROB Max, my serve is gonna send yuh to the showers- ALVY Right, right, so g-get back to what we were discussing, the failure of the country to get behind New York City is-is anti-Semitism. ROB Max, the city is terribly worried. ALVY But the- I'm not discussing politics or economics. This is foreskin. ROB No, no, no, Max, that's a very convenient out. Every time some group disagrees with you it's because of anti-Semitism. ALVY Don't you see? The rest of the country looks upon New York like we're-we're left-wing Communist, Jewish, homosexual, pornographers. I think of us that way, sometimes, and I-I live here. ROB Max, if we lived in California, we could play outdoors every day, in the sun. ALVY Sun is bad for yuh. Everything our parents said was good is bad. Sun, milk, red meat, college ... INT. TENNIS COURT Annie and Janet, in tennis whites, stand on the court holding tennis rackets and balls. They are chattering and giggling. ANNIE (Laughing) I know, but ooh- here he comes. Okay. Rob and Alvy enter the court and walk over to the two women. Rob kisses Janet and makes introduction. ROB You know Alvy? JANET Oh, hi, Alvy. ANNIE (To Rob) How are yuh? ROB (To Alvy) You know Annie? JANET I'm sorry. This is Annie Hall. ALVY Hi. ANNIE Hi. Annie and Alvy shake hands. JANET (Laughing) Alvy. ROB (Eager to begin) Who's playing who here? Alvy Well, uh ... you and me against them? ANNIE (Overlapping Alvy) Well ... so ... I can't play too good, you know. JANET (Laughing) I've had four lessons! The group, laughing and chatting, divide up-Rob and Annie moving to the other side of the net, Alvy and Janet standing where they are. They start to play mixed doubles, each taking turns and playing well. At one point in the game, Annie starts to talk to Rob, then turns and sees a ball heading toward her. ALVY (Hitting the halt back) Holy gods! INT. LOBBY Alvy, dressed, puts things into a gym bag. One knee is on the bench and his back is turned from the entrance. Annie walks toward the entrance door dressed in street clothes and carrying her tennis bag over her shoulder. Seeing Alvy, she stops and turns. ANNIE Hi. Hi, hi. ALVY (Looking over his shoulder) Hi. Oh, hi. Hi. ANNIE (Hands clasped in front of her, smiling) Well, bye. She laughs and backs up slowly toward the door. ALVY (Clearing his throat) You-you play ... very well. ANNIE Oh, yeah? So do you. Oh, God, whatta- (Making sounds and laughing) whatta dumb thing to say, right? I mean, you say it, "You play well," and right away ... I have to say well. Oh, oh ... God, Annie. (She gestures with her hand) Well ... oh, well ... la-de-da, la-de-da, la-la. She turns around and moves toward the door. ALVY (Still looking over his shoulder) Uh ... you-you wanna lift? ANNIE (Turning and aiming her thumb over her shoulder) Oh, why-uh ... y-y-you gotta car? ALVY No, um ... I was gonna take a cab. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, no, I have a car. ALVY You have a car? (Annie smiles, hands folded in front of her) So ... (Clears his throat) I don't understand why ... if you have a car, so then-then wh-why did you say "Do you have a car?"... like you wanted a lift? ANNIE I don't ... (Laughing) I don't ... Geez, I don't know, I've ... I wa- This ... yeah, I got this VW out there ... (Laughing and gesturing toward the door) What a jerk, yeah. Would you like a lift? ALVY (Zipping up his bag) Sure. W-w-w-which way yuh goin'? ANNIE Me? Oh, downtown! ALVY Down- I'm-I'm goin' uptown. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, well, I'm goin' uptown, too. ALVY Uh, well, you just said you were going downtown. ANNIE Yeah, well, I'm, but I ... Alvy picks up his bag and moves toward the door. As he turns his bag around, the handle of the tennis racket bits Annie between the legs. ALVY (Laughing) So sorry. ANNIE (Laughing) I mean, I can go uptown, too. I live uptown, but ... uh, what the hell, I mean, it'd be nice having company, you know I mean, I hate driving alone. ALVY (Making sounds) Yeah. They walk out the door. EXT. NEW YORK STREET- DAY Alvy and Annie in the VW as Annie speeds down a city street near the East River. ALVY So, how long do you know Janet? Where do you know her from? ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, I'm in her acting class. ALVY Oh - you're an actress. ANNIE Well, I do commercials, sort of ... She zooms down the wrong lane, cars swerving out of her way. A horn blows. ALVY I, uh ... well, you're not from New York, right? ANNIE No, Chippewa Falls. ALVY Right! (A pause) Where? ANNIE Wisconsin. ALVY (Finally reacting) Uh, you're driving a- ANNIE Uh, don't worry, I'm a very- (A car moves closer to the VW, almost on top of it in the wrong direction. Annie swerves away at the very last minute) -a very good driver. (Alvy rubs his head nervously, staring out the window as Annie speeds along) So, listen-hey, you want some gum, anyway? Annie looks down beside her, searching for the gum. ALVY No, no thanks. Hey, don't- ANNIE Well, where is it? I- ALVY No, no, no, no, you just ... just watch the road. I'll get it- ANNIE Okay. They both fumble around in her pocketbook. Alvy looks up to see the entire front of a truck in Annie's windshield. She swerves just in time. ALVY -for yuh. ANNIE Okay, that's good. Alvy continues to look for the gum while Annie zooms down the city streets. ANNIE All right. ALVY I'll getcha a piece. ANNIE Yeah ... so, listen-you drive? ALVY Do I drive? Uh, no, I gotta-I gotta problem with driving. ANNIE Oh, you do? ALVY Yeah. I got, uh, I got a license but I have too much hostility. ANNIE Oh, right. ALVY Nice car. ANNIE (A bit rapidly) Huh? ALVY You keep it nice. (He pulls a half-eaten sandwich out of her bag) Can I ask you, is this-is this a sandwich? ANNIE Huh? Oh, yeah. EXT. STREET-DAY Cars are parked on both sides of the street as the VW rounds the corner. ANNIE I live over here. Oh, my God! Look! There's a parking space! With brakes squealing, Annie turns the VW sharply into the parking spot. Annie and Alvy get out, Alvy looking over his shoulder as he leaves the car. ALVY That's okay, you ... we-we can walk to the curb from here. ANNIE Don't be funny. ALVY You want your tennis stuff? ANNIE Huh? Oh ... yeah. ALVY You want your gear? Here you go. Alvy reaches into the back of the car and takes out tennis equipment. He hands her her things. People pass by on the street. ANNIE (Laughing) Yeah, thanks. Thanks a lot. Well... ALVY (Sighing) Well, thanks, thank you. You-you're a wonderful tennis player. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh. Alvy shakes hands with Annie. ALVY You're the worst driver I've ever seen in my life . . . that's including any place ... the worst ... Europe, United ... any place ... Asia. ANNIE (Laughing) Yeah. ALVY And I love what you're wearin'. Alvy touches the tie Annie is wearing around her neck. ANNIE Oh, you do? Yeah? Oh, well, it's uh ... this is, uh ... this tie is a present, from Grammy Hall. Annie flips the bottom of the tie. ALVY Who? Grammy? Grammy Hall? ANNIE (Laughing and nodding her head) Yeah, my grammy. ALVY You're jo- Whatta yuh kid- What did you do, grow up in a Norman Rockwell painting? ANNIE (Laughing) Yeah, I know. ALVY Your grammy! ANNIE I know, it's pretty silly, isn't it? ALVY Jesus, my-my grammy ... n-never gave gifts, you know. She-she was too busy getting raped by Cossacks. ANNIE (Laughing) Well ... ALVY Well ... thank you again. ANNIE Oh, yeah, yeah. ALVY I'll see yuh. ANNIE (Overlapping, gesturing) Hey, well, listen ... hey, you wanna come upstairs and, uh ... and have a glass of wine and something? Aw, no, I mean ... I mean, you don't have to, you're probably late and everything else ... ALVY No, no, that'll be fine. I don't mind. Sure. ANNIE You sure? ALVY (Overlapping) No, I got time. ANNIE Okay. ALVY Sure, I got ... I got nothing, uh, nothing till my analyst's appointment. They move toward Annie's apartment building. ANNIE Oh, you see an analyst? ALVY Y-y-yeah, just for fifteen years. ANNIE Fifteen years? ALVY Yeah, uh, I'm gonna give him one more year and then I'm goin' to Lourdes. ANNIE Fifteen-aw, come on, you're . . . yeah, really? INT. ANNIE'S APARTMENT Alvy, standing, looks around the apartment. There are lots of books, framed photographs on the white wall. A terrace can be seen from the window. He picks up a copy of Ariet, by Sylvia Platb, as Annie comes out of the kitchen carrying two glasses. She hands them to Alvy. ALVY Sylvia Plath. ANNIE M'hm... ALVY Interesting poetess whose tragic suicide was misinterpreted as romantic, by the college-girl mentality. ANNIE Oh, yeah. ALVY Oh, sorry. ANNIE Right. Well, I don't know, I mean, uh, some of her poems seem - neat, you know. ALVY Neat? ANNIE Neat, yeah. ALVY Uh, I hate to tell yuh, this is nineteen seventy-five, you know that "neat" went out, I would say, at the turn of the century. (Annie laughs) Who-who are-who are those photos on the wall? ANNIE (Moving over to the photographs) Oh ... oh, well, you see now now, uh, that's my dad, that's Father-and that's my ... brother, Duane. ALVY Duane? ANNIE (Pointing) Yeah, right, Duane-and over there is Grammy Hall, and that's Sadie. ALVY Well, who's Sadie? ANNIE Sadie? Oh, well, Sadie... (Laughing) Sadie met Grammy through, uh, through Grammy's brother George. Uh, George was real sweet, you know, he had that thing. What is that thing where you, uh, where you, uh, fall asleep in the middle of a sentence, you know-what is it? Uh ... ALVY Uh, narcolepsy. ANNIE Narcolepsy, right, right. Right. So, anyway, so ... (Laughing) George, uh, went to the union, see, to get his free turkey, be-because, uh, the union always gave George this big turkey at Christmas time because he was ... (Annie points her fingers to each side of her head, indicating George was a little crazy) shell-shocked, you know what I mean, in the First World War. (Laughing hysterically, she opens a cabinet door and takes out a bottle of wine) Anyway, so, so ... (Laughing through the speech) George is standing in line, oh, just a sec ...uh, getting his free turkey, but the thing is, he falls asleep and he never wakes up. So, so... (Laughing) so, he's dead ... (Laughing) he's dead. Yeah. Oh, dear. Well, terrible, huh, wouldn't you say? I mean, that's pretty unfortunate. Annie unscrews the bottle of wine, silent now after her speech. ALVY Yeah, it's a great story, though, I mean, I... I ... it really made my day. Hey, I think I should get outta here, you know, 'cause I think I'm imposing, you know ... ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, really? Oh, well ... uh, uh, maybe, uh, maybe, we, uh ... ALVY ... and ... uh, yeah, uh ... uh, you know, I-I-I... They move outside to the terrace, Alvy still holding the glasses, Annie the wine. They stand in front of the railing, Annie pouring the wine into the held-out glasses. ANNIE Well, I mean, you don't have to, you know. ALVY No, I know, but ... but, you know, I'm all perspired and everything. ANNIE Well, didn't you take, uh ... uh, a shower at the club? ALVY Me? No, no, no, 'cause I never shower in a public place. ANNIE (Laughing) Why not? ALVY 'Cause I don't like to get naked in front of another man, you know-it's, uh ... ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, I see, I see. ALVY You know, I don't like to show my body to a man of my gender- ANNIE Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I see. I guess- ALVY -'cause, uh, you never know what's gonna happen. ANNIE (Sipping her wine and laughing) Fifteen years, huh? ALVY Fifteen years, yeah. ANNIE Yeah. Oh, God bless! They put their glasses together in a toast. ALVY God bless. ANNIE (Laughing) Well, uh ... (Pausing) You're what Grammy Hall would call a real Jew. ALVY (Clearing his throat) Oh, thank you. ANNIE (Smiling) Yeah, well ... you-She hates Jews. She thinks that they just make money, but let me tell yuh, I mean, she's the one yeah, is she ever. I'm tellin' yuh. ALVY (pointing toward the apartment after a short pause) So, did you do shoot the photographs in there or what? ANNIE (Nodding, her hand on her hip) Yeah, yeah, I sorta dabble around, you know. Annie's thoughts pop on the screen as she talks: I dabble? Listen to me-what a jerk! ALVY They're ... they're... they're wonderful, you know. They have ... they have, uh ... a ... a quality. As do Alvy's: You are a great-looking girl ANNIE Well, I-I-I would-I would like to take a serious photography course soon. Again, Annie's thoughts pop on: He probably thinks I'm a yo-yo ALVY Photography's interesting, 'cause, you know, it's-it's a new art form, and a, uh, a set of aesthetic criteria have not emerged yet. And Alvy's: I wonder what she looks like naked? ANNIE Aesthetic criteria? You mean, whether it's, uh, good photo or not? I'm not smart enough for him. Hang in there ALVY The-the medium enters in as a condition of the art form itself. That's- I don't know what I'm saying-she senses I'm shallow ANNIE Well, well, I ... to me-I ... I mean, it's-it's-it's all instinctive, you know. I mean, I just try to uh, feel it, you know? I try to get a sense of it and not think about it so much. God, I hope he doesn't turn out to be a shmuck like the others ALVY Still, still we- You need a set of aesthetic guide lines to put it in social perspective, I think. Christ, I sound like FM radio. Relax They're quiet for a moment, holding wine glasses and sipping. The sounds of distant traffic from the street can be heard on the terrace. Annie, laughing, speaks first. ANNIE Well, I don't know. I mean, I guess-I guess you must be sorta late, huh? ALVY You know, I gotta get there and begin whining soon ... otherwise I- Hey ... well, are you busy Friday night? ANNIE Me? Oh, uh. (Laughing) No. ALVY (Putting his band on his forehead) Oh, I'm sorry, wait a minute, I have something. Well, what about Saturday night? ANNIE (Nodding) Oh ... nothing. Not-no, no! ALVY Oh, you ... you're very popular, I can see. ANNIE (Laughing) I know. ALVY Gee, boy, what do you have? You have plague? ANNIE Well, I mean, I meet a lot of ... jerks, you know- ALVY Yeah, I meet a lotta jerks, too. ANNIE (Overlapping) -what I mean? ALVY I think that's, uh- ANNIE (Interrupting) But I'm thinking about getting some cats, you know, and then they ... Oh, wait a second-oh, no, no, I mean (Laughing) oh, shoot! No, Saturday night I'm gonna- (Laughing) gonna sing. Yeah. ALVY You're gonna sing? Do you sing? Well, no, it isn't (Overlapping) No kidding? (Overlapping) -this is my first time. Oh, really? Where? I'd like to come. (Laughing) Oh, no, no, no, no, no! No, I'm interested! ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, no-I mean, I'm just a-auditioning sort of at club. I don't- ALVY (Overlapping) No, so help me. ANNIE (Overlapping) -it's my first time. ALVY That's okay, 'cause I know exactly what that's like. Listen- ANNIE (Interrupting) Yeah. ALVY (Overlapping) -you're gonna like night clubs, they're really a lotta fun. INT. NIGHT CLUB-NIGHT Annie stands on center stage with a microphone, a pianist behind her. A Bright light is focused on her; the rest of the club is in darkness. There are the typical sounds and movements of a nightclub audience: low conversation, curling smoke, breaking glass, microphone bum, moving chairs, waiters clattering trays, a ringing phone as Annie sings "It Had to Be You. EXT. CITY STREET-NIGHT. Alvy and Annie walk quickly down the sidewalk. ANNIE I was awful. I'm so ashamed! I can't sing. ALVY Oh, listen, so the audience was a tad restless. ANNIE Whatta you mean, a tad restless? Oh, my God, I mean, they hated me. ALVY No, they didn't. You have a wonderful voice. ANNIE No, I'm gonna quit! ALVY No, I'm not gonna letcha. You have a great voice. ANNIE Really, do you think so, really? ALVY Yeah! ANNIE Yeah? ALVY It's terrific. ANNIE (Overlapping) Yeah, you know something? I never even took a lesson, either. They stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Alvy turns Annie around to face him. ALVY Hey, listen, listen. ANNIE What? ALVY Gimme a kiss. ANNIE Really? ALVY Yeah, why not, because we're just gonna go home later, right? ANNIE Yeah. ALVY And-and uh, there's gonna be all that tension. You know, we never kissed before and I'll never know when to make the right move or anything. So we'll kiss now we'll get it over with and then we'll go eat. Okay? ANNIE Oh, all right. ALVY And we'll digest our food better. ANNIE Okay. ALVY Okay? ANNIE Yeah. They kiss. ALVY So now we can digest our food. They turn and start walking again. ANNIE We can digest our- ALVY Okay. Yeah. INT. DELI-NIGHT Annie and Alvy sit down in a booth. The deli is fairly well lit and crowded. Conversation, plates clattering, can be heard over the dialogue. The waiter comes over to them to take their order. ALVY (To the waiter) I'm gonna have a corned beef. ANNIE (To the waiter) Yeah ... oh, uh, and I'm gonna have a pastrami on white bread with, uh, mayonnaise and tomatoes and lettuce. (Alvy involuntarily makes a face as the waiter leaves) Tsch, so, uh, your second wife left you and, uh, were you depressed about that? ALVY Nothing that a few mega-vitamins couldn't cure. ANNIE Oh. And your first wife was Allison? ALVY My first... Yes, she was nice, but you know, uh, it was my fault. I was just... I was too crazy. ANNIE Oh. INT. DARKENED BEDROOM-NIGHT Alvy and Annie in bed together. ANNIE M'm, that was so nice. That was nice. ALVY As Balzac said ... ANNIE H'm? ALVY "There goes another novel." (They laugh) Jesus, you were great. ANNIE Oh, yeah? ALVY Yeah. ANNIE Yeah? ALVY Yeah, I'm-I'm-I'm a wreck. ANNIE No. (She turns and looks at Alvy, then laughs) You're a wreck. ALVY Really. I mean it. I-I'll never play the piano again. ANNIE (Lighting a joint and laughing) You're really nuts. I don't know, you really thought it was good? Tell me. ALVY Good? I was- ANNIE (Overlapping) No. ALVY No, that was the most fun I've ever had without laughing. ANNIE (Laughing) Here, you want some? ALVY No, no, I-I-i, uh, I don't use any major hallucinogenics because I took a puff like five years ago at a party and ANNIE Yeah? ALVY -tried to take my pants off over my head ... (Annie laughs) ... my ear. ANNIE Oh, I don't know, I don't really. I don't do it very often, you know, just sort of, er ... relaxes me at first. ALVY M'hm. (He pushes himself up from the bed and looks down at Annie) You're not gonna believe this, but- ANNIE What? What? CUT TO: INT. BOOKSTORE-DAY Annie and Alvy browsing in crowded bookstore. Alvy, carrying two books, "Death and Western Thought" and "The Denial of Death", moves over to where Annie is looking. ALVY Hey? ANNIE H'm? ALVY I-I-I'm gonna buy you these books, I think, because I-I think you should read them. You know, instead of that cat book. ANNIE (Looking at the books Alvy is bolding) That's, uh ... (Laughing) that's pretty serious stuff there. ALVY Yeah, 'cause I-I'm, you know, I'm, I'm obsessed with-with, uh, with death, I think. Big- ANNIE (Overlapping) Yeah? ALVY -big subject with me, yeah. ANNIE Yeah? They move over to the cashier line. ALVY (Gesturing) I've a very pessimistic view of life. You should know this about me if we're gonna go out, you know. I-I-I feel that life is-is divided up into the horrible and the miserable. ANNIE M'hm. ALVY Those are the two categories ... ANNIE M'hm. ALVY ... you know, they're- The-the horrible would be like, uh, I don't know, terminal cases, you know? ANNIE M'hm. ALVY And blind people, crippled ... ANNIE Yeah. ALVY I don't-don't know how they get through life. It's amazing to me. ANNIE M'hm. ALVY You know, and the miserable is everyone else. That's-that's all. So-so when you go through life you should be thankful that you're miserable, because that's- You're very lucky ... to be ... (Overlapping Annie's laughter) ... to be miserable. ANNIE U-huh. EXT. PARK-DAY It's a beautiful sunny day in Central Park. People are sitting on benches, others strolling, some walking dogs. One woman stands feeding cooing pigeons. Alvy's and Annie's voices are heard off screen as they observe the scene before them. An older man and woman walk into view. ALVY Look, look at that guy. ANNIE M'hm. ALVY There's-there's-there's-there's Mr. When-in-the-Pink, Mr. Miami Beach, there, you know? (Over Annie's laughter) He's the latest! just came back from the gin-rummy farm last night. He placed third. ANNIE (Laughing) M'hm. Yeah. Yeah. The camera shows them sitting side by side relaxed on a bench. ALVY (Watching two men approach, one lighting a cigar) Look at these guys. ANNIE Yeah. ALVY Oh, that's hilarious. They're back from Fire Island. They're ... they're sort of giving it a chance-you know what I mean? ANNIE Oh! Italian, right? ALVY Yeah, he's the Mafia. Linen Supply Business or Cement and Contract, you know what I mean? ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, yeah. ALVY No, I'm serious. (Over Annie's laughter) I just got my mustache wet. ANNIE Oh, yeah? ALVY (As another man walks by) And there's the winner of the Truman Capote look-alike contest. EXT. STREET-NIGHT Alvy and Annie walk almost in silhouette along the dock, the New York City skyline in the background. Alvy has his arm around Annie and they walk slowly. No one else is around. ANNIE You see, like you and I ... ALVY You are extremely sexy. ANNIE No, I'm not. ALVY Unbelievably sexy. Yes, you are. Because ... you know what you are? You're-you're polymorphously perverse. ANNIE Well, what does-what does that mean? I don't know what that is. ALVY Uh ... uh, you're-you're exceptional in bed because you got -you get pleasure in every part of your body when I touch you. ANNIE Ooooh! They stop walking. Holding Annie's arms, Alvy turns her to face him. The South Street Bridge, lit up for the night, is in the background. ALVY You know what I mean? Like the tip o'your nose, and if I stroke your teeth or your kneecaps ... you get excited. ANNIE Come on. (Laughing) Yeah. You know what? You know, I like you, I really mean it. I really do like you. ALVY You- Do you love me? ANNIE Do I love you? ALVY That's the key question. ANNIE Yeah. ALVY I know you've only known me a short while. ANNIE Well, I certainly ... I think that's very- Yeah, yeah ... (Laughing) yeah. Do you love me? ALVY I-uh, love is, uh, is too weak a word for what... ANNIE Yeah. ALVY - I ... I love you. (Over Annie's laughter) You know I lo-ove you, I-I love you. (Over Annie's laughter) I-I have to invent- Of course I love you. ANNIE Yeah. ALVY (Putting his arms around her neck) Don't you think I do? ANNIE I dunno. They kiss as a foghorn sounds in the distance. INT. ALVY'S APARTMENT Alvy, somewhat distraught, is following Annie around his apartment, which is filled with boxes and suitcases, clothes and framed pictures. They both carry cartons. ALVY Whatta you mean? You're not gonna give up your own apartment, are you? ANNIE (Putting down the carton) Of course. ALVY Yeah, bu-bu-but why? ANNIE Well, I mean, I'm moving in with you, that's why. ALVY Yeah, but you-you got a nice apartment. ANNIE I have a tiny apartment. ALVY Yeah, I know it's small. ANNIE (Picking up the suitcases and walking into the bedroom) That's right, and it's got bad plumbing and bugs. ALVY (Picking up some pictures and following Annie into the bedroom) All right, granted, it has bad plumbing and bugs, but you-you say that like it's a negative thing. You know, bugs are-are-uh, entomology is a ... (Annie, reacting, tosses the suitcases and some loose clothing onto the bed. She sits down on the edge, looking away. Alvy walks in, pictures and carton in band, still talking) ... rapidly growing field. ANNIE You don't want me to live with you? ALVY How- I don't want you to live with me? How- Whose idea was it? ANNIE Mine. ALVY Ye-ah. Was it ... It was yours actually, but, uh, I approved it immediately. ANNIE I guess you think that I talked you into something, huh? (putting pictures on the mantel) ALVY No-what, what ...? I ... we live together, we sleep together, we eat together. Jesus, you don't want it to be like we're married, do yuh? He moves over to the carton of books on the window seat and reaches in. He starts tossing books off screen. ANNIE (Looking up at Alvy) How is it any different? ALVY (Gesturing) It's different 'cause you keep your own apartment. (Holding a book, he starts walking around the room) Because you know it's there, we don't have to go to it, we don't have to deal with it, but it's like a-a-a free-floating life raft ... that we know that we're not married. He tosses the book on the bed and walks back to the window seat. ANNIE (Still sitting on the bed) That little apartment is four hundred dollars a month, Alvy. ALVY (Looking at Annie) That place is four hundred dollars a month? ANNIE Yes, it is. ALVY (Whistling) It's-it's got bad plumbing and bugs. Jesus, I'll-My accountant will write it off as a tax deduction, I'll pay for it. ANNIE (Shaking her head) You don't think I'm smart enough to be serious about. ALVY Hey, don't be ridiculous. Alvy moves over to the bed and sits down next to Annie. ANNIE Then why are you always pushing me to take those college courses like I was dumb or something? ALVY (Putting his hand to his forehead) 'Cause adult education's a wonderful thing. You meet a lotta interesting professors. You know, it's stimulating. EXT. COUNTRY HIGHWAY - DAY Annie and Alvy, in Annie's VW, driving to their summerhouse. The camera moves with them as they pass a house with a lighted window, blooming foliage. There is no dialogue, but it is a comfortable quiet. Classical music plays in the background. CUT TO: INT. COUNTRY HOUSE - NIGHT Annie, sitting cross-legged on a wooden chest in the bedroom, is browsing through a school catalogue. Alvy lies in bed reading. ANNIE (Reading) Does this sound like a good course? Uh, "Modern American Poetry"? Uh, or, uh-let's see now ... maybe I should, uh, take "Introduction to the Novel." ALVY Just don't take any course where they make you read Beowulf. ANNIE What? (Laughing) Hey, listen, what-what do you think? Do you think we should, uh, go to that-that party in Southampton tonight? Alvy leans over and kisses her shoulder. ALVY No, don't be silly. What-what do we need other people for? (He puts his arms around her neck, kissing her, Annie making muffled sounds) You know, we should-we should just turn out the lights, you know, and play hide and seek or something. ANNIE (Laughing) Well, okay. Well, listen, I'm gonna get a cigarette, okay? ALVY (Yelling out to her as she leaves the room) Yeah, grass, right? The illusion that it will make a white woman more like Billie Holiday. ANNIE (Off screen) Well, have you ever made love high? ALVY Me, no. You ... I-I-you know, if I have grass or alcohol or anything I get unbearably wonderful. I get too, too wonderful for words. You know, I don't-I don't know why you have to, uh, get high every time we make love. ANNIE (Moving back into the room and lighting a joint) It relaxes me. ALVY Oh, you-you have to be artificially relaxed before we can go to bed? ANNIE (Closing the door) Well, what's the difference, anyway? ALVY Well, I'll give you a shot of sodium pentothal. You can sleep through it. ANNIE Oh, come on, look who's talking. You've been seeing a psychiatrist for fifteen years. (She gets into bed and takes a puff of marijuana) You should smoke some o' this. You'd be off the couch in no time. ALVY Oh, come, you don't need that. Alvy, sitting down on the bed, moves over to Annie and takes the weed from her. ANNIE What are you doing? ALVY (Kissing her) No, no, no, what ... You can once, you can live without it once. Come on. ANNIE Oh, no, Alvy, please. Alvy, please. (Laughing and making sounds) M'mrnm. ALVY M'm, wait, I got a great idea. (He gets up and goes over to the closet, taking out a light bulb. He goes back to the bed and turns out the lamp on the night table) Hang in there for a second. I got a little-little artifact. A little erotic artifact, that-that I brought up from the city, which I think, uh, is gonna be perfect. (He turns the lamp back on, having replaced the bulb with the red one from the closet) I just ... there ... There's a little Old New Orleans ... essence. Now-now we can go about our business here and we can even develop photographs if we want to. There, now there. (He undresses and crawls into bed, taking Annie in his arms) M'mmm. M'mmm. Hey, is something wrong? ANNIE Uh-uh-why? ALVY I don't know. You- It's like you're- you're removed. ANNIE No, I'm fine. As Annie speaks, her inner self (ghostlike, moves up from the bed and) sits down on a chair, watching. ALVY Really? ANNIE U-huh. ALVY I don't know, but you seem sort of distant. ANNIE Let's just do it, all right? ALVY (Kissing and caressing Annie) Is it my imagination or are you just going through the motions? ANNIE'S SPIRIT Alvy, do you remember where I put my drawing pad? Because while you two are doing that, I think I'm gonna do some drawing. ALVY (Reacting) You see, that's what I call removed. ANNIE Oh, you have my body. ALVY Yeah, but that's not-that's no good. I want the whole thing. ANNIE (Sighing) Well, I need grass and so do you. ALVY Well, it ruins it for me if you have grass (Clearing his throat) because, you know, I'm, like, a comedian- ANNIE (Overlapping) M'hm. ALVY (Overlapping) -so if I get a laugh from a person who's high, it doesn't count. You know-'cause they're always laughin'. ANNIE Were you always funny? ALVY Hey, what is this-an interview? We're supposed to be making love. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE. A typical old-fashioned theatrical agency in a Broadway office building. Autographed 8 X 12 is plastered in the sloppy room. The agent, chewing a cigar, sits behind his desk talking to one of his clients, a comedian, who stands with his hands in his pockets. A young Alvy sits stiffly in a chair nearby watching. AGENT This guy is naturally funny. I think he can write for you. COMIC (Buttoning his jacket) Yeah, yeah. Hey, kid, he tells me you're really good. Well, lemme explain a little bit o' how I work. You know, you can tell right off the bat that I don't look like a funny guy when I come-you know, like some o' the guys that come out. You know, right away (Gesturing) they're gonna tell yuh their stories, you're gonna fall down, but I gotta be really talented. Material's gotta be sensational for me 'cause I work, you know, with very, very ... Come on, I'm kinda classy, you know what I mean? Uh ... uh ... lemme explain. For instance, I open with an opening song. A musical start like (Ad-lib singing) and I walk out (Ad-lib singing) "Place looks wonderful from here and you folks look wonderful from here! (Singing) "And seein' you there With a smile on your face Makes me shout This must be the place." Then I stop right in the middle and then I open with some jokes. Now, that's where I need you, right there. For instance, like I say, "Hey, I just got back from Canada, you know, they speak a lotta French up there. The only way to remember Jeanne d'Arc means the light's out in the bathroom!" (He laughs. Seated Alvy looks up smiling) "Oh, I met a big lumberjack ..." ALVY'S VOICE (To himself) Jesus, this guy's pathetic. COMIC (Overlapping above speech) ... big lumberjack ... ALVY'S VOICE (To himself while the comic continues his routine) Look at him mincing around, like he thinks he's real cute. You wanna throw up. If only I had the nerve to do my own jokes. I don't know how much longer I can keep this smile frozen on my face. I'm in the wrong business, I know it. COMIC (Overlapping above speech) "'Cherie, come back. I love you. (Shaking his lips and mimicking) But, uh, Cheri, what will I do with this, uh?' He says, 'Aw, Marie, sometime you make me so mad."' (Laughing) Oh, they scream at that. Now, write me somethin' like that, will yuh? Kinda French number, can yuh do it? Huh, kid? INT. THEATER - NIGHT The darkened auditorium is filled with college students applauding and cheering, excited, as Alvy stands on spotlighted stage holding the microphone. ALVY (Gesturing) W-where am I? I-I keep ... I have to reorient myself. This is the University of Wisconsin, right? So I'm always ... I'm tense and ... uh, when I'm playin' a col- I've a very bad history with colleges. You know, I went to New York University and, uh, tsch, I was thrown out of NYU my freshman year ... for cheating on my metaphysics final. You know, I looked within the soul of the boy sitting next to me- (The audience laughs; they're with him) -and when I was thrown out, my mother, who's an emotionally high-strung woman, locked herself in the bathroom and took an overdose of mah-jongg tiles. (More applause and laughter) And, uh, tsch, I was depressed. I was ... in analysis, I-I, uh, was suicidal; as a matter of fact, uh, I would have killed myself but I was in analysis with a strict Freudian and if you kill yourself ... they make you pay for the sessions you miss. INT. BACKSTAGE OF THEATER. Students mill around Alvy banding him pens and paper for autographs. Annie is next to him, talking over the chattering fans. ANNIE Alvy, you were ... Alvy, you were just great, I'm not kidding. It was- You were so neat. ALVY C-c-coll- College audiences are so wonderful. ANNIE Yeah. Yeah. And you know something? I think that I'm starting to get more of your references, too. ALVY Are yuh? ANNIE Yeah. ALVY Well, the twelve o'clock show is completely different than the nine. YOUNG WOMAN (Interrupting) May I have your autograph? ANNIE (Over lapping above speech) Oh. ALVY (To Annie, while autographing) You're so sure about it. ANNIE Oh, I'm really, uh, looking forward to tomorrow. I mean, you know, I think that it'll be really nice to meet Mother and Father. They start moving toward the exit, a girl snapping a picture of Alvy with a flash camera as they walk through the crowd. ALVY Yeah, I know, they'll hate me immediately. (To one of his fans) Thank you. ANNIE No, I don't think so. No, I don't think they're gonna hate you at all. On the contrary, I think- ALVY Yeah. ANNIE It's Easter. You know, we'll have a nice dinner, we'll sit down and eat. I think they're gonna really like you. EXT. ANNIE'S PARENTS' HOME-DAY The camera shows a neat two-story house surrounded by a well-manicured green lawn, then cuts to: INT. DINING ROOM. Alvy and the Halls are eating Easter dinner. The sun is pouring through a big picture window, shining on a large, elegantly laid out table. Alvy sits, at one end,- rubbing his nose and chewing, the Halls flanking him on either side: Mr. and Mrs. Hall, Grammy, and Annie's brother, Duane. MOM HALL (Holding her wine glass) It's a nice ham this year, Mom. Grammy Hall takes a sip of her wine and nods. ANNIE (Smiling at Duane) Oh, yeah. Grammy always does such a good job. DAD HALL (Chewing) A great sauce. ALVY It is. (Smacking his lips) It's dynamite ham. Grammy Hall stares down the table at Alvy; a look of utter dislike. Alvy tries not to notice. MOM HALL (To Dad Hall, smoothing her hair) We went over to the swap meet. Annie, Gram and I. Got some nice picture frames. ANNIE We really had a good time. Grammy continues to stare at Alvy; he is now dressed in the long black coat and hat of the Orthodox Jew, complete with mustache and heard. MOM HALL (Lighting a cigarette and turning to Alvy) Ann tells us that you've been seeing a psychiatrist for fifteen years. ALVY (Setting down his glass and coughing) Yes. I'm making excellent progress. Pretty soon when I lie down on his couch, I won't have to wear the lobster bib. Mom Hall reacts by sipping from her glass and frowning. Grammy continues to stare. DAD HALL Duane and I went out to the boat basin. DUANE We were caulkin' holes all day. DAD HALL Yeah. (Laughing) Randolph Hunt was drunk, as usual. MOM HALL Oh, that Randolph Hunt. You remember Randy Hunt, Annie. He was in the choir with you. ANNIE Oh, yes, yes. Alvy, leaning his elbow on the table, looks out toward the camera. ALVY (To the audience) I can't believe this family. (Making chewing sounds) Annie's mother. She really's beautiful. And they're talkin' swap meets and boat basins, and the old lady at the end of the table (Pointing to Grammy) is a classic Jew hater. And, uh, they, they realty look American, you know, very healthy and ... like they never get sick or anything. Nothing like my family. You know, the two are like oil and water. The screen splits in half - on the right is Alvy's family - his mother, father, aunt and uncle-busily eating at the crowded kitchen table. They eat quickly and interrupt one another loudly. On the left the Halls in their dining room. Both dialogues overlap, juxtaposed. ALVY'S FATHER Let 'im drop dead! Who needs his business?! ALVY'S MOTHER His wife has diabetes! ALVY'S FATHER Di-diabetes? Is that any excuse? Diabetes? ALVY'S UNCLE The man is fifty years old and doesn't have a substantial job. ALVY'S AUNT (Putting more meat on her husband's plate) Is that a reason to steal from his father? ALVY'S UNCLE Whatta you talkin' about? You don't know what you're talking about. ALVY'S AUNT Yes, I know what I'm talking about. ALVY'S MOTHER (Interrupting) George, defend him! ALVY'S UNCLE (Over Alvy's father's muttering) No Moskowitz he had a coronary. ALVY'S AUNT You don't say. ALVY'S MOTHER We fast. MOM HALL Stupid Thelma Poindexter ... to the Veterans Hospital. DAD HALL My God, he's the new president of the El Regis. Let me tell you, the man is somethin' else. MOM HALL That's Jack's wife. We used to make that outta raisins. ANNIE Oh, yes, that's right. Did you see the new play? MOM HALL Oh, you remember her, Annie. ANNIE Yes, I do. The two families start talking back and forth to one another. The screen is still split. MOM HALL How do you plan to spend the holidays, Mrs. Singer? DAD HALL Fast? ALVY'S FATHER Yeah, no food. You know, we have to atone for our sins. MOM HALL What sins? I don't understand. ALVY'S FATHER Tell you the truth, neither do we. CUT TO: INT. DUANE'S BEDROOM-NIGHT Duane, sitting on his bed, sees Alvy walking past the open door. DUANE Alvy. ALVY (Walking in) Oh, hi, Duane, how's it goin'? DUANE This is my room. ALVY (Looking around) Oh, yeah? (He clears his throat) Terrific. DUANE Can I confess something? Alvy sighs and sits down, leaning his arm on Duane's dresser. Duane's face is big lighted by a single lamp. DUANE I tell you this because, as an artist, I think you'll understand. Sometimes when I'm driving ... on the road at night ... I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion. The sound of shattering glass. The ... flames rising out of the flowing gasoline. ALVY (Reacting and clearing his throat) Right. Tsch, well, I have to-I have t-o go now, Duane, because I-I'm due back on the planet earth. He slowly gets up and moves toward the door. INT. THE HALLS' LIVING ROOM. Mom and Dad Hall walk into the living room; Annie is with them. MOM HALL Now, don't let it be so long, now. ANNIE No. DAD HALL And look up Uncle Bill, you promise. ANNIE Okay. Okay. MOM HALL Oh, he's adorable, Annie. ANNIE You think so? Do you really? MOM HALL We're going to take them to the airport. DAD HALL Oh, no-Duane can. I haven't finished my drink. ANNIE Yes, Duane is. I'll be right- MOM HALL M'mmm. ANNIE I just have time to get the, uh- She walks out of the room as Mom and Dad Hall kiss. EXT. ROAD - NIGHT Duane, behind the wheel, stares straight ahead. It is raining very hard, the windshield wipers are moving quickly. The headlights of another car brightens the interior of Duane's car as the camera shows first Duane, then Annie, then Alvy tensely staring straight ahead. EXT. STREET- DAY The camera bolds on a quiet New York City street; the buildings, brownstones. It's a warm day-people sit on front stoops, window boxes are planted. Annie walks into the frame first, then Alvy, who is walking to her right. They walk quickly, side by side, their voices heard before they move into the frame. ANNIE (Off screen) You followed me. I can't believe it! ALVY (Off screen) I didn't follow you! ANNIE You followed me! ALVY Why? 'Cause I ... was walkin' along a block behind you staring at you? That's not following! ANNIE Well, what is your definition of following? ALVY (Gasping) Following is different. I was spying. ANNIE Do you realize how paranoid you are? ALVY Paranoid? I'm looking at you. You got your arms around another guy. ANNIE That is the worst kind of paranoia. ALVY Yeah-well, I didn't start out spying. I-I thought I'd surprise yuh. Pick you up after school. ANNIE Yeah-well, you wanted to keep the relationship flexible, remember? It's your phrase. ALVY Oh, stop it. But you were having an affair with your college professor. That jerk that teaches that incredible crap course "Contemporary Crisis in Western Man"! ANNIE "Existential Motifs in Russian Literature"! You're really close. ALVY What's the difference? It's all mental masturbation. ANNIE (Stopping for a moment) Oh, well, now we're finally getting to a subject you know something about! She walks away. ALVY (Catching up to her) Hey, don't knock masturbation! It's sex with someone I love. ANNIE (Continuing to walk quickly) We're not having an affair. He's married. He just happens to think I'm neat. ALVY (Still walking next to her) "Neat"! There's that- What are you-twelve years old? That's one o' your Chippewa Falls expressions! "He thinks I'm neat." ANNIE Who cares? Who cares? ALVY Next thing you know he'll find you keen and peachy, you know? Next thing you know he's got his hand on your ass! They both stop in the middle of the street. ANNIE You've always had hostility toward David ever since I mentioned him! ALVY David? You call your teacher David? ANNIE It's his name. ALVY Well, listen, that's, a nice bi-it's a biblical name. Right? W-What does he call you? Bathsheba? He walks away. ANNIE (Calling after him) Alvy! Alvy! You're the one who never wanted to make a real commitment. You don't think I'm smart enough! We had that argument just last month, or don't ou remember that day? CUT TO: INT. KITCHEN. Alvy is at the sink washing dishes as the screen cuts to the scene of last month's argument. Annie's voice is heard. ANNIE (Off screen) I'm home! ALVY (Turning) Oh, yeah? How'd it go? ANNIE (Comes into the kitchen and puts down a bag of groceries on the kitchen table) Oh, it was ... (Laughing) really weird. But she's a very nice woman. ALVY Yeah? ANNIE And I didn't have to lie down on the couch, Alvy, she had me sitting up. So I told her about-about the-the family and about my feelings toward men and about my relationship with my brother. ALVY M'm. ANNIE And then she mentioned penis envy ... Did you know about that? ALVY Me? I'm-I'm one of the few males who suffers from that, so, so ... you know. ANNIE M'hm. ALVY G-go on, I'm interested. ANNIE Well, she said that I was very guilty about my impulses toward marriage, and-and children. ALVY M'hm. ANNIE And then I remembered when I was a kid how I accidentally saw my parents making love. ALVY Tsch. Rea- All this happened in the first hour? ANNIE M'hm. ALVY That's amazing. I-I-I ... I've been goin' for fifteen years, I-you know, I don't got ... nothing like that in- ANNIE Oh, I told her my dream and then I cried. ALVY You cried? I've never once cried. Fantastic ... ANNIE (Taking groceries from the bag) Yeah. ALVY I whine. I-I-I sit and I whine. ANNIE In-in ... Alvy, in my dream Frank Sinatra is holding his pillow across my face and I can't breathe. ALVY Sinatra? ANNIE Yeah, and he's strangling me ... ALVY Yeah? ANNIE ... and I keep, you know, it's- ALVY (Taking a bottle of juice and some celery from the bag) Well, well, sure ... because he's a singer and you're a singer, you know, so it's perfect. So you're trying to suffocate yourself. It-it makes perfect sense. Uh, uh, that's a perfect analytic ... kind of insight. ANNIE (Pointing her finger at Alvy) She said, your name was Alvy Singer. ALVY (Turning to Annie) Whatta you mean? Me? ANNIE Yeah, yeah, yeah, you. Because in the dream ... I break Sinatra's glasses. ALVY (Putting his band to his mouth) Sinatra had gl- You never said Sinatra had glasses. So whatta you saying that I-I'm suffocating you? ANNIE (Turning, ajar in her hand) Oh, and God, Alvy, I did ... this really terrible thing to him. Because then when he sang it was in this real high-pitched voice. ALVY (Thinking) Tsch, what'd the doctor say? ANNIE (Putting away some groceries) Well, she said that I should probably come five times a week. And you know something? I don't think I mind analysis at all. The only question is, Will it change my wife? ALVY Will it change your wife? ANNIE Will it change my life? ALVY Yeah, but you said, "Will it change my wife"! ANNIE No, I didn't. (Laughing) I said, "Will it change my life," Alvy. ALVY You said, "Will it change. . ." Wife. Will it change ... ANNIE (Yelling out, angry) Life. I said, "life." Alvy turns toward the camera. ALVY (To the audience) She said, "Will it change my wife." You heard that because you were there so I'm not crazy. ANNIE And, Alvy ... and then I told her about how I didn't think you'd ever really take me seriously, because you don't think that I'm smart enough. She walks out of the room. ALVY (To Annie's back, gesturing) Why do you always bring that up? Because I encourage you to take adult-education courses? I think it's a wonderful thing. You meet wonderful, interesting professors'. CUT TO: EXT. STREET Annie stands at the open door of a cab, Alvy next to her gesturing as people and cars move by. ALVY Adult education is such junk! The professors are so phony. How can you do it? ANNIE A bit rapidly. I don't care what you say about David, he's a perfectly fine teacher! ALVY (Interrupting) David! David! I can't believe this! ANNIE And what are you doing following me around for, anyway? ALVY I'm following you and David, if you- ANNIE (Interrupting) I just think we oughta call this relationship quits! Annie gets into the cab; Alvy leans over and closes the door. ALVY That's fine. That's fine. That's great! (He turns toward the camera as the cab drives away) Well, I don't know what I did wrong. (Gesturing) I mean, I can't believe this. Somewhere she cooled off to me! (He walks up to an older woman walking down the street carrying groceries) Is it-is it something that I did? WOMAN ON THE STREET Never something you do. That's how people are. Love fades. She moves on down the street. ALVY (Scratching his head) Love fades. God, that's a depressing thought. Have to ask you a question. (He stops another passer-by,a man) Don't go any further. Now, with your wife in bed, d-d-does she need some kind o' artificial stimulation like-like marijuana? MAN ON THE STREET We use a large vibrating egg. He walks on. ALVY (Continuing to walk) Large vibrating egg. Well, I ask a psychopath, I get that kind of an answer. Jesus, I-I, uh, here ... (He moves up the sidewalk to a young trendy-looking couple, arms wrapped around each other) You-you look like a really happy couple. Uh, uh ... are you? YOUNG WOMAN Yeah. ALVY Yeah! So ... so h-h-how do you account for it? YOUNG WOMAN Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say. YOUNG MAN And I'm exactly the same way. ALVY I see. Well, that's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something, huh? YOUNG MAN Right. YOUNG WOMAN Yeah. ALVY Oh, well, thanks very much for talking to me. He continues to walk past some other passersby and moves into the street. A mounted policeman comes by and stops near him. Alvy looks at the horse, as if to speak. ALVY'S VOICE-OVER You know, even as a kid I always went for the wrong women. I think that's my problem. When my mother took me to see Snow White, everyone fell in love with Snow White. I immediately fell for the Wicked Queen. The scene dissolves into a sequence from the animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Wicked Queen, resembling Annie, sits in the palace before her mirror. Alvy, as a cartoon figure, sits beside her, arms crossed in front of him. WICKED QUEEN We never have any fun anymore. CARTOON FIGURE ALVY How can you say that? WICKED QUEEN Why not? You're always leaning on me to improve myself. CARTOON FIGURE ALVY You're just upset. You must be getting your period. WICKED QUEEN I don't get a period! I'm a cartoon character. Can't I be upset once in a while? Rob, as a cartoon figure, enters and sits down on the other side of the Wicked Queen. CARTOON FIGURE ROB Max, will you forget about Annie? I know lots of women you can date. CARTOON FIGURE ALVY I don't wanna go out with any other women. CARTOON FIGURE ROB Max, have I got a girl for you. You are going to love her. She's a reporter- The cartoon figures of Alvy and Rob walk past the Wicked Queen; the screen dissolves into the interior of a concert ball. Rob's voice carries over from the cartoon scene as the screen shows Alvy with the female reporter. It's very crowded, noisy; policeman and reporters are everywhere. Alvy stands with his hands in his pockets, watching the commotion. CARTOON FIGURE ROB'S VOICE-OVER -for Rolling Stone. FEMALE REPORTER I think there are more people here to see the Maharishi than there were to see the Dylan concert. I covered the Dylan concert ... which gave me chills. Especially when he sang "She takes just like a woman And she makes love just like a woman Yes, she does And she aches just like a woman But she breaks just like a little girl." (They move toward the aisles as a guard holds up his hands to stop them) Up to that I guess the most charismatic event I covered was Mick's Birthday when the Stones played Madison Square Garden. ALVY (Laughing) Man, that's great. That's just great. REPORTER You catch Dylan? ALVY (Coughing) Me? No, no. I-I couldn't make it that ni- My-my raccoon had hepatitis. REPORTER You have a raccoon? ALVY (Gesturing) Tsch, a few. REPORTER The only word for this is trans-plendid. It's trans-plendid. ALVY I can think of another word. REPORTER He's God! I mean, this man is God! He's got millions of followers who would crawl all the way across the world just to touch the hem of his garment. ALVY Really? It must be a tremendous hem. REPORTER I'm a Rosicrucian myself. ALVY Are you? REPORTER Yeah. ALVY I can't get with any religion that advertises in Popular Mechanics. Look- (The Maharisbi, a small, chunky man, walks out of the men's room, huge bodyguards flanking him while policemen bold back the crowds) there's God coming outta the men's room. REPORTER It's unbelievably trans-plendid! I was at the Stones concert in Altamount when they killed that guy, remember? ALVY Yeah, were yuh? I was-I was at an Alice Cooper thing where six people were rushed to the hospital with bad vibes. INT. ALVY'S BEDROOM-NIGHT The reporter is sitting up in bed, lighted cigarette in her hand. Alvy, lying next to her, rubs his eyes and puts on his eyeglasses. REPORTER (Looking down at him) I hope you don't mind that I took so long to finish. ALVY (Sighing) Oh, no, no, don't be ... tsch ... don't be silly. You know, (Yawning) I'm startin' it-I'm startin' to get some feeling back in my jaw now. REPORTER Oh, sex with you is really a kafkaesque experience. ALVY Oh, tsch, thank you. H'm. REPORTER I mean that as a compliment. ALVY (Making sounds) I think-I think there's too much burden placed on the orgasm, you know, to make up for empty areas in life. REPORTER Who said that? ALVY (Rubbing his chin and shoulder) Uh, oh, I don't know. It might have been Leopold and Loeb. (The telephone rings. Alvy picks it up, rising up slightly from the bed, concerned, as he talks) Hello. Oh, hi ... Uh, no, what-what's the matter? What-what-what? You sound terrible ... No, what- Sure I- Whatta yuh -what kind of an emergency? ... No, well, stay there. Stay there, I'll come over right now. I'll come over right now. Just stay there, I'll come right over. He hangs up. The reporter sits in bed still, taking in the situation. INT. ANNIE'S APARTMENT HALLWAY Annie, looking slightly distraught, goes to open the door to Alvy's knock. ALVY What's- It's me, open up. ANNIE (Opening the door) Oh. ALVY Are you okay? What's the matter? (They look at each other, Annie sighing) Are you all right? What- ANNIE There's a spider in the bathroom. ALVY (Reacting) What? ANNIE There's a big black spider in the bathroom. ALVY That's what you got me here for at three o'clock in the morning, 'cause there's a spider in the bathroom? ANNIE My God, I mean, you know how I am about insects. ALVY (Interrupting, sighing) Oooh. ANNIE -I can't sleep with a live thing crawling around in the bathroom. ALVY Kill it! For Go- What's wrong with you? Don't you have a can of Raid in the house? ANNIE (Shaking her head) No. Alvy, disgusted, starts waving his hands and starts to move into the living room. ALVY (Sighing) I told you a thousand times you should always keep, uh, a lotta insect spray. You never know who's gonna crawl over. ANNIE (Following him) I know, I know, and a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher. ALVY Jesus. All right, gimme a magazine. I- 'cause I'm a little tired. (While Annie goes of to find him a magazine, Alvy, still talking, glances around the apartment. He notices a small book on a cabinet and picks it up.) You know, you, you joke with-about me, you make fun of me, but I'm prepared for anything. An emergency, a tidal wave, an earthquake. Hey, what is this? What? Did you go to a rock concert? ANNIE Yeah. ALVY Oh, yeah, really? Really? How-how'd you like it? Was it-was it, I mean, did it ... was it heavy? Did it achieve total heavy-ocity? Or was it, uh... ANNIE It was just great! ALVY (Thumbing through the book) Oh, humdinger. When- Well, I got a wonderful idea. Why don'tcha get the guy who took you to the rock concert, we'll call him and he can come over and kill the spider. You know, it's a- He tosses the book down on the cabinet. ANNIE I called you; you wanna help me ... or not? H'h? Here. She hands him a magazine. ALVY (Looking down at the magazine) What is this? What are you, since when do you read the "National Review"? What are you turning in to? ANNIE (Turning to a nearby chair for some gum in her pocketbook) Well, I like to try to get all points of view. ALVY It's wonderful. Then why don'tcha get William F. Buckley to kill the spider? ANNIE (Spinning around to face him) Alvy, you're a little hostile, you know that? Not only that, you look thin and tired. She puts a piece of gum in her mouth. ALVY Well, I was in be- It's three o'clock in the morning. You, uh, you got me outta bed, I ran over here, I couldn't get a taxi cab. You said it was an emergency, and I didn't ge- I ran up the stairs. Hell - I was a lot more attractive when the evening began. Look, uh, tell- Whatta you- Are you going with a right-wing rock-and roll star? Is that possible? ANNIE (Sitting down on a chair arm and looking up at Alvy) Would you like a glass of chocolate milk? ALVY Hey, what am I-your son? Whatta you mean? I-I came over TV --_ ANNIE (Touching his chest with her hand) I got the good chocolate, Alvy. ALVY Yeah, where is the spider? ANNIE It really is lovely. It's in the bathroom. ALVY Is he in the bathroom? ANNIE (Rising from chair) Hey, don't squish it, and after it's dead, flush it down the toilet, okay? And flush it a couple o' times. ALVY (Moving down the hallway to the bathroom) Darling, darling, I've been killing spiders since I was thirty, okay? ANNIE (Upset, hands on her neck) Oh. What? ALVY (Coming back into the living room) Very big spider. ANNIE Yeah? ALVY Two ... Yeah. Lotta, lotta trouble. There's two of 'em. Alvy starts walking down the ball again, Annie following. ANNIE Two? ALVY (Opening a closet door) Yep. I didn't think it was that big, but it's a major spider. You got a broom or something with a- ANNIE Oh, I-I left it at your house. ALVY (Overlapping) -snow shovel or anything or something. ANNIE (Overlapping) I think I left it there, I'm sorry. Reaching up into the closet, Alvy takes out a covered tennis racquet. ALVY (Holding the racquet) Okay, let me have this. ANNIE Well, what are you doing ... what are you doing with- ALVY Honey, there's a spider in your bathroom the size of a Buick. He walks into the bathroom, Annie looking after him. ANNIE Well, okay. Oooh. Alvy stands in the middle of the bathroom, tennis racquet in one band, rolled magazine in the other. He looks over at the shelf above the sink and picks up a small container. He holds it out, shouting off screen to Annie. ALVY Hey, what is this? You got black soap? ANNIE (Off screen) It's for my complexion. ALVY Whatta-whatta yuh joining a minstrel show? Geez. (Alvy turns and starts swapping the racquet over the shelf, knocking down articles and breaking glass) Don't worry! (He continues to swat the racquet all over the bathroom. He finally moves out of the room, hands close to his body. He walks into the other room, where Annie is sitting in a corner of her bed leaning against the wall) I did it! I killed them both. What-what's the matter? Whatta you- (Annie is sobbing, her band over her face) -whatta you sad about? You- What'd you want me to do? Capture 'em and rehabilitate 'em? ANNIE (Sobbing and taking Alvy's arm) Oh, don't go, okay? Please. ALVY (Sitting down next to her) Whatta you mean, don't go? Whatta-whatta -what's the matter? Whatta you expecting -termites? What's the matter? ANNIE (Sobbing) Oh, uh, I don't know. I miss you. Tsch. She beats her fist on the bed. Reacting, Alvy puts his arm around her shoulder and leans back against the wall. ALVY Oh, Jesus, really? ANNIE (Leaning on his shoulder) Oh, yeah. Oh. (They kiss) Oh! Alvy? ALVY What? He touches her face gently as she wipes tears from her face. ANNIE Was there somebody in your room when I called you? ALVY W-w-whatta you mean? ANNIE I mean was there another- I thought I heard a voice. ALVY Oh, I had the radio on. ANNIE Yeah? ALVY I'm sorry. I had the television set ... I had the television- ANNIE Yeah. Alvy pulls her to him and they kiss again. CUT TO: INT. ALVY'S BED Alvy is lying in bed next to Annie, who is leaning on her elbow looking down at him. He rubs her arms and she smiles. ANNIE Alvy, let's never break up again. I don't wanna be apart. ALVY Oh, no, no, I think we're both much too mature for something like that. ANNIE Living together hasn't been so bad, has it? ALVY It's all right for me, it's been terrific, you know? Better than either one of my marriages. See, 'cause. . . 'cause there's just something different about you. I don't know what it is, but it's great. ANNIE (Snickering) You know I think that if you let me, maybe I could help you have more fun, you know? I mean, I know it's hard and ... Yeah. ALVY I don't know. ANNIE Alvy, what about ... what if we go away this weekend, and we could- ALVY Tsch, why don't we get ... why don't we get Rob, and the three of us'll drive into Brooklyn, you know, and we show you the old neighborhood. ANNIE Okay, okay. Okay. ALVY That'd be fun for yuh. Don't you think- ANNIE Yeah. Alvy raises up his head and they kiss. EXT. HIGHWAY Annie is behind the wheel in her VW, Rob is beside her, Alvy in the back seat leaning forward so that his head is between them. They're driving down the highway. ANNIE -me, my God, it's a great day! ALVY (Interrupting) Hey, can yuh watch the road? Watch the -- ROB (Overlapping) Yeah, watch the road! ALVY You'll total the whole car. ANNIE (Laughing) Hey, you know, I never even visited Brooklyn before. ROB I can't wait to see the old neighborhood. ALVY Yeah, the neighborhood's gonna be great. ROB We can show her the schoolyard. ALVY Right. I was a great athlete. Tell her, Max, I was the best, I was all schoolyard. ROB Yes, I remember. (Annie laughs) He was all schoolyard. They threw him a football once, he tried to dribble it. ALVY Yeah, well, I used to lose my glasses a lot. EXT. AMUSEMENT PARK. Alvy Annie and Rob move toward the roller coaster on the screen. The area's deserted. Sea gulls are heard. ALVY Oh, look, look, there's that ... that's -that's my old house. That's where I used to live. ANNIE (Laughing) Holy cow! ROB You're lucky, Max-where I used to live is now a pornographic equipment store. Annie laughs. ALVY I have some very good memories there. ROB What kind of good memories, Max? Your mother and father fighting all the time. ALVY Yeah, and always over the most ridiculous things. FLASHBACK - INT. ALVY'S HOUSE. Alvy's father sits in his chair. His mother is polishing a door while Alvy lies on the floor playing. Annie, adult Alvy and Rob quietly walk into the scene to watch. ALVY'S FATHER You fired the cleaning woman? ALVY'S MOTHER She was stealing. ALVY'S FATHER But she's colored. ALVY'S MOTHER SO? ALVY'S FATHER So the colored have enough trouble. ALVY'S MOTHER She was going through my pocketbook! ALVY'S FATHER They're persecuted enough! ALVY'S MOTHER Who's persecuting? She stole! Alvy's father gets up and gets his hard hat. He sits back down and starts polishing it. ALVY'S FATHER All right-so we can afford it. ALVY'S MOTHER How can we afford it? On your pay? What if she steals more? ALVY'S FATHER She's a colored woman, from Harlem! She has no money! She's got a right to steal from us! After all, who is she gonna steal from if not us? ADULT ALVY (Yelling into the scene) You're both crazy! ROB They can't hear you, Max. ALVY'S MOTHER Leo ... I married a fool! ROB (Pointing) Hey, Max! Who's that? As the three friends watch Alvy's old living room, the scene has suddenly shifted. A huge crowd stands around the room, laughing, eating, chatting and vibrating with the turns of the roller-coaster ride. ALVY It-it-it's the welcome-home party in nineteen forty-five, for my cousin Herbie. ADULT ALVY (Pointing) Look, look, there's-there's that one over there, that's Joey Nichols, he was my- (Young Alvy stands next to Joey Nichols, who's sitting in one of the easy chairs. They smile at each other; people and noise all around) -father's friend. He was always bothering me when I was a kid. JOEY Joey Nichols. (Laughing) See. Nichols. See, Nichols! (Joey shows young Alvy his cuff links and a tie pin, which are made from nickels, as Alvy stands with hands on hips, unconcerned. Joey then slaps his band to his forehead and puts a nickel on his forehead) Yuh see, nickels! You can always remember my name, just think of Joey Five Cents. (Laughing) That's me. Joey Five Cents! Joey grabs Alvy's cheeks and pinches them. YOUNG ALVY (Turning away) What an asshole! A group of women stands near a buffet table eating and listening to Alvy mother and her sister, Tessie, and a young girl, as the three friends watch. ALVY'S MOTHER I was always the sister with good common sense. But Tessie was always the one with personality. When she was younger, they all wanted to marry Tessie. She touches Tessie's shoulder. Tessie starts to laugh. ADULT ALVY (Pointing, to Rob) Do you believe that, Max? Tessie Moskowitz had the personality. She's the life of the ghetto, no doubt. ALVY'S MOTHER (To the young girl) She was once a great beauty. Tessie nods her head "yes." ROB Tessie, they say you were the sister with personality. TESSIE (Addressing the young girl) I was a great beauty. ROB Uh, how did this personality come about? TESSIE (Grabbing the young girl's cheek) I was very charming. ROB There were many men interested in you? TESSIE (To the young girl) Oh, I was quite a lively dancer. Tessie gyrates back and forth imitating a dancer while Annie and the adult Alvy lean on each other laughing. ROB (Laughing) That's pretty hard to believe. EXT. STREET. Alvy and Annie walk contentedly down a street; Alvy's arm is draped around Annie. People walk by them on the street as they move toward their apartment building. ANNIE Well, I had a really good day, you know that? It was just a real fine way to spend my birthday. ALVY Ah? Oh, well, your birthday's not till tomorrow, honey, I hate to tell yuh. ANNIE Yeah, but it's real close. ALVY Yeah, but no presents till midnight. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, darn it. INT. APARTMENT Annie and Alvy sit on the sofa. Annie's unwrapping a gift while Alvy watches. ANNIE (Making sounds) This is- (Making sounds) Huh? She pulls out flimsy black lingerie from the box. ALVY Happy birthday. ANNIE What is this? Is this a...Present? (Laughing) Are you kidding? ALVY Yeah, hey, why don't yuh try it on? ANNIE Uh, yeah, uh ... t-t-this is more like a present for you, yeah, but it's- ALVY Try it ... it'll add years to our sex life. ANNIE (Looking up at Alvy and laughing) Uh huh. Yeah. Forget it. Alvy leans over and hands her another box as she puts down the lingerie. ALVY Here's a real present. ANNIE (Opening the gift) What... huh? ALVY Check it out. ANNIE Oh, yeah? What is this, anyway? (continuing) Let me see. Okay, let's... oooh, God! (She takes out a watch from the box) Oh, you knew I wanted this ... (Laughing) God, it's terrific, God! ALVY (Making sounds) Yeah, I know. Just-just put on the watch, and-and ... that thing, and we'll just ... ANNIE (Laughing) Oh! My God! (Making sounds) Alvy kisses Annie. INT. NIGHT CLUB. Annie, spotlighted onstage, stands in front of the microphone, smiling. She looks downward and sings "Seems Like Old Times. " The audience applauds loudly as the music fades out. ANNIE (Laughing) Thank you. Alvy sits at the bar, clapping and staring at Annie as she walks over to him and sits down. The low murmur of the night club is surrounding them. ALVY (Reacting) You were-you were sensational. I mean, I-you know, I-I told yuh that if yuh stuck to it, you would be great, and-and, you know, I-I-you-you were sensational. ANNIE (Looking at Alvy, smiling) Yeah, well, we have the, I mean, they were just a terrific audience, I mean, you know, it makes it really easy for me, because I can be ... huh? Tony, a famous record personality, pushes through the crowd, moving toward Alvy and Annie. An entourage follows him as he makes his way to their table. TONY Excuse me. He shakes hands with Annie, smiling. ANNIE Oh. TONY Hi, I'm-I'm Tony Lacey. ANNIE Well, hi! TONY Uh, we just wanted to stop by and say that we really enjoyed your sets. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh, yeah, really, oh! TONY I though it was ... very musical, and I liked it a lot. ANNIE Oh, neat ... oh, that's very nice, gosh, thanks a lot. TONY Are you ... are you recording? Or do- Are you with any label now? ANNIE (Laughing) No, no, no, not at all. TONY Uh, well, I'd like to talk to you about that sometime, if you get a chance. Seated Alvy looks the other way, reacting. ANNIE Oh. What about? TONY ... of possibly working together. ANNIE (Looking for the first time at Alvy) Well, hey, that's, that's nice. Uh. Oh, listen, this is, uh, Alvy Singer. Do you know Alvy? Uh ... and ... uh ... Tony Lacey. TONY No, I don't-I don't know, but I-I know your work. I'm a big fan of yours. Tony reaches over and shakes hands with Alvy. The nightclub crowd surrounds them all with their low chatter and cigarette smoke. ALVY Thank you very much. It's a pleasure. TONY (Turning to introduce his entourage) This is, uh, Shawn, and, uh ... Bob and Petronia. ANNIE Hi. ENTOURAGE Hi. ANNIE (Laughing) Hi, hi, Bob ... TONY Uh ... w-we're going back to the Pierre. We're staying at the Pierre ... and we're gonna meet Jack and Angelica, and have a drink there, and ... if you'd like to come, uh, we'd love to have you. ANNIE Yeah. TONY And we could just sit and talk ... nothing. Uh, not a big deal, it's just relax, just be very mellow. Annie and Tony and his entourage turn to look at Alvy. ALVY (Fingers to his mouth, reacting) Remember, we had that thing. ANNIE What thing? ALVY (Staring at Annie and clearing his throat) Don't you remember we-we-we discussed that thing that we were- ANNIE (Overlapping) Thing? ALVY (Overlapping) -yes, we had, uh ... ANNIE (Looking at Alvy, reacting) Oh, the thing! Oh, the thing ... (Laughing) ... yeah ... yeah. Annie turns, looks at Tony as he smiles and gestures with his hands. TONY Oh, well, I-if it's inconvenient, eh, we can't do it now ... that's fine, too. W-w-w-we'll do it another time. ANNIE Hey- TONY Maybe if you're on the Coast, we'll get together and ... and we'll meet there. He shakes hands with Annie. ANNIE (Reacting) Oh. TONY It was a wonderful set. ANNIE Oh, gosh. TONY (Smiling) I really enjoyed it. (Looking at Alvy) Nice to have metcha. Good night. ENTOURAGE Bye-bye. ANNIE Nice to see you ... bye. Yeah. Bye. She turns and looks at Alvy. ALVY (Reacting) What's ... you ... well, what's the matter, You w-wanna go to that party? ANNIE (Looking down at her hands, then up at Alvy) I don't know, I thought it might be kind of fun, you know what I mean, it'd be nice to meet some new people. ALVY (Sighing) I'm just not ... you know, I don't think I could take a mellow eve- 'cause I-I don't respond well to mellow, you know what I mean, I-I have a tendency to ... if I get too mellow, I-I ripen and then rot. You know, and it's-it's not good for my ... (Making sounds) ANNIE All right, all right, you don't wanna go to the party, so uh, whatta you wanna do? INT. MOVIE THEATER. The screen is projecting the beginning of "The Sorrow and the Pity": a street filled with fleeing cars, belongings tied on top and piled in the back seats. Subtitles pop on: "The Jewish warmongers and Parisian plutocrats tried to flee with their gold and jewels" as a narrator explains in German. CUT TO. Split screen: Annie and her psychiatrist on the left; Alvy and his on the right. Annie, talking, sits in a white molded chair, as does her doctor. The office is very modern: stark, white and chrome. Alvy, talking to his psychiatrist, lies on a deep leather sofa, the doctor seated away from him. This office looks more like a well-worn den: bookcases overflowing, dark wood. The dialogue is separated in each screen, though no one talks simultaneously. ANNIE (To her doctor) That day in Brooklyn was the last day I remember really having a great time. ALVY (To his doctor) Well, we never have any laughs anymore, is the problem. ANNIE Well, I've been moody and dissatisfied. ALVY'S PSYCHIATRIST How often do you sleep together? ANNIE'S PSYCHIATRIST Do you have sex often? ALVY Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week. ANNIE Constantly! I'd say three times a week. Like the other night, Alvy wanted to have sex. ALVY She would not sleep with me the other night, you know, it's- ANNIE And ... I don't know ... I mean, six months ago I-I woulda done it. I woulda done it, just to please him. ALVY I mean ... I tried everything, you know, I-I-I put on soft music and my-my red light bulb, and ... ANNIE But the thing is-I mean, since our discussions here, I feel I have a right to my own feelings. I think you woulda been happy because ... uh, uh, I really asserted myself. ALVY The incredible thing about it is, I'm paying for her analysis and she's making progress and I'm getting screwed. ANNIE I don't know, though, I feel so guilty because Alvy is paying for it, so, you know, so I do feel guilty if I don't go to bed with him. But if I do go to bed with him, it's like I'm going against my own feelings. I don't know I-I can't win. ALVY (Simultaneously, with Annie) You know ... it's getting expensive ...my analyst ... for her analyst. She- she's making progress and I'm not making any progress. Her progress is defeating my progress. ANNIE (Simultaneously, with Alvy) Sometimes I think-sometimes I think I should just live with a woman. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT Alvy and Annie sit close together on the sofa in some friends' apartment. Their friends, another couple, stand behind the sofa in the background. Excited, they talk almost all at once. WOMAN FRIEND Wow, I don't believe it ... you mean to tell me you guys have never snorted coke? ANNIE Well, I always wanted to try, you know, but, uh, Alvy, uh ... he's very down on it. ALVY Hey, don't put it on me. You kn- Wh-what is it, I don't wanna put a wad of white powder in my nose 'cause the-the nasal membranes ... They all start talking at once. ANNIE You never wanna try anything new, Alvy. ALVY (Counting on his fingers) How can you say that? I mean, (Making sounds) who said I-I-I-I said that you, I and that girl from your acting class should sleep together in a threesome. ANNIE (Reacting) That's sick! ALVY Yeah, I know it's sick, but it's new. You know, you didn't say it couldn't be sick. Annie laughs, chatters. WOMAN FRIEND Just come on, Alvy. (All four are now sitting on the sofa. The male friend starts to prepare lines of cocaine; Alvy and Annie look at each other, reacting) Do your body a favor. Try it, come on. ALVY Oh, yeah? ANNIE Yeah. Come on. It'd be fun. ALVY (Moving forward on the couch) Oh, I'm sure it's a lot of fun, 'cause the Incas did it, you know, and-and they-they-they were a million laughs. ANNIE (Laughing) Alvy, come on, for your own experience. I mean, you wanna write, why not? MALE FRIEND It's great stuff, Alvy. Friend of mine just brought it in from California. ANNIE Oh, do you know something-I didn't tell yuh, we're going to California next week. GIRL Oh, really? ANNIE Yeah ... ALVY ... I'm thrilled. As you know, uh ... uh, on my agent's advice I sold out, and I'm gonna do an appearance on TV. ANNIE (Interrupting) No, no, no that's not it at all. Alvy's giving an award on television. Gee, he talks like he's violating a moral issue sitting here. GIRL You're kidding? ALVY It's so phony, and we have to leave New York during Christmas week, which really kills me. MAN (Interrupting) Alvy, listen, while you're in California, could you possibly score some coke for me? Annie laughs. ALVY (Over Annie's laughter) Sure, sure, I'll be glad to. I-I'll just put it in a-a-a h-h-hollow heel that I have in my boot, you know. (Alvy picks up the small open gold case of cocaine base the man placed on the coffee table and looks at it, reacting) H-h-how much is this stuff? MAN It's about two thousand dollars an ounce. ANNIE God. ALVY Really? And what is the kick of it? Because I never ... He puts his finger into the drug, smells it and then sneezes. The powder blows all over the room as the man, woman and Annie react silently. CUT TO: CALIFORNIA. BEVERLY HILLS STREET-DAY It's a warm, beautiful day. Rob, Annie and Alvy in Rob's convertible are moving past the spacious houses, the palm trees. The sunlight reflects off the car. Annie, excited, is taking the whole place in. Background voices sing Christmas carols. VOICES (Singing) We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, And a -Happy New Year. ROB (Over the singing) I've never been so relaxed as I have been since I moved out here, Max. I want you to see my house. I live right next to Hugh Hefner's house, Max. He lets me use the Jacuzzi. And the women, Max, they're like the women in Playboy magazine, only they can move their arms and legs. ANNIE (Laughing) You know, I can't get over that this is really Beverly Hills. VOICES (Singing) We wish you a Merry Christmas, And a Happy New Year. ALVY Yeah, the architecture is really consistent, isn't it? French next to- VOICES (Singing over the dialogue) Oh, Christmas ... tree, Oh, Christmas tree, How bright and green Our ... ALVY -Spanish, next to Tudor, next to Japanese. ANNIE God, it's so clean out here. ALVY It's that they don't throw their garbage away. They make it into television shows. ROB Aw, come on, Max, give us a break, will yuh? It's Christmas. Annie starts snapping pictures of the view. ALVY Can you believe this is Christmas here? VOICES (Singing) Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree ... They pass a large house with spacious lawn. Sitting on the lawn is a Santa Claus complete with sleigh and reindeer. Voices continue to sing Christmas carols; Annie continues to take pictures. ANNIE You know, it was snowing-it was snowing and really gray in New York yesterday. ROB No kidding? ALVY Right-well, Santa Claus will have sunstroke. ROB Max, there's no crime, there's no mugging. ALVY There's no economic crime, you know, but there's-there's ritual, religious- cult murders, you know, there's wheat- germ killers out here. ROB While you're out here, Max, I want you to see some of my TV show. And we're invited to a big Christmas party. They continue driving, now in a less residential area, passing a hot-dog stand. "Tail-Pup" concession; people mill about eating hot dogs. VOICES (Singing, louder now) Remember Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas day To save us all ... from Satan's power As we were gone astray. They pass a theater, the marquee announcing "House of Exorcism Messiah of Evil. Rated R. Starts at 7:15." INT. TV CONTROL ROOM. Several monitors line the wall in front of an elaborate console. Rob and Alvy, along with Charlie, the technician, stand in the small room watching the screens showing Rob as a television star on a situation comedy. They chatter, analyzing the footage, over the sounds of the taped television comedy. ALVY (Overlapping the chatter) Oh. ROB Look, now, Charlie, give me a big laugh here. ROB ON TV SCREEN A limousine to the track breakdown? ROB (Watching) A little bigger. TV monitors go black as the technician turns of the monitors to fix the laugh track. ALVY Do you realize how immoral this all is? ROB Max, I've got a hit series. ALVY Yeah, I know; but you're adding fake laughs. Technicians turn the monitors back on, showing Rob on the screen with another character, Arnie. ARNIE Oh, I'm sorry. ROB ON TV SCREEN Arnie. ARNIE Yeah. ROB (Turning to the technician) Give me a tremendous laugh here, Charlie. ALVY Look, uh ... Loud laughter from the TV monitors. ROB (To Alvy) We do the show live in front of an audience. ALVY Great, but nobody laughs at it 'cause your jokes aren't funny. ROB Yeah, well, that's why this machine is dynamite. ROB ON TV SCREEN You better lie down. You've been in the sun too long. ROB (To the technician) Yeah ... uh, now give me a like a medium-size chuckle here ... and then a big hand. The sounds of laughter and applause are heard from the TV. ALVY (Removing his glasses and rubbing his face) Is there booing on there? The monitors show a woman on the screen. WOMAN We were just gonna fix you up with my cousin Dolores. ALVY (Overlapping the TV) Oh, Max, I don't feel well. ROB What's the matter? ALVY I don't know, I just got-I got very dizzy... (Coughing) I feel dizzy, Max. ROB Well, sit down. ALVY (Sitting down) Oh, Jesus. ROB You all right? ALVY I don't know, I mean, I- ROB (Crouching before Alvy, looking at him) You wanna lie down? ALVY No, no-my, you know, my stomach felt queasy all morning. I just started getting ... ROB How about a ginger ale? ALVY Oh, Max ... no, I maybe I better lie down. INT. HOTEL ROOM. Alvy lies in bed, one elbow propped up, a doctor sitting next to him looking concerned. The doctor bolds out a plate of chicken; Alvy listlessly stares at it. Annie, in the background, is on the phone. ANNIE (Talking into the phone) Yes. DOCTOR (Holding out the food) Why don't you just try to get a little of this down? This is just plain chicken. ALVY (Taking a piece of chicken and holding it) Oh, oh, no, I can't-I can't eat this. I'm nauseous. (He gasps and makes sounds) If you could-if you could just give me something to get me through the next two hours, you know I-I have to go out to Burbank ... and give out an award on a TV show. ANNIE (On the phone, overlapping the doctor and Alvy) Well ... H-h huh ... Oh, good ... Yes, I'll tell him. DOCTOR Well, there's nothing wrong with you actually, so far as I can tell. I mean, you have no fever, no ... no symptoms of anything serious. You haven't been eating pork or shellfish. Annie bangs up and moves over to Alvy. ANNIE (Sitting on the edge of the bed) Excuse me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Doctor. Uh, Alvy-Alvy, that was the show. They said everything is fine. They found a replacement, so they're going to tape without you. ALVY (Making sounds) I'm nauseous. (He sighs and gasps) Oh, jesus, now I don't get to do the TV show? Reacting, Alvy puts up his band in disgust, then starts eating the piece of chicken he has been holding. The doctor and Annie watch him, reacting. ANNIE Yeah. Listen, Doctor, I'm worried. DOCTOR Now, Mrs. Singer, I can't find anything -- ALVY Christ! ANNIE Nothing at all? DOCTOR No, I think I can get a lab man up here. ALVY (Grabbing the rest of the chicken from the plate) Oh, jesus. Can I have the salt, please? ANNIE What do you mean? Do you think he's- DOCTOR (Handing the salt to Alvy) Yes, excuse me. (To Annie) Perhaps it would be even better if we took him to the hospital for a day or two. Alvy begins to eat. ANNIE Uh-huh ... Oh, hospital? DOCTOR Well, otherwise, there's no real way to tell what's going on. ALVY (Making sounds, gasping) This is not bad, actually. EXT. BEVERLY HILLS STREET RESIDENTIAL AREA - DAY Rob, Annie and Alvy in Rob's car pull into a long circular driveway as an attendant walks over to the car. A sprawling house is seen to the right; a couple moves toward the front door, and the driveway is crowded with other parked cars. Loud music is heard. ALVY (Getting out of the car) Hey, don't tell me we're gonna hafta walk from the car to the house. Geez, my feet haven't touched pavement since I reached Los Angeles. INT. HOUSE A Hollywood Christmas party is in session, complete with music, milling people, circulating waiters bolding out trays of drinks. It's all very casual. French doors run the entire width of one wall; they are opened to the back lawn, guests move from the room to outside and back in. It is crowded; bits of conversation and clinking glasses can be heard. Two men, California-tanned, stand by the French doors talking. 1ST MAN Well, you take a meeting with him, I'll take a meeting with you if you'll take a meeting with Freddy. 2ND MAN I took a meeting with Freddy. Freddy took a meeting with Charlie. You take a meeting with him. 1ST MAN All the good meetings are taken. CUT TO: FULL GROUP SHOT A man stands talking, people in groups behind him. Two born like gadgets are attached to his shoulders; he's wearing a bizarre space costume. 3RD MAN Right now it's only a notion, but I think I can get money to make it into a concept ... and later turn it into an idea. CUT TO: Alvy and Rob stand near the French doors leading to the back lawn, eating and drinking and watching the people walking in and out of the house. ROB You like this house, Max? ALVY M'hm. ROB I even brought a road map to get us to the bathroom. ALVY Whee, you shoulda told me it was Tony Lacey's party. ROB What difference does that make? Alvy looks into the room, where Annie and Tony Lacey are having an animated conversation. ALVY I think he has a little thing for Annie. ROB Oh, no, no, that's bullshit, Max. He goes with that girl over there. ALVY Where? Rob nods his head toward a tall woman dressed all in white conversing with a group of people close-by. ROB The one with the V.P.L. ALVY V.P.L.? ROB Visible panty line. Max, she is gorgeous. ALVY Yeah, she's a ten, Max, and that's great for you because you're -you're used to twos, aren't you? ROB There are no twos, Max. ALVY Yeah, you're used to the kind with the- with the shopping bags walking through Central Park with the surgical masks on muttering. ROB M'hm. ALVY And ... uh- ROB (Interrupting) How do you like this couple, Max? A couple moves over toward Rob and Alvy. The man's arm is around the woman; they stand very close. In the background, Annie and Tony are still talking. ROB And I think they just came back from Masters and Johnson. ALVY Yeah, intensive care ward. (Watching the woman in white) My God-hey, Max, I think she's ... I think she's giving me the eye. As Rob and Alvy observe the guests, the woman in white starts walking toward them. ROB If she comes over here, Max, my brain is going to turn into guacamole. ALVY I'll handle it. I'll handle it. Hi. GIRL IN WHITE You're Alvy Singer, right? Didn't we meet at EST? ALVY (Reacting) EST? No, no, I was never to est. GIRL IN WHITE Then how can you criticize it? ALVY Oh. ROB Oh, he-he didn't say anything. ALVY (Laughing) No, no, I came out here to get some shock therapy, but there was an energy crisis, so I ... He's my-my food taster. Have you two met? ROB (Shaking his head) Hi. How do you do. GIRL IN WHITE Do you taste to see if the food's poisoned? ALVY Yeah, he's crazy. The girl in white laughs. ALVY (Looking at Rob and the girl) Hey, you guys are wearin' white. It must be in the stars. ROB Yeah. Right. ALVY Uri Geller must be on the premises someplace. ROB We're gonna operate together. Rob and the girl walk of together as the camera moves in on Tony and Annie standing by the buffet table. TONY We just need about six weeks, in about six weeks we could cut a whole album. ANNIE I don't know, this is strange to me, you know. TONY just ... that's all you need. You can come and stay here. ANNIE Oh. TONY There's a whole wing in this house. ANNIE (Laughing) Oh yeah, stay here? U-huh. TONY You can have it to use. Why-why are you smiling? ANNIE (Laughing) I don't know. I don't know. She picks up an hors doeuvre. CUT TO: The two men still talking about meetings surrounded by other groups of people milling about. 1ST MAN Not only is he a great agent, but he really gives good meetings. 2ND MAN M'mm. Tony, band in band with the girl in white, is leaving the party room with Alvy and Annie to show them the rest of the house. TONY This is a great house, really. Everything. Saunas, Jacuzzis, three tennis courts. You know who the original owners were? Nelson Eddy, then Legs Diamond. Then you know who lived here? ALVY Trigger. Annie and the girl in white laugh. TONY Charlie Chaplin. ALVY Hey. TONY Right before his un-American thing. They stop in a den-like screening room. A man is slouched back on one of the comfortable sofas that fill the room. It is much quieter in here; a contrast to the noise and crowd downstairs. ALVY Yeah, this place is great. ANNIE Yeah. TONY Uh, you guys are still-uh, you're still New Yorkers. ALVY Yeah, I love it there. ANNIE (Laughing) Yeah. TONY Well, I used to live there. I used to live there for years. You know, but it's gotten-it's so dirty now. ANNIE Yeah. ALVY I'm into garbage. It's my thing. ANNIE Boy, this is really a nice screening room. It's really a nice room. TONY Oh, and there's another thing about New York. See ... you-you wanna see a movie, you have to stand in a long line. ANNIE Yeah. TONY It could be freezing, it could be raining. ANNIE Yeah. TONY And here, you just- GIRL IN WHITE We saw "Grand Illusion" here last night. ALVY AND ANNIE (In unison) Oh, yeah? MAN ON THE SOFA (Looking over his shoulder at the group) That's a great film if you're high. (The group laughs, looking down at the man on the sofa. He looks up at them, smiling, a joint in his hand, and offers them a cigarette) Hey, you. TONY (Shaking his head no) Come and see our bedroom. We did a fantastic lighting job. Okay? ANNIE Oh, good. Okay. ALVY I'm cool. Tony and the girl in white leave the room, Annie and Alvy following. ANNIE (Taking Alvy's arm) It's wonderful. I mean, you know they just watch movies all day. ALVY Yeah, and gradually you get old and die. You know it's important to make a little effort once in a while. ANNIE Don't you think his girl friend's beautiful? ALVY Yeah, she's got a great-lookin' fa- A pat on the androgynous side. But it's... They pass a man talking on the phone in the hallway. MAN ON THE PHONE Yeah, yeah. I forgot my mantra. As they come down stairs the party is still in big gear. People are looser now; conversations are more animated, some talk quietly in more intimate corners, some couples are dancing. Alvy stands alone sipping a drink near the huge Christmas tree. A tall woman, passing by, shakes his hand, then leaves. He continues to sip his drink, alone, watching Tony and Annie in the center of the room dancing. The screen shows a plane in flight, Los Angeles far below, then: CUT TO: AIRPLANE. INT. AIRPLANE Annie and Alvy sit, the stewardess behind them serving other passengers. Annie stares out the window bolding a coffee cup; Alvy reads. Both are preoccupied, thinking their own thoughts. ANNIE'S VOICE-OVER (To herself) That was fun. I don't think California is bad at all. It's a drag coming home. ALVY'S VOICE-OVER (To himself) Lotta beautiful women. It was fun to flirt. ANNIE'S VOICE-OVER (As she sips coffee) I have to face facts. I-I adore Alvy, but our relationship doesn't seem to work anymore. ALVY'S VOICE-OVER (An open magazine lies in his lap) I'll have the usual trouble with Annie in bed tonight. Whatta I need this? ANNIE'S VOICE-OVER If only I had the nerve to break up, but it would really hurt him. ALVY'S VOICE-OVER If only I didn't feel guilty asking Annie to move out. It'd probably wreck her. But I should be honest. He looks over at Annie. ANNIE (Looking back at Alvy) Alvy, uh, let's face it. You know something, don't think our relationship is working. ALVY Tsch, I know. A relationship, I think, is-is like a shark, you know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. (He sighs) And I think what we got on our hands (Clearing his throat) is a dead shark. INT. ALVY'S LIVING ROOM-DAY A lighted Christmas tree stands in the middle of boxes, books, and the general disarray of packing and figuring out what belongs to whom as Alvy helps Annie move out. ALVY (Holding up a book) Whose "Catcher in the Rye" is this? ANNIE (Walking into the room with an armload of books) Well, let's see now ... If it has my name on it, then I guess it's mine. ALVY (Reacting) Oh, it sure has ... You know, you wrote your name in all my books, 'cause you knew this day was gonna come. ANNIE (Putting down the books and flipping back her hair) Well, uh, Alvy, you wanted to break up just as much as I do. ALVY (Riffling through the books) There's no-no question in my mind. I think we're doing the mature thing, without any doubt. ANNIE (Holding a framed picture and moving about) Now, look, all the books on death and dying are yours and all the poetry books are mine. ALVY (Looking down at a book) This "Denial of Death". You remember this? ANNIE Oh- ALVY This is the first book that I got you. Annie goes over to Alvy. They both look down at the book; the fireplace, burning nicely, is behind them. ANNIE -God. ALVY Remember that day? ANNIE Right. Geez, I feel like there's a great weight off my back. M'mmm. ALVY Thanks, honey. ANNIE (Patting Alvy's shoulder) Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I mean, you know, no, no, no, I mean, I think it's really important for us to explore new relationships and stuff like that. She walks away. ALVY There's no-there's no question about that, 'cause we've given this ... uh, uh, I think a more than fair shot, you know? He tosses the book into the carton. ANNIE (Off screen) Yeah, my analyst thinks this move is keen for me. ALVY (Off screen) Yeah, and I-I tru- you know, I trust her, because my-my analyst recommended her. ANNIE (Walking in with another armload of books) Well, why should I put you through all my moods and hang-ups anyway? ALVY Right. And you-and you know what the beauty part is? ANNIE What? ALVY (Holding a small box of buttons) We can always come back together again. Because there's no-there's no problem. 'Cause ... Right. ANNIE (Overlapping) Exactly, but ... exactly. Ooooh! ALVY You know, I-I-I don't think many couples could handle this. You know, they could just break up and remain friends. ANNIE (Taking a button from a box) Hey, this one's mine, this button. This one, you rem- ALVY (Interrupting) Yeah. ANNIE I guess these are all yours. Impeach, uh, Eisenhower ... Impeach Nixon ... Impeach Lyndon Johnson ... Impeach Ronald Reagan. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET-DAY People milling about on the sidewalk as Alvy walks out of a store and moves toward the foreground. ALVY (Into the camera, to the audience) I miss Annie. I made a terrible mistake. A couple, walking down the street, stops as the man talks to Alvy. MAN ON THE STREET She's living in Los Angeles with Tony Lacey. ALVY Oh, yeah? Well, if she is, then the hell with her! If she likes that lifestyle, let her live there! He's a jerk, for one thing. MAN ON THE STREET He graduated Harvard. ALVY Yeah. He may- Listen, Harvard makes mistakes too, you know. Kissinger taught there. The couple strolls away as an older woman walks up to Alvy while others walk by. OLD WOMAN Don't tell me you're jealous? ALVY Yeah, jealous. A little bit like Medea. Lemme, lemme-can I show you something, lady? (He takes a small item from his pocket to show the woman) What I have here ... I found this in the apartment. Black soap. She used to wash her face eight hundred times a day with black soap. Don't ask me why. OLD WOMAN Well, why don't you go out with other women? ALVY Well, I-I tried, but it's, uh, you know, it's very depressing. RECENT FLASHBACK - INT. ALVY'S COUNTRY KITCHEN Alvy's arms and legs fill the screen as he slowly gets up from the floor bolding up a live lobster. He puts it on a grill tray. ALVY (Pointing to the lobster) This always happens to me. Quick, g-go get a broom. His date, a girl wearing short shorts, leans against the sink and lights a cigarette. She makes no move to help. GIRL DATE (Smoking) What are you making such a big deal about? (As she talks, the lobster drops from the tray to the floor. Alvy jumps away, then gingerly scrapes the tray toward the lobster) They're only lobsters. Look, you're a grown man, you know how to pick up a lobster. ALVY (Looking up in stooped-over position) I'm not myself since I stopped smoking. GIRL DATE (Still leaning against the sink, her hand on her hip) Oh, when'd you quit smoking? He gets up of the floor with the lobster on the tray. ALVY Sixteen years ago. GIRL DATE (Puzzled) Whatta you mean? ALVY (Mocking) Mean? GIRL DATE You stopped smoking sixteen years ago, is that what you said? Oh, I-I don't understand. Are you joking, or what? CUT TO: A solitary Alvy walking along the FDR Drive where he had walked with Annie. - The New York skyline is still in the background, the sea gulls go by, the fog horn blows. He walks slowly, moving off screen. INT. ALVY'S BEDROOM - DAY Alvy sits on his bed talking on the phone. ALVY Listen, honey, Central Park's turning green ... Yeah, I sa-I saw that lunatic that we-where we used to see ... with the, uh, uh, pinwheel hat and, you know, and the roller skates? . . . Listen, I-I want you to come back here ... Well, I-I-then I'm gonna come out there and getcha. CUT TO: An airborne plane. CUT TO: EXT. LOS ANGELES AIRPORT. People milling about as Alvy, in the outside phone-booth center, talks. ALVY Whatta you mean, where am I? Where do- where do you think I am? I'm-I'm out ... I'm at the Los Angeles Airport. I flew in ... (Sniffling) Tsch, I-well, I flew in to see you ... (Muttering) Hey, listen, can we not debate this on-on the telephone because I'm, you know, I-I feel that I got a temperature and I'm-I'm getting my-my chronic Los Angeles nausea. I-I don't feel so good. Alvy's conversation is still heard as the screen shows him behind the wheel of a car on a busy street; he causes a near-accident by jerking the car too slowly toward an intersection. ALVY'S VOICE-OVER Well, where-wherever you wanna meet, I don't care. I'll-I'll drive in. I rented a car I'm driving ... that ... Whatta you mean? What-why is that such a miracle? I'm driving myself -- EXT. OUTDOOR CAF_ - DAY People sit at umbrellaed tables with checkered tablecloths at a Sunset Boulevard outdoor cafe. Street traffic goes by while they dine. There's a mild California breeze. The restaurant is somewhat crowded as Alvy makes his way around the tables looking about. He finally sits down at an empty table; nearby sits a woman with a younger man. A waitress brings Alvy a menu and waits for his order. ALVY (To the waitress) I'm gonna...I'm gonna have the alfalfa sprouts and, uh, a plate of mashed yeast. Annie, wearing a flowered dress and wide hat, moves into view. Alvy, noticing her, watches as she walks over to his table. He rises and they shake hands. ANNIE Hi. Alvy wipes at his nose as he stares. He smiles, the street traffic moving behind him. Annie smiles back. ALVY You look very pretty. ANNIE Oh, no, I just lost a little weight, that's all. (Alvy adjusts his glasses, not exactly knowing where to start; a bit uneasy) Well, you look nice. ALVY (Nodding his head) You see, I-I've been thinking about it and I think that we should get married. ANNIE (Adjusting her sunglasses) Oh, Alvy, come on. ALVY Why? You wanna live out here all year? It's like living in Munchkin Land. ANNIE (Looking around) Well, whatta you mean? I mean, it's perfectly fine out here. I mean, Tony's very nice and, uh, well, I meet people and I go to parties and-and we play tennis. I mean, that's ... that's a very big step for me, you know? I mean ... (Reacting, Alvy looks down at his hands, then up) I'm able to enjoy people more. ALVY (Sadly) So whatta you ... You're not gonna come back to New York? ANNIE (Smiling) What's so great about New York? I mean, it's a dying city. You read "Death in Venice." ALVY Hey, you didn't read "Death in Venice" till I bought it for yuh. ANNIE That's right, that's right. (Still smiling) You only gave me books with the word "death" in the titles. ALVY (Nodding his head and gesturing) That's right, 'cause it's an important issue. ANNIE Alvy, you're incapable of enjoying life, you know that? I mean, your life is New York City. You're just this person. You're like this island unto yourself. ALVY (Toying with his car keys) I can't enjoy anything unless I ... unless everybody is. I-you know, if one guy is starving someplace, that's ... you know, I-I ... it puts a crimp in my evening. (Looking down at his hands, sadly) So wanna get married or what? ANNIE (Seriously) No. We're friends. I wanna remain friends. ALVY (In disbelief) Okay. (Louder, to the waitress) Check, please. Can I -can I ... Can I ... Can I ... ANNIE (Interrupting) You're mad, aren't you? ALVY (Shaking his head) No. (Then nodding) Yes, of course I'm mad, because you love me, I know that. ANNIE Alvy, I can't say that that's true at this point in my life. I really just can't say that that's true. I mean, you know how wonderful you are. I mean, you know ... you're the reason that I got outta my room and that I was able to sing, and-and-and, you know, get more in touch with my feelings and all that crap. Anyway, look, I don't wanna- Listen, listen, listen, uh (Laughing) h'h, so whatta you up to anyway, huh? ALVY (Shrugging his shoulders) The usual, you know. Uh, tryin't'write. I'm workin' on a play. (Sighing) Jesus. So whatta yuh saying? That you're not comin' back to New York with me? He nods his head in disbelief. ANNIE (Nodding) No! (Pauses) Look, I gotta go. She starts to rise. ALVY You mean that ... (He gets up and starts following her past diners at other tables) I-I-I-I flew three thousand miles to see you. ANNIE I'm late. ALVY Air miles, you know. I mean, you know what that does to my stomach? They move down the steps of the cafe' toward the parking lot. ANNIE If you must know, it's a hectic time for Tony. The Grammys are tonight. ALVY The what? ANNIE The Grammys. He's got a lotta records up for awards. ALVY You mean they give awards for that kind o' music? ANNIE Oh! ALVY I thought just earplugs. Annie gets into her car. Alvy moves over to his rented convertible. ANNIE Just forget it, Alvy, okay? Let's just forget the conversation. She closes the door, starts the motor. ALVY (Yelling after her) Awards! They do nothing but give out awards! I can't believe it. Greatest, greatest fascist dictator, Adolf Hitler! Annie drives away. Alvy gets behind the wheel, starts the motor. Putting the car in gear, he inadvertently moves forward, hitting a bunch of trash cans with a loud crash. Putting the car in reverse, Alvy notices a beige car that has just turned into the parking lot. For a brief moment, the screen shows a flashback of the bumper-car ride at the Brooklyn amusement park. Alvy's father is on the Platform directing traffic; young Alvy is in a small car bumping others right and left. Alvy, hack in the parking lot, backs up his convertible, purposefully smashing the side of the beige car as another flashback of bumper- car ride appears, this time-as, Alvy's father directs traffic-a Marine in a small car bits the back end of a soldier's car, and Alvy, back in the parking lot, moves his car over to another parked car and bits it full force. Another flashback appears. people in the small cars really racing around the track now, bumping into one another over and over again, Alvy's father directing the flow, as the film cuts back to the parking lot, where Alvy reverses the convertible and rams it into the front end of yet another car. He sits behind the wheel as people rush out of various cars and as sirens start blaring, coming closer and closer, stopping finally as a motorcycle cop gets off beside Alvy's car and walks over to him. ALVY (Getting out of the car) Officer, I know what you're gonna say. I'm-I'm not a great driver, you know, I-I have some problems with-with-with- OFFICER (Interrupting) May I see your license, please? ALVY Sure. (Searching, he finally fishes his license out of his pocket) just don't-don't get angry, you know what I mean? 'Cause I-I have - I have my-my license here. You know, it's a rented car. And I've ... He drops the license and it falls to the ground. OFFICER Don't give me your life story (Looking at the piece of paper on the ground) -just pick up the license. ALVY Pick up the license. You have to ask nicely 'cause I've had an extremely rough day. You know, my girl friend- OFFICER (Interrupting) Just give me the license, please. ALVY Since you put it that way. (He laughs) It's hard for me to refuse. (He leans over, picks up the license, then proceeds to rip it up. He lets the pieces go; they float to the ground) ... have a, I have a terrific problem with authority, you know. I'm... it's not your fault. Don't take it personal. CUT TO: INT. JAIL-CELLS CORRIDOR. A guard moves down the ball to the cell where, Alvy stands with other inmates. He unlocks the door and opens it, letting Alvy out. ALVY So long, fellas. Keep in touch. He walks down the corridor off screen. EXT. A STREET IN FRONT OF THE COURT HOUSE - DAY Policemen are walking up and down the courthouse steps as Alvy and Rob move out the door of the building, down the steps to the street. ROB Imagine my surprise when I got your call, Max. ALVY (Carrying his jacket over his shoulder) Yeah. I had the feeling that I got you at a bad moment. You know, I heard high-pitched squealing. They walk over to Rob's convertible and get in. ROB (Starting the car) Twins, Max. Sixteen-year-olds. Can you imagine the mathematical possibilities? ALVY (Reacting) You're an actor, Max. You should be doing Shakespeare in the Park. ROB Oh, I did Shakespeare in the Park, Max. I got mugged. I was playing Richard the Second and two guys with leather jackets stole my leotard. He puts on an elaborate helmet and goggles. ALVY (Looking at Rob's helmet) Max, are we driving through plutonium? ROB Keeps out the alpha rays, Max. You don't get old. CUT TO: INT. REHEARSAL HALL OF A THEATER. An actor and actress sit on hard wooden chairs in a sparse rehearsal ball. They face each other. The actress resembles Annie; the actor, Alvy. ACTOR You're a thinking person. How can you choose this lifestyle? ACTRESS What is so incredibly great about New York? It's a dying city! You-you read "Death in Venice". ACTOR You didn't read "Death in Venice" till I gave it to you! ACTRESS Well, you only give me books with the word "death" in the title. The camera pulls back, showing Alvy sitting with two men at a table set up near the actors. A mirror, running the whole width of the wall, reflects the two actors, a script lying on the table between them. It is obvious now that they are rehearsing a scene that Alvy wrote. ACTOR (In mirrored reflection) It's an important issue. ACTRESS (In mirrored reflection) Alvy, you are totally incapable of enjoying life. The camera moves back to actual actor and actress. ACTRESS You're like New York. You're an island. ACTOR (Rising with emotion) Okay, if that's all that we've been through together means to you, I guess it's better if we just said goodbye, once and for all! You know, it's funny, after all the serious talks and passionate moments that it ends here ... in a health -food restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. Goodbye, Sunny. The actor begins to leave as the actress jumps up from her chair. ACTRESS Wait! I'm-I'm gonna ... go with you. (The actor comes back. They embrace) I love you. The camera cuts to Alvy, who turns and looks straight into the camera. ALVY (To the audience, gesturing) Tsch, whatta you want? It was my first play. You know, you know how you're always tryin' t' get things to come out perfect in art because, uh, it's real difficult in life. Interestingly, however, I did run into Annie again. It was on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Annie, singing "Seems Like Old Times, " overlaps Alvy's speech and continues over the next scene, where Alvy, standing in front of a Manhattan theater, shakes hands with Annie and her escort. The theater marquee reads "OPHULS PRIZE FILM: 'THE SORROW AND THE PITY'." ALVY'S VOICE (Over the theater scene and, Annie's singing) She had moved back to New York. She was living in SoHo with some guy. (Laughing) And when I met her she was, of all things, dragging him in to see "The Sorrow and the Pity." Which I counted as a personal triumph. Annie and I ... (Alvy's voice continues over the scene shot through a window of Manhattan cafe showing Alvy and Annie sitting at a table, laughing and enjoying themselves) ... we had lunch sometime after that, and, uh, just, uh, kicked around old times. A series of flashbacks following in quick succession while Annie continues to sing: Annie and Alvy going up the FDR Drive, the day they met playing tennis, Annie driving, Alvy bolding up partially eaten sandwich. Annie and Alvy in the Hamptons house kitchen, Annie banding a live lobster to Alvy, who drops it in the pot on the stove. Annie and Alvy walking side by side by the shoreline. Alvy at the tennis club, packing his bag, as he looks over his shoulder and sees Annie, hands on her face, then clapping, as she offers him a ride home in her car. Annie opening the door to Alvy the night he came over to kill the spider; Annie and, Alvy in the bookstore buying the "Death" titles; Annie and, Alvy in their Hamptons house, Annie reading a school catalogue, the night Alvy puts in the red light. The memories continue to flash on the screen: Annie and Alvy at a friend's house, Alvy blowing the cocaine all over the sofa; Annie and Alvy playing tennis; Annie and Alvy having a picture taken backstage at the college performance in Annie's hometown; Alvy bolding Annie close, the night he came over to kill the spider. And continue: Annie carrying her luggage and clothes into Alvy's bedroom, Alvy following, the day she first moved into his apartment. Annie holding up her sexy birthday present from Alvy, then leaning over and kissing him; Annie and Alvy walking down a city street, holding each other close; sitting on the park bench, observing the people; and kissing, on the FDR Drive, the New York City skyline behind them. The music stops. Returning to the present, the camera, focusing through the cafe window, shows Annie and Alvy across street. They look about at the city traffic. Lunch is over; it's time. Alvy and Annie shake hands and kiss each other friendly like. Annie crosses the street, Alvy watching her go. Then he turns, and slowly walks down the street off screen. His voice is heard over the scene: ALVY'S VOICE-OVER After that it got pretty late. And we both hadda go, but it was great seeing Annie again, right? I realized what a terrific person she was and-and how much fun it was just knowing her and I-I thought of that old joke, you know, this- this-this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, uh, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken." And, uh, the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" And the guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much how how I feet about relationships. You know, they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd and ... but, uh, I guess we keep goin' through it because, uh, most of us need the eggs. THE END DISSOLVES INTO: BLACK BACKGROUND; credits popping on and off in white.

The opening scene : THE END BY THE DOORS This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end Of our elaborate plans, the end Of everything that stands, the end No safety or surprise, the end I'll never look into your eyes...again Can you picture what will be So limitless and free Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand In a...desperate land Lost in a romance...wilderness of pain And all the children are insane All the children are insane Waiting for the summer rain, yeah Hotel room in Saigon : WILLARD (v.o.) "Saigon, shit. I'm still only in Saigon. Every time I think I'm going to wake up back in the jungle. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing... I hardly said a word to my wife until I said yes to a divorce. When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle. I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer. Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute Charlie squats in the bush he gets stronger. Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter. Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service. " Two soldiers approach the hotel room : SOLDIER "Captain Willard ? Are you in there ?" WILLARD "Yeah." WILLARD (v.o.) "It was a real choice mission, and when it was over, I'd never want another." WILLARD "Whaddya want ?" SOLDIER "Are you all right Captain ?" WILLARD "How does it look like ?" SOLDIER "Captain Willard of 505 battalion, 173rd Airborne, assigned SOG ?" WILLARD "Hey buddy, are you gonna shut the door ?" SOLDIER "We have orders to escort you to the airfield." WILLARD "What are the charges ?" SOLDIER "Sir ?" WILLARD "What I did ?" SOLDIER "There's no charges, Captain. You have orders to report to ComSec intelligence in Nha Trang." WILLARD "Nha Trang ?" SOLDIER "That's right. Come on captain, you still have a few hours to get cleaned up. Captain ? Dave, give me a hand. Come on captain, let's take a shower. We'll gonna take a shower, in we go ..." In Nha Trang : WILLARD (v.o.) "I was going to the worst place in the world, and I didn't even know it yet. Weeks away and hundreds of miles up a river that snaked through the war like a main circuit cable and plugged straight into Kurtz. It was no accident that I got to be the caretaker of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz's memory, any more than being back in Saigon was an accident. There is no way to tell his story without telling my own. And if his story is really a confession, then so is mine." In the briefing room : COLONEL LUCAS "Come on in.. At ease. Want a cigarette ?" WILLARD "No, thank you sir." LUCAS "Captain, have you ever seen this gentleman before ? Met the general or myself ?" WILLARD "No, sir. Not personally." LUCAS "You have worked a lot on your own, haven't you ?" WILLARD "Yes, sir. I have." LUCAS "Your report specify intelligence, counter-intelligence, with ComSec I Corps." WILLARD "I'm not presently disposed to discuss these operations, sir." LUCAS "Did you not work for the CIA in I Corps ?" WILLARD "No, sir." LUCAS "Did you not assasinate a government tax collector in Quang Tri province, June 19th, 1968 ? Captain ?" WILLARD "Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation - nor would I be disposed to discuss such an operation if it did in fact exist, sir." GENERAL CORMAN "I thought we'd have a bite of lunch while we talk. I hope you brought a good appetite with you. You have a bad hand there, are you wounded ?" WILLARD "A little fishing accident on R&R, sir." CORMAN "Fishing on R&R... But you're feeling fit, ready for duty ?" WILLARD "Yes, general. Very much so sir." CORMAN "Let's see what we have here... roast beef and..., usually is not bad. Try some Jerry, pass it around. Save a little time when we'll pass both ways. Captain, I don't know how you feel about this shrimp, but if you'll eat it, you never have to prove your courage in any other way... I'll take a piece here ..." LUCAS "Captain, you heard of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz ?" WILLARD "Yes, sir, I've heard the name." LUCAS "Operations officer, 5th Special forces." CORMAN "Luke, would you play that tape for captain, please. Listen carefully." ON TAPE "October 9th, 0430 hours, sector PBK." LUCAS "This was monitored out of Cambodia. This has been verified as colonel Kurtz's voice." COLONEL KURTZ (on tape) " I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor, and surviving. " ON TAPE "11th transmission, December 30th, 0500 hours, sector KZK." KURTZ (on tape) " We must kill them. We must incinerate them. Pig after pig, cow after cow, village after village, army after army. And they call me an assasin. What do you call it when the assasins accuse the assasin ? They lie.. they lie and we have to be merciful for those who lie. Those nabobs. I hate them. How I hate them..." CORMAN "Walt Kurtz was one of the most outstanding officers this country has ever produced. He was a brilliant and outstanding in every way and he was a good man too. Humanitarian man, man of wit, of humor. He joined the Special forces. After that his ideas, methods have become unsound... Unsound." LUCAS "Now he's crossed to Cambodia with his Montagnard army, who worship the man, like a god, and follow every order however ridiculous." CORMAN "Well, I have some other shocking news to tell you. Colonel Kurtz was about to be arrested for murder." WILLARD "I don't follow sir. Murdered who ?" LUCAS "Kurtz had ordered executions of some Vietnamese intelligence agents. Men he believed were double agents. So he took matters into his own hands." CORMAN "Well, you see Willard... In this war, things get confused out there, power, ideals, the old morality, and practical military necessity. Out there with these natives it must be a temptation to be god. Because there's a conflict in every human heart between the rational and the irrational, between good and evil. The good does not always triumph. Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. Every man has got a breaking point. You and I have. Walter Kurtz has reached his. And very obviously, he has gone insane." WILLARD "Yes sir, very much so sir. Obviously insane." LUCAS "Your mission is to proceed up to Nung river in a Navy patrol boat. Pick up colonel Kurtz' path at Nu Mung Ba, follow it, learn what you can along the way. When you find colonel infiltrate his team by whatever means available and terminate the colonel's command." WILLARD "Terminate ? The colonel ?" CORMAN "He's out there operating without any decent restraint. Totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct. And he is still in the field commanding his troops." CIVILIAN "Terminate with extreme prejudice." LUCAS "You understand captain... , that this operation does not exist, nor will it ever exist." In helicopter : WILLARD (v.o.) "How many people had I already killed? There was those six that I know about for sure. Close enough to blow their last breath in my face. But this time it was an American and an officer. That wasn't supposed to make any difference to me, but it did. Shit...charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500. I took the mission. What the hell else was I gonna do? But I didn't know what I'd do when I found him." In boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "I was being ferried down the coast in a Navy PBR, a type of plastic patrol boat, pretty common sight on the rivers. They said it was a good way to pick up information without drawing lot of attention. That was OK, I needed the air and the time. Only problem was I wouldn't be alone." CLEAN "Morning captain." WILLARD (v.o.) "The crew was mostly just kids, rock and rollers with one foot in their graves" WILLARD "How old are you ?" CLEAN "Seventeen." WILLARD (v.o.) "The machinist, the one they called Chef, was from New Orleans. He was rapped too tight for Vietnam, probably rapped too tight for New Orleans. Lance on the forward 50's was a famous surfer from the beaches south of LA. You look at him and you wouldn't believe he ever fired a weapon in his whole life. Clean, Mr. Clean, was from some South Bronx shithole. Light and space of Vietnam really put the zap on his head. Then there was Phillips, the Chief. It might have been my mission, but it sure as shit was Chief's boat." CHIEF "There are about two points where we can draw enough water to get into the Nung river. They're both hot, belong to Charlie." WILLARD "Don't worry about it." Willard offers Chief a cigarette : CHIEF "Don't smoke. You know, I've pulled a few special ops in here. About six months ago, I took a man who was going up past the bridge at Do Lung. ... He was regular Army too. Heard he shot himself in the head." RADIO DJ "Good morning Vietnam. This is Zack Johnson on AFVN. It's about 82 degrees in downtown Saigon and right now very humid. And we have a important message for all GI's living off-base from the mayor of Saigon. He'd like you to hang your laundry indoors, instead of on the windows. The mayor wants you to keep Saigon beautiful... And now here's another blast from the past coming out to Big Cind, all alone in the mantle room out there with the First Battalion Thirty-fifth Infantry, and dedicated by the fire team at An Khe to their groupie CO Fred the Head: The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction." We see Lance waterskiing behind the boat : CHEF "Hang on Lance !" LANCE "Sayonara !" Willard starts reading Kurtz' dossier : MLPJC - 177TS007 TO: WILLARD, BENJAMIN L., Cpt. USA 0-1305301 U.S. Armed Forces Intelligence Hq. Nha Trang SUBJECT: Special Warfare Information, KURTZ, WALTER E., Col., Special Forces 1946 Graduates West Point; second in Class; third-generation appointee. Completes Basic Training, Advanced Infantry Training, Fort Gordon, Georgia. 47-48 Assigned, West Berlin, U.S. Sector Command, G-1 (Plans) Promoted 1st Lt. 49-50 Masters Degree, Harvard University, History (Thesis: The Phillipines Insurrection: American Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia, 1898-1905.) 50-51 Assigned General Staff, U.S. Command, Seoul, Korea. Tours combat zones, Division-Evaluation Team. Requests transfer to Intelligence, returned U.S. for special training, Ft. Holabird and Washington. (Marries, Janet Anderson, 14 June 1951.) Returns to active duty, C-2, Seoul; Debriefs and evaluates information from American agents returning from Northern missions. Promoted Captain. WILLARD (v.o.) "At first, I thought they handed me the wrong dossier. I couldn't believe they wanted this man dead. Third generation West Point, top of his class. Korea, Airborne. About a thousand decorations. Etc, etc... I'd heard his voice on the tape and it really put a hook in me. But I couldn't connect up that voice with this man. Like they said he had an impressive career. Maybe too impressive... I mean perfect. He was being groomed for one of the top slots of the corporation. General, Chief of Staff, anything... In 1964 he returned from a tour of advisory command in Vietnam and things started to slip. The report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Lyndon Johnson was restricted. Seems they didn't dig what he had to tell them. During the next few months he made three requests for transfer to airborne training in Fort Benning, Georgia. And he was finally accepted. Airborne ? He was 38 years old. Why the fuck would he do that ? 1966 he joined the Special forces, returns to Vietnam ..." There are sounds of explosions in the distance : CHEF "Hey, what'_s that ?" WILLARD "Arch light. B-52 strike." CHEF "Every time I hear that something terrible happens." CLEAN "Charlie don't never see 'em or hear 'em. Concussion suck the air outta ya damn lungs.." CHEF "Something terrible is going to happen." CLEAN "Smoke ! CHEF "Secondaries burning." CHIEF "Hueys over there ! A lots of Hueys." WILLARD "Let's have a look Chief." In village : WILLARD (v.o.) "It was the AirCav, First of the Ninth, our escorts to the mouth of the Nung river. But they were supposed to be waiting for us another 30 kilometers ahead. Well, Air Mobile, those boys just couldn't stay put. First of the Ninth was an old cavalry division that had cashed in its horses for choppers, and gone tear-assing around 'Nam, looking for the shit. They've given Charlie a few surprises in their time here. What they were mopping up now hadn't even happened an hour ago." A TV crew is filming the attack : DIRECTOR "Don't look at the cameras, don't look at the cameras... Go on through... Don't look at the cameras.. Go by just like you're fighting..." WILLARD "Where can I find the CO ?" SOLDIER "He's over there ." WILLARD "Captain Willard. I carry priority papers from ComSec Intelligence. I understand that Nha Trang has briefed you of requirements of my mission." LIEUTENANT COLONEL KILGORE "What mission ? I haven't heard from Nha Trang." WILLARD "Sir, your unit is supposed to escort us into Nung." KILGORE "Well, we'll see what we can do about that. But stay out of my way." Kilgore walks to a group of dead VC : KILGORE "What we have here... Two of spades, three of spades, four of diamonds, six of clubs, ace of spades. Isn't one worth a Jack in the whole bunch..." LANCE "Hey Captain, what's that ?" WILLARD "Death cards." LANCE "What ?" WILLARD "Death cards. Lets Charlie know who did this." A depressed looking soldier sits in the ground : KILGORE "Cheer up son." Vietnamese cicilians are being evacuated : MEGAPHONE "We are hear to extend a welcome hand for those of you who wish to return to arms of South-Vietnamese government... This area is controlled by Vietcong and North-Vietnamese..." Kilgore walks to a wounded VC : KILGORE "Hey what's this ? What is this ?" SOLDIER "This man is hurt pretty bad, sir. About the only thing that is holding his guts in, sir, is that pot lid." KILGORE "What you gotta say ?" SOUTH-VIETNAMESE SOLDIER "This man is dirty VC. He wants water ? He can drink paddy water." KILGORE "Get out of here ! Gimme that canteen. Get outta here or I kick your fucking ass ! Any man brave enough to fight with his guts strapped in can drink from my canteen any day." SOLDIER "Hey colonel, I think one of those sailors is Lance Johnson, the surfer." KILGORE "Are you sure ?" Kilgore walks to Lance, completely forgetting the wounded VC : KILGORE "What's your name sailor ?" LANCE "Gunner's mate 3rd class L. Johnson, sir." CLEAN "Gunner's mate 3rd class ..." KILGORE "Lance Johnson the surfer ?" LANCE "Yes, sir." KILGORE "It's an honor to meet you Lance. I've admired your noseriding for years. I like your cutback too. I think you have the best cutback there is." LANCE "Thank you, sir." KILGORE "You can cut out that sir crap, Lance, I'm Bill Kilgore, I'm a goofy foot." These guys with you ?" Kilgore introduces Lance to some of his men : KILGORE "Mike from San Diego, Johnny from Malibu. Pretty solid surfers, none of us aren't anywhere near your class though. We do a lot of surfing here. I like to finish operations early. We fly to Vung Dao for evening. Have you been riding since you came here ?" LANCE "No way." In the battlefield, a priest is holding a Holy Communion : PRIEST "Let us pray..." Evening, a BBQ party : WILLARD (v.o.) "Kilgore had a pretty good day for himself. They choppered in t-bones and beer and turned the LZ into a beach party. The more they tried to make it just like home, the more they made everybody miss it." KILGORE "I want my meat rare, rare but not cold." WILLARD (v.o.) "He wasn't a bad officer, I guess. He loved his boys and they felt safe with him. He was one of those guys that had that weird light around him. You just knew he wasn't gonna get so much as a scratch here." KILGORE "What happened to your mission, captain ? Did Nha Trang forget all about you ?" WILLARD "Sir, two places we can get into the river. Here and here. It's pretty wide delta but these are the only two spots I'm really sure of." KILGORE "That village your pointing at is kinda hairy, Willard." WILLARD "What do you mean hairy, sir ?" KILGORE "It's hairy. Got some pretty heavy ordnance there. I lost a few recon ships there now and again. Is that goddamn village Vin Drin Dop or Lop ? Damn gook names all sound the same. Mike, do you know anything about that point at Vin Drin Dop ?" MIKE "That's a fantastic peak. " KILGORE "Peak ?" MIKE "About six feet. It got both the long right with left slide. It's unbelieveable, it's just Tube City..." KILGORE " Well why the hell didn't you tell me that before ? There aren't any good peaks in this whole, shitty country. It's all goddamn beach break." MIKE "It's really hairy in there,sir. That's where we lost McDonnel - they shot the hell out of us. That's Charlie's point." WILLARD "Sir, we can go there tomorrow at dawn. There's always a good off-shore breeze in the morning." CHIEF "We may not be able to get the boat in. The river may be too shallow." KILGORE " We'll pick your boat up and put it down like a baby, right where you want it. This is First of the Ninth, Air Cav,son- airmobile. I can take that point and hold it as long as I like -- and you can get anywhere you want up that river that suits you, young captain. Hell, a six foot peak. You take a gunship back to division -- Mike, take Lance with you -- let him pick out a board, and bring me my Yater Spoon -- the eight six." MIKE "I don't know, sir -- it's -- it's --" KILGORE " What is it soldier? MIKE "It's pretty hairy in there - it's Charlie's point..." KILGORE "Charlie don't surf !" In the landing zone : CHEF "Hey jesus, Clean. You ain't gonna believe this. Look." CLEAN "Hey man, they're picking up the boat." KILGORE "How you feeling Timmy ?" TIMMY "Like a mean motherfucker, sir." KILGORE "All right son, let it rip." In the helicopter : KILGORE "I've never been used to the lighter board. I can't get used to it. Do you prefer heavier or light board ?" LANCE "Heavier." KILGORE "Really ? I thought all the young guys like lighter boards." LANCE "You can't ride the nose..." PILOT "We've got it spotted." KILGORE "Put on heading 270, assume attack formation." PILOT "That's a roger. Ok, we're going in." KILGORE "We'll come in low, out of the rising sun, and about a mile out, we'll put on the music... " LANCE "Music ?" KILGORE " Yeah, I use Wagner -- scares the hell out of the slopes! My boys love it !" LANCE "Hey, they're gonna play music." CHEF "Why do all you guys sit on your helmets?" SOLDIER "So we don't get our balls blown off." The choppers arrive at their target : KILGORE "Put on psch-war operations, make it loud. This is Romeo Foxtrot. Shall we dance ?" Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries starts blasting away from the speakers attached to the helicopters. The choppers start firing : CLEAN "Run Charlie !" PILOT "We've spotted a large weapon down below. We're going to check it out." They destroy a machine gun : KILGORE "Outstanding, red team, outstanding. Get you a case of beer for that." PILOT "We're over the village right now, I think I see a vehicle down, I_m gonna check it out." KILGORE "Well done, hawks, well done. Put some 20 mike-mike vulcan right along that tree line, just rippin' the shit out of 'em." PILOT "Got a vehicle down the bridge, a 50 caliber onboard..." KILGORE "Clean the area, I'm coming on myself... don't these people ever give up?" Destroys a car on the bridge : SOLDIER "Nice shot Bill." A flare gets in Kilgore's chopper : KILGORE "It's just a flare, get it out, it's just a flare. Everybody all right ? Lance, are you all right ?" LANCE "Fine." In the village : SOLDIER "I'm not going ! I'm not going !" PILOT "We got secondaries down there ..." A wounded soldier lies on the ground : SOLDIER "Get the stretches over here... Gimme some morphine. Where's that chopper ?" KILGORE "I want my wounded out there into a hospital in 15 minutes. I want my men out !" A vietnamese girl throws a grenade to a helicopter on the ground : KILGORE "Fucking savages !" PILOT "Holy christ she's a savage... let's get that dink bitch. Get in there Johnny, ram that right skid up her ass..." PILOT "Those trees... We need fire on trees. Drawing fire, drawing fire - taking hits... Mayday, mayday... I'm going in - tailrotor is hit. I got control..." KILGORE "What do you think ?" LANCE "Well, it's really exciting." KILGORE "No, no. The waves... Look, breaks both ways, watch, watch. Six feet..." On the beach : SOLDIER "Incoming !" SOLDIER "This place is still pretty hot. Maybe you oughta surf someplace else." KILGORE "What do you know about surfing, Major ? You're from goddamn New Jersey." "Come here. Come here ! Change !" SOLDIER "Mean right now, sir ?" KILGORE "I wanna see how ridable that stuff is. Go change !" SOLDIER "It's still pretty hairy out there sir." KILGORE "You wanna surf soldier ?" SOLDIER "Yes, sir." KILGORE "That's good, son. 'Cause you either surf or fight. That clear ? Now get going. I cover for you. And bring a board for Lance. Lance, I bet you can't wait to get out there. See, you can break both ways. One guy can break right, one left simultaneous. What do you think of that ?" LANCE "I think we oughta wait the tide to come up." KILGORE "Lance, come here. Look, look... The tide doesn't come in for six hours. You wanna wait here for six hours ?" We see two surfers : KILGORE "OK fellows, quit hiding. Ok, let's go dickheads." WILLARD "Don't you think it's a little risky for R&R ?" KILGORE "If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain - it's safe to surf this beach. I'm not afraid to surf this place, I'm not afraid to surf this fucking place." Kilgore picks up the radio : KILGORE "Goddamn, I want that treeline bombed !" FAC PILOT "Roger. Big Duke Six, standby." KILGORE "Bomb them to stoneage, son." FAC PILOT "Hawk One Two, Dove One Three, they need some napalm on that treeline down there. Can you put it down there ?" F-5 PILOT "Roger. We'll suppress some mortar fire off the treeline down there." FAC PILOT "Roger. Give all you got and bring all your ships back." KILGORE "Don't worry, we'll have this place cleaned up and ready for us in a jiffy, don't you worry." FAC PILOT "Big Duke Six, inbound in 30 seconds. Get your people back and heads down. This is gonna be a big one." After the napalm attack : KILGORE "You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like - victory. Someday this war is gonna end." In patrol boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "Someday this war's gonna end. That would be just fine with the boys on the boat. They weren't looking for anything more than a way home. Trouble is, I've been back there, and I knew that it just didn't exist anymore. If that's how Kilgore fought the war, I began to wonder what they really had against Kurtz. It wasn't just insanity and murder. There was enough of that to go around for everyone." CHEF "I'm not here. I'm walking through the jungle gathering mangoes. I meet Raquel Welch. I make a nice mango cream pudding. Kinda spread it around us. Hey captain, I wanna get some mangoes." WILLARD "Just don't go out there by yourself. You don't wanna go in there alone, unless you really know the territory." LANCE "Any poisonous snakes around here ?" CHEF "Fuck it ! I'm gonna get some mangoes." Willard and Chef leave the boat : WILLARD " Chef ?" CHEF "Yes, sir --" WILLARD "How come they call you that?" CHEF "Call me what, sir?" WILLARD "Chef -- is that 'cause you like mangoes an' stuff?" CHEF "No, sir -- I'm a real chef, sir -- I'm a sauciere --" WILLARD "A sauciere --" CHEF "Yes, sir -- See, I come from New Orleans -- I was raised to be a sauciere.. a great sauciere." WILLARD "What's a sauciere?" CHEF "We specialize in sauces. Has to be a mango tree here somewhere... I was supposed to go to Paris, study at the Escoffier school. Then I got orders for my physical. Hell I joined the Navy, heard they had better food. Cook school -- that did it." WILLARD "Oh yeah, how? CHEF "They lined us all up in front of a hundred yards of prime rib -- magnificent meat, beautifully marbled.. Then they started throwing it in these big cauldrons, all of it -- boiling. I looked in, an' it was turning gray. I couldn't fucking believe that one. I went into radio school..." Willard hears something : CHEF "What is it ? Enemy ?" Suddenly a tiger appears from the jungle. Willard and Chef start running back to boat, Chef screaming : CHEF "It's a tiger, a fucking tiger ! CHIEF "Let's go !" CHEF "Never get outta boat..." CHIEF "What happened, how many is it ?" CHEF "A fucking tiger, fucking tiger... I don't wanna take this goddamn shit man... I didn't come here for this, I don't fucking need this. I didn't get outta the eighth grade for this, man..All I wanted to do is fucking cook, I just wanted to learn to fucking cook. Allright, It's allright, it's gonna be all right... never get outta boat... bye tiger, bye tiger..." WILLARD (v.o.) "Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were going all the way. Kurtz got off the boat. He split from the whole fucking program. How did that happen? What did he see here that first tour? 38 fucking years old. If he joined the Green Berets, there was no way you'd ever get above Colonel. Kurtz knew what he was giving up. The more I read and began to understand, the more I admired him. His family and friends couldn't understand it, and they couldn't talk him out of it. He had to apply three times and he had to put up with a ton of shit, but when he threatened to resign, they gave it to him. The next youngest guy in his class was half his age. They must have thought he was some far-out old man humping it over that course. I did it when I was 19 and it damn near wasted me. A tough motherfucker. He finished. He could have gone for General, but he went for himself instead." CHEF (writes a letter) "Dear Eva. This day was really a new one. I almost got eaten alive by a fucking tiger. Really unfuckingbelieveable, you know. We are taking this guy, captain Willard, up the river. he hasn't told us yet where we're taking him ..." WILLARD (v.o.) "October 1967 on special assignment, Con Tum province. Kurtz staged operation Arch Angel with combined local forces. Rated a major success. He received no official clearence. He just thought it up and did it. What balls. They were gonna nail his ass to the floorboards for that but after the press got hold of it they promoted him to full colonel instead. Oh man, the bullshit piled up so fast in Vietnam, you needed wings to stay above it." The boat approaches a military base near the river : CLEAN "This sure is a bizarre sight in middle of this shit. Are they expecting us this time ?" WILLARD "Damn if I know." The crew leaves the boat : CLEAN "Hau Phat. You ever been up here Chef ? Yo man, check out these bikes, man. Suzuki, that's a good one. This must be the guy... Three drums of diesel fuel, PBR..." SERGEANT "Come on move, we don't have time, one hour that's all.. Whaddya want ?" CHEF "Can I get Panama Red with it ?" SERGEANT "Yeah, I'll get you Panama Red. Destination ?" CLEAN "I don't have a destination." WILLARD "Sergeant, these guys are with me. Destination is classified. I carry priority papers from ComSec Intelligence..." SERGEANT "OK, right sir. Listen it's really a big night - eight bucks for that camo-" Willard grabs him : WILLARD "Just give us some fuel !" SERGEANT "You got it. Hey captain, I'm really sorry for tonight. It's really bad over here. Just take this over there to the desk and you got it. Hey listen, would you guys like some seats, press-box seats, for the show ? You want those ? Playboy bunnies. Hey captain, on the house, no hard feelings ?" A helicopter with playboy markings lands : MANAGER "How you doing out there ? Hello to all you who work so goddamn hard for opearation Brute Force. Hello all you paratroopers out there, and the marines, and the sailors. I wanna let you know we're proud of you, we know how tough and hard it'_s been. And to prove it we're gonna give you entertainment we know you_re gonna like. Miss August, miss Sandra Beatty; Miss May, miss Terry Teray; and the playmate of the year, miss Carrie Foster." The bunnies start dancing : CHEF "I'm here babe, I'm here..." LANCE "You fucking bitch !" CLEAN "Take it off." The show ends in chaos and the bunnies make a speedy exit : WILLARD (v.o.) "Charley didn't get much USO. He was dug in too deep or moving too fast. His idea of great R&R was cold rice and a little rat meat. He had only two ways home: death, or victory." In boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "No wonder Kurtz put a weed up command's ass. The war was being run by a bunch of four-star clowns who were going to end up giving the whole circus away." CHEF "Can you believe that ? Have to come over here to find her ?" Another patrol boat approaches : CLEAN "Chicken time !" CHIEF "Is that you Lazarro ? " A soldier in another boat throws a flare: CHIEF "Fire in the canopy !" WILLARD (v.o.) "Late summer-autumn 1968 : Kurtz's patrols in the highlands coming under frequent ambush. The camp started falling apart...November: Kurtz orders the assassination of three Vietnamese men and one woman. Two of the men were Colonels in the South Vietnamese army. Enemy activity in his old sector dropped off to nothing. Guess he must have hit the right four people. The army tried one last time to bring him back into the fold. And if he pulled over, it all would have been forgotten. But he kept going, and he kept winning it his way, and they called me in. They lost him. He was gone. Nothing but rumors and rambling intelligence, mostly from captured VC. The VC knew his name by now, and they were scared of him. He and his men were playing hit and run all the way into Cambodia." WILLARD "How long has that kid been in this boat ?" CHIEF "Seven months." WILLARD "He's really specialized in busting my balls." CHIEF "Very possible he thinks the same of you." WILLARD "Oh yeah ? What do you think Chief ?" CHIEF "I don't think. My orders are I'm not supposed to know where I'm taking this boat, so I don't. But one look at you and I know it's gonna be hot, wherever it is." WILLARD "We're going up river about 75 klicks above the Do Lung bridge." CHIEF "That's Cambodia, captain." WILLARD "That's classified. We're not supposed to be in Cambodia but that's where I'm going. You just get me close to my destination and I'll cut you and the crew loose." CHIEF "All right, captain." Willard reads a letter Kurtz has sent to his son : "Dear son, I'm afraid that both you and your mother would have been worried for not hearing from me these past weeks. But my situation here has become a difficult one. I've been officially accused of murder by the army. The alleged victims were four Vietnamese double agents. We spent months uncovering and accumalating evidence. When absolute proof was completed, we acted, we acted like soldiers. The charges are unjustified. They are in fact, under the circumstances of this conflict quite completely insane. In a war there are many moments for compassion and tender action. There are many moments for ruthless action, for what is often called ruthless, what may in many and many circumstances be the only clarity; seeing clearly what there is to be done and doing it directly, quickly, aware... , looking at it. I would trust you to tell your mother what you choose about this letter. As for the charges, I'm unconcerned. I'm beyond their timid, lying morality. And so I'_m beyond caring. You have all my faith. Your loving father." Chef and Clean are fighting : CHIEF "Chef, knock it off. Give it a break. What do you think I said ? And give your jaws a rest. This ain't the Army, you are sailor. Get off that grizzly army looking shit and stop smoking dope, you hear me. Lance, what's with all the green paint ?" LANCE "Camouflage." CHIEF "How's that ? LANCE "So they can't see me, they're everywhere Chief." CHIEF "Aha... I want you to stay awake there, man. You got a job to do. Sampan up the port bow, let's take a look. Clean on the 60, Chef the 16. Clean ! Get on that 60 !" WILLARD "What's up, Chief." CHIEF "A jugboat, captain. We'll gonna take a routine check." WILLARD "Let's forget it now... Let it go." CHIEF "These boats are running supplies on the delta, captain. I'm gonna take a look." WILLARD "Chief, my mission got priority here. Hell, you wouldn't be on this part of the river if it wasn't for me." CHIEF "Until we reach your destination you're just along for the ride." CHEF "Throw the rope asshole." CHIEF "Let's bring it over ... Look at that bow, bring the people over here." CHEF "Come on, hurry up motherfucker, move it ! Go gook." CHIEF "Keep your eyes open Clean." CLEAN "I got you Chief." CHEF "OK, they're OK." CHIEF "Board it and search it." CHEF "Baskets and ducks... fucking bananas... ain't nothin on it." CHIEF "What's wrong with you ? Board it and search it." CHEF "There's the goat... some fish..." CHIEF "Chef, get on that boat !" CHEF "There's nothing on it." CHIEF "Get on it !" CHEF "All right ! Move it asshole.. mangoes..." CHIEF "Check on the rice bags." CHEF "Fish, coconuts... rice... here's rice." CHIEF "What's in that vegetable basket ? Chef, check that vegetable basket." CHEF "All right... ain't nothing in here." CHIEF "What's in the boxes ? Look in that tin can, that rusty can..." CHEF "Just fucking rice, that's all." CHIEF "Check the yellow can, she was sitting on it." Suddenly the Vietnamese girl makes a move towards the basket. The boat crew starts firing wildly : CHEF "Let's kill 'em all !" CHIEF "Hold it ! Hold it !" CHEF "Let's kill them all... why not ?" CHIEF "Clean ?" CLEAN "I'm good." CHIEF "You OK Lance ?" CHEF "Look what she was hiding. See what she was running for. A fucking puppy." LANCE "Give me that dog !" CHEF "Fucking mango too, you want that ?" CHIEF "Chef, she's moving behind you. She's alive. Check her out, she's moving behind you. Check her out." CHEF "Goddamn... Clean give me a hand." CHIEF "Take it easy. Slow down and take it easy. Is she breathing Chef ?" CHEF "She's hurt, she's bleeding." CHIEF "Bring her onboard." WILLARD "What are you talking about ?" CHIEF "We're taking here to some frendlies, captain. She's wounded, she's not dead." WILLARD "Get off there Chef." Willard shoots the wounded girl : CHEF "Fuck it." WILLARD "I told you not to stop. Now let's go." WILLARD (v.o.) " It was the way we had over here of living with ourselves. We'd cut them in half with a machine gun and give them a bandaid. It was a lie, and the more I saw of them, the more I hated lies. Those boys were never going to look at me the same way again. But I felt I knew one or two things about Kurtz that weren't in the dossier." The boat arrives to Do Lung bridge : WILLARD (v.o.) "Do Lung bridge was last army outpost on the Nung river. Beyond that there was only Kurtz." CHEF "Lance, hey Lance. What do you think ?" LANCE "It's beautiful." CHEF "What's the matter with you ? You're acting kinda weird." LANCE "Hey you know that last tab of acid I was saving. I dropped it." CHEF "You dropped acid ? ... Far out." LIEUTENANT CARLSON "Is there a captain Willard onboard ? WILLARD "Yeah, who's that ?" CARLSON "Lieutenant Carlson, sir. Get that light off me... I was sent here from Nha Trang with these three days ago, sir. Expected you here a little sooner. This is mail for the boat... You don't know how happy this makes me, sir." WILLARD "Why ?" CARLSON "Now I can get out of here, if I can find a way... You're in the asshole of the world, captain !" CHIEF "Captain, where you going ?" WILLARD "I gotta find somebody - I need some information. Pick me up the other side of the bridge." CHIEF "Somebody go with him." LANCE "I go. I wanna go." Willard and Lance enter the trenches : WILLARD "Where can I find your CO ?" SOLDIER "You came right to it, you son of a bitch !" WILLARD "Lance, get down here ! You still got a commanding officer here ?" SOLDIER "Straight up the road there's a concrete fuckin bunker called Beverly Hills. Where the fuck else you think it would be ?" SOLDIER "Goddamn, you stepped on my face !" LANCE "I thought you were dead." SOLDIER "Well you thought wrong, dammit !" SOLDIER (firing wildly his machine gun) "I told you to stop fucking with me ! You think you're bad..." WILLARD "What are you shooting at soldier ?" SOLDIER "Gooks. What the fuck you think I'm shooting at... I'm sorry, sir... There are gooks by the wire. But I think I killed them all." SOLDIER "You ain't shot shit, man. Listen !" SOLDIER "Oh shit, he's trying to call his friends. Send in a flare. You think you're bad..." SOLDIER "There's one still beneath them bodies." WILLARD "Who's the commanding officer here ?" SOLDIER "Ain't you ? You think you're bad... Go get the Roach, man ! Get Roach !" SOLDIER "He's down by the wire. You need a flare ?" ROACH "No. He's close, man. He's real close... Motherfucker." WILLARD "Hey, soldier. Do you know who's in command here?" ROACH "Yeah...." In the patrol boat : CLEAN "Shit ! Hey Chief, man. Two guys just got blown out from that bridge." CHIEF "You hang on man. You're gonna be OK." CLEAN "What's that ?" CHEF "Mail, man." CHIEF "Later with that mail. Watch them trees." WILLARD "There's no diesel fuel but I pick up some ammo. Let's move out." CHIEF "Did you find a CO, captain ?" WILLARD "There's no fucking CO here. Let's just get going." CHIEF "Which way, captain ?" WILLARD "You know which way, Chief." CHIEF "You're on your own, captain. You wanna go on ? Like this bridge : We build it every night. Charlie blows it right back up again. Just so the generals can say the road's open. Think about it. Who cares ?" WILLARD "Just get us up the river !" CHIEF "Chef, on the bow. Clean, on the 60." The journey continues. Chef hands out the mail : CHEF "Shit, you got another one Clean." CLEAN "No shit, is that it ?" CHEF "That's it for you. Lance, Mr L.B. Johnson, there you go.." LANCE "Far out, man. I've been waiting for this. CHEF "I got another one, got a box from Eva." LANCE (reading) "Lance, I'm fine. I was on a trip to Disneyland. There can never be a place like Disneyland, or could there ? Let me know - Jim, it's here... really is here." WILLARD (reading, v.o.) "There has been a new development regarding your mission which we must now communicate to you. Months ago a man was ordered on a mission which was identical to yours. We have reason to believe that he is now operating with Kurtz. Saigon was carrying him MIA for his family's sake. They assumed he was dead. Then they intercepted a letter he tried to send his wife : SELL THE HOUSE SELL THE CAR SELL THE KIDS FIND SOMEONE ELSE FORGET IT I'M NEVER COMING BACK FORGET IT Captain Richard Colby - he was with Kurtz." LANCE "Disneyland. Fuck, man, this is better than Disneyland." Chef reads a newspaper : CHEF "Charles Miller Manson ordered the slaughter of all in a home as a symbol of protest.. hey, that's pretty weird!" LANCE "Purple haze ! look." CLEAN "I got a tape from my mom." CHEF "Eva can't picture me in Vietnam. She pictures me at home having a beer and watching TV... Eva is not sure if she can have a relationship with me, you know. Here I am 13000 fucking miles away trying to keep a relationship with my ass." Suddenly the boat comes under an attack. Clean gets shot : CHIEF "Chef, check out Clean ! Captain, he_s hit, he_s hit ! Clean's hit !" LANCE "Where did the dog go ? We gotta go back to get the dog !" We hear the end of the tape Clean was listening : TAPE "... do the right thing. Stay out of the way of the bullets. And bring your hiney home all in one piece. Because we love you. Love, Mama." The journey continues in thick mist : CHIEF "Can't see nothing. We're stopping." WILLARD "You're not authorized to stop this boat, Chief." CHIEF "I said I can't see a thing, captain. I'm stopping this boat. Ain't risking no more lives." WILLARD "I'm in command here, goddamn it ! You do what i say." CHIEF "You see anything Chef ?" CHEF "Why don't those fucks attack, man ? Watch it over here, Chief..." CHIEF "Lance, on the 50's." WILLARD (v.o.) "He was close. He was real close. I could not see him yet but I could feel him. As of this boat was being sucked up river and the water was flowing back to the jungle. Whatever was going to happen, it was not going to be the way they called it in Nha Trang." They come under attack by arrows : WILLARD "Chef, it's OK. Quit firing !" LANCE "Cut it out ! Quiet !" WILLARD "Chief, tell them to hold fire. It's just little sticks. They're just trying to scare us." CHIEF "You got us into this mess and you can't get us out 'cos you don't know where the hell you're going, do you ? Do you, you son of a bitch, you fuck !" Chief is hit by a spear : CHIEF "A spear." Chief dies. WILLARD "My mission is to make it up into Cambodia. There's a Green Beret Colonel up there who's gone insane. I'm supposed to kill him." CHEF "That's fucking typical, shit. Fucking Vietnam mission. I'm short, and we got to go up there so you can kill one of our own guys. That's fucking great, that's just fucking great ! That's fucking crazy. I thought you were going in there to blow up a bridge, or some fucking railroad tracks or something." WILLARD "Sorry..." CHEF "No, no wait. We go together. On the boat, we'll go with you. On the boat . OK ?" Again they move on, but now it's only Willard, Chef and Lance : WILLARD (v.o.) "Part of me was afraid of what I would find and what I would do when I got there. I knew the risks, or imagined I knew. But the thing I felt the most, much stronger than fear, was the desire to confront him." They meet a group of Montagnards in boats : WILLARD "Just keep moving... Lance, keep your hands away from the gun." Finally they arrive to Kurtz compound : PHOTOJOURNALIST "It's all right, it's all right. You're all being approved." CHEF "Ain't coming in there. Them bastards attcked us." PHOTOJOURNALIST ""Zap 'em wit your siren, man, zap 'em with your siren... There's mines over there, there's mines over there, and watch out those goddam monkeys bite, I'll tell ya. Eh, that's a pretty one. Move in right in towards me... I_m an American ! Yeah, American civilian. Hi yanks... American, american civilian. It's all right. And you got the cigarettes, that's what I've been dreaming of." WILLARD "Who are you ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Who are you ... ? I'm a photojournalist. I've covered the war since 64. I've been in Laos, Cambodia, 'Nam... I_ll tell you one thing, this boat is a mess, man." WILLARD "Who are all these people ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Yeah, well... They think you have come to take him away. I hope that isn't true." WILLARD "Take who away ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Him. Colonel Kurtz. These are all his children, as far as you can see." WILLARD "Could we, uh, talk to Colonel Kurtz?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Hey, man, you don't talk to the Colonel. You listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll say hello to him, right? And he'll just walk right by you, and he won't even notice you. And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say do you know that if is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you -- I mean I'm no, I can't -- I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas -- I mean --" WILLARD "Stay with the boat." PHOTOJOURNALIST "Hey, uh, don't go -- don't go without me, OK? I want to get a picture." He can be terrible, he can be mean, he can be right. He's fighting the war. He's a great man. I mean... I wish I had words. I can tell you the other day he wanted to kill me." WILLARD "Why did he want to kill you ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Because I took his picture. He said if I take his picture again - I'm gonna kill you. And he meant it ! So you just lay it cool, lay back, dig it... He gets friendly again, really does. But you don't judge him like an ordinary man. OK, now watch it. They are americans... americans. Can you feel the vibe of this place ? Let me take a picture. Hey, hello... hello. Would you hold it for a minute." Willard sees a group of american soldiers : WILLARD "Colby." PHOTOJOURNALIST "The heads. You're looking at the heads. I, uh -- sometimes he goes too far, you know -- he's the first one to admit it!" CHEF "He's gone crazy!" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Wrong! Wrong! If you could have heard the man, just two days ago, if you could have heard the man! You going to call him crazy?" CHEF "Fucking A!" WILLARD "I just want to talk to him." PHOTOJOURNALIST "Well man, he's gone away. He's gone away. He disappeared into the jungle with his people..." WILLARD "I'll wait for him." PHOTOJOURNALIST "... he feels comfortable with his people. He forgets him with his people. He forgets himself..." CHEF "Captain, maybe we should wait back at the boat." WILLARD "Ok Chef. We'll go back to the boat for a while." CHEF "Stay with Lance." Willard and Chef return to the boat : CHEF "This colonel guy - he's wacko, man. He's worse than crazy. He's evil. I mean... its fucking Pagan idolitry. Look around. Shit, he's loco." WILLARD "Then you'll help me." CHEF "Help you ? Fucking A. I'll help you. I'll do anything to get out of this joint. We could blow all the assholes away. They're all so spaced out they wouldn't even know it. I'm not afraid of those fucking skulls, and altars and shit. I used to think if I died in an evil place then my soul wouldn't make it to heaven. Well, fuck. I don't care where it goes as long it ain't here. So, what you wanna do ? I'll kill the fuck ..." WILLARD "No, no. I'm gonna need you right here, Chef. I'll go up with Lance, scrounge around, check the place out, see if I can find the colonel." CHEF "What you want me to do ?" WILLARD "Here, take the radio. If I don't get back by 2200 hours, you call in the airstrike." CHEF "Airstrike ?" WILLARD "The code is Almighty, coordinates 090264712.. It's all in here." Willard and Lance leave the boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "Everything I saw told me that Kurtz has gone insane. The place was full of bodies: North- Vietnamese, Vietcong, Cambodians.. If I was still alive, it was because he wanted me that way." Suddenly Willard is surrounded by a group of Kurtz' soldiers. They grab him and carry him to a temple - to meet Colonel Kurtz : WILLARD (v.o.) "It smelled like slow death in there, malaria, nightmares. This was the end of the river allright." COLONEL KURTZ "Where are you from Willard ?" WILLARD "I'm from Ohio, sir." KURTZ "Were you born there ?" WILLARD "Yes, sir." KURTZ "Whereabouts ?" WILLARD "Toledo, sir." KURTZ "How far were you from the river ?" WILLARD "The Ohio river, sir ? About 200 miles." KURTZ "I went down that river when I was a kid. There's a place in the river.. I can't remember... Must have been a gardenia plantation at one time. All wild and overgrown now, but about five miles you'd think that heaven just fell on the earth in the form of gardenias... Have you ever considered any real freedoms ? Freedoms - from the opinions of others... Even the opinions of yourself. They say why..., Willard, why they wanted to terminate my command ?" WILLARD "I was sent on a classified mission, sir." KURTZ "It appears.. that its no longer classified, is it? What did they tell you ?" WILLARD " They told me that you had gone totally insane and that your methods were unsound." KURTZ " Are my methods unsound?" WILLARD " I don't see any method at all, sir." KURTZ " I expected someone like you. What did you expect?" Willard only shakes his head : KURTZ " Are you an assassin?" WILLARD " I'm a soldier." KURTZ " You're neither. You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill." Willard is then put in a cage. Later photojournalist comes to visit him and offers some water and a cigarette : PHOTOJOURNALIST "Why ? Why would a nice guy like you wanna kill a genius ? You know that the man really likes you. He likes you, he really likes you. He's got something in mind for you. Aren't you curious about that ? I'm curious, I'm very curious. You curious ?There's something happening out there, man. You know something, man, I know something that you don't know. That's right, jack. The man is clear in his mind, but his soul is mad . Oh yeah. He's dying, I think. He hates all this, he hates it! But ... the man's ... uh ... he reads poetry out loud, alright? ... And a voice! A voice. ... He likes you because you're still alive. He's got plans for you. Nah, nah, I'm not going to help you, you're going to help him, man. You're going to help him. I mean, what are they going to say, man, when he's gone, huh? Because he dies, when it dies, man, when it dies, he dies. What are they going to say about him? What, are they going to say, he was a kind man, he was a wise man, he had plans, he had wisdom? Bullsh-t, man! Am I going to be the one, that's going to set them straight? Look at me: wrong! ... You!" It's evening, Chef is sleeping in the boat : CHEF "Almost eight hours... I sleep and I dream I'm in this shitty boat. Fuck - is it been eight hours." Chef goes to the radio : CHEF "Hello Almighty, Almighty, this is PBR Street Gang - radio check, over." RADIO "Street Gang, this is Almighty, standing by, over." It's raining, Willard sits in his cage. Kurtz comes to visit him and coldly drops Chef's head in Willard's lap : WILLARD "No ! No, oh Christ..." In the morning Willard is carried again to meet Kurtz. Kurtz sits in the temple and reads T.S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men : KURTZ "We are the hollow men We are the stuffed men Leaning together Headpiece filled with straw. Alas! Our dried voices, when We whisper together Are quiet and meaningless As wind in dry grass Or rats' feet over broken glass In our dry cellar Shape without form, shade without colour, Paralysed force, gesture without motion;" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Do you know what the man is saying? Do you? This is dialectics. It's very simple dialectics. One through nine, no maybes, no supposes, no fractions -- you can't travel in space, you can't go out into space, you know, without, like, you know, with fractions -- what are you going to land on, one quarter, three-eighths -- what are you going to do when you go from here to Venus or something -- that's dialectic physics, OK? Dialectic logic is there's only love and hate, you either love somebody or you hate them." Kurtz throws a book angrily at him : PHOTOJOURNALIST "This is the way the fucking world ends! Look at this fucking shit we're in, man! Not with a bang, with a whimper. And with a whimper, I'm fucking splitting, jack!" Photojournalist leaves : WILLARD (v.o.) "On the river, I thought that the minute I looked at him, I'd know what to do, but it didn't happen. I was in there with him for days, not under guard - I was free - but he knew I wasn't going anywhere. He knew more about what I was going to do than I did. If the generals back in the Trang could see what I saw, would they still want me to kill him? More than ever probably. And what would his people back home want if they ever learned just how far from them he'd really gone? He broke from them and then he broke from himself. I'd never seen a man so broken up and ripped apart..." KURTZ " I've seen horrors...horrors that you've seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that...But you have no right to judge me. It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror. Horror has a face...And you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terrorare your friends. If they are not then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies. I remember when I was with Special Forces...Seems a thousand centuries ago...We went into a camp to innoculate the children. We left the camp after we had innoculated the children for Polio, and this old man came running after us and he was crying. He couldn't see. We went back there and they had come and hacked off every innoculated arm. There they were in a pile...A pile of little arms. And I remember...I...I...I cried... I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out. I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget. And then I realized...like I was shot...Like I was shot with a diamond...a diamond bullet right through my forehead...And I thought: My God...the genius of that. The genius. The will to do that. Perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure. And then I realized they were stronger than we. Because they could stand that these were not monsters...These were men...trained cadres...these men who fought with their hearts, who had families, who had children, who were filled with love...but they had the strength...the strength...to do that. If I had ten divisions of those men our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral...and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordal instincts to kill without feeling...without passion... without judgement...without judgement. Because it's judgement that defeats us. " KURTZ (to Willard) "I worry that my son might not understand what I've tried to be. And if I were to be killed, Willard, I would want someone to go to my home and tell my son everything. Everything I did, everything you saw... Because there is nothing I detest more than the stench of lies. And if you understand me, Willard, you'll do this for me." Evening. Kurtz' soldiers and natives are preparing for a party. Willard is in the patrol boat : RADIO "PBR Street Gang, this is Almighty, over... This is Almighty, standing by, over. This is Almighty, how do you copy, over..." Willard leaves the boat and starts going to Kurtz' temple with a machete : WILLARD (v.o.) "They were going to make me a major for this and I wasn't even in their fucing army any more. Everybody wanted me to do it, him most of all. I felt like he was up there, waiting for me to take the pain away. He just wanted to go out like a soldier, standing up, not like some poor, wasted, rag-assed renegade. Even the jungle wanted him dead, and that's who he really took his orders from anyway. " Kurtz sits in the temple : KURTZ (dictates to tape) "They train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write fuck on their airplanes because it's obscene! " Willard kills Kurtz with a machete, simultaneous the natives sacrifice a water buffalo and kill it with their machetes . Kurtz is dying, his final words : KURTZ "The horror. The horror..." Willard find Kurtz' manuscript where he has written : "Drop the bomb. Exterminate them all." Willard leaves the temple while the natives bow down. He drops the machete and so do the natives. Willards grabs Lance along and they go to the patrol boat : RADIO "PBR Street Gang this is Almighty, over.." Willard switches off the radio. The journey back home starts... "The horror. The horror..." T H E E N D

The opening scene : THE END BY THE DOORS This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end Of our elaborate plans, the end Of everything that stands, the end No safety or surprise, the end I'll never look into your eyes...again Can you picture what will be So limitless and free Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand In a...desperate land Lost in a romance...wilderness of pain And all the children are insane All the children are insane Waiting for the summer rain, yeah Hotel room in Saigon : WILLARD (v.o.) "Saigon, shit. I'm still only in Saigon. Every time I think I'm going to wake up back in the jungle. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing... I hardly said a word to my wife until I said yes to a divorce. When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle. I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer. Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute Charlie squats in the bush he gets stronger. Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter. Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service. " Two soldiers approach the hotel room : SOLDIER "Captain Willard ? Are you in there ?" WILLARD "Yeah." WILLARD (v.o.) "It was a real choice mission, and when it was over, I'd never want another." WILLARD "Whaddya want ?" SOLDIER "Are you all right Captain ?" WILLARD "How does it look like ?" SOLDIER "Captain Willard of 505 battalion, 173rd Airborne, assigned SOG ?" WILLARD "Hey buddy, are you gonna shut the door ?" SOLDIER "We have orders to escort you to the airfield." WILLARD "What are the charges ?" SOLDIER "Sir ?" WILLARD "What I did ?" SOLDIER "There's no charges, Captain. You have orders to report to ComSec intelligence in Nha Trang." WILLARD "Nha Trang ?" SOLDIER "That's right. Come on captain, you still have a few hours to get cleaned up. Captain ? Dave, give me a hand. Come on captain, let's take a shower. We'll gonna take a shower, in we go ..." In Nha Trang : WILLARD (v.o.) "I was going to the worst place in the world, and I didn't even know it yet. Weeks away and hundreds of miles up a river that snaked through the war like a main circuit cable and plugged straight into Kurtz. It was no accident that I got to be the caretaker of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz's memory, any more than being back in Saigon was an accident. There is no way to tell his story without telling my own. And if his story is really a confession, then so is mine." In the briefing room : COLONEL LUCAS "Come on in.. At ease. Want a cigarette ?" WILLARD "No, thank you sir." LUCAS "Captain, have you ever seen this gentleman before ? Met the general or myself ?" WILLARD "No, sir. Not personally." LUCAS "You have worked a lot on your own, haven't you ?" WILLARD "Yes, sir. I have." LUCAS "Your report specify intelligence, counter-intelligence, with ComSec I Corps." WILLARD "I'm not presently disposed to discuss these operations, sir." LUCAS "Did you not work for the CIA in I Corps ?" WILLARD "No, sir." LUCAS "Did you not assasinate a government tax collector in Quang Tri province, June 19th, 1968 ? Captain ?" WILLARD "Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation - nor would I be disposed to discuss such an operation if it did in fact exist, sir." GENERAL CORMAN "I thought we'd have a bite of lunch while we talk. I hope you brought a good appetite with you. You have a bad hand there, are you wounded ?" WILLARD "A little fishing accident on R&R, sir." CORMAN "Fishing on R&R... But you're feeling fit, ready for duty ?" WILLARD "Yes, general. Very much so sir." CORMAN "Let's see what we have here... roast beef and..., usually is not bad. Try some Jerry, pass it around. Save a little time when we'll pass both ways. Captain, I don't know how you feel about this shrimp, but if you'll eat it, you never have to prove your courage in any other way... I'll take a piece here ..." LUCAS "Captain, you heard of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz ?" WILLARD "Yes, sir, I've heard the name." LUCAS "Operations officer, 5th Special forces." CORMAN "Luke, would you play that tape for captain, please. Listen carefully." ON TAPE "October 9th, 0430 hours, sector PBK." LUCAS "This was monitored out of Cambodia. This has been verified as colonel Kurtz's voice." COLONEL KURTZ (on tape) " I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor, and surviving. " ON TAPE "11th transmission, December 30th, 0500 hours, sector KZK." KURTZ (on tape) " We must kill them. We must incinerate them. Pig after pig, cow after cow, village after village, army after army. And they call me an assasin. What do you call it when the assasins accuse the assasin ? They lie.. they lie and we have to be merciful for those who lie. Those nabobs. I hate them. How I hate them..." CORMAN "Walt Kurtz was one of the most outstanding officers this country has ever produced. He was a brilliant and outstanding in every way and he was a good man too. Humanitarian man, man of wit, of humor. He joined the Special forces. After that his ideas, methods have become unsound... Unsound." LUCAS "Now he's crossed to Cambodia with his Montagnard army, who worship the man, like a god, and follow every order however ridiculous." CORMAN "Well, I have some other shocking news to tell you. Colonel Kurtz was about to be arrested for murder." WILLARD "I don't follow sir. Murdered who ?" LUCAS "Kurtz had ordered executions of some Vietnamese intelligence agents. Men he believed were double agents. So he took matters into his own hands." CORMAN "Well, you see Willard... In this war, things get confused out there, power, ideals, the old morality, and practical military necessity. Out there with these natives it must be a temptation to be god. Because there's a conflict in every human heart between the rational and the irrational, between good and evil. The good does not always triumph. Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. Every man has got a breaking point. You and I have. Walter Kurtz has reached his. And very obviously, he has gone insane." WILLARD "Yes sir, very much so sir. Obviously insane." LUCAS "Your mission is to proceed up to Nung river in a Navy patrol boat. Pick up colonel Kurtz' path at Nu Mung Ba, follow it, learn what you can along the way. When you find colonel infiltrate his team by whatever means available and terminate the colonel's command." WILLARD "Terminate ? The colonel ?" CORMAN "He's out there operating without any decent restraint. Totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct. And he is still in the field commanding his troops." CIVILIAN "Terminate with extreme prejudice." LUCAS "You understand captain... , that this operation does not exist, nor will it ever exist." In helicopter : WILLARD (v.o.) "How many people had I already killed? There was those six that I know about for sure. Close enough to blow their last breath in my face. But this time it was an American and an officer. That wasn't supposed to make any difference to me, but it did. Shit...charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500. I took the mission. What the hell else was I gonna do? But I didn't know what I'd do when I found him." In boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "I was being ferried down the coast in a Navy PBR, a type of plastic patrol boat, pretty common sight on the rivers. They said it was a good way to pick up information without drawing lot of attention. That was OK, I needed the air and the time. Only problem was I wouldn't be alone." CLEAN "Morning captain." WILLARD (v.o.) "The crew was mostly just kids, rock and rollers with one foot in their graves" WILLARD "How old are you ?" CLEAN "Seventeen." WILLARD (v.o.) "The machinist, the one they called Chef, was from New Orleans. He was rapped too tight for Vietnam, probably rapped too tight for New Orleans. Lance on the forward 50's was a famous surfer from the beaches south of LA. You look at him and you wouldn't believe he ever fired a weapon in his whole life. Clean, Mr. Clean, was from some South Bronx shithole. Light and space of Vietnam really put the zap on his head. Then there was Phillips, the Chief. It might have been my mission, but it sure as shit was Chief's boat." CHIEF "There are about two points where we can draw enough water to get into the Nung river. They're both hot, belong to Charlie." WILLARD "Don't worry about it." Willard offers Chief a cigarette : CHIEF "Don't smoke. You know, I've pulled a few special ops in here. About six months ago, I took a man who was going up past the bridge at Do Lung. ... He was regular Army too. Heard he shot himself in the head." RADIO DJ "Good morning Vietnam. This is Zack Johnson on AFVN. It's about 82 degrees in downtown Saigon and right now very humid. And we have a important message for all GI's living off-base from the mayor of Saigon. He'd like you to hang your laundry indoors, instead of on the windows. The mayor wants you to keep Saigon beautiful... And now here's another blast from the past coming out to Big Cind, all alone in the mantle room out there with the First Battalion Thirty-fifth Infantry, and dedicated by the fire team at An Khe to their groupie CO Fred the Head: The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction." We see Lance waterskiing behind the boat : CHEF "Hang on Lance !" LANCE "Sayonara !" Willard starts reading Kurtz' dossier : MLPJC - 177TS007 TO: WILLARD, BENJAMIN L., Cpt. USA 0-1305301 U.S. Armed Forces Intelligence Hq. Nha Trang SUBJECT: Special Warfare Information, KURTZ, WALTER E., Col., Special Forces 1946 Graduates West Point; second in Class; third-generation appointee. Completes Basic Training, Advanced Infantry Training, Fort Gordon, Georgia. 47-48 Assigned, West Berlin, U.S. Sector Command, G-1 (Plans) Promoted 1st Lt. 49-50 Masters Degree, Harvard University, History (Thesis: The Phillipines Insurrection: American Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia, 1898-1905.) 50-51 Assigned General Staff, U.S. Command, Seoul, Korea. Tours combat zones, Division-Evaluation Team. Requests transfer to Intelligence, returned U.S. for special training, Ft. Holabird and Washington. (Marries, Janet Anderson, 14 June 1951.) Returns to active duty, C-2, Seoul; Debriefs and evaluates information from American agents returning from Northern missions. Promoted Captain. WILLARD (v.o.) "At first, I thought they handed me the wrong dossier. I couldn't believe they wanted this man dead. Third generation West Point, top of his class. Korea, Airborne. About a thousand decorations. Etc, etc... I'd heard his voice on the tape and it really put a hook in me. But I couldn't connect up that voice with this man. Like they said he had an impressive career. Maybe too impressive... I mean perfect. He was being groomed for one of the top slots of the corporation. General, Chief of Staff, anything... In 1964 he returned from a tour of advisory command in Vietnam and things started to slip. The report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Lyndon Johnson was restricted. Seems they didn't dig what he had to tell them. During the next few months he made three requests for transfer to airborne training in Fort Benning, Georgia. And he was finally accepted. Airborne ? He was 38 years old. Why the fuck would he do that ? 1966 he joined the Special forces, returns to Vietnam ..." There are sounds of explosions in the distance : CHEF "Hey, what'_s that ?" WILLARD "Arch light. B-52 strike." CHEF "Every time I hear that something terrible happens." CLEAN "Charlie don't never see 'em or hear 'em. Concussion suck the air outta ya damn lungs.." CHEF "Something terrible is going to happen." CLEAN "Smoke ! CHEF "Secondaries burning." CHIEF "Hueys over there ! A lots of Hueys." WILLARD "Let's have a look Chief." In village : WILLARD (v.o.) "It was the AirCav, First of the Ninth, our escorts to the mouth of the Nung river. But they were supposed to be waiting for us another 30 kilometers ahead. Well, Air Mobile, those boys just couldn't stay put. First of the Ninth was an old cavalry division that had cashed in its horses for choppers, and gone tear-assing around 'Nam, looking for the shit. They've given Charlie a few surprises in their time here. What they were mopping up now hadn't even happened an hour ago." A TV crew is filming the attack : DIRECTOR "Don't look at the cameras, don't look at the cameras... Go on through... Don't look at the cameras.. Go by just like you're fighting..." WILLARD "Where can I find the CO ?" SOLDIER "He's over there ." WILLARD "Captain Willard. I carry priority papers from ComSec Intelligence. I understand that Nha Trang has briefed you of requirements of my mission." LIEUTENANT COLONEL KILGORE "What mission ? I haven't heard from Nha Trang." WILLARD "Sir, your unit is supposed to escort us into Nung." KILGORE "Well, we'll see what we can do about that. But stay out of my way." Kilgore walks to a group of dead VC : KILGORE "What we have here... Two of spades, three of spades, four of diamonds, six of clubs, ace of spades. Isn't one worth a Jack in the whole bunch..." LANCE "Hey Captain, what's that ?" WILLARD "Death cards." LANCE "What ?" WILLARD "Death cards. Lets Charlie know who did this." A depressed looking soldier sits in the ground : KILGORE "Cheer up son." Vietnamese cicilians are being evacuated : MEGAPHONE "We are hear to extend a welcome hand for those of you who wish to return to arms of South-Vietnamese government... This area is controlled by Vietcong and North-Vietnamese..." Kilgore walks to a wounded VC : KILGORE "Hey what's this ? What is this ?" SOLDIER "This man is hurt pretty bad, sir. About the only thing that is holding his guts in, sir, is that pot lid." KILGORE "What you gotta say ?" SOUTH-VIETNAMESE SOLDIER "This man is dirty VC. He wants water ? He can drink paddy water." KILGORE "Get out of here ! Gimme that canteen. Get outta here or I kick your fucking ass ! Any man brave enough to fight with his guts strapped in can drink from my canteen any day." SOLDIER "Hey colonel, I think one of those sailors is Lance Johnson, the surfer." KILGORE "Are you sure ?" Kilgore walks to Lance, completely forgetting the wounded VC : KILGORE "What's your name sailor ?" LANCE "Gunner's mate 3rd class L. Johnson, sir." CLEAN "Gunner's mate 3rd class ..." KILGORE "Lance Johnson the surfer ?" LANCE "Yes, sir." KILGORE "It's an honor to meet you Lance. I've admired your noseriding for years. I like your cutback too. I think you have the best cutback there is." LANCE "Thank you, sir." KILGORE "You can cut out that sir crap, Lance, I'm Bill Kilgore, I'm a goofy foot." These guys with you ?" Kilgore introduces Lance to some of his men : KILGORE "Mike from San Diego, Johnny from Malibu. Pretty solid surfers, none of us aren't anywhere near your class though. We do a lot of surfing here. I like to finish operations early. We fly to Vung Dao for evening. Have you been riding since you came here ?" LANCE "No way." In the battlefield, a priest is holding a Holy Communion : PRIEST "Let us pray..." Evening, a BBQ party : WILLARD (v.o.) "Kilgore had a pretty good day for himself. They choppered in t-bones and beer and turned the LZ into a beach party. The more they tried to make it just like home, the more they made everybody miss it." KILGORE "I want my meat rare, rare but not cold." WILLARD (v.o.) "He wasn't a bad officer, I guess. He loved his boys and they felt safe with him. He was one of those guys that had that weird light around him. You just knew he wasn't gonna get so much as a scratch here." KILGORE "What happened to your mission, captain ? Did Nha Trang forget all about you ?" WILLARD "Sir, two places we can get into the river. Here and here. It's pretty wide delta but these are the only two spots I'm really sure of." KILGORE "That village your pointing at is kinda hairy, Willard." WILLARD "What do you mean hairy, sir ?" KILGORE "It's hairy. Got some pretty heavy ordnance there. I lost a few recon ships there now and again. Is that goddamn village Vin Drin Dop or Lop ? Damn gook names all sound the same. Mike, do you know anything about that point at Vin Drin Dop ?" MIKE "That's a fantastic peak. " KILGORE "Peak ?" MIKE "About six feet. It got both the long right with left slide. It's unbelieveable, it's just Tube City..." KILGORE " Well why the hell didn't you tell me that before ? There aren't any good peaks in this whole, shitty country. It's all goddamn beach break." MIKE "It's really hairy in there,sir. That's where we lost McDonnel - they shot the hell out of us. That's Charlie's point." WILLARD "Sir, we can go there tomorrow at dawn. There's always a good off-shore breeze in the morning." CHIEF "We may not be able to get the boat in. The river may be too shallow." KILGORE " We'll pick your boat up and put it down like a baby, right where you want it. This is First of the Ninth, Air Cav,son- airmobile. I can take that point and hold it as long as I like -- and you can get anywhere you want up that river that suits you, young captain. Hell, a six foot peak. You take a gunship back to division -- Mike, take Lance with you -- let him pick out a board, and bring me my Yater Spoon -- the eight six." MIKE "I don't know, sir -- it's -- it's --" KILGORE " What is it soldier? MIKE "It's pretty hairy in there - it's Charlie's point..." KILGORE "Charlie don't surf !" In the landing zone : CHEF "Hey jesus, Clean. You ain't gonna believe this. Look." CLEAN "Hey man, they're picking up the boat." KILGORE "How you feeling Timmy ?" TIMMY "Like a mean motherfucker, sir." KILGORE "All right son, let it rip." In the helicopter : KILGORE "I've never been used to the lighter board. I can't get used to it. Do you prefer heavier or light board ?" LANCE "Heavier." KILGORE "Really ? I thought all the young guys like lighter boards." LANCE "You can't ride the nose..." PILOT "We've got it spotted." KILGORE "Put on heading 270, assume attack formation." PILOT "That's a roger. Ok, we're going in." KILGORE "We'll come in low, out of the rising sun, and about a mile out, we'll put on the music... " LANCE "Music ?" KILGORE " Yeah, I use Wagner -- scares the hell out of the slopes! My boys love it !" LANCE "Hey, they're gonna play music." CHEF "Why do all you guys sit on your helmets?" SOLDIER "So we don't get our balls blown off." The choppers arrive at their target : KILGORE "Put on psch-war operations, make it loud. This is Romeo Foxtrot. Shall we dance ?" Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries starts blasting away from the speakers attached to the helicopters. The choppers start firing : CLEAN "Run Charlie !" PILOT "We've spotted a large weapon down below. We're going to check it out." They destroy a machine gun : KILGORE "Outstanding, red team, outstanding. Get you a case of beer for that." PILOT "We're over the village right now, I think I see a vehicle down, I_m gonna check it out." KILGORE "Well done, hawks, well done. Put some 20 mike-mike vulcan right along that tree line, just rippin' the shit out of 'em." PILOT "Got a vehicle down the bridge, a 50 caliber onboard..." KILGORE "Clean the area, I'm coming on myself... don't these people ever give up?" Destroys a car on the bridge : SOLDIER "Nice shot Bill." A flare gets in Kilgore's chopper : KILGORE "It's just a flare, get it out, it's just a flare. Everybody all right ? Lance, are you all right ?" LANCE "Fine." In the village : SOLDIER "I'm not going ! I'm not going !" PILOT "We got secondaries down there ..." A wounded soldier lies on the ground : SOLDIER "Get the stretches over here... Gimme some morphine. Where's that chopper ?" KILGORE "I want my wounded out there into a hospital in 15 minutes. I want my men out !" A vietnamese girl throws a grenade to a helicopter on the ground : KILGORE "Fucking savages !" PILOT "Holy christ she's a savage... let's get that dink bitch. Get in there Johnny, ram that right skid up her ass..." PILOT "Those trees... We need fire on trees. Drawing fire, drawing fire - taking hits... Mayday, mayday... I'm going in - tailrotor is hit. I got control..." KILGORE "What do you think ?" LANCE "Well, it's really exciting." KILGORE "No, no. The waves... Look, breaks both ways, watch, watch. Six feet..." On the beach : SOLDIER "Incoming !" SOLDIER "This place is still pretty hot. Maybe you oughta surf someplace else." KILGORE "What do you know about surfing, Major ? You're from goddamn New Jersey." "Come here. Come here ! Change !" SOLDIER "Mean right now, sir ?" KILGORE "I wanna see how ridable that stuff is. Go change !" SOLDIER "It's still pretty hairy out there sir." KILGORE "You wanna surf soldier ?" SOLDIER "Yes, sir." KILGORE "That's good, son. 'Cause you either surf or fight. That clear ? Now get going. I cover for you. And bring a board for Lance. Lance, I bet you can't wait to get out there. See, you can break both ways. One guy can break right, one left simultaneous. What do you think of that ?" LANCE "I think we oughta wait the tide to come up." KILGORE "Lance, come here. Look, look... The tide doesn't come in for six hours. You wanna wait here for six hours ?" We see two surfers : KILGORE "OK fellows, quit hiding. Ok, let's go dickheads." WILLARD "Don't you think it's a little risky for R&R ?" KILGORE "If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain - it's safe to surf this beach. I'm not afraid to surf this place, I'm not afraid to surf this fucking place." Kilgore picks up the radio : KILGORE "Goddamn, I want that treeline bombed !" FAC PILOT "Roger. Big Duke Six, standby." KILGORE "Bomb them to stoneage, son." FAC PILOT "Hawk One Two, Dove One Three, they need some napalm on that treeline down there. Can you put it down there ?" F-5 PILOT "Roger. We'll suppress some mortar fire off the treeline down there." FAC PILOT "Roger. Give all you got and bring all your ships back." KILGORE "Don't worry, we'll have this place cleaned up and ready for us in a jiffy, don't you worry." FAC PILOT "Big Duke Six, inbound in 30 seconds. Get your people back and heads down. This is gonna be a big one." After the napalm attack : KILGORE "You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like - victory. Someday this war is gonna end." In patrol boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "Someday this war's gonna end. That would be just fine with the boys on the boat. They weren't looking for anything more than a way home. Trouble is, I've been back there, and I knew that it just didn't exist anymore. If that's how Kilgore fought the war, I began to wonder what they really had against Kurtz. It wasn't just insanity and murder. There was enough of that to go around for everyone." CHEF "I'm not here. I'm walking through the jungle gathering mangoes. I meet Raquel Welch. I make a nice mango cream pudding. Kinda spread it around us. Hey captain, I wanna get some mangoes." WILLARD "Just don't go out there by yourself. You don't wanna go in there alone, unless you really know the territory." LANCE "Any poisonous snakes around here ?" CHEF "Fuck it ! I'm gonna get some mangoes." Willard and Chef leave the boat : WILLARD " Chef ?" CHEF "Yes, sir --" WILLARD "How come they call you that?" CHEF "Call me what, sir?" WILLARD "Chef -- is that 'cause you like mangoes an' stuff?" CHEF "No, sir -- I'm a real chef, sir -- I'm a sauciere --" WILLARD "A sauciere --" CHEF "Yes, sir -- See, I come from New Orleans -- I was raised to be a sauciere.. a great sauciere." WILLARD "What's a sauciere?" CHEF "We specialize in sauces. Has to be a mango tree here somewhere... I was supposed to go to Paris, study at the Escoffier school. Then I got orders for my physical. Hell I joined the Navy, heard they had better food. Cook school -- that did it." WILLARD "Oh yeah, how? CHEF "They lined us all up in front of a hundred yards of prime rib -- magnificent meat, beautifully marbled.. Then they started throwing it in these big cauldrons, all of it -- boiling. I looked in, an' it was turning gray. I couldn't fucking believe that one. I went into radio school..." Willard hears something : CHEF "What is it ? Enemy ?" Suddenly a tiger appears from the jungle. Willard and Chef start running back to boat, Chef screaming : CHEF "It's a tiger, a fucking tiger ! CHIEF "Let's go !" CHEF "Never get outta boat..." CHIEF "What happened, how many is it ?" CHEF "A fucking tiger, fucking tiger... I don't wanna take this goddamn shit man... I didn't come here for this, I don't fucking need this. I didn't get outta the eighth grade for this, man..All I wanted to do is fucking cook, I just wanted to learn to fucking cook. Allright, It's allright, it's gonna be all right... never get outta boat... bye tiger, bye tiger..." WILLARD (v.o.) "Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were going all the way. Kurtz got off the boat. He split from the whole fucking program. How did that happen? What did he see here that first tour? 38 fucking years old. If he joined the Green Berets, there was no way you'd ever get above Colonel. Kurtz knew what he was giving up. The more I read and began to understand, the more I admired him. His family and friends couldn't understand it, and they couldn't talk him out of it. He had to apply three times and he had to put up with a ton of shit, but when he threatened to resign, they gave it to him. The next youngest guy in his class was half his age. They must have thought he was some far-out old man humping it over that course. I did it when I was 19 and it damn near wasted me. A tough motherfucker. He finished. He could have gone for General, but he went for himself instead." CHEF (writes a letter) "Dear Eva. This day was really a new one. I almost got eaten alive by a fucking tiger. Really unfuckingbelieveable, you know. We are taking this guy, captain Willard, up the river. he hasn't told us yet where we're taking him ..." WILLARD (v.o.) "October 1967 on special assignment, Con Tum province. Kurtz staged operation Arch Angel with combined local forces. Rated a major success. He received no official clearence. He just thought it up and did it. What balls. They were gonna nail his ass to the floorboards for that but after the press got hold of it they promoted him to full colonel instead. Oh man, the bullshit piled up so fast in Vietnam, you needed wings to stay above it." The boat approaches a military base near the river : CLEAN "This sure is a bizarre sight in middle of this shit. Are they expecting us this time ?" WILLARD "Damn if I know." The crew leaves the boat : CLEAN "Hau Phat. You ever been up here Chef ? Yo man, check out these bikes, man. Suzuki, that's a good one. This must be the guy... Three drums of diesel fuel, PBR..." SERGEANT "Come on move, we don't have time, one hour that's all.. Whaddya want ?" CHEF "Can I get Panama Red with it ?" SERGEANT "Yeah, I'll get you Panama Red. Destination ?" CLEAN "I don't have a destination." WILLARD "Sergeant, these guys are with me. Destination is classified. I carry priority papers from ComSec Intelligence..." SERGEANT "OK, right sir. Listen it's really a big night - eight bucks for that camo-" Willard grabs him : WILLARD "Just give us some fuel !" SERGEANT "You got it. Hey captain, I'm really sorry for tonight. It's really bad over here. Just take this over there to the desk and you got it. Hey listen, would you guys like some seats, press-box seats, for the show ? You want those ? Playboy bunnies. Hey captain, on the house, no hard feelings ?" A helicopter with playboy markings lands : MANAGER "How you doing out there ? Hello to all you who work so goddamn hard for opearation Brute Force. Hello all you paratroopers out there, and the marines, and the sailors. I wanna let you know we're proud of you, we know how tough and hard it'_s been. And to prove it we're gonna give you entertainment we know you_re gonna like. Miss August, miss Sandra Beatty; Miss May, miss Terry Teray; and the playmate of the year, miss Carrie Foster." The bunnies start dancing : CHEF "I'm here babe, I'm here..." LANCE "You fucking bitch !" CLEAN "Take it off." The show ends in chaos and the bunnies make a speedy exit : WILLARD (v.o.) "Charley didn't get much USO. He was dug in too deep or moving too fast. His idea of great R&R was cold rice and a little rat meat. He had only two ways home: death, or victory." In boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "No wonder Kurtz put a weed up command's ass. The war was being run by a bunch of four-star clowns who were going to end up giving the whole circus away." CHEF "Can you believe that ? Have to come over here to find her ?" Another patrol boat approaches : CLEAN "Chicken time !" CHIEF "Is that you Lazarro ? " A soldier in another boat throws a flare: CHIEF "Fire in the canopy !" WILLARD (v.o.) "Late summer-autumn 1968 : Kurtz's patrols in the highlands coming under frequent ambush. The camp started falling apart...November: Kurtz orders the assassination of three Vietnamese men and one woman. Two of the men were Colonels in the South Vietnamese army. Enemy activity in his old sector dropped off to nothing. Guess he must have hit the right four people. The army tried one last time to bring him back into the fold. And if he pulled over, it all would have been forgotten. But he kept going, and he kept winning it his way, and they called me in. They lost him. He was gone. Nothing but rumors and rambling intelligence, mostly from captured VC. The VC knew his name by now, and they were scared of him. He and his men were playing hit and run all the way into Cambodia." WILLARD "How long has that kid been in this boat ?" CHIEF "Seven months." WILLARD "He's really specialized in busting my balls." CHIEF "Very possible he thinks the same of you." WILLARD "Oh yeah ? What do you think Chief ?" CHIEF "I don't think. My orders are I'm not supposed to know where I'm taking this boat, so I don't. But one look at you and I know it's gonna be hot, wherever it is." WILLARD "We're going up river about 75 klicks above the Do Lung bridge." CHIEF "That's Cambodia, captain." WILLARD "That's classified. We're not supposed to be in Cambodia but that's where I'm going. You just get me close to my destination and I'll cut you and the crew loose." CHIEF "All right, captain." Willard reads a letter Kurtz has sent to his son : "Dear son, I'm afraid that both you and your mother would have been worried for not hearing from me these past weeks. But my situation here has become a difficult one. I've been officially accused of murder by the army. The alleged victims were four Vietnamese double agents. We spent months uncovering and accumalating evidence. When absolute proof was completed, we acted, we acted like soldiers. The charges are unjustified. They are in fact, under the circumstances of this conflict quite completely insane. In a war there are many moments for compassion and tender action. There are many moments for ruthless action, for what is often called ruthless, what may in many and many circumstances be the only clarity; seeing clearly what there is to be done and doing it directly, quickly, aware... , looking at it. I would trust you to tell your mother what you choose about this letter. As for the charges, I'm unconcerned. I'm beyond their timid, lying morality. And so I'_m beyond caring. You have all my faith. Your loving father." Chef and Clean are fighting : CHIEF "Chef, knock it off. Give it a break. What do you think I said ? And give your jaws a rest. This ain't the Army, you are sailor. Get off that grizzly army looking shit and stop smoking dope, you hear me. Lance, what's with all the green paint ?" LANCE "Camouflage." CHIEF "How's that ? LANCE "So they can't see me, they're everywhere Chief." CHIEF "Aha... I want you to stay awake there, man. You got a job to do. Sampan up the port bow, let's take a look. Clean on the 60, Chef the 16. Clean ! Get on that 60 !" WILLARD "What's up, Chief." CHIEF "A jugboat, captain. We'll gonna take a routine check." WILLARD "Let's forget it now... Let it go." CHIEF "These boats are running supplies on the delta, captain. I'm gonna take a look." WILLARD "Chief, my mission got priority here. Hell, you wouldn't be on this part of the river if it wasn't for me." CHIEF "Until we reach your destination you're just along for the ride." CHEF "Throw the rope asshole." CHIEF "Let's bring it over ... Look at that bow, bring the people over here." CHEF "Come on, hurry up motherfucker, move it ! Go gook." CHIEF "Keep your eyes open Clean." CLEAN "I got you Chief." CHEF "OK, they're OK." CHIEF "Board it and search it." CHEF "Baskets and ducks... fucking bananas... ain't nothin on it." CHIEF "What's wrong with you ? Board it and search it." CHEF "There's the goat... some fish..." CHIEF "Chef, get on that boat !" CHEF "There's nothing on it." CHIEF "Get on it !" CHEF "All right ! Move it asshole.. mangoes..." CHIEF "Check on the rice bags." CHEF "Fish, coconuts... rice... here's rice." CHIEF "What's in that vegetable basket ? Chef, check that vegetable basket." CHEF "All right... ain't nothing in here." CHIEF "What's in the boxes ? Look in that tin can, that rusty can..." CHEF "Just fucking rice, that's all." CHIEF "Check the yellow can, she was sitting on it." Suddenly the Vietnamese girl makes a move towards the basket. The boat crew starts firing wildly : CHEF "Let's kill 'em all !" CHIEF "Hold it ! Hold it !" CHEF "Let's kill them all... why not ?" CHIEF "Clean ?" CLEAN "I'm good." CHIEF "You OK Lance ?" CHEF "Look what she was hiding. See what she was running for. A fucking puppy." LANCE "Give me that dog !" CHEF "Fucking mango too, you want that ?" CHIEF "Chef, she's moving behind you. She's alive. Check her out, she's moving behind you. Check her out." CHEF "Goddamn... Clean give me a hand." CHIEF "Take it easy. Slow down and take it easy. Is she breathing Chef ?" CHEF "She's hurt, she's bleeding." CHIEF "Bring her onboard." WILLARD "What are you talking about ?" CHIEF "We're taking here to some frendlies, captain. She's wounded, she's not dead." WILLARD "Get off there Chef." Willard shoots the wounded girl : CHEF "Fuck it." WILLARD "I told you not to stop. Now let's go." WILLARD (v.o.) " It was the way we had over here of living with ourselves. We'd cut them in half with a machine gun and give them a bandaid. It was a lie, and the more I saw of them, the more I hated lies. Those boys were never going to look at me the same way again. But I felt I knew one or two things about Kurtz that weren't in the dossier." The boat arrives to Do Lung bridge : WILLARD (v.o.) "Do Lung bridge was last army outpost on the Nung river. Beyond that there was only Kurtz." CHEF "Lance, hey Lance. What do you think ?" LANCE "It's beautiful." CHEF "What's the matter with you ? You're acting kinda weird." LANCE "Hey you know that last tab of acid I was saving. I dropped it." CHEF "You dropped acid ? ... Far out." LIEUTENANT CARLSON "Is there a captain Willard onboard ? WILLARD "Yeah, who's that ?" CARLSON "Lieutenant Carlson, sir. Get that light off me... I was sent here from Nha Trang with these three days ago, sir. Expected you here a little sooner. This is mail for the boat... You don't know how happy this makes me, sir." WILLARD "Why ?" CARLSON "Now I can get out of here, if I can find a way... You're in the asshole of the world, captain !" CHIEF "Captain, where you going ?" WILLARD "I gotta find somebody - I need some information. Pick me up the other side of the bridge." CHIEF "Somebody go with him." LANCE "I go. I wanna go." Willard and Lance enter the trenches : WILLARD "Where can I find your CO ?" SOLDIER "You came right to it, you son of a bitch !" WILLARD "Lance, get down here ! You still got a commanding officer here ?" SOLDIER "Straight up the road there's a concrete fuckin bunker called Beverly Hills. Where the fuck else you think it would be ?" SOLDIER "Goddamn, you stepped on my face !" LANCE "I thought you were dead." SOLDIER "Well you thought wrong, dammit !" SOLDIER (firing wildly his machine gun) "I told you to stop fucking with me ! You think you're bad..." WILLARD "What are you shooting at soldier ?" SOLDIER "Gooks. What the fuck you think I'm shooting at... I'm sorry, sir... There are gooks by the wire. But I think I killed them all." SOLDIER "You ain't shot shit, man. Listen !" SOLDIER "Oh shit, he's trying to call his friends. Send in a flare. You think you're bad..." SOLDIER "There's one still beneath them bodies." WILLARD "Who's the commanding officer here ?" SOLDIER "Ain't you ? You think you're bad... Go get the Roach, man ! Get Roach !" SOLDIER "He's down by the wire. You need a flare ?" ROACH "No. He's close, man. He's real close... Motherfucker." WILLARD "Hey, soldier. Do you know who's in command here?" ROACH "Yeah...." In the patrol boat : CLEAN "Shit ! Hey Chief, man. Two guys just got blown out from that bridge." CHIEF "You hang on man. You're gonna be OK." CLEAN "What's that ?" CHEF "Mail, man." CHIEF "Later with that mail. Watch them trees." WILLARD "There's no diesel fuel but I pick up some ammo. Let's move out." CHIEF "Did you find a CO, captain ?" WILLARD "There's no fucking CO here. Let's just get going." CHIEF "Which way, captain ?" WILLARD "You know which way, Chief." CHIEF "You're on your own, captain. You wanna go on ? Like this bridge : We build it every night. Charlie blows it right back up again. Just so the generals can say the road's open. Think about it. Who cares ?" WILLARD "Just get us up the river !" CHIEF "Chef, on the bow. Clean, on the 60." The journey continues. Chef hands out the mail : CHEF "Shit, you got another one Clean." CLEAN "No shit, is that it ?" CHEF "That's it for you. Lance, Mr L.B. Johnson, there you go.." LANCE "Far out, man. I've been waiting for this. CHEF "I got another one, got a box from Eva." LANCE (reading) "Lance, I'm fine. I was on a trip to Disneyland. There can never be a place like Disneyland, or could there ? Let me know - Jim, it's here... really is here." WILLARD (reading, v.o.) "There has been a new development regarding your mission which we must now communicate to you. Months ago a man was ordered on a mission which was identical to yours. We have reason to believe that he is now operating with Kurtz. Saigon was carrying him MIA for his family's sake. They assumed he was dead. Then they intercepted a letter he tried to send his wife : SELL THE HOUSE SELL THE CAR SELL THE KIDS FIND SOMEONE ELSE FORGET IT I'M NEVER COMING BACK FORGET IT Captain Richard Colby - he was with Kurtz." LANCE "Disneyland. Fuck, man, this is better than Disneyland." Chef reads a newspaper : CHEF "Charles Miller Manson ordered the slaughter of all in a home as a symbol of protest.. hey, that's pretty weird!" LANCE "Purple haze ! look." CLEAN "I got a tape from my mom." CHEF "Eva can't picture me in Vietnam. She pictures me at home having a beer and watching TV... Eva is not sure if she can have a relationship with me, you know. Here I am 13000 fucking miles away trying to keep a relationship with my ass." Suddenly the boat comes under an attack. Clean gets shot : CHIEF "Chef, check out Clean ! Captain, he_s hit, he_s hit ! Clean's hit !" LANCE "Where did the dog go ? We gotta go back to get the dog !" We hear the end of the tape Clean was listening : TAPE "... do the right thing. Stay out of the way of the bullets. And bring your hiney home all in one piece. Because we love you. Love, Mama." The journey continues in thick mist : CHIEF "Can't see nothing. We're stopping." WILLARD "You're not authorized to stop this boat, Chief." CHIEF "I said I can't see a thing, captain. I'm stopping this boat. Ain't risking no more lives." WILLARD "I'm in command here, goddamn it ! You do what i say." CHIEF "You see anything Chef ?" CHEF "Why don't those fucks attack, man ? Watch it over here, Chief..." CHIEF "Lance, on the 50's." WILLARD (v.o.) "He was close. He was real close. I could not see him yet but I could feel him. As of this boat was being sucked up river and the water was flowing back to the jungle. Whatever was going to happen, it was not going to be the way they called it in Nha Trang." They come under attack by arrows : WILLARD "Chef, it's OK. Quit firing !" LANCE "Cut it out ! Quiet !" WILLARD "Chief, tell them to hold fire. It's just little sticks. They're just trying to scare us." CHIEF "You got us into this mess and you can't get us out 'cos you don't know where the hell you're going, do you ? Do you, you son of a bitch, you fuck !" Chief is hit by a spear : CHIEF "A spear." Chief dies. WILLARD "My mission is to make it up into Cambodia. There's a Green Beret Colonel up there who's gone insane. I'm supposed to kill him." CHEF "That's fucking typical, shit. Fucking Vietnam mission. I'm short, and we got to go up there so you can kill one of our own guys. That's fucking great, that's just fucking great ! That's fucking crazy. I thought you were going in there to blow up a bridge, or some fucking railroad tracks or something." WILLARD "Sorry..." CHEF "No, no wait. We go together. On the boat, we'll go with you. On the boat . OK ?" Again they move on, but now it's only Willard, Chef and Lance : WILLARD (v.o.) "Part of me was afraid of what I would find and what I would do when I got there. I knew the risks, or imagined I knew. But the thing I felt the most, much stronger than fear, was the desire to confront him." They meet a group of Montagnards in boats : WILLARD "Just keep moving... Lance, keep your hands away from the gun." Finally they arrive to Kurtz compound : PHOTOJOURNALIST "It's all right, it's all right. You're all being approved." CHEF "Ain't coming in there. Them bastards attcked us." PHOTOJOURNALIST ""Zap 'em wit your siren, man, zap 'em with your siren... There's mines over there, there's mines over there, and watch out those goddam monkeys bite, I'll tell ya. Eh, that's a pretty one. Move in right in towards me... I_m an American ! Yeah, American civilian. Hi yanks... American, american civilian. It's all right. And you got the cigarettes, that's what I've been dreaming of." WILLARD "Who are you ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Who are you ... ? I'm a photojournalist. I've covered the war since 64. I've been in Laos, Cambodia, 'Nam... I_ll tell you one thing, this boat is a mess, man." WILLARD "Who are all these people ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Yeah, well... They think you have come to take him away. I hope that isn't true." WILLARD "Take who away ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Him. Colonel Kurtz. These are all his children, as far as you can see." WILLARD "Could we, uh, talk to Colonel Kurtz?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Hey, man, you don't talk to the Colonel. You listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll say hello to him, right? And he'll just walk right by you, and he won't even notice you. And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say do you know that if is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you -- I mean I'm no, I can't -- I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas -- I mean --" WILLARD "Stay with the boat." PHOTOJOURNALIST "Hey, uh, don't go -- don't go without me, OK? I want to get a picture." He can be terrible, he can be mean, he can be right. He's fighting the war. He's a great man. I mean... I wish I had words. I can tell you the other day he wanted to kill me." WILLARD "Why did he want to kill you ?" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Because I took his picture. He said if I take his picture again - I'm gonna kill you. And he meant it ! So you just lay it cool, lay back, dig it... He gets friendly again, really does. But you don't judge him like an ordinary man. OK, now watch it. They are americans... americans. Can you feel the vibe of this place ? Let me take a picture. Hey, hello... hello. Would you hold it for a minute." Willard sees a group of american soldiers : WILLARD "Colby." PHOTOJOURNALIST "The heads. You're looking at the heads. I, uh -- sometimes he goes too far, you know -- he's the first one to admit it!" CHEF "He's gone crazy!" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Wrong! Wrong! If you could have heard the man, just two days ago, if you could have heard the man! You going to call him crazy?" CHEF "Fucking A!" WILLARD "I just want to talk to him." PHOTOJOURNALIST "Well man, he's gone away. He's gone away. He disappeared into the jungle with his people..." WILLARD "I'll wait for him." PHOTOJOURNALIST "... he feels comfortable with his people. He forgets him with his people. He forgets himself..." CHEF "Captain, maybe we should wait back at the boat." WILLARD "Ok Chef. We'll go back to the boat for a while." CHEF "Stay with Lance." Willard and Chef return to the boat : CHEF "This colonel guy - he's wacko, man. He's worse than crazy. He's evil. I mean... its fucking Pagan idolitry. Look around. Shit, he's loco." WILLARD "Then you'll help me." CHEF "Help you ? Fucking A. I'll help you. I'll do anything to get out of this joint. We could blow all the assholes away. They're all so spaced out they wouldn't even know it. I'm not afraid of those fucking skulls, and altars and shit. I used to think if I died in an evil place then my soul wouldn't make it to heaven. Well, fuck. I don't care where it goes as long it ain't here. So, what you wanna do ? I'll kill the fuck ..." WILLARD "No, no. I'm gonna need you right here, Chef. I'll go up with Lance, scrounge around, check the place out, see if I can find the colonel." CHEF "What you want me to do ?" WILLARD "Here, take the radio. If I don't get back by 2200 hours, you call in the airstrike." CHEF "Airstrike ?" WILLARD "The code is Almighty, coordinates 090264712.. It's all in here." Willard and Lance leave the boat : WILLARD (v.o.) "Everything I saw told me that Kurtz has gone insane. The place was full of bodies: North- Vietnamese, Vietcong, Cambodians.. If I was still alive, it was because he wanted me that way." Suddenly Willard is surrounded by a group of Kurtz' soldiers. They grab him and carry him to a temple - to meet Colonel Kurtz : WILLARD (v.o.) "It smelled like slow death in there, malaria, nightmares. This was the end of the river allright." COLONEL KURTZ "Where are you from Willard ?" WILLARD "I'm from Ohio, sir." KURTZ "Were you born there ?" WILLARD "Yes, sir." KURTZ "Whereabouts ?" WILLARD "Toledo, sir." KURTZ "How far were you from the river ?" WILLARD "The Ohio river, sir ? About 200 miles." KURTZ "I went down that river when I was a kid. There's a place in the river.. I can't remember... Must have been a gardenia plantation at one time. All wild and overgrown now, but about five miles you'd think that heaven just fell on the earth in the form of gardenias... Have you ever considered any real freedoms ? Freedoms - from the opinions of others... Even the opinions of yourself. They say why..., Willard, why they wanted to terminate my command ?" WILLARD "I was sent on a classified mission, sir." KURTZ "It appears.. that its no longer classified, is it? What did they tell you ?" WILLARD " They told me that you had gone totally insane and that your methods were unsound." KURTZ " Are my methods unsound?" WILLARD " I don't see any method at all, sir." KURTZ " I expected someone like you. What did you expect?" Willard only shakes his head : KURTZ " Are you an assassin?" WILLARD " I'm a soldier." KURTZ " You're neither. You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill." Willard is then put in a cage. Later photojournalist comes to visit him and offers some water and a cigarette : PHOTOJOURNALIST "Why ? Why would a nice guy like you wanna kill a genius ? You know that the man really likes you. He likes you, he really likes you. He's got something in mind for you. Aren't you curious about that ? I'm curious, I'm very curious. You curious ?There's something happening out there, man. You know something, man, I know something that you don't know. That's right, jack. The man is clear in his mind, but his soul is mad . Oh yeah. He's dying, I think. He hates all this, he hates it! But ... the man's ... uh ... he reads poetry out loud, alright? ... And a voice! A voice. ... He likes you because you're still alive. He's got plans for you. Nah, nah, I'm not going to help you, you're going to help him, man. You're going to help him. I mean, what are they going to say, man, when he's gone, huh? Because he dies, when it dies, man, when it dies, he dies. What are they going to say about him? What, are they going to say, he was a kind man, he was a wise man, he had plans, he had wisdom? Bullsh-t, man! Am I going to be the one, that's going to set them straight? Look at me: wrong! ... You!" It's evening, Chef is sleeping in the boat : CHEF "Almost eight hours... I sleep and I dream I'm in this shitty boat. Fuck - is it been eight hours." Chef goes to the radio : CHEF "Hello Almighty, Almighty, this is PBR Street Gang - radio check, over." RADIO "Street Gang, this is Almighty, standing by, over." It's raining, Willard sits in his cage. Kurtz comes to visit him and coldly drops Chef's head in Willard's lap : WILLARD "No ! No, oh Christ..." In the morning Willard is carried again to meet Kurtz. Kurtz sits in the temple and reads T.S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men : KURTZ "We are the hollow men We are the stuffed men Leaning together Headpiece filled with straw. Alas! Our dried voices, when We whisper together Are quiet and meaningless As wind in dry grass Or rats' feet over broken glass In our dry cellar Shape without form, shade without colour, Paralysed force, gesture without motion;" PHOTOJOURNALIST "Do you know what the man is saying? Do you? This is dialectics. It's very simple dialectics. One through nine, no maybes, no supposes, no fractions -- you can't travel in space, you can't go out into space, you know, without, like, you know, with fractions -- what are you going to land on, one quarter, three-eighths -- what are you going to do when you go from here to Venus or something -- that's dialectic physics, OK? Dialectic logic is there's only love and hate, you either love somebody or you hate them." Kurtz throws a book angrily at him : PHOTOJOURNALIST "This is the way the fucking world ends! Look at this fucking shit we're in, man! Not with a bang, with a whimper. And with a whimper, I'm fucking splitting, jack!" Photojournalist leaves : WILLARD (v.o.) "On the river, I thought that the minute I looked at him, I'd know what to do, but it didn't happen. I was in there with him for days, not under guard - I was free - but he knew I wasn't going anywhere. He knew more about what I was going to do than I did. If the generals back in the Trang could see what I saw, would they still want me to kill him? More than ever probably. And what would his people back home want if they ever learned just how far from them he'd really gone? He broke from them and then he broke from himself. I'd never seen a man so broken up and ripped apart..." KURTZ " I've seen horrors...horrors that you've seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that...But you have no right to judge me. It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror. Horror has a face...And you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terrorare your friends. If they are not then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies. I remember when I was with Special Forces...Seems a thousand centuries ago...We went into a camp to innoculate the children. We left the camp after we had innoculated the children for Polio, and this old man came running after us and he was crying. He couldn't see. We went back there and they had come and hacked off every innoculated arm. There they were in a pile...A pile of little arms. And I remember...I...I...I cried... I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out. I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget. And then I realized...like I was shot...Like I was shot with a diamond...a diamond bullet right through my forehead...And I thought: My God...the genius of that. The genius. The will to do that. Perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure. And then I realized they were stronger than we. Because they could stand that these were not monsters...These were men...trained cadres...these men who fought with their hearts, who had families, who had children, who were filled with love...but they had the strength...the strength...to do that. If I had ten divisions of those men our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral...and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordal instincts to kill without feeling...without passion... without judgement...without judgement. Because it's judgement that defeats us. " KURTZ (to Willard) "I worry that my son might not understand what I've tried to be. And if I were to be killed, Willard, I would want someone to go to my home and tell my son everything. Everything I did, everything you saw... Because there is nothing I detest more than the stench of lies. And if you understand me, Willard, you'll do this for me." Evening. Kurtz' soldiers and natives are preparing for a party. Willard is in the patrol boat : RADIO "PBR Street Gang, this is Almighty, over... This is Almighty, standing by, over. This is Almighty, how do you copy, over..." Willard leaves the boat and starts going to Kurtz' temple with a machete : WILLARD (v.o.) "They were going to make me a major for this and I wasn't even in their fucing army any more. Everybody wanted me to do it, him most of all. I felt like he was up there, waiting for me to take the pain away. He just wanted to go out like a soldier, standing up, not like some poor, wasted, rag-assed renegade. Even the jungle wanted him dead, and that's who he really took his orders from anyway. " Kurtz sits in the temple : KURTZ (dictates to tape) "They train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write fuck on their airplanes because it's obscene! " Willard kills Kurtz with a machete, simultaneous the natives sacrifice a water buffalo and kill it with their machetes . Kurtz is dying, his final words : KURTZ "The horror. The horror..." Willard find Kurtz' manuscript where he has written : "Drop the bomb. Exterminate them all." Willard leaves the temple while the natives bow down. He drops the machete and so do the natives. Willards grabs Lance along and they go to the patrol boat : RADIO "PBR Street Gang this is Almighty, over.." Willard switches off the radio. The journey back home starts... "The horror. The horror..." T H E E N D

Apocalypse Now (1979) by Francis Ford Coppola. Original screenplay by John Milius. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". December 3, 1975. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY This is an early version of the screenplay. It's quite different from the final version but very interesting anyway. It includes f ex The French plantation scene, which was actually filmed, but later cut from the movie. 1 PRIMEVAL SWAMP - EARLY DAWN It is very early in the dawn - blue light filters through the jungle and across a foul swamp. A mist clings to the trees. This could be the jungle of a million years ago. Our VIEW MOVES CLOSER, through the mist, TILTING DOWN to the tepid water. A small bubble rises to the surface; then another. Suddenly, but quietly, a form begins to emerge; a helmet. Water and mud pour off revealing a set of beady eyes just above the mud. Printed on a helmet, in a psychedelic hand, are the words: "Gook Killer." The head emerges revealing that the tough-looking soldier beneath has exceptionally long hair and beard; he has no shirt on, only bandoliers of ammunition - his body is painted in an odd camouflage pattern. He looks to the right; he looks to the left; he looks INTO CAMERA, and slowly sinks back into the swamp, disapperaring completely. Our VIEW HOLDS, We begin to HEAR natural, though unrecognizable JUNGLE SOUNDS, far off in the distance. We PAN TO REVEAL a clump of logs half submerged in the swamp; and part of what seems to be a Falstaff beer can in the mud. A hand reaches out, and the beer can disappears. As we TILT UP, we NOTICE that the log is hollow and houses the rear of a M-60 machine gun, hand painted in a paisley design. Now the VIEW MOVES AWAY, ACROSS the ancient growth, PAST the glimmer of what seems to be another soldier hiding in ambush, wearing an exotic hat made from birds and bushes. ACROSS to a dark trail where the legs of those in black pajamas move silently across our ever TIGHTENING VIEW. Their feet, boots and sandals leave no impression; make no sound. A slight flicker of light reveals a pair of eyes in the foliage across the path, waiting and watching. The VIEW PUSHES ALONG WITH the Vietnamese, MOVING FASTER AND FASTER WITH them, until suddenly, directly in front about ten feet away, an enormous AMERICAN clad in rags and bushes and holding a 12 gauge automatic shotgun casually at his side, steps in front of them. He smiles laconically, and BLASTS OUT FIVE SHOTS that rip THROUGH US. By the second shot, the whole jungle blazes out with AUTOMATIC FIRE. Out VIEW TURNS as the men around us are thrown and torn, screaming and scattering into the jungle. More AMERICANS appear; unexplainably, out of the growth. It is now that we fully SEE the bizarre manner in which they are dressed. Some wear helmets, others wear strange hats made from feathers and parts of animals. Some of them have long savage-looking hair; other crew-cut or completely shaved; they wear bandoliers, flak jackets, shorts and little else. They wear Montagnard sandals or no shoes at all, and their bodies and faces are painted in bizarre camouflage patterns. They appear one with the jungle and mist, FIRING INTO US as they move. The soldier we saw earlier emerges from the swamp, dripping mud, his MACHINE GUN BLASTING FIRE. We begin to move quickly with one Vietnamese, breathlessly running for his life; we MOVE INTO the jungle with him, only to be impaled on a large spear of a smiling AMERICAN painted and wearing feathers like an Indian. OUR VIEW FALLS WITH him to the ground, STARING UPWARDS, as FLAME and EXPLODING MUD scatter above us. Men scream and die around us. The screams amid the GUNFIRE and EXPLOSIONS are piercing and terrible, as though the jungle itself is frightened. An AMERICAN wearing a jungle hat with a large Peace Sign on it, wearing war paint, bends TOWARD US, reaching down TOWARD US with a large knife, preparing to scalp the dead. OUR VIEW MOVES AWAY, along with the running sandals of a Vietnamese soldier, MOVING FASTER AND FASTER, only to be stopped by still another of the savage-looking AMERICANS with primitive ornamentation, wearing only a loin-cloth and green beret. He opens his flame-thrower directly ON US and the NVA soldier and we are incinerated in flame, bright psychedelic orange-red flame. Outrageous, loud, electric ROCK MUSIC OVERWHELMS the SOUNDTRACK : MAIN TITLE : APOCALYPSE NOW 2 TITLE SEQUENCE The CREDIT TITLES proceed as the FLANE CONSUME US, growing more intense, brighter, more vivid, purifying; transforming into an intense white heat that we can barely look at, like the sun itself. Then it EXPLODES, breking apart, and shattering once again. It begins to cool, as the TITLES CONTINUE. It is as though WE ARE MOVING through the white center of cooling flame, forming a spinning web, and becoming more distant. The TITLES CONTINUE. We are MOVING TOWARD planetary nebulae; MOVING through the stars; MOVING closer to the Earth. We can BARELY HEAR the MUSIC now. We MOVE CLOSER to the earth; beautiful, covered in clouds, as though SEEN from a satellite. The TITLES CONTINUE. We are MOVING CLOSER to the earth; through the soft clouds, close enough that we can MAKE OUT the Western Hemisphere; CLOSER to North America; CLOSER, to America, then California; Los Angeles, STILL CLOSER to the odd, finger-like shapes of : 3 EXT. MARINA DEL REY The VIEW finally SETTLES ON a partically luxury cabin cruiser harbored at a particular dock late in the day. It is large, pleasure boat: The people are relaxing in bathing suits and towels and robes. They are drinking cocktails, and snapping pictures. The boat belongs to the head of a large American Corporation, and this is his party. This man, CHARLIE, is sitting, his shirt off to catch some of the late sun. Others have their faces smeared with white suntan oil that reminds us of war paint. Charlie is going on and on : CHARLIE ... It's crazy -- sugar is up to 200 dollars a ton -- sugar ! LAWYER What about oil ? CHARLIE Food, oil --look, let me show you something. This is the economy of the United States in two years -- He takes a newspaper, draws a circle. CHARLIE (continuing) This is West Germany. (he draws another, bigger circle) This is Japan. (another , bigger) This is Italy. (a dot) This is Iran. (a very big circle) And this is Saudi Arabia... In two years ? (a gigantic circle) Do you understand ? ACCOUNTANT What's to prevent it ? CHARLIE Maybe nothing. But I'll tell you, I didn't build a two-billion-dollar company in the last twenty years by doing nothing. We can protect our interests. (pause, for a drink) We are still the most powerful nation in the world. Militarily. He leans to his associates, in a half-whisper. CHARLIE (continuing) You know bodyguard; he was a captain in Viet Nam. You talk to him, except he won't talk. This kind of man can kill you with his pinky. A nice quiet fella, though. The VIEW BEGINS TO PULL AWAY from this group. CHARLIE (continuing) Carries a attache case at all times. You know what's in it ? (another sip) An Ingram Machine pistol. Gradually, Charlie's voice softens as we MOVE AWAY, and a NEW VOICE, the voice of someone thinking, COMES IN OVER it : CHARLIE WILLARD (V.O.) I don't tahe chances, and Bullshit. You can kill neither should this country. with the ridge of your If we're strong, we should hand to the throat; you protect our interests, and can crush a skull with we should have the respect your knee... but you of the world, even if it can't kill anybody with takes another war. your pinky. The VIEW MOVE ALONG the guests of this small party : Pictures being taken, some people are swimming. It is the good life. Now WILLARD'S VOICE TRACK DOMINATES. WILLARD (V.O.) The attache case has been empty for three years, but it makes him safe to think there's a machine pistol in it. I don't like automatic weapons. They jam. I saw a friend of mine get ripped open because he flicked his M-16 to automatic, and it jammed. How much money did the contractors make on the M-16 ? Our VIEW IS MOVING through the people on the boat; some reading, flirting, drinking. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) He likes to hear stories about Nam. I tell him I can't; they're not cleared. The truth is he wouldn't understand. We can now SEE A MAN with his BACK TO US, looking the opposite way. An attache case resting near to him. We MOVE CLOSER. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) There's no way I can tell them... what really happened over there. I wouldn't've believed it if someone'd told me. We are now RESTING on his back. Occasionally, he sips from a beer, but we cannot see his face. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) There was only one part that mattered -- for me, anyway. I don't even know if I remember all of it. I can't remember how it ended, exactly -- because when it ended I was insane. DISSOLVE TO : 4 EXT. A STREET IN SAIGON - DAY A Saigon boom street in late 1968. There are bars and shops for servicemen; the rickshaws, the motorbikes. Our VIEW MOVES TOWARD one particular officer; B.L. WILLARD , in uniform, a Captain of the Airborne, followed by four or five Vietnamese kids trying to shine his shoes and sell him things. WILLARD (V.O.) But I know how it started for me -- I was on R. and R. in Saigon; my first time south of the DMZ in three months. I wasn't sure, but I thought this guy was following me. Willard looks back. 5 HIS VIEW an American CIVILIAN. 6 MED. VIEW Willard ducks into a bar. 7 INT. THE SAIGON BAR - DAY Not much in this place -- a bar, linoleum flooring, a few tables and chairs, and a juke box. The lounge is fairly crowded. Willard takes off his cap and walks quietly past the soldiers at the bar. Some of them, catching sight of his ribbons, stop talking as he moves by. An INFANTRY CAPTAIN enters the bar, buys a couple of drinks and approaches Willard's table. CAPTAIN How about a drink ? WILLARD Sure, thanks. He sits down at the table with the drinks. CAPTAIN Winning the war by yourself. WILLARD (he calls for the waiter) Part. CAPTAIN Which part is that ? WILLARD My part. (TO THE WAITER) Beer, with ice and water. CAPTAIN That's good gin. WILLARD I'm sure it is, but I had hepatitis. CAPTAIN Delta ? WILLARD No. CAPTAIN North ? WILLARD Yeah. Way north. CAPTAIN What unit were you with ? WILLARD None. CAPTAIN Rangers, eh? WILLARD Sort of. The JUKE BOX starts BLARING. Annoyed , Willard looks over his shoulder. CAPTAIN Were you Longe Range Recon -- WILLARD No -- I worked too far north for LRRP. He reaches into his shirt pocket for a cigarette, and the Captain leans over the table to light it for him. Willard notices the CIVILIAN on the street has glanced in the bar, then enters and sits down at a table by the doorway. CAPTAIN That's quite an array of ribbons... WILLARD Let's talk about you. CAPTAIN I was an FO for the 25th. WILLARD Tracks ? CAPTAIN Yeah. WILLARD Fat. That's real fat. CAPTAIN Sometimes. WILLARD At least you always have enough water. How many gallons does each one of those damn things carry ? CAPTAIN Thirty -- sometimes fifty. WILLARD You know, I can remember once, getting back below the DMZ -- and the first Americans we ran into were a track squadron. I just couldn't believe how much water they had. We'd been chewing bamboo shoots for almost a week, and before that, for two weeks, we'd been drinking anything -- rain water, river shit, stuff right out of the paddies. And there were these guys standing by their trucks spilling water all over. I could've killed them. (solemnly) I swear to God I would have, too, if ... CAPTAIN I didn't know we had units up there in North Vietnam. WILLARD We do. CAPTAIN How long were you up there ? WILLARD A long time. CAPTAIN A year ? Waiter another beer. WILLARD I go up on missions. Listen Captain, buy me all the beer you want, but you better tell that asshole over there you're not going to find out anymore about me. Willard glances over his shoulder and indicates the Civilian. The Civilian is given a sign by the Captain. He rises and comes over to the bar. WILLARD (continuing) What do you want ? CIVILIAN (indicating the Army jeep) If you're B.L. Willard, 4th Recon Group, we'd like you to come with us. WILLARD Whose orders ? CAPTAIN Headquarters 11 Corps -- 405th A.S.A Battalion -- S-2 -- Com-Sec -- Intelligence -- Nha Trang. WILLARD Who are you ? CIVILIAN The agency. Willard looks at the Civilian a moment, and then walks roght out toward the jeep without saying another word. The Civilian follows. 8 EXT. HELICOPTER - DUSK A darkly painted "HUEY" ROARS over low paddies and jungle before emerging onto an open plain. It crosses a barbed wire and sand-bagged perimeter and lands in a heavily fortified, concealed compound. WILLARD (V.O.) They took me to some place outside Nha Trang... Intelligence Headquarters for all operations in South East Asia. I'd worked for Intelligence before -- Armed men jump from the Huey -- among them Willard. A large camouflaged cover is moved, revealing an underground corridor -- they enter. 9 FULL SHOT - UNDERGROUND PLOTTING ROOM A door swings wide -- Willard steps through and comes to attention, blocking the view of the room. A strange reddish light pervades. The room is covered with plastic maps and filled with smoke. The whole place has been hewn out of the ground itself and there is a sense of the cut-back jungle growth slowly reclaiming it. WILLARD Captain B.L. Willard, G-4 Headquarters, reporting as ordered, sir. COLONEL (O.S.) Okay, Willard, sit down. Willard sits in a chair that is set in a center of a bare concrete floor. Across from him, around steel desks and tables sit several men. The nearest one, a COLONEL puts his cigar out on the bottom of his shoe -- behind him sits a MAJOR and a seedy-looking CIVILIAN. COLONEL Have you ever seen this officer before, Captain Willard ? He points to the Major. WILLARD No, sir. COLONEL This gentleman or myself ? WILLARD No, sir. COLONEL I believe on your last job you executed a tax collector in Kontum, is that right ? WILLARD I am not presently disposed to discuss that, sir. MAJOR Very good. He turns to the Colonel and nods his approval. The Colonel gets up and goes to a large plastic map. COLONEL You know much about about Special Forces; Green Berets, Captain ? WILLARD I've worked with them on occasions and I saw the movie , sir. The officer smiles at this. COLONEL Then you can appreciate Command's concern over their -- shall we say 'erratic' methods of operation. (pause) I have never favored elite units, Captain, including your paratroopers or whatever. Just because a man jumps out of an airplane or wears a silly hat doesn't give him any priviliges in my book -- not in this man's army. MAJOR We didn't need 'em in Korea -- no sir, give me an Ohio farm boy and an M-1 Garand, none of this fancy crap -- no sir. CIVILIAN (stopping him) Major. COLONEL We have Special Forces A detachments all along the Cambodian border. Two here and another one here -- twelve or fourteen Americans -- pretty much on their own; they train and motivate Montagnard natives; pick their own operations. If they need something, they call for it, and get it within reason. What we're concerned with is here. 10 CLOSE VIEW - ON THE MAP COLONEL The A detachment at Nu Mung Ba. It was originally a larger base, built up along the river in an old Cambodian fortress. The area has been relatively quiet for the past two years -- but -- 11 MED VIEW COLONEL ... Captain, we know something's going on up there -- Major -- The Major looks at some papers in front of him. MAJOR Communications naturally dwindled with the lack of V.C. activity, this is routine, expected ... but six months ago communication virtually stopped. COLONEL About the same time -- large numbers of Montagnards of the M'Nong descent began leaving the area -- this in itself is not unusual since these people have fought with the Rhade Tribe that lived in the area for centuries. But what is unusual is that we began to find Rhade refugees too -- in the same sampans as the M'Nongs. These people aren't afraid of V.C. They've put up with war for twenty years -- but something is driving them out. MAJOR We communicate with the base infrequently. What they call for are air strikes, immediate -- always at night. And we don't know what or who the air strikes are called on. WILLARD Who ? MAJOR You see, no one has really gone into this area and come back alive. WILLARD Why me ? MAJOR Walter Kurtz, Lieutenant Colonel, Special Forces. We understand you knew him. He puts Kurtz' dossier in Willard's hand. WILLARD Yeah. COLONEL He's commanding the detachment at Nu Mung Ba. The Colonel gets up and walks over to a tape recorder, flicks it on. The recording is first STATIC -- the AIR CONTROLLER then asks for more information on target coordinates -- it all sounds very routine, military. Then a frantic VOICE comes on, talking slurred, like someone dumb, except very fast. VOICE (ON TAPE) Up 2 -- 0 -- give it to me quick -- Mark flare -- affirmative damn -- Immediate receive -- hearing automatic weapons fire man ... GUNFIRE is HEARD and a lower, slower VOICE in background. SECOND VOICE Blue Delta five This Big Rhine -- three Need that ordinance immediately Goddamn give it to me immediate Christ -- Big Rhino -- Blue God -- Delta damn -- goddamn. A heavy BURST of AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE -- INSANE LAUGHTER -- STATIC, and faintly, very faintly we HEAR HARD ROCK MUSIC -- more STATIC -- suddenly a low, clear VOICE peaceful and serene, almost tasting the words. THIRD VOICE This is Big Rhino six -- Blue Delta. MAJOR That's Colonel Kurtz. KURTZ (V.O.) I want that napalm dropped in the trees -- spread it among the branches. We'll give you a flare -- an orange one -- bright orange. (STATIC) We'd also like some white phosporous, Blue Delta. White phosporous, give it to me. STATIC interrupts -- the Major turns the machine off. WILLARD I only met Kurtz once. CIVILIAN Would he remember you ? WILLARD Maybe. COLONEL What was your impression of him ? Willard shrugs. CIVILIAN You didn't like him. WILLARD Anyone got a cigarette. The Major offers him one; they wait as he lights up, thinks. WILLARD (continuing) I thought he was a lame. COLONEL A lame ? WILLARD This is years ago, before he joined Special Forces, I guess. We had an argument. COLONEL About what ? WILLARD I don't know. He was a lame, that's all. COLONEL But why ? WILLARD He couldn't get through a sentence without all these big words; about why we kill. COLONEL Well, he's killing now. WILLARD Maybe. CIVILIAN What does that mean ? WILLARD Maybe it's not Kurtz. I don't believe he's capable of that. I just don't believe it. COLONEL It's got to be Kurtz. CIVILIAN The point is that Kurtz or somebody attacked a South Vietnamese Ranger Platoon three days ago. Last week a Recon helicopter was lost in the area -- another took heavy damage -- direct fire from their base camp. WILLARD Our Recon flight ? CIVILIAN Ours. WILLARD Touchy. CIVILIAN You can see, of course, the implications, if any of this -- even rumours leaked out. WILLARD You want me to clean it up -- simple and quiet. CIVILIAN Exactly -- you'll go up the Nung River in a Navy P.B.R. -- appear at Nu Mung Ba as if by accident, re-establish your acquintance with Colonel Kurtz, find out what's happened -- and why. Then terminate his command. WILLARD Terminate ? CIVILIAN Terminate with extreme prejudice. 12 FULL VIEW - ON THE DELTA A waterway leading out to the ocean -- it is broken and divided into hundreds of channels, islands, water farms. A Navy patrol boat (P.B.R.) is waiting by a dock area. This is small, light craft, very fast, and heavily armed. Its men stand at attention in a small and simple military ceremony. Willard approaches them in battle- dress: Tiger suit, full field pack, forty-five, helmet, M-16. The boat commander salutes Willard. 13 MED. VIEW We hear the introductions faintly, UNDER Willard's VOICE. WILLARD (V.O.) I met the P.B.R. crew; they were pretty much all kids, except for Phillips, the Chief -- Gunner's Mate Third Class L. Johnson -- Lance Johnson; Gunner's Mate Third Class J. Hicks -- The Chef -- Radio Operator Second Class T. Miller; they called him Mr. Clean. WILLARD Chief, try to keep out of where we're going -- Why we're goin' and what's gonna be the big surprise. CHIEF All right with me, I used to drive a taxi. WILLARD Let's go. The Chief nods. They all break formation and jump aboard and otherwise go about their work. The twin diesels kick up -- and t he boat moves away from the dock. The Chef jumps aboard; Lance mans the forward twin fifty-caliber machine guns -- they wave to the guards on the dock and move away into the complexity that leads to the ocean. DISSOLVE TO : 14 FULL VIEW - STORMY SEA The boat slams through the heavy sea ; hurtling off the top of a wave and crashing full into the trough of another. 15 MED. SHOT - BOAT COCKPIT - WILLARD AND CHIEF Willard holds on to whatever he can -- he looks very pale. Water crashes over the bow and drenches everyone. The Chief mans the wheel and the ENGINES WHINE. Lance climbs back from his position. He looks at Willard, who just stares ahead into space, swallowing. DISSOLVE TO : 16 LONG SHOT - BOAT DUSK The dusk is spectacular through the broken storm clouds -- the sea is calm again. DISSOLVE TO : 17 VIEW ON THE BOAT - PROCEEDING UP THE COAST The Chief is at the helm -- Willard approaches him. CHIEF The Delta closes off to us about ten miles out of Hau Fat. We'll be able to pick up some supplies -- bit I think there are only two points we can draw enough water to get into the Nung River. It's all Charlie's turf from there on out. WILLARD We're gonna have some help to get in the river. You know these waters, Chief ? CHIEF 'Bout six months ago I took a man up to Lo Mung Bridge. He was regular Army too. Shot himself in the head. I brought his body back down. WILLARD Shot himself. What for ? CHIEF Beats me -- the sun was too much for him, or the mud. Who knows ? Pause, looking at Willard. 18 CLOSE SHOT - ON WILLARD Suddenly, his attention is diverted -- there is a slow buffeting, as if the air around them is being sucked out and replaced quickly. The boat shakes slightly. There is a distant ROLLING NOISE like interrupted thunder. All the men have stopped whatever they're doing -- stand up and look out toward the shore and the green jungle hills beyond. The buffeting and NOISE CONTINUES -- they all stand silently -- suddenly it stops. WILLARD Arch light. CHEF I hate that -- Every time I hear that noise something terrible happens. CHIEF Anybody see some smoke ? CLEAN Too far inland. LANCE There they are. He points up to the sky. 19 FULL SHOT - ON THE SKY Way up -- past any clouds and barely discernible, we SEE the black silhouttes of four B-52 bombers, their vapor trails streaming white against the dark blue sky. CLEAN Charlie don't ever hear 'em. Not till it's too late -- don't have to hit you neither, concussion'll do it for a quarter mile or better. Burst your ears -- suck the air outta your lungs. 20 FULL SHOT - BOAT - CREW They are looking up. Willard sits down, unconcerned. He takes out the dossier given him by ComSec. He flips through the letters and other documents. WILLARD (V.O.) The dossier on A detachment had letters from Kurtz' wife and the wives and families of his men. All asking where to send future mail, understanding the necessery silence due to the nature of their work -- None of the men had written home in half a year. Occasionally, in the b.g., we FEEL the terrifying buffeting of the distant B-52 BOMBING. 21 CLOSE - ON WILLARD studying, examining a report. 22 MONTAGE - PICTURES OF KURTZ Kurtz' face evolves through the various stages of his career as represented in the pictures in the dossier, as Willard reads : WILLARD (V.O.) Lieutenant Kurtz has shown a dedicated and well-disciplined spirit. He is a fine officer, combining military efficiency -- with a broad background in the Humanities, the Arts and Sciences ... Another picture of Kurtz in Germany, standing next to the 161st Petroleum Supply Group sign. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) ... He views his military career as the dedication of his talents to bringing our values and way of life to those darker, less fortunate areas in the world. A SHOT of Kurtz at jump school. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) ... I feel Captain Kurtz' request for Special Forces training is highly unusual in regard to his past humanitarian concerns, and his somewhat liberal politics, though I can see no reason to deny it. A CLOSE SHOT of Kurtz with Green Beret on in the Vietnam jungle. His face is blank and vacant. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) ... We feel Major Kurtz' need to bring a sense of Western culture to the backward peoples of these areas will be of use in accordance with our 'Vietnamization' programs ... MOVE IN TO Kurtz' empty eyes until the photograph is just a BLURRED MASS OF DOTS. DISSOLVE TO : 23 EXT. HAU FAT - AN ADVANCE STAGING AREA WILLARD (V.O.) One day later we came to an advanced staging area along the coast. This was our last chance to pick up supplies before approaching the mouth of the Nung River. The VIEW OF THE COASTLINE leading up along the long load- ing docks at Hau Fat, an advance staging area for opera- tions "Brute Force" and "Mailed Fist." Everywhere are tents -- oil drums -- sandbagged bunkers -- helicopters -- tanks -- guns -- men. Nobody builds advanced staging areas like the Americans. As the P.B.R. approaches the docking area, Lance notices something. LANCE Hey. They look as a Chris-craft speeds by pulling a fancy water- skier who waves as he slaloms by. The men just look at one another. 24 VIEW ON THE DOCK The P.B.R. pulls in -- the men scan the busy surroundings. CHIEF Lance -- I want you to go with the Captain an' get three extra drums of fuel and maybe scrounge some more 50 caliber. LANCE Yeah -- look at those uniforms. 25 FULL SHOT - PARADE GROUNDS - TROOPS A platoon drills in the hot, lazy sun; they are clean and pale, in contrast to Lance and the others, just off the airplane. CHIEF Poor bastards, have a long year to go. The troops turn and march TOWARD US with six weeks of Advanced Infantry Training to back them up. 26 FULL SHOT - DOCK - P.B.R. - CREW They are tying up at the dock -- a young SERGEANT is fill- ing cut papers concerning them and talking with Willard. SERGEANT I don't know anything about these papers, sir. WILLARD They're in order -- it's perfectly clean -- just check with ComSec- Intel like I said. SERGEANT Well, you know I don't have the priority to do that, sir. It says here not to contact Com-Sec- Int. Who's your commanding officer ? WILLARD Right now -- I am. SERGEANT Well who the hell verifies that ? WILLARD I do. He signs it quickly, leaving the Sergeant totally confused. CHIEF No shit -- what's all the activity for around here ? SERGEANT The show -- WILLARD What show ? SERGEANT Big show in the parade grounds this noon -- some boss stuff -- WILLARD This -- Bob Hope or the like -- SERGEANT No sir, I think -- this'll be a little bit different -- CHIEF Where's it gonna be ? He points -- 27 FULL SHOT - PARADE GROUNDS - PEDESTAL A large, well-built pedestal has been erected -- this is surrounded by a deep moat filled with punji stakes and garnished with concertina wire. It is empty -- DISSOLVE TO : 28 FULL SHOT - PARADE GROUNDS - TROOPS The entire area around the pedestal and right up to the wire is mobbed with seething American fighting men. Some of these boys have just gotten here -- others have been in the jungle for months. All have one thing in common, to see and if possible grab an American girl. Their need far surpasses that of the run-of-the-mill rapist, pervert, or child-molester. To counter their need of course are the moat, punji stakes and barbed wire -- but implementing this are seven "riot control positions" equipped with the lastest in teargas launchers, attack-trained German shep- herds and assorted psychological warfare aides. Even so armed, the great mass of wild men are right up to the wire. 29 FORWARD AREA jammed in the crowd CHEF It's really too much -- I mean I've collected every picture of her since she was Miss December. CLEAN Yeah -- you can really get hung up on them like the cat in the Delta. CHIEF What cat ? CLEAN One that went up for murder -- he was an Army Sergeant. CHIEF I never heard about that. CLEAN Yeah -- he really dug his Playboy mag, man -- I mean like he was there when it arrived -- He just knew. CHEF So what happened ? CLEAN He was working A.R.V.N. patrols and had one a them little cocky gook asshole Lieutenants -- anyhow, the Lieutenant took his new Playboy one day, sat on the end of the dock, and wouldn't give it back. CHEF Yeah -- typical A.R.V.N. CLEAN Then went too far -- he sat there and starts mutilating the centerfold. Poking pins in her an' all that. Sergeant says, don't do her like that. You leave your shitty little hands off that girl. Gook Lieutenant says Fuck you in Vietnamese -- Sergeant says, don't do that again. You'll wish you hadn't. Then he stood up, flicked his iron to rock and roll and gave the little zero a long burst through the Playboy mag. Man, it blew him clean off the dock -- Hell, just the magazine was floatin' there all full of holes. CHIEF They nail him for it bad ? CLEAN He's in the L.B.J. -- didn't give him no medals or nothing -- In the b.g., we begin to HEAR a SWELL of TWO THOUSAND MALE VOICES; the ENGINES of four helicopters approaching. All heads turn skywards while one descends onto the pedestal kicking up a lot of dust and general resentment. On the nose amd doors of the black Huey are painted large Playboy rabbits. Finally the blades are trimmed and a strange silence descends over the men. The door of the copter slides partially open -- two young Green Berets step out with M-16's to varied catcalls. When this abates a young, extremelly well-dressed man emerges. He is the epitome of a Hollywood AGENT. Hair is combed impeccably and free of dandruff -- clothes are formal but hip -- shoes are shined -- Quite some dude -- his presence causes some stirring but seems to strangely quiet the man. He walks over to the microphone. AGENT I'd like to say hello from all of us up here, to all of you out there. All of you who've worked so hard during Operation Brute Force -- Paratroopers -- Infantry -- Airmen -- Medics -- Marines -- and Sailors. And I want you to know that we feel proud of you and know how hard your job is. To prove it -- we've brought some entertainment we think you're gonna like: The Playmate of the Year and her two runners up ! He pulls open the door and three unbelieveably beautiful sex playmates in fringed go-go outfits leap out and start dancing to the Creedence Clearwater Revival singing "Suzy Q." 30 MONTAGE ON THE GIRLS AND MEN VARIOUS SHOTS as the girls dance in an incredibly erotic manner -- smiling. The faces of the G.I.'s pass -- their jaws drop -- some look almost horrified. Chef is hypnotized -- Mr. Clean cries. Chief mouths unspoken obscenities with sentimental tenderness. Others grab the air in front of them. With each movement their need increases by the square. 31 FULL SHOT - PEDESTAL - GIRLS - MEN They crush forward starting to scream -- men fall on the wire -- the guards in the "riot control positions" forget -- the attack dogs are trampled. The mob as one surges forward onto the wire. Men scream and fall into the moat, which is filling up fast. The Agent sees this all as he has seen it before. He casually pulls the pin of a smoke grenade; the girls retreat into the copter -- he follows, then the two Green Berets. The ROTARS WHINE -- the black Playboy Huey lifts off just as the first crazed men reach it. They grab frantically for the wheels, but miss. The Huey wheels up into the blue sky, leaving them all below. Such are the ways of war. CUT TO: 32 EXT. FULL VIEW - DAY The P.B.R. moving further up the primitive coastline. There are few signs of civilization; no villages, no boats -- just the overwhelming presence of the jungle. WILLARD (V.O.) Two days out of Hau Fat, there was nothing but us and the coastline. I felt like I had set off for the center of the earth... Suddenly, Chief looks out, ahead. CHIEF Smoke ! WILLARD Where ? They all turn. Chief points up the coast. 33 FULL SHOT - THE COASTLINE A thick train of black smoke rises from the green jungle. WILLARD Black smoke ... secondary burning. The Chief grabs field glasses. CHIEF Yeah -- fishing village -- helicopters over there. Hueys, lots of 'em. WILLARD First Air Cavalry. They're the ones gonna get us into the River. 34 FULL SHOT - THE BEACH AND VILLAGE A vast field of devastation -- smashed and smoking palm trees -- deep, ragged craters -- gutted and burning huts -- shattered sampans and bodies washing around in the surf. 35 MED. SHOT - BEACH - WILLARD AND CREW They wade through the water to the beach where they are met by a heavily armed group of men. Overhead jets swoop by FIRING ROCKETS, the NOISE drowning out Willard's attempt at conversation with some of the men. We can't hear any of the talk, but we notice that the Sergeant turns up to a particular Huey, and points to it. 36 FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS Three Hueys swoop in low -- they are heavily laden with machine guns -- rockets and loudspeakers. The two out- side copters hover, while the center copter lands, raising a lot of dust. It cuts its rotors and the other copters pull up and off to the side. Two armed soldiers jump from the doors and stand with guns ready. Then a tall, strong looking man emerges. He wears a well-cut and neatly-stretched tiger suit. It is COLONEL WILLIAM KILGORE -- tough looking, well-tanned, with a black mustache. He crouches over, holding his hat in the rotor wash. It is no ordinary hat but a L.A. Dodgers baseball hat. He walks out, and then stards to his full immense height and with his hands on his hips he surveys the field of battle. His eyes are obscured by mirror-fronted sunglasses. KILGORE (bellowing) Lieutenant: Bomb that tree line back about a hundred yards -- give me some room to breathe. A Lieutenant and radio man nod and rush off. 37 CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD He was not quite prepared for this. 38 VIEW ON KILGORE turning to his GUARDS KILGORE Bring me some cards. GUARD Sir ? KILGORE Body cards, you damn fool -- cards ! The soldier rushes over and hands him two brand new packages of playing cards wrapped in plastic. Two other soldiers get out of the copter and walk over. They are well-tanned and carry no weapons. They seem more casual about the Colonel than anyone else. The Sergeant walks up, leading Willard, the Chief and Lance. WILLARD (formally) Captain B-L. Willard, sir -- 4th Recon Group -- I carry priority papers from Com-Sec Intelligence 11 Corp -- I believe you understand the nature of my mission. KILGORE (not looking up) Yeah -- Na Trang told me to expect you -- we'll see what we can do. Just stay out of my way till this is done, Captain. He cracks the plastic wrapping sharply -- takes out the deck of new cards and fans them. The Colonel strides right past Willard with no further acknowledgement. The others follow, 39 TRACKING VIEW The Colonel walks through the shell-pocked field of devastation. Soldiers gather around smiling; as Kilgore comes to each V.C. corpse he drops a playing card on it -- carefully picking out which card he uses. KILGORE (to himself) Six a spades -- eight a hearts -- Isn't one worth a Jack in this whole place. The Colonel goes on about this business. 40 TRACKING ON KILGORE moving through the corpses, dropping the cards. On of the two tanned soldiers rushes up and whispers something to him. He stops. KILGORE What ? Here. You sure? The soldier points to Lance, who immediately puts down the card he was holding. Kilgore strides over to the young man, who almost instinctively moves closer t Willard. KILGORE (continuing) What's your name, sailor ? LANCE Gunner's Mate, Third Class -- L. Johnson, sir. KILGORE Lance Johnson? The surfer? LANCE That's right, sir. Kilgore smiles -- sticks out his hand. KILGORE It's an honor to meet you Lance. I've admired your nose-riding for years -- I like your cutback, too. I think you have the best cutback there is. LANCE Thank you, sir. KILGORE You can cut out the sir, Lance -- I'm Bill kilgore -- I'm a goofy foot. 41 VIEW ON WILLARD His entire, top priority mission has been put in the background. KILGORE (O.S.) This is Mike from San Diego and Johnny from Malibu -- they're good solid surfers -- none of us are anywhere near your class, though. Lance blushes, sort of mumbling thanks. WILLARD My orders are from Com-Sec Intel -- B.L. Willard, 4th Recon -- KILGORE Just hold up a second, Captain -- I'll get to you soon enough -- We've got things to do here. Willard eats it, for now. Kilgore puts his hand on Lance's shoulder, and continues flipping the cards in- discriminately on the bodies as they talk. KILGORE (continuing) ... we do a lot of surfing around here. Like to finish up operations early and fly down to Vung Tau for the evening glass. Have you ever surfed the point at Vung Tau? I liked the beach breaks around Na Trang a lot -- good lefts. He passes a twisted gun emplacement with about five bodies -- sprinkles cards all over them. KILGORE (continuing) ... we keep three boards in my Command Huey at all times. You never can tell when you're gonna run into something good. I got a guy in Cam Rau Bay that can predict a swell two days in advance. We try to work it in. He stops at a particularly wild-looking Viet Cong who has died with his mouth agape -- staring wild-eyed in horror at the sky. Kilgore pauses. KILGORE (continuing; to himself) Hell, that's an Ace if I ever saw one. He puts the card in the gaping mouth. 42 CLOSE VIEW OVER THE VIET CONG We SEE the Colonel and the others walk off -- the dead Viet Cong and card are in the immediate f.g. The card has the shield of the CAV printed bautifully, and above it the motto: DEATH FROM ABOVE. KILGORE Where've you been riding, Lance? LANCE I haven't surfed since I got here. KILGORE That's terrible -- we'll change that -- I'd like to see you work -- I've always liked your cutback; got a hell of a left turn, too. DISSOLVE TO : 43 EXT. THE HELICOPTER - MED. SHOT Willard is sitting with Kilgore on acouple of chairs by a table set up in front of the command copter. Everywhere we SEE armed men, sandbags, barbed wire, oil drums etc. Hueys are constantly ROARING over. ARTILLERY BOOMS in the far distance. Kilgore looks at the map. KILGORE Why the hell you wanna go up to Nu Mung Ba for? WILLARD I got bored in Saigon. KILGORE What's the furthest you been in? WILLARD Haiphong. KILGORE Haiphong? Shit, you jump in ? WILLARD No. Walked. KILGORE What'd you do for supplies? WILLARD (he shrugs) Mercenaries -- agents, traitors -- they put out caches. KILGORE Can you trust them? WILLARD No. They put out two or three for every one I needed. When you get to the one you'll use, you just stake it out. If something feels wrong, you just pass it up. On one mission, I had to pass up three and ended up living on rats and chocolate bars. KILGORE Nu Mung Ba. Last I heard, Walter Kurtz commanded a Green Beret detachment at Nu Mung Ba. WILLARD When did you hear? KILGORE 'Bout a year ago? Is Kurtz still alive? WILLARD Who knows. KILGORE Seems to me he got himself fragged. i heard some grunt rolled a grenade in his tent. Maybe a rumor. Helluva man -- remarkable officer. Walter Kurtz woulda been a General some day. General of the Army. Shit, Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Did you knew Kurtz? WILLARD I met him. KILGORE Don't you agree? WILLARD He musta changed ! (pointing to the map) I got to get into the Nung River, here or here. KILGORE That village you're pointing at is kinda hairy. WILLARD Hairy ? KILGORE I mean it's hairy -- they got some pretty heavy ordnance, boy -- I've lost a few recon ships in there now and again. WILLARD So? I heard you had a good bunch of killers here. KILGORE And I don't intend to get some of them chewed up just to get your tub put in the mouth of the goddman Nung River. You say you don't know Kurtz? WILLARD I met him. KILGORE You talk like him. I don't mind taking casualties, Captain, but I like to keep my ratio ten to one in this unit -- ten Cong to one. WILLARD You'll find enough Cong up there. KILGORE What about this point here? He puts his finger on the map. KILGORE (continuing) What's the name of that goddamn village -- Vin Drin Dop or Lop; damn gook names all sound the same. He motions to one of his surfers. KILGORE (continuing) Mike, you know anything about the point at Vin Drip Drop? MIKE Boss left. KILGORE What do you mean? MIKE It's really long left slide, breaks on the short side of the point -- catches a south swell. LANCE Nice. Willard looks at Lance -- then at Kilgore. KILGORE Why the hell didn't you tell me about that place -- a good left. (to Willard) There aren't any good left slides in this whole, shitty country. It's all goddamn beach break. MIKE It's hairy ,though. That's where we lost McDonnel -- they shot the hell out of us. It's Charlie's point. KILGORE How big it is? MIKE Six to eight feet. Kilgore gazes out across the parked helicopters. KILGORE (to himself) A six-foot left. Willard nudges Lance -- who gets the idea. LANCE Boss. What's the wind like. MIKE Light off shore -- really hollow. WILLARD We could go in tomorrow at dawn -- there's always off-shore wind in the morning. CHIEF The draft of that river might be too shallow on the point. KILGORE Hell, we'll pick your boat up and lay it down like a baby, right where you want it. This is the Cav boy -- airmobile. I can take that point and hold it as long as I like -- and you can get anywhere you want up that river that suits you, Captain. Hell, a six foot left. (he turns to an advisor) You take a gunship back to division -- Mike, take Lance with you -- let him pick out a board, and bring me my Yater Spoon -- the eight six. TOM I don't know, sir -- it's -- it's -- KILGORE (hard) What is it? TOM Well, I mean it's hairy in there -- it's Charlie's point. Kilgore turns and looks to Willard, exasperated. WILLARD Charlie don't surf. 44 FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS - DAWN What seems like hundreds of Hueys standing, their rotors churning a great wind -- Inside, the men of the 1st Cavalry Airmobile -- toughest unit in Vietnam. Kilgore's helicopter is being loaded with ammunition and has surfboards strapped underneath. 45 MED. VIEW Kilgore strides up to the side door, dressed for battle. He looks out, around. He turns to his door GUNNER. KILGORE How do you feel, boy? GUNNER Like a mean motherfucker, sir. He turns to his R.T. man. KILGORE Let's go. 46 FULL VIEW Helicopter rotors build up speed -- gas turbines belching fire from their jet pipes -- dust flying as fifty helicopters rise; ROAR OVER CAMERA and deploy into attack formation. 47 NEW VIEW Helicopters moving THROUGH the FRAME: almost a dance of dragonflies. 48 INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD, OTHERS Willard looks ahead -- Kilgore sits near the door. Below they see the jungle whisk by and they are suddenly over the ocean, low and fast. 49 MONTAGE CLOSE SHOTS of rocket pods -- mini-guns in bizarre looking mounts. CLOSE SHOTS of the three surfboards strapped below the command helicopter, next to the fearsome weaponry. And finally, CLOSE SHOTS of the men -- nervous, excited very few of them really scared -- they fondle their rifles, grenade launchers, anti-personnel grenades, claymore mines; plastic explosives cord; flame-throwers; M-60 machine guns; expandable rocket launchers; mortars and bayonets. 50 INT. COMMAND COPTER Kilgore cranes his neck and almost leans out to watch the waves -- then he sits back relaxed. KILGORE (to Willard) We'll come in low out of the rising sun -- We'll put on the music about a mile out. WILLARD Music? KILGORE Yeah. Classical stuff -- scares the hell out of the slopes -- the boys love it. 51 MED. SHOT POV behind the PILOT and CO-PILOT -- the ocean rushes below. PILOT Big Duke six to Eagle Thrust -- turn on coordinates 1-0 -- niner, assume attack formation. The helicopter banks into a tight turn and bears toward the coast. RADIO (V.O.) Eagle Thrust formation target 2800 yards -- begin psch-war operations. 52 CLOSE SHOT - LOUDSPEAKERS The ocean rushes below as suddenly the LOUDSPEAKERS BLARE out Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries." 53 FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS From the water we SEE the massive grouping of Hueys -- gun- ships -- troop carriers -- medevac and recon -- ROAR over low in battle formation BLARING out "Ride of the Valkyries." 54 INT. HELICOPTER - MED. SHOT -CREW POV behind pilot -- PILOT 700 -- 600 yards -- 500 -- Commence firing. The whole copter shakes. 55 EXT. VIET CONG FISHING VILLAGE - FULL SHOT A Vietnamese coastal fishing village built along the beach and palm trees -- with rice paddies behind. This village commands a delta where ocean and river merge. Sampans are pulled into a cover where they are being unloaded. We SEE bunkers with N.V.A. regulars ambling about. Suddenly we HEAR the distant MUSIC -- Everyone stops; they stare out to see. Men scream orders -- women run from huts bearing ammunition and rifles -- Everywhere there is activity to prepare for the defense of the village. Camouflage is removed from anti-aircraft emplacements. People feverishly unlimber weapons of all types and run to tunnels and trenches. The MUSIC GROWS LOUDER with the FAINT SOUND of ROTORS 56 EXT. THE HELICOPTER FORMATION - AERIAL VIEW coming directly at us; WAGNER BLARING. 57 HIGH ANGLE looking down through the helicopters as they approach the village. 58 INT. HELICOPTER - MED. SHOT - CREW POV behind pilot PILOT 700 yards -- 600 -- 500 -- commence firing. The whole copter shakes. 59 EXT. HELICOPTERS - MONTAGE We SEE rockets ROAR from pods -- MACHINE GUNS RATTLE -- grenade launchers POUND away -- and MINI-GUNS pour streams of lead and tracers with the SOUND of a DIESEL HORN. 60 FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS POV behind lead gunship. They ROAR in over the beach streaming FIRE from doors, pods and nose -- The ground is alive with smoke and fire -- a hut EXPLODES. The leads ship banks sharply up over the trees -- men run below SHOOTING back. 61 MED. SHOT - ANTI-AIRCRAFT EMPLACEMENT EXPLOSIONS crash around -- the MUSIC and SOUND of the COPTERS almost drown them out. The gunner FIRES frantically -- COPTERS are ROARING over -- GUNFIRE rips around. The gunner is blown away. 62 MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD as the ship he is in swoops down, its MACHINE GUNS FIRING into the village. 63 MED. SHOT - SWOOPING COPTER The Pilot leans out and SHOOTS a charging V.C. in the head with his .38, then ducks back in. CO-PILOT We're down, Eagle Thrust -- we're hit. We got a hot L.Z. here. BULLETS RIP through the plexiglass. The Pilot FIRES back. CO-PILOT (continuing) Hell of a hot L.Z. Need immediate air strike on the tree line, Eagle Thrust. 64 INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, KILGORE, OTHERS Kilgore has R.T. equipment -- he leans out near the door gunner. KILGORE Big Duke Six to Hell's Angels Four -- bring it in on along tree line and huts. RADIO (V.O.) Hell's Angels Four to Big Duke Six -- we'll need green smoke -- suggest you have the FAC mark it. KILGORE Haven't got time, Hell's Angels -- lay it right up the tree line. 65 FULL SHOT - JET SQUADRON Four F-4H Phantoms peel off and streak toward the coast. 66 INT. COMMAND COPTER - VIEW ON WILLARD AND KILGORE KILGORE Fucking savages. WILLARD Who? KILGORE The enemy. Who else? 67 HELICOPTER'S POV - THE JETS The jets streak by below laying in huge gobs of orange napalm along the trees. KILGORE (O.S.) (on radio) Very good, Hell's Angels -- suggest you follow with cannon fire. 68 INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT They circle the battle. RADIO (V.O.) This is Baker Delta Four -- Captain hit bad -- need dust-off. Receiving heavy automatic weapons fire from huts about thirty yards to our left. KILGORE Big Duke Six to Baker Delta Four -- hold -- we're right over you. He turns to door gunner. KILGORE (continuing) Right along the doors, boy. The gunner FIRES leaning out -- KILGORE (continuing) Fine... fine... little higher. Through the roof; yeah, that's good. He leans back in. KILGORE (continuing) Didn't anybody bring me any bombs, grenades, claymores or anything? LIEUTENANT You didn't tell me to, sir. KILGORE (grumbling) You shoulda known. Suddenly, BULLETS SMASH through the copter -- Plexiglass SHATTERS; the copter vibrates and turns sharply. Kilgore is thrown down where he hangs on. KILGORE (continuing) Sonuvabitch -- anybody hurt? WILLARD Automatic weapons flashes along those trees -- probably eleven millimeter guns and AK-47's. KILGORE The trees, eh... He grabs the R.T. KILGORE (continuing) Eagle Thrust Four -- Big Duke Six. Join me in sparaying some trees. RADIO (V.O.) Affirmative, Big Duke Six -- We're even got some rockets left. KILGORE Take her in low, Lieutenant. 69 FULL SHOT - THE TREES, HELICOPTERS The two helicopters swoop up out of the smoke and blast the trees with ROCKETS, MACHINE GUNS and GRENADE LAUNCHERS. Other copters join -- The V.C. break and run through the rice paddies in the f.g. -- BULLETS EXPLODING around them -- they scream and fall FIRING back. 70 INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD Kilgore looks out as three V.C. break and run through the rice paddies -- the helicopter turns and follows them -- the door gunner swings out and BLASTS two of them into the mud. He takes a bead on the third. KILGORE Hold it, boy. He puts his arms across the sights -- the gunner swings back inside. KILGORE (continuing) Take her up to 300 feet, Lieutenant. They rise above the paddy -- the man below runs for all he's worth. Kilgore motions to the door gunner who steps aside. Kilgore buckles himself into the gunner's harness. KILGORE (continuing) Rifle. A hand passes him a M-16. KILGORE (continuing; hard) My rifle, soldier. There is some fumbling and then a hand passes him a 300 Weatherby Magnum with a zebra wood stock -- mother of pearl inlays and a variable power scope. Kilgore takes it and opens the bolt. 71 VIEW ON WILLARD Amazed at these proceedings. 72 VIEW ON KILGORE as he loads the rifle with huge cartridges. He gets into the sling and slams the bolt shut. 73 MOVING POV. ON THE V.C. He is running hard, but starting to sink into the mud. The Huey DRONES overhead, its huge shadow behind him on the mud. He turns and FIRES with a pistol. 74 INT. COPTER - MED. SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD Kilgore leans out; pulls the gun in tight -- takes careful aim and the Cong is BLASTED flat into the paddy. Kilgore leans back, opens the bolt, ejecting the spent cartridge out the door. He hands Weatherby back into the copter. 75 VIEW ON WILLARD The gaudy rifle passed by him. SOLDIER (O.S.) That's 27, sir. WILLARD Anyone got a card? Somebody hands Willard the deck. He takes a card and flips it out of the copter, never lifting his gaze from Kilgore. DISSOLVE TO : 76 FULL SHOT - BATTLEFIELD - THE CAV, V.C. Americans run through the hooches FIRING and throwing GRENADES. Helicopters swoop overhead -- JETS ROAR by -- Uniformed N.V.A. regulars burst from a tunnel en- trance and charge the Americans. The SHOOTING is at point blank range -- automatic, as the V.C. are cut down. 77 INT. COMMAND COPTER - KILGORE, WILLARD, LANCE, ETC. Kilgore leans out carefully, looking over the battle- field. He has the R.T. He leans back, deliberately avoiding Willard to speak to Lance. KILGORE The L.Z.'s cooling off fast -- we'll move in another company an' then we'll own it. (he laughs to himself) Charlie's point. He looks out toward the ocean. KILGORE (continuing) Good swell. LANCE What, sir? KILGORE I said it's a good swell -- hell of a good swell 'bout six feet. Let's get a look at it. Lance looks at Willard and then agrees. 78 FULL SHOT - COPTER, SURF The pilots are used to this -- they bank sharply and swoop in on the lineup of waves, coming in low over the point and streaking down a long, lined-up green wall as if surfing it. They tip up over and up at the last minute as the wave breaks. DISSOLVE TO : 79 FULL SHOT - BEACH HUTS, SOLDIERS Americans line up blindfolded Viet Cong and N.V.A. regular troops outside a burning hut. GUNFIRE is DISTANT and sporadic -- an occasional MORTAR round SCREAMS in. A soldier yells in Vietnamese in a southern accent and the prisoners are marched away. Other soldiers are already setting up heavy weapons emplacements -- 50 cal machine guns etc. Three Hueys ROAR in, fanning the smoke with their wind. The center one, the command ship, lands. JETS SCREAM over and the two gunships pull up at 200 feet. Another Huey zooms in low and lands behind the Colonel's. The doors open, guards jump out, check the situation, and out steps Kilgore and Lance. From the other copter are more guards, Kilgore's surfers and others of the P.B.R. crew. Willard follows. 80 FULL SHOT - THE POINT They stride out across the debris-strewn beach. Kilgore stands majestically on the point watching the waves. A SHELL SCREAMS overhead. SOLDIER Incoming ! They all dive, except Kilgore. He is watching a big set -- the SHELL EXPLODES in the water about a hundred yards away, sending up a huge geyser of spray. Kilgore is unmoved. KILGORE Look at that. They look. LANCE This L.Z. is still pretty hot, sir, maybe we oughta stand somewhere else. Kilgore pays him no mention. WILLARD I'm waiting for the fucking boat, Colonel. KILGORE (without looking) It'll get here, soldier. He turns to Mike and Johnny who have their faces in the sand. KILGORE (continuing) Change. MIKE Wh -- what? KILGORE Change -- get out there -- I want'a see if it's ridable -- change. MIKE It's still pretty hairy, sir. KILGORE (bellowing) You want'a surf, soldier? He nods yes meakly. KILGORE (continuing) That's good, boy, because it's either surf or fight. They turn and hurry off -- Kilgore grabs an M-1 from one of the guards. They all think he's going to shoot the surfers or someone. They move back uneasy. KILGORE (continuing) I'm gonna cover for 'em -- that's all. He cocks thye weapon. Lance looks around uneasily. The Colonel walks over. KILGORE (continuing) You think that section on the point is ridable, Lance? LANCE I think we ought to wait for the tide to come in. A SHELL SCREAMS OVER -- they all hit the dirt except for Kilgore. It EXPLODES throwing sand through the air. Kilgore leans down yelling over the NOISE. KILGORE Doesn't happen for six hours. Lance looks up at him terrified, holding onto his helmet. KILGORE (continuing) The tide -- doesn't come in for six hours. DISSOLVE TO : 81 FULL SHOT - SURF - MIKE AND JOHNNY They walk through shallows carrying brightly colored boards. They look very scared. JETS SCREAM overhead, FIRING CANNONS. Helicopters wheel by carrying out wounded. They wear olive drab surfing trunks with the Cav's shield on the left leg. The same shield is emblazoned on the boards along the word "Airmobile". They edge into the water and paddle through the mild shorebreak. 82 FULL SHOT - THE POINT - SURFERS They paddle up the point in the calm channel -- the beautiful waves breaking beyond them. 83 CLOSE SHOT ON JOHNNY, MIKE They paddle on their stomachs, keeping low -- breathing hard and constantly looking around scared out of their minds. 84 MED. SHOT - KILGORE AND LANCE Kilgore looks at them with his field glasses. Lance kind of sits below taking cover in a shell hole. KILGORE They far enough? LANCE Sure -- fine -- Kilgore turns and takes a giant electric megaphone from a waiting lackey. KILGORE (through megaphone) That's far enough -- pick one up and come on in -- 85 FULL SHOT - THE POINT, SURFERS They line themselves up on the point. A good set is building. Mike turns strokes into it -- takes off -- drops to the bottom and turns -- trims up into a tight section -- everything right except he keeps looking around frantically. 86 CLOSE SHOT ON LANCE AND KILGORE Another SHELL SCREAMS over and EXPLODES down the beach. Lance looks over at Willard. LANCE (to himself) Maybe he'll get tubed. WILLARD What? LANCE Maybe he'll get inside the tube -- where -- where they can't see him. A SERIES of SHELLS ROAR in. WILLARD Incoming ! Lance ducks -- puts his hands over his head. The SHELLS SCREAM over Kilgore and out towards the point. Kilgore looks through his glasses -- two EXPLOSIONS in the water are HEARD. KILGORE Son of a bitch. Lance looks up and out toward the point in horror. 87 FULL SHOT - THE POINT Two surfboards float in the channel bobbing up and down on the waves. 88 MED. SHOT - LANCE AND KILGORE LANCE (to himself) The tragedy of this war is a dead surfer. Willard looks over, beginning to think Lance is crazy, too. WILLARD What's that? LANCE Just something I read in the Free Press. KILGORE They just missed a good set -- the chicken shits ! Lance looks up. 89 FULL SHOT - THE POINT , SURFERS They come up near their boards and climb on -- smoke hangs over the water. KILGORE (O.S.) (megaphone) Try it again, you little bastards. 90 BACK TO SCENE He turns to Willard. KILGORE (continuing) I'm not afraid to surf this place. I'll surf this place. 91 CLOSE SHOT ON KILGORE He turns, glowering to his lackeys. KILGORE Bring that R.T., soldier. He grabs it. KILGORE (continuing) Big Duke Six to Hell's Angels -- Goddamit, I want that treeline bombed -- yeah -- napalm -- gimme some napalm -- son of a bitch -- yeah, I'll take H.Z. or C.B.U.'s if you got any of them -- just bomb 'em into the Stone Age, boy. He throws the R.T. back to a soldier -- another SALVO WHISTLES over -- everyone drops. KILGORE (continuing; to himself) Son of a bitch. As the SHELLS EXPLODES on the beach behind him, KIlgore raises his M-16 and EMPTIES it full automatic in the general direction of the trees. He mumbles a few un- intelligible swear words and jams a new clip into his rifle turning to Lance -- KILGORE (continuing) We'll have this place cleaned up and ready for us in a jiffy, boy. Don't you worry. He FIRES another clip as the JETS SCREAM overhead. 92 FULL SHOT - RIVER - COPTERS A sky-crane without pod descends slowly toward us -- The P.B.R. hangs below it. The Chief, mr. Clean and Chef stand watching this sight alomg with other soldiers. A man guides the descending copter till the boat settles carefully in the shallows. The Chief and others leap aboard; unshackle the hoists -- load on ammunition and fuel. The battle is still going on around them. They all look up as a wadge of PHANTOMS streak over low and peel off one by one to begin their bombing run. 93 FULL SHOT - PHANTOMS - MONTAGE Phantoms RAKE the trees with 20 mm CANNONS -- FIRE five inch ROCKETS in salvo -- "Bull Pup" MISSILES -- drop H.E. (high explosives) and C.B.U's (Cluster Bomb Units) and finally an immense amount of NAPALM. 94 FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R. The Chief is at the helm --the engine starts; Clean and Chef work feverishly, ducking for cover every-so- often when an EXPLOSION hits nearby. The boat begins to back out of the shallows. The EXPLOSIONS of NAPALM are reflected on their faces; the ROAR of the FIRE drowns out almost everything. CHIEF Forget that extra drum -- it's too damn hot. CLEAN Clear on starboard -- Where's Lance an' the Captain? CHIEF I saw that Colonel's Huey on the point -- Two HELICOPTERS SCREAM over FIRING ROCKETS. CHIEF (continuing) Let's just get outta here. 95 FULL SHOT - THE POINT - KILGORE, WILLARD , LANCE, OTHERS Kilgore watches the waves with his field glasses -- smoke drifts over. Lance crouches below. Willard is up looking off in another direction. SHELLS SCREAM over, but even their noise is drowned out by the fierce SHRIEK of the PHANTOMS and the deafening BLAST of HIGH EXPLOSIVES. Willard stares at the tree line where it comes down to the river. The JETS are making a hell of the tree line; a hell of fire and bust- ling steam thet nothing could live in. Willard's glance goes further downriver through the black smoke and there merging in the river -- small and vulnerable, is his boat. WILLARD (to Lance) Look. There it is; the boat. Lance looks over -- a tremendous relief on his face. But still there remains the threat of Kilgore, standing stark against the sky. Willard silently motions Lance toward the boat. LANCE (whispers) He'll kill us. WILLARD He can't kill us. (realizing as he says it) We're on his side. Kilgore FIRES another clip at the tree line, and then strides back without looking at them. KILGORE (almost to himself) You smell that. (louder) You smell that? LANCE What? KILGORE Napalm, boy -- nothing else in the world smells like that -- They reflect the glow from the burning trees. KILGORE (continuing; nostalgically) I love the smell of napalm in the morning. One time we had a hill bombed for 12 hours. I walked up it when it was all over; we didn't find one of 'em ... not one stinking gook body. They slipped out in the night -- but the smell -- that gasoline smell -- the whole hill -- it smelled like ... (pause) victory... He looks off nostalgically. WILLARD You know, some day this war's gonna end.. KILGORE (sadly) Yes, I know. Suddenly he senses something -- he stops -- lifts his hand -- then frantically licks his fingers and puts them up in the air. KILGORE (continuing) The wind -- LANCE What? Sure enough there is a rushing breeze that increases. KILGORE (rising maniacally) Feel it -- it's the wind -- it's blowing on shore -- It's on shore ! He leans down and practically grabs Lance. KILGORE (continuing; screaming) It's gonna blow this place out. It's gonna ruin it ... WILLARD The kid can't ride sloppy waves. They turn and stare out to sea. 96 FULL SHOT - THE POINT - SURFERS The wind has changed. Instead of blowing spray back over the waves and hollowing them out, this strange wind is causing white caps and cross chop.. reducing the swell to slop. Mike and Johnny lay low on their boards, overjoyed. WILLARD (O.S.) The kid can't stand sloppy waves. 97 MED. SHOT - THE BEACH - LANCE, KILGORE, WILLARD WILLARD You don't expect this kid to ride that crap, do you? He's a goddamn artist, he needs something to work with... Slapping Lance on the shoulder. LANCE Yeah, I'm an artist, goddamit ! KILGORE (apologetically) Yeah -- yeah, I can understand how you feel. He turns toward the trees. KILGORE (continuing) It's the napalm -- it's causing the wind -- ruining my perfect left. He staggers off toward the trees followed by his guards and other lackeys. KILGORE (continuing; mumbling) The napalm -- ruin -- napalm my perfect left -- my perfect left point break -- napalm -- Lance motions with his eyes to Willard. 98 FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R. The P.B.R. along the river shallows -- The Chief and crew waiting and yelling. 99 MED. VIEW ON WILLARD AND LANCE WILLARD Are you finished surfing? LANCE Yeah... thanks. WILLARD Want to say goodbye to the Colonel? LANCE Nah. WILLARD Then let's get the hell out of here. They break and run like hell toward the boat in the distance. OUR VIEW TRACKS with them. They are cheered by the crew -- suddenly, Willard sees some- thing and stops... Lance continuing. In a pile of equipment that the Hueys have left are two surfboards -- Willard looks at them. LANCE No -- no, Captain. WILLARD Which one's the Colonel's? LANCE The Yater -- the clear one with the thin stringer. Willard glances over to it with determination. There is still MORTAR FIRE coming in between him and the board. Suddenly, Willard makes a run for it. CHIEF (O.S.) Incoming ! Incoming -- son of a bitch. The ROUNDS bracket the P.B.R. and line up the beach toward Willard. He stands there and doesn't move, the surfboard under his arm. The shells kick up sand. Lance has dropped. Fragments whistle by, one rips a chunk of foam and fibreglass from the rain of the board. WILLARD (calm) This one , Lance? LANCE Yeah, Jesus Christ ! Once again, Willard takes off fast as hell with the board under his arm. Lance follows toward the boat, through the water. Willard hands the board up to Mr. Clean, and they both scamper abroad, exhausted and relieved. CLEAN What'd you that for? WILLARD When I was a kid I, never had a Yater spoon. Mr. Clean stuffs the board in the stern 50 Cal. mount. The boat turns -- ENGINES RUNNING HARD and ROARS OFF toward the deeper water of the river -- the board clearly visible on the stern. DISSOLVE TO : 100 FULL SHOT ON THE RIVER - P.B.R The P.B.R. ROARS BY going down the river at full speed. It is swerving and zig-zagging to avoid potential enemy fire. 101 MED. SHOT ON THE CREW They all are in full battle positions -- their twin fifty Cal. guns turning; warily covering the jungled banks. The Chief is at helm -- Willard crouches against some armor plate, huddled with his M-16 ready. Chef is behind him at the radio. Lance leans back from his forward turret. LANCE (yelling) Maybe we better stay in under the trees till dark -- we got his Yater. WILLARD He didn't look like he'd take that sitting down. They all look up into the sky -- expecting the worst. WILLARD (continuing) Let's put some distance between us and Charlie. The Chief nods. CHIEF Lance --- LANCE Yeah. CHIEF Why don't you roll us a big joint? I think the Captain'd like that. They all look at Willard uneasily. After a suspensful pause, Willard smiles: WILLARD Take one a mine -- He fishes into his breast pocket -- pulls out a huge cigar-sized joint. They all smile -- Willard lights up. DISSOLVE TO : 102 FULL SHOT - THE P.B.R. It zig-zags away from us down the river at high speed. DISSOLVE TO : 103 FULL SHOT - THE TREES, BOAT, CREW - NIGHT The boat is hidden under some trees along the river bank. The men wait tensely listening -- LANCE You hear it again? WILLARD No -- I don't think so. But it'll be back. They were circling. It'll be back. LANCE You think he'd of shot us? WILLARD When? LANCE Any time -- us -- Americans. Lance looks over at Willard. WILLARD I don't think he'd of shot us on the beach but -- he'd of shot us if he saw me taking the board -- LANCE A Yater spoon is hard to get -- especially here. WILLARD He's a man who knows what he wants -- he does know what he wants. CHEF Can I go get those mangos now? CHIEF I'll go with you in a while -- judt hold tight awhile -- LANCE Captain -- that was all true about the rats and chocolate and stuff? WILLARD Sure. LANCE And you could just tell when the supplies were booby trapped? WILLARD It's a feeling you get in the jungle. When you get good, you can find a track and tell not only how many they are, but their morale, how far they're going, whether they're near their camp, the weapons they're carrying. CLEAN How can you tell their weapons.. an' how far they're going? Willard smiles. WILLARD Mostly from the imprints when they put them down to rest. their morale from the way they drag their feet, or the joints that may be lying around. If they're near a base camp, they wouldn't be conserving food; they'll be throwing it away half-eaten. If the branches aren't broken, their weapons are slung. But all this is just technique.. There's a feeling you get after a while, that's what's important. I was going through a village once. I was looking for a certain party. I took off my boots, and walked into each hut. It was midnight. I went into three like that and suddenly I realized I'd gone into each hut the same way -- standing up -- so the next one I went in on my belly. An RPD burst took out the door a bit above my head. (he shrugs) Things like that. A pause, and then suddenly his attention is diverted -- They all are silent -- It is pitch dark -- we HEAR the distant SOUND of ROTOR-BLADES and indistinguishable language on a loudspeaker -- The talk stops -- the ROTORS grow LOUDER until almost overhead. KILGORE (V.O.) (over a loudspeaker) I'm not gonna hurt or harm you, boy -- I just want the board back -- You can understand -- It was one of my best -- You know how hard it is to get a board you like, boy. I'm not gonna hurt or harm you -- Just leave it where I can find it -- The HELICOPTER DRONES on into the night -- the same speech starts again further off -- Finally the noise ceases. CLEAN Jesus -- that guy's too damn much. CHIEF I wonder if that was the same copter. WILLARD He's probably got 'em all over the river with that recording. We better move now while it's dark. Chef steps forward with a plastic basket. CHIEF Yeah, Chef -- go ahead -- take Lance with you -- WILLARD I'll go with him -- They all look at him. WILLARD (continuing) I wanta get my feet on solid land once in awhile -- He grabs an M-16 and follows Chef over the side. 104 MED. SHOT - THE JUNGLE - CHEF, WILLARD - NIGHT They cautiously walk through the underbrush. WILLARD Chef. CHEF Yes, sir -- WILLARD Why they call you that? CHEF Call me what, sir? WILLARD Chef -- is that 'cause you like mangoes an' stuff? CHEF No, sir -- I'm a real chef, sir -- I'm a sauciere -- WILLARD A sauciere -- CHEF That's right, sir -- I come from New Orleans -- I was raised to be a sauciere.. a great sauciere. We specialize in sauces; my whole family. It's what we do. I was supposed to go to Paris and study at the Escoffier School; I was saving the money. They called me for my physical so I figured the Navy had better food. WILLARD What are you doing out here? CHEF Cook school -- that did it. WILLARD How? CHEF They lined us all up in front of a hundred yards of prime rib -- magnificent meat, beautifully marbled.. Then they started throwing it in these big cauldrons, all of it -- boiling. I looked in, an' it was turning gray. I couldn't stand it. I went into radio school. They move into a slight clearing. WILLARD (whispering) -- quiet -- Chef crouches close -- redies his M-16. Willard ges- tures that he heard something; he points. 105 MED. SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE PAN SLOWLY over jungle -- END REVEALING Willard and Chef. WILLARD (silent) There... He points -- motions Chef to move away -- they cover the spot. A few yards from them they hear something move. It is obviously no small jungle creature. They walk toward a patch of black elephant grass; their guns at the ready. They look at each other. Willard is cold, methodical, doing something he knows well. There is a noise again -- some of the growth rustles. He and Chef move a distance apart, and join in stalking the probable V.C. Willard directs the Chef with hand gestures, and bird and cricket sounds. They move stealthily, closing the apex of their triangle on the hunted. The two men drop low into the elephant grass, and remain motionless. Then Willard makes the cricket noise, and they move closer. Willard's left hand edges out along the M-16's far end, so that he only has to point the finger of that hand and he will hit what he wants. He makes another command and they rush the trapped enemy. 106 MED. SHOT - THE ELEPHANT GRASS - WILLARD AND CHEF Suddenly there is a RUSHING SOUND -- The grass folds down quickly toward them -- willard plants his feet and from the hip lets go FULL AUTOMATIC. The Chef retreats FIRING short BURSTS into the grass -- the grass folds almost to Willard -- then a huge tiger leaps out at them; snarling magnificently. They FIRE wildly, emptying their clips. CHEF It's a motherfucking tiger -- goddamn... He turns and bolts through the jungle, as scared as a man can be. CHEF (continuing; screaming) Goddamn -- Jesus Christ tiger -- motherfucking tiger -- ohhhhhhhhh -- Willard jams another clip in his gun and backs out of the clearing, covering the bushes and runs, scared out of his head as well. 107 FULL SHOT - THE BOAT - THE CREW They all are armed -- Lance has the twin 50's pointed into the jungle. Chef comes screaming out of the brush, throws his rifle into the boat and dives headfirst after it. CHEF (hysterical) Ohhhh -- tiger ! Oh goddamn ! It's a tiger ! Jesus Christ ! Goddamn, a tiger ! Ohhhhhhhh. The Chief tries to grab him; takes his gun away, but is unable to take a hold of the Chef, as he slithers around the boat, trying to find safety. willard follows from the jungle -- The Chef is moaning and stares off into the night. LANCE What's this tiger shit? WILLARD No shit... I think I shot the hell out of him. LANCE You think? WILLARD I wasn't looking.. I was running. CLEAN Was a big tiger -- no shit? WILLARD Who stopped to measure him -- let's get the hell out of here. CHEF A motherfucking tiger -- I could've been killed. The ENGINE ROARS to life -- the P.B.R. pulls away with great speed. CHIEF You forgot the mangoes, didn't you? CHEF Mangoes? There as a fucking tiger in the woods -- I could've been eaten alive. I'm never going into that jungle again. I gotta remember never get out of the boat; never get outta the boat. They move off; swallowed by the darkness. The JUNGLE NOISES remain, as OUR VIEW BEGINS a MOVE INTO the jungle. WILLARD (V.O.) He was right, the Chef -- never go into the jungle, unless you're ready to go all the way. DISSOLVE TO : 108 EXT. THE BOAT IN MARINA DEL RAY - NIGHT Willard, thinking, his BACK TO US. Suddenly, he turns around, and we SEE his face. WILLARD (V.O.) What was in the jungle? What was there, waiting for me? He lights the cigarette; the light of his match illuminating his face momentarily. There is something different about him; a maturity, a cool inner peace. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) ... Kurtz was in there. Or was he; was it Kurtz? He was just a name to me now; I couldn't remember a face, a voice -- he just didn't add up to me. all his liberal bullshit about the end of savagery -- and the role of our culture, our way of life... Willard looks toward the group of people on the boat -- there is still some MUSIC. They talk and drink and laugh. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) Our way of life -- I really started to look forward to meeting Kurtz again. DISSOLVE TO : 109 WATERWAY - MOVING FORWARD - DAY We HEAR: RADIO -- must remember that we owe our thanks for these to the wonderful services of the U.S.O. -- here's another oldie -- this one dedicated... 110 VIEW ON CHEF by himself on the P.B.R.; he has wiped mud under his eyes to kill the glare; it is incredibly hot. He is barechested, wearing a hat made of a banana palm. RADIO ... to the fire team at An Khe from their groovy C.O. Fred the Head -- 111 VIEW ON THE GROUP RADIO The Rolling Stones and "Satisfaction..." CHEF Outa sight. The SONG BLARES ON -- they all dig it. PAN TO Willard, sitting alone in the rear, reading from his file on Kurtz. We REVEAL Lance in the b.g., water- skiing behind the P.B.R., slaloming back and forth on his single ski to the MUSIC -- jumping the wake occasion- ally. 112 NEW VIEW - ON THE P.B.R. Lance waterskiing to "Satisfaction." 113 VIEW ON CLEAN alert, at the rear of the boat -- his M-16 ready, just in case. 114 VIEW ON WILLARD _Willard opens a letter from the packet. We can SEE it is a private correspondence -- feminine writing on the envelope. WILLARD (V.O.) The dossier of A Dtachment contained letters from the families and wives of Kurtz' men There were letters from Kurtz' wife as well. 115 CLOSE SHOT - ON THE LETTER It is addressed to Colonel Walter Kurtz -- in the corner is the return addess of Mrs. Colonel Walter Kurtz -- Willard's hand fushes through the packet and comes up with apicture of a very attractive, thirty-five year old American Beauty... She is classically American. 116 CLOSE SHOT - ON WILLARD looking at the picture -- puts it back, then opens the letter, straightens it. WILLARD (V.O.) Dearest Walt -- I have to confess something. I know how you feel about this, but I had to ask Bob to find out what he could -- I just couldn't stand it anymore, not knowing where you are, whether you're alive or dead. I'm sorry Walt, I'm sorry I said that. Bob didn't tell me anything -- he said he couldn't -- I can't stand it anymore, Walt -- I just can't stand it. Willard looks out at the jungle. Deep imppenetrable jungle -- dark and primeval forests pass by. The Rolling Stones CHANT on in the b.g. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) I have to take the kids to school every morning now -- carpools just never work out. Jeff came home with a black eye on Tuesday but said he won anyway. He wouldn't tell me what the fight was about. Jeff keeps asking where you are -- he has maps of Viet Nam in his room now. He misses you very much. I can't take this much longer, Walt. I love you and I just can't stand it. 117 CLOSE ON WILLARD He folds the letter up, files through some others quickly and gets to a peculiar envelope stamped Top Secret with a stenciled date on it. It is also noted that this was the last correspondence to leave Nu Mung Ba. It is addressed to Kurtz' wife. He opens the letter -- it is written in a scrawled savage hand to no one in partic- ular. It reads: Sell the house Sell the car Sell the kids Find someone else Forget it I'm never coming back Forget it -- He folds up the letter. 118 CLOSE SHOT - WILLARD He looks out at the ominous jungled mountains. DISSOLVE TO : 119 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER OUTPOST - RAIN The P.B.R. pulls in towards an American outpost that is being used as a forward medical evacuation center. Various helicopters pads are SEEN, but only one heli- copter -- the H-34 painted with Playboy rabbits that brought the girls to Hau Fat. Several soldiers in rain- coats come out the dock as the P.B.R. pulls up. 120 MED. SHOT - WILLARD, SOLDIERS Willard looks into some empty tents -- looks around the dreary muddy camp. Two soldiers pass. WILLARD Soldier -- where''s your C.O.? SOLDIER Stepped on a booby trap, sir -- got blown all to hell -- WILLARD Well , who's in command here? SOLDIER I don't know -- don't have any idea -- I'm just the night man -- He turns and walks off babbling incoherently -- WILLARD What about you, soldier? The soldier he was talking to turns around smiling idiotically and making animal noises. He stumbles off after his friend. 121 MED. SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - WILLARD He looks around disgustedly VOICE (O.S.) (whispering) Captain -- Willard turns around looking for where the voice came from. VOICE (O.S.) (continuing) Over here, Captain -- He turns to see the Hollywood Agent under the flap of a large tent so that he won't get wet. He wears the same clothes as before, but is much dirtier. He motions Willard into the tent. 122 INT. TENT - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, AGENT They duck inside -- it is dark and damp. On cots around astove sit the three playmates and the pilot. The nearest one, CATHY, a blonde, picks leeches out of her feet. The other two, TERRI and LYNDA, play cards with the helicopter pilot. Willard looks over the situation. AGENT You came in on that boat, didn't you? WILLARD Yeah -- AGENT Where are you headed? WILLARD What's it matter? Get to the point. AGENT Look -- you know the girls -- Thta's Terri -- she was playmate of -- WILLARD Yeah, I caught your show at Hau Fat. They all look over. AGENT Oh -- I see -- Well, girls, this is Captain -- eh -- WILLARD Captain Willard -- go ahead. AGENT Look -- we got in a little trouble -- they rudely took our helicopter for MedEvac work on this -- uh Operation Brute Force -- They just brought it back this morning. WILLARD Yeah. AGENT Well I mean like they also took our fuel -- We've been here two days. WILLARD Dreadful. AGENT Look -- the girls could get killed -- we're not supposed to be this close combat, I mean real combat. WILLARD Well -- AGENT We could use some fuel -- just a half drum -- just enough to get us out a here. WILLARD We need all our fuel. He turns and starts to leave. AGENT But, Captain, think what these girls have done for the boys -- think of how they've risked -- Willard is almost out of the tent. TERRI Captain -- He turns around. TERRI (continuing) It's really rough here -- Captain -- we're just not built for it -- The Pilot laughs. PILOT That's rich -- TERRI Do us a favor -- I'd do one for you -- if I could -- Willard just stares at her -- even though she's in jeans and field jacket she is something to see -- The Agent takes Willard aside -- Terri goes back to the others. AGENT Look -- you know who that is, Captain -- you know what she's saying -- you'll never see stuff that good outside of a magazine for the rest of your life. WILLARD I'm not that fond of blondes -- maybe I like brunettes -- AGENT Take your pick -- they all like you -- I can tell -- WILLARD I like all of them -- AGENT Good -- like I said, take your pick. WILLARD I said I like all of them. AGENT Now just a second -- I'm doing you a favor, buddy -- what're you trying to pull? Willard turns to leave again. WILLARD We need all our fuel anyway. AGENT Wait -- wait -- don't get up tight -- what I meant was we'd need a whole drum for that -- WILLARD Sit down -- we'll talk about it. Willard sits down on a metal chair -- motions the Agent to do likewise. AGENT What's there to talk about -- this whole thing disgusts me. WILLARD My men -- AGENT What ! WILLARD That's what there is to talk about -- my man -- I take a good care of my men -- The girls are trying to pretend they're not listening -- the helicopter Pilot is cackling to himself. AGENT You're out of your skull -- WILLARD We have a lot of pride in our unit -- AGENT How far do you think you can push -- what kind of people do you think -- WILLARD Esprit de corps -- AGENT No -- absolutely not -- WILLARD One for all -- all for one -- AGENT You can keep your fucking fuel -- Willard gets up. WILLARD You make some of your closest friends in the army -- war has a way of bringing men together. AGENT Get out -- WILLARD Men of all races -- nationalities -- He gets up and starts out. AGENT Two drums -- Willard turns around slowly. AGENT (continuing) Two whole drums -- WILLARD We can use some fifty caliber and a 16 too -- AGENT I don't know what you're talking about -- Get fucked -- WILLARD I will -- I assure you that -- You got a fifty on that H-34 -- leave the ammo in boxes -- I'll get my men to bring the first drum with 'em -- He turns to go under the tent flap. WILLARD (continuing) Have the girls freshen up a bit -- comb their hair -- put on something -- you know what I mean -- He leaves. 123 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - CREW They are all working on patching the boat and cleaning it up in general. Mr. Clean sits in f.g., cleaning an M-16. CLEAN You keep this thing in this condition an' it's gonna jam, Lance -- mark my words. LANCE Why don't you go pet the water buffaloes -- get off my back. Behins them on the beach stand several water buffaloes eating mud or whatever they do. They are painted jungle brown and green camouflage with grey bottoms -- on their sides the words have been stenciled in black: 1 Each -- Buffalo, Water B-1A U.S. Army No. 15239 Willard walks through them down to the boat. CHIEF Careful, Captain, they've been known to charge. WILLARD All right I got a little surprise for you -- They all look up. WILLARD (continuing) I've arranged with those people we saw at Hau Fat to give us some 50 caliber in trade for a couple a drums of fuel -- CHEF No shit. WILLARD Chef -- since you're such a fan of Miss December's I think you should be detailed with Lance and Clean to take the first drum up there. CHEF I don't believe you -- CHIEF What're you trying to say, Captain -- WILLARD You'll see soon enough -- get going, sailor -- CHIEF No shit -- hot damn -- 124 INT. TENT - MED. SHOT - LYNDA, CHEF He has followed her into the tent awe-struck -- she casuallu starts unbuttoning her fatigue jacket and taking off her pants. he just stands there, his arms at his sides. CHEF I've got every one of your pictures -- I've got the centerfold -- the Playmate's review -- the Playmate of the Year run-off -- everything, even the calender -- LYNDA Well, get undressed and let's get it over with -- CHEF I can't believe it -- I'd a never even got to see you if it wasn't for this war -- She lies down on the cot in only her panties. CHEF (continuing) You wouldn't mind -- uh kinda draping that jacket over you sort of the way you were in the calender, would you? LYNDA Come on -- cut this crap -- I gotta get back to Saigon -- CHEF Just let me look awhile -- I just don't believe -- CUT TO: 125 INT. TENT - CLOSE SHOT - LANCE, CATHY They have just finished making love. cathy looks very pleased. Lance finishes tying his boots -- she draws on his back. He gets up -- starts to leave. LANCE Well -- uh thanks -- see you around. CATHY Yeah. He leaves -- she pulls herself up and starts combing her hair -- Mr. Clean walks in. CATHY (continuing) Who are you? CLEAN I'm next -- She shrugs. DISSOLVE TO : 126 INT. TENT - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, TERRI He finishes tying on his boots -- pulls on his jacket -- his gun belt and picks up his M-16. She looks up at him -- WILLARD Ma'am -- I'd like to thank you for what you an' all your friends have done for us -- I want you to know that me an' the men appreciate you coming all this way -- riskin' your lives -- living uncomfortably an' doing all you can to entertain us. I want you to know personally, Miss, that for the past few minutes you have made me feel at home. She picks up a shoe to throw at him. he turns, exits f.g. WILLARD (continuing) Just wanted to say that, ma'am. The SHOE CLANGS off his helmet. CUT TO: 127 EXT. THE P.B.R. APPROACHING DO LUNG BRIDGE - FULL SHOT - NIGHT The boat edges in toward the wrecked bridge in the distance. Along the banks are sandbagged fortificvations with U.S. soldiers in them. There is a bright fire burning uncontrolled in the distance; the sparks and white light from welding on the bridge momentarily lights up the night. WILLARD (V.O.) Two days and nights later, we approach the Do Lung Bridge. 128 VIEW ON THE FACES OF THE P.B.R. CREW watching. Everywhere are wrecked boats -- parts of trunks sticking out of the water -- smashed helicopters on the banks. The bridge is in a state of siege. Mortars and rockets arc through the night indiscriminately and rip through the nearby jungle. Soldiers are everywhere -- scurrying from trenches, carrying materials for the bridge or tending to the wounded, the maimed and the dead. Light automatic WEAPON FIRE is HEARD occasionally. The P.B.R. edges in under the span of the old bridge. Soldiers run up through the water. They are obscured in the darkness. SOLDIER I gotta get out a here -- I'll pay -- I got money. CHIEF Get away from this boat. WILLARD Who's your C.O., soldier? The Soldier ducks back and runs away. SOLDIER Fuck you, you'll get what's coming to you. Other men approach the boat. A young LIEUTENANT steps forward. LIEUTENANT Captain Willard? WILLARD That's me. LIEUTENANT Captain Willard -- we got these from Nha Thrang two days ago -- they expected you here then -- He hands up a plastic bag, maximum security markings, Willard takes it. LIEUTENANT (continuing) You don't know how happy that makes me, sir. WILLARD Why? LIEUTENANT Now I can get out a here -- if I can find a way out. WILLARD We'll be needing some supplies and fuel -- do you know anybody who can give me a hand? LIEUTENANT I'd just clear out as soon as I could if I were you, sir. They're gonna start working on the bridge with torches again. Charlie will start throwing it in hard -- WILLARD What is this bridge? LIEUTENANT It's of strategic importance for keeping the highway into Bat Shan open -- the generals don't like to admit that Bat Shan is surrounded. He points to the men getting ready to work. LIEUTENANT (continuing) Every night we build it and by 0800 they've blown it up -- it and a lot of good men -- But the generals like to say the road is open -- ha ! Nobody uses that road except Charlie. He turns and splashes off into the darkness. LIEUTENANT (continuing) This is the cesspool of hell. SOLDIER (O.S.) Incoming. SHELLS WHISTLE OVER and CRASH into the bridge -- MEN SCREAM in the distance -- the EXPLOSIONS are thunderous. CHIEF (yelling) All right -- Lance, go with the Captain an' see what you can scrounge -- Willard climbs out with Lance. CHIEF (continuing; to Willard) Better make it fast, sir -- we don't really need much anyway. Willard nods and they scurry off the bank under the bridge. 129 MED. SHOT - WILLARD, LANCE They dash up the embankment and along the barbed wire on the edge of the road. SHELLS SCREAM overhead, they don't know where to run. VOICE Straight ahead, son of a bitch. They dive towards the voice. 130 CLOSE SHOT - TRENCH They dive in, a SOLDIER is crounched in f.g. holding his buddy who is crying uncontrollably. SOLDIER You came right to it, son of a bitch -- WILLARD Son of a bitch, sir. The Soldier doesn't respond. WILLARD (continuing) Where's your chief supply officer? SOLDIER Beverly Hills -- WILLARD What? SOLDIER Straight up the road -- a concrete bunker -- Beverly Hills -- where else you think he'd be? WILLARD C'mon -- There is an apparent lull and they dash out along the road. Suddenly to their right an M-60 STARTS OPENING UP from a sandbagged emplacement. SOLDIER (O.S.) Get your asses down, buddy. They drop and crawl to the slit trench and run up to the emplacement. Several SOLDIERS man a M-60. One has a sniper rifle -- another tries to spot for the Gunner. Willard and Lance edge up along the trench. Willard trips. VOICE Watch your feet, asshole -- Willard looks down. VOICE (continuing) You stepped on my face. LANCE We thought you were dead. VOICE The whole world loves a smart ass. They move ahead more carefully. The Gunner BLASTS away into the night, there is a pile of brass cases about three feet high next to him. Finally he stops swearing to himself. WILLARD What're you shooting at, soldier? GUNNER Gooks. He turns and sees it's an officer. GUNNER (continuing) I'm sorry, sir. WILLARD It's all right, sergeant -- what's out there? GUNNER They were tryin' to cut through the wire -- I got 'em all I think. OTHER SOLDIER Oh yeah -- listen. There is a low moaning SCREAM from out in the wire -- it stops for aminute then continues hideously. GUNNER He's trying to call his friends -- send up a flare. The Spotter does, it arcs up, then bathes them in eerie light. The Gunner FIRES a long BURST. SPOTTER Those are all dead, stupid, he's obviously underneath 'em -- They think about this as the flare goes out. The SCREAMING gets more intense. GUNNER Wake up the Roach. The Spotter moves down to where a tall lanky SOLDIER is leaned up against the trench. He kicks him hard several times. Roach wakes and just looks up. On his helmet are the words: "GOD BLESS DOW." ROACH Yeah, man. SPOTTER Slope in the wire -- hear him. He listens, he does, he nods. SPOTTER (continuing) Bust him. Roach gets up somewhat annoyed but very cool. He saunters up the machine gun dragging his M-79 which has paisley designs all over it. GUNNER Hear him? ROACH Sure , yeah. GUNNER You need a flare -- ROACH No, it's cool. He opens the breech of his shotgun-like weapon and plunks the big slug into it. He snaps it closed then rests it across his forearm over the trench -- he listens to the SCREAM, calculating. ROACH (continuing) He's close -- real close. He adjusts his sights so that the gun is aimed high into the air. He listens again then FIRES. The GRENADE WHISTLES off into the night. There is a sharp EXPLOSION that cuts off the scream. Then the THUD of bodies or pieces of bodies coming down around them. ROACH (continuing) Muhhh Fuhhh ... He staggers back down the trench to go to sleep. 131 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - BRIDGE - CLEAN, CHEF They stand in the shallows waiting for Willard and Lance. Clean is nervous, he constantly checks his M-16. SHELLS WHISTLE by and CRASH in the distance. CHEF Geez, I wish they'd hurry. A SOLDIER comes up on his way with some others to start building the bridge. SOLDIER Hey, buddy, that boat still runs, eh? CLEAN Yeah, it still runs. SOLDIER Do me a favor buddy, please. CLEAN What is it? He takes out a handful of crumpled envelopes. SOLDIER Send these out when you get back to the world. He puts them in Clean's hand. SOLDIER (continuing) It's to everyone I really knew -- the first girl I screwed -- my brother -- best friend -- I wanted to tell 'em how much I enjoyed knowing 'em -- it's been a great twenty years. I gotta let 'em know. CLEAN What're you askin' me for -- put 'em in the first helicopter comes in tomorrow. SOLDIER Nobody comes in here. He points up at the mountain ridges. SOLDIER (continuing) The N.V.A. 312th -- over there the 307th -- on that hill we counted fourteen different guns in one minute -- they got rockets mortars, snipers in those trees, there's a million of those shitty little bastards out there -- we're all gonna die. He grabs Clean and looks at him with a maniacal urgency. SOLDIER (continuing) I'm gonna be dead. Clean takes the letters. SOLDIER (continuing) You got a chance in that boat -- by morning you could be five miles down the river. CLEAN We ain't goin' down the river. The Soldier looks at him as if he is joking. CLEAN (continuing) What's up river from here anyhow -- The Soldier doesn't answer, just stares dumbfounded. SOLDIER Spooky. CLEAN Charlie? SOLDIER No, it'd be spooky without the war -- give 'em back. He takes the letters and leaves, somewhat disappointed and disgusted. Willard and Lance come back down the beach carrying some belts of ammunition and a couple of extra M-16's. CHIEF Wow, you must a found the C.O., eh? WILLARD We found some bodies -- let's get out a here. 132 FULL SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - P.B.R. They edge through the shallows as the men light up their welding torches to start work on the pontoon bridge -- then pull away and accelerate fast. 133 MED. SHOT - THE P.B.R. CREW The Chief is at the helm -- they all look back in the distance where the bridge was -- the hills flash with artillery discharges -- there is a fiery glow from the bridge area and the CONCUSSION of heavy EXPLOSIONS. DISSOLVE TO : 134 EXT. FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - CREW - RAIN The boat moves uneasily upriver, through this tropical downpour. Mr. Clean is in thef.g., oiling and cleaning his 50-cal, his M-11 and M-79 -- the rest of the crew are forward, taking shelter from the rain under the canvas canopy. Clean works methodically under an umbrella he was set up by leaning the surfboard against gun mount. 135 EXT. THE RUSHING RIVER - NEW VIEW - RAIN The river is moving fast against them. all manner of de- bris; tree trunks, sweeping by the P.B.R. CHIEF (to Willard) I can't see a fucking thing. There is a loud CRACKING SOUND, as one of the pieces of tree- trunk whacks the hull, and bounces off. Willard climbs forward, and looks down. CHIEF (continuing) We hit a big enough one this hull will shatter like a Corvette. Fucking plastic boat. Willard practically hangs off forward with a long pole, warding off the big debris moving toward the P.B.R. Clean joins him, helping. WILLARD (shouting to Chief) What about ducking into one of those tributaries till this river slows down? CHIEF Who knows what's up there? WILLARD Can't be any worse than this. What do you think? CHIEF I think this river wants to take us home fast. I'm practically goin' in reverse. Willard points his pole in the direction of the mouth of a tributary. WILLARD Well, get in there. CHIEF This whole area is lousy with V.C. -- We don't stand a chance. Lemme turn around and we'll be in Hau Fat in six minutes. There is a really loud WHACK against the hull. willard really mad, throws the pole at the Chief, who ducks. WILLARD Get in there ! CHIEF This is my crew and my fucking boat, and I'm the responsible party. WILLARD Get in there now or I'll bury you in this river. It's clear that Willard will kill the Chief if he doesn't do as he says. CHIEF (finally relents, turns the helm) You're fucking crazy. You're going to get us all killed. The P.B.R. navigates through the rush and into the mouth of the tributary. DISSOLVE TO : 136 EXT. THE TRIBUTARY - P.B.R. - RAIN Rain is pouring down, but the P.B.R. is slowed down to a snail's pace by Hyacinths, literally across the waterway. Willard, Chef and Clean in the water, cutting through them with machetes. 137 VIEW ON LANCE having climbed to the highest point of the cockpit. LANCE It breaks through in about twenty feet. 138 VIEW ON WILLARD cutting through. he looks to Chef, who has stopped cut- ting, and is staring into the jungle. WILLARD What do you see? CHEF I don't know. He looks out -- the jungle at this point is very dark and high -- totally impenetrable. WILLARD Keep cutting. They work feverishly, knowing something is wrong. 139 VIEW ON CHEF cutting with all he's got. CHEF I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like the goddamn jungle's watching us. WILLARD Probably is. CHEF Whatdoya think it thinks. WILLARD That we're dumber than we look. Chef stops again, looks hard, trying to penetrate the darkness and from the very depth of it -- the darkness of it, comes a stream of tracers, lazily arching out at them. It whips between them -- the SOUND FOLLOWING much later. Other BULLETS SMASH through and ricochet off the deck fittings. GLASS SHATTERS, and a huge hunk of paint is removed from the armor shield by a 20 mm cannon. CHIEF Lance -- 'bout twenty meters starboard. Lance leaps down to his position. Willard, Clean and Chef cut feverishly, as the trapped boat struggles to get free. CHEF There in the trees ! Everything is confusion -- yelling -- GUNFIRE -- the THUD of heavy BULLETS ripping inti the P.B.R.'s fibreglass hull. 140 VIEW ON LANCE Lance's twin guns return the FIRE. The Chief moves to one of the heavy guns and joins Lance in returning the FIRE. 141 VIEW ON THE MEN IN THE WATER pushing, cutting. Bullets SMASH and EXPLODE around. Clean climbs onto the boat, and leaps onto a gun emplace- ment. 142 MED. VIEW Nobody really knows where the erratic fire is coming from. CHIEF (back at the helm) Elevate Lance, in the tree. No, I saw another. CHEF Thirty meters up, Lance; I saw the fucking flash. Lance grits his teeth, FIRING -- 143 CLOSE SHOT ON CLEAN 144 POV BEHIND CLEAN He BLASTS short bursts of tracers into the jungle, cutting it to salad. Suddenly more tracers from another direction -- Clean swings around -- BULLETS smash against his shield and rip chunks from the surfboard. He BLASTS a long heavy burst at the jungle -- trees crumble. CLEAN I'm ripping 'em, man, son-of-a- bitch, it's jammed, oh God, it's jammed. Clean is riddled by MACHINE GUN FIRE. Chief runs to Mr. Clean -- it is obvious that he is dead. He looks angrily to Willard. Willard and Chef are practically through. Willard leaps up, as Chef finishes the last strokes. He moves toward the cockpit. WILLARD Throw me that ordnance. Chef throws him an M-79 and several shells -- Willard opens it, jams a huge projectile and pulls himself over the edge of the cockpit. WILLARD (continuing) Give me some kind a field a fire -- BULLETS rip by. CHEF (exhausted) We're through. He climbs aboard and collapses. CHEF (continuing) Oh, God -- LANCE (FIRING) I ain't finished ! I ain't finished ! WILLARD Bring that bow ordnance into those trees. He jams his gun up as he sees a flash and FIRES -- there is a low POP and a WHISTLE as the GRENADE arches into the jungle. 145 POV. - BEHIND THEM He FIRES another burst as the GRENADE EXPLODES brightly. There is another POP and WHISTLE , another BLAST. A large tree falls, just as the craft speeds up through the thin- ning growth. We HEAR strange SCREAMING from the trees and jungle, hideous MOANS and terror-filled CRIES. 146 CLOSE SHOT ON THE CHIEF He jams the throttle forward -- the boat surges ahead. Willard FIRES another GRENADE from his M-79. 147 FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R. The boat slams through the hyacinth growth, moving through the river, FIRING BACK at unseen enemy in the jungle. DISSOLVE TO : 148 FULL VIEW ON THE P.B.R. - TWILIGHT The boat moves ahead at half speed through a wide, flat area in the river. 149 MED. VIEW The men sit around, exhausted, brutalized, wounded. They look like animals, but they are relaxed, be- cause they know they're too far from the banks to be shot at. They smoke pot and eat silently. Lance smokes a joint and looks at his gun. Splotches of paint have been blown away from the armor shield -- pieces of deck are ripped and ragged around the mount. The boat is a floating wreck. Clean's body is being prepared in a plastic sack by Chief. All of the men are silent. Chef comes up from below; he has been wounded in the shoulder. CHEF There's some bad holes, man, and the cracks -- water's coming through the cracks. Food's shot to hell. WILLARD How much is left? CHEF Less than half -- sure is a mess down there. Chief has been silent by the body of Clean in a plastic sack. WILLARD And the grass? CHEF Still got a lot of that stuff from Nha Trang. But we're running low on the other. Chief pushes Clean's body into the river. 150 VIEW ON WILLARD He notices something in the distance. 151 WILLARD'S POV A light. 152 MED. VIEW Willard stands up, pointing up the river. WILLARD Hey. They all look over. WILLARD (continuing) That's a light down there -- CHEF Yeah, it is. CHIEF What the hell is it? WILLARD In the middle of the jungle -- a goddamn light. 153 FULL SHOT - THE P.B.R. - THE TWILIGHT The P.B.R. approaches the distant light -- which seems to be on the dock of an overgrown plantation building. 154 VIEW ON WILLARD, CHIEF straining to see; he uses field glasses. 155 POV - THROUGH THE GLASSES Seems to be some figures standing on the dock. The figures pull back behind some drums. 156 BACK TO SCENE WILLARD Watch it ! They duck as SHOTS RING OUT from the dock, stitching the water across the P.B.R.'s bow. The crew crouches, guns trained on the dock as the boat still approaches. WILLARD (continuing) They're not Cong. CHIEF (over the loud-hailer) We're Americans. Another BURST, closer. CHEF Maybe you shouldn't say we're Americans? Willard stares at the dock and building, trying to figure it out. WILLARD Chef, try your French. Chief hands the loud-hailer to Chef, who shrugs and shouts: CHEF Nous sommes Americains -- Silence. CHEF (continuing) Nous ne voulon pas vous agresser. 157 VIEW ON WILLARD He looks through the glasses. 158 POV THROUGH THE GLASSES Gradually, a small group appears from behind the drums on the dock. WILLARD (O.S.) French Nationals -- they may not be too friendly, though. 159 BACK TO SCENE We drift closer to the dock. The Chef starts enjoying speaking French. CHEF Nous sommes Americains -- nous sommes des amis -- There is silence as the boat drifts closer. Then: FRENCHMAN (shouting out) Vous parlez Francais comme une vache espanole. CHEF (to himself) I thought it was pretty good, myself. CHIEF What'd he say? CHEF Said I speak French like a Spanish cow. FRENCHMAN (O.S.) Laisser tomber vos armes -- CHEF Put the guns straight up -- stand away from the mounts. WILLARD Do it. They do. FRENCHMAN (O.S.) Vous pouvez approcher mais doucement -- CHEF Take her in slow. 160 FULL SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - DOCK The men on the dock move forward, cautiously. They are a young man, PHILIPPE, about 25, strong and handsome, save for a scar down on the side of his face and through his left eye, which is covered by a patch. He is dressed in a tiger suit and the red beret of the French colonial para- troops. Also of the red beret are HENRY LeFEVRE, a bear- ded, dark-looking man of 35, and TRAN VAN KAC, a middle- aged half-breed slave. They all bear automatic weapons and suspicious in their eyes. As the boat pulls up to the dock, another Frenchman joins the group, obviously the head man, GASTON De MARAIS, about fifty, small and deli- cate, with a strength about him. PHILIPPE Hands on the heads. CHIEF I can't steer with my goddamn feet. CHEF Hey, they speak American. GASTON Who is the commanding officer? CHIEF I -- WILLARD I am -- I'm Captain B.L. Willard. This is Chief Warrant Officer Phillips -- it's his boat. We were shot up bad downriver and need repairs and food -- we can pay you in gold. GASTON Philippe -- Philippe moves to another position -- Kac grabs the rope from the deck and ties it to the dock. LANCE I'll help you with -- PHILIPPE Do not move -- Gaston looks at the skyward pointed twin fifties admiringly. GASTON Fifty calibers, eh, Captain -- WILLARD As I said, we can pay you in gold. GASTON Entirely unnecessary, Captain. He puts down his gun -- the others do likewise -- GASTON We share a common enemy -- you are our guests. (he steps back) I am Gaston de marais -- this is my family's plantation. It has been such for 121 years. It will be such after I die. This is my son, Philippe -- he has fought in Algeria and held the rank of Captain. And Henry LeFevre -- a sergeant; he was at Dien Bien Phu. My personal servant, Tran Van Kac --- Then he motions to the trees. A young man in a tiger suit and three women come forward from different positions -- all wear bush clothing and bear weapons. GASTON (continuing) My youngest son -- Christian -- 161 CLOSE SHOT - CHRISTIAN He carries an M-60 machine gun in his hand -- a belt of ammunition trailing off behind him. GASTON Christian's wife -- Ann-Marie -- A tall girl, goodlooking, but severe -- she carries an M-16. GASTON (continuing) And my youngest daughter -- Claudine. 162 CLOSE ON CLAUDINE an attractive girl about eighteen. She wears a red paratrooper beret and a well-fitted bush suit. She carries an M-79 grenade launcher and plenty of ammunition. 163 FULL VIEW - P.B.R. - CREW, GASTON, OTHERS They stand there, exhausted and amazed. Philippe yells in Vietnamese -- about a dozen native men in tiger suits, heavily armed, walk out of the trees from all around them. They look the Americans over warily and assemble at Philippe's command. WILLARD American weapons? GASTON We took them from the dead. (smiles) Now -- I assume you want to rest, to shower. We'll attend to your repairs after dinner. CHEF Shower. Willard's men look at one another, dazed. WILLARD We don't want to bother you any, we -- GASTON A man of war is never bothered to aid an ally -- you will follow me, Captain. Willard steps off -- then stops, reaches back and picks up his M-16 by the stock. WILLARD A habit of men of war, sir -- you understand. GASTON Of course, Captain -- an unfortunate necessity. The men are relieved. They pick up their weapons and follow. CHIEF What about the boat? PHILIPPE My men will keep it for you -- CHIEF Yeah -- well, I'll stay with the boat. WILLARD Chief. (pause) Come with us. They look at each other a moment. The Chief shrugs and follows. 164 FULL SHOT - PLANTATION - WILLARD, GASTON, OTHERS Gaston stops, points to a guest house off the main struc- ture which is a typical jungle plantation house, save the many sandbagged gun emplacements and barbed wire. GASTON A suitable accomodation for your men, captain -- you will, of course, be quartered with us -- He indicates that the men should follow Philippe. The Chief is hesitant. WILLARD Go ahead -- Philippe leads them on, muttering. GASTON Captain, this way. Willard follows -- they walk over past the house and toward the jungle, approaching a huge crater, 100 feet across and about thirty feet deep. The bottom is filled with water and young French and Vietnamese children swim in it. On the opposite rim, sit two men and a woman with machine guns. Gaston strides up and looks down at the crater with pride. GASTON (continuing) Magnificent, eh, Captain? Willard looks. GASTON (continuing) It is very good -- there is no current -- It is very good. I have never seen one like it in all Indochina. I was in Paris when it arrived -- do you know what might have caused -- WILLARD Looks like a two thousand pound to me. Yeah, a two thousand pound bomb. GASTON No, I've seen those in Normandy. This is much better. (pause) My country -- my country could never originate this. Magnificent. Gaston stands in serious admiration for this feat; Willard looks between him and this big hole in the ground in amezement. 165 INT. WORKMEN'S SHOWER - EVENING A foreman's shower from the old plantation days. The Chief steps out of it, refreshed, though still exhausted. Lance stands there, about to step in, absolutely filthy, caked with blood. His reaction is odd; rather than just stepping into the shower, he seems almost frightened, reluctant to step in. Chef is waiting behind him. CHEF A hot shower, hot damn. He pushes him forward into the water. The dirt and caked mud go swirling off his face and shoulders, and he relaxes as though he suddenly remenbers what a shower is. 166 EXT. THE DOCK - P.B.R. - EVENING battered and torn -- a few of Philippe's Vietnamese guard at the boat. 167 INT. WILLARD'S QUARTERS - EVENING A beautiful European room with tall ceilings. Still elegantly furnished, although old and decaying. Willard sits in a comfortable chair in the corner of the room, looking out over the carpet, the bed with its elegant spread; the wash basin; the bidet. His battle dress is black with muck, with bloodstaines and burns. He rises from the chair and steps to a dresser above which is a large mirror. There is an album on the marble top of the dresser. He turns to a page at random. 168 VIEW ON WILLARD haggard, looking down at the album. WILLARD (V.O.) I wondered -- how long has this room been like this; how long has the furniture been standing in these places? 169 VIEW ON THE ALBUM Some old photographs of people standing around a car in the 20's in front of the plantation. Another picture shows a child playing by the rubber trees near the plantation. WILLARD (V.O.) Was it like this sixty years ago? Eighty years? But here, even eighty years is nothing. He turns the page, The plantation being built. Pictures of the framing, skeletal against the sky and jungle. 170 VIEW ON WILLARD fascinated WILLARD (V.O.) It was jungle, once; and it will be jungle, again... 171 VIEW ON THE ALBUM Onlu the very beginnings of the house; the first struc- tures. Then another picture of the jungle site where it was to be built. 172 CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD He looks up and sees his own face, reflected in the garish mirror. He barely recognizes himself. 173 MED. VIEW Willard looks at himself in the mirror, in this odd, out- of-time room. 174 INT. DINING ROOM GROUP - TRACKING SHOT TRACK DOWN the long table, covered with delicious food. The P.B.R. crew sits with others of the De Marais group. The table is headed by St. LeFevre. Chef's face lights up as he regards the wonderful European-style food. CHEF This food is wonderful ! I can't believe the chef is a slope. (turning to Clean) Some more? Opposite the table, sitting next to the Chief, Lance reaches hungrily for bread and other food with his hands. CHEF (continuing) Hey -- Lance. LANCE Huh? Oh. Um, wouldya .. wouldya pass me the Rice-a-roni, please. And then he looks to his friends for approval. Our VIEW REVEALS that behind a transparent silk curtain there is another, more elaborate table, where the De Marais family is dining with Willard. Our VIEW MOVES through the curtain and settles in a MEDIUM VIEW of the group. The men rise as a very attractive woman enters the room. Willard finally does as well, and she moves to the chair next to him. GASTON Roxanne, I hope you are feeling better. ROXANNE Je vais bien maintenant. GASTON May I present Captain Willard? He is of a paratroop regiment. You know the difference between a paratrooper and a regular soldier, don't you , my dear? ROXANNE (smiling and taking Willard's hand) Yes, they come from the sky. She sits -- there's an uneasy silence. Willard is caught with this exotic woman on one side of him, and the ongoing conversation on the other. He is forced to face toward Gaston, and drawn to look at Roxanne. WILLARD I would like to know more about the .. uh, plaque... Philippe turns around, points to an elaborately scripted wooden plaque with various tallies on it. GASTON Attacks repulsed, as I was saying. (hard) This is only for this war, Captain. Viet Cong -- 54; North Vietnamese regular forces -- 15; South Vietnamese -- 28 -- regular forces and otherwise. (pause) Americain -- 6. Of course, they were, perhaps, mistakes, Captain. WILLARD Of course. I -- Once we make our repairs, we could send word, we could have you evacuated from here. GASTON Captain? WILLARD You'll get blown outta here some day. GASTON We will never 'evacuate', Captain -- this is our home. Indochina is ours; it has been so for a hundred and twenty-one years, there is something to say for that. WILLARD The Vietnamese think it's theirs -- I guess the Americans do, too. GASTON But we civilized it. A place belongs to those who bring light to it, don't you agree. WILLARD I always thought the French came here to get the rubber. PHILIPPE Excuse me, I must attend to my men. He gets up, and leaves abruptely -- followed by his wife. ROXANNE May I ask where the Captain is going in his little boat? WILLARD We were going upriver when we got caught in a storm, ma'am. GASTON Upriver? Why upriver? There is nothing there, only jungle. WILLARD Do you know that jungle? GASTON When I was a boy, my father would take me there, to hunt. There are a few savages, but no man can live there, no white man. WILLARD What about an American named Kurtz? There is a pause. GASTON We have never heard of him. Gaston rises, and takes Roxanne's hand. GASTON (continuing) Bon nuit, Roxanne -- bon nuit, Captain. Willard turns. WILLARD Good night. Gaston leaves. Willard and Roxanne are left alone. The servants clear the table. ROXANNE You must realize, Captain -- we have lost much here -- I, my husband. Gaston -- his wife and son. WILLARD I'm sorry to hear that. ROXANNE (rising) Cognac? WILLARD I should be checking on the boat. ROXANNE The war will still be here tomorrow. She walks out of the room. WILLARD (thinking) I guess so. He follows. 175 INT. SITTING ROOM - FULL SHOT - WILLARD AND ROXANNE Roxanne sits, pouring a brandy, while Willard stands. ROXANNE Do you miss your home, Captain? Have you someone there? WILLARD No. Not really. I was discharged from the army four years ago. I went home, wasted some time, bought a Mustang Mach 1, drove it a week. Then I re-upped for another tour. No, everything I love is here. ROXANNE Then you are like us. She reaches out to him; indicating that he sit. ROXANNE (continuing) What will you do after the war? WILLARD I just follow my footsteps, one at a time, trying to answer the little questions and staying away from the big ones. ROXANNE What's a big question? WILLARD Kurtz. (pause) I know you've heard of him. ROXANNE Yes. WILLARD What did you hear? ROXANNE That strange things.. terrible things have occured around this American, Kurtz. WILLARD What things? ROXANNE Gaston would never tell me. It was asubject not to be spoken of, Captain. WILLARD Yes. ROXANNE Did you know -- deeper in the jungle, upriver -- there are savages? WILLARD I know. ROXANNE But Captain, I mean -- cannibals. A long pause. Then she looks at the cognac she poured for him. ROXANNE (continuing) What a pity, you don't drink. Since my husband died, there are so many things I must do alone. She takes a sip. Willard moves to the French doors, which have been left partly open to let a breeze in. He steps onto a terrace overlooking the river. 176 EXT. THE TERRACE - MED. VIEW - WILLARD - NIGHT A machine gun emplacement is situated on the terrace cover- ing the front of house, from the river. ROXANNE (from the sitting room) Are you warm, Captain? WILLARD The river is beautiful. In fact, we REALIZE that he is checking the boat. 177 WILLARD'S POV. The P.B.R. is under guard by a couple of Gaston's Vietnamese. 176 MED. VIEW ON WILLARD, ROXANNE She, thinking it romantic to talk about the river, comes up behind him. ROXANNE I spend hours watching that river from my bedroom window. It fascinates me. She moves her body close to his; and, in a moment, he is kissing her. 179 CLOSE ON WILLARD, ROXANNE One eye steals another look at the P.B.R. 180 VIEW ON THE P.B.R. Two of the guards leave -- two remain, getting ready for the long night. 181 VIEW ON WILLARD, ROXANNE - ON THE TERRACE His hands wander over her body as she clings to him. Then she takes his hand, and leads him back into the sitting room, and up the stairs. 182 INT. ROXANNE'S ROOM - FULL VIEW It is dark. She leads him into her room and closes the door. He stands there. In the center of the room is a large canopied bed with mosquito netting hanging down over it. The windows also have netting and barbed wire -- there is a .30 calibre machine gun mount in the far one. He look around. she goes over to the bed, and turns down the sheets. Then she slips out of her dress and stands there facing him. He puts down his gun and strips off his shirt. She lays down on the bed and watches him. ROXANNE I have been lonely here, Captain. He moves to her, slipping into the bed. M-16 is leaning against the wall in his reach. FADE OUT. 183 EXT. ROXANNE'S TERRACE - NIGHT We can VIEW into the room, as Willard has silently slipped out of her bed, and is a dark sinister figure kneeling in final preparations for going out in the night. Without a sound, he comes out to the terrace, and scales down the wall of the old building, disappearing into the darkness. 184 EXT. THE DOCK - P.B.R. - NIGHT Two Vietnamese guard the P.B.R. -- suddenly, feet first, the first disappears into the thicket. 185 CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD in the thicket; we realize he has just killed the man with a knife. Willard stalks the second guard and makes quick work of him with his knife. He even enjoys it. Silently, he drags the body out of sight. 186 MED. VIEW ON THE P.B.R. The dark figure boards the boat silently. He disappears into the hold. 187 NEW VIEW He lifts out several cases of supplies, working quickly, with a grace that indicates he is a man who has done his best work alone, and at night. CUT TO. 188 INT. ROXANNE'S ROOM - CLOSE SHOT - WILLARD - MORNING He sleeps soundly alone in the bed - we HEAR SOMEONE moving around in the room. He wakes suddenly -- PULL BACK TO REVEAL Roxanne combing her hair and buttoning up her blouse. She notices he is awake and smiles. ROXANNE I will fix you breakfast. He starts to get up. WILLARD I'm afraid I won't have time -- I gotta -- ROXANNE Whe you reach the boat you will find that half your fifty calibre stores -- a case of grenades, a mortar and two M-16's and a case of clips are being transfered to us by your order. He stops -- seemingly stunned. WILLARD So that's it. ROXANNE You may think what you wish, Captain, but I like you very much. She turns to go. WILLARD What if I say no. ROXANNE Then Philippe will have to kill all of you. She leaves. 189 EXT. DOCK - FULL SHOT - WILLARD, OTHERS He walks down onto the dock. Gaston's men are transferring ammunition boxes. Gaston is standing with Philippe, who are covering the Chief and crew with M-16's. GASTON Two of my men deserted last night. It happens from time to time. I assume my daughter told you of our conditions. WILLARD Your daughter. CHIEF They taking half our ammo, Captain -- said it was your orders. He pauses for a second. WILLARD That's right -- I did. The Chief spits in the water disgustedly and starts the engines. Willard looks hard at Gaston. WILLARD I guess this is whAt men of war do -- eh? GASTON We endure, captain -- you can blow up the house and we will live in the cellar -- destroy that and we'll dig a hole in the jungle and sleep on it. Burn the forest and we'll hide in the swamp. all the while, we do but one thing -- clean the blood off our bayonets. (pause) Au revoir, Captain. 190 LONG SHOT - DOCK - P.B.R. Willard climbs on board and it pulls away. 191 EXT. P.B.R. - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, CHIEF The BOAT ROARS out across the river. The Chief looks over at Willard. They stare at each other for a moment. CHIEF Next time we get in a good fire fight -- I'd like to know how she was, Captain. Willard just smiles at the Chief. he leans over and pulls up a floorboard -- the men stare in amezement; it contains the contents of all those ammo boxes. .50 calibre; clips; grenades. CHEF Holy shit. CLEAN What did you put in all those ammo boxes? WILLARD Rocks, sand -- those two men who deserted. CHIEF When'd you do it? WILLARD While you were sleeping. He lets the board drop. Willard moves to the back of the boat. 192 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER , CREW The river has narrowed and runs swifter -- the water dark and deep. The trees are higher in this area and much of the river is shaded on one side. There is no undergrowth, just the tall trees and ferms. They move ahead at half speed, alert, ready for anything. WILLARD (V.O.) We moved deeper and deeper into the jungle. It was very quiet there. It was like wandering on a prehistoric planet, an unknown world ... where the men thought they crawled to, I don't know. For me, we crawled toward Kurtz -- exclusively. Willard looks out ahead and points. They all turn their guns in that direction. We PAN TO REVEAL a small village of huts along the bank. 193 FULL SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - VILLAGE 194 POV. OF THE P.B.R. They pass in front of the village which is rundown and completely deserted. The huts are on stilts to avoid the flooding of the river -- they are just skeletons of what they once were. CHEF (O.S.) Flood. CHIEF (O.S.) No -- most of 'em are still standing -- might've been disease. WILLARD (O.S.) I don't know -- there'd still be some sign -- it's just like the one this morning. DISSOLVE TO : 195 POV BOAT - FULL SHOT - JUNGLE The canopy of trees grows taller and stretches out across the river filtering the sun. The forest itself has grown darker and more twisted with ferns and creepers. Strange birds fly out of the trees as the boat passes -- a huge snake slips along an overheading limb. The depth of the jungle is dark, ominous -- yet cool and strangely inviting. 196 FULL SHOT - BOAT - JUNGLE Suddenly the river widens, the trees give way to marsh and as they emerge into the light a strange shadow falls upon the boat. It is the shadow cast by an enormous vertical tail section of a B-52 bomber thrusting out from the mud. Pieces of aluminum hang loosely from it, oxi- dizing in the sun. Creepers have already started to grow up around its heights -- the jungle is claiming it. But once under its shadow, they have passed a gateway. A gateway to paradise. The river widens and the trees at its edge are soft and seductive. The hills beyond are purple and lush. Strange orange colored water-fowl swim lazily out of their way. The water itself is glass smooth and black as if there were no bottom. The sun is warm and the breeze gentle and laced with wild gardenians. It is indeed the most peaceful valley in all the world and each man looks upon it and has never known such a sense of peace and well- being. Each man in his heart feels a need to stay -- his soul cries to stop -- stop their madness -- this spiral into hell. Here is all that can be had of earth. But no hand moves. The boat drifts on its own toward a hole at the end of the clearing. A hole into the jungle from which a darkness permeats. The boat follows the river into this hole. DISSOLVE TO : 197 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER - DAWN The skull looms in the f.g. -- the P.B.R. is pulled back about seventy yards -- Early morning mist still hangs on the water -- as it clears, we SEE another post and skulls on the opposite bank, It is strangely quiet. CHIEF -- All right, Lance -- Lance's TWIN FIFTIES split the silence as they POUR into the skulls on the opposite bank -- Suddenly there is a tremendous EXPLOSION and SECONDARY ONES from the jungle as shrapnel rips into the jungle and water from CLAYMORE MINES obviously set to cover the mound of skulls. The smoke clears. LANCE The other one -- WILLARD No -- leave it -- CHIEF Why -- Charlie put it there to kill -- WILLARD Thta's not Charlie's work -- There is silence. WILLARD Whoever put'em there didn't do it to kill people -- They put 'em up as signs -- CHIEF Signs? WILLARD Yeah -- like keep out -- Willard motions -- the Chief accelerates -- they move ahead past the smoking mound. 198 EXT. THE RIVER - FOG - DAY The P.B.R. pushed deeper into this mysterious area. Mist swells in and around the river, as the boat moves into an obscure fog. The Chief cuts the engine, and they coast. WILLARD (V.O.) Toward the night of the fifth day out of Do Lung Bridge, we judged ourselves about eight miles from Kurtz' base. Everything was still, the trees, the creepers, even the brush seemed like it had been changed into some kind of stone. It was unnatural, like a trance. Not a sound could be heard. I began to think I was deaf -- then the fog came suddenly, and I was blind too. The boat disappears in the thick fog. 199 MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD We catch glimpses of him, even though we are close. WILLARD Listen. CHIEF What is it? WILLARD Listen. They are silent. We can HEAR the most ominous SOUND COMING FROM THE BANKS. The GROANING, OR WAILING .. of HUNDREDS OF MEN. CHIEF They're on the banks of the river. 200 VIEW ON LANCE Frantically, he swings the twin fifties around. LANCE Jesus ! 201 VIEW ON CHIEF We can barely SEE him -- in and out of the fog. CHIEF No, Lance. Not while you can't see. 202 VIEW ON WILLARD listening. The SOUND IS TERRIBLE, HORRIFYING. CHIEF Will they attack? WILLARD If they have boats ... or canoes... they'd get lost in the fog. We can't move either -- we'll end up on the shore. CHEF God... LANCE Sounds like hundreds of them. WILLARD Shhhhhh. The CHORUS OF GROANS in unbearable. But it is not ahostile cahnt; or a war chant, but rather the SOUND OF HUMAN ANGUISH. WILLARD (continuing) It doesn't sound hostile -- it sounds like they've seen us coming and it sounds like -- I don't know, a funeral. I don't understand. 203 VIEW ON LANCE A glimpse of him, almost in tears. We then SEE glimpses, fog moving, of all the men on the P.B.R. DISSOLVE TO : 204 MED. VIEW - THE P.B.R. MOVING THROUGH the thinning mist. The Navy craft proceeds cautiously. WILLARD (V.O.) Two hours after the fog lifted, we moved slowly to a spot we thought was roughly a mile and a half below Kurtz's camp. We approached a long sand-bank stretching down the middle of the river. CHIEF Which way? Right or left? WILLARD Who knows? Right. CHIEF Looks pretty shallow. The P.B.R. moves toard the right-most channel. Chef takes a long pole and begins sounding depth. 205 VIEW ON WILLARD The men are really tense now -- Lances swivels his gun from bank to bank. Chief keeps his fingers on an M-16. Willard takes out the TOP SECRET packet he received at Do Lung. Tears it open. We MOVE IN ON him. WILLARD (reading) Upon reaching objective. Target key personnel and commence operation. Should difficulty arise from which extraction is impossible, break radio silence Com-Sec Command code Strong Arm -- indicate purgative air strike -- code -- Street Gang. (pause) Purgative air strike ! Purgative ! They'd kill me too ! Suddenly Chef lays out flat on the bow. Hundreds and hundreds of slender sticks fly onto the P.B.R. rattling against the boat. CHIEF Shit ! Fucking arrows ! They're shooting fucking arrows at us. 206 CLOSE ON WILLARD looking toward the banks. 207 WILLARD'S POV Frags of men -- naked limbs, arms, breasts, glaring eyes entangled in the dense jungle gloom. And hundreds of pathetic wooden arrows flying out toward them. 208 VIEW ON THE P.B.R. crazily zig-zagging up the river in the midst of the childish assault. WILLARD Steer her right. 209 VIEW ON THE P.B.R. arrows hitting the deck. The men open up everything they've got. Lance is FIRING the two fifties wildly. WILLARD Keep going.. keep going. They're just fucking sticks ! Chief, stay at the helm. But Chief seems out of control -- he lets the clip of his M-16 go. Then slowly lets the rifle fall out of his hands, and falls to Willard's feet, a primitive spear having caught him right through the ribs. Willard looks down in horror. 210 VIEW ON CHIEF laying at Willard's feet -- the long spear through him, bleeding onto Willard's boots. He looks up at Willard, about to say something. CHIEF A spear? He dies. 211 MED. VIEW ON THE P.B.R. The men are still crazily FIRING into the empty jungle long after those who attacked beat their retreat. WILLARD Stop it. Stop it ! Slowly he pulls his boots from under Chief. They are absolutely soaked in blood. He is stunned -- sits down and begins to unlace the bloody boots, and take them off. LANCE Chief's dead. Willard unlaces the other boot, and holds the bloody boot in his hand. WILLARD (V.O.) It was the strangest thing -- I don't know that I can explain it. Two of my men dead, and all I could think of was whether Kurtz was dead too. That's all I wanted: to see Kurtz, to hear Kurtz. He starts to wipe the blood off the boot. WILLARD (V.O.) (continuing) Somehow, in the middle of this ... carnival, Kurtz had grown into something -- a gifted officer; a great man. Somehow, he was the only light in this hopeless, hopeless darkness. And now I was too late -- he was probably gone, disappeared... by a grenade rolled into his tent -- or by some spear on the head. Christ, I felt like howling like those animals in the fog. 212 EXT. THE BOAT AT MARINA DEL REY - NIGHT The people at Charlie's cocktail party on the boat. Some flashbulbs are going off. Some people are dancing to the MUSIC. OUR VIEW MOVES SLOWLY TOWARD Willard, on the edge of the party. WILLARD (V.O.) Here they are in Los Angeles. Everything is safe. There's a supermarket around the corner, the police station around the other. It would seem ridiculous to them that I was shot to hell because I had lost the privilege of listening to the mysterious Colonel Kurtz. (pause) Of course I was wrong. He was waiting for me. Kurtz was alive and he was waiting for me. DISSOLVE TO : 213 EXT. THE RIVER - P.B.R. DAY The P.B.R. moving up the river. The men are practically in a trance now, looking at the banks of the river. They don't even make an effort to touch their weapons. 214 WHAT THEY SEE Hundreds and hundreds of Montagnard natives -- dressed in the most ornate and primitive manner: feathers, parts of birds and animals; cod-pieces -- all in body and face paint of the most savage nature. But there is a purity about them, men and boys, standing passively watching the small Navy craft flying the strange flag of red, white and blue. 215 VIEW ON THE P.B.R. The men of the crew are not the same men who began this voyage. Their manner is lifeless as though in a trance. The various decorations and paraphenelia that they have picked up along the way seem oddly relevant to the savages that stand before them. The Chef has made a hat of birdfeathers; Lance's face has been painted with mud under the eyes to block the glare of the sun. He wears certain animal skins; trinkets; some animal teeth. Their uniforms have been torn and patched throughout the difficult journey. They start to move to their gun positions. WILLARD Just stand here with me where they can see us. Do nothing. 216 VIEW FROM BEHIND THE P.B.R. MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD the fantastic human wall of feathers and war paint, standing on canoes across the river. The men on the crew stand in a group, their hands visibly without weapons. The natives standing across the river make no hostile gestures as they approach. They accept the small boat moving toward them with a sort of inevi- tability. The boat moves closer, approaches the wall of feathers -- which slowly and automatically gives away, in almost a ritual of birth, undulating, allowing the little boat to penetrate. 217 VIEW ON WILLARD Mus on his face (to protect it from the sun), the palms of some jungle vegetation protecting his head, he looks something like atribal chieftan himself. His intuition was right. He senses that they would be allowed to pass. 218 FULL VIEW ON THE RIVER Hundreds of Montagnards who had been lining the river now run, absolutely silently, along the banks, keeping pace with the P.B.R. There is no hostility in these faces, only curiosity and a sort of grief. 219 VIEW ON WILLARD, THE CREW They look up toward the bank. 220 THEIR POV The temple at NU MUNG BA, a fortified encampment, built around the ruins of a former Cambodian civilization. Stone walls, barbed wire, cracked pyramids and rows and rows of Escher-like sandbags arranged in an endless maze around the fortress. 221 VIEW ON WILLARD He picks up his field glasses and looks through. 222 WILLARD'S POV - THROUGH GLASSES A sign entangled in the barbed wire -- its lettering strict and military: FOURTH SPECIAL FORCES MISSION F-82 NU MUNG BA The GLASSES POV MOVES REVEALING another sign written in a wild psychedelic hand. OUR MOTTO: APOCALYPSE NOW ! The POV OF THE GLASSES MOVE once again and come upon an astonished sight, a black man dressed in a tatter of colored fabrics, feathers, and an Australian bush hat. He looks something like a multi-colored harlequin waving frantically to the P.B.R. The POV OF THE GLASSES MOVE OFF of him. 223 VIEW ON WILLARD not believing what he's just seen. 224 THE GLASSES POV Once again the young black man is now waving his Australian hat. 225 VIEW ON THE P.B.R. Willard shouts out to the starnge greeter. WILLARD We've been attacked. AUSTRALIAN (shouting back) I know, I know, it's all right. Come in this way. It's mined over there. This way. It's all right. Willard look at Chef who is at the helm. He shrugs and they do as this man says. The P.B.R. moves towards the water's edge where there is a dock covered with concertina wire. The odd Australian stands waving his hat, guiding them safely in. A thick greasy smoke hangs from fires that burn near the fort; fresh shell craters indicate a recent battle. Near the dock there is a tangled clump of corpses -- half sub- merged in the water. Other piles of bodies lie about, some of them on fire. Fire literally burns from out of the ground. Chef nods at the bodies. CHEF Charlie? WILLARD Looks that way. CHEF (looking at the Australian) Who's he? WILLARD God knows. The boat pulls up. The Australian harlequin hops on board; the crew regards him with their dark faces splat- tered with mud and blood. WILLARD (continuing) Who the hell are you? AUSTRALIAN Moonby. Got any Winstons? WILLARD Moonby what? AUSTRALIAN Moonby, 4th battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Task Force. Ex-Corporal Moonby, deserted. WILLARD (incredulously, indicating the hundreds of natives) What is this? MOONBY Oh, they're simple enough people. It's good to see you, baby. Nobody has any Winstons? Chef automatically offers Moonby a Winston. MOONBY This boat's a mess. WILLARD Where's Kurtz? I want to talk to him. MOONBY Oh, you don't talk to Colonel Kurtz. (he puffs, then smiles) You listen to him. God, these are good. I kept these people off you, you know. It wasn't easy. WILLARD Why did they attack us? MOONBY Simple. They don't want him to go. WILLARD You're Australian? MOONBY Pre-Australian, actually. But I'd dig goin' to California. I'm California dreamin'. WILLARD (almost to himself) So Kurtz is alive. MOONBY Kurtz. I tell you, that man has enlarged my mind. He opens his arms wide, to indicate the breadth of his mind's expansion. MOONBY (continuing) But lemme tell you, he is the most dangerous thing in every way that I've come on so far. He wanted to shoot me. The first thing he said is, 'I'm going to shoot you because you are a deserter.' I said I didn't desert from your army, I deserted from my army. He said, 'I'm going to shoot you just the same.' WILLARD Why didn't he shoot you? MOONBY I've asked myself that question. I said to myself, why didn't he shoot me? He didn't shoot me, because I had a stash like you wouldn't believe. I hid it in the jungle; the wealth of the Orient: Marijuana -- Hashish -- Opium -- cocaine -- uncut Heroin; the Gold of the Golden Triangle. and Acid -- I make Koolaid that makes purple Owsley come on like piss. Now I'm Kurtz' own Disciple -- I listen he talks. About everything ! Everything. I forgot there's such a thing as sleep. Everything. Of love, too. CHEF Love? MOONBY Oh, no, not what you think... Cosmic love. He made me see things -- things, you know. The whole time Moonby is chattering on, Willard has picked up his field glasses and scans the fortress. 226 WILLARD'S POV - THROUGH THE FIELD GLASSES Men in small groups, huddled over food. Now he settles on the entrance in the temple. There are stakes in front, and on top of them are horrible shrunken heads. 227 BACK TO SCENE WILLARD Sounds like he's gone crazy. MOONBY No, Colonel Kurtz couldn't be crazy -- if you heard him talk, just last week, you'd never think he was crazy. WILLARD Is that where he is? By the shrunken heads. MOONBY Those heads, yes. Well, the rebels... WILLARD (to his men) We're going ashore. Tie her up -- and leave your guns up, Lance. LANCE What? WILLARD Bring your rifles, that's all. (looking at Moonby) Take us to him. MOONBY Right on -- he's been waiting for -- WILLARD And shut up. Moonby nods and shrugs, and hops off the P.B.R. willard and the men follow. 228 MOVING VIEW - WILLARD, MOONBY AND THE CREW As they proceed closer to the fortress-temple, men appear where a moment before there was only jungle. They are mostly Montagnards, but far more savage looking than any we've seen before. They wear only loinclothes and bandoliers of ammunition. their bodies are painted in strange patterns. They carry Army M-16's, Russian AK-47's and a wide variety of knives and clubs. Women emerge from the brush as well. they are armed and equally primitive looking. Interspersed among them are a few taller men with paler skins, with the remnants of Army insignia on them. The paint on their bodies is, if anything more bizarre. We CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS the entire group up to the stone gates of the fort, where thirty or so more are seen silhouetted against the sky. Willard and his men look up at people more primitive and more savage than any since the time of Captain Cook. They encounter, in the center of the group, what once appears to have been an American. he is tall, gaunt, wears a flak jacket, but is otherwise naked, save a loincloth. His face is darkened from dirt, battle smoke, strange camouflage patterns. His hair and beard are long, matted with mud and grease. He carries an AK-47 decorated with scalps and human ears. Willard approaches this beast, who seems shy and retiring. WILLARD Who are you? MOONBY (breaking in) His name is... WILLARD I'm not ever goin' to tell you to shut up again. Moonby shuts up. The MAN tries to speak, but nothing comes out. He is dumbstrucked at seeing them, as they are to see him. MAN Colby. Exec. officer, A-Team... Special Forces. F-82 -- Col. Walter Kurtz, commanding. WILLARD What happened here? COLBY What -- happened here. WILLARD Charlie? COLBY NVA regulars. They're coming again tonight. Tet -- their big -- assault. Willard is the man in the middle -- he doesn't know what to say to this man, but he understands the forces that pounded him. He takes his arm. 229 REVERSE ON COLBY looks at Willard, not understanding. 230 REVERSE ON WILLARD Six months later, and he and Colby would be identical. WILLARD I'm taking you back. Moonby slaps himself in the head with his hand. MOONBY Oh, no, don't say that. COLBY Take us back. Take us back ! But, the operation -- the team. Colonel Kurtz has such plans for -- the team. WILLARD Take me to him, Major. Colby starts, and then, seeing the shrunken heads on poles, he turns, agitated, to Willard: COLBY I had nothing to do with these operations -- I did not do the planning -- none of us did. It was all Colonel Kurtz -- he was the genius. You'll see -- the genius of our Colonel. He should be made a General, don't you think? A General? It's... Suddenly, frightened, he stops. Without looking Willard knows that Kurtz is standing behind him. He turns. Kurtz has stepped out from his headquarters: He is a powerful man, though obviously very ill. He slowly attempts to pull the remnants of his uniform together, though it is ripped and bloodied, and now combined with primitive ornaments designating him a tribal chief, as well as his U.S.A. Colonel's insignia. He is feverish, with long blonde hair and beautiful features. His eyes almost hypnotize. His midsection is bandaged from what seems to be a serious wound. 232 VIEW ON WILLARD This is not what he expected. He is quiet, and then, automatically, he comes to an attention. WILLARD Colonel Kurtz, I guess. KURTZ I'm Kurtz. WILLARD (he salutes) Captain B.L. Willard reporting his presence, sir. 233 VIEW ON KURTZ looking at him a long time. Then he returns the salute, and simply: KURTZ At ease... (pause, as he regards him) Sit down. 234 MED. VIEW There is, of course, no chair or anything like a chair. But behind and around him, Kurtz's men begin to sit on the ground, cross-legged. Finally, Willard sits as well. Then Kurtz does. Moonby lights a joint, and passes it respectfully to Kurtz -- throughout the scene, the joint is passed from man to man, ritualistically. KURTZ (slowly) Why did you come to ... my province. WILLARD We were attacked -- down river. We need supplies and medical help. KURTZ You were not coming here, to see me? WILLARD (finding it more and more difficult to go on with this lie) No -- no, sir. KURTZ You came up my river -- in that small boat. So simple. I always thought the final justice would come from the sky, like we did. (pause) You are the final justice, aren't you? WILLARD What do you mean, Colonel? KURTZ (gently) What other reason could you have come? A Captain. Ranger. Paratrooper. Graduate of the Recondo School. Am I right about these things? WILLARD You know you're right. There is a clear, incredible intelligence about this man. KURTZ Then the Agency approached you. Maybe in a bar in Quinon or Pleiku. Simple. A year's pay for one life. Perhaps a village elder, or a tax collector. Nobody's orders but your own. Exciting work. 235 CLOSE ON WILLARD He remains silent. 236 CLOSE ON KURTZ He smiles. KURTZ You've spent tome at the Royal Tracking School of Malaysia. I can tell from the way the laces on your boots are tied. I understand you, Captain. We understand each other. There is a long pause, as the two men regard each other. Then Willard reaches to his holstered .45 -- withdraws it, and places it on the dirt before Kurtz, as an act assuring Kurtz that he is not an assasin. WILLARD Do you know me? KURTZ Yes. Kurtz reaches down; takes the .45 -- and without another word or gesture, shoots and kills a man. KURTZ (continuing) Do you know me ? He throws the .45 back on the dirt. Rises, and walks back into the cavernous headquarters behind the shrunken heads. Moonby scampers off after him, a respectful distance behind. Even Willard is stunned. CHEF Holy shit. 237 EXT. KURTZ'S OUTPOST - FULL VIEW - TWILIGHT Dotted with campfires; Montagnard families -- it is like a primitive civilization. 238 VIEW BY THE TEMPLE WALL Willard is alone by a campfire -- his M-16 leans by a wall next to him. He is exhausted. Lance sleeps by the fire, a little distance away. Chef approaches, crouches down. CHEF Captain -- they've been probed all this week -- Cong and NVA regulars. There's gonna be a big offense any time. WILLARD I know. Lance stirs; starts to wake up. CHEF What are we doing here? WILLARD Kurtz. I'm supposed to kill him, just like he said. KURTZ Yeah, I can see that. He's fuckin nuts -- WILLARD Yeah. CHEF He killed that guy without feeling anything. WILLARD Not a thing. CHEF When you kill Cong, don't you feel something. WILLARD Sure. (thinking) Recoil... I feel the recoil of my rifle. Willard rises. Chef looks at him, confused and frightened. 239 FULL SHOT - WALL - WILLARD, CHEF , LANCE Willard walks along the top of a thick wall -- sandbagged and dug out every so often for an M-60 or a mortar emplacement. Wild looking savages man these guns, and seem to bow to Willard as he passes. WILLARD This is good -- triple overlapping fields of fire -- walls so thick ordinary artillery just cleans the moss off their surfaces. A woman tentatively moves to Willard, bowing, and then runs off to her bunker. WE ARE TRACKING with them as they move past the groups of people, huddled by their fires... men, women and children. Skulls, shrunken and otherwise hang from every hut -- adorn every sandbagged bunker -- dried scalps hang from barbed wire. A child is chewing on a big piece of almost raw meat. WILLARD (continuing) I've done things, when I was alone in the jungle -- that I never told anyone about. They continue past amount where the shattered wreck of half a helicopter is laying. It has been altered and fortified with sandbags and concertina wire. The wreck lays on its side so that a 7.62 mini-gun that was mounted there sticks up above the sandbags. The emplacement is built on amound so the gun commands a clear field of fire into the jungle beyond. Some Americans, barely recognizible because of their beards and savage manner, sit near the gun. Several Montagnard children giggle at their feet and play with bayonets. CHEF This is evil -- evil, Captain. We're all gonna die here. WILLARD Yeah, I know. CHEF I don't get it -- You said your mission was to kill him. Let's do it, an' get our asses outta here. This Kurtz is ruining the war; I mean, this don't look good for America ! WILLARD (lost in his thoughts) ... he's an amazing officer. CHEF You got to kill this sonuvabitch -- Lance and me, we don''t understand none of this -- Jesus, Captain -- I don't wanna die here -- Do it quick. Lance just stands there; his eyes vacant.. He sort of nods, sucking a joint. WILLARD Yeah. I know. He thinks. 240 INT. KURTZ HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT VIEW FROM INSIDE -- Willard approaches the stakes with the shrunken heads. Chef and Lance with him. Willard steps in -- Lance and the Chef crouch outside, waiting. 241 WILLARD'S VIEW An austere stone savern in the temple: Kurtz's head- quarters. Electric lights hanging in odd contrast to the ancient stone. We SEE what is left of the maps and other military charts -- they had been tacked up on big boards, but have now fallen into decayed disuse. There are other indications of the modern headquarters this had been. Now all those things are no longer impor- tant. Kurtz sits alone, slumped back in a wicker chair. There is a large wooden planning table next to him, with maps, lamps and apile of debris that is practically garbage. There are native decorations to ward off evil spirits; and graffiti on the stone walls, things ranging fromm "Viet Nam, love it or leave it" to quotes of Nietzsche "Nothing is true -- everything is permitted." Moonby, who had been crouching in a corner, moves to Willard. MOONBY He's asleep -- don't bother him. KURTZ I'm awake. Willard steps in closer. Kurtz looks to Moonby. KURTZ (continuing) You. Get out. Moonby hesitates -- not wanting to leave him alone with Willard. KURTZ (continuing; suddenly) I said get the fuck out ! (to himself) I'm going to kill the little weirdo myself tomorrow. (he shows some pain when moving his midsection) He's only stayed alive this long because he's a good orderly and medic. He knows how to use a hypodermic. WILLARD You're gonna get hit tonight, bad -- a whole regiment of NVA regulars. KURTZ That's right, the little gook- pricks. But they are noble little gook-pricks, noble. Because they fight with their guts, like animals. And for an idea ! That's rich. We fight with ingenious machines and fire, like Gods, and for nothing. But I'll call in a major blotto airstrike tonight. We'll have ourselves a helluva airstrike tonight, a lightshow. How do you like The Doors': 'C'mon Baby Light My Fire...' Willard shrugs. KURTZ (continuing) Do you? WILLARD Yeah, I like it... KURTZ I love it. He rests back, grinning. WILLARD You've gone crazy. KURTZ (angrily) No. My thinking is clear. (calmly) But my soul has gone mad. Suddenly Kurtz is seized with a terrible pain from his stomach wound. He groans horribly, clutching at it. He literally falls from his chair onto the dirt floor. KURTZ (continuing) My gut -- Oh, Christ, my gut ! Willard leans over him; checking the seriousness of the wound. 242 EXT. THE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT Lance is crouching by the stone entrance -- Chef leans in, witnessing the proceedings inside. CHEF (muttering) Kill him -- come on, why don't you kill him 243 INT. THE HEADQUARTERS - MED, VIEW - KURTZ AND WILLARD - NIGHT Willard examining the wound. KURTZ (in pain) Oh shit -- on the table; morphine. Willard moves to the table, opens the medical packet. He takes out a morphine capsule, leans over the writhing Kurtz and injects him with the drug. KURTZ (continuing; looking up in pain) You see how stupid it would have been to blow out my brains? I'm dying from the gut anyway. Willard quickly prepares another shot. Kurtz, truly frightened, holds up his hand. KURTZ (continuing) No -- I don't want to sleep. I want to think. Water. Give me water. WILLARD You can't have water after morphine. KURTZ Still playing by the rules. (almost affectionately) You're a damn good kiler. WILLARD (still holding the second morphine) How's the pain? KURTZ How's yours? WILLARD I can handle it. KURTZ Pain is easy to handle -- but nobility.. the nobility of a man is judged by how much Truth he can handle. WILLARD What Truth? KURTZ The truth that you were sent here to murder me, ans so far you haven't done it. And do you know why? (looks at him) Yes, you know why. (he looks) Your mission makes about as much sense as those idiots who sent you on it. Asshole ! Schmuck ! How long does it take you to figure out that nobody knows what they're doing here. (coldly) Except me. He rests back. The drug is beginning to take effect. KURTZ (continuing) Gimme water. WILLARD No water. KURTZ You know what you're doing? You are interfering with my plans ! He crawls in pain toward the canteen Willard watches him impassively. KURTZ (continuing) This water's got Moonby's acid in it -- He drinks sloppily from the canteen, water spilling all over. Then he throws the canteen to Willard. KURTZ (continuing) Drink it -- drink it for tonight. Think of it. A whole regiment of those shitty little Cong -- War. Total war -- war like you've never known it. It's beautiful -- you'll love it. Trust me. 244 EXT. THE HEADQUARTERS - MED. VIEW - LANCE AND CHEF - NIGHT We can SEE into the headquarters: Kurtz offers the canteen to Willard. Chef is terrified -- Lance is stoned out. CHEF Lance -- the fucker's not gonna do it. KURTZ Goddamn -- You've gotta dig napalm on Speed, too. It's spectacular, you'll see. Lance stands up holding his M-16, looks into the cavern with Chef. 245 INT. HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT Willard stands there, holding the morphine needle in his hand. KURTZ Look into the jungle. You can't -- it's too terrible. You have to smear yourself with warpaint to look at it -- you have to be a cannibal. (whispered) That's why warpaint was invented. Then it becomes your jungle. Willard shoots himself in the arm with the morphine. WILLARD How did we get here? KURTZ Because of all the things we do, the thing we do best -- is lie. WILLARD I think think a lie stinks. KURTZ Oh Captain, that is so true. WILLARD Stinks. I could never figure -- (he drinks from the canteen) I could never figure how they can teach boys how to bomb villages with napalm -- and not let them write the word 'fuck' on their airplanes. Willard drinks more of the LSD water. KURTZ (angrily) You could never figure it because it doesn't make sense. WILLARD Fuck no. KURTZ I'll tell you what makes sense ! Air strikes ! White Phosphorus ! Napalm ! We'll bomb the shit out of them if they don't do what we want. WILLARD We'll exterminate the fuckers ! Chef steps into the Headquarters -- he is terrified. He draws his bayonet. CHEF Captain -- kill him. KURTZ Think of it -- for years, millions of years, savages with pathetic painted faces were scared shitless that fire would rain down from the sky. And goddamn, we made it happen. God bless Dow ! CHEF Kill him ! Chef rushes at Kurtz with his bayonet -- instinctively, Willard GUNS him -- then there is additional automatic FIRE. Chef is being riddled by bullets. 246 VIEW ON LANCE He has let loose with his M-16 at Chef, like some sort of mindless, programmed killer. LANCE (FIRING) Hot damn ! Then hes tops -- Chef falls to the dirt -- there is an instant of silence, then: 247 EXT. OF THE TEMPLE AT NU MUNG BA - NIGHT The DOORS begin LIGHT MY FIRE , loud and overwhelming, as illuminating flares light up the blackness. 248 MED. CLOSE VIEW of enormous loudspeakers protected behind spirals of razor-sharp concertina wire. LIGHT MY FIRE is blasted out to the enemy, poised to attack. 249 ANOTHER LOUDSPEAKER Cannibal-painted men in savage decorations wait. Bay- onets are fixed. Men are stoned to acid, injecting speed, sniffing cocaine, eating grass, smoking hashish in water pipes. One looks up to the sky. 250 EIS VIEW A rocket illuminates the sky, strobing, as in a psyche- delic hallucination. 251 VIEW ON THE SOLDIER SOLDIER Wow... Another behind him is chanting the word NAPALM softly t himself. 252 MED. VIEW ON THE GATE Willard strides out of the darkness, into the positions around the gate. He looks like a magnificent warrior -- Genghis. All the men: Montagnards, fierce Americans, even the savage men of the P.B.R. crew either bow, salute or kneel before Willard. The color pulsates around the edge of the image, red and green, mauve and purple. We SEE Lance; waiting, with his weapons -- garlands of teeth around his neck, his face painted. 253 FULL VIEW - MONTAGE Enemy ARTILLERY BLASTING away at the fortress. 254 CLOSE SHOT - A MORTAR A hand drops a shell and it FIRES. 255 CLOSE SHOT - ROCKET LAUNCHER It FIRES. EXPLOSIONS around the fort, red and orange and blue and green. They hit and grow, outward like some sort of cosmic flower. 256 CLOSE SHOT - A FLAME-THROWER (ON TANK) Shoots out a stream of burning napalm that looks like a death ray gun, radiating outward with ice-blue energy. 257 SHOT ON LOUDSPEAKERS blasting out music. 258 MED. CLOSE VIEW ON YOUNG SOLDIERS With the MUSIC, like those people you see listening to radios in their cars. 259 SHOT ON THE COMMAND BUNKER - WILLARD , KURTZ , OTHERS (In SLOW MOTION) Shells WHISTLE in and EXPLODE on the walls in the compound. The men behind them are setting up rocket launcher (missile) . Everywhere metal and rock and flame fly and it is beautiful to see. Willard looks through the infra-red sniper scope. 260 WILLARD - INFRA-RED POV Strange, luminescent images of North Vietnamese approach- ing the outer perimeters. Thousands of them. 261 FULL SHOT ON KURTZ KURTZ Mini-gun. Colby. Sergeant. Mini-gun. 262 MED. SHOT - MINI-GUN A SERGEANT in feathered head-piece and wildly painted operates the mini-gun with several native helpers. SHELLS BURST around them. When they FIRE the SOUND is incredibly loud and steady like a high-pitched foghorn. A solid stream of molten lead seems to pour into the darkness as 7000 rounds a minute rip into the enemy. The pass of the lead reaches out in beautiful patterns as the Ser- geant sweeps the area. The sergeant laughs maniacally as the GUN resumes FIRING, right up to the moment he is blown to eternity by an all-engulfing 105mm shell. 263 VIEW ON WILLARD Exhilarated, and moving with the MUSIC. WILLARD Napalm. Colby pushes a row of plungers: Advancing NVAs il- luminated by napalm drums, phosphorescent napalm EXPLODES beautiful, like a magnificent firework. 264 VIEW ON KURTZ KURTZ Claymores, claymores. The SOUND DISTORTED of tremendous HOWLING EXPLOSIONS penetrate the track of LIGHT MY FIRE one after another. Kurtz's face is illuminated by each of these. His face seems to change from one grotesgue primitive face to another, as though the whole history mankind is evolv- ing in front of us. The SCREAMS of maimed and dismembered men almost pene- trates the INCREDIBLY LOUD MUSIC and we HEAR Kurtz's men LAUGHING and SCREAMING in delight. Kurtz looks out over the field of slaughter. 265 FULL SHOT - NVA CHARGE through wires and claymore glass, each wilder and more extreme. They burn in the pools of luminescent napalm but press relentlessly on. SHELL BURSTS overhead. They chant to themselves as they advance. NVA have reached the walls and throw down scaling ladders and start up. Suddenly the sky is bright with flares which produce weird psychedelic light. Blared out at tremendous vol- ume over and above the DIN OF BATTLE is LIGHT MY FIRE. 266 FULL SHOT - WALL - EVERYBODY The Americans and Montagnards stand up screaming. Spurred by MUSIC, they charge up. M-16's in both hands, blasting, kicking, bayoneting, gouging, splittin throats, biting necks, both sides collide in the utter and most horrible savagery. 267 MED. SHOT - WILLARD standing on the wall BLASTING as bodies fall around him; he thrusts his bayonet into one attacker, removes it with a foot and stabs another. From him he takes his AK47 and BLASTS more as they come. 268 MED. SHOT - LANCE The VC rush his position. Willard trips a claymore that BLASTS most of them to shreads. More fill in. Lance opens up FULL AUTOMATIC . Willard and Lance move down to the nest wall, FIRING , bodies tumbling over. Lance is caught in a CROSSFIRE and hit several times. He pulls himself up -- FIRES a final BURST and then falls under the enemy's feet. 269 VIEW ON MOONBY sees this and scampers off into the jungle, muttering madly to himself. 270 MED. VIEW - WILLARD AT THE R.T. shouting into the radio WILLARD Code -- Street Gang -- Street Gang ! Purgative air strike; Street Gang ! He turns and runs back through the compound with the receding Montagnards. SHELLS are EXPLODING everywhere. The light patterns are fantastic. Men fall, Viets break over the walls and charge. They crouch and rip into them FULL AUTOMATIC. They break the charge and continue cutting their way through the NVA masses like torches through metal. 271 FULL SHOT - COMMAND POST - KURTZ Kurtz watches as invaders swarm through his domain. Women and children rush upon him now. Kurtz flicks some switch- es and the whole north wall EXPLODES in overwhelming FIRE. The gates are uprooted. The stone lions tumble, crushing men below. Kurtz cocks an M-16 and walks off the bunker. 272 VIEW ON WILLARD watching this spectacle. 273 MED. SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - KURTZ He rounds the shadow wall. Kurtz sees a group of Viets and rushes up and prepares a machine gun mount. They don't see him. He braces the gun at his side and steps out. KURTZ (yelling) Charles ! They stagger and fall, shattered and bleeding, save one who's merely lost his weapon. Kurtz looks at him, his gun empty. He drops it and flips open the flap of his holster. The Viet soldier goes for his pistol. Kurtz beats him to the draw and bloes him into the night. He moves over to pick up the NVA light machine gun. Holding it at his hip, he stands atop one of the ruined walls and FIRES into the masses. His native men see him and rush for the chance to die beside him. They are quickly encircled by onrushing Viets and are being overrun. The machine gun jams and Kurtz grabs a rifle. When it's empty and the bayonet is off he wields it as a club. 274 MED. SHOT - LOW ANGLE - KURTZ taking swings with his rifle, standing atop the wall and battering the oncoming enemy like Davy Crockett at the Alamo. 275 FULL VIEW - THE FORTRESS The air strike hits with all its force. Balls and rain of fire sweeps down on the temple, the enemy, everything. It is the biggest firework show in history. The wall Kurtz was standing on, and he falls with it. Willard sees this and makes his way toward him as the air strike continues. All around us is a spectacle of MUSIC and light and fire and overwhelming color. 276 TRACKING SHOT ON WILLARD following Kurtz's trail in the mud. He has crawled on all fours back into the jungle to die. He stalks Kurtz into the jungle ; moving around and cutting off the crawling Kurtz KURTZ Go away -- hide yourself. WILLARD What are you doing? KURTZ Going back - to the jungle to die. WILLARD I'm taking you back. You can still live. KURTZ I had immense plans. WILLARD I'm gonna get you out of here. KURTZ I was on threshold of great things. Willard slings Kurtz's bleeding body around his neck, holding his hand, dragging hom through the jungle. The spectacle continues in the b.g. 277 EXT. THE P.B.R. - THE RIVER This wreck of a boat is still afloat. Willard crawls out of the jungle, carrying the dying Kurtz and manages to get him onto the boat. 278 EXTREME FULL SHOT The spectacle of total psychedelic war: the fortress of Nu Mung Ba. FADE OUT. FADE IN. 279 EXT. THE TEMPLE - MORNING The entire temple is devastation. Vultures by the hundreds circle overhead. There are a few survivors. Everywhere is smoke and heaps of bodies. Colby, a Sergeant, and some Montagnards sit near them. Their eyes are red and glazed, their jaws hang slack and they tumble occasionally. They stagger away from the field of slaughter. Willard looks down and sees something. Moves over to it, kicks several bodies away and in the f.g. below is Lance, dead. Colby stumbles over. Willard holds Lance up by his hair. COLBY Who is he? WILLARD He was the tragedy -- the tragedy of this war. CUT TO: 280 THE P.B.R. battered, moving slowly down the river. 281 TIGHTER VIEW Colby is at helm. Kurtz lies feverish, delirious. Willard sits by him. As the boat moves, Montagnards, those left alive, come and pay their respects by the riverbanks. Colby takes an automatic weapon and FIRES it into the air. Some of the natives move in terror, frightened of him. The battle is not over. KURTZ Don't. Don't frighten them away. Willard looks down at him. WILLARD So you understand this? Kurtz looks up at him, past him with fury, longing in his eyes. There is a slight smile. KURTZ Do I not? 282 EXT. RIVER - MED. VIEW The boat moves as though naturally carried by the river. KURTZ My river... my people... my jungle... my ideas... my country... my wife... (he looks at Willard) ... my death. WILLARD You had immense plans... immense plans... KURTZ Yes... WILLARD I'm taking you back. Kurtz looks up to him, then an expression of overwhelming intense and hopeless terror, hopeless despair. A whisper at some image, at some vision, he cries out twice, a cry that is no more than a breath. KURTZ The horror, the horror. We HEAR the distant SOUND of HELICOPTERS approaching. The SOUND of ROTORS in the distance. They look up, craning their eyes at the sky. Colby points. COLBY There. Over the jungle mountains the small formation of MEDEVAC helicopters hooping toward them. COLBY (continuing) How did they know? WILLARD They must have seen the fire. The helicopters are closer now but high up. Two of them breaking off, spiraling in TOWARD US. COLBY They're coming to rescue us. They're Medevac. 283 CLOSE SHOT ON WILLARD He stares up at the sky. WILLARD (to himself) They're coming to take us back. Copters directly overhead. WILLARD (continuing) Yeah. COLBY Colonel Kurtz, he's dead. WILLARD Yeah. He raises his M-16 and FIRES the entire clip at the ap- proaching rescue helicopter. 284 FULL SHOT - THE COPTER It frantically pours on the power and wheels up to the sky. 285 FULL SHOT - WILLARD, COLBY WILLARD Yeah. Colby takes his rifle and joins Willard in FIRING at the retreating American helicopters. 286 HELICOPTER'S POV - ON THE BOAT The men in the boat FIRING AT US as we fly further into the air, the boat getting smaller and smaller. WILLARD (V.O.) ... Don't remember a lot about my rehabilitation... but I was sent back to the world before the fall of Saigon... 287 EXT. MARINA DEL RAY - EXTREME HIGH ANGLE - NIGHT MOVING DOWN back to the pleasure boat at the Marina. Pause. Willard is very silent. WILLARD I never answered questions about Kurtz -- I gave them a few of his unimportant papers -- but for the most part I saved everything. There were other letters, personal ones written earlier to his wife. I brought them to het. I watched the fall of Saigon on television in a bar in Alameda... 289 EXT. CALIFORNIA NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY A bright clear day in a scrubbed-clean California neigh- borhood. Some kids are playing in the street. Willard, years later, dressed as a civilian, proceeds past the lawn to the attractive home, carrying a packet under his arm. He passes a lanky, young teen-aged boy working on a motor-scooter. Willard looks at him. The boy looks back. WILLARD Hi. Then the door opens, and KURTZ'S WIFE is standing at the door. She is still beautiful, blonde, and dressed in mourning even though she doesn't wear black. There is a sense of purity about her, though she is not young. KURTZ'S WIFE Come in, Captain Willard. He enters. 289 INT. KURTZ'S HOME - DAY Everything good and secure and desirable about America. She stands in the center of the room, a little nervous. KURTZ'S WIFE Can I get anything for you? There are pictures of Kurtz, not too many... but he is there in the various stages of his career. Then she sits suddenly, and Willard sits by her. KURTZ'S WIFE (continuing) Did you know him very well? WILLARD You get to know each other pretty well out there. KURTZ'S WIFE And you admired him? WILLARD He was a remarkable man. It was impossible not to -- KURTZ'S WIFE Love him... Yes, it is true. That's the hard part for me... I knew him better than anyone ... I knew him best. WILLARD You knew him best. KURTZ'S WIFE You were his friend... You must have been, if he had given you this... (the packet) If he sent you to his home. He was the best this country had -- he was -- WILLARD Yes, I know... KURTZ'S WIFE I'll never get over it -- But I'll always remember him... WILLARD Both of us... KURTZ'S WIFE Men looked up to him... (she loses herself in a thought) He died as he lived... WILLARD His death was -- yes, he died as he lived. KURTZ'S WIFE Were you with him, when... WILLARD Yes I was... He said his last words to me. Pause. 290 MED. CLOSE SHOT ON WILLARD A little of the madness is still with him. He knows what she will ask. KURTZ'S WIFE What were they? 291 MED. CLOSE SHOT ON KURTZ'S WIFE KURTZ'S WIFE Tell me. 292 MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD remembering that incredible day moving down the river. Our VIEW LOOSENS KURTZ'S WIFE Tell me what he said. KURTZ (V.O.) The horror! The horror! WILLARD He spoke of you, ma'am. He sits there looking at her. 293 EXT. TIGHT HIGH ANGLE ON THE MARINA DEL REY BOAT The cocktail party is breaking up. Willard is one of the few guests left. We MOVE FROM Willard standing alone on the deck of the boat. Moving back through the departing guests. Charlie is getting ready to leave himself. We MOVE CLOSER to Willard. DISSOLVE TO: 294 EXT. THE RIVER - P.B.R. - DAY the boat floating down the river. Kurtz's body; an exhaust- ed, half-dead Colby. And HOLDING Kurtz, Willard. We HEAR THE DOORS' "THE END" as we present the END TITLES. FADE OUT THE END

Apollo 13 (1995) by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert. Based on the book "Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13" by Jim Lovell. Transcript. More info about this movie on IMDb.com FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY TITLE: APOLLO 1 PRE-LAUNCH TEST - CAPE KENNEDY, FLORDIA - JANUARY 27, 1967 MAN'S VOICE (on comm) - Flight. We have the crew crossing gantry for capsule ingress. 2ND MAN'S VOICE (on comm) - Roger that. WALTER CRONKITE (voice over) - Inspired by the late President Kennedy, in only seven years America has risen to the challenge of what he called the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked. After trailing the Russians for years with our manned space program... [CRONKITE continues over ASTRONAUT] ASTRONAUT - We got a short. ASTRONAUT - Fire in the spacecraft. SATURN TEST CONDUCTOR (STC) (garbled - lost under CRONKITE) - ...fire... ASTRONAUT - Get us outta here! WALTER CRONKITE (voice over) ...and after that sudden horrible fire on the launch pad during a routine test that killed American astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, there were serious doubts that we could beat the Russians to the Moon. But tonight a mere eighteen months after the tragedy of Apollo 1, the entire world watched in awe as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the Moon. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The fatal launch pad fire occurred on January 27, 1967, and the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. Both dates are displayed correctly onscreen, yet Walter Cronkite's opening narration says only 18 months elapsed between them.] EXT. HOUSTON SUBRUBAN STREET - NIGHT JIM LOVELL is driving his red Corvette next to him in the front seat sits a box. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Jim Lovell's Corvette was actually blue.] TITLE: JULY 20, 1969 - HOUSTON, TEXAS WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - A big good news came just a moment ago. Mission Control gave the spacecraft permission to go for the extravehicular activity, that is for the walk on the Moon far earlier than anticipated - 9 p.m. Eastern daylight time... INT. LOVELL HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT An Apollo-11 moon landing party is going on inside the Lovell home. JACK SWIGERT - ...and the important thing when you're penetrating the lunar module is your attitude and your relative speed. Now let's say this is me here in the command module and this is you... TRACEY - All right. JACK SWIGERT - ...in the LM. This thing sticks out here in front; that's called a probe. TRACEY - Is that true? JACK SWIGERT - Absolutely. And, Tracey, I'll tell you, when you feel that thing slide in, everything's clickin'. It's like no other feeling in the world. The entrance door opens and PETE CONRAD and JIM LOVELL step in, JIM LOVELL is carrying a carton of Champagne under one arm. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise were all in the MOCR during the Apollo 11 moon landing.] PETE CONRAD - A little liquid propulsion! JIM LOVELL - What's the big occasion?! JACK SWIGERT - Hey, How's it going over there at Mission Control? JIM LOVELL - It's a nervous time, they're pacing around, smoking like chimneys, Gene Kranz is gonna have puppies. (turning to Tracey) Jim Lovell. TRACEY - Hi. JACK SWIGERT - This is Tracey. JIM LOVELL - How do you do, Tracey? JACK SWIGERT - This... This is the man. Gemini 7. Gemini 12. Apollo 8. They... JIM LOVELL - Stop it, Swigert. JACK SWIGERT - ... were the first ones around the Moon. This guy did 10 laps. JIM LOVELL - With one hand on the wheel. You, guys, make yourselves at home. Hey, Marilyn! JIM LOVELL makes his way through the guests and to the kitchen. MARILYN LOVELL - Jim, where have you been? JIM LOVELL - This is the last Champagne in the city of Houston! MARILYN LOVELL - Very good. Good, good. JIM LOVELL - Everything else all right? MARILYN LOVELL - Everything's on course! JIM LOVELL - Looks okay... Hey, Cadet Lovell! JAY LOVELL - Hey, Dad! JIM LOVELL - Put this on ice in the back with the rest and make sure it gets cold. You gonna get a haircut this summer? JAY LOVELL - I'm on vacation. JIM LOVELL - Oooh, get a haircut. ["NIGHT TRAIN" performed by James Brown plays in the background] WOMAN (in background) - Well, hello there. INT. LOVELL HOUSE - DEN KEN MATTINGLY and FRED HAISE are looking at a number of awards and pictures hung on the walls of the den of Apollo-8's mission. KEN MATTINGLY - I wouldn't mind being up there tonight. FRED HAISE - God, who wouldn't? Don't worry. Our day's coming. They're not gonna cut the program before number fourteen. KEN MATTINGLY - You know, my cousin called... FRED HAISE - Uh-Huh. KEN MATTINGLY - ... asked who we'd bribed to get on Jim Lovell's crew. FRED HAISE - Yeah? KEN MATTINGLY - I just told him: "They wanted to make sure he got the best!" FRED HAISE - Well, they got that right. INT. LOVELL HOUSE - LIVING ROOM The guests begin to gather around the color television in the living room. JOHN YOUNG - What network do we want? EVERYBODY - Walter! Come on, put on Walter! Jules Bergman! John. John, turn it up! Turn it up WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - ...has completed putting on their spacesuits and the boots, and they're now donning their... Everybody has turned their attention to the news telecast, except PETE CONRAD who stands up in front of the TV and begins to address the partygoers. PETE CONRAD - Everybody! I... I really appreciate you all coming to this dress rehearsal party for my Apollo 12 landing! JIM LOVELL - Sit down, Conrad! PETE CONRAD - Ah, I think we should all take a moment to... to recognize the exemplary... hell...damn near, heroic effort displayed by Neil Armstrong's back-up for this historic moon walk, and, of course, his crew... Let's hear for... let's hear for Jim Lovell, Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise! The room fills with cheers and applause. MARILYN LOVELL - There he is! There he is! Everybody quiet down! There he is! There he is! JIM LOVELL - Hey! Kids! The room quites down as everybody is focused on the fuzzy black-and-white TV image of the LM's ladder. BUZZ ALDRIN (on TV) - You got a good picture, huh? BUZZ ALDRIN (on TV) - Okay. Will you verify the position - the opening - I ought to have on the camera? NEIL ARMSTRONG (on TV) - What? CONRAD tries to break the tension. PETE CONRAD - Jim, do you think it's too late for him to abort? JIM LOVELL - No, no. He still has time to get out. He just needs somebody to wave him off. JIM LOVELL and PETE CONRAD - Pull up now Neil! Pull up now! Pull up! EVERYBODY - Shhh! The room quiets down as their attention is once again focused on the TV images. JIM LOVELL is watching intensely as he imagines what it must be like to step on the lunar surface. The only sound that can be heard is that which is coming from the television. BRUCE McCANDLESS (CAPCOM for APOLLO 11) (on TV) - Okay, Neil, we can see you coming down the ladder now. NEIL ARMSTRONG (on TV) - Okay. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - Boy, look at those pictures. Wow! NEIL ARMSTRONG (on TV) - I'm at the foot of the ladder. The LM footpads are only depressed in the surface about one or two inches. It's almost like a powder. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - Armstrong is on the Moon. Neil Armstrong... NEIL ARMSTRONG (on TV) - ...I'm gonna step off the LM now... WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - ... 38 year-old American, standing on the surface of the Moon, on this July 20th, nineteen-hundred and sixty-nine. NEIL ARMSTRONG (on TV) - That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - His quote was:... NEIL ARMSTRONG (on TV) - I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see... WALTER CRONKITE (over ARMSTRONG on TV) - ..."That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" EXT. LOVELL HOUSE - BACK YARD - NIGHT Looking up at the Moon, JIM LOVELL tries blocking the Moon with his thumb, which entirely covers the Moon. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The night of the Apollo 11 landing the moon was actually a waning crescent. And the moon set at 11:54 pm CDT Houston time, before the moonwalk was completed. So Lovell's scene where he holds his thumb up had to happen well before the moonwalk.] ["BEYOND THE SEA'" performed by Bobby Darin plays in the background] MARILYN LOVELL state's the obvious. MARILYN LOVELL - You're drunk, Lovell. JIM LOVELL - Yeah, I'm not used to the Champagne. MARILYN LOVELL - Me neither. I can't deal with cleaning up. Let's sell the house. JIM LOVELL - All right. Let's sell the house. They're back inside now, looking up at us. Ain't that something? MARILYN LOVELL - I bet Jenny Armstrong doesn't get a wink of sleep tonight. Ah, when you were on the far side on Eight, I didn't sleep at all. I just vacuumed over and over again. JIM LOVELL - Christopher Columbus, Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong. From now on we'll live in the world when man has walked on the Moon. It's not a miracle. We just decided to go. Apollo 8 - we were so close. Just sixty nautical miles down and... Mmm. It was like just step out, and walk on the face of it. I wanna go back there. MARILYN LOVELL - Where's my mountain? ["GROOVIN'" performed by The Young Rascals plays in the background] JIM LOVELL - Well, it... It's right up by the... you see, okay... you see the... where the shadow crosses the white area there? That's the Sea Tranquillity. And your mountain's right there on the edge of that. Your mountain. Your mountain, Marilyn. Mountain Marilyn. MARILYN LOVELL - I don't see it. JIM LOVELL - Well, you gotta look harder... you look... While, I... MARILYN LOVELL is sitting in a lounge as JIM LOVELL starts to kiss her on her neck. MARILYN LOVELL - Jim... Jim... EXT. VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING - DAY The camera flies over the top of the VAB and stops on the open hangar door with a partially stacked Saturn booster sitting on the MLP. TITLE:VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING - CAPE KENNEDY, FLORDIA - OCTOBER 30, 1969 [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The VAB was known as the Vertical Assembly Building until the Space Shuttle era when it became the Vehicle Assembly Building.] JIM LOVELL - The astronaut is only the most visible member of a very large team. And all of us, right down to the guys sweeping the floor are honored to be a part of it. What did the man say? - "Give me a lever long enough, and I'll move the world". Well, that's exactly what we're doing here. This is divine inspiration, folks. It's the best part of each one of us to believe that anything is possible. Things like a computer that can fit into a single room and hold millions of pieces of information. Or the Saturn V rocket. This is the actual launch vehicle that will be taking Alan Shepard and his crew on the first leg of the Apollo 13 mission. INT. VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING - CAT WALK - DAY Standing on a cat walk at the SLA level, JIM LOVELL is conducting a tour of the VAB for a group of assorted VIPs. CONGRESSMAN - When are you going up again, Jim? JIM LOVELL - I'm slated to be the commander of Apollo 14 sometime late next year. CONGRESSMAN - If there is an Apollo 14... Now, Jim, people in my state have been asking why we're continuing to fund this program - now that we've beaten the Russians to the Moon. JIM LOVELL - Imagine if Christopher Columbus had come back from the new world and no one returned in his footsteps. VOICE ON PA SYSTEM - Attention, all personnel! Clear level three. Clear level three. A part of the CSM is lowered into position on top of the SLA as the Saturn-V is being stacked in the VAB as the tour watches. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The mating of the Saturn stages in the VAB happens much too fast.] JIM LOVELL - Are there any other questions? WOMEN ON TOUR - How do you go to the bathroom in space? JIM LOVELL - Well, I'll tell you. It's a highly technical process of cranking down the window and looking for a gas station which is... Oh, there's Deke Slayton. Deke, you might be able to answer this lady's question better than I. Deke is one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, Ladies and Gentlemen. And now he's our boss. He hands out the astronauts' flight assignments, so naturally we kick back part of our salaries to Deke every month. How much this month, Deke? DEKE SLAYTON - Jim, can I have a minute? Something's come up. JIM LOVELL - Sure, you bet... Henry. INT. LOVELL HOME - DAY The front door swings open as an excited JIM LOVELL searches the house for someone to share the good news with. JIM LOVELL - Hey! Anybody home?! ["SOMEBODY TO LOVE" performed by Jefferson Airplane plays from the stereo in Barbara's room] A discussion is going on in BARBARA's room between MARILYN and BARBARA LOVELL over holloween costumes. MARILYN LOVELL (off camera) - Definitely not! BARBARA LOVELL - I'm not being a cheerleader, mom!. You don't understand, I worked so hard on this! MARILYN LOVELL - Barbara! Maybe, I don't understand, but you are not wearing that out in this neighborhood! That's the end of this. I don't wanna hear it! Now SUSAN LOVELL decides to join the discussion. SUSAN LOVELL - She's not even wearing a bra. You can see everything! BARBARA LOVELL - Shut up! MARILYN LOVELL - Susan! JIM LOVELL - Hey, everybody! MARILYN LOVELL - Jim! JIM LOVELL - Marilyn. Trick or treat. You know that Easter vacation trip we had planned for Acapulco? MARILYN LOVELL - Uh-oh. JIM LOVELL - I was thinking, there might be a slight change in destination. MARILYN LOVELL - Really? JIM LOVELL - Maybe, say... the Moon... Al Shepard's ear infection has flared up. And we've all been bumped up to the prime crew of Apollo 13. Straight to the head of the line and the Fra Mauro highlands. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The actual reason for assigning Al Shephard to Apollo 14 instead of Apollo 13 was not his inner ear, but his lack of training, combined with the relatively short time until launch. Flying Shephard on a later flight would give his crew more time to train.] MARILYN LOVELL - Six months. You're moving up six months? BARBARA LOVELL - Dad! Can I please wear this? JIM LOVELL - Sure! MARILYN LOVELL - Jim! JIM LOVELL - No! No! Absolutely not! BARBARA LOVELL - This stinks! MARILYN LOVELL - They are not rushing things, are they? I mean, you're gonna be ready in six months? JIM LOVELL - We'll be ready. Oh, hell, I wouldn't want to be around Al Shepard tonight. I gotta get over there. We're gonna have to get up the speed on this. MARILYN LOVELL - Go, go! JIM LOVELL - I'm gonna walk on the Moon, Marilyn. MARILYN LOVELL - I know. I can't believe it. And, naturally, it's thirteen. Why thirteen? JIM LOVELL - It comes after twelve, Hon. INT. MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER - COMMAND MODULE SIMULATOR TITLE:MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER - HOUSTON, TEXAS - 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO LAUNCH TECHNICIAN - Apollo 13, you are go for pyro arm and docking. All systems are nominal and on the line. JIM, KEN and FRED are in the CM simulator working on the LM docking procedures. FRED HAISE - Okay. S-IVB is stable. SLA (SM/LM Adapter) panels are drifting free. The drogue is clear. The docking target is clear. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, I'm coming up on that now. Two, one, mark. FRED HAISE - Seventy-five feet. We're coming up on docking. Out at the sim console technicians are providing some problems for the crew to work. TECHNICIAN - Let's shut down some thruster on 'em. TECHNICIAN 2 - Let's see what he does with this one. Back inside the CM simulator KEN notices something is wrong. KEN MATTINGLY - Whoa. Wait a minute. I lost something here. I can't translate up. FRED HAISE - Houston. We are drifting down and away. TECHNICIAN - Roger that. JIM LOVELL - Wanna just back off and make another run at this. KEN MATTINGLY - No. I got it. I got it. Let me... I'm just trying to get it stable here. FRED HAISE - Houston. I'm gonna reset the high gain. (high-gain antenna) KEN MATTINGLY - I've got the target back in the reticle. Okay. We're stable. Go ahead and recycle the valves. FRED HAISE - Forty feet... JIM LOVELL - They're all gray. FRED HAISE - ... Twenty... KEN MATTINGLY - Easy. FRED HAISE - Ten feet... KEN MATTINGLY - Captured. JIM LOVELL - That's it... Ha! That's it. FRED HAISE - Wooo! Sweet move, Ken. Beautiful. Beautiful. JIM LOVELL - Gentlemen that was the way we do that. FRED HAISE - Oh, man. That woke me up. 13's primary crew is making their way down the steps from the CM simulator as 13's back-up crew, consisting of JOHN YOUNG, KEN MATTINGLY, and CHARLIE DUKE, wait to enter the CM simulator. TECHNICIAN - Apollo 13 back-up crew. You're up in the simulator. JACK SWIGERT - Nice job, Jim. JIM LOVELL - That's 3 hours of boredom followed by seven seconds of sheer terror. NASA DIRECTOR - Good job, guys. You just won the Christmas turkey. FRED HAISE (to SIM TECH) - Nice try, Frank. You really outfoxed them, brother. KEN MATTINGLY - Yeah, but it wasn't perfect. Used up too much fuel. FRED HAISE - Aw, you're above the curve. KEN MATTINGLY - Not by much. Listen, guys. I wanna work it again. FRED HAISE - Hey, we gotta be up with the dawn patrol headed for Bethpage, what, 07:00. JIM LOVELL - Wheels up at 07:00. KEN MATTINGLY - Yeah, I know. But my rate of turn is still a little too slow there, I really think we should work it again. JIM LOVELL - Well, let's get it right. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay. Set it up again, Frank. TECHNICIAN - Okay, thirteen back-up crew. It'll have to wait. Prime crew's up for another run. FRED HAISE - Yeah, baby. INT. COMMAND MODULE - SPACE The crew in their space suits are in their couches checking out the CM systems. CAPCOM - Apollo 13 we show S-IVB shut down, and all systems are nominal. Fred, set the S-band (a frequency band used in radar) Omni (omni directional antenna) to B and when you get in the LM to forward. FRED HAISE - Good shape over here. [Caution and Warning Alarm Sounds] JIM LOVELL - Hey, we got a problem. O2 (Oxygen) flow high, cabin pressure, high. KEN MATTINGLY - I've got no suit pressure. JIM LOVELL - Ken, get your helmet on! KEN begins to struggle with his helmet. KEN MATTINGLY - I can't get it locked. JIM LOVELL - Okay, we got a master alarm! The glass on the indicators begin to break and float in the CM. KEN MATTINGLY - Oh, God!... Help! The CM's hatch is forced opened by the increased pressure build-up in the cabin. Paper and other debris rush out through the open hatchway. A blue hose connected to one of the astronaut's space suits comes undone. JIM LOVELL is hanging from the hand hold in the open hatch as oxygen continues to rush past him and out into the vacuum of space. Suddenly a support inside the CM breaks loose and flies through the hatch knocking JIM LOVELL out into space. JIM is tumbling helplessly end over end as he is separating from the CM at a very high rate. KEN MATTINGLY - Jim! INT. LOVELL HOME - BEDROOM - MORNING MARILYN LOVELL [wakes from dream] INT. LOVELL HOME - JEFFERY'S ROOM - MORNING As JIM LOVELL sits at the kitchen table across from JEFFERY, MARILYN watches and listens from the doorway as JIM tries to explain his upcoming mission and the Apollo-1 fire to JEFFERY. TITLE:MARCH 23, 1970 - 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO LAUNCH JIM LOVELL - ... Something bad might happen. Stars will fall down on you or something. JEFFREY LOVELL - That's silly. Stars can't fall on us. JIM LOVELL - Oh, you are a smarter kid than I was. JEFFREY LOVELL - How long will it take you to get to the Moon? JIM LOVELL - Four days... But that's pretty fast, you see. This is the Saturn IVB booster, and it shoots us away from the Earth - pshhh... It's fast, as a bullet from a gun. Until the Moon's gravity actually grabs us and pulls us into a circle around the Moon, which is called an orbit. All right? Fred and I float down the tunnel into this guy - the lunar module. This is a spidery-looking guy. Only holds two people. And it's just for landing on the Moon. And I take the controls, and I steer it around, and I fly it down, adjusting it here, the attitude there, pitch, roll, for a nice soft landing on the Moon. Better than Neil Armstrong. Way better than Pete Conrad. JEFFREY LOVELL - Dad... Did you know the astronauts in the fire? JIM LOVELL - Yeah, yeah I did. I knew the astronauts in the fire, all of 'em. JEFFREY LOVELL - Could that happen again? JIM LOVELL - Well, I'll tell something about that fire. Um... A lota things went wrong...The door; it's called a hatch. They couldn't get it open when they needed to get out. That was one thing... And a... Well, a lot of things went wrong in that fire. JEFFREY LOVELL - Did they fix it? JIM LOVELL - Oh, yes. Absolutely. We fixed it. It's not a problem anymore. INT. JIM'S CORVETTE - NIGHT JIM and MARILYN are on their way to one of the many "press-the-flesh" functions that all the astronauts do from time to time. MARILYN LOVELL - I can't believe they still have you doing public appearances. JIM LOVELL - Well, Henry Hurt was all over me. MARILYN LOVELL - I know, but... JIM LOVELL - I couldn't get away. MARILYN LOVELL (cont'd) - ... with the training schedule this tight. They shouldn't be asking you. JIM LOVELL - It's the program, Marilyn. It's... you know, it's NASA. [They stop at a red traffic light and a car pulls up along side.] ["I CAN SEE FOR MILES" performed by The Who plays from radio in adjacent car] GUY IN CAR - Hey! Hey, you're Jim Lovell, aren't you? Ha, ha! Hey, lucky thirteen! Right on! JIM acknowledges the driver with a smile. As the light turns green the adjacent car revs it's engine and peels out. Just as JIM is accelerating from the stop his car knocks and stalls.] JIM LOVELL - Second time it's done that. [restarts car] MARILYN LOVELL - So I was looking at the kids' school schedule coming up. JIM LOVELL - Yeah? MARILYN LOVELL - It's a very busy week. I'm thinking about not going to the launch. JIM LOVELL - Huh! MARILYN LOVELL - The kids need me at home, honey. JIM LOVELL - Marilyn. We've had these kids for a while now. They've never kept you from coming to the other launches. MARILYN LOVELL - Yes, but now we have your mother. She's just had this stroke, and doing... JIM LOVELL - Oh, Mom's fine. MARILYN LOVELL - Honey, it's not like I've never been to a launch before. The other wives' have not done three. I just don't think I can go through all that... I'll just be glad when this one is over. JIM LOVELL - Well, you're gonna miss a hell of a show. INT. AIRCRAFT HANGAR - DAY JIM is walking out of the hangar towards his plane that he will fly to KSC for the launch. PILOT - Jim! JIM LOVELL - Hey, guys. PILOT - Take care. JIM LOVELL - See ya in a few weeks. PILOT - Bring us back a moonrock. EXT. LOVELL HOME - BACKYARD - DAY MARILYN getting ready to do some gardening in the yard as she hears a jet plane approaching and looks up to see it fly overhead. INT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - PRESS ROOM TITLE:APRIL 7, 1970 - CAPE KENNEDY, FLORDIA - 4 DAYS PRIOR TO LAUNCH JIM, KEN, and FRED are in their space suits having their photo taken. They are standing in front of a large group of reporters trying to answer some questions about the upcoming mission. REPORTER - So the number thirteen doesn't bother you? FRED HAISE - Only if it's a Friday, Phil. REPORTER - Apollo Thirteen, lifting off at thirteen hundred hours and thirteen minutes and entering the Moon's gravity on April thirteen. JIM LOVELL - Uh... Ken Mattingly has been doing some scientific experiments regarding that very phenomenon, haven't you? KEN MATTINGLY - Huh, Uh yes. Well I had a black cat walk over a broken mirror under the lunar module ladder, it didn't seem to be a problem. FRED HAISE - And we'd also considered a really helpful letter we got from a fellow that said we oughta take a pig up with us for good luck. REPORTER 2 - Does it bother you that the public regards this flight as routine? JIM LOVELL - There's nothing routine about flying to the Moon. I can vouch for that. And I think that an astronaut's last mission, his final flight... well, that's... that's always gonna be very special. REPORTER 3 - Why is this your last, Jim? JIM LOVELL - I'm in command of the best ship with the best crew that anybody could ask for. And I'll be walking in a place where there's four hundred degrees difference between sunlight and shadow. I can't imagine ever topping that. EXT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - CRAWLER WAY - DAY TITLE:APRIL 9, 1970 - 2 DAYS PRIOR TO LAUNCH JIM and WALTER are walking along side the crawler that is transporting the Saturn-V to the launch pad. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The crawler transporter which carries a Saturn V out to the launch pad is very noisy - it's rather difficult to even think about having a conversation while it's going by. More important the Saturn V is rolled out to the launch pad a couple of months in advance, not two days before launch.] WALTER - We have that scheduled for 09:00 hours tomorrow. JIM LOVELL - That's not gonna work, Walter. WALTER - Why? JIM LOVELL - Freddo and I are gonna be going over the lunar surface experiments tomorrow and Ken's gonna be back in the simulator. We're gonna be going over the flight plan tonight as well. (to crawler worker) I'm gonna pay a visit to this beautiful machine after you hard down. CRAWLER WORKER - Okay. JIM LOVELL - Thanks. A car pulls up along side the crawler. DEKE SLAYTON and DR. CHUCK get out of the car and approach JIM. DEKE SLAYTON - Jim! We've got a problem! DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - We just got some blood work back in the lab. Charlie Duke has the measles. JIM LOVELL - So we need a new back-up. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - You've all been exposed to it. JIM LOVELL - Well, I've had the measles. DEKE SLAYTON - Ken Mattingly hasn't. INT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - NASA DIRECTOR'S OFFICE JIM is pleading his case before everyone in the office and he isn't winning anyone over to his side. JIM LOVELL - You wanna break up my crew two days before the launch. When we can predict each other's moves, we can read the tone of each other's voices. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Ken Mattingly will be getting seriously ill precisely when you and Haise will be ascending from the lunar surface to rendezvous with him. DEKE SLAYTON - Jim, that's a lousy time for a fever! JIM LOVELL - Now. Now look! Jack Swigert has been out of the loop for weeks! NASA DIRECTOR - He's fully qualified to fly this mission. JIM LOVELL - He's a fine pilot! But when was the last time he was in the simulator?! NASA DIRECTOR - I'm sorry, Jim. I understand how you feel. Now we can do one of two things here. We can either scrub Mattingly, go Swigert. Or we can bump all three of you to a later mission. JIM LOVELL - I've trained for the Fra Mauro highlands... and this is Flight Surgeon horseshit, Deke! DEKE SLAYTON - Jim, if you hold out for Ken, you will not be on Apollo 13. Your decision. INT. SWIGERTS HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY The water is running in the shower as JACK and his GUEST are uh, "showering". [telephone rings] ["MAGIC CARPET RIDE" performed by Steppenwolf plays in the background] TRACEY - Oh, let it ring. JACK SWIGERT - I gotta take that. TRACEY - Oh why? JACK SWIGERT - Because I'm on the back-up crew. The back-up crew has to set up the guest list and book the hotel room... (into telephone handset) Swigert... Yeah... Yes... Yes, Sir... I... I understand... Thank you, Sir... (hangs up telephone) (brief pause) AAAAY-HOOO! INT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - WHITE ROOM JIM, KEN, and FRED sit on folding chairs in the simulator white room and JIM tries to explain the situation to KEN. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The NASA worm logo appears on a door - six years before it was designed.] KEN MATTINGLY - Well, I a... Damn. Medical guys. I had the feeling when they started doing all the blood tests that... I mean, I know it's their ass if I get sick up there but I mean... Jesus!... Oh, boy... Swigert., he'll... he'll be fine. He's... he's strong... It'll be a hell of a mission. One for the books... You're sure about this, Jim? I mean, why don't I go upstairs and talk to Deke? I'm sure we can work this out. JIM LOVELL - This was my call. KEN MATTINGLY - Must've been a tough one... Look, I don't have the measles. I'm not gonna get the measles. [KEN MATTINGLY storms out of the room] FRED HAISE - Ken, Wait up! INT. COMMAND MODULE SIMULATOR JIM, JACK, and FRED are lying in their couches in the CM simulator as they run though the procedure for entry. JACK SWIGERT - Trajectory's holding steady. We're right on the line. JIM LOVELL - Okay, we're into program-64 (Approach Phase program, P-64). We're at 05 G's. So we're feeling that gravity now. FRED HAISE - Houston, we are at four hundred thousand feet passing entry interface. PA ANNOUNCER - About to loose signal. Re-entry data are nominal and we have radio blackout. JACK SWIGERT - Okay... What's the story here?... I got a corridor light, we're coming in too shallow. I'm going manual... FRED HAISE - Houston, switching to SCS (Stabilization and Control System). SIM TECHNICIAN - Roger, Thirteen. JACK SWIGERT - Ok, we're three G's... Five G's... We're coming in too steep. I'm gonna stay in this roll, see if I can pull us out of it. We're eight G's... Nine... Ten... We're at twelve G's. JIM LOVELL - Twelve G's. We're burning up. DEKE SLAYTON - Damn it! SIM TECHNICIAN - I gave him a false indicator light right at entry interface. Even Mattingly didn't get it the first time. JIM LOVELL - How ya feelin', Freddo? FRED HAISE - Charbroiled. JIM LOVELL - So what happened? JACK SWIGERT - Came in too steep. We're dead. FRED HAISE - No shit. JIM LOVELL - Yeah, yeah. We were into program-67 there, so... Okay, guys, we're gonna do this again obviously but give us a minute to get our switches reset in here. DEKE SLAYTON - Jim, could we have a word? JIM LOVELL - Sure, Deke. PA ANNOUNCER - We're gonna drop off line and debrief with one of our... DEKE SLAYTON - So? JIM LOVELL - Well... If I had a dollar for every time they killed me in this thing I... I wouldn't have to work for you, Deke... Well, we have two days. We'll be ready. (to SIM TECH) Let's do it again. DEKE SLAYTON (to SIM TECH) - Do it again. EXT. LAUNCH COMPLEX - NIGHT TITLE:APRIL 10, 1970 - NIGHT BEFORE LAUNCH This is the last chance the astronauts will have to talk to their families before launch, it takes place on the road leading to PAD-39a with the astronauts and NASA technicians on one side of the road and their families on the other side. FRED JR, and STEPHEN HAISE - Mom, there he is! FRED JR and STEPHEN make a mad dash towards their father. MARY HAISE - Oh, Margaret get them! Fred, Stephen, come here. FRED JR, and STEPHEN HAISE - Daddy! One of the NASA technicians catches them and keeps them from getting across the road. MARY HAISE - We can't go across that road! We don't want Daddy to get any of our germs and get sick in outer space, right? FRED HAISE - Hey, boys! FRED JR, and STEPHEN HAISE - Hey, Daddy! FRED HAISE - Not givin' your mom a hard time, are ya? FRED JR, and STEPHEN HAISE - No, Sir! FRED HAISE - (to MARY) Princess, you look beautiful! WOMAN (off camera) - Jack! JIM LOVELL - Well, hey, that looks like Marilyn Lovell. But it can't be. She's not coming to the launch. MARILYN LOVELL - I heard there was gonna be a hell of a show. JIM LOVELL - Who told you that? MARILYN LOVELL - Some guy I know. JIM LOVELL - You can't live without me. PAD TECHNICIAN - Okay, folks. Let's say good night. VOICES - Good night! PAD TECHNICIAN - We got a big day tomorrow for these guys. VOICES - Good night! JIM LOVELL - You heard about Ken? MARILYN LOVELL - Yeah. JIM blows MARILYN a kiss from across the road. TITLE:APRIL 11, 1970 - CAPE KENNEDY, FLORDIA The big day has finally arrived. JIM, JACK, and FRED are getting suited up in the white room. WHITE ROOM TECH - One, Two. Stand back, please. JIM LOVELL - Ah, Guenter Wendt! [with heavy German accent] I wonder where Guenter went! GUENTER WENDT - Jim... Ha, ha... You walk on ze Moon eh?. JIM LOVELL - Ja, ja. We'll walk, and we talk on ze Moon. WHITE ROOM TECH - How do you feel? Pretty good? JACK SWIGERT - Good. Might be a little warmer in here, huh? WHITE ROOM TECH - How are you today? FRED HAISE - Good. WHITE ROOM TECH - Ready? FRED HAISE - Yeah. INT. SAFARI INN HOTEL - MARILYN'S ROOM - SHOWER MARILYN LOVELL (in shower) - Oh, oh, oh. Jeez!, Oh. [as ring goes down drain] Oh, God! No! Back in the white room with the astronauts everything seems to be going as advertised. WHITE ROOM TECH - ...I'm gonna check off this list.. WHITE ROOM TECH 2 - Okay, Roger. WHITE ROOM TECH - Okay, we have the oxygen purge system. WHITE ROOM TECH 2 - Check. WHITE ROOM TECH - We have the helmet restraint ring. WHITE ROOM TECH 2 - Check. WHITE ROOM TECH - Okay. ...activated. WHITE ROOM TECH 2 - Check. WHITE ROOM TECH - Communication umbilical on. Okay. WHITE ROOM TECH - Fred. FRED HAISE - What? WHITE ROOM TECH - Gum. FRED HAISE - Aw, sorry. [spits gum in tech's hand] Thanks. JACK SWIGERT - I'm gonna give these guys a beautiful ride. WHITE ROOM TECH - Sure you will, Jack. WHITE ROOM TECH - You need more air? EXT. VIP VIEWING SITE - DAY MARILYN LOVELL - You want some apple? MARY HAISE - Marilyn, hey! MARILYN LOVELL - Mary. MARY HAISE - I hate this already. MARILYN comments on the fact that MARY is *very* pregnant. MARILYN LOVELL - You're not just about to pop, are you? MARY HAISE - No, I got thirty days till this blast-off. MISSION COTROL - HOUSTON, TEXAS MOCR OFFICER (with package) - This is for Gene. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Mrs. Kranz has pulled out the old needle and thread again. GUIDANCE - WHITE - Last one looked like he bought it off a Gypsy. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Well you can't argue with tradition. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Copy that. MOCR OFFICER - This is from your wife, Gene. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Thank you, Tom. I was startin' to get worried. (opens the box and looks at the contents) There we go. GENE removes a white vest from the box. MOCR OFFICER (off camera) - I like it. MOCR OFFICER (off camera) - I like that one, Gene. MOCR OFFICER (off camera) - Sharp, Gene. INT. COMMAND MODULE GUENTER WENDT - Jim, you're all set. INT. MISSION OPERATIONS CONTROL ROOM GENE KRANTZ dons white vest and buttons it up. [Applause and whistles from everyone in the MOCR.] ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Very Sharp. [APPLAUSE] MOCR OFFICER (off camera) - Hey, Gene! I guess we can go now! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Save it for splashdown guys. FD LOOP - EECOM, you got everything you need? - Okay. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Apollo 13 Flight Controllers. Listen up! Give me a go/no-go for launch... Booster! BOOSTER - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - RETRO! (Retrofire Officer) RETRO - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - FIDO! (Flight Dynamics Officer) JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - We're go, Flight! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Guidance! GUIDANCE - WHITE - Guidance go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Surgeon! SURGEON - WHITE - Go, Flight. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - EECOM! (Command Service Module Electrical and Environmental Engineer) SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - We're go, Flight! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - GNC! (Guidance, Navigation & Control) GNC - WHITE - We're go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - TELMU! (Telemetry) TELMU - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Control! (EECOM's counterpart for Lunar Module systems) CONTROL - WHITE - Go, Flight! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Procedures! PROCEDURES - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - INCO! (Instrumentation and Communications Officer) INCO - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - FAO! (Flight Activities Officer) FAO - WHITE - We are go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Network! NETWORK - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Recovery! RECOVERY - WHITE - Go! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - CAPCOM! (Capsule Communicator) ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We're go, Flight! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Launch Control, this is Houston. We are go for launch! TITLE:LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER - CAPE KENNEDY, FLORDIA LAUNCH CONTROLER - Roger that, Houston! Pad Leader. What's your status? [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The Saturn V is painted to match the early test configurations, not the actual Apollo 13 vehicle. The early Saturn V first stage had a large black band which made the interior unbearably hot for technicians working inside. So later versions don't have that band.] KSC PAO (heard at VIP viewing area) - We are go for launch. T-Minus sixty seconds and counting. FD LOOP - Stand by. - Roger that. JIM LOVELL - Fuel pumps. This is it. A few bumps and we're haulin' the mail. GUIDO - WHITE - Control, this is guidance. We're ready for takeoff. LAUNCH CONTROLER - We are go for launch. T-minus. KSC PAO - 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. Ignition sequence starts. 3, 2, 1. Ignition. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The launch of the Saturn V is a wonderfully artistic depiction, but has many mistakes. The Saturn V's engines actually ignite several seconds before zero. The build-up permits them to be checked out and if there's a problem the engines can be shut off. The gantry arms which include electrical umbilicals and propellant lines all separate at the same time on the actual vehicle.] JIM LOVELL - The clock is running! KSC PAO - We have lift-off! LAUNCH CONTROLER - Houston, we have cleared the tower at 13:13. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Okay, guys! We got it! KEN MATTINGLY - Come on, baby. Come on. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Ken Mattingly's view of the Saturn V on the pad shows the wrong side of the rocket, from his location. And he'd be fried crispy, or at least have serious hearing damage if he was that close to the launch! Actually Ken Mattingly was back in Houston as part of the mission support team by the time the Apollo 13 launch took place.] JACK SWIGERT - Altitude is on the line! Velocity right on the line! JIM LOVELL - Roll complete. We are pitching! ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Thirteen. Stand by for (abort) mode 1 bravo. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - FIDO, how we looking? JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Looks good, Flight, right down in the middle. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We see your BPC (Boost Protective Cover) is cleared, Thirteen. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Houston confirms that the BPC (Boost Protective Cover) is cleared before it is shown being jettisoned by Lovell.] JIM LOVELL - Roger. EDS (Emergency Detection System) to 'manual'. Inboard. (staging) Get ready for a little jolt, fellas. JACK SWIGERT - That was some little jolt? [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The slam-bang impact at the end of the first stage burn was completely unexpected, not routine as portrayed. Small retrorockets atop the first stage should have fired immediately after separation to slow the spent stage down. Instead they fired one second before separation.] JIM LOVELL - Tower jett! JIM LOVELL - Houston, this is Thirteen. We got a center engine cut off, go on the other four! [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: When the center engine cuts out the number 5 engine light flashes. These lights do not flash. They are on or off.] ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that, Thirteen. We show the same. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Booster, can you confirm that center engine cut off? BOOSTER - WHITE - Roger that, Flight. Looks like we've lost it. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - FIDO, what's that gonna do to us? JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Stand by, Flight. GUIDANCE - WHITE - I need to know if the IU's (Instrument Unit) correcting for the number five shut down. JIM LOVELL - Houston, what's the story on Engine 5? FD LOOP - Guidance is good. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Looks good, we're still go! We'll be all right as long as we don't lose another one. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Roger that. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Thirteen, we're not sure why the inboard was out early, but the other engines are go, so we're just gonna burn those remaining engines for a little bit longer. JIM LOVELL - Roger that. JIM LOVELL - Our gimbals are good. Our trim is good. (to CREW) Look's like we just had our glitch for this mission. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Thirteen, stand by for staging. JIM LOVELL - Roger that. INCO - WHITE (off camera) - S-II shut down. Ignition. Thrust looks good, Flight. INCO - WHITE - Flight. S-IVB cut off in ten seconds. CAPCOM - WHITE - Thirteen, this is Houston. The predicted cut-off is twelve plus three four. Over. JIM LOVELL - Coming up on twelve minutes thirty four. And... FRED HAISE - SECO! (Sustainer Engine Cutoff) JIM LOVELL - Shut down. JIM LOVELL - And that, gentlemen, is how we do that! MARY HAISE - Oh, boy. I hope I can sleep. MARGARET HAISE - Mom, that was loud! MARY HAISE - Here, hold my hand. MARY HAISE - I can't believe you did this four times. MARILYN LOVELL - The worst part is over. MARY HAISE - It is? MARILYN LOVELL - Listen. This doesn't stop for me until he lands on that aircraft carrier. MARY HAISE - You just look so calm about it. MARILYN LOVELL - Well if the flight surgeon had to okay me for this mission I'd be grounded. REPORTERS - Mrs. Lovell! Mrs. Haise! Please, wait a minute! Can we just have a word with you, please?! Can I take a photograph? MARILYN LOVELL (confidentially to MARY) - Remember? You're proud, happy and thrilled. REPORTER - How are you feeling? MARY HAISE - We're very proud, and very happy, and we're thrilled. FD LOOP - Flight, Booster, I show S-IVB shutdown. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - TLI (Translunar Injection) is on the money. Looks good, Flight. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Roger, FIDO... Okay, guys. We're going to the Moon. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: A rocket firing its engine to go to the moon is actually on the opposite side of the Earth and parallel to the Earth's surface - not pointed towards the moon as shown in the movie.] FD LOOP - Flight, we have re-acquisition of signal at Hawaii. - Flight, everything looks good - Can't ask for much better than that. JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Houston. CMP here. I've exchanged the couches with Jim. I'm in the pilot seat. And I'm gonna go ahead and get set for transposition and docking. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that, Jack. [HAISE begins to vomits] JIM LOVELL - Fred, are you okay? GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Okay, everybody. Let's get turned around and pick up the lunar module. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Odyssey, you are go for pryo arm and docking. Repeat. Go for docking. We recommend you secure cabin pressurization. JACK SWIGERT (off camera) - Roger that. JACK SWIGERT - Okay, we're ready for CSM separation. JIM LOVELL - Okay, SM RCS ISOL valves are all gray. (RCS - Reaction Control System, the steering jet). JIM LOVELL - Okay, Swigert, Command Module Pilot. She's all yours. FRED HAISE - Houston, we've got good separation. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Odyssey, the S-IVB is stable. FRED HAISE - Translation looks good. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We confirm that, Thirteen. FRED HAISE - Okay, we're gonna start to pitch around to align up with the LM. JIM LOVELL - You know Freddo, Frank Borman was up chucking (vomiting) most of the way to the moon on Apollo 8. FRED HAISE - I'm all right. Just ate too much breakfast. Let's go to work. JACK SWIGERT - And pitching up. Pitch rate - 2.5 degrees per second. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger Jack. We see you pitching around. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Keep an eye on their telemetry. FD LOOP - Roger that. DEKE SLAYTON - Swigert can't dock this thing - we don't have a mission. JIM LOVELL - How's the alignment? JACK SWIGERT - GDC (Gyro Display Coupler) align... Thrusting forward. FRED HAISE - One hundred feet. JIM LOVELL - Watch the alignment now. JACK SWIGERT - Hey, don't worry, guys. I'm on top of it. FD LOOP - Fido, let me know when you're ready. - Okay, let's uplink that. JIM LOVELL - How we looking, Freddo? FRED HAISE - We're not there yet. FRED HAISE - Forty feet... Twenty... DEKE SLAYTON - Come on, Rookie. Park that thing. FRED HAISE - Ten feet... JACK SWIGERT - Captured. JIM LOVELL - That's it. Talk back is barber poled JACK SWIGERT - Go ahead and retract. JACK SWIGERT - Houston. We have hard dock. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger. Understand. Good deal, Jack. FD LOOP - Let's start back up with procedure 17. FRED HAISE - Okay, Houston, we have LM extraction. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We copy that, Thirteen. Now you're off to the Fra Mauro highlands. JACK SWIGERT - I gotta get out of this suit. JIM LOVELL - Houston, we are ready for the beginning of the PTC (Passive Thermal Control) and I think once we're in that Barbecue roll, Jack and I will eat. FRED HAISE - Hey, I'm hungry. JIM LOVELL - Are you sure? FRED HAISE - I could eat the ass out of a dead rhinoceros. [handover taking place in the MOCR] EECOM - GOLD - We got a smooth one, huh? SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - By the numbers so far? We just ran a minimum load test on the cooling system. Let me clean this up for you. MOCR OFFICER (off camera) - See ya tomorrow. MOCR OFFICER (off camera) - Take care. TITLE:DAY 3 - APRIL 13 JIM LOVELL - Oh, it's too bad we can't demonstrate this on TV. [JIM LOVELL urinates] FRED HAISE - What a shame! JIM LOVELL - Okay, overboard dump coming up. [as the urine is vented into the vacum of space it freezes instantly and creates a snow storm] FRED HAISE - Here it comes. The Constellation Urion. FRED HAISE - Now, that's a beautiful sight. ["PURPLE HAZE" performed by Jimi Hendrix plays from Barbara's room] MARILYN LOVELL - Barbara! Barbara! We are going to your father's broadcast. BARBARA LOVELL - No! I'm never coming out! I hate Paul! No one else can ever play another one of their records again. SUSAN LOVELL - She's still going on about the stupid Beatles breaking up. BARBARA LOVELL - They're not stupid. You're stupid! MARILYN LOVELL - Barbara! I know you're worried but... BARBARA LOVELL - I'm not going, Mom! Dad won't even know we're there. MARILYN LOVELL - The whole world is gonna be watching this broadcast, young lady. And so are we. JIM LOVELL - Okay, good evening, America! And welcome aboard Apollo 13! I'm Jim Lovell and we're broadcasting to you tonight from an altitude of almost two hundred thousand miles away from the face of the Earth. And we have a pretty good show in store for you tonight. We are going to show you just what our life is like for the three of us... MARILYN LOVELL - Susan, Barbara. JIM LOVELL - ... here in the vast expanse of outer space. Okay, one of the first things we'd like to do is provide you with the appropriate background music. So uh, hit it there, Freddo! ["SPIRIT IN THE SKY" performed by Norman Greenbaum plays on tape recorder] FRED HAISE - Hello World! JIM LOVELL - That was supposed to be the theme to 2001 in honor of our Command Module Odyssey, but there seems to have been a last minute change in the program. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Lovell's cassette player did actually play the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme "Also Sprach Zarathustra", not "Spirit in the Sky".] ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - When I go up there on Nineteen, I'm gonna take my entire collection of Johnny Cash along. HENRY HURT - Hey, Marilyn. MARILYN LOVELL - Where's their broadcast? HENRY HURT - All the networks dumped us. One of them said we made going to the Moon about as exciting as taking a trip to Pittsburgh. BLANCH LOVELL - My son's supposed to be on. He's in outer space. ORDERLY - These are all the channels we get, Mrs. Lovell. BLANCH LOVELL - It's that damn TV guide again. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: TV Guide actually listed normal programming for that day, though with a warning that it might be preempted.] ANNOUNCER (on TV commercial) - Ruthless porters. Savage baggage masters... ["LEMONTREE" performed by Trini Lopez plays from CM] JIM LOVELL - Jack Swigert, our command module pilot has requested ... MARILYN LOVELL - Do they know they're not on the air? HENRY HURT - We'll tell them when they get back. JIM LOVELL - ...don't ya Jack? JACK SWIGERT - Well uh, if anyone from the IRS is watching, I forgot to file my 1040 return and I meant to do it today but... SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - That's no joke! They'll jump on him! FRED HAISE - Well, folks, let's head on down to the lunar excursion module. Follow me. JIM LOVELL - Now when we get ready to land on the Moon, Fred Haise and I will float through this access tunnel into the lunar module leaving... GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - EECOM. That... that stir's gonna be on both H2 and both O2 tanks, is that correct? JIM LOVELL (continues off camera, under KRANTZ) - ... Jack Swigert to pilot the command module, but until that time comes both ... JIM LOVELL - ... spacecraft will remain connected. Well, folks, as you can probably tell the Aquarius isn't much bigger than a couple of telephone booths. The skin of the LM in some places is only as thick as a couple of layers of tinfoil and that's all what protects us from the vacuum of space. We can get away with this because the LM is designed only for flight in outer space... Fred Haise; Renaissance man. Okay, we'll head back up the tunnel now, and back into the Odyssey... All right, we've returned to the command... [loud BANG in spacecraft] Stand by one, Houston. FRED HAISE - Gotcha! Ha, ha! JIM LOVELL - Houston. The bang you heard was Fred Haise on the cabin repress (re-pressurization) valve. He really gets our hearts going every time with that one... Okay, we're... we're about ready to close out the Aquarius and return to the Odyssey. Our next broadcast will be from Fra Mauro on the surface of the Moon... So, this is the crew of the Apollo 13 wishing everyone back on Earth a... a pleasant evening. MARILYN LOVELL - All right. FRED HAISE, JR - Daddy was funny. HENRY HURT - They might air a few minutes of it on the news tonight. MARILYN LOVELL - You'd think so. HENRY HURT - Bye. BARBARA LOVELL - Bye. JIM LOVELL - Well, between Jack's back taxes and the Fred Haise show, I'd say that was a pretty successful broadcast. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - That was an excellent show, Odyssey. JACK SWIGERT - Thank you very much, Houston. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We'd got a couple of housekeeping procedures for you, we'd like you to roll right to zero six zero and null your rates. JACK SWIGERT - Roger that. Rolling right, zero six zero. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - And if you could give your oxygen tanks a stir. JACK SWIGERT - Roger that. [EXPLOSION] JACK SWIGERT - Hey, we've got a problem here. JIM LOVELL - What did you do? JACK SWIGERT - Nothing. I stirred the tanks. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Whoa. Hey. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - This is Houston. Say again, please. JIM LOVELL - Houston, we have a problem. We have a main bus B undervolt. We've got a lot of thruster activity here, Houston. JACK SWIGERT - What's the story with the computer now? JIM LOVELL (answers SWIGERT) - It just went off line. JIM LOVELL (to HOUSTON) - Uh, there's another master alarm, Houston! JACK SWIGERT - I'm checking the quads! FRED HAISE - Christ, that was no repress valve! JACK SWIGERT - Maybe, it's in Quad C. JIM LOVELL - We've got a computer restart! JACK SWIGERT - I'm gonna re-configure the RCS! JIM LOVELL - We've got a ping light. JACK SWIGERT - The way these things are firing it just doesn't make any sense. JIM LOVELL - We've got multiple caution and warning, Houston... We've got to reset and restart. JACK SWIGERT - All right, I'm going SCS... DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Jesus. Flight, their heart rates are skyrocketing. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - EECOM. What's your data telling you? SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - O2 tank 2 not reading at all, tank 1 is at 725 psi and falling. Fuel cells 1 and 3 are... Oh, boy. What's going on here? Flight, let me get back to you. GNC - WHITE - Flight, GNC. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Go GNC. GNC - WHITE - Flight. They're all over the place. They keep going close to gimbal lock. TELMU - WHITE - I keep losing radio signal, Flight, their antennae must be flipped around. GNC - WHITE - ... do it manually, if they can do it at all. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - One at a time, people! One at a time! One at a time! EECOM, is this an instrumentation problem or are we looking at real power loss here? SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - It's reading a quadruple failure. That can't happen. It's gotta be instrumentation. JIM LOVELL - Let's get that hatch buttoned. The LM might have been hit by a meteor. JACK SWIGERT - Yep! FRED HAISE (to LOVELL) - The tunnel's really torquing with all this movement. FRED HAISE - Houston, we had a pretty large bang there associated with the master alarm. FRED HAISE (to LOVELL) - Shit, it's main bus A! ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - ... main bus A undervolt? FRED HAISE - Houston, we have a main bus A undervolt now, too... It's reading 25 and a half. Main bus B is reading zip right now... We got a wicked shimmy up here. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) (under KRANTZ) - Stand by one. FRED HAISE (under KRANTZ) - (intermittent voice with static) GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - EECOM, GNC. These guys are talking about bangs and shimmies up there, don't sound like instrumentation to me. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - You are breaking up, Thirteen? JACK SWIGERT - Can't get this hatch seal! JIM LOVELL - Just... ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We need you to switch to Omni... JIM LOVELL - Just stow it. If we'd been hit by a meteor, we'd be dead by now. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - ... Bravo. JIM LOVELL - I'm gonna try to get us out of this lurch. FRED HAISE - Houston, you're in the mud. Did you say switch to Omni Bravo? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that, Thirteen. FRED HAISE - Roger. And the signal strength on the high gain went way down. JIM LOVELL - It's fighting me. What's the story here, Jack? We keep flirting with gimbal lock! ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Odyssey, we need confirmation, what systems do you have down? JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Jim. SM RCS helium 1 - A and C are barber poled. FRED HAISE - I'm having a hard time reading you there. Did you say switch to Omni Charlie? JIM LOVELL - Houston, I'm switching over Quad C to Main A. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that, Thirteen. JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Houston. Fuel cell 1. Fuel cell 3. We got a main bus B undervolt, cryo pressure, suit compressor. What don't we have? AC bus 1, AC bus 2, Command Module computer, and 02 flow high. I... I don't know. Maybe, this is a caution and warning failure. JIM LOVELL - Houston... We are venting something out into space... I can see it outside of Window 1 right now... It's definitely a... a gas of some sort. JIM LOVELL (to CREW) - It's got to be the oxygen. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger, Odyssey. We copy your venting. MOCR ENGINEER - Give me an alignment GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Okay let's everybody think of the kind of things we'd be venting. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Okay now, let's start right back at the beginning. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Anything look abnormal on your system? [GARBLED CHATTER AMONG MOCR ENGINEERS] GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) (to room at large) - Okay, listen up... Quiet down, people... Quiet down! Quiet down! Let's stay cool, people. Procedures, I need another computer up in the RTCC. (Real Time Computer Complex). I want everybody to alert your support teams. Wake up anybody you need. Get them in here... Let's work the problem, people. Let's not make things worse by guessing. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Thirteen, this is Houston. We are going around the room now. We're gonna get you some answers. JACK SWIGERT - I'll tell you. We keep venting like this, we're gonna keep hitting the edge of that dead band. FRED HAISE (to LOVELL) - Hey, take a look at the O2 on number 1... 200 pounds and falling. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - O2 tank 2 still zero. Tank 1; 218 psi and falling. JIM LOVELL - Is that what you get? Confirm. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We're seeing the same, Thirteen. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Can we review our status here, Sy, let's look at these things from a... from a standpoint of status. What have we got on that spacecraft that's good? SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - I'll get back to you, Gene. FRED HAISE - We're not gonna have power much longer. This ship's bleeding to death. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Flight. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Yeah. Go, EECOM. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Uhm... Flight, I recommend we shut down the reactant valves of the fuel cells. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - What the hell good is that gonna do? SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - If that's where the leak is, we can isolate it. We can isolate it there, we can save what's left in the tanks and we can run on the good cell. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - You close 'em, you can't open them again. You can't land on the Moon with one healthy fuel cell. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Gene, the Odyssey is dying. From my chair here, this is the last option. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, Sy... CAPCOM, let's have them close the reactant valves. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Thirteen, this is Houston. We want you to close reac valves on cells 1 and 3. Do you copy? JIM LOVELL - Are you saying you want the whole smash? Closing down the reac valves for the fuel cells' shut down? Shutting down the fuel cells. Did I hear you right? GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Yeah, they heard me right... Tell them we think that's the only way they can stop the leak. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Yeah, Jim... We think that closing the reac valves may stop the leak. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Did he copy that? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Do you copy, Jim? JIM LOVELL - Yes, Houston, we copy. JIM LOVELL (to CREW) - We just lost the Moon... Okay, Freddo, shut those down. FRED HAISE - Let's see what this does. JACK SWIGERT - If this doesn't work. We're not gonna have enough power left to get home. FRED HAISE - Shit! SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - God, damn it. FRED HAISE - Ah, Houston. O2 on 1 is still falling. JIM LOVELL - Freddo, how long does it take to power up the LM? FRED HAISE - Three hours by the checklist. JIM LOVELL - We don't have that much time. FRED HAISE - Shit! JIM LOVELL - Okay, now, Jack. Before the batteries completely die on us in here, let's... let's power down everything so we can save as much as we can for re-entry. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Fifteen minutes oxygen and that's it. The Command Module will be dead. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Okay. Okay, guys! Listen up! Here's the drill! We're moving the astronauts over to the LM, we gotta get some oxygen up there. MOCR ENGINEER - Right. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - TELMU, Control, I want an emergency power procedure, the essential hardware only!... GNC, EECOM! When we're shutting down the Command Module at the same time they have to transfer the guidance system from one computer to the other, so I want those numbers up and ready when our guys are in position. GNC - WHITE - Roger that. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Okay, we gotta transfer all control data over to the LM computer before the Command Module dies. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) (to NASA DIRECTOR) - The Lunar Module's just become a lifeboat. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE)) - Odyssey, this is Houston. We need you to power down immediately, you're gonna have to power up the LM at the same time so you better get somebody over there. JIM LOVELL - We already have Freddo in the LM, Houston. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We've got serious time pressure here, Jim. You've gotta get the guidance program transferred, you gotta do it before you're out of power in the Command Module. Or you are not gonna be able to navigate up there. JIM LOVELL - How much time? Can you give me a number? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Well, we're looking at less than fifteen minutes of life support in the Odyssey. JIM LOVELL - We've got fifteen minutes, Freddo, it's worse than I thought! JIM LOVELL - Houston, beware I've moved from the Command Module into the LM. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Now, if Jack can't get that guidance computer data transferred before they go dead in there... GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - They won't even know which way they're pointed. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - That's right. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - That's a bad way to fly. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I'll be in (room) 210 if you need me. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Okay. JACK SWIGERT - Houston, this is Thirteen. Are you... are you back with me now? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Aquarius, this is Houston. You now have about twelve minutes to power up. FRED HAISE - I can't see any stars. Man, there's a lot of debris floating around out there. JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Houston. I've completed the steps on page 15. Now I'm ready to power down the computer! JIM LOVELL - I'm gonna need your gimbal angles, Jack! Before you shut down the computer! JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Jim! GNC - WHITE (to CAPCOM) - They read this back to me before they power down. SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Those number are... ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - All right, all right. I got it, I got it. Hold on. FRED HAISE - Houston, our computer is up. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that. Stand by for a minute. Now, Jack. We need to proceed from step 12 to 17 quickly... your down to about 8 minutes remaining. JACK SWIGERT - Fuel cell pumps off, O2 fans, tank 2 off. JIM LOVELL - Okay, Houston. Check me. I have completed these gimbal conversions but...I need a double check of the arithmetic. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Yeah, you can go, Jim. JIM LOVELL - Okay, the roll CAL (calibration) angle is minus 2. Lunar Module roll is 355.57. Pitch 1678. Correction, pitch 167.78. Yaw is 351.87. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Stand by, we're checking it. JIM LOVELL - We've got negative visibility in our star field, but if this paperwork isn't right, who knows where we'll... we'll end up out here. TELMU - WHITE - Looks good, Flight. CONTROL - WHITE - All right. INCO - WHITE - Good here. GNC - WHITE - He's good, Andy. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Okay, we're go on those numbers. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - You're good, Jim. JIM LOVELL - Log 'em in, Freddo. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Jack, turn off the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). Switch to SCS. Stand by. Thruster ... (Ratty Comm) ... Over. DICK CAVETT (on TV) - It's a great day in New York, isn't it? It's girl watchers' weather. CAVETT'S SIDEKICK (on TV) - Oh, yes. DICK CAVETT (on TV) - I like those ingenious girl watchers who put on Con Edison helmets and dig trenches in the street... for a better view, but I... Hey, speaking of girl watching, did you know that our first bachelor astronaut is on his way to the moon. Is it Swigert? CAVETT'S SIDEKICK (on TV) - Yeah. DICK CAVETT (on TV) - Yeah, first bachelor. He's the kind, they say, has a girl in every port. He has that reputation. I think he's sort of foolishly optimistic though, taking nylons and Hersey bars to the moon. Did you read that 3 million... What do you say, less viewers or fewer viewers. 3 million fewer viewers... 3 million fewer viewers watch the space shot then did the last one. I ...uh. Colonel Borman is... [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Ken Mattingly is shown drinking Budweiser from 16-ounce aluminium cans, which weren't available in 1970.] ANNOUNCER (on TV) - An ABC news... [MATTINGLY turns off TV] ANNOUNCER (on TV) - ...here is ABC science editor, Jules Bergman. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - The Apollo 13 spacecraft has lost all electrical power. And astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert are making their way through the tunnels of the Lunar Module using it as a lifeboat, so they'll have electrical power for their radios on the Command Module. Apollo 13 is apparently also losing breathing oxygen... MARILYN LOVELL - Slow down. An electrical failure... JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - ...and the astronauts may have to use the LM oxygen supply. MARILYN LOVELL - ...what exactly does that mean? JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - ...The emergency has ruled out any chance of a lunar landing and could endanger the lives of the astronauts themselves. If the LM's oxygen supply plus whatever is left of the Command Module's oxygen can't last them until they can get back to Earth. MARILYN LOVELL - What do you mean there's no immediate danger. I just heard they're losing oxygen. Can they get back? JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - The LM descent rocket engine will be used in aborting the mission and getting the astronauts safely back to Earth. Recapping what has happened now. The Apollo 13 astronauts may be in grave danger... MARILYN LOVELL - No, don't give me that NASA bullshit! I wanna know what's happening with my husband! JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - (continues under MARILYN) ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - ... we wanna switch control to the Aquarius now. JACK SWIGERT - Roger that! JIM LOVELL - Houston, wait! ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - And your down to about 5 minutes now, Jack. FRED HAISE - Whoa! The RCS isn't up yet! JIM LOVELL - Houston, beware! Our RCS isn't up here yet! We have no attitude control on Aquarius! GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - They don't have control? Did we miss a step here? Control, what the hell happened? CONTROL - WHITE - What? I don't know. JIM LOVELL - We're all out of whack. I'm trying to pitch down, but we're yawing to the left. Why can't I null this out. FRED HAISE - She wasn't designed to fly attached like this, our center of gravity with the Command Module. JIM LOVELL - It's like flying with a dead elephant on our back. GUIDANCE - WHITE - Flight, Guidance. We're getting awfully close to center (gimbal lock) here. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Aquarius, watch that middle gimbal. We don't want you tumbling off into space. JIM LOVELL - Freddo, inform Houston I'm well aware of goddamn gimbals. FRED HAISE - Roger that, Houston. JIM LOVELL - I don't need to hear the obvious... GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Andy, we're on VOX (Voice Activated Comm). JIM LOVELL (cont'd) - ...I got the frappin' eight-ball right in front of me. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Aquarius, this is Houston. We've got you both on VOX. FRED HAISE - You are what? You want us to go to VOX, Andy? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - You have a hot mike, we're reading everything you say. FRED HAISE - Sorry, Jim. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - ... it's only by a very narrow margin that we're going to get Lovell, Haise and Swigert back alive... JANE CONRAD - Marilyn... I'm sorry, Jeffrey's calling for you. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - ... anyway this has been very close - not so much delineated by the words in the news conference, but I think by the terseness of (Chris) Kraft and the grim lines of Jim McDivit. This has been a very close call, and we're not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. MARILYN LOVELL - Jeffrey. JEFFREY LOVELL - Why are so many people here? MARILYN LOVELL - Oh, well, you know, your Dad's flying his mission. JEFFREY LOVELL - He said he was going to get me a moonrock. MARILYN LOVELL - Right... Well... Something broke in your Daddy's spaceship. And he's gonna have to turn around before he even gets to the Moon. JEFFREY LOVELL - Was it the door? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Thirteen, Houston. We still show that venting pushing you around. How're you doing? JIM LOVELL - Houston, Aquarius... We've had to learn how to fly all over again but we are doing better up here now. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that, Aquarius. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Have 'em, close it out. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Jack, we can close out your procedure now. JACK SWIGERT - Now... Do we know for sure that we can power this thing back up?... It's going to get awfully cold in here. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Copy that, Jack. We'll just have to deal with that later. INCO - WHITE - Computer off. TELMU - WHITE - We're clear. CONTROL - WHITE - We're go on the LM. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We confirm shutdown, Jack. Lunar Module now in control. JACK SWIGERT - Roger that, Houston. This is Odyssey. Signing off. JIM LOVELL - Freddo, we're gonna have to execute some sort of a burn here, it's just a matter of when. JIM LOVELL (to SWIGERT) - Did they shut us all down in there? JACK SWIGERT - Yeah. FRED HAISE (to CREW) - Didn't think we'd be back in here so soon. FRED HAISE - Ah, Houston. How far off course do you project we are? Over. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Okay, people! Listen up! I want you all to forget the flight plan! From this moment on we are improvising a new mission... [KRANTZ turns on overhead projector and projector bulb burns out] MOCR ENGINEER (off camera) - Oh, come on! Sorry about that... we'll get somebody to look at that, there's got to be a bulb around here somewhere. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - How do we get our people home... (drawing with chalk on blackboard) They are here. We turn around, straight back... RETRO - WHITE - Yes! Gene... GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - ... direct abort. MOCR ENGINEER - No...We can't do that... JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - No, Sir, no, Sir, no, Sir. We get them on a free return's trajectory. It's the option with the fewest question marks for safety. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I agree with Jerry. We use the moon's gravity, slingshot them around. RETRO - WHITE - No, the LM will not support three guys for that amount of time. CONTROL - WHITE - It barely holds two. RETRO - WHITE - I mean we've got to do a direct abort. We do it about face. We bring the guys right home right now. CONTROL - WHITE - Get them back soon, absolutely. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - We don't even know if the Odyssey's engines even working and if there's been serious damage to this spacecraft. GUIDO - WHITE - They blow up and they die. RETRO - WHITE - That is not the argument! We're talking about time! Not whether or not these guys ... GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Hey, hold it. Let's hold it down. Let's hold it down, people. The only engine we've got with enough power for direct abort is the SPS (Service Propulsion System) on the Service Module. What, Lovell has told us it could've been damaged in an explosion, so let's consider that engine dead. We light that thing up, it can blow the whole works. It's just too risky. We're not gonna take that chance. And the only thing the Command Module is good for is the re-entry, so that leaves us with the LM... which means free return trajectory. Once we get the guys around the Moon, we'll fire up the LM's engine, make a long burn, pick up some speed, and get them home as quick as we can. RETRO - WHITE - Gene, I'm wondering what the Grumman guys think about this. GRUMMAN REP - We can't make any guarantees. We designed the LM to land on the Moon, not fire the engine out there for course correction. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Well, unfortunately, we're not landing on the Moon, are we? I don't care what anything was designed to do, I care about what it can do. So, let's get to work. Let's lay it out, okay? SY LIEBERGOT (EECOM - WHITE) - Gene... TITLE:DAY 4 MOCR ENGINEER - Capcom, Flight, he says it'll be ready in time. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) (to CAPCOM) - After this burn, we've gotta build some time in the flight plan for them to get some sleep. CAPCOM - GOLD - Run it by the FAO. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - I've run it by the FAO. MOCR ENGINEER - Do we know how long we're gonna fire that PC burn? NASA DIRECTOR (talking to SLAYTON & LUNNEY) - He specifically wanted a quote from the Flight Director. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Who wanted a quote? DEKE SLAYTON - The President. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - The President? GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Nixon. He wants odds. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - We're not losing the crew. NASA DIRECTOR - Gene, I gotta give him odds. Five to one against. Three to one. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - I don't think there that good. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - We are not losing those men! GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Control, how long are they gonna have to burn the engine at PC+2? DEKE SLAYTON (confidentally to NASA DIRECTOR) - Look, tell him. Three to one. CAPCOM - GOLD - Expect loss of signal in less than one minute. When we pick you back up, we will have your PC+2 burn data. FRED HAISE - Okay, roger that, Houston. We'll hear from you again at acquisition of signal. JIM LOVELL - You wanna look? FRED HAISE - Oh, look at that. JACK SWIGERT - Wow. CAPCOM - GOLD - Aquarius, that's 30 seconds until loss of signal. FRED HAISE - Mare Tranquillitatis. Neil and Buzz's old neighborhood. Coming up on Mountain Marilyn. Jim, you gotta take a look at this. JIM LOVELL - I've seen it. CAPCOM - GOLD - Aquarius, this is Houston. Expect loss of signal in approximately ten seconds. JACK SWIGERT - So long Earth. Catch you on the flip side. JACK SWIGERT (on TV pre-flight interview) - When you go into the shadow of the Moon and the Moon is between you and the Sun, there you see stars that are more brilliant than anything you have seen on the clearest nights here on Earth. And then you pass into the lunar sunrise over the lunar surface and... it must an awe-inspiring sight. I can't wait to see it myself. NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - The problem now is not there's so much question of adequate oxygen supply but it is the rate of consumption of water which is vitally needed for the cooling operations to maintain the electronic systems and so forth. FRED HAISE - Look, it's Fra Mauro. I can see our landing site. JACK SWIGERT - Wow. Look at the Tsiolkovsky crater. I can't believe how bright the ejecta blanket is. FRED HAISE - It's like snow... It's beautiful... That's Mare Imbrium to the north. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The Sea of Tranquility, their landing site, and other features are all on the near side, but they point out these features while they're rounding the far side of the moon.] CAPCOM - GOLD - Thirteen, this is Houston. We're reading your telemetry. It's good to see you again. FRED HAISE - Good to see you too, Houston. CAPCOM - GOLD - We're picking you up at a velocity of 7'062 feet per second, at a distance from the Moon of 56 nautical miles. Stand by for your PC+2 burn data. FRED HAISE - Gotta tell you, I had an itch to take this baby down though, and do some prospecting. Damn we were close. JIM LOVELL - Gentlemen, what are your intentions?... I'd like to go home. We got a burn coming up. We're gonna need a contingency if we lose comm with Houston. Freddo, let's... let's get an idea where we stand on the consumables. Jack, get into the Odyssey and bag up all the water you can before it freezes in there... Let's go home. CAPCOM - GOLD - Aquarius, we've got some PC+2 burn data for you, fellows. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - So you're telling me you can only give our guys 45 hours. It brings them to about there... Gentlemen, that's not acceptable. MOCR ENGINEER - Gene, Gene. We gotta talk about power here... CONTROL - WHITE - Whoa, whoa, guys! The power's everything. Power is everything. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - What you mean? CONTROL - WHITE - Without it they don't talk to us, they don't correct their trajectory, they don't turn the heatshield around... we gotta turn everything off. Now. They're not gonna make it to re-entry. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - What do you mean everything? CONTROL - WHITE - With everything on the LM draws 60 amps. At that rate in sixteen hours the batteries are dead, not 45. And so is the crew. We gotta get them down to 12 amps. MOCR ENGINEER - Whoa. 12 amps! - How many? - You can't run a vacuum cleaner on 12 amps, John. CONTROL - WHITE - We have to turn off the radars, cabin heater, instrument displays, the guidance computer, the whole smash. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Whoa. Guidance computer. What... what if they need to do another burn? Gene, they won't even know which way they're pointed . CONTROL - WHITE - The more time we talk down here, the more juice they waste up there. I've been looking at the data for the past hour. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - That's the deal? CONTROL - WHITE - That's the deal. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Okay, John. The minute we finish the burn, we'll power down the LM. CONTROL - WHITE - All right. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Now, in the meantime... we're gonna have a frozen command module up there. In a couple of days we're gonna have to power it up using nothing but the re-entry batteries. MOCR ENGINEER - Never been tried before. - Hell, we've never even simulated it before, Gene. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Well, we're gonna have to figure it out. I want people in our simulators working re-entry scenarios. I want you guys to find every engineer who designed, every switch, every circuit, every transistor and every light bulb that's up there. Then I want you to talk to the guy in the assembly line who had actually built the thing. Find out how to squeeze every amp out of both of these goddamn machines. I want this mark all the way back to Earth with time to spare. We never lost an American in space. We're sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch!. Failure is not an option! JOHN YOUNG - Ken... Ken... KEN MATTINGLY (waking from sleep) - What? Uh? JOHN YOUNG - Good you're not dead. I've been trying to get in touch with you for forty five minutes. KEN MATTINGLY - John? Jesus, John. What're you doing here? JOHN YOUNG - I gotta get you in the simulators. We got a ship to land. KEN MATTINGLY - What? JOHN YOUNG - There's been an explosion, oxygen tanks're gone, two fuel cells're gone, command module's shut down. KEN MATTINGLY - What about the crew? JOHN YOUNG - Crew's fine so far, trying to keep 'em alive in the LM. We're gonna have to shut that down pretty soon too. We got a lota people working on numbers on this one, Ken. Nobody's too sure how much power we're gonna have to hit re-entry. The command module's gonna be frozen up pretty good by then. CONTROL - WHITE - You see, this ammeter rise over twenty at any point. Power-up is no good. You see it spikes; that's sayonara for the guidance computer, our guys can't re-enter, okay? SIM TECH - How much power do we have to play with? CONTROL - WHITE - Barely enough to run this (points to an original MR. COFFEE) coffeepot for 9 hours. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Mr. Coffee drip coffee makers didn't exist in 1970.] SIM TECH 2 (on headset) - John. CONTROL - WHITE - Go. SIM TECH 2 (on headset) - Yeah. Ken Mattingly just got here. CONTROL - WHITE - Copy. (to SIM TECH) He's here. JOHN YOUNG - They've been losing heat since the accident. They're gonna start getting a lot of water condensation on the control panels. CONTROL - WHITE - Ken... Glad you're here. You know what's going on? KEN MATTINGLY - Ah, John's brought me up speed. What do we have left in the batteries? CONTROL - WHITE - We don't really know. KEN MATTINGLY - We gotta get started on some short cuts for power-up. CONTROL - WHITE - Yeah. You know how short? KEN MATTINGLY - Well, that's all in the sequences, John. If we can skip whatever we don't absolutely need, and turn things on in the right order, maybe... CONTROL - WHITE - I agree. KEN MATTINGLY - You start on a procedure? CONTROL - WHITE - Well, the engineers have tried but, I mean... it's your ship, we gotta get you in there. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay. Frank. I need the sim(ulator) cold and dark. Give me the exact same conditions they've got in there now and I need the present status of every instrument. SIM TECH - You've got it. KEN MATTINGLY - I need a flashlight. That's not what they have up there. Don't give me anything they don't have onboard. SIM TECH - Let's get the show on the road. Put him in space, fellas. JIM LOVELL - Okay, Houston. The Quad heater circuit breakers are open. CAPCOM - GOLD - Copy that. FRED HAISE - We're using the forward Omni when the earth's in the window, and we're switching to aft Omni when we see the moon. CAPCOM - GOLD - We copy that, Thirteen. Aquarius, we don't want you do make any more waste dumps, the venting may pushing you off course. FRED HAISE - Christ. JACK SWIGERT - What's up? JIM LOVELL - No more waste dumps. We're just gonna have to store it. Jack, we're gonna need some more urine bags. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The real reason for the crew to stop urine dumps was to avoid a cloud of droplets around the vehicle which would have confused radar tracking from the ground. However the ground forgot to tell the crew that it was okay to continue urine dumps after the tracking was finished.] JIM LOVELL - Okay, Houston. It leaves us with just the computer which I'm shutting down now... And that's it... (to CREW) We just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver's seat. MOCR ENGINEER - Is it A.M. or P.M.? GUIDO - WHITE - A.M... very, very A.M. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Haise is running a temperature and none of them have slept since the explosion. DEKE SLAYTON - I can't order these guys to go to sleep... could you sleep up there? MOCR ENGINEER - It's gonna get awfully cold in there for those guys. EECOM - GOLD - Gene. We have a situation brewing with the carbon dioxide. TELMU - GOLD - We have a CO2 filter problem in the Lunar Module. EECOM - GOLD - Five filters on the LM. TELMU - GOLD - Which were meant for two guys for a day and a half. EECOM - GOLD - That's what I told the Doc. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - They're already up to eight on the gauges, anything over 15 and you get impaired judgment, blackouts, the beginnings of brain asphyxia. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - What about the scrubbers on the command module? EECOM - GOLD - They take square cartridges. TELMU - GOLD - The ones on the LM are round. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) (to LUNNEY) - Tell me this isn't a government operation. EECOM - GOLD - This isn't a contingency we're remotely looked at. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Those CO2 levels are gonna be getting toxic. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Well, I suggest you, gentlemen, invent a way to put a square peg in a round hole. Rapidly. TECHNICIAN - Okay, people. Listen up. The people upstairs handed us this one and we gotta come through. We gotta find a way to make this... fit into the hole for this... using nothing but that. TECHNICIAN 2 - Let's get it organized. TECHNICIAN 3 - Okay, okay. Let's build a filter. TECHNICIAN - Better get some coffee going too, someone. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: Ed Smylie had already designed the basic concept in his head when he arrived at Mission Control.] NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - Haise's family lives in El Lago, Texas. His wife, Mary, is from Biloxi, Mississippi. When Fred Haise was growing up in Biloxi, he may have looked ahead to a fine family but he never dreamt of flying. FRED HASIE (on TV pre-flight interview) - I'd never flown really before I went into service and I only went into the flying business as a means to getting a commission. HENRY HURT - Good morning. MARILYN LOVELL - Henry! Don't you ever sleep? HENRY HURT - I... I have a request from the news people. MARILYN LOVELL - Uh-Huh. HENRY HURT - They're out front here. They wanna put a transmitter up on the lawn. MARILYN LOVELL - A transmitter? HENRY HURT - It's a kind of a tower for live broadcast. MARILYN LOVELL - I thought they didn't care about this mission. They didn't even run Jim's show. HENRY HURT - Well, it's more dramatic now. Suddenly people are... MARILYN LOVELL - Well if landing on the moon wasn't dramatic enough for them, why should not landing on it be? HENRY HURT - Look. I... I realize how hard this is, Marilyn, but the whole world is caught up in it and it's... the biggest story since... MARILYN LOVELL - No, Henry. Those people don't put one piece of equipment on my lawn. If they have a problem with that, they can take it up with my husband. He'll be home... on Friday. TITLE:DAY 5 ["HONKY TONKIN'" performed by Hank Williams plays on tape recorder in LM] JIM LOVELL - Hey, Fred. It's too cold in there... (sees photo) It's a nice one of Mary... (notices HAISE) You don't look too good, Freddo. FRED HAISE - I'll survive. JIM LOVELL - There's some aspirin in the medical kit. FRED HAISE - I took some. Jim, I'm all right... It was an accident, Mary gettin' pregnant. You should have seen the look on my face when she told me. JIM LOVELL - Well, that has a tendency to happen. FRED HAISE - Yeah... I wonder if it's a boy or a girl. JIM LOVELL - You're gonna find out soon enough. FRED HAISE - Sure... I never dreamed that I'd ever get to this something like this - come up here on a real mission. Most of the guys I graduated high school with never even left home... and here I am. JIM LOVELL - Oh, yeah... Here you are... FRED HAISE - It hurts when I urinate. JIM LOVELL - Well, you're not getting enough water. FRED HAISE - I'm drinking my ration, same as you. I think old Swigert gave me the clap. He's been pissin' in my relief tube. JIM LOVELL - Well... That'll be a hot one at the debriefing for the flight surgeon. That's another first for America's space program. FRED HAISE - Listen... Uhm... I've been going over some stuff and I'm a little worried about this cold affecting our battery efficiency. See we quit heating the glycol to save water and power, so that's not helping us any. JIM LOVELL - So it could cost us amp hours on the back end? FRED HAISE - It's a possibility. JACK SWIGERT (interupting HAISE & LOVELL) - I've been going over the numbers again. Have they called up with a re-entry plan yet? Because we're coming in too shallow. JIM LOVELL - We're working on something, Jack. Just hold on. JACK SWIGERT - All right, all right. FRED HAISE - I can't remember the ratio to temperature. We've got no references on board. JIM LOVELL - Well, let's see if Houston can pull up the mill specs (Millitary Specifications) on it and we'll... JACK SWIGERT (interupting LOVELL) - Listen. Listen. Listen. They gave us too much Delta-V. They had us burn too long. At this rate we're gonna skip right out of the atmosphere, and we're never gonna get back. FRED HAISE - What're you talking about? How did you figure that? JACK SWIGERT - I can add. JIM LOVELL - Jack, they've got half of the PH.D's on the planet working on this stuff. FRED HAISE - Houston says we're right on the money. JACK SWIGERT - What if they had made a mistake, all right, and there was no way to reverse it . You think they would tell us? There's no reason for them to tell us. FRED HAISE - What you mean they're not gonna tell us. That's bullshit! JIM LOVELL - All right! There are thousand things that have to happen in order we are on number 8, you're talking about number 692. JACK SWIGERT - And in the meantime, I'm trying to tell you we're coming in too fast. I think they know it, and I think that's why we don't have a goddamn re-entry plan. JIM LOVELL - That's duly noted. Thank you, Jack. [SWIGERT bangs his head on tunnel access] JACK SWIGERT - Ow! God! Damn this piece of shit! FRED HAISE - Hey! This piece of shit's gonna get you home JIM LOVELL - All right. FRED HAISE - That's because it's the only thing we've got left, Jack! JACK SWIGERT - What're you saying, Fred? FRED HAISE - Well, I think you know what I'm saying. JACK SWIGERT - Now wait a minute. All I did was stir those tanks. FRED HAISE - What was that gauge reading before you hit the switch. JACK SWIGERT - Hey, don't tell me how to fly the damn CM, all right! FRED HAISE - You don't even know, do you?! JACK SWIGERT - They brought me in here to do a job, they asked me to stir the damn tanks and I stirred the tanks! JIM LOVELL - Jack, stop kicking yourself in the ass. JACK SWIGERT - This is not my fault! JIM LOVELL - No one is saying it is. If I'm in the left-hand seat when the call comes up, I stir the tanks. JACK SWIGERT - Yeah, Well tell him that. FRED HAISE - I just asked you what the gauge was reading. JIM LOVELL - All right... FRED HAISE - And you don't know! JIM LOVELL - All right, we're not doing this, Gentlemen. We're not gonna do this. We're not gonna go bouncing off the walls for ten minutes. 'Cause we're just gonna end up right back here with the same problems. Try to figure out how to stay alive! CAPCOM - GOLD - Aquarius, this is Houston. JIM LOVELL (shouts) - Are we on VOX! FRED HAISE - No, we're not on VOX! JIM LOVELL (calmly) - Yeah, Houston, this is Aquarius. Go ahead. CAPCOM - GOLD - Ah, yeah, Jim. Could you check your CO2 gauge for us? JIM LOVELL - Yeah, Houston. We were just looking at that. Our CO2 measurement has jumped four notches in the last hour. FRED HAISE - That can't be right. I went over those numbers three times. CAPCOM - GOLD - Jim, that sounds about right. We were expecting that. JIM LOVELL - Well, that's very comforting to know, Houston. What do we do about it? CAPCOM - GOLD - Jim, we're working on a procedure down here for you... Do you copy? FRED HAISE - Oh, Christ. JIM LOVELL - All right, Houston. We're standing by for those procedures. FRED HAISE - Christ, I know why my numbers are wrong. I only figured it for two people. JACK SWIGERT - Maybe I should just hold my breath. NEW ANCHOR (on TV) - ... the deadly CO2 gas is literally poisoning the astronauts with every breath... TECHNICIAN - Heads up. Heads up. TECHNICIAN 2 - Oh, Go, Go, Go. TECHNICIAN - Someone get that. TECHNICIAN - Heads up, people. Look out now. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - What's this? TECHNICIAN - That's what they gotta make. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Well I hope you got the procedures for me. TECHNICIAN - Right here. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - That's it? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - All right, Aquarius, this is Houston. do you have the flight plan up there? FRED HAISE - Affirmative, Andy. Jack's got one right here. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Okay, we have a... an unusual procedure for you here. We need you to rip the cover off. FRED HAISE - He wants you to rip the cover off the flight plan. JACK SWIGERT - With pleasure. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - All right, now the other materials you're gonna need there are a lithium hydroxide canister... two lithium hydroxide canisters, I'm sorry. A roll of gray tape. TECHNICIAN (correcting CAPCOM) - Duct tape. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - The duct tape. You need an LCG (Liquid-Cooled Garment) bag, two LCG bags, red suit hoses and you've got the flight plan cover. REPORTER - Excuse me, can you give me a timetable? REPORTER - What about their level of carbon dioxide? HENRY HURT - It's... uh, climbing. REPORTER - You're saying that they're almost out of breathable air? NASA DIRECTOR - No, wait a second. Wait a second. That's... that's not what he said. He said we're working on it. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - You wanna cut the duct tape three feet long. TECHNICIAN - Tell him to use his arm. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Just use your arm. It's a good arms length. FRED HAISE - Okay. Houston, I see what you're getting at, hold on. Okay, Jack. Tear that piece of tape down the middle lengthwise. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Alright? FRED HAISE - Hold on, Houston. NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - Well, the astronauts appear to have enough oxygen to keep them alive. One thing they have too much of is carbon dioxide. With each breath that three men exhale more of the poisonous gas into the lunar module cockpit and the scrubbers intended to keep the atmosphere breathable are quickly becoming saturated. FRED HAISE - Shit, I tore it. JACK SWIGERT - Shit. FRED HAISE - Houston, what do we do if we rip the bag? can we tape it? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - They just tore the bag. TECHNICIAN - Oh, no. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - All right, stand by. ANDY (CAPCOM-WHITE) (to TECHNICIAN) - What should I tell them to do? TECHNICIAN - They should have one more bag. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) (with WALLY SCHIRRA) - Well, they still got a long way to come and they are now working on their back-up facilities, their emergency facilities and the problem is if anything more goes wrong, they're in real trouble. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - ... as most of you are aware there is no rescue possible in space flight, any rescue system the space agency has long since calculated, any since... any rescue system the space agency calculated... JIM LOVELL - One sock. Work it in. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Once you have the sock in place. We're gonna want you to bungee the entire filter assembly to the bulkhead, right above the LM canister. JACK SWIGERT - We getting close to 15. REPORTER - So how does this flight compare to other emergency situations you faced? NASA DIRECTOR - Well, I have to say that this is the most serious situation we've ever encountered in manned space flight. FRED HAISE - Houston, filters in place. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger, Thirteen. FRED HAISE - Cabin gas return to egress, suit circuit relief to close, CO2 canister select to secondary. All right, here it goes. JACK SWIGERT - I can hear air moving JIM LOVELL - Just breathe normal, fellas. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Aquarius, please advise on CO2 status. JIM LOVELL - Yeah, Houston. We're taking a look at those numbers right now... We're still holding close to 15, Houston. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Roger that. Standing by. JIM LOVELL - Houston. The CO2 level has dropped to 9... and it is still falling. MOCR ENGINEER - Yes. Yes. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Great job you guys. ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - It is good to hear, Aquarius. ANDY (CAPCOM-WHITE) (to TECHNICIAN) - And you, sir, are a steely-eyed missile man. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, spacecraft control to computer. CONTROL - WHITE - Damn. KEN MATTINGLY - Damn... We overloaded. We used way too much power and there must be a sneak circuit some place between steps 7 and 10. CONTROL - WHITE - All right. Which one has the leak? KEN MATTINGLY - No, not yet, John. It... The sequence was wrong. We just have to go back and try 'em one at a time. JOHN YOUNG - You need a break, Ken? KEN MATTINGLY - If they don't get one, I don't get one. BLANCH LOVELL - Well, if it won't work, get me another one. My son's supposed to be on. ORDERLY - I know, Mrs. Lovell. MARILYN LOVELL - Hi, Blanch. BLANCH LOVELL - They can't fix a damn thing in this place. MARILYN LOVELL - Blanch. It's Marilyn. BARBARA LOVELL - Hi, Grandma! BLANCH LOVELL - I was gonna see Jimmy. MARILYN LOVELL - I know. I know. We came to tell you something. There's been an accident. Jimmy's okay. He's all right... But he's not gonna get to walk on the moon. BLANCH LOVELL - Well, they said he was. MARILYN LOVELL - I know. I know, uhm... That was before. Now there's been an explosion. And... they're all okay, they're all right. But now they're just going to... try to figure out a way to get them home. And... and it's a little bit dangerous. (to SUSAN) Oh, sweetie. BLANCH LOVELL (to SUSAN) - Are you scared? Well, don't you worry, honey. If they could get a washing machine to fly, my Jimmy could land it. ["BLUE MOON" performed by The Mavericks plays on tape recorder] CAPCOM - GOLD - Jack. You'll be happy to hear that we contacted President Nixon, and he's gonna grant you an extension on your income taxes since you are most decidedly out of the country. JACK SWIGERT - Roger that, Houston. That's wonderful news. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Tell them they have to sleep. Haise is running a fever of a 104. CAPCOM - GOLD - Thirteen. Listen, we've had another request from Flight Surgeon that you fellas get some more sleep. He doesn't like his readings down here. JIM LOVELL - Let's see how he feels about this. I'm sick and tired of the entire Western world knowing how my kidneys are functioning. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Flight. I just lost Lovell! CAPCOM - GOLD - Uh, Thirteen. This is Houston. Jim, we just had a drop out on your biomed sensors? JIM LOVELL - I'm not wearing my biomed sensors, Houston. CAPCOM - GOLD - Okay, Jim. Copy that. DR. CHUCK (FLIGHT SURGEON) - Flight. Now I'm losing all three of them! GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - It's just a little medical mutiny, Doc I'm sure the guys are still with us. Let's cut 'em some slack, okay? TITLE:DAY 6 GNC - WHITE - Gene, it's not the velocity, it's the angle. I mean maybe, they're still venting something and that's throwing off the trajectory, but we are definitely shallow again. We're up to a 5.9. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Damn It RETRO - WHITE - At this rate they nick the Earth's atmosphere and bounce off into space, we'll never get them back. RETRO - WHITE - We need another burn to get them back in the entry corridor. GNC - WHITE - Definitely another burn. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Another burn. RETRO - WHITE - Fire the engines and get them on course. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Copy that. CAPCOM - GOLD - Aquarius, this is Houston. JIM LOVELL - Houston, Aquarius. CAPCOM - GOLD - Jim, we've got another course correction for you. JACK SWIGERT - What's up? FRED HAISE - Something about another course correction. JIM LOVELL - We copy, Houston. Be advised it's gonna take Freddo and I awhile to power up the computer for the alignment platform if we have to fire the engine. CAPCOM - GOLD - Negative on that, Jim. We can't spare power for the computer. FRED HAISE - We gotta do this blind? JIM LOVELL - Houston, without the computer, what do we use for orientation? GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Now, come on. We gotta be able to give these guys something up there. GUIDO - WHITE - Without power, we can't give them a read. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I'm not talking about power, I'm talking about reference. GNC - WHITE - No, no. There's no references. We have a bunch of debris up there. JIM LOVELL - Houston. What's the story with this burn? CAPCOM - GOLD - We're trying to hash something out down here, Aquarius. Stand by. JIM LOVELL - Well. Now look, Houston. All we need to hold attitude is one fixed point in space. Is that not correct? CAPCOM - GOLD - Yeah, roger that, Jim. JIM LOVELL - Well, Houston, we've got one! If we can keep the Earth in the window, fly manually, the co-ax crosshairs right on its terminator. All I have to know is how long do we need to burn the engine... (to CREW) The shorter, the better. CAPCOM - GOLD - Roger that, Jim. GNC - WHITE - Can they fly it manually? And still shut it down on time without the computer? GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I guess, that's the best we can do, Glynn. We're out of time. NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - In order to enter the atmosphere safely, the crew must aim for a corridor just two and a half degrees wide. If they're too steep, they will incinerate in the steadily thickening air, if they're too shallow, they'll ricochet off the atmosphere like a rock skipping off a pond. The re-entry corridor is in fact so narrow, that if this basketball were the earth, and this softball were the moon, and the two were placed fourteen feet apart, the crew would have to hit a target no thicker than this piece of paper. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Okay, people. On your toes. We're doing this one blind. GRUMMAN REP - Gene, I want you to understand we've never tried this before, burn, cold soak, burn, cold soak, burn, manual control. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Look, it will ignite, will it not? GRUMMAN REP - I just want you to know the engines never been tried like this. That's all I'm trying to tell you. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Look, I know what you're trying to do, I guarantee you I won't hold you personally responsible. If it lights, it lights. Let Lovell do the rest. GRUMMAN REP - Okay. NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - They're gonna burn the engines and steer it manually, attempting to keep the earth in the window... JIM LOVELL -Okay, this gonna take all three of us. Freddo, you handle the pitch. But on the translation controllers all backwards so if the... the Earth starts drifting down you need to thrust 'aft' not 'forward'. I'll do the same on mine with everything else. We're gonna burn at 10 percent thrust for thirty-nine seconds, Jack, you time us. JACK SWIGERT - Got it. JIM LOVELL (to SWIGERT) - Give us a count of the last ten seconds up to thirty-nine. Let's not miss this. JIM LOVELL (to HAISE) - You up to this, Freddo? FRED HAISE - I'm with you. JIM LOVELL (to HOUSTON) - Standing by for corridor control burn. CAPCOM - GOLD - Okay, Jim. You can fire when ready. You are go for the manual burn. JIM LOVELL - Okay, X plus button at 10 seconds. Mark. FRED HAISE - Come on, baby. One more burn. JACK SWIGERT - 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4... FRED HAISE - Ullage is go. JACK SWIGERT - ...3, 2, 1. JIM LOVELL - Ignition. FRED HAISE - She's burning! JIM LOVELL - Oh yeah. JACK SWIGERT - Master arm off. FRED HAISE - Okay, here we go! JIM LOVELL - Helium regulator on. JACK SWIGERT - RCS is go, 10 percent thrust. JIM LOVELL - Bring her around, Freddo. FRED HAISE - I'm trying, but it's draggin' JACK SWIGERT - 10 seconds. JIM LOVELL - All right. Drop it down, Freddo. JIM LOVELL - We're drifting! No hold what you've got. I'll roll it. Back off. FRED HAISE - I can't get it stable. FRED HAISE - She's dancing all over the place! JIM LOVELL - Come to the right a little bit. JACK SWIGERT - 15 seconds. FRED HAISE - She's drifting, I'm losing attitude. JIM LOVELL - Okay. Hold it up there. Back No Freddo! Back! FRED HAISE - Shit. I'm losing it! JACK SWIGERT - 20 seconds. FRED HAISE - Bring the earth up. JACK SWIGERT - Forward, Fred, come on. Forward. FRED HAISE - Shit, Shit. I lost it! JIM LOVELL - Where is it? Where is it?! JIM LOVELL - 7:00 helium regulator's closed. JIM LOVELL - Bring it down, Freddo. Just nose it down FRED HAISE - Uh Okay, I... I got it! JACK SWIGERT - 30 seconds. FRED HAISE - Okay, she's coming in. JIM LOVELL - Little farther, ease your touch. Damn it! Damn it, that's mine. That's me around FRED HAISE - A little more. Come on, baby. JIM LOVELL - Come on. That's it. Hold it. Damn it. JACK SWIGERT - 5, 6, 7... JIM LOVELL - Back, back! That's it. Hold it. Steady. JACK SWIGERT - 8... JIM LOVELL - Steady. JACK SWIGERT - 9. JIM LOVELL - Shut down!... Houston, we have shutdown. CAPCOM - GOLD - That's close enough, Jim. Good work. GRUMMAN REP - I knew it! I knew it! How 'bout that LM, huh? How 'bout it? GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I guess you can keep your job. GRUMMAN REP - You betcha. CAPCOM - GOLD - Thirteen, stand by. We're evaluating our power usage on that burn. JIM LOVELL (to CREW) - Well let's hope we don't have to do that again. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Gentlemen. You've given our guys enough to survive till re-entry. Well done... Now we gotta get them in. Tell me about the power procedures. KEN MATTINGLY - Here's the order of what I want to do. I want to power up guidance, ECS, communications, warm up the pyros for the parachute and the command module thrusters. CONTROL - WHITE - The thrusters are gonna put you overbudget on amps, Ken. KEN MATTINGLY - Well, they've been sitting at 200 hundred below for four days, John, they gotta be heated. CONTROL - WHITE - Fine, then trade off the parachutes. Something. KEN MATTINGLY - Well, if the chutes don't open, what's the point? CONTROL - WHITE - Ken, you're telling me what you need, I'm telling you what we have to work with at this point. I'm not making this stuff up. KEN MATTINGLY - They're gonna need all these systems, John. CONTROL - WHITE - We do not have the power, Ken! We just don't have it. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, I'm gonna go back and reorganize the sequencing again and find more power. Let's start from scratch. Clear the board. CONTROL - WHITE - I don't know where the hell we're gonna find it. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell has more time in space, almost 24 days already, than any other man. And I asked him recently, if he ever was scared. JIM LOVELL (on TV pre-flight) - Oh well, I've had an engine flame out a few times in an aircraft, and I was kind of curious as to whether it was gonna light up again, things of that nature, but uh, they seemed to work out... JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - Is there a specific instance in an airplane emergency when you can recall fear? JIM LOVELL (on TV pre-flight) - Oh, well, I'll tell you, I remember this one time. I'm... I'm in a (McDonnell F2H) Banshee at night in combat conditions, so there's no running lights on the carrier. It was the Shangri-La and we were in the Sea of Japan, and my... my radar had jammed, and my homing signal was gone because somebody in Japan was actually using the same frequency and so it was... was leading me away from where I was supposed to be. And I'm looking down at that big black ocean. So... I flip on my map light. And then suddenly zap everything shorts out right there in my cockpit, all my instruments are gone, my lights are gone, I can't even tell now what my altitude is. I know I'm running out of fuel, so I'm thinking about... about ditching in the ocean and I... I look down there and then... in... in the darkness there's this... there's this green trail, it's like a long carpet that just laid out right beneath me, and it was the algae, right. It was that phosphorescent stuff that gets turned up in the wake of a big ship and it was... it was... it was just leading me home. And... if my cockpit lights hadn't shorted out, there's no way I had ever been able to see that. So a... you a... you never know what... what events are gonna transpire to get you home. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - Okay. Spacecraft Commander Jim Lovell, no stranger to emergency is he. JACK SWIGERT - How's it going, Fred. FRED HAISE - I'm okay. [EXPLOSION] JACK SWIGERT - What the hell was that? JIM LOVELL - Let's hope it was just the (helium) burst disk. JIM LOVELL - Houston, can you confirm a burst helium disk? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - We confirm that, Jim. JIM LOVELL - Houston, is that gonna affect our entry angle at all? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Negative. Your entry angle is holding at 6.24, Aquarius. JIM LOVELL - Houston, uh... we sure could use the re-entry procedure up here. When can we expect that? ANDY (CAPCOM - WHITE) - Uh, that's coming real soon, Aquarius. JIM LOVELL - Houston... We... We just can't throw this together at the last minute. So, here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna get the procedure up to us whatever it is. And we're gonna go over it step by step so there's no foul-ups. I don't have to tell you we're all little tired up here. The world's getting awfully big in the window. DEKE SLAYTON - Jim, this is Deke. FRED HAISE (to SWIGERT) - It's Deke. JACK SWIGERT - They don't know how to do it. FRED HAISE (to LOVELL) - Maybe, Jack's right. JIM LOVELL - Hello there, Deke, what's the story? DEKE SLAYTON - Jim, we're gonna get that power procedure to you, we're gonna get it as soon as we possibly can. Ken Mattingly's in the simulator right now. JIM LOVELL (to SWIGERT) - Ken's working on it. KEN MATTINGLY - Look. I know this sequence works, John. CONTROL - WHITE - The sequence looks good, we're just overbudget on the amperage. KEN MATTINGLY - By, how much? CONTROL - WHITE - 3 or 4 amps. KEN MATTINGLY - God, damn it, John. Is it 3 or 4? JOHN YOUNG - 4. CONTROL - WHITE - 4! KEN MATTINGLY - 4 more amps... We know they have some power left in the LM batteries, right? CONTROL - WHITE - Yeah. KEN MATTINGLY - We have an umbilical that provides power from the command module to the LM. JOHN YOUNG - Right. It's back-up for the LM power supply. CONTROL - WHITE - I'm listening. KEN MATTINGLY - So... Reverse it. Reverse the flow and see if we can draw these 4 amps from the LM batteries before we cut it loose. Why can't we do that? CONTROL - WHITE - We don't have the procedure for that, do we? JOHN YOUNG - You're gonna lose a lot in the transfer, Ken. KEN MATTINGLY - Yeah, yeah. But all we're talking about here is 4 amps. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I want whatever you guys got on these power procedures. DEKE SLAYTON - Gene. They're already... GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - I don't want the whole damn bible. Just gimme a couple chapters. We gotta get something up to these guys. DEKE SLAYTON - They're working on it now. FAO - WHITE - I'll call over at the simulator and get an estimate... GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - God, damn it! I don't want another estimate! I want the procedures! Now! KEN MATTINGLY - IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is up. How am I reading? CONTROL - WHITE - Fine so far. KEN MATTINGLY - Say again. CONTROL - WHITE - You're under the limit. Keep going. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay. Floodlights to fixed. Okay. I'm bringing up the guidance... Here we go... CMC (Command Module Computer) attitude IMU, CMC source, CMC mode auto, and we're on the computer. CONTROL - WHITE - Ken? KEN MATTINGLY - Go ahead. CONTROL - WHITE - Is your computer on now? KEN MATTINGLY - Up and running. How do we look? (no response) John... CONTROL - WHITE - I think we've got it, buddy. KEN MATTINGLY - Arthur, my notes are clear on that last sequence, right? ARTHUR (EECOM) - Yeah! GUARD - Your from building 5 right? JOHN YOUNG - Excuse me, Gentlemen! KEN MATTINGLY - I was getting a little blurry there. GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Here's Ken. Here's John. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Good to see you, Ken. CONTROL - WHITE - This is the sequence. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Was it try on the hardware yet? CONTROL - WHITE - We didn't have time. KEN MATTINGLY - Aquarius, Houston. Do you read? JIM LOVELL - Yeah, we read you, Ken. Are the flowers blooming in Houston? KEN MATTINGLY - Uh, that's a negative, Jim. I don't have the measles... Jim, is Jack in there with you? JIM LOVELL - Yeah, stand by one, we gotta get him on comm. WOMAN - Put those on the table. JANE CONRAD - Oh, damn it! Thanks Jackie. MARILYN LOVELL (to ARMSTRONG) - I think it would really help if you could just distract her when the heavy predictions come in. NEIL ARMSTRONG - Yeah, yeah. We'll give it a shot. MARILYN LOVELL - Thanks... Blanch. Blanch, these nice young men are gonna watch the television with you. This is Neil Armstrong and this is Buzz Aldrin. NEIL ARMSTRONG - Nice to meet you. BUZZ ALDRIN - Hi. BLANCH LOVELL - Are you boys in the space program too? KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, Jack. Give me a read back on that last procedure. JACK SWIGERT - Stand by, Ken... Ken, I'm a... Well, I'm having trouble reading my own writing. I guess, I'm a little more tired than I thought. KEN MATTINGLY - Don't worry, Jack. I'll talk to you through it. Okay, find the main bus breakers on panel 11. JACK SWIGERT - Yeah, main bus breakers. Got it. KEN MATTINGLY - Close main bus B. JACK SWIGERT - Uh, Ken, there's an awful lot of condensation on these panels What's the word on these things shorting out. KEN MATTINGLY - We'll just take that one at a time, Jack. JACK SWIGERT - It's like trying to drive a toaster through a car wash. JACK SWIGERT - Main bus B is closed. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, Thirteen. We're coming up on entry interface. JERRY (FIDO - WHITE) - Flight. We're still shallowing up a bit in the re-entry corridor. It's almost like they're under weight. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Now how could they be under weight? RETRO - WHITE - We didn't land on the Moon. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Rocks? RETRO - WHITE - That's affirm. KEN MATTINGLY - One more thing, Jim. While Jack's working on the power-up, we'd like you and Freddo to transfer some ballast over to the command module. JIM LOVELL - Say again, Houston. Ballast? KEN MATTINGLY - That's affirm... We gotta get the weight right. We were expecting you to be toting a couple of hundred pounds of moonrocks. JIM LOVELL - Right, Houston. [Here is how the movie departs from the actual mission: The real reason for transferring transferring ballast from the Lunar Module to the command module was to keep the command module properly balanced (correct center of gravity) after they jettisoned the Lunar Module and Service Module.] KEN MATTINGLY - Now, Jack. JACK SWIGERT - Yeah, go ahead, Ken. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, now... Panel 5. Circuit breakers 'caution and warning', main B closed. JACK SWIGERT - Main B closed... Master alarm off... KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, Jack. On panel 7, B mag (magazine) number 2, power to warm up. JACK SWIGERT - B mag number 2. Power to warm up. Done. KEN MATTINGLY - Sequential logic1 and 2 on. JACK SWIGERT - Sequential logic... 2 on. KEN MATTINGLY - CM RCS pressure on. JACK SWIGERT - CM RCS pressurization. TITLE:DAY 7 REPORTER - As her husband prepares to jettison his lunar module lifeboat, Marilyn Lovell waits with her children, her neighbors, and we are told, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Only the Lovell's eldest son, Jay, is absent as he holds vigil with his classmates at the St. Johns military academy in Wisconsin. ANNOUNCER (on TV) - ABC news science editor, Jules Bergman. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - With a crippled command module and surviving by using the LM's systems, there can be no easy maneuver. And their LM lifeboat is doing things and working longer then it was ever intended to. It's a race against time until splashdown... KEN MATTINGLY - Okay, Jack. We're ready to see if the computer will accept uplink of the re-entry data now. JACK SWIGERT - Okay. The IMU's up. We got our eight-balls back. KEN MATTINGLY - Copy that. JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Ken... Uplink telemetry, command module to accept, right? KEN MATTINGLY - That's affirm. Go ahead and try it. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Come on. JACK SWIGERT - Uplink completed. CONTROL - WHITE - Yeah. That's more like it! GLYNN LUNNEY (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - GOLD) - Let's go. KEN MATTINGLY - Take a look at your amps. How we doing? JACK SWIGERT - You got her back up, Ken. Boy, I wish you were here to see it. KEN MATTINGLY - I bet you do. FRED HAISE - Way to go, Jack. RETRO - WHITE - Flight, this is RETRO. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Go, RETRO. RETRO - WHITE - Flight. We are looking at a typhoon warning at the edge of the prime recovery zone. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Say again, RETRO. RETRO - WHITE - Flight. We are looking at a typhoon warning on the edge of the prime recovery area, now this is just a warning, Flight, it could miss them. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Only if their luck changes. JACK SWIGERT - Jim, we're ready for SM jettison! JIM LOVELL - All right, Jack. On 3... 1, 2. Upward thrust! JACK SWIGERT - We're loose! JIM LOVELL - Reverse thrust! JACK SWIGERT - We have service module jettison. JIM LOVELL - Okay, Houston, our Service Module is free. We're gonna take a look at what we have here. KEN MATTINGLY - Copy that. FRED HAISE - There it is. I see it. JIM LOVELL - Oh. Houston. We're getting our first look at the Service module now. One whole side of the spacecraft is missing. Right by the high gain antenna the whole panel is blown out. Right up... Right up to our heatshield. KEN MATTINGLY - Uh, copy that, Aquarius. FRED HAISE - It looked like it got the engine bell, too. Can you see that? JACK SWIGERT - Oh, man. That's incredible. DEKE SLAYTON - The heatshield. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - The heat will build up to as much as three or four thousand degrees Fahrenheit. On a lunar re-entry flight the heat approaches four thousand degrees. NEIL ARMSTRONG - So Blanch. Blanch, did... did Jim make Eagle Scout or not? BLANCH LOVELL - Yes, he did. NEIL ARMSTRONG - He did? NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - If the heatshield is even slightly cracked, the extreme cold could split it wide open. Worst of all, if the pyrotechnics for controlling the parachutes have been damaged, the chutes may not open at all causing the spacecraft to hit the water not at a gentle 20 miles per hour but at a suicidal 300. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - Perhaps never in human history has the entire world been united by such a global drama. In New York city, thousands of people have gathered to watch updates to the mission in Time Square. NEWS ANCHOR (on TV) - Many countries offered help. And the State Department said it would ask for it, if it were needed. The House and Senate passed resolutions calling on the American people to pray tonight for the astronauts. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - In Rome pope Paul led fifty thousand people in prayers for the safe return of the astronauts. In Jerusalem, prayers at the Wailing Wall... JIM LOVELL - It's about time to bail out of this ship, Freddo. Freddo? You okay? FRED HAISE - I'm, uh, I'm freezing. JIM LOVELL - Can you old out just a little longer? FRED HAISE - As long as I have to. JIM LOVELL - Aw, come on. FRED HAISE - Damn. JIM LOVELL - It won't be long. Just a little while longer, Freddo... FRED HAISE - Yeah. JIM LOVELL - Just a little while longer. We're gonna hit that water in the South Pacific, open up that hatch. It's 80 degrees out there. FRED HAISE - 80 degrees. JIM LOVELL - You are a mess. FRED HAISE - Yeah. KEN MATTINGLY - Odyssey, Houston. How we doing, guys? We're closing in on lunar module jettison. As you know, that is time critical. We should be making our move into the command module. Let's get the hatch buttoned up. And... when you get a chance let us know how you're doing. JIM LOVELL - Roger that. JACK SWIGERT - Here, let me give you a hand there, Freddo. JACK SWIGERT - We're coming up on LM jettison. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Is everyone strapped in, Ken. We're getting real close. KEN MATTINGLY - Copy that, Flight. Thirteen, Houston. We're coming up on LM jettison. JACK SWIGERT - Stand by. KEN MATTINGLY - Have you got everybody in the Odyssey? JACK SWIGERT - Yeah, Ken. I wanna check those pyro batteries one more time... Okay, pyro batts look good. I don't think we have to tie the other batteries. JIM LOVELL - Sorry, Jack. This is an old habit. I'm kinda used to pilot's seat. She's yours to fly. KEN MATTINGLY - Okay. Odyssey. I wanna double check some re-entry procedures right after we jettison the LM which is coming up in thirty seconds. JIM LOVELL - What is that? JACK SWIGERT - Oh... I was getting a little punchy and I... I didn't wanna cut the LM loose with you guys still in it. JIM LOVELL - That's good thinking. JACK SWIGERT - Stand by, Houston... We have Lunar Module jettison. FRED HAISE - She sure was a good ship. JACK SWIGERT - Farewell, Aquarius. And we thank you. WOMEN - Mary... It's almost time, honey. RECOVER CREWMAN - Flight 966, 406... TITLE:USS IWO JIMA, SOUTH PACIFIC - APRIL 17, 1970 HENRY HURT - Let me put it this way. The trajectory may be off, their thrusters may be frozen, their guidance system might be malfunctioning, their heatshield could be cracked, and their parachutes might be three blocks of ice. Clearly we have got some obstacles to overcome. REPORTER - Yeah, Okay. But now I'm asking you. When will we know? HENRY HURT - Blackout lasts for three minutes. If they're not back in four, we'll know. INCO - WHITE - Velocity now reading 34'802 feet per second, range to go 2'625 nautical miles. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Copy that. JACK SWIGERT - Okay, Ken. We are aligned for re-entry. Jim, we're gonna need that computer re-entry program. Fred, how are the batteries looking? FRED HAISE - Okay. Batt A looks good. KEN MATTINGLY - Re-entry interface in one minute and thirty seconds. FRED HAISE - Batt B, no volts, amps are okay. Batt C, shit. No volts, only two amps. They may die before the main chutes open. JIM LOVELL - Roger. Let's tie all the batteries onto main A and main B. RETRO - WHITE - Flight, they're still shallowing a bit up there. Do you want to tell 'em? GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE)GHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Anything we can do about it? RETRO - WHITE - Not now, Flight. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Then they don't need to know, do they? RETRO - WHITE - Copy that. HENRY HURT - RETRO says the typhoon is still a presence in the splash down area? NASA DIRECTOR - Yeah. HENRY HURT - Whata we got? the parachute situation, the heatshield, the angle of trajectory and the typhoon, there's just so many variables. I'm a little at a loss... NASA DIRECTOR - I know what the problems are, Henry. This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever experienced. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - With all due respect, sir. I believe this is gonna be our finest hour. NASA DIRECTOR (whispers) - Okay. KEN MATTINGLY - Expect entry interface in 45 seconds. And on my mark your velocity will be 35'245 feet per second. Mark. 35 seconds to entry interface. JIM LOVELL - Gentlemen. It's been a privilege flying with you. KEN MATTINGLY - Flight. We have loss of radio contact. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Roger that. INCO - WHITE - Expect to regain signal in three minutes. MOCR ENGINEER - It all depends on the heatshield. JULES BERGMAN (on TV) - Back to the Iwo Jima and our live cameras there. The Navy recovery and rescue helicopters already airborne, circling, waiting for first radar contact. REPORTER (on TV) - Coming up now on three minutes until time of drogue (chutes) deployment... Standing by for any reports of acquisition. INCO - WHITE - 1 minute and 30 seconds to end of blackout. WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - No re-entering ship has ever taken longer than 3 minutes to emerge from blackout. This is the critical moment. Will the heat shield hold? Will the command module survive the intense heat of re-entry. If it doesn't there will only be silence. JEFFREY LOVELL - Mommy, you're squishing me. MARILYN LOVELL - Sorry, sorry, Jeffrey. INCO - WHITE - Okay, Flight. That's three minutes. We are standing by for acquisition. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Copy that. KEN MATTINGLY - Odyssey, Houston. Do you read me? Odyssey, this is Houston, do you read? WALTER CRONKITE (on TV) - Expected time of re-acquisition, the time when the astronauts were expected to come out of blackout, has come and gone. About all any of us can do now is just listen and hope. We're about to learn whether or not that heatshield which was damaged, if you remember, by the explosion three days ago has withstood the infernal of re-entry. KEN MATTINGLY - Odyssey, this is Houston. Do you read me? Odyssey, Houston. Do you read me? INCO - WHITE - Three minutes 30 seconds. Standing by. KEN MATTINGLY - Odyssey, Houston. Do you read me?... Odyssey, this is Houston, do you read me? INCO - WHITE - That's 4 minutes. Standing by. KEN MATTINGLY - Odyssey, Houston. Do you read? JIM LOVELL - Hello, Houston. This is Odyssey. It's good to see you again. KEN MATTINGLY - Odyssey, Houston. Welcome home. We're glad to see you. WOMEN - They made it, they made it! DEKE SLAYTON - Lunney! JIM LOVELL - Houston. We're at stable one. The ship is secure. This is Apollo 13 signing off. GENE KRANTZ (FLIGHT DIRECTOR - WHITE) - Good job! JIM LOVELL - Our mission was called a successful failure. In that we returned safely, but never made it to the Moon. In the following months, it was determined that a damaged coil built inside the oxygen tank sparked during our cryo stir and caused the explosion that crippled the Odyssey. It was a minor defect that occurred two years before I was even named the flight's commander. Fred Haise was going back to the Moon on Apollo 18, but his mission was canceled because of the budget cuts, he never flew in space again. Nor did Jack Swigert. Who left the astronaut corps and was elected to Congress from the state of Colorado, but he died of cancer before he was able to take office. Ken Mattingly orbited the Moon as Command Module Pilot of Apollo 16, and flew the space shuttle, having never gotten the measles. Gene Kranz retired as director of flight operations just not long ago. And many other members of Mission Control have gone onto other things, but some are still there. And as for me, the seven extraordinary days of Apollo 13 were my last in space. I watched other men walk on the Moon and return safely, all from the confines of Mission Control and our house in Houston. I sometimes catch myself looking up at the Moon, remembering the changes of fortune in our long voyage, thinking of the thousands of people who worked to bring the three of us home. I look up at the Moon, and wonder when will we be going back and who will that be. THE END

FADE IN: 1 EXT. BOREAL FOREST - ALASKA - (AERIAL SHOT) - DAY Flying. Not at the intangible height of a jet, but at spitting distance from the treetops. We're in central Alaska, the Big Lonely, just north of the Arctic Circle. A thick forest follows the contours of mountain foothills like a deep-pile carpet. Up at treeline the forest thins to tundra, a grassy scruff turning red and yellow with the coming of autumn. On the horizon, the hills rise to meet the Endicott Mountains, a great fortress wall of granite so sharp and jagged that snow cannot stick to its face. This is how all North America once looked -- raw, indomitable. Then, abruptly coming into the SCENE is a colossal etching across the landscape too deliberate to be of natural origin. Bisecting this country like a metallic ribbon -- or a scar, depending on your point of view -- is the 800-mile-long Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. Even the immensity of the pipeline is rendered insignificant by the vastness of the land. It goes on, and on, and on... DISSOLVE TO: A lone MAN walks along the Haul Road, a one-lane gravel trail running parallel to the pipeline. The weather turns sour -- rough wind and stinging snow cut across the man's path. DISSOLVE TO: The man is ERIC DESMOND, twenty-four, clean-shaven, determined. He's clearly out of place here, dressed in a business suit and a light, camel-hair topcoat. Eric is trying to follow some footprints in the snow -- a predator's tracks, those of a wolf or coyote. But the footprints ahead have faded, covered by the snow and wind. DISSOLVE TO: The weather becomes more oppressive. Heavy snow, gale winds and sub-zero temperatures make his progress tortuous. Eric strives stubbornly forward. (CONTINUED) 1 CONTINUED: DISSOLVE TO: Eric has gathered some branches. He tries to make a fire. Moisture from his breath has frozen in the upturned collar of his insufficient coat, and his skin is split raw from the cold. His hands are too numb to hold the matches. After several attempts at striking one, he slumps down next to the pile of wood, exhausted and frustrated. DISSOLVE TO: The snow has covered the pile of branches. Eric still sits next to it, partially covered in snow himself. ERIC His face is a death mask: eyes half-open and dull, lips a purplish blue, bloodless skin crystallizing as it ices over. The wind HOWLS around him. The snow sticks to his eyelashes and hair without melting. END DREAM 2 INT. DARK BEDROOM - NIGHT Eric bolts up in bed. Next to him, ANNE MARIE GAUVIN sits up and hugs him. All that can be seen of her in the dark is a lovely silhouette and a cascade of dark hair. After a moment, Eric kisses her. He shakes off the dream and lies back down. 3 EXT. HAUL ROAD AND PIPELINE - CLOSE - DAY A metal sign, peppered with shotgun holes, is posted near a pipeline support piling: PIPELINE UTILITY CORRIDOR PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESPASSING NO HUNTING NO TRAPPING NO SHOOTING WIDER Eric walks quietly past the sign, intent on something ahead of him. Although still somewhat boyish in appearance, he's confident and resolute in attitude. His clothes have a distinctly western feel: Lucchese boots, Levis 501's, Mahan cotton shirt. His down parka is unzipped in the sunny, windless, forty-degree afternoon. (CONTINUED) 3 CONTINUED: He pauses, then brings to his shoulder a rifle with a four-power scope mounted atop it. He peers through the scope. HIS POV - THROUGH SCOPE He puts the crosshairs on the shoulder flank of a big, ivory-white timber wolf, fifty yards away. BACK TO SCENE Anne Marie stands beside Eric, a Nikon with a telephoto lens in her hand, holding her breath in anticipation. She's twenty-three, pretty, with soft features and piercing blue eyes. She wears Eddie Bauer woman's gear like she was born in it. Eric expertly fixes his aim and slowly squeezes the trigger. But instead of a loud retort, there is only the dull POP of a CO2-powered dart gun. NEW ANGLE The tranquilizer dart finds its mark in the wolf's fleshy shoulder. The wolf takes off running, but almost immediately slows, sits, then lies down. Eric and Anne Marie hurry over to the wolf, who is breathing deeply. Eric kneels next to him and strokes his thick fur. ERIC What a beauty. (to Anne Marie) Hand me the transmitter. Anne Marie passes to Eric a tiny, weatherproof homing device attached to a steel collar band. Eric puts the collar loosely around the wolf's neck and crimps it in place, all the while TALKING soothingly to the semi-conscious animal. Anne Marie smiles at Eric's tenderness and snaps some photos. With the collar in place and transmitter activated, Eric backs away while the wolf tries to rouse itself from its narcosis. ERIC (continuing) He's coming around fine. ANNE MARIE Be right back. I left my camcorder in the car. (CONTINUED) 3 CONTINUED: (2) FOLLOW ANNE MARIE as she hurries back to their International Scout. On the door of the Scout is a stylized logo of an oil derrick, under which are the words: NORTHLAND PETROLEUM CORP. Anne Marie opens the hatchback and grabs a video camera. ANGLE ON ERIC AND THE WOLF Eric smiles as the wolf wobbles tentatively to his feet and trots unsteadily away. Near the treeline the wolf turns, glances back at Eric and then disappears into the forest. NEW ANGLE Anne Marie is taping the wolf's retreat. Looking through the viewfinder, she crosses a gully between a pipeline piling and a rock formation. Eric turns toward her and a glint of light in the debris at her feet catches his eye. ERIC Anne Marie! Stop! She glances down. Something metal is half-buried in the dead leaves and gravel. ERIC (continuing) Don't move. Eric runs over. He pokes at the object with a stick. With a SNAP, a steel leg trap chomps the stick in half. Anne Marie jumps back. Eric brushes the dead leaves on the ground behind her and she carefully backtracks out of the gully. ERIC (continuing) Goddamn trappers! He angrily rips the trap out of the ground, unearthing several others attached to one another by a long chain. ERIC (continuing) Takes nerve, laying traplines on restricted land. Eric slips the scope off the dart rifle and climbs up the pipeline on foot pegs to the top of an anchoring poINT. (CONTINUED) 3 CONTINUED: (3) Using the scope as a telescope, he scans up and down the Haul Road. ANNE MARIE What are you doing? ERIC He still might be around. I saw fresh tire tracks coming in. HIS POV - THROUGH SCOPE The road and the pipeline stretch toward either horizon, north and south. In the distance, a jeep is parked on the Haul Road. Near it, a Man climbs down into another shallow ravine. BACK TO SCENE Eric hurries down the footpegs. ERIC Man and a jeep, about a mile and a half down. He jumps into the Scout. Anne Marie stuffs her cameras into the hatchback. As soon as she climbs in, Eric tears out. 4 INT. SCOUT - (MOVING SHOT) It races along the dusty gravel road at 60 MPH. 5 EXT. HAUL ROAD Startled at the APPROACH of the Scout, the Trapper uproots his traps and runs out of the ravine. He WHISTLES and another Trapper appears nearby. 6 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP They pile into their dilapidated, all-terrain jeep. It's oddly well-equipped, however. Bolted to the dashboard is an expensive tape player and a beat-up radio beacon receiver with a round locating screen. They zoom off. 7 INT. SCOUT - (MOVING SHOT) Eric stomps on the gas. The dust from the jeep obscures his view but he's gaining on them anyway. Anne Marie hangs on and squints her eyes against the choking dust. 8 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP - (MOVING SHOT) The driver is LEMALLE (35), a tall, ugly, rawboned Canadian. His entire outfit is made of animal hide. He has long red hair, and a reptilian face usually twisted into a sadistic sneer. While driving, he scans along the pipeline. LEMALLE Where the fuck did you drop Corbett off? In the passenger seat, MITCHELL (38), chews tobacco and looks grim. He's a squat, flat-faced Okie, with curly matted hair and tired grey eyes. He's dressed in a brown long coat and has a Colt .45 Peacemaker in a quick-draw holster strapped to his leg. Despite his intimidating air, confrontation is not his style. He spots a figure up ahead, where the road crosses a muddy creek. MITCHELL He's over there. 9 EXT. HAUL ROAD Turning sharply, the trappers' jeep splashes through the creek bed without slowing. Bouncing, it comes down hard against the axle-deep bank at the creek's high water mark. LeMalle tries to back out, but can't find traction in the mud. Eric stops the Scout thirty yards behind them. 10 INT. SCOUT Eric opens his door. To Anne Marie: ERIC Stay here. ANNE MARIE Be careful -- there're two of them. Eric reaches in the back seat and hands something to Anne Marie. ERIC If I unzip my parka, stick this out the window. 11 EXT. HAUL ROAD Eric confidently approaches the jeep. (CONTINUED) 11 CONTINUED: Then, a third trapper climbs from the creek. He's got a line of traps slung around his neck and a world of experience on his face. He's BEN CORBETT, a life-long huntsman, somewhere past forty, weathered beyond his years. He has a feral nose, thick beard and dark, smart, hunter's eyes. He wears a hooded cotton sweat shirt, cotton coveralls and vapor-barrier mountain boots. On his belt is a holster rig cradling a .44 magnum revolver. Eric slows down. He didn't expect to face anyone as formidable as Corbett. 12 INT. / EXT. JEEP Emboldened by Corbett's presence, LeMalle reaches into the back seat and grabs his 6.5 by 55 Swedish military carbine. CORBETT (to LeMalle) No shooting. Let's see who's so interested in us. Corbett has an incongruously affable voice. He throws his traps into the jeep, then strides closer toward Eric. MITCHELL (to Corbett) Ain't worth it, Ben... 13 EXT. HAUL ROAD - CREEK CROSSING - LONG SHOT As Corbett comes closer, Eric realizes this might not've been a great idea. Corbett squints his eyes and sniffs the air, as if by this he can gauge his opponent's mettle. ERIC You got two counts against you -- trapping out of season and poaching on restricted land. CORBETT Can't be much of a crime, if all they got minding the area is a cocky kid. ERIC I got your plate number, asshole. Maybe you feel like spending a few months in jail. Corbett just smiles. (CONTINUED) 13 CONTINUED: But LeMalle, rankled, sticks the carbine out the jeep window. Seeing the rifle pointed at him, Eric freezes, then slowly unzips his parka. LEMALLE Ben? Sure you don't want me to drop the fucker? Corbett doesn't answer. Then, his eyes narrow and he looks past Eric at the Scout. CORBETT'S POV The passenger in the Scout sticks what looks like another rifle out the window. BACK TO SCENE Eric quickly glances over his shoulder to make sure Anne Marie's backing him up. ERIC You leave and don't come back, that's the end of it. After a long moment, Corbett smiles again, then turns away from Eric. He motions LeMalle to the front of the jeep. Frustrated, LeMalle slams back the safety on the carbine and throws it in the back seat. ANGLE ON TRAPPERS Mitchell climbs into the jeep and starts the engine. LeMalle and Corbett rock the jeep back and forth in the rut. While pushing, Corbett rips the sole of his boot on a sharp piece of granite. He cusses and pushes harder. 14 EXT. HAUL ROAD - CREEK CROSSING Eric walks back to the Scout. He feels the trappers' eyes on his back, but forces himself not to hurry. The trappers free their vehicle. Corbett gets in the driver's seat, and they take off. 15 INT. SCOUT Anne Marie's hands are shaking as she pulls the plastic tranquilizer rifle back in the window. (CONTINUED) 15 CONTINUED: ANNE MARIE (unnerved) Great idea -- pointing a lousy dart gun at some nut with a high-powered hunting rifle. ERIC Bastards took off, though, didn't they? 16 EXT. BOREAL FOREST - LATER THAT DAY The trappers have left the flatlands of the Haul Road area. Now their jeep climbs a pathway over the rolling foothills. 17 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP - (MOVING SHOT) Corbett broods while driving. Mitchell looks out the window. The silence makes LeMalle uncomfortable. LEMALLE All this fuckin' land, and we're locked out. Makes me puke. CORBETT Jawing about it won't change it. LEMALLE Three hundred seventy-five million acres in this state. I'm real tired of runnin' into people. MITCHELL Then don't look to your left. 18 EXT. SPORTSMEN'S CAMP A brand-new Land Rover is parked on an alluvial fan in a bend in a small river. Scattered about is an assortment of expensive camping gear, beer cans, spent shells and other garbage. Three toy-macho, vacationing SPORTSMEN are guzzling beer and BLASTING fish in the shallow river with 12-gauge shotguns. They look up and glower suspiciously as the jeep slows and stops. 19 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP LeMalle grabs his carbine. CORBETT Leave it here. (CONTINUED) 19 CONTINUED: MITCHELL Let's keep going. We're only an hour from Devil's Cauldron. CORBETT (pats Mitchell's shoulder) Relax. I just want to ask them how the hunting is. 20 EXT. SPORTSMEN'S CAMP Corbett gets out of the jeep. He regards the Sportsmen, their shotguns and their mess with ill-concealed contempt. The Sportsmen clutch their weapons and watch Corbett. He walks around the camp, spotting a rubber-lined rucksack stuffed with dead ermine. After a long, tense moment, Corbett smiles. CORBETT Looks like you've had some luck. Where's your guide? SPORTSMAN #1 We're on our own, if it's any of your damn business. CORBETT (re ermine) You did real good. He crouches next to the dead animals and strokes the fur. LEMALLE (to Corbett) No swinging shit. They're over their goddamned limit. CORBETT (to Sportsmen) My friend is right. Supposed to have a licensed guide when you're on this land, too. SPORTSMAN #1 Hey, we paid our fuckin' permit fees. LeMalle amuses himself by pissing in their campfire. No one notices that in the b.g., quiet Sportsman #3 unzips his parka, exposing a .45 Peacemaker in a belt holster. (CONTINUED) 20 CONTINUED: SPORTSMAN #2 I were you, I'd drive right on outta here again. Now. CORBETT (calmly) This was my roaming land, 'til the government took it over. Only Innuit can hunt here now, and tourists, like you. Corbett swings the rucksack of carcasses onto the hood of the Land Rover. Pissed, Sportsmen #1 and #2 step closer to him. CORBETT (continuing) According to tribal law, hunters passing through the land of another tribe can only take game to survive. They can eat the meat, but have to surrender the hides. LeMalle pulls a hunting knife and holds up one of the ermine. LEMALLE Want the meat? SPORTSMAN #1 Fuck you, dirtball. Corbett chuckles and Mitchell spits. WIDER LeMalle digs through the camping goodies in the back of the Land Rover, many still in their packages. He helps himself to some sandwiches and a 12-pack of beer. LEMALLE I say shoot 'em, bury 'em with their shiny new car. MITCHELL (to LeMalle) If you're gonna take something, take it and let's go. Corbett looks down to fasten the top of the rucksack. (CONTINUED) 20 CONTINUED: (2) NEW ANGLE Suddenly, Sportsman #3 reaches inside his parka and pulls the pistol. He swings it toward LeMalle. LeMalle looks up when he hears the HAMMER cock. There is a deafeningly loud SHOT. Sportsman #3 falls down dead at LeMalle's feet. Off to one side, Corbett holds a huge, smoking .44 magnum six-shooter in his hand. Shotgun in hand, Sportsman #1 gauges his chances of blasting Corbett. Nil. When Corbett turns to him, he lies the weapon down. Sportsman #2 rushes to his friend. Looking bleak, Mitchell spits again. Corbett crosses to LeMalle and knocks from his hands the things he wanted to steal. Chastised, LeMalle smolders. After a moment: CORBETT (to Sportsmen) Put him in your truck. Smell of blood will attract the bears. (to trappers) Let's go. As Corbett walks to the jeep, he's too angry to notice that he's stepped in a patch of mud under the Land Rover. Near the jeep, LeMalle stops and pulls them into a huddle. LEMALLE I don't believe in leavin' witnesses behind, Ben. MITCHELL It was self defense. Leave it at that. LEMALLE You think those fucks will tell it that way? CORBETT (ending the argument) We'll get a head start before they go crying to the law. Corbett turns and FIRES two rounds from his .44 into the engine of the Land Rover. The Sportsmen stare and sputter. (CONTINUED) 20 CONTINUED: (3) CORBETT (continuing; to Sportsmen) You can pack out of here -- two, three days' hike along this river at most. Weather should hold this early in the season. Corbett and Mitchell get in their jeep. LEMALLE isn't yet satisfied. He walks back over to the Sportsmen, kneeling beside their fallen friend, and crouches right beside them. Intimidated, Sportsman #2 looks away, but LeMalle grabs his chin and turns his face back toward him. LEMALLE Think I'm pretty? You better forget how we look, 'cause next time they won't keep me from killing you. This land ain't quite civilized, you know... He unsheathes his buck knife. BELOW FRAME, he slices across the forehead of the dead Sportsman, peels back his scalp and cuts it loose, Indian-style. The Sportsmen are stunned and sickened. ANGLE ON TRAPPERS' JEEP Corbett looks at Mitchell and wearily shakes his head. MITCHELL At least he scalped the dead one. 21 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - DUSK Devil's Cauldron Hot Springs is a cluster of twenty tiny dwellings connected by an unpainted boardwalk. The town squats, ugly and temporary-looking, in a dirt clearing fifty miles north of the Arctic Circle. Thirty miles east of the Pipeline, it's almost dead center of interior Alaska. At the edge of town is a gravel airstrip. Mixed with the prospector-era sod-roof cabins are a few prefabricated houses. The boon brought by men building the pipeline is long gone. Now only a few itinerant loggers, natives and bush dwellers remain to fight boredom, each other and the depression of the oncoming winter. Enough steam escapes from the hot springs to perpetually blanket the valley with fog. The spa is log-walled and horseshoe- shaped, with partitioned baths inside. Facing it (CONTINUED) 21 CONTINUED: are a mud-walled fire bath, a wooden steam bath called a Maqi, six one-room cabins for let, and an unused dance hall. LEO MEYERLING opens the tailgate of a Dodge truck with the Northland Petroleum logo and "District Supervisor" on the door. Meyerling is short and bald with a completely disreputable face. He staples a poster on a wall. It has a picture of him on it, and: LEO MEYERLING for State Legislature VOTE FOR THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND! 22 EXT. KENAI'S GENERAL STORE Corbett and the other trappers drive past Meyerling and park their jeep as the sun disappears behind the foothills. 23 INT. KENAI'S GENERAL STORE A handwritten public notice next to a schedule of church meetings reads: "Live each day so you can look every damn man in the eye and tell him to go to hell." There is a post office in the corner with some combination boxes and a wicketless window. The trappers come in. Corbett sits in a chair and pulls his boots off. One of his wool socks is wet. He nods to the man sitting in the other chair, SAM WILDER. Wilder is short and tough, with a full head of crewcut grey hair and weather- ravaged face that makes him look older than his sixty years. CORBETT Hullo, Sam. Slow day? WILDER (wary) Ben...boys. Yeah, real slow, and I'd like to keep it that way. CORBETT (conciliatory) Just passing through. A chubby Inupiat (interior Eskimo), wearing thick glasses, several heavy sweaters and battery-heated socks, fusses behind the counter. He's EARL KENAI, owner of the hot springs spa and the general store. LeMalle chews on a handful of bear jerky. Kenai stares at LeMalle until he begrudgingly pays for the jerky. Corbett pulls on some sneakers and hands his boots to Kenai. (CONTINUED) 23 CONTINUED: CORBETT (continuing; re boot) Needs patching. KENAI Twenty-five dollar. CORBETT (smiles) Sure have learned to worship the white man's god. Kenai nods agreeably and holds his hand out. Corbett pays him. Meyerling comes in and posts some fliers on the corkboard. MEYERLING I hope I can count on you gentlemen to vote for The People's Friend this November. CORBETT Share some of that oil company money in your pocket and you can. Meyerling smiles like a toad, then slaps another poster on the wall. LeMalle throws his knife and it STICKS in the poster between Meyerling's spread fingers. Meyerling jumps back and the trappers laugh. Meyerling looks to Wilder for support. WILDER (to Meyerling) One flier comes loose and I shoot you for littering. MEYERLING (exiting; grudgeless) Have your fun... just remember The People's Friend come election day. WILDER (shakes his head) Oil Company candidate running on that slogan makes about as much sense as a rat fucking a grapefruit. CORBETT Hard to work up an interest in politics, way we live. You're the first people we've seen in two weeks. (CONTINUED) 23 CONTINUED: (2) LEMALLE (to Kenai) How about a quart of Jack Daniel's? KENAI How about it is right. Back in the primary this town was voted dry. LEMALLE (to Corbett) Aw, shit. Let's go. Leave a note for Viking Bob, tell him to meet us in Cache. CORBETT Relax. One more day without drink won't kill you. Right, Sam? WILDER I'm living proof of that sad fact. CORBETT Can we buy the Marshal some dinner? WILDER No, I better stay at my post. Even without the hootch riling 'em up, you know how mean-spirited folks get when they smell winter coming. 24 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON VALLEY - LONG SHOT - NIGHT An early STORM has blown in from the north, bringing whipping winds and freezing rain. 25 INT. RENTAL CABIN Corbett peers out the tiny window, frowning. LeMalle cleans his carbine while eating beans and bacon. Mitchell hunches over a table. He's making a scrimshaw -- delicately engraving, using homemade tools, on a palm-sized piece of whale bone. He rubs his eyes and looks up at Corbett. MITCHELL So much for the walking weather you predicted. (CONTINUED) 25 CONTINUED: CORBETT Had no choice... (pointedly, at LeMalle) ...Given the situation. MITCHELL I know. Least you didn't shoot all of them. LEMALLE Fuck you, Mitchell. Woulda been my ass if Ben didn't waste that prick. CORBETT (after a beat) Mitchell, look, it don't take three of us to wait for Viking Bob. Mitchell glances at LeMalle, then at Corbett. CORBETT (continuing) Go ahead. Take the jeep. I'll come to Cache with Bob when he gets here. MITCHELL Okay by me. You're the one likes these hot springs so much. CORBETT Leave my traps. We'll tag up, couple days. 26 EXT. HAUL ROAD - "THE TURTLE" - DAY The winds have died down. The rain has turned to a light snow. A mobile arctic dwelling sits on a rise next to the Haul Road. It's a double-unit weathertight cocoon of fiberglass and aluminum, pulled by a diesel rig on oversized tires. The front module is 12 by 24, the rear 12 by 18. An extended-cab pickup pulls up and Sam Wilder gets out. The gravel-and-dirt Haul Road, paralleling the pipeline for 400 miles, is closed to the public. An arriving vehicle, therefore, is news. The front door of the dwelling opens. Eric and Anne Marie come outside, delighted to see Wilder. (CONTINUED) 26 CONTINUED: WILDER I was making my rounds, saw your hangar wide open, plane getting rained on, so I closed it up. ERIC Thanks. ANNE MARIE (to Wilder) I bet you haven't had lunch. WILDER (smiles) Bet you're right. But I didn't come by to wangle a meal -- ERIC -- We appreciate the company. Anne Marie's getting cabin fever already. Anne Marie shoots a look at Eric but doesn't disagree -- this is obviously an issue with them. Wilder looks with amusement at the mobile dwelling. WILDER What'd you say they call these spaceships? ERIC Mobile Arctic Dwelling -- MAD. ANNE MARIE I call it 'the Turtle,' as in carrying your home on your back. ERIC Best thing is, Meyerling has to chase around to find us. ANNE MARIE (laughs) The little creep hates it that Eric actually does what the company hired him to do. WILDER Watch it with Meyerling. Man's as mean and corrupt as they get. Cut his mother's throat if it'd get him a couple votes. (CONTINUED) 26 CONTINUED: (2) Looking past Wilder, Eric points out some smoke on the horizon. ERIC Hey, Sam, look over there. Black and white smoke. WILDER Damn. Likely that's an SOS. Have to pass on that lunch. ERIC We'll go with you. CUT TO: 27 EXT. SPORTSMEN'S CAMP - LATER THAT DAY Everything seems peaceful enough. The SOS fire (made from burning green branches for white smoke and rubber for black smoke) has burnt down to embers. Eric, Anne Marie and Wilder pull up in Wilder's pickup. The two Sportsmen sit in the front seat of the Land Rover, but they don't react to the arrival of the rescuers. In the back seat, a reflective camping blanket covers a large mass. Something is amiss. Eric shoots a look of trepidation at Anne Marie as they get out of the pickup. Wilder pulls the door of the Land Rover open. A Sportsman slumps out onto the ground. His eyes are open and his tongue pokes out between his lips. His skin is blue-white. (He looks, in fact, much like Eric's nightmare.) Startled, Eric steps back. Anne Marie gasps with horror. Wilder unzips the Sportsman's light windbreaker and listens for a heartbeat. Nothing. WILDER Stupid goddamn greenhorns! Froze to death. ANNE MARIE It's not even winter! WILDER They got wet in the rain. Core body temperature dropped, got drowsy, probably didn't even know what was happening. Eric stares at the dead Sportsmen. (CONTINUED) 27 CONTINUED: WILDER (continuing) Question is why they sat here when the storm moved in. Check their stuff while I sniff around. Wilder tries the ignition. The starter TURNS OVER, but the engine makes a horrendous GRINDING. He walks to the front of the vehicle. Noticing the bullet holes in the grille, he bends down for a closer look. NEW ANGLE Eric opens the rear hatchback and digs through the plentiful supplies. Still in their packages are some matchbox-sized ELT locating beacons. ERIC They had Emergency Locater Transmitters, but didn't use them. (opens one up; shakes his head) Maybe because they didn't bring batteries. CLOSE Anne Marie opens the back door of the Land Rover. She pulls back the camping blanket... and uncovers the third Sportsman. The torn red flesh on his head and his bugged-out eyes are a hideous sight. Anne Marie SCREAMS and stumbles away. 28 EXT. SPORTSMEN'S CAMP - LAND ROVER Eric runs over to her as she tries to catch her breath. Wilder looks at the third Sportsman and angrily kicks the side of the Land Rover. WILDER I'm too old for this shit. ERIC Any idea who could've done it? Sourly, Wilder points to a patch of frozen mud under the vehicle. WILDER A certain sonofabitch bastard -more- (CONTINUED) 28 CONTINUED: WILDER (Cont'd) wearing a damaged mountain boot. Left a footprint clear as an autograph. Wilder examines the Sportsman, finding the bullet hole in his chest. WILDER (continuing) Even for Ben Corbett, this is nasty. Man's got balls. He was sitting in Devil's Cauldron when I left, calm as can be. ANNE MARIE Thank God. You can arrest him. WILDER Not necessarily. Corbett's awful hardbitten these days. Wilder leans against the Land Rover, feeling tired. WILDER (continuing) His old roaming area's all private reserve now. Normally, long as he stays civil in my jurisdiction, I let him be. (beat) Won't be able to take him by my lonesome, though. Nobody in town'll lift a finger on this. Eric looks hard at the dead Sportsmen. ERIC (quietly) I'll go into town with you. ANNE MARIE Eric, leave it alone. It's not your business. ERIC (shakes his head) No way can he get away with this. I'll be back by tonight. 29 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - AFTERNOON The town is quiet. 30 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Corbett soaks in one of the huge wooden tubs with a pudgy Inupiat hooker, DIXIE. He looks up as Eric comes into the spa. Eric holds Corbett's boots, which have been repaired. Eric pauses when he sees Corbett. There is a flash of recognition between them. ERIC Ben Corbett? CORBETT Yep. Afraid you have me at a disadvantage. ERIC Kenai at the general store asked me to bring these. Didn't expect we'd already met. CORBETT No big deal. We just got off on the wrong foot. What's your name? Eric glances down at Corbett's duffel bag, which sits on the floor next to Corbett's tub. Corbett's magnum rests on top of it, well within reach. Corbett notices Eric's interest in it. He leans back and smiles. ERIC Desmond. CORBETT New to the country, kid? ERIC Six months. Ecological study for Northland Oil. CORBETT Ecology. Folks use that term for everything but what it means: who's eating who. Putting his hand on Dixie's shoulder, Corbett stands and gets out of the tub. His sinewy body, resembling a scarecrow made of steel cable, is covered with scars. He wraps a towel around his waist and crosses to Eric. (CONTINUED) 30 CONTINUED: CORBETT (continuing) Now, why don't you get around to saying what you want. Corbett grabs his boots from Eric and finds himself facing a revolver, which Eric has been hiding inside one of the boots. CORBETT (continuing; smiling) You wouldn't shoot anyone... WILDER (OS) But I would. NEW ANGLE Wilder has come in the back way and stands behind Corbett with a 12-gauge shotgun. He kicks Corbett's magnum out of reach. CORBETT All this for laying traps on private land? WILDER You left a footprint at the Sportsmen's camp. Only pretty sight there, Ben, 'cause the two men you didn't shoot and mutilate died of exposure. Corbett shakes his head but remains implacable. CORBETT Christ if I shouldn't know better than to step in soft earth. I've seen footprints in the tundra a hundred years old. WILDER (to Eric) I got it from here. Thanks. CORBETT (to Wilder) Sam, give Dixie here fifty bucks out of my kit, will you? 31 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Eric comes outside. Earl Kenai, overdressed for the weather in gloves, mukluks and a full-length sealskin coat, stands (CONTINUED) 31 CONTINUED: shivering by a woodshed near the hot springs, hacksawing a piece of meat from a frozen moose carcass. KENAI Before white men came, my people lived in sod houses underground and laid our dead on the tundra. Now we live above ground and bury our dead, and we haven't been warm since. Wilder comes out of the spa with his shotgun and Corbett's duffel bag cradled in his arm. Handcuffed, Corbett walks in front of him. Kenai looks down to avoid eye contact with Corbett as he goes by. Corbett stops next to Eric and smiles. CORBETT Nice bluff the other day with the tranquilizer gun out your jeep window. See you again, maybe. ERIC (unintimidated) Yeah. Maybe so. 32 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - FOLLOW WILDER as he leads Corbett along the boardwalk to the other end of town. They approach a prefab house perched on skids under a tall antenna tower. Mounted above the shack, a DC wind charger turbine spins lazily in the faint breeze. From within the cabin comes an anomalous SOUND -- MTV. Wilder KNOCKS on the door. ARTHUR NEFF, a pasty-white, 45-year-old ex-Texan, pulls the door open. His customary grin fades when he sees Corbett. 33 INT. NEFF'S HOUSE Wilder pushes Corbett inside past Neff. WILDER I need to call Fairbanks. Neff just stares at Corbett. WILDER (continuing) Neff! Dial it up. State police. With a "what can I do but oblige?" look to Corbett, Neff sits in front of the RCA Alascom radio telephone and dials. (CONTINUED) 33 CONTINUED: NEFF (on phone) Fairbanks Alascom? Patch me through to the State Police. After a moment, he hands the receiver to Wilder. Wilder takes it, keeping one eye and the shotgun on Corbett. WILDER (on phone) This is Sam Wilder, Marshal in Devil's Cauldron. Had some killings here. I got a suspect; be real nice if someone came and took him off my hands. STATE POLICEMAN (VO) (thru phone) On a good day I couldn't spare a crosswalk guard. But now, no way. Folks're batshit with the weather turning sour. Bring him in yourself. WILDER (on phone) Next plane's not coming 'til next Monday. STATE POLICEMAN (VO) (thru phone) Sit your suspect out in the cold. He'll keep. WILDER (on phone) This man's friends ain't gonna look favorably on his incarceration. STATE POLICEMAN (VO) (thru phone; Mr. Glib) So shoot him. Won't have to feed him that way -- Angry, Wilder slams the receiver down. 34 INT. WILDER'S CABIN In one room, there is a wood-burning cookstove and an Ashley heat stove, a table, a bunk and a small window. Behind a cloth partition is an eight by six holding cell. The frame of an iron-bar door is securely cemented to the log walls. Wilder comes in with Corbett and locks him in the cell. (CONTINUED) 34 CONTINUED: CORBETT Mind if I get some stuff from my kit? Wilder does mind. He locks the duffel bag and Corbett's .44 in his desk drawer. CORBETT (continuing) Sam, listen -- I shot to defend my man. Other guy drew first. WILDER If that was all, fine. But carving him up, stranding the others, that's too fucking much. Is everything that walks, crawls, flies or swims fair game to you? CORBETT (softly) I'll get loose before that plane comes. WILDER Don't try me. I'll kill you if it comes to it. 35 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - AFTERNOON As Eric walks into Kenai's general store, Neff hurries over. NEFF Mr. Desmond! (grins; sticks his hand out) Arthur Neff. Area rep for the Federal Assistance Plan. Tell the boys in DC to keep those goodies coming. ERIC Sure. NEFF Snowplow, generator, TV dish... hell, we get the goddamn Playboy Channel! Here, this is for you. He hands Eric a piece of styrofoam shaped like a commode seat. (CONTINUED) 35 CONTINUED: NEFF (continuing) Warm to forty below. Remember, anything you want, you ask Arthur Neff. 36 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE - NIGHT The storm has passed. A faint CHUGGING emanates from the small orange generator trailer behind the Turtle. Eric pulls up and parks the Scout. 37 INT. THE TURTLE Nylon storage netting along the ceiling holds Eric's research equipment and Anne Marie's photographic supplies. In one corner of the Turtle are several of her black and white prints. All are of man-made objects whose presence is juxtaposed with the natural surroundings. Relieved he's home in one piece, Anne Marie meets Eric at the door and kisses him. Carrying a brown-paper-wrapped package, Eric follows her into the kitchen, where she's preparing dinner. ANNE MARIE Did you catch Corbett? ERIC Sure did. He was one of the trappers we rousted from the Haul Road. ANNE MARIE Was there any trouble? ERIC He was sitting in a hot tub with a hooker. ANNE MARIE Going after killers isn't the same as chasing poachers, Eric. ERIC (grins) Can't help myself. Corbett's type always pisses me off. (hands her the package) Oh, I found this at the post office. Had your name on it. (CONTINUED) 37 CONTINUED: Perplexed, she looks at the return address -- Bloomingdale's. Delighted, she tears it open. Inside is a pretty, elegant dress. Anne Marie kisses him. ANNE MARIE Oh, sweetheart. It's beautiful! ERIC You were looking at it in the catalog. Don't know where you can wear it... ANNE MARIE I'll wear it for you. And I can wear it when we go home. We won't be here forever. ERIC (frowning) You make it sound like a prison sentence. ANNE MARIE That's not what I meant. ERIC It's exactly what you meant. ANNE MARIE Look, why get into this again. As long as it's working, let's leave it alone. It's been nice so far. We're together -- ERIC -- Permanently? ANNE MARIE (sighs) Do I want to be with you permanently? Yes, I think I do. But be with what you do and the way you live? That I don't know. C'mon, Eric, until I met you, coming back to Alaska was totally out of the question for me. But I'm here. I'm getting great pictures, and I'm having fun. (slips her arms around him) I love you. (kisses him) So shut up and let's eat. 38 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NIGHT An old primer-grey station wagon rattles into town and parks. With an unlit cheroot stuck in his mouth, "VIKING" BOB CORBETT gets out and stretches. He's 38, six-foot-six, with sandy hair, beard, ruddy skin, and his brother's dark eyes. He looks around for some sign of life. He spots Neff tending one of the windmills and walks over to him. VIKING BOB I'm looking for some trappers. Ben Corbett, Mitchell, LeMalle. Seen 'em? NEFF Yesterday. Said they were going to Cache. They were thirsty, but we were voted dry. VIKING BOB Shit. As Viking Bob walks back to his station wagon, he notices Kenai poking around in front of Wilder's cabin. VIKING BOB'S POV Illuminated by a bare bulb is Wilder's typical bush-country front yard. Piled are five cords of wood, boxes, tarps, stove parts, saw horses, 55-gallon drums, dismantled snow machines, wash tubs, tires, etc. Bunching his collar around his neck, Kenai shivers and sorts through Corbett's traps. NEW ANGLE Viking Bob ambles over to Kenai. VIKING BOB These yours? KENAI Gonna make an offer. Man who owns them won't need them where he's going. 39 INT. WILDER'S CABIN Wilder peers out the window and sees Viking Bob, then turns to Corbett. (CONTINUED) 39 CONTINUED: WILDER Back against the bars. Now. Wilder handcuffs Corbett's hands to the cell door bars, then quickly wraps a piece of duct tape across Corbett's face, covering his mouth. Stuffing a .357 magnum in his belt, Wilder, coatless, slips outside. As soon as he's out the door, Corbett cranes his neck and painfully tries to pry the tape off his face with the corner of the door hinge. 40 EXT. WILDER'S CABIN The look on Wilder's face tells Kenai to shut up. Viking Bob realizes something's up. WILDER Your brother and the boys left me some traps to sell for them. They're gone -- VIKING BOB -- To Cache. So I heard. Ben never said nothing to me about selling his gear. 41 INT. WILDER'S CABIN Corbett gets the tape partially off his mouth. He pries one of his boots off and kicks it through a window. CORBETT Bob! They got me on a murder charge! 42 EXT. WILDER'S CABIN Wilder pulls his .357 out. WILDER Sorry, Bob. I'll have to keep you here 'til I ship him south. Viking Bob responds by flinging a heavy trap at Wilder, then punching him in the gut. Wilder sprawls among the junk, dropping his revolver. Kenai freezes, not about to take sides. Before Viking Bob can come at him again, Wilder grabs for his .357. Viking Bob jumps back and bolts for his car. (CONTINUED) 42 CONTINUED: He dives into his station wagon and starts it up. As he drives past, Wilder POPS off a few rounds, but Viking Bob keeps going. NEW ANGLE Kenai helps Wilder up. Pissed, Wilder shoves him against the cabin. WILDER (continuing) You stupid, greedy, loudmouth sonofabitch! He'll have the others here in a few hours. You fucked me up, now you're gonna help me move him. KENAI (shakes head) Forget it, Sam. I never work for free. 43 INT. THE TURTLE - NIGHT Anne Marie sits on the floor, editing one of her VIDEOTAPES. On the monitor, it SHOWS footage of the traps under the pipeline piling. Eric comes out of the back module holding two ELT pendants. He glances over at the monitor and nods approvingly. ANNE MARIE I still can't believe I'm being financed by an oil company. Especially when they get a look at these pictures. Technology in the wilderness; not too pretty. (re ELTs) What's that? ERIC I thought I should check our emergency transmitters. Eric activates the ELT's. They emit an SOS pattern of radio waves -- three short, three long and three short. This is visible as rhythmic INTERFERENCE on Anne Marie's video MONITOR. ERIC (continuing) Avalanche season is coming. (CONTINUED) 43 CONTINUED: ANNE MARIE Winter. Two straight months of night -- we may never get out of bed. (kisses him) Which would suit me fine. ERIC Prolonged darkness makes people crazy. ANNE MARIE Not me. I'm equipped. She turns on a small S-VHS video camera and snaps off the room lights. ANNE MARIE (continuing) Allow me to give you a practical demonstration of low-light infrared photography... She does so by seductively undressing for the camera. She's SEEN on the MONITOR, illuminated by the "light" from the hot stove. Eric appreciates the show. He crawls toward her. ANNE MARIE (continuing) High-tech in the wilderness. Gets me excited, too. ERIC Come here... Laughing, he wrestles her to the rug. 44 EXT. HILLS ABOVE DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NIGHT There is a full moon and a clear night sky. Viking Bob's station wagon is parked out of sight. He sits inside, waiting. He hears an ENGINE starting in the distance. Sitting up, he grabs some binoculars. HIS POV Wilder's extended cab truck pulls out, heading west. 45 EXT. FOOTHILLS - NIGHT In the bright moonlight, two people are seen in Wilder's truck as it speeds along a dirt road. Viking Bob follows at a discreet distance, headlights off. (CONTINUED) 45 CONTINUED: NEW ANGLE Viking Bob turns and takes the literal high road -- a narrow trail above the roadway that Wilder's truck is on. He zooms ahead and gets in front of his quarry, then drops back down onto the road and waits in ambush. As Wilder's truck approaches, Viking Bob turns on his bright lights and crouches behind his car door with a shotgun. Wilder's truck screeches to a stop. CLOSER Kenai gets out with his hands up. Viking Bob slowly approaches Wilder's truck. VIKING BOB Ben? No answer. Viking Bob looks in the cab. Kenai's passenger is Dixie, the Inupiat hooker. Viking Bob grabs Kenai and pushes the barrel of the shotgun hard against his cheek. VIKING BOB (continuing) Where's Ben Corbett? KENAI I have no argument with you, Bob. Wilder said I could keep his truck if I drove it ten miles away from town. VIKING BOB Where did they go? KENAI He didn't say, but I would guess the opposite way from here. Viking Bob shoves Kenai against the truck, then punches him for good measure. Cussing, he runs back to his station wagon and drives off. CUT TO: 46 INT. THE TURTLE - REAR MODULE - NIGHT Eric and Anne Marie are asleep. Eric starts awake at the OS sound of a high-pitched vehicle HORN and an approaching ENGINE. 47 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE Eric pulls the door open. Wilder is untying Corbett from the snowmobile. WILDER I got an emergency on my hands. Corbett smiles at Eric as he walks inside. 48 INT. THE TURTLE Eric, Wilder and Corbett sit in the front module. Anne Marie, nervous, wearing a down robe, serves coffee. She stares at Corbett, trying to reconcile his quiet demeanor with what she saw that afternoon. Corbett smiles at Eric. WILDER (to Eric) ...You give us a ride in the Cessna you got hangared at the pumping station, we'll be in Fairbanks in a few hours. ERIC That's what we should've done in the first place. WILDER I could've sat tight for the transport, 'til Bob came poking around. CORBETT (to Wilder; re Anne Marie) A lot to ask, dragging him away from such a good-looking girl -- ERIC (irritated) -- To take you to jail? It'll be my pleasure. WILDER (to Eric) You better get some sleep. CORBETT Good idea. Flying over mountains can give you some nasty surprises. Go too low, one of the clouds might have a big rock inside it. (CONTINUED) 48 CONTINUED: ERIC (hard) I'll get you there all right. Eric takes Anne Marie to the rear module, leaving Wilder with his prisoner. CUT TO: 49 INT. THE TURTLE - LATER THAT NIGHT A bottle of Eric's Scotch sits almost empty on the table beside Wilder. Wilder dozes in a chair facing Corbett. Corbett is awake. He contorts his body to bring his handcuff chain under his feet and get his hands in front of him. He eyes Wilder's .357. It's in a lefty Sam Browne holster. No way to take it without waking Wilder. Corbett stands and inches toward the door. As he pulls it open, the insulation makes enough NOISE to stir Wilder. Wilder gets up and pushes Corbett back into his chair. WILDER Goddammit, I don't need this aggravation. I'll shoot you, Ben. Bank on it. CORBETT I don't want to hurt you, Sam. WILDER I'm not too old to knock the snot out of you! CORBETT Nothing personal. Wilder's mind clears enough to realize that Corbett's hands are in front of him. He reaches for his .357. Corbett butts into Wilder's midsection with his head. Amazingly, Wilder stays on his feet. Corbett hurries back to the door. Wilder lunges, bull-determined to hold onto him. Corbett smashes Wilder across the face with his clenched hands. Wilder goes down hard, hitting his head on the table, and stays there. Corbett instinctively kneels to see if Wilder is still breathing. But then, hearing MOVEMENT in the rear module, Corbett flees. 50 INT. THE TURTLE - REAR MODULE Eric is pulling on his pants. 51 INT. THE TURTLE - FRONT MODULE Eric rushes in. The outside door is open and Wilder lies on the floor. His holster is empty. Anne Marie comes in and crosses to Wilder. Eric pulls a floor trap door open and digs through the company-issue equipment, coming up with a huge Remington bolt-action bear rifle. Unfamiliar with weapons, Eric tears open a box of shells and fumbles to load the rifle. 52 EXT. THE TURTLE Corbett is trying to start Eric's Scout. Eric fires a loud warning SHOT from the Turtle doorway. ERIC You want to try that handgun against this rifle, go ahead. Corbett sits in the Scout for a long moment, weighing his odds. He takes his hands off the steering wheel... Eric SHOOTS again, this time SMASHING the side-view mirror and window next to Corbett's head. Still handcuffed, Corbett gets out of the Scout. Holding the .357 gingerly by the butt, he puts it on the hood of the Scout. CORBETT Some day you might have to face me without a gun. 53 INT. THE TURTLE Eric leads Corbett in. Anne Marie is cradling Wilder's head. She's crying. Eric looks at Wilder. There is blood coming from his ear and he's fading fast. WILDER (thickly) Fetch him back? (Eric nods) Don't let him walk... Eric nods again. Wilder holds his gaze on Eric, then simply stops breathing. (CONTINUED) 53 CONTINUED: Eric is stunned. Quietly, Corbett sits down. Clutching the rifle, Eric sits on the floor and glares at Corbett. CORBETT (softly) Does he have people? ERIC (after a beat) A daughter in Oregon. CORBETT Send him down to her. There's money in my duffel bag, back at his cabin. Corbett's benign attitude is chilling. ERIC I better call in. He turns the shortwave radio on. It SPARKS and burns out. The remainder of the liquor has been poured inside it. ERIC (continuing) Thought of everything, huh? CORBETT Surviving is what I know -- ERIC -- Killing is what you know. (to Anne Marie) Pack some food while I prep for the flight. (off her look) I'm sure not gonna let him go. Covering Corbett with the rifle, Eric handcuffs him to the sturdy metal bracket of a wall unit. 54 EXT. CACHE, ALASKA - (MOVING SHOT) - NIGHT Viking Bob approaches in his station wagon on a narrow dirt road. The huge night sky all but smothers the weak light from the town up ahead. Cache seems a mistake -- a jumble of unpainted buildings in the middle of a big nothing, twenty miles north of the Arctic Circle. Still, it's more animated than Devil's Cauldron. There are a hundred permanent residents, several taverns and a three-store, fly-in shopping center. (CONTINUED) 54 CONTINUED: Even though it's the middle of the night, people roam the streets, drinking and socializing. With only a couple feet of snow on the ground, this is still summertime. Under storefront awnings, drunken INDIANS sleep on the concrete. Viking Bob cruises the main drag, looking for the other trappers. He spots their jeep in front of a dangerous-looking saloon called the "Bear Sign Inn." ANGLE WITH VIKING BOB as he parks and gets out of his station wagon. He hears a familiar VOICE around the side of the building. LEMALLE (OS) C'mon, girl, talk to me, negotiate with me... 55 EXT. CACHE - ALLEY Drunk, LeMalle stands in an alley with a bored, acne-scarred Oriental PROSTITUTE. He weaves and leers, his hand stuck inside her blouse. VIKING BOB LeMalle. We got a problem. Where's Mitchell? LEMALLE Goddamn! Viking Bob! Mitchell's inside, boring bastard... Grumbling, Viking Bob separates LeMalle from the Prostitute and drags him by the collar out of the alley. CUT TO: 56 INT. BEAR SIGN INN - NIGHT Meyerling's campaign posters cover the walls. Many have been pulled down and muddied underfoot by the drunken crowd. In a booth covered with grafitti, Mitchell squints and works on his scrimshaw. LeMalle, somewhat sober, eats a plate of muktuk -- whale blubber. Viking Bob pours him more coffee. MITCHELL (to Viking Bob) ...Ben never sent a signal. VIKING BOB Musta never got a chance to -more- (CONTINUED) 56 CONTINUED: VIKING BOB (Cont'd) activate. Wilder's aiming to take him to Fairbanks, we can count on that much. MITCHELL Meaning he'll need a plane. VIKING BOB Closest planes for hire are here in Cache. MITCHELL Hang on... (to LeMalle) Remember that Cessna we saw at the pumping station on the Haul Road? Belongs to the guy they got patrolling the pipeline. LEMALLE There you go. Wilder's always chummy with the fuckin' Bambi-lovers. VIKING BOB It's a long shot. MITCHELL You got a better idea? 57 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE - DAWN Wisps of light cut across the cold blue sky. Eric comes out of the Turtle, leaving the front door ajar. He throws a knapsack of supplies into the back of the Scout. 58 INT. THE TURTLE Corbett's right hand is still handcuffed to the wall unit. Terrified about being alone with Corbett, Anne Marie cautiously puts a cup of coffee in front of him. CORBETT How long have you been up north? ANNE MARIE (after a beat) Six months. CORBETT Can't be. Too keen a sense of this place in your pictures. (CONTINUED) 58 CONTINUED: ANNE MARIE Six months this time. I was born in the Aleutians. CORBETT Your people Alaskan? Anne Marie doesn't want to talk to a killer, but Corbett is so soft-spoken and charming that she answers despite herself. ANNE MARIE My dad was a Navy doctor. CORBETT Knew you had no native blood, even with your dark hair. Blue eyes give you away. My wife had blue eyes. ANNE MARIE Had? CORBETT She's dead. ANNE MARIE Oh. CORBETT Had some good years. Met her in '66. She showed up one day in Coldfoot. No one knew her. One Sunday morning, she marched into a bar and announced she was available as a wife to the highest bidder. Didn't work out in three months, she'd return the money and leave, no hard feelings. (off Anne Marie's amazed look) My bid was eight thousand dollars. Beautiful girl. ANNE MARIE How did she..? CORBETT I was gone, in September, laying traplines. She went to our cache for some meat. Got mauled by a bear. Tore open her skull. -more- (CONTINUED) 58 CONTINUED: (2) CORBETT (Cont'd) Might've lived if she got help, but the exposed part of her brain froze. Anne Marie shudders. Smiling good-naturedly, Corbett looks around, spotting the package Anne Marie's new dress came in. CORBETT (continuing) What about you -- why come back? Classy girl like you seems more suited to the finer things. ANNE MARIE That's why I left, moved to Washington. When I met Eric I was doing day shoots -- products and fashion, mostly. Pretty dull. Eric was teaching college, and then he got the job with Northland Oil. We wanted to stay together, so we talked them into funding some wilderness photography... and here I am. As she's talking, the Turtle ROCKS slightly. She looks out the tiny window. HER POV - THROUGH WINDOW Eric is putting Wilder's body inside an enclosed storage compartment built flush into the side of the Turtle. BACK TO SCENE Horrified, Anne Marie turns away. CORBETT You should know something. ANNE MARIE I don't want to talk any more. CORBETT Wasn't my intention to hurt Wilder. I'm telling you the truth. I liked the man. I only meant to get loose... to survive. Your cheechako boyfriend better understand that. (beat) Listen, I've got some money put away -- (CONTINUED) 58 CONTINUED: (3) ANNE MARIE -- Don't ever think you can buy Eric off, Mr. Corbett -- ERIC (OS) -- Cheechako? Eric comes in, none too thrilled about Anne Marie chatting with Corbett. ANNE MARIE (translating) Outsider. He carefully stuffs Wilder's magnum in his belt and ignores Anne Marie's disparaging look as he does. ERIC (to Corbett) Let's go. ANNE MARIE Wait a second. 59 INT. THE TURTLE - REAR MODULE Anne Marie leads Eric out of earshot from Corbett. Eric keeps a cautious eye on him. ANNE MARIE Maybe you should drive him into Devil's Cauldron, let them decide what to do with him. ERIC (reassuringly) Fairbanks is a three-hour flight. I'll be back by dinnertime. Realizing he's determined, she sighs and kisses him. ERIC (continuing) Be careful, okay? ANNE MARIE That's my line. CUT TO: 60 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK - DAWN Eric and Corbett drive toward the deserted pumping station. They cross over a prefabricated steel portal bridge spanning a fast-running creek. 61 INT. SCOUT - (MOVING SHOT) The wind whips through the shot-out wing window. Corbett's handcuffs are lashed to the seat frame with sturdy nylon rope. 62 EXT. PUMPING STATION The pumping station consists of three corrugated steel buildings. The largest is an airplane hangar. Just beyond the hangar is a narrow blacktop landing strip running parallel to the Haul Road. 63 INT. SCOUT - ANGLE THROUGH WINDOW - (MOVING SHOT) Eric pulls up to the hangar. Suddenly, LeMalle steps out from behind the building. 64 EXT. PUMPING STATION LeMalle recognizes the International Scout. He swings his rifle up to stop it. Eric slams it in reverse and SCREECHES back around the hangar. MITCHELL (OS) Aim for the tires! LeMalle FIRES as the Scout rounds the corner. He hits a fender, doing no damage. Angry, he runs after the vehicle. 65 INT. SCOUT - (MOVING SHOT) Eric slams on the brakes and turns the Scout around. CORBETT Let me out and keep going. They catch us, they'll kill you. Eric doesn't need any convincing of that. He tears out. 66 EXT. PUMPING STATION Mitchell runs out in front of them and BLASTS the front of the Scout with his .45 Peacemaker. Steam HISSES out of the radiator. Eric floors it and races past Mitchell, almost hitting him. (CONTINUED) 66 CONTINUED: Mitchell and LeMalle SHOOT at the retreating vehicle. One of the Scout's back tires gets blown out. 67 INT. SCOUT - (MOVING SHOT) Eric slows, shifts into four-wheel drive and continues, driving on the rim. 68 EXT. PUMPING STATION Chewing an unlit cheroot, Viking Bob pulls up next to Mitchell and LeMalle in the trappers' jeep. They pile in. 69 EXT. HAUL ROAD Eric backtracks as fast as possible in the crippled vehicle. 70 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP - THROUGH WINDSHIELD - (MOVING SHOT) As the Scout heads for the Feldspar Creek bridge, it disappears from sight over a hill. 71 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK Viking Bob zooms over Feldspar Creek. They come over the rise, but the Scout still can't be seen ahead of them. REVERSE ANGLE The Scout sits idling in a depression near the creek bed, below the Haul Road. Above, the trappers speed past without noticing. After giving the trappers time to get around the next bend, Eric drives the Scout up the embankment and crosses back over the bridge. 72 INT. SCOUT Eric stops the vehicle. He grabs a five-gallon gas can and a piece of cloth from the back. 73 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK The prefab bridge is the transportable type used by the Army Corps of Engineers, left over from the building of the pipeline. Eric stuffs the gas can between the abutment and the honeycombed underside of the bridge. He puts the rag inside the spout of the can, lights it with a match and runs like hell back to the Scout. 74 EXT. HAUL ROAD The trappers realize their quarry is missing. Viking Bob slams on the brakes and looks around. 75 INT. SCOUT - (MOVING SHOT) Eric speeds away. CORBETT They'll still catch us. All you're doing is pissing them off. 76 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK The gasoline can EXPLODES, tearing the bridge couplings away from the concrete abutment. 77 EXT. HAUL ROAD The trappers see the explosion behind them. They turn around and head toward it. 78 EXT. PUMPING STATION - HANGAR Eric parks the Scout sideways to block the way to the airstrip. With the magnum at the ready, Eric cuts Corbett's handcuffs loose from the seat and hurries him toward the hangar. The leeward side of the structure is a huge metal door on rollers. Eric unlocks it and rolls it back. Inside is a Cessna 182, dusted with snow and ice blown through the cracks by crosswinds. Eric brushes the windshield with his sleeve. 79 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK The trappers pull up and find the far side of the bridge burning and disconnected from the creek bank. 80 INT. HANGAR - CESSNA Eric helps Corbett into the cockpit, then secures his handcuffs to the frame of the seat with more nylon rope. 81 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK Viking Bob assesses the damage to the bridge. Loose from the abutments, it wobbles like a diving board. Below, the water is too deep and fast-moving to be traversable. 82 INT. HANGAR - CESSNA Eric tries to turn the ENGINE over. The starter is sluggish from cold and lack of use. 83 EXT. HAUL ROAD & FELDSPAR CREEK Viking Bob looks at the others, bursting with frustration. He climbs into the driver's seat. VIKING BOB Get in. We can jump it. They hop in. He SCREECHES backwards to get a running start, REVS the engine, pops the clutch, and tears toward the bridge. As they reach the midpoint of the bridge it begins to buckle under them. With a sickening WRENCHING, the crossbar supports crumple. The jeep flies through the still-burning gasoline, becomes airborne, and SCRAPES to a rude stop on the edge of the pavement on the other side, the back wheels dangling in space. LeMalle and Mitchell gingerly get out and push the ass end of the jeep onto solid earth. 84 INT. HANGAR Eric finally STARTS the plane and taxis out onto the landing strip. 85 EXT. PUMPING STATION The trappers drive up to where the Scout blocks their path. They pile out of their jeep and run toward the landing strip. 86 INT. CESSNA - (AERIAL SHOT) It picks up speed and takes off. ANGLE THROUGH WINDOW - (AERIAL SHOT) Below, the trappers watch the plane zoom over their heads. LeMalle points his carbine at it, but Viking Bob pushes the rifle down. 87 INT. CESSNA - (AERIAL SHOT) Corbett scowls as he sees the trappers helpless below him. 88 EXT. PUMPING STATION Viking Bob watches, wide-eyed with fury. Mitchell spits. LeMalle punches the wall. Then he turns and repeatedly BLASTS the Scout, parked nearby, with his carbine. 89 INT. CESSNA - (AERIAL SHOT) Eric's knapsack, an emergency kit and several five-gallon cans of aviation fuel are tucked behind the seats. ERIC How the hell were they smart enough to find us? CORBETT Smart? Sure. That's why I'm sitting in this plane and they're down there blowing me kisses. Eric retracts the landing gear and banks toward the southwest. Corbett notices that Eric seems a little unsure of the controls. CORBETT (continuing) Been driving long? ERIC I needed a pilot's license to take the job here, so I got one in six weeks. CORBETT That makes the flight more interesting. Eric ignores the jibe. He stays at 2,000 feet, making the landscape all the more immediate. Corbett stares out the window and broods. He spots an open, snow-covered area where some dark blotches mar the whiteness. CORBETT (continuing) See the blood? Pack of wolves took down a moose. Greedy, gut-ripping sons of bitches. I'd kill the last wolf on earth, right in front of the President of the U.S. Stinking, cowardly predator, the wolf. (CONTINUED) 89 CONTINUED: ERIC Sounds like professional jealousy. CORBETT Hunting and trapping was a damn fine life. (beat) Me and Mitchell, Bob and LeMalle, we were teams. I'd always go with Mitchell. Good man, Mitchell. I'd let Bob worry about goddamn LeMalle. We'd hire a plane in October. On the way to a dirt airstrip somewhere, we'd drop supplies. We'd land, tell the pilot to come back for us a few days before Christmas. ANOTHER ANGLE - (AERIAL SHOT) While talking in an even tone, Corbett intently studies the instrument panel and scans the landscape below. CORBETT The idea was to get to the supplies before the bears did. Along the route we'd set our traps. Made our year's living in three months. Corbett spots a flat plateau farther in the mountains, above the tree line. CORBETT (continuing) Lot of times we didn't even have a landing strip. We'd set down on a plateau, like that one there. Yeah, that one's easy; you could glide right in... Suddenly, he turns in the seat and pins Eric against the door with his left foot. The plane flies erratically. With his right foot, Corbett kicks the fuel jettison lever on the instrument panel, jamming it on. 90 EXT. CESSNA - (AERIAL SHOT) The lever, used to empty the fuel tanks in case of emergency, does so with great expediency. All the gas is instantly discharged. 91 INT. CESSNA - (AERIAL SHOT) Corbett releases Eric and calmly sits back up in his seat. Eric rubs his neck, incredulous. Corbett's move was too fast and too outrageous. In a moment, the engine SPUTTERS to a stop. Eric struggles to hold the stick steady and glide the plane down to the plateau Corbett pointed out. CORBETT Hope you got your money's worth on those lessons. 92 EXT. CESSNA - (AERIAL SHOT) There's an even chance of hitting a mountain instead of the plateau. Eric pushes the Cessna's nose down. The plateau comes up fast. The plane drops lower and lower, pitching and yawing in the wind. It CRASH LANDS, its metal underbelly SCREECHING as it hits the jagged granite under the snow. It stops suddenly, flipping tail over nose. 93 INT. CESSNA It rests upside down in the snow. The men are dazed. Behind Eric, one of the extra fuel cans, now hanging upside down, leaks gas. In front of him, the engine is ON FIRE. Eric undoes his seat belt and rights himself, but his leg gets caught in the tangled belt. He pulls out a Swiss Army knife and cuts the rope binding Corbett's handcuffs to the seat. Corbett pushes the passenger door open. Panicking, Eric tries to pull loose of his seat belt, painfully wrenching his ankle. 94 EXT. CESSNA Corbett rolls out into the snow. With no time to grab his supplies, Eric clambers from the wreckage. He and Corbett crawl/roll down the incline of the plateau, away from the plane. A moment later the leaking gas reaches the burning engine and the Cessna EXPLODES. WIDER Eric tries to stand. He cries out and falls into the powdery snow, clutching at his ankle. (CONTINUED) 94 CONTINUED: Corbett realizes Eric is at a disadvantage. But before he can bolt, Eric grabs for the .357 magnum under his coat. He lies on the snow, gasping, pointing the gun at Corbett's midsection. ERIC Stay put! CORBETT You got the belly to look me in the eye and pull the trigger? Eric cocks the gun's hammer with his thumb. ERIC Be no different than shooting a rabid dog. The men face off for a tense moment. Corbett smiles and zips up his jacket, dispelling the tension. Letting the hammer down, Eric looks back at the burning plane. ERIC (continuing) Next time you want to kill yourself, don't include me. CORBETT I took the odds on getting down in one piece, and I made it. Now we're in my territory. ERIC With light clothing and no supplies, this is nobody's territory. CORBETT You sound like the tourists. Know-it-alls who read about survival in a magazine. Fuck you. You won't make it off this mountain. Corbett drops his facade of conviviality. Eric is too angry to be intimidated. He takes the scarf from around his neck and wraps his ankle with it. ERIC Let's go. (CONTINUED) 94 CONTINUED: (2) CORBETT (re Eric's ankle) I'm not gonna carry you out of here. ERIC That's right. You're not. CORBETT Look, take these cuffs off. We need to work together. ERIC Forget it. Eric holds his wristwatch up, points the hour hand at the sun, counts forward to noon, and, accordingly, makes an approximation of their direction. ERIC (continuing) Last time I checked the flight plan, we were forty miles northeast of Devil's Cauldron. Southwest is that way. No sense waiting for a goddamn taxi. Grimacing with pain, he gets up. Clutching the magnum, he shoves Corbett in front of him and starts walking. Corbett frowns -- it's tough to trudge through the snow with his arms cuffed tightly behind his back. Eric looks around and tries not to let his emotions register on his face. They wouldn't be farther from the rest of humanity on another planet. Smelling fear on Eric, Corbett enjoys the view. And waits. 95 EXT. ENDICOTT MOUNTAINS - LATER THAT DAY The Endicott range is full of jagged peaks, icy streams and gnarled tundra valleys. Squinting in the glare of the snow, Eric and Corbett trek through the grandiose Gates of the Arctic area. The smoldering plane wreckage is a hard-won, snow-covered mile behind them. Intricate patterns of fragmented rock, strips of scruffy tundra and bedrock outcrops produce lonely, foreboding mosaics upon the landscape. The air is still. The silence is itself a disconcerting presence. Ten miles ahead and two thousand feet lower, the forest begins. But here, on the rock face of the mountains, Eric and Corbett might as well be in a desert. (CONTINUED) 95 CONTINUED: ERIC It'll be interesting, trying to build a fire without any wood. CORBETT Welcome to the environment, Mr. Ecology. Out here, one mistake is all you get. Determined and dour, Eric pushes on. CORBETT (continuing) Why in hell you care enough about me to die taking me in? ERIC I don't plan on dying. It's all academic. The sheer magnitude of the surroundings makes them feel they're the only people in the world. DISSOLVE TO: 96 EXT. ENDICOTT MOUNTAINS - DUSK The sun drops behind the mountains. A wind whips up, chilling the men through their clothing. Eric tries not to shiver. He spies a small rock formation with a granite elbow protruding from it, making an enclosed triangle of solid rock. ERIC We'll stop here, dig out a snow shelter. CORBETT Snow shelter. Okay. You dig. I'll have a little sit-down. Corbett sits on his haunches and smiles while Eric digs near the rocks. Although he knows Corbett is testing his every move, Eric refuses to let his patronizing air get to him. CORBETT (continuing) Even in the drifts, this snow's too powdery to make a shelter. When you're done jerking around, reach down the back of my coat. Eric approaches him suspiciously. He puts his hand down through Corbett's collar. Something is stowed inside a homemade flap in the lining of his coat. Eric pulls out a (CONTINUED) 96 CONTINUED: folded nylon tarp with twine threaded through corner eyeholes. He shakes the eight by eight orange tarp open... CUT TO: 97 EXT. NYLON SHELTER - EVENING Eric and Corbett have stretched the tarp out tent-style next to the granite rock formation, making a minimal but functional refuge from the cold night. 98 INT. NYLON SHELTER The men huddle inside the tarp. Eric keeps a wary eye on Corbett -- at all times he treats him like a rattlesnake. Eric unwraps his ankle and rubs it. It's swollen to the size of a softball. CORBETT Still quite a hike to Devil's Cauldron. (beat) Days. A long stretch to go without sleep, my friend. You can hide behind that pistol for now, but take your eyes off me long enough to sneeze -- ERIC -- Turn around. While poking the .357 in Corbett's ribs, Eric one-handedly unlocks Corbett's right manacle, pulls his arm through the granite elbow, then locks it back up again. He's learning. FADE TO: 99 EXT. HAUL ROAD - DREAM - (AS IN SCENE 3) Eric is hurrying along the pipeline in his business suit, following the predator's paw prints in the snow. He peers ahead and his prey becomes visible. But it isn't a wolf, it's Corbett. His hands and face are covered in blood. END DREAM 100 EXT. ENDICOTT MOUNTAINS - DAWN The sun peeks over the mountain tops, drenching them with light and color. 101 INT. NYLON SHELTER The light hits Eric's eyes. He bolts awake from a fitful sleep. Corbett sits, already awake, looking like he'd uproot the rock to which he's chained if he could. He waits for an opportunity -- any opportunity -- with the patience of a vulture. CUT TO: 102 EXT. ENDICOTT MOUNTAINS - SMALL VALLEY - DAY Eric and Corbett trudge up to the bank of a frozen stream bisecting their path. It's simple -- to continue, they have to cross it. Corbett takes in the scenery, in no particular hurry. Frustrated, but making dead sure he's always got the drop on Corbett, Eric puts a tentative foot on the ice. CORBETT Ice is too thin -- you can see the water moving underneath. ERIC We're not sitting here 'til November. There's a cargo plane coming to Devil's Cauldron in four days, and I'm putting you on it. CORBETT We get wet, we freeze to death in a couple hours. ERIC I've been on ice like this when I was a kid, skating. Spread your weight, keep moving. Go on. Corbett is not about to be outdone in the guts department by someone with a Master's Degree. CORBETT (gestures 'you first') Be my guest. ERIC (points .357) I'm right behind you. Frowning, Corbett tentatively steps onto the ice and inches across the fifteen feet to the other bank. NEW ANGLE He turns and, indeed, Eric is right behind him. (CONTINUED) 102 CONTINUED: CORBETT Wait 'til I'm across! Eric doesn't want to be too far from his prisoner. He keeps coming. The ice GROANS and HISSES under their weight. Corbett is three feet from solid ground. He drops to his knees, then stomach, and rolls like a log the rest of the way. Eric splays out on the ice and crabwalks across. The ice makes an ominous CRACKING and water begins to seep through air holes. Standing, Corbett weighs his chances of bolting from Eric. Eric crawls doubletime. He makes it onto solid ground just as the ice under him breaks off in a big, thin, clear plate. CLOSER Eric sits on some rocks. Corbett glares it him. CORBETT Most dangerous thing in the world: A regular Joe, in over his head. You trying to prove how tough you are for me, or for yourself? ERIC It wasn't my idea to crash the plane. CORBETT Let's camp. There's grayling under this ice. I'll snare some for dinner. ERIC (standing) We've got another two hours of daylight. CORBETT Pushing it is flat wrong. All you prove is your ignorance about breaking trail. Eric is not convinced. Grumbling, Corbett gets up and takes the lead as they continue southward. 103 INT. THE TURTLE - DARKROOM - DAY Trying to keep busy, Anne Marie develops some prints in the darkroom she's made from the front bathroom. She glances at her watch and sighs, her mind on Eric's overdue return. 104 INT. THE TURTLE - FRONT MODULE Anne Marie comes out of the darkroom and hangs the prints up to dry. Outside, (OS), a car HORN blares a couple of times. Grinning, she runs to the door. 105 EXT. / INT. THE TURTLE Meyerling's Dodge truck pulls up. Anne Marie comes outside. Her smile wilts when she sees it's not Eric. As Meyerling climbs the embankment to the Turtle, he glances at Wilder's snowmobile parked alongside the Turtle. MEYERLING I've been trying to raise you on the shortwave for two days. He pushes past Anne Marie and goes into the Turtle. ANNE MARIE Have you talked to Eric? MEYERLING I have not, but I very much want to. What do you know about the trouble in Devil's Cauldron? ANNE MARIE I was hoping you had some news -- MEYERLING -- Get this straight: I'm the District Supervisor. Whatever you do reflects on me. It wasn't my idea to bring you people up here, but I'm stuck with you. You are absolutely not to involve yourself in any local disputes. Whichever side you take, you alienate the other. Mr. Corbett is quite well-known in this region. People admire him -- ANNE MARIE -- Corbett's a killer. (CONTINUED) 105 CONTINUED: MEYERLING I don't care if Ben Corbett makes meatloaf out of nuns and babies, he's not your concern. Understood? Anne Marie just glares at him. Meyerling examines the damaged shortwave. MEYERLING (continuing) What happened here? ANNE MARIE The radio's on the fritz. MEYERLING Where'd you say Eric is? ANNE MARIE Somewhere along the pipeline. MEYERLING What about that hotheaded marshal, Sam Wilder? I heard he was in the middle of this mess. ANNE MARIE Sam? We haven't seen him. MEYERLING Really. I thought maybe that was his snowmobile outside. (beat) By the way -- your truck also 'on the fritz?' ANNE MARIE (blanching) Why? MEYERLING It's out by the pumping station, shot full of holes. Noting Anne Marie's distressed reaction to this news, he crosses to the door. MEYERLING (continuing) Still nothing to tell me? (no reply) Suit yourself. 106 EXT. ENDICOTT MOUNTAINS - DAY Eric limps further down from the mountains. Corbett keeps pace in front of him and his magnum. As their altitude decreases, there is ever thicker vegetation. Their tracks in the snow stretch up behind them into the distance. The magnificence and grandeur of the surroundings cannot be overstated. Picture the most rustic, overwhelming wilderness imaginable, and then make it ten times larger. NEW ANGLE - LATER The men's way is once again interrupted, this time by a sheer granite drop. The steep decline would be tough to negotiate with mountaineering equipment and proper footwear. Corbett peers over the edge and shakes his head. CORBETT Have to backtrack, find another way down. ERIC Forget it. It would take days. CORBETT (assessing the drop) Going to be a bit of a challenge with handcuffs on. Eric realizes he's right. After some deliberation, Eric cautiously approaches him. With the .357 cocked and ready, he undoes one of the cuffs, leaving them hanging from Corbett's wrist. He then unthreads the nylon twine from Corbett's tarp. ANGLE - GRANITE SHEER Eric and Corbett are tied, belt to belt, with the nylon rope. Corbett inches down first, feet spread for maximum footing, gloveless hands grasping at anything. Eric mimics Corbett's moves and follows the same path. Unable to grasp the rocks effectively, he stops and takes his gloves off. Continuing, he winces -- the rock is cold and sharp. His hands are soon numb and bloody. Even in the dry, below-freezing air, Eric is sweating. He looks down and hangs on more tightly. Sliding to level ground two hundred feet below would pummel him to hamburger. Corbett pauses and rests his cheek against the rocks. Eric is right above him. (CONTINUED) 106 CONTINUED: Suddenly, Corbett's foot slips. His right hand instinctively goes for a hold. The dangling handcuffs snare on a protuberance, knocking him off balance. The fulcrum of Corbett's body leans out into the empty air. Eric moves down a little, braces himself and extends his leg, giving Corbett something to grab. Corbett takes hold of Eric's shoe and tries to teeter back against the rock wall. Adrenaline screams through Eric's system. Corbett looks up at Eric. A careless move will send them both tumbling. Eric clutches harder at the rocks and waits for the worst. After a long moment, Corbett regains his balance and lets go of Eric's foot. He continues his descent. Eric lets out his breath and tries to swallow. His mouth is as dry as the granite. CUT TO: 107 EXT. TREELINE - LATER THAT DAY Handcuffed again, Corbett hikes in front of Eric along the top of some foothills. Now and again he glances behind, gauging Eric's weariness, waiting for a moment's carelessness. Around them there is heavy vegetation now -- snow-covered sedge tussocks, knee-deep muskeg and twisted thickets that are treacherous and slow to tramp through. Above them, ominous clouds and sharp, cold winds are coming down from the north. But below, a mile ahead, the edge of the forest is like the hem of a great green garment stretching endlessly southward. The combination of altitude and latitude creates an amazingly sharp topographical dividing line. Within a few thousand yards, the landscape abruptly changes from scrub brush to thick coniferous forest. CORBETT Better get into those trees before that squall blows down. Then, Corbett pauses as a walloping sound ECHOES across the foothills. Just ahead, two enormous bull moose are fighting. They ram each other with six-foot-wide antlers. Corbett stares, transfixed, admiring. CORBETT You talk about ecology -- there it is. (CONTINUED) 107 CONTINUED: Eric turns, surprised at Corbett's unabashed awe. Catching the men's smell the moose bound away, and the spell is broken. 108 EXT. MINING SETTLEMENT - EVENING Viking Bob, Mitchell and LeMalle head somberly back to Cache. They drive along a hydraulic gold mining sluice on a nearby river and come into town. As the trappers park their jeep, some MINERS greet them, shouting over the ROAR of the water. MINER #1 Where's Ben at? MITCHELL You'll want to hear about it with a drink in your mitt. CUT TO: 109 INT. BEAR SIGN INN - CACHE - EVENING Outside, a STORM rages. LeMalle is drunk, but still able to stuff himself with a thick steak. Mitchell drums his fingers and listens to everyone talk. With them at the bar are the Miners, LOGGERS, CAT SKINNERS (bulldozer drivers) and some leathery WOMEN. MINER #1 ...Figures, Corbett getting hauled off by a Federal marshal. God almighty, how I hate the U.S. government. LOGGER We should pass a hat. Send Corbett a few bucks. We owe him. Someone's hat comes off. It quickly gets filled with bills. MINER #1 Government and business. They ruined this state. (re Meyerling poster) Like that little weasel, for instance. WOMAN CAT DRIVER 'People's Friend,' my lily-white -more- (CONTINUED) 109 CONTINUED: WOMAN CAT DRIVER (Cont'd) butt. I heard Northland got a conservation program, up along the pipeline. LOGGER Hold it. Meyerling told me that stuff's nothing but P.R. for the TV and papers down in Juneau. LEMALLE He's full of shit. We got run out of there by some fuckhead driving a Northland truck. NEW ANGLE Viking Bob hurries in and whispers something in Mitchell's ear. Mitchell shoots LeMalle a look and gets up. The threesome hastily exit, leaving behind the hat full of money. 110 INT. BEAR SIGN INN Viking Bob, Mitchell and LeMalle stand in a quiet corner near the front door. VIKING BOB I called the cops in Fairbanks, see when Ben is standing trial. They don't know shit about Ben or Wilder! LEMALLE Get the fuck out of here. VIKING BOB It's a three-hour flight. They shoulda got there yesterday. LEMALLE Maybe they went back to Devil's Cauldron. MITCHELL Naah, Wilder knows we got friends in town. VIKING BOB That plane might've been to throw us off the track. Remember the bait-and-switch Wilder pulled with the Eskimo and his truck? (CONTINUED) 110 CONTINUED: LEMALLE Wilder still woulda made Fairbanks by now. Fuck a duck! Ben musta got loose. VIKING BOB Okay, let's backtrack, try to pick up his trail. You know the kid out on the pipeline that Wilder's buddies with? MITCHELL (smiles) We were just talking about him. 111 EXT. FOREST - CAMPSITE PREPARATION MONTAGE - EVENING The STORM brings gusting winds and below-zero temperatures. Eric and Corbett move through the storm in slow motion. Both recognize the need for a truce in the face of a common enemy. The snow and wind cut through their clothing like razors. They poke around for dead wood with which to make a fire. The trees are small and healthy; little is found. CORBETT (shouts over WIND) Just gather birch. It'll smoke like hell, but it'll burn green. Awestruck by the intensity of the storm, Eric tears branches from birch trees and piles them in Corbett's handcuffed arms. They hurry back to the nylon tarp, strung between two tree trunks, FLAPPING violently in the storm. Hunching against the wind, Eric pulls off his gloves and reaches in his pocket for some precious matches. His fingers are so cold he can't hold them, and he drops several in the wet snow. Angry, he shoots a look at Corbett. Corbett is holding his hands inside his coat. He pulls them out and quickly takes the remaining matches from Eric. Crouching down, back to the wind, Corbett grasps a match between his numb fingers and awkwardly strikes it. He holds the flame next to the kindling. It doesn't catch fire immediately. Corbett lets the match burn out against his fingers. He tries another match. This time, a flame takes hold but could succumb to the wind at any moment. On his knees and elbows, Corbett nurses along the tiny fire. Eric can't control his shivering. He gets on his knees next to Corbett and holds his coat open to further baffle the wind. Corbett keeps his hands cupped around the flame, not (CONTINUED) 111 CONTINUED: caring that it's burning his skin. Finally the fire begins to grow. Relieved, Eric and Corbett look at each other with a glimmer of a grudging mutual respect. The fire, now unattended, is smoky as Corbett predicted, but burns along nicely. END MONTAGE 112 EXT. / INT. NYLON SHELTER - NIGHT Corbett and Eric sit under the nylon shelter. The STORM rages outside. Eric empties his pockets of Eskimo potato, reindeer lichens, bistsort sorrel and other plants for his dinner. Corbett has fashioned a snare from his boot laces and a tree branch, and placed some crushed roots as aromatic bait next to a small animal burrow outside the shelter. A squirrel sticks his nose out of the burrow to investigate. Corbett sits catlike, ready to pounce. Eric grimaces as Corbett yanks on the snare and the squirrel's SQUEALS (OS) abruptly cease. 113 INT. NYLON SHELTER Corbett pulls his dead dinner inside. CORBETT I need your pocket knife. (Eric hesitates) I have to eat, too. After a beat, Eric pulls open the small blade on his Swiss Army knife and pushes it with his foot to Corbett. Smiling, Corbett admires the fancy knife. Then, BELOW FRAME, he skins and guts his catch. CORBETT (continuing) Damn lucky this storm didn't blow down when we were on those baldheaded mountains. It continues, we better stay put. ERIC It could blow over tomorrow, too. CORBETT I'm still figuring: You're either real brave or real dumb. (CONTINUED) 113 CONTINUED: ERIC I just want this over with. CORBETT (laughs) Where in hell Meyerling dig you up? ERIC You know Meyerling? CORBETT Sure. The People's Friend. Kiss your ass with precision if there's a vote in it. Corbett eats the squirrel Eskimo-style. Raw. He uses the knife like a native, too, holding the meat in his teeth, then expertly cutting off a mouthful with a quick slice. Eric stares, disgusted. Off his look: CORBETT (continuing) Always eat your meat raw when the weather's cold. Does you more good, long as the entrails look clean. Corbett uses snow and the squirrel's fur to wipe the blood from his face, then wipes the knife off and lays it, open, next to his leg. ERIC I'll hold onto that. With a wry smile, Corbett pushes it back over to Eric. While Eric eats his dinner, Corbett listens to the STORM and watches him eat. CORBETT Sure love to know where you fit in up here. ERIC I'm here to do my job. CORBETT You want to fool yourself about that bullshit job, fine. Damn shame you have to drag your girlfriend along. You think a woman like that will be happy making moose stew for a man -more- (CONTINUED) 113 CONTINUED: (2) CORBETT (Cont'd) making your salary? Look, I'll give you five grand. Take the money and go home where you both belong. ERIC Don't fucking insult me. Corbett smiles -- maybe he's beginning to understand Eric. CORBETT Folks come to Alaska for a real short list of reasons: Money. Adventure. Solitude. Those cover most everyone. But frontiers also draw another type of man. One with a demon in his gut. He comes to the edge of the world to face that demon, and lay it to rest. ERIC Yeah? CORBETT Yep. Sometimes they do, but usually they end up crazy or dead. Eric ponders Corbett's words as he eats. 114 INT. THE TURTLE - NIGHT Anne Marie is frantic with worry. She has the AM/FM RADIO on for company. RADIO (VO) ...This is "Tundra Topics" on KFAR. Remember, as the nights get longer, be sure to stay on a regular sleep schedule. The depression from the coming of winter that doctors call 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' -- or 'Arctic Blue' to us lay folk -- is preventable. Anne Marie tunes the radio to "Pipeline of the North" on KIAK. (CONTINUED) 114 CONTINUED: RADIO (VO) (continuing) ...John Byers was hospitalized in Fairbanks today for an infection in an abscessed tooth. Mr. Byers had a toothache and attempted to remove the tooth himself with a pair of pliers... Suddenly, a BUMP rocks the Turtle. Someone is outside. Startled, Anne Marie turns the lights off and looks out the window. No sign of a vehicle or a person. As she pulls on her parka, she glances at the big rifle leaning against the wall, but doesn't touch it. 115 EXT. THE TURTLE Her visitor, whoever it is, is behind the Turtle. Anne Marie cautiously rounds the corner and stops dead. NEW ANGLE A foraging GRIZZLY sniffs around, attracted by the smell of fresh carrion -- Wilder. Eight feet tall and eleven-hundred pounds, it's used to having its way. Right now, it's hungry. With a casual swipe of its paw, its massive claws puncture the Turtle's aluminum skin, popping open the door of the utility compartment. The bear pokes its head inside, and Wilder's body slumps out into the snow. The bear pushes at the corpse with its snout. Salivating, it prepares to dig in. Anne Marie looks around, wondering what the hell to do nEXT. Wilder's snowmobile is a few yards behind her, parked against the side of the Turtle. She inches toward it. Testily, the bear looks up, SNIFFING loudly. Keeping her eyes on the bear, Anne Marie feels for the snowmobile ignition keys. They're not there. She feels around inside the saddlebags and finds three emergency road flares. Anne Marie IGNITES the flares. They illuminate the area with an eerie reddish glow. She YELLS at the bear, wields the flares like Excalibur and moves forward. The bear, reluctant to leave so hearty a pre-hibernation meal, GROWLS and cocks its head back and forth to assess the threat. As Anne Marie inches ahead, the bear stands on hind legs to its full height to meet the challenge. (CONTINUED) 115 CONTINUED: Anne Marie tosses a flare toward the bear. It grunts when the flare hits it, and shuffles backwards. Anne Marie throws another flare. With a ROAR from hell, the bear charges. Anne Marie falls back. Still holding the last flare, she's forced into a crawl space under the Turtle. ANGLE - UNDER THE TURTLE Anne Marie tries to squeeze out the other side, but she's pinned in by the unevenness of the hard ground. The bear swipes at her, its huge paw inches away. Anne Marie jabs at the paw with the flare, but that only makes the bear more quarrelsome. She twists around, looking for a defense. Above her is the cabling from the generator to the circuit box for the Turtle's electrical system. She tugs at it, but it won't budge. The bear SNIFFS at Anne Marie with its big wet snout. Anne Marie notices warning a sign on a control valve: ? DANGER!! ? BLACK WATER ? UNTREATED SEWAGE Grimacing, she tries to turn the valve. After much effort, it SNAPS and opens, releasing a stream of fetid sewage. WIDER The bear gets a muzzle full of the stuff. HOWLING unhappily, it backs away, GRUNTING and SNEEZING. Greatly offended, its appetite gone, it lopes into the forest. Anne Marie squirms out from under the Turtle and, gagging from the horrible smell, pulls off her wet parka. CUT TO: 116 EXT. WOODS NEAR THE TURTLE - SERIES OF SHOTS - NIGHT Wearing one of Eric's coats, Anne Marie stands in the center of three similarly-sized trees. A FLARE supplies the light. The big Remington rifle leans against the tree closest to her. She tosses one end of a hundred feet of nylon rope over a sturdy tree branch twenty-five feet from the ground. Then she throws the other end over an opposing branch and stretches the rope like a clothesline. (CONTINUED) 116 CONTINUED: She attaches a second length of rope perpendicular to the first and throws it over a third tree branch, midway between the other two. She kneels and ties something BELOW FRAME to the cross-length rope. Pulling mightily on the perpendicular rope, she hoists something heavy to the level of the branches. The flare burns out, plunging the area into darkness. Anne Marie wraps the rope around the tree trunk and nervously tries to LIGHT another flare. As she does, the forest seems closer, sinister, filled with lurking ogres. Seized with an instinctual fear, she grabs the rifle and runs back to the Turtle. FADE TO: 117 EXT. ENDICOTT FOOTHILLS - DAY The storm has passed, leaving a fresh covering of powdery snow in drifts like sand dunes. Eric and Corbett trek toward Devil's Cauldron through the ever-thickening forest. Corbett has made them snow goggles by cutting slits in strips of tree bark worn like sunglasses. Eric, using a tree branch as a walking stick, still limps on his sore ankle. For the first time, he keeps the magnum stuck in his waistband. CORBETT There's a cabin, maybe twenty miles south of here. ERIC (kneels to adjust his ankle wrap) Too bad we're heading west. CORBETT There's a snowmobile. Inside a day we could be on the Yukon. I got money there. Remember that five thousand? Make it ten. Be smart. Take it and walk away. ERIC (bristling) You don't get it, do you? Corbett takes advantage of Eric's poor peripheral vision from the visor by kneeing Eric in the face. Eric falls backwards into the snow. Corbett takes off like a jackrabbit. Eric spits out some blood, shakes the stars out of his eyes and yanks the .357 from under his coat. (CONTINUED) 117 CONTINUED: ERIC (continuing) Stop! Corbett bounds through the snow, dodging trees and snow-covered rocks. Eric squeezes off a SHOT, and is startled by the recoil and the blast. He scrambles to his feet and SHOOTS again. Corbett zigzags and disappears from sight over a snowbank. NEW ANGLE - FOLLOW CORBETT Corbett runs over a frozen stream, invisible under a cover of snow. Suddenly, the ice SHATTERS under him. Corbett is immersed in frigid, waist-deep water. He gasps from the sudden temperature drop. ERIC hobbles after him, CUSSING bitterly to himself. CORBETT crawls to solid ground. Disoriented from the shock to his system, he rolls over to catch his breath. WIDER Eric appears over a snowbank. Corbett tries to run, but his frozen, waterlogged legs feel like pig iron. Stumbling and panting, he looks for a safe place to cross the stream. Eric easily catches up to him. Corbett sits in the snow, shivering. He looks up as Eric trots over. Eric glares at Corbett and rubs the bruise on his cheek. CORBETT Nothing personal. Just wanted to see what you'd do. Noticing Corbett's sopping legs, Eric becomes furious. CORBETT (continuing) Have to get these wet things off. ERIC You're not going to slow us down! Keep moving! (CONTINUED) 117 CONTINUED: (2) CORBETT Inside of three hours you'd be dragging my dead carcass. Fuming, Eric helps Corbett up. 118 EXT. ENDICOTT FOOTHILLS - EVENING The sun sinks below the horizon, creating across the mountains a spectacular show of color and shadows. The wind HOWLS. 119 INT. NYLON SHELTER Eric stokes a fire at the mouth of the shelter. Corbett's pants and boots hang to dry from branches next to it. He huddles under the tarp, covered by his coat, drowsy and listless. ERIC Stay awake! You want to go hypothermic? CORBETT If that means freeze my balls off, no thanks. (yawns) I'll be okay. Eric examines him. Corbett's skin is white and rigid, his lips are pale blue. He scowls at Eric. CORBETT (continuing) Told you I'm fine! ERIC (holds up three fingers) How many do you see? CORBETT (irritable) What?! Fuck off. Save yourself. ERIC You don't feel cold? CORBETT It's a spring day... He starts to doze off. The shivering he's been repressing now racks his body. Eric sits him up, closer to the fire, and puts his own parka over Corbett's shoulders. With his foot, Eric rolls some hot rocks bordering the fire closer to (CONTINUED) 119 CONTINUED: Corbett's legs. Eric rubs his arms and hands, but it isn't enough. Eric loathes the specter of death, even Corbett's. He shakes him, trying to keep him awake. ERIC Wake up, goddammit! You've got classic hypothermia -- crankiness, fatigue, can't feel your coldness. Worst thing you can do is fade out. Corbett is headed someplace far away. Sighing, Eric turns him so his back faces the fire. He unbuttons Corbett's shirt, then unbuttons his own shirt and lies across Corbett. Eric gasps -- Corbett feels like a slab of ice. Corbett's teeth chatter. He's completely unconscious. ERIC (continuing) One more thing -- this doesn't mean we're going steady. DISSOLVE TO: Later, Corbett rests fitfully. It could go either way. Eric chews on some roots and pokes at the fire to keep it lively. DISSOLVE TO: It's night. Some color has returned to Corbett's skin. Eric turns as Corbett mumbles and clutches at the front of his shirt. His eyes open. He tries to sit up, but he's too weak. ERIC Stay still. CORBETT Where's my ELT? ERIC Emergency transmitter? All your gear is back at Wilder's. CORBETT You got one? ERIC It was blown up with the plane. CORBETT Too bad. We'd be out of here in a few hours. (CONTINUED) 119 CONTINUED: (2) ERIC How? Nobody this far north monitors that frequency until avalanche season. (beat) Besides, I'm surprised a tough guy like you uses fancy electronics. CORBETT I'm surprised a flat-ender like you knows cold-weather remedies. ERIC Read a lot of adventure stories when I was a kid... Corbett smiles. CORBETT I'm hungry. Go kill me some dinner. ERIC An appetite. Maybe you won't die after all. CORBETT Hate to disappoint you. 120 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE - NIGHT The AURORA makes a dazzling display in the cold clear sky. Below, the only light on the endless expanse of dark earth comes from the Turtle. CLOSER Flashlight in hand, wearing one of Eric's coats, Anne Marie refuels the generator. Something catches her eye -- ANNE MARIE'S POV In the distance, headlight beams jostle along the Haul Road. BACK TO SCENE Anne Marie caps the diesel fuel can and stows it away. ANNE MARIE (grinning) It's about time... She hurries back into the Turtle. 121 INT. THE TURTLE Anne Marie brushes her hair and makes herself presentable. 122 EXT. THE TURTLE The vehicle gets closer. It's the trappers' jeep. It slows and parks on the Haul Road next to the Turtle. 123 INT. THE TURTLE Anne Marie peers out the window. She gasps as she recognizes the jeep. Ducking from sight below the window, she grabs Eric's coat and hurries into the rear module. 124 EXT. THE TURTLE Mitchell stays in the jeep. Viking Bob and LeMalle get out and walk cautiously toward the Turtle. LeMalle stands midway between the jeep and the Turtle, cradling his carbine. Viking Bob goes up the steps. 125 INT. THE TURTLE - REAR MODULE Anne Marie remembers something she should've taken with her: the rifle. Too late. She hears Viking Bob's FOOTSTEPS (OS) come up the wooden stairs outside. 126 EXT. THE TURTLE Viking Bob knocks on the front door. He peers through the sheer curtain on the window, into the front module. VIKING BOB Hullo? He shrugs to the others, then tries the door. It's unlocked. Mitchell gets out of the jeep, spits and follows the others in, his hand close to the Colt Peacemaker strapped to his leg. 127 INT. THE TURTLE Anne Marie climbs out a window in the back. She closes it behind her just as Viking Bob pokes his head in the rear module. The trappers snoop around, noticing that the coffee pot is still warm, etc. The emptiness is ominous. LeMalle picks up the big Remington bear rifle. He opens the breech to determine if it's loaded, and sniffs the barrel to see if (CONTINUED) 127 CONTINUED: it's recently been fired. Viking Bob notices the damaged radio. VIKING BOB Somebody left in a big hurry. (to LeMalle) Check outside. 128 EXT. THE TURTLE LeMalle goes outside and shines his flashlight around. NEW ANGLE In the back, Anne Marie drags an evergreen tree branch behind her to cover her tracks in the snow, then climbs into the utility compartment where Wilder's body was stored. A moment later, LeMalle comes around the corner. He notices bear tracks and scat from the prior night's visit. LEMALLE (calls out to others) Grizzly sign. Looks fresh. Viking Bob and Mitchell converge with LeMalle. They point their flashlights around, spotting footprints and marks going off into the woods. 129 EXT. WOODS NEAR THE TURTLE Tense and silent, the trappers follow the marks. A breeze RUSTLES the needles of the evergreens around them. They stop at the point the footprints end. A rhythmic CREAKING above them makes LeMalle shine his light upward. NEW ANGLE The light REVEALS Wilder's feet swinging back and forth above their heads. His body is suspended in the manner of a trail cache. Viking Bob lets out a startled grunt. He and Mitchell shine their lights on Wilder's face. MITCHELL It's Sam Wilder! VIKING BOB Musta wanted to keep him from the bears. If Ben killed him, he sure as hell wouldn't hang him up like this. MITCHELL Where's the kid? (CONTINUED) 129 CONTINUED: LEMALLE Who gives a husky fuck? Where's Ben? The trappers look glumly at one another. 130 INT. UTILITY COMPARTMENT - THE TURTLE Anne Marie jams herself behind a pile of her photo equipment. She stops as she hears the trappers' boots (OS) CRUNCH in the snow past her and go inside the Turtle. 131 INT. THE TURTLE The trappers peel off their overcoats. They look around at the comfortable surroundings. MITCHELL I should get me a job with an oil company. He sits on the couch and lays his scrimshaw and engraving tools out on the coffee table. LeMalle helps himself in the well-stocked larder. LEMALLE I say we eat, torch this fuckin' thing, and move on. LeMalle digs through the cupboards and comes up with a fresh bottle of Scotch. VIKING BOB Go easy. LEMALLE Cool out. I ain't about to get blasted. CUT TO: 132 EXT. THE TURTLE - LATER THAT NIGHT Flashlight in hand, gloriously drunk, LeMalle stumbles outside. He crosses to the jeep to grab a box of Twinkies and, as long as he's at it, take a leak in a snowbank. Bleary-eyed, he notices the damage to the utility compartment inflicted by the bear. He walks to it, stepping over the bear scat. He marvels at the size and depth of the clawmarks. (CONTINUED) 132 CONTINUED: LEMALLE Big mother musta wanted something real bad in here... LeMalle tries the door, but it's jammed shut. He tucks his flashlight under his arm and gives another tug. This time the door cracks open. CLOSER - HIS POV He peers through the opening and shines his flashlight in. A pair of eyes stare back at him. WIDER LeMalle jumps back, startled, and pulls out his knife. He tries the door again. It WRENCHES open... ...He's looking at his own face in one of Anne Marie's mirrored photo reflector boards. Letting his breath out, LeMalle pokes around the equipment in the compartment. Ever larcenous, he pulls a few items out, examines them, and, disinterested, leaves them in the snow. Doing so, he comes close to uncovering Anne Marie, who sits motionless and terrified in the back of the compartment. Nothing in the compartment catches LeMalle's fancy. Leaving the door hanging open, he wanders away. 133 INT. UTILITY COMPARTMENT - THE TURTLE After he's gone, Anne Marie reaches over and closes the door. She can hear the trappers' (OS) CONVERSATION inside: VIKING BOB (OS) I know in my gut he was here. First light, we try to get scent of his trail. Sighing, Anne Marie stuffs her hands inside her parka and tries to get comfortable. It's going to be a long night. FADE TO: 134 EXT. ENDICOTT FOOTHILLS - DAWN Eric and Corbett wearily trudge through the woods. Corbett has the tarp wrapped around him for extra warmth. As he walks, he sniffs at one of Eric's Eskimo potato roots and takes a tentative nibble. (CONTINUED) 134 CONTINUED: CORBETT Used to see the natives eating roots when I was a kid in Nome. ERIC Nome? I figure you'd be a whaler, coming from there. CORBETT Told that's what our old man was. Planned on going to sea, me and Bob, 'til I read Jack London. Started trapping when I was ten. Mailed the furs to Sears. Eight bucks for a skunk, three for a muskrat. (off Eric's look) That was fine money. ERIC Killing wildlife not good enough anymore, so you go on to bigger and better things. CORBETT You got a knack for seeing things the way you want to see them. They walk in silence. Corbett tightens the tarp against the cold air and looks at Eric. CORBETT (continuing) Don't judge me. You're a joke, coming here from a fucked-up culture, telling us what to do! ERIC Yeah, it is fucked up -- but it's not too late to keep that from happening here. CORBETT (temper flaring) All you do is keep folks from working the land, living like they're meant to. You don't understand shit! Trappers, hunters -- we're part of the environment. Who's protecting us? (sourly) I've seen plenty like you. So -more- (CONTINUED) 134 CONTINUED: (2) CORBETT (Cont'd) full of yourselves there's no room for other people's way of life. ERIC What do you know about people? You live like an animal! A savage goddamn throwback like you belongs out here, as far away from the rest of us as possible. CORBETT I'm real sad you don't approve of me. He shoves Eric with his handcuffed hands. CORBETT (continuing) Tell me what I should do, Professor. You got all the answers. I shouldn't hunt? Fine, I'll just phone up and have a salad delivered. Livid, Eric backs away and knocks Corbett's hands away from him. ERIC Don't push me..! CORBETT Cowardly bastard. I'm in handcuffs and I still scare the piss out of you. Eric smashes his fist into Corbett's face. Corbett reels back, more surprised than hurt. Eric moves in, furiously throwing punches. Corbett plows his clenched fists into Eric's midsection, doubling him over. Gasping, Eric rams his head into Corbett and they fall into the snow. Despite the handcuffs, Corbett gets a few blows in. They wrestle fiercely, and Eric ends up on top of Corbett. He's about to throw another punch when Corbett looks up at him. CORBETT (continuing) First you save my ass, now you want to kill me. Make up your goddamn mind. (CONTINUED) 134 CONTINUED: (3) Eric lowers his fist and climbs off of Corbett. Corbett gets up and they continue on their way in sullen silence. 135 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - DAY Sunday morning. Chimney smoke rises straight up in the still morning air and mingles with the wisps of fog hanging above the Devil's Cauldron valley. A scratchy RECORDING of a HYMN ("We Will Gather at the River") plays through a PA system, ECHOING forlornly off the hills. The PEOPLE of Devil's Cauldron walk through the new snow to the center of the settlement. Some, older Women mostly, head for the dance hall, where the HYMN originates. 136 INT. DANCE HALL The Women SING along with the HYMN. They face a shelf holding the PA, a rusty TV and record player. And, in front of the shelf, an unmanned pulpit. 137 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON The Men, including Neff, split off from their mates and go into the Maqi. 138 INT. MAQI Neff joins some other Men sweating on benches in the primitive steam bath. Kenai sits closest to the fire. His thick glasses are steamed up, but he finally looks warm. NEFF Wilder's missing church services; you believe it? KENAI I just as soon he stay gone. Fool could've got us all killed, arresting Ben Corbett here in town. 139 EXT. FOOTHILLS ABOVE DEVIL'S CAULDRON - DAY Exhausted, Corbett and Eric climb across the last set of foothills before the Devil's Cauldron valley. The town comes into view below them; faintly the MUSIC carries from below. Corbett looks at Eric and breaks the silence: CORBETT What makes you so sure my boys won't be waiting for us? (CONTINUED) 139 CONTINUED: ERIC They think you're in Fairbanks. If not, they still won't find you before the plane comes tomorrow. CORBETT Don't bet on it. ERIC I already have. CORBETT You don't know how true that is. Eric sweeps the snow from between two rocks and sits down. ERIC We'll wait here until nightfall. No fire, no tarp. Corbett sits next to him. After a long moment: CORBETT Didn't mean it, you being a coward. You're a lot of things, but chickenshit isn't one of them. ERIC Maybe...maybe not. I'll tell you what scares me -- stumbling through life, like an ordinary jerk. That's why I want to work on the front lines, where what I do means something. (beat) Soon as I got here, I realized my job was bullshit. Oil company propaganda. I was ready to leave, then I thought screw it, I'll outsmart them, do the work anyway. (beat) I don't know anymore. Maybe I am fooling myself. That's what I'm afraid of most of all. CORBETT Hell, I still get a knot in my gut every season, wondering how much longer I can go on. No 'Home for Retired Trappers' that -more- (CONTINUED) 139 CONTINUED: (2) CORBETT (Cont'd) I ever saw. We're like Eskimos -- get too old to be useful, we're left on the ice to die. The men listen to the faint MUSIC echoing through the silent foothills. CORBETT (continuing; softly) My wife used to go to chapel on Sundays. See her friends, 'cause I was away so much. (beat) Should've been home that day. She'd be getting dressed right about now... Eric glances over as a look of utter desolation crosses Corbett's face. 140 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE - DAY The trappers file out the front door. VIKING BOB My guess is he's loose and heading for Chukfoktulik. He'll need supplies; that's the closest settlement without a lawman. LeMalle carries his booty with him. Viking Bob looks at him disapprovingly as he puts the big Remington rifle in the jeep. LEMALLE I ain't gonna leave a seven- hundred-dollar Remington behind. VIKING BOB (exasperated) What you gonna do with it? Large bore's for shit on small game. LEMALLE Not in the right hands it ain't. To demonstrate, he rapid-fires several SHOTS from the hip, taking the radio antenna off the roof of the Turtle, shattering panes of glass in an accurate succession, and blasting the door latch off the utility compartment. (CONTINUED) 140 CONTINUED: Pleased, LeMalle slams back the bolt, ejecting a spent shell. He glances curiously at the door of the utility compartment and starts toward it. LEMALLE (continuing) Thought that door was open last night... VIKING BOB Quit fucking around. Get in. LeMalle climbs into the back of the jeep. With Viking Bob driving, they pull away. 141 EXT. TRAPPERS' JEEP - (MOVING SHOT) Grinning maliciously, LeMalle hangs the Remington out the window as they retreat. Taking careful aim, he SHOOTS. 142 EXT. THE TURTLE LeMalle's bullet hits the metal fuel tank of the generator. The kerosene fumes EXPLODE, splattering BURNING KEROSENE on the rear module of the Turtle. The trappers don't slow down to enjoy the show. Viking Bob hurries on to more important business. 143 INT. UTILITY COMPARTMENT - THE TURTLE As soon as the SOUND of the jeep fades away, Anne Marie clambers out of the utility compartment. Haggard and numb with cold, she helplessly watches as the fire ravenously devours the rear module. Shielding her face from the flames, Anne Marie reaches under the accordion cover between the modules. With great effort, she unbolts the coupling bracket. 144 INT. DIESEL RIG - THE TURTLE Anne Marie STARTS the engine, SLAMS it into gear, and lurches the front module away from the burning rear module. She shuts the motor off and, trying to hold back the tears, watches the rear module BURNING. DISSOLVE TO: 145 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NIGHT Bone weary, Eric and Corbett walk toward town, staying on the outskirts to avoid being seen. They look at one another -- this moment seemed impossible not very long ago. No one seems to notice as they limp into Wilder's cabin. 146 INT. WILDER'S CABIN It's dark. Eric locks Corbett up in the holding cell, not noticing that Corbett seems almost pleased to be there. He blocks the windows, pumps up the pressure on the white gas lantern and heads back outside again. 147 INT. NEFF'S HOUSE Neff pries himself from his MTV to answer a KNOCK at the door. Eric hobbles in. Neff notes Eric's weatherbeaten condition. NEFF You don't mind me saying, Mr. Desmond, you look like hell. ERIC Have you heard anything from the girl staying with me, Anne Marie? NEFF Not a damn thing. What's going on? Mr. Meyerling was here, all steamed up, looking for you. ERIC Look, Neff, I've got Ben Corbett with me -- NEFF -- Here?! Where's Wilder? ERIC Back at my place... he, uh, broke his leg. NEFF If Corbett's men find out -- ERIC -- I'm putting him on the plane to Fairbanks, eleven tomorrow. NEFF Jiminy Christmas. (beat) What do you want from me? ERIC Corbett ruined my two-way. Go to my place on the Haul Road, tell Anne Marie I'm okay and to sit tight. (CONTINUED) 147 CONTINUED: NEFF I'll go at dawn. ERIC Thanks. Don't tell anyone you saw me. After Eric goes, Neff closes his door and bolts it. 148 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - VARIOUS ANGLES - NIGHT The temperature dips as the winds shifts and blows down from the north. Another storm approaches. The temperate days of last week seem ages ago. Kenai, Neff, and other TOWNSMEN batten Devil's Cauldron down for the STORM. Kenai is bundled up in the cold. The men tighten guy wires on the radio tower, windmills and caches; bring firewood indoors; close off unused rooms in the general store and spa. Then Neff and Kenai split off from the others. 149 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Via a catwalk, Neff and Kenai climb up into the ceiling struts above the partitioned cubicles in the spa to caulk a roof leak with pitch. Neff is sullen from his conversation with Eric. Kenai, however, is smiling at Neff. NEFF Why the smirk? KENAI Bet I could make some money turning Ben Corbett in. Maybe more for lettin' him loose. (off Neff's flustered look) I was up in my cache. Saw the Northland man come talk to you. NEFF You're out of your greedy goddamn mind. KENAI Corbett coming here stinks of trouble. We should make the best of it before it turns around and bites us in the ass. NEFF Stay out of it. 150 INT. WILDER'S CABIN - NIGHT Eric stirs a pot of beans on the cookstove. Corbett watches from the cot in the cell. CORBETT Talk to that good-looking girl of yours? ERIC You broke the radio, remember? CORBETT (smiles) I'm sure she's fine. Seemed like a clever kid. Corbett sits up as Eric hands him a plate of beans. CORBETT (continuing) You were real resourceful out there. Got me thinking of this perimeter man, froze all his fingers one winter. So he hacked the tips off and sharpened the exposed bones. Gets along better than ever. Yeah, maybe I underestimated you. ERIC I liked you better frozen. You didn't talk so much. CORBETT You're damn lucky, glimpsing this country before it's ruined, gone for good. You saw wonders you'd only dreamed of. That alone makes you different than the sorry bastards back where you came from, because you have dreamt them. Corbett sees he's hit a nerve with Eric. CORBETT (continuing) Remember that demon in the gut? Sometimes it's nothing more than wondering if the so-called civilized life has bred the balls and brains out of you. That's what you want out of this, isn't it? (CONTINUED) 150 CONTINUED: ERIC All I want want is you in jail -- A KNOCK at the door interrupts. Eric lowers the flame on the gas lantern and peers out through a corner of the cardboard in the front window. Frowning, he cracks the door open and slips outside. 151 EXT. WILDER'S CABIN It's Neff and Kenai. Neff looks guiltily at Eric. NEFF (explaining) He saw you and Corbett come in... KENAI Dixie's waiting at the infirmary. She'll put a splint on that injured leg. Eric is skeptical of Kenai's concern. NEFF Don't let him fool you. Real reason he's here is to buy Corbett's traps. Eric looks at Kenai, then at Neff. Neff nods that it's okay. As extra precaution, Eric handcuffs Corbett's right wrist to the frame of the cot inside the cell. ERIC (to Kenai) Okay. You can talk to him. But I'll keep the keys with me. 152 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA - NIGHT Outside the wind HOWLS. Eric enters and walks into the hallway connecting the bath partitions. A hand grabs his arm. Startled, he turns around. It's Dixie, wearing a threadbare flannel robe. DIXIE Earl says you get discount. Twenty-five dollar. Eric shakes his head -- typical Kenai. He gives her three tens. She smiles and leads Eric toward the "infirmary." It's actually a bath partition outfitted with an examining table and a first-aid kit. 153 INT. WILDER'S CABIN - NIGHT Neff paces nervously. Corbett smiles at him and Kenai. NEFF (apologetically) Look, Ben, we don't want any trouble. The kid's got the key, and besides, he looks edgy enough to use that magnum he's carrying. CORBETT Relax. I'll get loose in time. KENAI Any traps you don't want, I'll pay cash money. CORBETT Guess someone should use them. Open the bottom drawer in Wilder's desk. My kit's in there. Might as well unload everything. Kenai tugs on the drawer. It's locked. Undaunted, he jimmies it open with a knife. Neff groans. Kenai goes to throw Corbett the duffel bag, but Neff grabs it. He checks for weapons, pulling out a hunting knife. Satisfied, he hands Corbett the bag through the bars. With his free hand, Corbett digs through his belongings: clothing, freeze-dried provisions, jerky, paperback books. He looks up and shrugs. 154 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA - NIGHT Eric's ankle is in a resin cast. His foot rests on a stool. While waiting for the cast to set he soaks in the bathtub, a hot towel draped over his face. Above him, on a wall bracket, a closed circuit TV plays a war-surplus PORNO FILM. The door CREAKS open and Dixie comes in. She impassively checks his cast -- which is interesting, as she's now wearing panties, clog shoes and nothing else. Eric takes the towel off his face and sits up, astonished. DIXIE I wash your back for you. You will like it. Before Eric can protest, the door OPENS again. It's Meyerling. He snaps his fingers at Dixie to shoo her and she scurries away. (CONTINUED) 154 CONTINUED: MEYERLING I hate to interrupt playtime, but why the hell are you caught up in a local matter when I gave you express instructions to the contrary?! ERIC Cut the shit, Leo. I might need your help... 155 EXT. CHUKFOKTULIK, ALASKA - NIGHT Consisting of a handful of sod-roof cabins, mostly bars, Chukfoktulik is a way station in the coniferous forest, sixty miles southeast of Devil's Cauldron. 156 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP With the seats pushed back, LeMalle peels the town's lone WHORE out of her parka. He's got the motor running for warmth. Her gold tooth glints in the light from the building next to them. The locating screen on the beat-up radio beacon receiver bolted to the dash GLOWS phosphorescent green. WHORE They got nice beds upstairs, honey. LEMALLE I'm standin' guard duty. Besides, rather spend the room money on sloppy seconds. Over the sound of LeMalle's exertions there begins an insistent succession of BEEPS. The Whore looks over LeMalle's shoulder at the locating device. WHORE Hey, Tiger -- LeMalle turns and immediately loses interest in the Whore. Pushing her off of him, he blows the jeep's HORN three times. 157 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA - NIGHT Eric and Meyerling are in the middle of an argument. ERIC ...I won't let a killer walk! (CONTINUED) 157 CONTINUED: MEYERLING Alleged killer. ERIC What does this matter to you? MEYERLING (sneering) You can't see past your lousy little assignment, sniffing around the pipeline. The few voters there are in this district look up to Corbett, and I'm not about to alienate them. ERIC I should release Corbett because you want some votes? MEYERLING This miserable wilderness is a state of the union. Policy's made here the same way as in the civilized world: at the ballot box. That's the beauty of it -- these icebox cowboys are living a century too late. Get them on your side, it's like buying Manhattan for beads. With a handful of votes you control the greatest frontier since white men stumbled onto the New World. ERIC Some day these people'll wake up, and you'll be the first one they'll run out of here. Eric's attention turns to a rhythmic INTERFERENCE on the TV screen. There are three short bursts, followed by three long bursts. Something about it is very familiar. Scowling, he sits up. ERIC (continuing) Shit... (to Meyerling; distracted) Do what you have to. So will I. Eric climbs out of the water and pulls his pants on. 158 INT. WILDER'S CABIN - NIGHT Kenai sorts through the tangle of Corbett's traps. The door bursts open and Eric hobbles in. Gun drawn, Eric unlocks the cell door. He rips Corbett's shirt open. Looking around, he sees Corbett's duffel bag sitting by the cot. Digging through it, he finds at the bottom of the bag an ELT with a small red LED flashing on it. Furious, he flings it against the wall, smashing it. 159 INT. TRAPPERS' JEEP - CHUKFOKTULIK - NIGHT The green dot on the screen and rhythmic BLEEP go suddenly dead, just as Viking Bob and Mitchell run up to the jeep. LEMALLE Northwest. Devil's Cauldron. LeMalle dumps the half-naked Whore out onto the snow. Viking Bob starts the jeep and they roar off. 160 INT. WILDER'S CABIN - NIGHT Eric shoves Kenai and Neff out the door. NEFF What's wrong? ERIC Just stay out of my face until I'm gone! He slams the door. Corbett smiles his Cheshire smile. ERIC (continuing; picks up ELT) Emergency transmitter? What happened to signal mirrors or two-tone smoke fires? CORBETT Lets us watch each other's backs over a wide area. Only thing messed me up this time was getting arrested in the baths. ELT was in my duffel bag, not around my neck where it should've been. ERIC No way they'll find you on a five-minute signal. And no way -more- (CONTINUED) 160 CONTINUED: ERIC (Cont'd) they'll get here in eight hours in this weather, unless they're right around the corner. CORBETT They haven't disappointed me yet. 161 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - DAWN Fat, dry snowflakes pour through the still air. Gloomy clouds hang immediately overhead. Visibility is ten feet; the temperature is below zero. 162 INT. WILDER'S CABIN It's 5:30 AM. Sitting at Wilder's desk, Eric pries the tops from some bullets and dumps the gunpowder into a styrofoam cup. He rings the top of the cup with bluetip matches, then seals it with masking tape. Watching him from the cell, Corbett smiles. CORBETT Flashbomb, eh? Eric doesn't answer. He pulls on a heavy overcoat of Wilder's. Putting the unused bullets back in Wilder's desk, Eric finds Corbett's .44 magnum. He puts it and some speedloaders full of .357 hollowpoints in his pockets. 163 EXT. / INT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - MONTAGE Eric hobbles across town to the hot springs under cover of the early hour and heavy snowfall. He paces out several circuitous routes from the rental cabins to the airstrip at the edge of town, pausing now and again along the way. He hears a door SQUEAK open and someone COUGH nearby, so he stands motionless in the snow. Bundled in wool blankets, Kenai trundles down to his outhouse. After Kenai passes by, Eric sneaks inside the spa. He climbs up into the catwalk. As Kenai goes back to his cabin, he notices that the antique bear traps on display in front of the general store are missing. Suddenly, Eric grabs him and pulls him into the spa doorway. END MONTAGE 164 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Eric's unexpected appearance startles Kenai. ERIC I need to rent a cabin. KENAI What's the problem with Sam Wilder's place? ERIC Will you rent me a cabin, or not? KENAI Pretty clever: If the trappers got that signal beacon and get here in time, Sam's is the first place they'll look. They may figure you're waiting for an airplane, so you can't stay in the shack by the airstrip. Last place they'd expect you is on the far side of town. (shakes his head) I can't afford any trouble -- ERIC (takes out all his cash) -- Here's a hundred dollars. And if you or anyone else will back me up on this -- KENAI (grabs money) -- Forget it. And try not to bleed on my throw rugs. (walks away, then turns back) Why do this? ERIC If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand. NEW ANGLE Outside, there is the high-pitched WHINE of a snowmobile (OS) driving into town. Eric cautiously follows the SOUND. 165 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - CLOSE ON ERIC He listens as the vehicle cuts across town toward Neff's house. The snowfall is too thick to see who it is. Eric (CONTINUED) 165 CONTINUED: moves in as close as he dares. The ENGINE stops (OS) and FOOTSTEPS crunch up Neff's driveway. WIDER ANGLE - NEFF'S HOUSE A person in a hooded parka stands on Neff's stoop, about to knock. Magnum drawn, Eric suddenly appears from the curtain of falling snow. He shoves the person against the side of the house. NEW ANGLE It's Anne Marie. She gasps. Seeing Eric, she's more angry than relieved. Eric puts the gun back in his waistband. ANNE MARIE Eric! Why aren't you in Fairbanks? He pulls her away from Neff's doorstep. Her anger dissolving, she wraps her arms around him. ANNE MARIE (continuing) Oh, Christ, sweetheart. Four days! I thought you were dead, or worse. ERIC You can't stay here. Go back to the Turtle. I'll meet you back there in a few hours. ANNE MARIE (stung by his coolness) What's going on? ERIC I'll tell you everything later. ANNE MARIE Where's Corbett? ERIC Here. A transport plane is due at eleven. Once I put him on it, it's all over. ANNE MARIE So what's the problem? (CONTINUED) 165 CONTINUED: (2) ERIC There isn't one, unless Corbett's men get here before the plane does. Anne Marie grasps the situation with a sickening clarity. ANNE MARIE Let the people here handle it. It's their marshal Corbett killed! CUTAWAY - NEFF has been eavesdropping on the conversation through his window. The news about Wilder stuns him. BACK TO SCENE ERIC Please, Anne Marie, you being here only complicates things. ANNE MARIE I'm staying. Eric knows she won't relent. ERIC Take the snowmobile, park it behind Wilder's cabin. Sighing, she STARTS the snow machine. Most of her photo gear is lashed to the saddlebags. As she pulls away, Eric limps back to Neff's house and knocks on the door. INT. NEFF'S HOUSE Shaken, Neff opens the door and lets Eric in. NEFF I was just on my way to your ladyfriend's, but I guess she found you. ERIC Yeah. Sorry I barked at you last night. NEFF I'm the one should be sorry... Goddamn Kenai, always out for a score. I never should've let him go over there. (CONTINUED) 165 CONTINUED: (3) ERIC I'd sure like that favor you offered a while back. Neff gets a seasick look on his face. NEFF Look, Mr. Desmond, I didn't count on it turning this ugly. ERIC What are you talking about? NEFF Bastards killed Sam, you think they won't kill the rest of us? ERIC There'll be three, four men at the most. I have some backup, nothing will happen. NEFF I'm real sorry. In a while, you're gone from this country. But we live here. No one wants to mix it up with those hombres. Neff opens the door for Eric. ERIC (angry) You don't care enough about Sam to -- NEFF -- Sam Wilder was my cousin. He's why I came to Alaska. All his letters, saying what a paradise it is. But me ending up dead won't do Sam a lick of good. 166 EXT. WILDER'S CABIN Anne Marie waits in front as Eric hobbles up. She looks at his bad ankle. ANNE MARIE You're hurt. ERIC Nothing broken. C'mon, we have to hurry. He leads her inside. 167 INT. WILDER'S CABIN Corbett is calmly reclining on the cot in the holding cell. CORBETT Could've told you no one would help... Seeing Anne Marie, he smiles. CORBETT (continuing; to Anne Marie) Maybe you can talk sense into your boyfriend. ERIC Shut up! CORBETT (to Anne Marie) Either way, you better clear out. I don't want anyone innocent getting harmed. This comment has the intended effect on Anne Marie. Angry, Eric throws Corbett a coat. Corbett puts it on. Reaching through the bars, Eric cuffs Corbett's hands together. ERIC We're moving. Let's go. As they exit, Corbett's sardonic look makes Anne Marie shiver. 168 INT. RENTAL CABIN The ten-by-ten cabin is furnished with two sagging cots, a beat-up color TV set, a cookstove and a half-drum heat stove. Built into the rear wall is a rustic dumb waiter that once lowered perishables into the icy waters of a now-dry stream. Eric checks his watch. 6:15 AM. He bolts the door and blocks the windows, opening one enough to let sound in from outside. He extinguishes the Benman lantern and douses the fire in the heat stove so no smoke will emit from the chimney. Anne Marie slumps into the corner next to the dumb waiter. ERIC You'll catch a chill by that dumb waiter shaft. Sit on the cot. (hands her the .44) Keep this pointed at him if I get preoccupied. (CONTINUED) 168 CONTINUED: Anne Marie reluctantly takes the huge gun. Trying to allay her fears, Eric sits and brushes the hair from her face. Corbett intently watches them. Before he can say anything, Eric shoots him a cold look. Corbett stays quiet. 169 EXT. / INT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - VARIOUS ANGLES - DAY A pall hangs over the town. People know to stay inside. Time crawls by. In his house, Neff, for once, has his TV turned off. He tries to read and listens for sounds outside. In the spa, water DRIPS somewhere. All the stalls are empty. In his sod house, Kenai looks out his one tiny window at the curtain of snow. Dixie comes up behind him and puts her hands on his shoulders. He looks up at her, glum. In Wilder's empty cabin, his belongings are scattered about as if expecting his imminent return. In the rental cabin, Eric checks his watch. 10:45 AM. 170 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR WILDER'S CABIN - DAY The sound of a MOTOR grows in volume, then abruptly ceases. The trappers' jeep APPEARS in the snowfall on the road into town. It coasts quietly in and stops behind the cover of a woodpile across from Wilder's cabin. The trappers get out of the jeep. LeMalle has Eric's Remington, Mitchell has his Peacemaker, and Viking Bob carries LeMalle's old carbine. Mitchell spits. It's so cold outside that the spittle freezes and CRACKS before it hits the ground. They fan out and approach Wilder's cabin. ANGLE WITH TRAPPERS The cabin comes more clearly into view as the trappers move closer. There is no sign of life. Viking Bob gestures for the others, now positioned on either side of the cabin, to crouch down for cover. VIKING BOB (calls out) Ben? Ben Corbett? No response. Carbine held at his hip, Viking Bob walks up to the door and, with a mighty kick, BREAKS it in. (CONTINUED) 170 CONTINUED: REVERSE ANGLE - THROUGH WILDER'S CABIN DOOR Viking Bob points the carbine at an empty room. He notices, however, Corbett's duffel bag on the floor of the cell. 171 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON The trappers march through town like an advancing army, looking for some sign of Corbett. LeMalle stops to dig through his pockets for some food. All he comes up with is the stump of a candy bar. Viking Bob looks at him impatiently. VIKING BOB Look, we pull Ben's ass out of the fire, I'll get you a whole damn crate of Snickers bars. LEMALLE (insulted) I'm right fuckin' here with you. To prove his point, LeMalle trots from dwelling to dwelling, looking through windows and letting himself in through any unlocked door. This proves fruitless, so he lets out a frustrated YELL. Pointing the Remington skyward, he lets off a couple thunderous SHOTS that ECHO back off the foothills. 172 INT. RENTAL CABIN Hearing the shots, Eric pushes Anne Marie against the floor. Cautioning her to stay put, he crawls to the window and tries to see through the snowfall. After a moment of silence, from outside, not too far away: LEMALLE (OS) Ben! Speak out before I torch every dump in town! Eric points the magnum at Corbett. ERIC Answer and I'll shoot! CORBETT You kill me, you sign your death warrant. (re Anne Marie) And hers. 173 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI Viking Bob and Mitchell come running over to LeMalle. LeMalle fires another couple SHOTS for emphasis. LEMALLE (calls out) You hear me? Ben? VIKING BOB (to LeMalle) Ease off. We do this my way. He and the others strain their ears for a clue. VIKING BOB (continuing; calls out) Whoever's holding Ben Corbett, listen to me: we just want to know he's okay. He is, nobody gets hurt. 174 INT. RENTAL CABIN His mind racing, Eric stares at Corbett. Despite the freezing temperature of the room, he's sweating. CORBETT They know I'm here. I don't say something, they'll plow this town under. You willing to accept that responsibility? Setting his resolve, Eric drags Corbett to the window. He pushes the barrel of the magnum against Corbett's cheek. ERIC Say you're okay. Tell them I'll kill you if they rush us. Anne Marie bites her lip and tries to maintain a brave front. Despite the gun in his face, Corbett remains calm. CORBETT (shouts through window) Bob? 175 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI Hearing Corbett's voice, the trappers spin around, trying to ascertain its direction. CORBETT (OS) Relax. I got a nervous man here with a magnum up my nose. (CONTINUED) 175 CONTINUED: The trappers follow his VOICE toward the rental cabins. VIKING BOB You in one piece? CORBETT (OS) I'm fine. Look forward to seeing you... VIKING BOB Count on it. 176 INT. RENTAL CABIN Eric pulls Corbett away from the window. He shoots a look at Anne Marie. They're in a bind and she knows it. 177 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI LeMalle grabs Viking Bob's arm. LEMALLE (to Viking Bob) Sweet-talk won't get shit. (calls out) Choose it, asswipe -- cut Corbett loose, or soon as you come outside, I put a fuckin' bullet through your eye! 178 INT. RENTAL CABIN Eric glances at Corbett, whose grim look certifies LeMalle's boast. CORBETT Snow's to their advantage, kid. You can't see them, but soon as that plane comes, they'll sure as hell know where we're going. Wise up. Take me to the Yukon. I'll give you that money and guarantee you'll walk away. ERIC Why offer a buyoff with your gunmen waiting outside? CORBETT The time has passed for men like them and me. I know it. But they're still fighting for survival, like cornered animals. That's why they'll kill you. -more- (CONTINUED) 178 CONTINUED: CORBETT (Cont'd) (smiles) Be rude to let that happen after you kept me from freezing back there. Anne Marie tries to hide how tempted she is by Corbett's offer. ANNE MARIE (to Eric) He's right about the snow. We're blind. Eric sighs -- is she against him, too? From outside: VIKING BOB (OS) Ben? The trappers are obviously much closer. Eric signals to Corbett not to answer. NEW ANGLE Eric and Corbett face the window. They don't notice as Anne Marie quietly shimmies outside through the narrow dumb waiter shaft to the back of the rental cabin. Eric turns, gasping as he realizes she's gone. Corbett smiles sardonically. CORBETT At least your girl had the sense to jump ship. Too bad she's the only one small enough to fit through that dumb waiter. 179 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - FOLLOW ANNE MARIE Using the cover of the snowfall, Anne Marie circles around the outside edge of town toward Wilder's cabin. She takes some of her photo gear from the snowmobile. 180 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI Unaware of Anne Marie's maneuver, the trappers wait for a response from Corbett. None comes. Viking Bob places a calming hand on LeMalle's shoulder. VIKING BOB Just wait, we don't know what this guy's up to. Ben'll let us know what to do. 181 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - ANTENNA TOWER With a camera bag slung over her shoulder, Anne Marie climbs up the metal antenna tower behind Neff's house on the edge of town. She grits her teeth and fights back a wave of vertigo. The ground disappears from sight, hidden by the snow and fog. Fifty feet up, she attaches her infrared video camera to the tower crossbars and, using a length of coaxial cable, hooks its RF output to the feedline of the community TV antenna. 182 INT. RENTAL CABIN Eric looks at his watch. 10:55 AM. 183 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI A CRACKING twig behind the cabins gets the trappers' attention. Clutching his rifle, LeMalle goes to investigate. WITH LEMALLE as he probes through the snow, listening. He reaches the edge of the woods and, finding nothing, returns to the others. NEW ANGLE Anne Marie crouches behind a tree, twenty feet behind LeMalle. After a moment, she tiptoes back toward the rental cabin. 184 INT. RENTAL CABIN Eric and Corbett turn as Anne Marie's camera bag suddenly drops from the dumb waiter shaft. Anne Marie wriggles back inside. Before Eric can say anything, she puts her fingers over his mouth. She turns on the TV set and tunes it to channel 3. ANGLE ON TV A fuzzy IMAGE comes into view. It's Devil's Cauldron from the vantage of Anne Marie's infrared video camera. The falling snow shows up as a translucent yellow wash over the scene. Buildings are distinguishable as bluish silhouettes. Heat-producing objects -- warm walls, chimney smoke, etc. -- are pink and red. And there are three clearly-definable human figures standing near the Maqi. The trappers. BACK TO SCENE Corbett is amazed. Eric smiles at Anne Marie. (CONTINUED) 184 CONTINUED: ERIC Your infrared camera? ANNE MARIE (nods) Technology in the wilderness. Only problem is talking to you on your way to the landing strip. ERIC I've got an idea. We'll have to work fast. He digs through Anne Marie's bag of equipment and supplies, then stops and looks up. Outside, there is an OS SOUND that is felt before it is HEARD. The cargo PLANE approaches in the distance. 185 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI The trappers look at each other as the SOUND of the plane grows louder. VIKING BOB There's what they're waiting on! MITCHELL (smiles tightly) They'll have to come right past us. 186 EXT. RENTAL CABIN Eric quietly pulls the door open. Holding the pistol to Corbett's head, he pushes Corbett out in front of him. Anne Marie and Eric exchange a long look. Fighting back tears, she reaches up and touches his face. ERIC When you ran off, I thought you'd keep going 'til you were back home in Washington. ANNE MARIE My home is here. With you. He smiles. Then he and Corbett are gone, lost from sight in the snowfall. After a beat, Anne Marie takes a deep breath and slinks away in the other direction, toward the dance hall. (CONTINUED) 186 CONTINUED: ANGLE NEAR THE MAQI The trappers wait, twenty-five feet from Eric and Corbett. The DRONE of the plane grows louder. ERIC AND CORBETT start toward the airstrip. Corbett sees a patch of bare dirt and SCUFFS his feet in it. ANGLE NEAR MAQI The trappers turn to the SOUND, heard under the RUMBLE of the still-distant plane. Converging, they head in that direction. Suddenly, Anne Marie's VOICE booms through the town: ANNE MARIE (OS) (over PA) They're moving toward you! WIDER Eric SHOOTS a couple times, then backtracks and pulls Corbett behind one of the rental cabins. Ducking the bullets, the trappers sprawl onto the ground. 187 INT. DANCE HALL Anne Marie has turned on the rusty TV near the pulpit. While watching the infrared IMAGE of the action outside, she holds the microphone wired to the old PA. ANGLE - THE TRAPPERS Viking Bob gestures to Mitchell and LeMalle to separate. ANNE MARIE (OS) (over PA) They're fanning out. Angry, LeMalle BLASTS his rifle in direction of her VOICE. LEMALLE (to Viking Bob) Kenai's PA -- but how the fuck she seein' us? VIKING BOB Doesn't matter. We know where they're going. C'mon. Stalking, anxious, LeMalle follows Viking Bob. (CONTINUED) 187 CONTINUED: MITCHELL splits off from them and looks for footprints in the snow. 188 EXT. ALLEY Eric pushes Corbett through a narrow pass between two buildings in the center of town. He walks in Corbett's footprints. Almost through to the other side, he suddenly stops. Pulling Corbett with him, Eric walks backwards, still carefully placing each foot in an existing footprINT. Corbett can't help but smile. 189 INT. DANCE HALL Watching the TV screen, Anne Marie sees one of the red blips change direction and head toward her. ANNE MARIE (into mic) One is moving back toward the cabins. 190 EXT. DANCE HALL It's LeMalle. He crosses to Kenai's generator. With a well-placed rifle SHOT to its innards, he GRINDS it to a halt. 191 INT. DANCE HALL The TV PICTURE disappears as the power dies. Anne Marie keys the PA microphone; it's dead, too. 192 EXT. ALLEY Eric and Corbett emerge from between the buildings. Eric backtracks toward the hot springs spa, now leaving an obvious trail. 193 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Eric and Corbett go inside. Eric pulls the door closed behind them, but leaves it ajar. 194 INT. KENAI'S HOUSE The DRONE of the approaching plane is ever louder. Kenai stands and pulls on a succession of sweaters. Dixie looks at him. DIXIE Earl, it's crazy to go out there. (CONTINUED) 194 CONTINUED: KENAI I hear someone in the spa. He straps on a holster under his sealskin coat. 195 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - AIRSTRIP - LONG SHOT The big 4-prop plane is about to touch down on the far side of the snow-covered airstrip. 196 INT. DANCE HALL Anne Marie zips up her parka and cautiously goes outside. 197 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA LeMalle follows the footprints to the door Eric left ajar. He peers inside. 198 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA It's tomb-quiet except for water DRIPPING and pipes CREAKING. LeMalle looks around. The sound of a small DING against metal above him gets his attention. He sees a fleeting shadow cut across the catwalk above him. He finds a metal ladder, slings his rifle over his shoulder and climbs up. Hearing another SOUND on the far side of the catwalk, he hurries across, holding onto the pipes for balance. LeMalle is directly above the huge central pool. He ducks to go under a long piece of twine running from the ceiling to a dark corner below. Suddenly, the twine snaps tight, pulling open a heavy trap door on the ceiling. The door swings down and knocks LeMalle off the catwalk. With a yelp, he splashes into the water below. NEW ANGLE Hidden in the shadows, Eric drops the end of the twine and rushes toward the front door with Corbett in tow. ERIC (to Corbett) That'll keep him out of the cold. LEMALLE climbs out of the central pool, soaked. He pulls his wet jacket off and furiously throws it down. 199 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Eric leads Corbett around the back of the spa. A GUNSHOT rings out nearby and a BULLET hits the wall above Eric's head. MITCHELL has seen their faint silhouettes through the snow. He purposely SHOOTS over their heads so he doesn't hit Corbett. ANGLE BEHIND HOT SPRINGS SPA Eric and Corbett crouch down and double back. They are once again swallowed up by the snowfall. 200 EXT. ALLEY Viking Bob follows their footprints in between the buildings. He continues to a point where they converge to one set, then stop. He smiles at the naivete of Eric's ploy. Looking at the boardwalk railing above, he assumes Eric and Corbett have swung over it onto the iced-over boardwalk. Pleased with his deduction, Viking Bob continues along the alley. SNAP! Viking Bob lets out a horrible HOWL and falls on his back in the snow. Biting into his right calf is a huge conibear leg trap. In extreme pain, he struggles to lever it open with the barrel of his rifle. 201 EXT. KENAI'S GENERAL STORE Corbett shoots Eric a dangerous look as Viking Bob's CRIES carry though the town. ERIC He'll live. 202 EXT. ALLEY Hearing Viking Bob's cries, Mitchell backtracks and rushes to Viking Bob's aid. Between them, they manage to yawn open the jaws of the trap and free Viking Bob's leg. Viking Bob tries to walk but the leg won't support him -- the bone is broken. Bitterly frustrated, he waves Mitchell on. In agony, Viking Bob eases down in the snow. He tears a strip of lining from his coat and wraps his leg to stop the bleeding. 203 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Anne Marie scurries by on her way to the airstrip. Suddenly, the hot springs door bursts open and LeMalle lunges at her. Stripped of his wet clothes, he's wrapped (CONTINUED) 203 CONTINUED: in blankets and furs, his feet protected by sacks lashed to them. His wet body and hair steams in the frigid air. Anne Marie lets out a startled cry and springs away from him. She falls hard on her back, knocking her wind out. Scrambling for footing in the snow, LeMalle drops his rifle. He comes at her again. Anne Marie moves away and pulls the .44 magnum out. LeMalle stops and glares at her. ANNE MARIE (gasping) Don't make me shoot. She gets up, keeping the magnum pointed shakily toward him. LeMalle glowers menacingly. ANNE MARIE (continuing) We're going to Sam's cabin. You can stay in the jail until this is over. LeMalle slowly crouches down for his rifle. Anne Marie wields the handgun at him, but he doesn't stop. LEMALLE Want to chance it with that hog-leg? You can't even hold it up. Better drop me first shot, bitch, or I'll rip your fuckin' lungs out. Taunting, sneering, LeMalle stares her down. Anne Marie is paralyzed. Feeling that he's won, LeMalle wraps his bony fingers around the stock of the Remington. Anne Marie closes her eyes and FIRES. Pulling the rifle close, LeMalle tucks and rolls and jumps to his feet. Anne Marie FIRES again, and AGAIN. Shot, LeMalle hobbles away, leaving a trail of blood in the snow. Numb, Anne Marie lets her arm fall. 204 EXT. BOARDWALK NEAR WILDER'S CABIN Eric looks around at the sound of the shooting, fearing the worst. He pulls Corbett off the boardwalk and they cut across open ground toward the airstrip depot. 205 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA Kenai looks around at the messy RESULTS of LeMalle's ransacking for things to wear. Kenai turns, startled, when he hears footsteps. It's Neff and Meyerling. (CONTINUED) 205 CONTINUED: KENAI (disgusted) Lookit this damn mess. Where in hell's Wilder? NEFF (after a beat) Dead. Trappers killed him. KENAI Aw, Jesus. Told you this was trouble. (to Meyerling) What about you, big shot? Do something. Who's side are you on, anyway? MEYERLING Hey, I thought you people loved Corbett and his wild men! KENAI This shoot-'em-up shit is bad for business. I'm sick of it. MEYERLING What about you, Neff? NEFF Well... two of the trappers are down already -- MEYERLING (suddenly on the bandwagon) -- One left; three of us. Let's finish it. NEFF What about Eric Desmond? MEYERLING I'll handle him. 206 EXT. YARDS BEHIND AIRSTRIP DEPOT Through the snow, Eric can see the faint outline of the plane on the runway. He and Corbett hurry toward the back of the airstrip depot. As they wend their way through the junk-filled yards, Eric catches a glimpse of movement around a corner, REFLECTED in a pane of glass leaning against a roll of tar paper. (CONTINUED) 206 CONTINUED: ERIC'S POV - REFLECTION Peacemaker in hand, Mitchell is behind the depot, coming right for them. WIDER Eric takes out the homemade flashbomb. He lights it, tosses it toward Mitchell and covers his eyes. It EXPLODES with a muffled pop and a bright flash of white light. Mitchell stumbles backwards and blinks his eyes. The flash has temporarily clouded his vision. Eric moves Corbett to another approach to the depot and waits for Mitchell to move on. 207 EXT. REAR WALL OF AIRSTRIP DEPOT Mitchell is about to do just that when a hand on his shoulder stops him. It's LeMalle, oblivious to the profuse bleeding from his right shoulder. Mitchell blinks, still having trouble seeing. LeMalle gestures for him to be quiet and points in Eric and Corbett's direction. LEMALLE (whispers) Over there... He hoists his Remington. MITCHELL (whispers) Hold it. You might hit Ben. LEMALLE Bullshit. I hit what I'm aiming at. MITCHELL Let 'em come closer first... But LeMalle is too anxious. He swings the rifle up, left-handed, and SHOOTS. NEW ANGLE The bullet just misses Eric. He panics and wildly returns FIRE with the .357. 208 EXT. REAR WALL OF AIRSTRIP DEPOT Mitchell and LeMalle scatter under the hail of bullets. (CONTINUED) 208 CONTINUED: ANGLE ON ERIC AND CORBETT as they HEAR LeMalle's labored footsteps run past them, nearby. Eric peers cautiously around the corner toward the depot. There is no further movement. Eric waits a moment, then leads Corbett cautiously toward the depot. 209 EXT. REAR WALL OF AIRSTRIP DEPOT Reaching the rear wall, they practically stumble over something. It's Mitchell, lying on the ground near the wall, badly wounded by Eric's barrage. Eric gasps. Anguished, Corbett kneels next to Mitchell. Mitchell pulls him closer. MITCHELL Glad to see you're okay. I told LeMalle not to shoot. (tries to smile) Had some fine seasons, didn't we... Mitchell's grasp on Corbett's coat relaxes as he dies. Horrified, Eric stares at the man he killed. Noticing the scrimshaw lying on the snow where it slipped from Mitchell's pocket, Corbett picks it up. CORBETT (to Eric) Fifteen years on the trail with this man, I never saw him rise to anger. Glaring at Eric, Corbett dips his hand in Mitchell's blood, and suddenly smears it across Eric's mouth. Repelled, Eric pulls back. CORBETT (continuing; bitterly) Your first kill. How does it taste? Wiping his face, sickened and desolate, Eric has no reply. WIDER Then, from somewhere close by, LeMalle FIRES at them. Eric stuffs the .357 in his belt and uses a brick to knock the padlock off the back door of the depot. He pushes Corbett inside. 210 INT. CARGO PLANE - COCKPIT The pony-tailed, ex-hippie PILOT shuts his engines off and removes his Walkman headphones. Hearing LeMalle's continuing GUNSHOTS, the Pilot pulls his door closed and turns on his two-way radio. PILOT (into radio mic) Circle, this is BMY-955. I just touched down in Devil's Cauldron. Nobody's here to greet me like usual, and there's gunfire. I'm getting scarce. With that, he STARTS his engines up again. CUT TO ERIC IN DEPOT who turns, startled, when he hears the ENGINES coughing to life OS. 211 INT. CARGO PLANE - COCKPIT The Pilot fiddles with his controls and prepares to take off. He looks up, surprised, as the passenger door suddenly opens. WIDER Anne Marie slides onto the seat. ANNE MARIE You can't leave yet. PILOT It's my responsibility to get this aircraft out of here safely. Anne Marie points the .44 at him. PILOT (continuing) You got to be kidding. ANNE MARIE Leave the engines idling. Go back and open the side door. Shaking his head and muttering, the Pilot unfastens his seat belt, climbs between the two seats to the cargo compartment, and obliges the little lady with the big gun. 212 INT. AIRSTRIP DEPOT The depot, as temporary-looking as the rest of Devil's Cauldron, is a boxcar-shaped loading dock and warehouse with a corrugated steel roof. Boxes, wood palettes and hand dollies are piled haphazardly about. Eric and Corbett navigate through the piles of boxes, inching toward the front door -- the door leading to the plane. Suddenly, a string of overhead lights come on. Eric goes for the .357, then stops when he sees Meyerling, Kenai and Neff have come in the front door. Kenai stomps his feet and shivers. Grandstanding for the others, Meyerling steps forward. MEYERLING Nobody wants any more killings; we all agree to that, correct? (no one argues) That's good. Now, Eric, you're gonna hand your prisoner over to us. ERIC Fuck you. MEYERLING This isn't your concern. It's over, here and now. CORBETT (to Meyerling) Sure, when you put a bullet in my back on the way out. Easier for all involved. MEYERLING Not a bad idea. Face it, Ben. There's no room in Alaska for you any more. Meyerling pokes with his foot at a tipped-over rack of Eskimo paraphernalia -- masks, furs, big skin drums, fish- and bear-spears. MEYERLING (continuing) You're as antiquated as this shit. Meyerling moves toward Corbett, but Eric stands in his way. (CONTINUED) 212 CONTINUED: ERIC Keep back. CORBETT You're quite a piece of work, Meyerling. The tide changes, you ride right along with it. Eric looks at Neff. ERIC Neff, you know better than this... NEFF You're an outsider, Mr. Desmond. Step aside; stay out of it. Kenai and Neff move in with Meyerling. Eric stands his ground and reaches for the .357 in his belt. NEW ANGLE Suddenly, LeMalle stumbles into the depot, the blankets and furs dragging at his feet. His right side is bathed in blood. Half-frozen, bled dry, he looks ready to drop down dead. In his left hand, impossibly, he still clutches the massive Remington. He hoists it to his hip and grits his teeth as he BOLTS a round into the chamber with his injured right arm. Bracing himself, he levels the rifle at Eric. Hearing the ACTION of the rifle, Eric turns. Corbett reaches down, grabs a rusty Eskimo spear in both his handcuffed hands, and hurls it. There is a deafening ROAR as LeMalle's rifle discharges. LeMalle flies back from the recoil -- and from the spear stuck clear through his chest. Some packing material above Eric's head smolders, ignited by the muzzle blast. NEW ANGLE There is a moment of silence. Corbett looks at the other weapons near him, and then at Meyerling. Threatened, Meyerling pulls out a .380 automatic. Before Eric can do anything, Meyerling FIRES. The IMPACT of the bullet throws Corbett against some boxes. (CONTINUED) 212 CONTINUED: (2) With a YELL, Eric jumps Meyerling and rips the gun from his grasp. Enraged, he pummels Meyerling with it until Kenai and Neff pull them apart. Eric wrenches away from them and scrambles to his feet with Meyerling's gun in his hand. ERIC (continuing) Anybody moves and I'll shoot! Holding the .380 on them, Eric crosses to Corbett. Bleeding from the abdomen, he's trying to stand up. ERIC (continuing) Can you walk? CORBETT Wound's a through-and-through. Missed my liver, I think. ERIC Let's get out of here. Cautiously backing away from the others, Eric helps Corbett get up and shuffle toward the OS SOUND of the cargo plane. 213 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - AIRSTRIP Anne Marie jumps down from the cockpit. She and Eric lift Corbett into the plane. 214 EXT. CARGO PLANE as it taxis and lifts off. 215 INT. CARGO PLANE - (AERIAL SHOT) While Eric takes Corbett's handcuffs off, Anne Marie looks at his wound. He waves her away. ERIC How come you didn't let him shoot me? CORBETT (softly) Like I said, I'd still be up on that mountain, frozen solid, it wasn't for you. ERIC We'll get you to a hospital, soon as we get to Fairbanks. (CONTINUED) 215 CONTINUED: CORBETT So they can patch me up and put me in a cage? Forget it. Meyerling's right -- I'm a dinosaur. Greedy bastards like him, it's their turn with this land. Put me in the woods, let me live or die on my own. He painfully pulls himself into a sitting position. CORBETT (continuing; peers out window) Look down there, tell me what any of this matters. Struggles of men get swallowed by the bigness. Soon there won't be a trace of our troubles... or us. ERIC You're wrong. Everything we do leaves its mark. You said it yourself -- there are hundred- year-old footprints in the tundra. Too tired to argue, Corbett leans back against the window. He takes Mitchell's scrimshaw out of his pocket and looks at it. EXTREME CLOSE UP - THE SCRIMSHAW The exquisitely beautiful and detailed engraving depicts a grizzly beside a wilderness creek, with trees and mountains in the background. CORBETT clutches the scrimshaw in his hand and closes his eyes. NEW ANGLE - (AERIAL SHOT) Eric sighs as he looks at the blood -- Mitchell's blood -- on the back of his hand. He stares at Corbett for a long moment. Then, resolved, he climbs up front and says something to the Pilot. Grumbling, the Pilot adjusts his controls. CUT TO: 216 EXT. HAUL ROAD - PUMPING STATION - DAY The snow clouds are dissipating. The cargo plane comes down through them and lands on the airstrip behind the pumping station. 217 INT. CARGO PLANE As it rolls to a stop, Eric throws open the cargo door. Corbett sits up, surprised. He and Eric exchange a long look, then Corbett crosses to the open door and gingerly steps down onto the snow-covered runway. 218 EXT. CARGO PLANE Eric and Anne Marie watch from the door of the plane as Corbett limps across the runway toward the treeline. As he goes, his footprints are dusted over by the snow and wind. Corbett stops, turns and looks back at Eric, then continues onward, disappearing into the forest. ANGLE ON CARGO PLANE Eric closes the cargo door as the Pilot turns the plane around and taxis back down the runway. 219 INT. CARGO PLANE - (AERIAL SHOT) Eric wearily sits next to Anne Marie. She kisses him. The Pilot glances over his shoulder and frowns. PILOT (to himself) Too damn crazy in this state anymore. I'm moving back to L.A. 220 INT. CARGO PLANE - ANGLE THROUGH WINDOW - (AERIAL SHOT) The plane climbs above the fog and snow clouds into a sunny, ice blue sky. It banks and turns south. Behind it, the mountains roll on toward the Arctic wasteland, forever. FADE OUT

1 GRAINY BLACK AND WHITE - CLOSE-UP - A MAN'S DESPERATE FACE 1 This is Ash, mid twenties, square jaw firmly set and a pair of haunted eyes which dart about quickly in fear. Ash speaks to the CAMERA with urgency: ASH Why would you say that I am insane? I wouldn't say that I've lost my mind simply because I've heard the voices and seen the godless things moving in the woods. If anything, I think more clearly now than ever before. I know now that there is such a thing as a living Evil. A dark and shapeless thing that lives not in the spaces we know, but between them. In the Dark. In the night. And it wants the exact same thing as you and I: a chance at warm life on this Earth. It doesn't care that is already had that chance ...once. Now listen closely because there isn't much time. Listen and believe, because it's all true. DISSOLVE TO: 2 EXT. A LOG CABIN - NIGHT 2 nestled in a dark forest. Through the window, we see the tiny figure of Ash picking up a book from a desk. ASH (V.O.) I first saw the damn thing at that blasted cabin. The Necronomicon. An ancient Sumarrian text, bound in human flesh and inked in human blood. It contained bizarre burial rites, prophesies...and instruction for demon resurrection. It was never meant for the world of the living. DISSOLVE TO: 3 INT. CABIN - NIGHT 3 Ash flips through the pages from the BOOK OF THE DEAD. ASH (V.O.) The book awoke something dark in the woods. SUPERIMPOSE: 4 BOOK OF THE DEAD - CAMERA PANNING STRANGE SCRIPT 4 inscribed on the pages. Illustrations of demonic faces with white eyes. 5 EXT. WOODS - NIGHT 5 We take the point of view of a wind-like demon, swooping low through the woods toward the cabin. CAMERA rips through the cabin door and comes upon a SCREAMING Ash. ASH (V.O.) It got into my hand and it went bad. 6 CLOSE ON ASH'S POSSESSED HAND 6 twisting into a claw, before the flashing thunder clouds. ASH (V.O.) So I lopped it off at the wrist. 7 INT. CABIN - NIGHT 7 ASH severs his hand from his wrist with the chainsaw. 8 BLOOD RED CLOUDS 8 sweep past the moon. ASH (V.O.) In order to rid myself of the foul thing, I read from a passage in the book that was supposed to open a hole. A hole in Time that would send the Evil back. And it worked. 9 A BANDAGED, ONE HANDED ASH 9 recites the incantation from the Necronomicon. 10 EXT. CABIN - NIGHT 10 The Time vortex is created. Trees and a 1973 Delta 88 Oldsmobile are sucked up into the funnel cloud. ASH (V.O.) ...I just didn't plan on coming along. 11 EXT. CABIN - NIGHT 11 Ash, now armed with shotgun and chainsaw, is swallowed by the funnel-cloud of the Time vortex. 12 INT. TIME VORTEX 12 Ash is rocketing through a funnel of swirling clouds. He is swept away from us, hand over foot, through the dark void of Time. 13 ANIMATION - A TENDRIL OF SMOKE 13 swirls through blackness as a chorus of women's voices build to eerie crescendo, from a musical note to a SCREAM. The smoke swirls, pulls in upon itself, like a thing alive, and forms the words: "BRUCE CAMPBELL" "Vs" The smoke is wisked away, then reforms as... "THE ARMY OF DARKNESS" The title billows past CAMERA REVEALING... 14 INT. TIME VORTEX 14 A GRANDFATHER CLOCK its hands winding backwards at an insane rate, spins angrily past, revealing other debris that has been swept up into this funnel cloud. Tumbling weightless through this void we find... 15 ASH 15 He SCREAMS but there is no sound. No scream. Only the steady BEATING of his heart. 16 ANGLE ON ASH FRONT SCREEN PROJECTION 16 He shields his eyes from a sudden bright light. The funnel cloud electrifies. 17 ASH'S BODY 17 RIPS at the fabric of Time. 18 EXT. CLOUDY SKY - DAY 18 All is quiet. Then, an electrical disturbance in the shape of a human body flashes briefly and is gone. A moment latter, Ash appears and tumbles from the sky, falling past CAMERA. 19 EXT. BARREN WASTELAND - DAY 19 ASH falls to the dust. His double barrelled shotgun lands beside him. The '73 Oldsmobile comes CRASHING to the ground a moment later. 20 ASH 20 looks up from the dust to behold... 21 TWENTY-FIVE MOUNTED HORSEMEN 21 in 12th century armor ride up over a hill. They halt before Ash. 22 WARRIOR #1 22 thrusts his longsword into the air, shouting: WARRIOR #1 Hail to him who has come from the sky to deliver us from the terror of the Deadites! Hail! 23 ASH 23 stares in confusion at the strange medieval figures. 24 TWENTY-FIVE WARRIOR 24 join in the chant and hail Ash, but suddenly stop as... 25 ARTHUR 25 the muscular commander of the group, gallops his horse into frame, followed by FOUR HORSEMEN who are his lieutenants. Arthur lifts his iron visor and evaluates Ash. 26 ARTHUR'S P.O.V. 26 The Delta 88 Oldsmobile. The chainsaw, strapped to Ash's back. The handless stump of Ash's right arm. The Shotgun. 27 A FRIGHTENED ASH 27 waves a shaky hand. ASH Take is easy now chief. I don't know how I got here and I'm not lookin' for any trouble. 28 WISEMAN JOHN 28 An elderly man, in a long black cloak, steps forward. WISEMAN JOHN My Lord Arthur, I believe he is the promised one, written of in the Necronomicon. 29 ARTHUR 29 Brings his sword down across Ash's chest. Ash cries out in pain as... 30 ASH'S CHEST 30 is cut. A thin red gash. ARTHUR He bleeds. As a man bleeds. The one written of in the Book would not bleed. 31 ARTHUR GESTURES 31 and CAMERA PANS to four prisoners bound in iron shackles. ARTHUR Likely, he is one of Henry's men. I say to the pit with him! If he is truly the promised one... he will emerge. WARRIOR #2 AND #3 Aye! The pit's a fair test! GOLD TOOTHED WARRIOR To the pit with the blackard! 32 GOLD TOOTH 32 charges his horse at Ash. But he is met with the wooden stock of Ash's shotgun as it swings into frame, cracking against his jaw. 33 WIDE SHOT - GOLD TOOTH - STUNTMAN 33 He tumbles from the horse. 34 ASH 34 leaps atop Gold Tooth's horse and jerks the reigns. 35 LONG SHOT - ASH'S HORSE 35 rears up, kicking it's hooves into the air. 36 ASH 36 gallops off as Warrior #2 runs at him. Ash kicks him in the face as he gallops past. The Warrior is sent reeling. 37 TRUCKING SHOT - ASH 37 galloping over a hill. He is almost thrown by the horse, but manages to hang on for dear life. ASH Where the hell they put the stirrups on this thing!!?? 38 CLOSE SHOT - ASH'S FEET 38 grasping at the side of the horse, hoping to find some purchase. 39 LONG SHOT - ASH - STUNTMAN 39 he rides past CAMERA, almost falling from the horse. 40 ANGLE ON ARTHUR 40 ARTHUR LIEUTENANTS! Fetch me the blackard. 41 TWO OF ARTHUR'S ARMORED HORSEMEN 41 unsheathe their broadswords and gallop after Ash. The remaining Warriors watch for sport. 42 HIGH SHOT - TWO HORSEMEN 42 They are gaining an Ash. 43 ASH 43 glances behind him. 44 ASH'S P.O.V. - TRUCKING SHOT - TWO HORSEMEN IN PURSUIT 44 They diverge to either side of CAMERA. 45 ASH 45 whips his horse. ASH GIDDYPU! 46 THE FIRST HORSEMAN 46 rides up alongside Ash and swings his Broadsword. WHOOSH!!! 47 ASH 47 ducks the blade. 48 THE SECOND HORSEMAN 48 rides up alongside Ash's other flank. He swings and lands the flat part of his blade along Ash's back. THUNK! 49 ASH 49 ducks as the first horseman swings his blade again. WHOOSH! ASH looks left... 50 THE SECOND HORSEMAN 50 winds up for another blow. 51 ASH 51 yanks back upon his horse's reigns. 52 THE THREE HORSES 52 running side by side. Ash's horse drops back suddenly. 53 THE SECOND HORSEMAN 53 swings. 54 HIS BROADSWORD 54 slams the First Horseman across the face. 55 THE FIRST HORSEMAN 55 is knocked from his steed. 56 TRUCKING SHOT - THE FIRST HORSEMAN 56 is moving fast when he hits the ground. His armored form tumbles end over end in the dust, clanging to a halt against a rock. 57 THE SECOND HORSEMAN 57 turns around and gallops back toward Ash. 58 WIDE SHOT - ASH AND THE SECOND HORSEMAN 58 ride at one another. 59 TRUCKING SHOT - THE SECOND SWORDMAN AS HE RIDES 59 swinging his Broadsword. 60 TRUCKING SHOT - ASH AS HE RIDES 60 He inserts the stump of his right arm into the female end of his chainsaw arm bracket. FOOMP! He twists his stump and the chainsaw bracket locks into place. CLINK! He thrusts his chainsaw arm outward, pulling on the starter cord; PUTT-PUTT-PUTT... The engine won't turn over. He curses and yanks again. 61 THE SECOND HORSEMAN 61 draws close. He leans from his horse and swings his Broadsword mightily. The flat portion of the blade connects. THUNK! 62 ASH 62 is knocked from his steed. He tumbles to the dust, narrowly escaping his own horse's hooves. 63 ASH 63 rolls to his feet and spins to the sound of approaching hooves! 64 THE SECOND HORSEMAN 64 charges and swings his broadsword. 65 ASH 65 raises his chainsaw. CLINK! He deflects the blow. Ash swings the chainsaw in a roundhouse motion, clipping the Second Horseman as he rides past. 66 TRUCKING SHOT - THE SECOND HORSEMAN 66 is knocked from his horse. 67 LOW TRUCKING SHOT - THE SECOND HORSEMAN 67 bounces along the rocky ground, kicking up dust. 68 A SWORD HANDLE 68 slams against the back of Ash's skull. 69 ASH 69 crumples. He looks up in pain to... 70 ARTHUR 70 above him. The sun over his shoulder. 71 EIGHT MOUNTED WARRIORS 71 gallop up, dismount and surround Ash with swords drawn. ARTHUR Bring the prisoner! The warriors surge upon Ash. His sawed-off shotgun and chainsaw are taken from him. ASH No! 72 GOLD TOOTH AND OTHER WARRIORS 72 secure Ash to a set of iron shackles that painfully extend his arms. A collar forces his neck upward. ARTHUR To the castle! 73 WARRIOR #2 ON HORSEBACK 73 prods Ash along with a rod attached to his spiked iron collar. The Warriors gallop off, forcing Ash and the other prisoners to run alongside them. 74 WISEMAN JOHN 74 Picks up the chainsaw and sawed off shotgun from the dust. He is troubled by the strange objects. Sunlight glints off the blade of the chainsaw, blinding the CAMERA. DISSOLVE TO: 75 THE HOT ORB OF THE SUN 75 blazing in the sky above the wasteland. DISSOLVE TO: 76 EXT. PARCHED LAND - DAY - A WEARY ASH 76 bound in his iron shackles, whipped by Gold Tooth, who rides alongside him. GOLD TOOTH Move along now! DISSOLVE TO: 77 LONGSHOT - A WIND SWEPT LANDSCAPE OF CRAGGY ROCK 77 CAMERA PANS along the line of Arthur and his horsemen, to find a 12TH CENTURY BATTLE CASTLE built on the edge of a great cliff. A drawbridge is lowered. Arthur's warriors ride over it. 78 CAMERA TRACKING WITH ASH 78 shackled alongside other prisoners, is prodded inside the castle walls. 79 INT. CASTLE COURTYARD 79 SHEILA a striking, blonde haired maiden, rushes into frame. She searches the faces of Arthur's warriors and grows concerned. She pushes through a crowd of villagers and calls up to Arthur atop his horse. SHEILA M'Lord Arthur! Where is my brother? Did he not ride with you? ARTHUR Eye. And fought valiantly. But last night fell in battle to Duke Henry's men. SHEILA Her face does not immediately register the grief. She attempts to step forward but stumbles. She steadies herself against the stone wall. Her eyes harden as she sees the first of the shackled prisoners: a semi-conscious Ash. She flushes with anger and races up to him. She spits and kicks at him as he's dragged along. SHEILA Foul thing! A pox on your throat! Thou art a Murderer! A black Murderer! 80 VILLAGE WOMEN 80 restrain her. SHEILA cries as the Village Women attempt to soothe her. VILLAGE WOMAN #1 May you be consoled by their suffering in the pit. 81 THE PROCESSION, ASH AND THE FOUR OTHER PRISONERS 81 halt. Iron keys rattle. The shackles are unlocked. Ash and the prisoners rub their reddened wrists. They are pushed at swordpoint towards a circular iron grate that sits atop the ground. This is THE PIT. 82 ASH 82 looks to the jeering villagers that surround the pit, wondering what they have in store for him. 83 SHEILA 83 stares at him in hatred. 84 THE PRISONER NEXT TO ASH 84 eyes Ash curiously. This is Duke Henry the Red. DUKE HENRY You sir, are not one of my vassals. Who are you? ASH Who wants to know? DUKE HENRY I am Henry the Red. Duke of Shale. Lord of the Northlands and leader of its people. ASH You ain't leadin' but two things now, pal. Jack and shit. And Jack left town. 85 A STERN FACED ARTHUR AND HIS FOUR LIEUTENANTS 85 address the doomed men: ARTHUR There is an Evil that has awakened in this land. And whilst my people fight for their very souls against it, you, Duke Henry the Red, wage war on us. Your people are no better than the foul corruption that lies in the bowels of that pit! May God have mercy on your souls. 86 TWO OF ARTHUR'S MEN 86 crank a massive wench. Chains tighten and the heavy iron lid slides back, revealing a dark hole. The Pit. 87 FROM THE BOWELS OF THE IRON GRATED PIT 87 a echoed wailing rises up. 88 ASH, HENRY AND THE OTHER PRISONERS 88 stiffen in fear. 89 AN OLD WOMAN AMONGST THE JEERING CROWD 89 OLD WOMAN Aye. Into the pit with the bloodthirsty sons of whores! She jams a meat pie into her mouth and cheers excitedly as CAMERA PANS TO... 90 HENRY'S WARRIOR #1 90 as he's thrown down into the pit. He disappears into the blackness. 91 CAMERA PANS AND HALTS CLOSE ON ASH 91 watching with disbelief. We hear the warrior's echoed cry of terror, then a SPLASH as he hits bottom. 92 CLOSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PIT 92 looking down into the blackness we hear: HENRY'S WARRIOR #1 (O.S.) I beg of you... by all that's holy! Lower a rope! Lower... Oh, for the love of god! no! NO!!! AIIIIIiiieee! The sound of ripping and scratching. The SHRIEK of terror is cut short as... A GEYSER OF BLOOD erupts upward from the pit. Then silence. 93 ASH 93 is frozen in fear. TOWER GUARD (O.S.) There! He's escaping! ASH'S TERRIFIED GAZE jerks from the pit to... 94 TRACKING SHOT - HENRY'S WARRIOR #2 94 making a break for it! He's past the guards, heading for the open drawbridge. 95 THE TOWER ARCHERS 95 spot him and fire arrows. 96 ANGLE ON 96 PING! PING! They bounce off the Warrior's armor. He's makes it to the open drawbridge when... 97 ARTHUR 97 pulls back a iron arrow in his crossbow. ZING! He lets it fly. CAMERA SWISH PANS with arrow... 98 PAN HALTS ON HENRY'S WARRIOR #2 98 The iron arrow punctures the Warrior's armor, pegging him to a wooden post. He dies standing. 99 THE CROWD 99 Cheers. They turn their attention to the remaining prisoners: CAMERA PANS from their bloodthirsty faces to the next prisoner in line... 100 ASH 100 turns to Arthur and in a desperate, cowardly plea: ASH Hey, I never even saw these assholes before.. He spins to Duke Henry the Red. You gotta tell 'em you don't know me. We never met. Tell him. HENRY I do not believe that he shall listen. 101 THE WARRIORS 101 grab Ash and shove him into the pit. 102 ASH 102 tumbles down into the pit. He lands in a STEAMING pool of foul water at the pit's bottom. He stands and coughs out a mouthful of the rancid water. He looks about. 103 INT. PIT - ASH'S P.O.V. 103 UNDERGROUND CAVERNS disappear into the blackness. 104 ASH 104 spins to a small sound. 105 INT. PIT - ASH'S P.O.V. 105 Nothing. Just the mist rising from the water. 106 ASH 106 shifts his glance again. 107 A SHADOW 107 rounds a corner and disappears from sight. 108 ASH 108 doesn't notice the misty water behind him beginning to stir. Bubbles. A hand emerges. Silently, a pair of bone white eyes break the surface. 109 ASH 109 spins... but there's nothing there. As he turns back around, he is confronted by... A FEMALE EVIL DEAD It's rotted corpse rockets up from the water inches from Ash's face! 110 CLOSER 110 Putrid water drains from it's empty eye sockets and mouth. It jerks like a marionette as it advances. 111 ASH SCREAM 111 and backs against the steep rock wall of the pit. He tries to scale the steep face. He gets one foot up. 112 THE DEADITE'S HAND 112 clutches Ash's ankle and yanks him back down. 113 DOWN ANGLE ON ASH 113 He falls away from the wall, his arms flailing. 114 ABOVE THE PIT - GOLD TOOTH AND OTHER VILLAGERS 114 hoot and cheer for Ash to be devoured. 115 THE PIT - THE DEADITE 115 grabs Ash, and begins hammering him with her rotted fists. 116 ABOVE THE PIT - SHEILA 116 shouts for Ash's death. 117 THE PIT - ASH'S FACE 117 The Deadite's fist enters frame, slugging Ash. 118 LONG SHOT - ASH 118 is knocked back into a shallow pool of steaming water. 119 THE DEADITE 119 races toward Ash, leaps into the air and comes down with a kneedrop onto Ash's stomach. 120 ASH 120 cries out in pain. 121 ASH'S LEGS 121 cross to form a scissor lock around the Deadite's throat. He flips the beast. 122 ABOVE THE PIT - WISEMAN JOHN 122 rides into the castle, dismounts and pushes through the crowd with a bundle wrapped in cloth. 123 THE DEADITE 123 grabs Ash by the throat. 124 THE PIT - A BLOODIED ASH 124 is thrown against the rock wall of the pit. 125 THE DEADITE 125 advances. 126 ABOVE THE PIT - WISEMAN JOHN 126 shouts down at Ash. 127 THE PIT - ASH 127 trying to hear what the Wiseman is saying. His head jolts backward, barely avoiding the beast's wild swing. Ash squints to discern Wiseman John throwing something down to him: an object falling at him through the glare above. 128 THE CHAINSAW - SLOW MOTION 128 tumbling downward. Blinding beams of sunlight bouncing off its blade of steel. Ash's Excalibur! 129 ASH - SLOW MOTION 129 summons his strength and leaps upward. 130 LOW ANGLE - LOOKING UP - THE CHAINSAW - SLOW MOTION 130 Tumbling downward... 131 HIGH ANGLE- ASH 131 ascending, his teeth gritted, every muscle straining, he soars past CAMERA. 132 LONG SHOT - SLOW MOTION 132 Ash rising up through frame to meet the falling saw. 133 ASH'S STUMP 133 snags the chainsaw, locking in onto his wrist bracket.CLICK! 134 ASH WITH HIS CHAINSAW 134 He lands on his feet, in the path of the approaching beast. ASH Come on, you blasted piece of-- He thrusts out his chainsaw arm, yanking the starter cord and... VERRROOOOOOM!! 135 ABOVE THE PIT - THE WARRIOR AND VILLAGERS 135 gasp at the ROAR of the chainsaw. Blue exhaust billows up from the pit. 136 THE PIT - LOW ANGLE - THE DEADITE 136 lunges at Ash. 137 DEADITE HAND MEETS SAW 137 Buzzzzz!! 138 ASH 138 is splattered with black bile. 139 THE DEADITE'S SEVERED HAND 139 flies upward, past the face of the bewildered beast. 140 CAMERA MOUNTED TO THE HAND 140 as it ascends, Ash and the Deadite grow smaller below. 141 ABOVE THE PIT - THE DEADITE'S SEVERED HAND 141 flies up into frame and latches onto the face of a drunken spectator. It's fingers dig into the eyes and nose. He shrieks and flails about, into the screaming crowd. A Warrior tears the hand free from his face, tossing it back down into the pit. 142 THE PIT - ASH 142 raises the chainsaw blade and neatly bisects the falling deadite hand. He spins and with a roundhouse blow... 143 CAMERA MOUNTED ON ASH 143 Ash decapitates the beast. 144 ABOVE THE PIT - THE WARRIORS AND VILLAGERS 144 stop cheering from the Deadite. They're starting to like this guy's guts and style. 145 THE LAST REMNANTS 145 of the beast sink beneath the murky waters of the pit. 146 ASH 146 climbs the steep wall of the pit when a SECOND DEADITE emerges from the earthen wall before him. 147 ASH 147 slams the butt end of the chainsaw into the beast, knocking it back into the water. 148 ABOVE THE PIT - THE VILLAGERS 148 gasp as... THUMP! 149 ASH'S CHAINSAW ARM 149 comes up, over the edge of the pit. Followed by... THUMP! Ash's bloody hand. Then his bruised face. Covered in the black blood of the Deadites. He crawls to his feet. Ash tuns to the crowd, his list clenched. ASH All right now. Who wants to be next? Who wants some. 150 GOLD TOOTH 150 look at Ash stupidly. Ash shoves him. ASH You want some more? Huh?! Gold Tooth and the others give him a wide berth. Ash calls out to Henry. ASH Now climb on those horses and get out of here. 151 HENRY AND HIS TWO WARRIORS 151 quickly mount horses. ARTHUR Nay. Henry is my prisoners. He-- 152 ASH 152 slaps Henry's horse. ASH GIDDYUP NOW!! HYAAAH! 153 THE STUNNED CROWD 153 parts allowing... 154 HENRY AND HIS WARRIORS 154 to gallop off toward the open drawbridge and freedom. 155 ARTHUR 155 stares at Ash with hatred. ARTHUR For that, I shall see you dead. 156 ASH 156 removes his sawed off shotgun from Wiseman John's horse and turns to Arthur, then the crowd. ASH This is my boomstick. It's a twelve gauge, double barreled Remington pump. Next one of you primitives touch me... 157 ASH SPINS, 157 pointing the barrel just past Arthur. He, but no one else, has spotted the surviving Second Deadite crawling up from the pit on the forgotten chain. The crowds gasp is cut short by....BLAMMITY-BLAM! The shotgun belches flame. The blast cuts the chain, leaving the Deadite teetering at the pit's edge. 158 ANGLE ON 158 BLAMMITY-BLAM! The second shot blows the beast into a backflip, sending it summersaulting down into the pit. 159 THE SOUND OF THE GUNBLAST 159 echoes off the mountains like distant thunder. 160 SHEILA, THE WISEMAN, ARTHUR AND THE CROWD 160 look to Ash in reverence. 161 ASH 161 twirls the shotgun about western style: WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH... and holsters it. ASH Bring me your hoo do man. 162 EXT. BLACKBIRDS 162 fly from a barren tree. 163 SOMETHING MOVES IN THE DARKNESS 163 It prowls, skimming the surface of the ground, moving swiftly past rocks and over the crest of a hill revealing... 164 EXT. TEMPLE RUINS - LONG SHOT - NIGHT 164 A massive grouping of freestanding rectangular stones, each twenty feet tall. The remains of an ancient temple. In the center of the ruins there burns a roaring bonfire. As old Woman stirs a cauldron atop the flames. Nearby, Arthur converses with his four Lieutenants. 165 EXT. WITHIN THE RUINS - NIGHT 165 CLOSE UP - ASH opens his mouth to allow a spoonful of food to enter. No sooner has he swallowed then a piece of fruit is offered. He waves it away with a satisfied burp and turns to drink from a goblet on wine, brought to his lips by a female hand. 166 ASH AND SHEILA 166 sits across the flames from Arthur and his men. She bandages Ash's wounds. 167 SHEILA 167 is dresses in a revealing tunic. She looks good. SHEILA I pray thee to forgive me. I believed thee one of Henry's men. She touches Ash's hand. Ash turns away ASH First you wanta kill me, now ya wanna kiss me. He spits out a mouthful of grape seeds. ASH Lady, just leave me alone. SHEILA I'm sorry m'lord. Please understand... T'is a cruel time for us. The Wisemen say you are the promised one. Our only hope against the darkness that has descended on this land. ASH They're mistaken. She stares deeply into his eyes. SHEILA I think not. I feel that there is reason for your being here. It is no accident. 166 WISEMAN JOHN AND TWO OTHER CLOAKED WISEMEN 167 approach. They sit in tall stone chairs across the fire from Ash. ASH Well what is it? Can you send me back or not? WISEMAN JOHN Only the Necronomicon has the power. A power which we both require. It contains passages that can dispel the Evil from this place and return you to your time. ASH The Necronomicon. Yeah, that's the thing that got me here. WISEMAN JOHN It is in a place far from here. It can only be retrieved by the Promised one. Other Warriors have tried. Their widows grieve still. We have waited long years for you. Out only hope is the Necronomicon. Thou must undertake to quest for it. Alone must thou travel to a distant cemetery. There thou shalt find it. ASH Me? Now way, no day. Only place I'm goin' is home. A sudden gust of wind whips up the flames of the fire. 169 DOGS 169 around the fire begin to snarl and fight. 170 ASH AND SHEILA 170 turn to see... 171 THE OLD WOMAN 171 now standing too close to the fire. Her robes ignites. She does not respond as flames sweep up her body. She continues to stir the caldron. 172 ASH 172 His haw drops. He slowly stands as... 173 THE BURNING WOMAN 173 spins sharply to him. Her voice changes as she SHRIEKS; POSSESSED WOMAN YOU SHALL DIE! Her eyes are bone white. She is POSSESSED by the dark spirit. Her burning body is violently jerked about in the air by invisible hands. Her blackened lips pull back in a wild animal snarl. With two voice at once; POSSESSED WOMAN YOU SHALL NEVER WIN THE NECRONOMICON. WE SHALL FEAST UPON YOUR SOUL, AND THEN THE SOUL OF MAN! 174 THE POSSESSED WOMAN 174 collapses. Her face turned away from the Wisemen as it lays in the dust. 175 CLOSE ON POSSESSED WOMAN'S FACE - GROUND LEVEL CAMERA 175 Unseen by all, her bone white eyes flare open! A nasty grin forms on her face as she lies in the dust. Behind her, the Wisemen approach. 176 WISEMAN JOHN 176 kneels and reaches for her. 177 ASH'S HAND 177 clutches Wiseman John, not allowing him to touch her. ASH It's a trick. Get an axe. 178 THE POSSESSED WOMAN 178 awakens from her false slumber with a terrible BARK. In a frenzy she hurls WISEMAN JOHN into the bonfire. He SCREAMS and rolls in the dust, extinguishing the flames. 179 PAPER MACHE STONE ARCHWAY 179 With her great strength, the Possessed Woman pushes upon one of the giant stone archways. It topples over, crushing two warriors beneath it. 180 A GIGANTIC STONE 180 topples the next stone. BOOM! Which topples the next, which sets off a chain reaction. BOOM! BOOM! Like giant dominoes, they fall. 181 ASH 181 watches the spectacle in horror as he sees... 182 ANGLE ON 182 The gigantic falling stones coming right at SHEILA! 183 THE FALLING STONE'S P.O.V. - SHEILA 183 She SCREAMS! 184 SHEILA'S P.O.V. - THE FALLING STONES 184 coming toward CAMERA. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 185 ASH 185 does a flying leap and tackles SHEILA, knocking her out of the stone's deadly path. 186 ASH AND SHEILA 186 rolls across the dusty stone courtyard. 187 CLOSE SHOT - ASH 187 rolls into frame and glances up to see... 188 THE POSSESSED AND BURNING WOMAN 188 rushing through the air at him with a SHRIEK! 189 WIDE SHOT - THE POSSESSED AND BURNING WOMAN 189 latches onto Ash like an iron trap, knocking them both to the ground. 190 ASH 190 rolls the Possessed Woman over, and into the path of... 191 ANGLE ON 191 The falling, gigantic domino-like stones. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 192 EXT. WITHIN THE TEMPLE RUINS - PAPER MACHE STONE 192 THE POSSESSES WOMAN SHRIEKS in agony as... SMASH! The multi-ton stone crushes her legs to paste. Her legs are pinned but still she battles on, clutching Ash about his throat! 193 ASH 193 gasps for breath as he reaches behind him, into the flames of the fire, his fingers groping for a weapon. 194 POSSESSED WOMAN - STOP MOTION ANIMATION 194 Her blackened lips pull back and her mouth opens to an impossibly large size, like a snake about to eat an egg. 195 ASH 195 grasps a flaming log with his bare hands and rams it down the monster's oversized throat. She chokes. 196 GOLD TOOTH AND THREE OTHER WARRIORS 196 grab the beast and pull it off of Ash. Arthur comes to meet them. He carries a double-bladed battle axe. 197 THE POSSESSED WOMAN 197 vomits out the flaming log, taking off a man's head. POSSESSED WOMAN The Evil lives. Slay me and ten will rise to take my place. All will die. ALL WILL - CHOP! 198 IN SILHOUETTE, THE AXE 198 is brought down upon her throat. The possessed body flails and spasm beneath the Warrior's grip. 199 THE HEAD 199 rolls, and comes to a halt at Ash's feet. It's eyes pop open! POSSESSED WOMAN'S HEAD ---DIE! 200 ARTHUR 200 grabs the laughing head and tosses it into the darkness. The head sails away as the laughter receded. WISEMAN JOHN Now. Will thou quest for the Necronomicon? 201 CLOSE ON ASH 201 He considers. 202 INT. CASTLE - BLACKSMITH'S WORKSHOP - DAY 202 Ash and the blacksmith step into the shop. 203 ASH 203 points to the hand piece on a hanging suit of battle armor. 204 THE BLACKSMITH 204 pounds upon the hand armor, modifying it. 205 SHEILA 205 knits a grey woolen garment as she watches Ash. 206 BLACKSMITH'S WORKSHOP - DAY 206 THE BLACKSMITH attaches the shock absorber spring to the iron hand. 207 ASH 207 tightens the tension on the shock absorber springs with a ratchet like device. 208 ASH 208 extends his arm triggering the tightly wound spring. WHOOSH! CLANG! 209 SHEILA 209 gasps. 210 ASH'S SPRING-DRIVEN IRON HAND 210 SNAPS open with great force. 211 ANGLE ON 211 WHOOSH CLANG! ASH'S SPRING DRIVEN HAND clenches closed with such great power, that it bends a iron goblet. 212 CLOSE ON ASH 212 He studies his new hand. It will do nicely. DISSOLVE TO: 213 EXT. CASTLE TURRET - NIGHT 213 ASH stares over the castle wall to the foreboding wasteland with apprehension. The wind blows upon his hair. Sheila appears behind him. She drapes a grey garment over Ash. A magnificent cape. Ash draws her body close to his. He wraps the cape around her. Together they stare off into the night, then turn to one another and kiss. DISSOLVE TO: 214 EXT. LANDSCAPE OF CRACKED GROUND 1500MM LENS - DAY 214 Arthur's castle in the distance. In the foreground, five men on horseback appear over a ridge, thundering toward us. Their long wool capes billowing up behind them in the wind. 215 CLOSER ON RIDERS - TRUCKING SHOT 215 Arthur and Wiseman John ride, flanked by two of Arthur's Warriors. CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL... ASH He wears an iron breastplate with the insignia of Arthur's army that compliments his new spring-powered iron hand. His chainsaw juts from it's saddle holster on the horse's back. Ash's cape billows as he rides. DISSOLVE TO: 216 EXT. MOUNTAIN - DAY 216 The Horsemen wind down a trail. Suddenly the horses rear up. The men gain control of the frightened steeds. ASH What's going on? ARTHUR points to... 217 THE TRAIL THAT LIES BEFORE THEM 217 It disappears abruptly into a swirling wall of mist that emits an eerie whistling. WISEMAN JOHN This is the edge of the land ruled by the Dark Spirit. This path will lead you to an unholy place. A cemetery. There, the Necronomicon awaits. 218 ASH 218 anxiously eyes the wall of swirling mist. 219 THE TWO WARRIORS 219 finish placing saddlebags of water and food onto... ASH'S HORSE which nervously pounds the earth with it's hooves. WARRIOR #1 Lord Arthur, he is supplied. Now I beg of you, let us leave this foul place. ARTHUR A moment. 220 WISEMAN JOHN 220 moves close to Ash. WISEMAN JOHN As thou removest the Book from it's cradle, you must recite these words. Clatoo, verata, Nicto. ASH Clatto Verata Nicto. Okay. WISEMAN JOHN Repeat them. ASH Clatto Verata Nicto. WISEMAN #1 Again. ASH I got it. I got it. I know your damn words. All right? Now you get this straight: I get the book, you send me back. That's the deal. After that I'm history. Ash rears up on his horse and gallops into the mist 221 ARTHUR AND WISEMAN JOHN 221 watch as Ash disappears. 222 IN A SEA OF MIST 222 The sound of THUNDEROUS HOOFS. A form materializes out of the fog: It is Ash. 223 CLOSER ON ASH 223 He whips the horse. ASH HAAAAAA! 224 ANGLE ON ASH 224 He gallops past. CAMERA PANS as he disappears into the thick fog. FADE OUT. 225 EXT. TRAIL'S ENTRANCE TO WOODS 225 ASH rides out of the wall of mist. He finds himself on a trail leading into a thick forest. 226 EXT. WOODS 226 LONG SHOT - ASH rides slowly on through the darkening woods. 227 CLOSER ON ASH 227 He hears a sound and look to... 228 A SECTION OF WOODS 228 A branch SCRAPING against the bark of a tree. 229 ASH 229 hears a woman's soft laughter. He glance to... 230 A BUBBLING BROOK 230 and nothing more. 231 THE EVIL FORCE P.O.V. 231 powers through the woods toward Ash. 232 ASH 232 kick his steed and bolts. 233 THE EVIL FORCE 233 sweeps over the forest floor, gaining velocity. 234 ASH 234 frantically weaves his horse around storm felled trees which jut from the ground. 235 THE EVIL FORCE 235 rips through the trees, splintering them to toothpicks. It burrows underground, and resurfaces, always closing upon Ash. 236 ASH 236 jerks upon the reins and his steed leaps a fallen tree. He gracefully leaps a second tree. But as he leaps over the third, he is ripped off the horse by a low branch. He falls hard to the mud as the horse gallops off. He groggily stands and stumbles onward. 237 THE EVIL FORCE 237 follows Ash down a wooded trail. 238 ASH 238 running for... 239 EXT. WOODEN SHED 239 a grain storage house in the clearing ahead. 240 ASH 240 comes upon the shed's door. Locked. He heaves his body against it but it won't give. 241 INT. SHED - CLOSE ON INTERIOR DOOR 241 A log, that serves as the door's bolt, holds fast. 242 THE EVIL FORCE 242 emerges from over the ridge. 243 ASH 243 unscrews his iron hand and holsters it. He slings the chainsaw from his shoulder and snaps it onto his stump bracket. Click. He threads the chainsaw starter cord through the V-SHAPED SLOT that extends from his breastplate. CLICK. He thrusts out his arm and the chainsaw ROARS to life! 244 INT. SHED - CLOSE ON INTERIOR DOOR 244 The blade bites into the log that bolts the door. 245 THE EVIL FORCE 245 draws closer. 246 INT. SHED 246 CLOSE ON CHAINSAW BLADE halfway through the log. Sawdust flies. 247 EXT. SHED 247 ASH Come on! Come on! The chainsaw dies. He jerks out his arm to restart it. Putt. Putt. ASH Blasted piece of junk! 248 THE EVIL FORCE 248 draws closer. 249 ASH 249 delivers a mighty kick to the door. 250 INT. SHED 250 ANGLE ON DOOR The partially cut log gives way. Ash tumbles into the storage shed. He slams the door shut and slides the remainder of the log across the latch, re-bolting it. 251 THE EVIL FORCE 251 Hammers at the door of the Shed. BANG! 252 INT. SHED 252 A terrified Ash braces his back against the door. BANG! Earth shaking in its intensity. The planks of the door shudder behind Ash. 253 CLOSE ON LOG BOLT 253 It cracks. 254 ASH 254 presses himself against the door for all he's worth, praying that whatever it out there, won't get in. BANG! Splinters fly. 255 CLOSE ON LOG BOLT 255 BOOM! The crack widens. 256 THE DOOR FRAME 256 behind Ash begins to buckle beneath the hammering blows. 257 ASH 257 begins to SCREAM. And the BANGING halts. 258 LONG SHOT - INT. SHED 258 All is quiet. Ash hugs the door. Shaking in the silence. And that's when it hits. LIKE A LOCOMOTIVE! Ash and the door he braces are blasted away from the wall of the Shed as the Evil Force brings it's tremendous power to bare. 259 INT. SHED - SAM-O-CAM - INTERVOLOMETER 259 TRACKING WITH ASH AND THE DOOR as they are swept up at super speed in the grip of the Evil Force. Ash is seen rocketing through the long hallway of the Shed, spinning head over heels. Ash rips through other doors, taking them with him. Ash is now sandwiched between two doors as he flies through the air. 260 EXT. SHED - SIDE SHOT 260 The roof of the shed ripples, sending tiles and wood beams flying as the EVIL FORCE surges through the shed like a tidal wave. 261 EXT. REAR DOOR OF SHED 261 It blows out from the place in a flying stack along with the other doors. The flying doors slam against a tree and fall to the ground in a stack. 262 THE EVIL FORCE 262 with Ash out of sight, glides forward, into the woods. 263 EXT. SHED- DUSK 263 LOOKING DOWN UPON - THE STACKS OF DOORS. All is quiet. We hear the sound of a bolt moving. The doorknob turns slightly. The door swings upward and opens... revealing a somewhat flattened Ash who picks his groggy and bruised self up. He beholds... 264 EXT. ABANDONED MILL 264 An empty place of stone and wood. Driven by the wind, the Mill's giant grinding wheel slowly turns with a squeak. 265 INT. MILL 265 ASH enters the Mill. ASH Anybody here?! The place is quiet. Ash slumps down against a wall to catch his breath. ASH This place'll do for the night. Get the book in the morning. 266 INT. MILL - THREE SHOTS - INTERVOLOMETER 266 Shadows lengthen on the floor and stretch across the walls. 267 ASH 267 peers through the window. 268 EXT. MILL - LONG SHOT THE SUN - DAY 268 a gigantic ball of fire as it sets behind the Mill. The wind kicks up. 269 INT. MILL 269 ASH listens as the cabin CREAKS like an old ship beneath the force of the gale. 270 THE WOODEN SHUTTERS 270 on the window quietly KNOCK. Ash shivers and rubs his arms for warmth. ASH Damn this cold. 271 ASH 271 looks about the Mill and spots an iron stove. 272 GASOLINE 272 pours out of Ash's chainsaw over some logs in the stove's belly. 273 ASH 273 lights the fire with his Zippo lighter and huddles near the flame for warmth. ASH 'least I won't freeze to death. He turns to a tiny sound. 274 WIDE SHOT - ASH 274 behind him, through the window, a large gnarled hand sweeps past. 275 ASH 275 spins, raises his shotgun and fires. BLAMITY-BLAM! The window is ripped away in a shower of glass. 276 ASH'S P.O.V. - THROUGH THE BROKEN WINDOW 276 Only the night woods. The "gnarled hand" comes back, sweeping down in front of the broken window, but it's revealed to be just a tree branch swaying in the wind. 277 ASH 277 reloads. He moves to the front door and peers out through a crack. 278 ASH'S EYEBALL 278 through the crack in the door. 279 ASH'S P.O.V. - THE WOODS BEYOND 279 CAMERA pushes through the crack to the woods beyond. There is movement. 280 LONG SHOT - EXT. MILL 280 The tiny figure of Ash steps from the Mill. 281 CLOSE UP - ASH 281 He sweeps the barrel of the shotgun toward the sound of sticks breaking. 282 ASH'S TERRIFIED HORSE 282 It rears up on it's hind legs. It's front hoofs come down toward Ash. 283 A STARTLED ASH 283 leaps aside just in time. 284 ASH 284 snags the horse's reigns. ASH Easy, boy. The horse calms. Ash ties it to a tree, patting it's head. A shadow passes behind him. He turns toward the Mill. 285 ASH'S P.O.V. THROUGH THE MILL'S OPEN DOOR 285 He sees am image of himself inside the Mill. Peering out. 286 EXT. MILL 286 ASH stares in disbelief, then the wind slams the front door of the Mill, halting Ash's view. Ash races for the Mill. 287 INT. MILL 287 ASH races through the door and toward CAMERA when...SMASH...Ash's reflection shatters. He's run into a mirror. Shivering, he picks himself up from the pile of broken glass. He moves to the fireplace and hunches before the flames, CAMERA PANS TO.... 288 THE SHATTERED MIRROR PIECES 288 Each piece of mirror reflects an image of Ash. From the eight pieces of mirror spring... 289 EIGHT TINY ASHES 289 Two inch high versions of himself. They leap from the mirror fragments and land on the floor. 290 ASH 290 is unaware of them as he kneels close to the fire. 291 TINY ASH #1, #2, AND #3 291 grab a discarded dinner fork. Like men on a battering ram, they race forward to jam it into Ash's buttocks. 292 ASH 292 SCREAMS in agony and jerks forward, banging his head into the stove pipe. 293 TINY ASH #4, #5, AND #6 293 lift the barrel of the shotgun in Ash's direction. Another leaps upon the shotgun's trigger. BOOM! 294 ASH 294 barely dives away from the blast the would have taken his head off. 295 THE TINY ASHES 295 SHRIEK with uncontrollable laughter. They jump away from the shotgun and scurry off across the floor. 296 ASH 296 pulls the fork from his buttocks and heaves it. 297 TINY ASH #1 297 is running for his life, as fast as his tiny legs will carry him. 298 TRACKING SHOT - THE FORK 298 a giant projectile as it ROARS AT CAMERA. PAN with it as it WHOOSHES past. FA-THONG! 299 THE FORK 299 skewers tiny Ash #1 to the wooden wall of the mill. 300 ASH 300 stumbles over a broom handle that has been thrust out in front of him by other tiny ASHES. His head slams into a stove pipe. He crumples. He lands with his cheek pressed against the hot stove. SSSSSSssss. He pries his face loose with a spatula. 301 A BUCKET OF GREASE 301 is pushed off a high shelf. CLANG! 302 IT LANDS ON ASH'S HEAD 302 and spills slippery grease about the floor. 303 ASH 303 with an upside-down bucket on his head, slips and falls, back and forth on the grease. He stands and tries to dislodge the bucket. He trips over the broom handle, again thrust in his path. He falls backward, onto a crochet basket with knitting needles jutting from it. 304 BUCKET-HEADED ASH 304 SCREAMS and jerks upward, slamming his bucket head into the stove pipe. CLANG! Ash rips the bucket from his head then yanks the needles from his buttocks. He looks about for the little imps. 305 TINY ASH #2 305 crouching behind a log attempting to hide. BUT... 306 ASH 306 has seen him. He "accidentally" elbows the log and Tiny Ash #2 into the stove's fire. ASH Ooops. 307 TINY ASH #2 307 is burned alive. 308 ASH 308 glances downward at the pitter patter sound of tiny feet. 309 TINY ASH #3 309 is dashing across the open expanse of floor. Ash's gigantic foot comes down to crush the little man. Tiny Ash #3 raises a rusty nail into the path of the descending foot. RIP!! 310 THE NAIL RIPS 310 through Ash's shoe. 311 ASH 311 jerks his leg upward in pain. Ash dances about the place hopping on one foot, HOWLING. He strays into the greasy area of the floor and stumbles over the broomstick again thrust in his path, swung there by Tiny ASHES #6, #7 and #8. He almost regains his balance when he strays into the oil patch, falls, and hits his head on the stone floor. BLACKNESS. 312 ASH 312 awakens on the floor of the Mill, like Gulliver he is bound with tiny ropes. Directly above him, on the edge of a table... 313 TINY ASHES #4 AND #5 313 suspend Tiny Ash #6 by his legs. 314 TINY ASH #7 AND #8 314 stand atop Ash's face. They push from either side of his nostrils, plugging his nose. Ash's mouth opens as he gasps for air. As he inhales... 315 SUSPENDED TINY ASH #6 315 is released. 316 TINY ASH #6 - SLOW MOTION - WIND FAN 316 He free falls for a moment, then the tiny body arcing to form a perfect swam dive, plunges down into Ash's opened throat. 317 ASH 317 inhales the living beast whole. He chokes violently. He breaks his bonds an he hacks for breath. He puts his finger down his throat, trying to make himself vomit up the little man, to no avail. He looks about to crush some of the little ASHES but they are gone. He places his hand on his stomach and dizzily stumbles to a chair. He goes pale. ASH Nasty little thing's inside me. He stands indignant but double over in sudden pain. Well let's see how you like a little hot water! He grabs the hot kettle from the stove and pours the scalding contents painfully down his throat. He sets down the kettle and waits for a moment. A tiny SCREAM emits from Ash's stomach ASH emits a bark of LAUGHTER. He clutches as his chest. Then his arm. He rips back his shirt sleeve. 318 CLOSE ON ASH'S ARM - STOP MOTION ANIMATION 318 We can see the outline of Tiny Ash #6's body squirming down Ash's arm, just beneath the skin. 319 ASH 319 watches in horror as... 320 THE TINY FIGURE 320 squirms down his wrist and disappears into his iron hand. The Iron hand snaps open and closes uncontrollably. The possessed iron hand swings at him. 321 THE IRON HAND 321 connects with an uppercut that knocks Ash out of frame. 322 ASH 322 lands next to an iron vice. He reaches for the EVIL HAND. But the hand has grabbed a mallet that BONK-BONKS him on the head. Ash is groggy as he is grabbed by the hair and yanked down into the opened vice. 323 THE EVIL IRON HAND 323 cranks the vice's handle. 324 THE VICE 324 tightens around Ash's head. Trapped, he looks to... 325 THE EVIL HAND 325 rummaging through a wooden toolbox. It comes upon a crude wooden punch. 326 ANGLE - THE EVIL HAND - UNDERCRANKED 326 stabs rapidly at Ash's good hand. But Ash expertly dodges each stab with an opening of the fingers or a closing of the thumb is super fast motion. 327 ASH 327 with is head still wedged in the vice. ASH Why you dirty little...AHHHHHH!! 328 A PAIR OF IRON PLIERS 328 has entered frame and clamps down upon Ash's nose. He emits a nasal SCREAM and shakes the pliers loose. ASH Soon as I get out of this thing I... YIEEEE!! THE PAIR OF IRON PLIERS dip into Ash's mouth and clamps down upon a back molar. ASH No! Not the teeth! YANK! 329 THE EVIL HAND 329 jerks his rear MOLAR from his head and holds up the tooth for his inspection. It sets the tooth down nearly in front of him. The Evil hand forms a fist and crushes the tooth to dust. It scurries from view. 330 ASH'S HEAD 330 struggling in the grip of the vice. ASH Where the hell are ya!? 331 THE EVIL HAND 331 grabs a red hot fireplace poker from the fire. ASH I can't see ya!! HIS EVIL HAND raises a red hot fireplace poker and presses it against the right half of his body. ASH No, no--not the poke-- SSSSsssssssss! 332 ASH 332 jerks his head free from the vice with a SCREAM. He holds up his iron hand. It's back to normal. Again under his control. ASH Okay then. But he halts abruptly as he feels a strange sensation: His shoulder itches. He scratches it. The Itch grows. It itches madly. He rips back his shirt. Upon his shoulder... THERE BLINKS A THIRD EYEBALL!!! 333 THE CAMERA RACES INTO THIS HIDEOUS SIGHT 333 It is the eyeball of EVIL ASH. Beneath it, a mouth and nose begin to take shape on the surface of Ash's back. 334 ASH 334 SHRIEKS and SHRIEKS and races out of the mill. The CAMERA follows him in docu-horror style as he flees into the dark woods. 335 EXT. WOODS - 12MM LENSE - NIGHT 335 ASH staggers about in a frenzy, stumbling over logs and through the brambles. He races up to the CAMERA and cries out as this protrusion upon his shoulder becomes more pronounced. ASH Dear God, it's growing bigger! 336 THE PROTRUSION SWELLS AND GROWS LARGER. 336 It's taking the shape of a twin human head as it emerges from his shoulder. A head that looks similar to his own, but is Evil incarnate. He is now a man with two heads! 337 TWO HEADED ASH 337 Staggers through the woods like a drunkard, the two identical heads trading insults, and sharply butting against one another. 338 THE BAD ASH HEAD 338 opens it's mouth and bites the nose of the Good Ash head. 339 THE GOOD ASH HEAD 339 retaliates by gouging the eyes of the Bad Ash head. 340 TWO HEADED ASH 340 collapses against a tree. Under the light of the full moon we see a terrifying sight: 341 TWO ADDITIONAL ARMS 341 sprout from Ash's body! 342 A LEG 342 rips out of his stomach. Another foot POPS out from his back. 343 TWO HEADED ASH 343 Like a human spider he scurries about the forest floor, propelled by his four arms and four legs. Suddenly he stands and SHRIEKS as the EVIL ASH begins to pull away from the first. He literally splits into two. 344 SPLIT SCREEN - WIDE SHOT 344 When it's over, there are two ASHES. GOOD ASH and... 345 BAD ASH. 345 They square off beneath the moonlight. 346 HIGH SHOT AS THE TWO ASHES 346 circle one another like wolves. GOOD ASH What... are you? Are you me? BAD ASH WHAT... ARE GOO? ARE GOO ME?!! You sound like a jerk! GOOD ASH Why are you doing this?! BAD ASH Wanna know? 'cause the answers easy. It's cause I'm the bad Ash, and yer... 347 EVIL ASH 347 Dances a funny jig around Ash. He SMACKS Ash across the face as he sings: EVIL ASH ...Little goody two- SMACK! ...shoes, little goody two- SMACK! ...shoes, little good-- 348 EVIL ASH 348 the shotgun barrel is suddenly shoved into his frame, pointing at his nose. BLAMMITY-BLAM! The blast blows Evil Ash off his feet. 349 WIDE SHOT - EVIL ASH - STUNTMAN 349 blown backwards into a double backflip. 350 EVIL ASH'S BODY 350 slams against a tree, upside-down. Then slides to the ground, quite dead. 351 GOOD ASH 351 clutching the smoldering shotgun. GOOD ASH Good...Bad...I'm the Ash with the gun. 352 LONG SHOT - ASH 352 staring down at the body of his evil self. ASH I know better than to bury you whole. 353 EXT. MILL WHEEL - LONG SHOT - NIGHT 353 The giant blades of the Mill are illuminated with bright flashes of lightning. The wind kicks up leaves as Ash throws the body of his Evil Twin onto a workbench at the base of the windmill. The giant blades of the mill arc down into frame with a WHOOSH- WHOOSSH-WHOOSH! 354 MONTAGE SEQUENCE: 354 Ash's hand light a torch. 355 FRIGHTENED BATS FLY 355 from the base of the windmill. 356 CHAINS ARE PULLED TIGHT 356 across the body of Evil Ash to secure it. CLICK. SNAP. CLINK. 357 THE CHAINSAW 357 is switched on. It spews a plume of blue exhaust. 358 ASH 358 falters for a moment as he stares down at the form of his Evil twin. He grits his teeth... and lowers the saw to the grisly task. 359 EXT. NIGHT SKY - BLOOD RED CLOUDS 359 float past the moon. We hear the distant WHINE of the chainsaw. 360 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 360 ASH with shovel in hand, drags a bloody burlap bag from the Mill. Grunting, he pulls the remains of his Evil twin to the base of an old Oak Tree in the graveyard. Ash mumbles nervously to the bloodies burlap bag at his feet as he digs a grave. ASH Now you see what's what. Man's body is his own personal property. Don't anybody try to take that away from him. 361 ASH 361 finishes digging and lifts the bloody burlap sack. As he heaves the bag into the grave, the Evil Ash head spills out. 362 INT. GRAVE - THE EVIL ASH HEAD 362 It's eyes pop open! It peers up at Ash from the grave. It croaks; EVIL ASH HEAD You'll never get that Book. I will come back for you. ASH Hey, what's that you got on your face? EVIL ASH HEAD Huh? 363 CLOSE SHOT - THE EVIL DEAD 363 It's eyes dart, looking for something on it's face when a shovelful of dirt is heaped atop it. 364 EVIL ASH HEAD - P.O.V. - EYEMO 364 as a shovelful of dirt is heaped atop the CAMERA. 365 ASH 365 buries it deep. He raises a crude burial marker high above his head; ASH (muttering under his breath) Rest in pieces. 366 ASH 366 backlit by the moon, brings the burial maker swiftly into the grave. A flash of lightning reveals... 367 THE GRAVEYARD 367 in the distance. A burial place of evil. The old mill wheel GROANS in the gale. ASH This must be it. The cemetery. 368 ASH 368 moves toward the cemetery. 369 ASH'S P.O.V. - THE CEMETERY 369 In the center, lies a massive slab of black stone. 370 ASH 370 draws closer, his teeth chattering as the wind blasts at him. He glances down to... 371 ASH'S P.O.V. - TRACKING SHOT - SKULL 371 sitting atop the ground, leering up at CAMERA with empty eye sockets. The wind whistles through the empty skull. The jaw bone drops open with a squeak. 372 CLOSE ON ASH 372 His hair is whipped up by the wind. He looks to... 373 THE MASSIVE BLACK STONE IN THE CEMETERY'S CENTER 373 backlit by the rising moon, creates eerie beams of light and shadow. 374 ASH 374 arrives at the foot of the massive stone. 375 UNDERCRANKED - THE STONE 375 Atop it sits... THE BOOK OF THE DEAD. 376 CAMERA PANS REVEALING... 376 A SECOND BOOK OF THE DEAD! 377 CAMERA PANS AGAIN REVEALING... 377 A THIRD! 378 CAMERA RACES BACK AT SUPER SPEED TO REVEAL: 378 THREE BOOK OF THE DEAD!!! 379 A BAFFLED ASH 379 steps close. ASH Wait. Three books? Nobody said anything about that. Ha! That Wiseman was so busy fillin' me fulla his secret words and phrases and, and, his... bullshit, he forgot to mention anything about that. Like do I take all of 'em of one or 'em, or what? Well... He reaches for the first book and opens it. 380 ANGLE ON 380 WHOOOOOOSH!!! To reveal a black hole. SCREAMS ERUPT from the dark abyss of the Book. It begins to suck things into it. 381 CLOSE ON BOOK OF THE DEAD - BACKWARDS MOTION 381 dead leaves and mist are sucked into the book. 382 ASH - MAKE-UP APPLIANCE 382 Wind hits Ash's face as he feels the suction of the book growing stronger. 383 ASH'S HAND - PUPPET 383 is stretched as it's pulled down into the book. 384 LONG SHOT - ASH PUPPET 384 Ash's arms stretch down into the book's black page. 385 ASH'S PUPPET HEAD 385 stretched and screaming, is also pulled on by the book. 386 ASH PUPPET 386 A taffy stretched version of Ash struggles against the pull of the black hole. He pulls free and snaps the book shut. 387 INTERVOLOMETER SHOT - ASH 387 His face vibrates like jello until it finally snaps back to normal. ASH Woah. Wrong book. He turns to study... 388 THE TWO REMAINING BOOKS 388 ASH tries to decide between them. At first he's sure which one it is. Then, chiding himself for being so easily duped, chooses the other. 389 THE BOOK 389 moves ever so slightly as he reaches for it. ASH Huh. Ash reaches for it again and the book bites him! 390 THE BOOK OF THE DEAD - PUPPET 390 Rodent teeth have appeared on the surface of the Book. The Book flaps it's pages and becomes airborne, flying right at CAMERA like a bat! 391 BATBOOK P.O.V. - CAMERA RIG - UNDERCRANKED 391 Swooping erratically around Ash's head. 392 THE BATBOOK 392 shrieking, chases Ash around, pecking at his neck. ASH Dear God, help me... ahhh!!! The Batbook is pecking at his eyes! 393 ASH 393 pulls it from his face and throws it. It lands back on it's pedestal. 394 ASH 394 faces the remaining book. He slowly reaches for it as the wind kicks up. Ash gently lifts it and turns it over. 395 CLOSE ON BOOK 395 It's cover is bound in the dried skin of a man's face! Two empty eye sockets stare out from it. This is the Book of the Dead... 396 ASH 396 bristles in fear. ASH Okay. The words. Say the words. KLATOO!... VERATA... uh... Uh... Necta... uh... Nectar... Necktie... uh... He hesitates, then calls out boldly. ASH KLATOO... VERATA... NECTtphhhhhhhhhh... He deliberately muffles the last word that he can't remember. The wind stops. It seems to have worked. He looks about with growing confidence. ASH Okay then. But he loses his smile as... a LOW RUMBLE is heard on the soundtrack. 397 LONG SHOT - CEMETARY 397 ASH A tiny figure among the gravestones which tremble and one by one are thrust from the earth. ASH Hey, wait a minute. Everything's cool! I said the words! I did! 398 EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT 398 A violent storm in the distance. Lightning flashes. 399 INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - NIGHT 399 A DOOR blows open revealing Wiseman John. He looks at the gathering storm with foreboding. WISEMAN JOHN Something is amiss. 400 HORSES IN THE CASTLE GROUNDS 400 WHINNIE in hear. Sheila steps into frame and stare fearfully out at the storm. 401 EXT. CEMETARY - NIGHT 401 ASH runs for his horse, clutching the Necronomicon. 402 A BONEY HAND 402 rips up from a grave and grabs his leg! 403 ASH 403 falls. 404 THE BOOK OF THE DEAD 404 is knocked from Ash's hand. 405 ASH 405 reaches for it when a SECOND skeleton hand rips from the ground and clutches his face. 406 THE FIRST SKELETON HAND 406 digs into Ash's mouth. It jerks his face sideways to show him... 407 A GROUP OF SIX ROTTED ARMS 407 that rip from the ground! 408 THE SKELETAL HANDS 408 toss Ash to... 409 THE ROTTED ARMS 409 grab Ash's head and bang it on a rock. Two of the six arms try to shake and slap some sense into him. A rotted fist is waved at him. Another rotted arm backhands him. The arms thrust his face toward the skeleton hands. 410 THE SKELETON HANDS 410 curl boney fingers, clenching them into fists. ASH No.. no more... The skeletal fists pepper Ash's face with punches. ASH Leave me alone! Leave me aHUUU! 411 THE SKELETAL FINGERS 411 last out and snag Ash's tongue between their boney pincers, shutting Ash up. With his tongue held, he tries to speak again, but the other skeletal hand slaps him, shutting him up. Both hands work double-time at slapping him. 412 UNDERCRANKED - ASH 412 His face has become a punching bag for the skeletal hands. They pull his ears and gouge his eyes. 413 ASH 413 open his mouth wide with in a SCREAM! 414 SIDE SHOT - COLLAPSIBLE SKELETON ARM 414 The boney fist is thrust into Ash's screaming mouth up to the skeleton's boney elbow. 415 EXTREME CLOSE SHOT - ASH'S EYES 415 They bulge as he swallow the arm. 416 STOP MOTION ANIMATION 416 A ROTTED ARM rips through the ground, punching Ash in the stomach. 417 SIDE SHOT - COLLAPSIBLE SKELETAL ARM 417 ASH jerks backward, vomiting out the skeletal arm. He tumbles to the ground. 418 THE ARMS 418 reach for him, but he is too fast. He stamps on one of the skeletal arms, pinning it to the ground. ASH (in a snarl) Keep you damn filthy bones outta my mouth. SNAP! He breaks the boney arm in two and runs away from the sea of limbs. A bone arm rips from the grave and reaches for the Book of the Dead but Ash scoops it up first. He leaps over another set of groping arms that rip from the ground! 419 ASH CLIMBS 419 atop the horse. He glances back in fear to see... 420 EXT. CEMETARY - OLD OAK TREE 420 The burial site of Evil Ash. A bolt of lightning strikes the grave marker. 421 EVIL ASH'S BURIAL MARKER 421 is thrust from the ground. A hand breaks the surface of the earth. 422 EVIL ASH'S BODY PARTS 422 fly up from the grave and assemble themselves into a lopsided, decayed version of EVIL ASH! 423 EXT. MILL - NIGHT 423 ASH stares in horror at his evil self. All around, skeletons rip from the earth and shriek as they come back to life! 424 A FEARFUL ASH 424 kicks the horse and rides off. 425 EXT. MILL - LONG SHOT - NIGHT 425 ASH ON HORSEBACK galloping back the way he came. In the distance we see the cemetery. More bodies arise from the ground. 426 EXT. WOODS - ASH - NIGHT 426 Now far from the danger but still he rides hard. ASH I'm through bein' their garbage boy. I did my part of the bargain. He pats the saddlebag, where the book is and grins. Now they owe me. Like in the deal. I want back. He whips his horse... HA! GIIDDUP NOW!! ...and rides off into the darkness. DISSOLVE TO: 427 EXT. CASTLE - LONG SHOT - NIGHT 427 ASH A tiny figure, rides toward the castle. 428 EXT. CASTLE WALL - NIGHT 428 GOLD TOOTH and two guards stand atop a tower and shout down to the gatekeeper. GOLD TOOTH Open the gates. The Promised one has returned! 429 EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT 429 THE DRAWBRIDGE swings down. 430 ASH 430 rides across the lowered bridge and into the torchlight of the castle. 431 INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - NIGHT 431 TWO WARRIORS hold Ash's horse as he dismounts. There are excited shouts from the villagers VILLAGERS The stranger has returned! He's brought the book! 432 INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - NIGHT 432 ASH is led to the THREE WISEMEN. WISEMAN JOHN The Necronomicon. Quickly. 433 ASH 433 pours a bucket of water over his head and begins drinking. WISEMAN JOHN Did you bring the Necronomicon! 434 ASH 434 slurps down more of the water, averting his eyes from the Wiseman. ASH Yes. It's just that... WISEMAN JOHN Just what?! ASH Nothing. Here Ash produces the Necronomicon. Now send be back. Like in the deal. 435 WISEMAN JOHN 435 takes the book and suddenly goes pale. WISEMAN JOHN No...I sensed something had gone awry. The book's power. It's gone. 436 THE CROWD 436 murmurs at this bad news. 437 ASH 437 suddenly looks very guilty. Wiseman John turns to him. WISEMAN JOHN When you removed the Necronomicon from it's cradle, did you speak the words? ASH Yeah. basically. WISEMAN JOHN Did you speak the exact words?! ASH Well, maybe not every single syllable, no. But basically I said them. Yes. 438 WISEMAN JOHN 439 bows his head, stung by this information. WISEMAN JOHN Dung eating fool! Thou hast doomed us. When thou misspoke the words the Army of the Dead was awoke. ASH Hey. We had a deal. You told me, you could clean this thing up, once I got you the book. You said there was a passage in there that could get rid of this thing and send me back. WISEMAN JOHN The passage is useless to us as long as these evil dead walk. They have a terrible desire for this book. And they shall come here to get it. Once in their possession, the Evil shall rule the Earth for one thousand years...Because of you...we are doomed. ASH You wanted the damn book. You got yer book. I did my part of the deal. WISEMAN JOHN We did strike a bargain. I will return you to your own time as promised. ASH Yeah. Well good. That was the deal. So uh...when do you think we can... 439 ASH 439 looks about at the condemned faces. 440 ASH'S P.O.V. - THE VILLAGERS 440 CAMERA PANS past the doomed faces in the crowd. ASH I mean...when can you send me... 441 ASH 441 sees Sheila, but looks away, consumed with the guilt that he's doomed her. ARTHUR The Wisemen were fools to believe that you were the Promised one. That one such as you could have saved us!. 442 ASH 442 is solemn. 443 ARTHUR 443 and the others turn away in contempt. 444 SHEILA 444 moves closer. SHEILA I still believe that thou wilt help us. ASH No.. They're right. I screwed up. I didn't come through for you, and... I'm sorry for it. SHEILA I still have faith in thee. In my heart I know thou wilt still succeed. ASH Sheila... It's over for me. I don't belong here and I'm going home. I didn't have what it took. It's over. He bows his head and moves off. A high pitched SHRIEK is heard! 445 ALL HEADS 445 look to the sky. 446 TWO WINGED DEADITES 446 possessed women with bat-like wings, swoop down. 447 TEN VILLAGERS 447 scream as they flee from the winged beasts. 448 WINGED DEADITE #1 448 Like a delta winged F-15, it banks towards Sheila. ASH No! 449 ASH 449 races to intercept. He plants himself between Sheila and the beast. 450 WINGED DEADITE #1 - POV 450 As it swoops at Ash. 451 ASH 451 opens his steel hand, then clamps it closed again on the handle of his sword. 452 ASKEW ANGLE 452 The immense shadow of the broad winged Deadite falls over Ash. 453 ASH 453 swings his sword upward. 454 CLOSE SHOT - THE BLADE 454 severs the tip of the Beast's rotted wing. 455 THE FLYING DEADITE 455 shrieks in pain as it soars over Ash. No longer aerodynamically sound, it crashes to the ground. 456 A GROUP OF WARRIORS 456 fire their arrows into the beast, pegging it to a tree. The bone white eyes of the creature darken. 457 ASH AND ARTHUR 457 spin to the sound of a woman's SCREAM. 458 SHEILA 458 in the clutches of WINGED DEADITE #2. SHEILA M'Lord Ash! Help me! The beast flies off with the fair maiden, soaring over the castle wall and into the distance. 459 ASH 459 shakes his fist at the receding beast. ASH Damn you! 460 THREE MOUNTED SCOUTS 460 come riding in through the castle doors. SCOUT An army of the dead! They have gathered in the wilderness and come this way. ARTHUR How far from here? SCOUT But two days ride. ARTHUR Then these winged ones are only the first of them. WISEMAN Perhaps we should go from this place while we can. GOLD TOOTH We could be safe in the mountains. WARRIORS Yes! To the mountains! We must flee! They'll take our souls! 461 ANGLE ON 461 BLAMMITY-BLAM! All eyes look to... 462 ASH 462 who stands on a high castle wall, clutching his smoldering shotgun. ASH Go ahead and run. Run home and cry to mama. I'm through runnin'. I stay we stay and fight. 463 ARTHUR 463 takes a challenging step forward. ARTHUR How will we stop an army of the dead at out castle walls? How will you fight that?! With more words? Most of out people have already fled. We are but forty men. ASH We'll get Henry the Red and his men to fight with us. ARTHUR We shall not stand in battle, alongside the likes of him. Our honor will not allow it. ASH Then you'll die. Honor and all. Now who's with me? 464 THE CROWD 464 is silent as they consider Ash's words. Then from the rear, the Village Blacksmith steps forward. BLACKSMITH I'll stand by you. 465 A WARRIOR 465 steps forward. Then another. WARRIOR #7 You may count on my steel. WARRIOR #8 And mine! 466 THE CROWD 466 steps forward vowing their allegiance to the cause. 467 ARTHUR 467 reluctantly joins them. 468 EXT. GRAVEYARD - STOP MOTION ANIMATION - NIGHT 468 EVIL ASH directs teams of skeletons to dig at the graves. EVIL ASH Dig! Dig faster! I want every black hearted, worm infested, son of a bitch that ever died in battle! We'll storm their castle and take the book! Then my lads, eternal life shall by ours! 469 STOP MOTION ANIMATION - THREE SKELETONS 469 hoist up a stone casket from the ground and with rusted swords pry it open, releasing another skeleton who stands to join their ranks. 470 TWO ARMORED SKELETONS 470 push a bruised Sheila to her knees before Evil Ash. 471 CLOSE ON SHEILA 471 looking up to Evil Ash in fear. His boney finger comes down into frame and strokes her lovely cheek. She pulls away in revulsion. 472 EVIL ASH 472 looks down at her with lust. EVIL ASH Why ain't you a sweet little thing? His boney digit caresses her lips. SHEILA Don't touch me! You foul thing! EVIL ASH Your gonna learn to live me missy. SHEILA The Promised one will come for you. SKELETAL EVIL ASH yanks her to her feet. EVIL ASH Darlin' I'm gonna save him the trouble. He clutches her squirming body in a boney embrace. 473 EXT. GRAVEYARD - LONG SHOT 473 Silhouetted by the large full moon, Evil Ash forces his kiss upon Sheila. Around them, the skeletons sharpen their swords on tombstones. DISSOLVE TO: 474 EXT. VAST VISTA OF BARREN LAND - DAY 474 Ash rides toward the castle of Henry the Red that can be seen in the distance. 475 WIDE SHOT - ASH 475 is suddenly intercepted by FOUR OF HENRY'S HORSEMEN. They surround him. HENRY WARRIOR #1 He wears the insignia of Arthur! HENRY WARRIOR #2 Slay him! The draw their swords when... 476 HENRY THE RED 476 rides up between his warriors and Ash. HENRY Stay your arms! Henry turns to Ash. HENRY T'is the stranger who spared me from the pit. What brings you? ASH The Army of the Dead. HENRY What of them? ASH They're headed towards Arthur's castle. We need your help. Fight with us. HENRY So you are a vassal of Arthur now? You have taken up sides with him against me. ASH The only side I'm takin' is the one that's gonna stop those things. Henry laughs. HENRY Why should I endanger my people to save my enemy? ASH Because after they finish with Arthur they'll come after you. Together, we've got a chance. Besides, you owe me. 477 EXT. A CRAGGY MOUNTAIN TOP - NIGHT 477 EVIL ASH AND SHEILA ride side by side on skeletal steeds. Sheila lifts her black veil, revealing bone white eyes, set into a face now the texture of cracked leather. She looks with admiration to... 478 EVIL ASH 478 He is general of the army of Deadites. He thrusts a rusted sword into the air and shouts in a gritty voice: EVIL ASH Who rules?! 479 WIDE SHOT - ONE HUNDRED ARMORED SKELETONS 479 raise their swords into the air with a shout. 480 EXT. CASTLE - DAY 480 THREE TRUMPETERS stand atop the castle wall and sound their trumpets! CAMERA PANS to reveal... 481 THE 1973 DELTA 88 OLDSMOBILE 481 being pulled by a team of men and horses, inside the castle walls. Ash is behind the steering wheel. 482 INT. CASTLE - BLACKSMITH SHOP - DAY 482 ASH AND THE BLACKSMITH look under the hood of the Delta 88, parked in the Blacksmith's shop. 483 THE DELTA'S ENGINE 483 is shattered. 484 ASH 484 frowns. 485 ASH AND THE BLACKSMITH 485 pour molten iron into a large sand mold. 486 THE SAND 486 is brushed away revealing gear wheels. 487 HAMMERS 487 beat upon red hot iron, fashioning helicopter like rotor blades. 488 THE BLACKSMITH'S STOVE 488 is lowered into the Delta's engine compartment. 489 EXT. CASTLE COURTYARD - DAY 489 ASH walks along, inspecting a line of forty medieval warriors who stand at attention. He halts before a warrior and stares hard at him. The Warrior glances towards Ash. ASH You eyeballin' me boy? WARRIOR #9 No, M'Lord. ASH I can't hear you! WARRIOR #9 NO, M'LORD!! ASH You squeekin' like a mouse! Are you a mouse boy?! WARRIOR #9 NO, M'LORD! ASH Where you from, mouse?! WARRIOR #9 I hail from the village of Perth. ASH Only two things come from Perth: steers and queers. Which are you? 490 EXT. MOUNTAIN - DAY 490 ASH takes charcoal from a dead fire and chips of dried cow dung. He mixes them with sulfur. 491 THE BLACK POWDER 491 is bound up in a small satchel and affixed to an arrow. 492 GOLD TOOTH 492 lights the fuse with a torch. 493 ASH 493 draws back and releases the arrow. ZING! 494 THE ARROW 494 imbeds in a wooden post and EXPLODES. Large pieces of wood are sent flying. 495 ARTHUR'S WARRIORS 495 watch in awe. 496 EXT. CASTLE LOOKOUT TOWER - DUSK 496 THE CASTLE BELL is rung madly. The signal for battle stations. 497 A WARRIOR 497 rides in through the castle gates screaming: WARRIOR They're coming! The Deadites approach! 498 INT. CASTLE COURTYARD 498 A look of shock and fear on all the faces. ASH comes into frame. CAMERA CRANES UP with him as he scales the ladder to the lookout tower. He peers out to the darkening horizon. 499 ASH 499 hears them before he sees them: The sound of clicking bones. Painful moans of tortured souls, the clanging of approaching armor. 500 ASH'S P.O.V. - THE HORIZON 500 Fifty distant silhouettes of the Evil Dead appear on the horizon. Then fifty more. 501 EXT. BATTLEFIELD TRACKING SHOT 501 THREE KILTED SKELETON SCOTSMEN play rotted bagpipes as they march toward the castle. A haunted battle melody. Behind them... 502 SKELETON #1 502 plays the drums upon a set of hollow skulls. 503 SKELETON #2 503 takes a leg bone upon a third skeleton's ribs. A bone xylophone. A bone-o-phone. 504 SKELETON #3, #4 AND #5 504 blow into arm bones forming woodwind section. 505 FOUR VIKING SKELETONS 505 CAMERA TRACKING with these helmeted skeletons as they march. They are clad in rusting suits of armor, wielding swords and spears. Nasty grins on their faces. One hobbles past on his wooden leg. 506 EVIL ASH AND SHEILA 506 ride their steeds to a halt atop a hill. 507 A SKELETON AND DEADITE CAPTAIN 507 ride alongside Evil Ash and salute him sharply. SKELETON CAPTAIN M'Lord! We are positioned on both fronts! EVIL ASH Where are they keeping my book? SKELETON CAPTAIN #1 Most likely...there, in the castle's keep. It would be the safest place. It is behind two walls that must be taken first. EVIL ASH Excellent. Proceed. 508 SKELETON CAPTAIN #1 508 With a sweep of his arm, he waves the Army of rot. SKELETON CAPTAIN #1 Forward! 509 THE MACABRE MARCHING BAND 509 now pound the attack beat on their drums. 510 A LINE OF DEADITES 510 advance toward the castle. Some crouch behind wooden barricades which they roll before them. 511 EXT. CASTLE - ATOP THE WALL 511 ASH, ARTHUR AND THE WARRIORS ASH Arrows! ARTHUR Load! 512 TWELVE ARCHERS 512 pull back arrows on their bow strings. Each arrow has a small charge of black powder attached to it. Torch boy! 513 A TORCH BOY 513 runs behind the archers, lighting the fuses on each of the powder charges. As the last arrow is lit.... 514 ARTHUR 514 looks to the approaching army. 515 THE LINE OF DEADITES 515 rolls their wooden barricades closer. 516 ARTHUR 516 turns to Ash for the signal. 517 ASH 517 holds up a finger. He waits. 518 TWELVE ARCHERS 518 strain, their bows taut with the explosive arrows. The sound of the FUSE BURNING is loud. 519 THE BURNING FUSES 519 about to disappear into the powder charges. 520 ASH 520 waits one more beat. The turns to Arthur. ASH Fire! ARTHUR Fire! 521 TWELVE ARCHERS 521 fire a volley of smoking arrows. 522 SMOKING AND SPUTTERING ARROWS 522 rain down from the castle wall. 523 TWO WOODEN BARRICADES 523 are hit with the explosive arrows. They explode. 524 THREE DEADITES 524 are pierced by the explosive arrows. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They burst apart in flames. 525 FLAMING DEADITES 525 roll on the ground unable to extinguish themselves. 526 A BURNING SKELETON 526 continues to advance only to collapse into a smoldering heap. 527 THE WARRIORS 527 CHEER Ash in sensurround. 528 A SCOUT 528 races up to Ash. SCOUT M'Lord! A second division approaching from the South. 529 ASH 529 turns to the South. 530 A SECOND WAVE A DEADITES 530 approach. ASH CATAPULTS...SOUTH! 531 INT. COURTYARD 531 THREE WOODEN CATAPULTS are wheeled into position. ARTHUR Powder! 532 GOLD TOOTH AND OTHER WARRIORS 532 hoist large sacks of black powder onto spoons of the catapults. Their fuses are lit. 533 ASH 533 gestures. Swords slice through lines which send giant sacks of black powder catapulting. 534 LONG SHOT - CASTLE 534 Three flaming projectiles whine as they hurl over the castle walls. 535 THREE FALLING SATCHELS P.O.V.'S 535 CAMERA CRANING DOWN toward the skeletons as they look upward in horror. BOOM! The first blast takes out a skeleton horse and rider. Bones fly. BOOM! FOUR DEADITES are obliterated. 536 EVIL ASH 536 turns to the Skeleton Captain #1 who rides alongside him. SKELETON CAPTAIN #1 Permission to regroup, m'Lord. EVIL ASH You needn't bother. 537 EVIL ASH 537 slices off the head of Skeleton Captain #1. He turns to the MOUNTED DEADITE next to him. EVIL ASH You are now my captain. I will now allow anything to stop me from possessing the Necronomicon. Get me into that castle. 538 THE NEW DEADITE CAPTAIN 538 gulps and races forward into the ranks shouting: NEW DEADITE CAPTAIN RAM THE GATES! 539 TWO GROUPS OF FOUR SKELETONS 539 use trees as battering rams and batter the large wooden doors of the castle. BOOM!-BOOM! 540 INT. CASTLE - THE CASTLE DOORS 540 begin to buckle beneath the hammering blows. 541 TWO VILLAGE WOMEN 541 scream! 542 TEN WARRIORS 542 wedge logs to buttress the buckling castle doors. 543 EXT. CASTLE 543 EVIL ASH Arrows! 544 A ROW OF SIX SKELETAL ARCHERS 544 fire a volley of arrows. As they reload. Behind them... 545 A SECOND LINE OF SIX SKELETAL ARCHERS 545 fire their arrows. 546 A VOLLEY OF DEADITES' ARROWS 546 pierce five Warriors atop the castle wall. They fall. 547 INT. CASTLE 547 TWO DEAD WARRIORS fall to the courtyard. Villagers lift them away on stretchers. 548 ARTHUR 548 shouts to Ash: ARTHUR Where is Henry?! ASH He'll be here. ARTHUR I think he will not. But know this. No matter how this battle fares, I was wrong to think you a coward. 549 EXT. CASTLE 549 The battering rams rips through the doors and the army of darkness pours into the courtyard. 550 A LEGLESS SKELETON 550 crawls in with a knife in its teeth. ARTHUR They're coming in. What now?! 551 ASH 551 looks terrified. He turns and runs from the castle entrance, dropping his sword, and hides in the blacksmith's shop, pulling the door closed behind him. 552 ARTHUR 552 shocked at Ash's cowardly desertion, turns to his men and shouts: ARTHUR Fall back! Man the Parapet! Protect the book or God save us all! 553 THE WARRIORS 553 retreat across the courtyard to rope ladders that scale the parapet. 554 ARTHUR'S MEN CLIMB ATOP THE PARAPET 554 The rope ladders are hastily pulled up, leaving no access. 555 INT. COURTYARD - SIX OF ARTHUR'S WARRIORS 555 are stranded in the courtyard. They fight for their lives but are quickly overcome. 556 EVIL SHEILA 556 takes out the last of the stranded warriors with her sword. 557 EVIL ASH 557 smiles at Sheila. He turns his attention to the guarded tower just beyond the parapet. EVIL ASH The book shall be mine! He raises his rusty sword. LADDERS! 558 TWELVE EVIL DEAD 558 storm the parapet with three crudely built wooden ladders as large rocks rain down upon them from above. 559 TWO WARRIORS 559 push away ladder #1. 560 FOUR SKELETONS ON LADDER #1 560 swing away from the wall and crash to the ground. 561 TWO SKELETONS ON LADDER #2 561 leap onto the parapet and battle the men with swords. 562 WARRIOR #2 562 knocks the deadite off the ledge and shouts back toward Arthur. WARRIOR #2 We can't hold this wall much longer! 563 A DEADITE ARROW 563 pierces his armor and he falls to his death. 564 INT. COURTYARD 564 A VIKING DEADITE looks up as he hears... CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! 565 DEADITE'S P.O.V. 565 THE DOORS OF THE BLACKSMITH'S SHOP BURST OPEN Through the dust and smoke something appears...An iron beast...belching steam...It's angry iron blades whirling. Behold... 566 THE DEATHCOASTER 566 The stripped chaise of the Delta 88 Oldsmobile. A steam engine is mounted to it's center to power the craft. At the front and rear are spinning, helicopter like rotor blades. 567 GOLD TOOTH 567 shovels coal into the Deathcoaster's furnace. 568 ASH 568 is at the helm. He pulls a cord. 569 THE DEATHCOASTER'S STEAM WHISTLE 569 SCREAMS to announce its birth. 570 THE VIKING DEADITE 570 is cut to ribbons by swirling blades. 571 THE VILLAGERS ATOP THE PARAPET 571 cheer! 572 EVIL DEAD 572 at the base of the ladders look up in horror to see... 573 THE STEAM DRIVEN ROTOR BLADES 573 slicing through two Deadites at once. The cow-catcher in front pushes aside the halved Evil Dead. 574 ASH 574 operates a crude instrument panel with only two levers to steer the craft. It's a bumpy ride. 575 WIDE SHOT - THE DEATHCOASTER 575 Thwop! Thwop! Two more skeletons bite the dust. leathery hands pluck a SCREAMING Gold Tooth from the craft. 576 GOLD TOOTH 576 disappears beneath the squirming corpses. A moment later he re- emerges as a skeleton himself, except for the single gold tooth that shines against the white of the bone. He stands and joins the Deadites. 577 EVIL SHEILA 577 leaps onto the moving Deathcoaster to face Ash. EVIL SHEILA Thou didst find me beautiful once. ASH Honey...You got real ugly. 578 EVIL SHEILA 578 attacks with a SHRIEK! 579 ASH 579 spins out his double barreled shot gun and... BLAMMITY-BLAM! ...blows her off the craft. She does a back flip into the other Deadites. 580 ASH 580 pulls hard on the steering stick and it tears loose from the craft. 581 THE DEATHCOASTER 581 careens out of control. 582 ASH 582 tumbles from the helm and hits the ground. 583 THE DEATHCOASTER 583 flips, crushes a group of Deadites against a wall, and explodes. 584 ASH 584 picks himself up from the dust. He looks upward to... 585 LADDER #2 - ARTHUR 585 attempts to push the ladder away. A sword comes up into frame, stabbing Arthur. He is yanked to his death with a shriek! Evil Ash, with his bloody sword, leaps up from the ladder and onto the parapet. He's headed for the Book of the Dead. 586 BELOW IN THE COURTYARD - ASH 586 races to a set of ropes and pulley that ascend the parapet. Two deadites come at him. He grabs the rope with his steel hand and slices one end of it with his sword. 587 ABOVE HIM - A NET OF BOULDERS 587 plummet down atop the two deadites, crushing them. Simultaneously, Ash is tanked upward by the rope, to the parapet. 588 ASH 588 looks to... 589 EVIL ASH 589 approaching the Necronomicon. 590 ASH 590 kicks aside a hay bale and removes a mini-crossbow with four flame tipped arrows, loaded and ready. He fires. 591 A FLAME ARROW 591 imbeds in Evil Ash's leg and ignites his body. Another flaming dart hits his shoulder blade. The flames consume his body. He burns and SHRIEKS! 592 ASH 592 watches in horror as... 593 THE FLAMES RECEED 593 revealing a bone white skeleton with mismatched eyes. SKELETAL EVIL ASH! It races at Ash with a SHRIEK. 594 ASH AND EVIL ASH 594 bring their swords together with such great force that sparks fly. Ash is forced back against the stone pedestal that holds the Necronomicon. CLANG! With a deft stroke, Ash's sword is flung from his hand. 595 ASH'S SWORD 595 imbeds in a wooden beam. 596 EVIL ASH 596 grabs the Necronomicon, then swings his sword at Ash. 597 ASH 597 grabs a burning iron torch from its mount. 598 ANGLE ON 598 WHOOSH! KLANG! WHOOSH! KLANG! Man and Skeleton battle with flaming torch and sword. 599 ANGLE ON 599 KLANG! The torch is knocked from Ash's hand. It falls over the edge of the wall and lands in the courtyard below. It ignites a fuse. The burning fuse leads to a sack of black powder. The sack sits upon the spoon of a catapult. 600 ABOVE... 600 SKELETON ASH swings his sword. Ash leaps over the blade. The Skeleton swings downward, and Ash side steps it. 601 ASH 601 rabbit punches CAMERA. 602 CLOSE ON SKELETON HEAD 602 Ash's fist bursts out all it's rotted teeth. 603 ASH 603 delivers a right hook, spinning the skeleton's head around in a circle. 604 THE SKELETON 604 gives Ash a backwards roundhouse kick to the face. Ash tumbles over the edge. 605 ASH 605 falls to the courtyard below, alongside the catapult. He glances at the burning fuse. 606 EVIL ASH 606 leaps from the parapet and lands atop the catapult. The Skeleton looks down at Ash with a nasty grin of bone. 607 SKELETON ASH 607 Behold... He gestures to the Evil Dead that overrun the parapet and now battle the last twenty of Arthur's warriors for control of the Keep. 608 ANGLE ON SKELETON ASH 608 SKELETON ASH You're finished. He extends the Necronomicon to taunt Ash. SKELETON ASH I possess the Necronomicon. I've crushed your pathetic army. Now I'll have my vengeance! He raises his sword for the death blow... 609 THE SHRILL CALL OF BATTLE TRUMPETS 609 GUARD (O.S.) Duke Henry's men! They've come! 610 ASH AND THE SKELETON 610 turn... A jubilant CHEER rises from the castle as... 611 DUKE HENRY THE RED AND FIFTY OF HIS MEN 611 thunder down the hill, across the drawbridge and into the castle courtyard to attack the Deadites! 612 THE SKELETON - ATOP THE CATAPULT 612 turns back to Ash and raises his sword for the kill. 613 ASH 613 has grabbed a sword from a fallen warrior. With a single motion he slices the hand that holds the Necronomicon from Skeleton Ash. 614 ASH 614 snags the book with one hand and on the backswing, slices through the rope, springing the catapult. 615 THE SKELETON AND BURNING SATCHEL 615 are flung over the castle wall. 616 HIGH SHOT - LOOKING DOWN AT CASTLE 616 THE SKELETON PROJECTILE rockets up past camera, waving its boney arms. The burning satchel follows. BOOM! The skeleton is blown to bits in mid air. A CHEER goes up within the castle courtyard as Henry's Warriors crush the last of the Deadites. DISSOLVE TO: 617 GLORIOUS BEAMS OF MORNING SUNLIGHT 617 streak over the horizon. Ash enters frame. He holds the Necronomicon as he looks wearily out over the battlefield. 618 LONG SHOT - THE BATTLEFIELD - MORNING 618 Smoking skeletons lay scattered. Henry and Arthur's Warriors work together. They toss the deadite bones and armor into a bonfire. 619 CLOSE SHOT - TWO DEADITE SKULLS 619 engulfed by flames, crack in the heat. DISSOLVE TO: 620 EXT. SEASHORE - ARROWHEADS - DUSK 620 are dipped into the flame of a bonfire. They ignite. 621 THE INTEGRATED ARMY OF HENRY AND ARTHUR'S MEN 621 Form a row of archers. They fire their flaming arrows toward the sea. 622 THE ARROWS 622 strike a wooden ship that holds the body of Arthur. ASH (V.O.) We said goodbye to Arthur. Sure we had our problems. But in the end, he was all right. DISSOLVE TO: 623 EXT. SEASHORE - DUSK 623 ASH AND THE OTHERS watch the funeral pyre sail off. It's flickering flames play upon their faces. DISSOLVE TO: 624 INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - NIGHT 624 ASH (V.O.) Peace was made between the two peoples. And a new nation was formed. They offered my a chance to stay among them and teach them. A chance to lead them. To be King. But Sheila was gone. Besides, I had places to go. FLAMES OF THE FIRE - CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL... 625 THE WISEMEN 625 mix a vat of liquid over a fire as they recite a passage from the Necronomicon. A flask is dipped into the liquid. WISEMAN JOHN hands the flask of liquid to Ash. WISEMAN JOHN The Book tells us that each drop allows a man to sleep a century. Swallow six drops, and thou shalt awaken in thine own time. ASH (V.O.) Yeah. Right... Ash takes the flask and studies it. ...but what other choice did I have? DISSOLVE TO: 626 EXT. CASTLE - LONG SHOT - DAY 626 ASH rides off. ASH (V.O.) I had to find a place to crash. For a very long time. 627 EXT. CAVE - DAY 627 ASH with the aid of his horse, drags the Deathcoaster inside the cave. He sets the horse free. ASH YAHH!! It gallops off. 628 INT. CAVE - DAY 628 ASH Places a black powder charge at the mouth of the cave. He ignites the fuse and climbs into the car. ASH (V.O.) I locked the door. 629 INT. MOUTH OF THE CAVE 629 BOOM! The powder charge blows. The cave's entrance is sealed shut with an avalanche of rock. 630 INT. CAVE - DEATHCOASTER 630 The car headlights come on, piercing the blackness. 631 INT. DEATHCOASTER 631 ASH uncorks the flask filled with the Wiseman's brew. ASH (V.O.) I closed my eyes. He lets six drops fall into his mouth. One for each century he must sleep. ASH (V.O.) I took a drink. Ash is unaware that an extra drop has fallen into his mouth! A 7th drop! Ash swallows the liquid. ASH (V.O.) I didn't know if it was day or night. I started... to get drowsy... And I slept... 632 ASH 632 falls into a deep slumber. DISSOLVE TO: 633 THE DEATHCOASTER'S HEADLIGHTS 633 fade. DISSOLVE TO: 634 CLOSER ON ASH'S SLEEPING FACE 634 now in a different position. Time has passed. He needs a shave. ASH ...And dreamed. 635 THE HANDS ON ASH'S WRISTWATCH 635 wind faster and faster, then halt and rust in time lapse photography. The leather band rots away and the watch falls from Ash's wrist. 636 THE SUN 636 rises then sets. 637 THE MOON 637 follows. 638 A CRACK 638 forms along the surface of the aging rock wall. ASH (V.O.) Dreams last lasted centuries. 639 A BARREN TREE 639 sprouts buds, they swell forming leaves which change to the brilliant colors of fall then drop. 640 A FROST 640 covers Ash. 641 ICICLES 641 on the ceiling of the cave melt. The water drops down onto Ash's face. He stirs. 642 ASH 642 awakens in a heap of rusted scrap, which was once the Deathcoaster. His clothes and armor having deteriorated, he is buck ass naked as he staggers to the mouth of the cave. He digs at the rocks that block the cave's entrance. Sunlight streams into the hole he has created. 643 EXT. HILLSIDE 643 ASH climbs from the cave and steps into the sunlight. ASH (V.O.) And when I awoke... 644 ASH 644 beholds... 645 A FUTURISTIC CITY - 645 after the next Nuclear war: a dead land. 646 ASH'S P.O.V. 646 A FRACTURED CLOCK TOWER lays sprawled on its side. The time of mankind's death frozen on the cracked face of the clock. 647 A SHATTERED BRIDGE 647 abruptly ends, a third of the way across a river it once spanned. Upon it, rest heaps of futuristic, yet rusted taxicabs piled eight deep in some places. CAMERA PULLS BACK from a stunned Ash, amidst the atomized pieces of iron and bone. ASH ....I found that I had slept too long. 648 ASH 648 is so small a dot now, and so far away, that we almost can't hear his terrified SCREAM! CUT TO BLACK.

FADE IN : Blackness. Then a hint of green becomes EARTH. It lies across an expanse of space. Richly colored. Fertile. A GIGANTIC ASTEROID cuts into frame, Burning into EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE and striking down in the currant area of Guzumel, Mexico. Voice : An impact equivalent to ten thousand nuclear weapons detonating simultaneously. A HUGE DINOSAUR FOOT steps down hard and is VAPORIZED with a deafening ROAR. Voice : One hundred trillion tons of dirt and rock hurled into the atmosphere. EARTH, seen from space, is rocked with an IMMENSE SHOCKWAVE. A SHEET OF DEBRIS washes across the North and South Hemispheres. Voice : A blanket of dust the sun is powerless to penetrate. For five thousand years our world is robbed of light as a nuclear winter falls. In that darkness, a civilisation is         &nbs p; removed from existence. EARTH is now completely entombed in a dark, cold hell. Letters push towards us-- "A R M A G E D D O N" 65 MILLION YEARS LATER EARTH, reflected off the face of ASTRONAUT PETE SHELBY'S HELMET. It appears close enough to touch. Shelby, attached to SHUTTLE ATLANTIS BY LIFELINE, struggles to replace a piece of the shuttle's operational arm. Shelby : (with radio squawking) Houston, I can't get this thing to work... EXT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY In a hub of computers and tracking equipment, we find DAN GOLDEN, former Astronaut from Apollo 8 (first crew to orbit the Moon) and now N.A.S.A's second-in-command. Golden is watching Shelby on a SERIES OF VIDEO SCREENS. FLIGHT DIRECTOR WALTER CLARK sits with rows of N.A.S.A Techs. Golden stands over him, arms on the back o his chair. Clark : Atlantis, what's the problem? Shelby : (V.0) It just isn't working. Any suggestions? Clarke : Hang on Pete. We'll figure something out for you. Golden taps Clark and sits down. Golden : (to Shelby) We got the top scientific minds in the world working on this. (a slight smile) Try "whacking" the thing. Shelby : Okay, Houston, commence whacking. Selby begins Whacking the satellite with his glove. The SATELLITE comes n-line, lights up like a Christmas tree. A HORRIFYING RUMBLING SOUND. SHOTGUN LIKE PELLETS assault the satellite. SHRAPNEL rips into it's delicate gold skin. The satellite EXPLODES. Shelby's lifeline breaks; he spins off, suit leaking from twenty punctures. INT. SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COMMANDER JAMES TURNER turns to his left General : "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" EXT. SHUTTLE ATLANTIS STOTGUN LIKE PELLETS shred through Atlantis' N.A.S.A. logo, peeling the shuttle down to her ribs. FIERY EXPLOSION. EXT. SPACE CLOSE ON SHELBY as he twirls away from Atlantis. His helmet is fogging. He gasps for air, wretching, his eyelids leaking blood. He tries to form words: Shelby : Ple...he...me.... Shelby's SHOULDER-CAM angle spins end-over-end.... INT. N.A.S.A - MISSION CONTROL MONITORS go dead. N.A.S.A. Technician #1 : All systems crashing! N.A.S.A. Technician #2 : Massive failure. We lost them. Utter silence. Utter desolation. DOLLY IN ON GOLDEN'S FACE. Utter disbelief. INT. WKU MOUNTIAN OBSERVATORY - NIGHT THEO and PEARL (at telescope), and JIMBO (at the console), 20's, are star-gazing. Astronomy books, Starbucks cups, etc.,spread all over. Nine Inch Nails plays on the radio. These three could land a date if only they would lose the road flares (plaid shirts, glasses) that signal the painful fact that they are die-hard science nerds THEO'S POV - THROUGH WKU TELESCOPE - Far off in space is a dusty, murky swarm of matter - something resembling a FLOATING EXPLOSION. Jimbo : When are we going to let N.A.S.A in on what we've found? Theo : We don't even know what we have yet. Comet, asteroid - it could be anything up there. And don't be so eager to red flag N.A.S.A. They don't call us when they discover anything. Jimbo : Yeah, but this is their sandbox were playing in. Theo : This is our discovery. We're going to hold a press conference. We're going to be famous. SPACEWATCH'll name this thing after us. Job offers are going to fly in from all the big companies. J.P.L., that think tank up at M.I.T., hell even N.A.S.A. 'll be chasing us. Pearl : I'm going on Oprah, Larry King, Letterman... Jimbo : Hell with them, I'm going on Howard Stern.... Pearl : (concentrating) This things really acting up tonight. We should find out if anyone else knows about this. Theo : How? Jimbo : (master of factly) Call N.A.S.A Theo : And say what? "Hi, we're a couple astronomer geeks who found something really bitchin; floatin' in space." You can't just call N.A.S.A. It's like calling the White House. Besides, you'll never get the number. Jimbo : I have the number. I got it from "Mega monster." Pearl : Who? Jimbo : He's some super-hacker, I went to high school with. Guy's totally wired into every encrypted government installation. Theo : He's also an ex-con. Jimbo : They never proved he shut down the power in those seven states. Theo grabs the phone. INT. HOUSTON TEXAS - JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - NIGHT Golden and his crew, devastated and exhausted, search for answers. We cut around the room. Clark : What the hell was that? Technician 1 : Space junk? Technician 2 : Too big, too much. It took out the whole shuttle. Clark : The press is going to want answers. What are we going to say? Golden : Nothing. Not until we know what happened. INTERCUT - N.A.S.A. MISSION CONTROL/WKU OBSERVATORY INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Two N.A.S.A. techs, FLIP and SKIP, looking very haggard, furiously typing numbers into the circulator. The phone RINGS, Flip answers. Jimbo : (whispers to Pearl & Theo) I got mission control....! Flip : Yeah, Mission Control. Jimbo : (into phone) Uhh hi, I'm an astronomer in Kentucky, and I was wondering if you guys had seen some strange activity in the southern middle quadrant of the asteroid        &nbs p;   belt between Antares Major and Epsilom Scorpio.... Flip : Who is this? Jimbo : My name? Uhh....Louis Lipshitz... Flip : This is a restricted line. How did you get it? Where are you? Jimbo : Lexington... Massachusetts. Flip : Can you tell me the exact co-ordinates..? Theo : Hang up! Hang up now! Jimbo hangs up the phone. Theo : Lexington.. uhh...Massachusettes. Idiot. I told you not to call them. EXT. MANHATTAN ISLAND - SUNRISE Establishing. The sun rises over the Brooklyn Bridge. EXT. MANHATTEN - MADISON AVENUE - EARLY MORNING LITTLE GUY, still yawning, exits an apartment with a Jack Russell terrier on a long RETRACTABLE LEASH. TERRIER'S POV as the little dog attacks the city, looking for a place to relieve himself. The Man stops in front of a "Crazy Eddie's" T.V. store. Floor-to-ceiling T.V.'s in the window broadcasting E.S.P.N.'s "Morning Exercise Show" with hot women SWEATING. The Jack Russell strains on the leash to a FIRE HYDRANT. A SHOE is next to the hydrant, connected to a HUGE SAMOAN GUY watching the pelvic thrusting on T.V. The dog lifts his leg and pees, hitting both hydrant and shoe. The huge Samoan guy kicks the dog. The dog YELPS. Little Guy : You kick my dog again and I'll go nuclear on you. The T.V. images BLINK and STATIC. A massive SONIC BOOM emanates directly above. The huge Samoan guy looks up as--- A ROCK, the size of a basketball, strikes him and EXPLODES into the pavement, spewing sparks and concrete, throwing PEDESTRIANS to the sidewalk. INT. "CRAZY EDDIE'S" T.V. STORE FIFTY T.V.s are BLOWN across the showroom floor. SALESMEN and CUSTOMERS dive to the floor, SCREAMING. EXT. MANHATTEN - "CRAZY EDDIES" Little guy, lying on the sidewalk, recovers. His DOG LEASH runs from the leash grip into a 10 FOOT CRATER in the sidewalk. The huge Samoan guy's LEGS protrude. Little Guy : Samson? Pedestrian : Somebody call 9-1-1! INSIDE THE CRATER - THE JACK RUSSELL dangles by the leash. Embedded in the hole 30 feet below is A SMOKING, RED HOT OBJECT. INT - N.O.R.A.D. - CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN The U.S.'s Early Warning Air Defence. Two U.S.A.F RADAR TECHNICIANS are hunched over radar screens. Radar Tech 1 : I got one, two, three boggies...the whole board's lighting up! The RADAR TECH 2 hits a KLAXON, stabs phone line buttons. EXT. MANHATTEN - MORNING Traffic is ground to a halt. CAMERA MOVES into a cab. STU, the Cabbie, with an ASIAN TOURIST, who's craning his neck out the window. Asian Tourist : What's the problem? Stu : Could be a couple of things: shootin', stabbin', dead guy (shrugs) Well, it's Friday, payday. Could be a jumper. A projectile the size of a dump truck SCREAMS through the sky and blasts through three huge buildings. More projectiles explode in the intersection. Cars get thrown everywhere. Stu's cab slams upside down into JOHNNY'S BAR. ONE BLOCK DOWN. THE ENTIRE TOP FIVE STORIES -- A sheared section topples and hits the street below. Bricks, mortar and gargoyles everywhere. EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - PENTAGON - DAY Establishing, over which we hear RINGING PHONES. EXT. PENTAGON - GENERAL TEMPLE'S OFFICE - DAY Chaos in the corridors. GENERAL TEMPLE, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a man of stature, bursts out of his office, met by his SECRETARY. Secretary : We're getting reports as far away as Greenland and parts of Mexico! Temple : Get me Dan Goldman on the secure phone. Temple enters his office and picks up a secure phone. INT. MISSION CONTROL - INSIDE THE GLASS-ENCASED ROOM Golden enters the room and sits down. Technician Flip hands him a secure phone. Golden sinks into his chair. In the b.g., VIDEO MONITORS show twenty live feeds from T.V. stations across the country. Temple : (V.O.) Can you go secure? Golden : (presses a button on the phone) I am secure. Go ahead, General. He listens...WE HEAR the distinct gargled voice of a secure line. Golden : When? Temple : (V.O.) Twelve minutes ago. Now you know what happened to your shuttle. INTERCUT - GOLDEN / TEMPLE INT. PENTAGON - GENERAL TEMPLE'S OFFICE - DAY Temple paces in his office. Temple : I'm going to brief the President. What's going on here, Dan? Why didn't we have warning? Golden : Tell the president it's called "budget cuts." We don't have enough telescopes to track the skies. Temple : Is it over? Golden : I don't know. We'll figure it out. (hangs up) INT. MISSION CONTROL - INSIDE THE GLASS-ENCASED ROOM Flip enters the room. Skip writes notes.... Golden : (to Skip and Flip) Fly a team up to New York. Contact every Space Watch facility in the world. We gotta find what part of the sky this is coming from. Skip : I'll call J.P.L. and get the Hubble telescope on it. Golden : Did we find who made the phone call last night? Flip : The F.B.I.'s on it. INT. KENTUCKY - DORMITORY ROOM Theo is sleeping. The door is RAMMED in. Two F.B.I. AGENTS ROAR into the room, overwhelming him. EXT. KENTUCKY - COLLEGE CAMPUS Pearl and Jimbo are walking across campus. TWO BLACK SEDANS pull up. The kids increase their pace.The sedans SKID to a stop. F.B.I. AGENTS spring from the cars, cuff them and CUT TO : MANHATTEN - JOHNNY'S - DAY Stu's upside down cab, in front of Johnny's. A tow truck removes dented cars from the trashed intersection. Career drunks, FRANK, FRED and WILLIE, stand in the threshold looking out at the devastated intersection. Stu sits on top of his cab, Listening to the guys: Frank : This city sucks... Fred : What the hell was it? Willie : They're sayin' it's space rocks. Stu : Rocks from space, my ass. That, my friends, was the work of the big Saddam. That was big-ass Iraqi missiles INT. MANHATTAN - SUBWAY - DAY F.B.I. AGENTS and N.A.S.A. SCIENTISTS examine a CHUNK OF ASTEROID, still smouldering, which has ripped through the roof and floor of a subway car. The plastic seats and aluminium panelling of the car has melted. EXT. KENTUCKY - INTERROGATION ROOM - AFTERNOON Jimbo, Theo and Pearl sit in front of three F.B.I. AGENTS. Two N.A.S.A. ASTRONOMERS look over the kids' TELESCOPE PHOTOS with concern. Jimbo : So, that N.A.S.A. guy wasn't kiddin; about bein' arrested and.... Federal Agent : Please shut up. Jimbo : Yes, absolutely, yes sir. N.A.S.A. Astronomer : I'm a N.A.S.A. astronomer. When were these photos taken? Federal Agent : And which of you called N.A.S.A. Mission Control last night? Jimbo : (points at Theo) Him. Theo : (points at Jimbo) Him. Jimbo : I was calling the Houston area code, which is 713. I was calling 712, which is outside Spokane, Washington, where my Aunt Zelda.... N.A.S.A. Astronomer : Tell us the exact ascension angle of your telescope when this was taken. Theo : It's our discovery. No way. N.A.S.A. Astronomer : Your "discovery" killed close to 100 people in New York alone - people who could've used a warning. Jimbo, Theo and Pearl lower their eyes. Jimbo : Our math must've been off! we thought it was gonna pass the Earth! Pearl : Ascension 712, retention 345. F.B.I. Agent 2 : And you've told no one about this- not your teachers, not your friends? N.A.S.A. Astronomer : (into cellular phone) J.P.L., please. Search co-ordinates... INT. PASADENA CALIFORNIA - J.P.L. - NIGHT N.A.S.A.'s Jet Propulsion Laboratory: home of the HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE. Two J.P.L. TECHNICIANS man the Hubble's control console. J.P.L. Technician 1 : New info! Plot co-ordinates 712 by 345. Let's move on high-resolution imaging. J.P.L. TECHNICIAN 2 punches the co-ordinates into a control console. EXT. OUTER SPACE - CONTINUOUS (DAY) The HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE floats by in geosynchronous orbit. The telescope tilts, repositioning in view. INT. PASADENA CALIFORNIA - J.P.L. - NIGHT Images from the Hubble arrive on a high resolution printer. J.P.L. Technician 1 grabs four PHOTOS from the printer. Technician 2 swipes stuff off the console, making room. Together they arrange the four photos. They star silently at the awesome COMPOSITE PHOTO. J.P.L. Technician 1 : Motherfu...... INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - ENCLOSED ROOM - NIGHT Golden and all his TECHNICIANS crowd around a console, staring at a smaller version of the COMPOSITE PHOTO. Golden : Copies to the Pentagon, Colorado Space Command, and the Washington office. We gotta compute size, composition, speed, impact point WE SEE the photo -- A HUGE ASTEROID EXT. OUTER SPACE - CONTINUOUS - DAY CAMERA PUSHES THROUGH A CLOUD OF ROCKY, ICY DEBEIS, penetrating the cloud until the HUGE ASTEROID CORE comes into clear view -- a mass of dirt and ice -- rough, craggy, menacing. INT. N.A.S.A. - BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT Golden and Clark enter. A group of ten N.A.S.A. SENIOR TECHNICIANS are all talking at once. Golden : Okay guys, one of the worst days in N.A..S.A history just got worse. Ten million to one. A rogue comet came from deep space and collided with an asteroid. Some         &n bsp;   kids actually got a picture of the collision event and told no one. The stuff that hit this morning was the collision's forward-thrown matter, mere pebbles from what's              about to come. Walter? Clark : A big asteroid. E.T.A., eighteen days. A lot bigger than the five mile one that obliterated the dinosaurs. Golden : The size of Texas. Silence. Everybody stares at each other. The phone CHIRPS. Golden's Secretary : Director, the Pentagon. Golden hits a button. A LARGE T.V. SCREEN establishes AUDIO/VISUAL link. INTERCUT; PENTAGON - SITUATION ROOM/ N.A.S.A. - BRIEFING ROOM INT. PENTAGON - SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT Temple sits with the Joint Chiefs, White House Chief of Staff, the Directors of the N.A.S.A., C.I.A., etc. Temple : Dan, we're all here. Tell us what we're up against. Golden : (V.O.) In it's simplest terms? The end of Mankind. One asteroid, one mile wide or bigger, impacts the Earth with the equivalent force of all the nuclear weapons in the         &nb sp;   world, times a thousand. Half our population will die within 24 hours from tidal waves and heat pulses. The other half won't be so lucky. In the end, it will be men         &nb sp;   eating the flesh of other men. (beat) It's not the end of the world, General, the world - Earth - will still be here. But there will be no life - maybe cockroaches and         &nb sp;   some resilient strands of bacteria. Temple : Well, that's really positive, Dan. The President just got off the phone with the Russians. They're just about to launch a new Mars Probe on the biggest rocket in the         &nb sp;    world. Golden and the N.A.S.A. BRASS exchange sceptical looks. Golden : (V.O) With the worst guidance system in the world. Their Mars Probe in '96 was found by a pygmy tribe in Africa. Temple : They're going to pull off the probe and replace it with four Atlas Class IV nuclear warheads. Enough punch in their opinion - not to break it up - but to slow it down         &n bsp;   enough to miss Earth's orbit. Golden : (V.O) Their launch date is set for next month. Temple : They're going to move it up. Golden : (V.O) To when? Temple : Sixteen hours from now. All the N.A.S.A. Technicians CLAMOR at once. Golden : (V.O) What are they gonna do, glue, spit, and scotch tape it together? Even if they get a nuke out to the asteroid, a surface nuclear detonation is not going to work.         & nbsp;   The only way is to split the thing in half and hope the two pieces slide past us. Temple : Thank you for bringing up the impossible, Dan. Colinswood : People, the President's joining us, Mr. President? President : (V.O) Well, this has been a tough day. The media's all over this. They're going to get nothing. Telling the public we might all be dead in eighteen days achieves        &nbs p;       nothing but panic. Golden : (V.O) Mr President, finding this speck in the sky is a very hard thing to do unless you have the exact co-ordinates. There are only twelve telescopes powerful enough              to see it right now. You've got a full moon goin' for four days - makes it all but impossible to see.. Once these things draw closer to Earth, you'll never keep a lid on         &nbs p;   this. No way. INT. N.A.S.A. BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT The video screen blinks off. Golden looks at his Techs. Golden : How many of you are as scared as I am? Golden raises his hand. All the other N.A.S.A. Techs, one by one, raise their hands. Golden : One giant leap for Mankind. Everyone remember that? This is what we are going to do. We're going to fly to that asteroid with a nuclear device, implant it and get off         &nb sp;   before it blows. Quincy? All eyes turn to N.A.S.A. Chief of R&D, RONALD QUINCY. Quincy has coke bottle glasses and a 198 I.Q. Quincy : Look: set a fire cracker off in your open palm, you get a third degree burn. Close your fist, It'll do some serious damage. If we can get a nuke deep in one of the         &nb sp;  asteroid's fault lines, she'll split in two, like a diamond. Golden : You're all looking art us like we're crazy. We're not. Skip : Dan, our currant shuttle fleet is too old and too slow. Golden : What I'm going to tell you is a breach of national security and could land me in jail, but in eighteen days there arnt' gonna be any jails, so....We're not gonna use a           ;   current shuttle. Gentlemen, I'm talking about the X-71. Skip : It's done? Quincy : Has been for three months. EXT. ARIZONA DESERT - FLIGHT TESTING FACILITY - DAY N.A.S.A.'s flight testing facility. A flat, hard, dry area dominated by an ENORMOUS HANGER. The HANGER DOOR is open; breeze blows back a BLACK SILK TARPAULIN, revealing the X-71's NOSE. Technicians come and go. INT. N.A.S.A - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY Golden : Time is our enemy. This is like the race to the Moon, guys - what this Agency was founded on. Skip : Boss, we're good at space travel, but you're talkin' about drilling a hole. Golden : Quincy's been working on excavating the ice from the Moon - he's gonna reorient his thinking. Right, Quince? Quincy : Right. And the first thing I'm gonna do is talk to the guy I ripped off. His name is Harry S. Stamper. He's the best oil driller in the world. Golden : I don't care who he is, what he's doing. EXT. NORWAY COAST - NORTH SEA - "TROLL" OIL RIG - DAY SUPER : DAY TWO Close on a GOLF BALL. THWACK! The golf ball EXPLODES off the tee from an oil rig. The "TROLL" is the largest man-made structure in the world - 12 aircraft carriers big and 1200 feet tall. A self-contained city. HARRY STAMPER, world's foremost expert on offshore deep drilling, immaculately attired in golf attire and spikes, stands on a patch of Astroturf with a five iron in his hand. Piped-in MOZART drown out the rig noise. EXT. "TROLL" - DRILLING PLATFORM - "A" DERRICK - DAY The main drilling platform. On "A" derrick, Chief Driller, A.J. FROST, 30, handsome, is at the controls. Roughnecks "JUMBO" CARTWRIGHT, "BEAR" BROWN, "CHICK" CHAPPLE, TITO GUEVARA, and MAX LOGAN, handle 20 foot sections of PIPE DRILLING SRTRING with a HYDRAULIC TONG AND CLAMP. Roughneck BENNIE MORGAN, late 20's an ox of a man, comes across the platform, pulling an oily green coveralls and donning his hard-hat. Bennie examines the rig's DOWNHOLE PRESSURE GAUGE. Bennie : Chick! take a look at this! Chick : Pressure's been up all morning. She kicked twice on me. A.J.'s eyes move to a TALL BLOND MAN on his lunch break across the rig. A.J. : What did our always-at-lunch-Swedish geologist say? Bennie : Jah, jah, jah. No bleeper. Too much pressure. Chick : You askin' the old man? A.J. nods and walks off. EXT. "TROLL" RIG - TOP TIER Harry HITS another ball. WE REVEAL his target, a GREENPEACE BOAT anchored off the rig. The BALL strikes the side of the boat, just missing the head of ONE of the PROTESTERS. Harry : Almost caught that little bastard. He admires his shot as his daughter, GRACE, walks up. Grace is late 20's, business dress, Harvard Law. Grace : Having fun? Harry HITS another ball. It misses the boat, skips across the water. Grace : Sure sliced the shit outta that one. (frowns) Harry : Watch your language, Gracie. Grace : Seagulls swallow those and they die. Harry : Stupid birds. Harry's EYES move to a GROUP OF GREENPEACE PROTESTERS across the rig, being held back by Stamper Oil SECURITY GUARDS. Grace : I just talked with A.J. Harry : Talking to him quite a bit these days.... Grace : (awkward pause) "A" rig's acting up. The drill string kicked twice this morning, gave Chick a nasty bruise in the head. Harry : Good. He's not vulnerable there. Grace : Chase Manhatten okayed the bridge financing for the Micronesia Project, but at 21 percent interest. And Lloyd's of London refuses to underwrite the Venezuela>        &n bsp;  Project.... Harry : Thieves and cowards, all of 'em. Twist their arms. Grace : I am. Harry : Keep twisting. Like a pit bull. Grace : Oh, and that magazine article - they want some human interest stuff - likes and dislikes. "Likes" I said Golf, Fly Fishing, Single Malt Scotch, Old Movies. What about         & nbsp; "Dislikes?" Harry : Any kind of flying and oil company executives. Go deal with 'em. I always look better when you're doing the talking. Harry HITS another ball. CLANG. Grace : You know you donate 300 grand a year to Greenpeace. Harry smiles at the contradiction. Harry : What'd your mother call me? Grace : Complicated. Harry : Yeah well....I'm complicated. Grace walks off, passing A.J., winking at him. A.J. winks back. A.J. : What's his mood? Grace : Complicated. A.J. walks up to Harry. Harry : I understand we're having problems with "A" rig. A.J. : I'm on top of it (Harry picks up his bag) Harry, you have a second? Harry : Yeah. One. A.J. : I'll hurry. I've worked for you for a long time. Harry : Twelve years. A.J. : And you've been real good to me.... Harry : Another company make you an offer, kid? A.J. : No. The reason I am here, today, standing here, talking to you. I'm obviously talking to you...but it's, you know, not, uhh...it's not an oil-related matter exactly.... Harry : You're sweating, A.J. A.J. : You know there comes a time in a man's life when...(to himself) No, that's a cliché...(to Harry) Can I start again? I, uhh, fell...I've fallen... Harry : You hurt yourself? A.J. : In love, I mean. Fallen in love. It's the damnedest thing, but this person you...know...really well. ACROSS THE PLATFORM - Grace escorts five angry OIL INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES over to Harry. A KLAXON SOUNDS. Harry, alarmed, rushes right past them, toward the "A" Derrick. They follow, snapping at his heels: Oil Executive 1 : You explicitly promised results at 25 thousand feet. Harry : We have results. Oil Executive 2 : But we don't have oil. We've given you everything you've asked.... Harry : Horseshit. What the...? Chick! Bennie! Somebody better tell me why the hell "A" derrick is not turning! Chick hurries up to Harry. Chick : The uhh....the Greenpeace guys. Harry approaches "A" Derrick. Five MEMBERS of Greenpeace have handcuffed themselves in a circle around the drilling pipe. Harry : Hey there, what can I do for you? Greenpeace Leader : This is an official protest. Harry : 'Course it is. I love you guys. You like dolphins and whales, I like 'em too. Hey, I know you. You too. Didn't you have shorter hair? Greenpeace Leader : Stamper, do you know what this thing does to the eco-system? Harry : How'd you get out here? Canoe? Rowboat? Oh, that boat down there with a thousand horsepower diesel! Greenpeace Leader : How can you wake up every day and look at yourself in the mirror? Harry : The same way you did when you blow-dried your hair this morning. And you used a curling iron, I betcha. Did you know most electricity's from burning oil? I'' stop         &n bsp;drillin' when the world - stops usin' it. Bennie, start 'er up! Greenpeace Leader : Wait........ Harry : Can't wait! I'm a businessman! Those goons over there gave me 57 mil. to find oil and they ain't leavin' till I do! 'cause they have no lives! The drill string begins to turn in the hole. Greenpeace Leader : We....we threw away the key. Harry : Sorry. Time is money. BENNIE! The MASSIVE HYDRAULIC KELLY begins to descend on the Greenpeace Activists' heads. Greenpeace Leader : STOP!!!! Harry : Bennie! Third gear! The Greenpeace Leader miraculously produces a key and frantically begins unlocking the handcuffs. Grace turns to the oil executives. Grace : He's good at public relations. A.J. approaches Grace; they watch Harry. Grace : So? (A.J. stares at her) What? (no response) What? (no response) A.J.? Suddenly, across "A" Derrick, a KLAXON SOUNDS. Chick : She's kickin'! The civilians get the hell away. Harry and A.J. run toward the rig. Chick : Pressure's north of seven thousand! A.J. : We gotta clear the Derrick! Harry : (looks at wellhead) Chick, rig up another pipe. (Chick and Bennie look at Harry with uncertainty) NOW, NOT TOMORROW. CHick and Bennie begin clamping, and tong a PIPE STRAND onto the DRILL STRING like an INDY PIT STOP CREW. A.J. : Harry, we've hit pressure. We gotta bleed it off. e go any deeper, we'll blow the rig. Harry : Thanks for that opinion. Chick, full speed! A.J. : The bit's five thousand feet down! Full speed'll rip the pipe apart! Harry : You learn all this in college? I been doing this thirty years, kid. Get on the controls. A.J. moves reluctantly to the DRILLING CONTROLS. Chick nods to A.J., who engages the gears. The PIPE STRING turns at FULL SPEED. The new drill pipe descends ten feet into the hole, then.... The torque rips the NEWLY ATTACHED PIPE from the drilling string. The drill spins freely. A.J. hits the "stop! lever and stares at Harry. The roughnecks converge around the wellhead. A.J. : I'm goin' down. Reattach it. Gimme a wrench and a band coupling. Chick hand the items to A.J. A.J. descends into the drilling hole. INT. DOWN THE DRILLING HOLE - DAY A.J., holding his breath under water, shimmies down the drilling pipe feet-first, inside the water-filled concrete tube running from the rig to the ocean floor. A.J. begins wrestling the disconnected sections together. EXT. RIG - "A" DERRICK The wellhead KICKS. The rig platform shakes and shudders. SEAWATER erupts from the wellhead. Chick : The drill hole's flooding! Grace : A.J.!! Harry strips off his jacket and climbs into the wellhead. He takes a huge breath and disappears into the brine-filled drilling hole. INT. DRILLING HOLE A.J. is pinned against the hole wall by one of the disconnected pipes. Harry comes down the hole. He plants his back against the hole wall and kicks the pipe, freeing A.J. A slow, deep, RUMBLE emanates from below. The Briny water inside the hole suddenly turns BLACK and VISCOUS. A.J. and Harry exchange an alarmed look. Harry, then A.J., pull for the surface, up the drilling hole as -- EXT. DRILLING PLATFORM - "A" DERRICK - DAY -- the wellhead KICKS again. The rig platform SHUDDERS violently. The derrick sways. SEAWATER SPEWS up from the wellhead. Chick : Get back, she's gonna blow! Grace, Chick, Bennie and the other Roughnecks huddle around the flooded drilling hole, waiting. Tense, agonising seconds pass. Harry scrambles out, covered in....CRUDE OIL. He grabs Grace and pulls her away. Grace : Where's A.J.!!!? Harry : RIGHT BEHIND ME! RUN! The platform SHAKES. Harry, Grace, and the others sprint away as -- A GEYSER OF CRUDE OIL erupts from the drilling hole, blowing A.J. out of the hole fifteen feet above the wellhead. A.J. crashes to the platform floor. CRUDE OIL rains down on Grace and the Roughnecks...they run to A.J. Grace : Never do that again! CLOSE ON A.J. - he's looking back at the DRILL HOLE, panting, traumatised, greasy oil raining on his head. A.J. : You know how I told you there were two obstacles? I didn't do the first,'cause he's tough...but I did the second...! (pulls out case; opens it) I got it at uhm..Tiffany's. I        can't give it to you until I talk to him, but try it on. She reaches for the ring. It slips from A.J.'s hand and falls through the grated floor, pinging off the rig's steel pylons, 100 feet into the sea below. Grace : Don't worry! Tiffany's insures up to a week from purchase! A.J. stares despondently over the railing. Harry, black with crude oil, staggers past A.J. A.J. : (pointedly) Good plan, Harry. Harry : (walks over to Oil Execs) There's your oil, gentlemen. Now get the hell off my rig. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY Golden, Clark, Skip, Flip and the rest of the Mission Control Technicians watch a live feed from Russia. A RUSSIAN ENERGIA SUPER BOOSTER ROCKET sits on its launch platform. Flip : Look it that sucker. They got a nuke up there in sixteen hours? Skip : It'll never fly. Never. Clark : Three things the Russians make well, guys - vodka, gymnasts and rockets. Don't count 'em out. Golden : It's the late 20th century, I run the U.S. Space Program, and I'm praying to God the Russians are better at this than we are.... EXT. RUSSIA SPACE CENTER - SMOLINSKAYA A.F. BASE - DAY The ground begins to SHAKE uncontrollably. EXHAUST billows out from the Rocket's BOOSTERS. The Russian rocket blasts off and lifts into.... Something's wrong. The Rocket stops accelerating and stands still for a moment. It falls to Earth; BLOWING UP in a thunderous inferno. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY Golden, Clark, and all the N.A.S.A. Techs stare at the burning rocket. Golden : So, where's our oil driller? EXT. RIG - "A" DERRICK A champagne cork POPS and WIDEN TO Harry, Grace, A.J., and all fifty Roughnecks. The wellhead's been capped; pumping 2500 gallons per minute. Harry : To Hole Number Seventy-Six! Roughnecks : (UNISON) Hole Number Seventy-Six! The Oil Executives stand off, watching. Oil Executive 1 : Seventy-Six? Oil Executive 2 : This is Harry's Seventy-Sixth straight hit. Oil Executive 1 : The man's a legend. We hear the WHOP, WHOP, WHOP of HELICOPTER BLADES. Harry, Grace and A.J. turn toward the noise. TWO U.S. ARMY BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS whirr across the choppy ocean. EXT. OIL RIG - TOP TIER HELI-PAD - MINUTES LATER The helicopters land on the heli-pad on the oil rig's top tier, MAJOR STINSON, 50's, wearing formal dress and sunglasses along with two strapping ADJUTANTS stride across the rig. Major Stinson : Harry Stamper? I'm Major William Stinson, United States Army. I need a few words with you. In private. Harry : Say it now, say it quick, or get off my rig, Major. I've got a business to run here. Major Stinson : You've been summoned back to the States. Harry : Who's doin' the summoning? Major Stinson : Your Government, Mr Stamper. INT. SOMEPLACE IN KENTUCKY - HOLDING CELL - NIGHT Jimbo, Theo and Pearl sit in a holding cell some place. Jimbo's banging on the door. Jimbo : Hey, zipperheads! Ever watch "L.A. Law?" Right to remain silent, right to an attorney? My brother's a bad-ass lawyer - he's gonna sue your asses to Mars. I was in pre-         &n bsp; law for a month - you can't put somebody in jail for makin' a phone call!!! Pearl : It isn't about that, Jimbo. We saw something we weren't supposed to. Theo : Something they're not telling the public. Jimbo : Yeah, that's why they were so hot for the co-ordinates. Do you think it's an asteroid? Or comet? Theo : I dunno - but I bet it's a whopper. INT. N.A.S.A. FLIGHT MISSION ROOM - DAY Harry, AJ. and Grace are led into the room by Stinson. Quincy's eyes move to Harry -- Quincy : He's here. Quincy, Clark and Golden stand, approach -- Quicy : (cont'd) Dan Golden, meet Mister Harry Stamper, the finest oil driller in the world. Golden : Mister Stamper..(shaking hands) Dan Golden, I'm Director of -- Harry : I know who you are. I watched T.V. once. Apollo 8, right? First manned lunar orbit. Golden : That was a long time ago. I run this place now. And we've got a serious problem on our hands that Quincy here thinks you might be able to help us out with -- Quincy eagerly outstretches his hand. They shake. Quincy doesn't let go. Quincy : I'm a big fan, Mr. Stamper. Harry : I kinda caught that. (to Golden) What's the problem, gentlemen? Golden : I wonder if we might speak alone? Harry : These two are my right and left arms. Grace Stamper and Albert Jack Frost. Stupid name, so we call him A.J.. (handshakes) They run my company. You talk to me, you         &nb sp; talk to them. Golden : Okay. Golden direct everyone into -- INT. N.A.S.A. - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY Golden, Temple, Clark, Harry, Grace, and A.J. sit in a dark room viewing a VIDEOTAPE. Quincy stands beside the projector, supplying narration. On the tape we see Harry on a rig platform shaking hands with an ARAB BUSINESSMAN -- Harry : Great, home movies. Grace and A.J. smile. Quincy : Nineteen eighty five. The first well drilled over 50 thousand feet. They said it couldn't be done. You did it. Incredible. ON THE SCREEN - Harry's on another rig, shaking hands with an INDONESIAN BUSINESSMAN. Harry leans over and kisses the bit. The Businessmen shake their heads, awed. Quincy : (cont'd) Nineteen Ninety-One. Directional drilling through two miles of anthracite. They also said that couldn't be done. You did it. Incredible. Harry looks at Quincy strangely; this sure is a bizarre form of celebrity. Quicy : (cont'd) Ninteen Ninety-Three. The first hole over seventy thousand. Once again they said -- Golden : Move it along, Quincy. Quincy : Right, sorry. Mister Stamper, you're the world's foremost expert in deep drilling. You hold specialized patents in high speed bits, drilling fluids, downhole motors             Can I call you Harry? Harry : Stick with Stamper. Golden : Well, Mister Stamper, we need you to drill a hole. It's in a difficult place. Harry : I've drilled in them all. Golden : Not...this place. This is really out there. (beat) Space, Mister Stamper. Harry : As in...outer? SATELLITE PHOTOS OF THE ASTEROID come up on the screen -- Temple : You've watched the news the last 24 hours? You heard about the meteor shower? (Harry nods) What you don't know is that an asteroid is on a collision course with         &n bsp;   Earth. If it hits us, Earth as we know it will be over. Golden : We're manning a mission to that asteroid to plant a nuclear device in it's core. To do that we need to drill an eight hundred foot hole. Harry looks at A.J. and Grace. Harry : A.J., is this guy shitting me? A.J. : I don't think they shit people at N.A.S.A., Harry -- Harry : An eight hundred foot hole. On a moving asteroid. In space. Golden : All we want is your advice in perfecting our drilling arm, any help you can provide. We'll pay your usual consultancy, of course. Harry : Show me your rig. INT. N.A.S.A. - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - DAY Quincy leads Golden, Harry, A.J., Grace, and Clark through N.A.S.A.'s Research and Development area. This place looks like "Q's" weapons shop from the James Bond movies as funded by every company on the fortune 500 -- Huge, clinically clean, dominated by MASSIVE ROCKET ENGINES. TECHNICIANS in white coats and hairnets work on a variety of equipment. TECHNICIANS hunch over a ROVER VEHICE, not the golf cart used on the moon. This is low, squat, sturdy, with an enclosed airlocked passenger compartment. Quincy : The "Armadillo" - our fourth generation rover. It carries a six-cell solar engine with 824 horses. This was a joint venture with the Germans. (winks) It's designed by         &nbs p;  Porsche. Quincy motions to TWO TECHNICIANS. They roll over a ROBOTIC ARM on a gurney, powered by an ELECTRIC MOTOR. The robotic arm is connected to an OIL DRILLING BIT. Harry : Where's the Kelly? Quincy : This baby works without one. Harry : How does it work? Harry starts to inspect the bit. Quincy : It works through a series of complexly designed differential gears. Harry's face tightens, as he studies the bit further -- Harry : This is my Patent. Quincy : "Drilling Power Transfer Without Conventional Hydraulics," by Harry S. Stamper. You registered it with the U.S. Patent Office last year. Harry : You stole it. Quincy : We just borrowed it, Mister Stamper. Quincy unpockets a remote control panel and presses a button. The drill bit presses down into a block of concrete and begins to rapidly CHEW through it, as Harry marvels at the realisation of his design. Quincy : (cont'd) We built this arm to mine ice from the moon -- greatest discovery in space in thirty years. Harry : What'd this cost? Golden : Ten million. Quincy : Twenty-our million. Harry : Boy, I'm in the wrong line of work. So, that's where my taxes go. For thievin' incompetent, government employed rip-off artists? A.J. : No torque adjustment, no pressure release valve....a big hunk of junk. Quincy : We're working on that. Harry : What happens if you hit gas? You have three seconds. Drill faster, run like hell, or pray. (beat) Time's up. You're dead., The rig just blew. Golden : Gentlemen, gentlemen, wait a second. The crux of the matter.... Harry : Hang on. I betcha everyone in this room has a PH.D. Golden : Or three.... Harry : I left school after tenth grade. I earned my PH.D every day offshore drilling holes. You can't get it in a book. Drilling holes is about instinct - about smellin' it. Drillin'        &nbs p; holes is an art. You want the crux of the matter?(beat) You stole my patent, and you don't have a goddamn idea how to use it. As for this piece o' crap, don't insult me.         &nb sp;(walks around the rig) I'll rebuild it - the right way - and drill the hole for you. Grace : Uhm, pop, could we discuss this...? Harry : Just give me a space suit. Golden : You won't need one. You're not going up. Harry : You don't have a choice. I think all you PH.D's know that. Harry walks off. Grace and A.J. follow. Golden : (calling after Harry) Harry. Let's figure this out. INT. N.A.S.A. - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Harry sits opposite Golden and Temple. Grace and A.J. stand behind him. Harry : First of all, you're going to buy my patent. Temple : Of course, completely in order. What is the price? Harry : Fifty million dollars. Uncomfortable pause. Temple clears his throat. Temple : Mr. Stamper, this mission is to preserve the future of.... Harry : You're right, too low. I'm still pissed. Seventy million. Temple : Done. Harry looks to Grace. Harry : Give that money to my Greenpeace buddies. (smile) Told you...complicated. Harry goes to shake, pulls back -- Harry : (cont'd) And I never want to pay taxes again. Temple : I'll call the I.R.S., try to uhm, explain the situation. They begin to shake. Harry withdraws his hand. Harry : I have this great log cabin in Montana. It's kind of a nature...getaway...thing. Temple : You want us to buy that, too? Harry : No. I fly fish there. But the fly fishin's sucked ever since they put in that goddamn hydro-electric dam. I want it gone by the time I get back. Temple reluctantly nods. They stand to shake, Harry pulls away again. Harry : (cont'd) Now about my crew. Golden : The deal was for you, not others. Harry : I'm only as good as the men I work with. The ones in those home movies of yours. Golden : It's out of the question. Harry half-smiles to Grace. Golden : (cont'd) Okay, who? Harry :My chief tool pusher. You game A.J.? A.J. : Wouldn't miss it, Harry. Harry : And my roughnecks, Roustabouts, and Rockhound? Temple : Rock what? Is that a dog? Harry : No. Just a meek, geek geophysicist. Golden : What kind of men are these? INT. SUPERSTRETCH LIMOUSINE - DAY Bennie, Chick (30's, a street philosopher), Max (35, hulky), TITO, and ROCKHOUND (small, wiry) are riding in high style. Chick is hanging out of the sun roof with his shirt off. Radio's on full blast. Rockhound's pouring whiskey from the fancy decanters. Chick : We're living LARGE! Bennie : (talking on a cellular phone) Give me nickels on Miami, Washington, San Diego, and Green Bay. (listens) Quit whining. Last thing I need is to be friends with my bookie. (listens, then angry) (MORE) Bennie : (cont'd) Look, when the entire Mexican Army had Butch and the Sundance Kid trapped in that Hacienda, did they wait to die? Hell no. They went out guns blazing. I live               by the code of that movie, man. Bennie hangs up the phone, he looks across from him at -- Tito Guevara, late 30's, stocky, tattooed, Latino, (reformed 118th Street L.A. o.g. gangbanger who was rescued from the streets ten years back and put to work on a rig by Harry) is reading a book: "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." Chick drops down into his seat, continues his heated discussion with Max. Chick : Charlie Bronson could kick Steve McQueen's ass and have enough left over to duke it out with Burt Reynolds in his "Smokey and the Bandit" period. Max : I'm glad you qualified that shit 'cause you know the Burt Reynolds of "Deliverence" would have kicked Charlie's ass. Chick : Burt was trouble in that flick. Max : What would you say the all-time, slam-bam, take-no-prisoners, kick-ass Charlie Bronson movie is? Chick : All time? Well, let me think. "Dirty Dozen," the first "Death Wish." No, no! That movie where he hunted the buffalo. I don't remember the name but he hunted a buffalo           and he said like three words during the whole picture. That's my selection. Max : Fine. The buffalo movie. That's your pick. You relly think that buffalo Charlie could have thrown-down with the Steve McQueen form "Bullitt?" Chick : He'da whooped his ass and then his father's. We'll settle this right now. Rockhound? You heard the debate. You're the Supreme Court. What's the final verdict? Rockhound : Tough call. But for me though, one name -- Poncherello. Eric Estrada. You know, "Chips." Chick and Max just look at him. A beat. Then -- Max : What did you ask him for? Guy makes his living looking at rocks. The limo pulls over and stops. The DRIVER gets out and walks to the rear door. Opens it. EXT. N.A.S.A. - FRONT OF FACILITY - DAY The Roughnecks get out in front of the JOHNSON SPACE CENTER. They stare up at the familiar N.A.S.A. LOGO imprinted on the building. Chick and Bennie exchange looks -- BEHIND THEM : A battered Ford pick-up pulls up, driven by 71 year-old "MAMA" MABEL BROWN. Mabel's six foot-five, 375 pound son, BEAR, gets out of the car. Bear : 'Bye, Mama. Mabel : Reginald, get over here and kiss your Mama goodbye. Bear : In front of the guys? Mabel : Never too old to kiss your Mama. JUMBO, six-foot five, 375 pounds, bald, pulls up on a HARLEY DAVIDSON motorcycle. He climbs off the bike. Chick : There ain't no oil in this place. What the hell are we doing here? INT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - MEDICAL WING - DAY Harry has just briefed his crew on the mission. Bear : ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? Chick : Harry, this is some "Star Wars" shit. This ain't for us. Harry : It's a job, like any other. Just a different location. Max : We work rigs. We understand rigs. We don't know dick about being astronauts. Rockhound : (pointing) I might add that to get us up there they're going to have to strap our asses on one of those rockets. That means fire, involuntary shit release, and a                    slew of other stuff I can't hang with. Jumbo : We don't have "The Right Stuff," know what I'm saying? (looking around) We're Roughnecks. Harry : I'd rather die up there fighting this thing than sit here waiting for             it. Harry's line hangs in the air. Everyone exchanges looks. Bear : I don't like the idea of waiting around to croak. It's wimpy. Chick : If Harry-the-iron-ass is going, I'm going with him. Bear : Hell, I'm going just so I can say I went. (shrugs) Once we get up there, it's making hole. Tito : I'm in. INT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - EXAMINATION ROOM - DAY Max, Chick, and Tito sit in HOSPITAL SMOCKS on two examination tables. They have tattoos, long hair. A cigarette dangles from Tito's lips. AIR FORCE NURSES are everywhere. A NURSE clips a SWATCH OF HAIR from each of the men. She comes to Tito. He grabs her arm. Takes the scissors from her. Tito : Nobody touches my hair but me. He cuts a SWATCH of hair, gives it to her. A SECOND NURSE is in front of Max and Tito. Max : You're not taking any more blood. You vampires already have enough to feed your coven for a year. Nurse : (nasally-voiced) We need to know what substances you've recently ingested. Tito : What, uhh, "substances" you talkin' about? Nurse : (matter of fact) Drugs. Ma and Tito eye each other nervously. Head Nurse, HELGA, stands before Chick with an ENAMA PROBE and a JAR OF VASELINE. Chick : An Ena-WHAT? Helga : Enema. Chick : And you want to stick it where? Helga sticks the ENEMA PROBE in a jar of VASELINE. Chick : (cont'd) No way, lady. I came here to drill. Helga : So did I. INT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING CENTER - DAY Chick sits before a hugely endowed but square female N.A.S.A. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST. Psychologist : Say the first two words that come to mind, beginning with each letter. Chick : Bodacious and....Bountiful. (she holds up "S") Succulent and Sinful. She holds up the letter "F" and HOLD ON CHICK'S REACTION. INT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - EXAMINATION ROOM - DAY Harry sits before the Chief Physician, DR. BANKS. Golden looks out the window. Dr. Banks, dead-serious, flips through the medical and psychiatric test scores. Dr Banks : Mr. Stamper, your men...are...take Mr. Chappel. I believe they call him Chic. Harry : Charles, but if you call him that, he'll kill you. Dr Banks : (nervous laugh) I assume you're joking. (no response) Your men show aggression, extreme maladjustment to their surroundings, anti-social behaviour -- Harry : With all due respect, Doctor, I don't know too army guys who are social when someone is trying to jam a tube up their butt. Dr Banks : Does your company have a drug testing program? These toxicology reports are a throwback to the sixties. All show huge levels of nicotine and alcohol. Three of the,                 four show illegal drugs. A couple I had to look up. One of them had "Kematine" -- a very potent sedative. Harry : A lot of people take sedatives. Dr Banks : This one is used on horses. Harry : I don't tell my men how to live their lives. They're with me to do a job and they do it well. Golden : This is getting us nowhere. Can they fly, or not? Dr Banks : (flipping through physical records) Failed. Failed. Really failed. Under the circumstances...(locks eyes with Golden) They're the finest physical specimens I've ever                 seen. INT. N.A.S.A. - LONGSHOT Harry's crew walk together in newly issued N.A.S.A. jumpsuits. Bear and Jumbo have ripped the sleeves and collars off their X-Large suits. They walk past two N.A.S.A. mathematicians. Mathematician 1 : (to mathematician 2) We're screwd. PULL BACK TO REVEAL: Temple and Golden standing there with their arms crossed, watching the motley crew of Roughnecks. They're joined by U.S.A.F. test pilots COLONEL SHARP, a young Chuck Yeager type, and LT. COLONEL LUCAS TRUMAN, 30's, rigid and muscular. Sharp : I mean, they kind of look like Armstarong, Lovell, and Glenn. (turns, soberly to Golden) So, my wife and little girls' lives are in their hands, sir? Golden : We need to drill. Do you know how to drill, colonel? (beat) Neither do I. They're going up. Temple : (pointing to his lapel) With my stars came the power to be blunt. These drillers are not trained for this, Dan. Truman shakes his head. Sharp eyes Golden, waiting for a response. Golden : General, it's our job to get them ready to go into space. They're there to do the drilling. (beat, then) And Colonel Sharp, we all have families. A hard look from Sharp to Temple, as Golden walks away. Temple : (to Golden) If they can't drill this hole, my men are going to take over. INT. N.A.S.A. - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DAY Quincy is face-to-face with Golden. TECHS work on the drilling arm in the b.g. Harry and the Roughtnecks are across the room. Harry : That Armadillo car. Get it in here. In rolls the Armadillo, two TECHNICIANS pushing it. Harry and the guys look at it. Quincy shows it off. Quincy : Pressurised titanium alloy cab. Airlocked life support. The chassis's by General Motors. Heavy duty suspension and six wheel drive. Harry : How were you going to power your drill arm? Quincy : Turbo-jet engine fuelled by Kerosene and liquid oxygen. Harry : I need to be able to start and stop. I need different speeds, and I need reverse. Quincy : A jet engine can't do that. Harry : It can if it's hooked up to a clutch. A.J., get me a Mack truck transmission. Quincy : That's so simple it's brilliant. Harry : I'm a simple man. But don't underestimate me. A.J. : Chick, Max! Mack truck tranny! Chick and Max hurry off. A.J. smiles at Harry. INT. JOHNSON CTR - ASTRONAUT TRAINING - WORKROOM - DAY Harry, A.J., Bennie, Chick, Max, and Tito sit before Quincy, who demonstrates a series of components on the N.A.S.A. SPACE SUIT. Quincy : The new generation EMU - Extravehicular Mobility Unit - provides oxygen for seven hours, a pressurised enclosure, and temperate control. The gloves and helmet slide               on and lock with a twist, like this. The cap is worn underneath. It contains a mike and headphones for two-way communication. We'll be able to see you from a small              video cam mounted inside the helmet. The Undergarment has 300 feet of plastic tubing circulating cooling water. Owen... OWEN THE TAILOR, five foot nothing & bald, stands in front of the men. Owen : These are made for men 5'8" to 6'2", between 140 and 200 pounds. All of you fit within those parameters - thank God we won't have to do any re-tailoring.... Owen stops because -- Bear and Jumbo stand in the doorway -- Jumbo : Yo. This where we get our suits? Bear : Sorry, we're late. Doc said we had... What do we got? Jumbo : Cholesterol difficulties. Said we gotta enter "The Zone." Bear : Shit, the only zone I know is the one around my mama's grill. Jumbo : (holding up form) But we're approved. Owen looks at the human mountains standing before hi, and then at the tiny EMU suit. Alterations will be necessary. INT. JOHNSON CENTER - ASTRONAUT TRAINING - MORNING Clark briefs Harry and the mildly attentive Roughnecks. Sharp, Truman, CO-PILOTS MEGAN WATTS (30's, tough as nails) and STAN WESTON stand in the back along with N.A.S.A. Engineers JACK CROSS and RAYMOND SEARS. Clark : United States astronauts train for eighteen months. You have nine days. Officers Sharp, Truman, Watts and Weston are your military instructors and the only pilots to         &nbs p;have flown the spacecraft. (beat) Each is a combat decorated officer and among the finest men and women we have in the service. Pay attention to them. Sharp : We spend six months on emergency training - we're throwing that out. If we fail, everyone dies. Game over. That's a heavy load but it's ours to carry. The purpose of         &nbs p; this is to train you in the physical and mental rigors of working in a weightless enviroment so that you will not panic. So you can do your jobs. (beat) You will vomit.            Your eyes will be sucked into the back of your heads. You'll be so tired you can't eat but that won't matter 'cause you'll be so sore you can't take a dump. By the         &nb sp; way...good morning. INT. NEUTRAL BUOYANCY TANK - DAY Splash, Splash. Harry and the Roughnecks descend underwater. They look like Michelin Men in their thick space suits. Navy divers are around them as they are lined up. Through the underwater speaker, WE HEAR a trainer giving them instructions for their weightless aerobic training. WE HEAR a loud, embarrassing gastric sound from Bear's suit. Bear : Houton, we have a problem. That is some vicious methane. Harry gives a "shut the fuck up" look. Time passes as the guys are dying, HUFFING and PUFFING. One by one, they reach exhaustion. A cabled harness hoists each out. INT. JOHNSON CENTER - CARDIO LAB - DAY Harry and his team, in T-shirts and running shorts, jog on a series of threadmills, wired to EKG machines, nostrils taped shut, breathing tubes locked in their mouths. EXT. N.A.S.A. T-38 JET HANGER - DAY A gleaming spit-shine hanger full of fifteen N.A.S.A. T-38 fighter jets. Our drill team walks up looking worn out. They are met at the open hanger door by pilots CHUCK JR., Vietnam vet, leatherneck-take-no-pussy-bullshit-type-of-guy and HAMMER. Chuck Jr. : On this mission, they tell me you will experience the worst G-Forces in the history of flight. It's like an elephant sitting on your chest. So, I intend to flip you, spin         &n bsp;      you, splat your bodies till your bones hurt. Now load up and enjoy the flight. The Roughnecks, wearing flight suits and helmets, board the planes. Harry does not like the look of these things. Bear is trying to figure out how to fit inside. Bear : Thing's made for a child - like my kid's car seat. Chuck Jr. and Hammer walk up to a nervous Harry. Chuck Jr. : What's the problem, Texas tough guy? Harry : I've got a thing about flying. Chuck Jr. : Not good for an astronaut. (looks to Hammer) Hammer, go easy, don't rip his guts out. Hammer : Sure thing, Chuck. INT. JET FIGHTER. Harry plastered to the seat, MOANING so scared he can't puke. The plane barrel-rolls and dives straight to the ground. Harry is GRUNTING and sweating trying to stay conscious. EXT. N.A.S.A. T-38 JET HANGER - DAY The T-38's are pulling up and letting the drill crew out. They walk back with white sweat, soaked faces and wobbly legs. Harry exits the plane. Harry : I hate to fly. I hate to fly. I hate it so much. Harry leans over to puke. INT. N.A.S.A. T-38 JET HANGER - DAY The Roughnecks walking to the T-38 Hanger. Sharp stands on the stairway to the 707 and calls everyone to attention. Sharp : Trainees, AT EASE (in command) We are not done here. We're taking you for a little ride. This bird will climb to 40 thousand feet and drop to 10 thousand feet to give         &n bsp; you the feeling of weightlessness for 30 seconds. Welcome to N.A.S.A.'s Vomit Comet. INT. VOMIT COMET The plane drops. The Roughnecks lift off inside. Everyone's flying around the cabin. It's a disaster. Guys bump heads. Bear floats like a beached whale. Jumbo rams the roof. Hary hold a barf bag as he floats. An alarm SOUNDS, then the plane levels off, the guys go slamming into the floor. INT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER BATHROOM Tracking past a row of stalls, WE SEE the soles of a pair of shoes peeking out. Then another pair, another, and another over the multiple sounds of guts being tossed into the toilet. Golden, Clark, and Sharp stand outside the stalls. Golden : This is like putting the Hell's Angels in space. INT. N.A.S.A. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Harry and the Roughnecks are welding the Armadillo, working tough and hard. INT. N.A.S.A. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT The Roughnecks are getting dressed. Max : (to Chick) We're going to go pound some brews where they have a lot of sweaty, naked women. You in? Chick : (shakes head) No. I got to take care of something. The Roughnecks walk out, leaving Chick behind. INT N.A.S.A. CAR - NIGHT Driven by a uniformed N.A.S.A. TECH, Chick pulls up to a house in a residential neighbourhood. He sits there with a beat, unsure of what to do. EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT Chick walks up to the house, KNOCKS. DENISE WILLIAMS answers the door. Chick : Hey, Denise. Denise : What do you want, Chick? A big six-year old boy, TOMMY, runs up behind his mom. Tommy : Who is it, Mommy? Chick looks at Tommy, smiles. Denise : It's um...just a salesman, honey. Chick : Hi. Tommy : (looking straight up) You look like big foot. Chick kneels, extends his hand. Tommy smiles and shakes it. Chick doesn't want to let go. Chick : I got a feeling you're going to be pretty big yourself. Denise : Go inside and play, Tommy. Tommy : Okay, mommy. 'Bye, Big Foot. Chick : 'Bye, Tommy. Chick watches Tommy run off. He looks to Denise. Denise : What was I supposed to tell him? We've got a life here now, Chick, with someone we can depend on. Chick : What I did before was wrong. Every day of my life I regret it. I can see you've got a good thing going, Denise, I'm not trying to mess that up. But this thing's come my &nbs p; way and I got the chance to do something really right. Denise : This another one of your scams, Chick? Chick : It's no scam. You might just be proud of me. Denise opens the door a little wider, SHE SEES the car in the driveway. The N.A.S.A. logo stencilled on the door. The N.A.S.A. Tech waiting. Denise : What's going on, Chick? Chick : I can't tell you now. But if it comes out good, I'll be back. (beat) Then maybe you'd consider telling Tommy I'm not a...salesman. It's good to see you. You look really beautiful. Chick turns and walks away. Denise : Hey, Chick. (Chick turns) You be careful. INT. LUCKY LAURIE'S - NIGHT A seedy Houston drinking hole. All the Roughnecks sit at the bar. The bar is littered with EMPTY MUGS AND SHOTGLASSES. A WOMAN looks at Bennie. Woman : What are you boys doin' down here in good 'ol Houston? Bennie : (burps) We're in astronaut training. This gets the reaction you'd expect. INT. JOHNSON CENTER - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - LATE NIGHT Harry and Quincy go over a list of stuff to order and logistical problems. N.A.S.A. Tech rushes into the room. N.A.S.A. Tech : Space Command spotted more incoming. Quincy : (springing up) Where' it headed? How big? N.A.S.A. Tech : Don't know. They start to run out of the room. Harry follows. INT. ROCKET ENGINE DEVELOPMENT ROOM The camera follows up a long ladder to a huge rocket bell housing where A.J. and Grace are kissing passionately. They notice Harry and Quincy, and the other Techs heading for Mission Control. Harry locks eyes with A.J. He doesn't like it. A.J. and Grace know something is up. They follow Harry and the others into Mission Control. INT. MISSION CONTROL - LATE NIGHT The room is lit up. Men are scrambling. Phones and satellite charts pop up. Tracking devices PING. Golden on top of the chaos. A TRACKING TECH plots on a map. Clark stands over a N.A.S.A. TECH reading a computer screen. Golden : Projected impact tracking. I need stats! Tracking Tech : Eastern Asian Hemisphere... someplace...ETA 17 minutes. N.A.S.A. Tech : We have confirmation. The incoming is about the size of the Astrodome. Clark : We've got to warn. Golden : Warn who? The whole South Pacific? Golden, with lack of sleep and stress, falls back into a chair. He closes his eyes, opens them -- finding Harry in the upper Mission Control Deck. They lock eyes for a long moment. INT. SHANGHAI - ESTABLISHING - NIGHT The city ablaze in neon. The harbour, floating junksmanned by Chinese merchants. A loud sonic boom CRACKS in the sky. There's a BRIGHT FLASH in the sky. Night becomes day for two seconds. The world slows down, motion creeps. The bright FLASH catches the face of a little BOY reaching out for his father's hand. The asteroid SHRIEKS down, hitting the harbour's surface in a red hot FLASH-BOILED at 100 thousand degrees. INT. MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT The room is silent. Reports are starting to come in about the devastation. Golden walks up to Harry who is standing with Grace and A.J. He pulls Harry aside. Golden : Stamper, answer me one question - have you ever let anyone down? We go close on Harry's face. Searing flashbulbs popping, WIDEN TO: INT. WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROO - NIGHT WE SEE him from behind as he addresses the massive crowd. The U.S. PRESIDENT stands before a throng of reporters. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Papers headlines, CNN reporters flash on screens. Images of people watching the news in bars, at home. A NEW YORK POST slams down on the pavement, the headline: SHANGHAI DISASTER, MASSIVE DEATH TOLL RISING. INT. SOMEPLACE IN KENTUCKY - HOLDING CELL - DAWN Jimbo is talking to an F.B.I. AGENT who is on the other side of the bars holding a newspaper. Jimbo : If it's over then why aren't you lettin' us out of this goddamn cell? F.B.I. Agent : Be real soon, son. The agent flips the newspaper into the holding cell and walks away. Jimbo : Don't walk away, I want to talk to my lawyer. You hear me? Peral : (refering to the newspaper) This says that the asteroid came from the Southern Hemisphere. Theo : Southern Hemisphere? Pearl : No kidding. It's a big sky - they want people to look the other way. INT. MANHATTEN - TAXI CAB Stu the cabbie is riding with a WALL STREET GUY. Stu : Kennedy lied about the Bay of Pigs, Nixon...Watergate, say no more. Clinton. One word. 'Women.' If I know one thing; ALL PRESIDENTS LIE. INT. N.A.S.A. - TRAINING ROOM - MORNING Morning after the devastating disaster in Shanghai. Harry walks into the quiet room. Harry's all business. Harry : Forty thousand people died last night. But I guess that didn't concern any of you. I hope you all had a good time last night. The Roughnecks look around. They know there were wrong. Chick : I gotta tell you...I'm scared. Harry : Well, you should be scared. We all should be. 'Cause if we fail, they say the Earth will die. Harry sits down, looks out the window at N.A.S.A. Techs working in the room down below. Harry : You think these N.A.S.A. guys are a bunch of clean-cut pussies, that's it. They can out think you, they can outrun you. This job, gentlemen, is as real as it gets. I need &n bsp;every one of you. (he looks them in the eye) If you're not up to it, then walkout of that door. Finally. Theo and Pearl, frustrated, go to the TWO-WAY MIRROR, blocking Jimbo from view. Theo : I'm hungry! When're we gonna eat? Pearl : I have p.m.s.!! I need some ibuprofen! Jimbo grabs Randy's legal pad and writes: HELP!! BIG ASTEROID GOING TO HIT EARTH. COORDINATES 712 BY 345. Randy stares at the message. Randy : Okay, I'm done here! The door opens. Two F.B.I. AGENTS lead Randy out. Jimbo looks at Theo and Pearl. Jimbo : He flunked the bar three times. INT. N.A.S.A. - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- Harry shows Quincy his DRAWINGS of the DRILLING ARM - the way Harry wants it. -- Harry, A.J. and Quincy work with the TURBO PROP ENGINE, transforming it into a JET FUEL GENERATOR. Quincy : We'll run your liquid oxygen from the shuttle through a tube into the intake manifold. No problem. A.J. : I figured out how to bring up the slag. Direct the jet turbine's exhaust down the drill pipe. It'll blow the stuff right up the hole. Harry : Good, A.J. Good. -- Chick, Bennie, Bear, Jumbo welding new pieces of the DRILLING ARM together. The Roughnecks have changed. Chick and Bennie now have crew-cuts. -- A.J., Harry, Max and Tito build the drilling arm. EXT. ARIZONA - SHUTTLE TAKE OFF AREA TWO X-71 SHUTTLES in the hanger. TECHNICIANS scramble around, preparing the shuttles for the mission. Harry : (points) From all of your intel, the deepest fault line is here. This is my sweet spot. If I can get a clean hole in there, She'll blow in half.... Golden : ....and the two pieces will slide right past us. You cannot shatter it. Getting hit with 20 smaller asteroids is as bad as one big one. You have to drill, plant the nuke, & nbsp; lift off, and detonate -- all before the asteroid reaches this position. (demonstrates position) You have eight hours. Remember it. You must detonate by this point or, &nb sp; the two halves will hit us. Harry nods and walks off. Sharp : Drill an eight-hundred foot hole in eight hours? Is that possible? Harry doesn't like to be questioned -- Harry : You just worry about getting me on that rock, Colonel. Let me worry about the drilling. A moment of conflict between them. EXT. JOHNSON CENTE - ASTRONAUT TRAINING - DAY ONE OF THE ARMADILLOS, complete with drilling arm, sits at the bottom of the tank. Harry and six Roughnecks are already at the bottom, in pressure suits and helmets. Golden, Quincy, Clark, Sharp, Truman, and all of the N.A.S.A. BRASS, observe. A.J. is the last to enter the tank. INT. N.A.S.A. NEUTRAL BUOYANCY TANK - UNDERWATER A.J. descend to the tank's bottom. Harry, Chick, Bennie, Max and Tito are in bulky white pressure suits. Jimbo and Bear wear the largest pressure suits ever made. They talk through their helmet radio links. One drilling arm starts turning. The Roughnecks turn toward a STACK OF 20 FOOT LONG STAINLESS STEEL DRILLING PIPES on the tank's bottom. ABOVE WATER - SIDE OF TRAINING TANK Golden hits a stopwatch. Golden : (into intercom) Go. INT. N.A.S.A. NEUTRAL BUOYANCY TANK - UNDERWATER Bear and Jimbo grab a pipe string and handle onto the mock-up drill arm. They clamp it on. Bennie and Chick screw a drill bit onto the pipe string. They are good, very good. The work with the manic intensity of a pit crew at Indy. Harry : Done! ABOVE WATER - SIDE OF TANK Golden hits his stopwatch. Smiles. The N.A.S.A. Brass is impressed. Golden : These guys are fast. Harry, interior gauge check. INT. N.A.S.A. NEUTRAL BUOYANCY TANK - UNDERWATER Harry : We're on A.J. A.J. : Let's see what this baby can do. Harry and A.J. move the Armadillo's AIRLOCK DOOR. It has an exterior open/close button. Harry punches it. The side door opens. Harry enters, then A.J. INT. ARMADILLO - UNDERWATER Harry and A.J., still underwater, climb inside. Harry presses the PRESSURIZATION button. Simulating pressurisation in space, the water in the cab is blown out, and air WHOOSHES IN. Harry and A.J. sit dripping in the watertight cab. Through the front window WE SEE the other Roughnecks in the tank. Harry unlocks his neck seals. Pulls off his helmet. Harry : Lose the helmet, A.J. A.J. snaps out of it. His hands go instinctively to the helmet and in one motion...CLICK. It's off. Harry : (clicks radio) We're in. Run the simulation. The interior PRESSURE GUGE NEEDLES and MONITORS (engine torque, drill direction, etc.) start bobbing. The drill starts to cut into a BLOCK OF CONCRETE. Golden : (V.O) How's she look? Harry : Torque adjuster's good. Fuel level good. A.J., downhole pressure? A.J. : We can do better. I'm increasing the RPM's to seven thousand. We can get more torque. Golden : (V.O) Negative, A.J. Don't exceed ix thousand. Not on this run. A.J. : Relax. I built this thing. She's got more in her. Increasing the RPM's. Golden : (V.O) Negative, A.J. A.J. increases the RPM's. The gauge starts to rise. The N.A.S.A. Brass shifts uneasily in their seats. They're not accoutomed to seeing their astronauts disobey orders. Golden : (V.0) (cont'd) A.J., shut the Armadillo down now. A.J. : We can push it, further. Let's see what she can do. Suddenly, the RPM''s shoot into the red. A red siren spins in the control room. The Armadillo SHAKES violently. The DRILLING BIT grinds to nothing. The Armadillo BLOWS a tranny. Harry's eyes close. He's pissed. IN THE CONTROL ROOM The N.A.S.A. Brass looks to Golden. One of them shakes their head. Sharp and Golden exchange a look. Sharp shakes his head. INSIDE THE TANK A.J. presses a button and the cabin, simulating "depressurisation" in space, begins to fill with water. INT. NEUTRL BUOYANCY TANK - SIDE OF TANK - DAY Everyone around him just watches, as A.J. climbs out of the tank. After a minute, A.J. looks up, sees all the eyes in the room on him. EXT. CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT Harry is outside, smoking a Coheba. Harry runs his hand over a SMALL METAL MEDAL that hangs from his neck. Golden approaches. Golden : A.J.'s off the team. We need a list of names from you to fill the slot. Harry : A.J. would be the first name on my list. Golden : We don't want independent thinkers. And we don't need heroes. We need a team. Harry : You have to have confidence in the men you send up. I understand that. But I'm the one that has to land on that rock. Not you. (firm) I pick my own team. Golden : One shot. Pull him in line or send him home. INT . HUB OF ROCKET SIMULATOR - NIGHT A.J. and Grace are there talking. Grace is on A.J.'s lap. A.J. : I pushed it, I screwed up. Grace : These astronauts train for years for what you're training for in a few days. A.J. : I don't know why I didn't just listen to them. Grace : So, tomorrow you listen. A.J. and Grace share a look. A.J. : I love you, Grace. A N.A.S.A. Tech approaches. N.A.S.A. Technician : Harry wants to see you. INT. DESIGN AND PROTOTYPE ROOM - NIGHT Harry and A.J. stand in the centre of a high-tech supply room. SPARE PARTS from shuttles, PROTOTYPES and WORK TOOLS are everywhere. Harry : You tell me what the hell you think you're doing? A.J. : I'm trying to work with the team. Harry. : Bullshit. You're trying to lead this team. You're trying to be me. You're not me. A.J. : What do you want? You want me to quit? Harry : If you can't bury this cowboy shit, yeah, I want you to quit. A.J. : I don't have to prove anything to anybody, Harry. Harry : I listen to N.A.S.A., you listen to me. That's the chain. Either you follow it, or you're done. A.J. : I'll follow it. Harry : I stood up for you, because I've made a life of proving people wrong. Harry's hand slides down to the medal hanging from his neck. Harry : (cont'd) When I was about your age, I was in Galveston, Texas. I scraped together some money, bought some old equipment, a little land. I set up a rig and drilled my &nbs p;first hole. Then I sat there and watched her soak up the sun for six months - waiting for this baby to pop. Everybody told me to quit. I wouldn't listen. My wife ran off &nb sp;with a drill-rigger, left me with Grace. Everybody in town thought I was a fool. But I stayed with it. And in the last hour of the last day, she popped. She spit out that &n bsp;black gold and I danced in it like a wild Indian. (reflective ) I captured the magic (holding medal) This is the last piece of pipe that struck gold that day. Harry takes off the medal. Sets it on the table. He grabs a cutting vice and cuts the medal in two perfect halves. He hands one half to A.J. Harry : (cont'd) Here, take it up there. QUICK MONTAGE Inside the neutral buoyancy tank -- Harry's crew goes through all DRILLS one final time (final mission checks) in quick succession. Everything runs perfectly. The Armadillo is rebuilt and shown functioning without error. A.J. works as part of the team. INT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - DAY The hour of the mission. The two teams sit in the orange N.A.S.A. flight pressure suits. Golden enters and stands before the room. Golden : In the book of Revalations, the Bible speaks of a final day on Earth, when all mankind shall perish, shall cease to exist. This day is known as Armageddon. (firm) Right & nbsp; now, that day conflicts with six billion schedules. (beat) For the first time in the history of this planet, s species possesses the technology to prevent it's own &nb sp; extinction. (beat) I've been with N.A.S.A. my entire adult life. Eleven years as an astronaut, another fifteen on the ground at Mission Control. Twenty-six years I've had &nb sp; to answer one question -- why? Why more money? Why the race for space? Why do we need to know what is up there? (beat) When we come through this, I'll take &n bsp; comfort in the fact that I won't ever have to answer those questions again. You are our warriors up there. You are our last hope. God be with you. The crew stands...... EXT. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - RUNWAY - DAY Two sleek BLACK LEAR JETS are parked on the runway. Harry studies them. Grace approaches. Harry : You know I was thinking, Gracie. Over the years, I should have patted you on the back more.... Grace : Dad, you don't need -- Harry : No father has ever been prouder of his child, Gracie. I want you to know that. Grace's reaction makes it clear that Harry has never said anything like this before. Grace : I love you, Dad. Harry : I love you too, Gracie. Grace : (as they hug) Keep an eye on A.J. for me. Harry climbs up the metal stairs -- A.J. and the rest of Harry's crew comes out of the building. A.J. moves to Grace as she watches her father disappear into the jet. A.J. : Excuse me. (Grace turns) You're really insanely gorgeous and I was jost sort of wondering if you -- Grace : I'm engaged. But my father hasn't given him his blessing so you might still have a chance. (smiles, then serious) Promise me you won't do anything stupid up there. A.J. nods. They kiss passionately. Harry's crew sees this and applauds. Grace blushes, embarrassed. A.J. : I love you, Grace. Grace : I love you. Come back, Okay? Harry's crew boards LEAR JET 2. A.J. starts toward LEAR JET 1. Grace watches him walk away, eyeing his suit. Grace : A.J.-- A.J. : (turning) Yeah? Grace : When you get back, ask them if you can kep the suit (winks) It's kind of sexy. EXT. ARIZONA DESERT - BY SHUTTLE FREEDOM The cone-shaped noses of the two X-71's are towering silhouettes against the sun. Massive CRAWLERS move the shuttles to the launch tower. EXT. SHUTTLES FREEDOM & INDEPENDENCE LAUNCH - DAY Seen from a distance as silhouettes behind a sun-soaked sky, sixteen figures walk toward us. As they grow closer, WE SEE the intense game faces of Harry, A.J., Bennie, Chick, Jumbo, Tito, Rockhound, Max and others approaching the launch site. They look like N.A.S.A.'s version of the "Dirty Dozen." Harry carries a LARGE MYSTERIOUS METAL CASE, that we've not seen before now. INT. LAUNCH TOWER ELEVATOR - LATER Harry exits the elevator and start to walk to the CATWAL to the Freedom shuttle. Harry carries his suitcase. N.A.S.A. Tech 1 : Sir, was that case authorised for transport? N.A.S.A. Tech 2 : Our weight to fuel ratio's calibrated to the kilogram, sir. How much does that weigh? Harry : Sixty pounds. N.A.S.A. Tech 1 : That can't go up with you, sir. Harry : Wait here. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - AFTERNOON Harry enters the cabin. N.A.S.A.'s crack seven-member "Strap-in-Team" goes to work. Harry's crew are outfitted with their HELMETS and CHUTE PACKS. Each step is methodical, each piece of equipment is checked and rechecked. Harry : Hey you. Yeah you. Come here. A YOUNG N.A.S.A. TECH approaches. Harry gestures at a row of METAL COMPONENTS housed in the wall. Harry : What's all this crap? N.A.S.A. Technician : (pointing to various) Multi-track C.D. player. Anti-gravity hand washer, utensil washer, and micro-wave oven. (proud) We worked hard to make the X-71 feel &n bsp; more like home. Harry just looks at the kid. EXT. ARIZONA DESERT - BY SHUTTLE FREEDOM - DAY Metal components one after the other come out of the shuttle hatchway and SLAM into a heap on the lake bed. Harry then appears in the hatchway. Harry : We don't need music and we don't mind dirty utensils. Harry picks up his LARGE METAL CASE and ducks back inside the Freedom. The N.A.S.A Techs stare at the ruined components at their feet. INT. MISSION CONTROL - DUSK Golden and Clark prepare for the launch. N.A.S.A. Tech : (into intercom) T-minus six minutes and counting. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT - DUSK Sharp and Watts settle in. MAJORS PITTS and FISK, two stern Army demolition experts, finish tying down their equipment. Mission Control : (V.O) Roger, Independence and Freedom, auto ground launch sequencer commencing. Sharp looks at Pitts and Fisk Sharp : You two ready? Pitts : (enthusiastically) AIRBORNE! INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DUSK Golden, Clark and the N.A.S.A. Techs study the CENTRAL BOARD as final preparations for take-off commence. Technician : Shuttles Freedom and Independence you are cleared for lift off. EXT. ARIZONA DESERT - SHUTTLE TAKE OFF ZONE - DUSK The ground TREMBLES like an earthquake. EXHAUST BILLOWS out of the ROCKET BOOSTERS, filling frame. Shuttles Freedom and Independence ROCKET OFF from dual launch pads, STREAKING BETWEEN CAMERA, climbing to the heavens. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT - DUSK Sharp and Watts flip switches, check gauges. Sharp : Instituting roll manoeuvre. We have S.R.B. Sep, over. INT N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DUSK Technician : You are a 'go' for ET separation. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - DUSK Freedom and Independence scream away from Earth, dropping their booster canisters. EXT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - DUSK Harry, Chick and the others experience their first G-Forces. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DUSK Clark : Lookin' real good, Freedom. Golden : When you meet the Russian, you might want to go easy on the guy. He just broke the record for the longest solo - thirteen months, seven days. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Chick : (to Harry) Thirteen months, seven days. (beat) What the hell has he been doing all by himself? INT. RUSSIAN MIR STATION Life inside, like the cluttered glove-box of an old car. George Michael's "Freedom" plays on a piped-in sound system. COSMONAUT LEV ANDROPOV dances and sings. Lev : FREEDOM! FREEDOM! GOT TO GIVE WHAT IT TAKES....Hello Yankees! I love you America. (reading from English book) Would you prefer an appetiser or aperitif? EXT. RUSSIAN MIR SPACE STATION PULL OUT of the MIR's window to see Lev dancing with joy. He's celebrating the forthcoming arrival. PULL FURTHER BACK to catch a wider view of the Russian multi-module Space Station -- a white winged steel seagull. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Through the cockpit window, the BLUENESS of Earth's atmosphere becomes the BLACKNESS of space. INT. MISSION CONTROL Clark : Freedom, Independence. You're looking good. Prepare to start docking procedures at the MIR. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Sharp addresses the crews of both shuttles over the radio -- Sharp : Listen up -- the MIR will be spinning to give us gravity so we can work faster. You might feel queasy or dizzy. We'll dock, transfer the fuel, then detach from the MIR. &n bsp; Fast and safe. This stuff is very volatile. INT. RUSSIAN MIR SPACE STATION - DOCKING PORT Lev is working feverishly, running highly insulated liquid oxygen and hydrogen PROPELLANT TRANSFER HOSES from the MIR's several LABORATORY and LIVING MODULES to the MIR's twin docking ports. A BLUE INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES. Lev looks out of the MIR's portside window. His eyes light up. He smiles. EXT. SPACE - LOW EARTH ORBIT - MIR DOCKING PORTS Freedom and Independence approach the MIR station. The MIR is T-shaped, with TWIN DOCKING PORTS at each end of the T's crossbar. Freedom begins docking at one end., Independence at the other. INT. SHUTTLES FREEDOM/INDEPENDENCE - AIRLOCK PORT TO MIR Truman : Fuel teams prepare to unload. A RED LIGHT (unsafe) turns GREEN (safe). The docking port's HATCHWHEEL spins, and the door slides open. Harry, Sharp, Watts, Chick, A.J., Bennie, and Truman enter the MIR. INT. MIR SPACE STATION - DOCKING MODULE The TEAM comes through the docking module and out pops Lev, hanging upside down in frame. Lev : HELLO YANKEES! Welcome to the home of me, Cosmonaut Lev Andropov. (MORE) On a wall, A COMPUTER BOARD that monitors the fuel transfer is filled with GREEN LIGHTS. INT. CENTRAL ROOM - CENTER HUB OF MIR Harry, Bennie, and Lev are talking in the combination kitchen/ rec room of the MIR -- a little bigger than a walk-in closet. Lev grabs a VIDEO CAMERA and starts video-taping Harry and Bennie. Lev : I hear rumour on radio. My country broke. No steaks in freezer. They plan to sell me and the MIR (moving in closer, conspiratorial) Can you confirm this? Bennie : We wouldn't know. What's the camera? Lev : Oh, I also di-rec-tor. Russian cinema. MIR movies. Each has title. Lev grabs remote control. On a large TELEVISION screen VARIOUS IMAGES OF LEV appear. Lev : "Lev loves cargo." "Lev sleeps." "Lev prepares for Americans." "Lev gets bored so he gets drunk." Funny but...too long. Bennie : Looks like you have a lot of free time on your hands. Lev : Yeah. I alone by myself. Watts comes into the room. The first woman Lev has seen in a very, very long time. Lev moves the camera all over her. Lev : Hello, fellow space colleague. Watts nods. Watts : I'll be in the docking port. Lev : Please allow me to escort you. (as they walk out) You California girl? INT. MIR SPACE STATION - REAR MODULES Harry and Bennie enter the MIR's rearmost module. Two propellant hoses run into TWIN PROPELLANT OUTPUT VALVES on a rear panel. Bennie's eyes move to a LAUNDRY LINE. BOXERS hang from the line. Bennie : This Lev guy is a little off. On the computer board, a small RED LIGHT replaces the GREEN LIGHT. Then another. No one notices. INT. MIR STATION - DOCKING PORTS CAMERA FOLLOWS MICROSCOPIC AEROSOL BUBBLES OF LIQUID OXYGEN (MACRO SHOT) DRIPPING from a valve onto a COMPUTER CIRCUIT BOARD. INT. MIR - FUEL STORAGE THE GAUGE STARTS TO rise. A.J. WATCHES. One hundred eighty-five...190...195... A.J. : (into intercom) Lev, the pressure's climbing. INT. MIR CORRIDOR (EXTREME MACRO) The Liquid Oxygen oozes into the circuit board. Surgeon-like microscopic camera tracks it under the keys, reaching a COMPUTER SWITCH. It SPARKS. INT. DOCKING PORT Lev, Sharp, and Chick are walking toward the shuttles. The ELECTRICITY in the MIR FLUTTERS. Lev stops. Sharp stops. Lev looks over his shoulder toward the central hub. A chill runs down his spine. DOLLY INTO LEV'S EYES - Lev : (whispering) Leak. Run. Lev and Sharp run toward the central hub. Lev punches a KLAXON. Lev : (cont'd) LEAK! RUN! Chick takes off running past Lev and Sharp. Sharp : (to Chick) E-vac. E-vac. Unhook the shuttles. Move! INT. MIR - FUEL STORAGE A.J. reacts to the KLAXON, starts to climb up the shaft ladder. A.J. struggles under the heavy weight of his cold suit, finally reaching --- INT MIR - CORRIDOR ABOVE FUEL STORAGE Circuits pop VIOLENTLY all around A.J., as the mixture of chemical in the air starts to CHEW the MIR's walls. INT. MIR - CENTRAL HUB Lev, Sharp, and Chick RUN into the hub as the leak continues, growing rapidly worse, EATING the walls. Sharp sees the LEAK. Runs back toward the docking port. Lev : (to Sharp) Seal door. As Sharp SEALS the hatch, Lev returns to look for A.J. INT. MIR STATION - REAR MODULE Harry and Chick react to the KLAXOX BLARES. Harry : Unhook the shuttles. Harry and Chick RUN out of the rear module and race through the maze of twisting corridors. INT. MIR CORRIDOR A.J. runs through another corridor, heading for the docking port as the walls around him POP! Lev files around the corner almost smashing into A.J. INT. MIR STATION - REAR MODULE The smoking circuitry SPARKS, and the REAR MODULE explodes in a VIOLENT CONCUSSION, LAUNCHING A LONG TONGUE OF FLAME into -- INT. MIR STATION - UPPER MODULES Harry and Chick race for the DOCKING MODULE as -- BEHIND THEM, A SECOND MODULE fills with FIRE and EXPLODES, rocking the MIR. Then a third. Fire starts to RIP THROUGH corridors in the MIR. EXT. MIR STATION - SPACE The MIR shudders and begins to TILT TO ONE SIDE. INT. MIR STATION - UPPER MODULES Everything is SIDEWAYS. Lev is KNOCKED to the ground. A HEAVY COMPUTER BOARD falls, separating A.J. and Lev. Attempting to reach A.J., Lev turns back and runs from where he just came. INT. MIR STATION - UPPER MODULES - SEALED CORRIDOR A.J. looks left, then right. He doesn't know how to get to the docking port. He starts running. INT. MIR STATION - DOCKING PORTS Sharp re-joins Bennie and Truman. They unhook the FUEL LINES to the shuttles. Sharp and Chick run aboard Shuttle Freedom. Truman boards Independence. INT. MIR CORRIDOR A.J. is at the corridor fork. Right or left? The Russian writing above both paths doesn't help. Just as he's about to go left -- Lev suddenly appears, grabs A.J., and PUSHES HIM into the RIGHT CORRIDOR. Lev : Run Yankee! INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Sharp : (to Watts as he sits and buckles up) Shut the doors and fire her up! Watts : We still have people out there. Sharp : It's them or ALL OF US. CLOSE THE DOORS NOW! As the doors are closing, Harry and Chick rush into Shuttle Freedom. Harry's fingers grab the doors just in time. The doors retract back. Harry : Did A.J. make it? Chick : I didn't see him. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE Truman buckles himself in, fires up the Independence. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Freedom is fired up. The MIR shudders again. TILTS further. Sharp : We have to GO! INT. MIR CORRIDOR A.J. and Lev are running hard as DEBRIS falls behind them and the walls start to TEAR APART. They turn a corner, headed toward the docking port -- INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Harry is at the door, eyes frantically searching for A.J. -- Sharp : WE GO NOW! Sharp stabs a button on his pilot console. The AUTOMATED DOORS BEGIN to slide shut. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE Truman stabs a button on his pilot console. The AUTOMATED DOORS BEGIN to slide shut. INT. MIR DOCKING PORT A.J. and Lev race into the docking port from a rear corridor. Harry sees them. Lev dives into Independence just as the doors close. A.J. dives head-long through the shutting Independence doors. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Sharp : (to Watts) Full thrusters! EXT. MIR STATION - SHUTTLES FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE The two shuttles RELEASE AWAY from the MIR Station on FULL THRUSTER POWER, just escaping as -- THE MIR STATION EXPLODES in an eternal flash fire, blowing out sections of wall panels and sending a SOLAR PANEL shooting toward Freedom that just misses her! The collapsed MIR STATION drifts off into the oblivion of space. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE A.J. sits panting on the floor of the shuttle next to the docking port door. Lev stares down at him. Lev : I am Cosmonaut Lev Andropov, what your name? A.J. : My name is A.J. Lev : You just blew up my home. SUPER : TWENTY THREE HOURS TO THE MOON Golden and Sharp sitting around going over data. New images of the closer, meaner asteroid approaching. INT. FREEDOM Interior small sleeping area. Max hanging upside-down in zero gravity. Wakes up yawning. He looks to Bear. Max : Oh, man, did I have a dream. Bear : So did Martin Luthor King. Max : No, this was a bad dream. We were drilling and the ground ate the bit. Then it ate the pipe, then the derrick. Then it ate us. Bear : That's a dumb-ass dream. Max : I'm not coming home. They look at each other. INT. FREEDOM COCKPIT Harry, Bear, Chick, and Sharp stand looking out the cockpit rear window toward the brilliant blue Earth. Bear : What are you thinking about, Chick? Chick : My kid. You. Bear : My Mom, she'd be proud to see me as an astronaut. Chick : Harry, what are you thinking? Harry : (looking at Earth) How beautiful it is. Thinkin' about all that oil I sucked out and spit into the air.Funny how a man can live 46 years and realize he ain't been doing the &nb sp;right thing. INT. N.A.S.A. - PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM BEHIND A CURTAIN - Golden confers with Collinswood. Collinswood : The President is counting on you to put out the fire, Dan. Say whatever you have to. Just do it. Golden walks from behind the curtain. Walks up to the podium, ten VIDEO CAMERAS swivel into position. For a long moment Golden just stands there, saying nothing. Golden : I work for the President of the United States. (long pause; looks over at Collinswood) But I think it's my duty as a scientist to tell the world what is happening. Three, days ago a manned space mission was sent to intercept an asteroid which has entered the Earth's orbit. (REPORTERS all chatter) This is a difficult mission. In all &nb sp; frankness, it is the most difficult mission anyone has ever flown. (beat) A little over fifty years ago we sent our Armed Forces half-way around the world to save the &nb sp; world from an evil empire that threatened mass extinction. The men and women of this nation united, answered the calland preserved our freedom. (beat) Once again & nbsp; we face a threat to our way of life. And once again we look to our military to preserve our future. The men and women selected to lead this mission are America's &nb sp; finest and most decorated career officers in the military. Our hopes and prayers are with them. Thank you. Golden walks off. The REPORTERS CLAMOR: Reporters : (UNISON) Director Golden! DIRECTOR GOLDEN! BACKSTAGE - Golden approaches Collinswood. Collinswood : Golden, your drillers better not let us down. Golden : We'll do your best. EXT. SPACE - APPROACHING THE MOON The two Shuttles approach THE MOON, Freedom in the lead, Independence following. Beyond the Moon, too distant to see clearly, THE ASTEROID is on its trajectory toward Earth. It is a HUGE, GRAGGY MASS surrounded on all sides by a DEBRIS CLUSTER of rock and ice, the ice glinting on and off in reflected sunlight, like millions of fireflies. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Watts : (unbelieving) My goodness, look at that thing.... Sharp : We have visual of target, Houston. Velocity thirty-three hundred miles an hour. INT. HOUSTON - MISSION CONTROL Clark sits with Techs Flip and Skip. Golden and Temple pace behind the console. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - REAR CABIN Harry, Chick, Bear, and Max finish buckling into their seat restraints and harnesses. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE - REAR CABIN A.J., Lev, Bennie, Jimbo and Tito buckle on harnesses. Bennie looks at A.J. nervously. EXT. SPACE - APPROACHING THE MOON The Shuttles rapidly close on the moon. The dead, luminous sphere looms larger in frame. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT THE LUNAR SURFACE completely fills the cockpit windshield. We've lost sight of the oncoming asteroid. Sharp : Visual contact with target lost, Houston. IN THE REAR CABIN - Harry, Chick, Bear, and Max stare in awe at the ever-approaching Moon. EXT. SPACE - APPRAOCHING THE MOON Shuttles Freedom and Independence shoot toward the Moon, pulled by the lunar gravitational field. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD - THE LUNAR SURFACE is only 150 miles down, looking close enough to reach down and touch. EXT. SPACE - APPROACHING THE MOON The two Shuttles whip into lunar orbit, moving around the Moon, continuing to accelerate, nearing its Dark side. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Clark : (into headset) How we doin', Freedom, over? INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Watts : Nearing the Dark Side, Houston, a minute thirty and counting. EXT. SPACE - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON On the Moon's opposite side, THE ASTEROID roars into frame, its trailing fragments motionless in relation to each other, travelling as a swarm, a cluster of debris. As it nears the Moon's gravitational field -- TRAILING FRAGMENTS peel away, drawn into the Moon by its lunar gravity. A relatively DEBRIS-LESS CORRIDOR begins to form on one side of the asteroid. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Skip : Twenty seconds till we lose radio contact, Director. Clark : You're on your own, Willie. You've got to raise your velocity 17 thousand miles an hour or you won't catch the target, over. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Sharp : See you on the other side, Houston. Skip : (V.O) Entering Dark Side, Freedom, and counting: ten, nine, eight, seven... INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Skip : Radio contact terminated. The radio crackles with STATIC. ON THE TECHNICIAN'S CONSOLES, all of Freedom's and Independence's COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM MONITORS (pressurization, oxygen, electrical power, fuel capacity, etc.) GO DEAD. Golden : They'll be pullin' nine and half G's for eleven minutes, General. Temple : Anyone done that before? Flip : Yeah. That Russian monkey in 1957. Clark : We'll pick 'em up again in sixteen minutes, Danny. Golden : If they're still alive. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - AROUND DARK SIDE OF MOON The radio is STATIC. Watts : Rockets ready for burn, Willie. Sharp : (over shoulder to Harry and others) Time to suck it up, people. Just pretend you're on the big roller coaster at Disneyland...(mumbles under breath) ...times a ; hundred.... Sharp reaches for the BOOSTER ROCKET SWITCH. He gives Watts one last look, then throws the switch. EXT. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE Freedom and Independence fire their BOOSTERS. The two SHUTTLES explode forward, hurtling around the Moon's DARK SIDE with a degree of increasing velocity never before experienced by man. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - REAR CABIN Harry, Chick, Bear, and Max get hit with the first G-Forces. Their torsos press back against their seats. They flex their arms, breathing deeply, expanding their chest cavities as they were taught in training. Harry : I hate to fly, I hate to fly, I hate to fly.... INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE - REAR CABIN A.J., Lev, Bennie, Jumbo, and Tito get slammed back by the first wave of G-Forces. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Watts reads her VELOCITY INDICATOR under G-Forces so bad she speaks through clenched teeth: Watts : Fourteen thousand....sixteen thousand...twenty thousand miles an hour, Willie...! INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Silence. Tension. Technicians stare at their consoles. Clark : They're hittin' the big G's right about...now. Golden : Come on, Willie, you can do this.... INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - REAR CABIN Excruciating, gut-wrenching, turn-your-intestines-inside-out G-Forces. HARRY and CHICK'S FACIAL MUSCLES distort hideously; their rubbery cheeks and lips flatten out. They continue anti-G exercises, tensing every muscle, trying to keep blood flow evenly distributed. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE A.J. and Bennie's distorted faces, likewise, go through the anti G-Force exercises, tensing every muscle. EXT. LUNAR ORBIT - MASTER SHOT IN ONE AWE-INSPIRING SHOT, we see -- Shuttles Freedom and Independence rocketing around the Moon in darkness, further and further, until finally WE SEE, increasingly, a staggering, mind blowing visual -- THE ASTEROID'S TRAILING DEBRIS appears, a HUGE CLOUD of tiny ICE CHUNKS AND PEBBLES, and much larger BOULDERS, and ICEBERGS the size of houses, the ice glinting with reflected sunlight, throwing off a dazzling SPECTRAL SHOWER OF LIGHT in all directions, and finally -- THE ASTEROID'S HUGE CORE - it has just cleared the Moon and now flies straight for it's destination - the cool, blue PLANET EARTH dead ahead across an expanse of space. Shuttles Freedom and Independence slingshot out of the Lunar orbit and fall in behind the asteroid, settling into the DEBRIS-LESS CORRIDOR. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Continued STATIC on the radio. Everyone sits nervously waiting. Suddenly the shuttles' computerised SYSTEM MONITORS begin to click back on. Clark : Freedom, come in, over. Independence, come in, over. Nothing. Golden grabs the mike. Golden : Willie? Come in, over. Willie, can you hear me...? Total silence. A pin could drop. The N.A.S.A. Technicians stare nervously at the Central Board. Then, suddenly through static: Sharp : (V.0) Houston, you gotta see this to believe it.... Elation. Held breaths are exhaled. Golden and N.A.S.A. TECHNICIANS smile. No one is more relieved than Grace. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Sharp and Watts stare through the windshield at -- THE ASTEROID, below them and dead ahead. We get our first (and only temporary) clear glimpse of the designated landing field, a relatively smooth, unobstructed plane on the asteroid's surface. Harry is green, looks like he's gonna blow chunks. Sharp : We're awake, we're not pukin'....(looks over shoulder at Harry) ....well, Harry is. And we got a clear path to the target. Houston, over. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE Truman smiles. Truman : Copy that, Freedom. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Clark gives Golden a thumbs up. Clark : We'll take you in, guys. EXT. SHUTTLES FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE Freedom, in the lead, and Independence, following to the rear and side, descend through the debris-less corridor to the waiting asteroid. Suddenly a CLOUD OF ICE AND PEBBLES wafts in front of the Shuttles. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM COCKPIT In one terrifying second, visibility is cut to twenty feet. Then BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! PEBBLES and SMALL ICE CHUNKS strike the windshield, chipping and denting it. The impacts are violent; the interior is buffeted around. It's the space equivalent of bad hailstorm. Sharp : Damn it....! Clark : (V.O) What is it, Willie? Sharp : Problem, Houston. We've got debris all over us! REAR OF COCKPIT - Harry and the others, alarmed, are buffeted around violently. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE - COCKPIT No visibility here either. Ice chunks and pebbles BANG against the windshield. Truman : I've got no visibility. I've lost orientation to the target! Suddenly, as sudden as it came, the debris clears. But a HUGE ICE BOULDER the size of a three-story building twirls into Independence's path. It hits a BOULDER which collides with another. Truman : Big guy! Dead ahead! Truman stabs his directional thruster button. Shuttle Independence veers to the right.... INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Sharp hits his directional thruster, and Freedom veers to the left.... EXT. THROUGH THE ASTEROID'S TAIL Freedom goes left, Independence right, splitting the ice boulder. Freedom clears the ice boulder by a foot. Independence, not so lucky, clips the ice boulder, ripping her left thruster clean off. With one thruster, Independence careens out of control, twirling and spinning. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE Truman : (panicked) I lost left thruster! No control! I have no control! In the Independence's cargo bay, one of the Armadillos RIPS free from its moorings and plunges through the CARGO BAY DOORS. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Sharp steers Freedom past the ice boulder. Watts : Where's the other ship....?! Suddenly the Independence, with a RIPPED OPEN CARGO BAY DOOR, careens directly across Freedom's path, filling Freedom's cockpit window, nearly colliding with her. Sharp hits his thrusters, veering away from the damaged Independence. Sharp and Watts watch Independence twirling toward the asteroid. Suddenly BANG!!! The INDEPENDENCE'S ERRANT ARMADILLO strikes the Freedom's nose, spider-webbing the WINDSHIELD. Sharp and Watts recoil in terror. Watts SCREAMS. INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE The fuselage is spinning. A.J., Bennie and the others are in terror. In the cockpit, Truman SCREAMS over the radio: Truman : Houston, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, we're going down! The Shuttle's roof collides with a rock. We hear SCRAPING METAL. The CEILING dents in, dislodging INTERIOR CEILING PANELS filled with wires and electrical components; they rain down on A.J. and the others. Choas. The SPARKING CABIN fills with smoke. Truman : Crew, go to life support! Everyone grabs for their HELMET, frantically trying to get them on. A.J. gets his on, but he can't lock his neck seal. He fidgets with the little SEAKL LOCKS. A.J. rips off the helmet. It slips from his fingers and floats off through the zero-g cabin! A.J. : Goddamn it! A.J. throws off his seat harnesses and goes after his helmet. In zero-gravity, the sides of the twirling cockpit revolve around A.J. as he moves. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL We hear a CACOPHONY OF VOICES and BANGING ROCKS against Independence's fuselage. Truman : MAYDAY, HOUSTON, MAYDAY....!! Golden and the N.A.S.A. personnel can only sit and listen, horrified, impotent to do anything..... INT. SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE - REAR CABIN AT THE BACK OF THE CABIN - A.J. reaches his helmet and frantically gets it back on. The fuselage is still twirling around him. Bennie, strapped in and freaking out, throws off his seat harness and bolts for the SAFETY EMERGENCY HATCH equipped with EXPLOSIVE RELEASE CHARGES. Truman sees Bennie at the Emergency Hatch. BIG ROCKS smash off the windshield in front of Truman; the windshield's safety glass is weakened, splintered, to the point of bursting. Truman : Get away from that door!!!! Bennie is wild-eyed, crazed. Bennie : Go to hell, man, I ain't dyin' on this thing!!!! A SERIES OF QUICK CUTS: A ROCK SMASHES through the windshield, gouging into Truman. Depressurisation. Truman and Co-pilot Weston are sucked out through the windshield. Bennie BLOWS the Emergency Hatch's explosive charges. The hatch door pulls Bennie out into space...to his death. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL FLASH CUTS: Independence's System Monitors flash off: PRESSURIZATION goes to zero; CABIN OXYGEN goes to zero; INDIVIDUAL LIFE SUPPORT MONITORS go to zero. Independence's radio transmissions are STATIC and PANICKED VOICES. Golden runs down the aisle to Independence's monitors. Skip : No cabin pressure! Systems-wide failure! INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - REAR CABIN Harry and the Roughnecks are SMASHED around in their seats. IN THE COCKPIT - THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD A BOULDER the size of a house looms downslope. Shuttle Freedom is skidding straight for it. Sharp and Watts watch helplessly as the Shuttle skids toward the boulder. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE Freedom hits a SMALLER ROCK, which changes its skid angle. It clears the boulder by a foot and skids to a stop at the base of the slope. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - REAR CABIN Harry and the others JOLT to a stop. No one moves. No one breathes. It's scary as hell. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Golden and the other Technicians wait breathlessly for some response. Golden GRABS the mike. Golden : Freedom. come in. (no response) Independence, come in . no response) Come in, Freedom. Nothing. Skip buries his face in his hands. Flip chews his pencil. Golden, having lost one crew already, twists his wedding ring. Sharp : (V.O) Houston, it's Freedom. We just landed on this son-of-a-bitch, over. Golden and the Technicians breath a sigh of relief. Watts : (V.O) What's the status of Independence? INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - REAR CABIN CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HARRY, as he waits for Houston's response to this last question. Sharp : (V.O) We lost her. CAMERA TIGHT ON HARRY. He's lost men before, many men on oil rigs. But not A.J..... Chick : (O.S.) Harry, Harry, Jesus Christ, this can't happen.... Harry snaps out of it, turns to Chick. Harry : It did happen. They're gone. Deal with it. We got a lot of work to do. Harry unharnesses himself and rises. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Golden looks at Grace. She looks back. A tear slides off her cheek to the console. Harry's daughter doesn't say a word, or break down. She just quietly rises and walks to the back of the room. Grace rubs her bare ring finger. A BEAT. CAMERA SPIES the ZERO BARRIER CLOCK. Seven hours, 52 minutes, 000 feet drilled. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Chick, Bear, and Max prepare to disembark, donning helmet and glove assemblies, clicking neck and wrist seals into locking position. Harry comes into the cockpit. Watts is flipping switches and reading gauges. Sharp's on the radio. A haze fills the cockpit. Watts : Engine ignition system isn't responding. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL INTERCUT - FREEDOM/ MISSION CONTROL Golden : What's the problem? Flip : Engine ignition. Starting diagnostics. Sharp : Houston, I don't know where we are. Tell me how far we overshot Harry's sweep spot. Advise on currant location, over. Skip motions to Golden and Clark. They hurry over to his console. On Skip's computer screen is a MAP OF THE ASTEROID containing its geological fault lines. Skip : They overshot their landing 26 miles. There's a different fault line, but it's deeper. Golden : How much deeper? Skip : Two hundred feet. Golden exchanges a look with Temple. Golden : Harry, your fault line's fifty yards off the starboard side. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Harry stalks to the rear. Harry : Rockhound. Rockhound : Yes, sir. Harry : I'm gonna get you some surface samples and you're gonna tell me what I'm up against. Rockhound : Rocks are my life. Watts : Willie, we might be stuck. Sharp exchanges grim looks with Pitts and Fisk over this bad information. Harry : The good news just keeps comin'. Load up, guys. Sharp watches Harry and the guys exit to the rear. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - SHUTTLE FREEDOM Freedom's cargo door opens; its RAMP unfolds to the asteroid's surface. HARRY looks out. Freedom is in a small, cold, dark valley. The asteroid's face is tilted away from the Earth and Sun. THE MOON is huge on our rear horizon. The place is eerily calm and tranquil. Harry walks down the ramp onto the asteroid surface. INT. FREEDOM CARGO BAY - INSIDE ARMADILLO Chick, at the Armadillo's controls, engages gears. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE The Armadillo rumbles out of the cargo bay, carrying Bear, Max, Rockhound and Pitts over the wheel wells. The Armadillo drives 50 yards from Freedom and parks. The guys hop down, turning on their PRO-GRAVITY THRUSTERS. Bear begins off-loading 20-foot long DRILLING PIPES. Harry takes readings from a SEISMIC INSTRUMENT. Pulls out a SOIL SAMPLER, a small shovel on a telescoping shaft. He digs it in with his boot. Clang. It doesn't dig in at all. He walks around, stabbing it into the ground. CLANG. CLANG. Chick exchanges nervous looks with Bear and Max. Harry : Bedrock. Whole goddamn place is Bedrock. Harry examines the ground. Not satisfied. He finds a spot he likes; digs an "X" in the soil with his boot. Harry : (cont'd) Here. Fire up the Bad Boy bit. Chick, Max and Bear go into action. Max screws the Bad Boy bit onto the first drilling pipe. Bear hoists the pipe up to the DRILLING MECHANISM, muscles it onto the DRILL DRIVE, then clamps it on. Harry plugs a TEE and GOLF BALL into the craggy surface. He waggles his club, a 5-IRON HEAD, screwed onto the soil sampler's shaft. Pitts : What's he doing? Chick : Wildcatters are superstitious, Colonel. Harry does this every time we break ground. He swings....WHACK! The ball rockets off the tee and keeps going...and going... Harry : HOLE NUMBER 77. Let 'er rip! Chick throws a lever, lowering the BAD BOY BIT into the rocky, icy surface. Down the drill pipe goes, unimpeded, 10 feet just like that. It suddenly stops. It's turning, but not drilling. Bear and Max approach the drill hole. Bear : What in hell's down there? Harry : Chick, bring 'er up! Chick throws it in reverse. The DRILLING ARM reverses out of the hole. The Bad Boy bot comes up CHEWED TO SHREDS. Harry and the guys examine the drill bit. Everyone exchanges a worried look. Max : The dream. It's my dream. Harry : Shut up, Max. (looks at Bear) What's with the look? Get that off your face. You've seen bits get eaten before. Bear : Not after ten feet. Chick : The first ten better be the worst ten. Harry : Go to the Terminator. Chick grabs Harry's mysterious METAL CASE. Harry pops open the metal case, revealing THE TERMINATOR, a super high-tech bit. Harry : I designed you. I built you. You are the enemy of all subterranean shit. You are the king. It's showtime. Harry passes it to Bear, who screws it onto the drilling pipe, Rockhound scoops up a COLLECTION OF DOWNHOLE ROCK CHIPS. Harry : (cont'd) Hit it, Chick. The DRILL PIPE turns. Sediment comes WHOOSHING out of the hole and -- THE DRILL PIPE descends like a bitch. INT. FREEDOM Sharp, Watts, Pitts and Fisk have a PANEL removed, exposing the guts of Freedom's wiring and components. Watts and Sharp are inside the panel, scrunched against the fuselage wall, unbolting a large COMPONENT. Watts hands Pitts and Fisk a SMALLER COMPONENT. Watts : Unbolt the housing. There and there. INT. ARMADILLO The rock CHIPS spew into the COLLECTOR in front of ROCKHOUND. Harry looks on. Harry : What do you make of that? Rockhound picks up several chips. Draws them close to his eyes. Rockhound : Oh my. Oh my, my, my. This isn't rock. It's uhh, it's uhh, it's......iron. Harry : Iron deposit? Rockhound : (shakes head) No. It's been melted. Forged rather. I've only seen this once - at a volcano in Hawaii. (looks up at Harry) You're drilling into a big slab of cast-iron, &n bsp; &n bsp;Mr. Stamper. INT. FREEDOM Harry picks up the radio. Harry : Give me Dan Golden. INTERCUT - MISSION CONTROL / FREEDOM Golden's handed the phone. Golden : Yeah, Harry. What's your situation? INTERCUT - GOLDEN AND TEMPLE IN MISSION CONTROL / HARRY ON FREEDOM Harry : Situation? You put me down on the worst possible place on this asteroid. I'm drillin' into something I shouldn't. The hole just ate one of my diamond-tipped bits in &nbs p;thirty minutes. That has never happened to me in twenty years. Golden : You're forty minutes in. You should be down 150 feet. How far are you? Harry : Not far. (beat) Twenty-three feet. CLOSE ON Golden as he looks at Temple. Temple : This is an exercise in futility. Golden : (to Harry) "Don't tell me what you can't do, tell me what you can." Remember that, Stamper? Go faster. Harry : We will. Golden : How? INT. FREEDOM CARGO BAY Sharp and Pitts enter. Fisk hands Sharp the phone. Sharp : Sharp, over. PUSH IN on Sharp in EXTREME CLOSE-UP. His jaw tightens. His eyes dart. Sharp : (cont'd) Sir, the bird can't fly. Temple : (V.O.) Well, you need to get it fixed unless you want to die along with that asteroid. A LONG PAUSE, as Sharp listens. Sharp :(cont'd) Yes, sir. Temple : (V.O.) And, I don't want those drillers knowing about this. They have enough to worry about just drilling the damn ole. Collinswood : (V.O.) Colonel Sharp, this is Chief of Staff Collinswood. Have Pitts and Fisk prepare to detonate that nuke on the surface. Too many lives are at stake here. Have &n bsp; th em standing by. Sharp : On your order sir. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - A TINY VALLEY - ESTABLISHING The gnarled WRECK OF SHUTTLE INDEPENDENCE lies below. Twisted metal and cabin materials strewn everywhere. INT. INDEPENDENCE CRASH SITE CAMERA moves through the wreckage of Independence. Nightmarish. EMERGENCY LIGHTS still on battery flicker. The shattered windshield; the blown emergency hatch; A CORPSE lies face down, helmet half on, half off; Independence's huge tubular NUCLEAR DEVICE. Something moves on the ceiling. REVEAL A.J. hanging upside down, caught in the twisted fuselage skin. A.J. cuts himself down. He twirls to the ground. Sees LEGS MOVING UNDER RUBBLE. A.J. throws off the rubble, revealing Lev, dazed but alive. A.J. helps him to his feet. Lev : What happened to the others.... A.J. and Lev move toward the cockpit. A.J. : (grabs the radio) Freedom, come in, over. Freedom, come in, over.... Freedom...? (shaking head) It's you and me. A.J. smashes the radio in frustration. EXT. FREEDOM - DRILLING SITE Chick and Bear screw on a new length of drill pipe. Chick engages the gears. The drill pipe descends. THE TERMINATOR is working. Harry approaches from the shuttle. Harry : How far? Chick : Almost 60 feet and startin' to kick ass! Suddenly GRRRR. CLANG. BANG. The drill pipe stops. Harry walks over to the hole. Chick : (cont'd) That did not sound good. Harry : Increase r.p.m. Chick throws the lever. The drill pipe turns faster, but still doesn,t descend. Harry and the guys crowd around the drilling hole. Max : Freaky, man. Bear : I got one of those big-time crappy feelings about this. Harry : We gotta get more power down to this bit. (thinks; looks up at Chick) Full throttle. Chick : You sure? Harry : Yeah, I'm sure. Chick : I don't think she can take it. Harry : She's gonna have to. Chick : The last time we ran her at full throttle we ripped her up! Harry : I don't have time to argue, Chick, now goddamn it, throttle up, or I'll come up there and do it for you. Chick reluctantly throws the lever to FULL THROTTLE. The TURBINE ENGINE ROARS. The DRILL PIPE turns faster in the hole. The TURBINE ENGINE is shaking the Armadillo. The drill pipe is descending again. Suddenly BANG!! The CLUTCH rupture, spewing the CLUTCH PLATES and GEARS into space. Harry : Stop! Chick throws it into reverse. Up comes THE TERMINATOR, CHEWED TO SHREDS. Bear and Max look at it, then each other. Very worried now. Bear : The Terminator's terminated. Chick : The clutch is dead. Harry : We're goin' to the second rig. Harry stalks off toward the Shuttle. Harry : (cont'd) We need the second Armadillo. Sharp : We'll bring it out to you. Harry moves to get his pipe tongs. Fisk and Pitts are next to the uncovered nuclear bomb. Harry looks at the bomb. EXT. FREEDOM - DRILL SITE Chick, Bear and Max listen to Harry over the inter-crew link. INTERCUT WITH ABOVE. INT. FREEDOM Harry : Why don't we cut to the chase, fellahs? What the fuck is going on with that other nuke? Harry stares at the nuclear weapon. Sharp : Stamper, if you can't drill the hole, we're detonating this thing on the surface.... Chick and the guys eye each other. Harry walks off, pissed off.... INT. MISSION CONTROL Golden and Clark are hunched over monitors. Two MILITARY AIDES carrying a NUCLEAR COMMAND LINK (FOOTBALL) SUITCASE. Golden, alarmed, tries to figure out what they have. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Chick, Bear and Max enter through the airlock. Everyone turns and stares at Sharp. Sharp : There's no way in hell you're gonna get that hole dug, and you know it. Harry : Well, it wasn't my scientists that told me about the fucking fire cracker inside the hand story. Are we detonating on the surface or are we gonna drill? Bear : I didn't come up here to die. Chick : I say we drill. They say we have until Zero Barrier. Sharp : (freaked out) That hole better be dug in two hours, or we're detonating. Whether you're on this godforsaken rock or not! Harry : We're drilling. Harry and his crew file out. INT. MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT Golden : (to Temple) What is going on up there? Temple : Your drillers aren't doing the job, Dan. Golden : After 15 minutes? What do you expect? Temple : Golden, we are preparing for surface detonation. Golden : A surface detonation isn't going to do it, General. My scientists have already told you that. It must be detonated inside the asteroid. The alternative is that the Earth & nbsp; will be bombarded by smaller matter which will be just as catastrophic. Temple stares off pensively into the sky. Temple : We have a lot better chance of surviving the "smaller matter." The drillers have two hours (to the Aides) I want you ready on my command. The Adjutants prepare the nuclear command link. Military Adjutant : Sir, we have interface with the weapon. Remote detonator standing by. INT. INDEPENDENCE - CRASH SITE Lev is sitting on the ground, head in his hands, completely demoralised. Lev : I feel like Skywalker Luke when he learn Darth Vader his father. What I should do? A.J. : Get up, we got work to do. Lev : A.J., let me cash in my chips. A.J. : Lev, we're getting off this rock, if I have to drag your ass the whole way. (off Lev's look) Now get up! A.J. walks into the Independence cargo bay, detached from the nose section. Then climbs into Independence's Armadillo. A.J. : C'MON LEV, PUT YOUR WEIGHT INTO IT! EXT. INDEPENDENCE - WRECKAGE OF CARGO BAY Lev is prying open the cargo bay ramp door (the hydraulics are shot). LEV : YOU COME PUSH, YANKEE.... INT. - MISSION CONTROL Golden turns to Temple. Golden : The asteroid's surface is heating up. Temple : What does that mean? Golden : It means they may not be able to work on the surface for much longer. The temperatures will be unbearable. EXT. INDEPENDENCE - WRECKAGE OF CARGO BAY The Armadillo, engine rumbling, is poised to roll Independence's long tubular NUCLEAR WEAPON which has been ejected with other debris from the broken fuselage. Lev : Wait A.J.! We drive over nuclear weapon and we finished before we started. A.J. : So move it. Lev jams a pipe between the ARMING DEVIC and the nuke. As he rolls the nuke over, the arming device detaches, rips off, and clatters to the ground. INT. MISSION CONTROL Temple : Golden, tell your drillers the clock is ticking. I have 6 billion people down here relying on them! In the b.d. hangs a crayon drawing of sunny day by Temple's daughter. Temple : (cont'd) A lot of people are die.... INT. INDEPENDENCE - CRASH SITE The ARMADILLO blasts through the cargo bay door. A.J. and Lev roll off away from the Independence. A.J. cranes his neck looking out through the Armadillo. A RIDGE with THRE TALL SPIRES is in the distance, ringed with LIGHT from Freedom's FLOOD LIGHTS. A half-smile from A.J: hope. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM Sharp comes back from the cockpit, carrying the detonator. Harry's on the phone to Golden. Harry : ...You told me that the only way to deal with this hunk 'o crud is to get a nuke 1000 feet down. You sticking with that? Golden : (V.O.) Firmly. Harry : Great. Glad we have that understanding. Golden : (V.O.) IF you're gonna pull this off, we have to have a little talk about time...and temperature. Zero Barrier's in two hours. Harry : Wait...wait..what about temperature? When did temperatures come into the picture? Golden : (V.O.) Harry, your suits are good upto 150 degrees Celsius.... Harry : And...? How hot is it going to get? Golden : (V.O.) We didn't anticipate you being on the asteroid so long. The clock is ticking... Harry : How hot is it going to get?! Golden : (V.O.) Three hundred and fifty degrees. Harry's face drops. Harry : Thanks for telling us now, Golden....I don't think my bits can handle those kind of temperatures.... INT. FREEDOM - CARGO BAY Harry clicks off the radio. Watts : We've still gotta fix this shuttle, Stamper. Harry : Give me some more good news. You've got two new assistants who can fix your shuttle. Bear, Max, hop to it. There's not a machine they can't fix. We can handle the &nb sp;hole from here. EXT. SHUTTLE FRREDOM The airlock opens. Sharp and Pitts are led out by Harry. Harry : Colonel Sharp, if we're going to blow this hole, you gotta help ME. I need some more manpower.... EXT. FREEDOM DRILL SITE - MINUTES LATER The SECOND ARMADILLO rumbles out of Freedom's cargo bay. Chick and the Roughnecks work like a NASCAR pit crew. Sharp and Pitts lay on their backs holding down a 1000 pound axle, fighting zero-g. Suddenly, the ground begins to tremble. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - FRONT OF "THREE SPIRES RIDGE" A.J.'s ARMADILLO rumbles over a little hill revealing the RIDGE WTH THREE SPIRES directly in front of them. THE SUN is moving over the asteroid's FAR HORIZON, causing a "sunrise." It is breathtaking, spiritual...and frighteningly bright. INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO A.J. : Over the hill. Suddenly, the ground under the vehicle shakes sharply. A.J. stops the Armadillo. The ground around the vehicle heaves up and down. The GROUND SPLITS. One TECTONIC PLATE rises 15 feet in the air. The ground breaks like a wave, up and down. INT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Here, too, the ground shakes. Bear, terrified, drops a DRILL PIPE. Max is shaken to the ground. Chick is nearly thrown off the Armadillo. Chick : Clear the rig!!! Chick jumps down, bouncing. Everybody gets the hell away from the drilling hole. INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO The asteroid shakes violently, throwing A.J. and Lev around the cab. ROCKS BANK down on the Armadillo's top and hood. The ASTEROID SURFACE continues splitting apart across the slope's fall line. A.J. : EARTHQUAKE! The asteroid RUMBLES a few more seconds, then the quake slowly stops. All is stll. A.J. : (cont'd) Let's take a look. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE Lev gets out; he nervously paces back and forth across the lip of the fissure. Lev : This bad. (repeating, mantra) Darth Vader. Darth Vader. A.J. : Listen, Mr. Negative. Everyone thinks we're dead. We're not. So, suck it up. Because if we don't drill that hole, six billion people are going to die. And I'm not lettin' Harry Stamper get all the freaking credit for saving the world. (firm) We're gona do this, then we're going home. Lev : I l-o-v-e this American confidence! Like John Wayne. (sotto) This why I suspect you won Cold War. A.J. : Hep me get these rocks over there. A.J. and Lev start dragging rocks to use as a "kicker ramp" for the jump. Lev is oblivious. They pull embedded rock out, revealing DIAMONDS. A.J. holds up a large chunk. A.J. : (cont'd) This outta cut into a sweet wedding ring. Lev : (holding chunk) With this I can rebuild my MIR. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Chick, Bear, and Max cautiously approach the drill hole. Everything seems okay. Chick climbs back up to the drill-drive platform. Chick : Back to work! Bear grabs the drill pipe and hoists it: back to work. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - "THREE SPIRES RIDGE" A.J. is walking along the GAPING, JAGGED FISSURE, 50 feet wide, 50 feet deep, stretching across the entire slope. Lev : This bad, this very bad, very, very bad... A.J. : Stick a cork in it, Lev. I'm tryin' to think. A.J. stares at the fissure, his eyes roaming from the fissure...to the Armadillo...back to the fissure. A.J. : (cont'd) Hop on the back. Get our weight distributed better. Lev : (uncertain) And why to do this? A.J. : Because I'm askin'. And turn your suit's thrusters off. Trust me, okay? A.J. gets in the Armadillo. Lev goes around back, climbs on the REAR BUMPER. He clicks off his pressure suit's pro-gravity thrusters. Lev : Okey-doke. The Armadillo begins backing down the slope. INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO A.J. throws it in neutral. The Armadillo stops. A.J. : Hey, Lev, we're gonna see what this Porche engine can do.... He throws it in drive. The Armadillo lurches ahead. EXT. A.J..'S ARMADILLO - BACK BUMPER The Armadillo's REAR TIRES CHURN FORWARD, slinging rocks and gravel which, in zero-g, shoot off in a stream into space, never falling. Lev holds on for dear life. A.J.'S Armadillo churns up the slope like a Bronco 4X4, slinging gravel, heading for THE JAGGED FISSURE. It FLIES over the fissure's edge as -- INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO -- A.J. punches the Armadillo's PRO-GRAVITY THRUSTER "OFF" SWITCH. EXT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO - ROOF -- the Armadillo's roof-mounted PRO-GRAVITY THRUSTERS shut down. EXT. ASTEROID - "THREE SPIRES RIDGE" - JAGGED FISSURE The Armadillo, no longer thrusting downwardly, flies across the jagged fissure in zero-g. The heavy steel vehicle doesn't fall. It ascends, and amazingly, shoots across the entire 50 foot expanse of jagged fissure. EXT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO - BACK BUMPER Lev looks down. The FISSURE passes beneath him, then SOLID GROUND again. They've cleared the fissure....but they're not coming down. Lev : A.J., up is bad! Down! INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO A.J. punches the PRO-GRAVITY THRUSTER "START" SWITCH. Nothing.... EXT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO - BACK BUMPER The thruster nozzles SPUTTER, but no thrust. The Armadillo is 50 feet off the ground and still ascending...into outer space. Lev, his next stop being Planet Mars, panics. He climbs the roof and peers inside the front windshield, POUNDING ON THE WINDSHIELD. Lev : Down! Not up! Up is bad! Down! INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO The Armadillo continues lifting into space, from which there is no return. A.J. toggles the "start" switch. The swtich's INDICATOR LIGHT FLICKERS. A.J. : HOLD ON, LEV, I GOT HER WORKIN'!! EXT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO Not quite. Only the right-front and right-rear THRUSTER NOZZLES fire, pushing the right side downward, rolling the Armadillo over on its side. Lev, on the bumper, clings to the rear-mounted TOW WINCH AND CABLE ASSEMBLY. Suspended in zero-g, on its side and in mid-air, the Armadillo is pushed by thrusters, tires-first, against the SHEER, 90 DEGREE CLIFF FACE next to the slope. All four Armadillo tires slam against the cliff. The Armadillo bounces off. Lev, grabbing the Armadillo's TOWING CABLE, flies off the rear. The cable spools out and LEV, hanging on for all he's worth, SLAMS against the cliff face and descends.... INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO A.J., lying sideways, keeps toggling the thruster START SWITCH. The indicator light finally FLASHES "IN" and A.J. rams it into drive -- EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - CLIFF FACE / ARMADILLO -- the Armadillo, all four thrusters now working, drives sideways across the cliff face dragging Lev, who bounces against the cliff face and gradually falls, until he's bouncing on the asteroid surface. The Armadillo finally falls down the cliff face and skids to a stop. INT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO A.J., shaken, takes a deep breath and gets out. EXT. A.J.'S ARMADILLO - REAR A.J. walks to the rear. Lev splayed out 50 feet from the back of the Armadillo, covered in asteroid surface dirt and grime, looks up at him. Lev : Very bad idea, A.J. EXT. FREEDOM - DRILLING SITE Harry orders his crew to start the drill up. The men drill a shitload of feet in record time. They finally burst through the rock and hit easy sediment. The asteroid is spinning toward sunlight. Here, too, there is a sunrise. Bear's face sweats inside the helmet. Chick's vision begins to blur. Tito takes a seat on a nearby rock, exhausted. Chick : Mutha...it's getting warm. Bear : (worried) We got that sunrise, Harry. These bits are gonna fry up...... Suddenly the TRANSMISSION LINKAGE in the Armadillo BLOWS. Harry : Goddamn it! (thinks) We'' take the tranny from the other rig! And if you wanna complain about the heat, go to some other fucking asteroid....Toughen up. Sharp : (to Roughnecks) Let's move it.....let's go, guys. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Chick and Bear yank the detached good TRANSMISSION HOUSING from inside Armadillo 2 and carry it across to Armadillo 1. INT. ARMADILLO 1 - CABIN Max finishes unbolting the BROKEN TRANSMISSION HOUSING. He passes it to Chick who dumps it on the surface. Sharp and Truman work with Bear and Chick who feed in the good transmission housing. Max presses the airlock. The doors close and the cabin pressurises. Max clicks off his helmet. He begins installing the transmission housing and the linkage. EXT. ARMADILLO 1 Chick and Bear, atop the drilling platform, begin installing the clutch plates and transmission linkage. Harry : Move guys, move it..... Bolting, bolting, bolting, connecting, connecting..... INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY Skip is analysing the asteroid's THERMAL READINGS. A MULTI-COLORED THERMAL IMAGE MAP shows most of the asteroid is GREEN (no heat), but around the chosen landing site are numerous RED SPOTS (heat). Skip : Look at these thermals. This is BEFORE sunlight hits the drill site. She's really heating up.... INT. ARMADILLO Max is bolting. The DOWNHOLE PRESSURE GAUGE NEEDLE jolts. Max doesn't see it. He keeps working. EXT. DRILLING SITE Harry's watching the work. Out of the corner of his eye... THE DRILLING ARM KICKS. Harry turns to it. Nothing happens. His eyes move back to Chick and Bear, then back to the drilling arm. It kicks up again. Just a few inches. Harry : Chick. Unbolt the tranny. Chick : We just put it in. Harry : Do it. NOW. Chick, confused, starts unbolting the tranny. Suddenly the well kicks hard, one foot high. Chick's jostled. BANG!! The RIG KICKS HARD, THREE FEET, bucking Chick off. Chick scrambles back up to the drill platform. The ground shakes. a terrific TREMBLER rumbles through the valley. Harry, Max and Bear cling to the side of the Armadillo. Chick's nearly thrown off. Harry : (cont'd) GET THE TRANNY OUTTA THERE! WE LOSE THE TRANNY, WE'RE DEAD MEN!! Harry climbs up to the DRILL PLATFORM. The GROUND SHAKES violently, throwing harry and Chick around the top of the drill platform. Harry : Max, you gotta get those bolts undone! INT. ARMADILLO - REAR COMPARTMENT Max is furiously unbolting the TRANNY HOUSING. There are two bolts to go. He ratches one off.... Max : I'm doin' it, I'm doin' it. Max gets to the last bolt.... Harry : (V.O.) Go Max, go Max, get the last bolt....! Max gets the last bolt undone. Max : DONE!! EXT. ARMADILLO - DRILL PLATFORM Chick and Harry pull the unfastened TRANNY HOUSING out of the Armadillo as -- INT. ARMADILLO - REAR COMPARTMENT Max stares at the DOWNHOLE PRESSURE GAUGES, groping through the compartment for his helmet. Max : Pressure's through the roof! Shit, where's my helmet....!? EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Suddenly the DRILLING ARM jolts upward, lifting the ARMADILLO SIX FEET off the ground. Chick : She's gonna blow! Harry : MAX, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!! INT. ARMADILLO - REAR COMPARTMENT Max is thrown against a wall of the rear compartment. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE The DRILLING ARM KICKS again, six feet this time, tossing the Armadillo over on two wheels. INT. ARMADILLO - REAR COMPARTMENT Max is SLAMMED against the wall again. Terrified, he grabs for his helmet and locks the NECK SEALS. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE A DEEP RUMBLING emanates from the drilling hole, coming seemingly from the ASTEROID'S CORE. Harry gets to his feet and SLAMS HIS FIST against the Armadillo's SIDE. Harry : CLEAR THE RIG! Everyone scatters.... INT. ARMADILLO - REAR COMPARTMENT Max, helmet on, is frantically scrambling to the airlock, but there's no time... Max : I CAN'T DEPRESSURIZE!! EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE WIth an awesome force, the DRILLING HOLE BLOWS. The DRILLING PIPE EXPLODES upward, lifting the DRILLING ARM and the ENTIRE ARMADILLO VEHICLE with it. THE ENTIRE RIG blows upward into space. INT. ARMADILLO - REAR COMPARTMENT Max punches the DOOR LOCK without depressurising the cabin and is sucked violently out of the rear compartment into open space. EXT. SPACE OVER ASTEROID SURFACE FIFTY FEET OF DRILL PIPE, THE DRILLING ARM, and the entire ARMADILLO RIG with MAX trailing, BLOWS into space. MAX'S FACE is a screaming mask of terror and confusion, reaching out, but there's no one to catch him....Harry and the guys watch in helpless silence as the drill rig and Max ascend into space. Chick : Max.....No. No. No. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY Skip motions to Golden. He comes over. Skip : They just lost the rig. The hole blew out. Golden takes the news stoically. He thinks, looking across the room at Temple. He looks at the clock. ONE HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES TO GO. Golden : Say nothing. EXT. FREEDOM - DRILLING SITE Silence. A stark tableau. Harry and the men standing there, just watching. Devastated, confused, in shock. This is a total catastrophe. The mission is over. Sharp nods to Pitts. Pitts picks up the REMOTE NUCLEAR DETONATOR. Sharp : Stamper, you ready to blow this? Let's get outta here...! Harry ignores him. He won't accept defeat. Harry : Chick, get your butt over here. Chick drags his ass over to Harry. Chick : Yeah. Harry : We're gonna fix this - make it work. If we weld those two together and go in one speed.... Chick : Harry.... Harry : Get your ass up here! Chick doesn't move. The two men stare at each other. Chick : I've been with you fourteen years. I've never said this to you, never thought I would. It's over. Chick walks off toward the shuttle. Bear joins him. Harry, atop of the Armadillo, looks around. His head drops...he's burning up. His fist clenches the HALF MEDALLION in his hand (where is it - clipped to suit - in pouch of suit?) His eyes shut tightly. He is going to will victory from defeat. He will not give up. CAMERA'S at low angle, giving Harry a larger-than-life look. Harry hears something. A LOW RUMBLE. It is confusing. It sounds like......an ARMADILLO ENGINE. Harry opens his eyes. He slowly turns and looks -- ACROSS THE VALLEY - ON THE DISTANT RIDGE - The front bumper of A.J.'s Armadillo inches over the ridge crest. HARRY, for the first time on the asteroid, smiles. Miracles do happen. HARRY : CHICK...BEAR!!! Chick and Bear about ready to enter the Freedom's airlock, stop and turn. They see A.J.'S ARMADILLO ROARING down the hillside onto the drilling site. EXT. FREEDOM - DRILLING SITE A.J. and Lev roar up to the drilling site in the Independence's Armadillo. They come down a hill spectacularly without brakes and it piles into shit, knocking things down. Lev and A.J. bounce up to Chick and Bear.....hugs and high-fives go around. Bear : A.J. Frost. Back from the dead. Chick : Now you can die with us. Harry : All the bits are gone, A.J. I've been inventing drill bits for twenty-five years and I don't know what to use. A.J. : You wouldn't happen to need a diamond tipper, would you? A.J. pulls out the POUCH OF DIAMONDS, found on the ridge. Harry : Boys, we're back in business! INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY Golden stares at the wall. Grace is curled up on a chair in the corner. Harry : (V.O.) We have good news folks. A.J. and the Russian just showed up. No other survivors. Grace shuts her eyes, smiling. Sobbing. EXT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - AFTERNOON Chick shuts off an ARC WELDER and moves aside, letting Harry view a DRILL BIT with A.J.'S DIAMONDS mounted on the top like diamonds in a ring setting. Harry and the guys smile. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE The NEWLY CREATED DRILL BIT lowers into the drilling hole and begins turning. It CHEWS into the shit down below, WHIRRING and RIPPING and......descends quickly. Chick : It worked! She's goin' through her like a hot knife through butter! BEGIN MONTAGE: The men drill a shitload of feet in very little time. It is a feverish pace, their teamwork perfectly timed, as if choreographed. QUICK CUTS: --A.J. working the levers on the drill platform. --Hydraulic tongs clamping, unclamping on pipe. --Bear hoisting pipe. --Chick and Bear waiting with connecting pipe. --The drilling arm going up and down. --Newly connected drill pipes descending into the hole. --Harry watching, shouting orders. --There are serious wind storms, giving Harry, A.J., and the other guys problems. So severe they knock guys across the asteroid. END MONTAGE INT. MISSION CONTROL Skip looks at thermal readings with alarm. Skip : Dan, the surface is heating up! EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry : Time, A.J. A.J. : One hour. Harry : Distance, Chick. Chick : Eight hundred and twenty feet, Harry. Harry : We gotta do 180 in thirty minutes. Chick : Downhole pressure's goin' through the roof! Harry : Stop! Shut down. Chick throws the lever. The drill pipe stops turning. A.J. : Harry, we can't stop. Harry : Got to, kid. No choice. A.J. : Drill right through the pressure to pay dirt. Harry : That's crazy. A.J. : Sometimes crazy works. Harry and A.J. stare at each other. Harry : Chick, A.J.'s callin' this one. A.J. : Full throttle! Chick throws the lever. The DRILL PIPE descends on full throttle. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY All the TECHNICIANS stand, staring at the CENTRAL BOARD, where a graph shows the drilling progress. Flip : Nine hundred and eighty...Nine ninety...they're into the fault, they're doing it. Golden looks at the CLOCK. THIRTY-ONE MINUTES TO GO. He twists his wedding ring. Golden : Now just get the thing in the hole. All the TECHNICIANS stare at their monitors. The atmosphere is thick with tension. Clark chews his nails. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE The HOLE'S finished, the drill pipe's been pulled; A.J. drives the ARMADILLO safely away from the site. Watts and Sharp roll a GURNEY containing the NUCLEAR DEVICE (a massive stainless steel tube) down Freedom's cargo bay RAMP toward the hole. Harry and all the Roughnecks stand by the HOLE. Harry : One thousand feet. Chick : (smiles) Thousand and three, Harry. With a half hour to spare. Sharp and Watts roll the NUCLEAR DEVICE GURNEY past the Roughnecks up to the drilling hole. Harry : Get the pipe and bit outta there. Chick gets inside the Armadillo. Grabs the stick-shift. Compresses the clutch and throws it in reverse. THE DRILL PIPE begins to reverse out of the hole. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Skip : She's gettin' hotter! Gotta mean gas - methane, helium, probably water vapor. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE The DRILL PIPE turns sloely, retracting from the hole. Bear, atop the drilling platform, is working on something with a wrench. Bear accidently drops his wrench. It falls on the turbine's RIPPED MESH PROTECTIVE SCREEN and hangs there. Bear looks at it nervously and reaches...THE WRENCH falls into the turbine spinning at six-thousand r.p.m. With a GRINDING SQUEAL, the wrench shrapnel blows out of the turbine and -- THE DRILLING ARM reverses speeds and VIOLENTLY THRUSTS THE PIPE FORWARD, buckling it. A piece of the drill string is BLOWN OUT, smashing into Sharp's helmet, spider-webbing his faceshield. He's out cold. Harry and the guys dive away from the hole. Chick, confused, works the clutch furiously to no avail. THE DRILLING ARM RAMS THE PIPE back down the hole, where it BUCKLES, BENDS AND BREAKS IN HALF. Tito tends to Sharp..his face has lost all color. Harry approaches the hole. Looks down. FIFTY FEET DOWN IS A MESS OF MANGLED PIPE, blocking the hole. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY Golden continues looking at the THERMAL IMAGING. Golden : Harry, c'mon, we got thirty minutes. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry : Well, Dan, you're just going to have to goddamn wait 'CAUSE WE GOTTA BIG PROBLEM UP HERE IN HELL. (turns to guys) Somebody's gotta go down there. Chick : Don't look at me. Bear : I can't even get my foot in there. Harry turns and eyes A.J. A.J. stares down the hole. Harry : Do or die, kid. CLOSE ON A.J. as he peers into the hole. A.J. : Something I've been meaning to talk to you about. When this is all over and we're back home, I'd like to marry your daughter.... Harry stares at A.J., the look priceless. A.J. : (cont'd) Maybe I'll ask her again later.... Harry turns around..looking up at the star-filled sky. A.J. walks over to Sharp...who's coming to now. Harry : (to Golden) Oh yeah, Golden? Golden : (V.O.) Go ahead, Harry. Harry : Your shuttle pilot just took a nasty shot from a drill string.... Golden : Is he alright? Harry : I hope so, he's gotta get us off this shithole. INT. DRILLING HOLE A.J, tied to a SAFETY TETHER, comes down the hole with a HAND-HELD CUTTER and a LENGTH OF ROPE. He reaches the obstruction. The DRILL PIPE has been mashed, bent, buckled. Severed ends stab into the sides of the hole. A.J. starts cutting with the hand-held cutter. EXT. DRILLING HOLE The guys stand there, watching. Nothing happens. Agonising seconds pass. Suddenly the ground rumbles. Another EARTHQUAKE. It slowly starts to subside. INT. DRILLING HOLE The hole shakes. A.J. freezes, sweating. Harry : (V.O.) A.J., we need you. I need everything you got. A.J. wrestles with the severed pipes, untangling them, tying the ROPE to them. He gives the rope a tug. Chick and Bear, above, pull up the broken pipes. EXT. DRILLING HOLE Sharp : Enter interface with the weapon. Pitts clicks a six digit code into a DIGITAL PAD on the DEVICE'S REMOTE DETONATOR. Pitts : Device armed. The NUCLEAR DEVICE has a small SLED with RATCHET WHEELS to let it slide down the hole slowly. Sharp and Watts lift one end of the gurney. THE NUCLEAR DEVICE slides off the gurney toward the MOUTH OF THE DRILLING HOLE. NT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL - DAY The thermal and seismic sensors BEING TRANSMITTED FROM FREEDOM START GOING CRAZY Skip : It's a mess up there...! EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE ANOTHER TEMBLOR hits, the worst yet, 9.7 on Earth. Watts falls, losing her grip on the gurney; her end collapses. THE NUCLEAR DEVICE lurches sideways off the gurney and rolls away from the drilling hole...... The NUCLEAR DEVICE slides off the gurney.... INT. DRILLING HOLE A.J. experiences the DEEPEST, MOST SINISTER RUMBLE YET, emanating form the asteroid's core, something from hell. There's a horrendous WHOOSHING SOUND. A WINDSTORM OF PEBBLE, like a blowing tornado, whooshes up from the hole, smashing into A.J.'S FACESHIELD. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Everyone whirls around in the sound's direction as -- ACROSS THE VALLEY FLOOR - A 100 FOOT METHANE GEYSER erupts, spewing a PLUME OF HIDEOUS GREENISH GAS into space. Then another 200 FEET HIGH! Another 500 FEET HIGH! The ASTEROID has become alive. The geyser's eruptions loosen the asteroid's surface material and -- INT. DRILLING HOLE A.J. : THIS SUCKS.... A.J. is whooshed violently out of the hole. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE PEBBLES AND HOT STEAM BLASTS from the drilling hole. Everyone recoils.... Harry : Get back!! A.J. shoots out of the pipe, tethering the SAFETY LINE behind him, blowing into space. The safety tether snaps and RIPS off. A.J. is 70 feet off the surface. Harry dives for his ripped tether. Catching it, inches before A.J.'s thrown into space. Harry and Bear grab A.J.'s safety tether and begin to pull him down. Chick stares at something O.S., his jaw drops. Chick : This thing definitely doesn't like us. CHUNKS OF THE ASTEROID, some as big as trucks, others as big as houses, dislodge from the ASTEROID SURFACE and, slowly at first, but with terrifyingly increasing speed and momentum..... .... they start rolling. HARRY AND THE GUYS just stand there, disbelieving what they're seeing. On come the ROCKS and ICE CHUNKS, rolling. As they hit smaller surface rocks, they take little hops, and bigger hops, until they are BOUNDING across the surface. Harry lashes A.J.'s tether to the Armadillo. Harry and the guys run for their lives. In the midst of this -- -- A 500 FOOT HIGH GEYSER erupts next to the drilling hole. Pitts gets blasted by the geyser, which blows him across the asteroid floor, SLAMMING him into the parked Armadillo. A BOULDER rolls at Pitts and squashes him against the ARMADILLO , killing him. A 20 FOOT ICE BOULDER rolls toward A.J.'s SAFETY TETHER. A.J., suspended 70 feet off the asteroid surface, looks down at the ONCOMING ICE BOULDER. A.J., terrified, tries to unbuckle the tether, but he can't in time. The boulder hits A.J.'s tether, rolling over it, flattening it to the asteroid surface, which causes -- --A.J., with a JOLT, to be yanked toward the surface. A.J. scrambles with his safety harness. Chick, next to the Armadillo, sees A.J.'s plight. He dives inside, engages the gears. The Armadillo ROARS toward the oncoming ICE BOULDER. A.J., terrified, continues to descend as -- Chick, driving the Armadillo, rams the ICE BOULDER just as it's about to roll over A.J. The boulder hops up, SMASHES down on the Armadillo's hood, CRUSHING the steel compartment around Chick, and gently rolls over onto -- A.J., who log-rolls under the Armadillo, as the ice boulder WHOMPS down and keeps rolling. THE NUCLEAR DEVICE is rolling across the asteroid's surface. Pebbles and debris CLANGING off the device's REMOTE DETONATOR..... Harry bounds toward the Armadillo. THE LARGEST, JAGGED ROCK rolls at the vehicle. Harry's caught. There's no place to turn. The rocks rolls straight at him. Twenty feet....10 feet....Harry FALLS heavily to the ground. Harry gets up and dives down inside a fox-hoe-sized INDENTATION in the asteroid surface.... The BOULDER rolls right over him. Finally the quake stops. The situation stabilises. Everyone gets to their feet. Harry and A.J. get up. They look off at -- The MASSIVE BOULDERS rolling away in the distance, smashing into other rock formations. Harry picks up a DIAMOND. It SPARKLES in the light. Chick grabs one. Holds it up, marvelling at it. The MASSIVE BOULDERS rolling away in the distance, smashing into other rock formations. Harry picks up a DIAMOND. It SPARKLES in the light. Chick grabs one. Holds it up, marvelling at it. Sharp, with bruises on his face, looks through his cracked faceshield down at Pitt's corpse. Sharp : He's dead. Harry : Put it down, Chick. Chick tosses down the diamond and follows Harry. Everyone checks themselves. Looks at others. There's no talk, no time to lose. They reconvene, by the NUCLEAR DEVICE. It's dented. The alumniium gurney is smashed, mangled. Sharp : Three on that side, the rest over here. They hoist the nuclear device and carry it to the drilling hole. They plug one end of the nuke in the drilling hole and lift the other. The NUKE begins to insert down the hole. Suddenly Sharp tries to grab a TUBULAR PIECE OF ALUMINIUM from the broken gurney. Sharp : (cont'd) Stop...! -- rams it into the wheels of the NUKE'S RATCHET-WHEEL DELIVERY SLED. The nuke stops inserting into the hole. Sharp inspects the REMOTE DETONATOR. Sharp : (cont'd) The remote's shot. (looks up) It'll have to be manually detonated. Chick : What's that mean? Pause. Harry : Means one of us ain't leaving. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Golden addresses the room. Golden : The situation: the hole is drilled but the remote detonator is not functional. One of the crew is going to stay behind and....(deep breath) ...manually detonate the device. Golden looks over at Grace. She is stunned. The news is just sinking in. Golden : Don't stay for this. Grace : I'm not leaving. Temple : In 18 minutes we will be at Zero Barrier. (to Grace) Your father better be a man of his word. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - CABIN PAN FROM HARRY...to A.J. to...to Chick....to Lev...to Bear. Everyone is huddled inside the cabin. The SMASHED REMOTE DETONATOR, a 2000-foot spool-drum of ELECTRICAL WIRE and a KNIFE sit on the table. Sharp : (stoically) I'd trade places with any one of you. But we need two people to fly this mother back. So, we either all stay or you guys draw. Sharp raises a BUNDLE OF ELECTRICAL WIRES in his hand. The crew's going to draw straws. The highest tension yet. No one breathes, no one moves. Sharp : Who's first? (no response) Clockwise then. Sharp holds the WIRE STRAND BUNDLE in front of Lev. Lev stares at it. He smiles nervously and reaches...and draws. The strand is LONG. Lev exhales. Next... Chick, Chick stares at the bundle, sweating. He grabs a strand. Pulls slowly. LONG. He exhales. Next... Bear. He stares at the bundle, thinking, choosing. He grabs and pulls quickly, decisively. LONG. Two strands remain, and two men, Harry and A.J. It's A.J.'s turn.... A.J. stares at the wire strands - not a bundle now. A.J. shifts in his chair. The matter will be decided on this last pull. A.J. looks at Harry. They lock eyes. Harry : Your turn. A.J. : I ain't gonna draw against you Harry. Chick : (starts to get up) I can't watch this. Harry : (stern, hard) Sit down, Chick. Chick sits down. Harry looks at A.J. Harry : Draw. A.J. stares at the two strands. Gets used to the idea. He reaches and begins to pull. Stops. Chooses the other strand. And pulls. It is SHORT. A.J. stares at the SHORT STRAND OF WIRE in his hand. We see a fear on his face that gets covered by a small smile. A.J. : Well, I guess I won. Now I'm the guy who gets to save the Earth. A.J. takes off the half medallion. Harry takes off his half medallion. A.J. : We said we'd join these after we drilled the hole. It just ain't gonna be on Earth. They slide the two halves together to make a whole. Harry and A.J. exchange a long look. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Watts flips switches. Suddenly the jets ignite! Watts : Ignition! She's started! INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Skip turns to Golden excitedly. Skip : They got Freedom goin'! INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - CARGO BAY A.J. and Harry stand in the airlock, helmets on. Harry carries the two thousand foot spool-drum of wire. The airlock opens. Harry and A.J. descend onto the asteroid. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Golden looks at the CLOCK running down: 10:33....10:32....10:31... EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry and A.J. approach the NUCLEAR DEVICE. It's half in, half out of the drilling hole, as they left it. Harry and A.J. alligator-clamp the end of the wire spool-drum onto the nuke's DETONATION DEVICE. A.J : You never answered my question. They finish attaching the wire. A.J. pulls the piece of TUBULAR ALUMINIUM out of the nuke's ratchet wheel delivery sled. The NUKE descends downhole, slowly spooling out wire from the SPOOL DRUM. A.J. : About Grace, Harry. (laughs nervously) I know it ain't gonna happen now, but....if things were different...What would you say...? Harry walks back toward Freedom. A.J. follows. Harry : I always wanted a son. And if I had....I'd want him to be like you. Harry hands him the pipe section. Harry : (cont'd) You're going to need some magic in the world. You can marry her, A.J. A.J. laughs, being told at this dire time in his life. He looks at Harry with a hint of bittersweet smile. A.J. : Mean "could have...?" Harry : No. Go home, A.J. Marry Grace. A.J. : I'm not going home Harry. With one hand, Harry stabs the airlock door, and then with a small pipe clamp, rips A.J.'s air tubes off. Harry : It's my hole, I drilled it, and I'm staying with it till the end. Harry grabs him, throws his kicking, screaming body into the airlock. A.J. is choking. Harry : (cont'd) She's always going to be my little girl. The door shuts automatically. Harry is now alone. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - AIRLOCK A.J. explodes from the airlock into the cabin. A.J. : Goddamn it, HARRY....! A.J. lunges for the airlock. Sharp grabs A.J. with his good arm, helped by Bear..holding him back. A.J. : LET ME GO....LET ME GO....!! SHARP : YOU HAVE NO OXYGEN...YOUR TUBES ARE RIPPED...LET IT GO....!! A.J., sobbing, furious, POUNDS on the AIRLOCK WINDOW, staring at Harry outside. A.J. : (pounding on the door) HARRY!! Harry turns and walks back to the drilling hole. Sharp looks at him. Sharp : This guy really is a hero.... INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL REAR ROOM Skip : Director? It's Mr. Stamper. He wants to talk to his daughter. Golden looks over at Grace. Their eyes meet.... A N.A.S.A. Tech hands Grace a mike and exits. She stares at the static on the monitor. Harry's face fades in and out. Grace knows something is very wrong from her father's strained, tired face. She forces a smile. INTERCUT with Harry inside the Armadillo: Grace : Daddy. Harry : (V.O.) Grace. I...(sighs) This is so hard for me. I don't have.... Tears start to well up in her eyes. Harry : (V.O.) (cont'd) ...I just....want you to know how much I love you. Grace : I'm so proud of you, Daddy. Grace wipes a tear from her face. Harry : (V.O.) (looking at Earth) It's so beautiful up here. So pure. (swallows hard) I remember something I read once..."The world is a fine place...and worth fighting for." looks at Earth, smiles) Gracie, I'm just an iron-ass-warrior doin' what's best. (pause) Take care of A.J. I'll look in on you from time to time.... Harry pulls off the video link. Grace's monitors go black. Grace touches the monitor, as Harry's face fades away. Her knees buckle. She sinks to the floor. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry looks at the detonator in hand. Harry : You have three minutes and I'm not waiting. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Watts and Sharp settle into the cockpit and begin flipping switches. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry, all business now, situates himself next to the nuke. The manual detonator in his hand. Harry : Let's go, Sharp. Get the hell off this rock. I WILL push this button. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Sharp hits the THRUSTER SWITCH. EXT. FREEDOM The booster rockets SPUTTER and die. INT. FREEDOM - COCKPIT Nothing happens. He HITS it again. Again. Watts unbuckles and goes to the ENGINE IGNITION SYSTEM. The timer continues counting down to 1:34...1:33...1:32.... INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Skip : The thrusters are down! 32 seconds. EXT. ASRTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry looks irritably at the SHUTTLE'S SPUTTERING THRUSTER. Harry : Sharp, you better get those engines goin'. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - SERVICE HATCH The timer counts 23...22...21. Watts is frantically adjusting the FUEL MODULATOR'S VALVES... Sharp : Watts, we gotta get that thing going! Watts : THE INTERIORR VALVE'S STUCK! Lev crowds in next to her. Watts : (cont'd) (to Lev) BACK OFF!! YOU DON'T KNOW THIS COMPONENT!! Lev backs off. Keeps looking at the modulator, curiously. IN THE COCKPIT - the Timer reads 10...9...9...SHARP keeps hitting the THRUSTER SWITCH. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Golden paces. Technicians stare pessimistically at consoles. Golden : Stamper, you gave me your word. You have five seconds. PRESS THE BUTTON! INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Temple : (V.O.) Sharp, I NEED A SOLUTION! BACK TO LEV , Watts and Sharp. Sharp : Sir with all due respect, if I knew the PROBLEM, I'd give a SOLUTION, SIR..! Temple : Well, find a solution!! EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry is looking at the shuttle. Close-Up on finger ready to pull the trigger. Harry : SHARP, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! Harry's eyes close as the clock counts -10...-11...-12. Temple : STAMPER DETONATE! INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - SERVICE HATCH Lev : (to Watts) WE HAVE JUST THE SAME SHIT PART IN RUSSIA!! SOMETIMES IT NOT WORK SO WE HIT!! YOU GOTTA GIVE IT WHACK!! WHACK!! HIT!! Watts : WHAT!!? Lev : GIVE IT WHACK!! Lev grab a wrench and goes ballistic. SMASHES it down on the component, AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. We hear JET FUEL COURSE through the component and -- -- SHARP hits the IGNITION SWITCH and the THRUSTERS FIRE. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - SHUTTLE FREEDOM Shuttle Freedom lifts off the asteroid on full REVERSE THRUSTER POWER, like a Harrier jet. It ascends backwards, falling away from the asteroid, away from Earth, toward the Moon. Harry is a solitary figure, left behind. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT Sharp, Watts, A.J., Lev and Bear watch Harry becoming smaller and smaller on the asteroid. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry takes his final breaths. Looks around. Harry : All right, son-of-a-bitch, it's just you and me.... Harry's FINGER compresses on the detonator button.... A GEYSER OF STEAM next to the drilling hole BLAT up to five feet away. A SECOND GEYSER, directly underneath Harry, BLOWS. The MANUAL DETONATOR flies from Harry's hand as he's knocked backward -- -- into the drilling hole! INT. DRILLING HOLE Harry falls ass-first down the hole, his PRO-GRAVITY THRUSTERS pushing him further and further down. Harry's FINGERS GOUGE into the walls of the hole. He scissors his legs. HIS BOOTS scrape the sides. He begins climbing up out of the hole....We see that his air has been punctured. He's losing pressure. He starts to choke. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM They've ascended to a safe distance. Sharp : Something's wrong. A.J. : Don't worry. He'll come through. Sharp : We should have detonation by now. A.J. : Harry doesn't fail. Sharp : We're going back. A.J. : What? Sharp : Every life, that you know, will die....unless that nuke is detonated. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE HARRY'S GLOVED HANDS grip the sides of the hole. Then his helmet appears. He looks across the asteroid surface to the MANUAL DETONATOR, lying in the dirt. The nuke has now descended several hundred feet into the hole. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM WE MOVE DOWN the faces of the terrified men, looking down on the craggy asteroid.... Chick : (unsure) That means we might die too.... Sharp : Watts, prepare for re-landing. NOW!! Watts, frozen with fear, begins hitting switches. EXT. ASTEROID SURFACE - DRILLING SITE Harry crawls out of the hole. The nuke is at the bottom of the hole. Harry runs, gasping for air, bounding across the asteroid surface, dodging geysers and rolling debris. He dives for the detonator. He stares long and hard. A TEAR wells in his eye. His finger presses on the detonator...sweat pours over his face.... Harry : I beat you. SLOW-MOTION CLOSE-UP on Harry's finger as it presses the detonator. EXT. SPACE The nuclear device DETONATES. A spectacular concussion. The ASTEROID SPLITS in two halves, as planned, like a split diamond. The TWO BLOWN PIECES wing off into space, on new vector angles which might miss the Earth.... INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM - COCKPIT The detonation ROCKS the cabin. Everyone's violently buffeted around. Watts : Houston, we have detonation! Watts fumbles for the reverse switches as the flames from the explosion grow CLOSER....She hits the directional THRUSTERS, jamming it as hard as it will go...the flames bite up at them. The shuttle veers off toward Earth. A.J. : Harry.... A.J. and the others stare out the cockpit window as the NUCLEAR FISSION EXPLOSION FLAMES OUT, the halves of the asteroid wing off. EXT. AROUND THE WORLD - MONTAGE OF IMAGES IN EXTREME SLOW MO, we see images around the world. WALL STREET deserted....a crowded BAR with people huddled around a T.V....Extremely tight on a TEAR falling form a woman's face....ENGLISH FARMERS in a corn field.....a FATHER holding his SON as they watch the brilliant flaming sky....Golden closes his eyes and falls to his seat....Arms raise in unison....PEOPLE embrace....AT THE PYRAMIDS, dappled in firelight, hundreds praying.... INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL Grace is quietly weeping. THE ASTEROID'S DETONATION is computer-imaged on the Central Board. WE SEE the ASTEROID'S TWO HALVES, moving in new directions. The Technicians stare in wonderment. Golden : Where are they, Flip? Give me some angles, give me some directions, give me speeds... Flip : (analysing new data) The new courses are....they're gonna miss us! The Technicians CHEER. Grace looks up. Wipes her tears. Golden approaches her. Golden : I just want to tell you I'm proud to know the daughter of the man who just saved the world. EXT. ARIZONA - SHUTTLE LANDING AREA Shuttle Freedom touches down. N.A.S.A. QUARANTINE VEHICLES race out to meet it. INT. N.A.S.A. - MISSION CONTROL N.A.S.A.TEHNICIANS sit at consoles, exhausted. There are Coke cans, coffee mugs, cigarettes overflowing ashtrays. Jimbo, Theo and Pearl, wearing V.I.P. VISITORS BUTTONS, stand at the back. Jimbo : This definitely doesn't look like a glamorous job. INT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM A.J., Chick and Bear unbuckle, begin to rise from seats. Chick : I'm dyin' for a Budweiser. Sharp : Stay seated. Let the medical quarantine trucks set up. Bear : I ain't gettin' another enema from Nurse Ratchet. A.J., Chick and Bear look at each other. A.J. : What would Harry do? Bear : I think he'd go get a beer. EXT. SHUTTLE FREEDOM The EMERGENCY HATCH DOOR BLOWS in front of surprised N.A.S.A. QUARANTINE TECHNICIANS. EXT. ARIZONA - SHUTTLE LANDING AREA A.J., Chick and Bear walk away from the shuttle. All he N.A.S.A. QUARANTINE MEDICS are looking for them. Chick : What are you lookin' at? Bear : Yeah, okay, you're right, we're the studs who just blew up the Death Star. A wave of fans are held back by MILITARY POLICE. Sharp, holding his shoulder in pain, is helped across the tarmac by Watts. A VET BYSTANDER comes up to Sharp and drapes an American flag over his shoulders. Temple, with a huge grin, approaches Sharp. Temple salutes Sharp. Among the masses, Chick catches sight of Denise. Tommy stands next to her, waving a small flag, proud as can be. Grace runs toward A.J.; he sees her and runs to her. They fall into each others arms. Grace is crying. A.J. is crying. They kiss. A.J. looks up at the sky. A.J. : He's up there, Grace. And he'll never die. Will you marry me? I gotcha a new rock.... A.J. pulls out one of the DIAMONDS from the asteroid surface, as big as a doorknob, about two thousand karats. It glitters in the sunlight. Grace stares at it, agog. As we PULL BACK and CAMERA TILTS TO THE SKIES ABOVE. Where Harry Stamper's soul remains..... THE END

Part One ATLANTIC OCEAN NARRATOR Those were the years after the ice caps had melted because of the greenhouse gases, and the oceans had risen to drown so many cities along all the shorelines of the world. Amsterdam. Venice. New York. Forever lost. Millions of people were displaced, climate became chaotic. Hundreds of millions of people starved in poorer countries. Elsewhere, a high degree of prosperity survived when most governments in the developed world introduced legal sanctions to strictly license pregnancies, which was why robots, who were never hungry and who did not consume resources beyond those of their first manufacture, were so essential an economic link in the chain mail of society. LIBRARY-CYBERTRONICS CORP. HOBBY To create an artificial being has been the dream of man since the birth of science. Not merely the beginning of the modern age, when our forebears astonished the world with the first thinking machines: primitive monsters that could play chess. How far we have come. The artificial being is a reality of perfect simulacrum, articulated in limb, articulate in speech, and not lacking in human response� SHEILA Ahhh!! HOBBY ...and even pain memory response. How did that make you feel? Angry? Shocked? SHEILA I don't understand. HOBBY What did I do to your feelings? SHEILA You did it to my hand. HOBBY Aye. There's the rub. Undress. At Cybertronics of New Jersey, the artificial being has reached its highest form. Universally adopted mecha, the basis for hundreds of models, serving the human race in all the multiplicity of daily life. That's far enough. But we have no reason to congratulate ourselves. We are, rightly, proud of it, but what does it amount to? Sheila, open. A sensory toy, with intelligent behavioral circuits, using neurone sequencing technology as old as I am. I believe that my work on mapping the impulse pathways in a single neurone can enable us to construct a mecha of a qualitatively different order. I propose that we build a robot, who can love. TEAM MEMBER #1 Love? TEAM MEMBER #2 But we ship thousands of lover models every month. TEAM MEMBER #3 Of course, you're your own best customer, Siyatsu-sama. TEAM MEMBER #2 Quality control is�very important! HOBBY Tell me, what is love? SHEILA Love is first widening my eyes a little bit and quickening my breathing a little and warming my skin and touching with my - HOBBY And so on. Exactly so. Thank you, Sheila. But I wasn't referring to sensuality simulators. The word that I used was love. Love like the love of a child for its parents. I propose that we build a robot child, who can love. A robot child who will genuinely love the parent or parents it imprints on, with a love that will never end. TEAM MEMBER #3 A child substitute mecha? HOBBY But a mecha with a mind, with neuronal feedback. You see what I'm suggesting is that love will be the key by which they acquire a kind of subconscious never before achieved. An inner world of metaphor, of intuition, of self motivated reasoning. Of dreams. TEAM MEMBER #4 A robot that dreams? HOBBY Yes. TEAM MEMBER #4 And how exactly do we pull this off? FEMALE TEAM MEMBER You know, it occurs to me... um...with all this animus existing against mechas today, it isn't simply a question of creating a robot who can love, but isn't the real conundrum - can you get a human to love them back? HOBBY Ours will be a perfect child caught in a freeze-frame - always loving, never ill, never changing. With all the childless couples yearning in vain for a license, our little mecha would not only open an entirely new market, it will fill a great human need. FEMALE TEAM MEMBER But you haven't answered my question. If a robot could genuinely love a person, what responsibility does that person hold toward that mecha in return? It's a moral question, isn't it? HOBBY The oldest one of all. But in the beginning, didn't God create Adam to love him? CRYOGENIC HOSPITAL MONICA The baby was born as the first leaves of autumn fell. A baby boy. And Marion's wish came true. The boy had white hair. He was baptized Martin after his grandfather. HENRY Dr Frazier. Hi. It's good to see you. DR.FRAZIER Hi. How're you? HENRY Listen, there was an article by Randenbach in the Journal of Chinese Medicine - they're talking about these virus locators.... DR.FRAZIER Hello again, Monica. HENRY ... microscopic, synthetic hunter killers. Did you read that article? MONICA I can still hear you! DR.FRAZIER I'm worried about her, Henry. She's really got me worried. HENRY Yeah, I know. DR.FRAZIER She's in the most difficult position of feeling she should mourn the death of your son. After five years your instincts tell you to mourn him, too. But medicine assures us that mourning is inappropriate, that Martin is merely pending. HENRY Pending. DR.FRAZIER So all her grief goes undigested. Henry, your son may be beyond our science, but it's your wife who can still be reached. HOBBY'S OFFICE FIRST ASSISTANT The screening process was extremely difficult. It was almost tougher than building the prototype. SECOND ASSISTANT Of our 2,000 employees a surprising few met your minimum requirements for the in-house testing. Initiate. Employment record. Quality of life style. Query. Internal data. Loyalty to the firm. And...in this individuals case, a family tragedy that may qualify him above the rest. HOBBY I'll see him. FOYER-SWINTON HOME MONICA Henry. HENRY Don�t kill me. MONICA Henry, what are you doing? HENRY I love you. Don�t kill me. Door�s closed. DAVID I like your floor. MASTER BEDROOM MONICA I can't accept this! There is no substitute for your own child! HENRY You don't have to accept it or even try - it's not too late to take him back! MONICA What were you thinking?! HENRY I'll do whatever you want me to do! MONICA You think I can just, I can just... HENRY I'll do whatever you want me to do! MONICA I don't know... what to do. HENRY I know, I know�I'll return him to Cybertronics first thing in the morning, it�s gone. MONICA Good. I mean Henry, did you see his face? He's, he's so real. But he's not... HENRY No, he's not. MONICA I mean, inside he's like all the rest, isn't he? HENRY A hundred miles of fiber, yeah. MONICA But outside he just looks so real... like he is a child. HENRY A mecha child. MONICA A child... MASTER BATHROOM HENRY The show of faith my company has placed on me...on us, is extraordinary. Now there are a few simple procedures we need to follow if and when you decide to keep David. If you decide to keep him, there�s an imprinting protocol consisting of a code string of seven particular words which need to be spoken to David in the predefined order that�s been printed here. Now Monica, for our own protection, this imprinting is irreversible. The robot child�s love would be sealed, in a sense hardwired, and we�d be part of him forever. Because of this, after imprinting, no mecha child can be resold. If an adoptive parent should ever decide not to keep the child, they must return it to Cybertronics for destruction. Now, I had to sign a letter of agreement or they wouldn�t even let you see David. You have to sign it too... right here. Monica... don�t imprint until you're entirely sure. MONICA Silly man. Of course I�m not sure. MARTIN'S BEDROOM DAVID Would you like me to sleep now? MONICA Uh... HENRY Good Idea. Good idea. Monica? MONICA Uh..well..it's late, you know�it's after nine,so uh... HENRY Yeah. Ten past. MONICA How..how late do they let you stay up? DAVID I can never go to sleep, but I can lay quietly, and not make a peep. MONICA So those pajamas will fit you, and uh, we'll be in to check on you first thing in the morning. DAVID Dress me? MONICA You know I'm gonna say good night...while you...boys be boys. HENRY Raise your arms. HALLWAY CLOSET DAVID Is it a game? MONICA Yes. Hide and Seek. Found you. That�s your bedroom. Just go and play. HALLWAY BATHROOM MONICA Ahhh! DAVID I found you. MONICA Out! Out! Get outta here! And close the goddamn door! DINING ROOM DAVID, MONICA, & HENRY HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA�.! MARTIN'S BEDROOM (Monica dresses David for bed - her mind bounces back and forth between David and Martin. The next day...) DAVID Is it a game? MONICA Now, I'm gonna read some words, and�uh...they won't make any sense, but I want you to listen to them anyway. And...look at me all the time. Can you do that? DAVID Yes, Monica. MONICA Can you feel my hand on the back of your neck? DAVID Yes. MONICA Does any of this hurt? DAVID No. MONICA Okay. Now. Look at me? Ready? Cirrus. Socrates. Particle. Decibel. Hurricane. Dolphin. Tulip. Monica. David. Monica... All right�I wonder if I did that right. I don�t- DAVID What were those words for, Mommy? MONICA What did you call me? DAVID Mommy. MONICA Who am I, David? DAVID You are my Mommy. MASTER BEDROOM MONICA (Humming...) Hmm...! HENRY You smell lovely. I love it when you wear this stuff. MONICA Will you still love me when it's all gone? HENRY No. MONICA Wha...stop it! HENRY But we can get married again and begin with a fragrance that's not in such short supply. MONICA Hmmm... HENRY Gotta go...Come on, we're late! MONICA (Still humming...) HENRY Hello, David. DAVID Hello, Henry. MONICA Walk us out, alright, sweetheart? Come on. My shoe! (Laughs) FOYER MONICA Henry, your tie! HENRY Yeah I know! I'm helpless! MONICA You're hopeless! HENRY Oh, it's not bad... MONICA Oh, it's just tight...I was just trying so hard. HENRY You see the way he rearranged that... MONICA He tries so hard to please me. He has a way with my coffee. HENRY And it�s creepy. You can never hear him coming. He�s just always there. MONICA He is only a child. HENRY Monica, he�s a toy. MONICA He�s a gift, from you. David! When we leave, all the doors and windows will go smart, so you can't leave your room, but, if you'd like...oh, I put way too much on. DAVID Do I smell lovely? MONICA (Sighs) I'll go look... MASTER BEDROOM DAVID Mommy? Will you die? MONICA Well....one day David. Yes, I will. DAVID I�ll be alone. MONICA Don�t worry yourself so. DAVID How long will you live? MONICA For ages. For fifty years. DAVID I love you, Mommy. I hope you never die. Never. MONICA Yes... HENRY Darling? We're becoming unfashionably, unreasonably late. MARTIN'S BEDROOM MONICA This belonged to Martin. My son. TEDDY Grr-rowr! MONICA His name is Teddy. Teddy, this is David. DAVID Hello, Teddy. TEDDY Hello, David. MONICA David, Teddy is a Super-Toy, and I know you�ll take good care of each other. TEDDY I am not...a toy. STAIRCASE/FOYER MONICA Henry? Sorry...! HENRY What were you doing up there? MONICA Ohh, I'll tell you in the car. C'mon. MARTIN'S BEDROOM DAVID Is fifty years a long time? TEDDY I don't think so. KITCHEN MONICA David, I'll get it! Honey, hand it to me. DAVID Look what I can do! (Operator's voice) Hello...? MONICA Hah...Yes? DAVID (Operator's voice) Mrs. Swinton, could you hold a moment? I have an urgent call from your husband. MONICA Monica: Yes. I will. Uh..uh...David, I need to talk to the phone now. DAVID (Henry's voice) Monica? Monica can you hear me, Monica? MONICA Let the phone talk now. Come on. DAVID (Henry's voice) Monica, can you hear me? Pick up the phone Monica. MONICA Run along, play with Teddy. DAVID (Henry's voice) Pick up the phone, Monica! Oh my god Moni... MONICA Hello? Henry? What is it? Wha...What? When? Oh god... FOYER MONICA David? The most wonderful thing in the whole world has happened. This is Martin. This is my son. MARTIN'S BEDROOM TEDDY Martin, no... MARTIN We�ll have a contest, to see who he comes to first. Come here, Teddy! Come here, boy! Teddy! Come here! You call him too. DAVID Come here, Teddy. MARTIN Come on... DAVID Come here, boy. MARTIN Teddy! Teddy! Come here! Come on, Teddy! Come here! DAVID Come here, Teddy. MARTIN Come here, Teddy! Teddy! Teddy come! C'mere! DAVID Come here, Teddy. MARTIN Come Teddy! Come! TEDDY Mommy! Mommy! MONICA Are they torturing you , Teddy? MARTIN He used to be a Super-Toy, but now he�s old and stupid. You want him? DAVID Yes, please. MARTIN So, I guess now you�re the new Super-Toy, so what good stuff can you do? Oh, can you do 'power' stuff, like, uhhh, walk on the ceiling or the walls? Anti- gravity? Like, float, or fly? DAVID Can you? MARTIN No, because I�m real. Can you break this? DAVID I better not. MARTIN These things...they do look better in pieces. They do. DAVID I can�t. MARTIN Stand up. Look, they made you bigger than me. DAVID Who did? MARTIN Well, they did, the dollmakers. They made you taller. Why don't you look like one? DAVID Like one... MARTIN You're not cute like a doll. You just look like someone�s ordinary kid. When�s your birthday? DAVID I never had a birthday. MARTIN Okay�well, when were you first built? When�s your �build day�? DAVID I don�t remember. MARTIN Okay, what�s the first thing you can remember? DAVID A bird. MARTIN What sort of bird? DAVID A bird with big wings. And feathers sticking up from the bottom. MARTIN Could you draw it? DAVID Yes. MARTIN That looks like a peacock. Can you say peacock? DAVID Peacock. MARTIN Can you say pea? DAVID Pea. MARTIN Now, say that two times fast. KITCHEN MONICA Okay. Then you gotta put the green ones�. MARTIN Read to us? MONICA Hey... Let�s see. Oh, yes�. MARTIN David�s going to love it. ON THE BOAT MONICA As soon as the show was over, the showman went into the kitchen, where the whole sheep which he was preparing for supper was roasting on a slowly turning spit in the furnace. When he saw that there was not enough wood to finish roasting it, he called Harlequin and Pulcinella and said, 'Bring me in Pinocchio! You will find him hanging on a nail. He is made of nice dry wood and I�m sure he will make a nice fire for my roast. MARTIN'S BEDROOM MONICA Pinocchio worked until midnight, and instead of making eight baskets, he made sixteen. Then he went to bed, and fell asleep. As he slept, he dreamt he saw the fairy, lovely and smiling, who gave him a kiss, saying, 'Brave Pinocchio, in return for your good heart, I forgive all your past misdeeds. Be good in the future, and you will be happy.' Then the dream ended, and Pinocchio awoke, full of amazement. You can imagine how astonished he was when he saw that he was no longer a puppet, but a real boy, just like other boys. DINING ROOM HENRY Josephine evidently has.. uh.. taken a leave of absence. MONICA Oh my God... HENRY Umm...humm. MONICA Well...I saw that coming. HENRY How could you see that coming? They were fabulous together. MONICA Oh Come on! She was miserable... I mean... HENRY Well, he never said they were miserable. MONICA Yeah.. . that�s because.... Was that because of the cutbacks or what? HENRY I have no idea. They certainly don�t tell me anything. MONICA Didn't they have a bit of a weight problem? HENRY Well so do I...I mean... MONICA Do not! That is ridiculous. HENRY ...well... all right look.. I don�t know... isn�t there...something about inner beauty? TEDDY You will break. MONICA Oh that is ridiculous. HENRY Exactly...oh, work has become so silly. Does he eat? MONICA I�m not sure. HENRY You�re not supposed to do that. MONICA David, what are you doing? David?! HENRY Do you have the manual... the book? MONICA Martin, put the fork down. Put it down now. HENRY Stop. Stop, David. Will you stop? MONICA David?! Stop it. Martin you�re provoking him. OK? HENRY David, stop it! MONICA The two of you stop it! Stop it now! Stop it!! David! Stop it! LATER FIRST A.R.T. TECH Hmmm..spewed in the code blockers. SECOND A.R.T. TECH Smell that garlic! FIRST A.R.T. TECH Should clone the chest bridge... Ehhh...! SECOND A.R.T. TECH Did you locate the servers? FIRST A.R.T. TECH Don't touch the merchandise. SECOND A.R.T. TECH It's all swamp in here. FIRST A.R.T. TECH You... made a mess of yourself! Spinach is for rabbits, people and Popeye. Not robo-boys. SECOND A.R.T. TECH Go ahead insert your cells... let's do a patching on the lower shelves. DAVID It's OK, Mommy. It doesn't hurt! FIRST A.R.T. TECH The activators are all hooked up on this side. HENRY Monica... MONICA No! I just have to... SECOND A.R.T. TECH That's not all of it... that's not all of it... MARTIN'S BEDROOM MARTIN If you do something really, really, really special for me, a special mission, then I'll go tell Mommy...I love you, and then she'll love you, too. DAVID What shall I do? MARTIN You have to promise, and then I'll tell you. DAVID You have to tell me, and then I'll promise. MARTIN I want a lock of Mommy's hair. I'll share it with you. And if you had it, and wore it, she might love you even more, like the princess in the movie we saw. When she had the prince's hair in her necklace thing, he loved her. DAVID We can ask her- MARTIN No! It has to be a secret mission. Sneak in to Mommy's bedroom, in the middle of the night, and chop�it off. DAVID I can't, Martin. I'm not allowed. MARTIN You promised. You said 'tell me and then I'll promise', didn�t you? MASTER BEDROOM (HENRY & MONICA talk over each other. Dialogue separated) HENRY David! - MONICA (Gasp!) HENRY Why did you do that?! Why did you do that?! Talk to me! David god damn it, talk to me David! Why did you do that, David?! Why did you do that?! Tell me WHY-DID-YOU- MONICA Henry, what are you doing - you�re hurting him! Henry, let him go! Henry you�re hurting him! You�re hurting him! You- DON�T BREAK HIM!! DAVID Henry�I wanted Mommy to love me�more. MONICA Oh my god� HENRY What? MONICA Oh my god, I think I cut my eye. HENRY Lemme see. MONICA Oh god, I think it's bleeding! HENRY Come�come...come on, wash it out. BACKYARD POOL MONICA It's normal for little boys to feel jealous and competitive. Martin's only been home a month and...it's normal for brothers to challenge each other. He...He was playing a game, he made a mistake, and he - he's practically human. HENRY That's not how he looked holding the knife. MONICA Scissors. HENRY It was a weapon. MONICA Why do you keep imagining that he was purposely trying to harm me? HENRY Uh, because we don't know the answer to that! How is he worth the risk to you, or to Martin, or to us as a family? MONICA I will not let you take him back. You told me what would happen if you ever took him back. HENRY Think about this. If he was created to love, then it's reasonable to assume he knows how to hate. And if pushed to those extremes, what is he really capable of? LATER DAVID Happy birthday, Martin. I made this for you. TOD This him? This your little brother? MARTIN Technically�no. TOD He�s mecha! DAVID What�s mecha? TOD We're orga-nic, you�re mecha-nical. Orga, mecha, orga... MARTIN Tod... TOD ...mecha, orga, mecha... MARTIN Tod...stop. TOD I didn�t know they even made little kids. BOY #1 Can you pee? DAVID I cannot. BOY #1 Then let�s see what you can�t pee with. MARTIN Come on... BOY #2 Touch it. BOY#3 It feels so real. BOY #2 Oh, that�s...that�s creepy. BOY #4 Whoa...feels so real. BOY #2 That is too real. TOD Mecha real. Does he have DAS? BOY #3 DAS what? BOY #2 Das ist gut! TOD Damage Avoidance System. DAS. It�s a pain-alert system. Our serving-man has it. It�s so they don�t go picking up fire with their bare hands and stuff. Watch. Watch this. Now, I�m not going to cut you. This isn't gonna hurt. I�m not gonna cut your skin. Just tell me when you can feel it. DAVID Keep me safe, Martin. Keep me safe! MARTIN Lemme go! DAVID Keep me safe Martin! MARTIN Lemme go! Mom! Mom! Mommmmmmmm! DAVID Keep me safe, keep me safe, keep me safe, keep me safe... MONICA Henry! Oh my...God! He's not breathing...he's not breathing! Come on, breathe! HENRY Come on..come on, man...Martin! Take a breath...cough it up ! Thatta boy, that's a great boy! MONICA Oh...thank God...thank God thank God! HENRY Call Frazier-tell him what happened! Get him outta there! MARTIN'S BEDROOM MONICA Hey David? DAVID Mommy! Mommy! MONICA David, wait. I need to speak to to you for a minute, okay? DAVID Okay! MONICA Yeah... Monica looks over some messages that David has been writing. MONICA Oh, David, these are beautiful! Thank you. Um... Um, hey David, I was thinking that we could go for a drive tomorrow in the country. You and me. What do you say? DAVID And Teddy? MONICA Yeah, and Teddy. DAVID Thank you Mommy! Thank you so much! MONICA Tomorrow's gonna be just for us, okay? IN THE CAR DAVID Where are we going? Someplace nice? Are those happy tears? What�s for dinner tonight? MONICA You know you don�t eat. DAVID Yes. But I like sitting at the table. IN THE WOODS MONICA David. David, hold on. David? David! Listen! Listen to me! David? David listen! Now you won't understand the reasons, but I ..I have to leave you here. DAVID Is it a game? MONICA No. DAVID When will you come back for me? MONICA I'm not, David, you...you'll have to be here by yourself. DAVID Alone? MONICA With Teddy. **David and Monica talk over each other. For clarity, here is the dialogue, separated. DAVID No. No! No, no, no, no! No, Mommy please! MONICA Shhh...shhh... DAVID No! No! Please no Mommy no! MONICA They're going to destroy you... DAVID No, Mommy! MONICA David, they'll destroy you. David...David, they're going to destroy you! DAVID Mommy, No! I'm sorry I broke myself! I'm so sorry I cut your hair off and I'm oh so sorry I hurt you and I hurt Martin and I hurt Henry and I hurt everybody! MONICA No...no, no...I have to go. I have to go! Stop it! DAVID I'm sorry! MONICA Stop it! I have to GO! DAVID Mommy, no! Mommy! MOMMY! Mommy, if Pinocchio became a real boy and...and I become a real boy can I come home? MONICA But that's just a story, David. DAVID But that story tells what happens! MONICA Stories are not real! You're not real! Now listen , look. Look! Take this, alright? Take this. And don't let anyone see how much it is. Now look. Don't go that way, alright? Look! Don't look at me, look! Don't go that way, alright? Go any where but that way or they'll catch you! Don't ever let them catch you! Listen, stay away from Flesh Fairs, away from where there are lots of people! Stay away from all people! Only others like you, only Mecha are safe! Now get going! DAVID Why do you want to leave me? Why do you want to leave me??! I'm sorry I'm not real, if you let me I'll be so real for you! MONICA Let go. Let go! Let GO!! I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the world! SLEAZY MOTEL ROOM PATRICIA I'm afraid... JOE Of me? That I will hurt you? PATRICIA Yes... JOE I think... you're afraid of letting go. I think you're afraid of happiness. And this is starting to excite me. Are you afraid of seeing the stars...Patricia? I can show you how to reach them. PATRICIA I'm afraid... of what you've got under there. May I see what it looks like first? JOE Is this your first time... with something like me? PATRICIA I've never been with mecha. JOE That makes two of us. PATRICIA I'm afraid it will hurt. JOE Patricia...once you've had a lover robot, you'll never want a real man...again. Are these the wounds of passion? Singer: Are the stars out tonight? I don't know if it's cloudy or bright. I only have eyes for you, dear! PATRICIA Do you...do you hear that music? Singer: (note: this is played over Joe's next line) The moon may be high, But I can't see a thing in the sky, 'Cause I only have eyes for you, Yeah...I only have eyes for you! JOE You... are a goddess, Patricia. You wind me up inside. But you deserve much better in your life. You deserve... me. Chorus: 'Cause I only have eyes for you. The moon may be high, but I can�t see a thing in the sky �Cause I only have eyes for you! CITY STREET JANE Hey, Joe, whaddaya know? JOE Hey, Jane, how�s the game? AT THE HOTEL FRONT DESK CLERK Hey, Joe, whaddyaknow? JOE Hello, Mr. Williamson. Place a DND on room one-oh-two, please. MR. WILLIAMSON Sure thing. (Exhales) 'ere ya go. Here y'are. Oh! Joe! Uh, when you're finished here, crack your collar. Show off your operating license. The, uh, flesh fair's in Barn Creek, and the hounds are out hunting for strays. JOE It's a good thing I ran into you. Thanks Mr. Williamson. MR. WILLIAMSON Sure thing. JOE Mustn�t keep a lady waiting. IN ROOM 102 JOE Ms. Bevens. It�s Joe. At your service. I�ve been counting the seconds since last we met. Have you been crying, Samantha? I found a tear. MR. BEVINS Hey Joe, whatdya know? How many seconds has it been, the last time the two of you were together? JOE Two hundred and fifty five thousand, one hundred and thirty three. MR. BEVINS Goodbye, Sam. And never forget, you killed me first. JOE I�m in bad trouble. IN THE WOODS DAVID If I am a real boy, then I can go back. And she will love me then. TEDDY How? DAVID The Blue Fairy made Pinocchio into a real boy. She can make me into a real boy. I must find her, so I can become real. There must be someone in the whole world who knows where she lives. ROADSIDE DUMP/WOODS JUNKYARD MECHA #1 - Moon on the rise! JUNKYARD MECHA #2 - It's a Flesh Fair. They destroy us on stage. I�ve been there. DAVID What do we do? TEDDY We run now. FLESH FAIR BALLOON LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Any old iron? Any old iron? Any old iron? Any old iron? Expel your mecha. Purge yourselves of artificiality. Come along now, let some mecha loose to run, any old unlicensed iron down there? Hey, see that? Could be a human thing. BALLOON OPERATOR No, he�s scanning cold. No expiration date, no ID. LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON What�s a new model doing loose and unregistered? BALLOON OPERATOR Sir, it�s a late generation lover mecha. LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Well, there�s a relief from all this antique iron. You are certain he�s not a man? I wouldn�t want a repeat of the Trenton incident. BALLOON OPERATOR Sir, he�s free range mecha, running hot. LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Let�s reel him in, boys. Sic the hounds on the rest. Shake down Shantytown. HOUSE IN SHANTYTOWN MECHA NANNY What�s your name? DAVID My name is David. MECHA NANNY Hello David! How old are you? DAVID I don�t know. MECHA NANNY Do you need someone to take care of you? Would you like a nanny? I have many good references. DAVID Do you know where the Blue Fairy lives? HANGING IN THE NET MECHA NANNY Don't be afraid, David. Dodo, l'enfant do, L'enfant dormira bien vite; Dodo, l'enfant do, L'enfant dormira bientot... TEDDY I'll break, David. MECHA NANNY Une chanson douce que me chantait ma maman... TEDDY Ow! MECHA NANNY Une chanson douce que me chantait ma maman... THE FLESH FAIR FRONT GATE ATTENDANT Hello. Anybody lose this? Hello? This your dog? TEDDY Grr-rrrr... FRONT GATE ATTENDANT Take it to lost and found for me, okay? CREW MEMBER #1 Hey, Allen! Lost and found! TEDDY Do you know David? CREW MEMBER #2 Where's the off switch? TEDDY Where's David? Can you help me find David? I have to find David. Are you taking me to David? THE ARENA MECHA COMEDIAN Can you shoot me OVER the propeller thing? Yea, I don't need to go through it. Ahhh, I was considering it, but I changed my mind. RINGLEADER Gentlemen! Start... your... engines! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. What about us?! CROWD What about us! RINGLEADER What... about... us?! CROWD What about us! RINGLEADER We are alive, and this is a celebration of life! And this is commitment to a truly human future! LITTLE GIRL (to TEDDY) What's your name? DAVID Hello, Teddy. TEDDY Hello, David. CONTROL BOOTH PAPA Take it! Take it. Backgrounds rolling... LITTLE GIRL Papa? PAPA Not on the... TECHNICIAN ...biker helm. LITTLE GIRL Papa? PAPA Amanda, go on back outside, honey. It's too smoky in here. AMANDA There's a boy in the cage. PAPA What'd you say? AMANDA There's a boy the cage. PAPA A boy? AMANDA A real boy. He's stuck in the cage. PAPA In the pen, honey? AMANDA In the jail place... TECHNICIAN Random crowd reaction- PAPA Hey, Russell, will you get a remote near the pig pen? Bring it up on VT1. Lemme see what she's talking about. RUSSELL Move it up on one. TECHNICIAN Push in. RUSSELL What are you looking for? PAPA Amanda said she saw a little boy in there. TECHNICIAN Push in! Denny, let's go wide on the shot - wide on the shot. PAPA Honey, how do you know about this? AMANDA The bear told me. TEDDY I told her. THE PIG PEN JUNKY MECHA #1 Would you be so kind and shut down my pain receivers? DAVID Why is this happening? TAXI MECHA History repeats itself. It's the rite of blood and electricity. GRUMPY MECHA So, when the opportunities avail themselves, they pick away at us, cutting away our numbers so they can maintain numerical superiority! JUNKY MECHA #1 My time... is it up already? Goodbye everyone. DAVID Keep me safe! Keep me safe! Keep me safe! Keep me safe! CREW MEMBER Not yet! Just this one here! DAVID Keep me safe. Keep me safe. Keep me safe... FEMALE CREW MEMBER Mike, security? Mike! Do you have any reports of any missing kids, any missing children? Alright, thanks. PAPA How'd you get in there? Boy! You, boy! Hey, what's your name? I won't bite ya. Come on over where I can see ya. Hey hey, it won't hurt ya. I just need to see. You're a machine. DAVID I'm a boy. AMANDA Is he a toyboy? DAVID My name is David. PAPA Impossible. THE ARENA JUNKY MECHA #1 I still work, don't I? I can still work in the dark, but my lamp is broken. My lamplight will not work. I hit my lamp on a girder overhead. THE PIG PEN NANNY MECHA Goodbye, David. PAPA No one builds children. No one ever has. What would be the point? LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Aye, he could be a custom job. Some rich, and lonely, scaredy pusses pretend child. GRUMPY MECHA I'm a custom job. 75 years ago I was Time Magazine's mecha of the year! PAPA Eh, this work is first rate. A lot of love went into him. David! You are one of a kind, you know that? Who made you? DAVID My mommy made me. LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Her womb was your factory, eh? One of those built to aspire to the human condition. What is the name of your maker? Serve U.S., E.Z. Living, Robbyville? Simulate-City, Santern, Cybertronics, Sidekicks-- DAVID Monica is my mommy. LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Can I speak with you for a moment? You thinking of not putting him in the show? PAPA Something as original as this you don't toss out with the rest of the garbage! LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Yeah, well, I say originality without purpose is a white elephant, but if money is your purpose, then here's your refund-- my compliments. PAPA What are you going to do with him? LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Put him where he belongs-- in show business. JOE It was certainly my good fortune running into you! LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Let go of him. JOE Let go of me. LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON I said let go of him. JOE I'm trying! DAVID Don't let go. Keep me safe! Don't let go! LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Suit yourselves. THE ARENA LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Ladies and gentlemen. Girls and boys and children of all ages! What will they think of next?! See here: a bitty box, a tinker toy, a living doll. 'Course we all know why they made them. To seize your hearts. To replace your children! This is the latest iteration to the series of insults to human dignity. An underground scheme to phase out all of God's little children. Meet the next generation of child designed to do just that! Do not be fooled by the artistry of this creation. No doubt there was talent in the crafting of this simulator. Yet with the very first strike, you will see the big lie come apart before your very eyes! DAVID Don't burn me! Don't burn me! I'm not Pinocchio! Don't make me die! I'm David, I'm David, I'm David! WOMAN IN CROWD Mecha don't plead for their lives! Who is that? He looks like a boy... DAVID Don't make me die...don't make me die! I'm David! LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Built like a boy to disarm us! See how they try to imitate our emotions, now! DAVID I'm David, I'm David, I'm David... LORD JOHNSON-JOHNSON Whatever performance this sim puts on, remember we are only demolishing artificiality! Let he who is without 'sim' cast the first stone. CROWD He's just a boy... He's just a boy, Johnson...You're a monster!...(hubbub) PAPA Get them out of there before they tear this place apart. HOBBY'S OFFICE ASSISTANT #1 We found him. HOBBY Where? ASSISTANT #1 Flesh Fair outside Haddonfield. HOBBY Is he alive? ASSISTANT #2 Yes. He's in one piece. IN THE WOODS TEDDY I see the moon. DAVID Is it real? TEDDY I don't know, David. DAVID Is it coming? TEDDY I can't tell yet. DAVID Let's not walk this way. JOE Where are we going? DAVID This way now. JOE Are you in bad trouble, have you run away from someone? DAVID My mommy told me to run away. JOE Why did she say that? DAVID I guess...because Henry didn't like me. JOE Why was that? DAVID Martin came home. JOE And who is he? DAVID Martin is Mommy and Henry's REAL son. After I find the Blue Fairy, then I can go home. Mommy will love a real boy. The Blue Fairy will make me into one. JOE Is Blue Fairy mecha, orga, man, or woman? DAVID Woman. JOE Woman. I know women! They sometimes ask for me by name. I know all about women. About as much as there is to know. No two are ever alike, and after they've met me, no two are ever the same! And I know where most of them can be found. DAVID Where? JOE Rouge City. Across the Delaware. Too far for our feet. We'll need help to get there. And, it is not without peril. We will have to journey....towards the moon. DAVID Are there many women in Rouge City? JOE As there are stars at night. DAVID And how will we find just one? JOE We will ask Dr. Know! There is nothing he doesn't. Exactly what name do you give this woman? DAVID She is...just Blue Fairy. JOE Blue Fairy. In the world of Orga blue is the color of melancholy, yet the services I provide will put a blush back on anyones cheek. I will change the color of your fairy for you. She will scream out in the moonlight...'Ah, oh yes, oh god, oh yes, oh god, oh god'...she will make you a real boy for I will make her a real woman and all will be right with the world, because you held my hand and saved my brain. So once again my customers may ask for my by name 'Gigolo Joe, whatdoyaknow'! DAVID Why do you do that? JOE That's just what I do. Now follow me, and don't fall behind. All roads lead to Rouge! Don't they say that, eh? Don't they just.... ON THE ROADSIDE JOE There are girls your age who are just like me. We are the guiltless pleasures of the lonely human being. You're not going to get us pregnant, or have us over for supper with mummy and daddy. We work under you, we work on you, and we work for you. Man made us better at what we do than was ever humanly possible. If you can manage us a lift to Rouge City, all this, and much, much more, can be yours. TEENAGER Get in! IN THE CAR JOE Say �Ah!� JOE & TEENS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ROUGE CITY PLAZA JOE Over there is 'Here, Kitty Kitty'. That's where the agency held my trial when I was made new. That's 'Tails'...very 'hoity-toity'. Only sunrise gents and sunset ladies. I've never been asked to perform there. Strictly sierra class robots who have no idea how to live. Can't even speak English, all made in Sweden. Couldn't tell a joke from a poke. There's Mildred! I have to show you inside Mildred! DAVID Are you her? JOE That�s Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart. The ones who made us are always looking for the ones that made them. They go in, look around their feet, sing songs, and when they come out, it's usually me they find. I've picked up a lot of business in this spot. DAVID But Joe, where's Blue Fairy? JOE That's what we're gonna find out when we ask Dr. Know. It's where everyone goes who needs to know. Meet the good doctor! DOCTOR KNOW'S SHOP DR.KNOW Starving minds, welcome to Dr. Know! Where fast-food for thought is served up 24 hours a day, in 40,000 locations nationwide. Ask Dr. Know, there's nothing I don't! DAVID Tell me where I can find the Blue Fairy. DR.KNOW Question me you pay the fee, two for five you get one free! JOE He means two questions cost five Newbucks with a third question on the house. In this day and age, David, nothing costs more than information. DAVID That's everything! JOE Ten Newbucks and a ten copper comes to 7 questions for Dr. Know. DAVID That should be enough! JOE He's a smooth operator. He'll test our limits, but try we must. DR.KNOW Greetings colleagues. On author, factual text or fictionalized text, 1st or 3rd person, usual literacy range from primal level to the post doctural, usual span of styles from fairy tale to religious, who�s who, or where�s where - or, flat fact. DAVID Flat-fact? DR.KNOW Thank you for question number one. 'Flat-fact' is a term demanding an equal answer with interpretive speculation... merely not the... and what you are saying is basically that is what you- DAVID That shouldn't count, that wasn't my question! JOE You must take care not to raise your voice up at the end of a sentence. 'Flat-fact'. Dr.KNOW You have 6 more questions! DAVID Where is Blue Fair-REE? DR.KNOW In the Garden. Vascostylis blue fairy. Blooms twice annually with bright blue flowers on a branched inflorescence. A hybrid between Ascola Meda Arnold. You have 5 more questions. DAVID Who is Blue Fair-REE? DR.KNOW Are you sad, lonely, looking for a friend? 'Blue Fairy Escort Service' will find a mate for you! You have 4 more questions. DAVID Joe. Try fairy tale. JOE New category. A fairy's tail. DAVID No! Fairy tale! JOE No. Fairy tale. DAVID What is Blue Fairy? DR.KNOW Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi. At the signal, there was a rustling as flapping of wings, and a large falcon flew to the windowsill. What are your orders, beautiful fairy, he asked... DAVID That�s her. DR.KNOW ...For you must know that the child with blue hair was no other than the good hearted fairy who had lived in that wood for more than a thousand years... JOE David! David! DAVID That�s her! JOE It was an example of her. But I think we're getting closer. DAVID But if a fairy tale is real, wouldn�t it be a fact? A flat fact? DR.KNOW ...then the dream ended, and Pinocchio awoke, full of amazement... JOE Say no more. New category, please. Combine Fact with Fairy Tale. Now. Ask him again. DAVID How can the Blue Fairy make a robot into a real, live boy? DR.KNOW Come away,O human child! To the waters and the wild With a fairy, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping then you can understand. Your quest will be perilous Yet the reward is beyond price. In his book 'How Can A Robot Become Human', Professor Allen Hobby writes of the power which will transform Mecha into Orga. DAVID Will you tell me how to find her? DR.KNOW Discovery is quite possible. Our blue fairy does exist in one place, and one place only, At the end of the world Where the lions weep. Here is the place dreams are born. JOE Many a mecha has gone to the end of the world... never to come back! That is why they call the end of the world 'MAN-hattan'. DAVID And that is why we must go there! HALLWAY OUTSIDE DR. KNOW'S SHOP JOE Wait! What if the blue fairy isn't real at all, David? What if she's magic? The supernatural is the hidden web that unites the universe. Only orga believe what cannot be seen or measured. It is that oddness that separates our species. Or what if the Blue Fairy is an electronic parasite that has arisen to hold the minds of artificial intelligence? They hate us, you know? The humans...They'll stop at nothing. DAVID My Mommy doesn't hate me! Because I'm special, and...unique! Because there has never been anyone like me before! Ever! Mommy loves Martin because he is real and when I am real, Mommy's going to read to me, and tuck me in my bed, and sing to me, and listen to what I say, and she will cuddle with me, and tell me every day a hundred times a day that she loves me! JOE She loves what you do for her, as my customers love what it is I do for them. But she does not love you David, she cannot love you. You are neither flesh, nor blood. You are not a dog, a cat or a canary. You were designed and built specific, like the rest of us. And you are alone now only because they tired of you, or replaced you with a younger model, or were displeased with something you said, or broke. They made us too smart, too quick, and too many. We are suffering for the mistakes they made because when the end comes, all that will be left is us. That's why they hate us, and that is why you must stay here, with me. DAVID Goodbye, Joe. ROUGE CITY PLAZA POLICE OFFICER You�re in big trouble. TEDDY Be careful David, this is not a toy. AMPHIBICOPTER Destination please? JOE MAN-hattan. MANHATTAN AMPHIBICOPTER Mecha Restricted Area. Manhattan. Destination Achieved. JOE Man-hattan, the lost city in the sea at the end of the world. DAVID Where the lions weep. TEDDY Grrrrrr� DAVID Turn around, Joe. JOE We're not going to give up yet, David. TEDDY Grrrrrr� DAVID Turn around, Joe. Turn all the way around. TEDDY Grrrrrr� CYBERTRONICS PENTHOUSE ENTRANCE DAVID Professor Hobby? Professor Hobby? JOE Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a Faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. PENTHOUSE LIBRARY DAVID Professor Hobby? Professor Hobby? Hello? Hello? Is this the place they make you real? DAVID II This is the place they make you read. DAVID Are you real? DAVID II I guess. DAVID Are you me? DAVID II I'm David. DAVID You�re not. DAVID II Yes, I am! I�m David! DAVID So am I. DAVID II Hello, David. - Can you read? Can you sit down, and we can read together? Let�s be friends. DAVID You can�t have her. DAVID II I can�t hear you. DAVID She's mine. And I'm the ONLY one. I'm David! I'm David! I'm David! I'm David! I'm...(pause), I'm David! I'm David! I'm David! I'm special! I'm unique! I'm David! You can't have her! I'm David...I'm David...I'm David... HOBBY David? David! DAVID I'm David...I'm David... HOBBY Yes, you are David. DAVID Professor Hobby? HOBBY Yes David, I've been waiting for you. DAVID Dr. Know told me you'd be here. Is Blue Fairy here, too? HOBBY I first heard of your Blue Fairy from Monica. What did you believe the Blue Fairy could do for you? DAVID She would make me a real boy. HOBBY But you are a real boy. At least as real as I've ever made one which by all reasonable accounts would make me your Blue Fairy. DAVID You are not her. Dr. Know told me she would be here at the lost city in the sea at the end of the world where the lions weep. HOBBY And that's what Dr. Know needed to know to get you to come home to us. And it's the only time we intervened; the only help that we gave him to give to you, so you could find your way home to us. Until you were born, robots didn't dream, robots didn't desire, unless we told them what to want. David! Do you have any idea what a success story you've become? You found a fairy tale and inspired by love, fueled by desire, you set out on a journey to make her real and, most remarkable of all, no one taught you how. We actually lost you for a while. But when you were found again we didn't make our presence known because our test was a simple one: Where would your self-motivated reasoning take you? To the logical conclusion? The Blue Fairy is part of the great human flaw to wish for things that don't exist. Or to the greatest single human gift - the ability to chase down our dreams. And that is something no machine has ever done until you. DAVID I thought I was one of a kind. HOBBY My son was one of a kind. You are the first of a kind. David? DAVID My brain is falling out. HOBBY Would you like to come meet your real mothers and fathers? The team is anxious to talk to you. I want you to wait here and I'll gather them up. We want to hear everything about your adventure. We want thank you, and tell you what's in store for you next. OUTSIDE LEDGE OF CYBERTRONICS BLDG. DAVID Mommy. IN THE AMPHIBICOPTER DAVID I saw it Joe, I saw it! The place where she lives! She's right down there, Joe! JOE She is? DAVID She's waiting for me, we have to go! JOE Uh-oh. When you become a real boy, remember me to the ladies when you grow up! DAVID Good-bye Joe. JOE Good-bye David. I am...I was! UNDER WATER TEDDY David, please, be careful. STOPPED DAVID The Blue Fairy's all right! TEDDY What happened? DAVID I don't know. TEDDY We are in a cage. DAVID Blue Fairy? Please...please, please make me into a real live boy. Please...Blue Fairy? Please...please...make me real. Blue Fairy? Please, please make me real. Please make me a real boy. Please, Blue Fairy, make me into a real boy. Please... NARRATOR And David continued to pray to the Blue Fairy there before him, she who smiled softly, forever...she who welcomed forever. Eventually the floodlights dimmed and died, but David could still see her palely by day, and he still addressed her, in hope. He prayed until all the sea anemones had shriveled and died. He prayed as the ocean froze and the ice encased the caged amphibicopter, and the Blue Fairy too, locking them together where he could still make her out - a blue ghost in ice - always there, always smiling, always awaiting him. Eventually he never moved at all, but his eyes always stayed open, staring ahead forever all through the darkness of each night, and the next day...and the next day... Thus, 2000 years passed by. A.I. : Artificial Intelligence The Complete Dialogue Part Three THE ICE DIG SPECIALIST (subtitled) These machines were trapped under the wreckage before the freezing. Therefore, these robots are originals. They knew living people. KITCHEN-SWINTON HOME DAVID Teddy, we�re home. Mommy?! Mommy?! We�re home! Where are you?! DISEMBODIED VOICE (BLUE FAIRY) David�Daaaaaaaaavid�David�Daaaaaaaaaavid� MARTIN'S BEDROOM-*EMPTY BLUE FAIRY You have been searching for me, haven't you David? DAVID For...my whole life. BLUE FAIRY And what after all this time have you come to ask me? DAVID I had a wish to make. BLUE FAIRY And what is your wish? DAVID Please make me a real boy so my Mommy will love me, and let me stay with her. BLUE FAIRY David, I will do anything that is possible, but I cannot make you a real boy. DAVID Where am I? This looks like my house, but it is different. BLUE FAIRY Yes, it is different, but it's also your home. We read your mind, and it's all here. There's nothing too small that you didn't store for us to remember. We so want you to be happy. You are so important to us David, you are unique in all the world. DAVID Will Mommy be coming home soon? Is she out shopping with Martin now? BLUE FAIRY David, she can never come home, because two-thousand years have passed, and she is no longer living. Dearest David, when you are lonely, we can bring back other people from your time in the past. DAVID If you can bring back other people, why can�t you bring back HER? BLUE FAIRY Because we can only bring back people whose bodies we dig up from the ice. We need some physical sample of the person, like a bone, or a fingernail. TEDDY David. DAVID Yes Teddy. TEDDY Do you remember when you cut some of Mommy�s hair? DAVID Henry shook me. TEDDY And you dropped her hair? DAVID I know. Now you can bring her back, can�t you? SPECIALIST OBSERVATION ROOM SPECIALIST (NARRATOR) Give him what he wants. MARTIN'S BEDROOM BLUE FAIRY Dearest David, your wish is my command. DAVID'S BEDROOM DAVID Hey Joe what do you know? SPECIALIST (NARRATOR) David, I often felt a sort of envy of human beings and that thing they call 'spirit'. Human beings had created a million explanations of the meaning of life in art, in poetry, in mathematical formulas. Certainly, human beings must be the key to the meaning of existence, but human beings no longer existed. So, we began a project that would make it possible to recreate the living body of a person long dead from the DNA in a fragment of bone or mummified skin. We also wondered, would it be possible to retrieve a memory trace in resonance with a recreated body. And do you know what we found? We found... the very fabric of space-time itself appeared to store information about every event which had ever occured in the past. But the experiment... was a failure. For those who were resurrected only lived through a single day of renewed life. When the resurrectees fell asleep on the night of their first new day, they died, again. As soon as they became unconscious, their very existence faded away into darkness. So you see, David, the equations have shown that once an individual space-time pathway had been used, it could not be reused. If we bring your mother back now, it will only be for one day, and then you'll never be able to see her again. DAVID Maybe�maybe she will be special, maybe she will stay. SPECIALIST (NARRATOR) I thought this might be hard for you to understand. You were created to be so young. DAVID Maybe the one day will be like that one day inside the amphibicopter, maybe it will last forever. SPECIALIST (NARRATOR) David, you are the enduring memory of the human race, the most lasting proof of their genius. We only want for your happiness. David, you've had so little of that. DAVID If you want for my happiness, then you know what you have to do. SPECIALIST (NARRATOR) Listen. Can you hear that? The new morning has come. Go to her David, she's just waking up this instant. MASTER BEDROOM DAVID I found you. MONICA Hi. DAVID Hi. MONICA I must�ve dozed off. How long have I- DAVID Would you like some coffee? Just the way you like it? MONICA Yeah, I�d love a coffee. It'll wake me up. DAVID Okay. MONICA You never forget how, do you? DAVID No. I never forget. MONICA I must be a little confused. What day is it? DAVID It is�today! MASTER BATHROOM NARRATOR And as the day wore on, David thought it was the happiest day of his life. All the problems seemed to have disappeared from his mommy's mind. There was no Henry, there was no Martin, there was no grief, there was only David. DAVID & MONICA (Laughter) KITCHEN NARRATOR David had been warned not to explain anything to Monica, otherwise she would become frightened, and everything would be spoiled. But David's journey home belonged only to him, so he didn't see the harm of painting her pictures of things she would have no memory of. HALLWAY/CLOSET DAVID & MONICA -(hide & seek w/Teddy) Aaaahhhhhh! KITCHEN NARRATOR David had never had a birthday party, because David had never been born. So they baked a cake, and lit some candles. MONICA Now make a wish. DAVID It came true already. NARRATOR By now indeed the windows were beginning to dim. David drew the shades without even needing to be asked. MASTER BEDROOM MONICA I really ought to be tucking you in. Strange. Hmm...How fascinating. I can hardly keep my eyes open. I don't know what's come over me. Such a beautiful day. I love you David. I do love you. I have always loved you. NARRATOR That was the everlasting moment he had been waiting for. And the moment had passed, for Monica was sound asleep - more than merely asleep. Should he shake her she would never rouse. So David went to sleep too. And for the first time in his life, he went to that place where dreams are born. THE END

EXT. VALLEY - DUSK Gold light dappling across a valley that seems to reach on forever. We ease back, revealing more - taking in the visual feast - finally discovering a seated figure facing out over the valley - a DOG at his feet. VIRGIL ANDERSON, life ahead of him - someone seemingly at ease with himself. As we watch. him a moment - SOUNDS become prominent - whistle of the wind through the grass - a bird's wings as it takes flight - a tree branch creaking under its own weight. And as he sits there, listening, we see the last rays of sunlight slip from the day. BLACK - and our TITLES come up. Then out of the darkness come a pair of HEADLIGHTS. - and we're: EXT. NEW YORK TURNPIKE - INTO PINECREST - DUSK An old BMW 2002 making its way up the Taconic Parkway. INT. BMW - DUSK On the radio: Whitney Houston's "I'll Always Love You". AMY TREMONT, 30's, driving, on the phone. AMY I'm lost Betsy, and you know me - I don't wear lost well - wait, wait I'm losing you... (the cell phone glitches) I'm pulling over before you disappear forever. Amy pulls off the side of the road. Wrestles with a map and the phone. AMY Sign? I was looking for a sign? There's no... Her attention is caught by something off camera. She stares out into the night.. HER POV - A small iced over pond - and in the middle - moving about is Virgil, ICE SKATING - hockey stick in hand - moving about the rink with an imaginary puck. AMY (O.S.) (distracted) Yes... I took the first ..... no, no, I'm listening... Virgil winds up and takes a slap at the ice with his stick - throws his hands up in the air like he just scored. Amy smiles, peers off down the road. A sign: BEAR MTN. SPA AND RESORT 1.4 miles. AMY Wait, I got it - yeah. No don't call me.. right, unless you hear from Atlanta. And fax me the designs - I want to tinker with them a bit more ... I'm going to rest - bye - I'll see you in a week. Beep she hangs up. Looks back out to the pond. It's empty. Shrugs - about to pull out - that love song still blaring. AMY Oh p-lease, Whitney. CLICK - she shuts off the radio - and pulls back out onto the road. EXT. BEAR MTN. HEALTH SPA - NIGHT Amy pulling luggage out of her car. She takes a breath - clearly she's exhausted - and starts towards the entrance. INT. BEAR MTN. HEALTH SPA - RECEPTION DESK - NIGHT Amy at the front desk with the Night Manager CAROLINE, 30'S, annoyingly fit. CAROLINE � we have a full weight room, lifecycles, stairmasters, a spa, yoga, aerobics, spin classes... AMY I'm really just looking for a quick fix, here. Do you have anything that just involves lying down? CAROLINE A massage. AMY Great. I'll have one a day. Not too early. INT. BEAR MTN. - MASSAGE WAITING AREA - NEXT DAY Amy enters, wearing sweats, she checks her watch - looks toward a closed door - about to grab a magazine when she hears from behind the door: WOMAN'S VOICE Virgil, Oh God..., right there. Yes. Amy's interest piques - the woman's murmur continuing - deep ecstasy. WOMAN'S VOICE Yes there - a bit more... (a small bell DINGS) --wait - wait, you can't stop - one more minute - noo! VIRGIL'S VOICE Sorry, Susan - time's up. I've got someone waiting. And the door opens - and we see a woman, 60's, SUSAN, Bette Midler type, backing out of the room. SUSAN Virgil, you have to come live with me. VIRGIL'S VOICE And what would your husband say? Amy, you out there? - c'mon in. SUSAN That's it - I'm getting a divorce. Amy smiles as she passes Susan and enters. INT. VIRGIL'S MASSAGE ROOM - DAY Virgil has his back to us as he prepares the table. The room is very ordered - every vial, bottle, towel has its exact spot. VIRGIL Hey, Amy, I'm Virgil - why don't you get ready - hop up on the table. Amy sees Virgil - his head turned slightly away - she drops her sweats and lies on the table, face down - pulling the sheet to cover herself. AMY Sounds like you're a genius at this. VIRGIL (laughs) That's right.. Mozart, Einstein, Virgil Anderson, massage therapist. Now I'm going to start working somewhat deep - you let me know if you want anything deeper. AMY Deeper is good - where I come from, all you get is shallow. VIRGIL I like that - deep it is. CLICK - he hits a button on a CD player and as we hear the soulful aria "Mira, 0 Norma" from Bellini's Norma. VIRGIL First time in Pinecrest? AMY Came in late last night.. missed the town completely. VIRGIL If you came in broad daylight, you could still miss the town completely. Dissolve to: Slow moving cuts of Virgil, working long strokes over Amy's body - - his hands gracefully LENGTHENING and STRETCHING her muscles. VIRGIL Too much compute? work. AMY Uh-huh. VIRGIL Bad chair - you should think about a change. AMY (quiet) Absolutely. Virgil reaches his hands all the way down her spine and makes a move that causes Amy to release a very deep guttural sound. VIRGIL Too deep? AMY No.. ..... just right. Amy is now lost in another world - as Virgil shifts - working gently - not caressing - but molding - like a sculptor. A moment and Amy, surprisingly, begins to cry - softly. Virgil stops - takes a step back. VIRGIL I - I'm sorry - it was too deep... She cries for another few beats - then takes a breath. AMY No - it.. it's not you.. It's just things have kinda built up, I don't know why I'm crying.. look, this is embarrassing... VIRGIL Don't be embarrassed - you obviously needed it. We should stop for today. AMY Yeah, thanks. You always make the girls cry. VIRGIL Not since grade school. I'm going to go now - unless you'd like me to stay. AMY Could you - just for a minute? VIRGIL Of course, whatever you need. Virgil sits next to her - then reaches out - takes her hand and starts a slow comforting massage - we see Amy visibly relax. AMY You ever feel like a Martian's invaded your entire body? VIRGIL Every day. Amy, closes her eyes - smiling slightly in thanks. INT. VIRGIL'S MASSAGE ROOM - LATER CAMERA pans slowly over to Amy asleep - and on the click of the door - her eyes dreamily open. AMY Virgil? INT. BEAR MTN. HEALTH SPA - LATE DAY Hallway outside the massage area. Amy exits the change room, now wearing her sweats - pulling on her sneakers. VIRGIL (O.S.) (calling out) Hey Caroline, you look incredible today. CAROLINE (O.S.) (laughing) Quite a compliment, Virgil. See ya tomorrow. VIRGIL (O.S.) See ya. Amy looks down the hall - sees a glimpse of Virgil rounding the corner. She chases after hi~n into the reception area where she sees him exiting the door and moving of f down the driveway. AMY Virgil - wait... He's gone. Hopping along, tugging on her last sandal - she decides to go after him - fighting her way through a large tour group just checking in. EXT. BEAR MTN. SPA - LATE DAY Virgil in the distance, moving his way towards the main street. Amy exiting the building - trying not to slip on the ice as she, hurries after him - trying to get close enough to call out. Virgil stops at a main roadway as Amy comes up behind him. AMY Virgil, hey. Virgil turns - sunglasses on - looks directly at Amy. VIRGIL Yes. AMY It's Amy - Amy Tremont. VIRGIL Of course - you were sleeping, didn't want to wake you. AMY Yes thanks - you're the skater, right - I saw you last night, coming in. Pretty mean slapshot. You play on some team or something? VIRGIL Yeah, something. You a hockey fan? AMY Always liked it - never get around to seeing a game. But I loved to skate as a kid - unfortunately I have two left feet. VIRGIL (playing with her) They look perfectly OK with me. Amy laughs, starts relaxing - unconsciously starts to flirt. Head cocked, shifts her weight on one foot, moving slightly closer. AMY I love the view you get here. VIRGIL Same here - I never get used to it. Just then a YELLOW SCHOOL BUS pulls up in front of him and WHOOSH the doors pop open revealing CARL KIPLING, black, a hundred years old. Virgil turns as a few kids pile off the bus.. VIRGIL Well, this is my ride. Hey Tommy, my man. And with his hand extended a kid high fives it. Amy looks up - a BUS full of young school kids. Seems odd. TOMMY Virge. As the kid moves off. AMY Well, I just wanted to apologize for back there - blubbering like that - I was just in a weird place. VIRGIL And now... AMY Now, I'm fine - so I wanted to thank- you. For what you did. VIRGIL For making you cry. AMY No, I made me cry - and you handled it great - didn't freak or anything. (beat) Is my mascara smeared or something? VIRGIL (laughs) No. Why? AMY You're just looking at me funny. CARL Virgil - lets move it. VIRGIL As I said earlier - I just never get used to the view. Virgil starts towards the bus, reaching behind to his pack. Pulls something out. VIRGIL See you tomorrow. And CLICK, CLICK, CLICK - a WHITE CANE unfolds in his hand. And he taps his way to the bus. AMY See you... oh my God. VIRGIL What? AMY You're, you're -- I'm so sorry. VIRGIL (smile) Hey, you already apologized once - no need to overdo it. Bye now. Amy doesn't know how to respond. And he moves into the front seat of the bus - amongst "Hey Virgil's" from the school kids and Ca-chunk the doors close - the Yellow Bus steaming off - past Amy, as she stares at Virgil in the front seat - about to wave to him - then realizing he wouldn't see. As she turns and watches the bus move off down the street - a hand comes out - Virgil's - and waves good-bye. EXT. VIRGIL'S HOME.- DUSK The BUS stopping in front of Virgil's home - a side-by-side DUPLEX at the edge of surrounding woods. Virgil steps into the street and with a HONK the bus pulls away. He turns, grazes his hand across a tree out front - and starts towards his home. AT THE PORCH - he hesitates at the first door. Finds it with his hand - then raps on it. No answer. He moves over to his own door - and goes inside. INT. VIRGIL'S HOME - EVENING As he enters, Sophie, an aging LAB, lays on the couch. VIRGIL Get of f the couch, Sophie. As the dog slides guiltily off the couch. VIRGIL Some seeing eye dog - more like sleeping eye dog. Virgil bends down as he passes the coffee table to pick up the REMOTE CONTROL placed just so. Click - a Game Show pops on. VIRGIL Met a girl today - nice voice - followed me out of the building. Sophie barks. VIRGIL No she wasn't a stalker. CLOSE ON Virgil's hand flipping open a large book marked "TV HOCKEY SCHEDULE" - it's completely WHITE - all in BRAILLE. JENNIE (O.S.) Sophie's just worried about you - she watches too many horror movies. In the kitchen, JENNIE ANDERSON, older than Virgil, simply dressed, putting a just made dinner carefully onto a plate. VIRGIL Hey, you're here - so how are the kids today? Running his hand down the pure white page - he finds what he wants: BAP - he hits the channel changer and the game comes on. JENNIE The usual - need a lot of attention. So who's the girl? Moving into the kitchen, Virgil puts the remote to the side of the refrigerator where it VELCRO sticks to an exact spot. VIRGIL From the spa. I made her cry. JENNIE You haven't done that since-- VIRGIL/JENNIE -- grade school. VIRGIL (smile) That's what I told her. Coke? Virgil moves past Jennie as she goes into the living room - hand up, door open and he's got a glass. Back to the fridge, he grabs a coke. JENNIE I'm fine. Your dinner's ready - chicken's at 3 o'clock - rice is at... VIRGIL 6 o'clock, peas at 9 o'clock and news at 11. Jennie places Virgil's dinner down in an exact spot on a coffee table (facing away from the TV). JENNIE (laughs) One day I'm going to switch them on you. VIRGIL And one day I'll play forward for the New York Rangers. Four precise steps into the room and Virgil plops down on the sofa - finds his fork. Jennie moves to a counter where a pile of school books sit. JENNIE Ha - ha. You need new jokes. VIRGIL Or a new sister. JENNIE I'd work on the jokes. Picking up the books she moves past Virgil - pecks him on the head and moves to the door. VIRGIL You want to watch some hockey? JENNIE (at the door) You want to grade some spelling tests? (beat) I'll be next door you need me. She leaves and Virgil pats the couch and Sophie hops up next to him. VIRGIL You know this girl - for one moment - she actually thought I could (Sophie grumbles as she settles in) I'm not kidding. (beat) And she had this great voice - relaxing - soft like a breeze through (beat) Wonder what she thinks about "blind dates." INT. AMY'S ROOM - EVENING Amy in bed - just out of the shower - the only light in the room comes from the TV. She has the remote, mindlessly switching channels - not staying on one for more than a second or two. Click - an Odd Couple rerun - click - ESPN bowling - click - Three Stooges - Moe poking Curly in the eye - click - click - click. Bored, she stops - notices a small scarf on a chair next to the bed. She picks it up, holds it against her eyes and ties it tight around her head. She stands - hands out in front of her - starts to walk across the room - not so bad - WHAM - right into a side table. Shit that hurts! Grabbing her leg, she hops - hits a lamp. AMY DAMMIT! Ripping the towel of f her head - hopping around on one foot - she hears: KNOCK KNOCK AMY Coming! Rubbing her leg - she limps/half walks to the door - opens it to: Virgil: dark glasses, cane, smile AMY Virgil..? She pulls a towel in closer - then realizes it doesn't matter VIRGIL My turn to apologize. I should have told you I was blind it wasn't fair. AMY That's OK. You want to come in - I just got out of the shower - give me a minute to get changed? VIRGIL (as he moves in) Sure, I promise I won't look. As Amy starts to get changed in the bathroom. VIRGIL Anyways, I was in the neighborhood -- actually the whole town's my neighborhood -- and since you've never been to our illustrious village, I thought maybe we could go into town - see what we see. AMY See what we see? VIRGIL Figure of speech . AMY You mean right now, tonight? VIRGIL Great - I'm blind and you're deaf - what a pair. EXT. MAIN STREET - EVENING A few store windows lit up. Some people eating dinner at a streetside cafe. Virgil, holding Amy's arm as they walk down the street. WITH AMY AND VIRGIL WALKING: VIRGIL ... the Mechanic at the top of the street is Doug - smokes too much - but a good guy. Three steps down is Carlson's hardware - he's got a laugh like a donkey - we sometimes listen to games together - he's a Devil's fan. And just up ahead should be Grady's junk shop - he calls it "antiques"... Smells like junk. I'd hate to see what it looks like . A woman bustles past, NANCY BENDER, weighed down with groceries. VIRGIL (intuitively) Hey Nancy. NANCY Hey Virgil - got that book in for you. VIRGIL Nancy's our librarian, brings in any braille book I want. NANCY (to Amy) The guy's nuts about the pyramids - anything he can get his hands on... VIRGIL Thank-you Nancy - you should get your groceries home - your ice cream's melting. Nancy laughs - as she moves off. AMY Nice place - you seem to know everyone here. VIRGIL Moved here when I was eight. My family figured it would be a good place for me to grow up. Tell me what you see. AMY Well, there's a good structure to the town - genuine lines, good use of space. To be honest I'd find a better balance to a lot of these buildings. But that's me. VIRGIL What's you? AMY The architect in me - can't leave well enough alone. Art school in college - I made the arms for the Venus DeMilo. (realizing he probably doesn' t understand) see, the Venus De Milo has no arms and... VIRGIL (laughs) I know the Venus De Milo has no arms, and the Mona Lisa has this captivating smile and David doesn't wear a fig leaf. AMY How do you... VIRGIL I may not have been a lot of places - but I read about things, then make an image up here -- (points to his head) --that works for me. Grazing his hand across a telephone pole - Virgil stops - turns to Amy. VIRGIL This is the end of the street. We should turn back. AMY What about past the end of the street? What's out there? He turns around. VIRGIL (shrugs) Nothing. AMY No - there's an old run down building off to the side... VIRGIL Must be the old firehouse. It had a fire so they shut it down. (Amy laughs) Honest to God. (intrigued) What else do you see? AMY A wall of shrubs - a field with an interesting configuration of trees. The wind has picked up a bit. VIRGIL Tell me how you see it. AMY (enjoying the game) OK, sure. Let's see - long and elegant. Like -- like a woman dancing with two lovers, trying to decide which one she loves. Virgil stops a moment - takes in the image. AMY What? VIRGIL It's just - the image you just gave me - "Dancing trees. - I like that. Virgil stops - his head cocks slightly. VIRGIL We should go - it's starting to rain. AMY (looking around) There's a bit of a breeze but-- KABOOM - thunder - and the rain just drops. INT. FIREHOUSE - NIGHT They run in laughing - Amy closing the door behind them as Virgil moves his way into the center of the room - stands where the moonlight from a high window hits the floor. Water runs down the outside glass, causing the light to ripple across him. The room is empty - almost surreal. AMY I can't believe how fast it happens... (she sees Virgil - his head cocked towards the ceiling) AMY Virgil? Virgil's head turns toward her. VIRGIL You like rain - I love the rain. AMY (moving to him) What were you just doing there? Virgil slowly moves his head about, sensing the room. VIRGIL Listening - the rain - it brings out the contours of everything, gives life to a room I can't see. WE SEE SLOW MOVING CUTS of the building as Virgil describes what he hears. VIRGIL You hear it?...on the roof dripping down the walls on every side. On the right, on the drainpipe, it's drumming with a deeper, steadier sound - - like a timpani - echoing across the room - tells me the room is large - open. You feel it - in your chest? On the left, the rain says... (he listens) ...a fire escape, with it's own rhythm - ping - ping. Then listen - there... (he points) --what's that - over there...? AMY Looks like it's... VIRGIL No, listen for it - not what it looks like - what it becomes. Come here. Amy moves closer - Virgil puts his hands out on her shoulders - turns her to the sound. VIRGIL Now just listen to it - shut out everything but that sound - do you hear it? Amy strains to listen - closes her eyes - her head instinctively turning - no in unison with Virgil's AMY Yes - there - it's soft - like a shimmer VIRGIL The wind blowing the rain against a window. AMY (smile) Like a cymbal. It's like our own percussive symphony, isn't it? Amy opens her eyes - looks about the room - listening. VIRGIL The world is invisible to me - with my touch it comes alive. But only one thing at a time. But when it's raining, I feel everything at once. Sometimes, I wish it could rain inside rain all around us. AMY (musing) "Einfuehlung." VIRGIL What? AMY Einfuehlung - it's an architectural term. It means to share an empathy. Been a long time since I felt that. And as they stand listening to the rain, playing its music - Amy watches him - fascinated by him - then shivers slightly. VIRGIL You're cold, we should go. AMY No, I'm fine, really. It was just something passing through me - can't explain it - a good thing. Amy smiles at him - then quietly realizes he can't see it. She moves close, her hand reaching out and taking his. AMY What you just showed me � how I feel - makes me smile. She takes his hand - hesitates - then puts it on the side of her face. VIRGIL I see it now. Thank-you. We hold a beat - enjoying the symphony of rain - then cut to: EXT. BEAR MTN. LODGE - MORNING The sun warming the cool morning air. The school bus pulling away to reveal Virgil making his way into work. VIRGIL (V.O.) I thought after yesterday, you'd never get up on my table again. INT. MASSAGE ROOM - NEXT DAY Amy on the table. Virgil squirting oil in his hand - preparing. AMY You kidding? today, I'm looking for a complete nervous breakdown. VIRGIL I love a challenge. And as he places his palms carefully on her back - working her back slowly we hear opera play quietly in the background. DISSOLVE TO: Virgil's hands on the small of her back - something amazingly sensual about how he works her muscles. Amy speaks to him in low tones - in a state of complete relaxation. AMY Can I ask how long you've been blind? VIRGIL Of course, most people avoid the subject. You tell them you're blind and they act surprised. "You're blind? Reallv? I didn't know - you hide it so well." And then they wave their hand in front of your face just to make sure. (beat) It started when I was a little over a year old. Virgil's hands move down Amy's sides - slow - feeling each contour - the oil making her skin glisten. Amy moves her head slightly with his touch. She lets out a small breath of air. AMY (quiet) You see shadows? VIRGIL No. Congenital cataracts. And a case of retinitis pigmentosa thrown in for good measure. This area needs to loosen up. AMY I think you're doing it. (beat) No bright lights, nothing? VIRGIL I'm blind as a bat. Actually, blinder 'cause they emit sonar all the time. I don't have a sixth sense, I just don't have the fifth one. I can't hear things in Vermont, can't smell if you're mad at me, and, no - I don't know Helen Keller, Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder. Amy murmurs in response to Virgil's touch. VIRGIL You say something? AMY No, I just - this feels nice - too nice. Virgil moves his hands down her back - sensually kneading each muscle. It's clear he's enjoying this as much as she is. AMY You're very good.. at what you do. Another breath exhales from her involuntarily as Virgil hits a sensitive spot. VIRGIL Thank-you. AMY You enjoy it. VIRGIL At times. Some clients make it more enjoyable than others. Virgil now works down her thighs - Amy's back arching slightly with the movement - both of them heating to the moment. Both their breaths quickening. AMY And this client... VIRGIL Is very, very... DING - and the spell is broken. AMY What? VIRGIL Sorry - it's time. I've got Mr. Ketchum coming in next - all two hundred pounds. Sorry - I felt like we were just getting started. Amy sits up on the table - the sheet pulling away slightly revealing her. For a moment she watches him - his head turned towards her - but not seeing. Then she slowly pulls the sheet up covering herself. AMY Thank-you. For last night as well - love to do it again. VIRGIL How about I cook dinner then, tonight. AMY I'd like that. INT. BEAR MIN. - NEXT DAY Aerobics step class. Amy working out. In front of her two rather large women in neon stretch workout clothes - Amy tries to avoid the view - a thought - and she shuts her eyes as she continues her exercise. INT. BEAR MTN. - NEXT DAY Amy, towel around her neck - coming in from the workout. CAROLINE Amy � INT. VIRGIL'S HOME - NIGHT Onions frying. Tilt up to Virgil - cutting the last of it and putting it in the pan - sizzling as it hits. Vegetables and a box of pasta are arranged on the countertop. Sophie watches the proceedings. RRRRINNNG - the phone. Virgil stops cutting - his hand easily finds the phone. INTERCUT WITH � Amy: on the phone in her car on the Taconic Parkway. AMY Virgil - it's Amy. I - I can't make dinner - I'm really sorry - an emergency came up - they're dragging me back to New York. VIRGIL Oh. Yeah. Anything serious? AMY The project we were working on was rejected - could go down the drain. I'll deal with it quick - I'd like to come back. VIRGIL Yeah. Good. Well. I'll be here. Virgil hangs up the phone - frustrated, he reaches for the frying pan - and promptly burns his hand. VIRGIL -DAMN IT!!! Dropping the pan - Sophie goes scurrying, as he kicks at it - sending it across the room. He turns - thrusts his hand under the sink - turning on the cold water. VIRGIL Shit - that was stupid. EXT. FLATIRON DISTRICT - LATE DAY Evening rush hour traffic surrounding the Flatiron building. VOICE (ON SPEAKERPHONE) I'm just saying there seems to be something missing. INT. ROSWELL-TREMONT DESIGN - DAY A small cardboard model of what looks like a small mini-mall. Amy sits in front of it - drawing on a sketch pad. The office is sparse, functional. A few DRAFTSMEN can be seen in the background through a glass partition. DUNCAN Absolutely Mr. Falk - something lj missing - we realize that now. We just need some time to figure out what. DUNCAN ROSWELL, 30's, leaning a little too ardently into a speaker phone. The voice on the other end is JACK FALK - their would be employer. Their assistant BETSY ERNST, early 20's, sits in the corner, taking notes. FALK Fine - but you all know what kind of schedule we're on here? DUNCAN (watching Amy) And budget. Yes sir. Don't worry, we won't let you down. She takes a piece of paper, has an idea, starts sketching - Duncan hangs up. DUNCAN Don't say it, I know. You were never happy with the design. AMY I wasn't going to say that. DUNCAN But you'd have tinkered with it till the job went away. So now we've got him hooked, you've got your second chance. And Amy shoves her rough sketch across the table. AMY Look at these site photos - see those trees - we were going to get rid of them - let's incorporate them into the design use what's natural about the location. (Duncan stares at her) And by the way - the 53rd St. lobby - coming back from Pinecrest, I came up with a new addition - add some life to that place. Duncan stares at the sketch - then looks up at Amy DUNCAN OK -- what's going on here? We sent Hydra the three headed monster off a few days ago and got back Mary Poppins in return. AMY What? I can't have a couple of ideas. (even Betsy stares at her) Fine, you want to know - I met a guy. Betsy stands. BETSY Too modern for me. DUNCAN Sit down.Betsy. We're all friends here. So - spill the beans. AMY Nothing to spill - he's a good guy - smart, funny, blind... DUNCAN Whoa, whoa - wait a minute - Blind!? Like tap-tap, white cane blind? Come on Amy - I mean, I know you like challenges, hell you married me - but... AMY I knew you'd be understanding. DUNCAN (standing) No, no I am. You're right, this is none of my business anymore - but a blind guy? If you're lonely - in my. opinion -- get a puppy. BETSY Duncan, don't be a jerk. DUNCAN You still work here. He's gone. BETSY He's just jealous. AMY So much for the "we're all friends here" idea. INT. ROSWELL-TREMONT OFFICES - NIGHT CLOSE ON - Computer screen. A cursor blinks - then the words CONGENITAL BLINDNESS - a CLICK and a web page for the AMERICAN BRAILLE INSTITUTE comes up. WIDE - we see Amy hovering over her computer - various sketches of the proposed building next to her - two giant Magnolia trees have been incorporated into the design. As we watch her search on the computer we move over her shoulder to see in the corner of her plans - a sketch of the intertwined "dancing trees" and the Firehouse. Betsy enters carrying her jacket. BETSY Everybody's gone for the day. AMY Thanks. You go ahead - I'm just finishing up something here. She turns to look at Betsy who now peers over her shoulder - sees what she's doing. Amy looks up at her - sees Betsy's look. AMY What? I just want to know a little more about what's wrong with him. BETSY (pause) Amy? Friend to friend? AMY Shoot BETSY I hate to admit it but I agree with Duncan on this one. AMY (back to the computer) Don't shoot. BETSY He makes sense sometimes. My father had a problem a few years back with severe cataracts. Do you have any idea what you're getting into? Amy spins in her chair - looks to Betsy. AMY You ever listened to rain - I mean really listened? BETSY This like that smell the roses thing? AMY (turns to her) I've spent the last five years of my adult life with a man who has the emotional content of a soap dish. The only time I saw him cry was doing our tax return three years ago. (beat) I need more than that, Betsy. For once in a long, long time I feel like I can breathe again. Just the way he touches me I know I found someone I can connect with. BETSY Ah, here we go. AMY No, no. I can tell he's sensing everything about me with a simple touch. He listens to my every word as if it's the only sound on the planet - I feel like even though he can't see me, he knows everything about me. He just moves me - does that sound crazy. BETSY (beat) Does he have a brother? EXT: PINE CREST MOUNTAINS - LATE DAY The FROZEN POND, nestled against a strand of pine. Virgil skates fast across the ice enjoying the speed - the wind using his hockey stick as a guide - he nears the edge of pond - feels it with the stick and slams to a stop. He shuffles his body around to face in the other direction - then starts skating again - passing AMY standing on the snow covered bank. ON AMY - smiling, watching Virgil - enjoying his release of energy. HER POV - VIRGIL - skating well, a look of relaxation we've never seen on his face. He skates in an arc coming back past Amy. Finally she speaks. AMY Wayne Gretzky, look out. Virgil slams to a halt in surprise - nearly toppling over. AMY Sorry -- sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. VIRGIL Amy?! AMY I said I'd come back. VIRGIL How long ... how long have you been...? AMY Watching you? Just got here - couldn't find you at the spa - took a chance you'd be here. You're very good. VIRGIL Skated since I was a kid. My dad taught me - wanted me to play pro one day. How do you like my pond? AMY It's beautiful. VIRGIL Describe it for me. AMY OK. Let's see. Like cool blue silk - you know blue? VIRGIL I think so - keep going. AMY Blue silk stretched tight across a bowl - surrounded by white jacketed sentries of trees on the horizon, protecting it from the outside world. VIRGIL Horizon's a tough one. AMY What? VIRGIL Never understood horizon - if touch it - don't know what it that's OK I liked the rest of picture. (he starts moving towards her) You want to skate? AMY Sorry, I didn't bring my skates. VIRGIL Don't need them. Come on step hold of my stick. AMY Excuse me? VIRGIL (smile) Hockey stick. Here. He holds the stick out like a cross bar. Amy moves cautiously forward and takes hold of it. VIRGIL OK. Now hold on for balance. I used to do this with Jennie when we were kids. And Virgil starts skating backwards pulling Amy with him. Amy is apprehensive at first then starts to enjoy the movement - the sensation - both of them laughing out loud. WIDE as we see them move about the rink - Amy sliding and being pulled by Virgil. As he picks up speed we hear Amy scream in delight. AMY Look out - we're running out of ice. Virgil turns expertly, arcing around the edge of the ice but Amy loses her nerve - and balance - and lets go of the stick and goes flying into an embankment. The momentum carries Virgil off down the ice - both of them laughing hysterically. VIRGIL You OK? AMY Fine. Never been dumped so fast in my life. VIRGIL Me, dump you? No way. Stay where you are - I'll come to you - just keep talking. Amy sits up on her elbows in the embankment. AMY What do I say? Virgil starts gliding across the ice searching for Amy. VIRGIL (hearing her voice, veering in her direction) Anything - how'd you become an architect? AMY God - let's see - I was in college - art school - a little aimless - and I met this guy -. an architect - opened up a new world to me. I liked the structure the control - finding problems, coming up with solutions - when I graduated - we started a company together - on impulse got married - which was crazy - divorced a year ago - but we're still partners.. which must seem even crazier. And Virgil's suddenly there - going a little too far - tumbling off the pond and into her. VIRGIL You'd think I meant to do that. A patented move. They're close - in the snow together - face to face. AMY (Amy smiles, realizes) This is tough. VIRGIL What? AMY I bat my eyelashes, toss my head just right, and there's this very sexy thing I do with my eyes - then realize none of it matters to you. VIRGIL It doesn't matter. Tell me what you look like. AMY I.. .1 don't know I'm... VIRGIL Wait. Let me. He puts his hand out, over her face -- hesitates, then slowly feels down the contours of her cheek, her eyelids, the shape of her lips - Amy moving with the touch, the sensuality of it - and as he continues - Amy's hand reaches up - touching his face - Virgil smiles. VIRGIL Eyes, mouth, chin, cheek.. you are very beautiful. AMY Thank-you. So are you - more than I could describe. Virgil's hands move down her face - closing her eyes - letting her just experience his touch - his exploring. And as both their hands continue, enjoying the sensation of discovering each other - Amy leans forward, her eyes still closed, finding his mouth - grazing his lips with her own - softly, gently, then they fold into each other's arms locked into a warm, deep kiss. INT. VIRGIL'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT It's dark - a pale moonglow highlights the two intertwined naked bodies. A fire burns in the background. In flowing CUTS we see them make love: Virgil - his head tilted down - Amy - puts her hand to his chin - lifts his head - then kisses each of his closed eyelids in rhythm with Virgil's movements. Amy - now astride Virgil - she closes her eyes - feels it the way Virgil would - moving faster now - in total rhythm - shuddering in mutual release -- and she collapses on top of him - a deep breath and she rolls over - cuddles into his arm. A long beat - out of breath: AMY So -- that's what a blind date is. They breathe - then both start laughing - quietly - then hysterically together as Virgil wraps her up in his arms - holding her tightly. EXT. PINECREST - DAWN The horizon. The sun cresting it - bringing a new light to the day. INT. VIRGIL'S HOME - EARLY MORNING Sounds of a shower in the background. Amy in Virgil's robe, pulls a juice container out of the fridge - pours herself a glass, putting the juice on the counter as she walks into the living room - taking in the sparseness of his surroundings. CLOSE ON - an open Braille Book. The completely white pages with minute bumps. Amy pulls up a chair, sits - and flips through the book, running her hand across the pages - trying to understand his world. She then turns to the front cover to see what it is. Playboy. We hear the shower stop as Amy smiles, puts the book down - pushes the chair aside then moves to a series of pictures on the wall: Virgil as a young boy - his sister Jennie a few years older - and his mother and father. Then another picture next to it - Virgil in his skates and Jennie older - no father - Sophie at their feet. And a final picture - Virgil as an adult - he and Jennie on the front porch - his arms wrapped around his sister like he's never going to let go. VOICE (O.S.) Hello? Amy turns to see - Jennie, carrying a bag under her arm. AMY Hello. Jennie moves towards the kitchen. JENNIE I'm Jennie, Virgil's sister. And you are..? Virgil steps out - bathrobe - drying his hair. VIRGIL Jen, this is Amy Tremont. Jennie now at the kitchen - stares at the juice container - places it back in the fridge - just so. JENNIE I was just at the market Virgil, picking up a few things before school - and I thought you might like some... VIRGIL (smells) Apples and bananas. Amy sees the fruit on the counter - impressed. JENNIE He's being a show-off, Amy - I always bring him these. (putting them in the fridge) The apples are on the bottom shelf... VIRGIL At two o'clock. Oranges at 10. I know, thanks. JENNIE Amy -- you in town long... And WHAM - Virgil moving into the room, collides right into the chair Amy moved - knocking into a lamp sending it to the ground. Jennie immediately rushes over. AMY Virgil? VIRGIL I'm fine. JENNIE No you're not - you're bleeding. (turning to Amy, sudden) First lesson with a blind man, Amy - don't change anything - it's too dangerous AMY (moving to Virgil) I'm sorry - I didn't know... VIRGIL It was my fault. I'm OK. Jennie still dabbing at his leg. VIRGIL (embarassed, snaps) Goddamit, Jennie - I said I was OK - leave me alone! Jennie hesitates, then stands to go - sees the hockey book out of place. A glance to Amy and she picks it up - quietly moves it back to it's rightful spot. JENNIE I've got parent meetings tonight - there's dinner in the freezer - left corner. (turns to Amy) Nice to have met you, Amy. AMY Me too - and again - I'm sorry. And she's gone - leaving Amy and Virgil together - a moment of awkwardness. AMY She seemed ... nice. VIRGIL She seemed jealous. AMY Your leg is still bleeding. VIRGIL It'll stop - happens all the time. Welcome to my world. We hold on Amy - taking this in: INT. BEAR MTN. - LATER THAT NIGHT Japanese lanterns criss-cross across an open area. Guests of the spa mingle about - drinks in hand - some dance on a floor set up over the aerobics area. Music plays in the background. Amy, carrying two trays of food, finds her way to where Virgil sits at a table off to the side - putting his food in front of him. AMY Let's see if I can get this right. Chicken's at three - salad at seven - vegetables at ten. VIRGIL (picking up his fork) Very good - thank-you. AMY This is nice. They do this every weekend? VIRGIL Every Friday - for the guests leaving. Supposed to make them want to come back. AMY (sits, uneasy) Love the music - Gershwin - makes you want to... She stops. Virgil, fork poised over his food, senses her uncomfortableness. VIRGIL You like dancing? AMY Hmmm? Yeah - don't do it much. (changing subject) Chicken's good. Amy resumes eating - Virgil's fork spears something on his plate - raising it to his mouth - both we and Amy now see it's a large pat of butter. Too late - it's in his mouth. Amy watches him - the reaction on his face as he tastes it - then surreptitiously swallows it. Then realizes Amy saw him. VIRGIL Nothing like a good pat of fat. What do you say we dance? AMY No, really, I'm fine... Virgil is up - pulling her hand. VIRGIL Come on She stands and Virgil puts his hands on the back of her shoulders. VIRGIL Lead on. And as she ushers him to the floor the music changes - a salsa - lively. Amy stops: AMY Different piece - maybe we should... VIRGIL You kidding - take my hand. And as she does - Virgil starts dancing to the music - feeling the beat - in perfect rhythm but his moves are his own, something we've never seen before - uninhibited, wild - a little funny, but also there's something sensual in his abandonment. All Amy can do is hang on for the ride - enjoying Virgil enjoying himself. People even clear back a little to give him some room - however he moves about the floor easily - somehow sensing where the other couples are. It's a whirlwind moment - a moment where the two of them get lost with each other - for a second shutting out the world and it's just them, the music and their movement. Then suddenly the music is over. And they stop - the moment gone. Virgil turns to Amy and she applauds Virgil's wild moves He takes a bow with a flourish. Spins to another angle - another bow. Spins back again - a step back and: CRASSSH - he's into the buffet table - sliding to the ground - food spilling on top of him. Amy, can't help but laugh, rushes to him. AMY You have to teach me that move. And Amy reaches down to his guacamole covered hand - and pulls him up into an embrace and as they kiss amidst sauce and salad dressing - we see: INT. AMY'S HOTEL ROOM - MORNING Amy - on the phone - looking out her window. AMY Betsy - you were telling me about your father, his cataracts - you said he had a problem. How is he now? (she listens) Doctor - Dr. Aaron? - do you have his number? INT. BEAR MTN. GYM - DAY A handful of people on various pieces of equipment. Virgil, tank top, heavy sweat, on a stationary bicycle - working out. Amy next to him on a treadmill - trying to keep up as Caroline from the front desk comes and hands her something. Amy reads it briefly then hops off the treadmill moving to Virgil. AMY Virgil, I just got some great news. VIRGIL (picking up speed again) The Atlanta project? AMY No, no - I was talking to my assistant this morning - her father had these severe cataracts... VIRGIL (slowing) Oh. Really. AMY She put me in touch with a Dr. Richard Aaron - the guy's the leading eye surgeon on the eastern seaboard - he's been working with techniques - I don't know all the jargon - but I spoke to him earlier on the phone at the Institute... VIRGIL You called this guy? Virgil stops riding - starts to get off the bike. AMY (excited) I told him all about you - he just faxed me back - he'd love to get a look at your eyes - he thinks maybe, mavbe - there might be a chance of reversal. Virgil faces Amy, best he can, while he pulls on his sweat jacket. VIRGIL I don't get it - am I missing the sign that says it's help the handicapped week. Virgil starts to move away. Amy stops him. AMY I thought you'd be excited. What's the problem? Virgil turns on her. VIRGIL No problem. That's the whole point here Amy - there is no goddamned problem. And Virgil turns and bumps into a stationary bike, he SHOVES it off to the side, and makes his way out of the gym. INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY Virgil enters, visibly upset - passing a CO-WORKER coming out of the shower. CO-WORKER Hey Virgil. Virgil steams right past him - not answering - hands feeling down the lockers - finding his - he tugs it open - pulls off his shirt and throws it in. He takes a breath, settles himself - then SLAMS the locker door shut. EXT. JENNIE'S SCHOOL PARENTS are picking up their CHILDREN from Jennie's school. As Jennie helps the last of the kids into her mother's car - she looks up to see Amy across the street. JENNIE Amy, right? Amy nods - starts towards her. AMY I'd like to talk to you if I could -- about Virgil. JENNIE Something wrong? AMY Sort of. There's something I don't understand. You see I spoke to a doctor who's apparently doing breakthrough work on cataracts - (Jennie turns to Amy) - but when I brought it up to Virgil he acted as if... JENNIE What don't you understand? AMY If I was blind almost all my life -- and there was even a remote possibility I could see - I'd jump at it. JENNIE When there's something you've adapted to, accepted - you'd just want to change it without even thinking about it? (beat) We're very comfortable here, Amy. Virgil has everything he needs. AMY I thought just maybe he'd like to not be falling over things for the rest of his life. Look, I see... JENNIE (cuts her off) Yes you do and Virgil doesn't. He spent the first eight years of his life having his eyes prodded, pierced and poked by doctors, faith healers, spiritualists, shamans and medicine men. My father had them lined up out the door. It hurt and disappointed us all and it almost killed him. He doesn't need to go through that again. Now - maybe you understand. And she turns on her heel and is gone. EXT. VIRGIL'S COTTAGE - LATE DAY Amy making her way up to the porch - hearing from inside. VIRGIL (V.0.) No, no - why - why?! She hurries up the steps, reaching the open door where she sees Virgil, his head in his hands. VIRGIL (V.0) I can't believe you're doing this to me. AMY What - Virgil? Virgil turns sharply - Sophie jumps up - starts barking. VIRGIL Sophie - stop it. Amy? C'mon in - it's just the Rangers. I could check better than these guys today. AMY They lost? VIRGIL I prefer to think of it as not winning. I thought you would have been long gone after that outburst from my evil twin brother. We've had him committed you know. Rikers Island - hard time. (standing) Can I get you something - - Coke - beer? AMY No - I - I'm fine. I just wanted apologize for stomping around in life like Bigfoot today. Virgil turns towards Amy. VIRGIL Amy, you see the big tree outside? How far is it from my front porch? AMY Guessing, about thirty feet. VIRGIL To you. But to me, it's fourteen steps exactly. Fourteen steps and I arrive right where I want to be. But -- if I run or rush, I'll lose count and slam into it. AMY I'm sorry. Told you - can't leave well enough alone. I - I guess I should get back, start to pack... VIRGIL Rushing into trees again? Off Amy's smile we CUT TO: EXT. VIRGIL'S HOUSE - NIGHT On the Porch - the two of them - sipping glasses of wine - we see their dinner - Hungry Man beef entree - each category of food in it's own perfect little compartment. AMY You know this dinner - this is really quite... VIRGIL Ordinary? (she laughs) It's an acquired taste - trust me. Jennie thinks it's the only way I'll know where my food is. But I have a secret weapon. (holds up a little bottle) Hot sauce! Let's you know you're eating something - like some. He starts to sprinkle liberally on Amy's food. Amy, laughing grabs the bottle. AMY That's OK - I'll do it. Don't want to overdo it. She puts the bottle down - looks to Virgil - sips her wine. Time to face it. AMY Virgil - I have to go home tomorrow... VIRGIL Wait, wait - you smell that? AMY No - what? VIRGIL The winter pines - it's so strong at night - drifts on the wind - wait - hear the breeze then... AMY There. Amy closes her eyes - takes in the scent - and they both sit there - close - taking in the night air - enjoying the moment. And on Virgil's face we see him lost in thought. INT. VIRGIL'S HOME - NIGHT CLOSE ON VIRGIL - eyes closed - we hear a sound - like night crickets. His eyes slowly open. He rolls over - his arm reaching out for her: But there's no one there. Virgil sits upright. VIRGIL Amy? Amy is sitting in a chair by the window. AMY I'm here - trouble sleeping. VIRGIL C'mere. And she crawls back into bed, Virgil takes hold of her and as she settles into his arm, he strokes her face gently - a blind man's version of watching his lover fall to sleep. BLACK - then we hear voices INT. VIRGIL'S BEDROOM - MORNING CLOSE ON: Amy's face - the voices awaken her - cutting into her dreams. She looks out the doorway - sees Virgil and Jenny arguing on the front porch. She can't hear what they are saying - but it's clear there's a problem. INT. VIRGIL'S LIVING ROOM - MORNING Amy pulling a robe around herself - comes into the room - as Jenny turns on her heel and walks away from Virgil. EXT. PORCH - MORNING Virgil stands there a moment - taking in what just happened. Amy steps out onto the porch. AMY Everything alright? VIRGIL Yeah, yeah. Morning - Look, something I want to say... AMY The leaving thing - I know - hate it too. VIRGIL The other night - when we were dancing - being with you - I felt different - special - I don't know - whole. AMY That was whole? Virgil puts his hand out - she takes it - he turns to her. VIRGIL (smile) Just for a second I felt like I could see you - all of you. (beat) What you said about this Doctor, this eye guy - I know how important it is to you... AMY (turns to him) Are you sure you want to do this? VIRGIL We're just going to talk to the guy - what could it hurt? Off Amy's smile: SMASH TO: EXT. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - MORNING A soaring shot. Amy's car - travelling across the bridge - heading towards Manhattan. AMY (V.0.) You're going to love the city - so many things to see. INT. CAR - MORNING Virgil in the passenger seat - windows open - taking in all the sounds - new and exciting. Amy watches him as she drives. VIRGIL (laughing) Waitwaitwait - he hasn't said he can even do anything yet. AMY I know I just feel good about this. (Amy looks to him - sees him feeling the light against his face) Virgil, before you lost all sight, do you remember seeing anything at all? VIRGIL Yeah, I do. I was just a baby when it happened - but there is one thing. (beat) Something ... puffy. That's all I remember about it. Everyone says it's "clouds," but I know I had it in my hands - so it couldn't be clouds. This puffy thing - that was something special - it's stayed with me all these years - I don't know why. INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL - EXAM ROOM - DAY DR. RICHARD AARON, wire rims, short, stylish haircut - is finishing a high-tech examination of Virgil's eyes. Cups attached to wires sit over his eyes. The machine, an ELECTRORETINOGRAM, emits an irritating strange flat line sound. The room is very dimly lit. Aaron adjusts an intensity dial on the machine - a series of flashing lights hit Virgil's eyes. The doctor jots down a reading - then with a flourish, spins the machine away from Virgil's face and pops a button emitting a detailed computer print out. In the corner sits an older gentleman - Dr. Goldman - focused on papers in his hands. AARON OK - we're done. Aaron bumps up the lights and wheels his chair back over to Virgil as Amy moves to join them. AARON Some good news. You have grade 4 posterior subscapular cataracts. VIRGIL And this is the good news? AARON Good news in that I should be able to remove them with little or no damage to your cornea. AMY So -- what does that mean - they're gone - then what? AARON The cataracts are acting like a curtain - covering the window of sight. If the disease to the retina is reduced as much as I think it is - there's a very good possibility we can give you sight. Amy looks to Virgil - apprehensive. Virgil's expressionless - taking this all in. VIRGIL Sounds expensive. AARON (looks to Goldman who nods imperceptibly) We feel there's an opportunity for us all here - I think I can get the institute to pick up the bill. VIRGIL So. Say you remove the cataracts - do you have any idea what kind of vision I'd have? Aaron looks to Goldman. AARON At this time - no. Unfortunately the cataracts are not allowing me to see the retinal wall. I can't tell how advanced the retinitas pigmentosa has become. VIRGIL So you're suggesting an operation that may or may not be successful. AMY But there is a chance he could regain his sight. AARON There have been a few cases of restored vision in adulthood to a patient blind since birth. (moves near Virgil) The operation is delicate, I'll admit - but nothing as invasive as what you went through as a child. Of course there is always some risks with any operation - infection, swelling - long shot stuff. I would do both eyes at the same time - it's basically out patient surgery. Virgil - an exhale of air. A lot to take in. VIRGIL What if it doesn't work? What if I have the operation - with all it's risks - and you remove the cataract - and it doesn't work. Aaron looks to Amy. AARON (somber) It would be evident that you will never be able to see. Virgil's head shifts slightly. Not what he wanted to hear. Amy reaches out takes his hand. AMY What do you think? VIRGIL That's what I need - to think. EXT. AMY'S LOFT - SOHO - DAY Virgil and Amy stepping out of a cab. Virgil using his cane - seems blinder than we've seen him before. The city sounds an assault on him. AMY This is my place - there's a park across the street and... She stops - realizes he wants to walk in silence. They enter her loft building, an old converted industrial space. INT. LOFT STAIRWELL - DAY There is an odd, loud sound which echoes three times after every bounce. As they come up on the second floor landing, a basketball comes flying down the hall which Amy fumbles with - then catches. AMY Ethan! From around the corner comes ETHAN COLVIN, eight, oversized Knicks shirt. Amy tosses him his ball. ETHAN Sorry - my mom won't let me go outside till she gets home from work. AMY Well, if the super catches you playing ball in the hall, he'll have a coronary. ETHAN A what? AMY Never mind. Ethan, this is my friend Virgil. VIRGIL Hey, Ethan ETHAN (seeing his cane) Are you blind? VIRGIL Yeah. ETHAN Cool. See ya. And he turns and runs back up the stairs. AMY (apologetic) Virgil... VIRGIL Hey, the kid thinks I'm cool - what's so bad. INT. AMY'S LOFT - LATE DAY Amy's loft is a wide open space - a KITCHEN facing onto a small living area - a BED in the corner of the room - a WORK SPACE with DRAFTING BOARD and DRAWING RACKS fill one side of the room. By a window stands a plaster SCULPTURE stuck in the corner as if forgotten. AMY This is where I hang my hat - it's a bit of a mess but... Amy stops, realizes he can't see it. Virgil puts his overnight bag down. VIRGIL Now, Blind 101. Help me out with a mental map. Walk me down a straight line and show me your place, all the obstacles. Remember once you've told me, they can't be moved - otherwise... AMY Got it - here take my arm. (they start about the room) Couch, chair, TV to the left, low table at.. .at 4 o'clock, has the phone on it... They come to the Sculpture, Virgil's hand grazes across it. VIRGIL What's this? AMY Nothing. A sculpture. VIRGIL It's yours? AMY My art school days - not very good. Virgil continues to feel the sculpture from top to bottom, not stopping during the dialogue. VIRGIL It's a mother? - holding her child - up in the air - like she's proud? It's beautiful. AMY It's not done yet - one day I'll finish it. Virgil turns - his hand to the wall - feels a window: VIRGIL Does this window open? I could use some air. AMY (moving to the windows) I think so. As Amy throws open the window, a wind blasts through - catching a stack of plans on her drafting table - blowing them across the floor. AMY Damn! Virgil turns, concerned, makes his way to her. VIRGIL What happened? AMY The wind - knocked over my plans. Amy down on the floor picking them up - Virgil senses her down there - crouches down beside her - tries to help her pick up. VIRGIL What is this - these plans? Amy looks at Virgil - - his hand running across one of her plans. AMY Just my work - - some plans for the Atlanta project we're bidding on - drawings of a lobby we're finishing up, some other smaller stuff. It's -- it's what I do. Amy realizes they mean nothing to him - he hands them back - stands. She watches him - then standing, moves to him. AMY I've got to get to work. Tonight we'll do something - we could listen to music or go out for dinner... VIRGIL How about a movie? AMY A movie? VIRGIL Yeah. I haven't been in years. AMY Alright. A movie. I won't be long. And Amy gives him a quick kiss and dodges for the door - a beat - she forgets her purse - steps back in to see: Virgil standing there quietly - his hand out on her plans again - feeling the paper - searching for the design - wanting to know her - wanting to understand her - finding nothing there. Amy feels uncomfortable - quietly steps out - closes the door. INT. REVIVAL THEATER - NIGHT WIDE - the theater half full playing Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" the very funny scene where Woody and Diane Keaton wrestle with the lobster. We move in slowly and discover Virgil and Amy leaning in close to each other - Amy quietly describing the scene to him. AMY There's these big pots and Woody's got a huge lobster in his hand... VIRGIL Lobster - what's a lobster? AMY (trying not to use her hands to describe) It's a.. .kind of like.. it's got... Then she looks to Virgil - sees he was kidding her. AMY (laughing) That's it - you're on your own. Off Virgil's laugh: INT. SUBWAY LINE - NIGHT BWAM - a subway train explodes past us. INT. SUBWAY CAR - NIGHT A collection of typical night riders - everyone keeping to themselves. Two kids sit in the corner - blasting their boom box Virgil stands in the middle of the train - enjoying the vibrations. Amy sits on a seat watching him. VIRGIL And they lived happily ever after. AMY Woody and Diane... VIRGIL And the lobster? AMY Stop with the lobster. A song comes on the radio - Virgil's head turns. VIRGIL Hey - you here that? All she hears is the clatter of the subway. AMY What? Virgil turns towards the music - BAPPING his hands rhythmically on the subway car wall. VIRGIL Hey - can you turn that up? The KID shrugs - CRAKKS it up. It's Gershwin's "Can't take that Away from Me." Virgil turns to Amy - picks up on the song - hands RAPPING - he starts singing: VIRGIL "The way you comb your hair, The way you sip your tea..." He finds Amy, pulls her up and into an embrace as he saunters them down the aisle. AMY Virgil?! VIRGIL (loudly) "Can't take that away from meee" - what? AMY People are watching. VIRGIL Watching? Watching what? AMY You. Me. Everyone is staring at us. VIRGIL And? AMY Well - it can be embarrassing. VIRGIL (kidding) Oh - I see. AMY No - you don't. VIRGIL Touche. "The way you make me see..." AMY (turns to him) What do you mean?! (Virgil gives her a look - I want the operation) You mean it. I mean I only want you to have the operation... VIRGIL Amy. I want the chance to see. The chance to see Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, apples, raisins, a buffalo, a carbuerator and the man in the moon. (beat) But I would give all that up - just to see this face. And Amy folds herself into Virgil - a moment - they hold each other - then - Amy starts to sing along with the song - Virgil joining in - and they dance - together - in love. SMASH CUT TO: EXT. SUBWAY CAR - NIGHT AMY/VIRGIL (V.0.) "You can't take that away from me." And the car explodes past again - and as the music dies we cut to: INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL - OPERATING ROOM CLOSE ON: a platter of silver utensils - fine, exacting scalpels. A gloved HAND comes into frame - picks up a clamp - and we follow it to: VIRGIL'S EYES - the clamp being used to hold it open. The work we are seeing is grueling - difficult to watch - but at the same time so fascinating it is hard to take our eyes off. Dr. Aaron followed by Dr. Goldman - hands in the air - mask on - leans over Virgil - looks to the ANESTHESIOLOGIST who nods - then to no one in particular. AARON OK Virgil - let's get to it. And as he is handed a SCALPEL, we watch as it moves down to cut open the white section of the eye - and just as it feels almost unbearable to watch- - INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM - DAY We see Amy, coffee cup in hand, grab a second just poured cup out of a vending machine. She makes her way over to reveal Jennie who sits quietly reading a book. AMY Coffee? It's really bad. Jennie looks up - smiles takes the cup. Amy sits down next to her. They both sip for a moment. AMY Virgil never mentions his parents - do they know? JENNIE Our mother died when I was 20 - Virgil wasn't even a teenager. And our father - he's been gone for quite awhile. AMY I'm sorry. I didn't know. Jennie looks into her coffee - takes another sip. JENNIE (smile) You're right this is bad. AMY It must have been very tough on you - taking care of Virgil alone after your mother died. JENNIE He's my brother. Simple. AMY You don't like Virgil doing this - do you? JENNIE I don't like Virgil getting hurt. Hope is like fire, it can keep you warm - - or it can burn you. INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL - OPERATING ROOM - DAY Dr. Aaron: - focused on his exacting work. His hands move deftly. CLOSE ON: Virgil's eye. Cut open. Aaron's probe working right in the middle of it. DR. AARON There you are. And Aaron pulls out the cloudy cataract tissue - holding it up for all to see - before he PLOPS it on a tray. Switching instruments - he gingerly picks up a plastic implant - moving back towards the eye - he glances at the nurse assisting him: DR. AARON You know what they say, Virgil? The eyes are the windows to the soul. Virgil can't move - listens intently as he carefully places the implant into Virgil's eye. DR. AARON (with a wink) That makes us the Windex to the soul. (he focuses) OK, both eyes done. Let's patch him up. On a large monitor we see an EXTREME CLOSE-UP of Virgil's eye - waiting. INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL - LATER Virgil being wheeled down a hall - head wrapped in bandages. INT. EXAMINATION ROOM - DAY As he enters: VIRGIL Hello? Jennie's there - takes his hand. VIRGIL Jennie? JENNIE How're you feeling? VIRGIL OK - a little pain, like a tequila hang over - is Amy here? AMY Right here - Dr. Aaron said you did great VIRGIL So how's my hair - I'd hate the first time I see myself to be a bad hair day. (Virgil reacts to a sound) What's that? AMY There's camera guys here too. WIDE - we now see the room has a small VIDEO CREW in it preparing to document the event. VIRGIL Camera guys? AARON (entering) For posterity. We're going to make you famous. We're also sending this closed circuit to one of our conference rooms - there's a lot of people interested in our results today. So how you feel Virgil? VIRGIL Good. Great. Fine. (a laugh) Nervous. Aaron moves about the room closing blinds to let in just a few slats of light. AARON Nothing to be nervous about. Now Jennie and Amy, if you would stand off to my right -- I want Virgil to get just a slight bounce of light. (returning to Virgil) Ready Virgil. VIRGIL Let's go. Both Amy and Jennie subconsciously adjust their hair as Aaron starts to unravel the bandages. When the bandages are completely off - all that is left are two gauze patches on both eyes. AARON Okay - last phase - we remove these patches and... VIRGIL (suddenly apprehensive, hand up) Okay - wait. So - so - what do I do? I mean, what will I see first? AARON Well - we're all here - Amy, your sister. This is new for us all. Why don't we find out? Aaron reaches up and plucks the two patches from his eyes - and everyone waits. Virgil slowly opens his eyes - he just seems to be staring blankly, bewildered - not focusing at Aaron who stands before him, still holding the bandages. Amy looks to Jennie - to Aaron - what's happening? Then finally: AARON Well? And Virgil reacts - a startling look of recognition mixed with fear crossing his face. AMY What is it Virgil? VIRGIL It's - it's - I don't know. And now for the first time we see Virgil's POV: There is light, movement, color, shadow - but somehow it is foreign to us. There is no perception of depth -. no sense of definition of shape or shadow - it is as confounding to us as it is to Virgil - like an explosion of Picasso, Dali and Monet on screen. Suddenly in the midst of this chaos of images - there is movement - and a voice emits out of what we now for the first time recognize as a mouth. Dr. Aaron speaks again - leaning in to Virgil, who reacts back. AARON Virgil - what do you see? VIRGIL Something's wrong. Jennie's reaction comes pouring out of her eyes in tears, first slowly, then a dam break. AMY Virgil what's wrong? What's happening? AARON Everything's fine - it's going to take... JENNIE It's not fine - don't say it's fine. AARON Tell me what you're seeing Virgil. Virgil suddenly pulling back - his eyes dancing around in his head - trying to take it all in - trying to focus. VIRGIL (over everyone) I don't know - it's all screwed up - this can't be seeing - something's wrong - too confusing - what the hell's happening??! HIS POV - the camera crew coming toward him for a closer shot - it's like a giant monster violently moving towards us! VIRGIL What is it - Stop! Virgil's hand lashes out towards the camera crew - even though they are 15 feet away. AARON What? The camera? JENNIE (to the crew) Stop moving! AMY Virgil, it's just the camera. The room has heightened into chaos - Virgil reacting to everything he sees, any quick movement - Amy moves next to him - Aaron trying to remain calm - Jennie assuring Virgil everything's OK. AARON Alright - alright - they've stopped. OK. Let's everybody just calm down - we'll take it slowly. Everyone settles - takes a breath. AMY Virgil. What can we do? They all look to Virgil - breathing heavy - his eyes swinging back and forth. VIRGIL I gotta focus - gotta think - gimme a second - OK, OK - get me a coke. Somebody? JENNIE He's thirsty - someone get him a drink!! VIRGIL No - just a can - a bottle -- put something in my hands! Amy reaches over - grabs an empty coke can. AMY Here - how's this? Virgil takes it in his hands - closes his eyes - feels it. Then slowly opens his eyes - trying to focus on what is in his hand - Aaron catching on. AARON Good, Virgil - that's it - use your touch - associate - now, tell me - what do you see in your hand? Long moment. Virgil holds it up - stares hard. VIRGIL A can. Is it a can? JENNIE What's going on? They all look at Virgil turning the can over and over in his hand - staring intently at it - learning it. AARON (beams) He's associating - one sense to the other. His fingers tell his brain - then his brain tells his eyes and he recognizes the image in front of him. (realizing) He's seeing! Aaron looks to Amy and Jennie - they're still doubtful - he motions to them to meet him outside. AARON Virgil - let's rest your eyes for today and we'll check them again tomorrow. We should all be happy - we've got something. Virgil: not happy, just very confused. As Aaron leaves, Jennie takes Virgil's hand while Amy stands there upset - watching him just staring at a Soda Can. INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL - DAY In the corridor, Dr. Aaron shaking hands with Dr. Goldman - people exiting the near-by conference room all congratulating the two doctors. As Amy exits the room - Aaron moves to her. AMY What just happened in there? AARON You saw it. Success. AMY Success - wait a minute - then why can't he see me, his sister, anything. AARON He sees you. He just doesn't understand that he sees you. AMY But he'll overcome it - I mean - this is temporary right? AARON There's a very real possibility the part of his brain area allocated to vision is atrophied - given it's lack of use, Virgil has probably used it for some other function. Jennie has stepped into the waiting area - has just heard Aaron. JENNIE You didn't think of this? This is as much an accusation of Amy as of Aaron. AARON We had no way of knowing what his faculties were until we gave him the operation. If you remember - we didn't know what to expect - though it's clear his retinal disease must be in remission. AMY So what are we supposed to do now - you saw him - it's like he's another person in there. AARON He won't need to stay here - take him home - let him rest. But I will need to see him every couple of days for the next month. AMY Isn't there some kind of therapy he should be doing - someone to help him. Aaron stares at her - hadn't thought of this. AARON OK, there is a visual therapist - Ray Webster - a little unorthodox - that's why he's probably your best bet, especially considering the unique aspects of Virgil's condition. I'll contact him for you - but there's no guarantee he can help. JENNIE (can't believe this) No guarantees. AARON Jennie, I told Amy here when we first talked - this is whole new ground - for all of us. And Jennie quietly turns and goes back into Virgil's room. Amy just stares at Dr. Aaron - a little overwhelmed. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CHANGE AREA - DAY Virgil - starting to dress. He stares at his clothes on a hangar - not comprehending what it is. He closes his eyes - his hand going out to feel it - then opening his eyes - he takes the shirt turns - and notices someone watching him. VIRGIL Hello? HIS POV - it's his own reflection in a mirror next to his clothes. Virgil stares at himself standing stock still - waiting for a response from the person staring at him. VIRGIL Is there...? Slowly realizing that what he sees is himself. He starts moving towards the mirror fascinated. Virgil's POV - Focusing on the image as it slowly takes shape - becomes clearer to him. His hand going up to his nose - moving it back and forth - laughs at it's absurdity - then is taken with his own smile. He tries a smile - comes off awkward as he starts to stare at his teeth. Touching each part of his face he investigates his chin, ears and finally his hair. Then he stops - and just stares - and stares at a face that is his own - but so incredibly foreign to him. Who is this person? INT. VIRGIL'S ROOM - DAY Jenny starting to pack up Virgil's things. Suddenly there is a burst of laughter from the other room. She looks up quizzically INT. HOSPITAL CHECK-OUT - DAY Amy in the check-in area - pacing - on a cellphone. AMY Duncan - I know the additions to the mall will cost more.. look, I can't do this on the phone - I'll be in tomorrow.. yes, I remembered they're putting the fixtures in the lobby - I'll get there as well - I'm just asking for one more day. INT. WAITING AREA - DAY Jenny - finishing packing up Virgil's things. VIRGIL (V.O.) Amy? Jenny looks up - Virgil standing in the doorway, dressed. JENNIE No - it's Jennie. She moves toward him - Virgil pulls back - hands out in front of him. JENNIE I'm sorry - I'll move slower - I just... And Virgil's hands are on her face - eyes closed - feeling. He opens his eyes - staring blankly - trying to figure this out. VIRGIL This is you. JENNIE This is me. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Angle on Amy moving down the hall - hearing the voices. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY JENNIE Everything's going to be alright - we just need to get you home. VIRGIL No, no - I can't go home. I need to be here - see the therapist - doctor's. I want to be here. JENNIE But I can't stay here - and you can't do this alone--who's going to take care.. .? She stops. Realizing. ANGLE On Amy - outside the door - not wanting to go in. JENNIE Amy? She's going to look after you? She doesn't know anything about the blind. VIRGIL I'm not blind anymore - and I'm not going to let someone I care about walk out of my life again. JENNIE (moves to him) It's not your fault he left. You can't keep blaming yourself. VIRGIL (beat) I'm staying here. A pause - and Jennie moves her hand out to him - touches his arm. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Amy feeling uncomfortable - starts to step away. JENNIE (O.S.) Amy? Amy turns - Jennie in the doorway. JENNIE Virgil's finishing getting ready. Could you walk me to my car? Amy nods - sees an element of defeat in Jennie's eyes. EXT. HOSPITAL - LATE DAY Jennie and Amy stand on the curb near Jennie's car. A moment of uncomfortableness - then: AMY You alright? JENNIE I'm scared to death. I've spent my whole life looking for any holes he might fall in. I'd run up ahead and cover them. Everywhere I look here, I see holes. AMY Please believe me - I don't want him to get hurt anymore than you do. JENNIE Amy - when Virgil was very young, he couldn't see those close to him - so he never learned to reach out. (turns to her) Don't expect him to reach out when he's in pain, or confused, or unhappy. If you really care about him you have to just be there for him. And before Amy can answer, she gets into her car - starts it up and drives off. EXT/INT AMY'S.LOFT - DUSK Virgil slowly gets out of the cab, looks up at the buildings - immediately gets dizzy and nearly falls over. Amy lunges to help him. Virgil is laughing in spite of himself. VIRGIL This is just great - I don't believe this. What's that saying - stop the world I wanna get off. ETHAN (O.S.) Hey Virgil, it's Ethan. Virgil turns to the familiar voice. Ethan, basketball under his arm, coming out of the building with his Mom, KAREN COLVIN. Virgil scans, tries to focus on them. VIRGIL That you Ethan? ETHAN It's me - and this is my mom. AMY Virgil - Karen. KAREN Hi, Virgil - heard a lot about you. ETHAN You look funny. VIRGIL You should see how I look from this side. AMY Let's just get you inside - then you can rest. We'll see you later Ethan. Karen. And she gives Karen a small glance as she takes Virgil's arm as they start towards the stairs leading into the building - Virgil suddenly slamming to a halt. VIRGIL Wait, wait, what are we doing - WE'RE WALKING INTO A WALL!! Virgil's POV - the staircase. A flat image - a solid wall with horizontal lines. Ethan, surprised, what's up here? AMY It's OK - it's not a wall - it's just a staircase. You're going to have to trust me on these things. VIRGIL God, I feel like... like such a child - I just thought seeing would be different. AMY We'll get a hold of this Ray Webster guy - we'll get his help. Virgil steps slowly forward - giant baby steps - each foot reaching out to feel the step before making the commitment. HIS POV - the 'wall' of stairs changing perspective with each step. Like an accordion spreading itself out to us. This is all a very bad acid trip. INT. AMY'S APARTMENT - DUSK VIRGIL'S POV - multi-colored balloons, dozens of assorted flowers, bowls of colorful fruit and streamers intertwined across the room. A candyland of seeing. VIRGIL Man. Something exploded in your apartment. Amy laughs - pulls him into the room. Virgil trying to take it all in - not understanding anything. AMY I wanted to do something special for you. VIRGIL It's making me a little bit dizzy - but it is special. Virgil's hands go out - Amy moves to him - he holds her shoulders. He stares at her. As she turns her head slightly, Virgil is able to focus on her - her eyes - her smile. VIRGIL Okay - so - this is what beautiful looks like. AMY Thank-you. You want to see the rest. Focusing on her, Virgil smiles, takes her face in his hands - leans in and kisses her. She pulls back a little. AMY I can't believe this - how nervous I am. She kisses him then takes a step back. AMY What if you don't like what you see? VIRGIL Do you want me to turn off the lights? AMY No - no. This is your first seeing day. (she starts to unbutton her dress) I want you to see everything. And she drops the dress from her shoulders - it hits the ground - a beat - and she stands there naked. AMY OK? VIRGIL Yes, very OK. And she takes a step towards him and folds into his arms and as they kiss we slowly fade to black. INT. AMY'S LOFT - NIGHT The sound of heavy New York rain. Amy awakening, and sees Virgil is gone, his side of the bed empty. She looks across the room - where she sees silhouetted against the moonlit window - - Virgil standing next to Amy's sculpture, his face and body pressed up against the pane of glass. AMY (wrapping a house coat around her) Virgil? Virgil turns around - half faces her - the rain on the windows decorating his face. VIRGIL I can't sleep - I'm afraid if I close my eyes... AMY It'll be black when you open them again. Virgil nods. A moment and his hand goes out to her sculpture. VIRGIL You enjoy sculpting? AMY At first. I liked the idea of molding - taking the way I saw things up here- - (touching her head) - and making it take shape with my hands. VIRGIL But you never finish them. AMY Pieces never come out the way I wanted - the way I saw them. I end up working on them forever - like this one - never getting them right. Virgil stares out the window at the rain. VIRGIL This is what rain looks like? AMY Yeah. VIRGIL It looks lonely. Not what I expected. But I like it. Amy smiles - moves into him as he pulls her in close and they look out at the night rain. INT. ROSWELL-TREMONT - DAY Amy working over a CAD computer with & draftsman. AMY You've got to alter each of the windows by five feet... DRAFTSMAN These are the specs you gave me. AMY I know - I'm changing them - this is better. (calling out) Betsy! Betsy pokes her head in. AMY Can you get me some research on those Maple trees we're leaving in. They're too big - I want to change them so they fit in with the design better. Get rid of the dead weight. BETSY Don't you have an appointment? Amy looks to her watch. Starts for her jacket and the door. AMY Yes, yes. Thank-you. Evan here will print out the new specs - give them to Duncan - tell him I'll be back in two hours. DUNCAN (O.S.) Amy? Duncan steps out of his office. She turns - virtually out the door. AMY Just give me two hours. And she's gone. EXT. NYU CAMPUS - NEXT DAY A few KIDS smoking on the steps. Others entering, laden down with books - a small sea parting to allow Amy helping Virgil up the steps and inside. INT. NYU HALLWAY - DAY They make their way down the hall - past a - room where a group of BLIND CHILDREN learn to read Braille. Amy can't help but stare at these young faces struggling to learn. It's a whole different world. INT. RAY WEBSTER'S OFFICE - DAY A strange space, dark, as all the windows are covered. In a jar on the desk - two pickled eyeballs stare back at Virgil and Amy waiting patiently. There are books everywhere - periodicals stacked and overflowing on shelves. A dead plant in the corner. RAY WEBSTER - 60's, almost completely bald, wearing a worn NYU sweatshirt, sits at the desk in front of them - flipping through a file in front of him. WEBSTER Right - OK, Virgil - says here you went blind at one - before you developed a visual vocabulary. (Webster stands - moves towards a bookshelf) You have no sense of depth of field, no knowledge of space, shape, size or distance. Basically your eyes work but your brain hasn't learned to process the information. (beat) You are mentallv blind. Neurologists call this "visual agnosia". VIRGIL I call it pretty screwed up. WEBSTER Better term. I'll make a note of that. Webster plops down a large book - flips through some pages, then searching his pockets: WEBSTER Dammit AMY What? WEBSTER Glasses, can never find 'em. (calling out) Mrs. Fenster. Mrs. Fenster pops her head in the door - this must be a ritual they have as she instantly pulls her GLASSES off and hands them to Webster who drops them over his nose. They are clearly woman's glasses - pointed in the ends - little jewels. As Mrs. Fenster leaves. WEBSTER (referring to the book) OK. Alberto Valvo "Sight Restoration after Long Term Blindness" - blah-blah-blah. - ah here... (reading) "One must die as a blind person to be born again as a sighted person. However it is the interim, the limbo- -between two worlds, one dead/the other powerless to be born - that is so terrible." (slamming the book shut) There. You're in limbo. AMY What do you mean - there - he's in limbo. That's all you have to offer? WEBSTER What? - I'm Anne Bancroft all of a sudden? I'm a professor - I teach people, how to teach the blind how to become independent. (beat) There's no book on what you're going through - I'd like to help - but like the rest of things in life - it's up to you. VIRGIL Wait a minute - up to me? I thought you were going to help me here. Webster rummages in his desk - pulls out a magazine photo - then digging in a brown paper bag - he pulls out an apple. WEBSTER You want a lesson? Right - here. What's this? He holds out the apple for Virgil - who reluctantly takes it - holds it in his hand, eyes closed, feels it - then opening his eyes he holds it out in front of him, trying to focus on it. HIS POV - as the apple slowly takes on dimension and shape. VIRGIL It's an apple. WEBSTER Good. Good. (holding up the photo) OK. What's this now? Virgil stares at the photo. HIS POV - a photo of -- an APPLE. Not that different from the real apple he holds in his hand - he holds the real apple up to compare - using his eyes. VIRGIL It's an apple. WEBSTER (holding the paper out to Virgil) Good. Good. But is it an apple or just a picture of an apple? And Virgil feels the paper and suddenly realizes - it's not an apple - just a representation of one. Virgil is visibly disappointed. VIRGIL So this is a joke? Is that what you're saying - your eyes lie to you? Great - looking forward to this. WEBSTER Your eyesight can and will play tricks on you Virgil. Remember that. No matter what I could teach you - no matter what exercises I could give you - they'll still play tricks on you. VIRGIL That's all it is right now - one big trick. Nothing makes any sense. I can't function like this. WEBSTER (he moves to his chair) Virgil - look - you have to learn to see - just like you learned to speak. Only this is not like learning a new language - it's like learning language for the first time. (he leans forward) Perception - sight - life, is about experience - about reaching out and exploring the world for yourself. It's not enough to just see Virgil -- (he points two fingers into his eyes) -- we've got to look as well. And Webster turns the fingers from his eyes outward - to the world. AMY (wound up) Well, thank-you Obi Wan Kenobi - but that doesn't tell us anything. What we need is some assistance here - some kind of program - a set of exercises - we're kind of adrift and... WEBSTER Amy - last I checked - this isn't a game of Parcheesi, it doesn't come with a set of rules. AMY I can't believe you're just... VIRGIL Amy. Let's go. AMY No, wait, Virgil... VIRGIL Let's go. (standing) Thank-you Dr. Webster. WEBSTER You want me - I'm always here. And Virgil turns and half steps - half shuffles towards the door. We hold on Amy's befuddled face - then: EXT. NYU - DAY Virgil feels his way down the steps - Amy rushing out after him. AMY I'm going to call Aaron - get him to recommend someone else. VIRGIL He's right, Amy. I've got to do this on my own. No one taught you how to see. Virgil starts walking stiffly towards the street. Amy hurries after him - grabs him just as he was about to step into traffic. AMY I was a baby then - I had years to learn - you don't - you need to... (anxious) --we don't even know what to do - where to start.. Virgil's hand goes out - brushes a mailbox. VIRGIL What's this - this thing? Amy looks over. AMY (shrugs) What - it's a mailbox. VIRGIL What color is it? AMY Blue. Virgil stares at it - tries to take it in. VIRGIL Blue. OK, good - that's a mailbox - it's blue. There - we've started. She says nothing. Virgil senses her apprehension. AMY Let's just get a cab, get you home - and tonight we can work on it. (hand out) Cab! A cab veers across traffic - pulls up to them. VIRGIL I want to walk. I want to see what's out there. AMY Fine. Let's walk. VIRGIL Don't you have a job? AMY I'm going to make time for this. I promise. VIRGIL Go to work. If I need you - I have your number. A beat, she looks to Virgil then climbs into the cab and it pulls away. Virgil looks left, right - trying to decide where to start his journey when we see the cab back up in front of him and Amy climbs out. AMY Screw work - let's go try those eyes. INT. LECTURE RALL - DAY Aaron at a podium. The room filled with colleagues. A NEWSCREW records the lecture from the back of the hall. AARON Now just two weeks after surgery--the patient is still having difficulty understanding images, shapes, contours - EXT. NY CITY STREET - NEW DAY Virgil - determined to see - making his way down a street - trying to dodge people coming at him from all angles. Amy walks a short distance behind him - coaxing him along. HIS POV - people seem to explode out of two dimensions into three. This is clearly exhausting. AARON (CONT.) - and his progress with depth of field has been especially slow... WHAM - Virgil collides with a kid on a skateboard - Amy winces as he quickly regains his balance - shakes it off - starts his journey again - determined. EXT. BROADWAY - STREET VNNDORS - DAY Amy trying to help Virgil take in the confusion of images - explaining to him items hanging about the stalls. It's clear he's a little overwhelmed - when something familiar catches his eye. He moves toward it: HIS POV - focusing - trying to give it shape - it's a YELLOW CAB - just like the one Amy drove off in - again he focuses - reaches out - surprisingly wrapping his hand around the car. AARON (CONT.) Virgil is still very reliant on his touch to interpret objects in his surroundings - He then realizes it's a porcelain toy from a souvenir shop. Amy watches him examine it like a child as we hear: EXT. STREET CORNER - DAY AARON (CONT.) - and his understanding of three dimensionality is extremely limited and confounding to him... Virgil - his hands all over a small long haired TERRIER. He looks to Amy as he stands. VIRGIL It's a dog. Amy on her cellphone - trying to get work done - nods - yes that's a dog. Virgil looks back at the pup - which has now turned around backwards. VIRGIL Now what's that? On Amy - disturbed by his slow progress. EXT. GARDEN MARKET - ANOTHER DAY Amy and Virgil being led through a series of plants and trees by a EARTHY SALESWOMAN. SALESWOMAN I believe we have just the tree you're looking for your lobby. Needs very little light - slow growing - ah here we are... Amy and Virgil stop at a large Ficus Tree. AMY Nice. Good. What do you think Virgil? AARON (CONT) He is also still having great difficulty "scanning", basically putting a whole picture together. Virgil stares at the large tree. Up - down - up - down - up - down - up - down - Amy and the Saleswoman watch him, Amy wants to help but can't comprehend what he's going through. AARON (CONT.) If he looks at the top of a tree - then scans to the bottom - he's forgotten the top by the time he reaches the trunk. INT. AMY'S WORK - DAY ANGLE ON Virgil in Amy's office - staring at a construction sign - FUTURE HOME OF etc... Using his finger to outline the letters of the sign - he tries to read the word FUTURE. He mouths the letters - tries to form the word. AARON (CONT) This includes the ability to read. In reading a word - he forgets the first letter by the time he gets to the last. Amy working with a draftsman - glances up to see Virgil struggling with reading. INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL - LECTURE ROOM - DAY Bathed in a bank of lights, Aaron at the podium continuing. Virgil quiet - is seated behind him. AARON (CONT) -- meaning ... he has a total lack of visual memory. This is an unexpected physiological flaw. We are hopeful Virgil can overcome this. (beat) Thank-you - that's all for today. INT. NEW YORK EYE HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Virgil and Amy exit the hall, are immediately surrounded by REPORTERS and PHOTOGRAPHERS. There's a sudden FLASH. Virgil reacts, pulling away. VIRGIL What's that? AMY A camera - it's OK - taking your - picture. VIRGIL What, by flashing me in the face? FLASH - there's another - Amy tries to block the light. AMY Please!! - It's not good for him. Suddenly - there's a mike in his face, as CHRISTIE EVANS reporter from Channel 2 news steps forward with CAMERA CREW in tow. CHRISTIE EVANS Mr. Anderson. Christie Evans Eyewitness news. We heard the Doctor speak about your progress - and we're wondering what your expectations are. As Virgil stops - stunned by the lights in his face. As he looks to Amy we cut to: INT. HOME - LATE DAY TV MONITOR - Virgil turns to camera - starts talking to the reporter. As we pull back we hear less and less as we reveal a modest living room. A TEENAGER doing homework on a table in the corner and a MAN - early 60's, rugged - sitting on a couch watching the news. MAN Oh my God. He leans forward - his interest piqued and he picks up the phone. MAN Information. Pinecrest. For a Jennie Anderson.. INT. RESTAURANT - LITTTE ITALY - LATER THAT NIGHT A silver fork held up in front of us. AMY What's this? Virgil and Amy sit on the patio of La Mela. Virgil's hand goes out for the fork. Amy pulls it away. AMY Uh uh uh. See it first. No cheating. Concentrate. Virgil stares hard at it. VIRGIL (guessing) A pen. I don't know - let me touch it. She hands it to him. VIRGIL A fork. AMY Right.. Now put it down in front of you. How far is it from. VIRGIL Twenty feet AMY You're not looking. VIRGIL Dammit, Amy, Amy, I spent all day in front of that panel feeling like a guinea pig. Every time I open my eyes I have to look. Can we just sit and have dinner for once? Amy just stares. It's clear they're both tired. AMY I'm just trying to help you see. VIRGIL I know. But that's all it seems we're about. How was your day - what goes on at work - how about those Rangers - did the stock market hold today - is there anything else going on in our world besides my eyes? AMY (beat) OK, we've been invited to a party - Duncan's birthday. An ITALIAN WAITER appears - putting a large plate of spaghetti in front of Virgil and Amy. Virgil is a little repulsed by what he sees. VIRGIL What's this - looks like worms. AMY It's spaghetti - it's fine. As Virgil tries to maneuver his fork - Amy reaches behind her. AMY I brought you a present - good for hand eye coordination. She hands him a TOYS R US bag. He peers inside. VIRGIL Great - you go to work building buildings - I go home with building blocks. INT. ROSWELL -TREMONT - LATE DAY Amy - looking a little worn - staring blankly at her computer. A three dimensional rendition of the mall rotates on the screen. Duncan pokes his head in. DUNCAN I'm here for you to wish me happy birthday. How's it going? AMY (distracted) OK. He's progressing, slowly - doing the best he can. DUNCAN I was actually wondering about the mall designs. We're expected in Atlanta tomorrow - with these plans. AMY I can't go to Atlanta tomorrow - not with Virgil's problems,.. DUNCAN Ok, ok (Duncan moves in behind her) I'm sorry. Things aren't going so well? AMY (stares at her work) He seems blinder now than he ever was. Duncan puts his hands on her shoulders - starts to knead them. Amy starts to relax. AMY Do you ever wonder why you do the things you do? DUNCAN Didn't get what you expected did you? AMY Sometimes I think he's not going to make it - that he's never going to be able to see. DUNCAN Amy - listen to me. You liked this guy - I saw that. You wanted to help him - it didn't work out so hot. You can't punish yourself.. Sometimes things just don't work out the way we want them to - look at us. Amy smiles warmly. AMY Yeah. Thanks Duncan. DUNCAN Anytime. (beat, a joke) Now back to work. As he starts out of the room, Amy turns stops him. AMY Hey, Happy Birthday. INT. AMY'S LOFT - DAY Virgil sits at the kitchen table staring at everyday kitchen utensils - being held by Ethan. VIRGIL Measuring cup? Ethan shakes his head - no - it's a cheese grater. Virgil stares again. Ethan mimes grating cheese. VIRGIL Cheese grater. ETHAN Yes - my man. Ethan holds up something new - one of those strange spaghetti strainers. Now they are both staring at something they don't understand. Virgil looks to Ethan. ETHAN Got me. VIRGIL (laughing) You're no help. How am I supposed to do my homework if... ETHAN Homework - dude - I ain't doin' homework. Virgil continues to look at the strainer as Ethan gravitates towards his cane folded up on the table. ETHAN (beat) You're lucky you got a cane. Virgil looks over - sees his fascination. VIRGIL You want it. I've been thinking about throwing it out. Ethan's up in a flash. ETHAN Man - really - I can have it? Cool. (picking it up) I could be a Ninja Darth Vader fighter with one of these - protect my mom from the evil super. Virgil is up - with the spaghetti strainer in his hand. VIRGIL But first you'll have to fight off the evil --- whatever this is. As they joust about - Virgil enjoying himself - there's a knock at the door. VIRGIL Could be the super - go for cover. As Ethan ducks behind the couch, Virgil makes his way to the door, fumbling with the handle - he opens it to: JENNIE. Virgil stares at her. We soon realize he has no idea who this is. VIRGIL Yes? Jenny looks at him, her eyes welling. JENNIE Virgil - it's me. And suddenly Ethan is there - cane drawn like a sword. ETHAN En garde. Jennie startled - looks to Ethan then Virgil. What's going on? VIRGIL Jennie?! Jennie.. God, I'm sorry - c'mon in - this is my friend Ethan - what are you doing here? Off Jennie's look: EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY Virgil and Jennie standing across the street from a building being torn down. Hard hatted WORKERS hover about the large trucks at work. VIRGIL You want to tell me what we're doing here? Jennie points. JENNIE That's him. That's our Father. Virgil looks in the direction she's pointing - tries to focus on a figure moving across the lot. The MAN we saw watching TV. VIRGIL I can't - I can't see him. Jennie looks to him. JENNIE I thought your eyes were better. VIRGIL No. I - I don't want to see him. My eyes aren't good enough - not yet - he won't understand. It won't be enough. Virgil takes a step back. JENNIE He's our father. He heard about the operation and he's asked to see you. Look here he comes. VIRGIL GODDAMIT Jennie - I don't want to see him - I don't even know why you brought me here. And Virgil takes another step back then turns and starts of f down the street leaving Jenny alone. INT. AMY'S BUILDING - NIGHT Amy making her way up the stairs - roll of plans under her arm. Opening her door to: INT. AMY'S LOFT - NIGHT A totally dark room. She drops her things. AMY Virgil?... Virgil?! She flicks on the light - to reveal Virgil has been sitting in the dark. She looks over - sees the scattered blocks on the floor. VIRGIL I'm here. I forget about the lights sometimes. AMY Look - about this party tonight - it's no big deal - maybe we should just... VIRGIL It's your partner's birthday. We should go - besides you wanted me to meet your friends, right? AMY Yeah. Right. INT. LOFT - NIGHT Noisy, crowded - PEOPLE mill about carrying drinks - black and silver balloons float about the ceiling. Moving through the crowd - music blasting - Amy introducing people to Virgil over the noise. A WAITER walks up to them holding a tray of wine. WAITER Glass of wine? Red - white? Amy reaches out - takes one. VIRGIL Which is the red? Amy looks at the waiter - then points to one. Virgil's hand reaches out slowly - hovering - it's clear it's confusing - trying to separate out one glass. The Waiter looks to Amy like "is he OK?" AMY Virgil - here let me. Her hand darts in front of his. VIRGIL (quick) No! Sorry - I mean - I'm almost there - I think I got it. And she backs off as his hand wraps around a glass - pulling it back. At the last second knocking over two other glasses. VIRGIL Dammit. Sorry. The Waiter - trying not to spill on himself. WAITER Trust me - you're not the first - or probably the last. Let me get a cloth. VIRGIL Thanks The Waiter smiles - and as he walks off. Virgil nervously takes a large drink of wine. WAITER I hope you're driving. Suddenly from the front of the room - MARSHALL, the host calls out: MARSHALL OK. He's coming up the stairs. Everybody get ready - kill the lights. Excitement - a buzz - Virgil looks around then CLICK - all the lights go out. Virgil panics momentarily. VIRGIL What - what's happening? Amy moves to him in the near dark room. AMY It's for the surprise - they turned off the lights. VIRGIL Surprise - yeah. And suddenly the lights flood back on, everyone screams: SURPRISE!! Duncan - at the door with Betsy - genuinely surprised - catches his breath - then fakes a quick heart attack and drops to the floor. The room explodes in laughter - Amy included. This action is even more confusing to Virgil. VIRGIL Is he OK? Hearing this - everyone breaks into bigger laughter - Virgil now the focus of attention - good naturedly laughs - Amy smiles, embarrassed. Virgil takes a gulp of his wine, finishing it off. LATER: The Music is cranked! Many couples dance. Virgil exits the bathroom - glances back in the mirror again, at his hair - not sure he likes its style. He tries brushing it to the other side - it's OK. How about the other way - not so bad - maybe. It's clear he's a little tipsy as he keeps playing with his hair. WAITER (O.S.) Here ya go Virgil. Virgil turns - the Waiter stands there holding a glass of wine - placing it carefully into Virgil's hand: VIRGIL Cheers, Kevin. AMY (0.S.) (over the noise) Virgil!! Virgil embarrassed, turns - can faintly hear Amy's voice over the music. Searches the room - bopping bodies - balloons being bashed round - lights dim. The number of drinks he's had isn't helping. AMY Virgil--over here!! Amy, standing with Duncan and Betsy. DUNCAN Maybe he's blind again. AMY Don't even think it. C'mon - I want the both of you to meet him - he'll never find us here. With VIRGIL - smiling as he sees Amy, Duncan and Betsy move towards him. AMY Virgil - I'm sorry - I went to get Duncan. Duncan - Virgil. And this is Betsy. DUNCAN Hey Virgil good to meet you. BETSY Heard a lot about you. VIRGIL Heyyy! Yeah. Good to meet you. Virgil thrusts his hand out - colliding it into Duncan's. VIRGIL Sorry - things still get a little cockeyed sometimes. DUNCAN (holding up his drink) Few more of these and I'll be the same. VIRGIL Lemme get Kevin - my man - he'll top you up. KE-VIN!!! AMY Virgil! VIRGIL What? Uncomfortable - everyone stops. AMY Nothing. It's ok. DUNCAN Amy, in Atlanta tomorrow... AMY Duncan - I told you... DUNCAN I spoke to Falk and he... AMY (can't hear) What? Duncan pulls Amy in close to talk - shutting Virgil and Betsy out. BETSY Amy said you had great hands. VIRGIL (laughs) She did, did she. Virgil holds them up in front of his face - tries to see them. Then looks past them and watches Amy and Duncan - more importantly looks at Duncan's hair, his clothes. It's clear he's becoming aware of appearances. His own especially. As they break their tete a tete. BETSY You know my father was blind for several years, he had cataracts as well. Somehow this comes out patronizing. VIRGIL Really. I'm surprised I don't know him. It's a club you know. Kevin, the African American waiter comes up. KEVIN Yes. Virgil throws his arm around Kevin. VIRGIL Kevin - Duncan here the birthday man - could use himself a drink. Kevin here tells me he's black - did you know that - I mean look at him - look at me - isn't that the damnedest thing. He's black. Amy is mortified, Kevin laughs. KEVIN I'll get you a drink. Virgil looks to Amy. VIRGIL What's that look? AMY What look? VIRGIL I've never seen your face that way before. It's.. .weird. What does it mean? Before she can answer - a dance song breaks out - Betsy wraps her arm around Duncan's. BETSY Come on Duncan - let's dance - move those old bones. Duncan only acknowledges Betsy's contact with a raised eyebrow to Amy. DUNCAN What the hell it's my birthday -- nice to meet you Virgil - see you at the opening. And they're gone onto the floor. Virgil watches him - sees the ease with which Duncan moves, handles things. VIRGIL Opening? AMY The lobby we designed. Virgil - you can't... VIRGIL Let's dance. Virgil takes her arm and pulls her out on the floor. Amy - ready for one of Virgil's wild dances takes hold of his hand. The music blaring, Virgil starts to get into it - Amy starting to relax - then Virgil slowly notices how everyone else is dancing - more conservative. He's even getting some looks from people. Slowly he winds down - tries to mimic what everyone else is doing - ends up in just a slow shuffle. Amy watches him - sees he's uncomfortable - moves to him - but Virgil turns on his heel and strides away. Amy follows after him. INT. LOFT - CORNER - NIGHT Virgil stands near the glass doors leading to an outdoor balcony. Amy comes up to him - finds Virgil facing a wall - eyes shut. AMY What are you doing? Virgil's head cocks slightly towards her - just like when he was blind. VIRGIL I feel like Rip Van Winkle. I've woken up from a thirty year sleep - and the world's passed me by. AMY It's just dancing. Who cares? Virgil whirls on her - his hand on her shoulder to steady his look at her. VIRGIL No-no-no-no. It's not the Goddamn dancing. I wanted to come here tonight - show you I could "fit" in. Like the big boys do. Big seeing boys. Yes. Well, I don't. Don't. AMY It's just going to take time. You weren't ready. We shouldn't have come. VIRGIL No - I - me, shouldn't have come. You want me to see - but you know what - you know what - shit - I don't belong in the wonderful world of seeing. Amy reaches out to him. AMY Virgil � look �. Amy realizes what she just said - Virgil pulls his arm away. VIRGIL No, I won't. I'm tired of looking. Fuck looking and the horse it came in on. And he spins to get away from her and takes a step crashing right into the sliding glass door which explodes in a shower of little crystals. The party slams to a halt - Amy stands stunned. Virgil shaken - tiny cuts on his face. AMY Oh my God, are you alright? Virgil slams his eyes shut. VIRGIL Yeah, I'm just fine. Take me home. INT. AMY'S LOFT - NEXT MORNING Virgil, small nicks on his face, wakes up - rolls over - feels the empty bed beside him. Looks up to see Amy pulling her coat on - suitcase at her side. AMY Didn't want to wake you. VIRGIL You're going. AMY I'll only be a couple of days. VIRGIL This isn't working. AMY What - we're not working - your eyes - what's not working? VIRGIL I get up every morning - I look in the mirror - and I stare at a total stranger. I stare and I stare - and no matter how hard I look - I don't see Virgil there anywhere. And the more I look at you... AMY What? You don't see me? VIRGIL I saw you better when I was blind. AMY Well, you're not blind any more. I'm sorry if that disappoints you. (beat) I've got a plane to catch. I'm going to go before we say things we don't mean. And she grabs her bag and is out the door. As we hold on Virgil's face. AT THE WINDOW - Virgil looking out - watching Amy get in the cab. As she drives away we see Virgil watch the car recede - then his hand goes out. HIS POV - his hand grasping at the tiny disappearing cab - trying to hold onto it like in Times Square - trying not to let it go. INT. FALK BOARD ROOM - DAY CLOSE ON - Amy's sketches. The Mall has been integrated into the two large trees - giving it shelter and shape. FALK (O.S.) I love it. Amy and Duncan sit across from Falk, a man in his 40's - earned everything he's got - no bullshit kinda guy. FALK But we already cut those trees down. EXT. NYU CAMPUS - DAY Kids milling about. A young couple neck unabashedly against a wall. We see this is Virgil's POV - he's watching - people together. INT. NYU HALLWAY - DAY Virgil makes his way down the hall. Stops at an open doorway - a sign next to it with raised letters in Braille. As his hand feels across it - he also reads the visual letters - Dr. Ray Webster. Peering inside - he sees a Lab - full of the NEWLY BLIND - some TEENAGERS - a couple of ADULTS - a handful of SEEING IMPAIRED - all learning to use a cane. The rapid tapping of their cane like a room full of typewriters. Virgil watches - the Blind working their way around a small obstacle course - many of them running into desks, tables - it's tough, frustrating work. Suddenly Virgil feels someone next to him. Webster. WEBSTER You want to join us. Virgil watches the blind. VIRGIL No - no - I'll wait for you out here - when you're done. As Virgil moves off to a hallway bench: WEBSTER Virgil Virgil turns as Webster tosses his something. Virgil misses it - it hits the ground - he reaches down - finding it, he picks it up - it's an apple. He looks to Webster who smiles back at him. WEBSTER I'll be done in a minute. INT. HOTEL LOBBY - ATLANTA - DUSK Amy and Duncan walk through the lobby to their rooms. A little combo plays music in the adjacent bar - a few people on the tiny dance floor. AMY You'd think he would have told us. I mean those trees were in the photos. DUNCAN We'll just have to win him over tomorrow. Let me buy you a drink - get those creative juices going. AMY (looks at her watch) Aw - no - I really... But Duncan has her by the arm - and in one spin has her in a dance embrace. This move seems comfortable, familiar to them both. DUNCAN C'mon - listen, they're playing our song. AMY (laughs) Mack the Knife was our song? INT. WEBSTER'S LAB - LATER Webster is cleaning up after class. Virgil watching some of the Teenage kids and Adults find their way out of the room. As the last of them leaves. WEBSTER OK - I'm just about done here - I got a place for you - relax those eyes a bit. INT. STRIP CLUB - NIGHT A table front and center. Some empty beer glasses in front of them. Two full ones in their hands - they're both a little in their cups. A STRIPPER grinds and weaves her way about the small dance floor to the sounds of Talking Heads "Burning down the House". VIRGIL (eyeing the girl) You want to know the truth -- God's honest truth? Seeing's been the shits. WEBSTER You got to be kidding me son. You can say that - sitting here in these prime viewing seats. Forget fixing your eyes - we're going to get your head examined. VIRGIL I'm serious. I was better off blind. People don't have these expectations of you you can't live up to. You're blind - fine - they deal with it. WEBSTER Didn't get what you expected did you? VIRGIL When I was blind - I had an image of what everything was, up here... (points to his head) now - it's all different - not at all what I'd expected - not what I'd hoped for. WEBSTER Virgil, let me explain something here. When you were blind - you dealt with things one at a time - sequentially right? A wall led to a door to a tree to a car. That's how you got to what you wanted - right. (beat) Seeing people - for better or worse - deal with everything all at once - taking in the whole picture - which sometimes confuses the hell out of what they want. (beat) Virgil, my advice after three beers - don't be afraid to take in the whole picture - just don't lose sight of what you want. VIRGIL What I want is to make it work with Amy. WEBSTER And what does she have to say VIRGIL She just wants me to see. WEBSTER It's that important is it? VIRGIL You know what I learned a long time ago. Seeing girls like seeing guys. (beat) I'm not going to let her down. INT. HOTEL BAR - NIGHT 102 Amy and Duncan are dancing - they seem good together. Nothing fancy - but they move as one about the floor. DUNCAN See - not so bad. AMY Not so bad. DUNCAN It's nice to dance together again. AMY Yeah. DUNCAN You remember...? AMY First time we danced - Connecticut. We watched the leaves turn - so much to see - I'd love to go back. DUNCAN So would I. (beat) What happened to us Amy? You're so intent on fixing everything - why'd you give up on us? AMY I learned some things can't be fixed. We got married for all the wrong reasons. I don't think I fell in love with you as much as I fell in love with architecture. DUNCAN (serious) I never fell in love with architecture - but I know I fell in love with you. AMY Now - that's bullshit. DUNCAN It used to work. They smile at each other - everything's easy right now - pause - they dance - Amy looks up at Duncan - who hesitates - then leans in and kisses her. A moment and Amy pulls away slightly - looks down for a second - then she leans back in and they kiss again. We hold on this kiss, then cut to: INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT BLACK - we hear movement - then a light comes on in the bathroom. Amy stands there clutching her clothes - staring into the mirror. In the background we see Duncan curled up asleep in bed. Amy stares at herself long and hard. AMY (whisper) Oh, God. And she starts to dress: DUNCAN Amy? - what's going on - what time is it? Click - he flicks the bedside lamp on - squinting - finds Amy. She doesn't talk - keeps dressing. DUNCAN What's wrong? AMY What's wrong? This was' a mistake - a big mistake. Go back to sleep - you've got an important meeting tomorrow. DUNCAN I've got? - hold on here - you're not bailing out on me - I need you. AMY (flat) For the meeting. DUNCAN Of course for the meeting. Dressed, she moves toward the doorway - Duncan sits up in bed. AMY I'm going home. DUNCAN To be a babysitter. She stops at the door. AMY Can't we for once be adults - face the fact that we've just made a colossal error? DUNCAN Fine - this was stupid, there - happy? - but goddamit Amy - I still care about you. Where do you actuallv think any of this is going to lead with this guy? AMY I don't know - but the one good thing to come of this mess tonight - I know I want to find out. And she's gone - WHAM. EXT. AMY'S LOFT - DUSK A cab pulls up - Amy gets out - looks up at her loft - it's dark. INT. AMY'S LOFT - DUSK Kitchen light on - a pile of Ethan's blocks on the table. Amy makes her way over to see it reads: ON THE ROOF EXT. AMY'S ROOF - DUSK Amy opens the door and sees Virgil leaning against the parapet wall, staring out at the night Manhattan skyline. After a moment, he walks back to the other end of the roof, turns and slowly walk - toward the parapet wall again - all the time staring at the skyline - with a smile and look of amazement on his face. AMY Hi Virgil turns - finds her. VIRGIL Hey. Amy starts toward Virgil. AMY Whatcha doing? VIRGIL It's the craziest thing. You start back over there - focus on a building. And when you walk towards it - it changes - each step makes it look different. I started out just looking for the horizon. AMY You can't see it from here - too many buildings. VIRGIL But it's still there - even though you can't see it - right? You gotta have faith it's there. Things exist beyond what I can see - I just have to take it on faith. She comes up next to him - Virgil, looking out over the wall turns to her - studies her face: VIRGIL You have so many looks? AMY There's something I have to tell you. I was getting confused - which is no excuse for how I've acted, but... VIRGIL Wait - no - this isn't your fault - I'm the one's been a shit. You're too hard on yourself - expect too much of yourself. AMY Virgil � VIRGIL (stopping her) Let me say this. Every day of my life - I've wished for just one thing. AMY To see. VIRGIL To be whole. For just one month. For just one day or one minute. For one goddamned half a second. And not just to be able to run, or ride a bike, or drive a car. (beat) But for once not to have a bruise from bumping into something or to stand in a room and have to ask "is anyone here" and here that dead silence, knowing someone is there. Not to have food on my sweater, or have to put my finger in my glass to know when it's full. I just want to be whole. (beat) I went to see my father the other day. Amy moves toward him. VIRGIL I couldn't face him. I felt like I was letting him down. I feel like I'm letting you down. AMY No � VIRGIL No, listen. I gave up years ago - I'm not going to give up now. Amy - that day I met you - for the first time in my life I felt someone needed me as much as I needed them. I don't want you to give up on me. Amy out of breath - feels a surge of love for this man - moves in kissing him. A long kiss - then: VIRGIL Besides I couldn't leave you - I owe too much in back rent. And as Amy pulls him into embrace - we hold on her face - then: INT. LECTURE HALL - DAY CLOSE ON - Dr. Aaron - harsh lights washing him out. AARON Up until the operation five weeks ago - Virgil had been a touch person - someone who's vocabulary, whole sensibility, his picture of the world was based on tactile -- non-visual terms. INT. DOWNTOWN ATELETIC CLUB - DAY A HEALTH INSTRUCTOR - 50's Jack LaLaine type - is giving Virgil the tour of the facilities. They enter the weight/workout room. Various shapes and sizes of people work out on various shapes and sizes of workout machines. Aaron's voice-over continues as Jack motions to Virgil to follow him.. Virgil hesitates. HIS POV - chrome, iron, plastic - but somehow it's more defined than we've seen before. Determined - Virgil starts his way into the gym - hand' out brushing by what he sees in front of him. AARON (CONT) But - now - as a sighted person - by focusing singlemindedly on his goal, Virgil has a new found ability to understand his own physical relationship to objects in his life around him... Virgil now drops his hand - starts moving through the maze of people and equipment - actually "seeing" his way. AARON (CONT.) Distance, size, shape - perspective - now all have profound meaning to him... EXT. HEALTH CLUB - DAY Virgil negotiating a glass door - exiting the building. AARON (CONT) and though there are still miles to go in his learning process - for all medical intents and purposes - he is becoming a seeing person. Virgil walking down the street - deftly dodging a kid on a skateboard - throwing out his hand to hail a cab. AARON (CONT.) This is an extraordinary achievement and advancement for medical science and a tribute to Virgil's determination to see. INT. LECTURE HALL - DAY AARON (CONT) Ladies and Gentlemen - Virgil Anderson. Applause and Virgil looking to Amy in the audience, stands - a seeing man - and easily makes his way to the podium. Standing in the lights he readjusts the microphone - moving it up from the much shorter Aaron. VIRGIL (clears his throat) Since this may be one of our last sessions - are there any questions? VOICE IN THE DARK Mr. Anderson - is there something you were surprised to see for the first time - something that looked quite different than you thought? VIRGIL Breasts. (laughter) No, really. Don't get me wrong - I love them - they just weren't what I expected. VOICE What about your girlfriend? VIRGIL Whose did you think I was talking about? Laughs. ANOTHER VOICE IN THE DARK Now that you're fully seeing - what are you looking forward to most? VIRGIL Not having to do these sessions. (laugh) No - actually - being independent. VOICE Can you read yet? VIRGIL No, but... VOICE Will you ever be able to? VIRGIL I don't know. VOICE If you can't read - will you ever be able to drive? VIRGIL (suddenly somber) I don't know. VOICE Well how can you say... FAMILIAR VOICE (interrupting) Virgil. After so many years of darkness - describe what it is to actually see. Angle on the Voice in the dark. Webster. CLOSE ON - Virgil - as he thinks about the question. INT. ROSWELL-TREMONT - AMY'S OFFICE - LATE DAY CLOSE ON - the Atlanta project. Miniature size. And a set of plans laid out across Amy's desk. Virgil's hand comes into frame - touches the model - moves to the plans - touches them. ON VIRGIL - alone in Amy's office - looking at her work. We go to his face - his eyes - we see that he is seeing Amy's work. AMY (O.S.) You're here. Virgil looks up - Amy at the doorway. VIRGIL The Atlanta project - I thought it went away. AMY Duncan did some song and dance - Falk's coming to the lobby opening tomorrow - see our work. VIRGIL I see it Amy. AMY What's that? VIRGIL Your world. What you do. The plans - the work the ideas. The molding. For the first time I really see what you do - and not just up here... (he points to his head) but in here. Virgil's hand goes out to her chest - places it on her heart. AMY (moves in close, sexy) Tonight is your night something special I want to show you VIRGIL What is it? SMASH TO. EXT. BUILDING - LATE DAY AMY (V.0.) Everything. TOP OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER The sun starting to set - the whole of the five burroughs of New York laid out in front of us. Virgil moves to the edge - looks out over this amazing panorama. Amy moves up next to Virgil - they take it in a moment. AMY That's the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Chrysler building just over there... VIRGIL Amy, look at me. AMY What? VIRGIL This face - this is everything. It's all I've ever wanted to see. (he watches her) You have so many looks. What do all those looks mean? AMY Well. Let's see. This... (makes corresponding face) ... is sad. This...is frustrated. This... is tired. This.. is confused. This.. is happy. And this... (her face softens) ... is what in love looks like. Virgil puts his hand on her face - looks at it carefully. VIRGIL This look - this look I love. Amy leans forward and kisses him - and he soon forgets it even happened. As they kiss we pull slowly back and away as the sun goes deep gold and we start to hear what sounds like rain: We cut to: INT. AMY'S LOFT - NIGHT And they are still kissing - and we realize they are in the shower - together - kissing - exploring - very sensual. As Virgil moves to kiss her neck - her breasts - Amy's head tilts back in to the spray. AMY Virgil - it's raining. And he moves up again - looks her in the eyes - and for a moment his eyesight shudders ever so slight1y - it goes away and they kiss again. EXT. AMY'S LOFT - MORNING Amy and Virgil on the street - each hailing separate cabs. AMY So - eight o'clock tonight. VIRGIL Eight o'clock - building opening - I haven't forgotten. She blows him a kiss and she's gone. Virgil watches her cab pull away - clear something is bothering him. HIS POV - his vision going in and out. Then clear, then clouded again. INT. DOWNTOWN ATHLETIC CLUB - DAY Virgil's massage room. Not as organized as he had at Bear Mtn.. Virgil is working on an OVERWEIGHT MAN - his back is splotchy from too much sun. Virgil massaging - becomes preoccupied with his skin's imperfections - losing his concentration. OVERWEIGHT MAN Hey, Virgil - I'm the one supposed to fall asleep here. VIRGIL Yes - sorry. He closes his eyes - gets back into his rhythm. INT. ATHLETIC CLUB - LATER Virgil, pack over his shoulder leaving for the day - about to cut through the weight room - when it suddenly comes to a halt. His POV - his vision fading in and out - and then suddenly quick flashes of black. On the final BLACK: We smash to: INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL - DAY Virgil at the desk. The Nurse looks up. VIRGIL Daphne - I need to see Dr. Aaron - right away. It's an emergency. INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL - EXAM ROOM - DAY Dr. Aaron is again examining Virgil on the Electroretinogram. Done, Aaron pulls the machine out of the way. Looks at Virgil - rubs his hand across his face. VIRGIL What does that mean? AARON What? VIRGIL What you just did? Virgil imitates him. AARON It means - the machine is only registering sparks of activity - retinal sparks - followed by nothing. How long has this been going on? VIRGIL I don't know - first I thought I was tired - some blurs - occasional cloudiness but it's been getting worse. Today I'm getting complete blackouts. AARON Your retinal function is down ten percent. I'm afraid - your retinal disease seems to have returned. VIRGIL You're afraid. What does that mean - I thought you corrected it. You told me I was a 'seeing person'. AARON Now, you've every right to be upset. Maybe you didn't have the blood vessels to supply enough oxygen to the retinas. - Possibly some trauma - there are so many variables...(beat) to be honest, I don't know. I wish to God I did. Virgil stands, anxious - starts pacing. VIRGIL OK. You're the expert. Tell me - what do we do now - how do we repair this? AARON Virgil. I -- I wish there was a nice way to say this. Virgil backs away - doesn't want to hear it. VIRGIL No - there is no nice way to say it is there. No nice way to let the man know it's all over - that.. he's going blind again! AARON Virgil, I understand what... VIRGIL No you don't! Don't ever say that. You'll never understand. Ever! Aaron stands there - says nothing - tries to let Virgil's anger dissipate. A long moment. VIRGIL How long? AARON Hard to say. Month - few weeks - (beat) Days. Virgil stands there stunned - then looking to Aaron. VIRGIL God, what do I tell Amy? What do I tell her? On Virgil's face. INT. EYE INSTITUTE HALLWAY - DAY Virgil steps into the hall - Sees: A FIVE YEAR OLD BOY - blind - eyes half shut - hands reaching out, plodding it' a half circle over to where his mother waits for him. And we see the realization on Virgil's face of seeing his past - and what he will return to: EXT. STREETS - DAY Virgil RUNNING, RUNNING, best he can - through the crowded street - hands out - bumping into people - desperate - scared - trying to run from himself - from his fate. WHAM - he comes to a stop - out of breath - he looks left - right - where do you go - then sees something off screen. His face torn with fear - he moves forward - hand out - reaching to a window - to his own REFLECTION. And we push slowly in on the reflection as he touches the window - his hand on his face - a face he may never see again - and a cloud passes overhead and his reflection is gone. EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY Virgil stands at the site - amidst the rubble and mud. His Father walks slowly over to him - raising his arms to embrace him. Virgil takes a step back - not, ready - his father stops, understands - looks his son up and down. FATHER You look good. Hey - how do I look? VIRGIL I need some answers. Why'd you leave? Because I'm blind - or because I quit trying to see? FATHER To the point - I like that - something you got from me. VIRGIL Cut the bullshit - "dad". I don't hear from you for over twenty years - then you find out I can see and all of a sudden you show up? FATHER (looks around) Hey. Virge - can we talk about this later, huh... VIRGIL No, not later. Now! Was my blindness so wrong that made you tear our family apart. Virgil's riled his father. He steps towards Virgil tries to speak under his breath. FATHER Every morning I woke up and looked at you and saw my own failures. If I couldn't get my own son to see then...What difference does any of this make - you can see now - hell, I knew you could. Virgil watches his father - this stranger. His eyes start to well. VIRGIL I'm going blind again. His Father looks at him - stunned. He reels from the news - takes a step back. FATHER No... VIRGIL The doctor told me today. You're the first person I've told. I wanted to come see you before it was completely gone. FATHER (speechless) A beat and Virgil's father takes another step back, then turns and walks away - forever. EXT. NEW BUILDING - LATE DAY Virgil standing across the street. Trying to take in the building EXT. NEW BUILDING - LATE DAY Standing at the front as a security guard opens the door. GUARD Sorry the building doesn't open until tonight. VIRGIL I know. I'm Virgil Anderson...with Roswell Tremont. We did the lobby. I'm here to check some details for tonight. GUARD Oh, okay, sure Mr. Anderson. INT. LOBBY - LATE DAY The lobby is pretty, straightforward. Open - a few plants - a large central check in desk. Simple - unobtrusive - nothing exceptional or unique. Virgil moves his way about the lobby - looking at it carefully from every possible angle - his hand grazing across walls, entranceways - desperately committing as much as he can to memory - finally ending up in the middle of the room in a final attempt to absorb as much as he can. GUARD (O.S.) You want to see that the thing work? VIRGIL Thing? What thing? GUARD This thing The Guard reaches over - hits a switch - and against one section of windows a wall of water comes dripping down - causing a shower of indoor rain - the sound instantly echoing off of the walls. Virgil smiles - moves toward it - closing his eyes - listening to the indoor rain - really taking in the room having total empathy with what Amy has created. INT. AMY'S LOFT - BATHROOM Virgil, wrapped in a towel, is shaving. But he has his eyes closed. Amy comes in, dressed beautifully - using the mirror to put her earrings in. Virgil quickly opens his eyes. VIRGIL You nervous? AMY No - not a bit. What do you think? She pivots for him. VIRGIL You look great. AMY Really. Not too flashy? (she looks in the mirror, she is nervous) I'm going to change. Virgil lets her go - calls to her. VIRGIL This is an important night for you. AMY But you know what's most important... (she pokes her head in) That you're going to be there to see it. Virgil turns to the mirror, stares at himself - contemplating what he's up against. INT. NEW BUILDING - NIGHT The lobby is filled with business types, waiters circulating with champagne, tiny hors-d'oeuvres. Virgil and Amy enter - standing at the top of the stairs leading to the party. Virgil immediately going into a performance for Amy. AMY So. VIRGIL Amy, it's good - very good. I'm proud of you. I love the detail - planted pots in the corners, the moldings... (beat) It's got genuine lines. AMY (excited) Look around - do you see it? VIRGIL What? He looks about the room - then turns towards the indoor rain. HIS POV - clear - then slight haziness - a momentary flash of black - then back in focus. He turns to Amy. Puts his arm around her. VIRGIL Our rain. AMY Your rain. DUNCAN Hey Virgil. He extends his hand. Virgil, obliged slowly extends his - having trouble focusing - but Duncan helps him - taking hold of it and shaking it. DUNCAN Still working on that hand shake you'll get it don't worry. VIRGIL Congratulations - the place looks great. DUNCAN Thanks - here's the genius though - I just get the gigs. Can I steal her away Falks' over there and I can't tell if he's impressed with our work or just has gas from the pate. VIRGIL Go - do your thing. AMY I'll be right back. There's food and drinks down on the floor. Duncan and Amy start down the stairs as Virgil tries to find a safe place to stand. His eyesight fading in and out - he looks around - decides to negotiate the steps: He takes one step on the stairs - looks down - is able to see Amy with Falk and Duncan, looking up at him - she smiles - he does his best - smiles back - lets go of the handrail - takes another step - finally reaching the bottom floor. He stands there for a long moment - lost as to where to move. A glimpse towards the rain sculpture and he starts towards it using the sound to help guide him. Amy looks over - sees Virgil moving across the floor - gives him a little wave - he doesn't notice her. At the rain Virgil stands taking in the sound. A FIGURE comes up next to him. VIRGIL Quite a party. Love the detail of the building. WEBSTER Sometimes the detail doesn't matter. Virgil stops - turns to Webster. VIRGIL Ray. What are you doing here? WEBSTER Aaron called me. He was worried. I've been trying to find you - Amy's office told me you were here. It's bad? VIRGIL It's almost gone. Last few days have been pretty bad. WEBSTER Obviously Amy doesn't know. VIRGIL It's going to break her heart. This is her big night - I didn't want to ruin it. Thought I could pull it off. WEBSTER (beat) You can't avoid this forever. Virgil turns back towards the rain. VIRGIL I know (beat) So Ray? Is it better to have seen and lost than never to have seen at all? WEBSTER I thought it was loved and lost. Amy comes up to them. AMY Dr. Webster - this is a surprise. WEBSTER Virgil invited me - wanted to show you off I think. The place is terrific - he's got every right to be proud. AMY Thank-you. I need Virgil for a moment - schmoozing time. WEBSTER Shmooze away. VIRGIL (as he's led away) Thanks Ray. I'll call you. ANGLE ON - Duncan standing anxiously with Falk and his wife Donna as they arrive. AMY Virgil - I'd like you to meet Jack Falk and his wife Donna up from Atlanta. VIRGIL Pleased to meet you. DONNA Amy tells us you were blind. Amy spurts out a glass of wine. Virgil deflects the comment. VIRGIL That's OK - nice to see someone so honest. FALK Amy tells us you're her inspiration. Any help you can give us with our project? VIRGIL I'm a little biased but I kind of liked Amy's original design. FALK But could we do better. Amy jumps in with. AMY We could do better, Mr. Falk - a lot better. FALK Good, I like that attitude. Let's keep trying for perfection. Everyone smiles - Amy wraps her arm around Virgil. AMY That's right - that's why I've got Virgil. Pleasant laughter all around - and as Amy and the others continue - we push in on Virgil as he takes in this thought. EXT. NEW BUILDING - NIGHT Virgil and Amy out front. People leaving - Duncan getting into a town car with Falk and his wife - he looks back - gives the thumbs up and climbs in after them. The car pulls away into the night. VIRGIL You wanna walk - I feel like some air. AMY See what we see? Sure. VIRGIL Can I take your arm - eyes a little tired. As they walk. VIRGIL You really made the place come alive with that fountain. AMY Thank-you. (beat) You know I've been thinking - you're doing so great now - and if we get this new design job we'd have some extra money - I think we should go on a big seeing celebration. VIRGIL (taken aback) A seeing celebration? AMY Yeah, maybe in a couple of months. I looked into Egypt - we could see the pyramids - we could see it together for the first time. What do you say? VIRGIL You know - there is something I'd like to see. AMY Of course, anything. VIRGIL The Rangers play tomorrow. Season'll be over before we know it - could be our last chance. AMY The Rangers. Sure, why not? BLACK Then a tiny pinpoint of light ahead - one that grows increasingly larger as we move towards a SOUND. A hum that grows in intensity until the light fills the frame and BAM - we exit the tunnel and we are: INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT That glorious first view - people - the white ice shining below like a giant jewel- and the players - in bright colors scurrying about the playing surface below. AMY This is amazing - isn't it? She looks to Virgil who is awed by what he is seeing. Then suddenly on his face - a flash - one of those moments of darkness. AMY Should we find our seats. Looks like the game's already started. VIRGIL Yeah - I - I'll follow you. INT. GARDEN - SEATS - LATER Virgil and Amy in the loge seats - on the aisle - up behind the goal. Amy looking at the stadium while Virgil next to her, watches the game best he can. AMY I love the stadium the way it's structure... VIRGIL Amy - the game... AMY Right - the game. SMASH - a hard check into the boards deep in the Rangers end of the ice. The puck squirts out Gretzky picks it up - fires it across ice - one, two it's back to him and he has a wide open break from center ice - the crowd is out of their seats - Virgil included - Amy quickly getting caught up in the enthusiasm. On Virgil's face - watching Gretzky skate towards him - excited - then losing him - another flash of blackness - like a blow to the head - and we hear the crowd suddenly explode - and as Virgil's vision regains we see the players mobbing Wayne after his goal - the little red light behind the net the only evidence of it happening. We see the frustration as Virgil realizes he'll never see it. AMY He scored, he scored - you see that - it was amazing. As the players make their way to center ice - the crowd sits and Amy sees the expression again on his face. AMY What? That was good right? VIRGIL Yeah - it was great - I was just... Suddenly Virgil becomes transfixed. Walking down the aisle, away from him: A VENDOR - carrying a tray of PINK COTTON CANDY. Virgil stares at it a moment - transfixed - then like in a trance - he stands - stepping out into the aisle - a man on a mission. AMY Virgil, where are you going? And he's on the stairs - carefully moving down the stairs toward the vendor. Then she sees the Vendor - handing Virgil a large cotton candy - round and puffy like a cloud - but something he can hold in his hand. Amy can't believe it - watching Virgil - his fascination at finding this long lost memory. AMY The puffy thing. Angle on Virgil turning - admiring his prize - then looking up, trying to find Amy - who waves to him excited. HIS POV - scanning the crowd - it's hazy - then flashes of dark. Amy's face - suddenly drops - it's clear, even though she is only four rows up - he doesn't see her. INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT Game is over - Virgil is packing up his stuff - Amy staring. at him. AMY Virgil, what's happening? VIRGIL Just having a bad eye day. A lot to take in. AMY Tell me. What's going on? VIRGIL Nothing. I see almost nothing. Amy: she feels like she's about to explode. AMY Oh God. VIRGIL It's OK. AMY OK?!! VIRGIL It's OK for you to cry. AMY (recovering) No, no - I'm not going to cry. Solve the problem. We made it through one operation - we'll make it through another. We won't give up. We'll get this right - we just need to... VIRGIL I saw Dr. Aaron. There's nothing they can do. AMY Then we'll find another Doctor. There's got to be someone else. We'll find something that works. VIRGIL Don't you get it - I can't go through this again. AMY So just like that - we just forget it - give up? Why the hell haven't you told me what was going on? VIRGIL (whirls on her) Because of this!! AMY What this? VIRGIL You! Not letting it go - thinking there's a solution. Goddamit, I'm not design flaw in your fucking work that you can just change to make work Or throw away because it doesn't meet your expectations. (beat) Let's face it - it's over!! AMY Virgil, give it time, you'll see. VIRGIL No! I won't! This conversation is ended!! INT. AMY'S APARTNENT - NIGHT The door swings open - Amy and Virgil enter - Virgil moves towards the bed - pulls out his duffel bag. AMY What are you doing? VIRGIL I'm leaving. AMY What do you mean leaving - you're leaving this apartment - you're leaving New York - you're leaving me? Virgil turns - they stand across the room from each other - miles apart. VIRGIL I'm going home. Amy walks toward him, picking a battle, rejection. AMY So you're big sister can take care of you - feed you TV dinners for of your life. Virgil tries to side step her. VIRGIL I'm not going to go through this bullshit again. Amy moves in front - confronting him AMY Is that what this has all been to you - bullshit? VIRGIL Yes!! Who the hell were we fooling? I'm blind - I'm not meant to see - I don't belong here. AMY God damn right you're blind. You want to live in your own little world - this perfect world that your sister built for you - where no one can touch you ... where no one can reach you. VIRGIL Do you know the reason why I remembered the cotton candy all those years? Because I went to the game with my father. And it's the only good thing I can remember about him. The rest is him pushing me to be something I'm not - then turning his back on me the minute his plans fail. AMY I am not turning my back on you. You want me to give up on you - you love the self pity. VIRGIL I don't want you to give up on ME. But you won't give up on me seeing. AMY Because there must be other options. VIRGIL Not anymore. Virgil, avoiding her, sidesteps quickly past her - straight into the lamp, which crashes to the ground and breaks. DARKNESS. VIRGIL Dammit. A short few steps then a much larger crash - the sound of a large heavier thing breaking. AMY Virgil!! Amy feels her way to the lights - and turns them on. We see that Virgil has collided with Amy's sculpture of the woman. He sits among the pieces on the floor. Virgil - feeling the damage. AMY (going to him) Is anything broken? VIRGIL No - no bones are broken. Virgil uses the wall to stand - then - with his hands out in front of him he finds his way to the bed. VIRGIL It's finished - can't you see that! We both didn't get what we wanted. AMY (quietly) I never meant to hurt you. VIRGIL When you asked me to come here - did you ever think this wasn't going to work - that for one minute I may not be able to see. (beat) Did you ever think it would be OK to have a relationship with a blind man? Amy - a pause.. Too long. VIRGIL There's my answer. And he grabs his duffel and pack - throws the last few things in - and moving to the door - leaves. INT. BUS - NIGHT - RAINING Virgil riding - crossing the George Washington Bridge - going home. He looks out the window - sees the receding city - and he closes his eyes - listens to the rain. EXT. PINECREST - MAIN STREET - NIGHT The Bus comes down the main street of Pinecrest. Stopping - the bus door opens and Virgil gets out - and turns to face up the street - the street he knew so well that is so foreign to him right now. EXT. VIRGIL AND JENNIE'S - NIGHT The door opens. Jennie smiles warmly, reaches out to him. JENNIE Welcome home. INT. HOME - NIGHT Virgil and Jennie entering his place - to be greeted immediately by: SOPHIE bounding across the floor towards them - tail wagging - tongue hanging out. VIRGIL Sophie!? And he bends down to hug her. Sophie laps at his face. Virgil holds her back to get a good look at her. VIRGIL Let me look at you. You're so beautiful.. yes. Jennie watches her brother - happy to have him home. Hoping to get him back to 'normal'. INT. VIRGIL'S HOME - LATER Virgil walks around, touching things, seeing the simplicity of his life. Nothing on the walls - no decorations - no plants. Everything functional. He realizes this is a home designed by his sister. He moves over to the photo of the family. He on his dad's shoulders. Stares at it - at his father and mother for the first time. JENNIE Mom and dad. Virgil just stares. JENNIE Everything's as you left it. Nothing's changed. VIRGIL Jen - I'm pretty tired - I'd like to be alone. The PHONE rings. Rings again. Virgil doesn't move - his apprehension is clear - he knows who it is. Jennie sees this and moves toward the phone. Virgil turns and walks out onto the front porch - followed by Sophie, as his sister picks up the phone in the background. EXT. VIRGIL'S PORCH - NIGHT He sits down - looks into the night as we hear Jennie faintly on the phone. A beat and she hangs up. We hold on Virgil: EXT. PINECREST STREET - DAY Virgil walks down Main street. Seeing his town - a town he grew up in but now seems so foreign. Virgil seems oddly disturbed by what he sees. The yellow bus drives by - full of kids - Carl at the helm. Somehow it's not what he expected. INT. ROSWELL-TRRMONT DESIGN FIRM - DAY Amy organizing all her work on the Atlanta project - - the original designs - the new design with the trees - then she sees: The sketch she made of the "dancing trees". Her eyes hold - and she slowly shuts them - and with them tightly closed - her hand reaches out and runs along the drawings. EXT. PINECREST - END OF MAIN STREET - DAY We find Virgil standing - looking out at the end of the street where he stood with Amy. In front of him he sees: The "dancing trees". VIRGIL'S POV - a retinal spark - a quick glimpse of the intertwined trees - one lover choosing between two others. INT. FIREHOUSE - LATE DAY Virgil - stands in the middle of the room. Looks about at what was at one time so special to him. Now it just seems old and dingy - the magic is gone. He closes his eyes for a moment - listens - cocks his head to the left - the right - but there is nothing there. EXT. TOWN LIBRARY - LATE DAY Virgil standing outside - staring at a building he's never seen - never been inside. HIS POV: flickering a moment. INT. LIBRARY - SUNSET Virgil now sits at a table. Stacks and stacks of LIFE magazine splayed out in front of him. He is flipping through them at a rapid rate - like a drowning man searching for air. IMAGES - cars, JFK, the pyramids, Martin Luther King, houses, flowers, Marilyn Monroe, that Napalm burned little girl in Viet Nam, African masks, Dachau prisoners, Nixon, Warhol paintings, the Mona Lisa, that vulture watching over the little baby, the Eiffel tower, First Man on the moon, the Venus De Milo, that guy in front of the tank in Tianaman square .. and the Pyramids. The pictures go by fast and furious - Virgil soaking them up like a sponge - life, beauty, horror, great people, great events... And we move in on his face - absorbing these images for the last time - a face filled with anguish at a world disappearing. And we cut to: EXT. AMY'S ROOF - SUNSET Golden rays of the late afternoon sun. Amy on the roof - leaning on the parapet - watching the horizon. Then a thought comes to her. And mimicking what Virgil had done - she walks back to the other end of the roof, turns and looks out towards the skyline again ... then starts slowly walking towards the parapet till she reaches the wall again. The reaction on her face - she doesn't "see" it - not like Virgil did. INT. VIRGIL'S HOME - DAY Virgil is shifting furniture in his house. A table - moves it to the window - moves a chair to join it - stands back to have a look at it. HIS POV - a moment of clear - then haze - then dark - then haze. Virgil rubs his head - these last days of sight have been painful and exhausting for him. JENNIE (O.S.) Hello! She's at the door. Virgil cocks his head in her direction. JENNIE I picked up some things at the store - T-shirts, I'm sure you're out, some socks... VIRGIL Jennie, what's at the end of Main Street? JENNIE Well - I think it's Vivian's little stationery... VIRGIL Beyond all the stores - past firehouse. What happens when this is no more Main Street? JENNIE Well - there's nothing really - you know that. ~ VIRGIL No! You told me that's all there was. That's wrong. There's a helluva lot out there. Jennie surprised at where this is going. JENNIE I told you what you needed to know. VIRGIL What was within my reach. JENNIE What more do vou want? VIRGIL Isn't there anything more that vou want? JENNIE Is this about our father - he called told me... VIRGIL No. This isn't about him. Jennie - you've spent your whole life as blind as I was. The world doesn't stop within our reach. JENNIE Virgil, please. This is your home. Stop thinking about what's out there - things that will never matter to you. You're safe here where everyone... VIRGIL Where everyone what!? JENNIE Knows you. VIRGIL Can protect me?! (beat) Jennie, this place was a wonderful safe haven for me growing up. I know that. (looking around) And I can only imagine what you gave up to keep this world for me. I thank you and love you from the bottom of my soul. But now I want to give you your life back. JENNIE Virgil, I - I can't... VIRGIL You can Virgil reaches out his arms for her to join him. VIRGIL I'm reaching out, Jennie. This gets Jennie and she goes to him, really hugging him for the first time as tears flow from her eyes. INT. AMY'S LOFT - LATE DAY Amy, dressed in sweat pants and tee shirt sitting on the ground, trying to piece the sculpture back together. It's a difficult fix. KNOCK KNOCK DUNCAN Amy - you in there. AMY Go away. She scrapes some plaster into a dust pan. We hear enters a key in the door - and the door opens. Duncan DUNCAN I knew keeping this key would come in handy one day. What a mess - what happened? AMY It broke - I'm trying to fix it. DUNCAN So - guess what? AMY I'm not in the mood for games. DUNCAN We got it. The goddamned Atlanta mall - we got it!! Now - pull yourself out of this slump - I want you to fly down this week to... Continuing to work on the sculpture. AMY I'm not going. DUNCAN What are you ta1king about? What's the problem here? AMY The problem?! Everything. Nothing is right thank-you very much. DUNCAN You know what the problem is - you're the problem - you met a blind guy you thought was cool and spent the first two months trying to change him. AMY Are you finished? DUNCAN Not even close. Let me tell you something - you can't change people to solve you. You tried to do it with me - you tried to do it with Virgil. You ever think some of the things you try to fix - ain't broke. And he's gone - as Amy slumps into a chair - confused, tired - then slowly she starts to hear: TAP - TAP - TAP...TAPTAP - TAP The SOUND of a CANE in the stairwell! Amy's heart starts racing - she takes a breath - jumps up quickly and moves her way over to the door - unlocking it and swinging it open: AMY (excitedly) Virg ....... The CANE - being held by Ethan - as he taps his way down the stairs. ETHAN Hey Amy. AMY Hi, Ethan. Sorry - I thought... ETHAN He's not coming back is he? AMY No - he's not. Ethan sees she's covered in dust - looks past her into the loft. ETHAN Whatcha doin'? He looks past her at the sculpture half repaired. AMY Cleaning up a mess - going to start over. EXT. PINECREST - SUNSET Virgil walks the path, Sophie following close behind. By the way he walks, counting steps, touching landmarks, we realize he is using sight very little. EXT. HIDDEN VALLEY - SUNSET Coming through the clearing, to the plateau where he took Amy, the leaves now starting to turn golden colors - he stops - stands over top of the pond. VIRGIL'S POV - A retinal spark. The view across the valley, with white clouds against the bluest sky. His hand reaches out - to touch the edge of the world - to touch the horizon. And as he drops his hand, we see the clouds start to race by - while the blue sky goes golden then drifts into darkness. Virgil doesn't move from the spot. The screen goes almost black - then slowly the sun starts to rise in the east. Virgil makes no movement. A long beat - then - as the sun moves across him - he realizes it's day. He stands and unfolds his cane. It's clear he has returned to being completely blind. As he turns and starts his way down the hill we hear: VIRGIL (V.O.) Growing up blind - I had two dreams. One was to see. The other - to play for the New York Rangers. INT. LECTURE HALL - N.Y. EYE INSTITUTE - DAY Virgil stands at the podium speaking - dark glasses on, cane in hand. VIRGIL After the 'miracle' of my short period of sight - I realize - I'd rather play for the Rangers. (laughs from the dark) It's not that it was so awful - I saw many things - some good, some back some that I'm already forgetting. INT. WEBSTER'S LAB - NYU VIRGIL (V.O.) But I realized that our eyes aren't what make us see. We only live in darkness when we don't look - look at what is genuine about ourselves - genuine about others - you don't need eyes for that. Virgil sitting with three young blind children - working through Braille with them. Webster watches from the corner of the room. EXT. NYU - DAY Virgil - small brown bag in one hand - cane in the other - exits the building and makes his way across the street to Washington Square. EXT. WASHINGTON SQUARE - DAY Virgil - taking in the sun - finishing off the last of his sandwich. Balling up his paper bag - he taps his cane out - finds the garbage can nearby - and tosses the bag - rim shot - it misses, hits the ground. A hand reaches into frame and puts the bag in the garbage. Virgil looks up - senses the presence. VIRGIL Did I miss? VOICE (O.S) By a mile. VIRGIL Amy? ANGLE ON Amy: watching Virgil - realizing his sight is gone. AMY Ray told me you were living in town - said I could find you here. (beat) I rushed, didn't I? Fourteen steps to the tree and I made us smash right into it. VIRGIL We tried. Amy sits next to him. AMY I finished the sculpture. I'd love you to see it. VIRGIL Figure of speech. AMY Figure of speech. Virgil - when I first met you - you saw more than any sighted person I've ever known. I didn't mean to take that away from you. VIRGIL Amy. I saw ... I actually saw the horizon. You did that for me. It's out there. You showed me you just have to reach for it.. Amy smiles - her hand goes out - hesitates - then lands lightly on his. AMY You want to walk? VIRGIL See what we see? AMY Yeah. Just see what we see. Virgil smiles, nods. As he stands - he takes her arm - and as they walk off into the park, we slowly FADE to BLACK and just LISTEN, listen to the SOUNDS of the day - the percussion of the city. THE END